Jubal Music

A Person?

2010-08-05T13:09:00.004-04:00

The Abortion "issue" in Canada (presently no rules governing) is entirely about whether or not a foetus (child in utero) is distinctly a human being - a Person - as defined by the UN Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

If the foetus is determined to be a Person, then it becomes a Human Rights issue, not just a Women's Rights issue. The Canadian Charter, and any associated laws, would then need to be amended (with reference to a woman's "security of person"), which is one of the central legal issues that has created the legal "limbo" we are presently experiencing.

In other words ... every Canadian deserves, as a guaranteed right, "security of person". I don't think that it would be outrageous to presume that the threat of death would effect a person's "security of person".

Most of the arguments regarding the right of a woman to her own body would be moot in relationship to the human being she is carrying in her womb, and interestingly enough, providing "life support" to.

I think the fact that there is no real challenge to "put things right" by the government and related legal bodies is purely a political issue (with moral implications).

Fear is a powerful weapon with unreasonable results.

See "Few Canadians know the Rules on Abortion, Poll finds" http://www.nationalpost.com/Canadians%20know%20rules%20abortion%20poll%20finds

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Canada

Conspiracy Theories

2010-01-11T09:41:00.003-05:00

I think there's a conspiracy to keep people interested in conspiracies.

Conspiracy theorists give people and groups of people too much credit for maintaining a mutual secret or for that matter being loyal to each other, especially in connection with "evil conspirators" and Machiavellian schemes that span more than a person's lifetime or term in office. It's extremely unlikely, especially over a period of centuries. Plans of greed and power are seldom established or sustained as a legacy for the following generations. That would be a contradiction in terms.

Greed, lust and selfishness are not good bedfellows with loyalty, faithfulness and honour. Unfortunately the former are natural examples of sinful human nature. History has shown that "evil empires", secret or not, eventually end in destruction.

A typical example of a Conspiracy Theory widely held as truth and fully based on lies and slander: ... "the Jewish bankers rule the world" (foundational premise for Hitler's 'Mein Kampf') - This particular claim is still circulated by the moronic fringe and although once a notion held just by the anti-semetic is now making it's way (again) into the mainstream! Unfortunately, this evil notion although seemingly banal has resulted in the widespread mistreatment of an entire race of people.

Conspiracy Theories are increasingly, it seems, a ridiculous distraction for many. So much so that reality is often not recognized even when it's slapping one square in the face.

"For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (AMP)

... another sobering quotation:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)

Beware of slanderous theories, popular "stories" and myths. Like viral sickness, they carry death in them. Truth is freely available. It's no secret.

Letter to a dear friend on Holocaust Denial

2009-10-23T10:56:00.005-04:00

My dear Friend ...

I've had lot's of time to think on my drive home. There's so much I would have wanted to discuss with you with regards to our interesting conversation over brunch, so when I arrived home I did some quick research for you. I realize that the internet is often questionable as an objective reference source, however, my habit is to cross-reference. In this case I could probably spend uninterrupted months sifting through the data! Fortunately, this is not a new issue and many reliable scholars have walked this road. Quick and fruitful searches gave good answers to your questions re: crematoriums/fuel/ashes, etc. ... (I've pasted an excerpt at the bottom).

Here is also an excellent synopsis with regards to Holocaust Denial (something that is becoming very prevalent again, even from some surprising sources) ... which is indeed the issue if the overwhelming amount of empirical evidence is not accepted. It is however good to ask questions and receive answers ... I think you'll find this interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_denial

Something else I should add that's interesting. "Mein Kampf" the book written by Adolph Hitler, has as it's foundational premise that the world was secretly being run and controlled by a conspiracy of Jewish bankers. He believed (not a new idea at the time) that the Jewish people as a race were inherently cunning and evil, even genetically, and thus were a threat to the "world". It was this premise as well as racial purity based on a philosophy of "eugenics" that later fuelled the Nazi agenda. This idea of a Jewish conspiracy became very popular after WW1 particularly as an explanation for the great German loss and the political, social, economic upheaval it was going though. It was not an uncommon thought (very popular in the press) in the Americas as well as other European nations at the time for similar reasons.

It's fascinating to note that one of the major issues that Hitler had was with Judaism (and subsequently Christianity), in particular the laws of Moses (as he put it "the Jew's code of ethics") ... he wanted them to be literally expunged from the German consciousness ... especially: "you shall not kill" ... as Hitler believed that it (killing) was a legitimate and necessary way to benefit humanity. He also mocked the common Jewish goal (Zionism) of returning to Israel (a nation that he would not recognize, historically or as a future concept, thus only referring to it as "Palestine").

He especially thought that it was much more humane to "cull" the weak, crippled and diseased rather than have them be "supported" by society. He considered weak, by definition, any human not willing or able to fight for his/her survival (or patch of land). That was of course true of the "racially impure" as well, especially Jews and Blacks, as he, and many others (not just in Germany) supported the idea of a pure master race (supermen) that was to be the logical conclusion of human evolution.

A common tactic that Hitler and his propagandists used was what's called "revisionist history", that is they literally rewrote historical fact to support their ideas. The young were then indoctrinated from an early age with false history as well as with a new humanist "code of ethics". Also, one of the first things the Nazi's did when in power was to strip German Jew's of their citizenship - that is - take away their identity and their "homeland", something that had already been in progress for some time in the east, especially in Poland and Russia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mein_Kampf

Another interesting point ... no one seems to be interested in questioning the Stalinist and Maoist "purges" ... surely the bodies of over 30 million people would be hard to hide?

Some interesting answers (one source) to questions originally posed by Ernst Zuendel (deported from Canada back to Germany for hate crimes in the 80s - he's now in prison where he belongs):

Cremation:

There is so much more data from many diverse sources ...

In the end, I would think that no matter what position a thinking person would take ... one would have to conclude that it is true that the Jewish people have had an incredible impact on the world down through the centuries and as well, have been incredibly mistreated ... There has been no other people on the face of the planet so maligned and mistreated (out of the many groups that have, i.e. American Indians to Eritreans and the non-Arab/Muslim Sudanese) in such a wholesale and consistent manner down through the ages. The question I would ask is ... Why?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_antisemitism

Hope you don't mind this ... I actually enjoyed "slapping" these thoughts together ... I'm actually a big fan of the study of history.

Love,

Chris

"Life is lived forward but understood backward." Soren Kierkegaard

First Love

2009-08-24T09:14:00.005-04:00

In the past my forays away from God, lengthy death defying journeys, were substantially driven by struggles with repetitive sin issues. Because of the futility of my efforts to resist the desires that were dragging me down and the guilt and shame I was feeling of my repeated attempts at presenting myself before a holy God with my issues, I took the easier seemingly more painless route ... persue my sinful life without Him. The failure really was my lack of understanding of how God sees me

I was recently speaking to someone about my past experience of falling away from God and returning to connect with Him during times of crisis only to walk away after His response (the relief came). Eventually I became sick of my "betrayal" and asked that He "make it" that I wouldn't do that anymore. He responded directly ... the result was a sustained crisis.

I have often expressed a fear that if my life became too comfortable that there was a danger that I would fall away. What I instantly discovered while testifying was that the Lord has faithfully and carefully restored and created a love affair between us that will withstand the test of circumstance. I am very close to complete abandon. I no longer need to testify to that fear ... although I need to heed His warning ... my First Love.

His Name

2008-12-03T12:28:00.007-05:00

Ever wonder how common it is for people to misuse God's name in their day to day speech, their curses, their oaths, their gutter vernacular, their "Internet speak", their jokes? How easy it seems for the name of Jesus to be cursed misused, reviled. How unusual it seems, if there were perhaps an accounting (and there will be), for the name of Jesus to be more commonly elevated and revered in day to day speech. Perhaps that would seem even unusual to most, perhaps even fanatical?

What's interesting and noteworthy I think is that I have never heard anyone misuse any other "god's" name in their vernacular, in their curses. Ever hear "Vishnu" or "Buddha" or "Mohammed" or "Allah" or "Krishna" used as a curse? There is a very good chance that if that were so, the defenders of those religions would react unfavourably (some even quite violently) if they were aware of the misuse. Perhaps that's why it's so unusual? Fear of man? What about fear of God?

So much for "respect" in this society of "sensitivity" and "tolerance". What a farce! As Franky Schaeffer so aptly once wrote: "Neutrality is a Myth".

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Deuteronomy 5:11

In the name of Jesus people are ...

saved
healed
delivered of evil
blessed
baptized into God's family
reconciled to God

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." Hebrews 13:15

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

Order of Canada - Dr. Henry Morgentaler - Travesty of the Highest Order

2008-07-03T22:29:00.004-04:00

This is the body of a letter I recently sent to Prime Minister Harper as well as to my MP - Anthony Rota:
______________________________________________________________________________________

I hope this short note get’s to you sir … I am just an average Canadian, a constituent of your riding; however I believe that my concern is of great importance.

I have just discovered that Dr. Henry Morgentaler has been selected to receive the Order of Canada in just a few days. When I heard this my heart sank. Can this news really be true?

I believe that the Order of Canada should, and must be reserved to honour those "Fathers & Mothers" of our nation that have contributed to the life, well being and future of our population and land ... not its decimation!Please don’t misunderstand me, this is not an attack on Dr. Morgentaler's person or character, nor am I opposed to respecting the proper rights and freedoms of women in Canada. I am however voicing opposition to rewarding him as a national hero for being instrumental in removing all limits to the practice of abortion in Canada.

Awarding Dr. Morgentaler this award would be a travesty of the highest proportions, indeed an international travesty as well. How will this portray Canada as a nation? Will this portray Canada as a nation that rewards people for the reduction of its own population? Indeed, for the sustained mass extermination of the most vulnerable citizens of our nation? As my heritage is German, the thought of this sends shivers down my spine. Have we not learned from history?

I realize that the issue of abortion is highly controversial; many Canadians are also unclear of the issues involved. Canadians have however voiced their opinion en masse on the issue of this award being presented to Dr. Morgentaler. As unscientific as the recent Globe & Mail survey on this issue may have been, 92% of Canadians that voted, voted NO. I believe it is at the very least an indicator of an issue that needs to be recognized. Many Canadians are against this!

Dr. Morgentaler is a Canadian just like me and I would not approve of dishonouring him as a person, however to give him this great honour I believe is highly unjustified.

Please sir, I’m asking with all my heart, put an end to this.

Yours respectfully,
_______________________________________________________________________________

Response from the Prime Minister's office - July 15, 2008

July 15, 2008

Chris Hermann
chris@jubalmusic.ca

Dear Mr. Hermann:

On behalf of the Prime Minister, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your recent correspondence regarding the Order of Canada. We have noted your concern and are pleased to have this opportunity to respond.
The Government is not involved in either the deliberations or decisions with respect to which individuals are appointed to the Order of Canada. It is Rideau Hall that approves the final appointments based on the recommendations of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, which is chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

With respect to specific appointments to the Order, the Prime Minister's preference is for the Order of Canada to be an honour that unifies and brings Canadians together. Clearly, this appointment did not do that.

To further express your concerns, we would recommend that you contact the Governor General's office directly at:

Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A1
Phone: (613) 993-8200
Toll-free: 1-800-465-6890
Fax: (613) 998-8760
E-mail: info@gg.ca

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,

Susan I. Ross

Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office

I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!

2008-03-23T17:07:00.001-04:00

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
Revelation 1:12-18 (NIV)

High the Most

2008-01-10T00:59:00.000-05:00

Father when I'm broken
You draw close
I'm not looking for a token
because when I am low and least
You are high the most

Spirit sharp and bright
cut deep and clean
and remove what is unseen
that what You have shown as blight
away from heaven's sight

Jesus lover - ruler of my heart
sit on Your rightful throne
and let me fear you alone
no other man or king
for it is only Your praises that I sing!

The Captain - by Chris Hermann

2007-09-27T17:18:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a story ...

Once there was a Captain of a beautiful sailing ship that was sailing in very treacherous seas. At this point in the story the ship was sailing very close to a rocky reef. It was very difficult for the Captain to navigate and steer the ship through these waters because the sails were not properly furled to catch the wind and, even more importantly, because the crew often didn't trust or accept the Captain's authority and ability, and therefore didn't really obey his orders. Often a sailor would grab the Captain's wheel from him ... It was then that the ship would start to head for the sharp rocks of the reef ...

The sailors seemed unaware that the rough way the ship was handling while under the Captain's direction was not because of his inability to stay on course but because of the very rough seas that came as a result of the storm that the ship now also found itself in, as well as the reef's swells and breakers that tossed the ship to and fro. They also didn't realize that the more they tried to wrestle control of the ship from the Captain, the closer the ship came to the dangerous reef, where the waves and breakers became even worse and much more difficult to sail through. What they didn't know was that if they were to drift too close, the Captain may not be able to correct the ship's heading when he finally did get the tiller back ... in that case the ship would crash and sink ... they'd all then end up overboard leaving each person to fend for themselves in the churning waters.

Things really started to go wrong half way through their journey when the First Mate jumped overboard after leading a failed mutiny, having then joined Pirates after being rescued by them. It was the First Mate that was once really in charge of the ship ... especially when it came to the hearts and minds of the crew. All of the other sailors would look to the First Mate for example and direction as well as a sense of well being.

Crazy though ... there's no way the Captain could sail that ship alone ... the sails had to be looked after and constantly adjusted, someone had to navigate, someone had to sound (check the water's depth) ... thus while the sailors were fighting to be captain, or at least trying to keep the Captain from being one ... all those important jobs didn't get done ... And so it seemed like they were constantly floundering in the stormy seas next to the reef instead of sailing into the open ocean, on course, as they had planned all along, being moved only by the wind in the sails of their beautiful ship.

Now many of the sailors couldn't even recollect what it was like when the Captain and the First Mate once did work together. It seemed so long ago ... All the Captain could do now was remember, sadly, the course headings marked on the charts, hoping that the ship would not sink and get back on it's correct bearing. One day, he knew the storm would abate ... the sun would come out and it would be clear sailing! He knew from experience that the weather always changes ... and God knows, maybe his beloved First Mate would get sick of being a pirate and somehow return to their ship. Perhaps other captains would not be quite so welcoming to a returning mutineer ... But this one will respond with open arms and heart. That First Mate was the Captain's only, best and last Mate. As far as he was concerned, no one else could ever fill that position on their sailing vessel. No one.

A good captain never leaves his ship, even when it looks like it's sinking.

The End

It's About Seeing Us!

2007-05-18T04:33:00.000-04:00

by Rubel Shelly

Josh has shared a few stories with me about his friend Jack. He has come to call him "Professor" Jack. I can understand that venerable title, given some of the really important things Jack taught him.
Professor Jack is a homeless man in Detroit. In better days, he played in a band, owned a restaurant, and had a family. Addiction to drugs took all those things away from Jack. When Josh first met him, Jack was taking a meal from some church members whose hearts had been convicted about their need to help the poor. And he certainly qualified.
.... cont'd http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200703/20070315_seeingus.html

Slavery - Repentance & Healing

2007-05-06T00:30:00.000-04:00

The following is an e-mail sent to me by a friend I met in Germany last year, Dieter Quick - Bolton, UK. He has been instrumental as a leader in the intercession movement surrounding the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the UK. This repentance movement and related issues are very significant, not just for the decendants of slavers in the UK but for all British and European decendants on both sides of the oceans, as well as decendants of slaves around the world.
The spiritual strongholds that are tied to these issues still affect us all ... worth a read as well as some continued thought and prayer ... Chris
______________________________________________________________

Please let your friends and contacts know! Dieter

S l a v e r y

Repentance and Healing
@
The National CRE

DRAW FROM THE SOURCE

Wednesday 16/O5/2007

Sandown Park, Esher, KT10 9AJ

www.creonline.co.uk

to repent for European greed and abuse
to bring healing and release to Africa and the UK
to overcome the spirit of slavery in the fabric of our culture
to achieve justice for descendants of enslaved Africans all over the world

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4: 7 NIV
____________________________________________________________

Dear friends and all,

Richard Reddie from set all free (CT England) and I have been asked to host a Transatlantic Slavery - Repentance and Healing service

on Wednesday, 16th May 2007
2.15 pm, Arts Theatre (Solario Suite)
at The National Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE)
Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey (KT10 9AJ).

Similar to the day of prayer we had in Bolton last October, we will bring together Christian intercessors and church leaders from black African, Caribbean/American and white British/European backgrounds. We will intercede for one another and will together

-- as descendents of perpetrators and of victims --

face the sins and lasting effects of the transatlantic slave trade.

As we acknowledge our historical involvement and entanglement with the "trade in human misery", and together seek God's forgiveness and healing for the UK, Africa and the descendants of enslaved Africans all over the world, we believe that through God's love and grace we will see our future transformed. Bishop Wayne Malcolm (Christian Life City, London), himself a descendant of enslaved Afro-Caribbeans, will take on the priestly role of hosting us, the sons and daughters of perpetrators and victims t o g e t h e r at the Lord's table, celebrating the Reconciliation, Healing and Unity that Jesus the Son of God, our Saviour, won once for all through His sufferings and death at the cross.

Please don't be late! The service will begin at 2.15 pm sharp, as the conference centre closes at 4.30.

A whole day at the CRE? It might be worth considering spending the whole day at Sandown Park, Esher. The National Christian Resources Exhibition (attended by more than 11,500 people in 2005), is currently Europe's biggest annual Christian show. Its purpose is to bring together church leaders and Christians actively involved in their community with Christian organisations, charities and companies that supply the resources to equip and maintain churches across the UK. Alongside an exhibition of stalls to interact with, visitors can attend lectures from a comprehensive and diverse talks programme. The CRE team has decided to have this year's bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade act and set all free concerns (slaveries, past and present) as a predominant feature within the seminar programme. They are determined to make the CRE a catalyst for change.

Please do not miss the "Spirit of Wilberforce" exhibition of the transatlantic slave trade and the abolitionist movement which includes artefacts that were on display on board the replica slave vessel "the Zong" that anchored in the Pool of London in March and April. (Visit www.spiritofwilberforce.com).

Entry to the CRE is £ 5.00 pre-booked and £ 7.00 on the door. For tickets and info, please go to www.creonline.co.uk.

As we face the truth about ourselves including the dark side of our history, we will remove some of the major obstacles through God's grace that stand between us, white British/Europeans, black Africans and black Caribbeans/Americans. As many of us have experienced, even in the Church the Unity of Love that Christ established between us is hindered through the effects of unresolved sin; hidden, undeliberate racism; pain and anger because of our shared past. Through facing the dark side of our history and heritage, we furthermore hope to become part of a growing movement that will deal with the demons of this nation's past and will help her establish a more humble and healthy national identity. We in particular hope to strengthen the position of the downtrodden and the poor in today's society.

To prepare ourselves and delegates at the conference day that we had in Bolton last October, we produced a collection of some very good quality articles from different researchers featuring the history and legacy of transatlantic slavery. This I believe very helpful material can freely be passed on to all who intend to come prepared to the service of Repentance and Healing. Please send me an email!

It would be great to see many of you at the Sandown Park conference centre! Can I also ask you to please let your friends and contacts know, in particular those who live in the South and the London area.

May God bless you in abundance!

Yours in Jesus,
Dieter Quick
_____________________________________________________________________________

Feedback from delegates afterSlavery
-- Repentance and Healingin Bolton, 28/10/2006

"Congratulations once again for the very good effort initiated by you in that area."
Bishop Dr Doye Agama, BMECA, Greater-Manchester

"Thank you for the Slavery Repentance & Healing conference. So much of it was superb. The speakers and the literature have been excellent. I shall remember that Bishop for many years to come." Sue Haworth, Bolton

"I was quite happy for the presence of somebody of Caribbean background to whom I could say sorry as an African. We were also very impressed by the sincerity of our European brothers and sisters. " Prof Dr Andrew Olu Igenoza, Ile-Ife Nigeria

"One of the most painful issues touching the different continents is that of slavery. Dieter Quick together with Paul Leak was led to address this issue by organising a day of prayer, teaching and action to undo the negative impact of slavery and usher in a new period of equal partnership between different nations. It was good to see a number of people attending from various parts of the UK in what Mark [Curtis] referred to as 'one of the most intense, powerful and moving days I have been involved in'." Passion For Jesus Ministries Newsletter January 2007

"The networking for 2007 should prove invaluable …" Nigel Pocock, Vision Training & Research, London

"Firstly, I thought the repentance day you organised was just amazing with such a strong presence of the Lord with us all. … "I felt the Lord was saying to you for you to be very encouraged by what had been achieved during the day. … the Lord was saying to you that you had opened up a deep well with living waters rising up which would cause many people to receive from the Lord." Sue Sinclair, Community Watchmen Ministries, Liverpool

"It was a very powerful event and I was glad to have been there ..." Rev Kirsty Thorpe, St Andrew and St George United Reformed Church Bolton
_____________________________________________________________________
Dieter Quick20 Roseberry Street, Bolton BL3 4AR(phone 01204 610 67;
email DieterQuick@web.de)

Weak and Broken Vessels

2007-05-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

This from a friend ... during an e-mail exchange about suffering and it's effect on our character ...

I don't think there is anything we can say to justify any behaviour that isn't bathed in humility, mercy and love. And even then, our actions are only justified if they are the Lord's. Remember, we are weak and broken vessels. Only vessels, anything good that comes out of us is only from the Lord. He gets credit, even for our best self control (interestingly, a fruit of the Spirit). Anything that comes out of us that is anything but unadulterated Jesus is covered by the blood as we recognize our broken and empty state. This is humility! To KNOW that all our righteousness is as filthy rags. "I am dark but You call me lovely." I know that I am nothing, I truly am dark, but my value is in Your declaration that I am lovely. Your Words flow over me and I am changed, transformed in the splendor of Your love.

Political Correctness vs. Wisdom

2007-04-30T17:08:00.000-04:00

The following is a quote from the internet. I have no idea whom I should attribute it’s origin or authorship to. In spite of that, I was struck by how it rather pointedly underlined the foolishness of the “pseudo-moral” society we find ourselves in.

Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

To me Political Correctness is a very impotent (I didn’t miss the “r”) way of dealing with the difficulties of imposing egalitarianism on a society made up of human beings that generally want to be gods of their own lives and destinies. The result? If a person or group doesn’t approve of or dislikes (of course taking into consideration the enormous range of choices in terms of the “response type and level” that have their own inherent logical course of results and consequence) how a person or group leads their life, they are considered, nay judged and convicted, as the dreaded “INTOLERANT” or worse … “JUDGEMENTAL”.

History has shown, without exception, that the empowered victims of despots and dictators rise to be the next wave of despots and dictators. The truth is, human beings are not naturally good, nor are they born good … regardless of their gender, race or religion. What does make us all equal is our propensity for selfishness and our desperate need for God.

The pervasive idea of “Political Correctness” has insidiously wormed it’s way into Christian “culture” as well. Humanistic pop psychology masked as God’s love – seemingly straight from the hallowed halls of the big “O” Oprah gurus – turning God the Father into a senile old man that never get’s angry, who is never disappointed and does not actively discipline His children when they act like idiots. How surprising is it that we’re surrounded by fatherless children and childless fathers, neither of which actually know how to properly relate to each other? Is it because they have been force fed ideologies that are completely unnatural to the character of a Father or child - surrounded by women that are unclear as to how to walk through life as a mother or as a mate to men who have been thoroughly emasculated? What a mess!

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922 — 2007

2007-04-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

One of the most, I think, "prophetic" American writers to several "messed up" generations has died at age 84. In spite of his deep sadness and outrageous cynicism, he was a voice that had an impact on those that questioned the ways of an anaesthetized "status quo".

His writing, although appearing at times to be naive, minimalist and tortured, was full of razor sharp satire and pathos. In spite of his obviously humanist thrust, many of his novels and short stories contributed to my own rejection of mindless lemming-like dead religion and "popular thought" in my search for the real thing.

I've enjoyed many of his novels through the years, the first having been "Slapstick" at age 18. Admittedly now, some of the more lurid scenes in some of his stories, although meant for "shock" value, no longer hold any appeal to me - if anything, only revulsion.

Unfortunately his literary exposure of the real darkness and dimwittedness of humanity, as opposed to popular "airy-fairy" thought was never punctuated with any real answers or possible direction, just a deep sadness and cynicism. Perhaps this was the reason for his own struggle with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies.

Amongst his many short stories and essays, two stick out in my mind as having had great impact on me:

"Biafra: A People Betrayed", from Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons (1974). This was a tearstained first hand account of the final airlift of a people and nation that had been wiped out by a calculated blockade that had turned most into walking skeletons and then summarily slaughtered. It was utter genocide, as the world looked on mostly in apathy if not direct involvement.

"Harrison Bergeron", from Welcome to the Monkey House (1968). This short story is Vonnegut's way of debunking the idea of "egalitarianism" by portraying a society where the gifted, intelligent, strong and beautiful are "handicapped" through legislation and enforced law so as to ensure "social equality". This was later turned into a film (1995) starring Sean Astin.

I have a personal connection with Kurt Vonnegut because of his own experiences as an American POW in WW2 Germany. Sheltered in a concrete meat packing plant with his fellow American POWs he was one of the few survivors to have witnessed the fire bombing of Dresden by the allied forces. Over 150,000 unarmed civilians were burned alive by phosphor and jellied gasoline bombs dropped from planes as revenge and as a "demoralizing" tactic by the Americans. My father, then working as a research technician, unwittingly witnessed the same horror from an observation tower on a neighbouring hill. Vonnegut later turned his experinces into a bizarre semi-sci fi novel called "Slaughterhouse 5 (Schlachthaus Fünf)", which was also produced as a major film by the same name.
Some Vonnegut quotes:

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."

"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand"

"1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them."

"Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe."

"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center."

"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before... He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way."

"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."

"I am eternally grateful.. for my knack of finding in great books, some of them very funny books, reason enough to feel honored to be alive, no matter what else might be going on."

"Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt"

Now that he can “see” for himself, I truly wonder what his thoughts are now …
Mr. Vonnegut ... may your soul find rest and the True Freedom you've always searched for ...

Chris Hermann

see also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut

http://www.vonnegutweb.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/04/12/obit.vonnegut.ap/index.html

He is still a God of Miracles!

2007-03-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

During a recent Connect Group (Cell) meeting we briefly discussed "miracles". One of the things we discussed was the miracles of life itself ... our bodies, the grass and flowers ... the wonders of God's creation. Truly amazing things God has made and sustains ... quite true and we should be grateful, however, I don't believe the miracles performed by Jesus were referred to as such. As a matter of fact, He never went around saying to people: "look, there you are, another miracle of mine" or "... and see that blade of grass ... another miracle, now go do likewise.".It is however noteworthy that where no miracles were expected ... no miracles occurred ... even though He was present and quite able ...

Mark 6:4-6 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

The following recent testimony is true ... this woman is closely connected to very trustworthy and close friends of mine and is in Senior Leadership at Highlands christian Ministries in Stratford Ontario ... this just happened (sent to me March 13), is proven and is evidence that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!! He is a miraculous God, who performs miracles today just as He did 3000 (yes!) years ago ... and they are true, extraordinary, supernatural, outrageous, to the glory of God -miracles!!!! Jesus is alive!

Please read this:
_______________________________________________________

Many of you heard the news and have been praying for my biopsy today. Thank you!! Also thank you for all the e-mails and phone calls we received. I have felt so loved, cared for, and filled with a great peace. Our Father's Kingdom is truly alive within us.

I went to have the biopsy at the hospital as scheduled today for the lump they found in my left breast, which the doctor said was a cause of much concern. First they did an ultrasound to find the exact location of the lump. They found it and prepared everything for the procedure. The technician and the nurse went to bring the doctor who would do the biopsy (it was the same doctor who discovered the lump a few weeks ago through a mammogram and an ultrasound). I thought it was interesting that both of them left at the same time and closed the door behind them. It took about 20 minutes for the doctor to come, so I had to wait there alone laying on the bed ready for the procedure. As I was waiting, a sudden thought run through my mind: "The lump is still here and they have confirmed it, but, it would be a greater testimony if it disappears while I wait here". I heard that thought and agreed with it. Then about five or ten minutes later, I felt this heat on my throat and upper chest area. It was a intense but gently heat. It lasted for one or two minutes and then an overwhelming sense of peace fill me and filled the room. About five minutes later the doctor finally came with the technician and the nurse to do the biopsy, but as she was going to do it she discovered that there was nothing to biopsy because the lump was no longer there. It disappeared during the 20 minutes I waited alone in that room. It was a true and complete miracle. She checked with the ultrasound machine twice more and said, "there is nothing here to biopsy, you can get dressed and go home!"

Woohoo our Lord did it again! Some of you may remember that two years ago, I was rushed to the surgeon for an emergency biopsy because they had found a lump in the right breast which caused great alarm.The existence of the lump was verified, but after much prayer it disappeared (also through feeling heat on my chest) causing great confusion among the doctors involved.

Deep gratitude and a big hug to all who have been standing with us through during this weeks. May God's great reward be yours in this life and in the one to come.

Much love and hugs,

Isabel Allum
___________________________________________________________________

There was nothing "human" about this story ... it's "superhuman".

Isn't that wonderful?!! Praise God!!! Shouldn't we expect these things from such a wonderful God? It's the devil and the world that wants to discourage us and to embrace the mundane and the false reality that the supernatural (things that aren't "natural") is not to be expected or pursued.

So shouldn't we expect and pursue:

Further anointing (that is to say: "I want more because I need more!!!") of the Holy Spirit from heaven to do the things that Jesus has commanded us to do in His name ... heal the sick, raise the dead, heal and reunite hopeless relationships and marriages, speak in tongues, prophesy ... etc.?
God to position us for miracles to happen ... especially in ways that would bring most glory to Him?

It's time for us to reject those things that have prevented us to walk ... no, run ... with God ... the traditions and dead doctrines of men. He is on the move and in these last days it will become increasingly difficult to ignore the "supernatural". We are surrounded by people that are not interested in "church" or "Christianity" as we've created it (should we blame them for that?) ... they want the real thing ... so should we.

Lord ... pour your Spirit out on us ... forgive us our unbelief ... we trust You ... open our eyes to the wonders of Your kingdom. We confess that You are a God of miracles!! We love You!!

I pray that this has stirred you ... we can't afford to be passive as King's kids anymore!!

John 3:31-36 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.

The Mathematics of Faith

2007-03-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

Postulate: Where fear is present there is absence of faith. Perhaps they are directly proportional, definitely mutually exclusive.

Fear ≠ Faith

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. 1 John 4:p18

Therefore faith is either similar or equal to love.

Faith ≈ Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Love > Faith

Define "perfect love"?

My beloved friends let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 1 John 4:7-10 (The Message)

Perfect Love = God

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, Colossians 2:9 (NIV)

… Jesus Christ … Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. Philippians 2:5-7 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus Christ = God

Conclusion: Jesus Christ and fear do not occupy the same space. Jesus Christ is greater than fear.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

… because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Romans 8:14-16

Summary: I was once a minus and now I'm a plus. I love God because He first loved me. I like mathematics.

2007-01-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

“Once you can accept the universe as

matter expanding into nothing that is something,

wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.”

Albert Einstein

Weihnachtsgrüße - Christmas Greetings

2006-12-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas greetings from the Hermann Family

Weihnachtsgrüße von Familie Hermann

Benjamin ~ Christoph ~ Jasmin

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

Frieden lasse ich euch, meinen Frieden gebe ich euch;
nicht wie die Welt gibt, gebe ich euch.
Euer Herz werde nicht bestürzt, sei auch nicht furchtsam.
Johannes 14:27

Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Er selbst aber, der Herr des Friedens,
gebe euch den Frieden allezeit auf alle Weise!
Der Herr sei mit euch allen!
2 Thessalonicher 3:16

Fast and Pray for FeG Zossen, Germany

2006-12-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

Friday December 8th, 6pm - thru to - Saturday December 9th, 6pm

As announced by Pastor George Wilson last Saturday night, the congregation at The Harbour in North Bay, Canada, have been called to set aside a special day - 24 hours - to fast and pray for our dear brethren in Zossen, Germany. Please join with us to lift them up before the throne of God.

The Free Evangelical Fellowship of Zossen is 35 km south of Berlin. It's interesting to know that they are known as a "Gateway to the North" as is North Bay! My connection to them is through the mission I was involved in last July. They provided leadership for the global events: "Calling all Nations" and "Calling all to Worship" in Berlin and also were host to us, the Allen Froese band from Canada and other ministry leaders from abroad. They also were and are a central focus of God's purposes in that region.

We are seeking the Lord for key areas of breakthrough and believe that His plans and purposes will prevail over the powers of darkness that threaten our friends and brethren, in the great name of Jesus.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God. Phil. 1:3-11

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:9-12

Photo Links:

Freie evangelische Gemeinde Zossen - July 16
Tschüss Zossen! - July17

Vertical Reality - Jugglers Worshipping in Berlin

2006-11-28T12:44:00.000-05:00

Worship Juggling? Oh yeah!! How many different ways can we express our hearts to God? We may never find the end of those possibilities ... and why should we?

Vertical Reality ... These guys are amazing ... plus, they played drums as part of The Psalm Drummers group ... very cool. Check out their blog entry that describes their experiences in Berlin last July.

"Time for a bit of juggling in the stadium, Vertical Reality’s boys ran out with Kings Kids and joined the English team who danced wonderfully and combined with the circus skills was a real winner, and ended with VR freestyling in the middle of the dancers, what a way to worship!"

Dear Readers - Liebe Leser

2006-08-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

As much fun as the Photo Loops have been, they have mostly been responsible for this blog becoming overwhelmingly "brutal" to even the most muscular computers with the broadest bands. Especially those of a "dial-up" flavour (not so broad).
I've edited most of the loops out and replaced them with links to photo collections on my web site.
Hopefully this will make the "Blogging" experience somewhat more enjoyable to all. I'm afraid that you "dial-up" folks might still experience some "heavy traffic" (Stau) as a result of my "Bilderbuch" (Picturebook) style, sorry.
I hope to continue to make improvements when not sleeping ... er ... em ... yes ...

God bless you all!

Chris

Culture Shock

2006-07-23T07:02:00.000-04:00

Wow ... I woke up this morning in my favorite chair feeling quite panicked! I felt fairly sure that I was in Germany however I couldn't figure out why my house was there. I was almost frightened to look outside. It took almost two or three minutes to get my head clear enough to understand that I hadn't experienced an "OZ" transport of my home.

I think I'm "homesick" though ... I miss being there already and feel a little out of place here. This is an entirely new emotion I'm experiencing. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to process it, however with Father's help this as well as my other thoughts will fall into the right places. So many things have happened (that I'm aware of) in the last three weeks that I'm somewhat anxious about giving a cohesive account.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

The Lord has been ministering on so many different levels ... Praise You God for You are able! Papa ... thank You for Your great loving kindness. Thank You that You have amazing plans for me, for them ... for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD ... Jeremiah 29:11-p14

Homeward Bound Teil Zwei - July 21

2006-07-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

I spent a peaceful night at the Delta Inn in Toronto followed by a very nice, large, Canadian style breakfast. Shuttle bus to the airport and boarded my morning flight to North Bay, read the Globe & Mail the entire journey and caught up on some of the world events - Shalom Israel, Shalom Jerusalem.

Herb was waiting for me at the North Bay airport - so good to see him! - the Lord has blessed me with such amazing friends. My baggage miraculously arrived on the carousel. Most of the Air Canada agents I spoke to said that I would most likely have to make a claim as it was unlikely that after the "schlemazle" I endured that my luggage would arrive with me. Thank You Lord!

I'm told that my entire connect group (Cell group) was waiting for me at the airport last night ... you guys are so amazing! Sorry I couldn't be there. (Sandi later told me that there was incredible drama in the sky - rainbow, huge black clouds, lightning and an amazing sunset)

Ate breakfast number two at Ivan's (you gotta love this) and went home. Wow! I've had my socks blessed off!!

Here's a list of some of the things I noticed:

My home was completely spared of storm damage, even though there where downed and damaged trees on the surrounding properties. Even my patio umbrella, still open, was in place and not damaged. Apparently Max (who lives mostly outside) was none the worse for wear ... Thank You God!
Opened the door to find a "Welcome Home" banner.
My entire house was professionally cleaned. Thank You Stephen! (I should add here that Stephen "house sat" and looked after everything, including Max who was walked and groomed every day - amazing!)
My refrigerator was filled with groceries (including some very nice delicatessen style meats). Thank you Stephen, Marty and Herb!
A box of "Grolsch" ... nice touch!
Two fancy platters waiting for me. One a fruit platter, the other - cherry cake, fresh cherries and cheese. Yum!! I'm guessing from Ana Vincent. Thank you!

I've been told that my home was a house of prayer while I was away ... I couldn't be more pleased!

Of course, I can't forget the many who have been faithfully praying as well as the generous financial support (I haven't totaled the expenses yet, however I'm fairly certain everything has been covered!). Thank you all! Thank You dear Father ... You're so good!

Flight 7777 - July 20-21

2006-07-21T00:18:00.000-04:00

He wraps himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. Psalm 104:2-4

Well ... it looked like it might take me home ... however Flight AC 7777 to North Bay deflected off a lightning storm over North Bay and returned to Toronto. There, I was met with consistent confusion ... standby for the next flight as well as rechecking luggage was not going to be today ... sitting here, in the Delta Airport hotel ... wondering if it's 12:25 am or 6:25 am ... I've been on the move for 23 hours and awake for 24. My contact lenses have become symbiotic ... perhaps not such a good idea. Good night ... morning .... whatever .... :^)

Homeward Bound - July 20

2006-07-20T09:19:00.000-04:00

I'm currently writing this entry at about 35,000 feet (and climbing) while sitting in a Boeing 747, flying over Ireland after having just left the continent of Europe.

It's been largely impossible to keep a detailed journal or keep this blog up-to-date over the past 10 days ... mostly because my schedule has been so incredibly full, with sleep being a major priority if not on the road, in ministry or visiting. I've rarely had consistent internet access which has put a bit of a "cramp in my style". Sorry to let you down if you've wondered what's been going on. I will, however, do my best to give an account of the last 2 weeks ... Perhaps with the help of the Holy Spirit and the many photos to jog my memory, I'll be able to describe the incredible time I've had and some of the amazing things the Lord has done in this great nation .... Deutschland.

I'm presently feeling very emotional (as well as being touched by Holy Spirit) as I think of what I've experienced ... the wonderful relationships I've been able to establish and the spiritual ties that I believe I now have to my Father's Land .... I know now that I'm a son of this ancient land Germany and that my real inheritance as a person is here.

The Father's message to the German people is: "Can you hear my voice? I'm calling you. Can you feel my heartbeat? It beats for you. It's time to finally find your true identity .... in Me! This land is ... 'Vater's Land'."

As much as I have been a messenger ... no ... a carrier of this message, I now know that it is spoken to me as well, because truly the journey through this land has tapped into and has begun to solidify in me my own identity. I've found my roots!

This doesn't change the fact that I'm a Canadian ... actually I think I'm even more Canadian than ever because I've discovered my roots. Adding to that sonship of the Most High and citizenship in the Kingdom, results in a feeling of belonging and a sense of wholeness of identity that I've never truly experienced until now. I'm happy to be a Canadian ( I was born there), I'm happy to be a German (I really do belong!) and I'm happy to be my heavenly Father's son!

I'm running out of battery power, so I'll sign off for now .... I'm on my way home .... truly, home. I really believe that it's "Mission Accomplished", although it's probably "Part One" for me.
See you all soon my brothers and sisters.
More later.

Auf Wiedersehen meine Lieben! July 19

2006-07-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Hernnhut - July 17-18

2006-07-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Tschüß liebe Gemeinde Zossen! - July 17

2006-07-17T16:46:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Freie evangelische Gemeinde Zossen - July 16

2006-07-16T08:53:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Calling All Nations - Berlin Germany - July 15

2006-07-15T14:25:00.002-04:00

... even though the event is long past, I just love these videos!

Come: Part 1

Come: Part 2

Photo courtesy of Dirk Schneider - CAN photo pool

The Psalm Drummers opened the day. If you squint really hard .... , you might be able to see me in the first row of drummers on the right towards the middle ... ;o)

Photo courtesy of CAN Czech website

Photo courtesy of Ingo Lludwig - CAN photo pool

CAN Photo Gallery
Photos by Sascha Kaup (Germany)
Flckr CAN Photo Pool
Photos from Czech CAN website
Photos by Anastasia (Slovakia)
Photos from Hunagarian website
Photos by SBanks

Psalm Drummers jamming during the evening break on the stadium grounds by the PD booth.

Click here for my complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Calling All to Worship - Berlin Germany - Lukasgemeinde - July 14

2006-07-14T18:13:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Psalm Drummers - Sound Check

Psalm Drummers - Sound Check/Dancers Rehearsal

Text to follow.

Calling All to Worship - Berlin Germany - Lukasgemeinde - July 13

2006-07-13T18:06:00.000-04:00

Nicht mehr wird man dich "Verlassene" heißen, und dein Land nicht mehr "Wüste" heißen; sondern man wird dich nennen "meine Lust an ihr", und dein Land "Vermählte"; denn Jehova wird Lust an dir haben, und dein Land wird vermählt werden.
Jesaja 62:4 (Elberfelder 1905)

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah, [my delight is in her] and your land Beulah [married];
for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.
Isaiah 62:4 (NIV)

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Calling All to Worship - Berlin Germany - Lukasgemeinde - July 12

2006-07-12T17:51:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Welcome to Berlin - July 11

2006-07-11T16:55:00.000-04:00

Click here for the complete photo collection

Text to follow.

Road to Glauchau, Zossen - Road to Berlin - July 10

2006-07-10T17:03:00.000-04:00

This morning I double checked my gear and loaded it into Dieter's VW Golf. We left early, 7:30 ish ... already a hot day.

Just a few minutes out of St. Georgen, Dieter's handy (cell phone) rang. It was Birgit. She had been reading the Herrnhuter Losungen that morning and was struck by the appropriateness of the text:

Losung und Lehrtext für Montag, 10. Juli 2006

Siehe, ich sende einen Engel vor dir her, der dich behüte auf dem Wege und dich bringe an den Ort, den ich bestimmt habe. 2.Mose 23,20

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared ..." Exodus 23:20

Der Engel des Herrn tat in der Nacht die Türen des Gefängnisses auf und führte die Apostel heraus und sprach: Geht hin und tretet im Tempel auf und redet zum Volk alle Worte des Lebens. Apostelgeschichte 5,19-20

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."
Acts 5:19-20

Gib deinen Volk auf dem Erdenplan
Überall Türen, die aufgetan, Wohnungen des Friedens,
Hütten voll Segen
und bring uns dann auch von unsern Wegen
zurück nach Haus.

Give to Your people on the earth
everywhere doors, that are open, homes of freedom,
cottages full of blessing
and then lead us on our way
back home.
N.L. von Zinzendorf

I think appropriate is an understatement. These were marching orders. We were on the road and the Lord was guiding and guarding the path and plan that He had created and commissioned! What a way to kickstart the day! I was full of anticipation ... what would lie ahead?

I like the way Dieter drives ... every opportunity to drive at maximum speed, which includes precision passing on stretches of one lane highway. It makes for an interesting ride for me as a passenger. I trust his skills. I'm still, however, grateful for the battalion of angels that are surrounding us as we make our way to Eastern Germany.

Our first stop on the way to Zossen would be the town of Glauchau, a city in Saxony, a city of my ancestors.

Greetings from Dieter:

Glauchau

I am the last survivor and sole heir to my mother's side of the family. The Pfefferkorn lineage has a written history that reaches from me back through history to the 15th century. The earliest descendant is Benedictus Pfefferkorn, (1494 - 1524) Leipzig.

I was named after Christoph von Pfefferkorn zu Chemnitz, a man who lived in the early 17th century. There's a stone relief of him on display in a museum in Chemnitz wearing a full suit of armour. He was "Stadt Hauptmann" (Captain of the Guard?) and later "Rathsherr" (Councilman?) and I believe also had been knighted by the Emperor. The interesting and somewhat alarming thing is ... his son, George Ulrich Pfefferkorn was beheaded in 1614! I have not been able to find a record as to why. Christoph died during the early part of the Thirty Years War.

My mother, Hildegard Gustave nee Pfefferkorn, was born in the city we were now entering: Glauchau. She was born to a wealthy industrialist named Gustav Pfefferkorn who owned two textile mills in the city. The home she spent her early childhood in was a beautiful villa in a tree lined neighbourhood of the upper city.

54 years after World War 2 having been "appropriated" by the East German government, it was left to more or less rot. As it was part of the estate of my late mother, I was to inherit it. I spent 10 years fighting bureaucracy and less than honest lawyers to finally inherit and subsequently sell an enormous home that was in dire need of renovation. Even though it was under "Denkmalschutz" (historic monument protection), surrounded by other villas and down the road from a baroque era castle, I sold it for little more than the price of a parking lot, as the necessary financing to manage the reconstruction was a door that had not been opened to me.

I had not been here since before I sold the estate, and it was with a mixture of curiosity and some sadness that I rode next to Dieter along the streets of Glauchau towards the old family home. I knew that the buyers I had sold to had purchased the property as an investment with a plan to renovate. I remembered how dilapidated the building was and wondered what it looked like now.

As soon as we turned the corner onto Paul Geipel Strasse I was pleasantly surprised to see that the home had quite a facelift done to it and although the main entrance and terrace had been substantially changed the original early 20th century architecture was still intact. Five condominium apartments had been added to the rear and top while a business (a beauty salon) had been constructed on the ground floor. The front yard, a severed property, with it's massive old trees was still as I remembered it, mostly unkempt and uncared for as it was still owned by the city.

I struck up a conversation with a lady standing on an upstairs balcony, who had been watching with some suspicion as I took photos. She invited us in for a tour of her apartment. Quite nice, high ceilings, original stucco work, large original panel doors. I was perplexed by the general feeling of sadness that swept over me as I stood inside. I couldn't wait to leave.

Dieter and I sat out front and ate our lunch contemplating our next destination, the Pfefferkorn family grave in the city cemetery where my grandparents were buried. I hadn't been there since visiting it with my wife 10 years ago. I hoped that the massive tomb and wall memorial would still be there, as there had been some indication from the cemetery keepers that without financial support there was a chance it would eventually disappear. I suspected at the time though, that perhaps that was a "sinister" statement directed at gullible "Rich Westies" by greedy former communists ... I also hoped that I would remember how to get there.

I decided to take a stab at navigating from memory. After several interesting detours and dead ends, with some directions from locals, we arrived. I remembered that the grave was on the perimeter wall, and so we followed it counter clockwise. It was incredibly hot. Dieter started to lose steam and was hinting at a nap in the shade as we walked around most of the cemetery without finding the grave. Finally we found it, about 25 meters the other side of the entrance!

It was a strange feeling to stand there looking at the ancient, massive and eroded stone wall. I had remembered a statue of a crouching roaring lion to one side. It was missing. Did that only exist in a dream? Very puzzling.

A huge stone relief of an angel (with a somewhat dour looking expression) leading a departed soul to glory was inset into the central part of the memorial. Inscribed below that were the names of those that had been buried there, so weathered that they were barely legible. Just above the names and directly below the angel was this verse::

Habe ich dir nicht gesagt, so du glauben würdest, du würdest die Herrlichkeit Gottes sehen? (Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?) John 11:40

I couldn't remember having seen that verse before. It's such an important verse to me. It was a verse that Benjamin (my son) and I once memorized and spoke to each other during dark and troubled times. Jesus spoke this word to the mother of Lazarus just before he raised him from death to life. A verse, a promise, that brought us through to the other side ... have we reached the other side?

Death to life ...

Now getting poetic ...

... many troubling thoughts began to mass yet again at the ramparts of my heart, threatening to scale and invade the walls of protection into the sanctity of comfortable and peaceful identity at my core. ... Help!

What would my ancestors think of me now, Have I failed them? Would they think of me as a failure? A man struggling with hopelessness, cut-off and rejected by his wife and now both his children as well. An estate of a family now virtually extinct, a sole heir unable to sustain, protect and hand down it's legacy to an uninterested and disconnected progeny who no longer believe in the promise or the Promiser. Do I think of me as a failure? What is my true inheritance? What do you think Father?

verse 4: When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

Just then, my cell phone rang ...

"Hello this is Pizza, Pizza, did someone order a Pizza? ... How you doing Chris?"

... Marty?

My brother Marty ... brother in Christ ... what timing! He spoke to me about how my brothers are praying for me and holding down the fort, how my home and dog are being looked after. These guys really love me.

My Father loves me ... and one day He's going to show me the wall, just as in the dream ... the wall with the crouching, roaring lion with my name inscribed next to it ... and He will say to me: "Well done, my good and faithful servant!".

Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:45

The Lord promised that He would rebuild my marriage and thus my family ... that's a good promise. I recently looked at the Pfefferkorn family records and spotted my Grandparent's marriage certificate. At the top was written:

... Ich aber und mein Haus wollen dem HERRN dienen. (... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.) Joshua 24:p15

That is a legacy, a promise, a blessing, that I have inherited and will live up to.

Zossen

Later that afternoon, as we drank our "Frappes" in the town centre, I called Kati Schwabach, logistics organizer for Calling All to Worship, to let her know when we would arrive in Zossen. After a short stroll through the town we left Glauchau for the last leg of the journey.

The drive from lower Saxony, past Dresden towards north eastern Germany was beautiful with it's rolling hills and pine forests. Our destination was the town of Zossen, 35 kilometers south of Berlin. A town of 17,000 that had seen it's fair share of tumultuous history. During the war Zossen was the central command for the Nazis, their underground bunkers located on the edge of town. Later occupied by the Russians and then part of communist East Germany, Zossen wasn't an easy place to be a follower of Christ. Since the wall came down, many good changes had come to Germany ... however Zossen seems to have been largly overlooked, as do many of the smaller centres of the former DDR, with their huge unemployment rates that largly effects the local youth. They bear the brunt of the unemployment statistics which translate typically and sadly into issues of social instability and breakdown in the community. Such a need and hunger for God!

It seemed like the drive had been short as we now travelled the tree lined highway into Zossen. Huge trees with trunks right up to the road's edge. Trees that looked like ancient gatekeepers. What have those trees seen over the ages? War and peace, death and life ... seasons of change ... Are the gates now opening to the King of glory, are they letting Him in?

Erhebt, ihr Tore, eure Häupter, und erhebt euch, ihr ewigen Pforten, daß der König der Herrlichkeit einziehe! Wer ist dieser König der Herrlichkeit? Der HERR, stark und mächtig! Der HERR, mächtig im Kampf! Erhebt, ihr Tore, eure Häupter, und erhebt euch, ihr ewigen Pforten, daß der König der Herrlichkeit einziehe!

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. Selah (Psalm 24:7-10)

I called again, as we had driven right by the church and the cluster of adjacent houses without noticing. Kati and her young daughters, Sophie and Lisa waited for us by the road, waving so that we wouldn't miss them this time. We were welcomed with typical German hospitality and kindness and ushered into the home of young Benjamin Kraus, our "Hausherr" for our eight day stay in Zossen. There we sat down to a relaxing dinner with Benjamin, his friend "Michi" (also staying at the house), Pastor Friedemann Just (FeG Zossen) and his daughter Marie.

We have arrived. Thank You Lord!

Gütenbach & Brend - Beautiful Schwarzwald - July 9

2006-07-09T15:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday and into the night, St. Georgen hosted a "Stadtfest". I was hoping for something a little more cultural. It was really just a big bash complete with rock bands, techno-disco and beer tents ... a substantial drunk with a mostly college age crowd.

We managed to watch the 3rd place game between Germany and Portugal in a packed, smoke filled, noisy room on a large screen with some substantially rowdy youth. Some things are really universal .... that was somewhat disappointing to me, although Germany winning was a bonus. DEUTSCHLAND NUMER DREI!!!

Later that evening, Dieter and I discussed attending church somewhere in St. Georgen this morning. I had a strong sense that this could be a way to establish some important fellowship ties with a group of believers here. We hunted through the paper and telephone book until I spotted a Free Evangelical Fellowship in the middle of town that met behind a store, just a few blocks away. Holy Spirit gave me a bit of a nudge, and so we made plans.

Marliese joined Dieter and I this morning as we actually drove to church (we only had a few minutes). We also had plans to go into the "deep" Black Forest that afternoon for a hike and some lunch.

We were met by a man at the door who seemed somewhat "dour", and so I thought, "hmmm, have I made a mistake?". My first impression gave way to a sigh of relief as we went into a bright room decorated with colourful artwork and objects that celebrated a personal walk with Jesus. There was an area to the left at the front that was obviously for the worship band ... ahah! Congas, Electric Keyboard, Bass guitar, amps, Guitar ... ahhh, that's more like it!

More importantly I was struck by the natural friendliness of the small congregation as they filtered in ... a good cross-section of young and old, families, couples and single adults. Most, warmly greeted us ... gently and without questions or pressure ... that was noteworthy. They were a small, friendly, sweet group of believers that quickly embraced us.

We started with worship ... almost all the songs we sang were those we sing at home, only in German (I want to see Jesus lifted high, etc.). People seemed free to express their love to Jesus and yet there wasn't anything that was "over the top" ... Marliese said later that she was blessed watching me and others worship because she knew that it was real and not religious. She had remembered me describing my love relationship with Father and could see the heart expression.

During worship I felt the Lord say that I should give the little Gideons German new testament, that Mark Vincent gave me at the North Bay Airport, as a blessing to the church from the Body in North Bay ... complete with the 10 Mark bill that I found in it (worth about 5 Euros).

Selah ...

Next came testimonies, obviously unrehearsed. People spoke of real things that were happening in their lives ... it was very personal - very "live". The German term would be "Actuel".

The pastor gave a message that was basically about intercession for the townsfolk (especially in relation to the Stadtfest) ... he referred to the cost of things rising when there's less of it and the demand goes up, such as a loaf of bread, which he referred to as costing 10 Mark (he said he still thought that way) ... right away I thought of:

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " Matthew 4:4

... Afterwards I gave him the bible (and the 10 Mark) with greetings, encouragement and blessings from the body of Christ in North Bay along with the above and Psalm 128:2. He was greatly encouraged!

Meanwhile, Dieter and Marliese were engaged in conversation with several people... ending with an animated exchange with one of the elders who was inviting them to one of their homegroups for a barbeque. I wandered over to the small book store they had in the corner and purchased a Bible - a "Hoffnung für Alle" (Hope for Everyone) translation.

I pray that God would connect Dieter and Marliese with this lovely group were they could feel at home.

That afternoon we hiked through a beautiful region of hills and forest, ate and drank amazing local fare ... so wonderful!

That evening I spoke to Marliese as Dieter and I prepared for our journey to Berlin ... I sensed that she was being strongly drawn by Father ... although a battle with fear was being raged and she was very troubled over her future. She mentioned however, that she had been wonderfully comforted by His words to her in the last few days ... I prayed over her and gave her the bible I had purchased that day (asked her if she wanted one and she said yes) with instructions to read - Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11-14, John & Phillipians while we were away. Dieter and I would be leaving for Berlin in 7 hours and so I was concerned that she would be protected and ministered to by angels as she responded to Holy Spirit tonight and during the coming week (as she's staying here in St.Georgen). I e-mailed intercessors at home with a request for prayer.

Click here for the complete photo collection of our hike in Gütenbach & Brend

Meersburg - July 7

2006-07-07T03:50:00.000-04:00

This is probably one of the most beautiful medieval towns I've ever visited. Meersburg on Lake Constance (Bodensee)in the far south of Germany ... too bad it was overcast, on a clear day you would see the snow capped Alps across the lake. Switzerland is directly across with Liechtenstein and Austria to the southeast.

This town has the oldest castle in Europe still privately owned with people actually still living in it --- built in the 7th century.

The water is actually quite clean and provides drinking water for the region ... you can take a car ferry across to either of the other countries. The Inn by the water is called "The Wild Man" and depicts a man wearing a fur .... LOL ...

There are vineyards everywhere. The wines are quite well known for their quality ... lots of wine cellars in the town ... had the opportunity to do some wine tasting and ended up buying some really nice wines. Two really fine wines for 14 E (about $20).

As I stood in one of the alleys I could hear a french horn and a clarinet, coming from different directions, practicing baroque music, echoing off the buildings. As I came to the end of the alley a flute joined in ... mixed in with the sound of songbirds and people chatting pleasantly ... it was all like a beautiful symphony ...

I believe that during the war, Jews and other persecuted people swam or boated across Lake Constance to Switzerland to find safe haven ... I'm told that this is commemorated each year with people swimming across - quite a few kilometers.

My cousin Karl-Dieter and his girlfriend Marliese and I dined at one of the many lakeside restaurants on local fish from the lake. They tasted like trout and pickerel, beautifully prepared and presented... really amazing!! By the way ... 3 full course dinners of exceptional quality with drinks and tips in this resort/tourist area - under $50 !!!

So awesome ... this is the second day that I've been able to talk at length about my relationship with Father in a really personal and intimate way ... Marliese started crying today (while we were at dinner) and said that she loves it when I talk about those things, they make her feel really happy and different. She was so excited about that yesterday that she called her sister to tell her about it. I can sense such a hunger in her and can really see that Holy Spirit is wooing her. I told her that my prayer has been that I would be able to convey those heart things in German fluently, as opposed to "head things". I mentioned that people were praying for me in Canada to that end which really amazed her.

ok ... it's almost 4 am and I'm headed for bed ... there's a town festival here in St. Georgen (im Schwartzwald) starting tomorrow ... looking forward to that!

Tomorrow I'm putting new strings on my violin as well as to continue to practice my drum (on my legs - ouch!) and sopranino recorder parts I will be playing with the Psalm Drummers - I've been asked to write a harmony part as well ...

View the entire Meersburg photo collection by clicking below.

Downloading the FilmLoop player will alow you to view the photos.
Give it a try! Click and follow the instructions.

A walk in the Schwarzwald - July 6

2006-07-07T02:25:00.000-04:00

From: Jubal Music
Subject: Black Forest
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 8:38 PM

Thought you folks might enjoy some pics from where I was today ... they don't do the experience justice ...

This is the region that inspired the Grimm stories, so beautiful!

...of course the culinary fare as you wander through the valleys is unbelievably good!! I could live here .... :o)

Herb ... Where my cousin Dieter is striking a pose on the rock is where you called me ... on top of one of the hills overlooking a beautiful valley of farms and forest.

And by the way ... next time you folks buy Black Forest Ham in the store ... that's a fairy tale of American proportions, sort of like trying to buy chicken balls in China ... it doesn't exist here ... real black forest style "bacon" is amazing ... in the pictures that food I was eating was prepared fresh there from local farmers.

From: Jubal Music
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 2:25 AM
Subject: Re: Black Forest

p.s. the sounds I heard throughout were wonderful song birds and the tinkelling of cow bells ... and the wind through those amazing "Tannen" ...

Möhringen - Family Visit - July 5

2006-07-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Click here for the photo collection

Text to follow.

Entering the Land - July 4

2006-07-04T19:19:00.000-04:00

Sunrise over Europe ...

So far it's an uneventful flight ... pleasant but boring. A little snooze here and there ... feeling a little frayed around the edges ... still suffering a variety of toothaches and some chest congestion.

(note from Chris: blogger tech problems ... I'll fill in the blanks later ... I'm here in Germany having a blast! All is well!)

Update (added "weeks" later):

Arrived in Frankfurt airport somewhat bewildered (groggy, etc.). It was very hot and the terminal was under construction ... suddenly (it really seemed that way) I was out ... flashed my German passport, found my luggage and gear ... no customs check ... wow, what a contrast!

Found the train station (in the airport) - huge and ultra-modern, purchased my ticket and waited. ... now on the train (ICE to Freiburg) ... I sat with a very kind fellow, a salesman from Switzerland who regularly traveled through central Europe. We talked about language, currency and the World Cup.
He offered me a bottle of water and we watched the world flash by. The train cruised at 245 km/hr (top speed 300 km/hr). My total travel time was approaching 21 hours at this point and I was starting to feel a little "rubbery".
Finally arriving in Freiburg, I realized that I was on a different platform than Dieter was expecting me to be on, as I had taken a slightly earlier train (by 5 min.). I couldn't find an escalator and had to carry my heavy luggage, one at a time, down and up the long flights of stairs under the tracks into the busy, crowded station building, where I hoped he'd find me. It was sweltering and I was now very tired, sore and sweat soaked.

Finally, I spotted Dieter and Marliese, who were diligently hunting for me. Dieter had already surmised that I was on a different train. So great to see my favorite cousin again!! Now to find the car and stow the luggage and find a bite to eat ... once more around the complete Banhof ... ready to keel over now ...

Sat in the busy town centre pedestrian zone in a cafe ... watching mostly university students walking by ... It's 1 o'clock pm German time, 23 hours on the go now and fading ... mmm .... Fleischsalat (meat salad). Really suffering from an intense toothache ... can't even chew on my right side ... what's up with that??

3:30 pm we arrived in St.Georgen .... ahhh ....... nice cool cellar bedroom at Dieter's place .... shower and ..... zzzzzzzz .... zzzzzz

18:30 .... eyes snap open ... yes! I'm in synch ... ready to eat and watch the match between Germany and Italy. This is the important one, "make or break". I'll go to bed at 11pm and get up in the morning, Germany time, fit as a fiddle!

Dieter and I ate a nice dinner (sort of a lunch for me) on his patio already wearing our national team jerseys. Meat and cheese and heavy rye bread and fresh buns with a variety of prepared salads and coffee ... ahhhh .... German Kaffee ... so nice. Need the strength to cheer on our team ...

Marliese was waiting for us at a hilltop inn that had set up a tent with a big screen. She'd saved us a seat as a large crowd from the village of St. Georgen was expected. Sure enough as we hiked up the mountain trail through the forest we could hear the excited cheers of a substantial crowd further up.

As the trail broke into a clearing, I was greeted by the smell of BBQ and beer and an "electric" atmosphere. We sat at a wooden table in the middle of an already excited crowd next to Marliese.

Tireless team songs were sung around us as we watched the football "knights" joust on the screen. Dieter brought us some tasty local beer as the tension mounted, scoreless through the first half.

It was quite the incredible game .... ahhh, until the goals started to arrive ... one two punch in the second half .... oooooo .... it doesn't look like Germany will get up again after this ... a definite KO punch. The group of youth behind me stopped singing ... quite the mournful silence descended on the crowd as darkness fell like a shroud ... (I'm enjoying this exaggerated drama).

"Drei"tschland!! I think the nation will make for a much more gracious host as third place "winners". Oh well ... perhaps it's better this way.

We could hear the Italians celebrating in the valley ... it's going to be a long night for some folks ... Viva Italia!

A bit of chat and ... hit the hay for the next day ... Ach nee ... Oy vey!

A Walk in The Kingdom - July 3

2006-07-03T01:28:00.000-04:00

I guess I must have been somewhat keyed up ... I set my alarm for 7am and woke up ... I mean really woke up ... at 5:50am. I got up, bla, bla, bla ... sent a shirt back through the dryer and suddenly realized that I was up way too early!!

Back to bed ... one hour of sleep is precious considering how ridiculous my sleep habits are normally (I use the word lightly). Last night was no exception ... in bed by a nice early 3am so that I would be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the next day ... big day. Sometimes I think my brain goes into hibernate mode after 11pm.6:50am, out of bed like a shot (it would be good if I could duplicate this during a regular work week). Alarm clock preemptively turned off. Ready go!

Father says ...

"Pack the t-shirt, you won't be needing it under your short-sleeve, it's going to be hot, one shirt will do".

Down on my knees on the bathroom mat I'm just grateful before Him ... "Oh Father, I'm so honored to be Your son. I'm so glad to hear Your voice. I just want to hear Your voice."

Out of the shower ... dressed, downstairs .... close the suitcase. READY! A knock on the door, the Vincents are here. Stephen arrives. Juan Valdez is ground and brewed ... only the best ... drink some juice (just realized that I forgot to take my vitamins) ... little chat ... I tell them about the most unbelievable development: I'm a Psalm Drummer leader on the 15th? In front of 80 drummers ... I still feel like vomiting just thinking about it ...

Van loaded, off we go. At the Airport ... 77 pound behemoth of a suitcase goes through the check ... ATA case goes through the check ... wait who's working security? None other than Kathy Rich! How fitting that an intercessor/worshiper would inspect my luggage. Thank you God.

Check in ... oh thank You Lord ... baggage checked all the way through to Frankfurt from North Bay. "Window seat please." Yes. Seat 02F.

Goodbyes ... blessings. Mark handed me a German New Testament ... how fitting! Hug line ... awesome! (Note: Just found 10 Marks in the bible ... thanks Mark! I would think one is enough ... )

Sitting in the gate lounge waiting to board AC Jazz flight 7772 to Toronto ... contemplating so many things. Conversation with the man next to me on his way to Vancouver... wait, who do I see through the glass? Is that Pastor George Wilson going through security? Huh? Isn't that also the youth pastor from St. Brice's and his wife as well?

Indeed. It is George ... who comes over and sits right next to me. How crazy is it that he is on the same flight? He's heading for a CCCC leadership meeting in London. We chat ... and walk onto the tarmac together. Now boarding ... George is ahead of me ... I turn the corner and .... George is sitting in 02E! We've been seated by the Holy One of Israel ... together. WOW!

We chatted for the whole flight ... and then as we began our decent to Toronto, George prayed for me - words of blessing and encouragement for the journey ahead. So cool.

We walked together to his next flight, and as we reached his gate I took the opportunity to snap a photo ....

...... and then the Lord spoke through George again ...Father wants me to know how special I am to Him ..YAHOO! You are the best Dad! .... He (the Lord) is also going to surprise me ... YIKES ... I'm already so surprised, can I take more without another heart adjustment (both kinds)? Oh God, anything You want ... how can I resist YOU?

Another blessing from a spiritual father. Thank You God.

Off to the international gates ... take a bus to the old terminal ... empty, walk the length twice ... empty ... I guess there aren't any flights for another 3 hours or so ... I have a 7 hour wait. Back to Terminal 1 ... take a nice walking tour ... send some mail ... walk some more ... wait who's that?... Pastor Ian & Ros McLean. What a surprise! They're on the same flight - Psalm 47:1 - to Frankfurt!! How crazy is that? They're on their way to Italy ...

Heading out of the security zone ... check in at Lufthansa ... "Window seat please." Yes. Seat 33A. Back through security ... not anywhere near as stringent as North Bay ... still had coins in my pocket, they're not interested in opening anything. Didn't even have to get my camera out.... back to some more writing, mail .... before I know it, it's 4pm, time to head back to the terminal ... this time the bus is full .... so is the terminal ....at the gate I try looking for more WI-FI networks ... low signal, can't use it ... there's Ian & Ros ... more chat about Kingdom things ... we talk about heavenly flow, strongholds, worship, the arts ... encouraging words.

Get on the huge 747 ... will I get my violin into a compartment? No problem says the pleasant German accent .... nice seat! No seat in front and I can stretch my legs. ... taxi ... take-off and .... set my watch to German time .... just after midnight ... we're in the air climbing, climbing .... and ... level out at 40,000 feet ... ahhh ... my first dinner since Monday .... very tasty stuffed pasta with gazpacho salad and some red wine.

Sunset over Labrador ....

Preparing to Enter the Land

2006-06-15T23:37:00.000-04:00

by Chuck D. Pierce
__________________________________________________
Note from Chris:

I first received the following word from Joel News in April 2001. June 1, 2001 - I attended a "Worship Together" conference in Kitchener/Waterloo (formerly named Berlin!), Ontario. There, Noel Richards described his vision of lifting up the name of Jesus in Berlin, Germany - "Calling All Nations". At that time the Lord said to me: "Go, I want you there to play your violin for your people ... "

" ... Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." Genesis 13:17 __________________________________________________

Any time we hear God's call to a new mission field, we must be properly prepared to enter into that field. The word "prepare" means to make ready, or to put together a framework from various elements or ingredients for the plan which is necessary to equip you for victory.

Many of you are beginning to hear the call of God to the 40/70 Window. When we think of securing our inheritance, many of our spiritual and cultural roots are attached to this region of the world. Therefore, ingoing, praying, and gaining keys of revelation to unlock the spiritual inheritance of this region, the spiritual inheritance of our lives and families gets unlocked as well. There are 62 nations or districts to which the Lord could call each one of us. Each has a distinct people and culture. Each of these fields also has a history, both good and evil, that must be acknowledged, understood, and connected to God's overall plan and destiny for world Harvest.

I frequently read the book of Joshua to gain insight over how to approach and enter into any new missions directive that the Lord gives me. I recently reread this book and gained the following insight as I prepared for a trip into the 40/70 Window. In March I led a team to France, Italy, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland. The following points should assist you and any team that you are on as you enter into these nations and co-labor with the Spirit of God to unlock the future Harvest.

Guidelines on Entering the Land

Know your position of authority. Moses had passed his mantle on to Joshua. This mantle gave Joshua the authority to lead and direct the people into the field. We are all not Joshuas. Joshua sent out two individuals to secretly go and view the land they were to enter. We need to know our role on the team of which we are a part. You need to know if you are leading, or if you are taking direction from someone. For Joshua to take the inheritance that God had covenanted with Abraham, there had to be leaders, priests, warriors, secret ambassadors, and key connectors. So the first step is to know your role in the mission. This is a day where God is commissioning intercessors and sending them into fields to just pray. The term that is arising to describe this is missionary intercessors. I will write more about this in the next Global PrayerNews. The Lord is also sending in leaders to connect with other leaders in these fields. Your role on the team should be fully defined and understood.
You should understand God's covenant plan for the area to which you are going. The Lord told Joshua to meditate day and night upon THE BOOK OF THE LAW. In doing this, He promised Joshua that his way would be prosperous and that he would have good success. He also instructed him to have confidence in the call that had been placed on his life. The Book of the Law contained God's covenant plan, directions, and boundaries that were necessary for understanding how to unlock His promises for the land they were entering. Try to find the spiritual history of the nation to which you are going. Has there ever been a revival in that nation? Did God release a prophetic plan for revival that has never been fulfilled in the nation to which you are going?
You must spend time being sanctified in a new way. To sanctify means to hallow, set apart and separate. Another meaning is to "not be common". Once you understand the field you are going into, be sure you have allowed the Lord to sever anything that would cause you to be ensnared and becommon to the strongholds that are in that field. I suggest three days ofprayer and fasting before you leave for your mission trip. Please encourage your team to pray and fast also as the Lord would lead them. Strict discipline was imposed upon the people of God before they went into war or confronted their enemies. You must be very disciplined in the team of which you are a part. If you begin by prayer and fasting, I believe this will carry you through the entire mission that you are a part of. You will have a sensitivity to the Lord's voice and will follow the team "rules" as your trip progresses.
Research and gain as much information as possible over your field. Joshua sent in two secret ambassadors to see what was in the land. These individuals went in to understand the city states, the government of those city states, the fortresses, the armies and so on. Spirit-led and field research is very important for anyone taking a trip. Even in the natural I try to gain as much information as I can about the place I am visiting. There are some wonderful books on each nation. I would suggest you buy a travel book to accompany you. Then I would suggest you check with our Observatory to see if they have done any key research on the nation to which you are going. Then go a step further and look into the spiritual realm to see if there are any places where key spiritual events have occurred in the nation that you are being sent to. Sometimes it is necessary to go to a place and stand on that land and declare God's glory will come into that nation in a new way.
You should consider making key contacts in the nation to which you are going. I always ask the following questions as I enter in a nation: Who are the key apostolic leaders? Who are the key intercessors? What groundwork has been done in this nation? How can I serve those who are presently laboring in the nation that I am entering into? I then look for key surprise contacts that God just puts in my path to help me along the way. These "Rahab connections" are very important for our success in anyfield.
Learn to follow the Spirit of God. The Lord changed the way that He manifested to the people of Israel. They were used to seeing the glory of God manifest in a cloud by day and fire by night. The Lord changed this manifestation method and procedure to include the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord preceding the people and their learning to move as the Ark moved. Be very sensitive to the leading of the Lord as you go in because His glory should precede you and be your rear guard as you take one of these trips. The glory of God gives you favor to go through doors that would normally be closed to you. And the glory also becomes a rear guard behind you to seal you from the backlash of the enemy.
The timing of your trip is important. Joshua went in at the time of the swelling of the Jordan. This was the season when the Jordan overflowed its banks during the whole time of harvest. Pray for the Harvest to be ripened. Ask God to give you eyes for the Harvest of that particular land. The definition of your mission should determine the timing of your trip. As you know, the Lord asked us to go around the world last year and pray in the key financial centers. We just happened to be in Berlin when the national leadership of Germany was meeting to determine repayment of finances to the Jews. We prayed there two days. Since that time over nine billion dollars has been released back to the families of Holocaust victims. Timing is so important.
Worship along the way. Once Joshua and the people crossed over the Jordan and got firm footing, they took memorial stones, built an altar, and worshiped. I believe worship is important on any prayer journey. Your team should find time perhaps on a daily basis, but at least after every key victory.
Enter that nation clothed in humility. Once the people crossed over the Jordan, fear struck the enemy's heart. The word says, "Their heart melted and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel." The spiritual enemies of the land knew when God's envoy entered in to make prophetic declarations. However, the first thing God required His people to do was to make "flint knives and circumcise the people"-making them vulnerable before the Lord and very humble. Do not enter any land with pride in your heart. Enter with a humility and a dependence on God to bring success to your mission.
Gain strategy before you go up against the enemy. From then on, at every city and for every battle, Joshua, the leaders of the tribes, and the army had to gain key strategy. I suggest you have daily meetings either at the end of the day or at the beginning of the day so you can hear God before you progress throughout the land that you have entered.

These key points should help you become victorious on the mission that God is sending you.

Published by permission - Glory of Zion International

Band Expansion!

2006-06-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

This is so cool. I found out yesterday that Jerome Ransome has joined the Allen Froese Band, heading for Berlin with the rest of us ...
Jerome has an incredible voice. This guy has serious pipes!! First heard him sing at Tehillah Toronto ... very obviously a man that loves to worship Jesus.

We are so blessed to have him with us. I Talked to him on the phone today about what God is doing in Germany and Europe. He really has a heart for what's happening over there and is excited to be part of this massive move of God.

We're now an 8 piece band! Huge sound ... I think we have the sound spectrum covered ... All of us except James Mercer played Tehillah last Monday. It sounded awesome ... we had an incredible time worshipping the Lord! Thank you God for giving us this great privilege .... to worship You!

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. Psalm 29:2

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in [with] the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity. Psalm 96:8-10

One more gig for me in Courtise Ontario, June 25th and off I go to Deutschland (July 3) ... the band goes on to play in Hagersville Ontario, June 30th.

Flight 471 to Frankfurt, Germany

2006-06-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!
He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

Selah

God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to Him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.

Psalm 47

Fundraising Dinner - April 28

2006-06-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

What a great dinner it was! My connect (cell) group, along with other brothers and sisters from the Body of Christ at the Harbour and North Bay, did an awesome job cooking up and serving "Rindergulasch mit Eiernudeln" to over 80 guests. I spent the better part of the evening handing out door prizes ...
... very generous gifts from the Lighthouse Book store, Canadian Bible Society store and The English Butler here in North Bay, as well as cool journals and stationary made by Ellen Daley and CD's donated by Eric Poxleitner! The dinner must have been good ... I talked for hours and almost nobody left early ... :o)

At the end of the night close to $1500 was raised, after expenses! By the end of that week mission funds totaled just under $2000. Thank you Body of Christ in North Bay, Southern Ontario and Quebec for your generosity and obedience to the Lord!

My airfare and car rental are now paid for. I am so blessed!!

I believe that what has been sown into this ministry will be multiplied many times over with thousands of souls blessed and the name of the Lord lifted up over Germany and Europe!

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128:1-2

The Blessing - Sunday April 23

2006-05-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

11:30 am found me leisurely winding my way down Bayview, into the valley and along the Skyway towards High Park. Even though I hadn't lived in Toronto for 22 years, it still felt familiar and like home. Coming here always brings back a flood of memories ... childhood, parents, friends ... .the deaths of my brother, mother and dad ... memories of coming back years later for visits with my sweetheart and our young children ... could I live here again? I'm not sure I would like it.

Today I was on my way to have lunch with Pastor Meyer and his family. He was my pastor when I was in my formative years, while my family attended the Deutsche Evangelische Gemeinde on Ossington Avenue through the sixties and into the early seventies. Pastor Meyer had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer this past December. Even though the doctors had given him just a short time, his health has become remarkably stable and he is even able to sit at the table and eat! Praise the Lord!

I hadn't seen him since he presided over my Father's funeral 11 years ago. I had a strong sense that this was an extremely significant meeting for me and I was somewhat anxious.

Turning up the Dunn off-ramp towards Parkdale ... more memories of darker times. My life in Parkdale in the seventies was death defying. God saved me from what would have been a miserable demise. ... Now coming to the end of King street onto

Roncesvalles ... looking for a place to buy some flowers for the Meyers. One grocer after another, all with flowers

... I think the Lord is leading me to just the right store, to just the right pot of flowers.

Oh no ... am I going to be late? I have to be there at 12 noon sharp, I really want to bless them. Have I driven by every flower shop now? Lord which one? ... Ah, there's one more before I have to turn.

Yes, these little red potted flowers will do fine.

... Indian Road, Indian Crescent, Indian Valley Crescent, Indian Grove, Indian Trail ... um ... so I grew up here, drove cab and still feel a little disoriented ... better call ...

... Ok that's better ... here I am. High noon, sharp!

My dad would have been proud (or at least somewhat satisfied).

Thomas answered the door. Hard to wrap my mind around the contrast of seeing a man of 30 something in a track suit who is the President of the Toronto Ultimate Frisbee Club, as well being a Harvard business grad, with the young boy I saw him as last.

After a brief meeting with Mrs. Meyer in the kitchen, (I really don't think she's aged much, her voice and appearance seem to be the same as I remember, still so healthy and youthful!) I was ushered into the dining room. Seated with Thomas, Marion (more contrast for me - the youngest sibling and now a young women in her 30s), Gudrun & Pastor Meyer who joined us after a few minutes.

Pastor Meyer was obviously very weak and it was difficult to understand him when he spoke. The light in his eyes and the spirit about him though were full of life, joy and peace. I was so blessed to be there! He gave thanks after which we ate a typical German style, Sunday roast beef dinner, so delicious, simple and gracious! We chatted about what occupied Thomas and Marion as well as what I was up to these days and how my family was doing.

Pastor Meyer soon grew tired and needed to return to bed. After he was positioned and settled in, I asked him if he would like me to read to him, as I noticed that there was a small devotional on his bedside table. He responded that he hadn't had it read to him that day and that it would be nice. I had brought him a devotional as well, as a gift. While laying the copy of "Every Day With Jesus" on the bedside table I noticed that his devotional was "Die Losungen" by the Brüder-Unität of Herrnhut!!

Herrnhut (meaning The Lord's Watch), the little town near the Czech and Polish borders in Saxony founded by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. In the 1700's this small community of Christians experienced one of the most powerful outpourings of God's Spirit in European history. The Moravians (as they are still called to this day) were so consumed with the fire of God that they established 100 years of unbroken prayer and intercession as well as one of the most far reaching missionary movements of that time. They were so moved to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world that some of them even sold themselves into slavery in order to bring the message of love and salvation to the slaves of the West Indies.

Incredible! Once again the Spirit of God is stirring in Herrnhut. A 24/7 centre for prayer has just been established. The Jesus House Herrnhut has just begun to operate out of the renovated former hospital. The vision is for continual intercession and missions as well as renewed praise and worship, just like in by-gone days. Will I visit there this July? Perhaps the Lord will open that door as well!

As I picked up the booklet, I remarked on the significance to me. Pastor Meyer proceeded to tell me that he'd been to Herrnhut 5 years before. He had learned there that in communist East Germany (were Herrnhut was situated) it was strictly forbidden to print bibles and so the presses had lain idle. Five or 6 years before the opening of the frontier (1989) the Brothers Herrnhut felt led by the Lord to start printing bibles again. They had no idea what was to come, and in their obedience to God they clandestinely printed and stockpiled bibles. When the wall came down, the Lord had prepared them for the great hunger of a people no longer repressed by a brutal regime. Pastor Meyer then turned his head and looked at me with gleaming eyes and said: "Erweckung" - "awakening" (revival).

I read the devotion of the day to him with a broken voice that strained at suppressed sobs. This was not grief I was feeling. The Lord had His hand on me with power and His presence filled the room. Herman closed his eyes and fell asleep.

I sat with him while he slept and thought of the past. I looked at the books on the shelves and gazed out the window at the typical High Park neighbourhood. As the rain pattered down on the window pane I thought of all the years that had gone by and how the Lord had blessed me through this man as well as the others associated with our little fellowship. I thanked God for Hermann's many years of humble service to Jesus, which were a legacy now. A field of, not sprouting seeds, but fruit bearing vines. I prayed that the Lord would continue to fill this little room and apartment (which was also still how I remembered it) with His manifest presence and that the whole family would increase in their intimacy with and revelation of Jesus Christ. I thought about how he would see His Lord's face soon and how glorious and amazing that meeting would be. What would he think as the fullness of Christ would be revealed to Him? What joy as His reconcilliation with Father would reach it's penultimate moment: "Well done, good and faithful servant, come into My rest".

I heard Gudrun retire into the living room after having finished in the kitchen, and so I joined her to share what the Lord had been doing in our lives. It was incredible to talk about the various people we both knew. It suddenly seemed to me like little time had transpired since the last time we visited ... must have been over 18 years ago when my Benjamin was still an infant and my marriage with my beautiful bride Kirsten was new and sweet. Still sweet and undefiled by nefarious outside forces and inner hidden darkness.

I showed Gudrun the CAN promo video on my notebook. She watched intently and with interest as the sea of Jesus worshipping faces moved accross the screen and the declarations of revival in Germany were pronounced. But I think speaking about my heritage as a German and my true inheritance as a son of the Most High truly told the story of why I was going. The key word is "Erweckung". This is my true inheritance, the discovery of the German people as a nation, of their biggest achievement: The discovery of their need for God. ... followed by such a downpour of God's Spirit resulting in a massive flood, filling the hearts and land, ultimately flowing accross the borders and into the rest of Europe ... the real "Blitzkrieg"! ... Oh God ... are Your clouds on the horizon? ... is that the sound of thunder I hear? ... will this be the true "Vatersland"?

I felt that it was getting close to the time for me to leave. I asked Gudrun if she thought that her husband would have enough strength to be able to pray for me and perhaps even speak a blessing over me. She answered that he might be too weak but that I could ask him.

As I walked into his room, I quietly called out his name. His eyes immediately opened and as he looked at me he lovingly exclaimed, "Christoph, da bist du!" (there you are!). I asked him if he would be willing and able to pray for me and speak a blessing over me. And so, after he replied that he would try, he closed his eyes and spoke ernestly with our heavenly Father on my behalf.

Every sentence was preceded with "Ich danke Dir" (I thank You). He prayed that I would walk in such a way that I would be a blessing to those around me. And then I received my 'Segen' from what I know now is one of my spiritual father's. I then prayed as well, thanked him and said goodbye. I am so grateful for this powerful moment, a moment that is a spiritual milestone in my life and ... the lives of my children and their children.

As I emerged from his bedroom I mentioned that I should be on my way as it was close to 3 pm. Mrs. Meyer invited me to coffee and cake. Of course! Kaffee Zeit! We sat down to a delicious pumpkin pie that Marion had made. We chatted some more and as I prepared to leave, Gudrun said that she really liked the flowers, little red ones ... just the kind she liked!

Thank you God!

First Gig & Rehearsal

2006-04-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

(Updated - Sunday May 14)

What an amazing weekend it was ... the excitement of meeting for the first time ... during a setup, sound-check and immediately into a youth worship event ... and then almost a whole day of rehearsal.

Lot's of work, even just to focus on how I should fit in musically, style wise and harmonically into a seven piece band within the context of the developing band personality, the expectations of the leader and my own preconceived ideas and expectations. Add to that some audio issues and you have potentially an evening of exhaustion without much "fruit". That is, creatively or spiritually.

By the way, hat's off and thanks to the folks at Cedarview, you guys did a great job!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised with "good fruit" ... and I was exhausted, in a good way, in the end.

Even though there was so much grabbing my attention, I was pleasantly surprised by God's presence during our whole time together.

First Gig - Friday April 21

God's presence became especially obvious Friday night, when after a lengthy evening of university sales pitches, a teaching on praise and worship interspersed with what could have been an overwhelming concert atmosphere (a big band like that can be a distraction) ... the Spirit of God broke through and settled on many young people.

They where obviously seeking Him and in His response to them He touched them and poured His love out onto them. I was really struck by the sense of innocence, guilelessness and purity that swept through the room as one teen after another got to their knees and responded to their heavenly Dad with humility and passion. That turned into a proper "kingdom" gig ... and I believe God was honoured.

Now ... about the band ...

What an awesome group of guys!! Right from the beginning, every musician showed incredible kindness as well as a real professional attitude. What was really evident was each man's love for Jesus and passion for kingdom life. There's no question that each one of them are great musicians.

That came out during set-up and the first pass sound check and became increasingly evident as we gelled together. By the time the evening kicked off we were really tight ... I was especially impressed by how quickly the rhythm section got into the "slot" and stayed there.

Allen's leadership throughout was really excellent and I believe was part and parcel of the growing unity in the band both musically and spiritually!

Afterwards at the Legiehn home, we had a chance to chill and get to know each other a bit more, discuss plans and logistics for the trip and potential upcoming gigs. A bite to eat, again generously supplied by Curtis and family, followed by much needed sleep.

Curious ... at one point I woke up because a small pillow had landed on my face, seemingly out of the sky. Confused, I unzipped my sweltering sleeping bag (-7 deg. bag zipped up indoors ... duh!) and went back to sleep.

Rehearsal - Saturday April 22

Next morning at brunch (mmm .... pancakes and strawberries) I was offered a clue. Shayne asked me if I remembered a pillow being thrown at me ... ah! Apparently I snore like a freight train ... both Shayne and James couldn't get to sleep because of the racket I was making. Apparently the pillow did the trick.

No time to go for thirds ... sound tech is waiting for us at Bayview Glen. Who is Glen anyway?
What a huge church! We only took up about 30% of the stage, and we were spread out. The sound quality was very high. I tried fitting flutes and Irish whistles into the mix as well as my violin ... jury's still out on that one I think.

One particular thing really stuck out for me. While we were setting up, Curtis needed to restring his guitar. Christopher offered to help him and proceeded to kneel down and wind strings on. I was moved by the humility and kindness that was demonstrated. I thought it was kind of a musician's version of foot washing.

The afternoon was a good day of constructive work. Song structure, arrangement, voicing. etc. Allen kept the flow going at a good pace until about 6pm. Mid afternoon break was a time of prayer and testimony. We topped the day off with a nutritious meal of pizza and pop. :o)

Time to leave the church that A.W. Tozer once pastored ... no wonder I felt theologically refreshed ... ? A time of prayer and blessing by the front doors followed by most of the band leaving for home. Jeremy and Curtis and I drove back to the Legiehn home. One more night for me in Thornhill before the last leg of my weekend journey.

That evening I had the opportunity to really get to know both Curtis and Jeremy. Curtis's family has a Brazil connection similar to mine as I spent much of my childhood with a Mennonite family that had emigrated from Curitiba Brazil in the early 60's. Curtis's family has a German background with his father's side of the family from the same town.

Jeremy and I have similar musical interests. That afternoon he started to idly play "Portrait of Tracy" during a down time. That's a tune by world famous bassist Jaco Pastorius. Most really serious bassists know who that is ... what a treat to hear that. We talked well into the evening about God, music, missions, Germany, Brazil and family.

What a pleasurable stay at the Legiehn home. Thanks so much Curtis and family!

Worship Event - Newmarket Ontario

2006-04-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

I'm excited! The band is meeting for the first time this Friday (April 21) ... on stage! We're playing a youth service at Cedarview Community Church in Newmarket, Ontario.

Arrive, set-up and sound check at 4:30 pm, gig at 7pm. No small undertaking for a 7 piece band that's never played together let alone even met. I think It'll be a proving ground for the caliber and maturity of musicianship of each player. Awesome!

Allen Froese Band line-up:

Allen Froese - Keys/Vox
Curtis Legiehn - Acoustic Guitar
Christopher Conley - Electric Guitar
Jeremy Daw - Bass
Shayne Laity - Drums
James Mercer - Percussion
Christoph Hermann - Electric Violin

Most of us are staying at Curtis's home in Thornhill where we'll have brunch together on Saturday. All day Saturday we're booked for rehearsal and prayer at Bayview Glen Alliance Church in Thornhill, Ontario. I'm sure there will be lot's of discussion on logistics and travel for this July.

Sunday I'm invited to Pastor Herman & Gudrun Meyer's home for lunch. Pastor Meyer and his wife were both an important part of my early walk with the Lord at the Deutsche Evangelische Gemeinde my family attended when I was a child. He is presently suffering from terminal cancer as well as Parkinson disease and diabetes. I haven't seen him in almost 11 years and am really looking forward to this visit. I had a telephone conversation with Mrs. Meyer a few weeks ago that was a huge blessing to me.

I'm taking my camera and hope to post some notes and photos of this weekend's experiences here in the next few days.

Pity that I'm missing the city wide Prayer Summit being held at the Harbour in North Bay this weekend. My heart is really tied to this kind of thing which is an answer to many years of prayer. Thank you God!

Symphony of Praise

2006-04-14T15:12:00.000-04:00

Every time I think of You my heart pounds,
It's beating a song of love for you my God!

Your Majesty

I'm just a love-sick worshipper of you my King,
and this song You're singing is just in the prelude stage.

Your Beauty

I'm so excited and full of anticipation,
You will have to strengthen my frame before we get to the ...

Your Might

... beginning of the first movement.

Your Lovingkindness

Yes Lord, a most beautiful symphony of praise is gaining momentum,
ready to burst out of darkness ...

Your Mercy

... into Your glorious light

Your Faithfulness

to proclaim the wonder of who You are!

Your Power

Come you, His mighty angels, behold Him,
look how wonderful He is!

Your Holiness

Worship Him,
oh let's fall down before Him!

Your Creativity

© Jubal Music 2006

Immigration vs. Christianity in Canada, is it an issue?

2006-04-13T10:10:00.000-04:00

A first-hand perspective by a son of Canadian Immigrants

I was born forty six years ago to German Immigrants that came over to Canada after World War Two. They grew up under a brutal Fascist regime that hated all things not German, including things that were even perceived as not German (interestingly enough, this was a prevalent nationalistic point of view that was becoming increasingly common in nations around the world, including Canada and Britain). Eventually those that were branded as not German enough were at first robbed of a life of dignity, then made to leave the country. As that became less efficient, people were sent to concentration camps and then eventually exterminated, murdered.

This is what my parents came away from. They were amazed at a land that seemed to make all kinds of culture welcome, no matter how strange. They were even more amazed at how it was possible for these diverse communities to co-exist without being forced to "ghetto-ize" or anglicize.

I grew up in an almost exclusively Eastern European neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto (1960/70s). Almost all of my neighbours were either Ukrainian or Polish immigrants. My neighbourhood smelled of cabbage rolls and perogies at dinner time on most days. I clearly remember mothers wearing babushkas and aprons calling their children home for dinner in either of those languages.

The close friends of my family were almost all German immigrants as was the congregation of the church we attended: German Evangelical Fellowship on Ossington Ave. I went to German school on weekends. We spoke German at home, ate German food, listened to German music and read German books. We also celebrated German cultural events with the rest of the German community. We worshipped in German. I still do.

Our closest friends were from Brazil, but because they had a varied ancestry, they spoke Portuguese, German and Russian.

My Father became a Canadian Citizen soon after he arrived in Canada. He was very proud and grateful to be a Canadian. His command of the English language left much to be desired at times. He certainly was more fluid in his mother tongue which was German. My mother was highly educated in several languages, English, French, Latin and of course, German. Her grammatical abilities in English and French were more advanced than most multi-generational Canadians that I knew, however, she never lost her very strong accent. She was much more fluent in her mother tongue as far as important issues were concerned, especially of the heart. She never became a Canadian Citizen and stayed a Landed Immigrant for a number of reasons. One was that her children could retain an automatic dual citizenship, the other was that she loved her homeland which was under communist rule (East Germany). She hoped that one day she would be heir to her family's estate as she was the last survivor. This seemed hopeless because of 1000 kilometres of barbed wire fence and landmines erected by a government that wanted to keep people out and in. She was however, very grateful to be a Canadian.

(She died before she could realize that dream of freedom for her family and people, and so her legacy was passed on to me and my children. I have now seen with my own eyes her dream become reality as Germany is now a unified nation as well as having been able to lay claim to our family's estate from a now non-existent criminal government.)

Later I moved to what is called "Little Italy" in the Dufferin & St. Clair area. Almost all of my neighbours spoke Italian. Many did not speak English. The food, the music, the movies and most events were thoroughly Italian. I worked at a bakery were most of my co-workers were Italian, Portuguese, Greek and Macedonian. Most spoke in their mother tongue with a sprinkling of English just to add to the complexity. It was rare for me not to at least have an accent of my own while conversing with others. Then I moved to "Little Greece" and was a neighbour to "Little India". It was like moving to another nation, and yet still in Canada. Incredible! I'll never forget it, while driving taxi in Toronto I had the pleasure of probably hearing just about every major tongue on earth. Wow!

As a young man in my twenties, I moved to Thunder Bay were I married my very beautiful, still German Immigrant, very European but every bit Canadian, wife Kirsten. Thunder Bay has the highest Finnish population in the world outside of Finland. It probably has the highest per capita sauna statistic in Canada as well. It's probably the only Canadian City that considers it normal to have a business meeting with 12 others dressed only in towels in a Sauna.

So what is my nationality and how does that affect me? I am very grateful to be a German-Canadian. I speak German and English. I wish I could speak French (the fact that I can't is the result of an unwise choice made while a student in high school), Spanish and perhaps Mandarin and even Urdu. I'm blessed to be a citizen of Canada. I also hold a German Passport and am welcome to live in that land as well because of my birthright.

A few years ago I felt led to stand in proxy for my people and repent to God and the Jewish people for what my ancestors did. I committed myself to not propagate, and stand against, the lies that rise like a tide from angry and jealous people filled with pride and eventually hate. I'm very sensitive to that sort of thing and tend, on discovering it, to want to rip it out by it's roots before it has a chance to grow. I don't want my children and their children and their descendants to ever carry that kind of burden again.

God recently let me know that He was the one who gave me my heritage and that no-one could take it away from me. Who am I to argue with God? As far as rights go, I was reminded that the only right I have is to spend eternity without God in hell. That really put things into perspective for me. I'm so happy that He saved me! I rarely demand my rights anymore. God doesn't let me get too far when I do (He's good at that and I'm grateful).

Most importantly I'm a citizen of heaven. My passport is the blood of the Lamb and I'm already recorded in His census. I'm learning the language of that Kingdom, it's ..... "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (or legislation).

With God's mercy and grace and by the power of His Spirit, I'll become fluent in His language. I'd rather learn to speak that than the language of Cain any day. I pray that the language of God becomes the prevailing language of this nation. God please bring Your will to bear on our nation Canada!

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (1 Peter 3:8-12 NIV)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few facts:
(to clear up some alarming misconceptions I've noticed)

Canada's official languages are English and French.

One of the reasons that our flag was changed to a Maple Leaf was because of the fact that we really are not a British nation.

The first people to live here were native aboriginals. They were eventually subjugated by the French and English armies and European greed. That's why Ojibway is not an official language.

The second people to arrive in Canada were Norse warriors. Norwegian is not an official language here either.

The next European people to arrive here were business people first and military people second. Christians came later, and that was because they were being persecuted at home for not fitting in. They were hoping to find a safe place were no-one would notice they were different.

Strangely enough, the first major explorers to North America were looking for a shortcut to India.

There is no scriptural basis for "Christmas" (regarding this popular issue). December 25th is absolutely not the birth date of Jesus but rather was first introduced as a Christian holiday by Pope Liberius in 354 and became the rule in the West in 435 AD when the first "Christ mass" was officiated by Pope Sixtus III. This coincided with the date of a celebration by the Romans to their primary god, the Sun, and to Mithras, a popular Persian sun god supposedly born on the same day. It also falls close to the midwinter solstice, which is also traditionally a pagan celebration. The birth of Jesus is believed (by scholars)to have occurred in autumn during the Jewish feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is sadly rarely celebrated by Gentiles (non-Jews).

Most holidays and feasts that were celebrated by Jesus and subsequently the first century church, as an example, are not celebrated in Canada or Europe, except for the feast of Pentecost, which has been celebrated since the time of Moses. Worldwide anti-Semitism has taken care of that.

Most opposition in North America to Christianity is from white Anglo-Canadians/Americans. Most are upper middleclass with a university education. Many are left leaning well educated liberals with a tendency towards self worship. Few are new immigrants.

Most anti-God anti-Christ rhetoric comes from non-immigrants.

Often, new immigrants are poor and have virtually no say in the affairs of this land.

Most new immigrants work extremely hard and often work two or more jobs to make ends meet. They rarely have time to sleep let alone demand rights.

There are more real Christians in China than there are people in Canada. Few speak English. Food for thought.

Most people in Canada are sadly NOT followers of Christ. They are perhaps religious. That is true of every Western nation on earth at this time.

There are more people suffering because of the name of Jesus in developing nations than in the West. More food for thought.

Developing nations are now sending Christian missionaries to Canada and the United States.

Da Vinci Code

2006-04-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

I had written the following excerpt (edited) in response to an e-mail exchange I had a year ago January regarding the Da Vinci Code. I thought perhaps it would be food for thought today.

In these times that we are in it will be more and more difficult to be a marginal follower of Christ or for that matter a marginal "opposer". It's all or nothing. So it shouldn't be a surprise that opposition to Christ will become fierce. Scripture says that in the end times many will fall away. We shouldn't let anyone fool us into thinking that it's possible to take a relaxed or marginal posture. The Lord will make sure that fence sitters will fall off ... it'll be worse than what happened to Humpty Dumpty. __________________________________________________________________
" .... From my end, I've heard of the Da Vinci Code (the book), and I'm aware of the fact that it's an attack on the authority of scripture and the divinity of Jesus ... and there are many more, that have come and gone ... They eventually all fade into obscurity, as if they never existed.

No other book has been so attacked throughout history as the Bible.

... For example ... In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy Christianity. Anyone caught with a Bible was to be executed. But just 25 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine ordered that 50 perfect copies of the Bible be made at government expense. The French philosopher Voltaire, who denied the existense of God, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. He is quoted as saying: "One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." Voltaire died in 1728, but the Bible lives on. Before the end of that century the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles. God always has the last laugh.

Recommendation ... Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell http://www.josh.org . An excellent book that discusses historical evidence with regards to scripture, the bible and the person of Jesus ... it's a book that answered huge questions for me when I was in my twenties (a long, long time ago).

When the Lord speaks ... His word never dies, it's full of life eternal, it gives life, it creates out of nothing. It also contains His perfect judgement and wrath as well as His unending mercy and loving-kindness ... He's described as being the personification of His Word ... it will survive and outlast any evil or untruth that is sent against it ... amazing!

John 1: 1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 46:8-10 "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

It shouldn't surprise us when people would want to discredit words like that ... it doesn't leave them much choice in terms of who they should follow or fear ... "

Calling All Nations

2006-04-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

A Call to Worship
A Call to Prayer
A Call to Mission

Calling the youth of the world and the young at heart to a day of worship and prayer

I want to let you know about an incredible global event taking place in just a few months ...

Just days after the final game of the largest sports event in the world, where hundreds of millions of people around the world will have watched the FIFA World Cup crowning of the kings of soccer (football) in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be exalted and will wear His rightful crown in that very same place.

On July 15th 2006 Calling All Nations will be a truly historic gathering of the world's youth and the young at heart coming to worship Jesus Christ in the strategic city of Berlin, Germany, in the Heart of Europe. Never before have so many people from all over the world gathered together like this. Never before has such a global team of worship leaders and musicians come together to serve in this way.

I believe that the Lord is planning a major outpouring of His Spirit in Germany and Europe resulting in a massive outbreak of revival. I believe that this event in Berlin is a significant part of His plan.

As a first generation German Canadian the idea has had an especially profound effect on me. Ever since I first heard of this event five years ago, I felt the Lord strongly stirring me to be part of it. This past January I was invited to play violin as part of Allen Froese's band travelling to Berlin this July. We are being asked to minister in Berlin as part of the pre-event worship and intercession being held from the 12th to the 14th of July. What a wonderful answer to prayer! As well, I've joined the Psalm Drummers, a group presently made up of more than 60 percussionists from around the globe worshipping together in the stadium.

This is so exciting! I'm inviting you to be a part of this as well ... you may ask ... "how Chris?"

Prayer - whether you plan on attending or not, this is extremely important. Please pray for me, my family, the band, the organizers and the land. Please pray that ancient strongholds will fall as the Lord comes in power. Please pray that He will have His way!
Attend - do you feel the Lord wants you to go? If you're a singer you could even join a 2000 voice choir! There are international representatives in 60 nations including Canada helping facilitate travel. Tickets are still available and flights are just coming on sale.
Mission and More - outside the stadium, there will be an exhibition of Christian ministries. It is called "Mission and More" and if you are interested in exhibiting your ministry, please send an e-mail to office@callingallnations.com.
Promotion - spread the word ... would you like me to speak at your church? Tell a friend and perhaps you'll win tickets!
Encouragement - it's not uncommon for a musician to feel demoralized at times, even when not involved in ministry. Your support is appreciated!
Funding - as is true of other worship leaders and musicians serving at this event, I am travelling and working "pro bono" and am sowing into this ministry. As you can well imagine, this is going to be quite expensive, i.e. travel, equipment transport, accomodation, food. The Harbour has graciously agreed to administer a missions fund to cover my expenses. I am extremely grateful for any financial help received. If you feel led to give, please make your cheque payable to "The Harbour" and indicate in the memo area and/or on an envelope: "Chris Hermann - mission". Any funds received in excess of my expense needs, as part of this mission, will go to help cover expenses of other Canadian ministry team members and will be properly acounted for. Please feel free to contact me or the Harbour leadership for more information.

Send your donations to:

Chris Hermann - Mission Fund
c/o The Harbour
30 Lees Road
North Bay, Ontario
Canada, P1B 8G4

Or donate here:

If you have any questions at all, or would just like to drop me a note, please feel free! Please also go to www.callingallnations.com .

Blessings to you in the King of all, Jesus Christ,

Christoph Hermann

Singt ihm ein neues Lied; spielt schön auf den Saiten mit Jubelschall!
Psalm 33:3