I was in Jerusalem Israel for an international convocation with over 3,0000 Christian Leaders around the world gathering to pray for the nation of Israel. I was speaking to many in this small but important nation about how Israel is important to not only God, but to the Asian nations. Why should we pray for Israel?
This past week I came back from my spiritual retreat to an email box full of hundreds of emails that I had not answered, voice mails asking me to respond and many people wanting to meet with me personally about different things. At first, not thinking too much about it, I decided to respond to many of these requests. For a few days I had back-to-back meetings on many exciting new projects, proposals and exciting opportunities. Although, I came home at the end of the day excited about all these new ideas and projects, something inside of me didn’t feel at peace.
Whenever I don’t feel peace in my heart about something I
Every summer I take time out to go on a personal spiritual retreat. This summer I went to a special location called the “Prayer Caves” (www.prayercaves.com) in Southern California to pray and fast for four days. The experience was powerful. I came back spiritually refreshed, recharged and refocused in my life mission and purpose. During those four days I slept, prayed studied God’s word and only drank water in an actual mountain cave.
Some people would ask, “Why spend four days in a cave to pray?” My answer is
ON THE MOVE
EAST WEEK #23 ~ WE NEED RIGHTEOUS ROLE MODELS NOT CELEBRITIES
In the past year I have had the opportunity to work with many celebrities and artists in the entertainment field counseling, advising and being a pastor to them spiritually. I began to ask the Lord why He had opened this unique door of mentoring artists & entertainers to me, specifically I heard God say, “I am raising up righteous role models to positively influence the next generation for My purposes.”
Why is it important to see artists/celebrities as key influencers in this generation? Because we live in a post-modern culture today that sees leadership and authority very different than the generations before it. Before postmodernism there was modernism and pre-modernism (Christendom). Let me explain each from a Western context to make a point…
Christendom
The understanding of church that developed after Emperor Constantine made Christianity an official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century so that the church became a pillar of society and Christianity the dominant religion.
Modernity
The historical period that emerged in the West around the turn of the 16th century
EAST WEEK #22 ~ “JUDGE NOT OR YOU WILL BE JUDGED”
(I wrote this East Week article a few months back … in light of Tiger Woods, we need to pray for those who are exposed in sin and darkness, love them and not judge them. We all can stumble, but it’s God’s grace that brings us back to life. Pray for those who fall to find grace and truth in Jesus Christ!)
Recently in Hong Kong many celebrities have had to come clean with their mistakes and sins. I simply want to write this to ask everyone to continue to pray for many of the celebrities/artists who have had to face public disgrace and scrutiny. Pray that each of them can find grace, healing and restoration in their lives from devastation and humiliation. Some of these artists/public figures have professed faith in God and making an honest effort to turn a new leaf. Please remember, no one on this earth is perfect, only God is. Our faith is not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ. The Bible says, “judge not or you will be judged.” Jesus did not come to save the righteous, but He came to seek and save the lost, the least and the last. He came to save every one of us from our sins and mistakes.
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