I thought you would like to have a glimpse of the outreach we did in Philadelphia on the 19th. If my memory serves me well I believe this is close to the eleventh year we have given out turkeys and groceries in Philadelphia for Thanksgiving. I don’t know if you can see it or not but the line stretches down to the end of the block and if you look closely you will see Lois in the white vest at the side of the entrance to the church.
I know that the building doesn’t look much like a church but it certainly is. The bottom floor is where we gave away the groceries along with either a turkey or ham and it serves to house their children’s church. Just inside the door where Lois was standing is
where the people first entered and received prayer before they progressed on to receive their groceries and out the door at the back of the building. The upper floor is where the church meets and it is big enough to seat fifty or more. This time we stayed overnight with Pastor’s John and Gayle at their home and spoke and ministered to their people on Sunday morning, which we haven’t done in several years. It was good to minister to new people and see some of our old friends and though we often cannot remember their names they certainly remember ours.
Sunday morning was interesting; having a church in the midst of drive-by shootings, drug deals and the usual community strife can be difficult not to mention the number of people that do not speak any English at all. We have told John and Gayle they need to write a book about their adventures. This Sunday before the service began while standing at the front of the sanctuary we were accosted by a parishioner that had already been drinking. So you know, there are always some present who are on some mind altering substance, which mostly includes drinking or smoking pot, which is just the way life is down there. Pastors John and Gayle had left the room so it was Lois and I that had to deal with the ‘angry” African American man’.
Having the type of personality that tries to figure things out I was at a loss over what the man said when he first came up to us. He started by mumbling something I couldn’t hear, followed by his accusations that we had stolen his land and all his gold. Being from South Dakota I remembered the Native Americans on the reservations telling me that all white men had stolen their land but I didn’t know they had any gold. I just couldn’t figure out how anything he said had anything to do with him, or me for that matter. Trying to find a logical solution in an illogical situation doesn’t ever work. For some reason I just couldn’t get, ‘you stole our land and gold’ out of my mind and as I tried to communicate with him I found it was going downhill faster than I could get a head of it. Fortunately, for me Lois was there and was able to disarm the individual by getting ahead of his illogical talk and stop the downward spiral that we were heading in. While I was thinking of what I was going to do if he took a swing at me Lois just reached out and was persistent in asking him to forgive us if we did anything to offend him. Not letting him react with another volley of crazy talk. Lois looked at him and asked, “You will forgive us won’t you?” That seemed to totally disarm him and he looked at Lois and smiled and said, “Of course I will.”
He returned to his chair where he sat for a few minutes and then he just disappeared through the crowd at the back and out the door. Later Pastor John told me that he has had to deal with him before and like me he fell prey of pitting logic against insanity, which he said never did work for him either. The meeting ended up being divinely orchestrated and God came in power as many were touched by His presence and love. I (Lois) will never forget the middle-aged, half-drunk man who came for ministry and confessed Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord. I told him that God is always faithful and is there for him when he calls on the name of Jesus to help him. There was something about ministering to him that brought tears to my eyes as I felt God’s great compassion and mercy for him. I was later told that he is victimized and is often physically beaten.
Fort Meade, Florida
We are heading out this Saturday, December 3rd to Fort Meade, Florida to hold four days of meetings starting on Sunday morning and ending Wednesday evening. We were there a few years ago and we are looking forward to returning and sharing what the Lord has put on our hearts.
This should be interesting as the last time we were there we had several people demonically manifest in the congregation. That always makes for an interesting time. The first time this occurred I had asked Lois to come forward to pray before I began to speak that night. I was sitting on a stool behind her as she prayed when I began to hear a woman begin to loudly moan in the service. Without lifting my head or opening my eyes I knew what that sound symbolized and after a minute I opened my eyes and as I peeked around Lois I glimpsed a couple of women going over to the lady as Lois finished praying. It has been an honor and a privilege to be used as His vessels to bring healing and deliverance in so many meetings internationally and in the United States where the Holy Spirit has come in power to those who are suffering from demonic oppression both physically and spiritually. He loves people more than we can imagine and it is His desire to bring His people to wholeness and into the abundance of life and the destiny He has planned for them in this life.
As we enter this Wonderful Season of Celebration for the One who came as a tiny baby in a manger and is our Messiah and our King I am reminded again of the song I first heard in St. Louis at the Vineyard in Randy and DeAnne Clark’s church. “Our Deliverer is Coming, Our Deliverer is Standing By! Most of all we want everyone to know of our Mighty Savior, who rescued us from darkness and brought us into His marvelous light! Our Lord, our King, our Prince of Peace! May He be exalted above all else and may we know His faithful abiding love that never fails and never will end!
Yes Our Deliverer is Coming and He is standing by and Ready with Open Arms to all who will Come! What amazing love! May we come to the one who is love itself!
Merry, Merry Christmas to all With Much Love,
Kingdom Life Ministry 