Saturday, June 19, 2010

This task has been appointed to you, Frodo of the Shire...

This is my task; the Lord has given it to me. He has given me and will give me the strength to complete it.

The Pros? God has orchestrated this mission, he's written this chapter, he's organized this adventure, and he's composed this song. He is sovereign and in control.

The Cons?

Yeah, they don't matter. This is going to happen, I'm going to Myanmar to teach the Word with my friends, and it's going to be good. My God will make it good.

I've got peace. Beat that.
James

Thursday, June 10, 2010

That's my King!

I was taking communion at a prayer night last night and something hit me like never before. I've always known that the bread and wine represented what Jesus did, and he even commanded us to do it physically, to remember exactly what he physically did.

But this time, I felt something I've never felt; I really felt like I KNEW who Jesus was, that I know what he likes and doesn't, what he has done, does, and will do, and how he feels about me and everyone who believes in him. I stared at my bread and Kool-Aid and realized that I AM A PART of this. I'm in this story, I can and have joined this club, and I'm part of this team. This is all REAL. I've always known and loved Jesus since I was a boy, but I've never quite felt this reality, that Jesus died. For me. And Jesus was raised. For me. For us. For his name.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is addressing what looks to be an abuse of the Lord's supper. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord." Paul has compared the bread and wine of communion to the actual body of Christ. Now I'm not saying this is proof of transubstantiation (not that I'm against it), but clearly this event, even if it is symbolic, of remembering the Lord's death is VERY significant. Blood-guilt in the Old Testament was NOT something you wanted on your head. My point is this: Jesus' body and blood, my bread and Kool-Aid, they remind me that I am alive, I am a REAL PART of Jesus' ministry, and that I have the power to love others. I then looked around the room and couldn't help from telling a guy there how Jesus feels about him, because of how Jesus had shown me his love.

This is real, and it has real implications of life and love. These have been given to us by Jesus the Life, and God who is Love, to pour into others and join this battle on earth, knowing that the God is our Lord of Hosts and that victory and salvation belong to the Lord.

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and BY YOUR BLOOD you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

That's my Jesus! He's worthy to take the scroll from the Father; he ransomed us for God by his blood! He's made us a kingdom and priests to our God. This is a real story, with real people. God is REAL, Jesus is REAL. Our part is REAL. This is my Jesus.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

What the Heck!?

So I need 3200 dollars for my outreach fees; that would pay for just about everything. I had 100 of that by Monday, and the rest was due a week later, on the 14th. On Monday, our YWAM base here at Turner Valley had a giving night for the SBS (mine) and DTS outreaches. We had a basket for each person and a couple hours of worship and hanging out while anyone could donate into the baskets if they wanted.

At the end of the night, some of the staff left and counted the money and came back to tell us how much had come in. Now, there were about 20 or 25 people there, all missionaries like myself. Evan announced that over $7,000 had come in! And, over 2400 was specifically for me!!!!! What the heck!?

And then, because God never does seem quite finished, I finally, after celebrating for a while, returned to my room only to find an envelope holding $200 on my door!!

SO, now I only need about 500 (there are some shots I need to get before outreach).
BAM! Yeah! God is soooo awesome, and that's that.

Peace to you all

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Southeast Asia or Bust!

Hello friends!
First, I'd like to thank everyone who donated to me so I could finish my school! That was one of the best weeks of my life, and I really saw God answer prayer through you guys.

So, I have decided for some time now that I'm going on a mission trip after my school is over. My Bible School ends on July 2nd, and we will leave a week or so later for a four week outreach to Thailand, but we'll be spending significant time (3 weeks) in Myanmar! There is an opportunity for our five man (three men and two women) team to teach the Good Book there. For those of you who don't know much about Myanmar, this is a special opportunity that I can't wait to be involved in it.

We will be strengthening believers there by teaching in-depth on whichever books they need us to teach for them as they go through the Book in their school, which is an adapted version of the school I've been doing for eight months.

We will be returning to Canada in mid-August, and afterward I'll be coming home to Escalon, California!

This is one of the major reasons I decided to do this school; for the outreach. It will be a privilege to apply what I've learned and to serve and love others, and I need a lot of help to get there. The cost for each of us, including airfare, housing, food, and everything I'll need for this trip is $3,200 CAN. I'm not starting with very much at all, so I need the Lord to provide, and ask that you, my friends and family, join me by donating and by praying for me, specifically that finances come in and that we are kept safe on this outreach.

-If you'd like to send a check to my church for a tax deductible receipt, you can send it to: 300 Trask Lane, Modesto, CA, 95354. (However, my name cannot appear on the check, so please attach a note saying, "For James Harrison's Outreach."
-Another way is to send the money to YWAM Turner Valley, Box 730, Turner Valley, AB, T0L2A0, Canada, noting that it is for James Harrison's SBS Outreach.
-If you'd like to donate online (without a tax-deductible receipt), you can send it through Paypal to jamesthellama@hotmail.com

We have a few fundraising ideas, which will help a lot, I think. The money is due, so that we can buy plane tickets, by the 14th. :)

Thanks for reading!
James L.