Awakening; the process of being dead and now coming alive, whether you were once alive before or not. Last week in Ireland was a time of spiritual restoration and relaxation. But the spiritual awareness of the need for Christ never ceases to amaze me. Walking through the streets amazing of Dublin rich with history and modern life, you’ll still see a few homeless people on the corners and it reminds me that Jesus says, “the poor you will always have with you.” Whether cities try to hide it or not to have a clean image, needs will always be around if we take time to seek them out in order to bring the kingdom of God.
Ireland is a country rich with Catholic tradition so much that it became by force. One time on a country tour I saw the remains of a church that was burned down with tons of people in it seeking refuge because they refused to convert from Protestant to Catholicism. I have visited places like St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin and St. Mary’s in Kilkenny where even though the architecture is incredible and the history; yet the focus of buildings over people kept me in a somber mode. But we’re not different; we try to build the nicest worship centers and highest screens.
The greatest thing was the beauty of Ireland, the sheep and horses, the green hills that are rolling, blue skies, and even where “Braveheart” was filmed. A few of us went to a place called Wicklow Mountains where it was the most peaceful and majestic place I’ve really ever seen, and there was an old ruined monastery with gravestones topped with the Celtic crosses all started from a person named St. Kevin who went out to be alone with God; soon to develop a community of people.
I am not sure if you realize or not, but we are connected to a history of faith that dates thousands of years. So many times we are trying to make Christianity like a New Age and that its all about how you feel about God or Christ to you and throw out our history, but these Truths we have been given never change. I stand and look at the martyrs of our past, the monasteries, and famous people that if it wasn’t for them, the word of Christ wouldn’t gave given you a personal awakening.
The Lord gave me an incredible word for our squad but can be for all of us. I got to see the Long Room in the Trinity College Library after seeing the Book of Kells (copies of the Gospels from 800 A.D.). A tall vast room of books from the oldest dates in history and busts models of famous people in history like Socrates, Plato, Francis Bacon, etc. As I walked through I stopped to see a book that was from the very same town in New Zealand that my first team was in, and it has come across the world to be in this hall of great people and stories. It wasn’t a really old book either. Then later in worship the Lord showed me something about us. That while we are living, we are still new and we have a beginning just like the book began in New Zealand, I began in the same place, and like that book I’m going around the world making an impact for the kingdom. All of us have a beginning and we are making an impact.
We may never know or not the immensity of our lives and the effects we have for generations. In Hebrews it says that “we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” One day, people will look back and see your life/your book and it will be in the midst of a vast library full of historical greatness in people and testimonies of our spiritual heritage in Christ. People will one day see your life when it finish in conclusion, and your story with Christ will be among some of the greatest stories ever and people like Luther, Wesley, Paul, Council of Nicea, George Mueller, etc. Don’t ever underestimate the the impact you’re making for the kingdom.
(Trinity College) (Dublin Sunrise over river)
I can’t forget even the people outside of the conference I met. There was a Muslim man who was distributing literature on the street with others about Islam and God told me to go back and talk to him, and obedience I did. There we had an interesting conversation about Jesus being the Son of God and the battle between works and grace, how they don’t see much love in God. Or the man on our tour bus from Czech Republic who told me that there was no need to go to their country in October because no one would listen to us about God since they’re atheistic; well thanks for giving me all the more reason to go! Or the young lady in the dark alley street of Kilkenny who was playing the cello while people hopefully drop coins on the cello bag; Noe, David, and I just sat there and listened to some of the sweetest music feeling like we were in Venice or something. She was really good and it’s just what we needed. I then found out she’s well known, and I encouraged her to never stop playing and always love what she does; never should we make our passion a “job” and lose the heart.
There’s the man at the oldest Irish pub in Ireland (1192 A.D.) that we went to our last night, gave a big hello and handshake because I was from Kentucky; I don’t know what he knows about my home state or how it relates, and there they sung their famous oldest songs with a fiddle, accordian, and guitar packed as a community of strangers became friends that night singing away their troubles and cares for the day. I will miss being called “lad” and saying “cheers” to people who don’t know me at all.
Last, we finally met the rest of the squads of the World Race on the field, and “L” squad was done after the conference. I will never forget how much of a family they were and soon they would be finishing this season of their life and taking the World Race lifestyle to home to change lives. I can’t believe our squad is now the oldest on the field, and time is soon flying. It’s become a family and we have spoken hard Truth and encouragement to help people reach their destiny in life. We have seen people reach spiritual potential we never thought before and change lives in us and others. Now we had the chance to encourage others under us.
There was a real awakening this past week. The conference was good, worship was great and our teachings were challenging whether we agreed or not on parts of it, but God is a God of love and He has saved us by grace in faith, and freedom is a life we live in obedience. And my awakening was God saying to my heart all week, “I’m still here, I never left, and I’m still working even when you’re tired and drained, I’m still bigger than your box, and more than your expectations.”
