Holy Laughter - The God Phenomenon!

Kathie Walters:

"Holy Laughter—What's it All About?"

I know that to a lot of people laughter doesn't appear to be very "HOLY." But holiness means wholeness and set apart. It also means uncommon. I'm sure you have been in meetings, or even by yourself, when the spirit of laughter just hits you for no reason that you can think of. Maybe you had even just prayed a really serious prayer.

I've been in prayer meetings which had a very serious tone—when suddenly the spirit of laughter descended. When we were coming into revival years ago, I remember someone saying they had read an account of revival in a book; and in this revival at the time, there was a lot of weeping. Our church thought, "Well, maybe we should weep, because maybe God likes weeping; maybe it's a way of being holy."

We had a "repentance" meeting and were all serious. We asked God to convict us and bring a spirit of weeping upon us. We waited for a while—nothing happened. After about 15 minutes someone began to giggle. We tried to stifle our mouths because we were there to "weep." After another few minutes someone else started to giggle. We could contain it no more—we hit the floor and laughed uproariously for about three hours! We had been under condemnation for years because of religious spirits. We didn't need to be weeping right then—we were getting delivered and getting to know "Abba" (Daddy).

So what happens with this laughter? What is it all about? It's a wonderful experience, but what is really happening? What is spiritual about it and what does it have to do with God?

What Holy Laughter is All About

The Bible says that God looks on His enemies and laughs and holds them "in derision" (see Psalm 2:4). So, if God laughs then He must be laughing because of victory.

Sometimes I have been praying for someone and they are telling me really bad stuff. I start to pray and start laughing— why is that? That's weird, isn't it? But you see, I may not understand in my mind, but my spirit begins to pick up on a victory that's happening in the spirit realm for that person. When you pray, then God answers; and sometimes your spirit has received the answer before your mind. I believe that the laughter (God's laughter) brings down that victory into our experience.

Laughter eliminates fear—God is in charge; He told Job:

"At destruction and famine you shall laugh: neither shall you be afraid of the beasts of the earth."—Job 5:22

He will still fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting (see Job 8:21). It's OK to shout sometimes. People shout and scream at a little football, why don't God's people do some more shouting (and laughing)?

God laughs at the wicked—because God always has the final word.

"The Lord shall laugh at him: for He sees that his day is coming."—Psalm 37:13

God causes us to laugh at those who would cause destruction.

"The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him."—Psalm 52:6

There is a time to ask and a time to receive—and a time to laugh in the victories of God.

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."—Ecclesiastes 3:4

When the anointing of laughter comes—the oil flows and the enemy runs for cover. The devil knows and is afraid of the laughter because he knows he is defeated.

Do you realize the enemy hates you to get in the anointing? The Holy Spirit makes you God-conscious, not self-conscious or sin-conscious. When you are in the Spirit realm you see what He sees. Guess what? God sees the victories. God sees the end when you are just at the beginning.

When the enemy seems like a great big bear (fear)—God already sees him knocked out. That's why you laugh and you don't understand why. There seems to be some big mountains and it looks like you can't get over them—but you suddenly start laughing at them. God is the God of the mountains; we often feel threatened by them, but God walks on them.

Laughter is in the empty tomb. In fact, when I was in the Garden tomb one time, I was trying to be very reverent. Then an angel tapped me on the shoulder and spoke to me: "He certainly isn't here." I started laughing and laughing because the angel didn't seem to make an idol of an empty grave.

"Laughter is the Echo of the Vacant Grave..."

(Borrowed from Mabel Andlers)

Laughter—uncontrollable joy.

Laughter—the outward manifestation of being more than a conqueror.

Laughter is the sound of Resurrection Morning echoing throughout eternity. Laughter is seeing our Captain of the Hosts, holding the keys!!!

Laughter does a heart good, like a medicine.

Laughter is an exceedingly, abundant, above and beyond attempt by the physical body to express a full picture of redemption.

It is diving into and swimming the breadth, the length, the height and depth of His love.

Laughter = spasms of uncontrollable God laughter, incapacitating the physical body.

When enabled, laughter walks on the wings of the wind...upon clouds, and is carried in God's arms.

Unknowing and uncaring of where it's been or for how long.

It is the garment of praise unleashed into a broken world.

Touch these vessels with much care, fullness of JOY may contagiously overflow.

Laughter is the echo of the vacant grave...

Amen.

Kathie Walters
Good News Ministries

Email: Kathiewalters@mindspring.com

Website: www.goodnews.netministries.org

God is always ministering to us!

Al Thomas:

"God is Always Ministering to Us - Even While We Slumber"

God has no physical body, so He doesn't need to sleep or eat. When you read that God "rests" it simply means He has stopped doing something. God never gets tired or weary (see Isaiah 40:28). He never closes His eyes; "He is always watching, never sleeping" (see Psalm 121:3-4). We need to sleep, and when we do, God is doing something for us, always ministering to us, even while we slumber (see Psalm 127:2).

An Angelic Visitation I Experienced

I'm always reluctant to share experiences with angels because I don't want people thinking I'm obsessed with the supernatural. I don't seek "experiences," yet I constantly have them. I have found that if I seek Jesus, inevitably I experience the supernatural. We must be discerning and not willing to just accept all experiences as "from God," but test the spirits (see 1 John 4:1).

In the early 80s (while pastoring in Wisconsin), I was awakened by an angel standing in my bedroom. Even though I was already convinced this was God's angel (since he had visited me before), I pleaded the Blood of Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 11:14), because angelic visitations are not small things. He spoke: "Someone lied to you, and you have believed this lie for many years." Then I saw a vision of my father screaming at me when I was about 12 years old. My father said, "You will never be anything, you will always be a bum."

The angel said, "You must forgive him. He loved you, but did not know how to show it, nor understand the damage those words would cause you." I had completely blocked that memory out of my mind. I forgave my father and I felt a huge weight lifted off of me. The angel said, "You are not a failure. Go forth, knowing you will succeed." I loved my dad and I know he loved me, but showing affection was very difficult for him when he was a young father. Then the angel disappeared.

Some of the other things the angel showed me:

As You Sleep, God Does Your Worrying

Bishop William Quayle awoke at night because of worry and heard God say to him, "Quayle, you go to bed; I'll sit up the rest of the night." Of course God never worries, but He is very concerned about you. Worry is unbelief in disguise. If you knew how concerned He is about you, you would never worry again (see Philippians 4:6).

"How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly."—Psalm 139:17

Some of you occasionally worry about your children. Your Father is thinking about you every moment of the day. When you lay your head down at night, He continues to have thoughts about you. He never stops thinking about you.

Psalm 40:5 says, "Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."

Imagine how precious you are to God! Many think sleep is a waste of time, but not God. He utilizes it for your good.

As You Sleep, God is Planning Each Step of Your Future

God did not haphazardly put you here on this earth without a plan (see Proverbs 3:6). He has a future for you. He didn't just save you and then throw you into some strange predicament and say, "Good luck, I hope you make it." You were not just accidentally dropped here due to some cosmic misunderstanding. You are here on purpose.

"I know the plans I have for you; they are plans for good, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."—Jeremiah 29:11

I was amazed when he said, "Many of God's children do not ask the Father what His plans are for them. If they did, He would tell them" (see Psalm 48:14; Matthew 7:7-11). Ask Him to show you His plans for you (see Jeremiah 33:3). He's waiting and longs to hear from you.

As Christians Sleep, God is Straightening Their Crooked Paths

Some of you are experiencing crooked, confusing paths (mentally and circumstantially). Often, these are simply indicators of God saying, "You are meant to learn something here" (see Romans 8:28). Some people see every problem or bump in the road as evil or bad. Although it is true that we have an adversary (see 1 Peter 5:8), it is also true that many blame the devil for things he never did.

God is constantly working the character of His Son in us (see Galatians 4:19) and often uses uncomfortable circumstances to accomplish it. What you see as obstacles, God sees as opportunities to bring you closer to Him (see Psalm 119:67). God never takes shortcuts and He is never in a hurry. Each night while you are innocently snoozing, He is lovingly calculating new ways to make your paths straight (see Hebrews 12:12-13).

Many Weary Saints Will Be Awakened by Angels...Be Ready

Your heavenly Father has an interesting habit of waking up His children in the middle of the night. An angel struck Peter on the side to awaken him and deliver him from prison (see Acts 12:5-10). Sometimes God will awaken you so He can have your complete attention.

An angel never comes "just to drop in" or because he happened "to be in the neighborhood." There is always a purpose. Companies of angels are loading up supplies (wisdom, direction, finances, healings and buckets of spiritual refreshment), getting ready to visit the Church. Many are going to be awakened by God while they sleep to be ministered to and delivered from past hurts or long term relationships that people never thought would be resolved. Be expectant and prepared for a visitation.

Before you go to bed, pray, and say, "God, I give You permission to awaken me at any time during this evening." He knows exactly where you live (see Acts 17:26) and He knows what time zone you are in. I believe that everyone has a personal guardian angel (see Acts 12:3-10), yet this is beyond that. They are about to bring some of their friends.

"YE SHALL SEE HEAVEN OPEN, AND THE ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING..."—John 1:51

Al Thomas
Celebrating His Life Ministries
Email: a.thomas@myactv.net

Prayer Request for Al Thomas

My name is Justin Thomas and my Dad is Al Thomas. ElijahList routinely posts his prophetic words, and I know you would be interested in his recent events.

About two weeks ago, my Dad, Al Thomas, was suffering from acute shortness of breath and sudden blood loss. He visited his family doctor who tested him, and immediately sent him to the hospital where he received several pints of blood. They found the source of his bleeding as a small tumor in his esophagus. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on May 4th. Obviously, any diagnosis of disease is very disheartening, yet we have immediately countered with the report of the Lord that "by His scourging, we are healed."

In the next few days, the doctors want to move forward with chemotherapy and radiation, and shortly afterward, surgery. This treatment will require him not to minister for six months.

I am asking you in this season to stand with us and agree with him for his complete healing. It is clear that God has said, "I am willing," through His Son, Jesus Christ. The whole of Scriptures are weighty with the glory that God is both able and willing to minister His covenant healing to His children.

He knows that healing is promised, and he is open to God's avenue in any way it will come. Please be led in your prayers for his healing, provision, and overall countenance. God will do a good thing. I know he would greatly appreciate any letters or notes of encouragement and prayer.

Thank you for partnering with him.

His son,

Justin Thomas

Coming Flames!

Andy Sanders:

"The Keepers of the Coming Flames"

"So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'"—Joshua 14:9

A Vision of Holy Fire

The Lord recently released a vision to me relating to parts of the earth that had been destroyed by natural disasters. He showed how this devastation turned from a natural disaster into a Spirit-burning fire within the hearts of people and into many parts of the world. The holy fire began to burn bright in areas that were once physically devastated.

In the spirit, one could hear the sound of these infernos roaring like a lion as the flames shot a great height into the skies. This brought a spiritual beacon for many to know where to go and to take their next steps of faith. Before this, people were wondering what the next path would entail for their lives. Once the light of God's presence burned higher over the skies of these devastated lands, they began to walk right into their next destination.

There were many people, in these once devastated areas, that were still holding on, waiting to encounter the promises of God's words once spoken. These prophetic words spoken over them were about to come to pass. People throughout the land were once again reminded of what God said He would do for them. These remembered promises, once again, brought excitement in the air.

While the spiritual fires began to burn bright over these once ravaged lands, the promised words exploded into the hearts of the people, bringing much needed encouragement for this hour. The spiritual climate over the lands during this time also erupted like volcanoes, decreeing righteousness and grace for the people in these areas.

The Coming of the Unknown Prophets Changed the Climate

"And Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain.'"—1 Kings 18:41

Powerful prophets and ministries started to fill the earth, heralding new words from God through these once devastated lands. Some of the prophets who passed through these areas had no name or fame, yet they spoke with great authority and years later people would still remember their words.

All of these unknown prophets and the events that began to unfold over the land were appointed by God. Each one would often "hear the sound" of the fire before it had begun. This was just like Elijah who heard the sound of rain before a single drop even fell to the ground. These heralds were called for one reason as they passed through the land: they told the people in the area that a new kind of fire was about to burn.

There were many acts of grace on these Christians so that even the unsaved loved to hear what they had to say. The power on these individuals was love and favor, and these two keys were used as weapons to change even the hardest of hearts in that territory.

"When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!'"—1 Kings 18:39

A great season of salvation moved into the lands and many became born again. It was as if the fish jumped into the Believer's very own boat. This was fishing made easy! It was an unprecedented time for souls to be saved.

Fire in the Older Generation Burned Stronger than Ever Before

"As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight."—Psalm 16:3

The elderly all over the world in this hour received an abundance of God's authority and power. With this in mind, many of the elderly began to push past the enemy's schemes and tricks and right into the forefront of what God was releasing on the earth. The enemy lost ground in this coming season because the elderly stepped forward.

Once the elderly in the Body of Christ moved ahead, the entire Kingdom advanced. The efforts of these brought a renewed flame to the once devastated lands. During this time, strength increased in the elderly and this created a new hope for others who followed along behind them.

Many elderly Christians think, in their older age, that their time was ending and they were not useful anymore. Those in the world's society may even attempt to say that their lives are over; that they are done. Too many times the elderly of our lands are pushed aside, and to some, they are not even valued as an asset toward life anymore.

God says in this season that He will honor the works and efforts of the elderly in the land. The Lord is saying to the elderly in this time, "You are just beginning, and now I will use you more than I have used you in the past. It is through the power of your prayers that I will turn devastation into restoration."

The sweat and tears that have fallen from the faces of the elderly will turn into flames of fire and times of joy. Those who sowed in tears will LEAP with a renewed joy. Through the prayers of the elderly in this hour there will be hidden portals into the heavenly realms now revealed. Many saints have cried out to God saying, "I want to see Your outpourings before I die, Lord. I want to see this promised fire before I take my last breath."

The Lord says, "In this moment, the new fire blowing over the earth will begin for your eyes to see. I will honor your hard-earned efforts." Then the Lord said to the elderly of the lands, "I am God, who keeps His promises. That which I say will come to pass."

A New Era of Equipping for the Future Generation

"'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.'"—Amos 9:13

Then the Lord showed me how the flames in some of these once heavily-damaged regions eventually burned so hot that they started sparking into distant lands in other parts of the earth. Within a short time, there were massive spiritual infernos burning in every country of the world.

Every part of the world was touched by a new level of release found in the increase of equipping those that were coming into "future leadership" upon the earth. The transition was marvelous from one generation to the next, and this time it continued on because the wisdom and integrity of the elders kept the flames burning.

There were none who were spiritually fatherless in this coming equipping release. True authority was upon the younger leaders because they understood exactly who they were in Christ, and they were totally free. That freedom was rooted in the fact that the elderly stood their ground and watched over the upcoming, future generations of the earth.

These fresh and spiritually "mature fireballs" that were released out upon the earth were the equippers to prepare for the coming harvest. They are the flames of the Kingdom that are called to create a stable platform for others to safely learn to walk on. It is their patient and compassionate efforts that will one day allow a whole Body of Believers to fly like eagles on their own.

Through the determination and leadership of these saints, the era of a whole new way of equipping will soon be ignited in the earth, allowing those that walk behind their leaders to one day walk safely on their own. These are the keepers of the coming flames.

Andy Sanders
Andy and Cathy Sanders Ministries
Email: andycathy7@yahoo.com
Website: www.andycathysanders.com

About Andy and Cathy Sanders were in ministry as Senior Pastors and in staff positions for nine years in churches that ranged from extremely small ministries all the way to mega churches. In their ninth year of full-time ministry, the Lord spoke to the Sanders in 2006, saying, "Sell everything today and come follow Me, and I will show you a whole new life." This He truly has! Their entire family travels on the road full-time, forsaking all to come follow Him. Andy holds a Doctorate of Christian Education (summa cum laude) Freedom Seminary, Rogers, Arkansas.

Come to the mountain!

Ivan Roman:

"The Father is Inviting an Entire Generation to Come to the Mountain of the Lord"

Recently, I had a prophetic experience while driving my car—in the natural, I saw the road in front of me and was very conscious of the semi-flat landscape all around. In the spirit, however, I saw a large mountain. And then I immediately heard the voice of God say, "If this generation doesn't come to the Mountain of the Lord, they will try to put Me back in a box and put My commandments back on stone."

Following this experience, I understood God wanted His people to come to His mountain to hear His voice and listen to what He is saying. Obviously we can never literally stick God in a box, but we can limit Him to a box in our minds. It's not as much what He has said, but what He is saying. The sober reality is that our lives and future may very well rest in our aptitude for hearing and heeding what the Spirit of God is speaking to us in this hour.

Immersing Ourselves in His Presence

The key to hearing the voice of God is learning to saturate and immerse ourselves in the presence of God. When we come into His presence, the rest simply happens.

At times, we can find ourselves confronting thoughts and mindsets contrary to the will and nature of God, which are oftentimes exposed by the light of His presence. But remember this, "…whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Corinthians 3:16). So it's important to first recognize these thoughts as opposing the truth, and then take them captive to the obedience of Christ. Clarity is found in His presence!

Our lives will be transformed, but primarily after our minds are renewed (see Romans 12:2).

However, if we choose not to heed the leading of the Spirit and become proactive in renewing our minds, it is possible that we will limit God's power and anointing from flowing through our lives because of these unrenewed thinking patterns. This is why it's so important that we have the mind of Christ.

If we do not come to the Mountain of the Lord to hear His voice, we will endeavor to put His commandments back on stone—setting up religious alters and embracing old wineskins—and be found gripping tightly to ritualistic rules and regulations of legalism. "So, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…'" (Hebrews 3:7-8). It's not about the dos and don'ts of Christian living, but walking in fellowship with the life-giving Christ!

Come to the Mountain and Hear His Voice

God is speaking today—can you hear what He is saying? Our daily bread is the Word of God—we cannot live off of yesterday's manna.

In my vision, the Lord was referring to Exodus 19:5-6 when He said, "Now, if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation…"

God's original intention for His people was that they would be a Kingdom of priests. A priest's first responsibility is to minister to the Lord, and then second, to minister to God's people. God's desire is that we, as a generation of priests, would come to His Mountain to speak directly with Him and hear His voice.

After Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery, they approached Mount Sinai where God was. When God's people heard the thunder and saw the lightning, they were overwhelmed with fear and told Moses to be the mediator. This is one of the saddest passages in Scripture: "The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was" (Exodus 20:21). God never intended for just one person to approach His presence; He wants all of His children to come near to Him.

Much later in the story, Moses came to the base of the mountain after encountering the Lord; he found the children of Israel making sacrifices to false gods and worshiping a golden calf they had made. The children of Israel witnessed incredible miracles by the hand of God, yet they still fell away. Signs, wonders, and miracles are part of our inheritance as Believers; we need to continue believing and contending for greater breakthrough in this arena.

However, witnessing the miraculous does not mean we are not capable of losing connection with God. It is still very possible to witness God's power and even minister under the anointing, and then fall away to worship idols. What separated Moses from the children of Israel? Why did Moses remain faithful while the others turned away from God? The answer is found in Psalm 103:7: "He made known His ways to Moses…"

He Makes Known His Ways

Moses witnessed the power of God, but he also learned the ways of God. If we don't come to intimately know the ways of God, we will always question His motives: "Can I really trust You?" When led out of slavery, the children of Israel complained because they didn't have any meat to eat like they had in Egypt. They didn't understand the ways of God, so they thought they were being punished. But in reality, God was teaching them to put their trust and faith in Him. He wanted to reveal Himself as a faithful and good God who provides.

Jesus Christ is our High Priest. His Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat so we can come boldly before the throne of grace, obtaining mercy and finding grace in our time of need (see Hebrews 4:16). God has made a new covenant with us through His Son, Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant.

"For this reason Christ is the Mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."—Hebrews 9:15

Understanding the Love of the Father and the Fear of the Lord

As Jesus hung from the Cross, He cried out, "It is finished!" The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. We now have access to the holy of holies where the presence of God dwells. As sons and daughters of God, we are invited to come into the very real, very tangible, presence of God.

I used to have a difficult time understanding and believing that God wanted me to enter into His presence. I thought to myself, "God is Holy, I am not. If I go into His presence He's going to kill me, or at least be mad at me!" Thankfully, the Holy Spirit began to reveal to me the love of the Father. I'm God's son and He loves me and is pleased with me. And I also began to learn that there is a healthy type of fear of God.

"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.'"—Exodus 20:18-20

God is Love and He is our Father. First John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." Fearing punishment comes from the enemy, not from God. God's love drives out fear, but not the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a healthy type of fear which is actually for our benefit. Jesus is our example, and the fear of the Lord rested on Him; He even delighted in it (see Isaiah 11:2-3).

Moses responded to the people's fear by telling them not to fear. He then went on to say that the fear of God that is with them would keep them from sinning. "To fear the LORD is to hate evil…" (Proverbs 8:13). Fearing God produces a righteous hatred of evil and adoration for things which are pure.

To fear the Lord means to revere Him or show Him respect. I've been concerned with my generation regarding this issue. I've listened to several people deep in sin say that God knows their hearts and will love them even if they continue walking in disobedience. This is true, but being truly saved means we no longer desire to sin because it hurts the One who loves us. Paul teaches on grace in the New Testament, but tells us not to use it as a license to sin (see Romans 6:1-2).

Come Up to the Mountain of the Lord!

It's essential that every person comes to the Mountain to experience the presence of God. The story of the children of Israel proves that we can witness God's power, but if we don't know God experientially, we can fall away. Mount Sinai was where Moses encountered the Lord. As we read above, it was a very scary sight. Look at the mountain that we're invited to:

"But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in Heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled Blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."—Hebrews 12:22-24

The blood of Abel cried out vengeance. The Blood of Jesus cries out mercy and forgiveness! This Mountain is warm and inviting—a place where angels welcome us. Jesus is the Mediator of this new covenant and has made a way for us to come into the very heart of God. The Father is inviting an entire generation to come to the Mountain of the Lord to worship Him there and hear His voice. Will you come?

Ivan Roman
A Friend of God Ministries
Email: ivan@afriendofgod.org
Email: www.afriendofgod.org

Ivan Roman has a passion to see the Body of Christ walk in intimate friendship with God. Ivan moves in a prophetic and healing anointing that flows out from a heart of love. He has traveled the nations seeing signs, wonders and miracles almost daily. After one year of traveling, Ivan attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry under the leadership of Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton. Ivan currently travels around North America and the nations; he also oversees the Jesus Revolution ministry here in Albany, Oregon that began in August of 2007. Ivan and his wife Erica have two children.

God's has a date with destiny for you too!

Kari Browning with Shawn Bolz:

"A Date with Destiny This Mother's Day Weekend"

On Mother's Day, 1980, God used a young hippie preacher named Lonnie Frisbee to bring revival to John Wimber's church in Yorba Linda, California. The Vineyard movement was birthed during that season. It was an exciting time of the Kingdom being demonstrated through healing, deliverance, prophecy and signs and wonders.

Below are three separate experiences from three different individuals, all tied together with Isaiah 22 in mind:

1. On November 17, 2003, I had a dream that John Wimber's secretary called me and told me that he was coming on 2/22. I knew the dream was symbolic because John had passed away in 1997. I was shocked when I later read that he had died on November 17—the date I had the dream. I felt the dream had to do with Isaiah 22:22, "I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David; what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open."

2. On February 25, 2009, Shawn Bolz had a dream about breakthrough coming to California. In the dream he was given 22 stakes, and on 11 of them Shawn painted the word "Breakthrough" and images of "keys and crowns." When he awoke from the dream, he felt that the 22 stakes represented Isaiah 22:22. I knew that John Wimber's birth date was February 25—the date Shawn had the dream.

3. After hearing Shawn's dream, I remembered reading Lou Engle's book Digging the Wells of Revival, in which he shared that in 1998 he went to Bonnie Brae Street, where the Azusa revival had started with a group of intercessors. They drove a stake into the ground, declaring that the revival well in Los Angeles would again burst forth. When Lou got back in his car, the clock read 2:22. He thought of Isaiah 22:22 and realized that God had given him a key to open that well.

I was amazed at the thread I saw in these three experiences. Obviously, God was emphasizing Isaiah 22:22. When I studied that Scripture in context, I saw that Eliakim was given the key of David. Eliakim's name means "God will promote." It is recorded that he was a servant and a father. I believe John Wimber had those same character qualities and God used him to raise up a movement that changed the face of the Church.

We also read in Isaiah 22 that Shebna was fired from his position. He was building a monument to himself like King Saul did. The application for this today is: those who walk in humility and brokenness will be promoted and those who walk in pride will be removed from their positions.

John Wimber's Message

John Wimber

John Wimber's main message was the Kingdom of God. He believed that "everyone can play" and he activated and mobilized the Church to "do the stuff." I believe there will be a return to the simplicity of the Kingdom message and we'll see Heaven come to earth. It is the Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom! (see Luke 12:32).

Shawn Bolz was a young boy in John Wimber's church (which at the time was a Calvary Chapel) on Mother's Day 1980, when Lonnie Frisbee asked everyone under the age of 25 to come forward. Lonnie uttered his famous prophecy, "The Church has for years grieved the Holy Spirit, but He's getting over it! Come, Holy Spirit!" Hundreds were filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time and began shouting out loud in tongues. The chairs were falling over and the people were falling on top of the chairs. Everyone was in shock, including John Wimber.

John Wimber didn't sleep that night. He stayed up reading books on Church history and revivals, and he prayed all night. About 5am, Tom Stipe, a pastor in Denver, called and said, "I don't know what's going on there, John, but the Lord woke me and told me to call and tell you that it's Him. Does that make sense?"

When John was met the next morning by unhappy staff, he told them that he would always choose the moving of the Holy Spirit over what people thought was the smart thing to do. It was a defining moment. A revival broke out among the young people and there were many conversions.

Recollection from Shawn Bolz

The Manifest Presence of Revival: When I was in the service that Lonnie Frisbee shared his ministry, I was only a child but my whole perspective changed about God. I watched as this guy just asked the Holy Spirit to come, and our whole group of junior high schoolers fell at once! I knew a lot of the junior high schoolers and looked up to them; nothing like this had ever happened. My parents had a home group for high schoolers since there wasn't a youth pastor yet. I knew it was God because I knew this group of high schoolers. We had a fun children's ministry too, but I don't think any kid in the church ever had an encounter past speaking in tongues and seeing some healings.

I looked at my family as the first wave of the Holy Spirit was resting on many people. My mom and dad were terrified—like probably half of the congregation! They had never seen power like this. Then some of the high school kids got hit by this wave of the presence of God. My parents weren't sure, like many other leaders that night. At this point people all around the room were amazed—knowing it wasn't fake. It was real power but where did it come from? How was Lonnie accessing this? All I can remember at that point was wanting to encounter God and the Holy Spirit. I was so young!

Later in life I got to spend some time with John Wimber on some ministry trips. One evening we had ministered together all night at a youth conference in California. John asked the Holy Spirit to come just like Lonnie had years before. The room was like a crashing wave of power! John was so comfortable, and he was just introduced to the Holy Spirit's radical side. I loved his calm confidence. Afterwards, I went up to him and asked him to pray for me—to walk in what he walked in. He said, "Only if you release it to others when they ask you. This is meant for everybody to walk in."

I have never shared this story publicly, but I know it was a key commissioning to my life—it was an activation anointing. I remember my mother loving John's heart because she said he had the heart of David. I felt this was a key when she shared this—to give it all away. I am so grateful for these Isaiah 22:22 men who went before us and showed us how to steward the key of David.—Shawn Bolz, Senior Pastor, Expression58 Ministries

A Date with Destiny this Mother's Day weekend:

Shawn Bolz and I will be speaking together at a conference this Mother's Day weekend in Pocatello, Idaho, at a Vineyard Church (see itinerary information below).

I believe we will have a Date with Destiny!

Kari Browning, Ministry Overseer
Revolution Church
Email: info@revolutionchurch.us
Website: www.revolutionchurch.us

Kari Browning is the Ministry Overseer of Revolution Church in Hayden, Idaho. She has a passion to see the understanding and expression of Christianity changed in her generation and the Church come into unity, maturity and fullness. Before planting Revolution Church, she co-led a church in Coeur d'Alene that had an unusual manifestation of the "glory realm." She believes that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth and that we must contend for the manifestation of God's glory. Kari has spoken at many conferences nationally and internationally. She started a Bible School and training center that has equipped many Believers and has hosted several leadership summits over the years. She currently is writing a book entitled "Unsealing Ancient Mysteries" on the Feasts of Israel.