Monthly Archives: May 2014

The Whole Truth

May 31, 2014 By in Blog Leave a comment

Can you believe that we are at the end of May?  Today’s post will be a fairly short one as I’m working on May’s month-in-review post as well as another video post that I’ll post in the next week or two.  For now though, here is some…

…Crazy-Hair Wisdom

Today I found a rather incredible quote by someone who is probably better known for his contribution to science than to philosophy…

“The right to search for the truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be the truth.”
Albert Einstein

picstitchA Right and a Duty

I had never heard this quote before, had you?

I like the balance that it presents… a right is offset with a duty. We are often all about discovering and exercising our rights but can sometimes be a bit lean when it comes to discovering or engaging in our duties.

I think that many more people than would actually admit it are searching for truth. Perhaps they can’t define it. Perhaps they unaware of it… but consciously or unconsciously many are looking for something sure to stand on. Something that will not change with the seasons, with popular culture or with personal relationships. People are looking for stability.

Help with the Right

I am thankful for John 16:13

…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…

I am thankful for the Holy Ghost that has come and does guide us in all truth.

The Duty

Einstein said that once you found truth, you have the duty to not conceal part of it but rather to make it entirely explicit, for the benefit of others who are searching, just like you were.  You can save them time and effort, by sharing what you have found.

Fellow Christian,

  • are you sharing everything that you have found to be true about Jesus?
  • are you sharing what the Bible states about abundant life?
  • are you sharing what the Bible states about living a separated life from the world of popular culture?
  • Mike Long… are you doing these things?

We have exercised the right to search for truth.
Are we exercising our duty to not withhold it?

Thank you for stopping by!

God bless you today!

 

 

A Continental Singer

May 28, 2014 By in Blog, Process Tags: , , Leave a comment

Although I’d spent 2 years volunteering in Belgium, it was as a Continental Singer that I discovered a broader French-speaking Europe.

Behind the Audition

It was admittedly with a pang or two of nostalgia that I auditioned with the Continental Singers back in the mid 1990’s. I had lived in Europe for two years and had even seen the French Continentals come through the city of Liège, where I’d lived. This would be a chance to combine something I loved with something I missed… singing and Europe. I auditioned here in North America but had my information packed forwarded to the European office in Rotterdam, Holland.

On Tour

Europe_french-speaking-feathered_smIt was in July of the following year that I arrived, backpack and suitcase in hand for my first rehearsal camp in Dronten (Netherlands). We spent roughly two weeks learning the music and choreography before hitting the road for 3-4 weeks of touring through Belgium, France and Switzerland. Each night we sang in a different concert venue; mostly churches, but we had a couple of theatres and outdoor venues as well.

What I had experienced in Belgium, over the initial two years, was reinforced time and time again. People very much appreciated hearing the Gospel sung in their own language as opposed to being sung in English and understood either through translation before or after each song, or via overhead transparency as the song was sung (yes… you read that right. Those were the days of overhead transparencies).  While there were of course some local and national French-language musicians, the Christian music industry was very small in comparison to that of North America, so people enjoyed having the Continentals come through. (It was during this first tour that I met my wife Liz, an Italian who had been born and raised in Belgium, we would marry two years later.)

Touring again & again…

The following year I returned as Assistant Director for the French Tour. Another rehearsal camp in Holland, another repertoire and another pass through French-speaking Europe, but this time with a bit more responsibility.  Two years after that (1 year after Liz and I married), I returned for a third tour but this time as Tour Director.

With a total of three tours under my belt I had become both comfortable with Europe in general and very familiar with some areas in particular. There were several churches that had us back each year, so there were times when it was like coming back to visit friends.

Post-Tour

It’s been incredible also, to maintain contact with and watch from a distance as some of the people that I toured with have grown in their faith and ministry; serving in their local churches and being examples to us in various ways. We look forward to being closer to some of these and sharing what the Lord has done in our life since those days.

Patience

I’m reminded again, as I think back over these experiences, how God’s hand has been preparing us for not just months, but years!  When the perfect will of God begins to fall into place in your life, you will look back and see a string of experiences which, at the time, may have seemed unrelated, but in hind-sight… blow your mind!  If you’re currently in-the-process and not totally sure of where things are headed… be patient. Let God direct your steps now and you will see later where they lead!

Once again, French ministry and French-speaking Europe is not new to us… in one sense, it will be a bit like going home (almost literally for Liz), and we can’t wait to be there!

Thank you for your prayers and your support!
See you Saturday!

 

All I need…

May 24, 2014 By in Blog Tags: , , Leave a comment

Time and again I’ve sat near the seashore and watched the scene unfold, and this time was no different.

Diligent Little Plover

photoA small flock of sand plovers glided low over the sand before us, landed within several feet of each other and proceeded to begin foraging through the sand in between waves flooding the sand beneath their fast moving feet.

I watched one in particular which, as soon as a wave receded, would scurry out, begin foraging for food and work it’s way back in, hurried along by the next wave coming behind. It repeatedly stuck its beak into the saturated sand feeling around for something to snack on; quickly and diligently, only stopping briefly to watch for any sign of danger, gradually working it’s way up the beach.

Then, it took to the air, flew back down the beach, landing close to where it started from and begin the whole process again. It did this several times, and I was amazed at this little bird’s pragmatic approach to its day… to survival. Being a nice day, there were no storms on the horizon nor any imminent danger… so all it needed to occupy itself with was finding food.

Jeremiah

It also reminded me of something else.
I’d recently read the following verse in Jeremiah 10:23-24

(23) Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: (24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercises lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

Simplicity…

We may be wise, mighty or rich… but that is of little eternal value. We shouldn’t rely on them. If we’re going to be proud of anything, be proud of these two things:

  1. that we know and understand God (no small feat)
  2. that this God we know and understand exercises lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness (not only THAT… he gives us a clue…) he delights in these things.

Do we want God to take pleasure in us?  If so, I must seek to cultivate, in my life, things that He delights in.

  • Lovingkindness – is exercised toward those around me. If I will cultivate this, then relationally my life will be richer and more simple.
  • Judgement – is first and foremost exercised toward myself. If I will cultivate this, then my life will better reflect the gospel that I profess.
  • Righteousness – is exercised toward God, but should also be visible to others. If I will cultivate this, then spiritually, my relationship with God will be rich and meaningful.

Simplicity

Principles are what drive rules and or behaviour, not vice-versa. Principle are overarching and rules specific to particular scenarios. The Old Testament shows us quite clearly that long lists of rules make life more complicated and are, in fact, impossible to keep flawlessly.

Jeremiah relayed to God’s people 3 simple principles in this passage. If I will concentrate on them… life really will become simpler as I won’t have the time or energy to get caught up in any number of other distractions.

Night Cometh

My observation of the diligent plover also reminded me of John 9:4

(4) I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

He went up and down the shoreline undistracted from his task of finding food, what he needed for survival.

What do we need to do to survive? We need to not get caught up in the daily distractions; things unnecessary. We need to cultivate things in our life that will cause the Lord to take pleasure in us.

Lord, let that characterize our preparations for and our time in France.

The Pain of Independence

May 21, 2014 By in People Tags: , , 4 Comments

I’m currently re-reading a book that I read a year or so ago… “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking”* by Susan Cain. The title of today’s post was inspired by her use of the term near the end of chapter 3 When Collaboration Kills Creativity.

Gregory Berns

quietAt the time the book was published, in 2012, Gregory Berns was a neuroscientist at Emory University, in Atlanta Georgia. He was doing research wherein volunteers played a game while in an fMRI machine. They were shown, on a computer screen, two 3-dimensional objects and asked whether one could be rotated to match the other. When participants played the game on their own, they gave a wrong answer only 14% of the time. When they played with a group… they gave the wrong answer significantly more often. The trick was… in the group-play version… other “players” unanimously gave the wrong answer… and the individual player themselves gave the wrong answer (in conformity to the group) some 41% of the time (as opposed to 14%, when playing alone). Berns took pictures of the brain while all of this was going on and saw that, when playing with a group, the individual displayed more activity in the part of the brain that dealt with visual and spatial perception: People were not consciously choosing an incorrect answer in order to conform to the group… Playing in a group altered their perception.

So what?

This work shows that the moment we enter a group we unconsciously want, or feel the need, to conform. The scary thing is that we’re not even aware that we might be abandoning our own conviction, belief or values in order to conform to what appears to be the dominant conviction, belief or value of the group.

Inversely, it also implies that it can be much easier to be part of a group since we don’t have to expend emotional energy “swimming upstream” against the crowd.

Nobody wants to be outside of the group… it’s a lonely place to be, and loneliness can be painful.

I repeat…. so what?

What does this have to do with short term missions? I was reminded again, recently, of the sacrifice that can be involved in missions. It is really an “against the tide” undertaking.

I had been aware of the story of Bro. & Sis. Verner and Abbigail Larsen who pioneered the work in Colombia, South America. Danish by birth and Canadian by naturalization, they arrived in 1936 to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to that country. Only eighteen months later, Sis. Larsen died in childbirth, leaving Bro. Larsen with a young son and newborn daughter.  Rather than returning to Canada, as the mission board urged him to do, he buried his wife and remained on the field for many years to follow.

What amazing sacrifice!

White_CindyMore recently I was reminded of the sacrifice of missions with the passing, while on the mission field, of Sis. Cynthia White, last Friday, May 16th; a lady that Rev. Jack Cunningham once referred to as a “modern day Deborah”** 

Appointed as an intermediate missionary to Jordan back in 2010, she had  several years of missions experience prior to that, mostly through the AIM program.

She pastored a Filipino work in Jordan and worked with other culturally-centered churches as well as coordinating prayer efforts and ladies-ministries.

What an amazing sacrifice… not just for her, but for her family.

A Jump into the Unknown

Filled with faith, hope and love, both of these missionary families jumped into the unknown: A place where they couldn’t see ahead of time what path their feet might tread. But neither can we see, yet, the reward that is theirs for having walked the road less traveled. At one point, however, they met with the unexpected.

I’m reminded of the words of the old hymn written by American gospel songwriter Ira Stanphill:

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

There can be pain in independence. There can be pain in swimming upstream. There can be pain in standing out from the crowd… but no pearl comes at a meager price, no crown without a cross.

* Thankful for their example *

Links:

Have you…?

May 17, 2014 By in Events, People Tags: , , Leave a comment

 Those two words, which begin a question, can be followed by any number of words… making for a variety of questions: “Have you…

  • …made your bed?”
  • …taken out the trash?”
  • …finished your homework?”
  • …packed your suitcase?”
  • etc.

…all of which can produce a variety of emotional reactions from anxiety to anticipation to annoyance… depending on the circumstance and the tone of voice.

Today, however, I heard it completed in the following manner…

…read your Bible yet today?

Liz was asking the last of the kids to rise from their car-weary slumber… “Have you read your Bible yet?”

We have just come through Mothers’ Day and in a way, this post is really a tribute to the mother in our family… my wife.

Preparing your kids for life, in general, is difficult enough, let alone preparing them to grow up with a strong sense of who they are … as individuals and as Christians. Then factor into that, as well, a trans-Atlantic move. It takes discipline and dedication.

The Context

Years ago, before our oldest was even six, we made the decision to enter the world of home-schooling, and we continued with each of the other children as they came along. As time went on and the level of involvement increased, Liz decided that it was of greater value for her to leave her full-time job of sixteen years rather than continue working and discontinue homeschooling the kids. I honor her for making this difficult choice.

Through our time as a homeschooling family, one of the things that was always included in the day’s work was devotions… (time spent in God’s word and in prayer). It has taken on various forms over the years… from picture books of Bible stories to going through the Exploring God’s Word home Bible study, to reading and discussing passages together.

The Team

Liz’s dedication at home, combined with great Sunday School teachers at MissionPoint who encourage and reward Bible reading & memory work, have built into our kids the habit of Bible reading.

A Healthy Habit

IMG_7137It never ceases to amaze me when I walk by a bedroom and look in to see one or another of my kids lying in bed reading the Bible, either before going to bed or before starting the day. Many times, with the two older kids, this happens without prompting from Liz or I (of course, for the youngest, a little more prodding is required, but even when prodded, it typically happens without protest or procrastination).

Without anchoring our faith in the words of scripture we can easily fall into simply living in a more or less Christian culture as opposed to living by Christian conviction. Christian culture is, of course, not a bad thing… but it is not always enough to keep you rooted in tough times of conflict, controversy or confusion.

Our Family’s Example

have-you1As a “post-mothers’-day-tribute”… my hat is off to my wife, Liz. Not only does she model this herself, but she consistently fosters and encourages this habit in our kids.

“Have you read your Bible yet today?”

…one of the most incredible things a Christian man can hear his wife say to their kids.

Happy (belated) Mother’s Day…
You’re the BEST!

 

 

 

 

Help from Far Away Places

May 10, 2014 By in Blog 1 Comment

Thrilled to be able to share this morning, that we’re getting help from far away places. Here are the first 3 three “cold water challenges” that took place in France, by some of our incredible young people there, to help raise funds for our relocation there.

Incredible!

Content de pouvoir vous partager, ce matin, des liens vers les 3 premiers “défis d’eau froide” qui ont eu lieu, grâce à certains de nos jeunes en France et dans le but de nous soutenir financièrement.

Merci les amis, vous êtes formidables!!!!!!

Melanie Majdling

Joe Bayol

Franck Nowacki

Atlantic District Conference 2014

May 7, 2014 By in Events Tags: , , 1 Comment

AIM ADC14#ADC14

When attending district meetings during 2013, I wore a single hat… that of Editor for the monthly district publication “The Pentecostal Messenger”.  January 2014 changed that however; I began raising funds for our 2015 AIM appointment to France. Since that time I’ve generally worn two hats to district events – the proof can been in the setup to the right: Banners for the Pentecostal Messenger Editor and for our AIM project.

We have just ended the 2014 Atlantic District Conference, held at Truth Tabernacle in Moncton, NB and hosted by Rev. & Mrs John Woodcock.  It was a short & sweet time together where we enjoyed the music ministry of Rev. Sonny Schambeau and the preaching ministry of Bro. Brent Coltharp of Illinois (Dist. Superintendent and Area Presbyter).

5 Quotable Coltharp Quotes:

  • “A King builds his kingdom, a prophet speaks on behalf of the King.We’re not here to build our own kingdom, but to build HIS kingdom.”
  • “It’s not my kingdom. He’s the King and I serve the King.”
  • “Samuel, don’t take it personally… they’re rejecting me, not you.”
  • “Rather than Jehovah, who had brought them out of Egypt and made them victorious, they wanted a king like all the nations around them.
  • “Satellites can’t set people free, you’ve got to get boots on the ground.”

Boots on the Ground:

ADC14_smI really appreciate Bro. Coltharp’s message from last night… he talked about how warfare has progressed from being a “hand-to-hand combat” situation – a “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” kind of proximity – to a point where, thanks to technology, one can wipe out tens of thousands of people, unseen, using missiles, satellites, etc. from great distances.

The danger, for the church, is that sometimes we want to wage warfare similarly to how it’s done in the modern world… from a distance. We want to fast. We want to pray. We want to enjoy church IN-side our buildings.

There is a place and a value to each of these things… but if they constitute the whole of our Christian experience then we are off balance. Jesus got boots on the ground… he went out to where the people were. He didn’t maintain his distance, but got in close proximity. Hence the quote:

“Satellites can’t set people free,
you’ve got to get boots on the ground.”

Up close & personal

I enjoyed this message so much because this very thing has been a concern for me as I prepare to go to France. I am, by nature and by experience a “Second-man / Admin-support” type. That is the capacity in which I’ve functioned up to this point. However… while that experience will no doubt be valuable to me when in France, I realize that I’ll need to – with the Lord’s help – push the limits and become boots on the ground to a greater measure than my role has allowed / demanded to this point.

It’s my desire to see personal growth in this area, indeed it will be vital to cultivate this, if we are to achieve the things that the Lord has put on our heart to do.  I’m not satisfied to remain as I am… I long to grow.

Lord, let it be so.

Progress

I am also thankful for the support of the ministers and congregations of the Atlantic District. During this conference, the Lord has allowed us to:

  1. Schedule 5 more services around the district in the coming year.
    – Moncton, NB   (Rev. John Woodcock)
    – Gray Rapids, NB  (Rev. Graham Russell)
    – Juniper, NB   (Rev. Everett Munn)
    – Noonan, NB  (Rev. Bruce Arsenault)
    – Sackville, NB  (Rev. Tom Barkley)
  2. Receive several new one-time pledges toward our overall support.

Thank you, Atlantic District, for your support.
It’s an honour to be part of you.

 

April in Review

May 3, 2014 By in Process Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Welcome to May!

As I sit down to write this first post for the month of May… we are on the verge of a very busy month! Before we get to that, however, let me give you a quick run-down of some of the things that happened in April.

Financial Update:

progress 14-05-01

Financial standing to-date
(graphic courtesy of iPhone app: GOTRAKiT)

This graphic gives you a general snapshot of where we are to date in terms of our financial support. It shows:

  • Monthly Partners in Mission pledges* and
  • One-time offerings

At this point, roughly 14% of funds needed for a 2-year stay in France have been pledged to, or received by, Global Missions in St. Louis.

This is VERY encouraging, thank you!

* Note: This amount…

  • assumes that PIMs maintain their support for the entire duration of our AIM term.
  • reflects only those pledges or gifts already received and processed by Global Missions – some may have been sent, but are still being processed.

Honour Roll!

A HUGE thank you to those pastors and churches whose support has already been received by Global Missions:

  • Rev. Stephen Tompkins – McAdam NB
  • Rev. David Ferrell – Perth-Andover NB
  • Rev. Scott Grant – Trois-Rivières & Greenfield QC
  • Rev. Dwayne Steeves – Corner Brook NF
  • Rev. Timothy Mitchell – Montgomery AL
  • Rev. Doug Davis – Old Westbury NY
  • Rev. Anthony Mangun – Alexandria LA
  • Rev. Gary Keller – Lancaster OH
  • Rev. Wayne Neyland – DeQuincy LA
  • Rev. David Reever – Baltimore MD
  • Rev. Jimmy Wallace – Elk City OK
  • Rev. Richard Flowers – Mesquite TX

Also… a HUGE thank you to those pastors who have supported us, to date, by scheduling services in the coming months (in order of calendar dates).

  • Rev. Stephen Tompkins – McAdam NB
  • Rev. Timothy Mitchell – Montgomery AL
  • Rev. Scott Grant – Trois-Rivières & Greenfield QC
  • Rev. Steve Schobert – Dallas TX
  • Rev. Dieudonné Kahozi – Montréal East
  • Rev. Kent Carter – Shediac NB
  • Rev. Trevor McGuire – Milleville NB
  • Rev. Donald Hood – Charlottetown PEI
  • Rev. Troy Wickett – Summerside PEI
  • Rev. Keith Carter – Ste-Anne de Madawaska NB
  • Rev. Ron Carroll – Doaktown NB
  • Rev. Allison Cromwell – McNamee NB
  • Rev. Raymond Woodward – Fredericton NB
  • Rev. Michael Trail – Taymouth NB

 For up-to-date details, please see our schedule.

(During the month of May, we will be driving through the Alabama, Florida, Texas & Missouri. If you would like to have us come to your church or know of someone who might like to have us come, please fill out the form below.)

More April-Highlights…

  • On April 3rd, I began some of the paperwork necessary to temporarily move to Europe.  Bureaucracy exists in every country and France specializes in it!  Starting early, though, should help alleviate some of the stress.

Our efforts… God’s credit

We are trying to be diligent in our attempts to raise financial and prayer support. We realize however that for whatever comes in, the credit belongs to God. This principle is portrayed in Proverbs 21.31:

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. (KJV)
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. (NIV)

The assurance that “victory rests with the Lord” does not alleviate the necessity of the horsemen to prepare or make ready their horses for the battle. In the words of Duncan Campbell:

“…while God is sovereign in the affairs of men,
His sovereignty does not relieve men of responsibility.”

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Thank you for your support. Yes. You are showing support simply by the fact that you are coming back time and again to stay informed about our project and preparations. Let it inform your prayer time and be part of the work of God in France.

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