That's My Jesus

                                      Jesus is my ...

Jesus is my Holy Hope (Heb. 7: 19)

   Jesus is my Wholesome Healer (Is. 53: 5)

      Jesus is my High Priest ( Heb. 7: 24, 25)

         Jesus is my Honorable Prophet (Deut. 18: 15 - 19)

            Jesus is my Hallowed King ( Rev. 19: 16)

               Jesus is my Heroes' Hero ( Ps. 24: 7 - 10)

                  Jesus is my High Tower ( Prov. 18: 10) Jesus is my Healthy Habit ( Ps. 25)

   Jesus is my Heart's Home ( Ps. 84; Rev. 20: 5 - 7)

      Jesus is my Heavenly Reward ( Col. 3: 24)

         Jesus is my Happy Help ( Ps. 43: 4; Heb. 12: 2)

            Jesus is my Endless Hallelujah ( Rev. 19: 1 - 4)

                     That's my Jesus...

                     Who is He to you?

The Arrow and Golden Oil Lampstand

Recently I was reading one of my favorite devotional books.  It is "Memoirs and Remains of Robert Murray McCheyne" by Andrew Bonar.  They were dear friends and co-laborers in the Lord's vineyard in the early to mid 1800's.  They were, along with several others, to bring revival to Scotland.  McCheyne was often sick and laid low and subsequently.died an early death.

As I was reading, the Lord had me draw both an arrow and then a golden lampstand.  I was not sure why.  Later that day I read this passage from Bonar about his friend.  "It seems to be part of the Lord's dealing with him, thus to teach him to persevere in duty and in faith, even when there is no obvious success.  The arrow that was yet to wound hundreds was then receiving its point; but it lay in the quiver for a time. The Lord seemed to be touching his own heart and melting it."

They were words I needed to read.  The Lord's dealing with His servants to sharpen the arrow for usefulness at times means being still inside the quiver. Jeremiah 51:10-11 says "The Lord has brought about our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.  Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields!". Is this not what God does so that when he releases us we can strike true?

Then I remembered the lampstand was part of the tabernacle used by Israel during their wanderings in the desert.  The golden lampstand was made to be used in the tabernacle. It was the only source of light and it stood to the side before the Holy of Holies.  It's light was from pure olive oil lit in six cups - three on each side of the lampstand.  Not only was it the "Only Source of Light" but it was a physical reminder, a shadowing of the true light - Jesus Christ.  The light was to burn continually before the Lord day and night without end.  Jesus said in John 8:12 "I am the Light of the World.". We are told in Revelation 22:5 "and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light..."

The oil that was to be used was to be "pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn (Ex. 27:20)."

Oh how much I want to have a sharp point, to be an arrow honed for useful purposes. I desire to be beaten and purified that my oil would be used by God to light a perpetual flame - to burn brightly in the darkness, to stand continually in His presence, to always serve, and to light the way for others to find Jesus in the Holy of Holies. 

McCheyne wrote a hymn about the oil in the lamp.  Here is part of the hymn - Oil for the Lamp.  "Learn here, my child, how vain this world, with all it's lies: Those who the Kingdom gain Alone are truly wise.  How vain the Christian name, if still you live in sin: A lamp amid wick and flame, No drop of oil within!  Is your lamp filled, my child, with oil from Christ above?  Has He your heart, so wild, made soft and full of love."

Shaped, Sharpened, and Sent to fly - Beaten, Bruised, and Beautified to Burn.  The Arrow and the Oil.

From Mike:

By now many of you have heard that I am on a medical leave of absence for six months. As I attend to my health I will occasionally write something for the blog regarding my current journey. It will not be too detailed but I hope it brings some hope or inspiration when you are also in a dark place.

Five nights ago I was awakened by the Lord. I could not go back to sleep. Instead I got out of bed and began to pray, read my bible, and cry out to the Lord. I asked Him to speak as He has seemed so distant and quiet for a long time.

Then I heard the Lord; yes after a long quiet time of months and months I heard Him. He asked me to draw an image of the crucifixion scene. Now I have never fancied drawing, nor did I take art in school, and I even flunked coloring in elementary school when it was a course with a grade attached.  Yet here was God asking me to draw.  So I did!

The scene reflects me. I am weary from the climb to the cross.  My body is gray and lifeless. I am prostrate before the cross and yet still not close.  All that is within me is dead, cold, lifeless, and finished.

Yet my Savior sees me!  From the cross, with blood dropping from his body, especially where the spear was thrust in his side, HE SEES ME!

I cannot cry out. Too exhausted.  I cannot pray - words will not form on my lips. Yet on the cross, dying, He has heard. How? I do not know yet He does.

The Lord then tells me to write "God is Love" and to write it in Latin. I look the words up and see "Deus Caritas Est" or God is Love.  I feel as if He looks down on me from the cross in the drawing. I hear Him say "And I Love You."

It is enough!  For this day, in the dark cave within which I exist, I have seen and heard the Lord. He has told me how much He loves me. The red dot on my gray body is the Lord's touch. He is making something new. He has given me a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. He is bringing new life to dead bones (Ez. 36:26 and 37).

I then am led to write a poem. Same as the drawing - I do not do this - EVER. Yet the Lord has me write a poem and in color.  Read below but it is called "BE".

The Lord is near even in strange and new ways. He is near even when we cannot see, hear, taste nor feel His presence.

Blessings

Mike

Text from John

Love Tanzania

Preaching at an incredible early morning worship service. It is held five days a week at the oldest Lutheran church in the country - beautiful church next to the sea/port in Dar es Salaam.  This is for all believers who want to start their day in worship and in prayer for their land. About 800 to a 1,000 come each day.

Love Tanzania

Part of the crowd of Muslim teens and young men who listened intently to the Gospel.  The rest were older than me and  listened from the stairs and above the field but are not in the photo.

Love Tanzania

Picture of Vic Murphy doing stunts prior to my message in a Muslim neighborhood soccer field.

Love Tanzania

Crowd shot! This is the location I was told not to use a sound system nor microphone as there was concern this almost exclusively Muslim neighborhood might respond in a hostile way. I prayed and sensed the Lord "green light" me to preach very loudly so that all who were near would hear the Gospel. The mosque was across the street and as I was nearing the end the Muslim call to prayer went out from the
Mosque so I preached louder still. Then an amazing peace fell over the teens and men (no women) as I lead into the critical parts of the Gospel. As if the Holy Spirit just descended and  brought a sense of peace, hush after commotion and wonder!  About 200 responded and close to 350 heard in the wider area the photo does not show. The church was very excited about this move of God.

Love Tanzania

My wonderful translator for the week on the right. He is with Paulo (sp?) who is one of the Muslims who responded. He came up to me and Isaac after praying to say he would follow Jesus. Issac was encouraging him!

Tanzania

Mike is currently in Tanzania with the Luis Palau Association for a week of ministry and a weekend festival with Andrew Palau.  The teams are conducting daily eyeglass clinics in 4 different locations and are planning on seeing around 10,000 people!  Mike and his team are speaking several times daily at area secondary schools and another evangelist (Doug Horley) is speaking at local primary schools.  Play for Hope is an organization with outreaches through soccer and basketball and will be conducting clinics for the young people.  The festival is coming up this weekend, August 11th and 12th.  The week started off with many various trials for many of the team members demonstrating the enemy's determination to thwart this weeks plans.   It has been a spiritual battle but our God is stronger!  Mike has relayed the following information from Dar es Salaam:
"On Monday there was an amazing move of God! I started at 6 a.m. at a church that hosts a daily prayer, worship, and devotional time for the city.  There are about 800 who meet every week!  Then I spoke twice more to about 700 people and watched the Lord move about 320 to respond to Christ, including Muslim males complete with skull hats and long robes. One man who looked about 55 excitedly shot his hand up wanting to receive Jesus!   The eyeglass clinics treated over 1,000 people the first day and Andrew is experiencing favor with the bishops and city and church leaders.  The soccer clinic Monday had about 300 kids but probably about the same amount watched from a near distance.  It was in a predominantly poor Muslim neighborhood.
Tuesday I spoke again at another soccer clinic and this area was exclusively Muslim.  I was warned/told not to use speakers or a microphone and to tone down the message.  About 350 listened, mostly soccer team members made up of teens and men in their early 20's.  The BMX guys came and performed their stunts.  Then I felt the Lord wanted me to project my voice very loudly so the Muslim men off on the sides listening about 50 yards away could hear.  We watched as God powerfully moved and about 70 young men  respond to Jesus. "
So though their week was off to a rough start, God's spirit is moving mightily in this city!  I know the whole team so values the prayer cover of those praying on behalf of the work there.  If you'd like to read more from the Palau website, you can click here.   http://www.palau.org/events/festivals/tanzania/

Eddy the Taxi Driver

 This is a great little story from Dar es Salaam!   The hotel where our team stayed has a taxi service which has been used by several of the Luis Palau team members on previous trips as well as this one.  One driver in particular has been used frequently. His name is Eddy.   Eddy has really been drawn by the Lord through driving the team around over time.   He is of Roman Catholic background but had no connection to the church or the Lord.  On Thursday, one of the team members,  PJ Meduri of Taking the Field Ministries, left the hotel at 4:30 am to head to the airport to fly off to Arise Kilimanjaro.  PJ was able to share a Swahili tract with Eddy. And on that cab ride,  PJ was able to lead Eddy to the Lord!   Fast forward 12 hours later - and Eddy is now taking me to an evening flight home.  He could not contain his excitement and shared with me his encounter with the Lord and PJ.  He said his heart was "full and happy all day".  Eddy and I discussed next steps and how he can grow in his relationship with Christ.  At the airport he gave me a big bear hug -most unusual for an Africa with a stranger.  It spoke volumes to me of a genuine work of God.   As PJ was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit, Eddy was able to open his heart to Christ.  Thank you PJ for that obedience!! 

Please pray with us for Eddy and his spiritual growth and connection to a local church!

Mike Ministering in Tanzania

Pastors in Training in Tanzania

One Voice

Another update from Mike:

On my second day in Dar es Salaam I was asked to give a brief devotional to the Love Tanzania Festival team.   As this was asked on short notice, I began to pray!  As I prayed I asked the Lord to reveal what He would have me share and the answer came in a surprising way.  The moment I began to pray, the minarets around the city began to loudly proclaim “Allahu Akbar- Allahu Akbar”…It was the Muslim call to afternoon prayers.  Dar is a city whose population is about  50%  Muslim.  Mosques are all around the city and very visible.  The call to prayer literally means  “God is great.”  It was then that I realized what the Lord wanted me to share.  The Muslims were crying out with one voice throughout the city that “God is great.”  Yet we as Christians can announce something much better – scripture tells us that “God is great and greatly to be praised.”  Praising God and Jesus Christ is only possible with a personal relationship with Him.  Muslims do not have a concept of a personal , intimate relationship with God.  He is to be feared and obeyed.  Psalm 133 tells us “Behold how good and lovely it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.  It is like precious oil on the head, running down on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!  It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!  For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”  In many translations the word blessing is plural.  I told the host chair committee that this is a unique event and the broad body of Christ – the Church – has a special occasion to unite as one voice and declare from the rooftops that “God is great and greatly to be praised.”  To announce as one the Good News of Jesus Christ – the one who alone provides atonement for sin and hope and peace.  And if they stay united and proclaim Christ as one voice they would see the blessings of God as promised in Psalm 133.   I finished my devotional thought with the comment that if the Muslims can announce with one voice a call to prayer, then as Christians  “the love of Christ compels us” (2 Cor. 5:14) to stand united and as one voice call out to the city “Jesus is Great and Greatly to be Praised!!”

Pastor's Amazed and Eager

(Another post sent from Mike)
Over the last two weeks a team of 5 from the US along with 8 Tanzanians have dispersed throughout Dar es Salaam to help prepare the churches for Love Tanzania with Andrew Palau.  The capital city, Dar, has about 4.5 million people.  Due to it's size as well as other challenges, the city has been divided  into 18 zones.  This makes it easier to communicate and work through local churches in each zone. Each zone has a host church for all main trainings and information distribution.  Each zone also has a host pastor that is a zonal leader because of their connection to the community and adjoining churches.  Each day our team has gone to different zones to train pastors in Friendship Evangelism.   We have had about 50 pastors on average per training session.  We are providing training and materials so they can in turn train their respective congregations over the next month. Over and over I have heard pastors say "this is a unique time - we are acting as one."  They are so eager to see what the Lord will do this coming August 11th and 12th.   I sense a great anticipation for Love Tanzania.  A holy vision for what God can do is gaining momentum.  It is hard to not be caught up in their enthusiasm and prayers!

Youth Excited for Love Tanzania

(This entry was sent from Mike from Tanzania)
On Saturday I was asked to speak at a youth conference.  The conference was a quarterly gathering of Lutheran churches in one area of Dar es Salaam.  About 19 churches sent some of their youth who are leaders to the conference.  The day was filled with skits proclaiming truths of scripture and Christ.  It was full of energy, passion, emotion, and tons of humor.  It was fun to witness!  As I challenged the youth to pray for and invite their family and friends to Andrew Palau's Love Tanzania Festival there was an incredible group response that they would!  This group of young people is so eager to see their friends hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.  It was a great day!

Encouragement from Tanzania!

So far, Mike has reported a very successful week of trainings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania!  The crew has been putting in about 14 hour days with lots being accomplished!  The city for the Luis Palau festival being planned for in August has been decided and has been divided into 18 zones with a larger church in each zone hosting the various meetings and trainings.  Earlier in the week they had 55 pastors at each of the last two trainings in that area.  These pastors will then take what they've learned, along with lots of materials, and teach their congregations.  "So in a sense, we are training trainers" says Mike.  Then towards the end of the week in a different area, they trained over 60 pastors along with lay leaders.  Some of the material has been so well received that the Palau team had to reprint more material.  For example, they initially printed 100,000 prayer cards with a place to write the name of 5 people to pray for and invite.  They had to print an additional 100,000 cards!!  Some churches have members who took 5 cards each and are praying for 25 people they will invite!  Already, they have been seeing people respond to Jesus!  It has been a very encouraging week over all.
The team is very thankful for your prayers over this time of preparation as they finish up their time there.
Thank you!

Mike has now arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association.  He will be there all week ministering and training locals in Friendship Evangelism in preparation for the upcoming week of outreach events in August.  This is a strong Muslim area.  Please pray for an effective week there and for the upcoming work towards the Festival this summer!

Fun in The Son Festival, Haiti

Mike is off once again to the 2nd Annual Fun in The Son Festival in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with the Luis Palau Association.  He leaves Saturday, March 24th and will return Sunday, April 1st.  Please pray for Mike and his family as well as for the week-long events ministering to the people of that country. The festival week will include a medical team, an eye glass clinic, children's ministry and VBS's, and evangelism in various locations. Mike has been asked to serve as Team Chaplain and Evangelist.  There are several teams coming from various churches around the U.S. for this event - about 80 people! Mike is helping the larger teams.  Please join us in praying for the name of Jesus to be heard, believed in and for salvation to come to 1,000s this week.  Prayer is also needed for the safety of the team and wisdom as they minister in a culture still recovering from the devastating effects of the earthquake two years ago.  And please be praying for Andrew Palau he shares the Good News at the main Festival  Additionally, Jamaica Broilers has begun to bring micro and macro job creation through broiler chickens.  The Gospel and job creation is powerful in a devastated economy.  Also, please pray for God to open doors to share Christ which are currently closed.  The prison is one area the teams had planned on going to but a week ago there was rioting and visitors were injured.  So the prison is closed to all visitors at this time.  Please pray for this door to be re-opened for Andrew and Mike.

We encourage you to visit the LPA website for further details.  Mike will have updates to share through out the week so don't forget to check back!!
http://www.palau.org/news/story/bringing_hope_and_help_to_haiti_372

Scattered, Gathered and Sent

Scattered:

The story of the Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal is very sad.  They are largely a forgotten people.  These refugees fled to Nepal almost 20 years ago.  They were an ethnic and religious minority living in the southwestern part of Bhutan.  They are ethnically of Nepalese descent several hundred years ago.  They are also Hindus in a land that is religiously Tibetan Bhuddist.   In the early 1980's they began to experience losses;   loss of land, loss of their language in schools, loss of legal rights, and eventually even loss of citzenship.  They were beaten, imprisoned, raped, and forced out of Bhutan.  As a people, most had never heard the name Jesus.  They were unreached as a people with no exposure to the Gospel living in a land where Christianity is illegal.  Over 100,000 were "scattered" to the South Eastern corner of Nepal and set up in United Nations refugee camps.  

Gathered:

As a result of severe trials, persecution and eventual relocation in refugee camps, God has created a longing in their hearts for "true citizenship and belonging".  Because they have been in U.N. camps,  religious freedom is allowable.  Over their 18 years of unsettledness, God has brought the Gospel of hope and freedom in Jesus Christ to them through relief workers.  Slowly they have been responding to the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Small churches have begun to spring up.  Hearts and lives have been transformed.  God has been preparing  hearts to hear about Jesus through their first ever Evangelistic festival.  As we spoke to them about Jesus Christ, as the pastors and churches prayed, the Holy Spirit moved in power to convict of sin and draw hearts to Jesus.  Thousands responded to the Good News of Jesus Christ.  God is "gathering" the lost.  They are no longer without hope in the world.

To be Sent:

And now, in the preordained purposes of God - He is sending them to the nations.  The camps are slowly being closed.  Although Bhutan will not take the refugees back and Nepal does not want them, God Does!  Over the next five years all the camps will be closed and the refugees will be resettled as permanent citizens in various countries around the world.  We were absolutely amazed to see how God removed them from their land and homes, brought them to a place to hear the Gospel and grow in their faith, and how he is now sending them into the world.  Their testimony is powerful.  Their witness to a lost and dying world is compelling.  They have been commissioned by God through various trials and sufferings to be "image bearers" of Jesus Christ to the world. 

They have been "scattered, gathered, and sent."

Where is God sending you?

"It Is Finished!"

Mike recently preached at Vast Church in Sisters, Oregon.  His sermon was titled "It Is Finished!"  as he wrapped up a series that had been focused on the 4 gospels.
Take a listen!      http://www.vastchurch.com/wp/portfolio/1-15-2012-sermon-podcast/     Simply click on the play button and you should be in business!
Mike will be preaching at Sisters Community Church on February 26th.