July 13th, 2010 Marco said the name of the “Resurrection Church” we went to yesterday is named the “City Of Refuge” church, which I think that fits pretty well. This morning at breakfast I sent you the preceding account of our journey so far. After I sent out the report, we went to the home [...]
July 13th, 2010
Marco said the name of the “Resurrection Church” we went to yesterday is named the “City Of Refuge” church, which I think that fits pretty well.
Me with pastor's Rosa, Moses, and Marco
This morning at breakfast I sent you the preceding account of our journey so far. After I sent out the report, we went to the home of a pair of pastors: Moses, his wife Rosa. They had pastored in the Baptist church for 20 some years before they were filled with the Holy Spirit and got kicked out. This caused them to lose all of their friends and even their relatives would not talk to them. Despite all of this, they continued to ministered to the people of a poor area of what I believe is south east Lima. In short order, they soon had a church up and running with the freedom of the Spirit, but no one in Peru wanted to help to them. Most of their help in building the church came from America, so he was eager to know us and to let us know that we are very welcome here.
Because Moses & Rosa had been treated like lepers and cast out of the church, with even their friends and family dishonoring them, I told them that that persecution was what has given them the glorious anointing that they now carry. It is a glorious anointing that sets the captives free from the confines of dead religion of all kinds.
I had a vision of him in the pulpit of his church with two sizable angels at his back. These angels were both holding scrolls of the Word of God in their hands. The angels proceeded to unroll the scrolls to reveal Jesus. So, I prophesied over him about the word becoming alive to him like never before. That the revelation of Jesus was coming out of him and his preaching was coming in a new and exciting manner. I then asked if we could go to his church and pray. After we finished our coffee at his house, we drove over to the church and found out that the baptist church he had pastored is across the street from his present church building. The baptist church has around 40-50 people in it, while he has over 600 in his church now and it grows regularly, on a weekly basis.
I prayed in their empty church building and prophesied 2 Corinthians 4: 1-10 to them personally but gave Psalm 144 to the church itself. We left to go visit the market and a shoe maker friend of Marco’s and then to lunch at a chicken restaurant. Marco then told me that I will be preaching in that church tomorrow night. So, we’ll see what takes place then.
I want to say something that is stirring within me. I told you that I have been studying leprosy in the scripture. I now see that it was a preparation for this trip. I had lost my love for nations and only saw even this as labor and responsibility. I had once looked at the poor of the nations in a warm romantic way, (romantic in the poetic use of the word), but have lost it somewhere along the way. This poor people have been restoring my love for the poor that I once had. I was studying leprosy hoping that I might be compassionate toward the downtrodden again. I did not know there were such poor in Peru. I am totally surprised at what is actually here. In fact, I’m shocked at how little I know about South America and all that is possible here. Lima is a very big city. It is chock full of people that are so kind and willing to hear the gospel. I have yet to be turned down by a single stranger that I ask if they would give their lives to Jesus Christ and let him come and live inside their hearts. Each one prays a simple invitation prayer and they begin to cry. Every one of them cries. It is a most fulfilling adventure that is causing me to want to bring them home with me.
City of Refuge Worship
Tuesday evening we went on the wild ride through the City of Lima north over a mountain pass to the city of Huaral where the City of Refuge Church was a waiting our arrival. Pastor Morales was at the door to greet us with a warm and excited hug. Worship started with exuberance; they really like it loud here! Pastor Morales really wanted to get to the action so he didn’t let the worship go long and he invited me to the pulpit with Pastor Marco quickly. I preached from Luke 13 about the kingdom of God being like a mustard seed. I challenged the witch doctors and spell casters and told the people that the kingdom of Jesus will always win and break the chains that the devil puts upon people. I announced over and over that the kingdom of Light, the kingdom of our God, will always win over the kingdom of darkness with the witches and their spells. I said we would break every spell that’s been placed of every soul in this church tonight. Well, as you can imagine, the demons started manifesting and we were casting outdevils most of the night. The sounds of deliverance rang through the building. Here’s what we saw: 15 to 18 people were saved, with another 20 to 30 rededicating their lives to Christ. Over 100 responded to give every part of themselves over to Jesus Christ and His glorious kingdom. The power was present and many were healed but it was so chaotic that I am unable to report on any specific healings.
