The Visionary - April May 2008
April 24th, 2008
Welcome to this Edition of “The Visionary”. Did you know? YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED beyond any measure you can imagine, and why not, for He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or even think. What a promise – What a God!
we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Eph 3:20
In this edition we have our “Word from Ken” − a report from our international conference, on ministering to Muslims − news on this year’s Vision Seminar − in May, we are floating the idea of a “Vision Graduation” as an option − our student honor roll − and we welcome a new Resource Centre and look forward to a big new year.
In May of 2007 we had the first Vision Seminar with Dr. Stan DeKoven accompanied by Rev. Dr. Ken Chant. The seminar was a huge success and we have the opportunity of having Stan with us in May again. The date is 17th May 2008. Dr. Stan will be teaching on Grief and Loss Recovery. The seminar will be held in the new Campbelltown arts centre.
The fees are $75.00 and the “early bird discount” is $65.00, cut off date is Friday 2nd of May. If you would like to volunteer to help on the day, please give Trish a call on 9829 1340. Volunteers will be needed.
St. Jesus?
Isn’t it strange that in scripture all the leaders of the early church are called saints, except Jesus ─ yet they were but shadows of him! Likewise, in history, many people have been designated “saints” (St Aiden; St Christopher; etc), yet no one ever says “St Jesus”!
Perhaps that is because Jesus did not (and does not) match the popular image of what a “saint” should be – haunted, emaciated, unworldly, heroic in achievement and sacrifice, scornful of ordinary pleasures and life, divorced from daily reality.
But we should make Jesus our model, not church tradition! He affirmed life, enjoyed human concourse, delighted in banquets and festivals, and demonstrated that it is fully possible to serve God within the framework of normal human activities, both in work and in play.
Indeed, we should never forget this vital fact – Jesus began his life on earth as a natural man, not as a supernatural man. What does that mean?
The Church has always maintained both the full humanity and the full deity of Jesus. That is, orthodox doctrine claims that Jesus is
- one person (the Eternal Logos),
- with two natures (human and divine),
- and probably a single will (that of the Logos),
but that during the years of his incarnation he confined himself to those attributes and strengths that are proper to human nature.
Therefore, at no time during the 33 years of his incarnation did he make use of any ability that is proper only to the Deity. Only after his resurrection did he resume all the prerogatives of God. Prior to that glorious triumph, he lived as a normal man.
How then did he do his mighty works? Answer: by discovering his true identity in God, and by utilising the resources available to him through scripture and the Spirit.
In this, as in all things, he set us an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
We welcome another new Resource Centre at Riverwood. NeXgen Resource Centre, Organization City, Riverwood, with Pastor Cynthia Hobson. We pray that their Recourse Centre and yours will grow and flourish and your church grow from strength to strength.
We recognise and honour these students who have graduated so far this year. “Well done you good and faithful students…” Your investment into the Kingdom of God is worthwhile. We pray that you will see rich blessings in your ministry, in your lives and in the lives of those you minister to.
Joyce Lammerant……Certificate of Biblical Study…………………….Canada
Shane McIlhagga…….Certificate in Biblical Studies…………………..NSW
Ben Corneteg…………Associate in Biblical Studies…………………..NSW
Joan Elstone………….Associate in Biblical Studies with Honours….NSW
Sammy Watt…………Diploma of Theology…………………………….Singapore
Linda Garnee…………Diploma of Theology…………………………….USA
Mathew Byfield…..Certificate IV in Christian Ministry……NSW
Valma Dean………Certificate III in Biblical Studies……….NSW
Rhonda Dittrich….Certificate III in Biblical Studies……….NSW
Andrew Miller……..Certificate IV in Christian Ministry……Japan
Until the present time we have not held a graduation ceremony, preferring instead to allow churches with a resource Centre to hold their own graduation ceremony. Also, we have allowed individual students to elect to receive their award by mail directly or have it posted to their Pastor for a local church presentation. These options will never change. It is not possible for a distance education ministry to hold a graduation ceremony and insist that all students should attend, hence the local church presentation or graduation is a most valuable experience.
However we are floating the idea that for those who can attend a central graduation service it should be made available. We would love to see many of our resource centres come together for a grand night of celebration, to meet with each other and enjoy the blessings that flow from such a ceremony. For individual students to be able to meet each other will also be a powerful experience and may help to forge relationships in the Lord that will last a lifetime.
I would like you to consider this and contact us, by phone, by email, individually or through your resource centre and let us know. Would you attend a Vision Graduation Ceremony?
Report from Gail and Brian
Gail and Brian are our World Zone Leaders in Western Europe and do a wonderful job evangelizing and teaching. Their location and ministry brings them into contact with many Muslims inside and outside Muslim countries, Here are few of their insights from the Vision Conference (copied from notes taken by Alison Chant) –
95% of the world’s population or, 3.1 billion people of the unreached peoples live in the 10/40 window (that is, a band of countries just north and just south of the equator).
2 billion have never heard of Jesus. Only 5% of mission money goes here where there are 1.6 billion Muslims.
These are the last great block of people to be reached by the gospel.
There are times and seasons in God, and terrorism has changed the world. This allows us to seize new opportunities. Muslims are questioning their faith. Muslim countries are being put under the microscope of public opinion. This has changed the attitude of the police in some Muslim countries − instead of watching the Christians, now they are watching the mosques to catch terrorists.
Increasing persecution of the Christians is causing the church to grow. As well, 1 in 3 Muslim converts is being saved through a vision or a dream. There is a collective consciousness in the Muslim world that goes back to Ishmael and Esau and makes them familiar with the biblical accounts.
Training is done better by story rather than a lecture. “Tell the story of Abraham and the promise.” Ishmael (God hears) was son of Kedar, who was ancestor of Mohammed.
Inside the temple of the Temple Mount outside Jerusalem there are these words written in Arabic - Read and understand, “God is one and he has no son” This is what Muslims believe.
Esau and Jacob – Esau’s blessing is that he will serve his brother and fight with him. Terrorism comes from Esau feeling ripped off by Jacob. The voices of Muslims are crying out for a place in the world.
Ishmael and Esau were linked by marriage. Both were robbed of blessing and inheritance and in the modern they are again feeling deprived. There are two responses:
- Searching for God as Father or
- Bitterness showing itself by terrorism and hatred.
Isaiah chapter 19. God is moving his pieces around. A highway is to be created in the region. Egypt, Assyria and Israel are to worship together.
Other brief reports from the conference –
From China
25,000 are receiving Christ daily. The underground churches are flourishing. There are enough Bibles for all though they are very plain. There are no special Bibles with extra information available unless they are brought in. We are asked to be discreet about spreading information.
From Africa
Utilising Vision graduates, 5,000 churches now established each about 70 strong. The pastors are brought in for further training every two months. Dr. Steve Mills is taking care of them.
Degree Accreditation in the USA
An initial application was declined by the accrediting body, but the American college is pursuing several other options. In the meantime Vision has already achieved full accreditation for undergraduate programmes, and in some cases graduate degrees, in several countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.
Prayer Points
- Travel blessings for Ken and Alison as they go to Adelaide in May
- Our Seminar with Dr. Stan in May
- Our missions program in Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal and India
- Our accreditation in May, we are up for review
- The staff of the college, Steve, Trish, Ruby and myself and Rosalind
- Continued finance for the colleges
The Final Word
We have a heavy year ahead of us − the seminar and the accreditation in May − in June I will be off to the Philippines and in August to the UK to set up our college − and in October or November to Nepal and India, again to set up colleges. In May, Ken and Alison go to Adelaide then later in the year they will visit our colleges in China and they will also be off to Israel and the USA.
None of this “globe trotting” is a holiday. We go where we are called to achieve what God has placed in our hands. We hope to see individual lives changed, families restored, churches strengthened, colleges established, cities enriched, nations affected and the Kingdom of God continuing to march on. Not because “I” was there, not because “Ken and Alison” were there, but because God does what God will do and we are willing to be a part of it.
While we are planning it always seems that there is never enough money. It does bother us. We do worry and others will tell us we should not, ought not to… etc. The cacophony of protest from doubters can drown your faith and stir your heart in the worst way.
I have learned that I need to sit down and count the cost before I begin. It is not really a “money matter”, but it is so true that finances must be considered. It is not a “man power” matter, even though I need to check the resources that are available. It seems to me that by “counting the cost” I can discover whether or not I have enough faith to trust God in the matter. If I cannot find sufficient faith to believe for the matter then I cannot afford to go into this battle, and sometime it is so.
For at the end of the day it is a “God matter”. When I know in the faith that God has given me that He will provide for what He wants, then in the noisy clanging of life, amid the voices of the prophets of doom and gloom, I can find a place of peace. That peace is found in the surrender of my soul to the will of God. It seems to me that this is something that occurs issue by issue, over and over again.
And THEN over and over again God proves Himself and provides from His great riches in Heaven. In that place there will always be abundance and some to spare.
It is not a matter that there is enough for Ken and Alison because they are such anointed ones. It is not a matter that there is enough for myself and our staff because we are doing remarkable things in him. It is a matter that no matter how much is needed there will ALWAYS be more than enough because we are choosing to do what he wants to do when he wants us to do it.
We all face the same issues no matter how “big” or “small” we are. As a parent, or a pastor, a businessman or a leader, or a salesperson in a department store we all face the same faith issues, there never seems to be enough. Our heavenly Father, it seems to me, presents us with these opportunities to trust Him, time upon time. He does so firstly, in the “little things” of our everyday life, and then increasingly so in bigger issues. Then, as we show ourselves faithful in small things, bigger doors will open.
President and Founder
Rev. Dr. Ken and Dr. Alison Chant: 02 96238474 or
email kdchant@vision.edu
Vision Christian College’s
Ps Denis Plant: 02 9829 1340,
PO Box 84, Macquarie Fields, NSW, 2564
Web site http://www.internetbiblecollege.com
email: visioncc@bigpond.net.au
