I wrote the following letter before I left Korea. Originally, I was going to post it as soon as I landed but I didn’t want to be melodramatic, so I decided to wait and pray until someone inquired if I was okay.  (Somehow Michelle, I knew it would be you.)

In January 2010 after listening to me speak someone I greatly respected, said to me: “You’ve gone from teacher to prophet.”  I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was a sentiment that was repeated many times over the last seven years.

Teachers teach, but prophets are people sent by God to teach His Word and to call the church to repentance. Tozer says, “Prophets comfort the affected and affect the comfortable.”   But the thing about prophets is they can never be wrong. 

Good morning Zebras,

It is 10 a.m. Sunday January 14 here in Korea and in eight hours I will be boarding a plane for the ten-hour flight back to America. If God has not done the miracle He has had me praying for before I land, I will be taking a break from teaching His Word.   

Deuteronomy 18:20–22 “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

I knew I was risking the ministry when I shared with you what God was having me do. I could have gone and returned without anyone ever knowing, but that isn’t what God told me to do.  And I would rather look like a fool for believing and obeying God, than look “wise” before men.

2 Samuel 6:14 “And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.”

If you have never done something scary and risked it all for God, then you don’t know what you are missing.

Matthew 14:28–29 “And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”

I love you Zebras, I’m still praying for the miracle and when I see it, I’ll be back.

Jeremiah 28:9 “As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

Until then, stay safe and follow God with your whole heart, mind, and soul; being willing to risk everything for the only One who deserves it. 

Much love,

Jill

P.S. While I wait two songs are keeping me company, “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets and “What Faith an Do” by Kutless    Both can be heard on YouTube.  

Good morning Zebras,

Thank you for your prayers, yesterday was wonderful.

Today’s Oswald is about Isaiah.

Isaiah 6:8 “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”

Sometimes God just needs us to go. 

That’s how I felt about this trip. I just needed to go; God was in charge of doing the miracle. I was only in charge of letting people know.   No man or woman can pray a miracle into existence, miracles are God’s domain, but when He whispers in your ear to go somewhere and pray for one, you need to go. 

People have God neatly in a box, whether they realize it or not - He is good for Sunday morning but not for everyday life.  But God will not be contained. He is alive and in charge of all things, and He has the right to impact every aspect of your life. 

God’s people should not hide their faith, they need to “nail their colors to the mast”. (This is a phrase taken from the days of sea battles, when the flags were nailed to the mast so that they could never be taken down and replaced with the white flag of surrender). So that even if it looks like we failed, we don’t have the option to deny God.  And I did that with this trip.  Not only did I post on Zebras, I also posted on my personal Facebook page.  My “crazy” is out there for everyone to see. 

I love God and I believe with my whole heart and soul that He could do a miracle that would not only obliterate the nuclear threat, but also free His people in North Korea.  And I’m not going to change my mind, or my prayers, just because it hasn’t happened yet- that wouldn’t be faith.  And it is faith, combined with our obedience, that pleases God. 

Hebrews 11:1–8 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation…And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him…By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place…not knowing where he was going.”

I love you Zebras, I return to America this evening. 

Love,

Jill   

Good morning Zebras,

Just a quick update.  It is 7 a.m., Saturday, January 12 here in Korea.  When I first arrived, I felt like we were supposed to go to the DMZ today for a time of prayer.  But as the days went by, doubt set in, and I started to think, “It is freezing out there!  My going there isn’t going to change anything, I should just stay home.”

But on her way home from work last night, God prompted Katherine to try and rent a car so we could go.  I told her she didn’t need to bother, but she persisted and reserved a vehicle.  So, if everything continues to work out, we are headed to the DMZ today.

Perhaps that is why the disciples traveled in pairs- when one got weary, the other one could step in and finish the task.

I love you Zebras. The world needs the nuclear threat disabled, but the North Koreans need to be set free as well. 

God told Moses he had heard the cries of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and He was ready to set them free.

Exodus 3:7–8 “Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people…and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them…'”

Praying God has heard North Korea’s cries and He is ready to act on their behalf.     

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

It is 8 a.m. Thursday, January 11 here in Korea.  I hear the talks went well, but I haven’t seen the miracle I was sent here to pray for.  But rather than giving up, God has me praying in my dreams. 

Like David, it is the man who steps out in faith and truly believes who sees the power of God.  

I love you, and I believe with my whole heart that God desires to do a miracle for His people. Not because we deserve one- we don’t- but because He loves us and desires to show the world who He is. 

And I covet the prayers of every one of you who agree.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

It is 9 a.m. Tuesday, January 9 here in Korea, and as the South Korean military helicopters fly over in preparation for the meeting today with North Korea, I felt prompted by God to remind you to pray.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in one hour at the DMZ, at the village where the armistice was signed in 1953.   

I love you Zebras, praying for God to show His hand today and save the people He has created from the foolishness of men.

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

God taught me a lot about prayer last year.

First it is possible to carry another person’s burdens.

My elbow had been hurting for almost a year, the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it.  But when Gary prayed for it to be healed, God gave the burden to him, now my elbow is fine and his hurts.

Second, prayer for people you do not know makes you love them with the love of God.

My neighbors went on vacation and I felt compelled to pray for them while they were gone.  I didn’t really know them that well, but after a week of concentrated prayer God give me a great love for them.  I still don’t know them that well, but I sure do love them.

Third, we don’t know who can hear God.  He can talk to anyone.

The neighbors I was praying for are not saved, so I wasn’t sure they would be able to hear my prayers, it is a long story, but I felt I was supposed to pray they would bring me back a bear.  When they got home they didn’t give me anything, but a week later one of them gave me the bear pictured below.  They had bought it on vacation but had forgotten to give it to me.

Fourth, burdens given to you by God are different than normal prayers.

When the fires were raging in Napa/Sonoma I was burdened to pray for God’s people like the world was ending because that’s how it felt.  If God didn’t stay his hand and stop the wind it “felt” like the fire was going to consume the world.  It was not a pleasant feeling, in fact it was rather awful, but I had no choice but to pray, because the burden consumed my life.

Fifth, you do not have to limit your prayers to only your circle of acquaintances.

If I am praying for someone to get a job, I could just as easily pray for all of God’s people to get a job. The Bible says to pray for all the saints, not just the ones you know.

And finally, God has taught me that prayer is powerful and effective and too little used to combat the evil that's ruling the world.  The real work of God’s people is prayer.

When the disciples asked why they were so ineffective in driving out an evil demon, Jesus replied, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”  Some manuscripts add fasting.  (Mark 9:29)

So, with all that knowledge I’m heading to South Korea for a week of fasting and prayer with my daughter who lives there.  I think I need to get closer to the situation, just like with the fires.  I was never endangered from the Napa fires, but I was consumed by prayer because the fire was real.  I could see its effects.  Yet I wasn’t burdened in the same way, when the southern part of the state burned.  There’s something about proximity that adds urgency.

I will arrive in Korea on the 8^th and God willing I will return on the 14^th because I believe God wants me to get closer to the threat and to physically combine my prayers with Katherine’s, who loves Korea and the Korean people with a love given to her by God.

If you feel prompted to join me in prayer for God’s world and His people, please do.

With much love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

Maybe the best way to avoid disappointment this year is to have no desires or plans at all, or at least hold them with very loose hands, and cling instead to the one thing that never fails, that each and every day we live in the presence of God and we have the opportunity to please Him.

James 4:13–17 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

I love you Zebras, praying that all of us can hear “well done good and faithful servant” each and every day this year.

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

One of the activities, I did with my company over Christmas, was to let each person pick their place setting for the first breakfast meal.  They had to choose the elements without knowing what else would be offered and the couldn’t “try them out” to see how they looked.

First, they picked placemat and/or charger, then plate, followed by napkin and napkin ring.  At the next meal the table was set with the setting they had chosen. An opportunity for them to express their individuality and for me to do a devotion on the love of God. 

My intended message was: “God knows we are all different, and He loves us all.”   

But when I put the table together, I was amazed how well all the different settings looked. But because there was so much variety, the only centerpiece I could use that pulled everything together was the one representing Christ.

And the same is true with people.

We are all different, we all have different gifts and abilities and we all have different annoying traits, but when we allow the Spirit of God to transform and change us, to rule our lives and our hearts we find we can love one another and walk in unity with Christ.

I love you Zebras, our lives are like these place settings.  They are visual representations of all the choices we’ve made, the good, the bad and the ugly.  And although we can’t go back and change anything we can resolve from this day forward to always pray and choose the option that honors God.

Love,

Jill

P.S. This is a picture of today’s table.  The company is all gone, but we had such a good time with fancy place settings and devotions, that the kids asked me to continue doing them even after the company left.

Good morning Zebras,

Another year to read Oswald.

Many years ago, we used to go to a very remote place on vacation.  It was 600 acres of redwoods in Northern California, occupied only by the couple who had homesteaded it.  But out there, in the middle of nowhere, I met an incredibly godly woman.

Married to an unbeliever, (who she thought was a believer when she had married him,) living miles away from anything in a house they had built themselves, she sought God every day, all day.  He was her passion and all that sustained her through a very, very difficult life.

I used to look forward to talking to her when we went to visit.  She was the first person I’d met who really only wanted to talk about God.

Once when we went I gave her my Oswald Chambers' book, thinking she would really enjoy having new insights to read.  Weirdly I found I missed my copy, so when I went the next time, I got it back.

She had used it for a while, but her life was so demanding, and she had so much Bible reading she wanted to do that she said she didn’t have time to read it every day and give it the attention she felt it deserved, so she didn’t want another copy.   But she had used mine for a while, highlighting favorite parts and writing her thoughts in the margins of the page.

Here are her thoughts on today’s:

Today’s passage ends “If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably” she added “by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can’t accomplish the verb ‘surrender’ we must ‘yield’ to the Spirit and He will do It in us. Even to ‘yield’ we must ask the Holy Spirit to this for us.

Then in the margin she wrote: “I thought this way most of the year 2003 but towards the end I came to realize we have our part to do and then God will have His part He will do.  There are ‘verbs’ we must accomplish.”

I remember having that talk with her, she was so adamant we could do nothing, and that God did everything.  (She knew far more about the Holy Spirit than I did.)  But I was equally adamant that God expected us to do our part and then He would do His. 

Years later I found the supporting text for my opinion in 2 Peter 1, where Peter writes that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness and we need to work and add to that gift.

But I have also come to understand what she was saying.  At the time the Holy Spirit was a fuzzy concept to me, the third part of the Trinity, words on a page.   Now He is real and alive, and I know His power lives in me. I can do nothing without His help.

We all grow and change, we all learn, that is the process of the Christian faith.  But we quit growing the minute we think we know it all.

Love,
Jill