Dr. Tom Grassano

Too Good for This World

I  have just watched two videos. They are not professionally produced. They were simply taken from a small video camera by a church member in a house church in Vietnam. The video was taken a few moments after hired government “thugs” broke into the church and attacked the pastor, leaders and church members simply because they worship Jesus. The video is shocking, emotional and heart-breaking. Blood drips from a man’s head wounds. Another cannot walk because of his beating. One is unconscious. Some lie bleeding with their heads resting on Bibles.

I wept as I watched it.

The people of Vietnam are special to my heart. I have worked among these people, visited their homes, trained their pastors and leaders, and walked their streets in prayer. Of the 23 nations I have visited and ministered in, Vietnam is by far the most beautiful, and the people are some of the most humble, respectful, appreciative, and genuine people I have met.

We face many trials, but none like our brothers and sisters in Christ in many places around the world. The things we call “suffering” that challenge and shake our faith pale in comparison to what people are facing right now as I write this letter to you. Lidia and I have attempted to share with our church on many occasions about the depth of commitment of Christians around the world. About their humility. About their strength of character. About their devotion to Christ and unwavering commitment to their faith. Lidia grew up among such people. Through my frequent travels and ministry over the past 30 years, they have become my brothers and sisters.

Like the pastor in Guatemala who was shot eight times and left for dead. God miraculously healed him and when he was offered to move to another part of the country for his safety, he refused because God called him to stay where he was.

Like the pastor in the mountains of Central America who, when there was no other pastor to lead the work, he said, “Here I am, Lord, use me!” as Isaiah did. Though completely illiterate and humanly incapable of the task, he did not look at his inabilities and say “No” to God.

Instead, he simply looked to God and said yes to what he could not do and trusted in God who can do anything. He studied and memorized the Bible as his young son read it to him. God made him very fruitful in his work.

Like the people in Cuba who went to other villages to gather food for us to eat. One family killed their only pig and another their only turkey. Food is rationed there. Families don’t have enough. But they wanted us to be fed. I could hardly swallow the incredible meal they fixed for us, knowing what they had sacrificed for it and questioning in my heart what they would eat the next day. Yet, they were overwhelmed with joy at their sacrifice, a sacrifice far greater than many of us would make.

I could go on with many other examples of people who, through incredible love and devotion to God, do not complain, resist, or reject God or an opportunity to serve, but embrace it with incredible humility and faith.

I wish you could see the faces on these videos.  Maybe if you did, the next time the train is late or the car breaks down or something doesn’t go right, you will remember how blessed you are. Maybe the next time you are asked to do something for God’s church and your flesh wants to resist, you will say “Here I am!” as you will realize the honor that is being bestowed upon you. Maybe the next time you receive counsel or advice or even rebuke, you will thank God for His protection and won’t resist and resent. Maybe the next time it seems your world is falling apart and your faith is shaken, you will remember a God who is greater.

And maybe next time you are asked to pray for those persecuted around the world, you will take that request seriously and go to God in prayer.

Hebrews 11:35 & 38  “Others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection . . . They were too good for this world.”

It’s Past Time for a Charistmatic Revolution

I frequently read and appreciate the expressions of Lee Grady. I could not refrain from posting this on my blog. Read and be pricked and encouraged.

It’s Past time for a Charismatic Revolution

In honor of Reformation Day, here are some complaints I’m nailing on the Wittenberg door.

Long before there was an Occupy Wall Street, Martin Luther staged the most important protest in history. He was upset because Roman Catholic officials were promising people forgiveness or early escape from purgatory in exchange for money. So on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a long list of complaints on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Luther’s famous 95 theses were translated from Latin into German and spread abroad. Like a medieval Jeremiah, Luther dared to ask questions that had never been asked, and he challenged a pope who was supposedly infallible. Through this brave monk, the Holy Spirit sparked the Protestant Reformation and restored the doctrine of grace to a church that had become corrupt, religious, dysfunctional, political and spiritually dead.

I am no Luther, but I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called “Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have “indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets.

In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.

1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.

2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.

3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We Charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.

12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma.

(Source: Charisma Media)

The Father’s Heart

What do we know about the heart of God?

God cares about the suffering.

Bob Pierce, the founder of Samaritan’s Purse, knelt in the dirt in Korea embracing a street child and said, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God!”

God cares about the suffering! He cares about the poor and the hungry. They are around the world and outside our doors. He cares about the sick. He cares about the wounded and brokenhearted. He cares about the persecuted.

Do we?

God cares about the lost.

It is estimated that 80,000 people die every day without Christ. That’s 55 people every 60 seconds!

How much time to we invest in non-eternal things while so many in the world still do not know about Christ’s saving love?

Do you pray for them? Jesus does! Do we seek them? Jesus does!

God cares about His great Name!

We sing about it. We call on His name in times of trouble. But do we love His name enough to revere, honor and proclaim it? The answer to that question is not in our words; It is in our behavior!

What distracts most from the glory of His name? Our disobedience, calloused hearts, and self-absorbed focus while we lift our hands in worship and say that we honor Him.

“Who can free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Romans 7:24-25, NLT)

The Loving Father and His Two Sons

The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most beautiful in the gospels. Found in Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells the story of a son who demands his share of the inheritance and upon receiving it, squanders all of it in sinful living. Reaching the bottom, he comes to his senses and returns to the Father, who is waiting eagerly for his son to come home.

When the prodigal came to his senses, he did not want to return as a son, but as a servant. He said to himself,  “In my sin, I thought I was worthy; In my brokenness, I know I am not!”

Oh, that we would all say the same!

But the older brother is enraged with the royal welcoming home of the prodigal! The most interesting revelations come from his anger:

His pride  -   “I’m worthy; He’s not!!!” and “Where’s my party?!”

His sick heart -  If the older brother had the father’s heart, he would have not just joined the party, but he would have called all the friends to come, killed the calf, cooked the food, baked the cake, and led in a tearful speech about his love for his brother and his joy now being complete to have him home! He didn’t do these things because he didn’t have the father’s heart!

But the father said the oldest son was with him every day!

That leads me to this question:

How can you be in the Father’s presence and not have the Father’s heart?

Continued …

The Prudent Woman and the Lost Coin

In Luke 15:8-10, Jesus tells the story of a woman who lost a coin. What did she do? She lit a lamp and searched her entire house until she found the one lost coin. When she found it, she was so joyful that she called her friends together to rejoice over the one lost coin that was found.

What can we learn from this story?

What we have is not enough! To grow content and satisfied with what we have in Christ and not hunger and thirst for more is defeat! The prudent woman was not content to say, “Well, I still have nine!” No! She had to search for the one that was lost!

Look how the woman searched for the lost coin! She lit and lamp and searched through the entire house, moving every piece of furniture, looking in every closet and every corner, behind the bookcases and under the beds until she found the coin that was lost.

That’s how Jesus searched for us, diligently, lovingly, purposefully, mercifully searching and searching until He found us. That’s how we should search for others! 

But don’t forget: Just like the woman lit the lamp, you have to light the lamp of Christ in you and let it shine in the darkness so that you can find the coin that is lost!

The Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep

In Luke 15 there are some important and relevant truths for the church today. The first ones are found in the parable of the Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep:

So Jesus told them this story:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”  (Luke 15:3-7 NLT)

What can we learn in this passage?

1. The Good Shepherd does not neglect the others when He looks for the lost sheep! He has led the ninety-nine sheep to green pastures and beside still waters; He has restored their souls! (Psalm 23) The sheep should be able by now to graze on their own, and they should rejoice with the Shepherd over every lost one that is found and brought into those green pastures!
2. The priority of heaven is finding lost sheep, not continuing to fatten the ones in the pasture!
3. The priority of the sheep should not be grazing day after day after day in some self-absorbed faith, but multiplying and producing lambs in the pastures of the Lord!

We often say we want to bring joy to God in the way we live. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7 that “there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”   Why, then, do we spend 99 percent of our time ministering to the 99 who need no repentance rather than seeking and searching for the one lost sheep?

Jesus gave us His mission statement in Luke 19:10 -  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”

Is that our mission statement today, too?

The Tough Questions

As we consider our need and desire for God’s favor, these are some tough questions for personal spiritual evaluation:

• Do you hold the Word of God in a place of honor in your life?
• Do you respond obediently to its words?
• Do you live by its truth?
• Is it a pattern in your life to regularly sit at the God’s table and be nourished by His words?
• Do you receive the conviction of God’s words with gladness and quickly respond without question?
• Do you hold in high regard and holy reverence the presence of Christ working in your life and in the church?
• Do you come into His presence to worship with adoration, fear and awe?
• Do you have order in your life?
• Do you have order in your home?
• Do you honor godly order and leadership in the church?
• Does your life reflect the purity and holiness of Jesus Christ?
• Do you forgive those who have wronged you? Do you love and pray for your enemies?
• Are your conversations holy?
• Do you seek to edify and encourage those around you?
• Do your words and actions draw people to Christ?
• Do you care about lost and hurting people?
• Is your heart broken by the things that break the heart of God?

If any of these questions prompt reflection and bring conviction into our lives, let us respond with humility and brokenness of heart. God never despises and broken and contrite heart. On the contrary, it is the key that opens the door to the increase of His presence and favor in our lives.

“If you seek Me, you will find Me. If you search for Me with all of your heart, I will be found by you.”  - Jeremiah 29:13-14a

Don’t Settle for Fake Anointing

I have greatly enjoyed reading the thoughts of Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Magazine. Below is a recent post from Lee about a topic close to our hearts. I believe this is a must read, and I encourage you to share it with others.

“Many Christians today can’t distinguish between the sweat of the flesh and the dew of heaven.

“Gideon is one of my favorite Bible characters because I relate to his struggle with inferiority. God pulled this runt of a guy out of a hole in the ground and called him to deliver Israel. Gideon’s classic “Who, me?” response reminds me of conversations I’ve had with the Lord. None of us feels qualified to do God’s work, but we know from Gideon’s example that reluctant wimps can be transformed into valiant warriors.

“I’ve heard people criticize Gideon because he laid out a fleece of wool on the ground and asked the Lord—not once but twice—to confirm His promise (see Judges 6:36-40). But the Bible doesn’t say God was mad at Gideon for wanting assurance. In fact, God answered Gideon both times with moisture from heaven. The dew was a sign of God’s favor and blessing.

“You know how the story ends. Gideon’s impressive army of 22,000 is downsized to a ragtag band of 300, and they carry only trumpets, clay pots and torches into battle. Through their supernatural victory over Midian, God made it clear that His anointing has nothing to do with human ability.

“How many of us have learned Gideon’s lesson? Do you trust the Holy Spirit to work in you, or do you lean on the flesh? Do you have the precious dew of His miraculous anointing on your life, or have you manufactured a cheap form of human moisture to do the job?

“Many Christians today can’t distinguish between the sweat of the flesh and the dew of heaven, but there is a big difference. As I have prayed for more anointing in my life, I’ve realized that we often mistake fake anointing for the real thing. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

“The anointing isn’t in numbers. We place so much importance on church size today, yet God doesn’t seem impressed by crowds. I have nothing against megachurches as long as they preach the gospel—and many of them do a better job of it than small churches. But we’re headed for disaster if we think seating capacity alone reflects God’s approval.

“The anointing isn’t in eloquence. Some people have an uncanny way with words (including non-Christian motivational speakers), but persuasive skill isn’t the same as spiritual anointing. The dew of heaven is holy. It brings conviction and repentance—not self-awareness and an ego boost. And true preaching does not exalt the preacher—it crucifies him and focuses all attention on the Son of God.

“The anointing isn’t in looks. In today’s cool evangelical scene, rock star pastors are expected to be sexy, and everyone in the praise team needs trendy clothes. There’s nothing wrong with dressing to reach your audience, but I hope we don’t think the Holy Spirit is impressed with hipness. The dowdy grandmother wearing orthopedic shoes might have a word from the Lord for the congregation—but will we allow her on the stage?

“The anointing isn’t in technology. I love to use digital graphics when preaching. But some of the most anointed meetings I’ve been in were in Third World countries where we didn’t even have reliable electricity, much less computers and projectors. When genuine anointing falls on a preacher, he or she can talk for two hours without having to entertain.

The anointing isn’t in emotionalism. In many churches today, lack of anointing creates a vacuum that is filled by screaming, swooning and other forms of religious theater. It doesn’t matter what is preached—it is “anointed” as long as the preacher punctuates it with enough volume and the people shout back. (One preacher I know had everyone hollering while she quoted lines from a Beyoncé song!) Remember: Backslidden Israel shouted so loud that the earth quaked, but by the end of the day the Philistines had plundered them (see 1 Sam. 4:5-11).

“The anointing isn’t in contrived manifestations. I love it when the Holy Spirit does miracles. But when people fake the supernatural in order to get an audience response (or a big offering), I run for the door. If we had the fear of God we would never pretend to have the anointing by jerking, slurring words, stretching the facts in a testimony or sprinkling glitter on ourselves.

“Charles Spurgeon referred to the Holy Spirit’s anointing as “unction,” and he said of it: “Unction is a thing which you cannot manufacture, and its counterfeits are worse than worthless.” Let’s turn away from every false anointing and ask the God who answered Gideon to soak us with His heavenly power.”

The Light shines in the darkness

When we are faced with situations like I wrote to you about in my last entry, we see only a few choices:

1. We can cut and run.
2. We can stay in the safe walls of our church or ministry center.
3. We can go to the location where the heart of the problem is and confront it head-on.

We chose Option C.

The day after I wrote you last, we went into the Projects where the violence has centered. The people opened their hearts widely to us. Mom’s asked if they could start a petition to the management to have us there all the time. Young men came directly to me, thanking me for coming. “We need you here” was their response. We will go back and do the same tomorrow night, but I have been there every day.

We can’t sit still when this kind of craziness is going on. God has not given us an impotent faith. He has allowed me to see His powerful hand of protection and guidance many times in the Bronx, and I have seen His healing and transformation in many places around the world. God loves the people here as much as He loves anyone. There is still power in His blood to save.

In the past few days, another attack took place: a young man was cut from ear to ear. Also in the past two days, five people have committed their lives to Christ. Four were people we have known for years. Two of those were a former drug dealer “C” and his 16-year-old son. “C” sent me a text last night:

“Just made it back to the shelter. Thanks for the Bibles and the talk. I hope we can do it again soon. Good night and thanks Tom & Lidia. I love you.”

I have been invited to dinner with two other former “street vendors” this week. Another appears to be in control of “things” now. We chatted on the street today. He said he wants to have lunch with me this week.

John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

We depart for Detroit next week. There is much to be done here before we leave, and much when we return. But we are trusting God that tide is turning! We will continue working toward that here, and we will take the same spirit to Detroit.

Thank you for your continued prayers. God is faithful!

A Tragic Death – A Need to Press On

A young man came by The Harvest Center in the Bronx yesterday. I know him well. He was a leader in the “pharmaceutical” business for years in our community. He is among those young men I personally reached out to for many years. Like most of the others, he is now working a job and has become a good father to his children. He told me a very sad story:

One of the other young men I knew was brutally murdered a month ago. He left his apartment one block from The Harvest Center to run an errand. Some youth were sitting on the hood of his car. He politely asked them to get off, informing them he had to go somewhere. Spewing profanity, one said, “I’ll get off when I feel like it.” After trying several more times for over ten minutes, the young man slowly pulled his car out of the parking space until they jumped off his car.

When he returned a few hours later, his wife asked him to walk to the store to get some Tylenol for their sick baby. The corner store was only two blocks away, so he took his 11-year-old son with him. As he walked out of the project building, the youth who were sitting on his car were waiting. They stabbed him multiple times while his young son yelled, “Stop hurting my daddy! Stop hurting my daddy!” He died on the sidewalk in front of his son.

Senseless death and violence. Just another block away, the housing project Betances where we had freedom to minister for over 13 years has become a den of violence. (They stopped us from reaching out there because of “separation of Church and State,” and now the violence has come back in.) People innocently walking down the streets of our community are being attacked and beaten or stabbed by youth mobs as someone videos the melee. The videos are later posted on YouTube, with people laughing at the victim.

Our work is not done here! There is still much to be done! Yes, we have faced opposition from every front, and it has heated up the past few years. But we must persevere and press forward into these areas of darkness so that these people can be set free from bondage and find eternal life in Jesus Christ!

This work cannot be done with human flesh. Our skills, methods and ideas will not change anything here. Jesus can! We need God’s divine intervention, tearing down strongholds in people’s lives, giving us protection, guidance, strength and wisdom. We know our God is able to bring change in these places! Some people in the communities we work in may not have a tomorrow. The time is NOW to reach out to them.

I also ask that you pray for the 11-year-old son of the murder victim, his wife and daughter. I cannot give their names. God knows them.

Thank you for your prayers! God is faithful to answer!

His bondservant,

Dr. Tom Grassano