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FAST DAY 

THE BIRTHING OF VISION

Throughout these 21 days of fasting, my heart for everyone is INTIMACY with the Father. That is the sole goal, why? Because HE is the SOLE treasure. 

We must be intentional about this, or our relationship will slip into a transactional one (If you haven’t read day 2 / 3, PLEASE do so), and that type of relationship is based on works, and it’s not the Gospel message.

Only in the last 5 years have I learned that EVERYTHING flows from the place of intimacy (I don't use that word lightly).

Vlad Savchuk said, “if God intends to do it, He doesn’t need your hustle”. 

He wasn’t saying not to work for the Lord or just to sit around, and things will happen. He was truely speaking to the Aseity of God.

God is the UNCREATED ONE.

God is SELF-SUFFICIENT, SELF-EXISTENT, and INDEPENDENT.

He does not need anyone or anything outside of Himself, and if He intends for something to happen, it is GOING to happen.

God doesn’t require fleshly street hustle; He requires OBEDIENCE! Even over sacrifice.

 Now, there is a reason why I have shared that with you, beloved: The Birthing of Vision

This is not about how The OAK started, (most of y’all know that) but this, instead, is about a prophecy that I didn’t really care for. One that I put on the shelf. I, selfishly, didn’t pray into, steward, or think much about it (I have since repented of this).

This word was given to Nina and me in 2022.

We were about a year in with The OAK, really just getting started. Even with the beginning of The OAK, I never “planned” on being THE pastor; I thought worship leader was my role, and surely so with such a fiery, talented, amazing woman of God that the Lord blessed me with.

Friends, I legitimately knew VERY LITTLE about ANYTHING I was doing. I knew very little about planting/building a church. While God graced me with knowing how to follow and lead (mainly warriors into battle), I knew even less about actual shepherding. 

I couldn’t point to mentors.

I couldn’t point to professors.

I couldn’t point to books.

And I SURELY couldn’t point to myself.

There is only ONE I can point to, and HIS NAME IS JESUS!

With tears in my eyes, I say again: JESUS!

(JUST A SIDE NOTE, I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY! THE BOAST IS IN HIM ALONE!)

But we had so much going on and I was trying to find the best way to balance the ministry of the OAK with the more important ministry (my family), and it was (still is) hard. The Lord was training me in how to be balanced, because He knows, if I think He is telling me to sell every possession and move to India I will (as y’all know, we did). 

The Lord blessed us with the responsibility to raise 3 beautiful daughters, and our youngest, Nora, was diagnosed by a doctor with “level 3” autism (the most severe). Her care must be thought of during every single decision, every choice, every ministerial move…everything.

(I’m sure by now someone is thinking, “get to the prophetic word, already!”) 

I remember it was after we led worship at Celebrate Recovery for Pastor Matt Lever and Prodigal Ministries, and I felt in my spirit that God wanted us to make a connection with Reuben and Grace Kora.

I didn’t know much about them except that they were passionate about the Lord and they were pastoring a church.

So that connection was made, and as Nina and I were stopping at Kroger after a powerful time of worship with our brothers and sisters at Prodigal, Grace shared with us, through FB messenger, a dream she had and in a part of that dream, a guy with long hair and shaved sides was kicked back in their church/warehouse and she knew that God had given him a new mission/mandate/directive to help those suffering with addiction/life control issues in the C.S.R.A.

After we connected, she realized that it was me in her dream, and she shared that with us. (yes, I had long hair and shaved sides )

So as we listened to it, we were excited, we always leave the Koras just feeling encouraged and refreshed (even through voice messages or texts), but to step into the recovery community with all we had going on…was impossible at that time. Plus, (and I want to make this abundantly clear), there are already fantastic ministries in the CSRA who are dealing blows to the enemy through their work in the recovery community.

So, we put that on the shelf. I figured that maybe there was another guy with shaved sides and long hair who was already part of that community.

Throughout 3-4 years, that word would come back to me, and I would shrug it off. Too many fleshly thoughts encamped around that prophetic word. 

“There are already so many ministries/churches doing this.”

“What else could you possibly offer?”

“Let the professionals handle this area.”

But I just kept feeling impressed by the Lord that this was Him. 

Now, even within that, I just handed it to the Lord and didn’t really pursue getting into it, but if:

 GOD INTENDS TO DO SOMETHING, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

We have begun to see God send mighty families coming from different places to either prophesy over our church OR dig their heels in with our church, and GOD is on the move to the point to where we MUST begin to take action!

So, this entire blog was to tell The OAK church that we will be stepping into the recovery community to help those fighting with, and this is very important, LIFE CONTROL ISSUES:

That is all encompassing. Too many times, we only look at the ones addicted to meth as if they are in bad shape, while we have our Oreos in the nightstand beside us (pointing at myself).

We will be stepping into this strategically and with power, not because every other ministry is doing it wrong but because we believe we have something God has given The OAK that we can offer to strengthen the entire community. To come alongside the giants in this community and support the work of seeing the CSRA  FREE, WHOLE, REVIVED, REFORMED, AND RENEWED.

ALL GLORY TO GOD!

(MORE TO COME ON THIS)