On this week of national holidays — Canada: today; U.S.: Thursday; Hong Kong: today, not so happy (see below) — it’s important to refocus our direction and calling. Sometimes we forget how significant this message of Grace Turned Outward really is right now. You need to grasp how important you are because of this message of Grace. One of our volunteers has captured this significance in a stirring prophetic message I pass on to you today. This is one for the refrigerator door.

This is a pivotal time in human history. The message of Grace is being drowned out on all sides. Left, right and center can’t stand anyone who isn’t in their own camp. People can’t even find a respite in our religious organizations from the anger, fear, and division in our culture. 

This is not a time to hunker down and try to hold on. This is not a time to “Hold the Fort.” This is a time to open the door to the fort, march out and take back what Satan is taking away from us. 

It is critical that the message of Grace goes forth. The message of Grace is the only message that can bring this world back from the brink. The young people are waiting to carry that message to their elders like we carried it to ours. 

God didn’t set up the Catch to be a hobby for John and Marti. God set it up for us to change the world. The latter will be greater than the former. 

God wants to lead a group of people sick of hatred, sick of intolerance, sick of hypocrisy, sick of legalism, sick of “religious” leaders blaming God for their own bigotry, sick of families falling apart, sick of living in fear, ready to march forth into the marketplace carrying a torch fueled by love, compassion, and grace. 

We have a core of people; now it’s time to lead us out into the world. If we choose to do so, we will not increase our reach by two or three times. We will increase it a hundred fold. And when it has been increased a hundred fold it can increase a thousand fold. 

So are you with us? These are both inspiring and sobering words. Inspiring because they call us to make a difference — to carry the message of Grace, that God isn’t mad anymore, so why should we be? It is a message of welcome, of acceptance, of forgiveness, and hope, based not on us but on God — on who He is and what He has done in Christ. And sobering, because it is a dark time — a time when the opposite of Grace seems to be prevailing, but that only makes the need greater and the challenge more formidable. That should spur us on. This is not a time to retreat.

So happy Independence Week. Use your freedom well. Use it to spread the news about the Gospel of Welcome — Grace Turned Outward to everyone, everywhere.

[Our own Jimmy & Olivia Chan and thousands of protesters are not so happy about this day in Hong Kong which marks a handover of power from British control to mainland China. They are concerned, rightfully so, about a loss of many freedoms. Pray for them and their ministry and their family, and pray for all the Christians in that country.]

For all our Canadian friends: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA!

A belated thanks to

Robert, Seattle, Washington

June, Apollo Beach, Florida 

whose campaign gifts came in the mail.