I’m home

So I arrived in the San Francisco airport yesterday. It’s good to be home but it was very interesting coming back. It felt like my time in Kansas City had just been a dream, almost as if something out of the ordinary that happened but quickly passed by. However, I know that is not true.

 It turns out that my work hours will be pretty normal, 8am-5pm, Mon-Fri. So, I’m praying for wisdom about when to spend time with the Lord.

Anyways, sleeping is hard. In the last two days I’ve trying to switch but I’m sleeping at random times of the day with no specific schedule. Some of you tell me to just stay up for 24 hrs and I’ll switch immediately. But I can’t do that. I fall asleep before the 24 hrs is over. Well, I got to be up at 6am to get to work on Monday, so I got until then to make this thing work. I’ll let you know what happens.

Sax…

So today was my last night in the prayer room. Tomorrow a friend of mine is picking me up and Friday morning, 9:45am, KC time, I leave for SFO.

I played the sax at Alisha Powell’s team today and it was awesome. I requested we play “the increase of His govt and peace there will be no end” and we did. Praise Jesus. He’s coming back and I’m going to live with Him in Mount Zion.

Thank You Jesus for all Your extravagance poured out in my life while here in KC.

His times, His seasons

When I came to FITN, the Lord gave me a very clear promise, “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it… He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem… And I will write on him My new name” Rev. 3:8, 12

Therefore, I knew I was supposed to be here.
Most of everything else was fulfilled, word by word, even in the order presented. However, one part seems unfulfilled: “and he shall go out no more.” I was praying the other day, a bit upset. Why does God tell me He’ll establish me here and then send me home? I just kept praying in tongues until I got an answer. I said, “God, Your word is all I have. If Your word doesn’t prove true, what do I have in life? What do I have in life? I have nothing.” I really meant it, and He knew it.

Then, He spoke.

He reminded me of David, and how he had a promised even as a little, insignificant (in man’s eyes), shepherd boy. He had a promise to be king, and the promise proved to be true and faithful, but not after a little detour. I feel encouraged because God’s promises and oaths are immutable. This is our sure confidence of hope (Hebrews 6:13-20; Psalm 119:89-91). Today, I feel confident in my ultimate hope, as a citizen of the New Jerusalem.

It feels like my heart has the faith thing down; now what I need is patience. “…Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb 6:12).

It’s His timing that matters. Who knows what He will do tomorrow? But I know that regardless, He’s taking me to a wedding Day. Therefore, my heart is safe and I surrender my times and my seasons to Him.

FITN is over

So last night was the last night of Fire In The Night. It was sad but we were all deeply grateful. Stuart Greaves pulled us aside for a while and told us how much he enjoyed our track. He said, with the agreement of pretty much the entire staff, that this was one of the best tracks. And Stuart said that he never felt so much hope and confidence for what we will become in the future and that he had this hope by the Holy Spirit. It was a really warm-hearted talk. Then, we all started talking about how much we were thankful for him and for the staff, and for each other. Many of us cried…

I loved being here.

Now, I’m going home to the SF Bay Area to work at a real state office, called Terra Brasil – a real state company in the Bay that sells real state in Brazil.

I’ll be updating this blog more regularly, and for my dear FITN friends, I love you guys. And I’ll keep this blog up so you guys can check up on me and make sure I’m going strong after Jesus.

Oh Jerusalem

When I first moved here to IHOP I was sincerely annoyed at the amount of prayers for Jerusalem. But last week something happened. It wasn’t a sermon or an altar call. I was just pacing in the prayer room. And it hit me. God wants to dwell with men; it’s always been His desire to live with humankind like He did with Adam and Eve in the garden. And it is clear in Scripture that when Jesus returns His throne will be established in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem will actually be His home on the earth. Immediately, I blurted out, “Father, protect Jerusalem against her enemies.”

Satan’s greatest goal is to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish people b/c they will be a crucial centerpiece for Jesus’ return. Jesus has chosen Jerusalem as His earthly home forever. But Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and He won’t make His home there until they allow Him to, just as it is with our hearts. One day, they will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Satan wants to wipe them out so they don’t say that.

I want Jesus to be on the earth. I want Him to live with us forever and restore the earth to the original state of the garden of Eden. Therefore, it is my role as an intercessor to pray for Jerusalem’s safety until He comes. If Satan destroys Jerusalem, then God’s chosen home on the earth will be wiped out. It’s all about love for His nearness.

Oh, Jerusalem. You were nothing and desolate, a beggar, just as I was. But just as I’ve been chosen by mercy and grace, washed and clothed in His loved, the Lord has desired you, too, as His habitation forever. Your name is not ‘desolate’ and ‘hated’ but “My delight is in her.” Father, protect Jerusalem and poru out Your Spirit on the Jewish people.

There is nothing that matters more than God’s nearness. Praying for Jerusalem is one of the most important and significant things one can do for the entire earth. If you want to save the planet, pray for Jerusalem.

New page

Hey, check out my new “Rapture?” page on this blog.

It’s almost over…

Track 1 of Fire in the Night is almost over. It ends on the 26th of this month. It’s so sad. I had a great time while I was here. I made lots of good friends and became a better friend of God. I guess I got to know Him a little bit more and got to know myself a lot more, too. My time here at IHOP-KC so far has put a lot of things in the forefront of my mind, both things I need to go after and things I need to deal with. As for now, I’m praying that I would rest under the shade of the cross and to also overcome fear and worry and be filled with faith and love instead. If you are reading this blog, send a quick telegram to heaven concerning me!

I always forget to ask my roomate to send me pictures so I can send everyone. One of these days I’ll do it. I’m still seeing if everything will work out for me to stay here for Track 2 (until June). Please pray for me that God would open this door.

The Banquet!

Yesterday (Monday), the Nightwatch staff prepared a banquet for the interns. People dressed up, they decorated a room and prepared a nice meal for us. It was a time to just hang out and celebrate what God has been doing in our lives in the last three months. We had the usual things you have in such banquets – slideshows, etc. But they also asked each of the core leaders (a core is a group of 8 ) to share a quick word on what they thought about the group and what they thought God said about the group. My apartment’s core leaders called us “the Joshua generation” b/c in Exo. 33 talks about how Joshua would remain in the tabernacle even when Moses left. They noticed that we spend a lot of our free time in the prayer room and felt like that was a true word for us.

Also, I had a great surprise. I got an award for “Most Diligent Study of the Word.” I was pretty surpised (especially b/c what some call ‘radical’ out there is really not that radical here at IHOP and I could think of people in the internship more radical than I). But I loved the gift!!!! They gave me Mike Bickle’s “Studies in Joel,” which is a detailed commentary on the book of Joel and I’m really excited to dive into it in the next track.

To add to the fun, my roommates and I went out to dinner a few hours before the banquet (!), and about 60 of us from the internship went to the Plaza (a really nice part of KC) to hang out after then banquet. And then at 1 am, we went back to the base and had lunch. (By then I was overstuffed and very happy). At 3am, we listened to about one hour of the prophetic history of IHOP and went to a 2-hr intercession set from 4-6am.

Monday was a great day. (Possible photos to come soon).

Passion for Jesus is over!

Don’t worry. It’s not what you think. ha ha ha. This week here at IHOP-KC we had two big monthly events. The first one is what we call GBF: Global Bridegroom Fast. We fast for the first Mon, Tue and Wed of every month. And then, from Thu-Sat we usually have a conference. This month the conference was called “Passion for Jesus.” It was an excellent conference, especially the worship. I must say, however, that I am a little tired. Those in the Nightwatch have to wake up a little earlier than usual to make it to the afternoon session. We had a good time, but I’m ready for some sleep. Daylight savings is a good thing b/c I now get to go to bed earlier!

Well, I guess some of you would like for me to share something I learned in the conference. Here’s a little random revelation I got during a worship time.  When Jesus says He is ‘the Alpha and the Omega,’ that means He has all of time in His hands. He begins His revelation to John in the book of Revelation in this way (1:8). I think He is making a big point of His eternity and sovereignty. He has absolute control over all of time and history, and He is making a statement that He is about to decree the end. We are in the season when the end is beginning. Therefore, we absolutely must have the revelation that there is a Man, with a physical, resurrected body sitting on the Throne, and that He has control over all of history. He has time in His hands. Isn’t that mind-blowing? And it also gives us great confidence, rest and boldness. How great is our God!

Delight of the Soul!

Psalm 119:14 says, “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.”

Scripture is very challenging sometimes. Many of the men of the Bible often said that they loved the law of God above all riches and all the things of this world. And they didn’t even have the New Testament! It never stops to wow me how a person can fall so deeply with word of God. I tend to think of myself as a man who loves the word, but when it comes down to it, I don’t love it so deeply. Lately, I’ve been wondering about how much I really value the word. Do I consider studying a Psalm, for example, the most important thing in the world? Do I consider the word better than food, as Job said? Unfortunately, no, I don’t. I do not have that depth in God yet.

How could these men reach these depths in relationship with God? I think a key is in Ps 119:16, “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” These men saw something that I still have not seen. They saw the delights of heaven in the word of God. They discovered undescribable joy. They were able to read Scripture, meditate on it, and encounter God. Ps. 16:11 describe God as One filled and overflowing with delight. If I could truly encounter God as these men did, all the things of this world would quickly grow dim. There is a greater reality, a greater kingdom, that will outlast this one.

“They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights” Ps 36:8. Father, I ask you, open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me. You are the delight of my soul. Let me see You in Your word.