Headed Back Home..

Hi all,

In one week I will be heading to Kenya on a team from the International House of Prayer (IHOP) with the focus of establishing a house of prayer in Western Kenya, Kitali.
I sit here astonished about this. I remember just months ago, Brian, Whitney, Issa, Mama Stano, and others sitting in our prayer room asking the Lord to give us breakthrough if He wanted a house of prayer that would contend with the loud house of Islam, witchcraft, tourism, drugs, etc. in Mombasa. Before I knew it Whit and I were on a plane taking Mario and Stano on a full scholarship to a Bible School in NZ. By the hand of the Lord we were connected to IHOP and I found myself here in Kansas City with an amazing group of young adults filled with desire to see the name of Jesus worshiped in the darkest places of the world.

There are two massive worship movements that are beginning to emerge across the earth.

"To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time when you hear the sound of.. music.. you shall fall down and worship the gold image.." Dan 3.

And slowly the music is beginning to play. The music of compromise, the music of pluralism, the music of confusion, the blurring of the lines, the dulling of the soul. We can see it all around us in the growing popular acceptance of tolerance for all things. In the church as many do not have a clear definition of who Jesus is compared to Muhammad. As many youth are Christian by name, but in love with the world, captivated by materialism and self-absorption. It may seem gray and normal, but as this music begins to sound many are turning to it, or better, away from the One who is to be worshiped. If our hearts are not locked on Jesus, what are they locked on? That is what we worship.

Praise the Lord that there are those who are willing to awaken from this sleepy state and make a decision about being swept by the tide or standing on firm ground. Young people who are willing to be counter-cultural and not live for the American Dream, for self-fulfillment, for success, for getting on top.. young people who would choose not to indulge in a culture of indulgence, who would fast and pray. Who would believe the Bible in its wholeness (Gen 2.4), and trust a God who says prayer is the answer to injustice (Lk 18:7-8), living not for self but for Him to died for our sakes (2 Cor 5.13-15), living HOLY (Mt 5-7). While majority accept what the media tells us about ourselves and our world, who follow the culture without question, a minority who will read their Bibles and give their lives for love's sake following the example of Him.

Who is He? Why is He worthy to be worshiped in America? In the Muslim World? Why is He worthy to be worshiped in Mombasa?

He is the One who sets us free from self-absorption, free from ourselves.. free to be who we were born to be.. those who worship God. He is Jesus, the Son of God, who has a heart full of desire for YOU. Desiring you unto His death, desiring you to die from the blurred lines of nothingness to enter into clarity and LIFE with Him who is Life (Jn 1).

Our 10 person team is taking off to Kitali Kenya Oct.2 for 3 months focused on establishing a house of prayer, a 24/7 place of worship to Him. We desire to see Jesus worshiped in Kitali because He is worthy.

I believe God is raising up the youth of Kenya to be counter-cultural, loving not their lives unto death, and loving Him and worshiping Him no matter the cost.

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king:
We have no need to answer you in this matter... Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.. but if not, LET IT BE KNOWN to you, O King, that we do not worship the gold image with you have set up." Dan 3

Jesus is looking for a couple of crazy guys.. crazy enough to stand up against the kings of our day, the kings of compromise, loss of innocence, tolerance, dullness of love.. and to choose life, to choose love, to walk the narrow road. I believe these crazy ones are in the streets in Kenya. In the villages in Mombasa. I believe He wants to raise up the Rapha family to cultivate hearts of love for Him and go to the darkness of Mombasa and say He is worthy. To go to the boarder of Somalia and save their dying brothers.. to go up to the chaos in northern Africa and spread Light in the dark.

I believe they were born to worship more than drugs, than false religions. I believe they were born to worship more than just themselves.

Pray with us. That God would raise up a youth movement that loves Him and gives their lives to worshiping Him through holy lifestyles, desiring true justice to arise in the nations around them. Youth who would pray, youth from the streets who would live recklessly for Jesus.

Only some months ago we lifted up our prayers from our little prayer room.. What will He do with our little prayers? (Mt 21.22)

God bless,