August 22, 2007

• Philippines mission trip...

  Last week I went with 9 other people from my church to the Philippines for a mission trip.  We went to Manila, Dumaguete, and then Cebu.  Our main task was to go church to church and do children's ministry and then have a "revival" service.  We could almost always first tell the spiritual health of the church by the children when we would visit.  We would first do simple hand motion songs, a funny Bible skit, and then crafts with the little kids.  In the places where the kids responded and were enthusiastic, we found it to be the same for the adults.  And in those places of hunger God's favor was evident.  Right after finishing our time with the kids, we would start a worship service with the adults.  After the message we would invite people up for prayer and lay hands on them.  Most of these times were very powerful but I remember one church where it was pretty much spiritually dead.  When we prayed for the people it felt like we were praying to a wall... the Spirit wouldn't flow and the people would just stand there as we would pray, completely untouched.  Similar to what happened during my trip to Indonesia last September, we discovered that within the church many of the members will attend church in the morning and then go worship idols at night.  Literal idols.  (In the Philippines they bow down to objects, in richer countries people work their lives to buy and obsess over objects).  The pastor and wife of the church had rebuked their members over the worship, but the people were unwilling to stop.  Our pastor felt convicted to confront them straight up about it.  We also discovered that the pastor's parents are involved heavily in witchcraft, and if I remember right so was his wife's parents.  The spiritual warfare at that church was heavy and a bit suffocating, but I know if the pastor, his wife, and some strong Christians can unite in prayer and be bold in trusting in the Lord, Satan's grip on those people (including their parents) will be broken and revival will flow.  Lots of Scripture backs that up.  Most of the other churches were more hungry and open and so during the prayer time the Spirit moved powerfully.  I was blessed to witness the Spirit poured out on each of the members of my mission team.  As my team would pray for people the Spirit would manifest in mighty ways in the people we prayed for... tears, joy, praises, falling in surrender, peace... all sorts of ways.  Many of the team members were used by God to pray for people in much more powerful ways than they had ever experienced before.  I felt I was witnessing Joel 2:28 ("I will pour out my Spirit on all people..") beginning to be fulfilled for this generation.  God is building us up.  I'm hungry for so much more... healings, deliverances, miracles, signs, and wonders... and I know they are to come... for the hungry.

  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" - Matthew 5:6.

  "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy" - 1Corinthians 14:1.

  I'll update with pictures of my travels to London, Italy, and the Philippines later.  God bless!

  • 10:44 am
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