Over the past year, IHOP has been parying intently for a spirit of adoption to come on the church. It is amazing how God is answering our prayers. A major focus of the Call was adoption. Many pastors got on stage and exhorted churches to begin adoption agencies so that adoption could be more affordable. They challanged the church to be concerned with what is on GOd’s heart. That would be orphans. Holli and I are really getting our eyes open to the fact that there are so many hurting children in the world. We sense that our ministry will be going in the direction of orphans in the near future. I am not sure what that will look like, but I believe that GOd is moving on our hearts, and usually that means transition. I encourage you to ask the Father to give you a heart for orphans. It is kind of strange, because other that our own kids, we aren’t excited about being around children.
Maycee will start kindergarten tommorow, at home. What a big day for her. If you would have asked me ten years ago if I would be homeschooling my children, I would have probably laughed and thought I don’t want my kids to be introverted wierdos that wear jean skirts and tennis shoes. Oh how I have changed. If you know my children, then you know they are the furthest thing from introverts, and Maycee get her great since of style from her rock star dad! I am so excited and thrilled that I (Zack and I) get to be the one who teaches my daughter how to read, how to count to 100 by tens how to write her first story. We get to read great literature, make cool crafts and go on exciting field trips. But even more than all of this we get to start each day of school by praying to the awesome God that formed us in our mothers womb (Maycee, that would be my tummy too!) and has our days already numbered. Our first subject of every day is the Bible. What an honor and heavy obligation God has given us to be responsible for introducing our children to their Maker.
I do have my moments, and some days there are many of them, but I LOVE MY JOB!!!!
Here is another Call update.
I am always challenged when I hear Lou Engle speak. (Director of the Call) He shared a little from Matthew 23. Jesus rebukes the Pharisee’s for saying that if they were alive when the prophets were around, they would not have killed them. Jesus rebukes them and says they would have. Lou applied this to modern day groups who are outraged by slavery and the Holocaust, and other human rights issues, but are silent on the issue of abortion. We have an issue that is as great a stench in God’s nostrels as these great injustices. It is the killing of an unborn baby. So many are just lulled to sleep concerning this reality and they are silent. Perhaps they agree that it is wrong, but will not speak out.
Their is a great parallel between Israel in Jeremiah’s time and the United States in our day. In Israel they turned their worship to fertility gods of surrounding nations. This required them to sacrifice their baby’s to Molech. We to as American’s worship sex. Just look at a magazine or watch tv for 30 seconds. You can’t get away from provacative images. When we fill our minds with these images, it is onl natural that we will begin to desire them. When we act out what is in our hearts the natural progression is pregnancy. What do we do when we are inconvenienced by a baby? We sacrifice it to our god…sex. What does it say about a society when we are willing to murder a baby just for a comfortable life. Could it be that we worship comfort?
I know that this seems harsh, and I want everyone who has been involved in an abortion to know that God wants to forgive and cleanse, but we need to see it for what it is. The media never talks about the shame and broken lives or the scars that an abortion leaves. It is just an unspoken reality.
This was a major focus of the Call was to repent for abortion. We in the church have been silent for to long. I really appreciate Lou’s stance and passion.
I know that I am suppose to post updates concerning The Call. I just wanted you to be aware that my annual Fantasy Football drafts will be held next week. If you need any advice for your drafts, please feel free to contact me for advice. I have won many leagues, and for a small fee I will fix your team!
After coming home from The Call, we have been in a whirlwind of activity. I (Zack) am taking a class on Hermaneutics. It is a class about the art and science of how to interpret the Bible. We are back on an intense “IHOP” schedule. I have to write a 13 page exegetical paper on Numbers 6:22-28. We are required to attend the Saturday night service. Mike is currently teaching about the book of Revelation. We are required to outline the entire book. I do 24 hours per week in the prayer room. And for another weekly class we are going through the Sermon on the MOunt. This one has been tought on the flesh. It is clear that I have watered down Jesus’ teaching in a dramatic way, and the Lord is having to do some surgery. Holli and I are both working in the healing rooms. Holli is getting ready to start homeschooling. We are finishing up our small group with the Intro class. And Holli is currently attending a couple of mom’s groups. In our spare time we manage a rental house and raise 3 kids.
You can pray for us to have grace in adjsting to out new schedule.
Here is the first of many updates concerning the Call. At one point there were a number of Hispanic leaders on the stage. They were repenting for their attitude toward the “Anglo” community. They said that even though they were victims of racism, their attitudes toward whites were not Godly. I was in awe. I hear many talk about racism directed toward minorities, but had never heard the issue addressed from the other side. It was good to hear that it had been identified. I hope that this will cleanse all of us from racial prejudices. I believe that everyone has a little bit of prejudice in them, but that does not make it right! It is a hidden sin and hopefully the Lord is bringing it to light to eradicate it.
My view toward illegal immigration is gradually changing. These are people that need Jesus. In many cases they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Most come here to work and to provide for their families in Latin America. Should we not love them, just because a government says that they should not be here. Should we rail against the alien. I believe that the Bible speaks clearly about how to treat the alien. We/I am not measuring up. I am sure that this has ruffled a few feathers, but hopefully it will make you think.
This is a short prayer that I prayed the other day.
Please God, reveal to me your heart for the poor. Strip away the blinders that I have inherited from my culture. Let me see the wisdom of the Sermon on the Mount. Let me turn the other cheek. Help me to not qualify my disobedience. I want to understand Your character.
I HAVE FOUND MY CALLING! Over the past few months, I believe that I have identified my primary calling. I am a priest before the Lord. So many of us ask the question, “what is my calling?” I have been tormented with that thought for the past number of years. Since I moved to IHOP it had become even more intense. However since May it has been clear, and a few days ago, the Lord spoke this. Hopefully it blesses you. This is all of our destiny, and all of our callings!
What if being a priest/watchman on the wall in the House of the Lord was my calling? Nothing more. What if I never have a ministry before man? What if my ministry was a hidden one, going before the Lord and ministering to Him? Would this be enough for me? What if I impacted God’s heart in a dramatic way, but never was seen by man? (God speaking) Am I truly your portion? Am I truly your exceeding great reward?
What if The Forerunner School of Ministry and IHOP is not unto something or a means to an end? Am I really the only One who satisifies?
Unequivocally, the answer is yes! My heart is burning for you. My reward is nothing less than God!
After reading this and thinking about it, it makes me realize how foolish our nartural mind is. Why is ministry such an idol? Why do we want to impact men more than God? Why is “sitting in a prayer room all day” so looked down upon?
I love my work!
I have been thinking about the exchange the other day of prisoners between Hezbollah and Isreal. I am deeply disturbed by these developments. If you aren’t aware, Israel exchanged a few men in their jails and the remains of over a hundred dead bodies for the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in action while fighting Hezbollah. Included in the exchange was a man, who in the 1970’s broke into an Israeli settlement with a squad of aboout 4 men and opened fire on innocent civilians. This particular murderer broke into a house and dragged a man and his four year old daughter out into the street and shot the man in front of the daughter and then this “hero” proceeded to smash her head with the butt of his rifle. Meanwhile inside the house, the mother accidently suffocated her 2 year old daughter because she was trying to keep her quite and remain undected.
These men were given a parade upon their release today. Multitutes lined the streets and threw rice at these “fighters” as the media calls them. Our “valiant soldier” declared to the adoring crowd that he could not wait to “encounter his enemy again” I was a little confused, was he talking about Israel in general or just those mennacing little Israeli girls?
I am outraged that Israel would even dream of letting this guy go. It seems that they are so weary of conflict that they will go to any measure to appease their enemies. I realize that Israel commits many attrocities and are not blameless, but child murders are not ever given a hero’s welcome. The fans of Hezbollah knew exactly what kind of scum bag this loser was and thought that his actions were laudable. What a joke. I really hope that people realize what an evil force that Islam is. They want Israel destroyed at all cost. Most of us here in the U.S. is more concerned with our bank accounts to open our eyes as to what is really happening in the Middle East. I have a feeling in a few years, this will be of great importance to American families. Imagine if Iran gets a nuclear weapon. They have vowed to wipe Israel off the map. (as has almost every other Islamic regeime in existence) Surely Iran only has their security in mind by developing these weapons. After all they claim they are a peace loving people.
Lou Engle and Mike Bickle called a 40 day fast beginning June 30. I am not doing 40 days without food obviously! I am doing more than one day though. It is amazing how your body can go without food. Jesus said that man shall not live on bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. God has given me a lot of grace to fast on this one. The reason why I am writing this is to point out how much our flesh dictates our life. Eating is a necessary thing, but it is clear that we don’t need it as much as we think we do. Physically I feel pretty good, but like every other time that I fast, the thought of food is really strong, almost overwhelming. I am not hungry, but I am craving different foods SOOOO bad. Why is that? It really shows me how much my carnal appetites control me, and that the flesh must die!
We schedule so much of our day around eating. It is kind of an empty feeling to not be planning on what you are eating later. The lust of the flesh is a powerful force!