The vision?
The vision is JESUS -- obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army.
And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the West was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They
need no passport. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder
at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and
adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to
reach for the starts. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is
dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers
choose to lose
that they might one day win
the great "Well done" of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night.
They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards
and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"
And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing...
This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "For me to live is Christ and to die
is gain."
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners.
Martyrs.
Who can stop them?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed?
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays
like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulfuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24-7-365.
Whatever it takes they will give:
Breaking the rules.
Shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide.
Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs,
laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mold them.
Hollywood cannot hold them.
Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties
before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care.
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but
never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives --swap seats with the man on
death row--guilty as hell.
A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruit-
less days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all
depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos!
Summon the losers and the freaks.
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are
dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient
dream of Eden.
And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it
will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the
groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
My tomorrow is his today.
My distant hope is his 3-D.
And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous,
resounding, bone-shaking great "Amen!" from countless angels, from
heroes of the faith, from Christ himself. And He is the original
dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.
I just thought this whole thing was pretty awesome and felt like sharing it with everyone I could. This was written by the man that started 24-7 prayer movements all around the world. I think it just shows us that our thoughts need to revolve around prayer for everything. Too many times we rely on our own strength and money, and most of us could prolly live life like this. But at what cost? We lose out on the love and gifts God wants to give us. In order to get them we must commit our ways to Him and by that we must ask Him what He wants us to do in every decision, with every paycheck, with every friend, with every day. Ask Him what He wants you to do and you will be surprised, be obedient and blessings will fall like rain on your life.
People can become so discouraged from prayer because of how they hear others pray, how elaborate some people make it. It causes them to think that they must not be praying right and they need the right words to pray. This is far from true, it is nice that some have been gifted in their wording but it is in no way a stronger prayer than yours. God will feel your heart when you pray to Him, that will speak louder to Him than any word ever could. His delight comes from you seeking out His advice and will, pressing into Him when you feel nothing, waiting on Him when it seems to take forever. I tell you that every second spent with Him is storing up your eternal treasures. Do not be discouraged, do not become disobedient, trust the LORD. Spend time daily with Him and bring to the table what you have. It will take work, it will be hard, but blessings will come and your life will prosper. Not to mention how great your treasures in Heaven are going to be.
Pray with what you got, sing with all you have, love with everything in your heart, and press in searching diligently for God's thought and seek an intimate relationship with Him. You will be amazed and awestruck at what you find. I promise.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
A Typical Day
I will run you through a typical day and tell you my thoughts on it.
Wake up and be at the gym by 7 for workout.
The workouts are killer, I didn't know pain until I came here! It's so brutal but it really is showing me that my limits physically are much farther than I thought. They always focus the workouts around GOD and this generation which is really cool. Basically we do daily what most people won't, to do tomorrow what most people can't. I love how I feel afterwards but I feel like I'm going to die during it. I have never worked so hard in my life and that's honesty at its best. A few of us hiked the incline tuesday morning for fun without the rest of DLA. The incline is a mile of stairs straight up a mountain. And the stairs are brutal, the last half you are basically crawling up them because it gets so steep. A physically fit person will take more than a half hour to complete it. I stayed in the back and pushed people forward so I ended up at the top after 59 minutes. But I really think I could do better. But ya, workouts are very struggle-ful, but well worth it in the end. "We beat our bodies and make them our slaves."
Then we head to church for personal GOD time.
This is really fun. Light music is played in the background while we can do whatever we want. We can pray, read, worship, sit silently. I always pray, read a little, journal, then sit and focus as much as I can on JESUS and his personality. I really enjoy diving into silence and seeing what, if anything, GOD has to say or show me. I have gotten a lot of cool visions of his attributes and I keep forgetting to write them down but the point is engrained into my head. It's a great way to start off the day, keeps our focus in the right place.
Classes come next.
These are great and very informative yet casual. The classes we take don't ever make me think, "well when will I ever use that?" I had that happen a lot lot in high school but here it's all very practical and very heartfelt. My favorite class so far has been Aaron Stern teaching on Marriage/Famly/Dating. It's so cool to hear my thoughts put in to words and stuff I have always known but not known how to express explained clearly. I love learning about the impact of prayer and what it means to be a leader and different worldviews. I love it all.
Ministry tribes!
I'm a part of theMILL which is the college-age ministry here. It's such a blast and it's amazing to be a part of what goes on every friday. I get to help out around the office, help Aaron with his sermons, help with the short videos they make for fridays, and just make sure everything goes smoothly. They are so chill and funny there too, everyone is just so much fun to be around. Plus we get free stuff, but that's beside the point :P
Free time (quote-unquote)
We have it labeled as free time in our handbooks but there always seems to be something going on. Whether it be a speaker or something that we need to help with and get done. It's fine and I like helping out as much as possible, but I also really enjoy spending time with my host family and that free time is time to do what we need to around the house and be with them.
Nights
There is always something going on at nights that we get to help with. I love every second of getting to serve around the church. I get to hang out with junior/high school students on wednesdays, college kids on fridays, the adults on tuesday nights, and more throughout the week. It's so great getting to know different people from all over the church.
Overall
This program is designed to train leaders that will go anywhere, do anything, and pay any price to lead a generation in desperate pursuit of GOD. It's working very well, I can see leaders emerging all ready all over the place in DLA. They take you to your breaking point and are very real (they don't sugar coat stuff) and pour out their love into you. They get you focused on GOD and build you up in Him. It's working very well and I know this is where I am called to be. I'm part of an army that is storming the gates of hell, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's teaching me patience, perseverance, humility, and a ton more. I can't wait to look in the mirror at graduation and say, "This is just the beginning!
That's just a small bit on my day and I never know what to expect everyday I wake up. I'm suppose to be here and I know it!
Wake up and be at the gym by 7 for workout.
The workouts are killer, I didn't know pain until I came here! It's so brutal but it really is showing me that my limits physically are much farther than I thought. They always focus the workouts around GOD and this generation which is really cool. Basically we do daily what most people won't, to do tomorrow what most people can't. I love how I feel afterwards but I feel like I'm going to die during it. I have never worked so hard in my life and that's honesty at its best. A few of us hiked the incline tuesday morning for fun without the rest of DLA. The incline is a mile of stairs straight up a mountain. And the stairs are brutal, the last half you are basically crawling up them because it gets so steep. A physically fit person will take more than a half hour to complete it. I stayed in the back and pushed people forward so I ended up at the top after 59 minutes. But I really think I could do better. But ya, workouts are very struggle-ful, but well worth it in the end. "We beat our bodies and make them our slaves."
Then we head to church for personal GOD time.
This is really fun. Light music is played in the background while we can do whatever we want. We can pray, read, worship, sit silently. I always pray, read a little, journal, then sit and focus as much as I can on JESUS and his personality. I really enjoy diving into silence and seeing what, if anything, GOD has to say or show me. I have gotten a lot of cool visions of his attributes and I keep forgetting to write them down but the point is engrained into my head. It's a great way to start off the day, keeps our focus in the right place.
Classes come next.
These are great and very informative yet casual. The classes we take don't ever make me think, "well when will I ever use that?" I had that happen a lot lot in high school but here it's all very practical and very heartfelt. My favorite class so far has been Aaron Stern teaching on Marriage/Famly/Dating. It's so cool to hear my thoughts put in to words and stuff I have always known but not known how to express explained clearly. I love learning about the impact of prayer and what it means to be a leader and different worldviews. I love it all.
Ministry tribes!
I'm a part of theMILL which is the college-age ministry here. It's such a blast and it's amazing to be a part of what goes on every friday. I get to help out around the office, help Aaron with his sermons, help with the short videos they make for fridays, and just make sure everything goes smoothly. They are so chill and funny there too, everyone is just so much fun to be around. Plus we get free stuff, but that's beside the point :P
Free time (quote-unquote)
We have it labeled as free time in our handbooks but there always seems to be something going on. Whether it be a speaker or something that we need to help with and get done. It's fine and I like helping out as much as possible, but I also really enjoy spending time with my host family and that free time is time to do what we need to around the house and be with them.
Nights
There is always something going on at nights that we get to help with. I love every second of getting to serve around the church. I get to hang out with junior/high school students on wednesdays, college kids on fridays, the adults on tuesday nights, and more throughout the week. It's so great getting to know different people from all over the church.
Overall
This program is designed to train leaders that will go anywhere, do anything, and pay any price to lead a generation in desperate pursuit of GOD. It's working very well, I can see leaders emerging all ready all over the place in DLA. They take you to your breaking point and are very real (they don't sugar coat stuff) and pour out their love into you. They get you focused on GOD and build you up in Him. It's working very well and I know this is where I am called to be. I'm part of an army that is storming the gates of hell, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's teaching me patience, perseverance, humility, and a ton more. I can't wait to look in the mirror at graduation and say, "This is just the beginning!
That's just a small bit on my day and I never know what to expect everyday I wake up. I'm suppose to be here and I know it!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Just A Tidbit About Prayer
I wanted to write a little bit about prayer and what I feel it means to pray and have a heart of prayer.
Just kind of a reference scripture is Luke 11:5-9
This scripture talks about a man that has a friend visit him in the night. The host wants to feed him but has no bread so he desperately asks his neighbor. Then it goes on to say ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened.
This man is not prepared, but desperately seeking a need. In our prayers we do not have to be prepared with what we are going to say or pray about, we just need to call out to GOD and desperately ask what's on our hearts fervently.
GOD wants to hear the desperate ask anything of Him. The language you use is not important, the length of the prayer is not important. In fact in Matthew 6 it talks about not using vain repetitions. Also discipline is not important, and let me elaborate before you shun me from the church for teaching against discipline. I believe in discipline, but I don't think that is how true prayer begins in our hearts. It all starts with a desperate cry for help. It starts when we are broken, weak, needing, scared, sorrowful, and in our hardest times.
"Oh GOD! I failed, help me!"
"Oh GOD! The pain is too much, save me!"
"Oh GOD! Let me pass this test." "Oh GOD! Don't let my parents find out."
Prayer is just communicating to GOD. We have embraced our weakness and find we need GOD. The "strong" will strut and claim to know GOD while the weak will see miracles in their lives and the lives of others, and it's the weak that will seek and find GOD. You become stronger, the weaker you realize you are.
Start with what you can, it doesn't have to be a inauguration speech by any length. Just start with what's on your heart even if it's as simple as "Hi Dad, I love you." GOD delights when it comes straight from the heart. And He knows what is on your heart, so if you don't know how to express what you are feeling into words, He knows. Be open with GOD and he will embrace you and fill your heart. Start where you are at, "God I want a passion" "God I need a job" "God I'm scared for this person in my life"
David Perkins says that 99% of prayer is asking and 1% is the tingly feeling and miracles.
And remember remember remember 1 John 5: 14-15, He hears every single prayer, every single prayer. Even when you don't feel it or see it, He hears it and is acting on every prayer you pray.
"GOD you are awesome, I pray for a heart of prayer. I just simply come to you tonight and beg for your heart, your heart of worship, for the lost, for the sick, for the righteous, and mostly for your heart of prayer. Prayer is not something left to the holiest of us, but rather everyone, especially the worst of us. GOD work inside of us and manifest your life in us. I love you so much and I lay all of this at your throne."
I love you all,
Just A Fellow Saint
Just kind of a reference scripture is Luke 11:5-9
This scripture talks about a man that has a friend visit him in the night. The host wants to feed him but has no bread so he desperately asks his neighbor. Then it goes on to say ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened.
This man is not prepared, but desperately seeking a need. In our prayers we do not have to be prepared with what we are going to say or pray about, we just need to call out to GOD and desperately ask what's on our hearts fervently.
GOD wants to hear the desperate ask anything of Him. The language you use is not important, the length of the prayer is not important. In fact in Matthew 6 it talks about not using vain repetitions. Also discipline is not important, and let me elaborate before you shun me from the church for teaching against discipline. I believe in discipline, but I don't think that is how true prayer begins in our hearts. It all starts with a desperate cry for help. It starts when we are broken, weak, needing, scared, sorrowful, and in our hardest times.
"Oh GOD! I failed, help me!"
"Oh GOD! The pain is too much, save me!"
"Oh GOD! Let me pass this test." "Oh GOD! Don't let my parents find out."
Prayer is just communicating to GOD. We have embraced our weakness and find we need GOD. The "strong" will strut and claim to know GOD while the weak will see miracles in their lives and the lives of others, and it's the weak that will seek and find GOD. You become stronger, the weaker you realize you are.
Start with what you can, it doesn't have to be a inauguration speech by any length. Just start with what's on your heart even if it's as simple as "Hi Dad, I love you." GOD delights when it comes straight from the heart. And He knows what is on your heart, so if you don't know how to express what you are feeling into words, He knows. Be open with GOD and he will embrace you and fill your heart. Start where you are at, "God I want a passion" "God I need a job" "God I'm scared for this person in my life"
David Perkins says that 99% of prayer is asking and 1% is the tingly feeling and miracles.
And remember remember remember 1 John 5: 14-15, He hears every single prayer, every single prayer. Even when you don't feel it or see it, He hears it and is acting on every prayer you pray.
"GOD you are awesome, I pray for a heart of prayer. I just simply come to you tonight and beg for your heart, your heart of worship, for the lost, for the sick, for the righteous, and mostly for your heart of prayer. Prayer is not something left to the holiest of us, but rather everyone, especially the worst of us. GOD work inside of us and manifest your life in us. I love you so much and I lay all of this at your throne."
I love you all,
Just A Fellow Saint
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Reassurance
The feelings of anticipation for CO and sorrow for leaving IA didn't seem to bounce back in forth in my head but rather co-exist in a way as to create a new sorropation emotion. Despite telling people that I was extremely excited for coming to DLA I didn't honestly know how I felt until I got out here and met the people. I know this is where I need to be and where God wants me to be. It's not a question of whether or not I should be here, but a question of how can I use this to glorify God. These next 8 months will be in full, complete, unwavering, unstoppable, unflinching, desperate dedication to God. I desire to know Him on the deepest level and my life must revolve around Him for it to be fruitful. My focus is Him alone and creating habits that will keep my life ignited for Jesus. Consistent and unconditional prayer, immersing myself in the scripture daily, worshiping the Savior with a enthusiastic and teachable heart, and simply disciplining my body.
For my life to be focused on Jesus I will need to solely rely on Him and give everything I have to Him. So understand that I will be limiting myself from extended communication with everyone that I love so much back in IA. It would be too easy to fall back and rely on my friends and not God. I must place him at the center and with Him at the center my life, my friends, my relationships, my wife, my kids, my everything, I will prosper for His glory.
It's funny but for this season of my life I desire to struggle. I long to be pushed to my limits emotionally, physically, and most of all spiritually. God must must must be my single source of peace and strength. And for that to happen, for me to fully and completely rely on God, I have to be pushed past the point where no one but God Himself can help me. I desire this and I know in my heart that God desires to see me grow in Him. I need to shed this pride and rip off this outer coating of my heart for Jesus to reign unmatched. This will be one of the hardest times I will ever face and I will struggle and yearn for rest. But it is so necessary that I be here, right here, right now. It's good.
"While we are looking at God, we do not see ourselves--blessed riddance" -Pursuit of God
Everything we are doing here is everything that is on my heart. Jesus is coursing throughout this place and these people. I have never made friends so easily, and already found a person that will most likely be my best friend and is basically me. I'm happy to say that I am looking forward to this year more and more as time goes by.
I will be praying for all you iowans and love you all so much. Please keep me in your prayers cause I will need all the prayer I can get. Please don't pray that my struggles will be easy, pray that they will be tough and God will be faithful to see me through. Miss you all already.
"Jesus you are awesome! I thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to get to know you better and grow with your help. Build in me a desire for your name, a desire to pursue you in every aspect of my life both great and small. Live your life through me so that I can advance your kingdom and be souled out to you. Bless these eight months that I get to live in Colorado, reveal to me who you are, show me the meaning your love, bring me to your throne in awe of you daily. Lord I pray that you bless des moines fellowship, continue to reign in that church as you have so abundantly already. Break down walls, let them openly worship and pray and live for you without fear of what others might be thinking. Bring joy to their hearts and bring them all closer as a church family. Let none be left alone. I pray that there will be struggle and we will look to you as our solitary source of hope, understanding you will finish what you have started. I love you so much and can't thank you enough for this life you have given me. We lay this at your throne, Amen."
For my life to be focused on Jesus I will need to solely rely on Him and give everything I have to Him. So understand that I will be limiting myself from extended communication with everyone that I love so much back in IA. It would be too easy to fall back and rely on my friends and not God. I must place him at the center and with Him at the center my life, my friends, my relationships, my wife, my kids, my everything, I will prosper for His glory.
It's funny but for this season of my life I desire to struggle. I long to be pushed to my limits emotionally, physically, and most of all spiritually. God must must must be my single source of peace and strength. And for that to happen, for me to fully and completely rely on God, I have to be pushed past the point where no one but God Himself can help me. I desire this and I know in my heart that God desires to see me grow in Him. I need to shed this pride and rip off this outer coating of my heart for Jesus to reign unmatched. This will be one of the hardest times I will ever face and I will struggle and yearn for rest. But it is so necessary that I be here, right here, right now. It's good.
"While we are looking at God, we do not see ourselves--blessed riddance" -Pursuit of God
Everything we are doing here is everything that is on my heart. Jesus is coursing throughout this place and these people. I have never made friends so easily, and already found a person that will most likely be my best friend and is basically me. I'm happy to say that I am looking forward to this year more and more as time goes by.
I will be praying for all you iowans and love you all so much. Please keep me in your prayers cause I will need all the prayer I can get. Please don't pray that my struggles will be easy, pray that they will be tough and God will be faithful to see me through. Miss you all already.
"Jesus you are awesome! I thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to get to know you better and grow with your help. Build in me a desire for your name, a desire to pursue you in every aspect of my life both great and small. Live your life through me so that I can advance your kingdom and be souled out to you. Bless these eight months that I get to live in Colorado, reveal to me who you are, show me the meaning your love, bring me to your throne in awe of you daily. Lord I pray that you bless des moines fellowship, continue to reign in that church as you have so abundantly already. Break down walls, let them openly worship and pray and live for you without fear of what others might be thinking. Bring joy to their hearts and bring them all closer as a church family. Let none be left alone. I pray that there will be struggle and we will look to you as our solitary source of hope, understanding you will finish what you have started. I love you so much and can't thank you enough for this life you have given me. We lay this at your throne, Amen."
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