(kolby) Walking back from small groups last night I was not having the greatest time. During the entire bible study I felt anxious to leave and get back to house…I don't know whether it was because I was hungry or just tired of sitting in a small, hot, humid room with eight other people. Finally we left and headed back home and as soon as I walked in the door I see Mike and Andrea just lost in the Spirit worshiping. I thought to myself, "Thats flippin awesome!" Especially since Andrea hasn't personally experienced the Holy Spirit moving in power. I went to the table to get some food and sat down to eat…and watched the Spirit move in front of my eyes. As I watched it was as if God reached out and grabbed my heart and pulled me over to sit next to Andrea. Just sitting down next to her was enough for me to start to flow in the Spirit and at that moment I started to want to dance! So I go up, with my plate of food, and danced…and ate…and worshipped…all at the same time!
After family time we grabbed our head lamps, marched outside, and found the gate locked…not knowing what to do we started to try to find a way to the church…then one of our contacts who we thought was asleep came outside and unlocked the gate for us. He was half asleep and we were scared that we had upset him but he was actually really pumped that we were going to the church to worship. After we started, three hours flew by…definitely not enough time when you are in the presence of the Living God.
(mike) She ran outside yelling to her teammates, "Free weed! Free weed! You've got to come experience this!" She had been going through alcohol withdrawl. She loved partying. She didn't want to give it up. She's been completely open and honest about everything. I told her that drunkenness is a cheap imitation of the things of God, and that God wanted to fill her with His Spirit. She didn't believe that it would be better. She didn't believe God would fill her. She didn't want to ask for it. And yet, something in her had to know… is this for real? Could she really experience drunkenness without taking a single drop of alcohol?
She didn't want to pray. She had her doubts. But we prayed. I thanked God that He was with us, and that when two or more are gathered in His name He HAS to come. I saw Jesus standing in front of us. He had a wine bottle, poured a glass, and dumped it on her head. Then I saw Him in a great big wine room, and God was saying there is NO END to His Holy Spirit, and that the Rivers of Living Water are REAL and endless and for us and all we have to do is ask. I described what I saw to her. I asked if I could pray over her and annoint her with oil. She thought that would be weird. I agreed, but said it's biblical and who cares lets just try it! Lets just see what happens, we are free.
She got some Japanese cherry blosom perfume from one of her teammates. It wasn't oil, but who cares. I sprayed some on my hand, declared it was annointed in Jesus name, laid my hands on her head and prayed. I prayed for God's Holy Spirit to come down. He did! She can't believe that it's all free! God gives us His Spirit freely and all we have to do is ASK!
That's when she ran outside yelling "Free weed!" She is really flippin' funny. She was experiencing God in a REAL way and wanted her teammates to have that same experience. She came back inside, and her and I worshipped God for a couple hours. She was drunk in the Spirit. We had family time that night. Near the end God started speaking through her. IT WAS SOOO POWERFUL. Straight up words from Heaven. Words from God to our team. Challenging words. Words to get off the fence. To stop holding back from God's Spirit. Things will be different from now on. After family time a group of us went to the church (around 11pm), and worshipped God until 2am! We prophesied over each other, and it was incredible!
She is a completely changed person, she will testify to that. She grew up catholic, all this is new to her. But she has had a powerful encounter with God and she will never be the same.
This is only the beginning…
