For all those reading my blog, I want to ask you for some urgent prayers in regards to a few matters of importance. First, I want to thank you all for your intercessions for our team in Taiwan during the "onething conference". The Spirit of the Lord moved in great power as over 2,000+ young adults encountered our passionate Bridegroom Jesus Christ and through this gathering we birthed a new 24-7 prayer movement in Taiwan. The trip was very fruitful and strategic as we are now working with national leaders to develop ongoing training/support for a 24-7 House of Prayer young adult community in Taiwan and also student mission training programs next summer (AFF). It was such a blessing to partner with the IHOP team and our brother and sisters in Taiwan for the Asia for Jesus movement. Thank you!
Urgent Prayers Needed: Right now, I am in Hong Kong preparing for the "onething conference" Aug 28-30. Then our "blueprint training" for reaching mainland university students. We are in great expectation as the conference will be fully packed with another 2,000 + young adults seeking Jesus as their one desire in Hong Kong. We are believing for a ongoing 24-7 prayer movement fueled with bridal intimacy and nazarite consecration to be birthed and released in this great international city. Pray that Hong Kong youth and young adults would radically seek the Lord in extravagant devotion above all else.
Burma Mission: At the same time that I am here a divine opportunity has been opened for the nation of Myanmar/Burma. As many of you know months ago the nation was struck with a cyclone that killed more than 150,000 civilians and left more than 3 million homeless. My dear missionary friends Daniel and Levi Lim have been given great favor by God to bring the Gospel of the kingdom into this nation. Right now, they have already met with the Prime Minister and national leaders and have been invited with open hands to bring the Gospel into this nation through the rebuliding of 1,000 homes and to bring in needed natural resources of "diesel and fertilizer". This is unbelievable as this nation is a closed nation and under strict dictatorial rule.
Last week someone prophesied over me unbeknownst to this situation that I would be doing a strategic work in Burma and Israel. I didn't know about what Daniel and Levi were doing in detail till meeting them on this trip in discussion. Today, I was able to contact a good friend that deals with international trade of natural resources to see if we can get the needed diesel and fertilizer to help rebuild, restore and revive this destructed nation. Daniel and Levi are returning to Burma on Monday to meet the Prime minister and we are praying that they do not go back empty handed, but with an actual gift from the Lord to bless this nation and keep the door of the Gospel open.
PLEASE PRAY - that through our efforts here in Asia and the US we can help raise the necessary financial captial (over $7 million USD) to purchase the needed natural resources (diesel/fertilizer) as soon as possible. The International House of Prayer in KC has already raised nealry $700,000 USD to help this effort to transform the nation of Burma. Please pray daily that Holy Spirit will break through before Monday to get Daniel and Levi the needed finances/resources to help rebuild Burma for the long term and see Jesus lifted high over this nation.
For more information goto:
www.ilovemyanmar.org Under the mercy,
JMA
A few months back I had the blessing of leading my man "Kevnish" from the hip hop band "Far East Movement" to the Lord. His pure heart and simple faith in God has inspired me to live with child like faith again. Right now we are working together in producing my first solo album and I can truly say that God sent Kev and the FM crew into my life to discover something in me that I didn't see myself. You will all have to wait for the finished product of what we are cooking up in the studio...but just know that it's something from above and ultimately will bring glory to Him. Check out this blog post from Kevnish on the FM website on what God is doing recently in our lives
Studio of Light In this last season of ministry I've seen so many major artists come to know the Lord (specifically in the Asian entertainment/Hollywood scene) and I know God is raising up an army of leaders at this moment among the Asian culture to be a force of light in this new global world. For many of those whom I've had the opportunity to lead to the Lord in this entertainment industry, we recognize that God has given us a greater purpose to use our influence for Him. We are calling this new movement of disciples
"SOLDIERS OF LIGHT" - S.O.L. and we pray that God will use us to make a divine impact for Him. With the 2008 Beijing Olympics and all eyes on East Asia... it's time for the Church in Asia to rise up to it's calling and shine the light of Christ for all the world to see. Pray for us.
Below is a major event my boyz Far East Movement are putting on with Wong Fu Productions to support the Asian American emerging talent scene in Hollywood. Pray for FM and many others whom God will use to impact a new world generation w/ the love of God...
Luke 12:15
And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
In this past season of my life the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me deeply about the issue of "greed & the love of money." For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Lk 12:24). Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Lk 16:13). Think about it. Which One controls your life?
We live in a consumed consumer society that shouts at us everyday saying, "You need more of this, you won't be happy without that, you need to look this way, and have these things in order to be accepted, respected and valued by others." The truth of the matter is this; the things of this world are passing away and only the things of eternity last forever. So why store up in this life? Why hold onto things, when the things of this world don't last anyways? Why believe the lie that you need more in order to be happy? Life does not consist in the abundance of what one possesses, but life consist in the joy of knowing God. To live is to know Jesus Christ personally, intimately, daily and eternally. Don't believe the lie that you need more to be happy. You don't need more, you need less. In having less of the world, you can have more of the kingdom of God.
When you live in Hollywood California (like me) its hard not to succumb to the spirit of materialism that dominates this region. If you think the world is hedonistic and materialistic, try living in Hollywood. For most, it's all about the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the people you know, the career you have and how to get ahead of others in life. Your value as a person is based upon the exterior, rather than the interior. Beauty is not a matter of the heart, but a matter of what you look like. Everything is plastic. Nothing is real. It is all an act. Or so it seems. The more you interact with people on a daily basis in this industry you see the deep void within. Being cool is about wearing the right clothes, knowing the right people, fitting the mold rather than "being yourself" or being who God created you uniquely to be. So much is wasted and so much is unappreciated. We have so much, yet we have so little.
God we repent of our covetousness, greed and desire for the things of this world more than the things of Your heart. It is all vanity. I know people who can't wear the same shirt or dress twice in fear of what others would think. I know people who buy clothes that are never worn, who buy things that they don't need at all, who believe life only consists in the exquisite food they eat, clothes they wear, cars they drive, prestigious careers they hold and important relationships they have. It saddens me when I think about how empty, meaningless and purposeless this kind of lifestyle that is lived.
I'm not against being rich, fashionable or having certain things. I believe God wants us to prosper and enjoy life. It's not wrong to have, but I believe it is wrong to waste. We will be held accountable on the day of judgment for how we stewarded our lives and possessions. Jesus said, "It is harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God then it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!" What we possess directly controls our ability to receive the true riches of God. If we hold onto the things of this world, it will have a hold on us. When we try to save our lives, we lose our souls. It's not until we lose our lives that we actually save it. How so? Because we become dead to this world that is already dying and become alive to God, whose is always living, now and forever. I'd rather die poor and be happy, then die rich and be empty. I'm not talking about being destitute, where you become a beggar, a thief or one who is in debt. I'm talking about living on what you need, giving what extra you have and living a simple life of contentment in Christ alone.
It pains me when Christians began to teach doctrines that focus on the exterior blessings, rather than the true interior blessing of knowing Jesus Christ. Yes, God does want us to be blessed; to have the best life, to have a nice house, car, clothes, food, career and be able to enjoy the good things in life. But God never told us to seek these things; rather Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you (Mt 6:33). Then you would say, "See, all these things will be added." Sure, but what if all these things were taken away from you? Would you still be praising God? My point is this; life does not consist in having "these things" (food, clothes, possessions, money, career, etc) that the world chases after. Life consists in knowing Jesus Christ. When you know Jesus you become alive with life, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:7). When you chase what this world offers you you will never have enough. When you chase God, you will find that in God, His love is enough.
What are we as disciples of Jesus Christ called to do then? How are we to live?"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep one-self from being polluted by the world." James 1:27Let us live simple. Live on what we need. Give away what we don't need to those who need it most (widows/orphans/the poor/the needy/etc). And please, do not succumb to the value system of this world, to the seductions of Hollywood, to what you see on the TV, what you hear on the Radio, what you watch in the Movie Theater, what society shouts at you everyday, but look at the Word of God intently and see if your life matches up with it.
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22) You don't need to look like MTV, you need to look like Jesus.
I know churches in the US, in Asia, that think in order to reach the world they need to dress like, talk like, act like, live like, sound like and be like the world. Jesus said, "be in the world, but not of it." Don't try to be cool, be yourself. Don't compromise your values, your holiness, your convictions in order to be successful or accepted by those in the worlds system. Rather, be faithful to doing what you know is right, keep your integrity above all else and you will learn what it means to truly live.
I've been reading this book "Happy Are You Poor" By, Thomas Dubay. I highly recommend this book to every follower of Jesus Christ. Read it and weep. I have. I've been so convicted of my worldliness as of late from reading this book, I am the first to admit that I have given into the dictates and seductions of the very worldly things I described above. Yet, in my repentance, I am asking God to give me a new heart, to change my ways, my thinking and my desires to only want Him and what He wants.
How to Know if You are Wasting Your LifeRead the below questions from Happy Are Your Poor and check your heart to see if you are living a superfluous & wasteful life?
1. By what standards do I determine what is necessary?
2. Do I collect unneeded things? Do I hoard possessions?
3. May I, on Gospel principles, buy clothes at the dictates of fashion designers in Paris and New York? Am I a slave to fashion? Do I live in other people's minds? Why really do I have all the clothes I have: shirts, blouses, suits, dresses, shoes, gloves?
4. Am I an inveterate nibbler? Do I eat because I am bored? Do the weight charts convict me of superfluity in eating and drinking? Do I take second helpings simply for the pleasure they afford?
5. Do I keep unneeded books and papers and periodicals and notes?
6. Do I retain two or three identical items (clocks, watches, scarves)of which I really need only one?
7. Do I spend money on trinkets an unnecessary conveniences?
8. In the winter, do we keep our thermostat at a setting higher than health experts advise: 68 degrees?
9. When I think of my needs, do I also think of the far more drastic needs of the teeming millions in the third world?
10. Do I need the traveling I do more than the poor need food and clothing and medical care?
11. Am I right in contributing to the billions of dollars spent each year on cosmetics? How much of this can be called necessary?
12. Is smoking necessary for me?
13. Is drinking necessary for me?
14. Do I need to examine exactly what I mean by saying to myself, "I need this"?
15. Can I honestly say that all I use or possess is used or possessed for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)? Would He be given more glory by some other use?
16> Do I in the pauline sense "mind the things above, not those on earth" (Col 3:1-2) (pg 112)
To everyone in Asia and around the world keep us in prayer as we pioneer the onething young adult movement into Taiwan and Hong Kong this month. This will be an incredibly key gathering of young adults in two major East Asia cities (Hong Kong/Taipei) in order that we may deposit a spiritual DNA that doesn't go after the hype, but goes after the heart of Jesus Christ in our generation. We are praying that God by His Spirit would raise up an army of forerunners who would live lives dedicated to prayer, fasting and radical devotion in intimacy with the God and Man Christ Jesus. Pray that God opens the heavens over Asia and rends the hearts of the next generation in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China in order to prepare the way of the Lord into this massive land of harvest. If you are in Taiwan or Hong Kong make sure to register asap, from what I know it is almost already sold out for each gathering. onething Taiwan and Hong Kong will take place during and right after the China 2008 Olympics. Now is the time for Asia...let us rise up in wholeheartedness towards the Lord! After One Thing, JMAonething Taiwan ~ Aug 20-22
onething Hong Kong ~ Aug 28-30
I'm back from our one month long training (AFF & Student CPX) for student missionaries in Kansas City, MO. The Holy Spirit showed up in power, birthed a student prayer and mission movement again.
What can I say?
GOD ROCKS!!!! What Happened at Haskell University? On the last day of our mission at Haskell University (Harvard of Native American universities)
3 Native American students repented from their sins, made Jesus Christ their Lord and were water baptized the same night! We are now starting a student church movement at Haskell! It was so encouraging to witness this miracle power of God because we had been sowing seeds of faith on this campus for two weeks straight! God is good!
How did it happen? It is very difficult historically and presently for Native Americans to turn to faith in Christ because of the past injustices that have been brought upon their people from Christians in the past who did not obey God's Word, but rather inflicted pain and suffering. Christianity is known as the "White Mans Religion" and an offense to native peoples. But as we sowed in prayer, built relationships and shared the love of Christ daily at Haskell University to the students there with our student missionaries, God showed up in power and left a abundant blessing upon the first nations people, specifically for their next generation. It was amazing!
When we first got there we found out the dormitory we were staying at had a horrible history. Over 700 Native American children were starved to death with disease/famine in the basement in relationship to the American government nearly 70 years ago. The first day, our student missionaries were getting sick, doubting their purpose there, others were hearing voices in the hallways and some even encountered evil spirits in the dormitory. We knew it would be a spiritual battle between light and darkness. We had to come in an opposite spirit of faith, hope and love.
So we set up a 24-7 prayer room in the dormitory and began prayer watches on the campus. On the third day, we gathered all our student and staff together and we repented in the middle of the courtyard where 100 children were supposedly buried. There we got on our knees, we repented for the sins committed against the Native people and ask God to pour out His mercy and grace over Haskell University and the first nations young people. I can't explain it, but we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit come down into that courtyard and dispel the darkness. We felt the love of God begin to fill that campus with light and blessings. We knew something had changed in the spiritual atmosphere at that moment, the blood of Jesus had covered the sins of the past and there would be a new beginning at Haskell University.
The next days we trained our student missionaries in cross cultural evangelism, discipleship and simple church planting in the morning and afternoons. In the evenings they got to hang out with Native American students who were at Haskell for summer school.
They prayed and played: basketball, eating dinners, playing sports, hanging out in dormitories, helping students study, played games etc As our student missionaries practiced being a blessing to the native students, open doors began to open up for the Gospel to be preached. Many of our student missionaries were able to pray, bless and prophesy over the native students and miracles began to happen. Some student missionaries got to start evangelistic Bible studies in only a few days, others prayed for divine healing and deliverance and saw God answer in power, others simply loved on the students at Haskell in practical and tangible ways. God was moving!
One night someone prophesied that before Student CPX was over that a Native American student would be saved and baptized in the dormitory bath tub. We received the word and believed it by faith! Then it happened!
On the last day, we would have never thought that during a time of prayer and sharing that a few native American students would receive Christ into their hearts without us even giving an altar call. The Spirit of God hit the room and one native student simply said,
"Jesus is talking to me and I received Him into my heart!" After that another student repented and both were baptized in the dormitory bath tub that night! They were immediately filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues and praising the name of God! When the baptism happened we all knew that what the Devil intended for evil, God was turning for good. That dormitory was once full of darkness and evil spirits, but that night the dormitory was transformed with the presence of angels and the Light of Jesus Christ! It is a new day for Haskell University and the First Nations young people of America!
Also, in a sovereign act of the Lord we were able to pray, bless and prophesy over the President of Haskell University. Dr. Warner is an amazing woman and we know that God has placed her on that campus for such a time as this. Pray for her and Haskell to be a spiritual detonator of revival and mission that will impact every campus in our nation to be re-awakened to our spiritual foundations/heritage as centers of higher education whose sole purpose is to equip students for the preaching of the Gospel to all nations!
Student Church Planting Movement on Campuses has Begun!
It was by no accident that the Holy Spirit led us into Haskell University to birth another student volunteer mission movement to the nations! I believe with all my heart that we will see the Gospel of the kingdom preached as a witness to all nations in our generation (Matt 24:14). The Holy Spirit gave us a massive revelation during a spontaneous morning prayer session that we as student missionaries were not to go back to our university campuses planting churches among just any groups of people, but to focus our evangelism and church planting amongst "un-reached people groups" specifically Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other major world cultures on our campuses. In this way, we would truly become an apostolic student mission movement that would start new churches cross culturally in order to prepare an entire generation to be truly "missional" and be ready to plant churches amongst any un-reached people group in the 10/40 window.
Apostle Paul said
.."And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation" Romans 15:20The national average of active Christians on American universities is less than 5%. Of that 5% over 95% come from Christian backgrounds (source: Ivy Jungle Network). It makes no sense as a student church planting movment to start another campus ministry that only reaches out to Christians. It is clear that we are called to plant student churches amongst existing and real un-reached people groups on our college and universities. We are not to build upon another mans foundation, but we are called to reach the "un-reached" and those who have never heard, will never step into a local church and are completely culturally devoid of the Gospel of Christ.
This will happen as we send back over 30 student missionaries from AFF & Student CPX to 15 universities to start 24-7 campus houses of prayer that launch apostolic student church planting movements on their campuses. This is just the beginning!
Our goal will be for each student missionary to find and win one "person of peace" amongst an un-reached people group on their campus in the next six months. Once finding that person of peace, they are to make them a disciple of Christ and bring them back to a follow up Student CPX gathering in January 2009. We will then train those students of peace to go back to win ten more students to Christ and start simple churches in their indigenous communities.
The purpose is to believe God for a spontaneous multiplying student church planting movement that will impact every college and university in our nation in the next decade! The purpose is to glorify Christ. I can see it! I believe it! I know this will and must happen so that we can see the fulfillment of the Great Commandment and Great Comission in this generation!
AFF & Student CPX in Hindsight: Looking back at what the Lord has done in the past four weeks, I can only worship and adore Him for His faithfulness and goodness! I am in awe as we have finished what started as a prophecy, then became a dream and now a reality. We have birthed our first student missions training school (Antioch Forerunner Foundation) to bring the Gospel to East Asia and Back to Jerusalem! How awesome is that? We have birthed our first campus church planting school (Student Church Planting Experience) to reach every campus in every city of North America and ultimately to see another student missions movement launched into all nations! It is time!
I thank you all for your dedicated prayers. This has not come without a fight, but we continue to fight this good fight of faith knowing that Jesus Christ is coming back as Bridegroom, King and Judge. Time is of the essence, we have no time to lose and all the nations to gain for Jesus Christ! Keep our leadership and student missionaries in your daily prayers. We are truly changing history for eternity! It's an honor and privelege to do it together!
For His Namesake, Jaeson Ma
For all those reading my blog, I want to ask you for some urgent prayers in regards to a few matters of importance. First, I want to thank you all for your intercessions for our team in Taiwan during the "onething conference". The Spirit of the Lord moved in great power as over 2,000+ young adults encountered our passionate Bridegroom Jesus Christ and through this gathering we birthed a new 24-7 prayer movement in Taiwan. The trip was very fruitful and strategic as we are now working with national leaders to develop ongoing training/support for a 24-7 House of Prayer young adult community in Taiwan and also student mission training programs next summer (AFF). It was such a blessing to partner with the IHOP team and our brother and sisters in Taiwan for the Asia for Jesus movement. Thank you!
