Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Are You Satisfied?
Last night I was trying to sleep in the Malaysian time zone, after having only just adjusted to the European time zone after Central America!
I kept waking up for no reason (which made sense, after all it wasn't time for bed yet in Paris!). At one point I woke up and God spoke one word to me: "INTIMACY"...
He burned me with His presence, and all throughout the night that word kept burning in my heart, as well as a stirred up hunger for more...
I remember last year when I would have the choice to attend between one to three services at church - on the occasional Sunday when I wasn't rostered on anything. I would go to one service, and if at the end of it I felt happy and satisfied I would take that as a hint that I shouldn't go home yet - I needed more! If I am satisfied with how much of God I have, I take that as a warning that something may be wrong. It's different to feeling satisfied with what I'm doing in life - if I'm truly living God's will for my life then I should have the ability to feel satisfied with that - meaning joyful, challenged and expectant for more! However if I feel satisfied with the level of the presence of God that I have, the encounters that I have with Him, how much time I get to spend with Him... then something in me may be dying... There is a saying that if you aren't going forward, if you aren't growing then you're actually dying...
God, I'm HUNGRY. I've tasted and I want MORE! This is what keeps me going! This is what keeps me in Love! Your presence, Your faithfulness... Your beauty, Your LOVE...
How could I forget that this is a romance? I actually know that it's a romance, but somehow, even knowing it, I've forgotten... God, stir up the hunger in me for more of You... I MUST have more of You!!! For You are the only one that satisfies....
Somehow in my life I live forgetting over and over again that it's all about Him. It ends up becoming about working for Him and doing what He wants, instead of loving Him and being in Love, and just wanting more...
This life is a delight! HE is my delight! My delight is in HIM, my maker, my JOY, my reward... My everything... Oh Jesus how we need more! We are hungry for MORE!
By the way - John 15. I can't get away from it!! ALL of it! the whole thing! and on to John 16! Have a look - its SO GOOD!!!
I kept waking up for no reason (which made sense, after all it wasn't time for bed yet in Paris!). At one point I woke up and God spoke one word to me: "INTIMACY"...
He burned me with His presence, and all throughout the night that word kept burning in my heart, as well as a stirred up hunger for more...
I remember last year when I would have the choice to attend between one to three services at church - on the occasional Sunday when I wasn't rostered on anything. I would go to one service, and if at the end of it I felt happy and satisfied I would take that as a hint that I shouldn't go home yet - I needed more! If I am satisfied with how much of God I have, I take that as a warning that something may be wrong. It's different to feeling satisfied with what I'm doing in life - if I'm truly living God's will for my life then I should have the ability to feel satisfied with that - meaning joyful, challenged and expectant for more! However if I feel satisfied with the level of the presence of God that I have, the encounters that I have with Him, how much time I get to spend with Him... then something in me may be dying... There is a saying that if you aren't going forward, if you aren't growing then you're actually dying...
God, I'm HUNGRY. I've tasted and I want MORE! This is what keeps me going! This is what keeps me in Love! Your presence, Your faithfulness... Your beauty, Your LOVE...
How could I forget that this is a romance? I actually know that it's a romance, but somehow, even knowing it, I've forgotten... God, stir up the hunger in me for more of You... I MUST have more of You!!! For You are the only one that satisfies....
Somehow in my life I live forgetting over and over again that it's all about Him. It ends up becoming about working for Him and doing what He wants, instead of loving Him and being in Love, and just wanting more...
This life is a delight! HE is my delight! My delight is in HIM, my maker, my JOY, my reward... My everything... Oh Jesus how we need more! We are hungry for MORE!
By the way - John 15. I can't get away from it!! ALL of it! the whole thing! and on to John 16! Have a look - its SO GOOD!!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
2011 wrap-up, and what's next!
2011 – stepping out in FAITH
Currently I am mid-air on a plane from Paris to Kuala Lumpur, where I will be visiting friends and relatives, as well as sharing at a church there. I didn’t realise it at the time, but myself and a friend spent our 1 year anniversary of graduation from Mozambique releasing the Love and purposes of Jesus over the city from the Eiffel Tower! What an awesome, God-organised place to be to remember such a significant event in our lives!
It is now just over a year since graduation from the Iris Harvest School of Missions, and just over nine months since leaving Australia in March 2011.
In that time, the Lord has led me to:
- 5 Continents: Australia, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe
- 18 Countries
- I have slept in 48 different beds, not counting planes, trains, buses and cars… These were of various levels of comfort, from a hard wooden bench covered with a blanket in the Buddhist prayer room of refugees in the Himalayas, to sleeping on the roof of an RV and waking with dew all around me, to sleeping in a comfortable big bed with a hot water bottle in England with the room all to myself!! (I realised that that was just the third night in 9 months where I was in a room all to myself… thank you Jesus!).
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| Border crossing Craziness |
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| Zoe knows how to spend border crossing time... |
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| Cross-roads in Honduras |
Jesus is so good and I have had the privilege of serving with the most amazing people: In Asia with many men and women of God, some of whom have left absolutely everything behind to start new works in different countries; In Africa at the Pemba base of Iris Ministries, where again there are numerous men and woman who are living laid down lives!; North America was a time of consecration on the Night Watch at the International House of Prayer – 6 hours a night in the prayer room, some of the people who were over me there have lived 8 years serving and interceding in the Night; Central America – with the most amazing, adventurous, giving, beautiful team of Iris revivalists who I am proud to call family; and in Great Britain and Europe, seeing fellow Harvest School graduates living out a life of LOVE in a western context, however Jesus leads them…
I have had the honour of witnessing the power of the gospel in action: healed hearts, ears opened, eyes seeing, and many encountering their Saviour and the ultimate pursuer of their hearts, Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, emails of encouragement, and financial support. YOU are just as much a part of this harvest as I am!
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| Fire Tunnel!!! Hearts healed, JOY poured out! |
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| Beautiful Guatemalan family who encountered the love of Jesus |
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| The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these... |
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| Worship in an El Salvador church |
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| 4 hours after the beginning of the service..! |
2012 – Jumping off the cliff AGAIN…
Earlier this year in Maputo, Mozambique I had to attend an interview with the US embassy to get a student visa for the United States. The form which the school had given them stated that I needed 6 months to complete my studies there (2 x three month internships, of which I completed the first one). However miraculously they gave me a 5 year visa for the States, which later made sense as soon after arriving in Kansas City, the Lord spoke the words “North America” to me and set my heart on fire for this particular country… the first “Western” country apart from Australia which He has spoken to me significantly! He also mentioned that Kansas City was to be my base to go out from for the next period of time.
I decided that I would spend the next year partly in Latin America with the Iris team, and partly in Europe and Australia depending on the Lord’s leading. I would aim to get back to Kansas City by September 2012 for track 2 of the internship.
I had a job interview (for 3 months minimum, perfect!) all lined up for Melbourne when I was planning to return late this month. I have to admit I was looking forward to living a “normal” life again, spending a few months working hard and saving up, and being completely involved in my local church again. However God had other plans…
A few weeks ago I found out that if I don’t return to study in the States within 5 months of leaving, I will lose my student visa. This means that I have to return for the January intake of school. I prayed about it and felt the Lord’s confirmation in my heart to return early. I actually felt His presence stronger than I had felt it for months, impressing on me to return to Kansas City sooner rather than later.
Not going back to Australia to work and having to jump into this next season with no income, completely by faith that the Lord will provide feels SO scary, like jumping off a cliff!! However He reminded me that this is what I’ve been doing anyway for the past nine months! I am trusting Him completely to provide, and believing for friends and partners to stand with me in fulfilling His purposes through my life.
What 2012 will look like:
Internship starts on the 5th January, where I will plunge back into the Night Schedule. This means waking up at 11pm, going into the prayer room from 12am and then being in classes before midday. My bedtime will be 3pm each day. I will be in passionate pursuit of learning more and more of this Man called Jesus, who is also God! I will also again be a part of a company of people who have chosen to stand watch during the hours of the night, interceding for the church, the lost, the government, the Nations, the ending of Human Trafficking and anything else the Holy Spirit leads us to pray for. Check out http://www.ihop.org and http://www.ihop.org/nightwatch/ for more information! You can also watch live streaming and archived prayer room sets from here.
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| Sunrise outside the Prayer Room after the Night Watch |
Internship finishes on March 30th, and then it's whatever Jesus leads me to next! It could be rejoining the Iris team in South America, or working for a period of time, or returning to the 3rd world in other ways. I say returning to the 3rd world, as my time in the United States is also just as much the mission field! All of the over 1000 staff at IHOP are considered “intercessory missionaries”. They are part of outreach and justice works 25 hours a week, and are in the prayer room another 25 hours a week. We all depend on support from the body of Christ, although some find part time work where they can. I am not allowed to work for income in the United States on my student visa. I want to do ONLY what my Lord JESUS wants me to do, and nothing else… Even as I type this I am feeling a bit out of depth in moving back to Kansas City, as the way I’ve been living life is not stable in any sense of the word according to the way the world thinks! Yet I KNOW that the Lord leads me rightly. My life feels so rocky and confusing sometimes, yet JESUS is the rock of ages and I stand firmly on Him and His WORD! ALL the promises of God are YES and AMEN! I am looking forward with joy to this next season and rejoining my Kansas City Family J
Please email me if you feel to be involved in this journey in any way! Or if you want to be added to my email list! Or if you have any prayer requests! I would love to pray for you!
Love and More of Jesus!
Serena
Monday, December 12, 2011
Back in the West: England and Paris!
Hey Everybody!
It's almost Christmas! I realised that a bit more when arriving into Juan Santamaria International Airport (Costa Rica), laying out my sleeping bag behind an ATM and being woken up in the middle of the night by an airport worker a few metres away putting decorations on a tree...It was 2am! Since then I have observed the beginnings of Christmas in London, Nottingham, Plymouth and Paris. London does it most tastefully, or if I can use the word deliciously :) From what I've seen there isn't much excess (tacky plastic decorations), there are mostly REAL trees and pretty lights. Add to that plenty of autumn leaves to trudge through, weather that encourages snuggling (the clothes kind as well as the people kind), good friends to chat with and plenty of cups of tea and I have to say I do love the Christmas season in Winter!
England
I was able to catch up with relatives I hadn't seen in years (think asian guy with posh London accent, showing me around Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square) which was great fun. Also got to be with friends who I had last seen almost exactly one year ago, in Mozambique! I think it was a total God set-up that He made this happen... He knows our frame, our Daddy God knows exactly what we need and I was so blessed by my time with Iris family... In Plymouth one of my favourite experiences was visiting the recovery group for people recovering from addictions. This was part of a friend's church and we got to worship a bit with them, before watching the BBC Nativity movie. It was so special just seeing the love that this family of people have for eachother... They may come from all different backgrounds and experiences, but they genuinely care about each other and there is hope for each and every one's complete restoration: JESUS being the hope, as Jesus' LOVE is the key to breakthrough in any persons life... we will be known by the love we have for each other!
Paris
I have been here just over 2 days and already am seeing so much. Through the past 2 years the Lord has been highlighting this country to me and having me intercede for it. I feel like it is very important to what goes on spiritually in the rest of Western Europe. I had actually never had the desire to come here. Eastern Europe was more in my heart having been to Ukraine in 2008 with my church and feeling the hunger in the people there. However now God has lit a fire in my heart for Western Europe as well, mainly to intercede for the land and people here, usually at times when I'm not even thinking about it.
So far I have been able to go to two well-known cathedrals: Sacre Cour and Notre Dame. While there I felt to pray the fire of God and an invasion of Heaven into those places and through them. Many people tread the stones of those buildings every day, either for tourism or to attend mass. I could feel the presence of Jesus however there is also much going on that distracts from Him. Lord we release the glory of Jesus and true revelation of Him in those places!
Today, Sunday, included French speaking church for a Christmas Lunch, and a visit to the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme. It was really interesting learning about all the history and persecution of God's chosen people in Europe and North Africa... I feel like there is a connection between what has happened here in the past and His future plans for this nation.
I was feeling so tired from walking around everywhere and really wanted to go home to sleep, however every time I asked God about it He kept pressing on me the need to climb the Eiffel Tower. This was one of the main reasons I had felt to come to Paris yet I was so tired I almost didn't! However Jesus persuaded us, and the closer we got the more excited we felt. Myself and Lucile (French Iris Harvest School friend) went all the way to the top in the rain, and prayed and released God's plans and purposes over Paris... My friend has such a heart to see all of Paris in love with JESUS, the lover of their souls. So many people come to Paris as it is the place to be in love. A lot of the time when I go to new places I like to feel with my spirit what kind of atmophere or strongholds are over it, and I could feel it here in Paris too. The enemy has perverted God's original purpose for Paris where people come here to fall in love, yet so many end up selling out to the world's understanding of love. We want Paris to be known as the place where people come to experience the manifest LOVE of JESUS just because they have heard of how much He is moving here. France is meant to be a deep watering hole for the surrounding regions and nations to come to, to drink deep of His love and His refreshing water of life. In JESUS' Name we release that over this city and say yes, Paris will be a place of pure adoration of the King and intimacy with the One who delights in and romances us best! While we were up in the highest part of the tower that you can go, it was raining and clouds were constantly swirling around us. We took that as a prophetic sign of the clouds of glory and love that the Lord intends to be over and filling France. Just while this was happening, a young man behind me said, "Yes! She said yes!" Others around him began to congratulate him, and immediately I was reminded of the marriage supper of the lamb... We speak out in faith that yes, she will say yes! The people of Paris will say YES to her bridegroom King Jesus and she will be found at the marriage feast when He comes soon!
Blessings and more intimacy for you today... I pray for a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ as your Bridegroom King! He alone is the One to be adored and He is fully and totally worthy! Please pray for the Jews of France and Europe to come into revelation of Yeshua as Messiah: for His heart yearns for His Jewish bride!
Love, Serena
It's almost Christmas! I realised that a bit more when arriving into Juan Santamaria International Airport (Costa Rica), laying out my sleeping bag behind an ATM and being woken up in the middle of the night by an airport worker a few metres away putting decorations on a tree...It was 2am! Since then I have observed the beginnings of Christmas in London, Nottingham, Plymouth and Paris. London does it most tastefully, or if I can use the word deliciously :) From what I've seen there isn't much excess (tacky plastic decorations), there are mostly REAL trees and pretty lights. Add to that plenty of autumn leaves to trudge through, weather that encourages snuggling (the clothes kind as well as the people kind), good friends to chat with and plenty of cups of tea and I have to say I do love the Christmas season in Winter!
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| Our airport sleep over... |
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| Miriam, my "heart sister" in Plymouth who also was my house mate with her husband during Mozambique |
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| Tea, anyone? |
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| It's a REAL Christmas tree! |
England
I was able to catch up with relatives I hadn't seen in years (think asian guy with posh London accent, showing me around Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square) which was great fun. Also got to be with friends who I had last seen almost exactly one year ago, in Mozambique! I think it was a total God set-up that He made this happen... He knows our frame, our Daddy God knows exactly what we need and I was so blessed by my time with Iris family... In Plymouth one of my favourite experiences was visiting the recovery group for people recovering from addictions. This was part of a friend's church and we got to worship a bit with them, before watching the BBC Nativity movie. It was so special just seeing the love that this family of people have for eachother... They may come from all different backgrounds and experiences, but they genuinely care about each other and there is hope for each and every one's complete restoration: JESUS being the hope, as Jesus' LOVE is the key to breakthrough in any persons life... we will be known by the love we have for each other!
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| It's Captain Jack Sparrow! |
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| Entrance to the road to Buckingham Palace |
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| My cousin Benjamin - great tour guide :) |
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| The Queen was not in... |
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| Plymouth |
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| Where the Mayflower sailed from |
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| The Spanish invaded from the sea here |
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| Burnt out church from bombings in the war |
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| Trafalgar Square... ROAR!!! |
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| Saul of Tarsus' conversion |
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| My gorgeous friend Beth, another Iris Missions school graduate - she is living a revivalist lifestyle in the London suburbs! |
Paris
I have been here just over 2 days and already am seeing so much. Through the past 2 years the Lord has been highlighting this country to me and having me intercede for it. I feel like it is very important to what goes on spiritually in the rest of Western Europe. I had actually never had the desire to come here. Eastern Europe was more in my heart having been to Ukraine in 2008 with my church and feeling the hunger in the people there. However now God has lit a fire in my heart for Western Europe as well, mainly to intercede for the land and people here, usually at times when I'm not even thinking about it.
So far I have been able to go to two well-known cathedrals: Sacre Cour and Notre Dame. While there I felt to pray the fire of God and an invasion of Heaven into those places and through them. Many people tread the stones of those buildings every day, either for tourism or to attend mass. I could feel the presence of Jesus however there is also much going on that distracts from Him. Lord we release the glory of Jesus and true revelation of Him in those places!
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| Lucile - a woman of God in Paris who LOVES wholeheartedly! |
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| Sacre Coure |
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| Paris by night... |
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| Notre Dame |
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| We don't need to go through a priest, we have Jesus Christ himself! |
Today, Sunday, included French speaking church for a Christmas Lunch, and a visit to the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme. It was really interesting learning about all the history and persecution of God's chosen people in Europe and North Africa... I feel like there is a connection between what has happened here in the past and His future plans for this nation.
 |
I was feeling so tired from walking around everywhere and really wanted to go home to sleep, however every time I asked God about it He kept pressing on me the need to climb the Eiffel Tower. This was one of the main reasons I had felt to come to Paris yet I was so tired I almost didn't! However Jesus persuaded us, and the closer we got the more excited we felt. Myself and Lucile (French Iris Harvest School friend) went all the way to the top in the rain, and prayed and released God's plans and purposes over Paris... My friend has such a heart to see all of Paris in love with JESUS, the lover of their souls. So many people come to Paris as it is the place to be in love. A lot of the time when I go to new places I like to feel with my spirit what kind of atmophere or strongholds are over it, and I could feel it here in Paris too. The enemy has perverted God's original purpose for Paris where people come here to fall in love, yet so many end up selling out to the world's understanding of love. We want Paris to be known as the place where people come to experience the manifest LOVE of JESUS just because they have heard of how much He is moving here. France is meant to be a deep watering hole for the surrounding regions and nations to come to, to drink deep of His love and His refreshing water of life. In JESUS' Name we release that over this city and say yes, Paris will be a place of pure adoration of the King and intimacy with the One who delights in and romances us best! While we were up in the highest part of the tower that you can go, it was raining and clouds were constantly swirling around us. We took that as a prophetic sign of the clouds of glory and love that the Lord intends to be over and filling France. Just while this was happening, a young man behind me said, "Yes! She said yes!" Others around him began to congratulate him, and immediately I was reminded of the marriage supper of the lamb... We speak out in faith that yes, she will say yes! The people of Paris will say YES to her bridegroom King Jesus and she will be found at the marriage feast when He comes soon!
Blessings and more intimacy for you today... I pray for a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ as your Bridegroom King! He alone is the One to be adored and He is fully and totally worthy! Please pray for the Jews of France and Europe to come into revelation of Yeshua as Messiah: for His heart yearns for His Jewish bride!
Love, Serena
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