Paradise - May 25th. - Kansas - Why I believe it is important
In case you were wondering - Tonight I am sitting in a hotel room in Kansas City, KA. I just finished a day of meetings with the Board of Paradise, as well as about 50 or 60 leaders from around the U.S. who are supportive of the vision of Paradise. Let me encourage you to go to their web site and have a look - Paradise. The vision for the Paradise gathering is not the result of some large organization deciding it would be good to have one more “event.” A youth leader had the idea for this gathering sparked in his heart during a series of morning worship times in the fall of 2006. He then placed that vision before 18 others whose lives are marked by concerted prayer. The 18 included many of the major streams of the church and diversity of gender and ethnicity. With one mind that group sensed that this was something the Lord was doing, and so it began. Paradise is not attached to or indebted to any denomination, or group.
The Paradise gathering on May 25th, 2008 is actually a journey to awaken students from every part of the body of Christ to the supremacy of God’s Son, to call them to adore Him as King, and to inspire them to arise to the bravely join Him in accelerating His Kingdom purposes for this generation, converging in a national worship gathering, convened at the geographical center of the nation. It is a call to this generation to a day of undistracted worship of the Son of God. Only one name will be announced at Paradise, Jesus. Nothing will be sold before, during of after Paradise. No cause, ministry, or product will be promoted at Paradise. Registration fees will be used for no other purpose than to cover actual costs of the gathering. After Paradise is concluded the Not-for-Profit Corporation which was set up to handle the event will disband.
I spent the day with many of the people who have come together to make Paradise a reality. I was impressed by the heart and intensity of the desire to see Christ exalted. The were leaders of YWAM, Youth For Chirst, Major Denominations, National Prayer Ministries like National Pastor’s Prayer Network, One Thing (IHOP), Mom’s In Touch, Prayer Works (Campus Crucade for Christ), Mission America, and 24-7 Prayer (USA), to name a few. All of these various groups and leaders were there at their own expense to convene this day of strategy regarding Paradise. We have a unique opportunity, because of our friendship with David Bryant to be in on the ground floor of this exciting opportunity. Praise God for his kindness in including us in this wonderful event.
I believe that we should raise the funds to be able to sponsor a bus to take a group of young people out to this gathering. The cost will likely be around 5000 or 6000 dollars. However, it is an investment that I believe is nothing compared to the value of having our young people be together with thousands of others young people from all over the nation for a day which is to be undistracted worship of Jesus, the Son of God. There is a wonderful set of devotions, study material and preparations available free to us to help prepare our young people for an encounter with the King of Kings. I am aware that later in 2008 there are plans for another gathering, by an entirely different stream of the Church in Washington D.C. This group has agreed to cooperate with Paradise and to come along side to assist. The International House of Prayer here in Kansas City is also on board. The potential exists that virtually every stream of Christianity, including Catholics will participate in the Paradise gathering. At the center of all of this is one thing, and one thing only - the exaltation of Jesus Christ as the majestic Son of God.
When I return back to NJ (Thursday evening) I will begin to provide the material necessary to pray and prepare for this glorious pilgrimmage. I believe it is further evidence of what God is doing in the U.S., and the early rumblings of the answer to what many of us have been praying and believing God for in this generation. Only a few years ago nothing approaching this kind of event was on the horizon. Now, two events of huge proportions are planned for 2008. Streams of different ministries, and different denominations are cooperating for the purpose of something greater. God is moving, beginnning to shake, beginning to stir the entire nation. Our reponse can only be to pursue Him with even greater zeal and focus.
Isaiah 60:22 reminds of how God can accelerate things: The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it. Oh God, may this be that Day!