In a little while...

Have you ever felt like you just “got” something, and it made sense to you, but not to anybody else, and when you try to articulate it you sound like a babbling child who can’t put words together, because you don’t know how to explain it? Like you’ve downloaded some big file on your computer, but you didn’t have the right ‘zip’ program to unpack it all and put it to use? Well that is what this entry is like for me--and writing it and putting articulate thought to it is, in a way harder to do than having a conversation with someone about it with their interactive input or clarification on thoughts. So, that’s my disclaimer. And now, here I go and unload it all. I hope it makes some sense to y’all, and this is my official ‘end of the year’ New Year’s themed entry. You’ll be like “huh”, but trust me and follow me to the end…

Here is a revelation of the age we are in, and the age to come that many believers don’t seem to have a functional understanding of. If we did, the Body of Christ would live way differently than we do.

This age we live in is a temporary one. The one to come, is eternal. Where are you dwelling? Where are you planted?

The kingdom of God has already broken through into this realm, and not yet completely, both at the same time. The instant Jesus died on the cross, the powers and principalities of the air, and the results of the fall of man were defeated. But, in a sense--and this almost sounds heretical if I don’t choose my words carefully--not everything has been 100% implemented yet and still won’t be (so to speak) until Jesus Christ returns. Jesus has not begun to rule the new earth and new heavens, but He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, now. Meanwhile, the “present evil age” spoken of in Scripture (Gal 1:4) is passed, and still in the process of passing away. It has come to an end, but in our realm of understanding the concept of time, has not ‘been completed’ yet.

So in effect, we are in overlapping ages. We are in the already and not yet of the age to come, and the present and “passing away” of the evil age that the kingdom of heaven has defeated and ousted. The kingdom of God is ‘here’ and ‘not yet’ simultaneously without contradiction.

Is your head spinning yet? I think that’s as concise as I know how to put it, but re-read that a couple of times if you really can’t figure out what I’m trying to say.

With that all being said, where we live and dwell, and how we make our decisions shows which age we’re living for. Being stuck in this present age is a sign of immaturity, and being stuck and based out of the age to come while living here on this earth at this present time, is a sign of maturity.

What realm do you live your existence in?

If Jesus returned today, would you be mad or disappointed that you never got to fulfill your ministry ambitions? If you’re single and reading this, would you be disappointed He didn’t wait longer until after you could get married first? What about your education, secular or ‘sacred’—would you be upset with Him in your heart that He came to set up His kingdom before you could start your career and live the American dream, own a nice car, house and white picket fence? Which life are you focused on?

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:18-25

The nature of the kingdom of God is already here in our possession but not yet have all things been brought into subjection or given to us. All of creation is groaning, and waiting for us to get our act together. The children of God are groaning for the age to come—or are you fixed on this age and the cares of this life?

As verse 8 says, the sufferings of this present time (evil age) are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (age to come).

I guess with all the stuff that is going through my mind right now, as we end one year and begin another, my thoughts and the shape of my ideas come out as this entry and this message, with the backdrop I’ve laid out so far. Instead of writing about my thoughts on the year to come, and focusing on the year gone by I’d rather focus on the present, and say to any reading that need to hear this, whatever you’re going through, you’ve got to leave it in the past—it won’t last or survive or have any significance in the age to come. As the U2 song says, walk on and leave it behind.

Many of us have gone through our shakings, and things have been broken off of us and we couldn’t imagine how we’d handle it much longer, but we did, and we came out stronger. Some feel that way right now. In Hebrews 12:26 we are told God has promised “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The next verse goes on to say that this phrase indicates “the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.” The things we get broken off of us, are merely the stuff from this age, this life, in order that what remains is only the stuff that lasts in the age and kingdom to come. The more attached we are to the things of this temporary realm, the more painful that shaking is when it happens. I have people that come to mind and on my heart right now--who I know will never read this--but if they did, I wish I could take pain they’re going through away or encourage them to redeem it and not let it go to waste. I know that nothing we go through is for loss, but for gain eternally. This life is but a vapor, so leave the crap behind in that vapor that will disappear!

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
Hebrews 10:36-38

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10

This life is just a little while. After this little while comes the eternity which is based on THIS little while! John Bevere writes an amazing allegory that takes up about 1/3 of his newest book, Driven by Eternity, about these characters who live in and train in a school, and then go off into their ‘professional’ lives, always under the impression that in ten years they will be taken before the king, and judged for what they did with their ten year period in preparation for life under this ruler’s kingdom, and rewarded or punished accordingly. Only, they are all gathered suddenly and unexpectedly after only 5 years, and now are going to be judged according to what they did with that five year period of their life. I strongly suggest and recommend reading this book if you want to be rattled and challenged about what realm you’re living your focus in.

To get back into the overlapping of the ages we’re in, the ‘little while’ temporariness clashes with eternity here, and it produces suffering. It produces testing for us to overcome, that we may be fit for that eternity. We are supposed to live victoriously above this world during the age, but it should never steal our focus off the age to come. This little while is a reference to a time of testing common to mankind. Don’t get me wrong, we only are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, but all things will be put through the fire.

The fire that purifies gold also turns what is not of gold to ashes. Malachi 4:1-3 states in clear detail the way the godly will be purified, and the wicked will be ashes under their feet, but the idea is that we need to be people that will withstand the fire, and not be vaporized both then and by the fiery trials of life. We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that what we build in this life will be tested with fire, and those that suffer loss are the ones who build with wood, hay, and straw—the things that are seen above the surface of the ground. Are the things in your life that are seen by all going to burn up in that day? This is precisely why there will be many ministries in that day, doing mighty glorious works and who are even anointed powerfully, and they will have their works burned up with nothing to show for it, saying to Jesus “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' (Matt 7:21-23). They built a ministry in this lifetime that was seen by many, but had no eternal or everlasting significance in the kingdom to come.
The gold, silver and precious stones, those are the things buried and hidden. Do you have things said and done in secret that are worthy of being shouted from rooftops in that day? Those are the things that will withstand the fire.

The things some of you are going through, the things that make you want to cave in and give up, are meant to purify you, whether it feels like it or not. Wounds heal, and the scars are badges for eternity. Experience the moment you’re in with faith, courage, and dignity—don’t pretend it’s not happening. Sometimes lamenting can be the greatest form of worship. But the scars you will obtain, are the result of wounds that got healed. Redeem your suffering and make it count for eternity, and turn those wounds into battle scars.

As you enter the New Year, pondering what was, determine in your heart you will be made strong by what has been, and redeem it for the age to come, and leave behind in the age that’s passing away, what needs to be forgotten and left behind.

On with the forward march,

Steve

If you are what you eat, then I'm a bowl of Kraft Dinner

Greetings

I trust as many of you as reading this all had an awesome and great Christ-X holiday. I stayed home, and slept in several days in a row. I feel wonderful physically, but I feel lame as far as managing my time and wasting a lot of the day for like a week solid, and then not being able to rest at a decent hour as a result(or the cause). But for some reason, there’s like this magic to Christmas time, where you can be a kid. Or childish--not sure which of the two--and get away with that kind of stuff when you’re 25 years old and staying at your parents between missionary stints overseas.

Now back to reality.

My brother bought me season 2 of MacGyver—a good clean action show from the 1980s that I grew up watching. For those of you too young to remember, or who never heard of it--what was so appealing about this show, was that he was like a boy-scout turned CIA operative, and could make bombs and things out of objects lying around the room. I think what appealed to so many about this show was he never used guns or weapons, but found creative ways to get out of situations and pretty much never killed any bad guys, but would incapacitate them with booby traps and things. My parents usually watched this show with me on Monday nights from like grades 1 through 5 (it was on for 7 seasons total). At the climax of an episode where MacGyver gets out of a room using like a coconut or something ingenious like that, my parents would say “see, that man did really good in school and learned a lot and look at how it helped him from getting killed, so you should do your homework!” and things like that.

Other than the fact he kisses or sometimes sleeps with (it was implied, never demonstrated) a different woman every few episodes or one that he just met and was in a high tense situation/adventure that particular week—and that he meets his long lost son he never knew he had from a fornication relationship in his past—he generally was a good role model given the nonsense that’s on TV in comparison.

Anyway, being a missionary with no TV overseas, you really have time to spend in the Word and prayer--imagine that! When people insist it’s ok or that we need a hobby and TV is a great way to unwind, I never argue with them, but I always say something like “Man, we’re so lucky to live in the day and age we live in—just what DID those disciples and Jesus do in their day without the distractions we have? Oh yeah, they changed the world!” You know, just to see how people respond or react. But I find I have significant downtime sometimes in contrast to insanely busy days while in Holland, and seasons of TV shows on DVD are a neat form of entertainment as you’re not enslaved to a TV schedule of when things are on, and can fit it into your schedule when and if you feel like it. So you hear that people? If you want to know how to bless me (other than support and stuff), if you own any seasons of TV shows (that I’d LIKE to watch and not feel the need to repent of when they’re over) and you want to lend me until I come back like next October, hook me up before I leave!

Or you could lend me books by Leonard Ravenhill, Rick Joyner, Kenneth Hagin, John Bevere, Jim Goll, Ravi Zacharias--which would be just as good or better.

Also, my mom paid for like half of my plane ticket back to Holland as a Christmas gift. I leave Toronto late on Friday evening/night, January 19th, and have a four-hour layover in London, then arrive back in Amsterdam, and coupled with the train ride, I would generally be back at my apartment on Saturday evening. Like after dinner. Anyone wanna hang out? I will be jet lagged--going east and jumping ahead is always harder on me than coming west and going backwards 6 hours, where you just have a longer day and go to bed earlier as a result--but I’m sure I’ll be trying to stay up that night until a decent bed time in order to get in a good rhythm, and can’t wait to see as many of you Dutchies as possible!

Anyway, I have a bit of writer’s block in that lack of time and the focus to sit at my laptop and work on some stuff on my mind has been a little bit elusive. Tomorrow, Friday, I may go to Haaselton’s for the afternoon to use their free wireless, and study and write things out and download the recent pod casts I subscribe to, then in my common pattern of writing, I’ll figure out what form it’s taking and post a few drafts. It’s not uncommon for me to write a long Word document, divide it in two and then focus on the two separately based on theme or topic, and post them days or weeks apart.

I know some of you upon hearing me talk about TV and movies, will think I’m contradicting myself or being hypocritical with the recent posts on discipline and things like that, but I saw a really good movie in the theatre recently. And it wasn’t a Christian movie. But if any of you want to be inspired and uplifted, Rocky Balboa was an awesome movie. I read an article recently that Sly Stallone rededicated his life back to Christ in recent years, and that he wrote this movie with some Christian themes in it, and held a conference call with many pastors promoting this film to them as a secular movie, but with a positive message and as an alternative to much of the other garbage playing in cinemas in general lately. I admit I am skeptical of this, since it’s also been reported he’s making another Rambo movie, but I was very impressed with this Rocky movie. I won’t encourage you to go see it, but if you can rent it, it’s worth the uplifting story, and is a very clean movie.

If you get past the boxing match and two men beating the blood out of each other’s faces ‘for charity’ at the climax.

But otherwise, I’m still alive, and thought I’d post an update, and if you’re lucky I’ll have some more thought-provoking theological study entries at a soon later date.

But otherwise, I wish everyone a wonderful new year.

"The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the new testament."

Soren Kierkegaard

I have people come to me and say, “I’m called. God’s called me to the ministry. He’s called me to go preach. He’s called me to do this or that.” The very first thing out of my mouth is, “What is your message?” If they can’t give it to me in a sentence. They’re not ready. It’s just that simple. Now I don’t mean that they are not called to preach at all. I’m just saying at that point they are not ready to launch out into ministry. Because every minister has a message.

Curry Blake

Was Isaiah a false prophet?

I’ve already written an entry like this before, but with a different passage of Scripture. In fact, the only reason I do it is because sometimes the best way to teach something, is to take peoples' assumptions and use them on Scripture to make the point that the assumptions may/could/possibly/might be wrong. It’s just a possibility, and I’d like to explore it.

For example: I want to point out a common misconception, again about the prophetic. My definition of prophetic is not rapture teaching stuff, but I mean it in regard to prophesying and speaking forth words from the Lord, that one function of it is foretelling future things you can only know from God revealing it to you--but another common aspect is when you’re ministering to someone, you somehow “know” something about them you couldn’t possibly know other than God revealing it to you. It could come in the form of something in their past is really tripping them up and the problem you’re helping them with is rooted in that issue, and they never would know how to deal with it otherwise except for a divine revelation. That’s just one example of operating in words of knowledge—getting knowledge about something that you couldn’t know other than God telling you in order to edify, exhort and encourage (1 Cor. 14:3).

I’ve noticed one all-too-common sacred cow in evangelical circles, and even some charismatics (but not as much) and it’s the idea that if someone prophesies 99 things accurately that come to pass, but they say one thing that fails, they are a false prophet. How come if a teacher or pastor shares and preaches like 10 correct doctrines, but is mistaken about one thing, he’s not a “false pastor” or “false teacher”? Why the weird over-emphasis on correction in just prophets? Or if a healing evangelist holds crusades and hundreds get healed, but not every individual in the building gets out of their wheelchair, we label him a false teacher or healer, but if an evangelist preaches to thousands and only 2% get saved and respond to the altar call, we call that a successful event? (Any number of salvations makes a work successful, I just wish to poke fun at the double standards.)

I noticed something in Scripture the other day while reading Isaiah. It really rocked my world and made me say out loud "OH! How come I never thought of that when people say [fill in the blank] to me about healing or prophesying?!"

It’s found in chapter 38 of Isaiah. I may sound like I’m trying to weave two different topics or blog entries together in one, and forgive me if it’s a little disjointed as a result. But look closely at verse 1:

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."

Isaiah comes to the king, and tells him a “Thus says the Lord.” We charismatics use that as slang a lot to indicate someone is telling us something that will happen in our lives. Isaiah tells Hezekiah something WILL happen. Period. And Scripture doesn’t record more, so anything more about that conversation or encounter is pure speculation because we don’t have more details. But I notice, what was NOT included here, were any options. Isaiah didn’t tell him he “might die IF…” but told him “you shall die, you shall not recover.” At least as far was what we have recorded here in Scripture.
In verse 5, the Lord speaks to Isaiah again and tells him something to say to Hezekiah, which demonstrates a very common way of operating in the prophetic—hearing God tell you something to repeat to someone for their benefit and encouragement. God “changed his mind”, based on Hezekiah’s repentance and humbling himself before the Lord.

Hezekiah goes on to live another 15 years as a result of the Lord’s mercy and hearing his tears. However, does this second prophetic statement from Isaiah nullify his first? If Isaiah prophesied one thing, and then something different, does that mean he’s contradicting himself? Does that mean he’s a false prophet because the first thing didn’t come to pass? Of course not, but I’ve heard time and time again that there is no room for change—or dare I say even human error—when someone is speaking prophetically.

If this sacred cow were true, not only would Isaiah be a false prophet, but so would Jonah, as I’ve written before—because these two men both delivered bad news to people, and the people involved repented (without being told it were an option in order to avert the edict) and in Jonah’s case, what he spoke never had a follow-up to cancel the previous word! People seek the mercy of God in situations like that all the time, and God is merciful, is He not?

And to change gears and look at this from a healing perspective; this man Hezekiah was going to die, and death was at the door. The Lord healed him when he asked it of Him, and added 15 years to his life. I’ve heard people discount any miracles of dead-raisings or reports of it, not because of lack of credibility of the report, or openness to the possibility it could happen—but because of the verse in Hebrews 9:27 that says it is appointed once to die and then after that comes the judgment. I wonder how they explain this incident in Scripture? By the way, I don’t have a problem with Calvinists, I have a problem with “hyper-Sovereignty” teaching that would say something like “God knew he would repent, so he had Isaiah say what he did, in order to motivate the king to repent, because He was going to heal him all along, and intended his lifespan to be that extra 15 years anyway”. Maybe God did, I don’t pretend to be sophisticated enough to wrap my brain around this kind of stuff, but it sounds mostly like just posturing and explaining in order to uphold the doctrine of predestination (predestination the way it’s taught anyway) when something comes up in Scripture to make that subject more difficult to understand, or dare I say, if a Scripture contradicts the teaching. But I digress.

I personally don’t subscribe to the form of Calvinism that basically teaches things like all of history is mapped out and we walk through it as God planned no matter what choices we make. I believe, especially after looking at passages where persons or entire nations repent and avert judgment, that clearly history and future occurrences are not as airtight as some would claim, or else God would be a liar when He tells His prophets to proclaim things that wind up not happening, and God cannot lie. There are conditions to a lot of things. There are a lot of “how comes” and ‘what ifs” regarding the Sovereignty of God if the way most Christians teach it is correct.

But I’m getting a little side-tracked. Back to the healing thing I wanted to look at. I’m not well-studied enough on this to know if this is true or not, but someone once told me, and I’m trying my hardest not to misquote them, but it was that stupid—that God letting Hezekiah live another 15 years was a mistake, because during that extra chunk of his life, he became the father of Manasseh, who then became king after his father, and was the worst king in Israel’s history, shed more blood than any other, gave who knows how many babies to Molech, etc... The historical account that that did happen under Manasseh’s reign is true, but most people forget the massive repentance and reformation in his later life—but my point is, the data may be correct, but that is a pathetic interpretation of the ways of the Lord.

I asked this person--it was like three or four years ago, so I vaguely remember details, but I’m sure my response was something like—‘you mean to tell me, God makes mistakes and you and I know better than Him what He should have done?’ This person spoke some more without really answering, and waxed eloquent so as to not have to admit that their assumptionis a false attribute of God, but yet was necessary for their point of view.

My brain hurts thinking about all this stuff like if God should have healed Hezekiah or not, because doing so inadvertently caused massive bloodshed under the reign of the king that reigned after him. Good grief! Are Christians so pessimistic and negative, that it’s impossible to concede the idea God maybe is FOR us, and that PEOPLE make poor decisions and He unhashes his plan “around” human free will? I’m not going there with this entry, it’s too all over the place as it is.

But, to tie this all up somehow so we can call it a blog entry: There are several people in Scripture who proclaimed things that never came to pass, and are not false prophets for it. And, God is good, and heals whether we think it was right of Him or not.

Blessings for now.

For more sacred cows and myths about the prophetic, check this out.

My parents' dog Milo. This is one of his most common positions during the 20 hours a day he sleeps.

Merry Santa Claus-mas?

If you read that title and think this is a blog entry where I’m about to wax eloquent about the real meaning of Christmas, because I—like you--think people have lost sight of the true meaning, then you’re wrong. I’ll leave that to all the other Christian bloggers who do that every Christmas on their blogs since there's no shortage of those type of posts. If everybody is complaining that nobody knows the true meaning of Christmas, then wouldn’t it stand to reason that eventually the true meaning will be restored, or at least it will be brought to peoples’ minds as a result of Christians always reminding people of it? So I won’t spend my energy on that.

I’d much rather reef on the Christians—or at least those of you who reject Christmas and any other ‘pagan’ holiday because it’s abused by the world and takes away what really founded those holidays. I respect and admire when people hold to convictions about things like that, but I actually get really annoyed when people carry that conviction like a badge on their shirt, and when someone innocently and kindly wishes them a Merry Christmas, they say “I don’t celebrate Christmas.” Not everything nonbelievers say and do needs to be responded to with a reminder of what you do and don’t do.

I’ve been browsing blogs, and I think ever since I started blogging I’ve noticed this is just a normal topic that comes up every Christmas in peoples’ blogs—to write about what Christmas really is. But is it always necessary? Do Christians need to retreat from things that are “pagan” just because it’s not really Jesus’ birthday or trees with decorations has nothing to do with the birth of Christ? Are we that ignorant of the opportunity that’s practically put into our laps?

I will not attempt to persuade any Christians out there who don’t celebrate Christmas, or put up a tree or anything like that into doing so, but I hope I can at least challenge you on the most brilliant opportunity the Body of Christ has on the calendar to share the Gospel. When else during the year are people in our culture open to being given a gift that may have a Bible verse or a Gospel tract on or in it? People may not believe it or share it or understand its meaning, but man, you have no idea the seeds you can plant in peoples’ lives this time of year more than any other. So why refuse to participate in it just because it’s not “really” Jesus’ birthday or something?

I know people who refused to see The Passion of The Christ because “it was too catholic”. You mean to tell me, when some nonbeliever who would never, and probably WILL never set foot in a church building, stepped into a movie theatre and watched the most awesome truth ever told on a giant screen comes up to you to ask you about it and if you’ve seen it, you’re going to preface your Gospel answer with “I didn’t see that movie because it’s too catholic?” Gimme a break, and while I’m taking it, get a life.

Christians can be some of the dumbest people when it comes to some of the most brilliant opportunities for the Gospel message to be presented. It may be true that December 25th was not historically the day of the year Christ was born on, but does the day that you think it took place on have anywhere near the attention made to this fact as this day does? Then why not make use of the season and share the love of God with some people who otherwise would never really listen to you any other time of the year.

We don’t get it as believers. I know many of you who would never participate in any Halloween festivities, and between pagan holidays I could make a stronger case for the demonic inspiration of Halloween as we know it today than I could Christmas. But look at it this way; you don’t have to celebrate the stuff that makes Halloween or Christmas the holiday unbiblical holidays that they are. Halloween is pretty demonic, quite frankly yes. But is there nothing we can do on that occasion with the Gospel? Do you know of any other day of the year you could walk into a hospital and pray for people while dressed up as Batman and not get arrested or put in the hospital yourself? I don’t know of one either—maybe Christmas season, and praying in a Santa Clause outfit.

Anyway, let’s change our world, yes, but let’s not get so dumb about it that we become these useless hermits avoiding accidentally contaminating ourselves with the culture around us in matters that don’t actually contaminate us.

Merry Christ-X.

Amsterdam closes a third of prostitution 'windows' in Red Light District

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - City officials said Thursday they are shutting down nearly a third of the 350 prostitution "windows" in Amsterdam's famed Red Light District as part of a crackdown on crime.

The city said a 2003 law allowed it to deny or revoke brothels' licences when it suspected operators would use them for money-laundering, or other illegal financial activity, "which in concrete terms means that those involved won't be able to continue their businesses" after Jan. 1.
"We're not knights on a morality crusade and this is intended to target financial crime, not prostitution per se," said city spokesman Martien Maten. "But we do think this will change the face of the Red Light District."

The Dutch government legalized prostitution in 2000 with an eye to making it easier to tax and regulate. Even before then, the Red Light District was tolerated by authorities and had become a major tourist attraction.

The narrow streets near Amsterdam's centre have been known for prostitution since the city was the hub of a global trading empire during the Netherlands' 17th century Golden Age.
Scantily clad women stand in the windows, beckoning tourists now just as they did sailors then. The area is also home to numerous bars and sex clubs.

It is a magnet for human trafficking, drug dealers, and petty crime, and the city's largest political party called for the crackdown.

In response, several major sex clubs held an open house in February, hoping to improve relations and dispel the area's negative reputation.

Many of the brothels say the financial screening is unfair, because banks and reputable accountants are often unwilling to work with them, making it difficult to keep correct books.
Critics of the crackdown predict it will merely lead to more street prostitution.

Maten said business in the area has been in a slump and he suspected that many of the prostitutes affected - around 300, given that the 105 windows that will be shut are often occupied in shifts - will find work at the remaining legal brothels.
He added he didn't expect the closures to hurt tourism revenue.

"Amsterdam has many other things to offer," he said.

A number of brothels are still under review and the city said it plans to extend the crackdown next year to related hotels and cafes suspected of money-laundering.

Modern Day Money Changers by David Ravenhill - A Word Regarding TV Preachers

The following is an article that was emailed to me, and I think it challenges a lot of the aberrant teaching in the Body of Christ in North America, especially crap we hear from a lot of TV ministers. Since I'm actively fundraising right now, and asking people for money and funding to stay in Holland, I initially hesitated about posting an article of this nature, but most of you reading my blog know me either well, or have an idea for how I burn and communicate here, so I know you know my heart is not one that tries to manipulate people by what I write, but encourage towards action whether it be healing, evangelism. That being said, I thought this was timely and needed:

Modern Day Money Changers
by David Ravenhill

I'm convinced that the carnal, cunning, conniving, crooked crooks that Jesus drove out of the Temple are still among us today. These modern day moneychangers are forever devising new and deceptive doctrines to defraud God's people out of His/their money. These masters of deceit have now set up their changing tables throughout the Christian television industry.

I'm absolutely certain that if Jesus returned today He would walk into the vast majority of these television studios and overthrow the cameras, lights, monitors, and soundboards. He would unplug the microphones and scatter the makeup colors around as He went about destroying the stages and backdrops.

Several years ago now, a nationally know prophetic voice was told by the Lord, "I'm sick and tired of the prosperity message". If that was true then, how much more today. As far back as 1986, the top seven media evangelists took in over 750 million dollars. Now with the increased manipulation of 'seed faith teaching' that amount has no doubt been dwarfed by comparison.

Only a few days ago I was appalled as I watched and listened as Pastor Steve__________ zealously twisted and distorted the Scriptures to his own advantage. This 'brother' dared to distort the most sacred truth of all Scripture. He used The Day Of Atonement, that day when Jesus Christ the Lamb of God shed His blood for the sins of the world, to teach that how we give financially determines how God will respond to us throughout the coming year. My blood boiled as I listened. This 'brother' had finally crossed the line and was now on the verge of blaspheming the atoning work of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not to mention lining his own pockets with the proceeds. He might as well have been selling indulgences by inferring that God's favor toward us was based on our giving rather than God's unmerited grace and forgiveness through the gift of His Son. What made matters worse was that this same 'charlatan' was the guest of one of the nation's best known charismatic personalities. Within a day or so he was teaching the same message on a local Christian telethon. Neither the evangelist nor the network sought to correct his aberrant teaching - after all, the show must go on and that takes money, so how you raise it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

Why does almost every single Christian program have to end with some type of 'seed faith teaching'? If these men and women of faith really believed what they taught, they would practice what they preach and teach; after all what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Imagine how shocked you would be if your favorite televangelist and covenant partner were to send you a check in their next mailing for the amount of $1,000.00 with a personal note telling you he/she just wanted to sow into your life. Perhaps then I could believe that these men/women really believe and practice what they teach. Not only that, but they would never have to appeal for money again as God's return to them would result in a hundredfold increase. At least that's what they would have us to believe.

On a recent ministry trip to the Northwest, I was told by a pastor friend that his church had received a call from a well known and anointed teacher in the Body of Christ. The caller was asking them for a contribution towards the purchase of a jet for their ministry. What a far cry from what the Apostle Paul taught when he prefaced his teaching on 'sowing and reaping' with these words; "For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality." (II Cor. 8:13-14) Many pastors measure their success in terms of numbers -the larger the church the more successful their ministry. Itinerant ministries, not being able to brag about size, seem to fall for the notion that having one's own jet is how success is determined. (Once it was the Rolex watch) By the way, if you love and appreciate this fine teacher, pray that he won't get the desires of his heart - it will only lead to the leanness of his soul.

This is one man's attempt to appeal to the Body of Christ. Stop pandering to these moneychangers. These men and women live like kings while spending your money to buy mansions and jets for themselves. They dine in the finest restaurants, wear the latest designer fashions and then have the audacity to tell you that you can live the same way as long as you give to their ministry.

I opened my Bible the other day to Zechariah's wonderful prophecy concerning the first coming of Jesus, our great and glorious King. Listen to his words; 'Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt the foal of a donkey.'( Zechariah 9:9 ) What a far cry from the televangelist who comes high and mighty and traveling on his own jet!

If you are as sick and tired as I am about this waste of God's money, then for heaven's sake STOP SUPPORTING THESE PEOPLE. Give your money to your local church. There are tens of thousands of needy missionaries who barely have enough support to keep themselves alive. They are laboring long and hard under some of the most difficult and trying conditions. They would rejoice at the thought of an extra $10-30 dollars a month support. These are the real heroes of whom the world is not worthy. Help put these MONEY LOVING TELEVANGELISTS OUT OF BUSINESS and SAVE ANOTHER MISSIONARY FROM EXTINCTION.Together we can make it happen. Please forward this to as many people as you know.
Thanks.

David Ravenhill

My blog's new features.

Greetings.

I thought I'd give a brief update on the latest news with me, my travel plans.

I've almost completed a slideshow DVD I spent an afternoon last week and all of yesterday evening working on. I want to mail it to everyone I can, but I don't have lots of cash, so I think I will be mailing one to my supporters, and core mailing list/friends who I know are praying for me, but to send one to my entire mailing list (which I'd LOVE to do!) might not be wise at this point in time with my resources.

I never knew something seemingly simple would be so time consuming! Like I basically had all the pictures I thought were awesome and "missionary-ish" and then the slideshow was still way too long with that selection--which was just a fraction of my Holland pictures. Then, I put it together, added all the captions that I'm going to, and added two songs, and STILL it was about 10 minutes long. So probably my afternoon will be spent tweaking that and deleting some pictures, changing the length of time that some pictures are shown, etc... I really respect the editors of complicated TV shows that rely heavily on editing for the story-telling. I have a faint clue what they must go through!

And, as per the title of this entry, there are some changes that I've been wanting to make for a long time, and finally have. Most of them are unoticable, but I upgraded to Blogger Beta. Before I had opened a new blog beta account, and could not import this one to it. I didn't want to start a new blog, but to keep all that I've written here, so Blogger Beta was undesirable until the upgrade option was finally available.

As some of you noticed recently when you went to sign into your Blogger accounts, there was an option to upgrade your site, so I clicked on it. It took all afternoon that day for my upgrading to be completed, but I think it was well worth it. It looks like most of the kinks I've had problems with are finally ironed out.

One thing I'm happy about, is that I can now add tags to my entries. I wish I had this feature all along, so that I could have added tags to all my entries to date, so for those of you who are newer readers, who want to see ALL the entries I've ever written about a certain topic, you will have to wait until I have more time to go through the rest of my entries and add those tags. So far, only about 2/3 of them are tagged.

Another setback, is that since all of my accounts were upgraded to beta, the Prayer Requests blog doesn't show up in other contributors' profiles unless they also have the beta version. I can't imagine this poses much of a problem, but for those of you who still want to access it and post your requests and testimonies, it might be necessary to upgrade.

And in travel plans and Rotterdam news: One day last week Frank called me in the afternoon, and I got to talk to his wife Bobbi, as well as Joel, and Jayne since they were over at their new apartment for a team meeting, so I talked to them all. It was good to hear their voices, hear the latest developments firsthand, and it sounds like Joel has improved the general appearance of the apartment by adding some artwork and things. I promise next time I'm back, to take more pictures of the place, because this place God has provided--I mean PROVIDED--furniture and appliances--is the best apartment I've ever had, and I realize most of you hear or read me saying that, but have not seen for yourself, so I will post pictures soon!

We plan on opening the cafe in late January, and the kitchen might not be completed until a little bit later. I don't want to give too much away, but someone from Auburn Bible Chapel (my old home church in Peterborough) has spoken to me in person a couple of times and through email about coming over free of charge for a week and building it himself. As it stands right now, we have the materials necessary but just no expertise of any kind to do it properly ourselves! This man might not be able to come until after we've opened, and spend a week in February. So please keep these developments in prayer, as we're in the talking stages right now and I don't want to say much more about it than that until it is officially arranged, and he has a ticket booked and a week planned around it. It looks and sounds like it will work out though.

As for my flights. The cheapest I've found is one round trip, non-refundable or changeable ticket for about $850 CAD. I like having the option open to change my return date on my ticket for like $100 or whatever the airline charges, just in case of either emergency or other unforseen incidentals, and so for those of you praying for my needs as I post them online, pray that I find something in that price or cheaper (which is average for Toronto to Amsterdam) but can change my return date. Otherwise, the date I plan on returning is roughly January 16th. Why that date? Because when looking at prices you have to type in dates, so that's what my mom and I picked when searching for prices. Just kidding, the week after Christmas the prices are still a lot higher than I want to pay, and then start going down after holiday travel is reduced , or so that's what it seems like.

Right now, I feel like I'm bursting at the seems with a few topics I want to spit out on this blog, but don't know what kind of time I have on my hands in the days to come, but otherwise, I'll keep you posted and updated on the latest with me next time.

Blessings!

What We Must Know About the Emerging Generation

by J. Lee Grady

Last month a group of Christian college students in Georgia helped me understand what makes the next generation tick.

Last month I was asked to speak at Emmanuel College, a Christian school in Georgia where my two oldest daughters “study.” Notice I put that word in quotation marks. That’s because they don’t actually spend all their time studying. During my week on campus, I learned that they also (1) spend many hours with their boyfriends; (2) eat at Subway and Pizza Hut instead of the school cafeteria; (3) go to Wal-Mart often; (4) hang out at the new coffee house on campus; and (5) play girls’ intramural football—a game that does not involve a lot of actual scoring.

But when Margaret and Meredith have extra time they do study, especially when they have exams—which would explain the need for regular doses of caffeine. Being the responsible father that I am, I agreed to speak at the school partly so I could make sure my girls are not spending too much of my hard-earned money on $4 Mocha Frappuccinos. And, of course, to check up on those boyfriends.

I was asked to participate in what is called the “Minister in Residence” program, which is just a fancy way to trick a guest speaker into eating college cafeteria food for five days straight. At least now I understand why my girls will not eat the mystery meat or the green Jell-O with mandarin orange slices.

When I arrived on campus I saw the worried look on Meredith’s face. It is true that she wanted me to speak at her school. She even begged. But now that I was here she feared the worst. Would I say something stupid that would haunt her until the day she graduates? Would I use mannerisms that even remotely resemble those of a Pentecostal televangelist? And most important: Would I wear something ridiculous?

After the first session Meredith and I had a talk. I asked her to trust God that I would not scandalize the family name or ruin her reputation. And I promised to get her approval on my wardrobe. That’s why I wore jeans most of the time.

In the end, after I had addressed students in four classes and three chapel services, both my daughters were still enrolled at the school and several students had thanked me for investing a week of my time in mentoring the next generation. I had come, supposedly, to impart to these young people some knowledge from my wealth of experience. But what happened was the opposite: They mentored me.

In case you have been in hibernation for the last few years, today’s young Christians are called millennials. People in this age category have also been labeled Generation Y, the Google Generation, the MySpace Generation, the Net Generation and even Reagan Babies. Here are some of their characteristics:

1. They are not happy with the status quo church. They are bored with tradition, canned programs and dead religion. If church doesn’t feel relevant to the world they face every day, they are not interested. And they will boycott church if you refuse to change.

2. They see through our hype. Older Christians have been conditioned to tolerate certain learned behaviors in church—such as manipulation to get money in an offering plate or loud preaching with no content. Millennials are not impressed.

3. They have rejected hypocrisy. They are tired of us preaching one thing and doing another. They don’t relate to the sermon against abortion when they know the preacher left his wife and then got someone else pregnant. They will not listen to self-righteous pontification. They would rather hear someone share honestly how he made a mistake and discovered the grace to return to God.

4. They want authentic mentoring relationships. I made myself available to the Emmanuel students, and several of them made appointments with me during my week there. They had brutally honest questions about how to grow spiritually and how to hear God’s voice. Many millennials today don’t have functional family relationships, and some battle with deep disappointment—and resulting cynicism—because of the way they have been rejected. But this has created a great opportunity for us to build bridges that span the generation gap.

5. They are hungry for God’s power and presence. They don’t like fake spirituality, but today’s young Christians are passionate for heartfelt worship, authentic discipleship and compassionate outreach. They don’t want to just talk about faith—they want to live it. During the week I was at Emmanuel, one group of guys organized a 24-hour prayer meeting that was held on the Quad, a courtyard in between the dorms. Another student group met for an evening to stuff Christmas stockings for needy kids. And another group was preparing to minister in an Atlanta homeless shelter for the weekend.

On Wednesday night, when I led a chapel service, I shared my own personal experience with the Holy Spirit. When I finished I did not have to beg anyone to come to the altar. Dozens of students jammed the area near the stage to receive a fresh touch from God. I sensed more spiritual hunger in that room than I’ve felt in many settings with older adults.

To be honest, I was intimidated about addressing these students when I first arrived on campus. I was afraid I wouldn’t speak their language or be cool enough to win their approval. In the end, I learned a lot about tomorrow’s church, I made some new e-mail friends, and with Meredith’s help, I discovered it is a lot more fun to preach in blue jeans than slacks.


J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. His next book, No More Church As Usual, will be released in 2007.

Discipline is NOT Legalism.

Or "Teams that practice at 6am win games at 7pm."

This is not going to be heavily theological but just simply one of those "I was thinking lately..." entries and try spitting some thoughts out in a concise manner.

I've been amused in the last year to be called the "L" word by some interesting characters.
But talking about what is OK and what is not, is not the intention of this entry. I want to veer off into another thing that it doesn't matter what your personal convictions about prayer, personal holiness, how we spend our time, and personal life disciplines. But, my intended reader of today's entry are those of you who have clearly never noticed Paul said "everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial for me."

For example, there is nothing wrong or sinful with watching TV or movies in and of themselves. You could even be watching clean ones, but if it is at the expense of alone time with God, I'll encourage you to give it up. I don't mind a show or a movie here and there in my own life. But if you're spending more time in personal entertainment than you are in personal commune and intimacy with God, trust me, it's not a spiritually healthy place to be in. Try making the shift and see if I'm being "legalistic".

I was driving to a place in town that was going to replace the van's battery for me. As I was driving on the Parkway to the location, I just barely saw a billboard as I was driving past it enough to see its catchphraze, but had missed what the advertisement on it was for. It read "teams that practice at 6am win games at 7pm." And I thought there's an amazing truth to that.

How about we "Christianize" it and make it say "Christians who pray in the morning are ones that win battles in the evening".

Or "Short public prayers are always preceeded by long private ones." as my teacher Bob Gladstone used to say.

If two hockey teams had it out on a rink, and one team practiced several hours a day together, and their opponents didn't, but played video games and watched TV all day while eating pizza and drinking lots of soda, and didn't even come together until it was time to put their skates on and play that match--which team do you think would win? It would be a total fluke if the couch potatoes won, but otherwise most of us expect it would be the well-disciplined team.

Now, let's spiritualize this and add what I see happen in Christian circles all the time: Imagine the game is over, both teams are exiting the rink and walking to their locker rooms, and fans are lined up outside the entrance of the winning team's change room, and only a few are at the losing team's door. A little boy asks one of the star players of the winning team how he prepares for these games. The player starts listing off his morning routine, including practicing with the team several hours, and gets into his own personal workout regimend and talks about how many push-ups and sit-ups he does, what his diet is like, etc... The boy is then fascinated and challenged about his own self-discipline in comparison to his hero's, and inspired by this testimony is encouraged to start eating less junk food among other things.

Meanwhile, the opposing team's locker room door is not many feet away from the winning team's (I know this is not true in real life, and they're usually on other sides of the arena, but bear with me for this imperfect analogy), and the team's captain is standing within earshot, since there are practically no fans standing around his team's door waiting for an autograph. So for about thirty seconds, he listens to the other player as he shares his morning routine with this little boy, and he balks at it in disgust and mumbles "that guy is so legalistic." In fact, he's bitter listening to the other player because deep down he knows all that excercise has paid off in this man's physical strength, accompanied with the group effort causing the team to be winners consistently. He knows the team dynamic is stronger as a result of practicing together his commitment has paid off. However, instead of this defeated athlete changing his own lifestyle, he just scorns the winning athlete for his success.

You're laughing as you think about that, right? I laugh too when I hear most Christians throw around the word "legalistic" in description or reference to some others' lifestyles. Ok, hockey players won't use the word legalistic in describing self-discipline, I know, but I wanted to replace it with that word to make my point.

Discipline in the Christian life is not legalistic. Try it some time: Try praying in tongues for an hour and then start watching TV and see how your spirit feels. Or, try watching TV for a pro-longed amount of time, and then pray in tongues for at least 15 minutes, and tell me if it's any harder. Tell me the difference your stomach feels between eating a banana and eating a slice of pizza.

I'll never forget when I was sixteen years old my friend Matt was on my highschool's rowing team. He told me one time before a morning practice, he smoked just one cigarette, which he had never done before in his life. Then he went to his practice and used one of the rowing machines, and he said in mere moments he felt a tremendous difference on his lungs, and was out of breath faster. He looked me in the eye when recounting that and said something like "I'm never smoking another cigarette again if that's the difference it makes to my performance." He was focused, he was not going to let the slightest thing hinder him from his goals.

The author of Hebrews told us to do this when he said "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us" (Heb 12:1). But if my experience tells me anything, merely suggesting ways this applies to the Christian life will get me labeled legalistic the instant I name sins or hindrances to a spiritual walk with God. I don't care, I bet star athletes laugh when they hear people in worse physical shape than they talk about how excericise isn't necessary, and that "all hockey players are equally good hockey players". I know bunches of Christians who are entertainment pushers. When you get around them all they talk about is the latest movie or the latest episode of Lost or Survivor. Don't get me wrong, I love a few good TV shows myself now and again myself, but if that's what dominates your fellowship with other people, or dominates enough so as to replace anything in your walk with God--something is wrong. I know a bunch of people, if you even SUGGEST something is wrong to watch, or even listen to--then man, you are just being judgmental and legalistic and out of touch with culture. There's no room for the possibility of improving ourselves and casting off such hindrances. Leonard Ravenhill used to say that entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy.

One time, a friend of mine, very angrily and with a lot of cussing told me that he doesn't fast or speak in tongues and he's "just as close to God as anyone". There's truth, and tragic misconception to that statement simultaneously. Yes, all believers have the same access to the Father, but are all on the same level of intimacy with Him? Does each of us USE that access all the time accordingly? Do we all spend the same amount of time alone in prayer with Him or have the same personal history with Him? Of course not. Fasting, prayer and speaking to ourselves in tongues doesn't get us closer to God than someone that doesn't do any of those things at all. But I guarantee you there's a difference in the lives of those two people. It simply helps remove layers of our flesh and crucify it so that there's less in the way in our relating to God. Prayer, fasting, and praying in tongues don't change God or make Him become closer to us, they fix us. A fruitbearing tree is one that has its roots sunk deep in good soil and gets proper refreshment--all of this is demonstrated in the kind of fruit we bear in our lives.

I can tell you from being a ministry school student and from serving in ministry now, that I have seen first hand the difference between ministering out of the place of intimacy vs. spending my time entertaining myself in my spare time, and seeing a marked difference in both my lifestyle, and my minstry results. I heard someone preaching on this once, and started getting angry on the inside at him when I heard this kind of teaching, because I knew what the "non-sinful things" in my life were that I didn't want to avail myself of...until he said the reason he didn't watch TV or a lot of movies, was because he used to see large crowds during altar calls, and operated dramatically in the prophetic giftings. But he told me the difference came when he let his prayer life slip, and found himself doing more foolish things with his time such as video games and TV. Then when he went to preach he had markedly less results. When he fixed these things in his life, and started communing with the Holy Spirit more again, and cut out of his life the junk he'd let in, he saw the Holy Spirit move powerfully in his life.

Friends, we need a relationship with God on an ongoing basis more than we need correct doctrine about what is allowed and what isn't in the Christian life. Am I negating the importance of correct doctrine? Nope. But I have seen something over the years that shows me many people who overzealously study doctrine are some of the more critical and mean people I know. Some of them will blast you with their assessment of what's wrong in your life, but have no idea how to do so with gentleness and grace--the kind that come from being alone with the Father.

Adding a little personal self-discipline is one of the best things you could do, and is hardly legalistic. Give it some thought. What could you stand to axe from your life?

Do you want to win games at 7pm?

Feedburner

Greetings on this fine Monday afternoon--if it's still Monday afternoon when you read this.

I originally intended on spending the afternoon preparing a slideshow DVD to mail all my supporters and other intended recipients, but since my laptop doesn't have a DVD burner, and my dad's does, I thought when I asked him last night if he would show me how to do it, that he would before he left on a trip to Brantford for the week. Apparently putting a password on his computer so I wouldn't use it was a better idea in his mind.

My brother has a DVD burner on his computer, but the sheer fact I would want to use anything of his, even when he's not using it, makes him automatically say no--even if it would be at a time when he's out or not inconvenienced by my doing so.

So anyway, I decided to do something that I've been meaning to for a while--and that's putting a Feedburner link on the Prayer Requests blog. If any of you reading this one, want to be a contributor to that blog, or want me to post requests for a dozen or so people to read and pray over, then let me know. There's a link now, so those of you who subscribe to blogs or would like to begin doing so, can have the prayer requests show up in your blog lines or whatever service you use if you click on that link and subscribe to that blog's feed.

I added a Feedburner icon to my own blog some time ago at the request of a visitor who longer seems to even read this blog. Unless people not leaving comments anymore doesn't mean you're not reading it, but I think this person is long gone. Nevertheless, adding feeds to blogs is a nice idea, if anyone out there does it, well now my blog is set up so it should be able to be viewed in whatever blog subscription service you choose. I personally don't subscribe to any feeds at this time, I just bookmark sites on my own computer--but to each his own.

Well, maybe my dad has arrived in Brantford by now (he left a few hours ago at the time of writing this) so maybe I can call my grandparents and see if I can persuade him to let me know the password so I can make these 5 minute DVDs.

Blessings.

Who said ambulance drivers couldn't be movie stars?

Greetings,

I’m in Haaseltons, using their free wi-fi to write this and do some things online. I have plenty of emails to write, and a newsletter as well to email to the powers that be who proof read and print it for me. But every time I come here I’m always compelled to write an update on my blog, so here’s the latest.

I spent the last week traveling a bit in Southern Ontario, mostly anchored out of Brantford, where I was born and my grandparents and several extended family members live.

On Saturday morning I drove to Alma, Ontario, just outside of Guelph and met up with John Cava and a team mostly comprised of Canadians from that area, now going to FIRE, and prayed for people during altar time and shared a few words of exhortation and encouragement when given a few opportunities during morning and evening services. Saturday afternoon we broke off into groups and went witnessing at stores and plazas, and I went with my host Doug, and Mr. Cava to Zellers and Canadian Tire. Aside from the latter, I never realized the former was a Canadian store that they didn’t have any of in the States.

We had a few interesting conversations, but it sure was interesting to stay with my host, Doug. He definitely lives the life of a servant-leader, who understands what it is to be a part of the nameless and faceless generation. This is a man who for over 25 years, had a "hitch hiker ministry"---to put it simply, the Lord would tell him where to drive to, in either Canada or Northern USA, and then he’d go there, pick up someone hitchiking, and witness to them and he has led over 50 young adults to the Lord over the years. I was challenged and convicted by his steadfast obedience to the Lord over the course of his life.

Sunday, the meetings were held in a Christian high school’s gymnasium where Grace Christian Fellowship holds their meetings, and in the afternoon visited this tourist attraction, as you can tell from the pictures, of a Gorge. It was gorgeous. Ok, that was lame, but you have to admit you were thinking of the same play on words.

Monday I followed my host back almost all the way to Brantford since he works there, and there’s not really a specific highway or road that goes from Brantford to that area. I spent a lot of time catching up with my grandparents on my dad’s side of the family, and my grandmother whom I stayed with while I was there. I saw an aunt and a couple of cousins who came over to help set up my grandmother’s Christmas tree. Tuesday I drove to Woodstock and met with the director of Calvary International Canada, my missionary covering, and this meeting at Tim Hortons was awesome, considering we have only met face to face once—the time he spoke at P.C.F.

Wednesday I drove to Burlington and met with my former youth pastor Jay Lehman, whom I had not seen in over six years since he left Auburn, and had moved to that area. It was great catching up with him, and he looks exactly the same, while I’ve apparently put on some weight—but he’s not the first person in the last few years to tell me that after not seeing me for years at a time. He on the other hand, looks younger than me, oddly enough despite being in his thirties. But anyway.

Then, Thursday afternoon in the soaking wet rain, I drove back to Peterborough. I took the 407 which is a toll route and normally has less traffic, but it was pretty backed up, and I took an hour longer to get home than usual. But better safe than sorry, as various areas of Peterborough are frozen and street lights aren’t working, from what I assume to be caused by underground freezing some of the electrical grid or something like that.

Anyway, I just thought I’d give a quick update, since apparently my healing entries are too boring to leave any comments—even from those of you whose questions provoked me to write them. If any of you disagree or have comments to leave that contradict what I say, I hardly ever mind—just give me some indication that those of you who stalk this blog (I have a stat counter, I can get a general idea of who reads this) if anything I’m saying is sinking in or challenging you at all.

Otherwise, I think I’m going to keep maintaining this blog with whatever I burn to write about.

Like getting my fingers eaten by weasels.