The pictures below are from June 23rd 2009 through July 10th 2009. The Papua New Guinea People stayed in Orlando u til June 3rd and then proceeded to stay in Deland until the 10th. What a journey the entire events truly were.
Reflections of life changing times for the Deland Church of the Nazarene
Sunday July 5th 2009 was a major highlight in my walk with Christ as the PNG people brought such a wave of God's glory into my heart as well as our church. These people are beyond average when it comes to being followers of Christ.
In the morning service they all sang on the platform and a wave of glory pouring over out of them. Even though I could not understand the words as such, yet the Spirit of God and the Anointing was on them in such a powerful way. Truly I am in love with the PNG people. After a great time in worship, followed by a dinner fellowship the joy just continued. As pastor I found such joy in watching my people connect with different ones. It was just an amazing day.
The highlight was in the afternoon. I think it was Margaret from the Hospital who asked about my son Levi. Levi is 12 and
Autistic and his mental and emotional age is under 5. He is my first born son and has been a blessing to us. We have yet to see his full breakthrough medically , mentally and emotionally. They asked if they could come over to the house and pray for Him as they had a burden for him. Of course I said yes.
Around 4:30 p.m. about 10 of the top group leaders including a couple D.S.'s, pastors and prayer warriors came to the house and we sat in a circle with Levi as I witnessed heaven came down through prayer. I was overcome with joy and the power of God in my living room.
We all wept uncontrollably for a season. My heart was so over taken by the love of God that I could not speak the words that God was revealing to my heart, Finally they spilled out through the sobs and tears and when they did, we all wept even more. The Lord said his love was so great for my son Levi that he sent them from the other side of the world to pray just for him. I still cannot grasp this love. Levi rode the van back with us to drop them off later and sang spiritual songs with them and shared his love as well.
During the evening worship service ( which I was late too because of the unexpected special prayer meeting) His presence swept in again on the entire church. At the close of the service I shared the above with the church and again many wept with me and then we broke break for communion. There has been such joy and love shared here today like I have not seen in any American church in a long time, if ever. Many of my people keep coming up with ideas and ways to connect and get involved and each day seems to take on a new chapter in the book of love among us.
I share never forget this word and sense of His love for my son. I look forward to the total deliverance of Levi and his complete healing in the days ahead. They people of PNG want us to come with Levi and Becky someday so they can see the answer to their prayers. I believe and am so grateful that God chose me to host they marvelous people of God.
Such Love!
More notes on the last part of the week.
After the great day on Sunday we took in many more blessings and prayer meetings until their 6 p.m. departure this past Friday. I was very worn out by the time they left, but it was a good worn out! Monday we took a ride to the coast and visited a lighthouse, the beach, the Daytona 500 racetrack and a taste of Krispy creme Donuts. Tuesday one of the ladies organized a ladies lunch and shopping day, while I took the men hiking at a state park near by on the river. That night we took in an American Baseball game including a free dinner at the park for each one. Everyday was ordained of the Lord. Another closing highlight of mine was the last 24 hours. On Thursday at noon I took them to a local clergy meeting. It was hosted by the Assemblies of God who had loaned us their van for the week for PNG.
When I was getting ready to leave to the pastors luncheon we were missing one of the pastors. Since i knew this meal was expensive and prepaid I felt we had to have all six present. So i went and found Baru and told him he was a pastor today and had to come with us. He was not real thrilled with last minute change, but came anyway. When we arrived at the lunch the host pastor ( Pastor Michael Monica of Deland Assembly of God) got up and welcomed us and sat at our table. There was about 12 pastors from the city plus the PNG people with me. We had a private room in the local Holiday Inn and a nice meal. Pastor Mike enjoyed every second of these men and wanted to honor them. So he got up 15 minutes before all the pastor would have left and said something like this,. " Pastors it is such a joy to have these men of God from PNG with us. I feel we should plant seed in them and their ministry in PNG". So he took a bread basket and emptied it and passed it around to the pastors. Then he proceeded to get all the pastosr to get up and gather in a group in the middle of the room to pray a blessing over the PNG leaders. Once everyone was standing and prepared to pray, Pastor Mike dropped to his knees and started touching and hugging the PNG feet and shoes of the PNG men and blessings them in great humility.Baru, myself and most of the men broke out in sobs and tears and prayers for them. I was yet again overcome with such love and grace flowing. I was stunned as this pastor who pastors a church of over 1000 and the biggest church in our city was bowing low and touching the shoes of the PNG bush pastors. I had never witnessed anything like it in my life. It was the kind of recognition I believe Jesus would be pleased with when honoring the love and sacrifice of the men of God of PNG.
After much love , tears and prayers between pastors and leaders we counted the money and discovered over 250.00. Then the Seventh Day advent Chaplain from the Church owned Hospital gave an invite for a tour of the hospital and free breakfast for all the group the morning of the departure day. It was an amazng day and the next to follow. Baru and I got in my van after lunch while the rest of the pastors from PNG got in pastor Mike's van to head to his church for more prayer. On the way Baru and I were still weeping over what happened at this luncheon. Baru is a special man indeed and his presence at the pastors luncheon was divine for sure.
The episodes of grace, blessings and prayer times went on throughout the week. So many stories and blessings! I shall never forget these men and women. I have seen the pictures of life in PNG from D.S. Andrews camera and I can tell that the lifestyle is very simple and behind from the American way. I truly would like to see our people develop a trip to PNG for a work and witness trip in the future. Please keep me posted in the days ahead as to how we can pray and possibly come and make a difference.
Our people are forever changed. Today was the Sunday after and there was such an anointing again. We had 1 person who wants to get baptized and now it looks like 4 people will be baptized in a few more hours.
Showing posts with label emmanuel church of the nazarene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emmanuel church of the nazarene. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Whose Image is on you?
New Ministry! As I begin to pack after 9 years of life and ministry in Virginia a lot of things have changed. Sometimes it takes a major change to realize the implications of changes around us. For instance when I moved here I had 4 children all under age 8. Now I have 5 children under age 17 and the youngest is 6. My youngest 2 children do not know what moving is yet. The other day when I brought a bunches of boxes home, my six year old daughter said, why do we need so many boxes? Great question huh? I said, "because when you move you have to put ALL your stuff in boxes to get it on the truck". I've been down that road enough, but she never has. So moving with a six year old is actaully pretty fun. I can't wait to see her face when she sees her new home and bedroom. She has always had the same room for six years. Should be interesting! I am Not real crazy about moving the dog though. He can barely survive a trip to the vet let alonge 700 miles. :(
However, this Church called Emmanuel in Madison Heights will always be home to our kids as the majority of their childhoods were lived out here. As I tried to comfort my teens toward the adjustment I am reminding them of the things they have now that teens did not have 9 years ago when families moved. Even though they are getting excited about a new home, new church, new community, they are also realizing they will still miss their current friends and I do understand that indeed as I am sure we all would.
I reminding them that now they have cell phones, text messaging, facebook, video email and video instant messaging to stay close to their family and friends lives. I have not even told them about twitter yet, and how with twitter you can stay on top on the passing minutes each day with multiple friends with instant messaging.
Anyway, lots of changes are happening. Even moving has changed since 9 years ago. We just so happen to have the same moving guy and the same moving truck which itself is a miracle, but now when it comes to getting rid of stuff instead of just yard sales and Goodwill, there is E-Bay, Amazon, Craigslist and now FreeCycle. So now the idea of a crummy yard sale or Goodwill is not the only options. To me the yardsale is history this time around. If you just want to sell it or give it away then the internet is the way to go in web savvy opinion. Freecycle is a yahoo group, but it is a great way to give away stuff verses filling the landfill.
I've got 28 days to the load um up and move it out. With the internet now it makes life easier to review the community you are moving to as well. I have already looked at the streets, the government, the neighborhood, the schools and the area churches to varying degrees. I already joined about 3 yahoo groups with affinity groups that we indentify with like autism and home schooling and I have already started building some internet based relationships by email with families and people who live in the area outside of our new local church family. It is prêtty amazing how much the internet and technology can shape differences in our lives. The list I am sure could go on and on from just these few things.
There is however a number of things that are staying the same. Boxes still need to be packed and furniture still has to be lifted and moved. Grunt work still exists! I still have to haul my family 700 miles south with a cat and a dog. I still have to forward my mail to another address. I still have to transfer my tags, get new car insurance, drivers licenses and a few other licenses I am sure. I think there is a license to get sun tanned now! :)
Well, all this reminds me of our relationship with God. Technology allows a lot of changes in the way we deal with our spiritual journey as well, We can look up ministries online before we talk or meet anyone. (Not sure that is always so good, but it is what it is). We can now research tons of information about the word of God without having to buy a ton of books. The bible is even at our finger tips online. But spiritual disciplines still remain the same and of course the Savior is still the same. We still need time alone with the Savior in prayer, we still need to listen or read the Word of God and let it transform our minds and hearts. We still need to gather together to worship Him in community. We still need to preach the gospel in person and as well of course transmit to those who cannot come.
In the midst of moving and change I was reminded by God's Word today whose I am and why I am moving. It is because of His image and inscription on my life and hopefully yours as well that we go and do the will of God.
I would like to close this entry today with a scripture lesson and a point of view I had not seen before today. When Jesus was teaching in the temple he was questions by pretenders trying to trip him up so they could GET HIM.
Luke 20:20-26 [ Read Chapter
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
I was thinking about this verse as it relates to whose we are. They were trying to trick Jesus assuming he would say something either yes or no to their question. But instead of answering their question, He took their question and returned it with another question from that question. Brilliant huh? The answer was Caesar's picture , portrait or image was on the government’s coin (creation of currency). So if that is the image and inscription then whose is it? It's belongs to Caesar. But what about giving to God what is God's? I thought about his double question. Whose image and inscription is impressed on man? It's God's Image!
Ge 1:27 - Read Chapter So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
So even to this today we are His creation with His image created on us or in us. Which means, regardless of changes in technology or modern day inventions we will always be God's creation and will always have His image and inscription pressed into our being and therefore each human creation should be rendering unto God what is His. ( ourselves in faithful servant hood) We may always be required to pay taxes back to governments, but it is equally expected of us to render or give back to the creator what is His and we should render unto God ourselves in service and loyalty as Him creations.
In our move to Florida to minister to another church and community we are rendering the call upon our lives to Him and the inscription He writes upon our hearts. Even though it is difficult at times to makes changes and adjust to the changes in society we must be reminded that we are not our own, but are purchased with a price (the Blood of Jesus) and we are His creation made in His image and for His purposes. He is forever inscribing a new direction, a new word, a new call into our lives as He sees fit as our creator to give him the honor and glory He is worthy of.
Col 3:10 - Read Chapter and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
2Co 3:18 - Read Chapter And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
If only those spies could had caught that truth that day. They were looking into the face of their creator when he was saying render me your lives as my image is inscribed on your very being and render back to Caesar his coinage. What a great God we serve and what a great day we live in. Will you render your lives a living sacrifice back unto to God?
Pastor Peter
However, this Church called Emmanuel in Madison Heights will always be home to our kids as the majority of their childhoods were lived out here. As I tried to comfort my teens toward the adjustment I am reminding them of the things they have now that teens did not have 9 years ago when families moved. Even though they are getting excited about a new home, new church, new community, they are also realizing they will still miss their current friends and I do understand that indeed as I am sure we all would.
I reminding them that now they have cell phones, text messaging, facebook, video email and video instant messaging to stay close to their family and friends lives. I have not even told them about twitter yet, and how with twitter you can stay on top on the passing minutes each day with multiple friends with instant messaging.
Anyway, lots of changes are happening. Even moving has changed since 9 years ago. We just so happen to have the same moving guy and the same moving truck which itself is a miracle, but now when it comes to getting rid of stuff instead of just yard sales and Goodwill, there is E-Bay, Amazon, Craigslist and now FreeCycle. So now the idea of a crummy yard sale or Goodwill is not the only options. To me the yardsale is history this time around. If you just want to sell it or give it away then the internet is the way to go in web savvy opinion. Freecycle is a yahoo group, but it is a great way to give away stuff verses filling the landfill.
I've got 28 days to the load um up and move it out. With the internet now it makes life easier to review the community you are moving to as well. I have already looked at the streets, the government, the neighborhood, the schools and the area churches to varying degrees. I already joined about 3 yahoo groups with affinity groups that we indentify with like autism and home schooling and I have already started building some internet based relationships by email with families and people who live in the area outside of our new local church family. It is prêtty amazing how much the internet and technology can shape differences in our lives. The list I am sure could go on and on from just these few things.
There is however a number of things that are staying the same. Boxes still need to be packed and furniture still has to be lifted and moved. Grunt work still exists! I still have to haul my family 700 miles south with a cat and a dog. I still have to forward my mail to another address. I still have to transfer my tags, get new car insurance, drivers licenses and a few other licenses I am sure. I think there is a license to get sun tanned now! :)
Well, all this reminds me of our relationship with God. Technology allows a lot of changes in the way we deal with our spiritual journey as well, We can look up ministries online before we talk or meet anyone. (Not sure that is always so good, but it is what it is). We can now research tons of information about the word of God without having to buy a ton of books. The bible is even at our finger tips online. But spiritual disciplines still remain the same and of course the Savior is still the same. We still need time alone with the Savior in prayer, we still need to listen or read the Word of God and let it transform our minds and hearts. We still need to gather together to worship Him in community. We still need to preach the gospel in person and as well of course transmit to those who cannot come.
In the midst of moving and change I was reminded by God's Word today whose I am and why I am moving. It is because of His image and inscription on my life and hopefully yours as well that we go and do the will of God.
I would like to close this entry today with a scripture lesson and a point of view I had not seen before today. When Jesus was teaching in the temple he was questions by pretenders trying to trip him up so they could GET HIM.
Luke 20:20-26 [ Read Chapter
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
I was thinking about this verse as it relates to whose we are. They were trying to trick Jesus assuming he would say something either yes or no to their question. But instead of answering their question, He took their question and returned it with another question from that question. Brilliant huh? The answer was Caesar's picture , portrait or image was on the government’s coin (creation of currency). So if that is the image and inscription then whose is it? It's belongs to Caesar. But what about giving to God what is God's? I thought about his double question. Whose image and inscription is impressed on man? It's God's Image!
Ge 1:27 - Read Chapter So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
So even to this today we are His creation with His image created on us or in us. Which means, regardless of changes in technology or modern day inventions we will always be God's creation and will always have His image and inscription pressed into our being and therefore each human creation should be rendering unto God what is His. ( ourselves in faithful servant hood) We may always be required to pay taxes back to governments, but it is equally expected of us to render or give back to the creator what is His and we should render unto God ourselves in service and loyalty as Him creations.
In our move to Florida to minister to another church and community we are rendering the call upon our lives to Him and the inscription He writes upon our hearts. Even though it is difficult at times to makes changes and adjust to the changes in society we must be reminded that we are not our own, but are purchased with a price (the Blood of Jesus) and we are His creation made in His image and for His purposes. He is forever inscribing a new direction, a new word, a new call into our lives as He sees fit as our creator to give him the honor and glory He is worthy of.
Col 3:10 - Read Chapter and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
2Co 3:18 - Read Chapter And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
If only those spies could had caught that truth that day. They were looking into the face of their creator when he was saying render me your lives as my image is inscribed on your very being and render back to Caesar his coinage. What a great God we serve and what a great day we live in. Will you render your lives a living sacrifice back unto to God?
Pastor Peter
Friday, October 10, 2008
Emmanuel Nazarene Church Centennial Celebration in Central Virginia
What a joy to share good news in a world of bad news. This past Sunday October 5th 2008 Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene in it's 16 year history celebrated along with Nazarene members around the world 100 years of Holiness. Emmanuel had the opportunity and previledge to host missionaries Ramon and Blanca Sierra from Mexico City, Mexico as part of the Celebration day. We had a great of day of emphasis on the history of holiness followed by dinner on the grounds, birthday cake and Pinata explosion of candy with the Children.
See A Greeting video here
See A Greeting video here
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