The Lawman Chronicles

This Blog Is Closing

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:28:00 +0000

This blog is closing on Friday, September 2. I will blog exclusively on the On The Box blog. Please join me there.

I've Moved!

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Every since I closed this blog, I have regularly received emails asking me for articles I have written here. For that reason, I have decided to reopen this blog to the public. I have shut down the comments, since I will not be actively engaged on this blog.

You can find me on my new blog, Doulos Iesou Chrisou.

I hope those of you who visit the bog, will find the archived resources here helpful.

The Error and Danger of Nomadism in the Street Evangelism Community

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:13:00 +0000

Nomad -- "a member of a group of people that have no fixed home and move according to the seasons from place to place; a person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer."

Introduction

I will not be surprised to receive comments from readers who assume I have referred to them, personally, when I haven't done so. Certainly I do have a few specific people and groups in mind as I write this article, but none of them will be mentioned by name. Thinking specifically about individuals and groups is unavoidable since the only way I can write this article is to draw from personal experiences and the testimony of others. But again, no one will be mentioned by name. This article is more about an issue than it is about groups or individuals.

The people group in question is what I refer to as “Nomadic Tribes of Evangelists.” These tribes (and the word "tribe" is not used in a disparaging way) are comprised of Christians (both true and false converts) who are led by men and women who do not have a church home. If they do have a church home, they are only connected to the church in a superficial way, having not submitted to the membership process (if it exists in their particular church), and staying far enough out of reach of the leadership of the church so to not submit to their authority.

Members of these tribes (not necessarily all members) tend to follow the tribe’s leader(s) behavior toward and thinking about the local church. They see the tribe as their “church” and look to the leader(s) of the tribe as their pastor(s).

While these tribes are not limited to Christians who are passionate about street evangelism and the open-air proclamation of the gospel, I will limit my description, critique, and concerns to this specific group.

I think it is important, at this point, to make a distinction between nomads and itinerants in the street evangelism community. For the purpose of this paper, the primary difference between a nomadic evangelist and an itinerant evangelist is the evangelist’s involvement in and accountability to the leadership of a local church.

By way of example, two wonderful itinerant evangelists that come to mind are Mike Stockwell and Robert Gray. Of course, there are others; but Mike and Robert are two with whom I am very familiar. Mike and Robert have devoted their lives to the public proclamation of the gospel. They travel literally around the world to preach the gospel in the open-air. And they do so with the prayerful support and accountability of their churches. The nomadic evangelist has no such accountability in his or her life.

Before addressing the primary subject of this article, I will provide some personal background, which will include my own experiences in and with nomadism. I will then attempt to put forth a simple and relatively brief ecclesiology, which will include the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the structure of the local church, and the responsibility of every Christian to submit to the authorities given by God—both inside and outside the church. In order to make a “case” against these “Nomadic Tribes of Evangelists,” I must first establish a biblical foundation for calling these nomads out of nomadism and back to the local church. I will end the article by addressing arguments in favor of (or reasons for) nomadism and, hopefully, then present practical answers to those arguments.

Personal Background

Although I have been a Christian for more than twenty years, I was introduced to biblical evangelism only five to six years ago. When God opened my eyes to the biblical use of the Law of God in evangelism, as well the biblical way to present Christ and Him crucified, I found myself virtually alone amongst my Christian friends and church family. When I talked about distributing gospel tracts, engaging strangers in conversation, and preaching the gospel in the open-air, many of my fellow Christians looked at me kindly, but, at the same time, as if I had two heads and three eyes. It was as if I was speaking an entirely different language.

I quickly became frustrated. I made the common mistake other new converts to biblical evangelism often make. Although it took me more than fifteen years to come to the realization that there is indeed a biblical way to engage in evangelism, I expected the Christians around me to “get it” immediately. While the Lord allowed me to undergo a process that lasted years before the light bulb went on, so to speak; I expected others to come to the evangelism light with a quick flip of the switch. It was an unreasonable and, frankly, immature expectation.

One day, and I don’t remember how, I heard of an organization that networked like-minded evangelists. I joined and was soon introduced to other Christians in my area who, like me, were part of a growing club--the name of which, like the club, was new to me--"Club Frustration.” The name of the club expressed the sentiments of its members toward the local church--their churches.

The members of “Club Frustration” were, well, frustrated with their churches’ lack of desire to reach the lost with the gospel. They were frustrated with weak gospel preaching from the pulpits of their churches. They were tired of answering questions from other Christians--questions like: “Is that really effective? How many people do you see come to faith in Christ? Don’t you think doing it that way is a bit judgmental? You’re not becoming one of those hellfire preachers, are you? I don’t know if I want our church characterized as one of those crazy churches of zealots. Can you tone it down a bit?” And so on...

For the record, while it took a while for my pastor to come on board, my pastor never discouraged me from hitting the streets. And now, my pastor is one of my biggest advocates. He regularly exhorts the church family from the pulpit to get out of their comfort zones and reach the lost with the gospel; and he faithfully proclaims the Law and the Gospel from his pulpit.

Misery truly loves company. I found that the more time I spent on the streets; the more time I spent with other Christians whose frustration I shared, the less time I spent with my church family. Over time, I found it easy to justify this mindset because of the eternal importance of reaching the lost with the gospel. I began to see my fellowship with other evangelists on the streets as, in some ways, a substitute for the fellowship of my local church.

Before long, I was leading a team of evangelists and the work of an evangelist became all-consuming. I was becoming a nomad. Some of us talked about forming our own church, one that would emphasize biblical evangelism and grow the church from those who we saw receive Christ from our street evangelism efforts.

Fortunately, all of us realized that we were either already in God-glorifying, Christ-centered churches or there were such churches nearby we could attend. Some left their churches where the gospel was not being preached and settled into churches where the gospel was proclaimed. Others of us determined to submit to the leadership of our churches and continue to bring biblical evangelism to our church families. By God’s grace, we all avoided becoming a nomadic tribe of evangelists.

In my present ministry capacity, I interact and communicate with hundreds if not thousands of Christian evangelists from around the world. I’ve had the great honor and privilege of having a part, if even a small one, in training hundreds of brothers and sisters in Christ to proclaim the gospel in the streets. Many of them are now leading teams and conducting evangelism training in their churches.

Sadly, with so much interaction with the evangelism community, I have seen what I believe is a growing number of nomadic tribes of evangelists. Sadder still is the reality that some of these nomadic tribes have moved or are moving away from biblical Christianity and are ascribing to heretical doctrines such as Pelagianism, Open Theism, and others. I believe when Christians make the move toward nomadism and begin the doctrinal slide from orthodoxy to heresy, such movement can be attributed to two things: a low view of the church and a refusal to submit to biblical authority and accountability.

The Church: Not a "Structure," but "Structured"

A few days ago, I posted the following status on my Facebook page:

If you ask a man under whose authority does he place himself, or to whom in his life does he answer, and he says, "I answer to God;" let it be known that he is not telling the truth. For a godly man places himself under the godly authority of the leadership of the local church--God's Church. The man who refuses to submit to the authority of godly leadership refuses to submit to the authority of God in his life.

With only 420 characters in the Facebook status window with which to work, I could not be as detailed as I would have liked. The statement, as it is written above, certainly has holes and requires further explanation. I hope to accomplish that in this article. The comment thread that ensued was interesting. It further motivated me to write this article.

There are buildings called "churches." But the Church--the Body of Christ--is not a structure.

For the born-again follower of Jesus Christ, corporate worship often occurs in a "church" building. However, God-glorifying, Christ-centered corporate worship can likewise take place in a living room, in a public park, in an office building, in a basement by candlelight, in a jungle by campfire, and in a prison cell. That being said, "Church" is not where Christians go and it is not what Christians do. "Church" is who Christians are--the Body of Christ.

While the "Church" is not a structure, the "Church" most certainly is, according to God's Word, "structured."

There is only one Head of the Church--Jesus Christ the Lord.

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

"And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23)

"For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior" (Ephesians 5:23).

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent" (Colossians 1:15-18).

But God, according to His Word and according to His sovereign will, has provided a structure for the Church, under His headship.

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers . . . praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42, 47).

Those who would be the first among many coming to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. The early church recognized both the wisdom and the authority of the apostles. The apostles were the leaders of the church.

"There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet" (Acts 4:34-37).

The apostles, the first leaders of the church, had the authority to collect and distribute money from the Body of Christ and to then distribute those resources. Christians like Barnabas recognized and submitted to the apostles' authority. Others did not.

"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 5:1-2).

The apostles, as the leaders of the church, had the authority to discipline members of the church. Peter, a man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, judged Ananias guilty of not simply lying to men; but of lying to God. Ananias was immediately sentenced to death, by the Holy Spirit, for his sin against God. Three hours later, Peter prophesied the immediate death of Ananias' wife, Sapphira, for the same sin against God.

"And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, 'It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word'" (Acts 6:2-4).

The apostles had the authority to summon the church. They had the authority to establish the position of deacon and to appoint qualified men to serve in that role.

Throughout the Book of Acts it is easy to see that the Church--the Body of Christ--was structured in such a way to include godly, human leadership.

The Apostle Paul’s epistles are yet further testimony to the obvious human structure of the Church, under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. More often than not, Paul would address the recipients of his letter as the church—and not as the Church universal, but the local assembly of believers in a given area. In fact, in his opening address of his letter to the believers in Philippi, Paul wrote: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1b-2).

In addition to the church body, the church is comprised of various leadership roles or offices.

“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we many no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16).

The purposes of these offices are obvious from the above text. These human offices exist for the edification, maturation, and spiritual protection of born-again followers of Jesus Christ. Even in his presentation of these various offices to the church in Ephesus, Paul affirms that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.

In addition to specifying offices within the local church, Paul provides qualifications for elders/overseers/pastors (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9); as well as the qualifications for those men and woman (Romans 16:1) who aspire to serve as deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13). Not just anyone could serve in leadership of the local church. Prospective pastors/elders and deacons could serve as leaders in the young and growing Body of Christ. The same holds true, today.

Submission and Accountability

Over the years, I have asked Christians, those who serve as street evangelists and those who don't, to whom do they answer--meaning to whom are they accountable in their life. Sadly, the answer I sometimes receive comes by way of a quick and angry retort. "Well, I don't answer to you! I answer to God!" They say.

They are correct on both counts, but yet, at the same time, their response reveals something troubling. Yes, it is true the people with whom I speak do not answer to me. And yes, it is true they answer to God. But their answer, I believe, indicates they see themselves as responsible to answer to no one but God. They see themselves as accountable to no one but God. Such a mindset is clearly unbiblical.

Yes, the Christian, and every person for that matter, is ultimately accountable to God. Every human being will stand before God and give an account for their lives (Matthew 12:36-37; Romans 3:19; Romans 14:10-12; James 2:10; 1 Peter 4:4-5; Revelation 20:11-15). But Christians are accountable to other people as well, both inside and outside the church.

"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. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17).

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7).

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Hebrews 13:17).

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves” (I Thessalonians 5:12-13).

“He [an elder/pastor] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:9-11).

"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20).

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience" (Romans 13:1-5).

Christians are not accountable to other people and human institutions instead of God. Christians are accountable to other people and human institutions by God and in obedience to God, according to His Word.

So while the argument is valid that the ultimate authority in the Christian's life is God, the argument becomes fallacious when the argument is used to defend the unbiblical position that the Christian need not submit to earthly authority, both inside and outside the church--authorities which are instituted by God. Therefore, the status post I made on Facebook (cited above) is true. Any Christian who insists they answer to God and to God alone are not living by the parameters they've set for themselves. For if they truly see themselves as submitting to God's authority in their life and are answerable and are answering to Him, then they would willingly submit to the earthly authority God has placed in their life--whether inside or outside the church.

The Christian’s accountability before God includes biblical accountability to secular governing authorities, brothers and sisters in Christ, and the leadership of a local church. Yes, there is only one Lawgiver and Judge; there is only One who can save and destroy--God (James 2:10). That being said, the judgment of Almighty God will include how Christians respond and submit to the earthly authority God has placed in their lives.

Although lengthy for a blog post, I realize the above ecclesiological study is but a simple overview of the Church, both the universal Church and the local church. In order to make my case against nomadism, I thought it necessary to present a biblical representation of the local church and the believer’s accountability to the same.

The Dangers of Nomadism

The dangers of nomadism within the evangelist community are several.

As previously mentioned, those evangelists that take the unfortunate and unbiblical step toward nomadism open themselves to heresy. Pelagianism and Open Theism are just two of the heresies that seem to be prevalent among nomadic evangelists. The reasons for this are likely varied. But one reason is without the covering and accountability of the local church and her God-ordained leadership, the nomadic evangelist becomes his only teacher. And when he heads down the path of error, there is no one to stop and correct him. He surrounds himself with only those who agree with him, theologically.

Evangelists that take the unfortunate and unbiblical step toward nomadism may become pharisaical and legalistic. They may become a law unto themselves. They establish parameters of conduct under the auspices of personal holiness that exceed the parameters given in Scripture, resulting in self-righteousness and legalism. Over time, this may lead the nomad to drift toward other unbiblical teachings such as sinless perfectionism and a works righteousness formula for salvation. If the drift continues unabated the nomad may begin to deny essential Christian doctrine, such as the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ or the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Evangelists that take the unfortunate and unbiblical step toward nomadism run the risk of becoming isolationists. This kind of isolationism may also lead to the nomad wrongly judging other Christians and assigning other Christians to hell because they do not believe exactly as the nomad does regarding certain points of doctrine.

If such behavior remains unchecked, this could lead to the formation of cults such as “personality cults.” Cults such as these are typically led by one charismatic leader who convinces his followers that he alone rightly divides, understands, and communicates the Word of God and every other teacher is, therefore, a false teacher. Such cult leaders also have a tendency to convince their followers that they have received new revelations from God that invariably contradict what the Word of God actually says.

Arguments and Answers

There will be some, if they have taken the time and the energy to read this far, who will undoubtedly have objections to both my observations and conclusions. While there is no way I can anticipate all of the arguments against my position, I believe I can anticipate at least a couple.

Argument #1: My church doesn’t support biblical street evangelism.

Answer: If your church is not preaching the biblical gospel, then it is not a church. It is nothing more than a social club for Christians, both genuine and professing. If your church is not preaching the biblical gospel, leave. However, if your church is preaching the biblical gospel, then the fact that your church does not presently support biblical evangelism in the manner you prefer is not a sufficient reason to leave the church. Remember, there was a time when you likely didn’t “get it” either. Be patient. Endure. Don’t quit. Love your pastor. Love your elders. Love your brothers and sisters in Christ, in your church. Stick it out. Keep encouraging your leaders and your fellow members to join you in the work. Come alongside your leaders in any way you can, any way they will allow, to bring biblical evangelism to your church.

Argument #2: There are no biblical churches in my area.

Answer: Needless to say, this is a difficult situation. Sadly, it is an all-too-common situation. But the situation is not hopeless. There are options.

One option is to travel outside your community and find a biblical church. I do not think that there is any distance, certainly in the United States, that is too far to travel. 25 miles? 50 miles? Before you say it is too far to drive, please take a moment to consider those brothers and sisters in Christ, in other parts of the world, who don’t drive but walk many miles to enjoy fellowship with the saints.

Another option is to do what a few men from India did. They contacted a large, biblical church in California and asked the church to help them establish a biblical church in their part of their country. The church put them in touch with a seminary the church established in India. Those men are now part of a flourishing, Christ-exalting, Bible-believing church.

Why can’t the same be done by and for Christians in the United States who live in areas that are void of biblical churches? Contact a well-respected church known for its work in missions and church planting and ask them to prayerfully consider sending a qualified church planter to start a new work in your area.

Yet another option is to start a church in your area, assuming you have a godly man (or men) on your team who meets the biblical requirements of a pastor/elder. That man (or men) should be examined by the pastors and elders of other churches to determine if the prospective pastor and/or elders are truly qualified and called by God to lead a new church. It is so very important to add that it should not be the man or men desiring to start a new church who determine whether or not they themselves are qualified to lead a church. No one is the best judge of their own character and spiritual qualifications.

What I’m about to suggest will likely be unpopular, especially among American Christians who have grown so accustomed to the “conveniences” of church.

Move. That’s right. If there are no biblical churches in your area, move to an area where such a church can be found.

Over the last 100-150 years, the church in America has moved from a “who we are” mentality to a “what we do” mentality. As a result, the corporate gathering of believers for the purpose of worship, teaching, and fellowship has been relegated to merely an aspect of most Christians’ lives instead of the central focus of their lives, around which all other aspects of life (work, ministry, recreation, etc) revolve. One sure way to avoid Christian nomadism is to move to a place where one can enjoy the loving care and accountability of a local body of believers, under the godly leadership of pastors, elders, teachers, and yes, evangelists who have been truly called by God to serve in these leadership roles.

Conclusion

Nomadism among Christian evangelists is a problem. It may not be as widespread as I fear it is; but I do believe it is increasing.
Those with whom I have spoken who have insisted that they only answer to God and who could rightly be categorized as a Christian nomad tend to be the same people who typically never see themselves as doing anything wrong or as ever being wrong about what they believe. The ramifications for such a mindset are frightening.

If you find yourself in the category of the nomadic street evangelist, please bring yourself under the biblical, godly leadership of a local church as soon as you can. No, the Body of Christ, which is segmented into local assemblies, is not perfect; but it is the only model for biblical leadership and accountability the Christian has. Submit to the authority of the local church and her leadership. If you do see yourself as one who only answers to God in this life, you are wrong. You are wrong in the sense that God has made provision for the accountability of His people, through the biblical leadership of the local church.

"[Submit] to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21).

Refusing to submit to godly, biblical leadership is symptomatic of pride. On the other hand, submitting to godly, biblical leadership, even when one does not agree with that leadership on every point, is a fruit of humility. For the Christian, submitting to other Christians, whether peers or leaders, is one way the Christian shows reverence for Christ. If, as some insist, they "answer to God," then they will keep His Word and submit to the authority of and accountability to the local church, which the Lord has given for the good of His people.

So please, if you are of the nomadic persuasion described in this article, repent. Turn away from nomadism and turn toward the the Lord Jesus Christ and return to His Church.

If you need help coming out of nomadism; if you need help finding a Christ-exalting, Bible-teaching church—whether it’s in your area or elsewhere, please feel free to contact me. I will do what I can to help you reconnect with a local assembly of believers.

In Response to Mark Cahill

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Recently, evangelist and conference speaker Mark Cahill wrote a paper entitled Calvinism and the Bible. The paper is posted on the website of a ministry called Save The Perishing. In the paper, Mark expresses his concerns and conclusions regarding the theological system commonly referred to as "Calvinism." I will limit my response to but one paragraph in the paper--the paragraph in which Mark mentions me by name. Mark has mischaracterized me, the conversation, and the context; making it necessary for me to comment further, so that people can rightly discern the truth of the matter, and not judge me or my words unfairly.

On Page 8 of Cahill's paper, he wrote:

I got an unsolicited call one day from Tony Miano with Living Waters. He was trying to convince me of Calvinism. Let’s just say it did not work! During a moment of candor, he said, “Mark, what you believe and what I believe are mutually exclusive.” What an amazing statement. What I believe and what he believes both can’t be true at the same point. He is very correct. Now what we believe can both be wrong, but they can’t both be true. If God has already preselected who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, then I have no choice in this matter.

Unfortunately, Mark's statements above are inaccurate. I did not make an "unsolicited" call to Mark. I sent him an email as part of an ongoing email conversation we were having. Mark first emailed me asking me to consider doing an "Origin Into Schools"-type project with his book, "One Heartbeat Away." We exchanged emails between February 16, 2010 and February 19, 2010.

On February 25, I received a phone call from an associate member of the Ambassadors' Alliance. He expressed concerns regarding recent correspondences he had with Mark, during which Mark spoke disparagingly about Calvinism and those who ascribe to that theological construct. Concerned with what effect such comments from someone as high-profile as Mark could have on the evangelism community at large, I emailed Mark again, as a reply to the most recent email I had received from him.

On February 25, 2010, I sent Mark the following email:

Hey, Mark. I would like to change subjects for a moment, if I could. I know you're a busy guy. :-)

As you know, evangelism circles are pretty tight, with many Christians supporting both your ministry and Living Waters. The folks who attend your conferences attend ours, and vice versa. The folks who read your books read ours; and so on.

I've received word (not in the form of gossip) from folks who love and support your ministry and Living Waters that you have some sincere and passionate views regarding the Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism).

Here, at Living Waters, we have in the building Calvinists, Arminians, Cal-minians, :-) and folks who would not place themselves in any of those categories--all working together as brothers and sisters in the Lord, for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as you and I both know, there have been, through the centuries, great men and women of God who have ascribed to either Calvinism or Arminianism.

As one who ascribes to the Doctrines of Grace, I know how passionate the discussion/debate can become between genuine brothers and sisters in Christ.

Since we (your ministry and ours) have beloved brethren and co-laborers on both sides of this theological discussion, I thought it would be good for you and I to talk about it. Far better for me, as your brother in Christ, to hear from you regarding your thoughts about the issue than to assign too much weight to talk going through the evangelistic "grapevine."

If you're open to it, I think it would be better to talk on the phone than via e-mail. It's so easy with a topic like this, one with which emotions and convictions can run so high, to misinterpret the tone of one's voice in an e-mail. I certainly wouldn't want that to happen in our conversation.

So, when you have some time, give me a call.

Thanks, brother.

As is clearly seen in the above email, my purpose for discussing the subject with Mark was not to convince him to become a Calvinist. Rather, it was to reason with him regarding the implications and ramifications if a person of his stature in the biblical evangelism community were to make statements that would, in effect, marginalize a large segment of the evangelism community.

Within minutes after sending the above email, I received a call from Mark. We talked for the better part of an hour. Yes, we discussed theology. Yes, I did use the phrase "mutually exclusive" during our conversation. But Mark took my words out of context for the purpose of his paper.

The theological constructs known as Calvinism and Arminianism are "mutually exclusive" in that the two systems oppose each other, theologically. For instance, one cannot hold to the belief in the assurance of the believer while, at the same time, hold to the belief that a Christian can lose his or her salvation. The two ideas are "mutually exclusive." That is the thought I conveyed to Mark.

Throughout my conversation with Mark, I asserted that although the two systems are "mutually exclusive," I do not believe Calvinists and Arminians worship different gods or believe different gospels. I assured him that so long as we agree we are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ (the Jesus of the Scriptures) alone we are brothers in Christ. I told Mark I would welcome the opportunity to hit the streets with him, and he was welcome atop my box to open-air preach, anytime.

Sadly, by the end of our conversation, Mark would not affirm me as his brother in Christ.

Yes, it is true, as Mark asserts, that while Calvinists and Arminians can both be wrong regarding the theological distinctives of each system, they both can't be right. But I won't draw the same conclusion he draws. While some (like Mark) would like to insist that, in this specific case, if one theological position is right and the other theological position is wrong then those holding to the wrong position are worshipping a false god, I will not say that. Why? I won't say that because I don't believe that.

Mark, my hand remains extended and open to you, as a brother in Christ. I will not wrongly judge you as an apostate because you do not believe exactly as I do regarding the Doctrines of Grace and all of the subtle theological positions contained therein. I forgive you for the personal attacks you have made against me, both publicly and privately. I forgive you for wrongly using our conversation to further your attack against those who believe that the Scriptures teach the Doctrines of Grace.

I welcome a return to biblical, Christ-honoring fellowship with you. I hope, by God's mercy and grace, we will one-day proclaim the gospel together, on the streets, for the glory of Christ. And this is as it should be. God's command to His servants to proclaim the gospel to the world is to be our focus while we are here on earth. We are not obedient to the call, the message of salvation is not preached, and God is not glorified when we spend what little time we have fighting each other instead of fighting our true adversary--the Deceiver.

Just So It's Clear...

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:22:00 +0000

Statement of Unity

"On the Box, with Tony and Chad"

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:05:00 +0000

"Kristallnacht" and Other Works by Allison Pari

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:55:00 +0000

My niece, Allison Pari, a student at The Master's College, is quite the poet. You can read her work on her blog, Dust and Rainbows. Here are three of her poems, which she shared with me this evening.

Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass)

The broken panes, like frightened eyes, implore,
And strewn between debris and splintered glass,
The Torah scrolls lay smold'ring on the floor.

Like rats, the soldiers from each corner pour,
And of the witnesses, a callous mass,
The broken panes, like frightened eyes, implore.

The rabbi's shawl in shreds, which once he wore,
And shards of colored windows fill the grass,
While Torah scrolls lay smold'ring on the floor.

Inside they cringe as axes hack the door,
And those who flee, the clubs and stones harass,
Like broken panes, whose frightened eyes implore.

The crumpled forms, were cruelly beaten, or
Were slain alike; no notice paid to class,
Like Torah scrolls, laid smold'ring on the floor.

Today, the screams and shatters ring no more,
But may we never let the memory pass,
How broken panes, like frightened eyes, implored,
And Torah scrolls laid smold'ring on the floor.

"Do You See a Man Wise in His Own Eyes?"

The Hebrew sits within his tent and ponders, "What is true?"
He feels the dirt beneath and says, "Of this my frame was built."
He reads the Word and says, "It is unlike the buds that wilt."
He sees the cloud above the ark and says, "Of God, a view."

The philosophe, the man enlightened, ponders, "What is right?"
He points to facts empirical and answers, "Truth defined,
"I trust those words consistent with the logic of my mind."
Of God he says, "Anachronism, ancient thinker's blight."

The current scholar paces, and he ponders, "What is real?"
He sees a common stone and says, "A diamond if I choose."
He deconstructs each word, declaring, "Language is a ruse."
He scorns religious doctrine, claiming "God is what I feel."

If now he claims such things how far has mankind still to fall?
It may be soon that we will find the devil's work complete.
And God will silence man's delusions at His judgment seat.
It's then that every voice will cry, "The Lord is all in all."

The Paperweight Philosopher

The teacher asked me, "Why do you believe
That you exist? You have no certain proof.
You could be just the figment of some mind."
I said to him, "The same applies to you.
Do you believe you're standing here today?"
He answered, "No," and grinned, so proud as if
He'd discovered truth; or untruth, I guess, to him.
We stood there silent, non-existent ones.
A dusty paperweight was on the desk.
I clutched it with my hand and raised to throw.
"If you do not exist this cannot hurt."
He dove beneath the desk in candid fear.
I gave it back and chuckled, "Proof enough."

The Heart of the Gospel Conference

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:50:00 +0000

I believe, as many other evangelists do, that it is time for a maturation to take place in the public proclamation of the gospel. Part of that maturation must be a greater emphasis on the person and work of Jesus Christ--more preaching about HIM and HIM crucified.

I just returned from the Texas Revival Series III conference, in Allen, Texas. The TRS III was one of a growing number of conferences calling for heralds to make even more of Christ in their preaching.

The next conference, in what I hope will be a sustained trend, is The Heart of the Gospel Conference.

Here's the promo. Special thanks to Jimmy and Joe for putting this promo together.

Thank You, Richard Dawkins!

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:26:00 +0000

I would like to publicly thank Mr. Richard Dawkins for his help in Living Waters' recent "D-Day" operation. The "D" in "D-Day" stand for "Dawkins."

Mr. Dawkins was kind enough to visit the United States to promote his latest atheist propoganda offering, "The Greatest Show on Earth." He visited Howard University, in Washington, DC; The Cooper Union University, in New York City; Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina; The Wortham Center, in Houston, Texas; and Caltech, in Pasadena, California.

Having the information regarding Mr. Dawkins' United States itinerary, we put together teams for each venue. Team leaders for each venue were picked from those who graduated from the Ambassadors' Academy and those who led teams for the 2009 "Origin Into Schools" project. The teams were equipped with 500 to 1,000 copies of Ray Comfort's edition of Origin of Species.

Dawkins' first stop was Howard University. The 1,000 copies of Ray's book were distributed very quickly. Debra Mehaffey, the Howard team leader, reported the following:

"Every thing went well in handing out the books at Howard University yesterday. As I spoke with an atheist who had received a copy of 'Origin of Speices' came back and asked who was covering the cost for the distribution of books. I told him Ray Comfort and Living Waters. I explained to him that we were handing them out so that he could look at both sides, evolution or creationism. I told him we were doing it because we care about him and where he would spend eternity when he died. He was so impressed that someone would go to all the expense, and care for someone like him to have both sides that he said he would definitely read the introduction."

The next stop of Dawkins' magical mystery tour was The Cooper Union University. The team was led by Nicole Rotundi. Several of the Howard University team drove to New York to assist in the effort. Nicole gave the following report:

"28 Christian brothers and sisters met in NYC at Cooper Union College on Wednesday. We handed out 1,000 free copies (courtesy of Living Waters) of 'The Origin of Species,' with a 50-page introduction, with the creationist and biblical point of view. In less than 1 hour we handed out all copies of the book. We were able to give books to students standing on line for the lecture, as well as students walking all around the area. We also handed out Gospel tracts, witnessed to students one-to-one, open-air preached.

"A bunch of us eventually went inside to see Richard Dawkins speaking. We listened for about 10 minutes, and in that time, we actually saw him hold up the book we were handing out! He was talking about the missing links in the fossil record, and then held up our book, and said something about it!"

It amazes me how often Dawkins has encouraged people to ignore Ray's book and, in so doing, he draws even more attention to the book. Again, we appreciate the help, Mr. Dawkins.

Stop #3 for Mr. Dawkins was Duke University. Zack Braddy served as the team leader. 680 copies of Ray's book were distributed in short order. The team engaged many of those in attendance in one-to-one conversation, and some of the team members open-air preached.

Stop #4 was the Wortham Center, in Houston. Byron Richey led the team. The team distributed more than 200 copies of Ray's book as people left the auditorium, along with a number of copies to people waiting in line to get Mr. Dawkins' autograph, inside the auditorium.

The last stop of Mr. Dawkins' tour was last night at Caltech University. We assembled a team that included Ray and several from the Living Waters staff, as well as a few local evangelists.

We arrived on campus a couple hours before the doors were scheduled to open and we waited for the line to form. Once the line had a few hundred people in it, we began to distribute the books. It took only a couple of minutes for the people standing in line to realize which edition of the book they were receiving. And then someone in line recognized Ray.

At one point, someone tried to return a book to Ray, who had other copies of the book in his hand. Ray refused to take the book back and turned to walk away. The docile "free thinker" threw the book at Ray and hit him in the back. Ray just laughed it off and continued to distribute books.

I was with several of the team members near the parking lot, about a hundred yards from the auditorium. We distributed hundreds of books to people as they walked to the venue. Several people were giddy to receive the book referring to it as their Bible. Yet atheists continue to deny their worldview is religious in nature and that Darwin is one of their prophets.

One older gentleman, dressed in a nice suit, approached me and asked, "Who is funding the distribution of these books?"

"Living Waters." I answered.

"Living Waters?"

"It's a Christian ministry."

"A Christian ministry is distributing this book?"

"Well, sir, you need to read the introduction."

A wide grin formed on the man's face. "Oh! I'm an atheist. But I think this is a great idea!"

Sadly, however, there were others who attended the event who, unlike the older gentleman I met, were "free thinkers" in name only. Some refused to take the book when they realized which edition it was. Several admitted to having never read the introduction, but yet they still refused to take a copy. When asked if they only read information with which they agreed, they would just huff and walk away. What hypocrisy.

And that hypocrisy was epitomized by none other than Mr. Dawkins himself. Mr. Dawkins walked toward me from the parking lot. I offered him a copy of the book. When he saw that it was Ray's book, the one he continues to advertise during his lectures, he said, "Oh. He's here, too."

As Mr. Dawkins walked away, I said, "Mr. Dawkins, I just want to thank you for making all of this possible."

Having completed our mission, the team returned to the ministry van, where we spent a few minutes in prayer together.

In spite of the rain and the small venue, we distributed more than 800 copies of Ray's book. The operation, from coast-to-coast, was a success.

While my thanks to Mr. Dawkins is tongue-in-cheek, my thanks to my team leaders and all of those who participated in this operation is not. What a blessing to serve alongside such wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. And what a privilege it is to serve alongside Ray Comfort and the rest of the Living Waters family.

And to Mr. Dawkins: you, sir, are welcome in our country anytime. You set the stage for us to place the truth about evolution and the truth of the gospel into the hands of more than 4,000 lost people. I pray that all of them will come to geniune repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And, Mr. Dawkins, I pray the same for you.

Eugenics and Darwinian Evolution's New Poster Child

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:02:00 +0000

Just a Thought.....

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:41:00 +0000

Few groups of people are a greater hindrance to the proclamation of the gospel then young adults who were raised in church on a steady diet of foosball, pizza, and empty lessons about self-image taught by men who care more about what kids think of them than whether or not kids know Christ.

My time on college campuses brings me face-to-face with the fruit of American youth ministry. Granted, there are some solid, Christ-centered youth ministries; but I fear they are the exception, not the rule.

Dirty Car Art and the Foolishness of Atheism

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:04:00 +0000

I spent a couple hours this afternoon at the Santa Clarita Street Art Festival, with my brother-in-law, nieces, and nephews. During that time, I was blessed to distribute about four hundred gospel tracts to members of my community. Ian distributed a bunch, too.

Some very talented artists were on-hand for this year's festival--chalk artists, musicians, a professional drum corps, and more. There were even some artists who used Post-its to create a picture of Bugs Bunny and Road Runner.

One of the most interesting displays of artistic talent was the Dirty Car Art, by Scott Wade.

Amazing what an intelligent and creative mind can do with a car, some dust, and a brush.

How ignorant it would have been for me to walk up to Scott Wade and say, "How long did it take those detailed images to spontaneously appear in the dust, on your car? It must have taken billions of years!"

How ridiculous it would have been for me to ask Mr. Wade why he was taking credit for creating the images on his dirty car, when it was obvious that they simply appeared by chance. A little dust, a little wind, a little time and, voila!

Wade had a notebook on a table of many of the dirty car images he has created over the years. They were extraordinary.

How foolish and insulting it would have been for me to tell the artist that I didn't believe he created the images; even though I had a piece of dirty car art right in front of me, which provided ample evidence for the authenticity of the other images in the notebook.

In fact, I don't think any atheist would have approached Mr. Wade and made such ridiculous assertions.

Yet, sadly, in a futile attempt to sear and blind their own conscience, and in order to deny what they already know in their heart and mind; the atheist makes similar ridiculous arguments against the existence of God and His creative power. Claiming to be wise, they have become fools (Romans 1:22).

The atheist wouldn't think of committing intellectual suicide and setting themselves up for embarrassment by suggesting to a human artist that their artwork occurred as a result of coincidental and random actions performed by mindless, independent elements. Yet, the atheist commits intellectual suicide every day. No, instead, the atheist, like any reasonable person, would compliment Mr. Wade for his amazing artwork.

So, why does the atheist violate his or her own conscience and deny what they know in their heart is true? The sad and simple truth is that they love their sin and, therefore, try as hard as they can to suppress the truth about God and His creation, by their unrighteousness.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:18-22).

Yes, Scott Wade is an amazing artist. But God's amazing and detailed design of the Universe makes Mr. Wade's artwork seem like a toddler's fingerpainting.

And it is this amazing, powerful, supremely intelligent Creator that each and every one of us will one-day stand before and give an account for our lives. When that great and terrible day comes, because God is good, He is going to judge each of us according to the perfect, moral standard of His Law. If we've ever lied, stolen, taken His name in vain, He will find us guilty of breaking His Law. And because God is good, He must punish our sin; and the punishment God has ascribed for sin is eternity in Hell.

But God is also merciful, loving, and kind in that He provided one way to escape that punishment; and that was through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ: fully-God and fully-Man, without sin. He died a horrible, bloody death on the cross that He did not deserve in order to take upon Himself the punishment we rightly deserve for our sins against God. And then three days later He forever defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave.

What God requires of you and me is that we repent--that we turn from our sin, and by faith and by faith alone, receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

So, please, repent and believe the gospel while God has given you time.

I know a number of atheists will read this blog post. Of course, some of them will be incensed that I dare to question their intelligence or, at the very least, their common sense. I don't think atheists are stupid. Not at all. They are merely and tragically self-deceived. And I no more want an atheist to perish in their sin than I would want that for any other lost person.

The foolishness of atheism is as foolish as denying that Scott Wade is a talented artist. Repent and believe the gospel while God has given you time.

Changing Labels

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:05:00 +0000

I will no longer refer to myself as a "Calvinist." I'm dropping the label.

No, my theology hasn't changed. No, I'm not ashamed of or embarrassed by the term. No, I'm not hiding from those who have engaged, over the centuries and increasingly these days, in unloving and uncharitable attacks against those who ascribe to a reformed theological construct.

Some of my detractors (both Calvinist and Arminian) will say I'm simply playing word games and trying to avoid the issue. I don't care. I'm over it already. And I hope they can and will get over it soon.

I say all this fully understanding that by dropping the label I will never stop those bent on division from negatively assigning labels to those upon whom they seek to heap derision and condemnation. Some people will, unfortunately, continue to use ad hominems, fallacious argumentation, hyperbole, eisegesis, and emotionalism to try to make their theological cases.

And let's be honest. Neither camp, Calvinist or Arminian, is innocent in these matters. And since I am reformed in my understanding of doctrine, let me say that there are some who hold to reformed doctrine that have been just as uncharitable and just as unloving in their rhetoric toward those who hold to Arminian doctrine. I've already apologized for my part in this kind of sinful behavior; so, I need not do it again, here.

Sadly, so long as sinners (albeit saved by grace) are involved in these theological conversations, there will be those who will ignore the mandate to love one another given in 1 Corinthians 13; and they will do so justifying their sinful behavior by insisting they are contending for the faith.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ~ I Corinthians 13:1-2

Therefore, from now on, if asked if I am a Calvinist I will refer to myself as a Biblicist. If asked if I am reformed I will refer to myself as a Biblicist. If asked to which theological camp I belong, I will say that I don't belong to a camp. I'm a Biblicist. Part of the reason is that there are many shades of gray in the Calvinist/Reformed camp; just as there are in the Arminian camp.

Again, I do not undertake this change in labels to deny the reformed theological perspectives to which I ascribe, or to deny or distance myself from my reformed Christian brethren. But Christians who hold to an Arminian theological perspective are my brothers and sisters in Christ, too. And those Christians who would not categorize themselves in either camp (which, I believe, is the largest group among born again followers of Christ) are my brothers and sisters in Christ, too.

Now, before you run to Wikipedia or to your bookshelf to grab a dictionary, allow me to define the term "Biblicist," both technically and how I will modify the term for my personal use.

A "Biblicist," according to most dictionaries is "a Bible expert," or "one who takes the Bible literally." I deny I am the former, while I cling to the latter. I am not a Bible expert, but I do take the Bible literally.

For my personal use, the term "Biblicist" means: I believe the Bible is true; fully aware that I do not (and will not this side of heaven) completely comprehend all the Bible teaches. I am one who understands that He does not fully know the mind of the Lord, nor do I offer Him any counsel. While the Lord has taught me much from His Word, I still have much more to learn. If the Bible says it, I believe it. If the Bible says that God is sovereign, I believe it. If the Bible says that man is responsible, I believe it. And so on.

Now, some of you reading this might be thinking, "Tony, why don't you just call yourself a Christian and be done with it?"

I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, the term "Christian" has more meanings than the terms "Calvinist" or "Arminian." Sadder still is that most definitions for the term "Christian" used by people and churches these days cannot be found in the Bible. No, when it comes to identifying my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, I prefer the term "doulos"--the Greek word for "slave" (not "bondservant" as many versions of the Bible translate it). That's how followers of Christ are most often described in the Scriptures--"a slave of Jesus Christ."

With that, I want to lovingly challenge my brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of where you land in the vast theological spectrum, to prayerfully consider your own labels.

Above all else, let every born-again follower of Christ call his Christian brethren "beloved."

It's Not Jango's Fault

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:05:00 +0000

The above video has more than 26,000 views on YouTube. Recently, it has made its way through my friends list on Facebook. The general concensus on both YouTube and Facebook is that this is an adorable video, with nothing but positive implications.

I disagree.

It's not Jango's fault. Jango is a cute dog. Way cuter than a cat! But I digress.

Yes, it's impressive on a dog training level that Jango has the ability to obey the commands of his master to do something most dogs cannot do. But that's where the impressiveness of this video ends for me.

I found the video to be blasphemous. While I am sure unintended by Jango's master, the video makes a mockery of prayer. The star of the video is Jango, not God. Prayer is put forth as nothing more than a skit to show Jango's talent.

Prayer is not a game. Prayer should never be used as the punchline to a joke. Prayer is not "for the birds." It is not a pearl to be cast before swine. And it certainly is not to be relegated to the dogs where it can be laughed at like some silly skit on a late night television talk show.

Prayer, for the Christian, is direct communication with God the Father, through the Mediater--God the Son, Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

It's not Jango's fault. It's not Jango's fault that some of those who profess to be counted among God's people treat talking to God with so much irrenverance.

Something to think about.

What the Supreme Court Hath Wrought

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:08:00 +0000

For The Record...

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:25:00 +0000

Just the other day, I started reading a biography on arguably one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived--William Carey. This particular edition was written by Carey's great-grandson, S. Pearce Carey. The foreword of the edition I am reading was written in 1993, by Peter Masters, pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle.

Masters wrote the following:

As convinced Calvinists, [William] Carey and his colleagues embraced and loved the 'doctrines of grace', holding to the Reformation and Puritan of human depravity, God's predestinating love, and the necessity of an irresistable work of the Holy Spirit to bring lost sinners to salvation. These same doctrines, to their mind, required them to publish the call of the Gospel with the utmost zeal in every corner of the world. Always, their greatest inspiration and comfort in times of difficulty was the conviction that God's saving will was irresistable, and therefore people would be moved to seek the Lord no matter how antagonistic their hearts might initially seem to be.

I share this quote for one reason--to refute the erroneous claim made by some that Calvinists are not evangelistic. For the record, it is not true that Calvinism teaches that the "Doctrines of Grace" somehow make evangelism unnecessary or pointless.

Do all Christians who claim to be Calvinists actively share the gospel with the lost? No; but they should. Do all Christians who claim to adhere to one theological construct or another actively share the gospel with the lost? No; but they should. And why should Christians actively engage in biblical evangelism, regardless of where they land in the theological spectrum? Christians--all Christians--should share the gospel with the lost because they love God (Luke 10:27a), because they love people (Luke 10:27b), and because they are commanded to herald the Gospel in the Word of God (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).

And There We Stood.....Together

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:18:00 +0000

The following photos represent one of my most special memories in the short, three-year history of the Ambassadors' Academy.

What do you see in these photos?

Who do you see in these photos?

Why are these people surrounded by literally thousands of other people?

What do you see?

These photos were taken during the July 2010 Ambassadors' Academy. The location is Huntington Beach, CA. We had never seen such large crowds at Huntington Beach, during an Ambassadors' Academy: The reason: the U.S. Surfing Championship, one of the largest events in the world of its kind, was taking place that weekend. The size of the crowd at the beach that day was estimated to be anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 people.

Toward the end of the afternoon, several of us headed down to a spot on the service road, next to the pier. A few brothers climbed atop the box to preach. As Marcus Pittman (Academy team leader) stepped onto the box to preach, with his Whitefield-esque voice, thousands of people began to converge on our position.

With the ability and opportunity to disappear into the massive crowd, with the already raucous atmosphere, and with the assistance of alcohol-fueled bravado; people in the crowd began to spew God-hating rhetoric, make threatening gestures, and throw things in our direction.

Marcus did not miss a beat, continuing to preach the gospel with the boldness, accuracy, and passion for which he is known. The rest of us who were there formed a human shield around Marcus.

The crowd continued to grow, both in size and intensity.

At one point, Jerry Goff (Academy team leader) came to our location. I looked at Jerry and said, "Jerry, go get me some more men. I'm not sure how this is going to turn out."

Without saying a word, Jerry ran up the stairs to where most of the Academy leaders and participants had gathered. Within moments, I watched (with a smile on my face) as a dozen or so men came bounding down the stairs. I saw both concern and determination in their eyes.

I quietly instructed my brethren to take positions around Marcus.

And there we stood.....together.

By God's grace and mercy, the gospel was preached and no one got hurt.

I would like you to look at this picture one more time.

Notice that everyone around Marcus is shouting. As Marcus finished preaching, he began to chant, "Repent! Repent! Turn to Christ and live!"

Those of us standing around Marcus--those of us who love Marcus, love the throng of lost people surrounding us, and love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--joined Marcus in chanting for people to repent and believe.

"Repent! Repent! Turn to Christ and live!
Repent! Repent! Turn to Christ and live!"

Now, look at the picture again. What do you see? Who do you see?

In the above photo there are Calvinists and Arminians, and people who would not label themselves as either. There are Charismatics and Non-Charismatics, and people who would not label themselves as either. There are people who attend denominational churches and others who attend non-denominational churches. There are new believers and mature believers, rookie evangelists and experienced evangelists. And so on.

But that's not who I see in the picture.

I see Christians!

I see brothers and sisters in Christ. I see people who believe that salvation is by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. I see people who believe there is only one inspired text--the Word of God, the Bible. I see people who believe there is only ONE gospel. I see people who believe it is a mandate from God for every Christian to herald that one, true, glorious gospel to a lost and dying world--to call sinners to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I see Christians.

And there we stood.....together.

It didn't matter that day if some of us were reformed in our theology and others of us weren't. It didn't matter that day if some of us believed all of the extraordinary spiritual gifts are still active today and others of us held a different point of view. It didn't matter that day if some of us were Baptists or Presbyterians, or part of the Calvary Chapel association of churches, or part of any other denomination or group of churches. It didn't matter that day if we preferred hymns over choruses or preferred choruses over hymns.

None of that mattered. Why? None of that mattered because all of us shared the common bond of salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. None of that mattered because we shared the common bond of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And there we stood.....together.

And that is where Christians should stand.....together. Yes, Christians have differences regarding certain doctrines and certain philosophies of ministry. Yes, Christians should engage in thoughtful discussions, even debates, regarding doctrine and philosophy of ministry. But through it all genuine followers of Christ, brothers and sisters in Christ, should stand together. We should stand together to herald the gospel, the proclamation of which God has used and will continue to use to draw people to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, I will always look back to that day at Huntington Beach with fondness and joy in my heart. For there we stood.....together.

A Plea for Repentance, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:53:00 +0000

Preface

This is going to be one of those articles--one of those articles that some will endorse and others will scorn.

While what I am about to say might represent the position of some, and while I'm certain it will not represent the position of still others; what I'm about to write is a representation of my own thoughts and feelings. These are my words and no one else's.

Although it is inevitable that my words will be errantly deemed by some to represent the position of Living Waters, I again assure you, the reader, I am speaking for myself. The responsibility and authority regarding the determination and articulation of official positions of Living Waters, on any subject, belongs to others--godly and wise men at whose pleasure and under whose authority I am blessed to serve.

Important Clarifications and Assertions

I own a two-volume copy of Calvin's Institutes. They sit on a shelf in my office. I have never read the classic work. I'm sure if I read it, I would likely agree with some of Calvin's theological positions, and disagree with others. In fact, I'm quite certain I would disagree with him on certain theological points.

I believe the Doctrines of Grace--what others refer to as the "Five Points of Calvinism"--are clearly seen in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. I believe this, not primarily because of what I've read from godly theologians, both Calvinist and Arminian. I believe this primarily because of what I've read in the Word of God.

I have studied issues pertaining to the Doctrines of Grace for more than fifteen years. This is not to say that I am any more well-versed or articulate on the subject than any other student of God's Word. I am certain there are brothers and sisters in Christ on both sides of the issue that are much brighter, knowledgeable, and articulate than I am. I share this information merely to say that I am not new to the conversation. I do not share this information to initiate yet one more debate about the doctrinal positions known as Calvinism and Arminianism. While this article is certainly about doctrine, I hope you will see it's not about those doctrines.

For the record: I am not of John MacArthur, John Piper, or John Calvin. I am not of Paul Washer, R.C. Sproul, or George Whitefield. I am not of Steve Lawson, Phil Johnson, or Charles Spurgeon. While I respect each of these fine teachers (and others like them), past and present, I do not worship them. I am of Jesus Christ, and I worship Him alone (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-17).

For the record: the Word of God is the only infallible, inerrant, and inspired text. All that has been written about the Bible must withstand the scrutiny of the Bible. Everything written by one's favorite Christian teachers must be tested with Berean noble-mindedness against the Scriptures.

Apology

Before I make my plea to my Calvinist and Arminian friends, I need to apologize. Without an apology, such a plea would be, at best, incomplete and, at worst, disingenuous. The motivation for my apology is several-fold. First and foremost, I must apologize because I have sinned before and against God. Secondly, I have sinned against some of my Christian brethren. Lastly, I believe an apology is necessary in order to avoid my words that follow from being deemed hypocritical (although I realize there is nothing I can do to avoid some from seeing my words in this way).

I'm sorry. I apologize to any and all of my Arminian friends, past or present, who I may have offended. I do not apologize for my theological positions pertaining to the Calvinism/Arminianism debate. Nor do I apologize for defending and contending for doctrine, or holding other Christians accountable to do the same. I do, however, apologize for those times when I have been harsh and/or uncharitable toward others when articulating and/or defending those doctrinal positions.

I'm sorry. I apologize for the times when I have written things under the auspices of simply sharing what was on my mind, when, in reality, I may have internally hoped that my words would "stir the pot." Such motivation was wrong, in those instances. It was sinful.

I'm sorry. I apologize to any of my Calvinist brethren who, by my actions or words, I may have errantly encouraged to be overly-sarcastic, harsh, or uncharitable in their own rhetoric toward our Arminian brethren. In such instances, I exhibited poor leadership and a lack of love for not only those who agree with me doctrinally, but also for those who disagree.

I hope that those to whom these apologies may apply will forgive me.

A Plea for Repentance, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

The Calvinism/Arminianism debate has existed for hundreds of years. And the debate will continue, in all likelihood, until Christ returns. Theological debate is good and healthy when entered into by Christians in such a way as to bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. But few things are uglier or more demoralizing than when the glory of Christ and love for the brethren is seen as an afterthought, or not considered at all, in theological debate.

For some time now, I have seen an uncharitable and condemning attitude increase in the Calvinism/Arminianism debate, particularly within street evangelism circles. The rhetoric has grown more divisive, mean-spirited, and judgmental. It has increased to such an extent that some, on both sides of the debate, have taken to questioning the salvation of those who disagree with one's chosen theological position--going as far as to suggest that those with an opposing point of view worship a different god than the God of the Scriptures.

Brothers and sisters in Christ who once shared milk crates, boxes, and park benches to preach the Law and the Gospel in the open-air now see each other as enemies--enemies of each other and enemies of Christ--as a result of the Calvinism/Arminianism debate. This should not be!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, do you not have eyes to see? Can you not see who is the victor (albeit only in the battle, but not in the war) when such division enters the Church, particularly in the realm of biblical street evangelism? The victor is not the Calvinist or the Arminian. The victor is an unbelieving world that is just looking for Christians to hand it one more excuse for their unbelief. The victor is Satan himself.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, think about it. Presently, there are likely more genuine followers of Christ on streets around the world preaching the gospel than in any other time in recorded history. What better way to attempt to thwart such a God-ordained, Holy Spirit-driven, worldwide evangelistic effort than to drive a theological wedge between biblical street evangelists.

Our enemy, the Devil, would like nothing better than for us to turn our attention to ourselves, turn against one another, and turn away from the lost souls we are trying to reach. He would like nothing better than to see us fight amongst ourselves instead of seeing us fight for those who are dying every day and bound for hell.

Do we not agree that man is inherently sinful (Romans 5)? Do we not agree that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)? Do we not agree that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)? Do we not agree that the just punishment for our sins against God is eternity in Hell (Revelation 21:8, etc)? Do we not agree that salvation is by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 1:17; John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, etc)? Do we not agree that the final destination of those whom God has saved is Heaven (Revelation 21-22)?

Can we not agree that none of us--none of us--has a complete and perfect understanding of the mind of the Lord (Romans 11:33-36)? Can we not agree that there aspects of God's will and His plan that are mysterious to us, His created beings (Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-4, 9; 5:32; 6:19; Colossians 1:26-27; 4:3, etc)?

Then can we not also agree that we can stand shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm, heralding the one, true gospel we believe as a means of worship to and in obedience of the one, true God in whom we believe?

If so, can we not, should we not, obey the Scriptures and love one another (1 Corinthians 13:1-8a). Can we not, should we not, with humility of heart and mind, see our Christian brethren as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3)? Can we not, should we not, seek to complete the joy of the apostle Paul and, in so doing, exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, by being of the same mind, having the same love, in full accord (Philippians 2:2)?

The answer to all of these questions is yes!

Therefore, to all of my Christian brethren who are part of the growing biblical street evangelism community, I beg you, please. I plead with you to join me in repenting before God and seeking His forgiveness, for our sins that have caused division among us. I plead with you to join me in seeking the forgiveness of Christian brethren who have been wrongly hurt and alienated by not the sinfulness of the Calvinism/Arminian debate itself (we should sharpen iron, one with another); but rather the sinful way, at times, the debate has been engaged.

Let us be reconciled to one another, without compromising the non-negotiable truths of Scripture. Let us be reconciled to one another, without ever compromising God's good Law and His glorious Gospel. Let us be reconciled to one another, with a willingness of heart to agree to disagree, only when appropriate and glorifying to Christ and His Word.

Remember, my brothers and sisters, God does not need us to fulfill His purposes. He does not need us to proclaim His Gospel to every tongue, tribe, and nation. But that He would choose to use any of us to serve as His ambassadors, His heralds, should fill us with so much humility and love for Him that we would see ourselves as nothing compared to the greatness of the message He allows us to bring to others.

And I beg you, my Christian brethren, whether or not you see yourself as part of the biblical street evangelism movement--I beg you to pray. Pray that authentic, Christ-centered repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation will occur in this important segment of the Body of Christ.

I pray the Lord will use what I have written for His glory, and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Who will join me in this plea for repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation?

A Conversation with Eric at Cerritos College

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:40:00 +0000

Is "Z" an Immature Christian or a False Convert?

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Just a Thought.....

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:29:00 +0000

I was working on one of my sermons for the upcoming Texas Revival Series, when the following came to mind and found its way into my sermon text.

~~~~~

A person cannot be saved by a gospel they do not know. Evangelism begins and ends with the gospel. Discipleship begins and ends with the gospel. The very life of the Christian—from the moment of regeneration, to the moment of glorification—begins and ends with the glorious gospel. And the gospel is Jesus Christ. Him we must proclaim.

This idea prevalent in the modern church that followers of Christ eventually progress beyond the gospel to weightier philosophical, pragmatic, even theological issues, to the point that the study of the gospel, the love and passion for the gospel, the joy of reading and hearing the gospel is thought of with little more than fond memories of being an immature babe in Christ; or worse, that the gospel is thought of almost with disdain as people silently warm pews and chairs during church services or living room couches during week night Bible studies, all-the-while quietly begging in their sin-soaked minds for the preacher or teacher to get beyond the preliminaries to the “good stuff”—the stuff that will tickle their ears without pricking their hearts, is blasphemous.

Sadder and more blasphemous still is when professed followers of Christ see the gospel as something that needs their help—the help of their personality, cultural awareness, the ability to look just like the world, and the ability to make and keep friends. To believe (and so act in such a way) that the simple verbal or written proclamation of the gospel is insufficient, is somehow in need of a sinner’s added humanistic and stylistic touches, is to deny both the power and the authority of the gospel and its glorious Author—Jesus Christ.

When people think this way, what they are really saying is that they have outgrown Jesus Christ. They have, whether they will admit it or not, somehow convinced themselves that they have become so mature in their faith that they have outgrown and outpaced the Author and Giver and Securer of their Faith. In so doing, they reveal what they really are—modern-day Pharisees who are no closer to Christ than the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They have, in fact, become in their minds little gods who see the God of all gods as their servant, instead of as their Savior and Lord. It is not Him they proclaim. It is, instead, themselves they proclaim. You will hear it in their testimonies. You will hear it in their church services, messages, and anti-worship music. It is relatively easy to discern. Just listen for the personal pronouns. You will hear more uses of the words “I, me, and my” than you will hear the words “Him or His.”

Any person who professes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who also believes that they have somehow outgrown the simple and beautiful message of the gospel, does not know or love the Author and Only Character of the gospel—Jesus Christ the Lord.

Is this you?

~~~~~

Your thoughts?

Faces (Re-Post)

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:26:00 +0000

The following video has been making its way around Facebook. So, I thought I would post it again as a gentle reminder to my fellow street evangelists.

One Minute Stoplight Open-Air (Text)

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Since posting the audio of my one-minute stoplight open-air presentation, several people have asked me to post the text. Here it is.....

Folks, be careful on the road today. 150,000 people die every day; many of them on roads like this.

When we die, we are going to stand before God and give an account for our lives. Because God is good, He is going to judge each of us according to the perfect, moral standard of His Law. If we've ever lied, stolen, taken His name in vain, He will find us guilty of breaking His Law. And because God is good, He must punish our sin; and the punishment God has ascribed for sin is eternity in Hell.

But God is also merciful, loving, and kind in that He provided one way to escape that punishment; and that was through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ: fully-God and fully-Man, without sin. He died a horrible, bloody death on the cross that He did not deserve in order to take upon Himself the punishment we rightly deserve for our sins against God. And then three days later He forever defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave.

What God requires of you and me is that we repent--that we turn from our sin, and by faith and by faith alone, receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

So, please, repent and believe the gospel while God has given you time. And be careful on the road today.

Yes, God Can And Does Use Anything To Bring Himself Glory--Even A Simple Cross

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:40:00 +0000

To the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone, goes all of the praise, honor, and glory for what you are about to read.

I lead a Bible Discussion Group at my church, on Wednesday evenings. By the time I get home from Living Waters, there is usually just enough time to sit and relax for a bit, and then have dinner with the family, before heading to church.

Last night, I had about thirty minutes between dinner and leaving for church. I thought about taking out my cross, but there wasn't enough time to get to one of my usual spots and back again. So, I decided to take my cross and walk to the end of our street. I've carried the cross on that corner before, and I've had a few opportunities to share the gospel with people there.

As I walked to the corner, I realized I didn't have any tracts with me. Time was so short. I didn't bother to walk back to the house to get some. A few motorists waved in support. And one man yelled from his car, "Why don't you go kill yourself!"

About fifteen minutes after I arrived on the corner, a young man rode a bike from the opposite side of the street to where I stood.

"Hello, Mr. Miano." The young man said with a smile.

"Hey! How are you doin'?" I asked, shaking his hand.

The young man, by now a few years out of high school, had participated in a Way of the Master Basic Training Class I taught about four years ago, for a group of high school students in our home school association.

We spent a few minutes catching up. We said our good-byes, and I asked him to say hello to his family for me.

That was it--a nice contact with a nice young man. In fact, it was so uneventful, I forgot to mention to Mahria or the girls that I saw him.

I turned on my cell phone at 5 AM this morning. I opened my email before making breakfast. The first email was from the young man I saw on the corner the night before.

As I read the email, I began to weep tears of joy--loud enough for all three of my daughters to get out of bed, thinking there was something wrong with daddy.

I assured them I was all right and apologized for waking them. And then I read them the following email.

Dear Mr. Miano,

After our meeting this evening, I surrendered my life to Jesus, and prayed, asking God for forgiveness of my sins through Christ's substitute punishment. I placed my faith in this grace as my only hope for eternal life.

Growing up I have always believed in Jesus, and have seen (and acknowledged) God's hand in my life. However, I'm not certain that I really understood that I needed to surrender my life and place my faith in Him alone. I feel that there has been a tug-of-war in my life for some time, during which time I have realized my need to go beyond mere belief to faith in Jesus and acceptance of grace and grace alone.

I'm sharing this with you because seeing you bearing your cross stirred in me a need to cry out to God, and I believe with my whole heart that He heard. Another reason is that your class planted a seed in my heart that has finally sprouted.

I have shared this with my parents. If possible, I'd also like to share this with you in person.

My girls and I rejoiced and praised God. I was overwhelmed with God's goodness and my utter unworthiness to be saved by Him and to serve Him.

I shared this story this morning with a few of my brothers at Living Waters, including our Executive Vice President, Emeal ("E.Z.") Zwayne. E.Z. said something that sent positive chills down my spine and motivated me all the more to carry the cross, serve Christ, and persevere. He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "One moment we might consider ordinary might be extraordinary in that God uses it to revolutionize a person's life. An encounter like the one you had, God can use eight to ten years later to raise up a Whitefield, Spurgeon, or Moody."

Many of you who read my blog have led Way of the Master Basic Training Classes. Many of you have built your own "Are You Ready" crosses and have taken to the streets in your communities. And many of you in both groups are left at times wondering if the work you are doing for the Lord is bearing any fruit.

Don't quit! God is working! He's moving on the hearts of people! God is not obligated to show us how He is working. And we do not need to see God working to obediently answer His call to serve Him. But isn't it wonderful when He allows us the precious gift and great privilege of seeing Him work in someone else's life?

I hope this brief blog post has been an encouragement to you, the reader. Please join me in thanking and praising God for what it appears he has done in this young man's life. And pray this young man will bring forth great fruit in keeping with repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

My One-Minute Stoplight Open-Air

tony@livingwaters.com (Tony Miano) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:35:00 +0000

My daughter, Michelle, asked me to record my one-minute stoplight open-air with the hope that she may one-day preach the gospel at intersections, alongside her dad. Thinking that others may want to give it a try, I decided to post it on my blog.

What follows is the one-minute open-air message I preach to motorists waiting at a red light, up to twenty times an hour, at the larger intersections in my community, while standing with my cross.

I recorded the open-air at a little slower speed than I usually preach it, in order to make it either easier to transcribe or memorize.

If you have difficulty with the embedded player above, you can listen to and/or download the audio, here.