The Ark Found?

I just finished reading "Ark Fever" by Bob Cornuke, the Young Seven One Book of the Month (listed every month at our Battle Star Musica Page) and I think Explorer Bob Cornuke has found Noah's ark!

Just like in the case of Mount Sinai, the lost Mountain of Noah is not to be found in its traditional site. If you want evidence for the existence of God and for the truth of the Bible all you have to do is take a trip to Jabal-al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia (ancient Midian where Moses fled and later received the Law atop Mount Sinai) and see all the physical features mentioned in Scripture including an entire non-volcanic mountain top burnt to a crisp.

Those who believe in faith need not these evidences for they have experienced the evidence of a life changed and a peace that goes beyond natural understanding. Many have experienced in their own lives exactly what is promised in Scripture - which is supposedly the work of man's mind. They have experienced the person whose birth we are celebrating tomorrow. As my brother-in-law so wisely asked, "have you invited Jesus to His birthday party?" I have found an ark of salvation, He is my shelter in times of trouble. Have you found Him? Find Jesus today.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Light the Fire Ministries!

Club Alpha Omega's Move The Nations Conference

Click Above for Larger Image

Young Adults and Youth are invited to Club Alpha Omega's Move The Nations Young Adult Conference this coming Tuesday December 13th to Thursday the 14th at 7:00PM. This year for the first time our YA conference will be held at Seaside Assembly home of the first chapter of Club Alpha Omega. Our special speaker will be Pastor and Evangelist Roger Ovalle (NPLAD Honor Bound Director and Senior Pastor of Templo Calvario of Bakersfield).

Pastor Roger Live & Unplugged

Seaside's Holy Grounds Cafe will be open and onsite to serve specialty coffees. Please feel free to forward this invitation to any young adults in the Monterey Bay area who may be interested by pressing the little enevlope icon below. If you are not able to make it, please keep us in prayer as we bring this event never before seen on the Monterey Bay/Salinas Section area.

What to expect:
Club Praise and Worship
Special Baptismal Service
Commissioning Service
Pastor Ovalle (last time I heard him speak I was knocked off my feet! and that's a good thing)
Coffee Fellowship
A powerful and life-changing experience in the Lord
and much more!

For Calendar Event and Mapquest Directions Click Here

God Bless you all in the Lord and Happy Holy Days!
Brother Danny and Sister Martha Morales

Our Friend Faustino

Faustino is an amazing man with an amazing testimony. He has been a pillar of our home church, Hollister's Faith, Hope, and Love Center and like a grandpa to many of our children. He currently serves as our Head Deacon. Some of our servicemembers recently got a chance to take pictures with Brother Faustino at our Military Appreciation Day on Sunday, October 23, 2005. Even though he's not wearing a visible uniform, he is a Captain in a whole different army.

Speaking with Faustino you would never think for a minute that he possesses such a powerful story of redemption. He is one of the most humble men I know. I recently shared his story to the youth of Young Seven One and the young adults of Club Alpha Omega at our Friend's Day at the Beach party. May his story encourage you today.

Faustino was like most people of our day. He was going through life without much need for God or "religion." He especially hated the occasional Christians who would show up knocking at his door trying to invite him to church. He even speaks of running out the back door or hiding when these unwelcomed visitors would show up.

He was relatively well-known in his hometown of Gilroy and owned a cantina there for many years. Due to some difficulties with the landlord of the property, he ended up closing the cantina and moving to Hollister.

While in his newfound home in Hollister, he began to suffer from a severe back problem that forced him to use a walker everywhere he went. On one fateful Saturday, his nephew asked him for a ride to and from work up to his old stomping grounds in Gilroy. His nephew was to work at the Wells Fargo Bank for about four hours that day. Instead of returning to Hollister, which is only fifteen or so minutes away, Faustino decided to pass the time in Gilroy by taking his laundry to a local laundromat.

He drove to a laundromat where he used to laundry from time to time, when he lived in Gilroy. Upon opening his car door, he was suddenly greeted by an African American couple. The couple startled Faustino somewhat when they asked if they could help him take his clothes into the laundromat. He obliged their blessing as it was hard for him to move about and haul heavy items. They soon helped Faustino pull his walker and wash load out of the car and walked them inside.

As the man and woman set things in place for Faustino, they began simple conversation with him. After a few moments of this, the man looked straight at Faustino and told him that something was telling him that he was in need of prayer. At first, Faustino was a bit taken aback but then as he reflected upon his life at that moment he realized that he did in fact need much prayer. The man and woman took Faustino by the hand and said that they could pray right then and there. Faustino had never done anything like that before, especially in front of people like the customers in the laundromat (some of whom he knew). Sucking up his pride for the moment after feeling a strong sense of conviction, he allowed the couple to pray for him.

As they prayed, he began to feel a discernible warmth come over him. He had never felt such a sensation before. He could not understand the language in which the couple was praying, as it was nothing he had ever heard before. He scarcely cared what language it was, however, as he began to take in waves of love, peace, and power from their prayer. He began to feel his body tremble and his eyes began to water. Soon he was crying and could feel a presence he had never known. Their hands felt like sponges engorged with liquid heat.

After a few minutes of this praying, the woman released Faustino's hand while the man continued praying with him. Faustino briefly looked over to her as she began to put his clothes in the wash and start the machines with some of her own coins. Faustino attempted to dissuade her but the couple insisted that they bless him and continue to minister to him in prayer. So Faustino complied and was somewhat delighted that he could continue enjoying the power of their prayer.

After putting the clothes to wash, the woman returned, grasped his hand once more and rejoined the two men in prayer. After several minutes, the woman again released her grip and went to take the clothes out of the washing machines and put them into the dryer. Once again, Faustino attempted to dissuade her, but she waved her hands and quieted his soft protest. Faustino resigned himself to her blessing and continued to pray with the man. She later rejoined them yet again and the three continued to pray down heaven for what seemed an eternity to Faustino.

When the buzzers rang from the dryers, the woman for the final time, left the two men praying, took out the clothes and began to fold them for Faustino. He was simply overcome by their goodness and ministry to him of all people, a total stranger, and a man who used to hide himself from such people. He was filled with wonder not only by the prayers but also by the sight and smell of the nicely folded and clean clothes he saw next to him. They looked and smelled brand new. After finishing folding, the woman rejoined the men to finish a prayer session that had lasted well over an hour! Faustino suddenly realized that he had been standing the entire time praying with this couple hand-in-hand in a crowded laundromat. However, like his freshly washed clothes, he felt brand new and for the first time did not hide from this newfound faith in God.

The three finished their prayer and then helped him collect his clothes and take them to the car. After loading the car, the man told Faustino about a church in Hollister where they were members. He was surprised to hear the man suggest a visit to this church as he had not told the man that he lived in Hollister. He had assumed that the couple was from a local church there in Gilroy, nevertheless he thought it was a comforting sign and was excited to know that he had newfound friends in Hollister. The man gave him directions to Faith, Hope, and Love Center, then known as el Sendero de la Cruz (the Way of the Cross) and gave him the name of the then Senior Pastor, Rev. Pedro Placeres. The couple hugged him and waved goodbye as he drove off to wait for his nephew's shift to end at the bank.

After picking up his nephew, he drove home replaying the scenes and experiences from the laundromat over in his head. He relished the thoughts and the new hope he had for tomorrow. He gave little conversation on the way home, but devoted his thoughts wholly to God's goodness. When they arrived at his home in Hollister, his nephew was shocked to see him pull out the freshly washed and folded laundry from his car. He responded sarcastically by saying in Spanish, "the cripple huh?" At that point, Faustino began to tell him about the African American couple who had just helped him do his laundry.

The minute his nephew pushed the door open with his arms loaded with laundry, the phone rang. The nephew quickly laid the laundry down and rushed to the phone to pick it up. After a few seconds, he called out to Faustino and told him that the phone was for him. Faustino asked his nephew, who it was as he took the phone. His nephew whispered back that it was "some Pastor Placeres." He paused a little before answering perplexed because he had not given the couple his phone number.

He answered the phone and the pastor greeted him by name. The pastor told him how the couple from Gilroy had just called him and had asked him to call Faustino. The Pastor concluded the call by inviting him to church the next day. Faustino was ecstatic and breathlessly accepted his invitation to church. He could not wait for the next morning. A morning that was sure to be the first in a brand new life.

The next day he awoke early and arrived to church before any of the church members - a habit that continues to this day. Faustino saw a man at the front of the church and walked up to him. "You must be Faustino!" the pastor said to which he responded "yes!" After a few minutes of getting acquainted, Faustino was eager to tell the pastor just how big of a blessing the couple from his church had been to him the day before.

Faustino began to unload the whole story to the pastor, when the pastor interrupted him. He asked him just which couple he was talking about. Faustino repeated to him that they were members of the pastor's church and began to describe them. Suddenly, the pastor began to laugh uncontrollably with excitement. The pastor told him through his laughter, "Faustino I have been a pastor of this church for several years and we have never had any African American people walk through that door. Faustino, brother, you were talking to angels!"

Faustino could not believe what he was hearing. The thought of what the pastor had just said, began to give him chills and made his knees shake. He looked at the pastor as though from a distance and began to try to put things together. He was greeted by the couple as if they were expecting him; they were African Americans in a laundromat frequented exclusively by Hispanic people; they spoke perfect Spanish; they prayed in a language he had never heard before; he felt an unknown power through their hands; they told him about the church in Hollister even though he had never mentioned the city to them; the pastor called him even though he had never given them his phone number, and lastly they told him that they were members of what turned out to be an all Hispanic church. Even with all this in mind, Faustino still could not believe it.

He enjoyed every minute of the service that day, soaking in the lively worship and every word uttered by Pastor Placeres. He sat transfixed by the testimonies of other believers as they gave thanks to God for their miracles. He could hardly wait for the day that he could share his own. Still at the back of his mind, he pondered how much it took to get him to church. The thought of how much God loved him and how he had made a way for him in spite of himself cut him to the heart. That day, he asked God into his heart and gave thanks to the One who loved him so much that He came to die for him so that he could have a new life.

As you consider the details and significance of this story, may I ask you, "who has been knocking on your door? Who has been inviting you to church recently? And just who are the people who have been blessing you up to this day?" They just might be messengers sent from God with a life-changing message for you. I pray that you have been blessed by this amazing but true story. As you give thanks, I pray that you hold the hands of Christ and that you experience the new life experienced by many of us and our friend Faustino. Follow Christ today.

Post Script: Faustino went back to the laundromat in Gilroy that next week. He managed to track down two of the people he had seen at the laundromat that day. To his amazement, they remember seeing him standing in prayer the whole time but had no recollection of the African American couple with him!

Left Behind in Douglas Arizona

We have been receiving exciting reports from our sponsor church, Christian Life Center of Douglas Arizona, about their movie outreach to their community. We received a call from their co-pastor, Rev. Mary Louise Vigil concerning the success of the showings. In just two nights, young people have responded to fill the voids in their hearts with the only fulfilling answer-Jesus Christ.

Tonight, Christian Life Center had a packed sanctuary. They opened their showing with a time for fresh testimonials of God's power. Several people from various Christian churches and denominations stood up to share impromptu life stories of how God had answered prayers. One of the most recent testimonials, was that of Pastor Morales who spoke of how God had protected his life from the ravages of cancer. He had just received word of the Doctor's good news just days before the movie's opening in the Douglas area.

We are grateful to have been a part in getting the word out about the movie on the streets of Douglas during our recent vacation there. The Lord used a recent miracle in my life that was published in the local paper on opening day (this past Friday) to further promote our sponsor church and their effort to help lost people in Douglas find their way to a very real and personal God. The timing could not have been more perfect as the story was delayed two weeks. Delayed at least in our minds, because in the mind of God, He had a plan. God's never late and He's never early; He's always right on time!

Speaking of time, the time of the Return of the King is soon approaching. Even given our advanced science and medicine and in spite of our best prediction systems, we can not stop the rising crescendo of the culmination of time. The clock is ticking and as it ticks the signs grow clearer and the sense of urgency grows more intense. The rumors of war in every country (the war on terror knows no borders), the worst natural disasters that countries and whole ocean basins have ever seen (the Tsunami, Katrina, and the Pakistani Earthquakes), the advanced planning to re-build the Temple of God in Jerusalem, the Gospel message preached in all the world and the distant thunder of worldwide epidemics.

Sure, we have had all these events throughout history, but not at history-breaking levels all at the same time (within 4 years). We are out of hurricane names this season. We just experienced the worst attack on our soil and worst natural disaster in our nation's entire history. We have no idea how we are going to meet the humanitarian disaster in Pakistan. We have no real plan to stave off the pandemic that could be the avian flu. We have no way to explain why the underground church in China is exploding in size given the government's tireless campaign of persecution and atheistic propaganda. We have no idea why Muslims all over the Middle East are starting to have visions and dreams of Jesus telling them that He is what they are looking for. We can't track down suitcase nukes from the former Soviet Union. We wonder how Israel became a nation given that it and its vernacular had disappeared almost two thousand years ago. We have grown accustomed to alien abduction stories. We have started to look to eastern mysticism, psychic phenomena and new age practices for answers. And on top of that, we wouldn't mind being micro-chipped in order to prevent child abduction and identity theft. I think it's time. It's time to Follow Christ...

...before we get Left Behind.

International Marriage Conference

My wife and I just attended the 2005 International Marriage Conference at Phoenix Arizona and we will never be the same! We were empowered by so many life-changing principles as a couple that the conference went far beyond a marriage retreat, it was a School of Marriage. We were greatly blessed by the lineup of outstanding, God-anointed speakers and workshops. There is simply not enough good words to describe an event that resulted in thousands of miracles in the hearts, minds, and yes even bodies of the couples who attended.

If you want to receive a fresh understanding, uplifting, anointing and life-changing experience for your marriage and the marriages of those you know, Martha and I highly encourage you to check out these conferences. But don't stop there, check out the resources too, which are available online. The National Association of Marriage Enhancement, the sponsor, is at the forefront of a marriage revival and revolution not just here in America but around the world. Their name really says it all, our marriage was enhanced! Whether you're single, married for years, engaged, divorced, or separated your marriage can be enhanced too...

National Association of Marriage Enhancement

Teens Experience Healings

Here's a story from the AG News Service that really lit a fire in me today. This is just one story of many that happen EVERYDAY that demonstrate that Jesus is still very much in the healing business. I know firsthand, he healed me of my asthma...

** GEORGIA TEENS EXPERIENCE HEALINGS

Church sermons and Sunday School lessons are often peppered with reminders that Jesus heals. But a youth group in Georgia isn't just hearing about it. Many of the teens are experiencing Christ's healing power firsthand.

The First Assembly of God youth group in Griffin, Georgia, has witnessed more than 40 confirmed healings during the past 18 months, according to Phil Knauer, youth pastor at the church south of Atlanta.

"It's just amazing what God is doing among these teenagers," says Knauer. "I can't explain all of it."

Kenny Davis, 16, was healed of a football injury during a youth service at the church on August 3. He had a cast placed on his broken ankle and torn ligaments earlier in the day. During prayer that night, the teen sensed that God had healed him.

He dropped his crutches and began walking, then sprinting, around the room on his cast. A second set of X-rays taken the following day showed that the bone was not broken.

"It was nothing surprising to me," says Davis' mother, Tracey. "I've seen God do a lot of things. He's touched our family in many ways."

Knauer says other healings in the youth group have included two students healed of diabetes, several healed of gastrointestinal disorders and a student whose dislocated shoulder moved back into the socket.

On one occasion, Knauer says, a student was healed as he walked to the altar to pray for a nose he had broken playing soccer a few hours earlier.

"His nose looked swollen, grotesque and disfigured," Knauer says. "It shrank back down to normal and straightened out in front of everybody. His mother fainted when she saw him."

Knauer says his youth group has grown from 150 students to 370 since the healings started. A number of students who came to church to witness the supernatural ended up accepting Christ as Savior and receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, he says.

"I've spent a lot of time trying to draw teens into the church,"Knauer says. "But nothing takes the place of having God's presence demonstrated in your services."

**

Would you like to meet the person responsible for these amazing healings? Follow Christ.

2005 Consumed Youth Conference

As mentioned on our sister youth blog, www.uthministries.blogspot.com:

Last weekend, we took a small leadership team from Club Alpha Omega Monterey to scope out the 2005 Consumed Youth Conference sponsored by Bay Area Masters Commission. It was an intense and life-changing event. Starting this January, the Consumed Youth Conference will take to the road and go on tour with several events each year. For more info, visit the official Consumed Youth Conference website. Youth Pastors, Leaders and groups---be on the lookout for this event coming to a city near you!

To check out our thoughts about the conference, visit our discussion topic on Planet Young Seven One.

A/G Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

The Assemblies of God is rapidly responding to the Hurricane-struck cities of the Gulf Coast with relief and counselling services.

One report is that approximately 400 A/G members are being sheltered in emergency housing at the Louisiana District Council's Campground, Camp Woodworth (map and directions are below).

Supplies and manpower from Convoy of Hope and A/G Relief are in bound to the stricken areas, the affected churches and church relief sites, including the campground. For more information, please visit the Convoy of Hope and A/G Disaster Relief websites below:

Convoy of Hope

A/G Disaster Relief

As mentioned on KLOVE recently, the Lord Jesus always ministered to the physical needs of people first and then the spiritual. We as Christians should do no less. Please pray about contributing to the relief efforts and follow prayer with action as the Lord leads.

A/G Top News Article on Hurricane Katrina

Amazing But True Story #5

Amazing But True Stories

Boise, Idaho

Pastor Roland Buck recounts:

"One Saturday night in January of 1977, at about 10:30 o'clock, I was seated at my desk, meditating, praying, and preparing my heart for Sunday. I had my head down on my arm at the desk, when suddenly, without any warning, I was taken right out of the room."

"I heard a voice say: 'Come with me into the Throne Room where the secrets of the universe are kept!' I didn't have time to answer; space means nothing to God! It was like the snap of the fingers - boom - and I was right there! Only then did I recognize that the voice I had heard speaking to me was the voice of the Almighty God . . ."

". . . Then he did another very surprising thing! He wrote down 120 events which he said would happen in my life in the future. It wasn't like you and I write; the information just suddenly appeared! I did not even need to read it, but right now, I can tell you EVERYTHING that was on that paper, because it was instantly impressed on my mind like a printing press prints on paper. The press doesn't have to read what is imprinted. It's [already] there! In the same way, every single notation was burned into my mind, and it's still there! . . ."

" . . . Item number 63 was another one [of the 120 events] which God actually allowed me to see and witness in detail before it happened. It concerned a family who were having serious marital problems. While I was in heaven, I saw them coming into my office and noticed the date was on the paper when this to occur."

"When the date arrived, these particular people didn't show up. I wondered what had happened, so I decided to stay a little while longer at my office. A short time after my normal closing hour, the telephone rang and a person who didn't identify himself, said, 'Pastor Buck, will you be in your office for a little while?'"

"I said, 'Yes.'"

"He didn't tell me who he was."

"When they came to the door, I greeted them BY NAME! This really shook them up! Then I asked, 'What brought you here?' They said they had been having terrible marital problems and decided they would go someplace to clear the air. They didn't know why, but they had decided to come to Boise, Idaho."

"We drove up here, rented a motel room, and when we got inside the room, we noticed the telephone book was lying open to the spot where you have your ad which reads, 'Counseling by appointment.'"

"Instantly I knew that one of those angels [that had visited me previously] had been there ahead of time and had opened the directory to the right place, and had also arranged at the front desk for them to get the right room."

"As we conversed, the lady said, 'We have had a good time driving up here together, things are all straightened out, and everything is going to be all right, so we won't waste your time. We'll be leaving now!"

"I said, 'No, you had better stay here, because that isn't the way it is.' I told them that God had let me see this event happening months before. I said to the wife, 'You have a gun in your purse, and you are planning to shoot your husband as soon as you get back to your motel."

"He was really alarmed, and exclaimed, 'You'd better not shoot me!' She was shaking all over."

"I said, 'Open your purse and give me that gun!'

"She opened her purse and handed me the gun exactly as I had seen it happen before. Then her very soul cried out to God! She knew there was no way I could have known anything about the gun unless God had told me, and he had let me know about it almost six months before it happened!"

"Both of them immediately fell down on their faces before God. He washed their sins away and instantly put their marriage back together. I have had one beautiful letter from them since then. They are going to a good church in California, happy in the Lord and serving God!"

Excerpt taken from Angels on Assignment, by Roland H. Buck (Hunter Books, 1979).

Read Angels on Assignment Online!

Amazing But True Story #4

Amazing But True Stories

Jabal Al Lawz, Saudi Arabia (actual site of Mt. Sinai)

Explorer Bob Cornuke writes:

"In all the bustle I had failed to look for the one feature that had gripped us from a distance: the strange, dark crown that shrouded the summit like a permanent shadow. Glancing about I saw that the entire surface where we stood appeared stained, or tinted, a deep unnatural black. The rocks, even the dirt, had a shiny black pigment, like polished obsidian--a startling effect. Seeing it from a distance was one thing, but this genuinely baffled us. We stood on what appeared to be a vast vein of exposed coal, all within a few paces of the top. What could cause such a thing? . . . ."

". . . . 'If it's volcanic,' I said, 'then the rock inside will be black, too.' I picked up a piece of charred rock the size of a watermelon, lifted it high over my head, and slammed it on the sharp edge of a boulder. It cracked clean, and we leaned in close to look: an exterior of melted stone, slick black like cultured glass, encasing a reddish-tan core. The interior rock was ordinary brown granite!"

"Goose bumps bristled on the back of my neck. What type of heat could melt surface rock to a black marble glaze--smooth to the touch like buffed opal--yet leave the underlying granite intact? Clearly, something unnatural, intensely hot, had touched the mountaintop. But what kind of heat is potent enough to charbroil solid rock, leaving the marrow medium rare? Handling the rocks like fine china, [co-explorer Larry Williams] kept asking, 'What could do that?' An iron smelter? An atomic forge? A laser canon beamed from a satellite?"

"As I beheld the melted rock, a passage leapt to mind of a mountain 'covered in smoke.' I flipped open my Bible to Exodus. 'Here it is,' I said. From Exodus 19:16-19, I read aloud the account of how, three days after the Exodus party [Moses and the Children of Israel] arrived at Mount Sinai, the mountain was mysteriously cloaked in a 'thick cloud,' the skies above filled with thunder and lightning. I read how a 'very loud trumpet blast' nearly scared the Israelites to death, causing 'everyone in the camp [to] tremble.' Moses then lead the people out of the camp to assemble at the foot of the mountain. And as I read the following text, Larry's mouth fell open: 'Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently.'"

Excerpt taken from The Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Sinai, by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook (Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000).

Amazing But True Story #3

Amazing But True Stories

Ghana, West Africa

Pastor Matthew Addae-Mensah writes:

"In 1998, we had two weeks of fasting and prayer. I challenged the congregation to demonstrate their God-given supernatural abilities. One sister, Carol August, had a thirteen-year-old house-helper killed by a fully loaded eighteen-wheel truck. When she rushed to the scene, she saw that the girl's body had been smashed beyond recognition. The police had not yet arrived to conduct an investigation and examination of the body. The body was so badly smashed, the men around suggested that they get shovels ready to collect the body to the morgue after the police investigation."

"Then Sister Carol remembered that she has the supernatural nature of God and could do something. She knelt down beside the body, prayed and called the name of the girl loudly. Miraculously, the dismembered and scattered body parts began to join together by themselves. She prayed again, and the shrunken body grew to full size. She prayed again, and the girl came back to life, to the surprise of the great crowd of people who had gathered."

"Some people questioned Sister Carol about where she got the power from. When police arrived to pick up the dead body, they met the dead girl alive, to the glory of God. Carol later ran to me at my office, shaking and saying, "Pastor! I have seen the power of God!"

Excerpt taken from Walking in the Power of God, by Matthew Addae-Mensah (Guardian Books, 2000).

Amazing But True Story #2

Amazing But True Stories

La Plata, Argentina

Pastor Alberto Scataglini writes:

"I accompanied [Evangelist Carlos] Annacondia and his helper, Juan Dicresensio, to find a place to hold the campaign [of 1984] in the city of La Plata. We drove around looking at empty lots that might be suitable for an open-air campaign, and Carlos and Juan finally felt they found the ideal spot. They both sensed strong confirmation from the Lord and began a search to find the owners."

"After locating the owners of the lot, however, the owners were very strong in their answer and said there was absolutely no way they would give permission. I wanted to continue looking, but Juan said, "We have to keep insisting; they said no, but the Lord said yes." After revisiting the owners several times and after much prayer, [Carlos and Juan] finally got the yes they were waiting for. Preparations began immediately as the campaign was to begin . . ."

"During the campaign, people would bring the clothing of their sick relatives to be prayed over. Tables were piled high with those pieces of clothing. One testimony that stands out in my mind was of a woman who brought a pair of her husband's socks to be prayed for; he was unable to walk. She took them home and the following day her husband put them on. All of a sudden he began screaming that the socks were burning his feet and he began jumping up and down. It took him a few moments to realize that he was able to jump! He had been healed."

Excerpt taken from The Fire of His Holiness, by Sergio Scataglini (Renew Books, 1999).

Amazing But True Story #1

Amazing But True Stories

Tyler Texas

Evangelist R. W. Schambach writes:

"I'll never forget, the greatest miracle I ever witnessed began with an offering. It happened under the ministry of Brother A. A. Allen. I was with this man of God for about five years in the fifties. . ."

". . . . A woman brought her child, who had twenty-six major diseases, to our meeting. I'll never forget this as long as I live. The boy was born blind, deaf and mute. Both arms were crippled and deformed. His elbows protruded up into his little tummy; his knees touched his elbows. Both legs were crippled and deformed; he had club feet. When he was born, his doctors said that boy would never live to see his first birthday, but they were wrong; he was approaching four years of age. Of course, his condition was breaking his mama's heart. She came to our meetings all week, and I got concerned about that boy. In those crusades, we had each person with a need fill out a prayer card, and as the Holy Spirit moved, we would pray for the needs God inspired us to pray for. And the Holy Spirit didn't seem to be moving us to pray for that little boy."

"The following Sunday, his mother came to me and said, 'Brother Schambach, I'm down to my last twenty dollars. I've paid the hotel bill, but we've been eating in the restaurant, coming to three services a day and giving in every offering. All the money has run out. My baby has not been prayed for.' She was very upset, and she was ready to give up and go home."

"I said 'Ma'am, I can't apologize for the moving of the Holy Ghost. I know you have to leave tonight, but if you come to the service and, once again, the Holy Spirit leads in another direction, and your son's prayer is not drawn for prayer, I will personally take your baby to the man of God's trailer house and see that he lays hands on your baby. You will not leave disappointed.' And I meant that from my heart."

"That night I came out, and I led the singing in that evening service. Then I introduced Brother A. A. Allen, and he came bouncing out on that platform and said 'Tonight we're going to receive an offering of faith.' I had never heard him use that expression before, and I saw eyebrows lift all over the congregation. He went on, 'Now, if you don't know what I mean when I say an 'offering of faith,' I mean for you to give God something you cannot afford to give. That's a good definition, isn't it? If you can afford it, there's no faith connected to it. So give Him something you can't afford to give.'"

"As soon as Brother Allen said that, I saw that boy's mother leap out into the aisle and come running. Three thousand people were watching her in that Birmingham Fairgrounds Arena as she threw something in that offering bucket. I never saw anybody in such a hurry to give, and, I confess, I was nosy. I came down off that platform to see what she had given. You know what I saw in that bucket? A twenty dollar bill."

"I knew that was all she had. She had told me that. She had driven from Knoxville, Tennessee, to the meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. She didn't know how she was going to get home or what she was going to use to feed herself and her baby on the way. I went behind the platform and wept. I prayed, 'Lord, I've been trying to teach that woman faith all week. But now I'm asking You to give me faith like she's got!'"

". . . Brother Allen went on and collected the offering and launched into his sermon. But about fifteen minutes into his message he stopped and said, 'I'm being carried away in the Spirit.'"

"I said to myself, 'Here we go again on another trip.' This is how God used him: he said he could see what the Holy Spirit wanted to communicate to him like he was watching it on a television screen. He would describe it as he saw it. That night he said, 'I'm being carried away to a huge white building. Oh, it's a hospital.' Of course, I heard this kind of thing every night that I worked with Brother Allen so I was sitting there unmoved."

"Then he said, 'I'm inside the hospital, and there's no doubt in my mind where I'm heading because I hear all these babies crying. It's a maternity ward. I see five doctors around a table. A little baby has been born. The baby was born with twelve, no, sixteen, no, twenty-six diseases.'"

"When he said that, I started getting chill bumps up and down my spine. I said, 'Oh, my God, tonight's that baby's night!"

"Brother Allen continued, 'Twenty-six diseases. The doctors said he'd never live to see his first birthday, but that's not so. That boy is approaching four. Now I see the mother packing a suitcase. They're going on a trip. Another lady's with her. The baby's in a bassinet. It's in the back seat of an old Ford. They're driving down the highway. I see the Alabama/Tennessee border. That automobile is driving in the parking lot. Lady you're here tonight. Bring me that baby! God's going to give you twenty-six miracles.'"

"That woman came running again for the second time that night. She put the baby in Brother Allen's arms. I jumped up to stand beside him, and everybody in the audience--3,00 strong--was standing. Brother Allen must have wanted to be sure that the audience was agreeing in faith for the miracle because he said, 'Everybody, close your eyes.' But I thought, 'Not me, mister. I'm going to be scriptural on this one. I'm going to watch and pray. I've been waiting for this all week.

"That little boy's tongue had been hanging out of his mouth all week. The first thing I saw as Brother Allen prayed was that tongue snap back in the mouth like a rubber band. For the first time in four years, the little guy's tongue was in his mouth. I saw two little whirlpools in his eyes, just a milky color. You couldn't tell whether he had blue or brown or what color of eyes. But during the prayer, that whirlpool ceased, and I saw two brand new brown eyes! I knew God had opened his eyes, and if God opened the eyes, I knew He had unstopped the deaf ears."

"Then those little arms began to snap like pieces of wood; and for the first time, they stretched out. The legs cracked like wood popping. All of sudden, I saw God form toes out of those club feet as easily as child forms something with silly-putty. The crowd was watching by this time going wild! I've never seen any people shout and rejoice so much in all my life."

"I saw that baby placed on his feet, and he began to run for the first time in his life. He had never seen his mama before, never said a word, but he began running across the platform--and I was running right after him to catch him. He leaped into his mama's arms, and I heard him say his first word, 'Mama.'"

" . . . . The following Saturday after his healing, I received a special delivery letter from his mother. . . She said 'Brother Schambach, I took the baby to the hospital Monday morning, and the doctors won't give him back. They kept him all week. They have called in every doctor from all over the country who has had anything to do with the case. They have pronounced my baby cured of twenty-six major diseases.' Of course, we went on to get the copies of the affidavits from the doctors certifying that boy's life was a genuine miracle."

"Her letter continued, 'You remember that last Sunday when I told you all I had was twenty dollars? God knows that was the truth. But when that man of God said to give something you can't afford, I leaped into the aisle. The moment I hit that aisle, for the first time in my life I heard the devil talk. The devil told me, 'You can't give that; that's not yours. Fifteen dollars of that goes to the doctor. Five dollars is for gas to get home.' The faster I ran, the faster he talked. But as soon as I turned loose of that money, he stopped talking.'

"'Brother Schambach, all you saw was those twenty-six miracles, but there is one you don't know anything about. After you were gone, people were staying there. They wanted to see the baby and see what God had done. People shook hands with me. When one lady shook my hands, I felt a folded piece of paper between [my] palms. I opened it up and saw it was a twenty dollar bill. As I shook hands with the people who had lined up, every one of them had a folded paper in their hand. I went into the ladies room and counted $235!'"

Excerpt taken from You Can't Beat God Givin': Miracle Testimonies from Ordinary People Serving an Extraordinary God, by R. W. Schambach (Power Publications, 1994).

Pray for Passion

We are soon approaching the Passion Week. With it, will come multitudes of church outreaches (where churches go out to minister to people not in their churches) and in-reaches (where people are invited to churches by family and friends often for the first time).

For those who follow Christ, now is a time to pray as one body and with one mind for all the upcoming church efforts to reach people with the Good News that God so loved people that He sent His only son to die for them that their sins might not keep them from God and heaven. For those who DO NOT follow Christ, now is a good time to look into Christianity to discover what all this means and "why did Jesus have to suffer and die?" More importantly, everyone should seriously ponder the historical fact that Jesus did not stay dead. For Christians, this fact is the foundation of our faith. Without it, our faith is absolutely meaningless.

Think about it with me, if Jesus was just a prophet or a good moral teacher, then all that He said and did was "nice to know." And if He died a normal human death and is buried in some undisclosed grave, then I am a man to be pitied beyond every other delusional, psychotic, weak-minded fool that ever lived (the Apostle Paul once said the same thing). Seriously, at that, people should lock me and every other Christian in the looney bin because we have given our lives to a dead man if in fact He was just a man. What's more, this "dead man" lives inside of me, has given me purpose, has given me hope, has answered ALL of my prayers, has never given up on me, has proven Himself to me and loves me with a passion no other person can possibly understand. Oh and by the way, He speaks to me through His Spirit and is coming back for me really soon!

If He is still dead, then please send all your good thoughts and heartfelt pity to me and hope that I may live a "normal" and sane life that when I die I will close my eyes, reach equilibrium (as we say in the field of biochemistry), and cease to exist except in the sense that my elements and chemical energies will once again re-enter the eco-system and conserve the mass and energy of the universe. Now that's reason enough to keep on living!

But that's just it. As is often said, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic or He was who said He was and who the Bible says He is-the Lord of all Humanity, the Messiah, the only Savior, the lover of our souls, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and the one who spoke the Universe into existence! But this doesn't just go for Jesus. As a wise man once said, "who's the more foolish, the fool, or the fool who follows him?" (ok I'm a Star Wars fan). All of us Christians are either liars or lunatics, or we are truly telling the truth to the world. Jesus loves you, accept Him today!

Repeat After Me

Jesus,

I admit I am a sinner

I believe that you died for my sins

I confess my sins and ask you to forgive me

I commit my life to you know as my Lord, Amen!

That's it. As my Drill Instructor used to say "Simple Right?" This prayer is your prayer of affirmation, a wedding vow if you will. It may sound weird, but a little prayer like "Repeat After Me" can save your life, give you life and change your life forever!

For those within driving distance of Hollister California, you are invited to watch a free and licensed showing of the original release of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" Friday March 25th at 5:00PM at Faith, Hope, and Love Center of Hollister at the corner of Line and Central Avenue.

For those who can not make it, please pray for us and for all the churches in the world who have a passion for God and for people and who are attempting to bridge the gap between the two of them. Wow, what an honor! God chooses His sons and daughters to bridge the gap between Him and the future members of His family. But then again, He chose His own Son to do the same thing! Follow Christ and please visit a church this Easter season.

Dare You To Move

A Terracotta Soldier

A sleeping army frozen in time, just waiting for the word to march on to one of the last battles for the souls of mankind. If you listen closely, you can hear the distant footsteps of an army of soul winners marching in place and on the verge of moving. Just like the ancient Chinese Terracotta Army unearthed by peasants back in 1974, this sleeping giant we call the "Last Day's Revival Movement" has been re-discovered and is finally re-awakening, breaking out of its shells.

Standing By

The last trumpet call is only moments away, but before that trumpet sounds, one last push for the full measure of souls is about to burst forth. It's going to push the four walls of our churches right over as the army unctioned by the Spirit of God walks through, over, and around the things that keep us from winning the souls we were called by God to win before He comes back for His people. The days of retaining walls are over. The days of maintenance sheds and reservoir pools are behind us. Those arms and legs that do not move will be broken off and left behind to watch the fort. The remnant of the body of Christ so motivated, will drag itself to the streets if that is what it takes.

Who will respond to the fire burning in these bones buried in the Valley of Decision? Rest assured these Terracotta Soldiers will move. They will break through. But who are they? Will it be the seasoned ones who have seen the glory in revival times past? Will it be the adults who have settled down in our Spirit-filled churches? Will it be the young adults making their way in God? Will it be the youth who are finding themselves and their God-given purposes? Will it be the children who are so often overlooked, but who have the Kingdom of God in the palm of their hands?

This army accepts all who will say "yes Lord, here am I, send me!" I dare anyone reading this to move out of their comfort zones and do two things 1. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal friend and savior and 2. Share this simple message to anyone within arm's reach: "Jesus loves you, accept Him today!" I dare you to advance the kingdom of God one inch every day, one soul every day and get the momentum going. Each step of faith taken, will motivate a second, and then another and another, until finally the sleeping giant that is the majority of our churches runs the final marathon lap around the globe and meets Jesus at the finish line up in the air.

I'm not speaking to those that are active in ministry. They're already in the heat of battle. They've long since gotten over themselves, over their luxuries, conveniences, rest, relaxation, and air-conditioned Tents of Transfiguration. I'm speaking to the bones of a buried and dusty army. Like the old sports car in mint condition under the tarp in the cob-web filled garages that are our churches. I'm daring the immovable, which is held in reserve by its own reservations, to move. I'm speaking to the Aarons and the Hurs who are watching as the hands of the Lord's Servants, the Moseses of our generation, are growing tired and as the Joshuas are falling behind from the sheer weight of the souls crushing down on them. The harvest is ripe and ready indeed, but where are the laborers? Where are those Reserves when we need them most?

An Army that's Rousing

First things first, let's agree as one for our Apostles (Missionaries), Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Wherever they are around the world or around the corner from you. Join one of your hands with them in the Spirit. Set a stone of prayer and encouragement under their tired arms and lift them up. Pray with all your might with them and for them, clutching their hands so hard that they can feel it.

With the other hand ready your weapon of the Spirit, the sword which is the word of God. Begin to dust off your full body armor with the rattling of your sabers. When the stones are set in their place and immovable under the arms of the anointed servants of the Most High God, let out a battle cry to all whom it may concern (the weapons formed against you, the forces of righteousness to whom you are rallying, and the Lost who are held captive and waiting for liberation). Let them know you're coming. Let them know you're on the move. A Joshua is born every second.

Jump out and feel what it's like to walk on air!

Grab the church doors tight and give them a good kiss. Don't hold on too tightly, just give yourself a better push out of a perfectly good ship and reassure her that you'll be back soon with new painted faces behind you. Go ahead and jump into the dead space, decay and darkness that is our lost world. Do not be afraid. Be bold and courageous for the Lord your God is with you. With you is the eternal life, salt and the light of the world. Once you're on the ground, join up with your brothers and sisters in arms at the battle lines. They'll be glad to see you. Give them some suppressing fire so that they can catch a breath or two.

Once you get the taste of winning souls, you'll never lose it. You'll live for it. There's no adrenaline-pumping rush like it. Come on, I dare you to...

Move in Jesus' name!
Bro Danny Jr. Morales

Memories of Lumpia

To the friends of Light the Fire Ministries in Monterey:

You all have no idea how much a blessing you were to Martha and me last Monday night, which was the night after our anniversary. The roses were beautiful, the soda was bubbly, the cookies hit the spot, and the lumpia and sauce were, well, memories made in heaven. But even more memorable was the time we shared together. You Women and Men of God are the best thing about Monday nights and I look forward to seeing you every time!

The ministry in Monterey has seen its share of lonely nights, but that night, was the highlight of our Monterey ministry. It was family night. Thanks for the memories, lumpia and all. I think I might have them and the rose petals cryogenically frozen so that I will never forget. Well, on second thought, lumpia tastes better fresh, I'll just ask the Lord to keep the memories even fresher from now until eternity!

Roses by Bro Steven

You guys are up and coming leaders of full-fledged ministries that will soon touch the world for Christ. It is an honor to be a part of the birth of your ministries. It is a pleasure to share with you so many things: a passion for prayer, praise and worship, the indisputable laws of leadership (which are at times indisputably long-winded), the focused vision of We Build People, the big picture of evangelism and discipleship, and most importantly Jesus. As I said on Monday, I pray that you become filthy rich in souls for Him!

Here's to God and Here's to People!

Cheers,
Martha and Danny

P.S. Thanks Mom and Dad for the flowers!

Happy Anniversary Martha!

Happy Anniversary Momma

Alright, I know it's late. The kids have been asleep for hours, and I have had a chance to re-acquaint myself with my 3 babies (Martha, Danny Boy, and Michael D), catch up with my e-mail, voice-mail and blogs. All is quiet in the house. I couldn't just go to sleep on time with all the thoughts of winter camp sugar plums dancing, or was that us dancing? Anyhows, I just wanted to say that a huge part of my being was absent at Winter Camp this year for the first time ever. God was on my mind, the youth were on my mind, but you Martha and my babies were always right there with all of them. Thank you for giving me a chance back on Christmas Eve 1997. I'll never forget how big those Arizona miracle snowflakes were that night when I sang my heart out to you. I'll never forget the taste of your tears. The next morning God gave me a dream of me holding my destiny as a fish caught from a running river-my Christmas present and Birthday present all rolled into one (my testimony about how we hooked up is coming soon to a blog near u). What a catch you were then, what a catch you are now and a catch you always will be! Winter Camp just wasn't the same without you. Happy anniversary Team Mate, Ship Mate, Home Mate, and Forever Soul Mate.

Even when I was drunk in the Spirit, rolling around laughing and just having an Acts Chapter 2 experience on Saturday night, I screamed for "my babies." I love you my sons and my armor bearers. You my sons are the first signs of my strength. I thought I would repost a special tribute on the night of our Anniversary and After-camp Family Reunion of a family story about a little boy and his dream. It's entitled "Danny Boy Dreams of Jesus." As Pastor Roger said so powerfully, "God has room in His house for a dreamer." Thank you Pastor Roger for being a great role model and Daddy to your children and to me and Martha.

In our home, we do have a dreamer. His name is Danny Boy. Here's our home, here's our story, here's his dream and yes, here's our Savior, Jesus...

Posted on January 17, 2005 at Light the Fire Ministries:

Last night was a great night of family devotionals. Devotionals in our home means reading a short passage of Scripture, sharing our thoughts about what it means (with plenty of examples from personal experience), and then prayer. My wife and I have seen a tremendous growth in our oldest son. He shows such a keen understanding of the Bible and what it means to be a Christian.

Last night we read about having the faith the size of a mustard seed and how this faith can literally move mountains (Matthew 17:14-20). This really struck a chord with Danny Boy as one of his favorite songs is "Si Tuvieras Fe," which is a Spanish song based on this Scripture set to a tropical Latin beat complete with movements (Salvador has a great version).

To demonstrate the Scripture, I shared many stories of God's miraculous powers. One amazing but true story that my mother had just told me over the phone minutes earlier was about one of their member's near death experience, visitation to Heaven, and miraculous recovery from a coma. I relayed to him of how God had also worked a miracle with this Lady's son, whose car had all of sudden quit working while on the road. He prayed and then immediately felt a strong push that allowed his car to reach his destination. I explained to him that these miracles moved mountains in the lives of these people, all of whom happen to be ministered to by his grandparents. All that was needed was faith (belief in God) the size of a mustard seed watered with a lot of prayer.

Danny Boy was pretty shocked by the fact that there are people who do not believe in the stories of the Bible, like the story we had just read and discussed. The reason for his shock is that he has not only heard stories from the Bible, he has actually experienced them firsthand.

As we began to pray after our devotional we sensed a strong and beautiful presence in our living room. We immediately recognized this presence because we experience it on a routine basis at church, work, home, and just about everywhere when we pray---it's the presence of God.

I noticed Danny Boy look up to a corner of the room and then scan around the room. I knew by the expression on his face that he had just seen something. Interestingly, minutes earlier, I had seen some movement out of the corner of my eye while I was reading the passage of Scripture (I kept this little observation to myself).

After scanning the living room, he looked around to me and then said rather calmly "Dad I just saw an angel." I asked him where he had seen the messenger (angel means "messenger") even though my wife and I had both seen his actions as he scanned the room. He pointed to the corner of the room near the ceiling. As I looked up and back to him I saw a small flash of light dart from the corner. He then retraced the messenger's movements around the room.

A picture drawn by Danny Boy the day after our angelic visitation depicting the angel he saw in our living room

I told him that angels bring messages from God and that we are supposed to only pray to God and not to angels. I knew that God had a message in store for Danny Boy.

As we prepared for bed, Danny Boy asked me "Dad what does Jesus look like?" I told him that I did not know for sure but that based on a dream that I had had of him, that matched the accounts of the Transfiguration and those in the book of Revelation, he looked very much like the pictures we often see of him. He was content with my answer and soon fell asleep.

This morning he woke me up in excitement. "Dad last night I saw Jesus in a dream." He added, "I saw the cross and him dying for my sins." Remembering our messenger's visitation the night before, I asked him "did he tell you anything?" He responded "yes, he told me that he was hungry and had no place to go in." Immediately, I was reminded of the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-40). He then said that he woke up and looked for Jesus but did not see him anywhere.

I knew this was a message from God for several reasons one of which is that Danny Boy has never heard the parable of the Sheep and Goats (we have been his Sunday School teachers all his young life).

This morning as I prepared to post this blog, I remembered the Chinese missionaries that are taking the message of the Bible to the most dangerous places on earth: the Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu countries along the old Silk Route to Jerusalem. Recently, the Assemblies of God has challenged its members to give to this effort. These missionaries, who are a part of the "Back to Jerusalem" movement are giving spiritual food to people who are spiritually lost, hungry, and homeless. They are ministering to people who resemble the Jesus of Danny Boy's dream. You will be inspired by their amazing stories and those of others. You can learn more about and give to their cause and similar causes by:

Emailing:

Bible Alliance

Visiting:

Back to Jerusalem
http://www.backtojerusalem.com/

Testimonies from Back to Jerusalem
http://www.backtojerusalem.com/news.htm

Danny Boy's dream is not that uncommon when you check out some of the visions and dreams that these Chinese missionaries have had. Amazingly, Muslims are having visions and dreams of Jesus, as well as angelic visitations. However, unlike Danny Boy, they do not know who this Jesus is. That is, until someone tells them, feeds them, and shows them the only way into God's home. Have you met the Jesus of Danny Boy's dream? He is knocking at your door. Follow Christ.

Red Cross Certified

This past Thursday, I along with several of my colleagues renewed our certification for Adult CPR and the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) system. It is amazing to think that such life-saving techniques are relatively simple to learn and are becoming more accessible to people around the world everyday.

Our training was hands-on and took all morning to learn. We learned how to "check, call, care" for emergency situations, how to perform abdominal thrusts for choking victims, "recovery positioning," rescue breathing, CPR, dealing with unconscious choking victims, and administering the AED. In one morning session, we learned keys to saving lives.

We also learned a little legality known as the "Good Samaritan Law" that varies state to state but in general is meant to cover a person who administers life-saving techniques from being sued by a victim or their family after the incident. Another practice we learned is asking permission to perform these techniques on people that are conscious and choking. If no one is around and the victim is a child or unconscious then permission is assumed.

As a result of the session, we are now considered "American Red Cross Certified." The knowledge that we now carry in our minds can mean the difference between life and death. I think all of us hope that we never have to use this knowledge, but in the event that we do, we are certified and ready to save a life anytime and anyplace.

That is a very humbling thought because that means that we are accountable to this knowledge. In previous Red Cross sessions, we have discussed the issue of not doing anything in a life threatening situation even though we knew what to do. Doing nothing in such a situation, although generally not considered a crime, borders on the criminal. How could I in good conscious simply look the other way as a victim chokes to death, asphyxiates, or dies of a heart attack, when I have the knowledge that can save his or her life?

Ironically enough, that is the message of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Others walked by, but one stopped because he cared enough and knew enough to save a man left "half dead" on the side of the road (Luke 10:25-37).

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I come across people who are half-dead on life's road every day. The difference between them and the victim in the parable, is that many of them don't know the seriousness of their situations. If I were to ask many of them if I could administer a soul-saving technique they would brush me aside and ask me "who are you to tell me how to run my life?" But my dilemma is that if I don't do anything they will lose out forever. I can't wait until they fall dead. At that point it's too late. The fact is...they were already spiritually dead long before they breathed their last. I for one, don't care whether they know or care about their situation, I am going to attempt to administer soul-saving knowledge. I am going to be the Good Samaritan even if I am sued by my victim. I am going to love people in need, my neighbor, even if they don't listen to me. I will go and "do likewise" as Jesus said.

And what about those who walk by? Those who know how to save spiritual lives, how to save a person's soul, but do nothing. They are accountable for that knowledge. Lord help me to never pass up an opportunity to save a soul.

What about you? Do you know what it is to live spiritually? I'm not talking about some metaphysical psycho-spiritual experience here. I am talking about a fulfilled life not the so called life full of drugs, alcohol, sexual addiction, fame, and fortune. That stuff will prove to be just as deadly, choking, suffocating and heart stopping as the scenarios one learns about from the Red Cross.

There is a God who is the life-giver. What do you call a life apart from the one who gives it, but death? Thankfully, there is a life saver. His name is Jesus. What do you call a person who doesn't want to be saved, but dead? Jesus wants to breathe new life into you. He wants to rescue you from the suffocation of sin. He wants to fill your heart with His Spirit, not just to keep you alive but so that you can breathe His life into others. This is the message of the red cross of Jesus.

Consider yourself certified. Together we can save a soul. Together we can Follow Christ and Live with Power.

Get training from the American Red Cross.

The World Missions Summit

All I can say is, "Oh, my Lord! Kick the tires and light the fires, cause Jesus is coming back soon." I just happened to check out Chi Alpha's Missions Blog and saw a highly motivating article about the World Missions Summit. I mean it was so motivating, that I think it would make my old Marine Corps Drill Instructor get in the sand pit and mash himself. This event is taking place in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of this year. 4000 College Students from Chi Alpha and members of Young Adults groups like ours will be invited to attend this never-before type of summit. All 4000 will be challenged to put one year on the line for reaching the world with the knowledge of a relationship with Christ.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship is already the leading source for our full time missionaries, but what they have a vision to do here goes beyond words. They are challenging EVERY student in their fellowship to do atleast one mission during their college experience and then follow on after graduation for a year. Now, I know that just a two-week missions trip can make a difference in a person's life (it did for me when I went on an Ambassadors in Missions trip to Puerto Rico), but I can only imagine what a full year's commitment will do. The 4000 that attend the World Missions Summit are just the beginning. Chi Alpha and our national Young Adults Ministry are mobilizing young people by the tens of thousands.

The scale of Chi Alpha's vision is very similar to that of the Back to Jerusalem Movement in China, where 100,000 Chinese missionaries are being mobilized right now to spread the good news of Jesus in a push westward to Jerusalem. The level of preparation that is taking place at this moment for an all out spiritual D-Day not only signals a global awakening, it signals the soon coming return of Jesus Christ. All I will want to say about this is: if you believe in the words of Jesus and the Bible, than you are also saying that you believe in his return, just as he ascended, but this time in reverse.

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

I can't begin to tell you how many times the issue of "a sense of urgency" comes up in conversations I have with people that are involved in ministry. Right now, just in our own ministry, we're training children, young adults, and soon youth to be missionaries to their homes, their schools, their workplaces, their cities, and their world. Just the other day, I was blown away by the motivation of two teenagers from Prescott, Arizona who raised thousands of dollars for missions by walking 100 miles from Prescott to Phoenix. As an Arizonan, I know this area and how difficult a trek this was for them. The push to "train to reach" is really unprecedented in just the churches we visit and hear about. Something is going on. The tremors are already starting. If Jesus were to come back tonight or tomorrow, would you be ready? Would you follow him back to Paradise? Follow Christ.

If you are a College Student or Young Adult, Chi Alpha is definitely worth checking out. Find a chapter near you:

Young 7 One

Here's our proposed logo for the youth of the Salinas Section. It arrived just in time for our revival services at the end of February, our "Refrigerio" or "Refreshing." It will undoubtedly find its way on t-shirts, and who knows? Maybe even action figures. Nah, I'll stick with t-shirts.

We can not wait to hear what God is going to say through our special speaker for our revival services, Evangelist Sammy Rodriguez Jr. He is the Founder of 3rd Day Believers Network and the Director of Evangelism for our District. At our last youth convention, he had us standing for two hours at the edge of our feet! We did not even realize it until afterwards. Now that's what I call having church.

God is stirring something big in our hearts. Or to use the words of Elf, "Gi-normous!" We are on the verge of a awakening a sleeping giant. As I sit here blogging, I think of the words of Joel the Prophet:

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29)

Here's just a faint glimmer of what God is showing us for the youth. The vision is so big, it's scary. But as the Lord told us the other night during family devos, "be strong and courageous." You can find this vision at our youth blog as well, but I'll save you the trip:

YOUNG

We are young people in love with God and people. We are the youth of the Salinas Section of the Northern Pacific Latin American District Council of the Assemblies of God.

SEVEN

We are the youth of 7 cities: Greenfield, Soledad, Salinas, Monterey, Hollister, Gilroy and Morgan Hill, California.

ONE

We are one people united in one vision: to win, build, and send youth to accomplish one mission: to advance the kingdom of God one person at a time, anyplace, anytime.

WE ARE
YOUNG
7
ONE
PEOPLE

Two Churches Join Hands for Friend's Day

Tomorrow is Friend's Day for two churches close to my heart. Christian Life Center Assembly of God in Douglas, Arizona and Faith Hope and Love Center in Hollister, California.

CLC has a special day planned for the friends and family of their members. The church has just completed a full month of nightly prayer meetings. It seemed that everytime I called home, the pastors were at church in the Lord's presence. God truly has His hand on Christian Life Center. This Friend's Day, I know the Lord is saying to Christian Life Center, "you're my friend!"

The children of Faith Hope and Love Center will also celebrate Friend's Day tomorrow. Many of our kids have invited friends, classmates, and neighbors to enjoy worship, "A Snoodles Tale" (a VegieTales movie), pizza and cake.* Our kids have been extremely excited about sharing their church experiences with their friends. The We Build Kids/BGMC team is excited for them.

This has been a much anticipated day for both churches. When I last spoke with my mom, she said it was raining cats and dogs in Douglas. Well, the people are right behind them as far as I'm concerned. We pray that people will rain down and flood our altars.

Nothing can replace people-they are our greatest resources. Nothing comes close to finding God at an altar-it's the place where lives are changed. May people fill the altars of both churches and may God fill the people. Amen.

*Thanks to Papa John's Pizza, Sister Z, Junior, Sister Maria, Sister Cecilia, Lulu, Cynthia, Jessica, and Oscar for making this day special!

The Cure for the Common Zombie

Thursday morning as I was shaving and looking at the droopy eyes of the man staring back at me in the mirror (thanks to my nocturnal one-year old), I thought of zombies. People that are the among the "living dead." I also had thoughts of my upcoming study for our young adults group.

Suddenly, the two thoughts coalesced into one. I began to think of all the people I encounter on a daily basis. It's quite scary and morbid to think, but most of these people are walking dead men and women. People with chains around their necks slowly sinking back to the earth from which they came.

I was reminded of the time my niece Cindy told me about a message she had heard from her youth pastor, Pastor Ralph of Harbor Christian Center. What she told me really hit home. During one of his services, he had showed a clip from the movie "The Sixth Sense," where the characters played by Haley Joel Osmont ("Cole") and Bruce Willis' (Malcolm) say the following:

COLE

I see people.

Malcolm just gazes quietly.

COLE

I see dead people... Some of them scare me.

MALCOLM

In your dreams?

Cole shakes his head, "No."

MALCOLM

When you're awake?

Cole nods, "Yes."

MALCOLM

Dead people, like in graves and coffins?

COLE

No, walking around, like regular people... They can't see each other. Some of them don't know they're dead.

MALCOLM

They don't know they're dead?

COLE

I see ghosts.

So here I am looking at myself, dead in the mirror, but only in the sense of dead tired. I ask myself, "will other people look into my eyes today and see what I know?" Will they know how tired I am? Probably not, I have a good way of covering up my fatigue. Splash some water on the face, put a smile on and all of a sudden I even forget.

Have you looked in the mirror today? Who's looking back at you? You may say "I am Christian," "I am alive in Christ." But are you really living for Christ? Or are you just splashing water on your face?

One day, thousands of years ago, God breathed life into the first human, Adam. Like a plastic CPR dummy, the Lord took clay and breathed life into an inanimate corpse. His Spirit filled the vacuum and human life was born. However, this person who once walked with The Life Giver, would one day walk away from his maker and suffer the fate of his own mortality. He would breathe his last and give up his ghost.

Thousands of years later, The Life Giver overshadowed a young woman called "Mary" and breathed life into her vacant and virgin womb:

"The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

Thus, The Life Giver conceived The Life Saver, whose name is Jesus which in Hebrew means "The Lord Saves." The Life Saver would one day die to bring life back to mortal man. Not life in the sense of physical life, which ends all too suddenly (thanks to Adam). No, spiritual life in the sense of eternal relationship with The Life Giver. This we call "eternal life," because it's more of a life than physical living and because it lasts forever (thanks to Jesus).

Before the Son of God left the earth, he left a promise to his followers. In days to come, the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Life, The Breath of God, would visit them. Just like with Adam, He would fill their spiritual vacuums, not to the brim, but to overflowing. Just like with Mary, He would overshadow them and breathe life into the yet unconceived body of people known as "the church." He would baptize them with His Holy Spirit.

As I look forward to teaching about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the coming weeks, I think of all the people who have never heard about The Life Giver (Father God), The Life Saver (The Son of God), and the very Breath of God (The Holy Spirit). Some people only know about the Father. Some people only know about the Son and Father. But many, including some Christians, don't know nearly enough about the Breath of God.

Jesus warned us that we could know scriptures back and forth and yet lose sight of their fulfillment right in front of us, within our grasp:

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40)

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." (Matthew 23:27)

The Teachers of the Law were dead and did not even know it. They were vacuous and didn't know the Savior in their midst. They could not recognize him, even though they knew the written word of God better than most Christian teachers today. The one prophesied about by John the Baptist was right in front of them. The one who would baptize not in water, but in the Holy Spirit and with Fire was staring back at them.

He still baptizes in His Spirit today. It's his baptism after all, and no mortal man and no mortal teaching can take it away from him. Why not? Because neither the Son, nor the Spirit, nor the promises of the Father change. They are the same yesterday, today, and forever. His promises are yes and amen.

I see dead people all the time. I brush shoulders with zombies every day. Most of them don't know they're dead. Thankfully, there's a cure for the common zombie:

Follow Christ and Live with Power.

Bro Danny DJ Morales

The Radiant Face of My Dad

During my lunch break yesterday, my mom called me up to let me know that my dad had been experiencing some sharp headaches over the last week, but told me not to worry. I advised her to take him to the hospital quickly for analysis and then began calling my circle of friends for prayer.

More than any other feeling, a sense of peace came to my heart. The peace that goes beyond all human understanding. One picture I still can not get out of my head is the time I saw the glory of the Lord on my dad's face. I have witnessed several manifestations of the Holy Spirit in my parents' ministry, but this experience with my dad stuck out the most. In my time of waiting to hear any news of my dad's condition, this memory brought peace because it reminded me how close my dad is to the Lord. No matter how bad my dad's condition could be, I knew that the Lord's servant was just fine.

Most people have only read about the radiant face of Moses in Exodus 34:29-35, but words can not begin to tell what it looks like in person.

It happened in the Summer of 2000, I had just finished reading a powerful book about the search for the mountain of God. I had also been fasting, praying, and seeking the face of God like never before and intensely studying His written word. I came to 1 Corinthians Chapters 12-14 and to the part where Paul said "But eagerly desire the greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 13:1a). It seemed like I got hung there for a week or two as I eagerly sought after the gift of prophecy.

Little did I know, but the Lord had come strongly upon my dad for over a week. For a solid week, my dad was in the presence of the Lord. He could not speak in English, but instead only spoke in foreign languages giving praises to God. In order to communicate with my mom, he would write notes to her on pieces of paper. The presence of the Lord was so strong upon him that he did not want to eat nor could he as he was being supplied all that he needed in the Lord's presence. He was full of the Holy Spirit.

Two hours away, and unknown to my parents, I was "eagerly desiring the greater gifts," and then something happened on a Wednesday night. It was if my eyes were opened to Paul's words "and now I will show you the most excellent way." I began reading the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians in a whole new way. I had read through this chapter over and over again and it had spoken to me in so many different and meaningful ways before. But this time the Lord began to tell me over and over again "don't seek the gift, seek love."

Now I thought I had sought the love of God before. I had done so many times before I ever studied the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians. But this was a different kind of love. It was a passion. I began to cry out to God, "God give me love for lost souls. May I share in your grief for people that do not know you. May my heart explode for them. Please give me your heart of love!"

The next day, my mom called me up around lunch time and said "Danny, the presence of the Lord has been upon your dad for the last week." She began to tell me how strong His presence had been in their house and how my dad could not speak or eat, but instead could only pray. Then she told me these words "Danny, the Lord has given him a message and he wrote it down on a piece of paper and it says 'tell Danny to come down because I have a message for him and Martha.'"

I told my mom that we would be on our way to the house after class that afternoon. I told my wife about the phone call and she began to quickly ready Danny Boy and our luggage for the trip down to Douglas. After class, I picked them up and set out on the road. Martha had to drive, because already I began to experience the presence of the Lord and began to shake.

The closer we got to Douglas, the stronger I began to experience the Lord's presence. It reached a crescendo when we reached my parent's driveway. So strong was the sensation that my mouth began to tingle (I experience this from time to time when I lead worship, which almost prevents me from ministering). We quickly got off the car and ran to the door. My mom had tears in her eyes and said "mijo, God's moving on your Daddy."

I walked into the dining room and saw him come out of the door. My dad's face was glowing! I looked in his eyes and his eyes were on fire. I had never seen anything like it before. His eyes were not the eyes of a mad man, in his eyes were power and love. Waves of the Lord's presence were emanating all around him. I threw my arms around and immediately I began to feel the fire of God all over me. Out of my mouth gushed a spontaneous song of praise to God first in English and then in a foreign language. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had with the Lord and I shared it with my father.

A few people from our church began streaming into our house as the Lord had instructed my dad to call them via my mom in similar manner for His message to them. We all sat down in my parent's living room and one by one my dad gave them startling words from the Lord. Amazingly, the Lord had already spoken to these people and was using my dad as a powerful confirmation.

My wife and I were the last people, he spoke to. Looking at us with those same eyes of power and love, he said "Danny, the Lord knows that you have been seeking the gift of prophecy, but he tells you 'do not seek the gift.'" He paused and then continued "'seek love.'" He then turned to my wife and said that she had been given the gift of discernment.

Then for the next hour or so all of heaven opened up on top of us. It was as if liquid fire was falling on us. I could only describe it as taking an adrenaline rush, adding to it a generous amount of warm soda, multiplying it times a million, shaking it up and then pouring it on top of someone. The Lord had given us a Mount Sinai and Tabernacle experience in the middle of my parent's living room.

Our experience demonstrated that the God of the Universe still takes the time to visit individual people in powerful ways. He still takes the time to speak through them and leave memories that will never fade. Indeed, memories of a radiant face go a long way. In the midst of my uncertainty, I knew that my face was glowing underneath just thinking about this. Just think of the radiant memories God wants to shine through your face.