Church at the Manor...it's official!

The town will be rebuilt on its old foundations; the mansions will be splendid again. Thanksgiving will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors…Jeremiah 30:19    (the Message)

We are excited to share with you about an opportunity that God has given to us here in Guelph. We are starting “Church at the Manor”. The Manor is a strip club and bar with a motel attached called, ‘Sue’s Inn’. The motel houses people that are trying to stay clean and sober.

It started with the desire to give gift certificates to those living at the Inn which in turn led into a conversation about the possibility of renting the bar area to do church. After hearing our vision, permission was granted within minutes! Roger Cohen, the owner, has stated “So let me get this right, you want to bring light into a very dark place”. Yes! We have been very forthcoming with him regarding our intent and purpose. He thinks we’re crazy, BUT has been amazingly open and receptive to the point of making sure that everyone knows when our services are going to start.

Church at the Manor will be a missional church focused on being the hands and feet of Jesus and seeing people come to experience the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. We know that it is God’s desire to see people saved and set free from their addictions and their past. We really have sensed that God has placed before us an open door that no one can shut.

April 20th, Resurrection Sunday is our start date to bring life to the Manor! We will be starting at 12:30 p.m. with a free lunch for all those who are interested or curious. Lunch will be followed by a time of worship music, testimonies, the Gospel shared in creative ways and prayer ministry.

If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can be involved please contact Jack and Sharon Ninaber at 519-780-3854 or email jackninaber@gmail.com


There are a number of ways to be a part of this:


1. Financial support for this ministry.  Make a donation


2. Prayer covering for those serving in this ministry


3. Preparing and providing lunch for those attending


Thanks in advance,

Jack and Sharon

Love Your Neighbour...easier said than done!

Matthew 22:36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

These are very familiar verses to me and I have to admit I’m glad that Jesus kept it really simple when he laid out the commands for our life in loving God and loving others or that’s how we sum it up.  Jesus essentially took 613 Old Testament laws and said this is the most important!  Loving God with all my heart, soul and mind involves everything from my complete and total surrender and my heart’s longing to being always aware of His presence.  However, I want to focus this post more on the second command, love your neighbor as yourself.

When studying this passage we like to expand on who that ‘neighbour’ is and really talk about the people who live in our communities and our world.  We talk about the people that we rub shoulders with everyday.  So, what about our specific neighbours, you know, the ones that live directly beside you??

Sharon and I have lived in a number of different places and have had all kinds of neighbors that we have been able to get to know well.  When we moved to Guelph, we quickly discovered that the person living next door to us was the self-proclaimed, ‘street witch’ also used interchangeably with words that rhyme with witch.   It was an older couple who apparently had moved here hoping to find a peace and quiet.  Well, our street just happens to be full of kids.  There are as many as 30 on our end of the street.  We live on a cul-de-sac and we started playing road hockey like we did in any neighbourhood that we had been a part of.  She proceeded to take pictures of our kids and called the city to complain and sure enough the police would arrive and tell us that it is a by-law issue and so, no hockey.  We also had a self-standing basketball net and we played at the end of our driveway.  Again, more pictures and more visits from the by-law officer with a sticker placed on our net with the request to move it so now it sits at the front of our garage.  A street party was arranged annually and approval was sought only to be told if a ball landed near their vehicle, more calls from the police.  Rylan would play soccer in the backyard but if the ball crossed over to their yard, it would be gone.  She had someone there ready to confiscate the ball into her house.  It was quite a scene.

We also have a dog, Josie, who likes to bark to get back in the house and a visit came shortly after we got her from the humane society checking out her credentials and a payment needed for an updated license.  In the summer a fence was erected and it stands 9ft. tall The city by-law is actually less than that so you can imagine how tempting it has been to make a few calls myself!

They really wanted nothing to do with anyone and the more private, the better! So, needless to say, loving my neighbor hasn’t come easily here in Guelph.  I still tried to make small talk now and then when in the driveway, but not much took place beyond that.  Then, Sharon, had this crazy idea before Christmas to bless them with homemade cookies.  She would make them and I was assigned with Rylan and Addi to deliver them.  We knocked and you can imagine the shock when they opened the door… on both sides of the door.  We were shocked that they opened it and the husband happened to be in a wheelchair because he broke his ankle.  We didn’t even know that.  So, he graciously accepted them and that was the end of that. 

That was until Saturday’s latest dump of snow and I was outside shoveling our driveway.  I was almost done when I saw the ‘witch’ come out with one crutch attempting to shovel her driveway.  The snow banks were really high so there was no acknowledgment of each other and I completed my task and went inside. I then went to check in on Sharon who was resting from eye surgery and then peeked out the window to see the lady still attempting to shovel.  I knew I had to go outside and help her but everything inside of me wanted to just ignore her.  However, that is when I knew that I couldn't. The Holy Spirit was working on my heart and outside I went again and asked if I could help.  She was surprised but was so thankful and I was able to get it cleared.  At one point, she tells me that yelling at the kids on the street is one way of ‘keeping alive’.  Then she shares, ‘I just had chemo two days ago….the cancer is starting to grow back.” She proceeds to pull her hat back and I see that she has very little hair. So, I ask what type and she tells me it is breast cancer.  At the moment I asked if I could pray for her healing.  She responded yes and there in her driveway, I put my arm around her and she held me and I prayed for her like I would pray for my own family with the firm conviction that God could do a miracle.  She was encouraged and I was blessed and it was a huge reminder to me that Jesus’ commands were just meant to be memorized, that were meant to be lived out!

So, here is some simple truths that I learned as a result of all of this.

·         Seek out your neighbor - Don’t wait for them to come to you.  Take the time to get to know their story.

·         Be real – It is so important that people get to see the real ‘you’.  It doesn't hurt for them to know that you don’t have it all together or have all the answers especially if they know you are a Christian.

·         Bless those who persecute you.  We are never off the hook no matter how much we think we have been offended or our rights have been denied.

·         Sacrifice – It always costs us to reach out to others and those in need.

·         Respect boundaries – We can’t force the issue.  If they do not want our help, we have to respect that and not keep pressing the issue, the advice etc…

·         Be a good listener – listen to the Holy Spirit at every moment that you are in conversation with someone because He is the best prompter and He will give you the words to share.

I just caught up with her husband yesterday.  He had the biggest smile on his face as we talked and he shared that his cast is coming off today!

New Beginnings! Living With Renewed Hope in the midst of 'kairos' moments!

Psalm 39:7  But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.

There is no better place than being together with God’s people to start the New Year and anticipate the new thing that He is doing among us.  To live with renewed hope means that we allow ourselves to dream again, to believe that God wants to do amazing things.  He has truly been faithful in the past to us and we will reflect on His goodness today, but what about tomorrow.  My desire is to paint a picture of what could be, of what could happen if we truly become more aware of the time God has given us.  There are two Greek words for time, chronos which literally denotes a space or time or succession of times and ‘kairos’ which is primarily due proportion, a signified or fixed period, an opportunity that presents itself for a specific moment or season.  In order for us to be passionate about following Jesus, we need to discover the ‘kairos’ events that He gives us and enter the learning circle.  Chronos is linear thinking but kairos is circular thinking.  My prayer is that we can discover the kairos moment God has placed before us!

Most learning in Jesus’ day was based on oral tradition.  Literacy rates were low as written material was restricted to the elite.  People learned through storytelling and verbal teaching rather than reading texts.  Their minds were trained to store information and knowledge with accuracy.  When he commanded them to “teach everything I have commanded you,” it was expected that they could repeat it.

Mark 1

¹⁴After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

The time has come!

The word for time here is kairos.  Kairos happens when the circumstances of your life are brought together in the bottleneck of time.  Often there is a definite sense of pressure being created to experience something of this significance.

Kairos events can be positive or negative – Think about the birth of your first child, a special vacation, the death of a parent, a sickness, the loss of a job!

Kairos moments can also be recognized by the impact they leave on you.  A performance review can produce positive emotions or negative ones depending on the way it goes for you.  It is often the negative events and emotions that produce the greatest opportunity for growth in our lives.

Kairos events signal opportunities to grow.  A new job opportunity arises and you are forced to move...take the opportunity to start afresh.  Heller Kellar said it best, life is a daring adventure or nothing at all. 

God has placed Sharon and I and our family for that matter into a ‘kairos’ moment in our lives.  It really started when Sharon felt strongly that we needed to start an extended worship gathering in our home prior to leaving for Africa last fall.  Many people had shared with her that we needed to do this.  So, key people gathered together and took the fivefold gift test.  It turned all the giftings were represented from apostle, prophet, teacher, evangelist, pastor!  So, Sharon was really impressed by the Spirit that it needed to do something with food and it was about being hungry for more!  So it was appropriately named ‘Friday Feast’!  At a meeting with the leadership team, Wendy S. had a vision.  I had to leave early for another meeting so I didn’t hear the following… She shared how she saw us all in pioneer clothes and we were in one of those covered wagons, but it wasn’t covered!  We were heading out on a paved road that was full of turns but on each side of the road were large green trees.  She also shared with the group that the pastors from my church were waving goodbye at us! 

So, fast forward to a week after we return from Lesotho and I am released from Grace, the church I was serving at.  However, I was at peace with it and had a real sense from God earlier in the day that this was going to happen.  In my exit meeting, among other things the leaders shared with me that they thought of ways how they could enable me to lead a church plant, but it wasn’t possible.  They spoke of my ability to be able to make something out of nothing as the one leader testified to during our time in Lesotho with our ministry there.  He then said how he saw a ‘pioneering spirit’ in me!  I came home and shared this with Sharon which triggered her memory back to Wendy’s vision which she had not shared with me until that point.  It was a real confirmation to us that God was in control of all these events.

We began Friday Feast in November and had as many as 25 people out on one night and when we put the list together we realized that if everyone came on the same night we could have as many as 40+ people out.  I then started looking at places to rent and then Sharon said one day as we were driving the Hanlon, ‘what about renting the Manor?’  I laughed, but then it caught the attention of some of the ladies in our group and they looked at its history.  One thing that was noteable to all of them were the stained glass songbirds that were in some of the windows and it prompted Sharon’s spirit to be reminded that all creation will sing His praises.

So, a few days later Sharon and I were getting her a new cell phone which came with 4 $25- grocery gift cards.  It would be a few days later that she sensed that God was telling her to take those gift cards to Sue’s Inn which is attached to the Manor.  Sue’s Inn is a halfway house for those struggling with addiction etc..We went with the purpose to give the cards away, but when we arrived, the manager said they would just sell them and use it for beer money.  Sharon then asked them about renting the bar.  They asked for what?  Sharon replied ‘a church’.  They asked what kind of church? Sharon shared, ‘a radical one!’  The manager then said, ‘like one with snakes?’  Sharon replied, ‘no, we just love Jesus!’  He replied, “I think we could make that happen on Sundays…but not too early!’  He gave me his cell number and told me to text when we were ready.  I texted him last week and he said, ‘I left it with the owner, best of luck’.  I replied, ‘Is the owner open to the idea?’  He didn’t know and the week went on and I started to doubt.  I went with Addi to the end of www.ercf.ca week of prayer and there I was surrounded by a group of people and prayed for.  In the evening Sharon and I went to Wendy S for a time of prayer and sharing along with a showing of the documentary on the Manor.  In the middle of watching it, my phone buzzes.  It is the son of the owner of the Manor and we talk.  He arranges a meeting with his father, Roger, the owner.

Sharon and I meet with the owner and we spend 90 minutes in his office.  Keep praying for the potential of the opportunity for us to serve in this place.

The Kingdom of God is near

Was it only the fact that Jesus was in the flesh that made the kingdom closer or was it also the revelation that we would be called to build His church. 

The kingdom of God is near is the realization that we have been given the opportunity to see what God wants us to see, as we reach our hand in the right direction and have as it were our hand go through the curtain of time and reappear in the reality of His world, His time, His eternal perspective. 

The kingdom of God is near to those who truly seek it as we see in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5

Amplified Bible

³Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
    ⁴Blessed and enviably happy with a happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!
    ⁵Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!
    ⁶Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God^]enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be ^[completely satisfied!
    ⁷Blessed (happy,to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!
    ⁸Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and^]spiritually prosperous--possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!
    ⁹Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and ^[s]maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!
    ¹⁰Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
The question now remains, how bad do we want it, because based on these verses, we can see a whole lot, we can experience the most amazing revelation.  How much do you want of God?  How much do you want to see Him?  Do you truly desire to see His kingdom come, His will be done?
Let me talk to you about the life circle – a new approach to learning, a new lifestyle of learning.  It happens in recognizing the opportunities that God presents to us, both good and bad, as opportunities for growth and going through the circle will help us process the events of our lives.
For the most part, we tend to be linear thinkers,

Point A – Point B
Salvation – Heaven
Wide Road – Narrow Road

But our relationship with God is more dynamic than that. 
When we walk down life’s path with purpose in mind and a kairos moment takes place, we have some choices to make-
We can choose to stop, choose to ignore it, choose to go backward or we can determine to enter into the moment and see what God has in store for us!

The process for entering is found in the next part of the verse…. Repent and believe the good news.

Repent!    Unfortunately not a popular word in sharing the gospel, but a very necessary word before belief can happen.

Repent is the greek word - metanoia – a change of mind that ultimately reveals itself in a change in lifestyle.  That change of mind has to go straight to the heart, the heart is in no way removed.  We have to feel differently, there has to be a change of heart for us to admit that we need to do a 180 degree turn.

Believe the Good News!

Who doesn’t need the good news?  It’s good news for the poor.  Good news for the broken-hearted. It’s Good news for the alcoholic.  It’s Good news for the fearful, It’s Good news the depressed, It’s Good news for those who have failed. It’s Good news for the skeptic. It’s Good news for the lonely. It’s Good news for ‘sinners’!
Because of Christ, your sins and failures don’t define you.  Shame off you!  Yet it is so often perceived (and proclaimed) as the exact opposite: ‘Because of your sins and failures, shame on you.”  Alan D. Wright


Part of the vision for the ministry that we want to lead is that we show up and we share Good news!  There is hope, incredible hope in Jesus Christ and we believe that transformation can take place through the power of worship.  The atmosphere in a place can change and strongholds can come down!

How do you get people to change?

How do you get people to change? 

We have all asked that question and often the answer begins by changing the focus and saying, “what do I need to do to be the change?” and other clichés like that. However, that all changed for me today as I was reading, “Free Yourself To Be Yourself” by Alan D. Wright.  I think we have all resisted the kind of change that feels like you are being manipulated, coerced, ‘guilted’, ‘voluntold’…you name it!  

The fact of the matter is that we are all in the people-change business whether you are a parent, a salesperson, a pastor.  Let’s be honest!  Of course we want people to change, but what do we hear so often from the voice inside our head to the word on the street, “It’s not my job!”  I think we want everybody around us to change whether that is our daughter to worry less about whether she is amazing and beautiful…’without make-up’ to seeing our friends come to know Jesus!  

Moses wanted the children of Israel to change.  He wanted them to stop worshipping the golden calf and be more patient in waiting for God to show up.  He wanted them to stop complaining sooo much and realize just how amazingly blessed they were.  The prophets wanted people to change from worshipping foreign gods and Paul, the apostle wanted the church in Rome to be transformed by the renewing of their mind!  Jesus wanted people to change and that is why He touched lepers, lifted up prostitutes and poured so much time into the disciples.  Of course we want people to change.  That is why teachers teach, parents parent and salesmen sell. There is no sin in wanting people to change; however it is a sin if our approach to change uses the tactics of the enemy and the world such as guilt, shame, condemnation etc… We have to motivate the right way!

The most important thing we can do is pray and intercede for the people that we definitely want to see discover real change.  We should stand in the gap, envision God’s best for them, declare the promises of God over them ask God to put godly influences in their lives!

In addition to this, here are three great biblical strategies that Alan D. Wright shares in his book.

1    1.   We change a negative spirit by sowing the opposite spirit.

There is always a law at work called sowing and reaping and it’s undeniable.  If we sow jalapeno peppers they will not turn into green peppers!  The same is true with weeds.  We will never get green grass by sowing more weeds or letting weeds like dandelions continue to pollinate the yard.  The principle here is found in Romans 12:21, ‘do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’.  In order for Jesus to make people more forgiving, He forgave them.  We can’t heal by shaming someone.  Perfect love casts out fear. 

The orphan spirit cannot be yanked out of a person, it must be displaced in a person.  If a person is going to quit acting so insecurely, their insecurity must be displaced by continued acceptance.

Alan D Wright

A simple example, a husband will not stop overworking if a wife keeps telling him how disgusted and disappointed she is with him.  It needs to come from a spirit of grace by conveying how much she does love being with him and how much the children enjoy time with him.

2            2. We enable positive change through the power of blessing.

Other than the Spirit of God, the most powerful force for change is recognizing how important a blessing is.  It is more important than positive reinforcement or even affirmation.  It has the prophetic power to bring incredible change in a person.  We only have to look at Issac’s blessing of Jacob to know how significant blessing is.  One of the things that I am so diligent about is praying over my children before they ‘hit the hay’!  Now, Jordan and I will have more conversations, but the other day he was driving to Pickering and I took the opportunity to pray a prayer of blessing over him and pray for 4 angels posted on every corner of that Neon!  I will pray into my children’s destiny, purpose  and God given gifts to enable them to be bright and shining lights for Him!  I have discovered that our blessing especially as father’s can be so empowering.  We are often a ‘man of few words’ so when we speak blessing, our wife and kids will be listening.  It will also directly empower them to love each other more as well.  It is contagious.  Discipline can also come in the form of a blessing if we look for the right opportunity.  Remember that it takes seeds to grow, so be patient and don’t look for immediate results although that can certainly happen.

3      3. Learn to help people embrace responsibility by treating them as if they’re owners, not slaves.

Alan writes, “slaves are valued for their productivity, whereas sons are valued for their position.”  Though I may ask my son to do some simple chores, the fact is that I give him more than he could ever give me.  Slaves also primarily motivated by rules and not by a relationship.  Sometimes a child is more motivated by consequences of the lack of obedience, but they are more motivated by reminding me of the promises I’ve made to them like, “ We will go for a timmies run when you are done…” However, what motivates us to work hard in life?  How can we encourage others without shaming them?  So, often even preaching becomes in essence, “try harder, do more, keep working at it”.  Something is missing though and Alan speaks of it as a revelation that he received.  He shares the story about a time he found one of the elders at his church working on a Saturday afternoon.  Alan shared with him, “you know that isn’t your job” to which he responded, “well, it needs to be done”.  He went on to say, “I guess it is just a matter of ownership.” 

Sharon is co-owner of Ninabrook and she works hard at her job.  She doesn’t watch the clock or even track her hours.  When you are a slave to your job it is all about putting in hours and usually doing the bare minimum.  However, when you are an owner, you deeply care about what you are doing.  It has your name attached to it and you are invested in it.  So, when Sharon has to pull a number of late night to switch over 400 items to their new website, she could begrudge it or know that it will take her business to the next level.

“And that is the moment the veil lifted.  Only free people own things.“ That is the difference between slaves and heirs.  If we look at what we are doing from the perspective of an owner, everything changes.  The key to inner motivation for others and ourselves is to be liberated.  When we look at the perspective of an owner, everything becomes an investment.  If we choose to go the other route and shame people, we will just produce slaves who watch the clock and do just what they are asked. If we threaten with our love and acceptance, we will never set them free.

The children of Israel’s focus to possess the Promised Land was the fuel for them to move forward and make it worth the fight.  We will fight for what we believe in and we need to fight right thought patterns and belief systems that God has given us.  

Romans 8:14-17 

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So if as a husband, I am frustrated with the sex life with my wife, I can choose to act in two ways.  I can either choose to get upset with her and tell her she is not a good wife or I can choose vulnerability, connect on a deeper level with her, choose to affirm her beauty and focus on genuine attraction.

Here is another example from being a father.  My children are my heirs, but until they take ownership of their lives, it is really no different than a master /slave relationship.  When I tell my kids to eat their ‘greens’ and they ask how many, it is still a slave/master situation.  When I tell my kids to clean up their room and they come back every few minutes and say, ‘Is thisgood enough?’ I know we are still stuck.  However, one day, I trust my kids will choose to eat fruits and vegetables as a result of their own desire to stay healthy and take charge of their own body.  I hope one day my kids will clean their room not because they have to but because they see how amazing it is when they can actually find everything they are looking for!  We are getting there, well, most of the time.

“As a parent, I have the responsibility to tell my kids what they must do. But I have a bigger goal in mind- helping them to grow up into an inheritance.  My short –term need is to give them rules, but my long-term goal is for them to live, not under the fear of the law, but under the joy of ownership”

Alan D Wright

I want to lead my children from a place of self-control through establishing principles to the place of Spirit-control where they act based on the prompting of the Holy Spirit in love.

I am a freedom fighter.  Therefore I want to treat people in a liberating way.  I want to escort them into freedom.  I want to treat others like owners.  We are co-heirs with Christ in the new kingdom. 

Some great final thoughts from Alan D Wright:

Who have I been trying to change?  Am I doing it God’s way or the enemy’s way?

We need to quit trying to convince ourselves that it’s wrong to want other people to change and start focusing on how we can help others change in a biblical way.  We need to start asking: What is the right way to motivate, empower, and spur people toward the changes that we know would be good for them and those that they touch.

Choose today to abandon the unhealthy ways that you try to change others with shaming tactics.  After  an honest evaluation of how I want people I love to change, I will apply biblical strategies and patiently await God’s work in them.

World AIDS Day moving from hopelessness to HOPE!

Last Sunday started by listening to Pastor James who is visiting here from the Apostolic Faith Mission in Butha Buthe, Lesotho share with me the story of Biko, named after activist Steve Biko.  Biko was one of the foster children who lived at the Thikuli foster home.  He was a young boy who died of HIV / AIDS at the age of 12.  He was born with HIV through transmission that took place at birth from his mother.  He was a boy on a mission and God gave him a passion to witness for Jesus.  James shared the story with me how up to two weeks before he passed into the presence of His Daddy Father God, he was sitting down with his principal and every teacher in his school to challenge them.  He sat down, leaned forward in his chair, looked them straight in the eyes and said, “do you know Jesus as your Savior?’.  He wanted to make sure that everyone knew his hope!  I share Biko’s passion for seeing people come to faith and God has blessed me through my relationships to lead two very good friends to Jesus.  I am so thankful for the “My Hope” campaign of Billy Graham which was such an instrumental tool.  We watched this one in particular. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyCtpoJFZSo

On Monday, I spent the evening with my swimming buddies at MoMondays in the EBar located above The Bookshelf on Quebec St.  My swim buddy, Mike Salisbury, oversees the event and does an amazing job.  This month they partnered with the Guelph AIDS committee to feature speakers as part of their AIDS awareness week events.  I listened to some heavy and tough stories of people who are dealing with HIV on a daily basis.  I heard one lady share about losing her husband in ’95 to HIV / AIDS and she is still here because they finally found a cocktail of antiretrovirals in time for her. I listened to a man still living HIV positive and now living a normal life 25 years later.  I listened to a young lady share how she has lived with both of her parents HIV positive from the time she was born.  Miraculously she was born HIV negative.  All of their stories had a common thread.  They or their loved ones were told to get their “house in order” and prepare to die.  However, they are still here, sharing their story and hopefully as awareness and education continue will be the champions of overcoming the stigma associated with this disease.

Last night I attended Bracelet of Hope’s World AIDS day event at the River Run Center.  Check out the highlights here.

During the event, Dr. Anne Marie didn’t mince her words as she told us how her life was changed forever after travelling to Lesotho  with OHAfrica, a medical team that helped open the first HIV and AIDS clinic in Hlotse, Lesotho.  She spoke about being an “Italian mother” who was “pissed off”!  She shared how she came home and screamed about the injustice to her children, her family and her community and they listened and responded and how the 1^st million dollars came in for this foundation.  

She told the story of Makhauta, one of the children in the Thikuli foster home that I had the

amazing opportunity to visit.

She shared about Andy McDougall who is one of Bracelet of Hope’s workers in Lesotho.

"I put my hands on Makhauta’s small shoulders and asked if she was well. She is not. The nausea has returned, and her feet and legs are swollen and painful. They think it is the meds again.  They  have her scheduled for a checkup at the hospital next week. I have a really bad feeling about Makhauta’s future.  Not something based on fact, or science, or something that someone has told me. Just a really dark feeling that I could not shake throughout our visit today.

I am worried for her, and for my friends back home who know and love her.  But mostly I am worried for her grandmother.  ‘M’e Mamatseliso loves all of the children at the foster home – it is so clear when you see her interacting with them.  But this is her granddaughter. ‘M’e Mamatseliso has lost children at the home to death before. And she has lost several of her own children, including Makhauta’s mother.  She is such a decent, loving woman who does what she does because of her love for kids. She doesn’t deserve this. But I feel strongly that this is something that is coming into her life regardless."

Then Dr. Anne Marie, whom I’m proud to say is my family doctor share,

I have watched children die of AIDS, many of them.   The trauma of it runs so deep that the memories are seared into my brain where they have dramatically changed who I am and what I do.  I emailed Andy and asked him which medications Makhauta was taking.  He headed back up the mountain to her foster home to find out.  She was taking the typical third world regimen, the cast off drugs no longer used in North America replaced now by more potent drugs that are easier to take with few side effects.  I knew that in two days, Bracelet of Hope was sending a team of business people from Guelph to Lesotho.  I also knew which medications Makhauta needed.  Three drugs combined into one pill of which Makhauta only needs half.  I called the pharmacist we call Saint Danny and asked him if he could get me a 4 month supply of this medication, Atripla. I would pay for it and convince my colleagues to take it with them to Lesotho.  Danny was in my office the next day, two bottles in hand, a smile on his face with a look of firm resignation.  There was no way he would let me pay for them. 

My colleagues did not hesitate to join our little initiative.  Makhauta's new medications were tucked into a safe place where they made their way to Lesotho and up the mountain to her foster home.

Half a pill.  Once a day.

And two weeks later, more words from Andy.  

"She has been on the new medications since the day the team arrived.  She is feeling terrific and her health is much improved.  And to date, Anne-Marie, none of the possible side effects you mentioned have appeared.  She just feels great and is back at school and busy being a regular kid. 

It was then time for Pastor James to share and he spoke about one man who shared how AIDS is like leprosy was even in the 50’s when they had no cure, but now it can be eradicated.  Then he shared with Pastor James that it will be the same for HIV AIDS.  Pastor James closed by sharing how God is doing some great.

This is what Bracelet of Hope is all about and so my week finished with great hope and expectation and why I am proud to be an advocate for this organization.  One country HIV / AIDS free because of one city Guelph and we will be a model for all the rest of Canada!

I am super excited that God also laid it on our hearts and provided a way for us to go back to Lesotho, but this time with our whole family along with our niece, Carla.  We will be working with the Apostolic Faith Mission in Butha Buthe, Bracelet of Hope and LXP Lesotho from March 10^th to April 6^th.  We can’t wait to discover what is in store as we endeavor to be another piece in the puzzle for the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho for the glory of God!

Some links to articles on HIV/ AIDs in Canada and Africa

http://globalnews.ca/news/997584/mother-to-child-hiv-rates-decreasing-but-adolescent-aids-up-alarmingly/

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/4248566-the-good-news-bad-news-story-of-hiv-today/

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

There is nothing as amazing as winning a championship even if it is a recreation hockey league.  I have been on the ice to score the empty net goal to seal the victory and I have also been the guy that gets stopped by the goalie's glove hand to only watch the other team pour off the bench and celebrate.  However if I let that sinking feeling of not being able to score when the game is on the line to dominate my thoughts, it can be paralyzing in future opportunities that I am given.

It was this same mentality that Randy Clark spoke of this weekend as I attended the Supernatural Conference on healing and evangelism at the Embassy in Oshawa.  He shared how if you let the agony of defeat keep you down in praying for the sick, you'll never have a healing ministry.  The challenge was are we ready to count the cost and pay the price?  I believe with all my heart that physical healing is provided for in the atonement of the cross of Jesus Christ as prophesied in Isaiah 53.  I want to share with you a summary of what God has been downloading in my spirit as I continue to be stretched in the area of healing.

The following is not meant to be a stereotype the following beliefs, but is a quick view of how the majority of those in different belief systems on how they see healing work:

Catholic -  Only saints with enough virtue to pray for healing have any real value in praying for the sick and I am no saint!

Protestant - Healing is not normative so don't expect it.  It is a rare thing and this gift is really no longer in operation today.

Liberal - God doesn't do miracles like this anymore because He won't break the laws of nature to accomplish it.

And then there are those who really want to see healing and believe it does happen.

Why don't more of us pray for healing?

1.  Intellectual challenges.  We want answers on why one person is healing and another in the same condition isn't.    The honest answer is, "I don't know."

2.  Pride challenges.  We don't want to be disappointed or pray with believing faith and be let down or let down others.   Do you want to know how to stay humble?  Pray for the sick.
3.  Emotional challenges.  We don't like to be sad or deal with the pain associated with it.  This ministry is 'others' focused.  The cross for us is to walk with Jesus in this kind of ministry and to deal with the pain, the suffering and disappointment when it doesn't happen.

Gordon Fee speaks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is "the power to see the miraculous AND the power to persevere when your miracle doesn't appear."

There are a lot of heartaches in this kind of ministry.  If you allow disappointment to stop you, you won't know the miracle of seeing when miracles really do happen!

When someone significant passes away do you move into despair or do you go for this ministry even harder?

The realization is that most people won't pursue it, but God is calling us to be His instruments to be used for His purposes and healing is such a powerful one especially in bringing people to life in Jesus.

Healing Testimonies!

Revelation 19:10  For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

God can cause faith to rise up in you as you listen to the testimony of Jesus and what He has done in others.
The testimony of what God has done can bring healing!  You can be healed by just listening and hearing the stories of God's healing in others and Randy's website is chalk full of them.  http://globalawakening.com/

My son Rylan wanted to come to the conference and was absolutely mesmerized by the video stories.  He said to me, "Dad, you can go to the conference and then come home and train me!"  I love his faith.  Well, last night, as video stories were shared, people in attendance were experiencing healing even before they were prayed for.  One lady who was wheelchair bound for many years with fibromyalgia got up out started walking down the aisle.  She couldn't feel anymore pain.  I know what you thinking, 'no way, it's just hype'.  All the typical things that come to mind like repetitive music and a preacher with white shoes working the crowd into a frenzy, but it wasn't like that.  Randy was just speaking in a conversation like tone and the Spirit of God was moving!!

We need to keep telling the stories and not just at church.  The example was given of how a  hairdresser who wasn't a Christian had a client who shared she had cancer with her.  The hairdresser responded by saying, "you need to go to Bethel (name of the church), I hear a lot of people are getting healed there!"
The atmosphere is created by our living testimonies.

In Luke 8:42-48, we learn about the lady who had been 'subject to bleeding' for 12 years.  She gets healed by touching the hem of Jesus' cloak.  The only reason that she couldn't go unnoticed was that she was 'trembling' as a result of the power of God flowing through her.  I'm sure she had heard about the healing that took place only a few chapters in Luke 6 by word of mouth.

The takeaway for us is to tell our kids how God has worked in our lives, it is the power of our testimony that will activate faith and keep it strong!

Ok, so here is my testimony and a few stories from this weekend.  I still have one more session to go though...

As Randy taught us to pray for healing, he challenged us to listen for words of knowledge.  After he asked people to stand who wanted pray for healing and Sharon stood as she has been dealing with really bad sciatica.  He then challenged people around them to pray with the use of the diagnostic...basically ask questions and listen to what God is saying.  Sometimes we just go right into prayer without first taking that time to hear what the Spirit is saying to us.  I took time to listen and then prayed for Sharon and the LORD brought tears to my eyes and my body overcome to the point of heaves as I cried out.  I prayed with words of declaration affirming God's promises and spoke directly to her pain.  The pain then reached her head and I laid hands on her forehead and continued to pray over her mind.  God gave me so much love for her in that moment and it deepened our intimacy in such an amazing way.  It really was breakthrough for me as it showed me how much He loved her and how much love I have in my heart for her and how His love flows through me.

A lady we met at lunch kept hearing the song, "Footloose" as we ate together and then realized that it was a word from God for me.  She was too embarrassed to tell me that I was supposed to read the lyrics to the song so she came later to tell me while we were in the next session.  I had a good laugh because I know that song well from the 80s and it absolutely spoke to me.

This morning Robert, a man who just exudes love and who moves in the prophetic pulled Sharon and me aside.  We reached out to take his hand but he insisted on taking our hands and then he placed our hands together.  He said that our next ministry will be one that we will be joined together in.  He then told me that I have an evangelistic heart.  (It happens to be my top gift in the fivefold gifts.)  He then spoke of Sharon having a spirit in her to change the atmosphere.  He then read from Scripture, Revelation 3:7-13, as a promise over us and spoke of open doors that no one could shut.  It felt like an incredible confirmation of more ministry ahead as he spoke of us being pillars in the temple of God.  It was a great impartation and we are so excited for God's continued leading in our lives!

A New Chapter Begins!

This is a picture that I took while in Nepal travelling with Partners International.  It actually made the cover of their Christmas gift catalog a few years back!!

Today I start a new role with Partners International www.partnersinternational.ca as a "Development Representative' for southwestern Ontario.  I had the opportunity to meet the team I will be working with and deeply respect on Tuesday.  I had lunch with the president, Brent Mitchell and the director of development, Kevin MacKay. I listened to the projects that makes Partners' heart beat!  I listened as team members shared what targets they are trusting for in raising funds and awareness.  I listened as they continue to focus on a great opportunity for donors to give through the "Hope In Action" catalog.  You can give online @  www.hopeinaction.ca

PI Canada empowers local organizations that have a vision for holistic Christian ministry that impacts all dimensions of life. They work in many areas of mission and development, but have focused on seven primary operating categories:

7 Focus Areas:

• Children at Risk
• Education
• Christian Witness
• Entrepreneurship
• Health & Wellness
• Justice Issues
• Women’s Issues

Partners International

They develop long-term relationships and work through local Christian partners or indigenous ministries who bring the love of Jesus to thousands of vulnerable children, women and people groups. They are serving the physical and spiritual needs of poor people in some of the most remote communities in the world.  The primary area of focus that they work in is the 10-40 window.  You can read more about this part of the world at  http://www.joshuaproject.net/10-40-window.php

Through their partners they share and demonstrate God’s love in the world’s difficult places, often in a context of poverty. They feed children, help women start small businesses, develop clean water programs, establish churches that will care for entire villages and fight social injustice and I have seen it first hand and wholeheartedly have been supporting and giving to this ministry since 2007.  The crazy thing is that I had already been meeting with Kevin and Phil Dempster, a PI International Rep, who I knew from my church in Milton prior to leaving Grace.  I had already committed to serving with this organization in some form or capacity before my trip to Lesotho and now it is official!

A 'Venture Capital-like' organization!

I will be meeting with church missions teams along with pastors to talk about being 'partners' to come alongside ministries that in many ways resemble a 'venture capital' opportunity.

Partners often is one of the first organizations into a new area ready to build the infrastructure before 'major' non-profit players come in and set up shop.  They are on the ground in the early stages for many high potential growth start up ministries that are led by nationals with amazing personal vision and passion!

Howdy Partner!

You can be a partner and don't underestimate what you can do with a simple gift that can rescue a young girl out of the sex trade industry in Moldova.  You can free a modern slave out of generational debt in Pakstan.  You can put a teacher in a classroom for an entire term in Nigeria.  You can help support a national pastor as I do starting at $35- month in India.  Don't underestimate what your gift can do in these amazing countries where God is working through men and women with amazing vision.

Here are just a few of the stories of people that I met and if you want to be part of a vision trip like this, don't hesitate to contact me!!

Partners In Kolkota, India

So, here here we are back in Kolkota after a whirlwind tour of ministry in West and North Bengal. On Saturday, we met Vivek at the airport who whisked us off to his ministry in the city. It was there we were able to minister in two services to children and youth. He personally runs a ministry that reaches 350 youth and children. Each week these street children come to their home, actually their rooftop to be ministered to! All of the children come from Hindu homes. So, we shared the gospel and to get the point across this time, I talked about our Father who gives good gifts. If we ask for bread, would our earthly fathers give us a stone…so I took some stones and put them in my mouth, that got a good reaction, but more importantly hopefully we left a vivid image. Phil left clothing and we were able to give candy out! One little girl did a traditional dance for us. She was a little beauty!!

Ministry on the Sunderband Islands, India

I travelled to the southern islands outside of Kolkata. It was quite an experience as we travelled 4.5 hrs by vehicle, then a 45 minute boat ride followed by a 30 minute ride on a bike to where we met up with the evangelists that minister in this remote village area. I actually took a turn riding the bike that pulled us on a rickshaw.

The children sang for us as we were crowded into a house and they also sang inside, outside, upside, downside happy all the time! These children are sponsored thanks to the generous giving of the sponsored children of Partners. One of the evangelists that work here is Biswanath Mondal who has one lame foot due to polio and another man who lost his arm in an accident while travelling on a city bus. It was a testimony to the fact that uses those who the world might consider the weak to do his mighty work! Phil and I shared with the children that we are all part of God's family because we are all adopted into it. For lunch with ate rice, lentil, fish, sweet tomatoes and rice balls filled with sugar!

Ultimate Frisbee In Satali, North Bengal

Today we arrived at the home and ministry of Nicholas Narjinary. They minister to people of the Boro people as well as the Garo people. The primary focus of Nicholas is over 67 cell/ church groups in North Bengal. They plant about 20 -30 churches amongst these tribes every year. Are you kidding me!!  We arrived by train just after 8am, had breakfast and then we were ministered to by the children in the orphanage here. There are presently 86 children that Nicholas and his wife have taken in!! I had the opportunity to speak to the children about our ‘Abba Father’ and we had fun as I taught about trust by having a few children fall backwards off the podium into our arms. It is my subliminal way of teaching them how to body surf! They fed us so well and then in the afternoon Phil and I had time to be ‘jungle gyms’ for the kids. Thanks to Tarun, I was able to teach the kids ultimate Frisbee and they caught on real fast. It was a blast. We also took the opportunity to take the motorbikes for a spin. They were bought by Partners ‘Harvest Of Hope’ campaign to help the local evangelists in their ministry.

jackninaber@gmail.com or jack.ninaber@partnersinternational.ca

More about PI

Partners International Canada is part of a global alliance with offices in the UK, Japan, Australia, Singapore and the USA. Together we work in over 56 nations in partnership with over 120 indigenous Christian agencies. Our long experience in cross-cultural, cross-border partnerships has provided us with the expertise to provide the right resources at the right time to ensure Christian ministry growth while maintaining and ensuring our partner’s organizational health and long term viability.

Give me a shout @ 226-979-0676 to learn more about this amazing ministry.  I would love to talk about it personally with you or come to your church to share about it for free, yes free indeed!

Blessings,

Jack!