Despite having a 4 percent chance of recovery, Casey Treat says his blood work shows no sign of the liver disease
After a public battle with hepatitis C, Seattle pastor Casey Treat says he has been healed of the viral liver disease.

Though doctors gave Treat only a 4 percent chance of complete recovery, the pastor of 7,000-member Christian Faith Center said blood tests in March showed no trace of the disease he had been battling since late 2003.

Doctors, nutritionists and physical therapists each claimed credit. Treat, 50, attributed it to all of them working in tandem with God’s healing touch. “My approach has always been to use prayer and doctors,” Treat said. “We should use every endeavor God has given us for healing.”

In 2003, before Treat learned he had the disorder, much had been going his way. He was launching a huge building project and broadening his media ministry. But a simple medical exam to qualify for a life insurance policy threatened to upend it all.

“I was shocked and dismayed,” he said. “This was not good. God got my attention.”

Now a husband and father of three, Treat believes he contracted hepatitis C as a teen. Before he accepted Christ at age 19, he had been a drug user and was part of the hippie subculture of the day. He said it was during a time of drug rehabilitation that he first heard the gospel.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with hepatitis C often experience no symptoms for years–and Treat had not seen any signs. Nonetheless, 70 percent of infected persons might eventually develop chronic liver disease. The worst cases need liver transplants. A few die.

Because hepatitis C cannot be transmitted to others through casual contact, Treat continued his ministry activities, but he also began chemotherapy. He chose to
keep his condition private until he started losing hair and weight.

When the news was public, Treat used himself as a living illustration. He preached a series titled “How to Be Your Best When You Feel Your Worst,” and reminded teens that dangerous behaviors such as drug abuse and premarital sex can have latent consequences.

As Treat battled for his health, Christian Faith Center continued to expand. What started with 30 people when Treat was 24 has matured into one of the largest churches in the Pacific Northwest and now meets in two locations. More than 150 people work on staff for the church and its affiliated grade school and Bible college. Treat also hosts international radio and TV broadcasts.

After fighting a lengthy zoning battle, Christian Faith Center plans to move into a $40 million headquarters next year that will house a 5,000-seat sanctuary. The facility will be located in Federal Way, Wash., between Seattle and Tacoma.

Today Treat preaches regularly at both Christian Faith Center campuses, taking a helicopter between the two. And he still has big plans. Within 25 years, he wants to double the number of campuses and grow the congregations to at least 100,000 people throughout the Pacific Northwest.

In his early years, Treat was influenced by such charismatic leaders as pastor Frederick K.C. Price in Los Angeles. Now, he mentors others.

“Casey has a major influence on pastors, both nationally and internationally,” said Jim Reeve, senior pastor of Faith Community Church in West Covina, Calif. “But he has gone beyond just being an influential leader or a model to becoming a father for other pastors of independent and charismatic churches.”

Reeve often invites Treat to preach at Faith Community Church and has hosted Treat’s Vision conference. “Behind the scenes, Casey lives what he teaches,” Reeve said. “Of all the people I know, he is one who truly walks what he talks.”

Bill Wolfson, senior pastor of Church for All Nations in Tacoma, agreed. “Casey walks it,” Wolfson said. “He is a man of faith. But more than that, he is a man whose faith works by love.”

Treat said his approach is simple. “I keep trying to be a better Christian every day,” he said. “This is the key to staying on course and reaching your destiny.”
Steven Lawson

Ministers say the Navajo Nation is experiencing a move of God that is marked by dozens of salvations and healings
Some communities in the largest American Indian reservation in the U.S. are experiencing a move of God that ministry leaders claim is comparable to the miracles recorded in the book of Acts.

They say that in parts of the Navajo Nation, entire families have come to Christ, crack houses have been turned into houses of worship as drug dealers have been converted, many have been delivered from alcohol and drugs, and a well that was dry for years is now filled with water that brings healing.

“The only big name involved in this revival is God, and it is sweeping the Navajo Nation,” said Ray Saragosa, missions pastor of New Song Fellowship, a 300-member charismatic church in Denver.

Saragosa has taken ministry teams seven times to the Arizona communities that are located in the Navajo Nation, which extends through a large portion of the Grand Canyon state and into New Mexico and Utah.

The Navajo Nation is the largest of the 275 reservations and 500 federally recognized tribal governments in the U.S. Roughly the size of West Virginia, the territory covers 25,351 square miles and has a population of 180,000, according to census reports.

Since May 2003, Saragosa, 51, has taken truckloads of clothing, toys, bikes and furniture to Ganado and Whippoorwill, Ariz., located approximately two hours northeast of Flagstaff, Ariz.

He said the Navajo people live in poverty-stricken circumstances, and most of the church buildings are “very rough,” but that has not stopped them from attending revival services.

“Many of the meetings are held in tents, which are simply put up somewhere and the people flock in by the hundreds, hungry for God,” said Saragosa, who is Mexican-American.

A Navajo native who was raised on the reservation, Daniel “Larry” Furcap, senior pastor of Whippoorwill Fellowship Church, said a “full explosion of revival” is happening in Whippoorwill and Ganado, which are about an hour apart.

“It seems like the Lord started doing the outpouring beginning in December 2003,” said Furcap, 42, who is ordained in the Church of God (Cleveland, Tenn.).

Furcap and Sammie Begay, senior pastor of Ganado Glory Temple, held what was supposed to be a weeklong revival.

“During the revival meeting, we preached about the grace of God,” said Furcap, who has seen the church grow from eight members to 135 since he became pastor in 2000. “Through that the people accepted that they were accepted and redeemed. That’s when they opened up and when the outpouring started taking place. The week of revival kept going on and it continued for weeks.”

Furcap said nearly 200 people have accepted Christ in Whippoorwill, Ganado and the community of Hard Rock, which have several thousand residents.

“Two couples in Whippoorwill who were the main drug dealers of the town got saved,” he said. “Their houses had bullet holes and no windows. Everything was trashed. The people from our church came out to clean their houses, remodeled and painted their houses, got their power turned back on, and gave them food. They’re now holding jobs and are part of the church.”

Shirley Baker said she and several of her siblings got saved last year after one of her brothers and a nephew, who were both Christians, died. “We went through a lot before we knew God,” said Baker, 42, who attends Whippoorwill Fellowship. “I would drink three or four nights each week, and I didn’t think about anything except to get drunk again because there was no one to turn to for love or forgiveness. But now He has set us free from sins.”

Besides deliverance and salvations, Furcap said he has seen supernatural signs and wonders. He said a well close to the Lord’s Church near Piñon, Ariz., which was dry for years, was suddenly filled with water in April 2004, attracting people from outside the reservation. “People who drank or bathed from the spring experienced healing in their body,” Furcap said.

He added that members of the Lord’s Church reported seeing an oil-like substance on the walls during services, as well as the appearance of gold-colored dust and nuggets.

“I believe God is really moving in the Navajo Nation,” he said. “The reason is that people have opened up to God and said, ‘We’re willing for You to do great and mighty things.’ They have laid down their religious things. They want Him to be in control. The Word of God says where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty.”
Eric Tiansay

Sammy Mah’s appointment is part of a corporate restructuring designed to boost the organization’s ability to respond to disaster
As part of a major reorganizing campaign aimed at positioning World Relief to be a leading advocate for the world’s poor and needy, the Christian humanitarian organization recently appointed a former General Motors executive as its president.

Sammy Mah was to be installed as head of World Relief April 18, ending a leadership search that began last year after the resignation of former president Clive Calver. Previously Calver had been general secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain, the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

Now senior pastor of Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Conn., Calver is credited with having raised the visibility of World Relief and crystallizing its vision of “helping churches help churches help the poor” during his seven-year tenure.

“We all credit Clive with polishing off the vision we were founded [on],” said acting president Tim Ziemer, who was to step down April 18. “We understood that the church’s role is to reach out and do compassion ministry. When you do that compassionate work and you evangelize, you see light. One without the other doesn’t necessarily get you where you want to go. It’s not the whole gospel. Clive came to this organization and made sure we all knew that.”

Both Ziemer’s and Calver’s resignations came as part of a massive restructuring aimed at transitioning World Relief from a traditional style of ministry leadership, in which an organization is led by a visionary president and operations are carried out by an executive director, to a CEO model.

“We really believed we had some of the finest technical people in World Relief,” said board chairman Gordon MacDonald. “What we needed was leadership at the top in this new era who would bring the best out of the competence we have. … We were not looking for a leader who was going to give us a new mission or take us in new directions. We were looking for someone who would take this mission and run with it.”

MacDonald said the new structure was needed to enable World Relief to realize a series of resolutions the board adopted last year. Among them is a desire to make World Relief, which is the humanitarian-assistance arm of the NAE, a leader in addressing such issues as refugee resettlement, the AIDS epidemic, micro-enterprise and food development, and child mortality.

“We don’t have any sense of urgency to be the biggest; we would never come into World Vision’s league,” MacDonald said. “But quality-wise, we would like to be among the best.”

He added that World Relief wants to sound “a prophetic voice” to the U.S. church to remember the poor. “The average Christian in America doesn’t see his or her commitment to the issue of the poor as an evidence of conversion,” MacDonald said. “And we would like to be a leader organization in the 21st century of making sure that the Christian community gets that message. That this is not an option; it’s a given.”

Other humanitarian organizations, such as Compassion International and World Vision, which operates a budget close to $1 billion, have been using a CEO model for several years. Describing Mah as “a very godly man with very vigorous and deep faith in Jesus and a great sensitivity to God’s calling and leading,” MacDonald said the board believed Mah was “capable of running a finely tuned organization and bringing out the best in individuals.”

The son of Chinese immigrants, Mah earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and spent 27 years as an executive at General Motors. He and his wife, Lorelei, and their three children have been active in youth ministry at their church, Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brighton, Mich., and have participated in missions trips to various parts of the world.

Mah’s arrival comes as World Relief continues to recover from a challenging 2001 move to Baltimore. The relocation consolidated offices in Illinois, New York and Georgia and largely is viewed as a positive change. But it also resulted in a significant loss in domestic staff, as some key personnel chose not to transfer. The organization, which operates a $40 million budget, later cut additional staff due to a decline in giving after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

MacDonald said World Relief has braved the worst of the transition, and he is optimistic about the organization’s future. Despite the changes, Ziemer said, World Relief has been able to respond to recent natural disasters, with teams going to work in Indonesia after the tsunami, Grenada after Hurricane Jeanne and Iran after an earthquake struck in December.
Adrienne S. Gaines

Frank Meyer recently launched Evangelism for Cowards to teach Christians how to boldly share their faith
New York City minister Frank Meyer isn’t afraid to go public with his faith, and the city’s subway system is his pulpit.

Preaching and staging evangelistic skits on crowded, noisy subway trains, Meyer said he’s used to facing rejection, weird stares and insults. “The Holy Spirit gives me courage,” he said.

The 42-year-old usually opens with a song such as “Amazing Grace” or “Blessed Assurance” before jumping into a mini-sermon or leading a team in an attention-grabbing skit. “I just sing quietly and very mellow,” he said.

He earned his evangelistic spurs in 1990 serving a one-year internship at Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan while attending Dallas Theological Seminary. Searching for a strategy to share the gospel with city dwellers, he took a leap of faith into the subway. He began by singing hymns while commuters waited for trains. “I stood there and just was scared, scared, scared,” he said.

Feeling crushed from a barrage of negative jibes, he recovered his confidence when a man urged, “Don’t ever stop what you’re doing.”

Meyer became a born-again Christian through Campus Crusade for Christ at Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After working in the industry for two years he heeded God’s call to ministry. Following seminary he worked for a homeless program in Dallas and then the Bowery Mission in Manhattan before transitioning into subway evangelism.

Every skit presentation is an adventure. “The Matrix Man” skit begins when the team casually enters a subway car. A man conspicuously bothers a woman team member who rebuffs him. Meyer, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, stands up shouting, “Sir, would you mind leaving the woman alone!” After more banter the man pretends to start a fight with Meyer who yells, “I can whip you with my pinky.”

The man collapses on the floor when Meyer points a finger at him, then another team member challenges the crowd about death and eternity and commands the man on the floor to arise. The skit ends with a short gospel message, tract distribution and talks with willing passengers. The team then boards another train.

“Evangelizing on the subway has helped me to be more public with my faith in my neighborhood, in my apartment building and in my work,” said team member Kate Gleason, a college professor who describes herself as a quiet person.

Some passengers respond favorably and gladly accept tracts while others show hostility. “I think it’s disgusting,” a sneering woman told Charisma after refusing a tract.

New York City Transit spokesman James Anyansi said Christian groups are allowed to hand out free information to passengers as long as they don’t disrupt the flow of traffic. Unless a passenger is being harassed, he said, the transit doesn’t respond to complaints about not wanting to receive information.

Besides weekly subway runs, Meyer trains church groups in evangelism under the umbrella of Mission NYC ( ), an evangelical ministry that sponsors short-term missions programs.

Mission NYC will train 60 to 100 teams totaling 2,000 to 3,000 people this year, reported Executive Director Rick Camacho. He endorses Meyer’s style of initiative evangelism. “There is not a single cookie-cutter approach to evangelism,” he said. “Frank offers a vehicle that is unique and breaks through the noise.”

Meyer recently launched Evangelism for Cowards, a ministry aimed at helping Christians share their faith one-on-one. He conducts seminars in churches and provides eye-catching literature. “It’s focused on helping people who never share their faith learn simple ways of getting involved,” he said.

One of his favorite ploys is asking a stranger, “Could you give me a really difficult question about God?” He claims that people respond favorably 80 percent to 90 percent of the time.

“Christians live their lives so afraid of evangelism,” he said. “Christ said the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. It’s scary at first, but it’s so rewarding.”
Peter K. Johnson in New York City

Gwen Edland describes book of Acts-style miracles when recounting her ministry travels to more than 40 nations
Instead of relaxing in retirement, a 70-year-old Nebraska grandmother has become a globetrotting evangelist, willing to share the gospel even in the world’s more dangerous places.

Sometimes teaming up with the Omaha Rapid Response Team to offer food and supplies, other times going off on her own, Gwen Edland has prayed with thousands to receive Christ in more than 40 nations, including Iraq, China and Russia. A registered nurse, certified teacher and licensed pastor, Edland has given away countless copies of the Jesus video and the evangelistic Step Up to Life (SUTL) booklet, which has been translated into 28 languages.

Despite the danger she sometimes faces, Edland believes she is serving out her life’s purpose. A widowed mother of four and grandmother of 12, the Canadian native once prayed that God would send her to places where people have not heard about Jesus. It seems her request was granted, though her first missions trip wasn’t exactly to reach a remote people group deep within the 10/40 Window.

Instead, in 1991 she traveled to Sweden, where she said God miraculously taught her to speak Swedish and she preached the gospel to everyone who would listen. “All people have a right–it’s their birthright–to know their Creator,” Edland said.

A member of Trinity Interdenominational Church in Omaha, Neb., Edland accompanied a Baptist medical team to Hinche, Haiti, in 2000, 2003 and 2004. They assisted a Haitian dentist and doctor and distributed Creole Bibles, eyeglasses and medicines. She reported that 200 people made decisions for Christ each trip. Among them was a voodoo priest who accepted Christ in 2000 and subsequently brought 25 of his warlock friends to hear about Jesus. In 2003 Edland saw him again, cleaned up and studying the Bible with other former warlocks.

“[Edland] is constantly encouraging people to reach out to the poorest of the poor in the world,” said Trinity missions pastor Connie Bissen. “This woman will travel anywhere in the world in order to share the love of Jesus. What a beautiful example she has been to many in our congregation as well as our city.”

Edland accompanied a Tennessee medical team to Recife, Brazil, in 2003. The group visited men sentenced to life in prison for murder and their involvement in gang violence. That year, she said, 480 inmates came to Christ; the following year she reported 850 converts.

In Rio de Janeiro, Edland and her translator went into the darkest ghetto, where the police wouldn’t go. “You need this. Jesus loves you,” she told the drug lords as she handed out SUTL. “They started reading it on the spot,” she said.

Edland has taught English in Chinese universities nearly every summer since 1994. She said the Bible is her textbook, and she shares Jesus with everyone she meets. One year a university president affiliated with the Communist Party accepted Christ after he and Edland read SUTL together during lunch.

“Being with Gwen is like walking with a modern-day Moses because it seems like the sea just parts and we walk right through,” said Dave Collins, who heads Trinity’s pastoral care ministry and has accompanied Edland on trips to China. “It’s an astounding experience. She’s so dedicated and so focused in her devotion to the Lord and the Chinese people.”

And the testimonies keep coming. From her Omaha home, where she hosts parties and Bible studies for international students, Edland describes one adventure after another, many ending with dramatic accounts of miracles or salvation experiences.

On their first trip to Iraq, Edland said, one of the intercessors began praying intently as she handed out SUTL booklets on Iraqi streets. The police came to arrest her, but then stopped suddenly and left.

In Brazil, a missions team prayed for a deaf and mute teenager who came to their medical clinic. Edland anointed his tongue, and his ears popped and he began to speak.

When Edland accompanied an international disaster team to Iraq in 2004, thieves shot a hole in their car door as they traveled between the Jordanian airport and Baghdad. “God kept us safe,” Edland said. On their return trip she said there was a dense fog around their car until they passed through the area where the shooting occurred.

This year Edland journeyed with the Omaha Rapid Response Team to southern Asia after a tsunami devastated the region. She helped build shelters until pain in her hip sent her to the hospital. While there, she said she led the head of the orthopedic department to salvation.

“I remember Jesus said, ‘If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me,'” she said. “If people don’t hear about Jesus, they will go to Hell, and that is unthinkable.”

Audrey Hebbert in Omaha, Neb.

Diane Knippers Dies
Diane Knippers, president of the Institute for Religion and Democracy, a conservative think-tank in Washington, D.C., died April 18 of complications from colon cancer. She was 53. Named by Time magazine as one of the nation’s most influential evangelicals, Knippers was an outspoken critic of liberal moves within mainline Protestant churches, especially the Episcopal Church, and was an advocate of persecuted Christians around the world. She is survived by her husband, parents and brother.

Florida Pastor Clint Brown Faces Legal Battle
Dennis Leonard, pastor of Heritage Christian Center in Denver, has filed suit against Florida minister Clint Brown, saying Brown has refused to repay a $100,000 loan he sought to help buy a building for his church, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Leonard’s attorney, Howard Marks, said the pastors made a verbal agreement that FaithWorld would repay the loan. The suit claims that Leonard has not received the money and seeks compensatory damage and interest, the Sentinel said. At press time, neither attorneys for FaithWorld or Brown had commented on the suit. Brown also has been sued by a former member who claims he owes her $200,000. Brown says the money was a gift.

Gospel Artists Recognized At Dove Awards Show
A cross section of Christian music artists were recognized April 13 at the Gospel Music Association’s 36th annual awards show in Nashville, Tenn. Among the Dove Award recipients was Casting Crowns, which was honored with seven awards, including Group of the Year and song and songwriter of the year awards for lead singer Mark Hall. Switchfoot received four awards, including Artist of the Year. Jeremy Camp and Nicole C. Mullen were awarded male and female vocalist of the year awards respectively. The Crabb Family received four awards, including recorded song of the year honors in the Southern Gospel, country and traditional gospel categories. Awards show co-host Israel Houghton received Doves for best contemporary gospel song and album.

‘PREACHER BUSH’ SHARES FAITH WITH REPORTERS
President Bush talked to the seven reporters traveling with him on Air Force One about Jesus after attending the pope’s funeral in Rome April 8. For 47 minutes, Bush and the journalists had an intimate, friendly chat largely about the pope, his legacy and Bush’s own “walk with Christ,” The Washington Post reported. Bush said attending Pope John Paul II’s funeral strengthened his faith, his belief in a living God and in how religious faith is a lifelong journey. “I think a walk in faith constantly confronts doubt, as faith becomes more mature,” Bush said. “And you constantly confront, you know, questions. My faith is strong. The Bible [says] … you’ve got to constantly stay in touch with the Word of God in order to help you on the walk.” Bush told the pool of reporters who travel with the president that it is necessary to find ways to strengthen one’s faith. “It’s called a ‘walk,'” he said “It’s not called a moment or a respite. It’s a ‘walk.'”

PASTOR SPEARHEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUGE GAY EVENT IN JERUSALEM

Joining forces with ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel and rabbis from the U.S., a charismatic pastor has launched an international campaign against the 10-day WorldPride Parade scheduled to take place in Jerusalem this summer. Leo Giovinetti, who leads 2,500-strong Mission Valley Christian Fellowship in San Diego, is seeking 1 million signatures for a petition () against the mid-August gay-pride festival, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish mayor, Uri Lupolianski, opposes the event but said he is powerless to interfere because the police, not city hall, license public events. Giovinetti planned to hand-deliver the petition to each member of the Knesset. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Prayer Team () has also started a petition against WorldPride.

OREGON SUPREME COURT NULLIFIES GAY MARRIAGE LICENSES
In a unanimous ruling the Oregon Supreme Court nullified nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County in Portland last year, the Associated Press (AP) reported. In its April 14 decision, the Court said a county cannot defy state matrimonial law, which bans gay marriage, and noted that voters approved a constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex unions even more explicitly. Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski said April 13 that he will push to allow same-sex couples to form civil unions, giving them many of the legal rights of marriage. The Oregon Court’s ruling came a day after Connecticut became the second state to offer civil unions to same-sex couples. Massachusetts is the only state that permits gay marriage.

AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION ENDS PROCTOR & GAMBLE BOYCOTT
The American Family Association (AFA ) has suspended a four-month boycott of Proctor & Gamble (P&G) products, claiming the company has backed off efforts that were supportive of homosexual lifestyle. The AFA reported that 400,000 people signed pledges to boycott P&G after the campaign was launched in November and endorsed by Focus on the Family. “Insofar as we can tell by our monitoring, P&G has stopped their sponsorship of TV programs promoting the homosexual lifestyle, such as Will and Grace, and they have stopped their sponsorship of homosexual Internet sites,” AFA chairman Donald Wildmon said. His organization claims P&G has sponsored gay pride parades and gay workshops, and has required its employees to participate in sensitivity training that promotes acceptance of homosexuality.

Jordanian Islamic Court Grants Child Custody to Christian Widow
A court of Islamic law in Amman ruled in favor of Christian widow Siham Qandah, revoking the legal guardianship of her children’s Muslim uncle. On April 12, the court removed Abdullah al-Muhtadi from his court-designated guardianship and ordered him to repay misspent funds, Compass Direct reported. Al-Muhtadi, who had 30 days to appeal the ruling, has been fighting a seven-year legal battle to wrest custody of his niece and nephew from Qandah. Qandah and her children live in the northern city of Husn, where they attend the Husn Baptist Church. Under Jordanian law, once the children turn 18, they are allowed to choose whether their official identity will be Muslim or Christian.

Eritrean Christians Jailed For Viewing Home Video
Eritrean police arrested 16 members of the Kale Hiwot Church on March 13 after they were found watching a Christian video together in the town of Adi-Kibe, Compass Direct reported. Two older women were released the following day after paying fines, but at press time the other 14 remained jailed, though no official charges had been filed. In September, the northeast African nation was added to the U.S. State Department’s list of “countries of particular concern” for its religious freedom violations. Eritrean officials deny ever-increasing reports of a severe government crackdown under way against Protestant churches, Compass said.

Pentecostal Pastor Still Missing in Indonesia
The family of Pentecostal pastor Jokran Ratu, kidnapped Dec. 3 on the remote Indonesian island of Buru, still does not know whether he is dead or alive, Compass Direct reported. “We always ask the police whether they have made progress or found Mr. Jokran’s body,” the Rev. Henry Lolaen, a pastor from nearby Ambon island, told Compass. Meanwhile, police were preparing for the April 25 anniversary the Maluku Sovereignty Front’s failed attempt to gain independence. Last year, an illegal flag-raising ceremony led to violence between Muslim and Christian groups in Ambon, leaving at least 20 people dead and dozens of buildings destroyed, Compass said.

BOOKS

Changing the World Through Kindness
By Steve Sjogren, Regal, hardcover,
224 pages, $.

With a simple but powerful message, author Steve Sjogren challenges Christians to use the oft-forgotten weapon of kindness to win unbelievers to Christ and help transform lives. In his latest book, Changing the World Through Kindness, Sjogren puts a practical handle on this spiritual principle.

Using colorful illustrations and vivid examples, Sjogren, who founded the Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, writes that kindness is every bit as important in spiritual warfare as casting out demons or praying earnestly for others. Kindness can penetrate the spiritually darkened hearts of people with God’s love.

The author leads Christians to witness to nonbelievers in unconventional ways such as cleaning toilets at bars and stores, feeding expired parking meters and washing cars. “By serving in kindness we’re building bridges to the unchurched that will transport them toward a relationship with God,” Sjogren writes.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever thought they “weren’t spiritual enough” to engage in spiritual warfare, or for those who are looking for ways to influence others with their faith. The author is simply challenging Christians to be available to be used by Christ in word and in deeds.
Tracee N. Mason

Launching Your Kids for Life
By Bob and Cheryl Reccord,
W Publishing Group, softcover,

240 pages, $.

All good parents want their children to grow up to be happy, productive and effective adults. And for Christian parents, they add to this determination the desire to see their children bringing glory to God by fulfilling His purposes for their lives. A daunting task, but with God’s grace and wisdom–and with the insights Bob and Cheryl Reccord offer in their newest book, Launching Your Kids for Life–families can have more direction, vision and success.

The Reccords offer mental pictures, poignant parallels and practical steps to help parents create childhoods that lead to meaningful adulthoods. Consulting with NASA executives and astronauts, the authors weave an inspiring comparison between child “launching” and space-shuttle launching–both “launches” have similarities–from mission control (parents) to ground crews (grandparents, teachers, church staff and others).

The authors challenge parents to have the humility and the spiritual fortitude to “abort” a mission; in other words re-evaluate situations and begin again. For example, if extracurricular activities are distracting children from school or causing negative attitudes, parents need to stop the activities, decide what is best and then start again on a new, adjusted course.

These are tough decisions, but “it comes down to [parents] having the guts to make judgment calls, regardless of the criticism and hurt feelings that may result,” the authors write. It’s not easy to “abort” a mission. But regrouping can help parents learn what they did right, how to do better and what has to change in order to help their children become all that God created them to be!
Kristi D. Shores

MUSIC

Great River Road
By Jason Upton, Gotee Records.

Worship leader Jason Upton’s new release, Great River Road, is a collection of introspective acoustic worship tunes. Upton’s voice blends well with the low-key musical experience, which mixes elements of folk, pop and world music.

Upton fuses many flavors of international music on songs such as the orchestral “King’s Way,” “Chop Down the Tree,” which features spoken-word Scripture, and the melodic title track. “When It Thunders” speaks lovingly of a paternal relationship with God, and the romance of “Return to Me” parallels the far-reaching love of Christ. “Trust Again” is a solemn message of healing for the hurting.

Because Upton has been compared to music pioneer Keith Green, a fitting track to end on is a new pop version of the late singer’s “You Are the One.”

Great River Road is an intimate journey that will help create a unique, relaxed time of personal worship.
DeWayne Hamby

It’s My Time
By LaShun Pace, EMI Gospel.

LaShun Pace, a former member of the Anointed Pace Sisters, has provided inspiring gospel music for years. With an unbelievable vocal range and a powerful delivery, she has released a number of independent, top-five-charting albums.

She now offers her EMI Gospel debut, It’s My Time, her first project in four years. During her absence, she endured the sudden death of her daughter Xenia, a divorce and illness. Songs such as the power ballad “For My Good,” the catchy up-tempo “Hey” and the urban-touched title tune carry a special poignancy in light of her recent trials.

Other great church tracks include the traditional “Emotions” and the choir-backed “I Trust You.” She also includes a tasteful remake of the church classic “The Lord Will Make a Way.” One of gospel’s best voices is back.
René Williams

Pressing On
By various artists,
Discovery House Music.

The apostle Paul receives a musical homage with the release Pressing On: Songs Inspired By the Journey of the Apostle Paul. This album features songs rooted deeply in scriptural references and a lineup of skilled vocalists, including Larnelle Harris, Michael O’Brien (NewSong), Travis Cottrell and a reunion of the original First Call lineup: Bonnie Keen, Marty McCall and Melodie Tunney.

First Corinthians 13 gets a musical retelling courtesy of Harris, who belts out an inspiring call for brotherly love on “The Greatest of These.” The title song displays O’Brien’s vocals with a message of faithful determination. First Call fans will be thrilled to hear the trio’s return on “Living Sacrifices” and “Nothing Can Separate Us.”

Though the inclusion of musical pioneers and an “easy-listening” soundtrack make this release sound somewhat dated musically, it still proclaims timeless truths.
DeWayne Hamby

NEWS

Filming of Left Behind: World War III Wraps Up

Cloud Ten Pictures is in post-production of Left Behind: World War III. The movie, which is based on the popular Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, is the third installment in the film series and stars Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains), Lou Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) and Gordon Currie (Left Behind II: Tribulation Force).

Directed by Craig P. Baxley (Storm of the Century), the film is based on the last part of the book Tribulation Force. It follows the story of the U.S. President (Gossett) who works against those who oppose the self-proclaimed messiah (Currie) until a surprising discovery forces him to change sides.

“There are two reasons I came back [and one] is that the script was really good,” said Cameron, who plays the role of Buck Williams. “It got better as we began working on it together. The second reason is that I’ve gotten so much positive response from normal, everyday people on the streets who like the Left Behind movies and say [the films] really brought some of the things from their childhood faith back to life. If the third movie can plant more seeds along those lines, then I think it’s worth it to give it our best shot.”

At press time, Cloud Ten Pictures was still in discussions regarding the film’s theatrical release date. Left Behind: World War III will be distributed on DVD and video by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment this fall or next spring.
Margaret Feinberg

When worship leader Paul Wilbur travels overseas, he often brings doctors, dentists and medicine–but not because he’s a hypochondriac. Wilbur believes that ministry to the poor is an integral part of true worship, and he makes sure his outreaches include not only music but also mercy.

On recent tours to Ghana, Nigeria, Nicaragua and El Salvador, for example, Wilbur’s team examined the sick, counseled with them and prescribed medicine. At each clinic 1,200-1,500 people were treated and had an opportunity to hear the gospel.

“We work with local pastors and leaders who meet with each person individually and share a salvation message,” Wilbur explains. “As a result, there is a huge number of salvations. If we could double the number of doctors, we could double the number of salvations. … We’re believing God for an increase of $50,000 a month so we can do six outreaches this year.”

Wilbur, who is a Messianic Jew, recorded his latest CD, The Watchman (Hosanna! Music), live on Yom Kippur at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio. “The timing is significant,” Wilbur says. “Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, was the one day of the year that the high priest was allowed to come into the presence of God with blood, making atonement for himself and all Israel.

“I believe this recording will carry that anointing in a very special way and will sweep many into the kingdom of God.”
Elisabeth Farrell

BOOKS

The Divine Visitor
By Jack Hayford, Integrity Publishers,
hardcover, 224 pages, $.

Do you need to take a deeper look at who Jesus is–His deity, His humanity, His suffering and His death–and what this meant to humanity? With piercing clarity, Jack Hayford uses vibrant imagery of a soldier’s surprise visit home to illustrate God’s visit to Earth to rescue mankind in his latest book, The Divine Visitor: What Really Happened When God Came Down.

Hayford, the founding pastor of The Church On the Way and chancellor of The King’s Seminary, takes the reader through God’s visit to Earth at the appointed time in history; the limits of God stepping into time and space; the frailty of humanity; the nature and character of Jesus the Visitor; and His suffering, wounds and blood for the redemption of mankind.

Hayford helps the reader grasp how Christ “lowered” Himself to become a man and how He shouldered the weight of His knowledge that the visit would ultimately lead to intense suffering and a brutal death.

In a way that is similar to the portrayal of the crucifixion in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Hayford paints a portrait of Jesus’ visit to Earth and the work it accomplished.
Tracee N. Mason

The Nearly Perfect Crime
By Francis MacNutt, Chosen,
hardcover, 256 pages, $.

Although both conservative and liberal religious establishments are likely to squeal with indignation at MacNutt’s thesis, this is a significant work that will help more Christians appreciate the vital nature of healing ministry.

A combination history book, commentary and call to restore healing to a place of prominence, The Nearly Perfect Crime: How the Church Almost Killed the Ministry of Healing will stir a passionate response within open-minded readers.

One emotion will be anger over the church at largely downplaying the reality of Spirit baptism, a common occurrence in the first three centuries after Christ’s birth. Another will be dismay at Protestant reformers who invented the theory that spiritual gifts died in the first century, thereby thwarting Christ’s mission of healing and deliverance.

Pentecostals and charismatics will be cheered by the former Catholic priest’s detailing of how the awakening of Pentecostalism in 1901 revived belief in healing. Yet MacNutt includes a word of correction, noting the racism white Pentecostals harbored for their black brethren a century ago, a sin we are still struggling to overcome.

Though a staunch believer in the gift of tongues, MacNutt points out that Azusa Street pioneer William Seymour came to believe that it was not glossolalia that was the best evidence of Spirit baptism, but exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit.
Ken Walker

A Biblical Guide to Counseling the Sexual Addict
By Steve Gallagher, Pure Life Ministries,
softcover, 203 pages, $.

Sexual misconduct by Christians hits the news. Or it remains a silent, ignored problem people are too afraid or offended to discuss. Steve Gallagher, author of best-seller At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry, seeks to see change. In his new book, A Biblical Guide to Counseling the Sexual Addict, Gallagher addresses the troublesome issues people face and offers practical strategies for success.

Statistics related to the $10 billion annual industry of pornography, to 25 million Americans visiting cyber-sex Web sites between one and 10 hours each week, to unhealthy attitudes about sexuality, to bizarre sexual conduct and to carnal desires guiding decisions should alarm Christians– especially as Gallagher reveals that believers’ statistics match those of the unchurched.

Gallagher guides readers through the process of identifying and defeating the devil’s schemes. Those wanting change and willing to be honest can follow Gallagher’s advice to see victory over sin.
Chris Maxwell

God’s Cleansing Stream
By Chris Hayward, Regal, softcover,
176 pages , $.

In his book God’s Cleansing Stream: Developing a Life-Changing Deliverance Ministry in Your Church, Chris Hayward offers a guide toward true hope for those who know Christ. Problems, addictions and defeats do not need to remain the rulers of today’s believers.

Modern self-help philosophy isn’t enough either. And Hayward, president of Cleansing Stream Ministries, defines God’s technique of true deliverance.

Though the title might frighten an audience because of unscriptural extremes in the deliverance movement, Hayward’s desire is to use a balanced, biblical guide toward freedom from bondage. Sins, he argues, no longer need to control God’s people. He believes that modern congregations can, through the Holy Spirit, engage in practical strategies to heal wounds of rejection and cleanse the stains of sexual sin that often become the footholds of demonic attack.
Chris Maxwell

FICTION

Monster
By Frank Peretti, WestBow Press,
hardcover, 464 pages, $.

After waiting such a long time between his novels–six years to be exact–Frank Peretti fans will not be disappointed by this lengthy volume. Instead of demons, which he is known to write about, this time the author turns to something more tangible–a real live monster.

Monster is a fast-paced story that draws the eye down the page. Avoiding unnecessary detail, Peretti chooses not to delve deeply into each character’s background. Instead, he simply lets the plot unfold, and readers watching the hunt for this unknown creature that is wreaking havoc high in the mountains of Idaho.

Nothing like the “Darkness” novels that first made him a household name, Monster will attract an ever-widening fan base for Peretti, and as do all his works, this one will make readers think.
Christine D. Johnson

Proof
By Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh,
Howard Pub., softcover, 352 pages, $.

Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, had a passion for the gospel and spiritual awakening and revival. Before he died, Bright teamed with award-winning writer Jack Cavanaugh to create a series of historical novels set against the backdrop of revivals in America.

On September 23, 1857, Jeremiah C. Lanphier and six other believers gathered in New York City to pray for revival. Proof is based on the times and circumstances of the resulting spiritual awakening.

J.K. Jarves is a highly respected attorney and businessman. This atheist is also conniving, controlling and bitter. After his daughter becomes a Christian, Jarves sues the church that led her to Christ.

The church’s only hope rests on an inexperienced lawyer, Harrison Shaw. The trial ultimately becomes a showdown to prove that the Holy Spirit is real.

This tale is full of suspense, corruption and intrigue. But the overriding message is the power of prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and the proof once again that if God is for you, no one can be against you.
Leigh DeVore

MUSIC

Now Is the Time
By Anointed,
Sony Urban/Columbia Records.

Anointed is back. The duo known for such songs as “Under the Influence,” “Revive Us Again,” “The Call” and “It’s in God’s Hands Now” has returned with its sixth project, Now Is the Time.

Taking much more creative control than on previous albums, brother and sister Steve Crawford and Da’dra Crawford Greathouse wrote many of the songs. “Mighty Long Way” reminds us of God’s faithfulness. “Gonna Lift Your Name” is a festive, praise-filled track.

Steve takes the mic alone on “Now That I’m Free.” His vocal prowess and lyrical interpretation are inspiring. He also takes the lead on a tasteful remake of a song from Andraé Crouch. Anointed’s rendition of “Jesus Is Lord,” featuring Crouch with Da’dra, keeps the integrity of the original recording and gives it an updated sound.

The title tune will encourage, inspire and motivate anyone who has been waiting for the “right” time. “You Are,” a pretty ballad with sparse instrumentation, is a song of worship.

It’s nice to see the return of one of Christian music’s greatest groups.
René Williams

I Am Free
By Ross Parsley, Hosanna! Music.

Ross Parsley is the primary worship leader at New Life Church pastored by Ted Haggard in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On a new CD, recorded live, he offers fresh songs for those who enjoy the music of Phillips, Craig and Dean and Paul Baloche. Parsley’s voice is smooth, unassuming and confident, and the many well-recorded string arrangements add to the full and polished sound of the album.

All the original songs possess good melodic hooks. Beyond them, the congregational standard “How Great Thou Art,” sung with a choir and piano, adds musical diversity. Also featured are catchy modern arrangements of “I Stand in Awe” and “Fairest Lord Jesus.”

Original standout tracks include the title track, the heartfelt and lyrically powerful worship song “Hear Us From Heaven” and “Beautiful,” which talks about God’s indescribable beauty.

Though the musical style of the songs on I Am Free isn’t entirely unique, Parsley’s use of a familiar sound is powerfully effective.
Matt Fehrmann

In her new book The God Adventure, Terry Meeuwsen, co-host of CBN’s The 700 Club, challenges people to choose the extraordinary life God has for each of us.

Meeuwsen says we are created not only to be in relationship with God but also to walk through life with Him and to be used by Him. “He absolutely … wants us to come to Him with our concerns. But I think He also wants us to learn to just want to be with Him, not asking Him for anything, just letting Him pour His heart into our hearts.”

She says the adventure is trusting God enough to know that nothing is going to happen without His approval first. Once we embrace that truth “then it becomes this adventure of wanting to see His hand all around you and work in things going on around you. And the fear of what is that going to require of you or what’s the cost of that going to be fades away because the anticipation of what He is doing is just replacing it.”

In the book, Meeuwsen shares her testimony of coming to Christ and then her step of total surrender to the adventure God had for her. When she married her husband, Andy, they both determined to be risk-takers. God has led them to do many things, including adopting three sisters from Ukraine, giving them seven children.

Life is no cakewalk, Meeuwsen says, but “as far as Andy and I are concerned, there’s only one thing worse than a difficult life–and that’s an irrelevant life. A life lived in the safe, tepid shallows. A life that doesn’t make any difference at all.”
Leigh DeVore

When needs arise in the world, the church must help the church.
I hope you’ll read Matthew Green’s article on the response to the tsunami by the church in Sri Lanka (see page 54). I’m sure you’ll be inspired. As you know, we asked Charisma readers to respond generously to the need right after the tsunami hit–and so far, more than $239,000 has come in. We worked with the churches in the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) to provide immediate assistance to those who were left homeless and without food.

Then we sent Green, editor of Ministries Today, to Sri Lanka in February to see how the money was spent and how the church is responding. He brought back a good report. Not only was the money used wisely, but also the church, a persecuted minority, is showing the love of Jesus to those in need.

We made contact with the NCEASL through Clive Calver, former president of World Relief. He believes that when needs arise, the church must help the church. That’s what we did in the tsunami crisis.

But the needs are still great. Homes and churches must be rebuilt.

I hope many pastors will follow the lead of Bishop Keith Butler of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, Michigan. He had planned to take an offering for the tsunami victims and give it to a large secular relief organization. When he found out Charisma readers were helping the Christians in Sri Lanka through Christian Life Missions–Charisma’s nonprofit partner–and the NCEASL, he chose to send the donation to Christian Life Missions.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if thousands of churches would take offerings and channel them through the church to help meet the need?

We pledge to send 100 percent of what comes in to the church in Sri Lanka. Please mail your tax-deductible gift to Christian Life Missions, P.O. Box 952248, Lake Mary, Florida 32795-2248.

Secular Newsstand

We’ve all heard the expression about getting outside the four walls of the church. Charisma is making great strides next month in going beyond the boundaries of the Christian community to get the gospel message into the marketplace. Beginning with the June issue, as many as 50,000 copies of Charisma will be on secular newsstands in two major drugstore chains and in other places magazines are sold.

For many years it was nearly impossible for Christian publications to find a place among the many titles on magazine racks. But the leaders of Curtis Circulation Co. say they see a new interest in spirituality in the nation and think there are opportunities for Christian magazines. Along with Charisma, they are initially placing New Man and Vida Cristiana and later more of our titles as well.

Now we need your help in getting the word out. Tell your friends to look for one of our magazines on the newsstand. Or buy a copy and give it to someone to read. With hundreds of thousands of our readers each doing his part, I believe we can sell out of Charisma’s June issue.

Congratulations to Southeastern

On April 30 Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God in Lakeland, Florida, became Southeastern University, and we want to congratulate President Mark Rutland and his team for this important milestone. We told Rutland’s story–an inspiring account of how he provided vision to a small college that was dying–in the November 2004 issue. (See his article on higher education on page 65 of this issue.)

Many don’t know that I have ties to Southeastern going back to 1962. I was 11 years old when my father became a professor there. At the time, it was a small Bible college with only about 400 students. Later my mother graduated from Southeastern. And my brother-in-law James Ferrell was a professor at the college for nearly 30 years.

So I feel a personal tie to Southeastern even though I was never a student there. And I am happy to congratulate Rutland on the college’s new status as a university. I know that even as it grows academically, the school will retain its spiritual foundations, continuing to provide a quality higher education in a Pentecostal atmosphere.