christlikeness

Talking about one of our leaders in Vancouver one of my friends said:

"It's hard to be that much like Jesus!"

I don't know about you, but I want to be even more like Jesus than he is! Thank God, for examples that let us see right in front of our eyes what it looks like to be - more and more - like Jesus!

Jason Upton sings: "I desire to be like you - I want to be like my Father!"

"I will pour out my Spirit"

God called me to obedience and told me to preach for the first time in my life, for he has given me a message to deliver: Joel 2:28: "Your old men will dream dreams. "

During worship people continually kept coming forward to the Mercy Seat. I fills my heart with joy, especially seeing Captain Ed being the first one!
God has blessed our officers with the freedom to let the Spirit lead!

During worship I was called to the front, and ended up speaking God's word without script, even without bible, claiming God's promise of dreams from him for the older generation, pointing out how the Spirit initiated prophesy, visions and dreams all over the bible, laying out the obstacles of lack of teaching and unbelief and - calling all considered the older generation to stand up - praying for an release of dreams for them. For unity in the body without gap between the generations in openess to and experience of the Holy Spirit.

As soon as I sat down this lady Denise got up sharing about a dream God gave her this night, and how she was wondering about it's significance, confirming God's message right away!

Halleluja! Praise be to God!

At lunch I talked to one of the clients listening to his objections against the church. "I'm not going to this service, for God's Spirit is not in it!" - I'm sorry, you're wrong, buddy. At least today - and from now on!

servants of all

Finally I got a specific word from God for the time of my summer assignment at the Salvation Army Caring Place in Maple Ridge.

Isaiah 61:5: "Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards."

As Jamie is from Littlerock/Arkansas and me from Austria this fits perfectly that we are called to serve the ministry happening here, to serve local 614 leaders, staff and clients.

Another chance to practice to the expectation for SA officers - the calling God has placed on both Jamie and my life: to be "servants of all"

friend of sinners

Reading "Life Together" from Dietrich Bonhoeffer I found this quote reminding me of our responsibility to bring salvation to the world, instead of hiding behind our own walls or settling down in Christian fellowship:

"Visible fellowship with Christian brothers is a privilege. A Christian belongs in the thick of foes - that's his work, his commission."

Since it seems that God has gifted me in evangelism one of my leaders, Ian, gave me this advice: "To keep your vision alive you have to feed your gifting."

How can I do this?

"Hang out with sinners!"

keep the faith

Praise God for a release in hearing his voice since I'm in Maple Ridge!

Before I came here I realized that normally I'm getting not much out of my rations personally, that I experience my prayertime in the morning more as a struggle not to fall asleep than an encounter with God and when our leader asked us in our cell meeting what God is doing in our lives these days, that I don't have an answer...

Maybe it's just because of our spare room that we can use as prayer room and the incredible amount of time I have for prayer each day, but God is speaking to me!

Today it was all about faith. The basics from Romans Chapter four, that our faith declares us righteous before God, let's us receive God's promises and brings glory to God.

Listening to God for the week he spoke to me about our privilege to do even greater things than Jesus (Mt. 21:21), casting out demons, speaking in new languages, handling snakes and poison with savety and healing the sick by laying on hands (Mk.16:17+18) and how Jesus is giving those who obey him to the end authority over all the nations to rule them an iron rod and smash them like clay pots (Rev.2:26)

He went on to challenge my faith that he no-one is out of reach for his salvation. Mk.10:27: "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God." This just leaves me praying for faith to expect him to bring salvation to the people staying in and coming to the Caring Place.

God's answer?

John 4:34-38: "Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. (...) The fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. (...) I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest."

the camp

A couple of days ago I had my so far saddest experience concerning homelessness. Having been running a drop-in for homeless people in Germany for a year and having lived in the DTES Vanouver I thought I have a bit of a picture of homelessness in Western countries.

Till Rob asked me, if I want to see his "camp". He led me to the bushes along the road just behind the shelter we live in. Climbing down a hill through the dirt he pointed out something not more than a pile of plastic, wood and blankets, explaining how you can climb into it to spend the night there if he's not allowed to stay in the shelter.

I kinda felt like in the favelas of Brazil or in Lithuania where people live where others leave their garbage. But I didn't feel like in Canada.

It made me sad.

sin hurts

Something must have changed in my life. At least I can't remember that anger turned against emotionally attacked me so strongly before.

Now it's different. It makes me sick. Getting in a fight with somebody, disagreement, somebody being mad at me - sometimes with pretty good reason -, I can't stand it. It's gripping my heart with fear like an evil hand crushing it. It's making me unable to go on, making me burst into tears - and it just won't go away!

Earlier in my life I probably would just have ignored it, fought back, insisting on my innocence. Today I see and feel the brokeness coming out of that, out of my sin.

Thank God for forgiveness!

Maybe that's what the bible means with the Holy Spirit at work in my heart, transforming it, making me more sensitive towards sin, unable to ignore what stands against God - so that we may stand before Jesus blameless, pure, holy.

victory in defeat

Just having moved to Maple Ridge I felt exactly like when I came to Vancouver for The Salvation Army War College the first time: alone, because of having left behind the secure community, uprooted, lost.

Breaking down kneeling at my bed I had to confess to God, that I simply was not able to go on, at least not in my own strength.

Just at this time I received a letter from my Mum. She wrote me a Scripture from Psalm 59, talking about God, my refuge, my place of safety in the day of distress.

This breakdown was the turning point preparing me for being available for God here: I just know that God deafeated the fear clinging on me, that he made me stand firm and enabled me to go on victoriously in his strength.

The whole experience reminded me of the time right before coming to Canada. I had to confess to God under tears how much afraid I was not to be able to go to the War College, because my visum hadn't come yet. A few hours later I received the letter from the Canadian Embassy with the permission to enter the country.

At our prayer and fasting retreat FULLNESS we learned about voluntarily choosing to be weak in order to release the perfection of God's power in us.

It seems to work. Try it out!

equipped for war

Starting off my blog from the middle of the fight in Maple Ridge with a few quotes about our warfare from Michael Collins at our youthconference RAW:


Why do we fight with love?

Because love never fails. - 1. Corinthians 13:8


Why is there no piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians Chapter 6 protecting our back?

Because we're not supposed to turn our back to the enemy!