Amazed

I am still unable to coherently formulate words to describe this experience. I saw God in a way I never have before. It was a true encounter. And that was really what this school was for, teaching us to give the world a true encounter with God. Here is a recap of the most amazing days of my life...

We come into the city of detroit, go to the rental car area, and are there for quite awhile. Finally we are off, having to be at the church in one hour. The church is in a different city mind you, and we are completely unfamiliar with the surroundings. Thank you Jesus for the GPS. Anyways we arrive a few minutes late, but thankfully so are other people. We walk in to praise and worship and this is the start of the "encounter." The music is beautiful. Songs I've never heard before, an amazing worship team, lyrics that stir the heart. All around I see people worshipping, some are standing still, praying and crying, others with their arms raised to the Lord, others still dancing. There are even people waving flags around. There is a guy dancing in the front that is just going crazy. He is dancing strangefully graceful and wild at the same time. I have to hold back the laugh and admit it was a little distracting to my own worship time. How very Christian of me right? But keep in mind, this is new to me. People just don't do this at my church. But God knows exactly whats on my mind and is quick to convict me of this. I am suddenly thinking of David dancing his worship to God and his wife being embarrassed and telling him to stop. God curses her for stopping him from worshipping. For all I know, this strange wild dancing could be the very same dance of David. I am overcome with the beauty of the dancing I thought was so funny before. How awesome it is for someone to be so free in the Spirit to worship God that they don't care at all what others think. I wish I could be this way. God is in the room in a way I've never felt before and I am suddenly feeling sad. I have been in God's presence before. But it had been so long now and all I am thinking is, "How could I have let so much time pass me by without seeking His presence?" I know God is always there, but you know how there are times when you can just feel Him? Well this was it. I am complete. I am filled. Voids were filled that I never knew existed. I never want to be without Him again. Even now as I think about it I filled with tears. I see a guy out of the corner of my eye completely prostrate on the floor. The gesture fills my heart. The night goes on and the teacher, Outreach Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA Christ Overstreat starts his teachings. (Turns out he was the one lying prostrate on the floor.) All the teachings, testimonies, everything really is stirring me up. This is exactly what I have been hungry for all these months. He starts off by saying that everyone needs an encounter with God's love. A good teaching is not enough. Jesus knew this, the apostles started their church like this, and it should still be today. As Christians, we owe the world an encounter with God's love. He gives us verses from the bible, and drills in how much God loves us. He says that we need to seek His presence, and when we are filled with the presence of God, we will leak it to people around us. He says that when we host God's presence, opportunities are all around to shows His love. He is inside of us, but wants to get out. Matthew 6, the Lord's prayer says, "Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." Is there sickness or disease in heaven? He wants it to be this way on earth. And it starts with us, the believers. Our God is the same God from the bible times. The same signs and wonders of Jesus and the first church should be apart of the lifestyle of modern day believers. But we cannot live this supernatural lifestyle until we transform our own hearts. He tells us, "God is changing the world inside of us to change the world around us." Huh. The night goes on with prayer. He asks people who need healing to stand. After all are standing he tells those not standing to pray for those standing. Wow. Usually the speaker does all the healing himself. But this time we are? I am so filled with boldness and faith though that I start immediately. The first lady I pray with has pain in her jaw so we pray for it. Nothing happens so we pray again. It feels a little better. We pray again. 100% healing. She is healed. She has soreness on her shoulders from fybromyalgia. She is healed. She has a problem with the skin on her hands. We pray and she is healed. Thank you Jesus. I pray with two more ladies. This time it is emotional healing that we are praying for. God speaks through me and I am praying for things that I they hadn't even told me they needed. One actually falls down in the spirit. The next day the others comes to me crying and thanking me because she needed to hear that. I look all around me and see miracles, people praying, and people worshipping. Again I am overcome with emotion. You can feel God's presence in such a way that it is tangible. We leave the church around midnight reluctantly. Abel and I are both afraid that once we step out of the church we won't feel him anymore. We do. The end of day 1.