Are Europe and the West the New "Dark" Continents?

In an earlier age Christian cross cultural workers went by the thousands from Europe and North America to the continent of Africa. They took with them the message of truth and love found in Jesus Christ. By unswerving commitment to their message and love for the African people they planted the church in a most difficult place. 

As a new paganism sweeps Europe and the West it is fascinating to see how missionaries from Africa are bringing light to the new "dark" places of the world.  Wallace Henley writes about this irony in an interesting piece entitled, Reverse Missions to the "Dark" Continent (Part I). See the full article here.

The Movie: COURAGEOUS

Courageous is a very good movie. And I would recommend that every father try and see it. But, is it cheesy? Does it try and do too much with the story line? Yes to both of those questions. But, often Christian movies are cheesy...this one in my humble opinion is only moderately so. Again let me say that every father should try and see it...it is inspiring, motivational, has some intense pathos and excellent humour.

Would I invite a non-Christian friend to this movie. Nope. There are parts of the movie that reflect the fundamentalist Christian culture of the USA where the movie was made. And to a great many normal, ordinary, secular Canadians I think there would be a number of "huh, what's that all about" moments. In my opinion it might work as a good witnessing tool in many places, but I don't think many of those places are in urban Canada.

Courageous was far and away the most popular movie this weekend in probably every Cineplex where it was shown. Number of people per showing was 145% higher than Dream House; 110% higher than 50/50; 87% higher than Dolphin Tale and 81% higher than Moneyball. The closest was The Lion King and Courageous still had 67% more people on average in every theater.

Posted by Royal 07/10/11

Let's Learn to Talk About our Faith

Walking the life is important...but talking is important too!

I think that most followers of Christ, even though they would like to share, hesitate to share the good news of Jesus because of their own fear.

They are afraid they may say the wrong thing,

They are afraid of rejection,

And they are afraid of what that rejection will do to their relationship.

Besides, most believers haven’t a clue where to begin that conversation.

That’s why I am letting you know about a workshop that will be held at the Freedom House Church and Healing Centre (8023 Hiway 7, East, Guelph) on Saturday, October 15^th (8:30am-3pm), titled: Talk the Walk Workshop(Helping Christians Share their faith).

In this workshop we will discover:

1. How to take the truth of Jesus outside of your church walls
2. How not to be afraid when you bring Jesus into your everyday world
3. How God equips and calls introverts to share as well as extroverts
4. How one church plant grew from 18 to 170 people in 5 years
5. That there are already key resources available such as:

Christianity Explored

“In all my years of ministry, Christian Explored, without a doubt, has been the most effective outreach tool we have ever used.”

-Pastor Erick Kalmbach, Markham Bible Chapel

While similar to Alpha program in format, Christianity Explored offers a more modern presentation, has a stronger emphasis on scripture and a theological orientation that has broader appeal.

H20- A Journey of Faith

This dynamically contemporary DVD series that is the latest generation of the Alpha/Christian Explored concept that a pastor friend of mine in South Western Ontario heavily used for his church’s outreach and by the grace of God has grown his attendance over 944%. And by the way one of the Pastors's at Crossings Church in Acton, Kellen Wiersma, will be one of the presenters on October 15.

Just Walk Across the Room – Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith

Based on the book by Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church .

God calls us to share the Good News. And, yes, for only a small investment of $30 each (which includes lunch and snacks) this workshop will help equip both extroverts and introverts with tools on how to do just that.

So, mark your calendar and plan to join us. Why not bring along a friend who shares your passion to learn? On the basis of past workshops I promise you that both of you will be encouraged. But that’s not all—you will begin a new walk of sharing Christ with a freedom you've never had before.

I think that most believers are fearful about witnessing, and haven't a clue where to begin. So let's take those baby steps of preparing so that we can begin fulfilling the command of Jesus to take our “good news”to this desperately needy generation. JUST GO TO www.lightthedarkness.org for more details and information on how to register.

Rev Roy Hamel
Executive Director
Light the Darkness Ministries

Ten Major Shifts For Impacting our Communities

I've had the privilege of hearing David Macfarlane. He's worth listening to. He is primarily an evangelist and a mentor to the churches to help them fulfill their calling. Funny, that's how I see myself too...

Ten Paradigm Shifts Toward Community Impact
based on a message by Eric Swanson - used with full permission
By David Arrol Macfarlane

As I speak at conferences and in churches across Canada I see a quiet movement of the Spirit of God that is causing believers to re-examine how they “do church.” Churches are throwing out the old measures of success. It’s no longer merely about size, seeker sensitivity, spiritual gifts, church health, nor the number of small groups. It’s about people being genuinely transformed by Christ - making a significant and sustainable difference in the lives of those around us—in our communities and in our cities.
My Dad often said to me: “David, you cannot continue to do the same old things and expect different results.” To maximize our impact on our Canadian communities--urban, suburban or rural, we need changes in at least ten of our paradigms of how we currently view church.

1) From building walls to building bridges. “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13,14). The first paradigm shift pertains to where we, as the church, see ourselves in relation to our communities. Will we remain outside of the community inviting people in or will we go to our communities, seeking to be a transforming agent?
More: http://www.davidamacfarlane.com/published-articles.html

Loving Christopher Hitchens

A recent story highlighted in the UK's Daily Telegraph should inspire us all. Renowned atheist and secular apologist, Christopher Hitchens, who is gravely ill with stage 4 esophageal cancer is finding help at the hands of an evangelical scientist. Dr. Francis Collins contended against Hitchens in a number of debates over the existence of God. Against the odds the two over time have become friends and Collins is now treating Hitchens with revolutionary genetic therapy to try and save him from the almost certain death he faces from the cancer. See the posted story below.

Here is a wonderful example of a Christian going out of his way to love an "enemy" by seeking to save his life. But even more amazing I think is the fact that the two ever became friends in the first place. Could it be that when we are obedient to God in actually loving our enemies that God will work it out that some of those very same people will become our friends? It would seem so. How cool and wonderful is that?

Christopher Hitchens is a guinea pig for a cancer treatment that involves mapping his genetic make-up Photo: PA

By Richard Alleyne, and Mick Brown 6:30AM GMT 26 Mar 2011

202 Comments

The author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything said that he is a "guinea pig" for a new personalised medicine partly developed by Dr Francis Collins, a geneticist with very strong religious views.

The two had often met in the past as adversaries in the debate about whether God exists.

Against the odds they had become friends.

Now Hitchens is one of the few people in the world who has had his entire genetic make up mapped and is receiving a new treatment that targets his own damaged DNA.

"I’m an experiment," Hitchens said.

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"These are early stages, but in theory it should attack the primary site of the tumour.

"If that does happen, it won’t just be good news for me, it will be very exciting in the general treatment of cancer."

Dr Collins is a former director of the National Human Genome Research Project and is now the director of America’s National Institutes of Health.

He is the author of a bestselling book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

"It is a rather wonderful relationship,’ said Hitchens.

"I won’t say he doesn’t pray for me, because I think he probably does; but he doesn’t discuss it with me.

"He agrees that his medical experience does not include anything that could be described as a miracle cure – he’s never come across anything."

Hitchens, 61, originally from Portsmouth but now living in Washington DC, is an old Oxford University friend of the writer Martin Amis and has had a long journalistic career on both sides of the Atlantic.

In September 2005, he was named one of the "Top 100 Public Intellectuals" in the world by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines.

Since the publication of his book he has become a hero of so-called New Atheism movement.

His pre-eminence has been enhanced by his steadfast refusal to change his views even after he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus last year.

The prognosis looked very grave until a few weeks after his diagnosis he was asked if he would like to be a guinea pig in the new science of genome sequencing as a possible cure for cancer.

Samples were taken from healthy tissue and from his tumour and on each of them six billion DNA matches were run, in order to catalogue any mutations found in the cancerous cells.

He was warned to have no expectations.

But in the New Year came the good news that there is a genetic mutation found in the tumour for which there already exists a drug.

Having been on varying types and doses of chemotherapy, he is now on a regime of one pill a day.

"At least it spares me some of the boredom of being a cancer patient because what I’m going through is very absorbing and positively inspiring," he said.

"But if it doesn’t work, I don’t know what they could try next."

He remains hopeful, although he has been told that of 1,000 men of his age and in his condition, half could expect to be dead within a year.

Hitchens said that he is constantly contacted by other atheists telling him he can beat the cancer and this in itself makes him feel "alarmed to be a repository of other people's hope".

People have even started asking him to officiate at their weddings.

"It started a couple of years ago," he said.

"It’s something I shall have to resist if I survive, and even if I don’t – this very slightly cultish stuff starts to happen.

"You get letters from people you can hardly remember meeting: “I shall never forget the kindness …

"Unbelievably trivial stuff, but they’ve made it into a thing in their minds."

Absolutely Amazing Video Clip on Shining Your Light

I must share this marvellous video clip with you'all. It's all about being light of the world, shining into the darkness, being willing to go into the darkness. I guarantee you will love it...it may even transform your life. It sure encouraged mine.

Grace and peace to all,

Royal

It's called: Who do you think you are-Salt and Light! Check it out. It's worth it.

http://video.christianpost.com/20110314/who-do-you-think-you-are-salt-and-light/

New Tool For Evangelism

I recently bought the evangelism tool called H2O. It's a DVD series similar in form to Alpha and Christianity Explored, but way, way more contemporary. It makes extended use of story telling and parable in its presentation and I think is much, much more likely to elicit discussion from those in attendance. I can't give it a total ten in terms of rating for I have not had a chance yet to use it with a group. But, it looks very promising and is certainly worth checking out. Best price I have seen is to order it directly from Amazon.com

Some might think that session two is a little too gutsy and sharp-edged. And personally I think that session ten goes over the top with a sometimes over-critical portrayal of present day church practice. But, don't be turned away, the series has been extensively used by a pastor friend of mine in his community groups with much success.

Making the Most of Every Opportunity

The Christmas season is upon us. And if its like past years zealous Christians, jealous for the true meaning of the season will begin fighting with the pagans for the privilege of wishing them a "Merry Christmas" instead of, "Seasons Greetings" or whatever.

I propose a new way of looking at the situation, and using it as an opportunity of letting our light shine in the darkness. For it occurs to me that one's inner
attitude and motive in wishing all and sundry, "Merry Christmas" is of
utmost importance. For I can draw a line in the sand
and say to myself, "thus far you pagans can come and no further for I will
defend freedom of speech, and fight political correctness on this point by
hurling joyous noels at everything that breathes. But surely such an attitude is contradictory to the spirit of the season, and cannot possibly bear good fruit. But, if our attitude is
rather, "I will not be afraid, but will consciously take every opportunity
to exalt Jesus--I believe we can move beyond mere pugnacity and move in the direction of true witnessing. So when the clerk wishes us something like, "Seasons greetings" or "Best wishes for the holiday", etc. etc. what if we were to look carefully at the person and say something like, "Thank you for your kind wishes, Jesus, Light of the world has come to me, may he come to you". All it takes for this kind of ministry is the courage to be transparent and the courage to confess Christ before men. Imagine a kind of built in ministry opportunity given to all of us to at this special season of the year. Paul says in Colossians 4: 5: "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders making the most of the opportunity".

One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven

Mark Cahill published the book "One Thing you Can't Do in Heaven" in 2004. The publisher is Genesis Publishing Group. I have to say that this is one of the best books on witnessing I've ever read, bar none. It's only a paperback of just over 200 pages, so it's a light and easy read.

It is no theological treatise, but its focus is more on encouragement and inspiration to share the good news of Christ. Indeed the book is so motivational that it may lead you to put it down in mid-paragraph while launching yourself out your front door looking for some to share with.

No book is perfect and this one easily meets that standard. But there is so much good information and zesty motivation that I will be recommending it far and wide. I plan, Lord willing, to obtain many copies just for giving away. Put it on your reading list for this summer. You will not be disappointed.