A Day to Remember

We'll be leaving the Philippines in a few hours...I've been coming here every year since 1999, and I think I can honestly say that this was the very best trip yet...last night's ministry in Iligan City was amazing, and today's visit to the incarcerated children at the Ozamiz Youth Detention Center was heartbreaking (they actually put these beautiful little kids behind bars in hot, overcrowded cells)...I'll tell you about it all when I get home, and I'll post the rest of the pics on Facebook...but the shots below show what was probably my favorite part of the whole trip...

The UNITE 2010 conference was held at the Chinese church retreat center in Ozamiz City which was started by Watchman Nee's congregation back in the 30's...to be in a place that was connected with Nee was cool enough, in and of itself, but the church's pastor (Pastor Ting) invited us to stay and combine our Sunday service with them, and what happened in that service was (for me) even cooler...the man in the picture is Chua Behong, and he is an elder in the church...he is 100 years old...I had the privilege of helping him serve communion to the three nations represented in the service (China, Philippines, USA)...

There's no way to describe how awesome this man is...he has all of his faculties, but more importantly, he's just completely filled with the Spirit...and with love...and with wisdom...he's everything you would hope that a spiritual man would be at 100...just being in his presence affected me, and touched me very deeply...

Here he is looking out over the international congregation, clapping his hands and saying "So many people together!"

One thing that really impressed me was the way he worshipped...Pastor Jimmie was leading some very loud and upbeat praise, and this centenarian stood and clapped his hands and joined in on every song...

As the service was coming to a close, we took some pictures together...

This is Pastor Ting, one of the sweetest guys you could ever meet...he interpreted for me when I preached (in Chinese), while another pastor interpreted in Cebuano...here he is explaining the Chinese Bible to me...

Here we are after church with Bishop Tom...

Then Chua Behong invited us to lunch...he gave me a very generous offering, and then for an hour just poured out amazing wisdom to all of us...he shared with us the secret of his long life (basically it's just being happy, according to him), and he really sort of transformed us all...well, I can't speak for everyone else, but he certainly made an impact on me...meeting him was such a blessing...I don't think I'll be the same...I certainly won't forget that day...

More later...

UNITE 2010 First Pics

Pastor Jun from the Sanctuary Interpreting








The Jimmies Mayo (IV and V) Leading Worship


Bringing Pastors from Different Denominations Together


Pastor Chad Smith Sharing



A Morning Session



Bible School Graduation


Ordaining Pastors


Celebration!

Everything is beautiful in this conference...His kingdom continues to come, as His will is done on earth as it is in heaven...God is very real, and His presence is tangible in Ozamiz City this week...

I heard dad did great Wednesday night...thanks for the reports...

All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
(Colossians 3:11 - The Message)

Stay Connected

Hey bloggers...

First, I want to thank CITN for your recent giving and generosity...the offering to Haiti has been sent (if you want to give more through the church, you may still do so...and, by the way, as far as I know none of the many Haitians in the church lost any loved ones in the earthquake, for which we are very grateful!).

I also want to thank many of you for stepping up in the last few weeks and helping us to turn a corner in our financial situation. As you know, to do that we were required by our lenders to get caught up and have all payments in on time for three consecutive months, and we have been able to do that for two of those three. But this month is equally important, so please keep embracing your responsibility to the continued success of our ministry (remember...we didn't need a miracle...we need YOU...YOU are the miracle!)

We're leaving today for the Philippines, and will be gone for 11 days. I'm taking my computer with me, so I assume that I'll be able to communicate with you and to keep up with the blog and Facebook. If for some reason I'm not, just keep us in your prayers, and please be sure to participate in the services (and give!). My dad will be ministering this coming Wednesday night, Pastor Michael Person will be ministering in the 9 AM service next Sunday, and P. Judah and Project 404 will be doing a special service in the 11 AM.

And remember that the just shall live by their faith...so keep believing!

And stay strong...


I love you all...

More Pics from Uganda

I added these shots from P. Chad to what P. Ernie sent me...will add more as others from the group share their pics with me (also posted on Facebook)

We're Back!

Hey bloggers...we're home...trip was long, but everything was great...I don't have pics yet...when I get them and sort through all of them, I may put them in a new slide show and post it here...

I did post these three on Facebook, and several people have already commented on them there...they are just some random shots that Pastor Ernie sent from his phone to mine on the way home from the airport...

Here's one of Pastor Ben presenting the ordination candidates to me in the Sunday service at Good Shepherd's...

Here's one from one of the services in Bewenge...this is the church with the bats...you can't see them in the pic, but they were there...


We gave back packs filled with school supplies to each of the kids at the children's home...in this pic I'm putting one of them on the back of one of the younger student's...





I watched the DVD from the Sunday service at CITN...very cool...Pastor D.E. had a great word, and the excitement in the place was palpable...thanks for all the texts and tweets and FB messages about it...I like to hear good reports like that, especially when I'm very far away...

After I get the rest of the Uganda pics posted, I've got to get back into the paraphrasing flow and hit the rest of LITN hard...got to get this project finished...

But right now I'm going to lay down...

Thanks again for all your prayers...

Greetings from Holland!

Hey bloggers...I'm writing this from the airport in Amsterdam...we have a five hour layover here, after an eight hour flight from Entebbe...then a nine hour flight to the ATL...

Still processing all that happened this past week...can't imagine how it could have been any better...thanks for the prayers...the ordination service was very beautiful and anointed...the choir did songs they got from CITN, which was very touching...we installed about nine deacons, and 24 pastors...really sweet people...some from Good Shepherd's...others from different parts of Uganda, including the north, where they have been at war for the last 20 years...

In a word, the whole week was totally flawless and in the flow...

Spent some time with Pastor Ben discussing what we want to do next year...we're going to be in some different places ministering, and I also want to build a soccer field at the children's home...

When I get back, I'll post some pics from the trip...

I've been getting some great texts, tweets, and FB messages about yesterday's service @ CITN...I wanted to stream, but we couldn't do it because of getting to the airport at that time...

Sounds like everything was awesome...would love to hear more...

Got lots to tell you...

Love you all...

Speak, Spirit...

Wow...what a week...so much to tell you all...but I have 35 Bibles to sign (we're giving one to each of the candidates for ordination in the morning), and we're leaving right after the service (remember there is a seven hour difference between home and here) and I haven't even started packing yet...

So I'll just say this...today wasn't technically a ministering day, but it may have been the most profound so far on this trip...I'll tell you all about it when I get back to CITN...

I don't use the 1611 KJV very much, but there's a phrase in that translation that just keeps rolling around in my spirit tonight, and it really summarizes this whole week for me: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly..." (1 Timothy 4:1)...

Don't know how to explain exactly why I can't let go of that phrase...don't know why I'm drawn tonight to the Elizabethan English word "expressly"...but I know that that's how the Spirit is speaking here in Uganda, and there at home...

I also don't know what my computer situation will be for the next 2 days of traveling, so this may be the last post until I am on Georgia soil...

If my phone gets back in the zone, I'll tweet as much as I can...

In the meantime, go ahead and post any comments you may have...I can put them through on my Blackberry at certain points...

I'm hoping we can stream the Sunday service from the Entebbe airport, and if we can, I hope to see a full house ITB @ CITN...

PEACE...

The Whole Earth is Filled With His Glory

Our day began with the entire team setting out on the long, tedious, three-hour drive to Kimuli, the first ministry event that we've all done together this week. Apparently, it's a pretty big deal that I/we visit these places like Kimuli and Bewenge, because, from what I hear, a lot of American ministers come to Uganda to preach, but refuse to leave the big city of Kampala, and go out to such remote areas. The people in these villages are honored and amazed that we are willing to come...

I preached in Kimuli last year, but today we went there because we were on a mission. We heard Jesus say, "I was an orphan who had no school supplies, and you visited Me, and gave Me my own bookbag filled with pencils and pens and paper and crayons and math sets"...we drove all the way to Kimuli just to visit the 75 beautiful little ebony-faced "Jesuses" who live at Good Shepherd's Touch Children's Home...the least of these...and it was totally worth it.

Once we got there we were welcomed by the children, and then we toured the grounds to see the improvements they have made since last year. In the dormitories, all the little bunk beds were neatly made up (by the children)...the farm where they learn agricultural skills was productive...we saw the brick "piggery" that they just built with funds from Kids In The Now, and also the improvements made with that money to the little chapel. We visited the young women, many of them pregnant and HIV positive, in the sewing class of the vocational school that they built on the grounds there since we were here last year. The building where the young men will learn carpentry skills is still under construction...

Then we sat down and the children sang for us...little angels, every one of them. After that we lined them up and handed out the bookbags, personally putting them on their little backs (I know I'm over-using the word "little"...but there's just not a more appropriately descriptive word for them)...then we had to leave to get back for the service...beautiful children running after the vehicle, wanting to shake your hand one more time before you go...thanking you in their broken English...dozens of little hands and faces in the car window...leaves a lump in your throat...

Lunch in Jinja on the way back...wonderful...

Then we went by the hotel to change for the evening service.

The traffic in Kampala was insane, which caused us to be quite late for church. Good Shepherd's is currently located in a bustling and very crowded hillside ghetto, with winding, narrow, rocky dirt roads that would be impossible to navigate without four-wheel drive. After you park, you have to balance your way through some rather treacherous terrain to get inside the new building (built mostly with funds from CITN).

When we walked in (to shouts and a standing ovation), the place was packed, and the service had already been in progress for a couple of hours. The dust rising up from the dirt floor had created a sort of haze that took a minute for our eyes and lungs to adjust to...

But the praise and worship was beautiful. Pastor Ben brought many of the songs we do at CITN back to Uganda, and as they began to sing "To Worship You I Live" (using the keyboard that Karen Long donated to them), he motioned for me to come take the mic. So I did, and as I began to sing with them, the haze from the dust turned into the cloud of the glory of God.

When we finished singing, I ministered briefly about the 'Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil' paradigm vs. the 'Tree of Life' reality. They definitely responded well to the revelation. Then I called for the Pastors so that I could lay hands on them (many of them will be going back to their villages tomorrow), and as I prayed for several hundred of them, I experienced a connection with them that is hard to describe...

While I was laying hands on their heads, the choir was singing "How Great is Our God", but as I prayed for the last 50 or so, they began to sing "You Said"...

Well, let me tell you...you know I love that song...and as the last of the Pastors returned to their seats, I once again took the mic and sang with them (about a hundred times, I think)..."Ask, and I'll give the nations to you...O Lord...that's the cry of my heart...distant shores and the islands will see Your light, as it rises on us"...

It was an unforgettable experience...

This year has been different from last year...the schedule, believe it or not, hasn't been quite as full...as I said, the AIDS clinic didn't work out, nor did the prison camp to minister to the condemned men...

But this week has been all about building relationships...the second trip means something special to them (and us)...

That's all I can say right now, other than it's all good...

Peace...

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

Hey bloggers...I tweeted earlier that I would blog about the day, but it's been a very full and long one, and it's quite late now (even for me)*...and we have to get up in a few short hours to take the long trip to Kimuli to deliver the bookbags full of school supplies to the kids at the children's home...so...I'm going to be brief...

In a word, today was heaven on earth...all day...seriously, one of the best days of my life...

I/we ministered at Good Shepherd's all day, and it was...I don't know...I don't have words for it...

We didn't go to the AIDS clinic as planned because the one on the schedule was a different one from the one we visited last year...this one didn't have full-time patients, and was Roman Catholic run, and the administration didn't want us praying for people...so we opted out of the visit because I'm interested in people...not in simply touring a medical facility...

But the meetings at Good Shepherd's...oh..........my........

I love these people, especially these Pastors, so much...I can't begin to tell you...

The CITN community would be surprised to hear the way that I preach here, because I don't really "preach" at home...I teach...I exhort...I communicate...

But here, I preach...and prophecy...

It was...well, it's hard to explain...

I am very much at peace in my calling here...

After church tonight we went to Pastor Ben's house for a wonderful dinner...and it was just...family....

Such a wonderful day...and Rosette (P. Ben's wife) showed me the book bags we'll be delivering (we gave them the money for them, and they bought the supplies and assembled them)...

When I looked inside the bags (which all have tags attached to them which say "Donated by Church In The Now")...when I saw their pencils and writing pads and crayons and books (also stamped with "Donated by Church In The Now") and other school stuff, I nearly burst into tears...

You can't believe how beautiful these children are...many of them are HIV positive or even have AIDS...but they're all beautiful...and they want to go to school...

Thank you to those of you who contributed to buying their school supplies...

I heard dad did great last night...thanks for supporting him, and for giving me good reports...I love you all...

Well, I guess that wasn't so brief, after all...

I've got to go to sleep now...

Mookama Yebazibwe!



*The blog is on EST, so whatever time it says this was posted is seven hours away from when I actually posted it...

Great Day in Uganda

Today was wonderful...excellent...awesome...of course, things were immediately better once we finally got our luggage...except for P. Chad...they brought him the wrong suitcase, so he had to wait a few more hours...but he finally got his, and he and Lori and Erik and Karen went back to Kampala and had an amazing day at Good Shepherd's Touch...Erik will probably blog about their experiences later...

Because of the luggage drama we missed the morning meeting in Bewenge, but after lunch the Pastors Rogers and Joel and I took the long, arduous journey back down there for an afternoon service. First, we toured a school that is in dire need of help, met with the Headmistress, and had a good prayer with her. Then we returned to do a session at the church with the bats (they were a little more subdued today, but P. Avery said she counted about 50 of them, still...)...

The church was filled...about twice the number of people that were there yesterday, and many of them had testimonies of healings from the outdoor service yesterday when I laid hands on them. After the teaching I laid hands on all the Pastors that were there, which is really the thing I love doing the most here, while a kind of monsoon swept in. After the service we ran for the car and headed back to Kampala to attend a cultural center there that has a really nice and impressive kind of outdoor dinner theatre where they do an evening if tribal dances and Ugandan ancestral music...

The presentation was absolutely amazing...the energetic dancers were incredible, and the rhythmic, percussive music is very powerful and dynamic. What was really, really cool about the evening, however, was what happened when the emcee/producer was doing his part of the act. He was in the middle of doing a kind of semi-stand up comedy routine when he noticed that I was sitting in the front row. I still had on my clerical attire (with collar) because we had gone to the theatre straight from the afternoon service. Suddenly, he became very serious, even tearing up, as he talked about how honored he was that a Bishop (he referred to me as "Lord Bishop") would come to see his show, and approve of it. He said that the European missionaries had stolen so much of African culture, telling the people that the drums and the ancestral dances were pagan and even demonic...he talked about how his mother became so religious and would only sing the hymns of the high church, telling him that he could never dance again. Then he began to say, nearly verbatim, the things that I said last year in Pastor Ben's church when his young people did the native African dances in church...he shared amazing revelation about how his ancestors were worshipping the one true God, and how my/our presence there tonight was a confirmation of that. I don't think I'm explaining it well enough, but it was really something...

Then the whole team came back to the hotel and had a great time of sharing about the things of God, and the things that had happened during the day...they really are an extraordinary group of people...

Tomorrow we're in Kampala all day...

Love to all...

Hey bloggers...I won't go into the long version of the story...bottom line is that the luggage has finally been picked up and is being brought to the hotel...should be here within the hour...suffice it to say, we couldn't have gotten through another day without it if you know what I mean...

Anyway, I had said yesterday that we would be ministering in Jinja, but I was mistaken. The meetings were actually in the village of Bewenge, about a 2 hr drive from Kampala. It's close to Kimuli where we ministered last year, and where Good Shepherd's Children home is (where we'll be going later in the week). In the morning we held a really wonderful Pastors' conference with the theme of 'Excellence in Leadership'. I used the outline from the series I did years ago called 'The D-Force' (The Power of: Dreams, Desire, Decision, Determination, Diligence, Discipline, and Demonstration)...it was really cool...I had a great interpreter (one of the young Pastors we ordained last year), and the Pastors soaked it up like a sponge, taking copious notes, and showing that they have a great GIF ("get it" factor)...

The only challenging thing from yesterday morning (besides the long drive there, which is actually better than it was when we were here before because they have greatly repaired and improved the road), was the bats! The church is sort of a semi-open air building, and, hanging upside down, right above my head as I ministered, were about fifty of the largest bats I have ever seen. I really had to put it out of my mind and focus on my word because bats sort of creep me out, and these creatures were definitely NOT nocturnal (as I thought all bats were)...all during the teaching they were periodically swarming around and swooping overhead...in my peripheral vision they looked like small pterodactyls...and I wanted to avoid being decorated with guano, which I think might sort of push me over the edge...it was really something, but, at least there were no malaria-carrying mosquitoes around (or any other bugs, for that matter) because those big boys had eaten them all...

Then we drove back up to Jinja, which is on the Nile, and had a very good lunch with Pastor Ben and some of his staff at one of Idi Amin's old haunts...then we went back to Bewenge to meet with the Mayor and some of the City Council, who took us on a tour of one of their health clinics and a very primitive open market, both of which are badly in need of some modernization. I don't know what we can do for them, but I may look into buying the clinic a refrigerator and some bedding...about 35 babies a month are born there, and it's really under furnished...

After that we did a big open-air meeting in the village...very powerful anointing there...I preached (P. Ben interpreted) and did a more conventional type alter call, telling the people that God had made peace with them, but that they needed to make peace with Him...the whole area in front of the staging filled up with people in response, and Holy Spirit gave me an effective way to lead them in a prayer of reconciliation...then I laid hands on hundreds of people for healing...all of that was awesome...

Then we (Pastors Ernie and Avery and Joel) took the long ride back to Kampala to meet the rest of the team for a wonderful dinner...they had ministered at Good Shepherd's, and had had a beautiful day, as well...

The rest of the evening was spent in trying to connect with our luggage...and, as I'm writing this, P. Avery just called my room and said it was going to be another hour before our stuff gets here, so I don't know if we are going to make it back down to Bewenge as planned, or not...

The rest of our meetings for the week will be in Kampala, except for when we take the school supplies we bought to the boys and girls at the childrens' home...then we will ordain about 35 new pastors on Sunday...

Now if I could just have a change of clothes...

Greetings from Uganda!

Hey bloggers...those of you who are Facebook friends and Twitter followers already know that we're here in "The Pearl of Africa"....the trip was basically perfect, except for the fact that our bags haven't found us yet...we got the owner of the hotel gift shop to open up the store so that we could get some things to improvise with until our stuff gets here...meetings in both Jinja and Kampala start in just a few hours...obviously, we have wi-fi in the hotel, so I'll be communicating with you as much as I can...when you see the Ugandan flag over there on the spinning globe you'll know that it's probably one of us online...

I re-posted the slideshow pics of last year's trip so that you'll have an idea of what we're doing this week...

Thanks for the good feedback here and on FB and Twitter about last Sunday...I'd love to hear some more of it...

Peace to all...

Give Peace a Chance

Hey bloggers...I was looking through some files on the church computers to find Uganda pics to add to that slideshow (still looking for some from the Children's Home and the AIDS clinic, in case any of you from the team have any)...but in my search I found a few shots from our trip to Israel/Palestine some months ago that I hadn't seen...or if I had seen them, I had forgotten about them. Anyway, I came across this picture taken with a young Palestinian soldier in Bethlehem, just across the street from where most historians believe that Jesus was born.

The picture struck me as ironic and poignant for several reasons. First is the fact that this soldier is standing with a loaded rifle (where he probably stands every day), just a few feet away from where the Prince of Peace came into this world. Secondly, I was impressed with how jovial he was, and how agreeable to have his photograph taken with an American stranger. And third, what makes the photo especially significant to me is that I'm wearing a T-shirt that simply says "GOD IS LOVE".

All those elements together make this picture one of my favorites in an odd sort of way. On one level it communicates a certain sadness to see our smiling faces centered between two Palestinian flags, because I know how much pain and heartache there is in that region for both the Israelis and the Palestinians right now. I couldn't get the picture out of my mind, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Speaking of slideshows, check out all the new ones...it took me a long time to put them together (in between running around the house with Sofia, and watching about 500 episodes of Sponge Bob Square Pants with her).

And all the other blogs are being updated, so I'd appreciate some interaction from you on some of them.

But back to the peace thing, let me leave you with this today for your own life...

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 - Amplified Bible)

MITN XII, Verses 31 - 50

Hey bloggers! Wow...it was a challenge to get this finished, but I said that I would have the rest of Chapter 12 posted before I left for the Philippines, so here it is...now I can go to Asia in peace! All of the other blogs are also updated (a LifeSkills blog is in the making), but I'll probably put everything on hold until we get back to the U.S. on February 3.

I hope to hear from some of you before we leave in the morning, especially about this morning's service...

MITN XII, Verses 31 - 50

31. Speaking of Kingdom authority, let me tell you about the power of words . . . specifically, the power of your words to create by the ability and influence of the Holy Spirit. You see, every sin and blasphemy can be automatically forgiven people because of the mercy extended to the limited flesh, but when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, your words become so effective that they literally create your reality. So when you speak things out of your mouth which are contrary to the purpose and nature of the Holy Spirit, you actually speak blasphemy against Him; and He can’t forgive you in order to prevent those words from coming to pass, because He has empowered you to have what you say. You’ll just have to deal with the consequences of whatever you’ve said, whether for good or for evil.

32. You can speak against Me as the Son of Man, and I’ll automatically forgive you of your wrong words; but when you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, the words that you speak against His nature will have to stand just as you said them. They will not be erased through forgiveness in this dimension, or in the one to come.

33. If a tree is good and full of life, its fruit will be good and life-giving…if the tree is bad and full of death, its fruit will be bad and deadly, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

34. You brood of vipers, how can you who are motivated by the evil side of religion say anything good? For out of the abundant overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

35. People of good intention bring good things out of the treasure stored up in them, and people of evil intention bring negative things out of the dark thoughts stored up in them.

36. And on the day that you give an account for the quality of your life, you will realize that its outcome was determined mostly by your every word, and you will have to explain why you didn’t create a higher standard by speaking better ones.

37. In that respect, your words will either make or break you.

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

39. He answered, "An immature and manipulative generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the earth’s heart.

41. The people of Nineveh will stand up when this generation is judged and accuse it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

42. The Queen of the South rises in judgment with this generation and sentences it; for she came from a faraway land to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

43. "When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places…places that have not been watered by the water of the Word…seeking rest, and does not find it.

44. Then it says, 'I think I will return to the house I left.' And when it arrives, it finds the house vacant and unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

45. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits even more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And so the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked, unaware generation."

46. While Jesus was still addressing the crowd, His mother and brothers came and stood outside, wanting to speak privately with Him.

47. So someone interrupted Him and said, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you right this minute!"

48. But He calmly and rather matter-of-factly replied to him, "Who, exactly, is My mother, and who really are My brothers?"

49. Then, pointing to His disciples, He said, "Right here are My mother and My brothers.

50. For true family is not defined by name or blood or genetics. As far as I am concerned, whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Hello from Korea!

Hey bloggers.

I have a few minutes with a computer, so I thought I'd open up the shop for business...just streamed the service (it's 2:30 AM here on the Pacific Rim) and I have to say, even if he is my son, that Judah Benjamin rocked the house today! I just sent him an e-mail that said "This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased"...

Everything is amazing here...perfect trip...spoke to my largest audience ever this afternoon...around 75,000 people...mind boggling...tell you more about it when I get home...lots happening...

Dad and I have had the best time ever, and are going to spend some time tomorrow at Dr. Cho's Prayer Mountain (in case you don't know, his church is the largest in the world...

Dreams do come true...

Love you all,

Peace

Those of you who were ITB today looked great...made me homesick to see everyone, especially my very blond wife...

We Speak To Nations

It is an awesome thing to be involved with a ministry that has a global pulpit, and is a prophetic voice to the nations. We're still receiving so many amazing praise reports from the GPF Interfaith Service earlier this month, and we continue to gain new members at CITN who are a part of the international community. Our cyber-congregation is thriving, and the streaming of the services over the internet blesses people around the world every week. We are also ever evolving in our understanding of diversity, and the role that we, as the Body of Christ, are playing in that dimension, as we tear down walls and build bridges.

Here are some updates on what is happening in the world of CITN...

KOREA

Thanks for praying about the trip to Korea with my dad. As I told you a few days ago, I've been invited to speak at the International Leadership Conference in Seoul, that will convene on November 6-10. The ILC is different from the Global Peace Festival, in that it involves ambassadors, heads of state, and people in government more than ministers and faith leaders, so it's a real honor for a minister to be invited as a speaker. The theme of the conference is "Toward a New Paradigm of Leadership and Good Governance”, and I'm very excited to be a part of it.

Anyway, they've invited my dad to come with me as their guest, and it's going to work out fine with his and my schedule to do it. He was able, after all, to get a new passport (it should be here day after tomorrow), and he's having cataract surgery on this coming Tuesday, so he will be recuperated enough by then to go.

There will be a GPF at the end of the conference, and then he and I are going to spend an extra day in Seoul to visit Dr. Cho's church - the largest church in the world - and to go to his Prayer Mountain (I've never been). This will be the first trip that dad and I have taken together in over 25 years, so we're really looking forward to it. Thanks again for praying, because the Lord has definitely worked out the details.

PHILIPPINES

Thanks, also, for receiving Bishop Tommy yesterday, and for ministering to him at the alter, and for giving in his offering. As he admitted at the end of his sermon, he was having a bit of a struggle in his preaching, but I want you to know that everything is OK with him. He's just been working very hard the last few weeks here in the states, raising funds for the ministry there in Ozamiz City, and is very ready to get home to his beautiful wife and children. His return has been delayed a week, so that he can preach in one more church before he leaves, and those extra days, though necessary, make things more difficult for everyone concerned. I really wish that he had shown some pictures of what they are doing there, because you would be very impressed to the see the pictoral evidence of the fruit of their labor.

I'll be going there at the end of January to do the UNITE! Conference for the pastors and leaders who network with him. For those of you who might be interested in going with me, I'll be leaving on Monday, the 26th (1/26/09), and the meetings will take place on Wednesday through Friday (1/28 - 1/30). Then I'll stay and preach at The Sanctuary (his church) on Sunday, February 1, and return to the states the next day.

UGANDA

The conference will be similar to the one we did in Uganda last month, and I'll be ordaining several pastors on that Sunday like we did at Pastor Ben's church in Kampala. Speaking of Uganda, I'm looking forward to meeting with all of the Uganda team this coming Wednesday night after church.

I really love connecting with pastors in this way. In fact, I prefer these types of meetings to the typical crusades that most American pastors hold in foregin countries. To me, building relationships is what it's all about, which is why I want to do an annual leadership conference in both the Philippines and Uganda, indefinitely. I haven't firmed up the exact dates for Uganda next year, but Pastor Ben and I have discussed the first week in September.

USA

We discussed this last night at the Care Pastors' meeting, but I want to reiterate how important it is right now to keep the United States lifted up in prayer. Aside from the current financial situation (which I personally believe is going to reveal great things in and for the Kingdom of God), this election year has brought about acute division and extreme polarization in this country.

Now, I want you all to be informed, and of course I want you to vote...but more than anything else I want you to pray...and to set an example of love and harmony...and to build bridges...and to be peacemakers. I love the Republicans and I love the Democrats (and the Independents and the Libertarians)...but more than that, I love America, and I don't want to see it divided on November 5 (I'll actually be flying to Korea on that day, but I'll be here in spirit).

Anyway, vote your conscience and your convictions in the election, but do what you can to promote unity. And whoever moves into the White House on January 20, make the decision to respect him as your President, and to pray for him as the Scriptures tell us to do.

"We speak to nations, the Kingdom is coming near to you, we speak to you... BE FREE!"

Have a blessed day!

Tea or Coffee?

Hey bloggers,

I like these two cartoons, and wanted to post them because I think that they are relevant right now for several reasons...they may or may not speak to you...

Hope you're having a great day...today's AYITN is from the chapter I used for Sunday's sermon (even though the entry is in a different flow from the word that came forth)...but I think it's a good one...check it out...

Pastor Varner's wife, Joann, was at Apostle McCurry's funeral Saturday, passing out copies of the book (which is still my/our best seller) to some of the people who were there ...she and Kirk Talley both keep introducing it to new audiences, which is awesome...

I've been invited to Korea to speak for an ILC/GPF in a few days, and my dad has been invited to go with me...he can't find his passport (which is expired, anyway), so be in agreement that we can get one for him in time...

On second thought, just be in agreement for the right thing to happen, because if we can't get one for him, Debye will go with me, instead, and he'll stay and preach on the Sunday I'm gone...either way is cool with him (and us), but I think that he'd really like to go, and I think it would be good for him...he and I haven't gone on a trip anywhere together for over 25 years...

And be in agreement for the direction of the United Rockdale Summit meeting today...I was going to go hear B. Tommy speak at Beulah Heights University this morning, but I think I'll go to the meeting today, instead...lot's of important things to discuss...

Thanks to those of you who tithed for the first time (or for the first time in a long time) last Sunday...I command a blessing on you...

Anyway...be strong today...keep a good attitude...see the big picture...count your blessings...seek first the Kingdom...walk in love...and blog something...

Bye

Church On The Nile (And Then Some)

Later that day...











Hey bloggers, Thanks for the great comments today (currently 17)...I prematurely removed the "Happy Yom Kippur" that I had posted on the blog yesterday. I used Debye's computer to do it, and now I can't find the picture of the man blowing the shofar that I used (she's out of town - with her computer - speaking at the Unveiled Conference in Orlando). Anyway, Happy Day of Atonement...Happy Day of Reconciliation...OUR GOD REIGNS!


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Original Post:



This picture is not very clear (if you click on it, the enlarged image is much clearer) but I wanted to post it because it was taken the same day as the BLOGINTHENOW picture, but this shot is at the source of the Nile where Ghandi's ashes were scattered in 1948. I'm standing in front of a monument to him that marks the spot where the ceremony took place.

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments about the GPF. Reading them again enables me to re-live Tuesday night...which is really important, because it nearly seems dream-like to me...as if I imagined it. I'd like to hear from even more of you who were there.

If you weren't ITB or streaming last night, I encourage you to get the CD or DVD of the service. I think that the word that was delivered is important for everyone who hears my voice to hear, especially in light of all that is happening in the financial world right now.

Speaking of the world's current financial situation, here's a couple of passages from John In The Now that might help balance out all that you're hearing on the news:

“Peace I leave with you; I’m talking about My own, personal sense of peace, wholeness and well-being; I’m actually transferring it to you. You see, My peace is unlike the peace that comes from this realm...the peace that is reactionary and temporal, dependent on outward circumstances to determine its strength and presence. My peace is other-worldly – settled, absolute – causing you to be in harmony with your whole life – past, present, and future – and ultimately with the whole of creation. It will empower you to refuse to let your heart (your inner world) become troubled, agitated, or upset, no matter what is happening around you, and you can be fearless because you will be at peace with the Father, with yourself, and with the universe. (John 14:27 - JITN)

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have real peace and confident serenity. Now don’t be naïve to the fact that, in the world, you will have trouble. It is a given. But, take heart! You can celebrate and live a joyful life, regardless of any circumstances in your life, because I have completely overcome the trouble of the world and have set the example to show how you can overcome it, as well!” (John 16:33 - JITN)

As I said last night, all day Tuesday seemed to be unusually miraculous for us...I'm curious to know if anything out of the ordinary happened to you on Tuesday, whether you experienced the GPF or not.

So...What Did You Think?

(click to enlarge)