Food for the Front Lines

Every front line soldier needs a constant supply of food, ammunition, direction and encouragement.  It’s no different in the Kingdom of God.  We’ve had the awesome privilege of fellowshipping with some of God’s front line soldiers here in Vancouver.  Young people from around the world join what is called the “War College” in the Salvation Army each year.  It is a one year commitment of intense study, prayer, discipleship, evangelism and service while living simple lives among the urban poor.  These men and women are giving God a year of their lives in radical preparation for Christian sacrifice and service.  Part of their routine is a day set aside for receiving God’s Word and Blessing thru prayer, prophecy and counsel.  It is called “Freedom Day”, a day of washing, renewing and spiritual feeding.  Lea and I were incredibly blessed to be asked to participate in ministering to our dear younger brothers and sisters in the Lord.  We were asked to pray and minister “The Father’s Blessing” over each one.  We gladly stepped in and we were filled with amazement as, thru us, God poured out prophetic words of love, affirmation, blessing and redemption on each one, along with hugs and tears.  What a new experience for us to be the oldest couple in a room filled with passionate believers who are all hungry for an encouraging word from their Heavenly Father, and are so open to receiving it thru a rather ‘fatherly and motherly’ couple like us.  It has been a long time since we’ve had the opportunity to speak so profoundly the words of the Holy Spirit over others in that way.  I LOVE the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He IS God’s power.  Beyond that we got to spend three whole hours in counsel and prophetic ministry with two young men of God.  It seemed as though, rather suddenly,  I was the oldest man in the room, feeling the weight of my words and example in the eyes of younger men, and in the midst feeling the wellspring of the Father’s love and strength pouring out of me for them.  Overwhelmingly the message of the Spirit of God to His children is one of love and belonging and His pleasure in us, transfusing His Spirit into us. 

A Spirit of adoption, a Spirit of ‘Sonship’ by which we cry ABBA, FATHER. (Rom. 8: 15-16)  His Word is our food, our ammunition, our direction, and our encouragement. 

A Marriage & a Friendship between the Rich and the Poor

As you may or may not have noticed, I have been rather quiet the last two weeks.   I have been fairly sick for the past week and a half, nursing bronchitis.  Finally getting some antibiotics and getting better.  Unfortunately Aaron has it now.  I had to cancel several opportunities last week to be out on the street and meet people.  Which has been frustrating since our time is coming to a close.  We have about 3 ½ weeks left before we head back home.

One thing we did do was go to a wedding last Saturday.  It was a beautiful testimony of redemption and new life in Christ, as well as a marriage.  The groom, a man about 50 years old wed a woman at least in her 40’s.  Both came from a lifetime of drug and alcohol addiction.  He has been in and out of prison, living a life of crime, and she had been living a life on the street since she was 12, prostituting herself.    In the past year and a half they have come to know the Lord thru the friendship and discipling of the Salvation Army and other ministries in the downtown eastside.  Against all odds, they survived and now love Jesus.   They are off the streets, but still in and around the streets and people they had used and abused for so many years.  They are a walking testimony of what the power of God can do.

One of the beauties of this wedding was how the wealthy came along side the destitute and became friends, family and lifted each other up.  The wedding was in a lovely home in a wealthy neighborhood.  The ladies making and serving the reception food (which tasted great!) were from the “right” side of the tracks.  You would never had thought that they even knew what the “wrong” side of the tracks looked like.  There was much love, acceptance and acts of service throughout the day showered on the couple, making their special day, really special – something they could never had been able to do on their own.  It was an honor to be able to be a part of it.