This past week I had the opportunity to travel to Coorg which is in southeast India in the Western Ghats. The area is so beautiful and peaceful. No more car horns or constant exhaust smell. It was a great time to process all that the Lord has been doing for the past two months, and even get a little rest in before coming back to the city for two more weeks.
It's in those times that I just want to sit with God and dream with Him. "Lord these are my desires. How can we achieve them." In second Samuel God tells David that He was willing to give him any desire. That's because David's heart was so interwoven with God's that nothing David asked for was in the realm of vanity. When we are close to Him, His desires become ours.
I believe some of us have this mentality that God is so huge(which is true) and we are these incredible sinners(which is not true, we're saints) that we don't want to bother God with our "petty" inquiries. What we fail to realize though is that our Daddy loves us so much. He saved us, and we are his children, and there is nothing too small that He won't give to us. I'm not talking about a "health, wealth, and prosperity" gospel, but what I am takling about is a Daddy soo giving that just loves to pour Himself out on His kids. God is a holistic God. He covers every need and desire. Like I said earlier, when our heart is near to His, our desires our His desires. "How much more will the Father in heaven give good gifts to those that ask Him?(Matthew 7)"
When we were kids we had faith and hearts that viewed nothing as unnatainable, and now we are children of the most gracious Giver. So just open your hearts and your palms to the heavens, and start to dream again. Pray hard and obnoxiously! It's Christmas 365 days a year!
Weston
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Lower Still
In 1904 a young Evan Roberts prayed the prayer "Bend me, oh Lord." It was this confession of submission to God that springboarded the Welsh Revival, seeing over 100,000 new believers give their lives to Jesus within a year.
Jesus calls us to live a life lower still. Jesus, how much time should I spend with you? Lower still. How should I love my spouse? Lower still. What does it look like to give to those around me? Lower still. How do I love? Lower still. Heidi Baker said, "...draw us into a life of living even lower still, leading us on the low road--the only road forward--until we become as desperate for God as the poor are for daily bread."
I think we feel as if we're missing something when we live prostrate. In reality, though, we're prostrated at the feet of the Giver. No one gives good gifts like the Father. We pour ourselves out to Him and those around us, and He fills us back up. We bend ourselves, but it's His love and grace that keeps us from breaking.
Jesus give us a revelation of what it looks like to live lower still. I need to be facedown on the ground in humble submission to You. You are the awesome, uncreated, creator who loves me, and I want Your thick, tangible presence which is found only when I'm lower still.
Weston
Jesus calls us to live a life lower still. Jesus, how much time should I spend with you? Lower still. How should I love my spouse? Lower still. What does it look like to give to those around me? Lower still. How do I love? Lower still. Heidi Baker said, "...draw us into a life of living even lower still, leading us on the low road--the only road forward--until we become as desperate for God as the poor are for daily bread."
I think we feel as if we're missing something when we live prostrate. In reality, though, we're prostrated at the feet of the Giver. No one gives good gifts like the Father. We pour ourselves out to Him and those around us, and He fills us back up. We bend ourselves, but it's His love and grace that keeps us from breaking.
Jesus give us a revelation of what it looks like to live lower still. I need to be facedown on the ground in humble submission to You. You are the awesome, uncreated, creator who loves me, and I want Your thick, tangible presence which is found only when I'm lower still.
Weston
Friday, June 18, 2010
Shika Baba
Hey family and friends!
First, I love each of you and can't wait to see you! 3 more weeks! God has been moving so much since I last posted. Salvations, healings, the love of Jesus being displayed in the city by the multitiudes, daily. Praise God! I was watching a Bill Johnson teaching and he said, "I'm alive for one thing, to see a move of God transform society. I don't have anything else going on." God is moving. He's moving here and He's moving in America. Revival's coming to Oklahoma. It's coming to Norman. It's coming to Duncan. It's going to sweep. God make me a carrier of revival.
You caught me at a bold moment, but it's exactly who God says we are. Right now God is pouring identity in me. I am who He says I am. I've resolved that. God is raising a people of apostolic passion. A people who will not take no for an answer. Who refuse to listen to the lies of the devil. God is anointing men and women right now who will carry that apostolic anointing. Right now my heart is going out to my hometown and how desperation and relentless passion will spark revival in the city. I see churches filled because of how tangible and powerful the presence of God is in them. I see youth's pastoring those around them with the presence of the Spirit. Homeless, poor, sick, hungry are filled and clothed by the compassionate body of Christ. I see men and women resolving their identity in the Lord. People who refuse to be depressed, sick, lonely because of the presence of God that is upon them. I picture this city as a place that declares Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn..."
God gave me this verse this morning, not only for myself but for the city of Duncan. This will be a year of favor from the Lord. Revival will come not through special services or programs, but by being the hands and feet of Jesus in our schools, workplaces, and carrying His presence with us.
Shika Baba. It's a Swahili term for 'hold onto the Father.' How do we see, experience, feel, live revival? We shika baba. We hold onto the goodness of the Father and we don't let go. We aren't miffed by the devils schemes but we declare over ourselves our identity in Jesus. We have the mind of Christ. We are new. We are no longer depraved. We are carriers of the Spirit, and we're leaking Him onto those around us.
Whew,
Weston
First, I love each of you and can't wait to see you! 3 more weeks! God has been moving so much since I last posted. Salvations, healings, the love of Jesus being displayed in the city by the multitiudes, daily. Praise God! I was watching a Bill Johnson teaching and he said, "I'm alive for one thing, to see a move of God transform society. I don't have anything else going on." God is moving. He's moving here and He's moving in America. Revival's coming to Oklahoma. It's coming to Norman. It's coming to Duncan. It's going to sweep. God make me a carrier of revival.
You caught me at a bold moment, but it's exactly who God says we are. Right now God is pouring identity in me. I am who He says I am. I've resolved that. God is raising a people of apostolic passion. A people who will not take no for an answer. Who refuse to listen to the lies of the devil. God is anointing men and women right now who will carry that apostolic anointing. Right now my heart is going out to my hometown and how desperation and relentless passion will spark revival in the city. I see churches filled because of how tangible and powerful the presence of God is in them. I see youth's pastoring those around them with the presence of the Spirit. Homeless, poor, sick, hungry are filled and clothed by the compassionate body of Christ. I see men and women resolving their identity in the Lord. People who refuse to be depressed, sick, lonely because of the presence of God that is upon them. I picture this city as a place that declares Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn..."
God gave me this verse this morning, not only for myself but for the city of Duncan. This will be a year of favor from the Lord. Revival will come not through special services or programs, but by being the hands and feet of Jesus in our schools, workplaces, and carrying His presence with us.
Shika Baba. It's a Swahili term for 'hold onto the Father.' How do we see, experience, feel, live revival? We shika baba. We hold onto the goodness of the Father and we don't let go. We aren't miffed by the devils schemes but we declare over ourselves our identity in Jesus. We have the mind of Christ. We are new. We are no longer depraved. We are carriers of the Spirit, and we're leaking Him onto those around us.
Whew,
Weston
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Oh Piercing Joy or Pruning
How I spent my quiet time:
Oh piercing joy you never come too late,
Rip through my stomach like shards of clay.
Broken and smashed against solid ground,
Unleashed anointing oil shows the smile You've found.
Oh Lord Your iron is sharp,
It cuts through my flesh like a rippling barb.
Each cut inches closer to the Christ in me,
Affliction upon affliction, electric until screams and
Rest...
Oh piercing joy You never come too late,
Cascade through my chest like light in the day.
Cooling sensations streaming down skin,
Chills the aches and the pains, inches till dim.
Winds of love just striving to blast,
Uncovered rubble and piled up ash.
I'm half the man I used to be,
I'm my Father's half and He's set me free.
Meditations on John 15:1-11
Pruning can be rough and painful, but it's for our joy and His glory
Oh piercing joy you never come too late,
Rip through my stomach like shards of clay.
Broken and smashed against solid ground,
Unleashed anointing oil shows the smile You've found.
Oh Lord Your iron is sharp,
It cuts through my flesh like a rippling barb.
Each cut inches closer to the Christ in me,
Affliction upon affliction, electric until screams and
Rest...
Oh piercing joy You never come too late,
Cascade through my chest like light in the day.
Cooling sensations streaming down skin,
Chills the aches and the pains, inches till dim.
Winds of love just striving to blast,
Uncovered rubble and piled up ash.
I'm half the man I used to be,
I'm my Father's half and He's set me free.
Meditations on John 15:1-11
Pruning can be rough and painful, but it's for our joy and His glory
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Approach & God's Love In It
The transfer of anxiety to excitement is in the reason for the approach. A future glory in comparison to present gain is worth an eternity. What one sees as dutiful the other sees as freedom. What one calls stress and fear of sharing, the other calls peace from within. Jesus' mandate "Go and make" is the approach. "Come and I will give you rest" is something you find in the approach. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is being received with each step toward the receiver. We have never been more filled up than prior to the impartation of the Spirit into one's heart as an initiator. We are filled in worship and other acts that display our love for God, but at the moment of reproduction we are fully immersed in the Spirit beyond any comparison.
Sharing Jesus is falling in love. It's this natural happening that takes place when the Holy Spirit connects the words, demeanor, presence of one person to the heart and soul of another. Just like love, this encounter can take many forms: tears, laughter, racing heartbeat, slight confusion, being unsettled with excitement, peace, joy, but it all happens with a smitten heart.
Varying loves can take varying periods to get over. From a few years to a lifetime. But the transcendence of God's love to the heart of man ecplipses both hearts in such a way that mountains melt into liquid for a display of splendor nowhere equal to the love that God has for the recieved one. This love transcends time. There has never been a creation that is so inescapable. There has never been a song, or a poem, or a book, or an experience that has fully explained it. Jesus' act of love surpasses His written Word. It floods our greatest emotions. Outperforms our greatest acts.
Weston
Sharing Jesus is falling in love. It's this natural happening that takes place when the Holy Spirit connects the words, demeanor, presence of one person to the heart and soul of another. Just like love, this encounter can take many forms: tears, laughter, racing heartbeat, slight confusion, being unsettled with excitement, peace, joy, but it all happens with a smitten heart.
Varying loves can take varying periods to get over. From a few years to a lifetime. But the transcendence of God's love to the heart of man ecplipses both hearts in such a way that mountains melt into liquid for a display of splendor nowhere equal to the love that God has for the recieved one. This love transcends time. There has never been a creation that is so inescapable. There has never been a song, or a poem, or a book, or an experience that has fully explained it. Jesus' act of love surpasses His written Word. It floods our greatest emotions. Outperforms our greatest acts.
Weston
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Monsoon Season
Hello friends and family! So sorry I'm just now posting, but our internet has been down for the last ten or so days. I'll make it extra long.
I think it's finally sunk in that this place is our home for a month and a half, and we've got the pace of life down pretty well. I love this city, and the rapport that the city and I have is "so nice*". The city is so adventurous and there's always something interesting happening and something fun to do. What my day usually looks like is waking up around 6:30 or 7, soaking** and spending time with Jesus, enjoying a wonderful breakfast by our good friend and landlord S, going to the gym and workout and share Jesus, hit up the city for a couple hours(maybe go to my favorite coffee shop soak more and share), lunch, intern team time in the afternoon, go out and bless the city in the late aternoon, dinner, more heaven on earth after dinner, sleep.
This is a basic outline of what we do. We sow and soak, sow and soak. We also get the blessing of being able to share and hangout with the short term teams (SST) from America, and helping them with the city as much as possible. Our priority in the School of Breakthrough is to get a breathrough to give a breakthrough. In other words everything that God is doing in each of our lives we pour and minister out in the city. So much fun!
We are seeing some incredible things in this city! People being healed, numerous salvations daily, peoples lives being changes, incredible words of knowledge that are right on! God is pouring Himself over this region in a powerful, powerful way!
One of my favorite stories thus far was when one of our SST members was sharing Jesus with a young man who was an atheist, they had a discussion about the Gospel and the man wasn't showing much interest. The team member got a word of knowledge about a cruise line. He then asked the man if he has ever wanted to own a cruise line, just a shot in the dark. The man then claimed that it was his dream to be a cruise line owner! After that the team member got to share about God's desire to bless him and have a relationship with him. And right there the young man accepted Jesus! Thank you Jesus!
This is just one of many ridiculous, awesome salvation stories that we've seen and got to be a part of.
Bill Johnson said that "the pieces of our life build up to one moment, 'Well done good and faithful servant' and at that moment nothing else will matter." That statement has been something I've been chewing on for the last couple of days. What a blessing and honor it is to be ministering in South India, but even when I focus on what I'm doing and try to give to it fully, I know that there is so much more that God has for me.
The past couple of days in my times with Jesus, He has told me that I am about to experience a season of life I've never experienced before. It was exciting and odd at the same time seeing as that I am halfway across the world living a life that I've never lived before. But that irony is the character of God. When you feel like you know Him and when you feel like your fully experiening Him, he turns around and says "But I have soo much more for you. You're only scratching the surface of the gifts, blessings, and intimacy we will share together."
I love each of you tremendously and I hope this has blessed you today!
Weston
* "So nice" is a term we hear and say a lot here.
** Soaking is when you practice experiencing the presence of God. No agenda. Just a place of peace and rest in His presence.
p.s. It's monsoon season here for those that love to get caught in the rain! Hosea 6:3
I think it's finally sunk in that this place is our home for a month and a half, and we've got the pace of life down pretty well. I love this city, and the rapport that the city and I have is "so nice*". The city is so adventurous and there's always something interesting happening and something fun to do. What my day usually looks like is waking up around 6:30 or 7, soaking** and spending time with Jesus, enjoying a wonderful breakfast by our good friend and landlord S, going to the gym and workout and share Jesus, hit up the city for a couple hours(maybe go to my favorite coffee shop soak more and share), lunch, intern team time in the afternoon, go out and bless the city in the late aternoon, dinner, more heaven on earth after dinner, sleep.
This is a basic outline of what we do. We sow and soak, sow and soak. We also get the blessing of being able to share and hangout with the short term teams (SST) from America, and helping them with the city as much as possible. Our priority in the School of Breakthrough is to get a breathrough to give a breakthrough. In other words everything that God is doing in each of our lives we pour and minister out in the city. So much fun!
We are seeing some incredible things in this city! People being healed, numerous salvations daily, peoples lives being changes, incredible words of knowledge that are right on! God is pouring Himself over this region in a powerful, powerful way!
One of my favorite stories thus far was when one of our SST members was sharing Jesus with a young man who was an atheist, they had a discussion about the Gospel and the man wasn't showing much interest. The team member got a word of knowledge about a cruise line. He then asked the man if he has ever wanted to own a cruise line, just a shot in the dark. The man then claimed that it was his dream to be a cruise line owner! After that the team member got to share about God's desire to bless him and have a relationship with him. And right there the young man accepted Jesus! Thank you Jesus!
This is just one of many ridiculous, awesome salvation stories that we've seen and got to be a part of.
Bill Johnson said that "the pieces of our life build up to one moment, 'Well done good and faithful servant' and at that moment nothing else will matter." That statement has been something I've been chewing on for the last couple of days. What a blessing and honor it is to be ministering in South India, but even when I focus on what I'm doing and try to give to it fully, I know that there is so much more that God has for me.
The past couple of days in my times with Jesus, He has told me that I am about to experience a season of life I've never experienced before. It was exciting and odd at the same time seeing as that I am halfway across the world living a life that I've never lived before. But that irony is the character of God. When you feel like you know Him and when you feel like your fully experiening Him, he turns around and says "But I have soo much more for you. You're only scratching the surface of the gifts, blessings, and intimacy we will share together."
I love each of you tremendously and I hope this has blessed you today!
Weston
* "So nice" is a term we hear and say a lot here.
** Soaking is when you practice experiencing the presence of God. No agenda. Just a place of peace and rest in His presence.
p.s. It's monsoon season here for those that love to get caught in the rain! Hosea 6:3
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