Empowered Believers Do Empowered Things!

Man, it was awesome today to meet with Kevin Jeffrey​ at the Purple Door Coffee.  While I was waiting for him, I had the chance to pray for a 9 month old baby boy.  I had the impression that he was born with birth defects, and found out from his nanny that he had been born with a muscle disease.  I asked if I could pray for him, and as I was praying he was smiling and laughing the whole time.  I even felt movement behind his little shoulder blade by his back.  I know God's doing a work on that little dude's muscles!  Plus, I know it was awesome for the nanny to see that even if she was a little weirded out!
  While we were having coffee and talking about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and miracles and healings, we saw a guy walk in with an oxygen tank and a cane.  His tank had smoke coming out of it so I went to ask him if it was normal.  He explained it was because of the condensation and such.  Well, I asked him what was causing it, and he said that if anything can go wrong with the lungs that he had it.  I asked him about emphysema and he said yep.  I also asked if he had hurt his knee or his hip, and he said it was his hip.  So, I told him we were Christians and asked if we could pray for his healing.  Well, Dan had been a Christian for 25 years and he told us and he believed in the power of prayer.  We pulled up a chair for him and said we are gonna pray for you right now.  So we did, and he was at a 6 on pain scale.  I had him stand up, and reminded him about the story where Jesus prayed for the blind man, and after the first time he prayed for him, the guy saw men walking around and they looked like trees.  Jesus then prayed for him again, and the man was completely healed.  I said, "Dan, if Jesus, the Son of God, gets to pray twice, then I figure that we get to pray about a hundred times.  Can we pray for it again?"  Dan said, "ok!" So, we commanded healing to his hip, and the pain to go in the name of Jesus.  Then, Dan let us know that he had dropped to about a 3 in pain.  So, guess what?  We went for it again.  We commanded the healing several more times, and it stayed around a 3.  We are still believing for healing for Dan's hip, and his lungs.  Dan sat down and we talked about church and Jesus for about 25 minutes.  He told me about his daughter who lived in Aurora, so I gave him my card to give to her so she could check out our church.
   God has divine appointments set up for us everywhere we go, if only we'll tune into His voice, and His heart for people!  I gave Kevin a ride back to the place where he was staying and we continued our conversation about the Holy Spirit.  His church is also actually going through a series about the Holy Spirit as well (divine appointment!!).  I asked Kevin if he wanted to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues, and he said, "yeah."  I shared with him from our "script" on praying for people to receive the baptism, and led him in the prayer to receive, and then we both began to pray in tongues.  Kevin said he had never experienced anything like that, and boy was he going for it!  This guy has been growing a ton ever since he accepted Christ back in September through watching an online service from Elevation.  It's great to see Christians grow and receive all that God has for them!
  I'm doing a teaching on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit on June 7th at Good News Church, so be there at 5 pm if you want to learn more!  Maybe you'll get filled that night, too!  Come out even if you aren't ready, because God has something more for you!  AMEN!

Hit Or Miss

I have been inspired this week by a new friend to step out with words of knowledge for people.  While at the gym yesterday, I felt led to pray for these two guys and just bless them.  I didn't know what the Lord wanted to say until I started praying. I even felt like my prayer was insignificant.  I remember praying for the one fella's wife to be fruitful and praying for her womb.  I have no clue why I prayed that!  When I got home I couldn't shake the feeling about he and his wife trying to get pregnant. I tried to just let it go.  Another friend messaged me the same night to ask me to pray for he and his wife to get pregnant.  Odd coincidence?

  Well, today at lunch I felt an impression for the waitress, and I didn't get a chance to share it with her before we left.  Someone (ahem! Me!) forgot their iPad at the restaurant, so we had to go back...and I asked to see the waitress.  I shared a word I had for her about her being motherly, and asked if she had kids..."No," was the reply.  It felt like a total whiff, but I prayed for her and celebrated the risk all the way home.

  I'm back at the gym this afternoon, and I'm on the lookout for whom God wants to use me to speak to.  I see my friends from yesterday and think, " I gotta ask him about his wife!"  I waved to him from the bike, he waved back, and we each continued on our sweaty way.  Then, I saw this other guy in a red shirt and I got this picture of him in my head.  I saw him as a runner, and he was running trails, and I saw him hurting his leg.  I couldn't shake it the rest of the workout.  I'd see him bounce from machine to machine.  He didn't look injured.  No leg brace, no cast, no limp.  I thought, "I must be crazy!"  As he was leaving, I walked up next to him to ask about his workout, and then I jumped in.  "This may sound crazy, but I'm a Christian, and sometimes God gives me words and pictures about people. I saw you working out and I had this picture of you," I said.  "This may just be me making things up but tell me if this means something to you."  I shared the image that I saw and asked him if he had hurt himself running a trail.  He told me, "yeah, I did.  Actually this is my first time back to the gym in two weeks!"  I was like, "Wow!  Do you mind if I pray for you, I believe God wants to heal you!  He wasn't in any pain at the moment but I prayed and commanded healing.  He couldn't check it but said the pain usually comes in the evening.  So, I told him I'd be looking for him at the gym to ask him about it.

  Well, I then tried to track down my friend from yesterday, and he was nowhere to be found.  I texted him (yeah, I get guy's digits at the gym) to ask this: "Are you and your wife trying to get pregnant?"

  I see him coming out of the locker room reading his phone, and he starts laughing.  I approach him and he said how crazy it was about me praying for his wife yesterday.  He told her how I had prayed and she said she had a dream three nights ago that she was pregnant and that she wanted to have another baby, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to have another kid.

 Wow!  God really desires to use us to speak into people's lives and take risks!  Hit or miss, we celebrate the risks and the results!  Actually, what may seem like a miss could mean something to someone.  We have to step out and watch God work!  Praise the Lord!

  

The Barbours Go To Church

Over the past month, we have been visiting churches.  Some people use the term "church shopping" but we already belong to a church.  We are a part of Good News Church, and as we are gearing up we wanted to see who is doing what in the city of Aurora.  

  I am even more convinced now of the need for a life giving, empowering church in our city.  I am also aware of the tremendous amount of work, man power, and intimate connection with the Father needed to pull this off.  Thank God that we do not do this alone!

  I have noticed that there is little room made for the Spirit of God to move in the church as we plan every last detail, every single word that is spoken, and we try to jam pack fun and entertainment into every single minute of the service.  I'm a planner myself.  I know how these things work and should work.  I see the need for great lights, blackout at the right spot, video used for transition and dramatic effect, perfect guitar solo and a great mix on the sound board.  All of these play an important part in the "production" element, but how do we make sure every person has an encounter with the living God?  

  We went to a church that had everyone pray for each other during the worship set.  That was pretty cool, and he acknowledged the weirdness that people might feel if they'd never done it before.  We went to another church that had a ministry team available at the front for prayer.  I went down for prayer for healing, and got a very powerless prayer...almost a "God, if it's your will to heal this brother..."  I guess I expected more from a church that believes in the gifts of the Spirit.  We went to a large church that was about an hour away and it was IMPRESSIVE!  From the parking lot crew, to the kids ministry check in, classrooms, and volunteers, to the impeccable band and musicians, the light show, the kick drum beating within my chest, to the message of hope, to the coffee and cookies.  We could have walked in and not made a real connection with anyone though due to the size, and the Pastor did not give people a chance to receive Jesus on Easter weekend.  It was very produced down to the minute as I'm sure it must be with 6 services.  I was, however, engaged with God, moved by the message, and elated with the priority they put on kids, right down to the spot in the bulletin that has parents ask their kids what they learned, and gives you the answer and Scripture.  We went to another church that is trying to be a mega church with about 250 people.  The kids ministry check in was confusing.  Apparently, there are kids' classrooms in three different sections of the building.  Luckily, our kids were dropped off in the same wing. However, i almost didn't drop Jaxon off in the 2 yr old room because the young lady watching the kids was more concerned with her Starbucks iced coffee than greeting parents at the door.  Nonetheless, we left him in there.  We got some pretty awful coffee in the VIP lounge...but I wasn't sure if that was just for First Timers or for everyone.  We met the Pastor and he seemed genuine enough.  All of the production elements were in place, but a sound system with crackling speakers, a horrible mix on the sound board, and a lot of up and down movement was very distracting.  There didn't seem to be a flow in the worship set for us to really engage God before we were instructed to sit back down.  The Pastor reminded me of Jerry Seinfield with his jokes and inflections.  The message was good, funny, and inspiring with lots of one liners and tweetable sayings.  Although, I didn't walk out feeling like I could tackle my week, especially with announcements that included Olaf promoting a kids camp for summer.  My last thought leaving was, "i bet the kids would like a picture with the snowman!"  After hanging out in the lobby for a few minutes, not talking to anyone, I took the kids over to the "VIP" area to get a muffin, and was stopped by one of the Pastors who wouldn't let me get by to get something to eat for the kids.  He was more concerned with keeping the kids out of that room because "it was too crowded" (I saw like 3 people in the giant room) than meeting me and my family and helping my kids get something in their stomachs to tide them over.  After watching him try to figure out where to put my kids so my wife and i wouldn't "lose track of them" so we could go in there I told him to forget it and walked away frustrated and angry.  It took me walking away to keep from punching him in his snowman loving face, and grabbing three mini muffins to feed the dudes.

  

  Everything we do in the church will lead to people having an experience with God if we remember that it's all about the people.  The program, the production, the presentations are all nothing if it has no purpose for the equipping and empowering of the people.  Isn't this what the church as an institution should be doing?  

  If the guy in the parking lot makes me smile by the way he parks my car and commenting on my shirt and my handsome kids, I'll be ready to have an experience with God.  If the people in kids ministry greet my kids and help me know they will be safe, it's one less distraction.  If the music is great and the sound system is well mixed, I won't be thinking "oh, look, they are making a joyful noise!" If the message is inspiring, and full of God, then I may be ready to face my week.  Could all of this happen with only the best laid plans and production of men?  Probably.  Where is the desperation to see The Spirit of God do what only He can do?

  I desire to see demonstrations of the Spirit's power through miracles, the believer leaving the church inspired and empowered to do the work of the ministry, people enveloped in worship and engaged in community in order to become closer to God. I want see all people, especially kids, feel special regardless of what they have to offer the church or me as the Pastor.  I desire to help people fulfill their calling, and not just help me fulfill mine.  

  

  I believe now, more than ever, that Aurora needs a church like Good News.  I feel like it's an impossible thing to start a church, but didn't God kind of call us to do the impossible?  If was up to me, it would surely fail, but it's up to God IN me. No word from God will ever fail.