Looking back at the 9 days of the tour, I'm pretty amazed at what happened. Before getting on to any of the ministry we did, the team itself, which grew to about 22 people during the trip, was such a living representation of God's family. There was such care, love, forgiveness and unity among the group which had a wide range of ages, personalities and giftings, and God seemed to have placed each person in the right role for them. I believe that this atmosphere of joy, love, freedom and family that we carried as a group had an impact on the places we visited.
The meetings that we held in each place were marked by these things as well. There were people who led worship and did teaching, but beyond that in each meeting different members of the team would step forward with what they sensed God wanted to do. There was such an ebb and flow about team - people could freely move from playing music to prayer ministry to releasing prophetic words.
Personally, the chance to travel around Finland, worshiping God and interceding for the nation, with a family of people with the same heart was simply amazing. This stuff is a big part of what I was made to do. Of course there were challenges involved, and it was also a learning experience. I feel like I'm gonna be involved with these sorts of tours more in the future, so this was an invaluable experience, being surrounded by people who I could learn so much from.
It was also such a privilege to see more of what God is doing in Finland, and I really feel there is so much more to come. Throughout the tour we saw that God is releasing joy, freedom and healing to Finland, restoring men to their place and uniting men and women, and restoring families and the Church as His family. We were able to glimpse something of this, and we look forward with expectancy to what is to come.
- John
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
God has been doing deep things!
God has been doing deep things! Not just in our hearts, but to everyone who we have met along the journey across Finland. It has been a deeply humbling experience...
The reason I have entitled this update 'Breakthroughs and Births' is because these two words have been almost like the theme of the experiences that took place in various towns and cities around Finland. For me, the most incredible time was the first night in the Oulu Mission church! Following on from a dream I had over a month ago and then to see that dream become real during the course of the tour was so surreal! The word 'läpimurto' meaning breakthrough came into my mind while I was praying for one young lady in our group. For her it was a direct word from God, even though I wasn't quite sure what it meant. The first night in Oulu was evidence of that as this same young lady experienced something that she will probably never forget! We also saw, as a group, births, not just in the natural but also in the spiritual! During our time in Tampere, I was staying with a couple and their 2 children. These guys had been friends of mine during my time in Kotka. The mother was expecting any day and after the meeting in their city, she gave birth just a few hours later! The great thing was that we were able to see the new born baby when we were in Renko!
Every night that the Burn group led worship was different. The group of guys from various places and countries were just awesome. There was such a unity among the group due to having prayer partners and group prayers every morning at breakfast and before going to bed. Of course there was opposition, but what I felt we did during those 6 days made a HUGE difference to the spritial condition of the nation of Finland! Words truly fail me at how God had used us, especially in Oulu. So many things happened that I feel it will take me several days to process and ponder at what the Lord had done in and through us. May His name be forever glorified in this nation! Kiitos Herralle!
- Sean
The reason I have entitled this update 'Breakthroughs and Births' is because these two words have been almost like the theme of the experiences that took place in various towns and cities around Finland. For me, the most incredible time was the first night in the Oulu Mission church! Following on from a dream I had over a month ago and then to see that dream become real during the course of the tour was so surreal! The word 'läpimurto' meaning breakthrough came into my mind while I was praying for one young lady in our group. For her it was a direct word from God, even though I wasn't quite sure what it meant. The first night in Oulu was evidence of that as this same young lady experienced something that she will probably never forget! We also saw, as a group, births, not just in the natural but also in the spiritual! During our time in Tampere, I was staying with a couple and their 2 children. These guys had been friends of mine during my time in Kotka. The mother was expecting any day and after the meeting in their city, she gave birth just a few hours later! The great thing was that we were able to see the new born baby when we were in Renko!
Every night that the Burn group led worship was different. The group of guys from various places and countries were just awesome. There was such a unity among the group due to having prayer partners and group prayers every morning at breakfast and before going to bed. Of course there was opposition, but what I felt we did during those 6 days made a HUGE difference to the spritial condition of the nation of Finland! Words truly fail me at how God had used us, especially in Oulu. So many things happened that I feel it will take me several days to process and ponder at what the Lord had done in and through us. May His name be forever glorified in this nation! Kiitos Herralle!
- Sean
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Joy in the Family
After all that God did amongst us and through us in Oulu, and an epic all day car journey the day before, it would have been easy for us to have rested and just coasted along in Renko and the meeting there. But that would have been holding back, and we felt as a team that we needed to remain focused on Jesus and all that He wanted to do. When we gathered together we sensed that the Spirit was leading us to celebrate and declare out over Renko, the church there and Finland His abundant life and fruitfulness. In the context of the tour so far, we had no idea the Spirit would lead us like that, but it made so much sense and was so obvious once He revealed it to us. This week we've seen Jesus restore men and release them into a free and joyful expression of their masculinity in dance, and then we've seen Him restore relationships between men and women, which we've seen is also prophetic of His relationship with His Bride here in Finland. So of course it made sense when He began to show us that He wanted us to celebrate His life and speak it out over Finland, especially when there were so many families in the meeting, with very young children present too. It was also Hannah's 10th birthday while we were there. We couldn't have planned it that way at all. Jesus is so clever!
As we worshipped, joyful sounds of adoption were released, songs that reminded us and everyone present that we are sons and daughters of the Father. This seemed so appropriate after He was restoring men and women and covenant relationships, to then restore family. We may only be going to a few places on this tour, and yet He is doing some big time prophetic things in a such short period of time every place we go to. After we worshipped we had fellowship together with the families and church at Renko before moving into some prayer ministry where God brought more freedom and joy. Later before hitting the road back to Helsinki we stopped at a friend's house to bless them and their family. The joy that was released there during that time together with them was so full and abundant! Yet again we're discovering how determined the Lord is to release people into more and more freedom and joy, and that no situation is too big or too deeply rooted to be transformed for His glory.
- Ben
As we worshipped, joyful sounds of adoption were released, songs that reminded us and everyone present that we are sons and daughters of the Father. This seemed so appropriate after He was restoring men and women and covenant relationships, to then restore family. We may only be going to a few places on this tour, and yet He is doing some big time prophetic things in a such short period of time every place we go to. After we worshipped we had fellowship together with the families and church at Renko before moving into some prayer ministry where God brought more freedom and joy. Later before hitting the road back to Helsinki we stopped at a friend's house to bless them and their family. The joy that was released there during that time together with them was so full and abundant! Yet again we're discovering how determined the Lord is to release people into more and more freedom and joy, and that no situation is too big or too deeply rooted to be transformed for His glory.
- Ben
More from Burn: Oulu
Valmistauduimme Oulun tapaamisiin huolella, sillä tiesimme vierailun tärkeäksi. Meidän otettiin Linnakodilla todella lämpimästi vastaan ja kuulimme miten Jumala on synnyttänyt sen paikan Jes 58 oikeudenmukaisuuden kutsun innoittamana. Ensimmäisenä iltana muutama kymmenen oululaista ja muutama kauempaakin kokoontui Lähetysseurakuntaan ylistämään. Tiffany opetti Daavidin ilmestysmajasta ja miten Jumala haluaa ennalleen asettaa läheisyyden Hänen kanssaan jatkuvan ylistämisen kautta. Opetuksen jälkeen jatkoimme ylistystä - ihana laulu nousi, jossa Kristus kutsui morsiantaan Oulussa nousemaan. Laulun jälkeen Pyhä Henki ohjasi kutsumaan kadonneet miehet, sekä pojat ja tyttäret takaisin kotiin. Seuraavana iltana Tiffany opetti siitä, miten ylistys muuttaa ilmapiirin. Pyhä Henki rohkaisi uskomaan siihen, että missä pimeys on suuri, Jumalan kirkkaus voi tulla suureksi - missä synti on suureksi tullut, siina armo on tullut ylenpalttiseksi (Room 5:20). Loppuillan rukoilimme paikalla olijoiden puolesta laulun ja tanssin jatkuessa myöhään iltaan. Päällimäiseksi jäi ilo ja kiitollisuus siitä, mitä Jumala on Oulussa tekemässä, tapasimme mahtavia ihmisiä ja jano jumalan puoleen oli monilla suuri. Rukouksemme on, että paikalliset uskovat voisivat jatkaa Jumalan läsnäoloon hakeutumista ja Hänen kasvojensa etsimistä.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Healings in Oulu - 28th July
So much happened over the two nights spent in Oulu, so I will just focus on one of the main highlights for me - Mark
On the 2nd night of meetings in Oulu - I had a real expectation for healings to be released after seeing a guy's leg grow out a couple of days earlier. There was definitely an expectation and a release of faith following that in the team. When the time came for prayer ministry that night, we prayed for a lady who had broken her finger earlier in the summer and it hadn't been reset into place properly and she was unable to bend it. God completely healed it, this definitely released something in the Spirit and we saw more healings after that:
A women's leg grew out
Fibromyalgia – pain left
Glaucoma – restored clarity & brightness in her eyes
Shoulder pain - totally healed
God is releasing supernatural power in Finland where there has been so much religion and knowledge to show people His love and that He is real!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
25.7. Saavuimme juuri Ruurikkalaan...
Chef Master Meekon mietteitä:
Tampereella yöllä syntyi lapsia (ihana uusi prinsessa ystäväperheeseemme, toim.huom.) ja Ruurikkalassa valvottiin, mistä tietämättöminä matkasimme koko aamupäivän Evijärvelle, jossa sijaitsee yksi YWAM:n Baseista, Ruurikkalan kartano.
Jo toisen päivän aamuna oli selvää, että Jumala on koonnut yhteen perheen hulluistaan, jotka yhdessä tuovat esiin Jumalan viisautta ja suunnitelmaa Suomea varten. On mahtavaa huomata, että on myös monia ulkomaalaisia, joiden sydämet palavat Suomelle.
Ruurikkalassa viivymme kaksi päivää. Tänä iltana on Burn-kokous ja huomenna tiimin lepopäivä.
Jatkuu 26.7 Musings of the Master Chef Meeko continue on the 26th of July:
It was fun.
Jesus did stuff.
Life is good.
There was quite a lot of expectation in the room, and I could feel that some kind of breakthrough coming. After worshiping for a while, God spoke through some people that it was the time for men, Finnish men, to stand up and worship as God created them to worship. As the men danced, shouted and sang, such freedom filled the room. We then worshiped, men and women together, united as one before our Father. Later in the evening God poured out his joy and we danced and sang (along with ukulele reggae). Something big shifted in the atmosphere in the place, and we knew that what was happening was not only for those in the room, but for people across the nation.
It was clearly something God had planned to do this night. It’s amazing what plans he has for our nation and how he wants to redeem the place of man in leadership of the Kingdom. I really felt that we as men need to be more open to our Father and also put aside the fear and lies people and enemy has told us. There is a lot of expectation towards us and we think we need to be something else God has created us to be. It seems Father is releasing our generation to be the ones who bring healing to this nation.
Tampereella yöllä syntyi lapsia (ihana uusi prinsessa ystäväperheeseemme, toim.huom.) ja Ruurikkalassa valvottiin, mistä tietämättöminä matkasimme koko aamupäivän Evijärvelle, jossa sijaitsee yksi YWAM:n Baseista, Ruurikkalan kartano.
Jo toisen päivän aamuna oli selvää, että Jumala on koonnut yhteen perheen hulluistaan, jotka yhdessä tuovat esiin Jumalan viisautta ja suunnitelmaa Suomea varten. On mahtavaa huomata, että on myös monia ulkomaalaisia, joiden sydämet palavat Suomelle.
Ruurikkalassa viivymme kaksi päivää. Tänä iltana on Burn-kokous ja huomenna tiimin lepopäivä.
Jatkuu 26.7 Musings of the Master Chef Meeko continue on the 26th of July:
It was fun.
Jesus did stuff.
Life is good.
There was quite a lot of expectation in the room, and I could feel that some kind of breakthrough coming. After worshiping for a while, God spoke through some people that it was the time for men, Finnish men, to stand up and worship as God created them to worship. As the men danced, shouted and sang, such freedom filled the room. We then worshiped, men and women together, united as one before our Father. Later in the evening God poured out his joy and we danced and sang (along with ukulele reggae). Something big shifted in the atmosphere in the place, and we knew that what was happening was not only for those in the room, but for people across the nation.
It was clearly something God had planned to do this night. It’s amazing what plans he has for our nation and how he wants to redeem the place of man in leadership of the Kingdom. I really felt that we as men need to be more open to our Father and also put aside the fear and lies people and enemy has told us. There is a lot of expectation towards us and we think we need to be something else God has created us to be. It seems Father is releasing our generation to be the ones who bring healing to this nation.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Burn Tampere 24-7
Here some thoughts about an half an hour before we started (Ennen keikan alkamista):
Lasse:
Tampereella ollaan. Matka on mennyt hyvin ja hyvä fiilis. Jännittää, koska ylistys alkaa kohta. Soittimia kasataan ja ihmiset on työn touhussa.
Sean:
It has given me a certain joy to be alongside the Burn 24 group, and I am excited to see what God will do in and through us as we travel along this journey together.
And just after some thoughts and feelings (Ja heti keikan jälkeen):
Lasse:
Oli aivan MAHTAVAA! Jumala teki työtään ihmisissä ja kosketti. Eka kerta kun soitin djembeä julkisesti kädet punaisena. Kyllä kannatti.
Sean:
The ‘meeting’ allowed a level of freedom where most people felt liberated to dance and sing to the Lord. The presence of God was palpable and I believe many were touched by the presence of God.
Topi:
Taisi olla ensimmäinen kerta kun ylistin selloa soittaen. Hiukan jännitti etukäteen, mutta ihan turhaan. Soitto sujui kuin hunajaa vain väsymyksestä ja jumeista huolimatta. Meinasin välillä väsähtää, mutta Pyhä henki valtasi minut ilolla. Loppu olikin sitten yhtä riemua. Olen todella onnellinen, kun Herra hoiti taas omiaan. :)
So 20 people, a multitude of instruments and a lot of excitement in the air. The team played together for
the first time ever but did it with great obedience, joy and servant heartedness. We believe that we
are seeing something of David's tabernacle being restored and generations coming together in front of the Lord
in humility and great sense of purpose.
Keikka päättyi mahtavaan shabba reggae julistus irroitteluun, olemme löytämässä yhteisen saundimme.
Rukoilkaa voimaa ja viisautta ja kärsivällisyyttä ja intoa!
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