William+ reminded us that 'Metro Vancouver (even with its low church attendance of perhaps 4%) is not beyond the Gospel.' "I have been asking God', said William+, 'to break my heart for the lost. I need God's heart for the lost.'

"How do we catch fish in the 21st century?, asked William+. "The same way as in the first century." 'When we open our hands once again', said William+, 'Jesus will always answer. This good news is for you. Jesus died for you.'

"The messengers will always disappoint you. The Church will disappoint you. The Gospel will never disappoint you...The Lord uses the imperfect messengers that we are."

The Interdenominational Celebration Service had a high degree of unity, being co-sponsored by the Vancouver Pastors Prayer Fellowship/Vancouver City of Destiny, North Shore Pastors Prayer Fellowship, the Anglican Coalition in Canada, and the Hope Vancouver Network.

William+ went on to say: "It is the Devil who keeps us apart. I know that it is a pain to work for unity in the Body of Christ and to cross boundaries. There is no reward for pastors to do this. You are so busy. What is at stake in the unity of the Church is the lost."

Willam+ later commented that this Interdenominational Celebration Service was revival. "That's revival. That's the flint bringing the spark. Revival is already here. It just needs to be fanned into flame in the spirit of John 17 unity."

To see pictures of the remarkable Interdenominational Celebration service, click on:

http://acicanada.blogspot.com/2009/03/interdenominational-celebration-service.html

*****

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC: The Best Renewal Mission yet of the Twenty-two so far

March 28, 2009

Many have said that this was the best Renewal Mission yet of the twenty-two Renewal Missions so far. It is hoped that they will continue to say this each year in the future. The Renewal Mission concept was inspired by Archdeacon Jack and Pat Major's Renewal Missions held at St. Matthew's Abbotsford in the 1980s.

The Rev Gabe Garcia of San Diego spoke on the Friday night of the Renewal Mission, saying 'maybe we are trying to do the work of God when we are called to do the work of the people...God adds, we don't". "If we take our eyes off ourselves", said Gabe+, "and place them on God, the glory of God will be made manifest." "All we need to do is reveal the glory of God". Gabe+ explained how "society takes away our identity'. We need to say, "Christ, give me my identity." Gabe+ emphasized how 'when we become outwardly focused, God can shine his glory through us."

"We need to return to our first love, seeing Jesus", said Gabe+. "We are used to being in charge. Following Jesus means that we are not in charge and we don't necessarily always understand the whys." "To be a follower of Jesus, a fisher of people, takes a strong degree of humility."

"There are many times", said Gabe+ regarding Peter in Luke 5, "when the Lord says 'try again'. We tend to feel 'I've been there, done that, it's not going to work'. "All I do is obey Christ, whatever opportunity he makes available." "Every blessing he gives me," said Gabe+, "he gives not just for myself but to share with the Body of Christ...that transformation I have been talking about is right here in this room."

On the Saturday morning of the Renewal Mission, William Beasley+ spoke on Matthew 14:22-26, focusing on Jesus and Peter walking on the waters. "Is this you Jesus??" is a very good question, said William+. That is what we need to discern as we seek to serve Jesus: "Is this you Jesus?"

William+ commented: "We are not the head of the Church, not by any stretch of imagination...He (Christ) is able to run His Church." Through our daily challenges, said William+, "The Lord is teaching us obedience...Those battles are only the training ground. This is not about finding a safe little haven."

"Peter may have panicked while walking on the water, but at least he got out of the boat...Anglicans are one of the least likely people to get out of the boat. (This new realignment among Anglicans) is a miracle.", said William+.

William+ quoted extensively during the Renewal Mission from Dr Henry Blackaby of 'Experiencing God': "we must adjust our lives to the presence and activity of the Lord...Obedience will bring a cost that we must bear. That is the way of the cross."

William+ told the story of his first church plant where he thought that he had everything figured out. God started bringing a good number of Wheaton students to his congregation the Church of the Resurrection. "I didn't want the Wheaton students there. It was ruining my vision. I was such an idiot," said William+,"to not co-operate with God from Day One." "When you co-operate with God," Willliam commented, "you will have these moments when you wil have to make major adjustments." "Is that you, Lord?"...that is the major question."

"Simple obedience to Jesus", said William+, "is what captures fish in the 21st century. You don't need a high-powered seminar. Jesus is full of miracles...It's not difficult for God to fish. He knows how to do it. It's difficult for us to get out of the boat."

"There are times when like Peter we will panic". Jesus says to us "Why do you doubt?" William+ commented: "Don't glorify in your doubts. What matters is the Lord."

Gabe+ told us: "I like things that dare me in my face...You just plant the seed. You just walk in the Spirit..Never allow the truth to be compromised."

Drawing on Galatians 3:26-29, Gabe+ taught us about baptism as putting on new clothes. When we are yoked in Christ in baptism, our attire and status doesn't matter any more. We are submerged into Christ.

Gabe+ also taught us about the two women in Galatians Chapter 4: "Many times we are walking in barrenness...Sometimes we need to say: 'Lord, I am the barren woman. No children have been born into the Kingdom through me."

William+, in his afternoon Renewal Mission talk before the Eucharist, had each of us repeat the following phrase and add our name to it: 'From now on (name), you willl be fishers of men and women'. He challenged us to not slip into privatism and isolated individualism: "Engage in the real thing. It is sinful to disconnect from the Body of Christ".

In his final act of the Renewal Mission, William+ called up people who sensed that they had the gift of evangelism. As clergy, we blessed and released them in their gifting. It was remarkable how many people came forward. "Don't despair", said William+, "go out and evangelize. Do it. Just do it."

p.s. On Sunday morning, Gabe Garcia+ went to preach at St. Timothy's North Vancouver with the Rev Ken Bell. The Rev William Beasley preached at St. Simon's NV on Luke 7 about the Centurion's servant. "We all need to be like the centurion...To be a great leader, you must become a great follower. The centurion had a childlike heart, knowing that he did not deserve anything from Jesus. The Centurion's focus was not on the servant's condition, but on Jesus' ability: 'Say the word and he shall be healed.'

"Our faith", said William+, "is not focused on ourselves but focused outwardly on God. It depends where we look. Where we look determines faith. Our faith is faith in Christ's ability, character, and presence."

"People get beat up", William noted," as they get older. It's very easy to get cynical and hardened. You know, we can all grow in faith both individually and as a church. May we recover by God's grace the fear of the Lord. May we realize like the centurion that we are not worthy in ourselves. May we ask from a position of our smallness. Prayer begins when we take that wrenching turn from ourselves to God."

Wlliam's final comment to the St. Simon's NV people was: "Speak this word, and the flood gates will be opened.'

END