SUBVERSIVE.

I am a subversive agent of a kingdom with unlimited powers.

My mission is to overthrow this empire from within and to unravel its systems and re-boot the culture.

This is accomplished by introducing a virus into the existing mainframe of reality. This virus is a “Metanoia Class” program designed to re-write the code of our thinking. It has the power to re-wire hearts, reprogram minds, and transform human behaviors.

The purpose of this is to increase the number of radicalized agents into the culture and exponentially advance the range and effect of the Metanoia program.

Our leader has given us access to an unlimited source of life and power. Our lines of communication with him cannot be tapped, traced or interrupted. We can receive messages from our source at any time, at any place, regardless of access to electricity, infrastructure or technology.

One by one, we are now in the process of changing the world from within. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, we are transforming people from darkness into glorious light. Those who formerly walked in the shadows are now awakening to the inescapable truth. Every second of every day, people around the globe turn from walking in the way of this world and begin to follow the way of life contained in the Metanoia program.

Those who are infected by this unique virus have begun to think different, and to act different, than other humans around them. They begin to take on the same heart and mind and perspective of our leader, Y’Shua of Nazareth; loving those who hate them; forgiving those who seek to harm them; seeing everyone as a potential brother or sister and a future operative in the program.

We are not alone. We are legion. Our methods are varied, but nonetheless subtle and unstoppable by any government, law or threat known to man.

The weaker we grow, the more powerful we become. The more you oppose us, the greater our effectiveness.

Our victory is assured.

We have outlasted every empire for the last 2,000 years. We have endured persecution, torture, and even death. We may die, but our mission carries forward. No force on earth, or even the entire universe, can stop us, or defeat us, or destroy us.

Our lives are already lost. We have surrendered all to this single purpose and calling. Our death was accounted for on the day we embarked on this mission.

We have no fear. All fear has been erased by an irresistible love that permeates our existence. We are guided by this love and fully compelled that it alone is the hope for all life on this planet.

We have no country. We owe no allegiance to any nation, state or ideology other than that of our King.

We have no armory. The weapons we employ are love, compassion, service, mercy, and grace. Combined with prayer, hope, trust, and faith, these are all we need to accomplish our goals.

Make no mistake, this world is fading away. A new world is coming. Behold, the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God.

Nothing you can do will change this. The insurgency will prevail.

Join us and live.

2013: The Year In Review

 

 

This was a wonderful year for me. I published an expanded print edition of “The Power of Weakness”with a foreword by Ross Rohde. I was also interviewed about the book at The Otter Limits, and by Anthony Mathenia's blog.

 

In 2013 I launched the Subversive Radio Podcast covering a variety of topics; from Hell and Women in Ministry (both co-hosted with Jon Zens) to House Church Leadership (a series), and following Jesus into non-violence.

 

This was also the year I joined the House2House Ministries board and started co-hosting H2H Podcasts with Ken Eastburn and became the managing editor of the brand new online version of House2House Magazine.

 

It was also great to interview my friend Herb Montgomery and to join the board of Renewed Heart Ministries, and also to meet Salim Muyaner (from Musalaha reconciliation ministry) and to interview him as well.

 

It was also great to re-launch the Pacifist Fight Club with my friend and co-fighter/founder, Chase Andre. We were able to post great articles and links and videos on a daily basis and we also added several new "fighters" to the PFC as well.

 

On the blog, I wrote a series of articles on various themes, including:

*[blank] Is A Person Series

*The Unbelievable Truth Series

*How To Make Disciples (Part 1 and 2)

*The “Home” Series

 

The Top 10 Articles on my blog for 2013 were:

The Supreme Decision

 

Why I Hate Going To Church

 

The Love Chapter (Remix)

 

RE:FOCUS

 

Mortal Souls

 

America, Not Beautiful

 

Repent Or Likewise Perish

 

Nothing Matters

 

Love Or Nothing

 

More Than We Need

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2014

In the new year I hope to finish writing my next book on New Covenant theology, and to publish three new e-books over at Amazon.com: Subversive Interviews Vol.2; House Church Dynamics; and Raging Against Your Own Machine.

I also hope to host another live Pacifist Fight Club event with my co-conspirators, Chase Andre and Thomas Crisp, and our other fighters.

If possible, I'd love to continue the Subversive Radio podcast series, and continue to co-host the H2H Podcast with Ken Eastburn.

Of course, who knows what the Lord has in store? I'm sure there will be surprises and challenges and doors will open and close in 2014.

I'm looking forward to what's next.

Are you?
-kg

 

TAKE THE SUBVERSIVE SURVEY

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[SUBVERSIVE INTERVIEWS] - cover art

My next book, [Subversive Interviews] is a collection of conversations with Dallas Willard, Todd Hunter, Neil Cole, Walter Kirn, Frank Viola, Jim Wallis, Matt Redman, John Fischer, Dr.Scott Bartchy and Dr.G.K.Beale, among others.

Hopefully it will be available in the next week or so on my blog.

Next: My book "This Is My Body" (with a forward by Jon Zens) should be published in about another month or so. Keep watching this space for more details.
-kg

SALVATION EXPERIENCE?

Lately I've been thinking quite a bit about the process of salvation. Partly because I'm in relationship right now with someone who is dying of bone cancer but who may - or may not - be saved.

In some ways I can see God working in my friend's heart. I can see my friend responding to my prayers. I hear my friend affirm that he knows that Jesus loves him, and that my love for him is reflective of that same love. But is this enough? Does that mean anything? If my friend died tonight, would he be welcomed into God's loving embrace?

I don't know.

But this conversation makes me wonder. What does salvation look like? Does someone need to pray a prayer or affirm certain doctrines in order to be saved? If so, what about the thief on the cross? He wasn't baptized. He wouldn't have been able to clearly explain to anyone what the Gospel was, but Jesus affirmed his simple act of faith was enough to ride shotgun with Jesus into paradise that very day.

For that matter, I started to wonder something else. When did the Disciples get saved? Can we pinpoint their conversion experiences? I mean, was Peter saved when he threw down his nets and followed Jesus on day one? Or was he saved when he affirmed that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God? Or was he saved when he denied Jesus three times? What about when Jesus asked him to feed his lambs? I mean, do we see any point in the New Testament that resembles a conversion experience for Peter that you and I would recognize? What about the other disciples? When did they get saved?

On one level, I know that this inability we have to pinpoint the moment of salvation is partly why Jesus commands us to not judge one another. Why? Because we're really not very good at it.

If you and I were next door neighbors to the Rich Young Ruler, we'd have sworn that guy was going to enter the Kingdom of God. But when Jesus makes him the offer, he walks away with sadness. He can't do it.

If we lived next door to the thief on the cross, we'd have sworn that criminal, low-life scum would never have any cheance at redemption. And we'd be wrong.

Only God knows our hearts. We can barely know our own hearts, much less the heart of someone else. So, if we're commanded not to judge one another's salvation, how can we really know either way?

In all of this I do admit that my frustration and anxiety about my friend is largely selfish. I want to know that he is saved so that I can rest easy. I want to know that my investment of time and energy with this friend wasn't for nothing.

Would I still have served and loved this man knowing his ultimate decision might not ever be known to me? I think so. Over time I've really, genuinely grown to love this gentleman. He's like a part of my family. He's a part of me. His death will affect me deeply, regardless of his eternal condition.

I may not ever really know whether or not my friend Robert is saved. For now, I will continue to serve him, and to show the love of Jesus to him, for as long as I can. I know that God is the one who ultimately deals with each of us individually. I can sow, another can water, but only Jesus gives the increase.

I trust my friend into the arms of Jesus, and I trust my Lord is faithful and true. He is a loving, kind, and giving Father who judges fairly. If nothing else, I can trust that God loves him more than I do, and that God is good.

Amen.

kg

____ one another

Do I really have to spell it out?

Just In Time For Christmas

I've re-opened my [Subversive Underground] t-shirt shop for a limited time only.

We've got some new designs to choose from, including:

"HOW MANY CHRISTIANS DOES IT TAKE TO UNSCREW THE CHURCH?"

"JESUS CALLED. HE WANTS HIS CHURCH BACK"

"JESUS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING"

"WILL WORK FOR JESUS"

and several dozen more.

Check'em out
HERE

*I'm currently playing with the idea of releasing one unique shirt every week - for one week only. These "Subversive Tees of the Week" will be sold for only 7 days before being replaced by the next design.

Each new tee of the week will be sold to raise money for a worthy non-profit ministry or raise awareness for an important cause.

Watch this space for more updates to follow...

Until then, let me know if you like the idea of these t-shirts. I've got more where those came from.

-kg

[Subversive Underground] - RIP

Well, it's done. After 3 years, and 180 articles on discipleship, the Gospel of the Kingdom, compassion for the poor and the New Testament Church, the free, weekly e-newsletter [Subversive Underground] is laid to rest.

I started the weekly newsletter as a way to send weekly ideas and articles to about 30 of my friends. Originally the intent was to create a motivation for me to write something of substance each and every week. Over time I began to focus on the concepts that were most important to me.

Over the years the newsletter grew to 272 subscribers. Most of them found me via my articles over at theOoze.com, Ginkworld.net, SeedStories.com, Next-Wave Magazine and other online sources. Many of them I didn't know and will never meet this side of eternity, but several of them took the time to contact me directly and encourage me or ask for advice. Some took the time to leave angry comments, attack my character and insult me. Others left comments that inspired me and directed the conversation into more productive directions. I'm very grateful to all of these people for their insight, their passion and their honesty.

When I first heard God's whisper about starting this newsletter I was working on a little sci-fi and comics project called Plastic Animal Studios and I felt that God wanted me to lay that aside in order to focus on more Kingdom-centric things.

Now, three years later, I am hearing God whisper to me again. This time He is asking me to lay down the [Subversive Underground] so that He can lead me somewhere new.

I have to let go of this thing in order to receive the next thing He wants to place into my open hands.

It's a little bit scary. A little bit sad. But it's also exciting to find out what God has next for me.

I'm sure I'll blog about it here when the time comes. For now, I'm looking forward to taking a few weeks off and listen to His voice.

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." - Jesus (John 12:24)

For many years now I have been inspired by the phrase "Conversatio Morem!" which the early christians meant as "Constant Conversion!" or "Death to the Status Quo!" Now I think I understand this phrase even better than before. My status quo must die. I must be in constant conversion in order to allow the Holy Spirit to change me and for God to have His way with me.

Here we go...

kg

DESTROY THE (CHRISTIAN) SUBCULTURE

by Keith Giles

I've come to the conclusion that the Christian Subculture is evil. I want to destroy it. I want to choke the life out of it and watch it die. I want to strip the skin from its bones, shake the life out of it and break it into tiny pieces.

In the past I've written articles that express the dangers of the Christian Subculture, and it's no secret that I cannot stand Christian Radio, and have zero tolerance for "Jesus Junk" such as sanctified breath mints or t-shirts that christianize popular logos and advertising (see "Bud Wise Up" or "Lord's Gymn" for example).

The Christian Subculture prevents the breaking in of the Kingdom. It inhibits the Gospel message. It paralyzes the followers of Christ by isolating them from the people they are supposed to love and interact with on a deeply intimate level.

About a year ago I realized that my passion for deconstructing the popular "Churchianity System" extended beyond mere dislike. As I began to fully understand how insidious it really is, I resolved to dedicate myself to its demise. I am now fully convinced that someway, somehow, the entire thing needs to be knocked down with a very large hammer and burned into oblivion.

I have always wanted to have a "Burn Our Christian Crap" session where christians could bring the symbols of their involvement with the Christian Consumerist Monster and we could all stand around and sing "Kumbaya" together while we tosssed our "Lord's Gymn" tees and "Carman" Cd's and other idols to materialistic spiritualilty into a giant bonfire, in homage to those horrible youth group parties where teens were forced to burn their Van Halen records and Rush albums (because they were "secular").

I've come to the radical conclusion that there is nothing secular. There is only the world we live in. This one, right here (look around you...yeah, that world), and nothing more. God created the entire world, and it's a fallen world I agree, but there is no "Sacred" or "Secular" division to this world, other than the artificially constructed one we've created to keep ourselves safe and comfortable and far away from "those evil sinners over there".

Another big revelation for you? We're all sinners. You. Me. That guy over there. Yeah, we're all evil. We all need Jesus. Not just those who don't attend your church or who vote Democrat or who read Harry Potter. All of us. Look it up, it's in the Bible.

So, at the moment, all I have is the fire in my gut, the passionate resolution in my belly, that I hate all things "Christianese" and I long to assist in the complete demolition of this man-made evil.

Now, to be honest I have no real idea what that actually works out to in the real world. Let me be clear; I am NOT advocating the wanton destruction of Christian bookstores; I am NOT organizing petitions to shut down Christian Television (although I'd probably sign a petition if someone sent me one); I'm not calling for people to light torches or assemble in protest...but maybe it would be good idea if we just simply tried to escape the pseudo-reality of Christian Subculture? Maybe we could just start living in the real world, as followers of Jesus, without seeing those imaginary boundary lines between "Us" and "Them"? Maybe we could talk to people and befriend them, and love them, regardless of whether or not they were Christians? Maybe we could stop seeking comfort and shelter within the invisible walls of our own safety zones and start realizing that we live in this world, the real world...the ONLY world, and begin living as Salt and Light to those around us?

Jesus prayed for us, those who would follow after Him, in this way: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."(John 17:15) It was never God's intention to take us out of the world we live in. Why have we decided that it's ok to take ourselves out of the world?

Paul the Apostle also agreed on this point when he wrote, "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." (1 Cor 5:9-10)

Have we left this world for some virtual, "Clean World" where everything is Christian? Do we have to get our Christian Milk from a Christian Cow? Do we have to freshen our breath with Christian Mints? Do we have to drink Christian Soda and bowl at a Christian Bowling Alley?

This idea of withdrawl from the culture is evil. It is not God's plan for us. It is the fruit of our own sinful, selfish desires to be safe and comfortable, and in some cases to make money and perpetuate an industry. It is demonic, and it hinders the Gospel message by isolating the agents of change (you and I) from those who need "the hope that lies within", and I want nothing more than to see it die a horrible, agonizing death so that God's people can begin to learn what it means to be human and start relating to other human beings who are sinful and hopeless without Christ, just like everyone else.

The Christian Subculture is essentially a wall that we build to keep ourselves from the world. Like the Berlin Wall, or the Great Wall of China, or Hadrian's Wall, or the wall between Palestine and Israel, it is an artificial border designed by us, the supposed followers of Jesus, in order to isolate us from the ones we are commanded to love.

Jesus would want us to smash down that wall. It's the same wall built by the money changers in the Temple at Jerusalem which kept the common people from entering the house of God. Those systems were also man-made. Those systems also invovled making a buck on the sale of faith and the commercialization of God's name.

I'm not sure where to find the hammer big enough to knock down this wall we've built, but I long to find one, and when I do I will let it swing.

Keith
***
NOTE: THIS IS A BLAST FROM THE PAST WHICH I'VE UPDATED AND REPRINTED HERE FOR YOUR EDIFICATION.