August, 2007
I would like to share my reflections on the three days that Gregorio and Monica Mcnutt were with us. I have many different thoughts, many different feelings and impressions that have been floating in and out of my mind these past few days.
First, I want to say that Gregorio and Monica are wonderful people who have a very sweet love and devotion to Jesus that I find to be rare. Gregorio turned his back on a family fortune for the sake of following the missionary call. He is a man of great passion for Jesus, for the gospel, for revival and for reaching the lost.
Even though he is American born, he is culturally not an American, with little sensitivity to things like schedule or time contraints. He preached really long. He wasn’t the greatest singer. He meandered all over the place when he spoke. Yet, at least for me, God really spoke to my heart. At one point on Saturday night, even before Gregorio spoke I wept so hard that my entire body shook. During that time the Lord spoke powerfully to me, through the obedient ministry of one of the sisters in the church. I was greatly encouraged by God reassuring me that He was in fact going to bring revival. (more…)
Posted by Scott on August 29th, 2007 in Revival | 2 Comments »
Human nature… hmmmm…. Good Lord, what can we do with ourselves? We are fragile, and fool-hardy. We are easily hyped and manipulated by our emotions. Okay, Dwarf… what’s your point?
Here’s my point - I want more of God! I want Him to break through all the fraility and I want Him to show His mighty hand. I have been praying now everyday, almost the same prayer for nearly three years. Inside I prepare myself to wait on God. Inside my heart I have little conversations with myself. Stay balanced, don’t get too extreme, be careful to walk on the tight rope between expectation and patience. But I want the Spirit to overwhelm, to take us to a new place of Kingdom reality. God has broken my threshold of tears. Now I can’t seem to turn them off. I feel a tenderness in my heart and it leaks. When Gregorio said that our prayers need to be washed in tears, I now know what that means.
I don’t want to be hyped, or to do any “hyping.” Gregorio is a special guy. He is one part of the body of Christ whom the Lord has brought to us. He has something to share, something to impart. I don’t know how big a download the Lord has for us, and I want to be careful not to suggest anything more than what it is. Problem is, I don’t know what it is. So I am asking the Lord to arrange things the way He wants them, and I am doing my best to stay out of the way.
All we can do is ask the Lord to give us open, tender hearts able to receive whatever good things He wants to use our brother to bring to us. Gregorio quoted this passage from Romans 15 (on the short video clip we watched this past sunday) (29) I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Let’s pray and ask the Father to fulfill that desire in our midst.
Posted by Scott on August 20th, 2007 in Revival | No Comments »
Over the next few posts I want to reflect a bit on the end of summer, and where God is taking Lamb, and the Cry for Awakening.
First, the time in Brazil was very helpful to me. Also, I can’t say how important it is for the book “The Heavenly Man” to make its way through the church. Brother Yun (the focus of the book) responded to the question “Why is China experiencing revival but most places in the West are not?” He responds with this (pages 296-297) “When I am in the West I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive equipment, plush carpets and state of the art sound systems. I can assure the Western church with absolute certainty that you don’t need any more church buildings. Church buildings will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more possessions will never bring revival. Jesus truly stated, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) (more…)
Posted by Scott on August 13th, 2007 in Revival | No Comments »
Hey, what can I say? I like this picture.
Anyway, Gail picked me up from the aiport at 6:30 a.m. this morning. Flight was fine, and I was able to share Jesus with the Brazilian woman who sat next to me. She had been raised without faith, and had very little knowledge of Christianity. She listened and seemed open.
There is a lot to reflect upon. For me the absolute high points were two prayer meeting we had together at Tom & Kathy’s house. The first I wrote about earlier, and the second coincided with the Cry for Awakening Prayer meeting on the 8th. Both meetings were great testimonies to how much our brothers and sisters in Brazil are connected to the prayer movement here in NJ. Before I left Tom reassured me that he was going to begin meeting with leaders in Nova Lima to pray together for what is going on here in NJ. That just floors me. People 5000 miles away concerned enough about what the Lord is doing here to commit themselves to praying.
Both meetings also included prophetic words and intense weeping for the move of God in our area. Judson’ s leadership in the second prayer meeting was so helpful. He literally sang every prayer, taking our intercessions and turning them into spontaneous songs.
One of the things that God really spoke to me about while in Brazil was fasting. I have avoided fasting since I developed diabetes, but I have always felt uncomfortable with that position. While I was down in Brazil over and over that theme came up and each time I felt the Spirit convicting my heart that fasting must be part of the sacrifice we offer to the Lord during this season of seeking Jesus. Fasting is a part of the spiritual disciplines, and ought to be a part of every Christians normal spiritual practices. However, I am not talking about fasting as just an aspect of normal Christian discipline, but as a part of our intercessory commitment as we pray for awakening. I am trying to understand this and I confess that I need to understand more about fasting as it relates to praying for revival. I know that we do not offer our “works” in exchange for revival, but there is a relationship between fasting and seeking the Lord. Any insights you may have are appreciated.
Posted by Scott on August 10th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tonight, while many of you gathered at Bethany Evangelical Free Church for the August Cry for Awakening we gathered at the Padley’s with Sagares & Melissa, Judson, Tom & Kathy, James & Flans, Jenny, Xande & Patricia and yours truely to pray with you for NJ and the awakening we desperately need.
Judson played and sang intercession and led us into a time of heartfelt prayer and crying out for NJ. At some points the sound of weeping was so loud and desperate it was impossible not to be moved. (Some of it was from me)
We prayed and cried out and said the names of towns in Essex County - Bloomfield, Montclair, the Oranges, the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Livingston, Verona and Newark (if I missed one forgive me). There were some wonderful prophecies - Judson spoke a word that over and over again stated - NJ, Your time has come…Your time has come. He spoke it with great groans of weeping… Kathy prophecized that children, 6, 7, 8 and 10 years old would cry out for the Word of the Lord. The time we had together was wonderful, emotional and full of the presence of the Lord. I experienced a tremendous sense that God was hearing us, and that our prayers were going up together with your prayers…
Posted by Scott on August 8th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Here on the left is a photo of a wonderful Brazilian ARC ministry caled Ele Clama. Ele Clama means “cry out to Him,” and this name is well chosen for the ministry. Ele Clama is home to more than 100 men who are seeking a new life in Jesus. Many are from the streets of Belo Horizonte, drug addicts, alcoholics and “thrown away” people.
I had the great privilege of ministering here. This Sunday (8.5) was a special gathering in which the church associated with this ministry gathered together with the men of Ele Clama for a worship service and a meal together.
God allowed me to bring a message on true and false repentance, very similiar to a message I preached at LOG some time ago. This is a place where man hard men come, at the end of their ropes, having burned every bridge. Men with AIDs, and former hardened street criminals as wells as addictions are represented by the residents. (more…)
Posted by Scott on August 5th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
In 2003 “The Heavenly Man” was published chronicaling the life of house church leader Brother Yun (Liu Zhenying). This is an extraordinary story. Brother Yun was born in 1958 and became a Christian at age 16. He fled China and came to Germany late in the 1990’s. He was imprisoned on many different occassions and suffered terrible treatment at the hands of Communist leaders who perceived him as a great threat to their “orderly” society.
Reading “The Heavenly Man” is like opening the scriptures and reading from the book of Acts. The more serverely Brother Yun was treated, the more glorious were the signs and wonders which Jesus did on behalf of Brother Yun. Healings, amazing evangelistic encounters, and countless miraculous interventions followed Brother Yun wherever he went. I must commend this book with my strongest endorsement.
This book will challenge your faith, it will bring you to tears and it will call you to a deeper faithfulness to Jesus. The message of the book, a message of sacrificial obedience and faithfulness to Jesus is a much needed antidote to the easy believism of the United States.
Take this time to go to Amazon and order this book. I really mean this. You will not regret it.
Posted by Scott on August 4th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
There is a brother down here in Brazil, from the south of Brazil (Santa Catarina), who came to visit Tom and also to talk with me about a weekend visit the last week end of August. Gregory McNutt (although you won’t be able to understand the portugeuse you can see him in action at Greg McNutt). Tuesday morning (yesterday) Gregorio, Tom & Kathy, Judson, James Padley, and about 14 others gathering together for a time of prayer, much of it focused on NJ.
I can hardly describe the experience - it was one of the most powerful that I have personally experienced here in Brazil. Gregorio is a revivalist here in Brazil with a ministry called “Fire, Passion & Tears.” He was the head of evangelism for Youth with a Mission in Belo Horizonte for 15 years (as well as several other countries in South America). He has also traveled to more than 40 countries preaching the gospel and ministering to the body of Christ. He has a really unique heart for revival. For many years he has fasted 3 forty day fasts a year just for revival. Gregorio is so unique that I can’t say I every remember meeting anyone so completely devoted to Jesus, and to serving Him in bringing hope and true revival to the church. He is a bit wild and wooly, long haired and a little like an O.T. prophet - but a really sweet brother who believes the Lord wants him to come and minister at Lamb. Gregorio was one of the prinicipal persons who led the prayer meeting we had yesterday. By the time we finished we had spent nearly 3 hours praying and the Holy Spirit really ministered to all of us, but especially to me. (more…)
Posted by Scott on August 1st, 2007 in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
