Easter Weekend 2011

It's Good Friday- Death is about to die

Greater love no one could ever show
Mercy so undeserved, freedom I should not know
All my sin, all of my hidden shame
Died with Him on the cross, eternity won for us

This is Jesus in His glory
King of Heaven dying for me
It is finished, He has done it
Death is beaten, Heaven beckons me

Victory in Jesus

Two days ago, tornadoes blew through this area, and every street in the south end of Raleigh had impassable roads with hundreds of trees down, telephone poles snapped in half, and houses crushed... Its the most destruction this area has ever seen. Its everywhere. It's important you know that before telling what happened today.

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We started the day asking for words of knowledge from God about what He wanted to do today.

We felt to start the day on a different street than usual- on the outside edge of our neighborhood.  On our way there, we passed dozens of trucks and workers clearing fallen trees and debris. When we arrived at the new street, there was a porchful of people talking about the tornadoes that ripped through the area.

We walked up to the house and they thought we were from the power company. We said no, we were just walking around. They said "Maybe you can clear this up for us, we were trying to figure out how can the tornado hit over here and over there, but not hit around our house. Do you know how that could happen?"  We were salivating waiting to answer this question.  "I'll tell you exactly how that happened! For two months now we've been walking on these streets, claiming this neighborhood for Jesus Christ. Jesus protected this neighborhood!"  The fact is that there were downed trees and crushed houses all around us, but not in the neighborhood where we walk.

That was a pretty convincing argument and seemed to end all debate about tornadoes! We went on to introduce ourselves and meet everyone. We asked how everyone was doing and if anyone had any pain in their bodies or any needs we could pray for. Grandma said "Oh yes!" She had lost her job a year ago due to a pinched nerve in her back, and now she hobbled badly. We prayed to release the will of Heaven on her back, and everyone had gotten up to watch.

We asked how much better she felt- 25%? 50%? We walked with her out to the curb and back.

She said, "No, I feel better- I don't have any pain right now." HAHA!!! Before we left, we also prayed that the Lord who controls the weather would create three new jobs for the people there who needed jobs. We all parted like family, and went on to see what God wanted to do next.

(...yes, we're psyched!)

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We ran into five kids playing. They asked us what club we were in- the Safety Club?  We said no, we don't have a name for our  club. So the little kid said "They're the epic eskimoes" OK. We'll go with that. So, all hands in the middle- Epic Eskimoes on three. One, two, three EPIC ESKIMOES!  Then we started prophesying over each one of them God's destiny and plans for them. One little girl said she wanted to prophesy to me! Wow! Cool! She said I see you as a nice, kind man who cares for people and cares for the poor. I'd say those kids were getting something from God today.

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Then back to Jesus Street to end the day. Our new friend wasn't there, but his brother- who I offended last week- was ready for some prayers. I saw him reaching out his hand to be prayed for. But then another friend said he wanted to get prayed for, and I could tell he wanted it real bad. So there we were with two guys really ready for some prayer RIGHT NOW! So we split up and prayed for both of them at the same time- it was Holy Chaos! I had to laugh at this racket! What a blessed mess!  I think Jesus was laughing. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were getting snarls, and one of our new friends was calling this the devil's porch, and now we couldn't keep up with the friendship and laughter and requests for prayer on that porch. What is going on here?!! 

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The Word of the Lord

I never give up. I never stop pursuing. I never, ever get tired of chasing after the ones I love.
No matter how often you change, or fall, or run away... I run farther.
No matter how far you run.  I run farther.


And no matter how far you've gone, how far you've run, how far you've fallen;
If you turned right now, I am right here. Right now.
For you.
I love with a vengeance, and I will make your desert break forth with waters and blossom profusely. When you return to Me, Everlasting Joy will be upon your head.




I feel this is a word from Jesus for someone you may know who feels they are far from the Lord's Love.  Truly, though, you're never far from His Love. And He can't wait to let you know that.
Pray this out for them, even for yourself.  It's prophetic.

Curious Ways

Today we met 8 new people in the neighborhood, saw 7 people we knew already, prayed for 9 people directly and 2 others indirectly.  It also seemed like people knew of us. They kind of knew us as the guys who pray for blessings on people and their houses. Yep, that's us.


There's one guy who has been a hateful antagonist ever since we first walked on Jesus Street. (Oh yeah, we hardly call it by its actual name anymore, since Jesus is taking over here...) This guy would throw his hand up at us from across the street as soon as we so much as looked his way and he'd say, "You don't need to come over here."  One time we happened to almost bump into him and we asked his name to which he said "You don't need to know my name" and just turned and walked away. So today Mr. Snarly Pants was sitting on the porch with our favorite Mama. 


We always stop by Mama's house- that's the first place we prayed for anyone in this neighborhood.  We called up to the porch and asked Mama if we could come up and love on her a while. We looked like we might be walking on by and snarly boy- who is white, by the way- was saying "that's right you go on," and "I hate white people." 


Anyway, she called out- are you gonna just walk on by without even coming by to visit me? Meanwhile the hateful dude was giving her a hard time, but we had our invitation. We went up and just did what we do, which was to give her the Love of Jesus in buckets, as much as she can take.  As one of us was talking to Mama asking how we could pray for her today- and she really wanted something from the Lord today- snarly boy was harassing her the whole time.  


I started talking to him and he actually changed his manner. He actually said "I see you guys walking around and blessing the houses. That has more of an effect than you'll ever know."     (Oh, we have an idea, my previously snarling friend!)  I asked if I could pray for him, and he said, "No, that's alright."  I said, just for ten seconds. He said OK, and he extended his hand.  I asked his name, and he told me. I prayed for him that God would touch him, and would show him His love and even touch his mind and set him free from the disorder in his head.  When we were done I said, "that was more than 10 seconds" He said that was OK, and others were kidding him that I went longer. He said "I was enjoying it."  People... that is powerful. 


Mama got her blessing from the Lord today. My friend got a softened heart, and I'm praying for more for him. I asked God that he would become Mr. Happy Pants.


As we were leaving, we were giving them the word of the Lord- that the devil just wants to bring poverty and sickness and death and addiction, but Jesus wants to bring prosperity, and healing, and salvation, and freedom and joy.  We want Jesus to have His way.

Jesus Saves

Jesus is passionate about this family. He is in LOVE with this family. He would fight and die for this family... Oh. He did...

In the Crosshairs

Dear Sam,


I drove by the neighborhood this morning to pick up some of our new friends for church. You know, we never asked them to come to church. It was a pleasant surprise when they asked us.
We've been praying for Jesus to do something great in this neighborhood for His name sake.
We didn't pick this neighborhood, Jesus did. He picked it.


Well, it turned out this morning that one brother who asked to go to church with us- who I mentioned last week- who we really believe in- wasn't there because he was arrested on Wednesday. 


This news made me angry, and sad, and resolved, and... really, when I got to church today... I just cried.  Our friend was pulled back into the street culture in that neighborhood.  A lot of people there feel the pressure to give in to that mess just to maintain. We see the struggle every time we visit.  


I hate that I cried. Because I really do not waver in seeing the kingdom of God come to the darkest of places. If the devil thinks he's "winning" he's not. If he thinks he's discouraging the people of God with setbacks, he's not. 


There is only one possible response to this news. Brokenness before the One who cares the most. I have no power to thwart the lies and the oppression of the enemy. I'm not convincing anyone- least of all myself- to get back in there and fight. I've already given up, and the battle belongs to the Lord. He calls me a warrior, but the weapons are His. My fight is to set my hope on Jesus, who is the author of promise.


I believe there's a storm building- a storm of God's compassion, and power, and deliverance, and we are praying it down from Heaven. It will be good, good news for everyone there. And you know who can go packing when Jesus comes to Jesus Street. He gave it that name, not me. Its His name now. Its His street.




Matt 26: 52-54: “Put away your sword,” Jesus told His disciple. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?  But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?"

Prov 21: 31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the LORD."