Archive for November, 2007

I Like Joel Osteen

I read this article about Joel Osteen in the Orlando Sentinel.  Now the Sentinel is not christian puff paper.  It has lots of critical articles about some of the many mega ministries in Orlando.  The article details Joel Osteen’s less than lavish lifestyle.  The article got me to thinking.

I find it amusing how many preachers speak ill of Joel Osteen out of one side of their mouth’s then admonish their congregations not to gossip about the pastor out of the other side.  I find it almost hilarious that in many of these same churches you will hear worship dominated by songs his church puts out.

Its like the cessationist churches that play Hillsong music.  There is a term for this - double minded.

I don’t live in Houston.  I don’t know anyone that is being pastored by Joel Osteen and you probably don’t either.  If I had a tv show it would be radically different then his and in fact I have only watched it a handful of times.  But I have never once seen his show and rolled my eyes in bewilderment or shook my head in disbelief like I would at a “Christian” telethon, or “share-a-thon” or “missions week” or whatever misleading term they want to call a pledge drive.

I have never heard the man promise blessing in return for money and in fact he seems to have a humility that makes him the Elijah of this tv preacher generation.  People hate him, but thats what happens when you cut against the grain.

No matter your position on his church beware of the temptation to gossip and criticize.  They are traps of the enemy.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Church Management Software

Wow! Tracking offerings is enough to make you not want to receive an offering (almost).

There has to be a low cost alternative to the $1,000 suites of software. I test drove one opensource solution but it’s interface was pretty bad and the support was worse.

If you have any low cost suggestions please let me know. I just need to track offerings. I can do everything else with a spreadsheet at this time.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Blog Stuff

I have been ministering for years and this blog has kind of been a journal of sorts for the last couple few years.  However I am entering a new season and am weighing starting anew blog for my ministry or keeping it all here.

Not sure RevivalBlog readers are interested in the goings on of a ministry plant.

If you have an opinion let me know.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Rape

So I am working the altar the other day when I went to pray for a girl.  Instantly I knew that there was an unclean sexual spirit at work.  But I did not feel like she was in sin.  That may sound odd but that was my impression.  I asked her if there might be some sort of relationship that she was involved in that the Father may not be pleased with.  This was nothing heavy handed.  Just felt that I had to ask the question.

She was vehement that there was nothing.  I am ok with that.  I don’t run a cult, I am not going to make someone come up with something just to make me happy.   It’s the Holy Spirit that convicts, not me and it is the Holy Spirit that draws, not my words.  I left her alone and continued working the altar.

A little later I came back to her.  I felt like I had a little clearer picture.  I told her that I felt like something had happened and God wanted to heal it.  As I continued talking I told her that God would show her what I was talking about.  As we talked I knew she was seeing it.

Often as I counsel people they begin to receive revelation.  I frequently meet with people who want counsel and before they are done telling me the problem they know the answer.  That’s just how the gift works in me.

So as I was talking I could tell that she knew what I was talking about.  When I felt the time was right I laid my hands across her eyes and told her to see that situation.  This is not guided imagery.  I am not telling people to see anything.  I never tell people what to do or what to see.  I told her that I do not need to know what happened or what the memory was or any of that.  She had a memory that Jesus wanted to heal her heart of.  As soon as I told her to see whatever it was Jesus was pricking her heart about she started crying.  I asked her if she sees it and she answered that she did.

I then told her to look for Jesus.  The bible says that He will never leave us or forsake us. That He would be with us to the ends of the earth.  That means if we are His, He is with us.  When I told her to look for Jesus she started bawling uncontrollably.  I prayed till the peace of God overcame her.   I then asked if the memory had changed and to tell me what Jesus was doing to which she said,

“He is keeping my father from touching me.”

Selah

I wish I could tell you that I was shocked but I wasn’t.  You hear lots of statistics about girls getting touched inappropriately but when you start to see how it ruins girl’s lives the numbers take on a disturbing reality.

I was in prayer about preaching a few months ago and the Lord gave me a word of knowledge that He was going to bring healing to people who were molested.

At the end of my message I told the 150 or so youth the word of knowledge.  I did not pray for a minute before there were youth sobbing all over the building.  Boys and girls.  I wanted to just sit down and cry but I had an altar call for that and one other thing so they could have plausible deniability and the altar was full.  It seems like a majority of the girls that have relational issues that I counsel were molested.  I don’t know how many of the boys.

After the girl I ministered to this week regained her composure she began to make excuses for her dad, “I just want to let you know I did not get raped or anything.”  She was protecting him.  How sad is that.

I wish that I could hear preachers address this in service more often.  Just cut your giving message back a few minutes once a month and say something like, “Men, if you are touching your daughter inappropriately you need to repent and move out of the house until you get some professional help.  Girls and boys, if you are bing molested call the police.”  The fear of the Lord would come upon those who are contemplating it.

I don’t know this girl’s father, he does not attend our church.  I truly don’t know what I would do I he did.

—————-
Now playing: Hillsong United - Lead Me To The Cross

Popularity: 21% [?]

Never Say Never

This post could be pages upon pages but I am going to cut to the chase.

This past week I met with the senior pastor of the church that we currently serve under and asked to be released to start our own ministry.  He released us with blessing.

God has strongly laid some very specific things that I hope to share in the coming months on my heart about what He wants to do in this area and my role in one part of it.

We are taking a group of young men and women into the worst neighborhood we can find a meeting place in and plan to spark revival.  That is the goal.  Anything short of that is failure.

Since God is a provider, He has brought me a crack group for the mission.  Here are some of the strong points of my group of disciples:

  • Most have neither sold drugs, nor been in prison in the past year.
  • None learned false doctrine in Bible College because none have gone.
  • The group has enough cars to give rides to those who don’t (or legally can’t) drive.
  • A majority of the group has a job (though not all).
  • They are all absolutely sold out to Jesus, baptized in fire, and hungry for souls.

I think God loaded my deck!  Pray for us.  The adventure begins.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Big Day

Thursday morning I have a fairly big meeting regarding the future of my ministry.  Would you pray that God’s plans are revealed, embraced, and advanced?

Popularity: 7% [?]

On My Maidservants I Will Pour Out My Spirit

This will either bless and challenge you, or totally puzzle you.

I had a Friday night class that centered on ministering in the power of the Holy Ghost. About 30 people came. Most between 15 and 20 years old. Some older, some younger. One night I heard the Lord tell me to have an altar call. He said that if anyone wanted a spiritual gift to come to the altar and He will give it to them. That was a new one for me. I was obedient and told the people just as I had heard it. To my amazement only one person responded.

This was a 15 year old girl who said she wanted the gift of deliverance. I told her there was no such gift but that you would need the gift of discerning of spirits for that ministry so I will pray for that. I laid hands on her and called it forth. Down she went. She got up about a half hour later and told of a complete open heavens encounter that she had. She saw angels waring with demons in a complete battle. It was long and detailed. I talked to her about never taking part in the battle and not getting involved in the warfare. The angels were there for a reason.

Over the next couple months she got all kinds of stuff. She would get visions and see things in my meetings all the time and I came to really treasure the gift. Recently I sensed a shift in the gifting in purpose and strength. I had been discipling her in this gift but Jesus has decided to take over the discipleship process. I asked her to give account of what has happened recently. I mildly edited it to conceal her details.

—————————

It was June 17, 2007 and I was at Carl’s Friday night class at church, the last one I would attend since I was going on a mission trip to Omitted. We worshipped God, Pastor Pedro was a guest preacher, and then he asked us to come up to the front (I don’t remember for what). When I went up there, it was something different. Carl prayed for me and he didn’t say anything but “open heavens”. Then the fire of God fell on me and God, almost immediately, told me that my visions were going to be so clear from now on. Since that day, they’ve been picture clear.

A week from that day, I went on a mission trip to Omitted. Half way into the trip, while the team was in prayer and worship, God did something like I had never experienced. The song playing at the time was singing “I want to stand at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand, lay against you and breath, feel your heart beat”. That underlined part really sunk into my spirit. I asked God, “God, I want to feel your heart beat.” As soon as I said that God responded saying “I will give you more than that.” In an instant, I had a vision that I was in God’s heart. It was so real that I could tangibly feel God’s love around me. In God’s heart, I had my own room. In the room were pictures of my life hanging on the walls. The only picture that I saw was the Eiffel tower. As the vision ended, I could still feel God’s love around me and I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear.

The next encounter was on a Wednesday night, my first Wednesday back from Omitted. At the end of the service, I went up to worship. Sometime while I was up there, I saw angels pick me up and we started soaring through this “icy tunnel”. The reason I call it this is that it was a tunnel made completely of blue ice. We soared through there straight for about 2-3 minutes and then I was back where I was in the service, worshipping. I was so shook by where I had just been that I had no words except “God, You are so amazing!” A few minutes after that, Carl came over to me and started declaring open visions over me. Immediately, I was back in that same icy tunnel. I was enjoying it so much but I was still wondering where I was going. After soaring for about a minute, the tunnel dropped me of into the throne room of God! God’s glory in the throne room was so heavy that I fell at His feet, in the throne room and at the altar, to worship Him. I stayed down there for a while after I came back into the meeting and was by consumed by the glory of God. I just started singing “Let it rain!” over and over again until I saw that rain was falling down from heaven onto the people at the altar. This rain was the Holy Spirit coming and falling on the people there with all of His glory, fire, and power.

The next Wednesday was even more spectacular. We had a worship night that day. I knelt down at the altar to worship Jesus. Then, Carl came over with a word for me from God. God told him that I have the “Bride of Christ” anointing. He said that I have this intimacy with Christ that I’m actually able to go into His wedding chamber. He told me that I’m supposed to show others this intimacy so that they can have it, too.

God made this more clear through the following experiences.

It was towards the end of a Friday night class at Carl’s house. The glory of God started falling on me and I felt a burning fire running through my whole body, especially my head. I felt angels pressing me into the ground. All of a sudden, I was in the throne room. Jesus was on the throne while myself and others were sitting around Him. Everyone was dressed in royal gowns and jewels. I asked God, “Why are we all dressed like royalty?” He answered, “Because you are all my princes and princesses.” After He said that, I noticed that we weren’t conversing in English, but in tongues. Although I didn’t understand what we were saying, my spirit seemed to and so did the people around me. The only tongues that I recognized were Carl’s, who seemed to be talking with us. God revealed to me that that is how they speak in heaven.

After a little while of being back in the natural, I laid back down again in the same spot that I was in when I went to the throne room. God took me someplace but this time it was different. Jesus and I were in a courtyard dressed as if we were from the middle ages. I was sitting on one of the benches in the middle of the courtyard (The benches, though not connected, formed a circle) and He was holding my hand sitting in front of me. We were speaking in tongues to each other but this time I got the main point of what we were saying. We were speaking terms of endearment and telling each other how much we love one another. It was very intimate and something special between me and God. Ever since that day, I’ve gone back into that place that is only for God and I when ever I worship or pray to Him.

One day, as my mom and I were driving home, my mom started yelling at me. Every word that she spoke broke my heart a little more. As tears poured down my face, I lifted my head to see a sticker on a car that said, “Relax, God’s in control.” That little sticker slightly lifted my spirit. When we got home, I ran to my room and knelt down. I started to cry again and prayed to God asking Him to take everything. I then went to our courtyard and, instead of me sitting on the bench, Jesus was and I laid my head on His lap and He poured His love on me. He was dressed in a white gown that seemed to be silk but it was softer. The white of His gown was a white that I have never seen before and it seemed to glow along with the rest of Jesus.

One or two Wednesdays after this, I was worshipping. I was telling God that I just wanted to be with Him. Right after I said that, I went back into that courtyard. When I looked at His face, I was somewhat mesmerized by His beauty. I can’t even describe to you His features because they are so distinct like no other man. His eyes shined with love. He didn’t even need to say anything yet I still knew that His love for me was immense. After, the band told us to go back to our seats, I was still dazzled by God’s radiance.

At the end of the service, after Carl preached, Carl said for the intercessors to start praying, God gave me a vision. I saw Jesus walk over and sit on the edge of the stage, facing the audience. He started to cry. I said, “God, why are You crying? I don’t like when You cry.” He said, “They can’t here me, their ears are closed to my voice.” He yelled at the youth to hear Him but they didn’t. I started to pray and ask God to open their ears to His voice. As I prayed, people’s ears started to open and they could hear Jesus’ cry to them. Jesus stopped crying and started smiling, as did I. People went up to answer the altar call.

A few minutes later, I went up to worship behind them. As I looked at a cluster of people at the altar, God started speaking to me. He told me that they didn’t know how to drink from Him so they went to find things in the world to drink from because they were thirsty. God then showed me a pool of water in an oasis. He told me again that this was His water and that people needed to drink from His water but didn’t know how. They needed to be taught how to drink from God’s Spirit and someone had to teach them. This whole time that God was speaking this to me, I was burning and, basically, being overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit. He is so amazing!

As I sat in a chair that I had been placed in by Carl while the above paragraph happened, I went back to the courtyard. There, God told me that everyone has there own place with Him, like our courtyard, which not even angels can enter. This place is intimacy with God. Everyone’s place is different. He also said that others can experience what I have experienced and to take others with me the next time He takes me to heaven. Through these encounters, I was further understanding the Bridal anointing.

The next time I went to Carl’s Friday night class, I was worshipping. Carl saw an angel pouring oil over my head. Then He saw an angel walk across the room and place something purple in my hands. Then my hands physically started to lean down and before I knew it I was on the floor. I could feel an angel breathing on me and speaking to my spirit. Even though I didn’t know what it was saying, I knew my spirit did. God said to listen to the angels because they are here to help me. Then I saw the angel put a goblet made of gold in my right hand. I asked God what I was supposed to do with it and He said pour it over people.

It goes on but you get the idea. Exciting times!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Utter Confusion

I wonder how many forms of Christianity are really Christian. I know the call of God is without repentance but when are you no longer actually a minister? I don’t ask these questions lightly.

Lots of folks have no problem questioning the ministry of Al Sharpton. I personally have never heard him refer to Jesus yet he goes by the title Rev. Likewise Jessee Jackson carries the same title yet his methods of shaking down corporations in exchange for a ghetto pass are lost on me. While not illegal, I can’t really find it in the Bible.

Today Rudy Giuliani got an endorsement from Pat Robertson. Now, in case you forgot, Mr. Robertson said on his broadcast that Katrina was God’s wrath revealed because of legalized abortion. Has God repented of that wrath? Apparently there are larger threats on God’s mind.

“It is my pleasure to announce my support for America’s Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans,” Pat Robertson said in a statement issued by the Giuliani campaign. “Rudy Giuliani took a city that was in decline and considered ungovernable and reduced its violent crime, revitalized its core, dramatically lowered its taxes, cut through a welter of bureaucratic regulations, and did so in the spirit of bipartisanship which is so urgently needed in Washington today.”

Terrorism and tax breaks are more important to the Omnipotent God than abortion. While abortion is not the end all be all of my politics, as a minister I would have a pretty hard time endorsing Giuliani.

Might I remind the reader that America’s mayor committed a biblically worse offense than America’s President around the same time. Robertson said Clinton’s failure caused a “moral crisis” for which he should resign. It would seem that Giuliani’s “hopeful vision” for another wife during his wife’s chemo makes him a proven leader, not afraid of the wrath of God that lies ahead. Vote for him if you like, but for Robertson to publicly endorse him? We can really only come to one of three conclusions:

  1. You are a false prophet based on the importance you said abortion was to God in the past when you spoke in His name.
  2. Your prophesies were true but you do not care what is important to God and are encouraging others to do things contrary to the will of God. This is open rebellion to the revealed word of God to which God will reveal hurricane Katrina sized wrath based upon your faith in His retaliation in this age.
  3. You have completely lost your good senses. To which we should join with atheists over the ages in hopes that you will retire from public life.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

Surely you have heard about the Senate investigation of some of the biggest tv ministries.  I wonder how many ministries breathed a big sigh of relief when they found they were not on the list.

Ministry Today Magazine has a pretty good commentary on it here.

On another note I know you may be shocked that there have been three posts in as many days.  Here is how it goes:  I don’t journal.  When I don’t know what is happening I don’t write about it till I get understanding.  I have found in my life that when turmoil comes I need to be able to stand and process it.  The first thing to go is the chatter and unfortunately much of what we blog is chatter.

But I think I have a grasp on life now.  (Life has a grasp on me)

I just paid off a massive debt that we thought could have really bad consequences.  I don’t know how we did it.  Seriously.  My wife and I were talking last night and we could not figure out how we did it.

I can’t find a WP theme that I like.  It seems that there are whole organizations in India or Romania that pump out hundreds of ugly themes that have sidebars with useless widths (note to programmers, make sidebars at least 160px.  Why is that a big secret?)

Jesus is alive and calling me to do something I never thought I would be doing.  And He is telling me to do it soon.  Life really is exciting.

—————-
Now playing: Trip Lee - Give Him Glory

Popularity: 3% [?]

Quick Rant

I was on a Christian jewelry site and saw a link to their doctrine. My first question is to wonder why a jewelry site needed to post their doctrine. I looked however and came down to the last point of the section titled:

IV. PNEUMATOLOGY: THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

4. The Spirit bestows gifts, however the sign gifts (e.g. tongues, miracles) gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority was confirmed (1 Cor. 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:20; 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4; 1 Thes. 5:1).

Now, for the sake of being a good Berean lets take a little look see here:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (Listen)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Says that there are gifts and goes into detail listing them.

2 Corinthians 12:12 (Listen)

The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

Ok, signs attest to the office.

Ephesians 2:20 (Listen)

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

The foundation, these gifts must be pretty important.

Ephesians 4:7-12 (Listen)

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

More gifts given to men by the Spirit of God.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (Listen)

2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

God bares witness to doctrine with signs and wonders. Very important indeed.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 (Listen)

5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

huh? Not sure what this has to do with anything.

But I did not read anywhere in this list of Scripture that says it is ok to rip out whole chapters of the New Testament with a doctrine that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Does someone else see it in here?

—————-
Now playing: Extraordinary - Hear Us From Heaven

Popularity: 7% [?]

Life Comes At You Fast

Lots and lots going on around these parts. Haven’t blogged about it because I have been a little busy living it. :D

I have a purely hypothetical question. When you answer it, you can give me a purely hypothetical answer ;)

Say you were going to plant a new work and really did not have any affiliations with any network that you wanted to plant with. So your ministry is really an open canvas. You could partner with literally any Denominational / Planting / Apostolic / Overseeing network you wanted. Money is no issue because you don’t expect any. Which would you choose?

There are some networks out there today that are really amazing in what they are doing and if you could choose whichever you wanted because you were free of any denominational ties why not make the right decision from jump?

So what about it? Who would you join up with?

—————-
Now playing: Rick Pino - Holy Is Our King

Popularity: 4% [?]