Dear faithful prayer partners,
I am heading back to Hong Kong in a few hours. My heart is overwhelmed with excitement and thankfulness for God's goodness to the people of Hong Kong & China. This ministry trip will be challenging, but I am anticipating history to be changed.
Please pray...
1. Global Day of Prayer Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, the World.
2. Prayer points for the mission, protection for my family, friends, ministry
3. Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau ministry schedule (THE CALL HK)
1. Global Day of Prayer:
What can I say, but on May 15, 2005 we will be joining hands with over 100 million Christians around the world in over 120 nations to pray at the same time in stadiums and fields across the earth. Surely, God is raising up His House of Prayer for All Nations! In Hong Kong we have booked 2 Stadiums with over 30,000 tickets already sold to pray on May 15. Churches from different denominations are joining in hands in repentance and revival prayer. Our team will be mobilizing youth all over the city of HK to pray 24/7 on May 14th and then together with the rest of the city on May 15. Pray there will be perfect unity among God's people in Hong Kong. (Note: It will be a major day as May 15 is also the celebration of Bhudda's birthday in Hong Kong, thousands of Bhuddist will be praying to Bhudda at the same time in the middle of the city. But PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO HAS THE VICTORY & THE STADIUMS THAT DAY! Lord let all of Hong Kong see Your glory and worship You the King of kings and the Lord of lords that day!)
Find out More:
www.cityrenewal.com.hkor
www.globaldayofprayer.com2. Prayer for Family, Friends & Ministry:
As you have been praying each ministry trip you know the warfare involved. In the last, two trips my family was attacked severely. Literally, my mother, father and sister all went through major sufferings. I PLEASE ASK YOU #1 TO PRAY FOR GOD'S WORK TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. #2 DAILY PRAY PROTECTION OVER MY FATHER, MOTHER, & SISTERS. #3 PRAY FOR MY LOCAL CONGREGATION & CCN.
1. Pray daily the blood of Jesus to cover my family in California
2. Pray for my mother to have peace and strength when I am gone
3. Pray for my sister who has been going through a challenging sickness to be healed
4. Pray for my older sister Joyce who is studying relentlessy in Med school
5. Pray for my father who needs God more than ever
6. Pray for friends in my local house church to be in unity, protected,
strengthened and continuing the work.
7. Pray for Campus Church Networks servant leadership and all the student leaders on all the campuses to be empowered, encouraged & in prayer.
3. Pray for Asia Ministry Schedule
This trip will be jam packed daily with ministry to the young people. Our team consisting of our chief intercessor Freda Gary, her 70' year old prayer warrior mother and yours truly will be on an Holy Spirit adventure. We will strengthening the campus churches in HK through training at camps, a leaders retreat, citywide prayer meetings & mobilizing them all to GDOP and also MAJOR MEETINGS FOR THE CALL HONG KONG. As you read the ministry calendar below, please simply pray for God's will to be done and Kingdom to come in every meeting. Pray God gives me the heaven sent messages, protection for our team, divine favor in all things and REVIVAL FIRE TO BREAK OUT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!!
1. April 27-29: Pastor Che Ahn (my sr. pastor) will be joining us in Hong Kong holding intergenerational revival meetings & speaking to the major
pastor networks to finalize if we are going to have The Call Hong Kong & Asia in late 2005 or 2006. Please pray God confirms through the body of Christ in HK whether we are to do The Call in the next year. In my spirit I sense NOW IS THE TIME to raise up the Chinese young people into massive prayer and fasting to shift the future history of China for the glory of God. Pray FAVOR on Pastor Che and Revival & Reconciliation to break out at the meetings.
2. April 30: The Furnace Citywide Youth Prayer Meetings in 7 Districts (GDOP)
3. May 1-5: Transform World Indonesia (www.transformworld.com) I will be part of a focus group at this convocation to draft a paper on how to Transform Secular Higher Education with leaders from around the globe. Pray that God shows up BIG TIME and unites Christian leaders to strategically hear from God on how to bring TRANSFORMATION to disciple every NATION of the earth.
4. May 7- Meet with Macau citywide youth leaders network to mobilize
GDOP & also pray & envision a citywide campus church planting movement
5. May 9-10: Citywide Hong Kong Youth/Campus pastors summit. We will
have a retreat with the city fathers/mothers of the youth movement to
hear from God, build relationship and seek next steps in the citywide youth movement & GDOP mobilization.
6. May 11-12: 18 District Student Camp: We will be envisioning and
training students on The Vision to reach the campuses & GDOP.
7. May 14: 24/7 ALL DAY Youth Prayer Rally. Students will take 2 hour
shifts from different churches all over Hong Kong to pray for Global
Day of Prayer and Global Youth Awakening
8. May 15: Global Day of Prayer Hong Kong/Taiwan. Pray for UNITY and
God to answer every corporate prayer cry. Amen!!!
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep these prayer requests close to your
hearts each time you pray. Thank you. It means everything. Without prayer nothing, absolutely nothing, can be accomplished for God. I am so grateful for each of you to pray for not only me, but my family and the co-workers I work with to reach the young people of the nations for the GLORY OF GOD! REVIVAL TIME!!! ITS A REVIVAL GENERATION!!!!!!!!!
PRAYING FOR WORLDWIDE YOUTH REVIVAL,
Jaeson
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Jaeson Ma
There is one single vision burning in my heart right now. To see this generation revived. All day long there is a burden burning in my heart and I can't stop it. I don't even know what to do with it. It's like just weighing on my heart like a heavy weight & I know it is God's heart for this lost generation. There isn't much I can do but pray. I have so many good ideas, good plans, new projects, thoughts and endeavors, but the Spirit of God is reminding me over and over again. Simply pray. Cry out to me. Get into the place of desperation and seeking my FACE again. No longer strive, just
pray. Lol...I really don't know what I'm doing anymore. Things aren't bad, yet I can't say that things are great. Somedays I fail, some days I succeed. Some days I feel like I can leap over a mountain and the next day I feel like I can't push a penny. One thing I do know is that God loves me & He sees the deepest most inner part of my heart. He knows how bad I want Him
and He knows how bad I want His power to come upon this generation. Send Revival Lord, start with me. I'm not pefect Lord, yet You hear my cries. Yes, I fail & over and over again I do, but I know that You see my heart. You see my desire to please You and be poured out before You like a drink offering. Now is the time Lord, can You wait and hold back any longer? Can you wait & not release Your great power in this day?
I have to remind myself, "we are not losing this battle, we are winning,
in fact we have won." I may not be the best leader, the best visionary, the best speaker, the best pastor, the best anything, but being the "best" or "having it all together" is not the point. The point is that I love Jesus with all my heart and I truly desire to do His will, even though I may stumble & fall, He is always there to pick me right back up. His mercy is new every moment & I may never get it all together "right" but it's "alright" that I'm not "alright" cause He's alright with that isn't He. :) Yes You are Lord. You love me as I am & You will use me as I am.
I've been blessed beyond measure. In the last month I've seen God show mercy to both my parents and my sister. Saving them from the onslaught of the enemy. The Devil tried to take away my peace, but God's angels wouldn't let him. He is faithful.
I'm in that place where my heart is burning again. I don't have a clue what I am to do. The vision is so large, yet I feel so small. I just want to see revival. I want to see the kingdom of God sweep across the campuses of this nation and the nations of the earth. I want to see campuses, cities and nations taken over by the power & presence of God.
At the same time I want to see myself become a better person. A better
friend, a better brother, a better son, a better pastor, a better Christ
follower. I want to do it right. Sometimes I get so down on myself for
not being perfect & God is teaching me to give myself grace, to forgive
myself & not to compare myself to others. I am who I am in Christ. I'm the only "Jaeson Ma" on the planet & I know God likes it that I am. And I know He desires that you who may be reading this to like yourself as you are, with all your faults and all your frailties & at the same time with all your gifts and all your talents. God has made you unique and like no other. Accept the gift of being ~ you. You are His beloved.
let us never cease to pray & never cease to seek Him. By doing this we will know Him and know who we are. We will catch His image and carry His heart. We will burn for Him and burn for souls. Oh Lord, break me till I am absolutely nothing that You may become everything.
In Jesus name, amen
below is a outline of a lesson I taught from the book
"Life of the Beloved" by Henri Nouwen @ house church
this week. I believe these quotes and words will bring you back to the basic understanding that your core identity is how God thinks about you. He thinks about you as His beloved child. Receive it. :)
Life of the Beloved: Henri Nouwen
Key verse:
“You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you” (Matt 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22)
“I in them and You in me. May the be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” John 17:23
I. You are the Beloved!
a. God loves us with the same love He had for His Beloved Son Jesus
b. We must believe being the BELOVED is our core identity
c. Friendship is all about: giving to each other the gift of our belovedness
d. It is not easy to believe we are the beloved when the world shouts:
“You are no good, you are ugly; you are worthless; you are despicable, you are nobody—unless you can demonstrate the opposite.”
e. The greatest trap in life is not success, popularity, or power, but self- rejection. Why?
f. Self rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved”
“I am constantly surprised at how quickly I give into temptation. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as I am rejected, left alone or abandoned, I find myself thinking: “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” Instead of taking a critical look at the circumstances or trying to understand my own and other’s limitations, I tend to blame myself—not just for what I did but who I am.” (Page 32)
Example: A person criticized me and I took it to heart that because I failed, I was a failure as a person.
II. Your Belovedness can only come from the voice of God
a. Too many times we listen to other voices to find our identity…
b. “Prove that you are worth something; do something relevant, spectacular, or powerful, and then you will earn the love you so desire.”
c. We hear the voice of the beloved from those that loves us, but it is not enough to convince us that we are the beloved.
“If all those who shower me with so much attention could see me and know me in my innermost self, would they still love me?” (Page 35)
“Aren’t you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire? Don’t you often hope: “May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country, or relationship fulfill my deepest desire.”
d. As long as you looking for that “moment” of fulfillment you will always be searching, running, anxious, restless, lustful, angry and never fully satisfied.
e. Looking to other voices, other than God’s voice will lead us to spiritual burn out and spiritual death.
III. You must know you are the Beloved
a. We are intimately loved long before our parents, teachers, spouses, children, and friends loved or wounded us.
b. We must claim this as the truth of our lives!
c. Read (Page 36 quote)
d. Every time you listen attentively to the voice that calls you Beloved, you will desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply.
e. We do not need to fall victim to a manipulative world or get trapped in any kind of addiction.
Practical Application:
1. Say daily, “I am His beloved and His favor rests upon me”
2. Spend time in silence & solitude receiving and believing God’s voice speaking over you “You are my Beloved in you I am well pleased.”
3. Meditate on God’s voice throughout scripture of who you are in Christ. 4. Exchange your ungodly beliefs for godly beliefs & speak them out loud.
Below is a summary manuscript of a recent spontaneous
training we had with our CCN associates from different
campuses on the calling to PUBLIC PREACHING on
university campuses. We had pastor Steve J who
preached outdoors on campus at Ohio State University in the 70's
share his wisdom, experiences and strategies with students
from UCLA, Stanford, UC Davis, UCSD, SFSU, SJSU, Ivy's,
OSU, Colorado U, on the call....may the Lord raise up
Day of the Lord apostolic preachers from coast to coast
across every university in North America!!!!
read & study the notes: pray on it and preach it!
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CONFERENCE CALL (4.19.05)
Apostolic Preaching & Prophetic Worship
Outdoor worship & Outdoor preaching (Pastor Steve)
How often do you hear the phrase: “I don’t want to preach at you” à cultural subtext that says we need to be ashamed of that… but it should be unapologetic and aggressive!
If you feel you don’t know anything or don’t really know what you’re doing, that’s a good sign à the Holy Spirit is our teacher!
I had that Holy Spirit dissatisfaction of not seeing the fruit I’ve wanted à and that fruit was in the part of winning souls. And though winning souls isn’t the only fruit, it IS a part of our fruit—winning people to the Lord. If you can endure the humiliation, fear, intimidation, personal agony of dragging yourself out à it will revolutionize YOU... whether you change your campus or not
I heard the Lord say, “I will not dishonor those who put themselves out there for my name”
I also felt him say to me, “Go read John Wesley’s journal” à Methodist church was literally born out of street preaching à not necessarily the streets, but public places… open air... non-church oriented places
How many of you have seen that man standing on the street corners saying, “Repent or you’re going to hell!” We have to remember that we first of all are ministers of reconciliation… that’s what we’re called to do. You’re actually not very good at what you do when you start doing it. First of all, examine your motives. Why are you doing it? Is it because Jaeson’s encouraging it? If so, you’re going to BURN out because of that. I never woke up and said, “Oh boy! I’m going to get persecuted today!” You’re not doing this for you! You’re not doing this to grow your ministry. You’re doing this because you love the Lord! You have to be convinced that this is a biblical model. How many one-on-one (excluding disciples) encounters did Jesus have? There’s only 3 à Nicodemus, woman at the well, and Zaccheus (in a crowd, but singled him out) à But it’s always in a crowd where Jesus has been preaching! They ALWAYS went to the open air where there are lots of people milling about. Jesus himself preached to the principalities and powers. A season he went through was intercession, but one of the things God showed him was that street preaching was one of the most POWERFUL forms of spiritual warfare... I felt the Lord say as I was preaching, “I want you to start prophesying to the territorial spirits that you are declaring victory over the land!”
How many converts did Ezekiel have? Jonah was the briefest preacher (like a lot of us... he really didn’t wanna be there) and how many converts did he have? You’re not gonna become one unless you do it everyday! Unless you put yourself out there. I would get mildly angry people because of what I said. The prophets didn’t talk about love too much à they preached a lot of repentance (to the Gentiles and the religious) Jesus NEVER denigrated other human beings. He called sin ‘sin’ but was unflinching. You have to deal with your own heart à When you say, “Love the sinner, hate the sin” do you really mean it? Do you really love them? You have to love them. Jesus never denigrated others.
You HAVE to know the word of God and have it in your heart... because your words aren’t going to make an impact. Speak the truth to them. And give the credit where it’s due. Put the footnote. “The Bible says” “the Word says” “It is written in the Bible” à Remember, those who are most engaged with you (particularly through persecution or debates).. At first, you’ll get a dry throat and you may get reaaally scared. But let me tell you something—USE IT. It means something’s happening. They may be demonic, they may not become impacted by the Holy Spirit, but they may be the ones who create the crowd… The ones sitting to the side and seeing my reaction and thinking, “Maybe he’s unto something” that would become impacted.
Acts 17 describes Paul’s approach to preaching à “He disputed in the market daily” à interesting choice of word. You’re dealing with the Good News but they can’t know that until there’s bad news.
BE BRIEF.
When you see preaching in the NT, you don’t see that happening in the house churches. We don’t want to preach to the pep rally—what we REALLY want is to get in the game! Not standing on the side. And the Game is TOUGH. You have to be willing to have a huge crowd cheering for you. I’m really proud of you women… there were times when I’ve gotten spat on. And there were times when I’ve really wanted to hit people.
TECHNIQUES à I’ve tried being real loud and screaming and I’ve found out generally that I didn’t have to be that loud. I did have to project through. It’s generally inexpensive, very effective, and just TRUST on the Holy Spirit... and he WILL come through. Just develop a set of text. If you can, get people to come and pray for you as you’re preaching. The people that would join would be the converts he won through preaching.
The NT is FULL of street preaching. The American church is mostly about giving talks to one another while the world dies. I think there is a reluctance out there in the body of Christ. I’ve learned to recognize the power of the HS à words of knowledge (There are times I totally change what I’m talking about because someone walked by and God wanted me to talk to him).
If you go overseas, you hear voices of young preachers preaching in the villages in third world countries. We don’t see that in America. When you’re out there by yourself, all you have is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. If He doesn’t show up, you’re going to flop! TOTAL reliance on the Holy Spirit. Some of you guys may naturally have the gift of humor. USE THAT! Mike was able to create a cult following of antagonists, but people that loved his jokes. He had such an incredible gift of telling jokes. I’ve developed a sense of humor since doing this for a long time. I understood that I wasn’t always going to be on my game. And one of the advantages I had was that I was a southerner in a Yankee campus, and I used that card a lot. Getting people’s attention is not going to be easy. You have to address issues. You have to. I don’t know how you do this preaching without that.
Q raised: Did you plan on saying the same things everyday?
A: I’d go out from 2-4 everyday and to do that, you have to have new material. I learned how to preach and communicate through this. If I can get and keep an unbeliever’s attention for 5 minutes, I knew I had good stuff. I read voraciously. I became a reader. I had broken down Evidence that Demands a Verdict and read that book. I would talk about the demonic. Became an expert on abortion. Became an expert on spiritual forces. I didn’t even have an opinion on, but I became an expert on stuff like this. Someone else would know more about it and say, “Well what about this???” and I’d be speechless… but that’s sometimes the Lord teaching you. Humbling you.
There’s always the debating part where you’re challenging others’ belief systems. They’re believing a lie! They believe it’s ok to hate people because others have been horrible to them. They believe in unforgiveness. So what I always try to do is to get into “well what is it you believe about yourself that makes you act that way?” try to delve into a person’s belief system and try to get the truth out about it.
My heart is overseas. This kind of preaching is SO effective overseas. I’ve literally seen a whole village come to the Lord with one sermon (saying to my translators, “I think you have to say this again because I don’t think they know what I’m saying”) and hundreds of more people would get saved. I’ve NEVER had that kind of response in America. It’s pathetically discouraging. In America, it seems it’s more like it’s hammering into a rock. And SOMEBODY’s part of seeing the fruit. I’m excited about you guys. About this generation…and I’d love if my ceiling would be your floor.
Be prepared to give an answer for the hope you believe.
Revelation means you have a spiritual cognizant and there will be a process to profess the hope in which you believe. It will drive you to the point where you will be able to answer it. “I’ve sent that guy to teach you” you need to develop an apologetic (a defense of the faith) EVERYONE READ CS LEWIS MERE CHRISTIANITY, THE GREAT DIVORCE BY CS LEWIS, EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT. You guys HAVE to prepare yourself for the greatest debate. Daniel and his other brothers had the Spirit of Excellence upon them. They were experts in the Kingdom of God as well as the King’s. The Word is about words! Words of power. The word is a hammer. If you don’t know how to handle the word of God in your mouth, that’s no excuse. THEN GO STUDY THE WORD. These debates you get into, the mockers, the skeptics (skeptics are good.. they have Qs). USE the mockers. I’ve made every mistake. Called people “you idiot” and I’ve literally had to repent in front of the crowd. Let those points drive you to maturity. Other times, I was unflappable in my approach. Jesus very often ignored the Q and said what he wanted to say. And often he would answer the Q with a Q. Jesus was a storyteller. Use the Matrix and the Gladiator. Become an EXPERT at telling the story of THE MATRIX! Hollywood’s getting better at telling stories than Christians are at telling biblical stories! Learn to communicate in the language of today’s culture. If I were out there preaching today, I would use SNL, Bud Light commercials, etc. Language and literature that’s out there today. I want to be culturally relevant, but NOT getting into the disrespect and denigration of the culture. YOU NEVER WANT TO GET INTO THAT TRAP. You never want to WIN arguments—you want to bring CONVICTION. You’re not a leader of the debate team; you’re a preacher of the Gospel. It’s hard to separate flesh, soul, and body when you’re out there, but keep trying and learning.
I HIGHLY recommend a teammate. You should probably always do that. Go out with someone. There is an element of personality to this à but you’ve got to have the determination to do this whether you have a partner or not. I did it out of love of the Lord. People who don’t have a pretty tough personality, it’s even harder for them. My whole life I’ve kind of been wired this way. I’ve always been kind of tough and risky. Most street preachers who endure do it by themselves. You’re going to get most discouraged by Christians. More people are going to encourage you by non-believers. They’re the ones who come up afterwards and ask you questions. After I preach, I’d go up to someone and say, “So what do you think. You think I’m crazy?” After a few minutes of talking some might say, “Woah. You’re actually pretty normal. So what made you do that up there?” and then I’d share my testimony and THAT’s what would do it. There were rare times in the bible in which huge crowds of ppl got saved à the Isaiahs, the Ezekiels, etc. they didn’t see that kind of fruit. And yet we think preaching’s always going to bear the kind of fruit like Peter. That’s not the norm.
Expect difficulties. The fruit of open air preaching is PERSECUTION. How do you like that?
That’s part of the fruit of publicly declaring the word. I’d get famous like that: “There goes the preacher!” and I’d later go talk to them and they’d find out I’m pretty normal
YWAM has some of the best stuff. SKITS. DRAMA. Think of drama as a way of communicating the story. And if you can get 1 or 2 ppl, play off of each other. The Holy Spirit’s SO creative!!! Or one of you can be praying (for support, for courage). Being nice is NOT a Bible virtue. It’s a huge virtue in post-modern era, but not in the Bible. Being COURAGEOUS IS.
It doesn’t mean you don’t feel the fear when you’re out there. It means you still persevere on. DON’T PRAY AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF FEAR—PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF COURAGE TO COME UPON YOU. This is REALLY lacking in the church. And we NEED it!
I’ll just end with one thing very near on my heart—When I’m hearing you guys willing to do, it makes my heart weep. Because there were no people doing this... at least no young people when I was your age. Do it and you WILL see an incredible harvest. It may not be directly from this, but it is directly related to it.
Jaeson:
This is going to be a prophetic act for God to invade with power—signs, wonders, and miracles!
If you’re looking for encouragement to do this, you’re not going to find it. You just gotta know you’re called to do it. The sheer fact that you’re doing this, God will be faithful to do the good work He’s started.
Be obedient to what the HS has called us to do.
1. If we can’t find a team, we gotta trust the Lord by going out on our own.
2. What we’ve been doing at San Jose State U., have prophetic worshippers out there… Somehow that dynamic brings in the presence of the Lord. Have someone interceding while preaching. Others out there worshipping. If you’re blessed to have that kind of a team, USE it. If you don’t, just be faithful! DO IT. God will show up.
The goal is to preach it! Share your testimony and speak it!
Steve:
I know what it’s been like to backslide.
When you go into street preaching, you’re taking on the enemy and he will HATE you. But JESUS will LOVE you. I KNOW how difficult it is. My greatest hurts and disappointments have been not through unbelievers, but through believers. It’s an adventure and it’s a good way to get healed.
I’m the only Steve Jellicorse in the Raleigh, NC phonebook. If you need to call, if you just want to talk, call me. If you need a Papa, call me. Take advantage of this offer.
One last story of encouragement that almost always produces a rod of steel in my backbone.
John Wesley had almost no mockers when he was preaching in open spaces and the conviction of the HS came upon him. He started crying and praying out loud, “O Lord, what have I done that I am not provoking the enemy!! He was crying and beseeching the Lord. A drunk man was walking by, heard Wesley’s cries, threw a rock at him and said, “Would you shut up!!”
Wesley immediately began praising the Lord & saying, THANK YOU! That’s the mentality our forerunners had. They weren’t scared. They gave thanks for this persecution. America lacks this today, but let’s bring this back!
Interesting article clip from
www.joelnews.nl on the church trend in North America...could it be a 2nd reformation?
3. TREND: Significant increase in out-of-church Christianity
A nationwide survey conducted by the USA based Barna Research Groupindicates that the number of unchurched adults in America continues to growby nearly a million people annually. Interestingly, many of theseunchurched people are spiritually active. One out of every five reads theBible in a typical week; six out of ten pray to God each week; and nearlyone million unchurched adults tithe their income - that is, donate at least 10% of their annual household revenue to non-profit entities.
The religious media play a part in their spiritual life, too, with four outof ten absorbing Christian content through television, radio, magazines orf aith-based websites during a typical month. In addition, one-quarter ofthem have conversations with one or more friends who held them accountablefor carrying out their faith principles.
Having studied church attendance patterns for more than twenty years,researcher George Barna suggests that the consistent resistance to churchlife in recent years is indicative of a historic shift in the nation'sspiritual vision. "A large and growing number of Americans who avoidcongregational contact are not rejecting Christianity as much as they areshifting how they interact with God and people in a strategic effort tohave a more fulfilling spiritual life. This suggests that we are on theprecipice of a new era of spiritual experience and expression."
Barna expects the percentage of adults who are unchurched to grow duringthe coming decade. "However, the emergence of a national body of spiritualleaders who are assisting unchurched people in their quest for spiritualdepth through means and relationships that are outside the usualinstitutional vehicles is significant. We anticipate substantial growth inthe number of people who are not connected to a congregational church but but who are committed to God and to their faith."
LINK:
http://www.barna.org--
it's been some time since i've written a personal blog.
life is definitely full of the unexpected. i can say that the last few weeks have been pretty rough. My family at home was in utter chaos. I don't even know how to explain it, but it was very difficult seeing my sister in the condition she was in & other challenges I guess I can't just write out onto a public blog. Yet, God's grace was there to get me through the storm. The dust is beginning to settle & I could see how God used this time of trial to test the fruit of the spirit in me. I'm pretty sure I didn't do too well on the test, but I definitely learned some new things.
More and more I see how God continually challenges me to be there for my family and friends. I must confess it is difficult being the "type A" driven person that I am. Really, what I need is a reorganizing of my priorities in life. God first, family second, me last. How about that? Well, that will be a challenge for the rest of my days. I honestly thought I lost my cool once and for all yesterday, but God's grace again was there when I was just about to "lose it."
Some of my friends have been asking me, how do you keep your peace with all that attack? I'm like, "I don't know, sometimes I feel God's peace, sometimes I don't, but I know His peace is there." It's faith & you get faith by standing on the promises of God's word. You also get faith when you reflect on how many times God has gotten you out of similar trials & tribulations in the past....& proven faithful everytime.
I'm in a Jeremiah 33:3 season right now. "Call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know!" I feel like there is something more...even more than the revival I've experienced from campus to campus, nation to nation. Something more than passion...something more than what I've experienced up to this point. I'm not sure what I'm looking for. All I know is that I'm crying out for more. It's been so difficult to call unto the deep of God when all the world around me has been crashing in like tidal waves, but i refuse to give up. These last 3 weeks I've felt so out of whack and out of touch I don't know what to think or even understand where I am. But, I know if I take it one day at a time, I'll get there. I'm not sure where "there" is, but I know if I just keep praying and keep crying out deep unto deep....God will answer. There is a mystery in the heavens that is waiting to be revealed to me, I just know it, I can sense it in the deepest part of my being. I just don't know what it is. Lord what is it? What is it that you have me crying out for in this season? What is it that you desire to reveal? What is missing? I call out to you Lord, show me Your mighty ways, Your majestic plans, Your infinite beauty, Your perfect will at this hour of time!
All I can say is God is faithful. He is sooooo faithful. Every major challenge these last 3 weeks have been brought to light. God was faithful to my family, my two sisters, the ministry, the desires of my heart...everything. Everyday...the Lord teaches me again and again..."learn to trust me on this one Jaeson" ......"don't try to figure it out in your own strength, don't think on it Jaeson, don't worry, just .....trust Me, I am Your salvation, I am Your approval, I am Your answer....trust ME."
ha...anyways, God's been good to me through new friends and family. While my house was in utter chaos, I got to spend alot of time with a family I've been getting to know more and more. The "Ainslie's" ...lol..really this family is a God send to me. I met Mike through a missionary mentor of mine in Singapore. He's white, but His wife is from Hong Kong and they have two children that are like my little bro and sis now. I don't know what it is about them, we just have fun and get along. We went snowboarding up in Oregon 2 weeks back. it was soooooooooooooooo much fun! God even made it happen that I forgot to bring my phone charger so I was forced to not CALL OR HOLD MEETINGS! what a relief & blessing!
sometimes with my life~family and ministry can be "overwhelming" &
you just need some outlets to get your mind off things. Well, can't say
what, but i've picked back up a few hobbies these last few weeks. I can honestly say..."it feels good" to do some things you like to do. Really, things are well. I've had a God given peace I can't explain & I thank God for helping me and my family. Helping me and my friends.
I'm still amazed every day when I think about the AWESOME group of student leaders we have ministering on university and high school campuses. Caleb, Josh and Dave just had me pray over them today before they went out to worship and preach in public at UCLA.....how blessed I am to have bros like dat to partner together with in this battle for the Lord. I am blessed. Straight up blessed!
one day at a time. one step at a time. one moment in time~cherish every moment you got & don't take it for granted.
God bless!
jaes
An encouraging email from a student in Toronto on
how the Hong Kong youth revival fire is impacting them!
Hi Jaeson,
I'm a student at the University of Toronto, and the leader of the chinese christian fellowship here on campus. I just wanted to share with you that your blog has been such an encouragement to me and brings such a depth to what Godis doing within the chinese communities, especially Hong Kong.I can tell you, that some of that impact is reaching here in toronto. A goodpercentage of our fellowship (maybe 25%), fly in from Hong Kong and are seekingthe Lord with us here. Many of them are reved up about God. Many of them havetold me reports of God's work in Hong Kong, what's going on at PassionGeneration, students fasting during their lunch hour and desiring to pray withtheir teachers. It is so encouraging to see, God's work in Hong Kong affectingus here - as a few of our leaders (and future leaders) come from there!I must confess to have been witnessing and hearing much testimony of God's workhere in Toronto. Even on this campus, it has been incredibly exciting year,being on the front lines of ministry.
We have seen our fellowship double insize in the past year, 10 have been won to Jesus in the past 6 weeks, students -even first years- are showing such a passionate zeal for God. It is anincredibly exciting time for us here.For myself, my spiritual eyes had awoken last january, with an intense desireto see our campus given to God. And it began with prayer
- and soon many students began praying for our campus. 20+ would meet regularly early fridaymornings to give it up to God. Since then, we've seen a flourish of christian activity, and leaders popping up, wanting to serve the Lord. Even at our retreat during our reading week in february, our fellowship experienced an incredible presence of the Holy Spirit. we believe it to beourpentecost. And you know the Holy Spirit is present when people are convicted oftheir sin. From that 3 day retreat, what has happened since:
-Five had been won to christ! One I can call brother now, named Mathias(conveniently), has undergone such a transformation.. He had been a shy boycoming to our GiGs during the first semester. He now can't stop talking aboutthe Lord! He is so full of joy! He can't stop hugging people. as of now, he is already praying with his non christian family at dinner, his father nowbelieves the Holy spirit exists, he trashed all his illegal mp3s and cds and hehas reconciled with his sister.
- 3 relationships were reevaluated because they were unequally yoked to anonchristians. Apparently there have been at least a couple more since.
- 2 christian relationships had broken up because they felt God calling them,and this was not the time.
- a leader stepped up for a mandarin fellowship to be planted! We had beenpraying earnestly since last may that one would do it. There is such anincredible need on our campus, as tehre are so many mandarin speakers here oncampus.
- The frosh have not stopped evangelizing to their friends and their msncontact lists. I have never seen so many ccfers so passionate to share thegospel.
- we had a coffeehouse mar 4. Five more had been won to Christ. it was thebiggest coffeehouse we\'ve ever had, over 200+ for one event - 60% of them werenot from our fellowship!.
Even with respect to united efforts between christians has been encouraging.There currently are efforts to bring about many christian groups from all overtoronto together. A couple years ago, Youth on a Hill was a movement startedby christian high school students which brought about a revival amongst highschool fellowships - with some jumping from 8 to 80. Many of those studentsare in university now.
York University had an event with their christiangroups together, and revival fires were burning there as well, with manyconfessions of sins, and many on their knees, praying and earnestly seeking God."
This is only a tip of the iceberg. I realize this email is getting too long. Ishare this with you to encourage you, as I know it brings joy to my heart whenI hear God at work - as I am sure it brings joy to yours. I share the visionof revival, and it has been prophecied by many that it would come here intoronto. May He receive all the glory, and may we just be a part of that.
If ever the wind brings you to this side of North America, we'd be blessed tohave you here, and we can share many more God stories. Blessings to your ministries, and may His will be done!
amen jonathan
PS: we are having an event this coming thursday, april 7, called "ReAwaken!" -and that is what we hope will happen - and that msg of revival - 2chron7:14 -will happen. The auditorium fits 500 - we\'ve never had an event so big, but wewill hope that the msg will be given to those who hear. Please pray for this!"
