Good Way to Pray...Daddy's Empty Chair

Daddy's Empty Chair

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father.
When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
"I guess you were expecting me” he said.

'No, who are you?" said the father.

The minister told him his name and then remarked,
"I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up,"

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
"I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man.
"But all of my life I have never known how to pray.
At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, But it went right over my head.
I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me,
‘Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.
Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.
It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'.
Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.’
So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I'm careful though if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.
Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.
“Did he die in peace?" he asked.
“Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me how much he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.
When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.
But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."



Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.

I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.

I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU ....

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.



Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

"Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the window which hope has opened." -Charles H. Spurgeon

Why Go To Church ???

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard
something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember
a single one of them.. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors
are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?!!"

I visited Roger in prison last night...

I try and visit Roger at the least twice a month. He has been in since 1969, 36 years and counting...maybe one day I will tell his story (it's not pretty) ...this guy never had a chance but he has accepted our Lord, Jesus Christ as his forgiver and redeemer.

At times I really wonder about what I do in life and if it is worth it. I know visiting Roger is beneficial for both of us spiritually but what I haven't told him and which I heard from another is that he may never get out. I know he lives for me and I live for him and that is important but I get so frustrated with the 'system' and how they manipulate the inmates. Believe it or not, that man has shown me more strength and forgiveness than I can imagine. He keeps telling me to keep up the good fight for Jesus in what I do on the 'outside' and he will keep reaching to others about having a personal relationship with Jesus from the 'inside'.

One of the reasons I am writing this morning is that I received an e-mail from our Baptist Conference leader which is addressed to all the pastors and lay pastors (and all of us Christians) about our responsibility to reach out to others at all times. We are all suffering pain in our lives and it is our commission to be available to 'everyone'...without predujuces, judgement and labelling of others...and let others know that Jesus is the answer and is always with us.

the e-mail...and why I won't give in (to Satan) and why we are 'servants of the Lord'


We are Wounded Healers

I am reminded of this from Isaiah 61:1-3.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour.

Luke 4:21 makes it very clear that Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote 61:1-3. He is the Wounded Healer spoken of there. But then, we are His ambassadors. We are wounded ministers. We are healed ministers. By His stripes we are healed. We then as wounded ambassadors of Christ bring the message of healing to wounded hurting people. Betsy just finished reading Ruth Grahams book, In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart. The title really says it all. This Sunday as we stand before our people we need to recognize they come with broken hearts. They are deeply wounded with the lashes of sin. They come for a message of hope and healing.

One person said: The minister is called to recognized the sufferings of his time in his own heart and make that recognition the starting point of his service. Whether he tries to enter into a dislocated word, relate to a convulsive generation, or speak to a dying man, his service will not be perceived as authentic unless it comes from a heart wounded by the suffering about which he speaks. We need to admit our wounded ness. We need to proclaim the healing which continues to take place in our lives. Read Isaiah 63:1-3 again now. Read it before you minister on Sunday. Rejoice at the benefits and blessings that will come. You are a wounded healer.

for a friend...Don't Give Up...

this may help you in your situation...I don't know...it is a message I gave one time to the homeless and sick (drugs, diseases,etc.) that came to our church...never give up your faith in Jesus, He is right there with you, think of what He went through for us...



Don’t Give Up…

Sickness
Stroke
Serious accident…
On life support…can’t pull plug (law) Have to sit and wait
…everything seems hopeless (situation)

A lot of us seem to get into these situations (hopelessness)…always this way…no change

We all have to face up to the fact that life is hard. And what is worse is that the hardness is not evenly distributed. Some people seem to get more than their share, and they don't seem to deserve it. Hopelessness is not an uncommon feeling.

My sermon on Psalm 88 showed that believers can get depressed, and depression can last a long time.
A believer named Heman wrote this in desperation
He seems to be suffering from a severe illness…he figured he was ready to die…
He had no hospital. He had to tough it out… hardest thing to him was not the physical pain but the emotional trauma…he was feeling abandoned and forgotten…figuring he was getting punished as he thought he deserved…

READ verse 1-18… This is a prayer to God about Hemans’ troubles
1-8 complaining to God in his prayer about his circumstances
9-13 asks for Gods mercy (saying if he wasn’t alive, what good is he to God)
14-18 back to his complaining


Heman figured he was ready to die and he is blaming God…he thinks life is like a living hell.
Some people nowadays have the same idea, but with a bit of a twist. We'll all heard someone say that the only Hell we'll ever see is right here on earth. Sometimes hitting ‘bottom’ seems like hell.
God's final wrath will be lot's worse that what you go through here. This life we're in can get pretty bad. Life can have many of the elements of hell - loneliness and isolation. It’s not going to be a big party…
Both hell and life can have a feeling that everything is closing in and becoming dark. And both can be filled with tremendous pain.

We are told that in hell we would be separated from God, away from His presence…suffering eternal punishment… Revelations tells us 14:11 & 19:20…tormented with burning sulphur…not a nice place to be…


There are people on earth who think they are in hell, that things can't possibly get any worse. There may be someone in this church who feels the same way.
During his illness, the writer of this passage, Heman, had experienced, as well saying to God ‘what more can happen to me???’

When life gets lousy, we figure it's always going to be that way. We think the pain and suffering is never going to go away. God has a tendency to deliver us from unbearable situations. When you think there's no reason to hope, think again.

Just like the situation with the life support system…we think we are waiting for the eventual death of our loved one…then suddenly things can change…they could come out of a coma and may eventually regain some of their strength and be able to share their relationship with others again.

God may get angry with us but He will always love us …He created us and wants us to live in harmony with Him. Nothing is life is so terrible that it will never end. If you hang on, it's bound to get better. When a loved one dies, you never think you'll get through the initial shock. It's horrible. But God can heal it. You'll hurt, and you'll cry, and you'll get angry with God, but He will heal you in ‘His’ time… not ‘our’ time.

This is one of the greatest promises in the Bible. No matter how bad things get, God can pull us out. He not only heals what's bad, he also replaces it with happiness. Even if you thought you'd never be happy again.

We should always keep in mind that the healing and the joy comes from God…We do well (financially, personally or materialistically) and start to think it's our own accomplishment, not God's gift. Our material security soon becomes a false security…(having things)
All we have is from God, our Creator…we are just privileged to be using these gifts.

What's interesting in this scripture is that Heman is considering God's interests, not his own. The questions of verse 11 & 12 are good ones. Every Christian is going to have questions about why God does things like he does. Why does there have to be so much pain before the joy comes? Why does there have to be pain at all? The questions asked are saying ‘God, what will you have if I die…isn’t it better if I didn’t suffer?’

We have questions, but the answers belong to God. Even Jesus had questions…
In John 12:27 he asks ‘Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from what lies ahead’? But that is the very reason I came.’

What lied ahead for Jesus was His eventual death.
He didn't want to suffer. But he knew his father (God) had a reason for it. So he committed himself to his Father.

Have you committed yourself to the Lord? Ask Jesus to be with you in whatever situation you are in. Just pray to Him in all sincerity your real pains and problems…he will be listening
Remember He will be available to hear the good stuff as well…don’t forget without Jesus we would have nothing…our hope for what the Bible promises us is with Jesus Christ…

had to go golfing...

It has been so foggy lately here on the coast we almost gave up our golf game...but then we were able to go to Homestead (in Lyndon, Wash.) where it was clear and sunny....
I won $20 in skins (we play for a buck a hole) which almost paid for the green fees. Also picked up 6 balls for closest to the pin (birdie gives two balls each to me) and making the bird.

I shot a 93 which is not too bad considering I had a couple 8's and it was pretty soft in the fairways. It was just good to get out, it really has been depressing weather at home. Next week is supposed to be better weather so we will probably go back to Loomis or Point Roberts golf courses as they are really dry in the winter.

The Children

We have three cats which, of course, are all special in their own way. Dana(nick named 'Big Boy') is the darker orange one, he's from Korea (really) but understands english and is a fun loving guy. Muffin(nick named 'the pig') is a lighter orange one (hence the name, color of a muffin) and seems to be a bit slow or maybe we are for putting up with her puking all the time. Then there's Blossom(nick named 'squirrel') a skinny, mean little thing that does just what she pleases when she pleases. But they are all special to us.

Finally....

This is my son Ben's dog Lucy (which he got from Chris) and Lucy just had three little puppies today...they appear to be mostly black in color even though the dad is white...
I get the first pick and I don't know if I should go for a boy or girl puppy...anyways I have 6 or 8 weeks to figure it out...gonna check the internet to see what I have to do to look after them, it's been forever since I have had a dog. I have three cats right now, which I will post their pictures when I find some good ones.

PSALMS 23 The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Wonderful Reminder that this Psalm and God supplies EVERYTHING we need.

This is an eye opener; some probably never thought nor looked at this Psalm in this way, even though they say it over and over again.


The Lord is my Shepherd
That's Relationship!

I shall not want
That's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
That's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters
That's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul
That's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
That's Guidance!

For His name sake
That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death
That's Testing!


I will fear no evil
That's Protection!

For Thou art with me
That's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me
That's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies
That's Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil
That's Consecration!

My cup runneth over
That's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life
That's Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
That's Security!

Forever
That's Eternity!

What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives.

What Happens When We Die???

This is a message I prepared for one of our friends after asking me about death and what happens after we die...


What Will Happen When We Die?

A few weeks back Kenney and I were talking about different things and the subject of death and dying came up. We were wondering who is going to make it and who isn’t…and how is that decision made. What about relatives, friends and people we hang with…also all the people from the old days, maybe they never heard about Jesus Christ. There is also people who even today have never heard the message Christ shared with His followers during the time He was on earth.

So, what will happen when we die? This is an important question and a truth that we all will face one day. As a matter of fact is has been proven statistically that approximately 100 out of every 100 living persons will die, eventually, one day…now that’s a fact we all believe!

Death will affect everyone, rich and poor, healthy and sick, good and bad, young and old, death respects no one! I’m sure you’ve heard the old joke about two friends (we’ll call them Stan and Laurie) who wanted to know if they play golf in Heaven. They decided that the first one to die would find out and come back and let the other one know. Stan died first. And a few days after his death, he appeared to Laurie in a dream. Laurie asked "What did you find out? Do they play golf in heaven?" Stan replied, "I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is: they do play golf in Heaven. The bad news is: YOU’RE IN MY FOURSOME TOMORROW!" Death is no respecter of persons.

We have also heard that there are two things that are for certain in life ‘Death and Taxes’ Well we know that there are ways for some people to evade taxes but none has ever evaded death. We can attempt to postpone death through medical treatment or some health program but it can never be eliminated. Death is a fact, some day I will die and also many people who I love. So what happens when we die…well lets first talk about what will not happen…

There are many misconceptions about death and I’d like to talk about a few…

Some people say that death is just the end of existence, so when you die you simply cease to exist. According to the Bible in Genesis 25:7,8 where it says
7 Abraham lived for 175 years, 8 and he died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death.
This scripture implies an existence after death. So death is NOT the end of existence.

There are some people who believe they may be reincarnated into something or someone else. We have heard stories that people think they may come back as a dog or horse, bird or even a thing like a tree or special monument. The Bible tells us different. Hebrews 9:27 says
27 And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment
But reincarnation is nothing more than a fairy tale. You get just one run in life and that’s it.

And then there some people who think they get a ‘second chance’ after death. They think that if they say ‘no’ to Jesus now in this life that they’ll get another chance to recognize Him in the ‘next’ life, but again that is nothing more than wishful thinking. The Bible tells us again in Hebrews 9:27 which we read earlier 27 And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment
In other words, we get one run at life and then we face the judgement of God after we die. The only opportunity we will ever have to get right with God is the opportunity God gives us in this life. There is NO second chance after death.

Now that we have cleared up some misconceptions about death, lets talk about what WILL happen when we die.

First comes the
The Moment of death…we have to keep in mind that death is a separation. When you die, hopefully many years from now, your body and soul separate. Your body remains here on earth where your family and friends bury it and “lay it to rest’. Then the question of your soul… Where your soul goes depends on whether you are saved or lost. If you are saved and you’ve accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord and have a personal relationship with God, then your soul will go straight to Heaven to be with Jesus
Luke 23:43 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
2 Cor. 5:8 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

But that’s not the whole story. The souls of departed believers will wait in Heaven with Jesus until the Second Coming. They will return with Jesus and be reunited with their resurrected bodies
1 Thess. 4:14, 16 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

I Cor. 15:51-55 adds that our resurrected bodies will be "imperishable." (READ)
51 But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die.
54 When this happens—when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die—then at last the Scriptures will come true:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

That is, our bodies will be perfect in every way. They will never wear out, never suffer injury, never get sick, never grow old, and never die. They will be imperishable. This, in a nutshell, is what happens to a believer when he (or she) dies.

But what about the unbeliever? What about those who haven’t experienced the love and forgiveness which God makes available through the cross?
If a person is lost, that is, He (or she) hasn’t accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, and he doesn’t have a personal relationship with God, then his soul will go straight to Hell where he will be separated from Jesus.
So what is HELL?…there are three main terms used in the Bible belonging with the term Hell…Tartarus, Gehenna and Hades. We are told in several scriptures (2 Peter 2:4, Luke 16:22-24, Rev. 20:13) that it is :
-where the most vile and wicked demons are imprisoned
-a temporary holding cell in which criminals are held until they are sentenced
-The lost of the earth will be judged and sentenced to Hades
-the final place of punishment for those who never experienced the love and forgiveness of God made available through the cross

Luke 16:19-31 expresses it well where Jesus tells us about Lazarus and the Rich Man…listen carefully to this (READ)

The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won’t have to come here when they die.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

That is what happens to those who are ‘lost’ without Christ…it is a most terrible fate for sinners…it was to late for the rich man, he is doomed to suffer in the flames of hell.

So, we ask ‘what is the best way to ‘meet’ death? …First, give your heart and life to Jesus. Jesus says in John 11:25-26, 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. 26 They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?” . . . He promises victory over death to everyone who believes in Him - so give your heart and life to Jesus if you haven’t already - and your home in heaven will be secure.

B. Second, get your affairs in order. Isaiah told Hezekiah in (2 Kings 20:1) About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.” . . . . Get your affairs in order. Make your will if you haven’t already. Pay off your debts, or at least make arrangements to do so. Gather all your important papers, label them, and tell someone where they are. Your goal is that your loved ones will find your affairs in order should you pass on to the life to come.

C. Third, live for Jesus. Philippians 1:21 says 21 For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. . . . You can’t say "To die is gain" until you can say "To live is Christ." Listen, my friends, Jesus gives you and me every reason not to fear death, and He gives us every reason to embrace and enjoy life. So live for Jesus every single day of your life.

D. Fourth, don’t take one single day for granted. James 4:14 reminds us 14 How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. . . . . Life is a precious, precious gift. So don’t waste one single day. If you’re holding any grudges, let them go. If you’re living in sin, stop doing what’s wrong and start doing what’s right. If you’re not as close to Jesus as you ought to be, then get as close to Him as you possibly can. Life is too short to waste. Don’t waste it on foolishness, selfishness, or sinful living. Get as close as you can to Jesus and you will enjoy life and fulfill your purpose for being here.

Do these things and you will be ready when you meet death, face to face.What about you? Are you ready? If you are, then I commend you and encourage you to stay as close as you can to Jesus. If you’re not, then trust Christ, set your affairs in order, live for Jesus, and don’t take one day for granted.

Our Street Church, Volunteers and Friends

Everyone eating spagetti with meat sauce and garlic toast...very tasty !!!

Bill, Pete, Cathy and Ollie

Donna, the inspiration behind this ministry (Friendship Community Mission)
The Church...Our night was Friday, other groups on other nights (open 7 days a week)
Myself, Little Dave and Stan the Man (who has since past away to be with our Lord)

Our Street Church (now shut down)

Our church has been closed now for over a year due to issues with the people visiting and the city. We are praying about getting another building soon but with street ministry nothing comes easy again due to the type of people we attact. I will post some pictures, information and messages that we shared with our friends. Maybe some of this will help others working in evangelical street ministry.

below was a typical night...


Friday Night in Whalley, Surrey

The gang of volunteers starts to show up around 5 P.M. at the Friendship Community Mission to get ready for the evening of ministry at the little church on the King George Highway. Like most Friday nights there is lots to organize, getting the new additions of clothes sorted in boxes and onto the racks used to hang the pants, shirts, blouses and dresses, along with shoes, socks and underwear. The pre-cooked food is taken out of containers and added to the many cans of sauce and tomatoes that will be used for the spaghetti, all of it prepared in a big roasting pan to be heated in the oven. One of the volunteers is cutting the bread and applying the special mixture for the ‘garlic toast’ that will served with the spaghetti.

We have put the coffee on and checked the cream and sugar. Is there enough plates, cups and plastic cutlery out for the evening? It’s starting to get near to 6 and the coffee has finally brewed, so let’s put the “welcome’ sign out. Some of our friends have already arrived, relaxing in the seats, listening to music and talking amongst themselves. Everything seems to be ready for the evening service that will start soon. Now is when we communicate and share with our visitors, we are able to listen and talk about things that have happened over the last week.

One fellow is desperate to talk to me about all that has happened, he is anxiously following me, needing to tell me about his wife, child and the situation he is in. I assure him he is in the right place ‘now’. He talked for a long time, I listened. We discussed steps that could be taken, paths that can be chosen and goals that can be reached. I asked him to listen carefully to the message that night as it pertains to what we have to deal with each day and how Our Loving Father has given us the ‘instruction book of life’.

Another fellow was outside the little church sitting on the ground in great pain when he asked me if I would pray for him. I asked how he received his injury, he told me and confessed his sin and guilt in his life with his use of drugs. I prayed to Our Father to help ‘His child’, to ease the pain and free him of his burden of addiction. My friend was in tears. God willing, one day he will be released from this bondage of Satan. This man knows Jesus loves him, we pray that one day he will make changes in his life and he will accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

As I was eating dinner after the message, the guy beside me asks ‘ my dad and mom were cremated, where are they now?’ And what about other deaths and burials and where do we go after death? Is there a waiting time, when do we go to heaven? Boy, what a barrage of questions…how was I going to answer all this and have it make sense. So I figured to do just one answer at a time and told him I will prepare a message just for him on this topic. By the way, he thought that was great…the ‘just for him’ part. We all want to be special, don’t we! And that helps me to prepare messages that will help our friends with everyday struggles and issues that we may face.
That, my friends, is just a glimpse of the Friday night ministry in Whalley for one volunteer. Wouldn’t you like to join us so you can share your real life stories about what Christ is doing in the live of a volunteer (you) and the friends who lives you touch?

Cap'n Roger (in yellow) and Les...enjoying the day

This picture was taken at Burrard Civic Marina in Vacouver. This Rogers' 32 foot Ennos, an all wood, immaculately kept boat that just shines as she sets out to the islands around Howe Sound.

Some golf pictures of us...

Pictures of the 'men' golfing at Swan-e-set golf course in Pitt Meadows...
I'm the guy in the middle, my boys call me the "big guy" and I don't think it is because I'm tall (Chris had that locked up) Ben and I still get out and hit the ball...if he got serious about it he would beat me easily (he has a great short game)

Me and my Boys...

Ben and Chris are 17 months apart in age...this year on April 16,2005 Chris was taken from us to be with the Lord as he was struck by a car on a cold, rainy night in Vancouver.
Ben and I are both hurting deeply (as is his mother) with this loss,...Chris was a bright,energetic, loving person who touched many during his lifetime. Our church was overflowing (more than 300 attended) during the celebration of his life and his destiny to a better place.
I will place more pictures in the next day or two of the three of us. It is surprising how few pictures i actually have (never thinking I would run out of time for picture taking) but some are of us golfing, which we just started getting into in the last couple of years. God be wth him and please Father touch Benjamins heart and keep giving me hope.

Me at Swan-E-Set...

I think I look like a golfer...unfortunately with my handicap at 17.4, I'm still considered a hacker...I have a pretty good long game, just fall apart 30 yards in...chipping, pitching and putting seem to be the most trouble but then I don't practice so chances of getting better are slim.
Actually I just really enjoy getting out and having a few good shots...well maybe this year I will take it a bit more serious...I would really like to be in the 80's pretty much all the time..I'm so close, yeh, maybe this will be the year !!! What do you think, can I get into the 80's ???

My Journey with the Lord

My Journey with the Lord

Pastor Dean asked me to share about ‘the work I am doing at the Friendship Community Mission in Whalley and what God has done in my life since coming to Friendship Baptist Church.’ I am honoured and feel a sense of privilege to be able to express to each of you, my friends here at Friendship, a journey that is far from being complete but prayerfully in the right direction. I have found that coming here each Sunday, seeing the familiar faces and warm welcomes, brightens my soul reminding me of the desire to do the will of God.It was about six years ago that I walked through the doors of Friendship and since then my life has changed. It was not instant or a complete 180-degree change but a slow, gradual change.

Likewise we have seen many changes here at Friendship…
A lot of things were different about this church building then,
It was long and narrow, with small windows high up on the walls
We had pews instead of chairs
And really nice orangey-brown 1970’s flooring

Also with myself, change happened…I am a different person than I was then…
I was set in ‘my’ ways, doing what I wanted
I was one who spoke in a rather rude, arrogant way (if you know what I mean)
And I mostly looked after #1 first, followed by doing ‘good’ things if they fit my agenda and time.

Changes happen…And now our church is a beautiful, bright new and updated place to worship, and yes, there has been many physical changes here and I’m sure there will be many more to come. And the same goes for myself…there has been many visible and attitude changes over these few years with myself and I’m also very sure there will be many more changes to come as I spend more time doing what the Lord wants of me.

I can tell you stories about my past that made me the person I am today…the good stuff and the not so good…but I don’t think that is necessary…we all have some wonderful, happy memories with our families and friends, accomplishments we have made and goals achieved… and we also have those little secrets that seem to haunt us, hanging in the back reaches of our minds, some with consequences that leaves us thankful we are still here today.





I would like to share with you today some thoughts, feelings and insights that I have had over these past six years… Many times I have wondered why different things happened in my life, sometimes, I wonder why I am even here, especially in this church… I was totally self-absorbed, thinking only of my own personal needs as I saw fit as a husband, father and provider for the family, but now I can see that God has been watching over me regardless of what I was doing at that time...He has always protected me from going too far down the wrong road.

Over the years many people reached out to me in different ways, and now, in reflection, I ask myself ‘Why did these people keep inviting me to church or to Christmas concerts and functions…and now I know why… Looking back, I know that Our Most Gracious and Wonderful God loves me, He has been planting little seeds in my path, seeds of hope and purpose to have Him in my life, these seeds slowly grew and become stronger eventually showing me the way to this church.

I was first introduced to Friendship through the street ministry of Friendship Providers in Action…I was asked to volunteer with the serving of sandwiches downtown, which I did and found to be a real eye-opener, I couldn’t believe that there was such pain and suffering right in our own city …the following Sunday I was asked to meet earlier before we went downtown and sit in on the service…which I agreed to as I was interested to see what this Baptist church was all about…having only been in a few churches in my time.

I mostly remember the music that first Sunday…it made me shutter, I had goose bumps; I didn’t know what it was at the time…but now I know, the Holy Spirit came upon me and let me know that I was home. That this is where I was supposed to be. Tears filled my eyes and God opened my heart to let me know that He wanted me…everything started to change in my life. It was the start of a slow, tedious journey but Jesus never gave up on me.

Each week I found that I just couldn’t stay away from church, I was afraid I might miss something…the drawing power was unbelievable…I continued to go downtown every Sunday following the service, doing my ‘good deeds’ for the needy but I had this emptiness inside me that needed filling. I didn’t know what was missing.






I really enjoyed the messages each week, but for some reason I can’t explain, I wouldn’t just accept everything at face value at first, with what these people were saying about God, Jesus and all that other stuff from the Bible. I questioned everything I could think of, I was constantly asking questions about the different beliefs, questions about Baptist religion and religious practices like communion and of course, what does Jesus have to do with all this…I had a brief religious background as a youngster being brought up a Jehovah’s Witness, which gave me some insight to the Bible but it was not the same as what I was hearing now, so I was getting confused with the different beliefs and doctrines that I had be taught as a kid.

I was encouraged to look into some of the extra programs that were offered like the Alpha program and the ‘rounding the bases for membership’ which would give further insight to what the church is about. I was starting to get a fairly good ‘secular’ understanding about the church, their beliefs and Jesus. I made a point of taking many different courses offered at the church to try and find answers to what Jesus is all about. Both Pastor Dean and Pastor Larry were always available for me as I kept pushing forward on this journey, picking me up as I stumbled and running with me as I ran ahead.

…But I still didn’t feel that I was doing what ever it was I was supposed to be doing. Something was missing…I thought I was doing everything I was expected to be doing, based on what I had been learning through all the Bible studies. I have participated in most of the programs and courses that the church had…I pretty well understood what it was all about in theory and I felt I was able to demonstrate a Christian way of life.

I was open about my beliefs at work and shared my thoughts about Jesus with my friends; I was free and honest about my actions and behaviour, realizing that I would be exposed to judgement from my peers. Actually many of my friends couldn’t believe the change that had come over me (in comparison to what I used to be like)…I was by no means perfect, but I tried real hard, knowing that some would like to see me fail and fall into sin.









Most of the people I had been in contact with at that time were either Christians from the church, believers who knew about Jesus but didn’t go to church, and the ones who didn’t care one way or the other about Jesus, church or religion. Many people, Christian and non-Christian seem to be more worried about living for ‘today’…money, things they didn’t need, holidays and making sure they didn’t miss out on the next deal, whatever it may be.

And I am aware that any of us can find ourselves falling into this same trap, looking for materialistic goals and aspirations. I was at a turning point myself as well; did I want to be a Christian in it for myself, to keep what I had close at hand or a Christian in it for Jesus, reaching out to others, telling others that Jesus is the way to Salvation???

I can honestly say that it probably took me about three years before I figured it out…I mean three years before it started to really make sense. What I’m talking about is the actual Gospel message of Jesus… Really believing, in my heart and soul, all what Jesus is about… I had the faith to accept Jesus as my Saviour but I felt there was more that He wanted of me.

I continued to faithfully go to church on Sundays and then going downtown with the street ministry. I found that Friendship Providers offered me the chance to reach out and help some of the ‘other’ people, ones that no one seemed to care about. I really enjoyed the interaction with many of the street people, learning about their ‘story’ and what needs and hopes they may have. We had an opportunity to get involved with an actual street church and I thought this would be great so then we can spend some time with our friends allowing us to get to know them better.

It would have been about three ago when the Sunday street sandwich ministry started a service in a street church downtown at Hastings and Carroll called the Gospel Mission…right in what is considered the worst part of town, the downtown eastside, skid row, crack alley…every possible drug, crime and problem can occur there at any given time. I can remember that as a young man in my early twenties, I used to go by myself, to the bars down there to ‘watch’ the drunks and I ended up getting loaded…I think Jesus had something to do with getting me back down there again, this time with open eyes and a soft heart.







What I found out is that many of the people down there were really not much different than myself…or maybe yourself ??? If you can be aware to the idea that if things had been a little different in your life; like maybe a mental breakdown, miserable upbringing by your parents, marriage problems, physical and sexual abuse, drugs and poverty…also some of these people have had work related accidents, permanent disabilities, job loss, you can go on and on…what if one of these things happened to you???… What would have happened to ‘me’ if somehow I didn’t get out from the bar scene that I was involved in??? Why was I spared the life on the street??? Now I was starting to see what was missing in my life…

What I have learned from being with many of our street friends is that they have a strong desire to get out of their situations and they don’t want to be there but they just don’t know how to get away from the life and many haven’t received the spiritual wisdom and guidance in order to move on. I have had many conversations with them, and the stories just shake you up, and thankfully I can say ‘that could be me’ but for the grace of God.

The downtown street church has since moved out to Whalley…the downtown eastside of Surrey…similar circumstances, different location. In the last year and a half, the street ministry has expanded beyond belief. Our night is Friday, but the location is open now seven nights a week with many different churches involved in the single purpose of sharing the love of Jesus with those less fortunate than ourselves.

When we first started only two or three people would show up but we refused to be discouraged, we knew we were there for a reason and sharing with just a few was a start to what was to grow eventually to as many as 80-90 visitors a night. We went out as the scripture says in Luke 14:23 ‘ Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full’ …we went up and down the streets inviting everyone we saw to join us and now the house is full, full everyday!!!

Each week we are able to bond with our friends through music, prayer, a message of hope …followed by a great meal. I have the privilege of being able to look out at their faces; they are usually listening intently as I share a simple message. I have found a theme for our church that seems to work…and this is familiar scripture to us,
Mark 12:30-31 ‘ you must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is equally important ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’


“Love your neighbour as yourself, treat others as you would want to be treated… We teach brotherly love, sharing, compassion for each other and the principals laid out by Jesus through His Word, The Bible. I stress the importance of allowing Jesus into their lives to help them with the daily struggles that we all face, that He will guide them in the right direction and help them make wise choices. I look forward to Friday night as much as I patiently wait for Sunday to come around…Sunday is my day to get filled up with the Holy Spirit…the rest of the week is the time to let the Spirit out, telling others of the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

I have said this more than once… “not one of these people has ever said ‘ I want this life…a life of misery and despair …but they have it, not by choice but by circumstance. We may have been blessed with ‘they’ want…we should cherish what we have and share it with others. Give your blessings away and accept your reward; and that reward is the love of Jesus through the people you help. I used to think that I was unqualified to share or express my love of Jesus to others…but I have found out if you love Jesus, He will shine through you, it can’t get much easier than that.

I can go on with all the great and wonderful rewards the ministry has done for me but I would like to close with what you can do for the ministry in our church. We have many different kinds of ministry here at Friendship and we have the support and encouragement of our pastors and leaders to go out and tell the world about Jesus because it is all about Him. Each of us has been given a gift through Christ. Every single one of us is here for a reason, …why are you here in this church today??? I believe God has put us here for a purpose.

One thing I have noticed is the spiritual growth in the church, maybe it’s me growing spiritually as well, but I think the church itself is growing in a way only God through His Holy Spirit can make it happen. We are maturing as an inspired, spiritual church family and our ministry leaders are giving us the opportunity to challenge ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone. The Holy Spirit is alive and well here at Friendship and remember this is ‘your’ church, yours to take advantage of all it has to offer, I believe we should take that challenge and run with it.

Ephesians 4:4-7 sums it up quite nicely, that we are all believers in Christ, in one body (as our church) by following the principals laid out in the scripture with each one of us strengthening the other through our Christ given gift and His love for us.



We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and living through us all. However, He has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ.

Find that special gift, you may be surprised with what you have been blessed with… remember it is a gift from Christ and He wants us to use it!!!

Bill (when he wears a suit)

Bill ready for work