The Reign of Power

Recently God has been revealing Himself to me as a Lion, full of splendor, majesty, and might. And very recently, I've seen that same Lion emerging from a cave; not in weakness but full of power. As He appears out of hiding and into the light, He lets out a mighty roar as the ground trembles before Him. I, awestruck and terrified can't help but feel the power and authority He carries and fall down before Him. I know who He is, and I know what He is capable of doing, and I only wish to give Him all the honor and respect due to His name. But then, instead of passing me by, He, the one who holds all power and wisdom, sits down beside me and begins to speak. The one who rules the earth knows me by name.

This scene that has played itself out in my mind's eye has ignited a quickening in my heart that won't be quieted. I just can't get over how powerful He is. I just can't get over who He is. He is the I AM. There seems to be no word brilliant or powerful enough to describe His nature. He just IS. He is everything. And He holds all authority in Heaven and in Earth. I feel that in some ways we've lost sight of this reality. Maybe it is a lack of encounter with this power, or maybe it is that our own theologies have given Him limited room to display all that He is. You can't expect the God of the universe to fit into a nice compact box. Maybe we haven't seen this raw display of power because we've settled for a house cat instead of Lion. House cats are manageable and predictable. But a Lion, well a lion is king of the jungle, and terrifyingly unpredictable at times. God is not predictable nor can He be controlled by mere humans. He is God and He can move anyway He wants. And I believe He enjoys doing this, moving in such a way that when He think we have Him figured out He changes again, destroying any new boxes that we tried to trap Him in. This to some is utterly terrifying because it means lose of control and when you aren't in control you have to trust. Furthermore, trust to some is the greatest of all fears because trust means dependency. When you can't rely on yourself, you have to humble yourself, taking on the likeness of a needy dependent child. In our culture this is viewed negatively because to be needy, means to be reliant. And to be dependent means to be vulnerable. Both of which put us in weak states which aren't appealing. But our strength doesn't come from us, it never has. It comes from Him. If we didn't have an all powerful, good, protective, loving Father we would have reason to fear these things. But we do have that Father, and He is a powerful Lion. So really in the end it all comes down to faith. Do you believe God is who He says He is?

I feel there is a change coming soon to the body of Christ. And I believe it will even start to show it's face as early as 2013. It will be a reign of power. The Lion is coming out of the cave with a mighty roar and the nations will see His emerging. I believe the holy fear and reverence of God will be restored back to the people He created. Once the world sees His power, majesty, and wonders, they will not be able to doubt the existence of spiritual things. It will be displayed before their very eyes. And they will be left with a choice, to accept or reject this God they see set before them. Those who once didn't believe in the supernatural, will no longer have an excuse. He is coming back. And He is pouring out His spirit on the church in a mighty way. He who is the I AM, is coming in power. And I believe it will be a lot like the times of Daniel where God used completely yielded people to display signs and wonders to people in high positions of influence; such as, world leaders, people of influence in media, influential college professors, people in government etc. The time is coming where the world will seek out Christian's insight and advice instead of mocking and disregarding their counsel. The knowledge they possess will be respected and sought after, such as in the time of Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar and King Darius continually came to Daniel for interpretation of dreams and insight on supernatural events. God is raising up Daniels in this generation, people of tact, intelligence, and out standing wisdom. People that aren't afraid to die for what they believe. People that aren't afraid of Kings and know how to dine with them without being corrupted by them. I believe in doing this He is preparing His bride with power and honor for the wedding day that is approaching. He is preparing the church to steward what Jesus died for them to have. Power has been given into our hands. The church should be what influences the world instead of the world influencing the Church. We are called to change culture not react to it. This shift of influence will take place when the church rises to it's rightful position and when we grab hold of and believe what we have been given. When we believe what we carry inside us. Which is Him. The powerful, beautiful, merciful, magnificent, Lion of the tribe of Judah.

"Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." -Daniel 6:25-27

I believe we will see this kind of proclamation from world leaders in my lifetime. We are no different than Daniel, we have the same Spirit living inside us and God was faithful to Daniel, He will be faithful to us. If only we just believe. Therefore, let us fulfill the commission that Jesus gave us and go! Then watch as it happens in all nations of the earth, filling the world with His glory.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

Walking on Water

To honor Him fully we have to live in such a way that unless God shows up, what we are attempting to do is bound to fail.- Bill Johnson, Hosting the Presence.

When Jesus commissioned His disciples He told them to go; to go even without provisions in the natural such as a place to stay, money, or clothing.
"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.-Luke 10:1-4"

He told them to make themselves so vulnerable to His purposes that if He didn't come through they would not succeed. This is what I learned to do over the past 6 months. When I packed my bags in May and decided to go on a faith journey with God, not knowing what it may require, I surrendered all to Him with no plan B. I put all dreams, friends, comforts, safety, provisions, and finances into Jesus's hands and told him. "If you do not come through, if you do not show up, I will fail in all aspects. I will not and can not go on without you." After agreeing to His plan and burning all bridges there was no chance of going back to life as normal. I gave it all to Him, until I had nothing left other than trust and reliance on His beautiful nature. So I went; on a journey of walking by faith and not by sight. And oh did He come through; abundantly, unexpectedly, and extravagantly! The journey led me first to Mozambique where He sent people from around the world to teach me how it looked to live a life completely yielded and dependent on His Spirit. Then he took me to some of the darkest and most perverse places in the world. Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, to live out the reality of what I had been taught in the months before. He began stretching my love and trust in Him at such exponential rates my growth was unbeknownst to me at times. He also taught me that sometimes the safest place is in the front lines of the battle; because where there is darkness, the light shines the brightest. "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." -2 Corinthians 4:6

So naturally after learning and living this type of lifestyle for 5 months I expected it to continue once I came back to the United States. If He was inviting me back home I fully expected Him to continue providing and surprising me. All the while making me more dependent on Him and entrenched in this Spirit led lifestyle. After all, it was what I had surrendered to, agreed to, and was what I had been taught was the only way to live. So imagine my surprise when I arrived back in America and they didn't like this supernaturally dependent lifestyle. They regarded it as weak, as foolish, as unwise. But it's all I knew, all I could remember. Another way of life seemed hazy now, a memory at best; so I continued through. As I arrived back I had no plans, just open to whatever He wanted. And what He wanted was for me to have a season of rest. Something very foreign to many Americans, and even to me. Rest was something not highly regarded as a high priority or valuable by the culture here. But despite all the voices beckoning me to get realistic, to get practical, to get serious. I stayed firmly planted and rooted in what God had shown me, to rest. I'm sure rest looks very different for many people but for me it looked like spending every day in His presence; singing, worshiping, and talking to Him. Devoting my whole day to what He had to say, not being distracted by money, people, or success. And I'm so thankful for every moment of it, what a blessing it's been to have this time with Him. Sure there have been days where I would begin to question is this really what God said to do? What am I doing with my life!? Why am I here? But I stayed put, not moving to the right or the left, just resting in His promises. I've learned once again that even in America, in a place where everyone might think you have to earn or work for what you want, He always provides freely, always protects, always satisfies, and always lavishes the best gifts on us. This journey back has been quite different than I expected, but nevertheless treasured in my eyes. I think I'll look back on this time for many months to come and smile at the deep heart work He did and preparations He made in this month. I know this season of rest is soon coming to a close and that He has something else for me in this faith journey. But rest assured whatever comes I'll still continue dependent as ever, leaning on childlike faith, and smiling and laughing all the way. And I believe if I listen close enough I can hear Him saying over me... ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; so now I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!-Matthew 25: 21’

A Tree of Life

God began to speak to me the other day about a tree of life. A tree that was full of apples of all kinds; apples that held different destinies for each person. The best fruit was at the top of the tree, furthest away from corruption or destruction, a place where no birds or mammals could steal their goodness. People from all walks of life were invited to come to the tree and receive their apple full of destiny. The crowd all waited behind a wooden picket fence while the Master Gardener Himself explained the choices that lay before them. They could pick their own apple from the tree or let Him pick for them. Either way, He wasn’t displeased. He was so happy to see that they all had came. The crowd began to discuss the matter and many decided that there was no point of waiting for the Master Gardener to pick their apples when they could get their own immediately. So, many rushed forward and began to pick apples that were accessible to them. In the chaos, many picked their apples before it was their time. Indeed, they ended with apples that weren't done blossoming. Others had chosen to settle for rotten apples because it was all they could see to receive in the midst of chaos. They supposed a rotten apple was better than no apple at all. After the crowd left there was a few that stayed behind, the faithful ones He called them. They stayed there just waiting, just watching the Gardener, knowing in His perfect time He would reveal when their apples were finished. He began to announce to the faithful ones that the apples they were waiting on were ready to be picked. They gladly marched forward and received their well done apples; full of perfection and freshness. However, the apples were still a lower grade than the ones at the top of the tree. But the faithful ones counted themselves lucky to have a perfectly done apple. Even though it wasn’t the absolute best, they were still content in knowing they had better than the others who hadn't waited for the perfect time. Then all left, and alas it was just the Master Gardener and I. I keep staring at Him and He in turn would stare back at me. We gazed into each others eyes, searching out the truth that was within. Then, slyly we smiled at each other. We both knew there was a secret only the two of us were aware of. He kept waiting on me to leave or to ask for the apple I could have. But I just kept waiting, and waiting. Then I started singing and smiling all the while knowing I was going to get the very best apple. He said "Don’t you want your apple Brittany?" And I said "I want you to pick it for me." He looked at me directly; almost questioning, probing, my heart and said "But why? You can get a really good one right here, probably everything you’ve ever wanted." And I said "No, I will not settle for reasonable, or feasible, or good, I want the one only you can get, the one I would never be able to reach. And I know you can climb much higher than me. And I know you are much stronger than me. And also, you know all the apples on the tree and you know exactly the best one. So I want YOU to pick it for me." Suddenly, I felt a new excitement rising in my heart. I knew that this apple He would bring back would look quite different than the others. How could you even begin to compare the best apple of the tree with a puny one at the bottom. I knew that this apple would be intimidating at first, because it had been given from the Master Gardener's hands, nothing I could have attained on my own. The Gardener looked back at me, smiled, then laughed. He said "Just wait." As He climbed He started throwing down all kinds of apples that others hadn’t waited on, hundreds and hundreds of apples came tumbling down on me and I started uncontrollably laughing. Then He reached to the very top and picked the very best one and it was gold. He tossed it down to me and said "This.. my daughter is your destiny. You waited, therefore, you have been given a destiny way beyond your imagination. But not only will you have that, I am also giving you all the other blessings that others left behind because they were in a hurry. And not only will you partake of this tree’s fruit but there are also many other trees in my orchard that will also be yours."
As God started explaining to me what this story meant, He showed me many people who were too busy to receive His best for them. They where taking whatever they could grasp, acting as orphans, not beloved children. They were too busy to be blessed, too busy to wait on God. Just as in the story, many of us act before it is our time. We are desperate to receive anything for the Lord so we grasp at what is accessible to us. What is accessible is not His best. Dreams and destinies are meant to sought after, fought for.
"An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end." -Proverbs 20:21
In the story there are some who chose a life that was yielded to His timing but didn't let Him pick His best for them. Instead they requested something from Him and wait on Him to do it. They didn't realize their requests for what they wanted were limited to human understanding. Only He can see the big picture. Although He is good in meeting our wants and needs, He has so much better that many of us never get to see, because we do not ask.
Lastly in the story, there are those who let him pick what He wants for their lives, and then they wait. This is the place where dreams of the heart are met that you didn't even realize you had. You become become fulfilled. This is the place where divinity meets your destiny, and you start to realize you are doing the impossible. This is place where waiting gets rewarded. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.-Isaiah 64:4" He is faithful to His word. There are destinies waiting for each of us. Some will not even grasp the concept, others will show up at the tree but take before their time, and others will wait for the right time but will take the apples with human wisdom not God’s power. But those who wait on the Lord, allowing Him to map out their destinies and future will be richly rewarded. He is waiting for the ones who truly believe Him and trust Him to lavish all the blessings He’s been storing up.
" The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. -2 Chronicles 16:9" Wait for Him and His best and through the process you will come forth as gold.
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.- Job 23:10"

To Dream a Dream

A dream; begotten by a thought, manifested in the virtue of hope, and experienced through perseverance.
All thoughts begin with some type of voice, and all voices are heard by listening. Therefore, whether knowingly or unknowingly we are all living out what we feel we are hearing. So begs the question, what are you listening to? Through the past couple weeks, God has been teaching me so much about dreams. I feel He wants to awaken and release dreams to people but some aren't listening, nor do some even understand what it means to listen. And others think they aren't capable to hearing or listening to what God is saying.
God gave me this analogy of a child with his parents to help explain the concept. When a baby is born, he doesn't understand what his parents are saying to him. In fact, he doesn't understand language at all and most of what they say may sound just like mumbles. He may not even be able to differentiate between his parents voice and other people talking. But babies, having a predisposition to absorb the environment around them, are naturally inclined to pick up language. So as they grow they learn to recognize their parents voice, then they start to recognize intents of what their parents say, then start to understand directions, and eventually grasp abstract concepts.
We are just like babies when we are first born into our new Christ-like nature. We are new born infants that do not fully understand or fully recognize what God our Father is speaking to us. But just like babies, we were born with a predisposition to learn His language. So as we learn and grow, His voice starts to come through more clearly. At first, it's just an inner knowing, then it's a whisper, then it comes like thunder, full of power and might. Our position in the learning process however, is not to fret or get frustrated when at first we don't hear every detail of His plan. We are children, learning and growing, and you don't pick up everything the first seasons of life. Our position in the process of hearing is only to grow.
So our conquest is to seek to know Him, and we know Him by listening to what He says. So in this journey of seeking, you will grow, because it's in the new nature you were given. For example, a child doesn't have to think about growing; it just naturally happens when they are well nourished and loved. We as children of God get well nourished by abiding in Him; reading His word (our food), and drinking of His love, (revealed to us by the Spirit).
He does speak, and is speaking. And you do hear, and will hear. Just turn your affection and attention to Him. Let hope arise within you. At this very moment He is looking at you and waiting for you to hear His dreams for you. They are so big, so much better than what you can even allow yourself to believe. He is for you. He wants you. He thinks your life is capable of changing the world. He longs to awaken dreams within your heart. The dreams you thought died within you years ago, He's redeeming them all. Let Him speak to you, His heart is burning for you. He wants you to know you are known by the Creator of the Universe. Right now He's releasing life changing dreams to people. He's not bothered by your smallness or inability, only your capability to let Him lead. So dream little child, it's your nature.
A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. -Job 4:12

The Almond Branch

As I sit and watch the morning rain pour down from my Bangkok apartment window, I can't help but think about the life that is going on half a world away. If the different culture and language of Thailand didn't make me feel disconnected from America enough, the time difference of 11 hours sure does it. But even amongst the differences and uncomfortable situations that arise here, I know that if I were back in America right now, it wouldn't quite feel like home. Everything has changed there too. Friends have gone back to school, others have moved away, time has changed things. Time has changed situations, feelings, and attitudes. Time has changed me. God knew ahead of time that after this summer I would be so radically wrecked for living an ordinary life that He went ahead and planned something better, something that satisfies much more.
What I had planned for my life is not what is happening. I would have chosen something quite different, something quite average, quite safe, and frankly quite boring. So while I see everyone getting back to the routine of the ordinary, I can't help but laugh at God's sense of humor and goodness over my life. He saw the depths of my heart and saw that ordinary has never been on the radar of what I was striving for. So in His all-knowing, all-merciful nature, I've been placed in the most unusual of circumstances and finally see that I can rejoice greatly that He placed me in them. I would not trade the stretching, growing, and breaking that has happened in these months for any amount of ordinary or stability. I think back to the girl's hearts that I've had an opportunity to touch, to the broken children's hands I've been able to hold, to the bread and water I've been able to give to the prisoners, to the simple words that said at the right moment set the captives free. It was all and is so worth it.
So, while having a couple of days to rest before heading off to Cambodia, I've been asking God to speak and refresh me with new insight on who He is and who I am. Amidst all the busyness of the city life and ministry work, God has been speaking. He has been speaking to me about doves, rainbows, olive, and almond branches.(More evidence that God has a sense of humor.) While we were finishing moving into our apartment, the most beautiful rainbow ever appeared in the sky right outside our window. Then a couple seconds after, a white bird that looked like a dove, flew beside our 8th story window. Since that day, I've seen these white birds flying every morning, two by two, seemingly always looking at me trying to tell me something. So I began to ask God what it all meant and He gave me a beautiful picture of it for better understanding. He showed me two doves descending on me, one on each shoulder. They were each holding a different branch in their beaks, and one held a almond branch, the other an olive branch. The both dropped them into my hands and whispered "Chosen, Chosen!" into my ears. I knew that the doves represented the Holy Spirit and I knew the olive branch represented peace, and fresh beginnings with God, but what did the almond branch mean? So I looked it up and discovered the almond branch was used to show that God chose Aaron and His tribe to be His priests. So it represents being chosen for a higher calling, or an awakening of priesthood. What a beautiful identity God is giving me, calling me to come higher, calling me to come farther, calling me to be His chosen vessel. God then lead me to read these verses in Jeremiah and everything came together.
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled. -Jeremiah 1:4-12. Praise God that He chose me to be chosen by Him as His prophet to the nations! Let all of these promises over my life come true. I'm so thankful for His constant voice speaking to me, reminding me of who I am when I feel confused, lost, or far from home. He is never far from us and is closer than the next beat of our heart. He is constant and good even when our circumstances are not. He is our hope, the joy set before me. He is my reward, the only thing worth living for.
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad, let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield" -Psalm 5:11-12

The Series of Uncomfortable Events

Thailand, known as the land of smiles, or least it once was. Now as you look into the eyes of the Thai people you see a lot of emptiness where that smile used to reside. The pursuit of happiness has left many of them lost, confused, and broken. However, maybe the most broken, confused, and lost of them all are the foreigners who travel here to buy them. Yet, I feel incredible hope for Thailand. I somehow see within them a hope for restoration that I’ve never felt before. As soon as our plane landed I felt an indescribable calmness. It was as if I had found the missing piece to a puzzle I wasn’t even aware existed. While we were prayer walking the streets the first day, God started speaking to me about how Thailand has the redemptive gift of mercy. As I get to know the hearts of the ladyboys, prostitutes, and children in the slums, I see it all around. The gift of mercy has been oppressed by the misguided pursuit of love. Their vulnerability has been exploited by a lack of knowledge. Yet somehow, even though their hearts should be hard and calloused, they can’t help but love. It’s their nature. No matter how stone cold their faces are, a little love brightens them up, and you can see the joy trying to bubble up. While showing love on the streets of Pattaya I’ve learned a valuable lesson. Showing that you represent love is not so much in your words as in your actions. Although I can’t speak Thai, ladyboys and prostitutes will just stare at me in wonder, wondering what it is that I have that they don’t. They often will tell me. “ I like you because you have a beautiful smile, why is it that you are so happy?” My answer to them is “ Jesus just makes me happy, and He makes me love you so much I can’t help but smile. “ Now that I’ve traveled from Africa to Thailand, I’ve noticed the countries carry a different kind of strangeness, but offer a very similar truth. Growth is uncomfortable. Without the friction of being in a difficult, challenging, situation, we would forever stay the same. So in my journey I’ve come to a place of learning to embrace the uncomfortable and it is good. Because in the midst of it I know that I am forever changing. While living in the uncomfortable, I’ve actually started to realize the most dreadful thing to happen would be to become comfortable; because in the luxuries of easy, a piece of my heart that was meant to grow dies, and forever gets stuck in a state of dullness. If I’ve learned anything on this journey of life it would be that what we think we desire and what we actually desire are two completely opposite things. God the Father in His goodness knows this, so instead of always giving us what we want gives us what we need. I think that’s why Solomon wrote “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 “ And in his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines His steps. “ –Proverbs 16:9 So all this to say, I’ve decided to do something that’s uncomfortable to me and stay in Thailand for longer, then travel to Cambodia, then on to Vietnam. This will probably extend my trip about 3 or 4 weeks. I will be traveling with some other girls on our team who also feel called to Southeast Asia, and we will be bringing the kingdom of God to every place we set foot. At this point, I’m not sure how I will have money to fund this, but I believe it’s what God is calling me to do so I know He will provide if it’s His plans for me. Will this be uncomfortable? Yes. Will this be easy? Probably not. But can growth and faith come forth any other way? So I set my sails of trust straight toward the winds of change and embrace the new wine skin that the Lord is bringing. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. –Isaiah 43:18-19

The Holder of the Keys

As I sit and reflect on the last two and a half months of my life there are so many stories and revelations I want to share. God had been so good to me in this season of life. I truely understand what David meant when he said surely goodness will follow me all my days. My time at Harvest school in Pemba was truely life changing. To live in such an encouraging, loving, spirit filled community was one of the highlights of my time there. What an honor and privilege it was to share life with 300 world changers. It truely encouraged me and called me to higher like nothing else ever has. However, community is nothing without service and love is nothing without action. So where I experienced the most of Jesus's heart was among the poor and broken. The ones that lie dormant in desperation and need. As I sat up in my small African daybed that I was sharing with another girl; the mud hut seemed to get a little smaller and my worldview started to get a little bigger. While hiding under my sleeping bag from the rats that were scurrying across the floor below me, I began to hear my own prideful complaints come out. I was so exhausted and hot and uncomfortable. Minutes seemed like hours and morning couldn't come fast enough. I began dreaming of the moment I could go back to my bunk bed at the Iris base. The bed and room in which I had once complained about now seemed like heaven on earth. As I began to lament to God about how uncomfortable I was, how much I hated those rats, and how I really wished everyone in the world could have nice houses without holes in the roofs, He patiently listened. Then He spoke, "Brittany whose really the unfortunate one here? When you have little you love lots and freedom abounds, but when you have lots you love little and you are bound by your possesions. Why are you asking me to change a situation that you asked to be put in? You said you wanted to have my eyes, you said you wanted to be broken for what breaks me. Well I'm breaking and changing you, and now you're asking me to change the situation. This is where I live. If you want to be like me come live like me. Poor in spirit, desperate for justice, and clothed in humility. " See we say we want to be Gods hands and feet, but to actually live it out is another. We say we will go and do and change the world but how often do we justify our way out of it. All I can say after seeing the brokeness and suffering in Mozambique is that its always worth it to be His servant and he is more than enough for every circumstance. Its time for the church, His body, to wake up and realize the call we have on our lives. He won back the keys to the kingdom. What are we doing with the reward of His suffering? He did not die for us to live in complatency and weakness. Every time I see an orphaned child or dying widow I can't help but wonder if the answer to their prayers isn't sitting on the other side of the world eating potatoe chips on the couch. You see church, we are Gods first choice to the suffering. He gave us the keys and now waits in anticipation, watching to see how we steward the costly gift He gave us. He could have made robots to run the world and bring His kingdom but instead He took a risk and made messy humans with hearts and emotions. And it gave him great pleasure to do this. You bring such a joy to God that He trusts you with his most precious possesion, His people. Therefore, it is impossible for me to go on the same. I know God is going to use me to be the answer to somone's prayer. Even if it's just one life if God would choose me, a weak vessel, it's worth it all! Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

In the Heart of the Father

Over the past 4 weeks I have become so overwhelmed and overcome by the love, supremacy, and power of God. I feel so blessed to be in this place of abiding in Him and resting in His goodness. Every day when I wake up I realize just how blessed I am to be His daughter. His love for us is unfathomable. His power is infinite. He alone is worthy to be praised.

Three days ago while in the bush, I was able to pray for a man who wasn’t able to see and he received his sight through the healing power of Jesus. He had been sent by his wife to come to us because she believed he would receive his sight when the Christians prayed for him. The faith here is incredible and healings are just the ordinary. Almost everyone I’ve prayed for to be healed whether it be broken noses, hurt backs, stomach problems, or headaches has been healed. The supernatural is the ordinary here. Daily we see Muslims coming to Jesus and witchcraft being broken off of families.

But what I’ve been learning most and valuing above all my experiences is the love of the Father. The miracles are just an expression of his love for us. They mean nothing if they can’t demonstrate the character of His heart. I highly value and have been blessed by all the amazing speakers I’ve heard, but they are only small drops in an ocean of who He is.  It’s him I want. My favorite times here have been hiding underneath the shadow of His wings. In my quiet times with Him, He has taught me who I am and what it means to be in love.  It’s His love that sustains us. It’s never knowledge. You can know all you want to know about God but until you know Him you’ve missed the point. I’ve learned  it’s not where you go that will determine the amount you will discover God, but the amount of desire you have to discover Him. If you desire to know Him He will find you and meet you wherever you are. You don’t have to be in Africa or listening to amazing teachers to experience Him.  You only have to be seeking Him. He is a faithful God and yearns to bless you. If you turn your face towards Him He is more than ready to meet you and bless you in this moment. Thanks everyone for the prayers of protection and love you are sending my way. I really feel overwhelmed with gratitude for my community at home. Love you all!

How precious is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. –Psalm 36:7-9

Caught up in a moment

Life is composed of a series of moments. Just a moment, just a decision, just an idea, can forever change the course of your life. That's what dreams are made of; a crazy idea, a decision to do it, and a moment of action. As I'm getting ready to leave for Mozambique in just a couple hours, I  keep wondering how it is that this dream is actually becoming a reality. It's surreal when you reach a moment in your life that you know is a turning point for the rest of it. That's how I feel today, I'm caught up in a moment of disbelief. Watching all the puzzle pieces of my life fit together before my eyes. As all the pieces start to fall into place I see that they all start to point in this direction. It's not a coincidence, no, a master artist has been crafting this puzzle for a while now, mending the broken pieces and finding the lost ones. As I let all my pointless anxiety fade away, I begin to see clearly that this is where I belong. And as I walk into this new season of life, I know I'm being led straight to my maker.
It's peaceful to know you're not in control. When you let go of your own plans for your life, there you will find peace and overwhelming joy. This is what I have found in Jesus, He is all I need, and He has provided me with the blueprints for a fufilled life. I trust Him, because He knows me better that I know myself and loves me more that I could ever love myself. I know He is for me and will never be against me. I feel His presense all around and I know what he has planned for me this summer is so much greater than anything I could have imagained. He is love, and He is life. What more could I want? I will go to the ends of the earth to know Him more. There is nothing I won't give or sacrifice to be able to love Him more. I know I am more than a conqueror in this season of my life because He who lives within me is greater that He who lives in the world. So therefore I am not afraid, He makes me brave. There is no safer place than being in the middle of his will, nothing more satisfying than responding to the calling of His voice. As I abide in Him, I will see unprecedented fruit and be able to express a kind of love I've never seen before. I praise Him for His goodness and faithfulness to me, I can't wait to see what He has in store next. Love you all, I'll be updating this blog hopefully weekly!

Jailbreak

Our generation is trapped in the prison of comparison. 

In everything we do, we look around to see if we measure up. Am I good enough? Pretty enough? Smart enough? Funny enough? We put ourselves on display like jesters hoping to measure up to the rest of the crowd, not wanting to be forgotten about and left alone. We look for validation in all the wrong places. It even spills over in to our relationship with God. In the church I find that most people feel inadequate. They sit back in the pew and wish they could be as good of a speaker as the preacher, or they wish they could sing like the worship leader, or they desire to have an amazing testimony like their friend. As we sit back and ponder these things, we come to the conclusion that God must just love that person more, or maybe they served Him better. Then we think to ourselves, now I'll just go try harder and serve him and sacrifice all that I can and read the Bible 5 times over, then God will have to love me as much as that person!
These thoughts are all too familiar to me, because I too was stuck in the prison of comparing and validating my faith by looking at other people who were deemed "great spiritual leaders". But I broke free, and you can too. Jesus love you 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. No matter what you did in the past or what you do in the future, His love for you is exactly the same. You can neither earn it, nor can it be taken away from you. He loves you the same amount as the person you deem as the worst "sinner" in the world, and as much as the person you deem as the "holiest" in the world.
What we need to realize though is the way He loves each of is unique, because we are all unique in our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Instead of looking to someone else's relationship with Him, wishing yours was that, meet Him where you are in yours. Love Him where you are. Your relationship with Him doesn't have to look like anyone elses, and that's the freedom in Christ. You may feel like God wants you to dance like a crazy animal in worship, then do it! Or you might be the person who God is telling to sit and be silent in prayer, then do it! You don't have to be dancing like a crazy animal for God to love you as much as that person. He tells us each different things! You can't make your relationship with Him look like other people's or you lose the unique value of it that God values so tenderly.

Only when we cling to the relationship God is calling us too do we fulfill our God given destinies. Looking to others for direction in what God is calling us to will only leave us on the back pew, feeling lonely and insignificant. 





For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.- Psalm 139:14

Love you all,

Brittany