Crazy Thursday

Ok, so I meant to post this way before, but just got caught up with stuff, so now I'll try to type it all out now. So on thursday our speaker was talking about getting over strongholds in our lives and he started getting fired up while teaching saying that as Christians we gotta step up our game. He kept saying how Jesus is coming back soon and that Satan's scared, which is why he's pulling out everything he's got and corruption in our world has never been so big. We can see it in everything from media to entertainment to politics to crime, etc etc.

However, he kept saying how the church is asleep in this time of dire need and at this moment, the statistics say that 4% of college students in America attend church on a weekly basis. That statistic was at about 50%+ 50 years ago and has steadily declined since. He said if we don't step up our game and start taking the Bible seriously and start waking up the church, then Christianity might end with our generation. Many past generations have always prophesied and proclaimed things, but they never carried them out and kept relying on the younger generations, but as of now, we're like the last generation that needs to stand up and actually DO everything we prophesize and proclaim or it might end in nothing.

He was so passionate about this that he actually started to weep while he shared this with us and I guess you could say he begged us to wake up, realize this cause, and do something about it. I know I'm not explaining it in a good way, but it was a really emotional time and most of the people in the room were crying. After that he threw down his book and said that class was dismissed and encouraged us that we can pray or leave. Everyone started to pray while some leaders quickly started to play some music and the presence of the Holy Spirit was suddenly crazy strong in the room. Um, well for those who wouldn't know what this means, it's kind of like a heavy presence, you get this hot burning feeling in your chest usually, and some tingly feeling that I can't really explain.

Anywho, I was praying for my church and thinking about how many of them are still asleep, and if only they knew the truth and lived by it. Also just Vancouver as a whole because I've known the college and youth from the different churches. Then a picture came to my mind that God had blessed my grandfather in all he did, who then passed the blessing to my father, who then passed it on to me as well (I guess indirectly by sending me here) and that I should stop worrying about my fears for the future because as God was with my family, He will also be with me.

My main leader then took the mic and started saying how it wasn't an accident or a mistake that we're all here. Before the DTS, she said the leaders all got together and prayed that God would release a sound that would call forth his chosen people to come and totally shape the nations, and that we're all the respondents to that call. I had this image of a trumpet sounding and us from around the world preparing to come here to learn and bring revival to the rest of the world. I remembered my father telling me about this place and me suddenly feeling a surge of excitement and an automatic determination to come to YWAM even though I didn't quite understand it at all.

As I was praying about all these things I had a few tears coming down, but then I felt like it was something so much more and my leader said "I feel like some of us just need to weep it out" and so I just let it overtake me and man...I've never cried so much in my life o.o; The only other time I ever remember weeping was at my grandfather's funeral when we needed to see his body. While I was crying though, all I could think of was the church and I kept getting images of me leading a whole bunch of people and me saying "God, I may not know what the future holds, but if it's your will then I'll fight against my insecurities and fear, and follow where you lead me." Suddenly when I was praying that, I felt my arms get this tingly vibrating kinda feeling and were going numb, it kept getting stronger and stronger until I couldn't move my fingers anymore and they were clamped shut :O . I was kind of like "What the heck is happening? O.O;" but just kept praying passionately for my future and for the church and thanking God that he brought me here and all that and my cheeks, lips and tongue developed the same feeling as my arms and then my legs. Luckily I was sitting down or I would of totally bailed and fell on top of people haha.

We ended up praying for 5 hours straight o.o! but it felt like nothing to us because we were so into it. This isn't just my own experience, everyone else had crazy encounters with God in that room that the main leaders didn't really know what to do because they didn't want to do anything that would hinder us, so they just tried to let the Holy Spirit lead as much as possible. My experience lasted for about 1-2 hours and finally I could move properly again. I was lucky cuz I wanted to stay there and pray, but I also needed Kleenex to wipe the tears and um...snot that was dripping hahaha. Hey, if you weep, I'd be surprised if the same didn't happen to you haha. But I remembered the speaker saying "Don't be so quick to leave the presence of the Lord, you'll never regret it" so I decided to stay and my leader (I'm guessing, but didn't see who it was) dropped down some Kleenex for me to use, so I was like "Thank you Lord @.@;"

After 5 hours, we had to end it because we had to go to work duty (chores that we do everyday, but mine takes 30 min. so its all good) so the ones that needed to leave left, including me. I was just in a daze for the rest of the day until corporate worship time that was later in the day (when the whole school gets together and does worship and hears a speaker talk) but I'll talk about that in my next posting.

I gotta go eat now, so I'll write about it later ^^.