In Judges chapter 7, Gideon was preparing to go to war. God told Gideon that he had too many fighting men and that he needed to reduce the numbers. This was so that God would receive the glory and not the army. The 1st step in reducing the numbers was that Gideon announced that anyone who was fearful and trembling should leave. 22,000 went home and 10,000 remained ready to fight. God then instructed Gideon to have the men go down to the water so that he could further "sift" them. Based on how they drank, they were chosen for battle or were told to return home. Out of an initial 32,000 men, God chose 300. He said that this was all that Gideon would need and they accomplished an astonishing victory.
Two Thursdays ago, God told me to scan the crowd during the teaching time of the service. He told me to make a mental note of who was there and who was not there. It was not a complete checking of the Church roster, but the Holy Spirit showed me very specific cases of who was missing and who was there. Both lists surprised me. He told me that this was a moment of IDENTIFICATION. I saw one person in particular who I would not have expected to come to the prayer meeting and God has already directed me to involve him more as a leader in ministry. There were 3 people who were not there who God has instructed me not to give leadership positions in ministry at this time. 2 of those 3 were at the prayer portion of the service but they left during the teaching which is when the Lord told me to take count. Why? I could guess but that is not my responsibility and I don't want to assume. God knows why and I need to simply obey Him.
Is that unfair? They probably had important things to do... maybe they needed to meet with someone and maybe even pray with people. These are not wrong things, but God chooses people at His time. All of those soldiers in Gideon's day had good intentions and God was not saying that some were necessarily better then others... they drank from the same pool of water. But there are times when your actions will IDENTIFY you. I'm not talking about skill, talent or anointing... I'm talking about something more in the spirit realm then that. I'm sure some of the 300 wondered why they used their hands to drink that time and that others who put their face in the water to drink wondered why they drank that way, that time as well...
Thursday night has not been the only time that the Lord has been speaking to me about IDENTIFYING people to serve and lead. This is a time that we are re-structuring the Church. These last two weeks have held many similar experiences for me. God has assured me that He doesn't need a huge force to do great things... He just wants the right people in the right place at the right time. If all of the right leaders are not here yet, they certainly are on their way...
I simply want to encourage you that God's positioning is best. Just be faithful to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit so that you will not only drink of the wonderful pool of refreshing at ICCJ, but that you will IDENTIFY yourself by the manner in which you conduct yourself.
Here are a couple of examples. Though we all love God, we don't all know how to express His love and we must learn to connect with people in a way that opens their hearts to receive His love. The same water can be dispensed differently. Though we have all heard the vision of ICCJ, some embrace it and know how to communicate it and integrate it, and others need to learn how to do this. God honors preparation and He chooses us based on the manner in which we drink of and share His goodness with others.
One last point... please don't be offended if you aren't chosen for a position or ministry that you have your eye on, even if you feel you are prepared. It is God who promotes and it is God who sometimes says to go home for awhile. The battle belongs to the Lord!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
An Appointment with God is Available for You
The Prayer Meeting last night was awesome! ICCJ Mission Pastor Rishi Anandani led us in focused and powerful prayer, much of the time in small groups as we lifted up the various Mission ministries of ICCJ.
For me personally, the time that we spent from 6pm until 6:45pm in individual prayer was especially wonderful. From the moment I stretched out on the carpet, the sweet presence of Jesus washed over me repeatedly… He touched me.
One of the things Jesus whispered to me is “I was waiting for you.” This does not mean that Jesus hadn't been speaking to me earlier in the week. He had been. But there were some things which He waited to release to me at 6pm on January 17, 2008. It was a memorable occasion. I liken it to a Wedding Anniversary dinner. I say loving things to my wife many times everyday, but there are some things which I reserve, that I plan to say which are beyond the normal things, on the night of our Anniversary.
I remember a significant testimony from a Pastor and his family when I was in Panchkula, India. They had moved to Panchkula from New Delhi to plant a Church. When the Lord led them to lease their apartment, He very clearly spoke to the heart of the wife that one bedroom was to be dedicated for prayer and that they were to meet Him there at 5am every morning. They had wonderful experiences with the Lord and He led them as they established a great Church in that city for His glory. They never missed meeting Him at 5am… until one day. They had a function late the night before and they all over-slept. They rushed into the room but they could not sense His presence. They repented and waited but the presence of the Lord, at least in the relatable form that they were now accustomed to could not be sensed. They found themselves feeling alone in the room that morning. They made certain to show up early the next morning! They testified that God did not express anger, but He made it very clear that He had said, 5am and He truly meant it. They were not late again.
Friends, if you have been missing your appointments with God, He is not mad at you… disappointed maybe, because He loves you and He wants to be with you… but it’s not too late.
As your Pastor, I understand that not all of you are able to attend Thursday night prayer. I once attended a Church that had no meeting that was specifically for prayer. The reason is because God told the Pastor that all of the meetings need to include prayer. He was doing what God told him for that Church. That Church was and is large and effective. The point is that it is not a religious exercise but it is obedience with passion, allowing God to set our structures, schedules and appointments with Him. But I need to ask you, when are your appointments with God? Sunday morning is obvious… if you don’t meet God on Sunday mornings in ICCJ then it is you and not Him. Is it at CARE group on Wednesday, Women’s or Men’s Ministry time? Good… but when do you meet Him alone or just with your spouse or family? I firmly believe that He has room on his calendar for you if you will make room on your calendar for Him.
The teaching on Thursday night by Sister Linda Cochenour was life changing! It explained why the Lord led me to call for a 3 day fast. We are being prepared and given an opportunity to settle our back accounts and to put things in order so that God will allow us to go to a new realm, a new level… (see the blog post for “You Cannot Escape to a New Level”). There was soooo much more but that was an appointment as well. But next week will be powerful too!
The author of Hebrews explains that God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” He wants to bless you and if you will seek Him you will find Him… It’s a promise. When God promises, you can bank on it.
Pastor Joy and I love you guys and we are blessed to serve the King and His Kingdom with you!
For me personally, the time that we spent from 6pm until 6:45pm in individual prayer was especially wonderful. From the moment I stretched out on the carpet, the sweet presence of Jesus washed over me repeatedly… He touched me.
One of the things Jesus whispered to me is “I was waiting for you.” This does not mean that Jesus hadn't been speaking to me earlier in the week. He had been. But there were some things which He waited to release to me at 6pm on January 17, 2008. It was a memorable occasion. I liken it to a Wedding Anniversary dinner. I say loving things to my wife many times everyday, but there are some things which I reserve, that I plan to say which are beyond the normal things, on the night of our Anniversary.
I remember a significant testimony from a Pastor and his family when I was in Panchkula, India. They had moved to Panchkula from New Delhi to plant a Church. When the Lord led them to lease their apartment, He very clearly spoke to the heart of the wife that one bedroom was to be dedicated for prayer and that they were to meet Him there at 5am every morning. They had wonderful experiences with the Lord and He led them as they established a great Church in that city for His glory. They never missed meeting Him at 5am… until one day. They had a function late the night before and they all over-slept. They rushed into the room but they could not sense His presence. They repented and waited but the presence of the Lord, at least in the relatable form that they were now accustomed to could not be sensed. They found themselves feeling alone in the room that morning. They made certain to show up early the next morning! They testified that God did not express anger, but He made it very clear that He had said, 5am and He truly meant it. They were not late again.
Friends, if you have been missing your appointments with God, He is not mad at you… disappointed maybe, because He loves you and He wants to be with you… but it’s not too late.
As your Pastor, I understand that not all of you are able to attend Thursday night prayer. I once attended a Church that had no meeting that was specifically for prayer. The reason is because God told the Pastor that all of the meetings need to include prayer. He was doing what God told him for that Church. That Church was and is large and effective. The point is that it is not a religious exercise but it is obedience with passion, allowing God to set our structures, schedules and appointments with Him. But I need to ask you, when are your appointments with God? Sunday morning is obvious… if you don’t meet God on Sunday mornings in ICCJ then it is you and not Him. Is it at CARE group on Wednesday, Women’s or Men’s Ministry time? Good… but when do you meet Him alone or just with your spouse or family? I firmly believe that He has room on his calendar for you if you will make room on your calendar for Him.
The teaching on Thursday night by Sister Linda Cochenour was life changing! It explained why the Lord led me to call for a 3 day fast. We are being prepared and given an opportunity to settle our back accounts and to put things in order so that God will allow us to go to a new realm, a new level… (see the blog post for “You Cannot Escape to a New Level”). There was soooo much more but that was an appointment as well. But next week will be powerful too!
The author of Hebrews explains that God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” He wants to bless you and if you will seek Him you will find Him… It’s a promise. When God promises, you can bank on it.
Pastor Joy and I love you guys and we are blessed to serve the King and His Kingdom with you!
Monday, January 14, 2008
You Cannot ESCAPE to a New Level
Yesterday's services were POWERFUL! Pst Joy and her team took us into an incredible realm of worship and released some new songs which were captivating! We are going to need to add another row of chairs in the 10:30am service before next Sunday... Yesss!
I wasn't able to finish my message and so Part II will be delivered on Sunday, January 27. This coming Sunday the 20th will be our Vision Service. You shouldn't miss it if you want to be on the same page as we launch into this New Year.
One of the key thoughts from yesterdays sermon is that "You Cannot ESCAPE to a New Level." It is impossible because God will not allow it. I want to encourage you to examine your life, taking a close look to see if what you are probably singing about and praying for is really going to happen. I hope you are singing the songs about going up and reaching higher and going to a new level, but it isn't going to happen for us just because we sing about it or listen to messages about it. Let me explain...
In Jeremiah chapter 12, the Prophet was complaining to God about why wicked people are prospering and such... you know the complaint... it's the same one that you and I have had at times. Jeremiah even accused God of being the one who established the wicked people and made them prosper. God answered him in verse 5 asking him this question: "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" (NIV) How I would say the same thing to you in today's language is "If the challenge that your facing right now is wearing you out, what makes you think you can handle more?" God has more for you and he wants you to go to a new level, but you must conquer this level first. You can't get promoted to the "horse" level until you can contend with "men" and not be worn out by it.
When you walk through the door to the new level, you will need to be like a soldier who has won a great victory, had some good Rest and Recreation (we call it R & R) Time and is reporting for duty ready to fight. With the combat experience, the training and with eager anticipation for the next level, the soldier will not be surprised that with the new level, maybe even with a higher rank this time around, there will be more responsibility, greater challenge and fiercer warfare then ever before! And the rewards and the glory will be greater as well! But the main point is that the soldier is prepared.
So, are you ready to run with horses? Ordinary men who have not conquered ordinary challenges will not be able to. Are you truly ready for the next level? Are you worn out? You can't show up for duty worn out. That would be like going to court as a lawyer without a law degree. What a mess that would be! God honors preparation and is not pleased with un-finished business.
So what must we do? Two words sum it up nicely: GROW UP. The wrong attitudes, the habits, the broken relationships, rebellion towards God's structure, lack of covering, ignorance of God's Word, the lack of prayer, unforgiveness, refusal to tithe... all of these things are examples of what must be dealt with in order to finally graduate. It's time! May God bless you as you wrap things up and finally take and pass the tests so that you will finally hear God say, "You are Ready to Run with Horses!"
I wasn't able to finish my message and so Part II will be delivered on Sunday, January 27. This coming Sunday the 20th will be our Vision Service. You shouldn't miss it if you want to be on the same page as we launch into this New Year.
One of the key thoughts from yesterdays sermon is that "You Cannot ESCAPE to a New Level." It is impossible because God will not allow it. I want to encourage you to examine your life, taking a close look to see if what you are probably singing about and praying for is really going to happen. I hope you are singing the songs about going up and reaching higher and going to a new level, but it isn't going to happen for us just because we sing about it or listen to messages about it. Let me explain...
In Jeremiah chapter 12, the Prophet was complaining to God about why wicked people are prospering and such... you know the complaint... it's the same one that you and I have had at times. Jeremiah even accused God of being the one who established the wicked people and made them prosper. God answered him in verse 5 asking him this question: "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" (NIV) How I would say the same thing to you in today's language is "If the challenge that your facing right now is wearing you out, what makes you think you can handle more?" God has more for you and he wants you to go to a new level, but you must conquer this level first. You can't get promoted to the "horse" level until you can contend with "men" and not be worn out by it.
When you walk through the door to the new level, you will need to be like a soldier who has won a great victory, had some good Rest and Recreation (we call it R & R) Time and is reporting for duty ready to fight. With the combat experience, the training and with eager anticipation for the next level, the soldier will not be surprised that with the new level, maybe even with a higher rank this time around, there will be more responsibility, greater challenge and fiercer warfare then ever before! And the rewards and the glory will be greater as well! But the main point is that the soldier is prepared.
So, are you ready to run with horses? Ordinary men who have not conquered ordinary challenges will not be able to. Are you truly ready for the next level? Are you worn out? You can't show up for duty worn out. That would be like going to court as a lawyer without a law degree. What a mess that would be! God honors preparation and is not pleased with un-finished business.
So what must we do? Two words sum it up nicely: GROW UP. The wrong attitudes, the habits, the broken relationships, rebellion towards God's structure, lack of covering, ignorance of God's Word, the lack of prayer, unforgiveness, refusal to tithe... all of these things are examples of what must be dealt with in order to finally graduate. It's time! May God bless you as you wrap things up and finally take and pass the tests so that you will finally hear God say, "You are Ready to Run with Horses!"
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Singing About the Healing Rain
If I had to pick a favorite song for the year 2007, it would be “Healing Rain (Michael W. Smith).” It became one of the anthems of ICCJ not only in 2007 but even half-way back through 2006. I was preparing to lead worship and was going through songs when the lyrics for Healing Rain grabbed my attention. I vaguely remembered hearing the song a few years back on the radio but I didn’t recall ever hearing it in a Church. I bought the song on I-Tunes and was immediately hooked by the words and the tune.
That next Sunday as the band and I attempted to deliver a new song which the congregation had never heard before, we struggled for a few minutes but then things clicked beautifully… 300+ people rushed to the altar and the tears flowed as God’s people sang about Healing Rain. In that state of spiritual awareness, the Spirit of God then led me to transition to another song, “Open the Floodgates of Heaven (Let it Rain)” and then back and forth between the two songs several times. Congregation members later described sensing a “washing” and something like tides flowing over them. We were engulfed in the Glory of God for more then 45 minutes. I walked away from that experience knowing that God had accomplished more then I would ever know about in this life-time…
A few months later, we were visiting the hospital room of Irene, one of the dear women of ICCJ… the kind of woman with such gentleness, a helpful and positive attitude and such class that everyone knows and loves her… The doctors had just removed a 6 kilo, 27cm long tumor. God had worked through those doctors to perform an amazing miracle! The family members were still worried but Irene was full of faith. She said that from the moment she found out about the tumor, God kept reminding her of the healing rain and she sang about it almost non-stop. Her husband Franz said that everyone was amazed because it’s like she wasn’t concerned. She sang and sang about the healing rain along with other favorite songs of hers, re-living all of the times in which the congregation of ICCJ had proclaimed the song in the sanctuary… not necessarily aware that we were proclaiming a healing in advance for Irene.
A short time later I traveled to Jogjakarta to visit Riel Pasaribu who was a survivor of the Garuda Airlines crash. He had been burned to the point that his face was black and the rest of his body was covered in bandages. God had saved his life and he was having divine experiences which we will have the privilege of hearing and reading in the near future. But he mentioned to me in that hospital room that among the many songs which he was singing and writing (he had never done that before) as God gave him new songs was Healing Rain. He explained that those times in the sanctuary that we had been consumed by God’s power as we had worshipped the Lord with that song had prepared him to receive the miracle when he needed it.
I love testimonies about healing, deliverance and salvation! I love to hear from people about how their lives have been changed by applying the lessons learned through a steady diet of God’s Word! But these two experiences again reminded me that when we come together as a Church, we are often accomplishing victories in advance! My friend, let me encourage you to PARTICIPATE in worship, in prayer and in the study of God’s Word with all of your focus and strength! Your future and somebody else’s future depend on it!
In preparation for posting this writing today, I asked our photographer to snap a picture of Irene and Franz on Sunday. Even though Franz seemed perfectly strong and served as a Greeter in Church, he was later rushed to the ER on Sunday evening due to a heart attack. After 16 hours in the Intensive Care Unit, he was finally admitted to a hospital room late Monday. Pst Joy and I just visited Franz, this time with Irene at his bedside. He is out of danger because God has once again healed another person by pouring out His healing rain! Please help us to enforce the victory as Franz achieves full recovery as we come together and pray for him. That picture from Sunday is posted below…
That next Sunday as the band and I attempted to deliver a new song which the congregation had never heard before, we struggled for a few minutes but then things clicked beautifully… 300+ people rushed to the altar and the tears flowed as God’s people sang about Healing Rain. In that state of spiritual awareness, the Spirit of God then led me to transition to another song, “Open the Floodgates of Heaven (Let it Rain)” and then back and forth between the two songs several times. Congregation members later described sensing a “washing” and something like tides flowing over them. We were engulfed in the Glory of God for more then 45 minutes. I walked away from that experience knowing that God had accomplished more then I would ever know about in this life-time…
A few months later, we were visiting the hospital room of Irene, one of the dear women of ICCJ… the kind of woman with such gentleness, a helpful and positive attitude and such class that everyone knows and loves her… The doctors had just removed a 6 kilo, 27cm long tumor. God had worked through those doctors to perform an amazing miracle! The family members were still worried but Irene was full of faith. She said that from the moment she found out about the tumor, God kept reminding her of the healing rain and she sang about it almost non-stop. Her husband Franz said that everyone was amazed because it’s like she wasn’t concerned. She sang and sang about the healing rain along with other favorite songs of hers, re-living all of the times in which the congregation of ICCJ had proclaimed the song in the sanctuary… not necessarily aware that we were proclaiming a healing in advance for Irene.
A short time later I traveled to Jogjakarta to visit Riel Pasaribu who was a survivor of the Garuda Airlines crash. He had been burned to the point that his face was black and the rest of his body was covered in bandages. God had saved his life and he was having divine experiences which we will have the privilege of hearing and reading in the near future. But he mentioned to me in that hospital room that among the many songs which he was singing and writing (he had never done that before) as God gave him new songs was Healing Rain. He explained that those times in the sanctuary that we had been consumed by God’s power as we had worshipped the Lord with that song had prepared him to receive the miracle when he needed it.
I love testimonies about healing, deliverance and salvation! I love to hear from people about how their lives have been changed by applying the lessons learned through a steady diet of God’s Word! But these two experiences again reminded me that when we come together as a Church, we are often accomplishing victories in advance! My friend, let me encourage you to PARTICIPATE in worship, in prayer and in the study of God’s Word with all of your focus and strength! Your future and somebody else’s future depend on it!
In preparation for posting this writing today, I asked our photographer to snap a picture of Irene and Franz on Sunday. Even though Franz seemed perfectly strong and served as a Greeter in Church, he was later rushed to the ER on Sunday evening due to a heart attack. After 16 hours in the Intensive Care Unit, he was finally admitted to a hospital room late Monday. Pst Joy and I just visited Franz, this time with Irene at his bedside. He is out of danger because God has once again healed another person by pouring out His healing rain! Please help us to enforce the victory as Franz achieves full recovery as we come together and pray for him. That picture from Sunday is posted below…
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Pictures
You will see on the right hand side of the blog page (only at iccjpastorsjournal.blogspot.com), two slide shows... the 1st is of the Christmas in Reverse production which we conducted on December 9. Lower down on the page is the Little Steps School Christmas production. I must admit that I put alot of Ethan pictures there as this is after all, a blog in which I try to share my ministry and personal life, but I tried to put pictures of other students as well... You can click on the slide show to open it up in a larger on-line photo-album presentation.
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