Revival Vacation

Today my lovely friend Maureen and I went on a little Swiss adventure. Maureen has been a wonderful host to me, making my time in Switzerland most enjoyable. Today was no different. Our destination was Stiftsbibliothek in the nearby town, St. Gallen. The bibliothek is the oldest monastic library in the world. There were books dating 1,000, and even 1,500 years back! For a book lover such as myself, it was amazing.

As I looked around the ornate room in awe, I had a flashback to my childhood years and felt that I was Belle, being ushered into Beast's library for the first time (come on Beauty and the Beast fans... you know what I'm talking about!). It was breathtaking. We were required to wear these little slippers over our shoes to protect the books from dust.

I browsed the hundreds of books containing beautiful theological truths under the cover of the ornately frescoed ceiling. Definitely a highlight of the trip for me.

After exiting the museum, we had a picnic lunch in the garden. As I prayed to thank God for the food, a whole other prayer began to pour out of me. I asked Abba that as tourists walked through that wonderful room, full of historic beauty, they would be struck with the reality of what those books hold. That is would no longer just be a tourist attraction, but a place where they would have a heavenly encounter with the Holy Spirit. That these books of yesteryear that hold the truths of our very present God would not be just one more image in the blur of a European vacation, but that those truths would supernaturally jump off the page and into their hearts forever. The Stiftsbibliothek was, after all, a place that was used to study the Word of God and the theology of the Christ's Church - why can't it be again? People shuffle past these books in their little slippers and ow and awe over their beauty, remaining completely ignorant to the true beauty of the Gospel. I know that Jesus is bigger than that and today my prayer is that He would show up and show off just how alive He is today in that library.

So much of European history revolves around Christianity. Granted, not all of it is pretty history, but what if it stopped being stories of dead people and started being encounters with the living God. I want to start hearing stories of people on vacation touring Europe having radical encounters with the Holy Spirit! That churches, cathedrals and monastic libraries would harbor such a thick presence of God, that people's lives would never be the same! Oh that the ancient wells of Europe would spring up today! Wouldn't it be great to have revival European vacations?!

Last year, while in Germany with GTS, we visited the church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther mailed his 95 theses. After a powerful worship time inside the church, we had a time of prayer outside. Holy Spirit came and touched our hearts. People were laid out on the sidewalk under the power of God. And where were we causing such a heavenly scene? Right in front of the door where Luther nailed his theses... yeah, that door. Other tourists were literally having to step over members of our team to get their picture taken by the famous door!

That's what I want to see again! I want people to know that God did not die in the 18th century! He is living and active! Spring up oh well in Europe!

ELAV Day 3

First of all, I must apologize for the tardiness of this update. After the conference ended, the staff went into a coma of sorts to rest and recuperate after pouring out so much during ELAV. 17 hour days full of hard work in the hot sun was exhausting, but so worth it! In these recent days following the conference, some have been describing it as an atomic bomb of Holy Spirit that has been dropped on the youth of Israel.

The third day of the conference started with a miraculous worship set led by my friend James. He had lost his voice earlier in the week and then had it miraculously healed in time for his set. Thank you so much for all you who prayed! Matt Gilman also led us in an amazing worship time before our morning session with Heidi Baker. Heidi spoke on the spirit of adoption and the link between identity and courage. Using powerful examples from her own life in Mozambique, she shared with us that when you know that you're adopted, you're not afraid anymore. And in Hebrew, the root word for adoption, is the same root word for courage. She charged the youth to know who they are in Abba and with sureness of that reality, to step out with boldness in their culture. This is such an import message for this generation at this time in Israel. Afterwards, there was a time of prayer and ministry for the youth. Many were getting touched, but there was still a level of breakthrough that we were not tapping into. Then Rick Ridings (founder of Succat Hallel), very wisely and in obedience to the Holy Spirit, led us in the direction of praying specifically for the IDF soldiers among us. Many of these kids are barely out of high school and have been trained to shut off their emotions and become very hard - making times like these, when the Spirit of God wants to come in, very difficult. As we began to minister to these soldiers, Holy Spirit just broke out and began touching them. We had Palestinian youth and even young men from Gaza praying for IDF soldiers! The only way this could happen is in Yeshua! It was an amazing thing to see these soldiers with machine guns strapped to their backs, break down in tears as Abba came and touched them with their love. It is said that almost no soldiers leave their time in the army with their virginity or their faith in Yeshua. Please keep these young people in your prayers, the need is great.

Saturday was an extra special day because it was Heidi Baker's 50th birthday! It was a joy to spend this special day with her and she enters her year of jubilee. We sang for her in English and Hebrew and had a sweet time of blessing her.

In the afternoon, Joaquin Evans from Bethel Church in Redding CA shared with the youth about the ministry of healing - allowing God to come and make it easier than we think. The youth really responded to Joaquin's laid back style and sincerity. Many have been inspired and encouraged to take the power of Yeshua to the streets of their cities. After Joaquin's session, he had a time of impartation to the youth and of course, a time to pray for the sick. We saw blown out knees completely restored, backs healed, hearing loss restored, TMJ healed and more! It was powerful to see the youth pray for each other - Arab and Jew contending for each other's miracle. This is the kingdom in action.

The conference closed out with Asher Intrater's session. Asher is a local Messianic leader and an international speaker/author. He did not come to the conference to give these kids a cotton candy message that would make them feel good. No, he brought something that is offensive to the flesh and life to the soul - truth. He spoke about how many of us know the kind, sweet Yeshua. He is a Galilean hippie with children on His lap and flowers in His hand. But there is another side of Yeshua that we must know - the Lion of the tribe of Judah that will soon be touching down on the Mount of Olives with a sword in His mouth and blood on His robe. We must know this Yeshua, or we will not recognize Him at His coming. Asher passionately exhorted the youth to serve their flesh a death blow, giving up the things of this world that make provision for the old man and choosing to live lives completely surrender to the King. Conviction swept over the crowd and lives will never be the same. We finally wrapped up at about midnight and called the Kennes Elav 2009 to a close.

Believe with us that this weekend was a turning point for the youth of this nation. That there will be outbreak of revival in Israel, bringing with it signs and wonders. God met us out in the Baptist Village in a powerful way, but this is not just about a conference - a mountaintop experience that soon loses it's potency. No, this is about the coming of Yeshua's Kingdom and it's firm establishment in this nation. Join us in intercession for this Israeli generation. We believe that God has great things in store for them and want to partner with Him in seeing it.

Thank you all so much for the faithful prayers that you have sowed into this conference and ministry. God is doing big things and He wants us to be a part of it. Take up the mantle. Join the battle. The journey is an adventure and the victory, a sure thing.

ELAV Day 2

Today was an amazing day. It was filled with worship, impartation and the Spirit of God. That's been something that has really struck me about this conference - the Holy Spirit's presence has been so strong and thick in a ll the worship times and sessions. It's amazing to be in His presence. Getting out out of Jerusalem and experiencing this sweet presence made me realize how in need of refreshing I was! My eyes do not stay dry for long in the worship times, for I am so overcome by His goodness to come and meet me again and again.

It seemed like unity was our theme today. We had worship sets in Hebrew, Arabic and English! Very exciting. We had a special time of prayer with the youth, where Jews prayed for gentiles and vice versa - just blessing each other. Tonight was a big night in the fact that we had Matt Gilman (IHOP KC) lead worship and our speaker was Heidi Baker. It was POWERFUL! Matt lead an amazing time that had hundreds of us dancing, completely undignified for our King, and then on our knees weeping in awe of God's holiness. It was so anointed and Holy Spirit was moving. Heidi Baker spoke about how sometimes it takes realizing just how blind we are to able to be used by God to heal the blind. The evening ended with an intense fire tunnel. For those of you who are not familiar with this form of prayer ministry, a fire tunnel is when people (the youth in this case) walk in between 2 rows of people (the leaders of the conference and spiritual leaders in Israel) to receive prayer and laying on hands. It was a great time for the youth to receive impartation from the generations ahead of us and opened the door for Holy Spirit to come in and taking control - changing lives forever.

We also heard two exciting healing testimonies today from Israeli youth. An Ethiopian Jewish guy who prayed for a deaf and mute Arab guy who was healed and a Jewish young woman who prayed for a blind man who was healed! More Lord! It IS happening! Continuing praying that God will use His people to bring healing and blessing to the nations and that He would raise up this generation!

A quick praise report - James, one of our worship leaders who had lost his voice at the beginning of the week is feeling much better and will be able to lead his set tomorrow morning! Thank you to all of you who prayed! This was a great healing from Abba.

Another quick prayer point - A prophetic word came out today through Esther Ridings (daughter of Rick and Patti Ridings, founders of Succat Hallel) about the spirits over this nation. A spirit of rejection, a spirit of hopelessness and a spirit of death. I can testify to how true these are and how much they need to be removed through intercession and spiritual warfare. Please join us!

Well, it's another full day tomorrow! Please be praying that our last day goes great, that the youth will seize every opportunity to get what God has for them this weekend and that everything will run smoothly. Good night and Shabbat Shalom!

P.S. Here's a video of Matt Gilman singing one of the songs that he palyed tonight - "Holy" It was such a powerful time of worship and I wanted you all to experience part of it. Enjoy!

ELAV Day 1

Well, it's almost 2am here in Israel and I'm home from the first day of the Elav youth conference. Thank you so much to everyone who is praying! We need it! The conference is off to a great start though. All the youth arrived today who are staying at the venue, and so far, there have been no major glitches. A few scares, but God had been so faithful and it was a great day! After just the first session, many of the youth are already being touched by Abba. We had two brothers (who for security reasons must remain nameless) from Gaza share testimonies of what God is doing there and the growing number of believers. It was so powerful to see their Jewish brothers and sisters surround them to pray and lay hands on them. Itzhak Mor-Haim shared a powerful word about our need to be available and willing to live the life of a servant for God to use us. Many of the youth were compelled and we saw Holy Spirit moving in them. Please keep praying for us. All the staff and volunteers are staying very busy during the days, so pray that we feel supernaturally rested by the time we need to be back on the bus in the morning - just six short hours from now. Pray especially for the spiritual warfare we are experiencing. The conference this year falls during Ramadan, the Muslim holiday. Satan would like nothing more than to defeat us in someway during this time. Pray for continued grace and peace over the conference as a whole and all involved. We're off to a great start and can't wait for the next two days! But I must be off to bed or I won't make it through them! Thank you for all your prayer love and support. If you have any questions about the conference or how you can be praying, feel free to comment or email me at chelsea_nunnenkamp@hotmail.com

Also, check out this promo video for the conference - it will give you a small taste of what's going on ever here!

Face to Face with Destiny

Have you ever had one of those moments where you feel like you've come face to face with your destiny? Like you are suddenly struck with the reality that the opportunity that lies in front of you is what you were created to do at this point in history? It's a pretty awesome feeling and I had one this week.

Since moving to Israel, I have had a lot of trouble sleeping. I think that it's probably a combination of the heat, the mosquitoes, my mattress and the spiritual atmosphere of this city. On the nights that I can't sleep I normally lie awake in silence until I can't take it any longer, and then I decide that if I'm going to be up in the middle of the night, I might as well do something productive. I return emails, read, or listen to a teaching. I had one such this past week. I was able to pick up one bar of wifi signal in my room from our neighbors - this in and of itself is quite the feat. I opened up my browser and soon found myself on a website reading about an internship opportunity here in Israel. It's with a legal organization that fights for the civil rights of Messianic Jews, living in Israel, that are being persecuted for their faith in Yeshua. Just sitting in my room, in the dark, in the middle of the night, reading about this opportunity on my computer, I began to cry. That's not normal. When's the last time you cried while reading about a legal internship online? Yeah, it doesn't happen everyday. But it happened that night, because I was coming face to face with my destiny. Yes, I really want to be a part of this organization and internship. I have a love for law, justice and government, but it's not so much about this particular internship as it is about the whole picture.

Over the course of this past year, God has really been speaking to me about the role He's calling me to play in the political world. I've always had a love for government. I made my mom take a picture of me on the first day I voted (an off year election), I watch Fox News for fun and I read Ronald Regan's auto-biography at age 16. I love it, but I never thought I could really pursue it. It always seemed just a little out of my league. I didn't feel adequate to be involved. But this year, Abba has been revealing to me that He's given me that passion for a reason - a reason that will ultimately further His Kingdom and bring glory to His name. I feel a new release and prompting to pursue what God has for me in the realm of politics. The past several months have brought prophetic words and pictures about God's call on me for government. He's been impressing it on me more and more, giving me the dreams of His heart for this sphere of influence and it all crescendoed that night in my room, crying with my laptop. It was like the Holy Spirit was saying, "Be encouraged dear one, there's a perfect fit for you. These are the desires I've placed in you. There are others who's heart burn for the same things your does." I just had this peace in my spirit and I knew that He was revealing the next step. He was making it a little clearer and shedding some light on how I should proceed. It was an amazing moment. In the days following this night, it seems as though things have been falling into place right and left. I feel like I have clear direction on how to fulfill the purposes that God has for me in my generation. He's done it in a beautiful way that gives Him glory, meets the desires of my heart and makes the more economic and practical sense than anything I could have come up with in my own. I have a five year plan. Crazy.

Now it's important to note that this is what I'm feeling God say right now, and the plans could change - God does that. But when I first felt God telling me that my pie in the sky dream to somehow be involved in politics wasn't so unrealistic, I didn't understand how it could ever work. I just kept thinking about how much school I was going to need and the timing and logistics. But I waited on the Lord, I laid it on the altar what felt like daily and committed my way to Him. And in the end, He gave it all back to me in the most perfect way. He is so faithful and capable.

I'm really excited about this next season and the plans that God is revealing. And He's showing my that the desires and passions that I have are placed in me, by Him, for His glory! What an awesome God we have! So what are your passions? What does your heart burn for? Chances are, it's not a coincidence. I believe that God wants us to enjoy the work that He's called us to. Ministry isn't more holy if you're miserable doing it... it's just miserable. Ask God how He wants you to use the gifts, passions and talents He's given you. Ask Him to bring you face to face with your destiny. It's pretty great.

Downtown Healing

One evening a few weeks ago, I was walking in the city with some friends and I passed a woman sitting at the bus stop with two walking canes. I immediately heard the internal voice of the Holy Spirit tell me to go and pray for her healing. So I stopped dead in my tracks, handed my things off to my friend and approached this older woman. I introduced myself, (thankfully she spoke English, because my Hebrew isn't at that level yet) mentioned that I had noticed her canes, and asked her the reason for them. She explained that she has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis in her back and both knees for many years. I shared with her the work that Yeshua has done for her and that He wants her to live without this pain. She smiled, patted me on the hand, and matter of factly stated, "Oh, honey, a life without pain would be impossible for me." Impossible...huh? I smiled right back at her and stated a fact of my own, "All things are possible with God." At this point I was getting excited to see how God was going to show up. She consented to me praying for her and even allowed me to lay my hands on the areas of pain. (When you have a true revelation that you carry the Spirit of the Living God Who created the Heavens and the Earth living inside of you, you want to lay your hands on sick people!) I prayed a simple prayer, but full of faith. After asking her to test her back and knees for the pain, she said "I feel comfort in my body and I can't feel the pain!" Hallelujah! I explained that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God and we talked about Yeshua for a bit. I encouraged her to continue checking her body over the next few days and to know that when the pain wasn't there, God's Son Yeshua the Messiah, has healed her. After that, she got on her bus and I rejoined my friends who had been faithfully praying a little ways off on the sidewalk.

You see, this is the life of the normal Christian. When we, who have Jesus in us, come into contact with people who are sick, it creates an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to show up and show off His love for humanity. Sick people + Jesus is always a good combination. I'm not a super Christian - I didn't spend an hour in prayer before I approached this woman, I wasn't fasting for her healing (in fact, we were on our way to dinner!) and I had even sinned that day. I'm just a girl who loves Jesus and is willing to step out in faith that others may also know His great love. With my Abba, everyday is "take your daughter to work day."

So be encouraged! We serve a God that heals the sick, raise the dead and delivers the oppressed. Step out today. Sick people are simply opportunities for God to show His love. But you may be asking... what if they don't get healed after I step out and pray for someone, especially in public? Won't I feel silly, or worse yet, won't that make God look bad? But I ask, if God does heal someone we pray for, can we take credit for that? Of course not! That also means that we don't have to take responsibility if He doesn't. It's really, really not about us. And if they don't get healed, what's the worse that happens? They meet someone passionately in love with Jesus, and full of radical faith, telling them that God loves them. Not bad.

My Revelation Summer

God speaks to all of us in different ways. One of the ways He speaks to me is by giving me themes for certain seasons in my life. My first year at the Gateways Beyond Training School, the theme He gave me was Spring - the winter was over and it was time to step into the new life that was waiting for me in the Spirit. It was an amazing time of healing, unveiling and discovering the Holy Spirit. This past year at Gateways, it was all about being a Living Sacrifice - learning to live to die. Dying to my flesh, for Him. In Ethiopia, the theme was Mercy - that through the mercy given to me, God would have mercy on others. Well, when I got to Israel in June, I began to ask Abba what the theme was for this season. I had big expectations for my first summer actually living in Jerusalem, and being part of the House of Prayer no less. Yes, I had high hopes. Something that I love about the themes for my life that God gives me, is that they connect everything He teaches me over several months time into one fluid transformation. I love looking back on those times and seeing how He wove all my experiences together for the purpose of teaching me that virtue. I believe Jesus intimately knows me and knows that my analytical mind loves being able to view life in this organized manner:)

Well, this summer, my theme did not manifest itself right away. I waited and prayed and asked God what He had for me this summer. But I was given no answer... and then I began to worry a bit. This is where I lost sight of the path. Jesus is always faithful, I must simply take the next step towards Him and He will reveal Himself. But in my efforts to find out what God wanted to teach me in this season... I stopped looking at God. Ironic, isn't it? I felt that I didn't want to come across the world and live in the City of Zion for three months only to miss what God had for me. I played around with different ideas of what it could be, but none seemed to fit. I can't force God - but sometimes, to my shame, I try.

But here's the beautiful part. One night, I went to the prayer room and just laid it all out on the altar before the Lord. I realized the folly of my forcefulness and spent some time in teary eyed repentance. I realized that even if I spent the whole summer in Jerusalem and I didn't hear God's voice once or feel anything, I would still choose to serve and worship Him. After all, even in His silence, He is worthy! I needed to come to that place - to say that even if I don't feel it, I'll still come to my watches in the prayer room everyday and pour out all my worship on You, Jesus. He must hold a higher place than my feelings.

Well, in His typical divine fashion, Jesus showed up loud and clear just one week later and gave me the summer of 2009's theme. This is my Revelation Summer.

It was the night of July 22nd. I was spending the evening with friends Sam and Rachel. Sam was in Israel touring and Rachel is living with and serving the Benjamin family. The Benjamins are leading Succat Hallel's internship program and have become what I affectionately call my "Israel Parents" :) The three of us had just eaten and were sitting in the living room just hanging out. We were talking about something related to Jesus (a favorite topic of mine) and the end times were brought up. I mentioned that I wished I had a better handle on the timeline of the last days. I've heard so many different teachings and feel a little hazy in my eschatology. Well my friend Sam, being the fellow Jesus lover and all around great guy that he is, pulled out his Bible. What happened over the next several hours was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life thus far. The three of us read through the entire book of Revelation of the course of the night. Sam walked us through the book and stopped along the way for the questions I had (which for those of you who know me, were many!). We worshipped and wept our way through the night. We'd move from deep theology to giddy excitement concerning the coming of Jesus. There were times that we couldn't stay seated because the adrenaline it created in us and other times that we couldn't even speak because the presence of God was so thick in the room. When we got to the end of the book and I saw the great love of the Father in His desire to come down and once again dwell with His children, I was overcome. To think of His beautiful unrelenting love; that He created us to dwell with Him in the garden of Eden, but we separated ourselves from Him with our sin. But He did not stop there. No, His love was too strong. He sent His Son once to open up the way for us to go to Him. And He will send His Son again to prepare the way for Him to come to us. What beautiful pursual. What unrelenting love.

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3

I couldn't keep the tears from streaming down my face in light of His love. My body trembled in His presence and I could do nothing but cry and sit in awe of Him for some time. Sam sat with the contented serene look that comes with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the room was silent, apart from the sniffles I could hear coming from Rachel's direction. She'd had an experience with God that night that mirrored the beauty of my own. That night was about Revelation... Revelation of Jesus. He was is and always will be the central focus. We finished just as the sky was beginning to lighten, and decided to go up to the balcony to watch the sun rise over the city.



At some point while we were up there, it hit us. We are watchmen. And we're standing on a wall. And we've given ourselves no rest. And we're here in Jerusalem asking God to establish her as a praise in the earth! (Isaiah 62) Now that may seem all very simple and possibly even boring to you, but we were geeking out! Have you ever had one of those moments when you realize that you're living out scripture? It's pretty cool. We just kept saying, "We're on a wall... in Jerusalem... as Watchmen!" Some might argue that our extreme sleep deprivation may have had something to do with this, but I like to believe that it was the Holy Spirit. As the sun rose over the Mount of Olives, we spoke scripture over the city, sang worship songs and asked Jesus to come quickly. I thought of the passage in Malachi that says the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings. Yes, arise Lord Yeshua!



We finally went to bed around 7 am; our schedules were a little crazy that day. We woke up early afternoon and had a breakfast/lunch/dinner meal at 4 pm. We discussed the night and felt that it had all been a bit surreal. Like, did that really happen? But, indeed it had, in all its wonderful glory!

That night was a definitive moment in my summer... in my life. A couple days later I hear the voice of the Lord tell me that this summer was about revelation - both the book and the experience of Jesus Christ being revealed more an more to my heart. It's been a wonderful time. I've been consuming the Word, listening to great teachings and dialoguing with friends about the mysteries of this exciting book. I even put the audio Bible book of Revelation on my ipod so that I can listen to it as I walk in the city. Holy Spirit has been teaching me so much and I'm loving every minute of it. And ya know what? I'm not afraid of missing it anymore? I have not missed what God has for me this summer - no, I'm enjoying every part of it.

What does God have for you in this season? What beautiful truth does He want to unveil to your heart? I don't recommend chasing after it in anxiety as I did at first, but I do encourage you to wait on the Lord and listen when you hear His voice... even if it takes all night.

Little Brother. Man of Courage. Son of God

Today is my little brother Travis' 18th birthday. I suppose that I can't really call him little anymore. A couple years ago he finally passed me in height and it was several years ago that he passed me in strength, which gave me quite the disadvantage in our wrestling matches. But over the years Travis has not only grown physically. He has grown in strength of Spirit and character as well. It's been an amazing thing to watch. What a gift God gives us in siblings. For the last 18 years, I have had a daily front row seat to see the work of Jesus in another's life. Rarely do we get to see so deep into someone's life as with our family, not even the closest friend can compare. Admit-ably, I have not always treasured this beautiful opportunity. In our growing up years I displayed my fair share of selfishness and unkind behavior, but I am grateful to the Father that He has brought so much healing and I have come to the place where I can truly appreciate my family.

This is one of those days that I wish I could be home with my family, even if it was just 24 hours. I wish I could be with my brother on this special day. Travis isn't a little boy anymore. He is becoming a man. A man after God's heart. A man of worship. A man of courage. A man with valiant strength and a tender heart. I am so proud of that man. I could go on about him for a long time. I sometimes playfully, yet affectionately refer to him in conversation as the "golden boy". Travis has played and excelled in almost ever sport you can think of - basket ball, baseball, football, soccer, even BMX. He recently placed in the top 5 at Nationals for archery. He plays guitar and piano. This last year was his first year in public school and you guessed it... honor roll. He is a young man full of talent and heart. Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect, he's still got plenty of teenage guy in him, but he's special one.

I remember funny things from the years past - going snowboarding together, having pizza and movie parties when our parents were out, the first time I ever rode in his car and he was driving (this was a very surreal experience!), liking the same music, all the little girls in our youth group having a crush on the quiet cute guy with that beautiful curly hair. When it was revealed that was in fact this heart throb's sister, I was immediately surrounded with fainthearted 9th grade girls asking a myriad of questions about him. The beauty of this silly situation is that when asked about his feelings toward his adoring fanclub, Travis responded with something like "I'm in 9th grade and can't get married right now. There's no point of me getting into a relationship with a girl if there's no possibility of us getting married." Travis is still committed to that and confidently states to this day that the only girl he's kissed is his mommy. Trust me, it has not been for lack of opportunity! He's turned into quite the man of conviction and I couldn't be more proud.

Travis plans on attending Bethel Church's School of Supernatural Ministry after he finishes his senior year of high school this next spring. I am so blessed to hear that my brother is pursuing the things of God in this way. I've sown many prayers into his life over the last few years and am thrilled with the path he's choosing to walk. And I can't wait to come visit him at Bethel!

I got to talk to Travis a couple days ago on skype. It'd been a wile since we'd had the opportunity and it did my heart so much good to hear him talk of the things God is doing in his heart. The Holy Spirit has been releasing the song of the Lord in him and worship has been flowing out. I loved hearing his excitement as he recounted the work of the Lord in his life.

Many in our culture view age 18 as the entrance into adulthood. Yes, today is a big day for Travis. It's an exciting birthday and I wish so badly that I could be there to celebrate it with him. But today, Travis is not a man because the world tells him he finally reached the magic number 18. No, today Travis is a man because of his character. Because he has stood firm in his convictions amidst a generation prone to waiver. Because he is choosing for himself whom he will serve.

So happy birthday little brother, man of courage, son of God, I hope it's a great day! I love you!

Taking Possession

Over the past couple of weeks we have been in the book of Deuteronomy in the weekly Torah portion (The Torah is the five books of Moses. It has been divided into weekly portions that allow Jews to read through the Torah over the course of one year.). As I read through the first few chapters of the book, something kept standing out to me. God continually tells His people that He has given them the Promised Land, all they must do is go in and take possession of it. But we know that the story does not happily end there. The Israelites are overcome with fear and end up spending the next forty years wandering in the wilderness. This was their lot because they did not take possession of what God wanted to give them. I got to thinking... is there something that God wants to give me that I'm not taking possession of? Several things came to mind. God wants to bring in my financial support for this season in Israel, but I must stand in faith and take possession of that promise. He wants to lead me in a life of love that leaves no room for fear of any kind, but I must take possession that life. He wants to open up the realm of supernatural miracles, but I must take possession of it. How many things do we see in the Bible alone that we are not fully living out in our lives? Perhaps the problem is that we are not taking possession of those things for ourselves. When I say take possession, I mean making it our own. Owning it. Believing it. Taking God at His Word. What a revolutionary idea! What if we actually believed what God said to us and lived like the Bible is true? What if we believed that the deaf can hear? What if we really believed that whatever we ask for in His name will be given to us? What if we believed that the blood of Christ really does allow us to boldly approach the throne of God? I believe that God wants to give us so much more than we are currently experiencing, but the problem is that we're not taking it from Him. His arms are outstretched to us, but our's are not to Him. We can not receive a gift if we do not reach out and take it, saying this is mine. Taking possession is the difference between a life of milk and honey and four decades in the desert. What is God wanting to give you today that you are not taking possession of?

φίλος - Phileo

A few years ago, a friend of mine started signing his emails with Phileo. Phileo (verb) is used 25 times in New Testament, and is one of the Greek words for love. It comes from the root word "Philos" which is the word translated “friend.” Phileo love is the brotherly affection of friendship. I love this word. I want it to define my life. I believe it perfectly captures what the Bible intends for friendship. Paul tells the church in Rome to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honoring one another above themselves. That is phileo love - selfless and pure. Paul also admonishes Timothy, that young men and women should treat each other as brothers and sisters with absolute purity. I have made this my goal. I want to be above reproach. I want to love from a pure heart with the kind of love that is appropriate for the situation. In English, we do not have the vocabulary to fully describe and understand appropriate types of love for the differing relationships we have on our lives. But that is not the case in Greek. In Greek, we have agape, phileo, eros, and storge. There are passionate loves, friendship loves and unconditional loves, each for a specific time and purpose. Well, as an unmarried young woman, I desire that phileo love would define the relationships of this stage in my life. The kind of love that makes every other young woman my sister, not my rival. And every young man my brother, not a potential. I believe and hope that if Christians started treating each other this way, it would revolutionize the church.

Now, this is not something that I have mastered by any means, but Jesus is faithful. Just the other day I made a new friend - a young guy from the states who was visiting Israel for the summer. As I try to do with new friendships, I asked Jesus to show me how I could love this new friend with phileo, like my brother. Well, a few days later, we were having lunch with some new acquaintances and one of them looked at us and asked, "Are you two brother and sister?" It's important to note here that we are not even the same race! My friend is Hispanic and anyone who knows me, knows that I am the definition of what we'll politely call "fair skinned." And yet, we were mistaken for being siblings. In my heart, I thanked Jesus and gave Him the glory. It may sound small and silly, but it showed me something very important. When we ask Jesus for righteousness, He is faithful to come. It could have been so easy for the person to mistake us as a couple, which would have been mildly embarrassing and far less inspiring to blog about. But no, we gave the pure appearance of family. Thank you Holy Spirit. I want to live a life of absolute purity. I want to live a life of phileo.

Jesus gave me Ninja Skills

So here's the story...

Tonight I had a lovely evening with my new, good, friend Mandie. The evening was so much fun and so precious, but that is a different story. We were talking, sitting in a valley below the House of Prayer. It was staring to get dark and we decided to wrap it up. But then about 6 Arab boys and young men came up near us. It seemed harmless at first, but as the time went on, we really felt that we needed to leave. I had cautiously been keeping my hand on my purse and camera that was laying next to me on the grass. But in a split second, I lifted my hand to readjust and one of the young men took his opportunity. He reached down for my things and managed to grab my Cannon SLR camera. I don't really know how I did it, but in a second a just yelled "Lo!" ("no" in Hebrew) and lunged to grab the dangling neck strap of my camera as he turned to run. I pulled it back to me, and as it slipped from his hand, it came back and smacked me... but I got it! It's true, some guy tried to mug me... and I won! Some of the boys who saw what happened offered to get the police, but considering that the guy didn't get away with anything, we didn't think it was necessary. And from the way he ran away, my guess is that he's half way to Jordan by now...

Mandie and I walked home immediately, praising Jesus for His protection and for giving me the ninja fast skills to grab my stuff back! As a friend recently reminded me... Abba keeps me.

It's been a new and interesting experience living here in Israel on my own. In all honesty, I never thought I would be able to do this. Maybe it was due to watching a few too many suspense movies a few years to early, but the thought of living in a big city alone always scared me. There's probably a "healthy fear" there, (what an oxymoran, haha) causing me to be cautious. But it's been really cool to see the work that Jesus has done in my heart in this season, here in Jerusalem. I do not live in fear. Circumstances sometimes force me to walk home alone at night, but I do not fall prey to fear. I will not. I often walk home praying in the Spirit, knowing that I am encircled with the Spirit of the living God! What can touch me?! Seriously, Jesus is so good, and so big, and loves me so much, in such a perfect way, that fear is always driven out. Now, that's not to say that I don't use wisdom. I make all efforts not to walk home alone at night if I don't have to, I avoid certain neighborhoods and keep a can on pepper spray on my keychain. But I do not put my faith in those things, for they can fail me. But my Jesus never fails. I walk in the light... even at night. Listen to this story of Gladys Aylward (another woman I want to be when I grow up). She firmly put her trust in Christ, even when things looked a little scary.

When Gladys Aylward was on her way to China to fulfill the call of God on her life, the enemy must have known how powerful her minstry would be because he tried to thwart her before she even arrived. In Russia, she was detained by corrupt government officials. As she sat in a hotel room, thinking about a way to escape, an officer tried to force his way in. Boldly she told him, "You are not coming in here."
"Why not?" he smirked.
"Because this is my bedroom."
"I am the master, I can do with you what I wish!"
"Oh no, you cannot. You may not believe in God, but He is here. Touch me and see. Between you and me God has put a barrier. Go!"
The man stared at Gladys, shivered, and without a word, turned and left.

Can you see why I like her so much? This is how we as believers should be living. We must know and make it known that God is protecting us. Oh that I too would have her boldness in declaring God's protection!

So yes, someone tried to mug me. But Jesus is bigger and protected me and Mandie from any real harm. I will not live in fear. I came home and told my roommates the story. After the initial shock, they lovingly asked me if I was ok emotionally. And I can honestly say that I am. Not out of an ignorant, cavalier attitude, but from truly knowing that Abba keeps me. So I will live my life in this city. I will get on the bus, refusing to let the enemy win by keeping me off for fear of bombings. I will walk to and from my apartment in the authority of Jesus Christ. Yes, the world that we live in is fallen and full of many evils, but we must never forget that Jesus is bigger.

And when you need Him, He will provide the necessary ninja skills... trust me.

When I Grow Up...

Most of you who know me well, know that I want to be a lot of people when I grow up. That's right, not things... people. When I was little, I wanted to be a lot of things: a teacher, an astronaut, a marine biologist, I even had a deep desire to be a waitress. I think it was a fascination with getting to wear a visor. What can I say, some dreams come true.

But these days, I want to be people when I grow up - Amy Carmichael, Beverly my cubical neighbor at work (affectionately referred to as my 69 year old best friend and powerful intercessor), Ruth the Moabitess, Elizabeth Elliot, Jackie Pullenger, and Nancy the beautiful woman of wisdom who leads the watch right before mine in the mornings, here in Jerusalem. These women are those of godly character, feminine grace, and heroic love. The could all be gal pals with the Proverbs 31 woman and have all become a shining example to this 20 year old one. Whenever I meet a woman like this, who is living a life devoted to Christ and is passionately in love with Him, I normally respond with "I want to be her when I grow up!"

Today, we have built a 21st century church to fit into our 21st century world. We are hip - we have coffee shops in our churches and our churches in coffee shops. The worship music is "relevant" and the media department is cutting edge. We look cool and manage to make Jesus pretty cool too. Now, all this in and of itself is not bad. But there is a grave danger waiting just around the corner... In our efforts to make to church culturally relevant to the younger generation, we have lost the older one. Our culture is constantly dividing us on generational lines. There are senior discounts and child discounts. There's "grown-up" movies and kids movies. And now, in the church, we have "youth services" and "adult services" - where parents' and kids' only Sunday morning interaction is the car ride to and from church. Separate worship, separate messages, separate lives. Or the even more extreme, whole youth churches, where there is not even the possibility of being forced to interact with "old people." How could a young person possibly be able to learn about Jesus with a faithful man or woman there who has known Him for 50 years?! Seriously?

We have lost respect for the older generation in the church today. We have separated ourselves from our potential mentors, shepherds and spiritual parents. We are consumed with the newest Christian fluff that hits the Christian bookstore shelves, and have never even heard of spiritual giants like Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor and Smith Wigglesworth - much less read a word they wrote. May we look to those bold forerunners who have paved the way for us with gratefulness and admiration. Not to mention the shining examples of faith we have in the Bible and the early church. But to discover these treasures, we would have to actually be reading our Bibles, which is another topic for another blog.

I look to these amazing men and women and desire to live the lives of faith they did - rescuing Indian children from human trafficking, introducing Jesus to those who have yet to know His great love, laying down my life in the service of others, pure devotion to the King and becoming a warrior of intercession. That is what I want to be when I grow up. Now, I am almost 21 years old and many would debate that my time for dreaming of what I want to be when I grow up, is long past. But I hope that I will never stop desiring to do great things for Jesus. I want to walk in the well trodden path of the saints and I want to aspire to even more when I am well into my 70s and 80s. Moving from glory to glory, never relenting in abandoning my life to Him.

And so I keep dreaming. I continue to see the beautiful, virtuous work of Christ in those further on this life journey than I, and choose to follow their example. What do you want to be when you grow up?

It Happened to Me!

Last night seemed like it was going to be an ordinary, relaxing erev shabbat. I was looking forward to food, friends, and the peace of the sabbath as I was rode the elevator up to my friend's apartment... and then it happened. Just like a movie, the elevator lurched, the lights blacked out and then it died. That's right, I was stranded. I was left alone in the pitch black somewhere between floors. I immediately had visions of the elevator plummeting down the shaft with only the concrete bottom to break my fall. Than I saw myself in the dark 3 foot by 5 foot space all night while I waited for the paramedics to come save me. That was in a movie, right? Then the worst one hit me, what if no one realized I was missing? What if I had to stay in there all night? In the dark... alone... hungry. I began to bang of the doors, yelling "I'm stuck in the elevator! Hello!" My phone didn't have any service, but with the little bit of light that my blue screen gives, I was able to find the emergency button and push it vigorously. You'd be amazed how quickly panic sets in when you're in a situation like that. Now, if you can believe this, all the afore mentioned scenarios and actions happened over the course of about 30 seconds. After that, my sanity kicked in and I began to pray. Once I began to do the one thing that would help me most, a supernatural peace came over me and the fear evaporated. Now I'm not saying that I was content to live in that elevator for the rest of my life or even the rest of the night, but the panic was gone.

John's first epistle, he tells us that perfect love casts out fear. That's one of those verses that I grew up knowing, but never really beleiving. But I'll let you in on something - God means what He says and every word in that book we call the Bible is solid truth. When you realize that the Creator of the Universe, Lord of every living thing, King of Kings, Alpha and Omega, and Holy Father loves you with a perfect love that has not even a hint of selfishness in it, your fear seems to vanish. In fact, it begins to look downright silly. If the Divine loves me like that, no middle eastern elevator is going to make me tremble. My only regret about last night is that is took me 30 whole seconds to turn to Jesus. My prayer is that I would know the Father's love deeper and truer until He is the first and only place I turn in time of trouble. Imagine a life without the presence of even the slightest fear... it is a life of love. Well, for those of you who are wondering, I made it out of the elevator - hence the fact that I am able to write this for your reading pleasure. I was stranded for a very undramatic 2 minutes. The power kicked back on and I made it my appropriate floor. I later found out that this happens semi-regularly. I'll chalk it up to just another initiation into life in Israel. But for the record, I think I'm going to stick to the stairs from now on. After all, doesn't it say somewhere to not test the Lord you God? :)

How Low Can You Go?

I've realized something over that last few months - my life is very much like limbo. Not the supposed waiting place for souls... the party game. You know, it's a staple at Hawaiian luaus and roller skating parties. Somebody will turn on some music that in any other situation would be completely unbearable, and you attempt to make your way under the horizontal pole, broomstick, or whatever you have on hand with your body arched back. All the while people are chanting the limbo challenge "How low can you go?" Now you may ask what this has to do with my life. And considering that I do not live in a perpetual luau nor have I worn roller-skates since the 2nd grade, this is a very valid question.

Lately I feel like the Holy Spirit has been challenging me, "How low can you go today Chelsea? How humble will you choose to be? With what sacrificial love will you serve those around you?" These can be very convicting, yet inspiring questions! I long to go lower, that Jesus may be lifted higher. I want to decrease that He would increase. I want to consider others above myself. But I must first answer the question, how low am I willing to go? Well, in the Christian life game of limbo, the bar has been set unbelievably low... in a good way. You see, Jesus was the most humble servant to walk the earth. He is how we are to measure all of our actions and behavior. He has given us a perfect example of humility.

Sometimes we believers sing these powerful worship songs, pleading Jesus to take us where He is. We long to be lifted up to heaven and dwell in His presence. But instead of bringing us up, what if He chose to bring us down to where He is as the Suffering Servant. Are we willing to go that low? If I try to shimmy my way under the impossibly low bar of humility that Jesus has set, in my own strength, my legs will inevitably give out from under me and I will end up on my back. The only fruit of that method is discouragement, pain and failure. But if I let the Holy Spirit take me there in His strength, He will carry me under the bar, conforming me more to the image of Yeshua every step of the way.

And so my answer to Holy Spirit's question is, "Take me as low as Jesus."

How low can you go?

Ethiopia in my Heart

Check out this video that my friend David made about our time in Ethiopia. I can't watch it without crying. Enjoy!

Jesus & Jane

This morning I had humorous conversation with one of my roommates at the breakfast table. We were discussing books and movies and someone brought up Jane Austen's classic, Emma. My roommate began to tell of her complete dislike for the book which ultimately resulted in her tossing it aside after only the first 100 pages. I, being quite the Jane Austen fan ,was naturally appalled by this! How could she rob herself of such a masterpiece. For those of you who are not familiar with the story, Emma is a young woman with a affluent lifestyle in 18th century England. She is selfish, spoiled, inconsiderate and downright rude for much of the book. Now you might be siding with my roommate on that description alone, but the climax of the book is Emma's redemption. Through a series of events, Emma sees the cruel folly of her ways, repents, reforms and even manages to live happily ever after with the man of her dreams by the last page. This is what I was so intent on explaining to my roomie this morning in our playful debate. But, try as I might, she could just not get past Emma's selfishness at the beginning of the story. As she stood to take her dishes to the sink, she matter of factly called back that she just can't read stories where the main character is terrible and still manages to "get the guy at the end," even if she does change. I teasingly responded with, "Do you read your Bible?"

Although this trite conversation could be quickly forgotten as just another feminine dialogue in a house of 5 young women, it has stuck with me. I am Emma. I am prone to selfishness and sin. That's my story. But through a series of divine actions, I've come to a place of repentance, turning from my sin nature into life in the Spirit. And I even get to end up with Prince Jesus at the end of the story. Today I am struck by the simple beauty of the gospel. Although I am completely undeserving, Jesus has snatched me from the flames and called me into a life of love with Him.

Although I am a self-confessed lover of Miss Austen's work, I can not credit her with the beauty of Emma's storyline. There is nothing new under the sun and her novel is simply a lesser version of the greatest love story ever told. Set your heart on Jesus today and mediate on the beauty of your salvation story. If you want some more inspiration, you could read Emma, watch the movie, or better yet... read your Bible.

I am a Vehicle of Mercy

Well, after my last post on scripture memorization, I have decided to share with you in the next few entries some of the things Jesus showed me in Romans 11 and 12. Today, I want to talk about mercy. Now, most of my life I've been a pretty justice oriented person. Things tend to be black and white for me. I have a love for theology, politics and truth. I like absolutes and concrete thoughts. I like knowing what's right and what's wrong. That's the way I believe God made me. It is my strength, but it can also be my curse. If balanced with the mercy of God (which always triumphs over judgement, a point I constantly need reminding of) a love for justice is a great thing! The writers of the Psalms and Proverbs plead with us to love justice. But, it's when mercy is lacking, that zeal for all things just, becomes a curse to the soul. This year, God did a major overhaul on my heart and is daily increasing the gift of mercy in my life. (Side-note: mercy is a spiritual gift and Paul says to pursue the gifts. If you feel like you're lacking in the area of mercy [or any other gift] like I was, ask God to give you more of that gift! It works.) I'm learning the art of merciful justice, which in the Kingdom of God is not an oxymoron. How did this happen? Read on...

This spring, our class was traveling and ministering in Israel. One sunny afternoon, we were having our weekly Romans Bible study in a grassy park right outside the Old City. We were discussing chapter 11, what I believe to be one of the most important sections of scripture to the church today. The call of God to Israel can not be revoked or redirected to "the church." Believers in Jesus do not replace Israel, rather we join them. I could and people have written entire books on this subject, so I will not go into great depth here, but there's a few verses at the end of the chapter that are quite remarkable.

30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

God has veiled the eyes of His people, so that the nations could partake in the gift of salvation. Before Yeshua, we were all missing out. When I say we, I mean the gentiles/nations - I am one, so 'we' just makes sense to me. We (gentiles) weren't of Abraham's bloodline, the end. We were disobedient to God, worshiping false idols with pagan rituals. But God, in His deep mercy and love for us, veiled the eyes of His own people, that through their disobedience to Him, we would have a chance to receive His mercy! Unbelievable! But many of us stop there. We say, "Thank you Jesus for Your mercy, now what's on TV tonight?" Some of us see error in the first response and choose to instead focus on loving the Jewish people. This is good! We should love them and have a gratefulness in our hearts that they've suffered for generations for our salvation. It's sobering, but so important to realize! Earlier in chapter 11, Paul says that Israel is blinded in part, until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. But that spring afternoon, while sitting on the grass at the base of Mt. Zion, God showed me a third response, a revelation, it might even deserve the title epiphany. It's from the end of verse 31,

31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.

It all comes back to mercy. You see I, like many other believers today, had seen the suffering of Israel that I might be saved and was extremely grateful! I go to Israel to serve them and show my deep love for them. This is a great thing to do, but somewhere along the way, I got a little confused. I tend to go to extremes, my mom describes it as a pendulum on a clock that swings from one direction to the furthest possible opposite direction, thankfully the Holy Spirit is teaching me balance. But, in an effort to distance myself from the widely accepted Christian belief that Israel is unimportant and irrelevant to us today, my pendulum swung hard. I began to put the Jewish people on a bit of a pedestal, all subconsciously mind you. By focusing so much on what God has done for me through the Jewish people, I started to downplay if not totally erase the role of the gentiles in God's plan. I knew that we were important in the sense that we are to love God and each other. We are called to minister and evangelize, but in the grand scheme of things, I started to see us as tag-alongs. I'll say right now that this is not God's heart! You have to read all the way to the end of verse 31, that through the mercy shown us, they also might obtain mercy! In Romans 10, Paul says that ALL Israel will be saved. In chapter 11, he says that their acceptance will be life from the dead, and we know from what Jesus says in the book of Matthew, that when Israel turns her heart towards Yeshua as her Messiah, there will be world revival and then the end will come and our Bridegroom with it! But how is Israel going to come back? God, in His sovereignty, could simply bring them back alone - but because He loves us, He allows us gentiles to be involved in the process by becoming vehicles of mercy to the Jewish people. Isn't it beautiful? They become disobedient that we might receive merciful salvation and through that same mercy in us, they too will receive merciful salvation. This revelation is just another example of how our circular God is constantly pretzeling my linear mind. This revelation has literally changed my life, from my prayer to purpose, delights to direction. One of my favorite things about God is that He doesn't have plan B's. He is the sovereign Ancient of Days. He did not choose Israel, oh and then include the gentiles as an after thought. No, no, He choose the Jews - that they might play a part in saving the nations - that the nations would play a part in saving the Jews. Paul calls it the mystery of the Gospel. I call it beautiful.

While I was in Ethiopia, I had the opportunity to meet many Jewish people (some who have yet to know the love of Yeshua as their Messiah) who were living in complete poverty. And guess what was going through my head the whole time? Oh Jesus! Have mercy on them! You've taken care of me, loved me, provided for me and saved me. Please Jesus, do the same for them - have mercy! It was real. My eyes could not stay dry and my heart would not ease. It's because I have chosen to step into the destiny that God has for me as a carrier of mercy to His people.

I am a young woman with no Jewish blood that love Jesus, that makes me a vehicle of mercy to Israel. Living in Jerusalem everyday has caused this revelation to become reality in me. What does being a carrier of mercy look like? Is it intercession that Israel would know God's mercy? Is it working with the poor and needy Jewish people? Is it helping the Jewish woman with five little kids out to her car at the supermarket just up the road from my apartment? Is it continuously forgiving when they hurt your feelings? Is it showing the love of Yeshua in my countenance as well as in words of evangelism? And I would say that the answer it yes. If you're a Jewish person, ask God how you can fulfill your destiny to bless the nations because you've been greatly blessed (Gen. 12:3). And if you're a Gentile, ask God how He wants you to fulfill your destiny to show mercy because you've been shown such great mercy (Rom. 11). He created these roles for you in the "grand scheme of things" before the beginning of creation - walk in them.

I have hidden Thy Word in my heart

During my time in the Gateways Beyond training school this year, my class chose to memorize chapters 11 and 12 from Paul's book to the Romans. I can personally testify to the benefit of committing large sections of Scripture to memory! After we began to memorize, it seemed like those two chapters were popping up everywhere! In our teaching, morning exhortations, and personal time with Jesus. There's something beautiful in becoming more familiar with the Word of God. It goes from being words on a page, to a deep seated truth within you that you KNOW beyond a shadow of doubt. It deepens your intimacy with Yeshua and gives your life greater fullness in every area, because you've chosen to make the lIving Word alive in you! This could not be more true in my experience with Romans 11 and 12. God used Romans 11 and 12 to speak to me about my destiny, the truths they hold were instrumental in the levels of freedom and deliverance I received this year, and they ultimately became the cries of my intercession. This was all made possible because we made it a point to know these chapters inside and out - word for word. We want to be good Biblical stewards and handle rightly the Word of God. And as we memorized by flash cards, audio Bible on our ipods and meditating on the texts, something began to happen! The Holy Spirit breathed His life into it and subsequently, 7 young peoples lives will never be the same. We have a fuller knowledge of the love of God, His love for Israel, the destiny of nations, the Christian life of sacrifice and the purposes of God in our generation. Now, that was just to name a few, but trust me - the impact was priceless and I'm still getting revelation. And that was just two chapters! Imagine if we learned the whole book?! Most Christians haven't even read the whole Bible, much less memorize it. But, I want to clarify - this isn't Awanas anymore . Don't memorize verses to get a badges on your perverbial "I'm a good Christian" vest, a pat on the back from your pastor, or to wow everyone at the next church event. We need to know the word of God because it is power and life! Jesus is coming back and the gates of hell want to do whatever they can to stop it! We must take up our swords! Demons fear no Christian who lacks the power of the Holy Spirit and the skill to proclaim the word of God.

Peter Prothero is an international speaker and the pastor of Jubilee Church just outside of London, he is also a favorite around the Gateways base when it comes to guest teachers. During my first year, he said something to our class that has stuck with me. He boldly stated that "When temptation comes, it time to SAY, not pray." Unpacked, that means that we, as believers, should have an active prayer life before temptation comes, strengthening ourselves so that when it does come, we boldly proclaim the truth that we are God's children, Jesus died to redeem us, the Holy Spirit has made us new creatures and no scheme of satan will get the best of us! I like that. I wrote it, so I should. But my point is that how can you "say" in the time of trouble if you can't remember it? Really knowing the God's Word will change your life. It did mine. This blog is not to brag on myself and tell you all how great I am for memorizing two whole chapters. Oooo! I only have what.....thousands more to go. Trust me, I'm far from being there, but I want to testify that God is good, His word is powerful and it's important.

Some might say that memorizing is too hard, your mind doesn't work that way, etc. I know that this sounds hard, but Jesus had lots of "hard sayings". I'd challenge you to really examine your heart to see if there's a laziness that's keeping you from memorizing God's Word. (This can be especially clear if you seem to have lots of other things memorized like songs, movie quotes, sports statistics, etc). If you do indeed find laziness in your heart toward the Bible, repent, turn from your sin and dive into Scripture! Now this next part is important, there's a little verse in the Bible that says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Now I know that we all think that we're the only exception to the Bible, that God wrote that for everyone but me, I don't count. I hate to break it to you, but it doesn't work that way. There's another Scripture that says that God is "not a man that He should lie." I know that it sounds crazy to actually believe what the Bible says... but trust me on this one. God gives us the armor of God in Ephesians 6. And the one piece of offensive equipment that we're given is the sword of the Spirit. The writer of Hebrews tells us that this is the Word of God. So, God gives us His Word to wield as a sword in spiritual warfare. Now, it would be kind of a cruel trick to give us a sword that we couldn't pick up, wouldn't it? Picture this huge William Wallace sized sword that you can't get off the ground, much less do any damage with. Lot of good that would do you, huh? Just to let you know, God doesn't do stuff like that to His children. If He's going to give you a weapon, he's going to make sure that you can use it. Now, that's not to say it won't take time building to up your muscles to handle it with skill, but it was made for you and you will prevail. In the same way, God's Word was written for us - His people. He didn't make it too hard to be of any use to us. He's not that kind of God. It might take time and effort to study and know the Bible, but we will prevail. God made your mind to know His word, it just works that way - isn't He good? So, just ask God for strength, grace and discipline as you attempt to dive into His word that you might steward it well, proclaim it in the face of temptation, and wield it skillfully in battle.

JEWISH COMMUNITY

Our interaction with the Ethiopian Jewish community may have been the most impacting part of the trip for me. Many of you know that I have long had heart for God's chosen people and the Messianic community. In Ethiopia, the Jewish people face difficult lives, full of discrimination as they wait to return to their Promised Land. We sat on the wooden benches of a tin roof and dirt floor synagogue, full of men and women who have yet to know the salvation of their Messiah. We were able to be involved in distributing aid to the Jewish people who are living in poverty as they wait to make aliyah and return to Israel. And we also had the beautiful privilege to worship with Jewish believers in Yeshua. As we worshipped, I was hit with the realization of where I was and what an honor to be worshipping with these brothers and sisters as the one new man ( Ephesians 2). We joined this believing community for the Biblical feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), to celebrate God's giving of His Word and the Holy Spirit. This was an anointed time! After a powerful word, preached by Jahi (the leader of Gateways' first year program) the Holy Spirit came and we saw people receive salvation, physical healing and deliverance from demonic oppression. God delights in meeting His children during His appointed times. And how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. We worshipped with them in English, Amharic and Hebrew and danced both Israeli and African dances. This Messianic congregation is on fire for the Lord, but it has come at a great cost. During our celebration in an open air compound, rocks began to fly over the wall and into the compound - hitting our team and the congregation members. This Jewish community on the outskirts of Addis Ababa is about 60,000 people and only a few hundred are believers in Jesus as the Messiah. The rock-throwers were infuriated with these precious believers, accusing them of witchcraft in the community, because of their faith in Christ. What started as several angry men, quickly turned into a riot. Signs and banners for the gathering were torn down, and the windshields of the cars belonging to the believers were smashed. Nobody was seriously injured, but it gives perspective of what these people go through everyday for the sake of following Jesus. We were also able to bless them by doing practical service in the compound where their congregation meets - gardening, cleaning, and electrical work. For many years, the believers in this community have stayed underground to forgo this kind of persecution, but we stand with them in their recent choice to openly worship Yeshua as the Messiah and shine like a city on a hill. Please join me in lifting up this community and the believers in it to the Lord.


Traditional Jewish dancing with the Messianic congregation on the feast of Shavuot


Our team with some of the congregational leaders in their compound on work day

MERCY

The team had the privilege to visit several orphanages in Ethiopia, where they poured out love on the precious children.  For many, this was their first experience in an orphanage, and already we have been deeply impacted for life. 

At Kechene Children’s Home (a place that has become very special in our hearts), we encountered a very understaffed and almost unsupervised group of teenagers and children roaming the neglected and overgrown property.  And what an amazing facility and property it was!  A few YEARS of work, and it could be a really nice place.  The group started with the area of greatest need: the yard and grounds.  They began to clean up the grounds making piles of things the children could sell (such as scrap metal, eucalyptus leaves, and wood) for bus fare and school supplies. Realizing that we were gathering resources for these children, motivated us greatly in our work.  The grounds were so extensive that even 4 days of work were not sufficient to complete the task!  Breaks were spent playing and giving love to neglected children starving for attention, as well as almost all of our girls getting their hair braided.  The children were beautiful and it was a joy to give them much needed love.  We toiled and waited.  Jesus said, “look to the fields, for they are white for harvest”.  Before the harvest, surely there was a process of toiling, planting, and watering.  And, for us, at Kechene, that is what we did for 4 days.  We toiled, planted, and watered in the spiritual as we toiled on the grounds in the physical.  And we waited for that open door.

Well, in the afternoon of our last day there, that opportunity came.  The kids were so touched by our love and affection that they began to ask questions.  We performed the drama and shared the gospel (in a government run orphanage!) and many were touched.  The kids sang some songs for us, and after we had a time of worship with them.  Many began to weep.  One girl shared how the kids felt about our coming-and it was so sweet.  They had never been loved like this before.  It was an unprecedented encounter for those kids.  When we ask, He will come-and shine His light on everyone! I made a special connection with a little boy named Hilu at this orphanage. He is ten years old and had only been at the orphanage two days when we arrived. Prior to that, he had been living on the street. Abba gave me a deep, deep love in my heart for this little boy. Over the course of our time there, we played and took pictures and every chance I had, I would use the little Amharic I knew to tell him that Jesus loved him. The last day we were there and we were worshipping, he finally broke and began to release the emotions he'd been internalizing for years. Through the tears, he prayed the sinners prayer raised his little hand when the invitation for salvation was given. When we left that day, my tears flowed as freely as his. I had such a burden on my heart for him to truly know the love of God. Then the Father came to me with His still, small voice and showed my heart, that if I have such a desire for this one little boy to know the Father's love, how much GREATER is the Father's desire to see all His children truly live in the spirit of adoption. As I went to bed that night, I prayed that Yeshua would touch Hilu's heart. And that night, I had a dream. In the dream, I met Hilu, five years in the future. He told me that ever since that day he prayed with us, his life was never the same. Jesus had come and revealed Himself face-to-face to him one night in his little room at the orphanage and he KNEW the love of God. He was following the Lord as a young man, and had a heart for evangelism. I woke up with such gratitude in my heart and tears in my eyes. Jesus, encouraged me that everyone we encounter is ultimately in His hands. Going to a third world country and seeing the great need, can be overwhelming if you try to carry the burden in the strength of your flesh. But, if we let Holy Spirit teach us how to appropriately carry a burden for these people in intercession, there is great joy! It's not about how much our team can do in one month, but the reality that Jesus can reveal His love to a child face to face in his room one night if He wants to. Thank you Abba.

The team also worked hard at Hope Enterprises Feeding Center several times during the trip, feeding and loving hundreds of children at the morning breakfast and over 1,000 adults at lunch. I had the honor of preaching the gospel at HOPE and it was amazing. The Spirit of God touched may hearts and dozens made a decision that day to reconcile their hearts to God. We served the poorest of society the one meal they would eat all day. Many on our team who had worked in restaurants, desired to serve these beautiful people better than the fanciest places they'd worked in. Despite the great poverty that defines their lives, these people's faces were full of life and joy. Smiles were seen everywhere. It challenged me so much! With all the gifts that Jesus has given me, I have no excuse for my countenance to ever be downcast! He truly does beautify the humble with salvation. As we go throughout our days, do we look like a people who have been given the gift of salvation? Do our faces show it, like these precious Ethiopians'?

Another favorite place to serve, was HOME (House of Mercy Ethiopia) Children’s Center, in their day program for mentally and physically disabled children. We sang, played games, shared Bible stories, and prayed for them.  So many beautiful faces and smiles that we will remember for a lifetime!




HOPE Feeding Center

ENCOURAGEMENT

In Africa, church is the most exciting part of the week. The whole team ministered in several church services over the course of our one month trip, and every time, we left as impacted as the congregation. We joined the believers there in powerful worship. I've never experienced anything like it. The intensity and passion with which they worship would shame the western church. If you looked around the congregation during the worship, you would see intense gratitude, inexpressible joy, and passionate love on the faces of the believers. We also had the opportunity to lead worship in both English and Amharic. We simply shined and poured out love for our King, encouraging others to do the same. We were also able to do the drama we prepared and students shared testimonies to encourage the Church. The Holy Spirit fell and we were all encouraged to witness the fire, anointing, and power of the Word being preached. Several were also able to deliver prophetic words of encouragement and healing words of knowledge to the believers we fellowshipped with. It was a powerful time of uniting the Body of Messiah. The whole team left beaming with joy.

EVANGELISM

Through out the trip, we sent several teams into the city of Addis Ababa to do street evangelism. We’d split up into groups of 3 or 4 people and go out to meet people and shine the light of Yeshua. For many students, this was their first experience evangelizing and praying for people on the streets. One group was in the city square when a young man found them whom they had shared with the week before. He was exuberant as he testified what the Lord had done: The week before, one of the evangelism teams had met two hungry young men-Michael and Lazarus. Michael had a lot of stress over his university studies and Lazaraus had a visible tumor on his throat. The team prayed for them and told the young men that they were confident that God was answering their prayers. A week later, Michael found them and joyfully shared with them how his studies had dramatically improved and how his friend Lazarus had been completely healed and now has no tumor! As he shared, a small crowd of people came in closer to find out what was going on. Just as someone had prophesied over him the week before, that God would use him to bring in people, he began to share with the crowd about the goodness of the Lord in his life!

We also took time to minister in prisons in Ethiopia. These times were incredibly powerful. Hundreds on inmates would gather in the hot sun to listen to us worship, share the drama we prepared, give our testimonies and preach the gospel. Dozens responded to the invitations for salvation and many were touched. When you're in that atmosphere, there can be a slight twinge of fear in your heart - there was in mine. You look around and the surroundings are pretty rough. But then the Holy Spirit came and gave me this perfect peace. He reminded me that I have the reality of Heaven living inside of me and not even the gates of Hell can prevail against it! It was a powerful time and even I, a white young woman from the other side of the world, was able to approach these convicts with the boldness of Christ and see Jesus touch their hearts. We were also able to meet with the believers who attend the small church in the prison compound. We had the opportunity to pray and prophesy over them - encouraging them to shine like lights in the darkness and show their fellow inmates how Jesus has changed their life.

Reflections of Africa

Teanastellen! (greeting meaning "may health be given to you" in Amharic)

It's been two weeks since our team returned from Ethiopia, but my mind and heart still haven't fully processed all God did during that time. Our one month outreach trip there was life changing, and I want to share as much as I can with all of you. Hopefully this summary will give you a taste of what God has done and is doing in the Land of Ethiopia...

For any Gateways Beyond outreach there are four areas of ministry which we focused on. First, evangelism by being bold messengers of the Good New on the streets, in prisons, and churches. Second, being an extension of God’s love and mercy to the poor and to orphans. Third, connecting with local believers to bring strength and encouragement to the body of Messiah. And fourth, to be a living witness to the Jewish community through acts of love and service. I want to use my next few posts to share about my experiences in these four areas, while in Ethiopa.

Thank you to all who sowed into this trip financially and prayerfully. God did great and wondrous things during our time their. The people we were able to minister the love of the Father to were greatly impacted, as were we. And please join me in praying for the nation of Ethiopia - that the unbelievers in the land would come to know salvation in Jesus - that God would show His great mercy to the poor and helpless - that He would come to His Bride in Ethiopia as she pours out her worship on Him - and that the Jewish Ethiopians would live in the eternal life of Yeshua the Messiah! I will try to keep you all posted and where God takes me next and what I'll be doing. Thank you for all your support! I have found no greater joy than following Jesus wherever He leads.

Xavier yebarkatchu! (God Bless you in Amharic)