MISSIONS FEST--Vancouver

This past weekend, we went into the big city to check out Missions Fest for the first time.  Was it worth the time, expense and energy?  Without a doubt!  Rather than rehearse all the details I put together these impressions.  I was struck by the incredible privilege of being part of the family of God, standing en masse (1500+) to worship God together as one, and in contrast I thought of how very different is the atmosphere when people gather to pursue their own pleasure irrespective of God's Kingdom.  There's no comparison.

A gathering from hither and yon' of saints-the church-His Body
Worship
Purpose
Music
Passion
Singing
Eagerness to hear
Testimony
Praise
Goose-bumps
Tears welling
Awe of God ------Attentiveness to hear His instructions


“What does the Lord require of me?”

Acquaintances made
Earnest Discussion
Kingdom strategizing
Bold Words
Heartfelt messages
Challenge
Seeking to put God’s Kingdom first
Excellence
Zeal

God IS alive!------God is MOVING!-------GOD IS AWESOME in this place and all over the world!

Renewed faith
Hope
 Encouragement
Opened Eyes
Fresh Vision
Expectancy to see God at work in our sphere of influence and join in!
To confirm His calling

in our lives
in our times.

This was the celebration rightly called MISSIONS FEST!

It could hardly have been in greater contrast to the atmosphere of the ‘fertile plain’ we’d just glimpsed, the strip of imitation ‘life’ we caught a glimpse of on our recent trip to Las Vegas.

Crowds flock there too.  Conventions gather.
But there is no glory, only transient glamour.
No music of heaven, only noise—the incessant drone of casino din (ding,ding,ding,ding,ding,ding…)

The smoky haze of worship misdirected yields no purpose that energizes
Only drained countenance, weary of life,
Bored to death with pushing buttons,
playing chips,
tossing dice
watching outcomes in vain.


Hope dulled by disappointment
Despair settling on shoulders, dismal

Passion is here traded for lust—

No kingdom to live for, die for, celebrate

But my own.

Greed, lust, appetite for more, 

Turns to gluttonous disillusionment.

Stuffed but not satisfied.

Spent but nothing gained.

Entertained, titillated, and wowed senseless.

Deadened

Empty.

This is the ‘life’ of the fertile plain.

Abraham chose differently.  Moses too.

Both willing to deny the pleasures of sin for a season in order to stake their lot in future glory.

The world will pass away and the lusts thereof

But he who does the will of God will live forever.(IJn.2:17)

In His right hand are pleasures forevermore.(Ps.16:11)

An inheritance that neither spoils nor fades, kept in heaven for you who……..through faith and patience inherit the promises…(I Pet.1:5)(Heb.6:12)

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.(Mt.6:33)

And I consider, “What does the Lord require of me?”

To do justly

To love mercy

To walk humbly with my God(Micah 6:8)

All              the           days           of               my             life

And then to dwell in His House forever

In unending awe 

At what He has done.

God, you are amazing!

--LS

"Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,

and He is to be held in awe above all gods!" (I Chron.16:24,25)