Unlike the conventional wisdom and strategy of WW II we need to realize that just as the Terrorists don't wear uniforms, we who are not in the US Armed Services need to play our part.

In prior wars the battle was mainly restricted to soldiers.

In todays age, Americans, other earthlings and the church all need to be involved in some capacity.

Just as the 'priesthood of every believer' of the Reformation was
effective in opposing Catholicism, so everyones involvement is
necessary to spot terrorists wherever they are.

That means that those that oppose Bush just because he is a
republican need to get on the bandwagon as well.

I voted for Bush and even supported the war. Better fighting
terrorists in the Middle East than here. However, I think he is
doing a bad job waging the war.

'May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.'
Eisenhower

Most of what I am hearing in the media is 'disloyal subversion' and sounds very similar to what I hear the Terrorists are saying.

Let me say that I believe that the United States has led the world in compassion and in the propagation of the gospel.

We are truly blessed in the United States.

At the same time we have presented another side that is putting us at risk.

In our families and in the larger picture we have been taught that bigger is better and the more we have the better we are.

The axe falls to the tallest tree and that is what happened at 9/11.

Our thinking was just like Pearl Harbor in that our tall beautiful
buildings and ships and its inhabitants could not be touched.

So while the world felt for us during this time I believe that they
also thought that we had been brought to a level where we could
understand them better.

This in no way justifies the cowards it just says that they look for
the tallest tree to topple.

However, rather than cowering at the thought of offending the
Terrorists we took the offensive and I'm glad we did.

Still, I think we are fighting the clear and present dangers with
the same old conventional wisdom that set us up for destruction in the first place.

Bigger is not better and as we are learning in Iraq, the terrorist
doesn't have to stand toe to toe with us when an unsuspecting back will do.

Well, as in our new world the church needs to revise its thinking as well.

Bigger is not better and even discipleship doesn't happen in our big buildings but in small group settings where cells of love and
quality combats cells of hate and quantity.

Take the persecution of the church for an example.

Its adversary was the devil and those he influenced. Saul of Tarsus was busy looking for these followers of the way to murder them. (Acts 7)

The headquarters in Jerusalem may have become more of a Jewish retreat.

Then came the scattering of Christians all over the world. (Acts 8)

Whether it be terrorism or any other evil that the devil has
created, the answer is the same.

Ultimately we know that Christ is the answer. (Acts 4:12; John
14:6), but how we present him is another question.

Not only do small group gatherings present quality rather than
quantity, it also makes us hard to suppress or target while at the
same time shining like lights.

With the advent of the Internet we can now go all over the world
from our homes.

This shouldn't replace our going into all the world but it does
prepare the way.

I have been involved in ministry for over twenty five years and
still am more impressed with the potential of the Internet and small group ministry.

People are not judged by the color of their skin or their economic
status but instead are judged by their words.

This also levels the playing field and makes all believers into
ministers rather than the elite.

Prior to the second coming evil can only be effectively resisted if
it is by everyone.

Jesus never meant the good new to be preached by the elite.

So whether we are asking the question of how to protect ourselves from the likes of Osama Been Hiding, a world set against Christ or how to more effectively present the gospel I think that the issue of the decentralization of power, authority and ministry ought to be thorougly looked at. (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5)\

"...Jesus ministered in ordinary everyday places and didn't build or even suggest the necessity to build special centers or headquarters...The setting for the development of true discipleship as we see it worked out in the New Testament is not in large numbers. The making of a disciple is a costly personal process feasible only in small groupings where the right kind of attention can be given" (Cells For Life, pg. 18,19 Trudinger)

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