January 5, 2017
As we entered the house we would be staying in this month, my first thought was “oh Lord help!” (My most prayed prayer!) We were spoiled the past two months staying in nicer hostels, but this house was pretty much an extra house someone had that they didn’t live in–pretty much an abandoned house. It still had furniture and pictures, everything you would find in a house, but layers of dirt, cob webs and rat poop everywhere. Walls had holes, rust and was falling apart. Ants everywhere, and mice running around. There are three tiny rooms that would not fit all 13 of us. Thankfully there was a shack type deal attached to the house outside so there was room outside with a roof.
I decided to pitch my tent outside. The first night was rough–a dog with a very irritating high pitch bark was barking almost all night. It was so hot that I was laying in a puddle of sweat…sorry for tmi.. lol. And people stay up pretty late so I don’t get to sleep early. I probably fell asleep about 1am and then woke up at 5am. If you know me I like my full night sleep!! Oh not to mention we have a pretty packed schedule from morning to night!! And all I was thinking is how is all this ministry going to work off hardly any sleep!?? Ohhh but God…
So that morning I woke up at 5am in God’s grace totally overwhelming me!! With a rough night sleep–it didn’t even matter. As I spent time with God before the crack of dawn and before everyone else started waking up His sweet Presence began to strengthen me, His joy filled my heart and I felt I could take on the world. It was the best hour and a half!! Then to top it off I went for a run continuing in worship and declaring His word over my day!!!
That morning we actually were on a Christian radio broadcast sharing the good news, and encouraging people in the Lord. We then spent an hour in a classroom telling the students about Jesus and Holy Spirit. This particular class was going to be going to high school their next year so I had the privelage to plant seeds in them and warn them about the peer pressure of this world. They have opened the public schools to us to preach the gospel!! So we are going daily to preach!
I say it’s a privelage not because of me being someone special to do this, but meaning that I don’t take it lightly. When we have the opportunity to invest in someone’s life and bring them the hope of Jesus it makes me want to fall on my knees and weep. I promise I’m not being dramatic He literally hits me with His compassion and that’s what happens!! I’m usually a weeping mess!!
This is someone’s life we’re talking about and I want to give Jesus my all so He can flow through me to touch and change someone!! I believe that’s our whole purpose right? That’s what it’s all about and what an honor that God would give us the responsibility to shine His Light not because we are something great, but because Greater is He Jesus that lives in us than he that’s in the world!! And people are dying in the world and looking for the answer and we the Church carry the answer–Jesus!!
Jan 11th, 2017
This trip has been so amazing in that I’m being thrown in situation after situation where I have to share my testimony and preach the gospel. I can’t run from it!! As firery as people think I am, I have actually run from this call.
I have let what other Christians think of me shut me down. Because of their complacency and lack of conviction and me being the one that sticks out like a sore thumb because I’m so excited about every little thing that God does that I just want to praise Him for it and talk about it. But unfortunately some people are not always thrilled about it. So I have been snared at, laughed at, mocked and rebuked for it in the past.
Over the years I have encountered people that it irritates them. A religious spirit hates when God gets glory. A religious spirit will always accuse and shut down any talk about Jesus and the power of God. God is revealing to me that I have been a people pleaser in this area, walking on eggshells wondering if certain people are going to be ok if I testify, if it’s ok to be this passionate and excited for what God has done through the works of Jesus Christ.
Some people think Love is not to offend people, but the Word will offend those that are not open and willing to change. It will offend those that are religious and have faith in their works instead of the works of Jesus.
I’ve had to make a choice am I going to people please those religious that snare at my faith, conviction and passion for God by letting them control how excited I am about what God is doing? Or am I going to unashamedly declare what Jesus has done for me to save one at the cost of offending the religious.
Jesus seemed to offend the religious all the time because His relationship with the Father and what He preached! It didn’t fit in their box, it didn’t fit with the norm. And it definitely didn’t make sense to the carnal mind!! They were jealous of the relationship Jesus had with the Father and the power He operated in.
I remember my pastor telling me that not everyone will celebrate my walk with God and that I must not be moved when they don’t. I can’t remember his exact words something like the blessing on a person’s life will provoke jealousy in others. Of course I wasn’t thrilled hearing that, but oh I can hear my pastors voice when these situations come up and those words anchor and encourage me at the time I feel the most rejected, and alone. And the Presence of God comes in like a flood to remind me He is with me and never leaves. Oh to put your trust in Jesus!!
So I can’t say I’m 100% there yet or even close in my sharing the gospel, but I am getting bolder and bolder and every high school class I walk into with teens that are in bondage I am not going to just let this opportunity pass me by when God has given me the responsibility to share the good news after what He has done in my life!!! This is what we are called to do and we are qualified through the works of Jesus!!
How dare I keep quiet about the works of Jesus when people are going to hell!! How dare I keep quiet just because it makes someone uncomfortable!! And how dare I keep quiet after He so radically delivered, transformed me and took me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me to the Kingdom of His dear Son.
What it comes down to is life or death!! And it be like….”when I think about the Lord how He raised me, how He saved me, how He picked me up and turned me around. How He placed my feet on solid ground, makes me wanna shout hallelujah thank you Jesus, Lord you are worthy of all the glory….”
With that said, each class I go into, the boldness is getting stronger and stronger and the more I yield fearlessly I can sense Holy Spirit just take over!! And the faces on these kids are captivated and alls I believe is the Holy Spirit is planting seeds to take root in their hearts, so when they lay in bed at night their conscience will be so convicted of this God that loves them and wants to be in relationship with them that they will turn to Jesus because of His kindness and goodness!!
After sharing my testimony boldly in this one class, one girl stood up and asked is it easy to accept God?” You could only imagine my exuberant response.. YES!! As I invited her and the whole class to accept Jesus– they all made Jesus their Lord!! That one girls question opened the way for an altar call and now they are all saved!! I was so in awe of God!!
They started asking questions and I felt so helpless without a bible to give them, so I told them I would be right back and ran out the classroom to find the pastor we were working with. I brought him to the class and got index cards for all of them to right their contact info so that the church could follow up on them. The pastor asked them questions of what they heard and they started raising their hands, “Jesus gives peace.” Jesus will change your life.” “Jesus never leaves you.” I was having another heart melting praise attack because of the sweet Presence of God assuring me that these kids were taking it all in and are forever changed!! Two of them showed up to church that Sunday and also brought their sibling!! Praise God!!
I knew after this I wouldn’t dare not give the invitation to receive Jesus. Classroom after classroom after preaching what He has done for me I invited them to know this Love that transformed my life, and student after students gave their hearts to Jesus!! This is probably the most amazing thing for me to witness– for people to encounter the Fathers love through Jesus!!! And because I know what My Jesus did for me I can’t not tell people!! Love that went so far for us!!! Love that endured all the torture, Love that went to hell and became sin for us so we can spend eternity in Heaven!! Love that made a way for us to be in relationship with a good, good Father and has given us the victory and authority over all the plans of the enemy!! If we would only believe!!
This week we have a three day event at a college as well as a community event where I will be sharing what Jesus has done in my life so be praying for that!! Also we will be on TV broadcast bringing the good news this week so we are just scattering seeds all over the place so God can move mightily in people’s lives!!! Thanks everyone!! Love you!! If you ended up giving don’t give to this account. My account closes January 31st and whatever funds are giving after will go to a general fund to the ministry. But if you stil want to give private message me and I can give you my personal account. Love you all!!
