Faith or Function

I've been struggling this week. Not that my life is so difficult. I'm busy, but it's not all that bad. Since starting school again, I've been faced with a world I thought I'd left behind. The school environment being part of it and widely liberal thinking being the other.

We Canadians are coming up to an election. This is an important event for us. I heard recently that there are approximately 3 million people between the ages of 18 and 25 that are eligable to vote. Most of them are not being targeted and encouraged to take action and vote. I'm glad.

All around campus I've been hearing things that make my heart hurt. Young people railing against our current government. People saying we need change. People who aren't happy with the direction Mr Harper has been taking us. I'm glad that most of these people don't seem to care quite enough to vote.

Perhaps it is because I was born and raised in the church that makes me a strong supporter of conservative government, but that doesn't really matter now. I'm old enough to make my own choices and I still choose to support the Conservatives. When I got a phone call from the party asking if they could count on my support, it was a resounding YES! I don't want to imagine a Canada with leaders who don't care about the morality of our nation.

All of that being said, I find myself surrounded by people who do not share my political views. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Morals are lost and faith is no where to be found. When people push the envelope, it's not in the direction of truth, but lies. This is where my struggle is.

I am endevouring to enter an industry where faith-based work is frowned upon. The question that came to me this week was this: if one can lie by omission, is to omit my faith from my work to deny it? Would I be denying my Lord and Saviour if I give in to those who say I cannot be successful if I include my faith in what I do? I know I am not alone in my struggle. And when asked the question of why not, an instructor was left nearly speechless. She had no exact response.

What is it about the world that sees rage against faith as edgy, modern and stylish, but anything promoting faith and morals has become archaic and even offensive?

When God Comes A-Callin`

Believe it or not, God calls everyone. Yes, everyone. God has a call out there for preachers and teachers and rapists and mass murderers. We are all the same in that respect. But what`s happened to the world then? If God has called everyone, why aren't we all happy in church? The biggest problem - there are a scarce few who answer the call. Too many Christians are afraid that if they answer the call of God, they will have to give up their jobs and move to a third world country. Not so. I've known of preachers who give up their church to join the work force. God needs Christ-like business men as much as he needs preachers in the church and missionaries on the field.

I'm back in Peru and God has been teaching me many things. I've learned more about His will for my life and how to walk it out. Truth be told, I've been holding back, afraid of what it will mean when I give it all up to live for the cause of Christ. For me, I know it will overtake me. It's a scary thing, the thought of giving up everything and letting God have his way.

In Bible school I had an instructor who told a story about a man. This story takes place just after the turn of the 20th century. He prayed and he prayed. He wanted revival so badly, it overtook him. God overtook him. There were days when he would be on his way to work and he'd be praying as he walked and he'd have to stop because the weight of God's presence was too much for him and he'd stand there in prayer hardly uttering a word. People would pass by him wondering what was wrong with him. By the end of the day when people were returning from work, there he'd be still standing right where he stopped still praying out God's will. He was diagnosed with religious fanaticism. But you know what happened? Revival came and it overtook his entire country for nearly a year. He changed the world by being obedient to God.

When people begin to crave God more than they crave anything else, things are bound to change. But why is it that my story took place 100 years ago? Why don't I have a story like that taking place last week? Humanity has forgotten what God's voice sounds like. In a world of free will and feel good what happened to God's will and God's good?

For those who are ready and willing God is preparing them for the greatest outbreak of revival in world history. Those believers who really (and I mean REALLY) believe will band together and begin to pray and they will pray with an urgency like nothing before. Lives will begin to change one at a time and then a few more and soon masses will by crying out to God for change. Crying out to God to save their families, churches, cities, countries Those who once opposed God will come running to Him and no one will be able to stop it. The day is coming and it's coming soon. The church will rise up to stand and take her place.

The biggest question is who will be left behind? I won't be the one to stand back and watch the world change without having a hand in it. Shame on anyone who calls them self a Christian and does nothing but sit in the corner watching as sons and daughters fall to their knees in prayer crying out for God to change the world.

It is our turn. This is our time. I challenge any and every believer to be a part of what God is prepared to do in every life. Don't stand back and let it pass you by waiting for another wave. THIS is the wave you need to catch. THIS is the wave that will change the world. If you wait, it will be too late.

A New Revelation of Love

I came to a new revelation several weeks ago and I've been mulling it over ever since. It's caused a major shift in my thinking and I've even had to take a good look at some of the other things I've believed without question.

There are several major questions that non-Christian people will ask of Christians: Is it wrong to drink alcohol? What about sex before marriage? How do you feel about homosexuality?

My first reaction is sadness. If that is what non-believers first see in Christianity, us Christians are doing pretty sorry work in spreading the Gospel. How often do you hear people say, "Oh, you're a Christian? Man, you guys are the greatest bunch of people around!"? I'm willing to bet on... oh... never. More often than not, I get, "You're a Christian? I guess that means you're not allowed to drink of swear or have sex. That sucks."

I heard a preacher say once that Christians get in trouble when we shout what God whispers and whisper what He shouts. Jesus never shouted about homosexuals or alcohol or liars. Jesus' life on earth screamed LOVE!

Here's my revelation: I have gone for so long disregarding all those who say that gay people are born that way. Hold on right there, I'm still not saying they are, but I've had a shift in thinking about this one. According to God's Word, we, as in all of humanity, are born with a sin nature. We are pre-disposed to sin. That means all sin. No sin is greater than another whether it be lying, stealing, cheating, adultery or murder.

What makes a person lead a life of sin is a lack of control. A Christians, we are told that we need to renew our minds. That means, replacing our sinful thoughts with God's thoughts. We cannot expect non-believers to grasp this idea and we cannot fault them for it. Sinners are supposed to sin. That's their job and most of them are pretty good at it. So why do we Christians frown at them for it?

When was the last time you heard God say, "Hey you over there, go judge your neighbour. And you, yeah, you in the white shirt, you haven't pointed out enough sin today." That's not what God is all about.  All through the Bible, God's message to sinners was a message of love. Love. Love. Love. It is not our job to point out sin, nor is it our job to judge. Leave that up to God. He deals with it better anyway.

It's time for Christians to change their thinking. Am I still appalled by blatant displays of homosexuality? You bet I am. But I should feel the exact same way about adultery, lying, murder and everything else that does not include living a life of love. You can't go tell a person all their doing wrong and then jump right into, "So, do you want Jesus in your life?" If all a person knows of Jesus is that he doesn't like their sin, where's the attraction in that?

I want to live a life that attracts people to the Jesus in me. I want sinners to find me attractive because I have something they don't. My actions should be shouting out the love of God while my voice cries of His love and glory.

The Choir of Infinite Voices

My mother got into my car the other day.  I turned it on and immediately music blared from the speakers.

"You were listening to it that loud?"  My mother asked once I'd turned it off.

"Yes."

This incident got me thinking this morning.  I got in my car to drive to work and, again, music pumped out of the speakers rattling the air freshener hanging from my rearview.  The song was "In Your City" by Phil Wickham.   If you haven't heard it yet, google it.

Oh the glorious day when we arrive
And Heaven's gates are opened wide
All our fear and pain will fade away
When we see You
Face to face

Our Great and Awesome King
You will reign in brilliant light
Forever glorified
In Your city
And we
Your daughters and Your sons
Will see the kingdom come
In Your city

Love will rain and joy will have no end
When the saints go marching in
God we pray that You come soon
'Cause we were made
To be with You

Our Great and Awesome King
You will reign in brilliant light
Forever glorified
In Your city
And we
Your daughters and Your sons
Will see the kingdom come
In Your city

When we've been there for ten thousand years
Our song will be the same
Praise to the One who has brought us here
Jesus is His name
Jesus is His name 

In a perfect moment made in heaven, I sang along and, as I looked to the west, a broad rainbow arched the expanse of the grey sky background.  In that instant, I imagined the choir of infinite voices gathered in the throne room of heaven singing Holy, Holy, Holy.

The sound of my car radio is no match for the sound of heaven.  Oh the glorious day when we arrive...  Oh to hear the angelic choir singing God's praises and to be invited to join in.

Trouble With A Captial "T"

Yes, there's trouble!  Right here in Surrey City.  Trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for... Police?

Yep, police, right here in Surrey City.  Not that police in Surrey are anything new.  Neither are police in my area of Surrey.  But it still gets the neighbours talking when the fuzz are out there chatting with the residents across the street.

After noticing some uniforms, I did what anyone would do.  I called my mother.  After informing her of the situation brewing across the street, she let me know that there had been a similar incident to the house next door to that just weeks ago with police and even fire trucks!

The question now is, what's with all the sudden influx of law enforcement in our neigbourhood? If I were to base my assumptions purely on past experience, I'd say it has something to do with drugs and the growing of. But this one I'm not so sure about.

These are relatively new neighbours and they keep to themselves. Kind of a strange sort of folk. There's a young woman who likes to sit in a white plastic chair just outside the door while still in her plaid pyjama pants. There she smokes cigarettes in the morning.  There is an older woman who wanders around the yard in her housecoat at 3:00 on Saturday afternoons. There is often a big, barking dog on the upstairs patio and cars of all makes and models coming and going at all times of day and night. I couldn't tell you what kind of car any of the residents own (or even how many residents reside there), but there was a PT cruiser in the driveway this afternoon.

The man I saw talking to the police today was a middle-aged white man with a bluetooth in his ear.  Though I couldn't hear anything while he was speaking with a female officer, he was gesturing wildly and pointing toward the open garage.  It seems that no matter who is living in that house, that giant garage is always seemingly full of junk.  When the previous residents vacated the abode, they were forced to rent a dumpster to dispose of the refuse.

Now that I think about it, I don't think this is the first time I've observed the police at the residence across the street.  Would these people be daring enough to try a growing operation?  Is there a foul odour of domestic violence permeating the house?  Perhaps there is a decaying body among the trash in the garage.

Even I, in my infinite wisdom cannot settle on a reason for the recent happenings at my neighbour's dwelling.  Perhaps understanding will come at a later date, or perhaps not at all.  For now, though, I will sit and wonder and create in my head glorious stories with infinite possibilities.

Seeking His Heart and Not His Hand

Maybe it's just me.  Then again, maybe it's not.  I've been noticing a trend in the North American Church of late.  It seems to me that many churches these days are looking for the signs and wonders - the manifestation of the things of God.  Don't get me wrong, we need to see God move.  The signs and wonders are what bring people into the kingdom, but I believe that we, as Christians, get off track when we start to look for the miraculous instead of the One who makes the miracles happen.

If Mark 16:17 says that signs and wonders will follow them that believe, why are we running and chasing after the miracles?  The picture that comes to mind here is a dog chasing his tail.  If signs and wonders follow us and we're chasing the signs and wonders... Do you get the picture?

What happened to seeking the Kingdom and God's righteousness?  Wasn't that our instruction?  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."  I heard a preacher/rapper once say that we need to be seeking God's heart rather than His hand.  Seeking the gifts and signs and wonders, that's all in God's hands.  Where's his heart?  His heart is in our prayer.  In our worship.  In time spent with His Word.  In our every day.  Revival isn't in the seeing, it's in the believing.  It's a heart change, not something we can grasp with our hands.  When we reach for God's heart, He will open His hand.

My brother's heart melts every time his baby son lights up and says, "Hi Dadda!"  God wants us to greet him like that.  "Daddy!  God, my Father, my Lover, my Friend!"  It's not what's in the hands that counts.  It's all about the heart.  We love God for who He is, not what He can do for us.

Personally, I'd rather have a grip on God's heart than His hand.

Where oh where has my little life gone?

Sometimes it seems like just days ago. Sometimes it feels like decades ago. In reality, it was somewhere in the middle. Though my life has never been one to be considered dull or bland, I start to wonder where it all went.

I've been back in Canada for a little over a week. I didn't even have the comfortable luxury of taking a break to realign myself with our fair culture. In a mere 18 hours, I made the jump from a hot climate and culture, to a cool climate and culture. (After a month in the Amazon, even Vancouver's record mild winter felt like an Arctic ice storm to me.) I miss Peru more than words can say. It's a different life down there. I live the South American version of my life. People who have seen me live both lives know that there is a Peruvian Jordan and there is a Canadian Jordan. I'd like to be both all the time, but I don't see how that is possible.

For someone who has never fallen in love with the jungle, let alone a third world country, the concept seems odd and foreign. It leaves a residue in the minds of the well-cultured. The concept of giving up a life in the land of opportunity seems misguided at best. Even for those who know me, the concept is difficult to grasp.

I am torn between two worlds. One part of me resides in the land where I was born and raised and love with a passion I cannot describe. The other part in a land I never expected to love, but cannot imagine my life without.

I have no great words of wisdom on how to reconcile these two parts and I am not sure that they even create a whole. There was a day when I thought I knew exactly where I was going and what I wanted and now... I want to go so many places, I want so many things. I wonder if I could have done more or if I could be doing more now. I wonder if I am where I should be or if I've missed the mark completely.

I know that I am not alone in these thoughts and feelings for there are many who share the concept of being torn between two lives. I know that there is an answer and I know that it must be sought.