2012: Picking Up where We Left Off

by F. L. Anderson:

I’m not one that mistakes emotional fervor and hype for anointing. I don’t, can’t and won’t get into the New Year "prophetic" words. You know, "This is the year of revival! This is the year of His power. This is the year of increase! This is the year of harvest." I tune that mess out. Much of it is emotional, and the other is spiritual manipulation.

For me, the New Year brings things to remembrance. I don’t focus or get excited about what God WILL do, but what God has ALREADY done! We can feel all warm and fuzzy about the wonderful words and clap at what God will do, while conveniently forgetting that wherever people are obeying Jesus, they are seeing the Kingdom multiply.

In 2012, Simple Church Ministry is picking up were we left off in 2011, laboring in the trenches, building relationships, planting and watering. 

We are excited about our 2012 Adopt a Complex mission.

While others say come, we say what Jesus said, "GO". Not everyone will come out of their homes to join a community or group of believers, therefore, we take the gospel of Jesus to the people.

Can you picture a church of hundreds of believers but not in a mega-church facility? This is what Adopt a Complex is about. For one hour, once a week, we will come to the complex and help provide the residents with groceries, gifts for the children, meet and pray with residents to bring life, where there may not otherwise be a healthy community of believers.

Want to be a part of Adopt a Complex? There are four key areas where you can get involved.

Jesus commanded us to pray for the labourers! He did not ask us to pray for the harvest. The gospel of the Kingdom only has power as it is demonstrated and declared outside the four walls of our comfort zones!

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest?' Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest", John 4:35.

The problem was not with the harvest, but with the labourers. Why? Because harvesting is hard work. Wherever the field, you have to get dirty and involved.

(Watch) Hell: We can't afford to get it wrong

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"Real" Christian churches in America will soon be forced to go underground

By Eryn Sun:

“In the past three decades, or so, many of the mainline Christian churches have slipped away from their foundation on the Holy Scriptures and adopted more and more secular tenets and leftist, politically correct, philosophy until they have become only a shadow of the true followers of Christ,” he penned on Tuesday.

“In my opinion, those denominations can no longer claim to be ‘Christian’ churches simply because – they are not.”

“It is a very real threat, especially to the evangelical church in America,” he added. “As a result, those churches which hold true to the Gospel, now feel that they must consider meeting in secret for Bible classes, for worship services, or other Bible centric gatherings.”

Even the government in America has criminalized biblical preaching and prevented thousands of churches and clergymen from practicing their faith without threat of penalty from the authorities, he charged.

“The Christian Church, I believe will be driven underground in America, as it has been in other nations around the globe. Otherwise, it will cease to exist in this land many firmly believe was founded by Christians,” Longstreet concluded. Read more

The Perception-Reality Gap in the American Church

by Steve Crosby:

According to George Barna, 98% of pastors believe themselves to be gifted teachers, and 80% believe that they are effective disciplers. Yet only 26.9% say they consider God's perspective when making decisions (73.1% consider "perceived needs" of th e congregation when making decisions); 88% of young people "leave the faith" after they get out of the homes of "evangelical" parents. The data can go on, and on, and on. It's all negative. By any and all objective measures, "church," as it has been commonly known and expressed in the West, is a failure.

In any other category of life, other than American churchianity, a perception-reality gap like this would require professional mental health treatment and institutionalization. Read more