March for Jesus 2010

If you are a prayer warrior who has been praying for Concerned Christians Canada (CCC) or you have financially supported our organization, we would like to take this opportunity to update you on what your support has enabled us to do.

Over the last year we have:

• Connected with politicians at all three levels of government and have promoted religious freedom, have drawn attention to Christian persecution, have discussed and promoted pro-life issues, and have encouraged them to rule with righteousness
• We have been involved in making policy proposals to government regarding the proper treatment of the homeless, we also outlined both cost saving, streamlining and accountability measures that needed to be put in place in the homeless shelter system
• We spearheaded and co-ordinated the third annual Night on the Street for the Poor at the steps of Calgary's City Hall which was well attended by those in need
• We have played a supportive role in political campaigns, providing volunteer support, expertise, and counsel to political candidates
• We have connected in with individuals and organizations in the homeschooling industry both listening to concerns and presenting solutions to problems being faced.
• We have been involved in supporting and assisting both individuals and organizations stand for Christian rights and to stand against Christian persecution in Canada
• We have assisted individuals in their efforts to become Canadian immigrant workers
• We have assisted in the filing of Human Rights Complaints in an effort to put on display not only the discrimination that is happening against Christians in our society but also to demonstrate the bias of the Human Rights Commissions in not acknowledging valid cases of discrimination against Christians
• We were approached by the Canadian Human Rights Museum and were asked to appear at their round table sessions which we did. During those sessions we detailed various cases of discrimination against Christians and also spoke against the liberal agenda that motivates the museum such as their desire to promote abortion, along with extreme feminism, to promote the marginalization of Christians and of traditional roles of men and women, to promote an altered view of Canadian history through a slanted liberal viewpoint, etc
• We have been involved in providing Christian counsel to troubled couples with a goal and a focus to reground them in Christ and to promote Biblical living in their marriage and conduct to one another
• We have also been heavily involved in ministering to youth with the truths from scripture, both reaching them in their time of need with love and sharing the living word with them to help bring them into right relationship with Christ
• We acted in concert with other Christians to spearhead and organize and run the March for Jesus which thousands of people enjoyed this year
  • We spent several months of dedicated time both promoting the march through various venues and organizing and co-coordinating many aspects of the march
  • We also promoted the march through many personal visits to churches with banners and handouts and had many one-on-one conversations about what the March for Jesus was meant to be (uniting the body of Christ in proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ over our city, province and our nation, united by the Holy Spirit and a sincere love for one another
  • CCC also created several resources for the March for Jesus including:
    • creating a dedicated March for Jesus website (www.marchforjesus.ca)
    • designing posters, T-shirts, graphics, balloons, social networking pages (facebook, twitter, linkedin, myspace, etc) used for promoting the march
  • CCC attended YC in Edmonton to both promote the March for Jesus and to minister to youth
• Our National Chairman also recently spoke directly with Prime Minister Stephen Harper regarding defunding abortion support abroad and congratulated the PM on his move to, for the first time in thirty years, opt for supporting the unborn child's right to life
• CCC has been able to get our food for families program off the ground this year and has begun to provide fresh garden vegetables to low income families
• CCC has also been successfully running its CCAMS project which locates and distributes resources to those in need, for the second year in a row
• CCC has spearheaded a program geared at mentoring youth in impacting politics with their Christian worldview and is looking at launching a website dedicated to connecting with Canadian youth over the Internet and giving them an outlet for both their creativity and their ideas relating to moral issues
• CCC has been involved in standing in the way of unjust laws in the form of appearing before committees and speaking in favor of the protection of our rights to freedom of religion, expression, and freedom of association
• CCC is also working on a working farm proposal which we will release to our website when it has been fully put together

As you can see this past year has been a very busy one and we are looking forward to increasing our reach as time goes forward. If you have supported us prayerfully in the past, please keep praying for us, your prayers are truly appreciated. If not, please consider adding us to your prayer sheet. If you have helped us financially in the past, you truly have helped us in our effort to fulfill our slogan of Praying, Acting, Making a Difference! Although our faith is in God to provide, He uses people like yourself to pay the bills that keep rolling in. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving.

If you have not supported us financially in the past, please know that your support would truly be appreciated. We have many commitments to fulfill financially, and many campaigns and programs that we desire to not only keep running but to keep improving on, and that requires funds.

For example, we would like to put together a full system for running the CCAMS project online that would allow the streamlining of locating and tracking resources and people who need them and co-coordinating volunteers in the process of fulfilling those needs.

We would also like to get that website for Christian Youth (youngchristians.ca) up and running to mentor youth in being politically active and to give them an outlet for their creativity as mentioned before.

There are also some campaigns that we would like to run across the country, including pro-life and homelessness and poverty.

As stated before, our desire is to broaden our reach and to fulfill the mandate of Christ, to preach the gospel to all creation and to be salt and light in all the world.

To donate to CCC, you can either sign up for an annual membership here or you can fill in the Contribute to CCC donation panel on the left near the top of the page and click PayPal donate.

Either way, there are some immediate needs that your funds would help us fulfill.

God bless you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Sincerely,

Jim Blake

National Chairman
Concerned Christians Canada

Praying, Acting, Making a Difference!

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I posted this on my facebook page on Friday and thought you might be interested in the exchange that took place afterward. Many people are under the belief that they cannot make a difference. I tell you that we can. Our slogan is our commitment and we are doing it. We are Praying, Acting and Making a Difference and so can you.

I appeared as a panellist and spoke on the issue of Christians in government. The interview involved University of Calgary Nature of Religion Professor Irving Hexham, the author of ‘The Armageddon Factor’ Marci McDonald and myself, Jim Blake National Chairman of Concerned Christians Canada. You can view the interview h...ere: http://www.concernedchristians.ca/videos/77-government/184-the-armageddon-factor

Jim Blake Jesus - Matthew 5:13-16 - "¹³You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a ... See morebowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

It's true that we are not to see our salvation through politics or politicians, but the political scene including law making has been damaged badly because Christians have taken the attitude that they cannot make a difference with politics, and have therefor "left the building". It is simply not true. I can attest to it myself. There are Christians influencing politics across our nation, but not enough.

You don't have to be elected to make a difference, you don't have to go into politics full time to make a difference, but you need to speak into the political realm in some way or another.

Here are just some ways you can influence politics:

• Letter writing to politicians on issues important to you (believe me they read the letters if you are polite and passionate and your ideas are well founded and backed up by facts)
• Letters to the Editor - again be polite and passionate and make sure your ideas are well founded and backed up by facts
• Getting involved with political parties and attend policy votes at general membership meetings. These usually happen once or twice a year. Take the time to get involved believe me the enemy's camp is
• Sign petitions on issues important to you
• Attend peaceful protests and rallies (numbers matter at these events - the more that attend the more the media and politicians see that people are concerned, no matter how the media reports)
• Speak to people through social networks on social issues from a Biblical perspective.
• Join organizations such as Concerned Christians Canada (http://www.concernedchristians.ca/) to get involved in political campaigns and awareness campaigns. There are many ways to help with these campaigns and not all ways are through public speaking there are many roles that merely support the initiative (office workers, organizers, financial advising, building signs and other things). Call and ask how you can help. 403-690-4636

Both Jesus and the apostles spoke into the political realm and they are our example. Jesus said we must not lose our saltiness, but that we are to flavor the earth.

It's about engaging all of your spheres of influence with the image and words of Christ and the Bible. When we do that we can effect consistent and dramatic change through the course of our lives.

In Eph 6:10-14 it states - "¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore"

We are to be strong and powerful in Christ, we are to walk in this world with the armor of God, we are to fight the principalities and powers and rulers of this dark age. Our weapons of warfare are not mild, they are spiritual and have natural impact, yes one weapon (our first weapon) is prayer, but that equips and prepares and empowers for battle, it does not replace the battle in the natural.

There is a war for souls being waged in all realms. Your primary call may not be politics, but as a citizen of a nation, and if you are of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light), you are a dignitary of the King and a spiritual leader proclaiming the word of God with power over the nation and over your local spheres of influence.

Do not be deceived, the enemy wants you to believe you are powerless. You are not. He wants to minimize your impact and keep you tied up in a tiny little corner so that if He can't destroy you, at least he can shut you up and shut you down.

Don't let Him. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus Romans 8:37 - "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

We are to be bold and courageous and we are to stand until the end. Let us never allow Satan and his minions to confine our realm of influence to one or two areas, but to be faithful watchmen, scanning the horizon for opportunities to reclaim ground for the Kingdom.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!

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Over the years, Street Church has been through a lot. Think about it; over eighty summons and tickets, officers storming church services, up to thirty in number, the lead pastor, Artur Pawlowski, stood before a judge over thirty-five times, having a warrant for his arrest five times (each time turning himself in), arrested twice, personal visits of authorities to his home, confiscation of Bibles and Christian DVDs during church services, physical attacks of officers on volunteers, intimidation tactics – photographs taken of volunteers and their vehicles and license plates.

Trial after trial, at times from an outside observers perspective it looked crazy, because it was. But, now I can proudly say, as a man who has stood beside this ministry through the years observing all that went on, the battle was worth it. The ministry has now seen breakthrough after breakthrough, not only in what they do as a ministry serving over 150,000 meals per year with the great provision of the Lord, proving His words, that when you give to the poor you lend to God and that you cannot out give Him, but in the courts in defending the rights of Christians. Week after week, I hear reports of salvations and healings coming from the ministry. It's great to see that, although the trials have been great and the courts have been a challenge and, I'm sure, at times, overwhelming, that the ministry and its' volunteers have stayed true to the original vision to preach the gospel and to lift the name of Jesus Christ for all to see and hear. Four times a week, when you drive past City Hall, what do you see? A big banner, "Jesus is King", and the Ten Commandments underneath, with a statement in red, "Jesus died for you" along with the words, "restoring Canada's heritage".

At the gates of the City, our old City Hall, there is the prominent fixture of the old rugged cross, and on both sides of the steps leading up to the building there are two large flags; one that says, "God Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Way to Heaven" and the second, the Canada flag, which proves what the ministry has always proclaimed, that they want Canada to be a nation under the One Living God and for Him to have Dominion from sea to sea. At first, when you see all of it, the line-ups and the poor, sometimes totalling hundreds, you are absolutely shocked, and you ask yourself, "What is this?" It is such an abnormal sight that it catches the eye of all who pass by, from those on the C-Train, to cars driving by, to pedestrians, to people entering and leaving City Hall. People cannot help but see the name above all names, Jesus Christ, to the great joy of the Street Church team. Of course, that's the reason they are there, with songs of praise, worship, preaching and prayer being the focus, and providing food and clothing as a manifestation of God's love to the brokenhearted.

For years, the ministry members were thrown out of the churches, being labelled as law breakers and trouble makers by even those within the church community. The cries for help and support from the ministry to the broader community of Christ went more or less unheard. The ministry was trying to tell people that unjust acts were being committed against them and that the police and bylaw officers were overstepping their authority and that there was an agenda being forwarded with a goal to shut down the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were told, by many in the body of Christ, to shut up and go home, that they should stop stirring up a hornet's nest and that they should merely submit to the ungodly and unconstitutional demands of the authorities.

All this is turning around. The first arrest of Artur Pawlowski has left him vindicated with the charges for publicly reading from a Bible being dropped. The arresting officer was charged for writing false statements in official documents. In 2009, the provincial court Judge A. A. Fradsham, was presented with the facts of the case, not corrupted by public opinion, the media or politics. After reviewing the evidence and testimony of all the witnesses, the judge in a 91 page ruling found that the City and its officers, both police and bylaws, had abused their powers over the ministry and its pastor, and that many of the bylaws that were used to fine the ministry were found to be unconstitutional and he indicated that they were of no force and effect. Just after this judgement, both the provincial and federal attorney generals withdrew all of their charges against the ministry, leaving the City and its bureaucrats to fight the ministry alone. Today, April 21, 2010 the crown prosecutor for the City of Calgary officially withdrew all remaining charges against Street Church Ministries and all volunteers.

Recently, Pawlowski was told that the Crown is withdrawing all charges relating to the second arrest. The current trial, regarding "illegally" feeding the homeless and "illegally" gathering a crowd is going very well and there is a great deal of optimism regarding its outcome. The ministry has also seen victories with politicians and bureaucrats, being able to meet one-on-one with MPs, Aldermen, and also to speak with different officials such as Prime Minister Harper and with Premier Stelmach, with a message that is consistent, to challenge them to stand for righteousness and justice.

All in all, the ministry is continuing to fight. I have seen how very difficult it has been, and it's far from over. Despite the victories, just a few months ago the ministry lost its' charitable status and for what? For preaching the truth from the word of God, they received a letter from CRA saying that, "members of the board of the directors espouse strong negative views about sensitive and controversial issues, which may also be viewed as political, such as abortion, homosexuality, divorce, etc". Also, CRA, in a sense, criticized the ministry for defending their rights through public protests, through court battles and through articles on the Street Church website. All of this is being done to a ministry that feeds all who come, including homosexuals, divorcees, those who have had abortions, and anyone else who comes to receive, with the understanding that all have a right to the basic necessities of life and to hear of the loving God that provided the way of salvation.

A person has to ask himself, why the waste? Why spend, what we are now told, is over two million dollars, of taxpayers' money, your money, attacking a ministry that does so much good in the service of the downtrodden and the brokenhearted? I guess we can see clearly what Jesus meant when He said, they hated me, how much more will they hate you because of Me.

In view of all of this Pastor Pawlowski says, "God made us as conquerors with the assurance of victory. He never said it was going to be easy, but He guarantees that all of His promises are available to those who will stand for Jesus' Kingdom and His righteousness. That's why we win, it's His justice we preach, it's His laws that we declare, he simply confirms them with salvations healings and great manifestations. If we as God's leaders and pastors, will not stand up against this clearly illegal, according to the Charter, behaviour, this insane evil political correctness will destroy this beautiful nation and its' children, the next generation. I'm telling you, history has shown us this. Now it's up to you and me to push back. We are winning just as it says in the scripture - 1 Chronicles 16:21-23 (NKJV) 21 He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, 'Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.' It's very simple, if God is for us, who can be against us?"

I would like all to know, that I commend the efforts of Street Church and have been honoured to walk along side their ministry, defending them to naysayers, as they continue to minister to those who willingly come to be served and blessed with the love and truth of God.

Jim Blake

National Chairman
Concerned Christians Canada
www.concernedchristians.ca

403-690-4636

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by Jim Blake

Before I share my thoughts on chapter one of Servolution, let me just say that prior to us receiving the book or even finding out about it, God had already given me a vision for something very similar, in fact in many ways identical to what is being described in this great book. So, when I received a copy of the book it was an incredible confirmation that God was moving, and that we were hearing Him speak and following His lead. Having said that, lets get into the impressions that I had while reading this chapter.

To start with, I like Dino’s emphasis on ensuring that our “Servolution” has a clear mission that everyone believes in. This is crucial in projects where volunteers are concerned, people need to know what they are getting involved in from the get go and need to get a sense for whether or not they can buy into the concept. As the Bible says in Proverbs 29:18 MKJV “Where there is no vision, the people perish”, so is the destiny for projects which lack a clear and concise vision. In relating a Servolution to the Boston Tea Party, Dino explained that revolutions have far reaching implications and that the motives and methods are of critical importance. He also explains that a Servolution is a revolution based on, and operates with, compassion and love, with a goal to service and answer the cries of the poor, the hurting, and the

forgotten. How true, Christ came to heal and to lighten the load of those that would come to Him and He especially focused on these groups. He also commanded us to go out. In order to go out, we must leave the comfort of our pews and the four walls that surround them and reach out to the lost and dying world around us, and we need to pray for the fire and the perseverance to carry it through person by person, need by need, and situation by situation.

In the book of James we clearly see that faith without works is dead. Yes, we are not saved by works (our works, being as filthy rags, would never do the job), but true believers will have works of righteousness that emanate from their faith and an active relationship with Christ. They won’t be boasting in their works, but boasting in Christ, and giving glory to God, and by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony they shall overcome the enemy’s grip on the lost. We must remember that as we take on any kind of “Servolution” project, that we are called to live our lives in such a way that people will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (not us), and Dino fleshes that out more as the book progresses.

Dino goes on to talk about how the focus in their Servolution is to initiate change, by bringing healing to a hurting world (amen – full healing only comes through Christ) and by loving people to Christ. He further shares that it involves initiating change through simple acts of kindness for the glory of God, which becomes a church revolution through serving. The change will impact us deeply and profoundly and will do the same for those we serve. The emphasis is to serve one person at a time. This is of utmost importance, the Servolution itself can never be the emphasis, but the people being ministered to must be the focus and there must be a desire to address needs and share Christ in a hand in glove relationship, or the risk is that the Servolution will be nothing more than a secular humanitarian effort with the word “church” attached.

I appreciated Osteen’s move to thrust the author and his wife into action by giving them a do or die donation (start a church or be arrested for theft). There was enough humour to lighten the moment but enough edge to push them into what God had in store for them. I sincerely hope that there are many leaders such as Mr. Osteen who are encouraging others to get out and fulfil the call on their lives to reach the lost with the love and truth of Christ.

It was good to see that as with every ministry I have seen, the founders of the ministry went through discouragement that they had to push through. This training ground of disappointment strengthens our metal and prepares us for some of the hard work that lies ahead. Whenever I go through this kind of struggle, I remember the words of James as can be read in James 1:2-8 MKJV – “My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, (3) knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. (5) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him. (6) But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For do not let that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, not dependable in all his ways.” What a great temptation startup struggles are, they represent the temptation to quit, to throw in the towel and to forget about it. The fact that Dino has included this in the starting chapter should be a wake up call to all of us embarking on a Servolution type of ministry, to be prepared for the rough stuff and to push through, and to not despise that which may seem small, to start with, but to have faith and work with God, and see what He will do through us.

I was also pleased to see that the ministry team was interested in serving those who were not already being served, the very ones that nobody else found important enough to serve. There is often very little glitz, glamour, or reward in this kind of work, but it is truly the work that is in the service of the Lord. It is often thankless, can be frustrating, and requires character to follow it through. Fantastic – all for Jesus, I surrender, I surrender all!

Dino and his team, early on in their ministry, dug into the service of widows, which is a call of scripture that many ministries overlook. As we see in James 1:27 MKJV – “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Dino illustrates that when we exercise the commands of scripture, the fruit starts to surface, the response to serving the widows was church growth. The book of Acts church experienced rapid growth, and the reason many churches are stagnating today is because they do not do what scripture tells them to do. If they would, they would see results similar to what was happening in Acts 2:44-47 MKJV – “And all who believed were together and had all things common. (45) And they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. (46) And continuing with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Healing Place Church had the right attitude and vision in initiating their Servolution and Dino explains that, that attitude was “whatever, whenever”. Their heart was for service no matter what the cost. They demonstrated self sacrifice, commitment, and resourcefulness. They demonstrated compassion and addressed needs which, when coupled with sharing Christ, wins souls. (Proverbs 11:30 ASV The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls)

Single moms became another focal point, which makes sense since there is often so much lack and hurt and need for healing with single moms. I was pleased to see that the common theme between all of the groups they served was to see a need and then to fill it. Servolution did not become a believers only club, nor did it become a lost souls only club, but focused on serving the needs within the body of Christ and then pouring out the overflow into the surrounding community.

There was a great illustration in the chapter of a man who was married by Healing Place Church who later came to share his struggles and to seek answers of a spiritual nature from Dino. This demonstrates that if we are not just “nice people” doing “good things” but we also are sharers of truth, that God will send us people seeking answers. Then of course we need to follow the instruction of 1 Peter 3:15 MKJV - “but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you, with meekness and fear.” If we do this, God will use us to reach people and to bring them to Him.

When it comes to receiving people in the church, hospitality is king. Their community meal offering was a great way to demonstrate a willingness to offer something with no strings attached, while at the same time offering another opportunity to give individual and personal attention to all who came. This is where some churches fall down, on the follow through. Getting people through the doors is only part of the battle, the other part is showing them the love of Christ in a real and tangible way, welcoming them and using the time together as an opportunity to share truth.

Out of the entire chapter, I really only had one part I would have reworded. It was with reference to the way that Dino was describing the people that the Servolution would serve. He made a couple of comments such as, ‘God will bless those who bless “His people”‘ and ‘Pray, Ask God to open your eyes to the needs all around you and to help you to see “His people” the way He sees them.’ Since the Servolution was not just geared toward seeing the needs within the body of Christ but also in serving the needs of non-believers, this should be reworded. “His people” are those who recognize Him as Lord and follow His commandments. Those who are not believers, do not fall into this category.

For example, Jesus said in Luke 6:46 MKJV – “And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” and in John 14:23-24 MKJV – “Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (24) He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” and in John 8:39-44 MKJV – “They answered and said to Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus answered them, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. (40) But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth which I have heard beside God; this Abraham did not do. (41) You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to Him, We are not born of fornication; we have one father, even God. (42) Jesus said to them, If God were your father, you would love Me, for I went forth and came from God; for I did not come of Myself, but He sent Me. (43) Why do you not know My speech? Because you cannot hear My Word. (44) You are of the Devil as father, and the lusts of your father you will do.”

Overall, I felt that chapter one sets up the vision of Servolution very well and wets your appetite for the digging in that comes later on in the book. I truly enjoyed the way that Dino relates his experiences and the vision that God gave him in the form of Servolution. I truly recommend Servolution as a must read for anyone serious about following our Lord’s commandment to preach the good news to all creation. Winning souls needs to be primary in every church, and a Servolution is a great way to do it.

About the Contributor:

Jim Blake is the National Chairman of Concerned Christians Canada, he is a husband of one wife and a father of five children.  Mr. Blake has been a guest speaker at church events has been involved in pastoral conferences, has been a presenter at political events involving both Christians and non-Christians and has advocated for the rights of individuals who have been persecuted for sharing their faith.  Mr. Blake has been a spokesman for Christian values in the secular media and on Christian Radio and TV.  He has also been in talks with leaders from Church and Parachurch organizations and has had one-on-one meetings with high ranking politicians.  Praise be to God for the doors that He opened for CCC and for Mr. Blake.  To learn about Concerned Christians Canada, feel free to visit www.concernedchristians.ca.

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Revelation 22:12-21 NASB

¹²"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

¹³"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

¹⁴Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

¹⁵Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

¹⁶"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

¹⁸I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

¹⁹and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

²⁰He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly " Amen Come, Lord Jesus.

²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

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As a husband of one wife and father of 5 married since 1994, and together since 1991, and having had many conversations with people successfully in marriage for up to 50 years, you can get a sense that I have some credibility in laying out the following set of tips.  It is by no means exhaustive, but if you will follow it, you are well on your way to marital success.

Step 1 - Don't have sex with people you are not married to

Step 2 - Take your time and don't get married because he/she is cute... but because the person is a person with virtue and moral character and because they truly want to commit their life to a loving partnership with you

Step 3 - Make sure that you are not deceiving yourself to "be happy"

Step 4 - Make sure you understand it is for life through sickness and health, through poverty and riches, through bad times and good, till death do you part

Step 5 - Pray to see if this is truly God's will (consider fasting while praying - it builds character and can help you focus more on the answer from God)

Step 6 - If all of the above are in place... be patient... spend personal time together getting to know each other emotionally and intellectually (not sexually or physically that clouds the mind). Discuss goals, ambitions, what you are willing to sacrifice in order to have a loving and healthy family, understand the responsibilities involved, and the aspect of being self-sacrificing for others

Step 7 - Be sure you are making the right decision and that the person you are thinking of being with is truly the one - listen to wise Godly council even if you don't like what they are saying - pray - Step 8 - if everything above checks out set the date, remain pure and chaste until the day you are married - the time waiting will demonstrate character and will build anticipation and enhance the honeymoon

Step 8 - (Don't skip any of the previous steps) Get married understanding that there is no out and that you are committed to making this marriage work no matter what it takes. Recognize that marriage is not, as some say, 50/50, it is 100/100. That way when one is weak the other one can pick the other up and vice versa.

Step 9 - Pray, Communicate, pray, communicate, pray, communicate, repeat until one of you is no longer alive.  Love, honour, obey, cherish, build up, encourage, respect, enjoy, truly LIVE... no matter what level of income you have, don't fight over money (it kills marriages).

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I would like to encourage you to invite friends and relatives to get involved with CCC. As you may or may not know, Concerned Christians Canada has a slogan - Praying, Acting and Making a Difference! That is our focus in everything we do. Making a difference involves people.  In God's sovereign will, and through His divine providence, God gave us an opportunity to be part of the harvest of souls.  

Please be aware that this is a time, in the Spirit, of great activity. The powers of darkness are not asleep and this is a time for men to get on their face before God, to pour out, to the Lord, confessions, to walk in a spirit of repentance, and to ask that God would use them for His glory, that God would manifest His power through them.

Are you one of these people? Do you want to be used by God? Do you want to be great in the kingdom? Jesus says "Be the servant to all". Seek the heart of God on how you can be the salt and the light in the world, in which God has placed you. Ask for his vision and then share what you feel God shows you with others in our group.

Pray that God will bring many more who thirst after righteousness, for His name sake, to join us for a great move of God in these last days. We don't know how much longer the Lord will tarry but we know that there are more signs and closer together. Clearly time is short and we must be intentional in our actions. We must set aside the lusts of the flesh and the foolishness of youth, we must be sober minded and focused on fulfilling His will for our lives.

When we pray that the God of the harvest will send workers into the field, that is white and ready to harvest, our accompanying prayer must be here am I, Lord, send me! Are you willing, to make a difference? Are you willing to be salt and light? Are you willing to live your life in such a way as that when others see your good works that they Glorify your Father in heaven instead of you?

If so, start praying, start encouraging others to join us in what the Lord is doing. Do not be a spectator, there is no credit to you if you walk with the crowd that is on the straight and narrow path. In the end, the wheat will be separated from the chaff, the chaff will be gathered and thrown into the fire, and those that do not bear fruit will be cut off as a branch to wither and die and later to be thrown into the fire to be burned.

God wants none to perish but all to come to repentance, and He says that no eye has seen nor ear has heard the things that he has in store for those that truly love him. Jesus said, you love me if you follow my commandments. He has commanded us to go out into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. We must repent, seek holiness, purity, honour, and God's glory. We also need to preach, teach, admonish, rebuke, edify, exhort and through it all share the love, grace and truth of God with all we serve.

If you truly love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and desire to love your neighbour as yourself. Join us in Making a Difference for time and for eternity.

How you can help:
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- Pray that God will help us to be in one accord and that He would help us always to keep Him and His word central in all that we do
- Get the word out to others and invite them to join us, who are serious about making a difference
- Start discussions in our LinkedIn group on ministry ideas and techniques
- Create focused action plans for meeting the needs of a specific group of needy people, and include ways of sharing the truth of the gospel with them while demonstrating the love of God with them
- Please also bare in mind that CCC is supported only by people becoming members of our organization or by donation.  We are not financially supported by government or any church or parachurch organization

You are important, necessary, and special in the eyes of God, get on your face before the Lord in a spirit of humility and cry out for His mercy on you and on us all as we seek to serve Him, and others, in a spirit of meekness, peace, love and joy. Pray that God will strengthen and equip us for every good work that He has in store for us, and pray that God will use us to meet needs and to reach souls for His kingdom.

May God bless you as you seek to serve Him,

Jim Blake
National Chairman
Concerned Christians Canada

Praying, Acting, Making a Difference!

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I received the following comment on why a brother decided not to join us in the fight for righteousness:

On 08/13/09 10:14 AM, he wrote:
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hey bro,

Would love to join your group, but the blurb about influencing policy making is a show stopper for me. I'm a non profit and we're not allowed to participate in such things. It's a bummer, but being non profit is the largest asset we have and that allows us to influence for Christ (Read: stay in biz).

...

My response,

Concerned Christians Canada is not a non-profit for a reason.  We would never want to tie our hands on being salt and light in the world.  To whom much is given much is required.  We are given a voice and a place of influence for a reason.  If we must be silent in order to receive funds, we will forge ahead in firm faith in the Lord, penny less if need be, but compromise is no option.  I have thought long and hard over the years when we have had little or no support financially, about whether or not non-profit is the answer.  The conclusion I came to is "No, God is the answer".  He will equip us and furnish us for every good work, He wants us to do, which He always manages to do, and in the end it is Him who always receives the glory, because He miraculously provides for the work He asks us to do.  If Christians will not support us, then God will make a way, another way, if it is His will for us to continue.  

Tax status will not be around for much longer for organizations that desire to speak the truth of Christ, already I have been told about organizations who have lost their tax status for teaching that Christ Jesus is the only way.  I am sorry if what I am saying offends you, this is not my intent.  Rick, before long the only choice will be to shut up and not preach the truth, or to lose your tax status altogether.  Even churches will face this sad truth.  Then the time will come that you will have to take the mark in order to keep receiving donations.  One compromise will come, after another.  

I invite you to come, to join our discussions and be a part of blazing a trail for the Lord.  Let God worry about whether or not you will have tax status.  He is your provider, not men.  We welcome you and ask you to step out in faith, but of course it is completely up to you.  I don't think discussions will jeopardize your status anyway, and you may have some very helpful and insightful things to share that others need to hear, and perhaps you would be the missing piece in the puzzle.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  May the Lord bless you and keep you until we speak again.

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