Niagara 2007

I had the faith of a mustard seed, that by the end of the year, somehow we would have the funds for Joshua Revolution's Niagara 2007. The theme is the Exodus.

Even as the time grew short and there was no funds, then this month, God provided them! All the expenses are paid, and there is even a stipend for meals!

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
Psalm 27:13

God is good, we just have to have the patience to wait. He is never early and He is never late.

I was talking with our pastor's wife, who has two daughters going to JR2007, first time. She is just excited about what God is about to do, as we are. I told her about JR2005, when God gave us a vision to "move the river". He isn't done moving the river, but it has started to turn! God's getting 7 more student stones ready for work.

If I have a chance I'll post during the conference. Its a packed schedule from breakfast to late night.

Presents

This has been a strange Christmas so far. We have no presents under the tree! We haven't put them there, because our niece would probably open them ahead of time. They are tucked away all over the house. This year has had some tough times, and here just days before Christmas, there's nothing that I really want. The gifts we do have, actually for everyone else! There just isn't any for me?!!?

The short version of the explanation is that between available funds for presents and the time and energy to get the presents, my wife just hasn't been able to do it.

Now we are a few days away and I can't really think of anything I want for Christmas. There are lots of things that would be nice, or maybe things that we would like, or need. Tools? I'll just go buy them anyway. Clothes? Don't need them. Elaine feels the same way, there's nothing that we just gotta have or really want to add to our collection of stuff. Got a few extra dollars, I'm stashing it away for later.

It is kind of refreshing, really teaches the virtue of giving: thoughful gifts don't have to be expensive. They can be relatively inexpensive, if thought and love are put into them.

Christmas Blindness

To have been the proverbial fly on the wall when Herod called for the religious leaders, to inquire about a baby king. They probably went knee-knocking and praying. They knew all about the prophecies and when they would be fulfilled, just like the Magi.

They probably wanted to send others, out of fear of Herod. They went, they acted like it was nothing, an ancient prophecy, but no one that could threaten Herod. They were so entrenched in the political scheme, they were blind to God moving.

I wonder, did they believe the prophecies, or did they not care, were they entrenched in the politics of the day, or were they too afraid of losing their necks to believe. Either way it amounted to unbelief. They didn't want to travel the 12 miles to Bethlehem, where they could have easily gone on temple business (that's where the lambs were raised for sacrifice).

I must confess, spiritual blindness from time to time. I have truly enjoyed being freed up from weekly grind of ministry. I didn't enjoy it when we were placed in sabbatical. It has been good to have a break. I have had my spirit refreshed and now looking forward to what God has started new.

Christmas

Christmas is a wonder season. The snow covers all the dirt and grime of life. All the sharp edges are rounded under the drifts. People are a little more pleasant to each other, unless there's only one Wii and they both want it off the shelf!

Christmas is also the seasons of gifts. We give gifts to each other, we can give our last gifts to God for the year end write off, but more importantly, we celebrate the greatest gift ever given. God, the creator of the universe, the sustainer of the universe, the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God became flesh, as a baby to save the world.

The religious leaders: shunned Him from birth.
His birth in fact: illegitimate.
His first cradle: a wooden box with straw.
His first visitors: shepherds, for He is the Good Shepherd.
His first dignitaries: Magi from across the desert who believed in zodiacs and false gods.
His first hometown: The bread basket of Israel, for he is the Bread of Life.
His father: fades from history after he turns 12.
His mother: She labored in that stable, far from home, and gave the world a Son, who is called Emmanuel. She must have held Him close and kissed His face, and couldn't clearly perceive that she was holding God in the form of a baby.

God came down to our level, so that we could see Him, hear Him, touch Him, and most important of all, that He could change our lives in a supranatural way, because God is beyond all nature that surrounds us.

Valueless or Priceless

Working in the housing industry, its fun to watch some of HGTV's shows like "House Hunters." Recently they had on a couple who were looking for a house in New York City. They were willing to ink a mortgage for $200,000 but not a marriage license. This is common in our day. There is a lot of political muscle behind living together. It is true that getting a divorce is easy, but there is commitment deeper than piece of paper.

That got Elaine thinking:

• Marriage is like owning a Rembrandt original. It's beautiful and is priceless. It anchors the decor of the entire room and shows that the owners have taste and class. It is priceless because it can never be replaced.
  
• Living together is taking that Rembrandt original in to an antique dealer offers you a trade for a print of the original, it looks the same, even has the same frame, sits smartly in the decor of the room, but it is valueless.
  

Elaine and I have a beautiful framed marriage certificate, that was sent to us from the town we applied in. It is very nice, we framed it and it hangs above the fireplace in the living room. What can we do as a church to promote this? I did a quick search and found that few places offer a marriage certificate that looks nice enough to frame, unless it's a wedding chapel. Christian Book Distributors does have them!

What a great gift from the church to a newly married couple, a framed wedding certificate for their living room. They can display it proudly and quietly tell the world, we're in this for life.

Isn't that priceless?

Potatoes

Potatoes are like youth ministry (ministry in general too), you never know what you've got until after they've grown.

We grow potatoes every year, usually we chop up some sorry white potatoes from the bottom of the potato urn, those, greenish, soft, eyed, and sprouted mess that comes from leaving the potatoes in the dark too long. Chop them into sections, and throw them just under the soil in the garden. Wait until fall, and dig them up. The potatoes will be all around the potato patch.
You never know how many potatoes you'll have until you dig them up. This year we had six plants, from potato sections. They died off, fairly early in the summer, and I figured they wouldn't do much, but to my surprise, I was an hour digging them out. I found that piece of pottery in the upper left corner of the basket. My yard grows pottery fairly well.

Surprise, Surprise.

Even when it doesn't seem like you are making a difference in ministry. Hang in there, the potatoes aren't ready to be dug up.