Prayer

What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy seat;
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there.

Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;
And Satan trembles, when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel’s side;
But when through weariness they failed,
That moment Amalek prevailed.

Have you no words? Ah, think again,
Words flow apace when you complain;
And fill your fellow creature’s ear
With the sad tale of all your care.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent,
To Heav’n in supplication sent;
Your cheerful song would oft’ner be,
“Hear what the Lord has done for me.”

-William Cowper

Lazy Sunday (Lament of Tyre)

It's been a while since I took a day off.

I did today though. It was nice.

If God didn't call us to take a sabbath rest I think I would go nuts.

Today I spent most of the day at Peet's coffee downtown. It is by far my favorite coffee shop in SLO.

That may change but for now I will say the above.

I was thinking though while I was downtown and after I got home and doing enjoyable stuff like organizing, throwing away, sorting etc. "how lonely coffee shops are." I feel like I could open up the forum to talk about such things but I feel like it doesn't go anywhere.

But the questions about such things and their solutions remain unanswered:How do we fix the problem of lonliness, how do we cultivate commmunity, true friendship, love etc.

I ran into a good friend at Peet's. We sat down at the window caught up and then proceeded to do our own things. I was gazing out the window and saw a world far gone pass before my eyes. It was very odd to see such things in SLO.

I was reading Luke 10 which mentions a town called Tyre. For those who don't know about Tyre I would encourage you to read Ezekial 26-28 and Isaiah 23. They encapsulate a city that got it BUT eventually they too fell into immorality and ended up being completley consumed and destroyed by God's wrath due to their sin.

In all that I read today I was left to wonder if we as a country are not so far gone ourselves from what God would intend for us. My heart broke once again for America. Like the jews that saw the signs and wonders that God displayed before their very eyes I wonder if we are not changed by what God is doing. Will we be like Tyre who would have believed if we saw what the jews saw?

I am left with no answers. That is the best place to be for now. To let God act in His hallowed nature: not knowing how to approach these issues. In so doing His name will alone be glorified.

Just some thoughts to ponder on.

To His Glory,
JG

Architectural update: ReRouting a River/ Changing the direction in the Compass

I think it is rather amusing that I rarely post about architecture and what I do with and within the many hours I spend in lab, it is a rather big part of my life at least time wise. But gaining in importance as I pursue this degree and what God has with it. So here are the first *five weeks work: enjoy :)

For those who don't know I am an architecture student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. It's ranked second in the nation as far as best schools for such a thing. So the fact I got in three years ago was a miracle. There's more to that but I need not say anmmore about it.

I am in my third year now.

Basically to sum up these past years , God keeps changing the direction of my compass regarding what He wishes me to do with such a degree.






Currently we have been working on a cultural museum for the Chumash people. Unlike normal design classes this project may actually get built. It's been a little more work than these past years because we have an actual client and developer we are working with.

For a long time I thought God had me going to Asia to so mission work with my desree. He's been changing that.

God's heart is for all . All of the world. ALL.ALL.ALL

That's the message of the bible. Jew and Gentile. All the nations.

It goes back to John 3. God loved the world so much...ALL THE WORLD!



And God loves America too believe it or not.

And if I am to effectively do mission work within the course of study God has chosen for me it will involve embracing things that America has. The native americans, the growing hispanic population, the broken down chuch in America:God is currently mind you actually fixing it,baseball etc.

And I find as the prospect of next year dawns as i continue in this major etc. and God keeps redirecting my compass that my heart joins in God's for all the world but more so what I have around me.Embracing relational ministry. NOt an easy minsitry field but one that will develop my faith far better than taking the easy way out.

I was walking through the university the other day just looking at all these students who do not know Jesus as their first love and my heart simply broke.

It has been happening more and more as of late.

My heart is for America. Weird!



I see tangible things like 80 accepting christ at a magic show 30 coming to know Christ through facebook a couple more a few weekends back. God is redeemming a nation and strangely giving me a heart for it. Changing the universtiy student's heart towards a US nation.

Back in Isaiah 45 it talks about a Persian leader name Cyrus who rerouted a river to sneak into the walls of Babylon and in so doing murdered the king and brought an end to the greatest empire the world had seen. Wouldn't that be cool if God's people did the same thing.

I do hope, actually scratch that. God is rerouting such a thing as that river and He is ushering in the new kingdom a kingdom where He alone rules not us. I pray to that end.

There is in the scriptures things about a last great revival. I think it is the dawn of such a thing.

JG

Could God have purpose beyond love?

Could He? My thoughts have drifted as of late. Could God have purpose beyond love? God is love. That is His reason.

We try and fit an undefinable God into our mind. Does He need a purpose, a reason?

I was up in the hills the other day and God was teaching me about what He is doing with laying "waste to the mountains" and this new baptism of fire. I didn't need to see a reason in it. To rest on the fact that this is all because of His love. That is enough.

All the blessing, both wonderful and equally difficult, is because God loves me. He loves you and me. He needs no reason to pour forth His blessing.

We turn our thoughts towards praise and towards this great love! What wondrous love it is!

JG

Where death was and New life begins...

I remember a few weeks back staring at the hills in front of my house. Wondering when I would be able to go sojourn in them. Wondering what the fire that burned them three months ago had done to their beauty and the rekindling of such things. Desperately Desiring to see the new life begining in the hills where death was and new life begins...

Today was an end to four weeks of unendlessness: The scurried feet and rapid pace of life :San Fransisco, San Jose, beaches of Ventura, studio til morning breaks, celebrations for dear friends, a death of a grandfather, best friend's visits. Father's visits,Leading worship for those who seek God in the morning with no amplification, midterms, many a meeting with older wiser men. Coffee shop conversations, class, work etc.

And somehow amidst all of it all. There was a joy indescribable and unexplainable.

But still a desire to sojourn in these Hills that God has used in so many ways.

He has given me a name, a purpose, and a decalaration of a miracle in those hillls. And each time I feel called and priveledged to commune with the king I expect something truly wonderful to come from such a meeting. He always has a way of sweeping me off my feet up there.

And at the end of it all today I found myself where my heart desired to be before my king in apparent ashes sitting as the picture shows above in the ashes of all that had burned 3 months ago in the hills. It was there that God led my thoughts to what i will mention below:

We were sitting in biblestudy on tuesday night talking about matthew 3: John the baptist and baptism etc. We found ourself in verse sixteen wondering why the holy spirit would choose to come upon the Son of God "as or like a dove?"

We had two new guys this week. One of them spoke of verse 11 and the fact that The spirit of God baptizes with fire.

We were reminded of Noah who released a dove beack in Genesis and when it came back with an olive branch fully blooming in it's mouth it meant that this new had come. then it dawned on us all that God with the flood fully baptized the world. It was this beautiful thing showing that things needed to be totally submerged or burned in a sense in order for the world to begin again. In purity and beauty!

The preperation that John was doing was for the purpose of letting this new begin and God allow it to grow. He was baptizing in the manner he could with water.Waiting for the far greater baptism through Jesus. A baptism of this new covenant! A far better one.

That night after bible study ended it started raining.

We had to return a friend who was visiting to his hotel up in Paso Robles so my friend and I journeyed into the rainy night.

On the ride back I was sitting there realizing that my words that night were of a passion I have not had since freshman year. My heart has become burned purged and baptized. And it dawned on me today I have been baptized with the holy spirit's fire.

Elise said something tonight to the effect that death is beautiful, baptism is beautiful. That is what I am disovering there is something beautiful about such things. They harold new life.

I guess that is why the pheonix has always fascinated me: born of apparent ashes.

And this returning of things far better is because God was making a world compltely new in it's lacking and taking away.

So as job said "I repent in dust and ashes" in order that a new far greater thing will come. This is the attitude I take. That nothing is of me and everything is of Him. I must become less and He must become greater being willing to give it all away for the greater thing.

That is what baptism is...where death was and new life begins!

JG

Awed...

You find me in the middle of a ball room

Upon my knees where lights refuse to diffuse this gloom

You Take me out of the crowd touch my tounge
and say
My child how I love you and wish to be with you on this day

And oh the generations who join me here
Upon my knees, where we have found the attentive ear

We sing a new song to our God,
Crafted from the chips of broken marble: the once hard heart now awed
And here breathes a new hallelujah
A giving of self to the overflow of awe

You find me in the auditorium upon the bare wood floor
A beauty I have never seen before…

A dove meets the morning!

So Here I find myself 7 am with me and my yummy bagel at the kitchen table the sun is rising my lappy in front of me and the morning its seems fresh with possibilities. I could join in the chorus of the hills singing to greet the morning light or sleep and dream of a day when I will see God fully, spend the morning with beloved brothers joining together for a morning meal, or spend it communing with the Father through His Son. God could do so many things with today all incredible because His hand is in it... that is pretty rad I won't lie!


I eagerly await what God is going to do with today. May it be blessed in fullest measure and reek of God himself!

To His Glory,
JG

From the Inside Out

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

-Hillsong United

Community: Overflow of Awe

I've have been staring at the concept of community for a while now trying desperately to gather my thoughts on such a broad topic. I have been meaning to write something on the subject for a while but I knew God was not done teaching my tounge of the words I would speak. This is what I find God is teaching me and what I see:

I found myself this weekend walking along the beach with Jesus and I saw something quite remarkable on an outcropping of rocks in the water. I beheld four men sharing their lives with one another praying for each other. Hands holding each others shoulders and I saw a picture of what God is doing.

part of John the baptist's ministry was to return the heart of the fathers toward their sons. God through his intimate whisper and individual work in each son of God in this place is returning their heart to the Father. This is the MANifestation of what I saw while on that beach.

I do not think my observations prove me wrong in this. God is developing real christian community all around me. He is developing real leadership in his sons and doing quite a remarkable thing. It is frickin RAD!!!

And I am forced to think from all of this that this real community I see is really from an overflow of awe and a love for God himself. the love of His word and who He is is doing miracles in the midst!

You find me in the middle of a ball room
Upon my knees where lights refuse to diffuse this gloom
You Take me out of the crowd touch my tounge and say
My child how I love you and wish to be with you on this day

more to come...

JG

A Reminder from Long Ago

"why are you here(1 Kings 19), why are you on your knees asking Me questions, just simply delight. Forget about understanding fall in love with Me once again, "simply shutup and listen to my whisper".
-God

A Tribute to the Younger and Perhaps Even Wiser

There are few greater joys to me then being rest assured that God has His firm gap on certain individuals doing something I am not called to minister to. Ministering to those shattered and seperated that I could not possibly in this season minister to.

Tonight I saw a few young men who I feel are capable of leading such a thing. That brings me such great joy.To see that God has his hand firmly on situations. It makes this very steep slope flip a 90 and appear flat and managable. I feel compelled to say:

Surely the mountains have been laid waste to
crumbling the things that have hindered
now I find myself finally letting myself be thine
surely you have chipped and broke apart this travertine,

Masters passing the gifts to the younger

And underneath the columns in these halls
lies wisdom but lessons to find the man in the stone

formless without void. Til artist herolds creation from hewn stone.

God is good!

JG

Surely in the Valley

"Surely God was in this place and I knew not"

-Jacob later named Israel

O Christ our Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. As conies to their rock, so have we run to thee for safety; as birds from their wandering, so we have flown to Thee for peace. Chance and change are busy in our little world of nature and men, but in Thee we find no variableness nor shadow or turning. We rest in Thee without fear or doubt and face our tommorows without anxieties. amen

-A.W. Tozer

I was telling a guy I got the chance to talk with last thursday morning at Peet's Coffee that God has the christian community in a season of Chaos and disorder.

My girlfriend was talking to one of the pastors of our church here in SLO and said something to the same effect regarding a certain miracle and what God is doing with it "I honestly have no idea what God is doing with it"

That is all most of us know.

Those who have been let in on God's great revalation for this age are hushed by levitical law on prophetic utterance.

God is doing a great work in our midst and perhaps years down the road perhaps we will be able to understand all of it. Not now, though!

And this is the reason I write.

Over these past few days amidst so much craziness I must confess I have forget to cling upon the Rock to fix my gaze upon Jesus and let all cares cease. The result has been disastorous. I find myself understanding the necessity of holding my Father's hand during this season.

I found myself so disoriented after today that I needed to commune in the high places.I neglected my studies and work and will be up late tonight because I found myself tonight facing the east and watching the beautiful hills that grace this part of the country. Watching the freeway traffic and the voice in my head saying " you are surely in the valley"

Here is where God calls me...in this valley. He calls me to long suffereing, long faith, long endurance and all those things that draw me closer to HIm.

But although I am surely in the valley I rest in the fact that as hebrews declares God is the same yesterday today and forever. I can rest on the immutability of His character that there is ever grace and ever love for me should I choose to run back and say here I am abba daddy!

JG

True Love

Come close, listen to the story about a love more faithful than the morning
The father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the father’s broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died the day that true love died

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died the day that true love died

Search your heart you know you can’t deny it
Come on lose your life just so you can find it

The father gave His only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the father’s broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died the day that true love died

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died the day that true love died

Now Jesus is alive Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive, Jesus is alive

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died the day that true love died

Come close, listen to the story…

-Phil Wickham