Update from Fargo and I got Engaged!

The tour is over! It was an amazing 3 weeks of outreach. God opened up the doors for us to do around 40 school assemblies, coupled with 16 evening outreaches. In those outreaches, He enabled us to preach the Gospel to over 8,000 people, and we had the privilege of watching 1,375 people respond to the Gospel call. It was such an amazing blessing.

Of the 1,375 people who responded. We had Muslims, Mormons, Jews, and Hindus all commit to following the Lord for the first time. In fact, in Ada we had an entire Jewish family begin to follow Jesus and experience the fulfillment of the Law in Christ Jesus, as well as entire Muslim family here in Fargo. What an amazing blessing to witness!

We also had the privilege of seeing 30 years of prayer finally pay off. One of the most amazing ladies in Fargo was our hospitality director, Kathy. Kathy had been praying for her husband to respond to the Lord, and to take up the spiritual leadership of their family. At the beginning of our campaign a team member prayed over her, and prophesied to her that her husband was going to take up the spiritual leadership of the family very soon, and that she would not have to wait much longer. Then at the GX event at Scheel's arena her husband responded to the tug of the Lord and gave his life to Christ. Kathy was in tears as she watched her husband walk forward to receive Christ, and now she has an amazing testimony of the effectiveness of persevering in prayer. Praise God!

One of my favorite testimonies comes from our finance director, Terry. Terry owns a company, and his national sales manager had the privilege of seeing his 6 year old son's life transformed by Jesus. At the GX event in Moorhead High School this 6 year old boy responded. Once the alter call happened he leaped to his feet and ran forward and started jumping around acting like he was about to receive a huge toy, as he was receiving Jesus Christ into his heart. Then as they were on their way home the little boy said this his dad, "Daddy, I can't believe I'm really going to live my life for Jesus now. God is going to be in charge of my life daddy from this day on." And as they were walking in the door he continued to tell his dad how awesome it was that he graduated to be with Jesus today. The day ended with Terry's sales manager walking into to put his boy to bed, but was interrupted when he walked into to see his little boy kneeling by his bed praying to Jesus thanking him for the evening and for coming into his life. He said it was all he could to hold back to tears as he watched his son praying to God. How awesome is that! Jesus is amazing!

There are countless more stories of all that God has done here in Fargo, and it was such a privilege to serve Him and watch Him work. I am excited for all that God did is doing. There is still much work to be done with the follow-up of the events, making sure every person is being taken care of and referred to a small group/faith community to be discipled on how to follow Jesus. However, God is faithful, and we know as long as we continue to serve by His side everything thing will get taken care of.

In addition, to all the excitement of tour Amanda and I got engaged, and are planning to get married on March 3rd next year! We are so excited for God to bring us together, and to walk this new stage of life as one. We are not quite sure what is next for us, but expect amazing things. We ask for your prayers and intercession as we seek the Lord for our wedding and next steps, and also for protection for Amanda as she makes the long drive from Kansas City to Fargo this weekend to join me and the team here in town. I am excited to be in the same town as her the 3 weeks of tour were hardly enough!

So, God is good, and I am couldn't me more excited for all that He is doing. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Please leave a comment about how you are seeing God work in your life, and any way that I can be praying for you as well! God bless!

Matt

Love God; Love Others

I just started reading a book on relationships by Dean Sherman. With Amanda and I going deeper into our relationship I wanted to read some books that would help me relate to her better, and ultimately help me become a better man for her, because she deserves the best, and I want to do my best to give that to her.

Anyways, I have been reading this book, and it has been amazing. There has been a quote that has been running through my mind since I read it, and for many people it may be obvious, but it has really hit me. The quote is found on page 17 of the book, it says:

“If we love God but leave out loving our neighbor, we become mystics. Jesus told us we cannot love God and hate our brother. He connected the two. On the other hand if we love our neighbor, but leave out loving God we are humanists. That’s where we are in society today.”

The reason this hit me so hard is because lately I have been struggling with seeing how all of this fits together. How do I engage in relationships with other people, and still make God my number one? How do I love Amanda, and still love God more than anything else? Is my pursuit of God somehow foiled or made less as I pursue others, and ultimately why do we do all of this on earth to only be wholly focused on God in the end? It was as if there was a separation or a competition between the two, loving God and being in relationship.

I read this quote, and it was not a new thought, but something clicked. It is almost as if something was knocked out of place, and reading these words somehow pushed back whatever was out of whack to where it was suppose to be. I realized or remembered we love God by loving others. In fact, it is out of our love for God that we learn to love others, and we are not just taught but moved to love others. His love for others and His heart for them is passed on to us, as we love them. And so as we love God we are pushed to love others, which is why Jesus said you cannot love God and hate your brother, because if you truly loved God, His love would cause you to love your brother. It is the natural byproduct of his receiving his love. We become love to those around us, through God’s love.

Then the amazing thing is that as we love each other we pour that love God poured on us back to Him. You see we show God how much we value Him, not just by spending time with Him, but by showing value to things He loves and created. I cannot say I love God, and treat the things that He loves like crap. So, I show God value and love, by loving Amanda. And as I love her and learn more of her value, which is endless, I realize how amazing of a gift she really is to me, which only makes me fall more in love with God, and thus I fall more in love with Amanda and God.

It is an endless cycle. God pours his love onto us, and then we fall more in love with him. He continues to pour out more his heart, which turns us to love those around us as we see His heart for them. As we love them we see their infinite worth and value, and fall more in love with the One who Created them and blessed us with their presence in our lives, God. He then pours more love into us, which we return to them, and to Him. It is a brilliant cycle, an endless cycle of love, joy, and value. It will stay that way as long as Jesus stays at the center of our lives, and that we never lose sight of the relationships around us. You see all of our relationship problems come when Jesus ceases to be our center, and when we fail to value the rest of the creation the He is so in love with.

However, if we do lose sight we must look to Christ; we must look deeper into His heart to see His yearning for His people, and let that heart become our heart, so that we can do nothing else but love those around us, like Him. We cannot love a brilliant painter, and treat His paintings as junk. And if we lose sight of Christ we must realize that to truly love those around us, we must love Jesus. We must look into the depths and infiniteness of those around us and realize there could be only source from which they came, and that is an infinite creator, and allow that truth to return us back to him

I know it sounds cliché, but this truly is our answer to better lives. Love God. Love others. It will unleash a cycle of love, joy, and value. We love God by loving others. We love others by loving God. Relationships are our priority!

I love you Amanda Joy! Thank you for spurring me on to a deeper relationship Christ. Jesus, thank you for putting Amanda into my life, the greatest gift you have given me outside of yourself! May I love her as you love her, and see her as you see her. You truly are an amazing King and an amazing Dad! I am blessed to serve you two for the rest of my life!

The Gift of Free Will

Free will. It is the greatest gift we have been given by God. This isn't written in scripture. However, it is written on my heart.

Free will gives the ability to choose, and with that choice we can choose God. We can choose love. And in that choice we can truly experience what we choose in a way not possible with compulsion.

It is through choice that we experience joy, and are ensured love. Love cannot be felt through compulsion. Love must be chosen, because love is a choice.

Jesus did not have to go to the cross. The Father, Our Abba, did not force him. Jesus chose to take up the cross for us. That is why the cross is the greatest symbol of love we have ever seen. If this were not the case the cross would merely be a sign of fatalism or at the very best obedience. But the cross was more than an act of reluctant obedience. It was the choice of a loving Savior that broke all the rules, and restored humanity. It restored love and our will to choose.

We are not puppets to God without choice. His heart is to write with us. He wants to create with us. Why else would Adam get to name the animals and subdue the garden?

It is in this choice that we choose God, and truly experience. As we choose and create with Him. We fall more in love with him, and he instills his heart in us to be co-creators.

Don't give up your choice. Do not even just throw it back to God. He wants you to talk to him and choose. Do not throw away your freewill for fear of disobedience and failure, because then you will throw away love. Rather choose like Christ chose us. For this is true love.

I think many times we treat God as the cosmic puppet master waiting for him to tell us where to put our hands and feet, and I believe this takes away our joy and God's desire for our lives. He gave us free will, so that we could choose alongside of Him. Not so that He could dictate every move that we make, thereby giving us fear of ever stepping off of his course and His will. I believe it is much more organic and free moving as we make choices along side of God.

This does not mean that we are free to choose rebellious ways, or to not consult Him, because the beginning of wisdom is fearing God and following His counsel. Rather, it means with Him in our hearts we radiate his glory and truth and make decisions with Him, thereby co-creating with our Father, which was His original design. God desires us to choose, and to live in that freedom.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

You are not a slave, but a son or daughter with ability to create with your Father! What will you choose?

Write a comment below and leave any thoughts or questions! Let's begin a discussion!

Off to Kansas City

With 59 days left until the tour begins in the Fall we are off to Kansas City. This coming week we will be joining the rest of IWT USA staff to learn and seek the Lord together for our ministry. We are in really exciting times, as we are growing and God is expanding our vision. There is a possibility for a long term base that will be planted in Fargo, as well as a school/base that will be built in Kansas City, that will help us train more staff, which will allow us to reach more cities and people! We will be praying into all of these possibilities this next week, as well as asking for fresh vision and revelation for the ministry. Please keep us in your prayers, and pray clarity as well as a rejuvenation as we spend time with the Lord.

Not only am I excited about how God is going to direct the ministry, but I am really expectant that God will give me a lot of personal direction on how I fit into all of these big plans. There are a lot of options and possibilities, so I am excited to have an entire week to seek God on all of this. And I am excited to be reunited with Amanda, who is doing her training down in Kansas City with IWT, and to be able to pray with her as well! (Please pray for guidance for our relationship as well) So, it is going to be a great week.

There is also a lot of excitement that is brewing here in Fargo. This last week we were able to engage leadership in two more cities that we have been working on for the past 2 months. In one community we have 5 churches committed to making the event a success, and in the other we have a church doing a kick-off this weekend, and volunteers from around the community that are rallying together to make it happen. In addition, we have 2-4 more churches that will be coming on board in the Fargo-Moorhead area. It is exciting to see God work, expanding the movement.

August is looking like it is going to be a packed month. We have 2 more staff moving into the area! We have 2 more banquets, engaging with the Catholic church, which is an amazing open door from the Lord, we actually were able to receive the approval from the Bishop of the Fargo Diocese, talk about favor! Not to mention numerous trainings and community nights of prayer and worship, and continue to develop the needed structures for discipleship and prayer in all the communities!

Please pray that we would have endurance and stamina in the busy season, as well as protection. Pray that God would raise up laborers, as we are seeking more volunteers to meet with kids and start small groups. And pray that more churches and ministries would come on board for this amazing move of God.

Also, I am looking for help/donations for two upcoming travel costs/plane tickets. One is so that I can take part in my bestfriends wedding in late September, the cost of the plane ticket right now is around $500 dollars. As well as a ticket out to LA in late November to attend/work at the Call2All International Congress. The plane ticket, hotel, and food will cost around $800 for the trip. Donations and prayers would be much appreciated! God bless!

Slowing Down!

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in Heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."

-Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

This week has been a busy one. There is so much to do, and we only have 10 weeks to do it. We still need to finish up our contracts with schools. There are 4 communities that still need to launch executive teams to lead their community, not to mention the countless things that need to be set-up in the community to ensure effective care, prayer, and follow-up. There is the budget that still needs completed, materials that we need to find and resource, and volunteers that we need to raise up. There is a lot to do, and at times it gets really overwhelming.

Then there is also the extra stress of what needs to be done with my finances. All the thank-you's that need to go out. The phone calls that need to be made. The letters that need to be wrote. So, that I can raise the money needed to pay bills and plan for the future.

It is easy to let all of this plague my mind, and I am sure that you have similar situations that are easy for you to let plague your mind. This week God brought this verse up amidst all that was going on, Ecclesiastes 5: 1-2. He spoke to me, and just said, "Matt, slow down! I want to talk to you. I have something to tell you."

I finally slowed down this morning, and He spoke to me. I was reading in 1 Thessalonians, and I got to Chapter 1, verse 5, which reads, "because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." The Lord just started speaking to me about my word, and how He wants to unite it with His power, but that I need to wait on Him. I need to seek Him in the silence, so that He can fill me up with His presence for this is where the power is, waiting on Him. As all of this was pouring into me I received a peace and a calmness that cannot be explained. Everything is going to be ok because big brother Jesus is here! There is nothing to worry about.

So, often we are so quick to speak that we miss the whisper of Jesus, which is waiting to give us life and joy. We forget to be quick to listen, and we get busy speaking and doing, and then we get restless and overwhelmed, and we wonder where is God. We forget to wait on God who is so eager to show us the way, and frantically searching for Him, we miss Him. He is not far off, but He is near! (Eph. 2:13). We just need to slow down to see and hear Him. I think it may be time for us all to just slow down. Stop speaking. Stop doing. And just listen for the glorious whisper of our Dad. For He is in Heaven, and we are only on earth, and He has some amazing secrets to tell us and lavish on us. Secrets that will give us life, and life abundantly. Whenever we are ready to listen He is ready to speak!

The Trip Home and My First Week Back!

The past two weeks have been full of ups and downs. There have been times of excitement, but also times of utter depression and desperation. However, amongst it all God has been faithful to reveal His hope and His mercy. He has been faithful to lift me up and use me. His love has once again proven itself to be more than enough.

My trip home was full of meetings. I met with 3-6 people every day; spreading the vision and looking for partners. God was awesome in lining me up with amazing people. I was able to connect with with around 40 people on my trip home, and I had 8 people commit to monthly partnerships, and a hand full more who are going to pray into it, which is awesome. I believe it will be no time until my monthly budget of $2000 is completely covered, with this new group of supporters I should be around $800 a month, which is fantastic, but there is still work to be done!

I was also able to meet with a lot of friends and family, which was really good. I miss them all so much, so having time to catch up with them is always good. Although because of the busyness of my schedule there was not nearly enough time!

One of the most exciting times of my trip back home was being able to spend time with my new girlfriend, Amanda, and her family. Amanda is an amazing gift from God, and I am so excited to see how God will use us together. She will be coming out to Kansas City in July to begin training with Impact World Tour, and I cannot wait to see what God does. And we would love your prayers as God guides us together!

I was also privileged to have the opportunity to preach at my home church, First Baptist Church of Massillon. Every time I go back I get excited to see how God is moving and growing my church family back home. It was so cool to see God move on Sunday morning. I am always amazed to see God work in stirring hearts and freeing his people. It was cool to see the altar steps filled both services of people seeking the Lord and getting freed! God is so good!

With all that in one week needless to say I was exhausted, and still am a little bit. But God is doing so much here in Fargo, and we are getting ready to kick it into high gear. This week we were busy with getting all of our venue contracts signed and into our office, so that we can begin preparing our schedule for the outreaches in the Fall. So, far we have 5 of our 9 contacts in and are expecting the other 4 will be in later next week, which is really exciting that will take away a ton of stress!

Once that is done the rest of the time will be involved in mobilizing the church to prayer, discipleship, and evangelism to prepare for the mighty harvest that will be coming in September and October. We will have a lot of upcoming trainings in small group training and evangelism. In addition, to that we are working on getting the logistical side of the tour taken care of, such as, housing, food, transport, materials, publicity, etc. So, there is a lot to be done, but God is more than faithful to guide and provide!

I would love all of your prayers and support. Please be praying for peace and rest. These last few weeks have been full of restlessness and anxiety, which is not of the Lord. God is teaching me to rest in his peace and security, but my analytical mind likes to think of every option, which is only driving me crazy. So, please pray that I would learn to focus on God and what needs to be done here in Fargo, and that I would learn to rest in His words, and not question them to be too good to be true.

We serve a great God! And I am so privileged to be doing what I am. Thank you for your prayers, and if you feel led to help support what God is doing here in Fargo through me feel free to click the donate button at the side of the page! God bless!

My First Day Home

I am excited for the big things that God is going to do on this trip home. Through many hours of prayer and petition the Lord has spoken many words through many people of expectancy and favor. Today is the first day of meetings for this trip. The goal and purpose of this trip is to become fully funded, so that I can continue to do what the Lord has called me to.

Our nation is a stage of crisis. In a matter of 3 generations the church has lost over 61% of its church participants. The World War II generation also, known as the Builders, recorded that 65% of Americans were actively involved in church, which meant they attended church 10-13 times a month. Now today, the millennial generation, our kids, grandkids, brothers and sisters, are recording 4% church involvement. This means that for this generation they attend church on average of 2 times a month. This is due largely to the fact that we have missed two generations with the Gospel message. The last major evangelistic thrust in America was the Jesus Movement in the 70’s where the likes of Billy Graham and Ravenhill captivated hearts with the Gospel.

We are no longer in that era where we can simply preach the Gospel and people will respond and return to church. The framework of church has largely been lost in this culture’s mindset. This is why the work of Impact World Tour and Call2All America is so pivotal and timely. We will prepare the churches to reach out and disciple this lost generation, and then we will preach the Gospel where they are at in a way they can understand and accept. It is a movement that will be focused on 3 main initiatives that must work together: prayer and fasting, discipleship, and evangelism.

This is what I have devoted my life to seeing raised up. However, I cannot do this alone, and if left to do it along will fail. I need men and women like you to come around me to lift me not only through prayer and guidance, but also financially. In order to continue in this work I must raise a monthly budget of $2000/month, of which I am currently only at $300/month. Monthly supporters are crucial to the effectiveness of my ministry.

I want to boldly ask you to not only pray and intercede for the success of this trip, but also to prayerfully consider becoming part of my ministry team. When I asked God what was I to give to see this lost generation reached with the Gospel, He told me to give my life. Now, I want you to ask the same question. What is it worth to see a generation reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is your part in seeing that happen?

Jesus wants our kids back! So, let’s go get them together.

There are multiple ways that you can support me. The easiest is to click the dontate button on the side of this page, and then you can do electronically over the internet. Or, you can make checks payable to YWAM Campaigns and mail those into YWAM Campaigns / PO Box 38 / Grandview, MO 64030 with a note marking the check for Matt Woods. If you have any questions please leave a comment or email me at mwoods@iwtusa.org.

The Unexpected

Have you ever had one of those unexpected God moments? It is something that you were never looking for, but inside you were yearning for. You were just going about your normal day, and then God drops it in your lap.

Yesterday I was at McDonald’s with two guys, Josh and Devon, that I am doing discipleship with. It was a normal Monday with the guys. We were going through scripture and eating fries, and then we met Erick. Erick had just gotten out of a same day release surgery, and was stranded in Fargo, with his home 2 hours away.

Seeing the Bibles laid out on the table, Erick asked what we were doing. After talking to him about Jesus and the Gospel Erick immediately asked to be baptized. Once we talked to him a little bit longer we found out we had the privilege of reaping a harvest that someone else had sewn earlier.

Then the question became, where do we go? At first we thought a church. But could not find a pastor. Then we thought the River? But did not have a change of clothes. Finally, we went decided to go the house where I live. Luckily, the Pastor I live with was home.

After talking with Pastor Dave a little bit, and being insistent on getting baptized before he went home we decided to baptize him in the tub. So, we gave a change of clothes. Pastor’s Dave wife (Mary) got the camera. We led him through a prayer, and then Dave, right in the bath tub, baptized him in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – from death in sin to life in Jesus Christ!

Then we began the long ride home to drop him off in his home town in Thief River Falls. On the way, home he could not stop smiling. He was a changed man. He talked about the weight of what he did wrong in the past being lifted. Then with my phone he began calling his family and friends, and talking to them about his baptism, and what God had done for him. He was sharing his faith, literally within minutes of being baptized! He was a witness for Jesus Christ!

Now he is home. He has a bible. He is getting connected with a church, and keeping in contact with us. He is starting a new life and has vision. He wants become a counselor to help kids through the rough situations that he has been through. Soon he will get his baptism pictures, so that he can always remember and celebrate the day where we was reborn from death to life.

We were never expecting it! But, God had it planned. Now looking back at that day it makes me beg the question. Am I ready? Am I willing? Am I ready and willing for God’s interventions? Am I ready and willing for God to change my schedule? I was this time, but is there any point in my schedule where I am too busy and focused that I miss God’s plan and gifts? If so, that needs to change. I could have missed Erick, and he could still be in Fargo, and struggling with the weight of his sin. Thank God that did not happen!

Have you had any of these moments? If so, leave a comment and share your story. Would you encourage us with God’s unexpected surprise in your life?

How privileged we are to be the recipient of God’s surprises in our life?!

Fargo is on move!!!

Fargo is going great! It is finally warming up! We hit 50 degrees last week, which was a great change from the sub-zero temperatures that welcomed me into the city. Although this means that Fargo is having to deal with flood waters, but we are making it through, and sandbagging has been a great way to reach out to the community and meet new people. However, all the families in the Fargo/Moorhead area could definitely use your prayers.

Since I have been up here God has been doing so much to get us ready for the Fall. Right now we are currently working with 14 local churches, and that number is increasing each week as we meet and new people/churches, and we have been able to engage 6 smaller communities outside of the Fargo/Moorhead area to begin trainings, as well as to schedule more outreaches for our Fall campaign that will take place from September 19th-Oct 9th. God is opening up doors for us every day.

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of seeing 50 high schools kids come out to get trained to start small groups/outreaches in their high school. Then the day after the training a group of kids started a group through Facebook and with in 24 hours they already had 60 members join their group. The fields truly are white for the harvest up here!

In addition, to all of those kids raising up small groups through out the community we have raised up, through a partnership with Children's Evangelism Fellowship, 86 small groups for children. But we still have much more work to go. We are estimating that to properly handle the amount of responses we get during the tour with nurturing follow-up and discipleship we will need around 200 small groups for all ages through out the Fargo-Moorhead area, and the surrounding communities.

In addition, to that God has been so faithful to provide financially for the tour. Of our $350,000 budget that we have the community God has already raised close to $200,000 in pledges. In fact last week we received a check for $10,000 from a local business man, and then this week in a church kick-off we had gentleman pledge $45,000 and he began that pledge with a $25,000 check. God is so faithful to provide for His children!

We have a lot of exciting things coming up in the next month that we would love for you to pray with us on. First, is we are having a series of banquets that will help launch new communities, as well as bring on new churches through out the area. We are having 3 banquets in 3 separate communities April 29th and 30th, as well as May 1st. In addition, to our banquets we are beginning what we call local link trainings, which is where we go into local churches and train the church on personal evangelism and follow-up. So far we already have 3 churches who have booked their trainings, and a few more who are looking for dates. It is so cool to see God rallying His troops behind what He is doing here in Fargo. The final thing that we could use your prayers on is engaging the schools. So far we have 2 high schools committed to allowing us to do evening time events, but we are hoping to have about 6 more, and we need to book assemblies in ALL the schools so that we can invite the kids out to the evening performances where we will preach the Gospel. The assemblies are so key! Please pray for favor and openness as we approach the school to book assemblies for next Fall!

Thank you so much for taking time to read what is going on here in Fargo. I am so excited to be a part of what God is doing here in Fargo, and it is so encouraging to see all the churches rally behind this one call to reach their community. It is a huge blessing!

How Much is Enough – the Joy of Giving

God’s heart is always freedom. It is never slavery, stress, or depression. Sometimes I feel we mistake the burdens of the Lord for yoke’s of slavery. Burdens, while at times may be stressful, will always bring us peace, joy, and closeness with the Father. They will be rooted in love, promise, and hope. When we look at them we will see the Lord through and through, as well as the privilege of serving and caring for that burden. Burdens from God bring life and excitement!

However, yokes are an entirely different beast. You see yokes may feel like burdens from God, but they bring desperation and fear. They make us think, “How am I ever going to do that? There is no way! I am going to be a failure!” Or thought that are on similar lines. They make us question ourselves, and there is no hope in a yoke of slavery. There is no peace. It throws us into desperation, and traps us. These yokes then become full of guilt, shame, and fear, and they ultimately become walls between us and our Father. We begin to look at them, and we see disobedience, and we think we are unworthy to approach. This leads to separation for Dad and ultimately leads to death.

Yokes sometimes are unnecessary things that we put on our plates. However, they can also be godly burdens that we attempt to care for through our own means, instead of walking in the Spirit and provision of the Lord. So, instead of the burdens that God puts on our hearts breading joy, peace, and hope like the Lord intended, and instead of them giving us life like God designed them to they bring us death. Satan deceives us and makes us think they are just something else we have to do, and he makes them yokes. They are another thing on our already booked out to-do list, and we get overwhelmed. And this is because we fail to see that these burdens were designed by God for us to do with Him, and that they were not meant to be another task to busy our day. Or another thing we have to give our money to. Rather God meant for them to be something that we did and financed with and through our Him. They were always to build relationship between Dad and His kids.

The reality is that we are not alone. We are never called to do something by ourselves even if we are the only person around. God is always with us, stirring up His saints and angels along with Himself to come to our aid. His Spirit is always there so that we can walk in Him, and be lifted to heights we never thought possible. If we can remember that God is always there to talk to and provide a way I believe burdens will never become yokes, and we will never take on a yoke that we were not meant to. The reason being is that we will be in constant communication with God, and we will only do what He calls us to, and then He will intervene for whatever we need.

This truth, relationship with God, is where the joy of giving and serving lies. Without this relationship with Dad the question will always be, “How much is enough? How much do I need to give?” There will be this constant yoke of, “Am I giving enough? Am I serving enough?” And it will rob us of the joy God intended.

It is so faithful to know that God is faithful to speak and guide His kids. When we are talking with the Lord, and asking Him, “How much should I give or serve?” God is faithful to speak to us. He tells us exactly where and how much to give and serve, and we see life and blessing come from that obedience. He will even stretch us, and we will give in amounts and serve in ways that we never thought possible. We will begin to look for places to give and serve, because the joy of giving will infiltrate our heats as we see that God is faithful to provide everywhere He calls us to give and go.

Then with our eyes fixed on the Father we will stop asking, “How much is enough?” in fear that we will not be provided for. But in the security of our Fathers arms who is faithful to provide, and with us knowing that we are completely taken care of we will begin to ask, “Dad, can I give to them? Can I serve them? Please make a way. I so desperately want to help them” And the Father will delight to pour blessing into us, because he knows we will fulfill His original plan with Abraham. He will know that through blessing us we will bless the nations!

No, we do not give and serve; so that we can get more. That is not what I am saying. Rather, we give and serve because we know that we are secure in our Father’s arms, and there is no fear of lack. We freely give and serve, because we have been freely given too. We realize that there is life and joy in giving and serving, and so we give and serve because we have hope in something out of this world. Giving and serving were always meant to be rooted in hope and joy, and never in obligation and necessity, which leads to slavery. Rather as freed men and women we give our time, resources, and money to celebrate our freedom in the Lord! Giving is a celebration that is meant to be full of joy.

This is a lesson that the Lord has been teaching me, and it has been slow and hard, but it has been so good! In fact, I feel that I need to apologize and ask for forgiveness from some of you. In some of my letters I have unfairly put a yoke on you to help make a way for me to do what God has called me to. I unintentionally put some of you in slavery thinking if you did not give I would not be taken care of. You are giving because you think you need to in order for me to stay in the field. I want you to know that God is completely faithful to make a way for me, and He will provide. I want to encourage some of you that if you are giving out of necessity please stop giving to me. The only reason I want any of you to give is because you have heard a voice from the Lord saying I want you to invest in Matt and what he is doing. Investing in me should bring you life and joy. You should receive pleasure because you know you are allowing thousands of kids to come to the Lord with every campaign that we do. Giving should cause you to celebrate. It should be something you are doing with Dad!

I pray blessing beyond blessing for everyone who reads this letter. Through you God is going to bless the nations and the ends of the earth. For you are secure in the Father’s arms, and that hope has more power than anything on earth! Praise God ! Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Matt

The Liturgical Year - My First Book Review

Hey Guys, so I found this sweet website for anyone who likes to read and write. It is called Booksneeze. All you have to do is have a blog, and then after you read a book write a small review about the book, and post in on your blog and a retailers website like Amazon or Barnes and Noble. So here is my first book review. The book is the Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister.

This book is not simply an exposition of the Liturgical year. It is far more than a simple teaching that tells us about each feast, fast, and season that make up the Liturgical year. This book is a book about the passion of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives. Joan Chittister’s words bring life to something that most people feel is dead and dry. Liturgy while it is rooted in tradition is much more than a set of days and practices that we do in order to fulfill tradition and religious piety.

Instead, Chittister shows that liturgy is a tool. It is a set of days and seasons that transform our minds, and cause us to continually enter into relationship with Jesus. It is a constant reminder of Jesus, so that we can daily tell Him how much we love, and are thankful to be in relationship with Him. It is a reminder and a call to the life He lived, so that we can learn how to live it as well. It teaches us how to live our natural lives, with the Spiritual world Christ has brought us into. She shows that the Liturgical calendar may be the greatest tool that any Christian can possess in the task of transforming their minds for Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

Her writing style is easy and simple to understand, but it is deep and life changing. Her words are definitely anointed by God to bring life to anyone who truly seeks to live purely and holy for Christ. I recommend this book for anyone who is curious and seeking guidance in the faith, but I would especially recommend it for anyone who is struggling and drowning in the stagnation of tradition and religiosity. If the words in this book are truly dealt with and chewed over it will bring life and excitement back into our many forgotten and overlooked traditions. And it will work to restore the true meaning that has been lost in so many of our religious holidays, especially Christmas and Easter.

It is a great tool to have in your library as we seek to make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28: 19-20)! Praise God for Joan and her words!

Take the First Step

Have you ever received a vision from God that was so big you were not sure where to start and what to do? The uncertainty of the vision just caused you to remain still, because you were not sure how to approach what the Lord was asking you to do. You wanted to see something, some sort of movement that would indicate to you that the Lord was indeed the voice that communicated to you this vision. You were looking for something that would give you certainty to move forward. You heard the call, but you wanted more.

I found my self in this exact situation the last few weeks. The Lord has without a doubt called me and my team to Fargo to bring revival. He has called us here to spur a movement in the church that will be long lasting, and will not only cause community transformation, but nationwide and global transformation. He has called us to a movement that we believe will redefine church for this generation, and that centers around discipleship. Fargo plays huge part in that movement!

The past few weeks I have been so mesmerized at this calling that I have been still and waiting, reluctant to taking any steps, because of how big the vision is. I wanted God to give me certainty that this was truly him before I really stepped out. I wanted some moment or some signal. In the midst of all of this God spoke a gentle word of encouragement and rebuke to me. He said, “Matt if Moses would have waited for the waters to separate before He started walking the seas would never have split. You just need to start walking and I will make a way. You can trust me. You are not alone. Be bold keep pushing forward, revival will come.”

I think this is the reality for many of us. We have heard the Lord, and despite all of the uncertainty we face we just need to take the first step, and let God show us His power and might!

As a ministry we have started to walk, and God is already starting to part the sea. So far we have close to 20 churches either on board with the movement or about to make a commitment to the movement God has called the Impact World Tour to spark here in Fargo. He has raised 1/3 of our budget in 2 months, $130,000. He has gifted us with an amazing venue in the middle of the city for practically nothing. Churches are mobilizing for training and preparing small groups for the events in the fall like we could never have imagined. He has been so faithful to provide and lead the movement He has called us to.

You are a huge part of what is happening out here in Fargo. It is your prayers and your financial support that have enabled me to be here. You have helped our ministry till the soil in Fargo, and your prayers and supplications have paid off. God has heard your prayers along with ours and has faithfully responded. Praise God for His faithfulness. I want to encourage you. If you are waiting for the waters to part just take the first step. The seas will split because God is completely faithful to provide for and guide us where He has called us to go. My life is a huge testament to that.

I pray that God would bless you richly, and would give you the faith to take the first step no matter what sea He is sea he is calling you to split.

Quick to Forgive

God is so quick to forgive! I moved up to Fargo this past week, on Valentines Day actually. My first week in Fargo was amazing. I live with an amazing pastor and his wife. They are so hospitable and just fun to be around. The meetings I have been around have totally been set up by Jesus. People are eager and hungry to hear about God, and how we can partner together to help Jesus reach Fargo. I have already seen 2 churches come on and a small satellite city opened up. It just has been really dynamic.

I feel an expectation for something great to happen here in Fargo. God has something up His sleeve. I just feel it in my spirit. Something else in my spirit says it has to center on this big flood that is predicted for Fargo. All the news papers and government people say it is going to be big. In fact they are filling 3 million sandbags preparing for it. But to be honest, I do not think there is going to be a flood at all, which I know saying that comes at the stake of being weird and overly charismatic. I think God wants to mobilize His church to stand up and pray against it, and push back the flood gates. I think He wants to show Fargo He is indeed alive and the He loves them. But how do you share that with a city who has experienced a flood the past 4 years running? How do you share that to a city that you just walked into, and on top of that you are the young guy?

Honestly, I think that is only the beginning of the supernatural things that God wants to do up here in Fargo. I think He is mobilizing an army of young people/youth that will see people healed, that will dream dreams and have visions, and maybe even raise the dead if called to it. I think the reality talked about in the book of Joel is quickly approaching us. I think Fargo is about to see it first hand. How do you prepare for that? How do you voice that in a society that is so skeptical and censored (the Western world in general)?

Nonetheless this is what I feel God doing. I feel Him preparing us for something great, for something huge. It is going to take complete devotion and surrender to Him. It is going to take the faithful to truly lay own their lives from Him. I think I was called to lead out in this movement. I think IWT is a catalyst that is going to launch something bigger than what we could have ever dreamed. I get to be part of it.

My vision for Fargo is great. I want to mobilize youth groups. I want to serve the homeless and heal the sick. I want people to walk out of hospitals because the Son shined on them, and peopled were healed. I want to see the Church mobilized with all denominations, Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists praying together because we are one church seeking one strategy to reach the community we are in. I want resources to be freely given and freely taken for the sake of spreading the Kingdom to another neighborhood. And honestly I don't just want to do that, but I feel called to do it. I feel called to be an idealist that makes the ideal reality. And at times it all sounds crazy to even me.

But I am excited and I am happy. God has put me in the perfect place to do it, with the perfect ministry, and the perfect mentors. I am working with churches, in charge of brining in new ones and expanding our family to all denominations, and opening up new cities. That really excites me. I love working with Christ's bride. It is so rewarding, and I get to run the prayer committee, which is near to my heart and so important. God has just set me up!

By now you are asking what does this all have to do with forgiveness. This is just Matt being an idealist and going on a rant. Well this weekend I lost all of that. I sinned. Satan attacked me, and I gave in and fell. I lacked discipline, and I paid for it. After I sinned I was filled with so much guilt and shame I thought I was unqualified and ruined. I thought I would never win, and I look at my vision and saw it was too lofty, because I was dirty and not good enough.

As I usually do I quickly went to God and asked for forgiveness, and nothing changed. Guilt and shame was still lingering over me. I knew I was forgiven, but I didn't feel it. I still felt dirty and unclean. Then I told my leader and friend, James. I confessed to him my sin, and immediately I felt God begin to clean me off and heal me. Then James told me something that is so crucial for us to understand. He said, "You are forgiven. Jesus does not even remember what you did. There is no probation period to forgiveness. He has completely forgiven you and moved on, and you need to do the same thing" (maybe not exact, but it is close).

The minute I heard that something changed in my heart. God reinstated me. It was like He gave me the power to forgive myself. He told me all that He had for me never changed because I messed up. He assured me I was growing, and said He was so proud of me. He actually told me I was too hard on myself. Most of all He told me that He loved me and that would never change, and that He is always quick to forgive and reinstate us.

He forgave me. He healed me. He cleansed me. He reinstated me. And now the sky is the limit. And He is quick to forgive, so that all may join in. No one is exempt. God forgiveness is limitless, complete, and immediate. There is no one He want forgive. That is the God I serve and love to talk about. Now, I cannot wait to see what He is about to do!

Finally Moving Up to Fargo!

I know it has been a long time coming. Many of you heard that I was moving up to Fargo almost a month ago. But the day is finally here. I will be moving up to Fargo Monday, and will be living up there at least until October when the campaign goes through the Fargo area, which we have termed the Red River Valley with the local people.

So, why the delay? Why has it taken me a little over a month to finally move up to Fargo? The reason is that the Lord wanted to teach me something. He actually wanted to teach me a lot of things. He wanted to destroy the pride in my heart, so that I could receive His love. He wanted to destroy the pride in my heart, so that I could actually help people. He wanted to destroy the pride in my heart, so that I could see that I have nothing, but in that confession He would give me everything. He wanted me to receive the Kingdom that I had been denying by trying to maintain a prideful image of myself that was never true, and was in all reality killing me and granting me death.

For the past month the Lord has been drawing me into His presence and encountering me like never before. In fact, at the beginning of this journey He asked me to set aside 2 hours a day, so He could spend more time with me. It was the best decision I ever made, and surprisingly it was easy for the most part. I mean there were days it was hard to go to the prayer room and sit, but once I got there it was always amazing. God was so faithful to meet me and talk to me. He indwelt in me so that it was easy to stay in His presence for hours on hours. It had nothing to do with me being awesome and disciplined because the reality is that I am not. In fact, one of my biggest worries in going up to Fargo is whether or not I will be able to engage with the Lord in this same way, because it is so crucial to the Christian life.

It was in these times that God had spoken with me, and was dealing with the lies and the pain that was inside that I felt for the first time that I really had something to offer that could change the world. The Lord gave me amazing vision for Fargo and for the Impact World Tour, and even for the world in general. He communicated to me amazing truths about His heart for me and His kingdom. It was truly a dynamic one that is worth sharing, but there is so much to share. He took me up to His throne room and put me in His presence where every disease, worry, and affliction is removed and replaced with love, mercy, and grace.

For the first time I realized this this was not metaphorical. It is real. You can literally go to a place where all of your pain and hurts are wiped away. You do not have stop living to go there. Heaven is not some place that we cannot experience in the here and now. All that we have to do is stop denying God's love. We just give up our preconceived notions of what life is. We stop trying to live and ask God what to do, and then gently He wraps His arms around us and He lifts us up to Heaven and He heals us and gives us peace. He makes things right. This is what every Christian has to offer to the world. The path or way to God and His throne. We cannot offer some great sermon or awesome prayer. Those mean nothing in and of them self, but we know the way to the Father. It is the way that was given to us through and by Jesus and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is all that we have to offer, and this is why it has taken me a month to get to Fargo. It was the way home that Jesus was teaching me this last month. It was what He had to show me before I could go to Fargo.

Now I know the way, and now I am going to Fargo. I am a little nervous because I feel like I have a lack of vision and direction, even though God has given me more the enough. I am just not use to living with so simple instructions that seem kind of vague. I usually have more direction, more tasks. So this is all a little weird to me. It is a new way of life living with no need to strive and do things. My only job is to go to the throne every day to hang out with Jesus, and when I am able bring people with me, which is awesome.

I am nervous also because I feel a little empty, like my tire that has been made flat. I was on a mountain top Wednesday, and now I am little down, feeling a little lost and overwhelmed. But God has assured me I know the way, and the way has much to offer. Even though it seems vague. It is very powerful. Through us just simply loving God and loving God with people God shows up and miracles and supernatural things happen, because God is just so good. It is a simple lesson, but one that took me a little long to learn.

So, Monday, I am heading up to Fargo and I am stoked. I have nothing to offer and that is awesome, because now I can just love Jesus and there is no stress to perform attached. Through loving Jesus He will lead me to people and to places, and He will pour out and show me awesome things about who He is, and in that people will get saved, people will be healed, and a city will be changed. That is exciting, and I get to be a part of it just by simply loving Jesus, nothing more and nothing less. Great things are sure to happen.

In fact, He is already doing great things in Fargo. Last weekend was amazing. We had our launch weekend in Fargo. In our discipleship seminar we were able to begin training 70 leaders who will begin to work on opening neighborhood network centers across the region in conjunction with the local church. Praise God. We also saw God raise a little over $90,000 for the campaign, which means we have already raised 1/3 of our budget. And last weekend we are able to book our first venue at the Scheels Arena in Fargo. God is opening up so many doors to help bring transformation in Fargo. It is awesome to watch. It is almost like Fargo is a gift to me and the ministry. God just wants to show me what He can do, and it is 100% worthy of praise. We definitely serve an awesome God!

I would really appreciate your prayers for the move up there. Also, want to ask that you would pray for the team as we begin to encounter High Schools to schedule outreaches as well as other local churches to partner with them. Pray that we would walk in the grace and favor of the Lord. The last thing I want to ask that you would pray for is that God would continue to bless me with a fervency and desperation for prayer and His word, as we seek to build my inner man together. He is truly doing awesome things in me each day. Again, thank you all for your prayers and support! You all are a huge part of everything God is doing!

____________________________________________________________________

One last thing I want to share with you. God has blown my mind this week with this one verse. Look up Isaiah 54:10. After you read it. Research the phrase about throwing the mountains into the sea, and why it is so widely used in the Bible. Then reread that verse. God will rock your world. At least He did mine. His love is so good! Let me know what He tells you. I am really curious to hear what you all hear through this verse. God bless!

Launching Fargo

Hey everybody,

I wanted to take this time to update you on how the tour is going in Fargo. For those of you who have no idea about what I am talking about, I work/volunteer with a ministry called the Impact World Tour (IWT) as a coordinator, organizing city outreaches and discipleship networks. The heart of IWT is to partner with local leadership across the country and the world to help mobilize and awaken the body of Christ to prayer, evangelism, and discipleship to reach this emerging generation. You can also visit www.ywamcampaigns.org to get more info on who we are, or you can just ask me and we can have a great conversation!

The tour up in Fargo however is doing very well. We, with the locals, have decided to call the tour, Impact Red River Vally, so that it applies to the whole region we are trying to reach. Right now we are forming/finalizing our local executive committee that will provide local leadership to the region. In addition, to that we should have our office found and set up in Fargo within the next few weeks. These are huge answers to prayer, and a testimony of God's faithfulness to provide!

Next weekend will be a pivotal weekend in launching the tour in the Red River Valley. On Friday and Saturday (February 4th and 5th), we will be holding our first training/seminar in the area for discipleship that will give the community an introductory look on starting Neighborhood Network Centers through out Fargo in schools, restaurants, coffee shops, homes, etc. This training will then be followed with other trainings sessions provided by us, as well as trainings offered by local youth leaders and Children's Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). We are excited with where God is leading us. He is really calling us to focus on starting these Neighborhood Network Centers to help form a Discipleship Network that will reach out to the community in the neighborhoods. This seminar is the first step in that process.

In addition, to the Discipleship Seminar on Friday and Saturday, we will be having a major dessert banquet on Saturday night, February 5th. The banquet will help us further spread the vision of the Discipleship Networks and IWT to Red River Valley. Currently we have 40 people RSVP'd with still 20 more table hosts waiting to send in their lists. So, we are praying and believing for around 150-200 people to show up. In addition to vision casting, the banquet will be a major push to help us raise the budget needed to have the tour in the Fall. This is a major part of us launching the tour in Fargo.

On Sunday (February 6th) we will have our first Church Kick-Offs up in Fargo. So far we have 3 churches scheduled. CKO's are a major part of spreading the vision and mobilizing the region. Our main goal in a CKO is to awaken the church to the urgency and need for evangelism and discipleship. Especially since it is reported that only 2% of Christians are regularly sharing their faith, and only 4% of this emerging generation are attending church/actively seeking Jesus. It is in these presentations that we help come alongside the local church and encourage them to work with us as we seek God to spur revival in the community. We will ask the church to participate in 3 ways pray, give, and serve. First we encourage them to begin praying for God to reach their community, as well as specific family members and friend that they want to share the gospel with. Then we lead them to seek the Lord to see if they are called to invest financially into this vision, and to give only what they hear from Jesus to give, nothing more and nothing less. The key is obedience, not how much is given. Then we end by asking each believer to volunteer with us and become a part of organizing outreaches in the local high schools and developing a discipleship network that will disciple and reach out the region.

Needless to say we are very busy and excited as we approach this weekend. It will definitely set the tone for this upcoming year in Fargo, and so far it is looking very promising. It would be awesome if you could join us in prayer as we are praying for the local church in Fargo and the surrounding communities. Please pray for the banquet and seminar that they would be well attended and effective in communicating the vision and message that Christ has for the area, and pray for protection and wisdom for all of those are involved in organizing and putting on these exciting events.

God bless,

Matt

P.S. Please join me in prayer as I am seeking the Lord for provision. A major struggle that I am facing right now is finances. The Lord has communicated to me that I am in the right place and to be patient, but I am slowly falling behind on my bills, specifically my student loans. Right now this really is my biggest block to ministry and staying with IWT and spreading the gospel, so I am praying for breakthrough and following God as He directs me. He is more than faithful to provide, but would love some prayer partners!

True Worthiness - The Love of God

Have you ever thought that you were completely unworthy? As a result there was this constant pressure to strive and achieve just so that you could feel important. After awhile you actually thought you were important. You thought you were smart and worthy. Inside part of you actually believed you could do it on your own. Your pride had grown out of control from this one thought; you are not worthy.

You thought the response to this idea was to strive to obtain your worthiness; in fact this is what you were taught and had drilled into you from all those around you. You never thought that seeking God for His vision of you could possibly be the answer. You never imagined that the answer could be admitting your unworthiness to God, so that He would fill you and make you worthy. Then once you learned this truth you didn’t know how to let that truth in and become reality. You couldn’t accept the truth that your worth comes from simply being a child of the most-high God. All that you could hear and believe was that you are not worthy. You must strive to be better, and earn your way; earn your acceptance.

This lie caused you to live in fear. What if I mess up? What if I do not do this right? Am I praying enough? Am I reading enough? Am I righteousness enough for the plans that God has for me? Etc. Every word and message that you heard from God was then filtered through these questions of fear. You never felt truly accepted no matter how many times people told you that you were. You always worried about not doing enough or doing something wrong that would eventually chase those people away from your life. This made repentance and confession hard, which made getting prayers from your brothers and sisters rather difficult, which then blocked the healing and cleansing promised in Scripture that you so desperately desired to be true in your life (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9).

Now with all of this fear and guilt just piling on to you it was impossible to clearly hear and take in the words of God. All you wanted was a word of God to come to you, to comfort you, and to guide you. You heard His words come from sermons and songs. You even heard His gentle whisper as you took time in silence to seek Him, but nothing availed. Every word was swarmed with questions and doubts. This is too good to be true. I only heard that because that is what I want. This could not be God that will never work. This doesn’t line up with His character; as you sought to defend how this couldn’t be true when it probably was, but you were just so scared of being wrong and messing up, and constantly wondering how this would make people think of you. You had to defend and protect the prideful image of yourself that had been created in your mind.

With all of this fear and insecurity you did not know what to believe. All of a sudden ideas and visions from God that you have based your life on started to come into question. Is this all reality or just a pleasant fantasy to hide the pain? Nothing made sense, and you were lost as you tried to protect the prideful obsession of being good and worthy. Your life literally began to fall apart.

Well, as you probably already know, since this is my blog, this is my story. This is where I found myself 2 weeks ago. Pride has infected every area of my life manifested in this one lie, I am not worthy. As a result, I have not been able to make decisions in my ministry because what if they are wrong. Financially, I am a mess because I live off support, but I cannot ask for support because I am unworthy. So, I am in a nest of debt and despair, and feeling completely unworthy to ask for help to get out, instead feeling I should just get a job and leave my calling to make money, because there is just so much uncertainty. And the list just goes on, as it has affected my relationships, my family, and my God, or how I truly view Him.

However, something happened 2 weeks ago. As I prayed with a friend, Joel McGill, God broke in, and He showed me the lie, and He showed me the truth. I am completely unworthy on my own, but I am not on my own anymore. Right now, as I type this, I am worthy, and it has nothing to do with what I have done or will do, but everything to do with God saying I am worthy and speaking that worth into existence. I can do nothing, but in that admittance I can do everything as God does it through me. I cannot come up with a plan to get me out of debt, but God can give me one. I do not have the courage and faith to listen and obey His words, but God will empower me to obedience. I am completely prideful and arrogant and nothing I do will make me humble, but telling God I am hopeless in my pride and need Him will lead Him to respond. He will break through and give me humility, and He will teach and enable me to live empty, so He can fill and radiate through me to do the things I could never do. In fact, I have learned this is what Christianity is all about, God living and loving in us.

So, I have begun a journey to truly learn that it is ok to be weak and broken. I am learning how to live that out, and not just make it head knowledge and lip service. That really does nothing other than causing you to live in hopelessness and despair as you realize you will never measure up, but vainly trying to make the mark anyway. Learning to live this way is so hard. I feel like I am dying every day, as my pride is being peeled off. I feel like God is calling me to things I could never do, and I am just scared. I do not know how to live like this. How do I live without tasks orienting my life, and giving me things to achieve and strive for? I mean that is what has made my days since I can remember. With all of this questioning of what and how God has been repeating to me 3 words every day. “Just love me!” Stop striving and just love me!

In fact, it is the new rule, without striving and legalism, and it is producing something great inside of this prideful person in desperate need of Christ. Nothing else matters. It does not matter how many people you heal or save, or how much scripture you read and memorize. What matters is did you love God? Did I say I love you to Jesus yet? Does the Holy Spirit know that I cannot live without talking to Him, because that is how much I love Him? Does the Father know that I love Him more than all things I ask of/from Him? I do not want to complete my tasks without loving Jesus and knowing He loves me. I want to complete them as a result of that love. I have learned that everything God has asked me to do is only so that I can learn more about Him, and experience more of His love. The task does matter as much as the time spent with God while doing the task. The reason for the journey is Jesus. The task just gives us something extra to do along the way.

Please pray for me as I have a long way to go in this journey of humility and complete reliance on Jesus. I know that I am in desperate need of your prayers. I cannot do this on my own. I have been trying for too long on my own with no results, and God’s promises are stronger than that. The prayers of my brothers and sisters in the faith are powerful and effective. Your prayers are powerful and effective. So please, pray for freedom in the realm of purity, but everywhere. Pray that I would rest in the beauty of God, and the beauty that He sees me in. Pray that I would have the strength and power to continue on the path God is laying, but ultimately pray that I would stop striving, so that God can work out His plan in my life.

I love you, and my prayer is that God’s grace would have already encountered you as you started reading this blog. I pray that with the first word you read you began to feel His tangible presence in your life. May freedom, power, and love reign in your life through the power of Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. God bless and Amen!

Where I am

I never realized how hard it is to write about myself, but for the sake of keeping people up to date and involved here I go. As I reflect on where I am right now there really is only one thing that I am certain of, and that is the vision God has given me. It is the vision that I have given my life to, and it is what guides my path. I guess you could say I am a slave to this vision, but I would not have it any other way, because while it may control me it also gives me life beyond my wildest dream. Unfortunately, it is a dream and vision that I have rarely articulated and let people know about.

The vision has two main parts, but focuses on one main goal. That one goal is simple. It is to complete the Great Commission, so that every tribe, tongue, and nation may be discipled with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The first part of this vision has to do with a database that is being formed with a group of people. Essentially, the database will link every Christian with a place for them to be able to serve God’s kingdom in their calling and passion. I believe that right now many people are given great visions by God, but have no idea how to get to where God has called them. My vision is that this database would bridge the gap linking people into their God given destiny through multiple steps and interfaces. Ultimately, it is through this database that I believe God will be able to launch a 2^nd Student Volunteer Movement, and if you do not know what that is I would encourage you to google, the Student Volunteer Movement to read about the first one. I believe the database is integral in mobilizing the church to where God desires each individual to be. There is a lot more to do that database, and how that will all unfold but that is a broad stroke of what it is.

In addition, to this global vision with the database, which was not done incredible justice with the paragraph above, God has given me some specific vision overseas. I believe God has called me to be part of a major evangelistic push in the country of Germany that will consume the entire country with the Gospel. As the Gospel begins to take root and bring transformation in Germany it will then launch itself into the rest of Europe. As this grows I believe it will provide the Kingdom with a mission force that will not only be able to mobilize Africa, but will provide the African continent with the infrastructure it has been waiting for. With that infrastructure in place Africa will have the ability to finally launch in mass number its people into the world. I believe that Africa really is a sleeping giant waiting to explode for the Gospel, and I feel God has called me to be a part of it.

In many ways this is my life right now. This huge vision consumes my thoughts and my prayers. It is all I think about. It is often very overwhelming, and I constantly wonder how something so big could ever be achieved. But then I am reminded and remember that it is not my vision. It is God’s and I just need to be patient for Him to act and to tell me to move.

So, why I am in IWT and focused in America. There a couple of reasons actually. First, is that I believe that IWT could have a big part in evangelizing Germany, but only time will tell. It certainly is not in the vision of IWT currently, but it is my dream and vision that one day it will be. Maybe when I actually talk to them about it. Also, IWT is a place of maturity for me. I am surrounded by amazing people who are providing amazing mentorships. God is pruning me. He is developing my character as a man of God, and teaching me how to mobilize and direct His kingdom, which is His calling on my life. Right now God is teaching me a lot of that practicals in that calling.

However, everything is not roses. There are a lot of things that constantly are on my heart. The first is, I constantly wonder if this all is just a fantasy. With how big the vision is I constantly question whether this is me or God, but when I look at the depth and gravity of the vision I realize there is no way someone like me could have come up with this. And then God brings me to a passage in Isaiah to encourage me, Isaiah 49: 1-7, and I realize that I don’t even see all of the vision. Despite how big this vision seems it is still smaller for all that God has for me.

Besides for questioning, I also miss my family a great deal. I hear a lot of their struggles, and wish I could be home. I wish I could be there to help. It is hard not to think that if I was home I could help them. Many of them don’t know Jesus, and not being home makes that reality even harder, because I feel so helpless in sharing with them the beauty of Jesus. My heart weighs for them, and I know that all I can do is put them in God’s hands, which is the best place for them to be. I know God will show Himself to them. I just need to be patient and persistent in prayer and obedient as He leads me to do whatever He is calling me to. Despite the feeling of helplessness I am very hopeful. I know one day they will fall love with Jesus, and He will take away their pain and tears. I cannot wait for that day!

Then there are my finances. Despite constant reminder not to worry, I do. I have almost $50,000 in student debt as interest continues to build on them. I am living on barely $500 a month, but somehow I always get by. God is always faithful. I will need to soon start paying on all my student loans, and those alone will take $700 a month. I figure that I will need to raise soon at least $2000 a month to get out of debt. I wonder where all the money is going to come from. I wonder what I can do in order to make it, and I wonder if I am doing enough. I feel like I need to be more confident in support raising, but with the economy the way it is I feel so ashamed to ask people for their money. Even though I know I am where God wants me it is still hard to be confident and ask. It is a very daunting giant in my life to say the least. In all of this I know God will be faithful. I know He will provide, but sometimes it weighs on my heart, and in those times I need to learn to rest in the character of God.

The last really big struggle is loneliness. I have the best roommates and an awesome family in ministry. But there are still times I long for someone to share it all with. They are not often, but they are there. I know that one day it will happen, and it is these times of loneliness that I see why God said it is not good for man to be alone. However, I also know that I have a lot of growing to do before that can happen. While at times this is horrible it has been really been an amazing time of God showing me that He is sufficient for me, and it is in these times I have learned How awesome it is to have God as my Dad and best friend. And it is these times I hear God clearer than ever and feel His arms embrace me with is warmth.

So, this is where I am right now. I am really excited for what is ahead. The tour in Fargo and Northern Minnesota is really exciting. I am not sure what God is doing yet, but I have an intense expectancy for Him to show up. I feel this season will be really hard, but in that I will learn and grow a lot, and see His Kingdom really advance. Once I get back I will be working to organize a banquet and discipleship seminar that will help spread IWT’s vision for the tour and begin to mobilize the local community and get their input into that vision, which is really exciting for me. The local church is really stepping up, so it should all go well, but I would love your prayers as we lead up to those two events.

Also, right now I am praying into the possibility of taking online classes to continue my education and get my masters degree. I feel a strong draw to seminary again. However, those prayers just began, and I have not received any real clear direction, but really like the possibility. If I did the classes would be online and modular, so that I could stay in the mission field, which I know is where I need to be.

In addition, to that me and the guys are praying into a short term trip to Germany to meet people and just pray into our vision and calling to evangelize the country to get God’s wisdom and guidance.

So, there is a lot going on. But it is so good, and I am so blessed for the life God leads me in. I would not trade it for anything in the world, despite all the questions and ups and downs. It is what I have always hoped for an adventure, a life worth living. It is never boring and always keeps me on my toes, which lets me see God’s power day in and day out.

Well I hope that gives you a look into my heart and life, and would love to talk to you all about any part of that. I am an open book, and want to share my story and life with anyone willing to take part. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope at some level it encourages you and/or spurs you on in your walk with Christ. God bless!

Matt