18 inch Journey

"Any fool can count the seeds in a apple.  Only God can count all the apples in one seed" 
               -Robert H. Schuller

This summer we hosted our fourth 18 inch Journey with 38 students and staff from all over the world.  They came from South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, and over half a dozen states.  I could fill a book describing each moment we experienced this summer, but really, that would be like counting the seeds in the apple.  This school was truly a time where lives opened like seeds and unfolded into the fullness of what God made them to be.  The fruit of this summer can only be measured in eternity.  I wish I could describe with words the way the kingdom of heaven invades this school, but I come to the same dilemma as Jesus.  Over a dozen times Jesus says the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is like..."  Mere human words can not explain heaven.  Words can just point to what is is like and your heart must open its eyes to see its indescribable wonder.  I asked some of our students to share what there 18 inch journey was like,  I hope you can taste fruit of heaven in their words.

 "The best way I can think to describe the 18 inch journey is that it's like everything was taken and stripped down to the basic colors; primary yellow, red, and blue.  And then those were taken and re-exploded into a myriad of colors, including countless new ones I had never known existed  I feel like I have always instinctively known that worship like this existed; that community like this existed; that being loved by God like this existed…but now I have seen and experienced it, and I am forever changed."
                
                -Ella Roselt, South Africa

"The 18 inch Journey has truly been a trip from my head to my heart.  It has been a place where I found and discovered who God Is and has always been, and who I am and what I was always meant to be.  My relationship with the Trinity has become more real than words on a page.  I've walked out of keeping a "safe" distance and walked into close and honest intimacy with the Lord.  The 18 inch Journey has opened my eyes to see that my heart matters and that I have a voice.  I've come to know and be lead by the nature of God, depending on him moment to moment.  I've come to truly see with the eyes of my heart and to encounter God in the ordinary and simple things.  Words can't describe the freedom, weightlessness and rest I have experienced.  I've come to know what God's family looks like and what it means to fight for each other."
               
                   -Jordan Wilson, Florida

"My favorite moment at the 18 inch Journey was the morning I learned to hear the voice of God.  It started with a simple task that Melissa asked us to do during our quiet time.  She asked us to go sit and simply ask God, "Father, what are your thoughts about me?"  In my mind I thought of some things, but God had a different plan.  As soon as my pen touched my paper I started writing things that I knew weren't my voice. Through that simple question he ended up answering so many more questions.  This was my first time journaling and being confident that it was God's voice I heard and not mine.  I now love quiet time with Papa because it is an actual conversation instead of just me speaking."
               
                  -Camryn Cornett, Tennessee

For more info about the 18 inch Journey Click here

The Reward-A Song Story

I was riding in the back of an old astro van cruising westward on I-40 to Nashville in the spring of 2005. Faster than the cars passing our old van, a story of revival was racing through my heart.  It was the story of the first two Moravian missionaries.  In 1732 a Dutch ship left the Copenhagen harbor bound for the Danish West Indies. On board were these two young missionaries ready to sell their lives into slavery to reach the slaves of the West Indies with the gospel.  As the ship slipped away from the harbor they stood on the bow of the boat and cried out "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering."  Their voices rang in the ears of their families and loved ones gathered at the harbor to say good bye.  Soon this cry become the rallying call for all Moravian missionaries. 

As this story ripped through me and this cry rang in my heart,  a melody begin to grow wings inside me. I grabbed my guitar and before the van reached Nashville this song was written.

In a garden we fell, but in a garden he prayed,
Not my will but yours be done.
My sins he became so I could be like him
To go beyond the veil and see his face

The cross has made a way so we can enter in
To go back to the garden once again
The cross has made a way, forever I will say
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

Worthy,  Worthy,
Worthy is Lamb that was slain
To receive the reward of his suffering
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

Receive the reward, Oh Lamb of God

You can find this song on itunes by clicking here

God Time

The two most important things that I want to teach my children are to: To know God's love and to know God's voice.  I am grateful beyond words to have had a mother and father who have taught me how to know God's love and hear God's voice.  I am so excited to announce that my father Ken Helser will be teaching a workshop at the "Cageless Birds Worship Gathering" called "God Time." This workshop will be a time to know more of God's love and hear more of God's voice. He describes the workshop like this-

"Do you ever secretly struggle with HOW to spend time with the Lord?  As Disciples of Christ, we know we are called to draw close to Him, but at times we don’t know “HOW”....so our times with Him can feel dry and even burdensome.  At times this leaves us approaching Him out of guilt and obligation. But HE came to give us ABUNDANT LIFE in every way, and wants a satisfying relationship with YOU!  But the question remains:  “How do you have GOD Time?  And how do you have a GOD Time that you enjoy?"

You can find out more info about the God Time workshop with Ken Helser at www.aplacefortheheart.org

Cageless Birds

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were chained to prison walls, but they lifted their voices and sang. The freedom they sang about was more real then the chains that held them. The walls of the prison had to bow to the reality of the freedom in their song. Not only did their song set them free, but it set all the prisoners free. Like birds released from their cage Paul and Silas flew out of their prison on the melodies they sang. On June 17-18 we will be hosting a two day worship gathering to inspire a generation to fly out of the cages of fear into the heart of God. Go to www.aplacefortheheart.org for more info. 

Long Story Short

In the fall of 2007 Melissa and I went into the studio with the plan of tracking a new worship album, but the Lord hijacked our plans with his dream.  When we thought the songs were coming to an end, Jesus walked through the walls of the studio and we realized the songs were just beginning.  The songs that we thought would only last a few minutes turned into ten and fifteen minute experiences.  At the end of those days in the studio we had collected two albums full of spontaneous and unplanned moments where heaven collided with our hearts. We released the albums later that year as "The Reward" and "Walk through the Walls." Within those two albums of extended worship are eleven songs that were forged and crafted in the eight years leading up to the moment the record light clicked on. The songs were fashioned in a wilderness and found in the middle

of storms. They are the songs of a journey. This year we decided to go back and collect the eleven songs from the extended moments of worship. We remixed and remastered them into beautiful and simple song length versions.  I love the way a song can squeeze the beauty of eternity into a few minutes. This collection of songs tells the story of our journey. This is our long story short.

You can pre-order this album at our online store at www.jonathanhelser.com 

-Jonathan David 2011

Abba is on itunes.....

Abba is on itunes waiting for you......Click here to download Abba on itunes

South Africa....

 Next month my band and I are flying over the Atlantic Ocean to the beautiful nation of South Africa. We are meeting up with two of my favorite people in whole world, Suzy and Kamran Yaraei,  to host a school of worship in the city of Johannesburg.  Suzy and I have been dreaming about going to the nations together for years. This trip is the fulfillment of lots of prayers and prophetic words. I can hardly wait to see what PaPa is going to do. You can find out more info about the school at the link below.

www.centralparks.co.za

The evenings of April 14-15th are nights where we will waste the evenings worshiping the Lord and anyone is welcome.  If you live in South Africa you need to be there, if you don't live in South Africa book some tickets.....