[BBC News]

A minister posed as a tramp and gatecrashed his own service to teach churchgoers about “acceptance”.

The Reverend Derek Rigby donned a wig and some torn clothes and surrounded himself with lager cans and syringes in the church doorway on Sunday morning.

Most of the congregation at the Trinity Methodist Church in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, ignored the intruder.

The vicar said most were “embarrassed” by their behaviour when he finally revealed himself during the service.

The former police officer had told the congregation he would be late for Sunday’s service, and only informed one church member of his true plans, in case anyone decided to dial 999.

Read more here.

[From me]

Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.‘

I wonder if I would have stopped. Looks can be deceiving. God loves everyone yet we build churches in suburban areas to reach those who look good.  We give a dollar here and there.  But do we really want them in our church or homes?  Ouch!  That will preach.

What do you think?

Today I was studying for Sunday and the Small Church Conference when a young man from Mobile, AL walked in the doors of our church office.  He must not have looked at sign to see what we are.  Lynn, our children’s director asked me to come out and talk to him. He was a clean cut Asian American from Bayou La Batre near Mobile, AL. He wanted to sell me some trinkets to support “One Family.”  I politely listened to him talk and then asked what he believed it took for a person to go to heaven.  He gave me a great Sunday School answer about accepting Jesus.  But as I pressed him he admitted that they believe you must “do” works to enter heaven.

I knew immediately what he believed when he gave me his card and it had the Unification Church written on it.  Their beliefs are not Christian as they say.  They say they trust Jesus but they believe Jesus failed in His mission because He died on a cross.  Click here for more on their religion.

My heart broke as he left our office.  Because as soon as I began sharing with him the “Good News” that you don’t have to work for heaven, he tried his best to get out as soon as possible.  The only thing that would make this day any better is if a Mormon Elder came by for a visit.

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a newly published report, are ones whose beliefs are known to conflict with traditional Christian teaching.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many Christians as cults, reported the largest membership increases in a year, according to the National Council of Churches’ 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses currently rank 25th in size with over 1.06 million members, they reported a 2.25 percent increase in membership since the publication of the 2007 Yearbook. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also known as the Mormon church – grew 1.56 percent and is listed by the NCC as the fourth largest “church.”

Notably, however, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon church are not accepted within many Christian circles as part of the larger Body of Christ over a number of controversial beliefs that the two religions hold. Identification of the former religion as Christian, among other controversies, is debated largely due to their rejection of the Trinity, which most Christians regard as a fundamental doctrine. Latter-day Saints, meanwhile, are often criticized for their belief in “divine” books of scripture, aside from the Bible, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

Mormonism was formally listed under “cults and sects” by the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the nation – but was more recently categorized among “newly developed religions” on the North American Mission Board apologetics page.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I wonder why NAMB no longer calls the LDS a cult.  Both LDS and JW are cults. There is no evidence that any of their claims are true.  The LDS change their theology when it is challenged by the culture.  They use plagiarized versions of the KJV of the Bible in their “holy books.”  The Jehovah’s Witnesses butcher the Bible with their translation.  The realtity is having a relationship with Jesus is the only way to experience abundant life here on earth and in the afterlife.

The truth is that both the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are more serious about evangelism that the Christian churches.  The Christian churches have become more involved in politics and arguments with each other then to look around at our communities and neighbors who are dying and going to spend eternity away from God.

What do you think?

This is my daughter Hope telling her story of leading her friend to Jesus.

[Christian Post]

Super Bowl Champion Coach Tony Dungy, who announced Monday that he will continue as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, said his return is a chance to continue his ministry. After the Colts’ loss to the San Diego Chargers in the divisional playoffs last Sunday, Dungy spent a week talking and praying with family members and friends to decide on whether he should return to football or retire.

On Monday, the deeply religious Dungy, who has published a memoir on how his Christian faith has affected him on and off the field, said he felt coaching was the best pulpit for his message.

“I enjoy my job, the players, the staff we have here and Bill (Polian) and Jim,” Dungy told reporters. “But it is a platform and that’s something I talked to my wife and pastor about. I said ‘I could stop and start a ministry, but I might not have a platform like this.’”

“I look at this as a job,” he said, “but I also look at it as a ministry … I might not have as effective a ministry as I have right now.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

I love Tony Dungy. He is the real deal. Just imagine if every believer saw their job no matter what it was to be an effective witness for Jesus. If we all allowed Jesus to live through us we could truly change the world.

What do you think?