8 years later and He is still faithful

8 years later and He is faithful

Dallas, TX  l  08.21.08

This weekend was a marker in the history of my life.

Not just because 70,000 lovers of God filled the Mall in Washington DC for 12 hours of fasting, prayer, and worship contending for revival in America during The Call DC and I was honored to be apart in rumbling some prayers off during the day. Not just because I celebrated my 25th Birthday with all my best friends and family at the Global Burn Summit (which was epic!!). Not just because I have the most gorgeous wife in the world who has loved me for over 8 years now (high school sweethearts).

It symbolizes an 8 year season of divine faithfulness, growth, and favor in God that I cannot and will never forget.

Living in Chesapeake, VA eight years ago, I was about to turn 17 years old and heading into my junior year of high school and football camp. I loved God and grew up in the church where my dad was a pastor. I had just learned to play guitar that summer (mom bought me a guitar) and wail my heart out during our youth group meetings held in the primary public school building we rented down the street from my house. No plasma screens or smoke machines, no great sound system, and no gimmicks in those days…it was just a messy gathering of 300-400 self-absorbed American suburban high school friends that were hungry for the reality of Jesus and His Presence. And we got it.  He showed up time and time again in spite of the poor musical ability and fickle hearts.

It was the aroma of our unbridled passion that drew Him near and our recognition of desperation and brokenness that kept Him near.

In the summer of 2000 we all headed up to something called “The Call” in Washington DC. We didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into or what is was about…but of course we weren’t going to pass up a last “horrah” trip to DC before school kicked in on monday. When I stepped onto the grass of the National Mall that day with over 400,000 Americans (mostly from my generation) praying, worshipping and genuinely crying out to God for the sake of the nation - something shifted in the deepest parts of my being.

I still cannot really articulate the depth of what happened in that moment. All the lies, constraints, and bondages of culture, religion, and the “American Dream” were severed off my life and I breathed the air of freedom in. Courage, faith, and hope rushed like fountain through the pores of my skin seeping into the depth of my heart and compelled me to believe the wildest things I’ve ever thought and dreamed before. A surge of His Presence and favor washed over my life as I spent the next 12 hours praying, fasting, repenting and worshipping. He marked me that day. He sealed my heart (Song of Solomon 8:6) for good and I would never be the same again.

The journey began and I was “commissioned” to follow the dreams of my heart and wind of the Spirit.

The nostalgia experienced was overwhelming to me as I walked back onto the Mall this past Saturday with our whole BURN crew from around the world (I love you all like family!!). Memories of 2000 couldn’t help but come rushing forth. God birthed a life vision and mandate in my heart that day that haunts me every waking moment of my life. I beheld a vision of a growing army made up of nameless and faceless “burning ones” scattered all over the globe. They were positioned in every nation, tribe and tongue and releasing a burning and fragrant incense that rose in fires all over the earth. As God was sitting high above the earth in the heavens, He began to breath this smoke and incense of vertical worship into His nostrils. This so pleased the Lord that He poured down the rain of revival, blessing, and salvations (end time harvest!) all over the earth.

Revelation dawned on me that He would not come back to Bride or people that did not want Him or were not ready. He was looking for those who would stir up zeal and worship until every tribe, tongue and nation agreed “Let the Spirit and the Bride say COME” (Rev. 22:17).

Its been 8 years, a beautiful wife, a wonderful family, the best friends of my life, a college degree, over 15 countries, lots of battle wounds through sacrifice and pain, 50 burning cities, and a growing global army of worshipping burning warriors later and here I stand.

He is faithful and true. Always and forever. Don’t ever doubt or question it. We still have a long way to go, but that is a lesson of a lifetime.

“I will sing of the Lords great love forever, with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.”

Psalm 89:1

stay in the heat…

sean