house of prayer

Swiss Wednesday Update

It’s been a very full 48 hours here in Yverdon. And nothing could feel better than being “used” for the Kingdom, especially when you’re away from the ones you love. “Down time” is often your biggest enemy while abroad, and I’ve had none of it this trip!

Yesterday’s 3 hour morning class focused on allowing our spirit’s heavenly position (Ephesians 2) to provide us with not only a divine perspective on life, but with Biblical goals. The workshop in the afternoon then centered on collaborative songwriting, a discipline which I know stretched them linguistically and musically as there are 5 different nations represented among them. They’ll be presenting their songs Thursday night in a large church gathering (so they’re all a little freaked out).

Today I taught on “being glorious,” one of my very favorite life-messages, based largely on some of Bill Johnson’s teachings. The presence of the Lord was very strong as I encouraged them to live passionately for God and pursue his purposes for their lives. Those familiar with the regimes of Communism and Socialism–two movements that have had a spiritual grip in the Church as well–felt the freedom to step up and out of a system which has largely kept them bound to “the common,” and resists the individual call.

Then finally this afternoon the students and I held a watch of prayer and worship at Yverdon’s House of Worship, located high on a hill overlooking the city. I love this house and have a special fondness for the meetings with God that I’ve had there. Today was as unexpected as the previous times, this one filled with spontaneous songs of celebration. Having Africans in the mix always helps, as drumming and dancing broke out for more than an hour!

As I wrote Sunday, I am continually reminded on this trip that God hides pieces of himself among the nations, and I find myself on a hunt to appreciate more and more of him through the people I have fellowship with.

ch:

SOW Day 3

The School of Worship in Yverdon continued Wednesday with the completion of my first series on Born to be Glorious. It is always a challenging message, as often the Christian world teaches us to be humble. And that’s it. We never teach people what the reward for humility is: glory (1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:10). To be awesome. To rock. Here on earth, not just in heaven. Thus allowing the most brilliant people in the world to be brilliant, the most creative people, creative, the most beautiful, beautiful. And as a result? The nations come to us (Isa. 55, 60). We must stop sabotaging God’s plan to attract the nations, and start being glorious again!

After lunch, everyone headed over to the House of Prayer, a beautiful home that YWAM purchased for the specific purpose of continual prayer and worship. Our 2-hour watch was powerful, and spent praying and prophesying over the city, the nation, and for the church & lost alike. In most settings, as a worship leader you need a few minutes to “find the river” and engage in worship; but here, it was like jumping in with the first notes. While the Holy Spirit doesn’t dwell in temples made by the hands of man, buildings do seem to have memories. And this building has been prayed in enough for it to remember the presence of the Lord.

Jennifer and I spent the evening with Sylvain & Lynn Freymond and family, the directors of YWAM here. They are very dear friends, and their hilltop home overlooking the Alps was just too beautiful. Of course, no visit to the countryside would be complete without seeing some cows, so we dropped in on Grandpa Jean-Marc to see his award winning cows (awards pictured at top). And the most peculiar thing? They are much larger than American cows.

Go figure. ch: