A Far Green Country

I think it is true that in our day there is a growing number of pastors, authors, & other ministries that either unwantingly receive "fan worship" or those who shoot for it & enjoy it well. I am not of the masses who clamor for Joel Osteen but I can find myself being more inspired or pumped up by some of my favorite pastors & authors than I am the Word or Christ Himself at times. Perhaps it is an unguarded infiltration of American Hollywood celebrity that sneaks into our own lives at times.

I'm even guilty of it in having this blog. I found myself at some point along the way writing in hopes for comments that would in turn boost my ego that people were reading or listening to me, even sometimes folks I didn't know, for the sake of the feeling that gave me. I didn't pray or really even consider what I was writing, if it was already said better somewhere else, or if I was even honoring Christ in the words written & the heart behind the keyboard. That caused me to step back, stop writing for a while, & to begin to just link articles or things that built up the body or glorified Christ that others had written already. That way, even if 100 people talked about that post, it meant nothing to me because it was someone elses & if those who come across this site can come across things that teach, admonish, encourage, or open someones eyes, I can justify the few minutes it takes to point others towards something edifying. And when I feel the freedom to write something myself once every 6 months or so, I can now discern more clearly my motivation for doing so. I am glad I can enjoy many, many fruitful insights from others, so please don't hear me saying blogs are bad or wrong.

Everyone wants to be liked, to be important, to feel like part of something bigger than themselves, to connect, & I think that has led to those who both follow a cult of personality & to those who crave & seek it out fame &/or fortune, all in the name of Jesus. Danny Akin preached a strong message about this very thing in January. I'd encourage you to read his manuscript or listen to the sermon itself. The outline is below is an attempt to lure you to listen or read it to help you combat your desire for or celebration of "Celebrity Christianity": listen / read

Largest 25 Churches (ranked by membership)

1. The Catholic Church – 67,515,016
2. Southern Baptist Convention – 16,306,246
3. The United Methodist Church – 7,995,456
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 5,779,316
5. The Church of God in Christ – 5,499,875
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. – 5,000,000
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 4,774,203
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. – 3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – 3,025,740
10. Assemblies of God – 2,836,174
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2,500,000
12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 2,500,000
13. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. – 2,500,000
14. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) – 2,417,997
15. Episcopal Church – 2,154,572
16. Churches of Christ – 1,639,495
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. – 1,500,000
19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1,443,405
20. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. – 1,371,278
21. United Church of Christ – 1,218,541
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ – 1,071,616
24. The Orthodox Church in America – 1,064,000
25. Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1,069,530

read article here

February 2008 Pacific Rim Prayer Emphasis:

The Japanese of Sendai, Japan

“‘And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.’” Malachi 4:6, NASB.

Sendai is home to 1.3 million Japanese and is the capital of the Tohoku Region in the northern part of the main island of Honshu. Sendai is an academic city with many universities. Work and relationships bring great stress to the people. Within their culture everything has its place, every place has its thing and there is a particular and preferred way of doing everything. The average Japanese man goes to work before the children get up and come home after they are in bed. The men have little time left after fulfilling their obligations to the company. The wife, even if she works outside the home, handles all the other duties of household including the rearing and education of the children.

The Japanese of Sendai are predominately Buddhist, however very few are devout. By in large Japanese religion is a conglomeration of Buddhist traditions, ancestor worship, and animism. Having a “god shelf” inside their homes, a talisman hanging from the rear-view mirror and taking part in mamemake in February are all ways that the Japanese of Sendai ward off evil spirits. In the mamemake ritual a person (usually the dad) dresses up like a demon and the family throws beans at him until he runs out of the house. To welcome good fortune or to purify themselves from spiritual uncleanness Japanese here often visit a shrine. They wash their hands at the shrine’s entrance, approach the center of the shrine, drop money in a vestibule, ring a large bell or clap their hands to get one of the spirit’s attention and then make their request.

There is a large population of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sendai but very few Christians. Through Japanese translations of the Bible, Gospel tracts, the Jesus Film there is access to the Gospel if they desire it. But as the scriptures teach, “There is none righteous; there is none that seek after God.” Japanese are no different. Economical pursuits, a good reputation in “the eyes of society” and going through the motions in their predictable, comfortable culture are the things that have captured the hearts of these people. These things provide them with just enough of a false sense of security to keep them bound for an eternity apart from God.

Pray that:

- The people of Sendai will see their need for rest: mental, physical and spiritual.

- Jesus Christ will bring rest and restoration to the overworked, ever-dutiful Japanese of Sendai.

- The hearts of Japanese men will turn homeward and away from addictions to alcohol, gambling, pornography and homosexual practices that are becoming increasingly common.

- Sendai residents will realize the mighty power of God over and above all things they fear and revere.

- The Japanese of Sendai will see the instability of trusting in any other but Jesus Christ as their source of security.

- The moms of Sendai will find support and strength that Christ alone can give them as they deal with the heavy responsibilities of work, home and child rearing.

- God will burden believers in the United States to partner with believers in Sendai to pray and go so that this city will be reached for Christ.

By Dena McMaster - 2008.01.31


Tears streamed down Morosin's face as God's Word pierced his heart.

He stood and declared, "I am a terrible sinner. You guys all know it. We are all sinners. I am going to die unless God helps me. These two guys [missionaries Jason Knapp and Chad Mankins] are like Noah telling us God's judgment is going to come and we need to listen."

The Tobo people of Papua New Guinea had gathered in the bright morning sunlight to hear another evangelistic Bible lesson. They were scattered across the grassy slope, sitting on the ground or on crude benches, spellbound by the Old Testament stories they were hearing. Their faces were solemn as each new truth added more to their sense of sin and hopelessness.

Most remembered the passage concerning Noah, and when Jason and Chad taught about Sodom and Gomorrah were somber and convicted.

"Don't be like Lot's two sons-in-law," Jason told them. "They heard God's warning and thought it was a joke, that it was nothing and went their own way. The next morning they both died."

After the teaching Megelin came up and asked, "If we died in our sins, and got the punishment for our sin, would we just be destroyed or would we go on living or would we go to heaven?"

Jason answered, "If you died in your sins, you would live forever in fire and torment, but if you believed in what God says, then you would live together with Him."

Then Komiti told Jason and Chad, "You didn't come here of your own accord, but God sent you so that we could hear this message …. The material things of this life are not going to help me. It is just fuel for the fires of hell."

Some of the Tobo people said, "We need to get our friends and other family members here to hear this message or we will all die in the flood. Our Noah is standing here building the boat and if we neglect the words he says from God, we will all die."

They did bring friends and family to hear the teaching and many have now trusted Christ as their Savior. The fledgling Tobo church continues to listen to God's Word and is strengthened and changed by those powerful messages in Old Testament passages.