I'll Give the Nations to You...

For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved... 

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:11-13, 15 NKJV)

Observation: This morning I am reminded of the mountain top experience above Eden Valley on June 29th, 2008. I am reminded of God's call to preach. Here is what I wrote in my journal on November 3rd, 2008… 

I prayed through Zechariah 12 & 13 on the mountain above Eden Valley the Sunday after I found out from Roger that we would be leaving The Adventure.  Roger and I talked on Friday, June 27th, and on Sunday the 29th I went to the mountain.  There in the warm sunshine the Lord led me to Zechariah 13.  And I felt as if He was saying to my heart:

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  (2Timothy 4:1-5 NAS95S) 

I remember asking for His Spirit. Crying out:  "Lord Jesus give me Your Holy Spirit. Make me a minister of the word. Lord I feel You calling me to preach the word.  Calling me to lift up Jesus as Christ our Creator, Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended, Christ reigning as our High Priest, Christ our vindicating judge, and Christ our Coming King... That is the message I hear You calling me to proclaim."

And here we are in the San Luis Valley.  At the time I didn't know where I would be going. I just knew I felt God calling me to proclaim the message in word and song. I felt like He was saying to go make disciples... baptizing and teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded You.

Lord Jesus I thank You for bringing me full circle this morning. I thank You for bringing me back to the mountain. Reminding my heart of what You said to me that sunny June afternoon. Thank You Jesus for affirming me in this calling here to the valley.  I remember that young spidering and the verse your brought to my mind as I watch the wind carry him to his home... "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles."

O Jesus, You are a good God. You are a Holy God. Lord Jesus fill me with Your Holy Spirit today. Father give me the words to say this weekend. Father help me to teach with power and great authority of Your Spirit. Father I pray that You will bring us to a place of corporate repentance through this Refiner's Fire series. Purge us Lord Jesus. Cleanse us.  Make these words of Zechariah a reality in our lives:

""I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10 NAS95S) 

Yes Lord Jesus, pour out Your Spirit of Grace and Supplication upon us.  Pour out Your wisdom and power in our midst.  Lord Jesus may we weep bitterly as we look upon You, the one whom we have pierced.  May we weep for the pain we have caused You.  May we weep for the pain we have caused each other.  Lord I think of the prayer of Daniel and I think it applies to myself and Your churches here in the valley:

""Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. "Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. 

"Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;" (Daniel 9:4-9 NAS95S)

Yes Lord, compassion and forgiveness belong to You. Refine us Lord Jesus, purify us through power of Your blood. You who live to make intercession for us, plead Your life, plead Your righteousness in behalf of Your people. Plead for Your Spirit to be poured out upon us that we might weep over our sin, turn from it, and then rejoice in Your salvation.  Turn us around Lord God that we might begin to proclaim Your message with boldness and great power. Father may we become like a city set on a hill. May we as Seventh-day Adventists shine the light and hope of Your soon return upon this valley that lives in the darkness of poverty, doubt, and despair. Send Your Spirit so we may shine with the glory of You. Awaken us, use us, empower us Jesus. We put our lives in Your hands!!!

Application: When we return from Fiji it will have a week shy of four years since the Lord spoke to my heart on the mountain above Eden Valley. In those four years we will have remodeled our dream home, been to Africa, and been to Fiji. During these years, we have not only preached to a peasant family on a hillside outside Opouwo, Namibia, but to prayer warriors in Innisbrook, FL, our family around Granny Steinmetz' bedside, and a prayer team in Southern Cal. 

In these four years I have also had the privilege of speaking to the grieving family of a mother who was taken from her child (Angelica), people at a homeless shelter who were grieving the loss of their friends, and many other grieving families. My heart is humbled as I think of all the ways that Jesus has answered my prayers. I am humbled to think He has taken a man who through a royal temper tantrum with his senior pastor in January of 2008, saying, "Don't get dogmatic with me," and used him in all of his weakness and insecurity to bring glory to His name. I am so thankful to Jesus for all He has done. And I know there is still miles to go.

And now it is on to Fiji. As I was driving back from Jack's Market yesterday, I was thinking of the song by Darlene Check entitled, You Said: 


You said ask and you will receive 
Whatever you need 
You said pray 
and I'll hear from heaven 
And I'll heal your land

You said Your glory will fill the earth 
Oh like water the seas 
You said lift up your eyes 
The harvest is here 
The kingdom is near

You said ask and I'll give the nations to you 
O Lord that's the cry of my heart 
You said distant shores and the islands will see 
Your light as it rises on us

When this song first grabbed my heart I wasn't quite sure why. Now I see. God is was birthing something in me for this Fiji trip. I now I must ask for the nations. I must ask for Fiji. Namimbia, and the most distant reaches of earth's wide bounds.

Prayer: Lord Jesus give us Fiji. I am asking the nations this morning. Let the distant shores… let the islands be alive with the light of Your grace. Father pour out Your favor on the country of Fiji. Use this trip as a catalytic moment for Your kingdom. Call forth missionaries from this Island land of "christian people" and make them more than those who simply profess Your name. Father make them a nation on fire from the nations. 

Make the mission of Adventure Outreach Ministries to raise up and send missionaries from the Islands to the mainlands of our world. O Father, start a movement in Fiji that will reach the farthest corners of the globe. Send out Your Spirit from this equator land. Like shock waves may He awaken revival wherever these Fijian missionaries go. Do it for Your glory Lord Jesus. Do it for Your honor. Do it because You are in the business of starting great things in little places. Magnify Your name Lord Jesus. Magnify Your name.