Dec 2007
Coming Up
12/28/2007 06:01 PM
This New Year's Eve, invite God into the New Year... At
IHOP Atlanta we'll have a New Year's Eve Celebration
Service from 7:20-midnight in the main prayer room.
I'll be leading one portion of the corporate worship (a
drum circle), and we'll have prophetic worship, a
message, healing prayer, Intercession, etc. Child care
is provided, and you can find out more through IHOP-Atlanta.com
Healing
12/11/2007 02:55 AM
We're pressing into the issue of healing at IHOP
lately. It's close to my heart- I long to see the day
when no sickness or infirmity remains in the assembly
of the saints! It's even a part of the revelation we
received over our son. We named him Asa (healer),
because that's what the LORD instructed me concerning
my son's ministry. So, I'm joyfully reporting another
sign of the love of God in my own life: This past
Sunday, I was healed!
I've been impaired by a strained rotator cuff for the past couple months. The injury has hampered not only my workout, but my worship as well-- it's hard to dance and raise your hands with a rotator cuff injury, let me tell you! A good friend (and chiropractor) has been helping me through the healing process, but it was still very much an injury until Sunday night's Encounter at the missions base. Billy specifically called out joint related injuries to pray for, so I stood for prayer. After a very short prayer, he encouraged us to move and feel if there was any change. I began to lift my arm and instead of pain... 'pop, pop, click, pop, click, pop, pop"... no pain...moved around more...feels good... totally healed! Praise Yah!!!! I love the One who loves me, and I love being a part of His Kingdom.
--Wanted to share last night, but the martyrs issue was pressing on my mind after the service, while I continued in the prayer room... that's an intercessory missionary life for ya... get healed, praise the Lord, then cry and petition, write a blog, go home, sleep, wake up, go cry some more, then dance and praise, then learn something new about Him...repeat. :) Shalom.
I've been impaired by a strained rotator cuff for the past couple months. The injury has hampered not only my workout, but my worship as well-- it's hard to dance and raise your hands with a rotator cuff injury, let me tell you! A good friend (and chiropractor) has been helping me through the healing process, but it was still very much an injury until Sunday night's Encounter at the missions base. Billy specifically called out joint related injuries to pray for, so I stood for prayer. After a very short prayer, he encouraged us to move and feel if there was any change. I began to lift my arm and instead of pain... 'pop, pop, click, pop, click, pop, pop"... no pain...moved around more...feels good... totally healed! Praise Yah!!!! I love the One who loves me, and I love being a part of His Kingdom.
--Wanted to share last night, but the martyrs issue was pressing on my mind after the service, while I continued in the prayer room... that's an intercessory missionary life for ya... get healed, praise the Lord, then cry and petition, write a blog, go home, sleep, wake up, go cry some more, then dance and praise, then learn something new about Him...repeat. :) Shalom.
Martyr's Blood
12/10/2007 01:34 AM
Martyrdom is reaching an all time high across the globe
in recent years. It's been my privilege to pray for
several martyrs and their families. It's always a
burden of mourning when someone is executed for their
testimony. Yet it's also a reason to rejoice-- they
just got ushered to the front row in the Throne-room of
Heaven to stand before the LORD and pray night and day,
and to watch as God fulfills His plans at the end of
the age! And they are secured a crown and white robes!
(see Rev 6:9-11) The Enemy doesn't want martyrs. Did
you realize that? That's absolutely a bad idea for the
Enemy. A martyr is secured eternal life and great
reward in the ages to come! And furthermore, martyr's
blood anoints the land to produce a harvest of souls!
The only reason the Enemy wants a Christian martyred is
because they perceive the person to be even more
dangerous if left alive. Thus, to die a martyr for the
testimony of Jesus is absolutely the highest honor one
could hope for in this life. These are the days of the
martyrs, those who "have conquered him (the
accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony, for they loved not
their lives even unto death." (Rom
12:11)
This week we had a great blessing-- a pastor in India, was kidnapped several months ago and we got word to pray. This week he came to IHOP Atlanta! It was totally a God appointment. Our brother shared his experience of being brutally beaten and transported towards a Hindu temple more than ten hours from his orphanage. His captors kept tossing cold water on him to keep him from passing out as they assaulted his body and his mind by telling him he'll never preach the gospel again, never see his family again, he'll die before day... Until people prayed. God gave our brother a plan and put his captors to sleep, and he experienced nothing short of a miraculous escape! His captor even returned his cellphone to him as he was walking off the bus! What is that?! I'm grateful our brother will continue his earthly ministry, but aware that he's a marked target in the eyes of the enemy's camp. He returns to India, after much prayer, the laying on of hands, and financial support from many of us here in Atlanta.
Sunday morning two missionaries were shot and killed, others injured at the YWAM missions base in Arvada, Colorado. Twelve hours later, a shooter opened fire at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and killed four more, wounding others. The shooter was killed by a security officer. It hits very 'close to home' for us at IHOP Atlanta. IHOP has always been very closely connected with YWAM, and New Life has been a forerunner church in the prayer movement. So, this is how martydom emerges in the US? Columbine, WYAM, New Life... It will get much worse: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake," (Phil 1:29) Jesus foretold of the days prior to his return saying, "they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another... But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Mat 24:9-14) Meditate on that-- it's certainly not the 'ask-Jesus-into-your-heart-and-everything-will-be-wonderful' gospel I heard as a kid. Jesus himself just said to you 'you will be put to death, hated for my name' and then concludes 'THIS gospel'...the gospel of enduring persecution until death...'will be preached to all nations.'
The book of Revelation is a remarkable testimony, often misunderstood. It was written to encourage those of us who would be alive in the days of tribulation. Thus, we are often reminded throughout the book that present suffering and even death are only temporary. Jesus encourages us saying, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. (Rev 2:10-11)
This week we had a great blessing-- a pastor in India, was kidnapped several months ago and we got word to pray. This week he came to IHOP Atlanta! It was totally a God appointment. Our brother shared his experience of being brutally beaten and transported towards a Hindu temple more than ten hours from his orphanage. His captors kept tossing cold water on him to keep him from passing out as they assaulted his body and his mind by telling him he'll never preach the gospel again, never see his family again, he'll die before day... Until people prayed. God gave our brother a plan and put his captors to sleep, and he experienced nothing short of a miraculous escape! His captor even returned his cellphone to him as he was walking off the bus! What is that?! I'm grateful our brother will continue his earthly ministry, but aware that he's a marked target in the eyes of the enemy's camp. He returns to India, after much prayer, the laying on of hands, and financial support from many of us here in Atlanta.
Sunday morning two missionaries were shot and killed, others injured at the YWAM missions base in Arvada, Colorado. Twelve hours later, a shooter opened fire at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and killed four more, wounding others. The shooter was killed by a security officer. It hits very 'close to home' for us at IHOP Atlanta. IHOP has always been very closely connected with YWAM, and New Life has been a forerunner church in the prayer movement. So, this is how martydom emerges in the US? Columbine, WYAM, New Life... It will get much worse: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake," (Phil 1:29) Jesus foretold of the days prior to his return saying, "they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another... But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Mat 24:9-14) Meditate on that-- it's certainly not the 'ask-Jesus-into-your-heart-and-everything-will-be-wonderful' gospel I heard as a kid. Jesus himself just said to you 'you will be put to death, hated for my name' and then concludes 'THIS gospel'...the gospel of enduring persecution until death...'will be preached to all nations.'
The book of Revelation is a remarkable testimony, often misunderstood. It was written to encourage those of us who would be alive in the days of tribulation. Thus, we are often reminded throughout the book that present suffering and even death are only temporary. Jesus encourages us saying, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. (Rev 2:10-11)
