Sunday, February 6, 2022 it was announced to Connection Church that Dan and I would be stepping down as Creative Arts Directors. After having about 10 days to digest the information ourselves, we witnessed some who were quite surprised while also hearing from others that they knew in their spirit it was coming. Dan and I had the honor to share our hearts regarding the transition and really all we could express was a call to action. We shared a call to walk the same road we are traveling. God has grown us up to a place in our hearts where we desire to have a constant yes in our pockets ready to hand over to Him whenever He asks. This simple yes can answer anything from, “Will you stop what you’re doing and sit with Me?” to “Will you sell everything you have and follow Me wherever I lead?” and everywhere in between. We currently find ourselves repeatedly pulling that yes out of our pockets to give our Lover.
Why?
Simple, because He is our Lover. Jesus is our First Love and now our all is for Him. Now, our everything is for Him and for the building of His Kingdom. Our lives are no longer our own and we’ve nailed our plans, desires, and rights to the cross so He can increase as we decrease. Dan and I have lived outside the will of God too many times and have learned through His discipline, that is not a place we want to be. Being released from Connection is an open door we willingly walk through because we will follow where He leads. The truth is we do not know where that will be. We do not have permission from the Lord to look for employment at another church right now but we know we are being asked to build our House of Psalms Music ministry by documenting content to help spread the worship reformation in America. Where this will lead is still a mystery but the results are not fully up to us. Our yes is what we are responsible for. What we do know is that we will go wherever He asks. We will stay in freezing cold Michigan or move to another country. We will sell our house and possessions, move into a trailer with our family to travel the country teaching people what we know or we will become committed to a single church community again. The point is that
we
will
do
WHATEVER
He asks.
Will it always be easy?
No.
It’s not always easy. You have to fight. You have to battle against the kingdom of darkness because when you are ready to suit up and become a player in the Kingdom, you’re no longer on the bench and the Enemy notices. We have had our moments of battle since the ball started rolling in this transition but what does seem to increase is our awareness and keen sense of discerning what is God and what is not. The only way to grow through uncertainty (notice I said ‘grow’ and not ‘go’) is to stay close to Jesus. We read our Bibles and listen to edifying teaching. We’ve been growing out of this complacency of feeding on entertainment and growing into using our time productively by feeding on His word. Little changes to our daily lives have built into big transformations over time. The more you feed on God, the more hungry you become because He is limitless. There is no end to His beauty!
In February of 2021 we were so blessed to attend Jesus Image in Orlando, FL. I was so full of expectation that God had something big for us there. We had planned on going to south Florida on vacation and even though Orlando would be hours away I knew we had to be there Sunday, February 7. Plans changed and we ended up staying only 30 minutes from Jesus Image, cue removal of the last obstacle! Little did I know physical healing was waiting for us and even more, a prophetic word from the Lord through Michael Koulianos.
Dan you’re going to get more than the healing though the healing is precious. Father, clothe him in the fire of the Holy Spirit. Let him go back to Michigan burning. Let him go back to MICHIGAN BURNING with the Holy Spirit. Use him Lord Jesus in that region. Let his words drip with fire, let them drip with honey. Come Holy Sprit and clothe him in a fresh anointing, a fresh impartation for this new season in his life. I feel the Lord answering. On the way down here I feel like you had many questions in your soul. Even about your future, even about breakthrough you wanted to see. There was frustration even in line with what you wanted to see, more in the assignment that you’re in and you burning and yearning to see more and you being frustrated even with people and you wondering why, why they don’t just go for it. Rather than just convincing, listen, you won’t convince them with your words. You’re gonna BE the message, you’re gonna be the torch. In Jesus name I release the power of the Holy Ghost upon your life that you would be a true, authentic, humble, bold, zealous, gentle Jesus loving worshipper. In Jesus name! Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! Why are you crying?
Dan: Because everything you said is true.
Michael: Have we ever met before?
Dan: No.
Michael: No, the Lord knows you by name.
One year later to the exact Sunday, the Holy Spirit revealed to Dan part of this word was being fulfilled:
“Rather than just convincing, listen, you won’t convince them with your words. You’re gonna BE the message, you’re gonna be the torch.”
On Sunday, February 6, 2022 when we gave our last exhortation to Connection Church we urged the congregation to lay down their lives, to give everything to Jesus no matter the cost. We told them we had no plans, we had no ideas, we only have Jesus and we will follow Him wherever He goes.
This is the message.
This is our life.
This is the call for all believers.
We had the opportunity to stand before the people we led for almost five years and say, do as we are doing, follow Jesus wherever He leads even when you don’t know where that is. This is the Matthew 10:39 call, "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
When we are part of the Lovesick Bride this is the cry of our hearts, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10
Although we have opened our hands to God and let go of so much, we are willing to let go of
every
single
other
thing.
Our house, our money, our state, living in America. WHATEVER He asks we will give and WHEREVER He goes we will go. This is the MESSAGE and we invite you to respond with lives that proclaim "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."
All glory be to God.