Crazy Times ...

Someone requested a top craziest list ... Here goes.


1. Jonathan E finding a special B-day present in an alley. (A Corpse)

2. On street combat, someone throwing a glass bottle at Danielle and Zion; they were offended that there was a baby in the DTES.

3. Watching people wash themselves in the toilets at Crosswalk cause there were no showers to be found.

4. Watching people inject each other in the jugular vein.

5. Wheel Chair Roger jumping out of his chair and running after someone with his knife, or when he cast his fishing rod with hook into females bottoms for fun.

6. The Washington hotel giving out glasses of Lysol to residents for "cleaning purposes."

7. Waking up in my hotel room with a strange man eating out of my garbage can.

8. The Police allowing people to convulse in the road.

9. A body landing at my feet from a forth floor window.

10. A demon possessed man crashing a Robert Marshall homiletics class, we held him down and cast out the evil spirit(s). Our teacher was not really aware of this part of the curriculum and had quite a strange look on his face when asking some students, "What is going on in the next room." and with screams and howls chilling the room, some students responding " Oh they are just casting out some demons in there."

There are just a few.

Incendiary Session

614 Charlotte is currently accepting applications for the Incendiary Session of The War College, starting this September.

The dictionary defines ‘incendiary’ as follows:
1. used or adapted for setting property on fire;
2. of arson;
3. tending to arouse strife, sedition;
4. a person who commits arson;
5. a device that burns with an intense heat;
6. a person who stirs up strife.

That defines what we want to train students to be, fairly well.

We want them to be used to set territory on fire (1), to start and spread fires (2,4).
We want them to arouse sedition, or, rebellion against the government of satan (3,6).
We want them to burn with an intense heat (5).

Any takers?

http://www.thewarcollege.com/

No peace ...

I believe that one of Satan's plans is to give us no peace, especially when he has a stronghold in our lives. I can remember being homeless and just yearning for a bit of solitude, just a moment in my day that was not filled with 150 other peoples stuff too. I remember having nowhere to just be, and it was suffocating.

This morning a crack addict came to my door asking to use the phone, I said "of course," cause I am the christian guy so I have to. I made sure that I gave her the home phone, not my cell (cause she could run off with that,) and then I proceeded to position myself just close enough to hear what was going on but not too close to give the impression that I was listening.

Eventually, I had to let this one go, so what if we lose our phone? So I returned to my desk and let her be...in peace.

I wish that I had had some joy in this good deed, but I did not. I didn't even offer her a glass of juice or something to eat, I just wanted her to leave.

It is interesting how our failures show us the perfect beauty of Jesus. I'm not all broken up about it, but it did spur me into prayer for more joy in serving others.


Matthew 25

'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Reflections

For another couple of weeks, we have a missioner from the Vancouver campus of The War College, here for his summer placement. Matt and I were talking yesterday about his upcoming graduation and his overall experience at The War College. The conversation got me thinking of some of the highlights from my year at TWC, and I have created a top-ten list of my War College and 614 Vancouver experiences.

1. Meeting my wife and clearly hearing the voice of God say "Isn't she beautiful and lovely." Then me responding "YES!" and then The LORD saying "She's the perfect one." Amen.

2. My leaders, who not only brought me back from the dead but who also taught me why life was worth living abundantly.

3. Early prayer meetings in The Empress. They were kicking.

4. Street ministry with Commissioner Wesley Harris - He got us invited into a private drug party where he shared Christ with the owner of an Amsterdam style pot bar. The owner was so offended that we tried to get in, that after we were bounced out he came out following us down the street angrily exclaiming " What does the Sally Ann want with my place?!"
He thought we were coming to protest or to report him, The Commissioner simply replied " We heard the coffee was great and thought we would try a cup." The owner was stunned, "What !" " You want to come in for coffee, at my place?" The commissioner said "Certainly." So the owner invited us into his private booth, and insisted on buying our coffee, while he took hits off his bong. I have never seen spiritual evangelical authority like that before and I have not since. We turned down the brownies though.

5. Invading the same pot cafe with prayer and a Booth Tucker Institute love assault. Major Doug Burr, now area commander of Rhode Island, led this one and less than a week after, the place was burnt to the ground. Shut down. Praise God, and by the way no one was hurt in the mysterious fire.

6. Elaine's Chai Tea and all the love that came with every cup.

7. General Eva Burrows visit, especially at the opening of a new shelter. As we all heartily sang "Storm the forts of darkness," She wielded a hefty sledge hammer and rammed it right through a solid wall. Amen.

8. Club intercession with Jenn Ivany, Man she can dance with the worldliest of 'em.

9. Shopping cart open-airs. Enough said.

10. Watching Jesus save people from Hell.


I have so many more, but I'll save them for my memoirs in 30 years.

I WILL ...

In preparing for some upcoming seminars I was going over my/our Soldiers Covenant. We can focus on the whole do not get loaded stuff and read your bible everyday ETC, but we rarely get motivated about the meat in the meal.

I WILL be faithful to the purposes for which GOD raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in his name caring for the needy and disadvantaged.

I WILL be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of Salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution.

Now that surely is a cause to die for !

I'm going to go out on a limb for a minute, this is the War Cry of God's Army! Lately a lot of people state that anyone can be in Gods army; I don't buy it. Look above, what did God raise up The Salvation Army for ... for covenanted warfare. In any army in the world it is a punishable offence to desert your post. In war time, it is punishable by death !

Did you know that F.B.I. agents are covenanted to serve, including a no drinking clause, because they are considered always on duty.

My friend says that one issue within Post-modern, Jesus wants me to meet him at the bar for a beer, Christmasanity is that it is "easy to get in," and "hard to get out." In Jesus time it was "hard to get in," and "easy to get out." Chew on that for a minute.

I do not see Jesus anywhere in scripture, or my spirit, saying, "Hey lets go get tipsy and giggly on some booze and then go worship." NO, I see and hear him saying lets move, lets get something done, let the dead bury the dead and lets go ! I'm not saying that we should negate intimacy or personal devotion, I'm just saying that it is meaningless if the poor do not know your name.

Listen ... the whole half measure, lukewarm, when I feel like it deal is not evil or anything like that, I believe that you can get into heaven by the skin of your teeth. But if you are not fighting for a cause that you could die for, than what are you living for ?

Love Actually ...

In my rations today I was reading Colossians, this challenged my heart ...

Colossians 2
1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The part in Verse 2, their hearts being "knit together in love."

What would Gods Church look like with our hearts knit together ? What blessings would be poured out ?

God knit our hearts together.

Moving Mountains

I have thought much on the subject of moving mountains since my birth into full life, it has always been an amazing concept to me. One of my favorite places to chill is in urban concrete jungles, post modern mountain scapes scraping the skies.

The concept of mountains moving excites my spirit, it uplifts my heart . In the physical usually mountains or cities only shift by an act of God. In the spiritual realm God is definitely about moving mountains and shifting city scapes. We can tend to be too narrow minded in the Church at times, we can look to see how we are changing the church, the congregation, but rarely do we look to see how we are effecting/infecting the broader community in which God has placed us. A more accurate measure of success would be how we have touched our neighborhood, our city, our nation ! Recently God has been showing me this in action. Recently our youth group has taken up the task of doing justice. Two months ago there were 29 abandoned crack houses in our neighborhood and through a seriers of events, the youth of the community went before the City of Charlotte asking some questions.

1. Why is the city allowing this issue to continue ?

2. Does the city want us to grow up among crack houses ?

3. What will be done ?








Well, God has begun to move some mountains ... or crack houses, there more like mole hills in the scheme of things but that's a good starting place. The city came out to the neighborhood within three days of the kids petition and began inspecting all the abandoned houses, then issued an order that every home had to be brought up to living condition by July 12th or it would be demolished. If the owner did not comply then a $500.00 a day fine would be issued for every house. The renovations started quickly and the old crack houses are being transformed into the nicest apartments on the block. Soon families will be moving in and within a city that has a goal to demolish all the "poor neighborhoods" there is one that is being restored. This is actually happening but still every time I walk through the courtyards of these apartments I can not believe it, it is beyond my belief. It is only 16 homes right now, but if God can do this for 16 homes then he can do 32 the next time and then hundreds and then whole communities and then entire cities. I'm learning as I go but I think that this is the whole ... Matthew 25:21

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!

I know this can seem arrogant but let me testify that I can take no credit for this, other than just being here. Also I want to believe that God can use us to change whole nations, that a simple Jr. Soldier brigade and a couple of War College students can shift the spiritual make-up of a community, I am witnessing it and I long to see more.

Pray that God would make a way for us to serve and love our new coming neighbors, and that he would hedge this jewel of justice with his fire.

Our God is an Awesome God !

Jesus

We spend a lot of time, as followers of The Way, trying to do everything that Jesus did.

I wonder what paradigms would shift if we spent all our time trying to NOT do all the things that Jesus did not do ?

Seriously, Jesus did not ...

get a job, get a car, get a house, get a life, get a retirement portfolio, get settled, safe or sane. Jesus did not spend his energy on pleasing people or plotting on how to gain reputation or position. Jesus did not turn back, he did not give in, he did not hesitate to stop and serve the one that Holy Spirit placed in his daily path. Jesus did not believe any lies that Satan spoke and as the Son of God and a man, Jesus did not sin.


Lets try to not do all the things that Jesus did not do !

Amen