Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Taking a Break
Hey, I want you to know that this is my last entry until after the summer.
The plan is to re-launch the blog in September—new and improved. I believe that God has some great things in store for the future.
Follow me on Twitter @jamesmacdonald to keep up with what’s happening at Harvest Bible Chapel and Walk in the Word.
Have a great summer,
James
Nothing Can Hurt Me
I hope you are having a great week. I have been too busy–which in this case was not really avoidable. Up early and in God’s Word, I was reminded of a passage of Scripture from John 11 that always kind of rattles my windows.
He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” John 11:7-10
There were times in Jesus’ earthly life when He did or said things that made people scratch their heads. Even those closest to Jesus couldn’t figure Him out. One of those times was in John 11:7 when Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” Their mouths probably dropped open. Judea? Is that really a good idea? “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” But Jesus’ answer showed no fear. “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Jesus’ point was that some people walk in the light and some walk in darkness. If you’re living in the light, you have nothing to fear. Jesus certainly didn’t dodge the bad guys or go shirking around the countryside. Earlier He had consoled the disciples that “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). He would not leave this world one second early.
What an awesome attitude with which to live your life. As long as I’m seeking to follow the Lord and doing what pleases Him, nothing or nobody can hurt me. I have nothing to fear. I have nothing worry about, nothing!!!
Let’s go for that same confidence and refusal to fear as we follow Christ today! As long as you are in the light, NOTHING can hurt you!!!
Have a great day today, lift up your head. You are a son/daughter of the King and His protection is your birthright!
When Your Life Is Hard
Hey, I’m down to the final week of the Walk in the Word Bus Tour. Albany (NY) on Tuesday night, Buffalo on Wednesday, and we finish in my homeland of Canada in Toronto, Ontario, on Thursday night.
In every city, I have preached a message entitled, “Why Trials?” from the series When Life Is Hard. It resonates with everyone because you are either in a trial, coming out of a trial, or about to enter a trial. Knowing that to be true, I’d like to leave you with some hope for when your life is hard.
Counting our trials as joy is only one of the many truths we’ve learned. It’s hard to absorb them all in one brushstroke. Depending on where you are in your walk with Christ and specifically where you are in your season of difficulty, these truths have hit you in different ways. Praise God that our feet are not stuck in mud but running hard after God and all that He has for us.
So, I want to make sure that you have four lessons for yourself. We need to place these truths into our hearts and into our heads to remind ourselves what to think and believe as we walk through the times when life is hard.
Let these truths nourish your soul. You just flat out need to have
them . . .
• when crazy thoughts steal your sleep in the middle of the night.
• when an unexpected storm threatens your home or your future or your loved ones.
• when what you thought was safe is hijacked by someone else’s sin.
• when God enrolls you in some graduate-level course in character development.
In these times and countless more, these four passages from God’s Word and four principles can’t be far from your mind.
1 Peter 4, Hebrews 12, James 1, 2 Corinthians 12
Principle 1
Every trial I face is allowed by God for my ultimate good.
Principle 2
Trials need not steal my joy.
Principle 3
God is never more present than when His children are suffering.
Principle 4
Until I embrace my trial in unwavering submission to God, I will not reap the good.
I’ve said it for years: There is nothing good that God brings into your life by way of transformation that He doesn’t bring through the funnel of perseverance. If you let God place perseverance into your life, He can truly make you what He wants you to be.
God at Work on the Road
Hey, I just got home from the first of two bus tours with Walk in the Word. 10 cities in 11 days. Great time, but it’s good to be home. I preached at Harvest over the weekend. And I’ll be teaching at Harvest University for the next three days . . . then back in the pulpit next weekend. On April 27, we travel to Indianapolis to kick off the second bus tour. 8 more cities in 10 days. I’m fired up just thinking about it.
My son, Landon, put together a video blog of our trip. See what God’s been doing. Check this one out from Asheville, North Carolina . . .
To see all of the videos, check out this link.
A Speech That Could Save Tiger Woods
My good friend and Walk in the Word board member Mark DeMoss wrote this great statement imagining the best possible outcome for Tiger Woods’ public statement today. It should not surprise us that pagans don’t know how to repent, but it does shock me that they don’t get the elements of true remorse right even when forced to mea culpa. Hopefully for Tiger’s sake, he will include many of these elements.
A Speech That Could Save Tiger Woods: A PR exec proposes a speech that could save Tiger’s reputation, his family, and his golf game.
I’m here to say I’m sorry. I have been blessed beyond measure but have made a mess of my life, squandering the trust and support so many have placed in me throughout my young career. I blame myself for my troubles and now want to apologize to a number of people, starting with my wife. Elin, I’m sorry for embarrassing and hurting and betraying you and our precious little girl and boy. You deserve so much better.
You can read the whole post here.
Haiti Updates
Hey, Mark Driscoll and I are on the phone almost every day putting together the plan to strategically utilize the funds that have been flowing into Churches Helping Churches. Keep in mind that our long term goal is 10,000 churches in America taking up a ‘love offering’ for any war torn, or disaster devastated area the Sunday following the event itself. Beyond that we hope to locate healthy churches reaching into these areas and assist them in their work. (that makes us “churches helping churches helping churches” 
)
We know that our impact upon the church in Haiti has to be powerful and lasting for people to continue to trust us with their relief giving. To that end I have the following updates:
1) Introducing Thomas Kim
I want to introduce you to Thomas Kim, the new Executive Director of Churches Helping Churches. He has great passion for the church. Thomas is a former pastor in a Presbyterian church. He has also delivered expository sermons, given practical seminars, and trained pastors in Cambodia, China, Kenya, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Thomas also scouted church and NGO partnership opportunities internationally. Resulting projects include Bible delivery to the Chinese underground church, North Korean refugee care, and a hope and healing conference for Cambodian youth. In addition to being a pastor, Thomas also formerly worked with Crossing Borders (North Korean refugee shelter) and Joshua Generation (youth workers resource and empowerment).
In addition to ministry, Thomas also brings extensive business experience to this new position. He holds an Engineering degree from the University of Illinois, is an MBA candidate at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business Administration, and has completed coursework at Fuller Theological Seminary in Organizational Dynamics and International Leadership. His business career has focused on manufacturing engineering and supply chain strategy. And in addition to speaking English, he also has a basic knowledge of Korean and Spanish. We believe that he is God’s provision to lead Churches Helping Churches.
Thomas’ focus in the first 30 days will be to:
• Assess the most urgent church needs in Haiti that CHC can start addressing for immediate impact
• Start working closely with our man on the ground in Haiti, Pastor Jacques
• Develop a response pipeline for the increasing number of request for help and offers for assistance
• Identify initial strategic partnerships within North America
• Determine the organizational requirements needed to grow CHC effectively, efficiently
2) Partnership with Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Bob Coy, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale (CCFL), was one of the pastors that encouraged me to pursue this vision for CHC from the beginning. He has more than 20 years of experience working with churches in Haiti. We plan to use some CHC funds to match the gifts that have already made to CCFL for Haiti. These combined funds will be put to use to rebuild a church and an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince. More details of this work and photos will be coming soon.
3) Increased Media Coverage
Now that the focus in Haiti is shifting to rebuilding the country, interest in Churches Helping Churches increases daily. For a more complete look at the media outlets covering this story, check out the Media page on ChurchesHelpingChurches.com.
4) Amazing Response to Volunteer
We hear you! And we are sorry if you have sent an e-mail or not heard back from us about how you can serve with CHC. We are deluged with responses. We are trying to focus on the relief opportunities already in front of us and determining where we can make the most impact. So, I want to ask for your patience with us—and pray for the people and the churches of Haiti. Now that the new Executive Director, Thomas Kim, is on board, you can expect to hear back from us as soon as a plan begins to take shape.
5) Church Planting in Haiti
We are in contact with a number of church planting organizations that want to partner with us to see churches planted in the areas where the Haitian refugees are being relocated to.
Keep us in your prayers, more updates to follow very soon.
James
Blogging Break for James
Hey Everyone,
Hope all of you pastor-types are hitting the ground running now that the Fall ministry season is upon us!
Like many of you, Pastor James has a number of engagements pressing against his schedule, so he’s taking a bit of blogging hiatus. Look for him to reengage here at Straight Up sometime after September 10th.
blessings,
Gerald
