Mr.Bilson

2012, What do you have for Mr. Bilson?

2012-01-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

The old year has gone and now the near year has come. 2012, what do you have in store for Mr. Bilson? What? Mr. Bilson has some expectations that he'd like to share. You are invited to come along for the ride and find out what those hopes are for 2012. .

What Mr. Bilson wants more than anything else is to have a deeper relationship with Jesus and get a greater revelation of what HIS will and plan is for his life. That means more to him than anything else. He wants to love HIM more and obey and conform more and more to HIS image. He eagerly desires to get deeper in his Word and serve him in tangible ways again. He wants to stay in the overflow of his HOLY SPIRIT and give no provision for the flesh.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8)

Bilson also eagerly desires more boldness! O give him what the early Christians asked for:

"...enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." (ACTS 4:29)

There is also a desire in Mr. Bilson to see what God will do at HIS fellowship called THE RIVER! It is great to be around a loving community with a mature relationship in Christ. It is refreshing seeing people grow in freedom and knowledge and love for JESUS! It is time to move past being overly dependent on a Pastor to have a relationship with Jesus. There is only so much a pastor is responsible to do.... Well, that isn't much of an issue at THE RIVER. Sure it is full of imperfect people like MR. BILSON but it is so refreshing to know that their is hope for us all.

He is also looking forward to seeing a couple of new movies. There is the final Dark Knight movie set to be released in 2012. Although Mr. Bilson isn't much for movies about vengeance taking and people resorting to violence to solve their issues but he does love the vein of injustice fighting that comes out of this particular movie. Somewhat like the Dark Knight, Mr. Bilson longs to go to bed knowing that he has somehow contributed to a greater good at the end of the day. He wants to contribute something tangible and something that gives God glory and futhers HIS perfect and pleasing will.

And who doesn't long to be married? It is in all of us: the desire to share your life and the life of Christ with someone else. There is also the desire to pass on your legacy to a new generation who will also spread the kingdom and His news to the ends of the earth. Yes Mr. Bilson doesn't so much long to be married but longs to be married to a WOMAN OF GOD like the one in Proverbs 31. She is out there somewhere. He will have to search and find her.

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." (Psalm 71:18)

Hopefully in 2012, Mr. Bilson will be able to go and do a tour of the other, "Holy Lands." These include the lands that once occupied St. Paul and John. Sure, the bank doesn't have the funds for it but God is able to do anything. It would be great to actually touch and see and feel the places that were only read about in the good Book. One day.... 1 day...

There is also other hopes as well. Mr. Bilson hopes to see less natural disasters occurring in the world. Fukishima was catastrophic. Mr. B also lives in a world prone to violent earthquakes which are long over due in his part of the world. Don't you think it is kinda scary to know that we can go at any minute...

It wouldn't hurt if Mr. Bilson also learned some new tricks on the guitar. It would also be nice if he can get a new one... Sure, he belongs to no band or worship team to exercise his skills but this is no excuse. It's time to take it up a notch and reach new levels but in a free, no pressure, way.

He also hopes to see some kind of solution to this global economic downturn that has affected so many. It has especially had an impact on Mr. Bilson who can't seem to get steady employment. Although Canada has somewhat been and envy of many nations for weathering this storm, it has not been so obvious in the world of Mr. Bilson. But he will cling to the promise that has been true in the past that:

"...God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I'm glad you stayed and joined in to hear the adventures of Mr. Bilson. Do keep him in your prayers. Sure, he has many aspirations and goals and desires but they will never be done without the help of faithful and supportive friends like you and the Creator. Once more, thanks again and see you next time!

Reflections on 2011...

2011-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

Did you see the headlines in 2011? Everyone from Lady Gaga to Osama Bin Laden and not to mention Kim Jong Ill. There there was the Canucks riot and also Fukishima. We still haven't managed that global economic crisis with the rise of BRIC countries and the possible addition of South Africa and also Indonesia replacing India. The Middle East is changing with the new moves of the Arab spring and much more. It was nice to see the royal wedding to. So much is going on in the world this year. But Mr. Bilson would like to invite you to his tiny little world and walk a year in the life with him for just a moment. So come! You are invited. Take a breather and spend a little time with Mr. Bilson and learn about some of his high's and lows for 2011. You may learn something new or just waste your time. You decide and you will soon find out.

Well the Global Economic Downturn was no stranger to Mr. Bilson this year. He has been in and out of so many jobs that's it was just crazzy. There is nothing like coming to the end of himself and realizing how much JESUS is his sole provision. He may have found out how much he hates CSR jobs but has to bite the bullet to make a buck. He was also shocked to be working for that company that sells high quality over priced clothing that people are addicted to like crack. They will yell at him and try every trick in the books in hopes of getting another deal or something close to it. Are these people for real? Is it really worth your anger? It is just stuff, materials that you will never take to heaven with you. Is it really worth it? Well all he knows is that the company will only be laughing and making more money for it.

MUSIC! Mr. Bilson loves MUSIC! He loved the raw beats and killer chorus' of COOLMAN! Not also because he knows Cool and Man but also because they just sound so awesome! He saw them live at an after party at the RIVER. They were bold, upbeat and out of sight! He strongly recommends you give them a shot and don't forget to "BLAME IT ON THE STREET MEAT!"

Skillet's remix of some of their new hits was also a keeper. It was great to see the band reconnect with their electronica past and also mix it with their revitting guitar riffs. It is great to see this band expand and grow so much since Mr. Bilson first heard them about... 9-10 years ago. Has it been that long? YUP! Like Skilet, Mr. Bilson is getting older... and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

As for visual media, Mr. Bilson recalls a number of documentaries. There was the one about those bands that came out with great albums back in... 1991. Yes that was... 20 years ago. Mr. Bilson, you are getting older... and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Pearl Jam did theirs about the '10' album that was a huge part of Mr. Bilson's introduction to his love for music. He found it unusual how the band acted to different in front of the camera and how much they liked the stardom which was so hypocritical for their genre which was supposed to hate fame. Nonetheless the album is a keeper and one to be remembered.
"Jeremy" brought awareness to abuse faced by so many young people. It also was an album with nice guitar tricks and antics. Way to go boyz...

Also, U2 also made an documentary about their album that came out the same year. Achtung Baby has many spiritual themes and nice lyrics and who can forget the innovative effects playing of the Edge. It was the album that came out at the time they were about to break up. Mr. Bilson also wanted to learn more about the band nearly breaking up but the documentary didn't go into as much depth about that as he would like. It was probably a sensitive issue for the band and maybe no ones business. If that is the case, it is still a great documentary but an even better album. Such touching music and so many biblical references and the Zoo tv tour great critique on television, media and technology.

Not also were these documentaries memorable, but the documentary about human trafficking in India and Nepal was also a memorable one. A world famous actor decided to shed light on this hayness evil. There was nothing like seeing that poor woman who was trafficked and abused for six months get free and started weeping at the sight of being re united to her child. There was also the other lady who couldn't stop crying out of the trauma mixed with gratitude to the ones who set her free. It is heart wrenching... May God restore their lives and continue to give strength to those who seek to save the lost!

"‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." (Luke 15:5)

2011 was a year of reunions. He had the chance to go to one of his favorite conferences to see what God is doing among the South Asian Diaspora. It was a chance to meet old friends and make some new ones. It was great to see that many of the South Indians are rising up to the call of God. Some have even given up professions and countered against many cultural norms to do the will of God. It just shows that there is hope for everyone. Mr. Bilson had the chance to go see some of his cousins in the Lone Star State whom he has not seen in years... They were so sweet hospitable and enjoyed treating him to Tex Mex and BBQ and the lovely southern hospitality. He had the chance to meet his new nieces and nephew and have some quality time with the cuz's. Thanks for the great food and more importantly the great fellowship. Mr. Bilson will meet you all again soon...

He also took a side trip to Peurto Rico to visit and ole' friend he met at SAGC 2004 Vancouver. It was great catching up, learning a bit about the culture and people on that beautiful island and also eating Mufungo. It was just plain yummmmy. Thanks N for the hospitality.

Mr. Bilson also recalls with great gratitude His CHURCH: THE RIVER! It is refreshing to see how much the pastors have grown since the first time it started. So many people start off in ministry with some pretty 'fanciful' ideas about the service. They look at spiritual heroes who make it look easy and than find out that what they thought looked like ministry is allot harder than you think. The Pastors admitted to that in a couple of sermons and even publicly repented of personal failures that might have discouraged some. I'm so proud of their openness and vulnerability and serious 'no agenda's' love for us. I was so touched when Pastor P said he wanted to make his ceiling our floor. WOW! True humility. May God guard them forever.

He also recalls that great, grand trial that really brought him to his knees. The pain, confusion, heaviness, torment... At times like this Mr. Bilson will cry out to God and even ask for intercessors.

"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." (Psalm 18:6)

Mr. Bilson came to his beautiful church the following weekend and you wouldn't believe it. A couple of cool friends came up to him and asked him how he was doing. When he told them how bad he was doing, they both confirmed that God had laid him on their hearts and they were praying for him all that week. They also gave him a couple of prophetic words too personal to say here. Only Jesus would know about that. Mr. Bilson was so grateful for their kindness and the fact that God used them to remind him that He know's his pain. WOW! Jesus you are so awesome. Thanks for giving Mr. Bilson such great friends. Thank you for building the RIVER!

Mr. Bilson also recalls with much tears in his eyes, his loving parents. Funny, teens tend to despise their parents who don't seem to understand them. They spurn their advice and think they know so much more than them. During the 20's attitudes change... the world isn't what is looks like and many are left thinking...."Maybe, my parents did know a thing or two...." As you enter your 30's it is like, "YUP! My parents are far and above ahead of me. They are BRILLIANT!" Mr. Bilson will concur. He is so grateful for their love and support especially as MR. BILSON scrapes to make a living. He'd be right up the creek if it wasn't for the provision and love that his parents have provided. To JESUS be all the glory for this great miracle.

O... on a side note, Mr. Bilson is also enjoying the accommodations at his parents new house. It is a nice neighborhood after over 15 years at the old place. The new pad has nice upholstery and is in a great neighborhood. He'd love to tell you more but thinks it would be safer not to.

Good bye 2011. Thanks for the memories and everything else. However, it is time to make room for a new year with new ideas, blueprints, goals and adventure! Come along if you want and hang tight. But before all that we'd like to thank you for joining us so far...

A Bitter Past?

2011-12-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.
~ Lewis Smedes

Wrong Values!

2011-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

"“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 16:18-20)

It is crazzy what people will do for possessions. They are treated like treasures and too many people bestow too much worth than it deserves for it. Just today on the TV it showed hoards of crowds running, stomping each other for... SHOES of all things. Can you imagine that? Who would value something like shoes over the welfare and health of a fellow human being? Shoes are more important to these folks than the well being of someone else. How silly? It was so concerning that the manufacturer issued a request to purchase their item in a safe manner. And shoes are not worth anything if it can be stolen, or destroyed by moths are other things.

But Mr. Bilson has seen crazzy things in his past. Who can forget the day when his pastor friend who ran a youth group and was really struggling financially... It started when his friend goes to a fellow congregation member's house. The parents wanted to celebrate with him and their kids the new construction of a 'man cave'. They constructed an additional room, or cave, in their house with a brand new TV, state of the art sound system, video games and consoles, new fridge and furniture, plush flooring and upholstery. It easily cost over $10,000. The kids did good in school and were well behaved and the parents wanted to reward them. Now there is nothing wrong with rewarding kids and treated those who do well. But it got crazzy when one of the parents came into the office of the youth pastor with a complaint. It had to do with an event the youth pastor prepared. The pastor was struggling financially and put together a retreat event for the youth to come out. He knew that most of the members of the congregation were struggling financially so he lowered the price of the event that would cover, food, transport, speakers etc. He did this so that more people would be able to afford to come out. The pastor would personally pay and absorb the actual cost from his own wallet. It got crazzy when the parent came in, who built the man cave complaining that the $60 fee was too much. Sure it was an event that would develop the spiritual life of the young people and count for eternity but that didn't seem to register. This parent believed that his 'man cave' was worth the investment and treasured it more than the retreat. That man cave is as valauble as any treasure that can be stolen or destroyed. It is crazzy when parents model the wrong value system over their own children. What is the world coming to? Who knows?

Well, this Christmas, lets keep our values in check and in the right priority. Lets invest in things that count for eternity. An experience with Christ is worth far more than any earthly possession. Man caves and shoes are never more valuable than an encounter with Christ and knowing him!

"Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Connext 2011

2011-09-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Had a blast at this years Connext 2011 Dallas. If you don't konw what it is, it is a gathering of young Christian leaders of the South Asian community to connect, encourage, equip and serve together for Kingdom Impact.A three-day gathering of young South Asian Christians to transform participants personally, professionally and spiritually in their leadership calling, abilities, and development and to identify, invest, resource and further support key emerging leaders in the community on an ongoing basis.

There was so much to take in and alot to talk about but what was quite notable was that a great number of young South Asians are entering into full time Christian ministry. It was even more startling to hear that some have left or even post poned getting into schools and careers in the marketplace for ministry.

It was even more alarming to hear that there are almost record number of South Asians entering seminary and bible college for Christian service. This can only mean one thing. God is up to something new. Who can resist it?

Family Interests

2011-07-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

The Preacher was talking about how families tend to gravitate towards a common interest. He listed a couple of examples. Some include:

1. Academics
2. Sports
3. Business
4. Music

In Mr. Bilson's own circles, he has found these examples. Can you think of any?

The Prayer of Mr. Bilson!

2011-03-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

Lord, give Mr. Bilson patience as fast as you can. Can you make it quicker, as soon as possible, priority express? Mr. B can hardly wait any longer! Today.... the sooner the better... like right now... and not a minute more...

Leadforward.ca

2011-02-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Dawn Steinke on Vimeo.

Leanne..

2011-02-26T18:03:00.001-08:00

Untitled from Dawn Steinke on Vimeo.

Thompson

2011-02-26T18:02:00.001-08:00

This is my Mr. Bilson's hometown... a few familiar faces...

Isreal and Jordan 2010

2011-01-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Reflections of 2010

2010-09-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well..., here we are again... at the end of another year... called 2010. It is that time again. Sounds like a rap song huh? Anyway, time to reflect on the highlights and pitfalls of this year.

Overall it has been a wonderful one. A year where God would close doorways and open up new ones. As you may or may not know, Mr. Bilson became the unwilling victim of corporate downsizing. Yes it is true! In the midst of a global economic downturn, yours truly was laid off from about a decade of involvement at PMC. It was memorable, emotional but also inevitable. Now all that is left are the memories. The doorway was finally shut here but as many believers have shared with Mr. Bilson in the past, it means that God is opening a new doorway. The doorway to a Sabbath or also a sabbatical. It was long awaited and well earned one. Now, Mr. Bilson is known for being a bit of a workaholic and can sometimes bite off more than he can chew. But after much prayer and meditation, it seemed God had finally called him to unwind, relax and take a breather, a hiatus or sorts. Normally, Mr. Bilson is a bit stubborn towards being put to rest until he started to see and reap the benefits.

So here we go to review 2010 and see those benefits. We'll begin with a word on Sabbath.During the year, Mr. Bilson would awaken to taking on a Sabbath/Sabbatical which meant time in worship and hearing the word. There were many memorable preachers. Some key ones are John MacArthur and his many sermons about his favorite saint Paul. Mr. Bilson was more intrigued about his comments on running the Church and the organization of Deacons in it. A must listen... Also his Q and A sessions were also quite stimulating.Not also was MacArthur a key preacher but there was also David Jeremiah and Joel Houston.

David Jeremiah gave awesome sermons describing how America put the world into a economic down turn and how it all could fit into Biblical prophecy. What was noteworthy was his comments on how America was not mentioned in Biblical prophecy. He quoted his earlier book that it may be because most of the nation may have already been raptured up to heaven in the last days but now wanted to entertain the possibility that the nation may turn in itself in a moral meltdown in response to harsh economic times. Quite fascinating!

The other preacher worth mention was Joel Houston. He talked about having momentum in our walk with God and how some people lose it. They may have met some major disappointments in life and come to a place where they stop taking leaps of faith and become stagnant not wanting to be a leader who can make the hard decisions. What a warning we all should heed!Joel is a preacher from a Church also known for its worship. Mr. Bilson is speaking of Joel Houston, who is the pastor at the famous Hillsong Church in Sydney Australia. If you don't already know, it is a world famous Church that is known for it's powerful worship music that has circled the globe. Mr. Bilson's favorite song was, "Forever Reign" which was one of the beautiful songs that he frequently played in the mornings when he'd wake up! It is still a killer tune.... or should I say life giving one!

Other great songs of the year came from another awesome band called Anberlin. There are a couple of believers in that one and their new song, "Impossible" was one that anyone can identify with. It expressed the pain of having broken relationships and not being able to figure it out. Who could not identify with that one? But to my friends in Anberlin remember He, "...heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

And who can forget the powerful songs by Al Gordon and Paul Bolouche. Al wrote, "Glory" and Paul wrote, "Our God Saves" and "Hossana" which were songs anointed by the powerful presence of God when sung and Mr. B's old and new Church, CLA. It was the Church Mr. B belonged to long before he ever heard of PMC and to comeback after 10 years was nothing short of a breath of fresh air. The revival is still on and the presence of God so powerful after being in the desert for toooo long. CLA welcomed Mr. B with open arms! God bless them! But also God bless the gift of those worship leaders for leading Mr. B into the powerful presence of the Almighty.2010 was also a year where Mr. Bilson experienced incredible blessing and answered prayer through CLA. For years Mr. B was praying for his brother, A-Bomb to experience the powerful presence of God and to have a deeper hunger for the Word. About ten years later at CLA, he'd finally see his prayers come true. A-Bomb would wake up and get ready quickly on those Sunday morn's to rush to CLA and soak more of His presence and Word. He started craving it. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing years of prayer answered. It just proves true that when disciples, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. " ( Matthew 7:7-8)

Oh, and who can forget the trip to India? Did I mention that one? Mr. B and his Pops when back to the motherland to catch up with old family members. It was one word: HOT! No really! There was a heat wave of +50 C and it didn't change at nighttime. Mr. B found himself becoming almost senial to the point of laughing and talking to himself... it shocked his aunties. But the hightlights was seeing the place where Mr. B Pop's grew up, the school he attended, meeting distant family relatives and drinking hot Chai in the hot weather. Most memorable. And who can forget the house boat cruise overlooking K.P Yohannan land. It was short of breathtaking.

There was also the swing over to Dubai to enjoy the company of family again and see the sights. The dune bashing was most exquisite and the fine dining. The Burj Khailifa, the tallest building in the world, was not open at the time but no worries, we'll catch up to it next time.There was also more answered prayer. Mr. Bilson remembers the frequent prayers made out at the Millennium amphitheater to bring an evangelistic event there. It finally came true in 2010 where his favorite preacher's son and a favorite band would eventually come. Franklin Graham brought his friends from Skillet to lead in a mayjor youth rally leading nearly 1000 youngsters back to Christ. Most memorable it was! Thank you Jesus! You always hear the cry of our hearts!

O, and what else was there? Oh! The trip to the interior. We had some fun meeting up a former youth pastor from England who showed us the beauty of interior B.C. We hung out at the different beaches, floated down a river on inner tubes and ate to our hearts content. They were so hospitable and kind. They were true followers of Jesus. It was a refreshing weekend.And finally, to top it all off! ISRAEL and JORDAN. Dreams came true as God allowed Mr. Bilson to fullfill some dreams of going to the promised land with some fellow saints. More will be posted on that in the near future. In the meantime, here are a bunch of photoes!

Well, thanks again for journeying with Mr. Bilson on his escapades... But before we leave we want you to think about... What is next? What is in store for 2011?We'll see you in the New Year!

H.A.L.T

2010-09-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

You know your are being tempted when you are feeling:

HungryAngry
Lonely
Tired

When you are tempted, remember to HALT!

- Charles Stanely

Okay Blue Jays

2010-05-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."
- Jack Norworth

The Toronto Blue Jays came by at a time when it was A-Bomb's B-Day. The timing was perfect so off to Seattle for some of the festivities. It was a memorable game. At the bottom of the 9th, the Mariners came back from a Canadian lead. Watching the game in person is far better than on TV. What a way to celebrate!

You've got a diamond
You've got nine men
You've got a hat and a bat
And that's not all
You've got the bleachers
Got 'em from spring 'til fall
You got a dog and a drink
And the umpire's call
Waddaya want?
Let's play ball!

Okay (okay)
Blue Jays (Blue Jays)
Let's (Let's) Play (Play) Ball!

Is that a fly ball
Or is it a seagull
Coming in from the lake
Just to catch the game?
It's the last inning
Our guys are winning
Dave's put down a smoker
A strike
And you've got no doubt
(You're out!)
Waddaya want?
Let's play ball!

It's a beautiful evenin', fans
At the ballpark
Warm summer breezes
Sun's goin' down
And it's all dark
At the ballpark
But that's okay…it's a night game
Waddaya want?
Let's play ball!

Bring on the White Sox
Bring on the BoSox
Bring on the Brewers
The Rangers and the Yankees too
We'll beat the Indians
We'll beat the Tigers
We'll beat the A's so bad it'll make
Billy blue
Waddaya want?
Let's play ball!

- The Batboys!

Here we are in SafeCo. It was my 2nd Jays game there. The Americans were extremely friendly and kind. The first time we went, we'll never forget the bad looks and unwholesome comments. Oh but the Jays won that game unlike this one.
This was the NewsBoys concert. I got free tickets. I miss their old lead singers. Tait is just a different guy....

Here is Stage B.
If things pan out, we'll be going to Safe Co's field's next door neighbor... That is if Bono's back holds out and if I have $$$! Hope to see you there!

Some Advice on $$$$

2010-05-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

I got some good advice from a millionaire the other day. He gave me 4 things to remember:

1. Work hard - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Col 3:23)

2. Save allot - A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. (Prov 13:22)

3. Give allot - In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35)

4. Stay out of debt - Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts (Prov 22:26)

Good Pastors.

2010-05-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

I've attended church for almost ten years now. I've been involved in Church ministry for about eight and have notice something about the, 'good' pastors. I've noticed that Pastor's who are able to stay in the long run and grow and multiply and even release disciples in a church definantly have a gift of leadership. They can mentor, inspire, cast vision, rally people behind a cause, keep communication easy and simple and consistent, and resolve and bring correction in the midst of conflicts.

Than there are those pastors who are better at preaching/teaching than leading. They usually don't go as far and keep a church running healthy and on target. That doesn't mean they are good for nothing but have a weakness like anyone else.

Ideally, the 'good' pastor can do both! But when is even more ideal would be to have a couple of pastors who can specialize in one of the two departments. It gets even better when they work in harmony with each other and can devote all their time and energy in specializing in their departments. And what makes this a better ideal is that in fulfills the need of a pastor to be in relationship with another person. We are all built with this need. It is beautiful when this occurs in a healthy way and is modeled to the church.

Credible Preachers...

2010-05-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

So what makes a Preacher credible? Well, the ones who seem to get it are the ones who preach in front of large audiences or pastor 'mega' churches. Then there are those who are world famous or know world famous people and may even minister to the world famous. If they are famous, it could have come from writing a popular book that sold millions. There are also those who are quite educated. We like to hear those who know what they are talking about and can prove it. A good education can do this for a preacher. But I like the ones God esteems:

"For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15)

Mono-lingual Preachers...

2010-05-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Can you believe some of these preachers out there? There was on this past Sunday. He came back from preaching at an 'ethnic' church. He mentioned how ethnic churches don't cater across the board. Mr. Bilson thinks he knows what he was getting at. Christians are called to spread the gospel across the world. Some preachers assume that ethnic churches only target one people group and compromise the great commission. But what is interesting is that some of these preachers who preach against this practice the very same thing. The proof is found in the languages that are represented and serviced in their home churches. Mr. Bilson has found that alot of these preachers usually (but not always) come from churches that only speak one language. Did you know that there are a multitude of languages in the world? Yeah, in fact there are more than one of them out there. Did you know that the whole doesn't speak English but there are other languages as well. What these preachers forget is that the ethnic churches they rebuke actually cater to this need that there home church may not address.

But the ideal situation is to have a Church who can cater across the board by servicing all the languages represented in the community. And some actually do. They have translators who translate sermons as they are being preached. All an attendee has to do is put on an ear piece and dial into the right channel of their language of choice and there you go. This is the model that all churches should go for. After all, Jesus says that his house will be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). Let's reflect this vision by building churches that represent the languages of the world. It can start with one and move to others that better represent the linguistical needs of local communities and continue to expand needed.

So to all those preachers out there... Please don't look down at 'ethnic' churches and label them as not catering across the board. They are serving a vital purpose! And also no that if your church doesn't meet the linguistical needs of your community, you to are being ethno centric!

Church in Mission and Evangelism (Rough Draft)

2010-05-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

There is a growing need for a development of a theology of the church in mission and evangelism. This is very important in a time when church leaders are desperately trying to find institutional expressions of Christianity which achieve better results. This can only be done by developing a theological perspective on missions and evangelism followed by its practical implications.

In order for the Church to become effective in mission and evangelism, its theology must understand its connection with the kingdom .(pg 13) . The church is not the kingdom but is called to be the kingdom community. It faithfully maintains the polarity between church and kingdom by living out the reality of God’s reign now, in it’s weaknesses and imperfections but in certain hope of ultimate triumph. In doing so it avoids the twin dangers of triumphalism, acting like the kingdom had already come in fullness, and ghettoism, turning inward and acting as if the kingdom were totally irrelevant for the present world.

The mission of the church, then, is to “raise signs of the kingdom”; to be a sort of demonstration project of what the kingdom will look like when it is fully manifest. This is a difficult calling, for it means being in but not of the world. It means being salt and light in ways that its unique flavor and glow come from Jesus Christ and yet really do penetrate society. (pg 150)

It is essential that churches form strong missional leadership who practically guide the community of God’s pilgrim people as the sign and witness of what happened to the world in and through the incarnation of Jesus Christ . Like Jesus, this leadership requires spirituality that is in close relationship with reliance and directions of the Father through the Spirit which require regular spiritual disciplines and ecclesial practices. This means imitating Jesus model by demonstrating the nature of his reign and teaching about its meaning. This was done by the apostles at Pentecost when the Spirit inspired the new community of God’s reign and sent the community of the resurrected Christ into the world.

The key function of the church as the body of Jesus Christ calls for his disciples to continue the works he began. Yet, if the works are truly done in Christ, they are not the disciples’ works but God and disciples are, “… created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance… to do.” (Eph 2:10). Christians must be clear that they do not bring or build the kingdom, but neither are they to wait passively for its full realization. Christians are kingdom workers not kingdom builders. They live and serve in the confidence that “it is God who works in (them) to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil 2:13). (153)

Kingdom Conscious Christians are the community gathered around Jesus in faith, love and service to him and to all people . This happens when Christians experience the first fruits of the kingdom through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come – namely the kingdom and its fullness which includes eternal life. Through Jesus, Christians already experience “the powers of the coming age” (Heb 6:5) Christians are to live in the power of the Spirit in service to the One who came to serve others and bring justice on the earth (Isa. 42.4) thus fulfilling the church’s mission. God equips the community with gifts of the Spirit that it may carry out its ministry of worship and witness with supernatural results. Kingdom communities, therefore, not only affirm the ministry of all believers, but they also share in a life through which gifts are encouraged, called forth, and put to good use. (155)

The biblical picture is not the church instead of the kingdom, but rather the church as witness to the demonstration of the kingdom as the just reign of God over all things. A clear understanding of God’s kingdom is essential to a proper conception of the mission of God’s people, the church. The church needs a biblical kingdom consciousness. Sensitivity to the priority of the kingdom will mean at least four things for the church’s role in missions and evangelism.

First, kingdom consciousness means living and working in the certain hope of the final triumph of God’s reign. Christians are those who in the face of all contrary evidence affirm that God is in control and that the victory send in his birth, life and death, resurrection, and reign of Jesus Christ is so powerful that it will eventually swallow up all evil, hate, and injustice. This gives Christians and unworldly audacious confidence that enables them to go right on doing what others say is impossible or futile in missions and evangelism.

Second, understanding God’s kingdom will expand the scope of what Christians view as the mission field in many different levels. It mean that the line between “sacred” and “secular” is erased. Rather than secularization of society or the sacralization of religious concerns, God’s kingdom means that all things are within the sphere of God’s sovereignty and, therefore, of God’s concern. No room for compartmentalized thinking here. Economics, ecology, politics, the arts, social and family life – all these are kingdom topics. So kingdom Christians bring a Jesus perspective to every area of life broadening its scope is missions.

Thirdly, this understanding will also expand the mission field to encompass all activities. It will require the church to have kingdom awareness. Kingdom awareness means that the ministry is much broader than church work. Christians who understand the meaning of God’s reign know they are in the kingdom business, and not the solely church business. They see all activity as having kingdom significance, so they strive together to bring all things under the Lordship of Christ. They know a secular job may be kingdom ministry if it contributes toward kingdom realities, but are ready to shift job, career, or venue if kingdom priorities so dictate (154).

Fourthly, the kingdom perspective will expand to unite concerns for justice with evangelistic witness. An awareness of God’s kingdom, biblically understood, resolves the tension between these two vital concerns. Kingdom Christians want to win people to personal faith in Jesus Christ, for the line of kingdom allegiance runs straight through every human heart. They are also committed to peace, justice, and righteousness at every level of society because of the circumference of the kingdom includes “all things in heaven and earth.” (Eph 1:10) and the welfare of every person and everything God has made. For the kingdom is, above all, a kingdom of love. Christians concerned with justice want to see as many people as possible come to faith in Jesus Christ and fidelity to his kingdom, while Christians concerned with evangelism want to see justice realized in all areas of society so the gospel will be made visibly credible. A kingdom perspective puts no split here.

Not also, should the church understand its connection with the kingdom but it must always make Jesus a constant reference point and be defined by him. It is Jesus who determines the church’s mission and methodology in the world, and therefore the church’s sense of purpose and mission comes from being sent by him into the world. (142-143).

This involves adopting incarnational mission in which the church takes the shape of the cultural group it is trying to reach. Mission in the incarnational mode is highly sensitive to the cultural forms and rhythms of a people group, because these are the means of meaningful relationship and influence. Incarnational mission thus engages within its cultural expression. Once this essential missional listening, observation, connecting, and networking has been done, then the forming of Jesus communities can take place. This is the only way to ensure that the Christian community truly incarnates itself and is fully contextualized.

Only in this way can the church actually become part of the cultural fabric and social rhythms of the host community. Once it has achieved this, it can therefore influence it from within. And it doesn’t matter what group that might be. In our neighborhoods there are literally hundreds of different “tribes” that can be meaningfully reached by such means. Through missional-incarnational approach, Jesus is introduced into the imaginations and conversations in a really evocative way (143-144).

Discipleship needs to be at the core of a church’s theology of mission and evangelism. C.S Lewis rightly understood the purpose of the Church was to draw people to Christ and to make them like Christ. Jesus initiated this by the simple acts of investing his life and embedding his teachings in his followers and developing them into authentic disciples. A commitment to resolute discipleship was the key for the remarkable growth to five hundred churches in a few short years by Neil Cole of Church Multiplication Associates (CMA). This started when the Associates wanted to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple. (102 – 105) with this in mind they developed the concept of Life Transformation Groups (LTGs), a very simple duplicable disciple making system that was eventually used worldwide because if its simplicity and reproducibility. It involves a staple of bible reading, story telling, personal accountability, and prayer. It is an ongoing commitment for everyone involved at CMA including leadership at every level.

What made discipleship so successful for the CMA was that they squared best with the five phases in the transmission of ideas through missionary movement. Steve Addison, a researcher of the nature of movements, discerns five phases in the transmission of ideas through missionary movements, discerns five phases in the transmission of ideas through successful missionary movements. They consisted of having white hot faith, commitment to a cause, contagious relationships, rapid mobilization and dynamic methods. White hot faith means having a direct and personal encounter with the living God, followed by social renewal. This is found in Paul, Wesley, Luther, Mother Teresa and other great Christian leaders who founded a movement or transformative movements which started with a direct and transforming encounter with God. This is followed by a commitment to a cause in which people are touched in such a way by God to give their lives to the cause as articulated by the movement. Commitment levels tend to be significantly high and catalyze a certain kind of synergy that comes through mutual cooperation and commitment. Contagious relationships refers to the network of relationships that become ‘contagious’ allowing powerful ideas like the Gospel to pass from one person to another and extend themselves beyond a narrow network of people and a single generation. Rapid mobilization refers to an apostolic type of leadership and organization that develops to be able to coordinate and maximize the efforts of the adherents of the movement. Dynamic methods involve the use of new and innovative methods and techniques to communicate their message. (104 -106).

The Church truly becomes missional when hunger comes with our familiarity with Jesus . This will help counter the current trend of Churches to artificially develop an ecclesiology, determining first where to meet, what songs to sing, what to preach, have to have small groups and leadership structures. Instead, becoming familiar with Jesus will inevitably birth a heartbeat of mission and force a rising for appropriate structures for worship, communal life, and leadership.

This kind of church will have four core components needed to establish appropriate structures. It will be Trinitarian in theology, Covenantal in expression, Catholic in orientation, missional in intent. It will be Trinitarian in looking at the interpersonal fellowship and interaction of the three persons of the Trinity and learning and participating in the community the Trinity model.
It will be covenantal in expression in committing to celebrate Christ’s presence, to share life with each other, and to embrace the mission together. This is more than a promise or pledge but a marriage and union centered on shared values and commitments.
Not only will it be covenantal but it will also be catholic in orientation. It involves gracious recognition of the small part a local community plays in the millennia – long project of a Christian mission. There is an eye to the connectivity with other brothers and sisters.
It is missional by first having proper understanding of Christ himself, leading to an appropriate commitment to mission which forces a development of the means of common life together.

These theologies on missions and evangelism have many practical implications. The missional-incarnational approach was adopted by a mission agency called the Third Place Communities (TPC). During the time spent away from home, work or school, people of TPC would gather with non Christians at social places such as pubs, cafés, hobby clubs, sports centers etc. for missional engagement. It would require following Jesus in engaging meaningfully with the lives of others . This means pursuing the poor, confused, struggling and the lost. It requires a high spirituality of engagement as marked by Jesus in going through all towns and villages and preaching in synagogues and healing every sicknesses and diseases (Matt 9:35). It also means looking for where God is already working and it may be in some unlikely places. We see Jesus eating with tax collectors and playing with children. This may lead Christians to find God working in the bar or biker gang, or strip club or casino. In over three years, they have seen some come to active faith in Jesus and many others close to it. Many of these relationships have become deep and intimate as they experience life together through the celebration engagements, weddings, birthdays, births and life in general. Bridges are built through weekly hospitality around tables, serving community together, raising money for those in need, sharing ideas about life, praying together, and exploring the stories about Jesus in the context of life. For all these people, whether they realize it or not, Jesus now inhabits their worlds in ways that are meaningful and tangible. (145).

Christians must understand and practice evangelism as proposing rather than imposing Christ . It must not be coercive or manipulative or forced on non Christians. Christians are truer to the faith when, like the suffering servant Jesus Christ, would propose rather than impose faith on others. The God of Israel and Jesus Christ makes himself known by entering into vulnerable relationship with his creatures. This does not force people to faith but attempts to persuade them to faith.

Genuine proposing means that evangelism is honest persuasion, a matter of fully informing others and allowing them to choose as they will. It means the church must renounce any attempt to make or manipulate others into wearing Christian shoes, accepting the Christian way of life. Christians instead are willing to affirm our willingness to suffer the consequences of opposition to Christian culture. This approach alone both certifies the seriousness of our convictions and proves our willingness to let others have their say. And so it opens the door to relationship and dialogue at the very moment it faithfully presses forward the aims of evangelism.

Here we make no mistake about the matter: genuinely proposing the faith usually entails an ongoing relationship, continuing conversation, with those now outside the faith. It definitely entails dialogue rather than monologue, that the Christian evangelist not only speak but also listen to learn how words and actions are being interpreted. And it entails, yet again, that the evangelist be apart of and be able to point to a community worthy of attention and respect, a way of life that prompts curiosity, questioning and a new searching. (170-171)

Church Renewal (Rough Draft)

2010-05-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

There have been many challenges that face the local church today. With the decreased population active in congregational life as well as lows of approximately two-thirds of the Protestant congregations in North America having long-term attendance trends that are either flat or declining . Added to these diminishing numbers, there is clergy burnout, the loss of youth, biblical illiteracy, loss of genuine spirituality, stemmed from a widespread confusion about both the purpose and the message of the church of Jesus Christ . Local church’s are therefore in desperate need for renewal. This can only be done when a practical process for a local church to renew its theological vision, identity and missional strategies are adopted. A reflection will be taken outlining the process of renewing the local church starting with its theological vision.
In order for a local church to experience renewal it must understand, develop and adopt true community in its theological vision . Although many churches get by for awhile on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, it must build a sense that each member belongs to each other. Without a community where members know, explore, discover, and touch one another, isolation and despair will drive the community in wrong directions, the corrupt efforts to live meaningfully and to love well. The church is the one institution that has the function of community as part of its strategy to achieve its mission (Hebrews 10:25).
This community is understood to be when believers share daily life in pursuit of the kingdom of God . It is where all members experiences fellowship and acceptance because they belong to a web of loving, committed relationships. Christian community means living a life of interdependence, support, service, communion, sharing, and solidarity with brothers and sisters in Christ. It involves celebrating our joys and triumphs as well as struggling to move through problems and conflicts towards unity and reconciliation. Community means being part of a body of people committed to extraordinary relationships rooted in a common identity and purpose in Christ. It means jointly building a way of life, a group memory, and a common anticipated future. Christians can’t fully live out the Bible’s call without living in community. It is where church members become an extended family or household (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet 4:17) whose ties are stronger than those of our natural families (Luke 8:20-21). All believers are called to an experience of deep fellowship, sharing and communion (Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3,7; Philem 6). Believing in Christ makes Christians a new race, and a new nation. It turns Christians into the people of God, in to citizens of a new kind of city (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Phil 3:20; Heb 13:14).

To develop true community it must be decided that the central mission of the church is to cultivate disciples . In order to cultivate disciples it is vital to define the outcome of a disciple – to lay out the content that forms the common purpose of community. To help do this, a profile is established from the summary statement Jesus made in response to the question about how to inherit eternal life. He responded by saying that a disciple must love God and neighbor which are the most important commandments of all disciples. This can be done in following a profile of tens specific practical spiritual disciplines. The first one is that disciples must worship God for who he is and what he has done for us (Psalm 95:1-7). They are to pray to God to know him and lay requests before him to find direction for life (Psalm 66:16-20). They need to study the Bible to know God and to hold to truth and find direction for life from it (Hebrews 4:12). Disciples must have single minded focus on God and his priorities for life (Matthew 6:33). They must fellowship in a biblical community to fulfill God’s purpose in our life and in others’ lives in the world (Acts 2:42-47). They are to use the spiritual gifts God has given us for fulfill God’s purposes (1 Corinthians 12:1-31). Time must be given away to God’s purposes (Colossians 3:17). Also, money must be given away to fulfill God’s purposes (2 Corinthians 8:7). The ninth is to share personal faith to fulfill God’s purposes (Ephesians 6:19-20). And finally, life must be given away to fulfill God’s purposes (Romans 12:1-2). (PG 78-79)

The local church can adopt true community through three concrete processes. These processes must be adopted within the home groups of a local church. First, it will call for members of the community to annually assess personal development in Christ using the a fore mentioned profile. Areas of struggle will be confessed to one another and personal goals for growth in Christ will be set in the year to come. Progress will be shared throughout the year and encouragement for one another will be done monthly in pursuit of maturing as disciples to become Christ like. Second, members of the biblical community will support the local church through involvement in ministries and service opportunities such as youth, children, worship, ushers and greeters. A celebration of what God is doing will be done through a special quarterly gathering. Third, the biblical community will care for one another in practical help for those in difficult and crisis situations. Some examples of this can be done through hospital or home visits, meal preparation, prayer, referral to church and community resources, and the like. (PG 82-83) When the local church sets goals with vision, by faith, and with serious considerations for achieving those goals, they translate theological vision and identity of the Church towards becoming what it is meant to be. Goal setting places the local church between confession and action. But, church renewal doesn’t finish with theological vision.

Not only does church renewal occur within its theological vision, but it must also encompass the identity of a local church. This can be done by adopting the same feasible pattern of Peter . Peter kept reminding his readers that they were “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people belonging to God, that… may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). The result of the church’s choseness would impact missions in that, “…the ‘pagans’ would “see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12). Missionary congregations find their special calling and identity as, “… a light for the Gentiles… priests for the nations. “ They are the missionary people of God whose uniqueness derives directly from God’s instrumental purposes for them. They are God’s special people who, because of God’s call, emerge in human history as the covenant community of the King, a branch chapter of the kingdom of God. The local church must preach and remind itself of this message just as Peter has.

In addition to the local church's responsibility to preach Peter’s message, it must also teach about its relationship with the whole world. It is rooted in God’s election of Israel as a special people with a unique heritage, mission and hope. Israel understood its reason for being from the framework of a covenant relationship with YHWH. The relationship involved both blessing and cursing, two dies of the same covenant which spelled out Israel’s nature as the special people of YHWH. The people accepted the negative with the positive, convinced by historical experiences that God held Israel in particular esteem as his special people. At the same time, Israel became increasingly conscious of the fact that God was not to be owned or controlled. He was Lord of all and within the covenant had given Israel a special purpose in relation to other nations. To be bound in covenant with YHWH meant to be participants in YHWH’s universal purpose for the whole world. Israel could not remain forever exclusive because YHWH’s desire was to bless all peoples. To be the people of YHWH meant a commitment to be an instrument on behalf of all the nations within the universal scope of YHWH’s lordship over all the world.
Such a notion of Israel’s life and mission insisted on the one hand that it protect its identity in the world, and on the other hand that it serves the world towards which its mission was set. Israel was a special people, yet its mission was to represent before God all the peoples of the earth. Its uniqueness did not stem from its ancestry, nor its history, race, culture or language. It stemmed from YHHW’s unique and gracious call. Because of YHWH’s unique purpose, Israel considered itself different, having a special destiny, a unique mission which set it apart from all other races, cultures, tribes, families and nations.

Jesus adapted this concept in his call to his disciples and church. He told them they were in the world but not of the world because their allegiances, values, goals, and hope were not of the world. They were sent to be a part of the world, but they were sent as sheep among wolves to be hated and persecuted just as he was (Matt. 10:16-25). They represented the world and were sent to the world, and yet they were uniquely separated from the world by God’s call to discipleship. Teaching about this unique identity and purpose will not only help renew the church’s identity but it will also touch the missional strategies of a local church which will be looked at next.

For renewal to occur it must also cover the missional strategies of a local church. This will happen as a church confesses its oneness. One of the most important sources for this is found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Paul states, “There is one body and one Spirit, as there is one hope held out in God’s call to you; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:4-6). Christians receive by faith the oneness of the Church. It is God-given, bounded by the Spirit of God who gathers the Church. The oneness is a faith affirmation against the brokenness and dividedness of the Church.

This confession has practical significance. Because Christians receive by faith, the oneness of the Church, they therefore strive to achieve that oneness (Eph 4:1-3). Paul exhorts to, “spare no effort to make fast with the bonds of peace the unity which the Spirit gives” (Eph 4:3). This growth in oneness occurs through the incorporation of members into the body (numerical growth); growth through the spiritual development of the members of the body as they exercise their gifts for the sake of the world (spiritual growth); growth through the increased impact of the body of Christ, in the world to which it has been sent (diakoniai growth) and growth through an enhanced understanding of the lordship of Christ in the Church, preventing us from being “tossed by the waves and whirled about by every fresh gust of teaching. (theological growth, Eph 4:14). Mission and unity are therefore wedded together in Paul’s view of the church.
Not only is it practical to confess the unity of the church but it is also practical to confess the church’s universality. Because the church is universal in that it is for all people, it therefore never ceases to call, to invite, to draw everyone to him. The church is a completely open fellowship, with its doors always spread wide, open to all. It is by its very nature missionary, sent to all people precisely because the Head of the Church “fills all in all.” All Christians have been drawn into the church and than sent out to make disciples of others. This universality becomes something towards which the people strive.

The practical confession of the unity and universality of the church give a renewed theological vision of the local congregation in mission. This confession will intentionally and unavoidably commit Christians to participate in God’s mission in the world.

Van Engen, Charles. God's Missionary People: Returning the Purpose of the Local Church. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991.
266 E54

The Local Congregation must constantly be reminded that because of their identity, they are called to be God’s instruments for blessing the nations. The local church can renew it’s missional strategies by measuring its own forms of sharing the gospel against Jesus’ . Jesus’ gospel is none other than the “good news of the kingdom of God” and had a holistic method. It meant physically (healing), intellectually (teaching) and spiritually (preaching). This holistic ministry of the good news was a sign of his divine mission. In response to John the Baptist’s question, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect some other?”” (Luke 7:20 NEB), Jesus said to John’s disciples: “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me” (Luke 7:18-23; Matt. 11:5-6). Jesus also sends the apostles out to, “…preach as you go, saying, ‘the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demon.” (Matt. 10:7-8). This holistic method was in word and deed and done by a small community. The local church must also take on a holistic approach in addressing physical, intellectual and spiritual needs.
The local church must understand its role as witness to, and embryonic demonstration of, the kingdom of God as the just reign of God to experience renewal . Christians will than need to see that all activity as having kingdom significance, so they strive to bring all things under the Lordship of Christ. They will know that a secular job may be kingdom ministry if it contributes toward kingdom realities. What this will look like practically is that Christians will be ready to shift job, career, or venue if kingdom priorities so dictate.

This perspective will bring concerns of justice and evangelistic witness together. The local church will become committed to peace, justice, righteousness at every level of society because the circumference of the kingdom includes, “all things in heaven and on earth” (Eph 1:10) and the welfare of every person and everything God has made. Christians concerned with issues of justice will want to see as many people as possible come to faith in Jesus Christ and fidelity in his kingdom, while Christians concerned with evangelism want to see justice want to see justice realized in all areas of society so the gospel will be made visibly credible. There would be no split or tension between these two vital concerns. As both are brought together, missions take on a renewed broader scope.

Not only is justice and evangelism brought together but the line between sacred and secular is erased. Rather than secularization of society of the sacralization of religious concerns, the local church will see all things are within the sovereignty of God and his concern. This removes any compartmentalized thinking. Economics, ecology, politics, the arts, social and family life become all topics of the kingdom and church. This will expand missions to bring Jesus into every aspect of life.

A local church must also adopt missional evangelism to experience renewal . It is indirect, authentic, and real. It arises out of relationship in the family, neighborhood, workplace and social situations. It connects with the supports system provided by the community that lives user the reign of God. The Christian brings the unchurched to a healthy vibrant community of faith and through association with the community; faith is discussed and caught as the gospel is overheard. This form of personal contact is the primary means of bringing people to Christ and the church. According to research of the American Growth Institute, seventy-nine percent of people who come to church come because they have been influenced to do so by a friend or relative. This personal contact is the most fruitful point of contact. Coming to church may start with a men’s breakfast, a women’s tea, a home group Bible study fellowship, or some other group designed to touch people where they hurt or struggle. As the interest of the unchurched seeker grows, he or she is invited to Sunday worship and follow up discussions with in a small group, one on one or in a home, restaurant or other comfortable meeting place. This time needs to be informal, open-ended, and without pressure. The goal is to discuss the Christian faith and all the Holy Spirit to work in the heart and mind of the seeker. This is all done in a loving, caring, energetic community of people who live out the faith. People get converted through the experience of the embracing love of a community.

Although there are many challenges to the local church today, renewal can still be experienced. It starts as its vision demonstrates true community in which each member is in pursuit of the kingdom of God in loving, committed relationships. This occurs as disciples adopt viable spiritual disciplines and keep each other accountable in confessing areas of struggle and setting goals for maturity. Renewal will reach the identity of the church as the church reminds itself of its special chooseness as God’s people to be missionaries into the world. This requires the church to confess its oneness and universality which will commit Christians’ to participate in God’s mission to reach the world. Missional strategies of the church will be further renewed as holistic approaches are adopted and an understanding of the local church as a spectator and developing manifestation of the Kingdom happens. It is through this understanding that will unite concerns of justice with evangelism broadening and renewing the scope of how missions is done. It will also remove seeing secular and sacred as mutually exclusive bringing and the mission field to every area of life. Missional Evangelism in the form of personal contact has been the most fruitful form of bringing people to Church. This involves building a relationship with an unchurched seeker and inviting them to a church group with the final goal of discussing and sharing the gospel in the loving, caring embracing community.

Mr. Bilson's Friend

2010-04-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a Vid of a friend of Mr. Bilson in honor of him. Hope you enjoy!

Good Friday

2010-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mr. Bilson hit up a couple of Good Friday services. Mr. B was most impressed with the first service. The Pastor mentioned how Christians often rush through Good Friday and head straight towards the part where he arose. It is true and Mr. B noticed this at the second service attended at a different gathering.

The second service was a little premature. It was celebrating the resurrection with little to no regard for the price it cost Jesus. The songs sung about the wonderful cross which is wonderful for Christians but what about for Him? There was also a children's drime showing Jesus healing and setting people free but it did not show the part about Good Friday and his suffering and death... Even the sermon talked allot about the victory and resurrection and barely touched on his death and suffering.

Christians really should not forget the amount of suffering, agony and torment Jesus went through to pay the price for our sins. Christians can become a little insensitive when they ignore the plight of Jesus as he hung on that cross embodying the sins of the world. Good Friday is a specific time in the calendar to reflect on such things but it is shallow to ignore this part of Jesus' life. Christians have much to gain on meditating on this time in Jesus' life.

Rock the River

2010-01-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

I remember passing by the Millennium Park many times... even praying and visioning a Christian event there... One day... One day... One day...

And who can forget the books of the great evangelist BG. He preached everywhere from Kerala to Vancouver on numerous occasions. He was a man who brought alot of credibility to evangelists one again. So much can be said about him. Even his son's bio was compelling!

And who can forget Skillet. They were one of the first Christian Bands that can drop a tune. It was HM 2001 or something. Pr A was playing this crazzy rif out of the SUV. It was, "Stronger" by Skillet. Bought the albums, watched their videos and longed to see them live! One day I would see them play live! One day... One day... One day...

Than the flyer came in! Skillet were in Kent, Washington... that one day came and went and Mr. B couldn't go! He really hates $$$ and being under resourced. One day, a lack of $$$ will not be an issue. One day...

After scrolling through there concert listings a dream prayer became a reality. Mr. B favorite evangelist and favorite Band would both be coming to town. Rock The River at the Millennium Amphitheatre. Mr B read about the city wide evangelistic campaigns and wished to see one in his lifetime in his backyard and now that day is here!

Secretly, he always wanted to meet both of them. He settled for a handshake from Will who constantly gets asked to have people connect him to his Grand Daddy! This is as close as Mr. B will get for now!

Vatican Says Bono Always Singing About God

2010-01-08T22:23:00.000-08:00

By Kate Harper, ChartAttack.com, Updated: January 7, 2010 12:00 AM

Vatican Says Bono Always Singing About God

Here's something that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone: U2's Bono is down with God. Or at least that's what the Vatican says.

According to The Guardian , L'Osservatore Romano , the Catholic institution's official newspaper, recently published an article (I hope you read Italian) stating that Bono is pretty much always singing about God. The article goes on to point out many of Bono's references to God in U2's lyrics.

The article quotes U2: In The Name Of Love , a book by Italian music critic named Andrea Morandi, who argues that all of U2's music features spiritual or Christian references. This includes songs on last year's No Line On The Horizon .

Hi there, Captain Obvious! Lester Bangs once argued that Black Sabbath's lyrics inadvertently made them the world's first Catholic rock band. While parents often called Sabbath Satanic, there's no way anyone could do that with U2. Bono's too earnest. He's just too much of a preacher .

I mean, you don't really need a recitation of The Lord's Prayer at the beginning of a U2 song to know that Bono's a rock fan's version of a televangelist in disguise (except without that whole doomy and gloomy "you're going to Hell for your sins" rap). There are also tons of U2 fans who would also probably describe a U2 show as a "religious experience."

There are quite obvious allusions to God in almost every U2 song. No joke. Let's not forget that there are several U2 songs with "God" in the title that yes, are about God, and "40," from War is basically a rewrite of Psalm 40. I mean, for God's sake (excuse the pun), U2 even have a song called "Yahweh." How much more blatant can you get?

I'm kind of unimpressed that the Vatican didn't wake up to this sooner. But then again, it did take them over 40 years to realize John Lennon was joking about that whole "Bigger than Jesus" comment and apologize, so hey.

By Kate Harper, ChartAttack.com, Updated: January 7, 2010 12:00 AM

A Message of Greeting from RP!

2010-01-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

I love the water you drink at the end!

Entertainment Review 2009.

2010-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

You're looking at the hottest ticket in town. U2 rolled into the dome for a sold out show. And some unexpected friends of 2009 decided to take a bunch of us to go. Mr. Bilson must admit, U2 put on the best live acts he has ever seen. They played a load of friendlies including, "Amazing Grace." They never seem to limit what can be done with a stage and live show. Although they looked tired, there was a lot of chemistry between the members and the music stands alone. They are the only band I actually buy DVD's for their live show (before the dawn of YouTube... yes I'm that old...) I hope our friends enjoyed it as much as I. BEP kept giving them props at the beginning to. They are real innovators as well.
Sometimes entertainment gets a bad wrap out there. And why not? It is crazzy what we consider entertaining. Video games simulate killing with greater reality than ever. Movies have become more vulgar, gruesome and where can you find some good wholesome family fun these days? It's a tough ride. However, when Mr. Bilson first came to Christ, he was moved by the awesome wealth of great Christian music out there. Third Day was one of the first bands he got into and was the first Christian CD (yes.. it was that long ago...) given by a good friend who led him to Christ. Little did he know that another good friend would be taking him to the concert. 3rd Day played a great list of songs like, "Thief" from the perspective of the thief on the cross and, "Consuming Fire," and many more. Than they went to the back of the arena to take requests for some acoustic stuff. They were great!

But, what Mr. Bilson loves about Christian bands is that they always have unexpected awesome opening acts. We couldn't stop listening to, "Chorus of the Saints" by Revive Band. They were the hot track played and sung by many of the likes of us. Hopefully they go further.

Mr. Bilson also met Manafest. He's a Christian rapper from T.O who's song, "Impossible" got him through the wreck of 2008. It was a pleasure to for him meet Mana and personally thank him for the song. He performed at HM alongside the passionate Parachute Band who were back by popular demand. It was "Glorified!"

These were the major concerts of the year. Who knows what to expect in 2010. Hopefully, more encounters with Jesus with new songs to follow!

Just look at this stage!

Petty Things...

2009-12-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

Long winded announcements... loud guitar... dislike of rock music... music not in my language of preference... and the list goes on and on and on... The petty things are what I like to call them. The things people gripe and complain about. We all hear it and are even guilty of saying it. But sometimes we miss the point of it all. We can end up majoring on the minors and forget the real point. It should all bring glory to Jesus. Sure you may not like rock music but if it can be baptized and given the good news and reach those who haven't heard it, go for it. If it can be even spoken in a different language to reach the masses who haven't heard the greatest news on earth, what are we to complain about. Let's not miss the point and complain about petty differences and other things especially if it all can reach the great masses and serve a greater purpose. Let's respect and embrace our differences as diversities and see how it fits into the grander scheme of things. Especially on this Christmas day!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T13:22:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! And to those who I wanted to buy gifts for but had no money... Merry Recession-mas!

A Kabadi Miracle!

2009-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bilson | MySpace Video

A Kabadi Miracle First Part

2009-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

PMC Christmas Drama 09 A Kabadi Miracle

Mr. Bilson | MySpace Video

A Kabadi Miracle (Final Live Portion)

2009-12-14T23:05:00.001-08:00

PMC Christmas 2009 Kabadi Ending Draft!

2009-12-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

THINK

2009-12-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

Think before you speak! Make sure what you say is:

T- Truthful
H - Helpful
I - Inspiring
N - Necessary
K - Kind

PMC Christmas Drama DRAFT!

2009-12-02T00:00:00.001-08:00

Not to be posted on any websites yet! This includes www.southasianconnection.com.

Mr. Bilson MySpace Video

Consultants

2009-11-21T15:56:00.001-08:00

Who can stand this self professing consultants. They act like they are an authority on almost everything.

I prefer the real ones. These are the ones who truly know what they are talking about. They are the people that can back what they say in one of many categories. Here are a couple

1. Positive Results. The real consultants can back their words becasue they have proven results exceeded expectations or quotas and goals.

2. Education. The real consultants have done their research. They have a vast aray of knowledge to draw from. They know what has worked and what hasn't and why.

3. Great attitude. There are many people who can produce results and have the education but they are hard to deal with because their egos are far to BIG. They wan't credit for everything or think they are above others. They end up being very lousy to be around.

The Sinner's Experience

2009-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Everyone has experienced sin! And there are many responses. Here are a couple:

1. Hide. This was the response of Adam and Eve after they had sinned. They wanted to hide. The shame and guilt was to much to bear and all they could do is hide.

2. Pretend it isn't happening. Most sinners would prefer pretend like they have never sin. They end up avoiding and not addressing the issue but fake it. They never confront their own sin out of fear of being exposed and humiliated. Others can't seem to face their sin because they feel trapped in fear that the pain of it cannot be healed. Take David for instance. He tried to move on in life as if nothing happened. He to tried to hide his sin when he commited adultury. But it doesn't have to be this way...

So what should be our response? We need to come clean and confront, confess and admit wrong doing despite the pain, humiliation of it. We must also right what we have done wrong.

10,000$

2009-11-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Brothers and sisters.

Our church is going through a financial hick up of sorts. We are an all nations church the reaches the Indo-Canadian community locally. This community is known for its drug trade, violence, and other social ills. We wanted to change all that and many lives have been touched by our love for Jesus. Can you donate at http://www.punjabichurch.com/? We are a small church with big dreams, aspirations and vision. We can make it when we work together.

God bless you all!

Ignatius Youth Pastor

2009-10-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Should Christians Participate in War?

2009-10-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

36 Practical Things in Life That Have Helped Me!

2009-10-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Samuel R. Chand

1. Volunteer for jobs no one else wants.
2. Never be on time – be early.
3. Respect everyone—especially the “little people”.
4. Money isn’t everything. Never make quality of life decisions based on money. Money follows
ministry.
5. Help others succeed and you will always succeed.
6. Don’t forget the people who got you here.
7. Never take credit—pass praise on.
8. Be a life-long learner. “What did I learn today?”
9. Select and enlist mentors.
10. Be generous – sow into other’s life.
11. Determine your finish lines:
A. What is “enough”?
B. Inheritance vs. legacy
12. Forgive quickly.
13. Accept responsibility when things go wrong—don’t pass on the blame. Fess up when
you mess up.
14. Discover your gift and operate in it.
15. Gifts change at different times in your life.
16. Don’t imitate—be an original. Be yourself.
17. Love life—enjoy living—laugh out loud.
18. No one “owes” you anything—assume responsibility.
19. Life is not easy—roll with it. Regardless of what you observe on the outside in other
people’s life—it is tough.
20. Stay away from negative people.
21. Look at everyone you meet as God’s appointment—you never know.
22. Never do anything well—do it with excellence.
23. Never keep your promises—over deliver (beat deadlines, come under budget, do it
with fewer people).
24. Develop a team in everything you do.
25. Hang with passionate people.
26. You’re not always right—the most important thing you will change is your mind.
27. Work hard – don’t be lazy.
28. Conquer procrastination. Practice OHIO. (Only Handle It Once)
29. If you are collaborating with businesspersons to finance your ministry—they prefer
early morning.
30. Donors don’t give when you are down—they give (invest) in success.
31. Go to meetings and meet new people. Follow up with notes ASAP.
32. Learn to write notes.
33. Take risks—anyone can do the safe thing.
34. Think long term.
35. Build relationships before transactions.
36. Let someone in ahead of you while in traffic or line—you’ll feel better and live
longer.

Success Factors for an Organization.

2009-10-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Samuel R. Chand

FACTORS ACTIONS

1. Handling complexity
Figuring out what needs to be done and charting a course of action

2. Drive and results orientation
Focusing on an outcome and driving for completion

3. Lead and manage people
Directing the work of motivating others

4. Executional excellence
Putting ideas into action

5. Organizational understanding
Knowing how the organization works and how to maximize it

6. Composure under pressure
Staying focused in the internal pressure cooker and still getting things done

7. Executive maturity
Always acting with maturity and good judgment

8. Technical knowledge

Understanding and applying technical knowledge

9. Recruit and develop good people

Making the organization and individuals better

Positive people skills

Knowing how to get along with people who are different

Effective communication

Knowing how to communicate

Impact and influence

Being able to get things done when faced with obstacles

Acknowledgements: Growing Global Executives—John R. Fulkerson
The 21st Century Executive—Rob Silzer
Dr. Samuel R. Chand, 950 Eagles Landing Parkway, Suite 295, Stockbridge, GA 30281
770-898-6464—www.samchand.com

LEGACY: Success & Fulfillment by Dr. Samuel R. Chand

2009-10-06T12:36:00.001-07:00

LEGACY: Success & Fulfillment

by Dr. Samuel R. Chand

JUMP START YOUR LEGACY VISION PLANNING…

My Backward Plan

The simple premise of backward planning is that we define our prime objective, or a big goal that will move us toward our prime objective and assign it a date. As Henry Kimsey-House said, “A goal without a date is a dream.”

Second, we need to figure out the next to last thing that needs to happen before our goal is met, and figure the time frame for that.

Then we ask, “What would need to happen before that?”
“And before that?”

By (date) ______________ I will have achieved (Prime Objective) ______________.

Just prior to that (date)__________, I will need to have done__________.

And before that can happen (date) ________, I will need to have
Accomplished (milestone)________.

To enable the next step on (date) _______ I will need to have (milestone)____________ in place

By (date) _____________ I will have done (milestone)_______________.

By (date) _____________ I will have done (milestone)_____________.

Today (or tomorrow) I will (milestone)_______________.

“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good.

What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind … let it be something good.”
–Anonymous

“People will summarize your life in one sentence. Pick it now. Pick it and live it.”
—Dr. John C. Maxwell

THE SENTENCE I WANT SAID AT MY EULOGY (so people don’t have to guess) IS: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Now live it with an Intentional plan and watch it compound!

Responses to Suffering.

2009-10-06T11:31:00.001-07:00

The experience of suffering is a common theme in the Bible. It is also something that all people must go through. But most people don’t want to talk about it. Who wants to rehearse experiences that take away our joy, contentment and pleasure? Who wants to recall the moments of agony, despair, discomfort or delusion? So how do we respond to the suffering in our life? What should our attitude be? The Bible gives us a window to help us understand how we can respond to the suffering we have experienced in our own lives.

Before beginning a look into the topic it is important to cover a few key points. The first is that suffering is a vast topic and this is in no way an exhaustive view of how to respond biblically to suffering. Instead, this look will be limited to a few areas in the Bible.

In the Bible, we encounter many people who experience suffering including Paul. Paul said, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” (2 Corinthians 1:8). He also said, “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (2 Corinthians 11).

In response to the initial despair, Paul encouraged giving thanks. He states, “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Cor 1:9-11). He was able to encourage giving thanks knowing that the prayers from others would be answered. We to can respond in the same way as we invite others to pray on our behalf.

Paul had another unique response to the suffering in his life. His response was, “…delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.” (2 Cor 12:10). He was able to respond in this way because the Lord said, “"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (1 Cor 12:9). He was also able to, “…boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” (1 Cor 12:9). Paul response was routed in the fact that God’s power was made perfect in weakness. We to should be reminded of the same when we face similar sufferings in our life.

Another noteworthy response from Paul's is that he never responded in Self-Pity. He does honestly express the emotion of the pain in his suffering with despair and even tears (Philippians 3:18) but never do we see him wallowing in self-pity.

Not only can we learn from Paul’s response but we can learn from Jesus as well. He was someone who experienced much suffering as predicted in Isaiah:
“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (53:3).

And

“He was oppressed and afflicted, (53:7)

and there are many more verses.

But Jesus response is quite startling. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23). What makes his response startling is that most would want to retaliate and take vengeance. Most people would want to respond by inflicting the same kind and level of pain as experienced by those victimized. But not Jesus. He trusted God enough to judge the situation righteously.

Not also did he not retaliate but he also prayed those who were causing him to suffer. Jesus said, ““Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34). He was able to, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14). Jesus also did not “…repay anyone evil for evil.” (Romans 12:17). Jesus modeled Paul’s words: “9Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12).

We can learn adopt lot of different responses to suffering. Like Paul, we to should encourage giving thanks, and delighting knowing God's power is made whole in our weaknesses. Self Pity was not an option for Paul, instead he would honestly express the pain even with tears. Jesus would not retaliate or make threats but left vengeance and judgement with God himself. He even prayed for those who hurt him.

Healthy Conflict Resolution

2009-10-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Expectation vs Reality

Conflict is the distance between expectation and reality.

You can never eliminate conflict but minimize it by:

Bringing expectation and reality as close as possible

Creating and managing individual expectation

Keep conversation on issue/what and not on person/who.

By Samuel R. Chand (www.samchand.com)

Leadership Impact, "What Keeps Leaeders up at Night"

2009-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Leadership Impact, "What Keeps Leaders up at Night"

What to do Before you Release Someone?

1. Discuss - "I have received info..." or "I have noticed..."

2. Document - "Monitor and assess performance after constructive criticism is given..."

3. Dock - Penalty Pts for not following through after corrective measures were taken and clearly communicated and a fair opportunity for change was allowed.

4. Dismiss - Give reasons for Dismissals.

*Remember, it is better to have no help than bad help.

(Loosely based on Samuel R. Chand Consulting)

Most people get fired because of a bad attitude. These are people who 'won't' do the work unlike the people who 'can't' do it. The people in the 'can't' category are usually teachable and just need training sharpen their ability.

Solid Vs Liquid Church

2009-09-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Solid Church
Formal
Institutional
Organized Congregation
Structured Time and Space
Faithfulnesss = attendance
success = numbers
worship and teaching are standardardized
membership is exclusive and self serving

Liquid Church

Informal
Fluid
relationship with others through communion with Christ
Flexible to needs of community
not about the building but spiritual activity
Church is a verb not a nound
fundamental motivation is mission

Guder, Darrell L. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.

Mission (Cascade Falls and Westminster Abbey)

2009-09-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

S'pore and Beyond!

2009-09-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tall Towers and Tropical Islands...

2009-09-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

Tropical Islands (Toiman, Malaysia)

2009-09-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Tall Towers....

2009-09-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

Tall Buidlings and Tropical Islands.

2009-09-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

S
There is allot you don't know about Mr. Bilson. He has a deep love for travelling. He loves being on Tall Buildings with beautiful views and tropical islands...

He was reaching a breaking point. Life was becoming dangerously out of hand. It was time to step back, relax and take a deep breath and take one day at a time. And Jesus gave him the opportunity. He granted him the desire of his heart. In the past two months, Mr. Bilson had the chance to go to one of the top ten most beautiful tropical islands in the world and three of the tallest buildings in the world.

Sure, there is allot of thankless work to be done and alot of obstacles and hidden battles but Jesus was faithful as always to his promise. He looked down from his throne and decided to treat his son.

His son is nothing but breath taken and speechless. It was something he never expected to happen or plan in his life. Now things have taken on a new prospective. Things have changed and are new. Life has truly become abundant.

" ²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

²⁷"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11)

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Ecumenical Affirmation: Mission and Evangelism

2009-09-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

The “Ecumenical Affirmation: Mission and Evangelism,” is the single most important ecumenical statement on mission in this period. It starts with a preface stressing the urgency of the Church as sent into the world to call people and nations to repentance and announce forgiveness of sin and a new beginning with God and neighbors through Jesus Christ. This calling has so much urgency because the world is filled with injustice against a growing number of poor people, who do not know the gospel. A review of the document will be taken followed by a critique of its strengths and weaknesses.

This affirmation birthed out of an ecumenical movement which came under a conviction that division of Christians is an impediment to the witness of the Church. It affirms the call to mission which is rooted in the Old Testament in which God’s people anticipated a kingdom where God’s peace and justice would prevail. Jesus announced that kingdom and offered it to those who followed. This witness was commanded by Jesus who sent and commissioned the apostles to the world (John 20:21). Christ would be equipping them by sending the Holy Spirit who would bring gifts and power. The church starts to fulfill its missionary vocation at Pentecost as the Spirit came upon them. This mission is again modeled in Jesus who obeyed the Father’s command who, “… sent me… do accomplish his work.”

This call to proclamation and witness ensues from the nature of the Church as the Body of Christ, sharing the ministry of Christ as Mediator between God and His creation. It starts with the proclamation of Christ as crucified. It is his self surrendering at the cross that shows the depth of his love and glory. His resurrection from the dead opens anew period of missionary obedience in which his power is released and a new birth into a new life. Christians are united in it at the cross (2 Cor 5:17).

The document turns toward common ecumenical convictions that unite churches in one world wide missionary movement. This movement recognizes the need for conversion as defined as a response of recognizing and accepting, in a personal decision, the saving lordship of Jesus Christ. The experience of conversion is proven in renouncing the domination of sin and accepting responsibilities in terms of God’s love for the neighbor. It also incorporates the totality of our life to follow Jesus joyfully, to participate in his servant body and to share with him in the struggles to overcome sin, poverty and death. It is a call to repentance and obedience to God which means being baptized.

The lordship of Christ will be evidenced in all areas of life and is to challenge structures of society and call individuals to repent. This calls for the church to be the voice for the poor and oppressed and is to announce the good news, denounce sin in its various forms, console, heal and restore the down trodden and celebrate life and challenge countries that limit religion to the private life. For this to happen in the church the Holy Spirit is needed to remake and renew the life and thought of its members. The Eucharist renews the missionary heart of the congregation in claiming Christ’s death until he returns. Examples of signs of the work of the Spirit are found in house churches in China or Ecclesiastical communities of Latin America, liturgical and biblical renewal revival in monastic vocation and charismatic movements. The Christian mission should foster the multiplication of local congregations in every human community. Churches
should have intimate relations with the culture and aspirations of their people to be powerful in witness and share with those less privileged.

Christ modeled the appropriate way to witness. This can be done by using all forms of communication to share the Gospel. However, the power of the Gospel must be subordinate to expressions of love used by Jesus. Evangelism happens in sharing in the pains and joys of and identifying with people. It will require reaching the poor who have been victimized by personal and structural sin because Jesus invited them to come to him to receive forgiveness and assume the task of being responsible before God. We see the preferential option for the poor as God meets the downtrodden, persecuted and the weak and marginalized in the world.

Since Jesus has called Christians to reach the world there is a need to learn how to respond and engage in missions on six different continents. In order to understand how to do this, the importance of an ecumenical movement for mission is necessary. It is so vital because life in many countries has no reference to Christian values or an understanding of any final meaning. The loss of contact with workers and youth are also an added major hindrance. These needs bring urgency to the missionary movement and as local congregations responds to these needs in prayers, intercessions, and sharing of persons and resources it participates in the world mission of the Church. As the church participates in global missions in this manner, there also needs to be a call to a moratorium which reconsiders whether the present style of missionary engagement is necessary or the right way to do missions. This moratorium identified the sin of proselytism through domination and dependence that characterized the relationship between churches of the northern and southern hemisphere. A new corrective measure of flowing finances from richer to poorer churches is needed to overcome this problem.

As Christians fulfill the mission they must learn to respond to people of other religious convictions and ideological persuasions with respect and affirm the uniqueness and freedoms of others. True followers of Jesus will witness to neighbors in humble, repentant and a joyful spirit instead of looking for the worst in others and passing negative judgment. Christian’s should also seek to enter dialogue with civil authorities who hinder the freedom of religious expression by being peaceful and expressing mutual respect.

The document concludes by rallying the Church to have faith supported by prayer, contemplation and adoration to confront the hard realities of daily life. It also concludes with a reassurance the God is always present.

One of the key strengths of this document is in how it relates the relationship between the
Father and Son to missions. As the Son is sent from the Father so are missionaries sent by the Son. What makes this point strong is that Christians have a picture of God not only preaching the ‘sentness’ of missionary work but also demonstrating it. It provides a powerful model for Christians to imitate and follow.

Although this is a key strength, there are many weaknesses to the document. It is weak in that it doesn’t account for the positive virtues of the divisions in the Church. One of these virtues is in how the church has become rich in diversity through it divisions. The divisions in the church have allowed for a rich diversity of ministries to specialize in specific callings and to respond to unique challenges with greater attention and focus. While this kind of specialization can sometimes be at the expense of the unity of the church, what is gained is the fruit that these new ministries produce as they are faithful to respond to challenges like poverty and injustice. Ideally the church would not compromise unity if it functioned better and discerning, blessing and releasing these ministries to respond to their unique and specialized challenges but in reality this doesn’t always happen.

Another drawback is that the document limits the definition of conversion. Conversion does involve a personal response to Christ, baptism etc., however it is also a life manifested by the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Bible testifies that true followers of Jesus Christ will be known by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). This is so important because it is the crucial distinction in discerning between false prophets and those who are truly Disciples of Christ (Matthew 17:16ff).

Also, Christians should be cautious in engaging in intimate relations with culture. This is to be cautioned with cultures that do not promote and express fundamental Christian values and beliefs. Instead, missionaries should seek learn to discern and adopt cultural norms and customs that enhance the gospel and mission of the church and also identify and resist those that oppose the teachings of Jesus.

The Ecumenical Affirmation stresses the urgency of the Church to unite and spread the gospel when realizing the plight of the poor and the existence of injustice in the world. The document is strong in emphasizing the ‘sentness’ of the mission by giving the example of Jesus being sent by the Father to redeem the world. However, it is weak in that it doesn’t acknowledge the need of the church to release and bless specialized ministries which respond with great focus and attention to unique challenges. It also doesn’t emphasize the need for conversion to produce the fruit of the Spirit or caution against having deep relations with cultures that don’t express the virtues. These weaknesses need to be better addressed in order for the Church to function more ecumenically and be successful in fulfilling its mission.

Latin Congress

2009-09-22T22:57:00.001-07:00

The Third Latin American Congress on Evangelism, convened with the purpose to commemorate and recognize the growing missionary vitality of evangelical churches in Latin America. They met to face the present challenges and to contribute to the unity of God’s people and encourage the development of a missionary vision and holistic evangelization all over Latin America and beyond. This congress was significant in taking their role seriously in world evangelization and in dealing with crucial missiological issues facing the Latin American evangelical movement. The purpose of the meeting of the congress was to reflect on the theme, “The Whole Gospel from Latin America for All Peoples.” A review of the document will be followed by a critique of its strengths and weaknesses.

The document is divided into three parts. The first part explains the role and significance of the Gospels and its connection to major Christian beliefs. It is a summary of the core beliefs affirming the authority of Scripture. This is crucial because Scripture is the revelation of God in concrete acts in history and is the basis and starting point for the life, theology and mission of the church. It shows that God has taken initiative to establish a covenant reconciling human beings and all creation to himself through Jesus. Alongside this the Holy Spirits acts with power to eliminate injustice and oppression and signs of death granting life and gifts for the development of the Church and mission. The Church assumes its mission as God’s agents for the redemption of all creation through the proclamation of God’s kingdom.

After establishing this role, the document moves to evaluate Latin American missiology by giving an examination of the negative and positive contributions of Latin American missiology. Some negative contributions include the systematic destruction of autochthonous cultures done in the name of evangelization. Evangelical theology should respond in two ways: by respecting, dignifying and recognizing peoples and cultures; and evaluate them in light of the judgment of the Word offering the hope of the Gospel for their transformation.

However, there are positive contributions such as a growing participation of the church to defend human rights and to prepare leaders for legitimate action in every aspect of national life. There is also progress in the unity and cooperation of the evangelical Churches in Latin America.
This evaluation better equips that Latin American churches to properly address God’s purpose and responsibility of the church to redeem the whole world and to assess and correct missionary activity. This evaluation is done in light of the Word of God with respect and appreciation of other languages and cultures. God’s divine purpose does not mean that all pathways are valid in order to obtain salvation. For this to be done successfully, salvation needs to be preached with a biblical world view that has a comprehension of new challenges like globalization, post modernity, the resurgence of racism, esoteric religions, and growing ecological deterioration. To respond to the demands of crossing geographical, cultural, social, linguistic and spiritual frontiers it is necessary to reconsider the New Testament model, adequately use the social and human sciences and reflect on this practice. Missionaries need to be faithful to the gospel and be equipped with holiness and humility to respect and appreciate other languages and cultures.
World evangelization must be done without delay by creating and promoting training centers with revised theological education and renewed dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer.

The strength of the document is its strong voice to rally the Church against social ills. What makes this so strong is that it lines up with the character of God as a God of justice. We see this side of God all over the Bible and especially in the Psalms (9:16; 11:7; 33:5).

It is also strong in recognizing the value of understanding history and the Protestant roots of the Latin American evangelical community. This is important in order to avoid errors of the past such as the destruction of autochthonous cultures. Knowing this has helped the mission to respect and dignify every culture and avoid presupposing superiority of one culture over another. It will also help recuperate the distinctive characteristics of its heritage.

But it is also at the same time not stuck in that past on being open to new possibilities and models of mission activity. The Latin American congress is open to continuous evaluation and correction of these new models and experiences especially with the rise of unexpected challenges like globalization, post modernity, the resurgence of racism, esoteric religions, and growing ecological deterioration This is a great advantage in keeping models of mission activity current, relevant and consistent to the new challenges.

The document is also strong in expressing the universal purpose of God to redeem the whole world while at the same time expressing the distinctiveness of justification by faith. This distinction needs to be made to protect against the understanding that
justification and salvation can come under no other way or work except through the atoning act of grace of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. It clearly states that salvation cannot
be achieved through sacramental or ritualistic practices. Knowing this keeps these practices in proper perspective and protects against any belief that works alone can offer salvation.

However, this strength must be balanced by the many weaknesses of the document. It is inadequate in assuming that the proclamation of the gospel, which impels Christians to participate better in society, will not achieve definitive results but only give constructive contributions against social ills. This view contradicts the later statement that obedience to the Word and the power of the Spirit of God can manifest definitively in a life of love, justice and peace. The document further affirms that the power of the gospel and consistent action on the part of churches can permeate and transform the conditions of injustice and inequality that prevail today. How can this happen without achieving definitive results? The transformation of conditions of injustice and inequality is far more than just a constructive contribution of the gospel. If true and powerful transformation is happening, it will have definitive results. The document should have explained a distinction between what a construction contribution looks like against a definitive result.

Overall, this document holds much strength in rallying against social ills consistent with the character of God. It recognizes the value of studying history and not repeating its mistakes it also open to new models of mission that would also be reviewed. It acknowledges the will of God to reach the world without compromising the distinctiveness that salvation is by faith alone. However, its major flaw is found in the belief that the proclamation of the gospel can on give constructive contributions without definitive results.

Third American Congress on Evangelism

2009-09-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Third Latin American Congress on Evangelism, convened with the purpose to commemorate and recognize the growing missionary vitality of evangelical churches in Latin America. They met to face the present challenges and to contribute to the unity of God’s people and encourage the development of a missionary vision and holistic evangelization all over Latin America and beyond. This congress was significant in taking their role seriously in world evangelization and in dealing with crucial missiological issues facing the Latin American evangelical movement. The purpose of the meeting of the congress was to reflect on the theme, “The Whole Gospel from Latin America for All Peoples.” A review of the document will be followed by a critique of its strengths and weaknesses.

The document is divided into three parts. The first part explains the role and significance of the Gospels and its connection to major Christian beliefs. It is a summary of the core beliefs affirming the authority of Scripture. This is crucial because Scripture is the revelation of God in concrete acts in history and is the basis and starting point for the life, theology and mission of the church. It shows that God has taken initiative to establish a covenant reconciling human beings and all creation to himself through Jesus. Alongside this the Holy Spirits acts with power to eliminate injustice and oppression and signs of death granting life and gifts for the development of the Church and mission. The Church assumes its mission as God’s agents for the redemption of all creation through the proclamation of God’s kingdom.

After establishing this role, the document moves to evaluate Latin American missiology by giving an examination of the negative and positive contributions of Latin American missiology. Some negative contributions include the systematic destruction of autochthonous cultures done in the name of evangelization. Evangelical theology should respond in two ways: by respecting, dignifying and recognizing peoples and cultures; and evaluate them in light of the judgment of the Word offering the hope of the Gospel for their transformation.

However, there are positive contributions such as a growing participation of the church to defend human rights and to prepare leaders for legitimate action in every aspect of national life. There is also progress in the unity and cooperation of the evangelical Churches in Latin America.
This evaluation better equips that Latin American churches to properly address God’s purpose and responsibility of the church to redeem the whole world and to assess and correct missionary activity. This evaluation is done in light of the Word of God with respect and appreciation of other languages and cultures. God’s divine purpose does not mean that all pathways are valid in order to obtain salvation. For this to be done successfully, salvation needs to be preached with a biblical world view that has a comprehension of new challenges like globalization, post modernity, the resurgence of racism, esoteric religions, and growing ecological deterioration. To respond to the demands of crossing geographical, cultural, social, linguistic and spiritual frontiers it is necessary to reconsider the New Testament model, adequately use the social and human sciences and reflect on this practice. Missionaries need to be faithful to the gospel and be equipped with holiness and humility to respect and appreciate other languages and cultures.
World evangelization must be done without delay by creating and promoting training centers with revised theological education and renewed dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer.

The strength of the document is its strong voice to rally the Church against social ills. What makes this so strong is that it lines up with the character of God as a God of justice. We see this side of God all over the Bible and especially in the Psalms (9:16; 11:7; 33:5).
It is also strong in recognizing the value of understanding history and the Protestant roots of the Latin American evangelical community. This is important in order to avoid errors of the past such as the destruction of autochthonous cultures. Knowing this has helped the mission to respect and dignify every culture and avoid presupposing superiority of one culture over another. It will also help recuperate the distinctive characteristics of its heritage.
But it is also at the same time not stuck in that past on being open to new possibilities and models of mission activity. The Latin American congress is open to continuous evaluation and correction of these new models and experiences especially with the rise of unexpected challenges like globalization, post modernity, the resurgence of racism, esoteric religions, and growing ecological deterioration This is a great advantage in keeping models of mission activity current, relevant and consistent to the new challenges.
The document is also strong in expressing the universal purpose of God to redeem the whole world while at the same time expressing the distinctiveness of justification by faith. This distinction needs to be made to protect against the understanding that
justification and salvation can come under no other way or work except through the atoning act of grace of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. It clearly states that salvation cannot
be achieved through sacramental or ritualistic practices. Knowing this keeps these practices in proper perspective and protects against any belief that works alone can offer salvation.
However, this strength must be balanced by the many weaknesses of the document. It is inadequate in assuming that the proclamation of the gospel, which impels Christians to participate better in society, will not achieve definitive results but only give constructive contributions against social ills. This view contradicts the later statement that obedience to the Word and the power of the Spirit of God can manifest definitively in a life of love, justice and peace. The document further affirms that the power of the gospel and consistent action on the part of churches can permeate and transform the conditions of injustice and inequality that prevail today. How can this happen without achieving definitive results? The transformation of conditions of injustice and inequality is far more than just a constructive contribution of the gospel. If true and powerful transformation is happening, it will have definitive results. The document should have explained a distinction between what a construction contribution looks like against a definitive result.
Overall, this document holds much strength in rallying against social ills consistent with the character of God. It recognizes the value of studying history and not repeating its mistakes it also open to new models of mission that would also be reviewed. It acknowledges the will of God to reach the world without compromising the distinctiveness that salvation is by faith alone. However, its major flaw is found in the belief that the proclamation of the gospel can on give constructive contributions without definitive results.

Orthodox Advisory Group

2009-09-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Eastern Orthodox Churches met to consider the meaning of mission in Orthodoxy and to discuss its contributions to ecumenical mission and evangelism. They believed that Trinitarian theology gives a proper understanding of Christ’s mission for the church. A look will be taken at this belief covered in “Go Forth in Peace: Orthodox Perspectives on Missions,” followed by a critique of its weaknesses and strengths.

The document starts by expressing how Trinitarian theology emphasizes that God’s self is a life of communion and that God’s involvement in history aims to draw humanity and creation into this communion. The aim of missions is to transmit the life of communion that exists in God. True life is found in the life of the Trinity which involves examining the role of Christ.

The Logos, or Christ, has the role as the center and unifying basis and mediator for regeneration and restoring humankind to have communion with God. Christ is sent with the aim of drawing the world into the way of existence found in the Trinity. This aim is not inseparable to the work of the Holy Spirit who is the life giver and perfector. God has chosen to work through us and to surrender ourselves to Christ is to be united with God’s self. This happens when Christians repent and give themselves to a renewed life and faith and being obedient to the will of God with fellowship in the Church.

The proclamation of the Kingdom lies at the heart of the mission of the Church. The aim of proclamation is to establish Eucharistic communities in every locality. These communities are involved in worship and celebration which will initiate the Kingdom of God and become the focal point for active Christian witness.

Challenges to this calling to missions occur when a community does not reflect this Trinitarian existence of communion and when the Church doesn’t resist partnership with authorities and powers of this world. The ongoing mission of God requires the participation of all members of the Eucharistic communities especially as Christian values are being attacked. The mission must be accomplished in a way that has regard for the positive values of any culture.

To enhance this mission, worship is necessary to unite the faithful as adopted sons and daughters of God to the Father. Participation of the Eucharistic liturgy brings Christians to the experience of the fullness of salvation and communion with the Holy Spirit and transforms the community into the image of the kingdom. Participation in the worshipping community in the form of spiritual poetry, church music, iconography, and liturgy are a powerful means of a Christian witness and requires the participation of all members.

The Liturgical life of the Church is one of the most fundamental ways of proclaiming the word of God to the world and is based on Holy Scripture. It is through liturgy that people know God as manifested in Jesus. The biblical content as the source of liturgy is affirmed so that they are not dismissed as folk’s tales, rituals or cultural attitudes. It leads participants in to the full knowledge of revelation and creates an atmosphere of dialogue between a person and God. It should therefore be in a language that makes it accessible and identifiable to all. It is important that the faithful should have a better knowledge and greater access to its texts. This can be done by printing texts in the respective languages and styles of the culture they reflect.

Also, having entire texts read in liturgical Sundays and stimulating interest in Bible Studies as well as illustrating important Bible stories with icons and using modern technology will be essential. Interpretation should also be done that addresses questions and social concerns of people. Teaching clergy and using homilies are also effective. And through this, proclamation should incorporate humanity in to mystical union with God. This involves proclamation to all people using all methods and approaches according to the possibilities and needs of the local church and conveys a way of living applicable to the church and world. The aim is conversion from a life of sin and evil to a life characterized by the forgiveness of sin and a renewed fellowship with God in the Trinity. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit, that evangelistic witness is done and involves the whole community of God to all humanity and economic, political and societal structures of the world. This witness requires a full awareness of personal repentance, conversion and salvation and the new life of grace in the community of the Holy Trinity. It should also be marked by a life of love and take on issues of justice.

This mission has to be lived out in a continued devotion of liturgy in personal everyday situations shown in continuous liberation from the forces of evil demonstrated by the power of the Kingdom. It is revealed in exorcisms, healing the sick, voluntary acceptance of poverty, fasting, chastity in conjugal love, and procreation, reevaluation of humility, mutual submission in listening to the Spirit, refusal to be intimidated by threats or false promises, and constant interior prayer. It involved the active participation of each member of the church and consistency between message and life through a life of love.

The mission should also embrace other forms of Christian activities. Some examples include embracing youth movements, welfare, publications, asceticism, theological education, prayer, participation in the Eucharist, development of individual gifts, recognizing the role and dignity of women, and resisting threats against the family.

A major set back of the document is its narrow view of the role of liturgy to accomplish the mission of the Church. The document is limited in believing that participating in liturgy is the only powerful expression of the church’s mission. It should be acknowledged that substantial mission work have been done by Christians that do not own liturgical forms of worship listed in the document. This is very important especially since this document is going to be used as a source of input and critique for ecumenical meetings.

Not also is there a narrow view on liturgy but it is also prioritized liturgy over the power of the word of God in the Bible. It is stated that the Bible is alive in liturgy. This actually contradicts the Bibles own testimony of itself as being living and active and sharper than double edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). This exalted view of liturgy can actually diminish the role of the Bible in being the authoritative word of God. Instead, it should be stated that the Bible the makes liturgy alive rather than the liturgy that makes the Bible alive.

The document also takes on an unbiblical notion of mission. It states that, “… it is not the number of “converts” or the statistical membership of the church that can point to the existence of mission. This statement stands in stark contrast to the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is poured out on many people of many nations and languages resulting in three thousand members being added to the number of disciples. If the Bible tells of God’s own Spirit being poured out on many nations and mentions numerical growth, than why shouldn’t it be a point to the existence of missions?

Although there are some major weaknesses in the documents, it does have a couple of strengths. One of them points out how any gap between the message and life of the Church was a massive obstacle in the credibility of the gospel. Even Jesus confronted this issue with the Pharisees who, “… do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:3) Their hypocrisy so offended Jesus to the point that their actions condemned them to hell (Matthew 23:33). In order for people to truly come to Christ and for Christians to draw people in to the Kingdom, the message must match the lifestyle.

Another strength of the document is that it identified the ignorance of missionaries to contextualize with different cultures. This problem occurs when missionaries take no initiative to understand and immerse itself in the culture. The consequence is that the culture can be uprooted and changed without any regard for its positive values. These positive values need to be adopted and enhanced. Also, if these values can be identified early it can be a powerful tool or bridge to share the gospel. Starting out with a common ground can be a great ice breaker and pave the way to share the gospel.

Overall the document is quite weak in it’s take on missions. It’s overemphasis on liturgy as the powerful expression of mission overlooks the value of other successful missions movements that don’t share the same liturgical forms of worship. It’s other weakness is in claiming that the liturgy makes the Bible alive which contradicts the Word of God’s own witness to itself as be living (Hebrews 4:12). Also, statistical membership can be an indicator for the existence of mission because it is mentioned in the book of Acts at the Day of Pentecost when three thousand souls come to faith. Although the document does have these weaknesses, they must be viewed against a couple of its strengths. It mentioned obstacles to the mission that happened when Christians don’t practice what they preach. This is something Jesus pointed out against the Pharisees. Also, the document admits the consequence of missionaries who uproot the positive values of cultures which need to be identified and adopted.

Pontifical Council

2009-09-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

The aim of the Pontifical Council for, “Dialogue and Proclamation” is to provide basic clarification regarding how various religions differ from one another and the need for special attention to be given to relations with the followers of each religion. It lays principles regarding encounters between Catholic Christians and women and men of other religious ways. This document connects the direct proclamation of the gospel and interreligious dialogue were interrelated elements to the mission of the Church. Its purpose was to give reflection on two interrelated elements of dialogue and proclamation in three parts. The first part deals with dialogue while the second deals with proclamation and the final part deals with their interrelationship. A review of the contents of this documents will be taken followed by a critique if its strengths and weaknesses.

The Christians approach to dialogue with other religious traditions show great sensitivity and respect to all because they give efforts to find answers to the human condition and expressions to the longings of millions of adherents. It also affirms that the positive values in other religious traditions are proof of the active presence of God who is in involved in the universal act of preparing the Gospel. The missionary activity of the Church is called to prefect in Christ the spiritual and moral good of non-Christian religions. This is in alignment with the Old Testament that testifies that God made a covenant for salvation with all people (Gen 1-11; Isa 52:11). It is also found in the New Testament in which Jesus shows an open attitude to people of other nations. Some examples are found in healing ‘foreigners’ and conversing (Mk 7:24-30) with a Samaritan. (Jn 4:23). Church Fathers like Justin, Irenaus and Clement of Alexandria shown openness to other religious traditions in talking about seeds sown by the word of God in the nations. Pope John Paul II affirms the operative presences of the Holy Spirit in other religious traditions based on our common origin as human beings created in God’s image called to a fullness of life in God. He states that Jesus is in the center of God’s one plan of salvation for humankind and that the active presence of the Holy Spirit is in other religions in a mystery of unity. In the same way, men and women share in the same mystery of salvation in Jesus Christ which reaches out to non-Christians. Christians must challenge, in a peaceful spirit, the content of other religious traditions and be open to be questioned themselves.

This will requite the mission of the Church to foster the Kingdom of our Lord and Christ (Rev 11:15). Part of this role is to recognize this Kingdom beyond the confines of the Church in religious traditions evidenced by living evangelical values and who are open to the action of the Spirit. These traditions must be related back to the Kingdom of Christ in the Church to find completion. Also, Pope John Paul II believed that interreligious dialogue finds its place in the mission of the Church through the exchange of convictions. This will allow Christians and others to respond with increased sincerity to God’s personal call which will always pass through the mediator Jesus Christ and the work of his Spirit. This will help aim for a deeper conversion of all towards God.

After looking at the how the Kingdom can be recognized outside the church and related back to it, the documents talks about the forms of dialogue available. No one form takes priority over the other and the different forms can be interconnected but what
the documents seeks to emphasize is that each form should fit the particular context, culture and urgency of the moment.

The form of dialogue must also have a balanced attitude which is not ingenious nor overly critical but open and receptive, unselfish and impartial. Some of the fruits of this form of dialogue for Christians are an increased awareness of Christian identity and a clear perception of the distinctiveness of the Christian message. The true nature and goal of interreligious dialogue must be understood to avoid any obstacles.

After the documents shares about dialoguing with other faiths, it goes into the second part of the mandate to proclaiming Jesus Christ as Risen Lord. This mandate to proclaim is in all four gospels and needs to be seen in light of the mission accomplished by Jesus himself who accompanied the message with his actions, attitudes and life, death and resurrection. The Church is to proclaim the kingdom of God in both word and deed. Its content includes God’s plan to save all people and account for the resurrection. The Church must depend on the Holy Spirit to prompt proclamations and lead hearers to obedience of faith. It is to be proclaimed urgently which is not an option of the Church according to Pope VI and Paul in Romans 10:14 ff. The manner of proclamation must use the same means as Jesus who waited to be prompted by the Spirit who progressively revealed the plan of salvation and patiently kept pace with those slow to believe. These and other qualities must be accompanied by constant dialogue with the Lord through prayer and penance, meditation, liturgical life and communion. Many obstacles can come when Christian witness does not correspond to belief. Other examples include false ideas of God’s plan of salvation and a lack of appreciation and respect of believers and many more. Evangelization requires that the whole person of the evangelizer is involved in words, actions and witness of life and aims to extend to transform human cultures.

The local church is involved in both proclamation and interreligious dialogue in its evangelizing mission. It implies sensitivity to the social, cultural, religious and political aspects of the situation and attentiveness to the signs of the times developed through spiritual dialogue. This is done in prayerful discernment and spiritual and theological reflection on God’s plan for the different religious traditions and experiences. The Church is also encouraged to foster interreligious dialogue between other religions to promote truth, life, justice, peace, holiness, love and dimensions of the kingdom which Christ will hand over to the Father. Interreligious dialogue becomes the means for the Church to pursue her mission. Christians are to imitate and be closely united to Jesus in this dialogue

The document concludes with an encouragement that dialogue and proclamation should be accompanied by prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit.

A major strength of the document is in its open confession of some of the obstacles to proclamation. It openly confesses the difficulty that exists when the Christian witness shows a gap between word and deed. Christians are commonly accused of hypocrisy when not authentically living a godly life. This obstacle existed during Jesus’ time as shown in his interaction with the Pharisees. He confronted this issue with the Pharisees whom he calls hypocrites for not practicing what they preach (Matthew 23:27; 23:29; 23:3). The consequences of there hypocrisy is as severe as condemning
themselves to hell (Matthew 23:33). The mistake of the Pharisees is something that Christians should not make but have been commonly accused of.

Not also is hypocrisy an obstacle to the Christian message but also impatience to those who are slow to believe. Missionaries have been accused of buying or bribing or guilting confessions of faith in places like India. Some of these accusations state that over zealous Christian’s often loose patience or respect for those who are reluctant towards the gospel message especially among the poor in India. So, in their hastiness these missionaries offer food, money, shelter, and clothing etc. in exchange for a confession of faith. These actions should never be guilt decisions for Christ but rather explained as a means of expressing the faith. This obstacle can be avoided when the Church’s proclamation is, “… both progressive and patient, keeping pace with those who bear the message, respecting their freedom and even their slowness to believe.”
A real weakness of the documents is in it’s misinterpretation of Paul’s reaction to the “religious spirit” of the Athenians. It states that Paul “praised” the “religious spirit” of the Athenians but this is not what the Bible said. In fact it says the opposite, “…Paul was… greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” (Acts 17:16). He even condemns the idolatry stating, “…we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone.” (Acts 17:29). Paul acknowledges that the people of Athens were very religious but nothing in the book explicitly states or even suggests that Paul praised them for it.

Alongside this misinterpretation another weakness is that the goal of interreligious dialogue is also too narrow. True, the dialogue seeks more than mutual understanding and enrichment and also aims to see Jesus Christ ultimately expressed but it should also
expand to include a response from the dialogue. Ultimately interreligious dialogue should aim at having people respond positively to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and accept his offer of salvation.

The Pontifical Council statements in “Dialogue and Proclamation,” has many strong points in admitting how hypocrisy has hindered the witness of Christians and the need for patience and respect to those who are slow to believe. It is inadequate in insisting that Paul praised the religious idolatry of the people when he specifically condemned it. It is also deficient in expanding the goal of interreligious dialogue in accepting Jesus offer of salvation.

World Evangelical Fellowship

2009-09-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

In the, “Consultation on the Church in Response to Human Need,” evangelicals of the World Evangelical Fellowship seek to define the biblical relationship among mission work with the poor, global relief and development, and evangelism. There are many strengths and weakness to the document but first it is important to review its content first.

This document holds the belief that Jesus Christ alone is the world’s peace that can alleviate suffering and its causes and bring all hostilities to an end (Eph 2:14-17). Spreading the gospel can meet the most basic need of human beings which is to have fellowship with God. Christians are therefore called to transform the values of society out of God’s love for the world. This transformation is a change from a condition of human existence contrary to God’s purpose to one in which people are able to enjoy fullness of life in harmony with God (John 10:10; Col 3:8-15; Eph 4:13). It takes place through the obedience to the Gospel of Christ, who’s power releases people from guilt, power and the consequences of sin and to respond with love for God and others as new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). The biblical vision and goal of transformation is to bring peace between individual nations, races, and to share basic resources like food, water, as well as the means of healing and knowledge. It also means and equal receiving from others and giving of themselves and growing up in Christ.

Christians are also called to be good stewards of creation managing and enhancing it in anticipation of Christ’s return. The stewardship of creation will have ramification for our present life and the lives of future generations. It means that Christians must ensure that others must have their basic needs met in sharing of God’s gifts so that there might be equality which can eliminate poverty (Acts 2:42-47). This also means condemning injustices and aggression while advocating for peace especially in a world where resources are wasted in nuclear weapons trades which help proliferate oppressive governments who disregard human rights.

Culture also needs to be transformed by examining them in light of the Gospel and exposing any evil in them (1 Cor 9:19-23). Social structures that exploit and dehumanize need to be confronted. The application of the Scriptures and the power of the Spirit will help discern the true reality of all socio cultural situations with the goal of bringing people and cultures under the Lordship of Christ. This is to help move towards a more just community that will be enjoyed as our Lord returns to consummate His kingdom (Rev 21:1-22:6).

It is vital that proclamation be accompanied by responding to the immediate human needs and pressing for social transformation. This means adopting Jesus’ attitude that identified and showed compassion to the poor and through his acts of mercy, teaching and lifestyle, he exposed the injustices and condemned the self righteousness of its leaders. This compassion resulted in the formation of a community which accepted the values of the Kingdom of God. Christians are called to adopt the same attitude even if it means being persecuted. This ministry must extend to strangers, the political and economic parts of society and is not inseparable from evangelism.

For transformation to occur, the Church must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in discerning the most effective way to speak against social ills. Leadership, integrity and information are all essential for the transformation of attitudes, and lifestyles of members of the local churches. Church leaders are responsible to stress the

social dimensions of the Gospel to keep members from overlooking suffering and injustice (1 Tim 3:1-7; Heb 13:17). It should be done at a local level as well as in the wider society. This will involve study, earnest prayer, action within the ethical guidelines of Scripture to be effective. The local church should be understood as being apart of the universal church and be involved in doing the work together.

Christian Aid agencies are also called upon to help facilitate the churches in fulfillment of their mission. This should be done in a way that maximizes the resources for the ministry which avoids competition with others involved in the same work and provides much information to donors as possible These agencies should be sensitive to the concerns of communities being served and encourage local initiatives to succeed and even adopt accountability systems sensitive to those communities.

All this is in conjunction to the missional call of the Church to be a blessing to the nations (Gen 12:1-3; 15; 17; Isa 42:6). It requires infusing the world with hope through a vigorous mission in the world calling people to true repentance and faith and at the same time equipping them to challenge the forces of evil and injustice. The Holy Spirit is needed to equip believers which will occur through confession of sins and renewal in prayer.

The document holds a very strong point in taking on a balanced view towards mission and culture. It acknowledges that whatever is good and beautiful in a culture is a gift of God (James 1:16-19) but at the same time noted that aspects of culture which show the separation with God. There are even examples given that show the separation in the social structures, relationships, art forms, and laws that reflect violence, sense of lostness

or loss of coherent moral values. Most views either diminish all cultures as fallen or embrace everything as good but this document actually sets down a criteria to identify the areas the reflect God or are in need of transformation.

It is also strong in defining the meaning of stewardship. It calls on those who enjoy, “the good things in life.” (Luke 16:25) to ensure that others have their basic needs met so that there maybe equality and if it is obeyed this will eliminate poverty. It also expands the definition to claim that any absolute right of ownership of resources is rebellion to God. A precise explanation of stewardship means that the poor have equal rights to God’s resources (Deut 15:8-9). This meaning is strong in that it will prevent Christians from the possibility of exploiting others as well as living in extreme extravagance at the expense of the poor.

Overall, this mission document is very strong with one minor weakness. It calls on all evangelicals to take action for allocating the resources of nuclear weapons to help the millions who starve. This is a great mandate but what if these nuclear weapons are the only means for maintaining peace in regions? What if nuclear weapons are the only means to liberate or protect those who have been brutally victimized by oppressive governments that disregard people’s elementary needs? The document fails to address this issue and offer a tangible solution.

This missional document has much strength in giving a balanced view and criteria to decipher what is good and what is fallen in any given culture. It also defines stewardship in such a way as to prevent Christians from exploitation and living in extreme extravagance at the expense of the poor but promotes equality. The only weak

point is found in allocating resources used in nuclear weapons to help the millions who starve in situations where these weapons are the only means to liberate or protect those who have been victimized. This issue needs to be further explored to help define clearly the biblical relationship in mission work with the poor, in the forms of global relief and transformation.

Women, Mr. Bilson & God

2009-09-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

*** This is a dangerously innacurate, fabricated and exaggerated conversation with Mr. Bilson and do not reflect his personal views and opinions... however, it is quite FUNNY!***

Three things that took center stage during lunch were: Women, Mr. Bilson and God.

The topics were not in any order of importance of rank, but rather in order of the proportion of time spent on the subjects. Talking about women seems to take up most of our conversation time during that lunch, perhaps its’ because we’re both single. It’s the only natural thing to talk about during a heart to heart, male bonding session between two close buddies who are in their late twenties.

Mr. Bilson likes to say that “the best time to get married is at thirty three, which interestingly also happens to be the age when Jesus Christ was crucified”. One can only muse why he linked marriage to the death of Christ. Out of curiosity and perhaps lame wit, I immediately asked him, “Is there a need for a sacrificial lamb and if there is; will it be my future spouse or me?” I asked him with a smile and chuckle to hide my ignorance at such a profound apparent truism which I also want him to further explain.

He smiles and laughs his usual casual laugh which has an effervescence effect of joy seemingly bubbling out of him at my apparent joke. “Yes Rajwin, you’d make a tasty mutton kebab on your wedding day!” he merrily exclaimed.

“You’d definitely be meatier”, I responded jocularly, “You’re like Goliath’s great grand nephew towering a whole head above me”. Like giggling school boys we sat outside a cafe at the table most visible to everyone and closest to the street.

“We need to see everyone, Rajwin, and besides if we see the Woman of God of our dreams we got to be ready and prepared”, we both laughed. The local coffee he adventurously drank and fancied seem to have refreshed his senses and now he was in a stream of jokes.

“You seem really confident now, Mr. Bilson”.

“Really? I’m actually way too shy for my own good”.

“Yea, you told me how you screwed up because you were so shy. Let me tell you that it happens to most guys. I guess we just gotta brace ourselves, and slowly desensitize our shyness by observing and hanging around that gal”.

“That’s what I do Rajwin” he said with a tickled laughter “In observing her, I also get to see if she’s really genuine. Well, it takes me a long time to desensitize my shyness”.

“Don’t be afraid of what she say that might hurt you,” I told him that and then I sang to him the Britney Spears song “ You are beautiful in every single way, words can’t bring you down”.

“Haha, your funny Rajwin”, he said like he always does when I sing him this song.

“Tell me why did you parallel Calvary to marriage?”

“Well Rajwin, the death of Christ can be paralleled to marriage, because both events will usher in a new era of grace and spirituality. When you find a woman of God, you find a good thing more precious than rubies and you will be blessed”.

At the risk of sounding faithless, I asked him “What about all that nightmarish marriage stories you heard or in fact even seen…and you know, gals nowadays: Hell hath no fury than a women mocked”.

“Well, firstly a Women of God, or rather a couple for God would be harmoniously amicable and not resort to scornful or mocking remarks. Secondly, don’t get a woman from hell, but from the throne room of heaven”, Mr. Bilson exclaimed cheerfully as a mere matter of fact.

“Forgive me Mr. Bilson, but I am skeptical about such a woman existing?”

“They’re out there Rajwin, believe me. There’s this Canadian Punjabi chick who’s all out for missions in India, and not only is she the sweetest person ever, she’s really gorgeous. There’s this other girl who is truly divinely altruistic. She’s got a heart of gold; she gives and saves all her money for missions even at the expense at refusing to buy new clothes for herself”, Mr. Bilson said with much conviction, fervor and frolic gestures.

He continued this time with an air of earnestness, “But you know Rajwin, you just got to keep yourself obedient and Holy to God, and set your hearts desires as high as you want, because God will exceed them all”.

What he said reeled in my mind, “Wow, Mr. Bilson, I truly want that”.

“It’s the most sensible thing, don’t be brainwashed by the world. Beauty is fleeting, charm deceptive, but a heart that fears the Lord is more precious than rubies”. Mr. Bilson said now suddenly deep in thought

“Wow man! I gota get me a W.O.G.”, I said with a smile that would elicit a chuckle soon.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“It’s an acronym for Women of God” I chuckled.

“You Singaporeans like to have acronyms for everything”, he said with his usual smile and laughter.

“Can I ask you Mr. Bilson, Doesn’t it bother you that you’re in your late twenties and you’ve never been attached before. I mean what would you think your future wife would think of that”.

“I don’t know what my future wife would think, but I know she would be the best woman in the whole world, because I have no frame of comparison to compare her to”, he calmly said with a smile as if a matter of fact.

We strolled to the nearest train station, said good bye three times, each time breaking into conversation before saying bye again a phenomenon typical to Indians. Mr. Bilson was going to go back to Canada in a week’s time, and the thought of that really saddened me. I didn’t know how to tell him that what he shared with me really changed my thinking and life. He inspired me. His enthusiasm rubbed off on me. He’s an asset a blessing everywhere he goes.

A Message for South Asian International Fellowship

2009-09-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3)

Have you ever sold yourself short? Have you ever made the mistake of settling for less?
Have you accidentally settled for good rather than great? Have you ever missed and invaluable opportunity? Did you know the good is the enemy of great? God wants us to have the best. This story reveals that. Let's begin by first looking at the life of the crippled man.

We know he was crippled from Birth (Acts 3:2) and put everyday at the Temple gate to beg (Acts 3:2) What we can speculate from this man? Maybe he expected to beg all his life. Maybe he longed for healing but didn’t really think he could get it? Perhaps he was open to the possibility of getting healed but somewhat doubted. Whatever it was, he settled for a life of begging. Actually he sold himself short settled for less begging for money is good but it is not great. However, getting healing is GREAT! All he wanted was money but God wanted to give him something better. And God did give him the deepest longing of his soul. He got healing

God wants to give us the best and sometimes that means he will will guides is in what he doesn’t provide. We see this in the example of the beggar. He didn't get the money he asked for. He was asking for the wrong thing. He was settling for a life of begging which was less that what he could have. And God knew it and didn't provide him the money. Peter didn’t have gold or silver because God wanted to provide something better. (Acts 3:6) Like the beggar, we can feel dissappointed and delusioned when we don't get what we ask for. But that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. In fact it worked out to be a good thing in the life of the beggar who wouldn't get the money and a lesser life of begging for bettter life in which he would actually be able to walk again.

We can also relate to Peter. The same point can be made from his perspective. We can be in situations where people ask us for something we don’t have. These situations can set God up to give us something better. It can guide us away from settling for good to receive his best. When God says “No” to a prayer request or “Wait” it can be that he has something better in store. After all “His ways are higher than our ways…”

God still gave the crippled man his best even though he didn’t ask for it. Sometimes we don't ask for the right things. Maybe it is because we don't even recognize what is the better things to ask and pray for in life. But this doesn't stop God from giving us his best and is acknowledged in his word. "... the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26) God didn't withhold his best from the crippled man but proved that, “Every good and perfect gift, coming down from the father of heavenly lights.” (James 1:17)

Not also did God provide the best but he used Peter and John to gain glory for himself. He used them becuase they were more interested in giving God glory than glorifying themselves. They didn’t boast about personal godliness and power as the source of the healing. (Acts 3:12) Instead, as truly humble servants, they directed the praise back to God. They had no hidden agendas, alterior interests and a self serving attitude. We need more people like this.

Let's continue to worship the God who has our best interests in mind and let's be eager vessels who will direct all credit, glory and honor to him!

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Singapore)

2009-09-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

St. Andrews Cathedral and SAIF Singapore

2009-09-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Taipei 101

2009-09-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

A look at the Historical Roots of Missions in India and it’s Growth, Hindrances and Responses.

2009-09-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

India is known as the land of spirituality and philosophy and was the birthplace of many religions. However, what is often overlooked is that Christianity is India’s third largest religion with approximately twenty four million followers, constituting two point four percent of the total population . It is believed that India received Christianity around the same period as it arrived in Europe, meaning about 2000 years ago. But mission work in India has been met with many different challenges. In order to get a better understanding about how Christianity came to India, it is necessary to trace the historical roots and growth of the major mission campaigns and review the many hindrances and responses.

Historians like to contest the St. Thomas tradition, which believes that St. Thomas came to India in the A.D fifty two and planted seven churches before dying as a martyr in A.D. seventy two . Nevertheless, Christianity was in existence in India from the fourth century is a historical fact. There is proof that one John, “Bishop of Persia and Great India” represented the Indian Church at the Niacean Council in A.D three twenty five. This Church stayed dormant and had no western connection until the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. It did have strong associations with the Syrian Church whose headquarters were in Antioch.

Also Christian merchants, travelers, immigrants or refugees from the Middle East were the original founders of Orthodox Christianity in South India . The persecutions in the Persian Empire caused two waves of Christian refugees to come to South India (one
in the fourth century and the other in the ninth century). The local inhabitants received the Christians, who in the course of time adopted many South India socio-religious customs (ex. Codes of public conduct, trade, endogamy, purity, etc.) However, they protected also their East Syrian Christian traditions. As a result they possessed triple identities: culturally Indian, religiously Christian and ecclesiastically Syrian. It is noted that their caste like mentality did not allow them to reach out to non-Christians in India.

The influx of the Portuguese in India marked a change in the history of Christianity in India, as well as the face of Indian History itself. Throughout the sixteenth century, the Portuguese were the only European country to have a major relationship with India . This happened when Portuguese navigators discovered a sea route round the Cape of Good Hope and brought Europe into direct contact with countries of southern and eastern Asia. The popes entered many agreements with the Kings of Portugal regarding the evangelization of these lands. In the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century, there was remarkable development of the Church in most coastal regions controlled by the Portuguese especially in the territory of Vasai (Bassein), Goa and the coastal tract extending from Cranganore to Cape Comerin and from the island of Pamban. There was also expansion in remote towns and settlements like in Diu, Chaul, Nagapattinam, San Thome and Hooghly.

However, harsh stagnation was noticeable in the above towns and settlements. There was strong growth in the interior districts of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil speaking districts of Mysore in the seventeenth century. There was also growth in some of the districts of Southern Karnataka and parts of Bengal in the second half of the seventeenth century. The most active and successful missionaries of this period were the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Dominicans, and the Augustinians.

The Franciscans were the first to set up their houses in India. They came to India under the Portuguese Padroado (patronage); soon understood the Orthodox Christians in India had a different set of doctrinal beliefs and allegiances . Consequently, from 1500 onwards, they attempted to convert them to the Latin Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. They were few in number in 1524-1525 with only 16 Franciscans in the whole of India, their numbers grew steadily till the first and second decade of of the seventeenth century. After Goa became an important ecclesiastical seat in 1534, the Roman Catholic missionaries thought they had to enforce their views on all other Christians in India. In the course of time large numbers of the fisher-folk (especially fishers, pearl divers and seafarers) on the eastern coast became Roman Catholics, primarily because the Portuguese offered them protection from the Muslims. In 1635, there were four hundred and twenty three friars in St. Thomas Province and one hundred and seventy seven in the Mother of God Province.

The Dominicans also accompanied the Portuguese expedition to India and later built their first monastery in Goa . This was followed in Chaul, Cochin, Bassein, Mahim, Tarapur, Daman, Diu, Nagapattinam and Mylapore. They also preached in some parts of the Islands of Goa, in Mahim and Tarapur.

Augustinians arrived in 1572 and had church in Goa, Cochin, Bassein, Salsette, Daman and Diu. By 1522 and 1626, 138 Augusitinans left Lisbon for Goa.

The Jesuits began working in India at 1542 and soon became the most abundant body of evangelical workers. In 1584, there were 349 Jesuits in the Indian Province. The numbers kept growing for several years more. The Province was divided in two with more the 400 Jesuits on both sides. They were also the most successful with charge of the territories of Salsette in Goa, the coast from Quilon to Cape Comorin, the Fishery Coast and the Madurai, Mysore and Mughal Missions. They were to a large extent responsible for the Christianization of the islands of Goa. There work is second to the Franciscans in the territory of Bassein.

Francis Xavier was the first Jesuit missionary to India and introduced the Roman Catholicism to the southeastern and southwestern coasts of India . He was successful in planting many Roman Catholic churches in the southern parts of India. The British established the “East India Company” and its subsequent rule of India started many Christian missions in different parts of the country. Under the aegis of the East India Company, several western missionaries came to India and started missionary work from the beginning of the nineteenth century.

William Carey, “the Father of Modern Missions”, led a new phase in missions in India.
Although India has a rich history of mission work it has also been met with many hindrances and hostility. Followers of the Hindutva, who argue that in a secular and democratic India, which constitutionally guaranties equality of all religious persuasions, Christians may preach and practice their religion but have no right to propagate it and
invite non-Christians to become followers of Jesus Christ .

If people, especially children, women, Adivasis, Dalits, tribals and poor people, wish to become Christians on their own accord, they are confronted with numerous allegations. They are accused of treason and unpatriotic allegiance and also subject to numerous discriminations. Christian converts find it very hard, if not impossible, to get government scholarships or jobs. Their entrance is severely restricted to high profile professional colleges (e.g., medicine, engineering, information technology, and the like). The followers of Hindutva use several methods to intimidate Christians: they enrage mobs to attack Christians and to destroy their properties. Organizations like the United Christian Forum for Human Rights and concerned individuals (Ebe Sundar Raj) responded by documenting the planned, violent attacks on Christians. The fanatic followers of Hindutva have threatened, harassed and beaten many Christians living in tribal areas. These are not the only set backs to the mission.

Conflicts between Jesuits and Orthodox Christians hindered the work of Roman Catholic Church in India. The Jesuits also established a theological seminary in Vaipikotta and trained India Clergy who followed the Latin rite and learned much from their revered teacher Francis Roz. But Mar Abraham, the Orthodox Metran, refused to ordain seminarians from Vaipikotta which resulted in continuous conflicts between the Jesuits and Mar Abraham. Finally, the Jesuits, with the help of army, money, and political power of the Portuguese and under the leadership of the archbishop Alexis de Menezes, convened the Synod of Diamper (20-26 June, 1599) and force George, the archdeacon of the Orthodox Christians, to accept the Latin rite. It seemed the Jesuits solved the problems, but other conflicts followed. In this context, Pope Gregory XV established the Propaganda Fide (January 6, 1622) and appointed his own representatives in India who were accountable to the Portuguese (either in India or in Europe), but only to himself. The ensuing rivalries between the missionaries of Padroado and the Propaganda Fide lasted long and hindered the Roman Catholic Church in India. However, this rivalry would lead to an unpredictable consequence.

This particular hindrance birthed a creative response. The rivalries later contributed to the growth and manifold mission of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIII established and Indian Roman Catholic Hierarchy in October 1816 and also established the Papal Seminary in Kandy, Sri Lanka (later transferred to Pune, India). These measures promoted the expansion of the Roman Catholic Church. The Second Vatical Council encouraged the Roman Catholics to work for indigenization, contextually suitable expression of Roman Catholics beliefs, social actions, Bible translations and involvement of the laity in the mission of the local church. The Common Version of the Tamil Bible, produced by the Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars, renders welcome contributions to mutual understanding of the Christian living in Tamil–speaking areas.

Now, the Catholic Bishops Conference in India (constituted in 1994) oversees the variety of missions of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It also coordinates various projects to serve Indians – through education, medical care, social awareness, projects promoting peace, justice and reconciliation. Therefore they contribute in people’s movements and also engaging in dialogue with people of different faith traditions.

Another noteworthy response to the gospel is in the response of Protestant initiatives. They are most noticeable for their work in “Mass Movements” in which a large number of villagers, caste groups, clans or tribes became Christians. The growing number of Indian Christians demanded specialized missions (e.g., medical, educational, vocational and female missions.) At the same time, different denominational missions realized that they could work neither in isolation nor in competition, but they should cooperate in maintaining theological colleges, sanatoria, hospitals and other educational institutions. From 1885 several local and provincial meetings were organized by mission societies to think about the “Comity” agreement, cooperation in establishing “native” churches. For example, the Three Self-Formula (‘Self-Support,’ ‘Self-Administration,’ and ‘Self –Propagation’), suggested by Henry Venn of the Church Missionary Society, was experimented in Tiruneveli, and a vibrant India Church emerged. The Telegu fields have seen much of the mass movements and the largest Christian population in India in Andre State . Tens of thousands of Telegues were baptized. Educational work and medical work have gone hand in hand with the development of the churches there. This occurred with the establishment of high schools, village schools, training schools for both men and women, adult literacy work, orphanages, leper work, hospitals and dispensaries have all been emphasized heavily. This work took place in 1873. About seven point five per cent of the Indian population (65 million) are tribals, and among them about five point five percent converted to Christianity during the mass conversion . Fifteen per cent of India’s population (130 million) is classified as scheduled Castes. These are India’s untouchables and outcasts like slaves. Today they are called Dalits (the oppressed). When Christian missionaries preached love, equality, freedom and human dignity, they embraced Christianity in large numbers in different parts of India.
The reason for the response of the mass movement change of religion is evident. The refusal of the privileged class to grant social justice to the oppressed and exploited and inferior communities is a major cause. The conversion of Christian faith which preaches social justice and rejects economic exploitation could be fully justified. The dominating higher castes have to blame themselves for losing the aboriginals and the low castes to the Christian Churches since they continue to refuse the tribes and low castes their basic human rights.

The approach of Dominicans is also notable . The spread of Christianity during the mid fifteenth and sixteenth century was due to their friendly attitudes of Mughal rulers over India like Akbar, Tirumala Nayak and Queen Mangamaal of Madurai, and Kanthirava Narasimha Raja Wodeyar of Mysore. They allowed the ministers of the gospel to preach freely in their territories and to Christianize the people. They also shielded Christians and Christian preachers from persecution and ill treatment at the hands of their officials or subordinates. Historians admit that the influence of Francis Xavier on the development of the Church in India was enormous. He started a more systematic and methodical way of Christianizing the people both within and outside the
Portuguese’s settlements and through his letters. He created an abiding enthusiasm in Europe for working in the Indian field so that hundreds of young men came after him to do his work

The enormous response in growth of Pentecostal Churches in India is associated with their confrontation of various social forces such as poverty, unemployment, hero-worship, indigenous forms of worship and authoritarian legalism . On the whole, the number of Pentecostal Christians in India increases in leaps and bounds. Their evangelistic engagements, visits to hospitals, orphanages and other social development programs produce tangible results.

If we are to understand the particular characteristics of the Indian response to Christ we must take into account the unique structure of Indians society . Unlike the west, the basic unit is family rather than the independent individual. Beyond the family are wider groupings of caste and sub caste groups which determines the status and nature of jobs and personal relations and Indian may have.

The Brahmin castes are viewed as having the highest status. They were the most capable of appreciating the meaning of Christianity because they were well versed in religious lore and accustomed to exploring the meaning of existence. Since their religion is tolerant of wide differences of opinion, they are always open to new light. On the other hand, they have a greater stake in the present structure of Hinduism than any other group. They are the experts and practitioners and any defection from Hinduism is in effect a defection from them.

They outcasts have no tradition or religious speculation. They scarcely even learned to think of themselves as individuals, let alone understand the significance of personal faith. Naturally, they are much easier to detach from the Hindu system than others. To them Hinduism has meant only oppression and bondage.

Missionaries have found their reediest converts come from the outcastes and from aboriginal tribes. The first Roman Catholic missionaries, who from the time of Vasco de Gama accompanied the Portuguese invaders of India, secured the largest group of converts among the Parvas, a lowly caste of fisherman. The Paravas accepted Christianity because they wanted the Portuguese to protect them against pirate attacks. Ever since that time, low caste people have accepted baptism more readily than others.

Many missionaries wanted to penetrate India from the top rather than from the bottom. Converting a Brahmin was to win a natural leader who’s lead would be followed by others. The Italian Jesuit named Roberto de Nobili attempted approach India through the Bhrahmin. He studied Hindu Scriptures to the point where he could talk about Christianity with Brahmins in their own natural environment and in the religious vocabulary they understood. In order to make the transition to Christianity easy he made every possible concession to Hindu custom. He allowed his converts to retain their caste privileges and practices and to worship in their own segregated churches. He even called himself a Brahmin basing his claim on his connection with an aristocratic Roman family. De Nobili obtained a ready audience and baptized many converts, but after forty years only twenty-six Brahmin Christians remained.

There is much to be said about the history Christianity in India. The most significant is the early based on the tradition that St. Thomas planted churches in 53AD. However, history attests that Christianity existed in 325 Ad under the Bishop of Persia of Great India. Persian immigrants have also brought their Orthodox beliefs in the fourth and ninth century. Also, the Portuguese came in sixteenth and seventeenth centuries bringing Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits.
However, mission work in India has faced many hindrances such as the false allegations and restrictions to education and professions and even violent attacks. Also, conflicts and rivalries between fellow Christians have also been a set back.

The response to the gospel comes in different ways. The most notable responses come from how rivalries between Christians actually helped growth in birthing new seminaries, contextualization into Indian culture in translating the Bible, involving laity. Specialized missions in the form of Medicare and education have also been a positive response contributing to the growth of Christianity. Friendly attitudes and confronting social ills were an asset to the Dominicans and Pentecostals. Preaching freedom to the outcasts and untouchables brought great mass movement of conversions. Conversely, the Brahmins respond by being open to hear the gospel but less likely to convert in losing their positions as experts and practitioners in the caste system. These are valuable insights in helping to understand the history but at the same time be aware of the hindrances and the response of mission work in India.

Bibliography

Bennet, Reginald M. The Church in India – A Canadian Viewpoint. Toronto: The Ryerson Press, 1954.

Burrows, William R. Redemption and Dialogue. New York: Orbis, 1993.

George, AC. “Pentecostal Beginnings in India.” Dharma Deepika. 2 (2002): 41-42.

Grant, John Webster., God’s People in India. Toronto: The Ryerson Press, 1959.

Jeyaraj, Daniel. 2004. “Christian Missions in the context of Hindutva – A Personal Reflection.” Dharma Deepika. 2 (2004): 39-50.

McGravan, Donald A., The Founders of the Indian Church. Chennai: Church Growth Association of India, 1998.

Thekkedath, Joseph. History of Christianity in India II. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1982.

Taipei 101

2009-09-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Taiwan!

2009-09-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Taipei 101 Taiwan

2009-09-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Taipei 101

2009-09-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Taiwan

2009-09-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

Views from Taipei 101

2009-09-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

Taiwan again!

2009-09-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

Taiwan Again!

2009-09-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

Taiwan again!

2009-09-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

Taiwan!

2009-09-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

Taiwan.

2009-09-10T04:08:00.000-07:00

Risk Taking Again

2009-08-29T20:58:00.001-07:00

"²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

²⁸"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

²⁹"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

³²And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.""

(Matthew 14:22-32)

Peter was a risk taker. We need more risk takers. It is one measure of our spiritual growth. It separates the Spiritual babies from the giants. The measure of our faith if found in the risks we take. The bigger the faith and bigger the risk taken. The smaller the faith the smaller the risk taken. It is where the rubber hits the road.

We can learn a lot from Peter and his willingness to take risks. One thing we can learn is that Peter calculated the risk. Most people view Peter as impulsive and who acts before he thinks or Talks before he thinks. But here it is a little different. Here we find him talking and than acting. He’s been in the storm and boat long enough to know that walking out on water is dangerous. He tested to see if Jesus was really in the risk in stating, "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." (Matt 14) Peter was not willing to take the risk of walking on water in the storm without knowing whether Jesus was in the risk. He knew that if Jesus wasn't in it, he wouldn't dare venture out without him. Afterall, Jesus does say, "...apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) If it wasn’t really Jesus in it, he knew ramifications of failure – He’d drown to death

However, most people do not want to take risks. One of the reaons is the fear of destructive Criticism. And Peter is no stranger to that. Even today Peter is criticized and chastised by critics.“Poor Peter” they say, “If only he had a little more faith instead of doubting, he would have continued walking” But who are they to judge? I have one question to ask of these critics. Have you ever walked on water? If not than who are you to criticize? Can you live up to your measure? We can learn much from Peter. There will always be naysayers, gossipers, back biters, malicious talkers, false witnesses, false teachers, false brothers, imposters who are always around. They are usually cynical, pessimistic, negative, over critical. Why are they like that? Maybe they took a risks that ended in failure. They feel bitter, delusion, traumatized. Therefore they don’t want to see other people successful so they nay say, gossip, etc.

These critics prefer to play it safe. They decided to settle for less in life. They settle for tame visions and dreams and only do what is within their means. They never fully realize what God can really do, how powerful he is, how he can and does provide when we take risks that are beyond our means. The reason they are like this is that they don’t care to learn from their mistakes. They don’t move on from their failures. They end up not realizing their potential and fulfilling it. But the sad thing is that everyone loses out. They lose out. The world gets not chance to see their light shine and loose out. The church looses out in being built up and edified by these people. These people settle for less in life and they know it and are absolutely miserable. They are so bitter that they don’t want to see anyone else successful.

And what is the fate of these malicious critics? Let's ask Jesus:

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."(Matt 12:36-37)

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. (Psalm 101:5)

Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD (Psalm 101:8)

What is the fate of those who are victimized by destructive nay sayers?

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.• (Matt 5:10-12).

“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter 2:20)

Most people don't take risks because they fear of desperation. All risks requires going beyond our means making us feel desperate at times. It demands taking on a dream/vision so big that it takes God to make it happen. This requires facing against unexpected odds. It means being put in situations where we don’t know the solution on how to overcome and beat the odds. It requires God himself to intervene. When he does, he gets glorified and your faith grows. But God will do what you cannot do! Afterall, "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

Being criticized and possibly failing shouldn't stop anyone. Let's look to Peter's example. He did start to sink and it looked like failure. However, Jesus didn’t leave him to drown. He won’t leave you to drown. His promise is true that, "...if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Tim 2:13) Peter lost faith and doubted and began to drown but Jesus was still faithful to him. And he will deliver you, provide if you take on a risk he is in.

But wait there is more. What Else can we learn from Peter? It is possible to walk on water. Risk – takers know the possibilities and ramifications of success. It could mean the furtherance of God's purposes and kingdom. It could mean that more souls come to know salvation that Jesus offers. It could mean that God will get glory!• It could mean all these. And knowing this is what makes the risk takers do what they do! They know it is worth it in the end. That is what really sets apart the people who play it safe to those who dive in and take the risk?

So what are we waiting for? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who? Let's take that leap of faith!

SAGC Pix

2009-08-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

SAGC Moments!

2009-08-27T00:59:00.000-07:00

More SAGC Pix

2009-08-27T00:48:00.001-07:00

FF5 Preview

2009-08-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

FF5

2009-08-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Can em with these steps. Man can they move!

SAGC Singapore Slideshow 4

2009-08-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

SAGC 2009 Slide Show 3

2009-08-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Another SAGC Humorous Moment

2009-08-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

There was much hilarity at SAGC 2009 Singapore. This one occurred during the pre convention meeting at RG's. Pastor P, the founder of SAGC mentioned he was a nobody while his stay at Canada. In fact he didn't know anyone and was a complete nobody.

Mr. Bilson overheard and said, "How can that be? He knew me!"

Again, you had to be there to understand.

SAGC Singapore and the Humorous Moments

2009-08-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

The convention is over now. All we are left with are notes, videos, pics, etc. So now it is a time to reflect on all we learned, felt and experienced. Today was a good day to remember the humorous bits. There were many... The one that stuck out the most was when SJ opened her sermon of living beyond fears with the words, "I can't do this... There are so many people here... Pastor Pritam I cannot do this..." People hooted and whaled, cheering her on. But the one comment came a couple of rows behind me saying,

"You must! I paid money for this!"
Ahhhh, you had to be there to appreciate it!

SAGC Singapore Slide Show 2 (with texts)

2009-08-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

2009-08-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

SAGC 2009 Singapore Shashi

2009-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

SAGC AND KL

2009-08-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Malaysia and Taiwan

2009-08-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Taiwan
KL
KL
KL
KL

Malaysia

2009-08-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

KL Tower
P Towers

Malaysia

Spore Highlights.

2009-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

SAGC Spore Slideshow

2009-08-18T06:17:00.001-07:00

SAGC S'pore

2009-08-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Malay and Spore

2009-08-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

KL Tower!
South Awesome Convention.
Malaysia.
Worship at SAGC.
It was beyond boundaries!

South Asian Spore Convention

2009-08-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Bhabe Ghale brings the good news to Nepal. He lives beyond boundaries!
A worship team from... Singalaysia....
You should see him solo!
Mount Faber and beyond!

Life is a... blurrr....

Highlights of SAGC Spore

2009-08-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Registration Queen.
Bus tour beyond boundaries!
Bono rocks out Urdu style!
Some Canadians show off the whites of their teeth!

SAGC Spore and Beyond...

2009-08-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

SAGC BEYOND BOUNDARIES!

Here we are again. At the end of another successful South Asian Global Convention. This one was far different than all others. It would take place in another playground called Singapore. Not also would the playground be different but also the theme which is Beyond Boundaries. And this convention would exceed all others in advancing beyond previous boundaries. Sure, there were more people, nations and ministries profiled at this one than the others but there was something more... So where do we begin? Where to start? How about the opening night.

The convention would open with Ice Breakers from some crazzzed Canadian giving people a reenactment of Slum dog Millionaire.

The first plenary session would begin by welcoming the guest of honor. The opening dohls and bag pipes and horns were all in honor of Jesus Christ himself. The sounds of worship would split the earth. The presence of God was pungent and it was time to worship. We lifted our praises to the savor. It was moving, breathing taking and even tear jerking...

It wouldn't stop there. The plenary sessions would profile many prolific speakers. Ernest Victor spoke about living beyond borders. Sangeeta Jain would speak about how God works beyond our fears and failures. George Kuvoor elaborated on living beyond excellence. Bhab Ghale mentioned how we live beyond the visible. Datuk Jayasooria lectured on reaching beyond socio -economic structures and Kulbal Singh on going beyond strongholds.

There was something for everyone at the meetings. However, any great convention must also include times of connecting and networking. There is no better way to do it than by the all South Asian style of having a meal together. Delegates had the opportunity to network with speakers and key mission leaders over beautiful cups of coffee and a variety of ethnic foods from China, India, Singapore and beyond.
Bottoms Up!

But it would be a shame for the delegates who have come all over the world to miss out on actually seeing and blessing Singapore itself. Hey, how about a bus tour of the city! All aboard!

During the tour, people had the chance to visit Kranji Dam, Mount Faber, Little India with lunch at Marina Bay and much more. These key sights were met with prayer and blessing the equator, northern and southern hemispheres.

But wait, there is more. No one can forget the SAGC talent night. There was worship, dances, and dramas! It was closed with a night of Bhangra worship from our friends from Pakistan. It was a night to remember!

These were traditional South Indian Dances and beats.

Youth Tunez from the U.K also led in worship. Who can foget the killer guitar solos and high notes!Gift of Grace from Malaysia led in passionate worship offering gifts to God but they were really a gift from God to us. Ranee came to the convention and found her twin!
Pakistan gave up their praises to Jesus to wrap it up!
Until Next time!

Spore SAGC

2009-08-11T00:09:00.000-07:00

Here is registration with Gid and P and Am. She is from Coquitlam.
Bhangra time. Kick you feet everyone!
Bus tour with a whack load of prayer!
Cash can dance to!

Cec co ordinated the bus tour.

SAGC Spore

2009-08-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

Bus tour. There's Rebecca from Mubai. She teaches NT.
Robbie Goh opened his home for a pre convention meeting. Time to cast vision and it was caught!
Canadian worship team with a a mix of Singjabi. Am represents Coquitlam on the left.

Top view of pre convention get together.