I had a quick ministry trip to speak at a young adult conference near Tampa over the last couple of days.  The host ministry was an independent young adult ministry called The Front in Bradenton, FL which is just outside of Tampa.  They have unity with some 42 different ministries in the Tampa area.  I soberly say that this was one of the most enjoyable trips that I have been on in the last several years as far as a ministry trip.  The saints were honorable, hungry, diligent and found in the place of fasting and prayer for some years now.  I was so encouraged.  The Lord met us and we had great times of teaching and impartation but what struck me most by the trip was the authenticity of the people involved with this ministry.  They are for real. They love Jesus well and serve people with excellence.  Before I left they gathered around me and I received some of the most refreshing prayer and prophetic ministry that I have received in a long time.  If you’re ever in the Tampa area stop in a check them out.

God bless The Front.  May they increase in wisdom and love for Jesus.

Amen.

Wes

We just finished our first week of the Luke18 SLP with about 60 college students and various campus ministry leaders.  They are here at IHOP-KC for one month to spend time in the Prayer Room, get equipped in the Word on themes of prayer, intimacy and the end times and also be trained to go back to their campus and plant a corporate prayer meeting (prayer furnace) to cry out for revival.  We have students and leaders from all over the US and about 5 countries as well.  The students are hungry, focused and zealous for a move of God on their campus.  It’s been encouraging to see such focus in their eyes as they set their gaze upon Christ.

It’s critical that we see a genuine move of the Spirit of God sweep across our universities in this land. These education systems are producing the leaders (teachers, lawyers, politicians, nurses, etc.) of tomorrow that will some day be influencing our children.  Whatever is taught (values, philosophy, morals) at the university level in any given nation is where that nation will be in due time.

God help us.  Send revival to every single college campus in America!  May the fear of the Lord go forth equipping students and professors alike in the knowledge of God.

Pray for the campus in your region.  To learn more about planting a Luke18 prayer furnace on your campus visit the Luke18 website.

Be blessed,

Wes

What a profound gift we have as Believers in Christ Jesus.  We have the privilege and invitation to speak real words from our mouths to God and He hears and acts.  This is unbelievable!  The impact (or lack of) that this reality will have upon us is completely dependent upon the knowledge and understanding of who God is to us.  If we have low views of God the revelation of prayer will not affect our lives in the way that the Lord would have it.  As the Church we must elevate our knowledge and understanding of God to the rightful place it ought to be.  Where we walk in the fear of His name and holy awe and wonder fill our hearts as we think upon Him.  It is in this place that the privilege and invitation of prayer will have it’s proper place in our lives.

The high and lofty God of time, of power, of creation, listens…He hears…He acts upon the words that His saints bring before Him!  We come before Him in confidence and in awe that He gives us a voice to shift history as we pray according to His heart.

I encourage you to once again consider who it is we come to in the place of worship and prayer.  Let the knowledge of God be exalted in our hearts and minds and exhilarate us in the place of prayer.

Be blessed.

Wes

This past weekend, I know…it’s Thursday and last weekend is a long time ago but give me a break I’m just now having time sit down and breathe for a second.  Anyway, we took the Onething Conference to Colorado just south of Denver last Friday-Sunday.  We blew it up!  Cory Asbury and Luke Wood tag-teamed the worship sets and Corey Russell and myself tag-teamed the preaching.  We had just under a 1,000 in attendance which was all our facility would hold so it was good and packed out.  The Lord revealed Himself in mighty ways throughout the weekend.  The preaching was clear on the Knowledge and Splendor of God, the 2nd coming of Jesus, and the Joel 1 & 2 call to the place of prayer and fasting.  There was such hunger in the hearts of those who attended.  The ministry times at the end of each session were packed every time with many in tears making holy vows unto the Lord.  Praise God…He’s so kind to us.

On Saturday afternoon I led a meeting of about 100 leaders from the region and I was so encouraged to see their zeal for the Person of Christ to burn in the hearts of young adults throughout Colorado.  We had a strong presence there with our Luke18 Project team as well.  There seems to be a clear buzz on several campuses in the region.  The Church is really crying out to God for the breaking in of power on the gospel.

Pray for those who attended made a shift in their hearts and lifestyles to embrace the love of Jesus.

Be blessed today.

Wes

My wake-up call nearly every morning comes not from my alarm clock but our 18-month old son, Owen Daniel.  He’s like clockwork.  Every morning between 730-830AM he awakes and begins his morning war-cry to be rescued from his crib.  I then wake up… lie there for a second… and then stumble down to his room to get the little guy.  I LOVE this part of my day.  I love walking into his room and watching his expression of joy as he sees his daddy there to rescue him and get him his morning sippy-cup of milk

We then venture down the stairs to eat some breakfast as we both watch our favorite morning cartoon… Handy Manny.  Great cartoon!  A little while later mom and Maci make it down and we begin our morning play time till around Noon.  This consists of playing indoor hoops, pushing trucks around on the hardwood, or seeing how far we can throw certain things (this one I believe is his favorite).  I work from 1PM-12AM so my mornings are family time.

I love my family.

Wes  

For some reason the last few days Our lil’ man (Owen) has decided he’s going to wake up at 6AM.  This isn’t good.  Especially that I work 2nd shift and don’t get home till midnight nearly every night.  I’m hoping it’s because of the trip we just came home from and his schedule is a bit thrown off.  I’m nervous.  His sleeping schedule has been sweet for a while now…going down usually around 7PM and sleeping until 8-830AM.  We’ll see.

Pray.

Wes

Go with me for a second: in Luke 3:22 as Jesus is baptized the Spirit of God descends upon Him in bodily form and then the voice of the Father is audibly heard from the heavens.  The Genesis 1, Creator God that spoke half a sentence and created the known universe thunders a sentence of affection, affirmation, and courage straight into the inner-man of His Son, Jesus.  Can you imagine what this thunderous declaration must have done to the heart and soul of this Man?  Wow!  Imagine the confidence that must have welled up in His spirit, the clarity of mind of who He was and who His Father was.  Imagine the zeal to follow, to obey, to do His will…all of this from a declaration of truth about who He was in the sight of the Father.  Oh that we too would be confident in who the Father calls us as we too our children of God!  (1 John 3:1)

Notice this is just before Jesus is led into the wilderness (Luke 4) to be tested by Satan.  During this testing Jesus will be vulnerable, weak and tested in His humanity in a way that He has never been tested up till this time.  The Father knowing this time ahead for His Son prophesies to Him declaring clearly who He is and they way He feels about Him.  I can imagine Jesus feasting on this account for the 40 days of fasting and testing in the wilderness.  He was unshakable, unwavering, and unwilling to turn against the heart of His Father in heaven.

May we too arrive at such a testimony as we receive the love of God and ground our identity not in what we do but who we are in the sight of God.

Amen.

Be blessed,

Wes

This coming Sunday Maci will be six weeks old.  She’s up to 8 pounds.  Not bad for only weighing 6.7 pounds when she as born.  These last six weeks have been a trip.  Owen is 18 months old…now you can understand the ‘trip’ a bit better.  I’ve mostly been busy with handling that little guy as mom cares for and nurses Maci. God bless my wife for when I got to work in the afternoons she mothers them both until Owen goes down around 7PM.  My wife is a trooper, amazing, gifted and doing an AMAZING job of loving and caring for our kids.
Owen is beginning to warm up to Maci.  We didn’t know what was gonna happen those first few weeks.  He wasn’t too excited that there was a new kid in the house to share mom and dad’s attention.  He would curiously ease up to her to take a look seeming to be the loving big brother and then WHAM!…attempt a karate chop.  Thus far Maci has made it and she’s even beginning to win her brother’s heart.

Be blessed,

Wes

I’m teaching a six-session series right now on the subject that God is a Father.  Wow did I need to hear this.  I taught two sessions this week and last night in the Prayer Room the Lord really met with me about sitting before Him as ‘Abba’ and to be still in His presence.  My heart was warmed and comforted as most of my prayer was summed up by gently saying and somewhat moaning…”PaPa…PaPa”.  I felt like a son that has been hard at work and needing a time of being embraced by his dad while being affirmed and loved on.  Abba did just that. On my short drive home from the Prayer Room I continued my simple prayer of simply saying His name…feeling it come from deep in my heart.  God is so good.  He’s patient, He’s kind, He’s jealous for me to know His love and to have all of me.

Be blessed today.

Wes

Owen at Custard Cup