Blog Archive - November 2009

There’s been so many testimonies of people receiving emotional or physical healing from the Lord as a result of the extended meetings at IHOP’s FSM building that we are now calling the “International House of Prayer University Student Awakening” (see my previous post). If you haven’t been tuning in, you can watch some of them directly on IHOP’s website at http://www.ihop.org/watch through the player by clicking on “testimonies”. Live broadcasts will continue to be through this Saturday from 6p-midnight Central time.

As I said in my last post on this topic, the Holy Spirit has three general purposes when He releases His heightened activity – power for salvation and healing, wisdom, and humility. The main one I’m absolutely sure He is establishing in every single one of us, even external participants and observers to the meetings, is humility.

Here’s an illustration I am sure you can relate to. You know the story – there’s that guy – the one weeping uncontrollably across the aisle, and then that girl, the one jumping and filled with the joy of the Lord in row three. And there’s you, sitting there at the meeting or even in front of your computer screen watching the webcast, not feeling a thing. Everything within you says “why God?” And you believe a lie in that instant – “I must not be receiving from God. He must not want to touch me. What’s wrong with me?”

I posted my thoughts about this yesterday, but for the googlers and facebookers I wanted to post the official email that the IHOP staff received from the leadership team yesterday about the Holy Spirit's move in our midst. Check it out:

On the last day of the Global Bridegroom Fast this month, a move of the Holy Spirit resulting in a manifestation of God’s presence occurred at the last Wednesday’s IHOPU Chapel as students testified of receiving deliverance from self-hatred, shame and depression, as well as receiving physical healings. As students experienced laughter and the joy of the Lord at the revelation of God’s love toward them, the rejoicing continued into last Thursday’s 6am IHOPU-focused prayer meeting. The move of the Holy Spirit has continued throughout the week in IHOPU classes and in various IHOPU leadership meetings. Since yesterday’s 9am class with 1st year students, the Holy Spirit has continued to move with deliverance and joy.

In light of this move of the Holy Spirit, the Leadership of IHOP-KC has decided to move the Global Prayer Room to FSM from 6:00pm – midnight, beginning tonight.

Thursday to Sunday, Nov 12-Nov 15
Global Prayer Room:
Midnight-6pm – Red Bridge Center
6pm-Midnight – FSM Auditorium

Sunday Services:
8:30am and 10:30am services will be convened as usual. However, these services may flow together as a result of what the Spirit is doing.
6pm service will be replaced by the Global Prayer Room which will be located at FSM.

The children’s services will operate as usual on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The children will need to be picked up by 9pm on these nights.

All IHOPU classes are cancelled today and tomorrow. It is mandatory for students to be at FSM at 6pm tonight and tomorrow night, Nov 12 and Nov 13.

There will be free webstreaming from 6pm-midnight. You can access this by going to the Free Resources section of the IHOP Website: http://www.ihop.org/watch

Testimonies related to the outpouring of the Spirit (healings, deliverance, etc.) can be emailed to testimony@ihop.org.

Sign-in for Sacred Trust commitment (6pm-midnight only) is suspended during these four days.

Everyone is encouraged to ride the shuttles or carpool to and from FSM as parking will be difficult.

Please direct any media personnel requests (e.g. TV interviews, journalist visits, etc.) to mediarelations@ihop.org or call 816-763-0200 x2708.

Be sure to watch the webstream tonight at http://www.ihop.org/watch beginning at 6pm Central time. I'll be playing keys with Justin Rizzo's team from 6-9pm Central.

I was talking with a friend this morning about a passage I’m sure many of us know well:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:4-7 NKJV)

How do we “abide” or “remain” in Jesus? It’s something so much easier than we’ve perhaps believed it to be.

“Abiding” in Christ is not some ethereal, high plane of being that we ascend to after years of grueling spiritual abandonment and sacrifice. The enemy has tried to convince us otherwise, but it is not something reserved for a select few monks or nuns, nor is it something that can only be had by the “really spiritual people” through some special means of prayer.

After returning from Egypt with just a short week and a half at home , I'll be on the road again this weekend - this time, we are heading to Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina for the last regional onething conference of 2009 before the year-end Kansas City conference at the end of December.

If you haven't seen the photos and updates yet from onething Egypt, be sure to check them out here. The Lord moved powerfully and so many hearts and lives were changed!

This weekend, Justin Rizzo and Matt Gilman will be leading worship and Corey Russell and Dwayne Roberts will be speaking. There are about 1200 people registered for the conference this weekend. If you're going to be in Raleigh/Durham at the conference, make sure you come and say hello! The conference is being held at the King's Park International Church in Durham, with sessions on Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 9am, 2pm, and 7pm.

Be watching my blog and photos page for updates from the conference. I'd really appreciate your prayers, both for the team and for the young people attending the conference. We're expecting God to do mighty things in their hearts!