Conditions of Being Saved

So I just read a sermon on www.sermonindex.net by Charles Finney called Conditions of Being Saved. This man was one of the greatest believers that humanity has ever produced. The sermon is full of conviction, and I fail to see how even one person who attended his meetings did not immediately give their life to Christ. Charles Finney was a man who insisted you respond to the message of the Gospel. There was no 'maybe', only a 'yes' or a 'no'. I encourage you all to click on the sermon title and read it; it's lengthy, but worthy. T'is good to read about the unperfect people whom God used to turn the world upside down. It gets me fired up; it makes me want to do something outside the prescribed boundries the 'church' has set up.

Charles Finney (1792-1875)

Lack of care for the lost. Perhaps you have not cared enough for them to attempt to learn their condition; perhaps not even to take a missionary magazine. Look at this, and see how much you really care for the lost, and write down honestly the real amount of your feelings for them, and your desire for their salvation. Measure your desire for their salvation by the self-denial you practice, in giving of your substance to send them the Gospel. Do you deny yourself even the hurtful and unnecessary desires of life, such as tea, coffee, and tobacco? Do you cut back on your style of living, and hesitate not to deny yourself any inconvenience to save them? Do you daily pray for them in private? Are you putting money aside to put into the treasury of the Lord when you go up to pray? If you are not doing these things, and if your soul is not agonized for the poor benighted heathen, why are you such a hypocrite to pretend to be a Christian? Why, saying you are a Christian is an insult to Jesus Christ!

-Finney

a less intense post (thank God)

Last week we studied 'apologetics' with Peter Karl Youngren; good times. It might've been the best week of Bible College. This week we are studying 'Revivalists and Reformers' with Sam Youngren; it is excellent too. The last couple of days we studied Martin Luther, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and William Carey; some of the greatest men in the history of the Christian Church. The rest of the week should be more than awesome as we get into Charles Finney, Aimee Semple McPherson, and others.

In other (less dramatic) news work has been good. I'm doing full time custodial duties at NCC, and am working at WalMart on the weekends. On top of Bible College it has been a heavy workload, but it has been good. Josh Heymans and I have booked a ticket out to Redding, California for a week following graduation to visit Bill Johnson's church. That should be an awesome time. I know a few fellow HoGi's that are attending the Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry there.

In other more exciting news, I got an email from Iris Ministries hospitality in Pemba asking if I would like to come over and help staff the Holy Given 5: International School of Missions this summer. Sweet!! It would be a perfect opportunity to get back into the swing of things (seeing I've been off the foreign field for 2 yrs!!!) and I could likely stay on afterwards and springboard to Zimpeto, Sudan, or wherever. So that is like super cool. I am all fired up again. Good times. I want to get back to the foreign mission field REAL bad. It's something that is constant in my thoughts. Neverending. I love it.
.......................................................more to come.

in introspect

I'm still recovering from one of the most intense experiences I've ever been force-fed from God. I'm still dwelling on what a "prophet" must go through, on the inside. I have great sympathy for them, little empathy. Here are some things that Abraham Joshua Heschel writes in his book The Prophets:

- Their words are onslaughts, scuttling illusions of false security, challenging evasions, calling faith to account, questioning prudence and impartiality.

- The prophet was an individual who said No to his society, condemning its habits and assumptions, its complacency, waywardness, and syncretism. He was often compelled to proclaim the very opposite of what his heart expected.

- The prophet is a man who feels fiercly...........Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profane riches of this world. God is raging in the prophet's words.

- This is the secret of the prophet's style: his life and soul are at stake in what he says and in what is going to happen to what he says.

- Prophetic utterance is rarely cryptic, suspended between God and man; it is urging, alarming, forcing onward, as if the words gushed forth from the heart of God, seeking entrance to the heart and mind of man, carrying a summons as well as an involvement. Grandeur, not dignity, is important.

- The prophet is human, yet he employs notes one octave too high for our ears. He experiences moments that defy our understanding. He is neither "a singing saint" nor "a moralizing poet," but an assaulter of the mind.

- The prophet disdains those for whom God's presence is comfort and security; to him it is a challenge, an incessant demand. God is compassion, not compromise; justice, though not inclemency. The prophet's predictions can always be proved wrong by a change in man's conduct, but never the certainty that God is full of compassion.

- None of the prophets seems enamored with being a prophet nor proud of his attainment.........To be a prophet is both a distinction and an affliction. The mission he performs is distasteful to him and repugnant to others; no reward is promised him and no reward could temper its bitterness. .... He is stigmatized as a madman by his contemporaries, and, by some modern scholars, as abnormal.

- The words of the prophet are stern, sour, stinging. But behind his austerity is love and compassion for mankind.......The prominent theme is exhortation, not mere prediction.

Very interesting stuff. I know this is taken from a Jewish perspective, but it nonetheless gives us an accurate look at the inner workings of the prophet's mind. I couldn't imagine living as this, day in and day out, 24/7, without a break. It seems too much. I'm stopping writing now cause I may say too much. I can't put this to rest easily. It's grasping my leg, refusing to let go. It's surreal, how one experience can..............(something)?

desire prophecy?

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy (1Corinthians 14:1 NASB).

What manner of man is the prophet? What goes on inside his head? How does he feel? Who or what is he?

I believe Paul (in 1Cor 14:1) was talking about the gift of prophecy that every believer has the right to partake of, and it includes "building up, and encouragement, and comfort.(1 Corinthians 14:3 GWT)"
But there is another form of prophecy which takes form in the area of an "office" (Ephesians 4:11-12). The office of a prophet is more severe in introspect that the gift of prophecy. Any believer can prophesy, but a prophet takes it to the next level. A prophet has (what seems to be) uncanny revelation of Scripture. They can draw out things that other people couldn't even if given 10 times as much time. They can foretell events, or give clear direction based upon pertinent scriptures for people's lives. They are able to accurately communicate the will of God because of the intimacy they hold with Him.

The office of a prophet can bring extreme loneliness and alienation. It is a heartbreaking thing to have to speak a Word from God into someone's life when you know that Word will bring heaviness to them. Prophecy is always building up and encouraging; but a prophet sometimes has to draw lines in the sand and let people know they will be accountable in this life for decisions they make in Christ. It's not easy. Many that I know are eagerly seeking the gift of prophecy; what will happen if the Lord pours out on them the same spirit that lies within the prophet? A study on the Hebrew prophets is enough to make you think twice about crying out for the mantle of prophecy. Isaiah was ostrasized, Jeremiah was labeled 'the weeping prophet', Ezekiel was mocked and ridiculed, Hosea's wife turned to harlotry, Jonah was inwardly torn, Elijah was suicidal, Amos wouldn't even consider himself a prophet, Joel pronounced unyeilding judgement, etc etc etc, even Jesus had times of unequaled heartache and sorrow. A common thread to the prophets is merging with the mind of God, and when you think of it like that, God is extremly sorrowful about how far humankind has turned away from and rejected Him. Why wouldn't the prophets take some of that burden upon themselves? After all, they are more accurately communicating the heart and will of God than others.

....................Know what, I'm not even getting into why I wrote this post. It hurts too much. Prophets hurt. They burn. Burning isn't nice, it hurts. Sometimes God lets me in on what it feels like to move in the prophetic. It's more intense than words can describe. It consumes your thought life, it directs your emotions, it keeps you awake at night for weeks, it dictates how you interact with your environment. For me, Jeremiah said it best:

But if I say, "I will not remember Him
Or speak anymore in His name,"
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am weary of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.

Jeremiah 20:9 NASB

So, still we cry out for prophets to arise. Because who else will direct us to the will of God? Christians seem to have a terribly hard time differentiating between the voice of God and the voice of their flesh. It is worth the pain. It is worth the hurt. It leads to freedom. And we will eat the fruit thereof.

Canada wide IQ test

Here is a cool link to show who's smart and who's stupid (just kidding). It's pretty cool though, and challenging. I guess Canada is trying to find out where the nation is on education, or something?

So take the test ---> here and then comment and tell me what you scored.

I got 123!!

March Break wrap up

Pretty mellow week, if I do say so myself. I started full time at NCC this week doing custodial work. My hours are 6am-2pm (but while I am in school it will be work from 6am-8am, CBC from 8am-12pm, then work from 12pm-6pm); not sure how long I'll be in the position but I guess we'll see. If God don't provide for me in this area, He'll provide through another, so it's all good.

TUESDAY: Josh, Melody, and I went to Scott Street Manor for a visitation type service. It was pretty sweet. It's a group home for people in their 40's, 50's and up. The residents seemed to really enjoy our company. WEDNESDAY: there was "The Jesus Encounter" service with Dennis Shearer at NCC. It was a powerful time. He spoke on Isaiah 6 and how God gave an open heaven revelation to Isaiah (v.1-7), which was follwed by a decision from Isaiah(v.8), which was followed by a burden (mission) given to Isaiah(v.9-13, and so throughout the rest of his book). Good times, crucial to the Church in this time and season.

I also did a book report for Pastor Roxanne Youngren's 'Counselling' course. The book was The DNA of Relationships by Dr Gary Smalley. It had great acclaim from the other CBC students I talked with, but failed to impress me much. It was about restoring relationships in every area of your life. It was alright, I guess, but I won't be buying it for my library. On the other hand, I am currently reading The Prophets by Abraham J Heschel and it is awesome. Kind of over the head, I'm not that smart to understand most of the writing (kind of like reading C.S. Lewis, only worse, maybe), sort of thing, but extremely enjoyable. It reveals the mindset and inner lives of the Hebrew prophets. Here's a couple of quotes from Abraham Heschel:
-- "In regard to cruelties committed in the name of a free society, some are guilty, while all are responsible."
-- "Remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Be sure that every little deed counts, that every word has power. Never forget that you can still do your share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and frustrations and disappointments."
-- "When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people."

Those Who Know Christ Obey His Commandments

We are sure that we know Christ if we obey His commandments. The person who says, "I know Him," but doesn't obey His commandments is a liar. The truth isn't in that person. But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God's love is perfected. That's how we know we are in Christ. Those that say that they live in Him must live the same way He lived.

-1 John 2:3-6 (GWT)

The Second Greatest Commandment

The second most important commandment is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' (Matthew 22:39 GNB). Where are the believers who are willing to lay down their lives to take the Gospel to the remaining ones who have not heard? Where are those who will lay down their own "needs" to provide others with their's? Who will choose the narrow way and give up their comforts to comfort others? Is it so much to ask? Did Jesus do it for us so that we would suffocate in our complacency as the world darkens around us? Are we not light? Do we not shine?

This verse, the second greatest commandment, should compel us to strive to attain a selfless life. One where we see no difference between our lack and other's lack. We should see no difference between providing for our needs and other's. The needs of others should be placed on exactly the same level as our own, with no distinction; no separation. Jesus even put more emphasis on others needs (more often than naught) than His own. Can we be willing to follow His example? Is it possible? Sure it is.

Some of the people who I've allowed to get close to me are getting desperate to a degree that is rare. The atmosphere is literally changing. Desperate cries manifest from unsatisfied 'Christian' lives. We need more. We need less of us. Our lives need to be laid down and completely dominated by Holy Spirit. Living isn't worth it unless we have crucified our own desires and wants and laid them at the foot of the cross saying, "Take these Jesus, our wants are skubalon compared to what You desire to give us." We need to see others before we see ourselves. We need to want passion for the lost before we even see our most basic wants met. Our food needs to be to do the work of Him who sends us (John 4:34). That is the food that satisfies; not only us but everyone else.

Some may think that this kind of life is not easy, but actually, it is, because there are no other options. It's easy because when you get to this point, there aren't any choices anymore. Well, there is, but it's a choice to totally deny Jesus and turn from Him. Do we really profess to have Jesus in and living through us but have no outward shows of compassion towards the poor and those who need Jesus as much as we once did?

The Greatest Commandment

People often test people that have a greater spiritual wisdom with questions designed to defame their reliability. It happened to Jesus all the time. In Luke 10:25-28, an expert in the Torah tried to talk Jesus into a corner by asking which commandment was the greatest. Jesus let the man's own words ensnare him and then gave a powerful story showing how loving God exhibits compassion (Luke 10:29-37).

That 'greatest' commandment to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind" is screaming at me today. It's relentless. It wants me to do this as much (actually much more) than I want to do it.

The first world church is starving. It doesn't realize it. In our justification of materialism, we manipulate God's heart for our own purposes. We accumulate 'treasure here on earth' without the slightest conviction about the stewardship God demands concerning the wealth He's given us. We try to satisfy ourselves with skubalon (Gr; see Philippians 3:8{rubbish, dung}) thinking it's satisfying our spiritual hunger. We have gouged our eyes out with a fork of worldliness, and we wander around, blind and aimless, consuming things which have no part in the heavenly inheritance we are to abide in.

It's a cycle of eating ****(skubalon), getting sick, denying God, and filling the void with more trash.

I have literally had enough of it. I cry for the Lord to "KILL ME", to give me His love, His compassion, His humility. There is nothing else I want to desire. Satan has turned this world to trash and I just want to take the treasure of Jesus into this garbage and beautify it with His glory. Trash to treasure; but how can we turn trash to treasure when we are filled up with trash ourselves? We can't. Our blindness leads us into the arms of self-sufficiency.

"Come Holy Spirit. Invade my earthen vessel and let Your dunamis flow from me like a mighty river, washing the trash of earthly materialism from the face of the path You have ordained my feet to tread. Kill me, completely. Let my every breath reek of Heaven, of Your Kingdom. Please Lord, I can't do it any other way. I can't eat the excretement of the world any longer. I need Your fresh bread from Heaven. I give You permission to do all this in the most dramatic, violent way You deem necessary. Please.............

Clifton Hill (Niagara Falls)

This evening Josh Heymans, Jenny (Hinn) Brown, Tim Hawryluk and I went to Clifton Hill to do some street ministry. It was an 'alright' time, nothing too special, but some people did indeed get to hear of the love of God, so that was good. The weather was great today, Clifton Hill is gonna be a great evangelism opportunity when it warms up and the tourist season starts. Wonder if I'll still be around here?

WWJD?

Recent flooding is making life harder than normal in Mozambique, where Iris Ministries is pouring out the love of Jesus to all they can. Help is needed; compassion seems like a good idea to the first world church, yet there seems to be a huge void in this area. Above is one of Rolland Baker's pictures of a refugee camp in central Mozambique which shelters(?) about 6000 people.

Here is (click on underlined portions to view):

recent relief news

photo gallery

donation options

Charles Ramsay

Charles Ramsay

E.J. Pace

strike #2

Today, Josh Heymans and I took Jenny (Jenny Hinn, as I call her; as she is a budding super-evangelist) and Jessica Brown (who has one of the greatest servant hearts I have ever seen) out to the Pen Center for some good ole Mall Evangelism. Jessica and I walked around and talked to a few people; we got to pray for this chic who had sore hips (more from her later). We went back to the food court area to meet up with Josh and jenny, and we seen Jenny talking to a girl and Josh was not around. We meet up with Josh and then Jenny comes back with this awesome story:

Josh tells her to go over to this certain table and tell the girl sitting there about Jesus. So she goes over and asked her if she knows Jesus. The girl pretty much breaks down and is weeping saying that she had been asking God that if he was real, etc, that He would send someone to testify of His goodness, etc. So for about 10 minutes, Jenny totally gets to Gospelize her and speak words of life into her. What an awesome testimony; one of the best of the semester! You go God!

Then as we are all cruisin to get an Orange Julius, the security guard that kicked us out 2 mondays ago came up to me again and said that there were more complaints directed towards us and that we (once again) had to leave. She said that if it happens one more time we would be permanently banned from the Pen Center, Glory to God. I believe it was the girl who Jessica and I prayed over who complained to the security guard about us. We seen her talking to one of the store workers whom I credit our gettin kicked out last time to. Anyways, it sure was some good times. I have to try and find out in the St catharines by-laws what our rights are for Mall Evangelism. Things could get quite interesting.

E J Pace

FAITH WORKing through LOVE = HUMILITY?

As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn't matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love. (Galatians 5:6 GWT) Indeed. I've been stuck on this verse for about 5 days now. I'm dissecting it. You see, my pastor wrote me an email and said that "the greater the calling of God on our lives, the greater the level of humility we must walk in to fulfill that calling." I agree. So that sent me off on a pursuit of what humility truly is. I think a lot of it is contained in the above scripture (Gal 5:6).



According to James, "faith by itself is dead if it doesn't cause you to do any good things."(2:17 GWT), and "You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless?"(2:20 GWT), and again "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."(2:26 NASB).



On the other hand, the Apostle Paul says, "If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."(1Corinthians 13:2-3 NASB)


In retrospect, if your faith isn't expressed through works, it proves you don't have faith at all. And if your works aren't done in love then your works are proven useless as well. So we look back at Galatians 5:6(NASB) which says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love."



And now back to humility. I think I believe that expressing your "faith" through "love" which "works" is humility. But do I? I really believe that if we truly think that we actually know what humility is, then we aren't able to attain it. Believing we completely know what humility is disqualifies us from truly walking in it. It is wisdom to realize that for now, "Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me."(1Corinthians 13:12 GWT). Humility is a journey that we must follow. It's destination is the Throneroom.

a day Most Holy / there's a fire in the house

Today may have been the best day of the school year. It started as a student appreciation breakfast, which was interrupted by the fire alarm randomly and uncharacteristically going off. So we all had to grab our plates of food and book it outside in the cold for about 15min (to make matters worse, I don't wear shoes in class so I was out in my socks!!!). When we went inside I seen 3 firemen walking around the kitchen looking for any trace of fire, but there was none. I joked with a couple of my classmates about how there was reports of fire at the Azusa St church back in the day, but when the fire dept got to the scene there was no fire. The Azusa St revival was one of the biggest events in the Church's history. Anyways, we finished our breakfast and went upstairs to do some worship. It was a day of prayer at CBC and it was filled with prayer and some preaching by Pastor Peter about where he believed Holy Spirit was directing NCC in the near future.

Near the end of the day, we all came up to the altar and had a time of 'drawing near' to God, which was followed by a time of ministering to each other. I was standing alone and Pastor George laid his hands on my shoulders from behind and started praying for me. Future aspirations were voiced and I broke down, realizing just how much of a broken vessel I am, and that to be regarded by God as fit for His service is a thing more humbling than any other.

There was a Spiritual shift today, and some entered, and some didn't. The Lord took my feet out from under me today, and here I sit still, looking up into the Glory of His Presence. It's a quiet place, one where words mean little.