• New arrivals continued to register - we’ve over 300 pastors now!
• My session on “Kingdom Finances” really seemed to strike a nerve.  Our host says that a real spirit of poverty has kept many Indian believers, even pastors, from obeying God’s Word in regard to tithing and giving, and he feels that’s what has kept the church here in such poverty even though the country is beginning to prosper in new ways.  I’ve taught 2 full sessions about finance, and though it was hard plowing at first, I sense the truth is beginning to break through.
• The pastors especially responded to my lesson on ‘Barnabas’   At the close, each pastor stood & introduced himself to the pastor beside him by saying, “My name is ___, but you can call me Barnabas!”
• Perhaps the highlight of my day was the final session, when James Chacko and I entertained questions from the pastors, Q&A style.  The questions themselves encouraged me greatly, as I could see the teachings were having an impact and they were wrestling with new concepts.
• As usual, the ladies outdid us all, though, as my wife reported that the Holy Spirit fell (unexpectedly) as she was concluding her life-message about ‘Broken Vessels’, and there was a wonderful move of the Spirit that brought both physical and emotional healing to the precious women leaders here.

Thanks for the prayers - Chris has real throat pain and some sort of sinus infection or something, so she’ll need God’s help to get through this last day of ministry here.

As amazing as that seems, it probably shouldn’t be to us, because I’m convinced the Holy Spirit also puts ideas into our minds as well - probably on a daily basis. (I wrote about that eariier in our fast here).  But here’s what may be just as important as what the Holy Spirit is placing into your mind - read verse 19.

Here’s what I’ve learned: it’s one thing for the Holy Spirit to whisper it into my heart; it’s another thing for me to write it down.  (You’ve never heard some of my ‘best’ sermons, because I failed to write down the inspiration I was receiving and couldn’t remember it later.  As someone smarter than me once said, “The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory!”)

Our host here in India, James Chacko commented at lunch how many of the world’s greatest inventions and buildings were first drawn out on a napkin, and it reminded me again of the importance of writing it down - so I’m asking you: as the Lord is speaking to you during this adventure, have you taken the time to write it down?  Even the prophets encouraged us to do it, so I challenge you to do it now. 

If it’s not too personal, maybe you could even share with us below what you’re hearing from the Spirit-

• Surprisingly, there’s  a lot of Western influence here, including the worship music (translated into Hindi, of course - but I recognized a lot of tunes!)
• My wife even looks hot in traditional Indian garb!
• Our host, James Chacko, is teasing me about the tent that houses the conference - because it’s pink-and-white-striped!
• I’ve been in the country for 5 days already and haven’t had to eat curry once!  (I don’t do well w/spicey foods of any kind, but especially curry - so I’ve been determined to stay away from it!)
• The most moving moment was definitely in my last session of the day, after teaching about raising up younger leaders in our ministry, and seeing the more experienced pastors laying hands on young pastors in a ‘father-to-son’ impartation - it was beautiful!

Hope you’re still praying - the Tuesday & Wednesday sessions run from about 9:30pm (the night before) until about 5:30am Chicago time.

P.S. I’m still wondering how things went in Tinley Park on Sunday - would YOU leave me a comment below?

1 Chronicles 29:3 - am I devoted to God’s house?  Is it important enough for me to invest my monies there?

1 Chronicles 29:6-9 - does the fact that CLC’s leaders have ‘bought in’ to our vision with their financial commitments cause you to rejoice?  (Are you inspired by our example?)

1Chronicles 29:14, 16 - don’t you feel the same way?  Everything I’ve ever given to the Lord had been first given to me!

1 Chronicles 29:17-18 - isn’t willingness what it’s all about?  (I love his prayer: ‘keep this desire [to be generous] in the hearts of your people forever!”) 

As you go into the final week of prayer & fasting, would you honestly and sincerely ask the Lord to give you a desire to be generous, and the willingness to do as He instructs?

Then we’ll come together as a church family this Sunday with a significant offering to enable CLC to multiply an additional campus and do missions in 2009!

Our only Sunday in India was quite interesting, with Chris ministering at a house church that was started with an orphan’s home outreach in one state, while I preached in another state (just 20 minutes away) at an Assembly of God church.  We both enjoyed the opportunity & saw a good response to the Word.  We then boarded a bus for the trip to Ludhiana and now we’re awaiting the first session which starts about midnight Sunday, Chicago time.

However, I’m just as anxious to hear YOUR reflections from today, especially in Tinley Park.  I was quite anxious about videotaping a message for such an important vision-casting day at CLC, so I’m really hopeful that my heart came through the big screens.  I’d also love to know how the testimony was received, since that video editing wasn’t complete before I left.  So if you’d care to share, please add your comment below - whether positive or negative, I’d love to hear from you about the services today at CLC.  (If you want to let me know about the Bears game, that’s ok, too - I haven’t heard any news here)

But my Bible reading yesterday gave me another prayer for all of our 7 services today (3 in English at Tinley Park, 1 in at Centro de Vida Christiana, 1 in Korean, and the services in Shorewood and South Bend) - it’s in Habakkuk 3:1-2.

The simple translation of that is, “Do it again, Lord”.  As the NIV translates it, “Renew them in our day, in our time make them known” . That’s what I want for our world.  That’s what I want for the Body of Christ.  That’s what I want for CLC - that what God has done in the past (think of the miracles of the book of Acts), what He has done for people who sought Him in earlier times - I want Him to renew those actions in our day, so that we and our children and our grandchildren could know Him in the fulness of His power!

If you’re reading these words before going to church today, take that prayer with you, and ask in faith for God to do something special in you, just as He has done for others in times past.  If you’re reading it after church, then pray that prayer throughout this final week of our prayer & fasting adventure - Lord, do it again, in us, in our day!

May all of us experience personally the God of the Bible, with book of Acts power!

But honestly, it was the simplicity of David’s statement that got me: “if you seek Him, He will be found by you”!  I think that’s the basic truth that’s at the foundation of our faith, even as Hebrews 11:6 says it: “He rewards those who sincerely seek Him”.

Do not doubt it today.  No matter what your emotions may be telling you; no matter what your circumstances; no matter how many times you’ve prayed or fasted before - rehearse this simple truth in your heart: if I seek the Lord, I will find Him.

We’re almost two-thirds of the way through our adventure, and some of us have already received great things from the Lord.  If you have not yet, then encourage yourself today with the certainty that HE will reward your seeking. 

Do you have a testimony to share with us about that?  Please comment below.

But as promised earlier, the real news is about the longest day of my life, which was our introduction to India.  We left O’Hare on Tuesday afternoon (all of this will be Chicago time, to help you follow).  After 2 flights and a long layover in Frankfort, Germany we finally arrived in New Delhi and got to our hotel about 3pm on Wednesday.  We had one hour and 45 minutes to sleep in the hotel before catching a train to Agra, the city where the Taj Mahal is located.  There we were able to tour the entire place, which is deservedly considered one of the ‘great wonders of the world’ - it was absolutely mind-boggling to see and quite surreal to even be there.  (I’ll post some pictures later).

After our introduction to Indian cooking for lunch (scrumptuous - I won’t be losing weight on this trip), we visited the “Red Fort”, but it was during this tour with our knowledgeable and detailed guide that my mind checked-out, and while the lights were on for several more hours, nobody was home.  Somewhere in there was some shopping and a meeting with an Indian pastor and a long, long wait at the train station for the return to New Delhi, arriving back at our hotel about 12:30pm on Thursday.  If my calculations are correct, we packed almost 2 full days of activity and travel on less than 2 hours of sleep!  (But jetlag or no jetlag, we slept about 10 hours straight then - and only woke up because of a phone call)

Well, gotta run….the adventure continues.  Don’t miss the adventure at CLC this Sunday - it’s going to be a service to remember with a testimony you won’t soon forget!

And if you’re a CLCer, I can’t wait to hear the reports from this Sunday’s service - besides my videotaped message about our vision, we’ve got a very special testimony that I believe will bless your socks off!  I encourage you to come early and be prepared to receive!

Only one question was submitted this week, but it’s a doozie: “I have often heard that we will not make it to heaven if we are not perfect or holy.  The Bible does say for us to be perfect and holy.  But, does God have a different definition of “Holy and Perfect” than man?  Because as of yet, I have not seen no one that I would honestly label as holy or perfect, especially myself, but I do want to make heaven my home.”

Great question, especially because it goes right to the heart of one of the biggest misconceptions among Christians.  The short answer is ‘yes’, God does have a different definition than what man does.  (That’s probably true in many other areas, by the way)

If you do a concordance search of ‘holy’ or ‘holiness’ in Scripture, you will find that not only people, but even things like a day, a mountain, or a place can be considered ‘holy’ if they are set apart by the Lord.  The truth is that not only is the person who submitted this question not holy in and of herself, but neither is anyone else on planet earth.  All of my righteous actions are still just filthy rags in God’s sight (see Isaiah 64:6)  So no matter how many rules I keep or how much I try to obey the 10 commandments, I’m still never going to measure up to God’s standards by my own efforts (Romans 3:23; James 2:10; Romans 10:3)  And the consequences of us failing to measure up is eternal death (Romans 6:23)

But, thank God, the Good News is that Jesus took our place!  Read these scriptures for yourself and rejoice that as followers of Chris, we have already been made holy: 1Cor 1:2; Heb 10:9-10; Heb 13:12.

Certainly there is a part for us to play, by receiving God’s Word and cooperating with the Holy Spirit as we grow daily into His likeness, but make no mistake: the only way we will ever be holy or perfect is by fully trusting in what JESUS has done for us (Romans 1:17)

Now, what would you like to ask the Pastor?