Golf?

Well, it’s been almost ten years since I had my clubs out of the bag. I can remember the last time I played, but I don’t remember the year. It was the WF Summer camp golf tournament at Brookstone Country Club. I was playing with Tom and Mason Tanner and Brad Willougby. It was fun, but just didn’t have the time to continue. I think it was in 2001 and I was getting ready to leave the L1011 for the 737. Once I did that I was in training, 9-11 happened and so much changed. It was like golf was the last thing on my mind.

Anyway, today I played with some of the guys from Bethel Atlanta. We played down in Newnan, and I had had a great time. We played 18 holes, and we were blessed that the temperature was a little bit cooler that it has been all week. It was still hot, but it was in the low 90’s instead of the high 90’s. That made it bearable. So we all played fairly bad; bad enough that we didn’t keep score. I started off badly. The first hole was really bad, but it got better with each hole. There was a stretch in the middle of the first nine where I got a bogey on four holes in a row. A bogey is one over par and I is good for me even when I was paying golf regularly.

I was really pretty excited, but I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to jinx my score by saying anything about it. I really came close to getting a par on a couple of occasions. So I was really playing pretty good. I was hitting my driver and my long irons very well. It was the finesse shots; the wedges and putting where I really had a hard time. They were the ones that really require judgment and planning. These were areas where I knew that I didn’t have the time to really understand.

I don’t think it will be the last time. I need more time to interact with the guuys, and I really do like golf. Maybe I will be able to work it in more often than every ten years. Yes, that would be nice. Ten years, my how time flies.

Still Time

I remember as a child going to the Fox Theater as a family and watching the movie “On The Beach”. I know Fred Astaire was in it. I think Gregory Peck and some other really good actors were also. It was about the end of the world. The atomic world had taken place, and Australia was the only place left where people were alive. It was a very good movie even though it was very depressing and had a bad ending.

I can still remember the song “Waltzing Matelda” that was sung at the bars in the doomed country. I also remember the Salvation Army on the streets with a big banner saying “There is Still Time Brother” At the end of the movie when every body was dead, the wind blew over the empty square and that sign was eerily blowing in the wind. There is still time brother, right up until time runs out.

The problem is that for most of us, we don’t realize that it is running out. Julia didn’t realize it and neither did I. She was healthy right up to the very end. I have many dreams and I know that Sheryl does too. I have the dreams of a twenty year old. The only problem is that I am not twenty anymore. So I have to dream faster and work smarter to see them come to pass. I know that they all will not come to pass, and I have to accept that fact, but at the same time I have to work at them like they will all come to pass. Otherwise, they would never come to pass.

So here I am, interviewing for school, getting ready to teach. I’m doing sozos and still working. I love passionate worship, although the last two weeks I have been exhausted after our services. I know that I am loved by a beautiful woman and I love her dearly. And yet I am so blessed to have been loved by another beautiful woman that I passionately loved as well. The blessings of God are too great to count. I look at my inheritance and I am glad to hve been alive for so long. And yet, I feel that there is so much more to do.

I work and play as hard as I can because I know that time is passing by and I don’t really know how much is left. But as I press into His love, I do know this: “There is still time brother”. What are you going to do with it? That is the real question, isn’t it?

My Friend Jesus

Does that sound sacrilegious? Maybe it does to some people, but in the New Testament we are called His friends. We once were servants, but now are His friends. So what does that mean, to be a friend of Jesus? How does that work? These are questions that you can take years meditating about. These are questions that people have been asking about for years. How can you be a friend to your Lord and Savior?

Well, it’s all done by grace. The only way to approach Him is under the Grace that He has given us. The same grace that paid for our sins is the grace that allows us to boldly come into the throne room and sit with Him as a friend. So let’s think about how friends relate with friends. First, friends do everything out of relationship. They love to spend time just hanging out together. You don’t have to force friends to schedule time with each other. Life just happens. It’s the same way with Jesus, it’s just about hanging out. It’s not about disciplined bible study. Bible study is important but it should be out of a desire and love for relationship and to learn more of His character and His love. It’s really about time alone with Him. It might be in worship and it might not even look traditional. I know many believers who have their best time with Him as they drive to work every morning. Personally, some of my best times have been while I was running. Especially long runs where my mind really wanders to all of His goodness.

Secondly we have to get over the fact that all He did was die for our Salvation. That is huge, and the most important first step, but He did so much more. He bought our freedom; the freedom to love and be loved; to dream and to risk. Ht bought us the freedom to fail and still pick ourselves up and try again. The freedom to dream is so huge. It keeps us coming back to Him for more when we run out of ourselves He is always there for us, no matter what. He set us free to partner with Him in bringing His Kingdom down on earth. For some reason, He wants us to have a say in how and when it happens. This is big, and we really don’t understand all that it entails.

But most of all, Friends tell friends secrets. He is no exception, He wants to tell us secrets; secrets about everything. He loves to talk, and He just wants us to listen sometimes. So He tells us His secrets, and then we get to see them come to fruition. In fact, sometimes He is the one that works with us to bring them to pass. Sometimes He just wants us to pray about them and ponder them in our hearts for a season. He loves us, and wants us to hang out with Him more than we want to Hang out with Him.

It’s important that as believers, we know that our relationship is one of a friend and not a slave. A friend knows what his friends are doing. A slave just accomplishes tasks for his master. I’m glad that I am a friend of Jesus and I can hang with Him any time and anyplace. He is my best friend and we tell each other’s secrets. It’s exciting to be involved with what He is doing today in the world.

Awakening

Today is one of the days that you live for. It’s a day when you see one of your son’s (sure, a spiritual son, but a son none the less) is honored and recognized by others as he goes after his dream. Julia and I met Jeff and Amanda shortly after they first came to RiverStone. They had left the Baptist church where he was an associate pastor when he “accidently got filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues”. He was about to plant a Baptist church when this happened and he knew that he would never be able to plant that church after what had happened. So, he and Amanda wound up at RiverStone to seek more of the Lord and learn more about the Holy Spirit and His power. That morning Tom said during his sermon that someone in the congregation would plant a church with our network and Jeff felt Holy Spirit tell him that he would be that one.

Anyway, Julia and I got connected to them pretty soon after that and we loved their hunger and passion for more of God. They were hungry and we were there to befriend them. It was the beginning of a mutual friendship and a chance to mentor a young couple that was really hungry for the Lord. To make a long story short, we both poured life into them. We taught them things that it had taken us years to learn. It was a great time for all of us. We loved them both and to watch them grow in the Lord was all we needed to press into Him for more ourselves.

We continued to meet with them as they began the process of starting a cell group and the early stages of planting a church. We watched them go through hard times as they worked through issues. We were there to love and pray for them. When Julia passed away, Jeff and Amanda were there by my side. After that we didn’t have many more meetings, but they were well on their way to starting a church. I met with Jeff a few more times as he began to walk out this process.

Tonight at Awakening Church; Jeff was ordained by the Transformation Network. He and Amanda are still passionate and hungry for more of the lord. It was a great service and Sheryl and I were there to see it. I was blessed to be able to pray and speak over Jeff along with the other members of Transformation Network. It’s just the beginning of the journey for Jeff and Amanda, but Julia and I will always be a part of it. It’s fun to see your son’s and daughter’s do well.

Freedom In Florence - Part 2

We just drove in from Florence. It was a long, but easy drive. We stopped in Chattanooga for a nice leisurely dinner. Anyway, it’s good to be back home. We will drive down to church in the morning and then back tomorrow afternoon. Work stars Monday morning with my first A period in almost two months. So it’s time to get back into the swing of things.

Today started up where it left off last night and only got better. There were over sixty people present today with eight churches represented. Sheryl taught probably about two thirds of the time today and really did a great job. I did pretty good too. Considering it was the first time that I have taught any of this material, I felt really comfortable. It was a joy teaching with Sheryl. The flow between us was great. It didn’t matter who was leading, we could trade off without missing a beat. I know that this is part of what God is calling us to. We will be ministering together more and more. It will be Sozo, but much more. We just seem to compliment each other’s strengths.

The teaching is great, but it stirs up hidden issues among those who hear it and it did the same thing today. At the end, we got to demonstrate some of the tools. This is where you really need Holy Spirit to show up. The girl had an issue that she hadn’t even thought of for years. As we talked and she remembered, she really lost it, but as Holy Spirit began to bring freedom, it was a beautiful sight to behold, and a wonderful thing to be a part of. It punctuated the training with the power and presence of God. He is so good!

The people that brought us in were very happy and blessed with the weekend. It exceeded all of their expectations. We were just blessed to be there and be a part of what Papa is doing in Florence. I felt a real Spirit of unity in the city, which was later confirmed by some of the people there. Florence is ripe for a move of God. Hopefully what we did will help bring it to pass. So the weekend is over. It was fun and successful, but it is good to be home. Now it’s time to really focus on school. It starts in two weeks. I can’t wait.

Freedom in Florence Part 1

Tonight was a great night. We had about 50 people show up for this basic sozo conference in Florence Al. It is being held at Christ Chapel. It’s a church of about 800 and this is the second basic conference they have had this year. There are about 5-6 churches represented. It’s great to be able to teach about sozo. It’s like using multiplication instead of addition. Doing a sozo is one person at a time, but when we teach others to do it our effectiveness multiplies greatly.

Tonight was basically an introduction, but it was a lot of fun and Holy Spirit showed up. Sheryl taught about the history and then the core values and I spoke on Hearing God. It’s amazing how many people just don’t understand how God speaks to them. There are so many ways that He speaks if we can just learn to listen. Of course He speaks through scripture. That is the bedrock and foundation. Anything that you hear that does not line up wit scripture is not from HIm. However, sometimes when He speaks it lines up with Scripture but fails to lie up with our view of scripture. God is always speaking, we just have to learn how to tune into the right channel.

But knowing that He speaks is not enough. We have to understand His character and His heart. He is good and He is a good mood. Our view of His character determines how close we let Him be to us. He desires intimacy more than He desires to give us information and if we believe He is harsh and judgmental, then we won’t get close to Him. Intimacy is the key to any relationship. Trust is essential, especially in our relationship with Him.

So tonight we set the foundation for Saturday. Ten we had a time of impartation. Sheryl and I had everyone come up and we prayed for everyone. We told them we wouldn’t give prophetic words, however as the night went on we did begin to give words to people. The power of God and the presence of Holy Spirit was strong and seemed to get stronger as the night went on. It is so good when He comes to back up His word. So, tomorrow we will teach the tools. Tonight many experienced a level of freedom. I know that tomorrow there will be more. As we set people free and teach them to set others free, the Kingdom of God is released here in Florence. Tomorrow should be fun.

Healing Prayer - A Kingdom Dynamic

I’m sitting here in my leather chair listening to Neil Diamond just chilling out. It’s always good to be home. Sure we had a very relaxing time at the lake, and I am very grateful. But It is so good to be home. I know it is only for one night, and tomorrow night we will be in a hotel room in Florence AL. I know that it will be a good conference, but I am not looking forward to the drive, or being out of town again. We actually got back home today around 4:30. But we had to quickly unpack and get ready. We went out to eat with Bud and Cathy and then we all went to healing prayer.

The Night of Healing Prayer at RiverStone is one of my most fun things to do. It’s hard to believe that I had missed it for the last two months. Sheryl had never been to it, so tonight we were both going. I missed the time before prayer when we pray for each other and then the praying for all the people with needs. A couple of nights ago I wrote about field of dreams. I quoted “If you build it they will come”. Nothing could be truer than this. We have been building night of healing prayer for almost ten years, and people are beginning to come.

There is very little advertising, only word of mouth and a small sigh out on the streets. But people continue to show up, and what’s more, God’s presence continues to show up too. Tonight there were over 80 people that came to receive prayer. They came form all over the community; people who were desperate to see the real Jesus. You know, the Jesus that healed, saved and delivered. The Jesus who walked in power and love; the Jesus that cared.

Seriously, more than half, probably more than 60% of the people that came tonight were not from RiverStone. There were Baptist, Catholics, Methodist and atheists. It doesn’t matter what religion it’s about the power of God. So when all these people come expecting to meet God, He is not going disappoint them. And He didn’t disappoint tonight. You see, there were many healings. But everyone who came was touched felt His presence and His love.

The scripture talks about “healing being the children’s bread.” I know that this is so because I see it so very often. Healing is one of the best ways to bring the Kingdom of God into this present age. He loves to show up. We just have to be willing to risk. But RISK is what the Kingdom is all about. I’m proud of RiverStone. They are beginning to reap the rewards of persevering in faith, waiting to see the promise. I just wish that more churches were Kingdom minded instead of working to preserve what they have in the midst of decline.

Well, tomorrow night we will be in Florence, bringing the Kingdom through teaching and healing. I am confident that He will be with us. Why, because I am His son, and He wants to see me push the limits for His glory. It should be fun (except for the drive).

The Fire in His Eyes

A couple of weeks ago at church, Scott saw what he called a new movement. A movement of prayer warriors that were declaring the goodness of God and calling down the Kingdom of God into this world. It was a prayer movement not based on fear or of the “end times”, but a movement that was based on knowing the Father and His love.

Last Sunday I had a vision during worship. It was a vision of an army. The army was dressed in white and when they opened their mouths and their eyes brilliant rays of light flashed, almost blinding those who saw. Then it was as if I was in space and was looking at the earth. It was night and totally dark, but I could see a shadow of a throne on top of the world. I knew that it was the throne of God. From under that throne it looked like molten lava, fiery hot and brilliantly lit was flowing down all over the darkness of the earth.

As I got closer, I realized that it was people, people in that army that I have seen. These people were going everywhere. They were all happy and joyful. In fact, they were being chased and were drawing crowds. The crowds were asking them why they were happy in the midst of everything that was going on. They were talking about and spreading the Goodness of God. They were releasing His love no matter what the circumstances. It was amazing. People were joining the army because of what they were seeing and hearing.

How could an army know God’s love like that? How could they share it so well. They had to have an experience with Him that I hadn’t had. Then I saw Him. Do you remember in Revelations where it talks about the rider on the white horse with fire in His eyes? Well, we all know that is the Victorious Christ. I have read this passage many times and pictured in my minds eye Jesus with wrath and judgment in his eyes. Well I saw that Jesus in this vision. It was an awesome and terrible sight to behold until I looked into His eyes. I saw the fire all right, but that fire was like nothing that I had expected. It was the fire of love. A totally different, more powerful fire than I was expecting. That love was so strong and overpowering that I knew. I knew that is what all the army had seen. His fiery love, that is what motivated the army to give so much love away. That is what will power this army of goodness and love.

It’s time, time for the army of God to awaken. We have to understand His goodness and love. When we do experience and understand, we will be unstoppable, But until then we hap to keep believing that He is good and that His goodness will conquer anything that the world can throw down. I want to be a part of that Army and I think that you do to. Look into those fiery eyes of love and let Him change you forever.

Field of Dreams

Well, we are at the lake. We got here around 6PM and it is great to be here. We sat out on the dock and watched the sun set as the ducks swam buy and we saw fish jump and roll on top of the water. It is so quiet up here alone. I don’t think we heard but one or two boats the whole time we were outside. I guess it’s the middle of the week and school is back in session. Anyway, we plan on really enjoying ourselves for the next few days.

After we came in from the lake we decided to watch a movie. We brought a couple, but as we were looking through a stack of DVDs I saw “Field of Dreams”. What a great movie. I don’t think I have seen it for 10 years. Anyway, that is what we watched. It is just so good, especially if you are going after your dreams. You can so relate to everything that Kevin Cosner is thinking. When do you stop being practical in life and actually risk all you have to fulfill your dream. And how do you do that if to everyone else, your dream seems so frivolous? What if you are hearing voices that no one else is hearing? All these are things that I have dealt with over the years and yet they are all tied up into a package in this movie storyline.

When I saw this movie years ago, it was one of the first movies that I began to attach spiritual significance to. As I saw it tonight, I can understand why. But now there is so much more. There are father wounds and issues that we deal with all the time in Sozo. There are financial pressures that are so real in many homes today. How do you co after your dream when you are trying to survive. It took someone to stand with him through the midst of it to give him the courage to go after it and to press to make sure it happened.

But as much as the movie was about dreams, it was about healing relationships. This was about his relationship with his Father. And in the end, his dream actually led to an encounter with his father. Yes it was a good movie, but lets talk about dreams. We have to go after our dreams. But in order to go after them, we have to be willing to risk upsetting the status quo. Are we willing to go after them at all cost? That is the question. If we say yes, then I think that you can accomplish anything. Most people say that they want their dreams, but they aren’t willing to go the distance and fulfill their destiny. They grow old hoping and wishing that they had actually taken the steps, but they never did. I am so thankful that I am going after my dreams. I can’t imagine where I would be in life had I not understood the necessity of taking risks to get what He is calling me too. So where are you in the process. I say to you tonight just like they did in the movie; “If you build it, they will come.” So, let’s go build!!

Coming Home

Well, it looks like school is finally coming together. We have the Speakers scheduled as well as the weekly schedules for the first semester. It’s hard to believe that it is almost here. I have at least five interviews that I need to do this week and I can’t wait to see who actually shows up. Today we had meetings for first year and the school as a whole. They were very productive and I feel that we are really making progress.

It was really good seeing the girls down in Ft Lauderdale and Sheryl and I really enjoyed our time down there. We are really tired of traveling and are ready for some time here at home, but it won’t be until after this weekend. We go to Florence Alabama to teach a Sozo Basic. It will be the first time that we have done a training alone, and it should be fun; everything, that is, except the 5 – 6 hour drive. That will not be fun. It is back roads almost all the way and I am definitely not looking forward to driving it.

Today I did my first sozo down at the Bethel offices. When I talked to Bud, he asked me if it was any different down there. There really wasn’t any difference. When all of the Trinity shows up in a room; it doesn’t matter where you are, it is glorious. The sozo went well. I am sure that it is the first of many that I will do there. But now, I need to start getting ready for the teaching that I will be doing this weekend. I will start that tomorrow after work. We are going up to the Meder’s lake house for a couple of days, and we will be able to focus on what we will be doing this weekend. It will be a relaxing time as well as a time to really concentrate on all that is coming up in the next couple of months.

Last night, I didn’t get to blog. I had been up since three thirty and it was after eleven in the evening when we finally pulled into the house in Newnan. Wh had a dinner at The Pastors house. It was the six intercessors and their husbands. The dinner was good, but what Papa did to unite us and rally us together as a team was amazing. When we left, we left as one unit. Sure, the wives are the “Eagle Six” but all together we make twelve, and what we represent is a prophetic symbol of what He wants to do in our body and it is going to really rock. It’s exciting to see things falling into place and coming together in so many areas. God is good.

Back Home Once Again

Once again it is good to be back in Atlanta, or at least in the area. I can remember when Newnan and Dallas were not even considered in the Atlanta Area. Anyway, tonight we are back in Newnan. We missed the first flight this morning, but we did get on the second one. That got us to Bethel Atlanta just in time for church.

It’s very late now, it’s been a full day. I will try to fill you in on what happened tomorrow.

Flying High

Today was a fun day. Sheryl and I got up and went to Starbucks and then hung out with Jennifer and Meleah. Sean and Adair were at cross country practice. They didn't get home until after ten and then we wanted to go to the beach. Yesterday we got to go to the pool and walk down by the beach, but today we wanted to actually go to the beach. Adair and Meleah had never been para-sailing. So I decided that it was time that they filled that square.

When Jennifer was about Adair's age, she and Lisa went para-sailing in Mexico. They still remember that as if it was yesterday, so I wanted the girls to have the same memory as their mother. Technology has changed para-sailing a lot since then. Before you had to help steer the chute, now it's just like riding in a swing. I went up with them because I knew that they needed someone who they could trust to be with them. I really enjoyed the ride, mainly because I got to see how much they enjoyed it.

We must have been up over 20 minutes, and it was a beautiful day. We could see all the way to Miami and up the coast towards West Palm Beach. Looking inland, we could see all of Ft. Lauderdale and the inter coastal waterway. Beautiful boats were lining the docks on the canals. There was a big cruise ship in Port Everglades and there were other container ships waiting to come into dock.

But looking down was the best. The water was crystal clear and you could see the bottom floor of the ocean, especially where there were reefs and sandbars. We saw numerous sea turtles swimming on the surface. When we passed over head, they would dive toward the bottom for safety. I guess we were about 200 feet in the air, and the ride was amazing. I know that it will be a memory that we will all cherish for a long time. Yes it was pretty expensive, but definitely worth every penny.

Tonight we drove up to Pompano Beach and ate at Houston's. We were able to set outside along the inter coastal. It was a beautiful night and the food was great. Then we came back and took a walk up Las Olas Blvd. It is one of the main fancy tourist places in Ft Lauderdale and it was just fun watching people and seeing the shops. But now we are packed up and ready to go back to Atlanta. It will be another early morning wake up. I can't believe that this weekend has gone by so fast. I really love the kids and wish that we could spend more time with them. But, we will be back and this weekend was a memory maker. It's fun to fly high over the city; especially with your granddaughters.

Going After More

What are going after? What are you pressing into God for? Are you just letting life come to you, or are you strategically going after something that seems totally out of your reach? If you are just living life as it comes, then you are missing the best that Papa has for you. We all live life, and sometimes it seems that it just happens. It's like we are on a predestined path and we just let things happen. It seems so natural, but if we do that then we are no more than a log floating down a river going wherever the current takes us.

Many,many people live this way and think nothing about it. But every now and then someone comes along and there is a fire in them burning for something that is out of their reach. Instead of giving up, they start changing the rules. They rewrite the plan and totally change the course of their life. I want to be one of those people. No, I am one of those people. To do it takes passion. It takes passion and the desire to risk it all to get what you want. What is your passion? What is it that you can't do without Papa's help. Are you going after it? We need to be praying for ourselves if we want to see breakthrough.

Tonight I read something from a dear friend. She sends out devotionals and this one fit in with what I wanted to talk about. She was writing about Jabez and how he prayed for himself and God answered his prayer. I realized that one of the things missing in my journey into all God has for me was to pray for myself. I know that many of us have read the prayer of Jabez. Probably some have prayed it. I don't think it is a formula for success, but I do believe it is an example to us of what God wants us to do as we press into Him for our destiny and inheritance.

We need passion and fire. We can't just let life happen, we have to direct it strategically to press into all that He calls for us to do. But just as importantly, we have to pray for ourselves, especially for favor with man and God. We also have to pray that He would expand our territory and influence, even as He directs our path. If you are tired of letting life just happen, I challenge you to join with me to choose how life happens and what I do with things out of my control. We can make a difference, we can change circumstances through passion, direction and prayer. I hope you will join me as we change the world and release His Kingdom here as it is in Heaven.

Moving Around

Well, tonight we are back down in Newnan. Last night as we began to think of our schedule for the first of the week, we realized that we would need two cars down here so we decided to come down and leave from here for the airport in the morning. I will be exciting being able to see Jennifer, Sean and the girls tomorrow. I know that it will be a short visit, but they are as busy as we are and this id the best time to do it.

Life is so busy. I don’t care who you are or what your occupation. Life is busy. I believe that most of us just go through life trying to survive and complete the day. It seems that our number one goal is to complete the day. This goes on day by day, and we wind up old and wondering where our life went. What is really important? Where are our priorities? I know we have certain needs and many of us wind up being consumed to meet the basic needs; especially in today’s economic environment. But many of us spend our hours and time on things that we don’t really need. A lot of time we just do them because we think that we are expected to do them.

Take it from one that has been around the block. Don’t waste your time doing something because it is expected. Do it because you are passionate about seeing it get done. It doesn’t matter how long you live, you don’t have time to waste meeting the expectations of others. It has to mean something to you. What stirs your passion? Find a job that relates and pour your life into it. Hopefully it is something that you can make a living doing.

I have been blessed that I love flying and I was at the right time and the right place (there is no such thing as coincidence) to get hired by Delta. That gave me the opportunity to fill that passion and the time to expand into other passions. Many people aren’t so blessed, and they have to be involved for a season in things that are not their passion, but pay the bills. There is nothing wrong with that, but they need to constantly press into what would lead them to their passion.

Sheryl and I are so blessed that we are being able to go after most of the things that we are passionate about, and hopefully we will be able to go after even more in the days ahead. I pray for health and long life for both of us so we will be able to see these things fulfilled.

The Mission

In 1986 Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons starred in “The Mission”. It won best picture of the year at the Cannes film festival. I don’t know what it did at the Oscars, but I had never heard of it until we had Peter Lord stay at our house when we were having him speak at First Methodist Marietta. Peter Lord along with Jack Taylor was one of the first pastors that really began to see the Kingdom of God instead of the Church. So, you might ask, what is the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Church? Well, a lot. The church is God’s tool to bring the Kingdom here on earth. Remember the Lords Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

It’s our job as believers and disciples of Christ to bring the Kingdom here on earth. It’s not about the church but about the Kingdom of God. So this movie “The Mission” is about what happens too often when the agenda of the Kingdom interferes with the agenda of the church. The movie itself is a true story of what happened to the Jesuit missions in the South American territory between Brazil and I think, Peru. Anyway it was between the Spanish and the Portuguese. The Jesuits were developing missions that were protected by Spanish law, but not protected by Portuguese law. The story is about what the church did to protect its place in those countries.

God’s agenda is not often man’s, and vice a versa. So when man goes after things to protect his position and place, he often time comes against the things that please God. The biggest question that was unanswered in the movie was not whether the church was right, it wasn’t. The question was whether Jeremy Irons, who wouldn’t fight for the mission and the Indians was right. Or was Robert De Niro, who did fight for the Indians right. I’m not sure. I think that Jeremy was right, but I wonder where I would have fallen out in that scenario. To be honest I would have probably fought.

So that leads me to this question. When is it right to fight for what you know are Kingdom values and principals? Do you fight or is love enough. I think it is both. Some people are called to be fighters; it’s in their nature while others are called to love and pastor. It’s probably part of the five-fold ministry. Pastors would definitely love, while prophets would fight. I’m not sure where the apostles would fall out in this. Anyway, the movie did stir up some interesting questions. Questions that I didn’t even think about asking 24 years ago.

Home Alone

Living in two places is getting complicated. We went down south last Sunday morning and stayed at Sheryl's place on Sunday night. I had meetings at the church office on Monday and that worked out great. Then we stayed again last night and I went to work this afternoon. I then drove back up north to spend the night because I am doing a Sozo tomorrow morning at RiverStone. Sheryl stayed down south because she has a Sozo at the Bethel Atlanta offices. It didn't make sense for her to drive up and then back down.

But sometimes logic gets in the way of relationship. So once again we are sleeping in different houses. It makes perfect sense, but it still doesn't feel right. Well, she will be back up here tomorrow afternoon. We have dinner and a movie tomorrow night and we will stay up here until we leave for Ft Lauderdale on Friday morning. But we come home Sunday morning and we have to plan out where our schedule calls us to be next week. I know it is going to get complicated as school starts.

Pretty soon we are going to have to make a permanent move. But ring now, we really don't have time to think about when and where. Well we have an idea of the general location, but the when and how are still up in the air. School starting is going to eat up too much time. I know it will all work out, but I get tired even thinking about the idea of moving. Shoot, we also have to go to Florence Al at the end of the month to do a basic Sozo. It will be fun, but it is still another thing that will keep us busy.

I'm not really complaining, I enjoy it all. It's just that it sometimes gets complicated. I believe that Papa is saying simplify. I know that we must, and moving to one house will be the greatest way to do it. I will just have to do it. The good thing about that is I won't have to be home alone. Neither will Sheryl, and that will be great.

Living My Dreams

It’s hard to believe that it is Aug 15th. School will start in less than a month and there is still a lot to do. We have begun to have weekly staff meetings and it looks like things are taking shape. I’ve got more interviews to schedule. Hopefully in the next three weeks we will have a lot of them. Anyway, it’s al falling into place.

Last year at this time all that I knew is that Papa said it would be a year of transition. How right He was. It’s hard to believe all the transition that has taken place in my life, and in many ways is still happening. There was a marriage, a new church, a new ministry (BASSM) and so much more. But even in transition, He told me that I would begin to live my dreams and that is happening. I remember last year talking with my life coach about what I really wanted to do and the main thrust was teaching and developing leaders to take the Kingdom of God to a lost world.
So here I am helping run the first year of Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Ministry. I will be speaking on many subjects and helping teach on Prophecy as well as helping pastor many first year students. It’s my dream job, and I am living it. But that doesn’t make it easy, and it doesn’t mean that I feel sufficient. I don’t at all. If Holy Spirit doesn’t empower me, I will fall flat on my face. I am totally dependent on Him, but I know that is where He wants me to be. If He has called me to do this, then He will empower me to do the job that I need to do.

Right now the focus is interviewing students and preparing for the year. Pretty soon it will change to being a pastor and teaching. At all times it will require me to press into the supernatural. That’s the problem with leading a school of the supernatural. You have to show them what that means and how it works in your life. It requires a dependence and risk that I haven’t stepped out in. This is really going to be a stretching year for me. I can’t wait. That is what I was born for, a time such as this.

At the same time, I am still involved in sozo. In fact, I have one on Wed afternoon and two more that I need to schedule. There are other things that I believe Papa has for Sheryl and I, but they are on the horizon yet and I’m not sure when they will open up. But this I know, things are not going to slow down. In fact, they will speed up. We are going to Florence, AL at the end of the month for a Basic Sozo conference. Sheryl is the main teacher, but I will be teaching as well. It should be fun, especially working together. But it is another layer where I have to depend upon Papa to help pull it all together. But He loves me being dependent upon Him, so I know that everything will fall into place. I never knew that living my dreams could be so stretching. But that’s what dreams are supposed to do. If they didn’t stretch you, they wouldn’t be very good dreams, would they?

Riding the Wave

Have you ever experienced a service in church when worship got so intense and so intimate with the Holy Spirit that you didn’t want it to stop? I have, a number of times. Most of the time, the leader would do something to end it, or the worship leader didn’t know what to do to continue and take it up to the next level. Probably one of the hardest things to do as a leader is to know when to stop worship when God seems to be moving, or when to let it continue. IF you stop it. then you take the chance of missing what the Holy Spirit was tying to do. If you continue, you risk staying with it longer than God wanted you to. In either of these cases, the whole congregation can feel the tension of the Spirit in the air.

What you are looking for as a leader is to catch the wave of the presence of the Holy Spirit and ride that wave as far as it will take you, then getting off before it leaves you fry in the sand. It really is a good surfing analogy. That’s why when we were praying for a worship leader back at RiverStone, the intercessors were praying for a “surfer dude”. There are not many times in my life that I can remember being able to ride the wave like that in a service. I can probably count them on one hand. We had one of these this mornings at Bethel Atlanta. Worship was amazing and then it just went to a whole new realm. The congregation was totally involved. There was dancing and singing. The drums were amazing as well as the flute and the rest of the instruments. The vocals were very good too. But the best part was that you knew that Holy Spirit was there.

As in any good worship there were periods where we could have stopped and had a “regular” service. It would have been a nice day and people would have gone home happy. But thank goodness our leadership is more interested on following the lead of Holy Spirit and actually riding the wave no matter what the cost than having a “regular” service. So Scott and Ben, or leader and worship leader for the service, took the risk. They risk taking a good service to one that was messed up or great. Today, they heard correctly and rode the wave of the Holy Spirit to new breakthroughs for Bethel Atlanta. It’s great to be in a church where you have leaders and not managers. It’s great to be in a place where the presence of the Holy Spirit is sought after to the degree that they are willing to take the chance and ride the wave, even when it doesn’t look like it will stand up.

Yes, today was a great day for Bethel Atlanta, and it was a great day for the Kingdom. I believe that when the Holy Spirit is not quenched, then the Kingdom has opportunity to advance. Today, the Holy Spirit was given free reign and there was a breakthrough in Atlanta because of it. That breakthrough will be manifested in the weeks and months to come, but it happened today. And I was a part of the body that allowed it to happen. Yes, it was a great day!!

Shooting at Wolf Creek

I have to admit it. In many ways, I am a loner. I don’t necessarily think that it is a good thing. In fact, it might be one of my major weaknesses. But I had rather ride alone, run alone and be alone than to hang out with a group. I tend to get frustrated with all the dynamics that go along with a group. If I’m in a group, I want to lead. I especially find it hard to be in a group when I have no say so as to what we are going to do.

Having said that, I went to the Bethel Atlanta Men’s outing today. We had almost 30 men show up at the Skeet shooting range, and we had a great time. I said that I didn’t like small groups. I didn’t say that I totally avoided them. Sometimes they are very necessary. Today was one of those days. It was important that we had some time together as friends and brothers. It was just as important that we learn more about each other. We as a church are on the cutting edge of all that is going on in this Kingdom movement and we, as men, need to know and be able to trust each of you.

So here I am, the oldest of the bunch by at least 20 years, ready to press in to all that the leaders desire for us to do today. It probably should feel odd that I am so much older that the rest, but it really doesn’t bother me. I can keep up with any one of you as the day progresses. I got my first test a little after 10:25AM. That’s when it was my time to shoot. We were shooting 12 gage over/under shotguns and they seemed to have much up keep way already spoken it on.

So here we are, waiting to shoot. I did much better tan I thought that I would, I hit most of the targets. I was really amazed at how good I actually shot. But the bad news is that my shoulder hurt really bad. We eventually shot over 100 shots a piece, but I ended up with a real sore shoulder. It’s pretty bruised and I am really glad that we are not going to be shooting tomorrow,
Still, it was a great day. Especially since I was able to ride my Harley in both directions. Sure it was hot, but still very fun.

Biking Memories

Today was another perfect day. The weather cooperated and for the third day in a row, we didn't get wet when we rode. It was cool this morning and this evening, and the temperature during the day was very pleasant. We rode down the mountain again today. At least most of us. Three of the guys decided to ride up the mountain as well. I had no desire to try that, so I didn't go with them. Instead I took the shuttle to the top with the rest of the crew. After we got back this afternoon, I was having second thoughts and really wished that I had tried to do it.. Oh well, there is always next year.

After we finished the ride, a few of us were setting around talking about old memories. That gave me the idea of tonight's post. I have many bike memories and most of them center around my life in grammar school. However I do have some in my early high school days. You know, before I got too cool to ride my bike around. I remember riding around until I was in the 9th or 10th grade. Then I rode all over. I even rode on highways that today I would never ride on, or allow my kids to ride on. I would ride over to my cousins house to play touch football. I would also ride over to my friends house to hang out. These rides would be rides in excess of 5 miles one way.

But my most vivid memory of these times in my bicycle was when I was trying out for the 9th grade football team. We were practicing at my cousins house, and in was riding to practice. I had just gotten some new football cleats and I was bringing them to practice. Don't ride with football cleats hanging over the handle bars. I was riding pretty fast, when my cleats got caught in the front wheel spokes. The front wheel instantly seized, and I flipped over the front wheel on to the street. I landed right upon my head and rolled over on my back. Lucky I didn't hurt myself bad. But I wasn't wearing a helmet. I still don't like them, even today.

Most of my fun memories revolve around my bike and my dog Rocky. He was a Dalmatian, and a very good dog. We rode everywhere together, even to school. I would go in, and he would wait for me to come out. We had so many adventures that it would take all night writing them down. But I remember that many times when we were riding back to the house we had to ride fast to keep from being bit by one of the neighbor's dogs. This one particular dog would try and chase me every chance he got. My trick was to get going as fast as I could. It was a downhill slope where he usually attacked and if I was fast enough I could out run him. If not, then I would pull my legs up as high as I could and try to stay upright on my bike.

I would ride almost daily to my friend's house to play. My parents would let me go, and I would be gone all day. We would ride all day. Those were happy times, just like today. It's amazing to ride today, enjoying all that God has made and yet still, remembering all about the past and those fun times. Well, the trip is almost over, we will be driving home tomorrow. It's been a great trip and the company has been great. But it's time to go home. There are more things waiting for me next week.

Well I didn't get this posted last night. We got home about 4pm this afternoon and were out at a meeting by 6:30. It's great to be home. I'm riding my Harley to the BA mens day tomorrow morning. We are shooting skeet at wolf creek. It should be fun!!

Riding the Virginia Creeper Trail

It's been a great two days of riding. We arrived around one in the afternoon yesterday and we went to the bike shop for an afternoon ride down he mountain. We start up on Mount Rogers at Whitetop Station. It's a seventeen mile ride down the mountain. On this ride you don't need to do much peddling but your brakes had better work well. It's all downhill and we had a ball. There is so much to see and such amazing views. It was an incredible ride and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

Today we drove the girls into Abbington this morning and dropped their bikes off at the trail head. They then went into town to look around while we drove back to a little place called Alvarado. It was a stop on the old Virginia Creeper line. It was about 8.5 miles from the Abbington trailhead. We rode into Abbington from there. It took us about an hour before we got there. It was a pretty hard ride and we were all tired when we got there. Along the way we say some marvelous countryside. It was so beautiful.

We met the girls for lunch at the trailside cafe. That's a story in itself. We went there the first time not long after we started coming here. He was a retired navy cook trying to open a restaurant. We talked with him and really got along. So every year we have been back. His business is doing great. In fact he just had a tv show film him and he is rated number 4 out of the top 50 restaurants in Abbington. It's really good to see someone follow their dreams and succeed.

It has really been a laid back fun trip. There is no phone service or easily accessible wireless. So I will have to post this blog tomorrow morning. I really don't have that much to say. I guess the main thought that I have had all week is about the amazing beauty of God's creation. I am really blessed with the opportunity to go and see what He has created. You see it every day, but there is just something different about Seeing it so up close and personal.

Va Creeper Trail Ride

For the third year in a row I leave tomorrow for the hinterlands of Virginia. We will be riding down Whitetop mountain and on the rail bed between Damascus and Abbington Va. It is beautiful country. The rides will be spectacular and we will have a great time. There are12 people going and we are renting two houses. We will all cook and hang out in the big house. It has a great porch and we will spend the evenings outside talking and just relaxing. It will be Sheryl’s first time, and I know that she is a little anxious as to whether she can keep up, but I know that she will do fine.

The remoteness of the area makes it challenging for all of us with high tech phones, computers, ipads or whatever. AT&T’s service is nonexistent there and the wireless availability is very sparse. I do know of one coffee shop (not a Starbucks) that has free WiFi. If I get to do my blog, it will probably be posted the next morning. I’ll just have to wait and see. I might miss a day or so, but bear with me, I will be back as soon as possible.

Today we had staff meetings for school. It is going to really be good this year. I can’t wait to see how many students we have for first year. I know that we are ahead of the pace that we had last year, but this last month is where it usually builds up. We will see how it goes. I counted and we have 10 first year applications from RiverStone this year. We might have a couple more. I’m not sure how many second years, maybe 7. The RiverStone connection is still strong. I pray that it remains so. It will benefit both churches and the body of Christ in Atlanta.

Well, it is late, and I have a 5 hour drive ahead in the morning. So it’s off on another adventure. So far this summer has been one big adventure. No since stopping now.

Seasons

I’ve written about this before, but today at church our Pastor Steve was talking about a conversation he had at a breakfast with Bill Johnson. Bill asked him how he was handling work and being the senior leader of a church. Steve was talking about how things at work had been so easy for a time, but didn’t seem to be that easy now. Bill then began to tell Steve that it was just a different season, and that God had us in different seasons and it was up to us to discern what season we were in.

That just makes so much sense to me. It also explains that why for some months something works great and then all of a sudden it doesn’t work at all. Me, and my finite engineering mind always look for a formula. If something works well for a month, it ought to work well all of the time. That might be the way it is with man, but certainly not with God. It seems to me that God goes out of His way to make sure we can’t use a formula. I believe it is because He wants us to constantly come to Him for answers to our questions. If we found formulas that worked, then we wouldn’t need Him. He wants to commune with us. And will find ways to draw us near to His presence.

Right now, for me, most of my quiet time is in worship, or asking Him question. He loves for me to set as His feet. Jesus was called Rabbi for a reason. He loved to teach. I believe that we all have an opportunity to sit at His feet and go the school of the Spirit. Sure, I love the Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Ministry. But in reality, all we do is to teach people to connect with Him as sons and daughters of a King instead of slaves. Once we know who we are, we have access to things that were locked away before. That’s why the first year of the school is really all about identity; His and ours.

So here is the question for tonight. What season are you in with Papa. Are you in a season of receiving, where everything you need is just given to you. If you are, enjoy it. More than likely it won’t last. Sooner or later you will enter a season of contending in the Spirit for the things that are yours. But that is not bad either because it teaches us to press into Him in a deeper way. The good news about contending is that it is not warfare against the devil and his demons. It is really a pressing in to Him, crying out, declaring and decreeing what is ours and calling for a release from the heavenly realm. We don’t’ focus on the enemy, we always keep our focus on Him. It’s His love that draws us, either to contend or receive. It is always about intimacy. What season are you in? Are you contending for something? Press into Him and the doorway will be opened.

Sleeping In

I was able to sleep in until 9AM this morning, and then I managed to stay around the house most of the day. We did take the grandkids to the park around 3, but it was a really nice day. I got up at 9 because I had a phone interview at 9:30. So I was on the deck with my coffee having an interview. In fact, I had another later on in the morning on the deck. I wound up staying on the deck working until after 1:30. It was an awesome day.

I was able to watch the birds and hummingbirds as well as get a lot of work done. It’s the first time that I have slept in or been out on the deck that long. It really was a great day. I really do like to stay home. It’s just that I really don’t get to do it that often. Sheryl brought me breakfast outside and I just kept on working. It got to the high 80’s I think, although it might have been warmer. I was complaining until we were watching a TV show taped in early Jan was showing all the freezing weather and snow. Yes, I will take all the heat you can dish out. It’s much better than all the snow that I was looking out at tonight.

There is not much else going on. Watching a little TV tonight was fun. I don’t know when I have really been able to relax like I did today. Even in the midst of work, It’s great to be home. Well it’s late, and I cant think of anything thought provoking so I guess I will call it a night. We have to get up early to get the kids up for church. Maybe I will have something more to say tomorrow.

Revivalist

So, what does it take to be a Revivalist? That is a really good question, but first the question that needs to be answered is “What is a Revivalist?” Well, I don’t know the exact definition, but here is what I think a Revivalist is. A revivalist is someone who is willing to risk their reputation and all that they have gained to date to see the Kingdom of God released in their area of influence. With that definition, you can be a Revivalist at any age. That’s why we are calling forth this “generation”, but defining the “generation” as ages from 1 -100+. I want to be among those that care less about religion and tradition, but press into the presence of God and call out life and release His presence wherever they go.

So, what does it take to be a revivalist? First and foremost, I think it takes a deep and abiding love for the Godhead. It all flows out of intimacy. It’s about loving and being loved. It is a two-way flow of communication. Out of that love comes knowledge of His goodness. You must believe and understand that He is so much better than we could ever think. It is that deep love and knowledge of His goodness that allows us to take risks. We know that He wants to heal, that He wants to set people free. So if we trust in His goodness, then we can rest assured that He desires to touch people’s lives and see them changed. Then we can go into the streets praying with the knowledge that He wants them saved, healed and delivered. That makes it easy.

Does it have to be a radical youth with tattoos and body piercing. No, but it can be. Does it have to be men and women who call themselves pastors and love on people for a living? No, but it can be. Does it have to be middle aged couples who are willing to invest time, energy and money to see other’s lives changed? No, but it can be. Does it have to be men and women in their 80’s who still live life with an exuberance and release God’s love wherever they go? No, but it can be.

Do you get the picture? There is not one area that is excluded from being a Revivalist and releasing the Kingdom of God into whatever area that they are involved in. I bless them all and I am thankful for all that each of them do. Everyone of them is needed of we are to have the Kingdom of God transform the earth. So no matter where you are tonight, you can be the one who brings change to your community. Love God passionately and then allow that love to manifest itself through you into your community. That is the first step in being a Revivalist. Will you join me? We can take over the world. You’ve gotta believe.

From Chicago to Atlanta

Well I am back home. It is really good to be back home, and I am grateful for my first class seat this morning. I had to take an early flight because the afternoon flights were full and I have to work tomorrow. So I got up early in the morning and went to the airport. I had heard that Chicago O’Hare was a zoo, but I hadn’t been there in a long time. The security line was 45 minutes long. You definitely need to be there almost 2 hours early if you are going to make your flight. It was good to be home and unwind a little. It’s especially good to be back with Sheryl and spend time with her, but I really do miss being at the conference. Tonight Rinehart Bonnke is speaking. In Nigeria at one conference he had over 2 million salvations; and that is just one of his many, many conferences. I know that the place is electric.

But the most fun part was manning our BASSM booth. We get to meet hundreds of people, tell them about the school and give prophetic words. Last night we got to pray for a couple of people for healing, but it looks like that we are praying for a lot more healings tonight. I just got word that it had turned into a healing booth. Awesome! God is so good. This just feels so right, to have all these people together loving God and going after His presence and power.

Some people might not agree, but in my opinion we have some of the great spiritual leaders of the day here at this conference. To be able to sit under their teaching and walk in the flow of their anointing is unbelievable. Just thinking about this week makes me think back to all the great men and women of God who have prayed for me and laid hands on me. It’s good to think back to all you have been given because we tend to forget all that we have in our inheritance. My life’s verse tells me to fan into flame the gifts and callings that were given to me by the laying on of hands.
Wow, I think of people like John Wimber; Bill Johnson; John and Carol Arnott; Kris Vallotton; Danny Silk; Peter Lord; Jack Taylor; Mark Rutland; and so many others that the list would go on all night. Every one of these greats has prayed for me more than once and laid on hands and released anointing. The problem is that in many cases I forget who I am. I forget what I carry. Of course, I think we all do. Otherwise we would all be walking in much more power than we see right now.

I am His beloved, and He joyfully lavishes His love and anointing on me. He wants to use me to bring His Kingdom. But not only me, He wants to use you too. You see, you are also His beloved. You have anointings and giftings that He wants to use, but you have forgotten, or don’t believe that you have. You see, if I am like that, then I know that most of you are also. So the thing that I really have to do is not strive or try to work anything up. No, what I have to do is to learn to accept who I am and act in the way that I should. All the rest will follow.

Intimacy

Intimacy can be spelled differently if you really think about it. In – to – me – you – see. It really is about that. Are you willing to let someone else in to see and understand your deepest thoughts and feelings? Most of us have a hard time with that, even with our spouses. We wind up making excuses or avoiding contact and sharing about the deeper things. It’s no wonder that our relationship with God is many time devoid of intimacy and filled with works and rules.

Tonight in Jesus Culture, Banning spoke on the need for intimacy if we are going to be revivalist and press after the presence and power of God. Everything he said just echoed what I already knew. But it was new of many of the 17000 there tonight. Intimacy really begins in worship and you think that it would be hard to have any intimacy in worship in the midst of that size crowd, but that was not the case. Worship was great both times today. The Jesus Culture band led it this morning and Hillsong led it tonight. It was amazing to see and hear that many people going for it in worship. Tonight especially was just so divine.

But really intimacy begins alone with your time with God. It can be in worship or through bible reading. There is no set formula to achieve it. I think it is great no matter how you do it if you just press into Him. I haven’t had any alone time with him this week, but I am going home tomorrow morning (today now) because I have to work on Friday and the flights are full in the afternoon. I hope to have some alone time this weekend. I know that I sure need it. It has been a hectic three days, but it has been worth it. I wish I could stay for the rest of the conference, but it will be good to be home as well. I have to get up in less than three hours, so I think that I will call it a night. More tomorrow as I reflect on the conference.

Outreach - Chicago Style

This morning we went to the Rosemont Convention Center for the Evangelistic Outreach Class. There were over 1100 young (mostly) Revivalist eager to learn how to make outreach a lifestyle. We are not about just teaching them what to do on special events or conferences, but the main focus was teaching them to do something that they could take back with them wherever they were from. Speaking of that, there were people from as far away as Viet Nam and China. Scott taught along with two other people, and then by 12:30, we sent them out into the streets of Chicago to love on people.

I take it for granted because in many ways it has become almost second nature to me, but 90% of the people in the class had never gone out into the street to pray for anybody. So what we teach is simple, but it does take risk to see any results. I have learned over the years that you will never fail if you never try. But that is no fun. You will fail if try, but you might succeed too. We told the kids that many of them would be rejected multiple times today, but in order to see God move, we had to be willing to fail. The exciting thing about prophetic evangelism is you don’t have to try and argue or persuade a person to believe. If you give them a word of knowledge, or they are healed, it bypasses their intellect, and goes straight to their heart.

Tonight there were many great testimonies of what God did among them while they were out in the streets. There were over 40 that were good enough to tape and use in the conference. It’s all about His goodness, and what we expect Him to do. We went out also. It was Scott, Lacey, Ryan and myself. Drew came along to film what we did for a documentary. We got caught in a bad traffic jam and didn’t get to go where we wanted to go. So we got off the expressway in this little neighborhood. We first came across this homeless man. He was standing in front of the seven eleven. Scott went up and asked if we could film him, but he said know. We said that was fine, and Scott asked him if he had trouble breathing. He said yes, he had COPD. We asked to pray, but again he said no. Then Scott asked if he was a veteran and he said yes. We asked to pray again to bless him, but he refused. Scott had one more word of knowledge and the guy said yes, but still wouldn’t let us pray for him. Three accurate words of knowledge that should have opened him up for prayer, but his heart was too hard. Well, that was our first failure of the day.

We had a couple of more rejections, but then we saw this guy down the road and went to talk with him. Long story, but when we got there it wasn’t the same guy that we saw but we asked him if we could film him. He was a pastor and agreed to let us. Scott then begin to speak prophetically over him and also used some words of knowledge about his dreams and what he was doing. Then Lacey gave some and so did I. The guy was so happy. He said that everything we were telling him was right on, and that we had to have been sent by God to encourage him. We also had a word of knowledge that he had back pain. He did and we were able to pray for him. After praying a couple of times, his pain was totally gone. We were then able to pray and prophesy over his wife and a friend. It was enough to really make our day.

The key to outreach is being yourself. It is also always about releasing the love of Christ into a person’s life. It’s not about judgment or condemnation; it’s all about love. We loved on Chicago today. No, God loved on Chicago today; He just used us to do it. He is going to love on this city some more. Tomorrow about 17000 radicals invade the city. Hopefully it will never be the same.

Chicago

Well, Here I am sitting in a hotel room in Chicago. It’s really hard for even me to believe I was just in Atlanta for less than 48 hours. In July we spent 15 days out of the Continental United States. I think that since about the 19th of June I have only spent 14 days in my house. Now I will be here until the night of the 4th and then we go to VA on a bike trip from the 9th to the 12th. I’m not sure, but this might be one of the busiest times that I have had. It will be good to slow down, but school is just around the corner and there is no slowing down there. But so much for that.

I’m here in Chicago because I believe History will be made here this week. Jesus Culture Awakening is here at the Allstate arena. Probably 17000 people will pack out the stadium to here Bill Johnson, Rinehart Bonnke and others. It will be 17000 Revivalist of all ages coming to worship and pray together. The Jesus Culture Band and Hillsong United from Australia will be leading the worship. It will be loud and the place will be rocking. It will be exciting and fun. Many people will be propelled into their destiny with God. I can’t wait to be a part.

The bad news is that I have to leave in the middle of it. I have to work on Friday so I will have to leave on Thursday afternoon. I really hope to hear Rinehart Bonnke. Many people don’t even know his name, but he has led more people to the lord than Billy Graham. His crusades in Africa and other third world countries are amazing. Here is one of his quotes, my favorite one so far: “I can’t purr like a cat when millions are perishing everyday … I want to roar like a lion!” I need to get more of what this man carries. There are other fathers and mothers of the faith as well. Lou Engle, Cindy Jacobs are a few more. It will be an exciting time. Imagine, 17000 Revivalist in one building; all with a common vision of the Kingdom of God invading the Kingdoms of this world.

Tomorrow though, Scott will be teaching around 2000 young students about outreach and going into the streets to pray for people. They will spend the morning in training, and then spend all afternoon in the streets. Tomorrow night they will come together to give testimonies of the goodness of God as He heals, saves and delivers many in the Chicago area. This is just a precursor of what He is about to do nationwide. We are truly on the edge of a great revival. The world is getting darker, but the light of the Church as it brings the Kingdom of God into the world is getting that much brighter.

But my main focus tomorrow is to help get our BASSM booth ready for tomorrow night and the rest of the meetings. We want to have a presence here so that we can let many of these people know that we exist. We want people to know about us so that we can impact others in a greater way. So we figure the best way to do that is to let others know what we are doing. So I will be working tomorrow between the meetings to get things ready for tomorrow night and the remaining week. I’m excited, and as much as I want to be home, I know that I am where I am supposed to be.