More on Fasting

It's Day #4 of our week-long fast. Here is a recent post from Drew, another worship leader, singer, guitar player and resident expert in fasting (he's done lots of it and living it gives your wisdom):


"Our HOP (sanctuaryhop.com) has joined IHOP for the 7 day fast that's happening this week.

The funny thing about that is that I had a longing to go on an extensive fast even before I heard IHOP or the HOP I'm involved with was going on one. Other people who come to our prayer room also had plans to go on a 7 day fast without even knowing anyone else would be doing one as well so its clear that the Spirit is moving through the bride to unite us during this week of fasting.

When going on a fast like this its very important to have corporate and personal goals set before oneself on how they want to focus during the fast. I'm not going to mention anything corporate for TVVT but I will tell you what I am doing personally to help me engage with the Spirit and go deep in the Word to seek after the Father.

I will be studying Jn 17:21 all week long. This is my personal life verse. It was given to me from the Lord in a dream and I received very specific revelation concerning my calling which is centered around this verse from the Lord. So for my own personal growth I will go studying and praying and singing this verse throughout the fast. I'd encourage all of you who want to join to do something similar. It will obviously look differently from what I'm doing but a personal focus for a fast is a great idea!

So be blessed! Seek Him! Find Him!!!"



Blessings!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

We're fasting...again

We have begun a 7-day fast recently and I feel that this one, more than any other in recent memory, is going to be significant. God has been asking us to rise and stand with Him in contending for what He is going to do. This is an intense time but filled with promise.

Instead of sharing my thoughts, I have decided to let the thoughts of some in our community describe what is being felt at this time. What follows is a recent post by Joel, a worship leader with Sanctuary House of Prayer and all-round good guy :)


"So this morning, I was struck with a passage out of Nehemiah 1:5-11. He recognized the exalted position of God (1:5). Nehemiah was approaching the Lord who is the “Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God.” He recognized the humbled position of Man (1:6-7). Unlike arrogant men today who act as if they have the right to give orders to God, Nehemiah entered the presence of God with great humility. He confessed his own sins and the sins of his people. He did not, and could not, make demands. He was a man who was helpless and humble, who recognized the enormous distance between the perfect God and sinful men.

He based his petition in the absolute faithfulness of God (1:8-10). Nehemiah did not try to convince God to change, because God is already perfect and just. He fulfills his promises. The suffering of the people was not a failing of God, but the result of their own sin. This same faithfulness was the basis for Nehemiah’s hope. As surely as God had fulfilled promises to punish, he would fulfill his promises to rescue his chosen people. He asked in faith (1:11). Finally, Nehemiah made his request. He asked that God open a door for him to help his own people. He was preparing to ask the king to let him return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah placed his confidence in the Lord who is powerful to bless the plans of those who truly dedicate themselves to him.

We need to pray with the same humility and faith that Nehemiah displayed. We must commit ourselves to a high standard of prayer. We have no right to make demands of God, but those who serve him obediently enjoy the privilege of humbly talking to the God of heaven in prayer."

Blessings!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

Excellent!

The weekend came and went so fast but we loved it all. We had almost 800 registered and in attendance. The worship was rich and the message was clear. There was a powerful time of prophetic intercession for the city of Winnipeg during the Saturday afternoon session. And loads of times for people to respond to the call of God and make a step forward in their journey.

The team was amazing! The folks from KC served, served and served some more. Always smiling. Always available. Always generous. And the volunteers who gave time and effort to make it all work were equally amazing. Sanctuary t-shirts were everywhere. Those who wore them made me proud. Check out the pics to see some happy folks serving and loving it.




On Sunday we sent Dwayne Roberts and the worship team to Winnipeg Centre Vineyard and had Wes Martin and a ministry team go to the Kings Fellowship. Both meetings were great fun, focused on blessing the local congregations and celebrating the Lord together.

In the afternoon, we had the Onething team come to Sanctuary. It was the best! We were together ministering to God as the audience of One. Dwayne spoke to us as a house of prayer, encouraging us to persevere and believe. It was just what we needed to hear at this point in our history. It has been 18 months since we began and having our friends from IHOP sing and pray with us was such a blessing.



Most of all, we loved the gang from KC. Sanctuary found friends, kindred spirits, who felt like family from the first night. It was difficult to watch them leave, actually. But, we are only a 13 hr drive away :)


Blessings on you all!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

It's Going So Well

This is a good conference! Dwayne is preaching some good stuff. Tim and Marcus from the Merchant Band have been leading in some deep and rich worship. I love their worship leading...really vertical! To an audience of ONE!! This morning we were led in a powerful chorus of "oh, how He loves us". The message is a powerful one and Dwayne got it out there for us. God loves you, even in your weakness and failings. But, He is ready to embrace you and bring you forward if you want more.

This afternoon, its Justin Rizzo leading and Wes Martin is speaking. These are both quality men with integrity and a message for a generation searching for more of God. Come by if you want. Its free and there is still room.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

Tonight!!!

We have arrived! The stage is set up. Things sound good and loud. We still have room for lots of you. Doors will be open by 6:30pm for registrants. If you didn't get it done online, just show up and we'll get it done at the door. We want as many as possible to be a part of this event.

If you are too far away to attend, pray for us and for the city of Winnipeg that God would do something really special in this time. Pray that it is more than a series of big meetings. We want to meet with God in a new way and a lasting way. We want the results of these encounters to carry us into the streets and neighbourhoods for years to come. Let there be power for healing, deliverance and salvation. Let His kingdom be manifest in Winnipeg!

Check back frequently for photos and stories from the weekend.

Blessings!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

2 days to go!

The team has arrived from Kansas City...all 16 of them. It was a very early morning for most of them, arriving at the pick-up point to be taken to the airport at 4:30am. For a few, they just never went to bed so they should sleep well tonight.

The rest of this day has been about setting up the sound at Calvary Temple and getting to know one another a bit better. Trevor and the folks from Calvary Temple have been really good to us and for that we are very grateful. It is loads of fun to do this with Trevor...he has the same heart for the things of God that we do. I love a divine partnership like this.

So, there is lots to do but everyone is in a giving mood and things are getting done quickly. Its a balmy +20C here today so everyone is feeling happy.

Tonight we eat and get some needed rest. Tomorrow is where it all happens, so we are excited to see what will come of it. Dwayne Roberts, the director of Onething ministries, told me earlier that he feels like God is really doing something here. He is eager to get going and see what will come of it.

More tomorrow as it unfolds...

Pray for us! I just received an email from a prayer room in Minnesota telling me that they are praying for us. I love it!! Nothing like friends when you need them.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

3 days to go...

We had our final intercession meeting before the conference last night. It was kind of a transition for me, strangely. I felt the shift from "we are preparing by praying for this far-off event" to "we are here and ready to work". There has been a lot of prayer offered up in our community for this event. It started many months ago, mostly a trickle of prayer among more pressing issues then. It has since become THE issue as we consider our city and what God is doing here. This journey has been a good one and God continues to help us to see how an event like this, often viewed as an end in itself, actually fits into a much larger plan for the city and its prophetic destiny. More on that another time...

For now, though, it's just fun to cheer each other on in praying and singing and then talk about the logistics of an event that is now so close and becoming very real for us. I expect lots of good times in the meetings and out of them. Coffee, coffee, coffee. Meals with old friends and new friends. Quick connections with pastors in a back room. Promises to talk more about how we can work together for kingdom purposes in the years ahead. People connecting with God and with each other. Loads of great music. And lots of laughter...

But, more than anything, I want a weekend dedicated to ministering to the heart of God. More than ever, we are thinking like priests before the presence of God. This is about offering Him who we are and what we have to give. May His heart be touched and may He receive the blessing due to Him from what little we can offer. He is entirely worth it all!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

4 days to go!!

We are closing in on what is certainly going to be a great weekend. Last night we were part of a monthly city-wide gathering of young adults called The Awakening. My good friend and comrade in the trenches, Trevor Meier, gives leadership to this effort and we come along for the ride to offer support and help where needed. Yesterday, it was all about Onething! We had a good time of worship and prayer for the event, but really it was became more about us as individuals and our own hearts before God. There was a serious focus that emerged: turn with your whole hearts back to God. Really love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind and with all of your strength. God was faithful to meet people in their repentance and it was a powerful time for many.

I am struck by the way God orchestrates His activity in a city like Winnipeg. We never want to make the mistake to believe that it is ONLY happening in our little meeting. There is much good that has been sowed in the spirit over the many decades that leads to moments like this. Praying churches with godly leaders have played their part in opening up things in the spirit for what God wants to do in larger measures. Even now, we know that there are good men and women leading good churches that love God and want His presence to touch the lost among us who are not really part of our stream. God is bigger than all this and it is exciting to see Him weave it all together.

But, it is also critical to realize that there are key moments in real-time when God asks something specific of a group of people to bring change to a whole area. Somebody had to be in the upper-room on that day in Acts 2. Somebody had to be in the meeting on Asuza Street in the early 20th century. Somebody had to be Evan Roberts or John Wesley or David Brainard or Charles Finney. You never know what role you will play! Our call is to do what is before us to do with integrity and passion, leaving the rest to the sovereign and wonderful plan of God. We are asked to BELIEVE that God loves our city, wants as many as will say YES to come to Him and has every intention on releasing an unprecedented move of the Spirit in our city before the return of Jesus to the earth. From there, just go for it in love and devotion.

So, who knows what a weekend like the one before us will produce?? I choose to believe it really matters to God and in what He is doing in our city. And, for that, I am truly grateful.

Brian Creary Ministry Director

10 Days to Go!

Its all coming together now. The details are in order. The registrations are climbing and the team in KC is getting excited as well. This is going to be a good time!

I recently heard the interview of Dwayne Roberts, the director of Onething ministries, on our very own local CHVN-FM. Click on the Icon below to hear the interview!

click here

They did a nice job getting to the point of why we are doing this conference and what was central to the message of "one thing". Its funny how hearing it on the radio makes it all seem so real. We have been working on the details of this event for almost 10 months now, slowly at the start, of course, and deliberately of late. And, sort of like waiting for your first child to be born, you know its coming but during that last while it seems like it will never get here. I remember those last few minutes before my first child was born: intense and exciting, but almost surreal at the same time. There was nothing that could have prepared me for what I was to experience when my son finally emerged into the world.

I'm ready for a big surprise! May God make it more than any of us expects it to be.

Come if you are in the area. And, pray for us that His will be done in Winnipeg.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

25 days to go!!!

Things are really coming together now for the upcoming Onething conference. We had a 4-hr planning session over Starbucks coffee last week that produced amazing results in coordination and simplicity. We literally have every minute of the 4 days the team are with us planned out! Just knowing this lets me sleep a little easier at night. I am so proud of my team. They have done amazing work (although its just beginning) and we are on track to have quite a weekend.

We just heard some stories from the Onething conference this past weekend in Minneapolis that make me think God is going to do some special things here as well. We want the event to go well, but really we want so much more! We are praying consistently that God will release a wave of His Spirit that will propel Winnipeg into relationship with the King of Heaven. We are excited to see what can come as we turn and focus on Him as the reason and the source.

Continue to spread the word to friends and neighbours. Register at www.ihop.org/onething to guarantee yourself a spot for the whole event.

Blessings,

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

46 days to go...

We are getting very excited around here. The Onething conference is starting to appear on the horizon and the word is spreading everywhere. Recently, we had an excellent meeting with a Young Adult Pastor who is excited to spread the word in his area. We are off to his church this Friday for a regional gathering of under-30s and we are going to have some time to promote the conference. This is a HUGE opportunity and we are truly grateful for it.

As well, we have been to a campus ministry joint meeting at the University of Manitoba and spoke for a few minutes to 200-300 students and friends. And, of course, our friends at the Link have been awesome to promote this at the Awakening whenever possible. Loads of churches now have the promo cards, posters and even promo dvds and one of the local bible bookstores has put up the poster and passed out cards for us to those who would look interested in attending. There is some excitement brewing!

But, there is more happening. A while back one of our guys had a significant dream. In it God spoke clearly that if we would build the conference on Him and making it a place for His dwelling, He would come and draw the people.

And, that is how it all works anyway. We are not really going to accomplish anything of eternal value if left to ourselves. How can anyone really connect someone to the eternal and transcendent God unless God Himself do the work of revealing Himself and drawing them by their hearts? We fool ourselves if we think that doing an event, no matter how big and flashy, will produce change in the hearts of people that lasts.

Building on Him and His presence is critical. It is our mandate in Sanctuary and it is our goal for this conference as well. There really is only one person in the audience who matters, you know. There might be 1000 people in the room, but what God thinks and feels about it is all that really matters. We are looking to know what is on His mind and heart. We want to agree with Him in EVERYTHING! Tell us what you are thinking about this city, God. We are after your heart in all things.

God desires to dwell with people and in physical locations much more that we realize. I believe Winnipeg is marked for such an encounter, not just a brief wave of His Spirit but a permanence that changes the city as the spiritual atmosphere over this place is changed forever. Big dreams, I know. But, God is so much bigger.

May this conference play a role in establishing a place for God to dwell and may the hearts of all who say YES be encountered and changed forever.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

Onething is coming!!!

We are pleased to announce that we are hosting a Onething Regional conference in Winnipeg, with the help of Trevor and the gang at The Link, in late October. This is an event for youth and young adults, focused on the theme of "being people of one thing". There are a few key times in the scripture where this phrase is used and it shows us a brilliant picture of wholehearted devotion to God as the primary goal of life.

The team that will speak and lead worship is coming from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. We love these guys! I expect this to be an excellent weekend, one that will challenge as well as open a pathway to greater encounter with God. Anyone who has made their way to the huge yearly Onething conference in KC in late December knows what is waiting us in October.

The dates are Friday and Saturday, October 26-27. The kind people of Calvary Temple in downtown Winnipeg are allowing us to use their facility. To register, you MUST go to the web page and do so online...www.ihop.org/onething

And one more thing: it's FREE!!!!!

More info as we get it.

Blessings,

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

Who Are You?

Recently, we have been looking again at what God has built in the midst of us and the commission He has placed before us as a house. We were studying the passages at the beginning of 2 Chronicles where Solomon steps forward to complete the building of the temple for the Lord. If you recall, it was David (his dad) who had longed to build the temple for God as a place where worship and offering would go before Him night and day. This was a deep desire in Him and was referenced a number of times in his writings. In Psalm 132, it states that David vowed before God that he would not allow himself in his own house until he established a house for God to dwell...in essence, the temple where God's presence would manifest and where the priests would worship Him. Unfortunately, the job fell from David to his son in the end. David acted wisely, though, and determined that he would support the efforts of his boy in getting this most loving of projects completed.

Following David's death, Solomon called the people to actively complete the structure, and upon completion, put out the call across the land for the people to come. The priests consecrated themselves, the musicians prepared themselves for the ultimate worship service and Solomon moved in all the appropriate furnishings for the temple itself. The final item, the ark of the covenant, signified that they had built this structure as a place for God to dwell. They were ready...

As Solomon prayed to God before the people, He expressed the obvious: "The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (6:18) And He was right. He was asking for the eternal and unrestrained God of all creation to come and dwell in a building made by human hands. Yet, knowing that somehow this was what God had wanted, he asked of God: "May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive." (6:20-21) As he concluded, fire from heaven came down and consumed the offerings and the presence of God in a cloud descended into the temple. The presence was so strong that the people could not enter or stand in the midst of it.

Shortly after, God came and visited Solomon. He gave to him one of the most famous verses in the Old Testament, the wonderful promise of 2 Chron 7:14. But, even more, He ended the encounter by promising "Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there." (7:15-16)

God wants to dwell with people. In His holiness, it is appropriate that His people draw near consecrated before Him and aware of the their fallenness. Singers and musicians offered Him worship and thanksgiving then because it was His idea. He still loves it today. It was designed to go around the clock because He is worthy of it all. And, His promise is that those who would turn to Him with a repentant heart and love for Him as the motivator will see Him act on their behalf. He will heal the land. He will hear the prayers offered up in a place such as this (ie. the place of worship and devotion). And, His eyes and heart will always be looking this way.

So, do you know who you are? Has God asked you to stand before Him as one who would minster FIRST to Him above all other needs and demands? Are you called to be in a place of dwelling where God is raising up those who will seek Him on behalf of the city they live in? Are you a musician or singer and you feel you NEED to be offering your gift to the creator and lover of your soul in a more direct way? God is raising up Sanctuary and many other prayer expressions right now so these people can find each other and fulfill what God is calling for. Make your way forward and stand before God alone. It matters! And He is worthy of it all.

Blessings,

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

No Building? No Problem!

The date for our building purchase financing for the deal to come together has come and gone, but we are not discouraged. In fact, we had some significant moments where God encountered us in our efforts and REALLY showed us things about ourselves and how we are living. It was a treasured time, one that was exciting and humbling all at once. We continue to look for a permanent home but now with a greater sense of God's intimate working in our midst. We have a new confidence that this journey is not about acquiring property, building infrastructure or feeling like we are accomplishing something that people will think is pretty cool.

Recently, God has been pressing us to think more deeply about what it means to be wholehearted. The more I study the concept, the more I realize that God is looking for wholeheartedness from us more than anything. Its not about what you do for Him but how much you are willingly saying YES to Him on the inside as you step out and try. Even in our weakness, in our immaturity, He looks for the YES! His heart is moved by people fully turned to Him. He relents from sending calamity when people turn with their whole heart back to Him and His way. Check out Joel 2 and 2 Chronicles 7:14 as good examples of this.

Jesus taught that we needed to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and all of our strength. It leaves little room to think there is much else that should occupy our mind, emotions, will and spending habits. He follows this with a direction to love our neighbour as ourself, something that is obviously connected to the first statement. In my view Jesus is saying "its all about me, guys". In our relating to our neighbours, the people in our sphere of influence, treat them as you want to be treated, but love God as you love them. Everything in life that we give ourselves to can and should be an expression of our love and devotion to God. We want to be known as people who loved God with everything we had in us and allowed that love to be manifest in our role as parents, co-workers, actual neighbours and servants of those in need. The One we serve will meet us in eternity one day and our eyes will meet. We will know so much more about Him than we ever thought possible. He will know everything about us. It's all about love for God, folks.

Blessings,

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

HELP!

This is a very exciting time for Sanctuary. We are closing in on our one-year anniversary and plan to celebrate a little bit on May 7th! Thank-you God!! We are still here and still doing what you asked of us, and for that we are so grateful.

At the very same time, we are in the process of buying a building. We found the building above a few months ago sitting empty and crying out for some worship and prayer to happen once again inside it. We talked and prayed, kept taking steps forward and now we have an agreed-upon price, an accepted offer and are now looking for the finances. What a ride! This building would be a great fit for us. It is the right size and shape, has classrooms and a kitchen ready for use and even has a parking lot! The stage is HUGE...this was a Salvation Army church building so they needed room for the brass band. We'll take it, though...we need the space.

I knew things were looking up when, during our first walk-through of the place, I asked Joel (one of our worship leaders) "How would it feel if we set up a keyboard for you right now? Does it feel good in here and can you imagine worshipping Him in this place?" His eager response of "Oh yeah" was just what I was thinking...there had been lots of worship in this place in years past and you could feel it.

So, now we are putting the word out to any who want to help us in this. We need to raise money, plenty of it, for the purchase and we have 45 days to get it together. If you are interested in sowing into this adventure and helping this part of the prayer movement in Winnipeg find a permanent home, you can send us a cheque and a donation receipt will be returned to you. Go to the "Donate" tab on the upper right of this page and you will find info on ways you can give.

We are moving forward toward our goal of 24-7 night and day worship and intercession for this city. Imagine...a place in the city where you can go any time of the day or night and find a team of people singing, praying and ministering to God, the source for all good things to come in our city! We are thrilled at what He is establishing and invite you to be a part of it in this hour of history. God is doing something significant...when people turn to pray, when the cry goes up night and day, justice comes to a city speedily (Luke 18). God is getting ready to do something unprecedented here. Let's do it together!

Blessings,

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

It's a Promise!

Still studying the Sermon on the Mount. I counted the number of verses in the sermon. There are 106. We are currently on verse 3! This is rich stuff...

Shane spoke again recently. He gave us an explanation of mourning and what it means for us to embrace this feeling in a heart lovesick for God and not where we were created to be. He showed us that mourning was not uncommon even for Jesus. There is a greater future coming, a culmination of a journey bigger than you or I, that will "bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Eph 1:10). We were created to love Him and be loved by Him. Our future home is with Him forever, joined in intimacy and moving in step with His heart. The King of Heaven is going to split the sky and come to this earth for His people, His bride made ready for the wedding day seen in Revelation.

The key to the time in between is to know the end of the story. Though we mourn our own lack now, realizing the wickedness of our own hearts and how easily we give ourselves to lesser pleasures than to the One who loves us, there is an amazing future ahead. Embrace the lack in your life, He says, for you will be comforted. It's a promise! The Son of God has said it is so.

Embracing the Sermon and building well produces changes now. But, they are not always what you expect. Jesus said you are blessed when you realize your povery of spirit. He said you are blessed when you mourn your lack. The word for "blessed" is an interesting one...from the Strong's concordance, it says:

G3107
μακάριος
makarios
mak-ar'-ee-os
A prolonged form of the poetical μάκαρ makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension fortunate, well off: - blessed, happy (X -ier).

Hmmmmm...supremely blessed! Well off. Happy. Some have even translated the term "extremely happy". Embracing your lack, knowing that there is more and longing for it, from the viewpoint of Heaven, is being well off, happy and supremely blessed. I love it! It's what we don't know about God and His kingdom that makes me excited and hungry for more. As a friend of mine loved to say, His kingdom is upsidedown!

Be blessed to embrace your weakness before Him! He is so wonderful. And, your future is secure and wonderful as you press forward into the One who waits for you. He is doing a good work in you and you are going to love how it ends :)

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

For HIM!

I love this photo. It is a recent shot taken from one of our sets. These are just some of the many singers whose main task it is to "prophetically" sing through and in response to scripture passages prayed for this city, the church found in it and the lost who need Jesus. They are a crucial component to our house of prayer. They are much more than back-up singers. We rely on them to hear the words the Spirit is speaking and bring that forth in song. We need them to know the scriptures for they are helping us as we sing and pray through the written word of God. They often carry us as we pray. The help us connect our weak and sometimes cold hearts with a God who loves us more than we know. They are people just like the rest of us, with the same weakness and struggle that presses in on them daily as it does to all of us. But, they are bold! They are willing to take the lead and minister to the heart of God as their first purpose in our house. They have seen something of their bridegroom that has captured their hearts. And they are convinced that they are to sing it out to the Audience of One! Sing, Zion, sing!!

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

Build Well

We are studying the Sermon on the Mount line-by-line, section-by-section, these days. At the speed we are going we will be in this section of scripture for many months, if not years. But, we are in no hurry to move on. We have a firm conviction that the teaching laid out in Matthew 5-7 is "Christianity 101", the basics of the faith. It is a plan given to every believer to guide them along their journey toward eternity. It is meant to be taken seriously. It is meant to be lived out and not just given mental assent. If it takes us a year or two to cover all of the material, so be it. It is going to take a lifetime to make it a reality in our hearts and actions.

I think the end of the Sermon ties it together well.

Matthew 7:24-27

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Jesus is telling his disciples (and the rest of us) that hearing these words, even believing them, and doing nothing with them will make you a fool. A wise person actually builds these teaching into his life, believing that this is wisdom for living. Even more than that, it is direction from Jesus, the uncreated God standing before them in human flesh. He knows everything, has infinite wisdom, power and strength and is giving them direction for life. He is right...only a fool would ignore the words of such a man.

But, why is this so critical to act on? The key is found in the image of a house standing (or falling) under the force of a storm. Jesus is saying this life is going to bring storms and they are unavoidable. Every person will experience them at some point in their life. They come in the form of sickness, economic hardship, even death of a loved one. They are rarely expected and hit us like a storm out of control, powerful enough to knock us off balance if not well rooted to the ground. Seasons of uncertainty sometimes bring out the best in us, but all too often bring out the worst instead. Jesus is saying, "You are going to experience difficult times, some of which will hit you with force when you do not expect it...build well, for your house can fall if you have ignored my counsel".

There is a second "storm" that has the potential to strike us off balance as well, but is experienced on a national or even global level and is entirely out of our control. Living in the Western world, we only sometimes think of this kind of trouble, but the suffering church in China, the hungry and AIDS-inflicted children in Africa or those running from military fallout in Iraq and so many other nations will tell you differently. Trouble can come from outside your sphere of influence and completely change your life. The scriptures say that before the return of Jesus to the earth again when He comes to establish His reign on the earth, there will be "there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again (Matt 24:21). This earth is going to feel the storm like no other in that hour.

The final and perhaps most severe storm is waiting for some on the other side of this life. Again, the scripture teaches that there is a judgement awaiting all, an evaluation of our lives and real decisions will be rendered to correspond with it. He is going to judge the earth. He who knows everything about us; every thought, every action, every choice ever made by every person. There will be nowhere to hide on that day. The eternal God of infinite love will not suspend his eternal and infinite justice as He looks into our very being. His evaluation will be right. We will know it.

Be wise...build well!

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

Fasting Again...

We are on the final day of a 3-day corporate fast and it has been a good time. We have decided to join in with our friends at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City and take on a 3-day fast on the first Mon-Wed of each month. They call it the "Global Bridegroom Fast". Catchy title :) We have taken part twice now and have mostly focused around the ideas found in Revelation 22:17. It has been a joyous adventure to turn our hearts (and stomachs) toward the idea of the return of Jesus to the earth. It is not something most people think much about. It is almost never included as part of an intercession meeting. But, we are finding it to be critical to who we are and what God is calling us to pray for in this hour of history.

This passage is a real motivator for me. I love the phrase "the Spirit and the Bride say COME". What an amazing thing that the Holy Spirit is initiating an ever-increasing cry from deep within the Bride for the return of the Bridegroom to the earth! Hearts will be stirred to the reality of His return. Eyes will be open to who it is we really long for and how much better it will be to have Him with us here in this place. The Spirit is leading us into truth. He is stirring our hearts for a greater reality than what we now know. He is ushering in the culmination of the kingdom. The "not-yet" will finally overtake the "already" and we will see the plan that the Father has designed before any of us ever took a breath and called this place home.

As well, the passage says, "let him who hears say COME". The call to any who are listening and can understand what the Spirit is saying to the church right now is "COME". Agree with what God is stirring in His bride in this hour! Join our voices to His purpose. In fact, we like to ask that He will "come to us before He comes for us". We want God to pour out His Spirit in a move of power in this age that will sweep oh so many into the kingdom. We want Him to have mercy on our city and break the controls of darkness that keep people in bondage and despair. Before you return for your Bride, add to it significantly in our city!

The issue is not when Jesus is returning exactly. The issue is agreeing that, in fact, He really is coming back and we can have confidence in this. We can agree with His plans, ask for his compassion and justice in the place we live and look with love and expectation for our great and glorious hope.

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

More on Hour #2

God knows what He is doing, I tell ya!

We re-vamped our schedule quite a bit at the start of the year, as many of you know, and were suddenly faced with a significant challenge or two. We had new themes that we were excited about singing and praying through, but not as much understanding about any of them as we had believed. The focus on singing around the "one thing" concept (we focused on Psalm 27:4 and David's request that he be of one thing all his life) was really good for the first number of months. When we left it behind for a season and chose to take on singing through the Song of Songs, for example, the challenge was obvious: we had much to learn about this book.

Well, hour #2 was equally challenging to start. One of our worship leaders, Johan, came to me with the idea of focusing on the "dwelling place of God" in the scriptures. I knew what he meant, actually. It had been a private area of focus for me for the last 2 years and I was fascinated with the implications for our house and the city we pray for. God often dwelled in a very specific place in much of the Old Testament. Was it something locked in history or were there principles there for us to explore and pray into for our time and geography?

With this in mind, we set out to sing and pray through it. We had a few favourite verses and took the approach that we would ask for God to come and dwell in a more manifest way in our prayer house, the bride in our city and the city of Winnipeg itself. We decided that an intercession format was best for this. Let’s just begin to ask for more of God and see where He takes us.

The first few weeks were good but still a bit confusing. What exactly were we asking for? Did we want God to come as He did when He shook the mountain in Exodus, smoke and fire and all? Or, were we looking for His presence manifested in us and the way we lived our lives differently? Did we want some form of spiritual warfare to happen? Were we hoping that the spirit of murder or something equally powerful was going to be dislodged by our efforts? Or, did we want Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Spirit in power to come one more time? I don’t think we really knew, actually…

Last week, however, things came together a bit more. Somehow, despite our weakness and lack of understanding, the Spirit of God drew it all together and we were clear for an hour. We saw something that showed us a house where God was tangibly felt, His power made manifest in healing, deliverance, kindness and salvation. We realized He wanted to dwell in our midst and the midst of every group of believers anywhere in Winnipeg even more that we knew. He wanted to rest in us, speak tenderly of His feelings for us and make us like His son. He wanted the whole city to love the King of Heaven. He wanted the kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. He wanted Winnipeg for Himself as He will one day have it when Jesus returns to rule the earth. We prayed for the salvation of every person in Winnipeg. We asked for power to come to the church in every area of life and ministry. We asked for God to rest in this city in a way that we have not experienced in living memory. And, we KNEW that this is what He wanted to do.

There are dark and troublesome days ahead for this earth. The bible is clear on it. In the days before the Second Coming of the Son to the earth, Jesus himself said that there would be "distress unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again." The indicators are everywhere. Political turmoil is coming. Disease is coming. Storms are coming. But, God has in mind to find people and cities that He will rest in, setting His kingdom in place in a profound way and drawing all people to Himself.

God doesn't dwell in a building or a box made with hands anymore. He dwells in and with the ones He loves. May He come to us and may He come quickly.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

So Cold!

It has been a little chilly of late here in Winnipeg. Last night the temperature (with the wind chill added in) hit -53C on our streets. When I headed out to our internship class at 8:30 this morning, it was -40C...fortunately there was no wind to speak of! Even in our prayer room yesterday, the heating system struggled to keep up and many people wore their coats as they paced around and tried to remain focused.

We are a city of extremes!

Having said that, we were there and given to what we do. As well, it was Super Bowl Sunday, something not quite as popular in Canada as the Grey Cup or the Stanley Cup playoffs, but still enough to keep people in their homes. I realized as we prayed and sang through the scriptures together that there is no place I would rather be. And, that was saying something. I love that we would gather together to express love and worship to God despite our comforts. I love that God loves it when we do it. I love that I am with a group of people who are just as eager to live this way. And, I know that this journey matters. Eternity is a breath away and He is waiting for me...He's waiting for you too!

Brian Creary

Ministry Director

Hour #2

Have you ever considered how things tend to come full-circle? There are a lot of those kinds of situations in life. In fact, life itself for many on this earth tends to come around to where it began . We start out as fully alive but fully reliant of others for the most basic necessities of life. We need help with everything...we can't even feed ourselves! As we get older, we get stronger, more capable and more independent. Many of us have the opportunity at some point of raising children of our own and helping them begin life in their weakness. By the time our natural life draws to a close, however, our strength usually fails us, our mind often slows and we become reliant on others for the basics of survival. What a strange moment when we realize we are once again in need of someone else to feed us. It all comes around. It is life in its most honest of moments. Death comes to all and it is the great equalizer.

For God there is a cycle unfolding as well. Being outside of time, however, this cycle is only measured within His relationship to humanity. But, there is an end that is very familiar to the beginning and God is waiting for it to be realized. As He dwelled with humans in the initial season following creation, enjoying their presence walking among them, He waits and works toward the day when He will once again dwell with His people and we will experience His presence. Revelation 21:3 tells us...

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Amazing! God is going to end this phase of eternity by bringing it all around to the way it was supposed to be. It is in His heart that we should be in His presence forever. He longs to be closer that we feel Him in this age. He knows that, for now at least, this level of nearness to His unrestrained presence is almost the maximum we will experience. And yet...

It is our conviction that if we ask for more of His presence in our city, that He will come and dwell in our midst in a more substantial way. It is what revivals are made of, actually. It is not a new concept, just one less frequently experienced than we would wish. We at Sanctuary want to be a place where God can come and dwell in the midst of us. We want a city where He is not striving with His bride to be like Him and act out their lives as He would have them. We want Him to come with power in this age, even in part, and remove sickness, pain and bondage from this place. We want His kingdom to come now in our city as it is in heaven (ie. as it will be in the fullness of time when He dwells with us).

So, hour #2 of our Sunday setlist is dedicated to this concept. We sing and pray through passages related to the increase of God's dwelling presence among us, His advancing kingdom and what it will look it when it is fulfilled, and how we need to live in this process. We are called to move in step with Him, forsaking sin at every turn, and living lives of servanthood as worship unto the Bridegroom, King and Judge. We are called to minister to Him, to please His heart and to enjoy Him in all of it. We ask that He change us, this city and all involved. Do whatever is necessary, God, but bring changes that will allow for more of your presence dwelling richly and powerfully with us. For we are in love with you and long to have you with us.

Next time, I will tell you what it sounds like...you're gonna love it!

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

More on Hour #1

This past Sunday, I sat in the prayer room while one of the teams led us through an hour on Ephesians 1:17-18. It was Hour #1 and I loved what I saw!

First of all, it needs to be said that our format is an unusual one if you are more used to a Sunday morning worship set experience. Instead of a leader and a band backing him or her up, we function with more of a team approach. There is a leader, of course, but there is much more reliance on each part of the team to accomplish the purpose of the meeting. For example, the worship leader will lead in a song, but it will be the singers who will carry the bulk of the spontaneous singing around the specific passage (in this case, the Ephesians passage). In addition, it is a prayer leader who will inject thoughts, prayers and ideas into the mix as the set goes along. The music never stops. The ideas keep coming. Many are creative. Some are prophetic. All of it is fascinating if you are new to this.

During last Sunday's set, I watched as our prayer leader launched his first statement into the flow. Cncerning the passage, he asked "what is the hope of our calling, God?" . It was this simple statement that set the whole hour in motion and it was so much fun to watch the singers look for phrases to sing along this line, digging for deeper understanding, praying under their breath for God to bring clarity and trying to sing something nice to listen to at the same time.

I love our singers! They are bold and confident. Most of them realized a long time ago that it matters less how you sound and matters more what God is seeing and hearing in the process. Is what you are doing coming from a place of integrity? Are you connecting with God? Are you listening to the Spirit and letting Him guide you to further revelation as you honour the scriptures? Our singers have it. They are singing because they believe it matters. Their hearts are increasingly softened by God and His truth. They are serving in their weakness and it all counts.

At some point during this Sunday set, the picture was getting clearer. It's hard to explain, but sometimes at this stage of a set, as the singers and prayer leader are responding to one another as well as to the passage in question, a singular idea will emerge that everyone knows is coming from God and is "greater than the sum of our parts". It's these lines that we will sing in unison over and over, letting anyone in the room join in and interact with God around the ideas themselves. Someone on the team (I'm not even sure who...which is the way it should work) came up with the phrase "you will give us robes and crowns and we will rule with you". And there it was! Eternity was coming into focus, in a new phrase and with a melody attached, but it was a view we know about but so easily forget. The answer to the original question was being answered in a way that was inspiring our hearts and resonating in our spirits. It was causing us to think about the brevity of our life here on this earth and what was waiting for us next. Sure, we could have all sat around a table and done a bible study with commentaries on the passage. And, that would have been just fine. But, there is something about receiving revelation in the midst of worship, prayer and community that stirs the soul. God was here and helping us...it was thrilling.

And this was just the first hour....:) There were 6 hours that followed. I have much more to write, I guess. Wait until you hear what the Spirit uncovered for us in our set devoted to the Song of Solomon!! Or, what came as they sang through passages related to the Second Coming of Jesus and the end of the world.

Join us if you are in the area.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director

It's a Whole New Year!

Welcome to Sanctuary in 2007! We have made changes to our schedule that you need to know about, ones that incorporate new themes and new leaders. This is going to be fun.

Our first set of each Sunday is going to be focused on praying through an Apostolic Prayer. These prayers are found in the letters written to the churches and are amazing treasures of language and understanding of what God has on His heart for cities. Sanctuary is committed to using the bible as our prayer-book. It is God's written word to us and has power in the hearing, praying and understanding. We have found these prayers to be exceptional aids in saying it well when it is time to pray for our city. The years have passed since these were first written (centuries, actually) but the truth contained in them is timeless.

One of our favourites is found in Ephesians 1:17. This passage documents Paul praying for the church in Ephesus mid-way through the first century. He is writing to encourage them and give counsel, as he did for all the churches in his care, and as he arrives at v. 17 he is on a roll. He has just given the richest description of how God feels about them, what He has given them through this joining that has happened in Jesus giving Himself up for them and how it is all going to end. It is powerful stuff if you let it soak in to your spirit a bit. Verse 4 is a wonderful start to this discussion: "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love." Imagine the implications of this. God knew about you before this all began and had AT THAT TIME decided that you were the focus. You were going to be the reason for it all. It was you that had won His affection and He was going to work toward having you whole and holy at the end. Amazing! Grasping this can go a long way to helping us change our approach to everyday life in its most mundane moments. There is reason and purpose to it all, and He waits for us in eternity. He is not waiting for you to get it right and attain to something...He is working for you to see that it happens!

Verse 10 tells us that God will have it all under one head when He draws this earth to a close. Everything in heaven and on the earth will come together. God will dwell with us and we are going to love it.

With all this fresh in his mind and heart, inspired by divine truth and probably buzzing from the presence of God at the mere writing of it, Paul goes on to pray for these people. Verse 17 tells us that he asks for something unexpected but obviously critical to their growth, stability and increasing joy: "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." This is an amazing request, one that we draw on again and again in our meetings. God, show us more of who you are! If we can see more, know more and comprehend more of who you are, we will see it correctly, live well and please you. It is a critical prayer in this hour for all churches and we pray it for Winnipeg's church family all the time. To know Him is to love Him. To see with His eyes is to get priorities right.

Come for our first hour and join with us as we sing and pray through this prayer and the many others like it in the New Testament.

Brian Creary
Ministry Director