Lakeland comes to Concord

This weekend, the regional churches of Concord are coming together to welcome Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries. I've been helping out w/ it. Last night I didn't get home until about 2 AM. I've been ushering/greetings/all around great guy mainly. There are likes and dislikes for me.

For those who say that he's not focusing on the lost and seeing people come into the kingdom, i'm glad your wrong. In listening to his altar call last night for salvation, i heard the 'repentance' word used a bit. so that settled well within my Spirit.

One of the cons was that when they intro'd Todd, he got a bigger welcome than Jesus. That obviously didn't sit well with me.

I was able to join in on the prayer tunnel and pray for people. Now that was fun! Hehe. For those who don't know what a prayer tunnel is... you line the people up who will be praying for others in lines facing each other about shoulder width apart. Then the people who are getting prayer walk between the people and simply receive. I get more out of praying FOR folks than getting prayer. It's just how i'm wired. They do the prayer tunnels (at church, we call them FIRE tunnels, but its the same concept, just different terminology) a little differently. They actually have two tunnels going at the same time. Todd stood at the front of the tunnel and the folks just went on either side of him. He has two hands so you do two tunnels.

But to start off the night, i was on elevator duty. And i didn't mind doing it, other than the fact that i must've had a badge on me that said "Complaint department". The arena sits about 5,000 people. That quickly filled up. Then the overflow sits another couple thousand was quickly filled up. The totally cool thing was that they said that a couple thousand folks were lined up along the highway praising God! Now thats awesome!!! Sadly, they had to turn many folks away (which i'm not happy about).

But here is something to think about, something for you to ponder over... One thing that i did notice was all the wheelchairs and handicap folks coming in. And one thing that doing elevator duty for me did was giving me a greater desire to seek God for more of Him to pray for folks to get healed. I say its time we stop looking to one man to heal everyone, but for the church (the Bride of Christ) to assert her maturity and power and to perform signs and wonders.

Granted, I do believe that there are folks with a gift for this. But at the same time, it is our job to be doing this. Also, I'm not pointing fingers at any one else other than myself. Even while sitting here writing this, the Holy Spirit is speaking to me as well about my life.

I'm grateful for what the Lord is doing in Lakeland. I'm grateful for what the Lord is doing in the world. He's stirring hearts and lives. He's shaking everything that can be shaken. And my heart is stirred for more of God to take it to a lost and hurting and dying world. He's stirring me and challenging me to be more of a man of my word and a man of His Word and His Spirit. Lately, the Lord has been pointing out areas of my own life that need to be fixed and changed. And if i'm going to be leading others in the future and having influence over them, I need to get my own life in order. I've seen too many ministers and leaders in the Body of Christ falling because of sin. And i need to take the necessary steps to prevent that for myself and my future.

And praise God that the Lord is moving in the world! He's bringing the lost into right relationship with Himself and restoring lives and the prodicals are coming home! PTL!

Well, that's for now. Just wanted to share these things with you all.

There's Gotta Be More...

I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior or my life back when I was around 4 or 5 i think. To this date, myself or my parents don't really know the date for certain. Even my grandma, who keeps a journal, didn't write it down. But i tell people that i 'got saved' when i was 4 or 5. Got baptized in water when i was about 8 or 9 (again, i don't think we have a certain date (at least to my knowledge) and then was baptized in the Holy Spirit around 12. All that is great... really, it is.

In 2000, i went with a group of youth and adults to Pensacola, Florida to what was known as the Brownsville Revival. As far as i'm concerned, many good things have come from that. I've had people tell me to my face that they think the revival was 'of the devil' and all that wonderful stuff. Of course, they were never there. It's just their thinking and their 3rd party hearing of what happened. And them trying to judge it from a far off perspective. And no doubt that there was a lot of things that probably happened that were people just getting out of hand (welcome to life folks). I know that many of those people who were involved w/ that revival are now not living for God. I also know that a lot of folks who WERE involved are still currently living for God. FIRE is actually a result of that revival. I think that all of FIRE's leaders to date served in some capacity of that move of God. Granted, the way FIRE was started wasn't the greatest... but what satan means for bad, God knows how to turn it around. Why do you think God would entrust His church (His bride) with beings that He knows would mess it up? I dunno... thats why i'm asking that...

People would judge it by the manifestations and be like "well, thats not a God thing..." People being 'slain in the Spirit' or laughing like crazy or weeping profusely... I say 'look at their eventual fruits of their life. I can tell you from a personal perspective that i've done all three of them. And guess what, it's not about the manifestations.

I've had people who would openly criticize the revival and yet love the many ministers who served in it! I would point that out to them and they would stop dead in their tracks. It was quite funny actually...

All this to say that in 2000, the Holy Spirit deposited something in my Spirit that cries out for more of God.

In the past 7 years, i've been involved in the following:
- a church plant team to a local town down in Charlotte, NC.
- an outreach team to a local university where we saw souls won to the Lord and people healed.
- a local youth group here where i've seen the lives of teens touched and radically changed, many of whom who are currently serving the Lord whole heartedly in their lives.
- ministered to countless folks via prayer and fellowship
- traveled and preached the gospel to various other people groups
- traveled locally and nationally to minister to youth and adults a like
- helped in various capacities here in the local church
- steered clear of sex, drugs and alcohol.

I'm sure there's a lot more... but thats what i can think of right now. To date, though, my heart still cries out for more. At times, i have a hard time going to malls because my heart breaks for a generation to be touched and changed by the power and presence of God. I have the hardest time sitting still. I would love to go do some traveling even as i speak.

My life has been dedicated to the expansion of the Kingdom of God. And it's not always going to be easy. Life happens... get used to it. People will hate you. Jesus never promised us an easy life. Matter of fact, He promised that life will get difficult. Most come to Christ because they're promised a nice car or nice life... I don't know why we think we have to preach like that. All we're doing is hurting ourselves by presenting it like that.

At the same time, i understand and realize that as a Christian, I have inheritable rights as a child of God. My Daddy is the greatest King over the World. This world is mine! But that's not for my own good, but for His good. That's for the expansion of HIS Kingdom... not my own empire.

Last night, i was talking to one of my spiritual parents and I mentioned to them that when it feels like i'm not doing much of anything, things are still happening. God is setting me up for the greatest move of His Spirit yet to come. And i'm going to be privileged to be apart of it and minister in it.

But do you realize that i'm still largely unsatisfied. Matter of fact, i'm quite bored at times. I know there's more of God to be had and if only i can discipline my self to get more of Him. And then when i get more of Him, to properly steward it.

That is one thing that has really been on my heart for sometime: to learn stewardship. Godly stewardship. Learning to handle His presence in the right manner.

Lord, teach me to be a steward of Your Presence.