After 25 years of ministry as missionaries in Japan, my wife and are heading home. We have had 25 great years in Japan, and it has been a fulfilling ministry. 25 years is not as long as some missionaries stay on the field, but I was 39 when I arrived. It is HARD learning a difficult language like Japanese at middle age!

My wife and I had some ups and downs in the ministry here, but the downs were teaching experiences, as most people will say. Only for us, God took us in a way that our organization was headed before our organization headed in this direction. We learned beforehand how powerful the Holy Spirit is at teaching new believers, without the constant oversight of missionaries or pastors at the beginning. And lots of people (churches) did not like things that involved change from the ordinary, but we persevered with joy in our hearts.

Japan is listed in some circles as being basically “unresponsive” to the gospel – with approximately 1/2 of 1% as being believers. Evangelical missionaries and organizations have been in this country over 150 years.

We have not used conventional means, and going back 15 years, we found that the Japanese were, and are, capable of expanding the gospel among themselves. We have seen three different groups that we started expand into four and five generations of Christians, as in the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle. And one of the groups were among homeless — led by one that we were blessed to train. Part of our vision was that of viewing God’s greatest resources — not the missionary, or church support monies, or pastors, but the individual believers that God led to us. (A church’s greatest resource is not the pastor, not the money, not the building but the people in the pew. Use them, equip them, give them vision, send them out!)

We are leaving behind both nationals and GCCs who have found that they can witness, they can equip, they can train and they can have and lead bible studies and messages, as well as baptize. It doesn’t have to depend on the missionary or pastor to expand the Kingdom. We also have worked with a few missionaries who don’t mind stepping out of the box and trying something different. The one key that we find is that a person must have vision, passion and focus to expand the Kingdom. If you have those, people will want what you have.

I visited and talked with a young missionary two weeks ago who lives about two hours from me. He was disappointed in most missionaries and pastors who come to accept slow response in Japan as a matter of fact. I left him (and also my fellow workers) with these words: Don’t let the unresponsiveness determine your joy, passion or vision. Let your passion, vision and joy come from Jesus. When you do this, others will notice! The vast majority of the work that we have done, and the people that we have worked with and partnered with — came from people seeking us out by email, phone calls, coming to our house or where we happened to be going. When the joy of the Lord is your strength, people will notice. When your passion and vision are determined by Who you know, and not the circumstances you are in, people will notice . . . as was with Paul!

We have had a great time; we have seen many baptized, and we have seen many nationals equipped and prepared to advance the Kingdom. While we have been VERY joyful of those that we led to the Lord, the greatest joy has come from seeing them witness, train and equip those that they led to the Lord, and then they did the same, and so on. I once heard a sermon that had this in the message: The greatest success a parent can have is to raise their children to love someone else more than they (the children) love the parents. When your child loves his/her spouse as the most important person (over the parents) then the parents have been successful. My wife and I are not expecting new believers to look back at us, but out into the harvest and advance the Kingdom. That is the reward for us! That is what we are seeing. It is not a huge force yet, but is quite significant.

The term Christian is thrown about quite loosely and I think a lot of people call themselves a Christian because they believe in God. Or they (mostly) do nice things for people. Or they go to church for Christmas… and maybe Easter if they feel like it. Maybe they think they are Christian because they were baptized as a baby. Or maybe they asked Jesus into their heart as a child.

Do any of these things make you a Christian? In and of themselves, no. Being baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Asking Jesus into your heart once, or twice, or a whole bunch of times even, doesn’t make you a Christian. These are stepping stones on the way to becoming a Christian, sure. But making you a Christian? No way.

Let’s put it this way. Do your friends and family and co-workers know that you are a Christian? If not, then you need to do some serious soul-searching and figure out why that is. I’m not saying you need to evangelize to them all (but if you are at all concerned about their eternal souls, which you should be, then you should be talking to them about the hope within you, right?), but you need to live a lifestyle that, without a doubt, reflects that you are a Christian. Does this mean you need to be perfect? Nope. I’m far from perfect. And I am pretty much scared spitless to evangelize to people — I am more than willing to talk about Jesus and my hope and faith and love for Christ if it is brought up, but to just out of the blue talk to someone about it? I have a real hard time with that, and it really takes some prayer and dependency on the Holy Spirit to move me beyond my natural tendency to clam up.

But at the same time, I know that when people spend some time talking to me, they know I’m a Christian. I haven’t always been this way, of course, but as I’m growing and learning, I am becoming more public, more obvious. Things like saying “God bless you” roll off the tongue with such ease now, when they were so hard to say before. Taking my Bible to church was something I would do if I remembered it, but it didn’t really matter if it didn’t come with me. My Bible goes with me every time I’m at church now. And instead of tucking it away or hiding it in a stack of whatever else I happen to be carrying, it’s on top, shining for the world to see.

These are a few examples, but they convey a very important thing: I’m not ashamed or trying to hide who I am. And this is a very very important thing to realize, because Jesus says:

““Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”” (Matt 10:32-33, NKJV)

Being denied before God means an eternity separated from God. And if God is in heaven, then that means we will not be in heaven. There’s only one place left.

Look at what else Jesus says:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 4:13-16, NKJV)

I heard this the other day and it really made sense. As Christians, we are the Bride of Christ, right? Ok, so all you married people out there… you do acknowledge the fact that you have a spouse, right? That you’re married? You don’t tuck your significant other in the closet and bring him or her our when the lights are off and no one is around, right?

So if we, as the church, are the Bride of Christ, why are so many of us denying the fact that we have a “husband”?

Think about it! If you ignored your spouse, didn’t spend any time with them, didn’t give them any affection, didn’t stand up for them… how long do you think your spouse is going to remain your spouse? He or she might suffer it for a while, but I’m pretty sure that at some point they are going to pointedly say to you that you’re doing something wrong and you need to acknowledge them and treat them better. Shape up or ship out. I’m pretty sure that most of us would feel the same way. Dejected, lonely, frustrated, angry — these are things anyone who is consistently ignored by their spouse feels. So then the question becomes: if we feel this way when we are neglected by our spouse, how do you think Jesus feels when His spouse-to-be is neglecting Him?

We are salt and we are light. We need to make the fact that we are Christians known. People need to look at us and know there is something different about us without us even opening our mouths and saying a word. God’s light should be shining from within us. We should be doing, and acting, and speaking, things that befit someone who belongs to a body that will be married to the King of Kings! Our attitude should be so Christ-like that people will know that we are more than just “good people” without even bringing God into the conversation. And when they ask why you’re so happy, or joyful, or what makes you so different, why do we hide the fact that it is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that has transformed and redeemed and saved us?

Living lives that are righteous, holy, and obedient before Father God are what will draw people to us and let them know that we are different without us even having to try. We need to love our neighbours as ourselves:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, NKJV)

Finally, look at the origination of the term Christian:

“So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26b, NKJV)

The disciples were called Christians! Not “the good people”, not the people who “went to church sometimes” — none of these were called Christians. The disciples were called Christians. If we profess to be Christians, we need to be disciples of Jesus Christ! There are three keys in this half of the verse: the first is that they were disciples. The second is that they assembled with the church (“spirituality without the church” is not Christianity!). The third is that they taught people.

Are you a Christian? How do you know if you’re a Christian? You know you’re a Christian if you lead a life of selfless abandon to Jesus Christ, that you love Him, that you strive to be obedient in all things. That you put on your robes of righteousness for His Name’s sake, not yours. That you do everything you can to lead a holy and righteous life. That you teach people, through words and actions. That you are a city on the hill, a light uncovered for all to see. That you do not deny Jesus — at any time. That you love His Word, that it is your daily bread. That you put Jesus before everything, before relaxation and recreation, before music or books or TV or video games or “hanging out”. That you love the Body of Christ, the church, and your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you strive for unity in all things with the Body. That you are a bride that wants to wear robes without wrinkle or spot and that you are head-over-heals in abandoned love with the only One who can save, who has given you the free gift of salvation and eternal life! That you repent of your sins, get baptized, and be filled with the Holy Spirit and then let the Holy Spirit shine through you!

Lord God, make more disciples for you! You are calling Your people to repentance, to holy and righteous living, just as You are Holy and Righteous! Shape me into a vessel of honor for Your Name’s sake, Lord, not mine. Never for me, but always for You! Jesus I love You, I exalt You, and I magnify Your precious Name! Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for our my, to bridge the gap between you and me, so that I can know You and, more importantly, that You know me. Thank You Jesus for all that you have done for mankind, are doing for mankind, and will do for mankind. Thank You that You love us so much! Help me to be a worthy disciple, showing you through my words and deeds, showing a lost and dying world the one true path to everlasting life! Amen and Amen!

But, we’re also called to do the work of God, because while God has called each of us to a particular occupation at a certain point in time, He has also called each of us to ministry. No, he has not called all of us to be preachers or evangelists or full-time ministry workers, but we all have a ministry. The trick, then, is to balance. Do we forsake God’s work for the sake of a natural occupation, or do we forsake the natural occupation for the sake of God’s work?

I believe the answer is neither. God has called us to be good stewards — both of career and calling. We are to be faithful in our natural work, and faithful in our spiritual work. So the real answer is there needs to be balance (unless, of course, your career is also your calling, such as with full-time ministers).

I believe that, even as Paul preached and did miraculous things, yet still worked, we need to do the same. The key is balance, but before someone thinks this is a message about balancing TV and prayer, or balancing video games and reading the Word, I think when it comes to worldly pursuits of recreation (sports, games, TV, whatever), there is no call to be balanced. You can completely forsake those pursuits, or enjoy a game of golf, or go to a hockey game, etc. and still be unbalanced because you’re feeding on the Word, praying, and going to church — that is a healthy unbalancing. This isn’t supporting “balance” in terms of going to church on Sunday and staying home to watch the hockey game on TV instead of going to church Sunday night (i.e. “honey, we’ve been to church already so let’s stay home and watch the game… we need balance after all!”). Not at all. This is strictly talking about balance of calling (ministry) and career (occupation) because God wants us to work. We weren’t created to have recreation, we were created to work.

The first thing in the Bible that tells us about the nature of God is that He works — He created the heavens and the earth. As early as Genesis 1:3, God is working. God created man with a “dominion mandate” or a call to work:

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Gen 1:28, NKJV)

The first words out of God’s mouth to Adam and Eve were that they should work!

“So, because he (Paul) was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18:3-4, NKJV)

Here we see two interesting things: Paul clearly worked, and he also clearly taught people about the gospel. I think if God wanted us to forsake all for the gospel (and He has asked us to forsake much, but not work), then I don’t think Paul would have been making tents as well.

It reminds me of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. This is often interpreted as speaking of the spiritual, but I believe it speaks of the natural as well. The basic premise of this parable is that a man (Jesus) travelled to a far away kingdom and left his servants (us) in charge of his affairs. There are three servants: one received five talents, one received two talents, and another one talent. As an aside, isn’t it interesting that this form of currency is called a talent? The first servants put his talents to work, and when the master comes, he has ten talents. He has worked with that was entrusted to him. Likewise the second, who turned the two talents he was given into four. To these, the master says:

“His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”” (Matt 25:21, NKJV)

The third servant, however, buried his talent. He did not use it, but hid it away so that it would remain “safe” — not losing it in risky ventures or putting it to work, but keeping it so he could restore exactly what was entrusted to him. Of this, the master says:

“But his lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.” … “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”” (Matt 25:26, 29-30, NKJV)

The master was given back exactly what he gave out to begin with and yet the servant who had done this is called “lazy” and “wicked”. God looks for increase! In the spiritual, this means spreading the gospel and reaping a harvest, doing God’s work. But we can look at this in the natural as well, given God’s first mandate to man — God looks for increase in the natural as well. As can be seen here, it is God’s desire to bless us, but we need to work in order to receive that blessing. Hiding your talent, whether it be your faith or natural talents, will get you in trouble with God!

When we “work” our faith, doing ministry, we work for God. Yet the Bible also clearly says that when we work for man, we must also work as unto Jesus:

“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Col 3:22-25, NKJV)

The message can’t be any clearer! Work as if working for God. This ties very closely to what I spoke about a few days ago, about Giving God our best. If you are distracted at work, you’re not working heartily. It doesn’t matter what the distraction is — excitement about an upcoming concert or game, going on holidays, or being busy with ministry outside of work. We need to be diligent, “faithful servants”, working as hard as we possibly can for the glory of God in our workplace, for the sake of Jesus who lives within us, rather than for the sake of pride or to please our boss. There is a clear warning here as well: if you do wrong, you will be repaid in kind and despite being a Christian, there is no partiality. So if you’re slacking at work and you get reprimanded, that is your reward. If you work hard, consistently, your boss will notice and you will be rewarded (whether it’s a simple thanks or a raise or promotion, or blessing from God in some other area (peace at work, at home, or increase in ministry, etc.) you will be rewarded). But the pre-requisite of actually doing the work is required. This is simply common sense as well — if you work hard at work, you get noticed, you get promoted, etc. But it is a Biblical principle as well.

Finally, there is the matter of being a witness, a living example, of Jesus living in us. What kind of witness are we for Christ if we do not work with passion and focus? If we are more than willing to share the gospel with co-workers, but then don’t do the work called for us to do in the workplace, what kind of witness does that show them? Does that show them a legitimacy in the gospel, or does it show them that we are just like everyone else? I don’t care if you’re running a company or scrubbing toilets, if God calls us to do our job heartily then that is what we should be doing. Why? Because that is what God tells us to do, and also because we become a more effective witness to those around us.

I know this is perhaps a hard thing to do, but think about it. Nowadays, especially among so many young people, there is such a lack of ambition, of striving, of working hard. I’m not sure what it is, but in this time more than anything we can absolutely shine as witnesses for the Hope that is within us, by being patient, faithful, diligent, and hard working at our natural jobs. Do the work eagerly and with joy! We have an asset that no one else has, and when things get tough then step back and pray to God for His peace and strength. He is faithful to grant it! We need to be the “peculiar people” that is noted in the King James translation (Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9). We need to be strange, not just because we’re Christians and the world counts us strange, but because we have joy in the midst of the daily grind — something that most others do not!

I honestly don’t think there is a more effective witness than this. If your work suffers because you’re too busy with the gospel’s work, then you are being a bad witness, and a bad steward of what God has entrusted you with. Whether it is work, ministry, family, relationships — God has called us to be a good steward, a faithful servant, of the things we have been entrusted with. Forsaking one for the sake of another is not being a good witness. Giving more weight to one than to another is not a good witness. We were called to be a faithful people, faithful in all things, in all areas of our life… not just the ones we like most.

Finally, this part of 1 Timothy 3 is very valuable. 1 Timothy 3 talks about the requirements for bishops (overseers, elders, pastors) and deacons. These are qualities we should all strive for, but this one verse stands out in particular because I believe it speaks directly to being a good witness to those outside the church:

“Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Tim 3:7, NKJV)

We need to have a good testimony to those outside — of course we need to have a good testimony among our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we also need to have a good testimony, a good reputation, among those who are not in the faith.

The bottom line is we need to be faithful to what God has given us, not neglecting any one thing for the sake of another. Whatever the struggle may be: being faithful to God Himself, faithful to others (i.e. being honest, trustworthy), faithful to family or spouse, faithful to our ministries, or faithful to work, we can and need to take it to God. God is faithful to those who sincerely ask and trust in Him. He will provide us the strength and direction we need to fulfill His calling in our lives, whatever and wherever that calling is, spiritual or natural.

“For He will deliver the needy when He cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.” (Ps 72:12-14, NKJV)

The above was part of my Bible reading guide this morning and it spoke volumes due to what we had done yesterday. Yesterday, we had put on a BBQ in probably the roughest neighbourhood in our inner city, a free BBQ to feed the homeless, helpless, and the less fortunate. Why did we do this? Because we love God, and we know He loves these people and street people are of value as well (which the above verse definitely indicates!), and they deserve to be shown the same dignity and respect that we are all accustomed to.

This is the third year this event has been put on, and preparation for it began months ago. There were preparations in the natural, of course, soliciting donations for the event, but there were also preparations in the spiritual realm. Twice we had done prayer walks around the field, just praying that God would do what He does best: meet with people, transform people, that His Spirit would be there in a very real way. As organizers, we had prayed together and individually for this thing for weeks beforehand.

Yesterday morning I was up at six in the morning, preparing to be down at the site for eight in the morning to begin setup. That morning I was reading from the book of Acts, and the works of the early church inspired me for the day. What powerful things the early church had done! What beautiful adoration to God, to His Word, to His divine purpose! What a humbling thing to try and recreate by the work we were doing!

The BBQ was an absolute success. Despite little technical setbacks early on that, in the grand scheme of things, really amounted to nothing, we had an opportunity to feed at least 500-700 people. Local media was out, so we got a few seconds of exposure on the local TV stations (keep reading to see the clips) and there should be an article in the local newspaper regarding it as well. It was a hot day, up to 24C and many of us got sun burnt. We gave away so much, a thousand hot dogs and a thousand hamburgers, brand-new clothes that were donated, pillows, donuts, fruit, chips, pop, bottles of water. Thank you to the many companies that supported us and gave freely to the event, and thank you to the many volunteers that helped. God bless you all!

Now that the natural results have been described, I need to describe the spiritual. And this is what made this day so exciting, so powerful, and so exhausting. As I said, we were praying for weeks before the event and even driving down, the music in the car was off, and I was praying for the BBQ, for the volunteers, for the food, for the people that were coming to the event. And God moved in an absolutely powerful way! Thank You God that You listen to the heart-felt prayers of Your people who are striving to be obedient and do Your will! There is so much to describe, so it may be a bit disjointed — please bear with me.

First and foremost, there was such a sense of joy among the volunteers. There were no arguments, no one complained about having to do more than others, or do something they didn’t like. We were united in one purpose. There were smiles everywhere, people were so welcoming to those coming through the line to be fed, there was a genuine servanthood evident. There was such complete _peace_ in that place. You need to understand that these are people who are accustomed to a life of strife and fighting, that literally fight over scraps of food. Yet it was so peaceful in the field. There was no striving for places in line. They were patient, despite the heat, and they were grateful for the food. They were polite, thankful. To put this in perspective, I drove off-site around 2:30 in order to get some coffee. Not even a block away I saw two men yelling at each other and fighting. When we were loading the left over supplies into the church at 6:00 there were young men and women, right before the doors of the church (which is also right in the middle of downtown) fighting and swearing and arguing. But in that place, at that time, there was complete and utter peace. No fighting, no arguing, no dissension.

I believe with all of my heart that God put His angels around that field as a hedge of protection. As we walked around and prayed for that field in the weeks leading up to the BBQ, and on the day of the event as we prayed, I believe God anointed that piece of land for His purpose while we were there. We prayed for protection and we got it. We prayed for peace, we prayed that the ground would be saturated with the blood of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit would overshadow that field and we received all of these things.

I remember a half dozen of us were behind the stage when the first pastor was preaching and we were crying out to God for repentance and open ears and open hearts and open minds. We cried out to God on behalf of the people, that the Holy Spirit would use the pastor’s mouth to speak life to these people. And we were rewarded with about a dozen people coming forward to the altar to be prayed for and receive Bibles.

Later in the afternoon a few us were getting ready to go off-site to clean up garbage. We had put it off to wait for someone who was supposed to come with us, and so we waited about an extra 20-30 minutes. Right when we were about to go (despite the person we were waiting for not coming back), preaching began and there was such an anointing that fell that we knew cleaning up the garbage of the streets around us was secondary to cleaning up the people before us, so we went into the crowd of people instead and just talked to people, showing them they were of value, speaking life into their lives, and just providing an ear to listen to them. Many people were prayed for, many seeds were planted.

After that, we had another pastor preaching and at the end of his message, he asked people who wanted to receive prayer to just put up their hands. I was at the front watching the sound board, having sat down for the first time in probably six hours, and I looked out and one man caught my eye. His hand was up and I felt led to go over to him and as the pastor was praying, I just stood behind him, put my hand on his shoulders and prayed. After the prayer was done I was able to sit with him and talk to him about how much Jesus loved him, how much value He had before God, and just really inspire him and lift him up. I told him about the inner city church, and he said he had a friend that went there and had asked him to go. I encouraged him to go, and I pray that he did go this morning, or will go this evening.

It was a long day of praying and interceding for people, and then there was the cleanup. Tearing everything down and hauling it back to the church was a job and a half, and we had less people to help with the tear-down than we did for the setup. Thank you so much to those who stuck around to help bring all this stuff back to the church! We were all tired and exhausted but we did it with a cheerfulness I don’t know if you would find anywhere else. And when that was said and done, we had another divine appointment waiting when we got back to the field. At this point, the field was empty, and all that was left were dirty BBQs waiting to be loaded up and taken away.

But with the five of us there, we had a man come over trying to sell us some shoes. He was obviously a street person, and not one of us really had a need for shoes (despite them being really nice shoes!). But my friend, God bless him, offered to buy the shoes if he could talk to the man for a few minutes about Jesus. You could see his back get rigid and he got defensive, but he was willing, so the two of them went off for at least 20 minutes. Then they came back, we chatted a bit, and then someone asked if we could pray for him. At this point, he had his $30 for the shoes and could have declined, but I know he was there by divine appointment and he was willing. I don’t know if he expected something short and sweet, but there were five of us and we all prayed over him… we covered him for at least 15 minutes and the Holy Spirit was definitely there. We poured God’s love over him, our love over him, the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance and discernment. We covered him the blood of Jesus and prayed that his heart would be changed and that he too, would find his way the next day to church, and that the enemies lies would be exposed for what they were. He was told in no uncertain terms that the shoes meant absolutely nothing to us, but that we had a deep and sincere desire to minister to his spirit, that the money meant nothing to us. He left with his money, and thanked us for the prayers. I sincerely hope he made his way to the church this morning as well; I pray that the Holy Spirit ordered his steps because I know that he was there by divine appointment. God had His hand in the whole day, and this meeting was no exception, no coincidence.

I got home at 8:30 last night, over 12.5hrs after leaving that morning. It was an exhausting day: physically and spiritually. But it was also one of the most beautiful days I’ve experienced, and despite what God did for the people that we served, I know that He was pouring His love into me — not necessarily love for _me_, but sharing His love for His children, for the people that live on the streets, the people that most would discount as non-people, people of no value. He was giving me His love for them so that it would become _my_ love for them! I know that a gratefulness for God Himself and a love for people was birthed in me yesterday, and it spilled over this morning.

Despite a good 9hrs of sleep and still being exhausted this morning, and feeling that I couldn’t give God what He deserved at church this morning, I was completely and utterly abandoned in worship to my almighty Lord and Saviour Jesus. The Holy Spirit visited me so powerfully that if I could have I would have knelt in the aisle and wept with joy before my God. As it was, I stood with arms raised and wept before Him, declaring my love for Him and the awesome privilege that He gave me to be able to do His work yesterday. Jesus, I love you so much, and thank You for the most awesome privilege of being able to serve a people so dear to Your heart! Thank You!

And the message this morning really struck me, as it was about the fruit of repentance, or the true signs of a Christian believer. And the first of the three fruit was being generous and compassionate. How amazing that this message came a day after the service we had done! (Have you ever noticed that God affirms His work in your life through the ministry of the Word? I sure have!) A true Christian will display the fruits of generosity and compassion to people, as John the Baptist said:

“So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise.”” (Luke 3:10-11, NKJV)

I count myself privileged that God saw fit to use me yesterday, and I may myself available for continued. He blessed my heart yesterday, truly, and my reward this morning was to feel Him so powerfully to the point where I felt like I couldn’t contain it anymore. Thank You Jesus so much that You love me and care for me, and that You are continuing to shape me into a vessel of honour that can be poured out to bless Your people!

The following video clips are from the news yesterday. We got a little bit of coverage, but sadly they didn’t keep any of the parts talking about God. Truly this was done in His service, for His honour and His glory. And while the media might not acknowledge that, every person who was there yesterday, from those giving their testimonies and those putting ketchup on a bun, to those who received food for their bellies and their spirits, _they_ know that this was done all for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you again, to all the volunteers that helped out. I had a lot of family out to help, and I’m so proud of them for being willing to give of themselves to this cause. I’m grateful to my little girl who handed out water and pop with such enthusiasm and generosity; you make me so proud. And to my lovely wife who gave of herself the whole day, serving people and talking and listening, bless you for doing what God has called you to do. I feel such a pride for my family, yet I am humble before my God who counted me trustworthy enough yesterday to minister to people. What a privilege!

… is sad to have just seen someone who was baptized a few years back, but today says, ‘It’s not working for me any more…’ I sometimes wonder why God doesn’t do a better job of keeping his people. But I also wonder, ‘What are all the dynamics that come into play in a decision like that?’

I think this is the wrong question to ask, honestly. I think the real question is: “why aren’t we doing a better job of keeping people?”. If God doesn’t change… if He’s the same today, as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow, then it isn’t up to God to keep us, it’s up to us to keep ourselves and those around us. Blaming God because someone was baptized and then a few years later has strayed and says “it just wasn’t for me” is a cop-out, and playing the blame-game with someone Who doesn’t deserve that kind of criticism.

I think the problem really comes down to emotion, rather than faith. Too many people “try” Christianity and then when it doesn’t do what they want, they give up on it. But I don’t understand this, because I don’t understand why they “get into it” in the first place then. Do we “get into” Christianity because we expect God to do something for us? I think this is usually it. We want God to heal us, prosper us, take care of us. We go to a meeting, are swept away in anointed worship, get on a “high” and then come to the altar and profess our love and need of a Saviour.

Often it’s like going to a good concert, or a good sports game. In the moment, it’s amazing, the crowd is excited and loud, our hearts are pounding, and we’re cheering like crazy. The next day we’re exhausted but still on the same high. What a great game/concert/worship service that was! We can go around pumped up by that excitement we were a part of for days… sometimes weeks.

But then the excitement fades as real life takes it’s toll. There are long days at work, arguments with the spouse, dealing with kids, hanging out with friends. We spend our time watching TV or playing video games, and the excitement, feelings, and memories dim. What excited us in the moment last week is no longer vivid because the boring day-in, day-out of our life is back. And we no longer feel like we did.

For a concert or sports game, this is par for the course. These things fade, they don’t last forever. However an encounter with God, a real encounter with God, should last forever. You can’t have an encounter with a holy and righteous God and not come away changed. I mean, you can’t have a real encounter without it being a life changing encounter. I love the way Paul Washer describes an encounter with God; it goes on the premise that a meeting with God is like a meeting with a semi-truck. When you encounter that truck going full speed on the highway, one of you will leave that encounter changed — and it isn’t going to be the truck! When you hit that truck, your life is changed in a way that will never be the same again.

Got that imagination working? Imagine it. That is one awfully messy transformation! That is a complete and utter and total transformation! And that is how we should be changed when we meet God, when we truly meet God!

Sadly, this isn’t often the case. And I put myself in the same place… many times have I gone to meetings or camps where I ended up on my face before a God who loved me so much that even if I were the only person on the planet, He still would have sent His Son to die on the cross for me, so that I could have a relationship with God the Father. I know a Saviour that loves me so much that if I were the only person on the planet, He still would have gone willingly to the cross to be humiliated, beaten, and received the full wrath of Almighty God on my behalf. And weeks later I threw that love back in His face as if it meant nothing, and lived life my own way, on my own terms, again!

God forgive me, I am just as guilty as the next man, and have done it many times. It pains me to admit it, and I am ashamed that I have repeatedly despised that most beautiful and generous gift on so many occasions, but I believe this is what happens to a lot of people. It certainly has happened to me.

The real problem is that when things get tough (or we don’t think God is working the way we want Him to) we think that there is something wrong with God, when the reality is there is something wrong with us. You look at a world where self-help books are the source of help to so many people, where people are told to “visualize” success, where the law of the land is me, me, ME! Where people think they are their own gods, that they aren’t responsible for what happens to them and the choices they make. Oh no… I’ll take all the credit for the good things that happen to me, but when bad things happen, God is to blame… He is my scapegoat.

Yet, if God never changed (and we know this to be true), then who really is to blame? God is the same today as He was when we felt so overwhelmed with love for Him, and felt loved by Him. When the feeling wears off, is it God who loves us less? No! It is us who love Him less!

I think there are four places where we can put God.

The first is right in front of us where He belongs. He is first and foremost, He is the most important thing, and we come before Him daily with love and adoration, humility and thanksgiving.

Or we stuff Him in our pocket, and pull Him out when things are too tough to handle on our own. God is useful only when we need Him, but if we don’t need Him, then we won’t pay any attention to Him. He’s safe and secure, tucked away, ready to be called out on a moment’s notice should we need Him.

Third, I think people put Him on a shelf. They don’t have God handy when they need Him, they have to go figure out where they left Him, dust Him off, and then get some help from Him. These are people that will only go to God in the most extreme of circumstances because He’s not even worth enough, to them, to carry around. These people don’t want God to interfere, to make things uncomfortable, to be inconvenienced with a Christian lifestyle. I think these people have a very cluttered shelf and God takes up a small part of the shelf, usually at the back. More prominent on the shelf are the other icons, idols, and self-helps that they reach for first.

Finally, there are the people who are so stubborn and hard-hearted that they deny His very existence. They don’t even have a shelf to put Him on.

In each of these scenarios, however, God is still God. The difference is where we put Him.

So, in a large part, we are responsible for our own relationship with God because, after all, it is our relationship with God. He already proved how much He loved us. If God did nothing else for me from this point forward, I would know that He loved me more than I deserved by what Jesus did for me at the cross. But because God loves me, He continues to bless me and give me good gifts (be they spiritual, emotional, material, whatever). He makes His relationship known to me, He speaks to me, He comforts me. He is always there when I need Him, and I always know where to find Him because He’s out front. God isn’t the co-pilot, as the popular bumper sticker says, God IS the pilot! I’m just along for the ride.

I also think that we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, are responsible for our “siblings”. The Great Commission tells us what our job is, but it also tells us that we have a responsibility:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matt 28:18-20, NKJV)

Our job is clear: to make disciples and to teach people. Our responsibility is clear: to make disciples and teach people. The dictionary defines “disciples” as: follower, adherent, believer, admirer, devotee, acolyte, votary; pupil, student, learner; upholder, supporter, advocate, proponent, apologist.

A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who continues to learn, who follows His commands, who is devoted to Him and His Word, who supports His people. We are most certainly responsible for our brothers and sisters in Christ! When Cain was asked by God where his brother Abel was (after he had killed him), and Cain replied “am I my brother’s keeper?” I think that God’s answer was a thundering YES!

The bottom line is that we as people need to take responsibility for our own actions. It’s not up to God to “keep us”, it’s up to us to remain faithful. And if we see a brother or sister stumble, or get discouraged, or become lost — we need to deal with that, and not ignore it. Yes, it is their life, but if God has given them to you by being family, or a friend, or someone to whom you are in a position of leadership or authority, then I very much think that God makes you, and me, responsible for how we treat, talk to, encourage, ignore, berate, condemn, or judge them. Ultimately they are responsible for their own salvation and relationship with God, of course, but we do have a responsibility to them as well, and a responsibility to God as to how we deal with them (for good or bad).

I think we need to realize that the burden is on us, not God, to continue our relationship with Him. We have the choice. God made His choice thousands of years ago when Adam and Eve first sinned, because even then He spoke about the coming of Jesus! God made a way for us to have relationship with Him, and all it costs us is love and obedience. Because if we love Him, then the things He asks of us are not hard or, if they are hard, they are worth the effort and cost (and don’t forget, He will give us the strength we need to accomplish what He asks of us if only we will ask Him!).

Remember, Jesus paid the most awful price to bridge the gap between man and God. And we do not need to earn what He has given us; it is a gift, a most beautiful gift. It is freely given, and easily received. He already demonstrated the love He has for us, beyond anything we could ever imagine.

No, it’s not up to God to keep us. It’s up to us to keep ourselves in the faith, and God makes this easy if we put our faith, hope, strength, trust, and love in Him… and Him alone.

God bless! I know this is a hard truth to bear, but it is truth, and I hope it encourages you and grows your relationship with God the Father!

The dictionary describes “faithful” as: loyal, constant, true, devoted, unswerving, staunch, steadfast, dedicated, committed, trusty, trustworthy (or “worthy of trust”), dependable, reliable. These are some powerful, yet intimidating, words. Keeping these words in mind, look at this scripture:

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2, NKJV)

Paul is talking about men that are trustworthy, dedicated, and loyal — to such men is the Gospel given in order to teach others. This shows us that Jesus wants to trust us with things, and know that we are going to be faithful to them. Just like an employer wants an employee that is dedicated and loyal, so does Jesus want followers that are dedicated and loyal.

If you’re not faithful, you’re unfaithful. There is no middle ground. The antonyms for “faithful” from the dictionary are: traitorous, unreliable. This is the definition of being unfaithful.

Seeing what the words mean (beyond a “spiritual” definition of faith) really lets us know why most people desire to hang out with, know, and associate with faithful people — whatever they are faithful to. Faithful to their spouse, their job, their family, their church. No one wants to associate with people that abandon their spouse, come to work late and do a half-hearted job, leave their family to go drink at the bar, or jump around from church to church. People are drawn to faithful people. At the same time, people are repelled by unfaithful people.

Look what Jesus says about being faithful:

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10, NKJV)

This is a very real truth and there is spiritual principle here. I know this for fact when my wife and I started tithing years ago, despite the fact that we felt we couldn’t afford it. We wanted to be obedient to God’s Word, so we were faithful in the little that we had, and God gave us increase. We had proven that He could trust us with money, and He has been faithful to provide for both our needs and our wants. His Grace was sufficient, and while there are always times that are tight, usually it is due to us spending money on something silly, rather than the tithe being the burden.

The same holds true with employment. To the employee that is loyal and dedicated in their job, regardless of how menial it might be, to them is given favour over those who despise their job or don’t do a good job. People notice and appreciate good work! This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll receive promotions overnight or higher wages, but it could very well mean that when it is time for the axe to come down, you survive the cuts. I have experienced this scenario personally as well.

Keep in mind, however, that there is always a test. Just as we get tested before we can get a drivers license, or tested in school before we can move on in studies, so we are tested in life. The test is what determines whether we learned what we needed to learn and can progress, or whether we need to learn the lesson again. There will always be a test to see if you are faithful. Your loyalty will come into question, whether by people or circumstances or temptations. Loyalty to your marriage, your family, your job, your church, your relationship with Jesus. These things will be tested, and your faithfulness (or unfaithfulness) will prove itself.

Will you pass the test? Will you be faithful in the little so that you can be faithful with much? Will you tell God that you will tithe when He gives you more finances? Will you get into ministry when the church is bigger? Will you have fellowships and visits in your home, but only when God gives you a bigger house?

Are you a Christian that tells God what your definition of Christianity is and think that because Jesus loves you, it’s ok? That it’s ok to compromise? That it’s ok to hold back? That it’s ok, because Jesus loves me and I can do no wrong, so here God, this is what I’m willing to do but don’t ask for more because I’m in this for convenience and ease?

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12, NKJV)

There are two things to note here. The first is that as Christians we weren’t called to a life of convenience and ease. We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Reverence! Worship! This is Almighty God we serve!

Secondly, Paul is talking about faithfulness in the same verse. He is saying to the church that they were obedient, faithful, when he was with them but they are also faithful, when he is not there. Isn’t that the sign of a good employee? Someone who can work without direct supervision, or their manager breathing down their back having to correct them or encourage them or keep them on track?

Isn’t that also the sign of a good Christian? Someone who is motivated to get into the Word, to pray, to worship, to live a life of witness to those around them — without having God on their back telling and correcting, but simply doing it because they just plain old love God and want to be obedient and loyal and faithful?

Good intentions don’t count when it comes to faithfulness. In the words of Yoda: “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” (sorry for the Star Wars reference, but it is far too relevant!) People fail the test of faithfulness because they are self-absorbed, and self-seeking. They are against unity and want to do things on their own, being a Lone Ranger. This is not what God has called us to be, or to do.

The final point to mention is that we need more Elishas. Elisha was the kind of man we all need to be. He was tenacious, he was loyal, he was dedicated — both to serving Elijah and also to serving God. He did not waiver, he didn’t go behind Elijah’s back to start his own thing. He didn’t go into ministry on his own until Elijah’s mantle was given to him. If you read 2 Kings 2, you see that Elisha refused to leave Elijah despite being told to stay behind. Three times Elijah asks him to stay behind and three times Elisha vows “As surely as the Lord lives I will not leave you”. Twice he has the prophets telling him that Elijah is going to be taken away from him that day, and not once did this disheartening news make him turn from following.

His faithfulness was rewarded. But it wasn’t Elijah that rewarded him. It was God. God rewarded Elisha’s faithfulness and granted him what he requested (the double-portion). But if Elisha would have been unfaithful, even once, he never would have received what he asked for. Only because he was faithful, did he receive the double-portion of Elijah’s spirit. If he had tried to do things his way, or fast-tracked God’s plan and become a prophet before it was his time, he would have lost out on the huge blessing God had in store for him. His faithfulness earned him that.

Thanks, Pastor Mark, for the awesome message. Hopefully I did it some justice with my post. My spirit got all wound up with this message because it’s so true and so relevant (to anyone, whether you are a believer or not). My prayer is that you find it relevant in your life, just as I find it relevant in mine, and you ask yourself the hard question (and answer it honestly): Am I faithful? And if so, what are you faithful to? Are you faithful in the little things? Are you faithful in all things? A friend once said that if you had a glass of water that was 99% water and 1% cyanide, it’s still poisonous. If you are 99% faithful but 1% unfaithful, don’t kid yourself — you’re still unfaithful.

Don’t preempt God. Don’t put your selfish desires before His — even if you desperately want to do something for God. Remember Waiting on the Lord? Be faithful with what He’s given you, and if it is a vision, hold fast to it but don’t preempt God into starting or doing something when the time isn’t right. Seek God, pray, and He will reveal His good and perfect timing. Until then, be faithful in what He has already given you, and prove your faithfulness, and then rest assured that God will lead you out into bigger things, for His glory and His Name’s sake.

It’s all about His Name, not yours, and certainly not mine. Be patient, be obedient, be faithful. Be worthy of trust.

I was just listening to an interview with Andrew Strom and about how and why he left the so-called “prophetic movement” that has led to things like the Lakeland Revival and he made a statement that really spoke to me. He was talking about true revival, and how it would come, but how it was all about repentance and not “signs and wonders” which these big “revivals” are all about. He said that there was an unwillingness to wait, for these meetings, for real revival, and that people blindly pushed forward with things that did not seem Biblical because they wanted something and they wanted it now. Then he said something that really caught me: he said it was like Ishmael (Abraham’s first son). Ishmael was conceived because they (Abram and Sarai) were unwilling to wait. The story is in Genesis 16, so let me briefly recount the story.

In Genesis 15, God is giving Abraham (then Abram) an amazing promise. Genesis 15:2-3 is Abraham telling God that he has no heir that would come from his body, and Genesis 15:4 is God telling Abraham that he will have an heir from his own body, and:

“Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.” (Gen 15:5, NKJV)

Taking the story up in Genesis 16, Sarah (then Sarai) went to Abraham and told him that she had no children (obviously Abraham had just finished recounting God’s promise to him). And instead of waiting for God to do His thing for them, she gave to Hagar to Abraham, her maidservant, in the hopes that Hagar would give Abraham a child. Abraham agreed and Ishmael was the result. But this was not the child that God had promised to Abraham! Ishmael was not the child of promise! Isaac, born later to Sarah, was the child of promise, the heir that God had promised to Abraham.

Instead of waiting for God to provide what He Himself had promised, Abraham and Sarah took it upon themselves to fulfill God’s Word to them their way. Not God’s way.

The interesting thing here is that Ishmael is the father of the Islamic nation whereas Isaac is the father of the Israelite nation. Thousands of years after their birth, Ishmael and Isaac still contest for the inheritance of Abraham! For a Christian, we know that the Muslim faith, Islam, is a counterfeit religion and is not of God. The counterfeit came first (this is the point that Andrew Strom was making regarding this “revival” movement).

So it got me thinking… if God promises us something, He is faithful to deliver. If we go out of our way to hurry God’s Hand, to fulfill a prophecy or vision by our means (despite good intentions!), and do not wait for the appointed time that God in His Sovereignty has dictated, we can go one of two ways: His favour is withdrawn and we fail (and then doubt that this was ever from God), or we produce something that is wrong and counterfeit, that will war with the latter thing that is of God.

I believe there is a real warning here. God doesn’t operate by our timetable. We have to be obedient and operate by His timetable. God will let us know when the time is right for whatever it is that He has purposed for us to do. I think back to prophetic meetings and prophecies spoken over people and yes, some were confirmations of things going on right then, but some were for things that were not revealed for years or decades to come. No matter how much we desire what God is showing us, want to do God’s Will, want to jump on the vision He has given us, sometimes we need to temper ourselves and understand that God knows the timing. I believe He shows us things that He has planned for our future, but we are currently not equipped or ready to perform the duty in a way that maximizes its benefit and maximizes God’s glory. This is a promise from Him to us, just like He promised descendants more numerous than the stars to Abraham who at that point had no physical way of realizing that outcome (being childless).

If we try to rush what God is telling us He has planned for us, we have to then look in the mirror and ask ourselves: are we rushing this for God’s glory, or our own? Do we presume to know better than Almighty God the when of what He has shown? Are we prepared, or does He have other things planned, or are there other things that need to be accomplished before what He is planning for us can really be the thing He desires for us?

God is patient, man is not. It takes faith and trust in God to understand that just because He shows us something now, it doesn’t mean that what He has shown us is for now. He knows the timing, and it is up to us to be obedient and wait.

The Bible is full of passages that tell us to wait on the Lord:

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, NKJV)

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV)

We should be quick to do God’s Will, when it is asked of us, but if there is nothing specific in terms of timing, then I believe we need to wait. Wait in His Presence. Waiting doesn’t mean sitting idly by. It means resting in the Lord, in His Presence, in His Word. It means training ourselves up, because we don’t know when God wants to use us, or even how. It means preparing, getting things ready. Don’t go back to things of no consequence, because the Word of God (the Bible) is for the now, and in all things we need to be obedient to the Word before all visions, prophecies, dreams, or hopes — and all of these things need to be tested by and lined up to the Word to begin with. Those things (visions, etc.) will come in God’s timing, but His Word is for yesterday, today, and tomorrow and we need to be obedient to it, study it, learn it, and know it for now while we wait on God to reveal the when of what He has promised us. God isn’t into instant gratification, and neither should we.

I believe that as humans we get impatient to see God act, and do our own thing. We need to temper ourselves so that we don’t get ahead of God. We want to walk side-by-side with God, be partners with God, not fall into walking ahead of God (how can He be the light to our path when the light is behind us?), or becoming independent of God. The Bible calls those independent of God “sons of rebellion” or “sons of disobedience”. That’s a far cry from being called a “good and faithful servant” which is what should be the desire of our hearts!

The last five months have been… interesting, exciting, wild, stretching, and growing. God has been moving in amazing ways and I believe it all turned around because we were obedient to Him and did what He asked of my wife and I. This is a bit of a long story, but to give some background, my wife and I had gone through presbytery four years ago and had an amazing and somewhat frightening/exciting Word spoken over us. For those that don’t know what presbytery is, it’s when you fast and pray and seek God and have prophets speak God’s Word over you. For some, it provides life direction, for some it gives insight into the future that God has planned for you, for some it’s just plain old encouragement. If you’ve never been to a prophetic meeting like this, it really is something to behold. The Holy Spirit moves in ways that can’t even be described. Re-reading the word spoken over us still brings tears to my eyes and chills down my spine.

Without getting into it overly much (because there is a lot), the main thrust of the word was that we were going to be deeply rooted in the House of God, and that we would be involved with people. We would have a heart of evangelism, and a hunger in our spirit to see God’s Will done in the earth. That we would go up against the enemy and not be afraid and, just as importantly, have a God-given power over the enemy. That our home would be open, that we would get involved in discipleship and mentoring and getting involved in people’s lives. That we would have a spirit of outreach.

These are beautiful things to hear, but for someone who doesn’t really like people, this wasn’t really what I wanted to hear. I’m not really a people person, and I’m also very cynical and critical of people; part of that has to do with my personality, and part of that is due to my job and its lack of social interactions. My passion for God was most definitely there, but my passion for people was… pretty lacking. My wife is the complete opposite. She loves people, but being told we would be coming up against dark kingdoms really concerned her. I’ve had a past that dealt with spiritual warfare, so I can’t say I was comfortable with it, but it wasn’t scary because I know how powerful God can be in those situations.

So for four years this prophetic word has been remembered and forgotten, ignored and cried out for… but all things are in His timing. And just before last Christmas, He brought us to a whole new level of faith, passion, worship… and looking back now, we can pin-point to exactly when He started unfolding His plan for us.

It began with our nephew, who was 18 and leading a life not at all pleasing to God. He was not living at home, and he was involved with a girl that we had been told was being abused at home (she was 17). We had them over for dinner and were trying to help them, encourage them, and speak to them; he was looking for work and was going to get an apartment so he could take care of her and get her out of her (abusive) home. I had such a strong feeling that we needed to bring her into our house, but I didn’t say anything about it. I told God that if this was from Him, it needed to come from my wife. Well, a few weeks later we were talking about the kids and what was going on, and she brought up the idea of her staying with us, and then I told her what I had been feeling. And she talked to her mother, and she also said that she was thinking the same thing but didn’t want to suggest it since it wasn’t her place.

After that we extended the invitation. Keep in mind that at this point we hardly knew the girl and had no idea what we were getting into. We only knew that God wanted us to do this, and we prayed and sought His Will and everything we prayed that would tell us this was from Him came to pass. This was going to be a major disruption to our small family unit, but we wanted to be obedient. As the date was fast approaching, talking with my nephew, we knew there was some serious spiritual baggage here as well. She was adopted at a young age (four or five) and was given up by a mother who was into witchcraft and paganism. She saw her birth mother occasionally and received crystals and other new age items from her. And a witch’s spellbook.

At this point, I started praying overtime because I did NOT want that in my home. However God wanted to ensure it didn’t get into my home, I was praying that it would stay out. At the same time I confessed that the book had no power in my home, so if it did make it in there, it would be dead words with no power. At the same time, I wasn’t supposed to know about this book, so I didn’t want to call her out on it. I had to trust that God would do what was right for our family.

After about a week we were talking about Christianity and alternate religions and she mentioned that she had a spellbook, and this was where I tensed. But, praise God, she said she had left it at her parents’ place because she didn’t feel it would be appropriate to bring it here (she very much knew we were Christian). Hallelujah!

We were prepared to have her as part of our family for a long time to come. We didn’t have overly strict rules, but having a young daughter — there were things we just could not permit. Sadly, the living situation only lasted for a month, at which point we had to ask her to leave due to certain behaviours and the poor choices she was making. At that point I can’t say she was better or worse for having lived with us, but I believe we were planting seeds and speaking into her life, and we still pray for her and talk to her; she’s not out of our life entirely. But for the sake of our daughter, she couldn’t stay with us. Now, I know God uses these things and can bring it to remembrance in the future for her benefit. We planted seeds, and the Holy Spirit will water them in His timing. I also believe that He was testing us, to see if we were ready to walk out in what He planned for us. Did we pass the test? I don’t know, but He is unveiling things in us, and changing us, and stretching us in ways we cannot imagine.

If you told me a year ago that I, in particular, would have a heart for people, I would have said you were nuts. I don’t like people, and I don’t like talking to people. But now my home has become a whirlwind of activity, of visits from people. I’ve reconnected with a friend I grew up with, watching his baptism, seen how God has changed his life and set him on fire for God. We now see each other every week for bible study; sometimes two or three times a week. I believe God brought him to us to set US on fire, like he is, and that we were brought to him to make him accountable to someone, and to be strength for him and his family. God is blooming a relationship there in a huge way, and I’m so grateful for it.

I’ve run into a friend from 16 years or so ago whom if you told me he would be going to any church, let alone my church, I would have said you were cracked. Sadly, he has some odd ideas that are not biblical, so I don’t know if I’m here for correction and mentoring as well, or just to pray for truth and sight for him. Time, and God, will tell. But he’s another person back in our life.

There are other people in dire circumstances that are reaching out to US for prayer. We’ve known these people for years and yes, we’ve talked to them and we like and enjoy spending time with them, but I’ve never seen myself as a witness or example for them, or someone I would think that THEY thought they could talk to! Relationships are building there as well and just today I felt led to fast and pray for their circumstances, pleading before God to do a mighty work in their lives.

My sister-in-law and her boyfriend, whom we’ve been praying for years to get to church, have started coming to church. Praise God! Relationship there has been strained for a few years and by the Grace of God it is rebuilding as well and I just pray that the Word sinks in and brings life and conviction and a personal relationship with Jesus.

I took my daughter to the young adults worship service last night. She’s far from being a young adult, but my little girl was praising with her hands high and on bended knee, kneeling before her King. Praise God, it was a sight to bring tears to my eyes! So now I’ve been told (by her) that we’re going every Monday night! I can’t even describe how awesome that is.

My prayer life has gotten deeper, more intense. I am a watchman on the wall. I am standing in the gap for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I bought a whiteboard the other day that is our prayer board and already there are over two dozen names and circumstances on there that will be prayed for daily until there is breakthrough.

Would all of this have come to pass if we hadn’t been obedient to God five months ago and brought this girl into our home for a month? I don’t know, but I don’t believe it would. I think you need to prove to God that you are ready to be responsible with what He wants to give you. If God purposes for you to have an abundance of finances, but you squander what you have on foolish things, well guess what? He won’t give you what He wants to because you are irresponsible with it. Read the parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30). You have to prove to God you are ready.

My wife and I always dreamed about having a big home and how we would have people over and have youth group things and whatnot there. How we would be all evangelistic if God blessed us with a large home. Well guess what? God would never give it to us since we weren’t using the home we currently had for His work and His honor and His glory! We could sit there and say “if” until the cows came home, but if we weren’t prepared and willing to use our home now, as modest as it is, for His work, no way were we going to get something better!

I love this quote… I have no idea who wrote it, but:

“If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Well guess what. It is US and it is TODAY! There is such an urgency and a burden in me now to do God’s “thing” (whatever it is!) that I’m taking that leap of faith and letting Him put or pull me wherever He wants me. That is what birthed this site. That is what is birthing vision for great things of what God wants to do in me, and my family, and those around me.

Being obedient WILL change your life. I’ve traded what was unimportant for what is of the utmost importance. So I don’t watch as much TV. So I don’t play video games as much. So I don’t spend as much time doing recreational things. So what! None of that lasts. TV and video games and other recreation is all stuff for the moment… it doesn’t last. It’s not making me a better person. It’s not serving anything or anyone but me, in the “now”. What God is steering us towards is everlasting and of immense consequence. And I know this is just the start of it.

Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done!

I just love what God is doing and how He’s turned my life from being a person willing to give only “so much” and only to certain people, into someone who is shouldering burdens for anyone who asks. And I love seeing this prophetic word start to unfold and if I look at it, I know there is so much more to come. All I have to do to experience it is to humble myself and be obedient, and this is something that my wife and I are sold-out to do.

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b, NKJV)

Amen!!

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5-9, NKJV)

These five versus are so full, we really need to break it down to fully understand what God was saying to Joshua, and is saying to us now. We know that He is saying this to us, today, because He is the same today, as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow. God does not change (Mal 3:6a).

First, God is giving us a promise that no one will be able to stand before us, because He will be with us as He was with Moses (and God and Moses were tight; Moses was in God’s Presence all the time, he spoke with God face to face). There is a condition here, however. If God is going to stand with us, as He did with Moses, we have to be like Moses: obedient, willing — no, eager — to spend time in His Presence, seeking Him out, living solely for Him.

Second, He says that He will not leave or forsake us. How true this is! When we feel God’s displeasure or we feel alone, we need to look at ourselves and see who’s fault it is. Did God pull away from us, or did we pull away from Him? Did we allow the world — it’s lusts, temptations, cares, worries — to replace God? Every time I have felt overwhelmed in life it is because I had pulled away from God and decided to do my own thing. God didn’t leave me, I left Him.

It takes strength and courage to fully trust in God. Humans do not trust easy. Trust has to be earned. How many people would jump off a building with only the word of a stranger telling us that we’ll be caught and no harm will come to us? No sane person would do this, yet this is the kind of trust God asks for. We need to ask for His strength and His courage to fill us, to allow us to fully and completely trust Him, to cast our lives on Him. He is our Rock, our sure foundation.

Twice here it mentions to be strong and courageous. This is a very important thing — God knows that life is not easy, and that trials and tribulation will come. The amazing thing is that He tells us how to be strong and courageous: the Book of the Law; the laws that Moses gave to the Israelites were the laws that God gave to Moses. He tells us that if we obey His Word (the law), and do not turn aside from it (don’t turn away from it, don’t twist it to suit our own needs, don’t cherry-pick what we want to get out of it), then we are given the promise: that we will prosper wherever we go.

So we have the condition (fully obey God’s Word) and the promise (that we will prosper). This is mentioned twice. Note God’s emphasis here! This isn’t mentioned twice in different parts of the same book, or even in different parts of the same chapter, but is noted twice back-to-back. This is a point we cannot afford to miss! God’s Word is to be our constant companion, it “shall not depart from your mouth” and it is meant to be meditated on day and night. That word “meditate” doesn’t mean to simply read, but it means to contemplate, to think deeply or focus for a period of time upon, to think deeply or carefully about. God means for us to get involved in His Word, to really know it, to have His Word readily available to us in every situation because we haven’t just read it, but we know it.

And finally, for the third time, He tells us to be strong and of good courage. This is truly something that God wants to impress upon us!

If we can grasp this, truly grasp it and take hold of it, there are promises here that have amazing implications. But don’t be confused about the use of the word “prosper”… this doesn’t mean that God is out to make a bunch of millionaires. The dictionary describes being prosperous as to be financially successful, yes, but also to flourish physically (grow strong and healthy), and to make successful. I believe that this does not apply only to the physical, but to the spiritual as well (if not even more). God prospers us spiritually when we meditate on His Word and obey His commands. When we do this, we receive strength, and courage, and boldness. We can face trials, tribulations, temptations — we can weather the storms of life. When we build our lives on God’s Word, on the Rock, we have a sure foundation and we will not be moved.

The importance of God’s Word can’t be missed here. Nor can the importance of relying on Him, of being “strong and of good courage” which only really comes by fully trusting in Him. This is what I would call a hard teaching, particularly because trust is such a precious commodity. It’s easy to say you trust someone, but it’s another thing entirely to actually do it. God wants us, desperately, to trust Him like small children trust their parents — fully, implicitly. I struggle with this a lot — it’s hard to hand the steering wheel over to someone else when you’ve been driving so long. But, as can be seen by this very loaded scripture, the benefits of giving up that control, of standing strong in the Lord, is well worth the sacrifice.

Before I became a Christian I had little faith in mankind and the future of this world. So much that I did not even want to bring kids into a world with such bleak prospects. I lived for weekends to relax and weekdays to make a living. I was in a rut, living without hope or real purpose. To put things in perspective, the early 1970′s were the years of “make love, not war”, hippies, drugs, parties. The world was going to hell in a hand-basket.

My conversion took place in 1974 while attending a Cal Hays crusade with a number of other people from our church. I became convinced by the Holy Spirit that Jesus could bring hope into my empty life. I went forward and received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

I became involved in teaching adults about the Bible, served as elder and deacon, as teacher and Sunday school superintendent.

While I knew God, my relationship with Him was rather shallow. I was easily offended by wrong actions. I felt righteous when I should be forgiving and understanding.

When I was diagnosed with cancer and later heart problems, some Christian friends stuck with me, supporting me. I knew God was with me, yet I was no closer to Him.

Then, even as my health was improving, my life went into a rut and my marriage was falling apart. Yet God stayed faithful and had a wonderful plan. The last 2 years He has picked me up, showed me how much He loves me and brought me into a new and loving marriage.

Even after my conversion in 1974, God was not 100% part of my life. Now, with His help, He is. Faith, trust, love, guidance and obedience, all have a new meaning now. We decided that our marriage would be “before God.” That was not just for the wedding, that is for the rest of our lives.