Who we are, not, What we do

I was in bed last night listening to Misty Edwards and just spending time being ministered to by God, and He was downloading all sorts of hunger for more of His life into me. It was a special time, one that seems to be rare this summer. It has been kinda a dry summer Spiritually for me. Being completely out of the Christian bubble has been an interesting experience. You really find out where you stand with God when you do not have the fellowship of other believers any time you want it. It is so important that we stand on our own faith and not the stories of other faith-filled Christians whom we tend to idolatrize. In times like this we can be encouraged by such stories, but they cant live our lives for us. We must stand on our own two feet. We need to live the Bible, not just know it. There is a giant need for Christians to absolutely surrender their lives to the service of the King and give up their own fleshly desires for their futures. Bill Johnson has said that "the Holy Spirit is imprisoned in the lives of unbelieving believers". We need to believe, which is acting upon what God has told (and is telling) us to do. Camp this summer is reminding me of just how important it is to have such an intimate relationship with God. How important it is to be absolutely consumed with His plans and completely surrendered to them.
Let us pray, and act.

HCC, SSM, NCC, Cafe Amore,& a birthday and a BBQ

Lots since last post. Saturday we went to Hamilton Celebration Church; I drummed and Jenny had the kids do prophetic art. It was a good ole time.
Sunday, we went to NCC one last time. It was kinda disappointing that Randy was speaking instead of Peter Youngren but, oh well. Then Jenny and I spoke at Scott St Manor. Our text was Titus 1:16, which has been a recurring text as of late. It was likely to be our last service at the Manor :( In the evening I took Jenny to Cafe Amore (her favorite restaurant in St Catharines). It was some good.

Monday was Jenny and Jessica's 21st birthday and we celebrated by feeding 38 people at Scott St Manor. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, cake, and orange juice. It was quite a treat for the residents. Lets just say that their dietary requirements aren't likely met on a daily basis. They all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Jenny and Jessica and had a great overall time. Check out the photos -->HERE<-- and the video -->HERE<--.

It is so great to be able to bless those who have no means of repaying you. Jesus says in Luke 14:12-14, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
I have been to endless "Church" functions where the sole objective was to feed and "bless" the congregation. Only in Africa, with Iris Ministries, was I ever part of a feast for the poor. It is so humbling to feed those who can give nothing back to you but gladness and thankfulness. It is so much more rewarding and God-like. I would love to see the "Church" start to feel compassion and walk in charity (active love). I really think Jesus would like that too. So, why don't we?

any OTHER excuses?

There's not much room around this verse in 1Corinthians9:16-17:

I cannot be proud because I preach the Gospel. I have been told to do it. It would be bad for me if I do not preach the Gospel. If I do this because I want to, I will recieve my reward. If I do not want to do it, I am still expected to do it.

I have met too many Christians who are lackadaisical in their efforts to witness to others who have been burned by self-professing believers. Being someone who was a student body evangelism leader of a Bible College, I know better than most how hard it is to get Christians to talk to random people about Jesus. They just don't want to do it. Imagine the scenario: Bible College students NOT wanting to tell people about Jesus. Unless, of course, you give them (most of them, anyway) a microphone in a room full of other Christians. Then you can't shut them up!

I don't know if the Apostle Paul ever didn't want to do it, but I know what he said in the above verse. If he didn't want to do it, he was still expected to and had a responsibility to do it; more importantly, he did it! There needs to be a reformation in personal witnessing within the Church. I don't want to go on and on about this, but I just wanted to bring attention to this verse which had lain silent in my own Bible until 2 days ago.

Get over yourselves, Christians, and take up your crosses. See the bigger picture. Grab hold of the cause.

Put yourselves through a test. See if you belong to Christ. Then you will know you belong to Christ, unless you do not pass the test. (2Cor13:5 nlv)

Know what I think?

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 5:10 nasb)

click -->HERE<--

I think the Canadian government should start a massive campaign aginst Christianity under the guise of the Bible being hate literature and the obvious hypocritical nature of we who profess to be self-sacrificing lovers of God Himself. Any elementary study of Church history seems to suggest this simple equation: Christians + persecution = extreme growth and fruit. This is unarguable; it's a simple and unfortunate fact.

Here in Canada, the govt could start with a simple thing like banning the Bible. The persecuted Church in the Soviet Union under Stalin and the churches in places today like China (and N Korea, no doubt) seem to have survived and even thrived in situations where they didn't have their "favorite" translation always in hand,and about a dozen or so alternate versions at home for purposes of study. The early Church didn't read the New Testament in the hopes that it would produce a holy life, their holy life produced the writings of the New Testament we enjoy and take for granted today. St Francis (my favorite figure in Church history) said to one of his young Brothers when the young one pressed him for permission to own a book: "The heroes Charlemagne and Roland and Oliver fought for the faith, and so gained renown. Now people try to gain it by reading of great deeds, and bring themselves almost to believe that they have done these by reading about them. So also with the lives of saints; men read them more than they imitate them." Not much has changed in the 800 yrs since then.

It's a sad fact that most of the world calls the Western Church the "sleeping church'. They recognize the vital part we have yet to play in the fulfillment of worldwide evangelization. WHEN we wake up, the cause of Christ will as well. We are a vital part in the fulfillment of scripture, but here we sleep, slugging it up while many, many, many of our brothers around the world count the cost of following their Savior, something of which we have absolutely NO idea. The fruit of their lives versus ours tells the story far better than I ever could.

Does it have to come to a national persecution campaign to wake us up? I really hope that it wouldn't. But when I look around and see the plushy chairs, and the watered-down Gospel, and the complacency, and the disunity, and the squandering of funds, and the topic of conversations, and the genuineness of "believers", and the on and on and on, I can't help but think that the best thing for us all would be if we were to be driven underground; a church that was banned from public meetings of any kind, etc. Check out ->this article<- Cuthill sent me.

While we sit in our comfy lives far from the threat of inconvenience; two-thirds of the world's population wait (in a little area known as the 10/40 Window) for a consistent witness of an unconditionally loving Savior. The affluence we enjoy here in the 1st World which we may have falsely attributed to come from God has babied us into an attitude of indifference and selfishness.

Maybe............the materialism we hoard IS our persecution, and we have failed to persevere through it. Maybe it has killed us and rendered us oblique? We shall find out one day, likely, much to our regret.

( I in no way exclude myself from the above post, in fact, I base it on my own inadequacy and frustrations to overcome our selfish lifestyle while millions are dying.)

you must be "born again"

John 3:7 clearly quotes Jesus as saying, "you must be born again". A gentleman was at our place yesterday morning and we were discussing "religion" and Jesus and life and stuff. He came from a strong Hindu influence and his opinions were clearly biased towards the culture in which he grew up. It got me thinkin. Just because people in the West grow up in a "Christian" culture, it benefits them no more than someone who grows up in the 10/40 Window (except in the fact that we have a greater chance of meeting a born again person). The only reason people even consider themselves "Christian" here in the west anymore is the religious tradition in which they are raised; it's the same for Muslims in Iraq, or Buddhists in Thailand, etc. Religion is religion is religion, the whole world over. A family background of Christianity is no more helpful than a family background of Islam, of Buddhism, or whatever. "You must be born again". We must have a relationship with Jesus that transcends what we've been told by others whose lives don't reflect the Savior (or Prophet or Teacher) they claim to follow.

It boggles my mind when I meet "Christians" who are passive in their faith, looking for any and every excuse to not evangelize or sacrifice etc. Paul writes to Titus and says, "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him...." Such is the Christianity we show the world. It's no surprise the world is not beating down the doors of the church begging for the Jesus we believe in.

At the end of the day, one religion is as good as the other. Religion always has to do with man reaching up to God. Jesus was God reaching down to man. It's so important to take this message, this Gospel of Jesus, to the ends of the earth, proclaiming "Freedom from religion!!!". It's our commission (Matthew 28:19-20). I no more want to convert someone to "Christianity" than I do to "any other religion". Religion just won't do. I want people to experience the love of Christ with no ulterior motives. Mother Teresa has a beautiful quote: The success of love is in the loving — it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done. Unconditional love has been betrayed by those who claim to love unconditionally.

To end this post, I looked up commission in a thesaurus, and you can sustitute 'commission' with 'to entrust'. God has entrusted us with His gospel. we need to ask ourselves: Have we been good stewards of this precious responsibility?

Whats been lost, through the years.

St Valentine of Rome lived some 200 yrs after Christ. In that time the Roman Emperor Claudius II proclaimed a law that young men should not be married because single men made for better soldiers than married men. Valentine continued performing marriage ceremonies and was found out and was eventually brought before Emperor Claudius.

Claudius had great respect for this man of God and tried to get Valentine to renounce Christ so that he could spare his life. Valentine refused and in turn, tried to convert Claudius from paganism to Christianity. Claudius refused and subsequently had Valentine imprisoned.

In prison Valentine befriended his jailor's daughter, who was blind. He prayed for her and she was miraculously cured which resulted in the jailor's conversion to Christ. The night before Valentine died he wrote a note to her and signed it "from your Valentine".

On February 14, 269 AD, Valentine of Rome was beaten with clubs and beheaded for his faith.

This story is much different than the one we think of on Feb 14. Let's get back to the root of some of these holidays we ignorantly celebrate.

the Blessing(?)

I'll admit it. Life can be frustrating. When I came back to St Catharines I thought I was starting work after two days; didn't work out. Then I thought I was starting work this monday, but SITEL has pushed that back two weeks till the 19th, so I am looking for work yet again. I remember when I first came to St Catharines in September of last year and it took me 4 mths to get work! Whatever! Things are well though. Jenny and I got to Welland this last tuesday (Thanks Colin!) for our Pastoral Care course; it is amazing stuff. I got to do some drumming in Hamilton last saturday at the Hamilton Celebration Church. Jenny and I did some visitations with some kids throughout the week applying the Gospel in a very practical way. Heymans, Jenny, and I started midweek visitations at Scott St Manor, trying to reach the residents who are more withdrawn and such. Stuff is good; we are blessed.

OK, lets get some controversy going. Much discussion among my peers lately has been around the "Blessing" of God on our lives. Some argue that the manifestation of God's blessing upon us consists of material wealth, while some laugh at the absurdity of such a notion. Am I blessed because of what I possess? Hardly, in fact the Bible clearly states the exact opposite in 2Cor6:3-10. The blessing of God upon our lives has nothing to do with what we possess externally. Simply put, I am blessed because God loves me and I have a Savior. That trumps "health, wealth, and self" anyday. The ammunition is endless and this post could go on and on and on.......but there is nowhere that Jesus promotes the accumulation of material goods. He seems to have more pressing priorities. Because someone is unhealthy or hungry or poor does not mean they are not blessed, in fact, Jesus seems to think the exact opposite (Luke6:20-21). This is all not to exalt poverty, which is totally demonic, but to get the focus back on Jesus and what He's done for us. Did He come and die for us so that we could live a fairytale life here on earth? Uh, no. The 50 or so scriptures I could rattle off would likely be a sufficient argument to that belief. Jesus came so that we would be empowered to be a witness (martyr). Wealth is not a manifestation of the blessing, unconditional love is. Is it a more accurate witness to give the shirt off your back to a naked person if you have 15 more shirts at home; or if you give your one and only shirt to someone in need without knowing if you'll have another to clothe yourself? This world will be won with this kind of self-sacrificial love. Name all the believers who have gone down in church history by propagating the Gospel with their millions of dollars................now name the believers who have gone down in church history by forsaking all for the sake of their King and the dying world. In my opinion, one list is much longer than the other.

Money is a tool and I'm gonna need lots of it. I don't want it so I can accumulate things like Rolls Royce's, or million dollar mansions, or $30,000 conference tables, etc etc. I want it to supply the hungry with food, children with places to live and study, prisoners with resources to better their life, the sick with medicine, and the world with the Gospel. Storing up treasure here on earth means little to me, in the end it amounts to trash.

To be a "blessing" to this world does not mean we make them as materialistic as we have become, it means we give them unconditional love as we have recieved that love from God.

passion

I feel intense. I feel that there is an urgency to make the most of EVERY moment in our lives. Too much is at stake. Last year was a monumental one in my life. So much has happened inwardly and outwardly; its hard to comprehend. Now I'm in St Catharines. I left something here from before. Now I'm back.

So many people have so many regrets at this time, looking back at the past year. From last year, I've not many regrets; it is good.

I want to see a generation arise whom the "church" is envious of. A generation who is not content to "sit" in church sunday after sunday while 'sheep are without shepards'. A people who will take church to the outside rather than grow complacent and fat on the Word. A generation who actually show that they love Jesus, not just say it.

You see, it's easy for people to tell if you're in love with someone. It's obviously apparant by the way you talk and act. I know many christians who "say" they love Jesus. Problem being, if you have to "tell" people you love Jesus, why don't they already know. Many don't have to tell others they love their wives/husbands, it's obvious. We should be able to pick out the people who actually love Jesus, and really, we can. They are obvious. They sacrifice their lives for the sake of others. Instead of quoting the Bible, they live it. Their sermons are their lives. They are concerned about loving, not converting. They love Jesus above all else. All else but Jesus they count as rubbish, as refuse.

A generation such as this may provoke the church to replace lip-service with action, lust with love, religion with relationship.

Please Lord, help us to inspire. Use these earthen vessels to demonstrate Your power in love...........................The broken are waiting for us.

Остров Принца Эдуарда (PEI)

The Island has been an interesting test of patience and endurance (and it's only been 2 weeks so far!). I have done a lot of visiting and NOTHING has changed. Pretty much the only things that have changed here are people's ages; the reality is stark and unnerving. I realize even more the life that God has made me for. Kinda like a nomad, roaming places on the earth where most other people don't want to go. I'm fine with that, it's who I am. I'm not really fine with complacency though. If what you see and hear going on in this world doesnt stir you to some kind of action, then there is something wrong. Not all of us can run out and try to "save the world" (as some accuse me of trying to do), but we can all play a part in alleviating the suffering so much of the world endures.

In 1Corinthians 9:23 the Apostle Paul says: "I do all things for the sake of the Gospel......". I want to imitate that. The Gospel is literally "good news". I want to bring this broken world good news. News that God loves them and is not out to get them. That He brings joy, not sadness; hope, not despair; love, not hate; acceptance, not racism; good news, not bad news. Meeting the physical needs combined with these Spiritual needs is what I belive living is all about. I want to stand before my Lord when this life is over and have no regrets about what I did with the time He gave me.
I also want to see people (Christians) abandon themselves to the Lord and live wholly and completely for Him who died for the world. For them to sacrifice even a tenth of their lives to the degree that God sacrificed His Son out of undescribeable love for the lost. Heirin is life: to live not for yourself.

Jeremiah 4:30

hidden (re-entry as it can be)

I am on PEI, and yet I have hidden myself here. Noone knows I'm back, and those that suspect I've returned don't know where I am. I need time. I need time to process life and everything that it involves. I usually say that my stubborness is my best and worst asset; now I can add my thought life to that as well. It can be a great addition or a terrible pit. There is lots to think about, and I just want to shut myself off. Alas, I am back to PEI, and there will be business upon business as everyone will undoubtedly want to meet and hear lots of stories, etc.

I dont really know what to do, or how to feel, or anything at all right now. I just want to escape by myself for awhile. Lock myself away for about a week and have no communication with absolutely anything except God. I desire His friendship right now as much as I would desire air if I were being held under water. Quietness and peace are necessities I cannot be without in this time. I should just stop; there are people in this world who actually have a good reason to feel........................I cant think of a good word to describe how I feel. Sometimes missionaries lead lonely lives. Maybe they don't, but maybe sometimes they feel like they do. It's part of the cost, I guess. I don't know. I'm tired and need God to minister to me; goodnight. I hope He fills all our sleep tonight with dreams of encouragement.

Where is the God of Elisha?

I posed that question to God today. I wondered to Him, "Just where is the God of Elisha? The God who made axe heads float (2Ki 6:4-7), who made oil multiply (2Ki 4:3-7), who raised the dead (2Ki 4:32-35), who cured lepers (2Ki 5:8-14), who purified poisoned food (2Ki 4:38-41), who manipulated animals (2Ki 2:23-24), who parted waters (2Ki 2:14), who surrounded the righteous with armies of heaven (2Ki 6:17-18), who gives unerringly prophetic insight, who has power over death itself (2Ki 13:20-21)."

We cry out for the God of 'personal-miracles' everyday, to show Himself strong in our lives. We plead with Him for the miracles witnessed by the Old Testament saints. We desire the miracles more than we desire compassion for the lost. How can it be? Theirin lies the answer.............and the problem.

I felt God give me a reply; an unsettling one. I believe He said, "You ask me where is the God of Elisha? But I ask you, 'Where are the Elisha's?'"

And where are we? The first time Elisha is mentioned in the Bible is in 1Kings 19:16 where God tells Elijah to go anoint him as prophet. Just 3 verses later Elijah finds him (1Ki 19:19). Elisha was just living his life, but in just one short verse he gave up everything he had to fulfill the call of God on his life (1Ki 19:19-21). Where are we who would do that today? Elisha was unwaveringly obedient to God even when it hurt. His dedication and consecration were second to none. He spoke to kings and rulers out of the integrity of his relationship with God. How many of us can God trust to do that today? Our motives?

Elisha paid a high price to see the things God did through him. He didn't have to do anything (it appears) to get the calling, but to keep it.........thats a different story, one that Elijah could tell better than I (1Ki 19). Great sacrifice to God always produces fruit. In the same equation; sacrifice + fruit = joy. Sacrifice isn't really hard, when we want to please Him who is worthy. Then, it ceases to be "sacrifice" and ends up being "willingness". I don't want materialism to rob me of the true riches of the Kingdom. Neither did Elisha (1Ki 19:20-21).

The God of Elisha is still around; but where have the Elisha's gone..........................?

notes from Matthew 13:44

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44 NASB)

Adam Clarke's (1762-1832) Commentary on the Bible

We should consider the salvation of God,
1. As our only treasure, and value it above all the riches of the world.
2. Search for it in the Scriptures, till we fully understand it's worth and excellence.
3. Deeply ponder it in the secret of our souls.
4. Part with all we have in order to get it.
5. Place our whole joy and felicity in it; and
6. Be always convinced that it must be bought, and that no price is accepted for it but the blood of the covenant; the sufferings and death of our only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Geneva Bible Translation Notes (1599)

Few men understand how great the riches of the kingdom of heaven are, and that no man can be a partaker of them but he that redeems them with the loss of all his goods.

Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Though nothing can be given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake of it.

For many are called, but few are chosen.

(Matthew 22:14 NASB)

notes from Mark 3

1 - 6 Jesus completely breaks a rule. He goes against what is written in the Law. He's teaching them that it's not about rules. God is "love", He's not "Law" (rules). The people who knew and and tried to keep the Law were offended at Jesus because He knew the rules weren't what God intended; they weren't His best. Relationship trumps rules. Even if we make what the Apostle Paul says, binding, then we are missing the whole point of what God wants for us. It brings God no more glory when we keep all the rules as when we don't. It brings God glory when we simply love Him and seek to please Him from that love.

7-8 How many of us can say that multitudes from every area around us flock to us because of what they have heard about us? Are we not the fragrance of Christ in this earth of trash and filth? We need to just stop and to let God love us. Then, we are changed, and we freely give as we have been given to. Everything He has given us, we are then prepared and eager to give away, joyously.

9-10 Jesus needed an escape route!! People were so desperate for Him that He planned get away routes. Crazy.

I admire the poor. I'm sorry. They have a strength which we know

nothing of. They have a faith of which we know nothing. They have a relationship with God with which I'm jealous of.

Don't pity the poor, love them, learn from them. They have more to offer us than we to them.

Mark 1 & 2 (pt1)

The first couple chapters of the Gospel of Mark contain dramatic examples of belief and trust. In 1:16-18 Jesus spots Simon (Peter) and Andrew and simply encourages them to join Him. They immediately give up their entire lives. In 1:19-20 He spots John and James and calls them as well. They also give up their entire lives with what seems like little thought given to it. It`s like the idea of not doing it was ridiculous! In 2:14 Jesus spots Matthew and (a tax collector and sinner) and calls him; immediately Matthew gave up riches and social status to follow Him. What are we willing to give up?

These men forsook everything for Jesus. It didn't even appear as if they even took the time to count the cost, the decision was immediate. The material things they possessed were not as appealing as a life dedicated to Jesus. Why are we so reluctant to do the same? We make excuse after excuse to justify our complacency, while millions of people are secretly crying out for........love, acceptance, forgiveness, and many other things that can only truly be found in Christ. Jesus has given us the answer to these questions, and yet, here we sit, asking Jesus more questions. It's not so hard.

Simon, Andrew, John, James, and Matthew all had questions, but when Jesus spoke to them they know they had heard the answer. All the poeple we are in contact with everyday have questions, yet why don't we realize (or care) that their answer is lying (often dormant) within us. We need to grow up. We need to step out. We need to believe. We need to "get up and follow Him" (2:14).