International Newsletter July 2017

Sadly, much of the criticism is well-deserved. Many studies have shown that there is little outward difference in the behaviors and attitudes of professing Christians when compared with those who claim no religious beliefs.

Far worse are the “Christian” elements in our culture who say and do awful things that in no way reflect the teachings and character of Christ. These modern-day Pharisees may represent only a small percentage of Christians in our world, but they unfortunately tend to be the most outspoken or covered by the media and, in the eyes of secular culture, their example speaks for the rest of us.

In light of this reality, many Christian feel immobilized. We want to share the Gospel, but question the value of making public statements, knowing our failures will also be on display for all to see.

The struggle is real.

Yet hypocrisy is not unique to Christians - so why have we been singled out? One reason is that we live in the age of relativism. The slogan of our day is, “You have your opinion, and I have mine.” This is fantastic because, with no clearly defined rules, relativists can escape the clutches of the “hypocrite” label. After all, you can’t fail to live up to a standard that doesn’t exist. The Christian’s beliefs are, however, in plain sight: just grab a Bible - it’s all there! When we fail, the whole world knows it. So what do we do?

The “Don’t be a hypocrite!” voices have become so forceful, that we have forgotten the true Gospel! We’re not perfect, but He is! We don’t have to fear hypocrisy. To be clear, I’m not talking about conscious, deliberate hypocrisy. I am speaking about the inescapable fact that there will always be a gap between who we are called to be, and who we are.

Don’t let the accusation of hypocrisy silence your convictions! Absolute truth and grace are not mutually exclusive. As a Christian, you can stand up for your beliefs without the precondition of perfection. This lie is a tactic of the enemy and has relegated us to the sidelines at a time when our voices are more needed than ever!

"Don’t Be a Hypocrite!"
by Ben Pierce

Ben Pierce is the chief communicator for Steiger’s ministry, Come&Live!, a worldwide community of artists, boldly using their God-given talent to share the revolutionary message of Jesus outside the church.

New Come&Live! Website

Come&Live! is a worldwide community of artists, boldly using their God-given talent to share the revolutionary message of Jesus with those outside the church.
Check out the all new Come&Live! website:

www.comeandlive.com

Steiger Missions School and Revolutionary Week!

In mid-June, 80 students from all over the world arrived in Germany for the Steiger Missions School, an intense, 10-week missionary training school, designed to provide a strong foundation for reaching and discipling the Global Youth Culture for Jesus.

Over 250 people from 24 nations participated in the first week of the school, Revolutionary Week. It was truly amazing to host a gathering of people from such diverse backgrounds and cultures, coming together to seek God, and be trained and challenged to more effectively communicate Jesus to global, urban and secularized youth.

We are experiencing unprecedented growth in our mission! It’s so exciting, but also a considerable responsibility to steward well the people that God has entrusted to us.

Pray for No Longer Music

This year, No Longer Music and other Steiger bands will have incredible opportunities to proclaim the message of the Cross to many thousands throughout some of the most desperate parts of Europe, Russia, war-torn Ukraine and Turkey.

NLM Blog: steiger.org/nlmblog

Sign up for Prayer List: steiger.org/nlmprayer

Make a donation: steiger.org/nlmdonate