I will look forward to posting about the New Year of 2010. We were called to a 40 day fast by Evangelist Bev Moor of Canada at the CCM Leadership Summit in November 2009. The focus of the fast was to be on what God is calling us to change in our lives and also to lift up the church going into World Conference 2010.
IMO, this is a critical time. A 40 day can seem intimidating, and it does to me, but I've slowly worked my way up to 3-4 day fasts not being so difficult. 15 days has been my maximum with the 2008 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team spring trip. If it seems difficult, maybe try fasting of TV, or internet games, or something else that seems addictive. I've got to admit that I am a little (maybe a lot) intimidated with 40 days, but I feel it is important. I will attempt it. I will also be concentrating on praying for the WC 2010 by getting in the WC Chamber and praying over the chairs in the lower level. I want to cover all the chairs even though they all might not be used. I will be praying for blessing, healing, God-incidences (God-blessed coincidences), miracles, surprises (IMO, God loves to surprise us with His Spirit and Presence), and, in general, a better conference than can be imagined.
I also look forward to recapping my experiences with onething09 and bringing in the New Year of 2010 with a bunch of fired up youth and young adults praising God, praying, and seeking the Lord.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Attending onething09 yesterday
http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000039841
The link for IHOP-KC (International House of Prayer in Kansas City) and for their onething09 conference in downtown KC. I registered online and printed out some e-tickets for quick registration. My friend Peggy dropped me off before she went into work.
It really is something that you have to see and experience to understand. It's basically a young adult/ Jesus convention with about 2/3 of convention center (Bartle Hall or Municipal) being for the stage, ministry area, and chairs. I would estimate about 4-5 football fields lined up side by side for the area of the chairs. There are 6 large screens to be able to see the person speaking onstage or see the worship team. It's incredible and huge and growing. It was estimated that there was 17,000 plus persons there yesterday. I just watched it fill up and fill up.
The other 1/3 part of the center includes Forerunner Bookstore with material related to the conference and much more. They also have booths set up for the various ministries connected with IHOP-KC including Hope City which is run by Mike Bickle's sister and brother-in-law, Ray and Lisa Stribling. I picked up a pamphlet "Devil the Dope Man: From Street Life to Freedom" which tells Lisa's story. There are other booths including artwork done by persons at IHOP-KC, booths for IHOPU (International House of Prayer University), their Bible school where I was accepted at first, but I am now not able to attend. That is another testimony for another time.
I was in a little "bit of heaven" for me with great worship and lifting up Christ, interesting and challenging teaching and material, and then a giant bookstore that I could practically get lost in with all the great IHOP-related material (books by Mike Bickle, Allen Hood, Corey Russell and music--Misty Edwards, Laura Hackett, Justin Rizzo, Cory Asbury) and then material by others like Mike's favorites, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, Marie Woodwirth-Etter, Kathryn Kuhlman, John G. Lake, and others more recent like Mahesh & Bonnie Chavda, Bill & Beni Johnson, Wendy Alec, and more. I loved checking out the books. They also had a new board game called Omega which is a board game on the End-times (Latter Days).
I got tired after the afternoon sessions and with very little food (couple of breakfast bars). I even had one young lady come up to me wanting a few bucks for something to eat. I had 30 cents on me and will not have more until New Years when my disability check comes in. I have already sent postdated checks to pay for being nailed by a camera in Grandview trying to make it to one of the student awakening buildings late at night. I also had to send a postdated check to Carol Cease Campbell who trusted me with a signed copy of her new book, Called to Be a Prophetic People: Witness & Reflection which she trusted me with paying after the Peace Colloquy.
A little sidenote, check out Carol's book which speaks of "A prayerfully prophetic people of possibility, promise, perseverance, power, and proclamation". I love it in that it speaks on mighty prayer and endowment. I eagerly await her third book in the series--Called to BE: Life in the Spirit.
After waiting, I made it home late last night after almost 10 hours down there. It is definitely something for the youth and young adults. I could really get fired up with the energy.
I need to share my testimony. In the morning, I got an "impression" of giant Jesus with his heart matching the big IHOP symbol in back of the stage. He had his arms wide with the seating area. He towered over the convention center. There were also angels with the Archangel Michael, Captain of the Heavenly Hosts, completely the circle. This might seem a little silly, but I pictured a light wave of power (endowment and Spirit) kind of like Po with his Wuxi fingerhold in Kung Fu Panda and this light wave going out from the Heart of Jesus would help all persons there to overcome their adversaries, the adversary (I will not capitalize), and obstacles to their ministry in the name of Jesus. I was not sure about this, but I felt the Spirit confirming it when I prayed over my sketches with Jesus and the stage and the persons attending.
Well, this is enough for now. I felt the Spirit again confirming the above and look forward to blogging some more about onething09.
The link for IHOP-KC (International House of Prayer in Kansas City) and for their onething09 conference in downtown KC. I registered online and printed out some e-tickets for quick registration. My friend Peggy dropped me off before she went into work.
It really is something that you have to see and experience to understand. It's basically a young adult/ Jesus convention with about 2/3 of convention center (Bartle Hall or Municipal) being for the stage, ministry area, and chairs. I would estimate about 4-5 football fields lined up side by side for the area of the chairs. There are 6 large screens to be able to see the person speaking onstage or see the worship team. It's incredible and huge and growing. It was estimated that there was 17,000 plus persons there yesterday. I just watched it fill up and fill up.
The other 1/3 part of the center includes Forerunner Bookstore with material related to the conference and much more. They also have booths set up for the various ministries connected with IHOP-KC including Hope City which is run by Mike Bickle's sister and brother-in-law, Ray and Lisa Stribling. I picked up a pamphlet "Devil the Dope Man: From Street Life to Freedom" which tells Lisa's story. There are other booths including artwork done by persons at IHOP-KC, booths for IHOPU (International House of Prayer University), their Bible school where I was accepted at first, but I am now not able to attend. That is another testimony for another time.
I was in a little "bit of heaven" for me with great worship and lifting up Christ, interesting and challenging teaching and material, and then a giant bookstore that I could practically get lost in with all the great IHOP-related material (books by Mike Bickle, Allen Hood, Corey Russell and music--Misty Edwards, Laura Hackett, Justin Rizzo, Cory Asbury) and then material by others like Mike's favorites, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, Marie Woodwirth-Etter, Kathryn Kuhlman, John G. Lake, and others more recent like Mahesh & Bonnie Chavda, Bill & Beni Johnson, Wendy Alec, and more. I loved checking out the books. They also had a new board game called Omega which is a board game on the End-times (Latter Days).
I got tired after the afternoon sessions and with very little food (couple of breakfast bars). I even had one young lady come up to me wanting a few bucks for something to eat. I had 30 cents on me and will not have more until New Years when my disability check comes in. I have already sent postdated checks to pay for being nailed by a camera in Grandview trying to make it to one of the student awakening buildings late at night. I also had to send a postdated check to Carol Cease Campbell who trusted me with a signed copy of her new book, Called to Be a Prophetic People: Witness & Reflection which she trusted me with paying after the Peace Colloquy.
A little sidenote, check out Carol's book which speaks of "A prayerfully prophetic people of possibility, promise, perseverance, power, and proclamation". I love it in that it speaks on mighty prayer and endowment. I eagerly await her third book in the series--Called to BE: Life in the Spirit.
After waiting, I made it home late last night after almost 10 hours down there. It is definitely something for the youth and young adults. I could really get fired up with the energy.
I need to share my testimony. In the morning, I got an "impression" of giant Jesus with his heart matching the big IHOP symbol in back of the stage. He had his arms wide with the seating area. He towered over the convention center. There were also angels with the Archangel Michael, Captain of the Heavenly Hosts, completely the circle. This might seem a little silly, but I pictured a light wave of power (endowment and Spirit) kind of like Po with his Wuxi fingerhold in Kung Fu Panda and this light wave going out from the Heart of Jesus would help all persons there to overcome their adversaries, the adversary (I will not capitalize), and obstacles to their ministry in the name of Jesus. I was not sure about this, but I felt the Spirit confirming it when I prayed over my sketches with Jesus and the stage and the persons attending.
Well, this is enough for now. I felt the Spirit again confirming the above and look forward to blogging some more about onething09.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Three Trails Cohousing--Zionic Housing
It was good to be able to promote Three Trails Cohousing with a simple act of kindness in helping a neighbor with her walkway...
http://www.cohousing.org/directory/view/21255
I look forward to promoting the above at WC 2010--World Conference 2010
Christmas Daily Prayer for Peace (did not happen due to snow)
Christmas Day – World Peace
Coordinator – Rich Baldwin
Leader – Randall Lawrence
Peggy Johannes
Musician –Jan Van Otterloo
Daily Prayer for Peace
Friday, December 25, 2009 – 1:00 p.m.
Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of Candle
Invitation – Please introduce yourself and the musician
Good afternoon, and on this Christmas Day. We welcome you to this sacred place, and thank you for joining us in worship. Each day in this
Come, let us enter into this worship with joy and celebration as we pray for peace in our time, and for the whole human family.
Scripture
For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples:
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me… with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Prayer for Peace - Please state by whom the prayer was written by -
Hiroshi Yamada,
Dear Lord God:
After a year's journey we have once again gathered before you to celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ.
As we look back at this passing year, the joy and thanksgiving overflow from our hearts. Some of us that are here may have come through pain and grief. Some may have had a year better than past years. Others of us may have had the happiest and the most fulfilling year. Regardless of the kind of journey we may have had, we are all grateful that you have had us gather before you in this beautiful sanctuary to jointly experience your presence.
Today a joyful noise is being heard in many parts of the world. The children are singing the carols in the choirs. The youths are playing the Christmas pageant at the churches. Santas are in the towns. We see the joy and twinkle in the children's eyes and happiness glows in their mothers' faces, as they gather by the Christmas tree.
O Lord, we are so grateful for this joy, happiness, and peace we are experiencing. We pray that the children's eyes will not be clouded by the fears of wars and that the tears of sadness will not be shed on their mothers' faces. Our memories are still so vivid that we cannot forget—the tears of innocent children crying for hunger and thirst, the pains in mothers' faces with no milk in their bosoms to feed the babies. We have seen scarcity in the midst of affluence. Tragedy in the midst of peace.
We shall remember, O Lord, these cries as those of our own children and these pains as those of our own companions, even in the midst of our celebration. You sent us your Son, because you loved the world, you loved us all, that we all would have life, and not perish. And so today, O Lord, we return our thanks to you in our commitment and services to those who are bruised and afflicted so that they may be freed from bondage.
Bless and guide us as we continue our journey into the new year. We pray these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn - Please announce the hymn number - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
Hymns of the Saints #252
Prayers of the People - Please state, “Please join us now, praying the Prayers of the People. During the moments of silence, you are invited to pray silently or meditate.”
God is great! God is so good! We praise you and thank you for the plan of our salvation, and the plan for all humankind to live at peace, one with another.
The People Pray in Silence (20 seconds of silence)
O Lord, we have not always been at peace, or even kind to one another. Forgive us, we humbly pray, and open our minds and our hearts to see your will for our lives.
The People Pray in Silence (20 seconds of silence)
There are many nations at war with one another on this Christmas Day. We pray for them to choose to lay down their arms and find peace within themselves as well as with their enemies. We also pray for the leaders who will seek to guide their nations as they search for peace with justice. Bless their efforts with your Holy Spirit, we humbly ask.
The People Pray in Silence (20 seconds of silence)
The people gathered here today also have ne
The People Pray in Silence (20 seconds of silence)
Please use this space to pray for any current concern or event in our community, city, state, nation or world that you feel needs to be held up to God for prayerful consideration. Please limit your prayer to 3 or 4 lines and make sure the coordinator has seen it. If there is nothing you wish to say here simply move on to the final prayer.
The People Pray in Silence (20 seconds of silence)
Accept our earnest humble plea, Great God. Help us to be at peace, to teach peace, and to build peace. Amen.
Sending
Our service is finish
Thanks be to God for the plan of peace. Thanks be to God, and to each other, Peace! Go in God's name and teach peace, and the God of all nations will guide us.
IHOP (Internation House of Prayer) onething09 conference begins
IHOP's onething09 is starting today at Bartle Hall in downtown KC. "onething" is based on Psalm 27:4--One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000058046
http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000058046
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The few, the proud, the marines.....no, the hardy, churchgoers!!!
It was an interesting experience trying to dig the car out, then getting it turned around, then actually getting out to the street, and then actually making it to church--Celebration Ministries.
I know that many churches were closed--Walnut Gardens, East Alton, East Independence, Raytown, Buckner, Special Ministries, and others.
We made it into church. With a 2-3 foot drift in front of the building in back, we went to work on opening the church and having Sunday School in the fellowship hall below the sanctuary. Potluck had already been canceled the night before. Celebration pastor Steve and a friend John even got stuck trying to get in the upper parking lot which was not plowed unlike the lower lot which had been.
We were missing our worship leader and planner and preacher. Our brother Tom put together a service in which he talked about knowledge of God going to the Gentiles in the form of the wise men and related to the Chinese communist attempts to "kill Christianity" in China by kicking out the missionaries and suppressing the churches yet it has gone from a million or less Christians in China to maybe 35 million or more Christians in house churches in China. We had a good spirit and the Good Spirit blessing our service as some persons from the neighborhood including 3 kids so we went from initially 5 to about 14.
I was glad to share my testimony regarding prayer over my brother Ryan by a couple of friends that are married. She had prayed for a crack for the Spirit to get in, and I felt the Spirit with that prayer for God to get in and past the walls of stress, anxiety, pain, depression, and more. Over Christmas Eve and Christmas, we saw snow that sneaked into the door and window.
See pictures...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30515195&id=1289034794
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tragedy Wrapped in Christmas Bows
This is a tough post...
I was really enjoying Christmas with my best friend. Even though I could not go home, I enjoyed having a good home and great place to be and enjoyed being in the area for Christmas Eve and Christmas. I missed my family, but I enjoyed opening some gifts from my parents on Christmas and taking a bunch of pictures for facebook to show.
I love wolves so I loved getting a really cool wolf hat--wolf howling at the moon and face of wolf on brim. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I am a big fan so it was great getting a sweatshirt for their last Super Bowl win. I also love books and am a regular Bibliophile. An author that I like is Joseph Girzone, a medically retired Catholic priest, who became a best-selling author by word of mouth. Girzone's stories involve a Jesus-figure known as Joshua who comes into the lives of modern (or post-modern) persons. I love these stories even if coming from a Catholic point of view (nothing against Catholics; I just am not one). This book is nonfiction called The Wisdom of His Compassion which I look forward to reading and can add to my Girzone collection.
I had a pretty good conversation with my Mom except that she kind of went into worry mode with my brother's situation and his wife. I kind of stopped her and urged prayer. Jesus spoke about worry not adding anything to your life or stature or something like that---basically it's not real healthy. I love the story about the grandfather telling his grandson about the two wolves--one wolf of darkness (fear, worry, anger, etc.) and one wolf of light (peace, hope, love, joy, kindness, etc.) with the question, "Which one (wolf) do you feed?" It's too easy to pay lip service to prayer and then feed our "wolf" of worry and fear and anxiety.
Anyways, a little later, my Dad called to ask for prayers for Jeff S. and family who just lost their wife and mother--3 sons--one newly engaged, and two younger sons. Apparently, Laurie just passed away on Christmas day from a heart attack. My Mom is greatly affected because this is her best friend, and Mom performed their wedding ceremony. Mom and Laurie used to work together a long time ago. Well, this is what I call a "tragedy wrapped in Christmas bows". It's hard not to imagine this affecting this families' Christmas's from this point on.
This kind of gets to my point. I just spent a Christmas inside where it is warm, comfortable, plenty of food, great company, entertainment galore, worship, internet, phone service, bathroom, shower, etc. Yet, the world outside is not comfortable for most persons in this world. Most do not have all the above. There are more and more homeless in our country and the world without Christmas trees and presents and family (even if a phone call away or internet away).
M. Scott Peck quotes the Buddha about one of his noble truths which is that "Life is suffering." There is the death that I mentioned above. There is a death of an IHOP worship leader from a tragic accident. Turn on the news and hear about murder, violence, accidents, terrorism or terrorism attempts, war, sickness, house fires, and more. Jesus stated that the sun shines on the just and the unjust and the rain rains on the just and the unjust meaning that bad things happen to good people and good (or even great) things happen to bad people. In this world, we will have suffering and pain.
A good question...do we isolate ourselves from suffering, from pain, from death, from illness? We have funeral homes to take care of the bodies and dress them up for us (nothing against this valuable service), and we have hospitals and nursing homes to handle the sick, dying, old, and infirm. We tend not to pay attention to the homeless, the panhandlers, the street persons (addicts, mentally ill, homeless, prostitutes, etc.) We support Outreach International, Salvation Army, Community Services League, United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs, and more yet ministry to those most in need is often greatly neglected or we tend to give our leftovers to them if that.
Go anywhere in the world...it is easy to see sickness, death, suffering, injustice, poverty, in general, a standard of living much lower than ours. We have suffering, and no matter how we would like to isolate ourselves or avoid it--we have it and Christmas and all its wrappings and "good spirit" cannot keep it out!
This gets to my point...what a beautiful vision that Zion (one heart, one mind with no poor among them) or a community of Christ (not the denomination but the concept) or the peaceable kingdom or heaven on earth or kingdom of God on earth or peaceable kingdom...WE NEED THIS AND WE NEEDED IT YESTERDAY (AND ALL YESTERDAY'S), TODAY, AND TOMORROW. A spiritual condition is not enough. A someday promise is not enough. A physical manifestation that can be touched, seen, heard, tasted, and felt is what is so desperately needed in this world. When you add the Presence and Reality of Christ then we shall have the suffering covered by His Blood and Body, by His sacrifice, by His Love, by His Healing.....by what we all need....desperately.
God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you! Happy Boxing Day, a UK Holiday, often involved in giving gifts to those less fortunate, to servants (those in service). I am thankful to all the young men and women serving at home and abroad and to all the police, firemen, health care workers, road crews especially with all this cold and snow and ice. There are pleny of "servants"--thank one today!
I was really enjoying Christmas with my best friend. Even though I could not go home, I enjoyed having a good home and great place to be and enjoyed being in the area for Christmas Eve and Christmas. I missed my family, but I enjoyed opening some gifts from my parents on Christmas and taking a bunch of pictures for facebook to show.
I love wolves so I loved getting a really cool wolf hat--wolf howling at the moon and face of wolf on brim. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I am a big fan so it was great getting a sweatshirt for their last Super Bowl win. I also love books and am a regular Bibliophile. An author that I like is Joseph Girzone, a medically retired Catholic priest, who became a best-selling author by word of mouth. Girzone's stories involve a Jesus-figure known as Joshua who comes into the lives of modern (or post-modern) persons. I love these stories even if coming from a Catholic point of view (nothing against Catholics; I just am not one). This book is nonfiction called The Wisdom of His Compassion which I look forward to reading and can add to my Girzone collection.
I had a pretty good conversation with my Mom except that she kind of went into worry mode with my brother's situation and his wife. I kind of stopped her and urged prayer. Jesus spoke about worry not adding anything to your life or stature or something like that---basically it's not real healthy. I love the story about the grandfather telling his grandson about the two wolves--one wolf of darkness (fear, worry, anger, etc.) and one wolf of light (peace, hope, love, joy, kindness, etc.) with the question, "Which one (wolf) do you feed?" It's too easy to pay lip service to prayer and then feed our "wolf" of worry and fear and anxiety.
Anyways, a little later, my Dad called to ask for prayers for Jeff S. and family who just lost their wife and mother--3 sons--one newly engaged, and two younger sons. Apparently, Laurie just passed away on Christmas day from a heart attack. My Mom is greatly affected because this is her best friend, and Mom performed their wedding ceremony. Mom and Laurie used to work together a long time ago. Well, this is what I call a "tragedy wrapped in Christmas bows". It's hard not to imagine this affecting this families' Christmas's from this point on.
This kind of gets to my point. I just spent a Christmas inside where it is warm, comfortable, plenty of food, great company, entertainment galore, worship, internet, phone service, bathroom, shower, etc. Yet, the world outside is not comfortable for most persons in this world. Most do not have all the above. There are more and more homeless in our country and the world without Christmas trees and presents and family (even if a phone call away or internet away).
M. Scott Peck quotes the Buddha about one of his noble truths which is that "Life is suffering." There is the death that I mentioned above. There is a death of an IHOP worship leader from a tragic accident. Turn on the news and hear about murder, violence, accidents, terrorism or terrorism attempts, war, sickness, house fires, and more. Jesus stated that the sun shines on the just and the unjust and the rain rains on the just and the unjust meaning that bad things happen to good people and good (or even great) things happen to bad people. In this world, we will have suffering and pain.
A good question...do we isolate ourselves from suffering, from pain, from death, from illness? We have funeral homes to take care of the bodies and dress them up for us (nothing against this valuable service), and we have hospitals and nursing homes to handle the sick, dying, old, and infirm. We tend not to pay attention to the homeless, the panhandlers, the street persons (addicts, mentally ill, homeless, prostitutes, etc.) We support Outreach International, Salvation Army, Community Services League, United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs, and more yet ministry to those most in need is often greatly neglected or we tend to give our leftovers to them if that.
Go anywhere in the world...it is easy to see sickness, death, suffering, injustice, poverty, in general, a standard of living much lower than ours. We have suffering, and no matter how we would like to isolate ourselves or avoid it--we have it and Christmas and all its wrappings and "good spirit" cannot keep it out!
This gets to my point...what a beautiful vision that Zion (one heart, one mind with no poor among them) or a community of Christ (not the denomination but the concept) or the peaceable kingdom or heaven on earth or kingdom of God on earth or peaceable kingdom...WE NEED THIS AND WE NEEDED IT YESTERDAY (AND ALL YESTERDAY'S), TODAY, AND TOMORROW. A spiritual condition is not enough. A someday promise is not enough. A physical manifestation that can be touched, seen, heard, tasted, and felt is what is so desperately needed in this world. When you add the Presence and Reality of Christ then we shall have the suffering covered by His Blood and Body, by His sacrifice, by His Love, by His Healing.....by what we all need....desperately.
God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you! Happy Boxing Day, a UK Holiday, often involved in giving gifts to those less fortunate, to servants (those in service). I am thankful to all the young men and women serving at home and abroad and to all the police, firemen, health care workers, road crews especially with all this cold and snow and ice. There are pleny of "servants"--thank one today!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas and thoughts on Christmas Eve Services
We had a little bit of the Christmas Eve marathon with going to E. 39th Street Community of Christ for a Christmas Eve communion service. We ran into a dear friend, Rich, and got to wish him "Merry Christmas!" The weather was wet and cold. I followed my intuition and decided to get the gas tank filled and be a little late for the service because if the weather did what was predicted (snow, winter storm warnings) then I did not want to try to stop as the weather got progressively worse. There was a good and gentle Spirit with sharing in this sacred covenant/sacrament and recognize that the babe in the manger became the Lord and God initiating the Communion of Bread (Body) and Wine (Blood).
As sleet blanketed the cars and area, we then decided to head over to Stone Church for their Christmas Eve service, we got there before 6 so we hung out in the foyer after calling my G & G's (Grandma and Grandpa's) to wish everyone Merry Christmas! It was wonderful service though sparsely attended (maybe 1/3 normal) with the inclement weather. Paulette and company did a fantastic job. The sanctuary was just beautifully decorated. I think my favorite part was the Men's Ensemble singing, "Mary Did You Know?"--what wonderful harmony and vocals! We just loved this beautiful experience with a great message on "light" in Scripture and message on Christmas gift of our presence with them.
Our next stop and service was at Cornerstone with the young adults doing a production entitled, "Christmas Re-Imagined" with the story of a young man visiting his father in the hospital on Christmas and re-telling or sharing the story of "Christmas Re-imagined" with modern music and sharing of Mary and Joseph as college students and then young newlyweds giving birth in a laundry room of a hotel. I did not think something could easily top Stone Church and communion, but they did. Prior to this, we had a great time shooting the breeze (hearing funny stories) with our friend, Don and later Steve. By the time this production was over, the weather had gotten even worse with the outside looking like a giant snowglobe. We made it home ok to some wonderful hot cocoa and food.
I got up early this morning to see how things looked...It did not look like the roads had been plowed, and we found out the Temple parking lot was not plowed so we had to cancel the Christmas Day Prayer for Peace service and do it at home.
Now to my thoughts on this Christmas Eve marathon, the things that stick out...
1) E. 39th--Communion
2) Stone Church--beautiful music and presence
3) Cornerstone--young adults and their gifts
If you take Communion with God, Beautiful music praising God and focusing on His Presence plus add in Young Adults with their God-given giftedness, you have a pretty good simple definition for IHOP-KC (International House of Prayer).
Now if you add what would have been represented by the Temple, Christ, and Prayer with the Daily Prayer for Peace only make it 24/7/365 then in my humble opinion, you have a RECIPE FOR ENDOWMENT!
My prayer is that the Spirit (Ruach in OT, Pneuma in NT) will break through our walls and barriers in the same way that the wind and snow has gotten in windows and doors to this old house. Just some post-Christmas Eve thoughts on Christmas Day! Merry (mighty and endowed) Christmas and God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you the rest of this year and in 2010!
As sleet blanketed the cars and area, we then decided to head over to Stone Church for their Christmas Eve service, we got there before 6 so we hung out in the foyer after calling my G & G's (Grandma and Grandpa's) to wish everyone Merry Christmas! It was wonderful service though sparsely attended (maybe 1/3 normal) with the inclement weather. Paulette and company did a fantastic job. The sanctuary was just beautifully decorated. I think my favorite part was the Men's Ensemble singing, "Mary Did You Know?"--what wonderful harmony and vocals! We just loved this beautiful experience with a great message on "light" in Scripture and message on Christmas gift of our presence with them.
Our next stop and service was at Cornerstone with the young adults doing a production entitled, "Christmas Re-Imagined" with the story of a young man visiting his father in the hospital on Christmas and re-telling or sharing the story of "Christmas Re-imagined" with modern music and sharing of Mary and Joseph as college students and then young newlyweds giving birth in a laundry room of a hotel. I did not think something could easily top Stone Church and communion, but they did. Prior to this, we had a great time shooting the breeze (hearing funny stories) with our friend, Don and later Steve. By the time this production was over, the weather had gotten even worse with the outside looking like a giant snowglobe. We made it home ok to some wonderful hot cocoa and food.
I got up early this morning to see how things looked...It did not look like the roads had been plowed, and we found out the Temple parking lot was not plowed so we had to cancel the Christmas Day Prayer for Peace service and do it at home.
Now to my thoughts on this Christmas Eve marathon, the things that stick out...
1) E. 39th--Communion
2) Stone Church--beautiful music and presence
3) Cornerstone--young adults and their gifts
If you take Communion with God, Beautiful music praising God and focusing on His Presence plus add in Young Adults with their God-given giftedness, you have a pretty good simple definition for IHOP-KC (International House of Prayer).
Now if you add what would have been represented by the Temple, Christ, and Prayer with the Daily Prayer for Peace only make it 24/7/365 then in my humble opinion, you have a RECIPE FOR ENDOWMENT!
My prayer is that the Spirit (Ruach in OT, Pneuma in NT) will break through our walls and barriers in the same way that the wind and snow has gotten in windows and doors to this old house. Just some post-Christmas Eve thoughts on Christmas Day! Merry (mighty and endowed) Christmas and God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you the rest of this year and in 2010!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry (have a Mighty) Christmas greetings!
Merry Christmas and God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you this holiday season!
I got one of my Christmas presents early TE 230 Spiritual Disciplines by Bob Slasor and Laurie Gordon. Yes, call me "sick", but I wanted to take this Temple School course with reviews by my friend Bob Slasor. I feel that it will be a good warm-up for my courses at Faith Bible College here in Independence, MO. I also want to go through it and more of Bob and Laurie's stuff in preparation for the CCM Retreat in Texas on prayer and fasting. I have organized my journals and look forward to a great retreat on journaling, prayer, and fasting.
http://www.faithcollege.org/
http://www.cofchrist.org/ccm/ccmcalendar.asp
I visited the Temple yesterday and sort of made myself at home with getting behind the foyer desk to print out the Daily Prayer for Peace for December 25 (Peggy and I are going to be handling the service with our friend Rich coordinating it) and then paid my overdue fine in the library then went back into the Temple bookstore for some more Christmas greetings and hugs and ended up helping out as a volunteer with a product search and re-stock. I also ran into a lot of friends and acquaintances and got to give them Christmas greetings.
I want to put in a plug for one of my favorite Christmas songs--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"...
1. God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
2. In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn,
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn:
O tidings ...
3.From God our heavenly Father
A blessèd angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:
O tidings ...
4. The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoicèd much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessèd Babe to find:
O tidings ...
5. But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this Infant lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:
O tidings ...
6. Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface:
O tidings ...
From Wikipedia..."There is much confusion today about the meaning of the title. The title is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", with a comma after the word "merry", so does not refer to "merry gentlemen". In Victorian times, "merry" meant "great", "mighty" or "strong", rather than "happy". In addition, "rest" had the meaning of "keep" or "make", so the true meaning of the title is "God Keep You Strong, Gentlemen" or possibly, "God Make You Mighty, Gentlemen" as in "Robin Hood's Merry Men" so called because they were a powerful fighting force. "
GOD MAKE YOU MIGHTY, GENTLEMEN (& Gentlewomen of course too) makes a lot more sense in looking at the lyrics so this is about us becoming "mighty" or endowed as I would like to call it.
We may be doing a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day "marathon" of services culminating with the Christmas Day Prayer for Peace. If I see you, then I will wish you Merry (Have a Mighty or Endowed) Christmas in person! If I do not see you, then I bid you a Merry Christmas and God, peace, blessings, and endowment for the rest of 2009 and into 2010!
I got one of my Christmas presents early TE 230 Spiritual Disciplines by Bob Slasor and Laurie Gordon. Yes, call me "sick", but I wanted to take this Temple School course with reviews by my friend Bob Slasor. I feel that it will be a good warm-up for my courses at Faith Bible College here in Independence, MO. I also want to go through it and more of Bob and Laurie's stuff in preparation for the CCM Retreat in Texas on prayer and fasting. I have organized my journals and look forward to a great retreat on journaling, prayer, and fasting.
http://www.faithcollege.org/
http://www.cofchrist.org/ccm/ccmcalendar.asp
I visited the Temple yesterday and sort of made myself at home with getting behind the foyer desk to print out the Daily Prayer for Peace for December 25 (Peggy and I are going to be handling the service with our friend Rich coordinating it) and then paid my overdue fine in the library then went back into the Temple bookstore for some more Christmas greetings and hugs and ended up helping out as a volunteer with a product search and re-stock. I also ran into a lot of friends and acquaintances and got to give them Christmas greetings.
I want to put in a plug for one of my favorite Christmas songs--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"...
1. God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
2. In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn,
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn:
O tidings ...
3.From God our heavenly Father
A blessèd angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:
O tidings ...
4. The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoicèd much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessèd Babe to find:
O tidings ...
5. But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this Infant lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:
O tidings ...
6. Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface:
O tidings ...
From Wikipedia..."There is much confusion today about the meaning of the title. The title is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", with a comma after the word "merry", so does not refer to "merry gentlemen". In Victorian times, "merry" meant "great", "mighty" or "strong", rather than "happy". In addition, "rest" had the meaning of "keep" or "make", so the true meaning of the title is "God Keep You Strong, Gentlemen" or possibly, "God Make You Mighty, Gentlemen" as in "Robin Hood's Merry Men" so called because they were a powerful fighting force. "
GOD MAKE YOU MIGHTY, GENTLEMEN (& Gentlewomen of course too) makes a lot more sense in looking at the lyrics so this is about us becoming "mighty" or endowed as I would like to call it.
We may be doing a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day "marathon" of services culminating with the Christmas Day Prayer for Peace. If I see you, then I will wish you Merry (Have a Mighty or Endowed) Christmas in person! If I do not see you, then I bid you a Merry Christmas and God, peace, blessings, and endowment for the rest of 2009 and into 2010!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
2008 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team Spring Trip testimony
I want to briefly share my testimony in connecting with the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team. I had a seed planted years and years ago. I believe that I was a Jr. High Camper at the time. A brother Steve shared with us about a man who went down to Mexico and ran into someone who told him that, “It was not time yet.” The story was so powerful that I kind of buried it in my mind. Years later in 1996, before my very first World Conference, I met a kind, older couple who acted as Temple Ambassadors. I shared with them this story. They replied, “You must mean Neil Steede.” So I wrote the name down on my bulletin for the WC Native American service held at the Family Life Center. I still have this bulletin today. I did a very cursory search, but I never figured out where this Neil was or he was. Another decade later, the seed planted over twenty years before then came to fruition. In 2006, I was active in the “Cybercongregation”, the church’s online chatboard. A “Cyber-member” referred me to the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team and their website. I was astonished to realize that this team had been going to Mexico for over 5 years, and this team was connected with Neil Steede! I began some communication with Tim and Kevin Brown so that we met in person at a Cybercongregation “get-together” before the start of World Conference 2007. We met at Ryan’s, a buffett place here in Independence. I was so excited that I hardly ate. I was elated to see a replica of the proclamation tablet and meet Kevin Brown and Tim & Carol Brown in person. Before the week was out, Tim Brown had graciously given me a copy of Neil Steede’s book, Why I Believe…In the Historical Veracity of the Book of Mormon, and even better, he had invited me to his home for supper to meet Neil and have the book signed following WC 2007. I had a wonderful meal of homemade Mexican food and thoroughly enjoyed meeting Neil and Dorene Steede. I even got to sit in on a planning meeting for the 2007 HCET Spring Trip. What a way to end at 20+ year journey! Or rather, what a way to begin a new chapter in my own journey! (A more thorough testimony is in the September 15, 2007 newsletter though with the correction regarding the WC Native American service bulletin rather that the WC bulletin.)
With that brief summary of my journey to join the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team, I want to share my testimony with you concerning the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. (See June 15, 2008 Newsletter)
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/files/NewsletterVol2Issue2.pdf
I really wanted to go on this trip, but for various reasons, I was unable though my heart was with them. In the weeks prior to the 2008 HCET Spring Trip, I began to ask God how I could be a support back in Independence. The inspiration that I received came through the Book of Mormon and the stories of the “sons of Helaman” who credited the teachings (and prayers?) of their mothers with keeping them safe in battle. See Alma 26:53-57—‘’…yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, that God would deliver them....” and Alma 26:94-104—“…and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them….And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe, that there was a just God; and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.” These stories paralleled the stories of the sons of Mosiah who became missionaries to their enemies. The “sons of Helaman” were descendents of those converted by Ammon and his brothers, the sons of King Mosiah. I believe this is another story of how the prayers of Mosiah and others holding them up contributed to the success of their missionary efforts and their safety among their (former) enemies. See Mosiah 12:10-12---“…And the Lord said unto Mosiah, Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life, and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites…” We see this protection evident in Alma 12:160-161 when Ammon could not be slain. I wondered about the teachings and prayers of the mother of these sons of Mosiah.
With these Book of Mormon stories as inspiration, I asked to do devotions about three weeks before the trip using these scriptures and stories regarding the “sons of Helaman” and the sons of Mosiah. I shared my idea and desire to coordinate and organize prayer support for the team going on the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. With the group’s approval and support and with the help of David Brown and Carol Brown, we began with a base of 80 photo cards (10 cards per team member) with the photo and name of the team members on the face and dates of the trip and website information on the back of each card. I decided to begin with the most supportive congregations and the congregations from which the team members originated—Buckner, Village Heights, Osage Hills, and Beacon Heights. We also developed backup cards for each congregation for possible increased demand. All 80 cards were distributed by the start of the 2008 Spring Trip, and all backup cards were distributed before the end of the trip. Thanks go to congregational coordinators Johnnie Brown, Elrey Goheen, Ruth Farrand-Cox, Joe Fera, and others who helped to distribute cards to 170 plus persons who took on the role of prayer partners/warriors for the 2008 Spring Trip. Other supportive congregations and groups included New Philadelphia, Ohio; HART Ministries; Celebration Ministries, Contemporary Christian Ministries, and many others.
Comments from those who traveled on the Spring Trip this year credited the prayer support for their safety, for a smooth driving trip including no problems during the border crossing, and for “God-incidences” related to experiences with Paula and persons of Piedra Ancha and the Santa Domingo river valley. I really appreciated the many persons who contributed to this prayer support during the 2008 Spring Expedition. The progress made will be manifested in the years to come.
I want to close with my personal testimony regarding acting as 2008 Spring Trip prayer partner/warrior coordinator. I decided to fast for the whole time that the team was down in Mexico. It would be the longest fast of my life. I do not testify regarding this to lift me up or brag because all glory belongs to Christ. I use this to explain the context regarding my prayer support coordination. I was blessed with numerous testimonies in support of the Hill Cumorah Expediton Team and the 2008 Trip. I really wanted to be there though I felt more involved with the team than ever before due to regular updates by David and email back and forth with Kevin and other team members. I was thankful to God for my small part in supporting the team, and thankful for the Spirit and blessings of God evident on this trip. One particular testimony stands out. An inspiration and testimony given to me by the Spirit was that I would be going the next year---that I would be a part of the 2009 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team Spring Trip. This was a dream come true from 2006 when I first learned about the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team and from being a Jr. High Church camper hearing the story about Neil! I would finally get to go on a trip with Neil and with other Hill Cumorah Expedition Team members.
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/index.html
With that brief summary of my journey to join the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team, I want to share my testimony with you concerning the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. (See June 15, 2008 Newsletter)
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/files/NewsletterVol2Issue2.pdf
I really wanted to go on this trip, but for various reasons, I was unable though my heart was with them. In the weeks prior to the 2008 HCET Spring Trip, I began to ask God how I could be a support back in Independence. The inspiration that I received came through the Book of Mormon and the stories of the “sons of Helaman” who credited the teachings (and prayers?) of their mothers with keeping them safe in battle. See Alma 26:53-57—‘’…yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, that God would deliver them....” and Alma 26:94-104—“…and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them….And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe, that there was a just God; and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.” These stories paralleled the stories of the sons of Mosiah who became missionaries to their enemies. The “sons of Helaman” were descendents of those converted by Ammon and his brothers, the sons of King Mosiah. I believe this is another story of how the prayers of Mosiah and others holding them up contributed to the success of their missionary efforts and their safety among their (former) enemies. See Mosiah 12:10-12---“…And the Lord said unto Mosiah, Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life, and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites…” We see this protection evident in Alma 12:160-161 when Ammon could not be slain. I wondered about the teachings and prayers of the mother of these sons of Mosiah.
With these Book of Mormon stories as inspiration, I asked to do devotions about three weeks before the trip using these scriptures and stories regarding the “sons of Helaman” and the sons of Mosiah. I shared my idea and desire to coordinate and organize prayer support for the team going on the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. With the group’s approval and support and with the help of David Brown and Carol Brown, we began with a base of 80 photo cards (10 cards per team member) with the photo and name of the team members on the face and dates of the trip and website information on the back of each card. I decided to begin with the most supportive congregations and the congregations from which the team members originated—Buckner, Village Heights, Osage Hills, and Beacon Heights. We also developed backup cards for each congregation for possible increased demand. All 80 cards were distributed by the start of the 2008 Spring Trip, and all backup cards were distributed before the end of the trip. Thanks go to congregational coordinators Johnnie Brown, Elrey Goheen, Ruth Farrand-Cox, Joe Fera, and others who helped to distribute cards to 170 plus persons who took on the role of prayer partners/warriors for the 2008 Spring Trip. Other supportive congregations and groups included New Philadelphia, Ohio; HART Ministries; Celebration Ministries, Contemporary Christian Ministries, and many others.
Comments from those who traveled on the Spring Trip this year credited the prayer support for their safety, for a smooth driving trip including no problems during the border crossing, and for “God-incidences” related to experiences with Paula and persons of Piedra Ancha and the Santa Domingo river valley. I really appreciated the many persons who contributed to this prayer support during the 2008 Spring Expedition. The progress made will be manifested in the years to come.
I want to close with my personal testimony regarding acting as 2008 Spring Trip prayer partner/warrior coordinator. I decided to fast for the whole time that the team was down in Mexico. It would be the longest fast of my life. I do not testify regarding this to lift me up or brag because all glory belongs to Christ. I use this to explain the context regarding my prayer support coordination. I was blessed with numerous testimonies in support of the Hill Cumorah Expediton Team and the 2008 Trip. I really wanted to be there though I felt more involved with the team than ever before due to regular updates by David and email back and forth with Kevin and other team members. I was thankful to God for my small part in supporting the team, and thankful for the Spirit and blessings of God evident on this trip. One particular testimony stands out. An inspiration and testimony given to me by the Spirit was that I would be going the next year---that I would be a part of the 2009 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team Spring Trip. This was a dream come true from 2006 when I first learned about the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team and from being a Jr. High Church camper hearing the story about Neil! I would finally get to go on a trip with Neil and with other Hill Cumorah Expedition Team members.
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/index.html
My testimony of the 2009 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team Spring Trip
My testimony of the 2009 HCET spring trip
My testimony regarding the 2009 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team spring trip begins with the time prior to the 2008 HCET spring trip. I felt led to call Tim Brown for a request to “bring” the devotions at the beginning of a HCET meeting in preparation for the 2008 spring trip. My devotions were based on the “sons of Helaman” (stripling warriors) and sons of Mosiah who are some of my heroes in the Book of Mormon. These stories inspired me to suggest a more formalized prayer coordination in support of the team. In coordinating this job, God “told” me (gave me knowledge) that I would be going the next year (2009). I was elated. I spent the year wondering how he would do it. I was hired to teach Health Literacy at a men’s recovery program in Kansas City, but I was only working about 15 hours per week. I made enough money to live on, but that was barely enough. I did not lose faith. When I experienced doubt, I would just thank God for this promise from the previous year (2008).
I closed the door on some other ministry I was involved in mostly as a volunteer. After giving this up, the next day, the executive director and my supervisor asked me if I would be interested in doubling my hours at work from 15 to 30. I wondered if this would provide me with the money for going on the trip. It did. I paid for my trip by the end of February and began to get prepared for my first Hill Cumorah Expedition Team trip. God fulfilled His promise and gave me another testimony!
I spent my last free Saturday, before leaving the following week, in the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, MO doing research on the Hill Cumorah. I found some interesting stuff in the archives including a Hill Cumorah pageant entitled “Remember Cumorah” by Elbert Smith in 1927 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, September 22, 1827. This pageant included the characters of the Three Nephites. After finishing my research on the Hill Cumorah, I felt led to do some additional research on the Three Nephites. Time seemed to slow and intensify as I found 3 Herald articles (February 10, 1897; June 19, 1929; December 4, 1929). The June article was especially interesting for a possible encounter between the 3 Nephites and one of the men of Columbus. I shared with some friends before I left and was blessed by another testimony regarding a possible encounter with one of the 3 (Nephites). As I left the Temple, I experienced the Spirit strongly as a mantle or “Comforter” in finding and finishing all my research on the Hill Cumorah and especially in this new information regarding the 3 Nephites. I was even more excited about going on the trip!
I want to express a special “Thank you!” to Sandy Sullivan and the “Knit-Us-Together” prayer shawl group of the New Philadelphia congregation for a quick prayer shawl for Paula of Piedra Ancha, the prophetic woman met by the group on the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Tuxtepec and Jalapa are about 2000 miles from Independence, MO so the travel is extensive and grueling (obviously more for the drivers than the flyers). A little “God-incidence” (God-blessed coincidence) occurred in sharing the first flight from KCI to Dallas with Jim Slauter, the head of the Council of Twelve. We chatted briefly with him at KCI and at Dallas where we met up with Mike. We managed to rent a vehicle and get out of Mexico City without too much difficulty. We did have an encounter with the Costa Rican soccer team fan club which was greeting their team at the airport for a re-match with Mexico. We managed to get out of Mexico City, but we had some difficulty with the vehicle overheating and losing its coolant in the mountains south of Mexico City. Mike was very cool, found a place to pull over, and had to have the thermometer and coolant replaced. I was impressed at how calmly Mike dealt with the problem and got us back on the road to Puebla. We found out the drivers were not too far behind us when leaving Mexico City so we hoped to be together for a late supper in Puebla. It was not to be. The drivers got delayed in Mexico City. We got to Puebla and shared a late supper with just the four of us–Mike Brown, Carol Brown, Chris Scott, and myself. I seemed to be getting over my jet lag and altitude sickness and felt better following some rest at the hotel.
I was using Mike’s computer late when the drivers finally arrived at our hotel in Puebla at about 1 am. We were finally together–the eight of us–Neil, Tim, Jerry, David along with the four of us who had flown in to Mexico City and then driven down to Puebla. We slept in a little, had a very good breakfast, and then had devotions before hitting the road for the trip from Puebla to Tuxtepec where we would be staying for most of the trip.
Driving in Mexico is not like driving in the states. It is hard to describe if you have not experienced it before. I have to give Mike and Tim credit for handling the driving, not to mention with an attached trailer. There is a lot of passing with little room to spare though there is some honking at times. I did not notice the “road rage” like you might experience in the states. The drivers share space with pedestrians, horseback riders, tractors pulling sugar cane loads, etc. Most of the time, the drivers are pretty accommodating in allowing others to get around them.
We got into Tuxtepec. I was pleased to be sharing a room with Tim Brown for the trip. Tim had been on all the previous trips so I enjoyed asking about all those trips. I am not sure how pleased Tim was during the trip to share a room with me. I had a lot of difficulty in sleeping with the excitement and challenges of the trip. I was thankful to be able to talk with Tim and all the other team members in regards to their experiences over 9 years especially with Tim and Mike and over 30+ years with Neil. One of the best parts of the trip was the interaction and fellowship with the other team members. These conversations and the daily devotions from the Book of Mormon made the book and testimonies (from 2001-2008) come alive for me.
I experienced a powerful feeling of the Spirit with our devotions together in the morning of our first full day in Jalapa and surrounding area. I envisioned the team enveloped with light and surrounded by angels as we lifted up our friends and ministry of the trip in prayer. This first day started with meeting and renewing our friendship with the family of Moises, Isabel, Marta. We shared in some coffee and rolls and conversation and eventually had communion outside on the porch. I was impressed the way that Neil alternated back and forth between Spanish and English with the communion message. “Rookies” Chris and I got to serve communion under the imposing presence of the hill (mountain). The Spirit was powerful with sharing with our friends below Cerro Rabon’s heights which were covered in mist and fog due to unseasonably cool temperatures in the 80's. This did not clear off until later in the day. I could not help thinking about the relevance of the records coming forth in relation to the beautiful spirit exhibited by Marta in a wheelchair, paralyzed from polio earlier in her life. Her smile is contagious, and Tim loves to spend time and dote on her. Neil invited the family to come and visit with us back at the hotel in Tuxtepec. They agreed. We then went on to greet and share with Catalina’s parents and family with Neil speaking with Catalina via a cell phone. Catalina was the one bitten by a snake back in 2005 when doors opened for ministry and friendship with persons in the area. We spent some time visiting in Jalapa and set up being able to drop off the donated clothes that we brought in the trailer. We decided to hold back a couple of bags for our friends in Piedra Ancha, the little village across the river, the Santa Domingo.
Next day, we dropped off most of the clothes with Felipa, a friend and contact in Jalapa. We then attempted to visit Piedra Ancha to reconnect with Paula, the prophetic woman from last year, and her family and other friends. Unfortunately, we found out the road was too rough for the rental van and tore a hole in the oil pan. God blessed us as we crowded in to the Expedition and came across a tow truck on the way back to Tuxtepec. They went back and picked up Isabel, Moises, Marta, Juanita, and Maria after getting the van towed back to Tuxtepec to be fixed. We had a good time looking at pictures from previous trips, playing by the pool (big kids Tim and Neil with Juanita and Maria) and then sharing in supper. This was a good time for the team and our friends to share. We were glad that Mike finally made it back late for supper, due to repairs on the van but still in time to visit with our friends.
We spent a “siesta day” while the van was getting repaired, and they took our friends back home.
A trip to La Venta did not work out, so we focused on the “Mixtec Outlook”. Tim kept thinking I needed to go caving which I refused (We need Kevin and Joe for this!) . The caving did not work out anyways. I did go on our three trips to Ayautla, a little village beyond Jalapa, below some of the cliffs that are a part of Cerro Rabon. The Mexican officials had this poor village’s name misspelled from both the east and west directions. We went three times, once with Moises, and then with Neil. The first two trips seemed to establish contact, but we could not do any exploration without local officials’ approval.
With extra time, we picked a nice “temperate” day of 108 degrees to hike up to find this stela (standing stone) below Cerro Rabon’s heights. Neil shared his history with finding this stela in the past. It took Mike and Tim awhile to find it in the jungle next to some pasturage going up the skirt of Cerro Rabon. After surviving this first hike, albeit slightly overheated, we then sang our way back down to the air-conditioned vehicles. I give credit to the early groups who spent most of the time in the jungle and rotated in and out. Jungle man, I am not!
After this initial hike, we then planned the next day to scale “Cumorahcita” (little Cumorah), the hill below Cerro Rabon. This was quite a hike also going to the two peaks of this hill, and passing through a cemetery on the way up. My Ipod (finally working and with some praise music and Book of Mormon passages on it), camera, and machete are not a good mix though I enjoyed listening to the Audio Book of Mormon while hiking this hill. Multi-tasking man, I am not! Tim will probably not have me lead with the machete again because being a shutterbug and front man with machete was not an endearing combination with Neil often leading on the way. David, Chris, and I managed to do some measurements on top of the hill, but it was more overgrown than the year before and they had put a fence over the top of it. I got some great shots of Cerro Rabon and our visit to the overlook from our first trip to Ayautla. After this hike, we did visit Paula and family. We dropped off the prayer shawl, but Paula was resting so we did not get a picture (Sorry Sandy and New Philadelphia, Ohio prayer shawl group!). We were going to say goodbye to our friends in Piedra Ancha when we got stopped by the mayor, Juan. We had a good visit with our friend Lupe, Juan’s wife, and provided administration per request. There was a powerful presence of the Spirit with this visit. We also had a mother and daughter stay to thank us for the clothes dropped off for them earlier. The fatigue from the hike faded in the face of the blessing of being with new friends and providing ministry in the area (see Fall 2009 Cumorah Messenger). God is so good!
Our third trip, very early in the morning, to Ayautla began with leaving about 4-5 am for the hour plus trip from Tuxtepec to Jalapa and then beyond to Ayautla. We did catch a great sunrise silhouetting Cerro Rabon and Cumorahcita. Can you imagine an endless host of Lamanites descending on their brethren and families in a wave of extermination and genocide? I remember bringing devotions and pondering the effects of the remnant of the Nephites around Cumorah with 240,000 men with their families exhausting all the resources. Imagine the fear engendered in being overwhelmed by your brethren that want you wiped off the face of the earth...(see Neil’s 2006 testimony).
Back to Ayautla after my ramblings, we seemed to have approval only to be blocked by a roof and then to be brought back to talk with the local official again. We seemed to have struck out (3 times) with the “Mixtec Outlook” when a young man spoke to us about artifacts. When we had about given up (at least for this trip), the Lord opened the door for a new contact and the photographic recording of artifacts reported being from caves up the cliff face and in the vicinity. So we had a lead for next year. Thank you, Lord!
We ended our trip with a goodbye visit to our friends in Jalapa and then with Isabel and family. We were blessed with another supper one night at the hotel in which Mike and Neil “generously” shared from their meals while Isabel patiently waited on hers. She was a good sport!
We visited Jalapa and its market on Palm Sunday. Do not try to go up the market when the church lets out down the market. We ran into Catalina’s parents and visited with them. I managed to get a Mazatec-Espanol (Mazatec-Spanish) primer with Mike’s help, visited our friends, and then went to visit with Moises, Isabel, Marta, and Juanita for a final time. I told Mike that Jalapa’s open air markets could match Independence Mall back home with all kinds of vendors and things to buy and sell. He reminded me that it (the open air market) did not have air-conditioning. I took a trip with a bunch of intelligent (Neil, Carol, Chris) persons and some “smart-alecks” (Tim, Mike, Neil at times) and quick wits (Jerry, David)!
We spent a little bit of time waiting for our “goodbye” dinner with Isabel, Marta, Moises, and Juanita. While we waited, Tim pointed out the locations on Cerro Rabon for base camp and cave camp from previous trips. It was Sunday, April 5, the day before the church’s anniversary. We would be leaving the next day to allow for a full day at Teotihuacan to see and experience the pyramids. While waiting, I felt a powerful experience of the Spirit regarding the Three Nephites, powerful like prior to the trip. It is only my subjective testimony with no objective proof (sight, encounter), but I believe they were present there and stand by my testimony!
It was tough to say goodbye, but we had some funny moments with fresh jalapeno peppers and Isabel joking with Neil and the team and some tender moments with spending time with Marta and prayer over the family and saying goodbyes to these dear friends. We will miss them, but we had some homemade “souvenirs” (handmade garments, tortilla covers, and our beautiful “Rabon Cumorah” shirts) matching the cliff faces above the home of our friends.
We tried to get President Veazey’s address later that night without much luck, packed up, and left Tuxtepec for Puebla. We got to eat in Puebla by the zocalo (open air square in middle of town where persons gather) and visit their famous marketplace for some more gifts for our family and friends at home. We got to catch President Veazey’s address this next night in Puebla on April 6. I found out that there were technical problems so everyone outside the Temple had to download it off the church site and see the recording. I guess it is more fitting for April 6.
The next day we travelled to Teotihuacan and experienced this world-famous archeological site with its Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (Plumed Serpent heads), Pyramid of the Moon, and Pyramid of the Sun. I climbed platforms in front of the first two (Quetzalcoatl, Moon), had a personal tour with Neil sharing insights about the site especially with Chris and myself, and then climbed the enormous Pyramid of Sun. What a view from the top! I have a short 360 degree video on my Facebook and the HCET Facebook group. It was quite a climb, but I am glad I did it! I even have a zoom shot of Tim & Carol, Neil, and Jerry waiting on us to come back down. Thank you for your patience! I am not glad that I did not take water with me. This site is extensive over a large area. After getting back, I could hardly walk for half a week. My friend, Peggy, who coordinated the prayer warrior effort joked that I went to Mexico a young (relatively speaking) and healthy man and came back as an “old man”.
I am so glad that I went. I thank God for providing the means. I am so appreciative of Tim, Mike, Neil, Carol, David, Jerry, and Chris. It was unforgettable and memorable sharing this trip with all of you. God blessed us and used us in ministry in some powerful ways! We had some setbacks and some surprises and some new contacts and leads for exploration. I look forward to my continued membership, support, and involvement in the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team (and God willing, more trips in the future). Need a “roomie”, Tim? (just kidding!) God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you!
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/index.html
My testimony regarding the 2009 Hill Cumorah Expedition Team spring trip begins with the time prior to the 2008 HCET spring trip. I felt led to call Tim Brown for a request to “bring” the devotions at the beginning of a HCET meeting in preparation for the 2008 spring trip. My devotions were based on the “sons of Helaman” (stripling warriors) and sons of Mosiah who are some of my heroes in the Book of Mormon. These stories inspired me to suggest a more formalized prayer coordination in support of the team. In coordinating this job, God “told” me (gave me knowledge) that I would be going the next year (2009). I was elated. I spent the year wondering how he would do it. I was hired to teach Health Literacy at a men’s recovery program in Kansas City, but I was only working about 15 hours per week. I made enough money to live on, but that was barely enough. I did not lose faith. When I experienced doubt, I would just thank God for this promise from the previous year (2008).
I closed the door on some other ministry I was involved in mostly as a volunteer. After giving this up, the next day, the executive director and my supervisor asked me if I would be interested in doubling my hours at work from 15 to 30. I wondered if this would provide me with the money for going on the trip. It did. I paid for my trip by the end of February and began to get prepared for my first Hill Cumorah Expedition Team trip. God fulfilled His promise and gave me another testimony!
I spent my last free Saturday, before leaving the following week, in the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, MO doing research on the Hill Cumorah. I found some interesting stuff in the archives including a Hill Cumorah pageant entitled “Remember Cumorah” by Elbert Smith in 1927 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, September 22, 1827. This pageant included the characters of the Three Nephites. After finishing my research on the Hill Cumorah, I felt led to do some additional research on the Three Nephites. Time seemed to slow and intensify as I found 3 Herald articles (February 10, 1897; June 19, 1929; December 4, 1929). The June article was especially interesting for a possible encounter between the 3 Nephites and one of the men of Columbus. I shared with some friends before I left and was blessed by another testimony regarding a possible encounter with one of the 3 (Nephites). As I left the Temple, I experienced the Spirit strongly as a mantle or “Comforter” in finding and finishing all my research on the Hill Cumorah and especially in this new information regarding the 3 Nephites. I was even more excited about going on the trip!
I want to express a special “Thank you!” to Sandy Sullivan and the “Knit-Us-Together” prayer shawl group of the New Philadelphia congregation for a quick prayer shawl for Paula of Piedra Ancha, the prophetic woman met by the group on the 2008 HCET Spring Trip. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Tuxtepec and Jalapa are about 2000 miles from Independence, MO so the travel is extensive and grueling (obviously more for the drivers than the flyers). A little “God-incidence” (God-blessed coincidence) occurred in sharing the first flight from KCI to Dallas with Jim Slauter, the head of the Council of Twelve. We chatted briefly with him at KCI and at Dallas where we met up with Mike. We managed to rent a vehicle and get out of Mexico City without too much difficulty. We did have an encounter with the Costa Rican soccer team fan club which was greeting their team at the airport for a re-match with Mexico. We managed to get out of Mexico City, but we had some difficulty with the vehicle overheating and losing its coolant in the mountains south of Mexico City. Mike was very cool, found a place to pull over, and had to have the thermometer and coolant replaced. I was impressed at how calmly Mike dealt with the problem and got us back on the road to Puebla. We found out the drivers were not too far behind us when leaving Mexico City so we hoped to be together for a late supper in Puebla. It was not to be. The drivers got delayed in Mexico City. We got to Puebla and shared a late supper with just the four of us–Mike Brown, Carol Brown, Chris Scott, and myself. I seemed to be getting over my jet lag and altitude sickness and felt better following some rest at the hotel.
I was using Mike’s computer late when the drivers finally arrived at our hotel in Puebla at about 1 am. We were finally together–the eight of us–Neil, Tim, Jerry, David along with the four of us who had flown in to Mexico City and then driven down to Puebla. We slept in a little, had a very good breakfast, and then had devotions before hitting the road for the trip from Puebla to Tuxtepec where we would be staying for most of the trip.
Driving in Mexico is not like driving in the states. It is hard to describe if you have not experienced it before. I have to give Mike and Tim credit for handling the driving, not to mention with an attached trailer. There is a lot of passing with little room to spare though there is some honking at times. I did not notice the “road rage” like you might experience in the states. The drivers share space with pedestrians, horseback riders, tractors pulling sugar cane loads, etc. Most of the time, the drivers are pretty accommodating in allowing others to get around them.
We got into Tuxtepec. I was pleased to be sharing a room with Tim Brown for the trip. Tim had been on all the previous trips so I enjoyed asking about all those trips. I am not sure how pleased Tim was during the trip to share a room with me. I had a lot of difficulty in sleeping with the excitement and challenges of the trip. I was thankful to be able to talk with Tim and all the other team members in regards to their experiences over 9 years especially with Tim and Mike and over 30+ years with Neil. One of the best parts of the trip was the interaction and fellowship with the other team members. These conversations and the daily devotions from the Book of Mormon made the book and testimonies (from 2001-2008) come alive for me.
I experienced a powerful feeling of the Spirit with our devotions together in the morning of our first full day in Jalapa and surrounding area. I envisioned the team enveloped with light and surrounded by angels as we lifted up our friends and ministry of the trip in prayer. This first day started with meeting and renewing our friendship with the family of Moises, Isabel, Marta. We shared in some coffee and rolls and conversation and eventually had communion outside on the porch. I was impressed the way that Neil alternated back and forth between Spanish and English with the communion message. “Rookies” Chris and I got to serve communion under the imposing presence of the hill (mountain). The Spirit was powerful with sharing with our friends below Cerro Rabon’s heights which were covered in mist and fog due to unseasonably cool temperatures in the 80's. This did not clear off until later in the day. I could not help thinking about the relevance of the records coming forth in relation to the beautiful spirit exhibited by Marta in a wheelchair, paralyzed from polio earlier in her life. Her smile is contagious, and Tim loves to spend time and dote on her. Neil invited the family to come and visit with us back at the hotel in Tuxtepec. They agreed. We then went on to greet and share with Catalina’s parents and family with Neil speaking with Catalina via a cell phone. Catalina was the one bitten by a snake back in 2005 when doors opened for ministry and friendship with persons in the area. We spent some time visiting in Jalapa and set up being able to drop off the donated clothes that we brought in the trailer. We decided to hold back a couple of bags for our friends in Piedra Ancha, the little village across the river, the Santa Domingo.
Next day, we dropped off most of the clothes with Felipa, a friend and contact in Jalapa. We then attempted to visit Piedra Ancha to reconnect with Paula, the prophetic woman from last year, and her family and other friends. Unfortunately, we found out the road was too rough for the rental van and tore a hole in the oil pan. God blessed us as we crowded in to the Expedition and came across a tow truck on the way back to Tuxtepec. They went back and picked up Isabel, Moises, Marta, Juanita, and Maria after getting the van towed back to Tuxtepec to be fixed. We had a good time looking at pictures from previous trips, playing by the pool (big kids Tim and Neil with Juanita and Maria) and then sharing in supper. This was a good time for the team and our friends to share. We were glad that Mike finally made it back late for supper, due to repairs on the van but still in time to visit with our friends.
We spent a “siesta day” while the van was getting repaired, and they took our friends back home.
A trip to La Venta did not work out, so we focused on the “Mixtec Outlook”. Tim kept thinking I needed to go caving which I refused (We need Kevin and Joe for this!) . The caving did not work out anyways. I did go on our three trips to Ayautla, a little village beyond Jalapa, below some of the cliffs that are a part of Cerro Rabon. The Mexican officials had this poor village’s name misspelled from both the east and west directions. We went three times, once with Moises, and then with Neil. The first two trips seemed to establish contact, but we could not do any exploration without local officials’ approval.
With extra time, we picked a nice “temperate” day of 108 degrees to hike up to find this stela (standing stone) below Cerro Rabon’s heights. Neil shared his history with finding this stela in the past. It took Mike and Tim awhile to find it in the jungle next to some pasturage going up the skirt of Cerro Rabon. After surviving this first hike, albeit slightly overheated, we then sang our way back down to the air-conditioned vehicles. I give credit to the early groups who spent most of the time in the jungle and rotated in and out. Jungle man, I am not!
After this initial hike, we then planned the next day to scale “Cumorahcita” (little Cumorah), the hill below Cerro Rabon. This was quite a hike also going to the two peaks of this hill, and passing through a cemetery on the way up. My Ipod (finally working and with some praise music and Book of Mormon passages on it), camera, and machete are not a good mix though I enjoyed listening to the Audio Book of Mormon while hiking this hill. Multi-tasking man, I am not! Tim will probably not have me lead with the machete again because being a shutterbug and front man with machete was not an endearing combination with Neil often leading on the way. David, Chris, and I managed to do some measurements on top of the hill, but it was more overgrown than the year before and they had put a fence over the top of it. I got some great shots of Cerro Rabon and our visit to the overlook from our first trip to Ayautla. After this hike, we did visit Paula and family. We dropped off the prayer shawl, but Paula was resting so we did not get a picture (Sorry Sandy and New Philadelphia, Ohio prayer shawl group!). We were going to say goodbye to our friends in Piedra Ancha when we got stopped by the mayor, Juan. We had a good visit with our friend Lupe, Juan’s wife, and provided administration per request. There was a powerful presence of the Spirit with this visit. We also had a mother and daughter stay to thank us for the clothes dropped off for them earlier. The fatigue from the hike faded in the face of the blessing of being with new friends and providing ministry in the area (see Fall 2009 Cumorah Messenger). God is so good!
Our third trip, very early in the morning, to Ayautla began with leaving about 4-5 am for the hour plus trip from Tuxtepec to Jalapa and then beyond to Ayautla. We did catch a great sunrise silhouetting Cerro Rabon and Cumorahcita. Can you imagine an endless host of Lamanites descending on their brethren and families in a wave of extermination and genocide? I remember bringing devotions and pondering the effects of the remnant of the Nephites around Cumorah with 240,000 men with their families exhausting all the resources. Imagine the fear engendered in being overwhelmed by your brethren that want you wiped off the face of the earth...(see Neil’s 2006 testimony).
Back to Ayautla after my ramblings, we seemed to have approval only to be blocked by a roof and then to be brought back to talk with the local official again. We seemed to have struck out (3 times) with the “Mixtec Outlook” when a young man spoke to us about artifacts. When we had about given up (at least for this trip), the Lord opened the door for a new contact and the photographic recording of artifacts reported being from caves up the cliff face and in the vicinity. So we had a lead for next year. Thank you, Lord!
We ended our trip with a goodbye visit to our friends in Jalapa and then with Isabel and family. We were blessed with another supper one night at the hotel in which Mike and Neil “generously” shared from their meals while Isabel patiently waited on hers. She was a good sport!
We visited Jalapa and its market on Palm Sunday. Do not try to go up the market when the church lets out down the market. We ran into Catalina’s parents and visited with them. I managed to get a Mazatec-Espanol (Mazatec-Spanish) primer with Mike’s help, visited our friends, and then went to visit with Moises, Isabel, Marta, and Juanita for a final time. I told Mike that Jalapa’s open air markets could match Independence Mall back home with all kinds of vendors and things to buy and sell. He reminded me that it (the open air market) did not have air-conditioning. I took a trip with a bunch of intelligent (Neil, Carol, Chris) persons and some “smart-alecks” (Tim, Mike, Neil at times) and quick wits (Jerry, David)!
We spent a little bit of time waiting for our “goodbye” dinner with Isabel, Marta, Moises, and Juanita. While we waited, Tim pointed out the locations on Cerro Rabon for base camp and cave camp from previous trips. It was Sunday, April 5, the day before the church’s anniversary. We would be leaving the next day to allow for a full day at Teotihuacan to see and experience the pyramids. While waiting, I felt a powerful experience of the Spirit regarding the Three Nephites, powerful like prior to the trip. It is only my subjective testimony with no objective proof (sight, encounter), but I believe they were present there and stand by my testimony!
It was tough to say goodbye, but we had some funny moments with fresh jalapeno peppers and Isabel joking with Neil and the team and some tender moments with spending time with Marta and prayer over the family and saying goodbyes to these dear friends. We will miss them, but we had some homemade “souvenirs” (handmade garments, tortilla covers, and our beautiful “Rabon Cumorah” shirts) matching the cliff faces above the home of our friends.
We tried to get President Veazey’s address later that night without much luck, packed up, and left Tuxtepec for Puebla. We got to eat in Puebla by the zocalo (open air square in middle of town where persons gather) and visit their famous marketplace for some more gifts for our family and friends at home. We got to catch President Veazey’s address this next night in Puebla on April 6. I found out that there were technical problems so everyone outside the Temple had to download it off the church site and see the recording. I guess it is more fitting for April 6.
The next day we travelled to Teotihuacan and experienced this world-famous archeological site with its Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (Plumed Serpent heads), Pyramid of the Moon, and Pyramid of the Sun. I climbed platforms in front of the first two (Quetzalcoatl, Moon), had a personal tour with Neil sharing insights about the site especially with Chris and myself, and then climbed the enormous Pyramid of Sun. What a view from the top! I have a short 360 degree video on my Facebook and the HCET Facebook group. It was quite a climb, but I am glad I did it! I even have a zoom shot of Tim & Carol, Neil, and Jerry waiting on us to come back down. Thank you for your patience! I am not glad that I did not take water with me. This site is extensive over a large area. After getting back, I could hardly walk for half a week. My friend, Peggy, who coordinated the prayer warrior effort joked that I went to Mexico a young (relatively speaking) and healthy man and came back as an “old man”.
I am so glad that I went. I thank God for providing the means. I am so appreciative of Tim, Mike, Neil, Carol, David, Jerry, and Chris. It was unforgettable and memorable sharing this trip with all of you. God blessed us and used us in ministry in some powerful ways! We had some setbacks and some surprises and some new contacts and leads for exploration. I look forward to my continued membership, support, and involvement in the Hill Cumorah Expedition Team (and God willing, more trips in the future). Need a “roomie”, Tim? (just kidding!) God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you!
http://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/index.html
Powerpoint presentation of Latter Days Dream Part 2
Slide 13: Third Storm: Square
Genesis 7:70 IV---”…gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
See references from all 3 books of Scriptures
Slide 14: Bible (Inspired Version) References
*Genesis 7:70 * (same as D & C 36:12f)-- “…gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
Isaiah 11:12—“…gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Jeremiah 9:26—“…all that are in the utmost corners…”
Jeremiah 25:23—“…in the utmost corners,…”
*Jeremiah 49:36—“…upon the Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven…”
Ezekiel 38:6—“…north quarters…”
*Matthew 24:28—“…eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.”
*Mark 13:31—“So likewise, shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.”
Revelation 7:1—“…I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth….”
Revelation 20:8—“…deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth….”
Slide 15: Book of Mormon references
*1 Nephi 5:255—“…all the people which are of the house of Israel will I gather in….from the four quarters of the earth.”
*1 Nephi 7:56—“And He gathereth His children from the four quarters of the earth;”
*3 Nephi 2:107, 109—“…gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob…” “…and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth to their own lands…”
*3 Nephi 7:29—“And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfill the covenant with the Father….house of Israel.”
*Ether 6:12—“And they are they which were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth and from the North Countries. And are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant….”
Slide 16: Doctrine & Covenants References
Section 32:2b—“…and even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice.”
*Section 36:12f (same as Genesis 7:70 IV)—“…and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out my own elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
*Section 45:7b—“…and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.”
Section 108:2c—“…The time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you, Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Slide 17: Fourth Storm: Triangle
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down from heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 18: Fourth Storm: Triangle
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down from heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 19: Fourth Storm: Triangle--Interpretation
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve [Zion]; and righteousness will I send down from heaven [great Endowment], and truth will I send forth out of the earth[Records], to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 20: Fourth Storm: Triangle Interpretation (Diagram of 4 triangles as one big triangle) : "Endowment (Righteousness from Heaven)" [upper], "Zion (Preserve My People)" [left], "Triangle Storm Interpretation" [middle], "Records (Truth out of earth)" [right]
Slide 21: Series of 4 storms-in-one: Spiral--Octagon--Square--Triangle
Slide 22: Summary of interpretation of storms dream
Spiral--Church; Temple & Priesthood & Membership
Octagon--G-8 (now G-20) Industrialized Countries; World Economy
Square--Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Restoration of Temple & Gathering
Triangle--Endowment; Zion; Records come forth
Slide 23: Thank you!
Genesis 7:70 IV---”…gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
See references from all 3 books of Scriptures
Slide 14: Bible (Inspired Version) References
*Genesis 7:70 * (same as D & C 36:12f)-- “…gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
Isaiah 11:12—“…gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Jeremiah 9:26—“…all that are in the utmost corners…”
Jeremiah 25:23—“…in the utmost corners,…”
*Jeremiah 49:36—“…upon the Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven…”
Ezekiel 38:6—“…north quarters…”
*Matthew 24:28—“…eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.”
*Mark 13:31—“So likewise, shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.”
Revelation 7:1—“…I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth….”
Revelation 20:8—“…deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth….”
Slide 15: Book of Mormon references
*1 Nephi 5:255—“…all the people which are of the house of Israel will I gather in….from the four quarters of the earth.”
*1 Nephi 7:56—“And He gathereth His children from the four quarters of the earth;”
*3 Nephi 2:107, 109—“…gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob…” “…and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth to their own lands…”
*3 Nephi 7:29—“And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfill the covenant with the Father….house of Israel.”
*Ether 6:12—“And they are they which were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth and from the North Countries. And are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant….”
Slide 16: Doctrine & Covenants References
Section 32:2b—“…and even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice.”
*Section 36:12f (same as Genesis 7:70 IV)—“…and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out my own elect from the four quarters of the earth…”
*Section 45:7b—“…and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.”
Section 108:2c—“…The time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you, Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Slide 17: Fourth Storm: Triangle
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down from heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 18: Fourth Storm: Triangle
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down from heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 19: Fourth Storm: Triangle--Interpretation
Key Scripture: Genesis 7:69 IV (Also D & C 36:12e) –”And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve [Zion]; and righteousness will I send down from heaven [great Endowment], and truth will I send forth out of the earth[Records], to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Slide 20: Fourth Storm: Triangle Interpretation (Diagram of 4 triangles as one big triangle) : "Endowment (Righteousness from Heaven)" [upper], "Zion (Preserve My People)" [left], "Triangle Storm Interpretation" [middle], "Records (Truth out of earth)" [right]
Slide 21: Series of 4 storms-in-one: Spiral--Octagon--Square--Triangle
Slide 22: Summary of interpretation of storms dream
Spiral--Church; Temple & Priesthood & Membership
Octagon--G-8 (now G-20) Industrialized Countries; World Economy
Square--Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Restoration of Temple & Gathering
Triangle--Endowment; Zion; Records come forth
Slide 23: Thank you!
Powerpoint presentation of Latter Days Dream Part 1
First slide: "Latter Days Dream"--Peggy J.; Interpretation help--Randall Lawrence and others
Slide 2--Disclaimer:
This dream and its interpretation is based solely on the opinions and confirmations of Randall Lawrence, Peggy J., and others.
It is seen as a warning in our opinion, but it does not represent any official position or interpretation of the Community of Christ or any other Restoration movement group.
Slide 3: Series of 4 storms-in-one: (1) Spiral (2) Octagon (3) Square (4) Triangle
Slide 4: Setting--friends sitting together
Friends-Peggy, Randall, and Dan are sitting in front of Peace Plaza looking toward Community of Christ Temple with joy while others are in a state of terror over the approach of these 4 storms-in-one
It has taken much prayer, help, and discussion for the revealing of the interpretation of this dream and the meaning of these storms
Slide 5: First storm: Spiral (picture of Temple looking east from Temple Lot/ Peace Plaza)
Slide 6: New symbol for church: spiral & cross (picture of spiral and cross with "Community of Christ")
Slide 7: Doctrine & Covenants 94:5c-f
…therefore let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn…vengeance cometh speedily…as the whirlwind….Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her….I will visit her according to all her works….
Interpretation of first storm related to church and setting the church in line with God
Slide 8: Second Storm--Octagon
Description of second storm was like an 8-sided Chinese lantern with 3 tiers that came down from the top almost like breathing
Interpretation and confirmation came when praying at the Temple steps one night: “Could the 8 sides represent the G-8 industrialized nations?”
Confirmation by the Spirit seemed to indicate this was correct. It was also around the time that the world economy (& U.S.) was in crisis (2008-2009).
Slide 9: G-8 Industrialized Countries
G8 - Group of Eight Industrialized Nations
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Russia
United Kingdom
United States
Slide 10: Third Storm: Square (picture of Temple Mount in Jerusalem with Dome of the Rock mosque from overhead)
Slide 11: Third Storm: Square--interpretation
Friend Don and I (Randall) were visiting IHOP –KC (International House of Prayer) to take in some 24/7 prayer, praise, and worship. I shared with Don about the storms and not having the interpretation for the 3rd and 4th storms.
He asked if the square could be the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Spirit confirmed to us that this is related to Israel, the Temple (re-built), and Jerusalem
Slide 12: Square/Rectangle diagram with terms: Solomon's Temple (lower left); Temple of Zerubbabel & Joshua (upper left); Herod's Temple (upper right); Future Re-built Temple (lower right); "Jerusalem Temple" in center
To be continued....
Slide 2--Disclaimer:
This dream and its interpretation is based solely on the opinions and confirmations of Randall Lawrence, Peggy J., and others.
It is seen as a warning in our opinion, but it does not represent any official position or interpretation of the Community of Christ or any other Restoration movement group.
Slide 3: Series of 4 storms-in-one: (1) Spiral (2) Octagon (3) Square (4) Triangle
Slide 4: Setting--friends sitting together
Friends-Peggy, Randall, and Dan are sitting in front of Peace Plaza looking toward Community of Christ Temple with joy while others are in a state of terror over the approach of these 4 storms-in-one
It has taken much prayer, help, and discussion for the revealing of the interpretation of this dream and the meaning of these storms
Slide 5: First storm: Spiral (picture of Temple looking east from Temple Lot/ Peace Plaza)
Slide 6: New symbol for church: spiral & cross (picture of spiral and cross with "Community of Christ")
Slide 7: Doctrine & Covenants 94:5c-f
…therefore let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn…vengeance cometh speedily…as the whirlwind….Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her….I will visit her according to all her works….
Interpretation of first storm related to church and setting the church in line with God
Slide 8: Second Storm--Octagon
Description of second storm was like an 8-sided Chinese lantern with 3 tiers that came down from the top almost like breathing
Interpretation and confirmation came when praying at the Temple steps one night: “Could the 8 sides represent the G-8 industrialized nations?”
Confirmation by the Spirit seemed to indicate this was correct. It was also around the time that the world economy (& U.S.) was in crisis (2008-2009).
Slide 9: G-8 Industrialized Countries
G8 - Group of Eight Industrialized Nations
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Russia
United Kingdom
United States
Slide 10: Third Storm: Square (picture of Temple Mount in Jerusalem with Dome of the Rock mosque from overhead)
Slide 11: Third Storm: Square--interpretation
Friend Don and I (Randall) were visiting IHOP –KC (International House of Prayer) to take in some 24/7 prayer, praise, and worship. I shared with Don about the storms and not having the interpretation for the 3rd and 4th storms.
He asked if the square could be the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Spirit confirmed to us that this is related to Israel, the Temple (re-built), and Jerusalem
Slide 12: Square/Rectangle diagram with terms: Solomon's Temple (lower left); Temple of Zerubbabel & Joshua (upper left); Herod's Temple (upper right); Future Re-built Temple (lower right); "Jerusalem Temple" in center
To be continued....
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