Sandcastles and Skyscrapers: Rediscovering Truth, Beauty, Freedom, & Love

Sandcastles and Skyscrapers: Rediscovering Truth, Beauty, Freedom, & Love

© 2013 Jake Hamilton

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9896026-0-0

ebook ISBN: 978-0-9896026-1-7

Published by Trancendent Media

www.jakehamiltonmusic.com

All worldwide rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means except for brief quotations in printed reviews without the prior written permission from the author.

All Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All marks of emphasis in the text are the author's.

Piece of torn paper image by Picsfive, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.

Cover design by Jake Hamilton

All interior artwork by Jake Hamilton unless otherwise noted

Interior typesetting by David Sluka of www.hitthemarkpublishing.com

This book is also available as an ebook at your favorite estore.

Please contact Jake Hamilton at www.jakehamiltonmusic.com

Printed in the United States of America

ENDORSEMENTS

The first time I met Jake Hamilton, I was drawn to his seeking heart. His life and songs bring a revolutionary message to a searching generation. He is a deep well of creative thought and fiery passion that is poured onto the pages of this book. The Ramp loves him!

—KAREN WHEATON

Founder and Senior Leader of The Ramp

It has been my great joy to run with a new breed of God lovers, honoring sons, and fiery revivalists. Jake Hamilton bears the mark of all three. His heart to honor me is deeply moving. His revelation of the Father and who we are as sons will hook any reader into their divine destiny.

—LOU ENGLE

Co-Founder and President of TheCALL

Across the earth, the Lord is stirring a generation like never before. There is a company of forerunners God is raising up whose sole passion is to see Jesus made famous in the earth. They are giving themselves to loving Jesus with all of their heart and seeing God's heart impact a generation. God is using Jake Hamilton as a voice to ignite this generation in this hour. Jake doesn't just have a message, his life is the message. He has completely abandoned himself to the cause of Christ and has a burning heart to serve people. I am grateful for the ministry of Jake and his heart to love people so completely that they encounter Jesus.

—BANNING LIEBSCHER

Founder and Director of Jesus Culture

Jake Hamilton is a VOICE! It is as if the Holy Spirit has attached a permanent megaphone to the words of his mouth, the guitar pick in his fingers, and the pen in his hand! Not only is his communication clear and powerful, but it comes from a deep walk with the Lord and a great love for those around him. Jake is a man of humility, passion, and integrity and his fresh articulation in Sandcastles and Skyscrapers will deeply inspire, challenge, and encourage you in many aspects of Jesus and His Kingdom!

—ANDY BYRD

Fire and Fragrance and Circuit Riders

Jake is a burning man with a burning heart carrying a burning message for a generation! The purity and passion of his heart will beckon you to jump into the endless ocean of God's possibilities for those who seek and believe in this day! Time to dive in!

—SEAN FEUCHT

Founder of Burn 24/7

This prophetic book will change your life. I haven't met anyone like Jake Hamilton in the earth. Greater than his leadership abilities, his articulate messages, and his powerful worship songs is a man who is consumed with the majesty of God and all that this God has dreamed for this generation. Jake is a revolutionary voice in the body of Christ today and this book is the very heartbeat of this voice. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

—COREY RUSSELL

Senior Leader at IHOPKC

I LOVED this book. Written with passion, creativity, and honesty from the heart of a man longing to know his God, this book made me laugh, cry, and mostly stop...and ponder. And it stirred a longing inside me to know God more. Jake has veered off the broad road of Christian performance to the road less travelled toward the heart of God. If you follow the directives he lays out in this book, you, too, will turn towards the one thing that really matters in this life and the next—the One who is LOVE.

—STACEY CAMPBELL

beahero.org and newlife.bc.ca

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my beautiful wife Nicci. Without you this book and the heart behind it would have never had the chance to bloom into what it is. Your patience and wisdom in the midst of marriage, ministry, and motherhood have helped me to define love and learn how to walk it out. Words could never fully express how much I love you or how much I need you in my life. You are a loving mother, an adoring wife, and my best friend. You are my North Star and the most precious gift I could have ever received from our Daddy.

Thank you so much for all the things you will never take credit for but I could never live without.

I can't wait to see what next great adventure we will have together.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION //

Don't read this book without starting here.

CHAPTER ONE // THE CHURCH IN A CHRYSALIS

In order to do something new we must learn to embrace change.

CHAPTER TWO // YOU ARE A REFORMER

The truth about who you really are and what you're capable of.

CHAPTER THREE // IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

And it never will be.

CHAPTER FOUR // LEARNING TO PURSUE ETERNITY

Getting heaven's perspective on how to chase God with your whole life.

CHAPTER FIVE // REFORMATION IS NOT REBELLION

Introduction to Arkeology.

CHAPTER SIX // FROM ABRAHAM TO LINCOLN

The journey from slavery to the spirit of adoption.

CHAPTER SEVEN // A KING AND HIS KINGDOM

Take the world back. Give me Jesus.

CHAPTER EIGHT // THE KINGDOM MANIFESTO

Learning to live a Kingdom lifestyle.

CHAPTER NINE // SUCCESS

Redefining the goal so we can determine how to get there.

CHAPTER TEN // PRACTICAL BEGININGS

The truth about getting to know an unknowable God.

FOREWORD BY HEIDI BAKER

Iwas so blessed when Jake asked me to write a forward for his extraordinary book. The first thing I noticed about Jake was not his talent or anointing, though he is bizarrely talented and anointed. The first thing I noticed about him was that he is a tender family man and a precious father, totally in love with Jesus. His family radiates the love of God.

In Sandcastles and Skyscrapers, Jake reminds us that we are reformers and world changers who are called to shine. He writes to this generation straight from his heart and urges us to live out of covenant relationship. He brings his vulnerability to the table when he opens up about his personal life. He shows us the need for humility and repentance in all things. His heartbeat is to see people chose covenant over religion. He is calling us to love the Father together as a family of believers, not just on Sundays but as a part of those who live in real community. Jake really gets it. Kingdom is all about family. It doesn't matter our minor disagreements; it's all about loving Jesus together. It's about bringing His Kingdom of love to those all around us.

I love the way Jake's book is laid out. I remember well the years of striving Rolland and I did in ministry where we nearly always put ministry before our family. It was not until 1997 when I was stuck to the floor by the power of the glory of God for seven days and seven nights that I really understood. The Lord spoke to me and said that I could do nothing without Jesus. This I felt I already knew. But He also said that I could do nothing without the Body of Christ. I admit that I didn't really like the Body of Christ so much at that time, but God made it clear. We must work together to bring His Kingdom to earth. Nothing is accomplished on our own. Jake beautifully understands this and makes so many powerful points. It's so important to run with those God puts in our paths. It's such a privilege to cheer them on, to watch them go, and to see the fire in their eyes. We need to unite. We need to be one in spirit and in purpose.

Our destiny is in seeing every man, woman, and child on the planet come home to the Father's house. That is our destiny and we need to do nothing out of selfish ambition. Together, we need to carry the glory of the Lord. Together we carry the mercy of Christ Jesus. Together we feed the poor, together we love the lost and heal the sick. It's not about doing things alone. Together, we see the power of God released in the nation. God's glory is so great, the only way to carry it is together. We can only go so far on our own. Only as we love one another and cooperate together will we fulfill our God-given destinies.

Jake also talks about the importance of living out of the spirit of adoption. God is calling us to the heavenly realms rather than living like orphans. Orphans do not know who they are and it is so wonderful to watch and see when they realize they are truly sons and daughters. God wants to download this same revelation of His grace to you. Let this be the start in your journey to new realms of grace, which are expressed in God's kindness. The spirit of adoption in your life also means inheritance. So much of the church is functioning out of an orphan spirit and only picking up the crumbs. God picks each of us up however and says, You are my favorite. Feast at His banquet. Remember that you, too, are God's favorite. He has great and amazing plans for you.

I pray that as you read Sandcastles and Skyscrapers that you will be filled with the wisdom of knowing that you have access into the riches of His inheritance. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which He has called you. I pray that you may know your inheritance in Him in a new way, receiving all things as sons and daughters. I pray that you would know Him better. He is good and He is so for you. As Jake pours out his heart on the following pages, may you be encouraged to receive even more of His great love for you.

—HEIDI BAKER, PH.D.

Founding Director of Iris Global

FOREWORD BY KRIS VALLOTTON

Jake Hamilton is a prototype of the kind of revivalists that are emerging all over the world. He is a radical reformer who relentlessly pursues the Kingdom of God and His presence. Jake is dedicated to equipping a generation of righteous reformers to rise up and seize the day. He is a man who walks in covenant, and lives in accountability. Jake Hamilton's book, Sandcastles and Skyscrapers , is an expression of his desire to challenge our mindsets and stimulate all of us to reconsider the multidimensional nature of the Kingdom.

This book will inspire you to embrace your call as a child of the King and provoke you to become more like Jesus. If your walk with God has grown stale or boring, Jake will help to wake you up and escort you into your destiny.

—KRIS VALLOTTON

Leader, Bethel Church, Redding, CA

Co-Founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry

Author of several books, including The Supernatural Ways of Royalty and Spirit Wars

INTRODUCTION //

DON'T READ THIS BOOK WITHOUT STARTING HERE

Iam actually writing this introduction as I am three-fourths of the way finished with this book. I realized that something must be said right at the beginning so that you are able to see my heart, because I am not convinced that everything in this book is right or even true.

I am a seeker. I am a child. I am a wanderer on a journey into the presence of God, finding things that I never imagined I would find. I have found more joy in serving the Lord than I have ever had before by adopting this principle: being right is never as important as being in love. I am no longer seeking answers in my life, but seeking the truth. And truth is not some principle or doctrine or theology to rally around; truth is a man, and His name is Jesus.

With that being said, I have nothing to prove; therefore, I have nothing to lose by the statements, questions, and thoughts I put forth in this book. This is not an attempt to satisfy some personal vendetta or to try to convince you of something. What you hold in your hands is my attempt to clarify, through my experience and my limited understanding of the Word, what I believe a journey toward life and love looks like.

There is something I learned a long time ago: we are never given the promise of being right. In fact, I think the truth of the Bible is more the opposite. The further we travel on this road toward the knowledge of God, the more we discover that we don't know anything. Sure, we may learn some historical context, such as what created the religious landscapes of Jesus' day, in order to give us greater understanding of the text and how to interpret what we read, but the knowledge of God is beyond the simple reading of the text.

The journey I want to be on uses the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, as a springboard into the abyss we call eternity—where the mystery of God reigns supreme and we can marvel at His vast glory and wisdom, yet have the privilege of feeling His touch and hearing His voice. The real beauty is that He wired us each so differently and gave us our current circumstances, our social and economic status based on the cultural and geographical location of our birth, and His presence, and then said, Be free! The world will know you love me when you actually love one another (see John 13:35).

We dive into the great mystery wherever we are in life. Since God made us all different, we experience Him differently. So we each fall in love with the attributes of Him that touch us the most deeply. But this doesn't mean that He changes for each of us or that the attribute that touched you is more important than His millions of other attributes. Just because we have different views on the spiritual gifts, the way we are supposed to worship, the way we should preach, or the way we should pray, fast, feast, dance, shake, laugh, or cry does not mean that we are allowed to divide or break covenant for the sake of being right. We are called to love one another and seek after God as one body.

I believe, as you will find over the course of this book, love is the goal of all humanity. Some would stop me right there, a mere 598 words into this book, and cry, No! God is the goal! Agreed. But God is love, and love is the way we display His presence to the whole world. You can be poor or you can be rich—you still need love, and the only way to get it is through God.

You can be born in America or Afghanistan; you still need love. You might tell me, Other religions, even pagans, all over the world have love, but they don't have Jesus. I would disagree. They don't have what the Christian would call love, because love is about a standard. Everyone has learned a standard for love from somewhere or someone. Be it right or wrong, good or bad, who or what your standard for love is will determine the love you receive and the love you give. It's why we find such beautiful displays of happiness and joy in the dumps of Africa and in the makeshift homes of Mexico. The people there have found a standard for love outside of themselves, one that actually draws love and joy and even peace into their current circumstances. Their standard is Jesus Christ.

It's not religious ritual or separation from society that has given them this unshakable and unmovable devotion; it's love. They found that they were loved infinitely by an eternal God who knows their names and the hairs on their heads (Luke 12:7). They found out that before they were even in the womb He knew them (Jeremiah 1:5). They found that He is not separate or far off. He didn't just enter their world some two thousand years ago, but He enters it every day. He comes right into the midst of their junk, their depravity, their brokenness, their success, their failures, their heartache, and their happiness. This is what gives humanity courage. This is what gives humanity grace. This is why we are called to be the standard for love on the planet, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

With all that said, you must know that this book is a matter of my opinion and perspective.

One person.

One heart.

One life.

You should not trust anything in this book simply because I said it or you think you know me. Get a Bible, get a pen, get a notebook, and go after God on your own and see what you find. Submit it to moms and dads whom you trust and whom you love. Wrestle with God so that you might find something new. This book has no finish line and no big finale at the end, because I'm a seeker. I guess I always will be. The things I believe today may be proved wrong tomorrow, but at least I am willing to admit it. There is only one truth and one rock we can all stand on, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the beginning, middle, and end of the story in a book He wrote that no one is allowed to add to or take away from.

This book is an invitation into a discussion much bigger than any one of us.

Join me.

We have permission to ask questions.

Let's ask them together.

—JAKE HAMILTON

IT SEEMS ALL OF LIFE IS CAUGHT IN BETWEEN

THE PRESSURES OF LIFE AND A CHILDHOOD DREAM.

A SANDCASTLE; DREAMY AND BUILT IN AN HOUR

AND THE DEEP WINDOWED SOUL OF AN IVORY SKYTOWER.

ONE CARRIES CHARM AND AN IMMATURE FLAIR

WHILE ONE IS DESIGNED WITH THE GREATEST OF CARE.

IS THAT NOT THE HOPE? THAT WE WILL LEAVE DREAMS BEHIND?

TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND THE GLORY WE'LL FIND?

BUT WHAT IF ITS A MARRIAGE OF WISDOM AND FLIGHT

THAT WILL CARRY THE HEART OF A FATHERS DELIGHT?

WHAT IF YOUR DREAMS ARE SHARED BY HIM TOO

AND YOU JUST LET THEM DIE BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MUCH TO DO?

AND MAYBE, JUST MAY BE THERE IS LIFE TO BE HAD

WHEN A SON ONCE AGAIN PLAYS IN THE SAND WITH HIS DAD.

CHAPTER ONE // THE CHURCH IN A CHRYSALIS

IN ORDER TO DO SOMETHING NEW

WE MUST LEARN TO EMBRACE CHANGE

I'm still amazed at how little I love God and how much I love the world—how much I still desire the approval of man in my heart while longing for the approval of God with my mouth. I am amazed that after all these years of devotion and all the years of ministry I still know so little about the God I claim to adore. I am more broken than I want to admit. I am weaker than I could have ever imagined. I am more fragile than I let on to my peers. I daydream, at times, about my own greatness—the profound things I will say to all the right people at just the right time so that they will crown me king of the people who know stuff and are really smart.

Okay, I may have taken it a little far. But the fact that I have so much potential to do so much good without God's name is my greatest enemy. We want to o a bunch of stuff in God's name without God. We want miracles. We just aren't sure about God yet. I believe one of the reasons food multiples in other countries is because they have no credit cards for when times get tough. The dead are raised in other countries because there are no hospitals for them, no Medicare, Medi-Cal, Medi-whatever. We have backup plans for our backup plans, just in case of who knows what.

Now, of course, I believe in having hospitals, and we want to create systems of resource for those in need. (Don't go getting offended just yet.) The problem is, we have actually placed these systems before our need for God. We don't wait on the Lord; we promote, we fund-raise, we look for the quick fix and the easy out, and we build and build and build our great sandcastle to the sky. We do all this while praying that we won't wake up one day and find it washed away by the tide of this life or worse yet by the God we are trying to serve. The truth is that we will either get jealous for the things of God or we will become irrelevant. We need Jesus. I need Jesus, more than I could ever dare to communicate and more than I could even dream possible. I need Him. And so do you.

The great tragedy in our generation is not homosexuality or divorce rates or abortion or racial prejudice or leadership or the economy. The greatest tragedy in our generation is the church's apathy toward family and our lack of the knowledge of God. We don't pursue Him, so we don't know Him; therefore, we can't maintain a relationship with Him and we can't maintain a relationship with others. When we do not know how to maintain relationships, we simply move to what we believe works: control, manipulation, and fear. We convince others that they need us more than we need them; we drag them along until we have no further use for them, and they are soon abandoned for a newer model. In divorce, it is called irreconcilable differences; in the Body of Christ, we just call it church hopping.

God desires for us to know and protect His heart and the hearts of those He loves.

Let me give you an example. I know the answer to ending abortion, ending STDs, and eradicating almost the entire AIDS virus from the earth, while emptying the foster care system and clearing out orphanages, all in one generation. Here's the kicker: you won't even have to vote on it. In fact, it won't require the government at all. How?

The answer is already in the Bible, and it's just three steps: don't have sex until you're married; once you are married, stay