The room was cramped and expectant. Faces full of girls who wanted to learn—really learn—that God had a plan for their life. It was my first time serving in youth ministry and I had been dragged there by the new youth pastor who just needed a warm body to make sure students didn’t kill themselves while in Lake Tahoe for our summer camp.
I swore I’d never participate in youth ministry. I held a firm belief that youth group smelled like pickles and underarm odor and I blamed the students. However, in the summer of 2004 I found myself leading a caravan of eight large vans through California and up to Lake Havasu.
The second morning of camp, the youth pastor told me I was going to teach. Whoa, whoa, I didn’t sign up for this! I don’t want to teach!? What would I say, I asked him angrily. He laughed. I scowled. Both of us knew I didn’t have another option.
The girls piled into a wood paneled room with mint green carpet later that afternoon and I cracked open the bible and taught the longest bible study I had ever taught up until that point. Seventeen minutes later, I turned over my last note page and picked up my head. I stared into the eyes of excited young girls who heard every word I said and wanted more.
And that’s when everything changed.
I knew my purpose in that moment as to why I was there. It wasn’t for the students. It wasn’t for the youth pastor. It was for me. I needed to be reminded that there is a generation below me who believes that God is alive, He loves them, He’s purposed them to live now, in this moment, and the words spoken thousands of years ago are still applicable today, Genesis to Revelation.
There are newspaper articles, television reports, and dooms-day prophets who say the Church is dead; religion is fading; people are walking away from their faith. But listen to me—please hear me—they’re liars. They haven’t seen what I’ve seen in the faces of those who young and daring. Yes, young enough to do something and daring enough to carry it through.
There is a revival happening and I’m refusing to believe it’s a movement towards atheism. Everywhere I go, every place that I speak, there is a remnant. A remnant of people who know God is alive, He loves them, He’s purposed them to live now, in this moment, and the words spoken thousands of years ago are still applicable today, Genesis to Revelation.
Yesterday I helped usher in 43,000 students into the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. It was a scene out of a movie documenting a natural disaster or influx of human invading a city. Only it wasn’t a horror movie and there was no chaos to be seen. Lines of excited students flooded into downtown Atlanta from around the world to do one thing:
Worship Jesus
I’ve never seen anything like this. Hoards of students from all parts of the world have drove, flown, and walked to be part of Passion 268. Last night as the event kicked off, the floor reverberated and shook as thousands of people sang and worshipped and learned God is alive, He loves them, He’s purposed them to live now, in this moment, and the words spoken thousands of years ago are still applicable today, Genesis to Revelation.
Joel 2:28-30, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth…”
To the skeptics, haters, and nay-sayers who say the Church is dead, remember one thing: they’re liars.
Passion 2012, photo taken from my boss, Christine Caine
wow!!! looks amazing!! so many people- crazy!
beautiful post, bianca!
God always surprises His followers with talents we didn’t know we had (teaching) eh? 🙂
Happy New Year!
May God continue to bless your ministry.
OK. That whole “my boss, Christine Caine” thing makes me downright jealous. (ha) Super cool things are happening for you and God’s work in your life is amazing to watch.
That being said, I watched Passion last night via live stream and was Brought. To. Tears.
Stunned. Thrilled. Joyous. The GEORGIA DOME! Packed! With tens of thousands of young people praising God, praying, shouting out His word (that opening was creative genius)…….
I was so happy I called my preacher-dad and sent him the link telling him he just HAD to see what was happening….right now. 😉
I think a shift IS happening. But I don’t think it’s towards atheism either. I think we’re about to see God move (and we, His people) with Him in awesome ways we do not expect.
Hold on…… 😉
Rooted & grounded,
Deb
This post just seriously made me smile! And I agree with you and it’s exciting!!
I am excited to see what our Lord is going to do this amazing year. What an awesome start to the new year in Atlanta! Soooooooooooo glad you were there to witness this incredible event!!!!!!! Glad you were a part of it.
Love,
Mom
What a beautiful sight. I would have loved to go back in time and be a teen again to be there.
Wow,,, awesome. On a side note I tried watching live but couldn’t, perhaps it was already over when I tried, will try again today….
Wow!! That’s awesome! God bless you, B!
This is very encouraging Bianca, I have attended Hillsong concerts with Gabi this past year and have been so encouraged to see so many young adults attending these worship concerts. I have been brought to tears as they lift up their voices and hands to worship the Lord.
This topic is very near and dear to my heart since I have seen first hand what can happen to young Christians after they leave “Christian schools” and go out into the “world” of college or the workplace and are challenged by it’s allure and fall prey to its deception. As the mother of young adults I want to do all in my power to guide them. And as an educator in the public arena so much is thrown at young children today I wonder sometimes if their is any impact on my part as a Christian.
Jennifer tells me that her generation wants the truth, nothing more and nothing less.
I pray God continue to move these young people and the “remnant” to encourage those who have lost their way to come back and to impact those young people who have yet to come to the knowledge of God’s power.
Love it. Love you.
That is awesome!!! Happy New Year to you Bianca! Looking forward to seeing all that you do in the new year! Continued blessings to you!
This is so exciting and encouraging!
This picture is amazing, thank you for sharing. You are absolutely right, there is a remnant, and Satan, the father of lies is trying to make us blind to that.
Dang girl! Preach it! I’m so glad so many young girls have you to look up to! xo
Your right, the Church is not dead. How can it be? The word Church simply means called out ones, the Church is not a building made with hands or a 501 3 C Non Profit Organization. In Revelation 18:4 we are told to “come out of her” lest we partake of her sins. The refrence to “her’ is the false babylonian Church of the last days. I truly believe God is calling out his people to leave the organized Church and to go underground so that we are prepared for the coming persecution of the AntiChrist. In China there are two churches, the organized Governement sanctioned Church and the unregistered House Churches. the Government sanctioned Church actively persecutes the unregistered home Churches. I see this type of persecution happening here in the States where the Government sanctioned Churches (501 3 C Non profit’s) will do the governments dirty work and persecute the underground Church (Bride of Christ). You talk about a revival but to the contrary, Paul said in the last days there would be a great falling away 2 Thessalonions 2:3-“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” 2 Timothy 4:3 says “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;” Numbers does not in any way indicate success, in fact the Bible says in Luke 6:26-“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.” MATTHEW 10:22 says-“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” notice where it says “but he who endures to the end will be saved” just saying a magical prayer at an altar call does not gaurantee salvattion, we must endure to the end. Matthew 24:9 says-“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” The Institutional Church will deliver up the true Saints who refuse to bow down to the AntiChrist and his system to be delivered up for persecution. Mark 13:12-“Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.” People’s hearts are waxing colder and colder. 2 Timothy 3:12-“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” I agree that there is a remnant of Born Again Belivers that refuses to partake in the sins of the False Church in these last days and refuses to spot itself with the ways and culture of the world. This remnant does not desire to be relevant, it does not desire to be politically correct, it still believes that the holy scriptures are absolutely infallible, is not impressed with titles of men, does not think the Church resides in a building made up of brick and mortar, calls sin for what it is instead of watering it down in order to not offend anyone, believes that there is no other way to Father but by the Son, this remnant is not ecumenical striving to be in accord with the False Catholic Church, it does not desire to be presitgous, this remnant believes that the word of God is enough to convict men. women and children of thier need for Jesus Christ as their saviour and this remnant does not believe we need gimmicks to attract people to Christ, this remnant does not build up for herself treasures on earth as it knows that it will all eventually be burned up, this remnant does not consider itself a citizen of this or any other country and it knows it’s citizenship is in heaven.
Hallelujah and amen! We serve a living God who will continue raising up generations who love and serve Him!
Christine’s afternoon session was one of the highlights for me! I tried to convey the scene to my parents when I got home a few hours ago but my words did not do it justice. So great meeting you again!
Love it!