YWAM Update: Nothing catches you by surprise!

This will be my 2 year reunion to being sent out to YWAM for the Earthcare DTS in Oxford (October, 2009) I'm filled up to the brim and overflowing, the perfect definition of rest. I feel like I'm in Heaven today

While praying this morning, I committed my finances to God saying I want you to lead me in this, because I want to hand this over to you afresh, turning from self-reliance and dependence. So it was a surprise to come to church and hear the preacher speak about the same thing! No one catches God by surprise! I would like to share the whole story with you.

I walked back to the YWAM base and decided I would go upto the prayer room to study Psalms, however a few people were heading down to the farmer's market in Oxford which runs every sunday. They were planning on going, but I thought there was no time, and I wanted to study the bible anyway. When I got up into the prayer room, one of the backpacker students named Sonja was up there. When I sat down, I remembered, all of a sudden, "this is a reason for rejoicing! God is victorious! Celebrate!" then I wanted to go down to the Farmer's market to spend money. While at the Farmer's market, I kept on telling everyone how God had given me excitement to spend my money.

You see, the whole experience was a setup. It took me straight back to when I was in Israel, when God had said "It's on my tab, go crazy and get whatever you want!" I just want to let you know what it feels like. It's like, He's giving me an unconditional yes! This kind of response is what I have come to expect from God. Directly following the time I spent in Israel, I took Him at his word. He said "I'm going to provide for all your outreach fees before the end of the month" I'm not supposed to go ahead from Him, I'm supposed to be walking with Him, and when I obey what He says, it's a delight. I feel a little pressure coming on as I write this.

The more that God provides, the more I say to God "I fully surrender!" at my weakest point is my strongest. I want to draw attention to a man that is mentioned in the bible. His name is Moses. He had been chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. While he lead, God was with them. He would lead them by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. It says that He was a consuming fire among them, and they trembled at hearing His voice, so much they said "we cannot bear it, from this point on do not talk to us directly" It says that they rebelled against God numerous times, and that God, I quote, said "I will destroy Israel as a nation before me and make you Moses into a nation" He must have had a high opinion of Moses. But Moses said "If you destroy them from before you as a nation the nations will say amongst themselves 'God delivered Israel from Egypt only to destroy them in the wilderness' and his name would be blasphemed" From this point on, Israel was safe. But fire would break out against them, and serpents, and destroying angels, and plagues.

What God has done in history, He will do in the future. There will be a time of anguish upon the earth where plagues are poured out on the earth globally, and the interesting power dynamics of being led by God will be openly manifest. The place is not to look backwards, it's to look forwards. If Jesus is coming again, this has to be the most foremost thing on my mind, not the last. For this reason, because I was made for this, for His return.

My dream is to raise up a generation of leaders. What a future! this is my heart for the schools that have just arrived here on base at Oxford, Backpackers and Justice. This means I'm more about the team effort, I just can't do it without others - we need each other to remind of the promises and good testimonies of God.

I really know that God has chosen me - because He's doing everything! That means I can't do anything! I will turn to Him and ask Him what's next. And I just have to look and see what he's done for me. That's actually a promise He gave me while on the DTS 2 years ago. He gets all the attention now! Bless you heaps and I want to catch up!

Deceitfulness of wealth/Power of faith

Today I had some very troubling times, predominantly caused by anxiety and stress over finances - receiving wealth. There is a song by Laura Hackett called "I Put on Christ" some of the lyrics are really speaking to me right now:

Rise up, my soul, and start praying
'Cause I don't want to be defenseless

What if there is a connection between that? What if our war is against a kingdom that loads us down with burdens and unbelief and dissatisfaction of God's fullness. Yes there is, there is a war going on a war for our souls. Even us who know Jesus Christ, whom has saved us by his blood, there continues a large fight on this earth. A kingdom that is forcefully advancing. There is a war going on. Between the Kingdom of Darkness that puts blinders on our eyes, a world of mammon. Yes, I want to say, that it is predominantly a war against our soul. There are some scriptures that come to mind:

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 16:24-28 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

I will not quote the whole passage, but the pre-eminent one is in Matthew 19, the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus is making a example here. He's saying for anyone with worldly wealth, sell everything, give it away to the poor, and come follow Him. The two verses that I have put up strengthen the story. He goes on, after saying "come follow me" he says "How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God!" But, what is impossible to man is possible to God. How can anyone be saved? (they ask, meaning, who will inherit the next age?) He promises anyone who follows Him in this way will inherit riches in the age to come. He is using an argument that He uses alot, that is, why should you die? you shall live through me! He is giving a better alternative, Himself, poured out by the Spirit.

How important it is that we stay accountable to each other! As often as I rise up in faith and believe His promises are good, but while I am troubled inside and confused, then I can't believe. The importance for coming together is in encouragement - so that faith will rise up! We are in a battle, a war for our very selfs. It's not just a surface level problem with financial anxiety. We are in the cockpit, flying the plane, it's us that could get taken out! What is at stakes here is Jesus! Our soul life, our redeemer, lover, savior. Believe me when I say when the battle is raging the least of my concerns is if I get money or not, I'm being coerced into saying Jesus does not satisfy, the greatest dream of my heart.

It's a lie that says you can be satisfied by possessions! You see faith works the opposite of the world. The world says this "I have been here before! I know what I'm doing" Faith says "I have never been here before, and this is completely new!" As it is written: "Choose you this day whom you will serve... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" and "This is the day the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it!" In fact, at this moment. It's not just a day. At this moment! The world is saying this. "We create wealth by accumulating wealth" Faith says this "Just as God created light out of darkness, so God creates wealth out of nothing!" This is a financial power encounter for you today in the Spirit realm, to be set free into freedom. The wisdom is foolishness to the world, it says "Do not stop giving! do not stop tithing!" put yourself in voluntary weakness financially. God is not interested in the finances, he's interested in cultivating your heart, and watching it expand and grow.

So that you'll say "I can dream big dreams!" Basically, give away, hilariously! watch God come through big time! this is reasonable logic.
Of all the things that I've said, I like the most, that Jesus links soul life to an assaulting of the kingdom of darkness, primarily in the realm of finances because that is the Spirit of this age. He is so beautiful! He is so gorgeous and lovely. And I hold the key to His heart.

I want to suggest that the deceitfulness of wealth, mentioned in Matthew 13 is there because it will be the greatest cause for concern before His Kingdom comes in fullness. Think of fear, depression, rage, anger, hopelessness, bitterness, cancers, lust, adultery. This ground cannot bring the kind of peace and wellbeing that we crave.