Outpouring!

Glory to God!

This morning we were up at 6:00 and had a meeting in Santiago, about one hour's drive away from Butuan. On our way I was thrilled to be able to have a birthday Latte before embarking on another full day. Santiago is further away in the more rural area beyond Cabadbaran and Mabini, where pastor Berwyn's church is located. We were immediately impressed by the sound of true worship when
we arrived as the 3 musicians practised for the meeting. As soon as we began to worship the Lord, the people all engaged with God and the area was filled with the sound of heaven! The worship leader, a young man with an amazing voice, led us right into the Lord's presence. The pastor of the church told me prior to the meeting that at times the presence of the Lord is so tangible that people weep and laugh in His presence and at one meetiing the presence of God began to affect the neighbouring Seventh Day Adventist church as their members also came under conviction and joy, wondering what was going on!

God was in the place and after pastor Berwyn introduced me, I spoke to the people about being carriers of God's presence and overflowing with His love. I then invted the church to be prayed for to be filled with the Father's love in order to overflow with God's love and almost everyone came forward for prayer. As Frances and I ministered to these precious people, we were gripped by the Father's compassion and many wept in His presence. All we cold do was hold them tight as the Father ministered His healing love to the people. We hardly said a word - the Holy Spirit was working. It was very moving indeed and the best gift one could ever ask for on one's birthday - the presence of God!

After the meeting we had a delicious lunch and then made our way to the local hot springs up in the mountains. In order to get there we had to cross a wide river and then walk up the mountain for about half an hour. It was a great place to be at and to feel both hot water and cold water coming out of the volcanic mountain. On our way back storm clouds gathered and we suspected we would not make it back to the car, dry! Well once we got in the canoe boats it began pouring with rain and the only shelter we had was from a few banana tree leaves! It was a lot of fun even though we got soaked!

We then went back to Cabadbaran to visit some of the pastors and their families that I knew from my previous visits. It was good to catch up with them and they were greatly encouraged by the fact that we took the time to se them.

Today was the first time we got to see pastor Berwyn's family (Liberty, Christine - with the rooster - and Christopher) and they travelled back to Butuan with us where we were going to distribute food to the street children Aaron could find. After rounding up 15 children we sang a song and I spoke to them about the certainty of the Father's love for them and then we prayed together. After polishing off their meals they sang "happy birthday" to me. I was truly moved!

We were then taken to a local restaurant where Roszel and the rest of the Villadares family invited us to a birthday dinner with a birthday cake and all. It was such a special time after an already amazing day.

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

Outpouring

Today I was invited to speak at Guiding Light Christian Fellowship in the mountain area outside Butuan. Berwyn and I travelled with pastors Rudi and Paul in an off-roader that was purchased by pastor Paul with the compensation he received for the death of his young son who was killed in a road accident a few years ago! The road up to the church I called kangaroo road as it was so full of potholes that we were literally alternating hitting our heads on the roof and hitting our bums on the floor and I didn't even ger car sick!

Once we arrived it was dark outside and we waited for the congregation to arrive. We sat carefully on the rather fragile looking pews as we waited. The area is very rough and people had to walk quite a distance to get to the church. Once everyone had arrived (including a frog and a dog), we spent some time worshipping the Lord in song. I was then invited to speak and I began sharing from John 4 - the woman at Jacob's well. I spoke about the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally and how our asking and receiving will correspond to our knowledge of God. Jesus said to the woman,

"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10

During the message there was a mighty downpour and I was in competition with the heavy rain thundering on the tin roof. It was a prophetic sign because after 15 people gave their lives to the Lord and came forward to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I simply asked the Lord to pour out His Spirit and the people began weeping in His presence. Young women and men began sobbing in the Lord's presence even before I layed hands on them - they were being baptised in the Father's love and receiving assurance of their reltionship with Him. It was beautiful and very moving indeed!

After the meeting we had a quick photo session (a Philippine passion next to texting on their mobile phones) and some typical food. One member slept through the whole meeting, however! We then made our way home through the mud and bumps. Tomorrow I will be ministering at another church in Butuan.

Today I really sensed the wonderful truth of the Father giving His new-born children the Spirit of adoption. As I prophesied over these precious people, I repeatedly heard the Father say,

"I love you. You are mine. You are not alone. I accept you. I am proud of you. I delight in you. I will never reject you. Nothing can seperate you from my love. My son. My daughter. My princess."

These new creations in Christ were receiving the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, "Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6). Hallelujah!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

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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!