Where's Ken?

        You're probably wondering what happened to me and why I haven't written anything for almost two weeks. I promise that I will return to my regularly scheduled programming soon, but I wanted to tell you a bit about where I was last week and what I experienced.

        Last week, my wife Michelle and I, attended The Voice of the Apostles conference in Lancaster Pennsylvania. This conference, one of two held each year, is hosted by Global Awakening, the ministry of Dr. Randy Clark and his team. Dr. Clark is one of the key leaders that was at a conference in 1994 in Toronto that started what is now known as the "Toronto Blessing" - a major event of Christian revival that is still moving today, 23 years later.

        I'm still "green" in my own personal charismatic experience, yet my wife encouraged me to attend VOA with her. I will tell you that there is something powerful in worshiping God every day and sometimes twice in one day, that moves you out of the daily grind and into His presence. If you don't believe me, put on some Christian worship music and lift your praise and worship to Him. Do this instead of reading your devotional. Do this instead of reading your bible. Just be in His presence and focus your attention on Him. Try that for a week and tell me that you weren't moved to a new level of experiencing God in the place where you are.

        In addition to daily worship time, I heard from pastors, teachers, and evangelists who are doing God's work in this world. In fact, some are doing His work in the most Christian-unfriendly places in the world. But what was even more amazing to me was seeing and meeting fellow believers from other Christian traditions that were there to feel and experience the physical and tangible presence of God.

        This upcoming Halloween is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. It is the day when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenburg Church that eventually resulted in a split from the Roman Catholic church. This year, interestingly enough, is also the 50th anniversary of the Charismatic Renewal within the Catholic Church. Now you wouldn't be able to discern most people and their Christian tradition by the way they dress. But Catholic Priests, Monks, and Nuns tend to be readily identifiable by their dress. Also traditional Amish and Mennonites tend to be identifiable. (More so than a wandering Methodist from Texas.)  I have read that God is moving with power through many denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, and it was amazing to witness first hand His power moving through these folks. I think this is an outward sign of God unifying Christ's bride, despite her various differences and traditions. As followers of Christ, we shouldn't focus on what divides, but what unites us.

        There was a lot to last week and it will provide me with material to write about in the future. Let me just say this, God is alive and moving in our world today.  I'm excited to see how He is moving in our world and I want to be in the thick of it all. Remember, Jesus told us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2). Don't pray for Jesus' return until the harvest has been brought in, else we are only condemning billions. Pray, rather, how you can be used in gathering the harvest even if you don't believe or agree with the charisms. Remember, we worship the Creator of the Universe. He can find a way to use you to accomplish the harvest.

        Matthew West, a Christian musician has a song out on radio called "Broken Things". In it is the following lyric:

"Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring You so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I am all Yours"

God is bigger than the box we put Him in. He can use us, even in our brokenness. We just need to offer Him what we have and He'll find a way to use it.

~~Ken