Friday, January 27, 2012

Divine Romance

I finished reading the book "The Divine Romance" by Gene Edwards. Agh. What a beautiful and fresh perspective on what it means to have relationship with our Father. here's an excerpt from the prologue:
"He was alone. The first tick of time had never sounded, nor had the unending circle of eternity yet commenced. There was neither things created nor things uncreated to share space with him. He dwelt in an age before the eternals, where all there was...was God. Nor was there space for anything else. He was the uncreated. He was the ALL. In this non-time of so long ago, there was but one life form...the highest life. He was also love."
Throughout the history of the world, God been looking for a counterpart to share his love with, someone that can return the love. So man was created in his image. And once created, God said "It is not good for man to be alone." So from the side of man, came the rib that God used to build woman. The counterpart for man...hidden inside him the whole time. So man had woman...

...but it is not good that God should be alone.

As the Israelites make camp, waiting for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai, they scurry around, thinking of ways to honor the Lord that delivered them from captivity. The Lord listens in as the people make plans to serve him with their lives, offer up their silver and gold, obey his every command and worship him with their whole beings.
A deep sadness now disturbed the face of the Lord, for he was contemplating the response he had heard from his people. A long, deep groan of sorrow, unheard by human ears but shattering the tranquility of the entire heavenly host, rose up from his depths. 'I did not require of you your wealth nor coins of gold. What need have I of these? I did not ask of you that you serve me. Do I, the Mighty One, need to be waited upon? Neither did I ask of you your worship nor your prayers nor even your obedience.' He paused. Once more a long, mournful groan rose from his breast. 'I have asked but this of you, that you love me...love me...love me.'
All he desires from us is love. Worship and offering and obedience to his will is all a bi-product of our love for him. You've probably heard that we are to be his Bride. This book gives such a new, beautiful perspective on that. Individually, but as a whole, God pursues us like his Bride. And he's just looking for the love he's shown us to be returned. Like husband and wife.

Shoot. This book just brought so much more life to God for me. He has feelings that can be hurt...just like me. We were created in his image, after all. He is to be worshiped and exalted and held up high on his throne, but too often I hold him there, not allowing him to come down to earth to be near me, like a best friend that can cry with me, hurt with me but also laugh with me and go on adventures with me.

A week ago, I took a short bus ride into town with some friends to go worship at a local's apartment. Something like forty people crammed in, representing seventeen or eighteen different nations. It was beautiful to sit back and watch this forty-something group of people fellowship and worship, with basically the only common denominator being a love for Jesus. Man. The body of Christ. His Bride. Living and breathing and pursuing Him. 

Just about half the group that got together for a quick pic that night.

My time here continues to challenge, ignite and rock me.  I love being able to write and share my heart with you. May these things stir your heart as much as they do mine.

It's time we bring the body together and return his love, for it is not good that God should be alone.

much love Sons and Daughters of God

Knox

Fotos.

In the future, I plan on having more pictures as I post, but until then, here's a few from in and around Mijas:

                                       
View from my terrace.


Sunset in the streets.


View coming down from the mountain at the back of Mijas.  


Hiking into the clouds.


My apartment sits on the right. One of the most photographed streets in Southern Spain.


Overlook on the way to class.

I feel like I could walk arounf taking pictures for days and I still wouldn't be able to fully capture the beauty of this place. I'm not even sure it fully can be captured. But I'll do my best. Until next time!

much love Sons and Daughters of God,

Knox

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Day in the life.

Wow. Already in the middle of my third week here in Mijas, Spain and I'm daily being challenged and pushed deeper than I've ever been. I've been getting slapped in the face by the Holy Spirit, spiritually and physically. Literally slapped. The head of G42, Andrew Shearman, is a fiery man of God that has a huge heart for challenging men to "quit playing silly little games" with their lives and rise up to claim the inheritance God has for them. He has challenged us to rise up among a culture of emasculated men and accept the call to greatness in Christ, where WE have domain over this earth. He gets so fired up, that he'll actually slap us men. It's so loving. So challenging. I intentionally get to class early for a front row seat, and make sure to wear contacts, not glasses, so he'll have more of my face to slap. It's brilliant! It stirs my heart and forces me to rise up as a man. There's an anointing in that slap that is incredible. I want more of it.

I digress. I'll save more for Shearman in another post. But I thought I'd give you a picture of what my week looks like here:

Monday through Thursday, we have class from 9:30 am to 12pm and then 2pm to 4pm. Throughout the semester, we'll have the directors of G42 as well as special guests from a wide range of ministries and organizations to teach us on subjects such as: Discerning Life's Calling, Leadership, Purpose, Equipping, New Covenant Realities, Social Entrepreneurship, The Culture of Non-Profits and many more.

The rest of the time is ours to spend however we wish, and to this point, most of that has been spent processing and praying through the lessons and revelations from each class. When not trudging through all this wisdom, you can find us adventuring as a community: hammocking, reading, slacklining, hiking through the mountains found at our backs, grabbing a drink at Roger's pub, or taking the bus down into Fuengirola and hitting the beach, shopping centers and restaurants. The world, at this point, is our playground, as it should be.

At the moment, there's two houses, each with about eight interns (students) in. Each week, cleaning and cooking responsibilities are divied up. Two are in charge of buying groceries for breakfast, lunch and cooking dinner for the week for each house and any visitors or teachers that come to visit. The rest set the table, do dishes, and are in charge of cleaning the house. It's been amazing to sit down to a home cooked meal from our friends and eat in great community, having that time filled with fruitful discussion and thoughts from the day.

The community here is incredible. Coming in, I was one of two people, out of eighteen interns, that hasn't gone on the World Race, an eleven month mission trip to eleven different countries. But despite the friendships already formed, we've wasted no time in diving in with complete vulnerability and open hearts ready for radical change and awakening.

Again, I can't wait to write more about my time here, readings I'm working through and revelations I'm having in my own walk. Let me know if there's any questions about all this stuff.

I'm off to class. Here we grow.

Much love Sons and Daughters of God

Knox

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wild Goose Chase


I've always loved to write...and so begins the process of making my thoughts, revelations and just more of my story open, to you, my friends, family and anyone else that may stumble across.

The Wild Goose Chase...
“Celtic Christians has a name for the Holy Spirit – An Geadh-Glas, or the ‘Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were onto something…  
Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.”

This is an introduction to the book Wild Goose Chase, written by Mark Batterson, and honestly, I can't think of a better way to describe how I've felt pursuing the Spirit the past few years. Lots of questions. Lots of unanswered prayers. Lots of frustration as I've sought out what exactly God wants to do with me. 

And to what end?

Through transferring schools, gaining new community and opening my heart even wider to receive whatever it was God was trying to do in me, I still felt lost. With no vision, no understood purpose, it's impossible to fully apply yourself. Proverbs 29:18 even goes to say it's dangerous for a man to not know his purpose, that he "casts off restraint." I want to be dangerous FOR the Kingdom, not a danger TO it!

So what now? Well I love Batterson's quote on that "circumstantial uncertainty"...the adventure. I don't want to "arrive at death safely" but rather "start playing offense with my life...making daring plans."

The first of these daring plans involved moving to Mijas, Spain for six months to attend a leadership academy where I am believing my purpose will be made clear, vision will be gained and I will be equipped and sent out to fulfill that purpose! I've already been here a week and I'm expecting God to do huge things in my heart. For Him to break me down, refine me and prepare me to accept the responsibility He has for me here on earth.

Can't wait to share as He does work on me.

So here we grow.

much love, sons and daughters of God

Knox

Here's the link for Mark Batterson's book, Wild Goose Chase:

And here's a link for the school I'm attending this semester: