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My King

There are times in your life when you look around and realize that what you believe has been foundationaly changed - forever. I have been going through one of those times. I joked a couple of months ago with some friends that I had a new Bible. Not a new physical Bible, but it seemed that everything I read, I was reading with new eyes, new understanding, a fresh perspective, new insight and revelation. It has been amazing and wonderful. The same verses that I have been reading for years have new depth and life to them. As I have pondered through this new reality, I have realized that my new perception extends beyond scripture - but to my understanding of God and is place and interaction in my life. Though it would probably be clearly obvious for most - it to me a few months fully realize and acknowledge that it is not God that has changed - but me. Here are my thoughts, in verse.

My Old King
was small
one dimensional
familiar
predictable
void of surprise
safe
cozy
boring
lifeless
detached
without power to impact my world

He loved me
but from afar
was uninvolved
in my day to day affairs
I was left to wander
through the mysteries of life
without direction
struggling to make sense of the sensless
striving to win His favor
trying to hide my wretchedness
afriad He might see
me
the me I knew intimately
and despised

My New King
is vast beyond measure
wild
mysterious
wonderfully creative
His reach, infinite
even to the very details of my life
He is mighty, powerful
and yet with gentleness He breaks and refashions
my character to the likeness of His son

He is exciting, fearful and not "safe"
and yet in Him I find true security
He is trustworthy
my passions, my desires, my hopes
they are treasured by Him
and find fullfillment in Him
my secrets, my sin, my shame
are safe with him
forgiven
removed
He gives me sight to see
me
the me I'm becoming
and love

He loves me with abadon
He intimately guides and moves me
as He works to fullfill a grand plan
and purpose for my life
He can speak laughter into tragedy
joy into suffering
move past governments
beyond poverty
through injustice
to release those who are bound.
He can reach into the pain
and give peace
the valley of the shadow of death
and bring life

My old King, my new King
the same King
It is I
who has changed

Praise You
Most Glorious
There is none like You!

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 9:44 AM, ,




Remnant Army Rising

It happened again yesterday. Another voice proclaiming that a nation wide revival is coming - and that it will start here in Cairo. I can no longer count on both my hands how many different times, from different people that we have heard this from. Yesterday the voice called from Nashville. At my most honest and transparent and bold and faith filled times - I can can say - I have heard it too. I believe Lord - help my unbelief!

So I had time today to get on the internet and do some research. Have there been other things spoken about this place. Though I didn't run across anything significant, I was inspired by some thoughts that I did encounter. The following resulted.

An Army Rising
There is a breathing
living
moving Army of those who
"have an ear"
rising up.
Invisible to the institutions of the church
unseen by the religion-bound.
It is a world-wide,
simultaneous and Spirit-led Army.
It has no formal name and
wears no crown of importance.
It is the Remnant,
the Wise Virgins;
the Bride awaiting her Groom.
The Faithful Steward,
the Lone Leper returning with thanks-giving.
David's Temple more glorious
and the church of the living God
against whom the gates of hell cannot not prevail

This Army is a company of hidden ones,
invisible that He may be seen.
This Army travels on its face -
humility is its calling card.
They feasts on grace,
move at His bidding,
speak His voice.
They see the Kingdom of God
being revealed.
Here and now.
A people who willingly embrace the
fellowship of suffering.
Have chosen the way of self death,
that they be made holy
by the indwelling of the Spirit.
Pure in heart.
Faith of a mustard seed -
able to move mountains.

Their leadership is the True Head,
Christ.
Their humility comes from knowing both who He is
and who they are.
Their strength comes from knowing that they are weak
and He is strong.
This Army will appear,
not in neon lights
but in streets filled with desperate, dying men.
Its appearance will only be as a traffic sign,
pointing the way to fullness of life.
Guiding lost souls along the path of longsuffering,
and byway of goodness and truth.
If you hear and receive this message in your heart,
you are part of this Army,
glorious in His righteous robes,
resplendent in the shadow of His Glory,
magnetic with the perfume of His presence.

Do not be discouraged by the wilderness
this is your place of preparation
your teacher the Holy Spirit.
Your hunger and discontent
a spur to greater revelation.
The lonliness
a call to deeper intimacy
with Christ.
Do not fear your death -
it is producing life
and power.
Keeping moving forward.
This emerging Army will soon
shake the world!
Christ
in you
will shake the world!

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 9:36 AM, ,




Dictation from God

God has dictated some things to me - this was the first time that it has happened in this way. He talked I wrote. It happened this past Thursday morning as I was in the prayer room. Sometimes stuff like this is hard for me to acknowledge - it can sound arrogant - that I'm making it up to glorify myself. It's not - I have asked God why me and He has said it has nothing to do with me all to do with Him and He chose me, not because I'm so great, but because I'm weak and hungry and willing to say yes in my desperation.

Prophetic Word:
An earthquake is coming first in the spiritual and then in the natural - that will set off a 3rd shaking in the spiritual that will reach around the world. Pastor's must come together. I will release an understanding to them. Unity will be recognized by me when 7 churches come together. Complete protection is available but only through the churches. Your act - creating a place of habitation will provide a place of refuge within and after the shaking. If there is no habitation - there is no refuge. It only takes the 3, but requires the 3. I will release signs even before. I will provide physical warnings. You are to declare my desired protection. The pastors must trumpet the warning and call for the city to repent. I will protect all that have joined you at that time, there will be many. The harvest is ready. The pastors must reap. Prayer and fasting are required for release. This place will be a sign to the nations that my return is at hand. I have chosen this place to reveal my glory. I have chosen you as a people. I do this for my glory, rewards are yours if you continue to say yes. You must choose this path if destruction is to be averted. You are the last defense - you are my last provision for this people. If you refuse you must leave for destruction will come. You won't refuse. (God was responding to a question in my heart at that point) Don't fear for it is my pleasure to give you the Kingdom. (Again God is talking to me through a verse that He gave me in a dream a couple of weeks ago.) Yes you are insignificant and weak and faithless and I will receive the glory for this reason. (I was balking a bit - God why me, I'm so ...)

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:19 PM, ,




Praise Offering

The last couple of days I have been at a retreat to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the outpouring at Azuza Street. I have been fellowshipping with a wonderful group of people, some who I have gotten to know and deeply love and respect. But these couple of days havn't been without their struggles - as this group is mainly Pentecostal and the difference in the style of worship and even the expectation of what real praise looks like has made me inquire of God.
A shout
a dance in the aisle
Jumping
spinning
running, falling, rolling
Is this the kind of praise you desire from me?
Have I failed to offer the fullness of what I can give
Does my praise offering
made in the quietness of soul
convey to you the same adoration
A life bowed before you
A tear of repentance or of joy
A loving gaze seeking your face
Heart uplifted in gratitude of who you are
A hand raised in adoration
acknowledging your greatness and glory
A quiet song directed by your Spirit
or does my silence mock you
Am I a coward
fearful of man
Disobedient
sinful in omission
unwilling to offer the praise you deserve
One thing is sure - I cannot discern my own heart
Reveal myself to me
teach me Lord
Move my heart to conviction
or let me stand in solitude of soul
confident that my offering of praise
fills your cup to overflowing

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 8:25 AM, ,




Heavens Window

Birds singing filter to my ears
A song that is willingly embraced
Enjoyed
A window opened to hear more clearly
Could it be that my prayers
Rise as a song to God
Enjoyed
Heavens window opened to me

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:28 PM, ,




My Wierd Life

I suspect that the large majority of people in this world would say I have a weird life. And maybe from their perspective it would be true. But I love this life and I believe that it is more "normal" according to God's standards than my "normal" used to be. In fact I hope my life gets even more weird. Somehow I suspect that in doing so - it will come even closer to God's design. I love this life - I want more!

Yesterday I prayed and worshiped in the morning. Went home and napped, did laundry, ate lunch. Went back to the office to do paperwork and to plan a bible study. That afternoon I shared with the YE students about how God had told me to walk around Cairo and stake the ground. They then had the opportunity to write out their own stakes and we went and planted them at the location of their choice. Interestingly enough - they did not mock the activity. This is a miracle in itself. The verses they chose were even insightful - I was blessed by reading them.

That evening I drove an hour and a half to Benton, IL for a worship service. Spent the night in the church with some of my staff and quite a few people we didn't really know. Woke up this morning with a headache (spiritual warfare continues to plague me with headaches) and to people in the prayer room wailing and crying and sining and praying. Honestly, when your not used to that, at first it sounds a bit creepy - but was soon embraced by my ears. Took a shower and am now typing on my adopted bed as Amanda gets dressed. Our "room" is a old sunday school room - converted into a dorm room.

Today a group from First Free in Springfield will make the journey to Cairo, and call one of our converted classrooms and the resource room their "home" for a couple of nights. Time for breakfast!

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:25 PM, ,




Creating a Habitation

My heart is filled with desire
Passions and longing for greatness in God
Seeking what I cannot imagine, yet somehow know could be
A habitation for the almighty
right here in my life
This desire necessitates the furnace
requires the heat of His consuming fire
Purity revealed - absolute and undefiled
Even precious things become dross
silver - beautiful, precious, treasured
taints the purity of the gold I seek
Refined
pure gold
easily molded on the anvil
into God's easy chair
A place to dwell
my life, His living room
Holiness serves as the welcome mat
Welcome home

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 8:16 AM, ,




Amazing Techni-color Journey

Sometimes I feel like I'm Shrek, and the crazy conversations that go on in my head are like that donkey that followed Shrek around. I'm on this journey to awaken the sleeping princess ( the bride of Christ) & bring her to the king, and there are hills to traverse & dragons to slay & dungeons to move through & towers to climb... And there's me - moving through this amazing techni-color journey while scratching my rear, belching the words to "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer weiner', occasionally cleaning my ears & my nose with my finger, wearing the same shirt for too many days in a row, and sometimes needing a serious attitude adjustment when either the donkey or the princess goes into a diatribe of whines & complaints over the nature of this journey. Add to all that the reality that a part of me really is an Ogerrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!. As I put on Christ for & in this trek, I become a Christian Oger, but an Oger nonetheless. I don't kill & eat towns-people any longer. Now I serve & protect them. But I still pick my nose... while slaying their dragons & keeping watch over the village. Turns out even Ogers have a unique purpose in the plan of God.

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:30 PM, ,




You have done great things

We brought some of the YE students to Birmingham on a mission trip and God has surprised me with the response.

joy found in waking early - You have done great things
gifts poured out in unlikely places - You have done great things
emotion revealed in the reading of Your Word - You had done great things
ears open and hearing - You have done great things
prayers offered without mocking - You have done great things
fulfillment and satisfaction in working - You have done great things
realized joy in serving - You have done great things
laughter, sharing, juken - You have done great things
unexpected responses - You have done great things
little things and yet miraculous - Father You had done great things

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 11:31 AM, ,




More Fully Myself

This morning I am in Birmingham - and in the confusion of knowing or not knowing if B-Ham was central or eastern time zone - I am up an hour earlier than planned. Oh - well it makes way for the time to put some thoughts down about my desire for the life I seek to lead.

practicing extreme obedience
fierce faithfulness
swift in care for others
responsive, rushing readiness
to move at a moments notice
when even a hint or a whisper of God's will
reaches my listening heart
no part of God revealed going unnoticed
ever repentant
throwing down the erected altars of the old me
with all its fading glory
broken though made whole
at war and yet peaceful
ruling while being ruled
rising while bowing down
extreme freedom in the midst of slavery
resting though laboring
longing for something more and yet strangely content
being me not at all
yet more fully myself than ever before
joyful dichotomy of a life hidden an yet revealed in Christ.

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posted by Fragrant Burning @ 11:27 AM, ,