Embracing Worship

Budapest

2010-02-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hey friends,

We're winding down to our final few days in Hungary before our term returns to the mother land of North America. It has been an amazing experience doing evangelism here and being able to worship God in public.

The evangelism ministry was led by three older men who I'm just compelled to tell you about. Terry from Nottingham England (like Robin Hood!) had tattoos all over his body and a testimony that would blow your mind; he sang old hymns and played the banjo (he is also a hired clown haha!). Sam from Alabama who used to be a womanizing, muscle car driving blues guitarist who also had a mind-blowing testimony; he played the blues songs and rewrote them towards hope in Christ. The last guy we worked with was Hungarian who didn't speak a spit of english and used to be a general in the Hungarian army! whaaat!? (The first time I shook his hand I thought he was going to crush it) These men inspired me soooo much and just showed me that God can redeem any life. They serve the Lord faithfully in this ministry and do it with joy.. ahhh they challenge me, I wish you could meet them.

At least 2-3 times a week we would head out with these crazy old men and set up a sound system in the middle of a metro station and just share the love of Christ through music, handing out tracks, sharing testimonies and preaching. I was able to teach the story of the Prodigals Son with a Hungarian translator on many occasions and just share about how we were created to be in relationship with our creator and that no matter what they've done Jesus is the only one who can bring freedom to their past and give them a hope and a future. Because we didn't speak Hungarian we weren't able have many quality conversations but I think just being a presence of hope and joy in a hopeless area was enough for God to work in their hearts. Many homeless people and prostitutes would just stand there and listen for hours while we would sing and speak of God's love for them, it was incredible to see their faces change from miserable to a smile. Although we didn't see firsthand, the Hungarian contacts we worked with were able to lead many to the Lord in these times.

I'm so blessed to have worked with the ministries here. Budapest is by no means an easy mission field. The more I see the world the more I am reminded of the call of Jesus for the lost. People need a hope, thats all I want to say.

Know that your life isn't small.

Blessed to be a blessing

Jeremy

Hungary

2010-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yo Nappot from Budapest Hungary!

Our team has been here for just over a week now and are really enjoying our time here in Hungary. Like most European countries Hungary has an extensive history that shows itself through the immaculate architecture in buildings and the ripple effect that communism has left making people very orderly and reserved. It is considered rude to talk loud in public places especially on bus' or trains and very uncommon to see people smile. Because of their past failures in war and revolution it has produced in them a very fatalistic mentality that believes life is hard and that joy is an illusion. Most people here typically hate 'Hollywood happy ending movies' and would rather watch movies and read books where people die in the end.

This is their reality.

I had somewhat of a heated discussion with a Hungarian man during a time of evangelism who was intent on convincing me that God is a terrorist and takes pleasure in bringing judgement to us. He insisted that if I were truly a Christian that I shouldn't be playing music but should be providing for the poor . Generally I try to stray away from arguing with people who know they're right but I tried to explain that providing for the poor (without minimizing the importance of caring for the poor!) is only a temporary solution and that what people really need is the gospel message of hope and peace. Jesus didn't come to correct the peoples' physical problems but offered them something beyond their circumstances. After listening to this man rant and rage I was able to challenge him with one thing; I told him to genuinely ask God to show himself to him because I am convinced that when we open ourselves up to God he is more than willing to make himself known to us. I am praying for this man and for more of these type of experiences to share the TRUTH of who God is. Twice a week we've been setting up a sound system in the middle of the metro station and have been playing music, sharing testimonies and a short message. Tomorrow I will be sharing the story of the Prodigals son, portraying the beauty of salvation and forgiveness.

Please partner with me in prayer that God would be softening the hearts of the Hungarians.

Because His love is better then life

Jer

The Nazarite Vow - Dedication

2010-01-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hey friends,

I'm coming up to my final two days in Spain until we fly over to Budapest Hungary where we'll be spending the remainder of our outreach phase. Spain has been a very different experience for me compared to previous mission trips I've been on but God has been using our team in many ways while we've been here. I knew before coming here that Christianity has become a thing of the past; most people had no idea what the meaning of Christmas even was. There is only one church in the entire city of Palamos (the area we've been living/focusing on) which only had four members so because of this we haven't had as much opportunity to lead worship in churches and teach but have been taking more of a pioneering approach to this ministry; praying, doing public worship concerts, opening the boat up to the public and building relationships trying to break the ground and create fertile soil for following missions work. We were able to travel one weekend to a church in another city and did a seminar on 'Worship' and lead worship for their church so that was great. A highlight for me was meeting two french men I was able to communicate with (Because I speak french!) and so I invited them on the boat where they ended up spending most of the day and late into the night just talking, eating and laughing. It was great having them exposed to the atmosphere of prayer and worship that was going on the boat during their visit. They continued to ask me "something is different about you people" and God just gave me so many open doors just to speak into their life. Just today three spanish guys came on the boat all high and drunk, I was able to grab another spanish speaker from the boat to translate for me and I got to pray for them and tell them about Jesus. I can tell you countless stories of just how God has been using us to draw people in and offer them a taste of his goodness. The boat has been a great tool for this! I know that if people just get a taste of Jesus they will be want more. We've just been creating opportunities where people can just get a live example of the love, peace and joy of Christ.

In my own personal bible studies God has led me this amazing part of the book of Numbers (Numbers 6) that talks about the Nazarite Vow. The thing about the Nazarite (the word Nazarite means dedication) is that this was someone who already had the responsibility of adhering to the strenuous practices of the law and the sacrificial system but wanted to go deeper with God in a special way. As an outer expression of their commitment as a Nazarite they were not to consume any product of the vine (wine, raisins, prunes..), they could not cut their hair and they couldn't be around dead bodies (the idolatrous Canaanite religions at that time had ceremonies with dead bodies). The main idea of all of this was to represent his self-denial and be a physical sign of his commitment to God. A couple of things I drew from this was that God does not want our dedication to him to be a secret but that He wants the world to recognize who we are. The other thing I learnt was that we can go as deep in our relationship with Him as we want. I think God has put the ball in our court and will meet us at whatever depth we are willing to go with him. Sometimes I find myself comparing with other Christians who are more or less dedicated to God; "As long as I am more spiritual then him'... but the reality is that people are not the standard, God's word is the standard. We've only begun to taste and see that the Lord is good yet so many of us decide at a certain point in our faith to just coast and stop growing in the Lord. There is soooo much more to explore and experience with God. Three years ago before I started to seriously pursue a life of faith I was a completely different person and I know this next year I will have continued to grow because I have just put myself in situations where God could grow me. I am so thankful that there is more! The Nazarite forces me to the question: Does the world see me as one whose life is dedicated to Christ? Is there ongoing growth in my walk with the Lord? Let me exhort us today to re-dedicate our lives to Him at the beginning of this year. God will meet you wherever you're at if you're teachable and open to the growth spurts along the way.

Know today that you can go as deep as you want with God. My prayer is that we the church would become New Testament Nazarites who are hungry for more of God.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Thanks for your continued prayers and I will let your know what is happening when we get to Hungary.

Much love and prayers

There is more!

Jer

Availability

2009-12-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!

Living on a boat these last few weeks has been an awesome experience. This particular Next Wave boat that I've been living on is an ice breaker weighing at 190,000kilo’s. This means that unlike most boats that are made mostly out of wood the frame and base of this boat is composed of cast iron enabling it to travel through ice fields. Because of the weight of this boat it makes for a lot of back and forth motion in the dock which has taken some adjusting but we're all starting to get used to it. The heart of the Next Wave is to raise up, train, disciple, and release the ‘next wave’ of missionaries throughout the Mediterranian port cities of Europe.

Most of our time here in Spain has been spent docked in the harbor so we’ve only actually been out 12 miles at sea twice to empty the blackwater tank (pooptank!). It’s been fun to help the crew in the engine room, landing the boat, tying ropes and swabbing the deck. I feel like a true sailor! We’ve been living here with two other YWAM teams who are from Milan, Italy and another team from Harpendon England. Personally I have been inspired by these teams, each person here has a story to tell and a different perspective to bring. It is a privilege to be here serving the Lord with them in Spain.

God has been speaking to me through his Word in Acts 8:26-40 where the Spirit of God told Philip to travel to the desert outside Jerusalem. Without understanding why Philip went in obedience and was led to an Ethiopian man who was reading the book of Isaiah. The story is almost comedic when the Spirit told Philip to confront this man in his chariot and ask him if he understood what he was reading. “Excuse me sir, do you understand what you’re reading?” Interestingly enough, the man had no idea that what he was reading in Isaiah was a prophecy of Jesus. Through this little interaction Philip was able to share the good news, disciple and baptize the Ethiopian in a puddle on the side of the road. What this simple story teaches me is the importance of being available to God even when it seems abnormal. I’ve been confronted with the question ‘Will you available and flexible enough to hear God’s voice and to obey when he speaks?’. I have had times in the past where God has used my simple obedience to effect the life of another person and it has been amazing. The story reminds me that God is soooo concerned about people, he cares and wanted this Ethiopian man to hear the story about Jesus. It would have been a huge privilege for Philip to be used in this way.

In terms of ministry we’ve been able to connect with a church here and serve them through leading worship and having worship seminars for their worship teams. We will continue to serve this church while doing evangelism in our area around the dock. We have permission to play music publicly so we will be putting on worship concerts with the hopes that our Spanish speaking contacts will be able to share the good news with them. It is our teams belief that if we do the possible God will do the impossible. Please be praying that our small acts of service will have eternal repercussions.

Hope your Christmas was great and bless you and your family in the New Year.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Learning to be available

-Jer

If you feel called to support me financially please know that your donations can be given to Laureen Allert (Laureen@telus.net) who is my financial manager. Thanks for your partnership!

Check out Next Wave online

www.marinereachministries.com

Spain

2009-12-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Made it safely to Spain and am living on a sailboat with 'Next Wave' ministries; a ministry that sails all around the Mediterranean Sea to train and build up young men and woman to become leaders and missionaries all around the world. We have been able to do some evangelism on the streets, lead worship in spanish (this was an interesting experience..) and play some Christmas carols at an old folks home. The Spanish people are very resistant to the gospel as they have already heard the message and have denied it. Please pray for seeds to be planted and hearts to be softened that they would be able to see the gift of Jesus in this season.

Merry Christmas and thanks again for your continued prayers!

Because He came

-Jer

To know God with Passion and to make him known with Power

2009-12-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends

I just thought I would update you on my current status here in Lakeside Montana. This coming Wednesday I will be heading out with 8 of my team members on a plane to Barcelona Spain where we will begin the first portion of our outreach. During this Christmas season our team will be available to lead a Christmas concert, teaching weekly seminars on worship, teaching, preaching and leading worship. Originally the plan was that we would spend a week in Spain and then sail to France but our contacts have changed our schedule (this is so like YWAM to do...) and now we will be in Spain for the entire month. Please pray for a quick adjustment and flexibility to Spanish culture as we have been spending the last couple months preparing for ministry in France. We're just trusting that God has something planned that our limited minds cant see so we want to be excited! In a part of Europe that is so burnt out on religion it is our hope to bring a real life example of the existence of Christ through how we serve. We want our lives to communicate the passionate love of God, that he is crazy about them and has a plan for their lives.

After this time in Spain we will be flying to Budapest Hungary and will be working with the YWAM base who is setting up a coffee bar ministry in the middle of the city. In a country that has the highest suicide rate in the world as well as the highest level of pornography produced it will be our goal to engage with the Hungarians in this coffee bar and be a shining example of the hope, joy and purpose that God has for their lives.

Thanks again for your partnership in this upcoming pilgrimage to the nations of Europe. I think it's awesome to know that we are on the same team for the Kingdom of God. Because Jesus came everything has changed. We have hope for a hopeless world whether it be in Canada or Hungary. Know today that you are part of something so much bigger.

Merry Christmas and blessings to you and your family.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Revelling in Him who loves me without condition

-Jer

He Came to Serve

2009-12-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

He Came to Serve

Inspired by Mark 10:42-45, Philippians 2:1-11

Verse 1:

God of glory

Creator of the heavens and earth

King over all kings

Lord above all Lords

Verse 2:

Beautiful Father

giver of every good and perfect gift

you gave us everything you have

and restored us back to you

Pre-Chorus:

Your love reached down so low

Chorus:

And you humbled yourself

a picture of a servant

you spent your all that we would have all

Jesus, name above all names

You came to serve

Because of Christ

-Jer

Amazing Grace

2009-12-02T20:03:00.002-08:00

Ever feel like you’re just swimming in your own failure? Like you’re constantly feeling like you don’t add up and that God is just condemning you at every corner? Do you pursue good works to earn God’s love and acceptance?

It is so easy to forget the gospel of grace. I’m reading a book called “The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning for the 5th time. It is all about grace and we cannot comprehend the love of Jesus Christ. He describes a Ragamuffin as one who is a ‘saved sinner prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven.’ This truth just rips me up every time I hear it. We need to engrain this truth on our hearts because we cannot understand grace and Jesus truly accomplished for us on the cross. It’s nothing that bibles schools or textbook theology can teach. I keep finding myself in this distorted understanding that it is me who choses to love God when it says that “not that we love God but that He first loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (full and satisfying payment) for our sins” The cross reminds me that my sin deserves death but that God would give up his only Son to give me life. THIS IS GRACE!! God’s unmerited favor, a gift that I did not deserve but were given. How could I not trust a God who did this for me? I think the tendency in legalistic religion is to mistrust God, to mistrust others, and mistrust ourselves. Do we really believe that God is love? The author submits that ‘we need a new kind of relationship with the Father that drives out fear and mistrust and anxiety and guilt, that permits us to be hopeful and joyous, trusting and compassionate.’

Donald McCullough puts it this way:

“Grace means that in the middle of our struggle the referee blows the whistle and announces the end of the game. We are declared winners and sent to the showers. Its over for all the huffing, puffing piety to earn God’s favor; it’s finished for all sweat-soaked straining to secure self-worth; it’s the end of all competitive scrambling to get ahead of others in the game. Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we played the game. We might as well head for the showers and champagne celebration.”

I would challenge you to read this again...For someone who try’s SO hard to do everything right for God, people and myself the gospel of grace screams out to me YOU ARE A VICTOR REGARDLESS OF HOW WELL YOU PLAY THE GAME. I don’t know how to explain the freedom that comes in knowing this. My prayer right now is that you would come to know grace as we so struggle with comprehending it. That we would be so blown away by Gods love that it would change the way we live our life.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1

“I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly” John 10:10

“The hookers and swindlers enter before us because they know they cannot save themselves, that they cannot make themselves presentable or lovable. They risked everything on Jesus and, knowing they didn’t have it all together, were not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace”

His grace is enough.

-Jer

A Purpose to Go

2009-11-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

"For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." 1 Cor 9:16

"...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts" 1 Thess 2:4

I heard a great message from the church I've been attending here in Montana about missions that I felt would be good to share with you all. The pastor submitted that missions is not some far off journey into a distant land but a responsibility of the local church, boldly stepping out into the community and beyond. It was good to be reminded that we are stewards of the gospel, we have the priceless privilege of bringing hope to peoples lives that they would never find in the world around them. We reach people because God has plan for their lives.

There is this cool story in the bible where Jesus feeds 5000 people with just 2 loaves of bread and two fish. This in itself is amazing but it is interesting to focus in on the small sacrifice of the boy who offered his lunch. This boy was willing to give all that he had to see what Jesus could do with it and was able to see it feed 5000 people! This causes me to look at what seems to be my small life and wonder, What could God do with my sacrifice? What do I have that I could give? We need to stop and remember that the mission is more important than we are. When Jesus uses people miracles happen. He creates opportunities but also creates the provision to meet our needs. He will use any willing vessel to accomplish his work. God has given us everything we need to get the job done.

This message got me excited for our upcoming outreach to Spain, France and Hungary. From the world's perspective this trip just seems foolish. Who are we to think we can bring change with the little bread and fish we have? After being reminded of God's ability to use willing people to accomplish his work I was filled with such an expectation to reach the lost in these countries. The truth is, once its all said and done it comes down to Heaven or Hell. Eternity with God or eternal damnation. I hope that this sobering truth will bring passionate urgency to our lives today.

And because I'm in a Worship school...I wrote a song about it!

A Purpose to Go

Spirit of God make your home in us

anoint us by your grace

give us a sense of purpose

that we may be one

We will go

And we will proclaim the good news

declaring liberty to the captives yeah

and the blind, they will see

not by strength but by your Spirit working in me

"I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" Romans 1:16

Living with purpose

-Jer

Home in You

2009-11-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

Home in You

Psalm 95 - let us worship and bow down..we’re the people of his pastures, the flock he feeds

Verse 1:

Searching in the garden of life for real fruit

caves of lies, dead and dry confuse the truth

for so long in the desert places

endless, lonely empty spaces

Bridge:

I turn around

there You are

Chorus:

I am home where I belong

You beckon me towards Your throne

Jesus I cant believe its true

all i need, true life is found in You

Verse 2:

I need a place where life is real

assurance of living water I can feel

where the road is marked with hope

and courage is abundant in this land

I wrote this song as a contrast from what my life was like when I wasn't walking with the Lord to how my life is now. I think God wanted to remind me how dark it was apart from him so that I might get a refreshed sense of gratitude for how he has transformed me into who I am today. Hoping this lyric will bring a renewed understanding of his goodness in your life today!

"I have been crucified with Christ, It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" Galatians 2:20

Outreach:

I hope everyone is doing well in whatever God has called you to. As you may have already known, my outreach for School of Worship will be spent in France and Hungary. We will be flying to Spain, getting on YWAM sailboat called "Next Wave Ministries" and then sailing on the Mediterranean Sea to the port city Montpelier France where we will be serving churches and teaching the Word of God. After this we will be spending one month in Budapest Hungary where we will be aiding the YWAM base in their various ministries. I am soooo excited for this trip!

I would just like to thank you once again for your prayers and support in allowing me to attend this school. I do have approximately $1200 left to pay in this school so I would just ask if you would pray about continuing partnership in this area of finances.

Please pray:

- intimacy with Jesus

- for focus in the lecture phase of this school

- upcoming outreaches to France and Hungary

Thanks again,

Praying that God will show himself more real in your day to day

'Apart from me you can do nothing' John 15:5

-Jer

An Outward Expression of an Inward Condition

2009-10-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts on this weeks lecture:

There needs to be a healthy balance of Spirit and Truth in worship. This week taught me of the implications of moving towards more of a Bible focused worship to God which leads to Legalism while too much attention on the Spirit led type worship can lead to mysticism.

(Spirt and Truth: John 4:19-24)

I saw that worship in the Old Testament either referred to ‘bowing down’ (shechah 80%) or as ‘service’ (abad 20%). I was reminded of the slave mentality of Israel when God had removed them from Egypt and how he wanted to change their definition for service to an intentionality in their lifestyle. I was amazed that, just as Israel was brought out of slavery, I was brought out of the slavery that my sin put me in and give me the right to be a slave to God.

I was blown away by the original simplicity of worship in Abraham’s story. Abraham whose mind was fashioned after the false gods of his time gained this incredible revelation of God when he, out of an admiration for God was willing to kill his own son as a human sacrifice. This story assured me that worship is simple yet it can cost everything. I was challenged by Abraham’s radical faith to be willing to give anything and everything to God. (Genesis 22)

The teaching on holiness solidified a lot of what the Spirit has been speaking to me about having a proper respect for a God who is holy. I need to live a different life then the world because my God is different and he does not participate in what the world defines as acceptable. There is a privilege and a responsibility that comes with living a holy life. Our worship needs to remind us that God is holy and that His grace is not cheap. Just like Nadab and Abihu, God has a standard for acceptable worship that he will hold so that we would look different. (Lev 10)

The main problem in our worship is that we come in a self-serving way, i.e ‘Me worship’. The bible teaches that there are consequences for this and that God discipline those who do not fear him in worship. This seems extreme but we cannot compromise and make false worship. I received an understanding that there is a right way to worship and a wrong way to worship. This was a wakeup call for me as a worship leader to know that God, just like in the Old Testament, is still serious about worship.

Worship through Christ allows me to be in a priesthood of believers meaning that I can worship in Spirit and Truth. The implications of us being able to baptize, lead worship, preach was a great reminder for me; I have the authority in Christ to approach his throne with boldness knowing that His sacrifice has paid the price for my sin. Grace means that we get off easy and that we don’t have to do something to earn God’s favor but simply have faith. There is no worship without grace!

I Can Trust You

2009-10-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

I Can Trust You

Inspired by Psalm 90:1-2

Verse 1

When my doubts shadow the truth

and I’m burdened with this new day

you remind me of my past

how you’re with me

you’ll never leave me

Chorus

I can live this day because you’re faithful

You have proven yourself to me again and again

your yoke is easy, your burden is light

I can trust you

with my life

Bridge

I surrender to your plan

I surrender to your purpose

I surrender to your promises

I surrender to your love

My life is yours

God has been speaking to me about his faithfulness and how, just as he has been faithful in my past so he will be faithful today in my life. I can live in freedom today knowing that whatever circumstances come my way that I can trust Him with my life. If you're reading this today I hope this will encourage you and remind you that God is for you, he has the best for you, that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. God is faithful, never forget that!

This week I'm learning about the 'Theology of Worship'; we will be going through the word of God and finding out what God intended worship to be. I am so privileged to be in this school and to learn these amazing truths.

because HE is more,

Jer

Week 3 - Identity of a Worshipper

2009-10-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

You wouldn't believe it but we're already walking in a snow capped winter wonderland here in Montana. A few days ago on my birthday we got hit by a blizzard out of nowhere and since then its stuck so HELLO winter.

Some major news worth reporting is my outreach locations that have been set. Following our lecture phase of this school, we will be flying out a few days before Christmas to Spain and will be taking a sail boat called a 'Mercy Ship' on the Mediterranean Sea to France. Once we hit france we will be doing ministry in the southern cities for a month. After a month in france we will flying to Budapest, Hungry for the second portion of our outreach. We're still praying about what type of ministry we will be doing but it will be during Christmas so we might be doing some time of street ministry and playing Christmas carols. Please be praying for this opportunity, that we might be able to seek God's heart for how we can reach these people across seas.

This weeks lecture content was on the "identity of a Worshipper." Matt Atkins, a pastor from a church called Mosaic in Washington came and challenged to take responsibility for our lives, being vulnerable, honest and open with people, the balance between humility and confidence as well as Christ-likeness in the ministry. I was impacted by how much freedom can come to our lives when we can stop blaming our problems on external circumstance and past experience and take responsibility for our own lives; being honest and transparent with our shortcomings and confident in our strengths.

I did a character study on John 13:5 where Jesus washes the disciples feet. It was interesting to see that because of the disciples bickering about who would be the greatest in His kingdom, Jesus gave them an object lesson to show them what their real position was under Him. He tells them, "He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." He shows them that they must be willing to do whatever task, even the most menial; that is necessary for the good of their brothers. This passage gives an incredible light to the character of God who gave up the power and glory of being God to become a man. We see that our Creator, the Almighty God, is first and foremost a servant. He is willing to serve his own servants!! How could we NOT serve this God! I hope this challenges you as it does me as we seek to deny ourselves for the service of others.

"let this attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God did not think equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained But stripped himself of all privileges and rightful dignity so as to assume the guise of a servant, in that He became like men and was born a human being" Philippians 2:5-7

Because he FIRST loved us

Jer

Community United

2009-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Community United

Thank you father for this opportunity

We come together in our vulnerability

And as you form us into community

teach us love, compassion and humility

let us live in harmony

We will walk as children of light

In goodness, uprightness and trueness of life

We love you oh God

Give us your heart

A community united in your name!

Our passion is to live purposefully

encouraging one another intentionally

to love in a way that is worthy

giving thanks to You who is holy

who has come and served us so lowly

>>This is a song I wrote this week inspired by Ephesians 5.

Because He is good!

-Jer

2009-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

My first few days of life in Montana have been very refreshing. Upon arriving here and meeting with staff and students I have really felt like I am in the right place. Our group (including staff) is made up of 16 students coming from 10 different countries in the world! I have another Canadian brother here from Saskatchewan so thats pretty awesome. I feel so privileged to be able to take time and attend this school with such a diverse group.

Today we had our first lecture from a man named Bob Fitts. You may have heard of him as he has written a lot of 'mainstream' Christian worship songs. It was a privilege to hear him share his journey from becoming a passionate musician to a sold-out worship leader whose influence has become world-wide. He encouraged us in our dreams and reminded us that God is the one who places the dreams we have in our hearts and that he is faithful even when we are faithless. This was a comforting reminder to me who is constantly bombarded by own expectations. I think we need to do our part in obeying what God has called us to do but ultimately it is Him who orchestrates the opportunities, talents and people he chooses to put in our path. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him the rest of the week.

I have my first one-on-one vocal lesson tomorrow so I'm pretty pumped! Montana is so beautiful I will try and take more pictures.

Thanks for your prayers and support, this will be a rich season.

"he who has called you is faithful and he will surely do it" (fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you)

learning to worship!

-Jer

Thank you Lakeside

2009-09-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody

Just taking a few minutes to reflect on these past few months before I head into a new chapter of my life in Montana.

Thanks. In the last few years of going out and returning from the missions field, Lakeside Community Church has been a home base for me.

The congregation has welcomed me back on several occasions and has given me opportunities where I can serve Christ with them. Upon my most recent return from bible school in Taiwan I was entrusted with the privilege to lead worship for our church. This, being my passion, has stretched and challenged me in making worship something real; to help create an atmosphere of gratitude and broken desperation for Jesus to be increased in our lives. The times we as a band shared on wednesday night practices were a spiritually rich time for me. I think we collectively learnt that worship is beyond the music aspect but goes right to our heart motivation. We can so easily sing a song on Sunday morning but never allow the message of the song to characterize our lives. I feel I, as well as the band, have really benefitted from open discussion and authentically engaging in each others lives. This open and broken atmosphere is, what I feel, makes an effective, God honouring group. Pride has a way of puffing ourselves up in our own estimation and really restricts us from seeing the brokenness of our human condition. It has been when I've really come to terms with my own bankruptcy and desperate need for God that I've found myself crying out to him with a pure heart. Paul teaches in that 'when I am weak, he is strong' and that 'his power is made perfect in weakness' yet this goes against the mentality of our culture. It's survival of the fittest! One of the greatest comforts to us is that God is not looking for perfect people who have it all together. In fact he is looking for someone WEAK enough to use so that what he DOES use us we will know for certain that this was not a product of our own smarts or ingenuity but HIS grace and power.

Thanks again. To the church who has been faithfully invested in my spiritual growth and financial support thus far in missions. I am looking forward to further partnership and expecting that God will reveal more to us as we follow his call to 'seek and save the lost'.

I hope you'll be able to follow along with me in missions as I do my best to update you on what God is teaching me.

I would also love to hear from you guys so please shoot me an email sometime!

I will try and shoot another blog out once i'm settled in to the base and show you some pictures of where I'll be living.

"Dwell in me, and I will dwell in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much fruit. However, apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

Because of Christ

-Jer

Leadership Summit 2009

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

The Summit: I had the privilege to attend a two day satellite conference this past week with some of the leaders of my church and learn more of what it means to be a leader. We were able to hear from a wide variety of speakers from all over North America in all different spheres of society who shared personal experience, teaching and modern methods of empowering leadership.

Harvey Carey: One speaker who resonated with me the most was a man named Harvey Carey who pastors a church in the poorest zip code of the poorest city in Detroit Michigan. This man was intense! He had a strong and loud message of empowering leaders to genuinely engage in "playing the game." He shared an illustration of how the modern church does church and translated it to a scenario where someone attends a big football game. The teams runs out on to the field and forms into a huddle but instead of a quick huddle and going to play the game they remain in a huddle for an hour and then leave the field. Carey submits that this is how the church is functioning. We huddle in a building once a week but seem to hesitate in our call to bring the message to a broken community. I think this message brought conviction to everyone who heard it as I think we spend so much time trying to build a functional church (a functional Christian life) that we lose the focus of what the church was intended to do. Every Sunday morning he takes his church out into the community, shares a message from the word (in parks, drug-selling areas, homeless shelters) and then goes out and reaches out in practical ways such as door to door evangelism, praying for people and giving out bibles.

What if we invested more on the call of Jesus to reach the lost than trying to perfect the church structure?

What if we created platforms where God's word can be lived out?

What if we really loved the people we hate?

Sometimes I need to remember...

Church: a people after the heart of God.

Ministry: a selfless intentionality wherever we are to allow the gospel to be shared.

The Gospel: The amazing message of the Fathers love who sent his son to die for the atonement (full and satisfying payment) of our sin which allowed us to be in right-standing relationship with God.
Worship: To posture ones life in gratitude and brokenness. Offering our choices, energy and agendas as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1)

So WHAT? I was left with a greater desire to step outside the status-quo of cookie cutter religious Christianity and continue to seek a real and raw relationship with the Creator of the universe. I was inspired to break out of the magnetic pull of conformity, to lead with confidence and to discover more about who God created me to be.

My prayer is that this next stage of my life in Worship School will develop the practical skills to use my passions and influence to build the hope of the world which is the church.

Please feel free to add, encourage or even challenge me in anything I write on these blogs. I don't have all the answers but I am eager to learn more. Lets grow together in this!

Thanks for all your love & prayers!

"May God grant you your heart's desire & fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, & in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!" Psalm 20:4-5

Because HE lives!

-Jer

AWAKEN 2009 - Lakeside Montana

2009-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

This past week I attended a gathering called AWAKEN and experienced the power and unity that comes from community. Some 25 people from all over North America travelled to engage in a conversation about how we, as believers of God can better become followers of Jesus Christ in our spheres of influence.

The vision of Awaken was birthed out of the reality that the God of the bible is truly the God of today. In the Old Testament, Israel was given specific instruction on how to properly make sacrifice for their sins that would make them right with God. Once a year the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies (part of the temple where God's spirit dwelt) and make a sacrifice on behalf of the entire nation of Isreal. In this process, the priests would tie a rope to the leg of the High Priest with bells attached so if he was struck dead in the Holy of Holies that they would be able to pull him out without themselves being struck. The whole idea in this is that, when Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, we were given the Holy Spirit inside of us. This day was what the Isrealites had been waiting for, that one day they wouldn't have to make sacrifice for their sins but that God would provide a sacrifice and that they would be able to harness the actual spirit of God inside of them. We see in Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit fell for the first time on the church and people began manifesting the power of God's spirit. This really struck me. We have the spirit of God living in us! What does that mean? 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that 'we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.' We need to see that we have the authority, not because of anything we've deserved or earned but that God chose us out to be his 'royal priesthood'. I think, as a priest, we are to be an example of what it looks like to devote our lives in single-minded pursuit of God.

This week was a time where we were able to seek God for the visions and passions that he has put on our heart and look at how we can influence the seven spheres of society (Family, Church, Education, Media, Sports/Arts, Business, Government) through with the intentionality of discipleship and sincere love. We collectively realised that before we can change the world we need to change ourselves; every action has a reaction and that if we place our relationship with God as the primary goal, then we will be able to participate in what God is already doing in the world and in the church.

I hope all this makes sense so far, I have a lot to process still and hope to share with you all that God has been speaking to me in this last week.

"Apart from me you can do nothing" John 15:5

Until the world wakes up

-Jer

'I know the plans I have for you'

2009-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

It all started on Monday morning when I got up before work to spend time with God. During prayer I was immediately prompted to pray for my buddies Manassa (Fijian guy) and Chris (Korean guy)((See picture^); two guys who I did my bible school in Taiwan with and who had invested, encouraged and inspired me in my heart for worship. During our bible school Manassa had suggested that I come to South Korea and serve the church he had been and planned to return to. This invitation intrigued me as I had, in my last few years of being in missions developed a heart for the Korean people and was inspired by their passion and depth of intimacy with God. ((Korea is the fastest growing Christian nation in the world and is quickly becoming the biggest sender-outer of missionaries out into the world.)) God is doing something amazing in Korea and I have been dreaming of the day when I would be able to come and be a part of it. Anyways, back to my monday morning right..After praying for these guys I turned on my computer to check my email and lo and behold there was an email from Manassa inviting me once again to come and serve this church in South Korea. The invitation would involve me contributing to the church in the area's of leading worship, teaching english and speaking at bible studies. I can't explain the ecstacy of that moment where it seemed like God was confirming this dream and showing me a glimpse of an opportunity to serve once again overseas...Now, after waiting an eternity (a week...) of knowing when I would be going go Korea I know now that I will be heading there following my School of Worship in Montana. On top of these exciting opportunities I have just recently given the priviledge of being one of the worship leaders at my church. I believe that this experience will stretch my growth musically and in leadership. I hope to invest my remaining time in Canada to this commitment and pray that God would bring a spiritual depth and intimacy as our church grows in making Worship more than 4 songs at church but a posture of our lives.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Learning to Worship

-Jer