Business Executives Receive Christ

We're holding a follow up meeting next week for the businessmen that attended our Rick Warren executives event. We will probably gather around 30 of these people for the continuation of this new movement. One huge blessing that came out of the kickoff - six of these influential men and women surrendered their lives to Christ for the first time.

Brainstorming ideas include: Christ-centered micro-financing to help eradicate extreme poverty (of which affects 24% of the population in Mexico), biblical-based entrepreneurship efforts targeting university students, Christian mentorship program with university students, and several more.

Ask God to bless these men and women as they seek to use their influence for the Kingdom.

'Extraordinary Meeting' to Determine Age of Chinese Gymnasts

The Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) held what they called "an extraordinary meeting" yesterday to discuss the age of Chinese female gymnasts. As could be expected, Chinese officials supplemented their previous documentation with more papers and a few more stories to try to explain the controversy.

The FIG will continue to analyze the papers (which won't be real helpful) and look into the situation (which will be helpful if they look at evidence beyond what the Chinese government provides).

Continue to email the FIG, and encourage them to look at ALL the evidence testifying to the real age of the gymnasts.

China Cheating? Contact Gymnastics Federation

Bloggers and hackers alike have made inroads to Chinese documents showing that 4 of China's gymnasts may be underage. Let's just be honest here. If you're like me, and you watched the coverage of Olympic gymnastics, it looks like the Chinese gymnasts are still pulling out their baby teeth. But is all this controversy unfounded?

Not hardly. As you can read in this just released AP article, even China's own Yang Yun, a double bronze medalist in Sydney, said during an interview aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 in 2000.

The International Olympic Committee is asking for an investigation, but they're still taking a soft line, saying they're satisfied with the Chinese documents provided. My recommendation? Contact the International Gymnastics Federation and encourage them to look at the history of these athletes to verify their age. The rest of the hard-working athletes that play by the rules deserve at least that.



Read the statement released by the International Gymnastics Federation an hour ago, then be sure to email them, encouraging an independent investigation.

Video of Saddleback's Presidential Debate

Miss the outstanding debate tonight between Obama and McCain hosted by Pastor Rick Warren? You can already find good recorded coverage of the debate at CNN and videos are appearing on YouTube. I imagine the Saddleback Civil Forum website will also have the entire recorded debate available soon.

If you missed it, it's worth catching up on.

Funniest Video EVER - in Honor of Beijing Olympics

This video still holds top rank as the funniest I've ever seen. I've never put it on my blog, even though I've watched it dozens of times. So here it is, in honor of our Chinese Olympic hosts.

My favorite parts...the echo by the guy on the left about the 1:12 mark and the big crescendo at 2:30. Ohhh, that's good stuff.



This dynamic duo has gained worldwide attention because of their lip syncing prowess. You can see some other stuff they've done on their blog.

Give to US Olympics Without Spending a Dime

Visit the NBC Olympics website and click on the Home Depot link on the right side (you'll see it). They will donate $1 to the US Team for every click. That seems worthy of five seconds of your time to support our outstanding athletes.

Make history Phelps!!!

Who is Ronald McDonald in bed with?

McDonald’s has done it again. First, the company paid $20,000 to become a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and to have a seat on the board of directors. Next, McDonald’s refused a request to remain neutral in the culture war by choosing to promote the gay agenda. Then McDonald’s accused those opposing the gay agenda, including same-sex marriage, of being motivated by hate.

Now we learn that McDonald’s sponsors training for homosexuals on how to promote their agenda among corporations from the inside. Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates is a national organization devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the workplace. One of its primary purposes is to train employees how to aggressively promote homosexuality within the company they work for, all the way to the corporate boardroom. Part of last year’s Out & Equal Summit in Washington, DC, (sponsored by McDonald’s) was an organized march into congressional offices demanding same-sex marriage laws be passed.

At the bottom of McDonald’s half-page ad in the Out & Equal Summit booklet is this statement: “From neighborhood to neighborhood, coast to coast and around the world, McDonald’s is proud to celebrate diversity” (homosexuality).

Source: American Family Association

Disclaimer: You decide for yourself what to do with this information. I feel it necessary to inform people of what McDonald's decides to do with their money and of their decision to push an agenda on an unsuspecting populous.

Pics from Rick Warren Event

Some pics from our business executive's event and the World Trade Center venue with Rick Warren this past week. Click here.

Rick Warren Outcome

Thank you for your prayers!!!! I'm leaving for a flight in about 10 minutes...so this will be short.

God showed up in a big way with the businessmen's event last night. We had close to 100 top business leaders and politicians last night. What a blessing to have Rick speak to these influencers. We received contact cards with great feedback, even had a few people receive Christ during the evening. A follow up event will take place in less than two weeks to continue to engage these men and women in the transformation and possibly a Christ-centered micro-financing operation.

This morning also went well. Several thousand people heard Rick speak on the Peace Plan. Unfortunately, our part was cut at the end (which is a whole nother story), but we announced our ministry and were able to disseminate information.

Thank you for your prayers. Now begins the hard work of following up and helping people all over the city engage in meeting the hurts and needs of the city through the love of Christ.

A HUGE THANK YOU to our advisors that joined us here for these important days: Rick and Jayne Brekelbaum, Ed and Wanda Thomas, Ron and Cristy Varela, Eric Swanson and Sam Williams. Without these wonderful men and women, we'd still be sitting in a little room somewhere rubbing our chins asking how we're going to start this whole thing. They have blessed my life tremendously. Pictures coming...

Praying for Us and Rick Warren

As you may recall, our event with over 3,000 pastors and leaders with Rick Warren will take place tomorrow morning at the World Trade Center in Mexico City. The spiritual battle continues to rage stronger than ever. I am asking everyone I know to commit to praying for us and for those who will attend. I will be giving a brief message after Rick Warren regarding the state of the Church in Mexico City and the pressing hour at hand that calls us to join arms to bring transformation. God has brought the pieces together as only He can at this historic point in the history of this country, but the enemy has increased (significantly) his attacks from all sides.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AN OUTPOURING OF GOD’S SPIRIT AND HEARTS THAT WILL UNITE IN LOVE TO BRING CHRIST TO THIS CITY.

We also have a meeting this evening with Rick Warren and about 100 influential business executives from across the city to talk about some plans to engage people at that level in the transformation. We need your prayers that God might move mountains as a result.

People connected to the president and some major new movements are coming to these events. The potential for the Church to rise up, unite and see millions come to Christ is within sight. Declare it in the heavens!

Call from the Vice President

Just had a classic moment. I'm on the phone talking with one of Rick Warren's assistants to plan out the final details for two events that we're having on Thursday and Friday of this week. He gets a call from one of the former Vice Presidents asking to speak with Rick. (I'm leaving out names for obvious reasons.) Needless to say, I told him we'd talk later.

Apart from fun stories like this one, we're facing a significant spiritual battle that could lead to major breakthrough in this city. Please pray for an event we have with Rick Warren and some key influential businessmen, politicians and artists on Thursday night and an event with 3,000 pastors and leaders on Friday morning in the World Trade Center.

If these people grasp the depth of this Christ-centered movement to transform the city and begin to empower their people and one another and work together under the same purpose, we will see the foundation laid that will catalyze transformation.

Mexico Journey Stats

The 17 students that came down for the Mexico Journey had an outstanding time. They probably surfaced a few leaders that are going to join our staff in other cities, as well as helping students experience Christ and live out their faith on their campuses.

Here are the numbers from their seven weeks here:

• 2102 people exposed to Christ
• 41 new believers
• 5 new movements launched

CCN Births Native American Movement

Just received this report from my good friend Jaeson Ma who heads up Campus Church Networks out of California. They just finished a student church-planting conference in Kansas City and finished their time with an apostolic effort at Haskell University, a very large and prestigious Native American University.

When we first got there we found out the dormitory we were staying at had a horrible history. Over 700 Native American children were starved to death and murdered in the basement by the American government nearly 100 years ago. The first day, our student missionaries were getting sick, doubting their purpose there, others were hearing voices in the hallways and some even encountered evil spirits in the dormitory. We knew it would be a spiritual battle between light and darkness. We had to come in an opposite spirit of faith, hope and love. So we set up a 24-7 prayer room in the dormitory and began prayer watches on the campus.

On the third day, we gathered all our student and staff together and we repented in the middle of the courtyard where 100 children were supposedly buried. There we got on our knees, we repented for the sins committed against the Native people and ask God to pour out His mercy and grace over Haskell University and the first nations young people. I can't explain it, but we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit come down into that courtyard and dispel the darkness. We felt the love of God begin to fill that campus with light and blessings. We knew something had changed in the spiritual atmosphere at that moment, the blood of Jesus had covered the sins of the past and there would be a new beginning at Haskell University.

The next days we trained our student missionaries in cross cultural evangelism, discipleship and simple church planting in the morning and afternoons. In the evenings they got to hang out with Native American students who were at Haskell for summer school. They prayed and played: basketball, eating dinners, playing sports, hanging out in dormitories, helping students study, played games etc As our student missionaries practiced being a blessing to the native students, open doors began to open up for the Gospel to be preached. Many of our student missionaries were able to pray, bless and prophesy over the native students and miracles began to happen. Some student missionaries got to start evangelistic Bible studies in only a few days, others prayed for divine healing and deliverance and saw God answer in power, others simply loved on the students at Haskell in practical and tangible ways. God was moving!

One night someone prophesied that before Student CPX was over that a Native American student would be saved and baptized in the dormitory bath tub. We received the word and believed it by faith! Then it happened!

On the last day, we would have never thought that during a time of prayer and sharing that a few native American students would receive Christ into their hearts without us even giving an altar call. The Spirit of God hit the room and one native student simply said, "Jesus is talking to me and I received Him into my heart!" After that another student repented and both were baptized in the dormitory bath tub that night! They were immediately filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues and praising the name of God! When the baptism happened we all knew that what the Devil intended for evil, God was turning for good. That dormitory was once full of darkness and evil spirits, but that night the dormitory was transformed with the presence of angels and the Light of Jesus Christ! It is a new day for Haskell University and the First Nations young people of America!