JOEL 2 GENERATION

I am indebted to the influence of one teacher for much of the substance of this blog post.  I can no longer endorse the man because of other areas of his life, but the truth of this post remains true nonetheless. In this interesting hour, there are many "traps" that Christians can fall into and have fallen into.  We can fall into fear. And many have fallen.  Some remain, some have found their way out.  But this has undoubtedly been one of the greatest struggles globally for the Body of Christ.  I have blogged and podcasted about this trap and how to get free and stay free by the grace of God.  So I won't be re-visiting the issue of fear in this post.  Check out previous blog posts and at least 6 podcasts on the topic of "Fear Extinguishing" ( https://joel2generation.podomatic.com/ ). Another trap that I have seen is the trap of compromise.  That also isn't the main topic of this blog post, but needs to be mentioned. In this hour, instead of giving...

An old Vineyard adage about Power Evangelism was "The MEAT is in the Street".  I don't know who came up with it, nor how widely it was believed or practiced,  but my experience for many years was/is that it is true.  God often does more OUTSIDE of the four walls of the Church than what happens inside.  I have been praying for the sick 'on the streets' intentionally for the past 20 years.  And I have seen again and again that the MEAT of the Kingdom, so to speak, has been truly amongst the lost in every conceivable context and location, all around the world.   The Lord has interesting ways that He speaks to His kids. He will use the familiar in our lives to speak and lead us.  And that is exactly what He did in my life with regards to how the Church would be able to meet in light of global restrictions being put upon it. Full disclosure; I live in a part of the world where, in some of the countries, believers are not allowed to gather in Church bui...

It has been time for Christians to be gathering IN PERSON.  And by so doing, believers are accessing God's grace in a unique way.  In short, there is grace in the gathering!  I literally heard the Lord say that back in May or early June. Many Christians at that time were living in their virtual "Zoom Worlds" and yet the Lord was clearly saying, "It is time for those who are online, to get OFFLINE". It was time to be gathering, back in May/June.  It didn't matter where or how. It wasn't about a big meeting vs. a small meeting.  It was simply the fact that Christians needed to be meeting together in person.  Whether to walk together, to sit together...the Lord gave us many creative ways to be meeting in spite of all the legal restrictions that had been put upon us.  If the Lord was emphasizing gathering in person back in May/June, how much more is it that time in August?!?  The isolation has been devasting for many believers.  In all honesty, w...

We all know Proverbs 29:18 - "without a vision, the people perish".  More sermons have been preached on that verse than we will ever know.  And yet, many who have preached on it don't realize what the verse actually means because they don't understand that the word for "vision" actually refers to a prophetic word from the Lord. Since COVID began, nothing has been more tragic than to watch so many Christians, and Christian leaders, who didn't seem to know what to do.  And initially, that's okay. Seek the Lord and ask Him.  But many didn't seem to do that.  And 6 months later, many Christians are still unclear on what the Lord is calling them to be doing in this hour. So first of all, let us seek the Lord for that "vision"!  For a mandate, for an assignment, etc. Don't look to your 'celebrity prophets'. Look to the Lord personally - seek the Lord in the community in which He has placed you.  Add fasting to your prayer and your...

Irenaeus (late 2nd century, spiritual grandson of the Apostle John) – to followers of false teachers/heretics -  “Those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform miracles, so as to promote the welfare of others, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ] and join the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions and speak the prophecies they have received. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are healed. Moreover, as I have said, even the dead have been raised and remained among us for many years. And what more can I even say? It is not even possible to number all of the gifts which the Church, throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, ...

People are more open to spiritual things than they have ever been. Fear continues to run rampant. People have had to face their own mortality. The future is uncertain. Nobody knows when or how the COVID-19 pandemic will end.  After spending several hundred hours on the streets in the past few months, I can attest to the fact that there is an openness and a willingness to talk about important issues that I have never seen.   All although I was praying with many people and watched God break into the lives of dozens and dozens of people's lives, and I have endlessly given them my contact information for follow up, the vast majority haven't heeded those invitations.  I have gone back to visit them and their appreciation for prayer and counsel remains. Many have been healed and testify that they are still healed, still pain-free. I knew that God was really emphasizing house church meetings (and still is, going forward!) and I even began inviting these unbelievers to house meet...

While out at a restaurant with my family, I noticed that Farsi was being spoken at the next table.  I went over there and introduced myself and within less than a minute a new group of Persian friends had been made, two sisters and two men. After some small talk about where I was from, my visits to Iran, and how much I loved Persian food, I began to talk to them about miracles of healing.  One of the women, an acupuncturist, declares, "I wish I could see a miracle".  I asked if anybody had any pain.  She pointed to her sister and said she had stomach pain.  I said that I would get my wife as she is a "healer".  And I told her that she would indeed get to see the miracle she wanted to see. My wife came over and the woman had had a chronic stomach pain condition for years.  The acupuncturist sister said that she had tried absolutely everything and that nothing had worked.   After praying for the woman with the pain in Jesus' Name, she was compl...