You give and take away

This morning we have learned that our friend Derek Loux has passed from this life to a better one. His life has not ended, it is lived now in the presence of God who is Eternal Love.  Death has carried him to the One he longed for. He sees reality as it is. He dwells in the presence of our life giving  Creator, The Greatest Intercessor – Incarnate Word, and in the shadow of the Comforter. He was ready, we must wait.

About two years ago, during one of the worship briefings Derek was sharing with us that he really does not want to be remembered as a “worship leader”, but as a father to the orphans. During these last two years especially he put all of his love, time, energy and care to fulfill this primary calling in his life.

We are left with a huge gap, unanswered questions, shattered expectations. His passion and love speeded up the fulfillment of his destiny. The Almighty has decided, it is time. From a human perspective, it looks like he has just started…and he has not finished….and we want to scream out loud: What was the point?

From the heavenly perspective, he was done here. Trusting this is hard.  And there are no words to express the anguish. This is earth, not heaven. We will suffer, we will die, we will live again.

For the next decades we will remember him. His awesome wife Renee and their ten kids (eight of them adopted) will have many Christmases and Easters without their daddy. And as he talked about widows and orphans, he changed his life so many times in order to help them…now we have  a chance to practice how we listened to him reading and singing and crying over Isaiah 58.

Father, You give and You take away, blessed be Your name.

He has the best worship team now and the greatest multitudes of those who loved to the end. What do you see, Derek?

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3 families living true religion

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. James 1:27 (Amplified Bible)

Tracie and John Loux

This is Tracie and John Loux with their kids. John is…something else… besides that he is a great musician and worship leader, Tracy keeps it all together… she is also an artist, a mom and a friend. Two years ago they’ve adopted Elia. As of today, they are in Kiev, Ukraine, adopting a boy, Aiden and a girl from Ukraine. Here is Aiden (special need child) and their little girl, waiting for mommy and daddy:

Read their story on their blog From the Heart (anyone wanting to follow their adoption journey can email Tracie at tracieloux@gmail.com for permission to read their blog), pray for them and give abundantly .

Donations for Tracie and John Loux here

Derek and Renee Loux

This is Derek and Renee Loux, pioneering an Orphan Justice Center here at IHOP-KC. They have 2 biological and 7 adopted children, 4 of them adopted very recently, 3 of the recently adopted boys from Ukraine are special needs kids and need immediate medical attention

The Loux Family is their blog and this is where their recent adoption story is covered.

Donations for the Loux Family Adoption Fund here.

Chuck and Jane Koth

This is Chuck and Jane Koth family with their 3 biological and 10 adopted children. Few months ago they adopted 3 girls from Ethiopia.  They started The Children’s Legacy organization.

Donations for the Children’s Legacy here.

I am asking you to consider supporting these families in any possible way you can. This is true religion.

10 year holiness challenge

During onething08 we were challenged to live the life of holiness. These are the main points to pursue for the next 10 years:

The Sacred Charge: 7 Commitments of a Forerunner

Friends of the Bridegroom preparing the way of Jesus’ Second Coming

As part of the Sacred Charge you commit to:

• Pray Daily: Spending 2 hours in prayer and Word (Book of Revelation once a week for 3 years)
• Fast Weekly: Setting your heart to fast 2 days a week as a lifestyle
• Speak Boldly: Standing as a faithful witness in allegiance to Jesus’ heart for the Church, Israel and the nations
• Do Justly: Doing works of justice focusing on the fatherless and oppressed
• Give Extravagantly: Giving to the prayer movement (beyond our tithe)
• Live Holy: Walking out the Sermon on the Mount and keeping the Purity Covenant
• Lead Diligently: Leading weekly prayer meetings and Bible studies (focused on training forerunners)

_____________________________________

Swięte Wyzwanie: 7 Przyrzeczeń Posłańca

Przyjaciele Oblubieńca przygotowujący drogę na powtórne przyjście Jezusa

Zobowiązujesz się do wymienionych działań:

• 1. Módl się codziennie: poświęć 2h dziennie na modlitwę i Słowo (Ks. Apokalipsy raz w tyg.)

• 2. Pość regularnie: 2 dni w tygodniu
  

• 3. Mów odważnie: stając jako wierny świadek serca Jezusa wobec Kościoła, Izraela i narodów
  

• 4. Okazuj sprawiedliwość: koncentrując się na uciemiężonych i sierotach
  

• 5. Dawaj obficie: ofiarność względem ruchu modlitewnego (ponad dziesięcinę)
  

• 6. Zyj w świętości:wzorując się na Kazaniu na Górze i utrzymując przymierze czystości

• 7. Prowadź innych sumiennie: prowadź spotkania modlitewne / grupy biblijne
  

theCall DC

I would drive 19 h again for that!!!

TheCall in Washington DC was an awesome assembly of people who came to pray and fast for our nation, church, government, elections and the future.

It lasted for 12h. It was hot, crowded, dusty and beautiful.

@ 2:16 pm

Over 60, 000 people came to glorify God at the feet of the Capitol. Although some names of the people, if announced earlier, would draw the crowds, this was, first of all, a prayer meeting. What stunned me the most was a sober and prayerfull atmosphere surrounding all of the participants of this holy assembly. They came to fast, not to enjoy a festival.

Lou Engle

Behind the stage there was a place where we saw a lot of baby shoes tied with laces and notes asking for forgiveness, notes of hope and love, written mostly by the parents of children whom they have aborted earlier in life, and now they miss them in this life.

3500 Americans are killed daily

oil of joy for the mourning

prayer for Washington DC @ 9:16 pm

Jewish blessing at the end, kids dancing ( look for Sophie, Kevin & Teah)

The Washington Times

CBN

theCall DC

Watch it now, we are there!

Watch it on God TV or IHOP webstreaming.

theCall

In a few minutes we are leaving for theCall. We will drive for about 20 h. Pray.

can a nation be changed in one day?

European Immersion 08

The European Immersion is an opportunity to come to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City for three weeks to enjoy the Global Prayer Room and participate in customized sessions, focusing on three aspects of Jesus: Bridegroom, King, and Judge. The dates are August 2-22, 2008. This event is open to adults 18 till 30 years of age. $375 is the registration fee. For those from Dutch, German, French or Spanish speaking European Nation we can provide special arrangement like accommodation and food and of course translation for an additional $280. Click here for more information… *********************************************************************** Program umożliwiający pobyt w Międzynarodowym Domu Modlitwy w Kansas City przez trzy tygodnie. Uczestnictwo w Sali Modlitwy i w sesjach nauczań opisujących trzy charykterystyki Jezusa: Oblubieńca, Króla i Sędziego. Daty: 2-22 sierpnia Wiek: 18-30 lat Koszt: 375 USD

time stretching. day 12

only 2h in the prayer room today, slipped by very quickly… I guess, in cases when I can’t stay longer, I can start to pray for “time stretching”, why not, isn’t He the miracle maker?

miserable own will. day 4

 photo by P'

miserable

miserable we came out of nowhere wygrzebaliśmy się jak nędznicy znikąd

to become a staliśmy się

the most cherishable najcenniejszymi

judges of the angels sędziami aniołów

unperishable nieprzemijającymi

for aeons to be remembered na czasy zapamiętani

to witness aby świadczyć

unpredictable became the known as it is nieprzewidywalne stało się poznanym

but You are known as One ale przecież Ty jesteś znany jako Ten

who specializes in turning things specjalista od przewrotów

upside down do góry nogami

photo by Cognitive Ambition

own will

Was it actually for Me that you fasted? Zech 7:5

I started reading Isa 58 passage, and stopped on the last part of verse 3, where I camped for about… 6 hours. It starts with:

Behold, in the day of your fast

and then follows with (different translations)

you seek your own pleasure

you take the chance to do your business

you pursue your own business

you find your desire

you do as you please

to please yourselves

you think only of yourselves

you do what you want to do

your own will is found

The last one strucked me the most. It’s from Douay-Rheims translation. Fasting should be seeking God for Himself, not proving a point to others or God (which does not make sense anyway). It should afflict the soul, expressing true sorrow for sin, get away with pride, covetousness, malignant passions. Isa 22:13 points to indulging in sensuality and pursuing one’s own desires during fasting.

Affliction means: to be put down, become low, to be downcast, depressed, to stoop, to humble oneself, to be humiliated, to weaken oneself and submit. Afflicting should bring real pleasure and diminish our corrupt nature.

I need help. My own will must submit.

one. day 3

photo by studiomuntz

be the fire inside of me

until you and I are one

from the choruses in the prayer room