City of Refuge Awareness

City of Refuge is a Christian community whose purpose is to live the gospel out everyday in a practical way.

P.O. Box 127777

San Diego, CA 92112
sdcore@cox.net

www.cityofrefugesandiego.net

http://www.facebook.com/cityofrefugesandiego

Ministry is the expression of Life

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (John 5:39 ESV)

Ministry is the expression of Life, and not the taking on of a uniform and a title. Once I thought that to be in the ministry was to go into a certain kind of work, to come out of business, and, well, be a minister! So one got into the thing. Many, many are laboring and toiling in it, breaking their hearts, afraid to leave that order of things, lest they should be violating what they conceived to be a Divine call. Many others cannot get out of it because it is a means of livelihood, and they too are breaking their hearts. It is all false. Ministry is not a system like that. Ministry is the expression of Life, and that is but saying in other words that it is the outworking of the indwelling of Christ. Disaster lies before the man or woman who ministers on any other ground than that. When the Lord gets a chance in us, and we really will trust Him on that ground and take our position there, He will show us that there is ministry enough for us; we shall not have to go round looking for it. The real labor so often is to get us down to that ground, the delivering of us from this present evil age even in its conception of the ministry, unto the heavenly ministry.

The Lord Jesus is our pattern. You see the spontaneous ministry, the restful ministry of that Heavenly Man. I covet that! It does not mean that we shall become careless, but it does deliver us from so much unnecessary strain. That is how it should be. May the Lord bring us to it; the heavenly Man with the heavenly Life as the full heavenly Resource.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: All Things in Christ - Chapter 7

Book Review: Gray Matter by David Levy, MD

Finished GRAY MATTER by David Levy, MD a few days ago.  This is my first book to review for TYNDALE, and was selected because I had exactly two titles to choose from (Tyndale requires it’s blogger/reviewers to work their way up in the program).  I do not recall the other book I might have chosen, but since this one appeared to orbit around prayer, I gave it the nod.  Or click, I should say.
The sub-title is “A NEUROSURGEON DISCOVERS THE POWER OF PRAYER…ONE PATIENT AT A TIME.” The author, Dr. David Levy is a Jewish-born neurosurgeon who is also a Christian.  Given the gravity of his work and the situations he and his patients face daily, Dr. Levy finds himself convicted to pray with his patients before his surgeries.  This book is the first-person account of his experiences introducing prayer to his practice, and sharing it’s results for himself and his patients.
This is a fantastic book. Very readable, I found it difficult to put down.  Levy shares incredible stories which give us some insight as to what it’s like to be a neurosurgeon, and tells stories we can both relate to and be encouraged by as believers who sometimes struggle to elevate prayer to the level in our lives in deserves.  It is truly incredible the effect prayer has had on his life and career, and the lives of his patients.  He shares how he has seen a brief prayer before a procedure literally changes lives.  Read this book, you’ll not regret it.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Hear Dr. Levy speak last Sunday, March 6^th, at Ethnos Community Church, you don't want to miss it - check it out here.  It was a powerful message based in some very real and powerful stories.  Wow.  Share it with your friends too, if you can.

World’s Oldest Traveling Minister Credits Faith for Good Health, Longevity

Posted on March 4, 2011

World's Oldest Traveling Minister: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Traveling ministries may seem a thing of the past, but not for Otis Clark.

Bishop Otis Clark has been preaching all over the world for the past 89 years, MyFoxHouston reports.

He continued his lifelong craft and spoke at a public gathering in Houston Tuesday night.

Continue Reading on www.foxnews.com

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP WEEKLY

A newsletter from the editors of Leadership Journal
Thursday, March 03, 2011

Hello Friends,

Certain sins are safe to confess at church.

Like being impatient. No problem—we'll pray for you. Or struggling with anger, or (my favorite safe sin) "perfectionism." Even some "bigger" sins get a pass. Someone struggling with alcoholic addiction is usually met with open arms.

Confess publicly to porn addiction, for instance, and reactions change. You might not get that same loving arm around your shoulder. In fact, it may feel like no one wants to touch you at all.

If you're a pastor battling porn addiction, the stigma multiplies. How could you ever confess that to members of your church?

That was exactly the position in which Darrell Brazell found himself. Ensnared by a porn habit that started in childhood, and terrified to confess his sin, Brazell withdrew from others and from God. Read about his painful story of addiction, isolation, and finally, redemption.

Also at LeadershipJournal.net:

• The Mar/Apr 2011 issue of Catalyst Leadership Digital is now online! The theme is conflict. In this issue you'll learn from Mark Driscoll, Ken Sande, Steve Mathewson and others about when to take over—and when to take cover.
  
  
• When Gordon MacDonald was in his early twenties, a friend mentioned that he'd met a woman he thought would make a "great wife" for MacDonald. Read about how this "casual conversation" changed the course of his life.
  
  
• Good things really do come in small churches. A smaller church context provides unique opportunities for spiritual growth, both for the congregation and for the pastor. Read a book review from Leadership's contributing editor, Brandon O'Brien on The Gifts of a Small Church.
  
  
• Check Out of Ur's video series about women in ministry. You'll watch clips from Rose Madrid-Swetman, Bill Kynes, and some guy called N.T. Wright. Watch the videos and join the conversation!
  

Grace, strength, and joy,




Marshall Shelley
Leadership editor in chief

Newsletter@LeadershipJournal.net

Dr. Os Guinness: "The Gospel and Secularism"