Thursday, January 31, 2008

Is Your One Thing the Main Thing?

My son Simon the other night had what is known as "croup cough". If you don't have children or don't know what that is, it restricts a child's breathing to the point that when they cough, they sound like a barking seal with a bad smoking habit. Now when your child is having difficulty breathing, getting them to breath properly takes on a new level of importance, because after all breathing is crucial to staying alive. So I did things that night that I wouldn't normally do. First of all, I stayed up most of the night. I don't know about you, but I prefer to sleep at night. But me sleeping was trumped by making sure my son could breath. Secondly, I bundled up to walk about is sub-freezing temperatures. I usually don't take walks at 2 am in my pajamas when it's 17 degrees, but apparently this helps their breathing. Him breathing was more important. Also, I called a friend of ours who is a nurse. I usually don't make calls to friends at 2 am either, but my son breathing was more important. If I was going to do anything that night, it was making sure my son breathed properly. That night, that was my one thing.

David says something similar in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."

David discovered that his one thing - that which he would seek after was being in God's presence.

How would you fill in that blank? What is your one thing? What is it in your life that takes a back seat when that one thing is threatened?

Saturday, January 26, 2008

seitiroirP

Don't get your priorities backward...instead join us for our week of prayer as we cry out on behalf of our city and our world.

Here's the schedule:

Monday - the Wentzville DC in Wentzville (7:00 PM)
Tuesday - Jubilee Leaders in the Kingshighway multipurpose room (5:30 PM)
Wednesday - the City South and County DCs in the Kingshighway lobby (7:00 PM)
Thursday - the City North DC in the Kingshighway lobby (7:00 PM)
Friday - the whole church gathers for prayer and celebration in the Kingshighway auditorium (7:00 PM)

Friday, January 25, 2008

Prayer Updates

There continues to be an urgent prayer need for our brothers and sisters in Kenya as well as Zimbabwe and Pakistan. For those unfamiliar with the Newfrontiers family of church, follow this link.

Here are recent updates:

Kenya

23rd Jan
Have been in Nairobi for two days and our other team in Rift Valley/West Kenya until Friday. We continue to meet and hear very sad and hopeless cases that just make you cry and cry. We decided to close down the Jamuhuri Park camp by distributing the displaced to churches and chief camps. We are now directly helping 400 children and 150 adults in the Nairobi base. Terribly short of required necessities.

24th Jan
The uprising of inflation has seen things go up three times the normal price. Clear indication that our economy has been affected badly. The trend is that the prices of everything will keep on going up affecting us so badly. Have come across many children who are separated from their parents, whose fate no-one knows.

25th Jan
Just received a distress call from John (Edward's brother) and our team in Rift Valley. Suddenly violence in Nukuru. They can't come out of Nukuru at the moment. Ask our churches to pray for their security that they come out safely.

Zimbabwe

I understand that there is a total breakdown of the internal services. Major prolonged power cuts with little cell phone contact, difficulty in using email and so on. Great shortage of food.

Pakistan

23rd Received from Dave Devenish who goes there imminently:
We have just received further information from Pervez Sohail in Pakistan. He is now considering us doing 2 public meetings, one on Friday evening - 1 February - at the Presbyterian Church where we will gather all our churches together, and Sunday morning - 3 February - at our main base church at the restaurant they normally use. This is of course subject to security conditions at the time but I should be grateful for particular prayer cover for these meetings.

Monday, January 21, 2008

The Fight for Justice: Remember MLK

Yesterday, America celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr, a tireless worker for justice and civil rights. He is most famous for his "I have a dream" speech that ignited a nation, but what's more impressive to me is that he wasn't just a spokesperson, but he embodied the message he spoke of. He was personally invested. For example, did you know that when he won the nobel piece prize, he donate all the prize money ($54,000+) for the fight for justice? Moreover, he was arrested upwards of 20 times and assaulted at least 4 times.

We all should be engaged in the fight for justice. We may not be able to address crowds of 250,000, but we can be personally invested. As Christians, we have been commissioned and anointed (empowered by the Holy Spirit) to proclaim God's justice, which involves redeeming the world - all nations, all tribes, all tongues, all races, all colors - by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Bucking the Trend

As you look over the broad landscape of young adults, two things come to mind: a lack of interest in church and debt. Only 4% of 18-24 year olds attend church as compared to 65% in the 1940s. 67% of those between the ages of 22-29 have racked up nearly $6000 in credit card debt and $4000 in car loans (not to mention student loans - let's not mention them shall we?).

Amidst the seemingly bleak landscape of this generation of Americans, I believe I encountered a radical group of young Christians that are bucking that trend. Jubilee Church just had the privilege of hosting a 20s conference called "Clear Vision" where 300 of young adults ages 18-29 gathered for a time of worship, teaching and life-change as they encountered presence of God. I was very proud and encouraged to see this group really engage with God and open to their lives up for God to mold and shape. For me, I saw the fruit of this counter-cultural way of living when we received an offering for Kenya totaling more than $23,000!

I'm very proud to be associated with such a radical group of young people!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

What Time Is it? Part 2

Remember, for tomorrow morning only - we meet at 11 am. See you then

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

What Time Is It?

It's always a little nerve racking to make adjustments to long standing patterns such as our Sunday morning service start time, especially when it's just for one Sunday. But that is what is going to happen this Sunday and THIS SUNDAY ONLY. Due to the ClearVision conference, we will begin our serve at 11 AM. Tell a friend!

...and by the way, we'll have a guest speaker, Tom Shaw.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Kenya Update - Jan 9, 2008

I wanted to pass on emails about Kenya for you to keep them in your prayers.


FROM EDWARD BURIA

Its been four very distressful days that has seen hundreds of people loosing their lives, destruction of property in massive scales, and tens of thousands of our people displaced. This includes our own brothers and sisters in Mararal, Naivasha and Nairobi. The most affected areas are in Nyanza (Kisumu), Eldoret, Mombasa, a few places in the Western Kenya, Nairobi (i.e. the slums areas of Mathare and Kibera).

Preliminary reasons for the un-rest

1. Claims of Presidential votes rigged
2. Claims of massive doctored results from some constituencies
3. That the Electoral Commission was compromised

What I make of these claims
(1 ) I do admit there were irregularities especially with how the electoral commission was receiving results from their returning officers - This was mainly a logistic problem that wasn't expected by the commission, who I think underestimated the turn out from previous elections,the turn out this time round was huge!
(2) Its not completely true when ODM claims that there was massive rigging, a position that is confirmed by the fact that over 20 cabinet ministers that include the Vice President lost in the just concluded election

ODM also managed to gather close to 100 parliamentary seats giving them a very strong voice in the 10th parliament. A number of other parties have claims that in Nyanza Province ODM did not allow any voting for other parties except ODM. These parties are saying that since they have evidence to these allegations, they will be going to court to challenge.

Its also now becoming very clear that the crowds protesting are not genuinely protesting for justice to be done on the allegations but its like militia groups out there to kill, destroy property and instil fears.There are also clear expressions of tribal sentiments by the marauding and unruly youths.

Our course of action
(1) Much prayer countrywide with our churches all over having chain prayers round the clock
(2) Messages of hope and comfort using the media,telephone conversations,sms, and one to one
(3) Sending of airtime to those affected so as to get in touch with their loved ones
(4) We have dispatched 2 lorries full of foodstuffs, blankets and other required essential to be distributed in Nairobi
(5) Have picked a team of 5 from here to help with the co-ordination and response

Prayer Items
1. Breaking the demonic force that is so evident when you see the passion of those killing and destroying
2. That the elected leaders would come to their senses and put the interest of the Nation first as compared to their interests
3. That all parties quickly accept to reason out as they dialogue
4. That God will console all who have lost their loved ones, property and those that have been displaced
5. That the country i.e. those not affected will unite in sharing with those displaced
6. That the healing, restoration and reconciliation will be quick
7. That God will give us much wisdom in our small way of responding to the current crisis
8. That those coming from outside as mediators do not be partisan in their outreach
9. That those admitted in various hospitals with multiple injuries recover soon
10. That the INTERNATIONAL community will come to our aid by giving us resources to assist
11. That we will have resources to assist us in our small way of assisting our own n others

In conclusion, its very clear that ahead of us we have a big problem of settling all those that have been displaced as they have lost everything including their homes and livelihood.

We thank all those who have gotten in touch with us to let us know of their love and prayers.

God bless,

Edward


6th January

I have the following as the latest on the unrest in our country today the 5th January 2008:

Today has been a calm day with shops opening up in some of the worst affected places.

The President has addressed the nation with a language that was clearly showing that he is very willing to dialogue with Hon Raila and the opposition,but also a language that was calling upon all Kenyans to live together like we have over the years.Very wise and well calculated language!

We also are very encouraged by the number of world known peace crusaders who have interrupted their schedules so as to come and see how they could be help to us.

Tomorrow has been declared a national day praying for peace all over can I ask all our dear freinds who have been praying with us since this crisis started to join with us in a unified prayer for this great nation.All the media houses are now united in the appeal for peace and reconciliation as well as calling upon our leaders to sit and talk-Never seen the media united at a worthy cause this way!

I am also very encouraged that our TV programme early today and which happens to be the 1st Christian programme to be aired by KBC this year,has had a powerful impact to the entire Nation-as I write this email,we are completely overwhelmed by the hundreds of callers from all over the Country saying that what I was preaching is what the country needs to hear at this hour.My message was based on Phil 1:1-6 with strong emphases that He who began a good work in our lives and country at large is still committed to us and will bring that good work to completion against all odds.With this kind of impact and realisation how much the airwaves can be a great tool of healing,we believe it is proper increasing our current airtime by an extra 15 minutes.We need to use every avenue that is available now to accelerate our greatest objective at the moment as a nation, i e healing,restoration and reconciliation.

The presence of the church in relief supplies and crisis management is a great tool in the healing process-I find myself having a deep cry and prayer that God will allow the church to be endowed with resources at this moment to be in the forefront in assisting the displaced,this became very clear to me as we give out our supplies yesterday.The destruction to properties in the badly affected areas will take years to re-build,It will also take billions of shillings to maintain the relief efforts.and similar amounts to help people having back their livelihood.Our need of financial assistance is so great.We have been able to access up to around 1,2 million shs from newfrontiers central pool which helped us in making the purchase of 2 full truck load of relief supplies that were given out yesterday.

The Red-Cross and other humanitarian agencies are doing a great work,but take it from me from what I saw yesterday they can not be compared with the church that is coming with a different spirit of true,genuine and sincere love of God which is deeply touching the hearts of the injured,those that have lost their loved ones and displaced.I am sure the relief agencies come in such moments with incredible knowledge,experience and expertise.

There are clear indications that the impulse will be broken shortly and that the President and the opposition come together to map out an acceptable,peaceful wayforward.

In conclusion I sense a mighty move of the holy spirit countrywide about to break out that will lead to mass conversion,repentance and healing!

Thank you will keep you posted

Edward Buria

7th January

Today has been a very difficult day for me. I have wept and wept as I have encountered first hand the stories of what the affected have gone through. The saddest stories being of how some children aged between 1-4 years had met their death. An infant drowned in a sewage until death, a 3 yr old child escaping from a burning house thrown back to the same fire. Around 40 persons torched inside a KAG church building, over a thousand so far dead, close 500,000 displaced. Never seen or heard anything like this. We need help to help our own. Its been peaceful the last 2 days.

Edward

Thursday, January 3, 2008

We Are an International Family

There are many words that describe Newfrontiers, but two of my favorite are "international" and "family". Newfrontiers is international. We have churches in more than 50 countries and are working together to spread the gospel to all nations. Newfrontiers is a family. We are not held together by a statement of faith or denominational ties. We are joined together because of shared values, heart and vision. I say all this to bring in front of you an issue of prayer.

If you watched the news recently, you are aware of what is going on in Kenya. Although it's thousands of miles away, it's much closer for us who have brothers and sisters over there. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. When one suffers we all suffer. I would encourage you to include these brothers and sisters in your personal time of prayer as well as make an effort to join the Jubilee community when it gathers for prayer.

Here is a copy of an email that explains more of the situation in Kenya:

Undoubtedly you will be aware that Kenya is in turmoil. I have been in touch with Edward Buria (our main leader in Kenya) over the holiday and he has sent several texts. The situation seems to be developing along tribal lines, always a recipe for severe discord and blood shed. It is not easy to put together a snap-shot of the situation but, combining his texts and the international news, the following seems to be what is happening.

The BBC News website says:

Political veteran Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in controversial presidential elections in December 2007. His swearing-in for a second term in office prompted a wave of unrest across the country.

His rival for the post of president, opposition candidate Raila Odinga, rejected Kibaki's victory and accused the government of rigging the result.

International observers also expressed doubts about the poll, and called for an independent enquiry.

Texts from Edward:
1. Prayer at this difficult time for the nation which has been a great example for other African nations in the past
2. There is a shortage of food even in the town of Meru where they live (normally one of the food producing areas of Kenya)
3. Concern that the international reporting is not accurate, the rioting being in opposition held places.

I am sure your own hearing of the news updates will also provide further fuel for prayer