Light the Darkness

What a Week!

Belinda and I started the week at Tall Oaks for a retreat for Pastors in Olathe.  There were more   Pastors present for this prayer event than any Pastor's Prayer retreat any of us could remember.  Gary Schmitz, Steve Weber and Nancy Mitchell coordinated the event. The goal was to down-shift into intimacy with God and to connect in John 17 unity.  I felt like we got there.  For me it took some time.  It was almost like I had to go through decompression first.  God gave us a great burden for one church with many congregations. I believe we will press in to delight in God more than before and we will work together in unprecedented ways. 

This was the last week for Nancy Mitchell as my Assistant.  She starts training Angie Stevenson on Monday and they will work together the next two weeks.  She has served effectively for nine years.  Nancy is going to work for Citywide Prayer in a new capacity.  She will serve as a volunteer for a job that she will create.  God has put it on her heart to teach and coach churches to become houses of prayer.  She will continue to serve at Indian Creek as our prayer coordinator where she does a super job.  I'm very grateful and thankful for the way Nancy has walked in courage and faithfulness.  We are a better church for the ways she has used her gifts.  Help me thank Nancy for a job well done.

Tonight I performed a wedding for Brandon Estelle and Tracy Anderson.  It was a lot of fun.  Brandon is one of the most creative, fun and talented people I know.  He has been the drummer for Superchick for the last four years.  All the band joined him in the wedding party.  The wedding went great except that I forgot one of the live songs.  Ray got all ready to sing, he had his guitar out and I left him hanging out to dry.  Whew! I've never done that before.  But Lester Estelle Sr. and I tied the knot tight and we all had a good time.  The reception was a lot of fun.  Brandon invited several bands and individuals to play and sing.  Wow! Talk about talent!  It wa great to talk to the members of the Superchick band and learn that they are the real deal.  Sometimes when you meet people who are famous you go away disappointed with their personal life.  In this case it was just the opposite.  I wish Brandon and Tracy the best.

If you want to listen to some Superchick click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCxZvD_wZ6I

My New Buddy

Here is a picture of my new buddy for the next three weeks.  I get to do a series of exercises with my hand four times a day and wear this soft cast.   We already have this new routine at our house.  I take my cast off and Belinda says, put your cast back on.  Then I say, I'm doing my exercises and move my wrist around.  Should we establish and over/under on whether my new buddy makes it three weeks or not?

Anyway I do have a great appreciation for the healing process.  I don't know why it is this way but we often don't appreciate our health until we lose it.  I've watched Belinda rehab her ankle and I can tell that most of the movements we take for granted are not that easy for someone recovering from a broken ankle.  Now simply bending my wrist completely forward or backward is painful.  The good news is I should make a full recovery and in the process become even more grateful for God's amazing creation. 

It is incredible that as intricate as our body is it is also made to regenerate cells and heal itself.  Who could imagine that our bodies have evolved from a cosmic accident.  I thank God that Belinda can break her ankle and have the ability to be walking again in eight weeks.  I can have surgery on a cyst just below my wrist and wear a splint for 3 weeks.  Amazing!  What a mighty God we serve.  No wonder He calls Himself, Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer.  I can hardly wait to lose my cast but I'll never lose my great appreciation for my Maker.

The Other Side of the Knife

Usually I'm privileged to pray with people before surgery.  I get to support them and quote scripture promising them I'll hold them up as they recover.  I like that role better than the one I have today.  I'm having a cyst removed from my right wrist.  I feel peace about it but at the same time, when does anyone really feel great about being cut even if it is necessary.  If all goes according to plan the surgery starts at 8 a.m. and will be over by 9.  I should get to go home when I wake up from being sedated.  They say I'll be down for a day or two then I'll have a bandage and a soft cast for acouple of weeks. I'm not sure how it will affect my typing, you might see some really short blogs typed left handed via the hunt and peck method.

My trust is in God who never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  As the writer James says, He is not like some shifting shadow.  I agree with Job, "though He slay me yet shall I love Him"  Don't worry, I'm not being morbid, I think the story will have a good ending.  Remember I have at least 17 of the 21 Days left right?!  The point is that I trust Jesus with my life and the life to come.  You can't go wrong when He is in control.  I'll see you on the other side of the knife. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Concert of Prayer

Last night Belinda and I attended the Concert of Prayer at Indian Creek Community Church.  It was intergenerational with three of the leaders being students.  A very special part was "enacted prayer."  If you've not seen it--a small group of people act out what it might look like for a particular prayer to be answered.  It moved me to tears more than once.  Logan Lindahl and Lester Estelle did a super job leading the worship.  We prayed in small groups for a variety of different prayer focuses.  Cole Spriggs and Andy Elliott did a great job leading those segments.  What they shared and the way they shared was right on.  The common theme was prayer for the next generation. 

What made it special for me was the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.  It was very tangible.  At one point God was working so powerfully that Lester put down his guitar and knelt in prayer.  I've been in a lot of services at Indian Creek over the years and this ranks up near the top in the category of services marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I'm so thankful. 

It is very interesting to me that in the morning before I went to the prayer group before the first service I thought I heard God say, that there is "a turning".  I said, what is a turning, what does that mean.  When Brandon Estelle sang on Sunday morning I had the strong sense that the words were in reference to the younger generation taking the lead at Indian Creek.  Then again on Sunday night as Logan was leading I had the same impression that the turning is the younger generation not being missing but actually leading.  I think God is at work and we need to make room for the younger generation.  I want to cooperate with the leading of the Holy Spirit.  I'll be praying about how to do that and how to behave in such a way that I follow through.

Meet with God

This morning I went to the prayer room at 1 a.m. When I went in I met Brandon Wyatt who was leaving.  He talked for ten minutes about what a great hour he just had.  The worship music was cranked and his enthusiasm was inspiring.  He told me about a three hour stint he put in earlier this week and how awesome it was to experience God.  He showed me a journal entry from a person who wrote that their hour in the prayer room was the highlight of their 68 year walk with God!  Wow!

After he left I began to thank God for His providence and immediately I experienced the presence of God with such intensity I could hardly stand it.  It was overwhelmingly positive.  The love and grace of Jesus felt like it filled the room and filled me.  I could hardly lift my head and my prayers dissolved into tears of gratitude, surrender and praise.  It was like Jesus was right there so close I could touch Him only since His presence felt so holy I was simply in awe and didn't need to do anything but drink it in.

I'm hoping that everyone will get in and meet with God.  Perhaps a next step for those having these kinds of powerful experiences would be to pray together in groups.  My guess is that would be even better to experience God corporately.

Talk to Each Other

Here are excerpts from my comment section on what is happening in the Prayer Room.  People are meeting the Living God and it is changing them:  Unlike most Sunday mornings, I awoke early. The Prayer Room was calling my name! I ran over real quick to check things out and then concentrated on those powerful scriptures placed by the fountain. God spoke to me through those words. Each scripture hit me in a powerful way. They do each time I read them in a fresh and new way. Isn't that an amazing thing about God! He seemed to underscore the part from II Chronicles, "My eyes are open and My ears are attentive to every prayer prayed in this place." That filled me with such comfort and hope, not just for myself, but for each individual who will be making his or her way into that room. He is eagerly awaiting the presence of His people there. He is also eagerly awaiting the presence of those who haven't quite figured out He is what they need, but come seeking and looking for answers and hope. The overwhelming peace of His presence was indescribable. 

Posted by: Sydney Martin | June 15, 2008 at 06:38 AM I arrived at the prayer room at my scheduled time. Being a guy I really like schedules. The man who had been praying the hour before gave me a hug as I enetered and told me it was a powerful hour and the time flew by for him. My wife had prepared me that there would be stations, which again was great for me because of the structure and schedule. As I sat at the station with the fence and read the scriptures I really desired to have some peace. You see like many people I find life to not be all that peaceful. However, since I was on a mission to accomplish my hour, my "old man" said move on! As I sat there for the briefest of moments I heard the Lord say in my heart "sit and be peaceful". I just froze and relaxed. As I prayed I pointed across the fence at the signs that said Enjoy His Presence and Experience His Peace and I said "I want those"!. Afeter spending some time in prayer I moved on. When I came to the station to worship I went prostrate before His throne. I felt so calm in prayer. I rose and sang and then again bowed down low on my hands and knees before the cross. I prayed with my head on the floor that God would guide my hand to the nail I needed. With my eyes closed and head down I reach into the bucket and sure enough I looked in my hand and there was a nail that had written on it "Enjoy His Presence" and "Experience His Peace"!! How awesome is that!! I am so thankful that God provided for me a more than Power Hour. What a Great and Wonderful God we have.  Posted by: Kent Ewonus | June 22, 2008 at 06:38 AM   

You can find these and more in my comments section.  Talk to each other and let's keep the fire going!  The things of man naturally wind down when you let up on the human effort.  The things of God build up.  I'm praying that this builds and builds until we have the revival for which we are praying.

Rest

Fridays are my day off.  I take a day in the week off because Sunday is a full on workday.  Rest for me isn't necessarily putting my feet up in a hammock although that is a good thing too.  It is a break from the normal schedule.  It is great to have a change of pace especially when it includes family and friends.  Today I got up early to play golf with my partner in CMA, Robin Wood.  Robin and his son Brady played with me and my son Luke.  We played in a scramble tournament. We were very disappointed on the front nine because we were only one under.  Robin said we were the worst team he ever played with in that tournament.  On the back nine we turned it around big time.  We shot nine under!  We had seven birdies, a par and an eagle.  The winning team was twelve under so we started too late but what a run!  That was so fun.  Now Robin is saying that this is a round he will never forget.

In the afternoon I did take a nap--how about that!  And then I went running.  It was really hot and about mile 4 I was questioning the wisdom of running in the afternoon.  I wished I had taken my water belt with me.  About that time a guy came running toward me with a water bottle in his hand.  I was a little envious.  When he got to me he held it out to me and said, I'm a runner too.  I saw you run by when I was mowing my lawn and thought, there's a runner.  I bet he comes back by on his way back from Mounds Park.  Sure enough I did and when I did he was ready.  I thought he must be an angel.  I stopped and we had a great talk.  He leads a running group and was recruiting for his team.  How fun!

Tonight we celebrated the 25th wedding anniversary for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Scott and Rhonda Green.  It was a blast.  There were great stories, funny memories, good food and dancing.  It was good to relax and play.  The party went to almost 11 so now I need to rest from all the fun.  I promised Belinda I would let her blog about the party since it was her sister so you'll have to check out her blog at belinda.kendall@indiancreek.org.  Get some rest.

What Does that Make Me?

Listen to the David Crowder song embedded below and you will hear the words that have been ringing in my head these last two weeks.  Crowder is one of my favs.  I love the new way he speaks eternal truth.  The line that gets me in this song is, You make everything glorious, what does that make me?  It is on his Remedy CD.

I know you think I have it all together but...I hope you are laughing now because I am :)  Anyway, the last two weeks I've had a hard time for a variety of reasons and during that time it is amazing to me how persistent Jesus is in communicating truth to me.  I can't get this song out of my mind and I think that is purposeful on His part.  Two days ago I went into the Prayer Room, I've been doing that more in the middle of my day lately, and I barely sat down before I felt led to read Psalm 121.  As soon as I turned there the Spirit was speaking to me pointing out those verses were for me and I was to take them to heart. By the time I left I felt like I had a meeting with Almighty God and I was refreshed.  Last night when I was running on the track at Pioneer Trail God spoke to me specifically about this time and I heard in my spirit, I know it is hard.  Today I went to the Citywide Prayer meeting I attend monthly and an intercessor I've known for years came right up to me, took my shoulders in her arms and said she had been praying for me and then spoke words that came right out of the Father's heart specifically for my situation.  I haven't seen her or spoken to her in months.  It seems like everywhere I turn He is there encouraging me and speaking to me.  Praise God!

As I was leaving Citywide Prayer Andy Comiskey, from Desert Stream Ministries came up to me and said, I remember you speaking here two months ago.  You spoke on introspective prayer and how you were leading your church to abide with God and take the pruning and discipline that comes with that.  How's that working for you?  I said, It's painful.  It hit me at that moment part of what is going on. 

I hope you realize this blog is not intended to be about me, I write to lift up the faithfulness of God to encourage His children.  Isn't His persistent and personal love amazing!  Yes, we are glorious because He Is and we are made in His image.  Enjoy the Crowder song below, He Makes Everything Glorious.

Why I Do What I Do

In a comment on my last blog Luke asks why I would raise money for China and not work to stop the war in Iraq.  It is a good question, why do I do what I do.  It starts with giving the first part of my day to a quiet time where I pray, study the Bible and journal.  I seek to know what God wants me to do.  I surrender the day to Him, that is the most important choice I make.

From there I attempt to discern His will and live out of my sweet spot which is where my gifts, passions and life experience meet.  The more I can work there the greater impact I'll have.  I also make my primary investment in things that will last my lifetime and beyond.

A little over a year ago I felt distinctly led to assist Project Partner.  It was motivated out of a prayer time I had in the 24/7 Prayer Trailer.  As things have played out I'm more sure than ever that I heard correctly.  Not only has my time and interest been a learning experience for me but God took a ministry that was leaderless and now has it being very fruitful.  This crisis alone is evidence of being there to support. In short, I'm doing this because I believe God asked me to do it.

I apply the same decision making process to whether I should use my time, energy and influence to address the war in Iraq.  Over the years I believe God has steered me away from devoting myself to politics.  It is not that I don't have opinions on what our government says and does.  Our whole world is deeply affected by it.  It is not that I don't care what happens to people--I'm in the people business.  But I can't do everything so I listen and obey as best I can. 

I do care about the Muslim people.  Later this month I will be meeting with the leader of a ministry that is devoted to reaching Muslims for Christ, the Crescent Project.  We are considering some kind of networking with Project Partner.  I also want to introduce him, Fouad Masri, to the Indian Creek outreach team.

I don't use my life, ministry or blog to create a political platform and it isn't out of a lack of convictions on the issues--it is strategic in how I use my time, influence and resources.  I hope this helps with the question.

Mentors

J. Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, wrote these words about doing the will of God, I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.  Those are the words of a veteran in following Christ.  I'm encouraged when I read it because He's been there and done it.  This is the value of a mentor.

I've been looking for a mentor for over a year, someone who is leading a church that is five steps ahead of us (not 25) and who has a vision for planting churches and doing a multi-site ministry.  I've made inquiries in different directions but ran into several setbacks.  I shared my desire with Dick Anderson, my good friend, from Willow Creek Community Church and he gave me a lead that has potential.  Dale Peterson from Eaglebrook Church in Lino Lakes, MN, is flying down to Indian Creek to meet with me in early September to see if we can set up a mentoring schedule. 

They are a multi-site church running over 6,000 in two locations and soon to add a third.  They recently launched the Eaglebrook Association to assist churches in planting, growing and going multi-site.  Dale will move from pastoring to leading the Association in August.  His specialty is connecting vision to measurable strategic steps.  They've found ways to track spiritual growth in individuals and within the church body then with that info they've applied tactics to increase the fruitfulness.  They shared what they learned with other churches who also experienced growth.  I'm excited because I want us to burn white hot for Christ and I want us to bear much fruit for the kingdom of God.

The picture you see on the left is a picture of Dunn River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamacia.  There we traversed a series of falls 695 feet in height.  It was a rigorus 45 minute climb.  The leaders insisted everyone in our tour hold hands.  At first I didn't want to do that.  It seemed like admitting weakness.  However there was no other option in their minds.  The guy in front of me was a great teacher, he continually pointed out the best rocks on which to climb.  He warned me about pools of water that were deeper than they appeared.  He helped me up several rocks which were taller than I could climb alone.  He passed on any word he heard from the guy in front of him and in the end we made it together. 

Belinda wrote about this in her blog and she talked about community but I kept thinking of the value of a mentor.  I intentionally mentor others.  I'm glad God is answering a prayer of my heart.  I'll let you know how it goes.