Fighting for VICTORY!!

I realised it's been a while since my last blog and thought, it's about time I write a new one. 10 days infact! WOAH!

Well, what a weekend! I had the privellege of going to Unlimited in Sydney and it was incredible! If I were to explain everything, I'd be here forever! But here's a snippet! Let me set the scene. Friday night, day 1! Wayne Alcorn is the guest speaker. And here's the scripture he spoke from.
Isaiah 54:1

"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.

Hmmm...strange thing to say don't you think? I mean, if you look at the context in which this passage was written, a barren woman was hardly the kind of person to start singing over the dishes or while working around the house. She was hardly the person you'd find at a party, living it up. And with no such thing as adoption agencies or IVF programs, how on earth would a desolate woman have more children than a married woman? In fact if you look at the time it was written a barren woman was outcast. If she was married and failed to 'produce' children she was ditched and good old hubby went and picked himself up another wife - one that would bare his children. You see the role of a woman was to be a wife and a mother. That was it. You failed to do those things and you failed as a woman.

Well, how could someone who was barren, outcast and frowned upon as an unworthy person and seen as a terrible sinner because of her circumstances, rejoice and start singing songs as if life was perfect. How could she think that she would have more children than a married woman? Well, God wasn't actually referring to the barren woman herself here. He was referring to the restoration of Jerusalem. He was talking about His anger and wrath towards Jerusalem subsiding and a fresh revival happening. Wayne spoke about this revival and spoke about how we, the church, need to start seeing revival happen in our own context. And you know what, if we are doing things that honour God, that promise of revival is ours!

After Wayne spoke I went forward and asked for prayer for my ministry. You see, there's been a big split and a decline in the church and mostly amongst the youth here. There's a lot of hurt and brokeness surrounding the young guys here. So I went and asked someone to pray for them and for my role as their Youth Pastor. I received a prayer of annointing and for the first time in my life, I was so overcome by the Holy Spirit that I fell on the ground and was pinned to the ground for about 20 mins while the Holy Spirit spoke. And do you know what He said? Only one word...VICTORY! I lay there and soaked it up. I couldn't move. It was incredible! VICTORY! One word held SO much in it! There WILL be victory for the youth here! I didn't know in what way, shape of form...and I still don't know completely...but let me tell you what happened next!

As we (I took 5 yth with me) drove back to the place we were staying the young guys sat in the car with a CD on repeat on the song Shout Unto God...the lyrics are:

The enemy has been defeated
Death couldn't hold you down
I'm gonna lift my voice in victory
I'm gonna make your praises loud

Shout unto God with a voice of triumph
Shout unto God with a voice of praise
Shout unto God with a voice of triumph
We lift your name up, we lift your name up

It was amazing. I still haven't shared my vision with them yet, and yet they were singing this victory song. Over and over and over again! I sat in the car smiling not able to sing, I just had to listen. And all I could hear was the sound of VICTORY! The sound of TRIUMPH! Wayne explained that the word 'sing' means 'to emit the sound of victory' and that's exactly what I heard in the car. Even though they didn't know it!

Well, the next night, one of the youth recommited his life to Christ. He's been sitting on the fence for a little while and stopped coming to church. But he came to Unlimited (actually, Love That) and he recommitted his life to Christ there! How amazing is that?! What sweet VICTORY!

So many amazing things happened, but I can't go into them all now! Too much. But, I know that God has amazing plans for the youth here! I know that there will be many more people emitting the sound of victory. And as for me and the youth, we will SING knowing that the Lord will bless this place with MORE of His children!

Emit the sound of victory, friends...because the battle is the Lord's and the victory, through Christ, is ours! Praise Him for that!