We are the light of the world

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome the light.  Light conquers darkness.  Darkness can not stop the light.  Light quenches darkness.

I have a little flashlight in the console of my car, and the other day I noticed that it was turned on, but it has several settings, so I clicked through and thought that I had turned it off.  But later after sunset, I noticed that it was still on the dim setting. 

I walked around the Hong Kong airport yesterday asking the Father to send more workers into the fields in Asia, especially China.  As I walked around the campus of Nanjing University yesterday, I asked the Father and the Spirit to reveal the Son here.  

I woke up about 4am this morning (not bad considering a 14 hr time difference).  I read about Jesus appearing to Saul on the road to Damascus; Jesus was so bright!  

I am listening to a World Mandate album that Jon Houser gave me years ago, and my heart is stirred and burdened for this country and city. 

Father, may this place be a hub of revival.  Release signs and wonders to accelerate the advancement of the light.  Shine brightly through me today.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus, the Light of the world.

Stephen's example

Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Acts 6:8‭-‬10 NIV

I want to be faithful to try to heal people.  And I want to lovingly and boldly explain the Gospel, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give me wisdom.

Father, I love you, and I want to be used by you.  I want to see what you are doing and join you in your work.  Jesus, thank you for commissioning me to continue what you started.  Holy Spirit, I want to be faithful to follow your lead and trust your power.  I love you.

Global Entrepreneurship Summit

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of participating in the 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in The Hague, Netherlands.  

Brandi and the kids dropped me off at the airport a little early, so I jumped on an earlier flight than scheduled and was able to meet Austin for lunch.  He had just attended a men's leadership retreat with Shawn Bolz, and Shawn had said that he believes that the next great advancement in global evangelism and discipleship will be through international business, especially activated by more people stepping into the prophetic.  This was very encouraging to me, and Austin prayed for me and commissioned me to go to the GES in that context.

Over the next few days, I had some great spiritual conversations with two amazing guys, one from India, and one from Israel.  I am excited to see how Holy Spirit will continue to communicate the love of God through Jesus to these two men.

Holy Spirit, continue to use me and mature me in boldly speaking to people through my work.  Use me to share the Living Water around the world.  I love you.

discipling the nations through entrepreneurship

I am currently at DFW on my way to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in The Hague, Netherlands.  On the plane from ELP, I read a little more of the book Authority to Heal, and I spent some time telling Holy Spirit that I wanted Him to take a greater hold of me.  I confessed and repented of being short-tempered and giving space for anxious thoughts.  I think I let anxiety take a foothold in the last few weeks of finishing my dissertation.  Anxiety is from the enemy, not from the Father, and I want to be done with anxiety.

Brandi and the kids dropped me off at the airport, and Katelyn's tears really touched me.  It hurts me to leave them.  

I arrived at my gate about an hour and a half before my flight was supposed to leave, and I heard them making final calls for an earlier flight to DFW, so I asked, and they bumped me up to the earlier flight.  Since I was going to have a longer layover than originally planned, I thought, "Who might be at DFW today?", and Austin Degenhart came to mind.  I sent him a text, and he agreed to meet me for lunch.

When I got in his truck, I asked Austin, "So, how is work?", to which he replied, "That is an interesting question."  So, he told me the 11 year back-story to his job and move to Dallas.  It was so encouraging to hear about how he walked in humble obedience to the Spirit, and how he learned to listen to the Holy Spirit in everyday moments. It was very interesting to hear about how he repented from "time" and has learned to walk in the favor of God regarding his presence instead of his effort. 

Austin told me that he asked the Holy Spirit for a word for me, and He told him that the prophetic gifting that is on me is situational words of reconciliation.  This was very encouraging to me, and I told him about ministering to the couple on Thursday evening with the word about a soul-wound.  I am excited about growing in this gifting.

Austin just returned last night from a four-day prophetic conference with Shawn Bolz focused on the topic of his book Modern Prophets, and they "accidentally" gave him an extra book.  He was praying about to whom he should give the book, and when I messaged him this morning, he knew that he was supposed to give it to me.  He told me about how Shawn believes that the next great wave of global discipleship will be through business and entrepreneurship.  He was so excited (and a little jealous) when I told him that I was headed to the GES.  He prayed over me and commissioned me as he dropped me off at the airport after lunch.

Father, thank you for your faithfulness.  Thank you for guiding me and growing me.  Thank you for Jesus's example, and thank you for empowering me with your Spirit.  I want to join you in your work.  I want to love people as you love them, and I want to teach them how to love you and love others. I love you.

I want to point people to Jesus

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.

John 12:17‭-‬18 NIV

I want Holy Spirit to use me to make signs pointing people to Jesus.  Specifically, I want to grow in miracle signs and prophecy signs.

With respect to prophecy, Brandi and I counselled with a couple in our church a couple of nights ago, and as I was thinking/praying about it earlier that day, I got the impression that there was a soul-wound that needed to be healed.  At a point in the conversation with the couple, the conversation was about to move on, and I shared what I thought the Holy Spirit had revealed, and I invited them to be open about any soul-wound.  Sure enough, a wound was revealed, and the couple was able to process through that together.  This was very encouraging to me that I felt like I heard from the Holy Spirit and took a small leap of faith to allow Him to use me as an instrument to help them.

So, I need to be faithful to prayerfully listen more often so that I can be used more frequently.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to partner with you in your healing and restoration.  Jesus, I want to point people to you, but apart from you, I can't.  I want to be with you.  Holy Spirit, thank you for using me.  Please make me even more useful to you.  And I want to be friends with you.  It's not always about utility.  I love you.