Communicating the Father's Love

Glory to God!

On Monday we said our last goodbyes at Butuan airport to Aaron, Berwyn, Roszel with Yralee, Julius and Jasfer (from left to right). It was mixed with sadness but also with a lot of excitement about what God is doing with us and will be doing in the future. We have a God-given vision that we are embarking on by faith. These are exciting times and God is glorifying Himself in Butuan and the Philippines.

Frances and I then travelled to Manila and met up with Mark and Mary Ann who were part of KLF when they stayed in Frankfurt. It happened to be Mary Ann's birthday so we had a little party together over a chicken dinner and a birthday cake of her choice. It was a special time.

The following day Mark invited us to minister at the Bible Institute for the Deaf. Mark is an amazing guy who has learned to sign for the deaf and uses sign language in his church. Manila is a very busy, polluted, smoggy place and after 2 hours of travel by taxi, train, jeepney, and tricycle (Frances and I could hardly fit in the side car) we eventually arrived at the college. After meeting a couple of the leaders, we made our way to take part in the lunchtime chapel service. One of the guys led the students in worship. The presence of God was wonderful and I found the whole experience very moving. I was then invited to speak.

The Lord put it on my heart to communicate His love for them so after a short message, Frances and I were allowed to minister to the students who wanted prayer. Almost all the students came forward for prayer. The Holy Spirit was gracious and gave me prophetic words for each student like a machine gun. The Lord knew we only had 30 minutes to touch over 30 students before rushing back to the hotel to pick up our luggage to rush to the airport for our return flight. It was a really interesting experience. As we prayed over the students they watched Mark sign for them and apart from a couple there was little visible response to the prophetic words. However, after asking how many were touched by the Father's love, almost every one of the students smiled and enthusiatically thanked us for praying for them. It was very touching indeed. Thank you Abba Father!

Mark escorted us back to the hotel and we got to the airport on time. After travelling for over 14 hours via Kuala Lumpur, we are now back in Frankfurt, looking at all the pictures we took and reflecting on what God did during these past two weeks. 

I stand in awe of what God is doing with us. He has connected Kingdom Life with a people who are passionate to see His Kingdom expand in Butuan and the Philippines. He is using our little community of believers to touch nations. It is amazing. As the Lord continues to add to our number, we will be able to send teams across the world to reveal the Father's love and expand His Kingdom. We have witnessed Heaven on Earth these past two weeks and I am convinced that the Lord is going to do even more as we sow the seed of His Kingdom across the nations.

We give God all the glory for all the wonderful things he did and we thank the Lord for pastors Berwyn, Julius and Roszel as well as all the others who worked so hard to make our visit such a memorable occasion! Thanks too to all of you who have followed this blog and have prayed for us and our family in the Philippines - we felt Heaven back us up all the time!

This is the last blog entry for this year's visit but we will be back next year as we continue to do what we see the Father doing. Hallelujah!

To close.....my favourite picture from our trip (Christine and her pet rooster, Alex)...

"'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' - but God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.'" 1 Cor. 2:9,10

Releasing the Prophetic

Glory to God!

Today we spent the morning in Mabini and I ministered in pastor Berwyn's church, Mabini Christian Assembly. After worshipping in their language and now spotting a few familiar words, I was invited to preach. I spoke on Elijah and the fact that he was a man just like us and an example to us of someone who completely trusted in God. We looked at the account of Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal and the Lord showed us how to draw His fire in our lives as we stop wavering between two opinions and build an altar for Him. It was a powerful word and everyone responded to it as we surrendered our lives afresh to the Lord. (They call the motorbikes skylabs when they have sideboards to carry extra load. Here are 8 people on one bike!)

After a delicious lunch (lots of mangos for mango-man - my name at the hotel) and lots of fun with Berwyn and Liberty's children, we made our way back to Butuan to finish some paperwork and then to speak to pastor Julius' young people. 

The Lord led us to look at the work of the Holy Spirit and prophecy. Frances and I then taught on how to prophesy and then got the youngsters to give it a go. The guys paired up and we invited the Holy Spirit to lead us. After 5 minutes I stopped the guys and asked them to share what God was doing. To the amazement of the group the guys shared what they had received and as their respective partners confirmed they were accurate and some even cried, they were so encouraged that the whole atmosphere changed. Faith was ignited! These guys are in for an amazing adventure with God! Thank you Lord! 

Tomorrow is our last day here in Butuan. I am preaching in the morning and early evening and will possibly be at the radio station again in the afternoon. The Lord has really been revealing heaven on earth here and I am so excited for the young people here!

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

Prophetic Word Confirmed!

Dear Richard,

Greetings.
Thanks for the visit here in Butuan and your message in myself i was so Bless
from the beginning until you end the meeting....

I remember the word you give to me during the washing of feet.
that you release a prophetic word which is confirmation of the prophetic word which is given to me last two years ago by a Canadian Minister who visit to us.
Thank you brother i know God will do more great things about this.
You mention that i would be a blessing and travel to different nation in Asia and other.
as the same as they said too.

Baptism of Love

This morning I was invited to preach at a church that is associated with the Four Square Church that Treffpunkt Leben also belongs to. The church building has no doors or windows and is basically a sanctuary without walls. The pastor and his wife are good friends of Berwyn's and after a wonderful time of praise and worship (mostly in English) with drums, e-guitar, keyboard, bass and voice I was invited to bring God's Word and minister to the church. The Lord spoke to us about how Jesus has restored our intimacy with the Father and that we have access to know and experience the Father. After the Word I invited the people to come forward who were hungry to know God and experience more of Him. Many people came forward for prayer and as I began to minister to the people and lay my hands on them, the Holy Spirit came. I was not ready for what the Holy Spirit began to do because as I asked the Lord to fill His people and I prophesied the Father's heart, I was overcome with His compassion and aching heart for these people and I wept with His compassion. At the same moment the Father poured out His abundant love on those I touched and some began to weep, some shouted out as though they were being touched where it really hurts and God was healing them, some fell over with tears, some cried out as the Spirit released something in them. It was truly a baptism of love as the Father ministered to His children.

"God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,whom he has given us." Rom. 5:5

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

No human power nor human words could ever do what the Father did in the lives of these precious people today. I give Him all the glory and I praise Him for His overwhelming love for us!

I had it on my heart to teach the worship team some principles for worship so right after the church meeting I asked to meet with them. They came and so did 20 other children of all ages who also wanted to hear what I had to say. These people are so hungry for God! I then spoke to them about worship in heaven and how we have the privilege as citizens of heaven to bring God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It was a very special time.

I then had lunch with the pastors and Berwyn and I continued to share the same principles with them as well as how to develop Kingdom culture. They were so excited about the revelation and are now eager to put what they have learned into action. Hallelujah!

After lunch we made our way to another Pastor's home and on the way it began to rain and I mean it poured as though a bucket of water had been tipped out over the Philippines. We travelled in a very crowded bus once again but this time the very poor folk were travelling on the bus who literally have nothing but the clothes on their back. A family was in the bus seated next to me with 2 twins and a 2 month old child, dirty and smelly and very hungry. Berwyn asked the bus driver to pass a place where we could get a few rolls for the babies and so he gave them some food. This family's home had burned down and they were telling us how they simply did not know what to do. My heart aches for these people and for the broken lives I am seeing every day. They so need the Father's love and proper social care.

On the way to Berwyn's parents' home near Butuan, I sat in the bus next to a young girl who asked whether we were born again because she had seen the lad who accompanied us with a Christian band around his wrist. Berwyn and I then told her we were indeed and that we were pastors and I began to prophesy over her and she began to beam from ear to ear. Our God is such an encourager! She opened up to us and told us how her mother is working in Dubai and her father is a drunk and doesn't work. It was a God encounter and she was mightily blessed by the Father. Hallelujah!

It's been another wonderful day in the Spirit and I am looking forward to tomorrow's first day of the prophetic leadership conference. Glory to God!