Greg Fisher's Notes

Our Job: Rescue Mission? Or Attracting The Affluent?

I can still remember as a boy growing up in Church our congregation used to sing a funny old song: "Rescue The Perishing, Care for the Dying".  That was a song to remind of us of the mission of the church:  We were to be a rescue outfit.  The idea of being an entertainment center for the affluent was never a focus--that I can remember. 

In my younger adult days I worked as a volunteer "First Aider" on the community ambulance. (There wasn't any such thing as an EMT/ Paramedic in those days!). When the phone rang we dropped whatever we were doing and came running. Someone was in peril and needed rescue!  

Now, the perishing and the dying--the walking dead--are all around us without much notice by the Christians.  Why is that?  Did Jesus go out of the rescuing business because "Love Wins"?  Is it because the walking dead look and act so differently from us?  Or, do we hope that someone else will do the rescuing, get the wounded and dying cleaned up and presentable, and we'll take it from there?  What happened to that urgent mission to resuce the perishing?  

Maybe our Worship Team needs to work that song back into the song list. 

Are You Ready For 2012?

IIf I am to believe the various conspiracy theories that continue to pitch up in my in box 2012 is going to be a bumpy ride for humanity.  But, who are we to believe? Nostradamus or the Holy Bible?  

On Sunday 1st January 2012 Margaret and I will be talking about the possibiities for life in 2012. --CLICK HERE FOR THE PODCAST--. Since we know God to be a God of purpose, who has created our lives with and for a purpose, the frightening predictions of catastropy don't worry us. 

I recorded this short video to encourage you to think about some of these issues from a biblical perspective. 

The Challenges of 2012--And How We Intend To Meet Them!

“Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.” Pr. 22:28

About ten years ago I was teaching Introduction to Sociology to undergraduates in a degree program in Kampala, Uganda.  Most of my students were pastors, and one of their huge concerns were the ways in which society in Africa was rapidly changing to imitate some of the less desirable aspects of Western culture.  I agree with them.  Many of the waves of change washing up on the African shore were not good at all.  In fact, they will prove to be quite damaging.  But, as I pointed out to my students, the problem is not the waves of changes we see coming—we cannot stop them anymore than we could stop the waves of the ocean from washing up on the shores the Indian Ocean.  The problem is: How will we deal with the changes and to what extent will those changes make a change in the message that we preach.

As the year 2012 dawns, Margaret and I will be in our 44^th year of ministry.  During those 44 years—from starting to preach the gospel on the streets and in the parks of Spokane, Washington—to pastoral ministry, missionary ministry, college professor, and now, mission administrator…we continue to run the race that is set before us.  During those 44 years we have seen many changes in the church come and go.  We initiated many of those changes ourselves—in an attempt to “serve our own generation by the will of God.”  Now, our generation is beginning to slowly pass off the scene and a new generation is beginning to rise.  Who will follow us?  Who will pick up the torch to continue to run the race after it falls from our hands?  Is there another young “Greg and Margaret” out there that is ready to leave behind the dreams of success—as the world judges success—and, ready to follow where ever He may lead?  In times of trial and poverty?  In times of success and acclamation?  In times of opposition and frustration as well as times of ease? 

If so, then may I entrust to your ears the same words that have rung in my ears for these 44 years. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that believeth…: Rom 1:16  “…Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”  2 Tim 4:2  It is around these scriptures that my life has revolved—and, will continue to revolve until I cross that finish line.  The world that I live in now is reaping the confusion and dissatisfaction that comes from living a boundary-less life.  They hunger for the stability of a society with established norms—laws—of society that bring meaning to life….while objecting to any boundary that might curtail their own freedom and choice.  What must we—the Christian leaders do?  We must hold forth the unchanging boundaries of the Gospel of Christ without shame and fear, and we must be faithful to preach the Word of God—the whole counsel of God—without bending or twisting the meanings to satisfy the nihilism of our present world. 

2012 will prove to be a challenging year for those who would remain faithful to the Gospel.  I pray that God will strengthen you in this task.

In Him,

GREG 

Can You Trust The Bible?

If my facebook page--and BlogTalkRadio--is any indication prophets abound by the tens of thousands. Each with their own "prophetic" word of wisdom to announce. Some, are inspirational and encouraging. Most are warning of dire disaster waiting for the world. Some are not even Biblical in content. 

But, we DO have a more sure, a more secure word of prophecy upon which we can build our lives! 

This secure word is called the Holy Bible, and it contains all that we need for salvation and holiness. But, can even the Holy Bible be trusted? Or, does it require some special interpretaion skills to make it apply to daily life? 

Join Greg and Margaret as they talk about the SECURE WORD OF GOD on this edition of Second Half Christians 

Rob Bell, Francis Chan--and, Hell.

This is simply the most inspired YouTube video I have seen in a VERY long time! 

Margaret and I do Internet Radio. Does Anyone Listen?

Each week Margaret and I do a 90 minute Christian talk radio program that is also distributed as a podcast. From the downloads, we do know that we are reaching about 17,000 people with our programs. 

But, you can wonder, does the podcasting/blogtalkradio ministry that Margaret and I do actually reach people? If so, are they touched in any significant way? Those are questions that Margaret an I keep asking ourselves. Last night one person in the BlogTalkRadio chat room shared this information. A year ago in December her grandchild was born with Odine's Curse--a respiratory disorder that is fatal if untreated. Persons afflicted with Ondine's curse classically suffer from respiratory arrest during sleep. This very rare and serious form of central sleep apnea involves an inborn failure of autonomic control of breathing. It may also involve brain stem damage. There are only about 200 known cases worldwide each year. We had prayer for the family and the child on our BlogTalkRadio show about a year ago. The very next day the child began to breathe normally...and, now, a year later, appears completely normal. Even so, without God's intervention, most people with congenital Ondine's curse do not survive infancy.

It's Something About Honor, Liberty, and Hope, Son....

Today I've been home on sick call, hoping to beat a sore throat respiratory something-or-other before I share it with my staff people. I also have, thanks to my son-in-law Lee Lorenz, a state of the art jim dandy Phillips blu-ray player that does everything but sweep up the pop corn and thank us all for coming out to the show.  So, I fired up my Sony surround-sound to "full bore sonic damage" levels and watched Pear Harbor.  Margaret wasn't around so it fully sounded like Pearl Harbor was once again under attack in our living room--and, I loved it. The neighbors were evidently all away at work or there would have been a "SWAT situation developing in the near Northeast Heights of Albuquerque". 

I was glad I was alone.  Because that one part that always "gets" me...got me.  It's the part where Franklin Delano Roosevelt is standing before the joint assembly of Congress intoning those famous words, "Yes-te-day (pause) December seventh nineteen forty-one (pause) a day that will live in infamy ..."  I hear those words and some kinda wet little droplets start creeping out of the corners of my eyes and I think about my dad.  

Dad was actually on the only part of the continental United States of America (or, at least it is NOW) that was invaded by the Japanese:  Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.  (And, YES, he could see Russia from there).  Dad never talked much about the war, other than to give the impression that it was something like a cross between summer camp with permafrost, with the officers as camp counselors, and trip to a place you wouldn't ever want to repeat. I pretty much accepted that explanation until about age 12 when Dad caught me going through his top dresser drawer.  (Don't ask me why I was doing something as stupid as that.  I was twelve years old, that's why). There were Kodak prints of the beaches of the Aluetian Islands littered with the dead bodies of Japanese soldiers.  Dad took the pictures out of my hand, without a rebuke, and said he hoped those pictures represented something I would never need to know about.  That was the extent of any serious conversation about the war until the day he died.

FDR and my dad had something inside of them.  It is called honor.  It's something that today's culture wouldn't recognize easily.

Then I remember last week having a conversation with my youngest grandson about the original thirteen colonies.  "What brought those people here?" I inquired.  His answer:  "They saw the land was good and there were lots of resources to get rich and they had slaves." That lit a fuse under grandpa that grandson had rarely seen lit.  

"WHO TOLD YOU THAT?" I shouted! 

"My teacher." 

"YOUR TEACHER IS FULL OF ... " and here I used a good old Kansas farm word that I had heard even my "saved-sanctified-and full of the Holy Ghost" Dad used on occasion. 

"But they had slaves Grandpa.  First they made slaves out of the indians and later they brought slaves here from Africa."  Yes, they had slaves. They didn't invent slavery--that was already a fact of life in both the Americas and Africa long before our ancestors were born--it doesn't make it right, in fact it was terribly wrong.  I went on to explain that one of his ancestors had fought in the American civil war to bring an end to slavery.  But, none of that explains why they came.  They came to escape tyranny.  "...our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."  They brought forth a nation conceived in Liberty and not Wall Street greed! A nation conceived in Liberty and not the proposition that the world owes us all a living just because we breathe. "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." it was about LIBERTY, son. LIBERTY! 

Unfortunately my grandson is growing up in an uncivil society ruled over by men who have neither honor or conscience.  Something P.J. O'Rouke once called "a parliament of whores".  But I have hope that one day again some men of the stature of FDR and my Dad will once again rise up and teach our society how to live once again in honor, with liberty, and in hope. A way of life that will once again capture another quote from FDR's declaration of war speech.  A phrase seldom quoted or shown on video:  "That the American people in their rightous might ..."  We haven't had that "righteous might" in  avery long time.  I sure hope it returns along with the liberty, the honor, and the hope.  

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Shouting ENOUGH!!

This morning I am thinking about. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me 
To preach good tidings to the poor; 
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 
To proclaim liberty to the captives, 
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, 
And the day of vengeance of our God; 
To comfort all who mourn, " Isaiah 61"1-2 

IT is verse 2 "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn." that has my attention. I've had some experiences in life that many of you have not had. I've walked through the aftermath of genocide. I've stepped over dead bodies of people on the street in Monrovia, Liberia. I've seen people trapped into abject poverty and economic slavery primarily because of the essential unfairness of the world economic system. I have seen people suffering deprivation in IDP and refugee camps. I've seen it with my own two (often tear filled) eyes. Nobody should ever accuse me of not caring about peace, justice, and hunger as proper causes ... or that I heartlessly or dogmatically or ignorantly prioritize the proclamation of the Gospel of the kingdom of God over meeting these needs. Not until they've walked where I've walked and heard what I have heard. 

I realized long ago that economic unfairness, slavery, deprivation are all built into our world's system. I've done the best I can do with the little that I have to alleviate suffering. But, it winds up being done on a micro scale at best. Lack of peace in this world, social, economic, and forensic justice will always evade our best efforts to bring about change. 

Then, there's verse two that gives me hope and keeps me going. "The acceptable year of the LORD'. That is a reference to the year of jubilee in the Old Testament. They year when the LORD GOD took responsibility for all the debts. The year when the LORD GOD accepted the responsibility for the economic unfairness that had sold people into slavery. The year when the LORD GOD opened the prisons to those who were bound. The year when the LORD GOD--as it were--"re-booted" the social, ecnomic, and legal system. But, how does God do that?  How does he make right the debts? Does He just write them off?  Does he expect everyone to just ignore them?  How does He do it? 

My friend, there is a day coming...and, it isn't far off...when the Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, king of Kings, God of God, Light from Light, very God of Very God, the Lamb slain for the sin of the world, will step out onto the world's stage with the announcement of a trumpet and a shout of exclamation: "ENOUGH!" Enough disease. Enough sorrow, Enough deprivation, Enough war, Enough corruption. ENOUGH!!! 

Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain on our world. 
Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain on our best efforts to rectify the wrongs.
Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain on the world's economy.
Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain on EVERY political system, theory, and methodology.
Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain in the form of racism, ethnocentricity, pride of life, lust of the eyes, and rebellion against righteousness. 
Sin has, indeed, left a crimson stain on my life. 

But, verse two is telling me this: God is accepting responsibility because Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. 

The message that Jesus preached wasn't the Four Spiritual Laws. It was an announcement: Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand! He was making an invitation to those who repented to have a citizenship in this new kingdom...a kingdom that would come out of the rebooting of the system. 

Are you ready for the trumpet and shout that is coming...the trumpet and the shout that will reboot the system? Are you ready to exercise your kingdom of life under a new king of Kings? 

REPENT!

African Novels and The Last Days of Elisha the Prophet.

This morning I was strongly reminded by the Lord of a book I was assigned to read while attending the University of Ghana.  It is a famous African novel called Things Fall Apart.  It is the story—from the Traditional African Religion view—of Christianity moving into the Igbo culture of Nigeria.  That movement caused—in the author’s mind—“things” (i.e. the status quo) to simply fall apart.  Some of the “things” that fell apart were evil, some neutral (in terms of “is it good?” or “is it bad?”, and some of the “things” were actually quite good and the church and missionaries did a very poor job of either rescuing/restoring/renewing the good…or, replacing them with better “things” that might have even more glorified God.

This concept of “things just falling apart” is actually quite Biblical.  1 John 3:8(b): “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”  The Greek word translated “destroy” in that verse is the Greek word “luo” which basically means “to loosen” something.  The idea here is that the manifest presence of the Son of God causes the “glue” that holds the Dominion of Darkness together to simply “falls apart” at the seams. 

Ok..so here is the point I am seeing:  What if the Holy Spirit began blowing some new winds of the Spirit across the world in preparation for a new season of both the End Times AND a huge in-gathering of souls into the kingdom of God?  And, what if the manifest presence of the Son of God at and through your ministry caused some really precious, valuable, and worthy “things” to fall apart because they were no longer needed or necessary for the task of completing the Great Commission at this season in history? And, what if we, like Chinua Achebee (the author of Things Fall Apart), had difficulty wrapping our minds around what is happening?  And, what if—because of desire to hold firm to our “good things” like our perceived assignment from God, our enviable Christian hegemony in our culture, and our understanding of how to use marketplace technology for Gospel ministry—we were actually trying to keep holding on and keep a no longer useful “thing” in place.  Wouldn’t there be a tendency for us to interpret these changes as “firey darts of the enemy” when in fact they are the arrows of God falling in this new season?  The arrows of God might be designed to render harmless “things” that were formerly good and even godly to make way for the new and even more powerful. This has led us to experience a season of uncertainty in ministry. Rob Bell has flirted with universalism, Mark Driscoll has made a turn back towards a more biblically based historic Christianity, Jack Hayford is semi-retired, BIll Bright has gone on to his reward, Billy Graham is, evidently, cramming for his finals--and, the rest of us are scratching our heads wondering what is coming next. 

So, that brings us to technology.  All our wonderful technology available to Christian ministry, whether cutting edge web, social media, smart phone apps, podcasting, or whatever…that is a “thing” and it isn’t the ministry. I can see an important difference between technology for ministry and the priestly and prophetic calling of the Church. It’s more like this: In 2 Kings 13:14-19 king Joash makes a visit to Elisha who is on his deathbed with a terminal disease.  In the course of the visit Elisha commands Joash to take a bow and an arrow in hand.  Then, Elisha stands behind Joash and puts his hands over the kings hands—in much the same way that someone giving instruction would do—and together they shoot an arrow out the east window of Elisha’s room.  This is to indicate that Joash will have victory over the Syrians. 

Can you imagine that?  A king needing instruction in how to shoot a bow and arrow?  Or, was Elisha preparing him for something momentous?  All of our technology are things…but, the proclamation of the Gospel, the scriptures, and making disciples are NOT things….and, there is a huge danger that the church will “thingify” ministry. (All we gotta do is get these things,use these methods, distribute these books, these DVD's into people’s hands and something good wlll happen).  All of these things are nothing unless they are in the hands of anointed men and women of God who are equipped with the THINGS to make a difference in this new period of history. The glory of God—just as it was in the Old Testament—will always ride on the shoulders of men.  Maybe a different metaphor for some current ministry is more like the actions of Elisha.  Maybe God is calling some of us to be the prophet standing alongside the church….hand over hand…bow and arrow in hand….shooting out the eastern facing window.  The Church is expert at what it does.  It doesn’t REALLY need instruction in preaching the Gospel, making disciples, running programs,  etc. Just like King Josiah didn't need instruction in using a bow and arrow.  But, we MIGHT be finding ourselves helping to re-orient the direction of the Church and—in a sense—help the Church make the leap into a new era of ministry and victory. 

If that were so, wouldn’t it make this season of uncertainty and change worthwhile?

Margaret and I, along with our guest Craig Forrest, will be talking about some of these ideas LIVE on Sunday evening at 7 PM (MOUNTAIN) on Second Half Christians with Greg and Margaret. It should prove to be a stimulating conversation.