Mark Saturday February 23 for a great evening with Jonathan and Kathy Williams. We will be hosting our second annual WGS banquet in San Antonio.

One year has passed since we officially launched WGS.  In this year we have

• Started the weekly radio broadcast, Stories of the Master
  
• Become the new teacher for the daily radio program, The Heaven and Home Hour
• Published Dead Men Rising
• Spoken at a gathering of pastors and missionaries in Halkidiki, Greece
• Created a one-hour Christmas special heard around the world on Global City Radio.

Now, God is opening doors to take this ministry into several countries. Please join us Saturday night February 23 at the Olympia Hills Conference Center to learn how we can unite to take God’s word to the nations.

We are also excited to welcome as our guest speaker, Peter Spencer. Peter is the creator of Halo TV and Film and the director/producer of the major motion picture, Return to the Hiding Place, starring John Rhys-Davies (Gimli in The Lord of the Rings!). Peter will share about the power of storytelling, and how effectively telling the story of Christ can make a huge difference in how people perceive our message. You will also see a clip of this great movie!

Purchase your tickets online at www.WGSpeak.org or call us at 210.844.8251.
     WGS Banquet – Saturday – February 23, 2013
     Doors Open at 5:30 – Dinner served at 6:00                
     Olympia Hills Country Club¨12900 Mount Olympus
     Universal City, TX 78148

It is true – the world perceives us Christians as hateful, bigoted, and “anti,” and we know we are to blame.  The Barna Survey that polled how people think of Christians is well known.

But I would like to add some perspective, and as I do I want to assure you I’m not trying to evade responsibility. I’m not trying to shift the blame. I’m not trying to say, “it’s not our fault.”  But I am saying, “it’s not completely our fault.” So, before we crucify ourselves, and go to an extreme of failing to speak the truth with love, I would ask you to consider these things:

First, the media shares some blame. Christians have done an amazing job in our country of providing help for single moms. Christians all over the country use their personal resources (not government funding) to counsel women and try to persuade them to keep their child.  For those who do keep their baby, these Christians provide ongoing help and support.  Christians are pro-life.  But the media insists on labeling us as “anti-abortion.” Well, it is true, we are, most of us, “anti-abortion” but it is because we are pro-life. We are not “anti-“ because we love being cranky and negative, but because something so precious as a child demands that we say “no” to one path and yes to another and that we try to influence people toward life.  All of us are anti-something.  We are all “anti-racism.” We are all “anti-slavery.” I hope.

But the media has done an effective job by presenting us as “anti” and if you say something long enough you will affect the way people think. This is calculated on their part. They know what they are doing. When does one hear reports about the debate between “pro-choice and pro-life?” It’s always pro-choice and anti-abortion. Those in power know what they are doing.

This is not the first time this has happened. In 63BC, General Pompey marched on Jerusalem, took it, walked into the holy of holies, and discovered … nothing.  The ark of the covenant was long gone and in obedience to God the Jews had crafted no image to represent him.  But Pompey did not understand this and he concluded that Jews were atheists because there was no image to their god.  That idea stuck, and Jews were looked down upon in the ancient world by the majority pagans as atheists, non-conformists, troublemakers, and weird. I wonder, what would Barna have discovered about attitudes towards Jews if he had polled the ancient world?

Christians were looked down upon too.  They would meet, often in secret (for fear of persecution), at odd hours and they performed a ritual of “eating flesh and drinking blood.” They were branded cannibals and suspected of gross immoral practices because of their secretive meetings. I wonder, what would Barna have discovered about attitudes towards Christians if he had polled the ancient world?

A few years ago my wife and I went out for a drink with two lesbians. We knew they were lesbians. My wife worked with one of them and she had just “come out.” Her partner had been out for many years.  We were having a nice time with them but the one coming out was so excited about discovering who she really was.  She was going on and on. Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I am a follower of Jesus and I believe that the God of love is also a God of holiness and so I said, “I think what you are doing is wrong. I don’t believe this honors God and that it is contrary to his will for your life.”

Awkward! I hated that moment, but I could not celebrate with them.  I wasn’t mean to them. I didn’t shout at them. I didn’t get up and walk away. But I had to share the truth with them. We stayed together at that table for several more minutes, trying to reassemble some type of conversation, but sadly, it wasn’t the same.  We left cordially. I tried to make small talk about a novel one of them was reading that I was also reading.  Finally, we went our separate ways.

I learned in a few days that I ruined the weekend for the lesbian who had just come out. She was furious. She was enraged. She was sick because of what I said. The other lesbian, the veteran, told her, “you’ll get used to it.” Now, if Barna had interviewed the lesbian whose weekend I ruined about her attitude toward Christians, what do you think she would have said? Bigoted, narrow-minded, hateful! But it would not have been true!

We must remember that the lost are “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Those are not my words. Those are the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:17-18. If you don’t like them, blame him. What would the media say about that?

I believe that even if we Christians had perfect attitudes and words toward our fellow sinners, we would still receive much negative press. After all, Jesus, the Perfect One was vilified! Peter says in 1 Peter 2:23 that he was reviled. He was called a blasphemer and considered to be in league with Satan.  Many other ugly things were said about the Perfect One. What would Barna’s survey have discovered about attitudes towards Jesus and what recommendations would we have for him to reinvent himself, to put a new face on his ministry, and to be more accepting?

Jesus said, “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household,” (Matthew 10:25) and “A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you,” (John 15:20).

I’m not trying to create a persecution complex. But I am saying this, don’t let the poor examples of some Christians keep you from speaking the truth in love. And don’t let the fervent and aggressive agenda of the media and the GLBT community – who do a very good job of labeling us and presenting an image of us that is not completely true – intimidate you into silence or forsaking the truth.

Yes, let us repent of our sins! Let us take the beam out of our eyes. But once we have done that, then we have a responsibility, as humble, fellow-sinners to speak the truth in love.

P.S. A couple of years after that evening, we went out with them again - to watch the Super Bowl at the home of a mutual friend. I guess I wasn't such a mean, bigoted guy after all. 

I've been praying for North Korea lately not only because of their soon coming missile launch and nuclear programs but also because of the despotic, tyrannical, megalomaniac, antichrist rulers. When their recent ruler, Kim-Jong-Il died, I thought, "Maybe change will come."  But his son apparently will continue the suffering. This morning I read this from Open Doors Ministry which focuses on helping our persecuted brethren around the world.

"On April 15 all of North Korea will celebrate the “Day of the Sun” in honor of Kim Il-Sung’s 100th birthday. To the outside world, the picture will be one of prosperity and wealth; that North Korea is a great place to live under their caring leaders. But outside of the media’s eye the vast majority will continue to quietly suffer extreme poverty and starvation.

For Christians, as the birthday celebration draws near, their fear has increased as their actions are watched closer than before. They know that outwardly they must participate in the nationwide celebrations to avoid arrest …but in their hearts they will be celebrating the true “Son” Jesus Christ.

North Korea is the most hostile country in the world to live and practice the Christian faith. Estimates report that 25 percent of the Christian population is suffering in labor camps for their refusal to worship founder Kim Il-Sung’s cult religion called Juche. Enormous statues of the “Great Leader” are prominently displayed throughout the country. Kim Il-Sung is exalted and revered as a god to be followed with obedience. Citizens are required to bow down to pay their respects, wear a lapel pin with his image on it and prominently display photos of both Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il (both deceased).

As North Korea celebrates the “Day of the Sun” let us unite our efforts by drawing on the power of the Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Show your solidarity on April 15 by praying for believers in North Korea and taking a day off of food – or perhaps one meal – to remember the suffering of the North Korean people." - Open Doors Ministry

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.  And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,“Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!  “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”  - Revelation 15:1-4

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. – Revelation 13:9-10

Word of God, Speak!

In 1981 a devastating flood hit central China.  During the flood an ancient pagoda collapsed at Famen Temple.  A few years later, archaeologists were digging through the rubble when they made a startling discovery.  Sealed in a miniature stone casket, they found what they believed to be part of one of the Buddha’s fingers.

It toured Taiwan, and was for a while on display at a mountain-top monastery.  The finger was housed in a miniature golden pagoda as tens of thousands of people came to pay homage to it.  They burned incense and placed flowers all around the relic.  One visitor said, “I was born more than 2000 years after the Buddha but I feel moved and touched to have seen the finger.”  Some said they felt as though the Buddha was actually sitting in front of them.

We do not honor the finger of a dead man.  We worship the living Savior and Lord, Jesus Messiah!

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

"It is finished," Jesus said, or more accurately in the Greek, "It has been completed." The perfect life, the perfect humility, the perfect submission even to the point of death, and therefore, the perfect offering on behalf of guilty sinners had been offered so that the work to obtain eternal salvation was now completed.

Paul put it this way in Romans 4:25 "He who was delivered over because of our transgressions was raised because of our justification."

Did you catch the wording of that verse? He was delivered over to the cross because of our transgressions but He was raised because of our justification. Because His work on the cross was sufficient to pay the price for our sins, God could raise Him from the dead. No more suffering was needed. No more sacrifice needed to be made. The work of Christ was enough for a just God to justify the ungodly.

The resurrection of Jesus proves that nothing more has to be done for our sins.Paul put it this way in Romans 6:8-10.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Did you catch that phrase in verse 10? He died to sin once for all. Once for all - one time for all people in all times.The writer of Hebrews also used this "once-for-all" terminology.

7:27 - [Christ] does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

9:12 - And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

10:10 - By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Let us shout this truth in the halls of every church and from our rooftops for the world to hear - what Jesus did on the cross was sufficient to destroy the barrier that kept mankind separated from God's love and eternal purpose.

His resurrection proves it!

I hope you will obtain a copy of Resurrection Vision for your life and for your church, and learn the ten meanings of the resurrection of Jesus.

Books cost $7.00 and shipping and handling is included. Order at www.WGSpeak.org/Resources or contact us at WGS for bulk orders.

Word of God, Speak!

When my wife and I were in Juarez, Mexico last year, we travelled with our friend Antonio into this dangerous city to attend Bible studies that he had started. As we drove through military checkpoints he pointed out houses to us. "Do you see that empty house? The drug people demanded that the residents move. Do you see that burned out house? Burned down by one of the drug cartels."

Antonio told me the story of a friend who had a small convenience shop operating out of his home on a street corner to help make ends meet. A gang member came to his store, put a gun to his head, and said, "Either you give us part of your earnings, you shut down your store, or you die." He chose to shut down his store.

On another street Antonio said, "Jonathan, many times as I drive to church I have had to tell my children to close their eyes so they would not see the dead bodies lying on the ground."

This is part of the man-made tragedy of our time. We cannot imagine living in such conditions.

But as bad and unjust as it is in Juarez, the death of Jesus was the culmination of all injustice in the world. Christ was betrayed by one of His closest associates. All others fled from Him in his hour of greatest need. He was paraded from trial to trial at night in violation of the Law of Moses. He was ridiculed, mocked, beaten, spit upon, scourged, and even though He was obviously innocent of the trumped up charges against Him, the cry still came out “crucify Him! Away with Him! We will not have this man to rule over us! We have no king but Caesar. Crucify Him!” And so they marched him to a hill called Golgotha and drove spikes into his hands and feet, threw a spear into his side, and laughed as they gambled away his last remaining possession.

But, on the third day God raised Him from the dead!

By this resurrection God showed that He is concerned about and has a remedy for the man-made problems in His creation because the resurrection of Jesus is the first act in God's great project to reverse all injustices, sins, and evil in the world.

Paul put it this way in his letter to the Corinthians, "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death," (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).

Every enemy, every injustice, every evil will come to an end - including the tragedy of death itself!

I hope you will obtain a copy of Resurrection Vision for your life and for your church, and learn the ten meanings of the resurrection of Jesus.

Books cost $7.00 and shipping and handling is included. Go to www.WGSpeak.org/Resources to order or contact us at WGS for bulk orders.

Word of God, Speak!

Did you ever consider the connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the creation of the world?

When Paul gave his sermon on Mars Hill, the Athenians politely listened to all he said. They were, after all, according to Paul's words, men who were "very religious in all respects" (Acts 17:22). But when Paul mentioned the resurrection of Jesus they immediately starting scoffing and adjourned the meeting. Why?

It wasn't because they thought such an act impossible for the gods, but it was because they thought the idea of resurrection to be completely irrelevant. Why would the gods raise the dead?

The worldview of these Athenians was based on Greek dualism that saw the physical aspect of creation as inferior to the spiritual world. The goal in life was to escape earth, not be resurrected back into it.

If the Athenians had given Paul more time, he would surely have talked to them about the biblical viewpoint that God's physical creation is not inferior to the spiritual worlds He has made. And he would have expressed the biblical hope that God's ultimate plan is to renew all creation. This was Paul's message in Romans 8:21-22:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

In this verse, Paul shows us that our hope is a physical hope. He links the resurrection of our bodies and the release of creation from its curse. The foundation for such a hope is that Christ has risen from the dead. His resurrection affirms the biblical worldview that the physical part of God's creation is intrinsically good. Resurrection vision is first, a reaffirmation of the goodness and importance of the physical world God has made and a rejection of the Greek worldview of dualism where one part of the universe is inferior to the other.

I hope you will obtain a copy of Resurrection Vision for your life and for your church, and learn the ten meanings of the resurrection of Jesus.

Books cost $7.00 and shipping and handling is included. Order at www.WGSpeak.org/Resources or contact us at WGS for bulk orders.