Who is this coming up from the wilderness?

The Lord spoke to me recently so clearly telling me to love the wilderness more than the public appearing. It was said of John the Baptist that he stayed in the wilderness until the time of his public appearing (Luke 1:80). When he emerged from that place he was at ease before the big crowds -"The whole nation rejoiced in his light" and He emerged with such a astonishing revelation of Jesus. John was the first among men to recognize Jesus' purpose: "behold the Lamb of God...", Jesus' identity: "I have seen and born witness that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34), and Jesus' heart "The one who has the bride is the bridegroom (John 3:29)". All in this place called the wilderness. That place where, according to Hosea, the Lord will betroth us to Himself forever in righteousness, justice, steadfast love and mercy ( Hosea 2:14-20). It says that he would draw us into the wilderness and speak tenderly to us. He would romance our hearts again until we began to sing that Song of all Songs...

Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefor the virgins love you.
Draw me after you: Let us run!

Draw me! Allure me Jesus to that place! Oh to really know and believe that your love surmounts any other pleasurable thing! Draw me out of this over produced, over stimulated culture to the place of intimacy. Take a bored generation giving themselves to every other thing and draw them after you. Do what you do best; take the hardest hearts and melt them in your presence. I cannot settle for a life without your presence, for your presence has become life to me!
I am convinced that we don't have the revelation, or see the miracles that we know to be true, simply because we have been running around trying to finish in the flesh what was born in the Spirit. By that, I simply mean that the Lord gives me a glimpse or beings to open up a mystery and my first reaction is to go "public" with great revelation instead of staying in the wilderness and letting Him unfold the depths of who He is to me; Just because I am His and He is mine. Or worse yet, the tyranny of the urgent snuffs out the beginnings of a burning heart and quickly quenches it's flame with the list of a thousand things I have to do. Yet we treat this secret place as the most expendable part of our day, willing at any moment to sacrifice it for something that demands our attention. What was it that caused Paul, who himself spent 3 years in the wilderness before he started teaching (Gal 1:15-17), to stop in the middle of his most theological epistle and exclaim,

"Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!"

In these days the Lord will raise up a people who will love the wilderness more than the public appearing. There he will marry a whole generation to Himself. We will have an astonishing revelation of the Beautiful One and will be - " A voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God!" They will say and exclaim, "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?" (SOS 8:5) Then every valley will be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together... In that day wisdom will be justified by all her children.

Jan/Feb 2007- "Come Let us Return..."

Jan/Feb 2007-

Beloved,

O how the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ sustains us through all, in all, and above all things! And so in the midst of crazy, busy, and blessed time I have found the grace of Jesus constantly holding me up, teaching me, breaking me under his mighty and loving hand, and simply granting me rest in his arms. He is so GOOD!!!!! May all of you who find the time to read this update and testimony of Jesus’ grace be blessed and know that the GRACE our lover and Savior is sufficient. January and February has been a time of much activity, but even more than the outward busy-ness, it has been a time of learning how to lean on, depend on, and love the grace he gives us to rest in Him and know all is in His great, lovely, scarred hands..

Next/Mobile, AL

Emily and I traveled to Atlanta, GA for the Next 2006 Conference in the end of December. It was great to see everyone and fellowship with my family. I love that in the body of Christ, with those dear brothers and sisters, it does not matter how far away or how long you have been away, it’s always family, always good to be with one another! A most blessed gathering! Then we headed down to The Ramp for a few sweet hours. It stirred my soul! The fire of Jesus’ heart was present to burn away all dross and spur me on! Praise God for that ministry! Emily and I then went to spend some time with friends and family in Mobile and had a wonderful time seeing familiar loved faces. We stayed with the Currie family who blessed us with their amazing hospitality and food. Thank you so much! It was a lot of driving but well worth it!

March For Life

Every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade (Jan 22), thousands of people gather in Washington D.C. to be a voice for those who have no voice. People from all over the country assemble on the National Mall to march around the capitol building and gather at the Supreme Court to cry out for life. David and I were asked to lead worship and intercession for the rally. Thousands of people, young and old, stood in at the bottom of the steps of the Supreme Court and sang, “Let Your Kingdom Come… Let Your Will Be Done… Let Justice Roll… On Earth As It Is In Heaven!” There is a generation rising that has been awakened in understanding to the implication of 50 million innocent lives and urgency of the hour in which we live. I believe we will see the ending of abortion in America in our day and in our time. Beloved, there are many issues of social justice in which the church should stand for in righteousness, but abortion is the only issue in which it is not the quality of life in question but the very value of life itself.

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Starting January 26^th, 2007 we entered into an intense season of prayer and fasting in preparation for Awaken The Dawn and for understanding of what the Lord is doing and saying in this hour. We went for 21 days 24/7 and I took over the “nightwatch” which was from 12am-6am. The nightwatch is definitely a wilderness of sorts. All kinds of people show up in the middle of the night to be in the presence of the Lord, just because the doors are open. The poor, broken, drunk, angry, and depressed came and found a home in the shadow of His wings. It is important to realize that we were not praying to get God’s favor or even for Him to bless our conference. The 21 days was a time of searching and returning, realizing our extreme poverty and desperation for him. Our aim was find God’s heart and partner with Him in all that He was and is going to do. We were not praying enough so God would be happy but to position ourselves in a place of weakness and waiting on Him. Laying down our plans, agendas, and ministry ideas before the Lord and asking for His plans and His ways; positioning ourselves for Him to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Oh how we desperately need to return to the knowledge of God! In an age where the primary contested issue around the globe is the existence of Christ and the power of His name, I am burning to raise up a generation with a real revelation of Christ and an understanding of the times they live. We have to value this life of seeking in prayer and the word more that any conference or movement. I talk more in depth on this subject on the Awaken The Dawn podcast.

Awaken The Dawn

Awaken the Dawn in the annual conference we hold in Fredericksburg where young and old come from across the nation to be together and hear what the Lord is saying to us as a generation. It is a convergence of sorts between the prophetic streams in our day. The International House of Prayer, Morning Star, The Cause, 24/7 Prayer in Europe and Iris Ministries were all represented there as we came together in a solemn assembly to seek the Lord. This years theme was “Return to Me”, much of what I’ve explained earlier. As the actual conference arrived and I could hardly believe it had finally snuck up on us after so much preparation. I hardly know, how after so much prayer and worship, and beautiful time with Jesus, what to write about it all! It was all so much!! Jesus came. He heard our feebly whispered prayers, saw the hunger of our hearts, and came and kissed us with His presence! Sons and Daughters were saved, healed, and delivered. We have heard such amazing testimonies of God healing people from cancer and all sorts of sickness and disease. Youth groups that came are going back to their cities and preaching the gospel, prophesying, and laying their lives down for Jesus.

Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace

I am excited as we move forward with the House of Prayer vision in Fredericksburg, VA. Starting Monday, March 12, we are preparing to run 12 hours a day worship and intercession. In addition to the prayer we will begin to send teams out of the furnace into the city to minister to the poor and homeless, to high schools and hear universities, to the marketplace, and to the dark places. Recently, some of our young leaders opened a prayer room that is running 9 hours a day in their local high school. There are already reports of unbelievers meeting the Lord in a powerful way. More Lord! We are yearning to train and release young revivalists who will burn with the gospel and do whatever it takes to bring transformation to their cities, schools, and workplaces. Pray for us!

On The Horizon…

Emily and I are heading to Mozambique, Africa in June to train and serve with Iris Ministries there. We will be working with the thousands of churches and orphanages they have planted in that country through the summer. Check out www.irismin.org to get an idea of what we’ll be doing. Please keep the logistics of getting everything together for that trip in prayer.

I love you all. Please call me (251) 533-6430 or email me and let me know how you are.

Keep the faith,