November 2021
FINDING HOPE TOGETHER
“God created us from the beginning as social creatures, yet we are lonelier than ever before.” A pastor and good friend opened his heart. “We live in a world with so much suffering, and since my church serves hundreds of hurting people in our community, we see firsthand the results of the brokenness. The COVID pandemic has only made things worse, taking its toll in poverty, homelessness, and mental health.”
His reflections made me want to do something. “How can we at It Is Written Canada work with you and other pastors to help people experience God in a tangible way?”
“So much of our brokenness comes from the inconsistency between our inner and outer worlds, so there is a critical need to be honest with God, with ourselves, and with others. Part of my healing journey came through coming to realize that I needed to remove ‘the disguise’ especially at church and be myself.”
“Was that difficult?”
“Yes, it was; however, with God’s help, restoration happened for me when I openly acknowledged my brokenness and allowed God in to see who I was, and not what I thought I should be.”
“How did that transform your church?”
“When I began to see what God was doing in my life, I witnessed the power and potential of what an honest and safe church gathering could be. God spoke to us when I, as their pastor, started sharing my own struggles, and then my members felt comfortable to do the same, praying for one another and connecting throughout the week. From there, it grew to where we couldn’t help reaching into our community.”
That conversation led to our team at It Is Written Canada working with pastors from growing Seventh-day Adventist churches in Ontario to facilitate an evangelistic series with a difference: “Finding Hope Together.” These pastors were willing to vulnerably share personal struggles and what it looks like to practically journey with God and support one another along the way.
Eight pastors—men and women, spiritual leaders—had the courage to be exposed: talking about their battles with betrayal, addiction, depression, divorce, death, sexual sin, lost friendships, fear, forgiveness, failure, and finding restoration.
This is a series of meetings where you can safely set out on a quest, listening, taking notes, and exploring your own heart and your own walk with Jesus, finding support within a sensitive fellowship of believers who are perusing the same path.
René and I have been tremendously blessed by each one of these stories, and we know that you will be deeply touched too as you listen to these pastors share from their hearts.
On our own we experienced pain, uncertainty, and loss, but together we can find hope, healing, and restoration.
Jesus was possessed of one single-minded purpose: He lived to bless others. He healed, restored, reconciled, ransomed, and found lost people.
You are one of those people.
We are all part of those people.
And we want to journey alongside you so that we can find hope together.
~ Mike Lemon
Upcoming Episodes
November 6: Joyfully Living on Purpose
Bob and Christina Martin, immigrants to Canada from Bulgaria, found their purpose in helping others by starting an online radio ministry in the basement of their church, despite the fact that they knew nothing about how to set up an online radio station, and they could hardly speak English at the time. Find out why and how they were able to start this online ministry, which is now followed by thousands of people around the world.
November 13: Love at Home
Often when we look back on our lives we see a chain of circumstances where one decision led to the next and the next, and we realize that each decision led us to where we are today. And especially if we have dedicated our lives to the LORD, we see a magnificent mosaic of colourful events, which may not always be easy, but when we see God’s hand in it, we would have it no other way. This was certainly true for Paul and Raquel Antunes.
November 20: Seeing God’s Hand in Their Lives
In this episode, you will meet Clay and Sarah Weppler and hear how they had their eyes opened to see God’s hand working in their lives.
November 27: The EPIC Dream – Part 1
Ruben Dias and Mischa Gelb shared an epic dream, a passion for flying helicopters, and they united their interests, launching the EPIC (Empowering People & Inspiring Change) Global Heli Tour, which would carry them over sixty thousand kilometers, with one hundred and seven stops, traversing at least forty-five countries on five different continents.
Prayer in Action
We would also like to pray for you, so please send us your personal prayer requests, and we will add you to our prayer list here at It Is Written Canada.
THIS MONTH’S FREE OFFER – Jesus the Miracle Worker: What Kind of Power is This? by Ray Markham
The miracles of Jesus demonstrate the Kingdom of God in action. They give us a sneak peek into what the Kingdom of God will be like when it is revealed in all its fullness. Under the four headings – power over nature, power over illness, power over evil, power over death.
Ray Markham looks at Jesus’ miracles and provides us with fresh insights until our faith is leaping out to grasp the Saviour.
PANDEMIC BUSTERS – A PREPPER’S HANDBOOK
This life-saving handbook, written by Dr. Eddie Ramierez and Cari Haus, is filled with simple home remedies that are easy to follow.
This book is not about vaccines, masks, supplements, social distancing or quarantines; it is a must-have in your home, focusing on implementing key strategies that will build your personal immune system.
To get your copy, click here
OR call: 905-404-6510
SQUASH HUMMUS
Ingredients:
● 1 can of chickpeas
● 3 garlic cloves
● 1 cup cooked pureed squash
● 2 tsp. lime juice
● 1 tsp. green curry paste
● 1/2 tsp. salt
● 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
● 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions:
● Place all ingredients in a food processor and purée.
● Garnish with chopped cranberries and parsley.
● Enjoy as a dip with your chips and veggies or as a spread on your favourite bread or as a sauce for pasta and salads.