He Is Who He Says He Is//He'll Do What He Says He'll Do

This past week has been very busy and many big boulders have been moved in our creating process. I’m so thankful I get to do what I do with two of the most amazing women I now! (Pictured: Hannah Lenz middle, Lana Hollands right). Since we’re pioneering this ministry from pretty much ground zero, we’ve had to really dive deep into what we think and feel the Lord wants to do and how He wants to build this. Reflecting on the week, I really believe we began building the foundation and grasped ahold of the core values and facets of this ministry. So this week consisted of many meetings, brainstorming, and vision casting. From all of the “ground-up” progress this week, I learned a lot about myself and realized that I really love new beginnings and starting from scratch. I love the creating process and don’t really get discouraged when I don’t see “results” right away because I’m very focused on the here and now. I love getting lost in inspiration and dreaming up the important cores and then developing them little by little. It’s such a natural partnership for me to operate in my natural “developer” gift and personality while hearing the voice and direction of God.

Through our many meetings/prayer times, a big theme that kept surfacing was getting a heart for the lost and the poor. We felt it is very much on the heart of God that we develop a big heart for this city and for the homeless who live here. As we explored how we can do this, the idea grew bigger into being compelled to love the nations. What we do here on the YWAM base isn’t meant to stay here… it’s meant to get us out there with the people. That’s the basis for YWAM as a worldwide organization: to know God and to make Him known. So it’s very natural for our us to take this specific heart for worship and spread it across the city of Brisbane and then out into the nations. We don’t know what that will exactly look like yet, but we know that it’s an important core to this ministry.

Logistically we also had a few big changes this week, one being we officially chose a name for this ministry! We are now the “Creative Development Ministry Team” (CDMT). It’s a mouthful, but it encompasses who we are without restricting us in the music sect as the ministry develops and expands. We broke the ministry down into three specific facets: Worship Development, Community Development, and Communications. I have been delegated to be in charge of Communications for the base, so that is exciting! Communications includes (if not now, eventually): social media, website, blog, advertisement, branding, promotion, etc. It’s amazing how my little graphic design experience has come in handy and I’m able to put that passion to use as well as my passion for music and worship. It is a big role, but I’m charged with energy to take it on.

As for the rest of the week, we had our normal duties. I led worship for multiple ministries, including Open Worship, which is every first Wednesday of the month. Open worship is a full two hours of worship time where we invite the community to come and then spend some time in the café fellowshipping. The passion that Hannah got for the night was 2 Cor. 7-18, which is absolutely incredible: “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Overall, it was an amazing time of communal declarations of who God is and opening our hearts and minds to the mysteries of Him, the One True Living God who has chosen to come close.

With that, I have been at a loss for words, in many ways, for how to even come before God… that I even have the opportunity to come before God as a daughter. Before every prayer, before every time of intentional worship, before every conscious thought of Him, I am amazed and in awe that I am even allowed to speak to the God who created the whole Universe. My mind can’t quite wrap around that concept… that He invited us to draw near and had communion (def.: the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level) with Him as the goal, from the garden to the cross. I just don’t even understand how that is His heart and His desire: to draw near. That in itself has brought me continuous joy throughout every day. When I think about it, my eyes get wide and a laugh creeps up my throat because I am allowed to be near to God. I am sought after by Him and I get to hear His voice and live my life accordingly (in obedience). That is incredible!

I have been learning so much and it’s hard to restrict what I share for the sake of not making this too long, but I’ll share one more thing. I have been thinking a lot about faith and belief and seeing how central it is to the Gospel and to Kingdom lifestyle. I’ve also been noticing how breaking fear seems to be a huge theme for the Church at large. It seems to be an anthem for people to declare that they don’t want to live in bondage anymore or live in fear. Fear is a huge hindrance to intimacy and creates that veil between us and God. Whether it’s one’s insecurities, misconceptions, lies that have been spoken over them, false humility, or inadequacies, many people don’t experience the fullness of God because it’s too scary to step out of their current mindset and be embraced in all vulnerability by Love Himself. Hate is not the opposite of love, fear is. As I’ve been thinking about that, Mark 5:36 jumped out to me: “Do not fear, only believe.” Jesus didn’t say, “Do not fear, only be brave,” He commanded us to believe. If we believe He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23), we have faith in who He is, rather than who our circumstance says He is. He is who He says He is and He’ll do what He says He’ll do. Do we believe that? Because if we do, then fear is put to death and we receive the tools (courage, peace, strength) to overcome that fear.

I love reading the Amplified Bible because it puts in brackets a more extensive definition of the Hebrew/Greek words being used. After taking a couple semesters of Hebrew at the U of M, I learned how rich the language is and how the English language doesn’t quite do justice to the Word of God:

Believe: (Heb. 4:3) adhere to, trust in, and rely on God

Faith: (Heb. 6:12) the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness

I often think of the day I’ll be able to see Jesus face to face and what will matter when I’m looking Him in the eyes, in the flesh. When I get to hug Him and see the Man I’ve spent my life knowing and learning to love with my whole heart. When I imagine that moment, all of the worries and the anxiety and the complications of life sort of fade away and all that stands is the question: Will He call me faithful? Will He be able to reflect on my whole life and testify that I lived my life on earth faithfully to Him? Did I live life with a heart to know Him and please Him and did my actions reflect that heart, despite my mess-ups and wrongdoings? Because at the end of all of this, that is all that matters. Do I believe? Do I adhere to, trust in, and rely on God in every moment? The point is intimacy; the purpose is nearness. And that is the most restful plumb line to have in life.

With love,

Lyss