Keep Up With God

     "Can you keep up with me!?" is the question God is impressing on my heart and the church in general. I'm not going to lie and say I came up with that question, I actually heard it from the documentary on Elevation Church but it resonated so strongly within my heart. The Lord keeps repeating it over and over to me. "Can you keep up with me!? I can do immeasurably more than you can think or imagine, Brennen. Trust me! I'm capable. Keep up!"
     It's a confirmation that we care called to Heaven's standards and not our own. We are so silly to think that our puny goals are pleasing to God. We are underestimating His power and capability when we limit Him to a "healthy number", average "miracle", or minute progress. God doesn't just want to see someone with a seed planted in their hearts..... He wants to bring them out of darkness, set them free, and empower them to live a life of abundance and impacting the Kingdom. God doesn't just want to see 5 people come to know Him, He wants EVERY person on this Earth to know His name and live a life empowered by Christ. He wants to surpass our "goals" and do so much more. He wants the willing!
     God has made us more than mere conquerors according to His word and we walk around defeated, operating in fear, scared of rejection, and afraid of not being eloquent enough. He has already won the battle. It isn't mine to fight. It's my responsibility to be the hands and feet and spread the news of what the Lord has done in my heart. It's my responsibility to operate in faith and step out into what He is calling me to. He is capable to change the world through us.
     Last week I was praying for a certain situation and asking the Lord's guidance. Not even a week later, He did immeasurably more than I could ever have imagined. He surpassed my plan of action, messed up my agenda, and took it so much farther than I ever thought imaginable. I'm thankful for that. I realized- I'm not God. I can't "make" things happen. He is God, He will use me and equip me to share and advance the Kingdom but ultimately He is God. I am His vessel. It's humbling, overwhelming, peaceful, and overall just wonderful.

     The battle is won. His freedom awaits us. I'm thankful.

Life Changing Moments

     There are moments in life that grip your heart and somehow in one single moment change the entire course of your life forever. It could be something someone said to you that inspired you, a tragic accident, the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, or if you are me- a single documentary. Saturday night I came home, grabbed a blanket, and put Elevation Church's "This Is How We Change The World" documentary in my DVD player. I figured I would watch it, be inspired, and that be the end of it. It played for about 2 minutes and then the tears came. I cried through the entire documentary. The story of how God used a chosen group of people to do something amazing in the Kingdom of God impacted my heart in a way I can't put into words. I'm not exactly sure why the tears came. I think, that it resonated within my soul and it urged, convicted, and inspired me to do the things God has called me to.
     Think about it, the core families that faced adversity, rejection, and trials through planting Elevation Church were a part of changing 10,000+ lives. They made a sacrifice, worked hard, seeked the Lord's will diligently, and had audacious faith to see God do something only He could do. Their faith and obedience caused a chain reaction. The lives they have effected can not be numbered.
     I've always said that I want to change the world. Since I was young, I've always wanted to make a difference. I am coming to the realization that in order to change the world- you simply have to do what God called you to do. Think, if every person did what they were called to do. The Kingdom of God would invade the Earth- lives would constantly be changed to a life of abandonment of loving Jesus, and the cycle would continue.
     After watching the documentary, Ephesians 3 came to mind. I sat down and read it uncertain of what would come about it. The verse that stuck out was saying that God can do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine. My dreams for my life can not compare to the Lord's desires for my life. He is capable. He is willing and He can.
     Before Saturday, I was going through the motions. Wanting more, not really for sure how to go about it, struggling to figure out my niche in today's society. Don't get me wrong- I'm still there.... but what is different is I have a hope that has welled up inside me that God is going to bring me to and through it. He is equipping, preparing, and fulfilling me to do His calling that He has placed on my life.

     Take some time today to look at your life and see if you are living a life of audacious faith. A life of living on the edge expecting God to do something miraculous. Then take some time to think of the "moments" in your life that changed it forever. Ask yourself if you are still pursing the things you were after that moment, or if you've gotten back into the cycle of everyday life and have forgotten.

He is willing. Step out. Step up. Live your calling.

Step into your Jordan.

As I continue to study Joshua the Lord continues to teach me new things. I am by no means a bible scholar- but I do want to learn as much as I can about Joshua and his journey with the Lord. From the last blog post we know that the Lord promised Joshua some pretty big things for his life. And Joshua took them and obeyed them. He had 100% obedience. (Something I need to learn; not just 80% or 50%, but 100%.) The Lord gave Joshua a pep talk- which I love. (How cool is that?) preparing Joshua to cross the Jordan River. 

As you continue to read in Joshua 2 you find out that Joshua sent two spies to check out what they were going to be coming up against. The spies stayed with a prostitute Rahab so they wouldn’t appear suspicious. I am still chewing on the significance of them staying with a prostitute. According to my commentary in my bible it says that, “It was not unusual for strangers and foreigners to go to Rahab’s house... God did not bless Rahab for lying, but for her faith in the report that the spies gave.” So, if you have any insight on this then fill me in. I do believe, that no matter what you have done in your past that God can use you to advance the kingdom. The past is the past and when you became a Christian you have a new identity. You are no longer a sinner. You have been saved from your sin. And you are a new creation. Joshua was Hoshea before being commissioned by God. So, feel free to make up a name of your old self, pre-Salvation, if you’d like. I think it’s a fabulous idea.

So after the spies confirm that the Lord is giving the whole land (2:24) then the crossing into the Jordan begins. This is where it gets exciting. So if you’ve been bored- get ready. This is my favorite part. 

Joshua takes authority and they leave Shilting to go to the Jordan River, they camped for three days and then the orders were given to follow a new path. They are to follow the ark of the covenant. Now, I read this and had always passed up what the ark of the covenant was, so I got out my Bible dictionary and this is what I discovered. The A.O.C. is a sacred chest where the mercy seat (the resting place of God) and the cherubim (winged angelic beings) were seated. To me this means that when we are called to a new path, our own Jordan River, we are to pursue the resting place of God. Cool huh? 

The Lord continues to speak promises over Joshua in 3:7 that he would exalt him like He did with Moses, so they know that the Lord was with him. Then the cool part comes. Drum roll please....... They reach the Jordan. So in my head I can picture this huge army of men reaching a flooded Jordan River, the priests in the front. The waters are rough and they have to get across. I’m sure doubt was creeping in on at least one person in the group if not all of them. But someone had to have the faith to step into the Jordan. And when the “foot of faith” stepped into the river, the river parted. (I’m ready to dance and sing Hallelujah now.) Can you imagine the joy that must have came over them. Relief that they didn’t have to do anything but walk across, no building a boat or blowing up a water raft- simply walking into what the Lord had promised them. The priests were required to put their faith into practice. They had to take that step of faith into the Jordan. And according to my commentary- the Jordan no longer floods like it once did. The entire nation crosses the Jordan (on dry ground). 

With a single step of faith, God can turn your wet and mucky ground to dry and solid. It requires faith and it requires obedience. In 4:10 it says that they did everything that the Lord commanded. Another thing that was revealed to me, was how scared their enemies must have been when the Jordan River parted. When you do take that step of faith and your ground turns to solid- you not only receive breakthrough but your enemies are also defeated. They lost courage when they saw what kind of God they served and what He could do. Your step of faith brings about more than just the obvious. It defeats your enemies. 

From Chapters 2 and 4 we learn so much that we can apply to our lives. We must take a step of faith to get major breakthrough. We must step into our calling. We must take a first step. You know, everyone had a first day at their job, school, university or whatever they do. They had to learn the ropes. Everyone was once a beginner. So what are you scared of? What is holding you back? Fear. Pride. Jealousy. Bitterness. Selfishness. Fear? I don’t know what it is for you, but we must break those thoughts that we can’t do it, we’ll be rejected or that someone else will do it.The time is now- step into what God is calling you to. Step into your Jordan, and that Jordan will part. With God- all things are possible.

There’s a song that we sang in Panama that says- if you tell that mountain to move with just a mustard seed size of faith- that mountain will move. MUEVETE! So tell that mountain to move. Tell that Jordan to part. And tell those walls of Jericho to fall. And watch what God can do.