Missions at Home

I have been reading Let the Nations Be Glad, by John Piper, and I have to say that I love books about missions. I love the stories of the missionary movement and the icons of history who have died for the sake of the gospel. I have always been so intrigued by missions work overseas and the notion of leaving everything I have to reach a foreign culture. I am naturally drawn to the most radical expressions of Christianity, not in a charismatic way, but I look for where the real self-abandon is in a faith. You cannot find any more self-abandon than the stories you hear of people who gave of everything to share the gospel with an unreached people. To me it would be an honor to be named among people like Paul who were beaten and dragged out of the city only to get up and go right back in to continue sharing the gospel.

This may really bother you, but I assure you I am pursuing no such calling. For now, the self-abandon of intercessory missions at IHOP will do just fine. I have no plans of going overseas and dying in a foreign land (although God may do whatever he wants). I am not leaving, because I am too gripped with the disaster in my own land. What does it mean to be a missionary in America? Do we have to sell all of our belongings and travel to some distant land? Not at all, and to some extent, that is the problem with missions in America.

Americans have so much surplus that we do not recognize our need. The Bible has been the #1 best selling book in America for decades. There are churches on every corner! Yet globally America is considered to be a nation in a spiritual recession as well as an economical recession. How can I be a missionary in a land like this? The message is the same, but the missionary target audience must first be the church.

While it is still necessary to convert new believers, we need to reconvert so many who have been converted into a false Christianity. Christianity in America carries far less power than it did when America started. The church has become a hobby, a preference, a mere opinion. And our converts in America have no idea what truth is!

Did you know that all Christians in America believe in heaven, but only 40% believe in hell and Satan?

Did you know that only 46% of Christians in America believe in absolute moral truth?

Over 20% of Christians believe that the Bible has errors.

Approximately half of the church believe that salvation is based on works.

Only 60% of Christians believe that Jesus lived a sinless life!

And those statistics are FAR worse as you go younger in demographic. The Barna Research Group did a study that showed 9% of American adults completely agree with a Biblical Worldview, but less than 0.5% of college age students agree with the Biblical Worldview.

Did you know that?

Not only that but Christianity has become so mutated among the teenagers that scholars are saying it has branched off into an entirely different faith. Secular researchers are saying that the Christianity that teenagers are claiming by definition is no longer "Christianity." Now it is called "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism," which basically means they believe in a system of values from a God who exists merely to meet their needs.

We live in one of the most difficult yet necessary mission fields of our day. And being a missionary in America has nothing to do with physical martyrdom or poverty like it might in a foreign country. It is so easy to get by unscathed if you just live quietly in America. Christians can still live a normal life in most parts of the nation, but for how long?

It is absolutely necessary for the church to return to message of Jesus. We don't need another set of values or 5-points to your best life now. We need a church that is alive in Christ, and not through external expression but an internal burden for His glory. Jesus is, and always has been, the centerpiece of Christianity, not just a sideline topic we use to strengthen our point. Jesus is the greatest truth we need to stand by. Abortion happens, poverty happens, but an entire generation growing up as "Christians" without knowing Jesus is DOES NOT HAPPEN.

That is why the greatest mission field in America is our schools. That is why I have given myself to training leaders and jump-starting prayer meetings on school campuses, because if something doesn't change now, it's over with for Christianity in America. I'm not about to go to another country with the gospel that my own country desperately needs.

Be a living witness. Encourage the students who are participating in outreaches in their schools. Stand for truth and raise your families on the foundation of Jesus. That is why stay-at-home mothers are the greatest leaders in America; because they are raising the future of America. Don't think you have to sell all of your belongings and move to a shack with a dirt floor to be a missionary. Walk into your school! You don't even have to sell your iPhone! Just read and embody Philippians 3:7-8, and share that truth with whomever is in your sphere of influence.

Also, you may not be called to a missionary lifestyle, but you can still participate by financially supporting missionaries in America. Did you know that Daniel Lim, the CEO of IHOP-KC, is an Asian who moved to America as a missionary to strengthen the church? Did you know that most missionaries in America give up after 2 years because of lack of funds (even in such a rich nation). I want to encourage you to find good soil to sow your seeds of finance. Find a ministry or an individual that is laboring for eternity and give (Matthew 6:21).

Lastly, no matter how large the crisis is in America, the greatest crisis is that Jesus is not known. Abortion is a large issue, the homosexual agenda is a large issue, but all of that changes when people receive the revelation of Jesus. We reach the lost because Jesus is worthy of their worship. Your ministry success has nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with glory to Jesus. Christianity in America needs to return to the foundation, the centerpiece. Jesus is the head, and we are the body, and without him we can do nothing.

Prayer Watch 2010: Breaking News

Over 30 of the world's foremost prayer leaders and teachers are in Kansas City participating in a 66-hour prayer and fasting meeting hosted at the International House of Prayer. I knew a little bit that this was happening but I had no idea the weight or importance of this event.

Their website (http://www.prayerwatch2010.com/) says, "For the first time in history, the foremost teachers on prayer will be gathered at one place to unite the nations in Solemn Assembly for Prayer Watch 2010. Thousands will assemble from across the globe for this special event and millions more via Internet streaming video. Don’t miss it! Make plans now to be part of this mountain-moving prayer gathering."

The Prayer Watch started last night at 6 PM and will carry even through the nights all the way to Sunday at 12 PM. Last night I was asked to play electric guitar for Matt Gilman from 8-10 PM and I arrived to see some of Christendom's current heros in the prayer room! Dick Eastman (founder of Every Home for Christ) was lead the meeting while I was there along with Vonette Bright (wife of Bill Bright and co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), and other leaders from YWAM and many other global ministries much larger than IHOP-KC. What I love about this is the way that myself and IHOP staff get to serve these amazing leaders in the body of Christ. This really is a huge honor. I was blown away.

Not only that, but those leaders were giving their blessing to our little house of prayer and blessing the young people in the room (myself included) and I can tell after this event, IHOP will never be same. Something very cool just happened in the kingdom of God, and it's exciting to see what happens next!

Prayer in Schools

The student prayer movement is crucial to the future of Christianity in America. More and more, the youth are showing signs of massive deviation away from the Biblical truths upon which our nation was founded. In this moment in history, the Christian heritage of our nation is being removed from our schools, and the truth of Jesus is no longer tolerated. The need is dyer but we still have hope.

The youth do not need another hip teaching or cool youth group with the latest music and activities. The last thing they need are more games. Our schools don't need another Christian club or hidden Bible study, because soon there will be no one left to attend. To a teenager today, being a Christian means holding a set a morals and agreeing with a certain list of ambiguous beliefs. Hardly any of our churched teenagers are really introduced to a relationship with the living God. Teenagers are searching for a church that takes their faith seriously, and many are leaving Christianity because they have not found the authenticity that their hearts desire. This is a crisis.

Now in our schools, the Ten Commandments can no longer be displayed, teachers cannot ask who's birthday is celebrated by Christmas, teachers cannot be seen with Bibles, and no one can share the gospel because the pressure of political correctness. Something needs to change.

The answer is not more boldness. The answer is not another message. The answer is encounter with the living God. Christianity is not about another charismatic speaker. The earth is full of great messages and talented speakers. What we need is the revelation of Jesus on the heart level.

That is why prayer is essential. 2nd Chronicles 7:14, Daniel 9-10, Joel 2, Luke 18:1-8, and many other scriptures show us the profound impact of desperate prayer and returning to God, and no one is exempt. This move of God has to start within the church with desperate hunger for God. We need to give our students the living God. What is fun about such a crisis, every time in history, such a movement of God starts in the youth!

One of the Satan's greatest lies is the promise of tomorrow. We must give ourselves to the place of prayer, and if we really want to see a shift in the youth of America, it has to start in the schools. The catalyst event to revival in the youth is going to be the return of prayer to schools. That was the catalyst event in 1962 when prayer was removed and the school culture shifted to wickedness. Prayer can still happen through student-led gatherings. This movement of prayer in schools is not just another fad or another random initiative to give us something to do. It is the foremost opportunity to see a move of God in the youth of the nation, and its outcome holds the very future of Christianity in America.

Harp and Bowl Model in 10 Seconds

This is the worship model that we use in 456 for theWall. So all of our worship leaders, singers, musicians, sound techs, and prayer leaders can keep track of what's going on. This model helps organize the chaos of music and prayer happening at the same time and actually allows for much more freedom.

3 pillars of the model:

1. Centrality of Scripture

2. Team Ministry (on stage)

3. Inclusiveness (in the room)

The H&B Model happens in cycles (2 or 3 in a given set). A cycle looks like this:

1. Corporate Worship (unites the room)

2. Spontaneous Singing (engages the people personally with God)

3. Prayer

a. Prayer Leader prays from mic (music shifts)

b. Prayer Leader ends prayer with "in the name of Jesus: summarization"

c. Singers antiphonalize (responsive singing of short phrases based on the summary/verse)

d. Chorus (corporate chorus that allows the room to sing the prayer)

e. Next prayer leader... starts again

f. Optional small group prayer

Once 4 or 5 prayer leaders have prayed, then the cycle restarts. We go back into worship either directly or with small group prayer in between, and then we follow the steps again. This is a basic worship model for an intercession set. It allows the prayer leader to lead during the prayer, the entire room to be engaged, and for musicians and singers to be creative and spontaneous. If the prayer leader uses a verse, and the singers sing the verse, then we have accomplished all three of the pillars!

Simple, slick, snazzy.

2 hours go by like lightning with this model.

30 Days of Prayer Announcement

2nd Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

Imagine with me Christian students gathering before class every school day to pray for revival their school, city and nation. Image Christian students in different schools, even in different cities, praying for the same thing at the same time, becoming a part of a national movement of student-led prayer in school. For years students have lived under the shadow of “separation of church and state,” fearing to cross boundaries that actually do not exist. We have given up the fight for prayer in schools too easily, but this November we will have an opportunity to legally see prayer returned to our schools through student-led gatherings, city-wide.

This November, Christian students in Kansas City are invited to gathering for prayer every school day before class for 30 Days of Prayer. Whether in the Olathe School District, Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Park Hill, KC MO, public or private schools, we want to rally students as far and wide as we can to participate in this prayer initiative. I believe that this 30 Days of Prayer in November will spark a fire of prayer in our schools that will not go out, and we will have prayer furnaces in our schools with students contending for revival and gaining a heart of prayer at an early age.

I need your help. Your voice is key to the mobilization of our teenagers in this initiative. I urge you to take hold of this vision and with other pastors in Kansas City and encourage your students to participate in this initiative. Visit www.kcstudentmissions.com where you can find written information about the 30 Days of Prayer, as well as schools that are already signing up to participate. Already we have all four Olathe High Schools excited to participate this November in daily prayer for revival. Help spread the word to more students and schools so that we can have the greatest impact possible with this initiative.

Finally, there will be a High School Prayer Rally as a follow-up event to See You At The Pole on Saturday, October 2nd and Grandview Assembly of God. This event will be an opportunity for students who are involved in the campus ministry at their school to hear the vision of the 30 Days of Prayer and hear some of the exciting testimonies of what God is already doing this year in our schools. There will be worship, teaching, and prayer all centralized on revival in the schools of Kansas City, so I encourage you to attend this event as a precursor to the 30 Days of Prayer this November. More information on this event is also available on www.kcstudentmissions.com.

Please contact me for more information about these events, and please partner with me as we seek to see Jesus glorified in America.

In His Service,
Logan Bloom

Christology II: Journal

I just had my first day of class in Christology II in IHOPU (the study of the person/work of Jesus). This is a fourth-year class that I have been excited about all year because I love the instructor. Well, we just had our first day of class and I am thoroughly wrecked and distraught and desperate for Jesus (all in a good way). So I will be journaling a little of what I learn and how the Lord is moving my heart throughout the semester pertaining to this class. So, here we go:

Session 1:

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus is the centerpiece of Christianity, yet Jesus is not really the centerpiece of my life as much as he deserves or requires. In the church as a whole (especially western Christianity), Jesus is no longer the centerpiece. So many ministries are submitting to political correctness and tolerance and pleasing what the masses want to hear that Christianity is diluted. Now it's about a list of morals or the value of the community or the impressiveness of the building or the charisma of the pastor, and while none of those things are inherently wrong, the person of Jesus has been pushed to the sidelines.

The young generation is a prime example. I know it first-hand. Less and less are participating in church (what is it, 3% now?... and most of those refuse to share their faith with their friends because they believe their truth doesn't apply to everyone...) and more and more are swapping out religions like ice-cream flavors because they cannot find one with substance, not even in Christianity. Why? Because they are not encountering or being introduced to the literal person of Jesus. People are leaving the church because other religions are taking their faith more seriously. But no matter how strict our moral code is or what political stance we take, if we aren't introducing people to Jesus, then we are only marketing an empty product.

Why else do our youth groups produce students who fall away in college 90% of the time? They don't know Jesus. They may know a list of values, they may even memorize a few scriptures, but we are not producing a church in love with Jesus. Instead, we are selling Jesus as a means to an end. Some preach Jesus as fire-insurance, some preach Jesus as a way to get rich, some preach Jesus as a way to be free of guilt or self-hatred, and it's all about how we can benefit from Jesus. Jesus didn't come into the world so that we could live more comfortably because of his death.

Jesus is the center of everything. Jesus is the center of history, our salvation, he is our provider, our comforter, and our deliverer, but he is not the center of our lives nor is he the center of the church (generally speaking). Praise God for the churches that are still keeping Jesus central, but they are far to few. Ask a random person outside Wal-Mart, "Are you going to heaven?" and they will likely answer according to their works. You can solve world hunger and still go to hell. We're so busy fighting poverty and fighting abortion and trying to do good that it becomes who we are and we lose our first love. I am so busy trying to reach the schools in Kansas City for Jesus that even I get distracted from my relationship with him! We forget about that moment when Jesus revealed his love to us for the first time and we recklessly gave our lives to him because we knew without a doubt that he deserves it all. Then, too often, we work up offenses in our hearts about how Jesus doesn't provide for us like we want him to, forgetting that we only deserve death...

Who knows what I'm saying anymore. . . at the onset of this class, all I can say for sure is that I need Jesus. It is helpful every once and while to take a break and get reconnected with Jesus personally, so here I go! Falling in love again!

Session 3:

The primary characteristic of Christianity is the divinity of Jesus. If Jesus is not God, then we have no Christianity. Jesus is our savior because He is God incarnate. Christianity is the only religion where God shows compassion and became man for our salvation. The divinity of Jesus sets Christians apart from the mainline Mormon and Jehovah Witness faiths, not to mention Islam. When Muslims turn to Christians and say, "Let's settle our differences, we really have more in common than in differences," the truth is that without the divinity of Jesus, we have nothing in common. Jesus is the cornerstone. No amount of morals or monotheism will save us outside the belief that Jesus is YHWH.

Any form of Christianity that deviates away from the divinity of Jesus is a delusion. History (in this age) culminates in the revelation of Jesus as YHWH at the second coming, and His divinity will be the point in question that will be forever laid to rest. That is the drama of the second coming. Satan raises up an "Antichrist," not just an "antigod." The attack and deception at the end of the age on the identity of Jesus will be against His divinity. But there will be no question when Jesus splits the sky and every eye sees Him together. The truth of His divinity is key, and any Christian rejecting this truth is in serious danger. By definition, any faith excluding the divinity of Jesus as the only way to God is not "Christian," whether they call themselves Christian or not.

I once had a conversation with a student who was a Christian and who wanted to start a campus ministry at her High School. She was a ready leader with enthusiasm in her heart to reach her friends. When I asked more about her walk with Jesus, she revealed that she did not believe that Jesus was God or the only way to God, and upon further inquiry, she didn't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture either. Yet she believed completely that she was "Christian." As I explained to her the history of the Christian faith, and the nature of Scripture, we discovered that she actually is not "Christian" at all. I told her, "You have much more faith than I do, but by definition, your faith is not Christianity." That conversation sadly ended in dismay for both of us as she was filled with new questions for her "church." What is Christianity without Jesus?

Philippians 2:1-11 is just as much about Jesus' divinity as it is about his humility. Without divinity, Jesus has no humility. Look at the climax: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (YHWH), that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (YHWH), to the glory of God the Father."

At the end of this age, the great revelation across the earth will be the divinity of Jesus, because God became man and gave himself as a ransom for many. Jesus made a way for us to the Father because He is both GOD and MAN. Man could not save man, and God could not reconcile our sin apart from becoming man. Therefore, Jesus is exalted above everything and must have preeminence in our lives and in our churches. Amen.

Research Assignment:

I received a research assignment in this class to listen to the messages of 7 of America's largest churches and document how many of those messages were actually about the person of Christ. For this assignment, my goal was to document messages of which Jesus was the main subject, and not merely a mention. I listened to reviewed the notes from several messages from each church (at least 8 each) to see if I could find any messages directly about Jesus. Without naming the churches I reviewed (all very large, popular, influential churches with equally influential pastors), I found only 1 message that was actually about Jesus. And the 1 message that was about the person of Jesus was delivered by a guest missionary speaker from overseas.

What I found most common where messages about how God benefits us, and how we can thrive in trials and circumstances based on Christian values. Today the church is largely about values. Jesus was mentioned, and in some churches much more than others, but He was a sideline topic most of the time. Christianity in these churches is about values and self-help. Not to say that values and self-help are inherently bad, if I was a regular attender of one of these churches I would rarely hear a clear message about the person of Jesus. To me Jesus would be a vague value rather than a living person.

One church in particular upset me. I spent the most time on this particular church because I simply could not find anything about Jesus, not even a mention. After reviewing dozens of notes from their messages, and even going through their online bookstore, I had nearly given up when I decided to run a search in their website for the word "Jesus." My search found one web page that was an invitation on their website to receive Jesus, and when I watched the videos and read the invitation, it actually was about Jesus. It may not have been the most accurate invitation to salvation I've ever heard, but at that point I was desperate. I had not found a message about Jesus from that church in nearly a year's worth of messages. All I found was how to "make the kingdom of God work for you," or "command lessing," and other messages related to how we can benefit from God, never what we can give to God and NOTHING about having a relationship with Jesus. No Jesus.

Our churches need to get saved...

Playing For An Empty Room... Well, Not Really...

Lately I have been playing electric guitar for a worship team at IHOP that covers the Saturday 6 AM - 8 AM set every week. 6:00 AM is the time that the nightwatch is ending their day and the day-time teams start their day. Usually, the prayer room is pretty laid back on the weekends, so the 6 AM set is especially slow, or so it seems.

I recall one Saturday morning I woke up at 5:00 AM, rolled out of bed, and slowly made my way to the prayer room for what seemed like another normal 6 AM set. There were probably 10 people total in the prayer room that morning, so it didn't seem like a very important set at all. We played well and focused on God more than the room, but we figured we had only played well for 10 people (and God, of course : ).

What we didn't know was that we were live on GODTV in more than 200 countries and more than 15,000 viewers were logged in to the online web stream in other parts of the world... and we had no idea. What seemed to us like another normal set that we may have even blown-off was actually one of the largest sets of the week in other time-zones around the world.

This served as a good reminder that we are not in the prayer room at 6 AM for ourselves or even for those in the room. Ultimately, we are there to minister to GOD's heart whether anyone is watching or not.

The fun part about the prayer room is that you never know who is watching, whether the room is full or empty. In the end, it's for an audience of one...

High School Prayer Rally You Will Not Want To Miss!

In years prior, 456 has hosted several events called the "Heal Our Land Project" where we shared the message and vision to see revival in our generation through the power of prayer.

This year (2010-2011), there will be a brand new event on October 2nd: High School Prayer Rally. This rally takes the Heal Our Land Project to another level. On the heals of See You At The Pole (September 22nd), an IHOP team will be leading the worship and prayer time and we'll get to hear from local youth leaders on the prayer movement that is sweeping through schools across our nation. I have been mobilizing prayer in Kansas City schools for many years now and I must say that the most exciting days are just ahead in the next 2-3 years.

Today, the youth of America and the schools of America are faced with a massive crisis due to a destructive culture fueled by demonic influences. Depression, suicide, rape, violence, and every addiction you can imagine has plagued our children. It all can be traced back to one moment in history that opened the flood gates of immorality in our schools: the 1962 Supreme Court Case Engle v. Vitale. This court case removed school sanctioned prayer from public schools and effectively built the foundation for the wall of separation of church and state as it relates to the classroom. In the years following, national test scores decreased, teen pregnancy increased, teen violence increased, teen STDs increased, and even the national divorce statistics increased at a rate that has not declined since.

The removal of prayer from schools also opened the doors to dozens of other court decisions removing God from the school system, even down the history books. What most people do not know about public schools is that prayer really has not been removed. School sanctioned/facilitated prayer has been removed, but not student-led prayer. Therefore, it is essential that we put prayer back on school campuses through student-led gatherings. If we want to make a difference in this generation, and we want to learn from history, the place to start is prayer in the youth.

That is why I am urging you to attend this High School Prayer Rally on October 2nd, a followup event to See You At The Pole in Kansas City. Whether you are a student or a youth leader, if you want to reach the schools and see revival in Kansas City, this event is for you. I will see you there!

High School Prayer Rally

October 2nd, 6 PM - 9 PM

Grandview Assembly

12400 Grandview Road

Grandview, MO 64030

Contact loganbloom@ihopu.org for more info.

Not Just Another School Year

This is my August entry in the Johnson County Christian publication!

Logan Bloom

Director, 456 Campus Ministry

info@kcstudentmissions.com

Not Just Another School Year

Already, August is upon us and another school year is beginning. Back to school shopping is in full swing and nerves run high as students wonder what their classes will hold. Vacations come to a close and construction is wrapping up in schools across the Kansas City area. What most students do not know is that their school has been prayed for all summer and long preparations have been made to reach their student body with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Barna Research Group (www.barna.org) has just released a new study related to teenagers and their religious practices and the study reveals yet another set of troubling statistics. For years, Barna has been tracking teenage religious behavior and now the statistics of church participation are lower than ever. Most shocking of all is that born again teenagers are no longer sharing their faith because of the pressure of political correctness, especially in their schools.

It is my prayer that 2010 and 2011 would not just be another school year of ‘business as usual’. Right now there are established student-led prayer furnaces and Bible studies on the majority of school campuses in Kansas City. There is still hope, even in the face of a failing culture, if we act now.

The need has never been greater for prayer in America. Church leaders are sounding the alarm throughout the nation calling for a prayer movement in our churches and in our schools. This year could be the year of change for the culture of our teenagers. Rather than watch church participation decrease and the measures of immorality increase, I challenge you to take a stand in prayer for this young generation.

Partner with me in prayer for our students, both local and national. I believe that Kansas City can be a burning and shining lamp in a time of national crisis. Pray Ephesians 3:16-19 over the students this year as they begin school, that they would know the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. Let us petition the Lord for breakthrough, and let us partner in deed with our prayers by encouraging and supporting the outreaches that students are leading on their campuses.

Don’t let this be just another school year. This could be THE school year that makes a difference for an entire generation. Visit www.kcstudentmissions.com to find out how your student can get involved and to find events in your area where students are uniting in prayer for revival.