A step closer

This past week Brian met with his VP in Chicago and they gave us a thumbs up for the move to Vancouver. It should happen before the end of the year. So exciting. We're still in the process of pursuing partners. There are still meetings that have to take place to begin this process in our own church, and meetings taking place with other churches, it's a process.
Partnering with us in this journey isn't just about the finances. More importantly to the ministry are prayer partners. We need warriors who will go before the throne on our behalf, seekings God's will and provsions and protection. Accountablilty to our partners is another benefit of God's people being apart of this, not just CN sending to Vancouver alone.
Exciting times are ahead. The countdown is on... 4 months and counting... maybe less!

Watchmen on the Walls

"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the high way Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations!" Isa. 62

What a charge we've been given. This coming just after the Lord proclaims in the chapter prior that He is coming to set the captives free, bind up the broken hearted, open the eyes of the blind; all for the display of His splendor. Christ has already come and finished His work for our salvation, He now forever lives to intercede for us. Our continual watchmen.

In our ministries as watchmen on the walls, as vessels that God wants to use to bring healing to a broken and hurting generation; we can not give until we ourselves have received complete healing from past brokenness.

We cannot stand firm in the Lord and fight powers of captivity and darkness of the enemy unless we are first make whole and healed in Christ, walking in obedience to Him. We can not be watchmen fot the Lord with out first being released from captivity of our own sin and pain. We can't minister and comfort others if we ourselves are still rooted in sinful reaction patterns to unhealed wounds. If we are hurting we will hurt others.

There is a process of wholeness in Christ. Our confession of sin with honesty before the Lord. Whether our hurt and pain came because of our own sin or someone elses against us, we must choose forgiveness and repentance, otherwise pride, unbelief, rebellion and deception creep in and claim a false truth.
Let Jesus heal up our hurts instead of dening them, not wanting to face them. "what's done is done". It becomes a wall the enemy uses to alienate us from others and even more importantly God. That's why Christ came, to set us free from the captivity of sin and pain. That's the ministry he gives to us, His work in us. But we are not able to help others until we've taken our own pain to Him and let Him, along with other believers bring healing.
What follows is the release of the strongholds and bondage's of spiritual warfare. Satan wants to kill,steal and destroy, and how better to do it than to wound the soldiers who are to be standing strong in battle. Finding healing in Christ before going into the battle is the only way to stay strong and healthy. Our wound will not heal if we are still in shackles. The enemy does not want to let us go, but our God is stronger, the battle is His.
Let Him reveal our sin and wounds to us. Ask Him for help in prayer for deliverance from strongholds of enemy. Pray to receive the character and power of Christ in place of dysfunction.

*These are my notes taken from a study in Sylvia Gunter's Prayer Portions