This past weekend, I had the incredible privilege of hearing Vince Antonucci, the founding pastor of The Verve church in Las Vegas, speak at Kensington Community Church in Troy, MI. I was excited because I had previously heard of Vince and the church plant and wanted to learn more about what God is doing through this project.

While I found Vince’s message to be relevant, energetic, and entertaining as I listened to it, it has taken a few days of processing time for his heartfelt stories to have begun impacting my life in an intensely powerful, emotional way.

Increasingly over the past several weeks, I have been encountering more and more people who are turning away from God and denying His power, rejecting His grace, and even refuting His very existence. I generally enjoy meeting people with different beliefs and taking the time to hear their life stories and engage with them on their journey, no matter what they believe or in what direction they are heading. It is always my prayer and hope that in developing a relationship with them, I would serve as a mirror reflecting God’s love and joy in my life onto them, giving them the opportunity to re-encounter God and have the opportunity to return to Him in God’s own perfect timing. I reject pushiness and do not endorse anyone pushing others to believe certain things, whether true or not. Just as God gave people the free choice to believe and trust in Him, my intention remains to always act in the very same manner and with a patience fueled by trust that God is actively pursuing their restoration to Him and will do things in His own time.

Essentially, my desire for people to experience God’s life-transforming power and healing in their own lives is something I look forward to as we develop a relationship, but is something I leave up to God. My focus is just to love them the best that I can and continue developing our relationship with the hope that they would be able to experience how incredible my life is because God is in it.

However, it has been becoming increasingly painful to watch people who I love, who belong to and are loved by God, explicitly deny their only hope for salvation. I’ve been trying to determine why this has been progressively becoming the case, and finally can see that it’s because I’m beginning to realize time is very short.

It’s almost like I’ve been looking at the world through some fantasy lens until this realization. I’ve been getting caught up in how some good things are happening, for example, at places like Kensington – where people are being reunited with God. And, of course, God’s Word makes it clear that it is our responsibility to seek after the lost until Christ returns, no matter how near we feel the end may be. However, the realization that time is very short brings about a definite urgency – that is very unsettling and extremely uncomfortable. And it’s impossible to look around the world and deny that it is turning against God on a very mass scale.

Vince told a story about how he and his wife went to a theme park with their children, and one of their sons got lost attempting to go over to his mom at the other side of the park. When Vince made his way back over to where his wife was and realized that their son was not with her, he jumped into a frantic mode that he vividly described – he looked everywhere for his son, shouting across the park whenever he saw a child he thought might be him. The feelings he described can only be defined as excruciating – not knowing where his son was or if he would ever find or see him again.

That very feeling is the same feeling God feels about each and every one of His lost children. Vince made this statement during his message, but it has taken a while to finally hit me. It’s that same feeling that makes God leave all his sheep to go after just one who is lost. It’s that same feeling that God feels about every single one of His children who have wandered away from Him.

I think the changes I’m noticing are me beginning to experience that very feeling more and more intensely. The Bible is very clear that people will either spend eternity with God, or eternity in flames (Matthew 25:40-46). I don’t want that to happen to people who I love and care about, and want more than anything for them to be in a relationship with God. And the reality check of just how quickly the world is turning against Him is scaring me for the sake of my loved ones’ future.

I guess the only thing I can end with, regardless of whether you believe in Jesus or not, is that I love you, and God loves you, and that’s the most important thing I could possibly tell you. In the end, nothing else really matters nearly as much.

I want for nothing, because I have everything I need, not by my own power but through the power of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more I could ever ask for, and everything I ever need will always be there for me.

The same God who crafted every last molecule of the universe cares enough about me that He knows my name by heart, hears every word I say, watches every tear fall, feels every ounce of my emotion, knows every desire of my heart, and to top it off, died on a cross for me so I would get to be with Him.

There is no possible way I could ever want anything more than that, because there pretty much isn’t anything better. Period. So all I want to do is try as hard as I can to emulate the love and sacrifice that has been shown to me. My debts have been forgiven, so now I go to forgive the debts others owe unto me.

If you’re trying to do this whole ‘life thing’ alone tonight, I honestly don’t know how you can do it. I guess the reason is that I know I would have burned out and crashed a long time ago without Jesus. In fact, I can say with a pretty good amount of confidence that I wouldn’t be alive today. Dead meat, that’s what I would be.

If you’re at a point tonight where you just can’t do it anymore, where you’re looking and looking for something more but just can’t figure out what it is and don’t have the strength to go on, know that I understand. I’m here to tell you that the only way you can is through the power of Jesus Christ. He is all we need and in Him is everything we need. Please talk with someone, and feel free to contact me, who can share Him with you. Send me an email. I would be glad to talk and pray for you. I really mean it.

Grace and peace through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear friends,

For many of you, this is just one of several notes from me that you’ve been reading during the past few months. For some, this may be the first. For some, you may barely know me, or perhaps not have a clue who I am! Regardless of how you’ve ended up here, I hope you’ll spend a few minutes reading. However you may have arrived, I believe that you’ve ended up here for some reason. Please pass it on (links are good) if you feel there are other people who should read it as well.

In just 20 days, I will board a plane with 17 other college kids from Kensington church, headed to do mission work in eSikawini, South Africa. Many of you have been following along with me during the incredible journey I’ve been on leading up to this trip, through my letters, emails, and website. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Thank you to all of you who have given donations, as well as to all of you who desired to contribute but simply cannot with today’s grim financial conditions. I understand that times are very tough now and simply wish to express my deep, sincere gratitude for your willingness and desire to help me in all the ways that you have as I strive to follow where God is leading my life.

This past Wednesday, our New Community service featured the commissioning of many mission teams, including the one I will be working with. The pastor teaching during the service was Dr. Craig Mayes, very arguably my favorite, who himself is also embarking on an exciting journey with God this summer as he leads a church plant team to New York City. I would like to invite you to view the service online by visitng the following link: http://kensingtonchurch.org/message_video/index.asp?id=1771&zzwa=2008-06-04M . Craig’s sermon was absolutely remarkable this past Wednesday, and I would like to highly encourage you to set aside some time to listen to it using the above link. If you look closely, you can see me up on stage a few times!

The remainder of this note will serve as a status update for the different aspects of this very soon upcoming trip.

Spiritually, God has been thoroughly preparing me for the mission through my study of the scriptures as well as through sermons I have been hearing over the past several months. I have also been attending meetings with the mission team and leaders as well as a short retreat this past weekend in Port Sinclair. I feel that I have grown a tremendous amount in the time I have spent preparing for the trip, and look forward to much spiritual growth to take place through serving the Zulu people.

Financially, I am not nearly as prepared for the mission as I had hoped to be. I still need just under $2000 in order to be able to go, and will need to pay for whatever I am unable to raise by myself. If you would be willing to make a tax-deductible donation to this trip, please contact me as the deadline is extremely soon. I would very greatly appreciate your help! I will also be selling Africa t-shirts, available for $15. If you are interested in one or more of these shirts, please contact me.

I wish to thank you again for all the support you have shown me in any way, and ask for your continued prayers as I go through the final countdown before I leave on this mission. Thanks again, and God bless all of you!

Be part of an exciting journey in faith as “C” Branch author Chris DeMarco travels to Africa this Summer!

Among the many exciting developments that have unfolded in my life during this time is an opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip to Africa. Upon much thoughtful prayer and consideration, I have decided to take up this opportunity, and will be traveling to eSikhawini, South Africa for two weeks this July, along with a team of seventeen other college-age students from Kensington.

You can read more and will find many useful resources here.

Imagine there was someone you were madly in love with, who you owed your entire life and existence to. How would you express your deep love and affection? You probably wouldn’t go searching Google for a cheesy love poem to memorize and recite. Not only would it lack meaning, honesty, and genuineness on your part, but it would be meaningless to them. Even if the things you read to them are true or how you feel, they don’t mean much because they wouldn’t be coming from you. Christina is simply not going to appreciate you serenading her with “Roses are red, violets are blue…” for the third time this week while handing her a bouquet.

If you really wanted to show that special someone how much you loved and cared for him or her, you would do things that were special, that came from your heart, and that had meaning in your relationship. For example, you wouldn’t recite a “stolen” poem that had nothing to do with your relationship with the person or with him or her as an individual. You would write a poem yourself, in which you could express how you feel and how you see the relationship and that special person.

I feel that this same concept applies to our relationship with God. God is madly in love with creation and God’s people (that’s us!) and we return that love to God. We serve, we love and care for others, we share what God has given us. These are ways that we show that we actually really mean it when we say that we love God. We life this love in our daily lives.

One of the biggest ways is that we take time to communicate with God through prayer. Prayer takes many forms, and can be part of a community or personal. However, our communication with God must be meaningful, special, and come from our heart. It must have to do with our relationship with God, not just be words recited and repeated. Communication must be an ongoing thing, not just a rushed Rosary before bed or a Chaplet while driving to work.

Saying ten “Our Father’s” and six “Hail Mary’s” a day does not cut it.

Jesus himself said to not go around “babbling on like pagans” (Matthew 6:5-13).

Let’s face it – if you’re in love with someone, you think about them all day. You wonder constantly about how they’re doing. When you make decisions or do things, you think about what they would think about it. They are a constant part of your thoughts, actions, and life.

So, a relationship with God should be the same. Prayer is an ongoing thing that constantly takes place throughout the entire day. It’s thinking about what Jesus would say when in a difficult situation with someone. It’s asking God for help and assurance when taking on something you’re worried about. It’s thanking God after things go well, and even if they don’t. It’s making God a part of your life every moment you live. If this takes place, then there is no need for a soapbox announcement twenty minutes before you go to bed that you must not be disturbed since you are going to “pray.” Being in constant communication with God makes the relationship real and genuine, and elimenates the “Roses are red…violets are blue…” of prayer.

In a nutshell, I guess that if I was God, I would get a bit sick of people repeating the same thing over and over and not even thinking about it…but that’s just me.

When Jesus taught how to pray, He gave us the “Our Father.” People take this to mean that we should say this prayer, which is great. On a more deeper level, however, I see this as Jesus totally just coming up with a prayer right there to express what He wanted to say to God.

Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy. Let Your Kingdom and Reign come into existence, and let me and all Your people help build up that Kindgdom here on earth. Let Your will be done in the world and in my life, just like it is in Heaven, with You and all the angels in paradise. Give us what we need for today, and forgive us for what we’ve done wrong. Help us avoid screwing up again, and keep us safe from the evil one. The Kingdom is Yours; Glory be to You forever, almighty and all-powerful God! I believe this with my whole heart.

In addition to this awesome and powerful prayer, I believe we can learn something else. Jesus also taught us to just say to God what we really mean. The words don’t matter so much. Amen.