I have been doing a little planning lately for what I would like to see in a children/youth outreach to my communitry. I am trying to be as deliberate as possible with as much as possible, take for example the name (well maybe the name, I like it) S.W.A.T Students With A Testemony.

Now you might be thinking "so what" every program has a weird name with acronyms but I want to do something than give the program a cool name. I want to put S.W.A.T onto T-Shirts, gym bags, water bottles, stickers, decals, everything. Then I want to give this items away to the kids that attend the program as prizes and also give the kids a chance to buy them if they want.

Now because this is an outreach program the whole thing behind it is equiping these kids to go out into there schools, community sports leagues, etc - with the purpose of seeing there peers won to Christ. I want to teach these kids a very simple way of talking to there friends about Jesus called WDJD (this is taught by Way of the master - www.wayofthemaster.com )

In order for these kids to be able to start God conversations with there friends they need a way to turn everyday ordinary conversations into evangelistic oportunities. Once that is done then WDJD takes over.

This is what I see this looking like (sort of):

Billy (S.W.A.T member)
Frank (Unsaved friend from school)

Frank: Hey Billy that's a cool new shirt, where did you get it?

Billy: I got it from church last night

Frank: What does it say of the back?

Billy: SWAT

Frank: what does that stand for?

Billy: Students with a testemony

Frank: What's a testemony?

Billy: Its my story about why I believe in Jesus


O.K. so at this point WDJD would take over and that would be where Billy asks Frank a series of questions that point out Frank's need for a saviour:

Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Frank would probably answer yes

Do you think you have kept the 10 commandments? This points out to Frank that he has lied, stolen, etc

Judgement - If God where to judge you by the 10 commandments would you be inocent or guilty? This points out the consequence for the breaking of the 10 commandments

Destiny - would you go to heaven or hell? At this point Frank is hopefully feeling convicted of his sin and realizes that he needs Christ in his life (not to make his life better, but to save himself from hell)

Yeah I know it is much more complicated than that but this is my blog - just a starting point. If you want a better look at what WDJD looks like go to www.wayofthemaster.com what these guys do with strangers I would like to apply to children with their friends.

I think that if we can teach kids how to have these none offensive yet convicting conversations with there friends then we can really have an effective ministry to the lost instead of just entertaining church kids.

Another thought would be to have large group WDJD, kids bring there unsaved friends to a S.W.A.T event and the leaders can do a large group presentation to present the message. This can be done maybe through drama or even under the disguise of training: We train kids how to reach there friends at school and while the other kids are watching the training they are being hit with the message.

Just a thought...

Refreshing

Times Of Refreshing

There is nothing quite like it when you go through those moments that God is so attainable. I know that it is all a matter of the heart and my willingness to submit myself to God. It has been a while since I was at where I am right now. I love God and right now in my life it shows. Sleep doesn’t matter, I would rather spend it my time with God. Sure there are mornings where my body wins and I sleep in but I make up for it during the day. Thankfully right now I am blessed with a God that gives me 10 hours a day to sit by myself in my car worshiping God and seeking Him.
I love spending time with God, two hours goes by so fast that it never seems like enough. Setting aside time to spend with God is extremely rewarding, first of all there is the obvious fact that if you aren’t spending time with God then you probably aren’t a Christian. I never met anyone who was friends with someone they never spent anytime with. The same is true with God, oh sure you might know God like I know the girl who sells me coffee in the morning, but that’s no relationship. Relationship are built when people spend time together, there is no difference when it comes to relationships between God and man. In order to know God, and I mean really know God you must spend time with Him – that’s Christianity. Not this go to church once a week, pray before I eat and go to sleep garbage that we so think is actually doing something. That’s a lie straight from the enemy. If we were friends and you only talked to me for 10 seconds before you ate 3 times a day, I would be insulted. No wonder so many people fall away from God saying that they don’t get anything out of it, of course they don’t get anything out of it there putting nothing into it.

Nothing in = Nothing out
Garbage in = Garbage out
Quality in = Quality out

Take your pick, personally I prefer to know my God, my creator, my saviour to the fullest. After all didn’t Jesus die on the cross for our sins? Didn’t He command us to take up our cross and follow Him? Didn’t He command us to go unto all the world baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? How dare we do anything less.

But people say that they can’t take the time to spend with God, they don’t have any time in the day. Well find time! Seriously… find the time! Wake up twenty minutes earlier, or go to bed twenty minutes later, watch less T.V. you probably watch too much anyway. Give up something whether it is sleep, T.V., or what ever else floats your boat. Give up something and God will reward you for it. Lose some sleep, you wont be tired (no more tired than you were already), skip a meal you wont die, stop watching a certain T.V. show pretty soon you’ll realize there is nothing good on and you’ll stop watching T.V. all together. Do one of these things, God will reward you. Spending time with God do you know what the reward is? Real Christianity. Real Relationship. Real Salvation!

Hmph! Cinnamon?

But now I have a problem, sometimes I can be unwilling. I really truly want to be totally given over to God so that I can be used by Him. Yet sometimes my heart is unwilling, I sometimes question why I should give up some of the things in my life. I want to one day marry a girl that I want to marry; I don't want to give that over to God, I’m kind of scared He’ll stick me with a weirdo I’m not attracted to. I want to be friends with my friends even if they aren't the best people for me to be hanging around with 100 % of the time. I want to choose what kind of TV shows to watch, I like Friends and Sinefield just like the rest of North America and I don't want God telling me not to watch those shows. I’m not saying that these things are wrong, but me not wanting to give them over to God that is wrong. If I don’t do something about this unwillingness then it looks like I really have a problem. I am going to be caught in a life that is half hearted for Christ.

Even easier than it is for me to have a problem, is Gods ability to have the solution. God created me and He knows my weaknesses, just as He knows yours. There is a way to get beyond that inevitable unwillingness that plagues so many of us throughout our lives. The answer is so simple that it seems kind of childish, and it is childish, but after all we are God’s children.

What did you do when you were a child and you needed something? “Mommy! I’m hungry” and as you go older “Dad, I need money”. We all did it, some more than others (especially the money part). We ask our parents for things over the course of our whole lives as they did to their parents. It is a continuous cycle of giving that has taken place since Cain and Abel; parents desire to provide for their children. Why should our heavenly Father be any different? He’s not.

Jesus said Himself that God can and will give to those who ask. All I have to do is ask God, “God I am willing to let you make me be willing to give up these things and commit these areas of my life to you”. Wow that’s cool “God I am willing to be willing.” If I can learn to let God work in my life He can take care of it for me. Well ok not 'for' me, I am a being that has been given the wonderful gift of freewill - which gives me the ability to be willing.

Unfortunately just making the decision to be willing is not enough, God is going to work in me to make me more willing but I will also have to work as well. I will have to give up those areas of my life; I know that God is going to let me start small and that He's going to give me strength to do it. I know that He won't put me in a situation that is out of my ability to do what I know I should do. I also know that once I master giving up the small things that God will move me onto the bigger things, He'll never give me more than I can handle, and eventually I will be a man completely and Absolutely surrendered to Christ.

I can fee l this longing on the inside. Something pulling at my spirit that I need Christ and I need to be closer to Him. I have Christ living in my heart through the Holy Spirit but that doesn't mean that I am surrendered to Him. I still have these things in my life, things that I want, and I am going to have to let go. If I don't let go then I will never able to reach my full usefulness to God, and that is my hearts desire. Deep within my soul I feel a calling to be a servant of the most High God. To be used by Him to expand His kingdom. To have my cinnamon brown added to your wild cherry red. I know that if I want to be used by God - Which I do – then I will have to give up those areas of my life. I know that God is going to help me, He promises to do so in His word.

Cinnamon Brown!

So what does it mean to be absolutely surrendered to God? Well I like to think of it like this. Consider yourself to be a pen or pencil or what ever your preferred writing utensil may be. My preferred writing utensil happens to be a cinnamon scented brown marker, you know, the kind you would find in a typical Sunday school room. So lets say that as this cinnamon scented marker I can choose whom I will allow to colour using me. I have the choice between who will get to use me – God or the devil. Now in Gods hands I can be used to create a wonderful masterpiece. God can take my brown cinnamon scented colour and weave it amongst the rest of the unique colours and scents of His children and create the most beautiful picture ever seen.

But what happens if I don’t let God colour with me? Well then that beautiful masterpiece will still be the most amazing masterpiece, just without my unique cinnamon brown woven into your mint green, grape purple, or wild cherry red. God’s wonderful masterpiece will always go on, it doesn’t hinge on me and it doesn’t hinge on you. The main component of God’s wonderful masterpiece is Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. The rest of us have our special gifts to offer. Those special gifts can be used by God to bring others to a place in their lives where they accept the forgiveness that comes as a result of Christ’s sacrifice. It is those unique gifts, those distinct colours that when brought together form the splendid background of God’s great work, with Jesus front and centre of the whole design.

Is there a third option here? No! But many believe that there is. Like so many Christians today I can try to let God colour with me and let the devil colour with me too. I can attempt to allow both of them colour with me, thinking that I will get to be in God’s masterpiece while still getting to experience what comes with letting the devil have control of my life.

Can I let both God and the devil colour with me? Can you? Well this question I have already answered but just for fun here is a neat way to answer this for yourself. Stop reading this, go out and find someone you know and ask them to perform the following experiment with you. Take two pieces of paper; on one of those pieces of paper draw a simple drawing of two or three stick people standing in front of their home. You can add a couple of tree if you like and maybe even a family pet… whatever floats your boat. Now once you’ve finished the first drawing take the next piece of paper and try to draw the same drawing again only this time as you draw have your friend hold onto your writing utensil and try to assist you.

Right away you will notice how much harder it is to draw your simple little sketch. Having two forces trying to control the same tool is pretty tough and the outcome is pretty sub par, moreover that’s two forces that are trying to work in unison. Two opposing forces in control of the same utensil - now that’s impossible. That’s why the Bible says that a man cannot have two masters - it simply cannot be done.

Just as surely as you wouldn’t be able to create your best work of art using a tool that was partially controlled by another, neither can God. We all have times in our lives when we are more or less willing to be used by God. During those times when we are more willing, God can use us more for He has greater influence through us at those times. At those times of greater influence that is when our colour really comes through in God’s great work and we begin to fulfill one of our purposes here on earth.

A surrendered heart is a critical aspect of Christian living, but if it is so important than why do so few people posses it? Well for starters having a surrendered heart takes work. Having a surrendered heart means moving beyond ulterior motives and misguided spirituality. It means seeking God because you want to seek God, nothing else, no other reasons than God and God alone. That’s what it takes to have your wild cherry red in the masterpiece. Do you want to be used by God? Then let him be the only one holding onto you.