Fall Update 2007

Beloved,

Love is not stagnant; it is a fire that must be fed. A life that must be pursued with violence.

Prayer Furnace

We are plowing ground here in Fredericksburg, VA. We are running mid-day and evening prayer Monday through Friday in Garce Church and are seeing the Lord shift the atmosphere in this city. We are crying out that the Lord would have a resting place in a little Bethlehem stable in Fredericksburg, Virgnia; gripped with a desperation for His presence and power to break-in upon this city and flow into Washington D.C. (I was in the capitol city last night and was just gripped with what could happen if people gave thier lives for the Lord to have a resting place on Capitol Hill. Thank God for little JHOP DC crying out for justice day and night there on Pensylvania Ave. God will give justice to His elect who cry to Him day and night!) Of this I am confident, that we have asked of Him one thing and He will not deny us this; to dwell in His house and gaze upon His beauty, ever increasing in the knowledge of God. This was where David drew his confidence from in Psalm 27. David knew that the governmental center of Jerusalem wasn't the kings palace but a tent not far from his front porch. (1 Chronicles 16) David opened up this tent for all the common people of Jerusalem to come in a worship the raw unhindered glory of God above the mercy seat. He placed singers and musicians, poets and artist around the ark and day and night they worshipped, sang, played, and prophecied to God. Therefore when an army encamped around Jerusalem and crisis on every side, David says "Of this I will be confident, One thing have I asked of the Lord and that which I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple." (Psalm 27:4) David confidence was not in his own human inginuity or the strength of his army, not in the latest methods and leadership strategies. David's confidence was in the priority and position of his heart, that he was after the heart of the Lord and he had given the Lord what he desired. Therefore the Lord would break out against his enemies and propser Jerusalem. Jesus references this verse in Luke 10:41-42 when he tells Martha, who is busying herself with preparing sandwhiches that Jesus never ordered, saying "one thing is necessary". If we look at the reign of every king after David, those who put their resource and time into the preistly ministry prospered and were delivered from the hands of all their enemies. Those who disdained the place of prayer and worship were overthrown. In an hour of immense crisis morally, spiritually, militarily, and economically we must give ourselves to the priority of God's heart. What response does he require in an hour of crisis? I believe we can see very clearly in Joel 2:12-17. A rending of the heart, a laying down of all of our agendas and programs and giving ouselves to this place of crying out for Him. Recognizing we are wretched, pitable, poor, blind and naked and saying God we need desperately for an outpouring of your Spirit like never before.

I am calling a generation to lay down their gazing on worthless things, feeding themselves on the latest thing out of hollywood, and to set their eyes on beauty and glory. I am tired of hearing about the latest youth conference and strategy to get young people hyped up for another 3-4 months until the go home and the adrenaline wears off. Where are the shepards who will feed young people on the knowledge of God? Who will point the to the Spirit of revelation and teach them how to eat, how to drink from the river of delights? Where is the cry to not just abstain from sin but dive in the knowledge of the Author of pleasure? I am convinced that the beauty of Jesus is enough to fascinate a generation and we are on the fringes of a third great awakening as a generation is beginning to find the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. This is why we pray day and night; to call people into the knowledge of God and a life of intimacy (Psalm 27:4), to cry out in an our of crisis and call the church to repentance (Joel 2:12-17), to shape governments and nations (Psalm 2:8), and to see and outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this nation and the nations of the earth!

Burn Internship

We have 9 interns that have laid down their lives to pursue these "four wells" of Worship/Intimacy, Intercession, Compassion/Justice, and Prophetic/Supernatural Ministry. We are seeing tremendous fruit and growth in these men and women as they give themselves to radical lifestyles of worship and prayer, compassion and giving and contending for a anointing to minister in the supernatural. The interns spend their time between class, prayer and mediation on the word, intercession, serving in the ministries in the church, prophetic ministry in Fredericksburg in the malls, hospitals, and universities, feeding and caring for the poor of the city, building relationships and one on one disciplship. Many of them lead prayer or sing during sets in the Prayer Furnace.

I am teaching the Christology and some of the Intercession classes as well as pastoring and discipling these young ministers of the gospel. We believe that he Holy Spirit is the primary teacher in the internship and teach and preach to point them to the place of prayer and a hunger for the Spirit of revelation. We are agressively pursuing this "new wineskin" the Lord has given to us of people who have radical lives of devotion in prayer and fasting, pursuing intimacy with Jesus; authority in intercession, producing lives of radical cultural engagment. We are contending in the place of prayer for anointing for healing, signs and wonders, gifts of prophecy and revelation, while asking for a heart of compassion for the poor and broken and lost. The Lord is raising up these "four wells" to shift a generation and bring revival to the church of America.

Bosnia/Israel

We will be taking the interns and a few leaders to the country of Bosnia in Eastern Europe and to Israel in the beginning of December for three weeks.

First, we are traveling to work with the church of Bosnia undertaking a 24/3 in the capitol city of Sarajevo. Pastors and leaders from all around the country will bring their congregations to join together to pray and fast for their nation and for the Lord to open a door for the gospel to run swiftly and be glorified in this Muslim country. During the three days we will be training in corporate intercession, mediation on the word, and cultivating secret lives with God; looking to equip them to press on into the knowledge of God and unity in the Spirit when we leave.

There are only about 500 Christians in the entire nation of Bosnia. The first Bosnian believers were baptized iduring the war in the mid 90's. The war left the country in carnage and the people heavy in spirit. The enemy has weighed down this young church with persecution, death and heavinness. Because this is the first generation of believers in the country, Satan has waged an all out war on their children. Many have been miscarried or born wth deformities. While I was sitting with Beky and Mbladdin (pictured on the left with Scott and I), two pastors from the country, Mbladdin turned to me and said, "Randy, I don't how to pastor a church. I'm just the one they picked. I need help." We are going to stand with these leaders and this young church in intercession and contend for the kingdom of light to break into darkness.

We leave from Sarajevo and fly to Tel-Aviv, Israel. We will spend a few days in the north of Israel, in Haifa, Carmel and Galilee. The interns will get a chance to see and experience where Jesus did the majority of his ministry as well as a plethra of events in the Old Testament. Then we will travel down Jerusalem where will be partnering with Succat Hallel a 24/7 House of Prayer right outside the Old City in Jerusalem. We will also be serving Jaffa Gate ministries a homeless ministry in the located in the Old City. Jerusalem is always an incredible experience for believers as they get to see and walk where Jesus and the early church walked. We will go up on the Mount of Olives, pray in the upper room, and rejoice at the garden tomb. We will also visit and pray at the Western Wall and cross over into the west bank to visit a Palestinian refugee camp, getting a chance to minister to the families living there. Through all of this my prayer is that the interns will experience that power and sorrow that comes with traveling to Jerusalem, provoking intercession for that nation fufilling the promise of Isaiah 62:6; that the Lord would set watchmen on the wall of Jerusalem crying our day and night until her righteousness shines as brightness and her salvation like a burning torch. we pray the the righteous One would take His place and shine glory of God from Jerusalem the ends of the earth! Come Lord Jesus!

Partner with me!

Beloved, I am rasing my own support to pursue this work of the kingdom. I need your help! First and foremost, pray for me. We are under serious resistance from the enemy as we take a stand for righteousness and the power of God in this city, D.C., Bosnia, and Israel. I need you to pray for me! That the Lord would continue to give us strength and that a door to the gospel will be opened that the word of God may run swiflty and be glorified. Also pray that Lord would provide for us as we step out in faith to pursue all that He has called us to do. I have reduced my expenses to minimal and I am asking that secondly, you would please help me financially. I need financial support to be able to continue the work that the Lord has laid before me. Please pray about partnering with me in these endevors!

You can send checks to:

Randy Martinez
10606 Greta Lynn Ct.
Fredericksburg, VA 22407

please makes checks payable to "Grace Church"

Until He Comes,
randy