The luck of the draw?

How many times have you and I heard the statement, "I was so lucky:, or "I was in the right place at the right time", or "it was just the luck of the draw". Sounds like everything is just by chance. Well let me ask this question, "what about the hand of God or the leading of God?" I think God is concerned about the details of life, especially when it comes to issues of the heart that we deal with. The real Jesus is concerned about you and me.

We read in Luke 1:8-11, that Zechariah's division, his team of priests were on duty this particular day. Zechariah was also chosen that day by lot to go into the temple to burn the incense. At the very same time the worshipers were outside praying. So lets break this down to see if this was mere coincidence or part of God's plan.

As we saw earlier Elizabeth and Zechariah, this devoted couple were waiting on God for a miracle. Probably many of their friends had told them, "it is never going to happen. You are never going to have a child. You are too old, Give up!!!" Yet they continued to follow God, Why? Because God is worthy of our trust!!!

So this is a new day. What could possibly happen this day? It wasn't the first day that Zechariah had gone into the temple. Yet God had something special planned. Was it by chance that his division was on duty? Was it by chance that Zechariah was chosen that day to go inside? And what about those worshipers and prayers? What role did they play in the encounter that Zechariah was about to have?

I do not believe that Zechariah went into the temple that day expecting what happened. I do not believe that the people outside knew what was going to happen. I do not believe that Zechariah was chosen that day by accident. I believe God had a great plan. God had Zechariah in a place where it was just Him and Zechariah. God had Zechariah in a place where He could speak to him without anyone shouting. I believe God moved in response to the worship and prayer of the people. While they were praying, God was speaking. While they were worshiping God was moving.

Zechariah could have said, "you know what God, I am so tired of unanswered prayers. I am so tired of the routine and doing all these things for you. I quit. I am not going to keep praying and worshiping and sacrificing. Find somebody else." But he didn't and we know that their prayer was answered.

So, if you are ready to give up, pack it in and walk away. Don't!!! If you think that you need a little more luck and things will be ok, think again. We don't need more luck, we need more of God!!!

Sold my soul

I am reading a very interesting book,"I Sold My Soul On Ebay", it is written by an atheist gentleman, Hemant Mehta who put himself up for auction on ebay. The winning bidder could then have the opportunity to have Hemant attend church for one hour/$10 bid in the auction. In other words if the top bidder won for $500, Hemant would then have to attend churches of the winners choice for 50 hours.

Hemant spent his hours visiting evangelical churches and then shared how he viewed what was happening in many churches from his experience. It is a fascinating book. It is not an assault on Christianity, it makes us think of how we do church and how we reach out to those who do not share the same belief system as us.

Hemant makes a comment in the book that I have been thinking about. He is sitting in a service listening to a pastor talk about Thomas. The pastor talks about Thomas demanding proof from Jesus that he was alive. Jesus then shows Thomas the proof when He meets Thomas the next week. Now here is what Hemant says: "I had the impression that people looked down on Thomas for doubting Jesus. And yet, here he was asking for the same thing I was looking for:evidence. Thomas saw his evidence standing right in front of him. I kept thinking IF JESUS DID THAT TO ME NOW, I'M SURE I'D CHANGE MY MIND TOO."

People are looking for evidence. I am looking for evidence in things too. I was taught in school that Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492, or something like that. But how do they know it happened. Were my teachers there? It didn't look like any of my teachers were almost 500 years old. Yet there are documents that show this actually happened.

Go with me to Luke 1:1-4. Luke the good doctor writes an account for us in a letter sent to another man Theophilus. Luke says, "I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you." I choose to trust the word of someone who really investigated all the things about Jesus and His ministry. I choose to believe that a doctor, a trusted professional who only wants to share truth would not lie. I believe that the real Jesus is knowable.

So for me it is simple. Just like I choose to trust that Columbus did sail to North America in 1492, I choose to believe that the real Jesus will be revealed to me through the writings of the Word of God and specifically through the words penned in Luke.

I hope that together we can dig deeper into the Word of God and begin to know on a deeper level, "The Real Jesus"

Jesus on the radio

I enjoy listening to the radio. Especially when I am driving in my car. My preference is to listen to talk radio and listen to what other people have to say about certain topics. Today one of the topics discussed was ... "how long should a drunk driver who kills someone while driving impaired go to jail for?" There were certainly many opinions expressed, though I never called in to express my opinion.

I certainly do have opinions about things, many things. But what are my opinions based on? Opinions typically are based on personal experience.

My opinion of Jesus is based on a few things but two specifically. One is my experience and two is His Word. The amazing part is His Word and my experience are linked because of Jesus.

But what if I never had met and spent time with this real Jesus. My opinion of Him would only be based on my experience or listening to the experiences of others. I know that the late night talk shows take shots at Jesus and Christianity whenever they can. They along with many others mock Jesus because they do not know Him. They would think differently if they knew Jesus and not just about Him.

If you look with me to Luke 1:5-7 we read about Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were two devout people who followed the commands of God. They were righteous in God's eyes. They were not perfect but God saw them as righteous. God sees us differently than we see ourselves. God looks to our hearts and knows what is in our heart.

He knew the heart of this couple and that Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and that she was unable to have children. I am sure many days went by, many years went by with unanswered prayer. God knew that!!! I am sure God heard the many nights when Elizabeth cried her self to sleep. God heard!!! Their experience could have told them to give up and stop praying, but they also linked their lives with His Word.

We need to remember this. When we have prayer that seems to go unanswered, do not give up!!!!

It would be easier to listen to the popular opinion or the tabloids or the loud voices who say "There is no God", or mock Him, especially when our experience has been difficult.

But there is a God, a real God who does care. He does forgive. He does love.

Which voice are we listening to? God's voice, or popular opinion????

The real Jesus

Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking. I know that can be a good thing or a bad thing if we are focusing on positive or negative things. But this time it is good!!!

I hear many people, whether it be on television or the radio, listening to peoples conversations, or reading books that talk about this person, Jesus. I often have to shake me head in amazement and wonder, are you talking about the same Jesus that I know? Because many times it sure doesn't seem like they are.

Recently on a local radio station a "pastor/minister", I use that term loosely here, was asked the question: Who is Jesus? Seemed like a fair question to ask a person in ministry, but her response sent a cold chill through me. Her response was this: Jesus is not who we make him out to be. He was not some supernatural healer, he was not some great miracle worker. He was just a peasant boy who people made up great stories about and tried to make him into some person he is not. He is not anyone special, only what people have made him out to be.

I may not have the quote word for word but that was certainly the message she was sharing. My thought was how can you be a person who shepherds people and not tell them the truth about who Jesus is? I was greatly offended by her rhetoric.

A wonderful song is being played on the airways these days by an amazingly talented and God focused group called "Downhere". They have a song called "The Real Jesus". As I have listened to the words over and over it inspires me to really search out and share with others who "the real Jesus" is. So if you would like to join me as I pen this study over the next few weeks, please do.

I will be doing a study based on the book of Luke found in God's Word and interweaving the truth and questions generated by the Downhere song. I would love to have your feedback as well.

I know the real Jesus. He is my strength, He is my joy, He is my peace, He is my healer. He is my Lord and Savior!!!

Here is a link to the song and you can find it on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EwPcL1AXxE

Wedding Day

The flower girl, Taylor...notice the duck on her shoulder

The church

Tryon River across from the church

The guys, my son is the stretching tired looking one.

I guess I am getting old. Tomorrow will be the day when my son, Ryne, gets married. He is marrying a great girl named Emily, in P.E.I.

It is wonderful to have God answer our prayers. For a number of years we have been praying for our children that they would find Christian mates. So, thank you Lord for the blessing of a Christian daughter in law.

I thought I would share a few pics from the rehearsal time and of the church in scenic Tryon, PEI.

A clear message preached

This morning in church I had an opportunity to hear an amazing message from our 90 year old pastor of emeritus. In other words a retired preacher who speaks from time to time.

His message was simple: there are three guarantees in life. One, we are all going to die unless Christ comes back first. Two, we are all going to face a judgment based on what we did with Jesus Christ. Three, Christ is coming back and we need to be in a place of proper relationship with Christ if we are to spend eternity with Him.

It was so straight forward and he pulled no punches. His words were true: it doesn't matter how much you have done, if you sing in the choir, if you have been a member for years, if you give all your money. What matters is that you have asked Christ to forgive you for your sin. Isn't that the simplicity of God's Word.

He also stated that this message is not often heard, but one that needs to be spoken. I am so glad to hear this man of God preach an incredibly strong message of the Truth. Truth is what sets us free. No one who was in the service this morning could ever say they never knew the Truth.

What a blessing to hear the Word of God preached with boldness!!!

Video of a disaster community

Outside the newly reopened "Flying Wienie"

Inside the "Flying Wienie"

This short video clip will hopefully give you a glimpse into what a community looks like after it has been hit with a flood, or hurricane for instance.

I hope it helps to paint a picture of reality on the ground. What you don't get from this video are the smells and the sounds of disaster. I can tell you there is a unique and distinct smell. It is the smell of rot and decay.

It is still a very safe place to be. You just have to pay attention to your surroundings. Typically in a disaster, we as relief workers drive in and drive out of the disaster area each day.

It is great to see places get back up and running quickly in a disaster. One of the fun places in Cedar Rapids is "The Flying Wienie", a Chicago Hot Dog Restaurant with lots of local favorites to eat. The restaurant was closed for ten days from the flooding, but once it reopened it brought a little bit of life back to Cedar Rapids. It is so important to get businesses up and running as it provides people the opportunity to get back to work and provide for their families.

I hope this blog entry helps you understand more of why disaster relief is so, so important to do.

Physical toll in a disaster

I have shared my thoughts about disasters and now I want to focus on the physical toll it takes. This may be more than meets the eye, so these are just a few thoughts.

One area where it affects people is in their eating patterns. For some people they cant eat. For others they cant stop eating. It also affects their sleeping patterns as many people lay awake at night, unable to sleep because they are rehashing over and over in their minds what they could have done differently. They may also be thinking about all that they have lost or what it might take to rebuild.

Another physical challenge is in getting all of your furniture and carpets and belongings and clothing and... out to the curb so some truck can come by and take all you own away. Just to be able to carry all of your water soaked belongings outdoors, up and down flights of stairs, is alot to expect. Your neighbours can't really help you because they are going through the same problems.

Then the homeowner needs to strip out all of the sheetrock up to at least 2 feet above the water line. Once all the sheetrock and insulation is removed, then it is time to remove all the nails and screws and electrical boxes so that the studs are exposed. Once that is finished then it is time to spray all of the walls and floors in order to kill all the mold. Imagine how exhausting all of this must be for so many, especially for seniors and those who are faced with physical challenges.

On top of all this the homeowner must go from place to place to determine what they can or cannot do with their homes, meet with insurance agents, meet with engineers and others who determine whether or not you can rebuild. As you can tell this is overwhelming.

Many people need our help. The Good Samaritan story in the Bible tells us to get involved and make a difference. Will it cost us something? Yes!!! Is it worth it? Yes!!! Can you go? I do not know. Can you give? Yes you can!!!

Back home from the road trip

I am going to take a few moments to thank God for safety in traveling, his providence in our set up and his provision for the needs of those so desperate for help along the banks of the Mississippi.

I must say yesterday was a long and painful day, as most days can be when the travel is lengthy. There were many times I asked the Lord for His strength and healing to get me through the day. When I finally got in my hotel room last night, I could hardly move. It was so good to rest.

Sometimes in our spiritual life we can get that way too. We can get weary and we need His touch. Then we just need to rest in Him.

So to that end I am going to bed to get some rest. Tomorrow I will share another of my thoughts on disaster.

Emotional toll of a disaster

Sam, a homeowner in Cedar Rapids shared these words, "one minute I am sad, the next minute I am angry, the next minute I have hope, the next minute I can't think. I can't sleep at night and I have no energy. I just want to cry, but people tell me to suck it up and stop being so sad."

I have heard these thoughts expressed in different ways over and over. This is a crisis situation in the lives of people. It is so important just to let people talk. It is important to let people know that many of their emotions are normal. It is amazing to see the look on their face when they are reassured that they are not going crazy.

For some people they have the ability and strength to recover. For the sick and the elderly it is a much greater challenge. Can you imagine walking in to your home to find everything destroyed and then have to take load after load of all your possessions and add them to the pile of debris lined up along your street as far as you can see. Every time the homeowner takes another load to the curb another part of their life is thrown away.

As Christians in a disaster one of the greatest things we can do is listen. Go to these areas and ask questions and let people talk. Pray for people, it is a wonderful privilege and opportunity during a time like this.

We had the opportunity to pray for Sam on Thursday. When we met Sam again on Saturday she said, "I know God sent you to me. When you prayed for me on Thursday, I had tingles all over my body. God showed me that he cared."

Thanks God for His touch!!! He is the Healer!!!

What is a disaster?

A typical home in a disaster!!!

Over the next few days I am going to try and share a few things that make a disaster area. I am going to share some pictures to help people understand what makes a disaster area so difficult to live in and what people who live in these areas face on a daily basis.

My first real exposure to disaster and disaster relief was hurricane Katrina. I had been in challenging places and seen burned down houses, and water soaked houses and over flooded rivers that caused challenges but words cant describe what I saw there. Trees through the middle of houses, houses in the middle of streets, cars flipped upside down, and chaos as far as the eye could see.

I think one of the things that define a disaster relief area is the widespread destruction. It is not just a couple of houses on a block, or a house that gets flattened by a tree, but it is devastation that goes on for miles. Everyone for miles is effected. Everyone!!! No one is exempt. If you live in that area, you have a problem.

Here in Cedar Rapids, the problem was widespread flooding. Over 1300 city blocks were under water. Every house on every street had up to 15 feet of water in it. Every single thing a person owns is lost. Everything!!! No exceptions.

Your neighbour cant come to help you rebuild, or strip out your home, or carry debris to the curb either. Why? Because they have the very same problem. That is why people need help from those out side the disaster area.

I hope this helps to paint a bit of a picture of what a disaster is like. Stay tuned tomorrow as I expand on some other characteristics of a disaster. Maybe these pictures will help you to understand what every house looks like, and why there is such a need for assistance.

Buying a duck named Sparky

Another damaged home in Cedar Rapids, over 4,000 homes were flooded

When we met Sam and she shared her story of loss, she also shared her hope for the future. One of the things she desired was to move away from the river and up to a place of higher ground. If she could do that she would like to live in the country and have a horse and a duck pond. In the duckpond she wanted to have a duck and name him Sparky.

So I had a thought. Why not go and buy her a duck. Not a real duck, that might be hard to find. But a plastic duck that could be something to remind her of us and what she shared with us. Maybe a funny reminder of hope. The duck was purchased and will be delivered today.

Sometimes in ministry we need to be creative. I must confess I have never done duck ministry before but I am looking forward to giving "Sparky" to Sam. I hope it brings some levity to her and shows her that we care and God does as well.

We are going to help Sam by taking lots of pictures for her so she can prove her damage to her insurance company and FEMA if necessary. We are also going to help her sort through some of her belongings to see if we might be able to salvage a few things of importance.

It may seem like small things to do, maybe insignificant but I believe it can make a difference.

Do you know anybody that needs a "duck"? Maybe you can make a difference in their life too.

God's Providential leading

I love it when the Hand of God leads us to where He desires for us to be. Today was another one of those spectacular days to see God at work. Actually the story starts back about 7 weeks before.

A very bad flood came to my hometown of Fredericton, NB. When the flood came an organization came to offer flood relief, the SP team. Along with SP team came another group called the Rapid Response Team, who serve as chaplains in crisis situations. I had the privilege of being able to work with both and also to be accepted as a chaplain with the RR Team.

Now I find myself in the midwest, doing disaster relief set up. After making a phone call I found out that the SP team is set up here also just an hour from where we are staying. The RR Team is also on their way here next week too. So I now have instant rapport with them in order to partner with them.

Yesterday we spent the day in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The devastation is immense. It brought back memories for me of the Gulf Coast and Katrina. It is not near as bad, but make no mistake it is terrible. The streets are lined with debris and the smell of devastation is in the air.

House is laying upside down on the road with the Cedar river behind it.

We drove down one street close to the river and for some reason(I would say God's leading) we moved off that street to one that was a block further away from the river as we drove down this street we saw even more tragedy.

In front of one of the houses was an older lady, working through the debris left in front of her home. We stopped and talked with Sam. Sam is suffering from the crisis. As we were sharing with Sam she said this, "Today I was feeling all alone and I asked God to send me someone to help me and talk to me today." Well here we were lead by God to talk to Sam and talk and pray with her. God is good!!!

Sam is in the middle, as we shared with her.

Incredible week of ministry

I just wanted to send you a ministry update from our week with the team from North Carolina. To sum up the past week in one word is impossible but I will use the word incredible.
I saw the Lord do some incredible things in the lives of the team that came as well as the native children that attended VBS.

Our first day started out slow with only 12 kids attending. That was pretty low for a group of 26 if it was a normal VBS. But with native kids it was all they could handle. I had prepped the team the night before for what they might have to endure on Day 1, including that they could expect to be punched, kicked, bit, called names, not listened to and sworn at. I also told them the kids would want to be one person’s friend and would become jealous if that were not the case. I challenged them to love the kids unconditionally, and told them that after the first day things would change if they would just love the kids, as it was a test to see if they would love them after seeing their very worst.

Day 2 came - what a change! We also had 17 kids. The kids were kind, respectful,caring and became friends with the North Carolinans. We had one of the older kids at VBS give her heart to Christ that morning. It was very genuine as the tears streamed down her face as she accepted Christ into her life. Also that morning a teen from the reserve I have been working at gave her heart to Christ. I had invited her and her sister to VBS so that they could hear the gospel from a foundational perspective. I wanted them to hear the basics again. That morning Shania accepted Christ into her life. There were no tears involved this time. Shania shared that she had been unable to cry for a long time. She began to share some of her deep hurts that prevented her from crying. We told her we would pray that before the week was over the tears would come.

One of the toughest kids that came to VBS was Izzy. Izzy is 12 and comes from a very tough family situation. She does not let people get close to her. Izzy was our biggest trouble maker on day 1. She refused to listen and tried to intimidate some of the other kids. On day 2 we saw Izzy begin to have a softened heart. She really connected with a girl named Holly from North Carolina. Izzy listened the second day which was incredible in itself.

Day 3 of VBS saw our numbers go up to 28 kids. One of the older boys gave his heart to Christ. He was the brother of the girl that gave her heart to Christ the day before. He had really connected with a girl named Lauren from the group. She had the privilege of leading Devin to Christ.

The afternoon of day 3 was incredible as well. One of the leaders, Anne, of the NC team had been spending quality time with Shania and her sister Mariah. She told Shania and Mariah how beautiful the girls were and how much she loved them and God loved them. Then the miracle happened as the tears began to flow down Shania’s cheeks. Anne came and got me and there standing before me was a young lady whom the Lord had set free. She said she couldn't believe that God would allow her to cry. Powerful.

Day 4 came and this was our last day of VBS. This day we had 35 kids. God was continuing to move. He was especially speaking to Izzy, and halfway through the morning Izzy asked Holly to get pastor Jim. They came and got me as well. Izzy wanted to pray and accept Christ into her life.
In the sanctuary of our church with Jim, Holly, her best friend Kala and myself gathered around her, Izzy gave her life to Christ. It was beautiful.

We then drove all of the kids back to the reserve in the bus, along with many from NC. There were very few dry eyes on the bus. One of the most powerful images I have is of Izzy, with her head pressed into Holly's shoulder and both of them weeping and embracing each other. Izzy told Holly that she had never felt loved before this week. Incredible. This team truly loved the kids they met in a way I have rarely seen before. They went out and bought new shoes for every kid that attended VBS. They went the extra mile for so many of the children. They were broken for the things they saw: abuse, poverty,lack of food, and lack of love – things these kids experience everyday.

I know we shouldn't compare ministry weeksbut I believe that this was the most impacting week of ministry I have been a part of with COI for a very long time. Incredible!!!!”

Update from camp

Well First Nations youth camp has come to a close and what a week it was. There were 30 teenagers at camp and it was such a blessing to get to know many of them and be reminded of the many challenges they face on a daily basis.
I had the privilege of being the speaker for the evening chapel services. The first night I spoke on risk from the story of Zaccheaus. The second night I spoke on the parable of the prodigal son with a focus on the heart of the father. The third night I spoke on the making of a mighty warrior and the story of Gideon from Judges 6. The final night I spoke on the battle being won by God through His servant Gideon.
One of the most special things for me personally was the new vision God gave me for the First Nation communities. I met teens from a number of new reserves and heard from them. I was moved in my spirit to get more involved in making a difference. I also got to spend some quality time with the new director of the camp and we have many of the same passions and views of ministry.
Lord willing in September Kevin, the new director, and I will be visiting all of the reserves that came to camp and planning some youth events for these teens. We also hope to be able to have a native youth rally to bring these teens and their friends back together again.
There is so much more I could say about this week but I wont take the time here. God was with us, we saw God move in the lives of many teens and wonderful new relationships were built. It was one of the most rewarding weeks I have had in ministry.
This coming week I have a mission team in from North Carolina. Their main focus is on doing a VBS program for children from two of our local reserves. There are still some logistics to finalize and I would appreciate your prayers.