Focus!

Right now I should be finishing my last two take-homes of my undergraduate career, but my mind is jumping between halfway across the country and halfway around the world. Out of 1 3 people for the Kansas City trip, we're down to 8 people + one car + no housing for the girls. Christina has suggested sleep fasting and homeless ministry during the night for us (the only girls left) and I did just get a new tent and sleeping bag last week...One person who is going accidentally unregistered himself which thoroughly confused us for a couple hours this morning.

The travel adrenaline has kicked in and I can't keep my mind on anything else. I just want to start packing, listen to Arabic & Urdu music, and pray pray pray. I can barely sleep (except when I try to write my papers of course) and I'm raring and ready to go while at the same time I have a million and one things to do and people to see before then.

Woooooo....pray that I can "be still" and know that He is God. Pray that I can enjoy God amidst the excitement of preparing to go and that I can hand in these papers and actually graduate. Not to mention that thesis which has been waiting 8 months to be archived...again I need to remember that God works everything together for the good of those who love Him.

The Wise Will Stumble - Dan 11:32-35

"With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." Daniel 11:32-35

The first time I seriously studied the end times I was puzzled by these verses. The Anti-Christ has just been said to raise up an army, debolish the temple and "set up the abomination that causes desolation"....whatever that is it's not good. Those who are wise in the ways of the Lord will instruct many, but they will also fall by sword, be burned, captured and plundered. Their falling will encourage others to believe. God uses persecution and martyrdom to spread the word of the gospel and has done this throughout history. What really puzzled me is that some of the wise would stumble, which usually means to fall into sin. Why, at such a time as this, would God allow his wise leaders to fall into sin? Doesn't the body need them to be strong examples with clean hands and pure hearts?

What God is showing me through this verse is that He has a purpose in all of our stumblings. He will allow us to go just far enough that our sin can be used to humble us and refine us. It is only through recognizing our shortcomings and our weaknesses that we can truly be made spotless. In order to refine precious metals they must be heated up until the impurities boil to the surface. If God doesn't "turn up the heat" the impurities of our flesh will stay beneath the surface. A friend of mine always reminds me that sin is a bigger problem than death. God is concerned with our hearts. When we stumble we realize that our hearts are wicked and deceitful. The only hope is that God has promised to put a new heart in each of us. There is no way that we can be purified and made into the pure spotless Bride we are made to be without going through the trials. God truly does work all things together for the good of those who love him.

Prepare the Way

I can barely believe I'm leaving for Pak in less than a month! As people have been praying for me I've felt the Lord encouraging me to stay focused on the 56:7 Vision -that His house will be a house of prayer. I must be a voice of one calling out in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land, to prepare the way of the Lord. Tonight my home group was praying over me and one person was praying specifically that I would be strategic. The words "house of prayer" instantly came into my mind. A few days ago, a couple people shared words with me about kites, and I feel like God is saying that He is calling me to new places in prayer and fasting which will have eternal impact. I need to press in like I've never pressed in before that God will pour out his mercy and grace on the land. I need God to just fill me with compassion and to show me his heart for these people who are living without His vision, for without vision the people perish. Our vision must be the same as God's, that His glory would cover the whole earth. That people of every tongue, every tribe, and every nation would worship Him. Pray for me, and pray for my prayers - that I would be abe to be focused and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that God's zeal will grip my heart and consume me so that I will be continually at His feet, asking Him to move in power and shower his mercy on the people of Pak.

Stirring up Prayer in NH

This morning I was able to travel to Monadnock Bible Conference to share at a pastors' prayer meeting. I had been invited to share about Pak but had felt led to focus the talk on what it means to be a forerunner and for our churches to be postured in a place of corporate worship, fasting and prayer. It was so encouraging to talk to and pray with these pastors and the MBC staff. God is really stirring up a unity to press into prayer and fasting in NH. Several pastors were confessing that they have been bogged down with busyness and have neglected spending time in prayer. One pastor prayed, "For all of our busyness, what have we done? We are just like the community around us and the only thing that will break this is wholehearted consecration and voluntary weakness before You." The anointing of the Holy Spirit was on this prayer meeting as we all cried out asking God to restore the church as a house of prayer. It was such a privelige to be part of "summoning the elders and all those who live in the land," to press into a fasted lifestyle.

Expectant of God's move

We do not see His manifest power or presence in the church (in all the western world) because we do not expect it. Not only do we not expect it, but we are not at a place where are desperate for it. We go on business as usual as if things were fine, but God is showing His power among us in a way that unbelievers will come in and fall at his feet. I think of 1 Corin 14:24-26
"But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand[h]comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

Why is that not happening in our midst? If this is not happening on sunday mornings why do we come? Do we even expect this to happen? Do we come expectant to meet with God and see Him move in power? Do we come expectant that He will change our lives and renew our minds?

God makes himself manifest when we come together and make a sacrifice to Him.
"23 Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."
If he sees our sacrifice as acceptable He will come and burn it up. He will consume us and everything that we are so that we can shout for joy, fall on our faces and worship HIm. We are called to fast when the bridegroom is not with us. How can we keep going on without His manifest presence? We know what we are called to do.2 Chron 7:14. FAST and PRAY. . May we be a house of prayer that we can come expectant of all that He is - because NOTHING is impossible for God!