Into the Swing of Things

Wow! It has been another amazing amount of time here in Redding! God has done so many things, I can barely keep up. I am learning and growing, but I am also finding it so enjoyable just to watch the change all around me. There is something progressive about this culture; a rhythm that leads to new heights and depths in the things of God.

First off, I am sorry it takes me so long to blog, for all of you who keep asking for more posts! I try to keep myself free enough to add new posts, but the hardest part is how busy God keeps me! As soon as I go to write something worth sharing, another thing happens. I suppose I'll just have to distribute my posts well enough to give you a fair dose every time!

I can now officially say that I am into the routines and demands of this school and church culture. I am a member of the school's worship team, as a keyboardist, and I take leadership in different assignments given to our revival group in the area of church service (chair setup, etc). I have found it relatively easy to keep up with my reading and work assignments, as the priority of this school is to practically apply everything you learn through experience. In that way, the course load then isn't too difficult.

We are given so much teaching that it would be impossible to chronicle everything we hear. We are reading through the entire bible this year, as well as twelve spiritual self-help books, and we hear 3 full messages a day from tuesday to friday. We're asked to attend one morning and evening service per week, as well as two small group sessions, and one revival group meeting (a smaller meeting with 30 people and our assigned pastor). This keeps the input going constantly. We do many theological lessons that bring us through many foundational principles within the Kingdom, we hear teaching specifically directed at the scripture we're reading, and we listen to sermons based on what Holy Spirit is saying in that instance. Because of all this input, the school asks that we take the time to make sure we give what we recieve, so that we don't become spiritually fat off of what we are taught.

It's important to note that in the Kingdom of God, we only keep what we give away. The Word says, "Give and it shall be given unto you", meaning that only after you give do you truly receive back that which you are giving away! God asks us to be stewards of everything: our time, our money, our possessions, His truth, His love, His power, and His nature. is why it is more blessed to give than to receive! In this way, we spend our free time serving the community of Redding. They have at least three outreaches per week, and so we usually attend at least one extra (beyond the one we do during class time) to make sure we are giving away what we are getting from the Lord.

This week God has done an amazing transformative work in my life, beyond what I could expect or imagine. At this point it is a personal thing, as the Lord continues to speak to me and change things within me. At the same time, I know that my personal testimony is expanding, and I will be ready to share the things God has done at a later time (and possibly a different venue).

Beyond His personal touch, the Holy Spirit has continued to fan these flames of revival. A few days ago, we had a speaker named Georgian Banov, a Bulgarian minister, come and share at our school. He is truly crazy and would consider me saying that to be a compliment! His one message comes from 1 Cor. 2.2, that he knows nothing except Jesus Christ! At the same time, as he simply shares from his heart, many rich teachings come out of his "ramblings". Many of the things the Lord showed me in my personal life came from the truths this man shared. Also, he knows how to butcher, season, and prepare lots of "sacred cows" so everyone can eat! He believes in "drinking in the Spirit", and there were many miraculous and paranormal events that were taking place during his time with us.

To the skeptics that may be reading this, I just want to add that I in no way want to change your perspective through what I write. I only write what I see and experience, and I refuse to be critical of what is very possibly (and in my mind, positively) God. I have captured one of the feathers that has fallen during the services, and it is a pretty neat specimen, and there have been other supernatural occurrences I will mention later. I just want to affirm the fact that I have no proof beyond what I see, and I have no theology prepared to discuss such matters. That said, God can help your unbelief!

Last night, I must mention, was an impartation service that was planned off the cuff by Bill Johnson through the Spirit's leading. He felt that he wanted to impart a fresh baptism in the Spirit to those who were willing, and so he laid hands on all 800 people in attendance! The Spirit moved powerfully, and many God encounters took place through this time. I have collected quite a bit of video of these services, although I can't share them on the blog. Perhaps at Christmas I will provide some time for viewing, if anyone is interested.

There are many events taking place in the near future, the biggest being the "Open Heavens" conference from Oct 25-27 at Bethel Church. They are setting up a tent outdoors for the students to participate, which will have the services broadcast within. I am looking forward to the big things God has planned for the next little while here at Bethel, in my life and the lives of those around me!

testimonies


-I have personally been involved in an incredible time of prophecy and healing over non-believers right on the streets, that resulted in God restoring a woman's back and three girls rededicating their lives to God!

-One individual in an evening service, after the laying on of hands, got out of her wheelchair and began to walk around! I am uncertain as to this woman's condition now, as it's hard for me to do follow-up on those sorts of things in such a big church, but it was an incredible testimony of God's power.

-I have also heard testimonies of different specific words of knowledge over strangers, God encounters resulting in the healing of broken ankles and other ailments, and open visions where people experience heaven from here on earth!

-Bill Johnson, in this impartation service, anointed people with oil that he received from a miraculous church in Puerto Rico (Watch video of the church here. It is TOTALLY worth the time). Now there were 800 people in attendance, and the bottle only held perhaps a few ounces. The bottle remained completely full for the entire service, despite the fact that such a distribution should have totally used up the oil! I have video of this event that I will at one point show you.

Blessings,

Connor

Week 2-3

Hello everyone! Time has gone by, and I miss you all like crazy. The culture I am in continues to be surprising and fulfilling. I am blessed to be a part of something so monumental, and there is a great humility amongst everyone involved. We know that this generation is on the verge of a great revival, for no other generation has been empowered in the way that we have. We believe that a second great Reformation is underway; one that will see the church defined by the very presence of the living God, as evidenced through the workings of the supernatural realm! This is the only way forward, and it is a lifestyle freely given to everyone through the power of the Cross. Redding is pioneering something that will become easier to any culture that chooses to tread the same path towards revival, as they model the love, honor, joy and power that should accompany every revival culture!

I gotta say, it's sometimes a little bit... weird here. I have set a firm resolve inside my heart not to be offended or distracted by anything I don't understand. I also choose to embrace anything that seems scary or uncomfortable, throwing myself head-first into what could be my next big breakthrough. I still test the Spirits, obviously, but you would be surprised how God's voice is much more clear and direct about those things when you stop judging the move of God before participating in it! (That's a good word right there!)

Two things will always accompany a genuine move of God: Demonic counterfeits and manifestations of the flesh. It is not that either of these things are welcomed or accepted, but they seem to show up as alternatives wherever the Spirit of God decides to fall. This does not mean that the movement is not of God, but quite the opposite! It means that what God is doing, the devil is trying to imitate. That being said, only through intimacy can we grow in hearing what is of God, and what is not. It is impossible to grow in that kind of intimacy without making mistakes. Please hear me, I am not saying that we must follow many deceptions in order to find the truth. But I am saying that a tenacious pursuit of the things of God will include mistakes, and that that is okay! This is no excuse to become timid before the Lord, or wait for Him to move us. Eventually the urge will become more subtle, and what used to be passion now becomes religion, and spiritual growth stops. This could be in the area of worship, spiritual discipline, discipleship, the gifts of the Spirit, or even the manifestations of the supernatural.

I am taking the time to say all of this because I cannot go further in my account of what I am experiencing without making sure you understand my heart, as well as the biblical basis for some of the things that are taking place. I can't keep track of who reads this blog, and so, I am sorry if anything offends you. Please email me if you have questions, comments or concerns, they are always welcome. I am on that path, of pursuing the things of God at the risk of discomfort.

The first new thing I have experienced is "Drinking in the Spirit" (Eph. 5.18, Acts 2.13-16). This is when an encounter with the Spirit begins to carry the physical manifestations of actually drinking alcohol. While this is not the first time I have experienced the Spirit in this way, I have never seen it happen so frequently or on such a widespread basis. It seems like everybody "loves to get drunk"! There are bursts of laughter running through the congregation constantly, and many people have a hard time even standing. There is an increase in the expressions of love in the room, as those who have "been drinking" are often seen hugging and encouraging one another! Oftentimes, this includes other manifestations of the Spirit's presence. Services will often take a totally different direction as the majority of those involved become "under the influence"!

There would be red flags from this type of event if it didn't lead to fruit, and in other cases, it may not. In that circumstance, this would be considered a work of the flesh. In this church, however, people are all too willing to give away what they receive, and through these times, great miracles take place. I encourage anyone who is uncomfortable with these concepts to read Wes Campbell's book, "Welcoming a Visitation of the Holy Spirit", to find further biblical basis for such manifestations.

I have personally been truly enjoying these times. Never before has such pure joy flooded into my soul, and it is something I can share with everyone else present. In these times, I wonder why others have settled for an image of God who is much less fun, and much less involved in the lives of His people. Drinking in the Spirit definitely increases your appetite for the supernatural, whether or not there are manifestations to accompany it!

testimonies

-Chad Stauffer, my close friend and roommate, prayed for a man in service who had a sharp pain in his wrist. After praying, the man told Chad that 80% of the pain had left! Chad, feeling that that wasn't enough, led the man in another prayer. The man rejoiced as all the pain left his wrist and he gave glory to God for his healing!

-Four Bethel leaders decided to have a "guys night out" and go visit a hospital. They got into the hospital through visiting a member of the church, but they soon asked one of the nurses if they could visit rooms who were looking for company and pray for the sick. The hospital staff welcomed them! After praying for some folks, eventually they found themselves welcome in the emergency room.
My revival leader, Joaquin, was there (he's a MIGHTY man of God) and he stood up in the ER and said, "I just wanted to let you know that, if you're here to see a doctor, we'll be able to help you right away!" People were a little startled by his statement, but eventually they were able to give some specific prophetic words of knowledge over one girl who was waiting with her mom. Her mom had stepped out of the room, but the girl asked if they would pray for her mom when she got back. They did, and received a word of knowledge over her as well! Furthermore, she was healed of her affliction (I believe it was noticeable scoliosis but I might be mixing my stories; I hear so many!)

-Finally, the most amazing miracle this week was from a meeting held near Redding that included two second-year Bethel students and one of Bethel's pastors, Kevin Dedmon. During the meeting, a man came up for prayer who had cut off his thumb several months prior on a table saw. He had lost the full digit of his thumb to below the thumb's first knuckle. As they prayed, they decided not to cover his hand as they asked for a creative miracle. Within minutes, they watched as a new thumb and joint grew out of the stub of the old one, including a brand new thumbnail! This was a creative miracle that they saw unfolding with their own eyes! Praise God for His ability to make anything out of nothing at all!

Blessings,

Connor

School Week #1

Hello! The first week of school was completed on Friday and the second week will begin tomorrow (Tuesday). It is continually life-changing to be in a place such as this, and revival is always active!

We have classes from 12:45 to 5:30 every day. Usually within that time, three people speak and there is an hour of worship. This week, we were fortunate to have Bill (Johnson) and Kris (Vallotton) speak every day. Each and every message was "out of the park".
We are required to attend exactly 2 services every week. The assigned service rotates for each student. Right now, I attend Friday night service, and the third Sunday morning service. Also, we are asked to spend one hour a week in the 24-hr prayer house, and read 2 chapters of the word from a scheduled reading plan (and report on those chapters weekly). In the future, on thursdays we will have outreach and Fridays we will hear from a guest speaker (if they bring one into their church).
We're also asked to read one book per every two weeks. They requested that we would have one read by the beginning of classes, so I have so far read "Welcoming a Visitation of the Holy Spirit" by Wes Campbell, and "Good Morning Holy Spirit" by Benny Hinn. They are both very good books, if anyone is sitting on their hands looking for that sort of thing!

Worship is always a phenomenal experience at Bethel. Everyone is so passionate about praising their King. Worship seems to go on for the majority of their services, with a sense of abandon that makes you want to remain in that atmosphere forever. We sing, laugh, shout, cry out, sing spontaneous prophetic songs, and dance, and everyone enters in. In this environment, many extraordinary events take place, including the mysterious feathers that fall from nowhere. I have seen them, and although I wasn't able to grab one, I thought it was pretty crazy. Please understand, no-one calls them "angel feathers". They are just feathers, because... that's what they are! The atmosphere is thick during these times, and although it doesn't happen every worship time, it happens enough that the church itself is accustomed to it. The feather I saw was about the size of a quarter. It had a strange "v" shape, and fell straight to the floor without blowing from the movements of people around it. Once it landed on the floor in front of me, I couldn't find it despite my searching. If I do get one, I will send it to you guys. Believe me, it's fascinating. I truly believe that God brings these sorts of signs to make us wonder. It's a dangerous place to be in when we think we know and understand everything about this mysterious, mystical relationship we have with God. When He moves, He brings the mysteries of Heaven with Him. Things like this can either be taken in stride, appropriated to the context and not blown out of proportion, or they can become stumbling blocks to keep us from deeper things.

Everyone here has a servant's heart. The bathrooms in the church stay spotless because the students choose to clean them up without being asked. (Something that inspires this is what Kris says frequently: 'You won't ever do something you can't do until you do something you can do.')It is a culture built on the principle of honor.

This week, I made the worship team for the school's worship band as the keyboardist. I am not leading, which at first, came as a surprise. This surprised me not because I thought I deserved to lead, but because I thought that I was more experienced as a worship leader than as a pianist. God corrected me by reminding me that this was a "season of rest", and that He was in charge of that process. I am so blessed to remain involved in worship here at Bethel.



testimony account
It is very hard to keep up-to-date on the testimonies around Bethel church, simply due to the massive volume of these stories. Most of them aren't even told to the students, because two or three people are healed each meeting.
Recently, a girl was healed of her bi-polar disorder after coming up for prayer about an unrelated matter.
Kris told the story about how, on a flight last week, he led a demonized man to Jesus on the way home to Redding.
So far, in the 6 regular services I have attended, I have seen 25-30 people give their hearts and lives to Jesus. The way Bill goes through this process is incredible: he invites them to the front as everyone has their eyes open and their heads raised. Then, as the congregation prays over them, they are asked to verbally confess each sin that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Afterwards, Bill looks each of them in the eye and asks, "Were you honest with God?" in a way that is non-threatening but still very direct. After each of them says "yes", he then tells them that every sin has been erased and they have received a new nature. The congregation stands and cheers, and it's a beautiful moment. Finally, he says, "We would never deliver a baby and leave it on the doorsteps of the hospital" so these new believers are led off to enter into discipleship courses. It's an amazing time.

Thank-you for being interested in what God is doing in me this year. I feel blessed to have such supportive friends and family. I will try to keep up with this busy schedule, and write you the stories that deserve to be told. Please, feel free to comment me after you read, and leave your name in the comment so I know who has written me. Blessings,

Connor

First Impressions

Well everyone, I have attended my first service and outreach at Bethel Church. It has already been amazing, and I can fully attest that God is doing a great work.

The building makes a good first impression. They have a massive property on the side of a hill, and the road leading to it is called "the Avenue of Nations". They have many (if not all) of the national flags of the nations of the world, and as you reach the top of the hill you get a clearer view of the 24/7 prayer house on the hill's edge. It is a circular building that overlooks all of Redding with windows on almost every side. It is called the "alabaster house", and anyone can enter at any time for prayer, communion, and soaking in the presence of Jesus.

The sanctuary wasn't as big as I imagined it to be. Their church actually has only about 450 members, but when visitors, members, and school of ministry students get added to the mix, there are about 1000-2000 people on their property daily.

On Friday, we attended our first service (as school starts this tuesday). We entered with anticipation, and we weren't the only ones excited. It was an incredible time of worship and the word.

For a note on worship, I would like to say that I have never been in such a passionate, inviting worship service. You can feel the love that people have for their God, and the love that they have for one another. Many danced in very expressive ways, while others simply observed and waited for the Spirit to fall. Then a man named Paul Manwaring spoke on sacrifice and restraint. It was a beautiful, moving message. Afterwards, many went to the altar to receive their healing (as well as prayer for other needs) and I moved seats to the front just to watch what God was doing. Many people received his touch, becoming drunk in the Spirit and entering further into worship. It was possible that some received their healing in that moment, although I saw nothing definitive in that moment. The presence of the Spirit was there in glory, however.

testimony#2


On saturday we went out and did street evangelism by serving the disenfranchised a hot meal. They know we are coming to certain areas, so they gather expectantly. In total, bethel does 4 street outreaches a week, and two of them are meals (saturdays: the meals are taken to the streets, sundays: the meals are offered at the church) So Chad and I went, served food, met people, prayed for the sick, and offered encouragement. I will post the pictures of this experience on facebook for everyone to enjoy! (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14418&l=ae1d6&id=634156160)

Anyway, a member of another group felt a specific pain in his knee before he left. When they arrived at their location (a skatepark) the guy began talking with someone and realized that this person had the knee problem.

He said, "Does it hurt in this exact spot?", pointing at where it hurt on his own knee.

"Yeah!" The kid said.

"And it feels like someone took a drill to it, or the claw of a hammer to it? An intense pain?"

"Yeah! How'd you know?" The skater said, really surprised.

"Well, Jesus told me, and he wants to heal you. Can we pray?" And from there, they prayed and saw the knee pain healed immediately.

(Note: I am not sure of the extent that this skater had hurt his knee. It could've been anything from mild bruising to an actual disorder, but either way, it's a miracle. To God be the glory!)

Blessings,
Connor

Arrived In REDDING!

Hey everyone!

We arrived in Redding yesterday, after an amazing journey across most western states! It was an incredible trip, in every respect, as God kept us safe and looked after every detail along the way. We made excellent time, and we went through probably 20 radar traps without a problem (obviously, because we weren't breaking the law!).

It is absolutely beautiful country along the west coast. We traveled down the I5, so we weren't close enough to see the Pacific. Still, the weather just continued to become warmer and warmer, and we got some nice photos from the trip. If you'd like to see them, I will add them to my facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14316&l=d11cd&id=634156160)


Testimony #1
Well, considering that this blog is called "These Are Your Stories", I will now tell of my first tale of God's provision. Many of you know that there have been many hoops that Chad and I have jumped through to get across the border.

We had some anxiety as we approached the crossing, having prepared long and hard to make sure we had done everything in our power to get across to Washington St. We dressed up nicely and shaved (first time in a long while!), and spent about 40 minutes in the lineup of vehicles approaching the toll.

We prayed and asked God for favor, claiming our identity as children of the King. (Royalty don't have a problem getting held up at borders!) Chad prayed more specifically for us to encounter a Christian border official.

We were sent into a particular building for processing, and within 10 minutes we were called forward by a border official. He asked about our business, and we explained our situation as I showed him my acceptance letter. He read a handful of lines without speaking to us.

"Do you guys love Buddhists?" He asked. "It's a yes or no question."

"Yes" I replied.

"You guys must be Christians. 'Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you' stuff, right?"

"Yeah, that's us." I said.

He went on to read for a little while longer, asking for only one other document from Bethel (which was amazing, because I had prepared about 10 legal documents, and so had Chad, and he didn't even look at Chad's!). Again, he just read in silence.

"Are you guys going to blow up any abortion clinics?" He asked, without humor.

"No sir," I said. "We love those people too."

He told me that that was a good answer, and that he'd have no problem giving us the proper paperwork for the full stay in the U.S. He even went as far as to not put an expiry date on the process, so we could stay as long as we needed.
He said "God Bless" as he stamped our passports, and the whole ordeal lasted probably 20 minutes. They didn't even look in our vehicle, and they had no skeptical inquiries.

This is an incredible example of God's favor! We have heard from other students, one in particular, who was interrogated for almost an hour by one border official. This student even had the border official withdraw his weapon to scare the student into possibly saying something that would spoil his visa application! That student, Shawn, also made it across by God's grace.

I pray that this story would bless you by verifying God's favor in your own life. I believe that this story contains the blessing of God over any international issue you may encounter in the future. Believe God, and be encouraged!

Blessings,
Connor