(For an understanding of "Encounter", please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
My Encounter was a wonderful "next chapter" to all that has been happening in my life since joining VWS!
First, during worship music, I prayed for the Lord to fill the room! I also prayed that He would cast out any and all gloom and doom that the news broadcasts had been filling my head with. He has always had birds sing and fly around me whenever I was in a parking lot, to remind me of His care and that I need never worry. I asked Him to please do the same with my restless thoughts of crime, the economy, etc. He did!
I experienced being a cat, a horse, a petal on a white daisy, and a bird flying high in the clouds. When I was the horse running though the fields, I had picture upon picture of where I was going and seeing, one on top of the other, sometimes in mono vision and sometimes with the depth of binocular vision (two eyes working together to see one vision). It was confusing! I asked the Lord if this contributed to horse and rider accidents, where the rider wants the horse to jump over a fence and the horse comes to a dead stop instead. He said yes. I confirmed what I experienced with information about what horses see from experts.
Amazing as it was, this was just the beginning. We were asked to come to the front if we felt we had family curses, pestering demons, and/or suicidal thoughts. So I came up and prayed for release. As I did, and when I said out loud that I command all demons to leave me and my dreams and stay away, I suddenly fell to my knees. I had been leaning on a demon's lie as a crutch to stand on--without even knowing it! When the demon and his lies left I fell into a kneeling posture before the Throne of God, with angels keeping me from hurting myself when I went down. I saw this ugly black, streaky thing leave me as I fell, too.
I rose up to praise the Lord, and He lifted me up under my arms and placed me on a high precipice. It was glorious! I felt 20 feet tall! When the prayer was over and I opened my eyes, I still saw the earth far below me and stars right beside me. I was frightened I would fall at first, but then I realized I was safe and well.
I continue to feel lighter and happier! I wish I could share this feeling and these blessings with everyone! That is why I am humbled to be a part of the Sozo and prayer team. God bless you all!
Carol Whetstone
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Next Encounter!
Every time Encounter is over for the month I get nervous...I feel like, "Okay, I've shared everything I know, what in the world will we do next month?" God let's me sweat it out for a little while, until I remember that part is His job! I usually don't have a very good picture of how I want to approach the evening until that afternoon, but He has been giving me clues along the way.
One of the things I believe He is telling me to go after on Feb 4th is addictions. I don't know what that will look like yet, but I believe Jesus is going to set some people free from junk they don't want (and maybe even some they do). We will likely do some more focused physical healing this time also since that was put on the back burner in January. I'll try to let you know some of the plan as I learn it myself (no promise of full disclosure implied there...I still like surprises).
If you are in the Cincinnati area, please join us for Encounter, Wednesday evening, February 4th, 7 PM, at the Vineyard Westside church on Glenmore Ave...I can't remember the address (maybe someone could comment with it).
One of the things I believe He is telling me to go after on Feb 4th is addictions. I don't know what that will look like yet, but I believe Jesus is going to set some people free from junk they don't want (and maybe even some they do). We will likely do some more focused physical healing this time also since that was put on the back burner in January. I'll try to let you know some of the plan as I learn it myself (no promise of full disclosure implied there...I still like surprises).
If you are in the Cincinnati area, please join us for Encounter, Wednesday evening, February 4th, 7 PM, at the Vineyard Westside church on Glenmore Ave...I can't remember the address (maybe someone could comment with it).
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Helen's Encounter
(For an understanding of "Encounter" please see "Introduction to Encounter")
Here's my story...It's a long one...
In recent years, God has made a lot of headway with me in my weak areas which are fear and doubt. Seems odd since one of my spiritual gifts is Faith, but maybe it makes sense since the enemy likes to steal.
Anyway, I still had lingering "voices" that continued to plague me in stuff that I have settled with God and pretty much gotten His say on. Somehow they keep coming back around...When that happens I battle with it thinking "well, maybe it wasn't settled" and then it goes into this whole internal conflict that distracts me and drives me into self-focus. During worship I found myself there, once again, turning it over to God because I was tired of the conflict and was ready to give up my dreams if that's what God was asking of me.
Somewhere in the midst of this intense praying I got a picture of Jesus putting his hand on the back my head and pushing it forward. At first I thought that seemed so rough I was concerned it was the enemy but quickly realized what was going on. In the Sozo ministry we have a tool called a "divine edit" where the minister places a hand on the back of the person's head, asks the Holy Spirit to come in and "edit out" abnormal concepts/beliefs and exhange them with Truth.
Jesus was performing a divine edit on me!
He spoke into my ear, words that flowed like a stream, the truth about me, how He made me, how the things that He'd placed in my life - the people, experiences, etc - had been placed there for a purpose and that they'd all pull together in a way that would amaze me. I needed to stop second guessing and worrying. He trusted me to do what was right, he knew my heart was to please Him, but that I'd also fallen into a religious mindset that placed a lot of fear into my motives. He cleaned all of it up.
I saw angels there with us in that moment. Then the angels were gone and Father God and the Holy Spirit were there. I could only see God's feet. But he was standing next to me. The Holy Spirit was in front of me, placing his forehead against mine if that makes sense. Jesus began sealing up my ears - I guessed so that I would not be able to hear the enemy's lies anymore. YAY!
But then from within my head I heard a solitary, clear voice that undermined all they did and I was afraid that maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see and the voice was actually that of God. But it contradicted everything that had streamed into my mind as the "sozo" was happening. That sent me into more conflict because I then didn't know what to believe or whose voice it was. I was discouraged and thought "This is just never going to end." I felt a dark heaviness in the front of my head that stayed there for most of the rest of the night.
Since I was on the prayer team I set that aside so I could help pray for other people. Later Don called out for anyone who was dealing with "voices" to come up. so I went up. I thought of how many times I had gone for prayer for this crap. Part of me thought "why bother?" But then Don commanded the voices to be gone...FOREVER...
"Forever," I thought sarcastically. "That would be nice."
Then Don clarified "Yes, they can be gone forever". I knew I hadn't spoken outloud so I knew that this was something from God. There was a power, a truth, in those words that was warm and comforting to my spirit. I did NOT have to live like this forever, in this place of confusion. I then felt peace in the area of my head where the "junk" had been. I felt the heaviness lift.
Later, a mild headache began in that area of my head. Knowing that Don has an anointing for dealing with headaches I asked him to pray with me. As he was praying, the headache seemed to move from my forehead to under my eyebrow, like it was trying to escape from under Don's hand. That was when it was clear that this conflict did in fact come from the enemy. He gave himself away at that time, the lying, stealing, counterfeiting mongrel. I had proof positive that all of it was from him...That there was no conflict with God. God was not asking me to lay down any dreams. My dreams and desires were from Him and for Him.
This experience has left me able to discern without a doubt when I am facing crap from the evil one. Darkness and heaviness in my chest and head are not the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They are evidence of being messed with. And I will not be calling God the devil by telling them to shut up and leave which had been my biggest fear when I was unsure who the voices were.
ENCOUNTER ROCKS!
Let me clarify: ENCOUNTER ROCKS...But JESUS IS DA BOMB DIGGITY.... :)
Helen
Here's my story...It's a long one...
In recent years, God has made a lot of headway with me in my weak areas which are fear and doubt. Seems odd since one of my spiritual gifts is Faith, but maybe it makes sense since the enemy likes to steal.
Anyway, I still had lingering "voices" that continued to plague me in stuff that I have settled with God and pretty much gotten His say on. Somehow they keep coming back around...When that happens I battle with it thinking "well, maybe it wasn't settled" and then it goes into this whole internal conflict that distracts me and drives me into self-focus. During worship I found myself there, once again, turning it over to God because I was tired of the conflict and was ready to give up my dreams if that's what God was asking of me.
Somewhere in the midst of this intense praying I got a picture of Jesus putting his hand on the back my head and pushing it forward. At first I thought that seemed so rough I was concerned it was the enemy but quickly realized what was going on. In the Sozo ministry we have a tool called a "divine edit" where the minister places a hand on the back of the person's head, asks the Holy Spirit to come in and "edit out" abnormal concepts/beliefs and exhange them with Truth.
Jesus was performing a divine edit on me!
He spoke into my ear, words that flowed like a stream, the truth about me, how He made me, how the things that He'd placed in my life - the people, experiences, etc - had been placed there for a purpose and that they'd all pull together in a way that would amaze me. I needed to stop second guessing and worrying. He trusted me to do what was right, he knew my heart was to please Him, but that I'd also fallen into a religious mindset that placed a lot of fear into my motives. He cleaned all of it up.
I saw angels there with us in that moment. Then the angels were gone and Father God and the Holy Spirit were there. I could only see God's feet. But he was standing next to me. The Holy Spirit was in front of me, placing his forehead against mine if that makes sense. Jesus began sealing up my ears - I guessed so that I would not be able to hear the enemy's lies anymore. YAY!
But then from within my head I heard a solitary, clear voice that undermined all they did and I was afraid that maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see and the voice was actually that of God. But it contradicted everything that had streamed into my mind as the "sozo" was happening. That sent me into more conflict because I then didn't know what to believe or whose voice it was. I was discouraged and thought "This is just never going to end." I felt a dark heaviness in the front of my head that stayed there for most of the rest of the night.
Since I was on the prayer team I set that aside so I could help pray for other people. Later Don called out for anyone who was dealing with "voices" to come up. so I went up. I thought of how many times I had gone for prayer for this crap. Part of me thought "why bother?" But then Don commanded the voices to be gone...FOREVER...
"Forever," I thought sarcastically. "That would be nice."
Then Don clarified "Yes, they can be gone forever". I knew I hadn't spoken outloud so I knew that this was something from God. There was a power, a truth, in those words that was warm and comforting to my spirit. I did NOT have to live like this forever, in this place of confusion. I then felt peace in the area of my head where the "junk" had been. I felt the heaviness lift.
Later, a mild headache began in that area of my head. Knowing that Don has an anointing for dealing with headaches I asked him to pray with me. As he was praying, the headache seemed to move from my forehead to under my eyebrow, like it was trying to escape from under Don's hand. That was when it was clear that this conflict did in fact come from the enemy. He gave himself away at that time, the lying, stealing, counterfeiting mongrel. I had proof positive that all of it was from him...That there was no conflict with God. God was not asking me to lay down any dreams. My dreams and desires were from Him and for Him.
This experience has left me able to discern without a doubt when I am facing crap from the evil one. Darkness and heaviness in my chest and head are not the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They are evidence of being messed with. And I will not be calling God the devil by telling them to shut up and leave which had been my biggest fear when I was unsure who the voices were.
ENCOUNTER ROCKS!
Let me clarify: ENCOUNTER ROCKS...But JESUS IS DA BOMB DIGGITY.... :)
Helen
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Kelly's Encounter
(For and understanding of "Encounter" please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
Last night I went to Encounter for the first time since it began. Don spoke about the voices in your head. He called people up on 3 separate occasions for different "voices". I am not perfect at defectling those negative voices yet, but I am certainly getting better. I never went up front, I just sat their and prayed for the people that did go up.
After this, Don asked if anyone needed physical healing to grab a prayer team member and get prayed for. I still sat, waiting to see who would be available, not knowing if I was going to ask or not. For the past 3 months I have had a terrible back problem. It is not constant, but when I sit for awhile, usually while doing school, my lower right back would kill. The pain would radiate down my bottom to the front of my thigh and down to my foot. The pain so excruciating at times that I could hardly stand up straight. I think God was telling me all night that He wanted to heal me. I heard Him, but was like, yeah, it's just a bad back, there are other people here with more serious issues, I'm sure. So I sat.
Then I got up and walked into the aisle, still not really knowing if I was going to ask for prayer or not. There were 2 friends standing there and they asked me if I needed prayer. I said "well, my back is killing me" They put their hand on my back, one said a quick prayer and that was it. I still felt some pain, but kept believing that God had healed it. When we got finished with school today, I felt no pain whatsoever. NONE. I feel only heat back there right now. God is faithful even when we aren't sure we want to listen to Him-how amazing is that?!
I am blown away by His love for me.
Last night I went to Encounter for the first time since it began. Don spoke about the voices in your head. He called people up on 3 separate occasions for different "voices". I am not perfect at defectling those negative voices yet, but I am certainly getting better. I never went up front, I just sat their and prayed for the people that did go up.
After this, Don asked if anyone needed physical healing to grab a prayer team member and get prayed for. I still sat, waiting to see who would be available, not knowing if I was going to ask or not. For the past 3 months I have had a terrible back problem. It is not constant, but when I sit for awhile, usually while doing school, my lower right back would kill. The pain would radiate down my bottom to the front of my thigh and down to my foot. The pain so excruciating at times that I could hardly stand up straight. I think God was telling me all night that He wanted to heal me. I heard Him, but was like, yeah, it's just a bad back, there are other people here with more serious issues, I'm sure. So I sat.
Then I got up and walked into the aisle, still not really knowing if I was going to ask for prayer or not. There were 2 friends standing there and they asked me if I needed prayer. I said "well, my back is killing me" They put their hand on my back, one said a quick prayer and that was it. I still felt some pain, but kept believing that God had healed it. When we got finished with school today, I felt no pain whatsoever. NONE. I feel only heat back there right now. God is faithful even when we aren't sure we want to listen to Him-how amazing is that?!
I am blown away by His love for me.
Josh's Encounter
(For an understanding of “Encounter” please see the post “Introduction to Encounter”)
My name is Josh. I am 15 years old and have been taking care of myself for the past 5 years. My encounter started at Encounter and continued into the next day.
At Encounter when “anger” was called out as one of the things to come forward for release, I felt he was looking at, and talking to just me. I started to go to the front from the balcony, but then went back to my seat. Let’s just say I was emotional for the rest of the night.
I happen to be staying with Don and Margaret at this time, so the next night we started talking about the anger stuff. I decided to let them pray over me to get rid of the anger and suicidal thoughts that I had for about four years. As we got going I felt this stuff starting to come off. Once the suicidal thoughts were gone, I got a picture of a photo album. I sensed Jesus helping me remove all of the bad pictures throughout my life. Then I saw Him knocking on a door. I was asked what that meant and said, “I think He wants me to let Him in”. That was something I really wanted to do…so I did. Then He came in and I felt better. We talked and spent time together and then He removed a dark ball from the center of my chest and replaced it with a shining light. He took yarn and a needle and sowed the shining light in. I knew this was to let me know that it was permanent.
At the end, Jesus added a picture to my life’s photo album…it was a picture of the two of us talking.
It has been a week ago now, and I still feel no anger, no suicidal thoughts…I feel great! I hope it happens to you.
My name is Josh. I am 15 years old and have been taking care of myself for the past 5 years. My encounter started at Encounter and continued into the next day.
At Encounter when “anger” was called out as one of the things to come forward for release, I felt he was looking at, and talking to just me. I started to go to the front from the balcony, but then went back to my seat. Let’s just say I was emotional for the rest of the night.
I happen to be staying with Don and Margaret at this time, so the next night we started talking about the anger stuff. I decided to let them pray over me to get rid of the anger and suicidal thoughts that I had for about four years. As we got going I felt this stuff starting to come off. Once the suicidal thoughts were gone, I got a picture of a photo album. I sensed Jesus helping me remove all of the bad pictures throughout my life. Then I saw Him knocking on a door. I was asked what that meant and said, “I think He wants me to let Him in”. That was something I really wanted to do…so I did. Then He came in and I felt better. We talked and spent time together and then He removed a dark ball from the center of my chest and replaced it with a shining light. He took yarn and a needle and sowed the shining light in. I knew this was to let me know that it was permanent.
At the end, Jesus added a picture to my life’s photo album…it was a picture of the two of us talking.
It has been a week ago now, and I still feel no anger, no suicidal thoughts…I feel great! I hope it happens to you.
My Encounter
(For an understanding of "Encounter" please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
If you missed it, I’m sorry, because you missed the greatest Encounter yet! It was amazing. Even with the ice falling and bad roads we had 75 folks show up. Worship this time was absolutely awesome. Even as the team was lead by the Spirit, Ryan would type the line they were singing and have it up on the screen. I taught about the different voices we hear, where they come from, what they sound like, what to do about them etc. But then we had ministry time…
I called out three different groups of common problems that people have due to voices in their heads, things like anger, hatred, suicide, guilt & shame (guilt and shame resulting from abortion), unworthiness, grief etc. Out of the 75 folks there we probably had 100 come forward for freedom and release (a lot of double and triple dippers). It was fantastic! People gathered at the front seeking freedom, the prayer team gathered around behind to lay hands on to pray, and I spoke the different things needed for the different conditions from in front of them. After praying for a few minutes each time, I would ask them to raise their hands if they felt a release…almost every hand went up every time!
We had to have 40-50 different people get touched by God in a powerful way last night. Too many stories to email, even from the seats that didn’t come forward.
God is truly moving like never before…and this Encounter Team is just amazing at flowing with Him.
God is good…all the time!
\o/ Don
If you missed it, I’m sorry, because you missed the greatest Encounter yet! It was amazing. Even with the ice falling and bad roads we had 75 folks show up. Worship this time was absolutely awesome. Even as the team was lead by the Spirit, Ryan would type the line they were singing and have it up on the screen. I taught about the different voices we hear, where they come from, what they sound like, what to do about them etc. But then we had ministry time…
I called out three different groups of common problems that people have due to voices in their heads, things like anger, hatred, suicide, guilt & shame (guilt and shame resulting from abortion), unworthiness, grief etc. Out of the 75 folks there we probably had 100 come forward for freedom and release (a lot of double and triple dippers). It was fantastic! People gathered at the front seeking freedom, the prayer team gathered around behind to lay hands on to pray, and I spoke the different things needed for the different conditions from in front of them. After praying for a few minutes each time, I would ask them to raise their hands if they felt a release…almost every hand went up every time!
We had to have 40-50 different people get touched by God in a powerful way last night. Too many stories to email, even from the seats that didn’t come forward.
God is truly moving like never before…and this Encounter Team is just amazing at flowing with Him.
God is good…all the time!
\o/ Don
An Anonymous Encounter
(For an understanding of "Encounter" please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
Hi Don -
Thanks so much for the Encounter session tonight. I had come just to give a ride to someone else there, and didn't really know what to expect. Then when you read your list, quite a few items pertained to me, so I felt God nudging me to get prayer for myself.
I've had some trouble with pinched nerves, and one of the symptoms was pain in my toes on my right foot. As we prayed, I felt that pain fade away, and it hasn't come back.
The bible says that we sometimes don't really know what to pray for, but that he knows our every need. What I didn't tell you was that I had missed work today because I had been up all night worrying about some financial setbacks I've had. I had been praying and telling God how much I trusted Him to help me out of this situation, but then my mind would return to worrying and panic. God has come through for me in so many ways before, and I know how he provides for my every need. But I guess I was thinking this one is too big for God to handle. I had just had coffee with a friend this morning, and confided in him that this situation seemed impossible, and I had no idea how God was going to solve this one.
Then tonight, just as we finished praying, someone came up to me and, completely unexpectedly, handed me a check. I suspect he had no idea he was being sent on a mission from God. It was God's message to me saying, "Ye of little faith. Why do you doubt?" I was overwhelmed with gratitude and so amazed at how God keeps surprising me. It was his way of saying, "Don't worry. I got this."
Hard-headed as I am, I realized he had just sent me that same message last week, and I should have rested in Him, knowing how he takes care of me. I still don't know how he's going to handle the rest of my crisis, but I don't need to know. I have the peace of knowing He will.
Thanks again. (If you want to use any part of my testimony, feel free. For obvious reasons, I'd rather you not use my name.)
God bless.
Hi Don -
Thanks so much for the Encounter session tonight. I had come just to give a ride to someone else there, and didn't really know what to expect. Then when you read your list, quite a few items pertained to me, so I felt God nudging me to get prayer for myself.
I've had some trouble with pinched nerves, and one of the symptoms was pain in my toes on my right foot. As we prayed, I felt that pain fade away, and it hasn't come back.
The bible says that we sometimes don't really know what to pray for, but that he knows our every need. What I didn't tell you was that I had missed work today because I had been up all night worrying about some financial setbacks I've had. I had been praying and telling God how much I trusted Him to help me out of this situation, but then my mind would return to worrying and panic. God has come through for me in so many ways before, and I know how he provides for my every need. But I guess I was thinking this one is too big for God to handle. I had just had coffee with a friend this morning, and confided in him that this situation seemed impossible, and I had no idea how God was going to solve this one.
Then tonight, just as we finished praying, someone came up to me and, completely unexpectedly, handed me a check. I suspect he had no idea he was being sent on a mission from God. It was God's message to me saying, "Ye of little faith. Why do you doubt?" I was overwhelmed with gratitude and so amazed at how God keeps surprising me. It was his way of saying, "Don't worry. I got this."
Hard-headed as I am, I realized he had just sent me that same message last week, and I should have rested in Him, knowing how he takes care of me. I still don't know how he's going to handle the rest of my crisis, but I don't need to know. I have the peace of knowing He will.
Thanks again. (If you want to use any part of my testimony, feel free. For obvious reasons, I'd rather you not use my name.)
God bless.
Roger's Encounter
(For an understanding of "Encounter" please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
Don,
The H.S. revealed to me that I had a generational curse that I have been dealing with for too long. I went up to get prayed for and acknowledge that I needed release from something I’ve been battling my whole life. The way you presented it as something we see as a family trait may actually be a curse. I attributed it to my American Indian heritage. It has quite a history on my dad’s side of the family. It was alcoholism. I went thru the AA training at Bridgetown Church of Christ last year but it wasn’t head knowledge that I needed, it was identification, acknowledgement and acceptance. I’ve had victory for years at a time since I’ve been walking with God the last 25 years but it has been something that has been a battle at times. It has never really ruled my life but I have had to fight the temptation far too much at times, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It has affected my life and relationships at times. The difference since Wednesday has been incredible. I have been thanking God for the difference. It has always been something difficult to talk about – toxic Christianity and pride.
“As dedicated followers of Christ we shouldn’t have a struggle with such moral weaknesses or sins of the flesh.”
“Just claim the victory and walk on.”
The list goes on. Thank you for serving and leading thru Encounters.
In Christ,
Roger
Don,
The H.S. revealed to me that I had a generational curse that I have been dealing with for too long. I went up to get prayed for and acknowledge that I needed release from something I’ve been battling my whole life. The way you presented it as something we see as a family trait may actually be a curse. I attributed it to my American Indian heritage. It has quite a history on my dad’s side of the family. It was alcoholism. I went thru the AA training at Bridgetown Church of Christ last year but it wasn’t head knowledge that I needed, it was identification, acknowledgement and acceptance. I’ve had victory for years at a time since I’ve been walking with God the last 25 years but it has been something that has been a battle at times. It has never really ruled my life but I have had to fight the temptation far too much at times, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It has affected my life and relationships at times. The difference since Wednesday has been incredible. I have been thanking God for the difference. It has always been something difficult to talk about – toxic Christianity and pride.
“As dedicated followers of Christ we shouldn’t have a struggle with such moral weaknesses or sins of the flesh.”
“Just claim the victory and walk on.”
The list goes on. Thank you for serving and leading thru Encounters.
In Christ,
Roger
Maria's Encounter
(For an understanding of "Encounter" please see the post "Introduction to Encounter")
This is my second time attending Encounter, my first experience was awesome. I really wanted to experience God like that again. After working all day at work on January 7th, all I wanted to do is to feel God's love embracing me and letting me know how much He loves me.
I considered myself to be a pretty "happy" person and always like to see the positive in most things in life. My main talent is positivity, but I have always carried the sadness of losing my father at the young age of 15. I always felt like he missed so much of my life and I felt like I did not get the time to know who he really was. My sadness, guilt or whatever you want to call it, made me a very emotional rollercoaster. Although, I always carried the grief with me, I could not explain at times why I was crying for no reason. I used to make little occurrences, like a reprimand from my boss or an argument with my husband, a melodrama and a tragedy. It really did not need to be. I basically used to wear my heart on my sleeve. I do have to admit I am a little more sensitive than a lot of people but the tears at times were a little too much, even for me.
When I was 15, my father died of Cancer. I was not at my house when he passed and I have always felt guilty that I never got to say goodbye.
But looking back, my father prepared me for this journey way before he was sick. About 5 months before he died, when he was diagnosed, he talked to me and reassured me of how much he loved me. He made me promise that I would be a good girl and that I would become someone he could be proud of. He tried to explain that even if he was sick and could not hug me (our favorite thing to do) that he would always love me. By now you are wondering why I am telling you this...well it was not until I attended Encounter and wrote this blog that I really understood what had just happened at that moment.
At Encounter there was a moment during the service that people who were feeling guilt, shame or grief got to step forward to be prayed for. I am telling you that before the prayer was over I felt a sense of grief be lifted. It was almost like if I had lost 25 lbs automatically. My heart felt so light and relieved. When Don Eichhorn put his hand of my shoulder and prayed over my grief it was like God had just told me everything will be ok. At the end of the evening, I was so uncertain of what I was feeling or "not" feeling that I had Don and Helen pray over me again making sure that my grief was totally gone, WOW! It was totally gone!
I can now remember the great memories I had with my dad. I am able to remember those special moments I had with my dad when he was preparing me for what was to come. I can remember the times we laughed and hugged. I remember the times he told me how much he loved me. I really remembered!
If you have never been to Encounter, go! It changed my life. I honestly can say I am a much happier person. My life has totally changed. I have an even more positive way of thinking. My grief has not only made me happier emotionally but it changed my whole life. I have lost about 15 lbs, physically in a week and a half. I am exercising, making healthy eating decisions. I started the year as a renewed believer, God took my grief away and now I can focus on me and my relationship with my God.
What else is there in life? Well the best thing is, "Love what you do and share it with others".
Love you all and thanks for giving me the opportunity to share this story with you.
This is my second time attending Encounter, my first experience was awesome. I really wanted to experience God like that again. After working all day at work on January 7th, all I wanted to do is to feel God's love embracing me and letting me know how much He loves me.
I considered myself to be a pretty "happy" person and always like to see the positive in most things in life. My main talent is positivity, but I have always carried the sadness of losing my father at the young age of 15. I always felt like he missed so much of my life and I felt like I did not get the time to know who he really was. My sadness, guilt or whatever you want to call it, made me a very emotional rollercoaster. Although, I always carried the grief with me, I could not explain at times why I was crying for no reason. I used to make little occurrences, like a reprimand from my boss or an argument with my husband, a melodrama and a tragedy. It really did not need to be. I basically used to wear my heart on my sleeve. I do have to admit I am a little more sensitive than a lot of people but the tears at times were a little too much, even for me.
When I was 15, my father died of Cancer. I was not at my house when he passed and I have always felt guilty that I never got to say goodbye.
But looking back, my father prepared me for this journey way before he was sick. About 5 months before he died, when he was diagnosed, he talked to me and reassured me of how much he loved me. He made me promise that I would be a good girl and that I would become someone he could be proud of. He tried to explain that even if he was sick and could not hug me (our favorite thing to do) that he would always love me. By now you are wondering why I am telling you this...well it was not until I attended Encounter and wrote this blog that I really understood what had just happened at that moment.
At Encounter there was a moment during the service that people who were feeling guilt, shame or grief got to step forward to be prayed for. I am telling you that before the prayer was over I felt a sense of grief be lifted. It was almost like if I had lost 25 lbs automatically. My heart felt so light and relieved. When Don Eichhorn put his hand of my shoulder and prayed over my grief it was like God had just told me everything will be ok. At the end of the evening, I was so uncertain of what I was feeling or "not" feeling that I had Don and Helen pray over me again making sure that my grief was totally gone, WOW! It was totally gone!
I can now remember the great memories I had with my dad. I am able to remember those special moments I had with my dad when he was preparing me for what was to come. I can remember the times we laughed and hugged. I remember the times he told me how much he loved me. I really remembered!
If you have never been to Encounter, go! It changed my life. I honestly can say I am a much happier person. My life has totally changed. I have an even more positive way of thinking. My grief has not only made me happier emotionally but it changed my whole life. I have lost about 15 lbs, physically in a week and a half. I am exercising, making healthy eating decisions. I started the year as a renewed believer, God took my grief away and now I can focus on me and my relationship with my God.
What else is there in life? Well the best thing is, "Love what you do and share it with others".
Love you all and thanks for giving me the opportunity to share this story with you.
Introduction to "Encounter"
My personal mission in life is to help people experience an authentic encounter with God…and watch Him do the rest!
This mission was birthed out of a desire to see in my life what the bible declares should be expected by someone who follows Christ. Jesus said, "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these". He also said if we stay connected to Him we will see lives changed when we go and preach the good news, deliver from darkness, and heal. Seems like there should be a good Greek word for that…oh wait, there is…SOZO=saved, healed, and delivered.
Early on, my wife and I started pursuing truth in spite of the evidence. We did small groups, outreach, praying for healing, deliverance ministry, emotional healing ministry all with very little evidence of effect…but we kept doing them anyway because God’s word says it should be happening. Through our perseverance He developed and matured us. The book of James talks about this in the first chapter.
After years of trial, things started to happen…very sporadically at first, more consistently as we continued. Each step along the way we could look back and see how God used our previous attempts to grow us to the next thing He was calling us to. We have been doing a combination of all these things for years now and quite frankly, it is a very rare occasion that something "supernatural" doesn’t happen.
I started “Encounter” to have an opportunity to display what I believe a “church service” should look like. People should come expecting to experience God...through worship, hearing God’s word, and ministry time. The supernatural should become natural. When encounters with God become natural…people’s lives are changed. On this page are some of those stories…enjoy, but also seek your encounter!
\o/ Don
This mission was birthed out of a desire to see in my life what the bible declares should be expected by someone who follows Christ. Jesus said, "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these". He also said if we stay connected to Him we will see lives changed when we go and preach the good news, deliver from darkness, and heal. Seems like there should be a good Greek word for that…oh wait, there is…SOZO=saved, healed, and delivered.
Early on, my wife and I started pursuing truth in spite of the evidence. We did small groups, outreach, praying for healing, deliverance ministry, emotional healing ministry all with very little evidence of effect…but we kept doing them anyway because God’s word says it should be happening. Through our perseverance He developed and matured us. The book of James talks about this in the first chapter.
After years of trial, things started to happen…very sporadically at first, more consistently as we continued. Each step along the way we could look back and see how God used our previous attempts to grow us to the next thing He was calling us to. We have been doing a combination of all these things for years now and quite frankly, it is a very rare occasion that something "supernatural" doesn’t happen.
I started “Encounter” to have an opportunity to display what I believe a “church service” should look like. People should come expecting to experience God...through worship, hearing God’s word, and ministry time. The supernatural should become natural. When encounters with God become natural…people’s lives are changed. On this page are some of those stories…enjoy, but also seek your encounter!
\o/ Don
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Are you Secure?
One thing I’ve learned years ago is when scripture appears to contradict itself, I am simply misunderstanding something. However, if I don’t know WHAT specifically I am misunderstanding that revelation isn’t very helpful, but at least I know I need to keep digging. I think we struggle with "eternal security" because our perspective is quite different on the issue of salvation than it was in the first century church (or most centuries for that matter).
Imagine with me for a minute that in a couple of centuries the church understands and believes so powerfully in God’s ability and desire to heal, that everyone a Christian prays for gets healed instantly (as it should be). If they were to read our writings from this time period, they would easily be confused about “partial healings” and healing meetings where “some received their healing” and “feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit, but not getting healed” and Christians “dying of cancer” etc. This would be so foreign to them that they could easily question the true meaning of our writings.
As I've recently learned, receiving salvation for most of Christian history, was not understood to be as simple as it is now. Today we have great faith that anyone who accepts Jesus in his heart…is saved. In the first century there is evidence to imply this was a harder concept for them to grasp (not unlike ours for healing). Maybe this is why James had to teach about “a faith that saves” as opposed to a faith that doesn’t save, and taught his hearers to look for a faith with works as evidence of “a saving faith”. Jesus talked about the people who would complain that “we ate and drank with you” and “we cast out demons in your name”…to which He would respond, "Yes, but I never knew you”.
What if people truly struggled with accepting salvation by faith…and it was a process of faith that truly took some time to accomplish. Not that the work of Christ was any less complete, powerful, or available, but what if men’s belief needed more time to accept the truth that was available to them (not unlike ours for healing). If the “salvation process” was not yet complete and some fell away…could they not have heard, even believe on some level, tasted of the Holy Spirit, but still not have been saved? Let’s not forget Judas who certainly heard, had enough faith to leave everything in his life to follow Jesus, personally saw the miraculous events…yet fell to his doom at his betrayal at least.
I believe if this perspective has any merit, it could bring harmony back to all scriptural references regarding saved, not saved, falling away etc. I know in my heart Jesus is Lord, I know His word says, “Whoever believes in the Son HAS eternal life”. I feel pretty secure…eternally! Now let's go get people healed.
\o/ Don
Imagine with me for a minute that in a couple of centuries the church understands and believes so powerfully in God’s ability and desire to heal, that everyone a Christian prays for gets healed instantly (as it should be). If they were to read our writings from this time period, they would easily be confused about “partial healings” and healing meetings where “some received their healing” and “feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit, but not getting healed” and Christians “dying of cancer” etc. This would be so foreign to them that they could easily question the true meaning of our writings.
As I've recently learned, receiving salvation for most of Christian history, was not understood to be as simple as it is now. Today we have great faith that anyone who accepts Jesus in his heart…is saved. In the first century there is evidence to imply this was a harder concept for them to grasp (not unlike ours for healing). Maybe this is why James had to teach about “a faith that saves” as opposed to a faith that doesn’t save, and taught his hearers to look for a faith with works as evidence of “a saving faith”. Jesus talked about the people who would complain that “we ate and drank with you” and “we cast out demons in your name”…to which He would respond, "Yes, but I never knew you”.
What if people truly struggled with accepting salvation by faith…and it was a process of faith that truly took some time to accomplish. Not that the work of Christ was any less complete, powerful, or available, but what if men’s belief needed more time to accept the truth that was available to them (not unlike ours for healing). If the “salvation process” was not yet complete and some fell away…could they not have heard, even believe on some level, tasted of the Holy Spirit, but still not have been saved? Let’s not forget Judas who certainly heard, had enough faith to leave everything in his life to follow Jesus, personally saw the miraculous events…yet fell to his doom at his betrayal at least.
I believe if this perspective has any merit, it could bring harmony back to all scriptural references regarding saved, not saved, falling away etc. I know in my heart Jesus is Lord, I know His word says, “Whoever believes in the Son HAS eternal life”. I feel pretty secure…eternally! Now let's go get people healed.
\o/ Don
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