08.31.08 l Downtown Shenzhen l Southern China

I am in love with this country - period.

We haven’t even been on the ground in mainland China 48 hours yet…and we have already imparted our heart for BURN 24-7 with the apostolic pastors, worship leaders, and musicians (in a “short” 6 hour service yesterday), hung out and loved on precious children at a local orphanage, and are now 9 hours into our first of four BURN launches across the nation!! We dont play games on these trips people!! Time is short and the kingdom is at hand here!! We launched 24 hours of nonstop, passionate, vertical worship and prayer with the thriving underground church here in a small room tucked away on the 5th floor (grace!!) of a massive business skyscraper in the downtown of the fastest growing city in all of China!! There couldnt be a more strategic city to ignite this blaze in and I’ve never met a people more ready and hungry for it.

Shenzen is the “southern gate” of China and the largest port in the nation (3rd largest in the world!). Anything received and welcomed here quickly spreads throughout the entire country. So shall it be with this fire God is releasing as I’m typing now! The average age of the city population is under 30 years old and they are yearning for truth and life in the midst of the “economic boom” that has radically shifted the lives of evert Chinese citizen. I heard the prophetic declaration spoken from Hanna when we arrived two days ago: “these people are dry kindling…they are so ready for this!” She was so right and that statement has never been more true. I’ve never met people so tender towards the Presence of God. They just melt when He enters the room. They know their Jesus and He is keen to come visit them whenever they ask. They are a weeping, warring, waiting, hungry people and what I’ve learned from them in this short time has already changed my life!

This entire idea of Davidic night and day worship is a brand new concept in this nation. As we shared and taught on this yesterday with pastors and leaders around the city, they ate up every word we spoke and every prayer we prayed. They asked many questions and agreed that God’s Presence is the only hope to reach over 1 billion lost souls across the nation. Three things about what we’ve experienced have blasted me already.

1) As we strategized on how to plan this first of many BURNS…they suggested that we take 3 hour sets each because the typical 2 hours is just too short!! This is the first time in all my travels in planting the BURN furnaces across the world that I’ve ever heard this. We just couldnt deny them…so 3 hours it was!

2) I quickly realized that you don’t “lead” worship with the Chinese…there is no such thing. They blaze with all their heart towards Jesus and you just try to keep up with them!! They could easily do without you..that is a powerful revelation for the nations.

3) The pure simplicity of worship has hit me so hard tonight. I really struggled going into this BURN because they insisted that our team take the first  shifts while hundreds of eager NON-ENGLISH speaking Chinese were ready to worship with us. I tried to explain that it would be hard for them to understand and engage because I dont know any Mandarin or any of their songs. They taught me how to say “Jesus Come” and I knew that Hallelujah was pronounced the same (as in all languages). So that was enough to fill 3 hours of worship. THEY NEVER GOT TIRED OF SAYING THOSE SIMPLE WORDS…AND I REALIZED THAT I NEVER GOT TIRED EITHER!!

Maybe we make things too complicated in the West with our many crafty words. Maybe “Come Jesus” and “Hallelujah” is enough. It sure works over here in the fastest growing church in all of recording history.

Just some thoughts and revelations…We’re all getting blasted over here!! I’ve found myself just laying prostrate asking God for the same passion, zeal and fervor that drives them to weep, wail, groan, dance, and sing at the top of their lungs to their Father!!

Its beautiful, moving, and BURNING hot right now! Thanks for praying!

More to come!! We fly out tomorrow for destination #2…be praying for us as we go!!

stay in the heat….

sean

 06.20.08 l 2.38am l Mount Carmel, Israel

We’ve come to the mountain of the Lord!

Its the original place of burning and fire. Its a place of devotion, zeal, faith and victory. In a time of corruption, wickedness, and godlessness during the rule of Ahab and Jezebel thousands of years ago, Elijah summoned the 450 prophets of Baal to a contest of fire as the entire nation of Israel looked on. Elijah’s deep devotion to the Father led Him to the revelation that God is not in the slightest bit scared by the spirit of Jezebel (even though Elijah he was!). His zeal rose up to contend and prove that God ALONE is faithful to His people and will not be put to shame. His faith led him to stand alone and against the powers of his day to call down the fire of God to consume the sacrifice on the altar. His victory released him to destroy the prophets of Baal while the nation saw “the God who answers by fire” (1 Kings 18:24) reveal Himself to an entire generation.

We are once again in time of absolute corruption and wickedness with a spirit of Jezebel reigning in our midst. Not only is Israel in shambles with wickedness, corruption, and unrighteousness supreme in the land…but the entire planet is in crisis! Nations are raging and the earth is groaning through floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and storms (watch the news!). We and we have come to the mountain for an entire generation to once again witness that HE alone is Faithful as the God who answers by Fire! First that the scales would fall off the eyes of the Jews in the land and the nations of the world would follow suit (Rom 1:16).

So it makes sense that we would culminate our two week journey of rending the Heaven’s over the nation of Israel with 40 intense hours of BURNING on this sacred place. Everything has been lined up in preparation on the trip for this very moment. We are suspending in time and literally “caught up” with Him. Night and day merge together and we are overwhelmed and saturated in His goodness, joy, hope, zeal, and  salvation. We have taken in so much over the last few weeks that it would take hours to explain and expound on all the prophecies, dreams, visions, impressions, and unctions from the Sprit. Its been one wild flow led entirely by the Spirit from start to finish! We’ve spent time burning in worship and prayer for Jerusalem’s sake and restoration of the Jews…we’ve ventured into the some of the darkest places on earth (the palestinian refugee camps ) where terrorists are created and asked God to ignite a blaze among the Arabs that cannot be quenched…we’ve grabbed the mantles of Abraham, Joshua, Elijah, John the Baptist, and many others…and we’ve walked, talked, dreamed, and spent our most time with Yeshua.

While taking all that in is incredibly overwhelming for this crew (they are all completely wrecked, smashed and broken for life..Never to be the same again!!)…we are using those images, prayers, tears, and groanings as fuel for the fire this weekend!! Together with Jews, Arabs, Russians, Americans, Africans, and many other tribes…a sweet smelling incense is rising from this mountain. Songs, prophecies, declarations, and prayers are being released all tongues…its beautiful!! Its the kingdom and the nations!! The prophecy is now being fulfilled that God would draw the nations back to Israel (Ez 36:24) and here we are!! We are in a defining moment in history where this thing is playing out before our very eyes!!

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! WAKE UP NATIONS!! WAKE UP ISRAEL!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!  THE HOUR IS HERE….THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND…FRESH FIRE IS RAINING DOWN FROM HEAVEN!!! DONT MISS YOUR APPOINTED HOUR!

Onwards we shall BURN!! We still have more than 20 hours left and things are just picking up!! Last night we physically saw a cloud the size of a mans hand rise from the sea (1 Kings 18:44)!! It grew larger and and larger and covered the entire top of the mountain….YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!!

RAIN IT DOWN OH LORD!!!

fire on you..

sean

Mt. Zion, Jerusalem, Israel    l    2:17am    l    06.13.08

And here we are again..burning and gazing on Mount Zion. There is nothing like it in the entire world. Its the spiritual and governmental headquarters of humanity. Its the very place where “He dwells” according to hundreds of scriptures throughout the Word. And like we laughed about yesterday…He’s not having an identity crisis because theres a little golden mosque on it either! My soul is riveted to core once again and I cannot possibly sleep. The well of emotion, excitement, anticipation, and awe is deep and true inside my heart. I’m dazed right now while typing this because the heavenly sounds are rolling off this the lips and fingers of this young girl from East Texas who is being consumed with a new facet of God’s face. You can only see this side of Him by coming and experiencing this in His land of Israel. Its not anywhere close to hype or manipulation…its an overwhelming rush of His Presence that has been in this place all day and night as we’ve come to consecrate ourselves through fasting, blazing, and gazing. I’ve said it so many times before…Jerusalem has the most intense atmosphere out of any nation in the world…but God is SO NEAR!! The very moment you give him a mere crack of space with worship….He takes full advantage and invades so fast it takes your breath away.

Our team is a literal fulfillment of the many prophecy’s that God drawing the nations back to this place to worship.  We come with 17 worshipping and weeping warriors from four nations around the world. Tonight as I sang out Isaiah 62:6…this word was confirmed over us.

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of all the earth”

That sums this whole deal up. We came not for a “holy land tour” or fun summer mission trip to entertain Americans (We have enough of those don’t we?). We came to take our post as watchmen. We came to weep and repent for a broken and disillusioned people. We came to pray and worship until the hard heart of every Jew and Arab is softened to Yeshua. We came to contend for the fulfillment of everything promised over this city and nation.

We came for Zion’s sake.

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”

Isaiah 62: 1

Please continue to pray for us as we head into 10 days of full on ministry, burning, and contending from one end of the nation to the other. We need supernatural strength and energy to fulfill what we are here for.

more to come!

Join a Burn Missions Experience! Theres still time this year to go to Indonesia, Turkey, Uganda and more!

sean

www.theburn247.com

Bangkok, Thailand  l  05.29.08

A WHIRLWIND OF FAITH

The past two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind. I am suddenly beginning to feel the effects of it now as I’m sitting in the Bangkok Airport drinking coffee and trying hard to stay awake. I leave in a few hours on a direct flight back to Israel. It seems like just yesterday I was there with Kate for The Call on the global day of prayer. Since that moment, I’ve visited four distinct countries spanning across Asia which tell four remarkable stories of how God is moving all over the world. I feel like out of everyone out there in humanity, I have no reason to possess any lack of faith in my life. God has graciously given me a view  into His moves across the world that people seldom get to see…especially with the little time I’ve been alive. I am just a kid still…and I have to pinch myself sometimes when I doubt Him for simple things. I just don’t have an excuse now nor will I for the rest of my life after the adventure I’ve been on with God for the last two years.

After the incredible BURN launch in Nepal last week…we spent some very brief time New Delhi, India with some of the most humble people I have ever met. A group of 15 pastors traveled overnight on a 14 hour train ride (you dont wanna know what these trains are like) from the Punjab region of India (near Pakistani border) to be trained up and released in planting “presence based” churches and houses of prayers among the unreached parts of NW India. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life to say the least. I am no where near qualified to teach these guys on anything…their dedication, work ethic, and passion far exceeds mine in every facet. Just being in the room with them and watching them pray and worship was so inspiring to me. Nevertheless…I poured out all that I had within me in the 5 sessions we had together before I had to fly out to Indonesia that night. Gods presence fell as I started to teach on it and that made much easier as we just fell into it together. There were some massive and deep workings imparted to these Indian firebrands that I can’t even imagine…i just felt a release of GOD on them. It was very powerful to witness and an honor to be apart of. As I flew out to Bali…I just thanked God that He showed up so their time and energy wasn’t wasted. It could have easily been a different story if God wasn’t there. India is ready for a massive inferno…and I believe their passion and fervor God is stirring up will astound the world.

I’m not gonna lie…my time in Bali, Indonesia was a very intense experience. Although it was my third time on what has been dubbed “the island of the gods”…the Spiritual atmosphere has never been more active and alive. As I visited our first long term BURN team, we all believe and feel there is a transition taking place in their mission. God has brought them through some intense “schooling” the past three months, but they have never been more unified with one heart and one vision for their purpose in the largest muslim nation in the world. We experienced some incredible healing and restoration of the Holy Spirit and I believe they are ready to fly higher and farther than ever before. From the moment my feet hit the ground to the moment we drove to the airport…God granted open doors with the top apostolic leaders of the entire nation. I have been calling out to them for wisdom, guidance, discernment and support. I HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY AT WHAT GOD HAS DONE. He has flung the doors wide open for the BURN 24-7 to be in relationship with great heros of the faith - men and women who have risked it all for Gods Presence and His glory in that nation and are thriving in His favor and revival in this hour!! There is no explanation for that kind of favor for people who do not deserve it other than this simple truth: God wants his name glorified and lifted high in Indonesia. The team will be an integral part of The Call launching on August 18th in Jakarta that will be the largest gathering of youth in the nations history!! That is only the beginning of what is ahead for that team!! I am so proud of them and believe they will truly be apart of seeing that nation set on fire for the glory of God!

In Nepal He’s pouring out His glory…In India He’s pouring out His glory….In Turkey He’s pouring out His glory…In Indonesia He’s pouring out His glory…and all roads lead back to Jerusalem - where He will continue to pour out His glory until His gorgeous feet touch down on the Mount of Olives and He walks through the eastern gate revealing His glory to all of humanity!!

Thats where I’m headed!! Pray for us as we launch PUBLIC worship and prayer on the Mount of Olives May 20-June 10!! This has never been done in this manner before…especially with the governments approval!! I’ll be leading worship on May 31st and June 1st….please and pray and contend for a release of a fresh wave over the Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem!!

More to come…

_sean

A SUSTAINED FIRE AND TRUE JUSTICE

05.22.08  l  On the top of Himalayan Mtns

As the wheels of the plane lift off the Kathmandu Valley airstrip and we soar upwards over the highest peaks in the world, I am totally consumed with God’s heart and passion for this gorgeous nation and its 161 people groups. Even though this is my fourth visit here…it feels much like the very first. With a government currently in shambles at the hands of the ruling Maoist rebel group, this buffer state in between two world powers (China and India) is in an utter crisis. Just yesterday there was a nationwide strike called by the people to oppose the government. During these frequent revolts, no one is allowed to drive, all shops, stores, and schools are closed and many people stay in their home to avoid riots and danger. This act just further plunges one of the worlds poorest nations into deeper financial ruin. Our taxi cab driver was telling us on the way to the airport today that his car was empty and he needed more money so he could wait in the 7 hour line for petrol and mentioned it would take him all day.

God is famous for using these situations to work all things together for good! Due to the complete slaughter of the Royal family 9 years ago in the Kings Palace and the disillusionment of the nation who viewed the King as a Hindu god, many people are turning to Jesus and the gospel is spreading like wildfire throughout the land!  Many missions organizations say that Nepal is now the fasting growing church in the world per capita (surpassing China). We experienced extreme hunger of the people for the truth of existence and answers for the current situation. THIS NATION IS RIPE FOR REVIVAL IN EVERY WAY!!

DEEP ROOTS

The Burn Nepal has taken root in a way I cant even describe. The INDIGENOUS NEPALIS HAVE CAUGHT THE FLAME!! We were asked by several churches, ministries, and pastors for followup meetings and extensive training on “more burning for the one God” as they would say. They were eager to hear more on flowing in the spirit, singing new songs to God, and melding worship and intercession together to compliment each other. Every word that we would speak out they would take in….you could see the hunger and passion in their eyes and it was humbling!  Trilok is the Burn Nepal director and is one of the most BLAZE people I know. He stayed up for the entire 24 hours and jumped on and played a different instrument on just about every set. He is anointed, talented, called, full of fire for his nation, and has recently adopted five orphans with his wife from tribes all over Nepal. He is already longing to take this fire to the unreached tribes in the mountains and using it to plant churches!! We fasted, prayed, worshipped and were wasted after the 24 hours of intense warfare and fire. On our way home in the afterglow of the glory, God confirmed and revealed the purpose for the BURN after our taxi driver gave his life to Jesus and salvation was an IMMEDIATE response to our burning!

LET JUSTICE ROLL

The past four days we spent the bulk of our time at orphanages, child prostitution rehabilitation homes, and churches around the Kathmandu Valley. It has been a completely overwhelming experience to say the least. Every single day we left teary eyed (many of us weeping) as the children would come and lay their hands on us with intense prayer and prophecy. I’ve never felt more of Jesus’ Presence this year than with those kids in those homes.  It brought everything into perspective and I felt God’s heart drop like a bomb into my chest. Every single one of them was sleeping on the street, rejected and disowned by their parents and tribes, or left for dead in the brothels by their ruthless masters. Not one of the children was feeling sorry for themselves, living in any sort bitterness, or holding their love back from complete strangers. They shine the love of Jesus more than anyone I know and are a clear picture of true transformation through Jesus Christ. Our hearts were ripped in two as we learned so much from these children and those that have taken them as their own. Our burning HAS TO work hand in hand with seeing “justice roll down” in the land. We dreamed together on how we can see this combination take root in all our cities around the world. This was the trip of a lifetime where so much was accomplished, experienced, and revelation was downloaded that will take weeks and months to process and digest!!

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON

Please continue lifting us up in your prayers as we fly to New Delhi, India today for a pastors conference and burn preview. Many people are ready for a BURN launch in India and we have one day to articulate the vision to many pastors and leaders. After that meeting tomorrow, I will leave directly to Bali, Indonesia to meet with our first long term BURN team at their base for six days.  We have some very crucial decisions to be made and need the will of God for clarity and supernatural guidance. From Indo I will fly back to Israel for 3 days of vertical worship on the Mount of Olives (Fulfillmentest.org) and a short stop in Santa Cruz, CA before I meet Kate and family at my sisters wedding in Virginia.

WHEWWW…Much prayer is needed.

Fire, Peace, and Love on all!!!

fire on you..

_sean

Kathmandu, Nepal  l  05.16.08

We are less than two hours away from the completion of the first ever BURN NEPAL launch!! Its been one wild and crazy adventure to get to this point!!  This quite possibly has been the most interesting and intense global burn launches to date.  Right now the vertical sounds of adoration and love are being released by a group of fiery but war torn Nepali musicians who are giving it their all in these final hours! Many of them have been up all night with “no sleep to their eyes and no slumber to their eyelids” while they find a place for Him to dwell in their nation! (Psalm 132). I can feel the weight of his pleasure and favor in this place even as I am typing this.  It is a completely overwhelming and beautiful cloud that we are in and even though our wonderful BURN NEPAL team is exhausted, wasted, and spent! There is a part of us that doesn’t wanna leave this place!

“I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells!”

Psalm 26:8

In talking with many of the area pastors and apostolic leaders before we launched this…they shared on how their nation is in a crisis and night and day prayer and worship is the only answer. With a growing Maoist rebel group consuming an entire generation in fear and panic, a newly formed government in a crucial rush to draft an entirely new constitution, extreme levels of poverty, disease, and the booming child trafficking sex trade from India, Nepal has its share of problems. We know the only answer to all these urgent issues is simple – HIS PRESENCE. We need more of it to flood over these beautiful Himalayan Mountains and into the unreached Tibetan Buddhist tribes.  We long to see His Church in this land strengthened and encouraged with a new faith and boldness to grab hold of the promises of God in this hour! We long to see the indigenous sound of these gorgeous voices and instruments released as incense to the Father!!

ITS ALL HAPPENING NOW!! GOD IS DOING IT!!

Now that’s not to say it hasn’t been messy. During the first session last night…we had some very loud and obnoxious demonic deliverances taking place  as our team rebuked the foul spirits controlling these precious people. I love it how when the waters of His Presence begin to stir…that kind of stuff cannot stand!!  It must flee!! That’s our new brilliant deliverance strategy for the nations – WORSHIP! We also are reminding ourselves that this “singing a new song” and “worshipping and praying night day” and “giving God room to sing and speak prophetically” are all brand new concepts over here!! This is fresh stuff for them! Its still even fresh stuff for religious American in many ways! So the BURN has been a lab for us to teach, test, and release this Davidic worship.  Even though it can be very chaotic and frustrating…God is beginning to turn it into something beautiful!!  Even witnessing the transformation over this 24 stint has been amazing!!

So onward we go…we BURN in these last hours for the release of God’s glory all over the nation of Nepal!!!  Keep us in your prayers and contend for this release with us! More info to come as we visit orphanages, mountain house churches, child prostitution rehabilitation homes and more!! Its good to start out with the Blaze first though!

Pray and believe this with us today:

“My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nation. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. Life up your eyes to the heavens and to the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies.

BUT MY SALVATION WILL LAST FOREVER, MY RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NEVER FAIL!”

Isaiah 51:5-6

More Lord..

_sean

God drew us, 110 of us, at just the invitation of an e-mail, with a one day notice. We presented ourselves before the Lord for 12 hours Friday night at 10 p.m. in Shawnee, Ok.

Ryan and I had felt a deep burden of intercession all week for our city, and our pastors.  We spent several hours in gut wrenching repentance and groaning!  We new that the urgency we felt meant that we needed to call the troops in to pray.

When we walked into Living Word last night we didn’t know who, if any, would respond to the urgent call to pray. We were surprised to see so many that had heard the call of the spirit and dropped everything to contend for our city.  We felt that this weekend was so important for the history of Shawnee and that a lot was at stake.  I’m not being dramatic when I say that what we did last night and will continue to do could potentially alter the course of history in this city and usher in an unprecedented move of God!

All night there was a heavy spirit of intercession and warfare. One moment we were dancing, another we were repenting and another we screaming with groans that can’t be uttered.  When we got tired, Angie Phillips or John Hudson would rally the troops to rouse themselves to press in and to PUSH!

After 13 hours of groaning, dancing, weeping and repenting I was expecting a breakthrough but the burden of intercession never lifted. I felt wounded by the Lord in the sense that he let me see His heart and how He is mourning over our city and nation! Great dread came upon me with weeping and trembling that I could not control as I realized that a storm is coming, called the wrath of God, and so few are prepared for the day of reckoning!  He wounded us with a burden of intercession and we cannot relent until the wound is healed!

He is so gracious! He is calling for watchmen to stand in the gap that His full purposes for our city and nation might come to pass! If we, as the church, were held accountable for our trespass against the Lord in this hour, the judgment would indeed be merited and great!  Do we really understand how our judgment against others in the body, our gossip, our fear, our territorialism, our pride, has offended the Lord!  God’s deepest desire is to send Revival to Shawnee, to restore, deliver, set free, and save thousands yet His church stands before Him with this sin of offense against our own brothers in Christ!

We have divided to the point that we are afraid of someone stealing “our sheep.” They were never “our sheep” to begin with, they are His!  If we are “one body” then where someone goes to church should never matter! Bottom line: we have prostituted ourselves to keep our budgets flowing and the programs in place that have obviously not got us to where He wants us!

The Lord convicted our hearts that we have used His anointing and His gifts to build our own kingdoms!  Brothers and sisters, I say this with the fear of the Lord and trembling! We must repent because everything built upon the pride of men will be swept away with one breath of His mouth! He will not share His glory with another! Never!

The Burn became something different this weekend! It became more than being on “the cutting edge” of what God is doing.  It became more than cool music around the clock! It became about standing for a generation in crisis! It became about breaking the silence and crying out for the only solution to our situation: The Glory of God!!!!!

What will happen if we don’t hear the trumpet blast to our city calling us to repentance?  What if we choose to stay in our dead religion, to play church games, to spend our time, energy and money on bigger buildings and better light shows?  What is at stake if we don’t fall on our knees and cry out to the great deliverer for an awakening?  Our kids, the generation coming up is at stake!  We must have revival for their sake! Evil is escalating out control in our generation….we have no other solutions!  Another church growth conference won’t do it! A better media projector, lights, or quality of music won’t do it!  These can never produce life transforming converts! We need the Power of God sent from heaven as on the day of Pentecost to sweep our foul sin away and bring power that can save 3,000 in a day!

I don’t know about you but I am tired of laboring for so little results! How many people got saved in your church last year?  Divide that number into your annual church budget for a shocking figure at how much expense that we put out for one soul! Are those people even still in our churches being discipled?

We must have the power of God!  It is not about the Burn! If you can’t handle the Burn then call your own prayer meetings! Let’s just do it!  No more excuses, no more fear, no more insecurity about sheep stealing! Let’s prepare the way of the King and build His kingdom!

Stay tuned for more “nights of prayer” in May.  We are feeling that our assignment after this weekend is not over! It is not easy, or pretty! This type of praying offends the mind! But it is the prayers of desperate people!  It’s time fast! It’s time to cut off the TV! We could be at the door of another Great Awakening and I don’t want to sacrifice that on the altar of my self-indulgence!!!!!!!!

Tel Aviv, Israel

05.10.08

We are going on our third day here in the holy land and so far its been nothing short of divine. Ever since the wheels of our plane screeched against the tarmac, we have had the sense that we are home. Its the craziest feeling and very hard to articulate at times..but even in the midst of the nonstop conflict and strife that clouds this tiny strip of land in the middle east, there is something completely soothing about being here to my spirit.

God’s favor is here and He is completely accessible when you call to Him. That is one of the most incredible things I noticed during my first trip here back in October 2007. Whenever we would enter into worship together and simply call out to Him…its like His Presence invaded immediately and without delay! I think I could get used to that! I’m not even sure if it was just because we were worshipping in such epic places as the Mount of Olives (where His feet will touch down and the Mountain will split in two before He busts through the Eastern gate on that day) or on top of Mount Carmel (where Elijah called down the fire with the prophets of baal)…but I think its just cause God so longs to visit this land again with power!!

This is my first of three trips here in the next month and has really set the tone with a fresh outlook on what life is really like here in Israel. God has divinely hooked Kate and I up with the most amazing place to stay during these past few days which I could have never possibly orchestrated myself (similar to the last 18 months of my life!). We are living with a Yemen Jewish family who recently lost their son to a suicide bombing outside of Tel Aviv. Its a wild story how we came to be here and I wont go into it all because of time…but we are hearing the stories and living together with these wonderful people. Last night we experienced out first Shabbat meal together with Israeli Jews and it was a beautiful time of eating the best world in the world while talking, sharing, and laughing together until the early hours of the morning! They told us stories about their life, their beloved son who died and their hope for the future while we listened and heaped the love and kindness of Yeshua upon them!

It is a very sobering experience to hear and see all we have the past few days…but I feel so much more in tune with the daily struggles that blind the eyes of God’s people and complicate the simplicity of what Jesus came to give. I will never forget this experience and am soaking it in this last day before we head up to Carmel and Galilee.

Yesterday we “ascended the hill” into Jerusalem and spent some good time walking the streets of the old city with The Call crew. It was Kate’s first time so she was as wide eyed and blown away as can be…it was all so overwhelming to her. I spent some good time connecting with Lou and Jesse Engle as we shared our hearts about what God is doing with BURN 24-7 and The Call and how we cant wait to come together in DC this August for a catalytic explosion! Its going to be epic and monumental!

The One Thing Jerusalem has been going solid as young people from all over the nation have come to worship and cry out to God together. Its an amazing site to see Jews and Arabs worshipping the one true God side by side. Its surprising how many people I know in this country even through I’ve only been here one time. People talk about how small the world is out this way and I’m beginning to believe them! Tomorrow is what everyone has been building up to as we gather together in Jerusalem for a solemn assembly of contending in fasting and prayer on behalf of the nation during The Call. Its going to be an incredible gathering and we are expecting big things to happen and for a shift in the Spirit to take place across the land. Please join with us in prayer all over the world! This land needs a great awakening and fresh touch of Yeshua. I feel the longing in the heart of God more than I ever have for this place as a direct result of where we’ve been living. God longs and won’t stop until He wins the hearts of these people. Only He can come and heal the deep wounds and bring lasting peace again.

I’ll leave you with the verse I was singing all day yesterday as we walked around the gorgeous city of Jerusalem.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore.

Psalm 125:1-2

come Lord…

_sean

Lakeland, FL l 04.30.08I am completely blasted, undone, and tender towards the Lord right now. I don’t know if its because I am just a little emo after being up until 2am in Lakeland with old friends, new friends, burners, and people who actually believe God is willing to come and do all the things we dream of. I am completely physically exhausted on this plane back to Dallas after this quick 16 hour turnaround…but my inner man is built up with so much faith, courage, and hope of all God is doing. I feel like I have new eyes and vision to see impossibilities as perfect opportunities for God to show Himself strong.

The word God gave me earlier this month and that I have blasted on my blogs, burn newsletters, and sung in cities all over America has been “April showers will bring May flowers.” It is happening. Not just in Lakeland , FL…but in cities all over the world…reports are pouring in now that prove God is raining down His presence in unprecedented levels in history. Its no longer theory…but REALITY!!! Its happening with some of our burners in Cincinnati, OH and even in Charlotte at Morningstar where youth in the high school are leading the way. They cried out to God during school one day are leading thousands every single night into deep encounters with the Presence of God manifested through signs, wonders, salvations, healings, and more!!

I released this word God gave me and sang it over the missionaries at the YWAM Kona base last week and shared it again with the top leaders flying in from all over the globe (over 20 nations last night!!) to GET SOME of this Outpouring…I believe this reveals what God is doing.

Zechariah 10:1

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds
He gives showers of rain to men,
and plans of the field to everyone.

Guess what…..IT IS SPRINGTIME!!!!! It is THE LORD who makes the storm clouds!!! AND he is pouring them out!!! Not just in Florida…but ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

Last night…as The Presence began to invade and fill the 8,000 seat hockey stadium we were in (they are moving it to a bigger outdoor stadium this friday!)…God was simply in the room. He was translating beyond “styles” of worship or personalities of preaching…but it was just His RAW power and glory in our midst.

I began to ask the Lord…what is happening Lord and why is it happening here? The Lord told me to come away with Him to the very farthest back seat in the stadium and that He wanted to show me something. So I left in the middle of the some of the incredible healings I’ve ever witnessed in my life…blind people since birth beginning to see…paralyzed people getting up out of their wheelchairs they’ve been in for over 20 years..tumors and lumps dissapearing…and the craziest things you can imagine!!

As I climbed to the very last seat in the back row and sat down…the Lord began to speak two things to me that I wanted to share with you about what He is doing. He told me very clearly…”Sean…look at my people.” I began to look around and He would highlight people’s faces in the crowd that were desperate and crying out…a few of them I will mention. Two young girls…maybe around 11 years old with their hands stretched to the sky and singing at the top of their lungs..you could see raw passion and abandonment in their worship and it was captivating. One elderly couple who still had their plane tickets in their back pocket from just arriving in town…they were hugging each other and weeping together on the ground and I could see God’s healing power was flowing over their weary hearts. A twenty-something sprawled out on his face and shaking under the heavy power of God. Then a frail older man got on stage and was pushing a large oxygen cart with tubes connected to his nose. He shared that he had terminal cancer with 22 tumors eating away his body. They prayed for Him last night and he was back again tonight. When he was asked the question why he came back…the man spoke up with all his might “I will come back every night until I am healed and WILL NOT BE DENIED.”
Upon hearing this and seeing all the other people mentioned above…I broke open and began to weep. It was uncontrollable.

The Lord spoke to me in the moment and said “Look at my people…they are hungry. I am here because they are hungry.”

I then realized that there was nothing special about the building. the people leading this, the worship, the city of Lakeland (which is off the beaten path)…but that God was showing up night after night, healing after healing, salvation after salvation because of one thing - HUNGER!!! People were flying in from ALL over the world just to get one drink!! They were staying up until 2am like me with a 5am departure time!! They were anticipating something great and weren’t going to stop until they got the breakthrough they came for!!

THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE STATE OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE DISILLUSIONED, CONFUSED, FRUSTRATED, OVER RELIGION….BUT HUNGRY FOR A REAL ENCOUNTER!!
The Lord began to teach me how Heaven will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS meet hunger! The bigger our hunger, resolve, and fight to see God show up grows…the more Faith we have to see Him as He really is.

I was blown away to think that - HEY…THIS COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY!!
The Lord responded by simply saying “Yes, it can. Yes, it will.”

The second thing the Lord began to show me was how much our day and night grassroots BURNING is is paving the way for this. He showed me that if we STAY CONSISTENT…He will do this anywhere and everywhere we keep the flame lit and give him room to take over!! It is travesty to build a slick and neat “24-7 program” of events in our cities with the whole focus of getting God around through night and day prayer and worship…and then when He shows up..we don’t give Him room to TAKE OVER and are stuck on models and formulas!! One of the things I love about this Florida Outpouring is that its SO MESSY and NOT POLISHED!! Its just raw, organic, authentic power of God!

WE ARE BURNING SO HE CAN COME IN AND TAKE OVER AT THE BLINK OF AN EYE!!

I want to end by encouraging all of you BURNING night and day in your cities…

1) WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS NOT IN VAIN! Outpourings in Florida and around the world are a direct result of your BURNING. Night and Day Vertical worship will bring these SHOWERS!!

2) STAY CONSISTENT AND DONT LET UP! Don’t slack down on the hours you are BURNING…but stay consistent and on task…and HE IS LONGING TO VISIT LIKE THIS!!

3) BE HUNGRY!! BE HUNGRY!! BE HUNGRY!! STAY HUNGRY!! Don’t ever get comfortable…but stay wasted, broken, and unsatisfied and WATCH how Heaven will meet you.

4) DREAM BIGGER AND ANTICIPATE MORE!! God loves BIG dreamers and sons and daughters with MASSIVE expectations…because it reveals how BIG we think God is in our lives and what He can do.

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!! I BELIEVE WITH BOB JONES THAT THIS 3RD WAVE GOD IS RELEASING WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE EARTH!!! DO IT LORD!!

DO IT IN OUR HOMES, CITIES, NATOINS AND WORLD!! WE NEED IT NOW MORE THAN EVER!!

more Lord!

_sean