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 DEAR READERS
Here are some notes
of things I have personally been involved with recently, followed
by a teaching on 'The Secret Place
of Thunder', a call to develop
power in prayer. It is our privilege to live in such a wonderful
country where Vancouver (#1 tied), Montreal (#6 tied), Toronto
(#13 tied) and Calgary (#16 tied) were in the top 16 out of 150
cities rated by measuring 12 factors grouped into the categories
of health and safety, culture and environment, and infrastructure.
Infrastructure is so important and is built in a nation through
trust, but can be destroyed quickly through corruption. How we
need to pray for our Prime Minister and Government at a time when
a huge federal 'sponsorship' scandal has surfaced in Quebec. Let
truth prevail and all corruption be revealed.
THE PASSION film by Mel Gibson is about to be
released all across Canada on February 25th. It could have a
dramatic effect on all who watch it, as Christ and His suffering
on the cross is made all too real. In Greater Vancouver, 21
churches have booked theatres in 3 locations for a week of
showings in cooperation with Campus Crusade. Our own church is
sharing with another church at Silver City, Metropolis. This is a
pilot scheme to encourage Christians to take their pre-Christian
friends to see a vivid presentation of the Gospel story, and could
result in a more widespread initiative with the film near
Easter. Hundreds of thousands may watch the film across Canada so
let's pray that multitudes are saved and the church returns to
first love!
THE MARKETPLACE
was the focus of a three day
conference this last weekend in downtown Vancouver. The ICCC
(International Christian Chamber of Commerce) held its first
Canadian Conference to share the vision for Canadians in business,
the professions, education and government to seek the call and
purpose of Jesus in the Marketplace. ICCC started in 1985 and is
now in over 90 nations. Canada's first Chamber recently opened in
Fort St. John, 800 miles north of Vancouver, where a group meets
for prayer every Tuesday morning at 6:30 am. The teaching was
excellent! Dr. Paul Stevens gave a masterful talk on the
difference between calling and vocation and Dr. Ed Silvoso said
that in Argentina they were on the threshold of reaching a whole
nation. He defined the Marketplace as a combination of business,
education and government and said that a revival in a church was
like a parade, but revival in the marketplace was a beachhead for
taking a nation for Christ. Pray that the emerging truths on
Transformation find clear expression.
IMPACT CITIES INFLUENCE
NATIONS (ICIN)
I am planning to attend this annual
conference in Red Deer, March 1-3. The theme is 'Going where you
have never gone before' and is designed to help equip us for the
future in a rapidly changing culture. The convening pastors, Mel
and Heather Mullen, have a vision to build churches and ministries
that will transform cities and nations. There are several
important tracks planned including the Marketplace with Rich
Marshall who will teach on rebuilding the biblical walls of
commerce. Let's pray for this conference to be truly effective in
the very necessary transformation of our nation.
THE SECRET
PLACE OF THUNDER
I continue to seek God for levels of intercession that will result
in change. Scripture has some powerful examples of prayers that
shook whole regions, look at Samuel in 1Samuel 7:
"And the
children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD
our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the
Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a
burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the
LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. And as Samuel was
offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to
battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder
on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they
were smitten before Israel."
Thunder and rain were very rare at wheat
harvest in Israel. Look again in 1 Samuel 12:
"Now
therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do
before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call
unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may
perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done
in the sight of the LORD, in asking for a king. So Samuel called
unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and
all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel."
When Samuel prayed it thundered! Even Hannah
praying in 1 Samuel 2:10 knew the available power of God:
"The adversaries of the LORD shall be
broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the
LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength
unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."
But remarkably God says in Psalm 81:7
"Thou calledst in trouble, and I
delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of
thunder."
Now the immediate context for that seems to
be the deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea and the confusion that
came upon the Egyptians from the pillar of cloud, the awesome
presence of God. But what if there remains a secret place of
thunder for us today, we certainly need it! When Jesus called His
Twelve (Mark 3:17) He renamed James and John ‘Boanerges’ or ‘Sons of Thunder’. What is
necessary for Canadian Christians to become ‘Sons of Thunder’ in our prayer
lives? I believe we are in great need of divine intervention in
our nation but how will it come? Here are four suggestions:
1. CHRIST CRUCIFIED
In 1 Samuel 12:10, the enemy advanced as Samuel was
offering up a burnt sacrifice of a young helpless lamb... But God
answered with thunder. Samuel came through the blood of an
efficacious sacrifice and that is still the way today. The Lord
will honour the name of the Lamb of God who shed His blood and
poured out His life for us. I believe that intimacy with the Lord
Jesus and identification with Him will have profound results. Do
we really know the power of Christ crucified?
2. DISCIPLESHIP THAT
WORKS
Samuel grew into this level of authority. It did not come
overnight and that is our problem. We want things to happen now
but God is still committed to us becoming more like Christ. What
do our characters have to be like to be trusted with great power,
influence or wealth? 1 Samuel 12:23 teaches that we need mature
people who will pray for us and teach us the ‘good and the
right way’.
3. REPENTANCE
The fear of the Lord produces a deep repentance from past
wickedness and a desire to forsake useless things that do not
count for eternity - 1 Samuel 12:21
"Do not turn aside after vain things which cannot profit or
save, for they are vain."
4. LIFESTYLE
Does our privileged Canadian lifestyle result in a loss of power
with God? We have so much stuff and things to distract but Samuel
said:
"Only fear the LORD, and serve him faithfully with all your
heart; for consider what great things he has done for you."
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