m Ia
25
r .F
e
m ne
i
es
Fo
r
e ev
n oi
r
g
e Fr
e r tu
e
Fu ly , e e e ip h e r t h F W o 0 15 s l S a . t 26 k 2 ov e ita fric c a M osp n A e! f e .7 B i i H l 2 ov d ip, L h r h . a S !o 28 bo c y e m a r e h M .O 0 3 e ’r
G
t: s d Te me l a ce y o n h Co as r a mit e e t l r Th no To nfo . ! 9 n o up he s C it a . W an e 0 g 1 e v in s s o m Li e b i t 11 . y nd i h tia n ul w is fic eh d i n g . B 12 hr dif g An th n c d i een o m e Hi r S It ng l op r Sc D o u t i v a o . StYo u lly b o 4 A m rn 1 ua d is jou Act an my od e s ov y & i e i n ed h G l v . d m o ru wit 15 t u er h e y v s h o s t hip e n t on W m s r s i i . Fo e, sh 19 a l on or & y l fa it t.v l ati w e? ed s t ick e o it is e r e . N es s qu nv th I v 0 2 el f m r ut ian Lo ? o o o o m h r A is ng , Ti ge fr it d it S y – t i u a o . a v W s 3 G ds h o .Q e The isi e M e 2 l W n v v 2 ea 4. ti e Mi L o r s : e C r en g R a . , re ti v 24 rde ge a l l ry C a e m o ef u C h p 5. re o B p i t R C fr S l Fa s e al re m e F r R ht a g . g H n 6 li ki lft a o e re S sp B 7. st ti ar . 8 2 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
w o r d s from the
Editor Challenges are inevitable and part of being human is learning to deal with them. LIM’s writers have taken the time to dig personally and talk to you about the challenges they face, situations they have had to deal with and the never-ending temptations that have influenced their lives. There is a choice and a solution in all things faced, but there is only One who is willing to take the burden from you if you ask and are willing to trust in Him. He is able to lead you and guide you in the right direction. Does it ever seem to you that those in the world are having a better and easier life than you? Has the thought to quit being a Christian ever occurred to you? Do you feel jealous that those who don’t even believe in God have better
things than you? Have you ever been frustrated that the church asks you to tithe, but those who don’t seem to face no consequence?
Canada in our next issue. Write to us at Crileidy@lovemovement.org or message us at www.facebook.com/ joinlovemovement.
Believe it or not, these are questions that cross the minds of many Christians on a daily basis, because doubts are planted in our minds by Satan to question the Word of God and His promises to us. In this issue, you’ll read about all of those questions and why it seems like the attacks and struggles don’t leave you alone.
- Benjamin Porter and Joel Gordon; Editors in Chief of LIM Magazine - Crileidy Liriano; Senior Editor of LIM Magazine
We hope this issue of the magazine encourages you to know you’re not alone.
CONTACT info@lovemovement.org Crileidy@lovemovement.org
If you have a response to any of the articles or would like to share a personal story of temptation you’ve overcome, we would love to hear from you and, if you are open to it, consider sharing your story with others across
Love is Moving/LIM MAGAZINE Founders: Joel Gordon Benjamin Porter
publisher The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada www.evangelicalfellowship.ca
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING
writer jesse hove 3d annimator, photographer & artist - richard thorogood
writer emily cook fashion stylist racquel kiezebrink
writer Jamila holder
writer mike bonikowski writer Brittany Pettinger
writer Conor Sweetman
Senior Editor CRILEIDY LIRIANO writer Dagmar Morgan
writer Rosemond Ennin
Editor in Chief BENJAMIN PORTER writer Candace Maxymowich
writer holly stiller
Editor in Chief JOEL GORDON writer jossie lacorte
READ EVERY ISSUE AT www.faithtoday.ca/LIM
3
Calling all writers, photographers, artists, & illustrators! We want to feature your work in Love is Moving magazine. Email us at info@loveismoving.ca
loveismoving.tv
watch episodes
After our team successfully produced 12 consecutive digital issues of LIM magazine, this past January we launched its first-ever print edition. The point of the magazine and the entire Love Movement is to empower Christian youth to a revived biblical understanding of God’s love and to live it out in the world through their actions.
Thanks to the creative work of volunteers in different parts of the country, the ministry has been able to reach thousands of young people, like you, via articles and poetry.
@loveismoving
fb.com/joinlovemovement twitter.com/LoveIsMoving instagram.com/loveismoving
join us at
Over the last five years God has poured out His favour on this movement, resulting in co-operation from multiple national partners and the creation of booklets and DVDs, media resources, an app, a television series and a magazine.
Then there’s the learning resources, which provide educational content on God’s love and encourage participants to join the movement by physically going into their communities and living it out. Not to mention the media materials, which offer inspiring content from remarkable Christian leaders including Bruxy Cavey, Sean McDowell, Sid Koop, James Penner, Ralph Winter, Andy Crouch, Peter Rollins and many more. The vision shared by all involved is to unite Christian youth like you, in local
4 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
? churches across Canada, to help all of us revitalize our understanding of God’s love, to help us all make a greater impact for the kingdom of God, and to help grow the future of the local church. In January, as we introduced the firstever print version of LIM magazine, the response has been uplifting! Many youth groups and individuals across Canada and internationally have expressed interest in using the magazine as an outreach method and educational component in their church and community. You are invited to join this movement. The Love Movement is all about using the gifting and abilities of Christian youth in Canada to help encourage other Christian youth. We are always looking for volunteers who have a passion for God, who have a heart for others, and who want to influence Christian youth. If you are between the ages of 13 and 24, have a love for writing and are looking for a way to motivate other Christian youth in Canada through your God-given gifting and abilities, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@lovemovement.ca or by directly contacting our senior editor at Crileidy@lovemovement. org for more information on how you could get your writing in our magazine. Co-Founders of the Love Movement Benjamin Porter and Joel Gordon
Creative God,
Creative Minds
Missed Paym en t By: Mike Bonikowsky Three letters on a website
And though the king is baptized,
And I hear Fenris call again,
And the old gods dead and drowned
And the serpent gnawing there
Still I leave my Christian bed,
At the roots of the world-tree.
Spill blood on the standing stones.
"Missed Payment" is a poem about how whenever my life gets difficult I am tempted to leave the faith I know to be true. A huge temptation for me is to find my security in old gods like financial security, because I’m scared and it makes me feel safe. When that gets threatened, I have a very hard time trusting God. Most of the imagery in the poem comes out of the Dark Ages (which I was reading about at the time) when people in Northern Europe were converting from the Old Norse religions to Christianity. Their old religions were brutal and worshipped power and strength as a means
of security. Fenris was a giant wolf that, along with the serpent Nidhoggir, would eat the world – symbolized as a tree at the end of time. When countries were converted to Christianity, the king would be publicly baptized to show that it was now a Christian nation. Although I have a hard time trusting God when tribulations arise, I find comfort in knowing that it is a temptation, and God tells me to consider it pure joy whenever I face trials of many kinds, because I (should) know that the testing of my faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3).
Who is Mike Bonikowsky?
5 FACTS 1) He has a BA in English from Tyndale University College and Seminary. 2) He works with adults with developmental disabilities. 3) He has one awesome wife, two awesome kids, and one mediocre cat. 4) He would like to live in a house made of books. 5) View more of his poems at www. underthehebrewsea.wordpress.com.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING
5
Real Slippery
REAL fast By: Conor Sweetman
It’s 9:00 P.M. on a Friday night – you roll up to the scene in your friend’s dad’s car, and you can already hear the tunes bumping and the hype from the front yard. Walk into the house party with your crew and you feel ready to take on the world, social energy coursing through your veins and a six-pack of Molson Canadian under your arm. Hey, partying is fun. Nobody will deny the enjoyment of joking around with 10 different groups of people throughout the course of an hour, meeting an attractive new friend, or having intense personal discussions with a long-time buddy in the corner. I’m an extroverted young adult. I understand the appeal. But, as I’m sure you know, things can get real slippery real fast. The temptation to let the vibes of the party overcome your sense of discernment and commitment to righteousness can creep up with speed and subtlety, especially when alcohol is in the mix. God doesn’t want to kill your vibe, but He does desire more for you than sloshy nights and regretful mornings.
He is not a solemn judge who wants to rob your life of the good times that you’re supposed to have as a teenager and young adult. No, He knows the way you’re wired – He worked on that circuitry Himself – and He knows that it is only through obedience that we are truly free and inherit fullness of joy. We are either a slave to sin or we’re a slave to Him. There is no middle ground. The Bible makes that very clear. Therefore, as the responsible young man or woman that you are, you’re faced with a decision: join the hormone-rushing, serotonin-inducing revelry of a night that will offer sensory pleasure for the short hours of the party. Or, keep a clear head, a sober mind and a peaceful conscience as you abide by the standards that God calls His followers to. All that to say, have fun, engage with the social context around you, deepen friendships, hang out, go to a party, but don’t let the temptation of mind-numbing, out-of-body rowdy nights compromise your relationship with Christ. The buzz isn’t worth it.
6 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
Who is Conor Sweetman?
5 FACTS 1. In highschool, he had a tradition of eating Classico Pasta and watching The Office every day after school. 2. He ran an essay editing business for high school and university students. (ConorSweetman.com/ essay-editing-services) 3. He has been drawing and painting his entire life and has sold his work at a variety of shows. 4. He is very extroverted, but there's not much he enjoys more than being alone with a cup of pour-over coffee and a book of 16th-century poetry. 5. Next year he will be studying Shakespeare at Oxford for a semester, but he plans on eventually seeing all of Europe.
Self-Harm
Fr o m
By: Candace Maxymowich
If you’ve ever felt the temptation to harm your body when experiencing emotional stress or difficulties, you’re not alone. I believe our need for God’s presence at times can be so great that we are driven to do things that we don’t really want to do. As a coping mechanism, almost everyone turns to something other than God when facing difficulties. However, not everyone gets tempted the same way. Self-harm, abusing alcohol, drugs, sex, eating disorders or becoming obsessive with things like work or exercising beyond the point of exhaustion are harmful ways of coping that some of us struggle with. When we’re in that dark pit, it’s hard to see God’s light, as we are constantly looking down on life and ourselves. It’s in those times when we find ourselves hurting, but we fail to lean on God. At that moment, some of us reach for the razor rather than bringing our pain to Jesus and looking to Him for comfort, help and healing. Those who engage in self-harm
Photo: richard thorogood
1. Ask God
Jesus taught His disciples to ask God to lead them away from temptation (Matthew 6:13). A daily relationship with God in prayer is a first step to avoiding temptation.
may feel ashamed. Busy emergency-room doctors and staff may get exasperated with those who need treatment for intentional wounds. Family and friends may feel squeamish about the cutting and blood. Many people have trouble understanding and accepting that people would deliberately harm themselves. Even the people who self-harm at times say “I don’t know why I’m doing this.”
He wants to take the pain away permanently We need to look at the phenomenon of self-harm with compassion. I believe the Lord hurts when we hurt and that the sight of us hurting ourselves fills Him with compassion rather than condemnation. He cries out for us to lean on Him to get the healing and comfort that will lift us up and help us overcome what causes the urge to want to do it.
2. Spend Time with God Spend time in God’s word daily. Make it a habit. It can help you stay focused on God today.
3. You're Not A Failure Realize that falling into temptation on occasion does not mean you are a failure. Go to God and confess. He already knows about your sins. You are not telling Him anything He doesn’t already know.
He wants to take the pain away permanently. God issues a challenge to all of us hurting ourselves physically or emotionally. I believe He wants us to look after one another and seek to remove the root that causes self-harm, rather than to concentrate on the branches. People who self-harm need intensive care even though they may be scared or feel unworthy to ask. They need a “Christ Ambassador” to show them God’s love. They need help learning how to engage themselves in an authentic connection with Christ, trusting Him in their hearts, experiencing His unconditional love and healing mercy, and relying on His power for living a life of love for Him, others and themselves. To break free from the temptation to self-harm, it is important to work on healing the inner turmoil that drives you to seek relief. This takes courage and time. Along with seeking help from a pastor or mentor, here are a few tips.
4. Journal Keep a journal or notebook in where you can express your thoughts and feelings in words. You don’t have to be articulate. Scribbling single words is just as powerful.
5. Worship Music Worship music can prove powerful when you allow it to take you into the presence of the Divine Healer whose compassion and devotion to you is boundless.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING
7
Artist Spotlight
Jeremie Ngandu My name is Jeremie Ngandu. I am 17 years old and have a strong passion for photography and graphic design. I get inspired by others around me and use their gifting as motivation to continue mastering my craft.
PHOTO: CREDIT jeremie ngandu
Instagram: @jeremiee2
8 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
The Cool Test
I am not ashamed By: Emily Cook “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). I don’t think there’s enough discussion in Christian circles about what it means to be ashamed, primarily because it’s one of those words that one really doesn’t want to be known for. Who wants to be “embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations” (Google Dictionary)? But the truth is we are all tempted at some point to be ashamed of the truth that lives within us.
Photo: richard thorogood model: racquel Kiezebrink
I remember growing up very outspoken about being a Christian. I was the one who left the sleepover early because I decided I didn’t want to watch the scary movie. At the age of 10, I made a list of things I wanted in a future husband. I made a rule for myself that I wouldn’t date until I graduated high school. I was active in junior high, youth group and volunteering. But the older I got, the more uncomfortable it felt to be outspoken about my beliefs. All of a sudden, I was in the “real world,” and I was told tolerance meant you don’t share your beliefs because they could offend someone. So, I got more hesitant. I started downplaying the life-changing truth of the gospel to make it something that was a bit easier for others to swallow. This is a huge temptation for many Christians: to try to make the Bible’s truths “cool” rather than life changing. Maybe you avoid the hard truths when friends question your faith. Maybe you introduce youth group with, “We just hang out, and play some games” – without any reference to the Bible component or to Jesus.
The most transformative people I met in my life were those who acted completely themselves, were incredibly kind to everyone and were totally outspoken about their faith. Not just about the perks of the faith, but the challenges, the struggles and the lifechanging nature of it all. They didn’t shy away from the fact that giving your life to Christ is a total game-changer. The temptation is always there to just be a status quo “good person.” You’re a nice person, but you don’t reach out to the outcast. You’re a nice person, but you stand by while your friends gossip and cut other people down.
Think about how you represent yourself as a child of the King, and how you represent the life-changing news that lives inside your heart You’re a Christian as far as it’s comfortable for you, but not where it makes you stand out or be different. I don’t want this to be disheartening, I hope it challenges you to think about how you represent yourself as a child of the King, and how you represent the life-changing news that lives inside your heart. It isn’t easy. In fact, I think it’s a challenge for most Christians. What
it takes is willingness and a desire to surrender to the Lord and ask Him to use you in powerful ways, wherever you are, and whomever you’re with. God never leaves us to do the hard work on our own; He knows we need Him in all things. Don’t downplay the gospel. Live your faith, and live it loud. Jesus dying on the cross is a big deal. There is life-changing news living inside of you – share it with the world. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Who is Emily Cook?
5 FACTS - She is “a grandma at heart,” spending most of her free time knitting and going to sleep early. - If social convention would accept it, she would probably become a hermit with her two adorable cats. - Her heart is expressed best through music and words. “Put that together and I guess I’m also a songwriter,” she says. - She has always found the left side of her brain more interesting, and she thinks crafting is good for the soul. - Out of all her interests, she loves God best. “He's my muse, my support and the One thing I really couldn’t live without.”
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING
9
WHEN
Tolerance
means
c onfo r m i ty By: Jesse Hove
Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance tell you all religions are basically the same? That we are all in the dark touching a different part of what we call God? Have you ever thought about why our society pushes us to believe we are all the same? Is there really no difference between being male and female? Muslim and Christian? Have you ever thought about the insane irrationality of it all? We are pushed to be generic because it makes us easier to control. It makes it easier for the dominant cultural model (whatever that may be) to stay as the dominant cultural model. When we allow our Christian convictions to be whitewashed into an acceptable societal standard, we are no longer placing our trust in God. Instead we begin to place our trust in whatever secular or corporate model we are being influenced by. I just watched a video from the Urbana conference where an Iranian Christian woman talked about having faith in God to grow the church in Iran. In the midst of intense Christian persecution, God had told her she was going to plant seven churches. In a country where worshipping Jesus Christ is illegal, this woman chose to trust in God. In our Western culture we are lulled into thinking there is no choice to make. While praying for and hearing a direct word from God would bring scepticism and potential accusations of mental illness, you can be a Christian as long as you walk the line and don’t talk too much about Jesus at your workplace. You can be a Muslim as long as you don’t expect your employer to let you pray five times a day. You can be a woman as long as you don’t believe that sex is mainly for the purpose of
procreation. Faith is a private individual matter, and sex is for pleasure not for purpose, and being born with a womb is a biological glitch on our road to gender sameness. By pushing this model of sameness, our Western world believes it is protecting us and our society from religious radicalization and oppressive traditionalism. The truth is that it is simply allowing the current holders of power to perpetuate their models of economic and cultural oppression.
our human greed and lust for power is at the heart of global oppression and violence You are not free just because you can buy and have sex with whatever or whomever you want. And Muslims are not radicalized out of a sense of freedom to be different. They began their radicalization under colonial oppression to conform and continue to radicalize under pressure to adapt to Western capitalism. Well over a thousand years ago, in eighth- and ninth-century Iran and Syria, Muslims and Christians lived in relative peace for many years together. They didn’t live in peace because they thought they were all the same. Instead of some religious melting pot, there was a diverse group of religious monotheists. Christians paid a small tax of about one per cent in order to have freedom to worship and be protected by the Muslim military of the time.
10 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
Living under a foreign empire has always been a great place for Christians to spread the gospel. By the late tenthand early eleventh centuries, Christian crusaders and Muslim warlords could no longer resist their lust for power, wealth and land, so the holy wars began (The Lost History of Christianity, by Philip Jenkins). It is important to remember that our human greed and lust for power is what is at the heart of global oppression and violence. The religious violence of the Middle Ages and modern melting pot ideologies are simply used as a conduit to that end.
Who is Jesse Hove?
5 FACTS 1) He was born in Calgary but also spent many years in Saskatchewan. Because of this his favourite hockey team is the Calgary Flames, but his favourite Canadian football team is the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 2) While he was raised Lutheran, he has been on Pentecostal mission trips, worked for the Christian Reformed Church, gone to an Anglican seminary, and married a woman with a Baptist background. 3) His wife is three inches taller than him. 4) His favourite movie is Forrest Gump, which has a heavy influence on why his favourite soft drink is Doctor Pepper. 5) His favourite hockey player is Theoren Fleury, with Jarome Iginla and Johnny Gaudreau following very closely at second and third.
you're free so
Live your life!
There’s a very big gap between how we tend to live our lives versus how we should be living our lives. It’s undeniably difficult to grow up in a world that sells its sin in a very appealing manner, which makes us want to attain temporary gratification rather than eternal joy, peace, and life. As young Christians, we need to continually be monitoring our choices, because although we can’t see it, our reward is not in this world and our choices will determine whether we will receive it or not. It’s patently challenging to constantly live a life that, to the world, seems imposing, unrealistic, dull, and imaginary. If there’s one thing I hope to say that may encourage you, it's this: what helps you live a bold, free, and fulfilling life in this world is when you step out into the world in confidence and faith knowing that every word written in the Bible about God’s love and promises
By: Crileidy Liriano
towards you are true. Hebrews 11:6 distinctly states that, “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” You have to believe with all of you that He will deliver and that He will reward you when you live a life that’s pleasing to Him and not the world.
the testing of your faith produces patience, perseverance, and endurance It can be very easy to get caught up in the cycles and systems of the world. People who publicly live their life in sin knowingly or unknowingly, appear on the outside to have it all going for
them. The truth of the matter is, Satan is creative and has very good strategies on how to hook people to his schemes, only to eventually kill them spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Jesus told us it wasn’t going to be easy. The ground was cursed the moment Adam and Eve sinned, however, don’t forget that it is also stated that we were not created for this world, your rewards are in heaven, where eternity awaits for you with grace, mercy, and joy. We are weak, but God is all-powerful and His Spirit lives in us. Go. Go live your life fearlessly knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, perseverance, and endurance (James 1:3). When you humble yourself before God and you resist the devil, it is promised that he will flee from you (James 4:7). Live fearlessly for Him. march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 11
WHY
being Christian is
so difficult
By: Crileidy Liriano When you signed up to be a Christian, it was either during a moment of complete brokenness or complete serenity. Either way, I’m sure no one sat down and gave you a handbook or was eager to explain the challenges, the attacks and the hardships that awaited you from the moment you chose to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and invited Him into your heart.
this picture is that he is extremely quick at building you up only to break you down. God on the other hand breaks you down to build you back up, so that you have no other option but to go higher. Why? He breaks us down so that we are in complete dependence on Him.
It probably seemed, or seems, like no matter how much you try to worship, praise, adore, love or hold onto God, the lashes keep striking you harder and the conflicts keep getting bigger.
God clothes us with His strength, integrity, power and love
Who hasn’t thought about how people who aren’t Christians – people living in sin – have better things and opportunities than we do? It sure looks like they don’t struggle as much.
So that we can humble ourselves before Him and others. So that we may be able to relate to others in the world, and wholeheartedly experience His strength, wisdom, power and love.
What the Enemy does is artfully but artificially present a temporary luxurious and entertaining life. The problem with
God strips us down of our sins, shame, un-forgiveness and overall contaminated mentality and worldly ways of
12 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
doing things in order to clothe us with His strength, integrity, power and love. The moment we accepted Him into our heart, our old ways and mindset left and we became a new creation. Although we get attacked and bothered, Jesus left Earth in order to leave us with the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit to be our Helper and Counsellor – so for times when we feel down or defeated, we turn to Him (John 16:7). The Enemy knows that we were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), he knows God has plans for our life (Jeremiah 29:11), and he knows God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Because he knows that many can be influenced, changed and be led to God through us, he will do anything in his power to destroy us. And the biggest way he’s going to do that is by tempting us. We, on the other hand, have a much more powerful force, the
Holy Spirit, whom when we let Him will tirelessly fight our battles, advocate on our behalf and equip us to face anything or anyone. When worldly opinions influence us, it can seem like being a Christian is a disadvantage. Sometimes it feels like the world, the government and especially the media send us messages saying we can believe in and worship God as long as we keep it to ourselves. There have been instances where the government has discouraged Christians to publicly worship God on platforms that have the capacity to influence nonbelievers be-
3
cause the name of Jesus is mentioned. We want to proclaim the name of Jesus because we know as Christians that God’s word has power and that the Truth sets people free (John 8:32). In spite of the walls built before us, you and I are called to be the salt and light of this world, meaning we were called to influence the world with our God-given elements, power, knowledge of the Truth, love and characteristics, all things which are essential to impact those that are our lost and broken neighbours.
even though the world may seem to have it all, we have the greatest gift, Jesus Christ and everlasting life. Pray for others, and remember God has given us the supernatural power of His Holy Spirit to live differently than we would naturally do in this world. A lot of things in our Christian walk don’t make sense, and many never will to a worldly point of view, perhaps even to us. However, one thing to always keep in mind is to never conform to the patterns, customs, mentality and behaviours of this world (Romans 12:2).
Be encouraged and remember that
ways to help you not conform
1. Community
2. Temptation
Get into a community: Go to a church
Resist temptation by making other
regularly and form friendships with older
plans: Find alternative outings or activ-
Christians who have experienced and
ities when you know you will be in a
done things and can advise you.
situation of temptation.
3. Confess Confess your struggles to your pastor, youth leader or other friends: Reaching out can help deal with the battle in your mind that can lead to temptation.
stop hiding behind your screen &
ACTUALLY Do Something About It! By: Holly Stiller
#PrayforParis #PrayforSyria #PrayforLebanon were only some of the trending tweets in 2015 concerning world issues. We have worldwide information at our fingertips the moment big events happen, and we’ve never been able to reach out to people so easily and quickly. Awareness of these issues really took off by means of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as we were able to show our support and concern to people who we’ve never even met or ever will meet. Although this is great potential to build compassion, it’s also a means to produce apathy.
the problem you’re tweeting about hasn’t gotten any better because of your tweet Praying for the world is a key part of our Christian life. Global prayer movements can be radical and make a significant difference. But believe it or not, a re-tweet is not the same thing as a prayer. Sometimes, we may be giving others the impression of activism, while not doing much at all. If you couldn’t tweet #PrayforParis, would you still want to pray? After tweeting about a situation, we are tempted to stop there – to remain apathetic. The reality is, the problem
you’re tweeting about hasn’t gotten any better because of your tweet. The only thing your tweet does is raise awareness so that more people can know about it, and hopefully take action. The tweet itself is not the action needed. It is simply information being passed on. Following Jesus means that sometimes we have to put down our phones, get off our seats, and go where He goes – where the suffering is. Jesus spent His life with the sick and the exposed. He never just stood inside, waving at them, or shouting, “I’m with you!” He actually spent His life with them and really prayed for them. So, next time you see #Prayfor_________, instead of continuing to like, share or scroll, put down your phone and actually pray. Be open to how the Holy Spirit may speak to you. It could be something small, like sending an email to somebody who may have been involved, or planning a bake sale to raise funds. But it could also be something bigger. Maybe that spark that caused the urge to tweet, like or share is more than just an emotion. Maybe God is calling you to volunteer with a Christian organization in that country. Either way, pray and be open. Christ followers are called to go to the places where there is suffering and to pray boldly for these situations. Let’s resist the temptation to hide behind our screens in apathy, because #PrayforParis is #NotEnough.
14 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
Who is Holly Stiller?
5 FACTS 1) She is in her last semester of high school. 2) She loves traveling and exploring new cultures. 3) In the summer, she works as a camp counselor at Ontario Pioneer Camp. 4) She loves photography. 5) She works as a cashier at a grocery store.
Take Action Sample Study & Journal
F O R G R O UP S O R P E R S O N AL R E F L E C T I O N
God Loves Me
Love is Moving Study Guide & Journal is designed to revive a biblical understanding and expression of love. This resource tool empowers small groups to grow in their love for God and their love for others. Journey with others across the nation and explore God’s love by building relationships, engaging in mission and committing to reflecting the love of Jesus in everyday life. As you prepare to learn more about what love is, remember to pray and ask God to lead you closer to him and deeper in his truths.
“God is love” is a truth that is shared in 1 John 4:16. Let’s explore what “love” really means in that statement as there is a great deal of confusion about the word love in our world. Since we know that “God is Love” and “love is of God” (1 John 4:7), Satan wants to deceive us about the essence and nature of it. The use of the word “love” in the English language can be confusing. We might say, “Mom, I love you”, “I really love chocolate”, or “I know my dog loves me”, but each phrase uses the word “love” in a different way.
The Ancient Greek language, in which the New Testament was written, separates “love” into four different words: Greek English agápē Sacrificial, unconditional, never-ending, and perfect love that God exemplifies. ēros
Sexual attraction or sensual longing.
philía
Friendship or brotherly love.
storgē
Affection for someone.
1 John 4:16 says:
____________________________ ____________________________
How do you define love?
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Thinking of the four types of love, which of these do you think most songs and movies refer to?
Thinking back to what you just read, is this love the agápē or philía type of love?
____________________________
questions to think about
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________
HERE’S A SAMPLE OF THE SMALL GROUP RESOURCE WE’RE DEVELOPING. THERE ARE 6 PARTS IN THE ENTIRE RESOURCE. COLLECT ALL 6 ISSUES OF LIM IN 2016 TO PREVIEW SOME OF THE TAKE ACTION APP CONTENT. Use #loveismoving to share what you have learned.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 15
In our minds, sometimes it’s difficult to understand that there is a God, that He loves us, and that for some reason He wants to know us. But, understanding who God is and learning about the sacrificial love He displayed in sending Jesus is a great start. View this video featuring Sean McDowell http://bit.ly/Sean_McDowell
As you begin week two of journaling, here are some thoughts to reflect on: • I am Loved • I am Accepted • I am Forgiven Just as Jesus forgives us when we repent and turn away from sin, we are to forgive others. To truly love God and love others we must forgive those who have said and done things to hurt us. We can do this because God loves us and accepts us.
Love is Moving is inspired by God’s love, the “Agáp ē” type of love. By understanding what love means, we can be more effective in showing love in our lives. The Bible offers great truth and insights about what love means, how it can be found, and how it can be applied in our lives.
Questions:
1) What are some ways that God shows His love for you?
Gal 2:20
Take Action:
Are you a new person in Jesus? Have you given your life to Him? Pray that you might know God and His love deeper today.
jo ur na l e ntr y
Our old self has been crucified with Christ.
2) How do you see love expressed in your relationships with friends, families, or significant other? 3) What about your relationship with God? 4) In the Bruxy Cavey video, the speaker mentions God’s “suffering love”. What does the image of Jesus suffering on the cross mean to you? Video featuring Bruxy Cavey http://bit.ly/Bruxy_Cavey
Use #loveismoving to share ideas for putting God's love in action. 16 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
John 8:I-II
No matter what you have done, confess it to God in prayer and turn from it. God will forgive you so you then can forgive others.
j o u r n al e ntr y
Jesus forgives you, so you can forgive others.
Take Action:
Heb I2:I-2
Have a vertical vision. As you care for others, keep your eyes on God. Give yourself over to God, so that you can experience how huge His love is for you. Reduce or remove
distractions and stay focused on Jesus today.
j o u r n a l e nt r y
Strip off the weight of sin and run the race God has set before you.
Take Action:
I Cor I3:4-7 Love leads to forgiveness.
Take Action:
If someone has done something mean to you, remember God loves you and accepts you. Pray to God asking Him to help you forgive them. Often times when
Use #loveismoving to share ideas for putting God's love in action.
someone says or does something mean to another it’s because they are feeling hurt, unloved or not accepted. Ask God to help you to be caring towards them.
j o u r n a l e nt r y JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 17
Take Action:
Prov I0:I2
If someone has offended you, forgive him or her. Pray for them. Ask God for patience and wisdom in these situations. Remember the God of creation loves you and
accepts you.
jo u r n al e ntr y
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
Lev I9:i8
Take Action:
Think of a person who you may have said or done something wrong to and do or say something nice to them.
Matt I8: 2I-25
Take Action:
j o u r n a l e nt r y
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Sometimes it’s going to take more than once.
jou rna l e ntr y 18 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
Is there anyone you need to apologize to? If so, pray for an opportunity to make up with this person.
Use #loveismoving to share ideas for putting God's love in action.
why movies & TV almost ruined my relationship with god! By: Rosemond Ennin God as a genie, it's one of the easiest traps we can find ourselves falling into. We come to Him when we find ourselves in need, or in need of a way out. Genies tend to be very popular in movies like Aladdin, shows like Fairly Odd Parents and even songs like “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera. There tends to be a very unbalanced relationship between the person requesting a wish and the genie. For a really long time, I saw God as my genie. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that God cannot give you the things you desire and need, but the biggest danger to our relationship with Him is only seeing Him this way. In high school my relationship with God was very much like this. The worst part about it was I saw nothing wrong with only seeing Him as a genie. I didn’t really care to have a meaningful relationship with Him. I cared more to have the stuff I asked for than the God I needed. To make matters worse, it was hard for me to believe that the Creator of heaven and earth would even desire to have a friendship with me. I mean, why me? What was so special about me? I didn’t see it or understand it thoroughly. One day, I came across this scripture that Jesus spoke, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Friends? Jesus calls me friend?
The more I kept reading the Bible, the more I understood that I was actually created to have a deep relationship with God. He sincerely desired to be friends with me and for me to understand His desire for me. Seeing God as a genie was hurting me. Ignoring and neglecting the relationship we are all created for is costly. Jesus plainly says, “Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Even in spite all the things we wish for and get – like romantic relationships, designer materials, acceptance, popularity, etc. – none of these things can truly satisfy us. We will still be left empty without a relationship with Him.
When we want something badly, we see God only for what He can give us rather than for who He is That’s exactly what happened to me – I fell into the trap of seeing God only like a genie. The things I asked for never really gave me the peace I was after. I became frustrated with God when He didn’t answer as quickly as I’d like. As easily as I said it, I didn’t really love God. My mentality was pulling me away from God.
If you are honest with yourself, maybe you too have fallen into this deception. Sometimes, when we want something badly, we begin to see God only for what He can give us rather than for who He is. I assure you, beyond the thing(s) you are seeking Him for is a deeper relationship that can give you the peace you truly need. When we come to Him for the friend He is, the things we want will never replace the God we need.
Who is Rosemond Ennin
5 FACTS 1) As a little child she was an avid fan of Disney movies such as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and her all-time favourite, The Lion King. She would cry in almost every movie she watched. 2) She loves to break out in singing to an audience of herself and God. 3) She loves having a good laugh with her two siblings (she’s the oldest). They are some of the two funniest people she knows. 4) Her siblings are seven and twelve years apart from her. 5) Chances are you can find her in one of her favourite places, Starbucks, sinking into a good book.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 19
Now & Forever
Timeless style
Outfit selections and modelling by Racquel Kiezebrink, first year student at Ryerson University, fashion studies. 20 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
Photo: ruth thorogood
model: racquel kiezebrink
in the age of quick fashion
By Josie La Corte insta: @live.to.aspire As we enter into spring the weather warms up, the sun comes out, the layers come off and the winter blues seem to be fading away. But we’re faced with another challenge – what do we wear now? The fashion trends that are popular among the most influential celebrities for the most part don’t fit our budget or our bodies. They leave us barely clothed and barely comfortable. These fast-fading styles leave us wondering if we’ll ever find clothing that fits our shape and our integrity. For those still searching for some sort of inspiration here are my top three fashion tips as you spring into action.
1) BUY SOLID COLOURS Last year, I transitioned my style out of patterns, which can easily come out of style, and reached for solid colours like black, grey (my fave), white, and any neutrals like cream or butter. If I go for colour, it would be solid navy blue, burgundy or olive green. This way you’ll be able to wear your clothing longer, because solids never go out of style.
3) ART OF MINIMALISM Minima-what? Basically, less is more. Colour coding your wardrobe and understanding the value of simplicity will take you far. It allows you to try new things and it makes you look more mature. For all of you who are transitioning from high school to university this year, research some Instagram pages and have fun matching outfits.
2) CLASSY NOT FLASHY Dressing classy allows you to play up your accessories like necklaces, bracelets and earrings – or a nice watch. Wear classic cuts and patterns, and spice it with the extras.
Special Thanks to Forever 21 and The Bay at Yorkdale, Toronto for allowing us to shoot in their dressing rooms.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 21
Quit
or I n v it e ? By: Jamila Holder What do you do when you find yourself 20 km past hope with no fuel in the tank to hit reverse? Some look down their noses at those who wrestle with the temptation to walk away from the faith. I admit that I never quite understood why people quit church or walk away from the Lord – besides, what else is there worth turning to? Until I found myself in a similar position. I believe every Christian gets to this crossroad, but very few are willing to admit they have strug-
gled with chains of doubt and uncertainty about what they claim to believe. As a result, we feel alone and ashamed when we find ourselves struggling with thoughts of whether Jesus is even real. Have you been there before? It’s a place so dark that even the most clever Christian quotes don’t bring any comfort or ease to the battle waging in your mind. Perhaps there were times you reached out for help only to be met with a cold, “Get it together and just hold on” pep talk, or a condemnation sermon of how you should endure because Christ endured
22 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
more. I understand the approach, but what if that approach only adds more pressure and weight on someone who is already struggling to believe? I found myself in a rather dark place last year; the thought of wanting to quit the faith crossed my mind more times than I am willing to admit. Everyone knows that late night conversations with your pastor are usually a sign that something has gone terribly wrong and you are in need of life support. Last year, I found myself in a dry season. I wanted to quit church and get as far away as possible from
In our weakness He is strong, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. anything that looked like church, leadership and ministry because the expectations were more than I could bear. To say that I was burntout and my faith was shaken would be an understatement. So, I did what many Christians do, I kept quiet and refused to admit I was struggling to believe or even open the Bible. For a long time I held it in and tried to shame myself into being a better Christian. I thought to myself, I should read my Bible more, pray and fast more, then maybe the enemy would not be able to knock me down. Interestingly enough, I wouldn’t trade what I went through, because it set me up to fall into the arms of Jesus. There is a beautiful invitation Jesus gives in Matthew 11:28, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest” (The Message).
5 FACTS
Who is Jamila?
Could it really be that simple? If I feel like quitting, I should take a
rest? My human logic says if you feel like quitting, you should get motivated and just push through – no water breaks, and definitely no rest. Perhaps it’s because my understanding of what the word “rest” means is quite different from what He meant when He said it.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I would never profess to be a biblical scholar, nor will I attempt to break down this beautiful verse by consulting the Greek or Hebrew translation. However, I will share with you what real rest looked like for me. Real rest looked like admit-
ting I was struggling to believe. It also looked like being honest with myself that I didn't know how to pick myself back up, because it allowed Him to be my strength. The Bible is right in saying that in our weakness He is strong, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), as true strength can only be properly displayed in weakness. So I am unashamed to say, Yes! Jesus, I am weak and I am tired. I understand that some would classify that as failure, but I would fail on purpose in that regard if it means finding rest in Christ. So I quit! I am done trying to be my own saviour and I quit trying to have it all together. It seems backwards and too simple to be true, but it is true. You will never find rest if you are not willing to admit that you are tired.
1) She is a coastal gal! She grew up on the East Coast of Guyana.
3) She actually enjoys writing essays, and her love for writing flows from there.
2) She loves the art of dance, specifically ballet. You may just catch her reading dance magazines.
4) She can use just about any power tool in the house as well as an old fashioned hammer and nails thanks to her Grandpa.
5) She is a humble planner. She plans but acknowledges that things may not turn out the way she planned.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 23
Love
without borders The Syrian Refugee Crisis – A Challenge By: Shawn LaVie Would you place love into a box and label it, like you would on moving day? The answer is most likely, No. But if we look deeper into one of the most important issues of the last decade, we can see we are doing just that. We are placing limits on the love and kindness that Jesus so clearly asks of us. Both limitations and labels are being placed on the love of our neighbours. Sadly, this has become somewhat socially acceptable and gives way to tremendous pressure (and temptation) on our youth today. I would like to challenge youth to rise up in the name of Jesus Christ, as children of Jesus Christ, fiercely prepared as soldiers to fight this temptation, standing fearlessly and equipping others to do the same. Mary and Joseph sought refuge in order to give birth to Christ, and they were denied a room everywhere they turned. Jesus’ mission on earth was to give us a way of salvation. Those who were approached by Mary and Joseph couldn’t even give Jesus a comfortable place to be born. God gave us His only Son as an act of extreme love. His Son was denied refuge, and this was an act opposite to love. As Christians, let us not follow these footsteps but let us allow ourselves to open our borders with loving hands.
as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31). Compelling arguments for the stance to turn a blind eye are sometimes made. A main argument we hear is that by allowing in Syrians here, we are ignoring our own homeless in Canada. The beating drum of this thought process is Take care of our own first.
Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these In the New Testament and the words of Jesus Christ, nowhere is there any message to take care of ourselves first and close off our homes to only those we care about at home. In fact, this is the complete opposite of biblical teaching. The goal for youth today is to not buy into this view. Do not entertain it. Hold tight to Scripture, because those who disagree with us (and our Christian values) disagree wholeheartedly and can feel just as passionately about what they believe in.
It is not up to us to decide who deserves help – or when. We need to stop tripping over our own egos and our fears that have no merit in the decision to keep Syrian refugees out of this country. Denying anyone who needs help is doing the opposite of what Jesus has asked of us.
Sometimes when we hear an opposing argument we can feel tremendous anger and disgust. This leads us to one of many temptations, which we need to battle. We need to remember just because others may judge others based on education, skin tone or what country they were born in, we don’t get to judge them.
“The second is this: love your neighbour
They are also created by God and
24 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
deserve to be treated as such – it does not mean we have to agree, but we can disagree gracefully. The Easter season is upon us, and for Christians, this is the season for new beginnings. As soon as Christ rose from the dead, He finalized His work, and a new beginning for all of mankind was set in motion. Any time we realize that we are brand new people in Christ, we can think of our temptation, and how we may conquer it – through Jesus. I hope the youth of this country accept this challenge: the challenge to fight the temptations to be angry with those who are disagreeing with you. Instead, stand beside those who need our help and give a voice to the voiceless.
Who is Shawn LaVie?
5 FACTS 1) He is attending Tyndale University College and Seminary to obtain an MDiv with a major in clinical counseling. 2) He has a beautiful wife (Jennifer) and daughter (Victoria). Family is very important to him. 3) He’s interested in helping others spiritually and emotionally. If anyone may need someone to talk to, he’s here to serve: shawnlavie@gmail. com. You can also check his Instagram @lavie68 4) He doesn’t like drawing lines in the sand or picking and choosing who deserves help. 5) He loves expressing his faith through writing and music.
f
s e i m e n r eF o r e v e r
Let’s face it, we all have one – a friend we like but secretly compete with.
By: Dagmar Morgan
the race, it slows you down. ~ Hebrews 12:2
After all, they seem to have all the things we want. Their feed shows their fun outings to places we want to go, or maybe events we weren’t invited to. Their life looks perfect. No matter what the specific situation is, these kinds of competitive thoughts and relationships are not what God wants for us, and can be damaging. When I found myself with racing competitive thoughts as I scanned social media comparing myself or catching up with someone’s profile, and not for good reasons, I decided I needed to figure out how to change it. With God’s help, I’ve found there are simple things we can do to shift from a harmful place of self-destruction to a content place where we know and understand we were individually fearfully and wonderfully made. Stay in your lane – Focus on you and what God is doing in your life. If you are always looking back at other people in
Keep it moving – Get out there and do the things you are called to do! If you are invested in a project or hobby that you love, you are much less likely to compare or have time to do so. ~ Ephesians 2:10
Get out there and do the things you are called to do! Clean your “house” – There may be people you follow on social media that you just shouldn’t. What you surround yourself with is vital to your growth as a believer. Fill your newsfeed with things and people that motivate you and inspire you. ~ Proverbs 13:20
Let God work on the world while you work on yourself and your relationship with Him. ~ Luke 6:27-28 Keep your eyes on the Prize – Focus on your relationship with God and not the world. ~ Colossians 3:2
Who is Dagmar Morgan?
5 FACTS 1) Lover of Christ 2) spoken word artist 3) coffee enthusiast 4) youth mentor and creative coach 5) spontaneous dance party encourager
Put your hands together – Pray for them. It seems so simple, or maybe the last thing you want to do, but prayer will not only help them, it will help you.
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 25
W e , r e going f r e e By: Brittany Pettinger I am sitting under an apartment building in Damour, Lebanon, tempted to email my editor and tell her that I can’t do this article, that I do not have the time or patience to write it this month. But something is stopping me. A little voice inside my head is telling me I have to write down everything I am thinking and not give up. It’s telling me I need to stop procrastinating and start writing. When I was created, I was given free will, so it’s up to me to quit or continue what I’m doing – and believe me, it’s tempting and quite easy to quit. Being tempted and falling into temptation are two different things. Jesus had free will. When He “was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1), He could have done the things that the Devil told Him to, but He chose not to.
5 FACTS
Who is Brittany?
There are things I have been tempted to do that I never gave in to. I look at myself a year ago and think about how things would be different now if I had given in to the temptations I faced. There were many times when I
considered hurting myself, even killing myself, because I felt so hurt and worthless. It was not only the will of God that pulled me out of it, but the people who were placed in my life at that particular time. Temptation can be difficult, but it’s not impossible to overcome. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (ESV).
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability Nothing is impossible with God or for God. The moment you have a tempting thought, turn to the Lord. Find some-
one who can hold you accountable and pray for you as needed. Talk to God and figure out what caused the temptation to come up. Once you have that figured out, rebuke it and move on. From personal experience, I have found that it is vital to always have one person you can talk to at any time of day, no matter what. Temptation is not something that you have to endure alone. It can be extremely difficult to come out of temptations, so it’s way better to deal with it before you fall off the edge. But how does one do that? Just a few minutes ago, I was tempted to quit. I didn’t because the logical part of my brain told me not to. But logic is not going to be in every situation. In fact, most temptations I’ve tried to deal with have not involved me using my logic. They have involved me falling into the hands of the enemy. Do not only rely on your own logic, because it may not always be there. Rather rely on the One who created you, for He is always there.
1) She started writing her first book when she was 16. It’s still in the works.
3) History is her passion. She can spend hours just walking around museums.
2) She has been to Lebanon twice. Both times she worked with Syrian refugees.
4) She lived in Ireland in 2014 for three months, and staffed a DTS (Discipleship Training School) there in 2015.
26 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
5) She wrote this article while in Lebanon in January.
By: Steve Norton
By the time you finish reading this, it’ll be the future. (Okay, technically, it’ll be the present – but it’ll be the future too.) As anyone who has a Facebook account knows by now, October 21, 2015 at 4:29 p.m. was the scheduled moment that Marty McFly arrived at the future in Back to the Future Part II. While this may seem like a somewhat insignificant point (although it has been a lot of fun over the Internet), it is interesting to consider that this isn’t the first ‘future movie’ to meet the present. Films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Scanner Darkly, 1984 and even Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, have all set specific dates in the future that have come and gone with the passage of time. In almost every case, the future portrayed in films has appeared dark, oppressive and terrifying – a grim vision of things to come. But Back to the Future was different. In this film, even the year 2015 carried with it a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. It was the future, but it was recognizable. It was our future. In fact, as Marty stepped out of that alley to see the new world around him, director Robert Zemekis deliberately draws comparisons to the scene where he arrives in 1955. There’s a sense of wonder in the midst of the confusion. Marty stumbles into the Clock Tower
Square because he is awestruck. Things are different – and yet, they aren’t. Jaws movies? Check. Gas stations? (For flying cars?) Apparently. Video games are still there (even if Elijah Wood thinks it’s a “baby’s toy”). Even Pepsi exists, and it’s perfect! Despite the fact that he’s a stranger in a strange land, there’s warmth in the moment that connects with his “present” reality. There’s innocence to the future, a sense of purity.
True hope for our world lies in the hope of Jesus Christ’s promise to restore More than this though, Back to the Future stands apart in that it reveals a future with hope. There are problems in the future, for sure. Marty loses his job after corporate espionage. Griff is a hooligan. However, these all seem to be the result of poor decisions of a few individuals.
Although October 21, 2015 was really nothing more than a silly excuse for cross-promotions and Internet memes, the excitement truly taps into something within the heart of our culture. There is a passion that we should see our world become something great. Our hearts have yearned to see what the future held because we wanted to believe that something wonderful was coming. Our culture can change. We know it. We can feel it. As a Christian, I live in this expectation of God’s kingdom as it breaks through into our world. True hope for our world doesn’t lie in our own initiative but in the hope of Jesus Christ’s promise to restore the broken in His timing. I also recognize that, even though it may feel like the future, this reality is not far from us. We see in Scripture that Christ has established His kingdom today and that His hope is breaking into our world. Because of His love for us, we are made new and invited to signal that hope for the world. His reality is both the Now and Not-Yet of our world and, in Christ, we can feel the hope of the future at this moment.
As a whole, this vision of the future seems vibrant and exciting. It’s a place where you want to be. While other visions of the future usually come across as cold, dark places where humanity has come to the end of itself, Back to the Future depicts it as an upgrade to our world.
So now, here we are. Marty has come and we’re left in the present future. While we move forward to the unknown, we recognize that, while our decisions often determine our own future, the hope of humanity lies in Someone much bigger than ourselves. In Him, we can experience the new life of the future in the present.
And, it’s for this reason that I believe it’s become such a big deal.
And that news – dare I say it – is better than a hover-board. march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 27
Love Moves Freely
aboard hospitality ship, mercy ship, in africa - By Lindsay Haraburda It is estimated over a billion people around the world lack access to the most basic health care needs. In Africa alone, nearly 50 per cent of the population do not have access to a doctor or hospital. With that, more than 50 per cent of the world’s population live within 100 miles of a port city. This makes a hospital ship the most efficient way to bring world-class health care to impoverished nations. Since launching its first ship in 1982, the medical charity Mercy Ships has used a series of hospital ships to bring free health care to the disadvantaged. The current vessel, the Africa Mercy, currently docked in Tamatave, Madagascar, is the world’s largest charity hospital ship. The 499-foot ship houses six operating theatres and a 78-bed patient ward. The ship functions like a small town that requires many different parts, people and skills to function properly. The all-volunteer crew of nearly 450 include surgeons, dentists, photographers, chefs, engineers, teachers and others.
Although there are families who live onboard with their children, the minimum age to volunteer with Mercy Ships is 18. Over the past few years, Mercy Ships Canada has seen an increase in recent high school graduates volunteering onboard Africa Mercy. Shanna Fortnum was 19 when she volunteered in 2015.
developing the mindset to help where needed Fortnum first heard about Mercy Ships over two years earlier at her church, the Chilliwack Vineyard, from Kathryn Stock, who was venturing off as a long-term volunteer for Mercy Ships. “I had no stir in my heart towards volunteering, because I thought the sole need of the ship was to recruit nurses and doctors,” says Fortnum. It wasn’t until Stock returned and spoke about her experience that Fortnum’s mind
wandered back to Mercy Ships, and even further when God spoke to her though a client at work. A month into Fortnum’s first job as a hair stylist, a gentleman came into the salon asking for the owner. “The owner wasn’t at the salon that day, so I offered to cut his hair. We began chatting, and after a while he asked, ‘So what do you really want to do?’ My heart felt like it fell out of my chest. I saw the ship in my mind and faintly asked if he’s ever heard of Mercy Ships,” said Fortnum. “I got home that same evening and decided to ask ‘If this is truly you, God, I need to know. I’m not going to put my desires into something that is out of your will.’ ” Fortnum then checked the Mercy Ships website to see what sorts of volunteers were needed. “About 30 seconds after, tears came down my cheeks. Under ‘urgent’ in bright red letters was ‘Hairstylist.’ ” Although nervous, Fortnum decided to apply, and shortly after she was accepted to serve as the ship’s crew hairstylist for five months.
For more information, check out: www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/MiddleEastRefugee
Fortnum’s unique role may not be one that most think of when it comes to helping the poor, but Fortnum played an important part on the ship. Although not directly helping the sick, she spent a lot of time with patients on the wards and was part of their journey.
For more information on Mercy Ships, please visit: www.mercyships.ca
! tre hea
For young volunteers like Fortnum, working onboard the Africa Mercy means working in a dynamic environment and developing or nurturing the mindset to help where needed and make a difference where possible while also learning about new cultures and seeing new parts of the world. Mercy Ships would not be able to provide life-changing health care without its crew of exemplary volunteers.
the T
One particular patient Fortnum spent time with was 11-year-old Windy, who severely burned his arm in a house fire. His family could not find or afford help until they heard of Mercy Ships, and was then given an appointment for free surgery.
? l a calling e e f u o y Do lberta
d, A g in Rosebu in in a tr e tr a The m Professional lofthear ts.co o o h c s d u b e ros
march/april 2016 / LOVE IS MOVING 29
5 FACTS
Who is Joshua?
oh oh me! lif e !
By: Joshua Lewis
1) He enjoys watching movies with his amazing, beautiful wife, while pondering the depths of the love of Jesus. 2) He has a dog named Mabel. She's cute.
3) He is blessed by a wonderful house-church community and a loving family. 4) His life goal is to know God and grow into Him forever.
Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Life! Training for Full Time Christian Service regardless of Occupation! LeaderShip Through Servanthood by Christ’s indwelling, resurrection Life. praCTiCaL Bible Teaching genesis to revelation: Christ revealed in the Written Word. • Bible School • Conferences • Outdoor education • private retreats • personal getaways
c a p e r n w r ay . c a 30 www.LOVEisMOVing.ca / march/april 2016
5) One day he’d like to live out of a V.W. van and travel around.
TIM BEALS, President, Credo
novels | artiCles | ColUMns | blogs | sCriPts | songs | Poetry
CoMMUniCations
JENNIFER DORNBUSH , writer, forensiC sPeaker
Calling all writers & editors who are Christian!
LORNA DUECK, JoUrnalist, Creator, host, exeCUtive ProdUCer of Context with lorna dUeCk
join us at
TAMELA HANCOCK MURRAY, agent, steve laUbe agenCy
PETER STOCKLAND, PriMa CoMMUniCation; senior writer, CardUs; PUbisher, ConviviUM
CYNTHIA RUCHTI, forMer
JUne 23 - 25, 2016 holiday inn yorkdale, toronto, on
President aCfw, writer, ProdUCer
CATHERINE DEVRIES, assoCiate PUblisher, david C. Cook
keynote : davis bUnn sCreenPlays, bible lessons, artiCle writer, novelist, leCtUrer and keynote THOMAS UMSTATTD, foUnder, aUthor Media
JONATHAN KAY, editor, the walrUs
JEANNE WYNN , PUbliCist, owner wynn-wynn Media
DENNIS HASSELL, dennis hassell ProdUCtions
CHRISTINA CROOK, writer,
2016 Theme “every WriTer A voice” Canada’s largest ConferenCe for Christians who write. enjoy workshops by leading professionals, inspiration for your faith, insights on industry trends, pitch opportunities, and personal meetings with agents, editors, and publishers.
owner of the word stUdio BRENT
e a r ly b i r d r at e
MeMber
CAROLYN WILKER, freelanCe
F u l l C on f er e n c e *
$420
$470
editor/writer
S at u r day On ly *
$175
$200
VAN STAALDUINEN, Creative writing, redeeMer University
MARCIA LAYCOCK, writer
non-MeMber
* rates inCrease by $100 after MarCh 21. aCCoMModations extra. taxes not inClUded. stUdents MUst be 18 or older to attend.
e arly bird r ates end MarCh 21 register at thewordguild.com/ write - Canada Partner sPonsor
#loveismoving
also sPonsored by: hit logic solutions
Canadian Christian business federation hume Media inc. deeks insurance UCb radio Canada 94.3 faith fM
Discover the difference you can make. At Compassion, we believe youth can be powerful agents of change. This is the heart behind so much of what we do in our ministry—removing the barriers to a life free from poverty so they can help others do the same. But our passion for youth isn’t limited to those in the developing world. That’s why Compassion partnered with the Fuller Youth Institute to develop an all-new youth group curriculum, True Story: What God Wants Us to Do About Poverty. You will grow in your faith as you explore topics including: • • •
the root cause of poverty God’s heart for the poor, and your role in God’s story.
If you’d like your youth group to experience this exciting new curriculum, visit www.compassion.ca/truestory.