Day 13: We had breakfast with Floyd and Jan, the friends in Santa Ana, and headed for Phoenix, AZ. The drive was hot and peaceful. We arrived in Phoenix about 5:00pm local time, checked into a motel, and cleaned up. Pastor Chris Holmes, of World Deliverance Outreach Ministries, had called us a few times during the journey and had invited us to join them at a special Sunday evening service – it was the inauguration of their new building. The service consisted of quite a few other ministers from other ministries sharing their love of God and of Pastor Holmes and His wife, Tray. They asked Mike and I to share a little about our journey. Mike shared a little, but once the mic was in my hand, and the Spirit started moving, I preached about getting outside the building. The Lord blessed us with an offering from the church.
Leaving the service, we stopped for something to eat. Outside Popeyes Chicken we had church again. Mike prayed with a man who accepted the Lord, and we prayed with a small group of young people from a church bus. As we finishing the prayer a woman walked up, grabbed us by the hands, and pulled us over to a truck to pray for her son. We prayed for the family of three. The father and mother both keep thanking us for our time and asking what they could do for us. We asked them to keep us in prayer.
Day 14 was another day of pushing, we traveled from Phoenix, AZ to El Paso, TX passing through New Mexico. The most amazing thing happened. We were told that the previous day had been in the 100s and Monday was to be more of the same. As we crossed into New Mexico a cool breeze blew across our path. Every place we stopped, the locals remarked about the great weather they were having, and how much cooler it was than what they had been having. The forecast was for mid-70s at night and 100s by midday. The reality was 70s at night mid-70 days. The whole day we kept running into born-again believers everywhere we went; so we received a warm reception (the pun was intended) and prayers. God is good!
On day 15 we started out in El Paso. The drive to San Antonio was a lot like the drive from Phoenix to El Paso; the weather was still cooler than everyone had predicted. We continued to anoint the ground and pray at churches, rest areas, restaurants, and gas stations. As with the day before, we continued to run into and pray with believers. Arriving in San Antonio, we checked into a hotel, had dinner, and drove to the Alamo to pray. As we reached the front of the sight of a battle for the freedom of Texas, we saw a young man standing in the middle of the walkway speaking about the “end of the age.” Walking towards the young man, we notice a small group of 5 or 6 young men adorned in Jesus T-shirts. Mike approached them with his usual loving message. The small group immediately started attacking him with memorized scriptures.
I listened to the young men spit out scriptures and accuse Mike of being a false prophet with a false gospel. There was no love in their message or in their hearts . The words were coming from their mind. The words, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:38-39), came to me; but I did not quote the verses. Instead I told them that I have spent almost 2 weeks with Mike and I have seen him love on people with the Gospel. They turned their attack on me. I asked them where they were getting their misinformation and noted that I am a minister of the Gospel – a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They again tuned their attack to Mike.
The Spirit of God rose up in me and told the young men that there is no condemnation to those in Christ, if there is none in them then no condemnation can come from Christ. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). Their standing on the street condemning people with the scripture is not of God, and is not Christ. Attacking a man of God is not of Christ! Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:33-34). The young men were clearly deceived. All attempts to minister to them was met with anger.
Mike and I walked away and prayed for the young men. Later, we returned to the spot where the young men had been, anointed the ground and prayed. Mike began to love on a group of people standing in the area – nothing can separate us from the love of God. We talked with an elderly man in a big hat, and took pictures with him and his son, also in a big hat. The Son is like the Father, and the Father is Love and Spirit and Truth.
God chose the place where the enemy would attack us, outside a place where men died to help establish the freedom for all. Jesus died for us so that we might have freedom for freedom sake. To have true freedom we have to die to ourselves and let God love through us. God is the Greatest Servant – allowing Him to work in us is the best we can be – saved by His grace and not our memorization of scriptures – eternal life isn’t in the scriptures, but lived out when a perfect God works in an imperfect man – when we come to Him to have life.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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 (John 15:3-4). We are cleansed by Christ Jesus (saved by grace) and the words He spoke. It is not our actions that cause us to bear fruit, but our abiding in Him – our relationship.
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17:20-21). Jesus prayed for those not yet believers (who will believe) that they may be one when they become believers because of the words of a believer. Jesus prayed for those who are still sinners without salvation who would believe because of the words of a believer. Sounds a lot like a prayer for salvation and unity to be ministered by believers. The word Jesus spoke cleansed and he was praying (imparting) that gift to the believers in a prayer to the Father.