I'm endeavouring on a new project

I just sat down with my Mum, my Aunt, and my self. I was sharing about how I wanted to let them know that I would probably be moving into a flat on Manchester St. It's just one street over from the place that I'm living. This will make it easier to stay in the same neck of the woods that I have been for just under 2 years. It will also mean that I do not need to alter my life too much. Fingers crossed.

It got onto talking about my flat mate potentially moving out, how would I cope with that? how would I cope with having to get to know some new people all over again? Though these are all important things, I felt like my mind was wandering onto a new subject. It's the issue of community. we've become very good at hiding ourselves from other people. I mean that it's not possible to live in your own world with the alarm bell ringing at 6, breakfast at 7, work at 8, dinner at 6, and sleep at 10 (or 11 if you are a night owl) it's not possible because it neither satisfies, nor is the reason that we were created. We were created for community, for vulnerable honesty, to get to know people, to have joy and laughter, to congragate and tell stories, stories of your upbringing, stories of your experience of God, stories that shape and mould us. In light of this what are we doing? are we content? do we really believe what we say? it's easy to say that you are content in your life, but do dance clubs satisfy? do hours on a controller leave you feeling better afterwards? do food and water, hunger and thirst satisfy you? to this God says a resounding "no" and it was never His intention.

We stand at a crossroads in our lives and the way everything has been told to us, we stand at a junction in history where that is threatened to be swallowed up entirely, and many of us are not even aware of it. In this way what the scriptures say about what will happen is vitally important. but it really comes to us to be able to find out what God is saying. If I mentioned a few issues of our day, would you know what I'm talking about? Abortion, gay marriage, the injustice of persecution towards Christians and Muslims in the middle east, the sex trade industry (on our doorsteps) to all of this if we remain silent, we agree with what is happening. How so? because where we stand on issues is where we stand on the culture that we've been brought up in. And culture is important, is the fabric by which families, society, and indeed nations are built upon. A culture that honors the father and mother is one that will stand. One that demands justice at the cost of others lives, demands them without any legal basis, demands to ruin a society. and it's not so subtle either. Look on the news, look on your favourite TV shows, they are filled with the lies of which we have been comfortably treatised by for our whole lives. It's because culture tells you how to act, and what is important. It's as vital as the questions "Where do I come from? and What is my meaning in life?"

So do you agree that we are at a crossroads? we are on the verge of the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the history of mankind. An outpouring that promises to transform nations, revitalize our identity, give our hearts the things that we have been so desperately searching for but do not find, and return us to a love for the truth. We are also on the eve of technology that enables us to do this. the importance of reading and writing (made a mockery of in our school systems by replacing it with digital image and peoples opinions) will once again find an expression in our hearts and our cultures, our communities, our nations. how is this going to happen? it's going to come, from the least of all places, the computer. We have grown up in a generation that has been detached from reality but no more. we have also grown up in a generation that don't know common sense when they see it. For an example i say. "we've made computer systems with abilities to organize data, by topic, but not by usefulness" and as a result there's a schism between computer users (in general) and those that are "not nerds, and geeks" who have never used a computer in their life, and do not know how to use it.

I'm endeavouring to start a new project. I'm wanting to make my computer use rooted in reality. I'm wanting to brainstorm ideas for creatively staying in contact with people that are on the other side of the world. I'm actually promoting the thing that we want the most, which is to talk, laugh and do stuff together. but for that to happen, we need a reformation, and it must start soon! all the computer waves of the last 30 years have been focused on what the world wants, what the world needs, and we've followed after it. but there will be a time coming when the greatest creations will come out of people that use technology to impact their very lives. Do I say this as outside of scripture? do I not know that anything that is going to happen must be preceded by an actual scripture? an actual example from scripture. Consider Sinai. The day that the earth shook, the day that God's words were heard from the Mountain, indeed were reverberating inside of them. Does not this sound like God? something happening from within that finds expression in the way that we do life. It also gives precedent to Jesus, the word of God, that dwells inside of us. i'm not the only one, there are not enough books in the world to write all that is going to happen. indeed the Holy Spirit bears me witness saying "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions" do you not know what scripture says. "The Lord has spoken, who can but prophesy?" it was a defence of His ministry. He did not care for applause so He said it as it is. Do I tremble when He speaks? do I shake with my body at the applause of Heaven as He testifies to me and says "You're coming with ME?" without the reward of God none of us will do anything. Our vision is too low. What he has in store will be that of earth-shaking magnitude. He will set all wrongs right, he will judge the rebellious. He will punish the insubordinate.

As is the habit of most, I have not really even started. But my mind is feeble and my body knows it. I tried to make it make sense to you, but the remarkable thing is, he actually speaks to me. It just makes me tremble the fullness of what He has instore for us. What I mean by that, is my days and hours and weeks and years will all be consumed in the reality, the knowledge, the glory of Him. How could it be any other way? Don't settle for second best. don't settle for riches or fame or money. or indeed, for any number of pleasures related to "conforming to the crowd" they don't know where they're going and they have no clue about the desperate need that they have. That just means what it says. People, how can cheap thrills satisfy? can they tell you who you are? can they love you? this is all in the hope that you will love Him, for only in relationship with Him can you rightly discover what He has for you. It's not about a position that you attain to, it's not the recognition of what you've done. He has such brilliant plans for you, because you are His own. He loves you because that's the least to be done. He likes you for loving Him. and it will be right to say in that day "You are worth it all"

Many of you cherish friends far more than I do. I go months without thinking of people. that said, I also remember you each day. But I am so excited to make this work properly. it's because I've bought into the lies that the world has told me, that you can live your life without affecting others. Each of you are precious to my heart and worth all the time that I've known you. If you don't know that, then ask me if I pray for you. So did Jesus when He was on the cross. He was remembering His final prayer. it was only His prayer that was accepted before God. It was His prayer that connected Him with the heart of us, and would not let go until all are "with Him where you are"

Remembering and Dreaming

This day a year ago, some things happened that I want to hold in remembrance.

My heart was in a dilemma in asking the missions committee at my church, to place the thing that I treasure most, being in Israel, into their hands. I came back to the prayer room after the conversation, and though I had been unable to really communicate what was on my heart, God saw it, and said "I am going to be with You in Israel" - He gave me the peace that I was looking for.

A reminder that after having a dream of Davaun and I with my computer, I would be praying for my computer which currently did not work in an investment of the dream of the same fact - being in Israel with Davaun using the computer that I had in my hands, in fact, part way through this prayer vigil I sensed that I may be selling the computer for finances. Something to ponder on. (I kept the computer with me every day and would pray for it every morning - believing that It's by faith that miracles happen)

I also had a re-energizing of the promise of being in New Zealand, this land being my inheritance. This happened after giving to God what I had been desiring - to go. Realizing that He was calling me to stay - in Oxford. This is a life-time commitment! Where everyone else may go, I will stay, investing in this place. We need us! This then is worship, because God has said it. After I confessed and said "I make this nation my inheritance" I heard him say "You will stand here"

What is boiling on my heart are two promises. The first is from Isaiah 59:

"He saw that [there was] no man, And wondered that [there was] no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him."

What a heart piercing cry. There was no one who was eager to stand with Him. I understand that these promises are indeed very precious, to peer into God's heart and find a love that is fully committed to Justice. I will not attempt to disect these verses, I will let them speak for themselves. 

The second promise is He said to me: "Dream big dreams" take time to dream big. This is where my identity lies, it's not in what I do, it's in the dreams that I have in my heart. One thing that I've learnt is that God wants me to be with Him. Co-creating - Father and Son.

YWAM Update: Dreaming

I would like to hail you from the fresh North Cantabrian town of Oxford, home to two wonderful chefs. I would like you to know that I have been stunned, and taken, by the events of the last few weeks. I have put up some photos, all of which have happened in our base of YWAM. A few weeks ago, two new schools arrived, both the backpackers, and the Justice school. We have students from America, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Austria, England, and Finland. They arrived, just in time, to become preparation for the YWAM National Gathering, where we hosted people from the oakridge base in North North Island, Mangere, Tauranga (Marine Reach, and Impact World Tour) and Matamata.

I will comment on the 4 photos to the right. (top to bottom)
Hopping in a van with some students from Backpackers (Sam, Nate, Karissa and Seth) to goto the city
With food in our hands, hoping to bless someone in Sumner
A homeless man(!) actually, we had a dress up night which is called "Love Feast" - part of Angels and Mortals week, where we bless someone with random secret acts of grace.
Dressed up as Luigi, with Rebecca dressed up as Danny Zuko (gnarly!)

There are so many stories, too many to recount here, where God showed up, imparted direction and vision, and gave me a thirst for more of Him. It feels strange to not share about it everywhere. But what I would really like to share today is what he's done in my heart in the last day.

After I came back from Israel, I was invited by Colleen Robb to speak about my experience, at a church service in November, well, this weekend it happened! Though I haven't met any of them before (Colleen and her team were there for it) I felt right at home and welcomed everyone to fellowship. It's really sparked me unexpectedly, as I was sharing, in teaching more of my experience, that I get blessed by more revelation.

Unexpectedly, it took me back to Israel. I'm so glad that my life is not in my hands, because the whole message of Dreaming had completely left my memory. To be reminded of it, was, to say the least, a breath of fresh air, and relief. Actually, it's the most stressful thing to think about, if you look at it from the perspective of someone who finds it difficult to sleep. You cannot tell someone to dream - when I came back from Israel I had the predicament of trying to describe this, to people, when what I'm trying to impart, is dreams. Not only is this the most important thing to me in existance now, but it's also the only thing that matters.

This is the hardest thing for me to communicate, inspiring people to dream that I'm just not going to try!

That makes me think of Father. (God, that is) I go up and I just recline, like a baby, feeding from my Mother's breast, and I am filled! with ecstacy. Because I have all that I need. You just changed my paradigm (I'm thinking of my friend David!) You just won - invincible. You just ruined me. I'm bought, I'm totally there.

I will be leaving to goto Tauranga, as lead by the Spirit, not knowing what is going to happen, but glorying in God in the knowledge that I'm going, and that He knows what is going to happen. Fun-filled, enjoyable, surprising, exciting life - that is my Father. I will be leaving on the 18th of November, to stay for a week- He makes all my steps to walk in peace, when I know what He has done I am left speechless, and full of His love.

Dreaming and taking Risks

I'm celebrating being able to share that, wanting to goto Israel, I have now been to Israel! It's something to be able to say that 2 weeks prior to leaving I began to receive finances to go and then left on the 30th to leave for Israel, where I've never been before!

The one thing that has been occuring over and over during this whole process is dreaming. I cannot give dreams to others, but dreams happen when you have hope.

Dreaming with Jesus

refer to John Chapter 2.

Did Jesus pick healing the sick, or driving out demons, or proclaiming the good news, or forgiving sin as His first miracle? What miracle did He first perform. Now we know that He performed this one first, because in verse 11 it says:

"This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."

now technically He had been operating in the supernatural before this, He said to Nathanael "I saw you under the fig tree"

But God can say what He wants, this is the first miracle.

Name it and claim it!

My summary is this: You have a question that is about naming and claiming scripture. I ask you a question. Do you accept the testimony of another? If you think about it, the issue is not with heresy, but with believing in yourself. We need more of those! And we need more bereans who have made mistakes! and who allow people to make mistakes. Bereans are those who have diligent studied the scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Dream of praying for persecutors

I recently had a dream where in I was held at gun point but said "do what you want I can't die" Would you consider watching the video and praying for those involved? This is an incredible opportunity to partner in with the Lord in this city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy80odDyIOk