Just finished message prep for Jonah Part 1. Been listening a lot to the message series from life church with the same name, reading commentaries, re-reading the book of Jonah and I am simply fired up about tomorrow nights message.

I really think that God wants to move in our midst tomorrow night and challenge us in a big way not to run from the calls he places on our lives, or drift away from them, but to go after them with everything we have. Not to hesitate, but in this day and age, in this season of time on earth, to realize that he has planted us here for a reason because he has called us like Jonah to be vessels to call people unto relationship with Christ, to call them to repentance. If we do, he will deliver, He will forgive, destinies will be changed.

Might He move on our hearts tomorrow. Might many people get saved and many people get set on fire for the things of God. May we be a people who hear God’s word and respond.

Kind of a cool thing I came to realize last night, I get to celebrate back to back, to back birthdays 3 weekends in a row.

May 24th – Belly Button Birthday – turned 38 this year.

May 31st – Born Again Birthday – turned 16 this year.

June 7th – Churches 1 year anniversary..

It was not something we planned out in any way, but it looks like something we will have to look forward to year after year.

Something to pray about and consider for this week.  We are looking to create a tradition of benevolence on the Journey Church birthday. Our motto is you have to give it away to keep it when it comes to finances, so why not consider buying a Gift Card to a gas station, or wal mart or something of that sort and leaving it in the God Box this week as a birthday present that we can use to make a difference in the lives of others for weeks to come..

Also – show up, bring a friend. We are having a pot luck dinner afterwards and would love for everyone to be a part of our 1 year anniversary celebration.

My prayer for this week for the people of Journey Church would be that we would continue to delve deeper into knowing and EXPERIENCING the heart of God. That he might release the knowledge of Himself into ourhearts and that we would fall passionately in love with Jesus. That we simply couldn’t get enough, that His love for us would spur our desire to pray, fast, give, serve, worship at a deeper level than ever before.

In particular this week that our PASSION to know him would increase.

Would you pray Ephesians 1:17-19 over the people of Journey Church?

Considering Fasting with us check out www.fasttuesdays.com

New International Version

Ephesians 1     Read This Chapter

1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

1:19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

Some weeks when preparing for the message you just really sense that God wants to impart something special. Sometimes it is me who really needs what I am studying and this is one of those weeks where God continues to call me deeper. In fact it has been kind of a season of really rethinking life and church and what God has called me to. It’s scary because what I sense is so different than what I am used to experiencing. But wow has it been exciting to see things in a new light.

Continually pressed with thoughts personally and corporately of prepare, prepare, prepare. Get our lives focused on Christ and Christ alone. Put on blinders to all other things.

If you attend journey or listen/view us on the web and want to get the most out of this weekends message you might read Matt 6, and Hebrews 12..

This weeekend we are still in our Why Wait Series and we have a bit of a Sports Theme going on so we will be preaching out of Hebrews Chapter 12 about "running the race that God has set for us" with a focus on how to stay fit in season and out of season through prayer, fasting, giving, worshiping, and serving.. Those things make us lean, mean, fighting machines.

I’ve been in a huge time of examination of self, family, church, God.. Discerning of the times, the season, the hour in which we are in and in many ways I am overwhlemed and still uncertian of what God is up to, but it is big.

The Day, the season? Headlines of the day are Mayanmar death toll surpases 22,000, Oil Price per barrell surpasses $120 and gas prices nationally average in excess of $363 per gallon. Comodity prices are also on the increase, and locally Mayor Peyton is talking about $151 million in budget cuts during a time where the homicide rate which leads the state continues to increase.

Thoughts – This is a no brainer – times are tough, and looking to get tougher. In looking at the landscape of the church I am torn between extremes. I got saved in an awesome Charasmatic church and pretty much abandonded much of thoughts over the past 10 years to the mega-church mindset. I was incredibly blessed in that experience, but later left wanting as I look at the landscape of national ministries and at times cant help but think that Jesus might want to go over turn the money changers in the temple. THen not long ago I was exposed to a different road  – Visited IHOP KC and saw a radically different lifestyle – THey call it the fasted lifestyle, one where people are sacrificing of their time, talents, and treasures spending 4+ hours a day in prayer and God is showing up in signs and wonders.

The Response? Well. Still fishing through it. But I know with all my heart personally that these times demand a people who will be radically sold out to living out the purposes of God in this generation. Will the church rise up? I believe so, I believe that even now God is pouring out His Spirit on all who would receive and that the church will stop looking inward, stop building monuments to themselves, and start living radically to make a difference in the lives of others. TO meet the needs of the poor and hurting in our own backyards and around the world.

Lord my Fast Tuesday Prayer is that you would pour out your spirit on Jacksonville, and on Journey, and on believers all over in a mighty and powerful way. Help us to see things as you do and have compassion on the things you are about. To be passionate about pouring ourselves out in service and worship and love. Father use the challenges that are before us to turn peoples hearts towards you.