I was in the car today when I first heard these lyrics from a song by Algebra Blessett:

 Once upon a time there was a damsel
where deep in the hood stood a castle
She often sit on a stoop watching ghetto youth...
She dreamed of a day her knight would come through...
To take her away from the heartache and the pain
to a world she never knew
It's the same old story...
Girl wants to be rescued
From all the hard times
You can be prince charming
I'll be Cinderella
Don't want a fairy tale
Just give me happy after
For days on end she tries to pretend
Like with her there is nothing wrong
But although she tries
You can see the tracks from the tears she cries
all night long
and she constantly wishes
for the house and the picket fence
the big back yard
and she hopes one day that her prince will take her away
to a life that ain't so hard...
(Happy After by A. Blessett, 2008)

 As I listened, the vision I got of this young woman waiting for her prince resonated with recent conversations I've had on the idea of women desiring to be rescued.  I think somewhere deep inside of us women, we desire to have prince charming swoop us up in his arms and carry us off to a place and circumstance that is more complete.  One that is better than our current experience today.  In the recently popular book Captivating, Stasi Elderidge brings this idea to the surface as she describes how many of us women, as little girls, played games where we pretended to be a beauty or princess kidnapped by bad guys, fought for and rescued by a hero.  She states that many of us are embarrassed to admit this about ourselves, but when we're honest and open up, we find out just how many of us women have had this desire within our hearts.  No wonder we identify and fall in love with the classic princess movies like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.  I would say that for women, this "little girl" game, is a deep and true desire that is planted in our very being.  It's a desire that may be placed there by God and met by God, both in an earthly sense, but also in an eternal sense through Christ.      

 For many of us, that desire never goes away.  In her song, Algebra sheds light on a woman's desire to escape tangible realities that may have defined her life to that point.  This probably isn't the case for many of us.  Many of us come from very nice families.  We had stable homes with parents that loved each other.  Maybe we've always had the "picket fence and big back yard", but deep inside something about the song still resonates with the un-met desires we have.  Even with blessings that surround us, we can't deny that at the end of the day, we still long for that "rescue". 

 Before I continue I want to make one thing clear.  As Christians, yes, our longing and desires should be for the Lord first and foremost (I've written on this in the past and didn't want to spend any extensive amount of time on this point, I assume it to be a given).  A man or a relationship should never replace that which God can do or fill for us.  Many who are in relationships or who are married will speak to the difficulties of not making idols of their kids and their husbands and their roles as mothers and wives.  For them, making God their God is a daily battle - and when it comes to children and a spouse, I imagine it's hard to keep them 2^nd to the Lord.  I often wonder if this has anything to do with Paul's reasons for calling singleness as a gift (1 Corinthians 7:6-9)!!  I am a huge advocate that we need to seek first God and all that is Him, finding our identity in Him, finding our strength and Love and purpose in Him.  I would also speculate that having or wrestling with a desire does not equate to not seeking, believing, hungering after God.  One can earnestly seek after God, but still find unmet desires and longings crying out for attention in their lives.  One friend of mine might say that "God wants us to be hungry" 

 Before sin ever entered into the Bible, we find Adam who was in PERFECT communion with God.  What I mean by perfect is that EVERYTHING that Adam needed and wanted was perfectly met by God.  There were no distractions, there were no idols, and there was nothing but beautiful communion between Father and Son...God and Human.  In the few lines that we have to describe this time, we see nothing that leads us to believe that Adam was in want or need of anything.  Adam did not ask for a wife.  NO, it was God who said, "It is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18).  It was then that Eve was created as a helper and companion for Adam.  Adam was in perfect relationship with God, and the all knowing God decides that a companion is needed - that should tell us something.  (In Genesis 3:16, God also states to Eve that as a result of the fall, her desires will be for her husband.  Like with the other punishments of sin, I speculate that this too has been passed down to us from her)    

 I 100% agree that our hearts must first chase after God's heart and that we must look to him to fill these desires until He brings a partner into our lives, if that's even part of His will for us.  But I also think that if we have a desire that is not being met in a tangible way, we need to own it and be honest about it with ourselves and those who are closest to us (friends, accountability, prayer partners, etc.)  Encourage each other to seek God, but also recognize that these desires may be normal!!  Encourage each other to not become pre-occupied with or to force these desires to be met, but be willing to sit and listen and pray through the emotions that unmet desires often stir up within us.  We should remind each other that our waiting or God's silence with regards to an unmet desire is not God's rejection, but is just His Sovereignty taking its course in our lives.    

 For many of us, the specific desire to be rescued is very real.  I wonder if even married women, or those in relationships still long for the romance that seems to surround our ideas of being rescued.  As each of us sit on our stoops, watching, waiting, hoping, praying...let us not lose sight that our ultimate prince has already arrived!  We were created to be in perfect union with God.  We live in a world that is apart from God because of sin.  We are longing to be rescued because our souls know and cry out that this, what we see around us, this can't be all there is!!  There is something in us that hungers for God...there is something about creation around us that longs for and points to a creator.  God has placed eternity in the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  In some incomprehensible way, God has placed a hunger for something more deep within us and I wonder if this is any relation to our desire for "rescue".  Knowing that we, on our own merit, could not right the wrongs that had been committed, I wonder if God also placed that desire for a "rescuer" in our hearts as well.  (I can only "wonder" at this point because I'm not exactly sure how, if at all, Scripture points to this specific idea outside of the verses I have included in this post.  Hey! I'm still learning).  In an eternal sense we can hope for the "Happy After" when we realize the grace that is so freely given to us from God.  Our prince has come and we have been rescued by Christ!  We should rejoice in that!  Amen!

 When we're honest, even with our eyes set on Christ, I know that many of us still find ourselves in periods of loneliness and longing on this side of heaven.  We are women who seek God, but also long for a companion to share life with.  We long for a family.  We long to be "rescued" on this side of heaven as well.

 I personally can't find the words to make that loneliness go away, it is only God who meets me in those moments, and it is God who can best meet you, if you give Him the opportunity to step in.  I can relate however - I fight feelings of "aloneness" and loneliness more often than I'd like to admit - even in times when I'm doing really well with God.  I think God wants this for me...to somehow reveal His Glory.  It's hard, but I trust Him with my life - the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I can sympathize with the unmet desires that many of us have.  As a friend recently put is, I'm a few months shy of being "3 years from 30".  I'm single.  I'm an orphan.  I have no siblings.  Trust me when I say desires for a family and a companion run deep in my heart.  Not to beat a dead horse, I am waiting for a "rescue".  I am confident that eternally I have been rescued by Christ, but I'd be lying if I said my heart longed for nothing more...at least on this side of heaven.  Like so many of my friends, and maybe even a few reading this...I am learning what it means to wait.  I'm learning that waiting is easier said than done.  I'm also learning that waiting is not passive; we're not waiting for life to begin when XYZ happens.  NO!  We are waiting for XYZ, but until then we are watching ABC unfold and grow.  I know this because waiting is active and, as Henri Nouwen puts it, "it is nurturing the growth of something within".  Waiting is hard, it has weight in our lives...but it also has power and impact that we usually only see in hindsight.  

 If you've made it this far, I want to thank you for reading through my ramblings...I've finally gotten to the good part, the real meat that I wanted to share with all those who are waiting.  Whether it be for an open door, for a new job, for graduation, a school/program acceptance letter, and especially for those waiting for their rescue, rejoice in the fact that you're not waiting alone...and that more than you can ever see or realize is happening as you wait...even this very moment God is moving.  He has not forgotten you or abandoned you.  Claim that truth today!    

 In John 11:1-45 we find the telling of the story of Lazarus, his death, and how his family was forced to wait on Jesus.  Henry Blackaby describes this scene beautifully in his book Experiencing God. 

 "One morning I was reading the story of the death of Lazarus (John 11:1-45).  Let me go through the sequence of what happened as I read.  John reported that Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.  Have received word that Lazarus was sick unto death, Jesus delayed going until Lazarus died.  In other words, Mary and Martha asked Jesus to come help their brother, and there was silence.  All the way through the final sickness and death of Lazarus, Jesus did not respond.  They received no response from the One who said he loved Lazarus.  Jesus even said he loved Mary and Martha.  Yet, there was still no response. "

 Lazarus died.  They went through the entire funeral process.  They fixed his body, put him in the grave, and covered it with a stone.  Still they experienced silence from God.  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Lets go".

 "When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days.  Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (v.32)"

 "Then the spirit of God began to help me understand something.  It seemed to me as if Jesus had said to Mary and Martha, "You are exactly right. If I had come, your brothers would not have died.  You know that I could have healed him, because you have seen me heal many, many times.  If I had come when you asked me to, I would have healed him.  But you would have never known any more about Me than you already know.  I knew that you were ready for a greater revelation of Me than you have ever known in your life.  I wanted you to come to know that I am the resurrection and the life.  My refusal and My silence were not rejection.  It was an opportunity for me to disclose to you more of Me than you have ever known. (94)"

 We may be waiting for days, months, and even years; for some that earthly rescue may never come.  In light of the eternal love and protection that we are promised my prayer is that we can rest peacefully trusting our God with all things.  Even as we wait, I pray that the weight would rest on the shoulders of our Lord and that He would continue to use the time to reveal more of Him to us...in ways we never dreamed imaginable.                    

On the modern press away from narrative as an overarching category (rather than only as a literary genre), Goheen has the following to say:

"We have fragmented the Bible into bits---moral bits, systematic-theological bits, devotional bits, historical-critiqual bits, narrative bits, and homiletical bits. When the Bible is broken up this way, there is no comprehensive grand narrative to withstand the power of the comprehensive humanist narrative that shapes our culture." (64:4, p. 472)

Quoting NT Wright's essay, "How Can the Bible Be Authoritative?" he presses folks holding the "conservative view" of Scripture. Wright "notes that Christians have often found the authority of the Bible in timeless truth and principles, or as a witness ro primary events, or in its timeless function." Add to this:

"The problem with all such solutions as to how to use the Bible is that they belittle the Bible and exalt something else. Basically they imply--and this is what I mean when I say they offer too low a view of Scripture--that God, after all, has given us the wrong sort of book and it is our job to turn it into the right sort of book." (64:4, p. 474)

Thoughts?

I'm hearing all these news and watching heart-wrenching pictures a day after I preached Matthew 8:28-34, which one of my sermon points was that Jesus values people more than livestocks, properties, and things. In fact, for the past four Sundays I've been preaching Matthew 8 to point out how Jesus is more powerful and needs to be feared than incurable diseases, demons, and powerful nature (e.g., storms, tornadoes, earthquakes). It is no coincidence that I'm witnessing all this right after having prepared and preached Matthew 8.

So how do we make sense of all this? For a starter, it would be helpful to read John Piper's blog that he wrote last summer when a bridge collapsed in his city. Although the context of his writing is different than the recent events in Asia, the biblical and theological implications are the same. Afterwards, read his recent post "6 Ways to React to the Cyclone."

While I'm grateful for Pastor John's sensitive reaction to cyclone tragedy in Myanmar, I'm disappointed and disturbed about silence and absence of post by many major evangelical blogs. How can this be? If something like this magnitude happened on the shore or soil of America there probably be myriads of blogs about it. But how is that many major American evangelical bloggers and websites failed to mention about what has happened and happening in Asia? Whatever happened to the biblical notion that when one member of the body suffers the whole body suffers? I cannot believe the selfishness and blindness of American Christianity and churches due to materialism and wealth. Our churches should be mourning and grieving with some of our brothers and sisters in those parts of the world that have been directly impacted (or at least expressing sympathy and prayer) but we go on as if it's no big deal when thousands of people just perished.

This is not the time to make such statements like "People die everyday so what?" or "Yeah but God is sovereign." Do we really value people and their souls?

However, I am encouraged to see some of the notable church denominations/affiliations extending mercy and relief works, such as, Southern Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Church in America, and Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Although many of us would not ever read, affiliate, or fellowship with theological liberals (rightfully so), one area we need to do better than them is this area of extending mercy.

Make us one oh God,
shaking all the pain,
shaking all the pain,
I will not let pain have its way
another trust in you
I am going to trust in you.
Shake all the doubt.
Jason Upton

Para terminar este dia con un abrazo de Abba, mi Padre; un grupo de amigos de Connexion me organizo un fiesta de cumpleaños sorpresa....¡Yo se que él sí escucha!..... Mañana Paula y yo nos vamos a dos dias de mini-vacaciones. Esta es la verdadera DIVERSIDAD y este es el aroma de la Gracia de Dios.

Deja que seamos uno oh Dios,
sacudiendo todo el dolor,
sacudiendo todo el dolor.
No dejare que el dolor se salga con la suya
otra ves confiar en Dios.
Voy a confiar en Dios.
Sacude toda la duda.
Jason Upton

we're reading the irresistible revolution in the class i'm teaching at SPU right now, and one of the things shane claiborne tries to do at the simple way is reframe "charity" in the context of community so that it's personal and relational instead of distant and fragmented. in his own words:

We wrestle to free ourselves from macrocharity and distant acts of charity that serve to legitimize apathetic lifestyles of good intentions but rob us of the gift of community... writing a check makes us feel good and can fool us into thinking that we have loved the poor.

shane says that one of the greatest tragedies of the church is not that we don't care for the poor, but that we don't even know the poor. and so instead of giving and serving because we are compelled by a sense of community, we end up donating from a safe distance to ultimately make ourselves feel better. i'm certainly guilty of this. it's so easy to just go online and enter my credit card number so i don't have to think about the personal cost. this is the great tragedy of globalization: while the world is shrinking in one sense due to technology, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing and we are insulated by the distance.

this is why more and more i am convinced that any desire to be a globally-minded advocate for the marginalized must go hand in hand with a sense of local advocacy that helps us to connect the dots between the privileged and the oppressed. otherwise, our most benevolent acts of macrocharity will always be distant, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that we are living generously. when we write a check to world vision with one hand and shop in affluent suburbs with the other, we are disconnecting our sense of justice from our own comfort and consumerism. it's inconsistent, hypocritical, and unsustainable because it's about charity and not justice.

so what's the solution? i really don't know, but we're starting small. our community group is in its third year of trying to figure this out, and while we're taking baby steps, i think we're making progress. last month we started a community garden for friends and neighbors and will be donating to the local food bank along with sharing space with east african immigrants in the neighborhood who don't have room to garden. last week we picked up street garbage in the colman/judkins neighborhood with yannick, our friendly local french-speaking teenager from congo who dresses like 50 cent and is looking for transitional housing. and when i attend rainier vista's multicultural committee meeting that requires five translators just to get started, the world feels a little smaller to me.

and while i wouldn't say that i've moved beyond charity and into a sense of justice that grows out of community just yet, i'm slightly closer now than i was a year ago. and two years ago. and three...

Richard Maegraith is a mate of mine, and a brilliant muso, I havent got to see enough of him play as I would have liked over the years. He and his band are playing this service, and to top it off, the excellent Rob SMith is preaching that day.

It is a new way of churching as such, and worth checking out if you can

Click here

I guess it would be an understatement to say men tend to think about sex more than women. But, I also think it's an overstatement to say it's all men think about.

My friend, Anne Jackson wrote a post on her blog last week entitled "My Thoughts On Boobies" which got quite a bit of discussion going around the blogosphere. I must admit that I have been thinking about it a lot since last week (the post, not boobies).

Anne's challenge was an important one. She was simply saying women should be mindful of what they wear knowing that men are so visually stimulated. My question is this: What responsibility do the men own in all of this? Surely guys we can't play the "We just can't help it." card or the "That's the way God designed us." card. Or my favorite lame excuse, "You can look at the menu, you just can't order."

So here are my thoughts to get us started. I believe it is true...

1) A man will always notice an attractive woman.

2) After noticing, a man has a choice. He can either choose to continue to "notice" the attractive woman which will lead to fantasy or he can choose to avert his mind and his eyes to something else (often referred to as bouncing).

So what do you guys think? Is this something that men and women both need to own?

chime in,

Pete

Movie and Lunch

So today was movie day with the staff as we downloaded the new documentary by Portland area filmmaker, Dan Merchant. Merchant spent two+ years researching and filming around the country as he dived into the question, "why is the gospel of love so dividing our nation?" So five of us sat down at lunch today and watched the film while shoving chicken nuggets down. The verdict... very compelling.

Now I had sat down last week and read the book which Merchant put out accompanying the release of the film. It was a great prelude to watching the movie. Here's a quote that stuck with it, a quote that came out of the mouth of Tony Campolo fifteen minutes into the film. Loosely quoting St. Augustine, Campolo says, "The Church is a whore, but she’s still my mother.” Wow! Referring to the consistent unfaithfulness of the church to the true nature and call of Christ, Campolo still sees the church as the source and key to the development of his faith. I thought immediately of the Derek Webb song, "Wedding Dress" in which he sings, "I am a whore I do confess, I put you on just like a wedding dress...". And that was just the first part of the movie.

Merchant goes on to unwrap the overarching theme that Christians have gotten off course and in many ways reflect little of Christ. Not a new theme, but his dissection of it through interviews with a variety of individuals including Al Franken, Michael Reagan, Sister Mary Timothy (drag queen from San Francisco), Ron Luce (he bothers me for some reason). Merchant also powerfully replicates the confession booth from Donald Miller's book, "Blue Like Jazz" by setting up his own booth in the middle of a gay pride festival. The footage of these confession is powerful, shocking, and heart-breaking.

Take a look at the book and the movie. It can be downloaded from the website, Lord Save Us Nation. Get the book as well -- Interested in what you may think. I have a three week series to speak in July and considering how to use this material to challenge our church community. Any thoughts?

]]> http://sbcghostrecon.wordpress.com/?p=631 Thu, 15 May 2008 03:19:15 +0000 Quinn Hooks http://sbcghostrecon.wordpress.com/?p=631

Florida pastor Forrest Pollock and a 13-year-old son were killed May 12 when the single-engine plane Pollock was flying crashed in North Carolina. Pollock, 44, senior pastor of the Tampa-area Bell Shoals Baptist Church, was to have been a featured speaker at the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. Details at www.baptistcourier.com.

She bowed her head over her food and prayed, "Dear God, thank you for this wonderful day. Thank you for my teachers at church, and thank you that we don't have to go to church in secret."

Amen to that.

And yes, some are the appendix: Nobody really knows what they're for or what they do and once in a while for no reason they just blow up.

What

What is a church?
We believe that the local church is a group of people called by and committed to Jesus and his work who preach and teach God’s word, who participate in the sacraments (or ordinances) of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, who hold each other accountable to live lives consistent with the good news, and who share resources to accomplish God’s purposes. The local church is tied to the global and timeless Church that is Christ’s body here on earth.2. Jesus called and empowered the Church to be his witnesses here, taking his message to all the world and teaching people to follow him Bridgepointe Church is a group of people who passionately believe that we have good news to share with Edmonton and the world. This good news is that Jesus and his Kingdom reign is here, and he loves us, and that we can be saved in every way we need to be saved.
What kind of church?
We often hear the question “Does Edmonton need another church? Does North Central need another church?” and the answer depends on what you mean by church. If you mean a nice, polite gathering of people who say pretty Jesus words and are unable to risk and dream because they are stuck in survival mode, the answer is no. If you mean a small group of Christians who are angry with the church as they have experienced it and define themselves by everything they’re not the answer is no. If you mean a group of people, gathered into community by God and a common vision of what he’s doing in this city, a group of people that is large enough to make a difference and small enough that their main task isn’t managing their size, then the answer is yes, we need more of those. We need many, many more of those.
In response to this need and what we believe is God’s call, our goal is to have 200 people regularly committed to Bridgepointe by fall 2011. This goal isn’t made for the sake of numbers alone, but at this size we can concern ourselves with something other than our own survival, and can commission people to plant more churches. Our goal is to be a church of missionaries, training and inspiring missionaries to change Edmonton and the world.

Father's salary = 1000 rupees/month (23.67$ Canadian)

Surgery = 25000 rupees (591.78$)

So all the guy has to do is pay his whole salary for the next 2 years and he'll be out of debt...

My mom also sent out an email today, give me a shout if you'd like more info and could help this kid out.

I know you've heard of the blog-world hit, Stuff White People Like. If you haven’t. Go ahead and roll the rock over, wipe the sleep from your eyes and go check it out. If you have, great. Hopefully you understand the humor. It’s the type of joke that is running over with priceless hilarity simply because it’s undeniably true.

This again is one of those selectively humorous things. If you don't get it, you just don't get. Don't get down on yourself though. That really only means you were fortunate enough to miss out on the transition phase when you realize you’d like to start thinking for yourself and have to weigh out the difference between sound theology and well-meaning superfluous ideas, jargon, and practices. On second thought, we all walk that road (regardless of upbringing) at some point. In my case, I've affectionately deemed it my "I'll have my Jesus/Bible/Theology straight up please. Hold the unpalatable denominational flavoring" phase. Intellectual and spiritual hindsight is more than just 20/20, folks. Sometimes it's side-splitting! Sort of like pictures of you and your mom in matching hammer pants or your cousin's bangs that were so over styled you could have ridden a surfboard across them. Yeah, just like that.

Forgive me if this isn't as funny to you as it is to me. Stuff Christians Like is new to me and I just had to share!

Stuff Christians Like #206
Putting the Devil on "notice":

"Lord we just pray for your strength Lord. We just lift you up Lord. We just praise you. And devil, ohhh devil, we put you on notice. No longer will you have control over our annual bake sale. The mistakes we made last year and the fights we had at the peach pie table have been forgiven and forgotten. We put you on notice devil."

Read the full entry here.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard that. I think I may have even said it at least once. I make it a point not to talk to Satan these days as I'm sure he regrettably gets more of my time than he should as it is. Besides, I think he probably pretty much knows where he stands. I don't think he needs me to tell him.

By the way, if you happen to be one who engages in this type of conversation, um... stop it.  

I'm doing a little explanation for those of you who are not LDS. Mormon weddings are different than normal wedding because they happen in the temple, a sacred place, and at the temple the couple is sealed together for time and all eternity. There are beautiful and great promises involved with such a sealing. To go into the temple for the first time, one needs to be of the right age and be worthy to enter. I have not gone through the temple yet--I will someday, but not yet, so I didn't go to my sister's wedding.

So she went in, I waited for two hours, and she came out married. We took pictures. And then we had the luncheon. She had an open house the night before, so then we were done. Liz drove off.

She's been my best friend throughout my life. Of course she has: she's my twin. So it's a little hard for me, I'll admit it. I'm doing fine and I'm so happy with what happened today. But another part of me is a little sad.

I had an aunt--she lives in Arizona, so too far away--and she did the nicest thing. At the luncheon, my uncle gave me a card, and my aunt had written my a note out of concern for what I was feeling that day. She gave me a gift card to buy a book too (and many of you know how wonderful books are). I gave her a hug and thanked her. It's one of the nicest and most thoughtful things that someone has done for me. She did something out of complete concern for what I was feeling, and she understood me too. It was awesome.

So my sister is married. But I'm okay. There have been hard moments, but overall, I'm very happy. Weddings are a happy thing.

1. RedShift rocked.

2. To recognize our graduates (Ryan, Auzzie and Sabrina), to pray for them and to kinda have to let go ... I hate that part of my job (the 'letting go' prayer and speech - coming up Sunday).

3. Food was great - sorry, not that creative. We had pizza again. All I know, kids digg it!

4. STATIC - amazing piece. The strongest so far, if you ask me. I took some amazing shots (yeah, you'll see tomorrow when I post them)

5. Three students that I know of came to Jesus tonight. One of them (Megan) came to me after 180 and her eyes were full of tears of joy. She just came home ... I love it!!! I saw another teenager (new to our group) on his way out. He told me how much he loved the Static piece. He shed some tears tonight, I could tell.

More tomorrow. I'm off to bed now. Just amped about what I do, a night like tonight just makes it all so worth it ... such a great reminder of why 180X exists.

Great job to all our leaders and students that made tonight happen. You guys totally absolutely rock!!! I know Jesus must be proud. I know I am.

I had an incredible healing from Friday nights conference. My rotator cuff has been giving me problems for a very long time. I did not want surgery and I have been in pain everyday. When Ryan called out about a rotator cuff, I knew it was for me. I have been healed of all pain. I have never felt the holy spirit like I did that night!!! In fact, I fell to the floor when I was prayed over. I had a hard time watching Benny Hinn, because I was not sure I was watching something real. I almost cannot believe what I have experienced. I could not sleep when I got home because I had so much energy and the lord was telling me to share this with certain people in my life. I called everyone one of them the next day and gave my testimony. I couldn't even share Friday night because I had to make sure it was true. I am here to tell you I AM A BELIEVER!!!. The holy spirit is REAL!!! What an experience!! This experience has taken me to a higher place with the Lord. I am truley awestruck with his presence!!! THANK YOU JESUS!! You have totally touched my life forever in a whole new way!!!

Forever Yours,
Cheryl Carleton

=====================

I went up for prayer when Ryan called for those with addictions to come up. When he laid hands on me, I lost my ability to stand and fell back. On the floor I could feel a weight lifting off me and I was shaking. I tried to get up after a little while, but I couldn't. My head was sorta like stuck to the floor. It was just too heavy to move. So I just relaxed and decided that God just wasn't done with me yet. Soon after that my head got really hot like God was really messing with my mind haha. After that experience I have no drive to go back into those old ways of mine at all.

Sam Hjelmfelt

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I'm not sure where to begin my testimony because there is so much to it. From the moment Ryan Wyatt opened his mouth Saturday night, until I went to bed later that night, my life was changed and opened to new possibilities. The Lord has been showing me for several months now the horror of human trafficking. I told myself that if I was still single and had no family of my own by age 40, that I would adopt. For two months now, I have had visions of a little girl living in my home that is about 4 years old. Could it be the Lord is leading me to adopt a child that has been rescued from Human Trafficking? A child in need of a safe, loving, Christ filled home?

I also went forward when Ryan talked about people struggling with a spirit of rejection and depression. I am so grateful for a man so in tune and obedient to what the Holy Spirit is saying. He wanted to pray for people, but he said the Holy Spirit told him to wait a little longer so the people who came forward could have a more time to allow the Lord to minister to them. I have been seeing a Christian counselor for almost a year now, and just this past week she recommended that I see a doctor about getting on anti-depressants so that I can just get through the day. The word about struggling with depression could not have been more timely for me. I felt the Lord say a touch from him would take the place of me possibly going on anti-depressant medication.But I think the biggest revelation came to me about a spirit of rejection. Having been broken up by a person I deeply love over a year ago, I struggled to heal emotionally. Though we were not married, this break up was unbearably hard for me to work through. It felt more like a divorce then just a couple of people breaking up. There was no sexual tie there, our relationship was pure, but still I felt such loss, and the losses continued to pile up. Within a few short months, I lost my boyfriend, my house, finances, two household pets, my health, two relationships with people who were like family to me, and personal success at work. The feelings of rejection and grief were overwhelming. As I prayed tonight and asked the Lord to minister to me, he told me something that shock me to my core. He told me the rejection I suffered from the most was self rejection. I have always felt second rate. I have never been good enough at anything, including the areas in my life that I supposedly specialize in. I have never felt pretty enough, thin enough, financially stable enough, that I sing good enough or dance good enough, or that I am even a good enough dance teacher and that is my job. I became angry at God and questioned for the first time in my life why I was living saved. What was the point. It felt as though my prayers fell on deaf ears. Not that God was in need of my forgiveness, but I still had to work through the stages of forgiveness towards him in order to deal with the anger and disillusionment I felt. But then the Lord reminded me that when I preached in my previous church, people responded because I preached from the heart and that I always admitted that each message was a reflection of what was going on spiritually in my own life.

As I prayed in my car on the way home, I think I surrendered to God in a very real way for the first time in my life. It was scary surrendering and really meaning it, but I finally knew that I trusted my Lord to care of me, and that he was not going to subject me to a life of disappointment and regrets. Now at age 41, I am not at a stage in life I thought I would be by now, but I can close my eyes and take a deep breath trusting that I have not missed the Lord's voice and he has not let me down, but had me in his hand the whole time. It seems so basic when explaining it in an e-mail, but in real life, it was an enormous step for me.

Yours truly,
Leonne Seevers

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I had the most wonderful experience last night! When Ryan told us to picture ourselves naked before God, I did. My thoughts became my vision and I was in front of Jesus in the wilderness. I suddenly remembered things that had happened to me as a child and Jesus began ringing water from his garment over me. Jesus bathed me with his garments from head to toe, inside and out. After he finished, he held me to his chest and caressed me hair. I feel such a beautiful peace within. I wish I could stay in that moment forever! Once Jesus had set me down, I began to dance in a field of flowers. This is the only time I can think of when being naked was ok. Thank you Jesus for setting me free!!!!

Laura Berendse

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Saturday night at the fire conference i was touched by God in a way i have never been touched. As Ryan was having people come up to be prayed for against the spirit of rejection i new i should go but was afraid. God then sent my friend to talk to me i was still afraid but as I was praying i began to cry (i do not cry much) God began to take a weight off of me but i felt that he wanted to do more. i finally asked my friend if she would go with me to the front and she did. As Ryan prayed for me I was slain in the Spirit as i went down i felt the spirit of rejection rise off of me. It was AWESOME Praise God for taking this affliction of many years off of me in one instant.

Melissa Graham

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I had a vision come to me as I was praying. A huge facility , with many acres, a center for health and healing ( I think ). In the center of the grounds was a statue. It was revealed to me from the back of the Statue so I didn't see the face, but I felt as if it was a statue of Jesus Christ. There were 5 paths from the statue in a lovely curving pattern to all of the buildings. The lawn and landscaping was amazingly beautiful. People were smiling, laughing, and living in a harmonious, loving atmosphere. It felt like a school, or a health care facility, or maybe both. I don't know for certain but it was a very important vision and I felt as if I needed to tell you! Thank-you for the wonderful, inspiring event. It was amazingly uplifting! Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Kay Johnston, LMT

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The Lord had awakened me about 1:30 Friday morning. I checked my e-mail and happened to see an invite to your Fire conference. As I was praying, I sensed that I was to attend this conference Friday night, to stir myself up, and not hold myself back. As soon as the music started my body began feeling as though waves were passing through it. I began to thank God for healing me. Everything seems like a blur now, I was always aware of God's healing presence during the time of praise. At one point my neck began to hurt very badly, Then I saw in the spirit a kind of web being pulled off of my neck, and the pain went away. Ryan said later that it was the spirit of infirmity leaving me. I remember this pain from the past, it seemed like it always hit me when I was at church, and I would often end up standing in the back because of the pain. I also remembered that I had been in two car accidents--rear end type accidents, and had suffered whiplash both times. I have never been able to sit in certain high back chairs without getting neck pain, nausea, headaches. I learned to avoid these things, and was able to stay out of pain. Funny how we forget these things, and just live with them. I am now pain free. My body bends and moves like a child's. My hips are no longer stiff.Ryan spoke, and I was touched by the simplicity of his persona, and so thankful that God is using the unknowns of Christianity so vibrantly today.....when he began calling out ailments, I RAN forward when he said Kidneys. My kidneys have been aching, ever since I had had a severe kidney infection, a few months ago. I had pain mostly when I drive on rough roads, and if I wore anything tight the pain was excruciating. I had found an herbal combination that cured the infection, and took the pain away, but I was never able to go off of them, because the symptoms would come back within a day.Everything is a blur, I don't know at what point I felt relief, but it was immediate, and I am pain free now. My grandfather died of Kidney failure at the age of 48, and I must tell you that, I am 50 years old, and I was a bit worried about my situation. I know that I will never have a complaint about this generational curse on my kidneys again.I aso attended Sunday morning service. And I began to cry when Ryan mentioned the Sapphire. For you see, I wear a newly purchased Saphire ring, because I felt the Lord wanted me to wear it as a sign of new beginnings for myself, and my marriage and family. I also drive a Sapphire blue van, and I am very aware the color was hand picked by God. Though, as a visitor, I did not go forward with the church leadership, I was very aware that the message of the Sapphire was hand picked just for me. There is no limit to what God will do in my life.I brought my mother who suffers from dementia to church with me Sunday. I will keep you posted, but I am convinced a healing is taking place in her, and I proclaim that one day she will leave the Alzheimer unit where she lives.I also have a daughter, who I brought on Sunday, who is twenty, appears very normal, but a psychologist told me that she was retarded and never would progress past the third grade. I know that God is healing her also. I will keep you posted--expect astounding news!!

It is time for our family, and others to reap the benefits of Gods greatest wonders and miracles, and it is time for our neighbors to see and witness these miracles as a vibrant testimony, and to bring revival!!

Love in Christ,
Janet Diaz

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I was helping up front during the ministry time Saturday night as one of the men catching folks as they fell under the anointing. Please understand, it had been long week and I was tired, not really “feeling” much of anything, except sore feet. As I was moving to help out on the other side of the room, I had to pass behind a gal that had her hands raised and was lost in the presence of God. So I simply reached out and touched her -- really just to let her know I was passing behind her --- so she knew I was there. And she went down under the power of God as I touched her.And I was nearly undone myself.God is sovereign and He is using me!!! No matter what I think or feel, or what I don’t feel or think……He is not finished with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Now THAT’s cool!!!!!!!!!!!

John Lofberg

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I just wanted to share that Friday night when Ryan said that someone twisted their knee and that it was hurting up their leg, Paul immediately placed his hands on me and began praying. I had twisted it at Softball practice and was in a lot of pain. When I walked it was grinding together, you could hear it and feel it. I had bought a brace and was contemplating getting a referral to a Orthopedic Doctor. When Ryan said to start moving it, I did and it felt better. Sunday night I was able to get on my knees before God and it didn't hurt at all! Praise God! I also feel like the hurts from my past that I have been dealing with lately have been healed, or made bearable to face and deal with instead of pretending like they don't exist!

Janessa Byrd

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Saturday evening service: As the service began, we were singing the familiar chorus “I believe you move at the sound of my voice”. What an incredible song, reflecting the amazing reality that God may actually do something when we ask!!! The reality of this concept is far too big for me to get my arms around, and I’m amazed every time I sing it.How could this be? As I’m on my inside looking out, I see and react to things through my “filters”….. I know what I’ve not done…….. I know what I have done ……. I believe I’m not close to the relationship that God wants for me…….and on … and on… and on. I’m sure you know EXACTLY how that perception appears.Then – in a moment – I “heard” the Father sign this chorus to me!!!!!!! I actually think God sung to ME, “I believe you move at the sound of my voice”.And I was undone. I needed to sit, cuz I was going to collapse.As amazing as the song is, it just took on a different, deeper meaning to me. In spite of my “filters”, God is using me, and it really doesn’t matter much if I see it or not. HE knows what he has asked of me, and HE knows how I have responded., all without the ‘benefit’ of my “filters”. He knows my future and is in the process of preparing me for it!!And I’m nearly undone as I write this.

It was a busy Saturday night!!!

John Lofberg

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Friday night, I was resting with my head against the chair and my eyes shut during the service. I had been eating salads all week so I could hear better from God. I was listening and felt God’s warmth and heaviness. When called, I stood to be healed and placed my hands on the left side of my head and the back of my neck where there has been chronic damage from bad posture, landing on my neck skiing, genetic disposition for “fatty deposit” and the bone just plain stood out. (I went to the chiropractor for a year during nursing school from symptoms of dizziness and numbness to my cheek related to degeneration) …I was thinking I needed more hands as my right lower abdomen was also throbbing. I walked to the aisle with my hands placed and stood behind people, moving my neck, waiting for my healing. I remember the lump felt more squishy than usual at one point. Every time Ryan would call out, I would feel electricity fly through my body. I came home and looked in a mirror, feeling my back. The lump seemed smaller. By Monday, the previously normal “crunching” sensation I’d feel when I’d tilt my head side to side was gone and my back muscles were sore from the new positioning of my neck; the lumpy degeneration is really gone! (The pain in my side is also gone.) And perhaps I’m taller!

I’m feeling his amazing thoughts toward me,
Emily Larimer

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At the beginning of the Sunday evening service, there evidently was prayer for the glory of God to fill the place in such an extravagant way that people's movement would be affected by it. Shortly after this prayer, someone new to Destiny entered the building. He knew nothing about this prayer, but said that his feet felt as heavy as lead, to the point that it was difficult to walk. He even checked his shoes to see if they were laced too tightly, because it felt like his feet were swollen. Later, he came forward for prayer and a chronic back problem was healed. He said he had not been able to bend over at the waist for years and he is now able to without any pain! Praise Jesus!!

Jayne Schempp

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The Fire conference was way more than I expected! I had planned on coming two months before the conference, and about three weeks before the conference, I saw a man in a vision. He said, "Go to Ryan Wyatt." I believe the man was God, and it was confirmation to me that He wanted me to go to the conference. Little did I know how blessed it would be! The first night, I received healing. I had a spirit of infirmity that was causing alot of pain in my chest for five days before the conference. During worship, the pain was subsiding, and then when we listened to the soaking music, the presence of the Holy Spirit came over me so heavily that I could not lift my head. The pain in my chest left and I had fire in my abdomen. I received some healing in my abdomenal area. When I gave my testimony to Ryan Wyatt that night and in front of all the conference attendees, Ryan said that area of my abdomen lit up when he was receiving words of knowledge for healing. Glory to God! Saturday night was really amazing, too! I was sick that afternoon, so I prayed and said, "God, I need to go to that conference tonight. Please help me get well." Almost instantly, I was better. That night at the conference, Ryan Wyatt said the Holy Spirit told him that people were going to be set free from oppression that night. I thought, "Glory to God!" because I struggled alot with oppression. I went forward to be set free. The Holy Spirit put me flat on the floor for a long time, maybe 1/2 an hour or so. I felt angels ministering to me during that time. About 10 minutes before I was able to get up, I saw two or three round black critters, which I knew were demons. They had been attached to my head. They let loose of me and had their mouths wide open, showing their sharp big teeth. They hovered over me for awhile, then flew straight up in the air and disappeared. At that instant, I felt released and I no longer feel heavy, confused or exhausted all the time. Alot of weight has come off my head, and the headaches I had been suffering from several times a week are completely gone! The oppression and depression has tried to come back to me several times, but I have taken authority and said, "NO! I am free in Christ!" I give God the glory and praise for what He has done in healing and setting me free!

Blessings in Christ,
Marcee Ekstrum
Sioux Falls, SD

"We have lost the simplicity of the kingdom of God and have largely forsaken the difficult challenge of living out the kingdom. We have forgotten, if ever we were taught, the simple principle that the kingdom of God looks like Jesus and that our sole task as kingdom people is to mimic the love he revealed on Calvary." (p. 64)

The book is a liberating (sic) experience for those of us in the church who do not necessarily always tow the "Christian Conservative" line. WAt the same time, it is a powerful, and biblical, argument as to why the church (American, European, whatever) should never become co-opted by governments or kingdoms of the world.

"My critique is rather toward the American church. We expect nations to be driven by self-interest, but we shouldn't expect kingdom people to applaud this fact, especially when the national self-interest involves taking lives! Isn't our central calling as kingdom people to manifest the truth that this old, self-centered, tribalistic, violent way of living has been done away in Christ? Are we not to display the truth that in Christ a new humanity has been created, one in which there are no ethnic, nationalistic, gender, social, or economic distinctions? Aren't we called to 'live by the Spirit' and thus put away all 'works of the flesh' - including aligning ourselves with various sides of 'dissensions [and] factions'?" (p. 90)

While Boyd asserts that the kingdom of God shouldn't be combined with any government, he doesn't advocate an uninvolved or pacifist mentality. He says that our beliefs should inform the way we vote and our political views - but, we can never fully place our faith in our political systems. We must pursue a better world, through law and order - but as Christ-followers, we must always remember that the only kingdom we have total allegiance to is that of God. We must always keep in mind that our mission is to reflect the love exemplified through Calvary. In fact, in the example of Jesus, we find a person who wasn't out to topple the worldly kingdom...but rather, he chose to change the world from the bottom up - by serving the poor and caring for the unwanted:

"Did Jesus spend any time and energy trying to improve, let alone dominate, the reigning government of his day? Did he ever work to pass laws against the sinners he hung out with and ministered to? Did he worry at all about ensuring that his rights and the religious rights of his followers were protected? Does any author in the New Testament remotely hint that engaging in this sort of activity has anything to do with the kingdom of God?" (p. 92)

Seriously...an amazing book.

Latter-day Saints believe that there is no salvation outside of Israel. If persons do not belong to the house of Israel, either by blood lineage or by spiritual adoption, full salvation is not accessible to them. Israel is not a metaphor; it is literally the chosen people of God in the present-day world. The LDS church is one visible manifestation of that people. The other visible community of Israel is the Jewish people.

Great show last night as we rocked the house on the Internet Radio Talk Show! Thanx to all that supported and tuned in. Next week we will be back with another nail biting show dealing with family Ancestry. Be sure you get your ACE on next Tuesday Night at 10pm est. Go to http://www.GotAce.com/radio and click on link to listen. You can also catch archive shows.

Looooooooooooooooookkkkkk  At YOU Denise! Word Press, welcome my partner Denise to the jungle here starting her very personal blog and kicking it here with me. We will be tagging you Denise when you get up and running. More of My circle of friends and biz associates will be here soon............

Now, lets talk about some of the criticism I received on the show. Naw, I'm not going to say anything here! I have a video coming out which will explain it all. Not going to ruin a good moment because of 2 bad emails about the show. The cool thing is they will be tuned in next week! Got ta love it...............

Besides the 2 bad silly emails........ We received tons of positive response about the show! Yeah......  We are on to something here.......  Get ready, The best is yet to come!

I'm out of here, but will be back soon.

Love and Respect!

Anderson "TheAceMan" Cutting

 God is in control over the good and bad things in my life.   He does allow me to deal with the consequences of my actions.  He never gives me more than  I can handle. Sometimes I think he does, but when the trials are over I realize all that he has taught me. I grew up going to church. I was not in church there is a difference. My grandparents stressed the importance of a relationship with God. I would pray and I was believed there was a God , even though I did not understand the significane of Jesus when I was younger.

 When I was 13 I had my first sexual experience I know that was not God's will for me. As a result of not handling the situation well, I became very depressed. I would wake up and look in the mirror and say Fuck you to myself. Finally after a few months  the emotional pain was unbearable. I decided to pray. I asked God to give me the desire to live since he would not take my life. I didn't feel happy but  I did have the desire to see another day after that. That's when I knew God was real.

When I gave birth to my children was the next time I knew he was real with out a doubt. I felt his presence in the hosptial room when my oldest daughter was born. He was present when my youngest daughter was born as well.  Her birth was quick because we were alone. That's a long story.

When my youngest daughter who was born legally a bastard, sang  a solo in the children's choir. I thought about all the things we had been through and how God turned all those things into positve allowing her to sing his praises. He can use anybody including a wretch like me.