New Blog for a New Season.

Recently I became a Youth pastor. God has thrust me into a new phase of life, into a new season. And because of this I decided that I should start a new blog. It has the same heart, same visions and same goals, but just a new location. Check it out at mikerutledge.tumblr.com

He Answered.

It has been a long while since the last I wrote. The very post I wrote talked about my passion for God and to see a change, revival, and revolution in Canada, and I can greatly say He has answered.

For the past 5 weeks I have been in the midst of change at my school, Redeemer University.

God led me to meet 2 amazing guys, Josh and Jordan, and the three of us went to God with a desire for Revival. We run a worship group on Wednesday nights and God shows up every time! It is truly incredible. In about 5 weeks the group has jumped from 8 people to 32! And we expecting even more growth, and more importantly than numbers, is that peoples hearts are turning back to their first Love.

Last week a guy named Jason came out for the first time. Never before had he been exposed to an atmosphere of Praise that he found at the group and he gave us the testimony that he had never felt God the way he did that night! How amazing.

A bunch of the people that come to the group are taking Jesus out side the group as well. Every Thursday we go around the school and prophesy and encourage students and all we have received are great reports, and people telling us that God has been speaking through us to them! He is truly working!

Just yesterday my friend told that he is really sensing a change within the School, and on Sunday a girl came up to myself and Josh and asked if we could pray for her because she wanted what we had. God is moving and melting the hearts of the students.

People who never thought they could hear God's voice are prophesying into peoples lives. They are praying prayers from the heart of God. They are connecting with Him in worship, in spirit and in truth. My God is sending the rain on the famine.

We even have taken it further, to the mall. On friday's a group of 8-12 of us head to Limeridge mall and just share the Love of God where ever we can. Yes, people reject us all the time, but we are speaking life and love into the lives of people every week! God is moving and we are just jumping on board!

This is why I haven't written in a long time. I have been busy with Jesus. This description cannot even give it justice - the amazing things God is doing - but it is just to give praise to our King, He is faithful, He will Answer our desperate prayers.

Revolution is hitting our land.

Whisper of Friend.

"The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. " (1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV)

To many times we go to God expecting an answer that resembles the wind, earthquake and fire. We want to huge booming voice of God to come and rattle us to the core. An experience that is life changing every time He speaks to us.

Elijah probably had the same type of expectation with each new event on the mountain top. But if Elijah was too stubborn to only respond to a fixed expectation of dramatic proportions then he would have missed the gentle whisper.

In Exodus, God speaks to Moses as a friend speaks to a friend. Every time I talk to my friends I don't have life altering experiences. I find this same thing with God. The more I spend time with Him, the more I realize that He does talk just as a friend would. Giving the best advice we could ask for, or gentle prompts to do or say certain things, but hardly ever the huge booming voice that shakes the ground.

Not to say that He won't do that, but more often then not He speaks to us as the friend, the companion, a guide. It's more our job to listen and allow His words to sink in and shake us to our cores, to change our lives forever. We have a choice to listen or reject Him.

In my experience even when God is digging deep into us and revealing our dark places, it is still the voice of a friend. We grow up knowing God as our Father, Saviour, King, and Lord, but have you taken time to know Him as your friend? Today go to Him and listen not for the fire or earthquake but the gentle whisper of a friend.