Mexican lady weaving..
Me helping put in the new garden
A lady on our team made drapes for the new home!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Faith is being sure of what we hope for, its the evidence of things not yet seen!
The stakes for everyone who wants the narrow path is the same. Death. There is a cross that is perfectly fit for each person. Your stakes are no higher than mine. Only different.
Each one of us must lose our life here and God will see to it that nothing of the old will remain. The cost is the same for everyone. How can we not lose everything for him, since he had more to lose that any of us could ever imagine? How puny are the things that we stubbornly hang onto. The minute we let go, there is peace. The minute we stop trying there is rest. The minute we die to our own efforts, then we are released fully into his power working in us. And even if he doesn't come through in the way we expect or want, though he slay us, yet we will trust him. There is no other way. This is the way of faith. If we are waiting for certainty, then it is no longer faith. Uncertainty will always lead to double-mindedness and fear of man. We must be fully convinced.
Each one of us must lose our life here and God will see to it that nothing of the old will remain. The cost is the same for everyone. How can we not lose everything for him, since he had more to lose that any of us could ever imagine? How puny are the things that we stubbornly hang onto. The minute we let go, there is peace. The minute we stop trying there is rest. The minute we die to our own efforts, then we are released fully into his power working in us. And even if he doesn't come through in the way we expect or want, though he slay us, yet we will trust him. There is no other way. This is the way of faith. If we are waiting for certainty, then it is no longer faith. Uncertainty will always lead to double-mindedness and fear of man. We must be fully convinced.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
MEXICO MISSION PICTURES....
HOME BEFORE FOR SINGLE MOM & 4 CHILDREN
WORKING ON THE NEW HOME
NEW HOME
THE AREA
THE GROUP
WORSHIP TIME IN NEW HOME
BUNKBEDS FOR THEM
KIDS IN THE FAMILY
SUSAN & GRANDMA
A Revelation of Jesus Christ is Needed!
There shall again be a true witness of God in the earth when the holy sons of God fully possess the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and are guided and empowered by the Spirit to use those keys. These keys of the realm of the Kingdom of Heaven where God dwells and reigns over all are of very great value, above estimate invaluable. There is a very great need today for the exercise of the keys of the Kingdom! The witness of the professing church has become quite weak; indeed, it is a flickering flame..... Much ministry is carried on, but the true testimony is obscured by fleshly programs, fleshly lusts, carnal showmanship and worldly theatrics, soulish sentimentalism, and self-seeking. Few Christians have as yet been entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom becasue they are ignorant of God, of His Kingdom purposes and processes, and His ways.
The churches are full of sin, rebellion, carnality, self-love, fleshly pursuits, presumption, and pride. Most cannot be trusted with the awesome authority and power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven!Ask the Lord for revelation of who Jesus Christ is, and ask him for the keys to be used in every situation. Without revelation, we will not attain anything in God. It was upon this revelation of who the Christ is, that Jesus said to Peter "and I will give unto you the keys to the kingdom of heaven"
The church in North America is living an illusion of peace and safety..and its children are deceived.... revelation breaks through illusions. Ok you say, but how does this apply to me? All of us, in any area where we do not have a revelation from God, where we are walking in the futility of our own mind and our own thoughts, we are walking, talking and believing an illusion. To believe that we can live fully in both worlds - God's world and man's world - is an illusion. To believe that we can sin and get away with it is an illusion. To believe that God turns a blind eye is an illusion. To "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" is to live in an illusion. To say, I can live the way I want, and have God too, is living in an illusion.
WE NEED TO DISCERN WHAT IS REAL! What is truth? Only the person of Jesus. Only a revelation of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit can dispell and break all the illusions that we all have. But one thing is sure, a tree is always known by its fruit..the Bible says "without holiness, no one will see the Lord". Nothing is more clear about this than in Revelation where Jesus speaks to the church of Laodicea. This is the revelation that Jesus brings to the church of its true condition, and guess what? it is the exact opposite of what they are believing about themselves. I believe this is where we are right now....This is the last days church ....... Fiction, figures of speech, fantasy, etc., are not illusions as long as they are recognized for what they are. The first step toward wholeness and truth, is recognizing what we truly are..the way God sees it! Poor, miserable, blind, naked.
The churches are full of sin, rebellion, carnality, self-love, fleshly pursuits, presumption, and pride. Most cannot be trusted with the awesome authority and power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven!Ask the Lord for revelation of who Jesus Christ is, and ask him for the keys to be used in every situation. Without revelation, we will not attain anything in God. It was upon this revelation of who the Christ is, that Jesus said to Peter "and I will give unto you the keys to the kingdom of heaven"
The church in North America is living an illusion of peace and safety..and its children are deceived.... revelation breaks through illusions. Ok you say, but how does this apply to me? All of us, in any area where we do not have a revelation from God, where we are walking in the futility of our own mind and our own thoughts, we are walking, talking and believing an illusion. To believe that we can live fully in both worlds - God's world and man's world - is an illusion. To believe that we can sin and get away with it is an illusion. To believe that God turns a blind eye is an illusion. To "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" is to live in an illusion. To say, I can live the way I want, and have God too, is living in an illusion.
WE NEED TO DISCERN WHAT IS REAL! What is truth? Only the person of Jesus. Only a revelation of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit can dispell and break all the illusions that we all have. But one thing is sure, a tree is always known by its fruit..the Bible says "without holiness, no one will see the Lord". Nothing is more clear about this than in Revelation where Jesus speaks to the church of Laodicea. This is the revelation that Jesus brings to the church of its true condition, and guess what? it is the exact opposite of what they are believing about themselves. I believe this is where we are right now....This is the last days church ....... Fiction, figures of speech, fantasy, etc., are not illusions as long as they are recognized for what they are. The first step toward wholeness and truth, is recognizing what we truly are..the way God sees it! Poor, miserable, blind, naked.
-REPENTANCE -
is the insulation from the intrusion of illusion
Like the insulation in a house, it protects it from all outside influences of heat, cold, wind, storm. It is unseen to the eye, but necessary for a building that is fit for the Lord. It protects from outside elements, and keep in that which is holy. It separates the profane from the holy. There is a separateness that is necessary. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of this process. We cannot truly repent unless we are struck with the "fear of the Lord" and which comes from a Revelation of who Jesus Christ really is. Once we have that, and fear of the Lord, then true repentance is the fruit of that "collision" between heaven and earth. Between the holy and the profane. Between that which is earthly and that which is heavenly. Notice the progression in the following scripture..first revelation, then fear of the Lord, and then in response was REPENTANCE
(at this point Isaiah already believed - he was not a pagan - but he saw himself in the light of a Holy God)
Only then was he sent out..and only then will we also be sent out
See Isaiah 6:4-6 (The Message)1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other, Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies. His bright glory fills the whole earth.The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke.
I said, "Doom! It's Doomsday! I'm as good as dead!Every word I've ever spoken is tainted— blasphemous even!And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I've looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!"Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,
"Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out."And then I heard the voice of the Master: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"I spoke up, "I'll go. Send me!"
"Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out."And then I heard the voice of the Master: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"I spoke up, "I'll go. Send me!"
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (The Message) Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God.
ILLUSION IS:
1. a. An erroneous perception of reality.b. An erroneous concept or belief.2. The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief.3. Something, such as a fantastic plan or desire, that causes an erroneous belief or perception. Illusion is here defined as that which we believe to be true that, in actuality, is not true. Illusion can be alluring. We often hang on to illusions with an intensity that is difficult to explain. Illusions come in degrees of seriousness in which some are much more troublesome than others. Either way they are dangerous to our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health.
1. a. An erroneous perception of reality.b. An erroneous concept or belief.2. The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief.3. Something, such as a fantastic plan or desire, that causes an erroneous belief or perception. Illusion is here defined as that which we believe to be true that, in actuality, is not true. Illusion can be alluring. We often hang on to illusions with an intensity that is difficult to explain. Illusions come in degrees of seriousness in which some are much more troublesome than others. Either way they are dangerous to our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The Old and New Cross adapted from Tozer 1946
All unannounced and mostly undetected, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different; the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.
From this new cross has come a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique, a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content and meaning are not the same; and its emphasis is not as before.
...The old cross is a symbol of death. Its stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being...the cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man completely and for good. It was cruel and hard, and when it had finished, the man was no more.
The race of Adam is under a death sentence. There is no escape. The evangelism that would draw friendly parallels between the ways of God and man is false to the bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. We do not bring our old life up to a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat MUST fall to the ground and die.
God offers life but not an improved old life. The life He offers is out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him. Let him repent and cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.
Having done this, let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. To any who object to this or count it merely a narrow view of truth, let me say God has set his hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and sign and wonders and mighty operations of the Spirit gave witness to God's approval.
Then so the same way we have received this Christ, so we must also walk in him. And as Paul said "I die daily".
From this new cross has come a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique, a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content and meaning are not the same; and its emphasis is not as before.
...The old cross is a symbol of death. Its stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being...the cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man completely and for good. It was cruel and hard, and when it had finished, the man was no more.
The race of Adam is under a death sentence. There is no escape. The evangelism that would draw friendly parallels between the ways of God and man is false to the bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. We do not bring our old life up to a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat MUST fall to the ground and die.
God offers life but not an improved old life. The life He offers is out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him. Let him repent and cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.
Having done this, let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. To any who object to this or count it merely a narrow view of truth, let me say God has set his hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and sign and wonders and mighty operations of the Spirit gave witness to God's approval.
Then so the same way we have received this Christ, so we must also walk in him. And as Paul said "I die daily".
The Adventure!
Transition is an adventure. But it is an adventure into the unknown with all the attendant risks that the uncharted can formulate around us. Change provokes our hearts because it challenges the status quo. It makes us feel uneasy and vulnerable because it takes us into territory where we have never been before. We are happy to talk about Abraham going out without knowing where he was going, simply trusting God to get him there (Heb 11:8). However, when it is our turn to make the journey of faith, it is a different matter. God has his own road maps for times such as these. The old ones are useless to us, and the new ones are filled out as we go!
Every change involves a letting go of one thing to reach out for what is next. It is death by installments - the slow death of our mind-sets, our attitudes, perceptions, and paradigms with apparently nothing to take its place. That is, we only see the replacement concept as we journey. We don't just see it, though; we experience it. Sometimes our experience is first, and we go through something that we understand only in retrospect. It is important therefore, if we are to journey with the Lord into new lands, that we build in time to reflect and review where we are and where we have come from. Our road map to faith must be kept up to date and relevant for anyone else coming after us.
Pioneers draw the maps; they seldom enjoy them! Every days' journey into the new is accompanied by a slow and, at times, painful letting go of the old. There is a death process to be worked through in transition. Future fruit comes from the present death (John 12:24).
The Holy Spirit will, if we allow Him, teach us how to be present to the moment with God. there is a God-consciousness that is so compelling that we need never worry again. There is a peace so profound that it is unshakable. There is a rest in God so potent that the enemy fears it! (Rest is a weapon against evil.)
In order to be alive to God in this way, we must surrender to Him and to everything He brings. He allows in His wisdom what He could easily prevent by His power. The dying daily that is Paul's description involves a death-to-self process. Change is the pivotal point of that process. If you enjoy God's life, you cannot fear change. Where He is present, resistance has died.
Death, the understanding of change, liberates us to experience the adventure of new things. We welcome the risk because His life fizzes in our bloodstream. He sparkles with new gifts, new realms, fresh annointing, and different challenges to faith and love.
.....The inevitablity of change is made enjoyable by His presence. As we submit to each process, our appreciateion of the journey grows and our faith increases. Change comes from within. Everything that God does in us comes from the inside to the outside. That is why our inward development is more important than the outward circumstances. If we give the Lord Jesus the ground he requires on the inside of our life, then each present set of external challenges shall diminish, if not disappear...........
Taken from Graham Cooke's Divine Confrontation Pages 214,215
Every change involves a letting go of one thing to reach out for what is next. It is death by installments - the slow death of our mind-sets, our attitudes, perceptions, and paradigms with apparently nothing to take its place. That is, we only see the replacement concept as we journey. We don't just see it, though; we experience it. Sometimes our experience is first, and we go through something that we understand only in retrospect. It is important therefore, if we are to journey with the Lord into new lands, that we build in time to reflect and review where we are and where we have come from. Our road map to faith must be kept up to date and relevant for anyone else coming after us.
Pioneers draw the maps; they seldom enjoy them! Every days' journey into the new is accompanied by a slow and, at times, painful letting go of the old. There is a death process to be worked through in transition. Future fruit comes from the present death (John 12:24).
The Holy Spirit will, if we allow Him, teach us how to be present to the moment with God. there is a God-consciousness that is so compelling that we need never worry again. There is a peace so profound that it is unshakable. There is a rest in God so potent that the enemy fears it! (Rest is a weapon against evil.)
In order to be alive to God in this way, we must surrender to Him and to everything He brings. He allows in His wisdom what He could easily prevent by His power. The dying daily that is Paul's description involves a death-to-self process. Change is the pivotal point of that process. If you enjoy God's life, you cannot fear change. Where He is present, resistance has died.
Death, the understanding of change, liberates us to experience the adventure of new things. We welcome the risk because His life fizzes in our bloodstream. He sparkles with new gifts, new realms, fresh annointing, and different challenges to faith and love.
.....The inevitablity of change is made enjoyable by His presence. As we submit to each process, our appreciateion of the journey grows and our faith increases. Change comes from within. Everything that God does in us comes from the inside to the outside. That is why our inward development is more important than the outward circumstances. If we give the Lord Jesus the ground he requires on the inside of our life, then each present set of external challenges shall diminish, if not disappear...........
Taken from Graham Cooke's Divine Confrontation Pages 214,215
Gibsons Praise Float in Parade...
A nameless, almost faceless float...lifting up the name of Jesus in the streets of Gibsons!! The painting says "friends from sea to sea" . We had some Japanese girls walking with us giving out candy, our Sunday School kids and families were there, and many others......and there was a scripture on the back of the float that said "The earth is the Lords and everthing in it"...YEAH! And God is doing a new thing in bringing together the generations. Our drummer and keyboard player were 15 years old, the lead guitar player was 24, the lead singer and backup were 47...cool eh?..and no person, church or event was promoted..only exalting the name of JESUS!! Oh and by the way, see the blue ribbon? Jesus won first prize too...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Thanks Keeper..I just read this on your blog and it really spoke to me...
wonders in the deep ...
It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; . . . He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the Glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the Revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the Power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank the Almighty, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's Greatness and Lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the Cleft of the Rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the Outshinings of His Glory in His Wonderful Dealings with you. fr: Spurgeon's Morning Jul 19
It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; . . . He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the Glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the Revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the Power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank the Almighty, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's Greatness and Lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the Cleft of the Rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the Outshinings of His Glory in His Wonderful Dealings with you. fr: Spurgeon's Morning Jul 19
IM BACK!
Ok. Well I have to make this short unfortunately. I want to share about our experiences in Mexico, but that will have to wait for another time. All I can say about that is GOD IS AMAZING! and WE FINISHED THE HOUSE! So, I'm planning to include pics and a small writeup of our trip. Thanks to all who prayed for us..we were divinely protected from a black widow, two deer-slayer spiders (very poisonous), a scorpion, and one of our leaders accidently drank bleach..with no side affects...and of course many other divine appointments took place...only God knows how to open a back door. Especially when things look impossible! So..stay tuned...
Friday, July 07, 2006
Bon Voyage!
I leave tomorrow morning early. I expect that, once again, my experience in Mexico will be life-changing. I am also asking God for some personal direction and some confirmations. God often speaks to me more directly when I'm away in Mexico. Not sure why exactly..I'll update you once I return. God bless and keep you all in his grace and loving-kindness.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Mexico Mission
Foundation for His Ministries - Baja Mexico
Well, in two days, Saturday morning a group of 14 from Gibsons are heading off to the mission. Our mandate will be to work for one week at an orphanage doing various tasks, duties, ministries - basically just whatever needs doing. After that, for the next 3 days we will be building a house for a single mother - I think its a pre-fab home, but we saw a sample picture and although small, it looks wonderful! I can hardly wait! This is going to be a great group - young and late teens, early twenties, mid-thirties, mid-fourties, and mid-fifties (sorry Jack, I think you're the oldest - hehe). Anyway, I'm really excited because God always does something amazing when I go to Mexico. I went two years ago to Oaxaca for a leaders conference, then this past November to an orphanage in Morelia, and now to Vicente Guerrero. Its amazing how much exchange happens when we go to serve, God pours so much back into us. We get to bless them materially, but they bless us so much more as they give of themselves spiritually!! The Mexican people have always ministered to me in a very deep, personal, and powerful way. Please pray that those on the trip would be impacted beyond anything they could ask, think or imagine! Some are really needing an encounter with the Lord as well as direction. Also, there is a stirring in me of message for the mission, or for someone there. It comes out of Ezekiel 2-3. Pray that I will be faithful and set my face as flint. Sounds like it might be pleasant to receive, but difficult to deliver:
Ezekiel 3:3Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Revelation 10:9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
Revelation 10:10I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
You know, one of the most amazing experiences I have had was in Oaxaca and it happened after delivering a prophetic message to them, and then telling them about our spiritual poverty in Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast, and asking them to pray for us. No sooner had I asked this than everyone (about 250 - 300 Mexican leaders) broke out in spontaeous intercession/prayer for Gibsons, the Sunshine Coast, and for Canada! The Spirit came down so powerfully, that I stumbled back to my seat almost not able to walk. It must have lasted what seemed like an hour. A spiritual connection was made that day and I know that the Oaxacan people have been praying for us since. I know that God hears their prayers! I can hardly wait to go back there again to see these amazing, wonderful people! Thanks to all who read this blog, and support us in prayer. Thanks to all of you who have a burden for Canada and who intercede on behalf of this nation. It is difficult to stand in the gap. At times I myself have felt physical pain much like birth contractions... then I read this:
Romans 8:25-27 (The Message)All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Well, in two days, Saturday morning a group of 14 from Gibsons are heading off to the mission. Our mandate will be to work for one week at an orphanage doing various tasks, duties, ministries - basically just whatever needs doing. After that, for the next 3 days we will be building a house for a single mother - I think its a pre-fab home, but we saw a sample picture and although small, it looks wonderful! I can hardly wait! This is going to be a great group - young and late teens, early twenties, mid-thirties, mid-fourties, and mid-fifties (sorry Jack, I think you're the oldest - hehe). Anyway, I'm really excited because God always does something amazing when I go to Mexico. I went two years ago to Oaxaca for a leaders conference, then this past November to an orphanage in Morelia, and now to Vicente Guerrero. Its amazing how much exchange happens when we go to serve, God pours so much back into us. We get to bless them materially, but they bless us so much more as they give of themselves spiritually!! The Mexican people have always ministered to me in a very deep, personal, and powerful way. Please pray that those on the trip would be impacted beyond anything they could ask, think or imagine! Some are really needing an encounter with the Lord as well as direction. Also, there is a stirring in me of message for the mission, or for someone there. It comes out of Ezekiel 2-3. Pray that I will be faithful and set my face as flint. Sounds like it might be pleasant to receive, but difficult to deliver:
Ezekiel 3:3Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Revelation 10:9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
Revelation 10:10I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
You know, one of the most amazing experiences I have had was in Oaxaca and it happened after delivering a prophetic message to them, and then telling them about our spiritual poverty in Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast, and asking them to pray for us. No sooner had I asked this than everyone (about 250 - 300 Mexican leaders) broke out in spontaeous intercession/prayer for Gibsons, the Sunshine Coast, and for Canada! The Spirit came down so powerfully, that I stumbled back to my seat almost not able to walk. It must have lasted what seemed like an hour. A spiritual connection was made that day and I know that the Oaxacan people have been praying for us since. I know that God hears their prayers! I can hardly wait to go back there again to see these amazing, wonderful people! Thanks to all who read this blog, and support us in prayer. Thanks to all of you who have a burden for Canada and who intercede on behalf of this nation. It is difficult to stand in the gap. At times I myself have felt physical pain much like birth contractions... then I read this:
Romans 8:25-27 (The Message)All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Psalm 29
The Voice Of The Lord In The Storm
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.
My pastor sent me this commentary:
4.): The voice of the Lord is powerful, as appears by the effects of it; for it works wonders. Those that write natural histories relate the prodigious effects of thunder and lightning, even out of the ordinary course of natural causes, which must be resolved into the omnipotence of the God of nature. First, Trees have been rent and split by thunderbolts, v. 5, 6. The voice of the Lord, in the thunder, often broke the cedars, even those of Lebanon, the strongest, the stateliest. Some understand it of the violent winds which shook the cedars, and sometimes tore off their aspiring tops. Earthquakes also shook the ground itself on which the trees grew, and made Lebanon and Sirion to dance; the wilderness of Kadesh also was in like manner shaken (v. 8), the trees by winds, the ground by earthquakes, and both by thunders." (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
The Voice Of The Lord In The Storm
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.
My pastor sent me this commentary:
4.): The voice of the Lord is powerful, as appears by the effects of it; for it works wonders. Those that write natural histories relate the prodigious effects of thunder and lightning, even out of the ordinary course of natural causes, which must be resolved into the omnipotence of the God of nature. First, Trees have been rent and split by thunderbolts, v. 5, 6. The voice of the Lord, in the thunder, often broke the cedars, even those of Lebanon, the strongest, the stateliest. Some understand it of the violent winds which shook the cedars, and sometimes tore off their aspiring tops. Earthquakes also shook the ground itself on which the trees grew, and made Lebanon and Sirion to dance; the wilderness of Kadesh also was in like manner shaken (v. 8), the trees by winds, the ground by earthquakes, and both by thunders." (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
Third Watch
Luke 12:37-39 (New International Version)It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
A commentary:
Now Jesus makes a comparison. Like servants who wait for their master to return from a wedding celebration, disciples should be ready for their Lord to appear anytime at the door. Wedding feasts could last for as long as a week, so the time of someone's return was not always predictable. Servants had to be ready to serve whenever the master broke loose from the party to return home. Disciples should live in the same expectation.
Jesus offers a beatitude for those who heed his advice (v. 37); NIV introduces it with it will be good. The NRSV more closely follows the Greek: "Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes." The beatitude has an interesting twist: when the master returns, he will serve the servants who are faithful. Jesus has always placed a high premium on service, and here he shows that he will honor faithfulness with service. It is not at all common for masters to serve slaves, but God's grace shows the extent of God's love. The chief steward leads the stewards in service. He will share the meal at the table of fellowship and serve the food. The imagery suggests the blessing of being totally accepted by Jesus.
But Jesus does not tell his disciples when the master will return. The allusion to the second or third watch gives a general time frame, though the exact time is uncertain because it is not clear if Luke intends a Jewish three-watch or a Roman four-watch schedule. Either way the time frame is "deep night," somewhere between midnight (Roman time) and 2:00 a.m. (Jewish time). Luke uses the Roman schedule elsewhere (Acts 12:4), but a Jewish setting might suggest the other possibility. Either way the point is clear: the disciples must be ready because the return may be at any moment, even deep in the night when one normally would not be prepared. Constant vigilance is expected.
Jesus extends the call to readiness by comparing his return to a thief's robbing a house at night. Just as a man would never leave his house exposed if he knew a robber was going to try to enter it, so the disciple should be ready for the Son of Man's return. For just as we do not know when a thief may come, so we must be ready at all times. The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour. There is spiritual exposure in lack of preparedness. The thief image suggests that the risks of unpreparedness are great.
Romans 13:10-12 (New International Version)
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
A commentary:
Now Jesus makes a comparison. Like servants who wait for their master to return from a wedding celebration, disciples should be ready for their Lord to appear anytime at the door. Wedding feasts could last for as long as a week, so the time of someone's return was not always predictable. Servants had to be ready to serve whenever the master broke loose from the party to return home. Disciples should live in the same expectation.
Jesus offers a beatitude for those who heed his advice (v. 37); NIV introduces it with it will be good. The NRSV more closely follows the Greek: "Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes." The beatitude has an interesting twist: when the master returns, he will serve the servants who are faithful. Jesus has always placed a high premium on service, and here he shows that he will honor faithfulness with service. It is not at all common for masters to serve slaves, but God's grace shows the extent of God's love. The chief steward leads the stewards in service. He will share the meal at the table of fellowship and serve the food. The imagery suggests the blessing of being totally accepted by Jesus.
But Jesus does not tell his disciples when the master will return. The allusion to the second or third watch gives a general time frame, though the exact time is uncertain because it is not clear if Luke intends a Jewish three-watch or a Roman four-watch schedule. Either way the time frame is "deep night," somewhere between midnight (Roman time) and 2:00 a.m. (Jewish time). Luke uses the Roman schedule elsewhere (Acts 12:4), but a Jewish setting might suggest the other possibility. Either way the point is clear: the disciples must be ready because the return may be at any moment, even deep in the night when one normally would not be prepared. Constant vigilance is expected.
Jesus extends the call to readiness by comparing his return to a thief's robbing a house at night. Just as a man would never leave his house exposed if he knew a robber was going to try to enter it, so the disciple should be ready for the Son of Man's return. For just as we do not know when a thief may come, so we must be ready at all times. The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour. There is spiritual exposure in lack of preparedness. The thief image suggests that the risks of unpreparedness are great.
Romans 13:10-12 (New International Version)
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Overcomers
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself... (Daniel 1:8a)."
In our time the Lord is working with a remnant and is raising up Overcomers to represent His interests in the earth, a people who are in this world but not of this world. In spite of a general failure of the Whole, the Overcomers, as a part of the Whole, are fulfilling God's original intent for the Church.
The idea of a remnant is not without its historical examples. Let us define exactly what a remnant is. Simply put, a remnant is this: a person or persons who fulfill the Lord's Purpose for the Whole when the Whole either cannot or will not fulfill it.
Daniel and his friends represent the Overcomers. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would forever and always maintain a certain amount of hostility and resistance to the world system there in Babylon. Not a loud, demonstrative, attention-getting resistance, but a quiet, purposeful, principle-based way of living that would only allow him to go along with things up to a certain point, but then no further. Yes, he might be forced into the Kingdom of Babylon physically, but he refused to be forced into it spiritually! His God and his religion were not bound to a Temple in Jerusalem, to a priesthood or a system of worship. Daniel is saying, "It is true that the Temple is destroyed, Jerusalem is burned, and God has allowed us to be conquered. That does not change the fact that He is the Most High God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I am not changing my witness just because of my circumstances. I will maintain the Testimony of the Lord, even if it means death. I would rather die than defile myself and be disqualified from God's Kingdom. Someone, somewhere on this earth must represent the Kingdom of God, and though I may be IN Babylon, I am not OF Babylon!" That, in essence, was his reasoning.
~C. Brogden
In our time the Lord is working with a remnant and is raising up Overcomers to represent His interests in the earth, a people who are in this world but not of this world. In spite of a general failure of the Whole, the Overcomers, as a part of the Whole, are fulfilling God's original intent for the Church.
The idea of a remnant is not without its historical examples. Let us define exactly what a remnant is. Simply put, a remnant is this: a person or persons who fulfill the Lord's Purpose for the Whole when the Whole either cannot or will not fulfill it.
Daniel and his friends represent the Overcomers. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would forever and always maintain a certain amount of hostility and resistance to the world system there in Babylon. Not a loud, demonstrative, attention-getting resistance, but a quiet, purposeful, principle-based way of living that would only allow him to go along with things up to a certain point, but then no further. Yes, he might be forced into the Kingdom of Babylon physically, but he refused to be forced into it spiritually! His God and his religion were not bound to a Temple in Jerusalem, to a priesthood or a system of worship. Daniel is saying, "It is true that the Temple is destroyed, Jerusalem is burned, and God has allowed us to be conquered. That does not change the fact that He is the Most High God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I am not changing my witness just because of my circumstances. I will maintain the Testimony of the Lord, even if it means death. I would rather die than defile myself and be disqualified from God's Kingdom. Someone, somewhere on this earth must represent the Kingdom of God, and though I may be IN Babylon, I am not OF Babylon!" That, in essence, was his reasoning.
~C. Brogden
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The Winds of Change are Blowing...
Isaiah 27:7-9 Has the LORD struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? By warfare and exile you contend with her— with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows. By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.
Isaiah 57:12-14 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain." And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
Amos 4:12-14 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel." He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Isaiah 57:12-14 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain." And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
Amos 4:12-14 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel." He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Press on!
Hebrews 12 :4-11In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears. Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words—"If an animal touches the Mountain, it's as good as dead"—they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified. No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace. So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he's told us this quite plainly—he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern." The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Aslan is on the move...
A microburst is a rare but extremely strong blast of wind that spreads in all directions when it reaches the ground. There will be many such winds and other wind phenomenon in the coming days.
"Aslan is on the move"..there are warm winds beginning to blow across Canada..I can see the ice beginning to melt, cold hearts are turning toward the Lord and are being warmed by the flame of the Holy Spirit...the wind will become stronger in intensity..it will be a wind of cleansing, healing, chastening and refining in the church. It will become like a rushing mighty wind, blowing away the chaff, uprooting that which has no depth, especially in our churches. This will not be a superficial "revival" of fleshly emotion or of focusing on outward signs and wonders. The focus will be the character and nature of Christ, the death of self, and the display of the gifts will be deeply rooted in love, humility, and brokenness. There will be no more one man shows. No man will receive the glory, which alone belongs to the Almighty. This next move will be a paradigm shift. We need a new wineskin and the Lord is about to provide this. The Lord will provide the new wineskin for the new wine. It will look very different from the old, but those who are wise will discern it. I see this as an eastern wind, blowing toward the west, gaining momentum. Ezekiel 43:4-5 The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.It will be a wind of genuine repentance and especially for the church. The Lord's discipline is coming to those who confess to know him, but have forsaken their first love. Our God is a jealous God and he will not allow any gods before him. The harvest is ripe, but the labourers are few. Many have prayed for labourers, but those who have been called have been asleep. The Lord is about to awaken them and call them out to the harvest fields. Be ready..the time is near.
"Aslan is on the move"..there are warm winds beginning to blow across Canada..I can see the ice beginning to melt, cold hearts are turning toward the Lord and are being warmed by the flame of the Holy Spirit...the wind will become stronger in intensity..it will be a wind of cleansing, healing, chastening and refining in the church. It will become like a rushing mighty wind, blowing away the chaff, uprooting that which has no depth, especially in our churches. This will not be a superficial "revival" of fleshly emotion or of focusing on outward signs and wonders. The focus will be the character and nature of Christ, the death of self, and the display of the gifts will be deeply rooted in love, humility, and brokenness. There will be no more one man shows. No man will receive the glory, which alone belongs to the Almighty. This next move will be a paradigm shift. We need a new wineskin and the Lord is about to provide this. The Lord will provide the new wineskin for the new wine. It will look very different from the old, but those who are wise will discern it. I see this as an eastern wind, blowing toward the west, gaining momentum. Ezekiel 43:4-5 The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.It will be a wind of genuine repentance and especially for the church. The Lord's discipline is coming to those who confess to know him, but have forsaken their first love. Our God is a jealous God and he will not allow any gods before him. The harvest is ripe, but the labourers are few. Many have prayed for labourers, but those who have been called have been asleep. The Lord is about to awaken them and call them out to the harvest fields. Be ready..the time is near.
Something Growing...
Something is stirring inside me. Its time to dig deeper. Its time to be quiet and listen to the rhythms of God's grace speaking to my spirit. Take me deeper, lead me on. Its time to move on, and press in. The next leg of the journey is about to begin...and I have no idea where I'm headed or what that means...God is a God of surprises.. I'll keep you posted.
Perhaps this is the year of Ephraim..twice fruitful.
Perhaps this is the year of Ephraim..twice fruitful.
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