ELYSIAN SKIES SONGS NOW ON iTunes!

Voted one of the Top Indie Cd's of 1998 by The Phantom Tollbooth Magazine (ranked #4).

THE BAND
Composed of Keith Giles on vocals, John Wahrmund on guitars and bass, Wendy Giles on background vocals, John Feighery on guitars, Bill Schmidt on percussion and Ben Busch on keys, and guitars.

ABOUT THE ALBUM
Recorded at the legendary Green Room in Huntington Beach, California, "Exquisite Whisper" features all original songs written by Keith Giles and John Wahrmund.

Produced by J.J. Plasencio (Plumb, Sixpence) and engineered by Andy Pricket (Prayer Chain, Violet Burning), mixed by Gene Eugene, and mastered by Mark Rodriguez.
Overdubs produced by Wayne Everett (Prayer Chain).

ALBUM TRIVIA
Three of the songs from this recording(Broken, What Can Never Be Replaced and Tacit Blue) were featured on the award-winning soundtrack for the independent film, "When Love Walks In" from Paladin Pictures, directed by Kent Williamson.

Andy Prickett plays the guitar solo on the first track, "Digg" which was featured in the N-Soul compilation CD, "The Sparkler Sampler" (also available on iTunes).

Mike Pritzl's (Violet Burning) guitar was used on the track, "Faded Chameleons".

J.J. Plasencio plays bass on several tracks as well.

All proceeds from the sale of the original CD pressing went to support Feed the Children.

ALBUM REVIEW FROM THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH MAGAZINE (www.tollbooth.org)

With a little help from their friends, Elysian Skies has created an indie release worthy of notice. Serving as executive producer, J.J. Plasencio (formerly of Plumb and Sixpence None the Richer) is a believer in this band. Also, Gene Eugene (of Adam Again) mixes the album, and both Andy Prickett and Wayne Everett (formerly of the Prayer Chain) contribute in one form or another. That's a lot of positive support from some respected folks in the industry for a virtually unknown band on the national level.

With Exquisite Whisper Elysian Skies has created an album of modern rock ranging from acoustic guitar-driven ballads to songs with an aggressive swirl-of-sound. They haven't attempted to recreate modern rock here, and they manage to play well without embarrassing the form. The production values are excellent--not at all what you'd expect from an indie (with the amazing Gene Eugene on the boards it's easier to see how that happened). The result is an album with an appealing sound that suggests alternative pop bands like The Waiting (but with fewer frills).

The lyrics are positively pro-Christian in their content, and without exception they deal with matters of faith in an honest and poetic way. On "Blood of Innocence" in particular, lyric writer Keith Giles fuses Biblical truth with modern-day trials while turning a good phrase or two along the way:

A dishonest man brought me into the fold
And an unfaithful girl brought me in from the cold
It rains on the unjust and righteous as well
The sound of the truth is louder than hell.
A forgetful Samaritan passes away
His friends and his family have nothing to say.
The children of poverty ask for a drink.
I'm lost in my thoughts so I don't stop to think.

This band's love for our Lord Jesus is foremost on their mind as they exhibit compassion for the disenfranchised, downtrodden, or just plain discouraged. Augmenting the songs' themes are a collection of delightful quotes from Henry Van Dyke, St. Francis of Assisi, Pablo Picasso, and Psalm 68. Extra bonus points are given for the artsy packaging; for example, the CD is black with a gold Half-Moon-Face with three accompanying stars. I appreciate the artistic attention given to layout details.

Keith Giles voice is reminiscent of the lead singer from The Beautiful South or The Housemartins at times. This may just be a matter of personal preference, but I find he sings most pleasingly on the slower tempo numbers, while his gentle voice seems incongruent with the rambunctious music on the more bumptious tracks. That critique aside, this band will in time undoubtedly carve out their own niche and continue to garner appropriate amounts of attention from musical colleagues as well as fans.


By Steven Stuart Baldwin

**

Click the icon below to buy one song at a time or buy the entire album for just $7 bucks!

FACEBOOK IS TAPPING YOUR PHONE

Your phone rings and you answer it. “Hello, this is Amanda from Enterprise Marketing Group. Would you be willing to participate in a brief survey of your favorite entertainment brands so that we can sell this information to businesses who want to improve their targeted advertising efforts?”

My guess is that you would probably hang up the phone on someone like this. What would be the point in helping a marketing company gather information about you just so they could send you more junk e-mail, postcards and coupons? Yet , if you have an active Facebook account you’re probably already sharing even more information with these same companies than you realize.

Facebook collects and stores every single fragment of information about you in their constantly enlarging database. They know who your friends are. They know your top 20 favorite films. They know the Top 10 books you’ve ever read. They know which Smurf you’re most like. They know your favorite TV shows. Even more than this, if you are consistent with your status updates, they also know what days of the week you go shopping, or take the kids to baseball, or spend a night out with your friends.

The genius of Facebook is that they have made the collection of your targeted, actionable data very entertaining. Because it’s fun to post your Top 20 favorite movies list to your Facebook page and then share it with all 250 of your friends so that they can also post their lists and share it with their friends, you’ll gladly do it. But, if someone from a professional marketing team called you on the phone to ask you the same information, not only would you hang up, you’d probably ask them to put you on their no-call list.

Before Facebook, and other social media sites, marketers had to depend on very general demographic profiles to essentially guess at what your favorite foods might be, or what your spending habits might involve. They could guess from your birth date that you fell into a general group (baby boomer, Generation X, Tweeners, Metrosexual, etc.), and based on your sex they could place you into a category most likely to purchase certain brands or shop at certain stores. Now, thanks to the growing mania of Facebook, marketers no longer have to guess about your favorite ice cream flavor – they know for a fact that you love Cherry Garcia from Ben and Jerry’s because you posted it on your profile, or shared it with a friend on your wall.

Lately there’s been a lot of talk about changes to Facebook’s privacy policy. Even their own CEO has been the victim of loop holes in the new policy, to hilarious effect. However, the greatest shock is still yet to come. One day, and perhaps it’s already started to happen, all the millions of terabytes of data Facebook has on file about you will be sold to the Enterprise Marketing agencies of the world.

What could be worse than that? Perhaps you’d better sit down for this part. As a friend and I were talking about this very subject one afternoon, he made reference to a chilling discovery about Google’s Picasa photo software. As he was uploading a picture of his family from a recent vacation trip to the museum, the software window that popped up said, “This looks like Aidan.” Aidan is my friend’s elementary-age son. He said his finger hovered over the mouse for a moment as he began to realize that the software had recognized his son’s face due to the tagging features they had used to identify him, and the rest of the family, on other photos that had been uploaded to the website.

Clearly, the applications of this facial recognition software are even more nefarious in the wrong hands. Now if anyone, anywhere, uploads a photo of you to the internet, people can find you and recognize you immediately. Your friends don’t even need to tag you in any future photos because you’ve already been tagged enough times for the software to get a lock on your features.

All of this makes me wonder if public outcry against the selling of our personal information might spawn the creation of newer, "Black Box" style social media where you might be asked to pay a premium to prevent your personal data from ending up on search engine results or allow your personal photos to be seen by the entire planet.

In fact, it makes me wonder whether or not Facebook themselves will eventually offer their users a pay-for-privacy black box solution. Not only would this solve the problem they've created themselves, but it would also earn them billions more dollars a year in revenues from users who value online privacy.

Even though there is a clear warning to this effect, many Facebook users are also unaware that when they participate in third party applications and games on Facebook (such as Mafia Wars, Farmville, etc.), they are granting permission for these companies to collect, use and sell their personal information, and often their friend's personal data as well.

In a safe and perfect world, facial recognition technology and personal information will only be used to direct you to the best deals on your favorite things at exactly the right moment by recognizing your face as you enter your favorite shopping mall, or online store.

Of course, we can only guess who might have already purchased information about you, and your family, and your photos, and your detailed personal likes and dislikes. Hopefully it will be the good guys who take charge of this data.

Hopefully.

**
Keith Giles is a marketing copywriter and published author and blogger who lives in Orange County, California. Find out more at http://www.KeithGiles.com or follow him at http://twitter.com/keithgiles

CHRISTMAS IN REVERSE

For the last three years now my family has been making an effort to shift the way we celebrate Christmas. I guess it all started when we partnered with a sister church here in Orange County to bring a blessing to a single mom with brain cancer and her teenage son a few years ago. I remember walking back to the car afterwards and telling my wife, "That was my Christmas. From now on, don't buy me anything for Christmas. Let's just bring a blessing to as many people as we can."

So, for the last few years that's what we've done our best to do. This year our family is helping to buy Christmas gifts for children living in a local motel with their families. Our house church is working to provide free groceries, buy gifts, and share what we’ve been given with our friends living in this motel. We're also putting together several baskets of food to give to a local orphanage, and this week we're going to sing carols at a local senior care center down the street from our house.

Just last week I read an article from the great John Fischer about how we should change the question, "What did you get for Christmas?" to "What did you give for Christmas?" I completely agree. More than changing the question, we're changing the emphasis of Christmas. When we focus on giving then all that matters is what we give away, not what we receive in return.

The most amazing thing, however, is that even though my family does not buy me a Christmas gift to put under the tree anymore, I still get plenty of gifts. In fact, I receive significantly more for Christmas now than I have ever received before. It's just that what I get for Christmas now is the sort of stuff that won't fit inside any box, or be contained by mere wrapping paper.

I know of many other families who are doing exactly what we've started to do this Christmas. Maybe you do too? Or maybe you and your family would like to start a new tradition of giving away more than you receive?

If you're really lucky you'll start to realize that you can give extravagantly no matter what time of year it may be. People in need are hungry and lonely and thirsty on all the other days of the year, so why should we only give to them once or twice a year?

Someone once said that whenever we measure our generosity we tend to measure how much we give away, but when God measures our generosity, He measures how much we keep.

If Christmas is really about giving, then let's focus on giving. And if Christmas is about the miraculous, incarnational birth of God in the flesh who came to be "Emmanuel" - God with us - then let's follow His example and give ourselves away for the sake of others.

Peace to you,
Keith

THE GOVERNMENT CHURCH

In some countries, the Christian faith is under the control of the State. These governments control the spread and expression of Christianity by regulating churches, and keeping pastors on the payroll. Those Christians who dare to speak out against Government policy or who criticize military operations or otherwise go against the grain are threatened with seizure of property or loss of certain rights.

Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about because you live in America. Here, the Government reuquires that all Christian churches register with the State. These State Churches must have a 501(C)3 to operate legally. Without one they cannot open a bank account, claim tax exempt status on their property, or for donations received, or for pastoral salaries.

Several times in American History the Government has threatened to revoke the tax exempt status of several of these registered State Churches whenever they speak out in ways that are not approved of. For example, on issues of abortion, or civil rights, or other political issues.

This is not to suggest that the Government is in favor of Politics without Religion, or Religion without Politics. On the contrary, the Government in America is very much in favor of how the State Church supports military efforts abroad. To that end, the Church has been one of the most vocally supportive segments of American Society when it comes to war overseas, the torture of enemy soldiers, and the loss of human life (other than American lives).

In recent years, the State Church in America has also been largely instrumental in helping to elect her Presidents and push political agendas for both the Left and the Right.

NOT ABOUT POLITICS
Still, my contention is not with the Government of this great nation. In fact, my concern is for the Bride of Christ who has willingly submitted herself to an Empire, rather than to the rule and reign of Christ.

Do we need the Government to tell us that we are the children of God? No, of course not.

Do we need a tax write-off in order to give our money to help the poor? Absolutely not.

And yet, we often allow these things to prevent us from operating and behaving as the Body of Christ.

CAN YOU IMAGINE?
Can you imagine being part of a Church where no one received a salary? Or where no one kept track of your tithes and offerings? Can you imagine being part of a Church where the people were the only building? Or where the Church owned no property or held no bank account?

I'm not saying that these things are evil, in themselves. However, I do find it troubling that the Church in America has so willingly participated in a State Church system where the Government is allowed to decide who is, or is not, a valid expression of the Body of Christ Jesus in the community.

HAVE I LOST MY MIND?
Before you sharpen your knife or load your revolver, let me explain why I am writing this today: The Church I read about in the New Testament, from which all of us have originated, was born under the sun of the largest Empire the world has ever known.

This early church did not conform to the pattern of the Empire, but it set itself apart from the Empire. It quietly, yet firmly, resisted the Empire's lust for power and expansion through bloodshed. They resisted even to the point of shedding their own blood - but not the blood of others - to demonstrate another way of living. This way of life was not like the life people lived outside of the Body of Christ. In fact, the only real source of life and wisdom came from Jesus, the Messiah, and it was the radical lifestyle of the early Christians that testified to this truth.

Their Lord (and ours) had also modelled a life which was contrary to the Empire of his day. The Empire had even used its power to put Jesus to death, so those who put their faith in Jesus as the Messiah continued to live in opposition to the pattern of the Empire after His Resurrection. The idea of conforming to the way of the World was anathema to them. Why is it not anathema to us today?

I understand that our nation has a different set of origins than the Roman Empire. I do understand that America is a place where the practice of religion is widely accepted (and not just Christianity, either). The parallels between America and Rome are not exact, however they are both Empires which are built upon the ideals of men (however noble they may be).

The American Empire is not built upon the teachings of Jesus. No Empire has ever attempted to carry out the policies of the One who said that we should turn the other cheek and love our enemies. In fact, no man-made, human lead government could ever survive with such policies as these. Only when Jesus Himself sits upon the throne of this Earth will His Kingdom be established in full. On that day, we might finally understand what a Christian Government looks like, but not today.

BE SET APART
When the Apostle John tells us about the fall of the Empires of this Age he records the words of an angel in heaven who says, "'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities'" (Revelation 18:4,5)

The phrase, "come out of her" is the exact phrase one would use when referring to the cessation of a sexual act. He is commanding us to repent of our fornication with the Empires of this World and to escape the wrath of God against those systems of man-made rule.

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a royal priesthood. a holy nation, God’s very own possession." - 1 Peter 2:9

If we are the people of God, let us consider who we submit ourselves to, both in theory and (most importantly) in practice.

Are we a Church submitted more to the State than we are to the Lord Jesus?

Have we forgotten to resist the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? (Rom 12)

What would it mean to be fully surrendered to Jesus alone, in every way?

Is Jesus really the head of the Church? Is He the head of your church?

Only you can answer those questions for yourself. I'm not here to create controversy for the sake of controversy. My heart's desire is for the Church to open her eyes and to consider how her actions and her attitudes reflect Christ in the world today.

Is the Church a tool of the State? Is the Church being leveraged to pass legislation or elect officials? Are we being manipulated by politicians to do their will? And if so, shouldn't we desire with all of our hearts to repent of this and to return to Christ as our only Lord and Master?

I suppose that's up to us to decide for ourselves.

Peace,
Keith
**

"The Church is not meant to be the master of the State, nor is the Church its servant, the Church must be its conscience." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

URGENT: PLEASE FORWARD TO EVERYONE!

DISCLAIMER: Please read the following article VERY CAREFULLY before you do anything
at all. There is more going on here than meets the eye. You have been forewarned. -

URGENT!
As most of us are aware, Christians today need to be more vigilant than ever before.

This is why what I am about to tell you is SO CRITICAL for each of us. I'm tempted to ask everyone to forward this to EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK right away. (Especially if you "really" love Jesus).

What I'm about to tell you is SO ALARMING, it could seriously threaten Church in America forever!

NEW LEGISLATION
There is new legislation in motion, at the earliest possible stage, which I need to let everyone know about now before it gets out of our control.

First, many of you are already aware that there are forces out there that threaten to take away the non-profit status of Christian Churches in America whenever messages of a political nature are delivered from the pulpit. As desperate as this is, there is a new development brewing now that is EVEN WORSE.

There are people who want to propose legislation that would challenge the non-profit status of any Christian Church simply based on whether or not that Church actually gives a significant percentage of its funds back to the community, as most other "non-religious" non-profits are required to do.

WHAT THIS MEANS is that your church could be in DANGER OF LOSING ITS NON-PROFIT STATUS simply because little of the tithe money goes to help out those poor families who live around the community. EVEN IF THEY DON'T ATTEND YOUR CHURCH!

Of course, there are plenty of churches in America that do care for the poor in their community. They pass out free groceries, they provide free oil changes for single Moms, they host after-school programs for kids in the area at no-charge, etc. Churches who are already "giving back" to the community in this way and serving others the way Jesus would would have NOTHING TO FEAR!

However, if a church in the community were to spend 70%, 80%, or even 99% of its tithe on ITSELF, it would be in danger of losing that non-profit status and would have to pay taxes JUST LIKE ALL OTHER LARGE CORPORATIONS.

This means that a church spending most of the tithe for salaries, or a new building, or the new flat-screen plasma televisions for the announcements in the nursery, or the Starbucks Coffee bar at the back of the Church, or the new carpet, etc., would have to justify their non-profit status on the basis of whether or not they were actually performing any actual "service" to the poor around them. If they couldn't demonstrate a tangible connection between their church and the community around them, their NON-PROFIT STATUS would be REVOKED FOREVER!

REGARDLESS OF THE FACT that Matthew 25 suggests that Jesus takes our concern for the outcast seriously, this attack on the non-profit status of our big, fat American churches is just NOT FAIR!

We've earned the right to collect as many hundreds of thousands of dollars as we like in the name of Jesus and it should be totally up to us how we spend that money. Especially if it's for our OWN NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES.

Just because we're not really involved in the needs of the poor around us, the Church SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED IN THIS WAY.

Regardless of the fact that the Church in America HAS THE POWER and the ECONOMIC RESOURCES necessary provide affordable housing, long-term community development, and primary health care to everyone who needs it, the US Government should NOT be the one to force this upon us through legal means. That should be left up to a Higher Power.

Even though Universal primary education would cost $8 billion a year, which is about half of what parents in the US will spend THIS YEAR on TOYS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN, this has nothing to do with those of us who are called by the name of the One who humbled Himself and surrendered His life to demonstrate the compassion of God to the World, and especially to the least and the lost.

So, if you want to protect your church from this kind of judgement, I urge you to write to your pastors, your elders, your deacons and your church leaders and let them know how you feel about this very serious issue that faces the modern Church in America.

We, the Church in America, are dangerously close to the SIN OF SODOM!

Do you know what the Sin of Sodom is? Read Ezekiel 16: 49:

"Now this is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were proud and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen."

Obviously, the issue facing the Church in America today is WAY MORE SERIOUS THAN SIMPLY OUR NON-PROFIT STATUS! If the Church were to rise up and spend their money this way, THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME THING, and yes, a lot of people would probably stop calling us HYPOCRITES and maybe they'd take us seriously when we tell them that Jesus loves them, because we've demonstrated that (just maybe) we love them too.

As you may have guessed, this legislation IS TOTALLY FICITIOUS! I have made up the entire thing with the help of my good friend Jarred Romley who first suggested the concept to me.

I couldn't resist mimicking the style of those alarmist Christian email messages we all get forwarded telling us that we must send it on to everyone we have ever known in order to prove our love for Jesus. Please, also forgive me for all the CAPITAL LETTERS I USED!

Seriously, I think if my friend Jarred were to introduce a Bill like this one to our Congress it might put a fire under our churches to wake up and realize that their Bibles are full of commands to care for the outcast, the poor, and the needy who are all around them. If nothing else, it would create an amazing open dialog in the media between the leaders of the Church, the members of the community, and the man on the street about issues of compassion, Christian charity, and the calling of Jesus to care for the poor as we would care for Him. (see Matthew 25)

Until that legislation comes to pass, I will have to resort to stunts like this to try to wake people up and realize that God's heart is for the poor and that He has taken this issue very seriously.

The truth is, the idea of their church losing its non-profit status is more likely to spur Christians to action than the fact that there are thousands of homeless, and poverty-stricken human beings suffering a few blocks from their front door.

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?"- GOD, speaking of King Josiah in Jeremiah 22:16

Keith Giles

MY FRIEND ROBERT HIGGINS

My friend, Robert Higgins, is dieing of bone cancer.

I met him just over a year ago when Pete, the manager at the California Studio Inn in Santa Ana called me on my cell phone - something he never does unless it's an emergency.

Pete told me about Robert, a 77 year old man who was living on the streets. It was cold outside, mid-December, and icy rain was falling outside. "If I send him out in this," Pete told me, "I'm afraid he'll die on a park bench somewhere. He's really sick."

Pete would hardly describe himself as a follower of Jesus. In fact, when I first came to him to ask about serving at the motel he told me to hit the road and that I was wasting my time. Now, he's one of our partners in this ministry to the people of this motel. Without him we couldn't do anything there, and often he actually initiates our relationships with people in need.

Our house church family donated the $250 to buy Robert a week at the motel to give him a place to stay until his own Social Security checks came in. Eventually, with a lot of help from Pete, Robert ended up taking a regular room in the motel as a resident.

Initially I would drop by to check up on Robert now and again. Sometimes I'd run groceries up to his room on one of the Saturdays our house church was passing out food. Over the months, I can't really explain how, Robert and I became friends.

As I've gotten to know Robert I've learned that one of the things he hates the most is being helped. Sometimes people bring him gifts to show their love for him, but he's told me how it actually makes him angry. "If I were living on the streets and I had no income, that would be different," he says. "But I've got money, I've got a room of my own. I don't need anyone to take care of me."

I've tried explaining to him that when people from the church bring him gifts that it's their way of saying, "I love you," and I know he knows that, but it doesn't make it any easier for him to receive gifts.

"The help you give me," Robert says, "like when you pick up my mail for me or something like that. At least that's the kind of help I need, not the help people want to give me."

I've come to the conclusion that hell for Robert would be an army of people waiting on him and doing things for him and bringing him things he didn't ask for. He really, really hates when anyone does that - including me.

Over the last few months I've learned not to do anything without asking him. Only once have I done something that he explicitly told me not to do. I brought him a slice of homemade pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving day while he was staying at Fountain Care down the street from me.

He'd refused to come over to share Thanksgiving with my family. "That's a family thing," he said. So when I told him I was going to bring him a piece of Wendy's pumpkin pie after dinner he said, loudly, "No!"

"Yes, I am," I said.

"No, no, no."

"I'm just as stubborn as you are, Robert. I'm bringing you that pie with a big old layer of whip cream on top."

"Whip cream on top?" He paused. "Ok, then."

That was pretty much the only battle I've ever won with him.

Well, almost. On Monday of this week I shared lunch with Robert at his room in the Studio Inn. As we ate our KFC dinners he and I talked about his family, which he hasn't spoken to in several years.

"Have you thought about contacting your son again?"

"No, it's too late," he said.

"No, it's not too late. You've got months and months to live."

"It's the worst possible time for me to call them," he said."I think they think I'm already dead anyway. How would it be for them to get a call from me saying 'it's me' when all this time they've thought I was dead?"

"Wouldn't they be thrilled to know that you're still alive? And that they can still talk to you before you die of bone cancer?"

Robert shook his head. "No. It's too late for that now."

"I just know that if my Dad were dying of bone cancer I'd at least want the opportunity to say goodbye to him," I said, hoping for one last chance to change his mind. He was unmoved.

But, today I got a call from him on my cell phone. He even left a message which he's never even attempted to do before. I called him back and he said, "You got any plans for lunch today?"

I pulled my warmed up soup out of the microwave and snapped the plastic lid back over it. "Nope. You want me to bring you something?"

"How about some chicken from Pollo Loco?" he suggested. His meals usually flutter between KFC, Taco Bell and El Pollo Loco.

"Ok, I said."

After he gave me his order he added, "I'm buying this time. It's my turn." Then he said, "I was thinking about calling my son again. Maybe you could help me punch in the numbers?"

I stood there for a moment next to the microwave and smiled. "Sure, Robert. I can do that. I'll be right there."

Sadly, when Robert and I tried to track down his son and his ex-wife Rosa we discovered that they no longer lived in the same house in La Mirada. They had moved.

He hung his head and started to cry. "Just when I was ready to try and get back in touch with them," he said.

"It's ok, Robert. We've still got time to find them."

Robert kept his head down for a while. Then he said, "I sat here last night thinking about it. I'm not ready to go. I know I don't have much here in this life," he said. "But I'm not ready."

I sat across from my friend and I considered how to respond. As his pastor I knew I could rattle off a few Bible verses, or try to lead him in a prayer of salvation. But as his friend, I knew that what he needed in that moment was someone to understand his fear.

"You don't know how much time you have left, Robert. The Doctor's are only guessing at a number. You could have two or three years to live. Heck," I said. "I could die before I get back to work in a car accident. No one knows how long they have."

Robert nodded. "I know."

We talked for a while after that about his son, and his daughters. He shared the good memories of his ex-wife Rosa and wondered if she'd join him at the motel someday - if he could find her again.

"I think she might," I said.

"I'd like to talk to her again," he said. "I would tell her I miss her a lot. I think of her often and I still love her," he said.

I prayed that Robert would be able to reconnect with his wife and family again before he dies. I left him alone in his room with this fragile hope and shut the door behind me after saying goodbye.

As I walked down the set of steps down to the parking lot and back to my car I wondered about my response to Robert. I'm sure a better man than me would have whipped out the scriptures and sealed the deal with the four spiritual laws. I'm sure that's what I should have done as a pastor, and I didn't. I didn't because it didn't feel like a genuine response. It felt like what I was expected to do, but not what Robert needed in that moment.

Time after time I have walked this line with Robert between being his friend and being his pastor. I'm doing my best to love him because love isn't something Robert is used to. He's always accepted help and love from others with suspicion because everyone in his life has always made sure there were strings attached. Even his family. Especially his family.

There have been other moments where Robert and I have talked about God. Once, when he was recovering from surgery at Fountain Care, he took my hand in his own bony, withered hand and squeezed it. With tears in his eyes he told me, "Keith, I know I can make it as long as I've got you and the Lord with me."

I squeezed back. "God really is with you, Robert," I said.

"I never understood about God much when I was younger. It never made sense to me before what the pastor was saying up there, but I think I can talk to Him and I think he hears me," he said.

"I think sometimes we make it more complicated that it is," I said. "As long as we're willing to admit that we can't do it on our own and that we need God's help I think we're on the right track," I said.

Sometimes when I talk to people about Robert people ask me if Robert knows the Lord. It's difficult to answer that question right now. I think he's in process. I think God is speaking to Robert in his pain and through these circumstances. I think God is showing Robert how much he really loves him. I know that Robert has begun to see that God is very good to him, even in his suffering, and I know that Robert knows that he can talk to God anytime he needs to.

Right now my prayers for Robert are that he can regain contact with his son, Richard and his ex-wife Rosa before he dies of bone cancer. I also pray that one day the Lord will allow me to lead Robert into His presence and surrender his life to Jesus.

I already know that I will be with Robert until the very end. I will stand at his bedside when he is on morphine. I will be holding his hand when he passes from this life into the next one. I pray with all my heart that I can faithfully hand him off to the One who loves him more than he will ever know - on this side of eternity - when that day comes.

My friend, Robert Higgins, has bone cancer. He's 77 years old. And I'm the only family he has right now.

-kg

ANOTHER AMAZING DAY

Today is nearly over (and by the time most of you read this it will already be Monday morning) but today (Sunday) was a very amazing day for me.

I got to bring a message to the church that God is building in the back parking lot of a motel where my wife and children started serving about 7 years ago. I shared with them about how the Church is a Body, a Family, and a Bride.

I reminded them that God is the one who is building the church and not any of us. I reminded them that we are called to be a Body where we honor one another, and we each are a necessary part of the Body. We need one another. We belong to one another. God is the one who is building us - His Body - into a spiritual house of living stones for His Glory.

I reminded them that we are called to love one another. To wash one another's feet. And that we are not blessed when we know these things - we are blessed when we do them.

After I sat down next to Christy - the mother of little Tina and Michael - they announced that she will be baptized into the family of God next Sunday. I turned and looked at her with surprising joy. From the beginning, Christy's little son and daughter have been so dear to my heart. They are both so quiet and shy, although over the years they have warmed up to us and have opened their hearts to us as we have loved them and served them consistently.

As I drove home today I couldn't help but sing praises to God for this great work in this family, and in this most unlikely place to plant a church - in the back parking lot of a poverty motel in Santa Ana, under a canopy of E-Z Ups on the dirty black top, next to a fence facing an alleyway.

We lifted up the name of Jesus. We claimed that place for His Kingdom. We acknowledged that Jesus was Lord of that place and that it (and we) fully belonged to Him alone.

I can't wait to see what God does next....

Good night!
kg

IDEAS FOR SERVING THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY

I want to stress that most of these do not require a large budget, or a team of thousands. Most of these can be done with families, including children of all ages, and two or three adults who are willing to listen, love and share what they have with people in need.

Idea for Ministry to the Poor:

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)
*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)
*Food/Grocery Distribution
*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)
*Senior Home Visitation
*Prostitute Ministry
*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)


Details:

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)

This ministry works best when you get to know the management of the apartment or motel, etc. Explain to them that you're not there to preach or to promote your church. Disarm them with the idea that you really just want to bless people. Explain to them that your ministry will involve giving away free groceries (if possible) or hosting game times for the children (or puppet shows, crafts, etc.). Help them to visualize a monthly or bi-weekly carnival that they get to help bring to their residents. It makes them look like heroes and it gives you an opportunity to express the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)

Essentially the same as above. I'd only add that befriending people is the key here. Pray for them. Listen to their problems. Find ways to help them that are practical. This should not be about money. It should be about helping them discover resources in your community, hooking up with other ministries doing work to help with education, rent, health concerns, etc.

Also, ask God to highlight one or two people or families that He wants you to focus on and love them with all you've got. Invite them to your house for pizza and a movie. Hang out with them. Learn to love them. This is where you realize that the real ministry is being done to you, not by you.

*Food/Grocery Distribution

Find a food bank nearby. Second Harvest is a national food bank, but you may have another in your area. Our small house church can purchase a week's worth of groceries for twenty or thirty families for under $100 a month.

As I've said previously, don't distribute the food after you preach. Just give them the food up front and bless them. Ask them at the end of the food line if they want prayer. Most will say yes. If not, just smile and bless them as they go back into their rooms. Consistency is vital.


*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)

Again, this is very cheap and it's more about getting to know people who happen to be homeless and less about throwing food at the poor and running home.

We found a park where a lot of homeless hang out that also had barbecue stations at each picnic table. Our group set up the grill, cooked the dogs, laid out the fixings and then fanned out to invite the homeless to join us for a picnic. We sat with them, ate with them, asked them their names, where they were from, etc. Even our kids enjoyed getting to know our new friends.

*Senior Home Visitation

You will not believe the treasures that are hidden away in the senior homes near your house. Former Generals in WW2, former actresses, singers, engineers, writers, and even regular people who have amazing stories to tell. All they need is someone to listen. Give it time and you will soon find yourself falling in love with these people.


*Prostitute Ministry

This one is waayyy outside my comfort zone, but I've been out around 3 times with small teams to try to connect and pray for these girls. I'll write in more detail about the challenges and dangers of this ministry next week. Not for the faint of heart.

*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)

This is more of a Men's Ministry thing, but it can be awesome to bless single Moms and Widows who need assistance around the house, with the yard, the car, etc.
Oh, and it's Biblical too.


Other Ideas for Ministry

*Local Newspaper/Community Response Ministry -
This is one I've always wanted to do but have yet to attempt. Basically it involves reading the local paper and responding in compassion to people in your city who experience the death of a loved one, is the victim of abuse or rape or violence, tragedy, etc. This is one that I feel could have a huge impact on your community if your church or small group could consistently respond to people in need of comfort and prayer support.

*Community clean-up (graffitti cleaning, trash pick-up, etc.)
Steve Sjogren and Mike Pilavachi have championed this form of "no strings attached" service to the community. When I was at Soul Survivor I was involved with massive groups of teens taking to the streets and cleaning up parks, neighborhoods, etc. This may involve contacting city officials and cooperating with them to discover their needs and partner with their employees.

*Clean toilets for local businesses
Again, Steve Sjogren championed this one a long time ago. It's an amazing way to demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways to local business owners. Most will be blown away that you show up with a bucket and cleansers to do the ugly job that none of them wants to do. When you explain to them that you're doing it because Jesus washed feet and this is the closest thing in our modern society to that, you'll be amazed at the reactions you get. Worth it for the stories you get to tell later, if nothing else.

*Free Car Wash
Be careful. People will argue with you to take their money. They simply cannot bring themselves to receive a free blessing with no strings attached. Do it anyway.

**
NOTE: Taken from my series, HOW TO START A MINISTRY TO THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY (PART 4 OF 5).

-Go to PovertyInTheOC.com and see links at left for the entire series

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

I'm at http://twitter.com/keithgiles

Just prepare yourself for the random rant, weird links, and quote bombs first.

I Tweet about my work in marketing, my interest in sci-fi, my passion for the ekklesia and whatever is on my tiny mind at the moment.

Read my Tweets and confirm your suspicions about me.

THE END OF POVERTY? (Think Again)

On December 4th at Edwards University Town Center 6 at 4245 Campus Drive, the documentary "The End of Poverty?" will open.

I encourage you to visit this website about the film and to consider taking a group to go and see this important film.

Visit TheEndofPoverty.com
HERE

**
ABOUT THE FILM

-With so much wealth in the world, why is there still poverty?

The End of Poverty? is a daring and thought-provoking documenary by award-winning filmaker Philippe Diaz. This film reveals that poverty is no accident. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor.

Today, global poverty has reached new levels because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies - in other words, wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries.

-Why do 20% of the world's population use 80% of its resources and consume 30% more than the planet can regenerate?

Can we really end poverty under our current economic system?

Think again.

**
TRUE SOLUTIONS - TAKE ACTION

Ending poverty is a daunting challenge. However, since it was made by human rules and institutions, new ones can unmake it, right?

The intention of the film is to change the dialogue so that concerned citizens will blame the system that creates poverty, not the people caught up in it. That requires a shift in our thinking.

The solutions touched on in the film are based on justice and not charity, solutions that will change the system that grinds down the poor.

This section will soon present specific campaigns that work towards changing the system, but the following is our call to action:

First, forgive international debt unconditionally and stop other predatory tactics. End the use of economic power as a means by which the wealthy control the poor.

Second, change the tax system in every country of the world. If justice is to be done, most of the taxes should fall on property ownership and not on the wages of working people.

Third, the poor should demand land reform, restoring land (or its value) to the people who actually work on it, instead of a few landowners.

Fourth, end privatization of natural resources and share these in common. Land, air, water, and oil are the common inheritance of all of humanity, not the stockholders of companies that have managed to grab these resources.

Fifth, "degrowth" in the rich nations--a radical cut in consumption of resources and production of waste--is necessary for the poor nations to survive. As Gandhi said, "Live simply, so others can simply live."

Visit TheEndofPoverty.com
HERE

NEW ORGANIC CHURCH ONLINE RADIO

Bookmark this online radio program for the ongoing series on Organic/Simple/New Testament Church.

Search the archives for the Jon Zens' interview too. It's a great one!

Ekklesia as God Intended

Whenever we engage in dialog about New Testament forms of church it is inevitable that someone will say, "The New Testament really doesn't give us any guidelines for what church is supposed to look like."

This is exactly why I have spent the last 2 years working on a book about God's design for His Church. If we really are open to what we might find I believe it is possible for us to read the New Testament and discern what God's exact intention and design for His Church, His Body, His Bride actually was.

At face value, I think we should agree that it seems absolutely preposterous that God should have no opinion or intention about how His Church should operate or function.

Did God remain aloof when it came to the design of the Tabernacle? Was He indifferent to how the Temple was to be constructed? Of course not. In fact, God was meticulously specific about what He intended. Why should we assume that He suddenly has no intention or specific design for His New Testament Church?

Furthermore, isn't it a little odd to have this entire New Testament document about the birth and formation of something called "The Church" and then claim that the same New Testament doesn't reveal anything to us about what that Church looks like, how it should operate, or what form it should take?

Of course, these are not my opinions. These are clearly revealed facts documented by the New Testament. My speaking out about these ideas has not gone unnoticed. In fact, there are several in the Body who have ostracized me because I attempt to point out these facts.

Of course, I can understand if there are those who disagree. However, I must contend that those who disagree have no quarrel with me, but with the very words of the New Testament.

I only ask that everyone who claims to follow Christ take seriously the very specific statements that God has made about His Church in the New Testament, and especially what Jesus says about His Body. To me, these are very, very important issues that the Body of Christ must get right.

Thankfully, God is at work even now refining the Body. He is opening eyes and revealing His design for His ekklesia to old and young alike. It gives me great joy to see a genuine move of the Holy Spirit within the Bride - awakening her to her true identity and empowering her to operate as He intended.

-kg

Peace to you!
kg

RE-POST: CONSUMPTION, EXPRESSION, IDENTITY

By Keith Giles

As a society, we are conditioned to find our identity in what we own or purchase. As Christians, we are conditioned to express our faith through the sanctified products we purchase, own or consume. This is the perversion of Christ into Capitalism and an expression of faith through consumption of products. It is wrong.

A good friend sent me an article he found that provided an intriguing historical perspective on our evolution from artisans to consumers. I've pulled out the quotes I found most fascinating below:

"A Short History of Consumption
With the rise of the Industrial Revolution, the relationship between people and the goods that they made was broken. No longer did peasants plant, tend, and harvest their crops; now agricultural workers labored over someone else’s crops in exchange for wages. No longer did artisans design, plan, craft, and sell; now factory workers repeatedly carried out a single step in the production of a product, again in exchange for wages."

"In short, people were no longer producers, they were now consumers."

"Our identities were no longer tied up with the work we did, but with the buying power our work left us with."

"So people found their identities not in their work but in the things they could buy by working."

"People became consumers, not just in the way they got what they needed but in who they felt themselves to be."

"Unlike the artisan who could express his or her identity through the things s/he created, we have learned to do so through the things we buy"

*Full article HERE


**
The entire article is mainly looking at consumption from an environmental impact perspective, but the points made about our lifelong indoctrination to consumerism as a society are very eye-opening to me. Especially in light of the ongoing series of articles I've been writing lately regarding the evils of the Christian Subculture over on my weekly e-newsletter [Subversive Underground].

Here's what I think we need to understand, as followers of Jesus, regarding the observations made in this article above.

CONSUMPTION IS SELF-EXPRESSION
We, as a society, have made consuming and purchasing products part of our identity structure. This is why people will fork out $30 for a t-shirt with some corporate logo and walk around as a billboard for them, not because they love that company or product, not because of their loyalty to the brand, but because they think that logo makes THEM look cool. It says something about them, and so they willingly become walking advertising...and they PAY for the privilege. Amazing.

CHRISTIAN IDENTITY
Honestly, this really does help me to formulate a clear picture of what's going on in the Christian subculture. We're finding our identity as "Christians" in the products we purchase. These products brand us and identify us as a subset of people. Instead of finding our identity in Christ by the way we relate to Him daily, obey His teachings, and emulate His example of service and unconditional love, we now identify ourselves as Christians by our t-shirts, bumper stickers, books and CD collections.

ARTISTS AND CONSUMPTION/IDENTITY/EXPRESSION
It's also fascinating how this shift in our society stems from the devaluing of artisans in our culture. People now express themselves by what they own or purchase more than by what they create with their hands or their imaginations. Artists within our society are influenced by this consumerist identity structure. Artists of faith are compelled to create art that can be sold, or that conforms to the acceptable Christian marketplace. Art in this context is devoid of pure self-expression, unless that expression conforms to the acceptable branding and messaging of the sacred market.

More from the article:
"The rise of consumption as our primary interaction with the rest of our society has had profound effects. For example, social status is obtained and marked by the things we buy and use. A car, for instance, is not just a way to get from one place to another but has to “say something” about who we are — and even the lack of a car says volumes. Unlike the artisan who could express his or her identity through the things s/he created, we have learned to do so through the things we buy: the t-shirt with the logo of our band or team, the bamboo towels that show our environmental commitments, the alternative album that shows off our indie cred, the designer shoes that place us as part of the trend-setting elite, the minivan that shows us to be part of the dependable, hard-working, family-oriented suburban middle class, and so on."

SUBCULTURE AND IDENTITY
The Christian Subculture has a market. That market embraces a brand. That brand has a message connected to it. That message serves the market and encourages ongoing participation in that market. It means providing reasons to continue purchasing these products day after day and week after week. The market serves itself. It exists to keep itself in business.

The Christian Subculture provides an oasis made of soothing products that help us escape from the Big Bad World that is "Out There". It's a sacred version of "Calgon-Take Me Away!" only our message is more pervasive. It's not just one soothing bath to calm our fears of being trapped in a world of sin, it's music and movies and clothing and books and toys and key chains and license plate frames and decals and candy and pens and pretty much every conceivable object and piece of product that can ever be branded with our message. It's nearly a complete world unto itself, and it's exactly what Jesus prayed to God would never happen to us. (see John 17:15)

THE CART THAT PULLS THE HORSE
I'm not against art or music or expressions of faith. Most of my favorite musicians are believers and their music contains references to our Lord and to faith in Him. Many of my friends are Artists who paint and sculpt and create art to communicate a Kingdom reality. The issue is not that creating art or any sincere expression of devotion to Christ is wrong. What is evil is the marketplace we've created to showcase product. In the beginning the market existed to serve the Art, now the Art exists to serve the marketplace. We have lost focus. Making money is now the main objective. Evangelism or edification or worship is secondary at best, if considered at all.

During my six years in the Christian Music Industry I slowly began to realize the sickness of it all. At first I saw the industry as a way to spread the Gospel and to provide a voice for talented musicians of faith. But soon I realized that it didn't matter if your music ministry was responsible for leading thousands to Christ each year. What mattered was record sales. If your CD's weren't selling at least 20,000 units per sales cycle you'd be dropped from the label in a heartbeat. It was, after all, a Record BUSINESS, and like every business making money and selling product is the very bottom line. Ministry is incidental, and sadly only useful in the context of marketing the product to your target audience, in order to drive more sales.

Like the money-changers in front of the Temple that Jesus chased away with a whip, the original idea was a good one; To provide animals for sacrifice so that people could enter the Temple and participate in the worship of God. However, when money got in the way the original vision was corrupted and the Temple became a marketplace which obscured access for the common man and made a mockery of real worship. The same is true today.

BACK TO JESUS
The tension still remains between the clear command of our Lord to "Go into all the world.." and a subculture that bears His Name, yet encourages a full retreat from the World and identifies membership based on purchasing the acceptable, branded product. The product carries a message that we should fear those outside of our group. It encourages non-involvement with the culture. It makes minimizing contact with those outside the subculture a preferable reality.

If Jesus modeled radical inclusion and commanded us to be known by our love for everyone, especially those who hate us, and a subculture emerges with His Name on it that encourages us to be radically exclusive and creates behavior by which we are known for our intolerance, hatred and condemnation of those outside our group, we must make a choice. Do we choose Jesus or do we choose the man-made subculture with his Name on it?

I choose Jesus.

If Jesus clearly teaches something, and another organization or person teaches the exact opposite we call that "Anti-Christ". To me it's plainly obvious that the Christian Subculture is "Anti-Christ" because it contradicts His message of inclusion, involvement and meaningful relationships with sinners.

I've said it before and I say it again; "Death to the Christian Subculture!"

BRINGING A CHANGE
Where can we fashion a whip and drive out the money-changers from the Temple? It's difficult because we now deal with this on a massive scale. Participation in this market-driven Christian Subculture is pervasive and intangible. There is no physical structure to kick over. There is no clear method for applying the whip necessary to drive them out.

All we can really do is to begin, one person at a time, to disassociate ourselves with this subculture. Stop participating. Stop identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus based on your purchases. Stop pandering to what the Christian Marketplace finds acceptable and palatable. Make Jesus your single source of Truth. Ask God to show you where you have replaced a Jesus way of life with a carefully branded subculture way of life. Escape the false notions of "Sacred" and "Secular" and just start living, as a disciple of Jesus, in this World (the only World), right now.

I declare a personal War against the Christian Subculture.

kg

**
NOTE: Originally published here in October, 2007 and republished here for your edification.

TO PREPARE A PLACE

And Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3)

Jesus promised that he would go and prepare a place for us to be with himself.

He promised to send us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

The Holy Spirit at Pentecost came and inaugurated the birth of the Church, which is the Body of Christ.

God poured out His Spirit on all flesh - men and women and children - on that day.

Jesus fulfilled the daily sacrifice in Himself as the Lamb of God.

Jesus fulfilled the Holy Priesthood when He became our High Priest.

At the moment of His death on the cross God the Father ripped the veil in the Temple from top to bottom.

Why?

To signify that an end to this old form of worship was fulfilled and had come to an end.

The Temple of God is now composed of living stones.

The Priesthood of God is now expanded to include every single believer in Jesus as the Messiah.

The blood sacrifice is no longer necessary. Bulls and sheep and doves are no longer laid on the altar. Instead, every single follower of Jesus is a living sacrifice to God.

Where is the place that God will prepare for us?

In Revelation 21:9-10 we see the Bride of Christ coming down out of Heaven like a city. This city is the Bride. In verse 21 it says, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."

Within this city there is no Temple. Why? Because Jesus is our Temple. Yet, we are called the Temple of God where Jesus dwells.

"Behold, this is a profound mystery," Paul says in Ephesians. "I am speaking of Christ and the Church," he says when referring to how a man and woman will become one flesh.

In 2 Samuel God promises to send a Messiah from David's seed who will build a house for David, and establish a Kingdom which will have no end.

Instead of allowing David to build a Temple for God, God promises to build a Temple for David.

Yet, when Jesus came to this earth in fulfillment of this prophecy there already was a Temple in Jerusalem.

Standing in that Temple, after clearing it of the money changers, Jesus said, "Destroy this Temple and I will raise it again in three days". We know that he was speaking of the Temple of His Body.

We are His Body.

His Body. His Temple. A House for Himself. A House for us where we will be with Him.

What Jesus is building is His Church. A Bride for Himself. A Temple for God. A House for us to dwell with Him forever.

The Church, the Body, the Bride, is the promise of God fulfilled, and in process.

We are the place He is preparing for us to dwell with Him forever. He will purify His Bride until we, the living Temple, are presented holy and unblemished. Then, He will dwell within us, and we will dwell within Him.

What if the "many rooms" Jesus speaks of are the individual members of the Body? What if we are the rooms where Jesus dwells, and where we dwell within Him?

If we are the Body of Christ, and the Temple of God, and the Bride of Christ, then imagine how important it must be that we love one another.

Love is what holds us to Him, and it is what holds us to one another.

There is only one Bride. There is only one Temple of God. There is only one Body.

Let the Temple of God be built as we love one another and hold fast to Jesus, our Lord.

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:4-5

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." - John 15:9-12

WHY YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT

"The latest research indicates that the number of house churches in Europe have already reached or surpassed 10,000, Australia could have up to 10,000, and New Zealand up to 6,000 house churches."

"Research in the US shows that between 6 and 12 million are already attending house churches, making house churches one of the three largest Christian groups in the country."

"In the case of Bangladesh or India, with many hundreds of thousands of house churches, the various networks of house churches have already become the largest Christian movements in their respective countries."

"Don't look for the elephant in the room. Look instead at the colonies of mice that have burrowed inside the furniture and are now taking over the house."

FULL ARTICLE
HERE

DOWNLOADABLE PDF DOC FROM WOLFGANG SIMSON
HERE

God is up to something with His Bride.

IF JESUS IS LORD

To have a Kingdom you must have a King. In the Kingdom of God, our King is Jesus.

The phrase, "Jesus Is Lord" is more than a slogan on a bumper sticker. In fact, it is the motto of the Kingdom of God. It literally means, "Jesus is our King."

When Jesus is the King, our lives inherit new purpose and meaning.

If Jesus is Lord – we can love one another, we can forgive as He has forgiven us.

If Jesus is Lord – we can bear one another’s burdens.

If Jesus is Lord – we can humble ourselves and seek his face and turn from our wicked ways.

If Jesus is Lord – we can offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices.

If Jesus is Lord – we do not have to conform any longer to the pattern of this world but we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

If Jesus is Lord – we can serve one another. We can put the needs of others ahead of our own.

If Jesus is Lord – we can, in humility, consider others better than yourselves.

If Jesus is Lord – we can wash one another’s feet.

If Jesus is Lord – then the first become last, and the greatest among us can become the servant of all.

If Jesus is Lord – we can love mercy, do justice and walk humbly with our God.

If Jesus is Lord – there is no jew or greek, slave or free, male or female, but we are all ONE in the Body of Christ.

If Jesus is Lord – we can learn to be patient and kind, we can learn not to envy, we can stop our boasting, we can lay down our pride…(1 cor 13)

If Jesus is Lord – we will keep no record of wrongs, we will not delight in evil but rejoice with the Truth.

If Jesus is Lord – then behold the old has gone and the new has come, behold all things are made new!

If Jesus is Lord – then the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you.

If Jesus is Lord – then we are His ambassadors and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

If Jesus is Lord – then He is the vine and we are the branches and without Him we can do nothing.

If Jesus is Lord – then He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, and the One who was, and is, and is to come.

THE QUESTION IS NOT: “IF Jesus is Lord” – But “IS Jesus Your Lord?”

Because we know that He IS the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess to the Glory of God the Father – that JESUS CHRIST IS THE LORD OF ALL.

The Good News of the Kingdom is that we can bend our knees today and confess the Truth and receive Jesus as OUR Lord, our King.

We have a choice. We can cast down our crowns today, and we can bend our knees today, and we can surrender our lives to Jesus today, and His Kingdom can come to our lives – today.

Where is your crown? Is it on your head? Or is it at the feet of Jesus?

He traded His crown for a cross (Phil 2) and He asks you and I to do the same.

Remove your crown – humble yourself, become obedient to Him, and take up your cross. Die daily to yourself so that the Life of Jesus can be revealed in you – and so that Jesus can truly be “Lord of All”.

-kg

MIRACLE IN THE PARKING LOT

Seven years ago the manager of the Studio Inn told me they wanted nothing to do with Jesus or anything religious. "You're wasting your time trying to bring that here," he said, and then he sent me away.

I went home and got on my knees and began to pray for God to change his heart, or take him out of the way.

The next time I met with this manager he agreed to everything and welcomed us to his motel.

For the first 4 years we brought a bounce house and played games with the many children who lived in this motel with their parents. We prayed with people who were out of luck, needing hope, and desperate for answers.

One day I met with someone from Saddleback church. He was in charge of their home group ministries and wanted to come and begin serving breakfast to the residents every other Sunday. I brokered a meeting with the same manager. Everything went fine and soon these Sunday breakfast services turned into church services.

Just about a month ago this twice a month breakfast service became an every Sunday worship gathering where the name of Jesus is lifted up in song, the Gospel of Jesus is preached loudly from the back parking lot, and people receive hope, and felowship, and love.

Today, after being told not to waste my time on this place, I am teaching these dear ones about the Gospel of the Kingdom and more about The King Himself.

At 10am today, in the back parking lot of the California Studio Inn, I will preach to the Church that God Himself has planted. I will remind them of how much He loves them. I will declare His Glory to His people. We will celebrate the miracle that only God Himself could bring forth with the help of a mega-church ministry and a small house church working arm in arm.

Rejoice with me. Celebrate the miraculous birth of His Church in this place.

The Kingdom of God is at hand. The King is alive. Nothing will stand against His Church, or His Gospel.

-kg

5 Words Every Christian Should Never Use Again

1 "Outreach" – Stop using this word. Stop planning projects or events where you recruit others to go out and "pet the poor" at a service project or descend upon unsuspecting citizens at the mall to throw a Bible tract at them. We're called to love people, not to target them. Instead of doing an "outreach" to the poor, for example, why don't we think of ways we can befriend people who are living on the streets in a more long-term relationship? Instead of organizing a drive-by ministry op, what if we simply shared with those who have less than we do? Maybe that's a family on your street? Or maybe it's a homeless woman under the freeway overpass.

Suggested replacement: "Loving People"


2 "Church" – Stop referring to the place you go every Sunday morning as Church. Stop identifying the Church as the specific group of believers you hang with. The word in the New Testament is actually "ekklesia" which is better translated as "Called Out Ones" or "Community". Whenever you say, "Look at that Church" or "I'm going to Church" you are expressing something that is non-Biblical. Why? Because according to the New Testament, YOU are the Church. We are all part of a single, living temple of God. The global population of all followers of Jesus are part of one, single Body or Family. There is no room to segment or to separate ourselves from the brothers down the street, or the sisters in India, or anyone else who has been baptized into the Body of Christ.

Suggested replacements: "Community", "Assembly, "Family of God", "Body of Christ", "ekklesia".


3 "Belief" - Christians have so mishandled the Biblical concept of "Belief" that it has become virtually unrecognizable in its current form. When Jesus says that "whoever believes in me shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16) he is not asking people to accept that he exists. In that passage, Jesus is asking Nicodemus, the Pharisee, to understand that placing his entire life under the authority of the Messiah is necessary in order to be born again and to enter the Kingdom of God. Today we have twisted this word "Belief" into a magic word. All we have to do is to believe that Jesus died on the cross and "poof" - we are eternally secure. Nevermind that this is never taught by Jesus, or His disciples, but that's our popular teaching so no one questions it.

Suggested replacements: "Submission to Christ", "Trust", "Going all-in".


4 "Pastor" – Stop using this word to refer to the man who gets paid to teach and preach to the same people every single week. Why? Because the word is only used once in the entire New Testament – and when it was used it was in the plural form, not the singular. In addition, the New Testament concept of a "Pastor" was someone who helped to care for the spiritual well-being of those in the community of faith and worked as a team with other pastors and elders. The New Testament contains absolutely zero evidence for any one person who taught or spoke every single week while everyone else sat silently taking notes. Instead we see 58 "one anothers" in the New Testament where the entire Body is encouraged to teach, encourage, exhort, rebuke, and love one another.

Suggested replacements: "Brother", "Sister", "[insert first name]"


5 "Tithe" – The New Testament Church has never used this term, nor did it practice tithing. In the New Testament we see the Church taking voluntary collections as followers "gave...whatever they could afford" and only if they had the means to do so. Whenever a collection was taken, it was either for feeding the poor in the community, or perhaps given to travelling missionaries who preached the gospel and planted new churches. On a few occasions a special offering was taken to support another group of believers in another region. Primarily, the offerings collected were distributed to the poor, the widow and the orphan. FACT: The Christian Church didn't impose a formal tithe until the 7th Century A.D. under Pope Adrian I.

Suggested replacements: "Each man should give as he has purposed in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion..." (2 Cor 9:7)

NOTE: These are only suggestions. Your mileage may vary.

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YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT

My favorite Bible verse is now on a T-shirt.

Yes.

MY FIRST BOOK ON AMAZON.COM

My book, "Nobody Follows Jesus (So Why Should You?) is available via Amazon.com (if you don't want to purchase it directly from my online store at Lulu.com).

About my book:
Nobody Follows Jesus (So Why Should You?)

A devotional book for the next generation. This 205 page collection contains forty inspirational articles that address what it means to really follow Jesus, not just attend a service or agree to a set of beliefs. If you desire to know more about following Jesus and less about how to join a program or a religious organization, this is the book you've been waiting for.

Find it
HERE

REMINDER: You can always download this book for FREE as a downloadable PDF at www.KeithGiles.com. Look for the link on the left-hand side.

NOTE: My third book will be published early 2010.

ON THIS GLORIOUS DAY

It was only forty three years ago that the fabric of space and time pulled back to reveal this fragile and yet strangely troubled soul.

It was a day of wonder and tears. Cigarettes were burned. Laughter echoed down the hallway. A mother's heart slid into gear.

The angel's sighed, and one of them farted, but no one knew which one it was so they pretended not to hear.

It was a day of love so great it hurt to breathe.

Glad to be here, friends. Hope to be here a bit longer before I join the flatulent angels.

Wubba,

Keith

TELL ME YOUR STORY

If you were a pastor in a traditional church and felt God calling you to step out into a more New Testament model church, please let me know your story.

I'm currently finishing up my book about the radical difference between Church as we know it and Church as God intended it and I need your help.

Over the years I've counseled several pastors, and former pastors, who have realized that God was calling them to abandon the Church-as-a-business model in favor of a more shared community of faith where everyone is free to function and minister.

My hope is to include a few of those emails in my book, but I know that there are probably many others out there who also have a similar struggle or story to tell.

If you're in that place right now, or if you've already come out the other side of this journey, I'd love to hear your story, and if you're ok with it, I'd also love to include a portion of your struggle in my book.

Please post your story in the comments below, or if you prefer just send your story to me in an email form at my main address: elysiansky (at) hotmail (dot) com.

If nothing else I think it's a good thing for people to share their story to help others realize that they're not alone in this journey of faith.

Peace,
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THINK ABOUT IT

RE-POST: JACKIE PULLINGER - "THE SIGN OF THE CROSS"

Jackie Pullinger – “The Sign of the Cross”
(Transcribed from “The Fragrance of Justice” Conference tape series)

It seems that there are many of us in the church these days who look at miraculous signs and think, ‘If God would only do them, the whole world would come to Christ’. And they’re hoping that the Holy Spirit will fill a church while we worship, and fill it so full that it will somehow get to the ends of the Earth.

No. If it worked like that, He would not have told us to go! It does not get there by itself. It gets there if you go.

You think Jesus Christ, up there in heaven, couldn’t have done sky writing? Done a few signs and somehow by the power of God we’d all be one?

No.

The miraculous sign upon which all men will be judged was the cross. That is the miraculous sign that the world is waiting for, through us.

There’s this terrible song that we sing called “Lord Let Your Glory Fall”. I don’t know if you sing it, but I get real upset when we sing this song.

I can’t sing that song, especially when they sing it all sweet. You know what the Glory of God is? The Son of God, crushed, voluntarily.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again.”- John 10:17.

God gives us this same privilege. “Anyone who would follow me must take up his cross, daily.”- Luke 9:23

See? That’s it!

I don’t think the Glory of God is going to get to the ends of the Earth when we sing in church. I mean, it’s not a bad thing to do, to praise His name and bless His heart. But that’s not how the Gospel gets to the Nations.

You see, it isn’t “just” a miraculous sign. The miraculous sign comes through a man.

I think the world has yet to see this. The world has yet to see Christians laying down their lives. They’re singing in church for God to do it again.

I think we’re so rude to God. I mean, He gave us His son, He gave us His Holy Spirit and we say, ‘More, Lord’!

What more can He give? He gave everything, and we say ‘More Lord’?

We say, ‘We need more before we go’. No! No! We haven’t used hardly any of what He’s given us yet. And if you go and it’s quickly used up, great! Because as you use it up you get more, and you use it up, and you get more. That’s how it works!

We haven’t seen hardly any of the signs and wonders that we’re supposed to see yet. Hardly any.

Because we think that the sign and the wonder is instead of the Cross. But the sign and the wonder is “in” the cross.

Then, when we understand the Cross, which is His heart, all the other signs and wonders are the expression of His heart. They are not demonstrations of His power, merely. They’re expressions of His heart.

You know that this was Jesus’ temptation, right at the beginning of His ministry, and at the end, to have it all without the Cross.

For any of you, young people, if you will minister with the poor, everything’s backwards. You spend a year on these people, and then they rob you of your money. In this ministry, you go backwards. God is faithful, of course, they all come off drugs by the power of the Holy Spirit, but then many of them turn back.

I was sharing this with a church in Taiwan and the pastor came up to me afterwards and said, ‘How can this be? We’ve never heard this teaching before.’ And I said, ‘It’s the way Jesus did it.’

Look at Him. At the end of three years, what’s He got to show? I mean, he’s had some great Glory meetings and some people got healed, but what’s He got at the end?
Eleven in disarray and one suicide. His group hasn’t multiplied even.

Not until Peter knows the Grace of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s that Rock the Church is built on; a weak, forgiven Peter knowing the Grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so few yet in this world have used this explosive mixture of the compassion of the Lord with a broken heart, and the power of the Spirit.

It’s what the world waits for.

**
Transcribed from Tape 4 in the conference tape set entitled “The Fragrance Of Justice”; VMG, 2005

____ one another

Do I really have to spell it out?

My Fellow Athenians

I was reading Acts 17 the other day and was impressed by a few things I found.

As a backstory to the passage, Paul was in Athens and noticed all the idols around the city. He noticed that they even had an idol to the "Unknown God" and took the opportunity to reveal His identity to them, saying, "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." (v.23)

Paul's message to them is fascinating to me, mainly because of the details he chooses to reveal to them about this "Unknown God". He could have taught them about sin and redemption. He could have talked about grace and works. He could have preached about the Law of Moses. Instead, notice what Paul thought was most important to communicate here.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." (v.24)

Paul begins his message by affirming one of the central truths of Christianity - That God does not live in a temple made by human hands. If this is so central to our faith, then why do we put such an emphasis - and expend such obscene amounts of money - on building temples to our God?

The second point that impresses me is that Paul takes the time to stress that God has a purpose and a place for each one of us: "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." (v.26)

Do you realize that God put you where you live today? God has a purpose for "the exact places where (you)...live" and that means that He had a reason for doing this. Your neighbors are your mission field. Your co-workers are your assignment. God has strategically placed each of us where we are today for the purpose of proclaiming - and living out - the power of the Gospel to those around us. "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (v.27)

I also love Paul's poetic, inspired statement in verse 28: 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Finally, I am amazed that Paul hangs every single statement he makes on one, single fact: The proof of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. "He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (v.31)

Do you see what a high level of confidence Paul has in the resurrection of Christ? He does not shy away from this, in fact, he is so sure of this fact that he appeals to this as a basis for everything he has said to them. If the resurrection is not true, then neither is anything else he has said.

I'm sad to admit that, sometimes, I am in need of being reminded just how solid the proof of Christ's resurrection really is. Once a year we may hear a sermon on the evidence for the resurrection, but the rest of the year we barely talk about it or meditate on the astounding reality of it all.

As I read this passage I realize that there are many Christians in America who need to hear this same message from Paul. God does not live in a temple made by human hands. He lives by His Spirit within each and every one of us. He has placed each of us as His ambassadors exactly where we live and work for His purposes. He is always at work in the world around us. In fact, God is everywhere. Every moment is sacred. Every location is full of His presence. And, best of all, we can have confidence in knowing that Jesus Christ is alive and well today. We are the ones who can boldly proclaim that "He is risen! He is risen indeed!"


Amen!

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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.

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A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Thanks to our friends, the Tagues (Kelly and Rachel) from the Mission, Wendy and I got to go see U2 live at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

By the grace of God, my friend Lito was in town and he managed to snag a ticket the night before.

We woke up at 7am, hit the road at 7:30am and arrived at the Rose Bowl at 8:40am. We got in the line and were given a number stamp (mine was 1205) and eventually a wristband which guaranteed our spot in the "inner circle" around the main stage.

After many hours hanging out we eventually made it inside the Rose Bowl. Over the day we had managed to get to know several people in line around us. It was pretty cool to be able to enjoy the show with these people. I don't know their names, but I will always remember:

*The girl with the red hair and her new husband. They had honeymooned in Wales and saw U2 there and now were seeing them for a second time on this tour. Thanks for sharing the night with us. It was beautiful to watch you two singing the lyrics to one another throughout the evening.

*The funny, tattoed-guy who pretended to be texting Bono. "Bono says fifteen minutes everyone. He's sorry for the delay." Thanks for helping all of us to remember that this was a beautiful day and making us all laugh together.

*The young Indian man who stood at my left shoulder during the show and worshipped during "Magnificent", "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One". He and I both wiped away tears and even sang along loudly together during "Mysterious Ways" - 'If you wanna kiss the sky better learn how to kneel'. Thanks for reminding me that God's Family is bigger than I realize.

*The two seven foot tall guys who let us stand in front of them during Black-Eyed Peas and then lead us in closer just before U2 started saying, "Come on! You guys can stand in front of us." Thanks for giving us a great space to enjoy the show.

What an amazing night. To be able to share this with my wife, Wendy was incredible. We recently celebrated 20 years of marriage and 21 years of being in love. I couldn't have asked for a better memory to round out this month's anniversary remembrance.

How cool was it to share this memory with my oldest, and dearest friend Lito?

How incredible was it to know this was being broadcast globally via YouTube?

How amazing to know this evening was filmed for a concert DVD being released next year?

How awesome was it to enjoy all this absolutely free - thanks to our brother and sister in Christ, Kelly and Rachel Tague! (Thank you guys!)

So many other great memories of the night:

*Slash coming out to play "Sweet Child of Mine" with the Peas.

*Meeting the CEO of the company I work for for the first time because he and his wife were standing right behind us.

*Having Bono sing "I was born to sing for you" during the song "Magnificent" while he was directly above me on the moving catwalk. (I'll look for that on the DVD).

*Meeting the kid after the show who was holding the set list that The Edge had handed to him.

*Seeing how genuinely blessed and humbled Will.I.Am from the Peas was to be on that stage: "I grew up in the projects in East L.A. We used to drive over to watch the fireworks from the parking lot when I was little," he said. "Tonight I'm on the stage at the Rose Bowl singing to all of you. Thank you U2."

*Getting chills when the Peas sang "Where is the Love" and watching the faces of everyone around me as they belted out the words: "People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying. Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek? Father Father Father help us, send some guidance from above, cause people got me got me questioning, where is the love?"

*Sensing the presence of God when Bishop Desmond Tutu said, "We will always have obstacles to justice, but if we work together God will put the wind into our sails and a song in our hearts. We are the people who will make a difference."

*Seeing Bono sing "Amazing Grace" with tears in his eyes through the tears in my eyes and singing along at the top of my lungs and thinking, "I have certainly been to Church today."

What more can be said? It was sincerely a Beautiful Day.

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