IMMUNE

There are 700,000 child slaves in Indonesia alone. There are over 200,000 child soldiers in Uganda. There are 35,000 homeless in Orange County, California. 80% of those are families with children.

Why don't we care enough to change the world we live in? A recent quote from street artist and activist Milton Glaser noted that it becomes harder and harder to provoke Americans to act for justice because, "Americans are immune to outrage".

I have to wonder how we in American have become passive in the face of injustice and atrocity? Our Nation was founded by individuals who took up arms to protest an unjust system of "Taxation Without Representation". They were incensed and spurred to action because of a 4% sales tax that yielded no representation for the 13 Colonies in Parliament. Yet today, their descendants and the inheritors of their spirited revolt are quietly reserved to pay over 30% of their income to the United States Government each year and most have no faith that elected officials will fairly represent the true needs of the people they serve.

I'm not advocating a new revolution against our Government, but I am puzzled as to how we've become immune to the sort of outrage that helped found our Nation in the first place.

William Wilberforce fought the British slave trade in his day. After spending his life arguing for abolition and lobbying in Parliament for the immediate end of this inhuman practice he finally found victory on March 25th, 1807. He died three days later, his life's work completed.

Why did Wilberforce believe he could stand up to the powerful slave industry giants and succeed? Why did Luther believe he could take on the Universal Church of his day and prevail? Why did Martin Luther King Jr. believe he could overcome generations of hatred and bigotry and change the hearts and minds of an entire Nation?

Why don't we believe these things? Do we believe in anything enough to risk our lives, or our families or our careers to stand up and speak out? Are we too comfortable in our own little world that we cannot be bothered to experience sincere compassion, or moral outrage, at the exploitation of other human beings? Is it because they are far away? Is it because they are not American? Is it because we don't believe our voice will make any difference?

A dear friend of mine once admitted to me, "I don't care about the poor, and honestly what bothers me most is that I don't care that I don't care about the poor."

What is the cure for apathy? How do you provoke people to become outraged at their own lack of outrage? How do you inspire people to protest against their own lack of concern? What sort of hope is there for hopelessness? Who can awaken the one who does not wish to be awakened?

I often wonder why it is in America that we have made a multi-billion dollar industry out of escaping reality. We are the entertainment capital of the world. Yet, I cannot help but imagine what could happen if we were to spend those same billions of dollars on creating a world where reality was a place you didn't need to escape from?

Why don't we respond to the injustices of the day? Is it because we have no clear direction, no specific steps to take? Is it because we have no great leaders to show the way? Is it because we don't believe that our lives can make a difference? Or is it because we are too comfortable where we sit?

Where are the Wilberforces of today? Where are the Martin Luther Kings or the Ghandis or the Mother Teresas? For that matter, where are those who call themselves disciples of Jesus?

Why can't it be you or me? Aren't we ambassadors of the greatest world-changer who ever lived?

For me, to be a Christian is to be an activist. This is what "Subversive Underground" is all about. It's about provoking others to change the status quo of their lives in order to follow in the radical life and love of Jesus of Nazareth.

To be a Christian is to be an activist.

In what way could someone call themselves a follower of Jesus and be anything other than someone who brings change in their wake? How else is a person who names the name of Christ to act?

In my mind, to be a follower of Jesus is to be one who sees things as they are and work to bring the Kingdom of God in order to make things better.

Looking at Matthew 25, it would seem that the kind of Christians God is looking for are the ones who are incapable of walking past the poor without doing something. When they see someone hungry, they give them food. When they see someone thirsty, they give them a cold cup of water. When they see someone who is lonely, they stop and spend a few hours with them. For whatever you've done for one of the least of these, says Jesus, our example and teacher, You've done it unto me.

Jesus was a radical. He raised up a small army of revolutionaries with the sole "raison d'etre" of changing the world and turning it upside down. In their wake, the early followers of Jesus, left changed governments, changed religious systems, and changed hearts and minds.

If the early church had simply existed, if it had only found a way to blend in with the culture around it and become safe and acceptable to the populace, you and I might not ever have heard of a person by the name of Jesus of Nazareth who, about 2000 years ago, gave his life to change the world, one person at a time.

The church today needs to become more like its founder. It needs to be driven to press forward, out of its comfort zone, to get its hands dirty, to move in such a way that our words line up with our actions. To do any less is settle.

Who wants to belong to a predictable movement? Who wants to surrender their life for something ordinary and unremarkable?

Many of us are willing, we say, to die for Christ. The question is, are we willing to live for Christ?

When it comes to outrage, I believe a Christian needs to be constantly spurred to action against injustice and poverty.

Are you immune?

-kg

***

***
THE NON-CON '08: It's still in the planning stages. Don't forget to mark your calendars for March of next year to spend the weekend with Jackie Pullinger and David Ruis..and me too!
http://www.non-con.com
***
[END TRANSMISSION]

Number 8- "Obedience Is Not An Option"

Number 8- Obedience to Jesus is not Optional by Keith A. Giles
(Part of the 10-part series- "Top 10 Things Every Christian Should Know (But Probably Doesn't)"

OBEDIENCE TO JESUS IS NOT OPTIONAL
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
- Jesus (John 14:15)

Somehow we have allowed the idea that someone can be a follower of Jesus without actually obeying Jesus' teaching or becoming a disciple. What we have in modern American Christianity is a brand of religion that says to its founder, "I'd like a little of your blood to cover my sins, but I don't care to follow you or take your teachings seriously. If you would please excuse me, I’ll get on with my life. See you in heaven." Dallas Willard calls those kinds of people “Vampire Christians” because all they want is some of Jesus’ blood, but none of His leadership.

"You are my friends if you do what I command"- Jesus (John 15:14)

HOW DID WE GET HERE?
"Easy Grace" is the short answer. The long answer is that, in an effort to streamline evangelism and create a sound-byte version of the Gospel we've reduced the message to "Pray this prayer if you don't want to go to hell when you die". This makes the ninety-second evangelist happy, but the full message of the Gospel is lost in the process.

Gone is the idea that Jesus calls people to follow Him. A decision to become a Christian is a decision to give up your personal rights to call the shots in your life. It means submitting to God, to the teachings of Jesus and the authority of the Word of God as the one and only source of how to live.

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." - Jesus (John 14:21)

Remnants of this more complete Gospel are still part of our Christian-ese language. People still say things like; "I gave my life to Christ" or "When I surrendered my life to Jesus" as part of their church talk, but many don't literally mean that they've done this, or that they are still doing this today.

The decision to obey Jesus, to submit to Him is a daily decision. We must bend the knee and whisper the prayer of surrender to Christ each day. It is not a one-time thing. This is why Jesus urges His disciples to ask for daily bread when they pray and to make their obedience to Him an act of daily taking up our
cross to die to ourselves. This is also why God's mercies are new every morning. We have short memories and God knows we need to surrender to him afresh with every breath.

Some of us still sing "I Surrender All" and we still have a "Jesus is Lord" bumper sticker on our car, but many in the modern American Church have forgotten the meaning of those words. Jesus is not really the Lord because we're not actually surrendering all to Him.

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching."
- Jesus (John 14:23)

What is most striking to me as I study the clear teachings of Jesus on the issue of obedience is the tight connection He makes between our obedience to His teaching and our love for Him. It is impossible to separate our devotion to Jesus from our submission to Him as our Lord.

This gives new meaning to the passage that says, "If anyone says, 'I love God' yet hates his brother he is a liar."- (1 John 4:20). If we say we love God but we disobey His clear teachings to love others, He knows we don't really mean the words we say. Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another, and to love our enemies as ourselves. If we say we love Jesus but we fail to obey His teaching to love others, we are liars and the love of God is
not in us. This is also why Jesus said that they would know we are His disciples by our love. Because we have obeyed His command to love others it will be clear that we love Him above all.

HOW DO WE GET BACK?
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.."
- Jesus (John 15:10)

I believe we have to start by changing the way we do evangelism. We have to stop inviting people to pray a one-time prayer in order to get the license to Heaven. We have to invite people who are tired of doing life their own way to surrender their life to Jesus and learn to follow Him and His teachings every day.

As Todd Hunter says, we need to ask people who have an interest in Jesus, "Who will you follow and how will you live your life?" instead of asking them, "If you died tonight do you know you'd go to Heaven tomorrow?"

We need a Gospel for life, not a Gospel for death. The Gospel that Jesus came and gave His life to communicate was that the Kingdom of God had come and that we could begin to live under His reign and rule today, right now. Not after we die.

Most importantly, we ourselves need to re-think our concept of what it means to be a Christian. It's not about attending a church service. It's not about where we shop. It's not about the bumper stickers on our car. Being a Christian is the way we live our lives. We are followers of Jesus. Daily we have to take up our own cross and obey the words of the Lord we love.

Obedience to Jesus is not an option. For a Christian, it's a necessity.

"He who does not love me will not obey my teaching."
- Jesus (John 14:24)

-kg
***
For further study:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"- Jesus (Matthew 7:21).

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
- Jesus (Matthew 28: 19- 20).

"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him." - 1 John 3:21-22

"Those who obey His commands live in Him and He in them."
- 1 John 3:24

"This is love for God: to obey His commands." - 1 John 5:3

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands."
- 2 John 1:6

Also: Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; John 13:17; Psalm 103:18

OTHERS ON OBEDIENCE:
"There is absolutely nothing in what Jesus himself or his early followers taught that suggests you can decide just to enjoy forgiveness at Jesus'expense and have nothing more to do with him."
- Dallas Willard ("The Divine Conspiracy")

"A notable heresy has come into being throughout evangelical Christian circles; the widely—accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to...salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred scriptures."
- A.W. Tozer ("I Call It Heresy")

***
This month's SOJOURNER'S Magazine is an incredible look at human trafficking and slavery in our world today.
I highly recommended this publication.
Just for [Subversive Underground] subscribers here's a
FREE trial of Award-winning SOJOURNERS magazine:

Click here:
https://www.kable.com/pub/sjrn/subfree.asp?CFID=so=3&src=APFT07.
***
[END TRANSMISSION]

GREATNESS?

[Subversive Underground]GREATNESS? by Keith Giles

My greatest fear is that I will never be a great man, that I will always be less than average...the lowest, the least of God's shining stars.

After nine months I still have no clue what to do with my life. I look in the mirror at night and I wonder if I'll die a failure.

Will I ever publish a book? Would that make me great? Will I ever find a full-time job that pays well, with insurance for my wife and children? Would that make me a great person?

Will I ever be famous or successful or honored among my peers?

Would any of those things make me a great man?

What is greatness? I'm sure someone somewhere has written a poem or a speech about it. I should google it sometime. Is that what a great man would do?

Why do I struggle with these questions at all? Why do I care so much about things like success or popularity? I don't know. I just know I can't find a job. I can't be the husband and the father...the provider I want to be.

I don't know what would make me great, but I do know one thing. I am not great. I am less than average. I am only me.

The ironic thing is that I'm currently writing a book about the hidden wisdom in the Gospel of the Kingdom regarding the power of weakness.

The truth is, sometimes it's hard to believe the words in my own book. It's hard to believe that God has a plan to make me more like Jesus and that the path to that involves enduring a measure of pain, of weakness, of humility, in order to discover the power of Christ.

What I'm learning now is that there is a very big difference between knowing something is true because you've read it in a book, and knowing something is true because you've lived it.

As I learn to daily die to myself, I'm discovering that God is really in complete control. He has everything where he wants it to be, including me.

Yesterday I read a wonderful quote from the book "Let Go" by Fenelon. It read, "It is in weakness that we can admit our mistakes and correct ourselves while confessing them. It is in weakness that our minds are open to enlightment from others. It is in weakness that we are authoritative in nothing, and say the most clear-cut things with simplicity and consideration of others. In weakness we do not object to being criticized and we easily submit to censure. At the same time we criticize no one without absolute necessity. We give advice only to those who desire it, and even then we speak with love and without being dogmatic."

Maybe I am not great. I freely admit I don't even really know what the word means. I do know that most of what I would expect to help make me great will really only make me shallow and self-absorbed.

God's plan for my life is to make me like Jesus. The character of Christ is one who came to serve and not to be served. Jesus was the leader who got on his knees and washed his follower's feet. He was the one who suffered and died under the hand of unjust punishment without striking back. He even forgave those who were in the act of torturing him to death.

The path to greatness is not the same as the path of Jesus. The way of the cross is the only way to follow him. He said so himself.

His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.

This is why Jesus calls us to "Repent" in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Because "Repent" literally means to "think again". It involves re-thinking our lives and re-defining the things we value most.

I am not great. I am just me. And the real problem begins there.

The real miracle is that, someday, somehow, God's plan is to take someone like me and make me into the image of his Son.

So, every day I have to wake up and take up my cross and submit my life to Christ. There is no other way.

"If anyone would be the greatest, he must be the very least and the servant of all"- Jesus (Mark 9:35)

-kg
***
FREEDOM DAY- THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 25TH AT VANGUARD UNIVERSITY
One Voice to End Slavery

FREEDOM DAY:
http://www.onevoicetoendslavery.com
*It's free but please go online to register your attendance.

I'll be there along with event host Greg Russinger (my friend)
and several hundred others who are concerned about human trafficking, children-at-risk and slavery.

***
DO ME A FAVOR: Please go by The Next-Wave Magazine online and ready my article "DOUBT".
If you really want to bless me, leave a comment or rank the article for me.
It's here:
http://www.the-next-wave-ezine.info/issue99/

***
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
DELIRIOUS? & REBECCA ST. JAMES ON TOUR

TICKETS AND ITINERARY HERE:
http://www.delirious.co.uk/tournews.html

*sun 25th mar 07
Sacramento, CA
Capital Christian Centre,
9470 Micron Avenue,
Sacramento, CA 95827
Info + Tickets: www.ccconline.cc
www.itickets.com Tel: 916 856 5683

*mon 26th mar 07
Fresno, CA
Celebration Church,
284 W Shaw Avenue,
Clovis, CA, 93612
Info + Tickets: www.celebrationchurch.cc
tel: 559 275 2083

*wed 28th mar 07
San Diego, CA
Horizon Christian Fellowship
5331 Mt Alifan
San Diego CA 92111
Info + Tickets: www.horizonsd.org
tel: 858 277 4991

*thurs 29th mar 07
San Bernardino, CA
The Rock Church
2345 S Waterman Avenue
San Bernardino CA 92408
Info + Tickets: www.rockchurch.com
tel: 909 825 8887

*fri 30th mar 07
Yorba Linda, CA
Yorba Linda Friends Church
5141 Lakeview Avenue
Yorba Linda CA 92886
Info + Tickets: www.transparentproductions.com
and www.ylfc.com
tel: 949 250 0444
***

[END TRANSMISSION]

LIKE A CHILD

LIKE A CHILD
by Keith Giles

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."- Isaiah 40:11

This verse, written by the prophet Isaiah some 500 years before Christ, is a prophetic look at the Messiah who would come to set people free and bring salvation to every Nation.

The prophecy is fulfilled in The Gospel of Mark when Jesus allowed the children in the crowd to come to him. The full text says, "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." - Mark 10:13-16

There are several key things to notice in the passage above. First, that the Disciples (sometimes referred to as the "Duh-Sciples"), didn't get it. They wanted to keep Jesus from the nuisance of children. Instead, Jesus grew angry and not only did he allow them to come near, he used this as an opportunity to teach us something about the Kingdom.

Great teachers were often found blessing children. Greek philosophers enjoyed blessing the youth of their day, but here Jesus does something that none of the others ever did. He took them into his arms and held them in his lap, and he loved them.

All other teachers who blessed children did so from a distance, but Jesus allowed them to come near enough to embrace. He held them in his arms. He carried them close to his heart.

I had never before noticed that the passage in Isaiah was fulfilled by this scene in the Gospel of Mark. I had missed that the prophetic verse referred to a shepherd who would gather the lambs in his arms. Lambs are the children of the sheep.

This passage also shows us that Jesus had a heart for women as well. It says, "He gently leads those who have young", showing his compassion for women who care for children every day.

Most striking in the verses from Mark is the comment made by Jesus that "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it". He doesn't say that it will be hard for those who do not receive the kingdom like a child. He says they will never enter it. Never.

To receive the kingdom of God like a child is to submit totally to the Master. It is to crawl into his lap and to trust him, to let him bless you, and to obey his words because you take comfort in his love for you.

Today I woke up and realized that God has been working this simple attitude of gentle submission into my heart. My first thoughts today were, "What is your will for me today, My Lord?"

I know it sounds hokey, and maybe you doubt it, but it's true. Before I rolled out of bed I whispered those words to God while I was still halfway asleep. It was almost a reflex action.

Let me assure you, this is not my usual practice. Maybe it's the process of being humbled over the last few months that I have endured? Maybe it's that I've given up on my plans for my life and I've finally started to rely on God for direction? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest.

After rolling out of bed, I got up and prepared to return to a temporary job assignment that I had worked at about four months previously. Here again I was getting ready to go back to that same old desk and that same sense of uncertainty about my future employment.

When I got to the office I had a few minutes to catch up with my old supervisor on a few things. She said she had been praying for me all this time, which really blessed me. I told her about my various contract jobs over the last several months, both good and not so good. That's when she said something that made me blink.

She looked at me and said, "Well, I guess every day is another chance to wake up and say, 'Ok Lord, what do you have in store for me today?'"

I just had to nod my head and smile.

The rest of the day was as mundane and uneventful as ever, but that moment alone was enough to remind me that I have a Good Shepherd who loves me and cares for me and who daily longs to draw me into his arms to bless me like one of his dear lambs.

Learning humility is not an easy thing. It's one of those traits of character that you lose as soon as you realize that you might have developed it.

Every day is another chance to receive the kingdom of God like a little child.

Don't miss your chance.

Peace,
Keith
http://www.keithgiles.com
***
FREEDOM DAY- SUNDAY, MARCH 25TH (2PM TO 7PM), Vanguard University.

Here's a great FREE event coming up next Sunday afternoon that I want to invite you to.

I'll be there along with event host Greg Russinger (my friend), and several hundred others who are concerned about human trafficking, children-at-risk and slavery.FREEDOM DAY Event website: www.onevoicetoendslavery.com

The event is being endorsed by various organizations including International Justice Mission, WorldVision International, STOP the Traffik, Soliton Network, The Salvation Army, and several universities.

[Subversive Underground] has also committed to help promote the event.

The idea behind Freedom Day is to mark the 200th anniversary of whentransatlantic slavery was abolished in Europe, and to remind the worldthat slavery--human trafficking--still exists. March 25th is a callto awareness and action in our own backyard, and in our world.

REGISTRATION IS FREE!Just click on the website http://www.onevoicetoendslavery.com/ to register,and see more info.

Even if you can't join us, please help us spread the word.
***
THE NON-CON -MARCH 2008:
Jackie Pullinger and David Ruis are on board. So are worship leaders Cindy Rethmeier (Vineyard Music) and John Thomas (Soul Survivor USA).
Only 100 seats will be made available.
A few more details are online here:
http://www.non-con.com
***
CHASING THE DRAGON- Jackie Pullinger's classic book is being re-released in May of this year by Gospel Light and Regal Books, just in time for the NON-CON promotion!! If you've never read this amazing book you need to pick up a copy and read it before the NON-CON next March.
Book Description:
Inside of Hong Kong lies the infamous Walled City. Strangers are not welcome there. Police hesitate to enter. It is a haven of filth, crime and sin. Prostitution, pornography and drug addiction flourish. Thirthy thousand people-maybe twice that-live in a few cramped, dismal acres.

Jackie Pullinger had grown up believing that if she put her trust in God, He would lead her. When she was 20 years old, God called her to the Walled City. She obeyed. And as she spoke of Jesus Christ, brutal hoods were converted, prostitutes retired from their trade, and heroin junkies found new power that freed them from the bondage of drug addiction. Hundreds discovered new life in Christ. Chasing the Dragon tells the whole amazing story-exactly as it happened."
ORDER ONLINE HERE:
http://www.gospellight.com
***
[END TRANSMISSION]

NOBODY FOLLOWS JESUS (So Why Should You?)

NOBODY FOLLOWS JESUS (So Why Should You?)
BY KEITH GIILES

Nobody follows Jesus anymore. Just look around, and you'll see what I mean. How often do you ever see someone show love to a person who is in their face? Have you ever once heard of anyone chasing a thief down the street screaming, "Hey, you forgot my DVD player!" or witnessed a person who has just been slapped in the face turn their head to offer the other cheek?

I doubt it.

That's my point. Jesus had some pretty radical teachings. Love your enemies. Pray for those who abuse you. Give to those who steal from you. Lend without expecting anything in return. Bless those who curse your name.

Even the most casual glance at the words and teachings of Jesus will tell you this guy had unreasonable expectations of those who would dare to follow Him. It was almost as if He was trying to thin the crowd by raising the bar so high.

He doesn't stop there. No sir. Jesus even goes so far as to say that those who follow Him must deny themselves and take up their own cross (an instrument of brutal torture and death). In fact, He says if you don't do this, you "cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27).

No wonder no one follows Jesus anymore.

Now, I'm not suggesting people don’t believe in Jesus anymore. There are millions and millions of people out there who really do believe a guy named Jesus actually lived 2,000 years ago. They believe that He was the Son of God, and God the Son, and that He lead a sinless life, died on the cross for their sins and rose bodily from the grave three days later. Yep. They all believe that. But, those people don't necessarily follow Jesus the way He expected them to.

Maybe that's why Jesus wondered out loud, "When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Maybe He knew after 2,000 years of Christianity, we'd just have given up on following His specific example of how to live.

G.K. Chesterton once said, "It's not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting; it's that it has been found difficult and left untried."

I think Jesus really did expect His followers to live extravagant lives of love as He commands in Luke 6:27. He wasn't kidding around.

He's pretty clear that the kind of love the world has is nothing special at all. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that" (Luke 6:32).

Jesus was trying to get His potential followers to understand they were expected to model a standard of love that went far, far beyond what anyone living on this planet had ever encountered or dreamed of before. A kind of love that could change someone's life for eternity.

Once you understand this, it starts to make more sense. Jesus calls His followers to this kind of life for a reason—so we can show those who aren't aware of the kindness of God what it means to be loved, forgiven and shown mercy.

Yes, Jesus expects us to actually do these things.

Yes, it will hurt.

Can you think of a better way to show those who are far from God that He really loves them, Christianity is the "real thing," and forgiveness is for them?

Imagine a world where we all actually did this stuff on a daily basis.

Would it change the world? Would it change the world's idea of Christianity? Of Christ? Would it set the teachings of Jesus apart from every single other religious figure who had ever lived?

Isn't it ironic to think the most radical thing a modern Christian could do today would be to simply do exactly what Jesus says? Yeah, it's really a shame that no one really follows Jesus anymore. But, can you imagine what would happen to the world you live in if even a few people actually did?

Not only that, Jesus promises those who actually do put His words into practice will be blessed and have life abundantly. Maybe it's time to start following Jesus? Maybe it's time to take Him seriously? What do you think?

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock". - JESUS (Matthew 7:24).

It is sort of sad, but we can't help but face the awful truth. Jesus doesn't seem to inspire followers anymore.

Christian author Dallas Willard once said, "There is absolutely nothing in what Jesus himself or his early followers taught that suggests you can decide just to enjoy forgiveness at Jesus' expense and have nothing more to do with him."

Noted theologian A. W. Tozer once remarked that "a notable heresy has come into being throughout evangelical Christian circles—the widely—accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to!" (From his book "I Call It Heresy").

He goes even as far as to suggest, "that salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred scriptures."

What we have in modern American Christianity is a brand of religion that says to its founder, "I'd like a little of your blood to cover my sins, but I don't care to follow you or take your teachings seriously. If you would please excuse me, I’ll get on with my life. See you in heaven Jesus!" Dallas Willard calls those kinds of people "Vampire Christians" because all they want is some of Jesus blood, but none of His leadership.

Does this make any sense? Does this sound to you like what Jesus had in mind for His church?

Why would anyone align him/herself with someone as radical as Jesus and then totally ignore His teachings?

What if you met a guy who said he was a Muslim, but after interviewing him you discovered that he didn't read the Koran, didn't attempt to live his life according to the teachings of Mohammed, didn't seek to become more like a person who modeled Islam, etc. In what way would that guy be considered a Muslim? You could say the same of a Buddhist or a Mormon or whatever.

Clearly, Jesus taught and expected that those who followed Him would put His words into practice and respond with obedience.

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did"- (1 John 2:3).

In my Bible I’ve penciled the word "Yowza!" right next to that verse. You might want to do that too.

According to this verse, and many others in the New Testament, the way to know for yourself whether or not you have actually come to know Jesus is to ask yourself if you're obedient to Him or not.

Jesus did spend a lot of time on the subject of obedience. He seemed to really stress it. He seemed to really expect that we would obey Him and seek after Him and encourage each other to do the same.

I've been looking at the verse where Jesus speaks to those on His right and on His left at the Judgement seat. Both sides call Him "Lord", and both sides did the same works, but only one group was allowed into the Kingdom— the group that showed compassion to the sick, the hungry, the poor and that "knew" Jesus. (Suggesting that they did these acts of mercy BECAUSE they truly "knew" Jesus and were responding out of a heart of love). - see Matthew 25

Jesus was also careful to warn us that just because we call Him "Lord" doesn’t mean that we'll actually see the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus states, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).

The Great Commission that Jesus left to his church had discipleship and obedience built into it. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." - JESUS- (Matthew 28: 19- 20).

How many churches do you know of that offer classes like "How To Love Your Enemies"? Virtually no church on the horizon has any real, practical method of actually training their flock on how to go about obeying the teachings of Christ, and yet, this is exactly what Jesus left us to accomplish.

It makes one wonder, what are we doing with our time? What is the church about if not training us to be followers of Christ himself?

I have to be fair. After I started thinking about this column, I tried to remember how many people I knew who had ever actually lived out the teachings of Christ and I did find one person.

My friend David used to be the Children's pastor at my previous church. He and his wife helped my family get through a very difficult year and a half when I was without gainful employment after I was laid off. That alone was an amazing thing for me, but then David and his wife did something that astounded me even more.

Even after seeing the difficulty we were going through, they willingly quit their jobs, sold everything they owned and entered the mission field, taking their three children with them. I can't think of anything else more amazing than that. For a follower of Christ to take Jesus so seriously that they would enter a life of complete surrender and submission like that astounds me. It blesses me. It challenges me.

Maybe there's hope yet for this generation? Maybe there really are followers out there who really do take Jesus seriously, and choose willingly to surrender themselves to His authority?

I pray their tribe will increase.

I want to be in that tribe.

-kg
http://www.keithgiles.com

**
I'm in the middle of planning the last-minute logistics for the "Children-At-Risk.com" Conference right now.

I hope you enjoy this "Classic" article from my [Subversive] column over at Relevantmagazine.com all those years ago...
peas,
kg
**
REPLY to
elysiansky@hotmail.com
**
[END TRANSMISSION]

EXPECTATION

EXPECTATION
by Keith Giles

In about 8 days my current contract will expire and I will be back on the job-hunt again. Possibly I could return to temping in the cubicle farms. Part of me almost assumes that this is where God will send me next.

The last two months have been a sort of vacation from the monotonous data entry jobs I had been doing since June of last year. About the time I really started to understand that this process was God's very purposeful plan to kill my flesh, this conference promotion contract came up and I got to escape that for a while.

I felt even then that I had really not yet finished having my flesh crucified in this very painful way. I think it's possible that God may ask me to return to the cubicle farms to lay myself down on the cross beam of humiliating, flesh-destroying work so that He can continue to drive the nails through my flesh and put me to death.

I need this. I know I do. This is not a bad thing. This is not punishment. This is God's Grace to me.

There are things that God wants to do through me that He cannot do until this last part of my arrogant, prideful, selfish flesh is totally dead. I really want to go with Jesus where He wants me to walk, but I do understand that I cannot get there as long as I am carrying this self-seeking, vain, prideful part of myself.

Several friends have prayed for me recently that God would bless me "beyond my wildest dreams" and provide a job that would fit my gifts and provide for our family in abundance, etc.

While I greatly appreciate those prayers, and I do hope that God does that, there's a part of me that really doesn't believe or expect that He will do so.

I started wondering why I thought this. Why don't I expect for God to bless me with a killer job and a more abundant bank account and insurance for my family, etc.?

Is it because I don't believe that God is good? No. I know He is good. In fact, during the last few months I've really seen the tangible proof of His goodness to me. I know He is good.

Is it because I feel I don't deserve this? No. I already know I don't "deserve" anything from God. It's all gravy. I've never once received anything from Him that I "deserved" (and that's something to be thankful for in itself).

I was praying for a friend recently who had fallen pretty hard. As I prayed I saw my friend and I saw The Lord placing a big, gold medal around her neck. I told her that God really wanted to reward her, which considering her moral failure sounded odd. Why would God want to reward her for the last few weeks of wallowing in her sin?

I told her that God's Grace and Mercy were not based on merit, or on what we deserve, but on His amazing love for us and because He looks on the heart and He knows she loves Him.

Even as I prayed this for my friend I realized that this was for me too. God wanted to bless me too, and not because I deserved it (because I've never once deserved any of His blessings), and not because I expected it, but simply because He is my Father in Heaven and He loves me.

Is there a ribbon around your neck? Do you believe that God wants to reward you simply because you are His?

Mercy, by definition, is doing good to someone who doesn't deserve it. That's the point. If they deserved it, it would be justice. So, when God blesses me, in spite of my obvious failures, that is His Mercy.

"If you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" -JESUS (Matthew 7:11)

I love that Jesus assumes we are sinners. I even love that he so blatantly says this to the faces of the people who are standing and listening to him speak. Of course we are evil. He is not shocked by our failures. His default position is that we are evil. It's part of who we are, without His transformational Grace of course.

But God promises that His Mercies are new every morning: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23)

In Micah, God tells us what it is that He requires of us. If you've never read it, the list goes like this; "He has shown you oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

We're told to "do justice" (which is to see what is wrong (unjust) and make it right. So, when we see someone being opressed, we speak out. When we see someone without enough to eat, we take care of them.

We're also expected to "Love mercy". That's not the same as "doing mercy". We're just told to love it. That means, when we see someone who doesn't deserve a blessing being blessed, we should rejoice. But, honestly this is where I think I struggle the most. When I see someone who has done evil, or made a huge mistake, get a break or a blessing, my first reaction is usually not "Oh, Yes!"

Still, when God shows mercy to me, I tend to get excited and share my joy with everyone. What I need to learn is to rejoice when God allows His Mercy to fall on everyone, regardless of who they are or what they've done.

Lastly, God tells us to "walk humbly with our God". This is also not easy. Humility is surrender. It's being weak. Humility is necessary to enter the Kingdom. It's the complete surrender of the will, the true self, to God alone.

I pray I can learn to love mercy, to rejoice when good things happen to bad people. I pray that I can learn to walk humbly with God and remember that I am dust. I pray that I can learn to do justice, to make things right whenever I can, however I can, every day of my life.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" - JESUS (Matthew 7:7-11)

-kg
http://www.keithgiles.com

**
"IN CONTROL" - One of my articles is now online at "The Ooze" (http://www.theooze.com). For me this is a very big deal, actually. I've never had anything published here and it's a very great site for thought-provoking articles. Go and check it out. Leave a comment if you like.

**
JACKIE PULLINGER:"Non-Con 08" - Not sure if anyone knows her or not. If you don't, you owe it to yourself to google her name and listen to a few of her mp3's. She's seriously one of my heroes in the faith. Yesterday I got an email from her that she's interested in coming to join us for Non-Con 08 next March. I am stunned.
http://www.non-con.com
**
THE GOOGLE GROUP: There are a few of us already discussing stuff and meeting one another online at the Google Group I invited everyone to last week. If you haven't joined us, please do. If you need another invite, shoot me an email here:
elysiansky@hotmail.com
**
[END TRANSMISSION]

LOSER

LOSER
by Keith Giles

For most of this week I've been struggling with depression. I've felt like a loser because my search for a full-time job has come up empty, after months of doing contract work and sending out resumes and beating the bushes, as they say.

I've felt like a failure because I seem to be unable to do what most guys my age seem to do with ease. Why is it taking so long? What am I supposed to learn from this? Am I doing something wrong?

Last week I attended a talk by John Hayes (author of "Sub-Merge"). It was all about incarnational missions, and many of my friends who are already doing this sort of work were there too.

John's testimony involves his immersion into one of the poorest, gang-infested, violent streets in Santa Ana several years ago as a single, white male. He discovered an "incarnational" approach to missions where he himself lived among people and became part of their families and shared in their struggles in order to invest in their lives and to work for long-term spiritual and economic development in the community.

As I listened to John share his story with us, I realized that I was called to the same sort of ministry he was called to, but with one exception. He, and others in that room, were called to live among people who were from another culture to help them escape the grip of poverty they were living in.

Honestly, if God had called me to go and live among the poor in order to serve them as Jesus would, I'd have no trouble with that. Instead, I realized, that God had called me to do exactly the same thing, but to my own people group. Instead of calling me and my family to move into a lower class community to live as missionaries to the poor, He has called us to move into a white, middle class community to serve and love them as missionaries.

This has been difficult for me to accept and to work out in my head...and my heart.

As John continued to speak, I begin to see snapshots of each child's face from our street. Under each photo I saw their name and this sentence; "This is Johnny. I am his pastor. I love him." Face after face. Name after name. I realized that, like it or not, I am the pastor of Glenview Place.

Finally, I realized that it's not up to me to figure things out before I step forward. My only concern is to go and to do exactly what I know that God has called me to do, regardless of whether or not I can understand why ministry to the poor has been ommitted from my marching orders. It doesn't matter. I don't need to understand first. I just need to go and to do.

My wife, Wendy, always has great insight for me at times like this. She reminded me that, as we begin to become more involved in the lives of our neighbors here on Glenview Place, we might discover poverty that isn't easily recognized on the surface. I think she's right.

So...starting in mid-March we've decided to invite our entire neighborhood over to our house for a Barbecue. Our plan is just to get to know people here a little better. After that we'll invite individual families over for dinner in the evenings and see where things go from there.

It's a long-term vision to make friends, love people and follow the Holy Spirit as we enter into relationship with others.

Just yesterday I was invited to attend a meeting with the Senior Chaplain of the local Rescue Mission and the Motel Ministry leader at Saddleback (yes...THAT Saddleback Church). I was humbled to sit at the same table with these two men. We talked about strategies for bringing other local churches in Orange County to the table so that we could have every poverty motel covered by at least one church. We shared ideas, we prayed together, we agreed to start inviting other pastors and to meet once per quarter to get things rolling.

As I sat at that table with these other men I wondered, "What am I doing here?" One guy is overseeing close to a hundred small groups as they mobilize to serve the poor who are living in area motels. He's written his own curriculum to train new pastors on how they can get involved and duplicate their ministry. The other guy is the Senior Chaplain of the "Cadillac" of Rescue Missions in North America. Their founder regularly flies to Washington D.C. to meet with the President to talk about how other major cities can implement their programs and services to their own poor. They've just built a small town called "The Village of Hope" to provide homeless families with job training, day care, education, medical care, and counseling.

And then there's me. I don't have a job. I pastor a house church of about 17 people in my house. I write a newsletter that's read by around 100 people.
What was I doing there? How had I been invited to this meeting?

It made me realize that God really does still intend to have me serve the poor in Orange County. He still intends for me to interact with other pastors on this issue. He still wants me to serve the poor and love them the way He would.

Last Sunday our Mission House Church met at the Studio Inn in Santa Ana. This is the same motel my family and I have been serving at for about four years now. I was asked by the ministry from Saddleback to preach a sermon for their pancake breakfast. It's honestly the first time I've preached a sermon at that motel in all those years. Our own ministry has dealt mainly with children and their families and I've always wanted people to know that we love them before we ever preach to them. So, we've spent more of our energy on serving and blessing them with no strings attached.

Last Sunday I stood up and opened my Bible for the first time and preached a sermon to a handful of people under the E-Z Up Tents. Afterwards one gentleman named "Rick" came up to me. He told me he'd only been out of prison for about a year. He used to be hooked on heroin. He told me he had given his Bible away to an elderly woman, a friend of his, who was very sick and wanted to read the Word. I told him I'd get him a new Bible to replace it. He said it had to be King James. Luckily I have a nice, white leather KJV that someone gave to me about a year ago.

I realize that Rick needs a church home. He needs other Christians who will encourage him and help him navigate life outside of prison. I realize that God wants me to invite Rick to our house church...to my house, to worship alongside us so we can help to disciple him.

This will be a stretch for me. It will be a stretch for some of the families in our house church to welcome someone like Rick into our fellowship. I'm not even sure he will join us or not. But I know I need to invite him.

Maybe what I'm discovering is that being a loser isn't so bad. Maybe my problem all this time is that I've been afraid to let go...to lose my life for the sake of Christ.

"...and now I know the secret that only losers keep...now I know the reason why all the finder's weep" - kg

"For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it." - JESUS (Matthew 16:25)

Blessings,
Keith
http://www.keithgiles.com
**
COMING SOON: "The Non-Con" is coming soon. Details are developing. I'm praying now about a location. I've invited a few people to join us as our facilitators. I've even purchased the domain name www.non-con.com
There's a basic blog here:
http://nonconference.blogspot.com
More soon...
**
DISCUSSION GROUP: I'm trying one last time to set up an online forum where you guys and gals can provide feedback, share comments, engage in dialog, etc. You'll be getting an email about the [Subversive Underground] Google Group soon. I hope you'll join and share your story.
**
[END TRANSMISSION]

WAKE UP

NOTE: The following is a true story. It was sent to me by my friend Kent Williamson and was written by his mother-in-law. I hope it makes you think.
-Keith

**
"OUR WAKE-UP CALL"
An Encounter with Peter
by Sandy Sturch

Peter, a man in his early 50's, slight stature, dressed in a dark blue suit, with blue shirt and a red tie that said "Jesus" on it, and a lapel pin of a small white dove, walked into First Presbyterian Church on Sunday morning, February 11, 2007. His hair was slightly peppered with grey, he wore dark-rimmed glasses, his eyes were dark, and his face had prominent bone structure; his fingers were long and slender. He was from New York City, was staying at the apartment of a friend while he was out-of-town. He was not a street person. He was not homeless. But he was family-less and desperate. He had come to San Antonio to kill himself.

Katie spotted him in the McCullough Room, where the people gather for coffee and cookies on Sunday morning after worship services. She offered him food and coffee. Soon he found himself in the Guthrie-Bryant Chapel, talking with a few church members who listened to his story. He repeated over and over that he was going to kill himself. One of the ministers, George, asked to spend some time alone with Peter, and took him into one of the church offices where he called the suicide hotline. After a few minutes, the suicide counselor hung up on Peter. George continued talking with him. When George and Peter finally emerged from the office, George announced that we were taking Peter to lunch. I had been waiting in the lobby of the church with Katie and with Bob. Peter chose to go in Bob's car, along with Katie, and George and I, having driven to church at different times, drove our cars to Water Street Oyster Bar, our favorite place for Sunday lunch.

The waiter went around the table taking our orders. When he came to Peter, Peter said, "I'll have a double bourbon with soda." He wanted no food. We urged Peter to have a meal, but Peter said he had had a good breakfast, he wasn't hungry, and the drink was all he wanted. When our food came, we joined hands around the table to ask the Lord's blessing on our food and especially our conversation with Peter.

Peter was indeed the center of our conversation. He told us the same story over and over; he had nothing to live for, he was going to kill himself. But in the same breath, he said what he really wanted was for someone to adopt him. He wanted to be a part of someone's family because he had no one. In fact, the bad thing about killing himself was that in the end, no one would give a damn, so even that wasn't very satisfying.

We learned that Peter was a graduate of Princeton University, born to Jewish parents, though he did not claim Judaism as his faith. Both parents were dead. He said he killed his father. When I asked how, he didn't want to go into it. His mother committed suicide. His father left him $1,000,000 dollars that would soon be gone. He had never done anything with his life. His dream job had been as a receptionist in New York City, but he quit, just quit, for no reason. It was then that he realized how much the job meant to him and how much the people meant. It was a place where he had friends. Now he could see that. Suddenly he was totally alone. No one cared if he lived or died. He hated himself for walking out on the job. He wanted to go back, but he knew he would never be hired again, not after walking out, and by now, someone else had his job. No, he couldn't go back.

Furthermore, he had no skills to work anywhere else. He did not even know how to use the computer. He did not even know how to drive a car. There was no hope for him. He had never been married. He had no relationships with either men or women. That was not his problem. He was not depressed over loss of a lover.

He had no one in the world who cared about him. All he wanted was to be adopted by someone. He just wanted to be a part of someone's family, he said.

Then he said to us, "Look at you! You are all so lovely. This is amazing. I am eating this meal with you, and I don't even know you. Please, everyone, eat very, very slowly because I want this meal to last forever. I don't want this meal to end, because when it is over, I'm going to kill myself."

When he said, "I wish someone would adopt me," I thought, "Yes, Jesus wants to adopt you—you could have a family." But was he in a state of mind that could comprehend what I would say about Jesus? I asked him what he knew about Jesus, hoping to tell him how much Jesus loves him. But before I could finish my sentence, he said, "I hate Jesus!" He said he hated Jesus because Jesus sends people to hell and that's what Baptists preach about Jesus. We said that we were not Baptists, and this is not what we wanted to tell him. But he did not want to talk about Jesus. He did not believe in Jesus. Yet he had walked into two downtown churches that morning. The first church he visited was Grace Lutheran, across the street from First Presbyterian. They gave him some literature and gave him the dove lapel pin. He didn't explain the red tie with "Jesus" on it, but it appeared that a Christian had encountered Peter even before we did. He kept saying how much he wanted this meal not to end, how lovely we were, and that when it was over, he would kill himself.

We asked about doctors, medication—and yes, he was on medication. When he asked if he could order another bourbon, George said no. He gave no indication of being drunk, but he would not eat but a few of the sweet potato fries that Katie offered him.

The conversation continued, the same things repeated again and again, always ending with, "I want to be adopted...I don't want this meal to end...when it's over, I will kill myself."

Katie finally had to return to church for a meeting, so she borrowed Bob's car, and as she said goodbye, she looked Peter straight in the eye, and earnestly said, "Peter, take care of yourself." I had to leave also, and I assured Peter that I hoped we would see him again.

So George and Bob were left with Peter. Peter had heard about the spaghetti dinner and youth talent show at church that evening, and this intrigued him. So George drove Bob and Peter back down to church where they spent the evening with other church members who gathered for the dinner and special program by the youth. When it was over, Peter refused the offer of a ride home and slipped out into the night.

I could not get Peter off my mind. When George got home, we talked about the afternoon spent with Peter. What could we have done or said differently? Who could we have called for help? Would Peter really kill himself? Why didn’t we have a plan in place to help people like Peter? Any one of us could have "adopted" Peter that night. We all could have offered him the comfort of a home. We could have invited the stranger in. But, yes, that might be dangerous. How much risk should we assume? Our rational minds had many reasons why we ourselves, disciples of Jesus Christ, could not have done more for Peter. We did what we could, didn't we?

In Tuesday's San Antonio Express-News, February 13, 2007, there was this article:

Man dies after leap from hotel's 11th floor. A man died Monday afternoon after he jumped from the 11th floor of a downtown hotel, landing in an interior atrium, police said. Authorities did not release the man's name, but officials said he was in his 50's. Police are calling the death an apparent suicide.

The San Antonio Express-News does not typically report on suicides unless the circumstances surrounding them are public. A witness told police she saw the man jump around noon from the 11th floor of the Hyatt Regency San Antonio at 123 Losoya Street, officials said.

He landed on a floor just below the lobby level, which is an enclosed atrium that faces the River Walk. San Antonio Police Department Homicide Detective Bobby Bradley said people were mingling throughout the hotel when the man jumped.

The man was not a registered guest at the hotel, Bradley said.

I wondered, was this Peter? Or was it one of the many other Peter's in our city?

"…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me....And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"
Matthew 25:35-40 (NRSV)

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." - James 2:14-20

As I continued to reflect on our encounter with Peter, these scriptures haunted me. I searched for new meaning, trying to escape the guilt I was feeling, and wondering for what sins of neglect I needed to repent.

What we did that was "right" did not seem to matter as much as how impotent we were to help Peter. In today's culture, how is the church to respond to needs like Peter's? How does a faithful disciple respond to the needs of the Peter's in the world? And the harder personal questions: How much should I risk to help a person in need? What is appropriate? What is foolish and dangerous? How do I apply these scriptures in today's world?

**
NOTE: After I read this email from Kent I was reminded of the elderly homeless woman I had been talking to for several weeks. Her name was Linda. I used to buy her a Quizno's sandwich and we'd sit and talk while she ate.

One morning I saw her walking down the sidewalk in my neighborhood. I stopped to give her some cash and she told me she was hoping to find a place to sleep for a few nights because the nights were getting cold.

For a moment I considered bringing her home. I'd like to think I drove away without offering her a warm bed because I have two small children, or because I wasn't able to clear it with my wife first, or some other good reason...but I fear the truth is that I didn't invite her into my home because I've not yet walked that far with Jesus.

After I got this email from Kent I received another from him reporting that the man who jumped off the hotel was not Peter. He was alive. He had returned to their church and now they had one more chance to adopt Peter into their family.

I've never seen Linda on the streets since that day.

-kg
[END TRANSMISSION]

NUMBER 9 - TOP 10 THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW

TOP 10 THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW (But Probably Doesn't)

Number 9 -
As we continue in our series, counting down the top ten things the modern Church seems to have forgotten about, we look at number nine on our list: "The Kingdom of God is NOT the American Dream"

You'd think it wouldn't need to be said out loud, but more and more I find that there is a blurred line in American Christianity between "The American Way" and "The Kingdom of God".

Maybe it's the feeling that America is God's new Israel? Or maybe it started with The Dallas Cowboys being "God's Favorite Football Team"? Maybe it's something that's been brewing since the first Boston Tea Party? I'm not really sure, but I do know that today we have a serious problem separating good old American Values from the Gospel that Jesus died to proclaim.

If you've ever doubted someone's eternal salvation because they voted Democrat in the last election, then you may have a problem in this area.

Yes Virginia, there WILL be Libertarians and Green Party members in Heaven. You'll probably live next to one, knowing God's sense of humor.

The Kingdom of God and the American Dream are not the same thing, and in fact, they are two opposing viewpoints which are in conflict on many levels.

Believe it or not, Jesus did not come so that you and I could engage in our "Pursuit of Happiness".

The American Dream is founded on the concept of every person's right to the pursuit of happiness. Whatever you can imagine would make you happy you are free to pursue it with all your heart. That's your right.

The Kingdom of God is founded on the concept of laying down your life, your idea of what will make you happy, in favor of receiving what Jesus knows will really make you happy.

Following Jesus involves laying down your life and giving up your rights. It means full and complete submission to God because you recognize that His perfect will for your life is a million times better than anything you could ever dream up, or pursue, on your own.

Jesus didn't ever instruct any of his disciples to fight for their God-given, "Inalienable Rights", and neither did Paul the Apostle. In fact, they both encouraged their disciples to live humble lives, serving others and not demanding more because they deserved more. Paul even specifically told those followers of Christ who were slaves to remain slaves, even if they were being mistreated.

Historically, the early Christians didn't fight for their rights as citizens, they took it on the chin, and in the Lion's den, and in the arena. They literally would rather die than to take another person's life.

Simply put, they followed their Lord and Savior, Jesus in His example of non-violence and submissive service to those who hated them and mistreated them. Does that sound like the American Dream to you?

Repeat after me: "Politics and Christianity are not the same thing", "The American Dream is not part of the Gospel", "George Washington and Thomas Jefferson did not die for your forgiveness of sins", "Jesus was not a Republican".

Are we trying to make God in our image? Do we want a version of Jesus that fits into our way of life? Or are we willing to conform our life into His image?

It's interesting to me that the scriptures reveal to us a Jesus who was not so preoccupied with Earthly political discussions. "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar and unto God what is God's" was pretty much the only true political statement He ever made, if it can even be called that.

In his time on Earth, Jesus didn't seem so concerned about the politics of the day. Nor did He talk so much about current events, other than to reference the collapse of a tower in a nearby village where a few people had died.

However, Jesus WAS interested in a political system, a new way of life called "The Kingdom of God". In fact, it's pretty much all he ever talked about.

It might shock you to consider that Jesus probably cares less about what the upcoming Presidential Candidates are saying on their campaign trails than He does about what you and I are doing with our actual lives.

Many of us, if we're honest, know way more about the views and values of our particular political perspective than we do about God's Kingdom. But, Jesus urged us, His followers, to "Seek first the Kingdom of God."

It's not that Jesus wants the Kingdom of God to influence or even to compete with the political systems of our nation, as much as he wants His Kingdom to influence and change you.

Do we share His views of the poor? Are we even aware what His position is on economics, or foreign relations, or peace-making, or consumerism? Are we actively, seriously, continually seeking after the things of The Kingdom of God?

Perhaps we're more comfortable with a blue-eyed, six foot tall, Republican Jesus who conforms to our political and social ways of living. Probably. But, is that really who Jesus is? Or have we now made God in our own image?

Which version of Jesus are you holding on to? Which way of life are you currently pursuing? Is it the life Jesus describes in the sermon on the mount, or is it something pretty close to the life you would have lived had you never heard the Gospel at all?

The polls are open.

- kg
***
JOIN THE [SU FORUM]!
As sort of an experiment I've opened a new online forum to have more open dialog about the issues covered on this weekly e-newsletter.

We'll talk about Social Justice, Missional Life, Organic Church, House Church, Spiritual Formation, and even the Arts, Media and Culture...actually whatever you want to talk about.

You are welcome to join in the discussions on
the [subversive underground] message boards.

To join our discussions, simply go to
http://forums.delphiforums.com/subversive1/start

The [Subversive Underground] Forum is part of Delphi Forums. If you've never used Delphi Forums before, you'll need to go through a quick registration (so you can post messages). It only takes a minute and it's FREE!

***
NON-CON 2008- The plans are in the making. Greater details now online at
http://www.keithgiles.com

***
INTERVIEW WITH DR. SCOTT BARTCHY - PART 1
My "lost" interview with the current Director of the Center for the Study of Religions at UCLA on the early Christian Church and "normative Christianity" in the first three centuries. Good stuff.
Read this now so we can post part 2!
http://subversive1.blogspot.com/2007/02/interview-scott-bartchy-part-1.html

***
NEW BIBLE REMOVES WORDS OF JESUS ON POVERTY
Read this on my blog here:
http://subversive1.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-bible-removes-words-of-jesus-on.html
***

***
CHILDREN-AT-RISK.COM
"We Can Only Fail Them If We Do Nothing"
March 9th and 10th - Anaheim Vineyard
Os Guinness, David Ruis, many, many others
Details at:
http://www.children-at-risk.com

***
CONVERSATIONAL EVANGELISM CONFERENCE
"It's time for the Church to listen first, talk later"
Lee Strobel * Todd Hunter * Brenton Brown *More!
March 9th and 10th - Costa Mesa
Details:
http://www.conversationalevangelism.net/cec/
***

[END TRANSMISSION]

THE PROBLEM

THE PROBLEM by Keith Giles

Last week we looked at the way our own sub-culture isolates us from the world we're supposed to have a positive influence on.

I wanted to continue this thought-process a bit further and point out another aspect of how our insistence upon huddling together against the "big bad" world has disqualified us from our calling to be Salt and Light in the culture around us.

One by-product of the Christian Sub-culture is the sense of antagonism it creates. More specifically, the "Us vs Them" mentality begins to dominate our thoughts from behind our wall of safety and comfort.

Keeping in mind that most of this "comfort" and "safety" is made up of materialistic goods and services; as if our descent into Christian Consumerism would ever hope to change us...or the World around us in any way other than towards the negative end of the spectrum; we've probably all had the opportunity to hear this mentality verbalized as something like, "If only those sinners would get saved, the world would be a much better place".

You can substitute the word "sinner" for anything such as "Homosexual", "Liberal", "Atheist", "Agnostic", "Criminal", etc. It really doesn't matter what word you place in that sentence. The heart of the matter is still the same. We, who call ourselves followers of Jesus, tend to point the finger and shake our heads and blame the moral decay of our Nation on "Those People" who are not like us.

The idea being that, if there were more people in the world just like us, then everything would be perfect...because of course, we are so much better than all of "Those People" who are not like us.

There are so many things wrong with this kind of thinking that I really don't even need to pull in a scripture verse here to begin to explain just how...but I will because the Word of God has more weight than my own.

In 2 Chronicles, chapter 7, verse 14, we read a most interesting idea set forth by God Himself. This passage is not uncommon among those who call themselves followers of Jesus. We quote it now and again, but I suspect we miss the point that is being made more often than not.

God says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Did you see it?

God speaks to those who are "called by (His) name" and says that the healing of their land, their Nation, is held back because of their own lack of humility, their own lack of prayer, and their own unwillingness to seek His face.

It's amazing to me that God holds His own people accountable for the healing of their land. What He says needs to happen first is that we humble ourselves. That means we don't use statements like "If only those people would be more like us, everything would be wonderful". Humble people don't talk like that...or think that way either.

Next, he calls us to pray, and I would suggest that in this context what we need to pray for is our own hearts to be changed and softened and melted. We need to humble ourselves first, and then second we need to pray for forgiveness and repent of our pride.

Remember, "God opposes the proud, but gives Grace to the humble"- (Proverbs 3:34). I don't know about you, but I'd rather that God give me Grace than that He oppose me.

After we pray, God asks us to seek His face. This means that we remain humble, we stay on our knees, and we submit ourselves to Him and His perfect will for our lives.

Finally, God asks that those who are called by His name "turn from their wicked ways". This is sobering stuff. At face value it would appear that it is our sin that is holding back the healing of our Nation, not the sin of "those people". If this is true, then we will have more to answer for than we have expected when this life is over and our lives are laid open before God at the Judgement. Has our sin, our pride, our lack of humility or submission to God prevented our Nation from being blessed and healed and restored?

Simply put, this verse suggests that we are the problem, not "those people".

Us.

You and I.

Me.

Repentance is not an option, then. It is a necessity. Not just for our own salvation and spiritual health, but for the health of this Nation.

Let the humility, the prayer, the repentance, the submission, begin.

Time is short.

-kg
***

ONE WEEK ONLY: "TWO FOR ONE" REGISTRATION -
For every paid registration to the "Children At Risk" Conference with Os Guinness, David Ruis and others (March 9th and 10th) you will receive one FREE pass to share with a friend.
Details:
http://www.children-at-risk.com
***

CONVERSATIONAL EVANGELISM CONFERENCE (March 9th and 10th)- "It's time for the church to listen first and speak later"
with Lee Strobel, Todd Hunter, Brenton Brown and more.
Details:
http://www.conversationalevangelism.net/cec
***

WEST OF VERONA - "Breaking Out Of Beigeland"
My good friend John Wahrmund and his wife Lisa have recorded their second, amazing, ep and you need to hear it.
More info:
http://www.westofverona.com
***

[END TRANSMISSION]

TOP 10 - Subculture

NOTE: This is the first of ten articles in a new series I'm writing. We'll start with #10 and count down to the big one together. It'll be fun.

TOP 10 THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW
(But Probably Doesn't)
by Keith Giles

A few years ago I taught a workshop for High School students at an annual Summer Camp. We began by taking a simple "True/False" test together to determine our basic Bible Knowledge. Here's the test we took:

Test your Bible knowledge
Mark answers below “True” or “False”

1- Because Eve was tempted by Satan and ate the apple, sin entered the world.
2- According to Scripture, Samson was a super strong, physically muscular man that God used to judge the enemies of Israel.
3- Jonah the prophet was swallowed by a whale because he refused to go and preach to the people of Nineveh.
4- The city of Sodom was judged by God because of the sin of homosexuality.

It seems like a simple test that any elementary age child should be able to pass with flying colors. The sad thing was that every single kid in the room failed this test.

They all answered "True" to every question. Did you?

*(If you'd like to know the reason why each of those questions is "False" be sure to watch my main website, www.keithgiles.com, later this week for the answers)

My reason for having everyone take this little test was to illustrate how much we allow the popular Christian culture to influence what we think we know is true instead of studying things for ourselves.

Why don't we know what we believe? Why do we misunderstand even the most essential elements of our own faith? Have we allowed popular opinion or the Christian Subculture to blur the most crucial aspects of the Gospel?

Since most people fail my simple test, I'm tempted to guess that we have indeed allowed our faith to be compromised and polluted by the world around us.

TOP 10 THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW (But Probably Doesn't)
#10- THE CHRISTIAN SUB-CULTURE

We begin this series by looking at ourselves. The Christian Subculture has provided a safe haven for us to escape the world around us. We have created our own version of Heaven here on Earth so that we can safely enjoy quality, sanctified entertainment that is free from the secular world.

We have Christian television stations, radio stations, books, videos, films, breath mints, t-shirts, cartoons, socks, neckties, wristwatches, bumper stickers, jewelry, candy bars, coffee, and yes, even Christian underwear. I kid you not. (Google it at your own risk).

The real problem with this is that Jesus never intended His disciples to escape the world by creating a special, Holy version of the world that they preferred to live in while they await His return.

In fact, Jesus said something quite the opposite. When he was praying for those who would come after him he said, “I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the Evil One”. (John 17:15)

The reason Jesus prayed this prayer was the he knew human nature and he knew that, in a few short years, his followers would want to remove themselves from the world around them.

We’re not comfortable hanging out with those sinners. More often than not, we treat those outside the Church, as if they have some sort of “Social Leprosy”. We’re afraid we’ll catch what they’ve got, so we avoid contact with them. We create Christian versions of the world so that we never have to interact with these “Social Lepers”.

Paul the Apostle echoed the prayer of Jesus when he instructed the Christians in Corinth about their interactions with non-believers. “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 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Have we removed ourselves from the world? If so, we’ve essentially decided to lay down and die. Of course, we've made sure to surround ourselves in a cocoon of safety, but that doesn't make us any less dead.

I've always wanted to host a "Burn Our Christian Crap" party to protest all the Christian Materialism we've bought into. There's something strangely beautiful about seeing swarms of Christian young people throwing their Carman Cd's and "Lord's Gymn" T-shirts into a giant bonfire behind the Church dumpster.

Whether or not we decide to box up our "Jesus Junk" and toss into the flames, the truth is that we still need to repent from taking ourselves out of the world we were intended to live in.

It’s time to awaken from our slumber and burst out of our Christian bubble. The world needs us to live out the transformational power of the Gospel right in front of their eyes.

We are not called to escape the World and its evil. We are supposed to be in the World, living open lives of faith before all Men so that they may see our good works and believe.

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." - (John 20:21)

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - JESUS (Matthew 5:16)

kg

***
TO RESPOND TO THIS ARTICLE, DO NOT HIT "REPLY" - I WILL NOT RECEIVE IT. INSTEAD EMAIL ME DIRECTLY AT:
"ELYSIANSKY" (AT) "HOTMAIL" (DOT) "COM"

***
"FUTURE FAITH" - Check out the last couple of articles on the main blog over at www.keithgiles.com

***
CHILDREN AT RISK: CONFERENCE
MARCH 9 & 10, 2007
WITH OS GUINNESS, DAVID RUIS, TRI ROBINSON, BERT WAGGONER AND MANY MORE.
FULL DETAILS OVER AT
http://www.children-at-risk.com

***
CONVERSATIONAL EVANGELISM CONFERENCE
MARCH 9 & 10, 2007
WITH LEE STROBEL, TODD HUNTER, GARY POOLE AND OTHERS.
FULL DETAILS AT:
http://www.conversationalevangelism.net/cec/
***

COMING 2008- THE SUBVERSIVE UNDERGROUND PRESENTS
"The Non-Con" (A Conference for people who never want to go to another conference again in their lives)
Watch this space for more details...

***

[END TRANSMISSION]

PATTERNS

PATTERNS by Keith Giles

In my dreams I am writing a book. I am creating art. I am writing new worship songs on my guitar.

In my dreams I am deeply spiritual. I have an obsessive compassion for the poor. I daily die to myself and embrace the Kingdom of God.

But lately, when I am awake, all of this feels like an echo of a former life.

Scientists say that every ten years or so each cell in your body dies and gives birth to a replacement cell which is identical, yet not the exact same cell, as before.

I feel like I can remember the person I used to be, but I am having trouble "being" that person again today.

What happened to me? What needs to happen to me? Am I sleeping? Was I dreaming before? Or am I dreaming now? How do I wake up? Why are there so many question marks on this page?

Why do I feel so disconnected from myself lately? Am I just mourning the loss of my old life patterns?

In some ways I feel like something is wrong with me because I'm not daily involved with ministry to the poor around me. This affects my spiritual development. This challenges my self-imposed identity and my personal sense of ministry.

If I look at what God has done in my life over the last year I can see He has changed our former patterns and replaced them with a new algorithm of faith.

First He called us out of the traditional church pattern and into a new pattern, a new wineskin of sorts, called "House Church". Secondly, He called us to live missional lives, serving the actual neighbors who live along our cul-de-sac in our new house, in our new town. I cannot deny this. I cannot look away from this new pattern that has emerged in our lives over the last year.

Yet, I feel guilty because these 2 new patterns don't involve, specifically, caring for the poor.

I drive by the now abandoned senior home where we once served, where I used to teach a weekly Bible study, where we prayed for the sick and sang hymns with our friends. They are gone now. Some of them live in different senior homes, some of them have passed on. I mourn for that time. I miss that opportunity to give, and to share, and to be stretched, and to grow.

My family and I, along with one other friend, still serve each month at the motel in Santa Ana where we've been for about four years now. But most of the families we were closest to are gone now. Another church provides a weekly breakfast there on Sunday afternoons and in some ways our service there feels old and superfluous.

Maybe I am living in the past? Perhaps I'm needing to look to the future? Better yet, I think what I need to do is to live in the present; in the "here and now" of the Kingdom of God.

Maybe there's a better way to live out the patterns of House Church and Missional service to our community while still caring for the poor? Maybe these three things are not really three things? Maybe this is all one single pattern and I have yet to discover it because I'm on the upbeat of the previous pattern?

I am praying now that God would show me His new pattern. I feel like it's right here, just beneath the noise of my own breathing. Like a still, small voice, whispering to me in the darkness.

Until I can let go of what I have known before, I won't be able to see, or to hear, the new pattern that God has begun to tap out in my soul.

Quiet now....quiet...I can almost hear it....

-kg
***
REBELLION OF THOUGHT-
Kent Williamson's amazing documentary film is not to be missed.
"If you've been born in the fog, how can you know that you can't see?"
LEARN THE ANSWER HERE:
http://www.paladinpictures.com/httpdocs/RebellionBLOG.html

***
CHILDREN AT RISK:
*Os Guinness *David Ruis *Rick Muchow *John Thomas
March 9th and 10th in Anaheim, California
JOIN THE CONVERSATION. WE NEED YOUR VOICE.
"We can only fail them if we do nothing..."
FIND OUT MORE:
http://www.children-at-risk.com

***
CONVERSATIONAL EVANGELISM CONFERENCE
MARCH 9TH & 10TH, COSTA MESA, CA
*LEE STROBEL * TODD HUNTER *GARY POOLE *BRENTON BROWN
"It's time for the Church to listen first and talk later...if at all."
http://www.conversationalevangelism.net/cec/

***
[END TRANSMISSION]

HOUSE CHURCH 101

HOUSE CHURCH 101

by Keith Giles

What is House Church?

Most people who have never attended a House Church make certain assumptions about what it's all about, and many of them are incorrect. Until I started a House Church I wasn't exactly sure what it expect, but now that I've had about a year of experience under my belt I thought I'd take some time to spell out a few specifics of what makes the House Church distinctive.

To begin, let's talk about what a House Church is NOT.

It's not taking what happens in your traditional church on Sunday morning and duplicating it on a smaller scale in your living room. Some friends of mine have house churches that ARE bit like that, but as a general rule this is not what House Church is meant to be.
This means you won't see a single leader giving a lecture for 45 minutes while everyone nods their heads and looks at their watch.

It's also not a home group. Again, I know a few house churches that are like this, but by definition this is also not what House Church is supposed to be. This means that you won't experience ice breakers that take an hour for everyone to explain who their favorite Looney Toon character is and why.

So, what IS House Church?

Essentially, the House Church is modelled after the Biblical model we find in the New Testament. Specifically we see a format described by Paul the Apostle where everyone comes together and shares a common meal, partakes in communion, gathers an offering for the poor, and takes the time to hear from each person in the group who has something that edifies the rest as they each follow Jesus.

"What shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." 1 Corinthians 14:26

So, in our Mission gatherings we start with a common meal. On Thursdays everyone brings something to share for dinner, and on Sunday mornings everyone brings something for breakfast and we begin by joining hands in the kitchen together and inviting the Holy Spirit to be our guest of honor for the time we have to share.

After the meal we eventually make our way into the den and everyone pulls up a cushion on a sofa, or sits on the floor, and we enjoy a time of singing worship songs together. There are several of us who are just barely decent enough to play chords on the guitar and between us all we modestly work our way through a few songs.

After the singing we usually share communion together and move into our "Share Time". This is where we allow each person, whether an elementary-age child or a single Mom, or even a former pastor, to share something that God has done or taught them about during the week.

Essentially, if you are feeling like you'd like to start leading a house church, don't picture yourself preparing a Bible lesson each week. Instead, get ready to facilitate as others speak and teach and share. Sometimes the powerful things we are taught come from the lips of one of our nine year olds.

In fact, in my case, I've learned that the more I shut up the better things go! I've even started to limit myself to no more than two "soap-box moments" for each meeting. This means I have to choose my issues carefully and it allows me to wait, listen, and sometimes even allow others to answer questions and explain scripture verses that I've had pat-answers in my head for the last twelve years.

The amazing thing I've seen is that, when we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and lead our group, HE DOES! (Especially when we actually let Him lead us and do our best to get out of His way).

As we've been taught by the Holy Spirit this way over the last year, I've been in awe of the fruit displayed in people's lives. In fact, in less than a year I was starting to see true repentance, maturity, and gifting blossom in our members. The best thing is that I know it has nothing to do with me!

The House Church is not a leader-based group. It is a peer-based group with a leader who prayerfully shepherds the people one at a time and mostly outside the meeting itself.

What fascinates me most about the House Church is how the designer, Jesus, inspired a family-based model where everyone was loved and honored equally. He inspired His disciples to create a system of Church that was totally unlike the Jewish Temple system or the Pagan Worship of the day. This humble, Spirit-lead group of mostly poor and simple people guarded our creeds and doctrines for three hundred years, turned the world upside down, and demonstrated the transformational power of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

To me, the design is genius, and the fruit of it is cleary evident in the Scripture and throughout the History of the early Church.

The Church that Jesus inspired and that the Apostles promoted was one where bigger wasn't better. Everyone person counted. Everyone's gifting was equally honored, not just those who had the outward gifts.

I'll admit, I am biased. But the fruit I've seen in my own life, and in the lives of the people who have been coming to our group each week, is enough to convince me that I never want to go back to church done any other way.

What I've learned is that Church is not a place you go, it's who you are. Our goal at the Mission is to "be the Church" not attend one.

I've also learned that Church is simply "God" plus "The People of God" and nothing more. The Church is not a building, it is about PEOPLE who love God and who love others.

Does this mean that traditional churches are "wrong"? Does this mean that only those in the house church really "get it"? No, it doesn't. There are just as many screwed up people in one as in the other.

However, whenever a church exploits people for its own gain, it is wrong. Whenever a church empowers people for the Glory of God, it is good. Whenever a church over-emphasizes one set of gifts over the others and devalues people, it is wrong. Whenever a church allows everyone a chance to be loved and heard and valued, it is right.

I can only speak for myself here when I say that, for me, the House Church is where I've actually experienced this level playing field. This is where I've seen disciples being made. This is where I am personally being challenged every week to get outside of my comfort zone and really live out my faith.

If you're experiencing this sort of vibrant spiritual life and you're part of a traditional church...Praise God! I know that God is at work in all forms and expressions of His Body and His Bride. The House Church has no corner on His power or presence.

For me, House Church is the best thing I've ever done with the word "Church" on it.

Peace,
Keith
***

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
As part of the massive 2-day International "Children At Risk" Conference that I'm charged with making happen, I am making an appeal for volunteers on March 9th and 10th.

If you can help out, please take a look at the website and then send me an email to find out more about how you can help out.

http://www.children-at-risk.com

***
REBELLION OF THOUGHT:
My buddy Kent Williamson has put together a seriously amazing film called "Rebellion Of Thought". It features killer music from bands like "West of Verona" and my buddy "J.J. Plasencio" (formerly with "Sixpence" and my band "Elysian Skies"), and, oh yeah, it's got some talking in there about the fate of the modern Church in America, the need for radical change in Christendom and some theologians going on and on about "postmodernism"...(Seriously now, it's really worth checking it out if you can).
FIND OUT MORE:
http://www.rebellionofthought.com/

**
FEEDACK:
You can email me here:
"ELYSIANSKY" (at) "HOTMAIL" (dot) "COM"
*remove the quotes and stuff and you can shoot me an email
***
[END TRANSMISSION]

THIS IS SUBVERSIVE

This is Subversive

"What is Subversive? It’s a systematic overthrow of one system or power by those working from within. Jesus said the Kingdom of God was immediately accessible to all who follow Him. This is the Gospel message. This is subversive." - (from the main page at www.keithgiles.com)

Some of you on this e-newsletter subscription have been here from the beginning, some of you have only recently jumped on, some of you may still not really know just how you ended up getting this in your in-box every week...so, I thought I'd take some time and make sure everyone on this list is caught up with the story so far.

WHO?
My name is Keith Giles. I'm 40 years old. I've been a free-lance writer for over 16 years now. I've also been a licensed and ordained pastor for about as long. Incidentally it's also about how long I've been married to my love Wendy. We have two great boys, Dylan (11), and David (9). We live in Orange County, California.

THIS NEWSLETTER:
My reason for starting this e-newsletter was so that I could create an audience for my various articles on faith, discipleship, social justice, spiritual transformation and missional life.
For me, all those things are wrapped up into one interconnected glob. I can't think of discipleship to Jesus without confronting the need to love and serve the poor, and this is part of my ongoing spiritual formation and outward-focused life.

This newsletter also provides me with a reason to write something every single week.


HOUSE CHURCH:
About a year ago I left the traditional church-plant that my family had been part of for over three years and we started a house church called "The Mission".

The story of how the house church got started and how it developed over time, what God taught us, etc., has been chronicled here and some of the basic info is online at the little-seen "Mission House Church" website:
http://subversiveone.blogspot.com

WHERE ELSE CAN I FIND YOUR STUFF?
I currently write a regular monthly column called "Subversive" (of course) over at GINKWORLD.NET
http://www.ginkworld.net

..and I post articles over at SeedStories.com on occasion:
http://www.seedstories.com

You can also find articles over at Neil Cole's CMA Resources, SoulSurvivorUSA.com, Next-WaveMagazine.com and various other places. Honestly I find stuff all the time on websites that never asked my persmission to publish my articles. It's like Easter morning!

HOW DID YOU COME TO THIS PLACE?
I used to get paid to interview comic book writers and artists over at ComicBookResources.com and I had my own little comic book universe-in-progress called Plastic Animal Studios:
http://www.plasticanimalstudios.com

I also played with a little arts and culture idea called "Parabolic Journal" and the results of that are online here:
http://www.parabolicjournal.com

THE STORY SO FAR...
One day, after a God-ordained lunch meeting with friend and artist Scott Laumann (WWW.SCOTTLAUMANN.COM) I decided to scrap the comicbook/sci-fi stuff in favor of writing things that were more "meaningful" and for the Kingdom.

That's how I ended up writing a column called "Subversive" (what else) over at RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM.

It was my very first interview for that column with Todd Hunter that blew my mind and set me on my current course pursuing The Kingdom of God, spiritual transformation, serving the poor and living an outward-focused, "missional" life.

CURRENT EVENTS:
About six months ago I left a marketing position with Soul Survivor USA (http://www.soulsurvivorusa.com) and I've been doing contract work for the last six months as I wait to see where God will lead us next.

Currently I'm doing contract work for "Arms Of Love" (http://www.armsoflove.org) trying to help them promote a 2-day conference in March called "Children At Risk" (http://www.children-at-risk.com) featuring Os Guiness, David Ruis and an army of others speakers and worship leaders.

WHAT'S COMING UP IN 2007?
Last year I spent my spare time writing a book, actually two of them, and my goal for 2007 is to publish at least one of them.

This will also be the year I discover a new full-time job (Lord willing) and I also anticipate that our house church will have to split into a second incarnation due to growth issues. (Our living room isn't big enough).

STILL READING?
If you're curious you can download some of my sermons online by going to my main website (http://www.keithgiles.com) and clicking on the left-hand side under "Podcasts". (You don't need Itunes or an Ipod, just click on the link and it will start playing in your web-browser.)

CHEESE!
If you'd like to see my photos you can visit my Flickr site here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46151765@N00/

FEEDACK:
You can email me here:
"ELYSIANSKY" (at) "HOTMAIL" (dot) "COM"
*remove the quotes and stuff and you can shoot me an email

AND...
I have a MySpace Account but honestly I'm hardly ever there:
http://www.myspace.com/keithgiles

FINALLY:
I'm very excited about what God has in store for our family in this new year. I have dozens of articles I want to write, and I'm putting the final touches on those two books, so please keep reading these things as they come.

I also really enjoy the dialog and feedback from you people so don't be shy about sending me an email now and again to let me know what you think about what I've written.

Happy New Year!

Peas,
Keith
***
[END TRANSMISSION]