Hello Again Friends, I wanted to tell you a little bit about our work in Africa. How it got started what has been accomplished and how that fits into the context of being a bi vocational pastor.
In June 2002. Gates of Praise Ministries was just doing its thing. Ministering in down town Fall River, MA to the folks that were a part of our congregation and those that past by our open store front, in the evening we taught our seminary classes. One of our seminary students had a burden for children’s ministry and Africa, based on that we (my wife) arranged for our student to do both through a friend named Albert Saah.
All was good until two weeks before the trip when our student’s job cancelled her vacation. I told my wife Esther, “I am going,” she said, “you just started a new job, you have no vacation time and the ticket is not transferable.” The ticket was transferred, the vacation was granted and off to Africa I went. The only problem for Albert was that he had no idea what to do with me.
Thank God for Prayer. He prayed, God told him to call John Attipoe, (at 4 am) They prayed together. God told Attipoe to call Samuel Ayamba. Aymaba would make arrangements for a pastor conference. He would have been pessimistic but….
Six months earlier a prophet had said to Ayamba “God is going to bring a white man into your life within the next several months, you are to receive him, he will become a life long friend.” We are life long friends.
Still two weeks turns into one week fast. But God had started a work. I met with the Ashimain Ministry Association when I arrived. They rightly asked, “who are you, what are you doing here.” My response was that I was a colleague, a fellow pastor of a small church that I had gifting in preaching and teaching and a measure of the prophetic” They said “fine” “we will receive you”
The first day of the conference was shocking, 160 church leaders showed up. “We have spend several months preparing other conferences and have not had nearly as many leaders come.” “God was doing a work.
The conference teachings were built around ministers taking care of their families and appropriate use of church discipline. These were needed messages.
I also preached at several sites of Victory Bible College a few different churches and even rival services. It really was glorious. More than 5,000 people were ministered to during that week. I have never preached in front of more than 200 people in the states.
I leave again in Two Weeks, but before I move on I should tell you about the rain.
Because we had no clue as to what we were doing we went to African in the rainy season. But it did not rain. This was testimony itself to many who were attending to the work of God. God had been moving in Words of Knowledge all week. The most significant was the revealing of a woman who had been abandoned by her husband the year before. God accurately told the woman of the situation and how her willingness to reject bitterness had been a testimony to the young women of the congregation. I believed that the woman’s rejection of bitterness had protected her against cancer.
Pastor Ayamba could not have been more elated at what God was doing. For months he had ministered to this woman about rejecting bitterness. It was fun to witness. But back to the rain, Friday was going to be our last service. We had planned to minister to the sick on that night. On Thursday God told me to tell the congregation that it was going to rain on Friday and that we needed to pray tonight. He said this to me just as the service was closing. To my shame I missed it. I did not stop the service and pray for the sick. On Friday it rained, it flooded, we lost electricity. It is impossible for me to describe how much and how fast the rain came. Gutters that we 2 feet wide and three feet deep filled and overflowed in minutes, but God is good. In the evening it slowed. People came to church, we prayed for their physical infirmities and God did his work before our eyes. How great and mighty is He. It was a real lesson for me.
I hope to blog you more of the story of Africa before I leave. If you want to send me some money I would appreciate it. I will be using vacation time and I will not get paid at all from my substance abuse counseling job at all. The tickets have been paid by Faith Fellowship and Gates of Praise Fall River.
One last thing. When this testimony occurred I was so blessed. I knew God wanted me to go back. But I was only getting two weeks vacation a year. I prayed to God, I said Lord if you want me to do missions work around the world you have to give me four weeks vacation a year. Two weeks later the Board of Directors of Riverwood Mental Health met. They approved a motion to give all employees with more than two years employment four weeks vacation per year. That time has allowed me to make four other trips to Africa, including one with my wife, Esther and son David.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
God Jobs
Bi vocational pastors have to begin to see the jobs in the community as more than means of providing for their families. This requires trust, obedience, sometimes the sacrifice of security and comfort and the knowledge that a man plans his way but the Lord orders his steps.
In a previous blog I spoke to you about who my job at the Department of Social Services, lead to the establishment of Gates of Praise Ministries. With your indulgence I would like to continue the story.
For a social worker, DSS is a pretty good gig. Pension, dollar for dollar 401 k match, great tuition reimbursement, and a Monday – Friday day schedule. The job was rewarding and God was moving. Then God said time to Go!!! He used Matthew 10 repeatedly to draw me out of this position. I said to the Lord in prayer, “If you want me to leave you have to speak to my wife.” After 6 months he did. We were in agreement. I had some savings. We paid rent for 6 months in advance and trusted God. I went down to the church everyday, learned guitar and ministered to a steady stream of walk-in’s to our store front. People got saved and ministered to. It was fun.
We started a soup kitchen 3 days a week. Great food, great ministry, sanitary conditions, but clearly not up to code, but now we had a community ministering church. At the advice of a congregation member I went to work as a residential program manager at a local group home and the ministry continued during the day. We made the decision not to upgrade our rented storefronts kitchen. I have at times wondered if that was a mistake; but remember, we are writing from the perspective of “the Lord orders our steps.”
I began pray walking. As I was blessing the local Salvation Army one day the Lord said to me, “Your going to be part of the Salvation Army.” It was very clear. I did not know what to do with that word. Why would a Pentecostal pastor become part of the Salvation Army? Six months later, I picked up a Stop and Shop flier in the stores parking lot. I don’t know why I did that, but to my amazement it was advertising a Christian Social Worker position. Now that just does not happen in my part of the world. I had never seen it before, I have not seen it since. When I called the number they answered Salvation Army!!! I knew that was my job.
When I interviewed I told them about my prayer walk. I said, “You should hire me.” I was very bold; I knew God was involved in this job placement. They agreed but they said “We don’t understand why did it took you so long to apply.” I said, the advertisement was from this past weekends Stop and Shop flier, they said, “We never paid for a Stop and Shop ad, and in fact we stopped running our Ad two weeks ago.” I showed them dated flier. They new God was in it. The God Job paid $15,000 less a year than my DSS job had 18 months earlier. I stayed there two years and saw God do many great things.
Until Next Time God Bless, Don
In a previous blog I spoke to you about who my job at the Department of Social Services, lead to the establishment of Gates of Praise Ministries. With your indulgence I would like to continue the story.
For a social worker, DSS is a pretty good gig. Pension, dollar for dollar 401 k match, great tuition reimbursement, and a Monday – Friday day schedule. The job was rewarding and God was moving. Then God said time to Go!!! He used Matthew 10 repeatedly to draw me out of this position. I said to the Lord in prayer, “If you want me to leave you have to speak to my wife.” After 6 months he did. We were in agreement. I had some savings. We paid rent for 6 months in advance and trusted God. I went down to the church everyday, learned guitar and ministered to a steady stream of walk-in’s to our store front. People got saved and ministered to. It was fun.
We started a soup kitchen 3 days a week. Great food, great ministry, sanitary conditions, but clearly not up to code, but now we had a community ministering church. At the advice of a congregation member I went to work as a residential program manager at a local group home and the ministry continued during the day. We made the decision not to upgrade our rented storefronts kitchen. I have at times wondered if that was a mistake; but remember, we are writing from the perspective of “the Lord orders our steps.”
I began pray walking. As I was blessing the local Salvation Army one day the Lord said to me, “Your going to be part of the Salvation Army.” It was very clear. I did not know what to do with that word. Why would a Pentecostal pastor become part of the Salvation Army? Six months later, I picked up a Stop and Shop flier in the stores parking lot. I don’t know why I did that, but to my amazement it was advertising a Christian Social Worker position. Now that just does not happen in my part of the world. I had never seen it before, I have not seen it since. When I called the number they answered Salvation Army!!! I knew that was my job.
When I interviewed I told them about my prayer walk. I said, “You should hire me.” I was very bold; I knew God was involved in this job placement. They agreed but they said “We don’t understand why did it took you so long to apply.” I said, the advertisement was from this past weekends Stop and Shop flier, they said, “We never paid for a Stop and Shop ad, and in fact we stopped running our Ad two weeks ago.” I showed them dated flier. They new God was in it. The God Job paid $15,000 less a year than my DSS job had 18 months earlier. I stayed there two years and saw God do many great things.
Until Next Time God Bless, Don
Friday, October 23, 2009
Gazillionaire Bi Vocational Pastor
Why do you think you are in social work? What if you were in say, Goldman Sachs making gazillions, would you still be a bivocational pastor???
This was a question that was recently posted to the blog. That you very much for your comment. My answer is Absolutely. The church has to begin to see bi vocational work not just as a fall back position based on financial necessity but as a specific God ordained strategy for church planting and evangelism.
I call myself a social worker because I am a social worker. My training and education are in social work and ministry. Specifically I have a Bachelors Degree in Social Worker, a Masters in Management and Leadership, I am currently working on a PHD in Thelogy. I have a two year Biblical Studies Diploma from International Seminary.
My real education in Ministry has been in 18 years of practice as a church planter, pastor, and Bible Teacher. That is true in my Social Work career as well. My degree in Social Work has been valuable but 18 years of practice is what has made me a social worker. My Ministry and Social Work careers have served as perfect compliments to each other.
I believe they would serve as perfect compliments if I were making a Gazillion dollars at Goldman Sachs because God wants a witness in the Market Place.
Again thanks for your comment. I hope we can continue our conversation
This was a question that was recently posted to the blog. That you very much for your comment. My answer is Absolutely. The church has to begin to see bi vocational work not just as a fall back position based on financial necessity but as a specific God ordained strategy for church planting and evangelism.
I call myself a social worker because I am a social worker. My training and education are in social work and ministry. Specifically I have a Bachelors Degree in Social Worker, a Masters in Management and Leadership, I am currently working on a PHD in Thelogy. I have a two year Biblical Studies Diploma from International Seminary.
My real education in Ministry has been in 18 years of practice as a church planter, pastor, and Bible Teacher. That is true in my Social Work career as well. My degree in Social Work has been valuable but 18 years of practice is what has made me a social worker. My Ministry and Social Work careers have served as perfect compliments to each other.
I believe they would serve as perfect compliments if I were making a Gazillion dollars at Goldman Sachs because God wants a witness in the Market Place.
Again thanks for your comment. I hope we can continue our conversation
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
In The Beginning God Created a Social Worker
I gave my life to the Lord completely in December, 1991. My wife had given me a Bible that I read but didn’t think much about. The stories were familiar to me for a number of different reasons, but my faith was not real. We were attending a Methodist Church; I was a 29 year old senior, at Bridgewater State College, set the graduate in May, 1992.
God began to move on my heart to preach the Gospel. I had accepted the Lord as my savior at 16 but was never discipled and knew very little about the Word of God. I knew I had friends praying for me. I appreciated it but did think it would change my life. It did. In my bedroom on a cold morning, I acknowledged God’s call on my life. I would come to realize how much my sin had hurt him shortly after that. I repented with bitter tears and gratitude for his love and forgiveness.
I was a social worker. Not a field filled with evangelical Christians. I live and received my training in a liberal and “progressive” environment. Now I was a Bible thumper.
Not long after my graduation a starting working for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, in Fall River. In the natural course of doing bio-psychosocial assessments of families religion would come up. When opportunities availed themselves I would talk about the Lord with clients. In my work environment the Directors in two different cities, Fall River and Plymouth, gave us permission to do a voluntary prayer groups. We asked social workers their prayer request and would petition the Lord on their behalf. Many prayers were answered and those who requested the prayers gave appropriate honor to God.
One of my clients had many questions about Christianity. She had been a Jehovah Witness previously and wanted to know more. We would discuss the Bible among other things but there really was not reason for her family to be involved with a child protection agency so I closed her case. A few months later it reopened. I said to Barbara, “There is no reason you should be involved with the Department of Social Services." “Let’s talk more about Jesus." She was Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, when her children came home from school that day. She became the founding member of Gates of Praise Ministries. I left the Department of Social Services as I saw it as an increasing conflict of interest to be a minister and a child protection worker in the same city. I avoided this for a little while by working in Plymouth. It was exciting to see God work in the lives of both clients and co-workers. He has continued to do so to this present day. I look forward to sharing the Glory of his work with you through this blog.
God Bless You All, Don Boucher
God began to move on my heart to preach the Gospel. I had accepted the Lord as my savior at 16 but was never discipled and knew very little about the Word of God. I knew I had friends praying for me. I appreciated it but did think it would change my life. It did. In my bedroom on a cold morning, I acknowledged God’s call on my life. I would come to realize how much my sin had hurt him shortly after that. I repented with bitter tears and gratitude for his love and forgiveness.
I was a social worker. Not a field filled with evangelical Christians. I live and received my training in a liberal and “progressive” environment. Now I was a Bible thumper.
Not long after my graduation a starting working for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, in Fall River. In the natural course of doing bio-psychosocial assessments of families religion would come up. When opportunities availed themselves I would talk about the Lord with clients. In my work environment the Directors in two different cities, Fall River and Plymouth, gave us permission to do a voluntary prayer groups. We asked social workers their prayer request and would petition the Lord on their behalf. Many prayers were answered and those who requested the prayers gave appropriate honor to God.
One of my clients had many questions about Christianity. She had been a Jehovah Witness previously and wanted to know more. We would discuss the Bible among other things but there really was not reason for her family to be involved with a child protection agency so I closed her case. A few months later it reopened. I said to Barbara, “There is no reason you should be involved with the Department of Social Services." “Let’s talk more about Jesus." She was Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, when her children came home from school that day. She became the founding member of Gates of Praise Ministries. I left the Department of Social Services as I saw it as an increasing conflict of interest to be a minister and a child protection worker in the same city. I avoided this for a little while by working in Plymouth. It was exciting to see God work in the lives of both clients and co-workers. He has continued to do so to this present day. I look forward to sharing the Glory of his work with you through this blog.
God Bless You All, Don Boucher
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Just The Facts Homeless Ray Buys a New Home
Several Years ago I worked as the Program Coordinator, of the McKinney Shelter in Newport. One of the residents of the shelter, a Christian by the name of Mosses was witnessing to Ray about his need to accept Jesus as his personal savior. He was doing a good job addressing Ray’s need for a savior but was doing a poor job of telling Ray about what makes Jesus different from other great religious leaders. After a few moments I couldn’t take it anymore and jumped into the conversation and preached a message in the hallway that I have every since called “Just the Facts Ray”
The message was essentially how Jesus fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures about the promised Jewish Messiah. I think this is the greatest apologetic as it relates to the divine nature of the scriptures. At the time Ray lived in one of the transitional apartments provided by the program. You essentially graduated from the shelter to these transitional SRO’s (Single Room Occupancies) Ray’s long time love and girl friend lived in the family shelter at the time.
Not long after that “Just the Facts Ray” sermon Ray asked me to marry his girlfriend and him. I told him, “I am no Justice of the Peace” he said, “that why I am asking you” “I want you to preach my wedding.” I did just that, I spoke about how Love never steals and never defrauds. It was glorious.
Ray would go on to Accept Christ. He was baptized at Community Baptist Church. He accepted the facts about Jesus and the forgiveness he offered
Ray and he wife had known difficult times together. Crack addiction in past, the need for a complete miracle in the early stages of their marriage. (See the Power of a Miracle Testimony)
Now this formerly homeless man and his formerly homeless wife are buying their own home. How great is our God!!!!
God has granted them peace, health and prosperity.
Please comment if you the blogs are blessing you. I am affirmation man, and it sure would encourage me.
The message was essentially how Jesus fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures about the promised Jewish Messiah. I think this is the greatest apologetic as it relates to the divine nature of the scriptures. At the time Ray lived in one of the transitional apartments provided by the program. You essentially graduated from the shelter to these transitional SRO’s (Single Room Occupancies) Ray’s long time love and girl friend lived in the family shelter at the time.
Not long after that “Just the Facts Ray” sermon Ray asked me to marry his girlfriend and him. I told him, “I am no Justice of the Peace” he said, “that why I am asking you” “I want you to preach my wedding.” I did just that, I spoke about how Love never steals and never defrauds. It was glorious.
Ray would go on to Accept Christ. He was baptized at Community Baptist Church. He accepted the facts about Jesus and the forgiveness he offered
Ray and he wife had known difficult times together. Crack addiction in past, the need for a complete miracle in the early stages of their marriage. (See the Power of a Miracle Testimony)
Now this formerly homeless man and his formerly homeless wife are buying their own home. How great is our God!!!!
God has granted them peace, health and prosperity.
Please comment if you the blogs are blessing you. I am affirmation man, and it sure would encourage me.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Power of a Miracle Testimony
I don’t know how the conversation got started. We were talking about the reliability of the scriptures and the Prophesies Jesus fulfilled to a skeptic/seeker at lunch. The topic of miracles was raised. The question was asked, couldn’t what was understood to be miracles then by explained by science now, and couldn’t what we call miracles now be explained by science in the future? Certainly both of these things could be true I conceded.
I then spoke of a Cancer case that our ministry was involved in. The Sister-in-Law of the healed women, worked with me at the time of the miracle and works with me now. She was at the table. I was sharing the story in general terms, but she was there, it was her sister in law who was healed, and she wanted to give God glory. So she shared this story.
In 2001 my sister-in law was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was inoperable. They closed up the incision on my sister-laws head with 65 stitches. They told my brother to prepare to bury his wife of three months. They gave her two weeks. My brother and Don went to RI Hospital three times a week to pray for my sister in law. It is now 2009 my sister in law has had no sign of cancer since a month after the projection of her death. She works full time, she is healthy, she is healed, she is a miracle.
The skeptic was very moved by the lunch time testimonial. She came into my office later. We spoke about Words of Knowledge and Words of Wisdom. She was suddenly open and shared a story herself that could only be described as supernatural. This followed the tragic death of a cousin in a bus accident. The skeptic was very young at the time. Her testimony was the deceased girl visited her in a dream and told her to tell my mother “I am safe with Jesus. ” The now seeker (no longer skeptic) said that she asked the girl to confirm her word by telling her something that only she and the mother would know. In the dream the young girl said, go into my closet with my mother and you will find this particular object in this place. The object was indeed there.
God is still talking to people. Many individuals in our workplaces have abandoned their faith because of rational ideas and other issues that get in the way of their believing. Bi-vocational ministers can be there to lend comfort and a testimony to the faithfulness of Jesus.
I then spoke of a Cancer case that our ministry was involved in. The Sister-in-Law of the healed women, worked with me at the time of the miracle and works with me now. She was at the table. I was sharing the story in general terms, but she was there, it was her sister in law who was healed, and she wanted to give God glory. So she shared this story.
In 2001 my sister-in law was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was inoperable. They closed up the incision on my sister-laws head with 65 stitches. They told my brother to prepare to bury his wife of three months. They gave her two weeks. My brother and Don went to RI Hospital three times a week to pray for my sister in law. It is now 2009 my sister in law has had no sign of cancer since a month after the projection of her death. She works full time, she is healthy, she is healed, she is a miracle.
The skeptic was very moved by the lunch time testimonial. She came into my office later. We spoke about Words of Knowledge and Words of Wisdom. She was suddenly open and shared a story herself that could only be described as supernatural. This followed the tragic death of a cousin in a bus accident. The skeptic was very young at the time. Her testimony was the deceased girl visited her in a dream and told her to tell my mother “I am safe with Jesus. ” The now seeker (no longer skeptic) said that she asked the girl to confirm her word by telling her something that only she and the mother would know. In the dream the young girl said, go into my closet with my mother and you will find this particular object in this place. The object was indeed there.
God is still talking to people. Many individuals in our workplaces have abandoned their faith because of rational ideas and other issues that get in the way of their believing. Bi-vocational ministers can be there to lend comfort and a testimony to the faithfulness of Jesus.
Too Much Spirituality
Working with a young women, growing in her recovery skills from a history of drug addiction. She attended Narcotics Annoymous but the "God Stuff" was just too much. I hope to build a firm foundation in recovery skills in which a House that is Spiritual and Utimately Christ Centered can be built.
Coming Out of Jehovah Witness
Morning Witness to staff person with family history in the Jehovah Witnesses. Her sister has come to Christ and is leading her into an understanding of Grace. I was able to connect her with Jack Osteen, one of our church planters. They exchanged numbers and a repore will develop.
God is Good All the Time,
Don
God is Good All the Time,
Don
What I Do With My Many Hats
Hi Friends,
I thought if I was writing about being a bivocational pastor you should know what I do on a day to day bases.
The Family
My wife Esther and I have 12 children is a good starting point for conversation. Yours, Mine and Ours and Adopted for clarity sake... all ours for goodness sake. Five are grown, Four of the grown are married. All of the married have children, Melissa 3 children, Lora 1 child, Becky 1, David 1, Brian is not Married and does not have children. John will be 16 in January. He is as Independent as any Down Syndrome child could be. Daniel and Deborah are approaching 6 feet tall. They are 13 and 12 respectively, Timothy is our 11 year old stand up comedian, Emily our 10 year old super athlete. Angelina and Giada are not yet adopted but by God's Grace will be soon.
The Ministry (Gatesofpraiseministries.com)
Gates of Praise Ministry started in Fall River in 1994. It is an Urban Centered store in front in downtown Fall River, MA. Current pastors there are Bil and Gail Powers. The church is small but does a great job of ministering to the mentally ill and drug addicted that pass through its doors. More about this later.
Faith Fellowship is in Portsmouth, RI. We average about 30 folks on Sunday morning. The congregation is about 45 or 50 people. A lot of it is family. The Presence of the Lord shows up every weeks and we greatly enjoy serving him.
We have two small Messianic Congregations established by Rabbi Esther, me wife. One is Kehilat Yisrael, ((Kehilatyisreal.com) for more information, the other is The House of Perpetual Light, in Providence, RI
Pastor Jack Osteen, is planting ConnecXion Church in Providence, RI under the auspieces of Gates of Praise Ministry
We have a weekly Public Access Televison show called Harvest Time. It is very well received. We have broadcast the show on radio as finaces have allowed.
The New England Christian College and Seminary is a accredited Bible College we established in 1998. Classes are held at Faith Fellowship Church. We offer Associates and Bachelors Degrees and Biblical Studies and Thelogy.
Our Overseas Work is centered in Ghana and Liberia West Africa. Our e mail blast are sent to approximately 10 different countries. We are in Africa approximately 2 weeks out of every year. We have an Orphange and Ministry Center being established in Bawku, Ghana and a network of about 30 churches we oversee in Liberia.
Work Life
I have three secular jobs essentially. I manage a 21 employee homeless placement orgranization called Housing First RI. We have approximately 130 chronically homeless individuals that we have placed in permanent housing. Our success rate, for clients maintaining housing for more than 1 year is 90%. The program has a budget of approximately 2.3 million dollars. Most of my blogging will be related to the work that I do at Housing First RI. The program is part of Riverwood Mental Health
I also work for the Center of Behavioral Health from 5 am to 9 am 4 days a week as a Methadone Counselor.
Lastly, I do some consulting work on the concepts of Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing.
I hope to have a lot to share with you. I hope you find valuable and I hope it further inspires men and women to do bivocational ministry.
Don Boucher
I thought if I was writing about being a bivocational pastor you should know what I do on a day to day bases.
The Family
My wife Esther and I have 12 children is a good starting point for conversation. Yours, Mine and Ours and Adopted for clarity sake... all ours for goodness sake. Five are grown, Four of the grown are married. All of the married have children, Melissa 3 children, Lora 1 child, Becky 1, David 1, Brian is not Married and does not have children. John will be 16 in January. He is as Independent as any Down Syndrome child could be. Daniel and Deborah are approaching 6 feet tall. They are 13 and 12 respectively, Timothy is our 11 year old stand up comedian, Emily our 10 year old super athlete. Angelina and Giada are not yet adopted but by God's Grace will be soon.
The Ministry (Gatesofpraiseministries.com)
Gates of Praise Ministry started in Fall River in 1994. It is an Urban Centered store in front in downtown Fall River, MA. Current pastors there are Bil and Gail Powers. The church is small but does a great job of ministering to the mentally ill and drug addicted that pass through its doors. More about this later.
Faith Fellowship is in Portsmouth, RI. We average about 30 folks on Sunday morning. The congregation is about 45 or 50 people. A lot of it is family. The Presence of the Lord shows up every weeks and we greatly enjoy serving him.
We have two small Messianic Congregations established by Rabbi Esther, me wife. One is Kehilat Yisrael, ((Kehilatyisreal.com) for more information, the other is The House of Perpetual Light, in Providence, RI
Pastor Jack Osteen, is planting ConnecXion Church in Providence, RI under the auspieces of Gates of Praise Ministry
We have a weekly Public Access Televison show called Harvest Time. It is very well received. We have broadcast the show on radio as finaces have allowed.
The New England Christian College and Seminary is a accredited Bible College we established in 1998. Classes are held at Faith Fellowship Church. We offer Associates and Bachelors Degrees and Biblical Studies and Thelogy.
Our Overseas Work is centered in Ghana and Liberia West Africa. Our e mail blast are sent to approximately 10 different countries. We are in Africa approximately 2 weeks out of every year. We have an Orphange and Ministry Center being established in Bawku, Ghana and a network of about 30 churches we oversee in Liberia.
Work Life
I have three secular jobs essentially. I manage a 21 employee homeless placement orgranization called Housing First RI. We have approximately 130 chronically homeless individuals that we have placed in permanent housing. Our success rate, for clients maintaining housing for more than 1 year is 90%. The program has a budget of approximately 2.3 million dollars. Most of my blogging will be related to the work that I do at Housing First RI. The program is part of Riverwood Mental Health
I also work for the Center of Behavioral Health from 5 am to 9 am 4 days a week as a Methadone Counselor.
Lastly, I do some consulting work on the concepts of Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing.
I hope to have a lot to share with you. I hope you find valuable and I hope it further inspires men and women to do bivocational ministry.
Don Boucher
New Blog, New Theme
I just cut and paste the contents from my Gates of Praise Ministries blog. It is good stuff, I hope but has not been well viewed. I will continue to post sermon material and other topics that I may babbel about, but the purpose of this blog will be to track the Work of God in my work place setting. I hope to encourage other ministers and lay people to believe that all work is sacred on just "full time ministry."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Freedom's Road Series II Shame, The Thief of Freedom
Freedom’s Road Series
Installment II
S-H-A-M-E
The First Fruit of Sin
The Thief of Freedom
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis: 2:25
Prior to the fall men and women lived together without shame without condemnation. They were naked but unashamed. Some commentators have tried to explain their lack of shame based on a covering of Glory. This is imaginative but simply not biblical. Adam and Eve simply did not know shame. We see this lack of shame at times in our own lives. I think of the naked new born babe. Life is glorious and shame is not present when on rejoice at the site of a child. Some have been privileged to minister to the infirmed the ill and the week. They carry in them the gift anointing to aid the sick. These individuals, Certified Nursing Assistants, Nurses and others like them cover shame with compassion.
The contrast to the covered shame is exposed shame. Sin when it is present, progressively exposes us. It makes us run from God, hide a personal faults and makes salvation of our souls difficult. I have provided and acronym and scriptures from Genesis 3 that provides an accurate depiction of the process of bondage to sin that shame enforces, but also the life of liberation that Christ grants when he frees us from a life of sin.
Self Hatred: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons: Genesis 3:7
Hidden: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis: 3:8
Actively Pursued by God: And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3:9
Meaning brought to your Life: thou shalt bring forth children Genesis 3:16 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread: 3:19
Eternal Life Yours: 2Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9: 12-14
Self Hatred and Hiding: The first thing that shame does in our life is cause us to hate ourselves. Prior to sin Adam and Eve did not cover themselves. They were not dissatisfied with who they were. Sin does that to us. It makes us hate the way we look, the way to talk, our race, body type. We can no longer be free to be ourselves. The pleasure that sin brings for a season is often the pleasure of a divergence from ourselves, we get to be someone else for a period time. We “forget about our troubles for a while.” This self hatred and its accompanying forms of hiding take many forms
Forms of Self Hatred
a. Physical Forms lead to Sexual Immorality
b. Dissatisfaction with the way God has made you can lead to eating disorders.
c. Addictions are a form of self hatred. It is often a subtle form of suicide.
d. Risk taking “adrenalin junky” kinds of behavior
e. Self mutilation is an extreme form. When people begin to cut themselves to relieve pain this is a form of self hatred.
Forms of Hiding:
a. Work
b. Addictions
c. Family Obligations
d. Culture
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5: 19-21
All of these are either forms of self hatred or ways that we hide from God.
Sexual immorality and impurity cause us to worship the creation instead of the creator. We become lovers of ourselves verse Lovers of God. Exercise does profit us a little but we have become obsessed with our appearance and our sexual desirability.
Debauchery results in aimless destruction it reflects the character of Satan that comes to kill, steal, and destroy. It is Los Angeles riots following championship wins.
Idolatry and witchcraft seek to replace God with things we make and things that we do. They replace faith and trust that is worthy of God only with lifeless objects and partnership with the devil.
Discord, jealousy, fits of rage, separate us from each other like Adam and Eve were separated. They cause us to assign blame instead of taking on accountability as did. It leads us into a situation in which we avoid or hide from responsibility for our own behavior.
Selfish ambition, dissensions, factions systematize the above works of the flesh. It’s now more than a personal problem it is a family feud, it is a national war, It what happened in the days of Noah when men grew in violence toward each other. They miss
Envy; drunkenness, orgies, are the dregs from the table of the above meal served to the flesh. It is wantonness without direction. It is anarchy. It is often spring break, it is frequently Bourbon St. New Orleans and “What happens is Vegas stays in Vegas” is a reflection of its normalization.
Ways the God Actively Pursues us, Brings Meaning to our Lives and Grants us Eternal Life.
1. Creation: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19 1-2
2. Conscience: (WE) who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Romans 2: 14-16
3. Christ: 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5: 17 -19
4. Word:
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. [b]
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness. Psalm 19: 33-40
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 8:47 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 10, 2009
In Memory of Steve Horovitz
When grief comes suddenly it is a knife in the chest,
Your response is shocking, how do you deal with this unrest?
A thief has come into the house. But he stole more and keys or gold.
He in fact stole a very dear soul.
A friend a colleague sounds so cheap to say,
When really he was a light showing the way!
People can get better he Said it Believed it and modeled it too
Who would of thought it was so close to being through
Yet the light remains though it won’t be the same.
Because his life was memorable, indispensable,
So back to the task he would leave at hand
Every life is valuable especially those that are built on sand.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 9:58 AM 0 comments
Friday, August 7, 2009
Freedom's Road Series
Freedom’s Road Series
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die
The understanding of freedom as it relates to our Christian faith has become a central quest in my desire to understand God’s purpose for our lives in a deeper manner. It is my hope that this series will develop in to larger revelation or illumination to the Body of Christ about the importance of understanding God’s will for each of us. It is often said that each of us is dispensable. The purpose of these articles is to prove in fact that each of us is indispensable that God made us for a specific purpose, a specific time and a specific manner, that we may be indispensable in that place.
There are many women who are qualified to raise children but only one is qualified to be my Mom. There are many qualified social workers and ministers but for this time and this place I am called to be the director of Housing First RI and the pastor of Faith Fellowship Church. Knowing these truths helps me to Love the place God has placed me and trust him with the accomplishment of all things that he desires. Contentment brings faith in this regard.
Acts 17:26-28From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.
The Lord put Adam in the Garden. He put him there because that was where he wanted him and he did not want him anyplace else. That was his “determined time and exact place.” He was given a job to do. I would attest to you that true freedom is found in the work we are called to do! He told Adam he was free, but free within limits. Adam was called to take care of the Garden. No man could volitionally jump generation, or choose what family in race he would be born to. Our diligence to finds God’s will, should be the same. Jesus said “I have come to do the will of the Father, He is always working and so I must work too.”
Freedom’s Purpose:
God has made me free,
He has made me free that I might find me
In finding me, I find thee, The only true God and maker of all, the maker of me.
God has made me free
I find in me all that is not thee
I find in me all that can be in thee,
In finding thee I find glee, I find joy
It builds up and does not destroy
God has made me free
He has made me free to work and toil
To work for treasures that do not fade do not spoil.
A thorn a brier I will find along the way,
Yet, The soil is rich, the labor divine,
In you I am free for all of time.
Rev. Don Boucher July 2009
Biblical Freedom is found when our hearts desire and God’s desire for our lives are the same. Psalm 37:4
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Freedom begins where God Places you. Gen 2:15
God Placed Adam in the Garden
He did not place Abraham there. He was called to go to a land he did not know.
He did not place Mosses there. He was called as a shepherd, a deliver, and law giver.
He did not place David. He too was called as a shepherd, a poet a psalmist, a king
He did not even call Jesus there. He was called as a carpenter, and a savior.
Where has God placed you?
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Also Reference Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 29
Freedoms 1st Task is Work
Adams work was to work the Garden
Jeremiah’s Work was as a prophet
Mosses as the Law Giver
David the King
Jesus the Savior
What is your Job?
When you truly begin to Live Free you will find your purpose!!!!
Freedom is built by family and Community.
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam [g] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [h] and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [i] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, [j] ' for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
There were many distinctive to the Garden that I don’t think that we fully grasp. The nature of Adam’s relationship to the animals is one of those. I will be speaking in a later articles about man’s abuse of freedom that leads to the flood. I mention it now because the Noah narrative tells us that the fear of man did not come upon the animal kingdom until after the flood. In the Garden narrative we see Eve converse with the serpent. Whatever the nature of Adam’s relationship with the animal kingdom was it was insufficient. He could not be free outside the context of human community. Every community begins with family and where there is true freedom there is the absence of shame.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
More on Shame next time, it is the first enemy of Freedom.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 8:44 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thoughts on Korea and rock stars
What a contrast has arisen out of one people. North Korea has grown in isolation and poverty as it's dictator threatens the world with nuclear arms and he plays diplomacy games with journalist found in the wrong place at the wrong time. South Korea grows in financial power and prestige as it grants its people liberality and choice. One is steeped in Atheism the other is being flooded by the prayers of faithful Christian believers.
Is this just a contrast in Democracy and Communism? I don't think so, because we also see a China growing in power and prestige while America suffers with financial debt and the decrease influence of faith on the lives of its people.
This brief bit of thinking was brought about by the affirmation that Bill Clinton received for his diplomatic work from my under 35 Facebook friends. A rock star is how he was described by one poster. It seems rock star is an apt description. Influence removed from moral underpinning. Bill Clinton is reflective of our generation. He is similar to his contemporaries at Enron, Arthur Anderson. Great talent, great gifts, but vacant of true character. Is this how the boomers will be remembered. If the WWII generation is remembered for their courage, the WWI generation for their idealism. the civil war generation for their fatal stubbornness, and our founding fathers for their vision and principled thinking, will ours be remember for its inability to simply keeps its word.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 7:53 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
I don't know what I am doing but
By George I think we are a blogger. Better yet Thank you Jesus I think I am a Blogger
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher
Freedom's Road Series II Shame, The Thief of Freedom
Freedom’s Road Series
Installment II
S-H-A-M-E
The First Fruit of Sin
The Thief of Freedom
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis: 2:25
Prior to the fall men and women lived together without shame without condemnation. They were naked but unashamed. Some commentators have tried to explain their lack of shame based on a covering of Glory. This is imaginative but simply not biblical. Adam and Eve simply did not know shame. We see this lack of shame at times in our own lives. I think of the naked new born babe. Life is glorious and shame is not present when on rejoice at the site of a child. Some have been privileged to minister to the infirmed the ill and the week. They carry in them the gift anointing to aid the sick. These individuals, Certified Nursing Assistants, Nurses and others like them cover shame with compassion.
The contrast to the covered shame is exposed shame. Sin when it is present, progressively exposes us. It makes us run from God, hide a personal faults and makes salvation of our souls difficult. I have provided and acronym and scriptures from Genesis 3 that provides an accurate depiction of the process of bondage to sin that shame enforces, but also the life of liberation that Christ grants when he frees us from a life of sin.
Self Hatred: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons: Genesis 3:7
Hidden: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis: 3:8
Actively Pursued by God: And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3:9
Meaning brought to your Life: thou shalt bring forth children Genesis 3:16 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread: 3:19
Eternal Life Yours: 2Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9: 12-14
Self Hatred and Hiding: The first thing that shame does in our life is cause us to hate ourselves. Prior to sin Adam and Eve did not cover themselves. They were not dissatisfied with who they were. Sin does that to us. It makes us hate the way we look, the way to talk, our race, body type. We can no longer be free to be ourselves. The pleasure that sin brings for a season is often the pleasure of a divergence from ourselves, we get to be someone else for a period time. We “forget about our troubles for a while.” This self hatred and its accompanying forms of hiding take many forms
Forms of Self Hatred
a. Physical Forms lead to Sexual Immorality
b. Dissatisfaction with the way God has made you can lead to eating disorders.
c. Addictions are a form of self hatred. It is often a subtle form of suicide.
d. Risk taking “adrenalin junky” kinds of behavior
e. Self mutilation is an extreme form. When people begin to cut themselves to relieve pain this is a form of self hatred.
Forms of Hiding:
a. Work
b. Addictions
c. Family Obligations
d. Culture
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5: 19-21
All of these are either forms of self hatred or ways that we hide from God.
Sexual immorality and impurity cause us to worship the creation instead of the creator. We become lovers of ourselves verse Lovers of God. Exercise does profit us a little but we have become obsessed with our appearance and our sexual desirability.
Debauchery results in aimless destruction it reflects the character of Satan that comes to kill, steal, and destroy. It is Los Angeles riots following championship wins.
Idolatry and witchcraft seek to replace God with things we make and things that we do. They replace faith and trust that is worthy of God only with lifeless objects and partnership with the devil.
Discord, jealousy, fits of rage, separate us from each other like Adam and Eve were separated. They cause us to assign blame instead of taking on accountability as did. It leads us into a situation in which we avoid or hide from responsibility for our own behavior.
Selfish ambition, dissensions, factions systematize the above works of the flesh. It’s now more than a personal problem it is a family feud, it is a national war, It what happened in the days of Noah when men grew in violence toward each other. They miss
Envy; drunkenness, orgies, are the dregs from the table of the above meal served to the flesh. It is wantonness without direction. It is anarchy. It is often spring break, it is frequently Bourbon St. New Orleans and “What happens is Vegas stays in Vegas” is a reflection of its normalization.
Ways the God Actively Pursues us, Brings Meaning to our Lives and Grants us Eternal Life.
1. Creation: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19 1-2
2. Conscience: (WE) who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Romans 2: 14-16
3. Christ: 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5: 17 -19
4. Word:
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. [b]
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness. Psalm 19: 33-40
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 8:47 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 10, 2009
In Memory of Steve Horovitz
When grief comes suddenly it is a knife in the chest,
Your response is shocking, how do you deal with this unrest?
A thief has come into the house. But he stole more and keys or gold.
He in fact stole a very dear soul.
A friend a colleague sounds so cheap to say,
When really he was a light showing the way!
People can get better he Said it Believed it and modeled it too
Who would of thought it was so close to being through
Yet the light remains though it won’t be the same.
Because his life was memorable, indispensable,
So back to the task he would leave at hand
Every life is valuable especially those that are built on sand.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 9:58 AM 0 comments
Friday, August 7, 2009
Freedom's Road Series
Freedom’s Road Series
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die
The understanding of freedom as it relates to our Christian faith has become a central quest in my desire to understand God’s purpose for our lives in a deeper manner. It is my hope that this series will develop in to larger revelation or illumination to the Body of Christ about the importance of understanding God’s will for each of us. It is often said that each of us is dispensable. The purpose of these articles is to prove in fact that each of us is indispensable that God made us for a specific purpose, a specific time and a specific manner, that we may be indispensable in that place.
There are many women who are qualified to raise children but only one is qualified to be my Mom. There are many qualified social workers and ministers but for this time and this place I am called to be the director of Housing First RI and the pastor of Faith Fellowship Church. Knowing these truths helps me to Love the place God has placed me and trust him with the accomplishment of all things that he desires. Contentment brings faith in this regard.
Acts 17:26-28From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.
The Lord put Adam in the Garden. He put him there because that was where he wanted him and he did not want him anyplace else. That was his “determined time and exact place.” He was given a job to do. I would attest to you that true freedom is found in the work we are called to do! He told Adam he was free, but free within limits. Adam was called to take care of the Garden. No man could volitionally jump generation, or choose what family in race he would be born to. Our diligence to finds God’s will, should be the same. Jesus said “I have come to do the will of the Father, He is always working and so I must work too.”
Freedom’s Purpose:
God has made me free,
He has made me free that I might find me
In finding me, I find thee, The only true God and maker of all, the maker of me.
God has made me free
I find in me all that is not thee
I find in me all that can be in thee,
In finding thee I find glee, I find joy
It builds up and does not destroy
God has made me free
He has made me free to work and toil
To work for treasures that do not fade do not spoil.
A thorn a brier I will find along the way,
Yet, The soil is rich, the labor divine,
In you I am free for all of time.
Rev. Don Boucher July 2009
Biblical Freedom is found when our hearts desire and God’s desire for our lives are the same. Psalm 37:4
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Freedom begins where God Places you. Gen 2:15
God Placed Adam in the Garden
He did not place Abraham there. He was called to go to a land he did not know.
He did not place Mosses there. He was called as a shepherd, a deliver, and law giver.
He did not place David. He too was called as a shepherd, a poet a psalmist, a king
He did not even call Jesus there. He was called as a carpenter, and a savior.
Where has God placed you?
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Also Reference Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 29
Freedoms 1st Task is Work
Adams work was to work the Garden
Jeremiah’s Work was as a prophet
Mosses as the Law Giver
David the King
Jesus the Savior
What is your Job?
When you truly begin to Live Free you will find your purpose!!!!
Freedom is built by family and Community.
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam [g] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [h] and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [i] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, [j] ' for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
There were many distinctive to the Garden that I don’t think that we fully grasp. The nature of Adam’s relationship to the animals is one of those. I will be speaking in a later articles about man’s abuse of freedom that leads to the flood. I mention it now because the Noah narrative tells us that the fear of man did not come upon the animal kingdom until after the flood. In the Garden narrative we see Eve converse with the serpent. Whatever the nature of Adam’s relationship with the animal kingdom was it was insufficient. He could not be free outside the context of human community. Every community begins with family and where there is true freedom there is the absence of shame.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
More on Shame next time, it is the first enemy of Freedom.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 8:44 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thoughts on Korea and rock stars
What a contrast has arisen out of one people. North Korea has grown in isolation and poverty as it's dictator threatens the world with nuclear arms and he plays diplomacy games with journalist found in the wrong place at the wrong time. South Korea grows in financial power and prestige as it grants its people liberality and choice. One is steeped in Atheism the other is being flooded by the prayers of faithful Christian believers.
Is this just a contrast in Democracy and Communism? I don't think so, because we also see a China growing in power and prestige while America suffers with financial debt and the decrease influence of faith on the lives of its people.
This brief bit of thinking was brought about by the affirmation that Bill Clinton received for his diplomatic work from my under 35 Facebook friends. A rock star is how he was described by one poster. It seems rock star is an apt description. Influence removed from moral underpinning. Bill Clinton is reflective of our generation. He is similar to his contemporaries at Enron, Arthur Anderson. Great talent, great gifts, but vacant of true character. Is this how the boomers will be remembered. If the WWII generation is remembered for their courage, the WWI generation for their idealism. the civil war generation for their fatal stubbornness, and our founding fathers for their vision and principled thinking, will ours be remember for its inability to simply keeps its word.
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher at 7:53 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
I don't know what I am doing but
By George I think we are a blogger. Better yet Thank you Jesus I think I am a Blogger
Posted by Rev. Don and Esther Boucher
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