A Glimpse of Switzerland

Homeward Bound

Well my friends, this has been the craziest month of my life, if not the craziest 5 months! God has done some really amazing things as well as some really tough things, but in it all, from a prison cell to the top of the Swiss Alps, he has been nothing but faithful and true, kind and generous, rich in mercy, and abounding in steadfast love.

At first I had no idea why God would bring me here to Switzerland and why he would block my way back to London. Now things are a lot clearer...

The main reason Jesus brought me here is the same reason he started me on this whole adventure: to know him. He has taught me so much and taken me deeper into his heart! This has been the theme of this whole trip and I have been shown this is not just a theme of one trip, this is the very reason I am, and we are, alive. To know him. (See previous blogs for expounding on this)

Secondly, he brought me here to just simply bless me! What a God we serve! It has been a life long dream of mine to go to Switzerland and see the Swiss Alps, Jesus fulfilled that desire of mine! Amazing! (a few pictures below, the rest on facebook.) He also has provided food, housing, and finances for travel and for giving away to bless others the entire time i have been here. Let me just testify a bit to this:
Tonight I was just given 530 Swiss-francs at a prayer meeting which brings it to a total of over 1500 Swiss-francs in the last 4 weeks that people have just handed me and told me God told them to give it! Jesus is so wildly generous and as we step out in faith to become more like him, he gives us even more for our basic needs (and some not basic i.e trips to the mountains) and more to give away!! There have been two times in the last four weeks that Jesus told me to give a certain amount away, which would bring me to nothing or next to nothing and then a few days later I got the exact amount back on one occasion and on the other the next day I got 4x as much back! Would you just look at our God!!! I LOVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!! His economy is one of my favorite parts!!! In the 5 months have been in Europe I have not had one day of lack even though I came with only enough for 3 weeks!! What faithfulness!! Daily my mind is blown and i ask, "Why would you do this for ME?" The answer, He loved us first. Before we had any inclination to love him or obey him. He is just a wild Lover of our soul!

Thirdly, he brought me to Switzerland to point me back home to Holland,MI!!! As I was staying with my friends at the YWAM base they told me that God was laying some stuff on their hearts for possible future ministry in Holland that they might sow in to, and as they spoke my heart just burned! I later was praying about it and the Lord showed me that I was to go back to Holland so I could 1) know him more and 2) pour out what he has poured in! There is even more than that, but those are two things I am sure of for now. So this Monday I will be flying into Chicago around 3pm!!! What an adventure! What a faithful God! This ends the blogs about my first Euro-Adventure, but I shall continue to blog out the things the Lord does in my heart and in my life. Thanks so much for reading...Bless you!

 The pictures of my mountain dream come true :)

Euro Update # 3: Update from Geneva and the hills of Switzerland

My two friends who invited me to come stay at the YWAM base here in Burtigny took me on a Reformation Tour of Geneva. For those who are aware, Geneva was home to a while for John Calvin! Here is a little clip of that:

Also I wanted to give you a tour of the area i am living and a glimpse at one of the things i worked on while with my friends in Burtigny.

This is why I am alive...

    Since coming to Burtigny, Switzerland Jesus has done a real work in my heart. When I first arrived I knew that this was a place I wouldn't be too long, and that is was a time of transition. Transitions can lead to time wasted, at least for me. You are done with the previous thing, but the next thing hasn't happened yet. I knew that I didn't want this time to be wasted. There have been some things to do as I have been able to help out around the base with laundry, and helping out on a building project, but other than that the base is in between their schools that they run and so there is not a lot going on. One thing I knew that I wanted to do was catch up on IHOP's Onething '11 conference that happened over the new year. As I watched, the theme of it was "Jesus, Our Magnificent Obsession". The worship and sermons I was listening to really started to stir this theme in my heart. (You can still watch the web stream of the conference at the IHOP website.)

    As I thought about how to not waste my time during this transition, I realized that when I die, God will never rebuke me for spending too much time with him and not enough time out doing "practical stuff".  In fact, I think it will be quite the opposite with commandment two's tendency to overtake commandment one. Anyway, I realized that if I am spending my day with the Lord, then the time will not be wasted, what's more, I will actually be fulfilling the reason the Lord sent on this adventure in the first place. (to clarify, practical stuff is not bad or less spiritual, I just always spend 90-95% of my day doing the practical and the other 5-10% for the Lord)

    You may recall, that when the Lord first spoke to me about coming to Europe, he told me that the reason I was going was so that I would know him, and that that was what I was born for. So, as I have spent time praying, worshiping, reading, just hanging out, etc.. he has begun to set a  fire in me...well actually, to be more accurate, he has begun to re-kindle and old one. What he is doing in my heart is literally summed up in this song which became the anthem of my time in YWAM Kona doing the School of the Circuit Riders this past summer. You NEED to hear this song!!!!!!

All is for Your Glory - Cory Asbury

    I think that I forgot a lot of the stuff from this summer like the joy of complete abandonment to Him, having missions and vocation all dim and pale in the light of simply just getting to spend time with the Lord....this is the reason I am alive. It is the reason we all are alive, whether we want to acknowledge that or not. Simply to know him, to gaze upon his beauty, to dwell in his presence, well...basically Psalm 27:4


  Jesus has especially been using the these two lines of the song, the first:  
"For you alone will be exalted in that day, and worthless goals will be exposed as idols that we made." 

    I don't know if you got hit with the wave of conviction that crashed into me after I heard that  line...wow. Maybe even take a pause to dialog with God about that one right now if it stirred something in you, whether conviction or defensiveness/criticism. No need to argue with me, ask Jesus if it is true in your life. He sees your motives...often even better than you see them.

  The second line is this:  
"Put me anywhere, just put your glory in me. I'll serve anywhere, just let me see your beauty."

    God has used it to remind me that while we should definitely seek to walk out vocation and location in obedience, and that they do matter, they are a far cry from the point or focus of our lives. This is funny to hear because usually we are told that these are the focus! He is developing in me the heart that says, "You want me to go there? That's fine, but i get you, right? I get to spend more time with you, and get more revelation of you your love, right? You want me to serve there? That's cool, but your going to be there, right?"

    It's this stealing of our gaze, despite the circumstances, that happens as we spend time with him. Our life is not our own. We were bought at a price. But it is impossible to live in that kind of surrender without constantly tasting and seeing that he is good. Sometimes it comes in feelings, manifestations, or from simply reading who the Word says he is and believing it. But we need daily reminders, just like Israel who would go on complain and forget God's character just 3 days after they were radically saved by the Red Sea parting! Let us press in to live lives of simple devotion to the only One found worthy of it.

Only One Found Worthy - Brandon Hampton/Misty Edwards

Euro Update # 2 - Update from the Hills of Burtigny

A Recap of My European Adventure Thus Far...

Greetings all those I love and miss! Just wanted to send out an update from my time thus far in Europe as things have changed a bit :) It's a long one so read when you have some time.

Recap of the Last 4 months:
   I moved to London on Sept. 15th 2011 a word of the Lord given in August of 2010. I moved for an undetermined amount of time with the only reason for my going was I was going so that I would know Him even more. He told me that I was to go and not ask for anything but to pray for everything. Before I left i was given a total of $1000. So I left with that, a ticket, a passport, and two suitcases intending to stay at least until the Olympics in the summer of 2012. This of course is impossible. You can't live in London for even a month on $1000 and tourist visas only last 6 months max. But an impossible situation is usually a set up for a miracle or a series of miracles!
   When I arrived in London I knew two people in the city and they graciously let me stay in their living room until i got my feet on the ground. I dealt with loneliness and homesickness immediately but knew that i had two options, i could either sulk or i could worship in spite of my circumstances. I found a church that met on Friday nights called Kingdom Faith London, and they quickly welcomed me in and became a life line to me in the city. Also the Panes', the parents of the two people i was living with, live on the southern coast of England in the country in a beautiful house. I went to visit and they are now like a second family to me here. They told me i was welcome to come anytime and thus their place became my retreat center from city life from time to time.
   Within the first few weeks my money was running low and i became really stingy. I would pass the poor and starving on the streets but would tell God that I couldn't help them because I was poor too! Also when i would go out for meals with people I wouldn't order anything and people would just end up feeling sorry for me or something and buy me my lunch. Then the Lord really convicted me that this was not the Kingdom. He gently rebuked me and said, What you are trying to do is impossible whether you are stingy or wildly generous...so why not be a blessing if you have to choose one of the two. I repented and started to live generously and this felt so right and was actually kind of exciting and fun! And it was right as i made that switch that the provision started to come in! I only had enough money for a month at most and I have lived there for over three and a half! It would take too long to tell of each story of God's provision but here are a few to give you an idea.

• I needed a bike, prayed, three days later a guy at church approached me and told me he wanted to give me his brand new mountain bike!
• After a month in the living room of my friends flat I felt like i might over-stay my welcome and knew i was supposed to leave but didn't have anywhere to live. Three days before i was to move out I was given a five bedroom house complete with baby grand piano and a garden in back. (to see the house http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3CuqEf6L8U)
  
• I have never run out of food
• I have had enough money for transportation to get everywhere i needed to go

All these happened as God moved on the hearts of his people to provide for me! He can make stuff appear, and has in the past, but He loves (and i think prefers) to use his body! If you want to hear more detailed stories I would be more than happy to Skype and share!


How I have spent my time:
   I have been interning on a worship initiative for the Olympics called London's Burning (see promo video http://www.londonsburning2012.org.uk/) and helping out at the church that is putting this on called The Cornerstone. Other than this i have spent much time in Central London with the Kingdom Faith crew going learning to enjoy his Jesus, intercede on behalf of his bride, and learning that his presence really is enough (see the blog for more details on this). I also go out for coffee with people, try to help encourage and connect the body and most importantly of all, I fight to spend as much time as i can stealing away with the Lover of my soul.


Current Happenings and Whereabouts:
   Over Christmas I got a real treat! Two of my good friends Hannah and Alison came to visit me for the holidays! We had a great time in London seeing the sights, then headed down to the Southern Coast to have Christmas with the Panes family in Dorset. Now, at the end of December my visa was going to expire so I had to leave the country and then come back in to renew it. So after Christmas we flew to Malaga, Spain on the coast of the Mediterranean. Had a restful time there and then flew back to the UK.
   Now when I checked in late Oct. the visa laws said that if you were just volunteering you could enter the country just like a tourist so long as you didn't receive any money. I felt like i should be honest about my time in the UK and so I told them that I was just going to volunteer, gave them all the necessary paperwork and expected to walk in right after Hannah and Alison...but I didn't. Unbeknownst to me, in Nov. the visa law had changed so that even if you were volunteering, you had to have a work visa. I supposed I should have checked it again but it also didn't occur to me that it would change. So I was denied entry into the UK. My heart sank.
   The rule is you have to be sent from where you flew in from so I was booked a one-way back to Malaga. The only problem was, the earliest flight was the next morning. They told me i wasn't a prisoner but the had to keep me in custody and they had nowhere else to put me so I spent New Year's Eve in a high security detention center for international criminals. It was so surreal. I was having a hard time processing what was happening. The next day I was shipped to Malaga. One side note was I told the girls to grab my bag for me but because they took it beyond a certain point to wait for me (i didn't think of this) they were not able to get my bag back to me, so I arrived in Malaga with no money left, the clothes on my back, my computer that didn't work in the airport, and my Bible and journal. I had no idea what to do.
   After some thought I felt that I should email my parents and let them know and ask them what to do because any money I spent from that point on would be theirs because even though God had provided everything I needed up until that point, it looked like he had failed (later I would go on to remember that neither His character nor faithfulness are determined by our circumstance, but are determined by His Word...and the Word says that He is flawless.)
   Doubt hit me really hard as I emailed my parents, doubt about my calling, and my ability to hear God, and about His provision. I told my parents it was their call what I did because it was their money. I assumed that they would have me come back (which i was secretly hoping because it would mean comfort, familiarity, and friends/family and the fact that i just really missed home.) But they replied that they believed in me and that I should stick it out and that they would help pay for whatever i needed! I was shocked. Not because they aren't generous (they are some of the most generous i know!) but because I thought i had failed and everyone would see that. It was the most encouraging thing to hear that in spite of everything, they still believed in me and in my calling to the UK!
  So after that boost, i prayed about what i should do. I felt that I was supposed to try again to get back into the UK and that I was to book a flight that night and that this time I would get in. Struggling, I pushed aside my many doubts and bought the ticket and was headed back to the UK. Once at the border again, I explained that I was just visiting and really just wanted to get my bags and say goodbye to my two friends. They saw the black X on my passport and started to grill me. I told them that i really wasn't that desperate to volunteer and that i wouldn't do any, i just wanted to grab my bags and go, but they said that while they weren't calling me a liar, it was still possible for me to quickly to volunteer at the church...so i was denied again. I was shattered.
   I could have sworn that I heard God say go back! So once again I was shipped back to Malaga, this time, thankfully, bypassing the detention center. I arrived, exhausted, broken, humbled, discouraged, and doubting more than ever that I could hear God's voice. I didn't know what to do next but I decided that I would check into a hostel in the city to recuperate and rest for a few days and try to figure out what I was supposed to do next. I was there for 3 days total and during that time I came to the conclusion that even though i didn't trust that Whisper as much as i used to, I really had no other choice but to trust. If I couldn't communicate with God or if He didn't actually speak to me I would be utterly lost. I have never felt so needy, desperate, or dependent on him in all my life. I needed him! So I had to go with the Word that says, "My sheep hear my voice." Even though i didn't feel it or see it. It had to be true.
   So during the 3 days I tried to enjoy my time as best as possible and to enjoy the city as well. I also spent the time emailing YWAM bases and friends all over Europe to find a place to stay while I got visa stuff sorted out. The only people to get back to me right away were two of my friends Dan and Carolyn Buck who are staffing the YWAM base in Burtigny, Switzerland which is 25 min or so from Geneva. They told me it was perfect time to come as they were in between discipleship training schools at the moment. I went online and saw that there was 1 ticket left from Malaga to Geneva on the last flight for a week. It was $100 cheaper than all the others and it was a 2 hour direct flight and all the others were 12 hours or so. It was like God saved this ticket for me. So i bought it and the next afternoon was off to Switzerland!
   Once I arrived Dan graciously met me at the airport and once we arrived at the base he told me that he and his wife had been prayer and God told them to give me 300 Swiss-francs (ruffly $315)! He showed me the bases 24-7 prayer room and the view of the alps and Lake Geneva. They also had toiletries, clothes, gloves and hat, and Swiss chocolate waiting for me! God is so faithful! I know I am supposed to be here, but am still figuring out why exactly. If nothing else it is a place to escape and meet with him much more than I have in the past few months. The last week has been the craziest of my life. I have never (in my Christian walk) been so broken, weak, helpless, lost, and full of doubt. But it was that they tested me and drew me into even deeper trust in Him. And it also was what has made the incredible provision and blessing of the last few days seem that much greater. I don't want to hide my weakness...i am so so very weak and broken, but I also can't help but boast in his goodness, faithfulness, and the perfection of His plans. He is always faithful, no matter what our circumstances say.
  
   SO, that is how I have ended up here in Switzerland. And it is here that I shall remain until my visa stuff is sorted or until the Lord directs otherwise. Thank you for all who have read to the end. I know it was a long one but I felt it all necessary. I love you all so very much and miss you terribly. Thank you for being in my life and supporting me! I would love to Skype or receive emails to hear about things on your end or to explain things on my end further. Bless you guys!

EURO Update # 1: Update from Malaga

UK Update # 5: The Holidays!

This Christmas I recieved an amazing gift...Two of my dear friends from Holland, MI came to visit me for the holidays! Hannah Pittsley and Alison Corso came over for 2 lovely weeks. While they were here we got to do some sightseeing in London for a few days and then headed down to Dorset to spend Christmas with the Panes family! Apart for some allergies we all had a really nice time, and it was so good to be in a home with family for the holidays. After that we headed to Spain so I could renew my visa and we could all get some sun and warmth. More about Spain in the next blog, but for now here is a clip of how we spent Christmas Eve :)

UK Update # 4: Update from York

His Presence Is Enough.

Well the last few weeks have been quite a ride. For the past few days I haven't had any cash, I tried to find a bank to get my last 50 pounds (75ish dollars) that i can use but it was like God literally blocked my way. Every time i tried i failed, whether it was missing a train and the bank closing to the countless times a bank or ATM wouldn't take my American credit card. Finally I said God you just aren't going to let me have any money, that's just fine, I give up. I was a little annoyed. finally on Friday, right after my train stalled for 15 min to just miss the bank being opened, I went to church and worshiped. Side-note: This past week I have been greatly inspired by the quote from Heidi Bakers book, Compelled by Love. The context is that the government in Mozambique just took away all her buildings and supplies and she is left with 300+ orphans and no food to feed them or place to shelter them...So she decided to worship. Here is the quote: "I called together [some of my team] and we worshiped until we couldn't see our circumstances."  Wow. So I have had great opportunity to practices this as circumstances continue to get tougher and tougher as provision dwindles. So that Friday at church, made a choice, and i worshiped even though i didn't feel like it and even though my mind was busy with how i was going to pay for this and that, I worshiped until I couldn't see my circumstance, it took a while but at the end my circumstances melted away, and I was left with just Him. It was then I realized that all I needed was his presence. His presence was enough. On my way home the people giving me a ride pulled into an ATM and he said that the whole ride home God had been telling him to give me 50 pounds!! Amazing. Once I got it through my head, again, that his presence was enough, then I gave me the 50! Once I got his character back into my vision and his promises in my ears, I got the money. Because the best thing for me, for all of us, is the vision of Jesus. To keep our minds stayed on Christ. To be heavenly minded, setting our minds on things above, not things below. He is everything.

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Is.26:3

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil 4:4-9

Loving God: The Trinity

With some of the basic doctrine of the Trinity set in place in the previous blog (because it is important to know God rightly), we can now move on to love. This is where everything in Bible, in doctrine, in the character of God, comes back to. Love. We can have all the right doctrine, and believe it, but if we don't have Love, we have nothing. God is love and if we don't have a relationship with him we have nothing. I think it is best summed up in a song called Believe by Brock Human. He starts by stating what he believes, the Truth's of the Bible, but then he goes on to say, "I believe he loves me, and that's all I need to know." This may sound strange but the reality is that knowledge of God via study, theology, comes out of a relationship with the Trinity. If you really have revelation of the love of God you will want to know him! And it's the revelation of his love for us that is the motivation for everything.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19. If we start with doctrine what can and often happens is that we fall in love with our doctrinal view or our dogmatic views. We believe in and love and fight to the death over the facts about Jesus that we believe to be true. The problem is it often stops there and relationship with the God-man, Christ Jesus, is missed. We know all about him, but we don't know him experientially, relationally, emotionally. The Bible turns into a fact book instead of a written expression of God's Love.

The Christian walk cannot be based on emotions, feelings, situations, or circumstance. The Bible is the Truth, Heaven is our reality. But goodness knows that if you are in a relationship of any kind whether friendship, or family, or especially marital, there are are emotions that come with. And not only emotions, all relationships take 2-way communication. This includes our relationship with the Lord.

God is love, thus Jesus (being God) is Love. Jesus is the Cornerstone, the starting point. Jesus, the incarnation of Love, is the foundation. Love is the foundation. If I don't have a relationship with God, I don't have Love. And "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor. 13:1-3, emphasis mine)

With all that said, I have been learning about the Trinity and my relation to and with, all three Persons. Often when I pray I will imagine myself on a grassy mountain over looking a beautiful mountainous landscape with forests and waterfalls, talking with Jesus. This is prayer, conversing with God. Try imagining yourself in heavenly places, which is actually where really are (see Eph. 2:6), talking with Jesus, it is wonderful! I have learned so much about God during these times spent with Jesus. But as of late when I go to "our mountain" it is not just Jesus that I encounter, but Father and Holy Spirit as well! These are obviously manifestations of the Trinity that look like the human people to help me relate to them a litter easier in conversation. This doesn't have to be what they actually physically look like, because it is clear that both male and female are made in God's image (Gen. 1:26), and God is Spirit (John 4:24), and to top it all off, no one has ever seen the Father (John 1:18). This is the same idea that the book, The Shack, talks about (A must read).

Sidenote: The same applies with these heavenly places that I am seeing, they are aids to show me heavenly realities (principles). Some believe that these 3rd heaven experiences (2 Cor. 12:2) are what heaven literally looks like, others will argue the opposite, for me it doesn't really matter, because when i get to heaven, i don't think the actual landscape of heaven will consume my attention as much as the Man from Heaven will.

Anyway, so I started meeting up with the Trinity on the mountain and at first I wondered why the Father and the Spirit had suddenly started showing up too. God knew what I was thinking and said that they had all been here the whole time, I just hadn't had revelation of that until now. So during my prayer times I start seeing myself on the mountain with the Trinity and we talk sometimes, other times we just enjoy each others company, (one time we even just started to throw the Frisbee a bit :) ).  

Sidenote: I know I am probably causing a few of you to be stretched as you read this stuff but all I ask is that you don't throw it out, but just take it to God and ask him about it's validity.

The fellowship with the God head that I have started to experience has been amazing! The only thing I can liken it to is Proverbs 8:30-31, (Jesus "Wisdom" speaking) "I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his (the Father's) delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man." The sheer delight that the Father has for the Son and the joy that the Son takes in his Father, is the same delight Jesus take in us! and we can take the same joy in Jesus as he does in his Father! The Trinity is a family. A family who loves each other so much, and who constantly are glorifying the other Persons of the God-Head. And here is what I took all the previous to say to you:

We are invited into the family and fellowship of the Trinity, through our union with Jesus!

If you are a Christian, you have an amazing family who love you in the Trinity! This is good news! In our union of course we don't obtain the divinity of the Holy One of Israel, but we do get to have perfect fellowship with them at all times! I will close with this verse that basically sums up everything I have been trying to say, and God always says it better anyway :)


"And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." (Eph. 2: 17-22)

Disclaimer:
As for the what I like to call "dreaming with God" or imagining yourself in heavenly places (i didn't use "visualization" because of it being tainted by the occult use.) the scriptures that come to mind are many but to name a few: Rom.8:5-7; Eph. 4:20-24, Col. 3:1-2 there are many many more if you want them. But you get the general idea. When I think about Jesus, or heaven or birds or anything, for me, maybe not for you, a picture almost always will come to mind. This is our imagination, putting a picture to the subject we are thinking about. I believe that since our spirit is currently in heavenly places, our spirit is seeing heavenly realities and since we also have the Spirit of Jesus in us, who also has seen the depths of the Father's heart and the heavens, it is not to far fetched that we might at times get pictures of heavenly realities as we focus on things above and things of the Spirit. Let it be clear that I do not promote or agree with the worship or deification of these pictures, but I do promote the worship of the One True Triune God who is communicating with me through them, just as he communications through nature or music. With all this said, I still want to make clear that no matter what we see, feel, hear, or experience, none of it is authoritative. Only the Word is. It is the final authority on whether our experiences are of God or not, no matter how wonderful or God-like they seem. All things must be checked through, and submitted to, the Scriptures.

This song based on Song of Songs 2 might help give you a visual of all this:

Dance With Me by Jesus Culture

Knowing God: The Trinity

As of late God has been revealing to me how much i can't grasp the sum of who he is. Every time I try to get my head around the Trinity, God shows me that I won't be able to, and that that is what is so amazing about who he is! There are so many passages of Scripture that give us glimpse into the Trinity and how God functions within the God-head. Here are just a few:

The Trinity:
Is completely unified. 
"Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness" (Gen. 1:26)

Are constantly glorifying each other:
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me." (Jn 15:26)


Loves one another and wants us to join in:
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love." (Jn 15:9-10)


Is fun and full of joy and delights in one another and in us:
"...when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. " (Prov. 8:29-31)


Is distinct in 3 persons: Holy Spirit, Jesus, and Father:
"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”" (Lk. 3:21-22)

Is One God:
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deut. 6:4)


 There is so so much more. But here's where's we might say, yeah i have an understanding of the workings and persons of the Trinity. Just when we think that we understand God's oneness: Deut 6:4, and his three-ness and the respective various roles of each: Father- Abba; Jesus - Son, Savior; Spirit - Counselor (This list not exhaustive)

It is then that God directs us to Isaiah 9:6 which reads:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. "


WHAT!? This is a verse about Jesus, the Son of God, and yet it calls Jesus, Wonderful Counselor (isn't that the spirit?), and Everlasting Father (isn't that the Father?) Wait, is Jesus the Spirit? is Jesus the Father? or is Jesus the Son? Are they all just rolled up into one? are they all separate?

God's answer to all those questions: YES! (with a bit of a sly smile, i would like to think :) )

Whenever we limit him or put God in a box we end up believing wrong things about him. Here are two examples:

• The belief the God is One God with three different modes, i.e. sometimes God is the Father, sometimes the Son, and then other times he manifests as the Spirit ,but that they don't all exist at once. Luke 3:21-22 helps refute that. (Modelism)

• A further point of clarification is that God is not one person, the Father, with Jesus as a creation and the Holy Spirit as a force (Jehovah's Witnesses).*

• Neither is He one person who took three consecutive forms, i.e., the Father, became the Son, who became the Holy Spirit.  Nor is God the divine nature of the Son (where Jesus had a human nature perceived as the Son and a divine nature perceived as the Father (Oneness theology).* 

• Nor is the Trinity an office held by three separate Gods (Mormonism).*

The word "person" is used to describe the three members of the Godhead because the word "person" is appropriate.  A person is self aware, can speak, love, hate, say "you," "yours," "me," "mine," etc. Each of the three persons in the Trinity demonstrate these qualities.*

God wants to make himself known, and has gone to great lengths for us to "yada" him (Hebrew meaning: to know experientially) i.e. the cross. But please don't ever make the prideful mistake that you understand him or have him or even an aspect of who he is, figured out.

I shall end with an expert from the Book of Job. Job, who, while he didn't claim to understand God as whole, did think he had some aspects of God figured out. this is God's reply (Read all of Job but esp. 39-42 for context)

"The LORD said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” Then Job answered the LORD: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”"

He wants to make himself known. But he wants you to want to know him and to seek him out! Go meet with him right now and ask him to reveal himself to you even more!

Please give a listen to:
I Want To Know You by Jesus Culture

* Taken from http://carm.org/trinity - For more info on doctrine of the Trinity check this out!

UK Update # 3 - Update From Frankfurt!

And a fun bonus clip of my favorite place in the UK: the English countryside

 

To see full annotations and notes, view videos on YouTube page.

UK Update # 2

 

For full annotations and notes view these from the YouTube page.

The Father's Best

While here in London my heart has ached for home, and I have felt very alone. I miss my family and friends. But it is here in this place, the place of the wilderness, where Jesus teaches us to lean. Song of Songs 8:5 puts it perfectly: "Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?" He is removing everything that i have been leaning on, only to show that He is sufficient.

It is in this place where stuff we know about God in our head is tested, and its this testing that will move the head knowledge the 18 inches into our hearts, and solidify it. I have known for a while that Jesus has the best for me but lived my life in such a way that showed that I didn't believe it. I have often tried to gather via my own strength, what i thought would be best for me whether it be relationships, plans, dreams, etc... God has asked me put all those on the alter if I really believed that he had the best. I was clearly unwilling to put ALL on the alter, I thought just a few things here and there would be good enough, so God in his mercy put me on the alter and set me ablaze. My dreams, plans, etc...were all burned up, and I began to be refined. It hurts so much, but here is the firs fruits of it my friends: Jesus has brought me to a place where I actually believe that he has the best! That his will is not only the best for him, but it is the best for me too!!  

This isn't to say we can't or shouldn't have dreams hopes and plans, even those can often be God given. We just need to remember to hold them loosely, believing that if he does change them, then it really is for the best.

He really wants to bless us and take us on a wild adventure with him, and this is the proof: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). He won't force us to come along. He lets us chose and we can chose our wants, desires, plans, and he will love us all the way through, but we will be missing out on so much, and it will be a lot more work when we realize that we are using our own strength to get to places in life instead of being blown by the Wind of God. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8) We also come to find that when we go where we think is best, or do what we think is best, we wind up disappointed because it didn't fill that gap or satisfy us the way the will of God always does. We look for freedom, only to find that it's only the will of God that we are truly free. 

 

With that said, I have come to find that it is easier said than done. But God knows our hearts and even if we don't have strength to give up our dreams and ambitions, plans, he in his mercy will set things on the alter if our spirits are willing, despite our flesh being so weak. The fire of his mercy and kindness can hurt but it really is for our good. The best that he has for us doesn't always equal easy, comfortable, or fun, but it is all for our best.

Let us always remember that no matter the shaking around us, God's character never is shaken.

UK Update # 1

Sorry its taken so long, I wanted to get the videos edited and with spotty internet here and there it took a lot longer than I thought. The second video audio got messed up but if you turn it up loud you might be able to make out me saying that I made it but was now lost and trying to find my friends house :) But i found it eventually :) I miss you all!!! Enjoy!

Seeing Ourselves with the Father's Eyes

"He does not deal with us according to our sins,nor repay us according to our iniquities." Ps. 103:10

Over the last month Jesus has been daily reminding me of my righteousness (right standing) before God. My righteousness is not from me but I am clothed in the righteousness of another. Just as from the begining, sin could only be coverd by the life of another. When Adam and Eve sinned they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves that would eventually wither away, just like our good works or anything that we use to try to cover over our sins. But God came and saw fit to cover them in the skin of an animal. That animal had to die so they would be coverd, covered in the life of another. This is the Lord’s doing it is marvelous in our eyes.

Even though my righteousness is not from me, I often live like it is and worst of all I often approach and interact with God like it is. For example, the other morning I woke up and this lustful thought popped into my head, it was really annoying and it filled me with guilt all morning. Not guilt as in doubting that it was covered by the blood, but more so feeling bad about letting God down and really wanting to love him so well, but failing at it so often. Later that morning I was driving to go have coffee with a friend and I was praying that God would give me the words to say but in the middle of asking for that, I stopped because I felt that since I had "let God down", I probably shouldn't bother him with a request. Where as on a day where I feel like I am doing better, I have more confidence to approach God and make my requests known to him.

This morning though, was differnet. God spoke the same words to me as he did the other mornings but I finally "got it". He told me that not only did he take the punishment for my sins and keeps no record of wrongs, but that he also treats me as if I had never sinned! So now when I go to approach the Lord I can go with not only the confidence I have on a "good day" of not sinning, but I can go with the confidence of someone who has never sinned!! God does not punish me for my sins but he treats me as if I had never committed one. He really sees me as pure and holy. This is my identity.

Jesus give us yours eyes!

The root of the issue is unbelief in the Word of God. The enemy is whispering lies in our ear all day and when we give in, like I did, and think that God sees us as anything less than perfect, then what has happened is this:

We have put our faith in the words of Satan and have unbelief in the Word of God. 

Sounds really intense when we put it that way, but neverthless, this is the reality of it. Faith in the words of Satan and unbelief in the Word of God equals bondage. So to get free we just do the opposite. Reject the lies of the enemy repent for unbelief, and put our faith in what God says about us!

"Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Heb. 10:18-23)

No matter what you have done, let us run into the open arms of our Father, who has a ring and new robe waiting for us.



YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS SONG:
Dusty Road by Michael Ketterer

Week 5: All is for Your Glory

This week conviction fell heavy on me as the Lord exposed the hidden things in my heart by his Holy Spirit. The Lord showed me that there was a little hidden part of my heart that wanted just a little bit of glory, just a little bit of credit, to have my name in just one history book, etc... Ministry can so easily suck you in to thinking you are entitled to have a little bit of credit (after all you are working so hard for the Kingdom, right?). The fact of the matter is that the only thing a human is entitled to is an eternity in hell. That is the only thing we deserve. Thus everything else is a gift. We realized that pretty much every Christian has this desire to steal some of the glory. That's way we promote people, pastors, ministries, churches, etc... We look to people and to God.


After the conviction fell we started dreaming about what it would look like if we went about ministry without wanting our name somewhere. We wouldn't promote ourselves or our ministries, we would pass through a town, bring revival, and then leave without people knowing our last name! We would go to great lengths to be untraceable! So that the person who could get credit was Jesus! Of course I don't know how to actually do this logistically, but come on people! Dream with me! Dream of a movement of people who are all preaching the gospel, all saving the lost, all moving in power, all reviving the church, all disciplining, etc... What if it wasn't just a few "elite" people or ministries but everyone who called themselves a Christian was a doing all this. What if we did away with stages, and there were many that preached in many different locations on Sunday. What if everyone brought something to contribute (1 Cor.14) What if everyone actually read their Bible regularly? (Crazy, huh?) What if everyone had a prayer life? What if we looked to Jesus instead of pastors or ministers? What if we all heard from God for ourselves instead of electing a  "Moses" to talk to God on our behalf?

Let me just tell you, this IS where the church is headed. Jesus is here, Jesus is revival. Where the presence of God dwells, idols fall on their face. God will share his glory with NO ONE. "I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols." (Is. 42:8)

There is a movement that is starting to swell and rise like a tsunami wave and it is going to build and build until an army emerges (Joel 2),  but in this army there is no one or two leaders, Jesus is the only leader and there are too many people following Jesus' commands (obeying the Word), doing too many amazing things for God that it cannot be recorded and years down the road when people look back on our generation they wont be able to point to any one person, but all they could say is, "We don't know how it started or who did what, all we know is that God moved on the earth in a way that has never been seen before, and anytime we tried to get a name of a person or ministry we only got one name, Jesus, and these nameless faceless ministers of the gospel were bringing hundreds of millions into the Kingdom of the Living God."

Is anyone else excited to lay down their desire for a name, for fame, glory and go unrecognized and uncredited in exchange for the Holy One of Israel receiving his due reward? May the Lamb receive the reward of his suffering!

Let us go out with out wise words or cleverly crafted sermons that are created to impress people and show people our knowledge of the Bible or our vocabulary in hopes of getting just a little bit of recognition. But lets instead, with simplicity and clarity, preach the foolishness of nothing but Christ and him crucified!

All is For your Glory - Cory Asbury
The Reward - Jonathan David Helser
Jesus, All For Jesus - Robin Mark

Week 4: The Wonderful Cross

My friends. In the past week, Jesus has gripped me once again with the weightiness of the cross and the gravity of his grace and mercy. As revival historian Ray Hughes spoke last week the Spirit fell on our class and there was mass weeping and repenting as we all got revelation of how much we are so distracted by everything else in life and all too often forget the simplicity and severity of the sacrifice of our God hanging on a tree.

A a friend of mine would often say in his sermons, "The cross levels the playing field. It shows that we are all the wretched that God had to die in order that we be saved. But it also shows that we are all that loved, because God did die for us." It is said of Evan Roberts, known for his role in the Welsh revival of 1904, that one day while at a training school for ministry, he considered himself backsliden when he looked upon a cross that was hanging on the wall and didn't weep. We all might react in different ways but the point is that the reality of what God has done for us should stir our hearts.

The cross is the climax of all history. Everything in the Old Testament points to it, the gospels give its context and details, and everything from Acts on points back to it. My friends, there are untold depths of revelation that cross carries just waiting for kings to seek them out. (Prov. 25:2) Let us all take sometime to remember this great act of love, take it off the shelf, and put it back onto the center stage of our lives once again.
Let this be a daily meditation: "O the wonderful cross."

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross all who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine that were an offering far too small

Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all

The Kings Way - Jason Upton
Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong

Week 3: Freedom in Christ

The first nine days here at YWAM Kona were spent getting free of a lot of things that have hindered us for most of our lives if not all. The root of a lot of our bondage comes  from unbelief. We simply don't believe that God's Word is true. Now I, like most of you, when asked would always tell people that God's Word is true, but the problem is our lives don't reflect it, and if we really believed it, our actions would testify of our belief.

"Even though we know all the promises of Scripture are true, it is easy to lose focus and become weighed down with cares, defeat, past hurts, hopelessness, and other areas of sin that keep us in bondage. These hindrances steal our intimacy with Christ and the joy of our salvation. Put simply, getting free, is about becoming more like Jesus and reflecting his love and power to everyone around us." *

"Freedom is not just about changing our behavior, it is about letting God change or very being! The goal is not to learn new information that we can store away, but the goal is transformation" *

Four basic areas:

• Repent - of believing the lie of Satan instead of the Truth of God
• Receive - Know/believe that you have been forgiven and move forward
• Rebuke - the enemy and his past hold over your life
• Replace - the spirit of ___ with the Truth of who God is and who He created you to be.  i.e. "I am___"

The first step is that you have to want to be set free. Some people have been in bondage so long that they are afraid to live life without it. Then you need to identify the sin and bondage that you want to be set free of, here are just a few: Shame, rejection, unforgiveness, anger, fear, passivity, body image, spirit of death (suicidal thoughts, self hatred, etc..) Then repent of believing the lies that the enemy has been speaking to you, and call sin sin. Then rebuke the enemy in Jesus name and finally ask God how he sees you via his Word and prayer (and if available, prophesy). Here is where unbelief is killing us and where I have been experiencing real freedom: Finally we believe what God says about us in that area and receive his identity for us and actually walk in the faith that this is who we are.This does not remove temptation from our lives or the enemy telling us lies, but what it does is in those moments, we are able to say to the enemy, NO! That is not who I am, I am______!

I hope this makes sense. If not or if you would like to learn more on getting free from the bonds that you were never meant to carry, then let me know!

If you want to hear the exact teachings we have heard on this in full check out the Circuit Riders podcast and listen to "Freedom to revival", "the unoffendable heart", and "Faith first, feelings second" by Brian Brennt

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/circuit-riders/id449476756



"[It is God] who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that he will still deliver us" 2 Cor. 1:10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I came so that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  2 Cor. 5:17

* Taken from:
"Knowing Christ intimately. Experiencing Life Abundantly." by Brian and Christy Brennt

Break Every Chain - United Pursuit