A Word on Prayer & a Video

Jesus said to His disciples (and to us):

“Truly, Truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it!”
John 14:12-14

The Lord has been stretching me lately with how much I pray to Him. That no matter how much I do go to Him in prayer, I could and should be striving for more. That He doesn't limit things; I do. That I've taken for granted what communicating with the Savior means and how awesome it is to speak with El-Shaddai.

The Lord called me to London. Simply, I want and need the Holy Spirit to guide me, to soften hearts, to flow through the streets of London, and to do what Jesus does - save. I can't save. You can't save. Only Jesus redeems souls and places His Holy Spirit in us to dwell.

This amazing truth should have us desperate for His action, desperate to be in His presence, and desperate to follow Him. Desperate to speak with Jesus.

"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and Heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."
James 5:17 & 18

Elijah was prophet from the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, who desired to Glorify the Lord. He was a man, human, an average dude. But, the Lord worked incredibly through him because Elijah followed the Lord, was lead by the Spirit, and prayed fervently for the will of God to be done - for God to reveal himself to idol worshiping people.

Elijah's prayer on Mount Carmel when the prophets of baal tested God: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." (1 Kings 18 - read it) Elijah prayed fervently and communicated constantly with God, and huge, "impossible" things happened. A water soaked altar was engulfed by a pillar of fire sent down from Heaven and the people cried "The Lord, He is God; The Lord, He is God."

The Lord desires for London to echo "The Lord, He is God; The Lord, He is God."

Fight with me in prayer, for the Lord to redeem, and turn London from a rebellious nation to a nation worshiping Jesus once again.

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So this happened 2 days ago

The air in London is turning cool and crisp, even in midday. Quite pleasant to sit in the coolness allowing the rays of sunlight to warm me. The leaves have begun to show it. They’ve turned to bright yellows and deep oranges. Trees turning from top down, the color filtering through the green. The flowers around them are striving to their final vibrant kick of color before they pass away.

It’s everywhere.

In the fantastic blue sky, the clouds as they travel on by. In the ancient brick on which the museums, flats, and churches sit. Yes, churches sit. In the latte in which I sip. In the pigeons who collectively fly away to swoop around a tree only to land right where they took off, twice.

This autumn day is full of it. Echoes of children playing in the fields. Murmurs from the people resting on the wood surrounding. It’s around them. Some share in it, but most of London have no idea it’s here.

That He’s here.

Like the autumn leaves and flowers, their own glory will shortly last and quickly fade. Death swoops in as a black-feathered crow, starting with one, but then swiftly overruns. Death’s swoop came long ago, lasting through the ages. For how long, I don’t know. But, sin’s sting, it breaks and rages.

His beauty out lasts death’s fatal swoop, in fact, He stands having conquered it. He’s here, even as death takes, showing Himself to London town. His grace and love is all around. Everywhere I look His Glory found. His Light, the sound, even the yellowy-orange falling to the ground.

But they miss Him.

Glory so easily seen, yet, so easily missed. So simple, also complex. Darkness constantly creeping, always deceiving, until the day Light puts him away. The crow will sound as darkness cries; his reign in this town finally dies. For winter is about to begin, ice and short days do invade. Not before His Spirit dwells within, redeeming souls before they fade.

Some have found, God’s Glory around.

The Lord reviving London town, calling warriors to proclaim in Jesus name, to be witnesses of His love profound, the whisper of salvation turned into a trumpeting fame.

Worship. Yes Church, worship His Glorious Name.

Forgiveness, peace, and grace He provides, for all these broken and tormented lives. His Spirit overwhelms inside, as He starts to rise. Filling up and overflowing. Rushing out as a spring, a miraculous stream, bursting at my seams. The Truth, the Truth of Jesus, changing everything.

London 3 1/2 weeks In

Click it.

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A Night in London (vidddgeeoooo)

This is a quick video of what the Lord allowed me to be apart of last Thursday, September 24th, 2009. It was an incredible, action packed few hours, in which this video hardly does justice.

Simply and magnificently, God is Good, and God is Great.

And I had fun.

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The Free Gift

I’ve been here, in London, for almost two weeks now. Time has flown by and the Lord has worked magnitudes in that short time. The Lord has spoken, largely through His Word, where He has lead me to both Ezekiel and to Romans. It is Romans that I feel He wants me to press on this afternoon. Ezekiel will come later, when the time is right.

The Holy Spirit led me to Romans right before I arrived in London. I have continued to read through the heavy and dense material as I sit in these cultural London cafés.

The Spirit has continued to press on me that we – human, man, flesh – live in sin. We are surrounded by sin. We are consumed by sin; habits, addictions, small & large. We are sin, plain and simple. Since the Fall, humankind has been riddled by sin.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned… For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners… (Romans 5:12a & 19a).

How many of us today told a lie? How many of us cheated on a test? How many stole some money, a song off the Internet, or some food from your roommate? Men, how many of us lustfully looked at a woman? Women, how many of you gossiped or “told a friend about another friend’s problem?”

Men, we sin. Women, you sin. We all sin. Whether we like it or not, mankind are slaves to sin, to our selfishness. At times we can’t help it, and at other times, we choose to sin. We are not “good people” and believing such is a lie straight from the slippery lips of satan. Of course we all are capable of doing good, but that doesn’t make us good at our core. We, as humans, choose to do the selfish, the prideful, and let jealousy, and let anger take control. We let sin take control.

But there is freedom from sin. There is freedom from ourselves. There is freedom, period.

The freedom is found in Jesus Christ. My friends, that sin that we all do, that sin that we all are, it keeps us from being united with God. (God, the creator of the Universe we live in, that we study trying to find Him in – which, isn’t going to happen. You can’t define the creator by His creation. You can see Him in it, but not entirely.) The sin we are, keeps us from being united with God. He doesn’t want to be separated from us. He wants us. He wants us to want Him, and more so, God wants a relationship with us; much like a friendship but much sweeter.

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:24&25).

You see, God wants us so bad that He sent His Son. Himself in the flesh, Himself in man form, so that Jesus could choose to sacrifice Himself on the cross for us, for our sin. For the very thing that we are, that we do. Sin, being a wedge between man and God, has now been lifted because of Christ. Because He - being sinless - loves you (and me) so much that He died a brutal death for the crap that we choose to do, the sin we choose to do. He died for, and to that sin, but He then rose from the clutches of death, taking power over sin and over death. He wants to give that power, through the Holy Spirit, to you! He wants freedom for you!

The bottom line is this: “For when you were slaves of sin… what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death” (Romans 6:20&21). Friends, some of you are still slaves to sin, to yourselves, doing your will in life. Yeah, it seems harmless but take a second, look, and stop faking to yourselves. This is real life and there are real choices to make. Build your own kingdom – meaning, go to X college, study Y amount, get Z as a job, and make tones of money with which you can make the earth a better place. The earth, just like you and I, the money we make, and all in this world, will one day perish; one day be no more. Can’t you feel that there is something larger then you beckoning for you? That something is more like a someone, and He is the Almighty God.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God loves you. He wants, He’s jealous for a relationship with you, and He wants to show you a life that is abundant in Him. Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (sounds like sin…). I came that they (those who receive Him) may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). God wants the best for you, and that’s Himself in your life as intimate as humanly possible.

All of you reading, that don’t know Jesus, know that I’ve prayed for you to receive His love, not just a title or a lifestyle, but Him, completely. And that His Holy Spirit would fill you, fill that void you feel, the depression you feel, and the brokenness you feel. That you would surrender to Him, and experience the passion and completeness of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I’ve prayed this for you: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Romans 6:22). That you would be set free from the strangle hold of sin and its death grip. Freedom only comes through Jesus, through confession that we are sinners, and genuinely praying to receive the Holy Spirit, making Jesus Lord of our lives. Let Him in. Allow the Savior and God of the universe to flood your soul; to heal you, to breathe a breath of fresh air into your dying body. Let Him take your hopes, your worries, your life, and let Him be what you’ve been longing for, a Savior.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Receive the gift freely given — but cost Jesus sweat, shame, blood, pain, and death — done out of His love for all of us.

Thankful for the Risk OR Just Plain Terrified?

It’s been a week since I flew out of the airport in HotLanta (Atlanta) and landed in Heathrow International Airport; here in my new home of London. You see, before I departed, I was terrified of what London held for me – what and why the Lord wanted me here. The Lord gave me pieces of what and why, but not details. Details that would have disabled my fear, but also left me acting, and not depending on His guidance. Fear still overran my mind and body while I sat in Heathrow Airport trying to pray through what and where to go in the big unknown that was London.

Finally, after an hour or so, the Lord gave me courage and the sense of freedom that London offered me outside the retractable doors of Heathrow. All I had to do was allow Him to lead me and the doors would open, automatically.

Jesus wants that for you, for all of us. He wants to guide you, to lead you, to be active in your life. Let Him. Let Him lead you into the unknown so that He can show you His hand. He’s God, and He’ll show you a glimpse of His power and provision. The doors will open, like they’re automatic. Jesus commands us constantly in His Gospel to not be afraid. Fear is of man and of satan. Allow the Lord to dispel all fear and follow Him wherever it is He’s leading you. His purpose and His will are worth the unknowns He’ll have you face.

Jesus is begging you to take Him seriously and live like He did. He’s jealous for a relationship or if you are Born Again, a deeper one. He’s begging for us to take Him seriously and not just receive Him, but live under His guidance. I think it angers Him to have consumeristic Christians who simply attend a church or place God in a 15-minute time span during their day. Jesus went to the cross, died, and rose again, not just to have us be comfortable, and live faithless lives (a life so comfortable we need not have faith to walk through the day). He gave His all for us so that we may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). The Spirit, that power, that miraculous and overwhelming awesome, lives in all who proclaim Him as Lord and Savior. Its time we acted on faith and followed His Holy Spirit’s voice, and Jesus’ example. Its time we placed Him as our lives, the definition, and not just a piece in the mornings so that we can feel good and get our jollies later. He demands us—all of us. He paid for us. He deserves, and commands respect. Jesus is jealous for us and wants to show you more of Himself. He wants us to be examples of His love, His sacrifice, and His forgiveness. He wants to work so brilliantly in our lives that people can’t explain what’s happened, but give responsibility and Glory to God.

My friends, a “London” awaits you. He may have you on a cliff, had you there for weeks, calling you to jump into the unknown. Jump. He wants to show you more of His love and He can only do that if we follow where He leads. The unknown we jump into is only unknown to us, to our human, restricted minds. The Lord knows exactly why, and where He’s calling our actions. We need to trust Him. We need to remember that He is faithful—that Moses and the Exodus were real. The Lord provides. He guides with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud of smoke by day.

He’s guided that way in London. Within 24hours of arriving, He connected me with a Church-plant here in London with an awesome group of people and men on fire for Jesus. The Lord has provided for my needs like never before. His hand has been in everything. I’ve been blessed and so thankful for the sharpening fellowship Reality London provides, and the way the Lord has called people who don’t know Him to me while sitting in Starbucks. There are lost and confused people in London, and who want the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m so thankful He’s allowed me to take part, a small part, yet a part. Jesus wants us to take Him seriously. To live a life desperate for His action – I finally did – but will you?

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ (More than comforts, more than your life itself, more than all materials you have)
He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’
He said, ‘Feed my lambs.’
He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’
He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’
He said to him ‘Tend to my sheep.’
He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’
Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’…

When Peter saw him (John, following Peter and Jesus), he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’
Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?’
You follow me!’”

John 21:15-17 & 21&22.

Let Him lead. Trust in Jesus. Trust Him with your life. Let His heart become your heart and your desires will become His desires. If we love Him, then that love will show through our obedience to His call. Follow Him. There will be blood, sweat, pain, uncomfortable nights (days too), and tears. But there will be love, joy, comfort in the uncomfortable, and Jesus. Follow Him and Jesus will open the doors automatically (working by itself with little or no direct human control).

Keep Beating

Yesterday, a dear friend wrote me an email. An email that was full of encouragement and challenges. The email was full of Jesus. In the email, my friend wrote a phrase and this morning the Lord and I tweaked it a bit. I was praying through it, praying for it, and desiring to be it.

The prayer being: “Lord, prepare me to usher You (the Messiah, Jesus Christ) into London—keep me beating in Your heart of light in this decaying body of darkness; draw them to You.”

This reminds me of Psalms where constantly we are reminded of how short our lives are. How short life itself is. This also reminds me of how many people don’t know Jesus, not just in London, but also in the States, and the World. That should bother every Christ follower. He demands that we spread His love and His message of Truth to everyone. He calls us to be a beat in His heart for the world.

“A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass, and all it’s beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8

We are of grass and flowers. Our lives will last but a second; but only a beat in the time Jesus created. We must beat for Him – for His glory, His Son who will last forever.

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ who you have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.” John 17:1b-5

With His life, Jesus beat to the heart of the LORD because the Lord’s heart was Jesus’ heart. Jesus and God were one. Only Jesus can revive the decaying body that we – His Light – live amongst.

Jesus continues to pray, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” John 17:10&11

We don’t last forever, but Jesus does. Since before the world existed, He was. We are simply a beat, just as Jesus was with His earthly life. Lets have our lives beat to His heart, as one, to glorify the one True God. We do that, and London, Anderson, Clemson, -- the world – can’t help but experience Jesus.

The world would beat as one. Beg Jesus to revive the body, the city, the home, the family that are all in decay. Let His light shine through us to the cracks and deepest depths of darkness.

So I beg you, be the heart beat of Jesus in your city, at your job, in your school, in your home, at your parties, and glorify Jesus in you.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Keep beating & beg Him to revive.