Hey Everybody,
This week went really well, and it was our last week of formal teaching, which is crazy to think that I have been at DTS that long that our quarter here is almost over, and that I will be leaving for Colombia in only 13 days. This week our teaching was on Kingdom Culture, and what is means to live in it, and we were taught by a guy named Scott Smith who founded YWAM Arctic Mission, which is based in Homer, Alaska.
His teaching was really dynamic, and the Holy Spirit really used him to touch all of our lives this week. His lectures were really empowering and challenging. He kept showing us and reminding us of the power that God exhibits through people time after time, and how when we live in Kingdom Culture we have that dominion authority as well, to do amazing things, including radical miracles. As a student, body we noticed that God for about a month, or so, has been continually reminding us of this power and authority that we have in Him through our different speakers. So, we decided we did not just want to hear about this anymore, but we wanted to experience it.
Thursday morning during our first lecture a strange sense of spiritual warfare began to fall on the student body, and the night before a friend of mine, named Joel, during our prayer time received a vision of someone walking through the forest, and then all of a sudden was attacked by a lion, which makes reference to 1 Peter 5:8. So, we brought this up to our speaker, Scott, and we immediately went to God received instruction from Him, and then followed Ephesians 6 to put on our spiritual armor, and entered into spiritual warfare.
The crazy thing was is that we did not have to put up a huge fight against the enemy, but what happened was amazing. There was a 15-20 minute time of repentance that took place where we all just cleared out our baggage to one another, uniting the team. As a united team we circled, danced, and sang worship songs attacking the enemy. And then we came together and chanted like William Wallace in Braveheart. It was crazy and had some one walked in and not known who we were they would have thought we were nuts. But what ensued as a crazy release in our hearts, and an amazing since freedom in people's lives. The enemy was defeated, and for the first time since we had really heard about this power, we experienced our authority to fight Satan and his evil spirits and win! It was awesome!
We ended the week through a time of exhortation, which is one of Scott's main spiritual gifts, and he got a word for everyone that he gave to them. What he told me was really interesting. The vision he got of me, was me standing on a Roman ship with all of the rowers, and I was beating/calling out the cadence that was making the rowers row in sync. God told him that this was my job for the Kingdom. He said that God was making me into a man that will give rhythm to his Kingdom, so that his kingdom continues to push into the world. However, Scott warned me and said that for me to do this properly I need to work on grace and love, so that I do not push people to hard. That I need to be gracious to them, and relate to them, and then they will row for me with joy, instead of obligation, and that my main cadence needs to be the resurrection, and the power that comes from it.
To be honest, I am not sure what to think of this, or even all that it means for me. I have been praying into it, and I definitely feel it was from God, just not exactly sure how to pursue it. Everytime I think of this vision I get a peace and serenity that can only come from God, so I am doing my best to take it day-by-day, and to just let God me lead in this task.
Tonights the Love Feast, where all the schools come together for a big celebration, before some of them graduate next week. I actually get to go and start cooking for it in about an hour, and I am really looking forward to that. And then next week we have directors week, and then we are officially on outreach even though we don't leave until Christmas.
I have been praying fervently for all of you; praying that God would show up in your lives in mighty ways, and that he would rock the world of First Baptist. I love you all so much, and thank you all for all that you do for me! If there are any more specific prayer requests that I can pray for please email them to me.
Here are a few prayer requests for me:
+Thanksgiving for God's provision for outreach. He is a great God!
+Preparation for me and my team to Colombia that God would give us visions and direction for what He wants to happen there.
+Prayer for you all as I go to Colombia that God would give you all strength and a peace of mind
+Direction in God's timing for after DTS - There are a few options
-Going straight over to Africa to begin my work over there - Schools start April 25th in Mombasa, Kenya
- Going home and working for undisclosed amount of time
- Traveling around the states speaking to churches, and mobilizing people for God's movement of missions into the world.
- Coming back to Denver for a Phase II to develop more leadership skills and character development
- Going on a back packing tour around Europe doing more ministry and outreach, while spreading our vision with a team of about 10-12 people, and then doing a secondary school (Phase II or School of Ministry Development) in either Denver of Kona, Hawaii.
+That I would be open and willing to all of God's direction
+Against the fear of man in my life.
I love you all and God Bless!
Matt
But we are not a people who shrink back, and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
- Hebrews 10:39
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Update
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thank you/Support Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you all so much for all that you have done for me, and for getting me where I am. God has completely changed my life at DTS, and has given me so much, which I hope to be able to share with you. I wanted to write this letter to simply thank all of you. I wish I could have sent out personal letters to all of you through the mail, but I have not had access to a printer that could print out my letters, and I have been really low on funds to be able to pay for the posting, but I hope to do all of that when I go home for Thanksgiving to visit.
I wish this could just be a thank you letter because you all have already given me so
much to me, which makes me feel horrible for asking for more, but I do not know what else to do. On November 2, 2009 my first outreach payment was due here at YWAM for $1,250. My church account did not have all the money, but we were seeing a steady flow of money coming in, so we wrote the check in full. However, after we wrote the check money stopped coming in all to-gether, and now my account stands at $-170 overdrawn. Furthermore, in order for me to continue DTS, go on outreach, and graduate I need to raise the last part of the payment, which is $1,200. So, I need to raise an additional 1,400 for out-reach and to balance out my account.
With all of that said, the situation seems horrible, but in reality I know it is taken care of. God has made more than clear to me that I am His son, and because of that He provides, because He is a God that provides for his children. We have privilege in His family. So, I know that the money is going to come in as long as I am faithful to do my part, and “pray the price.” There is power in God’s family and power in prayer, and even as I type this out with a $1,400 deficit staring me in the face God is telling me that He will not just provide, but provide in abundance, and that He is releasing even more than $1,400 even as I sit here. God is so good!
My hope and prayer is that you would join me in praying, so that together as a family we would seek God for this provision, because I want everything that I do on outreach to be a blessing to you. I want you all to take part in this amaz-ing mission that He is sending me on. I want to take you with me. With great humility, I want to ask you to pray with me, and also that you would seek God, and see if He is leading you to help provide further financial support. Anything that you are led to give would be a huge blessing!
I want to take some time to say a short prayer for you: Dear Lord, I want to lift up everyone who reads this letter, and ask that you would bless them and guide them beyond their wildest dreams. I pray that you would release an abun-dance to them and that you would give them grace and peace that can only be found in you. I also ask that if there is any-thing in their heart that is causing pain and stress that you would come in, and with your presence help restore and heal whatever it is. I thank you for this family that you have given me, and pray that my journey would be used to bless their life in You. In Jesus name I pray Amen!
Your Brother In Christ,
Matthew Woods
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…”
Ephesians 1: 15-17
Contact Info:YWAM Denver
Young People’s DTS - Matt Woods
12750 West 63rd Ave.
Arvada, CO 80004
cell: 330-754-7878
matthew-s-woods.blogspot.com
Thank you all so much for all that you have done for me, and for getting me where I am. God has completely changed my life at DTS, and has given me so much, which I hope to be able to share with you. I wanted to write this letter to simply thank all of you. I wish I could have sent out personal letters to all of you through the mail, but I have not had access to a printer that could print out my letters, and I have been really low on funds to be able to pay for the posting, but I hope to do all of that when I go home for Thanksgiving to visit.
I wish this could just be a thank you letter because you all have already given me so
much to me, which makes me feel horrible for asking for more, but I do not know what else to do. On November 2, 2009 my first outreach payment was due here at YWAM for $1,250. My church account did not have all the money, but we were seeing a steady flow of money coming in, so we wrote the check in full. However, after we wrote the check money stopped coming in all to-gether, and now my account stands at $-170 overdrawn. Furthermore, in order for me to continue DTS, go on outreach, and graduate I need to raise the last part of the payment, which is $1,200. So, I need to raise an additional 1,400 for out-reach and to balance out my account.
With all of that said, the situation seems horrible, but in reality I know it is taken care of. God has made more than clear to me that I am His son, and because of that He provides, because He is a God that provides for his children. We have privilege in His family. So, I know that the money is going to come in as long as I am faithful to do my part, and “pray the price.” There is power in God’s family and power in prayer, and even as I type this out with a $1,400 deficit staring me in the face God is telling me that He will not just provide, but provide in abundance, and that He is releasing even more than $1,400 even as I sit here. God is so good!
My hope and prayer is that you would join me in praying, so that together as a family we would seek God for this provision, because I want everything that I do on outreach to be a blessing to you. I want you all to take part in this amaz-ing mission that He is sending me on. I want to take you with me. With great humility, I want to ask you to pray with me, and also that you would seek God, and see if He is leading you to help provide further financial support. Anything that you are led to give would be a huge blessing!
I want to take some time to say a short prayer for you: Dear Lord, I want to lift up everyone who reads this letter, and ask that you would bless them and guide them beyond their wildest dreams. I pray that you would release an abun-dance to them and that you would give them grace and peace that can only be found in you. I also ask that if there is any-thing in their heart that is causing pain and stress that you would come in, and with your presence help restore and heal whatever it is. I thank you for this family that you have given me, and pray that my journey would be used to bless their life in You. In Jesus name I pray Amen!
Your Brother In Christ,
Matthew Woods
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…”
Ephesians 1: 15-17
Contact Info:YWAM Denver
Young People’s DTS - Matt Woods
12750 West 63rd Ave.
Arvada, CO 80004
cell: 330-754-7878
matthew-s-woods.blogspot.com
matthew_woods31987@yahoo.com
www.ywamdenver.org
www.ywamdenver.org
Friday, October 30, 2009
The 4th Major Mission Movement has Begun!
Hey Everyone,
I am somewhat hesitant writing this and telling you about what I am about to tell you. I am hesitant partly because what I am about to tell you is so fresh, having happened in the last 24 hours, and partly because part me of thinks it is too good to be true. However, with this hesitation I am met with great faith, because I do not believe that this message could be kept in, or that this movement that I am going to tell you about could be stopped. The reason I believe this is because I am confident that this movement has not been started by the zeal of men, but by the zeal of God who I know can accomplish all things, especially this task (Isaiah 37:32).
As you most of you know God has really been moving in my life the past few months, and really rearranging everything. This journey has led me to Discipleship Training School (DTS) out in Denver, Colorado, where I am continuing to seek my calling from God on my life. I have been in the DTS for 4 weeks now, and every week God has been moving and doing great and amazing things, however it was this past week that I believe will be pivotal in not only my own life, but for history.
This past week my DTS took part in what is known as the Go! Conference in Youth With A Mission (YWAM). The Go! Conference is designed to do pretty much what it sounds like, to get people to go and serve. This year there were around 200 or so YWAMers present at the conference, and when you have that many people earnestly seeking and following Jesus Christ, something amazing is bound to happen, and it did!
On Thursday night one of the most annointed men that I have ever heard speak, taught at our last major session of the conference. His message was not unexpected. Everyone knew he was going to issue the call to go, but I do not think we realized how powerful that call would be. Fred challenged us, asking, pleading, that we would be the generation that rises and seeks God so hard that we would fulfill the Great Commission by making sure every unreached people group would receive the life giving gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not all that new. Until he told us that he believes that we can do it, and hopes that we will.
He then went on and told us about places of strategic missions in the world, and showed us key spots where missionaries need to be, in order to prevent a major set back of the spreading of the gospel for centuries. The 6 locations were the eastern cities of China and their leaders, Northern India and the Himalayas, Central Asia, Iran, the entire continent of Europe, and a line that goes across Africa known as the Sahel belt, and this belt is important because it divides the Northern Muslim countries of Africa from the Christian southern countries of Africa, and the line is slowly being pushed south by Muslim missionaries. He then went on an explained the strategic significance of each of those areas, and then issued a call to go and win the world for Jesus.
After this dynamic presentation Ian, a good friend of mine, and I went back to our room, and knew that God was calling us to pray because He had something big in store for us. Part of the reason we thought this was because we were on historic ground. You see there have been 3 major missionary movements in the history of the church. The first was the 1st centuries church rapid expansion into through Christ's disciples. The second came through Count Zizendorf and the Moravians, and the thrid was the student volunteer movement which received a major push in Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA, the very place where our conference was being held. Ian and I walk back to the room and knew that we had to pray. So, we invited the guys of our DTS to a night prayer to seek out the Lord and to respond to this calling on behalf of our generation. And we begin to pray as a body of guys that God would show us what He had planned and what He desired for the conference.
That is exactly what God did! 20 minutes into our prayer God speaks to a couple of us, and clearly tells us that he wants to start the 4th major missionary movement, and that he wanted to start that movement at that conference, with us. Now we realized that we were emotional and excited from the amazing challenge that Fred had issued us, so we continued to pray, but soon we found our self praying door by door for every person in our dorm building. Then we were led outside and went and prayed building by building asking God to come and set the stage for a radical mission movement to be begin, and to spread from the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. As we are praying for all of this we are completely baffled by what is going on, and we knew that we had to get leadership, but by this time it was 1:30 in the morning and we were almost positive that all of them would be asleep. But we went anyway to their rooms hoping God would lead us to a leader so they could confirm or calm us down. So, we ending go to the building where all of the leadership are sleeping and to make a long story short God leads us without any knowledge of where his room is, to Fred Markert's room. We share with him our story and what we think God is doing, and then he prayed for us, and said I believe in your generation and I have hope that it starts with you. After that Fred writes his email on a random piece of a paper so we could email him to get the resources of his presentation that he gave that night. In order that we could go out and spread that as well to mobilize a force of people to spread God's gospel to the ends of the earth.
We then go back to the room wondering still if this is really happening, and we pray that if this is really what God is trying to do to put the entire leadership on board with this idea of a great mission movement with out us even talking to them. When we get back to the room we begin to pray that God would give each of us direction and to strategically place us in his mission field based on what Fred had shared with us. As we are doing that I open up the paper Fred had given me, and it was a welcome letter from the conference staff, and on that paper were a set of prayer points. The fourth point down said that the staff believed that this conference was going to launch the fourth major mission movement into the world. And we realized that God had been working this plan out even before He had told us, and that this was not just us, but that the zeal of the Lord was ready to take back His earth.
We woke up Friday and went and shared are story with a staff member named Amos, and he told us we had to share this story with the rest of the conference. And that is exactly what we did, and God showed up and responded in such an amazing way. It started by Ian and I sharing the testimony from Thursday night. After that all of the guys who prayed that night together were called to come forward 11 in total. God then spoke to Brian Hoganm, a missionary from Mongolia and current church planting coach, and said to him, I used 11 guys once. I gave them the Great Comission, and here are 11 guys who am I giving it to again and who are going to lead the way to help fulfill it. We then received word that our intercession for Juarez, Mexico was working, and that God had placed his hand over the city, so that no murders would occur in a city where it averages 7 a day. On Thursday, there were none, and we asked God for a week, and we believe he will do more than that. Then the entire conference was called up front and laid on hands on the 11 and annoinuted us to go and become this movement. Then God used us and the staff to annoint the rest of the conference to the same. God went from moblizing 11 to almost 200 people in 12 hours, and with that growth rate just imagine what he can do. Once we had prayed for one another we began to network to see this mission come true, and for those of us who felt called to Africa we started a team of around 20 committed people who are going to go and strengthen and push back the Sahel Belt for Christ. Then the coolest thing is God started to heal his people through the prayers of one another, so that He could send out an army that was whole and lacking in nothing. And it is continuing to grow and more teams are being formed even as we speak. October 30, 2009 is going to be a special day in history when God mobilized a few to share a message that mobilized millions for His kingdom.
I am writing to you this story because I want to extend the invitation to you. Throughout the Bible God commanded his people to go more than 8,000 times, and he is waiting for his people to stop waiting for a greenlight because he already gave them 8,000 greenlights and He just wants us to go and wait for a red one. So, I am inviting you come with me. Come on this journey let us strategically fight for God's kingdom here on earth. Billions of people are dying and they have never heard of the name of Jesus, and that is the greatest injustice that we can change. So, if you have tasted of the goodness and sweetness of Christ would you come, would you share that message with me wherever God calls you.
I and all of those who already accepted the calling of seeing our generation fulfill the Great Commission need help spreading this message. You can help this movement grow in so many ways. You could pray that this does not die down, but that it keeps it zeal and vibrance and becomes everything I just told you it can be. You could also open up your churches, schools, or any place where we can come and share this message of God's strategic mission in the world. You could support someone who has received the call and going. We cannot do this on our own. Must of us who accepted the calling our poor kids who need support and guidance and need to be sent. So, would you send us? Finally you can come with us, and literally change and claim the world for Christ.
God has started the next major mission movement in church history. The only question that is left, is, will you stand up and be part of it?
Matt
P.S. - we are hoping to produce a video testimony of the evening with Ian and I to post on youtube, so that others can hear our story and receive the call and invitation that Christ has given us, so that can join with us and realize this is the movement that God has been stirring in all of our hearts. Let us not shrink back in a time such as this. We are hoping to do that in the next few weeks, and will send out emails when it is done!
I am somewhat hesitant writing this and telling you about what I am about to tell you. I am hesitant partly because what I am about to tell you is so fresh, having happened in the last 24 hours, and partly because part me of thinks it is too good to be true. However, with this hesitation I am met with great faith, because I do not believe that this message could be kept in, or that this movement that I am going to tell you about could be stopped. The reason I believe this is because I am confident that this movement has not been started by the zeal of men, but by the zeal of God who I know can accomplish all things, especially this task (Isaiah 37:32).
As you most of you know God has really been moving in my life the past few months, and really rearranging everything. This journey has led me to Discipleship Training School (DTS) out in Denver, Colorado, where I am continuing to seek my calling from God on my life. I have been in the DTS for 4 weeks now, and every week God has been moving and doing great and amazing things, however it was this past week that I believe will be pivotal in not only my own life, but for history.
This past week my DTS took part in what is known as the Go! Conference in Youth With A Mission (YWAM). The Go! Conference is designed to do pretty much what it sounds like, to get people to go and serve. This year there were around 200 or so YWAMers present at the conference, and when you have that many people earnestly seeking and following Jesus Christ, something amazing is bound to happen, and it did!
On Thursday night one of the most annointed men that I have ever heard speak, taught at our last major session of the conference. His message was not unexpected. Everyone knew he was going to issue the call to go, but I do not think we realized how powerful that call would be. Fred challenged us, asking, pleading, that we would be the generation that rises and seeks God so hard that we would fulfill the Great Commission by making sure every unreached people group would receive the life giving gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not all that new. Until he told us that he believes that we can do it, and hopes that we will.
He then went on and told us about places of strategic missions in the world, and showed us key spots where missionaries need to be, in order to prevent a major set back of the spreading of the gospel for centuries. The 6 locations were the eastern cities of China and their leaders, Northern India and the Himalayas, Central Asia, Iran, the entire continent of Europe, and a line that goes across Africa known as the Sahel belt, and this belt is important because it divides the Northern Muslim countries of Africa from the Christian southern countries of Africa, and the line is slowly being pushed south by Muslim missionaries. He then went on an explained the strategic significance of each of those areas, and then issued a call to go and win the world for Jesus.
After this dynamic presentation Ian, a good friend of mine, and I went back to our room, and knew that God was calling us to pray because He had something big in store for us. Part of the reason we thought this was because we were on historic ground. You see there have been 3 major missionary movements in the history of the church. The first was the 1st centuries church rapid expansion into through Christ's disciples. The second came through Count Zizendorf and the Moravians, and the thrid was the student volunteer movement which received a major push in Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA, the very place where our conference was being held. Ian and I walk back to the room and knew that we had to pray. So, we invited the guys of our DTS to a night prayer to seek out the Lord and to respond to this calling on behalf of our generation. And we begin to pray as a body of guys that God would show us what He had planned and what He desired for the conference.
That is exactly what God did! 20 minutes into our prayer God speaks to a couple of us, and clearly tells us that he wants to start the 4th major missionary movement, and that he wanted to start that movement at that conference, with us. Now we realized that we were emotional and excited from the amazing challenge that Fred had issued us, so we continued to pray, but soon we found our self praying door by door for every person in our dorm building. Then we were led outside and went and prayed building by building asking God to come and set the stage for a radical mission movement to be begin, and to spread from the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. As we are praying for all of this we are completely baffled by what is going on, and we knew that we had to get leadership, but by this time it was 1:30 in the morning and we were almost positive that all of them would be asleep. But we went anyway to their rooms hoping God would lead us to a leader so they could confirm or calm us down. So, we ending go to the building where all of the leadership are sleeping and to make a long story short God leads us without any knowledge of where his room is, to Fred Markert's room. We share with him our story and what we think God is doing, and then he prayed for us, and said I believe in your generation and I have hope that it starts with you. After that Fred writes his email on a random piece of a paper so we could email him to get the resources of his presentation that he gave that night. In order that we could go out and spread that as well to mobilize a force of people to spread God's gospel to the ends of the earth.
We then go back to the room wondering still if this is really happening, and we pray that if this is really what God is trying to do to put the entire leadership on board with this idea of a great mission movement with out us even talking to them. When we get back to the room we begin to pray that God would give each of us direction and to strategically place us in his mission field based on what Fred had shared with us. As we are doing that I open up the paper Fred had given me, and it was a welcome letter from the conference staff, and on that paper were a set of prayer points. The fourth point down said that the staff believed that this conference was going to launch the fourth major mission movement into the world. And we realized that God had been working this plan out even before He had told us, and that this was not just us, but that the zeal of the Lord was ready to take back His earth.
We woke up Friday and went and shared are story with a staff member named Amos, and he told us we had to share this story with the rest of the conference. And that is exactly what we did, and God showed up and responded in such an amazing way. It started by Ian and I sharing the testimony from Thursday night. After that all of the guys who prayed that night together were called to come forward 11 in total. God then spoke to Brian Hoganm, a missionary from Mongolia and current church planting coach, and said to him, I used 11 guys once. I gave them the Great Comission, and here are 11 guys who am I giving it to again and who are going to lead the way to help fulfill it. We then received word that our intercession for Juarez, Mexico was working, and that God had placed his hand over the city, so that no murders would occur in a city where it averages 7 a day. On Thursday, there were none, and we asked God for a week, and we believe he will do more than that. Then the entire conference was called up front and laid on hands on the 11 and annoinuted us to go and become this movement. Then God used us and the staff to annoint the rest of the conference to the same. God went from moblizing 11 to almost 200 people in 12 hours, and with that growth rate just imagine what he can do. Once we had prayed for one another we began to network to see this mission come true, and for those of us who felt called to Africa we started a team of around 20 committed people who are going to go and strengthen and push back the Sahel Belt for Christ. Then the coolest thing is God started to heal his people through the prayers of one another, so that He could send out an army that was whole and lacking in nothing. And it is continuing to grow and more teams are being formed even as we speak. October 30, 2009 is going to be a special day in history when God mobilized a few to share a message that mobilized millions for His kingdom.
I am writing to you this story because I want to extend the invitation to you. Throughout the Bible God commanded his people to go more than 8,000 times, and he is waiting for his people to stop waiting for a greenlight because he already gave them 8,000 greenlights and He just wants us to go and wait for a red one. So, I am inviting you come with me. Come on this journey let us strategically fight for God's kingdom here on earth. Billions of people are dying and they have never heard of the name of Jesus, and that is the greatest injustice that we can change. So, if you have tasted of the goodness and sweetness of Christ would you come, would you share that message with me wherever God calls you.
I and all of those who already accepted the calling of seeing our generation fulfill the Great Commission need help spreading this message. You can help this movement grow in so many ways. You could pray that this does not die down, but that it keeps it zeal and vibrance and becomes everything I just told you it can be. You could also open up your churches, schools, or any place where we can come and share this message of God's strategic mission in the world. You could support someone who has received the call and going. We cannot do this on our own. Must of us who accepted the calling our poor kids who need support and guidance and need to be sent. So, would you send us? Finally you can come with us, and literally change and claim the world for Christ.
God has started the next major mission movement in church history. The only question that is left, is, will you stand up and be part of it?
Matt
P.S. - we are hoping to produce a video testimony of the evening with Ian and I to post on youtube, so that others can hear our story and receive the call and invitation that Christ has given us, so that can join with us and realize this is the movement that God has been stirring in all of our hearts. Let us not shrink back in a time such as this. We are hoping to do that in the next few weeks, and will send out emails when it is done!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Is the church boring?
In church today God communicated to me a message through our speaker that I believe every one needs to hear, especially the church. He was talking about unleashing the next generation, and the adults part in fueling the up and coming generation, however while that is very true that is not the point that I believe God was telling me.
It is no secret that when you look at around the churches today in America many of are anemic and dying. They just are not attractive. In fact, must of them are just down right boring. People would rather sleep than wake up and encounter their Lord and Savior in worship. Those who do come many of them fall asleep or teeter on the point of it. Yawns have become almost an integral of background music. As a result, millions of people are chasing the world for excitement and life, and they are dying in the process. Jesus has become this boring teacher who is just their to teach them philosophical principles and morals about life. Church has simply become a meeting to discuss and talk, which is not all bad, but when that is the essence of church something is wrong.
Jesus did not create his church to be in meetings every day, and that is why when people come into the church today it is boring because that is not who we are. Instead God created his church to be on a mission, and not just any mission but a rescue mission behind enemy lines. And that is exciting, and when people hear that story there lives are captivated, but they cannot just hear about it they need to experience it. They need to see that Jesus was not some lame Rabbi who just sat around talking all day. They need to see that Jesus is a majestic king leading them into battle to fight the forces of evil, rescuing those who are still held captive. God's church is on a bonethrilling mission that leads us all to the dark places. It is not safe. It is not boring. It is dangerous. It is life-giving. It is exciting.
When will the church learn this? When will they stop trying to be safe? Christ died on the cross. He went through the worst pain imaginable to save the world, so that we may have an example on what needs to be done so that He can save everyone else through else. We cannot be safe! When will the church break down its walls and take its people to the dark places, allowing God to provide and protect and stop living in fear. When will the church start preaching about the mission God set us on. When will they start preaching the story that people are dying to hear and be captivated by. People want to live a life with a purpose that is bigger than themselves and this world, and Christianity has the best news for them, because God gave us a mission not a meeting time.
The church is slowly dying and wishing for revival. But the church will never experience this revival. It will not become vibrant until it trades in its meeting times for a mission. And the church, this entity, cannot change until its people do. For in fact the church is the people. Do you have a mission? Has God shown you, your objectives? Are you looking for them? If you don't and you aren't there is something wrong. But that can all change. All you have to do is reach up to God, talk to him, listen to him, and he will gladly give you a purpose, an objective, that will excite you and make you wake up each morning asking for more. He wants you to be excited for life. And so do I. You were created for mission, not for meetings, meetings may be part of mission, but they are from the whole thing. You do not have to be bored any more. Christ's went to the dark places and lived an exciting to give us an example to show us what true life was. Let us follow his example. Let us leave our church for the dark places.
Most of you who are reading this sent me, and now I am returning the favor. Go! Fulfill the mission. Baptize the nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teach them all that Christ's has commanded you, thereby making disciples. People are dying, and you through Christ could be there rescue. That is exciting!
It is no secret that when you look at around the churches today in America many of are anemic and dying. They just are not attractive. In fact, must of them are just down right boring. People would rather sleep than wake up and encounter their Lord and Savior in worship. Those who do come many of them fall asleep or teeter on the point of it. Yawns have become almost an integral of background music. As a result, millions of people are chasing the world for excitement and life, and they are dying in the process. Jesus has become this boring teacher who is just their to teach them philosophical principles and morals about life. Church has simply become a meeting to discuss and talk, which is not all bad, but when that is the essence of church something is wrong.
Jesus did not create his church to be in meetings every day, and that is why when people come into the church today it is boring because that is not who we are. Instead God created his church to be on a mission, and not just any mission but a rescue mission behind enemy lines. And that is exciting, and when people hear that story there lives are captivated, but they cannot just hear about it they need to experience it. They need to see that Jesus was not some lame Rabbi who just sat around talking all day. They need to see that Jesus is a majestic king leading them into battle to fight the forces of evil, rescuing those who are still held captive. God's church is on a bonethrilling mission that leads us all to the dark places. It is not safe. It is not boring. It is dangerous. It is life-giving. It is exciting.
When will the church learn this? When will they stop trying to be safe? Christ died on the cross. He went through the worst pain imaginable to save the world, so that we may have an example on what needs to be done so that He can save everyone else through else. We cannot be safe! When will the church break down its walls and take its people to the dark places, allowing God to provide and protect and stop living in fear. When will the church start preaching about the mission God set us on. When will they start preaching the story that people are dying to hear and be captivated by. People want to live a life with a purpose that is bigger than themselves and this world, and Christianity has the best news for them, because God gave us a mission not a meeting time.
The church is slowly dying and wishing for revival. But the church will never experience this revival. It will not become vibrant until it trades in its meeting times for a mission. And the church, this entity, cannot change until its people do. For in fact the church is the people. Do you have a mission? Has God shown you, your objectives? Are you looking for them? If you don't and you aren't there is something wrong. But that can all change. All you have to do is reach up to God, talk to him, listen to him, and he will gladly give you a purpose, an objective, that will excite you and make you wake up each morning asking for more. He wants you to be excited for life. And so do I. You were created for mission, not for meetings, meetings may be part of mission, but they are from the whole thing. You do not have to be bored any more. Christ's went to the dark places and lived an exciting to give us an example to show us what true life was. Let us follow his example. Let us leave our church for the dark places.
Most of you who are reading this sent me, and now I am returning the favor. Go! Fulfill the mission. Baptize the nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teach them all that Christ's has commanded you, thereby making disciples. People are dying, and you through Christ could be there rescue. That is exciting!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Father Heart of God!
I am a child of God! Say that with me. Really where every you are, no matter who is around, just say out aloud, "I am a child of God!" Who knows someone next to you my need to hear that. These words have changed my life. When you confess that you are a child of God, so much changes, because when you are a child of God you are given so much. You are told that God is pleased with you. He gives you hope. He gives you strength. He gives you power, and he makes you an heir to His kingdom. But the best gift that you get when you are a child of God, is that you are able to hear and discern the voice of you Father, and when you hear his voice it takes you too a place beyond words.
This week this was the topic of my classes. Every day God was telling me that I was his child and that with me He was well pleased, and it brought healing to me in so many areas that I did not even know were hurting. He showed my that I was worthy. He showed me that I was forgiven, and he showed me that I was provided for. Although the entire week I was searching guidance, I was seeking a word from God that I could not ignore and doubt. Then came our last class, but it was not really a class, as much as it was an invitation by every staff person and student to invite the Holy Spirit to come in to our hearts, illuminating the Father heart, to wreck our hearts for him, and that is exactly what he did.
I started out the time by asking a simple question that God had communicated to me through Marty to ask every day. Lord, what do you have for me right now. I started praying and listening and I heard nothing. I kept praying and pursuing but I could not hear anything, and I was started to get upset. Then I realized that with that frustration I would never be able to hear God, so I set it at the foot of the cross the best that I knew how, and then subtly, I heard him say kneel down and give me everything that you have. So, I knelt down where I was at and prayed and quieted my heart, and I began to hear a faint voice, but it was still to soft for me to make out.
I began to pray my heart to God. Telling him how I wanted to serve him. How with in me there is this heart throbbing desire to shake the nations world wide. Then I thought I heard him say good because that is what I made you for, but immediately I thought that was pride and arrogance slipping in, so I threw it from my mind.
Then I opened up the scriptures to Ephesians 1: 15-18, and I began to read Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, and I got to verse 16 and I lost it. You see since I left First Baptist I have thought like I failed them, and that I disappointed and let down every one there. To be honest, I have felt like because of this choice I was disowned, although I cannot really tell you why I felt that, maybe it was a lie from the Enemy to separate me from my church. But I read these words that Paul gave thanks for the Ephesians and remembered them in their prayers, and God said this what your church has been doing for you since you left. They have thanked me for you and remembered you, and they are proud of you. They have not disowned you. They love you and are so proud of what you are doing for me. And when God told me that I broke down in tears and I went back down on my knees.
Tears are rolling down my face, and God says to me I am pleased with you too. I have this amazing plan for you, and I am going to use you to do amazing things, to lead the nations. And immediately I thought this is just what I wanted to hear, so I told God do not let this influence what Marty tells me when he comes over here to pray over me. Tell him what I need to hear, even if it he means he tells me that I am just going to stay home and never go to the nations. I just sat there crying and then Marty came over.
With oil in his hands Marty anoints me by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and makes a cross on my forehead, and then stamps my hands as if they were the wounds on the cross, and he goes silent. He comes back and he says God has so much to tell you. And through Marty God told me 4 things that were my heart cries:
1.) You have been set apart by me since the beginning, and you can see that when you look around you, like the prophet Jeremiah I have set you apart in order to be a prophet to the nations.
2.) This may seem confusing because I have also given you the pastoral heart of Timothy
3.) With this heart you are going to bring healing and redemption into the lives of my people
4.) I want to give you every gift that you need. I want to give you all that I have. I will give you all of me. Just do not hold back from. If you give me all of you, I will give you all of me, and with that we will change the world.
This is such a high calling, but it was one that my hard longed for, and when Marty spoke those prophetic my heart jumped into a place of peace where I was giving everything over to him, and I was just balling. Then God started to show me he was not lying. He sent me to a friend here and I prayed for her, and she busted down in tears saying I have been praying that someone would speak those words to me all day that you just told me. And while we were praying she said this is the first day that she has been happy for so long she cannot remember. God was already using me to bring the healing he said I would. It was such an uplifting moment of confirmation.
The Father Heart of God desires to tell his people his desire for his children, and he praises when they rejoice in that calling. God wants to tell you his plans for your life, just like he did with me. You are his child, and with you he is well pleased. Don't hold back God wants to love you because you are his daughter or his son. And when he speaks to you like he has spoken to me he empowers you to live a life that you would have ever dreamed. The Father Heart of God is a heart that empowers and heals!
This week this was the topic of my classes. Every day God was telling me that I was his child and that with me He was well pleased, and it brought healing to me in so many areas that I did not even know were hurting. He showed my that I was worthy. He showed me that I was forgiven, and he showed me that I was provided for. Although the entire week I was searching guidance, I was seeking a word from God that I could not ignore and doubt. Then came our last class, but it was not really a class, as much as it was an invitation by every staff person and student to invite the Holy Spirit to come in to our hearts, illuminating the Father heart, to wreck our hearts for him, and that is exactly what he did.
I started out the time by asking a simple question that God had communicated to me through Marty to ask every day. Lord, what do you have for me right now. I started praying and listening and I heard nothing. I kept praying and pursuing but I could not hear anything, and I was started to get upset. Then I realized that with that frustration I would never be able to hear God, so I set it at the foot of the cross the best that I knew how, and then subtly, I heard him say kneel down and give me everything that you have. So, I knelt down where I was at and prayed and quieted my heart, and I began to hear a faint voice, but it was still to soft for me to make out.
I began to pray my heart to God. Telling him how I wanted to serve him. How with in me there is this heart throbbing desire to shake the nations world wide. Then I thought I heard him say good because that is what I made you for, but immediately I thought that was pride and arrogance slipping in, so I threw it from my mind.
Then I opened up the scriptures to Ephesians 1: 15-18, and I began to read Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, and I got to verse 16 and I lost it. You see since I left First Baptist I have thought like I failed them, and that I disappointed and let down every one there. To be honest, I have felt like because of this choice I was disowned, although I cannot really tell you why I felt that, maybe it was a lie from the Enemy to separate me from my church. But I read these words that Paul gave thanks for the Ephesians and remembered them in their prayers, and God said this what your church has been doing for you since you left. They have thanked me for you and remembered you, and they are proud of you. They have not disowned you. They love you and are so proud of what you are doing for me. And when God told me that I broke down in tears and I went back down on my knees.
Tears are rolling down my face, and God says to me I am pleased with you too. I have this amazing plan for you, and I am going to use you to do amazing things, to lead the nations. And immediately I thought this is just what I wanted to hear, so I told God do not let this influence what Marty tells me when he comes over here to pray over me. Tell him what I need to hear, even if it he means he tells me that I am just going to stay home and never go to the nations. I just sat there crying and then Marty came over.
With oil in his hands Marty anoints me by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and makes a cross on my forehead, and then stamps my hands as if they were the wounds on the cross, and he goes silent. He comes back and he says God has so much to tell you. And through Marty God told me 4 things that were my heart cries:
1.) You have been set apart by me since the beginning, and you can see that when you look around you, like the prophet Jeremiah I have set you apart in order to be a prophet to the nations.
2.) This may seem confusing because I have also given you the pastoral heart of Timothy
3.) With this heart you are going to bring healing and redemption into the lives of my people
4.) I want to give you every gift that you need. I want to give you all that I have. I will give you all of me. Just do not hold back from. If you give me all of you, I will give you all of me, and with that we will change the world.
This is such a high calling, but it was one that my hard longed for, and when Marty spoke those prophetic my heart jumped into a place of peace where I was giving everything over to him, and I was just balling. Then God started to show me he was not lying. He sent me to a friend here and I prayed for her, and she busted down in tears saying I have been praying that someone would speak those words to me all day that you just told me. And while we were praying she said this is the first day that she has been happy for so long she cannot remember. God was already using me to bring the healing he said I would. It was such an uplifting moment of confirmation.
The Father Heart of God desires to tell his people his desire for his children, and he praises when they rejoice in that calling. God wants to tell you his plans for your life, just like he did with me. You are his child, and with you he is well pleased. Don't hold back God wants to love you because you are his daughter or his son. And when he speaks to you like he has spoken to me he empowers you to live a life that you would have ever dreamed. The Father Heart of God is a heart that empowers and heals!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Going Barefoot, Giving Up My Rights.
This first week of DTS has been crazy! God is so good, and He has been doing so much in my life preparing me to serve and follow Him. For my school, I have had to start by reading a book calling "Making Jesus Lord" by Loren Cunningham, and then yesterday I watched a teaching/movie by Loren Cunningham that spoke on the same principle of the book. Cunningham's main point is that through out the scriptures God's people have gone barefoot. Now going barefoot is a lot more significant than simply being with out shoes. You see being barefoot in those times was a sign of slavery and servitude. So, through out scriptures we see God asking us to take of our "shoes" for Him becoming barefoot for His kingdom. He asks Moses to take off his shoes at the burning bush because he was on Holy ground in front of his King, and Moses does it, and becomes His servant. God talks to Joshua and tells him on the ground where the soles of your feet take you I will give to you. In essence, when you take your shoes off, and you become my slave wherever I take you will be your inheritance. And then most importantly Jesus walks to the cross bruised, broken, and barefoot, not only as a slave to God to the Father, but as a slave to us, so that we may be free, and by doing that relinquished more rights and freedoms than we will ever know.
You see going barefoot is a sign of relinquishing. It is saying that I will be your servant, your slave. What I have learned this past week is that it is not whether you will take ever off your shoes and go barefoot, but it is to whom will you be barefoot, to whom will you be a slave, and there is only one King who in return for being His slave will He give you freedom, and that King is Jesus Christ. Jesus, is asking you to go barefoot for Him, and the amazing thing is like any other King that I know He did it first, so that we may know how, and even more amazing than that He has told us that if we commit to going barefoot for Him, He will do it for us. He will take of our shoes. He will use His strength in us to relinquish all that we are holding onto.
So, these past few days God has been working in me. He has shown me is amazing, outrageous, and undeserved love, that know matter what I do He still loves me 100%. He has shown me His gentleness and His strength, and has melted my heart so that one by one I have been led to relinquish my rights, to take off my "shoes" and go "barefoot" for Him. But this week has not been easy it has actually been really hard. Telling God that I am not going to worry about money and finances, when I still need over 3,000 dollars for outreach, is nerve wrecking and it tests my faith. But each day God graciously asks me to take off my shoes and let Him have control, assuring me that I will not be in need, that He will provide me with every penny that I need to go where He is leading me. So, taking off your shoes is not a one and your done deal. It is every day, and at times with certain issues even every hour. The cool thing is God is totally down with that, and every time we take off our shoes and give them to Him, He smiles and just wraps His around you and gives you the most loving, gratifying, and affirming hug you could every receive, and in that instant Heaven touches earth. But the list of what needs to be relinquished for me is longer than money, it includes marriage, the desire for kids (these three things may be the hardest for me), family, friends, my reputation, my debt, my name, my country, my comfortability, and even my life. But alas I know this is the best possible decision because the only way to assure that things are protected is to give them to God who is the only one that is big enough and smart enough to protect them from the world.
Each day God has taught me to ask what do I need to give to you today, and it may take the whole day to give it over, and sometimes I do not make it. But when I do. When I am able to see God clearly and freely give to Him everything that He has graciously given me I am freed from so many worries and concerns. So, at 8:55 a.m. the question is what I am still holding on to? What are you holding onto? May we learn to give them over to Jesus Christ. May we take off our shoes, and go barefoot for Him relinquishing everything that we have, including our freedom and our lives!
For whoever loses would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luke 9:24
You see going barefoot is a sign of relinquishing. It is saying that I will be your servant, your slave. What I have learned this past week is that it is not whether you will take ever off your shoes and go barefoot, but it is to whom will you be barefoot, to whom will you be a slave, and there is only one King who in return for being His slave will He give you freedom, and that King is Jesus Christ. Jesus, is asking you to go barefoot for Him, and the amazing thing is like any other King that I know He did it first, so that we may know how, and even more amazing than that He has told us that if we commit to going barefoot for Him, He will do it for us. He will take of our shoes. He will use His strength in us to relinquish all that we are holding onto.
So, these past few days God has been working in me. He has shown me is amazing, outrageous, and undeserved love, that know matter what I do He still loves me 100%. He has shown me His gentleness and His strength, and has melted my heart so that one by one I have been led to relinquish my rights, to take off my "shoes" and go "barefoot" for Him. But this week has not been easy it has actually been really hard. Telling God that I am not going to worry about money and finances, when I still need over 3,000 dollars for outreach, is nerve wrecking and it tests my faith. But each day God graciously asks me to take off my shoes and let Him have control, assuring me that I will not be in need, that He will provide me with every penny that I need to go where He is leading me. So, taking off your shoes is not a one and your done deal. It is every day, and at times with certain issues even every hour. The cool thing is God is totally down with that, and every time we take off our shoes and give them to Him, He smiles and just wraps His around you and gives you the most loving, gratifying, and affirming hug you could every receive, and in that instant Heaven touches earth. But the list of what needs to be relinquished for me is longer than money, it includes marriage, the desire for kids (these three things may be the hardest for me), family, friends, my reputation, my debt, my name, my country, my comfortability, and even my life. But alas I know this is the best possible decision because the only way to assure that things are protected is to give them to God who is the only one that is big enough and smart enough to protect them from the world.
Each day God has taught me to ask what do I need to give to you today, and it may take the whole day to give it over, and sometimes I do not make it. But when I do. When I am able to see God clearly and freely give to Him everything that He has graciously given me I am freed from so many worries and concerns. So, at 8:55 a.m. the question is what I am still holding on to? What are you holding onto? May we learn to give them over to Jesus Christ. May we take off our shoes, and go barefoot for Him relinquishing everything that we have, including our freedom and our lives!
For whoever loses would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luke 9:24
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Self Realization
This past Wednesday I was able to go to school with Jayme, to Kansas University, and I spent a better part of the day in the library reading and meditating, even though that was not the original intent for the day. It is weird how often may plans never work out like I plan them. Anyways I spent much of the day in the Psalms and in a book called "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis. In the book there is a small section titled "How Truth is to be Learnt" and a Kempis has a brilliant quotation in this section. He says, "...our guesses at the truth can never be more than light obscured by shadow. The humble man's knowledge of himself is a surer way to God than any deep researches into truth." After reading that quote I prayed that he would show me myself, so that I may have a proper understanding of who I am, and that can be a very dangerous prayer. For more often than not we are much uglier and broken than the picutre that we paint of ourselves.
Today, I saw that clear as crystal in my life. It is not that today was bad. In fact, it has been amazing. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Jayme and David. We walked in a parade for Jayme's work and I made a complete fool of myself, but met a really cool guy name Phillip who was from South Africa and was a blast to hang out with, and then just had time to think and meditate while watching House, which I know is a weird combination, but it is what happened nonetheless. But as I was thinking back on today, and started to think about getting ready for the parad and when I was trying on the clothes I began to look at the thoughts that were going through my head, and I realized how insecure I really am. I put on a really good act in front of people. I act like I am comfortable with myself, and as if I believe I have something to offer to society, but that is not the case at all.
In reality, I am horribly insecure about my body. Like a lot of people I wish I could lose a few inches here, and tighten up there. I wish I exercised more, that I ran more, and that I would take better care of myself. I also realized that if I was honest with people I do not think I am worth being with anyone in a serious relationship. Basically I think that I am not good enough to be with the person that I desire, in a healthy romantic relationship like I long for. I looked at myself as I was thinking, and just said there is no way she would want to be with me, so I should just move on and be content with what I have, which may have some truth to it. And I looked at myself and saw how insufficient I am. I went to college for 4 years and I may be more lost and confused than when I began, and consistently wonder how God could ever use such a wretch like me. I talk a great game, but find my devotional life so lacking when God is so deserving. My prayer life has a lot to be desired. My knowledge of scripture is no where what it should be for a guy who graduated from college Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Bible and Theology. I guess that shows how messed up the world standards can be when a fool graduates with such a distinction. Today, I saw how truly broken and beat down I really am.
I wish I could stand here and say I am beautifully broken. I wish I could stand here and tell you that in this weakness I am truly strong. But I cannot, and I know I should. Because we are beautifully broken, and with the shards of our life God is creating a beautiful mosaic known as the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom of ragamuffins who see their weakness, and as a result do all that they can, which is rely on the strength of the King whom they serve and live for. But I do not have that power yet, and this is not to say I won't. This is just the beginning of my journey. The first step in overcoming a problem is to admit you have one, and that is not something knew we have all heard that probably hundreds of time. So, today I am broken, and tomorrow I am beautiful, even if it does happen that fast.
This probably goes with out saying but please don't feel bad for me, because I don't. This realization did not come with a lot pain. In fact, as weird as it may sound this view of myself came with joy, and a smile on my face from ear to ear. It was an answer to prayer. It was God showing His power. I have nothing to offer, and a lot to work on, and through that I have encountered God, and He has everything. Don't be afraid to be broken. Like me it may be your key to happiness!
Today, I saw that clear as crystal in my life. It is not that today was bad. In fact, it has been amazing. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Jayme and David. We walked in a parade for Jayme's work and I made a complete fool of myself, but met a really cool guy name Phillip who was from South Africa and was a blast to hang out with, and then just had time to think and meditate while watching House, which I know is a weird combination, but it is what happened nonetheless. But as I was thinking back on today, and started to think about getting ready for the parad and when I was trying on the clothes I began to look at the thoughts that were going through my head, and I realized how insecure I really am. I put on a really good act in front of people. I act like I am comfortable with myself, and as if I believe I have something to offer to society, but that is not the case at all.
In reality, I am horribly insecure about my body. Like a lot of people I wish I could lose a few inches here, and tighten up there. I wish I exercised more, that I ran more, and that I would take better care of myself. I also realized that if I was honest with people I do not think I am worth being with anyone in a serious relationship. Basically I think that I am not good enough to be with the person that I desire, in a healthy romantic relationship like I long for. I looked at myself as I was thinking, and just said there is no way she would want to be with me, so I should just move on and be content with what I have, which may have some truth to it. And I looked at myself and saw how insufficient I am. I went to college for 4 years and I may be more lost and confused than when I began, and consistently wonder how God could ever use such a wretch like me. I talk a great game, but find my devotional life so lacking when God is so deserving. My prayer life has a lot to be desired. My knowledge of scripture is no where what it should be for a guy who graduated from college Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Bible and Theology. I guess that shows how messed up the world standards can be when a fool graduates with such a distinction. Today, I saw how truly broken and beat down I really am.
I wish I could stand here and say I am beautifully broken. I wish I could stand here and tell you that in this weakness I am truly strong. But I cannot, and I know I should. Because we are beautifully broken, and with the shards of our life God is creating a beautiful mosaic known as the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom of ragamuffins who see their weakness, and as a result do all that they can, which is rely on the strength of the King whom they serve and live for. But I do not have that power yet, and this is not to say I won't. This is just the beginning of my journey. The first step in overcoming a problem is to admit you have one, and that is not something knew we have all heard that probably hundreds of time. So, today I am broken, and tomorrow I am beautiful, even if it does happen that fast.
This probably goes with out saying but please don't feel bad for me, because I don't. This realization did not come with a lot pain. In fact, as weird as it may sound this view of myself came with joy, and a smile on my face from ear to ear. It was an answer to prayer. It was God showing His power. I have nothing to offer, and a lot to work on, and through that I have encountered God, and He has everything. Don't be afraid to be broken. Like me it may be your key to happiness!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Charlie Wilson's War
I just finished watching Charlie Wilson's War with Jayme and David. At the end of the movie, Charlie Wilson, who is played by Tom Hanks, makes a very interesting statement about the legacy of America's foreign affairs. He said that America goes around the world, and we change the world and then we leave. At the end of the movie, there is this quote, "These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world...and then we f***ed up the end game." Now this refers to America and how America waltzes into other countries seeking reform, trying to give them freedom and democracy, and then when we clear out all of the obstacles, and we leave without teaching them and helping them learn how to live as free people, and new obstacles rise up in there way, or the old ones re-emerge.
Now I am not trying to argue politics and what should have/should be done overseas, because for one I am no longer very politically minded. Secondly, I am not sure that America is the proper actor of any of this anyway. However, I think what Charlie Wilson said offers a valid critique on Christians and how a lot of us evangelize. We seek to change the world, and we preach a message that claims transformation and redemption, and then we leave. This is most prevalent in a lot of street evangelism, but not all. We go out and proclaim His name, without realizing the commitment and time that is needed to see this work come to fruition. I think all to often we fall back onto a planting seed mentality, that we forget to see that, that seed needs to be watered, planted, pruned and taken care of, and that takes time. Evangelism cannot be a drive by giving of the gospel, but needs to be a consistent and constant teaching.
I mean we are giving a message that promises eternity, so why do we think eternity can be sown in a few minutes, or even a few hours, days, or months. If we hope to save those for eternity we must be willing to give our very lives for eternity. Street evangelism cannot be a daily/weekly event where you go out for two hours and then are done. That type of evangelism is too clean, it is too safe, and there is nothing clean or safe about the love that Christ has given us. Rather, when we go out for a few hours, we must be willing to give our lives and time for those we come into contact with. We must be willing to see our work through until the end. Now maybe God will not always call us to see every work we begin to the end, but what if he does. Isn't better to error on the side of too much love than too little. We must learn to live, laugh, love, and hurt with the people we are reaching out to not just simply talk to them and then leave.
Now this is a radical call. It means our schedules will be messed up. It means our lives will change. It means we will become vulnerable. It means at time our faith will be put on center stage. It means we risk being hurt, humiliated, and betrayed. Drive-by evangelism is much easier and it is a lot safer, and at times may seem more appealing, but drive-by evangelism will never build the Kingdom. It is too easy, and it does not require your life. But the call of Christ requires your life, so why do we so often try and find ways to take it back. He demands our life, and those whom we live with that are dying need it. Are we so selfish that we choose to selfishly hold our lives while others die? Are we messing up the end game? I want to see the world change for real. God desires the world to change for real? So, let us be willing to change the world for real. Let us see it through to the end. Let's get dirty. Let us give our lives for eternity!
Now I am not trying to argue politics and what should have/should be done overseas, because for one I am no longer very politically minded. Secondly, I am not sure that America is the proper actor of any of this anyway. However, I think what Charlie Wilson said offers a valid critique on Christians and how a lot of us evangelize. We seek to change the world, and we preach a message that claims transformation and redemption, and then we leave. This is most prevalent in a lot of street evangelism, but not all. We go out and proclaim His name, without realizing the commitment and time that is needed to see this work come to fruition. I think all to often we fall back onto a planting seed mentality, that we forget to see that, that seed needs to be watered, planted, pruned and taken care of, and that takes time. Evangelism cannot be a drive by giving of the gospel, but needs to be a consistent and constant teaching.
I mean we are giving a message that promises eternity, so why do we think eternity can be sown in a few minutes, or even a few hours, days, or months. If we hope to save those for eternity we must be willing to give our very lives for eternity. Street evangelism cannot be a daily/weekly event where you go out for two hours and then are done. That type of evangelism is too clean, it is too safe, and there is nothing clean or safe about the love that Christ has given us. Rather, when we go out for a few hours, we must be willing to give our lives and time for those we come into contact with. We must be willing to see our work through until the end. Now maybe God will not always call us to see every work we begin to the end, but what if he does. Isn't better to error on the side of too much love than too little. We must learn to live, laugh, love, and hurt with the people we are reaching out to not just simply talk to them and then leave.
Now this is a radical call. It means our schedules will be messed up. It means our lives will change. It means we will become vulnerable. It means at time our faith will be put on center stage. It means we risk being hurt, humiliated, and betrayed. Drive-by evangelism is much easier and it is a lot safer, and at times may seem more appealing, but drive-by evangelism will never build the Kingdom. It is too easy, and it does not require your life. But the call of Christ requires your life, so why do we so often try and find ways to take it back. He demands our life, and those whom we live with that are dying need it. Are we so selfish that we choose to selfishly hold our lives while others die? Are we messing up the end game? I want to see the world change for real. God desires the world to change for real? So, let us be willing to change the world for real. Let us see it through to the end. Let's get dirty. Let us give our lives for eternity!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Journey Begins
So, I have been in Kansas City for about 24 hours, and it has been fantastic. I spent the day yesterday helping some of my friend David's friends move into their new house, and had the opportunity of getting to meet some real good people. This morning I was able to go to church at both Jayme and David's (friends my trip to Thailand last year) churches. Both messages were really good, and God was really clear in His message to me. He desires for His people to go into the world with the power of His Spirit, in order to proclaim His Kingdom, and by doing that receive our inheritance, the nations. So, the question became for me, am I ready to go? Little by little I am getting there, and I am beginning to see not only an excitement of what He is going to do from in my heart, but also an expectation that He is about to do something great through His people, as long as we are open and willing for Him to act. This has actually been a message that He has been forming in my heart for the past few weeks, and I cannot wait to see where this takes me!
I do not have too much of a set agenda for the rest of the week. I am just going to play it by ear and leave it up to Spirit. I know today David and I are going to play a game that his friends came up with called field crumpets, which is a mix between field hockey and soccer with wiffle ball bats, so that should be an interesting experience. And then tomorrow I am going to meet with David's pastor to talk about my trip and what God is doing in my life as well as the MST project, and its vision and hopes, so that should be a really good experience.
Besides for that I hope to go and see the International House of Prayer, and have a great time of worship. At some point I plan to go to school with Jayme to go to the library to do some studying. For those of you who have been in contact with me for the past few weeks, know that I have been talking with a gentleman who is a devout atheist, and I have been talking with him trying to work through his disbelief, which he believes stems from a lack of logical evidence that can be used to prove the faith. In our conversation I have realized my inadequacy to provide him with the answers that I know are there, so I plan to do some studying in the library looking for answers and evidence to provide him with, to help in his journey for the truth. Your prayers in that would be extremely appreciated, actually a two-fold prayer would be great. First, that his heart would be opened to the calling and leading of the Holy Spirit, because it is really hardened to the possibility of God and His love. Second, that you would pray that God would give me the wisdom and insight necessary to help me guide him back to God. But, that is why I want to go to the library to study, because there a bunch of books that I want to look at that I do not currently own. If you have any suggestions, just let me know. So, that is pretty much the flow of the week.
I will leave Kansas City on Friday to fly to Denver, and will meet with the Pastor Allen from Christ's Church International, and will also stay with him until I check into DTS on Monday, October 5th. But I will write about all that later.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. God Bless and if there is ever anything I can do for you or pray about please let me know.
I do not have too much of a set agenda for the rest of the week. I am just going to play it by ear and leave it up to Spirit. I know today David and I are going to play a game that his friends came up with called field crumpets, which is a mix between field hockey and soccer with wiffle ball bats, so that should be an interesting experience. And then tomorrow I am going to meet with David's pastor to talk about my trip and what God is doing in my life as well as the MST project, and its vision and hopes, so that should be a really good experience.
Besides for that I hope to go and see the International House of Prayer, and have a great time of worship. At some point I plan to go to school with Jayme to go to the library to do some studying. For those of you who have been in contact with me for the past few weeks, know that I have been talking with a gentleman who is a devout atheist, and I have been talking with him trying to work through his disbelief, which he believes stems from a lack of logical evidence that can be used to prove the faith. In our conversation I have realized my inadequacy to provide him with the answers that I know are there, so I plan to do some studying in the library looking for answers and evidence to provide him with, to help in his journey for the truth. Your prayers in that would be extremely appreciated, actually a two-fold prayer would be great. First, that his heart would be opened to the calling and leading of the Holy Spirit, because it is really hardened to the possibility of God and His love. Second, that you would pray that God would give me the wisdom and insight necessary to help me guide him back to God. But, that is why I want to go to the library to study, because there a bunch of books that I want to look at that I do not currently own. If you have any suggestions, just let me know. So, that is pretty much the flow of the week.
I will leave Kansas City on Friday to fly to Denver, and will meet with the Pastor Allen from Christ's Church International, and will also stay with him until I check into DTS on Monday, October 5th. But I will write about all that later.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. God Bless and if there is ever anything I can do for you or pray about please let me know.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Do you LOVE me? -Jesus-
I have less than a week before I leave for my DTS in Denver. I have less than a week left before God prepares me to go into the world to retrieve His people for Him. I will be sent in order to save His creation through His word and example from death and ultimately Hell, which is a daunting task. As I have been getting ready to leave, Christ has posed this simple question, "Do you love me?" He asked this question to Peter, and like Peter, with each of my responses He has told me, "then tend my flock and follow me." So, do we love Him? How are we showing it? Are we going to His flock, reaching out to His sheep? This is our call. In fact, this is the Christian's life. In the past two weeks I have seen two videos that I think powerfully proclaim this message. This giving our lives for others is not a death sentence, but a privilege to answer to the call, which these videos will show. So please watch them. God will rock your world I promise. If you watch them please leave your comments for everyone to read.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
A New Beginning-The Reason for this Blog
It was two months ago! I was sitting in a dimly lit room, bible by my side, praying to God, struggling with the question, should I stay or should I go. A week before that I believed I had heard God tell me to go, to leave my home, my church, my scholarship, and my seminary behind. In that room that night I was confused, nervous, and above all scared. I wondered did I really hear God, or is this just what I want. I was scared that I would choose the wrong path. I was scared to leave it all behind. So I sat there, praying, meditating, searching, and evening crying, wondering what to do next. Then in a moment of anguish and utter desperation I cried out to my Lord, "God, I know you hear me, so if you are there tell me something!" With that declaration, I did all that I knew to do, and I opened by bible randomly to Acts, and on that page there was a set of red letters Acts 18: 9-10, and they read like this:
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people."
As I read that passage it spoke right to my heart and in them I heard God tell me to go and preach His gospel to the nations, and to not be afraid because He was with me. So, that night I decided to go, fresh out of college, about to start seminary on a full ride, I decided to go to the nations and leave all that behind. I decided to embark on a new beginning, the next chapter in my God written story.
That is what this blog is all about. This my love story between God and me. In here I will chronicle all that is going on in my life. All of the pains, all of cheers, all of joys, and all of the tears. This blog will let you know what I am doing, and what I am thinking, which at times can be very dangerous. I would ask that as you read, you would leave your comments, along with prayers and encouragement, and at same time leave prayer requests as you see fit.
My journey will to Youth With A Mission will begin in less than a month. On September 25th, I will leave Massillon, Ohio in route for Kansas City, Kansas, where I will reunite with two friends from the mission trip to Thailand that I went on with the Xtreme Team last summer. After spending time there and speaking at an area church I will depart to Denver, where I hope to speak at a local church before beginning my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission. At my DTS I will not learn about God, but will fall deeper in love with Him as I am led into a deeper relationship with Him. If you would like more information on YWAM visit www.ywam.org, that I have linked to this blog, or if you would like more info on my DTS visit www.ywamdenver.org.
Right now, there are others that God is calling, and you are sitting there in fear afraid to leave, afraid to take that next step. Please let this blog be encouragement to you. You are not alone, and fear not for God is with you, and He will be with you no matter where you go. Not only do you have God who is more than enough, but you have His army to go with. So, please take that next with me!
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people."
As I read that passage it spoke right to my heart and in them I heard God tell me to go and preach His gospel to the nations, and to not be afraid because He was with me. So, that night I decided to go, fresh out of college, about to start seminary on a full ride, I decided to go to the nations and leave all that behind. I decided to embark on a new beginning, the next chapter in my God written story.
That is what this blog is all about. This my love story between God and me. In here I will chronicle all that is going on in my life. All of the pains, all of cheers, all of joys, and all of the tears. This blog will let you know what I am doing, and what I am thinking, which at times can be very dangerous. I would ask that as you read, you would leave your comments, along with prayers and encouragement, and at same time leave prayer requests as you see fit.
My journey will to Youth With A Mission will begin in less than a month. On September 25th, I will leave Massillon, Ohio in route for Kansas City, Kansas, where I will reunite with two friends from the mission trip to Thailand that I went on with the Xtreme Team last summer. After spending time there and speaking at an area church I will depart to Denver, where I hope to speak at a local church before beginning my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission. At my DTS I will not learn about God, but will fall deeper in love with Him as I am led into a deeper relationship with Him. If you would like more information on YWAM visit www.ywam.org, that I have linked to this blog, or if you would like more info on my DTS visit www.ywamdenver.org.
Right now, there are others that God is calling, and you are sitting there in fear afraid to leave, afraid to take that next step. Please let this blog be encouragement to you. You are not alone, and fear not for God is with you, and He will be with you no matter where you go. Not only do you have God who is more than enough, but you have His army to go with. So, please take that next with me!
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