Desperation

I came across an interesting - and somewhat disconcerting - article on TheSpec.com, our local newspaper's online channel, read it here. The paper reports an estimated 30% increase in visits to psychics and mediums in our current economic state. How sad! Rather than turn to the One True God, our family members, neighbors, friends and coworkers are turning to crystal balls and tarot cards to find hope.

One interviewee said this, referring to the cost of psychic advice (around $120USD/hr):

While Lamont and Aguilar acknowledge the price is high, Lamont says that Calibre was able to provide something she couldn't find consulting friends, families or her therapist.

"He just really gave me some little hope that things will be OK and I'm going in the right direction," she says.

How disappointing it is to see people's hearts turn in this direction. I highlighted the words that struck me immediately. People are looking for hope, they are looking for reassurance and are paying large sums of money to find it. How deceiving! Lamont and Aguilar are correct in one sense though, they can't find what they are looking for through friends, families or therapists... little do they know, they will be disappointed (ultimately) with their psychic as well. Such hope has no lasting value, no eternal value, to be sure.

Friends, my heart aches for these people. Their desire for hope is clear, but their methods are faulty, and spiritually dangerous. I am reminded this morning that we need to be beacon's of light and hope for those with whom we have contact. Many people are stressed, financially overburdened and losing hope - we need to show them that we have hope - not false hope from "spiritualists" and mediums, but true, lasting, eternal hope, from God's Word!!

Pray for those around you, pray for your family members, your friends and neighbors, your coworkers. They are desperate for the truth. If only they would turn to Jesus, and not psychics. Hamilton is a hub of psychic and spiritual oppression - do not be naive to think that Hamilton is any different than other cities - it may in fact be more oppressed! Pray for our city, but most importantly, pray for God's people to be salt and light, to be beacon's of hope and truth. That we would be filled with a desire to tell people about Jesus, and that He would go before us and change hearts, opening them, that they may hear the truth and receive it.

People will continue to look for security and hope. The Bible speaks of mediums and spiritual people that deceive many. Times have changed, but methods (largely) have not.

Desperation indeed.

A thought to start the week...

...as I reflect on Brett's Sunday School lesson and series that has begun, I thought I'd encourage some further thought about evangelism and missionary work. I hope this quote, from RC Sproul, will get your brain working in the right direction this week.

Stay tuned for some follow-up from Dave Stimers' final sermon ....

From RC Sproul:

In the modern church we make a distinction between the "professional missionary" and the "layman." The distinction is between paid missionaries and volunteers, between "full-time" hired employees and rank-and-file church members. Sadly, it has come to mean that the paid professionals are responsible to do the missions task. The layperson's job is to pray for the missionary, give tithes to the missionary, and in other ways encourage the missionary. The missionaries are the players; the rest of us are cheerleaders.

God teaches us otherwise. Of course there is a special place for the paid professional. However, the biblical definition of a missionary has nothing to do with salary. A missionary is not simply "one who is paid." In biblical terms a missionary is "one who is sent." Here is the crux of the matter. We are all sent. It is our calling to be witnesses. Every Christian must get in the game. There are no cheerleaders--only players.

Be sure to check back soon!!

Missions Conference 2008: Part IV

Part IV: The finale...

There are 2 events that will bring our Missions Conference to a conclusion; the Revelation Mystery Dinner Theatre (Saturday evening, 6:00pm) and Rabbi Jeff Forman (Sunday morning, 10:50am). Please have a look at the information below and click on the links to find out what's in store this weekend, and look forward to being involved!

Tickets are required for the dinner theatre - if you haven't yet got yours, contact the church office (905-529-5756).

Revelation Mystery Theatre is operated under Return Ministries - click here. The vision of Return Ministries according to the website is:

Return Ministries has been established to encourage Jews and Christians to work together to fulfill God's plans and purposes for Israel and the nations according to the Word of God.

Now is the Time! Return Ministries is focused on building bridges between the Jewish and Christian Communities and mobilizing the church to understand and embrace God's call to bless and serve Israel and the Jewish people. Return Ministries is committed to standing with Israel and the Jewish people as ambassadors and advocates for Israel . We will continue to initiate and participate in events here in Canada , Israel and other nations that will strengthen this unique and unprecedented bond between Jews and Christians - For such a time as this!

North American Aliyah is a crucial and central focus of Return Ministries. We desire to impart vision of God's loving plans to regather and return His Jewish People from the four corners of the earth to the land of Israel .

Isaiah 49:22 "This is what the Sovereign Lord says, 'See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, they will bring your sons in their arms and your daughters on their shoulders.' "

To find out more about the dinner theatre - pictures and video clips, check this out!


And to wrap up our MC week, Rabbi Jeff Forman will be speaking at Westside. Rabbi Forman is from City of David, a Messianic Synagogue in Toronto. What is Messianic Judaism? I'm sure Rabbi Forman will tell us much more about it, but the COD website has lots of links for more information. To become a little more knowledgeable on the subject before Sunday morning, have a peek!

Missions Conference 2008: Part III

Westside's Missions Conference officially kicked off this morning and we heard from Dr. John Howarth of CUFI.

I received some information in my inbox this week from Bob and Lisa Cowling. Lisa will be meeting with the ladies on Thursday night, and Bob will be eating bacon and eggs on Saturday morning with the men. Here's what you can expect from this couple:

For the women, from Lisa:

The topic: "Symbolism in a Jewish Wedding"

Our evening will be an interactive journey through Scripture and a study of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony. We will not only learn the meanings behind many of our present-day wedding traditions but hope to be renewed and challenged in our Christian walk as well.

And for us guys, from Bob:

In Jeremiah 16: 14 - 16 the Lord declares that He will bring the Jews back to the land of Israel from "the land of the North" and everywhere else He scattered them and that this event will be so amazing that it will eclipse the time He brought the Jews out of Egypt.

In Isaiah 49:22 God declares that he will use the Gentile nations to bring the Jews home to the land of Israel.

At the Westside Men's Breakfast this Saturday, I will share how God called me, a Gentile, to be part of a Christian ministry called Ebenezer - Operation Exodus, whose mandate from the Lord is the fulfillment of these scriptures by bring Jews out of the land of the north (Russia) and back to Israel. According to the latest figures, in 2007 Ebenezer-Operation Exodus has helped and assisted 61% of all Jewish people making aliyah (returning to Israel) from the countries of former Soviet Union (FSU), a number exceeding 120,000 Jews.

In 2004 I joined a team of six from Ebenezer who sailed from Haifa, Israel on a boat through Istanbul, Turkey and the Black Sea to Odessa, Ukraine where we boarded 66 Jews for the return sailing home. This mission was accomplished with great joy and celebration but also under the threat of our ship being bombed and amidst the rising anti-semitism in the Ukraine and all the countries of the FSU.

It was also a journey of personal discovery as I learned the full extent of my father's involvement in keeping the Jews out of Israel when he was a British soldier stationed in Palestine between 1945-1948.

Please join us this week!

Missions Conference 2008: Special Project

Hey Westside: The following is an email from Bob Cowling (via Brett) regarding this year's special project. Please read, and be in prayer (and in your wallets) for this opportunity to give.

From Brett:

Every year during the conference we announce a special missions project. We usually let it go for 3 Sundays and then wrap it up. I have sent you the info that I was given for our project this year. There are a lot of Jewish families that have been left stranded in Georgia after Russia attacked them about 2 months ago, I'll let you read for yourself...

Our goal will be to support a family for a month... can Westside surpass the goal again...?

The details from Bob Cowling:

I appreciate your committee's willingness to consider this as a focus for your Missions project. Here are the details from our office in Georgia, Former Soviet Union (FSU):

We are currently supporting Jewish families who are now refugees as a result of the fighting and believe this would make a good project for this church to support. I have included some details below from Anya in Pyatigorsk who is helping these families. Any amount the church could send would be much appreciated. The value of $1,000 to $1,500 would cover the cost of supporting a refugee family for a month. This is a big need at the moment.

Anya in Pyatigorsk has sent possible spending plan for two families. They are now refugees, many have no clothing (except for what they had on them), no food and so on. At the moment those people are living in the refugee camp. Here are the translated values of what whose people would need.

First family of Gagievy (3 people):
1) Accommodation (rent of a flat) - 7000 rubles
2) Food (for a month roughly) - 7000 rubles
3) Documents (transport, payments and so on) - 5000 rubles (maybe there will be a need for more)
4) Clothing (bare necessities) - 10000 rubles
Total for the first month: 29000 Rubles (1185 US dollars with today's rate 24,48)

Second family of Rubshtain (1+6 people):
1) Accommodation (rent of a flat) - 5000 rubles
2) Food (for a month roughly) - 5000 rubles
3) Documents (transport, payments and so on) - 3000 rubles + 6000 rubles for the children and grandchildren
4) Clothing (bare necessities) - 5000 rubles
5) Medication - 3000 rubles
Total for the first month: 27000 Rubles (1103 US dollars with today's rate 24,48)

Please be in prayer about this opportunity and come prepared to give a little extra during the next few Sunday morning worship services.

For more information about the Russia/Georgia conflict - click here.

Missions Conference 2008: Part II

One week from today, Westside's Primetimers will be having coffee and tea with Clyde Williamson. You know Clyde... wait... you don't know Clyde?

Well, let me give you a brief introduction and some useful links to click so you're aware of the Williamson's and what Operation Outreach is all about.

Clyde and Marion Williamson have been praying for peace in Jerusalem since 1978. The early 1980's saw them leading small groups through the land of Israel, until 1988, when they made the commitment to enter full-time ministry, and that's where they are today, 20 years later, still leading "pilgrims" through the Holy Land, up to six times a year!

From the website:

It was in 1991 that he was officially introduced to congregational and ministry leadership in Israel, beginning in the Galilee. God has bound their hearts together with the leaders since that time and Operation Outreach now has the privilege of regular bi-monthly correspondence with over 60 ministries. It is out of these communications that the bi-monthly ISRAEL PRAYER WATCH (IPW) has been put together since its first issue in February/March 1992. Presently there are close to 60 IPW Prayer Groups established with the majority being in Canada.

To read more about Operation Outreach, the various ministries, resources, events, tours, to donate or contact them, check out Operation Outreach online, AND - if you're a "primetimer" make sure you come out on October 22 for tea, fellowship, and to hear more from the Williamson's and their involvement in and with Israel.

Missions Conference 2008

This year's Missions Conference is coming up soon, and Brett and I thought it would be helpful to post some additional content for you to check out as the week approaches.

Before we get to the first speaker, here's a run-down of the week:

Sunday, October 19, 2008 (10:50am) Dr. John Howarth
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (2:00pm) Primetimers Tea with Clyde Williamson
Thursday, October 23, 2008 (7:00pm) Ladies Night with Lisa Cowling
Saturday, October 25, 2008 (8:30am) Men's Breakfast with Bob Cowling
Saturday, October 25, 2008 (6:00pm) Dinner Theatre by Revelation
Sunday, October 26, 2008 (10:50am) Rabbi Jeff Forman



Our first speaker is Dr. John Howarth, the Executive Director of Christians United for Israel - Canada. Christians United for Israel - Canada (CUFI - Canada) is a non-denominational coalition of individual Christians and Christian organizations from across Canada dedicated to actively supporting the Nation of Israel and its People. CUFI - Canada is affiliated with Christians United for Israel - America an umbrella organization representing a number of groups and leaders - including John Hagee, Pat Robertson, Jack Hayford - with a collective membership of more than 40 million.

Click here for an article that Dr. Howarth penned.

Click here for more information CUFI.

Stay tuned - more Missions Conference information coming soon!!

Christians Under Attack

Late last week I came across an article in the Spectator (found here) about the persecution of the church in India. Surprisingly (at least it was surprising to me), the Sikh PM of India called the attacks "acts of national shame". Even though India considers itself a "secular state... multireligious, multicultural", Christians are being physically attacked, churches are being damaged, and at least one person is dead. "Hindu hardliners" are blamed for these attacks that have destroyed church buildings, driven people into the wilderness and left many dead.

We are so blessed to be in a country where we face very little overt persecution. This type of conflict is far too common in other countries and we need to be reminded of it. We need to pray for our brothers and sisters across the world. Please read the article and be in prayer.