Do you have physical places in your life that you can go to where you can say God met you and changed your life?
Many of us have places like this. For some it is auditoriums, park benches, foreign nations, office buildings, stages, car rides, the mountains.
In Genesis there is a moment like this for Jacob.
“16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.”
He had a moment where he encountered God and he would come back to this place and remember what God spoke to him later in his life.
For me one of the many places in my life is Desperation Conference. Each year New Life Church hosts a conference for youth and young adults that draws thousands from all over the country.
“Desperation was birthed for one purpose: to help sculpt a generation that desires to live a life in desperate pursuit of God. We believe that if we unite and pray then God will bring change to our generation as local churches gradually and intentionally make disciples of Jesus.”
In 2009 as an intern at New Life Church I was wrestling with God about what following him looked like for my life, and I needed something to give my heart and passion too, and I remember that I began to cry out that I would see in my life time a generation on their face before God. That my life would be marked by moments of seeing a generation going after God and not culture.
I prayed that and continue to pray that, but in July of 2009 I was walking with one of the Guest speakers after Desperation Conference and he stopped me and he said “JD I feel like you are supposed to see whats happening right now..” so we turned around and walked back out on the stage and I looked out across the sea of young people as they were literally on their knees crying out to God to mark them for his purposes and his plans and I wept.
On that stage at Desperation 5 years ago on my knees I made a covenant with God that I would pay any price and give anything he asked of me to be a part of seeing my generation live in this place of surrender and commitment to covenant with Jesus and to bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth.
This past weekend I went with the middle school and high school students from our church to Desperation.
There were multiple times where I was overwhelmed by the presence of God as he reminded me of that encounter with him 5 years ago. Sacred moments.
There is an extremely powerful promise found in scripture about unity.
“ 1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. ”
As I stood in the crowd surrounded by thousands of young people crying out to God for him to move in America, I was reminded of the power of unity.
May we all live lives that work towards unity among God's people that he would be made famous in our generation in every nation, tribe, and tongue.