Syracuse International Christian Church

(This was e-mailed to Kip McKean December 14th, 2009)

I Don’t know if it’s too late to include this in your weekly Email (that’s E for Encouragement) that always helps spur on Kerri-Sue, Blake, Liza and my faith as we all sit around the computer and read what God is doing around the world . . . this story is over 10 years in the making and may be a little longer than usual for the email, but it’s worth telling the world! God has been moving so powerfully here the past two months in the Syracuse International Christian Church–we stand in awe–as we stand together with all of you sold-out disciples across the nations!

George Mak became a disciple almost ten years ago when his sister and brother-in-law, Andy and Marta Graham, who were part of the original mission team that came to Syracuse to plant the church in 1993, invited him to move to Syracuse after losing his job in Atlanta, Georgia. With the rental truck still parked in the driveway, he walked into his first ever Bible Talk that same day he moved! After initially responding to the Scriptures and making a radical life change, including breaking up with his girlfriend of twenty years, George saw God bless that repentance with his girlfriend, Kathy Hanam, moving to Syracuse, getting baptized and their getting to date as disciples!
Read the rest of this entry »

In the Syracuse International Christian Church, we’ve been studying the book of Hebrews, and learning about some of the life of the 1st Century disciples. This has been a unifying experience for the church, bringing to our eyes the fullness of what it means to truly walk as the disciples in the first century did, as well as thinking as the first century disciples did. The inspiring charge to the first century disciples in Hebrews 4:16 is perfectly suited for those who follow Christ today:

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Certainly this Scripture is incredibly comforting, as we understand God wants us to draw near to have an incredibly intimate relationship with Him. Regardless of how we may feel (especially during times of testing), God is in no way a harsh dictator ordering us around for His own good. Despite His amazing grace, God’s Word still teaches us that He is, in fact, sitting in full authority on that throne with Jesus at his right hand. And all throughout history, HOW men have approached enthroned kings have led both to their demise and to their glory. God wants us to trust his desire to help us, as well as His way to help us through Jesus; this complete entrusting of our hearts to God can lead to unrivaled confidence in our lives. Why wouldn’t we be confident? For if God is for us, who can be against us?!

Recently we welcomed a very special disciple into the Syracuse International Christian Church family. God brought a certain young man, Eric Myers, half-way around the world from Liberia, Africa to find the Kingdom treasure. Although his family fled civil-war in their native Liberia to seek safety and freedom in neighboring Ghana, it was there that Eric got caught up in a trap of sin and rebellion as he “ran the streets” uncontrollably. His grandmother, Johnetta Johnson, offered in the fall of 2008 to bring him into their home in Syracuse, New York with the expectation that he would learn to be respectful and obedient to the rules of her house. Fortunately, Johnetta’s household is filled with those striving to live out God’s standard in their lives, and Eric began to blossom, visiting church, reading the bible and praying regularly.

After studying the Bible seriously for several months, Eric made a decision too few teens are making these days, to give God complete control of his life. I was personally inspired as he wrestled with disappointment and pain not only resulting from his own sin, but also as consequences from those in his family who had sinned against him. His relationships began to transform as he forgave others from his heart in the true spirit of Matthew 18:35! Eric has already shared his faith with many of his friends at Nottingham, so pray that God will raise up incredible partners in the gospel for him, so that we can build powerful teen ministries in key high schools across Central New York!

Then more and more families will be encouraged to approach the throne of God’s grace with CONFIDENCE!

“By What Authority Are You Doing These Things?”

July 26, 2009
Jesus came from the Father full of grace and truth. There was no one who ever embodied this balance between speaking the truth and being compassionate toward the weak better than Jesus. And yet, Jesus himself was misunderstood, hated, blamed and ultimately killed for his perfectly loving efforts. So when I became a disciple of his on May 21, 1989 and was baptized into God’s Kingdom, I don’t think the full reality of whom I was following had truly sunk in. Oh, don’t get me wrong: I was grateful for the forgiveness of all my disgusting sin and amazed at the power to grow in my love for my fellow sinners (all mankind)—but it wasn’t until some significant turbulence hit the fellowship of the churches I called home that I began to understand on a whole new level what Jesus meant when he promised, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (John 15:4)

Read the rest of this entry »