Prophesy to the breath. (Ezekiel 37)
“God will not relent…
But how far can He go without the intercession of a generation?”
-Hannah Sheets
“He is going to have to have the most committed army of warriors the world has ever seen. Some of us may have to die for this cause. So be it. If we are going to see the great awakening that we want to see, it’s going to require everything.”
-Dutch Sheets
William Booth’s Commissioning to the Warriors of the Salvation Army:
“You must do it. You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in pleasant Christianity long enough. You’ve had your pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, and pleasant prospects. There has been much human happiness, much clapping of hands, and shouting of praises. Very much heaven on earth. But now, then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all. And that you are willing as much as necessary to spend your days struggling in the midst of the perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you. You must do it—with the light that is now broken in upon your mind, and the call now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing in their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them. Now what will you do?”
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
It's no Sacrifice
That field didn’t grow overnight. That garden didn’t bloom in a second. That tree took years to grow. History can change in one moment—but only after several moments that built up to that one. That diamond was forged under extreme pressure to become a treasure. That building’s most important aspect is its foundation—and without it, the strongest of structures would crumble in a short time.
21 years old. Someday I will understand. Someday, looking back on these trials and on this path God has taken me on, it will make sense. At the moment though, so many things are uncertain. So many of the puzzle pieces just don’t fit together in my mind—and it tempts me to cave into disappointment and to harden my heart from believing for the best and the most excellent way. I wonder about that—about this longing—about how easy it is for me to take my hands and try to make something happen—to reason with my own understanding instead of trusting the Creator who made me for His glory.
Yet in the uncertainty, I know that God is working. That’s not a lame attempt at trying to sound strong or spiritual. I really believe that because I’ve seen its truth throughout my life. It’s a conviction that I would die for—knowing that God is I AM and that I am the apple of His eye. He keeps the word He promises to me. He holds my life in His hands. His eyes watch my path and He guards me jealously as a shield about me and the lifter of my head.
Still, I wonder at His ways. I wonder at this path. If this is what it takes for me to discover more of who He is, then I want it to take its complete work. If it takes me feeling deep pain in order to feel the abundant life of the Kingdom and the healing power of the balm of Gilead, then God, bring on the pain. I want the death of Christ to be so worked into my life until all that people see is His life in me. If this heart ache is what I must walk through to write a book or to minister more deeply the heart of my Lover, then it’s worth it. If rejection and seemingly dashed dreams will produce a deeper well in my spirit, then it’s worth it. If the pain is creating in my heart a compassion that will love the most unlovely and go to the most broken, no matter where they may be found, it’s worth it. It’s worth it. At the end of this season, this part of the journey, I will be even more owned by God as bondservant who has CHOSEN Him, even in the hardest moments of my life. Bondservants change the world. And honestly, to be a true follower of someone, there have to be moments where the decision is hard, but you choose to remain walking in the path of the Leader. Otherwise, your following has no power to compel others to join because it has cost you nothing.
This is my stand, my position, my heart cry: that I could have more of Jesus. That I could see Him more brilliantly, more beautifully, more wonderfully than ever before. My position and statement of conviction in this wait is that God is brilliant and that He fights for His own. I can’t preach that to my generation if I don't believe it for my own life. He is growing me in wisdom and stature because He needs a warrior bride. He needs a Beloved who knows His voice and His movements. He doesn’t need anymore surface followers who run as cowards--only staying with him until it comes time to pray in Gethsemane and walk the path to Golgatha.
If these lessons are part of Him making me into someone who can stand in the midst of a godless University system and speak with a conviction that causes men to repent, then God, bring a deeper brokenness than I have ever known. If this is part of His warrior training, teaching me how to take nations and how to stand with the faith that David had when he stood as a young boy with 5 stones against Goliath, then Jesus, don’t stop working. Don’t make it easy.
Because if I've learned anything, it's in the hard times that I learn to burn. It's in the times that don't make sense that I learn to seek. It's in the disappointment that I learn how to trust anew.It's in abandonment that You come and teach me how to be a daughter. So I won't complain. Only rejoice. Only offer you thanks for all that You have done.
I want nations. I want that prostitute who is stuck in darkness and needs someone to come speak words of life that will break the chains. I want that orphan who has never known love or pure touch. I want that girl who got pregnant young and is about to get an abortion. I want the one who did get an abortion, and she’s living with the guilt of it. I want the drug addict on the street. I want the man who is in jail for life because he murdered someone—I want him to know that there is a Christ and a Lover who wants to change his life. I want the judge who is feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit and is about to make some hard decisions that could ruin his career. I want the mom whose husband just walked out on her, and she’s left in tatters, wondering what this life is all about. I want that girl who is starving and cutting herself because she has no idea who she really is. I want that boy who his contemplating suicide. I want that homeless man who has never been told that he can have a future and a hope. I want that friend of mine who just got back to her dorm, totally wasted, trying to satisfy a deep longing that is in her heart. I want that boy who was sexually abused by a church leader—one who should have shown him pure love. I want that girl whose dad is addicted to pornography, and she’s become numb to what it means to be a treasure. I want that king who has the power to shift laws and decrees for whole nations.
I want them because God wants them.
His heart burns for them—longs to set them free—to break the bondages of the enemy who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. He groans just like He did when His children were under the bondage of Egypt. He cries under the weight of such oppression, and His intercession is for their freedom. How do I know? Because I’ve felt His heart break. I’ve watched his tears fall—and I’ve had precious moments where He let me cry with Him. Maybe you think I’m crazy, but I know what I’ve experienced in the Secret Place. I know that He wants to be my friend. He laughs too, but He also cries. And just like He needed Moses, He needs me. He needs you. He IS raising up deliverers—and He’s going to ask them to do some hard things because that’s what it costs. Laid down lovers are the ones who get nations. FOR FREEDOM IT IS WORTH THE SURRENDER OF MY LIFE. I want the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of my Lord and of His Christ. And I need to come to a place of such abandonment that my life means nothing to me if I truly want to see God move through me to touch those who my heart feels burdened for in this season.
So God, bring on the processing. Just like Esther, who had the fragrances rubbed and scrubbed into her before she could smell like a queen, don’t let me think that You are mean because You won’t let me take the easy way. If God wants all of me that must mean that the reverse is also true—that He wants me to want all of Him.
God, I want all of You. ALL OF YOU. Not just the parts of You that make me feel good or comfortable. I want the parts of You that offend me. I want the You that shakes up my world-view and the way I see things. If that means another valley, let me walk it. If it means more time in the wilderness so I learn to seek you harder, then God, that’s what I want. Because You, my King, are worth it—all of it—all of me. The hopes, the dreams, the fears, the questions, the longings—I lay them at your feet. Because You are the dreamer of the ultimate dreams—and only when I start dreaming those pure dreams of heaven will I truly learn what it means to dream.
So I give to you my today. And my tomorrow. And the next ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty years…after that. For however long you see fit to let me live and breathe on this earth, I give you those days. And work inside of me the God cry and the God hunger that sets people free.
21 years old. Someday I will understand. Someday, looking back on these trials and on this path God has taken me on, it will make sense. At the moment though, so many things are uncertain. So many of the puzzle pieces just don’t fit together in my mind—and it tempts me to cave into disappointment and to harden my heart from believing for the best and the most excellent way. I wonder about that—about this longing—about how easy it is for me to take my hands and try to make something happen—to reason with my own understanding instead of trusting the Creator who made me for His glory.
Yet in the uncertainty, I know that God is working. That’s not a lame attempt at trying to sound strong or spiritual. I really believe that because I’ve seen its truth throughout my life. It’s a conviction that I would die for—knowing that God is I AM and that I am the apple of His eye. He keeps the word He promises to me. He holds my life in His hands. His eyes watch my path and He guards me jealously as a shield about me and the lifter of my head.
Still, I wonder at His ways. I wonder at this path. If this is what it takes for me to discover more of who He is, then I want it to take its complete work. If it takes me feeling deep pain in order to feel the abundant life of the Kingdom and the healing power of the balm of Gilead, then God, bring on the pain. I want the death of Christ to be so worked into my life until all that people see is His life in me. If this heart ache is what I must walk through to write a book or to minister more deeply the heart of my Lover, then it’s worth it. If rejection and seemingly dashed dreams will produce a deeper well in my spirit, then it’s worth it. If the pain is creating in my heart a compassion that will love the most unlovely and go to the most broken, no matter where they may be found, it’s worth it. It’s worth it. At the end of this season, this part of the journey, I will be even more owned by God as bondservant who has CHOSEN Him, even in the hardest moments of my life. Bondservants change the world. And honestly, to be a true follower of someone, there have to be moments where the decision is hard, but you choose to remain walking in the path of the Leader. Otherwise, your following has no power to compel others to join because it has cost you nothing.
This is my stand, my position, my heart cry: that I could have more of Jesus. That I could see Him more brilliantly, more beautifully, more wonderfully than ever before. My position and statement of conviction in this wait is that God is brilliant and that He fights for His own. I can’t preach that to my generation if I don't believe it for my own life. He is growing me in wisdom and stature because He needs a warrior bride. He needs a Beloved who knows His voice and His movements. He doesn’t need anymore surface followers who run as cowards--only staying with him until it comes time to pray in Gethsemane and walk the path to Golgatha.
If these lessons are part of Him making me into someone who can stand in the midst of a godless University system and speak with a conviction that causes men to repent, then God, bring a deeper brokenness than I have ever known. If this is part of His warrior training, teaching me how to take nations and how to stand with the faith that David had when he stood as a young boy with 5 stones against Goliath, then Jesus, don’t stop working. Don’t make it easy.
Because if I've learned anything, it's in the hard times that I learn to burn. It's in the times that don't make sense that I learn to seek. It's in the disappointment that I learn how to trust anew.It's in abandonment that You come and teach me how to be a daughter. So I won't complain. Only rejoice. Only offer you thanks for all that You have done.
I want nations. I want that prostitute who is stuck in darkness and needs someone to come speak words of life that will break the chains. I want that orphan who has never known love or pure touch. I want that girl who got pregnant young and is about to get an abortion. I want the one who did get an abortion, and she’s living with the guilt of it. I want the drug addict on the street. I want the man who is in jail for life because he murdered someone—I want him to know that there is a Christ and a Lover who wants to change his life. I want the judge who is feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit and is about to make some hard decisions that could ruin his career. I want the mom whose husband just walked out on her, and she’s left in tatters, wondering what this life is all about. I want that girl who is starving and cutting herself because she has no idea who she really is. I want that boy who his contemplating suicide. I want that homeless man who has never been told that he can have a future and a hope. I want that friend of mine who just got back to her dorm, totally wasted, trying to satisfy a deep longing that is in her heart. I want that boy who was sexually abused by a church leader—one who should have shown him pure love. I want that girl whose dad is addicted to pornography, and she’s become numb to what it means to be a treasure. I want that king who has the power to shift laws and decrees for whole nations.
I want them because God wants them.
His heart burns for them—longs to set them free—to break the bondages of the enemy who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. He groans just like He did when His children were under the bondage of Egypt. He cries under the weight of such oppression, and His intercession is for their freedom. How do I know? Because I’ve felt His heart break. I’ve watched his tears fall—and I’ve had precious moments where He let me cry with Him. Maybe you think I’m crazy, but I know what I’ve experienced in the Secret Place. I know that He wants to be my friend. He laughs too, but He also cries. And just like He needed Moses, He needs me. He needs you. He IS raising up deliverers—and He’s going to ask them to do some hard things because that’s what it costs. Laid down lovers are the ones who get nations. FOR FREEDOM IT IS WORTH THE SURRENDER OF MY LIFE. I want the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of my Lord and of His Christ. And I need to come to a place of such abandonment that my life means nothing to me if I truly want to see God move through me to touch those who my heart feels burdened for in this season.
So God, bring on the processing. Just like Esther, who had the fragrances rubbed and scrubbed into her before she could smell like a queen, don’t let me think that You are mean because You won’t let me take the easy way. If God wants all of me that must mean that the reverse is also true—that He wants me to want all of Him.
God, I want all of You. ALL OF YOU. Not just the parts of You that make me feel good or comfortable. I want the parts of You that offend me. I want the You that shakes up my world-view and the way I see things. If that means another valley, let me walk it. If it means more time in the wilderness so I learn to seek you harder, then God, that’s what I want. Because You, my King, are worth it—all of it—all of me. The hopes, the dreams, the fears, the questions, the longings—I lay them at your feet. Because You are the dreamer of the ultimate dreams—and only when I start dreaming those pure dreams of heaven will I truly learn what it means to dream.
So I give to you my today. And my tomorrow. And the next ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty years…after that. For however long you see fit to let me live and breathe on this earth, I give you those days. And work inside of me the God cry and the God hunger that sets people free.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
All for the Kingdom
If he's given you a rap, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you a beat, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you a dance, It's for His kingdom
If He's given you beauty, it's for his kingdom
If He's given you a sharp mind, it's for His kingdom
If He's given you quick feet, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you a song, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you....etc.....etc....etc.....it's for His Kingdom
Cause none of those things mean anything in eternity.
They are meant to glorify Him.
To make Him famous.
Not to make you an icon.
If He's given you a beat, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you a dance, It's for His kingdom
If He's given you beauty, it's for his kingdom
If He's given you a sharp mind, it's for His kingdom
If He's given you quick feet, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you a song, it's for His Kingdom
If He's given you....etc.....etc....etc.....it's for His Kingdom
Cause none of those things mean anything in eternity.
They are meant to glorify Him.
To make Him famous.
Not to make you an icon.
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc:
“I am not afraid... I was born to do this.”
“If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me.”
“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”
“Since God had commanded it, it was necessary that I do it. Since God commanded it, even if I had a hundred fathers and mothers, even if I had been a King's daughter, I would have gone nevertheless.”
My Condition
This is my condition—how I want to live my life.
PovertyofSpirit.Hunger.Thirst.PurityofHeart.Meekness.Gentleness.Perseverance.Love.Salt.Light.Peacemaker.Repentace.Forgiveness.HolyasHeisHoly.Avoice.
The face of revival.
“The servant is the greatest of all.”
I’m convinced…
The best lover=the best servant.
Cause the best lover is the best friend
And best friends will fight for one another. And even shed their blood for the other.
Whether you say you love me or if you never do. It doesn’t matter. Man’s opinion only carries so much weight these days.
Whether you are here one day and forget about me the next. It’s okay.
Whether you like my style or my way of speaking…
Or you don’t.
It doesn’t matter.
Cause I used to live to please you. Now I see that I was living in a grave, buried under the pursuit of making man happy. The day I saw where I was sleeping at night and living during the day, in a place of death, my perspective changed. Now, I’m after life--the narrow road--the one where my heart seeks to make Him alone smile.
My mind is already made up.
And no man or woman can defer me from my pursuit-
No matter how compelling their arguments or concerns—
Even if it’s my mom or dad or closest friend.
Cause I’ve found One who has wrecked me.
One who has ruined me for normal—for anything but the supernatural.
His love washes over me as I wake in the morning,
And He watches me as I sleep at night, pouring out on me His fragrance.
I can’t escape the pursuit of His heart as He chases after me.
And I don’t want to.
I’m gonna do this thing—run this race.
Cause it’s worth it.
And I’m going to give it everything I’ve got—
Nothing is as sweet as surrender to a Lover.
Cause a lover knows you through and through.
And a lover’s kisses equip you for the battle—
A battle that is raging against those who I love.
I need those kisses. I need that sword.
There is a Kingdom that holds treasures of heaven.
That’s what I’m after.
I’m after His heart.
And whether I marry or not, have kids or not, build orphanages or not, finish college or not, go into ministry or not, have friends or not, make money or not, travel or not, shift unrighteous atmospheres or not—my heart will not waver from the place of being a seeker.
Not a seek to “find”. Cause I’ve already been found by Him—pulled out of the grave by His tender and strong hand.
But a seek to KNOW deeply. That’s the seeking I mean. A seeking that must know what He’s like—no matter what it costs. What makes Him laugh and smile and dance…and even cry?
What it is that causes His legs to leap as He rejoices over me with singing?
I want to know that song well. And I want Him to teach me that dance.
What is it that brings his eyes to tears? I want to cry with Him. To feel what He feels. To have my heart break over what has broken His heart.
One life.
That’s all I’ve got.
Wasted time doesn’t appeal to me.
Surface pursuits don’t satisfy this longing.
I’ve been ruined. Wrecked. Bulldozed over. Mauled with waves of His love. Drowned in His ocean.
I can’t go back. Ever.
Not after I've tasted true freedom and life.
PovertyofSpirit.Hunger.Thirst.PurityofHeart.Meekness.Gentleness.Perseverance.Love.Salt.Light.Peacemaker.Repentace.Forgiveness.HolyasHeisHoly.Avoice.
The face of revival.
“The servant is the greatest of all.”
I’m convinced…
The best lover=the best servant.
Cause the best lover is the best friend
And best friends will fight for one another. And even shed their blood for the other.
Whether you say you love me or if you never do. It doesn’t matter. Man’s opinion only carries so much weight these days.
Whether you are here one day and forget about me the next. It’s okay.
Whether you like my style or my way of speaking…
Or you don’t.
It doesn’t matter.
Cause I used to live to please you. Now I see that I was living in a grave, buried under the pursuit of making man happy. The day I saw where I was sleeping at night and living during the day, in a place of death, my perspective changed. Now, I’m after life--the narrow road--the one where my heart seeks to make Him alone smile.
My mind is already made up.
And no man or woman can defer me from my pursuit-
No matter how compelling their arguments or concerns—
Even if it’s my mom or dad or closest friend.
Cause I’ve found One who has wrecked me.
One who has ruined me for normal—for anything but the supernatural.
His love washes over me as I wake in the morning,
And He watches me as I sleep at night, pouring out on me His fragrance.
I can’t escape the pursuit of His heart as He chases after me.
And I don’t want to.
I’m gonna do this thing—run this race.
Cause it’s worth it.
And I’m going to give it everything I’ve got—
Nothing is as sweet as surrender to a Lover.
Cause a lover knows you through and through.
And a lover’s kisses equip you for the battle—
A battle that is raging against those who I love.
I need those kisses. I need that sword.
There is a Kingdom that holds treasures of heaven.
That’s what I’m after.
I’m after His heart.
And whether I marry or not, have kids or not, build orphanages or not, finish college or not, go into ministry or not, have friends or not, make money or not, travel or not, shift unrighteous atmospheres or not—my heart will not waver from the place of being a seeker.
Not a seek to “find”. Cause I’ve already been found by Him—pulled out of the grave by His tender and strong hand.
But a seek to KNOW deeply. That’s the seeking I mean. A seeking that must know what He’s like—no matter what it costs. What makes Him laugh and smile and dance…and even cry?
What it is that causes His legs to leap as He rejoices over me with singing?
I want to know that song well. And I want Him to teach me that dance.
What is it that brings his eyes to tears? I want to cry with Him. To feel what He feels. To have my heart break over what has broken His heart.
One life.
That’s all I’ve got.
Wasted time doesn’t appeal to me.
Surface pursuits don’t satisfy this longing.
I’ve been ruined. Wrecked. Bulldozed over. Mauled with waves of His love. Drowned in His ocean.
I can’t go back. Ever.
Not after I've tasted true freedom and life.
Stories Can Change You
I've discovered how deeply a single story can change your life. Barry Lopez once said, "If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive." Jesus knew this, often speaking in parables versus hardcore fact to convey a message. Somehow, those words went deep into the hearts of the people--so deep that they will never be forgotten.
I recently remembered how one scene in Pilgrim's Progress had the same impact on me. It wasn't even the whole story, but one part that somehow spoke a truth to my heart that began making me free. It was the part in the very first chapter, where Pilgrim is in a place of feeling the spirit of repentance and coming face to face with the filth of sin and humanity. He is broken. No one in his city understands. They think he is crazy--a mental case--unfit for life. But Pilgrim couldn't stop studying the Book. Finally, Evangelist came to town and Pilgrim came to him crying and said, "What shall I do to be saved?" He knew that he was condemned to die without salvation. that's when Evangelist began describing to him the Kingdom. He spoke words that changed Pilgrim's life: "Keep your eyes fixed upon that light, and go directly to it; then you will see teh Gate. When you knock on it, you will be told what to do." So Pilgrim started to RUN towards the direction Evangelist pointed him. Suddenly, his family saw him, and they screamed for him to return--to not venture into an unknown place. The neighbors did the same. It was him against the mass. Would he pursue truth, or stay in comfort?
Now comes my favorite part--the part that changed me.
"...but the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on, crying, 'Life! Life! Eternal life!" He would not look behind him but fled toward the middle of the plain."
Ha! LIFE! When the enemy tries to speak lies or bring temptation or discouragement, my fingers need to go into my ears as I run yelling, "Eternal life."
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Go after life! Go after purity! Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. It's gonna be worth it, for sure. Cause in His presence you get set free--from shame and guilt and fear. "Eternal life!"
I recently remembered how one scene in Pilgrim's Progress had the same impact on me. It wasn't even the whole story, but one part that somehow spoke a truth to my heart that began making me free. It was the part in the very first chapter, where Pilgrim is in a place of feeling the spirit of repentance and coming face to face with the filth of sin and humanity. He is broken. No one in his city understands. They think he is crazy--a mental case--unfit for life. But Pilgrim couldn't stop studying the Book. Finally, Evangelist came to town and Pilgrim came to him crying and said, "What shall I do to be saved?" He knew that he was condemned to die without salvation. that's when Evangelist began describing to him the Kingdom. He spoke words that changed Pilgrim's life: "Keep your eyes fixed upon that light, and go directly to it; then you will see teh Gate. When you knock on it, you will be told what to do." So Pilgrim started to RUN towards the direction Evangelist pointed him. Suddenly, his family saw him, and they screamed for him to return--to not venture into an unknown place. The neighbors did the same. It was him against the mass. Would he pursue truth, or stay in comfort?
Now comes my favorite part--the part that changed me.
"...but the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on, crying, 'Life! Life! Eternal life!" He would not look behind him but fled toward the middle of the plain."
Ha! LIFE! When the enemy tries to speak lies or bring temptation or discouragement, my fingers need to go into my ears as I run yelling, "Eternal life."
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Go after life! Go after purity! Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. It's gonna be worth it, for sure. Cause in His presence you get set free--from shame and guilt and fear. "Eternal life!"
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
They need you
The world doesn't need anymore critics.
They need you.
A you that is burning with the passion of Jesus.
A you that recognizes that what the adultress man or woman needs is Him. Same with the prostitute and the theif and the broken and the hurting and the hungry and the abandoned.
sometimes he comes with tenderness.
sometimes with a stern love that rebukes.
sometimes both.
when you listen to Him, you'll know.
you'll know what is needed.
you'll know what to do or to say or when to move.
So my prayer is that He would make me more like Him. That I would burn with fire--straight from Him altar. That I would run with a passion for His Kingdom and a love for the things He loves. And if I love what He loves and really want to seek first His kingdom, I will simultaneously hate the things that he hates.
I want that orphan in Africa to know she is loved.
I want that girl with an orphan heart right in my city to know she is loved.
I want that broken father to know he can be restored.
I want that corrupt judge to fall to his knees in repentance.
I want...
a lot.
But it's going to take me looking like Jesus for any of that to happen. He's the one that sets captives free. And He lives inside of me.
They need you.
A you that is burning with the passion of Jesus.
A you that recognizes that what the adultress man or woman needs is Him. Same with the prostitute and the theif and the broken and the hurting and the hungry and the abandoned.
sometimes he comes with tenderness.
sometimes with a stern love that rebukes.
sometimes both.
when you listen to Him, you'll know.
you'll know what is needed.
you'll know what to do or to say or when to move.
So my prayer is that He would make me more like Him. That I would burn with fire--straight from Him altar. That I would run with a passion for His Kingdom and a love for the things He loves. And if I love what He loves and really want to seek first His kingdom, I will simultaneously hate the things that he hates.
I want that orphan in Africa to know she is loved.
I want that girl with an orphan heart right in my city to know she is loved.
I want that broken father to know he can be restored.
I want that corrupt judge to fall to his knees in repentance.
I want...
a lot.
But it's going to take me looking like Jesus for any of that to happen. He's the one that sets captives free. And He lives inside of me.
When I Fall in Love lyrics
"When I fall in love it will be forever
Or Ill never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before its begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
When I give my heart it will be completely
Or Ill never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you."
-Nat King Cole
Or Ill never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before its begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
When I give my heart it will be completely
Or Ill never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you."
-Nat King Cole
Be Compelled.
I Corinthians 16:13
“Be on the alert; stand firm in the faith; act like men; be strong.”
Swords drawn. Battle plans perfectly laid out. Courageous acts of warfare. Sweat, blood, tears, and more sweat. Words spoken that mark history books to inspire generations. The face of a warrior who is prepared to die for a cause he believes in.
Those are the scenes that make good movies.
Yet, as I've been thinking about warriors, I wonder if the time of waiting for the action of battle is actually the hardest part. In the heat of the battle, the adrenaline is rushing and your mind is already made up that you will not retreat. Yet, how did you get to that place of abandonment? How did your hands learn how to war and your arms to bend a bow of bronze?
I keep seeing a picture of a warrior waiting in a trench. He is guarding the place he has been assigned. The waiting and the guarding are the hardest part...but the most crucial. Everyone thinks that the actual battle is the hardest. Yet, it's the waiting that makes or breaks a warrior. Where you position your heart and mind in that time will determine the outcome of the battle. Waiting is not just a matter of time...it is a place of vulnerability for the mind. Your thoughts--will you trust God or fear man? Will you focus on your assignment or yield to distraction, thus compromising the mission?
Jeremiah, the prophet, the one called to root up and to plant, to tear down and to build, once talked about a tree planted by living water:
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in The Lord, and whose hope The Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8 KJV)
No one could see the roots going deep as the tree was in a season of waiting. No one could perceive the work taking place beneath the surface. Yet, as those roots spread, the tree became stronger and stronger. The strengthening took place in obscurity--where no one could observe the process. When it was time, the tree began to bear much fruit, with green leaves and no fear of what drought could do.
I believe the most excellent warriors are those who have learned the art of waiting. They have learned that zeal without wisdom will not accomplish much. There is a strategy and perseverance and precision that is formed in the trenches of waiting. It's where you learn not to compromise. It's where you learn what it truly means to war.
In 2 Samuel there is a story that recounts the actions of mighty men of valor. (chapter 23:9-11)
"Next was Eleazar son of Doai the Ahohite. Eleazar was one of the three soldeirs who were with David when they callenged teh phillistines. The Phillistines were gathered for battle, and the Isralites drew back. BUT ELEAZAR STAYED where he was and fought the Philistines until he was so tired his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory for the Isralites taht day. The troops came back after Eleazar had won teh battle, but only to take weapons and armor from the enemy.
Next there was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines came together to fight in a vegetable field. Israel's troops ran away from teh Philistines, BUT SHAMMAH STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AND FOUGHT for it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord gave a great victory."
Wow. They took lessons from their leader, David. He set a precedent of warfare that was based on waiting and perseverance. He knew how to trust God, and He warred from there.
I want to be a warrior like that--like the men of valor. They could have lost their lives, standing in a vegetable patch all alone, or warring until the sword stuck into their hand. Yet, their thoughts were already made up. They weren't concerned about making a name for themselves. They were concerned about faithfully doing their job--because their character was forged in the waiting.
"Jesus, teach my hands how to war. Teach your remnant how to war. Teach us how to hold the line and how to be a people whose eyes are consumed with you. God, in the waiting, teach us how to stay renewed in the spirit of our mind, so that we only think on those things that are of You. Keep our eyes from looking on worthless things and our thoughts from straying to distractions that compromise our focus and ultimately our call and destiny. I pray for a maturity to come to our walk with You--that our hearts would begin to discern the hour that we are living in, and that we would stop playing games and start seeking Your face. 24-7. That's what it's about...that's what our walk is called to be with You. moving with your heart. I don't disconnect my heart from my body during the week, and just connect it Sunday. I would die. Just like that, make it so real that without You, we are dead spiritually. God, break through! Bend us! Make us! Purify us! Shape us into the mighty warriors you've called us to be as a generation. Thank You God that you are moving! Amen."
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I want to get this thing right
Come on now,
I want to get this thing right.
We want love without the pain.
We want the Kingdom without paying the price.
Tolerance is killing us.
And we are deceived that it's love.
As sexual immorality sweeps a generation--
A disease that's killing pure touch.
We say its okay,
We turn a blind eye,
But did you know that one of my best friends,
Just took a step into Satan's lie?
Who's going to tell her,
That this way leads to death?
Will church leaders stop bowing,
To the idols of this world?
Will the Phineas' and JOsiahs,
Get zelous enough to go and take up the sword?
Not out of condemnation or judgment
And not out of hate.
But out of passion for purity--
Stemming from eyes set on eternity.
Rooted and grounded in love...
A love that is passionate about freedom...
A love that would shed its blood...
To rescue out of darkness each and every one.
Does that love seem passive...a love that would lay down its own life?
It seems fierce to me
That someone would die--
Just to set me free.
Even though I love Frank Sinatra,
And the charming Nat King Cole,
Ooy gooy romance,
Won't always get it done.
There is a romance that's tough,
And it loves not its own,
It fights for the broken,
And it contends for a soul.
I love worship services--
those times with Jesus that are sweet,
But I can't help to think
as I glace out to the street
That there is someone out there
Who God's wanting me to meet.
God, would You help us,
To get this thing right?
To stop bending to mediocrity,
And to start putting up a true fight?
I want to love with your passion,
And not apologize for your truth.
I want to see the lost with your eyes,
And let them know about You.
God, open up this culture,
Really--bring the real thing.
Bring a passion for your presence,
And a longing for the King.
Do it in my heart,
Break off the fear.
I want to live for Your glory,
And contend for Your name.
I want to get this thing right.
We want love without the pain.
We want the Kingdom without paying the price.
Tolerance is killing us.
And we are deceived that it's love.
As sexual immorality sweeps a generation--
A disease that's killing pure touch.
We say its okay,
We turn a blind eye,
But did you know that one of my best friends,
Just took a step into Satan's lie?
Who's going to tell her,
That this way leads to death?
Will church leaders stop bowing,
To the idols of this world?
Will the Phineas' and JOsiahs,
Get zelous enough to go and take up the sword?
Not out of condemnation or judgment
And not out of hate.
But out of passion for purity--
Stemming from eyes set on eternity.
Rooted and grounded in love...
A love that is passionate about freedom...
A love that would shed its blood...
To rescue out of darkness each and every one.
Does that love seem passive...a love that would lay down its own life?
It seems fierce to me
That someone would die--
Just to set me free.
Even though I love Frank Sinatra,
And the charming Nat King Cole,
Ooy gooy romance,
Won't always get it done.
There is a romance that's tough,
And it loves not its own,
It fights for the broken,
And it contends for a soul.
I love worship services--
those times with Jesus that are sweet,
But I can't help to think
as I glace out to the street
That there is someone out there
Who God's wanting me to meet.
God, would You help us,
To get this thing right?
To stop bending to mediocrity,
And to start putting up a true fight?
I want to love with your passion,
And not apologize for your truth.
I want to see the lost with your eyes,
And let them know about You.
God, open up this culture,
Really--bring the real thing.
Bring a passion for your presence,
And a longing for the King.
Do it in my heart,
Break off the fear.
I want to live for Your glory,
And contend for Your name.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Come With Me.
You say you want to get to know me….
To know and to be known. There is something great about that. And great things change the world.
So come with me.
Come with me to Nicaragua,
Where I learned what beauty really is—
As I stood in the presence of greatness,
Among those who have given their lives to serve the poor.
Come with me to give Elesha a hug,
Even though she’s the one who always runs to hug me first—
She’s down syndrome,
And I’ve never watched anyone worship as passionately as her.
Come with me into a prayer closet,
Where I get to meet one on one with my King—
That’s the place where this world fades away,
And everything becomes focused again.
Come with me to the streets of DC,
Let’s pray for that homeless man—
No one has ever told him he’s loved,
But those words will save his life.
Come with me to New York City,
Where we can go see a play on Broadway, (or not:-)
And afterwards go buy a random person dinner,
And laugh all night in the city that never sleeps.
(Whoever said purity couldn't be fun?!? They were wrong.)
Come with me—let’s walk up those steps,
Into the Supreme Court—
Even though my heart breaks over the unjust decrees,
I know God is raising up a righteous remnant again.
Come with me to the Spanish restaurant down the road,
Where we can drink leche con arroz,
And listen to amazing Salsa music,
As we eat until we’re stuffed.
Come with me to Elizabethville,
5 a.m. ITC exercise, baby!--
You'll get to see where I learned all of my kung fu skills,
And where I discovered what it means to be a friend.
Come with me into that all night harp and bowl meeting,
Cause that’s where I get stirred up—
That’s where heaven starts to invade earth
And faith builds to take the streets.
Come with me to watch Beauty and the Beast,
the movie that will never get old.
Maybe you'll laugh. Maybe not.
Hopefully you won't be too bored.
Come with me on one of those days,
Where nothing seems to get done--
You'll get to watch me get frustrated as I try really hard to bite my tongue--
And you'll know for sure I'm far from perfect.
Come with me on a cross country road trip,
In which you'll learn quickly just how small my bladder is--
But also how much I love spontaneous adventures
With friends and twizlers and good music.
Come with me on a thunderstormy night,
As I pray that the lights will go out
And I sit in amazement,
Listening to that awesome sound.
(Afterwards, we can go dance in the puddles)
Come with me to VA beach,
To visit my crazy beach bum friends--
The ones who are planning on going to Cambodia in a few years,
Cause they want to live for a cause bigger than themselves.
Come with me on a midnight canoe ride,
I won’t wear make-up or do my hair,
It will just be a trip underneath the stars—
The same stars that God showed Abraham as they made covenant.
Come with me—let’s hike that mountain,
It might be hard and we’ll sweat, but hard is often good—
We’ll bring a camera and pack a lunch,
And take pictures of the beautiful sight at the top.
Come with me to the inner city community center,
To hang out with a group of talented kids--
Who may never know the potential inside of them,
Unless someone--possibly you--tells them.
Come with me after a bad day,
Where I will probably sit on my bed,
And in the safety of my room,
Let the tears fall.
(It takes a lot for me to trust people with my tears)
Come with me to a crowded party,
There you’ll learn all about my insecurities—
How I love getting to know others one on one,
But in crowds I often tense up.
"You say you want to get to know me…."
Well, I want to get to know you.
I want to see you come alive.
I want to watch as your eyes light on fire with passion.
I want the chance to walk into your world--
To take a look at life through your eyes—
To understand the things that move you to tears--whether good or bad--
To find out the secrets that stir you up to want to be more than who you are right now.
Superficiality…it’s so easy.
And easy is often empty.
Just like microwave vegetables.
Quickly cooked—with no nutrition.
Fear keeps us superficial.
Apathy keeps us superficial.
For me…it’s mostly fear.
Cause to know and be known is scary.
It carries a lot of risk.
But with great risk comes great reward—
And great impact.
I’m preaching to myself.
I want nutrition.
That’s why I want to take the time to know you.
To hang out with you.
To serve with you.
To laugh with you.
To cry with you.
To listen to music with you.
To eat burritos with you. lol.
To mess up royally around you.
To love you even when you mess up royally
To act crazy together.
To embarrass myself in front of you.
To get angry with you.
And then apologize. And forgive.
To talk about Jesus with you.
As we love on Him together.
So…will you come with me?
Will you ask me to come with you?
To know and to be known. There is something great about that. And great things change the world.
To know and to be known. There is something great about that. And great things change the world.
So come with me.
Come with me to Nicaragua,
Where I learned what beauty really is—
As I stood in the presence of greatness,
Among those who have given their lives to serve the poor.
Come with me to give Elesha a hug,
Even though she’s the one who always runs to hug me first—
She’s down syndrome,
And I’ve never watched anyone worship as passionately as her.
Come with me into a prayer closet,
Where I get to meet one on one with my King—
That’s the place where this world fades away,
And everything becomes focused again.
Come with me to the streets of DC,
Let’s pray for that homeless man—
No one has ever told him he’s loved,
But those words will save his life.
Come with me to New York City,
Where we can go see a play on Broadway, (or not:-)
And afterwards go buy a random person dinner,
And laugh all night in the city that never sleeps.
(Whoever said purity couldn't be fun?!? They were wrong.)
Come with me—let’s walk up those steps,
Into the Supreme Court—
Even though my heart breaks over the unjust decrees,
I know God is raising up a righteous remnant again.
Come with me to the Spanish restaurant down the road,
Where we can drink leche con arroz,
And listen to amazing Salsa music,
As we eat until we’re stuffed.
Come with me to Elizabethville,
5 a.m. ITC exercise, baby!--
You'll get to see where I learned all of my kung fu skills,
And where I discovered what it means to be a friend.
Come with me into that all night harp and bowl meeting,
Cause that’s where I get stirred up—
That’s where heaven starts to invade earth
And faith builds to take the streets.
Come with me to watch Beauty and the Beast,
the movie that will never get old.
Maybe you'll laugh. Maybe not.
Hopefully you won't be too bored.
Come with me on one of those days,
Where nothing seems to get done--
You'll get to watch me get frustrated as I try really hard to bite my tongue--
And you'll know for sure I'm far from perfect.
Come with me on a cross country road trip,
In which you'll learn quickly just how small my bladder is--
But also how much I love spontaneous adventures
With friends and twizlers and good music.
Come with me on a thunderstormy night,
As I pray that the lights will go out
And I sit in amazement,
Listening to that awesome sound.
(Afterwards, we can go dance in the puddles)
Come with me to VA beach,
To visit my crazy beach bum friends--
The ones who are planning on going to Cambodia in a few years,
Cause they want to live for a cause bigger than themselves.
Come with me on a midnight canoe ride,
I won’t wear make-up or do my hair,
It will just be a trip underneath the stars—
The same stars that God showed Abraham as they made covenant.
Come with me—let’s hike that mountain,
It might be hard and we’ll sweat, but hard is often good—
We’ll bring a camera and pack a lunch,
And take pictures of the beautiful sight at the top.
Come with me to the inner city community center,
To hang out with a group of talented kids--
Who may never know the potential inside of them,
Unless someone--possibly you--tells them.
Come with me after a bad day,
Where I will probably sit on my bed,
And in the safety of my room,
Let the tears fall.
(It takes a lot for me to trust people with my tears)
Come with me to a crowded party,
There you’ll learn all about my insecurities—
How I love getting to know others one on one,
But in crowds I often tense up.
"You say you want to get to know me…."
Well, I want to get to know you.
I want to see you come alive.
I want to watch as your eyes light on fire with passion.
I want the chance to walk into your world--
To take a look at life through your eyes—
To understand the things that move you to tears--whether good or bad--
To find out the secrets that stir you up to want to be more than who you are right now.
Superficiality…it’s so easy.
And easy is often empty.
Just like microwave vegetables.
Quickly cooked—with no nutrition.
Fear keeps us superficial.
Apathy keeps us superficial.
For me…it’s mostly fear.
Cause to know and be known is scary.
It carries a lot of risk.
But with great risk comes great reward—
And great impact.
I’m preaching to myself.
I want nutrition.
That’s why I want to take the time to know you.
To hang out with you.
To serve with you.
To laugh with you.
To cry with you.
To listen to music with you.
To eat burritos with you. lol.
To mess up royally around you.
To love you even when you mess up royally
To act crazy together.
To embarrass myself in front of you.
To get angry with you.
And then apologize. And forgive.
To talk about Jesus with you.
As we love on Him together.
So…will you come with me?
Will you ask me to come with you?
To know and to be known. There is something great about that. And great things change the world.
"Raise it Up"
Raise It Up
lyrics from the August Rush Soundtrack
No father figure in the house
and i'm wonderin' how i'm gonna work it out
oh my friends keep on tellin' me how i don't need that man but they don't really understand
there's far too many presures in reality but dealing with the pain and stress and poverty
and i gotta be myself because there's nobody else for me (ohhhh)
(heading there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so don't give up)so don't give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make you smile
(so raise it up)so raise
(hang in there with me)sometimes we need another helping hand to show the ways
(so don't give up) so don't give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it seems inpossible and that's why we pray
(so raise it up) we raise
[HOPE] seems to be nothing left for me mommas gone daddy didnt wanna be and now im all by myself wonderin where is love or
should i just give up
life falls down on me, cuts into my soul but i know i got the strength to make it throgh it all cause im still standin tall
breaking throgh this wall im gonna give my all
[HOPE] feelin like a motherless child hankered into my soul its bringing me down cant find my smile on a face of a
motherless child
im gonna break down these walls gonna give it my all ya know
yeah yeah yeah yeahhhh
(hang in there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so dont give up)so dont give up
(when pressures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make a smile
(so raise it up) so raise it up
(hang in there with me) raise it up
sometimes it takes another helping hand to show you the way
(so dont give up, when presures come down)
[HOPE] sometimes it seems impossible thats why we pray
SO RAISE IT UP
lyrics from the August Rush Soundtrack
No father figure in the house
and i'm wonderin' how i'm gonna work it out
oh my friends keep on tellin' me how i don't need that man but they don't really understand
there's far too many presures in reality but dealing with the pain and stress and poverty
and i gotta be myself because there's nobody else for me (ohhhh)
(heading there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so don't give up)so don't give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make you smile
(so raise it up)so raise
(hang in there with me)sometimes we need another helping hand to show the ways
(so don't give up) so don't give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it seems inpossible and that's why we pray
(so raise it up) we raise
[HOPE] seems to be nothing left for me mommas gone daddy didnt wanna be and now im all by myself wonderin where is love or
should i just give up
life falls down on me, cuts into my soul but i know i got the strength to make it throgh it all cause im still standin tall
breaking throgh this wall im gonna give my all
[HOPE] feelin like a motherless child hankered into my soul its bringing me down cant find my smile on a face of a
motherless child
im gonna break down these walls gonna give it my all ya know
yeah yeah yeah yeahhhh
(hang in there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so dont give up)so dont give up
(when pressures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make a smile
(so raise it up) so raise it up
(hang in there with me) raise it up
sometimes it takes another helping hand to show you the way
(so dont give up, when presures come down)
[HOPE] sometimes it seems impossible thats why we pray
SO RAISE IT UP
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Jason Reeves lyrics
"Someone is waiting/someone who understands exactly how you feel/exactly how you feel../someone is dreaming/someone is hoping just that this will be the day/that this will be the day../that you take your eyes off the ground/out of the blue/and see that someone is looking right back at you.."
Quote from Matthew Henry
"Christ sees His fair ones as ones who have not the piercing eye of the eagle, but the pure and broken eye of the dove, not like the hawk, who, when he soars upwards, he still has his eye upon the prey of the earth, but a humble modest eye, such an eye as discovers a simplicity and Godly sincerity and a dove-like innocence, eyes enlightened and guided by the Holy Spirit." -Matthew Henry
Watch
http://www.bebo.com/FlashBox.jsp?FlashBoxId=4305712729&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_UdBvNyP5s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_UdBvNyP5s
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Feeling ALIVE
Some of these things I've done. Some are just imaginations...but for some reason they make me feel free...lol :-)
Thunderstorms and mud fights
Riding a horse
Running at the pace of 5 minutes a mile where no one can catch me
Beating drums with all my might in an intense time of worship/warfare
Breakdancing
Climbing on roofs to watch stars
Taking the metro into DC to explore Georgetown
Walking into the Supreme Court and feeling like Esther
Building tree houses
Climbing trees
Childhood clubs
Freeze tag
Hide and go seek
Successfully eating chinese food with chopsticks
Hot dogs from roadside stands in DC
New York Giants beating the New England Patriots (yea for upset wins!)
Adventures as a kid in the woods pretending like I'm part of an Indian tribe
Making weird contraptions
Trying to raise a frog in a glass house
Rumbles
Dancing like crazy
Jumping in leaves
Listening to realy loud music and screaming at the top of my lungs
Falling in love
Rainbows
Late night games of truth or dare
Late night discussions about Jesus
Mango lassis
Trying to create a new recipe
Food fights
Speaking with kings and imploring them to do what's right
Courageous speeches
Self-less service
Watching the Sound of Music for the millionth time (and Anne of Green Gables:-)
Laughing at the embarassing things of life
Contending with darkness, all the while knowing I'm seated in heavenly places
Cookie dough
Chocolate
Mountains
Building a log cabin
Lake houses
Canoes (and trying to beat a storm while you are on the river)
Water slides
Fireplaces with a good book and a cup of tea
Bonfires (with smores, of course)
Walking on a tightrope across a river
Niagara Falls
Chasing tornadoes
Getting a massage
Holding a child
Singing to Jesus
Being entrusted with secrets
Shooting a bow and arrow
Listening to Killian sing Johnny Cash songs
Socks
Fireplaces
Good books
Good writing from people who really have passion
Forgiveness
Redemption
Double portion
Boaz and Ruth
Generational inheritance
Late night adventures
Capture the flag
Fireflies (and putting them in jars)
Tennis after its dark and the court is illuminated by the lights on the sidewalk
Bodysurfing
REAL surfing
Getting lost in NYC at 2 a.m.
The metro at midnight
Losing your wallet in a foreign nation...and seeing God come through
And much more to add to this list.....because I am positive this is only like 5 %...if that :-)
Thunderstorms and mud fights
Riding a horse
Running at the pace of 5 minutes a mile where no one can catch me
Beating drums with all my might in an intense time of worship/warfare
Breakdancing
Climbing on roofs to watch stars
Taking the metro into DC to explore Georgetown
Walking into the Supreme Court and feeling like Esther
Building tree houses
Climbing trees
Childhood clubs
Freeze tag
Hide and go seek
Successfully eating chinese food with chopsticks
Hot dogs from roadside stands in DC
New York Giants beating the New England Patriots (yea for upset wins!)
Adventures as a kid in the woods pretending like I'm part of an Indian tribe
Making weird contraptions
Trying to raise a frog in a glass house
Rumbles
Dancing like crazy
Jumping in leaves
Listening to realy loud music and screaming at the top of my lungs
Falling in love
Rainbows
Late night games of truth or dare
Late night discussions about Jesus
Mango lassis
Trying to create a new recipe
Food fights
Speaking with kings and imploring them to do what's right
Courageous speeches
Self-less service
Watching the Sound of Music for the millionth time (and Anne of Green Gables:-)
Laughing at the embarassing things of life
Contending with darkness, all the while knowing I'm seated in heavenly places
Cookie dough
Chocolate
Mountains
Building a log cabin
Lake houses
Canoes (and trying to beat a storm while you are on the river)
Water slides
Fireplaces with a good book and a cup of tea
Bonfires (with smores, of course)
Walking on a tightrope across a river
Niagara Falls
Chasing tornadoes
Getting a massage
Holding a child
Singing to Jesus
Being entrusted with secrets
Shooting a bow and arrow
Listening to Killian sing Johnny Cash songs
Socks
Fireplaces
Good books
Good writing from people who really have passion
Forgiveness
Redemption
Double portion
Boaz and Ruth
Generational inheritance
Late night adventures
Capture the flag
Fireflies (and putting them in jars)
Tennis after its dark and the court is illuminated by the lights on the sidewalk
Bodysurfing
REAL surfing
Getting lost in NYC at 2 a.m.
The metro at midnight
Losing your wallet in a foreign nation...and seeing God come through
And much more to add to this list.....because I am positive this is only like 5 %...if that :-)
Candy Hearts and "Will you be mine?" Cards
Kneeling by my bed on Valentine's Day as a little girl, I asked Jesus into my heart, repeating the "salvation prayer" after my mom. I once asked her if I really knew what I was doing at such a young age. She recounted to me the story of how I was fully aware of what I was asking of Jesus--for Him to come in my heart and take residence in my life--proving that Jesus' desire to captivate a life is not limited by age. Just a few years later, and I would experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, taking me to a whole new dimension of my journey with Jesus and this adventure of discovering the Kingdom.
At two years old, I couldn't fathom the immensity of such a confession. I didn't know that, as I knelt in surrender to a King who I loved with a childlike passion, I would be tested and tried in my very commitment to that relationship time and time again. Never would I have imagined how greatly the enemy hates me, and how much he desires my eyes to turn to worthless things as my feet and hands follow suit, beginning down paths that will only lead to death. Yet, neither could I comprehend the sustaining power of the Father and the jealousy of His love--that even in the midst of warfare, that place of surrender has saved my life. Never will I fully comprehend how immensely special it is to be called the apple of my Father's eye, and to know that He dances over me with singing and sings songs of deliverance over me. Never will I have a friend as lovely as Him, or as faithful. Never will I leave His table hungry. Only God knew at the moment I gave Him my life how much I would long for Him to keep wrecking me for more of Him.
Writing this as a 21 year old who has never had a "valentine" in the natural/cultural sense of the word, I can only breath deeply with contentment. To even be able to breath is reason enough to praise Him. My eyes see fresh that place where I knelt for the very first time...and the realization that the story that brought me to my Lover happened long before I even took my first breath. To think that a King came in humility and gentleness to die for a lost people causes my knees to give way once again under the awesomeness of that love--under the holiness of His purity and character.
My heart burns with the question, "Who am I, that you should love me the way you do?" Yet in His eyes I see no desire to humiliate me or to point out my imperfections. I see only burning passion. And His words echo in my heart in a way that brings a rest and security that only He can bring: "I am yours, and you are mine."
Surrender can be hard. Walking away from the past and from bondage can sometimes feel impossible. Yet, when you look into those eyes, none of those things seem as powerful or compelling. When you've lived through lonely days of sadness--to know that there is one whose presence is satisfying to the very depth of your heart, and that you have a friend who will always be there, laughing when you laugh, crying when you cry--nothing is worth compromising such a sacred relationship.
I don't know if anyone reads my blogs. I don't even know if anyone ever will. But Jesus, this is written in rememberance of You. This is written to acknowledge YOu--to thank You--to remind my heart that You are always and forever enough. I love You, Jesus. And I ask that the love I've felt in Your presence and as I've been blessed to walk with you daily, could be poured out on my generation--and on the nations of the earth. That Your beauty would shine brightly upon lands near and far--and that others would kneel beside their bed tonight and pray that prayer of surrender to You, the Christ. It doesn't matter if they are praying it for the first time or the millionth time. Tonight is the perfect night to kneel. Tonight is the perfect night to encounter the most perfect of all Valentines.
I love you, Jesus. I am blown away that the journey has only just begun.
At two years old, I couldn't fathom the immensity of such a confession. I didn't know that, as I knelt in surrender to a King who I loved with a childlike passion, I would be tested and tried in my very commitment to that relationship time and time again. Never would I have imagined how greatly the enemy hates me, and how much he desires my eyes to turn to worthless things as my feet and hands follow suit, beginning down paths that will only lead to death. Yet, neither could I comprehend the sustaining power of the Father and the jealousy of His love--that even in the midst of warfare, that place of surrender has saved my life. Never will I fully comprehend how immensely special it is to be called the apple of my Father's eye, and to know that He dances over me with singing and sings songs of deliverance over me. Never will I have a friend as lovely as Him, or as faithful. Never will I leave His table hungry. Only God knew at the moment I gave Him my life how much I would long for Him to keep wrecking me for more of Him.
Writing this as a 21 year old who has never had a "valentine" in the natural/cultural sense of the word, I can only breath deeply with contentment. To even be able to breath is reason enough to praise Him. My eyes see fresh that place where I knelt for the very first time...and the realization that the story that brought me to my Lover happened long before I even took my first breath. To think that a King came in humility and gentleness to die for a lost people causes my knees to give way once again under the awesomeness of that love--under the holiness of His purity and character.
My heart burns with the question, "Who am I, that you should love me the way you do?" Yet in His eyes I see no desire to humiliate me or to point out my imperfections. I see only burning passion. And His words echo in my heart in a way that brings a rest and security that only He can bring: "I am yours, and you are mine."
Surrender can be hard. Walking away from the past and from bondage can sometimes feel impossible. Yet, when you look into those eyes, none of those things seem as powerful or compelling. When you've lived through lonely days of sadness--to know that there is one whose presence is satisfying to the very depth of your heart, and that you have a friend who will always be there, laughing when you laugh, crying when you cry--nothing is worth compromising such a sacred relationship.
I don't know if anyone reads my blogs. I don't even know if anyone ever will. But Jesus, this is written in rememberance of You. This is written to acknowledge YOu--to thank You--to remind my heart that You are always and forever enough. I love You, Jesus. And I ask that the love I've felt in Your presence and as I've been blessed to walk with you daily, could be poured out on my generation--and on the nations of the earth. That Your beauty would shine brightly upon lands near and far--and that others would kneel beside their bed tonight and pray that prayer of surrender to You, the Christ. It doesn't matter if they are praying it for the first time or the millionth time. Tonight is the perfect night to kneel. Tonight is the perfect night to encounter the most perfect of all Valentines.
I love you, Jesus. I am blown away that the journey has only just begun.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
"Better Now" lyrics (well..part) by Capstone
Better to have loved you
Better to have seen your face
Better to have known you, Lord
Better to have heard you
Better to have followed you
Better now that I can see
You�re here with me
Better to have seen your face
Better to have known you, Lord
Better to have heard you
Better to have followed you
Better now that I can see
You�re here with me
Monday, February 4, 2008
Word by Dutch Sheets
"they don't fear death, they love not their lives to the death. they've sold everything to the pearl of great price. they're prophetic. they believe in things they can't see, and they see a future that doesn't yet exist. They see then they create it. they believe in miracles, the supernatural is not a stretch for them. they are supernatural themselves. they are a citizens of a heavenly kingdom. they believe their God owns everything and can do anything. because of this, they are dangerous they are boat rockers. they turn their world right side up. they know God. they have seen Him. therefore, they hate mediocrity, average, run of the mill, compromise, lethargy, and status quo, that is why they hate religiosity that standardizes mediocrity. they love to worship not just sing. they know they can connect and commune with God.Therefore religious routine is boring and senseless to them. they insist on knowing and relating to God. Not to a system or a tradition, or to another person. Kingdom people don't go to church, they are the church. When we expand our thinking to a kingdom world view, everything is going to change because every situation we step into we are going to realize that we are there to extend the dominion of God into that place. we are going to begin to live the Lord's prayer. "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". we are not going to be earth bound any longer in our thinking, we are going to move into a realm of revelation that moves us far above anything we have known before we are going to be dangerous Kingdom people everywhere we go"
- DUTCH SHEETS
- DUTCH SHEETS
Inspired by a friend
"This is the sound of the underground/the whisper of history in the making/foundations shaking/revolutionaries dreaming once again."
Emmerson grew up in Nicaragua. He speaks perfect English, and he can imitate just about every American accent. He had the opportunity to move to the U.S. a few years ago. He declined because his parents started an orphanage and he would rather serve the broken than move to a place where some say he would have a more comfortable life. Debbie is one of my very best friends. She has the coolest style, and a very creative eye. She and Jake just got married. They are very much in love, and the love will last, because they are lovers of Jesus. They are going to shake up Asia for Jesus, doing things that I don't think they can even imagine are possibilities right now. Cambodia is a part of their inheritance. Right now, God's teaching them what it means to trust Him. Jess is a leader. And she is bold. I can't get away with being surface with her. She forces me to be totally honest. I think that's an anointing God has given her for my generation, which is so necessary in a culture that denies the existence of absolutes. She is going to influence influencers. God is teaching her how to dream really really big...and stargazing helps with that:-) Pauline laughs like no one I know and she has the coolest glasses. Her heart burns when she hears messages of reckless abandonment. She and her friends have Holy Spirit parties on mountains, even if other people are around. ONe time we parked my car on grass and turned up my sound system as loud as it would go so we could get out and dance like crazy in the scorching heat. It was amazing. Mikel wears skinny jeans and shoes that he decorated himself. He is an amazing soccer player, yet the longing that stirs in him is to have more of Jesus. He wants to be a youth pastor some day. Brianna went with me to Nicaragua this summer. The people loved her, and she loved them. She is one of the most graceful and precious girls I have ever met, so quick to love and see people through Christ's eyes. She thinks that she may like to be a journalist someday. If she does, I know she will use those words as powerful weaspons to bring truth into a world that is longing for that very thing. Katie is someone who I can pray with and we know that we've touched heaven. She has such a purity about her, and it confounds the enemy. She is a freedom fighter and a freedom writer. I can't wait to see where Jesus takes her in the years ahead. Silja dances and sings on injustice in ways that offend religion. She knows what it means to be a daugther, so she doesn't really care all that much what other people say, as long as Jesus is smiling. Eli is a warrior. He shifts atmospheres. Pretty cool, huh? He inspires me to be a Joan of Arc, with courage and vision. Jeremy sometimes grows his hair into a pretty sweet mohawk. When he preaches, lives get changed, because the words he says come from what God spoke to him in the prayer closet. Emmanuel loves people. His words encourage people to see themselves as masterpieces. Jason is my grounded big brother. We drink chai tea and eat chocolate pudding together. I've never met someone so willing to lay down his life to see another's life get positioned for destiny. He smiles and laughs when I tell him my new ideas about changing the world. Maritha makes really cool shirts that preach the Gospel. She has Jesus eyes that make you trust her and she tells stories that stir faith. We like to take trips into the heavenlies together. She is so gorgeous inside that it radiates beauty wherever she goes. Christine was born for revolution. The dreams of God's heart stir in her heart, too. Someday the seasons that God takes her through are going to make more sense, but for now, she knows that God's preparing her. Her life has been wrecked by Jesus...in the very best possible way. Misty is a storyteller, just like Jesus. She doesn't have any kids yet in the natural, but God is using her to mother a generation. Someday she is going to visit crazy lands that most people woulndn't dare go...and it's because she loves so deeply. Tinell is one of the most prophetic people I know. She gets dreams at night that tell her how to pray during the day. She has the coolest accent and talks fast when she gets really passionate about something. It's beautiful to watch her eyes come alive. Demons are really afraid of her. Brianna is one of those rare people who lets me say exactly what I'm thinking and not judge me for it. That doesn't mean she won't tell me what is true. She is my sister. Sometimes we climb up on our roof together at night and watch the stars. Siobhan is quiet but so accepting of people. Bring anyone to her, and instantly she will consider them her friend. She's a bit of a daredevil, sometimes doing unconventional things, but God is going to use that for His Kingdom.She is my sister, too:-) Thierry beat boxes with the unsaved. He is brilliant. We like to get crazy with Jason Upton music..."I just want to be your friend, FATHER." He also talks with politicians, and they actually listen to him. Thierry was born for greatness..yet his life prayer is that God would be glorified through him. He means it when he prays that. Jimmy is contending for revival on his college campus. It's going to happen. A few weeks ago he told me about how he's at a place where he is going to just keep praying for people on campus until someone gets healed. He challenges me to get uncomfortable. Rachel is a writer. Her words are going to change things and bring exposure of lies and false idealogies. Grant is washing Washington (D.C.). God hears his prayers, and they are going to help shake a nation. Sue will never be contained in a box. We walked once through Boston together, and we visited the grave of John Hancock. He's the one who wrote his name so big on the Declaration of Independence that it would never be mistaken that he was standing for the freedom of a new nation, even if it cost his life. That's how she is in her walk with Jesus. Katie gets drunk all the time (not in the way the world thinks). She and Jesus seem to laugh through life, and she knows from experience that He likes to party, constantly confounding the wise and the strong. Killian is a fighter. He hates lies and injustice. He's my brother, and I enjoy our lively debates. One time when he was five he wanted our whole family to go on a mission's trip so bad that he prayed and asked God to give the provision. The next day we got a check in the mail with the full amount that we needed. Ha! Faith moves mountains. We have the best snowball fights. Emily embodies the message of being the Beloved. She has it tatooed across her neck in Hebrew letters, letting everyone know that she has been marked by her Father, and that she is the apple of His eye. Her faith is just like a child's, and when she speaks, you know you are listening to the heart of God. She once told me that she likes to walk on God's feet. I told her I want to learn how to do that, too. Valerie is my forever friend. You know how Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth? Well, she's going to inherit the earth.
I recently took a trip to Texas and made some new...and unexpected...friends. I don't know them very well, but I am still amazed at the way God connects His kids and teaches us through one another, even if we only know each other for a short time. Emily is the kind of girl who doesn't mess around with the world. In fact, the lies of the culture make her angry at the way truth has been distorted. She loves the lost, but her love forces her to speak truth. She is bold. And courageous. I've adopted her as my sister:-) God is going to use her in powerful ways. Joe Joe used to have a beard but had to cut it for a new job. He loves the fire of God. I know God's going to bring him to new discoveries of who He is that are going to revolutionize him even more deeply. Maria is beautiful, and she definitely has Jesus eyes. She is smart, but first and foremost she is a lover of God. That love flows over to other people. That's how I will remember her...the way she loves. Paul is honest. And okay with being vulnerable. When I look at him, I see hunger in his eyes for the deeper things of God, and a longing to be a genuine disciple. I don't think religious people would like him very much, which is exactly why he's such a tornado force to be reckoned with against the enemy. God's going to use him in this hour. Kate has a beautiful voice. And she is a warrior in worship. If she ever went on American Idol, I think everyone on the show would get slain in the Spirit and encounter Jesus. That would rock! She is also a lot of fun, and extremely good with directions, which is great, because I am an expert at getting lost. She is a mover and a shaker in the Kingdom of God, calling people into alignment and to live at a greater standard! Woody (a.k.a. Robert)is an out of the box person. He told me that Jason Upton is one of his heroes. Since the people we admire often tell us something about what God's placed inside of us, I have a feeling that God is going to give him songs that break bondages off of people's lives...and that shake up religious systems and bring lots of people into the Kingdom of God. That's awesome. I know for sure that the four walls of the church won't contain the things God has called him to...and I don't think that the world or the church has ever seen what it's going to look like because it's new and fresh. Marco has cool hair and a neat style. I learned that he, along with the others, likes to TP (or "wrap") houses late at night. Hmm...mischievous. He loves Jesus and he is a worshipper. He likes propel water. He makes me laugh. Alex has a beautiful smile. She reminds me of a modern day Esther who is totally given to the will of God. I think she sees Jesus and people in a way that takes some people a lifetime to develop. That's beautiful. Katey is a youth pastor and a worship leader. I would love to listen to her preach someday, because I am convinced that she has a lot of stories to tell...stories about the faithfulness and greatness of God. She likes to have fun, too, and her passion for the presence of God is written all over her. She inspires me to worship God with even more passion.
These words, these descriptions, are just tiny glimpses of who these people are and how they have impacted my life. All are revolutionaries. There are many more people to add to this list, I'm sure, as well as others who have not even met yet. Some I've known forever. Some just a few weeks. But through this journey, I know that all of us are going to have many stories to tell about the greatness of God that shows up in the land of the living. It's these little pockets of sold-out Jesus lovers who bring fresh hope to my heart that the Bride is going to be absolutely brilliant as we keep seeking the face of Jesus...and that's what will change the world. "You see dead bones? I see an army!"
Emmerson grew up in Nicaragua. He speaks perfect English, and he can imitate just about every American accent. He had the opportunity to move to the U.S. a few years ago. He declined because his parents started an orphanage and he would rather serve the broken than move to a place where some say he would have a more comfortable life. Debbie is one of my very best friends. She has the coolest style, and a very creative eye. She and Jake just got married. They are very much in love, and the love will last, because they are lovers of Jesus. They are going to shake up Asia for Jesus, doing things that I don't think they can even imagine are possibilities right now. Cambodia is a part of their inheritance. Right now, God's teaching them what it means to trust Him. Jess is a leader. And she is bold. I can't get away with being surface with her. She forces me to be totally honest. I think that's an anointing God has given her for my generation, which is so necessary in a culture that denies the existence of absolutes. She is going to influence influencers. God is teaching her how to dream really really big...and stargazing helps with that:-) Pauline laughs like no one I know and she has the coolest glasses. Her heart burns when she hears messages of reckless abandonment. She and her friends have Holy Spirit parties on mountains, even if other people are around. ONe time we parked my car on grass and turned up my sound system as loud as it would go so we could get out and dance like crazy in the scorching heat. It was amazing. Mikel wears skinny jeans and shoes that he decorated himself. He is an amazing soccer player, yet the longing that stirs in him is to have more of Jesus. He wants to be a youth pastor some day. Brianna went with me to Nicaragua this summer. The people loved her, and she loved them. She is one of the most graceful and precious girls I have ever met, so quick to love and see people through Christ's eyes. She thinks that she may like to be a journalist someday. If she does, I know she will use those words as powerful weaspons to bring truth into a world that is longing for that very thing. Katie is someone who I can pray with and we know that we've touched heaven. She has such a purity about her, and it confounds the enemy. She is a freedom fighter and a freedom writer. I can't wait to see where Jesus takes her in the years ahead. Silja dances and sings on injustice in ways that offend religion. She knows what it means to be a daugther, so she doesn't really care all that much what other people say, as long as Jesus is smiling. Eli is a warrior. He shifts atmospheres. Pretty cool, huh? He inspires me to be a Joan of Arc, with courage and vision. Jeremy sometimes grows his hair into a pretty sweet mohawk. When he preaches, lives get changed, because the words he says come from what God spoke to him in the prayer closet. Emmanuel loves people. His words encourage people to see themselves as masterpieces. Jason is my grounded big brother. We drink chai tea and eat chocolate pudding together. I've never met someone so willing to lay down his life to see another's life get positioned for destiny. He smiles and laughs when I tell him my new ideas about changing the world. Maritha makes really cool shirts that preach the Gospel. She has Jesus eyes that make you trust her and she tells stories that stir faith. We like to take trips into the heavenlies together. She is so gorgeous inside that it radiates beauty wherever she goes. Christine was born for revolution. The dreams of God's heart stir in her heart, too. Someday the seasons that God takes her through are going to make more sense, but for now, she knows that God's preparing her. Her life has been wrecked by Jesus...in the very best possible way. Misty is a storyteller, just like Jesus. She doesn't have any kids yet in the natural, but God is using her to mother a generation. Someday she is going to visit crazy lands that most people woulndn't dare go...and it's because she loves so deeply. Tinell is one of the most prophetic people I know. She gets dreams at night that tell her how to pray during the day. She has the coolest accent and talks fast when she gets really passionate about something. It's beautiful to watch her eyes come alive. Demons are really afraid of her. Brianna is one of those rare people who lets me say exactly what I'm thinking and not judge me for it. That doesn't mean she won't tell me what is true. She is my sister. Sometimes we climb up on our roof together at night and watch the stars. Siobhan is quiet but so accepting of people. Bring anyone to her, and instantly she will consider them her friend. She's a bit of a daredevil, sometimes doing unconventional things, but God is going to use that for His Kingdom.She is my sister, too:-) Thierry beat boxes with the unsaved. He is brilliant. We like to get crazy with Jason Upton music..."I just want to be your friend, FATHER." He also talks with politicians, and they actually listen to him. Thierry was born for greatness..yet his life prayer is that God would be glorified through him. He means it when he prays that. Jimmy is contending for revival on his college campus. It's going to happen. A few weeks ago he told me about how he's at a place where he is going to just keep praying for people on campus until someone gets healed. He challenges me to get uncomfortable. Rachel is a writer. Her words are going to change things and bring exposure of lies and false idealogies. Grant is washing Washington (D.C.). God hears his prayers, and they are going to help shake a nation. Sue will never be contained in a box. We walked once through Boston together, and we visited the grave of John Hancock. He's the one who wrote his name so big on the Declaration of Independence that it would never be mistaken that he was standing for the freedom of a new nation, even if it cost his life. That's how she is in her walk with Jesus. Katie gets drunk all the time (not in the way the world thinks). She and Jesus seem to laugh through life, and she knows from experience that He likes to party, constantly confounding the wise and the strong. Killian is a fighter. He hates lies and injustice. He's my brother, and I enjoy our lively debates. One time when he was five he wanted our whole family to go on a mission's trip so bad that he prayed and asked God to give the provision. The next day we got a check in the mail with the full amount that we needed. Ha! Faith moves mountains. We have the best snowball fights. Emily embodies the message of being the Beloved. She has it tatooed across her neck in Hebrew letters, letting everyone know that she has been marked by her Father, and that she is the apple of His eye. Her faith is just like a child's, and when she speaks, you know you are listening to the heart of God. She once told me that she likes to walk on God's feet. I told her I want to learn how to do that, too. Valerie is my forever friend. You know how Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth? Well, she's going to inherit the earth.
I recently took a trip to Texas and made some new...and unexpected...friends. I don't know them very well, but I am still amazed at the way God connects His kids and teaches us through one another, even if we only know each other for a short time. Emily is the kind of girl who doesn't mess around with the world. In fact, the lies of the culture make her angry at the way truth has been distorted. She loves the lost, but her love forces her to speak truth. She is bold. And courageous. I've adopted her as my sister:-) God is going to use her in powerful ways. Joe Joe used to have a beard but had to cut it for a new job. He loves the fire of God. I know God's going to bring him to new discoveries of who He is that are going to revolutionize him even more deeply. Maria is beautiful, and she definitely has Jesus eyes. She is smart, but first and foremost she is a lover of God. That love flows over to other people. That's how I will remember her...the way she loves. Paul is honest. And okay with being vulnerable. When I look at him, I see hunger in his eyes for the deeper things of God, and a longing to be a genuine disciple. I don't think religious people would like him very much, which is exactly why he's such a tornado force to be reckoned with against the enemy. God's going to use him in this hour. Kate has a beautiful voice. And she is a warrior in worship. If she ever went on American Idol, I think everyone on the show would get slain in the Spirit and encounter Jesus. That would rock! She is also a lot of fun, and extremely good with directions, which is great, because I am an expert at getting lost. She is a mover and a shaker in the Kingdom of God, calling people into alignment and to live at a greater standard! Woody (a.k.a. Robert)is an out of the box person. He told me that Jason Upton is one of his heroes. Since the people we admire often tell us something about what God's placed inside of us, I have a feeling that God is going to give him songs that break bondages off of people's lives...and that shake up religious systems and bring lots of people into the Kingdom of God. That's awesome. I know for sure that the four walls of the church won't contain the things God has called him to...and I don't think that the world or the church has ever seen what it's going to look like because it's new and fresh. Marco has cool hair and a neat style. I learned that he, along with the others, likes to TP (or "wrap") houses late at night. Hmm...mischievous. He loves Jesus and he is a worshipper. He likes propel water. He makes me laugh. Alex has a beautiful smile. She reminds me of a modern day Esther who is totally given to the will of God. I think she sees Jesus and people in a way that takes some people a lifetime to develop. That's beautiful. Katey is a youth pastor and a worship leader. I would love to listen to her preach someday, because I am convinced that she has a lot of stories to tell...stories about the faithfulness and greatness of God. She likes to have fun, too, and her passion for the presence of God is written all over her. She inspires me to worship God with even more passion.
These words, these descriptions, are just tiny glimpses of who these people are and how they have impacted my life. All are revolutionaries. There are many more people to add to this list, I'm sure, as well as others who have not even met yet. Some I've known forever. Some just a few weeks. But through this journey, I know that all of us are going to have many stories to tell about the greatness of God that shows up in the land of the living. It's these little pockets of sold-out Jesus lovers who bring fresh hope to my heart that the Bride is going to be absolutely brilliant as we keep seeking the face of Jesus...and that's what will change the world. "You see dead bones? I see an army!"
Friday, February 1, 2008
"Now is the Time"
Now Is The Time
The winds are blowing through again,
So we must follow.
A people daring to believe
We can change tomorrow,
And be the miracle of light,
And we won't give up the fight.
Now is the time for us to shine,
Shine with the face of Christ divine.
No compromise, for all heaven cries,
Now is the time.
The river's running through again rejuvenating,
For everything you touch you change,
And we've all been changing.
We're a city shining on a hill,
Tell this world you're shining still,
Tell this world you always will.
Now is the time...
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, King of lights.
Jesus, Jesus, raise a church that's shining bright
I want to follow but what does it mean,
To live in this world and keep everything clean.
Nothing I own here is ever my own,
When I live in the mercy and blessing you've shown.
I lay down my rights; see the world through your eyes,
And fight for the hungry who pay for our lives,
I want to have you in all of my world.
So Jesus consume me, flow through me, cos now is the time...
Written by Delirious?/Matt Redman ©2005 Curious? Music UK
The winds are blowing through again,
So we must follow.
A people daring to believe
We can change tomorrow,
And be the miracle of light,
And we won't give up the fight.
Now is the time for us to shine,
Shine with the face of Christ divine.
No compromise, for all heaven cries,
Now is the time.
The river's running through again rejuvenating,
For everything you touch you change,
And we've all been changing.
We're a city shining on a hill,
Tell this world you're shining still,
Tell this world you always will.
Now is the time...
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, King of lights.
Jesus, Jesus, raise a church that's shining bright
I want to follow but what does it mean,
To live in this world and keep everything clean.
Nothing I own here is ever my own,
When I live in the mercy and blessing you've shown.
I lay down my rights; see the world through your eyes,
And fight for the hungry who pay for our lives,
I want to have you in all of my world.
So Jesus consume me, flow through me, cos now is the time...
Written by Delirious?/Matt Redman ©2005 Curious? Music UK
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