Vision 2011

3rd Gear.

Tonight the girls and I attended a New Year's Eve party at the home of Tanya and Stefan.  And I just have to say for the record, I feel straight-up loved by this precious, German missionary couple.

About 45 minutes before midnight, we broke up into small groups.  We each shared something that we were thankful for from the past year; as well as, something that we were believing God for in the upcoming year.  Then we prayed for one another.

One of the young ladies in our group was really honest about how she was feeling towards God and people.  She said she was starting to feel like she didn't want anything to do with God and like she didn't belong in our fellowship. (Oh, how often have I felt like this?  And I'm thankful that God is not shocked by our religious fears) -  But as she was vulnerable and brought to light what was in her heart, the Spirit of Truth and the love of God just overwhelmed me.  I say the Spirit of Truth because it was so crystal clear to me that a spirit of religion was destroying this woman.


'For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' - 2 Corinthians 3:6


Only a religious, false view of God would cause you to believe that you would want nothing to do with God and that you don't belong in the body.  But the true, living God... now that's another story.

Jesus, the exact image of the invisible God, the expression of the Father and God, Himself; this Man, this King, He is glorious!  His eyes burn with flames of fire.  He is full of jealous love.  Tender mercies and grace flow from Him.  His love shatters fear.  It covers and fills every broken and hurting place.  He gave Himself to forgiveness and His love never fails.  He never fails.  This Man, and only this Man, Christ Jesus, completes us.  He fills all in all.

I felt the power of the love of God as I prayed for this woman.  The love of God is so strong.  It is so incredibly powerful.  It is like a flood of great waters.  What can stand against the power of this love?  Nothing.  It is the great equalizer.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and it never fails.  His love levels everything.  Insurmountable mountains are brought low and valleys are raised high.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” - Isaiah 40:3-5

Hmm, 'Comfort my people, says your God,' 'her sin has been paid for'
'in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord,' 
'Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'  Interesting...

Downshift into 2nd gear.

I've been praying for vision as I try to find my purpose here.  I believe I'm here for young people.  Especially, brothers.

Down again, into 1st.

His word that sent me here was, Song of Solomon 1:8, 'Go forth on the trail of the flock and pasture your young goats by the tents of the shepherds.'

Back in to 2nd.

Since I've been here, I've been struggling to find my place.  I've been searching for the trail, the flock, the young goats, and the shepherds, but they're not here!

I think the girls from Dwelling Place and I are the only consistent church members under the age of 30 - no 'young' goats to pasture, and need I say, no bro's?  Part of our flock is out of the country and one of the shepherds is in Sweden with a whirlwind tour abroad in the weeks to come.  And concerning the trail, Tommie's words to me were, 'Back in the States, the roads are already dug and paved.  Here, you have to make your own road.'

Hmm, this sounds like a wilderness, or a desert, or a valley of dry bones...

And I hear Him say, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones...
Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'
"Thus says the Lord God to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.  And I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.'"
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life, and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. - Ezekiel 37: 1,3-6, 10

So we will prophesy the word of the Lord to this valley of dry bones.  'The motherlands of the gospel shall give birth again.'  They shall give birth by the Spirit, for the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. - Galatians 4:26

Redlining 2nd. Hit 3rd gear.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died - 2 Corinthians 5:14 
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. - John 12:32

I don't know if anyone has ever been theologically debated into the kingdom of God.  I know I wasn't.  People manifested the love of God to me and led me to the Man that manifested the love of God to the world.  Then I began to manifest the love of God to people.

And so armed with the Spirit and the power of the love of God, we will clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.  Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low.  Let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley.  Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Pray for us as we prophesy to the rising army in this land and live to love people into the kingdom of God through His Spirit.