Awakening Europe, Nuremberg, Germany, July 9-12, 2015: The One Thing

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being in one spirit and purpose..." Philippians 2:1-3

It feels like Awakening Europe was a fulfillment of these words. Friends from around the world all came together for one purpose, to see Europe saved and transformed by the love of God. There was no other agenda but Jesus. There was no competition, no striving, no trying to get a higher position. If anything, people were trying to get lower still so they could lay down to worship before the throne of King Jesus.

Family: Seeing the leadership of this event unite in prayer, worship, and praise together because they all wanted to see more people enter into the family of God was such a beautiful sight. The conference felt more like a huge family reunion than anything else. We all just worshipped Jesus together and sought to invite even more people into our growing family as children of God. Seeing Ben Fitzgerald, Todd White, Heidi Baker, Jake Hamilton, and so many more from around the world come together for one purpose, to glorify and make the name of Jesus known in Europe was such a pure offering unto the Lord. Whether it was at the breakfast table or during the meetings, there was such a precious unity in love that marked this community of saints in a special way. It was family burning for Jesus and doing the work of the Kingdom together.

Faith: Faith marked this conference in a special way. The speakers and leaders for this event all seemed to walk in a high level of faith. Ben and Todd stepped out in faith to get a stadium for this one purpose when they didn't have the funds to pay it yet. Even when the conference started, they were short thousands of dollars to cover the expense. On the final day of the conference however, all the money came in to cover the costs. Awakening Europe was a present day Nehemiah story coming together. Only God could have unified a community of Jesus lovers to unite as one to see His Kingdom come to Europe in such a short time with everything coming together so beautifully. Praise the Lord for His incredible provision and the miracle of this conference becoming a reality.

Hunger: The people from around the world who flocked to Nurnberg this past weekend carried a powerful hunger for Jesus. There was a desperation in their cries for more of the Holy Spirit. There was passion in their voices as they sang at the top of their lungs to give Jesus praise due His name. There was a sacred hunger present. More of Jesus at any cost was a prominent theme. Those who are hungry shall be filled.

When there was a call to encounter God's love for the first time in the Friday night meeting, the people streamed down from the stadium and literally ran on the track to the end of the field so they could consecrate their lives unto the Lord. There was even one point during Walter Heidenreich's session that a girl ran on the field as fast as she could towards the front of the stage. She was hungry and desperate for more of God. The crowd cheered her on and the security guards tried to catch her. She made it nearly to the front before she was surrounded and then fell to the ground. She was hungry for more of God at any cost. Her hunger reminds me of the time in the late 1990s when Heidi Baker ran up to the front of the church in the middle of Randy Clark's message because she was so hungry for more. She was marked by his prayer that day. Hunger truly does attract the heart of God.

One Thing: The conference started out with no agenda but worshipping and encountering Jesus. The very first night, the Holy Spirit took over that stadium and flowed through the voices with beautiful praise to Jesus. Heidi Baker was scheduled to speak Saturday night with several other smaller meetings and sessions that day. She felt God drawing her to come away and be with Him that day before the evening session. She was torn because she would have to cancel meetings to do that and she didn't want to let people down. One by one she began to cancel her other meetings so she could spend the day with Jesus and prepare for the evening. She modeled Psalm 27 in such a special way. When she spoke that night, she even mentioned how God can accomplish more in one minute in His presence than in a lifetime without it. She had made the right choice. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

This conference was marked by the One Thing. The family of believers came from around the world, unified by the Holy Spirit, carrying faith for the impossible, drawing hungry hearts together all to see the name of Jesus be glorified in Europe. Thousands were saved. Many were set free from shame. Multitudes were activated to be Jesus to those around them in their everyday lives. Many in and outside the stadium were healed and encountered the love of God like never before.

I am so thankful for friends and the family of God coming together with no other agenda than to worship Jesus and to make Him famous. I truly believe that Europe indeed was awakened to hunger for something more this weekend. Hope arose in the hearts of those present. A nation was lit on fire by the Holy Spirit this week. Ripple effects for eternity will come from what God poured out this weekend. Years from now and even generations from now, stories will continue to be told about how God met us in Nurnberg, Germany at Awakening Europe.

May this conference be a template, a new wine skin for carrying what God wants to pour out in our generation. May releasing the heart of God always come from a place of being united in love as a family. May every conference or series of meetings begin with no other agenda than to encounter the living God. May space be made to yield to the spontaneous leading of the Holy Spirit. May a sweet sacrifice of worship and our lives always be poured out before our King. May every single gathering of believers forever be marked and led by the One Thing.

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." Psalm 27:4

May you receive a fresh impartation of what God did at Europe Awakening. May you run after Jesus and never look back. May you realize that you need family to fulfill your destiny. May God surround you with kindred spirits who will burn with you. May faith arise to step into the impossible. May hunger increase so that you are so desperate to have more of Jesus that you will take hold of Him at any cost. May everything you do come from a place of deep intimacy with Jesus. May you be aligned once again with Jesus as the most important One in your life. May you be undone for anything else but knowing Jesus and making Him known. Amen.

Jennifer MiskovJuly 13, 2015