little surprises; neat church!

I'm writing this from the "Acts 2" conference at Willow Creek this week with my friend Willy Majaducon from the Philippines, and I've already had a few surprises. First, when I left home yesterday I grabbed my bag and drove frantically (seems to be my pattern) to get here on time, only to realize that I left my money and a change of clothes at home!

Now I've never attended a pastor's conference (or anything else, for that matter) with stinky, twice-worn duds and no cash, so I tried everything I could think of to get both to Willow Creek - when it dawned on me that one of our very own CLCers, Joe Dascenzo lives just 2 minutes
from my house AND his company does a lot of work for Willow Creek AND he had told me he'd be a part of this conference! How cool is that God-arrangement?

Then after arriving and entering the auditorium yesterday for the opening session, I looked up on stage at the new Willow auditorium seating thousands, with pastors from over a dozen countries and 44 states attending, and there's "DJ: Def Cut Don", our very own CLCer Don Duddleston, scratching along with the praise team! How ultra-cool is that?

I can't tell you how neat it is to pastor such a wonderful, talented, creative and diverse group of folks as God has brought together in this CLC family - and you never know when you're gonna to see 'em next. (Helps motivate me to live right, 24/7!) I love you guys!

relationship tune-up

Chris and I are traveling again this week (it's really getting old, too - ask me sometime about our first night's hotel experience in Branson - unbelievable!). However, this time it's not for missions or even for ministry, and not even for a family vacation - it's for our marriage relationship.

We're in Branson, MO for a marriage conference just for pastors, sponsored by the Smalley Relationship Center here. After reading so many books by Dr. Gary Smalley, Dr. Gary Chapman ("The Five Love Languages") and even guests Ed & Lisa Young and John & Nancy Ortberg, it was terrific to hear them in person. Even more importantly, this was the first time in our almost-34-years together that we've taken time-out for a tune-up for our own marriage. And our relationship with each other is a lot more important than a smooth-running car!!!

These few days have been good for us - not only for the principles we're hearing and re-learning again (some that we've taught thru the years - funny how we forget to practice what we preach, huh?), but also for the chance to take time for us. We just returned from a "date night" that was built into the conference schedule, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, keeping romance alive.

I didn't say any of this to boast, but to encourage you to take some time soon for the important relationship(s) in your life - married or single, it's important that you not take things for granted, but take some time for some extended, deep conversations with the people you love - reconnect; catch-up; mend some fences; do-whatever-you-need-to-do to get the motor of your relationship purring again. Trust me, you'll both be glad you did. See you soon-

too good not to share...

I was reading a John C. Maxwell book, "The Difference Maker" on the flight home from Turkey this week, and one quote just is too good not to share. John actually quotes it from an Adidas ad in the February 16, 2004 issue of ESPN The Magazine:

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

That's definitely how I want to live my life - by faith! How 'bout you?

this was just the beginning....

Our service in Ankara, Turkey today was wonderful - and the day spent with Pastor Ihsan and his family was just a delight - Chris and I are both so convinced that THIS is the contact we've wanted for years in this almost totally unreached nation. I truly sense that this trip was just the beginning of a new chapter in missions for CLC, and that we'll have a partnership here much as we've had for these past several years in Senegal, West Africa.

We'll be on the plane in just a few hours, headed home and can't wait to see all of you again!

goodbye, Istanbul; hello, Ankara...

The conference close on Saturday was unbelievably touching - the house church leaders clapped and cheered at the end of our session; Chris cried at the outpouring of their love and then we prayed over them. I think they got into our hearts like no people have overseas since the Filipino's back when we were missionaries in the 1980's. Thanks for all your prayers!

We arrived in Ankara yesterday afternoon and had a wonderful meeting over dinner with Pastor Ihsan Ozbek and his lovely wife. I'd met him a few years ago thru a conference sponsored by Dr. David Shibley at Global Advance, but this was our first real opportunity to get better acquainted. I can understand why he's considered the most influential pastor in Turkey - he's spearheading so many creative outreaches in this almost-totally-unreached country (there are only about 3,000 evangelical Christians among Turkey's 69 million people!)

We're especially excited about opportunites to partner with them next year with a CLC missions trip, and the prospects of future involvement here, as Turkey was one of the first countries God placed on our heart at CLC more than 8 years ago. We've actually supported some of Ihsan's efforts financially for several years (placing Turkish children's Bibles in the public schools & helping sponsor a youth camp he conducts every year for Muslim children), but we now see the possibility of more strategic and meaningful involvement for CLC - so get ready! Turkey is a beautiful country, and so much of the Bible took place here that it's almost like visiting the Holy Land - so rich in history...AND it's perhaps the safest place to visit in all of the Middle East, so bringing a group here will be easy and fun.

We'll leave for Sunday worship service with the Ankara congregation soon, and I'll try to post again before we return home. Blessings to everyone who reads this-

Frıday nıght ın the Mıddle East

We're done for the day here and the last sessıon was even more enjoyable than the fırst. It's been a long tıme sınce I've mınıstered to people who were any hungrıer or more grateful to receıve than these Persıan belıevers! After the last sessıon we were surrounded by those who wanted us to pray for them, have our pıcture taken wıth them, just talk wıth them, etc.

Theır storıes are all unıque and yet sımılar - one young lady (a law student preparıng for the bar) explaıned to us over dınner how Jesus appeared to her ın a vısıon that lasted for more than fıve hours, tellıng her how much He loved her and wanted her to serve Hım ınstead of Mohammed! To thınk of the oppressıve condıtıons ın whıch they lıve, and yet to see theır passıon for Jesus...well, ıt gıves us spoıled Amerıcans a lot to thınk about.

Tomorrow we'll do our fınal teachıngs wıth thıs group - the materıal that I thınk ıs perhaps the most ımportant of the conference from us, and then Chrıs and I are off to Ankara, the capıtol of Turkey, where we'll mınıster on Sunday for Pastor Ozbek Ihsan, who ıs reportedly the most ınfluentıal pastor ın the natıon. We're already plannıng a CLC mıssıons trıp to Turkey for 2007, so hopefully we'll have a chance to fınalıze those plans whıle there. Then ıt's back on the plane early Monday mornıng (Sunday nıght about 10pm ın Chıcago) for the flıght back to O'Hare and our own bed!

I'm excıted about Pastor Sam's message thıs weekend and look forward to seeıng all of you soon - please contınue to pray for us.

second day...

Our fırst sessıon ıs over, and the persıans were a delıght to teach - Chrıs used an object lesson (no surprıse there, eh?) and they enjoyed ıt so much, they clapped & laughed out loud!

The EQUIP conference coordınator estımates that 80% of those who are comıng to Chrıst (ıncludıng those we're teachıng) do so because they personally see Jesus ın a dream or vısıon - our translator thıs mornıng ıs one of those, and she shared her testımony wıth us. If that excıtes you, I urge you to run - don't walk - to the nearest bookstore to get your copy of Joel Rosenberg's "Epıcenter" - I fınıshed ıt on the trıp and ıt's every bıt as fascınatıng as I thought ıt would be, wıth one whole chapter dealıng wıth these kınd of Muslım conversıons occurıng ın varıous countrıes of the Mıddle East.

Gotta run for our next sessıon, but I'll keep postıng-

first impressions from the Middle East...

Well, we arrived at our destination in a 'safe' Middle Eastern country this morning without fanfare - the flight from O'Hare was long, but uneventful (no real sleep, either, so we're like the walking dead right now). We came immediately by minibus to our hotel as the house church leaders were just finishing a session with Evangelist Sammy Tippitt. At lunch we had the opportunity to get acquainted with a few who spoke English, and already I'm sensing their love and their hunger.

Most of these Persian Christians have known the Lord for less than five years, and some for only a year or two, so they are baby Christians by American standards, and yet they are standing courageously under heavy oppression - even their phone calls are monitored regularly by the government! It's no secret that their president intends to eliminate Christians from their country, so they understand the danger their faith has put them in.

We also met a pastor from San Jose, CA whose satellite television ministry is resulting in over 1,000 converts per month in this underground church, as Muslims watch his broadcast daily and respond. Chris and I just feel honored to be here, and can't wait for tomorrow's sessions where we'll be able to minister to these precious men and women.

Keep praying, and I'll try to keep you updated.

Bears fans and Muslim terrorists and you...

Well, as promised, my son Brent and I went to Soldier Field last night to watch the Bears demolish the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks, 37-6! It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I doubt I'll be able to adequately describe it for you - but I do want to make a few observations:

As our friends, Jeff & DC told us (we drove together since they knew the ropes and this was our first-ever experience with an NFL game), this really was a religious experience for many of the thousands of Bear's fans we encountered. I wasn't prepared for such devotion - but there's no other way to describe it - from the "Blues Brother's imitators" to the body-painting, shirtless guys, to the rude-and-rowdy-Seahawk-taunters - well, I now understand better than ever why they're called "Bear's fan(antic)s"!

I awoke this morning, not with a hangover (since Diet Coke was my beverage of choice last night), but eager to see the Daily Southtown's report from the game, only to see some other fanatics on the front page: a report of a video made in Afghanistan more than a year before 9/11, showing some of the radical Islamic terrorists who later hijacked the planes on that fateful day.

I was struck by the fact that neither football fans nor Muslim fanatics are deterred from acting on what they believe - no matter how radical or outlandish their behavior is to others - and it makes me question: are you a Jesus-fan? Or am I?

Given the 'season' we're in, I think it's time for all of us who name the name of Christ to be bold in our faith and lavish in our praise and radical in our obedience - since others are not inhibited from letting their 'light' (darkness?) shine, I'm determined to not be intimidated from fulfilling my mission either!

I never expected to make a spiritual decison at Soldier Field, but look at God!

the Middle East revisited....

I was just driving down the road Friday like always, running some errands on my day off, when I switched on WYLL on my car radio and happened to catch Scott Thomas interviewing Joel Rosenberg, author of a new book called, "EPICENTER: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East will Change Your Future". The interview itself really got me excited, to hear this former-Orthodox-Jew-now-born-again-Christian describing in greater detail some of the very stuff we covered last month in our prophecy sermon series, including accounts of Muslims in Iran and other middle-eastern countries who are receiving visions and dreams in which Jesus appears to them....well, I almost had to pull off the road to shout!

I found the book at Border's on Saturday morning, and the first few chapters are already every bit as riveting as his radio interview - so while I've barely started reading, I already can recommend it to you.

If you're really into this, you may want to add his blog to your list of favorites - his background as a political columnist and New York Time's best-selling author has given him access to documents and people in high places, and adds a fascinating dimension to what he writes.

All in all, it just lit my fire for this week's trip to the Middle East a little brighter - can't wait to see what God will do in our meetings, and can't wait to get back to CLC to report to you all!