JirehScope Ministries

Divine Appointments

2008-09-21T20:18:00.009-04:00

Well it has been a busy month for sure. God has really been opening doors lately, and I want to encourage you to be LOOKING for Him to 'set things up'... KINGDOM things... things of value... relational things. I also want to encourage anyone who has been experiencing the 'I don't know how this is going to happen' syndrome with 2 things; 1. If its GOD, he KNOWS how to make it happen... and 2. EXPECT Him to make it happen, be in tune to Him 'setting things up'... Whatever that may mean, be intentional in your awareness of divine relationships and appointments.

I can remember when writing the vision for JirehScope Ministries, (a vision that in part was about waiting on God... revering God... and truly seeking His face and an INTIMACY with Him) I remember half thinking and half praying, "How are we going to find the ones (churches, pastors, people) that are truly in a place to 'catch hold' of this call to deeper intimacy? In a time of where waiting on anything isn't a 'popular' idea, where would we find those who are going to catch hold of 'waiting' on God... In a time where 'feel good worship' (which I'm not opposed to, in balance) can be the 'mainstay' of our worship, will we lose sight of the depth and reverence that worship needs to also be sometimes? In a time where so many say, "I'm a Christian but I struggle to hear or sense God's leading" how can we expect to ever connect with those who are knowingly or unknowingly yearning to grab hold of a new life changing level of worshipping and seeking Him INTIMATELY? Well... when I was done thinking/praying this I sensed the comfort of Him saying, 'Don't worry... they'll find you.' God continues to bring relationships along and prove His faithfulness to that answer. This past Sunday was yet another wondrous example.

A month or so ago, I met a most amazing family who's heart for the Lord and for pursuing His Presence has grown increasingly obvious, and it was readily apparent to each of us that God was knitting 'something' together... and our hearts were a 'part' of that something. I had the privilege of ministering at this church this past Sunday, and in light of recent contact I'm confident in saying it was a blessed day for all involved... I was GREATLY blessed and enjoyed the unity I sensed of 'hunger' for Him... and we were blessed because I believe God sensed the hunger too... and He is SUCH a good Father. (He takes care of the hungry and sees that they are filled.) His Presence was very sweet and I kept thinking of Ps 133 How good it is when we dwell together in unity... its like oil running down... and fresh dew... and best of all, in that place of coming together in unity it is there that 'the Lord bestowes His blessings.' And He did... and it all started with a 'chance' meeting.

There was NOTHING chance about it... and THIS is what I hope to encourage you with and create a greater awareness of. Back in July GOD orchestrated this meeting... which has lead to conversations, and iron sharpening iron, and mutual charging in the faith, and KINGDOM minded things, including worshiping together this past Sunday. While I'm incredibly thankful that He did, when I look back at some other 'appointments,' I also have remorse for other 'meetings' that were 'missed opportunities.' We need to be sensitive in all things... even sensitive to ask and seek God with 'Lord what do you have in mind here? Why did You cause us to meet?' The Bible is full of God directing peoples paths to create opportunities to meet, encourage, rebuke, invest, impart, evangelize, minister to, heal, prophesy, create partnerships, baptize, lay hands, train, mentor, cast out demons, etc... etc... The good news is God NEVER misses an appointment... His timing is PERFECT! O Lord that we would be sensitive to your leading in all things and in turn MEET your requirements, agendas, and timeframes... That we would BELIEVE You to set things up... EXPECT You to set things up and BECAUSE of that expectancy... be READY and IN TUNE to You when they come.

"Father, I know that You could change MY life or the life of someone else that I cross paths with today... in fact You could partner me with another today to impact the lives of MANY for Your Kingdom. Lord, because I expect to be put in places of divine encounters... because You prepare our steps... I PRAY for the meetings and encounters that YOU have already planned. Help me to walk obediently INTO them and give me sensitivity to KNOW them when they come, and then to SEEK You for Your purposes in them. In Jesus Name!"

Be encouraged... one last thing... I remember God showing me a picture in Mexico... I had been realizing how God puts people in place for Kingdom purposes... and when I went to pray for MORE of these... when I began praying for 'releases' of divine appointments for KINGDOM purposes... He challenged me by saying, 'you've seen me place one hear and one there... but don't you know there is NO number to great for me to accomplish in a moment...' and I then saw a picture of 'a hand at a switchboard...' I knew it to be a symbol of His hand... and I watched as in an instant CONNECTIONS too great for me to count or number were just DONE by Him... and I prayed immediately with great faith and expectancy only to be surprised by how quickly my burden for that city in Mexico changed... we prayed, and it was NOT a long prayer by my standards, BUT I realized that because we had seen and sensed His call and been empowered by His vision which brought a realization of HIS power to perform IN AN INSTANT, after a 'relatively' short prayer I sensed His peace and a TREMENDOUS release of burden and I sensed Him saying 'you got it'... and then He proceeded to IMMEDIATELY walk US into several 'divine encounters' RIGHT THEN to bless and encourage our mission team. Don't EVER underestimate His ability to move. He's an 'Infinate God.'

Be Blessed and a Blessing!

Troy

Perseverance

2008-09-05T23:04:00.008-04:00

God meets you when you push through... August was a very full month for me and JirehScope (Though Sept. is looking even busier!) As I was thinking about some of the highlights and what you might all like to read about I was reminded of how God moved while ministering at youth camp when I was in a very weak state... but willing to push through. Thought this is something we ALL need to be reminded of occassionally.

All in all, Pine Brook camp was amazing this year. (as it was last year!) I HIGHLY recommend this camp to anyone looking to send their children to a Bible focused INCREDIBLY fun and WELL RUN youth camp... and I should mention, wonderful food... both for the body and for the spirit! I was privileged enough to be welcomed back this year to bring some music and preach for 6 consecutive nights to a group of roughly 100 youth in Shutesbury MA... It was intense. Each night building off of the previous... and each muscle sore-ness growing deeper and wider with each passing day of activities.

As wonderful as the week unfolded to be, the first night was an ABSOLUTE FLOP! (Yes, I know... I can hear some of you saying, this is not a great way to start your blog and generate support... but it is the truth.) That said, I truly believe this 'misfortune' on the first night of teaching was part of God's plan and a means for ME to experience some of what I was sharing with the youth that week... persevering! It also held a unique blessing in disquise.

The second night I literally apologized to the youth... and made a reference back to a statement that was made about being "12 strokes behind by the 9th hole" because... that's where I felt like I was. Not only was this apology warmly accepted but some of the leadership said that they truly felt that was a HUGE lesson to the youth and one that made me VERY approachable to them. And while it was comforting to be praised for showing humility and taking responsibility without 'ignoring' or 'making excuses,' the bottom line was... it was the right thing to do and God honored. Lives were touched and much prayer occured on the second night of teaching.

The rest of the week was very meaningful and yet physically, mentally and emotionally challenging for me as I strove to be involved with the youth and their activities as much as possible and burning midnight oil in prayer and preparation for the ministry nights... often grieving at night, saddened by the 'life situations' of some of the youth. And in addition this, being involved in EVERY form of physical competitions, biblical competition, and even POETIC competition for 'my teams.' (GO "Kariel and the Mixed Nuts!" and "Made of Metal") I was also growing sick as a result of some bite or 'very gross' leg infection. I was waking (when I DID get some sleep) with fever and sweats and just feeling lousy when I was sitting still... luckily, I DIDN"T sit still for long the entire week... but by the final night of ministry, I was running about a 102 temp and my leg was... well, DISGUSTING and in a great deal of pain. The nurse was pretty alarmed stating, "I've seen hundreds of these and thats a REAL good one!"

Those of you that know me know that I typically don't even contemplate medicine or 'sitting out' but... I really was wondering if I would be able to focus and was taking a 'fair amount' of ibuprophen... but, was going to trust He'd get us through. WOOHOO, trusting Him is THE single most 'focused' and intelligent thing you can EVER do. Guys when God puts you in a place where you can see His purpose and you are draining yourself to fulfill that purpose and you sense that the enemy is just attacking and you wonder whether you really can go on and be focused and fruitful... the single most intelligent thing you can do is TRUST and know that in OUR weakness (yet submitted state to Him) HIS strength is made perfect. (I read that somewhere... ;-)

Long story short... it was SOO worth persevering... That last night, He honored with amazing ministry time... some VERY focused ministry and specific prayer and direction that could've ONLY come from Him... several were responsive and came forward believing and recieving prayer and encouragement sensing a 'call to ministry' and I was COMPLETELY blessed to share salvation with a wonderful girl and watch what appeared to be years of hurt and hardness melt into amazing smiles of joy as the love of Jesus flowed... she would have been worth persevering for all by herself! Just imagine what YOUR persevering will be worth.

Thanks again to those of you supporting me in prayer as I go minister where God opens doors.

We're off to Mexico!

2008-06-25T00:13:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning, 5 30 am (woohoo!), 25 of us, including most of the JSM Team, along with some family and friends, leave for Juarez Mexico on our 2nd JirehScope Ministries Mission Trip. We're looking forward to continuing construction on an orphanage, holding Vacation Bible School for over 100 kids, and for the first time, ministering to the moms of those kids through bible study, testimony, and some special gifts just for them.

We thank you for your prayers throughout our trip, and look forward to what the Lord has in store for us while we're there!

Check back for some great stories when we get back, July 3rd!

-Brooke

A Weekend With Neil Anderson and an Opportunity to Give

2008-05-07T13:37:00.004-04:00

Hey Gang,

These past few weeks have been full of business, worship, recording, and conferences... Here's the lowdown.

My home church had back to back weekend conferenes... This past weekend I had the privilege of leading worship while nationally known and acclaimed author, teacher Neil Anderson (The Bondage Breaker, Victory Over the Darkness, Christ Centered Therapy, Freedom in Christ Home Page) was minstering in Cranston, RI at Word of Life Church. The weekend was full of the message of Christ's ability to deliver us from the things that hold us back in life. It was a wonderful experience to hear the great teaching and stories of such a veteran and leader in the topic of deliverance ministry.

Let's see... Another thing that I felt led to bring to you is about a family I met while out on the Mobile Loaves Truck with JirehScope. I was moved as I learned the story of a homeless family struggling to make ends meet with next to nothing. A family where mom is the sole parent and bread-winner... and one of her daughters is excelling in school. I saw the desire for a better life and heard the desire for the daughter to attend summer Bible camp. I must confess... something leapt within me as I heard this. I WANT HER TO GO... I don't necessarilly want to go into ALL the details of what this family came out of... but I believe God could use them and their testimony mightily and felt led to bring this need to you. If you have any questions feel free to comment to this blog OR better yet, email me at troybourne@jirehscopeministries.org Lets see if we can make an immediate difference in the life of a child and family

If you would like to get involved; Prayerfully send a check with "Summer Camp Fund" in the memo, to:

JirehScope Ministries

P.O. Box 114075

North Providence, RI 02911

Thanks... and bless you for any involvement. James tells us that religion that pleases the Father is to look after orphans and widows... those in need. This is just another form of worship!

ALL His Best!
Troy

Improving our blog... YOU can help

2008-05-02T20:12:00.003-04:00

Alright... so our blogging has been a little lethargic... until now. We have just invested some time in setting up RSS feeds for our blog with the intent of providing more consistent blogs with greater efficiency to access them.

What this means is:

You will now find a link on the jirehscopeministries.org homepage displaying recent blog posts and will be directed to our blog page (at blogspot.com) but WITHIN our jirehscope framework.
If you would like to be NOTIFIED of all blog posts you can SUBSCRIBE TO the blog by clicking on the RSS Feed Button. (its orange and says "subscribe in a reader") This will give you options to have notices placed on your yahoo page, google page, aol, or 'reader' of choice. You can ALSO choose to have the blog emailed directly to you. Check it out.
WE INTEND to be more intentional and frequent with our blogs. (after all this was a bit of work and research getting this all to work... you didn't think we did this for nothing, did you?)

Until now there has not been alot of feedback... but with our new 'feed' capability comes a desire to hear from you on content that you may appreciate. PLEASE bear in mind what Troy & the JirehScope Ministries team is about. With this in mind... we would be open to your ideas for what would constitute a 'blog' that you would want to visit frequently. Bible, ministry, music, worship, jirehscope's mission activities are all fair game... so let us hear what you might be interested in.

I will be blogging on my experiences from ministry, study and 'life'. Its actually been a while since I've been writing articles for past ministry newsletters and I'm looking forward to sharing with and HEARING FROM you the readers.

Come back soon...

Troy

Mens Night Out

2008-04-28T22:00:00.005-04:00

LASAGNA!! O man! If you are a male, love to eat and hear an encouraging word or song you HAVE to find out about this amazing recurring event that Bob Havey and Alan Seigel have 'cooked' up for men in South Easton, MA every other month... MENS NIGHT OUT!

I was privileged enough to minister for my second time at one of New Englands premier Christian men's events, Men's Night Out... and again, it was definately a highlight in regards to my appetite for ministry... as well as lasagna.

I was thankful for the opportunity to minister and for God's faithfulness in moving men closer to Him by His word, worship and a call. God moved powerfully as He prompted us with an invitation to be 'topped off' by the Holy Spirit, which was recieved and acted upon by many men that evening. It is SO encouraging to see men listen intently and respond to the Lord's prompting. I can't even say how much of a blessing it was for me to be there... I TOO was ministered to greatly.

Two things stuck out after that night. (Alright, three things... but I wasn't going to write about my 'abdomen' in this post.) I had many great conversations that evening with men who were sincerely wanting to be more for Christ. I prayed with one man who earnestly repeated over and over 'consume me.' CONSUME ME. It wasn't just the words... it was the fervor in them, and I couldn't help but reiterate in agreement... YES Lord, consume him... consume US. I couldn't help but think, we were created from dust... and God breathed life into us... and much like wood when it is consumed is reduced to dust or 'ash'... WE TOO are to be consumed. I found myself thinking of the energy that comes from fire... the 'heat'... the 'light'... the 'crackle' and embers that rise. Yes Father, THAT's what we want to bring warmth, light, energy, to 'snap' for you... and to let the heat of Your Presence carry us upward as we die to ourselves and live and burn brightly for You. Yes Lord, consume us. (thank you my friend... you know who you are... it is ALWAYS an encouragement to see men FOLLOWING HARD after Him... you blessed me!)

The second thing that stuck out about the evening was a sobering yet encouraging conversation which caused me to rethink some things a bit. Another gentleman that night spoke with me and reiterated a story that I had told that LAST time I ministered at Men's Night... and he remembered it WELL. It was a personal testimony... a story about a God encounter I had some time ago. He closed the conversation with, "that has always stuck with me." This hit me... the power of a personal testimony. I mean, not that I want to neglect personal testimonies BUT I would so rather speak of just HIM sometimes... HE is IT! Why bother wasting time speaking anything else and yet, how HE chooses to work with, mold and speak to us is ALSO amazing. I prayed with this gentleman that evening... that 'we' would have MANY encounters to share that would point men to Him and the amazing relationship that we CAN and SHOULD have with Him. The Word says that we should be iron that sharpens iron... Father, give us more of the stories of encountering You... AND the personal PASSION that goes into sharing those amazing moments... and as we share them, let it be YOU Father who is glorified and lifted up... and let THAT be the message that stays with the hearers. (again brother, thank you for your encouragment... keep pressing in to Him and seeking His Presence.)

God is on the move... lets move with Him!

ALL HIS BEST,
Troy Bourne

Mobile Loaves and Fishes

2007-12-04T14:49:00.003-05:00

It caught me by surprise how quickly the cold got under my skin and caused it to actually throb and ache with pain. The wind was brutal as it whipped down the streets of Providence last Saturday, the first day of December. Even though my fingers ached and my toes tingled from the cold my heart ached even more for the people that we met that day on the streets of Providence…the one’s that didn’t know if they would have a warm place to sleep that night or when they would get their next hot meal.

Last Saturday some of the JirehScope Ministry Team took to the streets of Providence on a training run with Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF), a new program to feed the needy right where they are on the streets. This miracle-on-wheels has finally come east of the Mississippi. We are excited and count it as a privilege to partner with The River Community Church of Woonsocket in serving the people in Rhode Island in this way.

We started off on Saturday by preparing over 200 hot dogs and 60 peanut butter sandwiches which were then loaded onto the MLF canteen truck along with fruit, chips, cookies, juice, hot coffee and hot chocolate. We also loaded on socks, gloves, hats, scarves, outerwear and some stuffed animals and off we drove into Providence.

Our first stop was Kennedy bus station where we were inundated with a crowd of people in minutes. Even with six of us working the truck we could barely keep up with the crowd pressing in to receive what we came to give them. One moment stands out among the rest at that stop…. A little girl was brought to me on the “clothing side of the truck” by an older woman and they asked if we had a hat. I was able to give her a pair of hot pink ear muffs, a bright and colorful scarf which brought a smile to her face. But her face light up with delight when I introduced her to her new friend-a bright white teddy bear. I watched her walk off into the frigid cold day hugging her newest friend.

We were asked to move from that location so we quickly boarded up and headed off to Crossroads, a facility that provides care for the homeless. Once again when they heard we were there throngs of people crowded the truck and we were quickly consumed with getting them food and something hot to drink. Within one hour from the time we opened the truck doors at Kennedy station we were closing the empty truck at Crossroads. Wow!

As we headed back to the commissary to clean out the truck we warmed our hands and feet and although we were filled with excitement that we had been able to provide hot food to so many we were humbled that God had chosen us to do His work this day.

It is now Tuesday and the day is once again cold and the ground covered with a dusting of snow and ice and I carry with me today a new perspective, a new brokenness for the homeless. I pray that God does not let me forget the suffering of these people nor the way that some showed compassion to me as they offered me their gloves for my cold hands.

The only thing they asked was that we should remember the poor, the very thing that I was eager to do. Galatians 2:10

To get back to JirehScope Ministries website, click here.

To purchase Troy's new Christmas song, to benefit Moblie Loaves and Fishes (RI), click here.

~Ruthann

2007-10-23T12:49:00.000-04:00

We had a great time this weekend in Woonsocket, RI!! Troy was invited to minister with Harvest Community Church at an event to raise awareness about 411gina, an organization seeking information about missing persons. Though it's a secular organization, the host of the event talked about how in addition to seeking the lost in a spiritual sense, we Christians should be challenged to seek the lost in a physical sense as well.

And of course, as is usual for God, He worked some things out, and someone in the audience knew one of the missing people being profiled that night!!

And as a bonus for those of us there, Troy had a new song for the event, which "was good, and everyone liked it". ("it's good, we like it" is a common phrase among the JSM Team.. possibly overused, but wonderful just the same!!) Actually, I'm pretty sure everyone loved it, and can't wait for him to record it. (That's a not so subtle hint to Troy)

: )

O Mexico!

2007-08-15T12:41:00.000-04:00

So I can't believe it's been a month already since we were waking up to the sound of the rooster and the dry desert air... but it has. Life definitely moves faster here... and though we work diligently in the desert of Juarez there is a calmness there that can only be attributed to the presence of God... and serving him in that capacity.

What a blessing it was for me to be on the Mission field with so many TRULY special people to me... and what a cool testimony of what God can do through a small group of committed people. I was very excited this year to be travelling with my 10 year old daughter Haley, my mom, many of the JirehScope Ministries team members, and many past worship team and youth group members.

Equally rewarding was how God raised up a group, hehe, from out of 'Ware'... that's Ware, MA for those who don't know. It was amazing how fast God 'knit' us all together for his purposes. We were soon laughing, working, sharing and ministering to and with each other... and it was easy to see how God grafted us together as a 'body.'

Our ministry efforts were great. We ran three days of VBS (vacation bible school) for the 60-80+ children (and some parents) of the neighboring 'colonia.' Each day we would take the bus out to watch the children run towards the bus an gather with excitement in their eyes, eager to come. We shared the gospel in translated messages, Spanish DVD's, song and with skits involving flash paper and 18' geysers of coca-cola!.. we shared our hearts and the love of Christ in many hugs, touches, looks and prayers, and as always, it was difficult watching them leave the last day. I was proud of our teams efforts. They presented the truth and the message of faith and salvation in Christ in engaging, unique and fun ways, that definitely kept the interest of the children.

We also did a great deal of construction. Ceilings were installed in the orphanage building. Plumbing was continued and the 'swamp coolers' were made usable. We capped 60' of block wall with concrete with a small concrete bucket brigade. I estimate we dug and set around 40 posts and installed metal fencing to provide some security for a new property site as well as continuing to dig for the footer of the final concrete wall that will surround the existing Orphanage compound. ALL of this was done with the joy of the Lord being evident in the attitudes of all those involved. We began each day asking to be filled with His Spirit... and He is so faithful.

We also spent a day visiting families and dispensing food throughout the colonia. Our host, Gary Matthewson said it was the most rewarding day he has had doing 'dispensa' in that colonia yet. We prayed with people for strength, healing and to accept Christ... for wisdom for parents and obedience for children. I was blessed to see that the families in that colonia in Juarez that were doing 'well' by the standard there, were doing well BECAUSE of the works of Christ through the church. 'Casa de Cristo' is also leaving a mark for the Kingdom there... and I was moved and encouraged to see that.

Honestly I am still hearing reports of how Mexico has touched and changed and birthed things in the team members. I could go on an on, but ministry continues... August has been the FULLEST month yet for ministry and travel opportunities and has held some promise for many new doors... stay tuned for a blog on the week with the youth in Shutesbury, MA at Pinebrook Camp!!

Ever Praising the Amazing! (He is SOO worthy to be praised!)

Troy

What happens in Mexico... doesn't stay in Mexico!!!

2007-08-02T18:41:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since we all returned from our Mexico Mission, and I think I might finally be at the point where I can talk about the trip without overwhelming myself with missing everyone, and wanting so badly to be back there. I still miss everyone, of course, and I definitely want to go back, but I'm back to the same old normal that life typically consists of, and I've stopped resisting that. Hopefully, at the same time, I've been able to retain what God taught me in Mexico this year. When we first got back, I didn't want to unpack, because that was acknowledging that I was home. (It was the bugs that finally made me do it... the thought that there may be tons of icky bugs, and spiders, and snakefrogs in my suitcase, waiting to be let loose in my house... :) some of you can hear me screaming right now...and you're laughing at me. It's OK, so am I.) When we first got back, I didn't want to talk about the trip to anyone who hadn't been with us... because most of the time, words can't even begin to express anything about the trip. People who aren't there don't understand exactly why you went... lots of times we ourselves don't understand why we went until we get there. People who weren't there don't remember the sunsets, the rain, the bugs, the smells, the people, the stars, the kids, the stories, the jokes. Sometimes they can't get past the pictures of mattresses on the floor, scorpions, cement showers, and bathrooms that you have to walk outside to get to! They don't understand how none of that matters at all when you see the kids laughing, or see how some of the people down there live their everyday lives. They don't understand how one trip can completely change you, refresh you, remind you that you're not alone on this earth. They don't understand how freeing it is to spend a week thinking only of other people, and nothing of yourself. They don't understand the blessing in sacrificing comfort and material amenities. They don't understand how one smile, one tear from someone who comes to know more of God's love because of you can make your day, your week, your year.

All those things make it hard to leave each year, and harder to come back to normal life. Harder to go back to work. Harder to take care of the mundane, when you've spent a week amidst miracles... This year, for me, it was harder to come back than it has been in the past. I'm not quite sure why, but it was. My first week back to work, I mostly tried not to cry each day, and kept myself busy enough that I didn't really have time to think. I was working on a project with my boss, and in talking one day about different ideas and methods, she said, "Brooke, that's a good idea. You need to go to Mexico more often!" (Clearly, I had no good ideas BEFORE Mexico!!) Seriously though, when we go away on trips like this one, people around us expect something when we come back. I had been busy hating work, and thinking about how stupid and pointless it is in the grand scheme of things, and my boss was thinking that there was something different about me. They may not understand why we go, or HOW it happens, but they expect us to be different when we return. So often, we are the last ones to see the change within ourselves. We know it happened, cause we experienced it, felt it, and believe it. But sometimes, we get stuck wondering, "Lord, where are the effects of that change?" Inside, we feel like the same old normal, doing the same old mundane things we did before we left. But if we allow Him to, God will change us whenever and whereever He can, and for some reason it's easier on trips like this. But the changes don't stay in Mexico. We will be changed in the U.S. as much as Mexico; in the office as much as the desert, in our homes as much as the dormitories. And if we'll allow Him, He will use those changes to affect the people around us. They will take notice, and they will wonder... "what is it about Mexico?" And when that happens, hopefully it's after the withdrawals, and we can speak with joy instead of sadness. Hopefully we can speak His Truth, and hopefully our emotions will compliment that Truth, and not compromise it. Hopefully, brilliant ideas about data and mailings will not be the only change that people notice about me. Hopefully, they will ask me, "How was Mexico; what's diffrent about you?" And hopefully, I'll have the words to explain it to them, exactly the way God wants them to hear it.

-brooke

MEXICO!!!!!

2007-06-13T11:43:00.001-04:00

I just got my vacation request approval for time off to go to Mexico!!!!! I'm SOOOOO excited, and I can't wait to get there.... I even can't wait to get to the airport!! Plane rides are the perfect opportunity to rest... you can leave things behind, where ever you're leaving from, and look forward to what lies ahead, where ever you're landing....

I'm already looking forward to everything involved in being in Mexico- everything!! Spending time with Garry and Terry; shopping for a gazillion pounds of food; fruit breaks; aprons and hairnets; swamp coolers; quasi-showers; the constant sound of work; the constant sound of Mexican kids; the joy of working all day every day, and knowing that it's accomplishing more than we'll ever realize this side of Heaven; sand storms, any storms; language barriers, and seeing God work beyond them; the mountains; the sunrises (and the street lights); rootbeer floats; the fish (hehehehe- ask Ruthann about the fish); the distance from a world of materialism- where what you have matters more than who you are; being humbled by the need in Mexico; seeing God's provision in the midst of that need; the distinct feeling you get when you're being used by God for something so much bigger than yourself, so far beyond your little world; Mexican worship services- all 4 hours of it; and of course, seeing my dad dance (don't tell him I've mentioned that part)!!!!!

hehe... Now I'm even MORE excited!!!

:-D

-brooke

Blog of Thanks

2007-05-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

Just a quick word of thanks and praise for God working out the Mexico flights for us.. Through Pastor Bernadette.. He's Awesome!
~Troy

1.. 2.. 3.. Go! on 1 3 2 0.. AM that is!

2007-05-28T16:11:00.000-04:00

*Inside information on the title...
"1, 2, 3 Go!" = what the JirehScope Team says when we confirm a decision.
1, 3, 2, 0 = 1320 AM on the Radio

Some time ago I met an individual at The Upper Room in Warwick, RI... where I was ministering. Well it turned out that "Mike," this individual, runs a christian radio show out of Providence. (Actually two... but more on that later) (SIDE NOTE: for those of you who are accustomed to my LONG blogs with spiritual content and 'challenge' at the core... this may be out of the norm... just a short note on a fun and hopefully prosperous opportunity! Guess we'll see when we're done!) So, after helping out at another ministry event in Warwick, Mike asked again if we could schedule a date to come on the show... May 26th! So, two days ago I cut my teeth on radio interviewing... what fun!!... and a cool way to share some messages in word, Word and song.

Mike runs a two hour show, Heart Rock Radio, and proceded to have me on for the entire two hour duration. We spoke about JirehScope Ministries, my ministry experiences, Jesus, Moses, the church, my new position at Word of Life Church, following God's agenda, (the need for air conditioning at Mike's radio studio ;-) and several of the 'stories behind the songs' as he played I think 6-7 of my songs. It was a wonderful opportunity to share some of my passions in this manner and I felt VERY alive encouraging the listeners to seek God's face as Moses did and STRIVE for greater intimacy with the Father... among other things.

At the close of the 1320 AM show Mike asked if I would be willing to come on his FM show some time in the future. (Woohoo! Stay tuned for future opportunities to catch that show on broadcast or 'podcast' as well!) We exchanged some 'networking opportunities' to be a blessing to eachother. (I'm going to provide him with some 'sound engineering' training... and he may be floating me some 'industrial music work.' PRAISE THE LORD for divine connections!! We also spoke of eachothers personal passions and goals. (Pray for Mike... He has a heart to be used for the Kingdom. "Give him favor Lord... and the desires of his heart.)

If you are interested in hearing this show I was given a copy and permission to set it up as a podcast... so feel free to leave a comment if you are interested. If there is 'some' interest I'll try to get that set up soon!

Okay... I've got to slip this in somewhere... AGAIN, I am 'JirehScoping'... seeing HIS hand at work! Again remember, we founded the ministry with an awareness of the importance of being faithful in the little... See how AWESOME and BIG God is! I agreed to go provide sound engineering (and impromptu training) for a ministry, on a volunteer basis, because I sensed God was in it. HE in turn used this opportunity to set up a relationship and bless me with at least one tremendous opportunity already. (Hehe... consider those lillies and birdies!! Man does He provide. Mt 6:25-34)

"Lord You are so cool! I pray Your strength for anyone reading this today that continues to give 'in the little' even when tired and the 'rewards are not 'readily apparent.' I thank You for being the God of opportunity. Help us to SENSE, SEE, HEAR and ENTER EVERY opportunity YOU CREATE for us for YOUR glory and the building of the Kingdom! ~in Jesus Name... Amen."

Praising the Amazing!

Troy Bourne
FounderJirehScope Ministries www.jirehscopeministries.org

"I need to duck distractions fence, and gently slip into Your Backyard
and climb the tree thats near Your House and lift a song of love
A serenade to win Your Heart and make You open heaven's window
when You look down into Your yard I want You to see me"

Excerpt from the song "Serenade" on "To See Your Face EP" Hear this and more at www.shoutlife.com/troybourne or Troy's MySpace More info on JirehScope Ministries at www.jirehscopeministries.org

Time Sensitive Material

2007-05-15T21:56:00.001-04:00

“Time Sensitive Materials Enclosed! Please Respond Immediately!” If you’re like me you come across mail somewhat regularly that is marked with these words, and yet SO LITTLE of it seems important enough to really respond to immediately. I hope it has not desensitized us to the importance of truly ‘time sensitive material.’ Have you ever wondered how much ‘time sensitive material’ God tries to present us with that we just aren’t sensitive enough to pick up on? My pastor (Pastor Mark from Word of Life Covenant Church) recently quoted something he heard and identified with. “God, You did that on purpose!” (Said with a smile, aware of His Hand at work) Often times I will have an ‘initial elation’ when I realize that God had ‘set something up!’ A week ago I guess you could say, ‘God set something up.’ And again, upon realizing His Hand at work, I was elated… initially, but what follows this elation is actually much more productive in my opinion, because it deals with adjustments in our sensitivity to His timing.

This ‘initial’ feeling is common with me. I can recollect many times of knowing that I was in the right place at the right time because of Him… had read the right passage to be equipped for something He KNEW was coming… was lead to call someone, or bring something… or pray for someone… or bring forth a need only to see HIS Hand of providence honor the obedience to His prompting by opening the floodgates of His provision! There are COUNTLESS other things that I KNOW God had stirred for a purpose. He is SO awesome to use us in that manner. However some time ago, the Lord told me while I was journaling an AMAZING encounter with Him that I sensed Him saying ‘this can be the normal day to day with Me.’ As exciting as it sounds, and BELIEVE ME, IT’S EXCITING… it’s also the reason for the ‘initial' elation.

John 5:17 reads, “My Father is always at His work, to this very day, and I, too am working.” Later it continues saying even Jesus Himself can ‘do nothing of Himself but only what He sees His Father doing.’ This verse often comes to mind in a humbling fashion immediately following my ‘initial elation.’ God is ALWAYS at work. (Did I mention ALWAYS?) Eph 2 tells us that ‘we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to perform good works WHICH HE HAS PLANNED IN ADVANCE. (Hehe, chuckling wondering if he ordained THIS very moment, already written in His ‘log of plans’ for yours truly. Seriously, try to wrap your mind around that for just a second.)

Last Friday, while preparing for JirehScope’s Mexico Missions Trip meeting, I distinctly sensed the Lord leading me to initiate a season of ‘bearing each others burdens’ within the team. I had received a ‘directive’ from the Lord about how to actively implement this with the team. Pastor Mark Sowersby, of Ware, MA (who is attending the Mexico trip with us) brought a related teaching from Mark 2, of the four men who lowered the paralyzed man through the roof… making a discerning note on how Christ saw ‘their’ faith and how it moved him. We couldn’t have known how we as a team were going to unite in faith for a burden within the team that night… but God did.

That morning one of our ‘Mexico missionaries’ team member was diagnosed with cancer. While this may have sent ‘some’ into hiding, she still attended the meeting and ALL of the team felt the encouragement of her presence. “Where would I rather be than with a family of Christians?” she said. I too was encouraged… BOTH by her amazing attitude AND by God setting us up earlier in the day to bear one another’s burdens. We had an opportunity to unite OUR faith like the four men on the roof. We had been sensitive to His prompting and agenda for THAT TIME. He led us to the appropriate scriptures… appropriate attitudes… and appropriate ‘directives’ AHEAD of time. We were prepared for the opportunity to be hearers of the Word AND DOERS of the Word. We had opportunity to pray and anoint and expect. (And we WILL expect… because YOU SET IT UP GOD! WOOHOO!! You set that up God… You did that on purpose!) Lord I believe you began something that day… and Your Word says that You who began a work will be faithful to complete it. (Phew… ‘Began’ sort of goes hand in hand with ‘initially’… have I digressed? Stay with me.)

For those of you who have been reading my articles over the past 9 years, this concept of ‘initial elation’ is being revisited with a different title… so forgive me, as I don’t apologize for revisiting the concept. Let me pose this question. For every time that we have the elation of KNOWING that we have truly been orchestrated by Him, are we also aware of the fact that He could be trying to orchestrate us minute by minute? My initial elation is really the humbling realization of the spans of time that He may be knocking on my thick head trying to orchestrate, ‘set up’ and DO SOMETHING ON PURPOSE through me! Put this in light of ‘anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’ I guess what I really desire is to have MANY ‘initial elations’ in the normal day to day, while remaining humble enough to realize that He could be knocking again in moments.

Gotta go… it might be time to get the door… there could be ‘time sensitive materials’ waiting. And right now there may be something timely for you too. Maybe a new awareness of His leading… maybe a prompting to pray for our missionary team member… maybe something you could NEVER know was coming, but He does. “Make us sensitive Lord to Your timing and leading… in Jesus Name.”

Till next time… Keep praising the Amazing!

Troy