Marseille Pictures
These are various and asundry pictures from Marseille!
August 29, 2006
August 25, 2006
Sowing, Reaping, and How It Affects Us
Yesterday Michael and I were in the streets taking some of the day to just intentionally make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit to use us in any way He so desired. We met Michel, another homeless man who's in misery...actually Fabrice introduced him to me, and told me we needed to talk to him.
We shared with Michel about Jesus and His love for him, prayed for his swollen feet, and he wept as he shared his pain and misery with us. All that to say, combined with both Hedi and this other guy from Estonia named Martin that approached me in the streets looking for a job, I began to feel overwhelmed and overextended. I'm so glad Michael was there to speak encouragement to me, because I was (and still am even as I write this) feeling the responsibility of these people's burdens. Without even thinking about it, I take on people's burdens, and that's not healthy. Jesus alone can and did take the heavy laden burdens, sin, brokenness, etc. I'm just in need of a break before we go to Africa. I think I'm going to go away from Marseille and take at least 2 days to be intimate with Jesus and enjoy His creation somewhere. Michael told me how encouraged and challenged he has been just being here because of my fervency in seeking God and the degree to which I'm bringing Jesus to these people. He told me that I don't need to feel like I have to do more. Lord I need Your grace and enabling to know how to hand over these burdens of all these broken people that You've put in my path. Lord I don't have the capacity to care for them. You in me DO have the capacity, and it's unending, but my own sympathies are bankrupt. I ask You to release me from the feeling of HAVING to think that it depends on ME for these people to repent and be saved. I AM Your messenger Lord, but it is YOU alone who gives the increase Lord Jesus. There is a parable I just read which sheds so much light on this very thing: Mark 4:26-33 (MSG), "Then Jesus said, 'God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows--he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps--harvest time! 'How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.' With many stories like these, He presented His message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when He spoke. When He was alone with the disciples, He went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots." This is so relieving to read. The fact is, the farmer initially threw the seed into the field, that's it. AND THEN HE FORGOT ABOUT IT! When I read that, it doesn't sound too responsible if you ask me. To sow seed and the forget about it? It seems to me that the best way would be to tend to it day after day, but that's not what Jesus said. He said explicitly that the earth does it all without the farmer's help. But whenever it's ripe is when he goes back out to harvest it. Much of my role in Marseille so far has been seed sowing. There has been one instance where Kathy and I sowed seed AND harvested at the same time (Salvatore). But with most everybody else, we/I have been sowing seed. It's not my job to make it grow. The earth will take care of that. Lord let this truth sink into my heart...that it's NOT my responsibility to make it grow. You call me to plant and water, but it's YOU who gives the increase...who makes it grow, etc. Constantly giving out day after day after day like I've been doing is exhausting, even in doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is so demanding and costly in giving your life to spreading the Message of Jesus Christ. Lord I just yearn and deeply desire to be re-filled again by You and recharged to continue working in Your fields. But not just to keep working, but to be satisfied in my own heart for my needs to be loved.
August 21, 2006
Hedi From Morocco
Last weekend, I hooked up with the Jesus Church people in doing evangelism in our area of the city. Gabriel (the pastor) met this guy named Hedi from Morocco, and he introduced him to me. I got to talking to him, and he had a real soft heart...and Hedi told me that he has epilepsy.
Of course, my first response now when I hear that people are sick is to pray for healing for them. So I asked Hedi if he would be willing for us to pray for healing for him. He said yes. So I asked Gabriel if he would pray with me, and he said yes. We prayed, and I really wanted Hedi to be healed. After he prayed, I asked him how he felt. He said he sensed that the epilepsy had let up some! A couple days later, unannounced, Hedi came to my apartment looking for me! I literally opened the door to the street on my way to meet somebody else, and there Hedi was at my door! My gosh it amazes me how intricately the Lord arranges details. So we got to talking, and Hedi began to tell me what happened in him after he left last weekend from us praying for him. Basically as he went into the Subway, he started feeling this heat/electricity sensation in his chest, the very presence of God! I asked him if that is what he thought it was, and he said YES! Then Hedi told me that the epilepsy had gotten even better! So the Lord partially healed it...it's an ongoing healing that the Lord is doing! I took the opportunity to share with Hedi the story from John 9 where Jesus healed the man who was blind from birth...the disciples asked Jesus if it was the man who sinned or his parents who sinned that caused the blindness. Jesus said it was neither, but rather so that the glory of God might be displayed. I shared pretty extensively with Hedi about Jesus and asked him what he thought about it. He seems to still be under the conviction that everybody believes what they want to, but he said there is ONE God. I could tell as we talked about Jesus, when certain other Arabs passed by, Hedi would kind of shy away and turn his head. I know it's shameful for him to be seen associating with Jesus like he is. It's clear to me that the Lord is drawing Hedi. This experience he had was the Lord...no doubt. I don't think he had ever had anything like that happen before. Well two days after that, Hedi came back AGAIN to the apartment unannounced! My goodness it was amazing. He obviously feels loved when he's around me, and he realizes that this experience that he had with the presence of God was authentic. I shared with him more about Jesus, and we talked a long time. I then asked him if we could pray again together. He said yes, and he took my hand...I took his, and we prayed. It was precious. I'm learning so much as I walk before these people who don't even know who Jesus is, and the Lord has sent me here as an agent to allow them to discover Him. The other day as Hedi and I had lunch together at La Goulette, he told me how he can't read or write very well at all, and so I offered to help him. So after we prayed and talked together a couple days ago, I gave him a rudimentary lesson in reading and writing. It made me so sad to see this 25 year old guy...my age...who is at a 1st grade writing level at best. My heart goes out to him. He's probably experienced an untold amount of rejection in his lifetime...and for him to be loved like this is probably foreign to him. I yearn to see him follow Jesus, and I don't think it will be long before that happens. In a sense, he's already following Jesus...he's looking for Him. Then today, Hedi and had yet another afternoon together (complete with a good Thai meal), and I'm really learning how to just pursue a friendship with him...he's pursuing me too. I'm so thankful for the Lord's provision for him as a friend. It's so rich because I'm learning from him, and he's learning from me. He's seeing my life and how I follow Jesus, and it's grabbing his heart. He hasn't yet come out and said he's a Muslim even though he comes from a Muslim background since he's from Morocco. We took our time together, and I'm learning how to relax and not be so task oriented, but to take my time and live in the moment with whoever I'm with at any given time. I'm learning that from Hedi. He's never in a hurry. It's like the Lord has plopped us together. He began to tell me how he and his family have this custom they do out of the goodness of their hearts...embedded into the way they live their lives...to share what they have with those who don't have. It's so amazing because as he spoke, it began to touch my heart and I was so convicted about my individualistic way of life that is so selfish lots of times. I began to be so moved as he told me how his family invites all these people over to their house to be fed once a month. He said they do it out of the goodness of their hearts. As he continued to describe the richness of their generosity, I continued to be moved deeply to the point that I told him that I believe that it is God Himself who has created in the Maghreb culture a special thing of hospitality and generosity and family that is beautiful. Hedi went on to say that they take care of each other. I was astonished as I heard of how he himself took his younger nephew under his wing to make sure he didn't end up on the "wrong path" and get caught up in a destructive lifestyle on the streets. The very thing Hedi was describing to me was just like discipleship! He said that they create an environment where, if somebody has something weighing on their heart, they can call their friend or brother or cousin or whoever in their big "family" and share it with them. I'm thinking to myself as he talked that they have a better handle on how the body of Christ is intended to function that most of us westerners do! He at one point made a comment that it's not good to keep in your heart what needs to come out. I told him I so agree. I was so moved while Hedi was talking that I asked him if I could bow down before God right there on the sidewalk and thank God for this beautiful attribute that He has given the people of Morocco in creating them like that. It wasn't for a show...I was so sincere that I had to physically from my heart give thanks to God and humble myself and turn to God's ways wholeheartedly. I'm so inclined NOT to live a life that cares about others and gives to others and looks after others...and I have such a WEAK understanding of true family and bond of relationship. We have lost that so much in America and the west in general. I told Hedi that I am learning so much from him. He told me immediately that he's also learning so much from me. I am beginning to discover lots of things in this relationship. But the main two things today were simply that the Lord has provided this guy who's beginning to follow Jesus, but he's not a project to me. I'm learning how to live my life before him and just be a friend to him...and in the process he's seeing God. But I've also shared the entire gospel with him and he's experienced already the tangible presence of Jesus, and he knows that there is more to Jesus than a story in a book. But on the other hand, I'm learning how to not take the position that I know everything and that I have to portray myself as the one who has it figured out. Rather, take the low road of humility. Be a learner. Learn from Hedi. It enables God to weave a true friendship because there's authenticity there. Man I'm learning so much on the spot about discipleship! Jesus walked and lived with his disciples, but it was not at the expense of not telling them the truth...NO! He told them the truth, but it wasn't like He told them the truth between the hours of 9am-5pm and then went back into His house to withdraw from them. Rather, He lived among them, gave Himself to them unreligiously. There were no on and off switches between friendship and truthtelling. These two things were never meant to be mutually exclusive. We either want friendship evangelism or open air preaching! Who said it has to be either/or? It's amazing that I have asked the Lord MANY times recently for a close friend here in Marseille. I believe the Lord has given me Hedi. I've only begun to scratch the surface too. I can just imagine what potential there is once I'm invited to be a part of their big family. The number of existing relationships already in place amongst the Moroccan community through this family sounds mind boggling. Perfect ingredients for a move of God and a church plant if you ask me! I love that I can share stories like this with you. Please pray for Hedi that Jesus would continue drawing his heart to Himself. In the next few days I will send out a different update pertaining to our upcoming outreach trip into French speaking West Africa!!! I'm so excited about sharing that with you too.
August 20, 2006
Martin Luther King, Jr.--We Must Go
I just got through weeping after listening again to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech...that moved me in my heart towards the millions of people in the world who are oppressed and despised and défavorisé under oppression.
I just wept and poured out my heart on their behalf that God would hear their cries for freedom and liberty and deliverance. Jesus told me He put every one of my tears into His bottle. I know He heard me. We must go, give and feed the hungry, stand beside the broken, we must go. Stepping forward, keep us from just singing, move us into action, we must go. This makes me want to go to Lebanon or do something tangible to help the poor and oppressed. Oh God hear my groans on their behalf Lord.
August 16, 2006
Hebrews 11 By Faith
In Hebrews 11, I especially am grabbing ahold of this because it's so practical to my own life right now as I take to heart the commands of Jesus, and then go out into the streets and seek to walk in them in the lives of the people He sends me to. I continue to feel a strong resolve in my heart that says, "I refuse to surrender to the principality over this land by shrinking back in fear and not following the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit and in boldness to testify about Jesus and expect signs and wonders to follow."
I am a citizen of heaven and a son of the Most High God. And I will follow Him with all my heart, even if it means that the European/French culture dictates that anybody who "rises above the crowd" will be immediately crushed back down to the level everybody else is on. This isn't a question of being better than anybody, but rather not taking no as an answer and following Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit as Joshua and Caleb did...the 10 other spies that went with them into the land of Canaan came back with negative reports full of unbelief and fear. But Joshua and Caleb both went in with God's eyes, and they were bold in the power of the Spirit...walking in confident faith in God. Because of that, THEY were the ones who received the promises of God--but all the others died in the wilderness and DID NOT enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Hebrews 4:1-4 (MSG), "For as long, then, as that promise of resting in Him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, 'They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest.' " Hebrews 4:8-11 (MSG), "And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for 'today.' The promise of 'arrival' and 'rest' is still there for God's people. God Himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey, we'll surely rest with God. So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience." This is not a passive rest, but an active one. It's a rest in believing with utmost confidence in the promise of God, but acting upon it OUT of that place of restful confidence in Him. This is applicable in my own life as I'm in the streets increasing daily in my expectation of what God will do in advancing His Kingdom here in Marseille. In addition, it's applicable for Troy, Maria, and I as we head to Africa soon. Back to why I started writing about this to begin with...there is a particular part of Heb. 11:1 in the Message that uses the very same phrase I had just spoken to the Lord only a minute or two before reading the verse. It had to do with this cultural mentality here in France which wants to dictate that you cannot "rise up above the crowd." The moment you do, everybody else will be sure to cut your head off, so to speak. No sooner than did I say that to the Lord that I read that in Heb. 11:1. Hebrews 11:1ff (MSG), "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see." Of course in this passage is a whole list of people in history who dared to believe God and receive His promises by faith, and walk in them. Risk taking, believing God, not listening to the mockers and scoffers and whoever else that tries to convince us that there's too many dangers and snares out there to be THIS bold in following God. I continue to REFUSE to listen to that lie. So practically speaking right now, Troy is dealing with fear from what his parents have been telling him about the risks and dangers in Côte d'Ivoire. Troy has been inundated with that voice of the enemy for about 3 or 4 days now, and his confidence in what the Lord has already told us has dwindled. I admonished him last night that if he is hearing advice from his parents, and the fruit of it is FEAR, then it is NOT from God. God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. I also admonished him from Numbers 13 where the 12 spies were sent out into the land of Canaan to scout it out prior to Israel taking it. The only 2 who saw the land with the Lord's eyes and eyes of faith, rather than eyes of fear and timidity, were Joshua and Caleb. Because of the other 10's unbelief, and because of their fear-filled and faith-less report back to Israel, God did not let any of them enter the promised land. They died in the wilderness. Here is the eye-catching Message translation of Heb. 11:7. Hebrews 11:7 (MSG), "By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned by about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God." This caught my heart when I read it because this exhibits the beauty of how faith and trust and acting on what God has said leads to both SALVATION and INTIMACY. Wow. This is so clicking with my heart right now. Bless You Jesus. Fill Troy with this true faith and confidence in You I ask Lord. Ohh God this passage is so beautiful. I have to keep quoting it and commenting on the revelation the Lord is giving me. Hebrews 11:8-10 (MSG), "By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations--the City designed and built by God." This is beautiful. These are ACTS of faith...active. It's not works...it's responding to the quickening of the word of the Holy Spirit to our hearts in any given moment, and acting on it as a child who believes simply, but also as a warrior confident like David was in the God that SLAYED Goliath. By faith I have come to France to a place that is not my home. By faith I walk in these streets sharing Jesus with people. By faith I pray for the sick to be healed. By faith I intercede for this city of Marseille. By faith I trust God for my financial needs. By faith I enter into the Holy of Holies to be with my Lover and King, but also to bow in reverence to the Holy One of Israel that cannot be seen, the One who radiates. By faith I trust You God with the soul and heart of Salvatore, who has just come into the Kingdom of Light. You are the Savior, not me. I am Your message bearer and ambassador from the Kingdom of Heaven. This next part of Heb. 11 is also dear to my heart: Hebrews 11:13-16 (MSG), "Each one of these people died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that--heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them." Ohhhh this resonates so much with my heart right now because I know in my heart that I'm a transient...a pilgrim in this world with no permanent home here on this planet. My home is with God in heaven. I do get homesick for my country and miss my family and friends, and I COULD go back anytime. But I too am after HEAVEN country. The incredible thing is that as the writer of Hebrews sums up the Faith Hall of Fame chapter, he says this: Hebrews 11:39-40 (MSG), "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours." So all those people that were listed in this chapter lived under the Old Covenant! And look at the degree in which the Kingdom of God advanced through them as they responded in believing God's promises and actively taking ahold of them! How much more, we who live under the New Covenant, FAR superior to the Old, CAN be Kingdom Coming Agents in this present world. Now the Spirit of God lives IN us, and we have the commands and promises of God written upon our hearts, not a tablet of stone! There is exponentially greater possibility in God's reign and rule being set up on this earth through us His people. THIS is why we must grab ahold of the promise that Jesus gave: John 14:11-15 (MSG), "Believe Me: I am in My Father and My Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see--these works. The person who trusts Me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on My way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever your request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who He is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever You request in this way, I'll do." Skipping back over to Hebrews, at the end of chapter 12 after the subject of God's discipline for His legitimate children, the subject of Esau is mentioned, which takes me back to the conversations Floyd and I had back in Geneva. Floyd warned me about not giving up my birthright, so to speak, rashly by trading my God-given calling for a short-term substitute that is not God's best. Not an impulsive act just to satisfy a short-term appetite. Here's the passage: Hebrews 12:14-17 (MSG), "Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing--but by then it was too late, tears or no tears."
August 14, 2006
Salvatore Turns to Jesus!
Yesterday, Kathy and I once again spent time in prayer, and there was again an agreement from the Holy Spirit as we prayed, and I continued to see the following truth come about: one will put a thousand to flight, but two will put ten thousand to flight. Exponentially greater advances of the Kingdom of God come when more people are gathered in prayer in agreement before God.
That led into yet another God-ordained moment. We were walking on our way to Notre Dame de la Garde, but first Kathy wanted to step foot into the big Catholic cathedral that's just around the corner from my apartment. She said that she likes to do that...to go into these church buildings and pray that the Holy Spirit would be poured out. There is a river of God's presence. This whole time, the peace of God is flooding both of our hearts, and we continued walking and talking about how God still has a remnant of His people who are in the Catholic church. I shared how the Lord changed my heart towards the Catholics through seeing the lives of the Doutriaux family, who are practicing Catholics who DO have a relationship with God, though it looks way different than mine. As we began talking about the Lord's heart for His church, though it's been maimed and disfigured throughout the centuries, Kathy began to feel the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit as we walked down the Canebière. I once again was amazed at the degree to which she walks in the Spirit. We came up on this man sitting on the sidewalk begging for money. I stopped and asked Kathy if she had any change. Kathy gave him a couple Euros, and we started talking to him. His name is Salvatore, from Italy. We told him that we gave him that money in Jesus' name. Kathy asked Salvatore if he believes in Jesus, and he said yes, he's a believer. He began to tell us how he goes to the Mass, confesses his sins to the priest, etc. Once again, Kathy and I tag-teamed so well. The Holy Spirit used her to lead the conversation, and I translated. But I also shared things from my heart with him, and from the gospel of John. During the course of the hourlong conversation with Salvatore, we found out through asking questions where he stood in his understanding of salvation by faith through Jesus alone. It was obvious that he couldn't see yet that it had nothing to do with his works. Kathy illustrated it by showing Salvatore that the Holy God was on one side, and sinful man was on the other. Between the two was a huge chasm that couldn't be crossed. By asking the question of how that chasm could be crossed, we found out that he didn't yet believe in Jesus and trust Him alone for salvation. We asked him if he were to die tonight, and he stood before God, why would God let him into Paradise? At that point, Salvatore said that he hadn't done anything wrong. So we knew where he stood. I read him from John 3:16-20 about both the love of God by sending Jesus to rescue mankind from eternal condemnation, but also the truth that those who don't believe in the Son of God are condemned already. I also shared with him Romans 10--if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. He still didn't get it though. But we could tell the Lord had made Salvatore ripe for hearing the word of God. Through asking questions, Kathy got to the point that though God loves all mankind, including him, it was impossible to cross that chasm without there being a way made for it. Eventually we asked Salvatore how he thought that chasm could be bridged. He thought about it for a minute (seriously...it was obvious that he was engaged and the Lord was stirring his heart and drawing him). Finally he answered that since God is invisible, and in his words, "transparent," He could pass through that chasm and wall between Him and man. We told him no, that wasn't it. We continued to let him discover it for himself by asking questions. Kathy led all of this, which was brilliant. Another question was, "Why did Jesus have to die?" He knew that one--to forgive man from his sins (of course that's only 1% of all that Jesus bought on the cross, but we were heading in the right direction). We shared with him how it's not by the blood of lambs and goats that we're forgiven, but by the blood of Jesus. We also explained repentance. The joy of the Lord was increasing in my heart as I saw that the Lord was moving and anointing Kathy and I to speak the truth to him, but also anointing Salvatore to hear. We asked him the question again of how the chasm is bridged? He thought about it again for a while, and then it was like somebody ripped the veil off his eyes and a light turned on. His face lit up and he said, "La croix!" The cross! Kathy demonstrated with her hands how the cross of Jesus bridged the gap. We were so excited! And so was he. So we again asked him the question of if he were to die tonight and stand before God, why would God let him into heaven? This time, he answered that God would allow him to enter because God had forgiven him of his sins! He said it was Jesus who came towards us, not us towards Jesus! Yes! He believed! The wisdom of God that He gave Kathy was awesome because she built on the foundation of Catholic stuff (even though that is twisted), to introduce the gospel. We prayed, and Salvatore prayed...the Lord's prayer...and we prayed for him. I gave him the gospel of John, and I'm going to start discipling Salvatore! Wow this is amazing. I thank God for bringing light to Salvatore and opening his eyes to the truth and drawing him to Jesus.
August 13, 2006
AS You're Going, Make Disciples
Kathy Butterbaugh came to visit Marseille this weekend, and I am so glad that the Lord enabled her to come. Though her and I have vastly different personalities, the manner in which the Holy Spirit brought agreement and His tangible presence to us in prayer was phenomenal. We spent a large amount of time in prayer/worship/intercession together.
On Sunday morning 8/13, we sat down to eat breakfast and the sweetness of Jesus was filling the room and our hearts. It was tangible, and continued to deepen as we yielded to Him. Before we knew it, Kathy and I were having a visitation from the Holy Spirit full of the Joy of the Lord and everything!! It was amazing. Waves of the love of God crashed onto our hearts, and it was like Jesus was affirming our getting together to seek Him and His Kingdom. His affirmation upon our time was continuous. After reveling in the Presence of the Holy Spirit for a good while, we eventually ate and began walking the streets to see what the Lord would have for us that day. I can hardly keep up with all that Jesus is doing...particularly that day. We met another guy down by the homeless area named Adam who has a Muslim background, and we talked to him for a while about God...he was unwilling to believe that God was both the JUST Judge AND Savior. I also shared with him mainly from John 4:23ff about how the Father is looking for worshippers who worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Nevertheless, the thing that moved his heart was just 30 minutes before we got there, he was telling somebody else that he's never met another Adam before in Marseille. Then we showed up! Kathy felt like it would have been good to build upon that and bring in the story of creation of the first Adam and then lead into the 2nd Adam, Jesus. I may do that the next time I see him. Of course Carine was there too...we talked to her for a little while, then moved down to see Fatima, who was in her regular place. At this point, Fatima realizes in her heart that I/we care about her, and she has opened her heart a little. I introduced Kathy to her, and both of us tag-teamed in sharing the gospel with Fatima...straight from John. I read her some passages from John 14 about His peace as well. It was obviously a spiritual battle going on just like always with her, because every time (including this time) that I began to share about Jesus with Fatima, she started falling asleep and nodding off. And it's not because she's an older lady that she's dozing off...it's demons doing it. Nevertheless, she listened to us, and we found out that she has 6 children living in Strasbourg...and here she is on the streets homeless...they're not providing for her. It broke Kathy's heart to see it. I noticed how insensitive I was because it didn't even cross my mind. The Lord really complimented me and Kathy as we fit together well in sharing the Lord with her and others that day. She has gifts that I don't have, and of course I also have gifts that she doesn't have. The Lord did far more with us being as a team than he could do with just one of us by ourselves. After spending some time with Fatima, we debriefed for a little while, and then I noticed that Rachelle was walking straight towards us. I knew the Lord wanted us to spend some more time with her, so we did. I began to ask Rachelle how her foot was, and she said it still was healed with no pain...but that the other foot (her left one I think) was still in pain. We asked her if we could pray for her other foot, to which she replied, "Yes." We began to pray for Rachelle's foot, and after Kathy and I prayed, Jesus took away the pain in her other foot, just like the first time! Thank God! Kathy asked Rachelle how she was feeling in her heart...she wanted to go further and deeper, which I'm so glad. Rachelle began unloading her entire story to us, some of which I had heard the other day but not understood well because she mumbled. This time though, having Kathy there, I was more attentive because I translated back and forth. Anyway, Rachelle told us about this dream she had as an 8 year old child which has haunted her all her life since. In the dream, it was as if she was living during the 1700s during the time of Louis the 14th and Marie Antionette, etc., because everybody was dressed in that style, with their hairdos, etc. There were thousands of women gathered together in this large cave that Rachelle entered. As she walked in, the crowd parted and formed an aisle down the center for her to walk on. At the end of the aisle, there was this bright light...white I believe. The closer she got to the light, the more the light began to dim and grow dark and start to fade away into darkness. Rachelle was so filled with fear every time she thought about this nightmare. We immediately knew that this was a demonic dream. She told us about more trauma in her life, like the nearly fatal car accident she was in, as well as the death of both her grandfather and grandmother which were very painful for her...particularly her grandfather. This whole time, we're attempting to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in how He wanted to lead us in ministering to her. Rachelle also told about how an experience she had one time when she went into a Catholic cathedral somewhere to pray. She went to pray for her situation of suffering and injuries that she had sustained from that accident. Well, when Rachelle was walking out of the church building, this lady out of the blue came up to her with a 50 Euro bill to give to Rachelle. But she didn't want to take it. But the lady said she wasn't moving and was going to stay there all day long until Rachelle took the money. The lady specifically told her to use the money to go to the doctor to get treatment for her injuries! Kathy communicated to Rachelle that this was the Lord who responded to her prayers and provided for her. Finally, she got it! Kathy built upon this thing that the Lord had ALREADY done for her, to cause faith to rise in her heart to expect Jesus to do yet another work in her heart. And we also clearly told her how it was Jesus who healed her feet. She began to see that, but still was being traumatized by this intense fear associated with the nightmare she had as a child. (At this point, she's in her 60s). Thank the Lord Kathy was there, because one of the things that marked Rachelle was the fact that she was abandoned by her mother as a child and raised by her grandparents. AND SO WAS KATHY. When Rachelle said that, it brought Kathy to tears and she shared with her that she had had the similar experience. Eventually, Rachelle mentioned Lourdes, the place in France where a lot of people go to get healed of their diseases...there is a spring that people dip in to be healed. That reminded Kathy of the story of the lame man who was laying beside of the pool of Bethaisda. We told Rachelle the story...and that she doesn't have to go to a pool or spring to be healed, but that JESUS is the One who heals! It was amazing, because when Rachelle found out that Jesus ended up healing that man WITHOUT taking him to the pool, she had a bonafide "Aha" moment when the light bulb came on! The Lord began opening Rachelle's eyes to Himself. We finally got to the place where Rachelle would let us pray for this intense fear that had plagued her for so much of her life. At first, she wasn't wanting us to because she was SO scared. But eventually, she let us pray for her that Jesus would take away this fear, and guess what? HE DID!!! It was incredible because her whole countenance was full of joy when we finished...she KNEW that it was God who took away this fear from her. We gave Rachelle a gospel of John and encouraged her to read it. Having Kathy there was so significant to what Jesus did...there was a complimenting of gifts where teamwork happened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You God so much for what You have done! It continues to amaze me what the Holy Spirit will do when we simply invite Him, yield to Him, and are available to Him. Jesus said AS YOU'RE GOING, make disciples.
August 08, 2006
Hungry for Open Heavens
I'm hungry for the heavens to open and for every restriction that would keep the Holy Spirit from being poured out on this city and all unbelief to be uprooted out of my heart. Fear, unbelief, and anxiety must go. They cannot coexist with the Holy Spirit of God.
I am so inspired and made even more hungry to read about people like Evan Roberts who God used mightily in the Welsh Revival...after he prayed for 12 years I think for revival, and finally God descended upon Wales and 100,000 people came to know Jesus. I'm hungry for this to happen in Marseille. Bill Johnson's understanding on bringing heaven to earth is like food to my spirit that takes me into the "normal" realm that a follower of Jesus is meant to live out of. Living from heaven towards earth rather than vice-versa. Life of risk believing God at all costs, regardless of the odds. There is no shadow in God and nothing He has ever promised can be voided. Nothing. As we prepare for this Africa trip, we're placing ourselves in a position of risk, proclaiming by faith our assurance in the promises of God that the blind WILL be healed, the dead WILL be raised, the lame WILL walk, and those who are in prison WILL be set free. Isaiah 61, as I wrote out to Abel yesterday in our response to him about coming to Côte d'Ivoire, continues to be the manna word from God. The Lord is about to break forth not just in Côte d'Ivoire and Marseille and Niger, but also across university campuses in America, in unprecedented ways as prayer movements continue to gather momentum and heaven is brought to earth. The greater things that Jesus promised is within our grasp. Will we believe it? I want ever trace of unbelief cast as far as the east is from the west from my heart. It hinders and restricts the moving of God.
August 07, 2006
Aurore the Blind Lady
A couple days ago, I was on my way to the Callanques to spend time with Jesus there, and I went to the Metro stop "Réformés Canebière", and there was a blind lady sitting right there waiting.
I immediately began to ask the Lord if He wanted me to exercise healing over her...and so when the Metro came, I asked her if she needed a hand getting on, and she said yes. I helped her on, and continued praying about how to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I began to feel the compassion of God towards this lady in this condition of blindness and faith started to rise in my heart, too. I told the Lord to have her get off at the same stop I was getting off at if He wanted me to speak/pray healing over her. SHE DID! Excitement yet nervous faith continued to rise in my heart, but a boldness too. I asked her if she needed help getting off the train, which of course she did. I told her that I was the same one who helped her on. We talked for a minute, then I told her, "Je suis un disciple de Jésus et je ressens qu'Il veut vous guérir. Je crois qu'Il a la puissance de le faire...est-ce que vous aimerez que je pries pour vous?" To which she replied, "Oui, je veux bien. Moi, j'y crois aussi." Wow...I really began to sense the acute openness that she had to the Lord. Her name is Aurore...a fitting name because I believe Jesus is about to bring a dawn of light. Aurore was full of faith and hunger in her heart...she had had others pray for her before. We found a side street, and I laid my hand on her shoulders and began praying and proclaiming healing to her eyes in Jesus' name. After 5 minutes or so, I asked her if I could lay my hand on her head too, but she said she preferred that I kept my hand on her shoulders. I finished and asked her if she could see anything. She said no, but that when the time comes for the healing to manifest itself, she will! I really am perplexed why Aurore wasn't healed right then and there, because both I and her believed God to do it. I KNEW it was the Lord to step out in obedience to bring His kingdom to her life. Tyler encouraged me when I told him the story, and he said that John Wimber and the folk at Vineyard prayed for 2 or 3 years for healing to manifest in their midst before it started happening. He encouraged me that I'm being so faithful to Jesus in this season...keep praying and it will happen. The reality of what the word of God says is superior to the reality of that of what is seen. And, it may be that the Lord heals Aurore in a few days or something. I just know that it IS HIS WILL! No doubt AT ALL. Continuing in the vein of simply responding to the Holy Spirit's leading in situations like this that present themselves to me daily will continue the process of seeing my heart expand exponentially, and greater entrustings from the Lord in stewarding His Kingdom here on earth. I'm really beginning to understand in my heart this principle...and seeing the partnership between the Holy Spirit's leading and my responding TO His leading. I worship You King.