My Canada Trip #2...

I have to share a short funny story while I was in Canada.  It was a beautiful day filled with blue skies with some breeze. It was a perfect weather. Several of my friends asked me and Jeff if we wanted to go up on high valley, we walked up there We were out of breath. The canadian friends had mountain skateboards, one to stand on and one to sit. They're not the typical standard skateboard we see around here. They're larger, has huge wheels and all-terrian tires. They were really awesome and neat. I decided to give it a try and mind you, I'm not a skinny person, I noticed my weigh cause the mountain skateboard to sag near the ground. I looked at the back tires...they were nearly flat!

I went down with it to the bottom of the valley. Guess what? I fell and crashed to the ground on my back. I said to myself, "What have I done!?!" and realized I was not young anymore, ha! It wasn't easy to balance myself on it, so it's practically out of the question. The next thing, it was no fun to walking up with that heavy mountain skateboard. I was once again out of breath. I tried the one that you sit on. This time I nearly blew out all 4 tires!!! My friends gave a push and I skated down the hill fast and boy, it was FUN! As I walked back up the hill again, I looked at the long trail of tire marks that I created. I thought, "wow, so cool!" I had good time with my friends. Jeff and I really enjoy our special moments with our canadian friends. It was a great experience!

The reason I shared this story, it had helped me realized the special times with friends also applied to many of us and you guys, too. We're always B-U-S-Y with our lives. If we take a break from our busy life and spend 1 hour with our family, find something fun to do! There's nothing compared to anything else in life. It's PRICELESS. It's very important we recognize that balance is the very important key to our lives. If we don’t have balance, then it’s out of the question! Just like my fall off the skateboard. Man, that did hurt!

We need to learn how to balance our life with God, family, and work. If we have good balance, then we will be able to enjoy more with our life. God wants us enjoy our life on earth. God created it for us, He gave us this life. I truly believe God is smiling when we honor Him and be faithful to Him. He loves it when we enjoy and having fun our lives. When I looked at the trail of tire mark on the dirt road, it was filled with many wonderful memories that I can carry with for the rest of my life. Just like you create memories with your family time. Christians friends who helped push us on the skateboard, since I can't physically make the skateboard go. Same visual with idea is we all need friend's support system to push us to become a better person. Only God can help us do successful things in life. He wants us to have fun, not worry, stress, frustrated, or give up. We will experience riding on the bumpy, dusty, dirty road in our lives, including frustrations, stress and hurtful feelings.We have to learn to control our life by steering left and right to keep us on right the path. That's what God will do for us, open your hearts to God and He WILL steer our lives and heart to the RIGHT PATH!

We at OJC want to see deaf people experience wonderful times through God. The secular world and Satan will continue to keep us from having fun. Satan is the one that is telling you, you're not having fun! Honestly, being a Christian is definitely not boring compared to what other people say. God wants us to enjoy life while we can. "So go eat your food and enjoy it; drink your wine and be happy, because that is what God wants you to do. Put on nice clothes and make yourself look good. Enjoy life with the wife you love. Enjoy all the useless days of this useless life God has given you here on earth, because it is all you have. So enjoy the work you do here on earth. Whatever work you do, do your best, because you are going to the grave, where there is no working, no planning, no knowledge, and no wisdom." ~ Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Please continue pray for us at OJC to help deaf people to "see" Jesus Christ. Imagine when we will be in Heaven and huge blast time with Him! God bless you, my fellow brothers and sisters.

One Small Step At A Time...

“Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened."
~ Matthew 7:7 (NCV)

Video Produced by www.ignitermedia.com

"Come Home to God’s Love and Forgiveness" by Rick Warren

"Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." ~  Romans 8:39 (NIV)

Did you know that your heavenly Father wants you to come home this Christmas? It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done or how long you've done it. God says, "I want you to come home to My love
and My forgiveness." That's what Christmas is all about.

What would keep you from doing that? What would keep you from coming home to God's love and forgiveness? The fear of rejection.

You may think, "God wouldn't want me now. I'm too far away from God. I've been away too long. I've done too many things He probably wouldn't approve of."

If that's what you think, you're dead wrong! Romans 8:39 (NIV) says, "Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." God doesn't care who you are or what you've done or how long you've done it. He still loves you and wants to forgive you.

But how do you know God loves you? Christmas proves it. God came to earth in a human form - Jesus Christ - to show that he loves you and wants to forgive you. The Bible says, "God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we can have eternal life through Him. This is real love. He sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:9-10 NLT).

Here's how you know that Scripture is true: Jesus didn't stay in a little cradle in the manger. He grew up. He went from the cradle to the cross.

On the cross with His arms outstretched He said, in essence, "I'd rather die than live without you." That's how much God loves you. Christ left His home in heaven and came to earth to show His love for you and to pay for your sins so that you could be forgiven and come home to Him.

That's real love. That's the reason for Christmas.

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

"Come Home to God’s Love and Forgiveness" ~ by Rick Warren, senior pastor at Saddleback Church (www.purposedriven.com)

Merry Christmas!

A Social Network Christmas by Igniter Media

This video is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had a social network existed at the time of Jesus's birth. Follow this historical period as it unfolds as a digital narrative. This vignette is great for highlighting the truths and circumstances of our Savior's birth in a fresh, unique way. www.ignitermedia.com

My Canada Trip...

Canadian Rocky Mountains

I, Andrew Lower, would love to share some of my great experiences as a pastor. One of the many deaf ministry experiences was my mission trip to Calgary and Saskatchewan, Canada. About 7 years ago, my friend Jeff, who is also a deaf preacher, asked me go with him to Canada. It was my first time to Canada and I've never been so excited in my whole life. It also the first time I've done any type of ministry to Deaf Canadians. At that time, it was such a blessing and God was so awesome! When I first arrived at the destination, I immediately saw they were very hungry for God’s Word and Jesus Christ. They were so thrilled and honored to see us since we both came a long way from Florida.

During the first day or two, we were in Calgary because it was the only city in the area with an airport. We stayed with some friends that night. The next early morning, several of us drove 6 hours to Saskatchewan. For about a week, Jeff and I preached approximately 50-100 Deaf Canadians at the camp. Each day during the revival services, their faces shined with happiness! Many of them got saved. What's even more amazing was some of them traveled 6 hours to our revival to listen to our powerful sermons! Glory to God! I'll never forget the special time we had there spreading the Good News in Jesus Christ's glory! I'm so thankful that my good friend, Jeff, asked me to be a part of it. It wasn't long after the mission trip that I felt the call to be a Deaf Pastor. If it had not been for Jeff asking me to go with him, I would probably never become a Deaf Pastor. When several Deaf Canadians told me, "Thank you very much for coming here and gave us the messages. We now found the answers from God because of you." it was such a humble experience and I had realized God used me to help them SEE God! They really inspired me to this day, today.

We had wonderful time together. Many great memories. They really touched my heart deeply. Even they were strangers, I felt like they were family members. I was so fired up with enthusiasm because I knew God had something special for me, which was to help Deaf people to SEE Jesus Christ. After the revival at Saskatchewan, we traveled back to Calgary. On the way, I got to see some of the most beautiful landscapes and mountain scenery I've ever seen in my life. It was like God's massive oil painting! Before our flight home, I had tears in my eyes and prayed to God thanking him for giving me the most awesome experience and was looking forward to serve Jesus Christ. Fast forward to today, with Operation Jesus Christ Deaf Ministries, we will be able to use this wonderful new outreach program to tell the Deaf People in the world Who Jesus Christ is. We want them to SEE Jesus Christ. Our goal is to help them to open their hearts to Jesus Christ. Our hope is tell 98% of the non-Christian Deaf people that there IS Jesus Christ! Please continue to pray for us and Operation JC Deaf Ministries.

God bless you all,

Pastor Andrew

God Smiles When We Obey Wholeheartedly...

"  Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey."       - Rick Warren

"Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey." Psalm 119:33 (LB)

God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly. That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation. You don't procrastinate and say, "I'll pray about it." You do it without delay. Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience.
God doesn't owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can't. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.

Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I'll attend church but I won't tithe. I'll read my Bible but won't forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.
Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully, with enthusiasm. The Bible says, "Obey him gladly." (Psalm 100:2 LB)

This is the attitude of David: "Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey." (Psalm 119:33 LB)
James, speaking to Christians, said, "We please God by what we do and not only by what we believe." (James 2:24 CEV)

God's Word is clear that you can't earn your salvation. It comes only by grace, not your effort. But as a child of God you can bring pleasure to your heavenly Father through obedience.  Any act of obedience is also an act of worship.

Why is obedience so pleasing to God? Because it proves you really love him. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15 TEV)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"God Smiles When We Obey Wholeheartedly" ~ by Rick Warren, senior pastor at Saddleback Church (www.purposedriven.com)

To Obey God, Let Go

"We get comfortable with our little habits and rituals, the things that get us stuck where we are instead of getting us to where God wants to grow us."....

When the wise men had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his other during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.  Matthew 2:13-15 (NIV)

Joseph and Mary had to let a lot of things go because of their faith journey. They left everything they knew when they headed to Egypt. And in one sense, what they were sacrificing was their comfort at the deepest level.

It is often uncomfortable to trust God and follow his plan because we get comfortable with the wrong things. We get comfortable with our little habits and rituals, the things that get us stuck where we are instead of getting us to where God wants to grow us.

If you commit your health to God it will probably mean giving up some of your favorite foods. If you commit your finances to God it will probably mean cutting back on your spending.

It's uncomfortable to break a habit. It's uncomfortable to face a fear. It's uncomfortable to go somewhere you've never been before or forgive someone who has hurt you. But growth and change always come through doing those uncomfortable things and that's what's good in it.
But if we don't we would continue to hold on to something that makes us feel comfortable and end up turning our back on God who is the source of comfort.

The Bible says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father of compassion and God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3 NIV).

I invite you this Christmas, like never before, to recognize that God is the God of all comfort. And in those moments when you want to turn back to that old habit, that old way of thinking which pulls you off track, turn to God and say, "God, give me your comfort."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"To Obey God, Let Go" ~ by Tom Holladay, teaching pastor at Saddleback Church (www.purposedriven.com)