For those of you who have tried to keep up with my blog, in order to keep up with me I need to apologize. I am sorry! I have been horrible at writing in here, and giving you all updates on what I am doing, and how God has been working in my life. However, I am going to restart my blog, and my plan is to update every other Friday. So, this should be the first entry of many to follow. Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and prayers. I pray that God would bless you beyond your dreams, and that His presence would be so unmistakable in your life, and that He would lavish you with His love, for He is our prize and our true Joy.
I do not even know where to start! Other than God is and has been both good and amazing. He got me through my first campaign with the Impact World Tour alive and well. It was such a privilege to get to work on the tour, but it was also full of challenges and obstacles, which is to be expected when you are winning souls for the Kingdom, and invading enemy territory. During the tour I got to meet and work with some amazing people, with amazing stories, and amazing hearts, who just love Jesus and cannot wait to see His Kingdom on earth. And I got to see awesome things, like a 15 year old Muslim boy accepting Jesus and renouncing Islam, a family of 7 brothers and sisters ALL accepting Jesus together for the 1st time, and a pastor completely amazed at how participating in the tour had completely changed and revitalized His church. These stories alone made all the work and challenges completely worth it.
I also had the honor of seeing approximately 1,800 people come to Jesus in just 4 weeks, and with both tours this year Cincinnati has seen 4,200 people come to Christ. What an awesome blessing and privilege it is to be part of something so dynamic. In addition, we saw entire churches and communities transformed. The testimonies are endless on what God has done. The harvest was smaller than past tours, but I think the transformation that has taken place in the churches and community is beyond what we can see and believe. The multiplication that will come from what happened here in the last month will be awesome to watch and hear.
In addition, to the tour and all that has gone on, God has just been doing an awesome work in my life. He has shown me what it means to be truly desperate for Him, and it is something that I am still working to achieve. I see how entangled in the world my heart still is, and every day he untangles me and is giving me more and more freedom to just love on Him. It is so sweet!
Also through this whole journey of learning desperation, He awakened my Spirit, and it is so amazing to live in the Spirit. At times it seems so foolish to live in a world that cannot be quantified or felt with your senses, but then there are the times when the Spiritual realm breaks through, and in those times you think, "How could I live any other way?" The closeness and intimacy that I have and that God is nurturing in me is beyond words. I feel his presence and sense His leading more and more every day, and He has opened me up to my destiny, and I am finally starting to see how big it is, and how unworthy I am to be called to such a task. But the great part is that because He has called me I am totally worthy because of Him. Praise God!
So, what is next? Well, for the next few weeks I will remain in Cincinnati helping to close up the office, doing debrief and follow up meetings with churches and pastors, as well working on raising personal finances as I get ready to move to Kansas City. After that I will return home for a few weeks, to visit family, work some more on my finances, as well as talking to people about the Impact World Tour in Canton. Then come December I will move out to Kansas City to work at the national office, and then help with the tour that will take place next Fall in Northern Minnesota, as well as parts in Wisconsin and North Dakota. Our three main hub cities will be Fargo, ND, Duluth, MN, and Superior, WI. I am really stoked about what God will hold in this new season.
Thanks again for everyone's prayers and encouragement. I want to leave you guys with a few prayer points:
1.) For the pastors and churches of Cincinnati as they begin to follow up all who responded to Christ at the events, as well as guidance and revelation as they seek how to keep the movement going that was started by the tour.
2.) Revelation and guidance for me as I seek God on how to awaken my spirit to His, so that it can control my life, and not my body, thoughts, and emotions. As well as revelation as it pertains to my specific calling of starting another major movement of missions. (more to come on this part).
3.) Pray for my brother as he is going through a really rough time. Pray that God would guide him and reveal His love and presence to Him as Justin is walking through this rough season.
4.) Protection and God's continually felt presence as the team makes the transition from Cincinnati to Kansas City.
Love you guys!
Matt
