"WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT... THINK ON THESE THINGS" PHIL. 4:8

Welcome! What a pleasure it is to be in touch with you again. The FMI Report always documents the previous month's activities. We would also like to thank all those of you who have been forwarding these messages to your friends and family. 

In This Month's Report:
* Editorial - "Seeing and Doing More in 2004"
* Feedback - great testimonies of God's power at work 
* Dec. Events - ICA and New Zealand
* Dec. Ministry - our ministry activities over the last month
* Tips and Resources - The Lord of the Rings...
* Products - order "Watch What You Worship"  (see link below)
* Partnership - invest in God's program for the Northeast of America

We would love to hear from you, so send us your feedback today. Don’t forget the ever-popular 'GOD THOUGHTS' at the end of this report. Enjoy! JB

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and notwithstanding go out to meet it." - Thucydides

INTRODUCTION

About this time every year, many 'prophets' come out, 'guns blazing,' with all kinds of forecasts for the coming year. Some are meaningful; some are sharp; some are nebulous and could apply to any season. God is a God of times and seasons (Ecc. 3), but I wonder if He conforms Himself to humanity's division of the progression He has set in motion in the universe that we call time. Millions around the world celebrate New Year's Eve with pyrotechnic displays worth millions of dollars, not at the same instant, but whenever midnight may fall in their particular time zone. One of the biggest nights of the year for man may be a source of amusement for God, "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.... " (Psalm 2:4).

HEARING HIM HERE AND NOW

The foretelling aspect of prophecy is important but forth-telling is perhaps more important. I am persuaded that the Lord is more interested in talking to us about our current state, rather than wanting His prophets to be 'fortune tellers' and much of the predictive prophecy in the Bible is conditional anyway. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God's healing of the land depends on us following His ways ("If My people..."). In the book of Jonah, the great calamity that the Lord had predicted for Nineveh could be averted if the people changed their ways. So, if we heed His voice for the here and now, then tomorrow will take care of itself.

IT'S UP TO US!

The 'fortunes' of the new year will depend largely on our ability to walk out 2 Chronicles 7:14. Whatever transpires may be waiting for our response before it is decreed from heaven to happen. There's little doubt that we are living in "perilous times" (2 Timothy 3:1), but that probably relates more to a world which does not have the hope that lies in Christ. However, all of us will experience some degree of triumph and tragedy this year, hopefully more of the former, but regardless of what happens, we must be prepared to handle both in a way that pleases the heart of God. Our heart's right response can give us victory in any situation, whether good or bad. The future of 2004 is ours for the making if our free will conforms with God's will.  

HOW SHOULD WE LIVE?

I have determined that in this coming year, I will continue to do more to edify and build wider unity in the Body of Christ here in the Northeast of America, where the Lord has called me to deposit most of my energies, and wherever else He may lead. I will pursue covenantal relationships with other leaders so that we can stand with each other for any specific cause, but if one is absent, our friendship in Christ can be an end in itself. St. Augustine, one of the great early church fathers said, "All kinds of things rejoiced my soul in the company of my friends -- to talk and laugh and to do each other kindnesses; read pleasant books together, pass from lightest jesting to talk of the deepest things and back again; differ without rancor, as a man might differ with himself, and when most rarely dissension arose, find our normal agreement all the sweeter for it; teach each other or learn from each other; be impatient for the return of the absent, and welcome them with joy at their homecoming; these and such like things, proceeding from our hearts as we gave affection and received it back, and shown by face, by voice, by the eyes, and a thousand other pleasing ways, kindled a flame which infused our very souls and of many made us one. This is what men value in friends." 

HEARING AND DECLARING

One prophetic utterance that has been made recently regarding this coming year that I bear witness to is that 2004 will be a year of release and increase. At the New Year's Eve service at our church, I felt led to make this declaration for 2004, "We declare that we will be a reproducing, enemy reducing, Holy Spirit inducing, devil terrifying, Jesus magnifying multitude on a mission of multiplication for Kingdom duplication and God’s glorification!" You are welcome to invest your life in this declaration too! # 

"Hi Jeff - Thanks for the update on what you are doing ... great to see an Aussie doing very well overseas. Keep up the good work mate! Regards, Pastor Neil Scott, Queenland, Australia"

ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF APOSTLES (ICA) SUMMIT, DALLAS, TEXAS - I find this event to be one of the most stimulating on my annual calendar. Most conferences feature three or four keynote speakers, but this summit specializes in four panels every day comprised of five key people in a particular area of expertise speaking for ten minutes each, followed by a question and answer time. This means that you might hear from up to 70 different leaders from almost every nation throughout the whole event. The nights are deliberately left free for relationship building and networking.

ICA is co-coordinated by Dr. Peter Wagner, John Kelly and Chuck Pierce, and during this summit I had the joy of catching up with many of my Australian colleagues who were present including Allan Langstaff, David and Marie Cartledge, and Chris and Carol Peterson. 

ICA currently has about 340 active members from almost every nation around the world. Some Nigerian members have churches that are in the millions.

NEW ZEALAND VISIT - I took the last two weeks in December off to go to New Zealand to catch up with family and friends. This is the country where I was born and raised before moving to Australia. I lived exactly half my life in each of these places before moving to America almost five years ago.

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. It was the setting for the enormously popular 'Lord of the Rings' films, which have been a major boost to New Zealand's burgeoning film and tourist industries. This small nation of about 3,500,000 people has had a relatively large impact on the world, particularly in science, sports and the arts.

Among other good friends, I was able to catch up with Paul and Marie DeJong, pastors of Christian Life Centre Auckland. We worked with them at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia for many years before they pioneered this church twelve years ago. This contemporary and vibrant church is now running about 2,500 people.

Snow in the Northeast in early December caused all scheduled ministry to be postponed or cancelled. The second part of the month was taken up with vacation time New Zealand, the country of my birth, catching up with family and friends.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS, 'The Return of the King' launched at Christmas-time - "a stroke of marketing genius, and a combination that is both intriguing and significant". Evangelism Ron Hutchcraft has written a short evangelistic message linking the two. It is available for non-commercial republication. http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/editorials/ring.php

OFFICE DOWNLOADS for Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word - no-pay downloads including PowerPoint templates: http://www.theofficeexperts.com/downloads.htm

WATCH WHAT YOU WORSHIP

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