Thursday, March 31, 2011

Bedtime Stories

Well, here I am in Suffolk Virginia. It has the same weather that we have had for the past few days. Cold, gray and misting rain. I thought I had landed back in Atlanta. But it is supposed to get better tomorrow. I think it will be up in the high 60s. Anna Roan was very excited to see me, and I was excited to see her too. She has grown over the past few months. But there is just something about four year olds that draws you too them. She is just innocent and excited about life. Maybe that is part of the reason that Jesus told us to be like children. Anyway she is just a lot of fun, and never a dull moment.

Julia Anne warmed up to me real fast. I wasn’t sure how she would respond, but instead of crying this time, she laughed at me and let me hold her a lot. It’s a joy just to hold her. She is so active and smart. We went out to dinner, and for a while I didn’t think Lisa was ever going to be able to eat because Julia was such a handful. She was good and didn’t cry, but you could tell that she did not like being confined in any way. Anyway it is going to be a fun weekend with those two around.

The sewing machine and serger arrived today. They beat me here. I’m so glad that I didn’t drive. I’m tired enough after spending the day at the airport (both of them). But Fed Ex exceeded their promised delivery date. I’m amazed at the efficiency of that company. They really do things right. They are packed very well with no damage to the boxes so I just told Lisa to leave them packed for the move to Alaska.

I’m sitting here at the dining room table now. I thought I would do my blog while Lisa is still in the bedroom trying to get the girls to sleep. She was so tired, she might wind up asleep with them as well. She has been in there with Julia for a good while. Anna and I were out here in the living room and I was reading her books for bedtime stories. I read three different books. She got them at the library this afternoon. Two of them were fairly short, but one was very long. She was getting tired as I read, but I think that I almost fell asleep at least three times on that last one. As I was reading them I tried to remember when I was little. I do remember my uncle telling me stories and I definitely remember my grandmother telling me ghost stories, some which I am pretty sure were true.

It was a fun time just sitting with Anna reading to her. That’s the hard thing about having grandchildren who live far away. I miss a lot of what all four of them are doing. Well, I just have to make up the time when I am with them. Sometimes I begin to wonder if I am doing things right. I know some people my age that all they are and do is wrapped around their grandchildren. I love them very much, but I am just not “wired” that way. I want to make time, and quality time, for them and my daughters, but the is such a passion for life, and such a passion to see the Kingdom expanded that I can’t stop. I can’t “retire”. No, this semi-retirement that I have got is just a way to fund my ministry and travel to release this next generation. I am excited to be with my family. I always am, but I have miles to go before I sleep. However, it is good and proper to stop and tell bedtime stories to a four year old who can melt your heart is a second. This is going to be a fun weekend.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Favor

Well, I’m sitting by the fire in my rocking chair. It’s hard to believe that it is almost the end of March. Last night I wrote about spring. I sure wish the Spring weather would return. It’s been cool and very damp all day. The fire takes the chill off the house, plus I just love looking at it. It’s been a busy day. I had to work this afternoon. While some days at work are very easy, others are pretty hard. Today was one of the harder ones. This module has a long briefing and power point presentation. It covers a lot of material, and I am talking constantly both in the briefing and in the simulator. So I was glad when it was over about 6PM.

After meeting John and Biddie for dinner at a new Mexican restaurant, I got home in tome to clean house and do laundry. The house isn’t that messed up, but there were clothes to fold and more laundry to do. I still have to pack for my trip tomorrow. At least I’m not driving. OI wasn’t looking forward to 20 hours of driving in three days. That doesn’t sound bad until you realize that it was two ten hour trips. Anyway, the sewing machine and serger should be there on Friday. So I will see Anna and little Julia tomorrow evening. I talked to Anna tonight and she is excited to see me coming. I’m excited to see them too.

This morning I was reading about Jesus going of in the desert to be tempted by the Devil for 40 days. It said He went out “filled” with the Spirit, but came back in the “Power” of the Spirit. What’s the difference? It sounds like an upgrade. Why did He get or even need an upgrade. Well, if you think about it, He was operating as a man, not God. So as a man, he needed to find favor with God. While he was in the desert being tempted, He obviously found favor. I was reading form a little book called “Spiritual Java” about this today. The favor of God is given, but He gives it to whomever. It’s obvious that Jesus increased. In fact there is a verse in another passage that says Jesus increased in favor with God and man. We all need favor. We need it with both God and with man.

It’s favor that opens doors. I don’t believe you can “earn” favor, but you can by your actions put yourself in a position to get it. It’s hard to reach the destiny that we have been called to if we don’t have favor with both man and God. We need to pray and ask God to give us favor and to help us find favor with those who we need favor. I believe one of the best ways to receive favor is to rejoice when others find favor. Especially if it is from someone with whom we need favor ourselves. Favor is not like the gifts. I believe that God looks at character to decide whether we can handle His favor. Too much favor too early in our life can do us great harm.

I don’t know about you, but I am praying that God would show me how to grow so that I could handle more of His favor. I know that what I want to accomplish cannot be accomplished alone. I have to find much favor, both with God and with man. But right now, I just want to find favor enough to get on an airplane to Virginia. The rest will come in it’s proper time.

Seasons Change

I love the spring in Atlanta. I love the Dogwoods when they bloom, and the different colors of all the Azaleas as they bloom. The Wisteria and how it smells as well as all the other wild flowers. I especially like walking or running in the woods wilt all the wild flowers and wild dogwoods. The native azaleas are so unique and beautiful. Yes, spring is one of my favorite times in Atlanta. But then comes Summer. It is good too, but it can be awfully hot and muggy. But the grass is so green (if we have enough rain). Summertime at the pool or on the lake. It’s great too. But then comes fall. Fall has a tinge of cool in the mornings. It’s a great time to run and watch football. Yes, Fall is nice too. Winter in Atlanta, that’s another story. The only thing good about winter is when we have a nice warm sunny spell. But they are few and far between. No, winter in Atlanta is not my favorite season.

Seasons change, not only in nature but in life. I have already said that I am in a year of transition. I have been feeling a change in season for a long time. Today marked the official beginning of that change. First, what was the old season. I honor the old season because it was my past and it was good. For the last 12 years Julia and I, now just me, have poured our life and ministry into RiverStone. I love RiverStone and its people. I love Tom, Terry, Mark, Cory, Daniel and all the staff. I have poured my life into them and to seeing RiverStone truly become a church that goes after the Kingdom. We were very blessed and found much favor with all the staff. Because of that favor, God was able to use us to help implement many of the ministries that are in place now. RiverStone represents all that Julia and I could give. We gave everything we had. I will always love it, it will always be home. Right now it is in a very good place, and I am excited about all that God is going to do through it. All of my best friends are there, and I love so many of the people. But it is the past, mine and Julia’s past.

Today, I stepped into my future. I met this morning with my pastor and friend Tom Tanner and shared my heart with him. He gave me his blessings and love and then released me to follow my dreams. I expected nothing less from a man that I have walked with for so long. So as of today, I am going after my dreams with a bunch of revivalist in South Atlanta. Yes, I am now officially connected with Bethel Atlanta. I don’t know what is going to happen. I came with no agenda or promises. I hope to be involved with the school in some capacity next year, but I will have to wait and see. At any rate, I am excited. Sure it’s a long drive, but I have done this before. For five years we made the trip across the top end perimeter to North East Metro. So I am used to the drive. I am excited to e associated with Steve Hale. Steve had the vision and courage to go out to Redding and then bring back the culture a church plant and a school. Steve and Lindy are great senior leaders and it will be an honor working with them. Getting to keep working with Scott and Lacey is a dream come true.

So, I start a new season. It’s fitting that it is spring in the natural, because it is spring in the spiritual for me also. A time of new beginnings. But no matter where I am affiliated, it’s still all about the Kingdom, not the church. That’s why it really doesn’t matter. I am who I am, and I will always do what God has made me to do. I will still be a bridge between the north and the south, I’ll just be based in the south. I’ll still go after the Kingdom. I’ll still have the same ministry. I still have my friends in both places. So in many ways, nothing has changed. And yet, I am excited and have a renewed passion to go after all that God has for me, in every area. This is going to be a good, fruitful season. As I go, I honor the past, but I do embrace the future.

Monday, March 28, 2011

The Main Key

There are many keys to the Kingdom, but is there one key that is more important than all other keys? If so, what would it be, and why? Sean Boltz was talking about keys tonight. Keys we need to activate our ministry and to move into all that God has called us to do. In fact during the time he met with second year he prayed that we would receive the keys that we needed to be activated into all that God is calling us into. There are different keys; prophecy, worship and many others But I think the most important key is Love.

Yes, I said love. We have to love those whom we minister to. It’s not about thinking with our head, it’s about feeling with our heart. Heidi Baker had a vision of faces, faces of an unreached people group. As she saw thousands of faces in an instant God gave her His love for them. This love is the motivation force to keep on even when you are getting beat up or having great difficulty. We have to ask Papa for his love for the people that He has for us to minister to. It’s not a love that can be worked up, it is His love that has to be released by the Spirit.

What you love with His love will begin to show you your calling and mission. When I look through His eyes, I see young people who are seeking to go after God. I see future ministers and lawyers all armed with all the gifts of the Spirit to go out into the world and transform nations. That is why I know that part of my destiny is wrapped up in BASSM. I am called to help equip, empower and release the next generation of revivalist into the world. So I am positioning myself to be able to be involved in this undertaking. I am doing all that I can do, and I am asking God for his favor and the favor of man to make all of this happen.

Another part of my destiny is to equip, empower and release people into their identity in Christ. This will take many forms, but primarily by using tools such as Sozo to connect them to the Godhead. Also speaking in different venues will occur as well. I know that much of the ministry that God has for me will be done outside of Atlanta. probably outside of the United States. I got another prophetic word on that tonight. It just confirms what He has been telling me.

Like everything in the Kingdom, to move forward into the new, sometimes you have to release some of the old. You can’t hold onto the past, no matter how good it was. It’s sort of like manna. If you hold onto ministries past your season, it hurts the ministry. I to often se people who are not willing to let go. We can’t get our identity from our ministry. Our identity comes from the Father. My identity will be the same whether I ever minister again.

But back to the key. I need more of His love. That is what I am asking Him tonight. That he will break my heart for those whom He wants me to minister to. Only then will I really be effective in the Kingdom. I see faces, and I see destiny released, but I am crying to feel so much more love. But I know that is a prayer that He loves to answer. So, even if I don’t feel anything tonight, I know that if I keep asking, I will feel His love whenever it is necessary. He is a God of love, and He longs to show me His heart. That I can count on.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

"The Adjustment Bureau"

Well, I got to see the Adjustment Bureau again this afternoon after church. It was just as good the second time as it was the first. It was a very interesting movie, and in many ways was like “The Game” which I saw Thursday night. I guess the question we have to answer is this: Does God have a plan for our lives, and if so, how does free will impact that plan? Personally I think that He does have a plan. I mean He is the beginning and the end. There is no time – space continuum for Him. He has seen my life from beginning and at the ending, so He knows what is going to happen before it happens.

So what does that do to free will? You could also ask the question “What does it do to predestination?” Think about it. If He knows the end, then He knows what choices we will take. Does that mean that He predestines us to make those choices? No, I don’t think so. I believe that He really does give us free will. Otherwise how could our love for Him be real. But having given us free will, He knows how things end because He has already seen the ending.

In the movie, the “Chairman” had a plan and the “Adjustment Bureau” had to keep the plan in track. But when a strong free will got involved, the plan was altered and got off track. The Bureau does everything it can to “adjust” the reality so that they can get back on plan. God on the other hand knows the ending so He doesn’t have to change the plan. But I do believe that He wants us to pursue our dreams and follow our hearts using all of our free will to go after our passions.

I believe that He wants us to “write our own plan” but going hard after the desires of our hearts that He has placed within us. He has placed hidden things in our hearts. As we grow in intimacy with Him, these things are revealed and become our passions and dreams. When we go after these with everything we have, we write our own plan. But since He has already seen the ending, it is His plan too, because He helps “adjust” our path along the way to make it all happen.

So, do I believe in free will? Yes, of course. Do I believe in predestination? Yes of course, since God has already seen the end and knows what our heart is after. Sure it is a paradox. But aren’t many things in scripture? Why does it have to be one way or the other. I believe that God is so big He can use everything to bring forth His Kingdom. Maybe even an “Adjustment Bureau”. : > )

Saturday, March 26, 2011

A Rainy Saturday

Well, after such a perfect day yesterday, today was just the opposite. It’s been cloudy all day, and around 1PM this afternoon, the rains finally arrived. It’s just been a cool, dark, damp day. I was able to get a work out in, but I didn’t run today. Now I am regretting that, and wishing that I had gone out this morning. As I look at my schedule it will be Tuesday before I am able to actually get in a good run. I read this morning and was fairly lazy hanging around the house.

This afternoon, I did what everyone seemed to be doing on this rainy day. I went to a movie. I saw “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt Damon. It was an excellent movie and I highly recommend it. In fact, I am going to see it again, maybe tomorrow afternoon if it is still rainy. There is just so much in it that I can’t even begin to write about it. I have to see it again to process, then I’ll probably write about it. There were many levels to think about and process, no, I have to see it again and soon.

So here I am sitting by the fire in my rocking chair. Yes, by the fire. When I cam in, it there was a chill in the house, so a fire was in order. It could be the last fie of the season. In some ways I hope so, but I do miss not having it burning when I am sitting here writing. I’m listening to “Love Came Down” tonight. I haven’t heard it in a long time, and tonight it seems appropriate. I got a prophetic word from a friend tonight. It was really something that I am doing, but sometimes it’s good to hear it again. “ Enjoy the past and embrace the future”. I know that is what I am trying to do. I am so thankful for all that I have had, but I am so excited about what God is going to do in the future. I t is as if all I have gone through, all that Julia and I did, everything has gotten me to this point in history. Here I am standing at the top of a precipice overlooking a deep chasm. I know that it is time, yet to take the next step means that I have to leave behind comfortable things. I have to be willing to risk. It’s like everything I have been talking about in the Kingdom, and being willing to change is here upon me saying “it’s time to put up or shut up”. These next few days will be the beginning of something new. What that looks like I don’t know. What the old looks like after that, I don’t know.

I just know that I have a destiny and it’s tied up in my dreams. I know that this is a season of change and this year is a year of transition. So how can I expect anything to look like I think it should look. The only thing that I do know is that next year will look different than this year. I know that God loves me, my family loves me and my friends love me. I know that I am in His hands, and that even if I were to make a mistake, it doesn’t matter. He is greater than all my mistakes. So I am willing to risk and take that leap off the cliff as it were. Of course, I am being way to dramatic. Only to me is what I am thinking about even a big deal.

I have been so blessed. Every time I think about the past, I realize how blessed I have been, but even more than that I AM blessed, right now. And with that blessing comes responsibility and destiny. I am excited about every aspect of my future. Things will be different in many ways, but that will be a good thing, not a bad thing. Different is not bad or good, it’s just different. So as I move into this new week, I embrace difference, and change. I embrace the fulfillment of dreams and the beginning of destiny. I do embrace this year of transition.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Dealing With Loss

How do you quantify the loss of a spouse, or the loss of a mother, or a friend. I was riding with John and Biddie tonight, and we were just talking about how each of us deals with loss, and how loss is different for each because our relationships to Julia were so different. In many ways it’s like the blind man describing an elephant by what part he touches. Never having seen the whole, how would you describe an elephant if all you felt was his trunk? Why you might even think it looked like a snake.

As I have processed and dealt with grief these past few months, I feel that in many ways my position, while very hard and painful, was the most forthright and easy to process. She was in the house, by my side all the time and then she was gone. For those like my daughters who live in another state, sometimes it can seem like she is still alive, just not around. It makes it harder to deal with the finality and the day to day reality that she is in Heaven and she really won’t be coming to see them next month. For friends, I don’t know. I guess it’s a cross between my daughters and me. They know she is gone, but since they didn’t actually live with her, it still could be like she is still around. I don’t really know, I’m just speculating. But I do know that everyone that I know has processed Julia’s passing different.

I guess dealing with loss is different with everyone. I was talking with someone at school about God’s goodness and what Steve Thompson said about God not being in control. I have believed that for a couple of years at least. In face, I said as much at Julia’s celebration service. God is in charge, but He is not in control here on earth. I’ve written about this before. If you don’t believe this, study what happened in the Garden of Eden and what Jess did, and what He told the disciples to do. If I didn’t believe that God wasn’t control, then I would be constantly be blaming Him for Julia’s death. I would wind up cutting myself of from the very healer that I need to run to in order to get my heart healed. No, I know that He isn’t in control. I know it is our job to bring the Kingdom down on earth in fullness. When the Kingdom comes in fullness, we see healings, miracles, heaven here on earth. But o far we, the church, have not brought the Kingdom in fullness. That is our job, our mandate, I long for the day when I can see it happen. I’ve seen a lot, but I want to see it established permanently in an area that I live. That is in many ways, my biggest dream. It can only come to pass with His help. Come Holy Spirit, we do want so much more.

But all of us, friends, children, spouses; we all must realize that in His goodness He will work all things for good to those called according to His purpose. He loves us. He didn’t cause this, but He will use it if we let Him. Nothing ever stays the same. Especially when something of this magnitude happens. But just because things change, it doesn’t mean that the change is bad. It’s just that some things are different. It becomes what I have called the new normal. In many ways the new normal will be lacking what Julia brought into our lives. That is the sad part we have to deal with. But at the same time new doors of opportunity, new places of adventure, new relationships will form. The new normal will eventually take hold in all of us. But we have to allow it to happen. We can’t live in the past. We have to look to the future and live in the present. That’s what she would want us to do.

I am probably more ahead in this than most. I think Papa has given me a push into His heart, and stirred up destiny and desire for the future dreams. But there are still many areas where I haven’t really gotten there yet. Sometimes I find myself tossed about in what I feel and why. But I am not worried. I’m still a work in progress, still healing. As long as I can stay close to the healer I will be OK. I know that my friends and family will be there even when I mess up. That is the good thing about love, it is quick to forgive and forget. My prayer is that we all will love and support each other in this time of adjusting to new reality. Change is inevitable, we have to be willing to embrace it.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Game

Tonight for Dinner and a Movie we watched “the Game” with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. It was made in 1997. I can’t believe that I missed it. This is the first time that I have seen it, and it was very good. Last week I was told about it so I ordered it on Netflix. Anyway it was about this rich dude who had everything yet had nothing. His younger brother gives him a birthday present. It’s this elaborate game that he knows nothing about, but it is about to change his life. He asked someone who has played the game. The only thing that the man will tell him is John 9:25 -whereas I was blind, now I see. And so starts the game.

In the game there was the perception of reality, but you couldn’t tell where the reality ended and the game began. It finally got to the point that all reality was crowded out by the game. Isn’t that the way life is sometimes. We get so caught up in making a living, providing for the family, working for the church, that we don’t really understand what life is all about. Our works keep us chasing dream after dream and the dreams aren’t really our dreams. No someone else has picked them for us. We do this for year after year after year until the years have disappeared and we are left with empty promises of life.

The game in the movie got so intense that you really didn’t know reality. In fact, it choked out the old ”reality” and replaced it with it’s own. We need to play the game in life. We really need something sometimes that will open our eyes that we may see. In fact, the “old reality” that we live most of the time probably isn’t reality at all. In this game that Papa wants us to play, He wants to replace our reality with His. He wants us to stop chasing other peoples dreams, and ask Him what dreams He has for us. In the new reality of the Kingdom our eyes are open and we can see. We can see that love is more important than things. We can see that relationships are more important than meetings and schedules.

Many times, especially in Latin America I get frustrated because we are always running late. The reason that we are late most of the time is that our guide is talking with friends or others. He knows the importance of relationships. Most Latin’s do. They are way ahead of us culturally in this. In the movie, Michael Douglas learned, through the game, the importance of his relationship with his brother. His father had committed suicide when he was 48 and Michael was turning 48 on this birthday. The trauma and loss had walled him up to any love and acceptance. The game was like a long involved real life sozo. It opened up the wounds and lies and brought him out of the deep walls into the true reality of who he was and who loved him.

It was a good movie, a thriller with a great ending. But it was more than a movie. It was just a reminder in the natural that there is reality and REALITY. We need to be willing to look past what the world calls reality and press into all that Heaven has for us in the true reality. You see, heaven isn’t way up in the sweet by and by. No, heaven is right here, next to us. But we have to choose to step into it’s reality, and sometimes it seems like a game we are playing, But in this game lies the true reality; the reality of the Kingdom. That’s the reality I want, and the reality I am seeking. What about you? Will you join me in the game? It might be dangerous, but it will be fun!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Thankful

Today was a good day. I went to work and it was a very short day. I was seat filling (playing like a pilot) with the FAA in the other seat and we were just doing what he wanted to do. It turns out he was finished with what he wanted to see in an hour and a half. What’s more, I actually got to fly a couple of very tough approaches and make a couple of landings. Sure, it’s a simulator, but it feels real when you are inside. It was a fun day. Then I was able to stop by Harry’s and buy some vegetables. I used them to make a smoothie tonight for supper.

I did get a run in this afternoon and I also got the grass cut. But the most fun was just sitting outside on the porch listening to some music. Then just staying home and resting in front of the TV. I don’t think I have had a night where I wasn’t doing something since last Wednesday night. So it was fun just doing nothing. Tomorrow I am working late in the afternoon, so “Dinner and a Movie” will start without me. I’ll be there hopefully by 7 but it could be later. Well, it will be fun anyway.

So this really is the first day that I have had to really enjoy since last Friday. Rumor has it that we are going to be really busy in April at work and I just hope it really doesn’t mess up my schedule. But no matter what, I am so blessed to have the job that I have. It’s hard to believe that I haven’t missed a night of school this year because of work. That is amazing.

I am so thankful that I have such good friends, old and new, and that I have my daughters and granddaughters. I am thankful for my family here in Atlanta, and my extended family thru out the states. I am so blessed to have good health, and I am so looking forward to these next months to begin to get back into the training mode. I really enjoyed the run today. It was only about a half-mile longer bur I felt much stronger. I am thankful to be living in this time. This time in history is so important. We are going to see the beginning of a billion soul harvest for the Kingdom. It is the greatest time to be alive ever! More people are coming into the Kingdom of God each day than ever before in recorded time. Sure we have bad stuff going on, but we have to look at what God is doing, and He is on the move.

I’m thankful to be able to be involved in ministry. I am thankful for RiverStone and all that we are doing. I’m thankful for Bethel Atlanta and all that we are doing. I’m very thankful for the school. These past two years have been revolutionary. I don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing if I hadn’t signed up for first year when I did. I am thankful to be able to travel and minister all over the world. It’s hard to believe since late September I have been in Australia, Nicaragua, Utah, South Carolina, Florida and of course Georgia ministering the Kingdom.

But probably most of all I am thankful that I still have dreams, and I still have my health to follow my dreams to my destiny. I don’t know all that will happen this year, but I do know that I will be able to follow my dreams, and that my dreams are His dreams. He put them in my heart. I am thankful that He allows me to partner with Him in bring the Kingdom down to earth. It is just so much fun. If you had told me that I could have this much fun at this age, I would have said you were nuts. But I am having fun and I enjoy His presence, and I know that He enjoys hanging out with me.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A Kingdom Lifestyle

Tonight at school, Leigh Ann rocked us with a word about living a Kingdom lifestyle. Basically it was a challenge to begin to think about what life will be like after 2nd year is over. Her premise was this. Are we just chasing after a Kingdom culture made by others, or have we developed a Kingdom lifestyle. Unless we have developed a lifestyle, when we leave school we will find ourselves floundering. It was a very good teaching time and really challenged me to look at my life and make sure I am not using school as a crutch.

In order to live a kingdom lifestyle we have to live from an eternal perspective instead of a worldly perspective. A worldly perspective is linear. You start at one point and end at another. Life becomes a race, you always need more, and your results are the fruit. An eternal perspectives is circular. The main idea is to be. I know who I was, where I came from. I know where I am going (what is to come) and I know where I am. There is no beginning and end, no race.

An eternal mindset operates out of grace. You see everything through the Father’s eyes, and He always has enough. So you operate out of a mindset of abundance. You have hope and you know the glory of the Lord. You live in forgiveness and signs follow you as you minister. You live in honor, and even when you have loss, you see gain.

On the other hand, an earthly mindset lives in law. There is a poverty spirit which emphasizes lack. Your only hope is the rapture. You pursue signs and your self worth is built on performance. You live in competition with others, and there is no gain in loss, only loss.

There was much, much more, but you get the picture. As I reflected on my life I could see times where I operated in both realms. The key is to purposefully try to stay with an eternal mindset. Paul told us to renew our mind. I believe that part of that renewing is to choose to operate out of an eternal mindset in everything that we do. I know that looking back on my life I would have been much better off if I had been able to do this more.

So, as second year draws to a close, I want to make sure that I am living a kingdom lifestyle. I need to continue to go after all the things that I have been going after in school. I’m not too worried. I think that over these past two years I have been developing this type of life. I have seen signs begin to follow me in ministry where I used to follow after signs. It is exciting to think about all that Papa has in store for me over the next number of years. It’s time to really begin to go after divine health. I want to live long and well. 120 would be nice, as long as I am still running marathons. It’s time to start training again. I am getting motivation back and it feels good. I believe that a Kingdom lifestyle means that I have to use Kingdom principals in exercise and eating, so I need to get back in shape. The best way to do that is to start training for another marathon. I’m looking for one in late October or early November. It’s time once again to begin to focus. Well, it’s out in print now. I’m committed. We will see, no, we will do!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Running in Rest

It sounds like an oxymoron. How can you run and yet be in rest? Yet that is what we are called to do as believers. Tonight during worship we were reminded that we only have a few weeks of school left. We were challenged to pick up the pace and not allow ourselves to get into routine. Instead, we need to press into all that God is doing within us and press for more in each area of ministry. We all agreed that is what we want. I feel that we stepped it up at L5P yesterday and I want to see even more in the next few weeks. I want to see every area of my life accelerating to an even greater level.

But the problem with that if we are not careful is that we start putting pressure on ourselves to “make things happen”. It’s awful easy to get so busy we forget what we are really about. It’s especially in this town. Atlanta has such a spirit of business over every part of it that it is easy to get caught up in the business when we should be resting. We have to remember that God won’t inhabit what He doesn’t build. It’s not ours to build, we have to co-labor with Him. How do we do that? It’s all about intimacy and love.

We have to remember that the chief end of man is to worship God and enjoy Him forever. Our chief purpose is to love God. You hang out with those you love. We need to spend time hanging out with Jesus, Papa and Holy Spirit. We need to let them speak into our lives and we need to love on them. That’s how we run in rest. We just hang out with them, and watch them work. Sure, they will work through us, but we don’t have to get stressed. Our job is to be good son’s and daughter’s. If we can do that, then we can get everything done that He wants to do through us.

Someday we are going to realize that everything in the Christian life is really about maintaining and increasing our intimacy with God. IF we can do that we can run the best race, pouring on speed at the end to obtain the crowd. That’s what I want to do these next few weeks. Sometimes with my schedule it is hard to do, but I am getting better at it, and it’s just a matter of dialing down and really seeking what is best.

A good son learns at the feet of his father. It is imperative that we learn to slow down and set at the feet of the Father. This is the only way that we will be successful in the long run. So, we really can run in rest. It’s a matter of love and intimacy. We have to realize that we can get more done at His feet than going out on our own. My prayer is that I make even more time to rest in Him.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

"Spiritual Readings"

It’s 10 PM and I am going to bed right after I write this post in my blog. I was up at 3AM again this morning. After work I did get to drive up to RiverStone and hear Steve Thompson. His message was on the goodness of God. It’s amazing when what you believe but you can’t really explain is laid out in a sermon with multiple scripture references. God is good. The Father is displayed in the life of Jesus. There was no judgment, only love, acceptance and compassion. I was so glad that I was able to get back up in time for the 11AM service. The weekend was just amazing!

But then it was time to drive back down to Little Five Points. Today was a special day in the fact that we were going to make a statement. A statement that our God is powerful and He cares about everything in your life. Today we were bringing table and chairs and sitting them up in the center of the park. We had a sign that says “Spiritual Readings”. All of us (around 12) were going to stay in the park area praying. We were each going to take time giving “spiritual readings”, prophetic words, to anyone who wanted them. We also had balloons and a jimbay drum. With the drum playing constantly, many of us standing around and asking people if they wanted to have a free spiritual reading we went on the attack in the spiritual jungle of L5P.

You could sense that we were not wanted by a few of the store owners, but it’s L5P and public property. There was nothing in the natural that thy could do. However you could sense that they were doing everything in the spirit realm to attack us. It wasn’t working. At times we drew a crowd. There were tourist with cameras taking pictures, and others waiting to have a “reading”. We were there bringing hope and light into a dark place. It was the biggest stand that we have taken out there this year,

Up until today, we have only divided up into small groups and walked around under the radar praying and speaking words as they were given. It’s been good, and we have seen fruit, but it was time to step it up. We only have five more Sundays until school ends. We will probably do this for the next five weeks. If we do that I am sure that we will reach many more people than by just walking around. Anyway it was a very fun day.

I talked to another man today. His name is Legend. At least that is what he is know as on the streets. Legend is very spiritually attuned. He feels things and picks up on peoples wounds. I’ll talk more about that in a minute. Legend is an artist. He paints beautiful pictures and makes beaded jewelry. He is very talented. He is a big guy, probably about 6’4”. But he has a very calm spirit about him. I really don’t think he believes in Jesus, but he does know the difference between good and evil, especially in the spirit realm. He is homeless, but carries himself with dignity. He is clean and very articulate. I really liked him and enjoyed our conversation. He knows that we are believers in Jesus, and welcomes us to join him in fighting off the evil spirits that dominate most of Little Five Points.

Legend sees this area as his territory. He sees what he is doing is his spiritual duty to pay back what he took from the area back in the day when he was a drug dealer. He hopes that we keep coming down because we help keep evil in check. As I was talking to him, I saw that he was still favoring an arm that had been broken. It was out of the cast, but still in very much pain. I asked where the pain was and he showed me the place right above his wrist. It was hot with fever and swollen. I reached out and placed my hand on it. Instantly in the Spirit I felt Papa say to speak peace over it. So I just stood there with my hand on the spot and I commanded peace to come into his arm. As I did it a second time, he looked at me and said wow. Instantly much of the pain had disappeared. I just kept my hand on the spot commanding bones and muscle to come into proper alignment. After a minute of so I let go. I looked at him and He just said thanks man. But I saw his eyes, and I saw that his arm had received some healing.

Legend watches and waits. I think he prays, but we didn’t talk about that. He sees himself as a protector of the young. Especially the young kids that come out there and can so easily get caught up in the darkness. He is there to rescue them if necessary. As we were talking he asked me if I had suffered any deep pain lately. I asked why he thought that. He said he could feel it on me. I then told him about Julia’s death, and Julia’s birth. He was almost blown away with the story. We talked about grief, and I talked about God’s goodness. It was a very interesting conversation.

Yes, I’m sure we will do more “spiritual readings” next week, and I am looking forward to more conversations with Legend. We took some ground at L5P today. We need to hold it and take more. We did it like Steve Thompson said, by replenishing people with the Love of God. It was a good day.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Kingdom Expansion Part 2

Today was just an awesome day. We had nine prophetic teams form the school prophesying over individuals at 10 minute intervals for tow hours. We worked in some extra people, so I think that we ministered to around 100 people. The reports that we got back from the people that we ministered to was very encouraging. One girl who had never seen anything like this said that we “rocked her world.” She received very accurate words even though she didn’t even believe in prophecy. The Holy Spirit was there using us to minister to these people.

So, what exactly is New Testament prophecy? The bible says it is for edification, exhortation and encouragement. In other words, prophecy is used to show someone God’s heart in a matter, and to encourage them in the things of the Kingdom. Of course it can be much more, but it is not calling the sins out in front of people. When I start to give a word for someone, I ask Holy Spirit to help me “pull out the gold” in a persons life. I want to give encouragement in their calling and help send them into their destiny. That happened about 100 times today. It was a great morning, and helped activate many people. Personally I was stretched as usual, but it was a fun time in the Lord.

After lunch, Steve talked on creating a prophetic culture, or a culture that empowered and gave room for the prophetic and all it’s weirdness. It was the perfect message to give after what we had been doing during the morning session. It was like we demonstrated what he was preaching. All the students who came from the school did very well. BASSM should be proud. Steve’s message was good, but for me it was just a review of what I have been trying to do for over 4 years. Just being able to do this today was a long fought for victory.

This afternoon I was able to get a much needed nap because I have to get up early again in the morning for work. Then I will drive back to RiverStone for the 11AM service and then down to Little Five Points for more prophetic training. Tonight Steve picked up his message right where he had left off last night. He talked more about us being seated, even as I write, in heavenly places as well as having all authority to replenish and subdue the earth. He talked about how God had released all authority of the earth to man, but man had turned away from God and toward Satan. By doing that, Satan has influenced man into coming into agreement with the enemy and thereby keeping the earth under the control of the enemy.

It was a great sermon and I got a great new one liner that makes so much sense. It’s about when we spend too much time analyzing our self. Steve told a story where he had been really feeling unworthy. “If you can't earn it through your good works. You can't mess it up with your mistakes.” This is so true and I have to really wait to make sure that I understand all it means. Tomorrow afternoon in L5Ps and we really have to it ready to go,” After today, how could I not be ready?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Kingdom Expansion

At RiverStone we call our annual conference the “Kingdom Expansion” Conference. In reality the conference is put on by our network of churches, Transformation Network. Transformation network is a network of four churches that are committed to transforming the local community. It is really a church planting network. We have a vision for 20 churches in the local area to help infiltrate every aspect of society and bring Community transformation. I truly believe that this will be one of our best Kingdom Expansion conferences. Steve Thompson is our keynote speaker and his message tonight was awesome. To some it was probably mind bending because I am sure that it had to be a paradigm shift for many. I have heard him preach basically the same message at Bethel Atlanta a few months ago. But to have it spoken out into the atmosphere at RiverStone was unbelievable.

The message was well received, and I think it only lays a foundation to where he really wants to go. It’s definitely going to be a great weekend. We have prophetic teams ministering tomorrow morning, and then Steve speaks after that. At 7PM he speaks again and then on Sunday morning at RiverStone. The weather is supposed to be great tomorrow. Shoot, it was great today. I was able to get out and walk. I’m still not strong enough to run, but it will happen soon. Then I was able to ride around in the Miata with the top down for a couple of hours. Then, late this afternoon I got out on the Harley for an hour. It was very good day. I got to meet with friends and really had a good time. But tonight really topped it off. We really do need to embrace the message of a church on the offense instead of on the defense.

If we are really going to replenish the earth, then we have to be able to truly understand our identity in Christ. We have to embrace a supernatural lifestyle and make it natural. We have to know that we are Sons and Daughters of the King and that the earth is ours to replenish and subdue. We have to realize that we cam operate from Heaven, looking down. We are already seated in heavenly places, we don’t have to wait. But in order to understand that we have to first understand the true nature of God. He is good, and His heart is to redeem, not judge.

There was a shift in the atmosphere at RiverStone tonight. Words like that have never been uttered out into the atmosphere here and that caused a shift. It is a good shift, and I hope that it is permanent. Yes, it was a great day all around and it should be another good day tomorrow.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St Patrick's Day

It feels like Spring has come back on this beautiful St Patrick’s Day. I drove home with the top down this afternoon. It was a day made for convertibles and motorcycles. Tomorrow is the same, and I can’t wait to ride my Harley sometime this weekend. Spring is in the air and I am so glad we have Daylight Savings time now. It is so nice to have the sun up longer in the day.

We had Dinner and a movie tonight and I grilled chicken. It was good to do it in the sunlight instead of darkness. I love spring. The movie was forgettable, but the company was excellent. It’s good to get together with friends and just talk and hang out. The chicken was very good, and the salad, fruit, orzo and chocolate strawberries were to die for. You would think that someone had coordinated the meal, but it just all came together. So it was a very relaxing evening. Definitely the kind that I need to have more of.

Tomorrow I’m going to walk at Kennesaw Mountain. I don’t think I’m up to running yet, but I do feel much better. I do think I can walk and get some exercise. I definitely need it. I might ride my bike down there, but I will need to change clothes and shoes to walk. We will see. At any rate, it is definitely going to be a fun day. I’m looking forward to it. It looks like a great weekend to. It’s about time!

Today is St Patrick’s Day. I love all the stories about him. All the people he won to the Lord in Ireland, and all the miracles he preformed. He truly was one who deserves to be called a Saint. Of course, I am a saint, and so are you if you are a believer. We believe and then we see. We have gotten it wrong. No, I have gotten it wrong for years. I have been trying to see so I could believe. In reality, I have to believe so I can see. St Patrick did that. He believed, and then He saw Holy Spirit back up his preaching.

We need to do more than talk about the love of Jesus. We need to demonstrate His love with words, deeds and signs following. People today are looking for a God of love and a God of power, We need to show them the real Jesus; the Jesus who walked with compassion, healing all who came to Him. We are the body of Christ. His representation on the earth. If they don’t see the God of love and power in us then they will never see Him. That’s our assignment here on earth for as long as we are here. That’s what I want to do. Release His love and His power everywhere I go. But to do it, I have to believe and then see. Sometimes that is harder than it should be.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Desires of Your Heart

Be happy with the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. That is one of the translations of Psalms 37:4. I like that. Be happy with the Lord. What does that mean? Does it mean laugh with Him? Does it mean be happy with what He is doing? These are very different things. But they are so connected. It’s awfully hard to laugh with Him if you are not happy about what He is doing. But you can be happy with what He is doing, and still not laugh with Him.

I love to laugh. I especially love to laugh with Him. It seems that one of the strongest manifestations that I have when the presence of God is strong is laughter. I can laugh and laugh with the best. This year at school we were doing a special night for the first year students and I helped run a laughing booth. I laughed for over tow hours. For over two hours of almost constant laughter. I thought I was going to die. I was so sore the next day. But there is also scripture about the therapeutic effects of laughter. So we really all need to learn to laugh with Him, just as we are happy with what He is doing.

It’s the second part of the verse that scares me right now. Be happy with the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. What does that really look like? What are the desires of my heart? Are they pure? Are they of God, or of my flesh? All these questions rush through my mind when I read this verse. I think it means that we have responsibility to make sure that our desires are His desires. I don’t want to get the desires of my heart if they are not His desires for me. Someone said the other day that sometimes God gives us opportunities that we should turn down. I think that this scripture reflects that.

For me right now many of the desires of my heart are constant and I know that they are from God. Most of these consist of ministry and dreams of the Kingdom. But there are other, more personal desires that are much like the waves of the ocean. They ebb and flow like the tide, and it depends upon the moment as to what I am feeling about them. This is scary because He has told me that He will give me the desires of my heart. He likes me laughing with Him. He wants to give me my desires. My fear is that He will give me what I ask, and it will be wrong. So I am treading lightly, trying not to ask yet. But I know that the time will come when He will ask me. He is giving me so much grace to just live life, but I know the day will come when I will have to state to Him the desires of my heart. Tonight I asked Him if something was going to come to pass. As clear as a bell I instantly heard Him say, “If that’s what you want”. That scared me.

We are almost one third of the way through 2011. This is my year of transition, and changes are already taking place. Some changes are evident, but many have yet to be revealed. But in my heart the shift has already been made. But the year is still early, and I am happy with God. I love to laugh with Him and I love to spend time walking and talking with Him. He will give me the desires of my heart, He told me He would. I just have to have the courage to explore the depths of my heart with Him and determine just what they are.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Class Project

One of the things we are doing in second year is to divide up into groups and think of a project to accomplish. There are about five different groups. My group’s idea was to try and think of something to bring Father’s and Son’s together. It fit in with my calling to reach this next generation, so I thought this would be a good fit. After much discussion and thought, we decided to develop an “Father – Son” day for Bethel Atlanta. The purpose would be to reconnect Fathers with Sons.

We divided up into two groups. One group was working on the outside activities and the other was working on the teaching and inside activities. I wound up on the inside group. In fact I have been assigned to teach the Fathers in the first session. We are in the planning stages now, but we were going to try and have it on April 16th. I don’t think that is going to happen. There are tow many outstanding issues to resolve. So we probably won’t give it until after the school year is over.

For the past two nights we have had Bobby Conner. He is definitely a true prophet, and if you get the chance to listen to him, please do. It’s funny, but even in the midst of all that was going on, you could see this man’s heart. You see, I believe that all true New Testament prophets share one characteristic. Their number one priority is Malachi 4:6/ They are here to turn the hearts of the Father’s back to the Son’s and the hearts of the Son’s to the Fathers. We live in a fatherless generation. Look at all the children raised by single parent (mainly women) households. This Orphan Spirit runs deep through out our society, and it’s up to the church to bring it down.

How do we do it? I believe that we do it by releasing His love wherever we go. We need to reflect Father God. How do we do that? By radical and instant obedience to the call that we get from Jesus. All through the New Testament, Jesus shows us the Father. How? He shows us the Father by living His life. I’ve said this many times: Jesus Christ is perfect theology. He said “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” In Hebrews the bible says that Jesus is the perfect representative of the Father. All we need to do is look at Jesus and see the Father.

So what do you tell a father who is struggling to maintain relationship with his son? What do you tell a son who’s father doesn’t show love and affection? My job will be to try and connect them to the real Father. I will try to get them to se themselves as son’s. Before you can really be a father, you have to learn to be a son. That will be my primary job; teaching them about son ship. I will talk about their fathers and lead them into forgiving their real father. I will ask Holy Spirit to come and release His deep and abiding love. Anyway that’s the plan. After all, it is all about love. I don’t have anything else to give them.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Radical Warriors

No, I’m not talking about Islamic Jihads or other terrorist groups. But what I am talking about is someone who might not be considered politically correct, especially in religious circles. The word radical is defined as thoroughgoing or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms. So I guess that makes me a radical. It also makes most of my friends radicals. I’m in school with those who I would categorize as radical warriors.

Tonight was a great example of this in school. Bobby Conner was there teaching and talking and then all of a sudden, it seemed like all Heaven broke loose. He sais something about Angles up front stirring up the winds and all of a sudden almost everybody in the room was up front trying to get into such a small space. Then as Bobby went around, the power of God got stronger and stronger. It was totally out of hand and so, so good. He cam by and touched my head. It was like a power release in slow motion. I could feel the increase in power. It got stronger and stronger, slowly pushing me over. It was like everything happened in slow motion until I hit the floor. It was amazing.

But back to being radical; I love the definition, especially about being extreme especially as regards change form accepted or traditional forms. It’s not like I don’t like tradition, I really do. As long as it has power behind it. In too many cases the church has become a form and symbol without power. We are called to bring the King’s Kingdom to earth. We are warriors. I’m for anything that helps bring the Kingdom down, and I am totally against all the things that block the Kingdom. Normally, the traditions of men are one of the main things that stop the Kingdom.

As radical warriors, it’s our job and destiny to fight to overcome these traditions of men. But being a radical warrior is like being a piece of coal in the fire. Left to itself, the coal will cool and eventually go out. But placed with other pieces of coal, it will burn brighter and brighter until it is consumed. That’s why I am at BASSM. I want to be surrounded with other like minded coals. I don’t want to die out, I want to be consumed. For me, this is a time to run and run hard after everything that God has for me. I have to surround myself with other radical warriors, especially when school is over. Seasons of change are upon us all. We all have to sense the will of God in our lives and then run as hard as we can with radical abandon to follow that dream. It is a time where each of us needs to seriously ask Papa if we are in position to run the race He has called us to run. Then we have to act in quick obedience to answer what He shows us.

So the question of the day is this: Are you positioned for victory. Are you where He has called you, and if this is a season of change for you, are you willing to risk everything to make that change happen? We all must weigh the cost and have the courage to follow our hearts.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

A Prophet Comes to Town

Matthew 10:41 says “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward.” Tonight there was a prophet in the house at Bethel Atlanta, and he will be at school tomorrow night. Bobby Conner flew in for about 24 hours and it was great to have him in Atlanta. He is a true prophet that can read the hidden secrets of your heart, but he walks in such love and grace that you forget about his gifting as he tells stories and then wraps them up as a object lesson wrapped up in scripture. I don’t remember ever hearing someone quote so much scripture from memory. Bobby came from a Southern Baptist background. He was raised in Texas. But unlike most of us, he has seen the dead raised and many, many miraculous healings. I don’t have time to go into everything he said tonight, but it was very good just sitting under His anointing. The prophetic is “caught” as much as “taught”. I’m sure my ability just got better sitting at the feet of this man of God.

But it has been a very long day. I caught the 5:45 flight out of Ft Lauderdale this morning, went to Bethel Atlanta and then to L5P for out reach. Then we had dinner and then back to church. I just got home and I have an early wake up tomorrow for an A period. I’m slowly getting better, but I still am nowhere near 100% so I am declaring healing over my body tonight and deep rest as I sleep. I still haven’t planned tomorrow’s day yet except for the fact I know I work early and have school tomorrow night. I’ll make my decision tomorrow morning as to what I will do the rest of the day.

I believe Steve Hale was right today when he said that this was a day to activate hope. When a prophet comes to town things shift. Things are shifting in the Spirit and will be evident in the physical. It is not a coincidence that Kris Valletton and Bobby Conner have come to Atlanta so close together. It brings a multiplier to the things of the Spirit. I’m really looking forward to school tomorrow but first I have to get through work. So I guess this is all for this post. Hopefully I will be able to fill in the gaps tomorrow. But I go to bed knowing that I am walking in the favor of the Lord, and the favor of man and this favor is making a way for me in the Kingdom.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Run Your Race, Again

Of course this is probably one of my favorite topics anyway, but tonight I want to put a different slant on it. I spent the afternoon watching my granddaughter Adair run in a large track meet. It was a beautiful day in south Florida. I think the high was in low 70’s and it was mostly sunny. I spent most of the morning at Starbucks and then at the Apple store for Jennifer. She was on her Mac book yesterday and all of a sudden the letters started typing by themselves. It was either a ghost, a virus, of something is wrong with the keyboard. Well, I didn’t think it was a ghost, and I knew it wasn’t a virus (Mac’s don’t have viruses) so it had to be the keyboard. So I made an appointment at the genius bar at the apple store. So, I had to drive to the mall to take her computer. Sure enough, it was the keyboard. They are shipping her computer off to get it repaired. The bad news is it won’t be ready for a week. They will FedEx it back to her when it is ready.

So the rest of the afternoon was spent outside watching the track meet. Adair ran an new PR (Personal Record) in the mile. She did it in 5:21, better than 5 seconds less than her old PR. Then about an hour later she ran the two-mile run in 12:08. This was also a new PR almost 20 seconds better than her old record. As I watched her run, all the thoughts that I have had when I ran raced through my mind. First, you have to run your own race. You have to know how to pace yourself. In order to do that, you have to know your strengths and your weaknesses. Adair is a great long distance runner, but she doesn’t have that instant blazing speed. Therefore she has to know it’s ok of others to start out faster than she does. She has to trust the gifts that she has to know that she can make up most of the time as the race progresses. She also has to know how to push herself in the middle laps to gain the advantage that she will need to fight off others who have a faster kick at the end than she does. Adair runs smart. She is learning to take advantage of every gift that God has given her. She is learning to know who she is as a runner.

We need to do the same thing in the spiritual. I believe that we as believers have access to every spiritual gift when we need it. But I also believe that we have greater anointing and gifting in certain areas. We tend to be drawn into ministry in these areas. This is like running. Some runners wind up as sprinters while some wind up as long distance runners. We learn to utilize all the strengths in the spirit we have. But we will probably be drawn into areas of ministry that we have the greatest anointing.

Then we have to “run smart”. We have to learn how to believe that God has given us the gifts that we need, and we need to strategize with Holy Spirit as to how to use them best. Once we have His plan, than we have to run the race He has called us to run. We can’t get excited when we seem to be going to slow. We can’t let other’s tell us that we are going out to fast. We have to have faith in the plan that He gives us. Each of us is different. My optimum race will look different than your optimum race. We can’t be distracted by others, and their races.

Today I could see the focus in Adair’s face. Her eyes were fixed on the prize and she ran the race just like she planned. It was fun to watch and great to see her perform to the best of her ability. I know that Papa is watching me the same way. He’s saying “stay focused”; “run the race I have given you”; “good job”; “I’m proud of you”. Just like I was yelling to Adair today. It was a fun day, and He was there with us, cheering us all on in the race.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Time with Family

It’s always good to see my girls (you count too Sean). It’s going to be a short visit, but it’s still a good visit. It is really hard to believe how fast Adair and Meleah are growing up. It seems like they have grown so much since Christmas. Adair will be running in a track meet tomorrow and I will be able to see her run the two-mile race tomorrow afternoon. I’ll spend most of the morning with Meleah and hopefully get some quality time with Jennifer as well. Then I will leave early Sunday morning. I have a full day on Sunday ending with Bobby Conner at Bethel Atlanta on Sunday Evening.

I was able to get one of the last seats on the flight down this morning. When I choose this weekend to come down I didn’t realize that it was the beginning of spring break. Oh well, at least I mad it down all right. But middle seat in the back is not very comfortable. Luckily I didn’t have a very long flight. I’m better physically, still coughing every now and then and still weaker than normal. Hopefully I will be able to be even stronger tomorrow. This being sick is still not fun.

I want to go back to what I was talking about last night. I was talking about the need to equip. empower and release people into our cities to spread the Kingdom wherever they go. Everything that I said is true, but I didn’t cover one of the most important parts. The only way to really do what we are called to do is by valuing the Presence of God in our meetings. Strong worship and giving room for the Holy Spirit to operate teach us to listen to Him and keep us from making programs and formulas. The fact is that we are equipping them to hear God and be obedient to His calling. We are empowering them to move into their true identity as sons and daughters of the King and then we are releasing them into their destiny as kings and Queens. So it really starts with worship and intimacy with the Godhead.

I long to see the day when a church service doesn’t get past worship. When people get so caught up into the Presence and the leader is so presence driven that he or she doesn’t dare to stop what is going on until the Spirit lifts. I think I have seen this once, maybe twice in my life. We in the American church are so focused on the message that we sometimes overlook the person the message is about.

So, if we are about to enter the billion-soul harvest in 2012 then we have to learn how to enter into the presence of God. We will never be able to equip that many new believers without new ideas and techniques. Holy Spirit has a plan, all we need to do is to learn how to receive and hear more clearly the strategies that He has for us.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Transforming Cities

OK, here is the question: How do we transform cities? RiverStone’s vision is to bring Community transformation. Bethel Atlanta wants to bring Revival. What do these look like and how do we proceed. That is really the question. Personally I believe that Community transformation and revival is really the same thing just spoken in different cultural languages. So if we are both going after the same thing, what is it and what dies it look like? Then how do we do it?

First and foremost we have to realize that the church in America and the west has not been answering the right questions. We have been trying to get people to come into the church building and then get them saved. We have been trying to get them into the church building and then clean them up. We have been trying to get them into the church building to get them healed. Get them into the church building; Get them into the church building; Get them into the church building; Get them into the church building; Do you see? We have been trying to do the wrong thing!

Instead of getting them into the church building and growing the church, we need to think in reverse. We need to get the people out of the church building and into the cities. Get them out, not bring them in. If we get them out, then healing will take place, salvations will take place, yes, transformation will take place. So instead of our focus being “building the Church” our focus needs to be on expanding the Kingdom of God. If I have read my scripture correctly Jesus never once said go build the church, but many times He talked about preaching the Kingdom of God.

So what should our focus be in the church? I believe our primary focus in the church is to equip, empower and then release believers into the streets. This flies in the face of having nice evangelistic church services to bring people to Jesus or the seeker friendly services that are politically correct. It means the primary focus for our meetings is on the believer and how to motivate them to take what they have learned and are learning to the streets. I’ll probably upset people on both sides of the religious spectrum with this post, but it is in a nutshell what I believe the church should be.

Let’s face reality, probably 80% of our churches are considered irrelevant to the outside world. Why? Because they are either constantly preaching “salvation” to people who are already saved or they are just giving good performances of music and a watered down message that people could hear anywhere. No, the relevant churches are learning that they have to equip, empower and release. Sometimes, no often, they also have to heal someone before they are ready to be equipped. But the primary focus is not that of a hospital. No the primary focus should be like a boot camp reading soldiers for war. Because that is really what we are doing. The “hospital” should be more like a “Mash Unit”, to patch up the wounded and send them back out.
The churches that adapt and learn to think Kingdom and not church will be the ones that make a difference. They will be the ones that really do transform their communities. To transform the cities, first we have to transform our people. My prayer is that more and more of these churches will step forward.

Well I’m feeling better today, still a little weak. But I’m off to Ft Lauderdale tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will be able to get on the first flight. It looks tight, we will see.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Being Sick is NOT FUN

What a wasted day. I had so much stuff that I needed to do in the next two days before I go to Ft Lauderdale for the weekend. Instead I spent most of the day coughing and resting and basically doing nothing. Last night, the cough got worse, and by the time I went to bed, my chest was hurting from coughing so much. It didn’t get better this morning, I slept until 10 and then got up. It’s funny, but I didn’t cough during the night, at least not too much. But when I got up, it started up again, even worse. So I went to the walk in clinic at Walgreen’s. The nurse practitioner diagnosed me with Bronchitis.

Now I haven’t been to the doctor in over three years. I haven’t had any prescription drugs in over 4 years. It was really hard for me to walk into that clinic. I believe in divine health. I believe we can live at a higher level of health by maintaining balance in what we eat, taking supplements and intimacy with God. I have been doing it and living it. I plan to keep on. But there are times when you have to face the fact that God uses medicine as well as supplements. My symptoms today and tonight were much like Julia’s. She was much more stubborn than I am and she (no we) waited too late to seek help through medicine. That is just a fact. There were many reasons, and we were traveling and going to conferences. She was not telling me everything she was feeling. If I had any idea how sick she was I would have demanded she go to the doctor earlier. But even when she did go to the doctor, he didn’t even realize how bad she was because he sent her home with what he thought would help her.

So today as I have fought this sickness, I have also fought off the enemy and all of the “what if’s”. I went to the clinic today because of what happened to Julia. Last year I would not have gone. I know that. As you live life, you learn and mostly you learn from your mistakes and successes. Sometimes learning from mistakes is very hard. I have not changed how I feel about medicine. To me it is a last resort, but it is a resort that I will turn to if necessary. The key thing is that I go to Father first and seek healing through Him, if he says go to the doctor, then I’ll go. It’s another method of healing. The Father is perfect. The doctor is still practicing. But them so am I when I pray for people. I’m still practicing too. I guess in some ways we all are.

So, I’ll take my medicine and go to bed and rest. I’ll rest tomorrow and be ready to get on the plane to FL on Friday morning. It will be good to be with some of my family.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Miraculous Healing

A friend from school’s wife has been in the hospital for 13 days. She went in with viral pneumonia in both lungs. She was coughing up blood and all four of her lobes in her lungs were bleeding. Her blood pressure was dropping and she was touch and go for many days. In face, she hadn’t gotten better in 12 days. Her situation reminded me so much of Julia’s. She died of pneumonia in both lungs so bad that her lungs filled with fluid and her body shut down. She died in less than 24 hours from when we went to the emergency room. When I found out about my friend, I called him from Nicaragua and told him that I was praying for him. I told him that I was asking Papa for healing for his wife in retribution for what happened to Julia. I was asking for Divine Justice.

Last night we found out that she was still doing very bad. Our second year class called my friend and on the speakerphone, we all prayed for His wife declaring life and healing. We didn’t know that the Doctors wanted to operate on her today. It was a last ditch effort to clear her lungs of fluid. It was a very invasive procedure, but they said that she needed it to say alive. My friend was afraid his wife really couldn’t survive the surgery and recovery that would follow. He was crying out to God for healing and for her not to have to have the surgery.
She was supposed to go early this morning, but there was a delay. At 1PM they came for her. The Dr. ordered one more CAT scan to determine exactly where they were going in. At 1:45 she was brought back to the room. There was no surgery. The CAT scan revealed that there was no more fluid in any of her lungs. This is a tremendous healing! I have been giving thanks to God all day long. When the testimony was shared at school tonight, the place went wild.

God heard our prayers and healed her. I’m sure she till has a ways to go before she comes home, but His goodness will prevail. I’ve seen my first case of Divine Justice for Julia’s death. I’m going to see much more. I’m sure that Julia was interceding on her behalf in heaven as well. We saw many healings in Nicaragua. I know that we are going to see more here at home as well.

But the mysteries of God remain. How can we pray for one and they get healed, while another doesn’t. I don’t know. It’s not my job to explain God; it’s only my job to trust Him. Why do I still have a bad cold after receiving prayer? I don’t know. But I don’t have to know or explain; all I have to do is obey. He told us to heal the sick, and to the best of my ability I am going to put myself into situations where He has to show up and heal them. He does the healing, but He has chosen to use us as vessels for His healing.

Every time I see or hear of a divine healing I will rejoice because that is a victory for me whether I prayed or not. It’s just my job to be faithful and trust. Thank you Papa for the healing, please let me see more!

The Year of the Lion

Well I went back to work today. It felt weird since it was the first time in over two weeks. But it was good to be back in some ways. I am blessed to have a job like I have. A job that gives me all the freedom it gives me. Now I am of the rest of the week, but I pay for it dearly over the next two weeks. It’s probably a good thing I’m off. My voice was shot after the sim period. This cough that I picked up in Nicaragua isn’t getting any better. A few days off and some rest should help it.

Tonight at school we saw Bob Jones as he was speaking to the school at Bethel Redding last week. It was really good and thought provoking. He said that this year was the year of the Lion and that courage was going to be released. It looks like Daniel picked a good year to release his “Like a Lion” album. Anyway Bob had a lot to say about the end time harvest and how He thought it would begin in 2012. Personally it seems that God is positioning me in ministry to be ready to help gather it in. These are definitely exciting times that we are living in.

If we look at the media, we wind up in fear, but if we look up and see all that He is doing, there is no fear. As parents, our tendency is to fear. We fear what our children and grandchildren are facing. We fear that they will make the same mistakes that we made when we were young. We have to release faith and let fear go. Most of the church walks in fear too. It might be a fear that someone will disagree and spit the church, or a fear that things will get out of control.

In reality, control is just a manifestation of fear. Churches that fear the Holy Spirit or the manifestations of the Spirit tend to control so they won’t have to deal with any of it. But what they do is control so much that Jesus id left out and there is nothing but religious activity and programs. I’m so glad that I go to churches that don’t try to control every thing that happens. I don’t think that I could remain if that were the case. That’s one of the main things that I have loved about school. There is so much freedom. Do we mess up? Probably, but it’s OK because we mess up pressing after more of God, and we clean up our messes. That’s part of the culture of Honor. We take responsibility for our actions, good or bad.

During worship tonight for about 10 minutes I felt a dark heaviness come over me. The band was playing “Love Came Down” and I think that the heaviness was a rogue wave of grief. It didn’t last long, just long enough to remind me that there were still deep feelings there. I’m really doing good and that is the first real wave of grief that I have had an a good while. I guess I can expect that from time to time. I’ve thought of Julia many times of course, but this was the first grief. Although it was OK, I don’t like the way it made me feel. It was like there was something attached to it that wasn’t right. My guard went up spiritually, and I won’t allow myself to be caught up like that. I guess it is time to get a sozo. I’ve been thinking about it; maybe sometime this summer. Anyway I’m fine now, but I wonder about my girls. There is good grief, the kind that cleanses the soul, but there is a grief that will try to take you down into the pit of depression. That kind has to be fought off. We have to learn the difference.

It is very late and I am tired. I think I’ll go and dream about the year of the Lion.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Are you in the Boat?

The title of tonight’s post comes from Scott’s message this morning. As I have come back from Nicaragua there is always a tome of decompression and introspection thinking about all God did to us and through us. Hopefully every time I go on a trip, especially a mission trip, I come back changed. If I don’t then I have missed an opportunity to let God work on my heart and deal with my stuff. So since I have been on two trips in the past 10 days, I should have been changed a great deal. I think that I have, but what does that look like?

Last night I was way to tired to process anything. I’m still tired tonight, but I think I am a in a better position to begin the process of self evaluation and introspection. I really think that Scott started the process for all of us as he preached his sermon this morning. Basically he started off by going through what had happened on the trips. He talked about the healings and all that God did through us. He recapped some of the most significant healings. This stirred up faith in the congregation, and stirred up my faith as I realized all that we had been used to do. But the key thing is what happened to me? How was I changed?

Scott talked about how we had to get in the boat. He used the reference of the disciples in the boat with the storm and also the time when they were in the boat and Jesus came walking by. Peter was the only one that asked to go to Jesus. Peter was the only one willing to step out of the boat. So many times we criticize Peter because he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink, but Jesus grabbed him and saved him. What was the worst thing that happened to Peter? Jesus reached out to him and saved him. But before Peter could step out of the boat he has to get in the boat.

As Christians we have to be willing to get in the boat and leave all behind. We have to be willing to lose everything and abandon all to go after God. Wimber said it best. We must be willing to lose everything we have gained to date to gain the next step. I think that happens to me every time I go on a trip and see God move. I get more desperate for more of Him. I become more willing not only to get in the boat, but to be the one who steps out onto the water. So, these past 10 days my passion for the things of God, for His Kingdom to be established, has increased dramatically. I saw the passion of those who had nothing. I have been blessed beyond measure. My passion should be ten times greater than theirs. It’s not, and that makes me jealous of them. It is a holy jealousy that causes me to seek more.

So what happened to me. First my faith was increased. As I saw more healings, I became even bolder to pray. Secondly, my passion was renewed and hopefully increased. Thirdly, my prophetic gifting was increased. All the mussels of my faith were exercised. So all the gifting in me should have increased. But the most important thing is this. I just want Him more than I did yesterday. I want to spend time with Him, to hang out with the Father and with Jesus and Holy Spirit. Tonight someone was praying about how they wanted Jesus to come back. They were crying out how they missed Him so. I couldn’t pray that prayer. For me He is already here. I don’t miss Him, I see and talk to Him daily. No, I couldn’t pray that prayer. I understood what they meant, but I think they were missing the point. We don’t have to wait to get o heaven to see Jesus. We are already seated with Him in heavenly places. We just need to learn how to access it. That’s what I think I learned a little bit better this week. I am so glad that I was able to go and be a part of what He is doing. We are called to disciple nations, not go to the nations and make disciples. There is a big difference.

Home Again

Well, it’s late, and I am very tired so this post will probably be very short tonight. I am home, and that is good. We went to the parliament today and then to the presidential palace to pray for the government of Nicaragua. It was a great time and I know that we were supposed to be right where we were.

The flight home was fine. I sat in first class and was served a meal and watched a movie. I didn’t sleep, and that was probably a mistake. But it is really good to be home. I am going to Bethe Atlanta in the morning to meet with Russell Black. He is in town and I didn’t get to see him tonight.

The trip was awesome, and I have to decompress, but not tonight. I will try to process what God is trying to do with me as I sort all that has gone on within me for the past two weeks. But for right now, I’m just glad to be home. I think that is it for the night. Hopefully I will make more sense tomorrow night.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Ending with a Bang

Today was a totally amazing day. We spent the morning eating breakfast and then went to the national Christian TV station. It’s affiliated with TNT in the states. They have a viewership in the hundreds of thousands through out Nicaragua. We had been invited as a team to come down and possibly be on the TV. At breakfast we met with one of the pastors that I had given a prophetic word to last year. It was good to connect with him, and he remembered me. He is a Cuban who was in the mafia in the US. He got saved and became a pastor down in Nicaragua. It was good to see him again. He was the one that connected us up with the TV station.

Anyway, we got to the station and were ushered into the studio where live worship was going on. We all worshiped with the rest of the people and then at the end of worship they had Scott come up and give a brief word. Terry Caban, one of our team members interpreted for him and fulfilled her dream of being on TV. It’s really nice to see someone have a dream fulfilled right before your eyes. Scott’s word was good and after he finished, Harry, Scott and Lacey were ushered out to meet the man who owns the station. We stayed in the studio for a service with a woman minister from Pennsylvania. Her message was good, but we all wanted to get on with the day. After about 40 more minutes, the service was over and we left. In a few minutes Scott and Lacey came out to meet us. The owner of the station came with them and invited us all over to his house for dinner after our service.

After having lunch and a brief rest at the hotel, we got in the bus to drive over an hour south to the church where we were going to minister. This is the same church that we ministered at last year. It was one of my favorite times last year and I knew that it would be fun. We had four of the team members that still hadn’t spoken. I was one of them. We were all supposed to speak for ten minutes and I was going to be the last speaker. Church was good and worship was very long. We were supposed to be at the TV station owner’s house for dinner at 9PM. We ere just finishing up worship around 8 and it took an hour to drive there. Still we all had to speak. It was very anointed, and we all flowed together. I was the last to speak and I thought it was OK. Everyone said it was good, but I was not as happy as I have been when I spoke during other times. Anyway it was done, and God confirmed His word with signs and wonders. We had a number of testimonies of healings. A mass was removed from around an ovary. Eyes were healed. There were a number of other healings but I can’t remember them now. It was a good service.

Then we went to the house for dinner. What a house. This man must be very wealthy. The house was in a compound with guards and guard dogs. It had a beautiful pool, and the house was magnificent. It was evident that once again we had found great favor to be invited to a place like that for dinner. It turns out that Scott and Lacey had prophesied a word over him that was right on target, and he wanted to get to know all of us better. Anyway, their gift made a way for us into his heart and his house tonight. It was a great night, and we kept on finding favor. I was given a word by the woman who ministered that morning at the studio. She was here for dinner also.

Sp, the trip draws to a close, Before we go to the airport tomorrow we are going to the parliament building and pray outside the steps. Then we will drive to the airport to fly home. My blog tomorrow will be from back in my house in my rocking chair, I’m looking forward to seeing home again.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Fun in Nicaragua

Today was our scheduled “Off Day”. It was a really fun day of travel to the Market, an excellent lunch in Granada and then the highlight was the trip up to the high jungle and a Zip Line experience. That is the overview, but there was so much more. What do mission trips do? Why should I go on a short term mission trip? These are the two most common questions that I am asked when I tell someone that I am going out of the country for a week row so on a mission trip.

The first question has to be answered before you can even think about the second. What do mission trips do? I think it’s pretty obvious that they impact local areas and local churches. This is especially true when you do what we do on trips. We come in with the goal to serve the local church. This is done by partnering with a local pastor, or apostolic leader, and trying to help him fulfill the vision that God has given Him. Harry Rios is one such leader. This is the second year that we have served with him in Nicaragua. I really believe that this is the beginning of a long term relationship; a relationship where we can provide resources, manpower and some solid ministry to add with his ministry and vision. I see our team and what we do as a booster rocket to his ministry in the area. We are able to come and help him with his church plants, do some door to door outreach and release the power and presence of God in a concentrated area. This helps start many other people thinking and working to bring the Kingdom down to Nicaragua.

The second part of that question is what does it do for us, the team? Part of the answer is obvious. It allows us a place and opportunity to minister in the gifts that we have been given and learned to release this year in school. We get to preach, prophecy, heal the sick and do all the other stuff to release the Kingdom of God in the community. But there is more. It allow us the opportunity to get to know the other team members in a whole new light. We begin to bond together and lean about each other. We begin to pull out the best in one another. This is what has been happening behind the scenes during this trip and especially today. We got to spend time on the bus talking to each other, sharing our dreams and just bonding. Then at lunch and on the zip line especially, we got to pull for one another; to cheer at the victories and pull people over the hurdle of fear. It is so special. I know that I have grown closer to every member of the team. Some of them I already knew, and have gotten to know better. Many I barely knew, but Now I have developed a new and deep friendship with. It was a great day. The zip line was much harder and more fun that the one from last year.

This Zip line had a tightrope to walk. It also had a jungle swing and at the end a repelling station. If you had any fear of heights, it was going to make you confront this fear is ways that you have never would have on your own. Also the lunch we had in the hotel in Granada. Some of the team were really frightened, but they overcame their fear with the help of the rest of us and conquered the zip line. Some one is in fear when they let fear rule them. They live in courage when they conquer any fear they have through overcoming.

The second question; Why should I go on a short-term mission trip hs already been answered. I believe that we all should take a short-term mission trip at least once a year. These trips push you out of your comfort zone. We all need a push every now then. Taking trips also helps you to appreciate what we have here in the United States. The poor in Georgia are certainly no where near the poor in Nicaragua. Seeing the poverty and still seeing how much the people love God, that is amazing. Also getting out where you can move in the power of the Holy Spirit is so important.

I believe it takes a fun day for the team to begin to see hwo they have grown together, and how they can be used. I know that is what happened today. So don’t be too harsh to judge when you hear about teams having fun. It is a needed rest, but it is much more. It is a time of sealing the bonds that have been developing during the week. I know that is what happened today. Fun days are just as important as ministry days. It’s just that most of the work is done under the surface. Today was a great day. Tomorrow will be great in a different way. We are going back to a church we went to last year. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m sort of sad that the trip is drawing to an end.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Flexibility is a Key to Enjoying Life

You never know when life is going to throw something different at you. We have to learn to be adaptable to all situation. This is especially true on mission trips. If you have ever been on a mission trip, then you certainly understand what I am talking about. If you haven’t been, then you are really missing out on opportunities to grow. Today was one of those days. The plan was to leave by 8:30, go to the pre school and the dump, then drive down to Managua to the Hotel Barcelo. Nothing went according to plan except that we finally got to the Hotel about 7:40.

The hotel was about two and a half hours from where we were staying in the black jungle. But everything that we were going to, the preschool and the dumb were within about an hour of where we were. Well, we got up early and ate breakfast. We were all ready to get our luggage and load up when we heard that the Excursion van wouldn’t start. That was not good. We had battery problems with it the day before, and we were concerned about the way it was driving. To top that off, the truck that we had wasn’t running well either. We had to push start that one the day before. But it was a stick shift and was easy to push off. The excursion was a diesel, and there was no way to push start it.

So here we were, two and a half hours away from the hotel and civilization, out in the black jungle with a car that wouldn’t start. To make a long story Scott and Harry had to drive into town th get a mechanic. He spent most of the day trying to get the car started. Finally he took both batteries to be recharged and at about 4PM the car finally started. I’ve left out a lot of the details because there is no way I could do the story justice. However, we spent the day in the black jungle instead of the preschool and the dump. This is the second year in a row that something has kept us from going to the dump. We hiked the trails looking for monkeys, but we didn’t see any. We had lunch and walked around the grounds. Lacy and a few others rode horses again. The team did remarkably well. Everybody went with the flow and nobody got upset.

On mission trips, things happen. The excursion was still running rough, and we didn’t want to turn it off. We just wanted to go straight to the hotel, but we still had a long drive. Oh, I didn’t tell you that the gas gage didn’t work on the other truck. Driving it around all day rani it almost completely out of gas, Locally it was almost down hill all the way from the Black Jungle to the nearest town where we could get gas. So we finally got gas and got started to the hotel. Now I’ve said earlier how we have been cramped for space in the two vehicles. We had 11 in the Excursion and 5 in the truck. To make it easier, one or two of us have been riding in the back of the pick up truck when the weather was OK,

Tonight once we started into the city, Joseph and I were riding in the bed of the truck sitting on top of the luggage. We were doing guard duty to keep someone form reaching in and stealing a suitcase. It was pretty fun, except when we were stopped and street vendors would come and try to sell us something.. It really wasn’t two bad until we were on this steep hill at a red light and the truck died. It wasn’t getting gas, and wouldn’t keep running very long. We were close to the hotel, but very far. We were sitting there watching all these cars blow their horn and make not very nice gestures while trying to go around us, Finally we got the truck started and kept it revved up to about 2000 rpm minimum. We made it to the hotel, pulled into a parking space and the truck died.

We were 0 for 2 in cars. Neither one could be trusted. So tomorrow, we get rid of both of them. We are getting a 16-passenger van with a driver. Hopefully the last two days will be much better as far as transportation goes. It’s our fun day tomorrow and we are going to the zip line and the market. Every mission trio has days like this, when nothing goes right. The key is to roll with the punches and take things as they come. We did that today, and all is well. Tomorrow is another day, Let’s see what it brings us.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Compassion of Jesus

It always amazes me how the Word of God leaves you in such tension sometimes. On the one hand, Jesus ministers constantly to the poor wit obvious deep compassion and yet on the other hand he tells His disciples “that the poor will always be with you” like they should ignore them. Of course He doesn’t want us to ignore them. I have ministered to the poor off and on for years. I worked down at Blood and Fire on weekends for over 3 years. I have been on countless mission trips to third world countries ministering to the poorest of the poor. But I regretfully say that I know that my heart still does not hold the compassion of Jesus for the poor. Every time I minister, I pray for more compassion. I know that I have more now than I did, but I still need more. I guess that is part of my heart’s cry for MORE. I don’t want just more power, but more love and compassion as well. 1 Cor. 13 says it all. Without love everything else is like a clanging symbol.

Today I got a chance to test my compassion level. We went this afternoon to a very poor village. There we walked around in the dust and the mud, yes it rained, talking and praying with people who have no hope except for God. Then we had a church service in a shelter made of wood, plastic and a tin roof that leaked in the rain. The little shelter was packed as the people came to seek His presence. They came to hear a tone-deaf singer with a keyboard player who didn’t know how to play, and a sound system that was of very poor quality. They came to stand on a dirt floor with sand in piles. They came walking in the pouring down rain, but they came anyway. The church in America needs to wake up. These people didn’t come for programs, they didn’t come for the new building and air-conditioned rooms. They didn’t come to hear a great band or a great preacher; they came to experience the presence and power of God. And God met them there. Once again He showed up. I know that there were healings and other fruit of His presence. It was a good afternoon and evening.

On a lighter note, we checked out of our hotel and drove into the mountain jungle of Nicaragua to stay at a “resort” called “Black jungle”. The rooms aren’t as nice, but the location is unbelievable. It is on a working organic farm. It’s been organic for over 30 years. They grow coffee, cattle, chickens, and pigs. They have their own composting system, a worm farm and they use the methane gas to help produce electricity, and it’s truly amazing what they do. We got to take an hour horseback ride through the grounds and saw most of it in action. We had lunch in their restaurant and got to drink their coffee.

Tonight we got back in time to eat at their restaurant again. All their beef and pork is grass fed and the chickens are free range. The food was delicious. To bad we are leaving too early in the morning to eat their breakfast. But we have a long day tomorrow. We leave at 8:30 and have to be at a preschool at 10. We feed them lunch and pray with them until noon, and then we are going to the dump to minister to kids there. I get another chance to expand my compassion level. This will be the poorest of the poor. I know that my heart will be broken as we minister to them. Then in the evening we will be driving almost 2 hours back to Managua. We will be staying in the city for the rest of the trip. It’s still raining. That is very rare for this time of year. I’m declaring it as a sign for all that God wants to pour down on this country. I’ve finished my post on March 1, but I won’t be able to post it until tomorrow morning right before we leave. My prayer tonight is that Papa would just fill my heart wit such compassion for the children tomorrow. I know that is His heart for me, so I know that He will answer it quickly.