Prayer In School Photobook:

Molly and I have created a photobook called Prayer In School! We've self-published it through an online service called blurb.com. We are very excited about it!

Take a look:

View the softcover or hardcover.

Thank you!

Watch the Prayer Room LIVE!

The International House of Prayer has maintained a 24 hour prayer room for over 11 years and they have made it available for everyone to view for free over a live webstream!

I play electric guitar for a worship leader in the prayer room called Audra Lynn and I play several times a week:

- Sunday 2 PM and 8 PM
- Wednesday 6 PM and 10 PM
- Friday 10 PM

You can watch the prayer room live right now!

Don't Love Me To Hell: The False Justice Movement at the End of the Age

"Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin..." - Isaiah 30:1

Isaiah 30 is a very interesting passage that speaks volumes into today's society and the end of the age scenario. There are two justice movements at the end of the age. One is centered on Jesus and brings the message of the gospel to every people group on the earth. The other is centered in humanism and our own ability to solve our problems (alliances not of God's Spirit). Jesus is ultimate justice.

The latter justice movement looks well-intented (although truly rooted in greed). I heard a very popular Christian speaker say, "It used to be that if you went overseas and helped the poor, people called you a missionary, but now if you go overseas and help the poor, they call you 'rockstar'." Today, Opera defines the justice movement, and movements like To Write Love On Her Arms are redefining what people need.

I contacted To Write Love On Her Arms and asked if they were indeed a Christian ministry, as many claimed they were. Their reply said that they started as a Christian movement, but they found that Jesus burns more bridges than he builds, so they are no longer a faith-based movement. For them, love is not rooted in who God is, but is rooted in freedom apart from the person of Jesus.

That reply broke my heart. We have a justice movement that feels genuine sorrow for the poor of the earth but does not know the truth that sets us free. They may build a school or give a person food and shelter, but in the end they still end up in hell.

This movement is even more prevalent on college and school campuses. Love is called tolerance, and truth and justice are completely redefined. Freedom is called lawlessness. All of it leads to destruction.

The true justice movement, however, is also strong. Those who would seek to provide humanitarian aid and spread the truth of Jesus are also making massive steps forward. In the end, humanitarian aid will not be the issue. The truth of the message is what will revealed and contended against. Scripture says that Christians will be hated by all nations because of our message as the stage is set for the Antichrist to take power. The message of Jesus will be hated, and it will be obvious and blatant.

But the message of Jesus will have power. As Isaiah says, "A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.”

From Isaiah 30:18 onward, Isaiah begins to describe the true justice movement and what life is like in the New Jerusalem. The Lord vindicates those who wait on Him.

Then in Isaiah 30:27 onward, we see the judgement of God against the false justice movement. You'll notice that intertwined in this message of judgement is the people of the Lord in song! My favorite part is verse 32:

"Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of timbrels and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm."

This is the House of Prayer movement at the end of the age! The Lord unleashes judgements in partnership with the songs and the prayers of the saints at the end! This is also found in Psalm 149.

All that to say, I'm interested in true justice that is only found in the truth of Jesus. What good is it to give a person a coat if in the end they still go to hell? The act must be accompanied with the message of Jesus, otherwise no seed is planted at all. Jesus is true justice.

Photobook Project

Recently I've been working on a photobook project with photos I took with student leaders from 456 in December. This has been a personal project that I hope we can use to spread the message and vision of 456 as far as the Lord will carry it. I'm not really wanting to pursue a carrier in photography, but I couldn't resist the chance to use what I have to spread this message. This is a picture-book, to say the least, and each page contains a small paragraph about prayer in school. It will be a great way for our supporters to connect to what we are doing and to share our vision over a fun and creative medium.

As an exclusive treat, here's a look at the cover image for the photobook:

Right now we're in the final editing stage of some of the text and hopefully soon we'll have a solid draft to send to print!

UPDATE (1/28/2011): We have our proof copy and are making some final adjustments to the layout! It should be available the first week of February!

365 Days of Marriage!

Molly and I just celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary!!!

One year ago today Molly and I entered into a glorious covenant before the Lord to be marriage as long as we live! 365 days later, all I have to say is that this girl is awesome! She reminds me constantly of Proverbs 31:10-31 and seeks the Lord with all of her heart.

All marriages are different, but the common denominator of successful marriages is submission to the leadership of Jesus. Jesus has led us so tenderly and has provided for us in every way! We are so thankful!

And I am so thankful for my beautiful bride! I had no idea marriage could be this amazing, and truly Molly has made my life exponentially better! Other than salvation, I have no greater gift than Molly. I think some of God's paperwork must have mixed up in the matchmaking section of heaven because I scored way out of my league!

And now there is another Bloom on the way! I couldn't be more excited!

In such a culture of anti-marriage sentiment and abortion, I hope our marriage sends a message to Satan's door. God is raising up a generation that won't settle for our culture's idea of love. Marriage is worth it.

Parenting A Generation of Deliverers

I've been reading Hebrews 11 and was stopped at verse 23 which reads:

"By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict." - Hebrews 11:23 (NIV)

And I thought to myself about the responsibility that was given to Moses's parents the moment he was born in those dark days. The NIV translation of this verse is actually a bad translation; whereas the words "no ordinary child" should be "a beautiful child." But according to Acts 7:20 where Moses' parents saw that he was set apart by the Lord from birth, I think that "no ordinary child" works just fine. He was set apart by the Lord as a deliverer in the darkest days.

As a soon-to-be parent, I believe we are raising up a generation of "no ordinary children." There is a responsibility given to the parents of that child, or of that generation, to foster that calling. Think of Zechariah and Elizabeth who parented John the Baptist knowing he would become the man in Isaiah 40... In Egypt there was a death edict over that generation but Moses was born to parents who "were not afraid of the kings edict." They saw that Moses was set apart and they risked their lives for that calling. Had that not happened, the rest of Hebrews 11 would not tell of the great faith of Moses, the deliverer of Israel.

Therefore, I want to be sensitive to who I am bringing into the world. In days like these, you never know...