Westmont - Halloween

HERE IS AN EMAIL IN REGARDS TO WESTMONSTS STUDENTS COMING TO IV FOR HALLOWEEN...IT'S BETWEEN ONE OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY MEMBERS SAMI AND THE VP OF STUDENT LIFE:

So, I got an email from Jane Higa, the VP of student life at Westmont,to all the students at Westmont concerning the dangers of going out to IV this Halloween and warning us not to go down there. I felt that it was a wise thing, but it also could create fear and judgement in people, so I replied to her email, trying to respond in the opposite spirit (love and hope). Then she sent my email to all the students at Westmont! Looks like Westmont is praying alongside IVC for Halloween weekend! Feel free to pass this on to the rest of the family! Yeee!

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Dear Students,
One of the things I love about being at Westmont, are the constant reminders that I have had the privilege of working along side so many amazing students---who have such amazing hearts and who are doing such amazing work. Did you know that I think you are AMAZING???

After sending out the email regarding Halloween weekend in Isla Vista (IV) a few days ago, I received several emails from your fellow students, including an email from Sami Miller, a senior here at Westmont. She shared with me her church's work in IV and her desire to encourage the Westmont community to pray for IV this weekend. Below is an excerpt of her email:

Hi Jane,
I just wanted to thank you for sending this letter out, as the risks of going to IV on Halloween are very high. I am a senior at Westmont and a part of Isla Vista Church, which is the church that does Jesus Burgers in IV every Friday night. Our church is having a 24/7 prayer week for IV this week and this weekend we will be at the ministry house on Del Playa giving people free burgers and loving on the people who are partying. Jesus Burgers has been a safe place for many of the kids in IV, has probably saved some kids lives, and many souls. So though it is a very dangerous and crazy place, God is moving in this city and does amazing work advancing the kingdom of Light, even on such a dark weekend. I'd appreciate if you could encourage students to pray for IV this week. Though it is wise not to go out there, I think we should try to be compassionate, try to see IV the way Father God sees it and pray for the safety of those who are out there. Last year, after having a week of 24/7 prayer, it rained on the Friday of halloween weekend and the streets were empty by 10pm! What could happen if the Westmont community stepped up to intercede for their fellow students in Santa Barbara?!

Thank you Sami for your word of encouragement and I would like to invite all of you to join Sami and the Isla Vista Church in praying for safety, protection, love and peace in IV this weekend, because as Sami said "Jesus reigns over that city."

Jane

Halloween In Isla Vista | Jesus Loves IV

Halloween In Isla Vista | Jesus Loves IV

Baptism (October 2011) | Jesus Loves IV

Baptism (October 2011) | Jesus Loves IV

Worship Album

Our worship leader and one of my best-friends (Mac) recorded an album live from the prayer shed about a month ago...I am super stoked to watch the whole recording and listen to these songs we have been singing for the last two years! 

Halloween Week - 24/7 Prayer

It's Halloween this week in IV, which means people from all over will being coming to our city to party. The party will begin Thursday and end Monday, as Halloween falls on a Monday this year.

We as the church began 24/7 prayer in our prayer shed on Sunday and will end on Saturday...please join us as we pray for this weekend and the safety of thousands of lives. They say the city doubles in population during Halloween, which means 40,000 people will be in a one mile square radius.

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Jesus Saves

This last Sunday a student strolled into the church building at the end of the gathering...he had just accepted Christ and asked God to connect him with other believers. He saw a Westmont van parked at the church, so he decided to check if it was a Christian church. I wish I could share the details of his life, and what has God delivered him from, but I want to honor our new brother in Christ...hopefully you will watch his testimony in the next few weeks. 

The picture is from Monday night at Prayer & Prophecy time. After he shared his story, a group of about 15 of us laid hands on him and prayed over him for about 45 minutes. It was great, we asked him if he was ok with that many of us praying for him, and he responded "I want as many Christians as possible to pray for me!" Please continue to pray, as lost sons and daughters are returning Home to their Father in IV! 

"But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." - Jesus

A Few More Baptism Pics...

Baptism Sunday

This fall quarter has been crazy good...God has been changing lives, saving lives, and doing what only His grace can do. This last Sunday three gals entered the Pacific Ocean to declare that their life belongs to Jesus and is being lived for Jesus!

"having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)

The church family in IV is growing as God is relentless to love this city to Himself. Please continue to pray for His church in IV and for the city, Halloween is rapidly approaching.

Pray 4 Peace in IV

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." (Jeremiah 29:7)

On Saturday morning around 3 am I was awakened out of a dead sleep by a car slamming into another car...being disoriented, I got up to check it out, but didn't see anything out our window. After I woke up on Sunday morning I went outside to discover the damage. It was not long before the owner showed up to go to work, only to see his car plowed by a unknown driver. The car that slammed into his car was left abandoned in a driveway across the street, as it could not be driven due to the impact. The police filed a hit & run report...most likely the driver had been drinking.

Please pray for IV, as this could have easily been people who got hit while walking on the street...God has been good to our city in light of the amount of crazy drivers and people drinking & driving. As you can see from the picture, our home was right behind where it happened (our van on the driveway).

Do You Believe

This is a testimony from our friend Sola, he lives in London. Watch this, it is such a good word/reminder about having faith in God and His Word that we read.

http://jesuslovesiv.com/portfolios/do-you-really-believe/

Testimony of New Life in Christ

Here is a testimony from Joseph who is our next door neighbor...he came to Christ less than 6 months ago!

Check it out: http://jesuslovesiv.com/portfolios/a-myth-busted/

Gloriouse Weekend

This weekend was marked by glory...the glory of God!

We had an amazing time Friday night worshiping the King of kings in the Upper Room...then we moved out to the front yard to put the love of God on a city that so desperately needs it...hamburgers of love. 

Saturday was an all day conference on the topic of Inheritance led by Jacob Reeve at our home...tons of worship, fellowship, teaching, and encountering God!

And then Sunday we moved back to the church building on our street. The King was glorified and the IVC family was encouraged...a sweet time of ministry broke out at the end (picture # 3)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend, I should have taken more.

Baptisms in 2011-2012

It's an honor to be able to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit...I can't wait for our first baptism this year, hopefully sooner than later!

Here is a video of a baptism that I participated in last year...the glory of God is clearly seen through these lives that joyfully entered the waters of life declaring that their old life is gone and their new life in Christ is here!

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. " (Rom 6:4)

Check it out:

http://jesuslovesiv.com/portfolios/baptisms-june-2011/

Upper Room & Jesus Burgers

UCSB started yesterday...and tonight we begin both the Upper Room & Jesus Burgers!

The Upper Room:

http://islavistachurch.org/getinvolved/upper-room/

Jesus Burgers:

http://islavistachurch.org/getinvolved/jesus-burgers/

Please be praying for another year of His kingdom increasing in IV and beyond...Isaiah the prophet declared that at the increase of His government and His peace there would be no end (Is. 9:7)...Jesus is King of IV!

IVC Leadership

This last Saturday we had an all day family leadership meeting for IVC in Summerland...we spent the day playing, talking, eating, encouraging one another, and getting on the same page for the year...I am beyond honored to be doing life together and leading His church in IV with these incredible men and women of God! We are so stoked for this next year in IV and all the amazing things King Jesus is going to do!

http://islavistachurch.org/about/leadership/

Jesus Burgers

If you're faithful to the ministry of Jesus Burgers you are grateful for the summer...a time of rest, recovery, and renewed strength for the following year. This year we are moving the ministry to Friday nights, which is traditionally a little bit bigger of a party night. Same setup: worship and prayer beforehand (Upper Room) in the prayer shed, then transitioning around 10ish to the front yard, and then begin serving the JB's closer to 11pm and going till late!

Please be praying for the ministry and the harvest that God wants to bring in from the streets of IV...we are back on in about a month, crazy!

God is good, beyond thankful that God has kept this ministry going for 10yrs now...He is faithful to His work in this city!

"Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth, say to the daughter of Zion, 'Lo, your salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.' And they will call them, 'The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord'; And you will be called, 'Sought out, a city not forsaken.'" (Isaiah 62:11-12)

"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, " (Psalm 115:1)

http://www.vimeo.com/24969380

Conference Weekend

This weekend is going to be amazing...Jesus Burgers Friday night and then a two day conference on the topic of Our Inheritance in Christ...Saturday is an all day event at our home, it should be a blast!

The guest speaker is Jacob Reeve, who also did a conference last year on the same topic:

http://lomelinosiniv.blogspot.com/2010/11/conference-weekend.html

God is good, excited to start the year off with tons of fellowship, worship, and teaching!

http://jesuslovesiv.com/event/jacob-reeve-conference/

IV Prayer & Prophecy

We as a church family are super stoked this year to offer people in IV and out of the city the opportunity to be encouraged and refreshed through being prayed over and prophesied...this Monday from 7pm to 10pm is our first meeting...if you live in IV text in to reserve a time or walk-in!

This is going down every Monday...please don't be shy to come a get some prayer:

http://jesuslovesiv.com/event/isla-vista-prayer-prophecy/

Chris Curry

This is a testimony from our friend Chris Curry...I (Jason) absolutley love this brother!  I helped disciple him while he was in college and we have stayed friends since..he is one of the more honorable men I have ever known. 

I am so thankful for Chris and for his heart of worship that has continued since leaving IV several years ago.

http://jesuslovesiv.com/portfolios/encountering-love/

Jesus Loves Isla Vista

Check out the new website: http://jesuslovesiv.com/

 

This site was created to reveal the glory of God in Isla Vista and make Jesus more famous in our city...we are stoked for this year and all He is going to do in our midst!

 

"One generation will praise Your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:4)

Kids Are a Gift From the Lord

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates." (Pslam 127: 3-5)

Family Pictures

It is that time of year that our friend Rob Wang takes our family pictures for the year...Holly and I are super thankful to be raising these kids in IV and in a home that loves Jesus!

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." (Psalm 127:3)

Days Away...

We are days away from launching http://www.jesuslovesiv.com

  

The site is dedicated to the glory of God in Isla Vista. It will consist of 3 things:

  

1. Videos (amazing stories, jesus burgers, testimonies, weekend recaps, sermon clips, etc)

2. Calendar (classes, conferences, etc)

3. Isla Vista House of Prayer (this begins at the end of September)

  

The site will hopefully be live in 9 days...we are super stoked to put on display some of the wonderful things that God is doing in IV and beyond. Our hope in creating this site is to encourage faith and a greater devotion to Jesus & living for His kingdom!

  

I can't wait, as I have been watching the videos that all you will be seeing soon...God is good!

Favor

This last week Mac, the worship pastor, and I went to pick up a drum set. The add on craigslist said $100, as the mom wanted the drum set out of her life asap. Mac called and said we can come right now and asked if she would be up for taking $75. She repliled by saying yes, so we decided to go right away and pick it up.

When we got to the home we noticed a bumper sticker from Calvary Chapel in SB...when I walked into the house I asked if her family attended Calvary and she responded with a yes. I then shared that we were from IV Church and I was the pastor and Mac was the worship leader. As soon as I said that she said we could just have the drum set. Ah, the goodness and favor of God.

In a church located in a college town these kind of gifts from God are greatly appreciated and a reminder of His faithfulness to His church and IV. This picture is from this Sunday, with Erik on the new drum set. We are still meeting in our backyard...we move to the church building at the end of September, the family is excited as we are getting a bit full with Santa Barbara City College returning last week.

9 Years of Love

Today marks 9 years of being married...it has been by far the best years of my life (hopefully Holly can say the same)!

In these 9 years we have had 4 wonderful children and we absolutely love the life we have been called to live together...I can't say it has been easy, but I can easily say it has been worth it! God has been faithful to us and faithful in growing our love for one another..I am way more in love with Holly today than when we first got married!

Holly and I are finding that married life only gets better every year...growing more and more into the one flesh that Jesus promised us when we entered into the covenant of marriage on August 17th, 2002.

"and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh." - Jesus

Here is the home that Holly and I first met at in 2001...it's located in IV on Sabado Tarde. It was love at first sight, just playing...our love grew with time, not sight, and has only continued to grow over the years!

I love you Holly, happy 9 years today Beautiful!

* bottom right corner is the unit we met in

Problems in Life

Jesus will not end all the problems in your life, but He will walk through them with you.

There is a subtle pervasive lie today that tells us if we believe in Jesus we will not experience problems in life...that if we can arrive to a certain place of maturity or order our life in a certain way we can avoid problems.

However, we never see this in Scripture - from the OT to the NT it is full of conflict, problems, and trials. The life of Jesus was full of them and the apostle Paul lived a life that was never without them:

"Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches." (2 Cor 11:24-28)

Life is hard, challenging, and scary at times...there is nothing easy about it if we are really going to live it and face the curve balls that get thrown at us. However, the good news is that we have a God who promised to walk with us through each of them, even when we strike out along the way.

Problems are a common denominator to life, not an abnormality. Our faith is not about arriving at a state of utopia, it's about facing the life we are living...knowing that God uses problems to grow us, love us, and make us more like Him.

We all have core values we live from, regardless if we know that or not. One of my core values in life is never to waste my trials...knowing that they come from a good and sovereign God. I never pray or ask God for them, though they come all the time into my life. One of the ways I allow God to use them is by letting them remind me that life doesn't have to go my way...less of me, more of Him.

It's a good reminder to remember that Jesus is our Savior for a reason...we all need to be saved daily, as we have daily, if not hourly, problems we are facing. This shirt is a depiction of the mindset we need to shift from: mindset that thinks that once we come to Jesus all of our problems will be eliminated.


I get the shirt, as long as it's not saying push the Jesus button and problems in your life will be no more.

Here are two great verses about what problems can do in one's life if we choose not to waste them:

"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

* If you are overly familiar with these verses check them out in The Message Bible

Our Home & The Sunday Gathering Home

This is a picture of our home that we have lived in the last 4 years in IV. We have such an amazing testimony of how God provided it for us last minute, the amazing landlords He gave us, the location, and so much more...God is good, beyond good!

Over the last 10 years IVC has probably met in over 20 locations (IV Elementary, IV Theater, Embarcadero Hall, homes, parks, the beach, the prayer shed, the study shed, our backyard, etc.). Last year and this coming year we have been given permission to meet at the church building located on our street about 3 homes away.

"One generation will praise Your works to another, and will declare
Your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:4)

Joanna Joy

Our friend Ashleigh took this picture at the family gathering (IV Church) yesterday...Joanna Joy has been nothing but joy and love since she has been born. This picture is funny, not sure what she was doing?

IV Culture

Isla Vista is our promise land! It is a land where we believe we will see the glory of God in a tangible and real way one day...a city that will one day no longer be known for its infamous parties, but for its radical love of Jesus!

Holly and I feel beyond honored to be called to this city, neither one of us picked it, our Father picked it for us...though like all things, He knew what would be best for His kingdom, our family, and this city. We are stoked for another year of seeing heaven touch earth in this land!

Here are a few pictures taken by our friend Josh Morton of IV culture:

Del Playa House - Men

This is the 10th year year of the Jesus Burger House - 8 guys on the bottom, 7 gals at the top. Today the guys from the house and I (minus our friend Larry) spent the day together eating, hiking, playing bocce ball, and talking about next year. I keep saying it's an all star group living at the home next year...please be praying for those living there as their lives are being poured out daily for Christ and His kingdom.

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity...For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133)

Samuel From Nigeria

This last Sunday we had a father in the faith visit us from Nigeria...he encouraged our hearts to believe in the God of our fathers and to trust Jesus with all of our lives. Samuel is a pastor of a church in Nigeria, he also started a school there that began with just a few students and now is around 1,000!

This summer has been such a gift as we have met each Sunday in our backyard to worship the King of kings together with music, testimonies, prayer, teaching, and eating together...God is good, faithful to His church in IV and growing His kingdom that has no end!

"There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7)

The Love of the Father

Embracing the love of Father is crucial to the health of any child of God...Jesus said in John 17 that eternal life (not a duration of time but a quality of life) was to know Father God. The knowing that Christ is referring to here was an intimate knowing, not just a head-knowledge about Him, but genuine heartfelt knowing. We as humans were created for intimacy (in-to-me-you-see)...to know Him as our Daddy, our Papa, our Abba, our Father, and for Him to know us by name as His son or daughter.

I believe the greatest need in this generation is for fathers to step into the role that God designed them for, and in so doing giving their children identity, safety, value, worth, provision...making it easier on the child to understand what Father God is like.

The OT closes with a profound verse, reminding us of the importance of family and heart connection between fathers to sons and sons to fathers.

"“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”(Mal 4:5-6)