Blog Archive - January 2009

So often the intellectual smart guy walks around, knowingly or unknowingly, with an orb of unapproachability surrounding them. You know the type. Anyone who would challenge their thinking or even ask a simple question is surely going to walk away feeling intimidated, their brain having been run through a wringer. But what was it about Jesus – the smartest Man that has ever lived – that made Him so approachable?

Meekness.

The height of God’s beauty is found in His meekness. There is nothing more attractive than meekness. Jesus perfectly displayed the riches of God’s meekness. How can One so strong, so wise, and so mighty stoop so low in such tenderness? It truly humbles us to look upon the great mystery of God’s meekness.

Not only is it humbling to look upon His meekness, but it is inspiring to our hearts to walk in it ourselves. Our greatest glory, freedom, and pleasure is found in being like God in our character.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
(Ephesians 5:1 NKJV)

There is an inherent dilemma in “being first” in privilege and prominence in this age because it creates social and time pressures that may distract us from developing meekness. But we’ve been invited to be set free from the bonds of pride as we walk in meekness. In our weakness, we can receive the impartation of the Holy Spirit to truly walk like Jesus did. Ask Him for it!

The last day of the onething conference this year, Mike Bickle gave a "sacred charge" to any who distinctly felt the calling to be a forerunner like John the Baptist was, preparing the way for the Lord's return. Above and beyond the simple disciplines of Christianity, about 4-5,000 young people made this 10-year minimum commitment to "eating the scroll" and devouring the Word of God related to the end-times. (Revelation 10)

Here are the seven things these young people committed to walk out:

The Sacred Charge: 7 Commitments of a Forerunner

Friends of the Bridegroom preparing the way of Jesus’ Second Coming

1. Pray daily: spending 2 hours in prayer and Word (Book of Revelation once a week for 3 years)
2. Fast weekly: setting your heart to fast 2 days a week as a lifestyle
3. Speak boldly: standing as a faithful witness in allegiance to Jesus’ heart for the Church, Israel and the nations
4. Do Justly: doing works of justice focusing on the fatherless and oppressed
5. Give extravagantly: giving to the prayer movement (beyond our tithe)
6. Live holy: walking out the Sermon on the Mount and keeping the Purity Covenant
7. Lead diligently: leading weekly prayer meetings and Bible studies (focused on training forerunners)

The young people didn't make these seven commitments out of a sense of duty thinking that God would not accept them if they did not take up the charge, but out of a sense of love and desire to walk in the fullness of what God has called them to. It was such a powerful thing to see, and we feel that it was a defining moment in the history of our little corner of the end-time prayer movement here in Kansas City.

I want my website to be a resource for those of you who have made this commitment. Over the next several months, I'll be specifically expounding upon each of these points on my blog, uploading encouraging audio for your journey, and linking to other helpful resources.

If you were at onething or you were watching the webstream and you made this commitment, leave a comment here and be sure to sign up for an account on my website to be able to access the resources I'll have available!

UPDATE: For those of you who have made the commitment, the email address you should email is "sacredcharge@ihop.org". Bless you!