Child Sponsorship - Why I Chose Compassion Canada ( International)

We’ve all seen the TV ads . We usually turn the channel right away. Not because we’re heartless but maybe because we can’t stand to see the suffering… or we don’t know what effect we could possibly have on it. 

Maybe its because they seem to be begging for money – and we don’t really like that. We’ve heard the stories of so-called charities who are actually just lining their own pockets – and this is probably just another one  of those.

Of course there’s also the realities of making ends meet – this is understandable. And then there are the selfish reasons – but I’ll leave that between you and your Maker. Because this is no guilt trip folks – it’s a reality check.. its an opportunity.. it’s a reward.

Feeding, educating and loving children in the third world is all of those things and, of course, more. Sponsoring a child through a reputable organization is a wonderful thing – for you and for the child and their family.

We talk about investing our money - think about the intangible priceless returns of investing in another human being!

My wife and I  have chosen an organization called Compassion International 

( specifically Compassion Canada) for a variety of reasons. Whatever organization you choose I believe that organization needs to fill the physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual needs of the child – if the last three are not met then its just survival.

We have been with Compassion for about 8 years now and have never once been disappointed with the way our money , our sponsor child or we, ourselves, have been handled.

We recently gave our sponsor child a birthday gift of $50 (Canadian) last July - she just wrote back and thanked us for the $441,001.00 Rupiah....  this puts things in perspective for me.  I really do have the extra money, I think most of us do if we really committed to it.... 

Whether we are teenagers, young adults, married with children or seniors.

I think one of the main reasons people hesitate to donate money to overseas efforts is that they are just not confident that their money will reach those in need and actually make a difference.


 Because of Compassion's reputation of integrity and their holistic appraoch to helping children through a local church and indigenous people of that specific country - it really works. 


 For the financials and ratings you can see below why it is wise stewardship of your money , the child's care and , ultimately, God's glory and Kingdom. 


 For a real life testimony of people who have been through the program as children and are now successful healthy adults - please see the video below - it is truly amazing.

CNN's money man, Clark  Howard , advised that if you are thinking of giving to a charity to check out their rating with two specific watchdog organizations - The Better Business Bureau Charity and Charity Navigator. You can find both reviews at the links below.

 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Both Compassion International and Compassion Canada meet all 20 standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and are accredited charities with the BBB.

Better Business Bureau Review: 

Charity Navigator notes that this organization receives $0 in government support. and rates it  4 out of 4 stars.

Charity Navigator Review: 

After reading the above reviews, it is undeniable that Compassion has one of the best reputations - secular or Christian .  Now take a few minutes to watch this video. it has the unique quality of looking back at children who have grown through Compassion and the local church and are now adults...

For a further look into Compassion - visit their website at http://www.compassion.ca/index.asp

and specifically the "Why Compassion?" page here

Here is a taste of what you'll find:

Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name

As the world’s leading Christian child development ministry, Compassion is committed to eliminating the root causes of poverty for children around the globe. Our passion and purpose reside in our unwavering commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and the ability of His Church to execute His command to serve the poor.

In response to the Great Commission, Compassion exists as an advocate for children to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

Compassion is Distinctly Christian

Compassion’s ministry is distinctly Christian. Our child development programs are unique in that they are:

• Christ-centred
• Child-focused
• Church-based

" Each person is created in God’s image and bears God’s Likeness. Jesus treated everyone with respect and willingly gave His life for the redemption of all people. Therefore, all people are worthy of our respect and love."

Here's the list of the children who have been waiting the longest:    http://www.compassion.ca/child_list.asp?linkid=74

10 Signs You Are Having a Meltdown ( in Ministry)

Shared from the Resurgence website and Perry Noble's blog

You need to read this if you are in ministry

10 Signs You Are Nearing A Meltdown

Perry Noble » Church Leadership Wisdom Coaching Counseling

My counselor shared a statistic with me two years ago that floored me – 90% of the people entering ministry do not retire from ministry. They either quit or have some sort of moral/ethical failure that disqualifies them.

Jesus did not call us to this or wants this for our lives. Yet so many of us church leaders struggle in this area (usually inwardly because if we said out loud that we are dying inside, people might perceive us as weak).

Here are 10 signs you are near a burnout and/or meltdown:

1. You are beginning to despise people and your compassion for them is continually decreasing rather than increasing.
    
2. You often think about doing something other than ministry and your biggest desire isn’t to honor God and reach people, but to simply find relief from the pressure that seems to be building daily inside you.
    
3. You cannot remember the last time you simply had fun with family and friends and joy is something you talk about, but are not experiencing for yourself.
    
4. You are disconnected at home and when you get there, you do not want to engage with your spouse or your children; you cannot enjoy being around them. You spend more time online than you do with your family and you find yourself wanting to sleep all of the time.
    
5. You continually tell yourself and those you love that “this is just a really busy season and that you will slow down soon.” However, the truth is that you have been most likely “singing that same song” for years!
    
6. You are continually becoming obsessed with what others say about you and one negative comment from someone who does not like you can put you in an incredibly deep valley and cause you to feel hopeless.
    
7. You begin to make easy decisions rather than the right ones, because the right ones take too much work.
    
8. There is no hope in you and you actually despair of life. You have thought of death and have even entertained suicidal thoughts.
    
9. You are experiencing unexplained depression and/or anxiety. You are having panic attacks and can’t explain it.
    
10. You are increasingly becoming withdrawn from family and friends.

That's right, my life!

“How did you come up with this list?” you ask. It’s quite simple, I went back to December 2007 until January of this past year and listed out the qualities that were the most prominent in my own life. That’s right, my life! I went through a trial of intense depression and anxiety during that time period and the best way I can describe my life would be “dark.”

“

God called us to do a lot of things for him, but he did not call us to burn out, disqualify ourselves, or drop out.

”

However, through swallowing my pride and asking for help, the support of an incredible wife, the support of great friends, seeking out an incredible counselor, and the unbelievable mercy of God, I broke free from my darkness this past January. Oh sure, I still struggle with it more often than I wish I would, but I cannot tell you the incredible feelings of freedom and joy I’ve had since January that I haven’t had in years!

God called us to do a lot of things for him, but he did not call us to burn out, disqualify ourselves, or drop out. I want what Paul said in2 Timothy 4:7 to be true of all of us - I want us to finish well!

This post is adapted from Perry Noble's blog

That Guy That Sounds Like Freddie Mercury

So by now you may have heard of or seen the youtube viral video that has Canadian, Marc Martel, covering Queen's "Somebody to Love".

What's so funny to me is that I've been listening to this guy for years as the frontman of a band called "downhere"  - and I've been saying for a while that "Wow that guy sounds a lot like Freddie Mercury!"

Now here is some real irony for you - and I hope its a good irony.  Martel's band "downhere" is a Christian band.  A band that is known for its deeply Biblical content and love for Christ.

I was fortunate enough to see these guys live at the Performing Arts Center in town a while back - and I was blown away by the raw talent and deep love and dedication to Jesus  that they clearly had.

So in other words - Marc is a devoted Christian and Mercury, as we know, was gay ( or at least bisexual).

And this has a lot of people talking.

Don't Christians hate gay people?

No.. no we don't. Not even a little bit.

I want so badly for my friends in the LGBT community to know that Christians , in fact, have a deep love for them... and where this isn't true  I want Christians to know that if they want to be anything like Christ that this love is only natural. Re-read your Bible!

Of course we disagree. I'm not sugarcoating that.

But as I've said a hundred times and still pray that people on both sides understand - Its possible to strongly disagree with someone and still deeply love them.

When Marc was asked about this apparent irony, he told the Wall Street Journal:

 “Freddie Mercury wrote songs that were real and true. Rock and roll reaches people because it’s honest, and doesn’t shy away from the issues. You can have a great voice, but people can spot a fake from a mile away. Our music may come from a biblical standpoint but we don’t shy away from true experiences  – doubt, loss, pain, sorrow – we want to deal with all of that. Queen’s repertoire deals with those emotions and feelings too and I love singing their music because at the end of the day, it’s just true.”


Also from belief.net      See full interview here

"Bonham: For the guy who’s fought the comparisons to Freddie Mercury, you’ve got to think this situation shows that God has a pretty good sense of humor.

Martel: Absolutely, and I think the last 10 years have been a preparation for me to be able to handle this. I don’t think I could’ve handled this 10 years ago. God’s moving in this very obviously.

Bonham: If you win this contest and get the chance to tour next summer with the Queen Extravaganza, how would you expect God to use you to impact others?

Martel: Obviously I would be working for Queen and obviously I’m not going to be preaching on stage or anything like that. I really believe that any influence this would have for the Gospel, God is going to be handling that. All I can do is be faithful with my gift, be faithful with anyone I talk to and let love be my guide and just be gracious with people. God will take care of the rest. I really believe that.

So at the end of the day my prayer is twofold - first that Marc does not just go completely "secular" but stays true to his faith and his first Love ( and I know that is his passion)- and secondly that perhaps this viral irony can build a bit of healing between these two communities of Christians and  LGBT.

Because really, in the Biblical perspective, there are only two communities of people in this world - sinners  who have come to Jesus Christ for redemption and sinners who have not.

Marc Martel cover's Queen's "Somebody To Love"

downhere's latest song "Let Me Rediscover You"

And finally for an amazing Christmas song, downhere performs "How Many Kings"

Mental Illness and the Bible

Biblical distinctions of Jesus' healing

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 24:4   NKJV

For those of you who still struggle with the idea that mental illness exists wthin the Bible (as I did) , this verse really sums it up for me.

It is very clear from this verse that all of Jesus healings of sick people were put into 3 categories:

1) Spiritual -  - Demon possession  - this is obviously spiritual and while I do not believe a Christian can be demon pssessed since they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit - we still have spiritual problems that only Jesus can heal ( like "pride" for example... thats what I struggled with)

2) Mental or Brain-related - Epiliptics ( translated "lunatick" in the KJV, the greek word refers to epilipsy)  - although epilipsy is not usually classified as a 'mental illness" , it is in fact a disorder of the brain - and the brain is largely synonymous with the mind...." a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures.[1][2] These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.."  Wikipedia

 When we speak of "mental illness" , we are not just talking  about feeling down in thee dumps - we are talking about a clinical brain disorder.  There are literally malfunctions happening in the brain to cause this - this is proven beyond doubt by science.

In the case of OCD,  a part of the brain called the "Caudate Nucleus" is seen to be abnormally overstimulated when observed and is the primary cause of why some of us have excessive obsessive thoughts and compulsions - its like there is no built in  "shut off" button like a healthy brain would have.

We are also very aware of Alzheimers and other diseases that affect elderly people. We rightly understand and readily accept that this is a deterioration of the brain as the body ages- not demon possession. This would apply to Autism and Asperbergers as well.

While there are gross misunderstandings in psychology and especially psychiatry - we cannot throw the proverbial "baby" out with the bathwater. Psychology is simply the study of the mind ( i.e. brain and social and social and emotional  behaviour) and can therefore is a necessary thing and cann indeed be a godly thing.

3) Physical - Paralytics - while the brain is definitely physical it also a lot more complicated than we can fully understand and malfunctions there affect our cognitive orr mental abilities.   This speaks of something morre directly physical, quite separate from what we think of as the "mind".  If someone is paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury - we again rightly and readily understand this as a physical problem to be prayed about but also a case to be taken to a medical doctor.

The causes of any of the above types of illnesses could be sin-related or "for the glory of God" as Jesus said about the blind man in John 4.

They are most often simply a result of a fallen imperfect world. 

To read my perrsonal story of struggling with mental illness please read this article:  A Beautiful Mind

P.S. Emotional well being is also of  the utmost importance and is validated firmly by the Lord Jesus who "came to heal the broken hearted". (Luke 4:18)

Brian "Head" Welch...

Well no one is perfect but I really like the honesty in this CNN interview of Brian Welch on his journey to faith in Christ... a little weird how much he looks like the "caucasianized" pictures of Christ but like I said - this guys honesty is compelling for anyone....   added a third video on the bottom..

Evangelical : Why I Am and Am Not One

With the term "evangelical" being thrown about so much these days I thought it might be a good time to update and re-post this blog....

When the "E" word is used it can bring up any number of thoughts and emotions, depending on the connotation it has in any given culture or society. In North America - that connoatation is getting branded in a  worse and worse manner. And sometimes rightly so.

However, we all must be careful of building a "Straw Man" argument against any group of people. That is, taking the most extreme ( and thus often the worst) examples and using them to label and portray what the larger group is really like. This will always result in a false reality, ignorance and often hate.

I know many who would fall under the label of “Evangelical”. Sure there are some that don’t really understand some of the modern issues we face and are opinionated about it but then again that describes most of our grandpa’s - but I still love mine.

Most of the “Evangelicals” I know though are well reasoned people, educated, and full of love for Jesus Christ and for their neighbours, the poor and needy and even their enemies. 

At the very least, they are no worse than anyone else.

My pastor recently recounted a story of when he was speaking to an Arab man in Israel. The man asked him  "What "variety" of Christian are you?" . My pastor answered "Evangelical" but when the Arab man said "O yes I know what kind that is..." and then proceeded to explain something that my pastor certainly was not nor desired to be  - well, my pastor started thinking maybe he should be careful about using that term.

At the very end of this article I’ve listed the statement of faith of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. I agree with it wholeheartedly -  You may not agree with it and that is your right.   But you need not hate them - because I know the vast majority do not hate you.  

It is possible to deeply disagree with someone and 
still deeply love them.

My real point though is this though -  although I firmly believe in that same statement of faith, I am very much an individual with freedom of thought, faith and reason.

I understand the desire to categorize and label everything but, although I am certainly not ashamed of what I believe,  I do not like to be pigeon-holed as “Evangelical”.

I simply believe in the Bible and believe in and follow Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  

I am simply a Christian, a disciple of  Jesus Christ. 

“So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”  Acts 11:26

Nothing more, nothing less.

I will most gladly be labeled as that!

---------

Affiliates of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada agree on the following statements:

• The Holy Scriptures, as originally given by God, are divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy, and constitute the only supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

• There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• Our Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; we affirm his virgin birth, sinless humanity, divine miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, ongoing mediatorial work, and personal return in power and glory.

• The salvation of lost and sinful humanity is possible only through the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, received by faith apart from works, and is characterized by regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit enables believers to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The Church, the body of Christ, consists of all true believers.

• Ultimately God will judge the living and the dead, those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

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P.S.   One depiction of an “Evangelical” on TV that I really enjoy is Sheldon’s mom off the Big Bang Theory. She, of course, is the ultimate stereotype, always reminding her Vulcan-like son to think about what Jesus would do.

“Leonard, the Lord never gives us more than we can handle. Luckily He blessed me with two other children who are as dumb as soup.”  

But I have to admit – its hilarious.  And at the end of the day, everyone turns to her when Sheldon’s really gone off the map.

But speaking of ultimate stereotypes (or strawmen) , that’s usually what I see in the media when they reference “Evangelicals”.  I especially notice that in the U.S.  ( especially the Southern U.S.), there seems to be a very great polarization and we often only see the extremes.

Canada is a little more laid back. 

AIDS at 30 by Jars of Clay's Dan Haseltine

A poignant write up from pioneer musicians and AIDS advocates, Jars of Clay...

AIDS at 30: Nothing to Celebrate, Everything to Hope For - News & Updates - Jars of Clay

MONDAY, JUNE 27 | DAN

We are celebrating an anniversary this year.  “Celebrating” is not the correct word.  Perhaps, “acknowledging” is a better word.  We won’t be sending cards or thinking romantic thoughts, or raising a glass as we release sentiments like, “we hope the next 30 years are even better than the first. “   It was 30 years ago that the first cases of, “The Gay Cancer,” were reported.   We have come to know this disease by a different name.  We know it as AIDS.

I still remember sitting in the corner office of our Rendy Lovelady Management as I listened to a man describe what was happening in Africa.  He was not hopeful in that conversation.  His words held no silver lining.  How could it?   He was in the office because he needed help.  A poll had been commissioned by World Vision to find out what the general state of knowledge and understanding was in the church surrounding HIV/AIDS.  They asked a simple question of Evangelicals. “If you had the chance to help someone with AIDS, would you?”   Only 3% said yes.

 AIDS is complicated.   Just as relationships are complicated, or medicine is complicated, or humanity is complicated, or being a Christian is complicated.  So, for many people it was necessary to find reasons to disengage without feeling implicated in the work that needed to be done.
The poll suggested that Evangelicals blamed HIV/AIDS on a lot of things.  One of the loudest critical voices speaking about HIV/AIDS was the one telling us that Africans were reaping what they had sewn. AIDS was the way God was acting out his wrath on sinners, and so our job was simply to ignore Africa and let those infected with AIDS die.

AIDS is complicated. And the church was immature.  And the act of pulling the covers over our heads and hoping that the monster would simply go away, well… , It didn’t work.  The monster grew.  The next approach was better.  What could we learn from people struggling with HIV/AIDS?  Our approach was to listen and observe.

We found that the reason for HIV/AIDS rapid spread was not entirely due to an influx of homosexual activity.  We learned that it was transmitted through breast- feeding, and ceremonial circumcisions, and wife adoption, and a host of tribal practices meant for healing, and childbirth.  We also learned that our response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic was selfish and fearful.  We, as a culture, found the human story trapped under the umbrella of mega-statistics and impersonal numbers. We found a foothold to re-engage.  And even with a massive push by musicians like Bono and world leaders like, Bishop Tutu, we saw the effects of HIV/AIDS continue to rise.

We built initiatives, and peace plans, and watched the development world truly rally to the call of ending HIV/AIDS.  And still we saw the disease hold it’s ground.   We saw pockets where an idea or an education campaign made a significant difference in the number of new transmissions of HIV.  And still, we find ourselves 30 years into a great war, unable to fully end HIV/AIDS.

It is complicated.   It is killing more people than ever before.  And yet, we are saving more people than ever before.  Paul Farmer called the engagement with the poor, “the long defeat.”  Not because we need another reason to give up, but because we need to know that even if this disease continues its rise,  we must still care about the individual PEOPLE whose stories are written with HIV/AIDS as a formidable antagonist.
We must, 30 years in, decide that the needs are still urgent; that the work is still ours to accomplish, and that every man, woman, and child that is HIV positive is worth all of the efforts we could muster.

Caring about AIDS is not as sexy as it was a decade ago. There are fewer celebrities speaking out on behalf of the HIV positive.  How do we sustain a voice loudly speaking about the end of HIV/AIDS and watch all of our efforts fail to make significant change?  We are a culture of instant gratification. So many artists and advocates have moved on to other causes or humanitarian puzzles that show more tangible and quantifiable solutions.  

Yet, it is not about ending AIDS.  Just as our efforts to reduce our own children’s flu symptoms isn’t about ending Flu viruses. We are compelled to serve those we care about.  We treat human beings. And the human story should always be compelling.  And the discouragement we feel for the lack of ground gained in the fight to end AIDS should be overshadowed by the great joy and richness of serving people.

We cannot make our investment into the lives of others hinge on the eradication of AIDS.  We must make it about the reaching into a life.  We must make it about the caring for an individual.  We must make it about the human story that we can change, or heal. In the next 30 years, I would love to know that we didn’t give up.  I would love to see, God willing, a generation of people who see such transcendent value in the reaching and the loving and the helping and the serving of another without agenda or end goal.

We are beyond the myths of HIV/AIDS.  We are beyond the fears and miscommunications of a misunderstood disease.  We have the knowledge to move. Maybe 30 years from now, we can celebrate.  For now, we have work to do. Check out www.bloodwatermission.com to see how you can join the work.

Here is one way:  Become a Community:Builder. Join us in this investment and become a Community:Builder today.  Your support will enable us to confidently develop long term partnerships within a region, allow us to respond quickly to short term needs, and invite us to go further into other unreached communities.
For your gift of $30/month or more (that’s just $1 a day), you will be building the foundation for a healthy future in our communities in Africa.

Here is what the Community:Builders program could enable in the next 12 months:

• 1 Community Builder could provide 4 families with biosand filters along with hygiene & sanitation training.

• 10 Community Builders could provide a well repair and hygiene & sanitation training for a village of 1,200 people.

• 100 Community Builders could cover the opening costs of a comprehensive care clinic

• 250 Community Builders could invest in our Nairobi-based field programs, expanding our ability to train our community partners and increase their capacities to serve their communities.

• 500 Community Builders could sustain our long term commitments to our communities and offer the opportunity to seek new partners who desire to address the needs of their neighbors.

Join us in this investment and become a Community Builder today.  Your support will enable us to confidently DEVELOP long term partnerships within a region,RESPOND quickly to short term needs, and GO further into other unreached communities.

In appreciation for your commitment, Community Builders will receive:

• a Blood:Water Mission t-shirt,

• quarterly stories and photos from the field to share the impact of your partnership, and

• invitations to key events, in-person & online.

Thank you for your partnership. You are making a difference for long lasting hope and health in Africa.

Experience

Just over a year ago in Prince George, a state of emergency was declared after a huge fire broke out in the industrial site just south of the city. As a captain in the Prince George Fire Department, my uncle was in the heart of it all as the chaos lasted about 3 days straight. There were many heroes during those days, but a story involving my uncle stuck out to me. 

While in one of the massive buildings on fire, my uncle and 2 other firefighters were assessing the situation. He climbed up onto a pile of wood to look down the length of the building and he saw something that immediately caused him to shout to the others to run out of the building. 

The other 2 firefighters just stood there for a while looking at the same thing but not noticing anything particularly dangerous about it. My uncle doesn’t get excited to easily but he was raising his voice more and more – eventually the first fighter listened and ran out of the building. The other one was still wondering why my uncle was so excited – finally after another bellow from my uncle the second firefighter realized he meant business and the 2 fled the structure. 

The message to evacuate was relayed to the chief who in turn called another group of men off the roof of the same building. Within seconds of their retreat, a massive burst of flame coursed through out the building destroying everything in its wake…. My uncle had literally just saved lives.

So what did he see? And how did he know what it meant? 

Well what he saw doesn’t mean much to me – but he said the way the smoke was looking immediately brought to mind a similar situation 25 years earlier at a fire at the Prince George Jail. He knew that back then this forming of the smoke was a forewarning of a terrible blast of flame to come. Because of this experience He was able to save lives that night a year ago. He was later honoured for this effort.

The lesson that I get out of this is the lesson of experience. I don’t mean the type of experience as in an “emotional event” but rather that type of experience that is earned through being weathered by the years of this life. Now I readily concede that wisdom does not necessarily come with experience or age but we would do well to at least hear what the voice of experience in our life is saying.

Some young Christians ( and some older ones for that matter) are under the impression that they know everything there is to know about the Christian life. They have arrived. They have figured it all out .

 Wow I’m sounding so old right now.

But how do I know this? I was one of these young Christians. Now “young” is relative therefore I am still young to many and I acknowledge that ( in fact I’m glad of that – 31 feels old enough) . I only speak from what I have learned up to this point. When I was in my early twenties I became very extreme in my behaviour and attitude about Christianity. Some times “extreme” can be good. You can be “extremely” in love with the Lord Jesus for example, however all too often the word “extreme” has been abused by those who have their own agenda. 

Being extreme in your late teens, early twenties is not uncommon. I have actually entitled it..

 “Young Man’s Disease” 

... not to take away anything from the ladies but they often tend to have more sense than us men. When do you know that your version of “extreme” has gone wrong? Well, for example, I used to believe the word “ balance” was an excuse for being weak and lazy. In the back of my mind, I thought of people who weren’t as “extreme” in their Christianity as me, simply were not as good of Christians . 

That is a dangerous thought folks. Be very aware of this attitude in your life as it can destroy you. While I may have even been right about some people needing to get their act together, that wasn’t the point. I learned 2 things from all of this:

1) To my great detriment ( and to the detriment of others I loved) I ignored very sound advice from people who had been down the road I was, at the time ,travelling ( just as the other 2 firefighters would have suffered detriment if they had not listed to the sound advice of my uncle) 

2) Whether I was right or not about people was irrelevant in regards to my attitude towards people and God .God looks on the heart and the fact was, my heart was full of pride. 

In Psalm 138 David declares “Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.” Verse 6. James reiterates in the New Testament that God “resists” the proud but gives grace to the humble ( James 4:6). 


Young people and all people, lets examine our hearts to see if they are full of pride disguised as zealousness.

Even Plato noticed this principle when he said “You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters.”

Of course all this is said with the realization that the essential doctrines of Scipture do not change ( nor should we then change our opinions on these). There is also the fact, as I mentioned before, that wisdom does not necessarily come with age. If an older person is guiding you away from what the Bible **clearly** ( emphasis on the “clearly”) teaches then you must not take their advice but rather God’s. 

Nor should we follow one person’s line of thinking alone (i.e. defining oneself as a "Calvinist rather than a Christian) for 

“ Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

Please be wise enough to know the difference and humble enough to learn from the experience of others. And remember – it is not just about our knowledge – it is about our attitude. If we are not having unconditional love toward others ( whether you agree with them or not) then we need to work on that.

Its often said that knowledge is much more helpful when combined with wisdom, for wisdom is the proper application of that knowledge.
So if some older believers have been giving you some advice lately , don’t reject it – humbly and prayerfully consider it, realizing you don’t know it all. 

Not yet anyways… maybe when your 31 … ;)

Rob Wilson - An Aboriginal Leader

 Suicide it whispers lies 

lets break them ties and start rebuilding
I got a dream to see a smile on the face of the youth today in reservations
Time to pray for the church today that's hating preaching condemnation
We want to see restoration, revelation,  Lord we waiting
It's hard to reach these people hurt by residential schools and slave plantations
I know your faithful Lord I know you're in control
So I sing a song of freedom like Martin Luther king it's from the soul

(Excerpt from the song "I Have a Dream" by Aboriginal Canadian Artist, Fresh I.E.)

Some years back now, I happened to hear that a Winnipeg Hip Hop Artist named Fresh I.E. ( Fresh In Eternity) had been nominated for a Grammy award for Best Album in the Rock Gospel category - a first ever for a Canadian Hip Hop artist of any kind.

I decided I should check out the Album called Red Letterz , a collections of songs that had come from a life of hard times on the streets of the inner city. This may sound similar to a lot of other Hip Hop albums that came out before and during this time but this was different. Not only did it have the heart, the grit , the lyrics and the beats - it had hope.

The Album title refers to the fairly common practice of many Bibles to print Jesus' words in red... and herein lies the distinction of this true gangster's story - the words of Jesus Christ had changed His life.

It didn't take long for me to realize why this album had been virtually plucked out of no where ( no offense Winnipeg ;) and hurdled onto the Grammy stage. Every track was amazing and for me it remains one of my favourite Hip Hop albums of all time - period .

As I learned a bit more about Rob Wilson, the man known as Fresh I.E., I became even more impressed with what he had overcome and how he was so passionate about helping other youth overcome their challenges too.


According to Aboriginal Peoples Choice,  "Fresh spends 7 months of the year travelling to Inner Cities, Reserves and communities all over the world to reach out and inspire the youth of today. When Fresh is not travelling he can usually can be found at his home church where he is a Youth Pastor ministering to the youth of his city to pursue God and live out their dreams."

http://aboriginalpeopleschoice.com/artists/fresh-ie/

Here you can also find his personal story and testimony which I will post below. After that I have put in the lyrics (as best I can)  to one of Rob's newest songs, I Have a Dream  - its an amazing song with poignant lyrics - check it out!

BIO

The distress of a blind man changed the life of Rob Wilson forever. Standing on a busy street by himself, Wilson quietly pulled the blind man out of harms way. Later on that same day, the blind man somehow ended up sleeping on the front steps to Wilson's house. At the time, Wilson was in his own state of distress. Waist-deep into illicit crime and substance abuse. The question many people ask is how did the blind man find him? And the answer to the question is, there isn't one. But the one thing Wilson was sure of from that night, was God is real. And that God talking to him, sending him a sign, showing him that he was walking blind through life and headed for disaster. The rest is history. Fast-forward a decade, Rob Wilson is now better know as "Fresh I.E." (Fresh In Eternity). Since God transformed his life and revealed to him his purpose, Wilson has achieved musical accolades and approval far beyond his wildest dreams. In 2003 he became the first ever Canadian hip-hop artist nominated for a Grammy Award (Red Letterz) and followed that up in 2005 with a subsequent Grammy-nod (Truth Is Fallin In Tha Streetz). With all of the recognition and awards you might say Rob "Fresh I.E." Wilson's career has reached a pinnacle... Wrong. That was only the beginning. In 2000, Wilson had a vision of a centre with four doors. One pointing North, others to the South, East and West. A resting place to help young people get off the streets, teaching them the arts of music, drama and The Gospel of Jesus Christ. That dream has yet to be realized, but in the meantime he's grateful for the following accolades. From them he feels he's gaining the respect and authority he needs to teach others to reach for a higher purpose through music.

I Have a Dream ( lyrics by Rob Wilson)

Verse 1

I got a dream one day we will open up our eyes remove the blinds and really see now
We can't stand by watch the young die mothers cry daddy's gone in the streets we be now
(There's so much pain inside) can we be released cause we keep on balling
Need to eat plus those kids on the block got those rocks in their socks that moneys calling
So much temptation they facing little kids they get deceived
I'm trying to lead em to a life in Christ let them dreams they can achieve
Them blessings they can receive they aint got to do them dirty deeds
They aint got to sell their bodies on the street to live and breath and get that cheese
We living in evil days where pedophiles prey on little children
Suicide it whispers lies lets break them ties and start rebuilding
I got a dream to see a smile on the face of the youth today in reservations
Time to pray for the church today that's hating preaching condemnation
We want to see restoration revelation Lord we waiting
It's hard to reach these people hurt by residential schools and slave plantations
I know your faithful Lord I know you're in control
So I sing a song of freedom like Martin Luther king it's from the soul

Chorus

Because I got dreams that kids will be redeemed dreams of hearing a child sing songs to the King
Dreams of reaching the world with a simple song even if it helps one soul move on
Got so many dreams a young girls self esteem a thugs fight to live and get a prostitute on her feet
This is my dream cause I been redeemed got give back what the Lord has done for me I have a dream

Verse 2

No limit to the things you can do get Christ get crunk I pray you
Rip mics speak life to the people who lost their life they wait for you
They seeking inspiration cant see past they desperation
So they got to life fast quick dash for the cash or its back in granny's basement
Can we make it to the promise land that's grand and filled with milk and honey?
Or we going to stay trapped in a system that got us lusting after money
Many men died so we can dream they marched up and down the streets with dreams
A place where we serve the phenes and kill each other over cream nah!
We got to get a grip lockjaw get raw get ready for in corruption
A lot of rappers from back in the day prophesied we heading for self destruction
Why can't we see the signs were to busy living that sinful life
To be living in prison and giving our seeds a reason to live this life
I give you life give you Christ give you the maker of darkness and light
Bid you to enter His gates like winter don't wait the storm could come tonight
It will be alright close your eyes and dream let your voice be heard
Put that hustle down player pick up the word

Chorus

Because I got dreams that kids will be redeemed dreams of hearing a child sing songs to the King
Dreams of reaching the world with a simple song even if it helps one soul move on
Got so many dreams a young girls self esteem a thugs fight to live and get a prostitute on her feet
This is my dream cause I been redeemed got give back what the Lord has done for me I have a dream