Okay, day two, part two.
He's quoting my Dad there.
"The Kingdom belongs to those that show up!"
Very cool.
See, Dad, and Rob both had a pretty utilitarian view of how God calls a person to do a thing. Dad was fond of saying "You don't *find* the will of God, the will of God *finds* you..." or "You *go* where you're invited..." or "The Kingdom belongs to those that show up!"
Showing up.
Just being there.
This view was tempered by many years in the pastorate. Dad pastored full-time for the first half of his life. He assisted my Grandfather in Sudbury, did a stint in St. Thomas (ON), another in Montreal, then took his first solo church in Newmarket Ontario. That church exploded (as in grew fantastically) then he upped sticks for Israel where he and Mom planted, what is today, Israel's largest church, King of Kings Assembly. Returning to Canada in 1990 Dad began what continues as his major ministry avenue, hosting 100 Huntley Street. He expanded into his own TV ministry in the mid 90's then went to Vancouver to pastor a large urban church there for a few years. Today he is again hosting 100 Huntley Street and, for the past 10 years, has been working hard developing Visionledd, an HIV/AIDS relief agency with a particular focus on sub-saharan Africa. Along the way he's written several books, mentored hundreds of young pastors, including a certain Daniel Robert Hall.
He just kept showing up and so did God.
Dad, and Rob's, sense was that life is a great adventure. The urge for constant forward motion was something Robbie and Dad really shared. Rob would get restless if he wasn't always working on something, planning something, doing something that required Gods intervention. This is, probably (I never talked to him about it in great enough depth to 'say so' with authority) a big part of what led he and Kate to sell it all and embark on their epic pilgrimage across Europe and, ultimately, to Africa, three kids in tow.
One of the things I found really amazing about Robbie was his ability to just 'show up' somewhere and make an impact. He was one of the most gifted 'pastors' I've ever seen. Perhaps his greatest gift (as far as I saw it on display) was his ability to connect with people and to model a vibrant Jesus-focused Christianity for them such that they began copying him, and ended up as vibrant Jesus-followers themselves as a result (in part) of Robbie's influence on their lives.
Seems to me Robbie was evidence that a Charismatic approach to life is the best one there is.
What I mean by that is this; you live FULL of the Spirit ("be-being-filled with the Holy Spirit..." in a present-continuous sense, a la Ephesians 5:18) and the Spirit in and at work in you is enough to draw the people you come into contact with to the Father.
If you're FULL of the Spirit (like Robbie was) then, in truth, all you have to do is *show up* and God does the rest.
This is perhaps the heart of Dad's instruction.
"The Kingdom belongs to those that show up!" *assumes* that you show up full of, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"The Kingdom belongs to those that show up!" assumes a Charismatic theology.
"The Kingdom belongs to those that show up!" doesn't work unless you show up *with* something; said something being the presence and manifest power of the Most High God.
Robbie certainly had that in spades.
Love you man.
T
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