What if . . .

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.

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'?

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

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.