Abiding in Joy

Giving God the Glory!

Judy took this photo of me this morning from our back deck as I came in from a early morning Nordic ski.

As probably most of those reading this post know, we live in Colorado, up high in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  For the past 18 months or so, we have been in a severe drought.  Last year’s snowfall was way under our average and by the end of the summer, most of the state’s reservoirs were very low.  We also experienced some of the most devastating fires in our state’s history last summer.  This winter started off much like last winter, with snowfall totals ranging from 30-50% of what is normal.  Thankfully, in Colorado, that is still enough for some good skiing!

Our church, Immanuel Fellowship, takes the second week of March every year to pray and fast.  This year one of our focus points was the drought. (I should probably add that I am sure Christians all over our state have prayed as well.)  The next several weeks saw more than average snow but not enough to catch up.  It was very discouraging that at the end of March it was reported that the mountains needed seven more feet of snow this spring I order to fill the reservoirs when the snow melts.

However…….according to the Summit Daily, who gives snow statistics on a daily basis, we have now received 91 inches since the beginning of the month!  This is April 23 today.  It would be easy to say that this is a coincidence, but all the expert doomsayers have been predicting that we could never receive enough snow to break this winter’s existing weather pattern.  I want to go on record as giving God the glory for what has happened, and to attribute all our snow to His power and His ability to turn the desert to pools of water (or lots of snow)!  He is faithful!   And He answers the prayers of His people!

I want to also rejoice that the extended forecast starting tomorrow is one of abundant sunshine and warm temperatures!

Nailed to the Cross!

This weekend we celebrate the greatest event in human history.  That great event is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  He came to earth as a man, lived a sinless life, taught extensively on the Kingdom of God, and then voluntarily went to the Cross to give Himself for the sins of mankind.  Do we really understand the magnitude of this?  What Jesus did at the Cross opens the door for each of us to have eternal life.  That is why this is without doubt the greatest event in human history.

It is sin that keeps us from knowing God and from experiencing eternal life.  Paul gives us the picture of a certificate of debt (Colossians 2:13-14) that has been issued to each of us.  It is a debt of sin that is overwhelmingly condemning us, a debt which we can do nothing about!  It is similar to the servant who owed his Master ten thousand talents and had no way to repay (Matthew 18:23-35, specifically verses 23-25).  Just to put this into perspective, ten thousand talents would be about $7,500,000,000 in today’s currency.  How could a servant owe that much money?  And how could he possibly even begin to repay?  That gives us some idea of what it means to have an impossible certificate of debt that has eternal consequences hanging over our head.

Jesus took the sin of the world on Himself.  He took that certificate of debt for each individual person, that was so hostile to us, and He destroyed it by nailing it to that Cross….. “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14)   Or another way to put it, He paid the debt for us!  This is God’s great gift to us, available to everyone of us who believe, no matter what our nationality, race, economic or social status, or anything else.  None of us deserve such a Gift, so it has nothing to do with how good or how bad we have been.  It is grace that has provided such a Gift.

We live in a world that has been terribly corrupted.  Corrie ten Boom, who suffered greatly in a Nazi concentration death camp for following Christ, once said,

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed.

If you look within, you’ll be depressed.

But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”

We live in a world that has been terribly corrupted.  I just returned from Mexico a few days ago where a friend (I have stayed in his home) was kidnaped, robbed, and brutally killed.  While I was in Mexico last week, the family was notified that this had happened to their son/brother.  We were in shock over his untimely brutal death, but also over how fellow humans could do such things.  In this case, however, we could rejoice in the fact that this brother’s certificate of debt had been nailed to the Cross, and that he had received this Gift of God by faith.

What we celebrate this weekend is beautiful, powerful, and life changing.  May we all begin to comprehend at a much greater level the magnitude of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  As we do, the result will be joy; and we will have a renewed passion to spread the Good News of what He has done for us to the whole world, beginning with those around us!

An Appeal to Pray for the Church in Paris

As many of you know who are tracking with this blog, I have just returned from a ministry trip with Judy to Paris.  There is no way I could ever begin to give a report on all the conversations we had with various people in the larger Body of Christ there.  The interaction we had with especially younger workers (or potential workers who obviously have a call on their life) has reinforced in me, more strongly than ever, the need to pray for the Church in Paris.  While much of what I am talking about applies to all of France, I especially see the need to pray for Paris.

First, let me give a bit of background.  Among the younger generation in Paris (and probably all over France), there seems to be a new openness to Biblical Christianity.  Ten years ago, or even five years ago, there seemed to be a resistance to the Gospel.  And even among Christians, there seemed to be a resistance toward change from the status quo.  That is changing rapidly.  And I believe that this new openness is spreading to older generations too. By the way, there are others making similar observations (see link below).  I think it is also important to note that confidence in the current institutions (political and government, economic, social) is fast eroding, or perhaps even gone completely!  This current presidential election is one example.  Almost everyone with whom I spoke said that none of the candidates were good, and that people voted more out of protest and anger than conviction.  The current economic crisis in Europe is another example.  Few have confidence in any solutions being put forth by economists and politicians. All these things just reinforce the Biblical truth that this world is corrupted by sin, and that the real need in this world is spiritual, and that need can only be filled in Jesus Christ and a commitment to authentic discipleship.

On the one hand, I am seeing so much potential for the Church in Paris.  There is a growing number of younger workers who are ready to stand and live on Biblical principles.  There is a growing dissatisfaction with the current church situation and a desire for the Church to be as described in the New Testament.  There is a deeper burden for those who are spiritually lost.  I also am seeing an emerging vision to take the Kingdom to other places, especially among the North African populations in France, and to North Africa.  Perhaps most important, though, is a hunger for the Word of God and for the Lord Himself.   Though there is still plenty of room for growth in all these areas, I personally am very encouraged by what I am seeing and hearing.

On the other hand, I also see that the kingdom of darkness is actively engaging in a plan to tear down and tear apart the Church in Paris.  There is so much disillusionment among Christians due to conflicts and division that have taken place in the past five to ten years.  Many church leaders are responding to the current spiritual transitions taking place in France with insecurity and a desire to protect their own interests.  There seems to be few examples of godly leaders that are ministering from a position of servanthood and humility and other Biblical principles.  By the way, teaching about godly leadership and encouraging younger workers to pursue a ministry of selflessness are major themes of the workshops we are doing in Paris.

I am convinced that much of the battles taking place today in Paris are spiritual, and therefore must be fought by prayer.  For this reason, I am issuing an appeal to pray for the Church in Paris.  I realize that we all have dozens of urgent matters about which we are praying.  I ask that you consider adding Paris.  I could give you a list of things to pray for, but I believe I have said enough today that any discerning prayer warrior will know how to pray.  I would love to hear specific ways you believe God might be leading you to pray.  And I certainly would love to answer any further questions you might have.  You can contact me at immanuel7@comcast.net

See article in Religion Today: What Nobody is Saying About France.

Update from Paris

Note:  I actually wrote this earlier in the week when we were still in Paris.  However, I had a difficult time uploading this on the blog site.  So here it is.  I plan to write a fuller entry within the next several days.

Judy and I have been here in Paris for about five days now.  We have met with a number of people, and on Saturday, we did a workshop for a group of Christian workers on Building Biblical Discipleship into our church communities.  On Sunday, we attended a monthly gathering of Christians that worship and pray for the city of Paris.  That was very encouraging, and the worship, led by Pierre Nicolas, was excellent.

I Kings 18 describes a time in Israel’s history when there was a severe drought…….much like the spiritual drought that has been in Paris.   But Elijah the prophet heard the sound of a roaring rain that would put an end to this drought. He did not literally hear this, but he heard it in the Spirit.  He went to the top of a mountain and began to pray.  He sent his servant to go look out toward the sea and tell him  what he saw.  Nothing!  So he continued to pray and sent him out to check again. And nothing!  This happened six times and there was nothing.  But Elijah kept praying.  Why?  Because he had heard the sound of a roaring rain!  There are many of us who hear the sound of a roaring rain coming to Paris that will put an end to the spiritual drought.  But we keep praying.  Yesterday, we met with some of those prayer warriors.

Well, most of you know the rest of the story.  The seventh time the servant checked, he saw a small cloud.  Elijah then declared that the downpour was now coming.   And that is what happened!  May the Lord raise up many across this earth who won’t listen to those who see nothing, but will keep praying because they have heard the sound of a roaring rain!

Actually, there are some of us who are seeing a small cloud coming up on the horizon.

Why Paris?

As some of you are aware, I have been going to Paris rather frequently.  This week I will be making the fourth trip in 13 months.  Some have asked, “Why Paris?”  I would like to share a little today about why we are going there.

A little over 10 years ago, while on a personal retreat, I felt the Lord speak to me saying that just as He has poured out His Spirit upon the Spanish-speaking world, He was going to do the same in the French-speaking world.  I sensed this so strongly, I immediately began taking French classes at our local community college.  (I should mention that though I can understand spoken and written French fairly well, I am very far away from being fluent).  As a church we began visiting France and meeting people.  We began praying. Over these years, the Lord has given us some precious relationships there, especially with some Christian workers.  However, it is beyond the scope of this blog entry to tell of some of the amazing ways we have seen God working.

There is another reason for focusing on Paris.  We have discovered that France is a very influential country.  The French-speaking world spreads around the globe (Europe, North Africa, West Africa, Southeast Asia, Pacific islands, etc).  And much of these areas lie in some of the most spiritually unreached and dark places of the world.  France, and in particular Paris, leads the French-speaking world.  In the English-speaking world or Spanish-speaking world, there is no one city that dominates the culture like Paris does the French-speaking world.  We believe Paris is a very strategic city in the purposes of God today.

There are some wonderful people and wonderful Christian workers in Paris.  But it has been a very difficult road to travel.  There is much spiritual resistance in Paris.  There has been a large Islamic influx into France in the past 20 years or so.  In fact, there are more Moslems in Paris than there are Christians in all of France!  There have also been many disappointments and setbacks for the Church there which I do not have the time to explain.  I believe, however,  that God is using all this resistance and all these trials to strengthen spiritual leaders and workers that can lead the Church in Paris into all that He has called her to be.   Tribulation and trials have a way of purifying God’s people.  That is what is happening today in Paris.  God is preparing a people that are going to be mighty for His Kingdom.

Judy will be traveling with me to Paris this week.  In addition to visiting with many people, I will be doing a workshop on Saturday, May 12, for a group of Christian leaders.  The topic will be on building Biblical discipleship into our churches.  Please pray for us while we are there.  There are many we need to see, but so little time.  My goal (no promises, though) is to write one or two times while we are there.  I will share some pictures as well as some personal observations.