A healthy church seeks to exalt the Cross of Christ to the highest place in everything it does.

So What’s the Point Anymore?

Fed up. Tired. Burnt out. These and countless other phrases have become the norm for describing the vast majority of today’s churchgoers. Some are unable to find a sense of belonging and are thus content to hop from one community of believers to the next. Others have been burned. They are the victims. They have suffered undue emotional pain and judgment at the hands of fellow congregants and have shunned the very notion of church altogether.

So by now you are likely asking yourself, “What’s the point of corporate church attendance? If every church is as dysfunctional as these, I want no part of it.”

As is the case with so many of life’s conundrums, the answer is not as simple as many would prefer it to be. However, healthy church functionality is not only possible, but can leave lasting results on a community of believers.

Remember Justin Nguyen from last week (see Plastic Church Part 2); the once-angry teen who had been burned by a church? Fortunately, Justin’s story ends on a positive note.

Justin spoke of the church he attends now by saying, “It’s amazing to be able to walk into a church and know that everyone’s got problems and you’ve got problems and nobody cares other than the fact that they want each other together as a collective to get better and stronger and then go out and help those that are dealing with the same thing. You’ve got drug addicts and sex addicts and all these different things and everybody knows it.”

Justin’s words reflect one of the several essential elements of a healthy church: transparency. A healthy church is open, honest and transparent about their brokenness, their struggles and their weaknesses, both as individuals and as a collective. This not only applies to church attendees, but to pastoral leaders, volunteers, ministry staff, etc. as well.

Secondly, a healthy church should exhibit a genuine realism in their affection toward newcomers and each other. Pat Howell (see Plastic Church Part 1) agrees.

“It’s all about being genuine. And there are several genuine people here at this church [I attend now] and in this community of believers. I know that I have personal issues inside of me. I am 60 years old. I’ve been through a lot of stuff. I have things going on in here. But I’m not so stupid as to say that there is nothing wrong with me or that I am the same as everyone else. I’m not. I see these things in other people [too].”

Finally, a healthy church should earnestly desire to reach the lost and raise up a Biblically functioning community. This was and is the Great Commission Christ gave to His disciples before leaving Earth and ascending into Heaven:

“And Jesus spoke to them [the disciples], saying ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NASU, emphases added).

When it comes to church function and dysfunction, these few elements are just the tip of the iceberg.

Stay tuned for all subsequent pieces and spinoff series of Plastic Church, which will address many issues facing today’s modern churchgoers.

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Hey! Where did all the Young People Go?

Today’s teens and college students are busier than ever. In-between juggling part-time jobs, relationships and school work, many strive to maintain family ties, socialize with friends and still have time leftover to engage in personal hobbies

How are churches treating youth & young adults?

It is no wonder that many recent demographical studies on teens (13-17) and young adults (18-29) have found the ideologies of faith and religion less important in shaping their lives. Church attendance and perception of church altogether continue to decline, despite the religious parental influences found in many families.

Although current American teens and young adults have long been considered one of the most spiritually active generations in history, several have begun to engage in frequent church hopping or have shunned church altogether.

Less than half of the teen demographic (48 percent) admit to attending a regular, weekly worship service, according to a 2007 research analysis by the Barna Group. Of the same group, one-third (35 percent) attend Sunday school and only 33 percent participate in a church youth group program.

According to a 2003 piece published on Religion-Online.org by popular Christian speaker and Gallup Research Institute Consultant D. Michael Lindsay, “The current cohort of American teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 is lonely [and] spiritually hungry.”

What is it about church that continues to turn more young people away?

What is at the heart of church and youth interaction? Is there is a correlation between this interaction and recent declines in youth attendance? Or, like Mr. Pat Howell from Part 1, are youth also becoming the unfortunate victims of church burning?

Justin Van Nguyen is a 22 year-old college student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. During his high school years, Justin attended a large Methodist church consisting of 700 to 800 people and formed a close friendship with a youth minister who he affectionately remembers as “one of the most influential people in my life.”

“I had a black youth pastor for a little while,” he recalled. “This was a very predominantly white Methodist church. When he was first hired, I heard a lot of parents saying things that were very racist, [such as] ‘I don’t need a guy like that around my daughter’, which was ridiculous. This man was an elementary school teacher and had been in schools all his life. Before that he worked in and ran daycares. He was a safe individual. There was nothing other than race backing the way they [certain people in the church] treated that man.”

After several subsequent meetings and unjustified accusations, the youth pastor was eventually run out of the church. Sometime later, similar action was taken against an elder within the church with whom Justin had also grown extremely close.

“He was a WWII Vet with amazing stories,” he reminisced. “He was in Pearl Harbor. This was a guy that I went to see movies with. How many 80 year old men do you just get to hang out with at that age? We could talk about anything. He was there as a grandfather figure.”

Before long, certain sects of powerful individuals became angered at the elder’s outspokenness against specific functions within the church. This governing body soon placed a restraining order against the man, forbidding him to ever return to the church.

“If they had just opened their eyes and seen things like God sees them, I don’t think any of this would’ve had to happen,” said Justin. “They just let personal interests and personal biases come into play and it really just ruined everything for everybody.”

And we wonder what it is it that makes church so unappealing to the younger generation.  Is there a problem with the teens? Or are an increasing number of churches failing to minister to this generation in ways that remain culturally relevant and align with Scriptural values?

Stay tuned for Part 3 and all subsequent pieces of Plastic Church when the elements of healthy church functionality will be dissected, along with more viewpoints from Pat, Justin and others who have been burned.

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Part 1: The Burn Factor

Why are more men and women claiming to have been burned by churches?

Can you recall a time in your life when someone in a church hurt your feelings? A pastor? A fellow congregant?

Have you been ignored by a church? Shunned? Judged? Insulted?

Does the very idea of going to church disgust you?

The phrase “I was burned by my last church” is becoming increasingly spoken within Christian circles and religious culture as a whole. What exactly is this phenomenon of church burning?

Church attendance surveys and investigative research from 2008 reveal some rather striking percentages.

According to current religious data gleaned from multiple sources and polls and cited by ReligiousTolerance.org, “Confidence in religious institutions has hit an all-time low.” Although there is a supposed increase in the interest of spirituality in North America, it has yet to manifest itself in the form of increased church attendance.

The data shows a gradual decline in attendance of church services within the Protestant denominations since 1992. Between 1992 and 2003, attendance dropped by as much as 13 percent. Interestingly, graph charts reflect a sudden leap in church attendance just after the September 11^th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

However, Only 53% of Americans consider religion to play an active and important role in their lives. This number has been steadily declining since the aforementioned September 11^th attacks.

Over the past ten years, there has been a significant increase in the number of church home groups and small group Bible studies. Unfortunately, this may very well be reflective of the poor perception many longtime churchgoers have adopted concerning churches.

Pat Howell, 60, has attended several churches since childhood and admits he hasn’t been “burned” by a church.

“I think hurt is the right word,” he clarified. “Not burned.”

However, during the course of our interview and subsequent discussions, Howell reminisced of one particular church in which individuals even drove away the pastor.

“Someone in the church decided they didn’t like him [the pastor]. They started to say things about him that weren’t true. There were questions about the sexual preferences of the music minister. Someone brought all of this up. To this day I still know who it was and I hate them. I hate to say that, but I do. [This person] started just enough of a rumor to kill the spirit in that church. They did everything horrible that you could possibly do to a preacher. They cut the power off to his house. They were mean to him. After about six months, he left.”

Howell recalled the blatant hypocrisy present in the church community.

“You wind up going to churches and looking at people that you knew had caused someone else’s pain and suffering. The church did not split, but it was not the same.” He added, “They didn’t turn me against my faith, they turned me against that [particular] church and the idea of attending that church.”

Unfortunately, Pat is not alone. There are too many stories like his. Many are worse.

More and more men and women are referring to their churches and fellow believers with such disheartening adjectives as: condemning, tactless, smug, fake, unforgiving, arrogant, ignorant, homophobic, intolerant, pushy, rude and unloving.

But what is at the heart of church attendance decline? Is there a problem with the people? Is there a problem with the churches? Why are more and more Christian men and women church hopping? And perhaps the most important question to be pondered: “What does a real, honest and healthy church look like?”

Stay tuned for Part 2 and all subsequent sequels of this feature, which will dissect the elements needed for healthy church functionality and growth.

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Renowned Photographer Michael Belk, the artist behind "Journeys with the Messiah"

Michael Belk. Does his name ring a bell? It should.  If you’re an avid magazine reader, you’ve likely seen his stunning, award-winning photography in world-renowned titles such as Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Vanity Fair. As a young clothing retail employee, Michael grew up around top name brands and flashy runway models. His later passion for photography gradually cemented his name among high-ranking apparel executives and forever blasted him into the world of fashion photography.

And it all started with a kid, a camera and a dream. No one would have guessed that a young retail associate turned camera-lover would evolve into one of the industry’s leading icons. But an event all the more amazing was peeking just over the horizon of Belk’s already thriving career. Weary of the intensity that accompanies years of astonishing feats of success, he decided that God desperately needed to regain sovereign control of his life and his work.

“Outwardly, my life was full,” Belk said at the age of 42. “Inside I was running on empty. You can red-line your engine only so many times and mine had flamed out.”

Although he had known and achieved success like few other people his age, something was missing. His $2 million studio remained in a constant state of busyness, cranking out work for several high-end, account-holding fashion clients, including Russell Athletic, Nautica, J. Crew, Polo, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein.

After shutting down his business in 1993, Belk published a photo-story book entitled “Beyond the Sport, The Victory Within,” a work that recounted the tales of several former world-class Olympic athletes. He then decided to set out on a personal project that has kept the last year and a half of his life engrossed in work. However, this would be a journey that would forever reshape not only his career, but his faith, testimony and ministry as well.

Michael Belk & crew shooting the Journeys project on location in Matera, Italy.

The Journeys with the Messiah project was born out of Belk’s own personal passion and spiritual desire for the world to encounter a radically different perception of Jesus Christ. Armed with a professional production crew, a cast of over 100 extras, and Italian actor Sergio Muniz donning the role of Jesus, he regained his focus and reconstructed his message to be clearer than ever before. Together, they set out for Matera, Italy, a beautiful town located in the southern Basilicata region known for its exquisite architecture. However, few people are aware it was also the home of Writer/Director Mel Gibson’s controversial 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. In what Belk has described as “the most grueling, but the most rewarding shoot” of his career, he purposed to masterfully illustrate the timeless truths found in “the best-selling book of all time” and paint them as culturally relevant for today’s society.

Belk’s astonishing and breathtaking photographs tell the story of a life-changing 1^st Century Jesus who is still present and active in 20^th Century dilemmas and social issues. Each collection is reflective of a Biblical parable, concept and passage and often contains modern and ancient elements. In a controversial piece entitled The Second Mile (pictured below), viewers will be challenged by a gentle, meek Jesus walking alongside a decorated Nazi soldier, carrying the officer’s gun and military satchel.

"The Second Mile", one of Belk's most controversial pieces, places Jesus on a road with a Nazi soldier.

Of this provocative photograph, Belk’s official website asks, “Where does a mother garner the strength to stand in a courtroom and forgive the man who murdered her daughter? How do Jews ever forgive the Nazis for the Holocaust? Jesus’ teachings on this subject were revolutionary: “Love your enemies as yourself. Pray for those who persecute you. Forgive people seventy times seven.” Jesus reminds us that, just as God forgives us, we are expected to do the same for others….Just saying “I forgive you” releases you from emotional, physical, and spiritual bondage. It sets us free to move on with life and His glorious plan.”

Unfortunately, such messages have not been so readily accepted by some.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, says, “The Second Mile inappropriately singles out Jews.”

But it has not only been the occurrences of past world history and Biblical events that have so inspired Belk’s superb work. In a recent exclusive interview with CNN reporter Don Lemon, Belk spoke of the creative inspiration he gleaned from the horrific tragedies of the September 11^th, 2001 terrorist attacks.

In "Rest for the Weary", Belk reminds us to whom we should turn for peace in a world filled with financial struggles & economic downturn.

“I watched people in New York searching for something different,” he said “something outside of themselves. And now in this [current] economic crisis, I see the same thing all over again.”

Belk’s piece entitled Rest for the Weary (pictured right) visually manifests this truth by depicting a downtrodden, collapsed, business man stretched across a set of stone steps, his head gently resting in the lap of a confident Messiah. Scattered all around, in addition to the gentleman’s paperwork and briefcase, are several empty clay jugs, no doubt symbolic of the emptiness left by a lifetime of futile pursuits outside of Christ. The photo references the words of Jesus found in Matthew 11: 28: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (New American Standard).

In a day and age where the physical and financial safety of our nation has been questioned like never before, Belk’s photographs retain the power to speak soothing peace and the reality of an eternal future to a culture so caught in uncertainty and fear. The realism and striking nature of the Savior of all mankind walking in the flesh among “Nazis and prostitutes, Ferraris and motorcycles, and high-rollers and Wall Street executives” serve to connect “messages from the life of Jesus to current dilemmas including financial stress, addiction, anxiety, materialism, poverty, hypocrisy, and persecution,” according to the Journeys with the Messiah Fact Sheet.

Dean Collins, President of Atlanta Christian College, noted that the project was “exciting because it puts Jesus in a modern context rather than as a historical figure.”

William Shakespeare once wrote, “There is a history in all men’s lives.” Truly, the impact of the historical figure that was and is Jesus Christ can be seen in and through Belk’s timeless artwork.

However, the heart of Journeys with the Messiah rests within the heart of the Gospel Message. The salvation offered by Christ is freely given to every individual of every gender, socioeconomic status, every tribe, race, color, creed and every generation. There is no limit to the cultural relevancy of grace, hope, forgiveness and love found in the arms of the Messiah. He is for all people at all times and in all times. And we have been given the incredible opportunity to journey through this life and enter the next alongside of Him.

To read more about Michael Belk’s testimony, view the Journeys with the Messiah collection or to purchase prints, framed art and photographs, visit the official website at: www.thejourneysproject.com.

All photos, biographical information and press release materials contained within this article are copyright of Michael Belk, Journeys with the Messiah and The DeMoss Group and were used with prior written consent. You can contact the project’s PR Firm at: www.demossgroup.com or by visiting the project’s official website.

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Youth Curriculum by Group Publishing Hits Home with Today’s Kids

"The Top 13 Questions About God" provides excellent insight & interactivity into the controversial questions of today's youth.

Youth ministry can be one of the most difficult, challenging and intensive career fields out there. Troubled teens, drug and sex issues and poor home lives can make for a demanding schedule and a hectic life. Any leader of teens and young adults will likely face a myriad of these and other obstacles along the way. But it can also be one of the most rewarding. Encountering the smile of young girl or boy whose life has been turned upside down by the redemptive power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will leave any youth pastor or leader in awe. It impresses upon us a sense of fulfillment like no other; a fulfillment only God Himself can deliver. When the grace of God and the power of the Scriptures excite a young life, it is truly a sight to behold.

Having led worship for and taught youth groups in two churches for the past six or more years, I can personally testify to the need for solid, Bible-based curriculums when forming small group meetings. The Top 13 Questions About God, released in 2002 by Group Publishing, is just such a curriculum. Geared toward junior and senior high students, this radical approach to youth discussions offers “Hard questions, Solid Answers” and results in “Rock Hard Faith.”

The premise is simple: Jesus did not shy away from controversial questions about Christianity or the Scriptures. So why should your students? In a 13 week format, you will cover several faith-challenging questions, including: “How can I know God exists?” “Why would a loving God send people to Hell?” “How can I hear God communicate to me?” “Which is right: evolution or Creationism?”, and “Will God forgive any and every sin?” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Each lesson is packed with interactive handouts for your students as well as a My Response section in which to write their personal thoughts about the lesson and challenge. Speaking from personal experience, it is a wonderful discussion starter to help kids talk about things they have always wondered about God and their faith. Additionally, it is not required that you stick to the layout of each lesson. Many of the topics themselves will allow for two or three lessons, based on your students’ interests in them.

Before leaping into lesson 1 (“How Can I Know God Exists?”), I personally recommend developing your own introduction to the curriculum. Introduce yourself to the group if necessary and find out a little bit about each of your students: their names, ages, hobbies, favorite school subjects, favorite music and movies, etc. Much of these interests will play a large role in several of the discussions covered by the curriculum.

You may also desire to start by explaining more in depth the concept of Jesus not being afraid to answer tough questions. Personally, I recommend the passage from Mark 10:17-31 in which Jesus is approached by a rich young man who asks “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Help your students take note of the man’s actions by emphasizing the action verbs in the passage. When this rich ruler had a tough question about faith and God, he “ran to Him” and he “fell on his knees…” (New International Version, emphases added, vs. 17). By doing so, this man displayed both humility and reverence. He also advertised to the crowd and the Pharisees around him that he knew Who to go to with the big questions in life. This is the same thing we must do as Christians. Go to Jesus in humility and simply ask.

Likewise, we are to confront tough questions as Jesus does in the aforementioned passage. As Christians, we have been charged by Jesus as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) and have a responsibility to shine light and truth into dark places, just as Jesus did. However, we must do so with gentleness, kindness, and sincerity. Remember how Jesus saw the rich young man: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (verse 21, NIV).

The Top 13 Questions About God will help your students understand that they do not have to fear the unknowns or the uncertainties of God and their Christian faith. Instead, they will come to embrace them, answer them, and learn how to handle tough questions from their unsaved and un-churched friends and classmates.

You can find out more about the curriculum at Group Publishers official website: www.group.com.

You can also purchase the curriculum at Lifeway Christian Stores online store: www.lifewaystores.com.

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Let’s face it: we all love the story of the underdog. That lonely, worn out, down-on-their-luck man or woman who rises to the heights of greatness and success despite all surrounding adversity. We’ve love reading about them, revisiting them at movie theatres, and sharing their tales of glory with family and friends. The Rocky Balboas and Rick & Dick Hoyts of the world inspire us to physical and even spiritual ideas of grandeur (never heard of the Hoyts? See their amazing story here: http://www.teamhoyt.com/)

This same longing desire to behold extraordinary tales of excellence manifests itself in Christian circles and church communities as well. Personal accounts and chronicles of men’s and women’s toilsome life struggles and exhausting spiritual battles often leave us in wonderment and awe of God’s amazing grace. Whether it’s an award-winning singer at the peak of their fame finding contentment in the saving arms of Christ or a pornography-addicted husband abandoning their lusts to re-embrace God and their family, we simply can’t get enough.

I Am Second is a Christian movement ministry branch of Plano, Texas-based e3 Partners global missions organization; the kind of movement where “significance in life is a shared value among people of all kinds. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Your next-door neighbor. People just like you. Their authentic stories here on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living.”

The group made Texas newspaper headlines back in 2008 when mysterious highway billboards featuring the simple phrase “I Am Second” popped up all over the Dallas area. Plastered on each billboard, next to the phrase, was a photograph of a famous man or woman, a largely recognizable face. From local Dallas Cowboy linebacker Greg Ellis to NASCAR champion driver Darrel Waltrip, it seemed everyone was in on it. But what was “it”?

e3 Partners Ministry Vice President Nathan Sheets told the Dallas Morning News, “We are training people to take advantage of advertising that will help them live lives of intention. I Am Second is a mindset to live out authentic, transparent lives.”

Since its emergence in 2008, I Am Second has already filmed, edited, and composed countless personal, real, and honest testimonial videos with some of American cultures most recognizable names: Republican politician and non-ordained Southern Baptist minister Mike Huckabee, former Korn rock band superstar Brian Welch, former American Idol contestant Jason Castro, former Washington Redskins NFL Coach Joe Gibbs, and countless others. The stylized structure of the group’s official website and editing, composition, and lighting techniques of their video interviews are far superior to that of any backyard church ministry. The site has more the feel of a professional documentary organization than the efforts of a church-sponsored Christian ministry. The site has already garnered well over 160,000 hits in various countries around the globe.

Brian Welch, former guitarist/co-founder of rock band Korn, says he is second.

But I Am Second also features men and women just like you and me: sex addicts, druggies, anorexics, Iraqi War soldiers, and dozens more. Their stories of personal redemption through the saving grace of Jesus Christ and His work in their lives will blow the doors off of traditional mediocrity and conservatism within church communities and broadcast loud and clear that we are all second to the God who redeemed us.

I Am Second reminds us that it is neither a watered-down, ill forgotten Gospel we treasure nor a powerless, feeble Savior that we serve. Rather, it is a vast and diverse world in which we live, where people lead broken lives and many suffer under the weight of sinful temptations and struggles of all kinds. What captures our attention for that single, fleeting moment in the vast expanse of eternity are the grace and God-filled stories of hope, the shocking tales of redeemed prodigals, and the bewildering personal accounts of real, raw, transparent people in need of a loving Savior.

You can visit the I Am Second official website at: www.iamsecond.com.

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When we left George in Part 1, he needed answers to ten questions as a way to improve his friendship with Simon. It’s just the tip of a huge iceberg of information, but it would be so helpful if Christians could know these things before springing the gospel message on their Jewish friends. 

How good is my knowledge of the Old Testament compared to the New? I can relate a helpful story. My friend Betsy was raised in a “New Testament Christian” family. They believed the New Testament “overcame” the Old. But when she met and married a pastor, she discovered many Old Testament prophecies by comparing them to New Testament scriptures. The New Covenant between God and his people doesn’t overcome the Old; it enhances it.

By studying the Jewish portion of the Bible (“Torah”), Betsy learned more about who Jesus was, the relationship between Judaism and the first “Christ followers,” Jesus as the reason for an end to animal sacrifices, and Jesus’ own Jewish upbringing as part of our Christian heritage.

In what New Testament book and chapter does Paul concentrate on explaining God’s special place for the Jews to new Gentile believers? In Romans 10 and 11, Paul explains why many Jewish people are blinded to who Jesus really is. But he also warns Christians not to boast about being believers, comparing both Jews and Christians as branches being grafted on to an olive tree for salvation.      

Am I aware of how sensitive most Jewish people are to the mention of Jesus and the Gospel message? This goes with another question: Am I aware that Jewish people feel The Church in general supported Hitler’s actions? 

“Al S.” is a Jewish believer who accepted Jesus after being invited to a Christian church several times.  He described his initial feelings to me:

“I thought, how could I sit here listening to things about Jesus, a man who inspired the Christian faith that has caused so much persecution and pain among my own people?”

You see, Al had to learn about true Christianity to understand that not all “gentiles” are Christians—a common Jewish misconception. When I was growing up as a young Jewish girl, I thought anyone who wasn’t Jewish was a Christian. Even today, many Jewish people feel if someone doesn’t identify themselves as a Muslim, Buddhist or something else, they are a gentile and therefore a Christian!

This associates all Christians with heinous acts against Jews throughout the ages, especially the Holocaust. Was Hitler a Christian? Did all Protestants and Catholics ignore or take part in the crimes committed? This is in the back of every Jewish person’s mind when approached by a Christian with the gospel. They find it intrusive and frightening.

What’s another name for Jesus that I can use when speaking with Jewish people? It is better to just say “my Messiah” or “The Messiah” in initial conversations. Later, you can refer to Jesus as “Yeshua.”

Why is the phrase “Jewish person” more polite than the term “Jew”? The word “Jew” is offensive when referring to a single Jewish person because of the yellow stars and other labels forced onto Holocaust-era Jews in Hitler’s targeted countries. When talking about “Christians, Muslims and Jews,” the word “Jew” is alright. But one should never call a Jewish person “Jew.” Younger Jewish generations are not as sensitive to this as their baby boomer parents and grandparents.   

Am I aware of the significance of other Jewish holidays: Passover, Hanukkah and Purim – and their importance to Christians? Every Jewish holiday can have significance for Christians. Jesus celebrated them as was commanded by God. The Jewish High Holidays can be found in Leviticus 16 and 23; Passover in Exodus 12 and Luke 22; Purim in Esther 4, and also Sukkot (the “Festival of Booths” in October) in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. Hanukkah didn’t make it into canonized Scripture, but the story of the Maccabees* and one day’s worth of oil that burned eight nights (circa 160 B.C.) is where the Bible derives being anointed with oil.

Is Judaism a nationality, a religion or a culture? Judaism is a religion and a cultural way of life, but it’s not a nationality. A Jewish person’s nationality is wherever they come from. Being Jewish by religion makes them American Jews, Russian Jews, Spanish Jews, African Jews, etc. All Jewish people don’t come from Israel, and all Israelites are not Jewish. A Jewish person may truly believe in God, or they may be “culturally Jewish,” observing Jewish traditions without holding fast to the Scriptures.

Do Jewish people need to be “converted” to Christianity? Jewish people need the knowledge of salvation by the grace of God, and that Jesus is the Messiah they are waiting for. A Jewish person doesn’t need to “convert” by leaving all Judaism behind; many actually feel a stronger love for their Jewish roots and culture once they’ve found Jesus.

What’s a “Messianic” Jewish person? A Jewish person who comes to believe in Jesus as Messiah will usually call themselves a “Messianic Jew,” a Jewish Christian or a Jewish believer in Jesus.

*Want to know more about the Jewish holidays and how to appreciate them from a Christian viewpoint? These answers are excerpts from Sheryl’s book “What Every Christian Should Know About the Jewish People.” See more excerpts and how to buy the book here.

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Tens of thousands died in the fighting, and many more thousands fled in search of peace. Now, hundreds of thousands survive in refugee camps not far from the places they once called home.

After 26 years of bitter civil war in Sri Lanka, this island nation’s militarized minority, the Tamil Tigers, laid down their weapons. This transition has opened the door for the Good News to come into areas once cut-off from the world.

"Conditions in Sri Lanka are difficult right now — closed roads, unsanitary living conditions and lack of resources," said Doug Harstine, Faith Comes By Hearing regional manager.

"There is great need, especially for food. Relief organizations and Faith Comes By Hearing partners, like the Ceylon Bible Society, are assessing which regions have the most damage," said Harstine.

"The rebel-held areas, which were once closed and heavily guarded, will be open again soon."

During this time of rebuilding comes a rebuilding of faith.

"The people are ready for the message of hope that comes from God’s Word," he said. "We’re working with the Ceylon Bible Society to distribute Audio Bibles in those refugee camps."

Harstine said Faith Comes By Hearing is expanding their impact in the region by forming a new outreach team and sending out a recording team.

"Our new Faith Comes By Hearing outreach team is made up of Ceylon Bible Society staff. These dedicated believers will go into these areas and camps, come alongside churches and ministries and start Audio Bible listening groups," said Harstine.

As people hear God’s Word, they are discipled and transformed; they respond by planting churches.

"The recording team will re-record the Tamil Audio Bible using indigenous voices," said Harstine. "The current recording was voiced by Indians because of the lack of access to the Tamil region. Now, the Word of God will be in their dialect, and Tamil people will be more open to the Scriptures."

After finishing the Tamil New Testament, this team will record other languages in South Asia.

Faith Comes By Hearing’s mission is to record the New Testament in 2,000 languages and to implement two million Bible listening groups by 2016 to reach the 50 percent of the world who cannot read and are poor. Faith Comes By Hearing now has 439 Audio Scripture recordings in 371 languages. All are available for free download at www.FaithComesByHearing.com.

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Diagnosing and Combating C.C.S.

What do you do when you’re sick?

Let’s say you wake up one morning and professionally diagnose yourself with fever, nausea, light headedness, and sharp pains in your joints.

You take a few Advil or Ibuprofen over the course of a couple of days, maybe a swallow or two of Pepto Bismol to settle the stomach; still no change. The symptoms only get worse.

What now?

Statistics say that 50 to 60 percent of you decide to go see a doctor, while the other 40 to 50 percent remain stubborn and try to stick it out, despite their sickness and misery.

Even more bizarre is this: The same percentages applied when medical patients faced life-threatening illnesses such as heart-disease, cancer, and strokes. 

What causes the latter group to make poor choices and resist help? Is it pride? Fear? Apathy? All of the above?

Much like a strain of cancer, there is a virus –a deadly contagion– infecting a large majority of the Christian culture in the U.S.

It has come in the form of a lukewarm mindset and lifestyle, one that has separated “Captive Christians” (passionate, committed) from “Casual Christians” (indifferent, apathetic), resulting in one of the largest and most unfortunate divisions in the Christian community.

The Casuals, who make up 66 percent of the Christian community in the United States, ultimately believe that Scriptural and faith issues are not essential to the functionality of their personal lives and therefore do not apply or live out Biblical truths and principles.

They are content to attend church, an action which satisfies their need for a sense of belonging and community, all the while remaining unchanged, detached, and impassive in their faith walks.

Furthermore, many separate themselves from any form of ministry, witness or outreach within their local church.

All of the aforementioned raises the obvious questions: what can be done to combat and overcome the Casual Christianity Syndrome? Is there a permanent cure?

If a Christian, or even congregation, realizes they suffer from this affliction, what are some Scriptural steps they can take, and precepts they can live by, to overcome it?

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines apathy as a “lack of feeling or emotion; impassiveness; lack of interest or concern; indifference.”

Many Christians today are living spiritually apathetic lives, and are doing so in a time when they simply cannot afford to.

They encounter lost people at every turn throughout their day, yet choose to remain stoic and dispassionate about sharing Christ with them.

There was once another group of God-followers who “fell into” an apathetic mindset during a crucially important time in human history.

In Matthew 26:36, we find Jesus, the Son of the Living God, in the Garden of Gethsemane, hours away from His impending, brutal crucifixion.

The emotional, spiritual, and mental weight pressing down upon Him is simply unfathomable.

And, as many of us who are familiar with this event know, the disciples fall asleep for the first of three times, beginning in verse 40 — even though Jesus asked them to “remain here and keep watch with Me.” (verse 38).

Yet each time He went off to pray to His Father, Jesus returned to find his disciples sleeping.

Ponder with me, if you will, some of the similarities and practical applications in this passage.

During the most decisive and crucial time in the life of their Lord, the disciples could not even manage to fight off their own physical sleepiness and fatigue.

Surely the importance of the moment should have roused their spirits and rallied their hearts and minds around the agony their Jesus was currently enduring and would eventually face on Calvary. If nothing else, they could have knelt in prayer for Him.

Now, think about yourself. How many times has Jesus tugged on your heart strings and asked you to do something for Him, only to return at a later time to find you spiritually sleeping on the job?

Also, consider this thought and commentary on the passage from 17^th Century English clergyman Matthew Henry.

“The fault they [the disciples] were guilty of; that when He [Jesus] was in His agony, sorrowful and heavy, sweating and wrestling and praying, they were so little concerned, that they could not keep awake…What [would] have become of us if Christ had now been as sleepy as His disciples were? It is well for us that our salvation is in the hand of the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

As Christians, we take on the very name of Jesus Christ and proclaim that we are striving to be like Him in all that we do.

What message does it send to a lost world when we cannot even be passionate and diligent about the faith and beliefs we claim to have?

And as Matthew Henry so beautifully noted, “What would have become of us if Christ had been apathetic about the Cross?”

Where would we be today if Jesus had been “casual?”

–Josh Givens, the Underground staff writer

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Do You Have CCS?

If I were to ask you what the No. 1 enemy of Christianity in America is, what would you say?

What about if I asked you, “What is the largest, most impenetrable force that threatens the spread of the Gospel throughout the U.S.?”

What would you say?

I suspect that many of you would begin to name larger-than-life entities, such as the media, the government, the economy, terrorists and even Satan.

But you’d be wrong.

In the United States, Christianity’s greatest foes are the complacency and apathy within the Christian community.

A recent survey by veteran researcher George Barna of The Barna Group contains some rather shocking statistics about one of the greatest spiritual cancers currently infecting American believers.

Barna’s latest book, simply entitled The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter, dissects seven diverse faith segments within the U.S. and seeks to profile their life patterns, belief systems, values, and even goals.

Among the seven tribes are groups such as Casual Christians, Captive Christians, Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims, and finally, Skeptics.

Out of all of these, the largest group (and therefore the one with the most power and potential for influence) was Casual Christians.

In fact, the survey found that 66 percent of the adult Christian population in the U.S. would be termed as “casual,” meaning they are “middle-of-the-road” and “ambivalent” when it comes to their faith.

Unfortunately, such statistics and research cannot merely be pushed to the wayside and ignored.

Why?

As Barna detailed both in his interview and his book, the Casual Christian tribe is the most significant group.

According to Barna, the group “represents a huge majority of the nation’s population—two out of every three adults. This particular tribe is composed of significant proportions of minimally active, born again Christians and moderately active, but theologically nominal Christians. If a catalyst were added to this mix to deepen the tribe’s integration of faith and lifestyle, or even to simply create a more extensive sense of community and purpose within the tribe, unprecedented change could occur.”

Casual Christians seem to stick to their mindset about the Christian life and walk for several reasons.

First, and perhaps most disturbing, is the comfort factor. They essentially believe that an attitude of complacency will allow them to feel and appear “religious,” while not requiring a great deal of spiritual effort.

The comfort factor also allows them to operate as an average, normal citizen, within their respective roles (i.e. housewife, family man, son, daughter, employee, etc.) and never be forced to argue or defend their spiritual beliefs against the moral standards of society.

Secondly, their sporadic church attendance satisfies their inconsequential need for a sense of belonging and community with fellow believers or other “religious individuals,” while simultaneously projecting the appearance of commitment.

However, they do not view Scriptural truths or matters of faith as crucial to a person’s spiritual walk, nor do they believe they affect their success in life.

One of the many inherent dangers stemming from the current “casual” Christianity predicament, besides the obvious spiritual consequences, has come in the form of internal turmoil and division within churches and the Christian community at large.

Many passionate, active believers (Captive Christians) view “casuals” as being counterfeit and phony when it comes to their faith.

Some have even gone so far as to determine “casuals” to be unfit for church ministry because they may not truly be saved, much less excited about the church’s vision and direction.

You can imagine the outcome that has resulted from such taut debates between church congregates.

In a day and age where Scriptural and spiritual truth is considered insignificant by much of society, there is little room for Christians who refuse to live their faith out loud.

But the heartbreaking truth is this: Casual, apathetic Christianity is plaguing an entire culture of American believers and is spreading through our churches at a speed not unlike a hot virus in a tropical rainforest.

–Josh Givens, the Underground staff writer

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