Azman ... Radical Response

My friend Azman, from Belfast Vineyard Church, coined the phrase radical response. It's a good phrase that encourages us to press outward.

Excerpt from Go.Sow.

Develop a life committed to radical response.
    As you go, serve, share, and pray, you will continue to grow. If you decide to begin to share God’s love—untrained—you will soon find yourself—trained. Every step we take to encourage someone enables us to grow in our ability to share our lives with others more freely and effectively.
    Make plans.
    Be determined to talk to and serve your neighbors.     
    Practically love the people you work with.
    When you receive a God prompt, radically respond, and obey and do what you think Jesus would have you to do.
    There will always be reasons why you and I choose not to respond. Our feelings aren’t up. We are tired. It is cold. It’s raining. It’s snowing. It’s too hot. It’s inconvenient. We are insecure. We feel awkward. My kids are too noisy. However, as we make a choice to act on what we value and believe, our no-go, not sharing today, attitude will melt away.
    As I walk through life there are times when I don’t want to be bothered; when I want to hide and keep to myself.
    I’ve discovered it’s in those very moments God often shows up. My weak moments are often the times of His greatest breakthrough; the moments of greatest healing, or the time the greatest touch of saving grace is released. One thing is sure, as I chose to respond, I always learn something from the experience which further equips me for my next encounter.


Miss Dayton
    I wanted to head home from a service after praying and encouraging people. I was tired, and felt somewhat drained.
    While I was heading toward the exit I walked past a young lady receiving prayer. I did notice the people praying for her. In an instant, I knew she wasn’t receiving what she was looking for. The people praying were praying, but I instinctively knew they were not connecting her to the heart of the Father. I did know she was hungry for something more.
    I stopped, turned around, and joined the people praying. I placed my hand gently on her back. I then began to declare and release the Father’s love. She started to weep and gently shake. After a few moments I asked her, “Do you worship in your home?” She said, “Yes, I often sing from my heart and worship.” I gently stated, “I’ve seen you walking in your home and worshiping. The Father wants you to know He loves your worship, and He finds your expression of worship very precious.” She wept. Several other words of encouragement followed. A few moments later I thanked her for allowing me to pray and headed home.

    Months passed. I went to a planning meeting for Hope Over Heroin. At the end of the meeting I gathered my notes and began to walk toward the door. A young lady stopped me and said, “Hey I want to thank you. You changed my life.” 

    I was stunned. I asked, “Really? When did that happen? How did I change your life? I’m not sure I know you. How do I know you?”

    She mentioned when she was a new believer, she didn’t know anything about words of knowledge, or the gifts of the Spirit. She was very desperate to know the Father’s love.
    One Sunday she was receiving prayer at one of our meetings and I walked up and began to encourage her. She told me when I placed my hand on her back she was suddenly overwhelmed with the love of the Father and she began to weep and experience waves of His love. 

    She also mentioned she knew I didn’t know anything about her, yet I had mentioned several things about her life and her relationship with Jesus. As a result she did experience the Father’s love. She then knew the Father loved her and had a plan for her life. 

    Here is the kicker. She was the girl I was walking past. She later won Miss Dayton, and was now praying, and encouraging others. She was flowing in the gifts of the Spirit. She was also using her position as Miss Dayton to further the Good News of the Kingdom.
    I was totally blown away. I thought to myself, “You just never know what a simple obedient response to the Holy Spirit will do to change a persons life. Even when you don’t feel like it.”
    This weekend she came to one of our services and thanked me again and gave me permission to share her story.

Go. Sow. Excerpt. Help the Backward Missionaries.

     

 This years royalties go to the Backward Missionaries. Purchase your copy on CreateSpace.com or on Amazon.com and help them serve in Costa Rica.

Book excerpt.

     It is possible to live out of the overflow. Personal time with Jesus, private worship and prayer, and waiting in His presence are often the key investments we make as we keep our love for Jesus alive. As we position our selves to lean toward Him, He in turn, invests in us. As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. His promises are true.

     It’s a time investment that I am choosing to make toward Him. As a by product of this time I'm often refreshed as I experience His grace and His love as He leans toward me. I'm then able to pass on what I have received.

    Over time I’ve noticed a change in my heart, and I’ve noticed that I have an increased awareness of His presence in my day. I’m not fully where I want to be but I am pursuing.

    I’ve also noticed an amazing by product of my time leaning in, my steps are often so ordered that I bump into just the right person, at the right time and when I pray for a person they are amazingly touched and impacted by God’s Spirit. 

    I don’t press in for these things to happen. They just happen. I think it is similar to going to the gym. I go to the gym because I like to work out. As a result of going to the gym over a period of time I gain strength, I have better health and I am less stressed. It’s a by product of positioning myself.
    
   One lady, after a simple spoken command, was healed of seventeen kidney stones. She had one kidney and she had a ninety percent chance of dying if operated on. Three days after we prayed for her she went back to the hospital. They discovered the stones were no longer there. All seventeen had vanished! She didn't have a UTI, or any other issues. She was totally healed! I was amazed! It was one of our first major miracles.

   My advice is to find a personal well where you can refill your fountain, a place where the Holy Spirit is moving.
    
    You may want to take some time off to go a location where a well is flowing. There are hot spots all over the world where the Spirit is moving. Why not take a field trip? Go, worship, receive prayer and learn from others who are pursuing more.

     In order for you to receive, seek to return to your first love. Position yourself to go there, to your well, to your place, wherever your place my be—with a hunger and thirst for more. Spend time in worship; rest in His Presence. Lean into the Holy Spirit. Make room for Him. It’s what is most important.
 
     One day during a personal time of worship. I heard this question, “Steve, if this was the only thing you did, would it be enough?” I knew this question was asking more than its face value. I paused and said,”I don’t know. I’m so driven. I want it to be enough. Help me enter this rest. Help me to allow You, Jesus to be more than enough.”

LeRoy An Amazing Christmas Store Connection.

Christmas store fun.

We had a blast in our free store this season. Families came and shopped for their kids. Smiles and tears were common as we served and cared for people. Our team out did themselves serving, with great love. Our prophetic artists really connected with the people who stopped by their tables. 

People wept, laughed, hugged and were amazed by the love and goodness of a Father who knew them well.

LeRoy:
I saw a man pushing a walker and using a cane. I began a conversation with LeRoy and he told me his story. 

He was injured in one of the Gulf Wars. Seems they were on a recon mission and were driving down a road. They saw a plastic bag ahead so they stopped, and shot the bag. Nothing happened, so they drove past the area. 

At some point down the road they realized they were going in the wrong direction so had to turn around. As they drove back past the bag... KA BOOM! an IED blew up.

LeRoy was injured, his pelvic area, his legs, his back were damaged and he received concussion damage to his head and internal organs. 

LeRoy told me he knew why he was alive. He told me just before this mission he wrote PS 91 on a piece of paper and carried it under his shield, his front body armor. 

It was an amazing story. LeRoy was a joyful man. I had the honor of praying for him and seeing the Holy Spirit touch his life. We hugged. 

He then went into our store to pick up presents for his kids.

 

This is the entrance to our store. 

Later, LeRoy went to our prophetic art team area. He sat down, some small talk ensued, and the artist began to draw. Note: She had no idea about our earlier connection and conversation. 

As she waited upon the Holy Spirit she began to draw. She was impressed to draw... you guessed it...  a shield and then wrote PS 91 as she spoke encouragement into his life. 

He was totally stunned, amazed, and greatly encouraged. As he got up to leave, he folded the drawing, and placed it under his coat near his heart. Boom! That's the love and goodness of God in action! Awesome!

This is just one story of many. Almost 200 families were helped this year with free presents for their kids.

James Capital Alliance, Inc were our sponsors for yet another year. They believe in helping the less served of our community. I give them a special thanks.

 .