Remember that Transformation video that came from the Sentinel Group years ago with the stories of four cities that were totally transformed? One of those cities was Cali, Columbia – the center of multiple drug cartels. The city was transformed, but at such a cost. The pastor who was a major leader in much of this became a martyr. Now years later, what has happened? Is the city still transformed? What does Cali look like now? Ever wonder? Ruth Ruibal gives the report:

http://www.glowtorch.org/Home/CaliColombiaUpdate/tabid/2766/Default.aspx

Then join THE FIREPLACE on this site. It’s free.

Order the original Transformations I video if you haven’t seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rWm84z-zg

“On February 12, 2010, President Préval of Haiti called his nation to 3 days of fasting and prayer in place of the regular Mardi Gras celebration. Not long after the devastating earthquake wreaked havoc on Haiti, President Préval made a monumental decision; together with his people, he would humble himself before the Lord, calling on Him for forgiveness and healing for his land. It was the time of the Mardi Gras celebration, but the people of this impoverished nation were more than willing to change their plans, as their hearts had already been broken. President Préval announced to his nation that there would be 3 days of fasting and prayer in place of the usual annual festivities. There were only about 5 days to organize the vigil which was to take place before the earthquake-ravaged presidential palace. But, would the people heed the call to prayer? Would the people come? Indeed, they did. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian people gathered in a picture of true repentance; hands uplifted to God, tears streaming. The prime minister arrived. He didn’t speak a word, but he cried for an hour, then left and
returned with Haiti’s President. Reportedly, thousands came to Christ during
that time, with over 100 voodoo priests turning to Jesus.”

The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire. — Tielhard de Chardin

Next speaking engagement in Portland:

March 2, 2010, Tuesday
Portland Metro Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, The Old Spaghetti Factory, 12725 SE 93rd Ave., Clackamas, OR, 12 Noon

Carl will be speaking on leadership issues and share some of his testimony working with leaders in Portland and internationally toward a spiritual awakening in today’s world. He will have copies of his latest book for sale, Beyond Illusion: Leading from Reality. No reservation necessary, lunch is $13.

In this historic moment, we live caught in a worldview that no longer works and a new one that seems too bizarre to contemplate.

Margaret J. Wheatley, Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World

Nothing changes until you upset what is, until you show people that where they are, the status quo, isn’t working. People build a comfort zone, an illusion, so they don’t have to change. They distort facts, lie, and ignore the facts—anything but change from where they are. The leader must upset the equilibrium; that is, create (and what appears to be) chaos. The new leader speaks and acts into the existing order, upsetting what is and creating chaos. This forces the “system” to reorder to a higher ordered system. This doesn’t make sense from our older leadership models; yet there is a new and higher order that emerges from the disorder. The leader is not doing this just for the sake of creating chaos. Rather, the leader is drawing the followers to a new Place.

When the Good News of the Gospel is alive in any person, whatever their kind of work may be, they become an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He or she becomes interesting to other people. They disturb, upset, enlighten, and open ways for better understanding.

In the new paradigm, once the vision is put down (and continues to be put down), the leader then focuses energy not so much in planning, putting down programs, building structures, and evaluating; but rather the leader focuses on building relationships (networks, linkages, dynamic connectedness), and then the leader releases. There is no control. The result appears to the leader (and even the followers) as non-deterministic; but it really does have a pattern. Trying to control will distort the pattern.

(c) 2009 Carl Townsend, Beyond Illusion: Leading from Reality

“Toto, I’ve got a felling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz

No matter how one looks at our world, the nation, and our personal lives today, one thing is certain. Extremely major shifts are taking place at this point in history on a global scale, and it is essential for even our survival to understand these. Our institutions as we know them: government, medical, economic, educational, and even the church have often become nonfunctional. Unless you understand this shift and how to lead through this you are going to have a serious problem.

Unfortunately for most of us, we build an illusion around that somehow, in some way, things will keep on going. And we keep on going like we always gone. We stay in our illusion and try to muddle on. Like the old cliché, however, if you keep on doing what you always done, you will keep on getting what you’ve always got. Unless there is a sense of desperateness (dissatisfaction), it is difficult to initiate change. This sense of desperateness is already sweeping a nation.

I like the story in the Bible of blind Bartimaeus as Jesus is leaving Jericho on his way to Jerusalem for the last week of his life. As the man is screaming to Jesus for mercy, Jesus replies with what seems like a really stupid question.

“What do you want Me to do for you?” Mark 10:51

The reply of the man is the heart cry of each of us.

“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Mark 10:51b

Each of us is trapped in our illusions and we can’t see what God is really doing and our part in the Kingdom Enterprise. Until we can see that and claim authority in our lives in terms of this, nothing changes and we remain trapped in our illusions. Jesus will give us that vision if we ask, just like He did with Bartimaeus.

Last week it was Denise Richards that got the boot from DWTS; but the big question many had was why Steve Wozniak is still there. Last week, in fact, Steve wasn’t even in the bottom two contestants. His professional partner, Katarina Smimoff, let out a shocked, shrill, and piercing scream as Tom announced the couple was safe for another night. Steve had only scored 10 of 30 points for his dance, which was one of the worst scores in the shows six seasons. One judge said it was the worst Samba he had ever seen. What happened?

The judges score is only 50% of the judges score, the other 50% of the score is determined by the viewers. Seems like all the Apple geeks started a massive social networking campaign. Using Twitter, Facebook, web sites, blogs and more there were able to vote Steve up to dance another week using social networking. The phenomena for Steve, or “Woznation”, increases each week as the geeks join to push harder each time.

Want to know something? Christians can, if they are willing, stand up and change the political, entertainment, education, economic and other areas of our culture. Unlike Steve, it’s not so much the 50% vote we are looking at here. If we are willing to commit, the Holy Spirit will step in. As Jesus said in all versions of the Great Commission, “all authority is mine”. A small church in Georgia did – a their movie “Fireproof” was an incredible success

In an earlier posting we mentioned that Dr. Lance Wallnau will be speaking April 3-4 at the Portland Christian Chamber of Commerce conference. As we mentioned, Lance Wallnau, a business coach, has identified 7 cultural mountains: business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family, and church. Christians should be involved in leading the transformation that is needed in each of these.

Lance is a dynamic teacher with a gift for imparting the Word of God. His anointed messages are remembered years afterwards, He captivates his audiences by humor, illustrations, drawings, and a fresh vocabulary which penetrates deep into the heart with incredible authority, clarity, and personal application.

Lance’s prophetic teaching helps people see a clearer path into transformation. His unique style and humor are designed to keep you smiling so it isn’t too painful when the truth hits home. Such high intensity in the Holy Spirit, accompanied by his pointed, colorful delivery, and use of diagrams and instruments enable him to impact his audiences and clients worldwide. His teaching is an unforgettable experience.

If you can’t make the conference or want to hear him free, you can catch him speaking at the International Life Center on Saturday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. No reservation is necessary. The address is 10014 NE Glisan, Portland, OR.

One of the problems in the Church today is that God IS calling His people to stand up, speak, and be heard. If they don’t, God holds them accountable. We have too many geldings in the Church instead of the stallions God is calling men and women to be. Geldings are nice, but they don’t bring life – they are sterile. And, as C.S, Lewis said, the problem with the churches so often is that we don’t have the stallions – we have a bunch of geldings. We castrate the stalliion and then tell him to bear fruit.

One of the best books speaking into this is John Eldridge’s Wild at Heart. Then read his Waking the Dead. It is one thing to read these books, it is another to act on it. It is time for the men and women of God to stand up. And I don’t mean just writing a letter to your congressman/woman.

Last month in Atlanta change agents gathered from 13 countries and 30 US states for the 2009 Church in the Workplace – Reclaim 7 Mountains of Culture International Conference. Leaders such as Lance Wallnau, a business coach, have identified 7 cultural mountains: business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family, and church. Culture is actually controlled by a small number of people at the top of each of these cultural mountains. These are the cultural gatekeepers. The Church needs to launch a broad-base attack in each of these areas to effect the transformation necessary in our culture. It is not impossible. George Otis, Jr. with the Sentinel Group has already identified hundreds of cities in the world where it has already happened.

If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.

- a very dangerous proposition.

One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently
around–she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.