Just in case I haven't mentioned it: this is an incredible song

Holy God
Brian Doerksen

Key: Bb

Chorus:
Bb   F/A   Gm     Eb
Holy, holy, holy God
Bb   F/A   Gm     Eb
Holy, holy, holy God
(Repeat twice)


Verse 1:
    Bb           F/A          Gm7        Eb
Creating, commanding, transcendent Adonai
     Bb               F/A             Gm7         Eb
Defending love, destroying sin, the Warrior divine


Verse 2:
      Bb        F/A          Gm7                Eb
Forgiving, redeeming, from every tribe and tongue
    Bb                F/A                 Gm7            Eb
Arising first, the nail scarred Lamb, salvation's Champion


Verse 3:
     Bb       F/A          Gm7            Eb
Romancing, pursuing, reclaiming to restore
     Bb                   F/A              Gm7            Eb
Releasing hearts, transforming lives, the Lion's mighty roar

Last night at ZHOP

I had been preparing a message for last night's EGS (Encountering God Service) at ZHOP for a couple of days, then got direction in a different heading about an hour before the service started. I ended up calling the message 'The Greatest Prize of Spiritual Warfare'.

In short, I presented the need for a biblical world view... that we have to see reality based upon the scriptures in order to be effective followers of Jesus. And this world view is such that we are in a struggle, with powers and demonic beings whose intention is to blind men to the gospel ("The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ..." 2 Cor. 4:4). There is a hierarchy of an intelligent evil, with beings (fallen angels) whose agenda is to steal and kill and destroy that which is precious to God. These things we contend against.

But while we need to know what we are against, we also need to know what we are contending for: the restoration of creation and establishing of God's order. The greatest prize of spiritual warfare, I said, is to see people set free so that they can enter in to the very statement that David and the priests made continually before the ark of the covenant (ie, God's presence): The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever! In other words, to contend against accusations that are constantly coming against the Lord in the minds of people: is He good? Is He faithful? Is He kind and gentle? We need to contend against this darkness, in order that men receive true knowledge of God and then can stand before God with thankfulness and adoration. Reconciled as sons, entering into bridal partnership with The Bridegroom forever.

In Proverbs chapter 8, Wisdom is speaking. Not as a concept nor as a "spirit", but clearly as a specific Person who existed before anything was made. Receive the word of the Lord, meditate upon these things today, the center of Christ's thoughts towards you today:

22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men."


Hear this, friends and inquirers: His delight is in the sons of men. His delight is in the sons of men.

Iceland trip, teaching tonight

I will be leaving for Iceland in 3 weeks and am still raising funds for the trip. This will be an occasion for me to teach and prophesy to those already gathered that are building towards night and day prayer (along with Icelandic leaders and Ian Nicholson from Nordic 24-7); it will be on the national Christian radio and television outlets in Iceland. I am going there to invest in this small yet real beginning, to help establish a beachhead in the spirit for the evangelization of Iceland and as a gateway into Europe as concerns the harvest of souls that will be realized through God's answering the intercession of His people. I have a paypay link further down on this page, you can use that to help fund me on this trip - again as an investment in the work of God proceeding in Iceland. Also, please pray for me as I'm speaking at ZHOP tonight and the Lord is giving me a word. Pray for clarity and sincerity, pray that the word of the Lord would be manifest and run swiftly. With thanks ahead of time I request this.

Night and day prayer and worship are to be perceived as the primary beachhead from which ministry impact is gained by the Body of Christ. We've got to see this; I have first-hand experience of city-reaching while living in California and working with Harvest Evangelism. I am not beating the air nor am I mired in fantasy. This is the way forward (alongside anointed teaching and training) to see the voices to this generation raised up and released with signs and wonders following (especially in the scale to which God has promised and the need for this which we are experiencing). +++ Jesus, give boldness to Your word in our day. Let Your Spirit be present to heal and deliver and save to the uttermost through the testimony that You are raised from the dead. We need You. We need You to lead us. We see again that without You we can do nothing, but with You we can bear fruit for eternity. Help us. Help us. Draw near and help us! Amen +++

Picture of God's promise in iceland

Downtown Reykjavik, Iceland last week from Katie.

Tozer comments

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. --2 Corinthians 5:17

In our churches we often sing, "Arise, my soul, shake off thy guilty fears." But nothing happens and we keep our fears. Why do we claim on one hand that our sins are gone and on the other act just as though they are not gone?

Brethren, we have been declared "Not Guilty!" by the highest court in all the universe. Still there are honest Christians, earnestly seeking the face of God, who cannot seem to break loose and find real freedom. The grave clothes trip them up every time they try to move on a little faster. Satan uses their past sins to terrify them.

Now, on the basis of grace as taught in the Word of God, when God forgives a man, He trusts him as though he had never sinned. God did not have mental reservations about any of us when we became His children by faith. When God forgives a man, He doesn't think, 'I will have to watch this fellow because he has a bad record.' No, He starts with him again as though he had just been created and as if there had been no past at all! That is the basis of our Christian assurance--and God wants us to be happy in it.

- AW Tozer, I Talk Back to the Devil

Thats a powerful truth to bask in, conveyed by Tozer: when God forgives a man, He trusts him as though he had never sinned. Think on this today, beloved of the Lord. Being so loved, you are now free to love. Being forgiven, your gratefulness for it lifts you above many of the sticks and stubble that would otherwise cause you to stumble.

Sabbath