Deuteronomy 4 - What My Eyes Have Seen

Several things stuck out to me in the 4th chapter of the awesome book of Deuteronomy and really resonated truth in me, as I was even able to see in my life how God's character has revealed itself, that unchanging character that has reigned for all of time, both thousands of years ago and today.

First: "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? ... Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children..." (v. 7, 9)

Is God so close to me whenever I call upon him? Maybe he was close to Israel, or Moses, but to think that he is similarly close to me is something else entirely.

No, James. Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you.


Wow! Okay, then, now where am I? Well let's take a moment to look back at my life, lest I forget the things that my eyes have seen, and lest they depart from my heart. I have not seen a sea part, water come from a rock, or food raining down from heaven, but I have been delivered into a safe childhood, loving family, lasting friends, and an unshakable faith in God.

I haven't seen a burning bush, but I have heard and felt a distinct calling to both deliver people and to bring peace into their lives. I've seen supernatural, physical healing where some other force penetrated this world and worked joints and muscles into their proper place.

I never saw a mountain shake and tremble with fear, but I have felt a distinctly loving and powerful person tickle me deep inside my flesh, leaving me with no other option but to laugh! Laugh and shake my head, wondering what I did to deserve God's attention.

And time would fail for me to mention that he is a jealous God, and how he has demonstrated that to me, or even the deep and mystical word, covenant, which he has promised to never forget, because of his mercy.

Please read Deuteronomy 4 and let God show you what he has done for you, and how his heart is jealous for you, for your attention and devotion. He is a consuming fire, so whatever you give him he will take. You may lose something precious, like a falsity you have clung to, but it will be worth it, I promise. Above anything I have experienced in my short life so far, I have felt fulfillment, joy, and peace. And those don't rust or become obsolete.

Rollin' Along

Here we are in Penang, Malaysia! After lots and lots of travelling, we arrived on this island of food perfection. Seriously, it's awesome. There's a small shop a stone's throw away and I've systematically worked my way down the list of fried rice meals. I'm taking them two at a time (still under budget!) and have had the privilege of trying Kam Heong, Baracava, and Satay dishes... all of which I would not have tried normally, and so would not have found tastes unimaginably good! I'm at 12 and 13 next, and if I make it to the end of the list, number 16 is Ham with Raisin Fried Rice!

Besides food, we've done a bit of ministry. It feels disjointed because we left right after we got here for a few days. Anyway, we did a short Christmas skit at an orphanage's Christmas party. The theme was God as a good Father who loves his children, and you can be his children! (You see, orphans don't have fathers). We visited that same group the next day at their home and played with them for hours! I performed countless rocketships, played tag, did more rocketships, played hide and seek, and rested to let the sweating slow down a bit.

Rocketships!

As a staff member of this 13-person team, I find lots of joy through comments like, "I can't believe we're in Asia!" "It's amazing to be here," and "I've never done that before." I get to encourage people to step out, to take responsibility and make something happen, while being challenged to be willing to do the things I'm asking, like approaching taxi drivers for a survey about HIV/AIDS, or praying for the injured and sick at the hospital. (A woman's arm was healed before us!)

We've seen lots of fruit so far, including a man being undeniably led to Christ. God is meeting those expectations I believed in while in the comfort of Vancouver.

Outreach has lots of its own little things you don't experience otherwise. Besides the vast variety of food, there's the unpredictable "sidewalks," the 6-ft. monitor lizard in the sewer beneath, and comments such as, "Can we take a picture with you? We do not see giant men like you."

Fire-breathing dragon

This is my favorite outreach so far, since God has equipped me more thoroughly, and I am more wise to do the things that bring life and sustain me, like reading, writing, praying, journaling, and spending time in my nothing box. :-)

In a week we head north to Thailand for two months!

Away We Go! But not before a quick story...

It's time to leave this hemisphere! From this Western one to the Eastern one, where lots of things are different!

Blogs often seem to be about lessons learned from failures, or making the best of something after you've messed it up. I want to tell a quick story where I can humbly say I did the right thing, without messing up. If it's not interesting or dramatic, I'm sorry.

Just a few weeks ago I needed about 3500 dollars for a 3-month outreach. I had enough to pay my November rent and then be down to about 200 (which I was hoping to keep in savings). I had a choice; I could either worry and bite my nails until God provided it all, and then have joy and peace and celebrate. Or, I could have joy and peace and celebrate until God provided all the finances, and then have joy and peace and celebrate after he provided the finances... This time, I chose wisely.

So, I sent out my support e-mail and blog and said something like, "I am sure God will provide the funds. If you want to be involved in this and claim ownership in what God's doing through us, you can pray or donate money.
:-)"

So this is the part of the story where I somehow lost faith in the ensuing weeks, but God still provided. However, amazingly, I didn't! No plot twist here; I stuck to the plan and didn't worry. I honestly had peace and, when praying for finances, didn't pray with desperation or beg with doubt.

I am so grateful and inexpressibly humbled by the generosity of my family and friends! People gave out of their hearts, out of their little; you saw a need in the Kingdom and acted. I don't really know how it happened. There was almost no activity with the amount that I still needed until, all at once, 700 dollars here, 300 there, a steady flow of 50, 65, 90, 100 dollars started pouring in! And now, I virtually need nothing! I have maybe 200 that I still need in a month or two, but my regular support should cover that just fine. So I'm good to go!

God, family, and friends: thank you! God provided for this trip - it's meant to be. My expectations of God in the last few weeks were met; my expectations of miracles, of power, and transformation in the next 12 weeks be met in a whole new, surprising and life-giving way, but with the same "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Intimacy

I want intimacy with someone. Someone to hold hands with, hug often, sit next to, talk to about little things, think about during the day, and have inside jokes with. I don't have that person, and it's frustrating just once in a while...

"James. I live inside you! I listen to everything you say. I know what you think about. In fact, I will be involved in your daily life as much as you want me to be. Eat my flesh and drink my blood."

How's that for intimacy?

...

This song has changed me. (Thanks sis)

Outreach to Thailand and Malaysia!

Outreach!!!

I'm so excited to say that I'm on a team of 13 going to Thailand and Malaysia on a mission trip for a total of three months! We leave December 5th, will spend one month in Penang, Malaysia, and then two months in Thailand (in Pattaya and Nangbualumphu).

As far as Penang, Malaysia, the details aren't totally worked out, but it will probably include spending time at a homeless drop-in shelter, a 24-hour prayer center, and helping people who have a ministry with the prostitutes there.

As far as Thailand, God spoke to us about children, so we're working at a children's center in Pattaya (central/southern Thailand). We're going to use our musical talents to spread the gospel as well.

As staff of the mission trip, one of our goals is to set up many opportunities for the students to share their faith and to spread the gospel through works of love. Our team represents the USA, Scotland, Finland, Switzerland, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia!

The team!

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,"

So we're going out in the authority that Christ gave us, the same authority that he used to do his mighty works, expecting mighty, world-changing things, trusting that, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

If you would like to be a part of this, pray for us: (the staff) Me, Heidi, Mike and Jessi, and their two boys Kael and Owen, and (the students) Hugo, Chloe, Stefan, Esther, Linda, Michi, and Meg. Another way to be a part of this is to help fund the journey financially.

If you're from the U.S. of A., you can send money to 

YWAM

PO Box 3000,

Garden Valley, TX, 75771-3000

If you're from Canada, you can send money to

Project Funding

PO Box 57100 Vancouver, BC

V5K 1Z0

If you don't need a tax receipt, you can send electronically

Go to Paypal

I feel strongly that the Lord will provide all the money, but if you want to claim ownership in what God will do through us, this is how you can give. :-)  Peace to all of you who reads!

Wow!

Wow. So this Discipleship Training School has been one of the best things for me. Even as a staff member, simply being present for the lectures has caused so much thought and heart-change. 

Being in a place of leadership, too, has helped me grow in maturity and the challenge that people are watching how I walk is sobering. Too long had I worked in ministry and only haphazardly pursued a friendship with God. "Too long" was actually only 9 months of being on staff, but far too much time to only be focused on looking after numero uno. In a house of a dozen men, there's more motivation to get up early and have a quiet time. Both because it sets a good example, and also because Lord knows I need it.

Nexia Outreach leaders
From left - Jessi, Heidi, Me, Mike

The lecture phase is over half over now! Outreach is coming up fast, and I'll update you all on that soon. But I wanted to say that I'm growing and changing, that the couple dozen other people in this community are growing and changing to be more like Jesus. It is largely due to prayer and intentional acts. That's a decent amount of what we do - pray, and intentionally seek ways to encourage growth. By "growth" I'm implying a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus, the Savior, and the journey that inevitably accompanies being best friends with the holiest Being in the universe.

I find so much joy in this! It's work with reward and a sense of fulfillment I couldn't find almost anywhere else. The most significant thing that's happened to me recently is a deeper love for Jesus. I'm finding that, more and more, he's the apple of my eye.

Anyway, here's a poem I wrote during worship yesterday.

Jesus! 

Saying your name makes me smile inside

Jesus! 

Your love and your grace make me lighter in stride

Jesus! 

There is no other name that touches my soul

Jesus! 

There’s no other one who makes me feel whole

I see your beauty throughout my days

Your peace and joy clear away the haze

I wave goodbye to fear, doubt and strife, cause

To know you, God, is eternal life

Treasure Hunt

A Treasure Hunt is where a small team prays together for signs, for clues, and then tries to find them, looking to God to provide these people he's highlighted.

A couple weeks ago, these are some of the clues we received:
Hugo - A girl sitting down at Nanaimo park. A worker at the Thai Restaurant on Hastings St.
James - Checkered shirt. Orange.
Linda - Purple and yellow stripes. Children's section at the library.

And these are the things that happened:
The girl sitting at Nanaimo park was talking on her phone. After 10 minutes we started to leave and I saw a guy in an orange shirt. I was outgoingly rejected, though!Then the checkered shirt lady (Linda recognized her earlier) rejected prayer as well, followed by an elderly cycling lady who parked for a moment at the closed library, only to shortly after, shaking her head at me.

Linda then prayed for 2 girls together, one wearing a purple jacket and the other a yellow, and they were open to it! This was in front of the children's section of the library. Hugo had to go to the bank where I spoke to an Irish lady selling Visa cards inside the door. Naomi said we could pray for her grand-dad, Patty. No specifics, but we said, "okay," and prayed after leaving the bank. Then, guess who we saw!The lady from the park! She was off her phone, now, and Linda stopped her, told the whole story, and then asked if she wanted prayer. She was excited to say, "Yes, for me and my boyfriend." So Linda prayed.

Then we went to the Thai Food place, where the owner said her family was suffering from the flooding in Thailand. At the end, Hugo and I offered prayer to Gao, and she said, "I'm Buddhist, so I don't know." So Hugo said, "Okay, I pray at home."

Just another day in the Discipleship Training School.