OASIS HOUSE MINISTRIES

I made a sudden decision Monday morning to go to Lakeland FL to take in two evenings of the healing revival meetings that are happening there with Todd Bentley. I'll be leaving Thursday, taking in Thurs and Fri pm, and returning home Saturday.

I've been asking the Lord for a few days now whether I should go, and have been looking for some kind of inner prompting. It didn't come. In fact, after watching some of the meetings on GOD TV I was somewhat disinclined to go. But on Monday morning it seemed to me that I was feeling an inclination to go.

This much is clear: God is at work in the meetings. There is a level of divine activity manifesting in the meetings that is clearly beyond what is our norm here in America. And whenever God is at work, I want in. I long to be used of God in the ministry of divine healing. And of course, as you all know, I yearn for my own healing.

I'm including you in this update so that you can be in agreement with me, for the Lord's will and purpose to be accomplished in this trip. Thanks for your prayer support!

Thursday 1:00 a.m. (well actually Friday early morning now): After sending out my note about coming to the Lakeland healing revival, I received more interested responses from y'all, my prayer team, than any other email that I think I've sent out. So I want to honor your interest with a report.

Tonight's meeting was really good. Worship atmosphere was strong. I would estimate attendance at around 3500, with an amazing number of people from other states and nations. I was bee-bopping through a couple Scriptures in the worship service, and then landed on a verse from which the Lord downloaded a personal word to me. So that was probably the highlight for me from tonight's meeting. It helped me to set my heart in the meeting, and I believe will be a word to help me in the days ahead as well.

There were 3-4 times in the course of the evening when an emphasis was placed on receiving impartation. So I stretched forward in faith with everyone else in those times, to receive impartation for carrying this grace with us to where we live. They called for fire and electricity, etc., and while I didn't feel any such sensations, I am confident that it's possible to receive strong impartation in the Spirit without necessarily having any physical awareness of the download. At one point a black sister from IHOP whom I don't know came over, having recognized me from afar, and laid her hands on me and prayed for impartation. I receive it, Lord Jesus!

Some of the healings were obviously still in process, or incomplete, but some of the testimonies were very clear and strong, demonstrating an irrefutable work of God. So while many are not healed, there is no question that God is at work and genuine, complete healings are happening. When I see a venue crawling with wheelchairs, canes, pale people, limping people, etc etc, I feel like "this is how church is supposed to be." That alone is very moving for me.

For those of you who can only watch on TV or the web, be encouraged that the anointing that is operating in the meetings really does come thru the screen. There are many, many reports of people receiving healing while watching the services at home.

After GOD TV signed off at 11 pm, an offering was taken. Todd called those with terminal illnesses to come on the platform for personal ministry from him. Everyone else wanting healing were invited to come forward to the altar area where the ministry team would minister. About 4-5 folks prayed for me, with everything from gentle to go-for-the-jugular style.

I have only positive things to say about Todd, his manner, and how he conducted the meeting. There's a clear anointing on Todd, an obvious presence of God in the meeting, and manifestations of glory. I'm glad I'm here. More after tomorrow's meeting.

Friday 1:00 a.m. (well actually Saturday early morning now): We had a wild ride tonight. It started in the traffic line, trying to get into the parking area. I'm guessing we were in line for a good hour. It was the first time to use this venue--an outdoor field--and the roads leading to it were not designed to accommodate this kind of traffic flow. By the time we actually made it into the meeting, the worship time was completely over. My buddy from Sarasota had made a call, quite apart from me, and arranged for us to having reserved seating in the VIP section. So even though we walked in over 90 minutes late to the meeting, I suddenly found myself in the center section, second row! It was a neat opportunity to get a feel for what was really happening on stage. The reality of the miracles, especially some of them, was stunning. It was the kind of atmosphere in which you could sing or say almost anything, and the whole field went with you. Someone mentioned the number 14,000, I would think at least 10,000 people, there certainly was a sea of people covering the grounds.

Todd also led in a time of setting thousands of prayer requests on fire. The fire was confined to a large incinerator-can, and it ended up not working quite as Todd had envisioned it, probably because of the limitations the fire marshall had placed on the methodology. So there was not so much fire, and a whole lot of smoke. But everyone was into it big-time, nobody was bothered by that.

I'm guessing around 200 folks responded to the altar call to receive Christ. After seeing miracles, it was an atmosphere in which the compassion and mercy of Christ was so palpably evidenced, it was an easy context in which to respond for salvation.

At the conclusion, Todd said he would anoint every single person at the meeting with oil. Well, I did the math, and realized this wasn't going to happen in just an hour. It started off slow, but as it went along Todd's helpers got into a rhythm of pushing people through the line rapidly, and the line began to move. I ended up being anointed with oil around an hour after that line had started, which was actually faster than I was expecting. There were still a lot of people to go, but I'm thinking that by the time I went through the line, we were at the 60% mark. So the end was starting to come into sight. It was a massive undertaking for Todd, I'm confident his arms will be extremely weary tonight! The saints really dove into the thing with energy. People were collapsing, flailing, laughing, running, jerking, just about anything you can imagine in a Holy Ghost party. It was a wild time, with lots of exuberant joy being the foremost characteristic.

Here's my take on these kinds of goings on: I think Todd is being led of the Lord to use a variety of means to give opportunities for faith to ignite. Whether it be worship, words of knowledge, laying on of hands, testimonies, fire on prayer requests, anointing oil, etc. -- the point is to give the maximum opportunity for the saints to get into faith. When faith ignites, miracles explode. In our weakness, we humans tend to need help to latch onto miracle-working faith. The Lord is gracious to help us, and his anointed ministers use their best skills and wisdom to cooperate with that process.

I myself didn't have any supernatural encounters at the level of visions/dreams/voices/etc, I was not aware of any healing activity in my body, but I was certainly aware of a strong presence of the Lord. And I reached my spirit forth, with everyone else, to grab just as much as the Spirit would possibly make available.

So bottom line, I'm glad I came. I pray that I'm taking home with me more than I even realize right now. May this healing revival spread around our nation and around our world, that our beloved Lord Jesus might get all the glory that is due His powerful name. If you're thinking of coming, I say come.

Monday May 19: I leave the house early tomorrow (5 a.m.), off to Seoul, Korea, where I'm ministering at Lighthouse Mission Church. I made an excellent connection with the pastor of this church on my last visit to Korea--she was actually my interpreter on my previous trip. She is pastoring a very unique community of mostly young adults in Seoul. The work is unique in many ways, seeking to follow Kingdom culture more than church culture.

Actually, the main reason I'm going is to perform the pastor's wedding. Song-Hee (or Song, as she is usually called) has been pastoring this work for a few years, and now is marrying one of the young men who has been raised up in the Lord through her ministry. His name is Joshua Cha. They were both here together at IHOP back in February, so I've already had the privilege of meeting him. Now, I'm looking forward to officiating at their wedding on Saturday.

My prayer partner on this trip is Wayne Tate, a good friend who is the worship pastor of a large church (Manna Church) in Fayetteville, NC. My last trip with Wayne was to Romania several years ago. I'm looking forward to renewing our friendship, and to ministering together.

General schedule:
-Wed 8 p.m. arrival
-Thurs 7:30 pm mtg, speak on bride of Christ (closing session of worship conference)
-Friday wedding rehearsal/ lunch
-Friday evening speak at New Seoul Church
-Saturday wedding
-Sunday 10:30 a.m. speak at Lighthouse Mission Church (host church)
-Monday return home

Now to a different matter. I have recently found myself in a little writing flow. I'm writing what I think may be a short book called Sprinkling Of Blood. (Heb. 10:19-22) Subtitle to be determined. Dealing with how the sprinkling of blood grants us boldness to enter the throneroom, and live in a place of intimacy and acceptance with God. So... turn up the prayer heat, please, and pray me into a strong finishing anointing on this little book. It's a topic that deserves some Holy Spirit zip on it.

Tuesday evening from Kansas City: Well, folks, for the first time in 28 years of traveling ministry, I missed a plane because my alarm didn't go off. I have no idea what happened. I jerked awake at 5:30 a.m., threw my clothes on, no shower, no brushed teeth, I threw my bags in the car, and announced to Marci, "Honey, if I'm to make this flight, you'll have to drive me and drop me off at the gate." She ran out to the car with me, and I drove for the airport like a wild man. OK, yes, I broke the law, I went over 55, it's true. I got to the ticket counter 15 minutes before my flight left, but to no avail, the flight had been closed 30 minutes before departure. The agent was awesome, he tried and tried to get me to Korea today, and it could not happen. So my departure got rebooked for 24 hours later, and I'll be arriving in Seoul Thursday 8 p.m. instead of Wednesday 8 p.m.

I was scheduled to speak in Seoul Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at the closing session of the 2-day worship seminar that has now launched. But my flight doesn't touch down in Seoul until 8:00 p.m. So they're trying to reserve their auditorium for longer, and are hoping that I can come straight from the airport to the meeting, and preach before the evening meeting closes down. It's about an hour drive from the airport, so by the time I get my bag, go thru Customs, and make the drive to Seoul, I'm thinking it's not likely I'll arrive to the venue before 9:30 p.m. Please pray that the trip can go smoothly, and I can get there in time to preach. I have a message for that meeting, and hope I can deliver it. On "Longing," a message for the bride of Christ.

So...keep me in prayer for my 8:30 a.m. departure tomorrow morning please, and grace on ALL the connections. And grace on the team in Seoul as they labor on that end.

Thursday noon, Tokyo time: I'm presently over the Bering Sea, just now crossing the Int'l Date Line, and our flight trajectory is now starting to arc down toward Tokyo. My flight out of Kansas City was delayed this morning, due to a mechanical. When I finally arrived into O'Hare, my flight to Tokyo had departed. But thankfully, there was another flight to Tokyo still going out of O'Hare -- slightly delayed, which helped -- and I was able to get on it. I'll still be able to arrive into Seoul at 7:55 p.m. tonight, for which I'm grateful to the Lord. Good flight so far, I've been able to prepare for Thurs night, Fri night, and the Saturday wedding. On these kinds of trips, I need to have at least the first couple days prepared in advance, because with jetlag one gets spacey and not very sharp when it comes to preparation. So the watchword is, get prepared before the jetlag sets in.

Friday 1:00 a.m. Seoul time: I arrived into Seoul on schedule, 8 pm Thursday evening. We got to the meeting by 9:30 p.m., and so I was able to speak tonight. I spoke on the longing heart of the bride of Christ, the Lord helped me with it, and the saints responded very passionately. Koreans are some of the most passionate believers anywhere, and it's always rewarding to minister to them. It seemed to be a good closing to the event.

I'm being picked up at 11 a.m. today (Friday), to go to a wedding rehearsal and luncheon. So I've swallowed a melatonin, and hope I can get some decent sleep now. Then I'm speaking tonight at an area church, 9 pm, which is Fri 7:00 a.m. Kansas City time. Pray me into a strong anointing please.

Saturday noon: We had a great time last night at Harvest Shalom Church. Like many churches in Korea, Harvest has a Friday night prayer service. 9:00 to midnight, every Friday. Wayne led some of the worship in the service, I preached. I spoke on Endurance. Everyone was fighting to stay awake, which I fully understand, knowing the hard pace at which these saints work all week, and then they do a late night prayer meeting every Friday. It looked to me like almost the whole church was in attendance, as the building was quite full. Some were mostly winning the fight with sleep, others were losing. But I didn't let it bother me, I just pushed forward with the word. At the end, most everybody came up for laying-on-of-hands ministry, which is the trademark of the spiritual hunger of the Korean people.

In a couple hours I'm off to the wedding. I'm honored to be the officiating minister. It starts at 4 pm, and then the worship and food will continue into the evening. Then I'm speaking at the Sunday 10:30 a.m. service at Lighthouse, the host church. Back to you Sunday evening.

Sunday 6:30 a.m.: We had a marvelous wedding yesterday! It was a delightful blend between a historical Korean, American, and nouveau Korean wedding. The wedding location was gorgeous, pristine vegetation, a striking canyon nearby, outdoor wedding. The first ceremony, which I officiated, was an American kind of wedding, with some Korean flavors. For example, when the groom kissed the bride, that was very American, they don't do that in Korean weddings. There were a couple things in that category. Then afterwards, they did a traditional Korean ceremony, which was basically a photo shoot. We American guests watched it with interest, but most of the guests didn't attend that ceremony, which happened in an inner room. Then, an evening party took over, with music, a video presentation, line dancing, etc. Which was Korean in flavor, but very untypical for your standard Korean wedding. They even got yours truly out onto the line dance -- a new vista for me in my 51 years of life. Song is an amazing young lady--the first woman I've known to host and run a 2-day worship conference the week of her wedding. So there's nothing common or typical about this couple or this wedding. It was a wonderful expression of creativity and originality. And the two of them were stunning together.

What's more, they're both planning on being at church this morning! They'll be joining us for the service, then catching an 8 pm flight to Hawaii for their honeymoon. More later on today's meeting.

Sunday 5:00 p.m.: I'm just back from an excellent morning. Lighthouse church was abuzz this morning, lots of activity, the sanctuary was packed full, maybe 120 people, a good sense of momentum in the atmosphere. The Lord graced me to preach the word, there seemed to be a good connection with the saints. Then the pastor had them gather round me and pray for me and my vocal release, which was sweet. Josh and Song seemed to be pleased to be at the meeting, and they are now off to Hawaii with an excellent conference and weekend behind them. This church does something unique in their worship service that I really liked. At one point during the worship service, the saints were invited to come forward, kneel at the altar, place their offerings in a basket, and then help themselves to Communion. The Communion trays and offering buckets were side by side, two stations at the platform. I really liked the idea of placing the offering (giving) and Communion (receiving) into one combined activity. And all while worship was happening. Why not try it in your church?

I'm grateful for the opportunity to make this trip, and to bless Song and Josh on their special day. Coming home happy.

My parents fly into Kansas City this Wednesday evening, to be with us for a week. We're really looking forward to their being with us! Please pray for them, and especially my dad, who is in recovery from a bout with walking pneumonia. Dad, may your chest and lungs clear up completely, and may your strength be restored!