If you want it, come and get it!

This is something the Lord has been laying on my heart the past week and culminated tonight at the Bridge Street House of Prayer in Grand Rapids. I was watching a new believer named Caleb worship with all his might. Every chance he gets he is at  prayer houses, worship nights, prayer gathering, Bible studies, and Sunday morning services. He is going all out for the Lord. I was thinking, "That's awesome, I remember when I was a new believer, trying to live every moment for the Lord, spending as much time with him as possible, no matter the cost." Then it struck me. Why am I not living like that?! I sing so many songs of "All to Jesus I surrender" and "You're worth it all" and "My whole life is yours". I am so tired of singing and not doing. These songs are so true but they don't seem to effect me much. We need to go after Jesus with everything, pay any cost, go any distance, he is worth it! "Seek and you will find." If you want it, come and get it! You are not under any obligation to do anything, for we are dead to the law. There is literally nothing left for you to do for God. There is only grace, what God does for us. But with that said, we should be going after him with every resource, time, and talent we have not because we have to but because that it what we were made for. This is reality. We have bought into the lie that life is going through the system that everyone else has done before us.  NO! There is a longing in everyone's heart for something more than the 9-5, more than getting a wife, house, kids, and a dog. Have kids, send them off to college and retire, and look  back on your life and hope you did some good and then die, This is not it! All that can be apart but that is not 'it'!! That is why there is that longing for something more. But we try to fill it with stuff and things that don't satisfy but for a fleeting moment! It was made to be filled with Jesus. Every second, of everyday Jesus! Getting to know him in and through every life circumstance and season.
We make time to eat 2-3 meals a day instead of 1 per week because if we only had 1 a week we would not be able to function like were meant to. But if the Bible is the bread from heaven  and we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, then some of us are only eating once a week from the pastor and wondering why they aren't functioning like, say, the Christians in the Book of Acts. They weren't born 'super-spiritual', or 'a few select people gifted with being able to hear the voice of God'. They were just ordinary people, REALLY, just like you and I. But if you are going to argue that their is a big difference between them and you, ask yourself: 'Are you going after God with everything?' They were, but of course not without a billion mistakes (...remember they are actual people.) But look at what Acts 2:42 says they did. "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

Scripture, Prayer, and Fellowship/Eating together/Communion

Let's seriously devote ourselves to these things. If we do, I can guarantee you that we will see the same results as the apostles did, which were: "And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and⁾ having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:43-47)

Basically to sum up what I am saying. God has put it on my heart to really seek him, to really go after him, just like I did at the start, just like, by his grace, I will continue to do. Once your a Christian a while you feel like you got the hang of this or you get sucked into religion (doing stuff for God). IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE FEEL IT OR NOT! Lets go after him because HE IS WORTHY to be sought out! And in doing so we will find that fulfillment and satisfaction that can only be found in him.

This is the song that inspired the title of this blog, seriously listen to it! I Love Your Presence

Scotland

While you read you should have this on in the background: Braveheart

Pictures to set the scene:

This trip was a testimony to God's provision, sovereignty, and work throughout the world in our generation.

Provision:
If Jesus calls you to something he will see you through it, he will make it happen. This journey started off a few weeks after God called me to move to London, England in a year. I received an email about the 24/7 Prayer conference called Magnify. Jesus told me I was to go and that he would provide. So I spent my bank account on a ticket in faith that he would indeed do the rest. Here is how he came through:

• A friend of a friend hosted me, got me acquainted with city, and even cook a few meals for me!
• Another friend gave me a ride to Chicago and then to the airport
• I was at a prayer house in Grand Rapids two days before I left, two guys separately came up to me and gave me money saying God told me to give this to you. It totaled $250, it was the exact amount I needed for all the minor expenses with the poor currency exchange. 
• Jesus told me not to buy a train ticket in advance for the trip home from Chicago. Later I found out that I would have missed that train. 
• As I landed in Chicago I asked the Lord if I should buy a train ticket now and said that someone would buy it for me. Right about then my mom called and said that she would buy the train ticket for me.
• I needed a place to stay in Chicago b/c I was too late for the train that day. So my friends offered their house and we had a lovely evening. 
• I needed money for train tickets around Chicago from the airport and to and from my friends house. As I was walking to the train station the wind was blowing and a 10 dollar bill and 5 dollar bill blow and land at my feet. Not past me. They stopped at my feet. 

Our God is so faithful. 

Sovereignty:

God is so big. He is in control. Nothing can happen without his permission. In Job 1 we see Satan asking God permission to afflict Job. God gave me more revelation on this as I as running frantically through an airport in Brussels, Belgium begging God to stall the plane from taking off without me. All of a sudden it hit me. That plane cannot take off unless God allows it to. If God wants me on that plane, there is nothing that can stop me from getting on it. If he doesn't want me on it, there is nothing I can do to make that flight. But that thought gave me peace know that whatever happened would be what God wanted to happen. Then I was filled with peace knowing that his will would be done....I ended up making the plane even though I really shouldn't have. God is doing the impossible all over the world and the conference was filled with 250ish people from 21 nations testifying to this.


What God is doing in our generation:
In the year 2000 God started rising up the modern prayer movement all around the world through organizations like the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO, 24/7 Prayer in the UK, and The Call, to name a few. These organizations all started in 2000 and for the past 10 years have been setting watchmen on the wall interceding for our world in day and night prayer. 10 years later both IHOP and 24/7 Prayer have begun to team up with the missions movements and justice movements around the world inspiring new movements like Burn 24/7 and Fire & Fragrance. It is a marriage of prayer and missions. It is communities of people coming together in a place of worship and prayer that births missions and justice on the earth. It is a model that was seen quite dramatically with the Moravians in Herrnhut, Germany. God is doing the impossible all over the earth and he wants to use you right where you are to change the world. YOU can change the world, because you carry the Living God inside you, for whom nothing is impossible! But it starts with intimacy with the Most High God. Find a place where you can get away with the Lord by yourself and in community and watch what God does in you!

Books to read on this:
Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig
Fire & Fragrance by Sean Feucht and Andy Byrd

 Here is a song by Ben Cantalon, who lead the worship at the conference with Sean Feucht, that has really been blessing me and pumping me up to change the world: Savior of the World

The River rushes to the lowest place...

The title of this blog was taken from a song by Laura Hackett called "Lowest Place".
I believe that one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching sermons I heard was a synthesis of the Philippians 2:5-11 with John 13:1-20.

v.7-8 "made Himself nothing taking the form of a servant...even death on a cross"
v.4-5 "(Jesus) rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him."

He returned to the table fellowship

Therefore God has highly exalted Him...  
(God exalted him back to the 'table fellowship' with the Father and Spirit.)

In both passages we are called to be like Christ. In Philippians: to 'have this same mind in us' as Christ had. In John: 'For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.'

Jesus the King. Jesus the Son, Jesus the name that is above every other name...

...became the lowest...

...and now he calls us to follow him...to the lowest place...

...and it is here we see his Kingdom  pour down, from heaven to earth, like a mighty river:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on   my account.  

Finally, I echo the cry of John the Baptist as my prayer: 

"He must increase, but I must decrease."






 Listen to "Lowest Place" by Laura Hackett

The Goal is Christ

I created this blog partially to keep friends and family in touch with with where I am and what I am doing, seeing as God is calling me overseas to London in a years time, but more so to share the things Jesus is teaching me in order that I might testify to and give glory to the Living God.

I am sure that I will go many places and doing many things but the truth that has struck me today is that 'doing stuff' for God is not the goal. The goal isn't at the end of our life. It isn't aspiring to the do's and don'ts of the Scriptures, or to do things for Christ, but it is Christ. Simply Knowing Christ. I want to know him. I echo the prayer of Moses in Exodus 33:13 "...show me now your ways, that I may know you..."



The goal of life and thus this blog, really isn't where I am or what I am doing. It is Christ. Knowing Christ.

(Philippians 3:12)