This morning I wrote about my dear friend Jan Wassenaar who passed away last week at age 95. Jan was a friend to all. His heart for Jesus and people is something I strive for, he did his ministry in the love of Jesus, not hate or anger, not with ugly Facebook posts. Jan always carried a Gideon Bible and tracks in his pocket! Carrying out the Great Commission. I have written in the last few years how too many Christians have turned off people to God and religion by their political hate and making gods out of politicians who misbehave a very bad ways. The Jan. 6th attack on the Capitol was the final straw for many. Sadly many young people see the American Church, as a body of hate. This morning at FGGAM.ORG: David Campbell, professor and chair of the University of Notre Dame’s political science department and co-author of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, said a reason for the decline among those groups is political – an “allergic reaction to the religious right”.
Percentage of churchgoing Americans is steadily falling, and the swirl of rightwing politics and Christianity is playing a key role
Read in The Guardian: https://apple.news/AVAJnbOAvRNybvu3ytgVKNA
Tackling tough issues with renowned experts is what the ChurchLeaders Podcast is all about. The new 2021 ChurchLeaders Podcast will focus on critical topics church leaders need to think about. Each month, we will release a new series–rather than weekly podcasts. We will bring to you varied perspectives on issues such as Christian nationalism, what it means to be pro-life, racial issues in the church, navigating lgbtq issues in your church. The ChurchLeaders Podcast is here to help you be more informed and become more effective in your church leadership.
In our Christian nationalism podcast series, host Jason Daye talks with Dr. Timothy Keller, Franklin Graham, Dr. Samuel Perry, and Dr. Glenn Packiam. You won’t want to miss a single episode.
Christian Nationalism Podcast Series: Should Your Church Be Alarmed?
Words of Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) President Russell Moore:
The sight of “Jesus Saves” and “God Bless America” signs by those violently storming the Capitol is about more than just inconsistency. It is about a picture of Jesus Christ and of his gospel that is satanic. The mixing of the Christian religion with crazed and counter-biblical cults such as Q-Anon is telling the outside world that this is what the gospel is. That’s a lie, and it is blasphemous against a holy God.
An Unholy Alliance: Christianity and Nationalism
The Jan Way……….
“In cleaning out his clothes he had a Gideon Bible and a track in each pocket”
My Dear friend Jan Wassenaar passed into the arms of Jesus this past Thursday. Jan was prepared for heaven. I was so very blessed to know this man of God. I had the blessing to meet Jan a couple of times when I would return to Windom, Minnesota to do Revival services. One time Jan invited me to his apartment and I heard his life story! (Picture above of Jan speaking to me and Shari Johnson of West Virginia who took part in the Revival Services) So fascinating! What a wonderful family based on the Word of God. I was friends with Jan’s son Rudy and daughter Rita in high school. Rudy passed away at a young age in a farm accident. Rita wrote this to me after Jan passed away, “In cleaning out his clothes, he had a Gideon Bible and a track in each pocket.” What do you carry in your pockets? What do you share with the world? Do you share JESUS with everyone? Jan carried out THE GREAT COMMISSION until the day the LORD called him home. I am sure those that cared for dear Jan at the end of his life surely have heard a lot abut JESUS! How about you and me? This is one of the key reasons I adored Jan, he was not bashful about sharing Jesus, and he did it in a loving way. Jan’s life preached to me! True servanthood. What Jan did in his life is eternal works for our LORD. Nothing else matters.
…18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”…
