At the heart of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, in the megacity of Jakarta, Indonesia, a church this Sunday will hold its 100th open-air Sunday morning service next to a main road—because a city mayor is afraid to insist that a Supreme Court order is carried out.

Bogor City, 60 kilometres south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, is said to be one of the world’s most densely populated areas. In April 2010, Bogor’s Taman Yasmin Indonesia Christian Church (GKI Yasmin) was sealed and padlocked by order of the mayor of Bogor and the city government. According to a national paper, the mayor claimed that the previous sub-village head had falsified community signatures and that the church brought trouble with local Muslim neighbors. Later he said that the church should not be built on a street with an Islamic name.

In December 2010, the Indonesian Supreme Court affirmed the church’s constitutional right to freedom of worship; however the mayor refused to reopen the church. The Indonesian Ombudsman’s Office also urged the Bogor city administration to withdraw its later 2011 decree annulling the church’s construction permit.

GKI Yasmin’s congregation resorted to conducting services on the pavement in front of their former church for more than two years. During services outside the church, they constantly faced harassment from groups of protesters—including from Islamist extremist groups such as FORKAMI (Indonesian Muslim Communication Forum), GARIS (Reformed Islamic Movement) and the FPI (Islamic Defenders’ Front). 

Fearing further aggravation from hard-liners, members of the Protestant church then held clandestine services at the houses of congregation members. In 2012, they started to conduct Sunday services in front of the State Palace, to further their case with the government.

The Bogor City Government reportedly allocated land for the replacement church some seven kilometers from its previous location, and a budget of up to 4.5 billion rupiahs ($305,000) for a new church. The West Java regional government said it could provide up to 10 billion. But it is by no means certain that, even should the church agree to relocation, which so far they utterly refuse to do, they would be allowed to build a new church. Among other things, they would have to obtain a new building permit, which would require them to obtain approval signatures from 60 local residents and 90 of the church congregation itself (all proved by local ID cards).

Indonesian President Jokowi, who completes one year in office in October, has introduced some improvements for the country’s minority faiths, but a case like this one still shows how much room there is for progress. A recent report says he has the power to enforce the highest court’s order on Bogor, but so far he has taken no action. The report continues, “As Human Rights Watch noted, Jokowi has also sought to “outsource a solution to Indonesia’s religious intolerance problem to NU and Muhammadiyah, [Indonesia’s two largest Muslim organizations].” While they both promote tolerant versions of Islam, the report says “some of the growth of extremism, which has many facets, can be dealt with only with the power of the state”.

For World Watch Monitor, Vishal Arora went to visit the Sunday morning service outside the Presidential Palace. 

Meanwhile, Aceh—the only Indonesian province enforcing sharia law—is among the most hostile places for Christians to live. On August 18, for the third time in 30 years, the Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church (GKPPD), in Singkil regency, was burned down in a fire that reduced the building to ashes in only 20 minutes.

A police investigation discovered a traditional machete and the wheel traces of two vehicles at the site. Despite this evidence, they announced a few days later that the fire was presumably caused by a short circuit, stopping further inquiry.

Fear of upsetting the majority community is believed to be another factor: after an arson attempt at the church in 1999, a mob threatened to set fire to the police station if arrested suspects were not set free. The demand was immediately granted.

Three hundred and fifty church members now hold services in the church yard. They gathered funds, bought a tent, and set it up for Sunday services.

“We know we are being watched by the extremists. Some even threatened to destroy the tent,” the leader of GKPPD in Singkil, Rev. Erde Brutu, says. “But I remind the congregation: ‘Don’t give in to the temptation of fighting back. If we retaliate, how are we different from those who trespass against us?'”

Rev. Erde says he is almost desperate over the repeated incidents: “Pray that God will touch the perpetrators’ hearts and turn them to Him, as well as for the law to be enforced in other similar cases in my hometown.”

Indonesia ranks #47 on the 2015 World Watch List, the annual list compiled by Open Doors International, which works among Christians under pressure for their faith.

Video Text

I’m worshipping here in front of our presidential palace because the GKI Yasmin church in Bogor cannot worship [in its own building] on Sundays,” said Adhi Nugroho Chandra, a member of the church, which was sealed off in 2008.

The GKI Yasmin church has been meeting outside the president’s office in Jakarta since 2012. This month, it will hold its 100th worship service on the street. It holds them every two weeks at 1 p.m., come searing heat or torrential downpour: the two or three other Sundays it meets in a variety of places. Its building in Bogor city, in Jakarta’s suburbs, remains sealed in defiance of a Supreme Court order. The mayor of Bogor is under pressure from Islamist groups to restrict the congregation from using their place of worship.

“It’s very hard to be a minority in Indonesia, and we have to fight for our rights,” said Dwiati Novita Rini, a lay leader of the church. “It’s not easy but it will not affect my faith.”

While they are holding on to their faith in God, church members are now beginning to lose their confidence in the influence of President Jokowi, who will complete one year in office in October.

“I think the problem remains because the president did not dare to take action,” Chandra Juliar, the pastor of the church, said. “The leader should have the courage to take action and enforce the law. We can’t afford, as a nation, to let this problem remain if we want peace in Indonesia.”

President Jokowi was expected not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono, who was criticised for being indecisive and weak before Islamist extremists. Jokowi appears to have the will to enforce the court order, but that involves taking a political risk. To function as president, he needs cooperation from parliament, which is dominated by opposition parties, including Islamist groups. Going against the Bogor mayor could have political repercussions.

“The mayor, who, I think, is the key person who can decide what happens in Bogor, still has people around him who are intolerant,” explained Rini.

Christians acknowledge that President Jokowi has brought at least some change in the religious atmosphere of the country. For example, extremist groups like FPI and GARIS now appear to be less active.

“In Bogor, the leader of the group GARIS, which protested against our church, is in jail, and the protests against us are now getting lower and lower,” Rini said.

The GKI Yasmin church says it will continue to hold as many worship services on the street as it takes to regain their right to use their church building.

“We are often asked how long we will struggle,” said Pastor Juliar. “We have to carry on until we get justice. Yes, we are very tired and our hope at times starts to fade, but as believers, we won’t give up. Our struggle is not only for our needs, but also for others who deserve peace. So we will achieve our goal to build our beloved Indonesia to be a peaceful country.”

Entertainer Tisha Campbell-Martin’s powerful new single preaches the freedom of forgiveness.  

Campbell-Martin uses the musical poetry of “Steel Here” as a way to purge anger, grudge, pain, low self-esteem, self-deprecation or any negative emotion.”

In the video, Campell-Martin inscribes herself with the words her alleged rapist wrote in an apology letter. The star goes from darkness to light, from shame to freedom, in the single.  

“It allowed me to FORGIVE and I’m so incredibly grateful,” she writes on Instagram.  

Watch the video to see what we mean. 

Who are you to judge me?!”

This question makes the rounds frequently. On the blogosphere, in the Twitter feed, pinned and posted, the message is blaring: “You have no right to judge me!”

And in one sense, I totally agree. I have no right to judge you.

If I were the authority of the universe, I would have that right.

If I owned the corner on truth, I would have that right.

If you came into existence because of my will and creative effort, I would have that right.

If my word were the final say, I would have that right.

If I were God, I would have that right.

But the fact is, I am not God, but God has spoken. He has given His judgment on matters of ethics and morality. He is the authority of the universe. He does own the corner on truth. We did come into existence because of His will and effort. His Word is the final say. And God has the right to judge.

In fact, God is the Judge.

And He is a gracious judge.

“Should not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25).

God has provided us with His judgment through His Word. When Christians address moral issues and make a judgment based on Scripture, we are not “judging” that individual on the basis of our own authority. Our judgment is delivered from the authority of God’s holy Word—not our own fallible word. Admittedly, we can mishandle His Word; we can misinterpret it and muddy the delivery or misunderstand the context at times. But delivering clear scriptural truth is God’s Word bringing judgment.

Jesus’ Instructions

Jesus gave some pointed instruction as He warned us about judging others. He didn’t tell us not to deliver judgment; He told us how to deliver it:

“You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:5).

He gave these specific instructions to warn us that we’d better not confront someone else’s sin until we first deal with our own hearts. This same instruction is repeated in the Gospel of Luke. Later in the book of Matthew, Jesus gave a process we refer to as “church discipline,” in which the first step involves confronting someone in their sin:

“Now if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Matt. 18:15).

That sounds an awful lot like “judging” someone.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he provides us with a bit of guidance in how we approach someone when we need to confront them and “deliver a message of judgment” (a word of truth from Scripture):

“Brothers, if a man is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, watching yourselves, lest you also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

Paul’s instruction is helpful, it places a guiding principle for us to follow as we approach someone who is “caught” or entangled in a sinful lifestyle. Paul (as inspired by the Holy Spirit) warns us that we are in danger of falling into the snare of sin and we must be careful and watchful of our own hearts. Our motive in having this conversation must be restoration.

Preparing Our Hearts

Some questions that might help with heart preparation before “delivering judgment” would be:

1. Is my motive pure? Is my greatest concern spiritual deliverance or restoration?
2. Am I approaching this issue as a self-righteous bigot, or am I offering truth as one who is equally in need of God’s transforming grace?
3. Am I more concerned about winning an argument for morality than I am concerned about my opponent’s need for salvation or spiritual growth?
4. Am I prepared to give a biblical and gracious defense of my position?
5. Am I addressing a truth issue, or is this a preference issue?
6. Is this the best time to have this conversation?
7. Have I thoroughly prayed over this conversation?
8. Am I reacting in pride or humility?
9. Are my emotions sinfully involved with this issue?
10. Can I convey love to my opponent as I deliver this message of truth?

Have you been slammed for issuing “judgment”? I hope you’ll run through the questions above when you’re tempted to confront someone. Jesus provides ample instruction for delivering the truth in love, and when we fail to do that, we aren’t being faithful to love Him or others well.

What are your thoughts on “judging others”? {eoa}

Taken from Kimberly Wagner’s blog post “10 Questions to Ask Before Judging” on . Used with permission. 

They feel “violated,” but not in the way you might expect. 

Duggar sisters Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald told Fox’s Megyn Kelly their feelings of helplessness do not come from their brother Josh’s actions, but the media’s response. 

Josh, the eldest Duggar son, enrolled in rehab after news surfaced he cheated on his wife Anna through an Ashley Madison account.  

In late May, Josh addressed allegations he molested five minors, including sisters Jill and Jessa.  

While many have vocally supported the Duggar girls, posting comments about how they “feel” for the victims, the sisters are saying that’s precisely why they feel “violated.” 

Watch the video to see more. 

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When I lived in Malaysia, I was given the opportunity to go to a conference in Bangkok, Thailand. While there we rode a tuk tuk, which is a Thai taxi, down to the plaza where they were selling anything and everything you could think of. With the Thai Baht being 36 to 1 against the U.S. dollar, we felt like millionaires in that place with our minimal money. While there, I found a T-shirt that I liked and it said ‘SAME SAME’ on the front and ‘BUT DIFFERENT’ on the back.

Little did I know how true these words were in so many areas of life. As I was blessed to travel to a variety of international cities, like Bali, Indonesia; Singapore; Phuket, Thailand; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I came to realize that all cities, cultures and even people are same same, but different.

One of the challenges Christians around the world face is competition in the body of the Christ. People are competing for pulpits, positions and people. We measure success by the size of our church, the title we carry, the amount of money in our bank account or the places we have been and experiences we have had.

Whether in one of the large churches in Nigeria or small house churches in China, believers are battling the same voices that seek to put them in competition with one another, rather than in complimenting each other. It is same same, but different in the church just like in the world. But this should not be, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to be the light of the world, not the echo of the darkness.

Mark 10:45 says, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Every human being that is called by the name of Jesus Christ is the same, we have the same calling, we carry the same value, we are all called to be servants, but we are different in our function. There is only one calling for a believer and that is to be a servant, but there are a variety of functions that this calling operates out of. In the kingdom of God, there is no hierarchy, no competition, because we are all servants of the Most High God and each other.

Jesus’ calling was to be a servant, but His function was to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and die for the sins of the world. Even though His function changed throughout His life from carpenter’s assistant to Rabbi, His calling as a servant never did. That is why John 13 says that Jesus, knowing who He was, took a towel and began to wash His disciple’s feet. He knew He was called to be a servant, so whatever function He did had no relevance to His value.

Every person has the same value in the eyes of God, He values us as servants, sons, daughters, and no one has more value than another to God, so where does the challenge arise? The challenge comes because we as people place differing values on differing functions.

We have been taught that the function of apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist, president, pope or CEO has more value than that of dishwasher, domestic engineer, street sweeper, or janitor. We decide what functions have what value and so we jockey for position, we speak of promotions, and we have an identity crisis when our function changes, because we see value in function. But God only places value on calling, the calling to be a servant.

If you think about it, every function is just a different way of being a servant. We could end the battle of pride, envy, jealousy and jockeying for position if we realized we all have the same calling, the same value, but different functions and responsibilities.

Galatians 5:25-26 (VOICE) says, “Now since we have chosen to walk with the Spirit, let’s keep in perfect sync with God’s Spirit. This will happen when we set aside our self-interests and work together to create true community instead of a culture consumed by provocation, pride and envy.”

We are the same same, but different.

Lisa Great is an author, speaker and blogger with Mouthpiece Ministries International. She has been in ministry for over 25 years, she has a BA in Youth and Family Studies, a MA in Education. She can be reached at ; ; or on her Facebook page Lisa Great.

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Hues of blues, pinks and other pastels encircled a jelly-fish-like cloud over the mountains of Costa Rica.

Spectators pointed with both their fingers and cameras, capturing the sign in the sky.

Some are looking at the phenomenon as the beginning of end-time prophecy. Watch the video to see what we mean. 

Dear friends, as director of African-American Outreach (AAO) for Priests for Life, please allow me to say, “be encouraged as you continue to preserve true human rights and fundamental freedoms; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Today we gather at the World Meeting of Families to proclaim that the family is a cornerstone of our society. Yet as we gather together, that cornerstone is being chipped away by forces that want to destroy our communities, that want to destroy our families and our very lives.

Yes, today we are witnessing attempts to distort the meaning of human rights in order to advance an evil agenda; one that is authored by the father of confusion and lies.

This agenda destroys life, family and communities. 

We must resist this agenda with all our might. We must not fall for the deceptions of the anti-procreation agenda; rather we must continue to expose their lies and affirm the truth that God made us all equal as human beings, understanding that all behaviors do not have equivalent worth and outcomes.

It is urgent that we stand as a united people in defending the beauty and future of the natural family and the beauty and innocence of all our children. Too many young lives have been lost to child abuse, abortion and the sickening trade of selling aborted baby parts. Please do not participate in this evil and risk the Lord’s great and coming wrath.

I urge you to defend the integrity of just laws and remember as my uncle Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

My uncle ML, my father the Rev. A.D. King, and my grandfather Daddy King were all pro-life during their lifetimes. They didn’t believe that abortion was a civil right. They would never have agreed that abortion and carcinogenic birth control methods are health care. They never discovered the hidden agenda of death birthed by Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood. They also refused to associate the anti-natural life and marriage agenda with the civil rights movement.

We have always been a strong family. Granddaddy convinced my mother not to abort me in 1950. Abortion was illegal back then. Two decades later, after the deaths of my daddy and uncle, when abortion was becoming legal in America, I suffered two secret abortions and a miscarriage. In the mid 1970s, Granddaddy once again stepped in and convinced me not to abort another baby. I once was blind and now I see.

My family bloodline has had a Christian worldview for generations. As an example of this, Uncle Martin Luther King Jr. clung to the Scriptures and refused to acknowledge human sexuality and abortion rights as issues that needed to be addressed on the public platform where the battle for skin color equity was being engaged.

On the other hand, today I’m sure that they would agree that the sanctity of life is part of the civil rights public platform, because life is a human right. And as such, we must fight to protect all lives because God’s love matters.

In my recent open letter welcoming Pope Francis to America, I asked if the lion can lie down with the lamb? I believe this can happen when as my uncle Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, we must all “learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish as fools.” Yet we have a ways to go before we get there.

I work towards this goal at Priests for Life, in my work with AAO, informing, educating and activating the black community, spreading the message that abortion ends a human life. Abortion is harmful to the mother, father, the family and the community. This truth is paramount because many do not know that blacks are being aborted at disproportionate rates compared with all other people groups.

Further, as a global spokesperson for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, I share how the loss of my two aborted babies and a miscarriage, caused by abortion related damages to my body, has affected me. My children lost three siblings to abortion. My mother has three less grandchildren to love. Society has lost three contributors to the fields of medicine, or science, or education and business, or perhaps even the next great president. Only God knows for sure.

Yet faith, hope and love remain. Rachel’s Vineyard, where I received my own post abortion healing, offers God’s love and forgiveness to all who repent and ask for his mercy. No one needs to suffer alone. With over 55 million abortions since 1973, Rachel’s Vineyard has helped thousands of men and women to heal from abortion’s scars.

Abortion shockwaves have been felt across every area of our lives. Abortion has touched many families in one way or another. Abortion is not just a choice between a mother and her doctor but a choice that affects all families and society as a whole.

In the 20th century my uncle said that “America will not reject racism until America sees racism.” In the 21st century Fr. Frank Pavone says that “America will not reject abortion until America see abortion.” I agree.

We know that America is beginning to see abortion in all its evils. Thanks to the Center for Medical Progress videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s and other human harvesting agents’ horrific atrocities against the most innocent, vulnerable members of our human family, the time is right to stand up for life, to demand accountability, and to demand that our government stop supporting abortion and its by-products.

My friends, all human beings are born into a world of sin. Yet, we can all be transformed by being born again. Yes, we are in challenging times, and difficulties still lie ahead but we have a sovereign Lord who is the victor and is truth.

Dear friends, as we wage this battle to uphold the safety and sustainability of the human family, I urge you to stand for God’s truth, to live by God’s truth and pursue this truth in all areas of life.

God bless you all.

Following the biblical pattern of the Shemitah combined with the signs of the end times, it makes sense that some would speculate that the tribulation is close.  

But will Christians have to endure the prophesied events, or will Christ rapture us away to His kingdom? 

The second is more likely, author and speaker John Shorey tells the Jim Bakker Show. 

“The church people want God to do everything the way they think it should be done,” Bakker says. But God is not bound by human thought. 

For Shorey, that means taking a closer look at when the rapture will happen in regards to the Great Tribulation.  

Take a look.

Biblical submission is a highly controversial topic in today’s society, and I believe the definition has been twisted and molded into something it was never meant to become.

I believe submission within a marriage goes hand in hand. And while many people like to spin Scripture in order to hold an iron first over their wife, I believe God’s intention for marriage was something quite different. It was never meant to be about control. It was never meant to be about ownership.

Our Household

When it comes to the Wilson household, my wife and I have come to the agreement that we will discuss big decisions as a couple—all in hopes that we are truly seeking what is best for our family in the eyes of God. Your household might be run a little bit differently, and that’s OK. The point is to come to a decision that you can both get behind as a married couple.

My wife has entrusted me with leading our family, but that doesn’t mean I am the almighty dictator. In fact, it’s quite opposite. I never make decisions without her. I value my wife’s opinion and voice just as much as I do my own. It’s an honor to lead our home together, and the reality is I couldn’t do it without the support and wisdom of my wife.

She’s a champ. We do it together and that’s how it should be.

What Does the Bible Say?

“Wives, be submissive to your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head and Savior of the church, which is His body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. In this way men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord cares for the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:22-32, MEV).

After reading through those passages of the Bible, it’s clear what God’s intention for marriage is. But while the intentions seem clear to me, I believe many others have interpreted these words for their own benefit. Let me explain …

Here are three things “Wives Must Submit to Their Husbands” doesn’t mean:

1. A husband gets to bully his wife around. Biblical submission and bullying don’t mix. Let’s not forget that Ephesians 5:25 states that a man must love his wife as Christ loved the church. Christ never bullied his people but instead loved cared and nurtured them on a daily basis. Let’s also not forget that Ephesians 5:28 states that husbands must love their wives as their own bodies. When putting both of these verses into personal application, a husband is not to bully nor control his wife, but instead love and nourish her the way Jesus loves his own people.

“My wife has entrusted me with leading our family, but that doesn’t mean I am the almighty dictator.”

2. A wife must submit to whatever her husband says. A man isn’t his wife’s boss, nor is he her slave master. Being a man doesn’t give one any special treatment in the eyes of God, nor does it give someone the freedom to make one’s wife do whatever he pleases. This isn’t a dictatorship. Mutual respect and honor must be present in any marriage that is yearning to last the test of time.

3. A wife has no say in decision making. As much as some men would like it to be, this isn’t true either. Marriage is a joint effort. And although some households might decide on giving the man the final say in big decisions, one must understand that a woman’s voice is just as important if not more in certain circumstances.

The Bible states that a man and woman will become one flesh in the eyes of God, which means both parties must work together for the betterment of their marriage, family and life.

Jarrid Wilson is a husband, pastor and author relentlessly sharing the love of Jesus. For more from Jarrid, visit .

When Pat Schatzline wrote I Am Remnant in 2014, it hit such a chord with people that he renamed his ministry “Remnant Ministries International.” As he traveled around the country speaking at churches, pastors and others would tell him—often with tears—how it resonated with them and that they were part of the remnant God was calling, but that they felt unqualified.

That led to his latest book, Unqualified, which shows how God always uses those who are unqualified to accomplish His will—in other words, those who are humble and know they must depend on God because they can’t do it themselves.  

The book resonated with me because I certainly felt unqualified when I started Charisma magazine as a 24-year-old newspaper reporter. I still feel unqualified as I try to mobilize the church, involve myself with the culture wars or speak at places like the United Nations about the persecuted church.

I had the privilege of publishing Unqualified, but time doesn’t allow me to read all the magazines, Internet content and books we publish. Yet somehow I felt drawn to this book. I try always to read a book during my daily quiet time to challenge me spiritually, and I’m glad I read this one.  

Pat is the consummate storyteller. Known for his crazy humor and unique ability to communicate God’s Word with passion, he says his desire is to introduce a generation to the awesome love of the Father and to see God’s last day remnant make a stand for truth through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The chapter that grabs most readers is titled “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” in which Pat shares how he learned the nature of God. He also tells about a troubling dream during the summer of 2014 in which a wave washed across a map of the United States. In the dream, he shouted to people to jump to safety. One day he was crying out to God, reminding Him that He’d promised never to destroy the world again with water.

He writes, “Then I heard God say, ‘Son, the dream you had was not the destruction of America, but a wave of My glory that will flood America!

“I said, ‘Lord, I want to see America shaken by Your glory, but it seems so far away.’  The Lord then spoke again to me. He said, “Get ready, because it is coming!”

How encouraging that message is in a time when what we see around us and the messages we hear from leaders are often the opposite.

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw 25 endorsements in the front of the book received before it was published. I’d never heard of many of the people, but there were also well-known leaders like Sid Roth who wrote, “If you are unqualified plus Jesus, you are qualified and chosen to be front and center for the greatest harvest in history.”  

Marcus Lamb went even further, “The book will help change the course of the church for generations to come.”

One thing I liked is the way the author added “quotes” from a wide variety of people on what it means to be unqualified. These are “extras” because they aren’t part of the text itself. If you simply flip through the book and read them with their gray background and different type font, they will inspire you.

Some like Joel Stockstill have national influence. He wrote, “The unqualified are those who have paid the price to walk closely with Jesus but have not been noticed by man for extreme gifting or personality. The playing field is being leveled by the Lord of the harvest and the laborers of true passion are being released.”

Others were students like 20-year-old Tommy Vardaman of Portage, Indiana, who said,  “I would rather be considered unqualified, because then it is no longer about what I can do but what He can do through me.”

The one I like best came from pro bass fisherman and winner of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic—Randy Howell of Springville, Alabama. He wrote, “The fishermen that Jesus called were the perfect example of the unqualified, but the only qualification Jesus asked for was faith.”

Who should read this book?

• Anyone like me who likes to be inspired during their quiet times
• Pastors looking for pithy content to inspire their sermons
• People in general who feel unqualified and want to be encouraged—almost like a spiritual pep talk
• Those believing for an end-time harvest who want to understand strategies and to see God’s plans and purposes

Pat’s book is for the humble and for those with a heart to serve the kingdom.

“The spiritual depth of the unqualified will not come from degrees on the wall or memberships in prestigious God clubs, but from the classroom of brokenness,” Pat says. “God doesn’t look at polls or opinions when He chooses His leaders. He always looks for someone with a heart, regardless of what the world thinks.”

Do you remember the book The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren? It was also a book that resonated with people. But when it came out, Rick Warren was not well known. Pastors and others who had been touched by his ministry began talking about the book. The book took off, inspiring and influencing millions to find purpose in their lives.

I urge you to purchase Unqualified and read it. It’s available wherever Christian books are sold or you can quickly download it on Kindle. You can purchase it through one of the online bookstores like Christian Book Distributors or .

Pat believes passionately in this message. He’s on a mission. The book is born out of that—not just a desire to write a book. But, he needs your help to forward this message on social media or to talk about the book within your circle of friends.

And as always, leave your comments below.