Souljourn

Things I saw and experienced

I've already written a bit about this weekend but here are a couple of additional thoughts from the past few days:

• On Saturday night I had the joy of standing on the balcony beside my mom praying for our students as they responded to God, and watching my two oldest children up at the altar waiting on God.  It was a great reminder to me of the power of one generation contending for the next.  My mom prayed lots for me as a teenager (and continues to do so) and one of the major reasons I am where I am today is because of praying parents.  

• This morning during our second service, a large number of our students came up to the altar during worship and passionately, joyfully, worshipped.  It was thrilling to see a group of students express their hunger for God and to unashamedly demonstrate their allegiance to the King of Kings.     

• At the end of both of our services this morning it was great to see people not rush off but instead spend time lingering in the presence of God.  Some were prayed for by the ministry team, others came forward to the altar, and still others stood at their seats just enjoying the presence of God. I love the growing hunger for God that is developing in our church family.

• My friend didn't get elected this weekend so that was a little disappointing, but regardless of the outcome in my opinion he gets a victory for several reasons.  Here are just a few:  He ran a great campaign, inspired people to get more aware of and involved in the political arena, mobilized people to action, received a very significant number of votes for a first campaign, and took some very bold steps towards what I believe is a destiny issue for him.  Way to go Craig.  Your bold pursuit of the stirrings of God is an encouragement to me.

  Well, that's it for now.  See you tomorrow.
  
  

Thoroughly Consumed

Friday night was amazing and it only got better throughout the weekend.  The students that gathered for Consumed were hungry for more of God and instantly willing to pursue Him and respond to Him.

Some students continued to linger in God's presence last night even after the music was off and all you could hear was the sound of vacuum cleaners running in preparation for this morning. 

It was an absolutely fantastic weekend.  We had students from all three of our campuses participate and I know that what they received they will carry back with them and encourage others, so the ripples will continue to go out for quite some time.

The weekend was great, and I know the results of the weekend will be even greater.

Yeah team and YEAH GOD!!!!

An amazing first night!

Consumed 2008 kicked off tonight.

The theme is ONE -  one heart, one passion, one God

The doors opened at 6:00 pm and students just started coming in.  Over 200 showed up.  They were excited, expectant, joyful, praise filled, participatory, responsive and ready to change their world for Jesus.

We sang the song -- God of this City (fantastic song, which we are singing on Sunday!) -- and Corey shared with us some of the background to the song.  The song is already an amazing song of Kingdom declaration, but when I realized the situation that Holy Spirit prompted this song from, it was even more impacting.  WOW!!!

Jason & Kelsey have done an absolutely fabulous job of putting together a conference that is going to impact lives and influence Nations.  I know they haven't done it by themselves, they have a great group of people serving with them (yeah team!!) but they have headed it up and have done (are doing) a great job. They lead with a wisdom and maturity that is beyond their years and their experience and it is very cool to watch.  

It was so awesome for me to stand in the balcony tonight and watch them both leading this amazing event, and be able to see my two oldest children passionately worshipping and responding to Jesus.  

And if that isn't enough to get you excited then just follow this link and watch the final drive of the BC Lions against the Calgary Stampeders in the 1994 Western Final (in Calgary). BC was trailing 31 to 36 with just a few minutes to go in the game.  The field is covered in snow.  Doug Flutie is the quarterback for Calgary, and Darren Flutie is the reciever for BC.  It was a match up for the ages.   Go BC!!!

Big weekend!

This is a big weekend.  On Saturday individuals in communities and cities all across our province will be going to the polls to elect/re-elect civic officials.  Like most people, I have some thoughts on a preferred outcome for city I live in, so I am doing two things --- praying and voting.  I would hope that every Christian across our province will actively be doing the same (in that order).  

The governments we elect have a large role in shaping the communities we live in, and the communities that our children will have the opportunity to live in.  So for this generation, and the next, lets pray & vote!

But that is not all this weekend has to offer.  This is also the weekend for our youth/young adults conference -- Consumed.  Students from up and down the Island, as well as the Lower Mainland, will be gathering for a weekend of being challenged, equipped and inspired to live for Jesus Christ and the advance of His Kingdom.  

What will transpire in the lives of the students this weekend will have an incredible influence not only on  their lives, but on the future of homes, schools, communities and Nations.  In this gathering of students could very well be; teachers, nurses, doctors, future school principals, city mayors, provincial premiers or Prime Minister.  The Kingdom potential that will occupy our building this weekend in the lives of those students gathered is absolutely incomprehensible.  

So as you can see.  This is a VERY BIG WEEKEND!!

Favourite Christmas Carol

Naomi hasn't been feeling very well for the last few days.  She went to the doctor today and the official report is... laryngitis.  Treatment...no talking... for the next few days!

If you listen carefully you can probably hear me whistling a Christmas carol right now.  It goes something like this..."silent night, holy night, all is calm..." 

Just kidding.  Truth be told Naomi is much better at being sick than I am.  I don't get sick very often but when I do I'm a wimp.  Check out this video that is probably pretty close to the truth for our house... 

Remember

I was up early this morning for prayer, and now I'm back home sitting in the stillness of my home sipping an Americano from Starbucks and thinking about some of the freedoms that I enjoy.  I have never known anything but freedom so there is the very real possibility that I could overlook them, or take them for granted if I don't intentionally pause and remember.

Today is a great day to do that.  To remember that we are free because of the price others paid.

When I am away from home for just a couple of weeks my children miss me dearly.  I remember that there are children who said 'good-bye' to a parent as they went off to fight for our freedom and they didn't get to see them again.

I remember that I have the freedom to cast my vote and have a voice in who governs me, and how I am governed, because of the price that others paid.

I remember that I am free to gather with other followers of Jesus and declare my allegiance to Him because of the price that others paid.

I remember that I am free to do all kinds of mundane, tedious tasks around a house I own, in a community I chose to live in because of the price that others paid.

I remember that I am free to throw another log on the fire and stay warm & dry because others endured the wet and cold defending our freedom.

I remember that I am free to raise my children with optimism, and in peace, because of the price that others paid.

I remember that I can look at a government official, or law enforcement officer, without fear or anxiety that I will be taken advantage of because of the price others paid.

I could go on a long time listing the freedoms that I'm remembering but I won't take any more of your time with this post.  I am going to spend some more time remembering, and I hope you will do the same.  

Today is a day to remember and honour those who fought, and are fighting, for freedom.  Many are gone, while some are still on the battlefield.  Their lives, some long and others tragically too short, where spent ensuring our freedoms, and the freedoms of those who will come after them, and us.  

So today...I remember.

 

The club just got bigger

There are a couple of new bloggers in the blogging world, and they are right in my own house (I'm so proud!).

You can check out their sites right here:

 the real iLife (Emerson)

the blogger's daughter (Mercedes)

I'm interested to see how this will all turn out (and a little nervous about the family revelations that they may be inclined to share!)

Sunday night thoughts...

What a great day!  Kels did an amazing job leading in worship and today we talked about Holy Spirit baptism and simply looked at what the Bible had to say about it.  I think it is so sad that different aspects of faith have been allowed, or forced, to become 'denominationalized' over the years.   The amazing gift, and resource, of Holy Spirit is something that is intended to be for ALL believers (Acts 2:38,39) not just certain groups.

It was thrilling for me to see so many people respond at the end of our services, by simply coming forward to either receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or spend time just asking for more of Holy Spirit. I love the hunger that our family has for God and the readiness they have to respond to His Word.   

I really believe that God has called us to raise our priority level on the person and presence of Holy Spirit in our lives.  Whatever the level is that we prioritize Holy Spirit, God is calling us to raise it. 

As we look at responding to the call of God on our lives, I think we are being brought to the place Elisha was just before Elijah was taken to heaven.  Elisha realized the enormity of the task that lay before him and his request was for a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah.  This wasn't greediness, or self-promotion, on his part, just a humble recognition of his need for more of God to accomplish the call of God.

This is where God is leading us as a family and I'm so proud of how our family is responding.  I can't wait to see what lies ahead.

Sunday night thoughts...

What a great day!  Today we talked about Holy Spirit baptism and simply looked at what the Bible had to say about it.  I think it is so sad that different aspects of faith have been allowed, or forced, to become 'denominationalized' over the years.   The amazing gift, and resource, of Holy Spirit is something that is intended to be for ALL believers (Acts 2:38,39) not just certain groups.

It was thrilling for me to see so many people respond at the end of our services, by simply coming forward to either receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or spend time just asking for more of Holy Spirit. I love the hunger that our family has for God and the readiness they have to respond to His Word.   

I really believe that God has called us to raise our priority level on the person and presence of Holy Spirit in our lives.  Whatever the level is that we prioritize Holy Spirit, God is calling us to raise it. 

As we look at responding to the call of God on our lives, I think we are being brought to the place Elisha was just before Elijah was taken to heaven.  Elisha realized the enormity of the task that lay before him and his request was for a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah.  This wasn't greediness, or self-promotion, on his part, just a humble recognition of his need for more of God to accomplish the call of God.

This is where God is leading us as a family and I'm so proud of how our family is responding.  I can't wait to see what lies ahead.

Holy Spirit = Freedom (not fear and abuse)

2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom...".  

I read this troubling article about what is happening to children in Nigeria, all under the deceptive covering of Christianity, and I was impressed all the more for the great need for Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we can extend the life of Christ around the world.  What a tragedy that the enemy has been able to deceive them into being so fearful of his [enemy's] power even to the point that they consider it greater than that of Jesus'.

When I hear news about conflict in the Congo, abuse in Nigeria, and tragedy in Haiti, as well as the suffering and need that is in our own Nation, one verse continues to pop to the front of my mind.

Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves"

What a great responsibility we have to live full of Holy Spirit's power and allow the 'rivers of living water' (John 7:38) to flow from us into a parched and barren land.

Let's not live in fear, discouragement or defeat.  Let's walk forward in the overwhelming victory of Christ, in the fullness of Holy Spirit's power, and move towards the ever increasing reality of 'on earth as it is in heaven' (Matthew 6:10).