http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike Iron Sharpens Iron Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:45:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en When I hear or read stories about great missionaries of the past, the level of faith I see challenges me. People simply believed God for impossible things. Think of all the people that encouraged Henry Martyn to turn his back on a successful life of influence in England. Or the early ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/07/has-something-been-lost/ Answer: The local church. Last week I had a series of meetings with my fellow missions/local church connection people from across Canada. We met each day (and had a great lunch) at Levis Alliance church in Quebec City (actually it's Levis, directly across the St. Lawrence). Part way through, we had ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/06/where-will-the-next-batch-of-radical-leaders-come-from/ Looking back at General Assembly, I have to admit one of the highlights was the brief sharing times of things God was doing locally and internationally. One of them really shook me and some friends I was sitting with. It was the testimony from a young evangelist from a Muslim background and ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/05/why-did-you-wait-so-long/ In Aberdeen, South Dakota in the early 1950’s, the pastors decided together to invite an evangelist from Chicago, a singing group called the Cheye Trio, a bass singer named Joe Blinko, and a well-known pianist for a series of meetings. Not many people came. But a woman went forward one the first ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/04/this-gospel-can-change-the-world/ [caption id="attachment_220" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Joel Moriba Onivogui - Directeur de Mission EPEG"][/caption] Dashed were my idealistic hopes of blow-by-blow blogging during my recent March trip to Paris, Turkey and Guinea. But over the next weeks,  I hope to unpack and share the blessings I received throughout the 18 days of travel. The ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/04/just-like-me/ Are we about to have our least "regionally" influenced Assembly ever? General Assembly, a meeting of C&MA leaders in Canada, is normally held in one of our cities, alternating between eastern city (like Ottawa or Toronto) and western (like Calgary or Saskatoon). But this time, over 700 leaders will holding ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/03/a-bridge-over-the-bosphorous/ [caption id="attachment_204" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Plenary Session Urbana09"][/caption] It's been a long time coming, but I know that I need to provide a source for people interested in following ideas and messages that came from Urbana 09. Here are 4 themes that emerged as important for me: Empowered A trendy word in many ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2010/02/urbana-09-top-links-and-lessons/ So here in the middle of so many people, God grants me the joy of seeing Andy! Andy was on our very first youth/young adult "exploration" Fusion team to Mexico City. It was a largely a journey of prayer, and of hearing the stories of our International Workers. Lisa Clarke (and ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2009/12/urbana-day-2-and-3/ I am unbelievably privileged. I am surrounded by 20,000 young people who have gathered to study God's word and ask him to speak to them about how "The Word became Flesh", and how that relates to their lives. On a rainy Boxing Day evening, over a hundred young people from Eastern Canadian District ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2009/12/urbana-09-day-one/ Ezra 10 depicts a weeping priest, Ezra himself, pouring out his heart to God regarding the sins of the people. It gathered a group, and leaders were galvanized to respond. They realized they were living in disobediance to God. "We have been unfaithful to our God.....But in spite of this ... http://www.sea2sea.ca/mike/2009/12/provoked-2-prayer/