IllumiNations!

BACK AFTER A VERY LONG ABSENCE!

I don't know what to say about my absence, other than the fact that I kind of lost the vision for blogging for awhile.  So much has happened since my last post on September 11th, 2006, it would be almost impossible to tell all, but here are some highlights and lowlights;

1. Our oldest son, Stephen, left to Kirkland, Washington, and The City Church GENERATION INTERN PROGRAM.  Peggy and I have marveled at God's grace as we have watched our son be challenged and then respond with maturity to almost every challenge.  The growth we have observed as a result of this intensive leadership program would be similar in some ways to what a parent sees when their son has returned from boot-camp as a man instead of a boy.  I guess the main difference would be the fact that Stephen has been formed inwardly and is manifesting the nature of Christ more than at any other time!  PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS!!!
2. I traveled with 2 other people from our church to the Philippines for a short term missions trip at the end of November.  Our goals were to train church leaders, visit the orphanage we support, and be a blessing to the Filipino church.  As usual, the Filipino people blessed our lives far beyond anything we could ever do for them.  The trip was very successful and fruitful but for me it had to be cut short due to some of the most difficult news I have ever received...
3. Larry Brice, my dearest friend of 18 years, associate pastor of 9 years, and one of my true heroes in the faith was diagnosed with colon cancer which had spread to his liver.  I returned home immediately to be with him as he navigated through the difficult decisions facing him, his wife Shirley, and their 11 year old daughter, Madison.  Larry determined to fore-go chemotherapy and is asking God, along with thousands of others from around the world, for a miracle of healing.  Larry is truly one of the godliest men I have ever know, and as GENUINE A CHRIST-FOLLOWER as I have observed in my 23 years as a believer.  Larry has a passion for God and His kingdom, and desperately wants to "See the Lord do amazing things in Moses Lake and the world!" PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER AS WE CALL ON OUR MIRACLE WORKING GOD TO DO THE AMAZING AND IMPOSSIBLE IN LARRY.
4. Simultaneously to all of these things, our church is growing, people are being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are starting to move forward in a building campaign.  Truly, this is a time of FAITH STRETCHING and DOUG STRETCHING!  GRACE HARVEST CHURCH seems to be in a time of harvest, blessing and momentum, and our leaders are in need of much support in prayer and encouragement.  PLEASE PRAY FOR MY FAMILY AND I AS WELL.

Well, it's good to be back and get some of this off my mind.  PLEASE POST COMMENTS AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE READING.  COMMENTS ARE A BLOGGER'S PAY FOR HIS/HER EFFORTS.

Blessings,
Doug

Remembering The Day Our Nation Was Shaken

As I sit in my bedroom watching the San Diego Chargers school the Oakland Raiders, I cannot help but think of that infamous day 5 years ago when our great nation was shaken by the worst single terrorist attack in world history.  As I'm sure most of you have noticed, the last couple of weeks have seen a saturation of media programming that is memorializing 9/11.  It seems everybody has an opinion from every side of the political perspective with some slant that will ultimately have an effect upon some state or national race for office.  The single point that is most amazing to me is the simple fact that 5 years later, we have not had another attack upon American soil!

When the towers fell, the Pentagon was struck, and some very brave men rushed the cockpit of Flight 93 to keep it from hitting the Capital, I was dumbfounded and quite sure that we were in for ongoing strikes and a huge loss of life.  I thank God that is not the case so far.  I can sit quite secure within my home and enjoy a football game without fear, while men and women who love life as much as I do protect our nation in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.  Though I have had misgivings about the war in Iraq from the beginning, I am convinced that our brave men and women fighting the terrorists need to finish what they started with our prayers and support. 

September 11th, 2001 was a surreal day that has forever changed the way this generation of Americans think about the world, Islam, religion, security and what a true hero is.  On that day, we once again came to see that police officers, firefighters and emergency workers were everyday hero's who modeled the ultimate example of sacrifice and love for their fellow man.  In the day and age of  American Idol, baby Suri and Brangelina, it is so good to be reminded that the most important things in life have very little to do with what the tabloids have to say.  I'll take a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, police officer or firefighter over the pop icons of our time any day!

Sadly, it seems the short-term revival of Christian fervor in response to the attacks has passed, and that our slide into moral filth and complacency has continued.  As we remember that day, may those of us who consider ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, awaken to our duty to be salt and light and do all we can to lead our neighbors to the knowledge of the truth that is in Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, may we remember that it is the Lord who watches and protects a city and a nation and not the strength of a military.  He is the One who is shaking nations and testing the hearts of men.  In this time of great sifting, let us turn to Jesus, repent of our sin and lukewarmness, and stand in the gap for the protection, preservation and awakening of this great nation.

Psalm 127:1b -  If the LORD does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; if the LORD does not protect the city, it does no good for the sentries to stand guard. GNB

Hebrews 12:26-27 -  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."  This phrase, "Yet once more," 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. ESV

Tags: 9/11, Iraq, war in Iraq, terrorism, Twin Towers, WTC, World Trade Centers, soldiers, security, prayer, God, Jesus, memorial

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The Good Samaritan on Mount Everest!

I am not a mountain climber, but I hope that if I am ever in trouble, someone like Daniel Mazur lends a helping hand to me.  This is a great story of an American climbing guide who gave up his ascent of the highest mountain in the world to help a stranded climber just days after many others passed by a British climber who eventually died on Everest.

This story reminded me of what a couple of men in our church named Mick and Clint did to help a distressed woman the other day as she sat weeping in her truck.  This guy Daniel is a hero who is receiving much deserved press coverage, but Mick and Clint are hero's in their own right in my book!

I love what Daniel Mazur went on to say in this AP story about the rescue.

"Oh yeah, it was worth it," he said. "You can always go back to the summit but you only have one life to live. If we had left the man to die, that would have always been on my mind ... How could you live with yourself?"

I forgot to mention that Daniel's two paying clients had to sacrifice their ascent as well to save this man.  On top of that, other climbers had already passed by and left Lincoln Hall, the stranded climber to die!  Stories like this remind me of the parable that Jesus told 2000 years ago to  his followers to illustrate the need to demonstrate faith and love with action.  Jesus finished that parable with the words, "Go and do likewise."  Sounds like good advice to me!  Way to go Daniel Mazur!  Way to go Mick and Clint!

Tags: Mount Everest, mountain climbing, rescue, Daniel Mazur, Christianity, Jesus Christ, good Samaritan

BE THOU MY VISION

Where there is no vision (prophetic revelation), the people perish... Proverbs 29:18  

I hear a call going out in our land in this day for men and women of vision as never before. It is a desperate call, really more of a cry for leaders with a vision that will inspire us to reach for higher heights than ever before. This cry seems to manifest itself most clearly in the political arena as aspiring leaders and candidates assure us of the great vision they have for our nation and its future.

Being a person of vision has always been important to me as I have found hope and encouragement flows from having a vision for life and ministry. I have found that vision-less people are direction-less people without much hope for the future and no plan to get where they aren't going. On the other hand, I have found that many people are calling their own dreams, presumptions and desires, a vision from God, and are therefore setting themselves up for big disappointment. Take a few minutes with me and look at the most important and fulfilling aspect of “getting a vision”, namely an encounter with the living God.

A number of years ago as my wife and I drove to Spokane to attend a conference, we were enjoying a great worship tape when a line to a song jumped into my heart and the Lord seemed to speak to me about vision.  The line I refer to is from a Vineyard song on the HUNGRY CD called, “BE THE CENTRE.”  The third verse starts, “Jesus, be my vision.”  As I heard this verse it suddenly struck me, as things often do with God, that the Lord has been refocusing me on Himself as the “center” and “vision” of my life. 

As I thought about these things, I began to revisit the disappointments of ministry, the “hope deferred that makes the heart sick” and the lack of fulfilled vision in my own life.  I realized that Jesus is the essence of all I have ever wanted to be and that knowing Him intimately is the greatest vision a person could ever have.  These things may seem obvious to you the reader, as they did and do to me, but at that moment they became a revelation to me of the greatest pursuit and adventure to life.  These things have become more real to me as I have noticed the general lack of vision many of God’s people have to know God intimately.  Jesus himself must become our vision.  As He fills our gaze, we will see the things that are important to Him and He will call us to become involved with Him in the things that make His heart beat.

Consider with me several Biblical examples of this truth as we gaze into the Scriptures.  Moses had truly experienced what it meant to be broken and brought to the point of having very little self confidence.  Educated in Egypt by the best educators of his time, “mighty in word and deed”, Moses somehow came into contact with his ethnic background and heritage.  This revelation brought him into a great conflict one day as he observed his own people being oppressed in their slavery and decided to deliver them in his own strength.  In a moment of rage Moses was downgraded in status from possible ruler of Egypt to a hunted fugitive! 

After fleeing Egypt he became a shepherd on the back side of the desert and learned the lessons of waiting, trusting and contentment.  After forty years of leading sheep around the desert he encountered a bush that would forever change his life as well as ours.  As he stared at a bush that was burning and yet not consumed, the voice of the one true God began to speak to him and call him to a special work.  Moses would be the one who would deliver the people of God out of Egypt and into the promise land.  When most of us read this account, we miss the most important aspect of the story, specifically the fact that God first identified Himself and called Moses to remove his sandals and worship on Holy Ground. 

Before Moses could ever become a deliverer he had to first encounter the Great Deliverer Himself, the I Am.  This one vision and the many that would follow would become the springboard for the most powerful and important ministry of the entire Old Testament.  This encounter ruined Moses and caused him to continually seek the presence of the Lord to the point where he had the audacity to ask to see the Glory of the Lord!  This vision of the Person of the Lord led to a revelation of the Purpose of the Lord.  This is the clear Biblical pattern and still the way our God manifests Himself today. 

            This pattern continues throughout the Scriptures with Joshua as he sees the Captain of the Lord’s armies and worships on Holy ground.  This happened before receiving instructions to conquer Jericho, the gateway to the rest of the Promise land.  Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up before he heard, “who will go for us...?”  Jeremiah had a revelation of God the rejected Lover, before he could go forth into a ministry of rejection, sorrow and destruction.  Only the open revelation of the Lord could keep him through the persecution and sorrow he would have to endure. 

            The Apostle Paul gives us another example of this truth as he stands before the angry mob in Jerusalem and recounts his conversion; Acts 22:6-10 - 6 “As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 “ ‘Who are you, sir?’ I asked. And he replied, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’  9 The people with me saw the light but didn't hear the voice.  10 “I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.’  Paul understood the proper order when he asked, “Who are you, sir?” before, “What shall I do, Lord?”  We often get these questions backwards as we zealously seek to do something for God instead of concentrating on knowing His Person first.  A true vision for ministry will always issue from an encounter with the Lord in private as we seek to know Him and see His beauty and glory

        I close these thoughts with a Psalm and a classic Hymn that both capture the heart of being God-vision seekers far better than I can.  Psalm 27:4 - One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.  The third verse of, “Be Thou My Vision” really speaks to this thought beautifully.  Read, meditate and enjoy the Presence of the Lord.  “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise - Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart - High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.”  May the Lord bless your seeking hearts!

Tags: Jesus Christ, religion, Christianity, visions, purpose, life direction

THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA?

THE CHURCH REPORT MAGAZINE has come out with their annual 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA issue and it is very interesting to say the least.  I can only imagine that heaven's perspective may be a little different as the top 10 might well be headed up with white haired grandma prayer warriors!  I agree with a number of the selections, but was a little disappointed to find some names missing. 

Influence is not always a positive thing if the person doing the influencing has bad theology or is unethical in their calling.  It seems that the greatest temptation and challenge that most of us could ever face would be notoriety and success.  I have heard it said that most people can weather poverty and loss, but few can weather success. 

It seems that this statement is confirmed throughout the Biblical record and history.  Solomon is probably the greatest example of a man who was praised universally during his time and "blessed" with more material wealth than anyone before. 

Having whatever his eyes and appetites desired did not do him well, but rather led to great despair and spiritual poverty.  The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible tells of us his journey and ultimate conclusions.  Here they are in his own words;  "Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. ¹⁴God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."(NLT)   May God give grace to these influential ones and keep them from leading many astray as they humbly accept the yoke of success and recognition. 

USATODAY.com - Bush takes responsibility for 'serious problems' in response

CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK TO READ THIS STORY

Today, our President, George W. Bush did something very few presidents ever do; HE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE! I know his critics will say, "It's not enough", but I say, BRAVO!" In this situation it is appropriate for him to do so and I much appreciate the effort made. He has demonstrated humility and a principle of leadership that is sometimes necessary. The buck stops with him and he must step up and eat whatever crow is put before him as long as it is crow that belongs to him. Good job Mr. President and may God bless and guide you!

NPR : Defending the Katrina Aid Effort

NPR : Defending the Katrina Aid Effort

CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK AND THEN LISTEN TO AUSTIN BAY GIVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE RELIEF EFFORTS SURROUNDING HURRICANE KATRINA.
As you know, many are calling for the President's head and are criticizing our Government's response to this disaster. I believe there were many mistakes made, but I appreciated this perspective as well. Have we come to expect too much in this country? Are we spoiled to believe we can do more than is humanly possible? This gentleman seems to think so.