Prophetic Leadership Conference

Today was the first day of our 3-day Prophetic Leadership Conference. About 50 pastors from Butuan and the surrounding villages attended. These precious people are so poor that they would not have been able to attend if we hadn't paid for their bus fare to get to the conference hall! We also included a free lunch and refreshments to bless these men and women of God.

In the first sessions we looked at the diffrence between the natural and the spiritual, and the nature of the prophetic and how it is revealed in the lives of Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul and the early Church. On this first day the Lord led me to emphasise the foundation of "Christ in us" and to encourage the people to realise what they have received in Christ by being united to Him. We also looked at the significance of spiritual revelation and how the believer can only know the secrets of the Kingdom by the Holy Spirit.

The leaders responded very positively and are feasting on the revelation of God's Word. The feedback I have received today is that the teaching is simple, easy to understand and people are able to apply it to their lives. There is a real buzz in our time together - excitement about the revelation of God's Truth, and enjoyment of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

After the teaching session in the afternoon I invited all those who were hungry for more of God to come forward to be prayed for. Almost everyone came forward with faith and expectation. We began to worship the Lord (without instruments or any "props") and waited for the Holy Spirit to do His work. As I observed the Father touch His people I simply worked with Him and prayed for those who were already responding to God. Once again people wept, laughed, fell over, stood quietly, shouted, spoke in tongues and allowed God to do His work in them. I watched the Holy Spirit fill pastor couples simultaneously as they both fell into the Father's arms. When everyone had been prayed for I encouraged the leaders to do the same with their people and to pass on what they had freely received today. The Lord is equipping His people to spread the fire of His Truth and Presence to the people in this nation. Hallelujah!

We closed the meeting a little earlier than scheduled because the Holy Spirit was done and many of the people still had a 2-hour journey home by bus! These people are so hungry for the Word of God and they so appreciate that someone would come all the way from Europe to share God's heart with them in Mindanao. Apparently US citizens are not allowed to travel to this area because of the radical Islamic terrorists present in parts of Mindanao. Pastor Berwyn had planned for me to visit the "mountain people" on Friday but because of his concern about potential danger, he has arranged for these people to come to his church in Mabini.

Tomorrow promises to be another exciting day in the Lord and I will be sharing some key principles on leadership to help the spiritual leaders become a Kingdom influence in their churches and in their communities. Hallelujah!

"Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to build and to plant.'" Jer. 1:9,10