Sunday, March 22, 2009

NATIVE LIFE CELEBRATION CONFERENCE


Five Days in Federal Way, Washington

As the conference has wound up - I wanted to reflect on some of the highlights. One of the reasons for coming out to Seattle for the conference was to reaquaint with some of the friends that I met in Alaska last year.

Several First Nation people from this area went up to Alaska and I had a chance to hang out with them so it was good to meet them here in their own area. But there were over 20 others who came down from Alaska - most of whom I met up there. Re-aquainting with brothers and sisters is soooooo good!

The conference was hosted by the Northwest Foursquare Church in Federal Way (just south of Seattle) Washington. Pastor Steve Schell was most welcoming and he and a team from the Foursquare First Nations organization had meticulously planned out the three days. Jeff Yellow Owl - a Blackfoot Indian - and supervisor of Foursquare First Nations has been a blessing to this ministry for many years. He was the founder of the conference now in its fifth year and was supported by a mighty team of 'warriors' from the church including Corb and Jan Morgan the planners and logisticians.

I will do a formal Conference Report and put it up on the website when I get back but I wanted to highlight a few things that the Lord showed me while at the conference.

- If you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, you will not produce 'fruit' immediately because this indwelling is the early rain that starts the growing process. It is the latter rain - that late rain that did the final ripening of the crop that produces the Fruit of the Spirit and comes later after humility and submission.

- There are many attitudes and actions that can stop ministry and many that can help ministry. Those things that stop or limit ministry include ... forgiveness, cynicism, pride and gossip. Things that help ministry are knowing that God is Lord of the Harvest - not us, Not only must the Word be preached but it must be lived, we must have the Word IN us, we must step INTO His calling by stepping OUT in faith and we must repent of sin and wrongs done.

- To be culturally sensitive and useful in a culture we we must know the PROTOCOL of the groups we want to minister in and with. There is much to be learned from coming alongside a contact who knows the culture - no 'Lone Rangers' allowed.

- We cannot walk in the Spirit until we have lived in the Spirit - that is, we must have a firm vertical relationship with God before we can walk our walk horizontally.

- Much more as well!

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