Cornerstone 2010

Where do I start in trying to place God’s actions over the past week at Cornerstone into words? I’m finding it extremely hard to explain ALL that happened. I think the following adjectives would serve well, at least in an effort to summarize, what we experienced God doing: surprised, overwhelmed, joy-filled, unprepared and yet deeply grateful, reassured, challenged, moved, convicted, and faith & love increased.

I can’t speak for all of us, but I know that I went into this festival with a certain measure of feeling incompetent or unworthy. Waves of inadequacy were hitting me, to say the least. All of these, on one level, are what any of us Christ-followers should experience apart from the reassurance of His grace in our times of need. In my case, all of these feelings were coming from a spirit of condemnation, not of son-ship. I was heeding the voice of the enemy, not the voice of love everlasting. God had prepared me on Monday morning (the morning we left) through His still small voice during my quiet time with Him and through a scripture passage He had drawn my wife to (1 Corinthians 2: 1-5).

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Though I felt greatly encouraged by God’s Spirit and by this passage, I still wasn’t fully expecting what God was preparing to unveil. A part of me was still wrestling with whether God would truly accomplish anything through me/us.

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Noble Character

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5: 3-5)

Is it possible, and even likely, that God allows us to face trials, temptations, hardships, tribulations, storms, and all the like, strictly because He desires that we be true men (and women) of Godly character? The passage in Romans 5 implies that without tribulation (Webster defines it as distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also: a trying experience) we will not yield the greater promise of hope.

God has been revealing so much to me lately about just how serious He is concerning my character. I've wondered and questioned countless times as to why life has been so challenging over the past 16 months. Why, at the very time that I chose to deny my flesh and follow Christ in faith, did I find myself struggling so helplessly to find His hope? I've gone through great bouts of doubt and unbelief as God has allowed tribulation to shape my inner man. God has repeatedly subjected me to the same lessons of trust because I have yet to learn His undeniable faithfulness. The author of Hebrews said it this way;

"The Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. (Hebrews 12:6-8)

I should not find myself caught off-guard when Christ Himself - the same loving, caring, kindhearted friend, drives me to my knees in frustration over unchanging circumstances. It's in these times that I question where God's presence resides. Where has He gone? Why does it seem that He is no longer speaking to me? Did I do something wrong? Likely my pride is what prevents me from seeing that He is desperately wanting me to endure so that I would attain a hope that would not disappoint.

You should know that God cares far more for your depth of character than for the success of your ministry or calling. We should never measure ministry apart from character because the two are mutually inclusive. They are meant to go hand in hand. The greater the character, the greater the ministry.....or so we hope. No matter how much it might appear that we are fulfilling some eternal favor towards God, let this be a reminder that He is going about the business of training men willing to obey His voice. I'm not convinced it's possible to properly hear His voice apart from the tribulations and discipline that cause us to run quickly into arms always held open for us. No matter how hard your life's situation might be right now, ask God to give you the strength to "glory" in your tribulation. It's in these times that He can develop you into a useful object of His affections. Fear not, you are dearly loved. Loved so much that this Father will not allow you to run off into the glamor of church, ministry, a lifestyle of worship, or even servant of all. His plan is to first protect you from yourself. His plan is to first protect me from myself. I believe that I'm personally capable of doing deeper damage to myself over any nasty work the Devil could unleash on me.

I'm slowly learning how much God loves to develop each of us into the proper cities set-apart on high hills for the world to see. He wants to show off a finished product that clearly reflects His perfection. I wonder how many of us rush off into Kingdom war before we've been properly trained. I write all of this to tell you that I am finally finding myself exceedingly grateful for every ounce of hardship God has allowed me to endure along this road (which, by comparison to many, is not much to write about). My prayer is that God would give us grace to endure. I need more grace. You need it too.

Lord, please prepare us for the positions of tribulation designed by Your hands to release us into the glorious future as Your children. Help us to desire a ministry of noble character the way you do.

India Revived

Note: This story is passed along from my Sister and family who run a ministry (Kingdom Foundations) to orphans and widows in Bangalore, India. My prayer is that these stories would encourage your hearts as they've encouraged mine. Please consider praying for and financially encouraging these brothers and sisters. Visit them on the web at http://kingdomfoundations.org.

Wow!!!

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for us. Finally life has become a little more normal and we are able to process all that the Lord has done and is continuing to do through the conferences and crusades with Randy Clark and team (http://globalawakening.com/). My husband Ravi and I have watched as people we know and love have been radically changed. People who have never before encountered the Holy Spirit are experiencing His touch in deep ways. Over and over again we have heard statements like, "I don't know what is happening to me. I cannot stop these tears from falling. I feel this incredible warmth all over my body and this amazing peace is sweeping over me." Isn't that who our Jesus is? How He loves to tenderly touch the depths of our hearts with His gentle yet all consuming love.

The first two days with Randy were spent here in Bangalore at a large pastor's conference. There was a time of waiting on the Lord and after there was such a strong sense of His presence. The Lord started imparting on people's lives in such a way that they were not able to stand, literally as the Lord's presence came. Randy focused much on healing and spent a great deal of time waiting on the Lord and asking people with different physical problems to stand and receive healing from the Lord. What was so beautiful about this, is that no one was standing with them praying for them, it was just Jesus alone, the Healer, who came and healed. In India there is such a tendency in the culture to praise men rather than God when a miracle takes place. But in this case....people experienced first hand that it had nothing to do with man, but it was completely the Lord. This was something I had really cried out for before the conferences took place; that the King of Kings would be glorified, not man. Thank you Jesus!! Ravi and I and the people of India were so touched by the humility of Randy Clark. What a breath of fresh air to have this man of God in our city.

Some of the miracles which took place during the Bangalore conference were years of chronic back problems instantly gone. There were people with iron rods in different parts of their bodies (because of car accidents/surgeries) who could not bend or move because of the iron rods. There were a handful of people who could completely bend and move those body parts again. One of our staff had an iron rod in his knee and was not able to bend his knee for years and he was completely able to bend his knee. Talk about crazy!! There were some who had been possessed by demons who came or who were brought. One woman in her 40's was brought by car to the meetings. She had been possessed for 5 years. When she reached the meetings she refused to step out of the car and enter the church building. The people dragged her out of the car and as soon as she entered the church, she screamed and fell. She sat up and was totally healed! No one prayed for her or laid hands on her....just the sweet presence of Jesus who loves to set the captives free, freed her. There was such an impartation given to the pastors and a refreshing. We are still seeing the fruit of this conference in Bangalore. Pastors are calling and coming to our home saying they are not satisfied where they are and are hungry for more! They ask Ravi to help them go deeper. This is what we have been praying for! Fruit that is lasting and changing. Lives that are not the same and cannot go back to their old ways because the God of the universe came and reached His hand down from on high and touched their core.

Really the greatest outpouring that we witnessed was in another city called Krishnagiri. There we hosted a three day pastors conference during the day and 3 nights of open air crusades. Randy Clark and Ravi both spoke during the pastors conference. The Lord led Ravi to communicate to the people that there is no difference between these precious pastors who are poor and this man from America. Ravi's heart was to express to his people the same God who leads Randy and works through him is the same God who leads them and works through them. It was very powerful as the Lord gave Ravi specific names of different pastors and spoke specific things about their lives. The pastors were greatly encouraged to see one of their own being used by Jesus to speak into their lives. There are too many incredible stories for me to share with you in this letter of all that happened during their time there. I am going to highlight some of them. We saw an incredible amount of deaf and dumb people completely healed. Many were precious little children who had never been able to hear or speak since birth. Can you imagine their excitement as they heard sounds for the first time? There were also many healed who had either been blind from birth or who had become blind. On the 2nd night there was a muslim woman and her daughter who came to the crusade. They came secretly to the meeting. That night the mother was touched and healed and went home to her husband and shared what had happened to her. The next night the whole family came with the father leading them and all were saved and touch by God! Thank you Jesus!!

There was a man and a woman who has been possessed by demons for 15 years who came and both radically delivered. One member of the team prayed for a woman with a lump in her throat and it disappeared right then. There were people who could not walk, who stood and walked. There were some instances of people who had short limbs who could not walk, who actually had their limbs grow out and become normal so they could walk normally. Incredible!! Really there are too many miracles to share! The incredible thing, is that the healing and outpouring of the Lord did not stop there after the three days were over. We continue to hear of people who are being healed. Pastors who have had revelation that this was meant for them to walk out on this earth are going to the sick and praying for them and watching them be healed. The following day after the conference and crusade was over one pastor decided he was going to see if the Lord would heal through him praying for the sick. So he went to a hospital and prayed for a woman who had been in a coma and she immediately woke up and came out of her coma!! Yeah Jesus!!

Perhaps for me one of the most precious things about the time Randy and his team were here, was that several of our kids (orphans) were able to be a part of the meetings. In particular 4 of our boys were incredibly touched. Each of them had encounters with the Father and felt His incredible and deep love for them. Two of them heard the Lord call their names and saw an incredible bright light as they were in His presence. They were so touched and have been so hungry for the Lord ever since. I could not ask for more, to watch them bask in His love and receive healing from past wounds. They have a renewed sense of who they are and what God has for them.

Well, honestly I could go on and on. So much has happened and is continuing to happen. We are overwhelmed by the kindness of our Savior. We want to thank all of you who stood with us in prayer for God to move….thank you for investing into lives here through prayer and intercession. Thank you for lifting us up as a family. It was challenging for us as a family as we did not have much time together and as Ravi and I were so exhausted. But there was grace. We love you guys. Thank you for loving us….you are such a gift to us!!

All our love…
The Kandal family

The Trouble With Redemption

Redemption, by vague definition, is something that most of us struggle with. The literal definition of the word implies, “the act, process, or an instance of redeeming.” Redemption is also the literal birthplace of the word, “ransom,” which is “a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity.” The reason we all struggle with redemption is that none of us are very good at it, much less recognizing our absolute need for it. We rarely find ourselves in a position that requires our being set free from captivity (or so, in our ignorance, we may think).

I volunteered with a prison ministry back when I was in college. My involvement included serving as a co-leader for taking groups from our school on weekend trips into prisons, mostly throughout Texas. I always loved prison ministry because it reminded me of my past, growing up as a missionary kid in South America. I visited four prisons down south as part of a drug rehabilitation program I was required to take part in. I can clearly tell you of the incredibly humble, and usually honest definition, that these inmates would give for their ransom. I still don’t think I’ve ever met Jesus-followers living such humility and peace as some of the prisoners I’ve met over the years. The vast majority didn’t just need someone to redeem them from the captivity of barbed-wire fences, patrol outposts, prison guards, mess hall fights, prison gangs, and black-iron bars. They required a heart redemption that would release them from years of soul darkness into the beautiful mercies only found in Christ Jesus.

Finish reading the full blog on the Ransom site.

We have lift off.......

Please stop whatever you might be doing and take a second to celebrate with us! Check out our new and highly improved comeandlive.com. While you're there, be sure to listen to (and download) any of the first Five releases along with our first sampler, "I Am Living!, Vol. One" (new releases coming weekly!), get a better idea of who we are and please check out our new friends at The Jonah Project, ministering to the down and out on Skidrow in downtown LA!

We are celebrating today because the Lord has treated us with great kindness. Our dream has been to tastefully explain the heart behind Come&Live! as well as to begin providing music as a digital gift. As of today, both of these things are reality. Not only are we beginning to see part one of our dream realized, but this website was 100% funded by the generosity of individuals like yourself. We could not have done this without you! For each of you who have prayed for us, donated cheerfully and willingly, pledged via Kickstarter, or simply encouraged a friend to check us out, THANK YOU!

The completion of this website is one of many things that we praise God and His perfect timing for. The site will serve as the global web foundation for the work He has called us to do, mainly to "establish the kingdom of God within a community of musicians." That's how one of our band members described this mission and we couldn't agree more.

Would you please help us in establishing God's kingdom amongst musicians?

Here are four ways you can help us:

1. Commit to pray for us.
2. Spread the word about Come&Live!
3. Donate. Join our growing Support Team. We need your help.
4. Support our artists. You can do this by praying for them, going to their shows, buying their merchandise, opening your home to them, or even by bringing them cookies on the road.

Would we all be examples of God's generosity to all men, in all places, for all time.

cj

P.S. Be sure to check out the latest promotional video here.

Year One as a Weak Fighter

It was exactly a year ago that I chose the path of foolishness. Only by God’s grace are my family and I, who naively agreed to accompany me, still alive on this same path. The decision the Lord lead us to was one requiring obedience of the sort which is “greater than sacrifice,” though in this case, the two seem to have tangled. Obedience required a new-found trust in God, and we have found ourselves uprooted from what seemed to be a near-perfect life in the Pacific Northwest to what has felt more like a rocky, narrow road, lined with thorns, here in the South. Obedience was required in laying aside a wonderful job, consistent paychecks, a solid career path, and of course, the much sought-after financial security. Obedience required in believing that I actually was hearing the whisper of God and not the voice of the devil. There have been days where I question. Days where my wife questions the fact that I question. Days where I have wondered if God altogether left me for a more gifted prospect, one that might require less time, less effort, and less refining. Thankfully, God has proven Himself as a patient friend to this weary straggler on the journey of faith.

Many have come before, many will come after. Many make this journey we are on seem like a short walk in the park on a brisk spring day. The examples I read of “men of faith,” which I read regularly as a double-shot of inspiration and as a glimpse of hope, remind me that I’m but a boy at heart with years of trials still to be discovered, still to shaped by, and yet to overcome. I have found wonderful companions in my mind as I daydream on what it would have been like to have watched Peter step off the boat, and consequently take his eyes off the Savior and begin his quick descent. To have witnessed Jesus, in a perfectly timed extension, reach down His hand to hoist the sputtering church back to life. Peter was called the rock upon which Christ would build His church. But before the church was birthed, it nearly drowned....and then denied Christ three times before it really started showing any true potential. I’m far from a theologian but that seems like sheer unexplainable mercy. I’ve read countless stories over the past year of simple faith stirred into bold action by men who have suffered imprisonments, beatings, near death experiences, betrayals, financial hardships, and every sort of trial known unto man. Yet, there is always a recurring theme throughout each story, in that the Divine hand of grace prompted, and kept them all, moving forward. Of most inspiration to me have been the life and times of men such as George Muller, Smith Wigglesworth, George Whitefield, D.L. Moody, the Apostle Paul, Joseph and his dream, not to mention modern day instruments of God’s heart such as Francis Chan, Bill Johnson, Brother Yun, and John Piper.

At this point, you may be under the impression that I’m about to compare myself to these great men of God, who overcame, through faith, the impossibilities that surrounded them. There once was a time when I may have been so prideful to consider the idea. Thankfully, God has humbled me so (as suggested in 1 Peter 5:6-7) that any early notion of being recognized as a “man of faith” seems to escape me as I am daily reminded of just how insignificant and weak my faith is. On the other hand, don’t think that I’m trying to throw, and attend, my own pity party. There should be no pity for the man who leaves everything behind to follow God, and then wonders why the road is so difficult or narrow. Nor should there be a party. What there should be, and what I feel I can honestly say, is that there should be a change. There should be progress on some level. I used to say that this experience would be worth the while if only one life was encouraged to discover Jesus for the first time or at least to seek Christ with greater diligence. By God’s kindness, this has happened in countless lives this year already! Little did I know, though, that I was referencing myself. I was that one person that needed Jesus. Did I (or do any of us) really think that our mustard seed of faith would accomplish the relocation of mountains? Probably not, at least not for very long. What Jesus was getting at in this well-known parable was that it took such an insignificant morsel of OUR own faith, by comparison, to the colossal depths of God’s faith in His own ways, His own abilities. The mountains will throw themselves into the sea, not because you or I give the command, but because God is able to match our tiny seed with His unending forest, and then, and only then, is anything possible. All forests are birthed first by planting helpless seeds that require ingredients only God can provide. We are saved by grace, through faith, because faith is the seed that God uses to implant His eternal power of grace into our lives.

God has stretched my family and I, along with all those who have joined me on this mission. I think when we’re really honest with each other, He’s stretched us way beyond where we thought He would. Way beyond our comfort, anyway. I once had childish faith that God would just drop a check of abundance out of the sky on us, giving us every penny (in one lump sum) needed to run a ministry focused on turning heads and hearts towards His Son. It’s taken nearly a year to realize that my priority was entirely misguided. Our greatest need to deliver us out of every fiery trouble has not been, nor will be, money. We don’t need a financial bailout package; the slowing growth of wealthy western Christian church can show quite clearly that money does not equal permanent solution for the soul. We need a real Savior who has been down these dirty roads before, someone who can guide us, regardless of the circumstances. Someone who knows that the roads aren’t always dirty and knows that we will suffer for a short while, only to spend all eternity sharing the intimacy of the bride with the glory of the groom. Jesus said it like this, “man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).” If all we needed were money, we wouldn’t truly need God. This has been huge revelation for me. Maybe it will provide the same enlightenment for you. Of course we need provision, but won’t He who knows every hair on our heads, who knows our needs before we even pray them, also prove faithful, and provide in His perfect timing?

I don’t want you to get the impression that I’ve grown bitter or jaded, quite the contrary actually. I’ve grown more steadily mature and fearfully passionate. I am learning to trust God like never before, because I’ve been forced to. When I felt the Lord first whisper the instruction to go start a ministry to raise disciples out of artists, I didn’t fully understand that it would cost me as much as it has. As is the story for many, I have questioned this calling, doubted God’s provision, and even wondered whether He even existed. The reality is that financial provision has been sparse, especially to someone who was still measuring his success based on worldly standards. We sent out “support” letters, prayed a lot, and then waited. I still daily look forward to what the mailbox might supply, in faith that maybe that check of abundance will yet show up, and shock me. My family has been supported, not by a husband who has supplied for their every need, nor by a strong base of monthly supporters or churches hungry to help an inspired “visionary,” but by a strange combination of supernatural provision. Random “gifts” that always arrive at the perfect time, and that often come from people who don’t seem positioned to act with such generosity. A retirement plan cashed in for groceries and to help cover bills, a totally unexpected inheritance check from a Great Aunt, food stamps and health insurance generously offered by Uncle Sam. No, I’m not exactly proud to share how we’ve managed for these last twelve months, but I can tell you that God has been faithful to provide - even in ways I never would have considered. This has been a year of struggle for us all, and yet God is constantly working all things together for good.

The point, and the main reason I write this, is to tell you that God is love! He is just, He is faithful, He is friend, He is hope, He is joy, He is peace, He is bread of life. I have never had so much peace in my heart as I have now. Though there is not an ounce of natural probability of Come&Live!’s success, my family ever landing back on their feet, or any of these “musicianaries” actually surviving through the winter; I find myself holding firmer than ever to the God of the impossible. Without a “real” job my mortgage has, unbelievably, been paid every month for the past twelve. Every bill, other than three credit cards that I haven’t been able to pay for months, has been met. The Lord knows I desire, more than just about anything else, to be free from debt, free from the burden and the guilt of having trusted earthly plastic, for years, over God’s gold. But, as much as my pride and personal credit may suffer, there is no price that anyone could offer me for the lessons God has taught this year. Nor am I suggesting this is the end. It is only the beginning. And it’s only the beginning for many of you. I felt led to share, in vulnerable transparency, some of my own struggles, because I know that I am not alone. I know that many of you are questioning everything many things in life and I want to serve as a reminder to you that God will never leave you nor will He forsake you - even when everything around you is screaming otherwise. His will and His plans are to constantly grow us into the examples of Christ-like faith that will change the world. Not just because it sounds good on paper, but because it’s how He saw fit to prove His existence, through people, like us, that stumble around as much as Peter (and likely every other man of faith) did.

My prayers are no longer so centered on God’s provision, as I am fully convinced (save for a few really bad days where throwing in the towel seems the best move) that provision will come (as, in many ways, it has already) the very second God intends for it to arrive. My prayer has become centered along the lines of, “God, please grow my love for You and for others. Please increase my faith to believe You for the impossible. Please increase my joy and increase my peace. If you would just increase these areas, I don’t think anything could ever stop You from working through me.” I would love it if you would join with me, and the many already standing by my side, to pray, not just for us, but for the entire global church, that Christ would increase her love, her faith, her joy, and her peace.

For those of you who read this far, Thank You. For those of you who did not, Thank You.

May our lights shine before men so that they are compelled to cry out to Him.
He will hear. He will answer.

Chad

He Endured.

"He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible" - Hebrews 11:27

The life of Moses was a much-enduring one. He endured the banishment from palatial surroundings and the most brilliant court then in existence; he endured the forfeiture of privilege, and the renunciation of splendid prospects; he endured the flight from Egypt, and the wrath of the king; he endured the lonely exile in Midian, where for years he was buried alive; he endured the long trudge through the wilderness at the head of a slave people, whom he sought to consolidate into a nation; he endured the ill manners and the countless provocations of a froward and perverse generation; he endured the lonely death on Nebo, and the nameless grave that angels dug for him there! And here we have the secret of his wondrous fortitude disclosed to us: "He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible."

He realized the presence of God. He lived in the consciousness, "Thou God seest me." He looked up, and had a habitual regard to the heavenly and eternal. In the upper chambers of his soul there was a window that opened skyward, and commanded a view of things unseen. As an old author puts it, "He had a greater than Pharaoh in his eye, and this kept him right." Yes, and this will keep any of us right: to live under the sense that God is overlooking us - to walk by faith and not by sight.

- S. Law Wilson.

Dwelling Deep

"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philipians 4:7)

There are depths in the ocean, I am told, which no tempest ever stirs - beyond the reach of all storms that sweep and agitate the surface of the sea. And there are heights in the blue sky above, to which no cloud ever ascends; where no tempest ever rages; where all is perpetual sunshine; where naught exists to disturb the deep serenity. Even at the center of the cyclone there is rest. Each of these is an emblem of the soul which Jesus visits, to whom He speaks peace, whose fear He dispels, whose lamps of hope He trims.

During the test of a submarine it remained submerged for many hours. When it had returned to the harbor, the commander was asked: "Well, how did the storm affect you last night?" The commander looked at him in surprise and said: "Storm? We knew nothing of any storm!"

Dwell deep. When doubts assail and stealthy shadows creep across your sky, filling you with a sense of doom. Where thunders roar, and lightnings frighten with their glare, and old foundations seem to crumble beneath your feet. Dwell deep and rest your soul amid eternal things. Upon the surface storms may rage, and billows break on every beach of life, and fling disaster far and wide. If your soul is dwelling quiet in the depths, naught can harm you evermore. Therefore dwell deep, and rest your head upon the heart of God.

- Anonymous

"When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble" - (Job 34:29)

Holiday Presence

We are upon that time of year when everything goes completely schizophrenic around us and we are undoubtedly drawn into the certain chaos of the Holiday season. Darkness surrounds as early as 4PM, traffic gets crazier, families are scrambling, and retailers are desperately clinging to the hope that “god” will perform the miracle of transforming red ink to black. Even Starbucks is banking on all things cinnamon and spice to daily draw you in.

Moms are busying themselves with Turkey dinners, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, while dads are hanging lights and inflatable snowmen. Kids have lost all touch with reality other than telling you what they want under the tree. It seems our lives begin moving at such an increased pace that we rarely have time to just sit down and soak up the true treasures in our lives. I'm writing this to remind us, that if there's ever been a time to stop and savor the moment, that time is now.

"Let us come before (or into) His presence with THANKSGIVING; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He IS our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion." - Psalm 95:2-8

Read the full blog, featured on Ransom.tv, here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I recorded a very simple (and short) video to just say thank you and to pray over all the families getting together tomorrow and this weekend. Check out the video here. Apologies for the poor quality, please don't tell Andy Reale that I shot this using my laptop.

I'm so thankful for everything the Lord has done in my life. He's blessed me beyond what I deserve. Lately, in the midst of serious financial trial, He has been increasing my faith, my hope, and my joy. I feel as though I'm learning daily how to grow into more of the man that God has called me to be, and I'm forever grateful for the lessons.

Praying that you all have an incredible time with friends and family.

Blessings and love,

chad

Fire

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9)

"What makes this set of china so much more expensive than that?" asked the customer. "It has more work on it. It has been put through the fire twice. See, in this one the flowers are in a yellow band; in that one they are on the white background. This had to be put through the fire a second time to get the design on it."

"Why is the pattern on this vessel so blurred and marred - the design not brought out clearly?" "That one was not burned enough. Had it remained in the furnace longer the dark background would have become gold - dazzling gold, and the pattern would have stood out clear and distinct."

Perhaps some of those who seem to have more than their share of suffering and disappointment are, like the costly china, being doubly tried in the fire, that they may be more valuable in the Master's service.

"The potter never sees his clay take on rich shades of silver, or red, or cream, or brown, or yellow, until after the darkness and the burning of the furnace. These colors come - after the burning and darkness. The clay is beautiful - after the burning and darkness. The vase is made possible - after the burning and darkness."

How universal is this law of life! Where did the bravest man and the purest woman you know get their whitened characters? Did they not get them as the clay gets its beauty - after the darkness and the burning of the furnace? Where did Savonarola get his eloquence? In the darkness and burning of the furnace wherein God discovered deep things to him. Where did Stradavari get his violins? Where did Titian get his color? Where did Angelo get his marble? Where did Mozart get his music, and Chatterton his poetry, and Jeremiah his sermons? They got them where the clay gets its glory and it shimmer - in the darkness and the burning of the furnace." - Robert G. Lee

My prayer has been shaped (through this same fiery furnace) from a previous plea of, "Lord, please finish this process as quickly as possible and let me on my way" to a more desperate cry, "Lord, I want the purest of refinement. Please take as much time as you need to rework and reshape my heart. Whatever you do, please finish the process fully and completely - just allow me to endure it."

God help us not rebel at the second breath of the flame if (and when) You send it.

Prayer: Power of all powers

“Up in a little town in Maine,things were pretty dead some years ago. The churches were not accomplishing anything. There were a few Godly men in the churches, and they said: 'Here we are, only uneducated laymen; but something must be done in this town. Let us form a praying band. We will all center our prayers on one man. Who shall it be?' They picked out one of the hardest men in town, a hopeless drunkard, and centered all their prayers upon him. In a week, he was converted. They centered their prayers upon the next hardest man in town, and soon he was converted. Then they took up another and another, until within a year, two or three hundred were brought to God, and the fire spread out into all the surrounding country. Definite prayer for those in the prison house of sin is the need of the hour.” - Dr. R.A. Torrey

Do we believe in the power of prayer to alter our circumstances, especially those of which no other power could alter?

Where is God when His Provision Dries up?

"And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up." (1 Kings 17:7)


God sent Elijah to the brook and it dried up. It did not prove equal to the need of the prophet. It failed; God knew it would; He made it to fail. "The brook dried up." This is an aspect of the Divine providence that sorely perplexes our minds and tries our faith. God knows that there are heavenly whispers that men cannot hear until the drought of trouble and perhaps weariness has silenced the babbling brooks of joy. And He is not satisfied until we have learned to depend, not upon His gifts, but upon He Himself. - Rev. Percy Ainsworth

It's incredibly easy to experience a full range of earthly emotions when we can no longer see God's outstretched hand of provision before us. How do we respond when God gives us a clear directive and yet the brook of His provision seems to dry up on us? We all know that He is supposed to provide for all our needs. And, if the God of the Bible is true, why would He fail to care for us? The Israelites (post miraculous deliverance from Egypt) experienced this very thing. A wilderness wandering for 40 years before they received the fulfillment of the promise. In this story of the prophet Elijah, the Lord Himself had called forth a drought on the land and then instructed the prophet to head for the wilderness and be supplied by the flow of a small brook. The same God who supplied was the same God who declined. This is the God we serve. If we could perfectly understand His will in every circumstance we would have no need for the mediator in Jesus and no help from the Spirit that guides us into all truth.

What we can see from Scripture is that the Lord is constantly good and even when He dries up the brook - He also brings instruction and opens wide another way. Had the Lord not dried up the brook, here is what the prophet Elijah would have missed out on:

1. He never would have met a widow who on their introduction said, "I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

2. Elijah met the widow to not only be provided for but to be the provision for them. The Lord used him to save both the widow and her son.

3. Not just once, but on two occasions does the Lord use Elijah to spare the widow's son.

4. He may not have gone back to seek King Ahab (who had turned his back on God and began worshiping Baal)

5. It's likely that Elijah would not have called out the 450 "prophets of Baal" and experienced one of the more incredible miracles in Scripture where he strikes a deal with these prophets saying, "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”

6. Drought may not have ended and the rain may not have come.

So, if you are anything like I am, the first place you run when it becomes clear that the brook of the Lord's provision seems to be drying is a place of complaining, a place of grumbling, a place of hardening the heart. I pray the Lord would give us the vision to see what He has planned far beyond our stay out at the wilderness brook. Maybe he plans to touch some orphans and widows through you. It's possible that His good will is to release you to influence even the Kings and Presidents of the nations. Could it even be that He would work such miracles through your hands that even a whole nation would be turned back? Highly unlikely for the skeptics in us. Praise God that He is never skeptical of His work.

I pray that Jesus would soften our hearts, setting straight our unbelief/grumbling/hardness/whatever-it-is-we-deal-with and move us into the glory of His perfect will, even in the midst of a drying brook.

When the Silence of God is the Answer

“So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” (John 11:6)



And so the silence of God was itself an answer. It is not merely said that there was no audible response to the cry from Bethany; it is distinctly stated that the absence of an audible response was itself the answer to the cry – it was when the Lord heard that Lazarus was sick that therefore He stayed two days still in the same place where He was. I have often heard the outward silence. A hundred times have I sent up aspirations whose only answer has seemed to be the echo of my own voice, and I have cried out in the night of my despair. “Why art Thou so far from helping me?” But I never thought that the seeming farness was itself the nearness of God – that the very silence was an answer.

It was a very grand answer to the household of Bethany. They had asked not too much, but too little. They had asked only the life of Lazarus. They were to get the life of Lazarus and a revelation of eternal life as well.

There are some prayers that are followed by a Divine silence because we are not yet ripe for all we have asked; there are others which are so followed because we are ripe for more. We do not always know the full strength of our own capacity; we have to be prepared for receiving greater blessings than we have ever dreamed of. We come to the door of the sepulcher and beg with tears the dead body of Jesus; we are answered by silence because we are to get something better – a living Lord!

My soul, be not afraid of God’s silence; it is another form of His voice. God’s silence is more than man’s speech. God’s negative is better than the world’s affirmative. Have thy prayers been followed by a calm stillness? Well! Is not that God’s voice – a voice that will suffice thee in the meantime till the full disclosure comes? Has He moved not from His place to help thee? Well, but His stillness makes thee still, and He has something better than help to give thee.

Wait for Him in the silence, and before long it shall become vocal; death shall be swallowed up in victory!

Think not that God’s silence is coldness or indifference. When birds are on the nest preparing to bring forth life, they never sing. God’s stillness is full of brooding. Be not impatient with God!

When the Lord is to lead a soul to great faith, He for a time leaves his prayer unanswered.

- George Matheson “The Blind Preacher”

A Native Psalm

"The Lord is my Sphepherd" (Psalm 23:1)

The great Father above is a Shepherd Chief. I am his and with him. I want not. He throws out to me a rope, and the name of the rope is love, and he draws me to where the grass is green and the water is not dangerous.

Sometimes my heart is very weak, and falls down, but he lifts it up again and draws me into a good road. Sometime, it may be very soon, it may be longer, it may be a long, long time, he will draw me into a place between mountains. It is dark there, but I'll draw back not. I'll be afraid not, for it is in there between the mountains that the Shepherd Chief will meet me, and the hunger I have felt in my heart all through this life will be satisfied. Sometimes he makes the love rope into a whip, but afterward he gives me a staff to lean on.

He spreads a table before me with all kinds of food. He puts his hands upon my head, and all the "tired" is gone.

My cup he fills, till it runs over.

What I tell you is true, I lie not. The roads that are "away ahead" will stay with me through this life, and afterward I will go to live in the "Big Tepee" and sit down with the Shepherd Chief forver.

- An American Indian's Version of the Twenty-Third Psalm.

The Ice Harvest of Life

"He that loses his life for My sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:39)

Below is an excerpt from the devotional book, "Springs in the Valley":

In my early life I entered into a partnership with a friend in the wholesale ice business. For two seasons in succession our ice was swept away by winter freshets. In the winter of which I speak, things had come to a serious pass and it seemed very necessary that we should have ice. The weather became cold; the ice formed and grew thicker and thicker until it was fit to gather. Then there came an order for thousands of tons of ice which would lift us entirely from our financial stress.

Not long before this, God has showed me that it was His will that I should commit my business to Him and trust Him with it absolutely. I never dreamed what testing was coming. At midnight there came an ominous sound - that of rain. By noon the storm was raging in all it's violence; by afternoon I had come into a great spiritual crisis in my life.

By mid-afternoon of that day I had come face to face with the tremendous fact that down deep in my heart was a spirit of rebellion against God. And that rebelliousness seemed to develop in a suggestion to my heart like this: "You gave all to God. This is the way He repays you." Then another voice: "My child, did you mean it when you said you would trust me? Would I suffer anything to come into your life which will not work out good for you?" And then the other voice: "But it is hard! Why should He take your business when it is clean and honest?"

At the end of two hours (during which waged one of the greatest spiritual battles of my life) by the grace of God I was able to cry out, "Take the business; take the ice; take everything; only give me the supreme blessing of a will absolutely submitted to Thee." And then came peace!

By midnight there came another sound - that of wind. By morning the mercury had fallen to zero, and in a few days we were harvesting the finest ice we ever had. He gave back the ice; He blessed the business; and He led me on and out, until He guided me from it entirely into the place He had for me from the beginning - that of a teacher of His Word - James H. McConkey.

"Give your life to God, and God will give you back your life!"

The Famine Is Severe In The Land

"Now the famine was severe in the land.....and it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."....For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.....and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went." (Genesis 43: 1-15)


Praise God for the famine in our life, that drives us in utter helplessness back to Him! Praise Him that what we have gets eaten up, and we must turn to Him for more! But how like unto the faltering, fearful family of Israel we act! We could find absolute relief, sufficiency, satisfaction in Jesus Christ; yet we delay, debate, wonder, waste time, and stay hungry.

When finally in desperation we are driven to Him we think we must do some great thing to meet His terms, and we try to carry "double money" in all sorts of ways, to make sure of what He is yearningly waiting to give us. He does ask us for one thing, and one only: and that is the dearest possession of our lives. With Israel's family the dearest possession was Benjamin. When we lay down our dearest possession, then the treasures of the kingdom are flung open to us and lavished into our life.

A drying well will often lead the spirit to the river that flows from the throne of God.

- Messages for the Morning Watch taken from "Springs in the Valley".

If the famine in your heart is as severe as mine, you are left with only one option and that option is throwing yourself into the arms of God, confessing your lack, inviting Him to replenish every part of you so that, once again, "your cup will overflow" with living waters. Only believe that there is one true fulfillment of your plans, your purpose, your dreams, your passion. His name is Jesus and He is the lover of our souls.

Lord Jesus, Revive some dry hearts and mouths today for Your glory.

Divine Support?

One thing we've learned in the few months since trusting God to lead this vision is that everyone in the Non-profit world is looking for "support", including us. There are heaps of resources that provide insight towards properly raising this "support". As much as Come&Live! is currently being funded fully through the generosity of individuals like you (meaning we trust God daily to use people like yourself to provide for our basic needs such as placing food on our tables, covering the costs of printing promotional materials, album recordings, spending time loving and caring for artists, etc.), we should be clear in reminding you, and mostly ourselves, that none of our efforts can even begin to compare to the "support" that God provides - even when there is no sign of financial "provision" on the horizon.

We live in a time and place where financial resources are at a premium. No cash = No opportunity, No opportunity = No Hope. How shallow we are to think that God needs the material currency of our world in order to provide for us. Of course He loves to provide for our every need, and He is always concerned and more than willing/able to care for us. If we are to "love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength" then is it only logical that God's "support" would be to each of those areas? Do you have a need? Be it material, financial, spiritual, relational, emotional - or anything else - Divine Support comes from God's unlimited and unrestrained treasury. The catch is that it only comes on HIS terms. He is the Lender and you and I are just the borrowers. God provides the minute He knows we can receive it and that we will handle it with total responsibility and proper stewardship. If we had the very best of intentions and were to walk into a bank asking for an unsecured loan in the amount of 3 Million dollars to build an empire with, the bank would never give it to us without first being 100% sure that we would repay, with proper interest. The same is true of God's lending. He demands an interest on His provision in the form of fruit bearing. Do we bear fruit under our current circumstances or are we looking ahead to a payday that will give us what we "need" in order to truly bear fruit? We are called to bear fruit wherever we are and whatever our outward circumstances might look like. Divine support is freely given to the borrowers of grace in order to pass it along so as to see much fruit growing all around us. I don't know about you, but we here at C&L! want to be in the fruit business. We want our interest on God's loan to be such pleasing fruit that He continually trust us with more.

A wonderful reminder comes through this puritan prayer from the 1800's, let's make it our prayer for Divine Support:

"Thou art the blessed God, happy in thyself, source of happiness in thy creatures, my maker, benefactor, proprietor, upholder.

Thou hast produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries.

May I live by thee, live for thee, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; And may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life.

Let Thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience, and render my duty my delight. If others deem my faith folly, my meekness infirmity, my zeal madness, my hope delusion, my actions hypocrisy, may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance.

Support me by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that wilt and disappear into nothing.

As I pursue my heavenly journey by thy grace let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men."

******************

Would radical generosity be the new currency of our generation! It starts with you and I.

Need of Grace

O Lord,
You know my great unfitness for service,
my present deadness,
my inability to do anything for Your glory,
my distressing coldness of heart.

I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
and loathe and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what You would have me do,
for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
and sense thy presence so little;
You make me possess the sins of my youth,
and the dreadful sin of my nature,
so that I feel all sin,
I cannot think or act but every motion is sin.

Return again with showers of converting grace
to a poor Gospel-abusing sinner.
Help my soul to breathe after holiness, after a constant devotedness to thee, after growth in grace more abundantly every day.

O Lord, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness,
and am ready to sink because I fall short of my desire;
Help me to hold out a little longer,
until the happy hour of deliverance comes,
for I cannot lift my soul to thee
if thou of thy goodness bring me not close.

Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
lest I offend my blessed friend in thought and behavior;
I confide in You and lean upon You,
and need You at all times to assist and lead me.

O that all my distresses and apprehensions might prove but Christ's school
to make me fit for greater service
by teaching me the great lesson of humility.

- The Valley Of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions.

If this doesn't summarize how I've felt in recent days, I'm not sure what does. It's refreshing to express so genuinely to God how little I'm able to accomplish of my own energy and strength. He is not caught off guard, surprised, nor does He sit back and scoff at my weakness. Christ's power in us is made perfect through weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), so the weaker we become - the more we admit we can't carry our load alone - the more powerfully God works in and through us. It's obviously backwards from what we've all been taught or experience in this life. You don't "climb the ladder" by admitting you are weak or unable to even climb at all. "Suppress your fears, deny your insecurities, climb on your own strength and don't bother knocking people off the ladder on your way up." - that's more along the lines of how the world deals with weakness. Thankfully God is bigger than this world and loves to overcome weakness through His bold power.

If you are anything like me, very weak and fragile at times, then you'll relate with this Puritan prayer. Pray it with me, and trust that God will renew your strength. Jesus, we need You at every hour, at every turn, during every trial, storm and distress, we need You when we are sailing and when we are drowning. We need You in both good times and bad. Help us not to keep going without You. Help us not to fall behind or get too far ahead of You. Help us to stay steady on the course You've mapped out for us. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see. Give us Love and all the Fruit of Your Spirit. Give us Grace.

Sleeping Church, Awake!

I'm currently about half way through the book "Living Water" by Brother Yun. The Chapter I'm on is titled "Sleeping Church, Awake!". I couldn't help but post a portion of it. My life has been deeply impacted by both of Yun's books - "The Heavenly Man" and "Living Water". If you have yet to read either, you are missing out on not just the incredible testimonies of God but a powerful message to all of us living in "plenty" - it's time that we arise from our slumber and begin seeking the Lord with diligence. God has so radically shifted my focus over this past year. It feels as though He continues to literally open my eyes to a reality I never seriously considered. That reality is one of taking God at His Word and believing that "nothing is impossible" with Him - even when every circumstance around me begs the opposite. My love for the Lord (and others) has increased to such a degree that it's not uncommon anymore to find myself in a mess of tears just weeping over the fact that God left the 99 sheep to pursue a train wreck, like me. If anything, I feel such a desire and hunger to grow deeper and further. To not find myself satisfied with an increase of spiritual desire but to allow God free reign to continue this process of tearing me down to build me back up.

I pray you are blessed by this excerpt from "Living Water";

{Believers often use Revelation 3:20 as an invitation to salvation (note: this includes me!). It says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." Closer examination of this passage reveals that Jesus wasn't knocking at the door of unbelievers' hearts when he said those words. He was knocking at the door of the backslidden church at Laodicea. Jesus was standing outside the door of the church, knocking and asking to be let in! It's a sad indictment, but Jesus continues to be an unwelcome guest in many churches today. Many continue to operate in their lifeless religiosity, "having a form of godliness and YET denying it's power" (2 Timothy 3:5).

Wake up! Repent! Let the Lord Jesus come into your lives and into your churches. He loves all people, and as long as you have breath in you, it's not too late for Him to use you for His glory.

A spiritually dull church or believer is a poor witness for the living, resurrected Jesus. A church is meant to be a training centre and command hub for war, not a social club for pleasantries and hypocrisy, where people give lip service to Christ while refusing to obey His commands. Not only does God want you to wake up, but He has a work for you to do.

As I have traveled around the world, I have met many wonderful brothers and sisters. They listen intently to every word that is spoken, but there is one major thing missing in their spiritual lives. They need to start obeying the Word of God. They need to step out and start being doers of the Word instead of just listeners. James said, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).

You see, when you only listen to the Word of God, your heart gets filled up with spiritual food. This is good, but it is there to serve a purpose. That purpose is for you to go and share the food you have with the hungry, so that they too can know Jesus. If you just keep God's blessings to yourself, you will become a bloated and sick Christian. When you share them with others, the Holy Spirit will give you more so that you can share more. It is a wonderful thing.

The greatest battle in the history of humankind is taking place right now. No, it's not the "war on terror", but a conflict far more intense and far-reaching! It is the battle for the souls of humankind. This war affects every single person in the world, for their eternal destinies depend on the result. Satan is busy trying to drag as many people to hell with him as possible. The Bible tells us, "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" (Rev. 12:12). } - Brother Yun

Almighty God of whom belongs all power, glory, and honor - WAKE YOUR SLUMBERING BRIDE!

To read more about Brother Yun's story, go here.