Friday, March 30, 2007

Crestline Ohio

We are staying with Diana's great aunt (Lois)in Crestline Ohio. This is only our second day here. She got us an interview, as soon as we arrived, with the newspaper in Crestline where we got to share our story. So next wednesday our story will come out and bring God even greater glory! Amazing eh?
Aunt Lois has a friend that was oer here the first night we arrived. We chatted for a while about what we've been doing and she was so excited about all of it that she went home and just started reading her bible till she fell asleep. Well she called aunt Lois and told her that ever since she talked to us and went home to pray and read she's seen great change! Her husband is a cars salesman and hasnt sold any cars recently. Well he made a sale yesterday! And her family never comes to visit her even though they are in town all the time. Well they randomly stopped by yesterday to visit. God's really doing a work in her life!
We were praying today for aunt Lois and we started to worship. and During worship Diana went to sit next to her and just grabbed her hand. Well after we were done, Wunt Lois said that she had a horrible headache, but when Diana came over touched her hand, the headache immediately left. She couldnt believe it! Jesus is amazing!! I love that we can carry an atmosphere of heaven, that the Gospel is demonstrated with power!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Demon Possessed man Delivered, Set Free, and Saved!

Yesterday Diana woke up and said she had a dream about me. In the dream I was crying and when she asked me what was wrong, I said God is just giving me His heart for Kentucky.
So before we drove to Ohio, we went back to Louisville to do some more ministry. We ended up preaching downtown and as we were doing so, the security guard came up to us and asked us to cross the street because we were standing and preaching on a corner that belonged to 4th Street Live. So we picked up our amp and were about to cross the street when we see a man on the other side about to cross towards us. He was talking to himself and it was blatantly clear that he had a demon. So when the light changed, we waited for him to come across to us and we started talking to him. We shared with him the Gospel of Jesus and you could see him pause, listen to the demon, and then respond with something to refuse. He even quoted scriptures at times. So as we started to talk in circles with this guy because demon’s try to distract every way imaginable, we asked him if we could pray for him. He finally agreed. So we did and afterwards I asked him how he felt. He started to listen to the demon again and I got his attention again and said how did u feel? So he answered me and said he felt like he was in the right place at the right time. So we invited him to go have coffee with us.
We sat with him and talked to him over coffee for an hour or two. This guy told us he had been bipolar, had a very emotional childhood and experienced a crossover experience. He was so in the supernatural that the world had no matter to him at all. It was just flesh. He had even had hormonal problems. So in this crossover experience he met his “friend”. We compared his “friend” (who had come to him looking like an angel a couple years ago and asked him to serve him) to Jesus and then also to the angels that serve God. We told him an angel of God would always point to Jesus, not to himself. So we made clear that his friend was evil and not of God and talked him through all of it. Even though the demon would lie to him as we were talking to bring confusion and would totally distract him and detour the conversation. So finally we got down to the point where we asked him to make a choice. To serve the Creator or the creation. To serve God or his friend. We told him all the confusion could leave in two seconds and the parts of him that he felt had been eaten and died could be restored and resurrected back to life with Jesus. So finally he asked, well what would that require of me? And we told him to Love God with your soul heart and mind and to serve no other. He said “would that mean he would make me more like him?” And we said yes, to look more like Jesus. So he finally said Sure! So we went to pray but we we told him to repeat after us he couldn’t do it. There was too much confusion going on in him. So finally, I felt led to just just take authority and command the demon to be silent and to leave. And for Jesus to come in with truth and light. And Diana and I prayed in tongues over him for a little bit and when we were done, he said I just don’t know how to handle what im feeling. And Diana thought it was the battle going on inside him, but he said no. Its like perfect peace! And we could no longer see the demon there. Diana went inside to get some paper for contact info and I asked him if he felt more free. He said yes..like theres no boundaries. And he started laughing. And the demon was no longer in his laugh either. So we got up and started walking with him and he turned to us with a huge smile on his face and said, do u guys believe or feel like you are children of God? and we said yes! And he said me too and we all started laughing on the street. IT WAS AWESOME! This guy got set free and delivered and now had the revelation from God himself that he was God’s child! He was so filled with the joy of the Lord! So we started telling him a little bit more in terms of reading his bible and walking with Jesus, and he no longer argued with us or detoured from the conversation. He received every word! :) YAY JESUS!

I think it was also so amazing to have this happen yesterday not just because we got a salvation, but because I had been really pressing in and contending for being able to deliver demon possessed people on the streets. I've had dreams about it, and every time i encounter someone it literally breaks my heart to see them walk away still bound. I've just never done it before and wasn't sure how to. So I love that the Lord has answered my prayers in this area to start training me! Thank you Jesus!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Total Surrender

So, I wanted to share with you guys my experience in Mozambique last summer because I never really did. This was the sermon i preached the sunday after my return home, when i was completely wrecked for 7 days straight with the presence of God. I thought I needed to share this word because surrender is what leads us to intimacy with Jesus. This is going to be a little long, but I pray you receive!

Before I went to Mozambique I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was third world and we'd be seeing the poorest of the poor, But I had no idea what it would be like to live there or what the orphanage would be like. I was scared of what to expect. But when I went, I was welcomed with loving arms. The kids had so much love to give. From the moment we got there, they ran up to the car to greet us. Everytime we walked out of the visitors compound, theyd be climbing all over us. Theyd beckon us through other visitors. These kids could not get enough of us.
These kids also had a faith I had never seen before. Even if you didn't ask for prayer, they would just come up, lay their hands on you and push you into the dirt to pray for you. Whenever I was laying out in the Spirit, the kids would come over and sit by me and pray for me as i layed there. They knew the power of God and they wanted to see it. They desired to be apart of it. I believe noone is ever too young to know and experience the love of Jesus or give his love away. Jesus said let the children come because theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

The spirit moved there in ways that I've seen before, but is not prevalent in America. Every single time we met together, the Lord showed up. Even on the streets for street ministry. Even when there were only 8 of us in a dark park. The Holy Spirit showed up. While I was there, I did crafts with the kids, I went on street ministry, I went to the bush and I did hospital ministry. At the hospital ministry, we would pray over every child in each individual bed and we passed out bananas. A blind girl got healed, and when I went back the second time a week later, half the beds that I had prayed over before were empty because the kids were better and left. What I thought would be the hardest ministry for me to do, was my favorite ministry. I went 3 times and I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Street Ministry was where we gathered kids in the area and held a little service on the street. We sang songs and preached. And we handed out bread. The kids were so hungry for Jesus. When we prayed over them, they were so ready to receive. They wanted more of God. One older lady stopped by, she had stopped by the previous week, and becky and I prayed for her. She started to cry because she was so blessed by it. She was smiling and the Lord had clearly touched her that night. It was so powerful to see Jesus worshipping in the streets.
We also went to the Bush, the wilderness where it felt like New Testament times. There was no running water, no electricity, one room houses. They cooked outside on a fire and spent the day washing clothes and doing dishes. It was mostly women in the church. They were mixing their old ways with Christianity and a lot of ministry needed to be done there. We walked door to door and prayed for the sick as well.
The first Thursday I was there, we were at church and at the end of the service, we were in worship and I was sitting worshipping the Lord when a mozambiquian friend came over and started to pray for me, just whispering. He put two fingers on my back and the Lord's presence just came upon me and I laid down on the floor in the Spirit. I started to cry as images of the U.S came to my mind. My heart was broken for America. Here I was in Mozambique and my heart was crying for the U.S to know God.
The following Thursday, the preaching was about God's Calling on our lives. When I went to the alter for clarity of my calling, I again just fell before the Lord Weeping with tears. I couldn't stop. My Spirit was BROKEN for America. Don't get me wrong, I felt joy in the spirit, the joy of the Lord after all this, but the Lord was just placing in me a heart for the States.
God didn't stop here. I thought he was done, but he wasn't. The Monday before I left, we had church in the morning. We worshipped, and danced around and they prayed over us because we were leaving the next day. After we received prayer, we prayed in groups of 4 or 5. I prayed with the same guy that had prayed for me that Thursday before and a longer term missionary that had been drunk in the spirit for 5 days. (I didn't know he had been filled by the Spirit for 5 days until afterwards) Well, I went down in the Spirit for the entire service. Just resting in God's presence. God said to me "I'm not Done". "Im not done with you and then He said "I have yet to reveal my glory in the States". "Im not Done". Rolland Baker was speaking this entire time and i had no idea what He was saying because I was out. the only part of the sermon i heard was you should be in the presence of God all the time! when your doing dishes, playing soccer, doing laundry, whatever your doing. Amen! But all I could do was sit with Jesus and say Lord, I want more, more of your presence. So the service ended, and I thought I was fine, I stood up and I walked out of the prayer hut, the meeting room, and I saw sasha, another visitor, and I put my arm around her, and the Spirit just came over me and fell down in laughter bringing her with me. We both rolled in the dirt for a few minutes laughing. She got up and I didn't. I laid there for another 10 min in the dirt. Finally someone came and told me I had to go back to the compound. So they helped me up and the kids walked me back. I was really weak, and I was drunk in the Spirit all day long. All I could think was don't take your presence from me, More of you Lord and less of me. The long term missionary that had prayed with me that morning, was drunk with me and he looked at me and told me "God's not done with you". Total confirmation. Some of the girls on my team had never experienced the Spirit like that before, some of them wanted it, and some of them just didnt even know what to do. I hadnt even thought of what they were thinking. But my team leaders both wanted it so bad. Jennie got in the dirt with me and i prayed for her and she started rolling in laughter with me. She was fillled with the Spirit and the joy of the Lord! I went to bed, and woke up with more strength, but I was still drunk. I had more strength i believe because God knew I had to get a plane to go home that day. In the airport my friend Becky had to help me walk at times. Doug had told me the day before that I would be a distraction on the plane tomorrow. Well I was. It was 3am, all the lights were off, people were all sleeping except me and my friend next to me. I was totally drunk, but had learned to control the volume of my laughter, to the point of silence by that time, but the Lord wouldnt let me sleep, and quite frankly, I liked his presence so much i didnt really wanna sleep. But I ended up putting my arm on the armrest right next to Caitlen. And as soon as i touched her, she burst into laughter. So loud, and so much that tears were flowing from her eyes. the Spirit is contagious! Id never seen her laugh like that before!
The Lord was preparing me to come home, and to bring the anointing with me. God wants His PRESENCE HERE!!!! God wants you to be carriers of the anointing! God wants you to be carriers of His presence! He's not DONE!!!

Theres 3 important factors to address in cultivating His presence. Recognizing the Holy Spirit as God, Complete Surrender, and Making Time.

The first thing is that we need to recognize and acknowledge the Holy Spirit as God. We need to recognize that the Holy Spirit is a vital part of the Trinity in which God reveals Himself to us. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says the manifestation of Spirit is given to each one for profit of all. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 Says the Spirit searches all things, the deep things of God. The Spirit of God is the only one that knows the things of God. We have received the Spirit from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. The Holy spirit teaches.
Chapters 14-16 of John tell us that the Holy Spirit is the Teacher, Revealer, Reminder, and Predicter. He tells us things to come. He reminds of what God has done, He brings revelation, and He brings the Glory of God.
He comes to glorify the Father.
Exodus 33, The Spirit came to Moses. The Lord said My Presence Will go with you. Moses said Show Me your Glory and the Lord descended and passed over Him . The Holy Spirit was given that we would be able to experience God's glory. We would be able to walk in His Presence at all times.

D. We do not pray enough to the Holy Spirit. We ask for God's power and his presence, but we do not pray directly to the Holy Spirit. We address him as Father God, or Lord Jesus. We do not say "Holy Spirit, speak to me."

E. Acts 1:8 says the Spirit gives us power from on high. When we minister, when we come before God to enter his presence, when we want to listen for God to speak, whenever we are seeking the Lord for his goodness, we need to recognize that the Holy Spirit is the one we should be addressing. Its through Holy Spirit that we receive His presence, His voice, and His power. the Holy Spirit is a person and just as much God as the Son and the Father. Why not address Him like He is.


The second factor is that In order for the Holy Spirit to manifest His Presence, He needs an empty vessel. Matt 16:24-27 Jesus says to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after Me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. God requires Complete and total Surrender. We have to die to ourselves in order to live in Christ. We have to deny our lives and seek Him. Matt 19:16-22 The Rich Young Ruler- He kept God's commands, but when Jesus said Sell all that you have and give to the poor and follow me, he walked away. Jesus requires all that we have. God requires our WHOLE heart. There can be no partiality. This is the scripture God gave me in my dream. Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:29 From there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. I had asked the Lord mid way through my trip how I could give him my whole heart. The Lord answered my prayer, he made me want him more than anything else. he made it about him. Midway through my trip, the Lord was telling me to fast and pray. I had never fasted for an entire day before because of my headaches so I didn't fast. Well one night, my friend Domingos said something along the lines of you need to fast if u want to learn portuguese. And then I read in 1 Samuel 7 that Samuel prayed and fasted. I wrote in my Journal "The Anointing power will come when I pray, fast and prepare my heart. It costs my sacrifice and surrender for God to work through me. Sure enough, I fasted and the Lord gave me a dream to preach to the people at street ministry. 1 Samuel 6 The Ark symbolized the presence of God. They had to sacrifice soooo much just to get the Ark to another place. Sacrifice and Offering is required.
When we want God more than anything else, that is when the Holy Spirit comes. When our hearts are not parted with anything else.

The Last point is that if we want God more than anything else, we will spend most of our time with Him. When we love someone we can't get enough of that person. As Americans we have crazy busy schedules, but God calls for our time. It is the most important thing we can give. When we give up our time, it shows our priorities. God requires our Time! There is no time limit on God. He moves when he wills. In Mozambique is is so easy for the spirit to move because they have so much time to give him.They Wait for Him. The Psalms tell us to wait patiently for the Lord. This requires time. God's presence shows up when we give him time.
In Conclusion, We need to keep the presence of God with us at all times. When we are doing the dishes, talking with friends, typing on the computer, doing our day to day activities. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to have complete dependency on the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:1-5 says that faith is produced by dependence on God. Dependence on God produces hope and hope comes from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the outpouring of the Holy Spirit comes when we have full dependency on God. We need to examine our lives, surrender our whole heart, and receive the anointing and the presence of God He freely gives to us.

Just pray now, Jesus, search me and know my heart, show me the things I need to give up or the things that are in the way of you, show me where i can spend more time with you. Show me how to surrender my whole heart. I give you permission Lord to wreck me. I give you permission to take all of me. I want you God, more than anything else. Come Holy Spirit, and fully posses me!

The Bride Shaken!

Driving in the car to Albuquerque NM with Diana, and worshipping and praying with Jason Upton on, I had a vision. I saw a picture of a bride, and she had all kinds of jewels on her….She had the wedding dress on but then like thick jewels all over the dress. And all of a sudden the Jewels started falling off and she started too shake. And the Lord said, I’m shaking my bride. And the jewels that the church has adorned herself with are going to fall off. And I’m going to set my seal, and my crown upon her. Then I saw a seal and a crown put upon her. And I believe the jewels represented all of the works, saving a million souls, creating a bunch of outreach programs and bible studies, community service, serving the poor, setting up small groups, meetings and more meetings and all the things that the world and the church calls or would call great and wonderful. And the things that the church has taken pride in…and The Lord said I’m going to shake It! and set my seal upon it because our jewels and our crowns that are given to us are based on his seal and our intimacy with him. It is not our works. It is not what the world would see as good. Although saving a million souls is awesome, and healing the sick and helping the community are all great and amazing things, The Lord adorns us and crowns us because we’re kids! And his ways aren’t our ways. The church will be shaken to intimacy!! We’ve placed jewels upon ourselves and the Lord is going to strip those things. Pride will come down only to be made a kid of the most High J

3-24-07 Testimonies in Kentucky

We drove to Kentucky on Wednesday this week and have been staying with a friend in Lawrenceburg. The Lord has been speaking some awesome things to me, and bringing revelation and power to me in my times with Him. 2 Chronicles has rocked my world this week! 2 Chronicles 7 talks about Fire coming down from Heaven and consuming the sacrifices and the glory filling the Tabernacle. This is such a picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit now that we are under the new convenant. God brings tangible fire from heaven to consume us that His glory may dwell in us and spread! But only as we surrender and offer ourselves (our bodies) as wholly living sacrifices. FIRE FIRE FIRE!
Also reading Jehosaphat and Hezekiah and getting so encouraged and words for Louisville. Jehosaphat was told to have the Israelites stand still, just position themselves and God would fight the battle. So they did, they won and becuase of it, the nations gained a fear of the Lord. When God acts for people, a fear of the Lord should come with it! Hezekiah cried out to God on behalf of the people for mercy, and God actually answered Hezekiah "I will heal those who prepare their hearts for me". God wants to heal those who seek Him!
So tonight in Lousiville we were pumped to bring Heaven and Jesus to the streets! We parked downtown and went into Arby's to use the restroom. Well, there was one family in there eating. And the Lord gave me a word for the mother. He told me she had migraines and wanted to heal her. So I walked up to her, and asked her if she ever got migraines and when she said "yes occasionally, why do you need medicine?", i told her no no but the Lord told me you did and that I believe she would be healed if i could pray for her. I also wanted to stir up her faith and told her that I too battle migraines, but the Lord has healed me and continues to do so. So She said yes, I asked for her name, prayed, and i was so hot with the fire of God that I know God did a work. She obviously didnt have a migraine right then, but i totally believe she wont ever again, and I told her that..and she thanked me.
So after that we went to the streets and a girl saw that we had a microphone and started talking to us and asking what we were doing. When we told her we were gonna preach she started asking us about Jesus and how living in sin affected her christianity. She was a homosexual and she loved God and wanted to be free from her sin and be forgiven but wasnt sure if she was ready to give up that life. But she was hungry to do so, and wanted help. So we prayed for her and gave her contact info. It was awesome to see someone, especially someone living in homosexuality, hungry for Jesus and forgiveness and repentance even if she still wasnt sure she could do it...but thats where Jesus comes in right? one Encounter and she could be changed forever with the power of God!
We also met a man that was homeless, had lost his job in november. He was hungry, tired and in need of money for food and a bed that night. He knew the Lord well, so we just got to talk to him, hear his story and pray with him, and give to him a little bit. but it was awesome because after we prayed with him, He started singing with the joy of heaven, and his response was "I dont need to eat, i dont need to sleep, im not hungry anymore, im not tired, I wanna go tell people about Jesus!" haha. This guy got so full of heaven when we prayed! God filled this man up to the point where the natural needs faded away. Talk about Heaven coming to Earth! Praise God!
Since we've been in Kentucky we got two emails from previous people we have met on this trip. One was from Bob, the red flannel shirt guy we met in Colorado who had back pain. and God was showing him that He really did care about the details of his life. We had gotten another email from him that said the number 13 (another word of knowledge) was the most dominate number he used every single day. Well, this email stated that his back was MUCH BETTER, to the point where he had no pain even when carrying luggage. and he told us he knew it started that day he met us and prayed. He was truly realizing God was interested in him.
The second email was from the woman we stayed with in Wisconsin. She was so awesome! We got to pray and prophesy over her and her daughter. And we prayed for her dad's health and the tests he just had done. We prayed for her sister's and her mom's health as well. The email said her dad's test results came back negative, and her mom was being released from the nursing home and that she'd check on Pearl as well. PRAISE JESUS!
This trip is all worth it, even if its just one that we touch. Craig Kingsley just wrote a teaching about how God is all about "the one". the individual. Jesus would have been sent and died if it had only been one person...if u had been the only one. If Jesus sent me for only one person, it'd be worth it. Simply because the individual means that much to Him! He loves and sees the one!
Biggest thing I've thought about lately on this trip is that what I could give to America in terms of Heaven/spirituality if I could. If I could leak something from Heaven everywhere I went, and if I could supernaturally impart something to everyone i touch or come into contact with, it would be Hunger! Hunger for Jesus. If people in America can get hungry and seek Him, He would be found. He says, Seek me and find me when u search for me with all your heart. But they gotta want him more than their stuff, more than entertainment, more than their social atmosphere/lives, more than their money or jobs, more than anything else. Lord give me the anointing for hunger! to light fire in people's hearts that burns for you so much God, to the point where they couldnt survive without more of you!

Nebraska, MN, Wisconsin

Hey guys! Its been a while I know! But we were in Nebraska for a week and a half. We were first in York/Henderson staying at the Patries cabin. We had a house to ourselves and really just got to rest, relax and have some fun! Amelia and Church Patrie work for a children's home in Henderson and their staff is mostly young people our age. They are care takers for the kids. So we got to hang out with them, build some amazing friendships, spend time with the girls and the boys and really minister more in discipleship. I loved hangin out with the boys and girls because we really just got to have fun and then just have converssation about Jesus. Eric, Thayne and Jay are the guys we spent most of our time with. They rock! I celebrated my birthday with them and had coffee multiple times. I believe the Lord had us there to not only minister, but to be ministered to. We had some awesome conversations about Holy Spirit and more of God. And we felt ministered to because we needed to have some really good fun! Henderson will always be dear to us! I do hope to go back and visit!
So then we went to Omaha and spent a few days there with a missions pastor and his family. He worked for Trinity Church so we went to their college group Terranova. Diana preached on the streets of Omaha and we got to pray with a few different people for drug addiction, healing, and just more of Jesus. We went to a college home group as well and I think that was the most exciting thing for us simply because it felt like the Body of Christ at work. We got there and didnt know anyone. But we ended up prophesying over the group as a whole, and then for individuals as well. So most of the group felt really ministered to. And in return, They took an offering for us. We left with almost $300 which will be our gas money for the next half of this trip! It was such a blessing! And these guys rocked! They were so hungry for more of God! Nebraska was probably my favorite place thus far! I miss the mudd, the cows, and the cornfields!
So then we headed to St. Paul minnesota for a night. We stayed with a contact we met through Thayne. He was in seminary and was really a great guy! So hospitable! Such a blessing! The Lord had given me a word to go to stop in Worthington MN on the way, so we did that and the Lord just told us to eat and listen. So thats what we did and we got some words for future notice. So after the night of staying in St Paul we didnt have a place to stay. But was still intending on heading to Chippewa Falls WI. So we prayed all day, and I felt like I heard that we'd be in Chippewa that night. But Diana was hearing Wait. So we waited all day. And we were really waiting for a contact. So Diana heard a church to call in chippewa for maybe a contact. And this guy turned us down trying to pass us on to another church. So that didnt work. And Then one of our intecessors had a contact in Minnesota, and so she called her, and she turned us down as well. So we felt like we were supposed to wait for God to give these people a chance to be blessed..so when it didnt work out, the Lord told us to go to Chippewa. So we went and when we got there, the Lord told Diana to stay at the first hotel we came to. No matter what the cost He told her He's got it. So we go into this Country Inn and its really really nice and a little expensive. So we turned around and walked out. But Diana heard the Lord say u can have this one. But we said no and went to another hotel. and it was just has expensive but not as nice. So then Diana got really really drunk in the Spirit and started laughing so hard! and God just kept showing her pictures of he not receiving. And how we need to receive! So shes laughing and we drive back to the hotel we were at and ended up staying there. And I felt like a 5 year old who wanted ice cream all day, and was forced to wait till the end of the day and when i got it, i was still mad that i had to wait all day for it. It was ridiculous cuz i really was upset. The Lord was teaching me patience in not having to act as soon as i get a word. Instead of hearing the word and then planning, he was like hear what i say and wait to act on it. And i didnt wanna do that. Cuz i like to be sure of things, i like to get things over with so i know for sure they're gonna work. So it was a good lesson, and we still need to just simply trust God in his word. Even if something is more expensive than we like it to be, He's in charge of resources. He's in charge of our heavenly bank account. So after we stayed in this hotel, we went to a couple other churches the next day. We went to a catholic church and found a priest riding a 4 wheeler around in the snow haha. But no hospitality. We were given a cd on 7 reasons to be Catholic though! So then we went to another church, non denominational and stopped in and talked to the secretary and the administrator. And Both of them had no idea what to tell us cuz they were utterly baffled about what we were doing. They had never seen or heard of anyone doing such a thing and had no idea what to say. so as they were speechless, we just kinda said thanks, God Bless and left. And the Lord was like, strangers and aliens in a foreign land :) hahaha. So then we went to this church called Crossroads and left a message for the secretary. She ended up calling us and offering us her home. She felt like the Lord was really having her do it. So She's been the sweetest person ever! And she has told us she feels like we are an answer to her prayers...has just been so blessed. We prayed with her last night and just got to share stories with her and her family. Its been awesome. And we've been doing some street stuff here as well. Prophetic words, healing, and loving! Tons of snow here, but its melting quickly now that its warmer! Thanks for your prayers guys! Keep praying..FRUIT AND GLORY! Everyday we have to recognize our need..that we are poor and desperate for his presence, for Holy Spirit, for His Kingdom. We can't function without the Bread.

Rhema and Volkswagon 2-25-07

So thanks everyone for praying for us! We were stranded in Wichita Kansas this past week. Monday we found out our car engine died completely and it would be $7200 to fix. So Monday we went to our knees in prayer! We were staying with some awesome people that weekend but ended up going to a hotel that night as they got busier during the week. On Monday, the Lord told me 2 days. And gave me scriptures such as Isaiah 60:2 and John 11:40 which talked of the glory of the Lord rising upon us and believing for it! So we trusted the Lord for 2 days. But staying in a hotel just praying, worshiping and waiting was so stressful we could barely eat. We had no transportation to the dealership so on Wednesday (the 2nd day) in faith we took our suitcases, checked out of the hotel and started walking a mile to the dealership. Well, apparently someone had called the cops and they came and pulled us over as we were on foot with out suitcases. They said someone called in 2 runaways. So they checked our ID's and for any warrants on us (yes, we came clean!) and they ended up giving us a ride to the dealership and our story even went out over their radio. One of the cops thought we were nuts when we told him we were just praying and didnt have a plan. The other guy totally believed we were there for a purpose. So we put our bags in our broken car, and we walked around that day really just feeling dead and homeless, and carless, and striving for a miracle. When we didnt see the Lord do anything or say much, he finally gave me the scripture of Hosea 6. Which says the Lord has stricken but will heal, after 2 days he will revive you, the third day will raise you up. He will come to you, He will come to you like the former and latter rain. So decided we'd make a decision the next day if the Lord didnt say or do something further. So realized the Lord really wanted us dead, and was gonna raise us up the 3rd day and restore us. Because thursday, we heard him say trade in your car and buy a newer one.
So thats what we did. The GM of the dealership was a christian and believed in what we were doing and heard our story and not only gave us rides to and from our hotel, but sold us the car for what they owned it at. They didnt make any profit off it, and they even gave us more money for Diana's old car than what it was worth. So PRAISE God for favor! But the whole dealership knew our story and the GM told us he wanted our testimony to go forth to bear fruit in that place. Well the salesman that sold us the car ended up finding a second key for us that wasnt even supposed to be there. and when he found it, he couldnt believe it. He told us "There is something about you guys". He saw the favor of God on our lives and it really made him think! We talked to him alot, and he knew the Lord, just needed to start living for Him. We got to pray with this other lady who was also a sales rep, and got to bless her business. They even prayed for us! So we truly believe God did a work in that place. And we got a new 2003 Jetta with 36,000 miles on it to start afresh on our journey.
Amidst all of this, my finances have been getting really low, and i have bills to pay this month, so in terms of funds, i could really use some more provision. Standing on the provision of the Lord for this, So if God lays it on your heart to give some more, please let me know!
So Friday morning, we drove to IHOP, in Kansas City. We didnt have a place to stay at that point and didnt want to pay for any more hotels, so we went in faith. But the Lord provided a place for us with 2 girls we didnt know, who were also visiting and had 2 extra beds in their rented apt. I actually ran into my friend Amy from Vanguard who is interning there. It was sooo good to see her! A friendly face is always amazing these days. But IHOP was awesome because of the refreshment it brought. On the way to Kansas City the Lord started saying to me Breakthrough. And I felt like Wichita was a city of dieing leading to breakthrough. Out with the old, in with the new, and having the faith for anything! So at IHOP, he whispered to me, Times of Refreshing are coming. And i was like huh thats cool. So i go to the service that night and the preacher is talking about the end times. But at the end of the message gives the altar call to die to everything, at a deeper level, and just follow Jesus. And So of course thats me! And He starts talking about Joel, and then how times of refreshing are coming! and he says that about 8 times...times of refreshing are coming. RHEMA word! So the Lord just says to me, you've given me all, keep dieing, believe for breakthrough..for HUGE signs and wonders and anointing and times of refreshing are coming!!! SHABA SHUBA SHUKA!
So spent all weekend in the prayer room at IHOP and just loved it! Theres nothing else I'd rather do than be with Jesus :)
So now we are York Nebraska, staying at a cabin next this family owns separate from their house. They are a contact of my brother's and they are super nice, and love Jesus. They work for a children's home and take care of kids who can't live with their families. So we'll be ministering there a bit, and see what God has! I'm excited. And so thankful for the plans of the Lord!
Holy Spirit you are all that I want, all that I live for, Breathe on me, possess me, and make wholly abandoned! It's all about you Jesus!

2-18-07 Wichita KS

So here's the latest!
Last weekend, Diana got really sick so we had to stay in Texas a little longer than we thought.We stayed with my mom again in her hotel with her, so it was an amazing week of rest and intimacy with the Father :) We also got to meet up with some friends/prophets that used to live in Acton, CA (where Diana is from). We got to pray and catch up with them and their kids are amazing! It made me want my own kids real soon! But the night before we left, we went out to dinner and I had spent the day with the Lord and reading about the Word of knowledge. Well, I felt like we were gonna minister at dinner. So we go, and we're sitting at the table, and Diana's back starts burning like its on fire. And shes looking around and feeling her back and is trying to figure out what is going on. Well, I told her maybe someone here has pain in their back. So the when the waitress came around, Diana asked her if she had pain in her back and pointed to the area that felt hot. And the waitress said "yes! I do! thats really weird you say that cuz I was just having someone massage it in the back. Its constantly in pain." So by the end of our meal we prayed with her and Diana gave her another word and we're believing for her healing.
So we're being obedient to the Lord in what he tells us. So Friday, we left Dallas. and We're driving out of town and Diana says to me, Maria i had a vision the other day when i was sitting on the couch. I saw a Volkswagon symbol. only it wasnt the color of mine. It was blue and silver. And i also saw something else with it. So we were trying to figure out what that meant, wondering if it was a bmw or what. But it wasnt a bmw. So we're driving through oklahoma and our engine light goes on and starts blinking. So we pull over as soon as it does and as we're doing so the engine started rattling and the car shaking and it sounded like we were dragging something...in other words, it didnt sound good!!! So we pull over and realize we need a tow truck and we have no place to stay. So it turns out we call triple A and the only volkswagon dealership is in witchita (about 70 miles north of where we are). So we have the tow truck driver take us there. Turns out, my mom has worked with someone from witchita quite a bit and she hooked us up with his name. He is a Christian, assemblies of God, and was soooo nice and sooo helpful! A true blessing! Our car broke down on a friday night, of a holiday weekend, at 5:30pm, and by the time we call this guy to help us, its 6:30. He just happened to still be at work. and his work just happens to be right next to the dealership. So, we're driving with the tow truck guy, who's name is Tony. And Tony received the Lord a year ago, December. He's a single parent of 3 children, and loves Jesus :) Well, in the past 3 months, he said he's had 6 pastors in his tow truck, and now here we are. So we talked with him a bit, and when we got to the dealership the symbol on the dealership was blue and silver just like Diana's vision. So we know that we know we're in the will of the Lord. So we meet up with my mom's coworker (Kip), and his family has taken such great care of us! But as Tony goes to leave to drive back down to Oklahoma (an hour away), he slips us $100! He was sowing into what he just received. We were blown away. He rocked.
So we've been with Kip's family this weekend. Yesterday we fed the homeless with a group in his church, and today we went to church and "sunday school". Met some awesome people.
It's just funny because we started out on friday thinking, we have no place to stay, just heading to Ihop, in kansas city, but not knowing where we're gonna sleep. So when our car breaks down, all we can think is about htat vision Diana had, and that if my mom contacts that guy, it just happens to be that we're close enough to witchita we have a place to stay tonight. I just feel like we're right where God wants us, and we've been so provided for and blessed that I can't even fathom the depths of God's plans. He knew all of this, and we had no clue, and we see His favor!
So now, we just need our car! And honestly, it sounded terrible! and Kip thinks it is either the timing belt, or a valve. Both SUPER expensive. But we dont know what it is. So we're believing in faith, and saying when the mechanics look at it tomorrow, its gonna be healed, completely fine and wont need anything. I believe God wanted us here, and when we ask we receive, so why wouldn't God act on our behalf in this case? But pray for us/with us! cuz we truly dont have the money for anything big unless God wants to provide that instead.

Holy Spirit at work in Dallas Tx 2-5-07

So guys, I've been gone a month! What a great month it has been! We are currently in Dallas and have been here for about a week now. We have visited Cleetus Adrian's church, Deliverance Bible Church and it's been awesome! They rock! their myspace page is on my top 16-check it out. They are totally hardcore christians sold out for sharing the Gospel. They love Holy Spirit and Cleetus brings the Word and the Spirit like solid food! He rocks just because of how humble, genuine, real, and really radical he is! But more than that he's raising up sold out disciples and his church is full of passionate, abandoned lovers of Christ! So its awesome, and Holy Spirit shows up. Today was church and it started at 2..got to sleep in hehe. But we just sang and welcomed Holy Spirit in until he showed up, and then prayed for the sick. And people got healed and touched by God simply by inviting Holy Spirit into the place. It was what church is really about...Getting Holy Spirit to show up so there can be healing, wholeness, forgiveness, repentence, revival! Cleetus also preached an awesome sermon on wholeness and inner healing in which our wounds can cripple our destiny and we need to shake off the attack of the enemy-the words and actions of people that have wounded us. forgive, shake off, and move on. Paul got bit by a viper and believed so much in the Word God gave Him, the destiny God had for him, that He shook that viper right off and no harm came to him. He was so sure that God's word was true over his life that when the enemy attacked, it didnt phase him. the things people said about him and spoke over him didnt phase him. So good!
So on top of all this, we've had some encounters while here. Tuesday before bible study at DBC we went to starbucks cuz the Lord told us to and talked to this guy about Healing, and God's will for healing and how the church should be believing and operating in it. and this guy was frustrated with us because he didnt believe that. He didnt doubt God could heal, but didnt believe we should give people false hope. well, funny cuz we went to the bible study afterwards and it was all about healing. We talked about it, Cleetus gave us scriptures, we talked more and then we did it! we prayed for people and people got healed! so awesome! A church that preaches the Bible, believes the Bible, and then puts the Bible into action right then and there! i love it!
So Friday we go to minister with this church. Only, we didnt have anyones numbers so noone told us they didnt actually go out that night because of weather. Well, there was no bad weather after all, but Diana and i went out to meet them and didnt find them. so we asked the Lord what to do and we ministered on the streets a little bit. We were in deep ellum, the club and bars part of town. So theres this guy on the cell phone with a crutch walkin down the street and we stop and ask him if he has a minute to talk. and he says what about and we say "your leg". so he says yeah? and we say do u believe in healing if we prayed for you? will you hang up the phone and give God a chance to bring the supernatural into the natural and for u to be healed? and he said, sure. so he got off the phone, we asked what was wrong and he said, i got stabbed. we said do u believe in Jesus and he said yes...It's just been a while since I've lived for him. So we prayed and asked him to do something he couldnt before. So he straightened and said woah! I could never do that before! and so we prayed again for total healing. He said he was on pain meds so he didnt know for sure..but yeah, just got to continue to talk to him about where his relationship was with the Lord and he said he knew the Lord was calling Him back.
So then Diana heard Taco. and there was a taco lounge bar across the street. so we went in and just got some words from the Lord. We actually got a few names. She got the name tiffany and asked a few people around what their names were. well, while she got tiffany, i got the name sarah. the first two people she asked were named sarah! and I asked the Lord for more..for something to give to them, but i didnt get anything. So I took that as the Lord just confirming in me that I do hear him and im learning this whole Word of knowledge thing. (kinda like the name i got for that waiter in Colorado). So that was fun. we ended up going to a mcdonalds on the way home cuz the Lord said go, and talked to this homeless man whose name was larry. He was a fresh of breath air. I love the poor! They are so hungry and desperate for Jesus! This guy wanted prayer for forgiveness of his sins :) And we prayed with him, bought him a cheeseburger and talked with him for a few. Loved that humble man!
So then saturday, we bought a microphone/amp for the streets so we can preach with a mic! Diana's been wanting to do mass evangelism. so yay! on the way home, I wasnt feeling that well cuz i was really hungry since we had only eaten once that day and it was texan chipotle, so my taco was too spicy and i couldnt eat it. So i really didnt have anything in my stomach but spicy chicken...so i was tired and wanted to go home. Well, the Lord had diff plans. He told us to stop at Jack in the Box. So at jack in the box, i really didnt even want anything there, but we go in cuz Diana hears Healing! so she sees this man sitting and goes to talk to him and prays with him for some emotional healing dealing with forgiveness and bitterness. And I see this guy at the counter. He was an older man and all of a sudden i felt like the Lord said healing. And my foot started to get a wierd sensation...not pain, but almost numbness or tingling or something. And God said ask him about his foot. So I said hello and he was so nice that he started talkin to me about the wedding he just went to. Well, then i asked him if he had any pain or numbness in his foot. and his eyes got big and said, Ill tell ya...i had a hurnea and ever since my right foot has been numb and the leg has loss of nerves/feeling as well. And I told him the Lord wanted to heal Him and asked him if he believed. and he said little do u know that I'm a minister to all 50 states and Latin America. This man's name was Jim Murk. He wrote a book called Islam Rising, he had a copy with him, signed it and gave it to us. We prayed for his healing, he started to feel tingling in his foot. so i believe God is going to completely recreate nerves if he hasnt already to bring total feeling back in his leg. Diana even saw in the Spirit nerves from heaven being placed in his leg and told him that. And as we talked more, he felt led to give to us financially as well! He really believed in what we were doing :) This man was so awesome! Jesus is so Awesome! Divine appointment, word of knowledge, the fellowship of the body at work! Love Holy Spirit! I want more Lord!!! I want words of knowledge for unbelievers Lord!
My mom comes to dallas tomorrow for business, so i get to see her! and stay with her for a few days! yay! i miss friends and family...the road gets lonely! so it was nice to hang out with AJ, and my cousin, and his friends this weekend.
Pray for more finances and provision, and protection, and more of His Spirit, voice, and presence! and guys, call me! i miss u all!
Oh yeah, and this word of knowledge thing-im learning, and u all have access to it too if u believe...He says ask and receive...so thats what ive been doin! We're his kids, why wouldn't he give to us (matt 7:7-11). Why wouldnt He talk to us so we could hear His voice? (Jer 33:3). The normal Christian life should include hearing God in the details of our lives..Pursue him for it! Believe for it! You are His kid!

Colorado 1-26-07

So Diana and I have been in Colorado for about a week now. God has truly been doing so much! We stayed with a pastor in Colorado Springs that I had only met over the phone. He had never met me in person and opened his home to me last weekend when he was not even home. He didn't come home from California until Monday. We were so blessed by him! He truly cared about us and really reminded us of some amazing truths. Mainly that we the Christian walk is about being rather than doing. We had some awesome rest with the Lord, He has refreshed me is pursuing love towards me, and has made me hunger and want so much more of him. Ministry comes from being loved by the Father. Its the only way it works. I can't get enough of his love! So I truly loved being at this pastor's house because we felt the freedom to be and not have to do. He also spoke into our lives from the Father's heart and I truly love hearing what God thinks about me!! That He really likes me, and has created me different, unique and beautiful and my anointing is going to be powerful simply because God created me to be me and has called me for his divine purposes. Our ministry is our identity in Christ and who he has made us to be! I'm His kid and I love it :)
So we are in Parker Colorado now at Diana's sister's house. Her family is amazing! We have gone into Denver twice now to walk the streets and minister. We went to the Espn Zone and ate at the bar to talk to this guy named Stephen. He told us about this club, called "The Church" cuz its held in a building that used to be a church. the bar is actually where the altar was!!! Crazy huh? So this guy is tellin us about it and we just start asking him how feels about drinking at the altar. And the convo went on from there about Jesus. But so many people believe and know the truth, they just dont act on it. They choose the world over God...and to that I say, so foolish. the world scene won't ever fulfill or satisfy. God remains faithful, persistent and longing with love, and offers Life and Heaven to us, what is better than that? There is nothing that compares to God's presence and love! God also started confirming in me at this bar that I'm hearing more of his voice and some words of knowledge because at this bar I asked him to tell me the name of the third bartender (since i could already see the other 2 nametags). Well the first name that came straight to mind was daniel. But ignored it cuz i thought it was wrong cuz i could barely make out his name tag that didnt seem to have that many letters. So i kept asking...and got a couple other names come to mind. Well, when he walked over, sure enough the name tag read Dan. So I'm learning, and praying for more to come :)
So today we were walking the streets and God told us to go into this restuarant/bar. And we're sitting at the table and God gives Diana a word about a red flannel shirt and a hurting back/back pains. So we look around all over, and cant find anything. so we leave, walk a little more, get some fast food cuz we didnt eat at the bar and talk to some more people who werent very interested in what he had to offer (Heaven). So we decided that we would get back on the subway to go home so we could see Diana's birth mom before she left the house. Well, we were feeling kinda unproductive and didnt know, but i felt God say its okay. so i told Diana its okay lets go. So we got on the train and had to change trains at this one stop. Well, we're waiting for our next train and what do u know. An older man walks by with a red and flannel shirt on. So Diana goes up to him, and asks if he experiences back pain. Sure enough he did, he had a slipped disc in his back or something. So, we told him about the word of knowledge, and believed for his healing, and that God is genuinely concerned with his life, and the man said yeah, u can pray for me, i believe. He gave us his email address to because he wanted to let us know when the pain went away! so we got to pray for him and talked with him till he got off the train. Praise God! I'm just waiting to hear he's healed completely!
We are off to Albuquerque and then straight on to dallas texas! The home of Dr. Pepper, here we come!

Headache What? 1-13-07

Last night I got a headache at the service and came home and went to bed. this morning, I woke up and it was totally still there. I didnt take any medicine cuz i was just believing God would take it away. But waking up and still having a headache sucks really bad! lol.
So i sit up and ask Kira to pray for my head. She comes over, lays her hand on my head, prays and asks me how it feels. And It felt good! so she continued praying, and it was gone. Totally gone. My head feels great and now i have to go get ready for today!
Praise God!!! Miracle #2 :)

Update #2 Canada Miracles

God's been AMAZING! I'm in Canada and its been hard not having a phone for 3 days :( I miss contact with friends and family! But its all good cuz God has been doing awesome things.
We drove up Wednesday from Doug's and what should have taken 2 1/2 hrs took 5-6 hours because of traffic and snow. I've never seen snow fall that huge. It was like snowballs falling from the sky. It accumulated so fast and I think was partly ice cuz it was frozen on the ground making the roads totally ice. God told us to continue and He'd get us there, so despite my fear and worries of the road, and stressfulness of fearing for my life, we definitely got here 5 hrs later. The conference was supposed to start at 7 and we got there at 9, and we heard the Lord say its okay, dont worry about it. We get there and it had just started because they had power outage problems at the building they were supposed to have it in and had to move and reset up. So they started 2 hours late. God is so good! When we drove up to the building we were supposed to be in and saw no cars we didnt know what to do. We were really confused cuz that was the only address we had. So we drove around the town a tiny bit looking for a wireless connection we could hook up to see if we could look online for cancellations or what, but nothing. So i was prayin and i felt Holy Spirit tell me to go back to the building and we'd find out. So we went back and i got out the car walking towards the door and there was a map and location telling us where to go. Praise God! He told us what to do!
So we made it safe...with one complication. Once we got to Canada the roads were way worse than Washington. They werent really plowed at all. So at one point, we were driving up this hill and got stuck, the wheels just kept spinning and we werent going anywhere. So we backed up and went a different direction. But after we did this, the info ABS and the Brake lights came on at the same time. And our brakes started acting weird. The ABS basically went out and the brakes would pump for us. Or they would lock and we would slide. It was really scary because they didnt function normal.
But we got to the conference and met up with Miranda and met todd's girl interns who we would be staying with. they invited us out to eat afterward so we got back in the car to follow them to the restaurant. We were pulling up to a stop light and almost ran into them because the brakes locked up and we just kept sliding, Diana swerved and saved us. but she was so scared at that point that at the restaurant she brought in the manual for the car to read about the brakes and what happens if the light goes on. The manual said if both lights go on and they malfunction fix them as soon as possible! We obviously have no money for this. So at dinner I just started getting faith that the Lord would heal the car. we asked some peeps to pray for it with us, so we went outside in faith and Diana started manifesting very weirdly haha. She was bending over back and forth, and when she stopped, she was like wow, God must have done something. So we get in the car and the brake lights are off and the car is perfectly normal. The brakes have been completely normal since! PRAISE GOD! He totally healed our car. First miracle of many miracles for this trip.
We've stayed with the girls and its been really great getting to know them and theyre friends. The Conference has been Awesome. Todd spoke last night on Pursue overtake and recover all! out of 1 Samuel 30. It was so awesome, and i know the Lord has been speaking to me and just restarting fires in my heart. and recovering the hunger and passions i feel ive lost the past few months. Just remembering what the Lord has done and talking about needs to happen more. Because when we forget thats when we become stale. When we talk about what God has done, stuff starts to happen just by talking about it. If we talk about visitations, visitations show up. If we talk about heaven, heaven shows up. We need to talk more about what God is doing so he can show up!
I love the Lord's love, because the biggest thing he's stripping me of is striving. I dont need to strive for an experience or his favor or his love. I can come as I am, and just be and its all about just loving Him and being loved. thats all.
Thursday night, Jason Upton was leading worship and playing the song Freedom. diana and i were up front and Kira, one of the interns starting praying for us, or throwing fire balls not really sure, all i know is i ended up so drunk in the Spirit, laughing on the floor. It just got me so hungry for more of the Holy Spirit! He's rekindling my fire for him. Well before I ended up on the floor i was just standing there worshipping and I felt like a man was behind me. He was a alot taller than me, ya know when u can just tell a person is right behind you because u feel their presence? Well i turn around and noone is there. But I still felt the presence of a person. So then I heard the Lord say the Angel of Protection. I feel like the Lord gave released the Angel of Protection over me last night. :)
One of the Speakers then read Psalm 91, and I felt like God was just confirming the protection, and so i read it the next morning (Fri morning) in my quiet time. Last night this guy wanted to pray over us because he too had driven across the country on faith and was provided for. So he prophesied alot over us, and he gave me psalm 91. it was pretty awesome.
I love Jesus!!!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007 First Update from the Road

Diana and I left yesterday from Acton California, and traveled to Sacramento are to stay with her uncle's family in Placerville CA. They were such a blessing! We left a little bit later than we planned so we've been somewhat rushed on the road. But today we traveled from Sactown up through Oregon to Bellevue Washington which is 15 minutes east of Seattle. It took us almost 13 hrs today and 6 hrs yesterday. Oregon is BEAUTIFUL! It snowed a tiny bit outside of Vancouver WA, but wasn't bad. We are staying with Doug, the long term missionary we met in Mozambique and He's been so gracious to open his home to us and really care for us. He's actually the guy praying for me in the pic on my page when im wrecked by the Holy Spirit in Africa. I'm excited to head up to abbotsford tomorrow but it might snow, so we're praying to get there safely! So far the Lord has truly provided for us, financially here and there by amazing people that have given unexpectedly and with places to stay with people that love us :) I know the Lord has big plans and its only getting started! Thanks for all your support friends! I still need it! God's not done yet! :) His ministry with us is only beginning! We are really contending for and trying to practice Words of Knowledge...so pray for that!! Its definitely necessary with what we're doing. My hunger for more of Holy Spirit is only increasing! LOVE HIM!

Travels to CA Revival Meetings

Sunday, July 30, 2006

So I just finished traveling to the Fresh Fire ministries conferences in Redlands, Anaheim, and San Jose CA. Diana and I are still going to San Diego this week for Heidi Baker Jill Austin and Dutch Sheets Sword of Lord conference. But I wanted to update everyone on what happened in these past meetings and how much my faith has increased. Being in a revival meeting where the people leading it are as young as you are really makes me feel like I belong. Before I left MA God was really talking to me about transparency and being completely myself in the Spirit. And the past two weeks have confirmed it and encouraged me. I am a spiritual being, and a citizen of Heaven so I should be weird! I should be different! Im not of the world, Im born of the Spirit. God has been letting me actually SEE the Kingdom. Its one thing to hear, and another thing to feel or experience the Kingdom, but to SEE the kingdom is so much more. And Seeing is how Jesus did his ministry. He said I do only what I see my Father doing. He said to nicodemus, you can see the Kingdom if you are born of the Spirit, born again. I see angels, I saw a living creature- with the face of the eagle. I saw Angels/ministers of fire and pictures of God's glory covering the Earth and taking over the darkness. I've never seen so much of heaven than I did in Redlands, but I want so much more. One of the nights on the way home, an angel showed up in the back seat of our car and actually scared me because it appeared out of nowhere. In Anaheim, God healed me of a headache on the spot and told me he was going to be my chiropracter. In San Jose, Jeremy (Todd's intern) gave a word of knowledge for chronic migrain headaches and when he did, the Spirit hit me, I shook for a couple seconds and my headache was gone. The last night of each conference Todd laid hands on everyone and I was so drunk in the Spirit the first night that I was literally stumbling out of the building, dizzy and couldnt walk straight. The last night in Anaheim, I got drunk in the beginning of the service, wason the ground laughing thru the whole sermon and could barely stand up to have Todd pray over me. I felt like I was in Africa all over again cuz I couldnt even help myself to stand up and walk out. Diana and I prayed for a lady and The person of hte Holy Spirit actually showed up in between us for a second. Another friend of mine actually saw God in front of his hands. I love the supernatural, because Im born of the Spirit! Im a citizen of heaven! Supernatural is natural to me! Everyone has the opportunity to literally experience God in a supernatural way! He desires for us to just seek Him for it! He says seek and you shall find when you search for me with all your heart. Jer 29:13.
Words of Knowledge were given, people were healed of all kinds of diseases, miracles and signs and wonders, Diamonds were found, angels showed up, gold dust was seen, and gold teeth were given. Todd even fell into a trance while preaching at one point! The presence and glory was so thick, and it was just awesome to see people my age up there speaking about the supernatural and having such huge faith. A received a real impartation of faith, Authority, favor, and vision for the supernatural. God is AMAZING! And the wisdom and knowledge of the Kingdom never ends. Theres always more. And all of the supernatural, is just for his glory. Its just about what He is up to and wants for us. And Its all about Jesus! Each new thing lets me know how much more deep the Father's love is toward me. Each new secret of Heaven lets me know more of how valued I am to Him. And all of the visions, all of the gifting, is for Him to minister to others. And Christianity is about seeing what the Father is doing and doing it. Everyone has access through Jesus...we just have to believe! He is a GOOD GOD!!!!

Justice

The Lord has recently been putting this word "Justice" on my heart. And I don't know if I have a specific definition for it yet, but I wanted to share what the Lord has been showing me, because it is a piece of His heart.
First, this all started two weeks ago in my living room when a few friends came over and we had worship and prayer. The glory of God showed, we smelled the fragrance of the Lord, got filled with the Spirit, and started to receive visions and revelation. My friend Steph and I had simultaneous visions, where we saw the same thing in the Spirit at the same time. One of us would say what we saw, and the other would confirm it, by saying i see it too and would go on to describe what it looked like in detail to match what the other person saw. It was one of the most awesomest experiences I've had in a corporate setting with the Lord. One of the visions that I saw was of the poor. I saw a line of poor people, I couldn't see the end of the line. But at the front was Jesus, and one by one Jesus would approach them all, gaze into their eyes, and with all the Love he had, welcomed them into his Kingdom. He placed a crown on each person's head, and beautiful royal robe that covered their rags. The vision ended, and from the gut of my stomach, the Spirit rose up in me and I yelled "Justice!!!"
It is this picture that Jesus started to show me His heart for the poor. i mean, I knew they were special and I knew they were blessed, and are chosen from other experiences and other things. But this vision made my heart burn, and makes me want to swim to third world countries if I have to to share Jesus with them. But there are also plenty of poor here in America. So let me share another story of God working this out in me.
Wednesday night, Diana and I went to Walmart to get some DP. (Dr. pepper for those who dont know). Well, Diana saw a homeless man was sitting outside on the wall as we drove by, so we parked and before heading into the store we stopped to talk to him. His name was Kevin, and seemed so sweet. You could tell he just enjoyed having someone to talk to. He started telling us about all the injustice against him. He spoke of people cheating him of money, people taking advantage of his work when had a job, and how it seemed every person was out to get him. Something in me almost wanted to hear him talk about it more, and tell me more because in America we dont think about it. we ignore it. And hearing Him speak from His heart, burdened my heart with the heart of the Lord to redeem Him and love him, and plead His cause. and the God showed me a picture of a crown for Him, and told me to tell Kevin that it was his for the taking. that he had an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven. So Diana and I just got to share God's love with this man and my heart continued to burn for the love that Jesus has for the poor. Jesus wants them so badly!
So this whole week, I havent been able to get Kevin out of my head. We gave him an invitation to receive Jesus, to believe, but he did have the hold of the enemy on Him. He had been exposed to witchcraft and some other bad stuff that had caused demonic influences and oppression. So he wanted Jesus, but something in Him wouldnt let him say it. i pray I will see him in the kingdom. This idea of justice, and loving the poor, and standing for the cause of the poor is HUGE in the heart and eyes of God.
I was reading the book of Jeremiah on thursday and verse 22:15-16 says "Did not your father eat and drink,And do justice and righteousness?Then it was well with him.16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;Then it was well.Was not this knowing Me?" says the LORD."NKJV
Knowing God involves his heart for the poor and justice and righteousness.
Earlier this week i had gone out with some people and we were talking about Boston, and Diana and I had mentioned how we would love to live in the city and be able to take the "T" to work. Well, this person simply said, "Ew, the subway is so dirty, and having to sit next to homeless people, ew gross". This is how the homeless are viewed, especially here in America. Jesus would not only sit next to them and talk to them, he'd give them a hug probably before and after, maybe even during. I want to love them!
Friday I went up to Gordon College and had some worship in my friend's apartment. Diana got a word for me, Psalm 82. Not knowing what it was, my body started shaking by the Spirit because the Rhema word of God had been spoken. So I looked it up and it reads: "God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. I said,"You are gods,And all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes." Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations." NKJV We're all children of the most high. We should be defending each other of injustice.
The book of Amos is all about God's judgement on injustice. It is all about God judging those that do not care for the poor and stand for the cause of the needy. There's An entire book on the judgement for Justice! Thats gotta be huge on God's heart!
James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Religion before God is caring for the troubled and needy! Religion is all about Justice!
In Numbers 27, the 5 daughters of Zelophehad were defended by the Lord. The law had been that only males, could inherit land. Zelophehad didn't have any sons and had died in the wilderness so his daughters pleaded with Moses and Eleazar the Priest to give them an inheritance from among their father's brothers. So when Moses asked the Lord, the Lord told him to change the law because the daughters are right. God's heart was justice. He had Moses, change the law! because of justice.
Jesus said in the beatitudes blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus says in Matthew 25:37-40 They shall say 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
Proverbs 21:3 says to do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice! He desires justice and righteousness more than our offerings! more than our sacrifice! This is backed up by Isaiah 58, the fast he has chosen is to give bread to the hungry, let the oppressed go free, cover the naked, house the poor. Its a call to justice!!! Its a call to love the poor! His heart is burning for them! Go get them! Love them!
The bible is full of scripture on this, Every book, these are just a few he's laid on my heart. The poor are highly favored!"
More scriptures include: Prov 22:16,9, 31:20, 29:7, 1:13, 14:20-21, 2:7-9, Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 10, 72:2, Zech 4:10, Jer 6:28-29, Lev 19:15, Deut 15, Deut 24:12-18, Job 5:15-16, Ps 113:7-8, James 5:1-6, Psalm 97:2, Ps 106:3. Isaiah 30:18 etc..

Simplicity

WOW!! The simplicity of the Gospel. The simplicity of knowing Jesus. Why is it that intellectualism floods the western mind? Why is that we have to have a theology known by heart, and a logical mind that makes sense of everything because the world says it has to? Why is it so hard for us to let go of time, agendas, plans, schedules, dreams, money, security? Church. What is that? As much as we say, yes Lord, be my God and I surrender, we still have our own plans of what church should look like. We have our own plans of how to be "seeker sensitive", of how to draw in the numbers, of "7 steps to intimacy with God" (this quote was from pastor Jose from Mozambique). Its soooo silly haha.
But if we read the Bible, and we look at the Early church-in Acts, we look at what Jesus taught and what He did, and we look at how the disciples ministered and fellowshipped and lived their lives, We see that it was soooooo SIMPLE! Acts 4:13 says that when people saw the boldness of peter and john and perceived they were untrained and uneducated men, they realized they had been with Jesus. hahaha, Been with JESUS!
ITS ALL ABOUT JESUS! It's just about being with Jesus. There's no other way. We think we have to make plans and think logically about what exactly we're doing, what it looks like, how can we be more efficient. We make it so complicated. Our Bible schools are teaching us...okay theres 3 steps to a sermon! What does that MEAN????? Steps to a sermon? Peter and John were uneducated and untrained men! They spoke with the boldness of the Spirit, not with the knowledge of man. In 1 Corinthians 2:4 Paul says, "my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." Why do we complicate it? God tells you to preach, go preach! Holy Spirit gives you a word, you go give it! He says open your mouth and I will fill it. The Gospel is just about Jesus! We can't do ANYTHING without Him. John 15:5, I am the vine you and the branches. apart from me you can do nothing, but if He who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit. There is no right and wrong way to share the Gospel. Allow Holy Spirit to do it, and He has His way everytime!
We don't need knowledge, we don't need plans, we don't need anything but Jesus...because He gives the plans. He gives us the ways of the Kingdom. He gives the knowledge and the wisdom and the words to speak. Holy Spirit sends us out. The apostles were first sent by Jesus, and then sent by the Spirit when He came.
Monday two weeks ago, two mozambiquan pastors came to speak at a local church and they showed up to preach and ended up laughing with the microphone for the majority of time. They had no agenda of what to speak, they simply came and laughed with the joy of the Lord, and the fire and Spirit of God. they told testimony and they brought the simplicity of knowing Jesus. God tells him to go preach, he goes. He has no food and no transportation in Mozambique, but he obeys the word of the Lord and remains full. Because of the Spirit. They have no education, they just see the fire of God show up, they preach the Gospel, they see people healed, and saved. Entire villages get saved because God does miracles and simply shows up in power. At this meeting when these pastors spoke, it brought me back to a taste of Africa and what i experienced last summer. I felt the simplicity of knowing Holy Spirit. That's all i need to know-Just Holy Spirit. He says go, He gives a word, He tells me to pray for someone, He has me fall on the floor and laugh, He calls my name in love, He wrecks me and undoes me everytime! Its all about Him! My way is not sufficient. Im completely inadequate. All I can do is surrender! He has to take over.
Tonight was just another reminder. God was talking to Diana about her plans, and it just wrecked her. and she came into my room laughing at the thought that we make plans in our own way and its soooo silly. She was so filled with the Spirit. So she was laughing so hard, the Lord started speaking to me. And He just said I want to wreck all your plans. I want to wreck all of you. Because my thoughts are higher. What are you doing? What do u think you are doing? HAHA And i just laughed and laughed and laughed because we make no sense! God is so much bigger. And its so simple...Just whatever He has. Whatever He wants..its all about Him. I need more of Him! But he gave me these scriptures tonight that just killed me...wrecked me and i think i laughed for at least 2 hours.
Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life. The BREAD! The manna. The israelites had to wait every single day for the manna in the wildnerness. They couldnt collect ahead or they would be punished byt he Lord. God wanted theyre trust every single day. So when Jesus says I am the Bread of Life, He's saying I'm the manna. EVeryday you have to trust me for your portion. You have to get with me! You have to eat my bread. You can't jump ahead a few days. you cant plan ahead, you can only do what i tell you and take what I give. You collect daily on my terms. Hahaha. ITs all about Him.
The second thing he gave me was Luke 5. Jesus told Simon to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch. and simon says, Master we have toiled all night and caught nothingl nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. and when they had done this they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking. HAHAHAHA. Without Jesus, they couldnt do ANYTHING. But at His word, they caught so many they couldnt hold it all. So they forsook all and followed Him. The gave up everything, they left their nets, they left their fishing, and they followed Him. The simplicity of the Gospel is just Jesus! abandon yourself for Him.
And the third verse I got tonight was Acts 2:46-47. "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." They broke the bread daily-fellowshiping and communing...They communed with Jesus daily. they partook of the BREAD. And they had SIMPLICITY of heart. HAHAHA. and the Lord added daily to the church salvations. Its too much for the intellectual mind. Stop everything your doing and sit with Jesus.
2 weeks ago the Lord gave me this verse, 2 Corinithians 11:3 "But I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by His craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Who are we before God? Who are we....seriously? What the heck are we doing? What are we doing for the Kingdom? What matters to us-the world or the Kingdom of Heaven? How is that answer being displayed? 7 steps to intimacy with God and 6 ways to evangelize? Pffffft! how about Holy Spirit coming to fill you, giving boldness to speak and bringing signs and wonders with Power (Acts 4:30-31)? How about Holy Spirit sending you out (Acts 13:4). All over Acts the apostles were sent out by visions, angels, and Holy Spirit. They didnt even have the Bible! The simplicity of knowing the Spirit has got to be revealed. Just ask for the Spirit to show up and He will. Its all about Love. His favorite thing is not ministry, but communion with us, his beloved. His favorite time is when we sit at his feet, not when we win a thousand souls. His favorite time is conversing and sitting with us. Its all love, its all initmacy. Its all about loving Him. He says to Peter, Do you love me? Do you love me? do you love me? feed my lambs. Just being with Jesus and loving Him. simple stuff eh?

Only Believe, Ask and You Shall Receive!

Only Believe. Believe. Have faith! I believe the gift of Faith is the best gift the Holy Spirit gives. Because the gift of faith is your faith combined with God's faith, and since God has perfect faith, the gift of faith becomes that in which you know that you know that you know that whatever you ask, you will receive. But even when Jesus says, "Repent and believe, the kingdom is at hand", our measure of faith and measure of belief should substantial to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. We have to believe that because of our belovedness of the Father, because He loves us so much and out of our intimacy with Him, He desires to show up for us! Isaiah 64:4 says God acts for those who wait for Him! He desires to heal us! If we would only believe that He will, and He can, we would see so much more of Heaven. He wants to dress us with authority and Favor. Alot of American Christians believe He can heal us, but don't believe He will. And I think we a different mindset. Because not only did Jesus die so we could part of Heaven now, but He died because God wanted to restore what we had in the Garden of Eden. There is no pain in Heaven. There was no pain in the Garden. God does not want us living in pain! Jesus died so we could be Healed! By His stripes we are healed according to Isaiah! God wants us to be Healed! It is our inheritance as sons and daughters of the most high to reach into heavenly storehouses and ask the Spirit to come and bring healing! I want the gift of faith, but I also want a ginormous measure of faith that comes along with Favor. Over 14 scriptures talk about Asking and Receiving.

John 16:23-24 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 15:7-8 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
1 John 3:22-23 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Matt 7:7-12 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Luke 11:9-13 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Matt 18:19-20 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
Matt 21:21-22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Jesus said Ask and you will receive! Ask Anything from Me! We have access to heavenly storehouses. We have access to the plethora of Kingdom goods! Ask, and get it. dont doubt, theres no reason to doubt. How much do lovers desire to do nice things, and buy nice things for each other. God wants to do the same. He wants to do above what we ask. He is able to do exceedently abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph 3:20).
Jesus says only believe! Almost every single miracle and healing he did, he related it to believing, or faith. He calmed the storm and said oh you of little faith. He healed blind men, paralytics, a women bleeding for 12 years, the centurions servant, and everytime Jesus said your faith has made you well. He knew that just one touch, one word from Jesus and they would be healed. Jesus was impressed by the faith of the centurion. He healed the syrophonecian woman even though she was a gentile, because of Faith. She knew that she knew that she knew that Jesus could heal her, and she wanted it. Don't we want to be healed? Don't we want provision and miracles and signs and wonders? Won't we believe that He will and He can? Only Believe! One touch, one word, and we're healed cuz the kingdom is at hand, we have access, and Jesus said ask and you'll receive.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Luke 17:5-7 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith. So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Mark 5:34-36 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction. While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe.
Luke 8:50But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.
John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
Matt 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mark 10:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.Believe!