Thursday, May 27, 2010
For the Love of Christ
There really has been a lot going on here. Training of Children’s Workers, School Assemblies, and now Missy Garvey from Reading, PA is here helping me produce this National Children’s Weekly TV program to reach out to the kids in the school hostels. I have chosen this last bit of space in my newsletter, however, to share with you something else that really touched my heart (and I’m sure God’s heart) last week.
It was during our Kids Choir Outreach. There was a communications fail with the school we use, and the hall was locked. It was very cold that day, but we still decided to have praise and worship - outside. The kids didn’t come prepared for the cold weather, but wanted to worship anyways. We had our new choir t-shirts, so I just told some of them to put on two or three t-shirts each to stay warm.
As we were outside worshiping, kids from the neighborhood started throwing rocks at us from behind a wall. We couldn’t really do anything to stop them.
I looked at the shivering kids and said, “Y’know, you can read about in the Bible where the Christians in the early church were persecuted. Now here’s your chance; here’s your opportunity. Are you still going to worship Jesus even though people are throwing rocks at you?
Those kids responded, “YES!” and we stayed out in the cold, singing that song, “He loves us, oh, How He loves us, Oh, . how He loves us, Oh, How He loves us ALL.”
It was during our Kids Choir Outreach. There was a communications fail with the school we use, and the hall was locked. It was very cold that day, but we still decided to have praise and worship - outside. The kids didn’t come prepared for the cold weather, but wanted to worship anyways. We had our new choir t-shirts, so I just told some of them to put on two or three t-shirts each to stay warm.
As we were outside worshiping, kids from the neighborhood started throwing rocks at us from behind a wall. We couldn’t really do anything to stop them.
I looked at the shivering kids and said, “Y’know, you can read about in the Bible where the Christians in the early church were persecuted. Now here’s your chance; here’s your opportunity. Are you still going to worship Jesus even though people are throwing rocks at you?
Those kids responded, “YES!” and we stayed out in the cold, singing that song, “He loves us, oh, How He loves us, Oh, . how He loves us, Oh, How He loves us ALL.”
These Signs Shall Follow
I am consistently amazed by the grace that we are seeing over here. Word of knowledge, healing, visions; it’s all grace. But the most amazing grace is the wonderful touch of the love of the Holy Spirit, showing His longsuffering, faithful love and forgiveness.
Here’s just some tidbits of what I’m writing about. In the Kids Choir community outreach I’m doing, I had heard about one of the children who was having some real physical problems. Along with severe abdominal pains, this young boy was vomiting blood and the doctors at the hospital were not able to help him. This condition was causing him to miss church, school, and kids’ choir.
One day as I drove through his neighborhood, I saw him by his house and I told him to come to the next choir practice so we could pray over him for healing.
The day that this boy came to choir, we had a wonderful worship experience and the kids laid hands on him and prayed over him. Two of them had visions and gave prophetic words and there was just a wonderful anointing in the place. The young boy, Mcdonald knew that the Lord had healed him and has not had a problem with the ailment since.
One of those kids who had a vision and prayed for the healing also had another vision at last night’s prayer meeting. He said that he felt like within two weeks that there is going to be an earthquake here in Namibia along the coast. Several other Christians have also had this same vision, so we’re expecting the ground to be shaking around here pretty soon. Pentecost Sunday is right around the corner, so it’ll be right on time. Ummm, maybe a prayer for God’s protection and grace on our lives over the next couple weeks should be in order?!!! Thanks. : - )
It’s not often when I get to be used in a Word of Knowledge, but when it happens, it sure is fun. On that Easter outreach I met some guy who was out on the street trying to sell his guitar. I told him I was on the way to a crusade and to get into the truck with me. When he got in I said, “Jabulani, This is your day to stop going your own way and give your heart to the Lord.”
He said, “Hey, how do you know my name?”
Now, I had no idea “Jabulani” was the guy’s name; I just felt like I should say that. So I told him, “I didn’t’ know your name, but God does, and when a stranger who doesn’t know you comes up to you and calls you by name and tells you it’s time to follow Jesus, I think you should listen.”
He responded, “You must have heard me playing in Germany while I was touring there. Are you German?”
“Never been to Germany in my life.” I told him, “and don’t even speak German. This is your day of Salvation, man.”
Jabulani accompanied us to the evangelistic film outreach we were doing that evening and I lost sight of him, but praise the Lord, what an experience. I’m just still so thrilled to be a part of the Lord reaching out to someone in a supernatural way, calling them by name.
Here’s just some tidbits of what I’m writing about. In the Kids Choir community outreach I’m doing, I had heard about one of the children who was having some real physical problems. Along with severe abdominal pains, this young boy was vomiting blood and the doctors at the hospital were not able to help him. This condition was causing him to miss church, school, and kids’ choir.
One day as I drove through his neighborhood, I saw him by his house and I told him to come to the next choir practice so we could pray over him for healing.
The day that this boy came to choir, we had a wonderful worship experience and the kids laid hands on him and prayed over him. Two of them had visions and gave prophetic words and there was just a wonderful anointing in the place. The young boy, Mcdonald knew that the Lord had healed him and has not had a problem with the ailment since.
One of those kids who had a vision and prayed for the healing also had another vision at last night’s prayer meeting. He said that he felt like within two weeks that there is going to be an earthquake here in Namibia along the coast. Several other Christians have also had this same vision, so we’re expecting the ground to be shaking around here pretty soon. Pentecost Sunday is right around the corner, so it’ll be right on time. Ummm, maybe a prayer for God’s protection and grace on our lives over the next couple weeks should be in order?!!! Thanks. : - )
It’s not often when I get to be used in a Word of Knowledge, but when it happens, it sure is fun. On that Easter outreach I met some guy who was out on the street trying to sell his guitar. I told him I was on the way to a crusade and to get into the truck with me. When he got in I said, “Jabulani, This is your day to stop going your own way and give your heart to the Lord.”
He said, “Hey, how do you know my name?”
Now, I had no idea “Jabulani” was the guy’s name; I just felt like I should say that. So I told him, “I didn’t’ know your name, but God does, and when a stranger who doesn’t know you comes up to you and calls you by name and tells you it’s time to follow Jesus, I think you should listen.”
He responded, “You must have heard me playing in Germany while I was touring there. Are you German?”
“Never been to Germany in my life.” I told him, “and don’t even speak German. This is your day of Salvation, man.”
Jabulani accompanied us to the evangelistic film outreach we were doing that evening and I lost sight of him, but praise the Lord, what an experience. I’m just still so thrilled to be a part of the Lord reaching out to someone in a supernatural way, calling them by name.
Easter Outreach in Omaruru
It’s better to do a little with the anointing, than much activity without it. Over these last few months, I have seen so much more accomplished when accompanied by prayer; than when we haven’t had time to ADEQUATELY pray. Bottom line: We don’t have time not to pray.
Our Easter outreach to Omaruru saw wonderful success due to the miracle working power of the Holy Spirit, which was, I believe, proportionate to the emphasis on prayer and the cooperative efforts of Christians from different churches.
The first night we were in Omaruru, I preached. The second night, we were going to show a movie out on the big soccer field where we had done our afternoon children’s program. (We do the afternoon outreaches, and invite the people to come back in the evening for a movie).
As the evening approached, the clouds moved in and people started asking, “What are we going to do? It’s rained here the last few evenings and it looks like it’s getting ready to do it again.”
“Let’s just go to the field and set-up,” I said. “Let’s just step out in faith.”
When we arrived at the field and started to set up, we could see the clouds moving in and the heavy rains falling just to the North of us.
Someone arrived and said, “Guys, it doesn’t look good. We just came from Otjiwarongo, and it was raining on the way. It looks like it’s headed this way.”
“Let’s all join hands, form a circle, and pray,” I said. Everyone got together and started praying. We just prayed that the Lord would give us a canopy of angels and that not one drop would fall on us that evening. Not one drop.
Then the strangest thing happened. I’ve never seen it before or since. It looked like the sun was rising in the East, but it was around 6pm in the evening and the sun was actually setting in the West. Wow. The reins of the oncoming clouds were pulled back and they came no closer. The sound system, projector, and screen were set up; the crowds gathered, the movie played, the altar call was given, and the people responded. Once again, we don’t have time not to pray!
Our Easter outreach to Omaruru saw wonderful success due to the miracle working power of the Holy Spirit, which was, I believe, proportionate to the emphasis on prayer and the cooperative efforts of Christians from different churches.
The first night we were in Omaruru, I preached. The second night, we were going to show a movie out on the big soccer field where we had done our afternoon children’s program. (We do the afternoon outreaches, and invite the people to come back in the evening for a movie).
As the evening approached, the clouds moved in and people started asking, “What are we going to do? It’s rained here the last few evenings and it looks like it’s getting ready to do it again.”
“Let’s just go to the field and set-up,” I said. “Let’s just step out in faith.”
When we arrived at the field and started to set up, we could see the clouds moving in and the heavy rains falling just to the North of us.
Someone arrived and said, “Guys, it doesn’t look good. We just came from Otjiwarongo, and it was raining on the way. It looks like it’s headed this way.”
“Let’s all join hands, form a circle, and pray,” I said. Everyone got together and started praying. We just prayed that the Lord would give us a canopy of angels and that not one drop would fall on us that evening. Not one drop.
Then the strangest thing happened. I’ve never seen it before or since. It looked like the sun was rising in the East, but it was around 6pm in the evening and the sun was actually setting in the West. Wow. The reins of the oncoming clouds were pulled back and they came no closer. The sound system, projector, and screen were set up; the crowds gathered, the movie played, the altar call was given, and the people responded. Once again, we don’t have time not to pray!
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