Preparation for Revival (10)

After the Father had thoroughly “cleaned my clock” regarding my personal sins of the past and dealing with every vestige of sin that I was currently (at that time) dealing with (still haven’t reached that state of perfection this side of heaven . . . . sigh!), He began driving me deeper into repentance by turning my attention to another source of my sins and the sins of our nation and the sins of the Body of Christ as a whole.

John Donne said, “No man is an island.” The Bible says that when we sin we impact the generations that follow us ~ a sad and costly legacy at best, a curse and a yoke of satanic bondage at the worst. When the Father gave the 10 Commandments to Moses at Mt. Sinai, He said, “. . . I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). The context of this verse is that wherein the LORD has forbidden us to have any other gods before Him and His prohibition against any form of idolatry.

This was the “besetting sin” of the Israelites, and, unfortunately, we as the Body of Christ today continue to follow them in their egregious ways. Our God is a jealous husband of His Bride, just as any man would be of his earthly bride, and this is why the LORD spoke of this sin as “spiritual adultery.” Hosea, in particular, bore this message in its ultimate expression. We have all seen evidence of this pattern of generational churches, and in our society the sociologists, psychologists and the experts in jurisprudence have finally come to the realization of this truth, even if they don’t know or refuse to give credit to the Word of God as the source of this truth.

Nehemiah and Daniel are two classic examples in the Old Testament of prophets of God who knew of the truth of God’s Word and incorporated its truth in their prayers of repentance. The Lord dealt with me in these areas of repentance in two distinct phases.

You may read about Daniel’s prayer in Chapter nine. For now, let us focus on Nehemiah 1. When Nehemiah heard the discouraging report regarding those Jews who had escaped the captivity and survived and about Jerusalem, he “wept and mourned for days, praying and fasting before the God of heaven” (1:4). In verse 5 Nehemiah addresses God with reverence and with faith in Him as the “LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandment.”

Nehemiah associates himself with his people, Israel, as he prayed “. . . on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned” (v.6).

Notice, Nehemiah made no excuses, no justification, no rationalizations, no finger-pointing or blaming anyone else! As David confessed when the prophet Nathan confronting him with David’s adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, he said, “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that you are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4). David accepted the responsibility for his sins, and he was aware of the fact that although others around him were impacted, that this was a very personal and intimate matter between him and His Creator to whom he was ultimately account for his every word and deed!

So, too, we hear Nehemiah ~ a clean confession with no embellishments, no excuses or whining ~ just pure, true and deep repentance. “We have acted corruptly against You and have not dept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses” (v. 7).

This was the next step of repentance the Lord brought me to during the “trip of tears.” I spent nights agonizing over the sins of the Church in America ~ for our apathy and luke-warmness, for our greed and for our idolatry with so many aspects of our society. You know them as well as I, so I will not recount here a litany of all of our offenses; Nehemiah did not do so, I noticed. Yet one sin in particular must be addressed before and above all others and that is our murder of the innocents ~ more than 50 million “legal” abortions, and counting, to our shame ~ and now inroads into infanticide!

Unless, and until, we, as a Church, travail before the Lord in true, deep, persistent repentance, revival, ture and lasting Revival(!) will not come. The choice is ours.

Preparation for Revival (9)

I experienced this deep level of repentance during my trip to Brazil in June of 2004. This was a significant time for me, because it was on the first night of that trip that the LORD revealed to me the vision that I have been declaring to the churches and pastors in Brazil since that date, namely that God is raising up the saints of Brazil to lead the western world in sending forth missionaries to the four corners of the world.

The response to that vision and the interpretation and the exhortation that following was almost, wonderfully, overwhelming! It was one of the greatest spiritual “highs” of my 32 years of ministry. In spite of that, however, this was the trip that I have dubbed “The Trip of Tears!”

Beginning that very night, after going to sleep happy and contented, I was awakened two hours late with the intense, powerful presence of God commanding to repent of a sin that I had committed many years before. Lest you misunderstand me here or jump to any hasty conclusions, allow me to assure you that this was not a grievous sin, or so I thought. No, this was something that I had said to a Brother several years before that I know wounded him, that hurt his feelings. I had repented of that sin, however, and I had asked his forgiveness, and I had believed that it was “under the blood” and dropped into the “sea of God’s forgetting,” you see.

At this moment in time, however, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I had thought of and dealt with this offense as if it were a minor offense. Now, in stark contrast, the Spirit of God allowed me to see this sin from His perspective. I saw my words going into this Brother’s heart like a knife! I saw it revealed as an outright assault against one created in the image and likeness of our Father, and I felt, for the first time, what it truly means to grieve the Holy Spirit.

That grieving was translated into my body and into my spirit with such a burning agony, such a devastating pain that I began to cry out to the LORD! At this precise moment, however, I was acutely aware of the fact that I was sleeping in a young boy’s bedroom of my host family, right next to the bedroom of the parents and also of the young brother that was so honored to have the “prophet of God” bless his bedroom by sharing it with me. I knew that I would awaken and startle everyone in the house if I were to cry out with the volume of my voice that would be commensurate with the pain I felt welling up within me. I would have been wailing, even screaming, with the anguish I was feeling so deeply, deep within the core of my being!

Therefore, I grabbed the pillow and bit down upon it, crying and shaking with remorse the likes of which I had never before known in my life! Waves of deep, deep repentance swept over me, and I wept and cried out to the LORD for His release and forgiveness, for deep spiritual healing. I expressed to Him how deeply I regretted wounding my brother, yes, of wounding my Father in so doing!

To make a long story short, I fell asleep just before dawn, lying on the floor in the fetal position with the pillow still stuffed in my mouth. Forty five minutes later I was abruptly awakened by the LORD, for it was time to shower and dress and pray to begin the new day of ministry.

In Matthew 6, when Jesus instructed His disciples that when they were fasting, they were not to wear long faces in order to get the sympathy or approval of men (which would be their reward), but they were to wash their faces, anoint their heads with oil and fast privately as unto the LORD in order that they might receive their reward, in secret, from Him. Likewise, in this instance, I felt the LORD was warning me not to let anyone know what I had experienced.

Physically exhausted and emotionally drained, I was to wear a bright countenance and trust Him for the strength that I needed to function with His anointing which He surely did provide, Bless His Holy Name!

Thinking that I had passed some kind of test, I was totally unprepared for a repeat performance of God’s searing, chastening hand upon me the second night, then the third night, and on and on, night after night, as He broke me, humbled me, disciplined me and taught me the true meaning of true repentance. Only by His grace was I able to function in ministry for that grueling three week ministry trip, but grace He did supply, sufficient for every need of every moment.

I will never be the same! ~ and for that, I bow my knees in worship and thank Him every day. Little did I know, though, that this was only the first lesson of three.

(to be continued . . . .)

Preparation for Revival (7)

Preparation for Revival (7)

The second step in Preparation for Revival is True Repentance. Why the term “True Repentance?” First, let us recall what we have learned and/or what we have been taught about the word and the act(s) of repentance. We know that the word from the Greek literally means “a change of mind.” We have been taught that it means “to turn,” i.e. to make a “U-turn” in our lives. We were on the “road to hell,” dead in our transgressions, when the Love of God broke through to our lives, and then, when we “accepted Jesus (a) into our lives, or (b) as our Savior, we made a 180° turn and were, subsequently, on the “road to Heaven.” Too often, in this modern era, the necessity of repenting from: truly turning from our sins is a key ingredient that is left out!

If the act of true repentance, a deep, life transforming remorse for and casting away our sinful behavior, is not neglected entirely, it is treated as synonymous with merely the confession of, or the acknowledgement of our sins and the recognition that such behavior was, and is, wrong. The feeling one gets is that it is very either (a) a very superficial, cognitive act of saying, “I’m sorry,” or (b) an emotional experience at the altar and is thereafter soon forgotten.

This, dear brethren, is a grievous oversight on our part as evangelicals of such magnitude as to qualify for “gross negligence!” ~ a form of “spiritual malpractice,” if you will! Therefore, our next step (or series of steps) must be to deal honestly with this critically important, biblical need for True repentance. We must deal with it (1) personally, (2) corporately, as and on behalf of the Body of Christ, (3) generationally, in two dimensions – our past and our future generations.

(to be continued . . . .)

Preparation for Revival (6)

Preparation for Revival (6)

After praying that prayer for two years, the Lord answered by giving me a revelation of what I have now come to know is His requirement for our first step of preparation for revival – having the Father’s heart for the lost – both those who have not yet come to know Christ Jesus as their Savior and those who have come to know Him as such but who have, for this season, entered into a prodigal lifestyle, who, due to their rebellion and wandering, have become ensnared once again by the lusts of the world (the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life – 1 John 2:16), and, therefore, enslaved once again to the Enemy.

This revelation came to me in a most unwelcome form (I prayed, remember, that the Father had permission to do whatever was necessary to make of me the man of God that He wanted to be, in His way, whatever it took) – the worst nightmare that I have ever experienced in my life!

In this nightmare, my oldest granddaughter had been kidnapped. At this time, Ashley was only 7 years old and truly a most precious little girl. In the dream, I could see that these evil men had taken Ashley to a dark and filthy basement somewhere in the heart of the very worst part of the city and had physically tied her to a bed in a small room with a dim light. They injected my precious child with heroin in order to begin the process of making her a slave to them.

In other rooms I saw other little girls who had been captive for some time and were totally under the demonic control of these evil men. I was horrified to see perverse, evil and violent men paying these kidnappers money to sexually assault these poor little girls, none of whom could have been more than ten years old! I came to realize that these beasts were preparing my precious little girl to be there next sex slave, and for the first time in my life I knew what the true meaning of insanity is.

I knew not only the brand of insanity of these vile, demon-possessed men, but I now began to realize that I, too, could experience another kind of insanity – a total break with reality to escape a horror that my normal mind could not manage to live with.

At that moment of realization, filled with grief, fear, anguish and emotional pain the likes of which I had never before experienced in my life, I cried out to our Father from the very depths of my soul! I cried out for His help, for deliverance for my granddaughter. I cried out to Him, because I felt so totally and completely helpless. I begged Him, screaming in my anguish, “Please, Father, please, in Jesus’ Name, help me! Show me where my precious granddaughter is! Father, please, help me! I must rescue her! I cannot bear to endure this horror!”

I heard, I felt deeply, the Father’s response to my anguished pleas. He asked me simply, “Son, if I were to show you exactly where Ashley is held captive, if I were to give you the exact address of that house, what would you do?”

I screamed with all the strength within me, “Anything! I will do anything and everything necessary to free my baby! I will break down any door to reach her and set her free. I will destroy any man who tries to stand between me and that child. God help me, but I would, without hesitation, kill anyone who dared try to keep her from me! I must rescue my precious little girl!”

Then I heard the deepest, softest, yet most powerful resonance within my soul as I heard the Father speak once more: “Now, My son, now you have just a taste of how I feel about My children who are in bondage to the Satan. Now you have just begun to understand the Passion of My heart!

Beloved, I awoke from that nightmare shaken and broken, a very different man than the one who had gone to sleep just a few hours before. After two years of praying, of crying out to the Father for Him to do in me whatever it took – I was transformed in my understanding of what the Lord requires of us! Even now, I am still learning how He is working out in me all that it takes for me to live and minister in the ways that conform my prayers, behavior, use of time and energy, resources in order that I can be used of Him for His purposes in order to fulfill the desires of His heart.

I believe that the Father has made it abundantly clear to me that He will not even begin to move in our midst with a true Revival until we corporately, as the Body of Christ, begin to function in such a way that we, together, are seeking to fulfill His will, the very desires of His heart!
Will you join me in praying that we might seek His face to this end?

It is our necessary First Step!

Preparation for Revival (5)

Preparation for Revival (5)

Seven years ago I took a hard, realistic look at myself and realized that the answer was, “I really wanted to, but obviously I didn’t, or I would have already been “paying the price.” I would have been living more sacrificially, utilizing my time, energy and resources so as to live in such a way, intentionally, to be doing what I know to be His will. I wasn’t. Like many other Christians, I was too comfortable!

Paul hit the nail on the head in Romans 7: “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (vv. 21-23). Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? In reality, however, it is just gut honest without all of the excuses and rationalizations that we make for ourselves when we choose to gratify the flesh rather than to do that which would cause us to participate in the sufferings of Christ. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17).

Remember, when we rationalize our behavior, we tell ourselves (and others) “rational lies!” The problem is, we think we can get away with telling such lies to the Father! Remember, saints: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). When these thoughts hammered their truths home to my heart, I began to pray in a radically different way, and I continue to do so to this day. I believe this is absolutely necessary, because if we say that we want Revival, then it must begin with us!

I began to pray, “LORD God, You know me far better than I know myself. You know everything! You know my every fear, conscious and subconscious; You know the weaknesses, the frailties, and the wickedness of my heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, Father, I am asking You to do what You need to do in me to conform me to Your will. Do whatever it takes to change me into the man of God that You want me to be and prepare me to do Your will, no matter what the cost, whenever You call upon me to act. If there is pride, break it, Father! If there are subconscious resistances, overwhelm them. If there are fears, give me Your Holy Ghost courage. Whatever it takes, Father, please!

I will do everything in my power to willingly yield and submit to Your refining fire, no matter the pain, the cost or the loss! Father, I will not stop praying this prayer. This, O LORD, will be my prayer to You every day that I live, in Jesus’ Holy Name ~ Amen!

Back from Baltimore and Preparation for Revival (4)

Thank you so much for your prayers for our trip to Baltimore! The time spent with my Mom was truly precious for both Mary Jane and me (and for Mom, too, I hope! :). We also had a wonderful responsed from the congregation of the Middle River Assembly of God in both the Sunday morning and evening services. Praise God for the moving of His Spirit in the hearts and the lives of His saints. We were also able to serve s dear Sister in Christ in the nursing home where we had a special "service" just for her and her precious room mate.

================

Preparation for Revival (4)

Our Father God has made His will abundantly clear to us in His Word. Prior to enumerating upon this further, it will be helpful to first make one important point clear. We have a tendency in our “Greek” mindset to compartmentalize and delineate everything scientifically. For example, we make a clear, definitive distinction between our will, our mind and our emotions. While this is certainly valid in one sense, the Biblical perspective is more of a “flowing together” in the expression of who we are. For example, think of one thing that you truly desire more than anything else. Don’t be generic in your thinking here, please. Rather, be very specific about something that is critically important for your life, for your future. If there were no limitations or hindrances to you having that which you desire, what would it be?

Have you got it clearly in mind? Good! Now, in order for that desire to become a reality, you must choose to set your will, your volitional power, to do that which is necessary on your part to bring your strongest desire into being. There may be other factors involved beyond your control, but you must commit yourself to doing your part to bring about what you say you desire, don’t you? In so doing, do you see how powerfully one’s will and one’s desire are intertwined? This is another example of how “the two become one!” Sounds like a good marriage doesn’t it? When we add the dimension of physical action (the doing) to the cognition and volition (the thinking and the doing) with the emotional component (one’s desires), we have a “threefold cord” that reminds one of the Trinity (the Tri-Unity) that “Three-in-Oneness” that is God!

Remember, 1 John 5:14 promises us that “. . . if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” What is God’s Will? He expresses it in 1 Timothy 2:4 – (God our Savior, v.3b) “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (So, first we have the emotional component – the Father’s desire, His passion!) He expresses it in 2 Peter 3:9b, for He “. . . is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (Now we know the volitional component of the Father’s heart!)
We have also been supplied with the final component: We have the power of His dynamic action in the most often quoted and memorized verse of the Bible: John 3:16. Note that Love is not an emotion! Rather it is a covenantal commitment to Act! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (emphasis added)

So, we now have the Father’s will clearly revealed to us without question! Ah, but here’s the rub: do we have the Father’s heart? That is, do we truly desire what He desires? Are our wills set to motivate us to the action required to accomplish His will in the earth? Are we willing to “pay the price,” to “put our money where our mouth is” by doing what it takes on our part to bring His desire, His will to pass?

(To be Continued)

Pray for us, and Preparation for Revival (3)

Mary Jane and I will be traveling to Baltimore this weekend to visit with my Mom and to speak at the Middle River Assembly of God for both the morning and the evening services. Please pray for a safe journey there and back, rich fellowship with Mom and the saints of the Middle River AOG and for the Spirit's rich anointing in both of these church services. Thank you so much, and God Bless!

=========================

1 John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence which we have before Him that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” These verses align beautifully with the first half of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face . . . .”

If we were to record our prayers over any given period of time, have those recordings transcribed and then categorized those prayers, how many of them would be truly focused on the Father and seeking to do His will, and how many of them would be focused on our needs, wants and desires. Remember always, please, the example of our Lord Jesus who said that His “food” was “to do the will of Him who sent Me and accomplish His works” (John 4:34). Seeking the Father’s will instead of our own is one aspect of our humbling ourselves and seeking His face. (We will deal with others anon.)

It is right and proper to make our needs and desires known to our Father. Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:6, “. . . in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.” He delights in meeting our needs, and we know that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father or lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning: (James 1:17).

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9 ff; Luke 11:2 ff), He made provision for us to petition the Father for our daily bread (physical sustenance), forgiveness of our debts (sins), and deliverance (protection and rescue) from the evil one, but His direction to us in prayer is that our first priorities would be (a) to revere the Father’s name, that it might be “hallowed” or sanctified by both our confession and our lifestyle, and (b) that we make the faith declaration that the Father’s kingdom would come (into our lives, into our society and into the whole earth), that His will might be done on earth as it is being done in heaven!

When we align ourselves in prayer, faithfully, consistently, persistently and passionately, with these priorities, we are then positioning ourselves before Him in such a way that He can trust us with the Treasure of the Outpouring of His Spirit in Revival!

(To be Continued . . . .)

Preparation for Revival (2)

One of the most scriptures most frequently referred to when one hears about Revival is 2 Chronicles 7:14. In its context this verse referred to God’s promise to Solomon, because Solomon had built the Temple and dedicated it to the LORD with many sacrifices, and the LORD said to Solomon (vv. 12b-13), “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, of if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, (v. 14) and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Note that the LORD does specify precisely why He would cause such calamities to come upon Israel, but we can clearly infer from the phrase in v. 14 “will forgive their sin” that it would be in response to their sins, normally of idolatry as was their custom so very many times in the past. The LORD viewed this as “spiritual adultery.”

In my recent experience in Brazil, I learned that the most urgent desire of the pastors of every church where I ministered was on the subject of Revival. Beginning with this passage from 2 Chronicles 7 I began to seek the Father intensively during all of my spare time about Revival. I was almost shocked to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart say to me that He had been preparing me to teach on this for the past seven (7) years!

The first place I was led was to 1 John 5:14-15. Please read and meditate on this passage that we might walk step-by-step together in that which the Father has been revealing to me.

(to be Continued . . . .)

Preparation for Revival (1)

Our God is totally sovereign. He can choose to send Revival upon any group of people at anytime, anywhere. It is totally in the Father’s hands. However, our God is not haphazard! He values the outpouring of His Spirit, because such a Blessing is no trifle! It is, indeed, His very Life-force that he is giving to His people as a Gift of immense proportions. Our God is, furthermore, a God of great benevolence. Once He pours out His Spirit upon a people, tribe, tongue or nation there is an “overflow” that splashes out upon others who receive the Blessings of this overflow, and “worth” is not an issue. That is Salvation comes to the lost, Healing and deliverance to the needy and the hurting, because, just as He send the “rain upon the just and the unjust” alike (Matthew 5:45), so, too, does He send forth His Spirit of Revival upon the just and the unjust alike ~ Praise Him!

We also know that the truths and the principles of the Christian life are revealed to us in the Word of God, and there is always a balance that we must be aware of and apply, if we expect the Father to hear and answer our prayers for Him to send Revival. This is so important for us to understand. For example, Jesus tells us in Luke 12:48b, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” Those of us who are seeking the LORD God to send Revival to us must understand this and appreciate the fact that we have been abundantly blessed with revelation, teaching, resources and knowledge of His Word, and He will hold us accountable to function accordingly.

On the other hand, regardless of what we do or do not have, what we know or do not know, Jesus also told us in Matthew 7:11 (Luke 11:13), “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give what is good (give the Holy Spirit) to those who ask Him?” We see, then, that there may be some conditions that must be met before we receive this Blessing of Revival we seek. We must be of a right condition – that of being poor in spirit and meek, for example – and we must be of the right state of desire – hungry and thirsty for righteousness, crying out to the Father to be fed!

(To be Continued . . . .)

Brazil Trip - Final Stop

The last leg of my trip to Brazil this year was at the Shalon Church in Curitiba. Curitiba is a major commercial center of 2 million people in the southern part of Parana State. Shalon (we would spell it Shalom) Church is a cell-based church of over 1,500 members with 800+ active cell groups. The pastor, Pastor Ojilon, is the brother who disciples Pastor Enoc of The Baptist Church of Glory in Londrina, and it was upon Pastor Enoc's recommendation that I was asked to speak there. There was an "Encontra" in progress that weekend for married couples alumni. Pastor Eno and his wife, Helena, were participating in this "reunion," and Pastor Ojilon and I had only a limited amount of time to spend together. I was able, however, to share the vision for Missions from Brazil the Lord gave to us in 2004, and he was extremely receptive. He also earnestly desired that I share my concept of the Four Pillars of Revival that I had been sharing with the other pastors, leaders and churches during this visit to Londrina and Marilia.

Before meeting Pastor Ojilon prior to my speaking at the Sunday morning service (6/29), we had not yet met. I had ministered to two of their four worship teams on Saturday afternoon. In additon, I was scheduled to speak at a special service for "jovens," i.e. adolescents and young adults Saturday night. Whenever we serve others, we must always be prepared to be flexible, gracious and to be "ready in season and out!" On the way to the church, my interpreter, Monica, informed me that "oops!" They had double-booked for that evening! I think that what happened was that Pastor Ojilon, in desiring to be gracious to me, had scheduled me to speak at this service "at the last minute," because the other event was a whol team of young people that had been booked several months ago to minister that night.

They do awesome dramatic presentations in Brazil, and this group was scheduled, after the worship session, to do a dramatic presentation followed by a message from the leader of this ministry team; they had traveled a full day's journey from the far northern area of Brazil. Therefore, they asked if I could bring just a short exhortation of about 15 minutes before they turned the service over to their other guests.

The next morning, Sunday, was my first opportunity to meet Pastor Ojilon, but before I was introduced to him, he was greeted by the leaders of both the worship teams and the young people to whom we had ministered the day before. They reported to him that they were so impacted by the brief times of ministry that they wanted him to hear what I had shared with them. Unaware of all of this, we flowed in the morning service with the Word, and many people responded to our invitation for ministry and impartation and several dozen surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

After the service we drove about 45 minutes out of the city to their camp. Following a time of foot-washing and prayer, Pastor Ojilon asked me to bring a "greting" to the married couples at the Encouter. I ministered very briefly, less than 15 minutes on God's commands to us as husbands, wives and parent from Ephesians 5 and Deuteronomy 6.

That evening, when Pastor Ojilon introduced me to the congregation, he shared with them the impact our ministry had on those of the worship team, the young adults and the married couples. He shared that some of the things that he had heard and received that afternoon were new and exciting to him - things he had never heard taught in his 20+ years of ministry! He then turned to me and, through the interpreter, asked me to not share what I had prepared for that night. Instead, he asked that I share with the entire church the full message of which I had shared just a part with the young people the night before.

I ministered on Spiritual Warfare and the Strategic Assaults of Satan in our day - the assaults of and our response to: (1) aggressive, virulent atheism in our schools and universities aimed at stealing the faith of our children, youth and young adults, (2) a militant homosexual agenda aimed at legalizing homosexual marriages in order to destroy marriage and the family as we know it which, in turn, is the foundation of the Church, and (3) radical Islamic jihad, both physical, economic and cultural (legal attempts to permeate our schools and communities). The response to the Word was, once again, powerful as the front of the church filled with those seeking impartation and making a full commitment to become engaged in warfare for and under the banner of Christ Jesus, the King!

I hope to receive a DVD of the video they recorded of that service, and if I do, I will make it available to you as soon as possible.

Once again, I cannot thank you enough for your love, prayers and financial support. May God, our Father, the Messiah Jesus and the presence of the Holy Ghost be with you to bless and empower you and your family day by day!

Hallelujah!!

Reflections About Prayer (3)

This is the second of 2 "reflections" on the call for Christians who are concerned about the upcoming elections to collectively stop and pray for one minute a day at a prescribed time. As always, if you have comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to d-mail me at rep46017@aol.com

Reflections on “One Minute Per Day in Prayer”

2. I am fully in agreement that this year’s election for our next President, as well as all of the other elected officials who will serve our nation, state and local governments for the next four years (in the case of the President), is a critically important time for our nation in every regard – energy production and its effect on the economy, the war in Iraq, preparation to defend against the coming tide of jihad, the need to strengthen the integrity of the institution of marriage and the family, and so much more! Paul exhorts us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

“Kings and all who are in authority” – are we being faithful to do that now? Do we pray faithfully for: President Bush, Vice President Cheney and all of the Secretaries of the Departments of Government that comprise the Cabinet of the Administration? Do we faithfully pray for our Representatives in Congress and our Senators and the aides that assist them in their research concerning all of the Bills that come before them? Do we faithfully pray for our Supreme Court Justices and their legal aides?

Regarding the above, do we even know their names?

Please understand that these questions are not meant to bring condemnation to anyone! The intent behind them is to ask this: If we are not in the habit of faithful, daily prayer and intercession for those currently in leadership, will God hear our “prayers of panic” that we decide to lift up because we are concerned about the results of the upcoming elections?

Why would He? Could He be assured that we would faithfully pray for our next President and all of those who will lead our government, regardless of who those persons may be, for the next four years as faithfully as we attended to our “emergency prayer vigil” prior to and during the elections of this November?

Reflections About Prayer (2)

Sorry about the "misnumbering." I posted on the blog yesterday the e-mail that I had received concerning a call to pray one minute per day in concert with other believers at the same time each evening concerning the upcoming elections. This day (2) is my first reflection of three that I would like ot share with you. After that, I will use these reflections as a "linch pin" to begin posting a series on Revival. Prayer is that "linch pin" between these two concerns, so it seemed best to begin with this call to prayer.

Reflections on “One Minute Per Day in Prayer”

1. I researched as thoroughly as I could on the Urban Legends and Folklore web site and found nothing to substantiate or deny the historical claims put forth in this e-mail. That said, I believe it is always a good idea when someone calls for us to pray in agreement for any issues that concern our the welfare of our lives and the welfare of the Body of Christ, our families, our nation as well as the well being of all mankind.

My wife, Mary Jane, and I have dedicated focused prayer time over the years for certain individuals and/or specific situations. We had done all that we could in service and ministry to that person(s) or the given situation(s), and we knew that only God could bring about the full blessings that we desired for and in the lives of those involved. We would, for example, dedicate ourselves to stop whatever we were doing at 12:00 noon each day, or as close to that time as our circumstances would allow, and we would pray. We each knew that the other was also praying at that time, and we would confess the promise given to us by Jesus in Matthew 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. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

We have seen powerful, positive, progressive answers to these praeyrs (all Praise to Him from whom comes "every good and perfect gift" - see James 1:17). Let us keep these for "P's" in mind for further reflections on Revival - Praise, Powerful, Positive, Progressive!

I'll post Reflection 2 tomorrow. You'll have to excuse me; I need to go now, because I feel a really wonderfully explosive "HALLELUJAH SHOUT" coming on me now! Cião.

Let's Talk About Prayer (1)

I received this e-mail from a brother, Don Hendrickson. I have not checked the historical, via Snopes or Urban Legends, etc., because my focus on the idea that is proposed about us unifying in prayer. I would like to refrain from any comments today, because I have several, but I would like to bathe them in prayer a bit more, and will begin posting a multi-part series concerning several of the ideas contained herein beginning tomorrow. I assume I will have internet connection in Curitiba, but (a) not having a guarantee that I will, and (b) not knowing what my schedule for ministry there will or will not permit, please understand that if there is a hiatus of a few days (I will not be able to post Monday, June 30 or July 1, while returning to the U.S.) I will be faithful to pursue and to share these insights. If you would like to participate with me in this process, please feel free to e-mail me at rep46017@aol.com. Thank you, and God Bless!

---------

THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT IDEA. ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT Received from a friend and it is true, this is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees. Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America . The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever !!! If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the up-coming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S. If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone who you think will want to join us. God Bless You!!!

Praise Report and the Rest of the Trip

Wow! You saints sure do know how to pray! Thank you so much. :)

I have slept a solid, deep sleep for 6 1/2 and 6 hours the past two nights (my norm) and feel truly refreshed. My devotional time has been awesome, and I am pressing on into the Word for more and more of the insight from the Father's heart in several areas that I believe are relevant and so very important for this time. I would like to deal with one of these - some thoughts and a call to prayer and inetercession concerning our upcoming elections and related areas - in my next post.

Friday we leave for Curitiba. The weather turned bitter cold with heavy downpours of rain, so we got that real deep chilling effect from the cold and the dampness combined. Curitiba is even further south (away from the equator!), and everyone here keeps telling me that Curitiba is much, much colder than it is here! (Thanks, a lot :). Oh well, I've got that wonderful fire of the Holy Ghost keeping my heart warm and I am not suffering from any cold or flu systems, so I will put on layers of clothes, shiver and bless God! Then again, I think I'll ask the Father to turn up His atmospheric thermostat, if He would be so kind, and "enjoy the ride."

I have no idea of the agenda for this last stop of the trip. Therefore, knowing from past experience that I can have anywhere from 4 to 7 messages to give between Friday night, and Sunday, and, if the traditional pattern is followed, knowing that one of these services will be specifically for leadership and one will be specifically for the "joven" - teens and young adults - I am preparing in prayer and study accordingly.

Deus abençoe, Irmãos! (God bless you, Brothers! - (Sisters included! "Brothers" is generic, you know, like saints :)

Emcontra Story & Prayer Request

Upon my return from Marília, I've learned that I will speak to the TADEL meeting tonight. (TADEL is "Training and Development of Evangelico Leaders); this will be part 2 of a prophetic word/ teaching to that which I shared with them last week. I am not sure of Wednesday's schedule as of yet, but on Thursday night I will speak to the congregation of Villa Romana (Roman Village is one of the districts of the city of Londrina). Two years ago I was priveleged to attend and participate in the Ordination and Installation service of their new pastor, Pastor Clãodine. I have spoken at this church several times in past years when Pastor Atilio was there (he is now one of the associate pastors at the Mother Church with Pastor Enoc), and I worked with Pastor Clãodine 2 years ago at an Emcontra com Deus, but this will be my first opportunity to minister at the Villa Romana Church since his becoming their pastor. He and his wife are truly precious servants of the Lord - very dedicated. (Emcontra com Deus, or Encounter with God, is a weekend retreat, men's retreats for men only and women's retreats for women only) where for 3 days new believers receive a "crash course" in the faith and Christian living.

I attended, but because my Portuguese was not sufficient to teach without an interpreter, and since none was available to me at that time, I spent the entire weekend in intercessory prayer, observation of the mature brothers' ministry to these new believers and assisting them in prayer ministry to the men (for which, thank God, my Portugues was sufficient).

I have never witneesed such a powerful impact on new believers in my life! There is a two year waiting list to be eligible to serve at these meetings! (Imagine that!). The new believers are sent off by their families with a corporate church "send off" service. When they arrive, they are placed under a vow of silence until the last service! (Actually, it is one night and 2 full days thereafter - we arrived Friday night for dinner, and the last service ended on Sunday, late afternoon, in time to return for the Sunday night service which as an all out Hallelujah / Celebrate Jesus / Angels Dancing in Heaven Over New Believers "Blow-Out" service! At this service the men had opportunity to share their testimonies.

During the weekend there were really anointed times of seminar style teaching, dramatic presentations and testimonies, always followed by prayer for the men for them to surrender themselves anew to Christ in that area of their lives - doctrines of the faith (cliff notes version for intoduction purposes), marital relations, parenting, Bible reading and study and devotions, prayer life, healing, repentance for and deliverance from addictions of every sort - alcohol, drugs and pornography - physical violence and abuse of their spouses and children - Wow!

I saw brokenness and reconciliation in the most powerful ways and was so privileged to have had this experience. The Lord really anointed me beautifully for intercession from our arrival Friday night at 7:00 p.m. until the final meeting before our departure at 5:00 Sunday afternoon. He gave me the strength and passion to pray through most of the nights with only 2-4 hours of sleep per night and throughout both Saturday and Sunday during the days.

This trip has been similar in that my aggressive searching for God's heart about revival and constant study and prayer has caused, I believe, a real disruption in my sleep pattern. The beds are comfortable, and I am tired, but once again I am only sleeping an average of 3 or 4 hours a noght. The past Saturday night before teaching on Sunday morning and preaching two services on Sunday night, I only had two hours of sleep.

I am beginning to feel a litlle "punch drunk" with the fatigue, and I would really appreciate your prayer agreement with me for the energy and the strength that I need, because I do not want the enemy to have an opportunity to cause any problems in the ministry in any way due to my fatigue. I will say this, however ~ Glory to God, when I am under the anointing to share God's Word, "I feel no pain!" Hallelujah!

I love, value and appreciate you all so very much! God Bless and Watch Over you and your families tudos dias (all days = continually). Amen!

Brazil Ministry Update

Today, I returned from Marília ("third times the charm" to get the spelling of this city correct :). The ministry went very well! I had the opportunity to speak to the congregation on Friday evening about "The Father's Heart." On Saturday evening, they have a special service for the "Joven." This includes the older teens and the young adults, but as I mentioned before, many of the adults come out to support and encourage their young people when a special speaker comes into town. We ministered in three areas: biblical relationships to build strong marriages, preparation for spiritual warfare in light of coming persecution, and the Father's call to this generation for missions. We had a tremendous response for prayer and ministry with bout 45 young people, and I was so blessed that the Lord moved in the gifts of the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom and prohpecy. The positive feedback and testimonies as a result of that meeting continued throughout my time there on Sunday morning and Sunday evening. I praise God for His faithfulness to us! Hallelujah!

On Sunday morning, I shared with a Men's Group (part of their small group / cell group programs). Several of the men had been in the service the evening before, and they were deeply stirred and convicted about what they had heard, and as they shared this with the other brothers in the small group, it stirred up a very active discussion and ministry time. I also had the opportunity to share with them concerning the ministry of "The Voice of the Martyrs." Bless God!

On Sunday Evening we had two services and ministered at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. The topic was the Four Reguirements for Revival. Due to time constraints, I could only preview steps 2-4 and focus deeply on step 1 (which is, after all, the first logical step one must take in any arean, yes?). Also, at the 5:00 service, we had to be careful of our time limits, and therefore the ministry time after the message could not be as aggessive as I would have liked. The minsitry time after the second service, however, was really powerfully anointed by the Holy Spirit (as was that after the first service), and people had the freedom to stay to seek the Lord and stay under His anointing without constraint.

I thank the Lord for every opportunity to share His Love and His Word, and folks here asked me to thank you for being willing to "lend me to the nations" for His purposes. They send to you all their love, their blessings and their prayer to encourage you. That's the Body of Christ at work, yes? Yes!!

Bob in Brazil ~ "Todas coisas da minha vida estão nos mãos do meu Pai!"
(All things of my life are in the hands of my Father!)

Brazil Ministry Update

Oopah! Greetings from Marilha! Apparaently we had some translation/communications "oops" in my understanding of where Marilha is. It is not in the city of São Paolo, after all! It is however in the State of São Paolo :-). The city of Londrina is about 2/3 of the size of Indianapolis, and Marilha is about 2/3 the size of Londrina. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive northeast of Londrina and lies approximately 5 hours west of the city of São Paolo. That said, I am working here specifically with the First Baptist Church of Marilha. My interpreter is an American, David, who has lived here for more than 20 years, so the message for the church last night flowed beautifully, praise God! In our time of sharing before our first message, I shared with him the vision the Lord gave me in 2004 for Brazil to become a leader among the Western nations in sending out missionaries to the rest of the world, and I also shared my burden to be used of God to strengthen the Spiritual and Biblical Foundations of this up and coming generation of adolescents and young adults.

In David's sharing with me, in response to my questions about this church and its involvemnt with misisons, he shared that they were heavily involved with missions in many countries already with additonal plans to expand their missions outreach to Japan and Iraq. I asked him why he thought Pastor Enoc of Londrina would have so strongly recommended that I would come to this church inasmuch as they already have an ongoing misisons program here. David shared that he thought the timing of my coming to share with them is definitely of the Lord for two reasons.

First, the dimension that I am bringing to the congregation and to its pastor and leaders is a different approach, i.e. sending forth members of their own congregation in addition to their support for misisons through their denomination. This really touched his heart, and he quickly saw the increased dimension of power in prayer and support for those who are sent out when it is "our sons and daughters, our fathers and mothers, etc." Second, he said that there is almost an undercurrent of the assumption that this is an "adult" calling. The fact that I have a burden for the teens and young adults is a dimension that he felt was (a) much needed and (b) would receive a very powerful response.

I shared with him concerning my encouragement for young people, wo are so called, to complete their graduate stdudies and gain employment with international companies that would pay for them to go into countries as engineers, doctors, chemist, et. al.. These young professionals will be warmly received by those countries who need their skills, although these same nations would refuse them entry into the country if they attempted to come as self- identified Christian missionaries. These "undercover agents for the gospel," can perform the duties for their emplyers and the host counttries, and, at the same time, can begin the work of evangelism to start new underground church movements. David said that he knew this was the Word of the Lord for these young people at this time.

I truly thank the Lord for this confirmation and for David's encouragement. We are laying all of this on the altar before the Lord for His perfect will to be accomplished through these messages. Thank for your continuing prayer support. Praise God, I am in good health in almost every area, and when I am under His anointing to deliver His Word, "I feel no pain!" ~ Hallelujah!! Deus abencoes, Amados! (God Bless you, Beloved Ones!)

In the Lamb ~ Bob Preston In Brasil
"My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His works." ~ John 4:34

Brazil Ministry Update

Greetings from Londrina, Brazil! I arrived in Londrina on June 9 and today, June 20, I am preparing to leave for three days in Marilha, São Paolo. São Paolo is the "New York" of Brazil, if you will - their largest city. Marilha is considered to be its own city (comparable to a burrough in N.Y.). My time in Londrina has been very pleasant. We had some bitter cold weather just after I arrived - the coldest I have ever experienced here in 14 visits over the past 13 years. It was getting down to 35 degrees F. at night, and because we are right on the Tropic of Capricorn, these homes are not equipped with entral heating; nor do they have portable heaters.
Therefore, it was multiple layers of clothes, very fast runs to the bathroom at night, and "Brrrr!" ~Gloria Deus! :0)

The ministry aspect regarding missions is going slower than I had hoped, but I am not discouraged, because in additon to preaching to 3 congregations and teaching at the meeting for the Cell Group leaders, I have had some real quality time to share with the leadership of all 14 congregations here about the visison for the Brazileiros to raise up and send forth missionaries to the world. In every service and at every opportunity, I share the vision for Misisons for the churches of Brazil to send forth missionaries to the U.S. and to 4 Corners of the Earth. (This was the vision the Lord gave me while speaking at a city-wide Youth Rally here in Londrina in 2004). They have a weekly TADEL meeting (Training and Development of Evangelico Leaders). I had the privelege to speak to these key leaders last week and am scheduled to do so again for "part 2" next week when I reutrn to Londrina from Marilha.

This trip to Marilha is significant, because it is my first "in-road" into the churces in that part of the ocuntry, and Pastor Enoc (senior pastor here in Londrina of The Baptist Church of Glory) has informed me that (somehow) the word has already begun to go forth in other areas of São Paolo about the vision the Lord has given us, and I have an invitation for another large church in that city when I return next year. In Marilha I will speak at a Youth rally on Saturday night followed by a special service to the church's leadership. (Youth Rallys here are really "Awesome!" All of the teens sit in the front rows; seated all over the floor in front of the teens are their younger beothers and sister, and seated behind them are their parents an d grandparents, praying for their young people and cheering them on. Can you imagine the Joy ~ the release of the power of the Holy Spirit that comes upon us all in such a setting? Wow!)

Sunday night I will speak to the full church at their services at 5:00 and 7:00. (In Brazil, the Sunday School and special classes for leadership training are held in the morning, and the large Celebration Services are in the evening. This is truly a "later in the day" culture than we experience as Americanos. :)

The enemy has sent his "little foxes to spoil the vine" with a lot of "techno-attack" strategies - you know, problems and glitches with computer, e-mail, etc., blah, blah :). He is so lame! All glory to Jesus Christ, O Senhor do senhores e O Rei dos reis (the Lord of lords and the King of kings). He deserves all honor, glory, adoration and all of our attention and focus in todas coisas em nossas vidas (everything in our lives). I love it!

God is blessing me with a constant flow of revelations and insights in the Word. The pastors here are extremely interested in and focused on seeking the Lord for revival - more than at any time I have ever experienced with them (silly me, duh - I thought they were in revival!) Ah, well - as I sensed the depths of their hearts I began focusing all of my time and energy on aggressively seeking the Lord in prayer, and the result is that in every moment of my free times, other than devotional reading and Bible study and prayer, I have begun to put together what the Lord has been revealing to my heart.

The Lord knew of the Enemy's "techno-attack" strategy before he ever began to put it into play against me, because I had a sense that I needed to take a thumb drive with me; I purchased a 4 gig unit just before I left the States and keep it with me at all times so that I can back up everything that I put into the computer. (Take that, diablo - Sai, em o nome do Senhor Jesus ~ Take that, devil - GO, in the name of the Lord Jesus! - Yeah!)

I would like to post a special word of thanks to Patrick Poer and Kaleb Captain of Nora Christian Fellowship and to my two sons, Bryndon and Jason, who really helped me to take another step into the 21st regarding my abilities to work with and progressive (albeit slow) learning curve to enable me to communicate with you through this blog while still in Brazil. I have the full assurance that this progress will continue post haste when I return to the States and continue recieve their excellent tutoring. Thank you, guys! Praise God!

I love and appreciate you all so much!! Thank you for your financial, emotional, and spiritual support, for your love and friendship, and for your prayers to undergird and overshadow me and the ministry of Fresh Bread and especially for Mary Jane's health and safety while we are apart. You beloved Brothers and Sister in Christ mean far more to me than mere words can communicate! Deus Abencoe (God Bless You!).


In the Lamb ~ Bob Preston in Brazil
"My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His works." ~ John 4:34

Voice of the Martyrs Prayer Calendar

Jordan:

May 28 - Jordan has one million Iraiqi refugees; many of them are Christians.
Pray that God will use them as powerful witnesses for Christ.
May 29 - Some foreign missionaries have been deported.
Pray that God will make a way for many others to take their place.
May 30 - Pray for those who convert from Islam to Christianity who face legal discrimination
and the loss of their civil rights.
May 31 - Pray for King Abdallah II.

Thank you for your fiathfulness to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. May their power in the ever increase to effect the salvation of many!

Ministry Update

Please be in Prayer for our Ministry Schedule for June 2008:

June 1-4: Hancock, Maryland - Hancock Assembly of God
Voice of the Martyrs
Brazil Ministry
Marriage and Family Seminar for their Spring Revival

June 8-30: Brazil
Casting the Vision for Missions in -
Londrina, Curitiba and Sao Paolo

I will be posting to this blog while in Brazil at least once per week.

Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at fresh.bread.ministries@gmail.com



Thank you, and God Bless!
In the Lamb,
Bob Preston