Sharpening Iron

Blessed Poverty

2011-08-21T18:30:00.000-10:00

Matthew 5:1-3 "1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The state of being impoverished has less to do with what one actually has and more to do with what one thinks he needs. This is why those who have little

Loving People to Life

2011-08-17T12:33:00.001-10:00

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as

fumbling toward emptiness

2011-08-13T17:19:00.000-10:00

2 Samuel 6:16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. The final verse of this chapter reveals that David's wife was barren all the days of her life from this point on. This verse hints at the cause. I believe one of

A Motivation For Hunger

2011-08-09T04:08:00.000-10:00

Jeremiah 5:1 "Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And look now and take note. And seek in her open squares, If you can find a man, If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, Then I will pardon her. Its easy to read Jeremiah 5 and walk away with an absolute belief in the nature of God expressed in wrath and anger. But only if you skim vs 1. This unreasonable radical

Forgiving Yourself

2011-08-09T03:59:00.000-10:00

Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." People find it hard to release to others what they themselves are not worthy of. Bitterness thrives within a heart unwilling to receive grace. What you extend to others you release to yourself. When you release grace you agree with Christ. When you forgive others you forgive yourself.

Heaven's Declaration, Your Reality

2011-08-09T03:54:00.003-10:00

Revelation 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." When the Spirit of Jesus Christ resurrected came to live in you, He brought with Him every word declared in agreement with the

Listening

2011-04-12T08:05:00.001-10:00

Deeply listening is praising another with your silence.

The Sara Show

2011-04-02T05:55:00.001-10:00

Created, edited, and uploaded entirely on the iPhone 4.

Europe - Paris/Rome

2011-03-16T03:59:00.004-10:00

We recently took a trip to Europe that had three destinations. France, Italy, and Albania. The Albania portion of the trip was the longest and was the "work" portion of the adventure. This video features the Paris and Rome sections as they were very personal to our familly. It's with relunctance I leak a trip vid, because most of the time, watching someone else's travel video is as much fun as

Random thoughts...

2011-03-11T22:06:00.002-10:00

Who God is to you is Who He will be through you, whether judge or lover, the revelation you live under is what you will reflect.You will always miss what you're not looking for.We will label whatever we do not love.To love someone, be a servant. When you wash the feet of another, you discover why they walk the way they do.

L'aventure de L'amour

2011-02-28T23:34:00.002-10:00

It's been awhile since I've written but it's not for lack of material to communicate. It's more like an overload of material that feels lacking in focus. Ever feel like someone with all of the pieces to the puzzle but somehow you've misplaced the box with the picture on it? Yeah, like that.The trip to Paris was amazing. Specifically, the vow renewal. Two very beautiful things happened that

So We Finally Get To Paris

2011-02-18T19:01:00.001-10:00

Twenty years ago, I proposed to my childhood sweetheart, Traci. We were 18 and 19 when we got married. I remember the euphoria of being so blissfully in love that the rest of the world and the people in it seemed like extras in our movie. We wanted to go to Paris for our honeymoon, but only got as far as New Braunfels, TX. It didn't matter, because we would be going on our five year anniversary,

"Seek My Face"

2011-01-29T22:03:00.006-10:00

Sitting at home tonight, quiet peace, silence and solitude, pondering the invitation of Jesus, "Seek My face." Putting pencil to paper to try to capture the face of Christ is something I have long avoided, until tonight, and this is what emerged. Completely original, completely from the eye of mind and heart. I'm rarely so moved while drawing. I only wish I had filmed it.While sorrow is not

Passeggiata

2011-01-06T14:35:00.006-10:00

I'm not sure what it is about taking a walk in the afternoon sun. When my feet move, my thoughts move too. There aren't a lot of problems that can't be solved in the process of a long walk. It's like that place between sleep and awake, the place where dreams appear to have a measure of possibility and fresh meditations make their way to the head of a long line of routine thoughts. When I

So We Never Got To Paris

2010-12-02T11:14:00.006-10:00

Just wait.....

19 years new

2010-12-01T19:32:00.004-10:00

I don’t remember not knowing Traci. We met at the tender age of five. I’m not sure if the word ‘tender’ applies to us though. We came from two very different worlds. I was born to missionary/evangelists which meant that my home had either wheels or wings and I was in church more nights than not. She grew up in a mobile home with a couple of cool Austin hippies. I remember hanging out at

Creating an Empowering Culture

2010-09-03T03:15:00.002-10:00

In Ephesians 4, Paul gives what may be the greatest key to regional transformation in all of Scripture and to turn the key on a transformational engine and create a momentum is the unique calling of every ministry. It's the missional invitation to create an empowering culture that releases people into their destiny. When ministries come together in this, it doesn't affect who they are or the

Hanging with friends in Miami...

2010-09-02T07:40:00.001-10:00

In the downtime, there is no shortage of music.

Moment-um

2010-08-03T04:33:00.002-10:00

The apex secondThe iridescent blinkBehind me a door closedAn origin fading into forgottenA life now marked in decadesWell worn the solesThat carry my alternating stepsStriding toward the door marked exitWhich some days appearsCloser than othersAnd in this strollBetween the doorsThere are momentsWhere breathAnd stepAnd breezeAnd blinkAnd beatAnd sunAnd warmAnd sprayAnd rainAnd dawnAnd duskAnd

The Sigh of Heaven

2010-08-03T04:28:00.003-10:00

That which reason cannot destroy does not itself need a reason to exist. Love is such for it exists unto itself without reason and is, quite often, unreasonable. Thus the question 'why' goes unanswered except for the audible sigh of the lover's unreasonable heart, wrapped warmly within the fabric of mystery. It is the sigh of Heaven that embraces the soul.

Healer

2010-07-29T12:29:00.002-10:00

An excerpt from the new book/film, "Healer", by Bill and Britain------------------I know blood. I know its smell, its taste, its consistency. The way blood thickens when exposed to air and time. The way its shiny wet red turns to dull dry brown. The way it moves like water when it’s thin, and the warmth it maintains as it flows from within your skin to carve a pattern upon your face, your

Lose Some, Win Some

2010-07-25T03:54:00.004-10:00

Sometimes, I dream. Ok, all the time, I dream. I used to stare out the window on long road trips imagining myself on a dirt bike riding at an impossible speed, landing impossible jumps. Somehow, in my mind, I always won, always accomplished the impossible, always did everything I set out to do. Life itself isn't so kind, however, and has often defied what I believed was possible. Two

Treasure Hunt Testimony

2010-07-16T18:25:00.003-10:00

Treasure Hunting Testimony from Youngstown, OH.----------------I just wanted to thank you for encouraging my spirit at the conference in Ohio. I had no idea we were being sent out on a treasure hunt when I attended your prophetic session that day. I've heard about treasure hunts but never had the courage to go out beyond the walls of the church. Right after the session ended and we had all of our

Freely Give

2010-07-15T04:13:00.004-10:00

In response to a question posed on Facebook about Impartation...----------------------Hey, Scotti. In my limited opinion, but you asked...:Impartation is to those who honor the anointing as separate from the vessel or can lift the lid on the vessel to see the treasure it contains. If I honor THAT, then I benefit from the value of that treasure and it is deposited into my account. Matt 10:41...

"I've never been anywhere, but I watch the Travel Channel."

2010-07-10T13:24:00.003-10:00

Everyone is right about some things and wrong about others. You don't need to know which is which, you only need to know that it's true. Those who refuse to know this are the insane who won't be taught. This statement may be right, or not. And that, I'm certain, is true. This is an expansion on an early morning thought I was chewing on regarding the importance of staying teachable. It sounds good

Who does He sound like?

2010-07-09T04:24:00.001-10:00

"The Lord God, in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quiet you in His loveHe will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph 3:17It's interesting that the most popular tv show in America is a singing competition. Maybe it's the built in sense of wonder and emotion we feel when music and words combine to form a song that can touch you in a place where

Surfing the Slippery Slope

2010-07-09T03:11:00.003-10:00

The following is an exchange that happened on Facebook that displays what religion does to the mind and heart. Names (other than mine) have been abbreviated. It began with my having of a friend of mine who happens to be a woman on a radio show I was hosting talking about some of the things going on in her ministry. Another friend (JB) decided to call her down and thus it began.<> JB: Are you

2010-05-31T10:25:00.003-10:00

In Flight

2010-05-28T05:12:00.001-10:00

The sun settles into the pocket of cloud at the edge of the horizon, ultraviolet beams bust through holes worn into the clouds by the wind causing me to squint tight my eyes. It rolls down the wall of blue and like a mood ring the color responds to it's heat. The sun must be a confused lover today because orange, pink, and purple can't seem to find out where one ends and the other begins.

Joy and Fear in the Presence of God

2010-04-07T09:28:00.003-10:00

I was at a college group this week and spoke about the supernatural reality of the finished work of Christ and the stewardship of grace as it pertains to John 20:23. The power and presence of God flowed thick as the revelation of grace flooded the room and it was a beautiful night. Afterward, a young man named Micah was standing near me and I asked him if he had something to impart. He said, "

Laws of Nature and the Kingdom of God

2010-04-07T06:00:00.007-10:00

I get quite a few questions about the coin on the wall thing. This is my response to a friend recently on Facebook. I feel a certain restriction in trying to put anything in writing about it. Most of the little that I have put in writing has been copied and reposted many more times than I ever expected or am comfortable with. I have no problem talking about it in person, because there's

2010-02-27T10:53:00.003-10:00

A friend asked me recently how I would deal with a person who was demonized and I said (this isn't nearly the only method but likely the most shocking and unexpected), if you can't find an adult who has confidence in their anointing and authority, then find some Spirit filled children to deal with it. Demons (like animals because of their beast nature) respond to fear. Just like an animal can

Painting in Blood

2009-11-28T18:25:00.001-10:00

Beneath my bare feet, the sidewalk cools my skin contrasted by the sun warm on my left cheek. Before me, at arms length is a man, dark hair in loose curls, ears obscured, bearded jaw moving in conversation that I can't understand, for he's not talking to me. The rolled sleeves of the untucked shirt, cover hairy arms that have known labor. He stands looking at a canvas preparing to create, he

2009-11-22T04:08:00.005-10:00

A friend asked me recently for thoughts on four subjects. Since it feeds the ego to be asked ones opinion of anything, I took the bait. Not because my ego is starving, but because I wondered if I even still have opinions on these things, all of which I've wrestled with, against, or for. I'll leave it to you to figure out which.Religion: Is flawed, but people embrace religion because they

Scoring Life

2009-10-26T18:38:00.004-10:00

I don't know if your mind does this or not but mine scores life. Not like a football game, but like a movie. The score or soundtrack is the meat of most great moments in film. It's a rare movie that doesn't heavily lean on the soundtrack to underscore what the writer/director wants to convey in terms of bringing the audience into the moment emotionally. It's giving a collective connection to

2009-09-11T05:05:00.002-10:00

Britain is going through this phase that I pray will never end. He reads more than he watches tv, movies, computer, whatever... So I thought I would capture this beautiful season in a sketch that exists in my mind.

2009-09-09T10:51:00.001-10:00

So I had this dream that I was having this conversation with my daughter, except we were both about five years older than we are now and we were talking about the past that hasn't happened yet. (yeah, I know it's trippy) Anyway, this is how she looked in the dream. it'll be interesting to see if, when she's seventeen, she looks exactly like this drawing and can say that it was drawn five years

2009-07-12T03:27:00.001-10:00

2009-07-10T17:32:00.002-10:00

The video below is well on its way to becoming the most viewed moment of the decade. At the memorial service for Michael Jackson, 11 year old daughter, Paris, came to the microphone and made history. In 20 seconds, an 11 year old girl turned the world's most famous entertainer, from what the tabloids had turned into a freak show back into a human being again. As I watched the clip, I couldn't

2009-06-06T04:05:00.000-10:00

The following was written by my 15 year old son, Britain.-------------------I have been getting so much revelation and God had been telling me so many amazing things lately. It's just incredible! It seems like He refuses to let me have one sided conversations anymore.Anyways, I was sitting in the prayer room last night before Revo, talking to God and just hanging out with Him and as I was

2009-06-03T14:39:00.001-10:00

...look into the face of God and lose yourself in the object of your wonder...

2009-04-23T04:22:00.001-10:00

2009-04-15T04:52:00.004-10:00

There are a lot of websites out there that "cautiously question" all the way to "hatefully deride" manifestations of the Holy Spirit and experiences in the presence of God as we gather to worship Jesus Christ. I get a fair about of links to them from people asking me to check this and that out. Basically there is just a lot of dishonor out there. So I received an email asking about specific

2009-03-31T15:37:00.002-10:00

This is so brief it can hardly be called a post. I just believe somebody needs this phrase today that came to me while I was enjoying His presence. "Never let a circumstance defile your purpose."

2009-03-25T04:03:00.002-10:00

I've been thinking about this phrase lately. You can begin a movement without affecting the culture, but without a culture, the movement is not sustained. In 1924, GK Chesterton wrote the following: "What is education? Properly speaking, there is no such thing as education. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. Whatever the soul is like, it will

2009-03-10T03:42:00.002-10:00

I received a question on whether or not love and hate can coexist. Here's my response.Love directs hatred toward anything that interferes with love. It is in the mere existence of love that you develop the passion to defend it. Why would you "take a bullet" for someone you love? Because you "hate" the bullet that threatens to destroy them. You have nothing against the bullet as it is, but rather

2009-03-05T05:02:00.002-10:00

Look at the words of Jesus in Matt 7:23 and ask yourself this question. What does God not know? He has a higher value for a dynamic relationship with you than in you having a dynamic ministry. Rather than a warning to be feared, recognize the invitation to intimacy. There is a movement here where He’s taking us to from being “the Father” to “Father” to "Abba/Papa/Daddy". Intimacy does not

2009-01-26T05:48:00.003-10:00

I got this question recently and decided to post my response. "I would treasure your thoughts on this question; I know you must have thought about it—if God is the source of all of our healing, why do we go to doctors for things like chemo treatments? I have a hard time reconciling this. My mom died from her first and only chemo treatment. Any thoughts?"My response:Well, Luke is called the

2008-11-17T19:57:00.001-10:00

I have been overcome by extraordinary experiences so much so, that every time that I sit down to write about it, I'm just undone. See, a good writer can have an average day and, later on, meditate on the details of the ordinary and communicate the treasures that were hidden in the moment. It's the difference between writing that I was walking down the street (ho hum) or lingering on the feeling

2008-09-24T03:35:00.002-10:00

Since God inhabits the praises of His people, there's a certain risk taken in praise and worship for to worship is to acknowledge and engage with the manifest presence of God and in that place, offer Him a tangible expression of love and honor. His response to your offering is the favor of His manifest presence which he promised He would give. If God shows up and you don't die, you've got His

2008-09-08T03:21:00.003-10:00

I was searching through some old journals yesterday and came across this "prayer" from January of 2001. I'm going to publish it here as it was written and then make one brief comment at the end. "My God. If You're desire is to commune with me, what's stopping You? Certainly I don't have the power to hold you back, do I? And if I do, would You kindly (or unkindly) overpower me? I forever

2008-08-25T19:56:00.003-10:00

I've been busier than normal and without much time to devote to writing. Don't mistake that for nothing happening. On the contrary, so much is happening that it's difficult to condense into a few blogs, so I've decided to share what God has been doing in my family. Specifically, in my son. He came back from camp a full on revivalist and has been going to the mall with friends doing good and

2008-07-26T04:13:00.001-10:00

I'm not starting this with anything in particular to write. It's just that I haven't written in awhile so I'm going to stir the pot and see if anything of substance rises to the surface. Saying something has never been a problem. It's saying something worth saying that's the issue. I've been in a season of listening and hearing, seeing and perceiving, this morning in particular spent

2008-05-23T13:58:00.003-10:00

I like Mary. You know, the woman who came to a dinner party and dumped a insanely expensive pound of perfume on Jesus feet and then bends low to wipe his feet with her hair. Jesus had rescued her from a church stoning social so that would explain the radical gratitude. You know the thing I find most interesting about this story? Jesus never asked her to do this, and yet, (pause, think) He

2008-05-18T03:30:00.003-10:00

It's become common to embrace doctrine contrary to the example that Jesus gave as a coping mechanism. I used to preach that as a way to address questions God didn't seem to address and herein lies the birthplace of bad doctrine. I used to teach that when disease and affliction came upon you, if you rebuked it you just may be rebuking God (because He allowed it or else He would do something

2008-05-01T11:37:00.004-10:00

I was describing the worship experience in Maui to someone recently. Words like wild, crazy, out there, liberating, exuberant, all come to mind. But it's so hard defining the experience by a single adjective. It narrows it down to where you lose the sense of Spirit that exists in the reality of the moment. Unskilled communication often tarnishes the beauty of an experience that goes beyond

2008-04-29T04:18:00.005-10:00

If Disney hadn't made a cartoon called Lilo and Stitch, most people would have never heard of the word "ohana". Then again, it's likely that most people reading this never watched Lilo and Stitch. Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family. Ohana is not limited to only a blood connection but is family by adoption or intention. This means you choose and are chosen, via the virtue of respect and

2008-03-31T18:46:00.002-10:00

Tonight I went to an all night prayer/worship/prophetic art gathering at the First EV Free prayer chapel. I start with a blank canvas and no idea of what will end up on it. After an hour and a half, this is what emerged this time. It certainly means something specific to me but rather than render my own thoughts on the piece, I would prefer to hear yours so consider this your invitation to dig

2008-03-20T15:08:00.003-10:00

When I started blogging, there was me, some guy named Sven in Denmark, one girl with her webcam in Seattle, and an 11 year old Harvard student from Idaho who posted pictures of legos. Ah, those were the days. Little has changed in the past years, if you don't count the 2 billion bloggers added in the past five years. (Most of those being rabid Barak Obama supporters) I still have the same

2008-03-20T14:22:00.004-10:00

Ever notice that the first ones around Jesus who knew who He was had demons and darkness? The demoniac in the tombs, the harlot. The fortune teller knew who Paul was. Who missed it? The students of Scripture didn't have a clue. History hasn't changed much. If I'm insulated against any school of thought, it's the school that has eliminated the questions and cursed the mystery embraced by the

2008-03-06T05:47:00.002-10:00

There's this scene in an old episode of the Cosby Show where Bill Cosby's character (who is a doctor on the show) gets a call from one of his daughters friends who asks Bill if she can speak to the daughter. Bill says no. Then she asks if he can give the daughter a message. Bill says in this befuddled low and slow tone, "I graduated...(pause)...from medical school. I...(pause)...am a doctor."

2008-02-17T04:40:00.003-10:00

Here's the testimony of what happened to my Dad, Henry Vanderbush, this week.Dad was taken by ambulance to St Davids on Wed morning around 11am. When he arrived, he was immediately admitted to a room in the ER. As near as we could tell, the ER was pretty full at the time and Traci and the kids were in the waiting room where there were around 30 people waiting to get in to be seen. We were told

2008-01-21T07:38:00.001-10:00

Living in the Kingdom is the state of living from Heaven towards earth. Jesus gave access into that place and perspective in Acts 1 when He said, speaking of the Holy Spirit, wait, get it, go. He didn't give further instruction in the politics of governing the movement once the Holy Spirit and fire was poured out upon us. Never be consumed with defining the structure of that which can only be

2008-01-19T10:22:00.001-10:00

"And the Spirit and the bride say, come..." Rev 22. Consider what happens when the Holy Spirit and the bride of Christ begin to declare the same word.

2007-12-15T07:14:00.001-10:00

We're coming up on one year in Maui. It's been incredible, life changing, and filled with wonder. I've never asked God for fame or wealth, occasionally I've put in a request for wisdom, but not as often as I should. My most consistent prayer has been for wonder, and that He has granted. Yet the source of the 'wonderful' hasn't been only in the mountains, waterfalls, rainbows, reefs, waves,

2007-11-15T23:06:00.001-10:00

One of the things people in Christendom freak out about is the human response to the presence of God. It's as varied as the individual expressing it. The laughter thing hit the church and many people declared it not of God. But the Bible declares that in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy, meaning that there's nothing in regards to joy that is left out. Laughter and joy are pretty

2007-11-09T09:50:00.001-10:00

Some of you have emailed me asking for more testimonies. Here are a few cool things that have happened in the last few weeks at Grace Church to people I know personally and was there when it happened. Merri Lee had constant pain in her feet, and had two surgeries to remedy it without success. She received prayer, felt a heat in her feet and the pain was gone. She walked with her husband on

2007-11-08T00:01:00.001-10:00

This week began the Maui School of Supernatural Ministry. Eighty one hungry, relentless, radical, revivalists came together in one room to be a part of something bigger than they themselves. Ok, it sounds like a movie trailer I know. But I can't stress the importance of this enough. I've seen what can happen when people with a healthy appetite for more of the presence of God get together. It

2007-10-26T14:46:00.001-10:00

Kingdom thought for the day:God could wipe out satan with a breath but He has instead chosen that the devil should be defeated daily by those who live by faith. The ultimate triumph of Christ is not that you gain victory over the enemy, but that you express victory already obtained.

2007-10-21T23:43:00.000-10:00

Sozo Class Notes for October 21- You were designed and created to live in the glory of God. Pa 84:2- For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory. What does this verse tell us about God’s original target for man? Rom 3:23- Your salvation has restored you to God’s original intent. Christ in you the hope of glory. Col 1:27- Our ministry is actually to release the glory of the Lord.

2007-10-13T07:19:00.001-10:00

Well it's finally happened. Shannon and I are back in ministry together. When I picked them up from the airport yesterday, it was to stay. He and Michelle and the girls are coming over to serve as Ministers of Youth and Family here at Grace Church and I can't begin to relay how thrilled I am. If you've ever had a surprise party and you're just elated with it all and then they add a surprise

2007-10-11T17:15:00.001-10:00

We've seen some amazing miracles continue as the Spirit of God is poured out in Maui. A man who had a pain in the left side of his head and had been unable to work and sleep because of it, said that he was going to a specialist on Oahu, meaning that it was suspected that something was seriously wrong. He was prayed for and completely healed. A lady with constant pain in her feet, who had two

2007-10-03T07:44:00.002-10:00

The normal Christian life is to invade impossibilities. When Jesus described the Kingdom He said nothing is impossible with God. Everything else is made with restrictions and restraints. Everything else is finite but Him. Then it's as if Jesus says I want mankind to know what it's like in my world where there are no impossibilities so He adds this phrase saying, "nothing is impossible for

2007-09-29T09:12:00.001-10:00

When I work on the dive boat, I have the chance to spend a day with strangers on their vacation. They come with all sorts of attitudes. You learn which newlyweds are still in love 48 hrs after the vows and which ones are sitting there zoned at the realization that not only will life never be the same but they'll be paying this trip off for the next 30 years. It's not uncommon for people to come

2007-09-29T08:33:00.001-10:00

By request, here are the notes for this week's SOZO class. The focus this week is on the renewed mind (Romans 12).- The Bible doesn’t say, with the mind man believes. It says, “With the heart man believes." The Spirit gets restored to God and after that the soul. As the mind, will, and emotions are renewed the body comes into alignment for it is God’s ambition that we experience divine health

2007-09-27T00:20:00.001-10:00

We had such a great time with Audrey. I'm tellin you, if you ever are just in need of a houseguest, (like you crave company) whether it's a person you know or not, Audrey is your deal. She is absolutely the easiest person to hang out with I've ever known. Say you're some family in the rolling Irish hills and you've just inherited some five hundred year old homestead with walls four feet thick

2007-09-17T21:53:00.001-10:00

I've hit this topic of offense towards God in recent posts, but I feel the need to go after it again for the sake of reminding myself that blaming God will never enable me to carry what I cry out for. Why? Because there are these hurdles of offense that we must overcome to come into a greater anointing. You must be able to bear up under the weight of the pressure that comes with the anointing

2007-09-16T07:09:00.001-10:00

This was taken by my brother in law, Steve, from our porch a week ago. For those who are going through the SOZO class, here's the notes you requested. For everyone else, each Sunday morning, I'll post the basic notes from the class I teach. That way, if you're interested in going through it with us, have at it. - Today the topic is faith. We are always looking for an increase in faith, but

2007-09-06T10:13:00.001-10:00

Today people all over the island are out sharing the Gospel. Thirty nine churches have joined in a massive Maui movement to share the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus. This has been going on for three days now and just from the combined groups from upcountry churches alone, there have been more than 200 individuals who have said yes to Jesus. As I write this, there is a class of new believers

2007-09-01T20:20:00.000-10:00

The realm of the Kingdom is often over the hurdle of inconvenience. There's something about this Kingdom that requires us to take posession. Why wasn't that person healed or delivered? Often it's because we've not arrived, and you have to be ok with that. It means that we continue to embrace the lifestyle of risk to pursue what Jesus told us is possible. Why? Because Jesus said it is. John

2007-08-26T07:14:00.001-10:00

2007-08-26T06:50:00.001-10:00

I took my brother in law, Steve, to attend a men's retreat out in Hana this weekend. That's a 37 mile journey with 617 switchbacks that takes roughly two hours to drive. Do the math. You go there and back on the same day you have changed direction (north, south, north, south) on tight hairpin turns 1234 times. Hana is like Hawaii before it became a state with couple thousand people living in

2007-08-19T22:35:00.001-10:00

I love a good story. Growing up in the midst of master storytellers, I could sit and listen to the accounts of fishing trips gone wrong, hunting trips gone right, and all manner of tales for hours and never get bored. Jesus encouraged us to share the family stories. Deut 6 gives some stern instruction from God for us to make sure that we pass down the record of what God has done and is doing

2007-08-09T06:58:00.001-10:00

At last night's service we had a number of great testimonies as God moved. Many words and prophecies were given which was fantastic. It was like a well of water that overflowed in the middle of the sanctuary. A couple brought their son Matthew (around 6 years old) who had torn some cartilage in his knee that day. Earlier they had to carry him into the doctor as he couldn't walk. He came to church

2007-08-07T06:37:00.001-10:00

An outpouring of the Spirit of God continues in Maui. James, our sound-man is a chef at a local restaurant. He had a young man working for him who had suffered a heart attack at a young age. This man came to James last week saying he had chest pains and, knowing James was a Christian, asked him to pray for him. James laid hands on him and prayed and the pain (and fear) left. The man told

2007-07-30T06:42:00.002-10:00

Prophecy is a really huge deal to God yet there are alot of religious people who take issue against it. It is often said that prophecy is not for today, yet there is a danger in going there. Jesus said in John 5, you search the scriptures because you think in them is eternal life, but these are they which testify of Me and you're unwilling to come to Me. The scriptures are the testimony of

2007-07-27T07:09:00.001-10:00

The postmodern church movement. "It's organic, earthy, neohippie, antichurch." Just what some cool friends of mine may be looking for. So they go today to a local postmodern gathering to soak in the vibe. Report comes back. The music put the mental in experimental, the paintings were interesting. The speaker announces that the meeting is going to be a (quote) crapshoot. I check my cool postmodern

2007-07-18T12:28:00.002-10:00

Outreach yesterday and this morning was exciting. Yesterday we took a dozen young people out to do good and heal the oppressed and that's exactly what they did. I have never known a more tender yet bold group of students. I will truly miss them when they go to Borneo for missions next month. We were able to pray for many to be healed of various sicknesses from staff infection to arthritis in

2007-07-14T10:28:00.001-10:00

The past week has been an incredible week of revival and miracles. I want to record these events so that I can review the works of God and also compose some thoughts that will likely contain questions that one day may have an answer. On Sunday, our worship leader, Byron Purdy, was competing in the upcountry rodeo as his family has done for 56 years. In one event, something went wrong and a

2007-07-04T08:40:00.001-10:00

Heaven is filled with everlasting love and peace and complete regard for the faithfulness, goodness, and power of God. Earth is filled with doubt, unbelief, offense, fear, and bitterness. You will always reflect the world that you're most aware of. Both worlds are real, but one is superior. The things we can see are temporal, but the things we can't see are eternal. Faith is anchored in what

2007-07-04T08:04:00.001-10:00

This picture was taken last week at Makena Beach. My little girl came and sat down and put her head on my shoulder. Traci knelt down to snap a picture and instincively Sara put her little "shaka" up in the air. This is the Hawaiian wave. It signifies friendship, peace, love, we're cool, all is well and good, and is also how we cut people off in traffic. A true multi-purpose hand gesture. In

2007-06-20T08:28:00.002-10:00

Bill and the Flying Turtles (Shot on Monday, June 18, 2007)

2007-06-12T06:46:00.001-10:00

Did you know that the earth has been entrusted to you? (Psalm 115:16) Heaven is the Lords, but the earth He has entrusted to the children of men. The commission we have been given in this earth is to disciple nations. Does that seem impossible? In the story of the talents, the man who hid his talent in the earth says, "I knew you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering

2007-06-04T07:24:00.001-10:00

Consider the following. When I'm scuba diving, ignoring my senses could cost me my life. For example, as I go deeper, I have to pay close attention to the feelings I have in my ears, my head, my joints, my body. It's not possible to simply dive in the water and swim down a couple hundred feet without doing some physical preparation first. Equalizing your ears, adjusting your air, fitting your

2007-06-01T11:46:00.002-10:00

Traci and I went for a walk on the beach one night as the sun went down and filmed the whole dramatic event. Some time ago I asked God for wonder and He has granted it. In so many ways.

2007-05-31T07:31:00.001-10:00

Here's a rare article from one of my heroes in the Faith, Pastor Bill Johnson. It's titled, "Plundering Egypt".My travels in ministry often take me to the center of Nevada. Nine hours in the car is a pain to most every part of my body. Reno is on the way, and is a nice halfway point. I now break this trip into two days travel, instead of one.Reno is actually a great place to stay, if the local

2007-05-06T18:42:00.000-10:00

2007-04-27T22:30:00.001-10:00

I've got to do a blog here on depression. There are so many people I know that have this cloud of despair over their eyes that hinders their ability to see the goodness of God in their lives. Watching those close to you walk out such torment is a kind of torment in itself. Because we know that the answer lies in the power of the Holy Spirit, we may attempt to offer this simple remedy in advice

2007-04-04T08:23:00.001-10:00

2007-03-29T15:25:00.001-10:00

Fish Stories, Weblogs, and the ManAfter five years of blogging on the same template, I've changed to a new style. It's kind of hard to get used to. Especially since I've never had the profile turned on so I have 19 brand new hits to the profile in the past 20 minutes. Looks like nobody's even looked at the site in seven years. I mean, after a decade of writing you would think I would have