Catch the irony.  Moments after a miraculous encounter with God, Moses  says “Who am I?”  God reverses it saying “I Am Who…”

God’s response to our sense of inadequacy is always to turn our thinking from who we think we are to who God really is and how He will be there for us. Check out Exodus chapter 3. After catching Moses’ attention with a sign and wonder  (the burning bush which was not consumed) the Lord states clearly to Moses that He has heard the prayers of His people and cares about their suffering. On that basis the Lord himself directs Moses to change the situation by appointing him the liberator of a nation. Moses can barely comprehend the words he is hearing let alone get his head around how he could succeed in such an impossible task.  His response focuses upon his own inadequacy “Who am I?” He makes the classic  mistake of thinking that God’s command is dependent upon our talents and resources.

Even though everything  Moses had experienced for decades: growing up in Pharaoh’s house, learning the ways of the desert etc., had all been preparation for his eventual rise to leadership, Moses was still suffering from the “Who am I?” lie.

To the casual reader,  the Lord’s response might seem vague or confusing. But in saying  “I Am who I Am” the Lord is taking Moses’ words and using them to make an indelible correction to his thinking:  It’s not who you think you are Moses -  it’s who I truly am that will make this work!

Whenever we recoil at the thought of how large a call may be upon our life, or how impossibly difficult a task may be we are in danger of missing the point.  Whenever we respond to a prompting of the Spirit with a version of “who am I to be doing that?!” if we listen closely we will hear the Spirit speak the Father’s words “you can do anything I say because of who I AM.”  

Not until God intervened in a profound and miraculous way did Moses have his inner belief system re-wired to come into alignment with God’s perspective on his life and call.

You and I may never get a burning bush, but we do have some advantages over Moses.  We have the WORD of God and his indwelling Spirit.  Lord come and burn away the unbelief so that we can see you for who you truly are!

destiny · god · identity · Moses · perspective

Back in Bangladesh, land of fat cows & skinny people.  I am currently in a very rural setting meeting. Some of the folks in this conference where I am teaching have NEVER SEEN an airplane or a train in their lives – and will likely never ride in a car. Hard to imagine. These are some of the poorest most isolated people in the world, yet they love Jesus and are hungry to learn more as we arduously plough our way through some basic Bible teaching. I look outside and see a world almost identical in scenery and lifestyle to the one in which the Gospel narratives occurred.  Village after village, huts with mud walls, wood-burning stoves fashioned from the clay earth, beggars at the side of the road.  Remove the cell phones and occasional farm machinery and you could be back 2,000 years!

Inside we DO go back 2,000 years in order to act out a scene from Luke 11 of the man asking for bread from his neighbour at midnight.  Read it here. I bang on the metal door to our meeting room over and over.  The look in their eyes tells me that they now understand that God is happy when they boldly come to him with their needs. And their needs are great. No health care or social services are to be found in the villages where they live. They need the kind of Jesus we read about in the Gospels – one who is present and performs miracles.

Stories come forth which prove the power of God is real.

We all pray and the peace of God is present. We hand out gifts to everyone.  Toiletry bags.  Which become a source of much laughter as they cannot figure out what half of the items inside the bags are. I laugh too when I realize that each one contains, among many other things, a plastic shoehorn… in the land of bare feet and sandals!  Finally at lunch I am amazed at how these smallish people (average height  is five foot five inches) can eat rice piled 6 inches high on their plate 3 times a day and still be so slender!  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they have to walk way more than any westerner does.  The three day conference ends, and we overuse two or three  words from our extremely limited vocabulary in each others language trying to send a message that we love each other and hope to see one another again.

This was a good day.

2000 · Bangladesh · god · Jesus · lifestyle · lives · meeting · midnight · ministry · rural · villages · years

If Martin Luther King said, “I have a nightmare” who would have followed him?  Find the positive alternative ahead and focus on that.  This has been a year of much bad news, no need to list it all. But the fact is that regardless of what has gone down around you and in your life to date, there is always a POSITIVE alternative in your future. Obedience to the revealed will of God in your life will open doors to new understanding and new opportunity.  So take time this season to listen to the still small voice of the Father in Heaven. You might hear him say to you “I have a dream (for your life)”
May His dreams for you come true in 2012.

2012 · alternative · dream · dreams · god · heaven · life · martin luther · nightmare · obedience · revealed · understanding · voice

The enemy uses lies to convince us that the problems we face are greater than the solutions within us. If you have the Spirit of God you ALWAYS are carrying a solution greater than your problem.

You will never see a situation in the Bible where God says to Michael the Archangel “Oh My Goodness (pun intended) I never thought of that.  What are we going to do now?” Nor has the Father ever felt that way during ANY situation that you have encountered. HE ALWAYS has a plan!  And He never has a plan without providing the power to execute the plan.

In the movie Bruce Almighty, there is an amazing scene where Jim Carrey enters God’s warehouse and his life is revealed in an enormous file cabinet drawer that knocks him across the room because the drawer keeps opening further and further to reveal a never ending array of file folders. Although not theologically precise, the scene dramatizes a compelling truth. I like to picture it this way: Your Heavenly Father (not Morgan Freeman) has a file cabinet in heaven’s warehouse with your name on it. One of the drawers is labeled – Romans 8:28 – and subtitled “alternative routes to My perfect will.”

In this drawer are COUNTLESS file folders detailing on how you can succeed in every possible combination of circumstances. These possibilities include sickness & health, poverty & wealth, wise choices and dumb mistakes, not to mention the successes and failures of everyone within your circle of touch. No matter Who or WHAT has impacted you to this point, there is a PLAN available for you to chart a course towards God’s will and your destiny. And the power to execute that plan lies WITHIN you.

You DO have the power – power to understand, power to see the invisible, power to overcome, power to speak to obstinate circumstances and change them. If that appears to fail then you have the power to endure and you cannot be beaten by delay. When faced with obstacles sometimes the plan springs out the cabinet drawer and lands on our lap while other times it seems like we are painstakingly searching the drawer, reading the tab on every file until the ‘Aha’ moment arrives. On occasion it requires great humility and perseverance – even repentance. But it IS there. So is the power…

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to His power that is at work within us , to HIM be glory …” Ephesians 3:20. Next time the problems are being magnified in your mind and heart, step back, and you will see that it is the enemy who is holding that magnifying glass. Step aside and use the telescopic lens of the Spirit. His lens will lead you straight to the Romans 8:28 drawer. Revelation, wisdom and power awaits you!

cabinet · enemy · filing · god · God's will · heaven · heavenly father · plan · power · problems · solution · will

Sitting on my deck watching a sprinkler pour clean drinking water on my lawn, I realized how ironic it is that I should be working so hard to get fresh water into a few villages in Bangladesh while at the same time living within one kilometer of 21% of the world’s accessible fresh surface water – i.e. The Great Lakes. In our town water is so accessible and cheap that we NEVER have a water use advisory. In 36 degree heat I can water my lawn all day if I wish. And no one has even bothered to separate the drinking water from that which we use for industry, home maintenance and sanitation. My toilet tank flushes gallons of drinking water a day into the sewer while my friends in third world countries desperately try to rehabilitate polluted water enough to risk a drink.

In a few days I will be walking among some of the world’s poorest folks whose only accessible water are a few ponds stagnating in the hot sun. After several months these ponds cook into a dangerous bacterial soup. Families often have to work for hours in the morning (fetching fetid water then cutting wood to boil it) just to get a reasonable facsimile of what I casually spray onto my lawn with the twist of a tap.

Even after boiling, the water often contains Arsenic which through prolonged exposure produces ‘leprosy like’ symptoms. That’s why I will be back in Bangladesh next week getting a deep tube well project going. That’s why in the past year I helped connect ERDO with my friends in Bangladesh. ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) funded the creation of 50 deep tube wells there in 2010.

If you are old enough you may remember Phil Collins’ song “Oooh, think twice – just another day in paradise” The lyrics to that song come to mind every time I walk through a Bangladeshi village. When I return to my own house in Canada, I immediately head for the kitchen, stick my head in the sink and drink straight from the faucet – just to remind myself how blessed I really am.

Final thought – by bringing clean water to Muslim villages it is amazing how interested they become in what I have to say about my faith(wink). Hmmm… now that I think about it, I seem to recall that Jesus met a woman at a well once and the results of that encounter were pretty good…

Water Wells in Bangledesh

clean · drinking · help · poor · water · wells

Evangelist David Wilkerson played a significant role in my conversion. As a teenager in the 1970’s I was doing drugs and getting into more trouble than anyone in my family realized.

At that time one of the staff members from the Toronto branch of Wilkerson’s organization Teen Challenge, who lived around the corner from my house, began to witness to me. This man had experienced great tragedy in his life. First, he had a powerful ‘born again’ experience.  Then, he had been further transformed by the Holy Spirit after coming in contact with Maury Blair and the staff at Toronto Teen Challenge. His life was literally on fire for Jesus.  One of the results was that he began to pray earnestly for me and seek any opportunity to share his faith with me and other teens in the neighborhood.

I had to pass his house on my way to and from school.   One day as he saw me go by he opened the door walked right up to me and offered me a copy of  ’Run Baby Run’ the famous story of Nicky Cruz; the New York Gang leader who was converted through Wilkerson’s street ministry (later this story was made into a movie).

That book and the fact that this man took such a genuine interest in me were pivotal events in my ‘pre-christian’ life.  They sparked in me a curiosity that led to spiritual hunger and then to my own conversion a few months later.

I heard David Wilkerson in person twice in the 1980’s. I still remember what he preached. In later years I didn’t always agree with everything he taught, however, how he lived always challenged me. Nothing will change the fact that the fire of God burning in his soul until the moment he was ‘promoted to Glory’ also caught fire in other’s souls who then introduced me to authentic ‘on fire’ Christianity. Even though his earthly life has ended some of the spiritual ‘fires’ he started continue to burn in the lives of others. I have recently ministered at the Teen Challenge Farm in Ontario and have seen how Wilkerson’s vision is still being used by God to transform the lives of broken men.

There’s something about being ‘on fire’ that creates a version of Christianity which is transferrable. Once you ‘catch the fire’ of the Holy Spirit, you are able to effectively pass it to others who then can burn brightly themselves. “Father no matter what I accomplish through my own efforts, it will all stop at the end of my life unless I pass along that passion to others. Spirit breathe on me today – stoke the embers in my soul, add new fuel so that others who come near will catch YOUR Holy Fire”

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Peace is the first gift of the resurrection. The night before He died Jesus promised PEACE  to his disciples. (John 14:27)  The day he arose from the dead he greeted them with the words – ‘Peace be with you’ (Luke 24:36).

However, the fact is that peace is one of the rarest commodities found in the human heart. In our culture, a  combination of  ambition, comparison, boredom and sense of entitlement have  conspired to assassinate what is perhaps the most important gift people can receive from God – a heart at rest.  

Because of the resurrection, we have the right to live with an unshakable confidence that whatever struggle we are facing, whatever unmet goals, personal weakness or frustration we are walking through at this moment, the Heavenly Father will provide, guide, lead and feed. 

Humanity’s failure in this pursuit is tacitly admitted in the cliché used for tombstones ‘May he rest in peace’ – i.e. only in death can we rest from all our struggles!

Why can we not find this while we live?

The writer of the book of Hebrews warns all Christians that the Jews who wandered through the wilderness after the days of Moses and Joshua, failed to find the gift of rest because of their disobedience.  Hebrews 4:9-11  reveals a great irony – that we must ‘strive’ to enter a state of rest!  It takes discipline.  Our minds are constantly barraged  by a ridiculous rate of stimulation from media and culture.   During Jesus’ earthly life, Mary knew where to find her peace while Martha succumbed to the tyranny of the urgent. Today, it is still possible. We can learn to limit the flow of useless information, (especially the amount and content of social media) and find that place at Jesus’ feet where our mind and heart  is put at rest.

This gift of peace is more than just a welcome feeling. It is an absolute pre-requisite for winning spiritual victories. In his book, The Three battlegrounds, Francis Frangipane  says  that we must experience   ‘Rest before rule,  peace before power’.

From a heart of peace flow the gifts of the Spirit,  the wisdom of God and the power to resist temptation. Peace is the fruit of faith, giving us the ability to have joy in suffering (Romans 5:1-5)  Jesus died to give us peace.  To receive it is to honor his sacrifice. Peace be with you.

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Crouched in the back of a 3 wheel motorized rickshaw sharing the impossibly narrow road with cars, buses, trucks animals and bicycles going BOTH ways provides a slice of life you just can’t find in Canada. Watching people eating out of dumpsters, or trying to boil a bit of putrid water in a cup on the road tends to slap my sense of entitlement in the side of the head. I have learned to recognize the imposters among the many beggars and to reject their well rehearsed pleas for a few Taka.

In two weeks we traveled the country by train, plane automobile, bus, rickshaw and of course on foot. I toured a village where people have died from arsenic in the water, assisted in the baptism of 45 new believers, visited construction sites for new training Centers, met with Christians, Muslims and Hindus, conducted 3 pastors conferences and watched the amazing transformation of certain leaders who had an Acts 2 experience right before my eyes.  The conferences contained testimonies that matched Joel 2:28-32 and Luke chapter 10. (More details will be available soon through requesting a secure log-in to our missions page). Water well projects were celebrated and more were planned. For the most part I was treated like a celebrity just because I showed up. In fact one village told us that we were the first white people they ever remember visiting them – and with the effort it took to get there - it was no surprise to me.

When the blood red morning sun rises over the endless green rice paddies you can almost call this land ‘pretty’. But the real beauty is working and walking with some of the most humble and dedicated you can find anywhere on the planet. We learned about life from each other, prayed ‘Thy Kingdom Come!” and watched as it did come in unmistakable power and love.

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Ouch.  Middle age just bit me.  If you are under 40 and reading this blog  BEWARE one day it will come and try to take you captive; with its dinner parties,  upscale vacations, and insidious desire to ‘back off’ from a sacrificial lifestyle.

Over Christmas I attended a party where I met a former friend I hadn’t seen in 15 years. Like me, he is now in his 50s.   I found myself disinterested after 5 minutes. Why? Well, after the typical ‘catching up’ conversation, such as the current ages and situations of our children, the only other thing this person had to talk about was his retirement.  Look, I am honestly glad for people who have financially positioned themselves that they can quit their day job before sixty years old.  Good on them.  But too many people my age seem to retire their passion with their job. They have long ago parked their world-changing dreams somewhere between the first youth mission trip and the second house purchase.  Oh there’s still enthusiasm in their souls.  The energy is evident when they talk about their latest vacation or vehicle, but where is the passion to change the world!?

Look at the Old Testament Bible Stories and you will rarely find a hero that is middle aged.  Most of those who are changing their world are either quite young or old … Am I unfairly judging? I think not. You will always talk about the thing(s) you are passionate about.  Here’s the deal.  There are very few middle aged people I know who bring up the subject of their walk with God or the latest experience they have had with the power of the Spirit.

I have begun to insert the subject into conversations.  After a few niceties, I like to ask ‘How are you doing spiritually?’ or ‘What has God been saying to you lately?’   Fortunately I have found a few guys my age who will ask this question even before I do. And not coincidentally, they believe that people like us can actually make a dent in the evil that pervades this world.  Three of them are coming with me to Bangladesh in Feb 2011.  One is a former dairy farmer who sold his business so he can travel and do stuff for God.  He’ll be helping me minister to 500 Christian leaders who lead growing churches with almost no formal training.

I am done with middle aged mediocrity – or any other kind of mediocrity for that matter. 

Lord light the Fire again!

change the world · difference · dreams · light the fire · middle age · passion · world-changing

A man I know in full time ministry is well past the age of 60 years old and still engaging in the same ministry to young adults that he was 25 years ago.  When asked why he doesn’t give it up, he said something to the effect “I’m still running the race and I don’t see anyone coming up behind me.”