network4YOUth

What if . . .

2011-03-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

I saw part of this posted on http://www.facebook.com/unitedpursuit, and then visited the blog it was taken from - http://jimorred.wordpress.com. I thought I would post some of it here.

What if . . .

- This became the first time in human history, that large numbers corporately and intentionally lived out their lives for the sake of Jesus?
- Every decision was based on what served the Kingdom best? Not what made them or their peers happy.
- Comfort is not the deciding factor, but pleasing God was? What if success was measured by different metrics?
- Sacrifice and generosity become valued?
- Time in prayer and God’s word informed everything?
- Every small decision became about extending God’s reign of life and blessing?
- Each person daily died to self, and lived to daily encourage and spur on their friends to greater Christlikeness?
- Everyone poured themselves into others who discipled others?
- Jobs were taken because of the Kingdom, not because of title or pay?
- Education was pursued not for personal gain, but for Kingdom purposes?
- Living locations were chosen because God chose them? Not for earthly comfort?
- People chose friends because of time in prayer, and they know from the Spirit who they are to run with?
- Prayer was not selfish, but was asking for ways to serve the broken and poor became what was celebrated and desired?
- Everyone chose to pour into the next generation? Even the young became ‘mothers and fathers?’

I see thousands of small gatherings. With food. At times with fasting. In homes, dormitories, coffeeshops. And large gatherings where global apostles come and impart faith and fire and teaching. Corporate burning hearts. Unhindered. People whose schedules are not dictated by popular entertainment. A corporate sense of urgency. It becomes understood what really matters in life. Legacy is what is valued, not the pleasure of this world. They become dim. His glory becomes bright.

New anthems pounding in our hearts. Spoken word at a new level. Storytelling becoming gripping again because films, literature, and art represent ultimate reality rather than replacing reality.

A generation of whom it could be written, they did not limit the Holy One of Israel. They so lived with a corporate heart to pull heaven down to this, His planet. In living communities, not only in institutional life. God’s priorities became theirs. A generation that was found to be faithful and loyal to God and His purposes. To go wherever. In urban locations, and remote areas. To unleash God unlimited. And to multiply this DNA in small groups everywhere, fluent with the culture rather than removed from it.

I want to see.

2011-03-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

I want to see.

I want to see people in fire,
burning,
but without being consumed.

I want to see prayer and worship
married with justice and mission.

I want to see my generation
living true to their hearts
to stop faking and pretending
and feeling sorry for ourselves.

I want to see my generation
to carry each other,
to encourage and to empower,
to be honest and transparent
and to pursue holiness
and to tear down facades.

I want to see my generation
to stop worshiping the idols of materialism
to stop worshiping the idols of alcoholism
to stop worshiping the idols of individualism
to stop worshiping the idols of humanism and cynicism

I want to see my generation
to stop seeking acceptance from
work and positions of power
to stop seeking intimacy
from one night relationships

You can call me a dreamer
You can call me a preacher
You can call me an idealist

Perhaps you are right
But I want to learn to make a difference
to stir an evolution that makes a permanent change
a silent revolution (when even rocks shout).

Oh Lord please grant me with wisdom
so I would not judge but love
so I would not presume but get to know
so I would not hide but learn to be present

And first of all,
I want to know You Lord
and hear you and feel you
and live in all this
from inside out.

Is community 'it'?

2011-03-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

I've nearly finished reading a book called 'The Forgotten Ways' by Alan Hirsch, and it's about "reactivating the missional church". Honestly, it's been messing with my mind and challenging how I think about a lot of stuff. I thought I'd share this short idea from the book about community.

Two different kinds of community

1. "the community for me" - the settled experience of a group of people that exists for its own benefits and for the "insiders". Its energies are primarily directed inward

2. "me for the community and the community for the world" - the journey of a group of people that find each other only in a common pursuit of a vision and of a mission that lies beyond itself. Its energies are directed primarily outward and forward.

I think you can quite clearly see that most of the time in the Western Church we've gone for number 1. However, that is clearly not the role of the community of believers. I personally have been kinda 'in love' with the idea of community, but it is the pursuit of a shared vision and a shared mission that creates the deep relationships that should make up a community.

So yeah, this is just for you to have a think about.

the battle against isolation

2011-02-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a prayer room in Jakomäki, Helsinki, worshiping and praying. At some point, my focus shifted to the army of young people that God is raising up in Finland and across Europe.

Now, when you think about it, an army is made up of lots of small groups. Different groups have different functions, but the ultimate aim is the same, and the parts work together, much like a body. This army seeks to establish the rule of a Kingdom in different places. This Kingdom is within us, and it is established through prayer - in word and action.

In an army, the soldiers have to train, or they won't be prepared for when the real battle begins. In the same way, we must not simply wait for the 'real battle' to begin. Our daily lives are the training ground; we learn to follow Jesus in our basic, everyday experiences of life.

In Finland especially, the spirit of isolation is very strong. Even within the Church we easily become separated and isolated from other followers of Jesus. This is the enemy's strategy to 'divide and conquer'. Therefore we must actively work and pray against it - this is spiritual warfare we must live out. We must be intentional in coming together, praying together, being truly open and honest with each other.

I spent some time that morning in the prayer room crying out to God to break down the walls of isolation and separation. And then it dawned on me that part of what network4youth is really about is putting that prayer into action. We are actively working against the spirit of isolation by seeking to connect young people. And as we connect young followers of Jesus who encourage and inspire each other, then an army is raised up that will reach out to others who are lost, isolated and in need.

One of the questions in my mind is "How can we network young people?" And I figured that perhaps resurrecting the blog could be one small part of that. So, I'm gonna aim to write here regularly, and I'd welcome the contributions of others.

Living out Christ

2009-08-05T03:16:00.000-07:00

Living out boldly, wihtout fear, without restraint from the enemy. Living for Christ, and Him Alone. Loving others like Jesus loves us! Loving ourselves like Jesus loves us. Living in Victory and in Freedom. Living and Believing that Jesus can do everything! Living waiting for Him, for His timing, for his help. Living a life that impacts the others, telling about Jesus Christ's love. Living a Revolutionary Life, a life that brings honour to God. Stepping out of our little boxes and live in the in Freedom, stepping out and going forward, stretching our arms to help to ones in need.

This is something I wrote while being in England. I wanted to express what it was like to live for Jesus in Today's life.
Get inspired and Live the the Life God has for You! You can do it! Because He's right there beside you.

with love,
Sonja

You And Me

2009-06-12T03:18:00.000-07:00

I come now to you
Oh God,
For I know you
Called me

You woke me up
In the middle of the
Night,
Taught me your ways

And I will ever love
You.
I will ever praise
You
God of greatness

You take me as I am,
You cover me with your
Love,
Knowing that I can trust You,
I will come and
Praise You.

Your faithfulness is
Spread through all my
Life,
And I will praise
You, my King

In this adventure you’re with me,
In this raging sea you’re
Standing there beside me,
In thus jump over the hedge
You’re holding my hands
And I can go.

In this open heart of mine,
You’re holding the pen
Writing words of love for me.

You’re my friends from Monday
To Sunday,
From fun to sadness,
You’re all there
You’re all in my life, there’s nothing hidden
Or held back from you.
You’re all in this life with me.

You have a backpack on your shoulders and
You’re holding mine in your hands
Asking if I’m ready to go.

You can’t wait to meet me, you
Can’t wait for me to open my eyes,
You can’t wait for my look of
Pure delight and love when I see
You

I can jump, because You say I
Can, because You’re there with
Me.

You call me to stand up and fight
Alongside with you, You call me to
Make a difference here in this life
And on this earth.

I lack many things,
But You see me whole,
You have a specific
Use for my skills
And talents, that are just the
Right things that are needed.

So Lord, I praise you now,
I bring you glory
And hail You as King.
Amen

19-05-2009 by Sonja Portman (c)

Dependance

2009-05-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Something I’ve learned over the past year or so is that life hurts everyone. No matter how whole and happy someone seems, everyone harbors some secret hurts life has caused. This raises questions, right? Why does God allow us to go through things that are hard or that hurt us so much that we feel we can’t take it anymore and we’d give pretty much anything for it to be over? I can’t say I have absolute answers but let’s take a look at something I’ve learned while wrestling over some of the hard stuff in my life.. I was reading Genesis..

Think about Jacob. He had to leave his family, his possessions, all that was familiar to him and go to a foreign country to people who he was related to, yes, but probably didn’t previously know. We’re not told if he knew the language, but I definitely get the impression he left with only a walking stick and the clothes on his back. Granted he had participated in some stupid stuff with his mother scheming behind his father and brother’s backs. So he has to leave as a consequence of that. All his comforts are stripped away. In the beginning of the journey he is on the way to the unknown and he is alone.

Or think about Joseph. His brothers sold him into slavery. Again, he gets sent to a foreign country. He’s a slave, he doesn’t speak the language, he doesn’t know anyone. He definitely didn’t know where he was going and what was gonna happen. I’ll bet he wondered where God was in it all. What about the dreams he had had? How was this in-keeping with them? He was supposed to be bowed down to, not exactly what happens to slaves. All his comfort zones also get stripped away. Both these men are left quite bare with only God to turn to.

Why? Why does God lead them down such a road? Have you been in similar situations? When you feel stuff is being stripped away? When you feel there’s very little or nothing to turn to? When God is the only one left? Let’s take look at Jacob and Joseph in their foreign countries.

Jacob has an encounter with God on the way to his uncle Laban. He sees the heavens open and the angels going up and down. He makes deal with God to serve Him if God will protect him and take him back to his family. God used Jacob’s circumstances; the consequence of his scheming and all the comforts being gone, to lead Jacob to put his trust in God. Jacob comes to a greater dependence on God than he has ever experienced before. The same thing happens with Joseph. He’s in prison in a foreign country, alone, away from his family and friends. All he has left is God. And God uses the seemingly hopeless and impossible circumstances to bring Joseph’s heart to depend only on Him.

Why did these rough and bad things bring Jacob and Joseph closer to their God? Because all other comforts were stripped away. They didn’t have their parents to protect and guide them or provide for them. They didn’t have the company of family or friends. They didn’t even have any money let alone possessions. They had nothing else left. God was in serious business here. He wanted to use these men and needed them to be in full dependence on Him.
And it’s the same with us. God wants your heart to come to ever fuller dependence on only Him. Isn’t that what you want, too? God wants your heart to depend on only Him so desperately that He’s willing to go to great lengths to reach your heart. Just look at what Jacob and Joseph. I believe God did not want them to suffer, but He desperately wanted their hearts’ attention. So sometimes He has to strip comforts away to get your undivided attention. When you’re going through something hard keep these truths in mind:
God is on your side. He is not out to get you, He’s out to help you and bring you into ever deepening dependence in Him, an ever deepening relationship with Him.
God has your best at heart. He says so in His word. (Jeremiah 29:11)
The trials will not get so hard that you can’t handle it. God has always prepared a way out.(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Victory is promised. Jesus has already won. (James 4:7)
You are safe. (Psalm 105:14-15, Zechariah 2:5)

Ultimately, doesn’t it make you joyful to know He is leading you into deeper dependence on Him ( James 1:2-4). Focus on Him in the hard times. Something that comforted me one morning when everything felt hard and I felt like I was doing nothing right was a song by Out of Eden:

“… instead of all this worrying and wondering
here’s what you should do:
know He’ll see you through
He cares for you and you should know
He’ll never let you go..”
Out of Eden/ All You Need

Venturing Forth

2009-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

It’s better to stay in the safety of the camp than venture forth on a wing and a prayer. Who knows what dangers lie ahead? This was the counsel of the ten faithless spies sent in to have a look at the Promised Land when the Jews came out of Egypt. Only two of the twelve, Joshua and Caleb, saw things differently. Their hearts were captured by a vision of what might be and they urged the people to press on. But their voices were drowned by the fears of the other ten spies and Israel wandered for another forty years. Without the anticipation of better things ahead, we will have no heart for the journey.

One of the most poisonous of all Satan’s whispers is simply, “Things will never change.” That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present. To keep desire alive and flourishing, we must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will not always be like this. Jesus has promised to “make all things new.” Eye has not seen, ear has not heard all that God has in store for his lovers, which does not mean “we have no clue so don’t even try to imagine,” but rather, you cannot outdream God. Desire is kept alive by imagination, the antidote to resignation. We will need imagination, which is to say, we will need hope.

Julia Gatta describes impatience, discouragement, and despair as the “noonday demons” most apt to beset the seasoned traveler. As the road grows long we grow weary; impatience and discouragement tempt us to forsake the way for some easier path. These shortcuts never work, and the guilt we feel for having chosen them only compounds our feelings of despair.

John Eldredge: The Sacred Romance , 156–57