1. Gideon Project - Vision and Master Plan - The Apologetics Group

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Vision: To identify, call and commission a “Gideon’s Army,” Christians who are willing and prepared to engage in the spiritual and temporal battle for this world and specifically America ― with an emphasis on their respective states. By Eric Holmberg

Background: It’s no secret that America is in decline. The recent and unprecedented devaluation of our long-term credit rating from stable to negative could just as well be applied to our churches, moral values, schools, sexual mores, the institution of marriage, standards-of-living, employment opportunities, affordability of healthcare; sense of safety, security, social cohesion, and overall well-being; optimism about the future; on and on. Millions are asking what’s gone wrong with our country and how it can be fixed. Opinions and solutions differ widely and wildly, depending particularly on the foundational worldview of the person doing the evaluating. But for the thinking, Biblically literate Christian, the root problem should be clear: When meat rots we can only incidentally blame the bacteria or the other natural processes that lead to the decay. The primary responsibility lies with the “salt”—with the failure of the people tasked with preserving the “meat” of their culture. (Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20) The principal solution lies in fixing what’s wrong with the Church.

But here we face a Sisyphean task: where to start and how to fix it? The Church isn’t like a leaky sink in need of a new gasket here and a tightening there. It’s a universe of waterworks made up of people, ideas and institutions, each interacting and feeding-back on the others, creating a complex of challenges that no one but God can ever hope to repair. What can we mere mortals do? Clearly, as Christians we can humble themselves, repent for our own individual sins as well as those of the church and our nation. We can and should pray, strive to be faithful and then preach and model the truth, waiting for God to move; for the Holy Spirit to bring times of refreshing (Acts 3:20)—repentance, revival and reformation—again to His people and our land. These are all mighty weapons for the spiritual war that is before us and offer an excellent place to both start and end. But the Bible presents an additional option; one that is modeled in a number of places in the Bible. We’ll focus here on the prototype provided by Gideon. But first, we must consider more carefully the nature of the real problem.

The Problem: It's important we begin by differentiating between cultures that have never been transformed by Christianity and those that have. What’s wrong with Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia is one thing; the result of the sin and the influence of “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) largely un-ameliorated by the Gospel of the Kingdom. This is entirely different situation from those nations that make up what is commonly referred to as the West; what were once called Christian nations. For when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required (Luke 12:48). And while far from perfect, there has never been a country that has been more powerfully impacted by and entrusted with the Gospel of the Kingdom than the United States. What is wrong with America is precisely what was often wrong with the nation that in Old Testament times was most closely associated with the Kingdom of God on earth, Israel.

(They) did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Judges 6:1

There are many passages we can look at to identify our root problem. But if one knows America’s early Christian history and its subsequent record of apostasy, there is perhaps none more relevant than the second chapter of Jeremiah. Like Israel, America was brought into existence through the providential hand of God, with all manner of miracles occurring to bring us into “a land that we had not sown” (vs. 2); into “a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things.” (vs. 7) As we embraced, albeit imperfectly, the word of God and the Lordship of Christ over our country, America grew to become the most prosperous, free and good nation the world has ever known. But also like Israel, with this success we eventually and progressively “forgot the Lord our God” (Deut. 8:11-17) and “changed our gods to that which are not gods” (Jer. 2:11). In a nutshell we have “committed two (great) evils”: …you have forsaken me (God), the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for yourselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

Simply put, America has turned its back on the true source of our liberty. We have denied God, banished Him from our laws, our courts, our schools. And in place of the “living waters” that can only come from Him, we have looked to the “broken cisterns” of the state, its regulatory powers, man-made laws and social contrivances to provide us with the security, happiness and sense of values, purpose and destiny that truly can only come from God. The result? Our rebellion carries within itself the seeds of our own chastisement. Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God? ...Your evil will chastise you and your apostasy will reprove you. (vs. 17,19) Seventeen times the prophet mentions the three-fold nature

of this reproof: sword (violence, war), famine (economic lack) and pestilence (sickness, disease). Right now economic famine is ravaging our land and much of the world. Its most disastrous symptoms are being cloaked by the quackery of fiat money, bail-outs, stimulus plans and other forms of deficit spending. Can we doubt that the proverbial piper will eventually have to be paid—and with catastrophic results? War against Islamic terror has become a fact of life with the possibility of another, more serious 9/11 casting its shadow over us. Obesity and other lifestyle related diseases are on the rise even as our medical system is creaking under the weight of Medicare, Obamacare, ambulance-chasing lawyers and other healthcare costs. The psychological pestilence of depression, multiplying phobias and a focus on self that has blossomed into full-blown narcissism are reaching epidemic proportions. Riots, abortion, pandemics, crime, drug abuse, pedophilia and other forms of child abuse, the dissolution of marriage and family, gross immorality— including the normalization of homosexuality—things that our founders could have scarcely imagined, now threaten us on every side. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom. Therefore the showers have been withheld and the spring rain has not come. Jeremiah 3:2, 3 May God help the Church fulfill the oft-quoted admonition from Scripture so that the rains of revival, restoration and reformation may fall on this nation once again. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Countless prayer rallies, solemn assemblies, meetings and individual intercessions have been offered up to God over the last decades. And still the moral slide and the hardship continue and are even intensifying. What are we doing wrong? It is the contention of The Gideon Project that while every component of this admonition—humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face and turning from wickedness—needs to continue and intensify, there’s

one aspect of spiritual warfare defined in scripture that is presently being done poorly. It involves a couple of interrelated components that can be found not only in the story of Gideon but also in the account of David’s battle with Goliath: we are not fielding an army that is prepared, disciplined, unified, adequately cleansed from the spirit of the present age (or Saul’s armor; see 1 Samuel 17:38-39) and committed to victory and taking the battle to the very gates of hell if necessary.

Jesus shows the way: While on his way to Jerusalem and his appointment with the cross—to engage Satan in the greatest spiritual battle of all time—Jesus provided us with a profound insight into the “physics” of spiritual warfare: “…for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.” John 14:30 Elsewhere he declared that “no one can serve two masters,” that he will “end up loving one and hating the other” (Matthew 6:24). Couple that with the truth that “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” (Matthew 12:25) and the principle is clear: no military force that is compromised, double-minded and divided is going to prevail in the day of battle. Picture such an army going to fight an enemy. Among its ranks are soldiers sympathetic with many aspects of their adversary’s cause and ideology. Worse, they have fraternized with them, even lived among them, learned their language and engaged in some of their traditions. (See Psalm 106:34-40; Nehemiah 13:24) Furthermore, what if they many of them were unfamiliar with their own weapons, munitions and battle plan; and their ranks were riddled with the type of soldier who freezes or runs in the heat of battle and never discharges his weapon?

Lastly ― and this as common as it is critically important ― what if many of the soldiers were unsure if victory was even possible; or worse, were convinced that it was predestined that the enemy would prevail? What is likely to be the outcome of the battle? And how effectual will their prayers for victory be? “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” Proverb 21:31 Among the greatest challenges the church faces in this hour is to field an army that is has been “made ready for the day of battle;” that is prepared, disciplined, unified and committed to victory. How can we work with the Lord of Hosts and see this happen? And how do we do it in a manner that doesn’t produce elitism (spiritual pride) or forsake or condemn those in the church who are simply weak in faith, or perhaps have not yet come to faith? Again, the story of Gideon provides an excellent model (see Judges 6-8).

The Story of Gideon: Gideon was a young man who began his ministry with little power or prestige as men measure these things He saw himself as “the least in [his] father’s house,” which was in turn the “weakest clan” in his particular tribe. As the account opens Gideon is seen preparing and then hiding food from the Midianites; a pagan tribe that was severely oppressing the Israelites, marauding, “devouring the produce” and “laying waste” to the land. The cosmic reason for this oppression was Israel’s disobedience. The people had done what “was evil in the sight of the Lord” and He therefore “gave them into the hand of Median” for seven years.

One day the “angel of the Lord” (likely a christophany, or preincarnate manifestation of Christ) appears to Gideon under a terebinth tree—an aromatic, salt-resistant tree/bush that is featured several times in the Old Testament whenever a miraculous deliverance was about to occur. Three times this supernatural Person praises Gideon, prophetically calling forth his divine destiny: “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor;” “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” and “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Gideon responds by preparing a sacrificial meal for his heavenly guest, a gift which is consumed by fire. Gideon then builds an altar at the site of the immolation and calls it “The Lord Is Peace.” Later that night, the Lord again appears to our young champion and commands what was to be the first step in Israel’s deliverance. Gideon’s father, like so many Hebrews at the time, was a syncretist; someone who was incorporating—synchronizing—a number of pagan practices into his worship of Yahweh, the true God of Israel. Among them was a stone altar to Baal, and an Asherah pole, a totem to the Phoenician goddess Astarte (a fertility cult). Gideon is told to take two of his father’s bulls (the cult animal of Baal, symbolizing the god’s power and fertility) and use them to pull down the altar. He was to then use the stones, “laid out in due order,” to build “an altar to the Lord your God.” Next, the Asherah pole was to be cut down and its wood used to offer up one of the bulls (seven-years-old, a number of both divine and temporal completion) as a burnt offering on the newly reconstructed altar. Gideon, not

yet the mighty man he would become, did all this in the dark of night out of “fear of his family.” There are at least a half-dozen symbols here one could preach a sermon around. Suffice it to say that God put Gideon in the “reformer” business—to “pluck up and breakdown, to destroy and overthrow, to build up and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). Predictably, the back-slidden and superstitious townspeople were maddened by the desecration. “Bring out your son, that he may die,” they said, “for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” Whether out of desire to protect his son or out of a conviction by the Holy Spirit we don’t know, but Gideon’s father, Joash (meaning Jehovah-fired) interceded on his behalf: “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” Of course, the false, impotent “god” does nothing. Prophetically, Gideon is nicknamed Jerubbaal (Baal will contend) and steps into his new role as a judge of Israel. More importantly, he also becomes the God-anointed warrior who will contend with Israel’s enemies, both spiritual and temporal. God then calls Gideon to the battlefield. The Midianites and the Amalekites join forces, along with some other people “of the East,” and cross the Jordan and camp in the Valley of Jezreel (God will sow). This area, with it surrounding mountains, plays a significant role in redemptive history. Not only was it the site of Gideon’s great (and highly symbolic) victory, it is later where King Saul (on Mount Gilboa on the southeast side of the valley) dies while battling the Philistines. Most significantly, it was also associated with the Plain of Megiddo and is thus connected to the “battle of all battles,” Armageddon. The Lord tells Gideon to assemble an army and attack the enemy there, graciously assuring him of victory (“you will save Israel by my hand”) through two confirming signs (the “fleece”). It is here where God commands Gideon do something very unusual, even crazy from a worldly, human perspective. The enemy’s army was a formidable one; described as being “like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number.” Clearly it was much larger than anything Gideon could have assembled. And yet the Lord tells Gideon that the 32,000 man army he has fielded numbered “too many.” He instructs his lieutenant to whittle them down “lest Israel boast over Me, [after He delivers them) saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”

Everyone who is “fearful and trembling” is to be sent away. As a result five out of sixteen soldiers return home. But the Lord informs Gideon that the remaining 10,000 are still too many. He tells him to march the army to a body of water. This was likely the Jordan River (the scene of so many significant events in the Bible), which lies to the east of the Jezreel Valley and the enemy’s camp. After the march the soldiers would have been thirsty. God tells Gideon to observe how each of them refreshes himself from the river. Those who bend down and lap the water like a dog were to be separated from those who knelt, lifting the water to their mouths with their hands (so that they could perhaps keep their eyes on the horizon and be watchful of danger). The “lappers” were sent home. Only three hundred now remain, less than one percent of the initial army. Clearly, three hundred men don’t stand any chance against an army of many tens of thousands, short of some kind of miracle. This divine intervention came in the form of a strategy: each man was to take a trumpet, a torch and a clay pot. At the “beginning of the middle watch” (10:00 PM), likely when the enemy’s awareness was dimmed by sleep, alcohol or both, the Israelites were to surround the camp, the light of the torches hidden as they burned inside the clay vessels. On cue, they blew their trumpets and broke their jars and shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Surrounded by this cacophony and burning lights, the enemy ran in confusion, fighting as they went. But “the LORD set every man's sword against his comrade” and multitudes fell to “friendly fire.” And so “God gave into [Gideon’s] hand Midian and all the camp.”

That was then, this is now: The church needs to field a new Gideon’s army in this hour. We need to identify a remnant of people who are not trembling, either from fear, hopelessness (defeatism) or apathy. We need vigilant men and women who are experienced in

handling the water of the Word and cleansing (Ephesians 5:6, John 3:5), the water of life (Revelation 22:17; John 7:38), the water of the Kingdom (Ezekiel 47:1ff.); who have their eyes fixed on the horizon, with what God is doing, and not just on their own homes, lives and appetites (Judges 7:2-7). We need soldiers who believe that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against God’s people (Matthew 16:18); that “the one who is in [them] is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We need a new contingent (vs. 6:32) of Jerubaals, people who have torn down the “high places and vain imaginations” (2 Corinthians 10:5) in their own minds and hearts and are prepared to contend with the “Baals” for the destiny of their families and their culture. We need men and women who are prepared to “decrease so that He might increase” (John 3:30); to allow their outer man (clay pot) to break so the light and power of the Holy Spirit can shine forth. We need a new three hundred; a new Gideon remnant. There is no doubt in our minds that such a remnant exists; that Gideons are scattered throughout churches, schools, ministries and businesses around our land. And while they represent a small minority of professing Christians (which we should remember is still among the largest, if not the largest, ideological group in America), they are far more in number than Gideon's three hundred or the "seven thousand whose knees have not bowed to Baal" (1 Kings 19:18) when Elijah faced a similar challenge. And we further believe that they are ready and waiting for the clear blast of the trumpet (1 Cor. 14:8), for someone to "present the vision and make it plain" (Hab. 2:2). They know in their bones that the presence of growing sin in our country only means that the dam of abounding grace is about to burst forth (Rom.5:20), and that it is time to follow in the footsteps of Patrick, Boniface, Knox, Whitefield and Wilberforce (among the teeming cloud of witnesses that surround us) and "Run to the roar!"

The Trumpet Call, the Vision and the Plan We have outlined the call and the vision above. Any professing Christian with a spiritual pulse would likely find themselves interested in being a Gideon. But that's precisely the problem: just let anyone sign on and things inevitably get watered down with compromise, confusion, apathy, infighting, factioning, betrayal, etc. Without mentioning names, a brief survey of the various movements, ministries and organizations that have tried to bring Christian renewal to America over the past decades will yield plenty of examples of how these forces can first compromise and then destroy even the very best of intentions. The Gideon Project (forthwith "the Project") will attempt to circumvent these problems by avoiding the impulse towards humanistic egalitarianism. Many are called, but few are chosen. At this point, I am going to share an outline of some of the ideas I've had as I have prayed and meditated on this concept for the last several years. I am pretty confident that everything above is pretty close to the mark, simply because it is all so patently biblical. But implementing it ― as is ever the case ― is a lot more challenging. Here we need the wisdom of a small group of able and like-minded counselors. I will begin by throwing out some broad principles and suggestions and will then end with one "big idea" that I do feel may be from the LORD: that is using the internet and a "Gideon Test" to help find the Gideons and begin the process of creating a genuine movement. 1. There's no need to reinvent all of the wheel. Praise God there are many individuals, ministries and organizations in place that are actively and effectively working to bring to Gospel of the Kingdom to our country. From Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, CitizenLink and the various Family Action Councils at the state level to smaller ministries defending the sanctity of life (Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, Operation Save America, Elijah Ministries, to name just three of dozens), traditional marriage (Americans for Truth About Homosexuality), Biblical economics (Strategic Christian Services) and other social issues (care for the poor, prison ministries,

sexual purity, the environment, intercessory prayer, etc.), many channels already exist in which to funnel the Gideons. The focus of the Project will be to conscript, train, encourage and maintain that army, identify the organizations that are doing the best work in affecting Biblical reformation and then presenting our troops with best opportunities to serve in their particular area of calling and expertise. 2. Activism is not optional. Every Gideon, to maintain membership, must be practically involved in some form of activism; ideally based upon their particular giftings and passion. The minimum amount (e.g. four hours a week?) needs to be determined. 3. Prayer and fasting is not optional. Every Gideon will promise to maintain an active prayer life as well as fasting regularly for our country. (Again, amounts have yet to be determined.) One of the primary tasks of the Project will be to provide communications, inspiration, teaching and focus. Through prayer alerts, suggested prayers, conference call prayers, etc., this particular arena has enormous potential for focusing and empowering the Project. 4. A largely volunteer army with strict financial accountability and integrity. This movement is first and foremost a volunteer army, not a potential paycheck. The tendency to attract consultants, fundraisers, etc. ― individuals who smell an opportunity to make a buck off of the political and social issues that will be the Project's primary focus ― needs to be carefully guarded against. As the movement grows, likely it will need some paid staff as well as overhead to maintain the various logistical needs: most notably building and maintaining the web site, producing and distributing educational materials, etc. But we need to be very circumspect in how money is spent and allocated. Some miscellaneous thoughts relative to this as well as the leadership structure for the Project : a) Our troops need to be assured that their email addresses will be treated with strict confidence and that further they will not be deluged with email messages. (Two or three a week excepting "code red" emergencies?) b) We will not be begging for donations or trying to sell them things. Everyone will know (will be told) that there are expenses involved in maintaining the Project and to give as they feel led. But there will be no high pressure and/or frequent appeals. We

are here to serve them and not expect or demand that they serve us. c) Our primary focus for income needs to be private and personal, cultivating relationships and sharing the vision with Gideons whose call and gifting ― like John Hancock's during the 18th century version of The Project ― is to help fund the revolution. d) Where possible, we need to look for volunteers to help man the most critical positions at the national and state "offices" (likely "virtual", decentralized (home or private office based), all made possible by the internet and the modern digital revolution.) Here, retirees with a secure income can be a real blessing. But if we need to bring on paid staff, they should understand that we are called to be a "lean, mean, fighting machine" and the large salaries that heads of successful ministries can garner in peacetime isn't going to happen. The army needs to know that their leaders are sacrificing as much or even more than we are asking them to. e) Relatedly, we need to guard against the "cult of personality" by avoiding identifying the movement with any one person. A grassroots, decentralized, "shadow government" paradigm should be our goal. Yes, we will need spokespersons and some form of leadership will be inevitable, but we should be careful to choose seasoned warriors who "walk with a limp" (Gen. 32:25) and are committed to "decreasing that He might increase" (John 3:30). We should identify a group of respected and known Christian leaders, drawn as broadly and ecumenically as possible (without compromise) to serve on the board of advisors for the Project. Their involvement doesn't need to be that significant as far as time commitment is concerned ― although they are welcome to be as involved as they want to be. (We would greatly appreciate any input they want to provide). But by simply endorsing the purpose and vision of the Project, these leaders provide a number of benefits: 1. The needed gravitas to encourage Gideons to get involved. (Gideons by definition are people who are skeptical in a healthy way and want to know that they are joining a credible movement; that they will be investing their time, talent and treasure in something that has "legs" and is going somewhere.); 2. Gravitas as far as the media is concerned. By seeing that the Project has wide, ecumenical support, they will be much more likely to pay attention. And media hoopla concerning the Project is one of our best ways to not only recruit but also to challenge the primary thesis of our culture by drawing a clear line in the sand with our antithesis. (More on this in a moment.) 3. It

provides a practical connection between their ministry/ organization and the Project that can be developed as a we funnel workers into their organization. (Presumably we would ask leaders - say, for example, Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship whose organization provides a practical outlet through which Gideon's can serve (e.g. people who feel called to "visit those in prison" (Matt. 25:36) 4. It helps establish a sense of unity as well as clarity around the bold profession that "Jesus is LORD!" f) Practical, day-to-day leadership will come from a steering committee, with full-time leadership established as we grow into it. These need to be seasoned and wise Gideons who when you cut them "bleed" the 3 R's: revival, reformation and (the Christian kind of "turn the world upside down") revolution. They need to be able to invest twenty hours (?) a month for strategy sessions, reviewing training materials/communiqués, speaking, working with state chapter leaders (and perhaps being one), meetings, writing, casting the vision. etc. They should also serve at the grassroots level in some capacity as Gideons themselves so as to honor the LORD, serve as an example, avoid elitism and to best be able to keep their finger on the pulse of the movement. At the steering committee/national leadership level, name recognition is a bonus but not a requirement. g) We need a chapter leader for participating states, with a goal of starting one in every state in the union. This leads us to: 5. Decentralized, grass-roots organization with a primary focus at the state level. We need to retrain ourselves and the Gideons to primarily think and act locally. Jesus/the Bible teaches that The City of Man/Mystery Babylon ― the way of the Gentiles ― trends toward centralization, top-down power, arrogating to itself more and more authority and control; expecting to be served rather than serve. Jesus' kingdom, on the other hand, is like leaven in a loaf (Matt. 13:33): decentralized and trending in the exact opposite directions. (John 18:36)

Both Satan and the princes of this Babylonian system have, as perhaps their greatest weakness, the tendency to over-achieve; to not know when to stop. (Proverbs 27:20; 1 Cor. 2:8) We believe that one of the great signs that a tipping point is being reached (and thus a window for the Project is being opened) is the manner in which our federal government has overextended itself. In its mad rush to create a Messianic state it has created a financial and social crisis that simply cannot be cured or even controlled working within the present paradigm. As it begins to lose its power over the individual states ― in part because it no longer has the money, but also because it has lost the trust and respect of much the people and many of the states (Obamacare, bailouts, forcing the normalization of homosexuality, etc.) ― we are suddenly faced with a golden opportunity for individual states to rise up and defend their rights to self-government under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (most notably the Tenth Amendment). Instead of obsessively turning most of our attention towards Washington D.C. and national elections (thus playing their game), we need to focus, as the earlier Church did, on our communities, cities and respective states. Change will eventually come at the federal level as well. On this point, we should note and then keep in mind that when we try to play their game at the national level, we're doomed from the start. The Babylonian system controls the mainstream media, the banks, the Republican and Democratic parties ― almost all the corridors of centralized power. (We should note that this is not all together a conspiracy (though no doubt some smaller conspiracies do exist) in which all the disparate elements of the Babylonian system are aware and participating; but more just a natural confluence of fallen man's tendency to embrace power, money and control.) They have practically unlimited finances. The "system" has been "playing" the church for decades, paying lip service to the Gospel, throwing us an occasional bone and then giving us John McCain or, now, Mitt Romney. In other words, real change at the federal level working within the present paradigm is an illusion. But just a tiny group of Christians who get educated and then involved in a local school board or at an abortion clinic can affect significant change, generate media attention, encourage the saints and create a groundswell of grassroots involvement at the local and even the state level.

To this end, our goal should be to identify Gideons throughout the country, call them to the battle; help them find a sense of identity, purpose and power in the Lord and then fold them into the many different local fronts in the battle for their communities and state: prayer, politics, tax reform, economics, education, pro-life, promarriage, pro-purity, pro-family, evangelism, prison reform, apologetics, care for the poor, wise, redemptive but legal immigration policy, care for the environment, etc. They should be folded into the various ministries that have already established a foothold in these arenas. Gideons are further tasked with "reproducing" themselves: recruiting and training others. Kitchen tables, conference rooms and churches throughout the country will become places where local Gideons can meet for conscription, encouragement, training and strategic planning. 6. Sounding a clear trumpet...and then watching the "enemy" devour themselves. I remember well the Stand in the Gap rally that took place in Washington D.C on October 4, 1997. National attention swelled before the event when it became obvious that the rally would be big, possibly the largest in American history. Statist/humanist organizations and media outlets began howling about the separation of church and state and the danger of a theocracy. But instead of "running to the roar" and boldly sharing that our intention was, through prayer, service and the other kingdom tools at our disposal, to affect every aspect of American culture including politics and law with the Gospel, speaker after speaker essentially apologized for the euangelion (the Gospel), the Church's clarion cry that "Jesus (and not Caesar) is LORD!" They played right into the enemy's hand by buying into the sacred/secular (false) dichotomy and further missed a huge "teaching moment" for the nation. (Significantly, Promise Keepers, the main sponsoring organization, one that had been growing exponentially for years, began to rapidly decline after this event.) Instead of apologizing for the Gospel of the Kingdom or buying into the Adversary's rhetoric and ground rules, the Project will clearly, loudly, unapologetically and unambigiously (with wisdom, humility and

winsomeness) present and defend the euangelion. And while this is not our primary goal, it remains a wonderful fringe benefit: As the press and organizations like the ACLU, SPLC, etc. get wind of the Project and see all the organizations that are aligned with it they will begin to howl like banshees. This will provide us free publicity, a wealth of teaching moments and opportunities to recruit new Gideons. Relatedly, a focus of the Project needs to be the publication of tracts, pamphlets, books, videos and apparel that present and defend our world- and life-view while simultaneously casting down the "vain imaginings" (2 Cor. 10:5) of humanism, philosophical naturalism, statism, syncretism, gnosticism, dualism, pietism, escapism, the "neutrality myth," "the separation of faith and state", etc. There needs to be a strategic emphasis on the "new media" (e.g. YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter) and capturing the hearts, minds and imaginations of the post Roe vs. Wade generation ― the most targeted and exploited in American history. (One can see the prophetic call on their lives as well as their openness ― in many instances unconscious ― to rise up against the Leviathan of the modern state in the large numbers of young people who are supporting Ron Paul, to the complete befuddlement of their nanny masters.) This brings us to what I believe is one of the core ideas the LORD gave me for the Project. It flows directly out of the story of Gideon (Judges 6-8) and involves a "Gideon Test." The test will be used to call and identify the Gideons as well as help brand and advertise the Project. To accomplish this among our first tasks is to build a web site at www.GideonProject.com that features a page with an interactive test. The prospective Gideon can take the test online and receive immediate

feedback as to their results. Those who pass (percentage correct needs to be determined) automatically receive an invitation ― with attendant information and application ― to join the Project. Those who don't pass are encouraged to try again and are pointed to materials (articles and videos) that can disciple them in a Biblical worldview and prepare them to not only pass the test but to be better Christian citizens. The test needs to eliminate the obvious: those well-meaning folk who may or may not be be Christians but are infected with the virus of humanism and its attendant co-infections; as well as the other extreme: prideful elitists. We also want to make allowance for some of the subtle nuances found in various faith traditions. I personally also believe that we shouldn't allow people whose eschatology has them convinced that Jesus is coming back any day. No problem with people who genuinely hold to a pre-millennial position (some of my best friends do), but we need to make sure that they have a vibrant "occupy until Jesus comes" conviction. By the way, a co-worker/developer with me on the Project has talked with the folks at the Nehemiah Institute who have developed the PEERS Test, what is considered to be the best worldview evaluation program presently available. They are open to working with us on this. The following represents my first stab at the test. No doubt it will need to go through several iterations before we settle on the first public version. Questions unless noted otherwise have four boxes one can check: 1. Yes 2. No 3. Not sure 4. Possibly but not necessarily For a person to select #1, every aspect of the question has to be 100% correct. If it is not, and they are sure that it is not, they should select #2.

1. Do you believe in the Trinitarian Unity of God; that He is One in Unity and three in Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit? 2. Do you believe that Jesus is God incarnate, the promised Messiah? 3. Do you believe that man is born in sin and possesses a corrupt nature; that apart from the grace of God we can only produce works that are as “filthy rags” in the sight of an infinitely perfect and holy God? 4. Do you believe that salvation from sin and our sinful natures is in and only in and through the person, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection and enthronement in Jesus Christ, God the Son? 5. Do you believe that Jesus is presently the LORD of heaven and earth, the sovereign ruler over all the kings of the earth? 6. Do you believe that Jesus will one day return in His resurrected, glorified body to judge this earth in righteousness? 7. Do you believe that the great serpent, the devil (Satan) was defeated at the cross and is now an interloper, operating with limited powers as circumscribed by Christ the King? 8. If you believe in the bodily return of Christ to this earth, when do you think this will take place? (Circle all that could possibly apply) Within the next: 10 Years, 50 Years, 100 Years, 1,000 Years, 10,000 Years, Don’t Know. 9. For Protestants: Do you believe that the Holy Spirit works in and through the Roman Catholic church and that there are true Christians in its ranks? 10. For Roman Catholics: Do you believe that the Holy Spirit works in and through Protestant churches and that there are true Christians in its ranks? 11. Do you believe that under the Old Covenant, the Jews (the children of Abraham) were saved through obedience to the Law of Moses; and that under the New Covenant we are saved by grace?

12. Do you believe that all worldviews—whether theistic, pantheistic, humanistic, natural or materialistic, etc—have at their foundation certain faith-based assumptions and therefore are a type of religion? 13. Do you believe that Christians should seek to legislate morality through the political and legislative process? 14. Do you believe that God has a covenant with the Jewish people that is distinct, separate and different from His covenant with the Church? 15. Do you believe that life is sacred and begins at conception and ends at natural death and should be defended at every stage? 16. Do you believe that concern for the poor, sick, abandoned, disenfranchised and those in prison is a primary focus of the Church and without it our faith is neither pure or undefiled? 17. Do you believe that all of life and human thought and endeavor is inextricably religious? 18. Do you believe that the greatest problem facing America right now is the state of our economy? 19. Do you believe that professing Christians have done more to damage the sanctity of marriage than the homosexual movement? 20. Do you believe that the LORD God is God and there is no other; that any entity who claims, aspires to or is suggested to be like unto Him is a daemon and a lie? 21. Do you believe that the Kingdom of God is around us and in us as Christians? 22. Do you believe that all religions contain truth? 23. The greatest responsibility for the rot in the moral fabric of America right now is (Choose one): 1. The schemes of unregenerate people; 2. The schemes of Satan, the kingdom of darkness and the spirit of anti-Christ; 3. The state of the Church

24. As people under the New Covenant, do you believe that the law of Moses and other Old Testament laws have completely “passed away” and are therefore no longer relevant to us as Christians? 25. Do you believe that the Bible is the true inspired Word of God, is unique from any other book ever written, and when properly understood provides us with inerrant, God-breathed truth from first page to last? 26. Do you believe and affirm that God created man in His own image —male and female—and that the only sexual activity approved by Him is between one man and one woman in a covenant relationship for life? 27. Do you believe that a primary purpose of marriage is procreation —to bring other eternal souls and image bearers of God into the earth —and any marriage that is not open and yielded to this primary purpose is in opposition to the will of God? 28. The Bible is obviously a book of theology. Check all the other “ologies” (study of) and areas to which the Bible also speaks authoritatively (though not necessarily exhaustively): 1. Anthropology 2. Sociology 3. Psychology 4. Biology 5. Geology 6. Cosmology 7. Philosophy 8. Medicine 9. Law 10. Politics 11. Ethics 12. Aesthetics 29. Does God love everybody (speaking of humans) the same? 30. Are Christians called to love everybody? 31. Do you believe that every member of the human family, regardless of race, nationality, religion or physical of mental ability, is a member of God's family? 32. Do you believe that politics is a worldly enterprise and should be of little or no concern for Christians who are called to "set their minds on things above"? (Col. 3:2) 33. Do you believe that abortion and homosexuality are not only sins worthy of the judgment of God but that they are actually in and of themselves a manifestation of His judgment? 34. Which of the following are effective and God-blessed activities in fighting a sin like abortion? (Circle all that apply) Letter writing/ Preaching/ Repenting / Educating people about abortion with pictures

and teaching/ Praying / Voting / assassinating abortionists / Working to pass laws and amendments protecting life and outlawing abortion/ Worshipping God/ Praying "imprecatory prayers" asking God to judge those who shed innocent blood 35. All sins are the same in regard to their (circle all that apply): source wages punishment impact 36. When Jesus told Pontius Pilate "My Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), He meant that His Kingdom was a heavenly one that had nothing to do with the kingdom/world in which Pilate lived and ruled. 37. Character and Christian commitment obviously matter a great deal in a leader's life. Do you therefore believe that it is always wrong to vote for a candidate who is an unbeliever or has had serious problems with sin in his life? 38. Do you believe that when a true Christian dies they go to be with the LORD in heaven where they will remain and live forever? 39. Do you believe that God created man because He was lonely and wanted someone to share His life and love with? 40. Do you believe that Jesus used parables so that as many people as possible could understand what He was trying to say? 41. Many secularists and skeptics love to point out that the Old Testament advocated genocide (Deut. 13:15), killing witches (Exo. 22:18), homosexuals (Lev. 20:13) and rebellious children (Deut. 21:18) and stoning to death a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:36). Do you believe that our best response to this is to remind them that this was done in Old Testament times; that we are now no longer under the law of Moses but grace? 42. Do you believe and affirm all the tenets presented in the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds? (links provided to both) 43. Do you believe that Mormon and Jehovah's Witness (add more?) churches are members of the catholic (meaning universal) Church? 44. Do you believe that professing Christians that are manifestly involved in rank disobedience to the standards of Christian life and

purity as outlined in the Bible should be privately challenged and helped to repent and change; that if they refuse to repent they should be publicly reprimanded and if they still refuse, they should be expelled (excommunicated) from their church? etcetera... We probably should also include some civics questions, to make sure that the candidate has a basic knowledge of the way our government operates as well as possesses a strong impulse towards freedom and limited government. 45. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution states that any power not explicitly granted in the Constitution to the federal government belongs to the (select all that apply): a. Judges b. the people b. the states d. the Congress 46. The phrase "the wall of separation between church and state" was first recorded in: a. the Constitution b. The Bill of Rights c. a Supreme Court decision d. a letter by Thomas Jefferson 47. How many branches of government does the United States have at the federal level? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 48. Our fundamental right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" was granted (endowed) to all citizens of America by the Declaration of Independence. (True or False) 49. When the 16th Amendment was passed in 1913, setting in place the progressive income tax system we have today, Americans were promised that the top rate would never go above (choose one): a. 7% b. 14% c. 21% d. 28% 50. The highest top rate of income tax on the wealthiest people (those making over $200,000.00 a year) occurred in 1945 at the end of the Great Depression and World War II. That tax rate was (choose one): a. 30% b. 55% c. 77% d. 94% 51. The American form of government can best be called a democracy. (True or false)

I can go on, with both questions as well sharing other aspects and nuances of the Project. But seeing that this is a work in progress and needs at this point the wise input from a select number of able counselors, I am stopping at this point. I look forward to hearing back from you either by email or phone. I can't tell you how burdened and excited I am by this vision. I truly believe there is something here from the LORD. Eric Holmberg The Apologetics Group [email protected] 615-294-1669