Where it all began...

Barb and I are at a Pastors Camp this week. It's fun to spend a week with friends and peers who share so many common values, dreams and experiences. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes we worship, sometimes we pray. These are days of refreshing and renewal for us and we are so appreciative of the opportunity to be here.

The vision for Leading Influence Ministries was born here on a day a lot like this one. The speaker shared a message on dreaming the dreams of God. We did what he asked us to do and were surprised by what God spoke to us. The road from there to here hasn't been without it's bumps and challenges, but to be able to return here with the dream starting to unfold is very exciting and to be truthful almost surreal. God has been remarkably and abundantly faithful to us and the ministry and we are so blessed!

Our speaker this morning shared several thoughts on God and dreams that I'd like to share with you.

1. God is able to fulfill your dream. Phil 4:13 - 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' I think I've always been a dreamer, but for most of my life I dreamed too small and believed for too little. Choosing to walk this particular road has forced me to dream large dreams and to believe for big things. I have yet to be disappointed. If anything, I scramble just to keep up with what God is doing in our lives and ministry. God is able to fulfill your dream too. He's just waiting for you to say yes.

2. God is willing to fulfill your dream. Phil 4:19 - 'My God will supply all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.' I've come to understand that God almost always says 'YES' to those things that require me to exercise my faith. It's not that He doesn't ever say no as much as it is that He loves to respond to faith. I don't have it all figured out by any means but I can say that I've never been so fulfilled and satisfied as I am righ now. Barb and I have chosen to go on an adventure with Him and it is so exciting to see HOW He does WHAT He does.

3. God has promised to fulfill your dream. Phil 1:6 - He who has begun a good work in you will continue it until the day of completion. I love this verse. It give me a confidence that God isn't finished with me yet and that even though I might become tired, weary and distracted at times, HE doesn't abandon me. When I am renewed, revisioned and re-focused, I discover that He has been constantly working in the background because He's comitted to finishing what He started in me and through me. God doesn't (and won't ...) give up on you or your dream either. Stay with it and you'll see your dreams come to pass.

4. The dream comes with a price. Jesus said that it was important for us to count the cost. There's a cost to dreams becoming reality. We left friends and a city we loved. Our kids left schools and friends. We made some tremendous personal and financial sacrifices but we did it because the dream inspired us to lengths beyond anything that we had dared to do before. Seeing the dream come to reality has made our sacrifices worthwhile and we wouldn't change a thing. Your dream will cost you, but it will be worth everything that you lay down for it.

Coffeeshop Conversations

I'm out of town for a few days so I stopped by a coffeeshop to access their wireless connection. While I was setting up my laptop I overheard two ladies talking behind me. They were talking about prayer, missions and what God could do. You could hear their faith and confidence in God in their conversation. It was obvious they were Christians. As they were talking about some books that I had read or recognized, I interrupted them and suggested one that I thought they might enjoy to. As it turned out, they were both ministry wives. One lady is returning to Egypt on Monday to resume serving in a ministry that she had previously done with her husband. He passed away a few years ago and you could tell she still missed him. The other lady is married to a denominational leader. It turned we had some common friends and we had a very nice (but brief) visit. I feel richer because I met them.

Still in need of a wireless connection, I packed up my laptop and headed down the road in search of another 'Wired Monk' where I could spend an hour or so sipping coffee and taking care of a few things.

Upon arriving at my next location, I sat near two other women having a conversation. It's a fairly quiet place and it was hard not to overhear what they were saying. The contrast amazed me. One woman is having a recurring dream that is troubling her. The other is an astrological 'coach' who is trying to discern what the stars are saying to her. The one woman is afraid, the other is grasping at straws.

It's hard not to see the contrast. Even if I wasn't a believer in Jesus, it would be hard not to see the contrast. We are so blessed to have a Father who loves us and cares for us. Even when the mountains tremble, we need not be afraid. He is our Rock and Redeemer.

I feel so sad for the two women beside me. I'm not sure if I'll interrupt their conversation or not. If I do, I'll let you know how it turns out...

Island Champions

We've watched a lot of baseball this summer. Zack and Tyler both played House League ball which means that we were at the park about 6 days per week. After that, Tyler wanted to play summer ball which meant even more baseball. Summer baseball qualifies your team to play in both a regional playoff and, if you are successful, a provincial playoff.

This weekend, the Victoria Rebels (Tyler's team) played Campbell River in the regional playoffs. They won the first game of yesterday's double header and then lost the second which left today's a game a 'winner take all' affair. Our guys played a fantastic game today and won 10-1. Here are some pictures of the big day.

After the game they were presented with the Vancouver Island Championship trophy.

Then they each took a turn running around the bases carrying the trophy. It was cute but got a bit long until all 12 boys had their turn. For some of them, the size of the trophy was a little big for them to manage and we were concerned that there might be a broken trophy.

Here's Tyler with his friend Matt and today's MVP, Peter. Peter hit a home run that really sparked the whole team to some pretty exciting offense. Peter basically slid into the picture just as I was taking it, hence Peter's 'gravity defying' pose.

Way to go Rebel's! We're looking forward to the Provincial's next weekend.

Barak Obama's Prayer

Barak Obama visited Jerusalem this week and spent a few moments at the Western Wall. While there, he acted on a long-standing tradition and slipped a prayer inbetween the rocks in the wall. A reporter took note of the location and later retrieved and published the prayer. Here's what he said.

Lord — Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.

Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will,"

I'm not sure how Mr. Obama feels about his prayer being published and I tend to agree with the rabbi who said that prayer is between a man or woman and their maker. However, when I read the prayer, I wanted to publish it here for several reasons.

First of all, I like the way he begins. He recognizes God as LORD. He's not praying to the sun, moon, stars or wind, but to the LIVING GOD. Secondly, I'm inspired by his desire for protection for his family and himself. The LORD is our protector and defender and I'm glad that the man who could/would be the President of the United States recognizes he needs some help. I like how he asks for forgiveness. Who among us doesn't need it and even more significantly doesn't deserve it? Yet, he's willing to humbly ask and confess his need. The fantastic thing about forgiveness is that God only grants it to those humbly ask for it.

I like his recognition of the perils that come with pride (I need nothing and no one) and despair (the state of being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety) There's tremendous wisdom in that request because both are equally perilous in our lives and particularly in the life of a leader. In the next line he asks for wisdom, the very thing that God guarantees to grant to those who ask for it. I'm confident that God has already answered his request.

Finally, he seeks just to be an instrument of God's will. It reflects the heart of a servant but also the heart of someone who is living with purpose. My prayer for Mr. Obama (and for you) is that God would answer his requests fully and faithfully.

Aren't you glad his request wasn't 'Dear Lord, please let me beat John McCain...?"

What some pastors do... and endure

From Yahoo News:

A pastor in Indiana decided to bring out a dirt bike during a church service to demonstrate the concept of unity.Now he's demonstrating the concept of healing. Jeff Harlow, thesenior pastor at Crossroads Community Church, broke his wrist when helost control of the motorcycle at the start of Sunday's secondservice. He ended up driving off a 1.5-metre platform and into the vacant first row of seats.He's now recovering from surgery on the wrist.

His wife, Becky, says the pastor is OK but "his pride was bruised." Becky Harlow said her husband had recently attended a motorcycle race in Buchanan, Michigan."He had this idea that he would bring this bike out on stage and show people how the rider would become one with the bike," she told the Kokomo Tribune. "He was going to just sit on it and drive it out. He was just walking the dirt bike out onstage and somehow it got away from him. It was not intended.

"No one else was hurt. Jeff Harlow had performed the demonstration at earlier services Saturday night and Sunday morning without incident.

And a follow up from a friend...

In our church in 1998 a group of us wanted to do something that would bring attention to our Debt Retirement Campaign - of "the Mountain Movers" - one man rode into the church down the aisle on a motorcycle - a small dirt bike... it was a total shock to every one...

There was no accidents. He then came on to the platform, with his bike parked down front, dressed in a hard hat...

After a short bit of time of talk and some silly actions (fun stuff) - a very Holy-e-er than all of the rest of you stood up and began shouting - THIS IS NOT OF GOD - THUS SAITH THE LORD - THIS IS AN ABOMINATION - yadda yadda yadda... he stomped out dragging his wife and a new person that they brought to church that Sunday... it was the last time we saw the dear brother.

Oh Boy....

Some people left with the YELLING and PROPHETIC DUDE... some went to a nearby church...

A week or so ago... the pastor from that church rode into the church in a small kind of go kart - I think it was electric... the cart caught a speaker stand and a large banner and pulled the whole thing over... his cart turned up on end and he was dumped out on the stage...

Basically the service was over with great peals of laughter.... and no one caught it on video.

10 years makes a difference in the Holy-e-er Than Thou dear folks...

The YELLING and PROPHETIC DUDE sits in his garage playing his accordion now... speaking words of prophecy over who ever comes into his business to get their car fixed...

5 Years Forward, 5 Years Back

This is part of an email I received today from Keith Cameron Smith. I hope you enjoy it.

How fast did the last five years go by????? How fast are the next five years going to pass? The next five years will go by just as fast and may even seem faster than the last five. Our life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Another way to say it is that our life is but the blink of an eye in the scope of eternity. If a tiny little bird were to pick up a single grain of sand in his beak from the beach on the east coast and fly it all the way to the west coast and leave it there and then fly all the way back to the beach on the east coast for another grain of sand to take back to the west coast and he kept doing this until all the sand from the east was transported to the west and then moved it all back again, then that would be one second of eternity.

Life is short. Shorter than we can imagine. I am only 37 years old but several years ago I made a wise decision to spend time with and learn from very successful men and women who are 20to 30 years older than me so I could compress time and add more life to my years.Adding years to your life is a great goal but adding life to your years is even better.

Getting Ready for the Fall

We just got back from a fantastic weekend in Kelowna, BC where our youngest son (Tyler) was playing in a baseball tournament. His team placed second but had a very strong showing. We hope to meet the same team in the Provincial Championships in a few weeks.


On Saturday afternoon we took a break from the heat and found comfort by going to the mall. The summer clearance sales were in full swing which seemed kind of premature, especially in light of the fantastic weather outside, but we shopped anyway... well, Barb and Brittany shopped, I watched a football game and enjoyed a cup of coffee in one of those nice soft chairs provided for waiting husbands and fathers.

While I was waiting I started thinking about my own plans for the fall. My August schedule is already full and I have 6 engagements scheduled for September. It's going to be a busy fall season, but I am SO excited about the possibilities and opportunities. Over the next few weeks, I'll provide some more specifics about what we'll be doing. I believe that God has given us some very clear direction about our next steps here in BC and where our focus needs to be over the next year. I also believe that the results of what we will undertake will be historic for our province.

Delerious ranks among my favorite bands. In one of their versions of 'Did You Hear?' they rhetorically ask if it's true that God can shape a nation. My emphatic answer is YES HE CAN! HE WANTS TO AND HE WILL, AS HIS PEOPLE PRAY!

The question is will we??

God and Going Green

Like most British Columbians, I got my Climate Action Dividend Cheque last week. If you don't live in BC, this is a $100 cheque given to every British Columbian to assist in transitioning to a more green approach to living and to off-set the cost of the carbon fuel tax that was added on July 1. The intent is to encourage us to live greener lives and to become more aware of the impact of our actions on the climate. I wish this had happened at at time when world prices weren't hitting record levels, but at the same time, I think it's important to recognize that we have a responsibility to the environment in which we live.


The church has been strangely silent about the green initiative. For the most part our approach has been to hold to the idea that Jesus could return at any time (which He could) and that we needed to give ourselves to evangelism rather than than worrying about social and environmental issues. In most cases those who expressed environmental concerns, were seen as fringe and marginal. I think that is changing and for good reason. It's one thing to be seen as being culturally and socially relevant and so the idea of being seen as being 'green' has become very appealing to churches. I read of one denomination that is going green by changing to LED lighting in their facilities, upgrading windows, furnaces and kitchen equipment in order to reduce their carbon footprint. I'm not sure that going green is going to actually translate into seeing people come to faith in Christ, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.

I found an interesting article today about a church conference recently held in Vancouver called 'Faith and the Environment'. Apparently 125 theologians from multiple faith groups came together to talk about God, the Church and the Environment. You can read more about the actual event by clicking here.

I believe that God has given us dominion over everything and made us stewards of creation. For most of North American Evangelical history, we have approached the environment as a resource to be plundered and pillaged. I think we missed the point. Stewards care for resources they are entrusted with. They don't indulge themselves on resources that don't belong to them. We have indulged ourselves to excess and lived without regard for the environment around us. In the process we have fouled lakes, rivers and streams with our pollution. I grew up in Northern Ontario about an hour from a pulp mill. I remember the smell and the pipe dumping murky brown liquid into the river. Years later (after First Nations people began dying from mercury poisoning on reserves downstream), the company was forced to do a massive clean up and had to dredge the river to clean up it's poison. I can still remember the smell of the mud.

We have filled the air with toxins and cancer causing chemicals without thought or regard for the safety of future generations. When it became socially unacceptable to do these things in Canada or America we off-loaded those processes to countries where pollution didn't matter or affect us. I've been to both Mexico City and Beijing, China. On most days the air is murky at best.

At the same time, I believe that God has entrusted us with the resources of the earth for the purpose of sustainable provision and enjoyment. The issue is in what we do to the earth as we use them and in how we obtain them. The church needs to lead in this area and have a credible voice because of our actions that support what we say.

Sallie McFague said it this way. The earth is our home, not a hotel room. That's a new way of thinking about things for most church people, but maybe one that we need to embrace more seriously. What do you think?

The WHO called?

I'm taking some down time this week. For the most part I'm hanging around the house doing some reading, watching Tyler play baseball and thinking about finishing up a few projects around the house that I haven't had time to get done.

Today I decided to ride the motorcycle along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. It would be a nice way to chill out and just enjoy the scenery. I left about 10:30 and got to a little place called French Beach about 45 minutes later. I pulled my phone and saw that I had 3 missed calls. I'm not sure about you, but in my world, 3 missed calls in 45 minutes tell me something's up. I listened to my messages. The first was from a blocked number but no voice. The second was from a blocked number with an important message to call as soon as possible. The third was from Barb saying there's an important message from the security department at the bank that you need to follow up on.

I tried to call from where I was, but the wonder of technology is that I could only get a US cell signal and even though I was standing in Canada the cell service thought I was in the USA. Therefore, I couldn't call to see what was going on. So much for some quiet, reflective time at the beach. All I could think about was what was going on. After about a whole 2 minutes of trying to relax, I got back on the bike and came home to find out what was going on. the trip home was much quicker than the trip there. Nothing says urgency like 'the bank wants to talk to you'.

I got home and picked up the phone and made the call. When I gave the agent the file number, she told me that my card had been 'compromised'. Somebody had stolen my information and was trying to make a bogus card. I asked how she knew this. She told me that someone had likely been arrested with my information in their posession but beyond that, she couldn't tell me anything more.

I had two very different thoughts flood through my mind at that point. The first was 'Thanks for calling and looking out for me'. The second was 'somebody stole my information.' 'How did they do that?' I'm pretty careful with my card. I don't let it out of my sight nor do I leave it lying around. But somehow, in someway, somebody was able to record and store my information. The irony is that a friend had the same thing happen to them a while ago and was telling me how they felt about it. In their case the person who stole the number used it to pay for the paving of their driveway. (Thieves can be really stupid!!)

I want to come back to my first thought for a moment. The credit card company watches over my card because it is an investment for them. I spend their money and they charge me interest if I don't pay it all back on time. They want to make sure that it's only me who spends their money because if it's not, they don't get their money back.

As I write this, a small bird is on the branch in the tree about 8 feet away. It's got a red crown and kind of brown and grey feathers. It's about the size of a sparrow. As I watch it, I'm reminded of what God says about his care for me. A sparrow isn't worth much, He says, but He sees it when it falls from the sky. He then goes on to ask how much more will He care for me and you because of His great love for us.

Talk is cheap. Love steps up to the plate and follows through. I didn't get the connecting time with God that I was planning for at the beach because I was distracted by my unsettling phone message. But... God sent me a message anyway through a seed thought for a blog post and the appearance of a sparrow in front of me as I wrote it.

The link takes me to one of my favorite songs. It is full of great memories and constantly inspires and reminds me of God's care and concern for me. I hope you enjoy it!

His Eye Is On The Sparrow by Big Mama

Memories From My Childhood

When I was growing up, I had the privilege of spending my summers on family farms that belonged to my uncles. Both of my parents grew up on farms so there were lots of places to visit and spending time with my cousins was always a lot of fun. The farms were mixed farming operations. That meant there were cows, calves, pigs, chickens and grain. If you read between the lines, it really means that there were chores to do. I learned to feed the cows, pigs, chickens, etc. I also got to help out with other farm tasks like cleaning the barn, weeding the garden (never a favorite...), cutting the grass and hauling hay bales.


Hauling hay bales was always one of my favorite things to do. It was one of the hardest jobs on the farm because it meant long days in the hot sun, lifting heavy bales and then unloading them in either the hayloft or building large stacks in the 'hayfence' that were 45 or maybe even 50 bales high. A good day of hauling bales meant that we left the farm by 7 to be at the hayfield by 7:30 and have our first load of 145 (that's 5 bales high, plus a double row across the top) back at the farm by 10. We tried to be back by 10 so that we could unload and get another load done before lunch. That process would be repeated about 5 or 6 times a day. Sometimes we would go with double racks (250 bales) although I'm not sure why we didn't do that more often.

Before my uncle and I would leave the farm for the field we'd stop by the house and my aunt would send out a large glass jar filled with water and ice, wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied up with baler twine. After our first load was filled we would stop and drink water out of the large glass jar. Water never tasted sweeter or colder. It would run down my chin and get the front of my shirt wet. This was a double bonus because as I rode on the fender of the tractor going back to the farm the breeze would dry it off and I would feel even cooler. As time went on and we became more sophisticated, we would bring a water cooler and drink from paper cups but it was never the same.

The reason for this trip down memory lane today is because near our house are several small hay fields and the farmers are bringing in the first crop. Early this week, they mowed the hay. There's nothing like the smell of freshly mown hay.... Then one day on the way home from work, I noticed that the hay had been raked into swaths. I always like to see the rows across the field. It's just so... geometric... I guess...

Then this past Wednesday, I was bringing the boys home from school and there was a farmer with a tractor and a flatbed trailer loading bales. He was 'setting the load' in the same way my uncles taught me to do it. I became so nostalgic that if I hadn't been in a suit and with the boys, I would have pulled over and asked if I could help load in the hope that he would have offered me a drink of cold water out of a large glass jar.

Maybe he would have have even tossed a few bales right over the rack when it was 4 bales high like my Uncle Jack could do just to show me how strong he was, or tell me some stories about growing up with my dad like my Uncle Willie would do...

I think I've just remember what I really liked about hauling bales... it connected me to the roots that have never left me. Those were good days... hauling bales...

My Singer...

Those of you who know Barb will know that she has an amazing voice and that she is a gifted worship leader. What you may not know is that she has spent the last year working very hard on her Gr. 10 vocal exam for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

She did her exam several weeks ago and got her results this week. In true fashion, her hard work was rewarded with an excellent result. She got 86 on her exam which she tells me is extraordinary. I'm really proud of her and even though I've yet to hear her sing in Italian, French and German, I've promised to sit in the front row for the family concert she will be doing when her mom comes for a visit.

Way to go Barb, we are all proud of you and your wonderful and talented (albeit non-posting) accompanist, Bonnie!

Leading Influence Expands to Ontario

Happy Canada Day! July 1st always makes me proud to be a Canadian! We live in an amazing country. I'm very happy to announce that we are expanding to Ontario effective July 1. Ontario is our largest province and Toronto itself is an economic, media and industry centre. Reaching the leaders of Ontario is critical to seeing a national transformation throughout our country.

We are thrilled to see how God has opened a door to a key province in our nation through a series of what we believe are God ordained events. Pastor Murray Lincoln will be our ministry associate leading the Ontario chapter of Leading Influence Ministries with a clear focus on ministry to elected officials. Pastor Murray has recently concluded his ministry at Northview Pentecostal Church in Peterborough, Ontario and is eager to begin establishing a strong ministry to political leaders. Pastor Murray's long track record of community ministry throughout his distinguished pastoral career has prepared him for this exciting next step. Pastor Murray and his wife Alida have been married for over 40 years and have two daughters and 6 grandchildren.

I want to challenge you to 2 distinct opportunities. The first is to begin to pray for Murray and Alida as they launch out on this entirely faith-based venture. They will need the favour of God to open doors and build bridges as they seek to serve and be a blessing to the leaders of the Provincial Parliament in Ontario.

Secondly I want to invite you to consider sowing a seed into Ontario. The Lincoln's will be raising their own ministry support and your generosity in terms of a special seed offering to help them as they get started will be an enormous blessing and encouragement to them. This tremendous opportunity to serve and reach leaders in Ontario is just another in the series of miracles that God is performing within government across our nation.

BC Cabinet Shuffle

Premier Campbell announced an anicipated Cabinet Shuffle today. Listed below are the names and ministries of the members of the new BC Cabinet. On behalf of our partners, friends and supporters I want to congratulate those who have been named to the cabinet, those who have been re-assigned roles and those who will continue on in their capacity. I also want to encourage our prayer network, friends and supporters to begin to pray for the new cabinet as they assume their responsibilities on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN:

NEW MINISTERS APPOINTED TODAY INCLUDE:
MINISTER OF STATE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS - HON. JOAN MCINTYRE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - HON. BLAIR LEKSTROM
MINISTER OF HEALTHY LIVING AND SPORT - HON. MARY POLAK
MINISTER OF LABOUR AND CITIZENS' SERVICES - HON. IAIN BLACK
MINISTER OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND THE ARTS - HON. BILL BENNETT

MINISTERS WITH NEW PORTFOLIOS INCLUDE:

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND LANDS - HON. STAN HAGEN
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINING - HON. GORDON HOGG
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OLYMPICS - HON. COLIN HANSEN
MINISTER OF FORESTS AND RANGE - HON. PAT BELL
MINISTER OF HOUSING AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - HON. RICH COLEMAN
MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND REVENUE AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR DEREGULATION - HON. KEVIN KRUEGER
MINISTER OF TECHNOLOGY, TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASIA-PACIFIC INITIATIVE - HON. IDA CHONG

MINISTERS RETAINING EXISTING PORTFOLIOS:
MINISTER OF ABORIGINAL RELATIONS AND RECONCILIATION - HON. MICHAEL DE JONG MINISTER OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND LABOUR MARKET DEVELOPMENT - HON. MURRAY COELL
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR MULTICULTURALISM - HON. WALLY OPPAL
MINISTER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT - HON. TOM CHRISTENSEN MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHILDCARE - HON. LINDA REID MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR EARLY LEARNING AND LITERACY AND DEPUTY PREMIER - HON. SHIRLEY BOND
MINISTER OF ENERGY, MINES AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES - HON. RICHARD NEUFELD MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT - HON. BARRY PENNER
MINISTER OF HEALTH SERVICES - HON. GEORGE ABBOTT
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL - HON. JOHN VAN DONGEN MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE - HON. KEVIN FALCON

A New Blog

I've started a second blog. PrayBC is taking off in a big way and so I thought it was important to have a blog for that part of the ministry. I see God doing something amazing with PrayBC and believe that it could become a catalyst for something transformational in our province over the next year. A second blog makes it easier to communicate the vision with clarity. It also makes the ministry easy to find. So... without further adieu, I'm pleased to present.... The PrayBC Blog! If you are a blogger or ministry leader, please add us to your links. I'll be happy to do the same for you. Click on the logo to get there!

PrayBC Report from Armstrong

From the Armstrong Advertiser - June 11, 2008

A special prayer meeting was held Sunday at Glad Tidings Church as a 'PrayBC' event. Pastor Bruce Brown said it was an opportunity for members of the community to come together as 'we reached up to the heavens in unity, love and respect for this province and community.'

He said it was originally planned to hold PrayBC gatherings across the province during Prayer Week for BC (May 1-7). However, organizers were at meetings in Toronto during that time. Pastor Brown said Tim Schindel with Leading Influence Ministries was instrumental in organizing PrayBC.

4 Levels of Faith

I'm a faith person. I am motivated by faith, inspired by faith and (at the risk of sounding pompous..) I live by faith. My faith is based on God's track record of keeping his promises and my confidence in His abilty to continue to do so.

I'm convinced that faith has 4 levels.

The first level is ... I CAN do it. The bible tells me that I can do 'all things' through Christ. The first step to accomplishing anything is to believe that you can do it. If I don't believe I can do something, then I certainly never will and the end result is that nothing ever changes. Believing isn't always easy, because you have to see past obstacles and beyond challenges and lock on to the goal. At the same time you must block out the cacophony of voices telling you why it can't be done, shouldn't be done or won't be done. Faith isn't fed by a choir, but by confidence in a promise.

The second level of faith is 'I WILL do it.' Something in the core of who we are shifts at this point. When we make a serious commitment to 'doing it', radical changes start to take place in our thinking, priorities and focus. We begin to pull back on areas that no longer fit with our new set of priorities. We begin to 'lighten our load' in anticipation of engaging a new task, goal, project or dream. 'I will do it' is a costly step. It's where we count the cost and determine whether we are willing to pay it. Most great opportunities wither on the vine and die at this point and it's simply because we lack the will to follow through and make our dream a reality.

The third level is 'I AM doing it.' When the seed of Leading Influence Ministries was sown in my heart in 2005, the reality was a long way off. But after a year of living in Victoria, visiting with MLA's, attending the Legislature, launching PrayBC and building a strong ministry foundation, I can say there's nothing quite like seeing the dream come to pass. It's incredibly humbling but it's also very exciting to see what God does and HOW he does it.

The fourth level is 'I DID it.' One day, you get to look back and say 'Hey, we did it...' This level is all about timing and perserverance. Keep your eyes on the prize, but at the same time watch for the wave of opportunity that will propel you forward. If you stick with it, you'll make it.

Whatever dream God has put in your heart, YOU CAN make it happen. If you already have the faith that you can, then strengthen your faith and move to I will. If you believe you will, then start taking consistent action andmove to the level of faith where you know that you know that I am.
Faith is a choice. In the first three levels of faith you move from one level to the next when you choose to.The fourth level is a matter of timing and perseverance.

Feed your faith, starve your fears!

** parts borrowed from Keith Cameron Smith.

PrayBC Report

Back in 1994, I was a part of something amazing. March For Jesus had been happening in Victoria for about 3 years and had become an exciting event in the city. If I remember correctly, '94 was the 'big event' that culminiated with a celebration on the lawn of the BC Legislature. Something like 5000 people filled the grounds to worship, pray and celebrate. In my mind's eye, that's where I see PrayBC one day.

Yesterday marked our first event here in the Capital Region. We had approximately 350 people join us for the day. The weather was perfect. The band was amazing and the flow of the entire event was marked by God's pleasure and presence. I am so grateful to the many volunteers who helped make this happen.

We had guests from Bremerton, WA., San Francisco, CA, Ontario and Austrailia. The gentlemen from Austrailia heard the band playing 'Shout To The Lord' and said, 'That's our song!' so he came over to see what we were doing.

We had some very positive and affirming feedback on the day. NO ONE complained about how loud the music was, (YAY) and several members of the Legislature staff asked if we would come again next year.

At one point as the event was moving along, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder at what we had begun. I can't help but think of the times in the bible where the people of God began to pray for their nation and what the results were. We'll keep doing PrayBC. The next year presents some incredible opportunities for the church to make a difference on it's knees through the upcoming Municipal elections in BC as well as a general election in just under a year.

What if we stopped singing about it, talking about it and actually did it?? How much fun would it be to see what God would do if we just invited Him into the process? I can't wait to find out!!!

I've got pictures coming of our event that I will post as soon as I get them.

Check back in a few days.

PrayBC Less Than a Week Away!

PrayBC is less than a week away. What began as an idea has become something so much more. We have communities across the province that are joining with us as we worship and pray together for our province. It's going to be an exciting day!

Here's what's happening so far. We have 12 communities that are committed to hosting PrayBC celebrations. If there isn't an event in your community, consider joining up with one in a neighboring community.

Pastors, while it's too late to launch a community event at this point, you might consider taking time during your weekend services to pray along some of the themes that we will be doing in the big events. There are some churches that have opted for this route as it suited their needs better. What matters to us is that we have people participating across the province in this historic event.

Be a part of something big!

Expanding Our Territory

We’ve been asking the Lord to expand the borders of our tent. It’s always interesting to see how God answers that prayer. In our particular case, I was able to speak at the National Conference of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in Toronto in early May. This was a tremendous opportunity to share about the vision and mission of Leading Influence Ministries.

In addition, I was also able to meet with Mel and Susan Finlay from Nation At Prayer. Mel and Susan are wonderful people that God has laid His hand upon to effect powerful change in our nation. Nation At Prayer is a national prayer ministry that engages leaders at a national level while at the same time supporting and encouraging ministries like ours at a provincial level. You can learn more about Nation at Prayer by visiting their website at www.nationatprayer.ca

What’s even more exciting are the invitations and expressions of interest and support from people we’ve just met. It’s interesting to see how God has been actively at work behind the scenes raising up and aligning ministries that can work together in partnership to minister among the leaders of our nation. speaking to people and preparing their hearts to partner with us as we move this vision forward.

All across our country God is laying a foundation and preparing the ground for a tremendous harvest among the leaders of our provinces and nation and it makes me wonder... God what are you preparing to do in our nation?

A Man On A Leash

I saw something that I’ve never seen before as I had a coffee at Starbucks last night. Just as I was sitting down I saw a couple walking down the sidewalk. For the most part they looked like any other couple. The first thing that made them stand out was that he was carrying a purse that matched her outfit. That struck me as a bit odd, but he’s not the first man I’ve seen carrying a woman’s purse

As they got closer, I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me and that I really should book an eye appointment soon, but as they got closer what I thought I saw was confirmed. He was wearing a dog collar and she had him on a leash.

Apparently I’ve been a dog owner for too long because my first thought when I realized what was going on was …. Nice leash!! My second thought was WOW! He sure heels a lot better than Zoe does! My third thought was ‘If they were in Langford instead of Victoria, he could be off leash…” (The city of Langford doesn’t require you to have your dog on a leash, only that it be under control and this guy looked pretty well behaved....)

For some of you the thought of a man being led around on a leash is appealing. For others, the thought is mortifying. The thought that comes to me as I write this is that there are people all around you and me who are being led around in the same way that the young man I saw tonight was.

Some are led by selfish desires, some by sinful desires, some by the desire to get ahead, some by the desire to be noticed and seen. Some people allow themselves to be led around in the hope that they will find security, love, identity, or acceptance.

Whatever the case may be in their lives or more importantly in your life, the reality is that is that Jesus makes the very bold statement that ‘He who the Son sets free is free indeed!’ That’s tremendously exciting and liberating. It’s also the only way we can truly live.

We’ve got some great dog walking areas near our house. Zoe usually gets a walk once a day. Because we live on a busy road, we walk her on a retractable leash. It’s not as nice as the one I mentioned earlier, but it does permit her greater freedom. While she gets excited when she sees the leash or hears the word ‘walk’, when we let her off the leash when we get to the park her first response is to run up a hill, down a trail or into the bushes. I think a lot of us respond to being truly free in that same way. We discover new things, new heights and a fresh way of living.

There’s a verse in the Psalms where David writes “I will run in the paths of your commands because you have set my heart free.” Every time I see Zoe run off leash, I’m reminded of that verse, but even more reminded that God intends the same thing for you and me.

Have a good one!