Somewhere, someone is being tortured, detained, falsely imprisoned, raped or murdered—simply because they are a follower of Jesus. Somewhere else, Stephen Baldwin is being denied the opportunity to be a movie star, apparently for the same reason.

There are so many things wrong about this site, I can only hope that Baldwin—an actor who professed faith in Christ about eight years ago—did not have a hand in creating it and soon requests that its creators shut it down.

From what I can gather, Baldwin has fallen on tough times financially (to the tune of several million dollars) and is facing bankruptcy.  Apparently blackballed from Hollywood because of his outspoken faith, he has no means of earning an income in the field in which he formerly worked. Calling Baldwin a “modern-day Job”, some of his fans are collecting donations so that he can regain influence in the entertainment industry.

“Hollywood worships money,” the FAQ section of the site notes. “And without it you are seen as a loser and cannot be an effective influence to this group.”

What is wrong with this picture?

I’ve been off Facebook, Twitter and blogging for Lent, so this appeal is late, but here goes:

Andy and I will be participating in Pioneers’ annual Walk for the World on April 10. We will each be walking five miles, along with others who serve Pioneers here in Orlando, and we’re looking for supporters.

What’s the money go to? Your investment will go to a fund that supports the ministry of our Orlando offices—that includes recruiting new people to serve among the unreached, training and caring for our 1,900-plus members serving in 90 countries around the world and raising awareness in the church of the needs of unreached people groups. For example, one piece in this puzzle is the Communications Team, which I serve. You can check out Pioneers’ newly-designed Website. If you supported us in last year’s Walk for the World, your generous investment was part of what made this site a reality.

This year Andy and I will again match any of your gifts that come in, and Pioneers has received a matching grant from a foundation. So, your gift this year will again be quadrupled. A gift of $25 will equal $100. But I want to sweeten the pot even more: For anyone who gives, I will send a copy of Don’t Waste Your Life, by John Piper. If you haven’t read it yet, it will rock your world. If you already have a copy, I’ll send you another copy, so you can give yours away. If you can’t support us and want a copy of the book, let me know. I’ll send you one. If you’d like to support us, visit http://www.pioneers.org/walk and type in “Matt Green” and the amount you’d like to give. Just arrange the laps to get the amount you want to give. (e.g. $1/lap x 25 laps = $25)

Can’t give now? We understand. Join us is praying that God continues to bless this growing ministry—and ultimately, that His name is glorified among those who have not yet heard.

As I read this article about formerly supportive religious leaders now experiencing disappointment with President Barack Obama, I was struck by the similarity of these leaders with the first-century disciples who unknowingly encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

The so-called “religious left” in America is increasingly frustrated that Obama has failed to deliver on the theologically tinged promises of his campaign. The moral outrage he expressed at Guantanamo, the Iraq War, health care, corporate corruption and poverty has become tempered by the seedy reality of the Oval Office. Those who put their faith in him, expecting that he would restore their ideal of morality and justice to America, are seeing that their dreams were as elusive as the clouds of tobacco in the smoke-filled rooms where decisions really get made in Washington.

Similarly, the disciples on the road to Emmaus expressed their disappointment with Jesus to the mysterious Stranger who accompanied them: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). The mighty warrior on a stallion they were expecting had been a peasant carpenter on a donkey, who couldn’t keep his mouth shut and got himself killed by a religious establishment in league with the Roman government.

Unlike the leaders of our day, with their unrealistic expectations of a human president, the disciples’ expectations were set far too low. This unlikely hero had no intention of meeting their meager demands for national restoration. Instead, he would not be satisfied until he had conquered death and offered salvation to all of humanity.

In regard to Obama, any expectations are probably too high. In regard to Jesus, we cannot set our expectations high enough.

Note: Lest you think I’m just picking on Obama, if the McCain/Palin ticket had won, I predict we would be hearing similar whining from the religious right, as that dynamic duo miserably failed to restore morality and righteousness to this country in its first term.