bend us Lord

There is no deeper Truth
Than Jesus Christ crucified
Risen from the dead
And now alive
Returning one day
To claim His bride
A bride so sanctified and purified
Church are you ready?


Lord, help us to see You how You really are
Lord, help us to see You standing at the end of Jacob’s ladder


Open our eyes, open our eyes, open our eyes
Open our eyes that have been shut for too long
Open the eyes of our heart and not the eyes of our sinful physical nature


Help us not to be the biggest obstacles in the way
But help us see You in Absolute Truth
Help us to peer through to You and see You at the end of the ladder


Open up, open up, open up the Heavens
Give us a new revelation of Your Truth
Open up the Heavens upon Your children, upon Your bride


Lord, bend the Church, bend the Church
Bend us individually in our homes, in our congregations, in our towns,  in our regions.
Bend the Church to save the world.
Bend us Lord!




“Before there is ever an open heaven over a congregation or a city or a nation, there first is an open heaven over a person.” Quoted by Jim Goll

Jacob's ladder

Walk'n these steps of Faith
Hid'n in this cliff of mine
Trying to climb Jacob's ladder

Wrestling to see
Wrestling to hear
Wrestling just to know that He's near

Walk'n these steps of Faith
Hid'n in this cliff of mine
Trying to climb Jacob's ladder

Grabbing on to...
this seems to be... this seems to be...
this seems to be...
an endless ladder

Wrestling to see You
Wrestling to hear You
Wrestling just to know that Your near


(Genesis 28, Genesis 32)

traveling in song

As I looked down, I knew my location was not stable.  I began to to do what I normally do when I do not know what to pray, sing.  Slowly and softly I began to sing in the Spirit.  As I traveled from location to location, from place to place, from town to town, from country to country; I did what I only could do, sing in the Spirit.  As I stood at one location singing, I felt an indescribable sense of Freedom.  I looked up to my Maker and He spoke the words to me "bending bows of oppression."  The scene then changed and I was standing in a diffferent country, I began to do what I only knew what to do.  I began to walk and sing in the Spirit and I felt more alive than I have ever felt before.  It was amazing how my locations were changing, but my walk and song were consistent and unchanging.  It was as if I were walking in and out of countries, singing in the Spirit, bringing Freedom through my prayer song.  As the last scene came to an end, I was awaiting a message as usual.  I heard an audible voice speak from above "Come worship in this beautiful place of worship."  Seemingly unique that this is not the first time He has given me this very message.  In this last moment, I began reciting this phrase, not to quickly forget again.  I then awoke and opened my eyes, singing in the Spirit.  Today I am thinking that I need to fall asleep more often singing in the Spirit.

Bathed in Jesus

As I awoke this morning, I heard the whisper of the Lord, "John 13." I spent most of the day meditating on the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. What a beautiful story of service and love.

I found it quite amazing how Jesus knew His High Position, His Royal Authority, and He humbled Himself to serve the disciples by washing their feet. I can imagine Him picking up a ceramic clay pitcher or maybe a dull silver pitcher full of water, and pouring the clean water into a basin lying upon the dirt floor. As He arose from the table sitting amongst His disciples after supper, parching down to take off His outer clothing, while wrapping and girding a towel around His waistline. He approached each one of the disciples to wash clean the only thing left dirty (all except Judas of course), their feet. He then approached Simon-Peter to wash his feet but Simon-Peter began to protest.

I can picture the scene, Simon-Peter gently pushing Jesus' hand away and stepping backwards, while saying boldly:

"You shall never wash my feet."
"You are of too High Authority."
"You are too Holy and I am simply not."
"I should be the one serving You."
"I should be the one in who is washing Your feet."
"I should be the one stooping down upon a basin cleansing the sand and dirt from our journey off of your feet."
"No Jesus; I will not let You wash my feet."

Yes, I can picture the scene in my mind. Clear as day I can picture the scene with full understanding on Simon-Peter's behalf. Did you ever wonder why it was Simon-Peter who was the one to protest? Think for a moment about who was the one who denied Jesus 3 times. I believe that God chose Simon-Peter to be the one to protest to show His loving kindness, mercy, and absolute forgiveness. Although Jesus knew that Simon-Peter would soon deny Him-in which He even warned Simon-Peter of the future event, He still chose to serve him out of humility, love, and faithfulness. Simon-Peter would soon understand the heights and depths of Jesus' love for him, when remembering this extravagant act of service once his denials had taken place. Yes, Simon-Peter would soon understand how much this Man 'Jesus' truly loved and served him.

It's beyond significance that as Jesus walked with the disciples and shared the secrets of His Heart, the secrets of Eternal Life, the secrets of the coming Kingdom, and the secrets of the Father's Heart; that not all of them obtained full understanding that it was Jesus who would wash them clean from the filth of the world. That it was by Jesus and only through Jesus that they would all become clean and follow in the very footsteps that He used as a living example, the very likening of their Beloved Lord Jesus. As Peter protested against Jesus' washing of his feet, he gave a stipulation that Jesus could wash all of him. This was due to the fact that his feet weren't really all that pretty and clean. I mean come on let's be real, most aren't right? This was the dirtiest part of their bodies, especially when considering the hot-dry-sandy dessert. It's not like they had tennis shoes back then either, let alone foot-deodorant spray. They wore leather sandals, which probably smelled definitely not like 'Japanese cherry blossoms.' Jesus again told him that he was already bathed, he was already clean. He was not talking about the literal aspect of being cleaned by water and soap but He was referring to the spiritual act of cleansing. Jesus had already made him spiritually clean. It was and still is Jesus who makes us clean. Just as Simon-Peter was bathed in Jesus, we are bathed in Jesus. We are bathed in Jesus and made completely clean, that is if you believe in Him. If you do not believe in Him than you can choose to believe, be bathed in Jesus, and be made spotless-squeaky clean.

Jesus' full act of humility of service was a clear sign that it is only by Him that they could be clean. Although He knew that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God (John 13:3), He still chose to serve His servants. For this is a real servant. In stead of our humanistic philosophy and tendencies that lead us to veer away from humility and serving others of a lower status, it was due to His High positions that lead Him to serve and teach the very thing He was practicing. For this is a real servant. He was their Lord. He was their Teacher. He was teaching them what it meant to truly serve out of love.

This passage is yet another example of how close Jesus was and still is. Before the first advent, it was as if God was a God so far off. Suddenly Jesus came as a man, a human baby needing what every other human baby in the dessert needed, caring and love. God came as a baby who would love without stipulation, limitation, or circumstance. He came as One who would walk and talk with His beloved friends, disciples, children, and even strangers in need. He came as one who would serve even though He knew He was above all. He came to serve all that had been given to Him by God the Father. He came in humility to make a way that was not so far away as was before. He came knowing He was from God and was going back to God. He came to serve and love, so that they (we) may be clean, bathed in Jesus, and following in His very footsteps doing the same. He suddenly was not a God so far away.

"Mostly assuredly, I say to you a servant is no greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things; blessed are you if you do them." John 13:16-17

As I again think about Simon-Peter's protest, I think about my own-this is if I were to be in his very position. I'm pretty sure I would have reacted in the very same manner. I mean "who am I that Jesus would wash my feet?' I don't feel worthy enough, that's for sure. Wait but that's what is so great about this message. It's not by our might or by our doing that we can become clean enough or worthy enough for Jesus to serve us, as to His washing our feet. It's only by knowing Him intimately and being bathed in His Love that we can be made clean enough to have our feet washed by Him.

Jesus said "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." John 13:8

He was saying that if you do not acknowledge that you are clean by my doing than you are denying my worthiness to clean you. You are denying the reason for my very existence. If you can not acknowledge this, than you can no longer walk with me. Jesus was saying that "It's only by My service that you can be made worthy to carry My Name. Now, let me wash Your feet."

Jan. post- The Hub Journal

I currently write a monthly column for a Korean International Christian Journal that posts in Seoul, Korea called "The Hub." A very good friend of mine, who is the editor of the journal wrote an article over Robert Park. Robert Park is a Christian Korean American Human Rights Activist/Missionary who just recently was obtained in North Korea. For those of you who don't know Robert Park or what has been happening with him associated with North Korea, here's a copied version of her article. When hearing about his detainment my heart immediately broke and went into intercession. When living in Seoul, my heart was awakened to the issues in North Korea by this man's passion and zeal. Since then I have had a burden for North Korea for intercession as well as missions. I had attended a few prayer meetings and church services, that Robert Park had spoken at and something just hits home in my heart when hearing this news. I realize that so many people in the west and even some here at the International House of Prayer aren't all that up to date with world news, but I believe that it's a necessity to be when intercession is a primarily calling to our lives. Please read this article and intercede for Robert Park and North Korea.

The Hub Journal

Volume 2 Issue 12
Page 3
On Robert Park and North Korea by Tash Schoultz

“Concentration camps,” “1000 people a day (dying) by starvation,” and “geno­cide” are the reasons that Robert Park, a fellow Christian and human rights activ­ist, listed for walking across the Tumen river and entering North Korea (illegally) Christmas evening around 5pm. The Tumen river lies on the border between North Korea and China, and during the winter time many North Koreans illegally leave their country by walking across this river, which is frozen, and escape into China in search of a better life. Although the border is guarded by armed guards, instructed to shoot at anyone trying to escape the country, many North Koreans risk the possibility of death rather than stay within the oppressive confines of North Korea out of sheer desperation. It was therefore surpris­ing for many to hear that a Christian Korean American would freely choose to enter North Korea, despite North Korea’s very negative human rights record and its history of persecuting Christians.
Robert Park entered North Korea in plain sight with a letter addressed to the country’s president imploring him to rectify the human rights abuses happening in North Korea and to release the political prisoner’s who are in the prison camps. In an interview with Reuters, Robert Park is quoted as saying, “I want Kim Jong-il and the North Korean government to know that I love them. I love all these people. I am going in because it has to change, for the sake of the children, the men and the women who are being brutally murdered.” As he entered North Korea, he was fully aware that he may be martyred, a price that Robert Park told the media (prior to entering) that he would be willing to pay in order to highlight to the world the seriousness of the North Korean situation.
Living in South Korea for almost 7 years now, reading extensively about North Korea and meeting a number of North Korean defectors as well as being involved in a volunteer ca­pacity with an NGO related to North Korean human rights back in 2007, I can concur with Robert Park that the North Korean situation is very serious. Defectors living in South Korea, as well as in other countries around the world, give testimony to Christians being tortured and killed in the prison camps of North Korea. In a country where religious freedom is non-existent, if the North Korean government finds out that someone is a Chris­tian they are labeled as a political dissident and are sentenced to long prison terms in political pris­on camps, which, as Robert Park told Reuters, are comparable to those of Nazi Germany, or worse. I have read testimonies of liquid­ized metal being poured over Christians as they were martyred for their faith, of Christians in the prisons not being allowed to look up at the sky in fear that they are pray­ing or being involved in what the prison officials call “superstitious” behavior, and of prisoners in the camps feeling lucky to be able to catch rats to eat in order to be able to escape starvation.
North Korea is about a two hour drive from the affluent capital of South Korea, Seoul – yet it is like travelling to a completely different world. In Seoul we see bags and bags of leftover food being thrown away daily. We also see people eating expensive meat and seafood dishes in trendy restaurants, large modern apart­ment buildings with cozy warm under­floor heating, and the latest in cell phone technology and designer bags being profligately displayed. It breaks my heart to think that the food we throw away daily could save the lives of thousands of starving North Koreans.
Yet, as Robert Park points out, North Korea is indeed receiving a lot of food aid from various international nations however the starving people of North Korea never see this food, instead the food is distributed to the army and military who are involved in the suppression of the North Korean people. Food is used to con­trol North Korean citizens, with those in good favor with the government getting more food than those in bad favor with the government, and of course Christians are at the very bottom of the pecking order receiving barely enough food to survive on in the prison camps.
Considering how desperate the situation in North Korea is, and that it is our brothers and sisters in the family of Christ who are being martyred for loving Jesus, it is no wonder that Robert Park’s heart broke for this nation and that he is willing to give his life for the people of North Korea. Whether you agree with Mr. Park’s method of drawing attention to the situation or not, is peripheral. Of far greater importance to us should be how Jesus feels about what is happening to His people in North Ko­rea. Our hearts should break for the things that break our Lord’s heart. Knowing what is happening just two hours from many of our homes should move us so much that we weep over this na­tion, fast and pray to see change. Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” All of us need to recognize the universality of the body of Christ and realize that when one part of the body of Christ is in pain, we all suffer along with them. The situation in North Korea is not only the situation of the North Korean people and the per­secuted North Korean church, but it is our situation, too. We need to humble ourselves along with them, turn from our wicked ways, seek God’s face, repent and plead with God for the healing of the North Korean nation.
At present Robert Park is de­tained in North Korea, please keep him in your prayers.

1 Peter 1:8

Though you do not see Him, You love Him

Though you do not now see Him, You do not see Him in the very moment
You believe in Him

You love Him, You do
You really love Him

Rejoicing in an inexpressible joy, Filled with glory

Salvation obtained through faith in the unseen
Salvation given so freely with love beckened upon that old rugged tree on Calvary

This Love, This Love, This Love
So freely given but rightfully obtained
How could He love you and me in such a way?

You look back upon time, You do not see Him
But you knew He was there

You look in the now, You do not see Him
But you know He is there

You look upon the moment, You do not see Him
But you know He is there

Though you do not see Him, You love Him
You believe in Him, You believe in this very Love obtained freely by faith

Though you do not see, You believe in Love

Gliding upon Notes ♪♫

I looked down upon the icy glass seeing 2 silver blades smoothly gliding me upon the ice. Looking back through the years, I was a bit surprised of my seemingly practiced technique. It was as if I had began right where I had left off some years earlier. As the sound of music played through my soul, the words were embedded with revelation in my heart. Words of a babe lying in a manger, so beautiful but dependant, yet so Divine. Jesus lying in Bethlehem being held and nursed by His human mother. A God so beautiful and precious, given to us to be on our level, to be in our reach. Meanwhile still holding His Divine Nature and absolute authority. The wise men looked down upon Him and were utterly amazed. God but yet a helpless newborn baby wrapped in swaddling, needing the care that every baby cries out for.
God but yet a new born baby.
God but yet a baby boy.
God but yet a human infant.
God but yet so so dependent.
God so far away yet now so near.
I began to feel the backward motion of my calves pushing on the ice. Backsliding upon the glassy texture, I lifted my arms out to the east and to the west. My fingers wide open feeling the cold mist in between each space. So cold but wonderfully refreshing. With each sound of the hairs pressed down upon the violin, made for another backward turn upon the ice. As another chord came to sound, another backward slide came into existence. Another chord, to the right I glided. Another chord, to the left I glided. Crossing my arms out before me to feel Your cool breeze, reaching for an embrace. With the sharpness of a drum beat, I dramatically threw my arms before me pushing away everything hindering us uniting. I continued to glide backwards to and fro pushing my arms forward, embracing Your Love. As I glided and flung myself upon the ice, I danced with Your Spirit. As the chords and beat began to soften, my circling upon the glassy presence continued to exist but all the time backwards. As I worshiped You and gave You every move of my heart, soul, and body; I was glowing in Your very Presence. Feeling the coldness of the icy air but not without Your gentle guidance-- still all the time backwards. Never forwards did I glide. Staying in line with Your Spirit, giving You adoring worship. Worshiping backwards but in the all-so-right direction. Backwards but so right I skated upon this icy sea, all alone but in Your very Presence.

Luke 2, Revelation 4

He prays

All Yours is His
All His is Yours
May You be glorified

Look'n to the heavens, He prays, He prays for you
Look'n to the heavens ,He prays, He prays for me

They are not of the world
Only in the world
Sanctify them completely

Look'n to the heavens, He prays, He prays for you
Look'n to the heavens, He prays, He prays for me

Guard them from the evil one
May their joy be complete
Being one between You and Me

All Yours is His
All His is Yours
May You be glorified

Look'n to the heavens, He prays, He prays for you
Look'n to the heavens, He prays, He prays for me

In Jesus Name He prays
Jesus prays

(John 17)

rainbows in the classroom

As I glance amongst the children, I see you sitting far off in the corner.
Your face hidden by the positioning of your eyes toward the window pane.
As I continued to walk toward the chalkboard glancing over all the other little faces...
secretly worrying about you, I focused in on your little presence.
How you would not keep my look.
Not even a glance.
I felt the sadness of your heart.
I felt a sense of longing for something lost or someone who had been taken away.
As I bent down to your desk, still refusing to catch my face, I saw it fall.
One single tear slid down your cheek.
As you sat and pretended to stare out the window...
as you pretended to stay focused on the somewhat busy city street...
they began to fall.
I always have heard that tears are the rainbow to the soul.
How the pain of your heart was showing through each tear released.
You know God keeps each tear in a bottle.
He saves them.
He remembers each one.
Someday He will wipe all of them away.
As I saw your pain, I began to feel my own.
I felt a longing for something lost or someone who had been taken away.
I tried to hide my face.
I tried not to catch their gaze.
I tried to look as far away.
I tried to hide but their eyes caught it fall.
One single tear slid down my cheek.
Pretending to stare at the classroom doorway...
pretending to focus on the empty school hallway...
still trying to hide my face.
They began to fall.
As I saw yours fall, I wiped mine away.
Tears revealing the rainbow of two individual souls.
Knowing that God keeps each one and holds the memories so dear.
As you cry and release your pain, I do the same.
As you long for your past teacher, your lost friend that moved on....
I long for my past class so far away, my little friends that I departed from.
Isn't it funny how today we do the same?
Isn't it funny my little new friend?

Celebration

Lately I have been thinking that something is missing in my life. I'm pretty happy and thankful most of the time. I know that the Lord has been faithful in every area of my life, even when I don't understand certain struggles or trials that I am going through. I know that He is always faithful. So I'm usually pretty smiley and thankful but for some reason or another it seems that I have been lacking joy. There are numerous instances in the Bible that speak about this 'joy'. It is actually a command from the Lord for us to be joyful and sing praise due to His Name. How do I obtain this joy? What has been keeping me from having this joy?

The other evening I was talking with a few friends (as we gathered to celebrate for no reason at all) and one was discussing how she dresses joyful. I thought to myself 'what an interesting idea.' She was telling us that colors can have a big effect and can actually make you joyful. She then told us how she had started wearing joyful colors. Immediately I envisioned myself wearing a bright red scarf.

As I woke up this morning, I was still thinking about this 'joy' thing. I looked in my closet for a red scarf but found none. Then I thought "Well better yet, I'll paint one!"



JOY