Sunday, May 31, 2009

New life in Bethlehem!!!




We are currently in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where we are seeing the Lord do great things. There is new life in the hearts of this body of believers. Sunday morning we had quite a dilemma. We opened the service up for individuals to come and testify about what the Lord was doing in their lives since the beginning of this summit, and we had testimonies for an hour and a half in the first service and again, in the second service. Many that wanted to share had to come back
Sunday evening and we had another 2 hours of testimonies. We have been teaching revival principles all week, while Tom Nesbitt (with wife Marie) have been here with us teaching family principles. Parents have made things right with their children, marriages have been impacted as husbands and wives embrace their God-given roles in the home, men have stepped up to be the spiritual leaders in the family - committed to praying for and with their wives and children. Over 45 men have been coming to the church each morning at 6:00 am to cry out to God to do a work in their hearts as well as in their families. Read on, and you will see what the Lord has done......

from a teenage girl - I have had so much bitterness in my heart towards my mom. She left my dad when I was little and I have been so angry with her. This week, I have let go of the bitterness and I feel so free. There is no more anger towards her, and I know I need to be praying for her. I want her to see Jesus in me.
from a mom - I have been walking in my own strength. I have 2 sons and 1 adopted daughter. I have not loved my daughter as I should, because she wasn't everything I'd hoped for. I became angry with God. The Lord has dealt with me regarding my bitterness, and I have let go of the anger. I can now say I truly am happy that she is with our family.
from a father - When I first got saved, I was intimate with the Lord. But in the last several years, my life has been like the song, Slow Fade. I have not been the spiritual leader in my home, and my life has been filled with frustration. Our home has changed this week!!! I'm now teaching my children and they are responding in a very positive way.
from a husband - I started seminary this past fall. I was learning about God, but not becoming more intimate with God. My grades have become too important to me, and I have focused more on them than my family. I was failing to minister inside the walls of my home. This week, my prayer time with my wife has been so sweet. I thank the Lord for all He has done in my heart.
from a man - I ride mountain bikes, and this past Thursday, I wanted to go riding, but there was a storm, so I came to church for the revival summit. Ryan spoke on clear conscience, and God reminded me about a situation with an employer that I never made right. When I was let go, I stole some uniforms that belonged to the company. I never paid for the uniforms. So I went home and wrote an e-mail explaining what had happened, confessed my theft, and made things right. My past employer wrote me back and said he would gladly forgive me and that I did not need to pay him for anything. He was very thankful that I got in touch with him. It feels so good to have a clear conscience.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Family / Marriage Conference in Gettysburg, PA











We have finished our final 4-day conference for this travel year, and we had a wonderful week here at Gettysburg Baptist Church. We were just here 7 months ago for an 11-day revival summit, and God did a mighty work in the hear of Pastor Bill and his son, Ty, who happens to be the Associate Pastor. With the emphasis during this conference on marriage and family, there were several marriages impacted throughout the 4 days. Families were brought closer together, and relationships restored that were experiencing the threat of disconnection. We praise the Lord for all that He is doing at Gettysburg Baptist.