Quieted by Love

Weakness is one of those human traits that I often try to sweep under the rug and ignore, or better yet, sweep under the rug and then jump up and down on that rug. God knows that I will go to great lengths to prove that I can still do x,y, and z no matter what is crumbling in and around me. My loathing of weakness is why I have a love for superheroes and being forced into a corner brings out a fury inside me that can be a little overdramatic. Just so we are clear, I really do not like being seen as weak.

Last week, I woke up with a phrase lodged in my brain. Again and again I kept hearing, “He will quiet you with His love” from Zephaniah 3:17. As I tossed the words around I thought, “What would a picture of that look like really? It sounds nice, but what does that look like?"

Drawn by Stephanie

The image that immediately came to my mind was that of an upset infant being picked up, swaddled and brought near to a mother’s chest to hear her heartbeat. A few minutes later the child is calm, content and resting, safe and secure. 

It is an absolutely beautiful picture, and I didn’t like it.

Being quieted by love in this way requires weakness and vulnerability and I quickly and clearly saw the implications of this beautiful image. It was God saying that the comfort I look for can not be found in my own strength and striving, but it has to come from His strength and His love. 

When we let God bring us close to hear His heartbeat, His intense and overwhelming love for us, then all the other disturbances fade and peace prevails. We are quieted and strengthened by His love.

Which reminds me of the phrase in Psalm 46:10 that says, “Be still, and know that I am God."

In this verse the Hebrew term is raphah, and it is the only time in the Bible it is translated as “still.” When I went looking for the meaning behind the word, I found that its definitions include: be slack, let drop, fail, be quiet, be weak.

Be weak and know that I am God. 

Be quiet and listen to My heartbeat.

Drop all that other stuff you’re carrying just to try and show you’re strong, and know that I will take care of you.

Your failures do not diminish who I Am or who you are.

Curl up against Me and be quieted by My love.  

Written by Stephanie (soon to be living in Ukraine)
Follow her journey here.

The Prophetic Gift: Living with, from and in God's Promises

In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about how the Holy Spirit gives gifts to whomever and however He wants, and that He gives them for our own good (see chapter 12:4-11).  He also says that when we prophesy we edify the church, and speak 'to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort' (chapter 14:1-5).

My own relationship with 'the prophetic' began as a young Christian.  In those days I was eager to start what God had in store for my life, but He wanted to do some preparation first.  So for seven or eight years I mostly waited on Him.  I continued to live life, do my job, serve in my church and witness to people about Jesus when there was an opportunity.

Disaster struck when my (now ex-)wife walked out on our marriage.  I was devastated.  My sense of identity, self-worth and confidence were shot to pieces.  The dust settled, and my heart believed that I was a failure, that I'd missed what God was calling me to.  The world was broken beyond my ability to fix it.  How could the promises be true anymore?

In time, God healed my broken heart and showed me what my identity in Jesus is really like.  In Christ, I am a highly favoured and fiercely loved son, always joyfully welcome in God's presence, that He longs to share what He's dreaming and thinking with me. (Chuck and Della have been key in helping me to realise the truth of that).  In and of myself, I'm no one special.  Yet, because my Father loves me, Jesus gave everything to have me in His family and make me worthy of all His goodness.

You see, the prophetic promises that God gives never have their foundation in how we view ourselves, how others see us, or what we think we're capable of doing.  They are always based in His great love for us.  Always.  It's why Paul talks about love in the middle of his teaching on spiritual gifts.  Even when we've been unfaithful, angry with God, disappointed in Him, or lukewarm in our affection towards Him, He always remains faithful.  He is so much more set on our restoration than we are.  Shame, guilt, failure and inadequacy all lead us to hide from God.  We'd rather stay hidden and take what we deserve than accept His forgiveness and receive restoration.  But that's not grace.  Grace is an expensive gift, and cost Jesus everything to buy it for us.  We don't deserve it at all, but it's freely given to us anyway because our Father loves us so, so much.

Living with the promises of God can be difficult, because they say things about us that we don't believe about ourselves. They talk about things that aren't yet visible as if they already are. Living with the promises of God can mean we can't do anything to make them happen, even when we're eager to. We have to wait for God to do the thing He said He would. Other times living with them means something more of us, requiring us to dig deep, get out of our laziness, funk, fear or excuses and step up into something we could only do with God's help. It always flies full in the face of how others have hurt us, betrayed us and disappointed us, asking us to trust Another that has the boldness to say He'll never leave us or let us down.

That's how it was for me.  The Holy Spirit spoke promises to me that I couldn't believe were possible. He told me about about my calling (apparently I still had one), and He told me that He wanted the honour of presenting my future wife to me (how could God ever be honoured to do anything for me?!?).  He told me He wanted to take me to the nations so that I could hear the 'new sound of the Kingdom'.  This was the prophetic gift at work through others to comfort and encourage me.

And I didn't believe Him.

I was so convinced that I had "missed it" that I decided one day that "this will be the last time I lead worship".  That very same day, before I even led worship, I was invited to be a part of Burn 24-7 in my city (a global worship, prayer and missions movement. I led it there for three years).  Later that same day, I was invited to Turkey to minister in worship and intercede for that nation.  Two promises that God had given me a year earlier were suddenly fulfilled in a single day, at the very point I was about to give up on them.  

I still remember Holy Spirit saying to me, "So, you thought we were done, huh? Son, we're just getting started!".

While living with the promises can be difficult for our wounded hearts to do, living from those promises is so good for us!  They call us into a different perspective of how our Father sees us and invite us into living in a new reality of what's possible with Him, daring us to believe in the hopeful certainty of a favourable outcome.  When we live from His promises, we're led out of our fear and insecurity into the knowledge that the current reality, however difficult, will be utterly transformed according to His promise, and that it will be good.  It's no overnight process, but as we live from the promises, that are rooted in His love for us, we see that He truly does 'work all things for the good of those that love Him'. (Romans 8:28).  This is where the prophetic strengthens us, because it directs our gaze to God's heart and ability.  We see there's nothing that will be left untouched by God's ability and willingness to be good towards us.

In my own walk with the Lord and the prophetic, perhaps the newest thing to me is learning to live in the promises that God gives us.  By that I mean possessing the promises, where they are the new, everyday reality.  Sometimes we wait so long for the promise to come that we stop holding out hope.  But if God made a promise, He intends to keep it.  The ancient Jews lived hundreds of years with a promise, and were forced into slavery before they saw it.  It seemed not to be true.  And yet, not only did God free them, He made good on the promise, too.  The thing they dreamed of for hundreds of years was now literally the very ground beneath their feet, the homes the lived in, and the food they ate.

Zechariah 9:12 says, "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice us much to you".  He wants to lead us into our "Promised Land", too.

When Sonja and I were married last year, God's beautiful promises to both of us were made real before our eyes.  Soon after, I was granted permanent residency here in Helsinki, Finland, where I lead Burn 24-7 now – more dreams fulfilled, and all in the space of a year.  It was so, so good, but so, so surreal!  I mean, after years of pressing in for these things for so long, what was I supposed to do with it all?  What do you do when God does all He promised?  Here's what I learned: You enjoy it!

He gives you prophetic promises to encourage you, to strengthen you and to edify the church.  I pray that as you pursue His heart for you, your community, city and nation, that you may be encouraged to dream again.  Dust off His promises, and be open for new ones.  Be courageous, and dare to live in hope.  May the One who is faithful to do all He promised lead you into the full reality of all that He said to you.  And from one child of God to another, I pray that when they become your new everyday reality, that you enjoy the gifts He gives. 

Written by Ben (from England, now living in Finland).  BURN 24-7

My Life Would Be So Much Easier Without Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but when I started this Jesus journey, I kinda thought it would be easy. I know…so naïve of me! What silly, youthful arrogance!

Well 7 years later, I now know the truth. Following Jesus is hard. Like haaarrrd. I’ve seen it cause friends give up incomes and salaries and homes. Forgive the unforgivable, reach out to someone who doesn’t deserve it. To keep trying for the 73^rd time. Even to talk to strangers on the subway! But 7 years later, I now also know that following Him is so worth it.

Our stories of faith are full of ups and downs. They’re full of misses and mistakes, and not quites and almosts and getting it just rights and absolutely nailing it. They’re full of “Yes Lord’s!” and “Please don’t send me’s!” and “Man, this is what I was made for’s!” and “Get me out of this right now’s!”  I know because I’ve had all of the above at one point or another.

I’m currently in the process of applying for a UK visa, which let me tell you, has not been easy. At all. Things have seemed to come together and then in the last moment fallen apart. I’ve gotten my hopes up and my spirits dashed time and time again. But through it all, through every loud ‘Why God?!?” to every quiet “I really thought this was it, Lord,” He has continually reassured me that the UK is where I belong. Even when I wish He didn’t.

Because the fact of the matter is my life would be SO much easier if I had just stayed in South Carolina all those years ago. I really loved SC. I had great friends and a solid church to serve at. I had work opportunities to build on. I had a car. Life was good. But 6 years ago, the Lord called me to go on this crazy missions thing called the World Race. So I went. 

Life would’ve been a lot easier if I had just stayed in Nashville. I had great friends there. Still do. I was joyfully and successfully holding down 3 jobs. I had a spirit-filled church community, and crazy favour in ministry. But the Lord said it was time to move on. So I did.

It would be easier to stay in Philadelphia with my nieces and free rent. It would be easier to stay in Los Angeles with my Re-Generation family and beach days in November. It would be easier to stay in a country where I don’t need to remember the distinction between ‘pants’ and ‘trousers.’ Where they drive on the right (literally) side of the road. Where we all agree that biscuits are delicious flakey sides best served with gravy and fried chicken and not crunchy cookies to have with tea.

My life would be so much easier without Jesus! Oh wait, missionaries aren’t supposed to say that, right? Well it’s true. My life would be easier without Jesus, and I bet yours would too. 

And that’s because the closer you get to Jesus, the more He asks of you. This is the God that wouldn’t allow Moses into the Promise Land because he struck the rock instead of spoke to it. I hear that and think, “Yeah but he believed You’d make water come from a rock! Wasn’t that enough???” But the Lord was too close to Moses to allow even the slightest discrepancy.

See, God wants all of you. But lucky for us, in exchange, we get all of Him. We get to be everything He says we are. We get to experience everything He says He is.

So every time He asks you to step out in faith- whether that means believing for a visa, or selling your home, or talking to the dude on the subway- He’s beckoning you a little closer to His heart. He’s asking you to give one more bit of yourself to Him, so that He can give you another piece of Himself in return.

Yes, all of our lives would be easier if we weren’t asked to live a life of faith. But we also would never learn to trust the Lord. We would never have the deep friendship with Him we both long for. We would never get the fullness of Him that He wants us to have.

Written by Sarah
(Soon to be living in England)
Follow her journey here.

I Love, Love, Love Beauty!

Hi, Im Christine.  I have an amazing husband named Cameron and we're in love. :)  Thats about all you need to know about that.  

So honestly, when I was asked to write a blog for this site I got super excited.  Yet, I also felt this tension in  my heart because I was told:  "Write about whatever you want to write about; what you're passionate about."  Well I feel like I'm passionate about so many things.  How do you write a blog post about so many things?  As I thought about it, all of them came down to the goodness of God and beauty.  I love, love, love beauty.  I feel like I'm constantly seeking it out.  The problem is, there are so many things that are beautiful.  So many things that make my heart come alive and know Abba's love for me.  I guess I just want to know the fullness of that love. Its hard for me to pick just one when I've been given abundance! 

However, this happens a lot with me.  I get so overwhelmed by my options that I just can't pick something.  However, I believe beauty is all around us.  Beckoning us to something much larger than ourselves.  Drawing us, pursuing us close to our Father's arms, into who He really is and who we really are.  Beauty stills the craziness in our life and quiets the chaos.  It just screams in the most quiet way, "Come away and see who you really are. Come eat of what is before you - let go and intake. Let me sweep you away from your busy life and reveal the wonder of who I am and what’s before you." 

Here is an example.  There was one morning I woke up and made breakfast and coffee, and as I sat down to eat, I looked over in our living room. The light poured in and made these beautiful rays of light coming through the window.  My heart was captivated.  I went over and sat down in it.  Forget food, and coffee (which is big for me! I love it so much).  What came from that time was a poem.  I HAD to write about it.  I had to capture it.  The only thing I had were my words.  I felt like John on Patmos.  Words sometimes just don't do it justice.  I can't even begin to imagine all the beauty he saw.  My God!  Literally.  The funny thing is it means letting go of your plans, which is and has been hard for me.  Isn't that what love is though?  Receiving?  Being received by a Father who is always seeking after His children?  Who closed in the gap to be one with us?  To sweep us into a story that is greater than our own?  A wonder and beauty larger than what we can see in our own strength?  This adventure that ignites our soul and knows where we belong, and ultimately on our way Home?  I guess the question has been what have I been in love with that is less wild than His love and beauty that beckons me into intimacy?  I’m always so surprised by how beautiful He is, over and over and over.  There is no end to it.  It surrounds us. The beauty of His love over us, His pursuit over us!  What?!  HE pursues ME?  Like a husband pursues a wife.  It just blows me away that He is that jealous for my heart and has that much love for me. That He would send Jesus to take away anything in the way, remove any hindrance so I could come Home.  Which brings me to another thing about beauty; how it reveals the more. The heavenly homeland.  The heart of our Father.  The beyond.  It actually fosters hope for Him returning.  It reminds us "there is more! SO much more!" 

Another story: So when I went bike riding with my family in this beautiful place called Dogwood Canyon in Missouri, I was flipping out because of how many waterfalls there were.   As I sat down by one I took out my journal and started writing.  I began to see how this is just a small glimpse of where I truly belong.  My heart almost JUMPED out of my skin! (I'm glad it didn't.).  I felt so alive and excited!  I can only imagine, but what I think of is like what babies feel in the womb when they hear the voice of their mother and father singing over them or something...they like kick and jump.  That place was just so beautiful and reminded me of where I am going and the heart of the one who carries me!  Beauty calls us and challenges us.  Beauty takes so many forms and cannot be limited.  Beauty is everywhere, depending on what you pay attention to.  It can be to the smallest flower beneath your feet to the homeless man on the street. ( And I'm a poet who didn't know it.)  It’ s literally anywhere and in anything if you're willing to see it.  What I've noticed for me in this is letting go of the things I can't control to embrace the table of beauty set before me, that is apart of who I am, and eat.  I never really had control anyway, but I can come to the one who does.  Beauty reminds me of who my Father is and who I really am and tells me: "Its ok. You're in good, good hands."  Its my Father whispering, "Come away with Me.  Sit and eat in the abundance I've given."

Written by Christine, Oklahoma City, OK