Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Miraculous Auto Repair!

Testimony from Dave Hayes:

The kingdom of God suffered violence today. 3 days with a stubborn, broken down Volvo. I worked on it and fixed what I could, to no avail. Karl and Kristen were praying and declaring it would be resurrected from the boneyard. Karl finally lost his cool and sat in the driver's seat and commanded the dead car to start in Jesus name....vrooOOM! it started and ran perfectly.


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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

"This is Personal"

In 2003, the day after Easter, as I was driving towards Yelm, the presence of the Holy Spirit filled my car. I was so excited about His presence, it took me a little while to settle down.

I heard the Holy Spirit say this, "What I am doing, I am not doing because you have prayed perfectly right. What I am doing, I am not doing because you have prayed long enough. I heard the enemy boast that the Northwest is his. This is personal. I am going to pour out the light of MY Glory over the Northwest and the darkness will flee from before My presence. It isn't later it's now." He kept saying this over and over.

I heard Him say, "I am going to plunder the treasuries of darkness here, and raise up and use the least of the least to shame the enemy. I am going to use for My Glory, those about whom others have said, they are beyond all hope. I saw a picture of people who were bound in dark dungeons underground coming up into the light. He said, it isn't later, it's now.

He said, " The wars in the heavenlies are not fought over wealth or land; they are fought over the souls of men. People are the prize! All those who call on My name will be saved. I have stirred Myself up as a man of war, and with my own right arm and My upraised right hand I will bring vengeance against the enemy."

I saw a picture of a homeless man encountering the risen Christ on a street and his life being radically change in an instant and then passionately sharing Christ with others. I heard the Holy Spirit say, "I am even going to heal the water and the land. It isn't later it's now."

I asked, "Lord do you mean “now” now or Your now? He said, "When you see something happen with your natural eyes you say the time is "now." I say the time is now when I declare it's now."

Jan Rouse, 2003
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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Joanna Reyburn: Some Practicals on Living in an Outpouring

This article was published on Joanna's Facebook page. Click here to go to the original post. As the move of God grows in Olympia, we may do well to heed her advice. 

Sunday, Noovember 15, 2009

The Lord is doing incredible things in Kansas City right now through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. I was inspired to write, not about what the Lord is doing for those who aren't here, (If you don't know what I'm talking about - check out www.ihop.org/watch) but about what to do for those of use who are here in the thick of it, or for others who find themselves in the middle of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

When I think about previous outpourings (or renewals or awakenings), I think of Toronto, Brownsville and Lakeland. From all of these, there are practical dynamics and lessons learned. I want the council from those who have gone before and have some pretty good thoughts. In all humility, none of the following thoughts originated with me, they come from asking questions or receiving some advice, reproof and exhortation regarding the way I was living.

I'd love to get even more input on these and other practical areas.

The premise of the following points is "When in a Move of the Holy Spirit" - and this is particularly focused towards people who are involved in altar ministry, administration, ushering, singing, worship leading, etc.

1. Eat Food
If you have an ambitious fasting regimen, maybe transition to something like a Daniel fast, no caffeine, or fast one day a week. I was in an internship a few years ago and we were talking to Bob Jones about fasting, and He said "When the Bridegroom is with you (referring also to an unusual season of visitation) you don't fast, but when He's not there, then you fast."

2. Stay Hydrated
Drink lots of water. You will get dehydrated really really fast, and then you wake up with swollen gunky eyes, chapped lips, raw face, and you start to feel worn down in your body.

3. Try some cranberry juice
I know this sounds funny, but a few years ago, I was worship leading at some classes with Shawn Bolz and Paul Keith Davis, and every night after worship, my lower back would just BURN in pain and I could hardly get to my seat. Paul Keith pulled me aside and told me about Bob Jones' cranberry drinks. Bob said that when you were ministering in a flow of the anointing, that you needed to take good care of your kidneys, which he called the Biblical "reins" - he said that's where the anointing flows from. I didn't ask a lot of questions or try to figure out the who's what's and why's, I just started drinking cranberry juice and lots of water and I noticed that the pain was gone.

Here's some more on the "reins" for the interested: Reins - the kidneys, the supposed seat of the desires and affections; used metaphorically for "heart." The "reins" and the "heart" are often mentioned together, as denoting the whole moral constitution of man (Ps. 7:9; 16:7; 26:2; 139:13; Jer. 17:10, etc.)

Paul Keith also suggested finding a good friend to pray, or putting your own hands on your lower back and asking the Holy Spirit to fill you up and refresh you if you're feeling that type of pain during ministry.

If someone is engaged in a dynamic ministry where the Lord is really resting on them to provide leadership - whether its a speaker or worship leader or someone with an unusual anointing during ministry times, in our case people like Wes Hall, Allen Hood, Shelley Hundley and our amazing leadership team, they may need some "back up" or prayer that the Lord would continue to flow through them, cover them attack and fill them up.

4. Eat healthy.
I've heard stories about this and have experienced and observed it firsthand myself, when it's 1:30 am and you've been in the meeting for 8 hours, and you're starving and nobody wants to go home and cook at 1:30 and nothing else is open, so you go to Buffalo Wild Wings AGAIN for the 10th day. I also observed it at a recent outpouring and was thinking, "You guys have been eating that? No wonder you feel bad!" 65 days in a row of junk food will make you feel terrible. The Holy Spirit is not going to transform that deep fried, sugar covered junk into fruits and vegetable in your stomach. You need to make those choices that will help sustain your "weak frame."

Now I understand (I've been to BWW twice already as have an entire worship team) that no one wants to cook at 1:30 am. But you need to become deliberate about eating healthy! Some friends of mine have a plan: we're getting 10 or so people together into a little cooking co-op where a couple of us will leave the service around 10:30 to go prepare some food, and the other 8 can come after the service and we'll all eat together. We rotate houses, and cooking responsibilities and pitch in some funds. You can get some of your friends together and do something like that and you'll save lots of money, feel better because you'll be eating better, and you'll have great redemptive fellowship in the afterglow of the Holy Spirit.

You also might want to get some cliff bars to keep with you - 8 hours of ministry is a long time.

5. Get Plenty of Rest
This isn't a time to push your body to point of exhaustion. You may find yourself needing a lot more sleep than you did before, that's normal.

6. Eliminate the Unnecessary. 
Stay faithful with what the Lord has really called you to stay faithful with; Mike used the example of feeding the homeless, but if you're doing lots of "stuff" consider downsizing. Suspend your end times Bible study for a season, cancel unnecessary meetings, and simplify your life so that you can fully receive all that the Lord has for you during this time. When you look back on this time years down the road, you're not going to regret being as involved as you can. You may regret not being more involved.

7. Keep your Devotional Time
Maybe before this, you've been able to have devotional time in the prayer room, but with all that's going on now you're going to need to carve out quiet time ALONE with Jesus. In the secret place, He's going to speak and minister and fill you up and sustain you. Don't think that because you're spending 8 hours at an outpouring service that you can throw out your devotional time. The Lord will meet you in such sweetness during these private times - He will meet you with that same manifest presence that is there during the altar ministry for impartation to others if you take the time. And during the meetings or prayer room ministry time, you can switch back and forth from praying and releasing to personal receiving.

8. Keep Taking Your Day Off
I like what Susan Berglund mentioned below, nightly meetings will ebb and flow. Don't feel like if you take a night off that God is not going to meet you anymore. There is NO condemnation for resting your body or spending time with you family. Even in the midst of the most dramatic healings, miracles, salvations and power demonstrations that we look forward to in the capital lettered REVIVAL, you're still going to need a Sabbath and some time off.

9. Realize that You are going to be Sensitive
Things that didn't bother you before may grieve your spirit now. It's good to keep that in mind that in your conversations and activities before you ask those "Why do I feel this way" questions. Keep in mind that you may feel the presence of the Lord or manifest when you're out to eat and get prophetic words for the barista at Starbucks, or you may be grieved at a film you used to enjoy. Be extra vigilant about what you allow to enter your "gates" (eyes, ears, etc) because it will strike your heart in a heightened way.

10. Backlash is Real
Francis Frangipane's quote "New Levels, New Devils" is true: If you're experiencing breakthrough, freedom, joy and increased manifest presence, the enemy doesn't like that. You will need to stand your ground in agreement with the Lord over hopelessness, depression, shame, condemnation, disqualification and other lying "fiery darts" the enemy may deploy in an attempt to take you out. Stand Firm, declare agreement with the Lord OUT LOUD and use Scriptures.

11. Remember The First and Second Commandment
If this awakening continues and grows here in Kansas City, there may be quite a bit of people who come for a touch from the Lord. After a while, His sweet presence can become viewed as a commodity that is passed around; "Blam Blam Blam...Get 'Em, Blam." We can become sidetracked by the unique feeling of His manifest presence, and overwhelmed by the numbers of people. We will need to continually remember that we are called to love the Lord our God, not just His tingles but His Person, and to love our neighbor. Not neighbors as if they are a mass group of people, but neighbor singular, dealing with each one as an individual as we're praying at the altar, prophesying, singing, or even just running into them in the bathroom.

12. Make Lists of Stuff you Really Need to Do
I'm noticing this for myself: I am preoccupied with Jesus. That is an AMAZING thing. After years of being preoccupied with me, this is way better! Some byproducts though are that I'm forgetting to do some stuff I probably need to do, like trash day and grocery shopping, and going to the bank. Errands that previously were just a natural part of your schedule and life may completely slip your mind because you're thinking about JESUS, which is AWESOME, but you do still need to pay your gas bill. I've started making a sticky note I take with me:
1. Eat
2. Walk and Feed Dog
3. Talk to Parents
4. Pay Utilities
5. Trash Day is Wednesday
Sounds a little silly, but it may be necessary for you like it is for me.

Please add More as you have it:

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Schools and Testimonies

I love how there are training schools sprouting up all over. In Olympia, we have the Gateway School of Supernatural Ministry, the Revival Town School of Supernatural Living, and a flock of classes from Live Out Loud too (see the NWE site for more details). There are several other schools in the extended region.

Tonight at the RTSSL, Ivan Roman taught on healing. Then we went to work practicing. I believe four women were healed of neck pain, several folks had burdens lifted off, at least one shoulder was at least partly healed. And that was without looking for results: just the ones we tripped over.

I remember times past when healings were scarce. I’m finding that it’s easier to heal the sick now than it ever was before. I like it that way!
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Dream of Ministry and Provision

I have a close friend who desperately wants to leave her job. She 'd like to have more time and energy to hang out with people in need of healing, encouragement, and love. She would love to find a part time - job or go into business for herself. It would give her more time to be involved in ministering to others. But she's very 'responsible'. She has a terrible fear that if she takes that step of faith, her family will be financially ruined. Last night she had a dream from God.


In the dream, she and I were hanging out in downtown Olympia, ministering to homeless people. We were in a restaurant as she talked to one woman. The woman noticed that my friend was carrying a lantern. The homeless woman said, "That's a nice lantern your mom gave you." My friend replied, "I have this lantern because I was once in the same place you are, but now I'm not - because God is faithful." My friend gave the woman a hug. (End of scene) A second scene followed. We were walking downtown and there was money lying everywhere on the streets and sidewalks. It looked as if God had rained down money from heaven. End of dream.

Interpretation?

The key to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit may lie in our ministry to the poor. Jesus focused much of His attention on them and commanded us to do the same. If we try to reach them because we want them in our church; we want them to prosper; we want them healed, saved or delivered - we have a motive and a plan that we believe is best for them. What if God has something else planned? Sometimes our desires for others are selfish, presumptive or misguided. When we minister to the poor, we must do it out of love. When we love them, we want to see them blessed, in whatever way possible, even though they may not get saved or have nothing to give in return. Love presumes nothing.

Holding a lantern - "You are the light of the world". We are to let the light and love of God shine in our lives as a our testimony. When we do, by showing a genuine concern for others, they will see the light in us.

Money lying in the street:
Jesus said to the fisherman, "Leave your nets and come follow me. I'll make you fishers of men." He asked them to give up the career they knew and depended on. They must have been afraid. They had no other way to support their families. Little did they know, they were following a man who could make just about anything happen. They saw miraculous multiplication of food and money come from the mouth of a fish.

Many of us are struggling right now financially. Some have lost jobs. Others would like to quit. God has a plan to provide for the needs of all of us. It might require some changes. Your faith might be stretched a little. But know this- God is our provider and if you follow Jesus during this outpouring, you're likely to see some miracles of provision. I'm ready for that, how about you?

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Promise

This site was created to record the events of a sovereign move of God in Olympia, Washington. On September 3, 2008 we received this promise: “I will pour out my Spirit says the Lord. I will visit Olympia in 15 months. I, the Lord will raise up Olympia in 15 months.” Trusting in the faithfulness of God we prepared this site to tell of the good things the Lord will do. We hope you are blessed and encouraged by what you read. May God's Spirit move in power among all His people.
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