May the Lord find a way through us...

God's working in a "Go"er Generation

Over the past few days the pastors of centralcoastchurches.com or the CCEPN had the privilege of hosting John Piper at Cal Poly.

Upon reflection about the words Piper said I am amazed at how truly in rhythm with the will of heaven the man is. I spent most of today downtown at Peet's praying journaling thinking going over again what he said because I know there was more there than met my initial ear. I knew such initial thoughts were incomplete at best so I spent the day in reflection letting the holy spirit search them out. And after much prayer I am just honestly blown away by the man God has very close to His heart and the word Piper spoke last night.

Piper spoke on missions. He began with a note on the history of missions how it began with William Carey in the late 1700's and named those who followed in his footsteps forging ahead into new unreached areas. He continued for about three to four hours to explain and expound upon what it looks like to forge ahead and be a goer. You can read the notes here

I reflect here because the message did not sink in initially till I got to God's heart though the words. And in that reflection I believe Piper made me realize some very fascinating things about SLO culture.

1.The Christian culture here although, very much at the forefront of God's heart of anyplace I have encountered, has not gotten to such a place through books on missionaries. Many here do not know about Carrey, Elliot, and those great missionary men who forged into new areas. SLO Christian culture has gotten to such a place by the placement of God's word at the forefront of their ministries and lives doing and heeding what it says. It is not about more methodology or wisdom it is about God's word!

2.Many here have because of such lack of knowledge and thought life not focused beyond simply being a sender. Many have not asked the question will God send me. If God is to fulfill the great commission in my lifetime there will be a heck of a lot of goers, many of them will be of great intellect, as we are abounding here in SLO.

Personally as I said before I was not initially struck with what Piper said but upon reflecting they sank in very much : I have wrestled with this issue of missions that many began to wrestle with last night for about three years ever since I had an initial desire to go to SE Asia and do relief/mission work there. After three years of much thought and prayer on the subject I am sure beyond a shadow of a doubt I am to be a sender for the meanwhile, but last night rekindled the idea that perhaps one day I will fulfill what my heart still burns for in part.

So when Piper spoke on the "going" last night he struck every single chord that I have that still desires to go. I wrote in my journal today.

He spoke on missions Lord. There is still a flame in me that would easily take what He has said and move immediately and reach all those people left unreached. But it would be contrary to all you have taught me these past three years...I will continue to tarry Lord.

And although yesterday I was confused by such a topic for the "event" considering the three years of thought life on the cubject. I have come to see mainly through his words and God's work with them that many will be going in this age, perhaps not I now but many will be going.

I believe and firmly see that God is doing something extraordinary with this age, perhaps the last great age and the last great "work" of God.

And as was the words of many I asked over break about this "work."

I see pockets of revival scattered across this vast nation and a return to the strict fundamentalism that led to such a remarkable transformation as was present during the renaissance.

If what I sense and see and discern is true what a church God is redeeming, what a vast people God is reaching!

To His Glory alone,
JG

Time is Telling

At the end of each quarter I normally retreat( or as Calvary SLO says advance) into the hills to pray, seek out the face of God, and reflect on the quarter. This quarter it was more to pray than anything. I had and still do feel/felt God leading a necessity for solitude and prayer.

I am not quite sure what I prayed during the time I spent in the fog lying down in the grass field in the hills. One thing I knew though is that I needed God's embrace as the fog and the multitudes of grass that surrounded me last Wednesday.

To be honest, I've been in that same spot for a while now. That is desperately needing God's embrace and love. I sit down can't think,learn or pray all I can do is simply sit be still and wait for restoration to happen.

It is as a dream I had while I was home. I could not scream Jesus' name. I feel so crippled by the enemy to scream the name of my Lord and Savior.

But God is faithful! He does not leave us shattered and broken.

God alone has begun the long process of restoration on what was broken ripped and shattered last quarter. I have by God's grace begun to be able to reflect again . I feel a necessity to do so, although it is painful and difficult.

Like I said a few blogs ago I've felt like a big ball of string unraveled. Easily cut. Easily knotted. Easily bent and manipulated. A Great Cynic. Hater. Enraged man. Alas even envious.

And although this may be so far away from who and what I want to be I cling to hope: the one who does not give me what I want but what I need I heard very clearly at the feet of Jesus. "trust me let me unravel you to restoration, I will make you as a cord but these things are necessary" None of this is easy. It is painfully difficult being unwound.
. . .

While I was lying distraught in tears and in prayer in the field surrounded by the fog and the grass i noticed something next to me: it was a few crimson flowers.

Reflecting upon it I can't help but remember Golgatha where Jesus was crucified the white flowers that were perhaps on the hill underneath the shade of his crushed body. I see the white flowers stained crimson by the blood that poured from those hands and his feet pinned by one nail.

He was simply saying remember me, look to me, let me restore you. You will not be marked by who you once were although very pure white. You will be known and marked by my blood.

He has washed me with His blood into the most beautiful crimson!He has clothed me with a robe washed in his blood so that I might never forget.May I always remember my Vast God who shed all he had, for me.

To His Glory alone,
JG

Time will tell...

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
- Exodus 15:11

So I have taken a little break from writing as you may have guessed.In fact a little break may be an understatement because what I am currently praying and seeking God out in doing may lead me to take an extended break from many things.More on that though in its time...

I will note though that this past week I have been in Colorado 1. spending time with my family 2. talking with firms and giving them resumes CVs and portfolios to get an internship for the summer 3. resting 4. praying about what next quarter holds and my role in it 5. and taxes!

Its funny though because in being here my mind is rested and at perfect peace once again and I have nothing to say...which is very strange.

I may not write for a while..you never know? As I wrote before time will tell.

To His glory alone,
JG

Crimson flowers

Things are changing... I sense it.

How to write about such a thing puzzles me though to a vast complexity.

Til that changes I will wait expectantly...and guess I'll see what comes when it does.

To His glory alone,
JG

?

What has dead week held, what will finals week reveal? Something has changed and for the first time at the end of the quarter I am clueless.
Page by page
Thumbing through a history
Who is This that planned it all
Wise enough to know

A passing perception and a fleeting figment
Tis something I dare to venture to see

Something written about a hope
Something about a spinning wheel
And something worth gazing at beyond such a thing

Worm to butterfly to eagle
Such a ludicrous thing turned reality

Frozen cocoons
Preserved in perfection till their time to bloom

How do I handle what I see?
As I thumb through miracles
As ancient pages and words appear
here in full flight

-JG

War

There are rumors of war

Hushed whispers of such a thing in the land
whispers of His majesty, our King

And if I could say one thing
It would be to speak of this thing that comes of surrender
Of a hope and epic battle that ensues
Of a great darkness and a morning rising
Of Love in the shape of a sword.

There are rumors of war

I hear a trumpet's call
I hear this ever quickening beat
I hear such a thing

Can you see the great deception
In this mockery? Legions of a prince
here to destroy this growing thing.

There are rumors of war…and war is coming
and war is here...

...do not be deceived.

to His Glory and to His Name,
JG

Compilation

Well, one more quarter of Architecture school done! I am always amazed looking back where God takes you in this journey of life. He has honestly blown my mind and rocked my world in it all. He always does.Crazy.

To His glory alone,
JG

Almost done!

Accomplishment of the day: 3/4 boards done!
To do list: research paper, architectural engineering calculations, sustainable design
integration,two elevations,and a structural steel detail.

to His glory alone,
JG

Lessons in the Seeking

I probably should be taking a nap right now instead of gathering my thoughts, but there is something that has been happening as of late with these 22 hour days that, honestly, I really can't sleep with such things inside and I feel a need to write here.

Lately there has been a great yearning and unease about the way things are regarding christendom,yet at the same time seeing and believing God doing something absolutely breathtaking here that causes me to be in constant worship yet seeking something greater because what is is not what God believes to be the better. In a way being very apostolic and looking forward and pushing toward what is beyond what we have currently yet at the same time to knowing it is going to happen yet earnestly desiring to co-labor with Christ.

It's a contradiction that seems to make so much sense yet no sense at all, but it does its crazy!

And for some reason and somehow in this God has been changing me so much yet bringing me back to who I am really am in Christ and who I was made to be and I am. So I am changing but a better word would be realizing.

I was spending some time in the word a few weeks ago and God kept saying trust me" let me unravel you, that I may make You stronger." God has been doing such a thing. I feel like a ball of yarn unraveling rolling down a very long hill. In it I have been able to see all those areas where the string may be tangeled or hanging by a single thread and God has been able to like a chord braid me and make me stronger. And honestly I am a ratty mangeled string when I am unraveled. Praise be to God that he fixes such things and allows us to do greater and more wonderful things through Him.

I relate a lot with God's word through Isaiah in chapter 22

17 Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl you away, O you mighty man.

18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
and throw you into a large country.
There you will die
and there your splendid chariots will remain—
you disgrace to your master's house!

Who I am has been unraveled.

In it God has led me into one of the most remarkable things I have ever come across in scripture. But I feel the only thing I should mention is this verse:Proverbs 25:2 says

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings

In the seeking and the capacity and ability to listen and observe something lies subtle and something absolutely remarkable. Allow the Holy Spirit to show it to you, I encourage you to seek it out! It will blow you mind!

JG

Under the Glow of the Light in the Night

What if each one of us were to take one thing from the bible that refers to how to be the body of Christ and spent the rest of our lives living out that one thing that we see outlined in scripture what we are called to?

Reduced our call to a specific thing and focused on doing that one thing to the best of our ability.

What would that look like?

Would it give us more time for the more important things like prayer?

What would the lives of christians look like that would spend hours at the feet of the throne of the Almighty?

What I have observed over my years is that a lot of us christians are spread too thin. Granted we are the Laborers that are few right? But honestly the harvest doesn't seem to be as plentiful as I read in scripture that it should be. Something seems off.

I have been during this time of extended busy hectic life been trying to radically simplify my life. I believe I have actually succeeded in a lot of ways.

I have learned this in this time: things are never complicated, we make them that way. Simplicity it is a beautiful thing.

to His glory alone,
JG

Revisiting Grace

Recent events have led me to dwell on grace a little more than I normally do.

I was reminded last night through various conversations that most of those who are lost have no idea of what grace is. They are blind to see grace in their lives and don’t think about such a thing and don’t live it out to others.

“If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous” (1 John 2:1)

That is grace: that although we sin, as we all do, God forgives us. We act out grace because God gave us grace.

I tell people all the time”if God can forgive me I can look past this thing that you think it so bad that you feel a need to apologize for." Really nothing is a big deal when it come to extending grace because God showed me grace.

I wrote a blog a year or more ago about grace meaning empowerment. You can search for it and find it if you like. What I learned then was there is a power in humility and loving people. I was so struck this week by Acts 2 because the apostles were in awe of all that God was doing. Awe comes from being humble and all the miracles came because they were simply extending a full measure of grace.

We are so dreadfully off from what that fellowship looked like back in the first century church .Things need to change as drastic as that wind that came from heaven in their fellowship.I believe God in His grace in His love and our reflection of Love and our view of Him as Holy Father will l'takken olam b'malkhut Shaddai, fully and absolutely.

JG