Falling on my knees

What is this movement of 24/7 prayer really about?
Is it just the latest church buzzword?
Is the newest church structure?

Jesus says in the gospels that His house shall be called a house of prayer but what does that really mean for you and me? I believe Jesus was more talking about the core foundation of our lives then He was talking about a church structure. We have to guard against taking the things that the Holy Spirit is doing in these days and not just put them into programs and structures when really He is wanted a heart shift in His people. We can so quickly merchandise and commercialize the "new" things He is doing and step right back into the things that were happening in the temple when Jesus utter those words, " My house shall be called a house of prayer." It can't just be about an outward expression but an inward heart cry.

The prayer movement of our day is about God calling His people back to the place of pure, undivided devotion to Him. It is not about establishing a building where prayer goes up night and day but about establishing a people whose hearts are crying out to Him and dependent upon Him every night and every day. Now, I am not against houses of prayer. At this moment I am helping to get one started in Brussels, Belgium and we are in the process of looking for a building. I believe we need them to help establish this culture. What I am saying is that we can't make it about the building but about the culture that God is wanting to bring. Through His people being established in that place is what will bring about His Kingdom being established on the earth.

One of the problems is sometime we strive in our own strength to establish His Kingdom that brings salvation, healing, and deliverance and when that doesn't work through our striving then we turn to prayer for a little bit before we give up or get burned out. Instead we should establish ourselves in a lifestyle of prayer and fasting not for the sake of revival but because we our in love with Jesus. The reality is you can pray and fast with wrong motives and your heart be far from God. When we pursue Him for the sake of loving Him then His heart is moved and He moves on our behalf. He may not move when we think He should or how we think He should but He will move on behalf of His elect. Prayer should be the first thing we run to because it is in that place that we are running to Him but so often we try everything else and then say, "well I guess I'll go pray about it." It is amazing how backwards we have been living.

So fall on your knees today with no other motive or desire but to see His face and dwell on His beauty and I promise you, He will reveal Himself and begin to move on your behalf in any and every situation. He will speak to you and reveal to you the path that He has laid out for you each day. Set your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith and lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares.

Consumed

Consumed: to absorb; engross; to use up

What are you consumed by? What are you engrossed in? What is it that is using you up?

Cause the reality is everyone of us is being consumed by someone or something. There is a deep longing in all of our hearts to be giving wholly to something. The problem is we usually give it to someone or something that never fully satisfies our longing. So we find our selves moving from one thing to the next or one person to the next. Always with a feeling of disappointment that we still haven't found what we are looking for. So, we end up spent and empty. Eventually it will move us into deep depression and hopelessness and even suicide. It is the plan of Satan, move us away from the one thing that can satisfy and eventually we will either live life dead or not live at all.

Here is the truth: Colossians 1:16-19
16 For by him were all things created , that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist . 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence . 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell

We were made by Him and for Him. He, Jesus, is the only One that can fulfill us. He is the only one that can consume us and yet still live full of life and purpose. "In Him all fullness dwells." All the hope, all the joy, all the happiness, all the fulfillment is found in being consumed by Him. So, if you haven't been in that place of being consumed by Him, just cry out to Him and tell Him with all your heart that you want Him more than anything and anyone and trust me...He will begin to come and move on your heart and you will become completely unsatisfied with anything but Him!

Let's be a people that are consumed by Him and for Him!

Son, stay back!

The other day I was putting a bunk bed together. I was sawing metal piping to fit the top and bottom beds together. As I was sawing Judah was playing near by and decided to come closer for a look. To protect Judah from the saw and the metal shavings that were flying around, I said "Son, stay back!"

Immediately, Judah, without hesitation moved back and went on playing a safe distance away. Right then the Lord spoke to me about how this situation speaks about His and mine relationship.

The Father is always watching over us and wanting to protect us. The Father sees the big picture. When we are just walking through life unaware sometime of the dangers that are around. God speaks and moves and adjusts our lives to keep us from something or to get us to somewhere or someone. If we are listening He is speaking and guiding us, but it doesn't just take us listening, it takes us being quick to obey.

Judah, the son, heard my voice and responded immediately to what I said to him. No questioning. No arguing. Not anything but complete and prompt obedience. I looked at that and thought about it. I want to be both the father that looks at for, speaks to, and guides his children in the way that they should go. I also want to be the son that hears and responds in obedience quickly. So, I encourage you today to be a son or a daughter that hears what the Father is saying and responds with quick obedience. It's what will keep you safe, happy and fulfilled!

Punched in the Face!

I don't know if you have ever been punched in the face before, but just so you know...it's not a pleasant experience. I recall the first time I got punched in the face, not that it has happened often, but there have been several times. After all I had a brother.

I was 10 years old the first time it happened. I was playing catch with whom I thought were friends at a church we were visiting. Well, at one point a ball got overthrown and so I went to get it for him. After picking up the football, I walked up to him and....BAM... he punched me right in the FACE! A severe stinging sensation ran through my face and then came a thought..."What the heck was that all about???" Not knowing what was coming next I gave him the ball back, turned and walked away. It knocked me a little out of reality. I walked like a zombie to my car and sat down beside my sisters and brothers. They looked at me and knew something was wrong and asked,"Whats wrong? What happened?" I was totally out of it and had no response. It took a few hours for the fog to lift and then I was fine.

All of this to say that I have experienced that feeling again this week and not from any human being but from a thing called...JET LAG! I have been punched in the face by jet lag. It's that same feeling of numbness and loss of reality that sneaks up on you and slaps you upside the head! The same issue of people talking to you and waiting and waiting and waiting for a response only to hear me say...I'm sorry what did you say? The bad thing about jet lag is it can be a week long beating instead of a one moment instance. Just as bad as it is to get punched from a person, it is even worse by jet lag. Trust me.

Anyways, hopefully you have never been punched in the face by a person or by jet lag, but if you have...I know how you feel and good luck!

The Acceptable Year

I was having my time with the Lord this morning - which was a special one because it was my first morning living here in Brussels - I turned in my bible to Luke 4. There was no particular reason I went to Luke 4, I just ended up there.
Well, as I begin to read I got down to verse 18 and 19 and the Lord begin to speak to me once again about the call of God on me and my family for Belgium and Europe. If you are not familiar with Luke 4 it is right after Jesus gets back from the wilderness and He reads Isaiah in the synagogue. He reads about the anointing of the Spirit being upon Him to preach, heal, deliver, and bring liberty to people but in Luke 4 it goes on to talk about how Elijah was only called to help one widow even though there were many widows in that day. Also, Elijah only healed one leper even though there were many lepers in that day.

So...where am I going with all this...I was encouraged this morning and I want you to be encouraged too. I want you to be encouraged that God has anointed you to walk in the same way that Jesus did. The anointing of the Spirit that resided on Jesus is the same Spirit that lives inside you and I. If we believe we can and will do the same works that Jesus did. What is cool is that we will not just do the same works but the word says we will do more!!!

I also want you to be encouraged that just as Jesus talked about all the widows and lepers that were in the world, Elijah was told to go to only a certain one. There are many problems and hurting people in the world today, but if we will keep ourselves from getting overwhelmed about all of that and just concentrate on the one that God wants us to help today then we can make a difference.
Don't get so overwhelmed with what all is going on in the world - or even in just your life - that you rend yourself ineffective. If we will ALL choose today to go to the ONE that God speaks to us or brings our way and then tomorrow do the same, I believe we would be blown away with all that God does and how fast the world would start to be changed and transformed! This is the acceptable year of the favor of our God...be one that shows it!

Seeing hearts touched and awakened!

Well, I arrived last Thursday in Brussels and no, there was no sleeping on the plane. For some reason I just cannot sleep on planes. Oh well. Upon arriving I felt the oppression more than previous times. I don't know if that is because I know I am moving here and so it feels different now or if it was just the enemy attacking me but either way it was pretty intense. I had to really battle feeling depressed and discouraged but I fought that off and we started going. We immediately had to start getting ready for the conference which started on Saturday. We had to track down music and sound gear which is what we spent most of the day doing on Thursday. Then Friday, we loaded all the sound and music equipment and headed towards the campground. The conference was in Carlsberg, which is about 2 hours from Brussels. The 1st day of the conference was Saturday and it was a crazy day. Some of the sound equipment didn't arrive until 5 and we had to setup, have rehearsal, and be ready by 7. It was a rough start but we pressed through and God moved. After the main session we played a late night prophetic worship set and alot of students came in and soaked in His presence. The next day things really started to break open. We taught a work shop about being awakened to the times. We prayed and prophesied over the students. Then I gave a word of encouragement to the youth leaders in a leadership meeting. We played again for the main session that night and God really begin to move and His presence fell in a powerful way. We had a 3 hour alter call of praying over students. God's presence was there in a real way and the students were experiencing God in a way that some of them never had before. The next day we did another work shop. Zach and Allyster taught and they both did amazing. We again prayed over the students and prophesied over almost all of them. By this time I am exhausted. We didn't play the last night cause there was a concert. The last day we had to tear down all the equipment, load up and head back to Brussels. When we got back we took Matt Lankenau to the airport. Matt came from Berlin to hook up with us and to see what God is doing in Brussels and to see how Ninth Hour can connect with European Initiative. After dropping Matt off at the airport we unloaded all the equipment from the conference, had dinner, and called it a day. It was a successful conference. We were able to connect to many other students and leaders, and help them experience the reality of God's presence and His power that He wants to demonstrate in and through their lives. I love seeing hearts touched and awakened!

Summer Time

 Wow, is summer really here? This year is flying by. I know all you students out there are SOOOO happy to be out of school but I am already hearing rumors of ya'll being bored.....really already? Well thats ok cause 1829 has tons for you to be involved in this summer. As always we have our wednesday night services that will be going strong but we also have Launch starting June 16th and going through July 9th. This is a 4 week internship that goes every tuesday-thursday from 10am to 3pm. We will be meeting at ANHOP for amazing times of worship, prayer, and teaching. Then  each off to lunch and outreaches every afternoon. We will be going to apartments, malls, and the PTC. It's gonna be awesome! But wait there is more. July 12th-16th we have our summer camp. We are having Nehemiah and Trevor back from last year and this camp ground is going to be great and I promise....I promise the food is better than last year, which isn't hard to accomplish but the point remains! Anyways, we are going to have a great summer and you don't want to miss any of it. You can sign up for both launch and camp on either wednesday nights or sunday mornings. Launch is $60 and Camp is $220! See ya there!

Peace!

Nathan