Isaiah 54

“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
    break forth into singing and cry aloud,
    you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
    and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
    and your offspring will possess the nations
    and will people the desolate cities.

4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
    the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
    says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
    but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
    I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “This is like the days of Noah to me:
    as I swore that the waters of Noah
    should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
    and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
    behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,
    your gates of carbuncles,
    and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
    and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
    you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
    and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 If anyone stirs up strife,
    it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
    shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
    who blows the fire of coals
    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17     no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Different Kinds of Rules

It’s been a good week. On Wednesday we drove north to Campbell River and to a nearby provincial campsite. All reservable sites were taken but there were first-come-first-served sites were a possibility. We found a beautiful spot at the base of a hill covered by majestic firs and maples; with trunks big as two folks could barely span.

At Capturing Courage we have, for some years, been experiencing the Kingdom of God as a very different thing than ‘normal’ life. It is as though the rules for outside the garden don’t apply inside the garden; the garden has its own manner and way.

Let us make it clear that the curses that became part of our norm were overcome and put aside by the presence and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, slowly, through the abiding of the Lord in us and us in God, our lives can find their way back to the garden; eternity is now in the person of Jesus Christ.

John 5:24: “He who hears my word, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” 

Work takes on meaning and significance. It is not endless toil with no point other than to eek out a meager subsistance on earth, rather, we are fed by the manna of God each and every day in every way imaginable.

Then too, we find the rest of the Lord as invited, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus, in Matthew 11:28-29

We hear the voice of the Shepherd and find a true path and solid footing, even if around boulders, ditches, and valleys of death; God is with us all the way.

Striving comes to an end; trust grows deep. The chatter of our brains gives way to the voice of the Lord. Our own efforts are exchanged for the multiplication of the Spirit of God; every small offering of self is exponentially increased in impact by the Lord and for the glory of God.

We learn a deep listening, a solid abiding, a strength of pausing, with everything offered to us but with nothing needing to happen; content in the little and the much, able to receive and never needing to take; God with us.

All this to say, we found a campsite. And we expect to find a campsite in the next spot, and the next, and the next (but happy to have other options present themselves!). The movements, the instruction, the leading of the Lord becomes super practical.

A house of prayer (not any other kind of house).

On Vancouver Island (not any other island).

Situated on an ancient well of the spirit (not in the reasonable or practical or even beautiful location, as our minds might jump to).

At Capturing Courage we are trying to take God literally. The voice of God is not for our good emotions or for faith per se. It’s for instruction and direction, “Do this and go there.”

Okay Lord.

To the Island

It is interesting that direction can also be by process of elimination. We boarded the ferry early Saturday morning. Arriving, we drove to our destination, a beautiful little campsite on the edge of a river. The remainder of our first day was spent setting up tent, establishing the location of the washroom, perusing and choosing our food for the evening, teaching the dog to NOT bark at every single person, and becoming comfortable amongst the other campers. It was a good and beautiful day. 

Sunday, after a very good nights sleep, had us up fairly early, wide awake and glad to be at the start of a new day. More than six-months ago there had been a house for sale, here in this exact town that had looked like a possibility, the kind of place to possibly inhabit as a house of prayer. 

The uppermost thing in mind for a house of prayer, the initial thought some 2.5 years ago, was the ability to host pastors from overseas. How great it would be for three-weeks at a time, to be pouring in, refreshing, encouraging, and in fellowship of the Lord together. Capturing Courage has been hosted by hundreds of pastors, we would now like to host hundreds of pastors. 

And this spot and location, a particular house large enough to host some 6-10 pastors at a time, has been on mind and heart for some months. So, we went to look at it. 

Most interesting. I knew that the Lord was having us begin here in this place and near to this home to either 1. Confirm that this is the place and to hold out for it, or 2. To remove it from our thinking and to cross it off as a possibility. 

We found the street, identified the house, and slowly drove past it. Not once, but four times. 

After comparing notes my personal aide and I both knew these things: 

  1. On the first drive-by there was a distinct flat nothing within. No resonance. No ‘yes’ at all. Just a flat blah. Well, that is useful. Immediately, this told us it was not the place. 
  1. But most interestingly was the sense that the house is TOO SMALL. Both my P.A. and I had this thought strong on our spirit independent of each other. I was very surprised by this! it was the last thing I would have expected. 

This is quite something, as it is a big home. Very big. You know, once you begin looking for a home that has 5-7 bedrooms we end up perusing very big homes. The real-estate listing back when said it was some 8000 sq. feet. That is big. 

But, looking at it in person, and knowing the floor plan inside (from video and photos) the sense was, “This is too small”. Okay Lord! Okay. Never expected that. 

  1. Then, a distinct sense of the Lord saying, “I have something better for the house of prayer.” Now, ‘better’ is hard to figure out. By what standard? Maybe layout, perhaps design, space maybe, outdoor area perhaps, location on the island, size of rooms, number of bathrooms … Any numbers of things could account for ‘better’. We leave that open! 

Mostly, in this is a surrender. Okay Lord. We go with what you want. Simply lead the way. 

  1. Furthermore, and the last sense around this region is this, “This is not the area for a house of prayer. The people are complacent. They are too comfortable. There is no openness.” 

And there we go. Within 24 hours of arriving we had a sense of this first town and region. We cross it off as a possibility. So far, led by process of elimination. 

[ UPDATE: We have recently been introduced and fellowshipped with a beautiful gathering of the Body of Christ who have been contending for revival and awakening in this area for some time. So, we shall see how the Lord leads and hold all our own ‘sensing’ with simply humility open to the Lord and the leading of the Spirit. ]

We have been in prayer of course, each day, couple times a day, as our own hearts and the spirit leads. There is a distinct pressing in of the Lord. A certain glory of his presence and of his great heart and will and love. We are resting in this. Abiding. Listening deeply. 

The next spot we move to on Wednesday. It’s to a first-come first-serve campsite farther north. There is a strong compelling and a deep peace, it feels right, and so we will venture forth on the right day and trust to find a campsite. We are hoping for #80 to be exact! ha. A bit too specific perhaps. We will be happy with whatever is provided and are planning to remain in that region for 5 days. 

But, all things by the Lord’s leading. We make our plans and the Lord leads our steps. 

Saturday’s Journey

I write this Thursday morning. 48 hours ago: 1. Not enough funds to secure a ferry passage to Vancouver Island. 2. It didn’t look like there were any campsites to reserve, all the ones I looked at were full for quite some time.

It is at this point in time that I re-surrender all the plans around a ministry time. I’ve been on 18 overseas ministry trips in the last years and every single time (at some point) I bump up against what seems nearly impossible to overcome.

The state of things on Tuesday looked a bit bleak. But, I simply took it all to the Lord, “God, I submit all these ideas and the timing back to you. This is your thing. Make it be what you want it to be. If I’ve been wrong about any of it, that’s okay. We can switch course or shift plans at any time. Thanks Lord for your leading. I look to you in all things. My gaze remains on you God.”

Funds came in later that day. I looked again for ferry passage and possible camping area. Somehow what I was perusing looked like impossibility. I tried using BCFerries app and all that showed me was ferries completely booked through August! (Don’t use that app.)

Wednesday arrived. I was full-on in the garden, weeding the big flower bed, that morning (the mornings good work which God created for me from before the beginning of time). Afternoon came and with it a solid sense to ‘reserve a ferry passage’ and to ‘find a campsite’. I couldn’t not take care of this.

It is this kind of compelling that settles us at Capturing Courage deep into the timing of the Lord where all things fall into place. I’ve learned to never rush at a problem and I do not push harder or try more to make something work. Just the opposite.

When something is not coming together I step back, come quiet before the Lord, enter into deeper trusting, surrender it all (God has everything for us but nothing need happen), and enter into a pause until directed further.

Long story short, late Wednesday afternoon it all came together. A ferry booking reserved and a campsite too. Just like that. With only a few days to go this is a bit of a miracle in itself these days. I’m giving all glory to the Lord!

In the midst of this process I had to remind myself of a few things: 1. God has made a way many times before and he can do so again if he wants. 2. We only need one camping spot in one campsite. The nearly-full campsites do not mean anything as we only need one spot. 3. To recall the explicit instruction of the Lord.

I had been looking in Nanaimo for a campsite but then recalled and said to myself, “Cyndy, the Lord said to begin in Parksville. Why are you looking in Nanaimo??!”

Then too, I had to ‘get thee behind me satan’ to the few comments from friends in the weeks prior, about the difficulty of finding campsites. I had to shut out that noise and turn my face to God. My heart and mind solely resting on the Lord.

I am thankful for the gap between plans and actuality. This process, again, is the same every single ministry trip. Every single one. And what it does is it tests my heart. It establishes me in sync with the Lord. I surrender all the ideas (and commitments, plans, ideas shared, ego, perceived outcomes) to God. It doesn’t have to come together.

And then, it comes together. My personal aide and I are leaving early Saturday morning for the island and will be setting up camp by the early afternoon. I’ve already a strong sense of where to go after that initial spot. But again, I’ll not rush at putting that into place until there is a compelling of the Lord to make it happen. Each day we check in with God and each day our steps are established.

Day by day we journey. Step by step gets us to where we want to be.

July 12th: Discerning the Exact Timing

Once it became clear that I was to give up my apartment (it’s lease was ending June 30th) the thought of a three-month ministry time to seek out the general region for a possible house of prayer simply fell into place.

I’ve been navigating with the Lord in an intuitive and spirit-led way for some decades. I’ve learned that the Lord’s ways are higher and deeper and truer than anything I might come up with. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8

I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Isaiah 55. It is a profound gesture of the Lord’s hand extended to us in every way imaginable. Yet, far beyond what we can imagine.

We have learned to trust the Lord at Capturing Courage. We move with the explicit instruction, direction, and clarity of the Lord. And we are endeavouring to do the same again now, in sync with what God might want to do with and through us.

Because we know that our imaginations cannot contain the depth or breadth or heights of the Lord’s great love and plans for us we try to go with God’s thinking. Our own thinking is simply too small.

This thinking of the Lord comes to us as deep compelling often as an initially vague sense of a time or space or action. We hold these in open hands for months or years, waiting on further revelation of the Lord; inviting God to colour in-between the lines, to give further depth and understanding to our hearts and minds, or to nix it altogether.

And when the compelling won’t go away, when the sense to take action only grows stronger, when the idea is filled out and resonates even further, when the Lord pours in prophecy and courage, we bank on these words and heart of the Lord. Meaning, we literally put our lives onto the Lord, casting ourselves upon the Spirit of God, and embark forward.

So, I gave over the keys to my apartment June 30th. I’ve been staying at my dad’s (the family house) in the days since. And, there is a conviction to make this journey and unfolding of the Lord a public process. Meaning, I am to share it in real time, as close as possible.

It’s been a good time of helping with the yard and garden, of time with family, of good sleeps in fresh air (I’ve got a little tent on the deck) and a shifting and transition of heart, mind, and body for what is beginning to unfold. I give the Lord all the glory and honour and praise. We bless you Lord.

I think this means a weekly blog post (maybe two) as you are reading here. I’ll send this out on Monday mornings. It’ll be a mix of writing and of video. This is the plan. If you want these directly to your inbox then I suggest you go to the bottom of the home page and enter your email address in the space provided as ‘Join Our Testimony & Prayer’.

What we have found these last twelve years of Capturing Courage International Ministries is that the work and fellowship, the impact and investments, unfold before us as great beautiful gifts of the Lord. We are expecting the same here in the journeying forth unto Capturing Courage Canada – A House of Prayer.

I’ve lots of stories of this faithfulness of the Lord from years past and I’ll be weaving some of these into this present journey’s reporting, alongside the Lord unto a house of prayer.

The plan is that I and my Personal Aide (Armour Bearer) will leave on Saturday, July 17th, on a ferry to Vancouver Island. I was initially thinking I’d already be gone by today. But as I settled into my dads there was a dullness (it felt flat) to thoughts of leaving end of last week (I never move forward if it feels flat – the timing is not quite right in this). And now, in part, I know why. My travel was delayed to perfectly match the unfolding of a few distinct ‘miracles’ that now enable my PA to join me for the first weeks. This is a great consolation and encouragement to both of us.

In closing, let me recap the few things we know and on which we are embarking: 1. A House of Prayer (spoken to me by the Lord in early 2019), 2. On Vancouver Island, and 3. Established on an Ancient Well of the Spirit.

These are the primary things we begin with. We don’t know all of what it means. I had never heard the phrase, “Ancient well of the Spirit” until the Lord spoke it into my spirit last fall. A quick google search earlier this year did confirm that this is a thing! Fancy that. But, we’ve not done a lot of research or reading about this as we want to keep our minds as uncluttered as possible so that we can discern the Spirit’s leading. Again, God’s thoughts, not so much ours or others.

Additionally, we hold all things loosely. My post next week may be a ‘we have arrived on the island’ or it may be ‘we are not quite there yet’. God has everything for us but nothing need happen. We only want what God wants and what God gives; we (endeavour to) assume nothing but check in daily with the Spirit of our Living Lord.

Thanks for joining this journey!

“God, we invite you into our days. Be with us. You are all that we need. For everything flows from you. We abide in you God. Jesus, thank you for drawing us in to yourself even as you yourself are drawn in to the Father. Spirit, we bless you this day. Thank you for teaching us, leading us, giving us courage, and breaking forth among us each day. God, we love you, trust you, and know you to be good. Amen and amen.”

Hosting the Lord and Each Other

You are the jar and God is the oil. In the Old Testament we read of the encounter between Elisha and a widow. Her husband had died and her two sons were about to be taken as slaves to pay off their debt. She cried out to Elisha for help. 2 Kings 4:1-7. He asked her, “What do you have?” “A jar of oil,” was her reply. He told her, “Go and find as many vessels as you can.” (cyndy paraphrase)

And once she had as many vessels as she could find, she poured the oil from her one jar into the many jars. All the jars became full. Once all were full the oil stopped pouring. She was then able to sell oil to pay off her debts and to live off of the remainder of the oil. There was enough. Sufficiency was at hand. Exponential increase had overtaken them.

The gospel is seeded into the world by Christ in us. God encompasses Christ. Christ encompasses us. Brought into the belly of God, the womb from which all life flows, we are breathed through with the Spirit and life ripples out from our lives.

We have learned that spiritual authority is simply our intimacy with God. Intimacy with God is our spiritual authority. How might we become vessels of God?

How do we host the Lord?

Humility. Surrender. A great yielding of our lives. Solid trust. Deep listening.

God is the oil. Be the jar.

Our Last Decade

We are keenly aware that Capturing Courage International Ministries is transitioning from 10-years of international focus. In that time we have ministered and experienced the body of Christ in 6 countries, through 18 ministry trips to some 350 churches. Everywhere folks wanted more of what we were bringing. And so, College of Capturing Courage was called out of us. It took 5.5 years to write and 4.5 years to establish its infrastructure, resulting as a full-year course for pastors and lay-leaders. It comes with certificates, a diploma, and a degree, depending on what extent folks want to engage it. 

This course is being used by bishops to train pastors. It’s online availability is nearly complete. And it’s point person, Michele, is settling in well as the one to answer questions and to assist in the understanding of requirements along the way. With Moses, our East Africa College director, solidly at his post there, on the ground assisting with those using the course and advancing through its levels.

While we continue with the many invitations this course is our primary presence internationally and the catalyst for the teachings and principles that with the power of Holy Spirit yields much change of heart, maturity, and spiritual renewal. Now, we are spurred to establish Capturing Courage Canada. We have been hosted by hundreds of folks. Now we want to host hundreds of folks. 

We’ve taught thousands of hours overseas. Now we’d like a spot to gather and learn, teach, heal, and be made increasingly whole, together here in Canada. And perhaps even host the international community one day! We’ve established College of Capturing Courage internationally. Now, it’s time to take our next (rough) curriculum, Church Era to Kingdom Era, and test out its thinking, play with its parts, and actualize easily duplicable Jesus Meetings, here at home but also ultimately in answer to the continued requests for a Capturing Courage ministry model overseas. 

We’ve had many invitations and now we are glad to see the possibility of making many invitations. We’ve been facilitating healing and wholeness internationally and now we are glad to be intentional and faithful to do this same thing at home. We are wrapping up bits on the last 10 years and taking steps towards the next decade.

The Lord our God is with us.

God is with us at all times. We only need fresh eyes to see and hearts to understand.

There is a small verse in the New Testament that reads, “For they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.” Mark 6:52

Jesus had done an amazing miracle. In collaboration with the faith of a small boy who offered his five loaves and two fish, Jesus had multiplied these small bits into a meal for more than five-thousand people.

The disciples had been hard-put to take care of the crowds. All they could imagine was the lack of funds and the refusal to take any responsibility, to see any possibility, and to dismiss the problem as belonging to the people. Read Mark 6:30-44

And then we read, “Their hearts were too hard to take it in.” vs.52

At Capturing Courage we are endeavouring to deal with our hearts. To come to the Lord. To exchange our sorrows for gladness. To give over bitternesses for gratitude.

There is healing at hand. Wholeness can be actualized. Regeneration and restoration are the Lords. For you and I and the entire world.

May our hearts be able to perceive God among us.

Growing Together

We are a teaching, learning, growing body of people. Exploring the Lord together is the main thing we do in our international work. We gather with the body of Christ and we share and teach all that God has been showing us, drawing us to, and working out through our lives.

Capturing Courage in Canada is no different. We are creating a place whereby we can meet in person. Where we can have intensives, conferences, prayer meetings. A place to share in the bounty of God over our hearts and minds. For times of rich fellowship, communication, and experience of Holy Spirit.

It’s a long-held dream. We don’t know all the bits and bobs. But the Lord has made us firm in principles of inner healing, in awareness of life, leadership, and love and how all these fit together well. We are being grown in meditative prayer. We are discovering Kingdom principles as God moves us from Church Era to Kingdom Era.

How great is the Lord to teach us well, leading us strong. We follow in holy trust.

House of Prayer

It’s been a few years since the Lord dropped the words, ‘house of prayer’, into our thinking. Ever since we’ve been holding space to see if this was the Lord, first of all. Then, to allow the details to be slowly filled in by Holy Spirit. Our hearts have been caught ever since.

At Capturing Courage International Ministries we have been reminded, compelled, convicted, nurtured and encouraged in prayer. We’ve a habit of inner healing prayer since the year 2000. With much practice since that time.

Overseas we have seen the blessings of prayer between ourselves. We’ve given courage to others to pray when they didn’t think they could. And we’ve seen healing and miracles and witness of the simplest expectations of our hearts filled by the expansive presence of the Lord.

Of course, we can all, each of us, be a house of prayer. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ does not need any buildings or great money. In fact, less is best, in many of this! But we are establishing a place for a gathering of his people. We are hosting the Lord and each other.