Return to Minnesota

A lot has happened since my last update in May.I have been busy with prison ministry, street ministry and planning several upcoming trips to the mission field in Mexico, Africa (2 planned trips in 2010) and possibly The Philippines and India.
I have also spent a considerable amount of time in equipping others in healing and prophetic evangelism.
I recently made another trip to Minnesota to train, teach and equip the saints there on the subjects of walking in the Spirit, personal healing and prophetic evangelism, and on the necessity of walking in love, both toward the saints AND toward our enemies.
As soon as I stepped off the plane in Minneapolis, the brother who picked me up at the airport (Jackson) and I decided to redeem the time and engage in some street evangelism. We first conversed with a man from Liberia who was sitting in front of the courthouse. After a few minutes we could see that the Spirit of God was convicting him of sin, righteousness and the Judgment to come. After a short time, he went down on his knees and, to all appearance, surrendered himself to Christ.
A little later, we were approached by a big man who was wearing gang paraphernalia. He was a very huge, tall man. Jackson handed him a gospel tract. He looked at it and said, "praise the Lord!". When he said that, I heard sadness in his voice. Immediately, I began to see into his life in a way the was surprising and even astonishing to all of us. I told him that God showed me that he was a backslider, and that God was trying to rescue him from certain death! I said to him, "Last night, your wife begged you to surrender to Christ! But, you put her off. You told her you need to get over the financial 'hump" that you're facing first, and THEN you will get things right with God! Someone has offered you a lage bag of something illegal to sell to get you out of a financial bind, but if you go through with it it will cost you your life, and your immortal soul!" He looked astonished, and told us he had his wife on the cell phone. He said, "Every hair on my body is standing up! Everything you just said is all true! Are you listening to this baby? Here let me put you on 'speaker-phone'".

Over the next 20-30 minutes, revelation, word of wisdom and word of knowledge continued to flow through me . It was incredible! This man suddenly dropped to his knees and began to repent and confess his sins! You could hear his wife weeping over the speaker-phone! Before we left him, we prayed for him, that God would strengthen him with might, by his Spirit, in the inner-man... When we prayed that, suddenly, without any expectation of it, he began to speak with tongues and shake violently! Hallelujah!!!

Before we left him, we exchanged phone numbers, and finally went our way. As we turned to leave, Andrew took off his expensive hat (it represented his gang affiliation), hung it over the parking meter and walked away.

The next day, Jackson and I arrived at the camp site, where a group of men were gathering to be trained and equipped. We spend the evening with them in prayer and worship, and afterward I shared with the brothers. Again, the "word of knowledge" began to operate through me, and I pointed to a man seated across from me as we sat around the campfire as the Spirit began convicting him about his backsliding. In a few moments, this man burst into tears and trembled all over with emotion. Within a short time, he [began to confess, repent and surrender himself to Christ. Afterward, he, along with several others, received a powerful baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues!

The next day, Andrew, the big man who had gotten saved on the street in Minneapolis, called me and asked if he could come to where we were, which was about an hour from Minneapolis. We said, "of course!" and Jackson gave him directions over the phone. When he arrived later that afternoon, we allowed him to share his testimony, to the astonishment of the other brothers who were there.

Many very interesting things occurred during my time there. Time and space will not allow me to share all the details. But to sum it up: many backsliders returned to their 'first-love", many saints received a powerful baptism in the Holy Spirit, sinners were brought into the kingdom of God and many saints were equipped for the ministry of reconciliation. To God be the glory!

Andrew invited us to stop by his home on our way back to the airport on the final day of our visit. He wanted us to meet his wife and family, and she was very excited to meet us. While there, his wife received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and his sister-in-law, who was a prostitute, and his mother-in-law, fell on their knees on Andrew's back porch-deck, and with tears, surrendered themselves to Christ. As soon as I arose from my knees in praying with these two precious souls, Andrew informed me that it was time to go to the airport.

Revival in Cokato!

We recently returned from a weekend of ministry in Cokato, Minnesota. We were invited there by some brothers in Christ who Had received powerful baptisms in the Holy Ghost while at some of the New Years "Gathering's" in Charlotte at JPM.

The meetings were marked with deep conviction of sin, both among professing Christians and also among the lost. Also, there were large numbers of believers who received powerful baptisms in the Holy Spirit.

Here are some testimonies that were sent to me via e-mail Cokato, as the result of our meetings there.

Testimonies:

"Hi Joel and Pat! We sure do miss the two of you! You have been in our thoughts so often since you were here...
Things are going well here. The hunger for more knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit continues....Since your time here with us, many have been searching The Word for more answers and for affirmation of what the Spirit is revealing to them. To put it plainly, there continues to be an excitement and desire for deeper relationships with Jesus/Holy Spirit, there are many questions -especially in the area of "Life in the Spirit" (how to live out the new things we are learning day to day). In a nutshell, people are ready to be weened from milk - and want "table food" - they want the big stuff to chew on! As long as I'm on a roll here with the "Food" metaphor, I'll say this also - We are still digesting much of what you "served" us from the banquet of God's Word during your teachings here - breaking it down and figuring out how to use it to build up our bodies, and The Body of Christ, ultimately.

Joel and Pat, I pray that you are encouraged to know that the week you were here was a very significant time for many in this community, including our family. Of course you know our son, Brett(9), was the first of our children to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Later that same evening, our daughter Anna(10) and son Sam(7) felt the very same "pounding heart" during your teaching, and were so moved that they went forward on their own during the alter call! This was NOT by our prompting at all. In fact, part of me almost wanted to hold them back as they walked toward the front to bow their little knees...as I was afraid others would think we were "forcing" this on them (Augh, Fear of Man is an ugly thing!) Truth is, I didn't even know the kids were really LISTENING to all that was being taught. Obviously, they were - and they were RECEIVING IT! How silly I was to think that they were "too young" to understand. Did not Jesus Himself say that we need to turn and become like children in order to enter the kingdom!? (Matt.18) The faith of children stirred my spirit that night. Praise God! As he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, our little Sammy began to weep. I swooped in to see what was the matter. I asked him if he was scared...he said no. Nervous, maybe? He said no. I asked him again if he was worried he wasn't doing it right (praying in the Spirit)...nope. Finally, I asked why he was crying? All he could do was shrug his shoulders and continue to weep. Yet there was complete PEACE on his face. I stepped back, and watched my little boy raise his hands to the heavens and humble himself before His Father. We got home LATE that night, and as we were hurrying trying to get all five kids in bed, Sam stopped and asked "Should we all go in the Living Room and try out our 'new voices'?" How could we deny a request like that!? So, at nearly midnight that night, we huddled together and for the first time, prayed in the Spirit as a family. These are things I have tucked away in my heart, to ponder on in the years to come. The next day, our son Brett said to me "Mom, I really like going to the Teachings. I didn't think I would at first, but I really like them!" I looked at him, smiled and thought "What kind of kid says things like that?" I guess the kind who are newly baptized in the Spirit. Our daughter, Anna, also said to me that day "Mom, I'm glad I went up front during Joel's teaching - because the next night when Morgan (her cousin) wanted to go up front but was scared, I knew what to do, so I went with her." Since the Teachings, we have had many conversations discussing what happened when we received the Holy Spirit. We talk about the changes that have taken place, and about the things we are still working on....Life in the Spirit, as we know it. We have had great triumphs, and some difficult wipe-outs. Yet, we continue to run the race set before us! We are SO VERY grateful for your service to the Body, Joel and Pat! We love you both - fiercely. We bless you - in Jesus' name! With much love from Minnesota, Ryan and Nicolle - Anna, Brett, Sam, Rachel and Norah Erickson"


"Many came forward for salvation or repentance of backsliding (70-80 souls)

Many received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (80-100 souls)

Many healed (10-12 souls)



Entire families were touched by God. Many RUSHED forward to cry to God for mercy in response to the Word of God.



The population of Cokato is about 2600. The magnitude of what the God did from Thursday through Tuesday is staggering.



We are planning a series of follow-up events next weekend with more teaching and evangelism. Joel will be returning to equip us."

It looks like I will be returning to Cokato around mid June to continue with what the Holy Spirit started there. We are expecting the entire population to be swept into the Kingdom of God!

Hallelujah to the King - JESUS!

Speedway Cross-walk

Recently, a friend of mine, brother Rick Couch from Georgia, came to our home for a one night visit and some open-air ministry at Lowes Motor-Speedway. We loaded up the big cross and went to the Speedway, where they were having an enormous car-show and sale.
We saw many thousands of people, all walking around, looking at cars, etc...

We noticed that the largest crowd of people were those who were gathered at the "cross-walk" just across from the main entrance to the speedway. So, we decided to set up the big 10ft. cross there to arrest attention to the "message of the cross". What better place to set up a huge cross and preach that message!

The NC State Highway Patrol were there directing traffic, which was very heavy, and they would hold the people for up to 10 minutes at a time to allow vehicle traffic to flow smoothly during the big event.

As we raised up the big cross and began to preach, Rick and I were both astonished at the fact that it seemed that everyone was listening intently to the message. People weren't talking among themselves, no one heckled, nobody cursed at us. They all just quietly listened to the message, as we drew attention to the huge cross, and our reason for being out there preaching.

"YOU are the reason we came here today, and YOU are the reason Jesus Christ suffered on the cross!" we told them.

I told them that God Almighty had separated all those who hear the message of the cross into 2 categories:

1) Those who see it as foolishness. These are the people who perish, which means they will spend a long forever in the lake of fire, which is the second death. I warned, urged and encouraged them not to be in that group.

2) Those who are saved. To these, and these only, the message of the cross is the power of God! This is the only attitude and response to the message that can be acceptable to God.

We told them that the cross of Christ was necessary for 2 primary reasons:

1) We are all part of the ultimate statistic: 10 out of every 10 people die!
In fact, in the next 24 hours 146,000 people will die around the world. No one gets out of this world alive!

2) We have all broken God's law, which the Bible says is holy, just, good and perfect.

I told them that God has an obligation to uphold His law and make it honorable. That "...He can in no-wise clear the guilty". He cannot set aside the execution of the penalty for breaking his law in showing mercy to those who are guilty of breaking it.

I reasoned with the people concerning their guilt for having sinned against such a righteous and good and holy Creator.

I reasoned with them, that everyone knows it is wrong to lie, especially when someone lies to them or about them.

I tried to make them see that everyone knows it is wrong to steal: especially when someone steals from them! And everyone understands how wrong it is to commit adultery when their spouse does it! But, Jesus Christ pointed out that whenever someone looks with lust, they commit adultery with that person already in their heart!

I expounded briefly of God's righteous judgment in threatening eternal wrath and endless punishment against His enemies.

Then, I explained that the only way in which God could wisely offer pardon and forgiveness to guilty sinners was to offer His own Son up as an innocent substitute, in order to satisfy the awful demands of the justice and vengeance due those who violated God's just commands.

I told them that the sufferings of Christ make it possible and even wise and just and good for God to forgive and pardon the sinner, whenever he turns away from his own way and believes the good-news, yielding himself in full and complete obedience and love to the mercy and grace of God with faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as the only remedy for sin and damnation. I pointed out that God requires that we all must believe the Gospel "good-news" that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and raised again the third day. And that, when God the Father raised up His Son Jesus from the dead, He broke the power of sin and death over all those who repent and believe the Gospel.

I knew I had only 5-10 minutes to speak to each group, so I said these things in the most plain, pointed and personal manner possible.

As we continued to preach, we watched as the faces of these precious people would show deep conviction, as if they were thinking, "Hey, this actually makes sense! I have offended GOD! I deserve to be sent down to the lowest HELL! But God is willing to show me mercy if I will only repent, believe and obey the gospel of His Son!"

We stayed there approximately 5 hours, and we estimated that we preached over 40 times to an average new crowd of between 25-50 people each.

It was perhaps the most fun I have had open-air preaching in many years!

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE!!!

Winchester, Va. Outreach Gathering

I recently returned from a "Gathering" in Winchester, Va; where several men from different 'front-line" ministries gathered together to pray, equip and be equipped for the work of the ministry, and then went to the streets of Winchester to gather a harvest of souls.

We saw many souls who surrendered themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time, as well as many backsliders in heart who returned to their first love! There were also several who were healed of various diseases and several who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues.

The saints were equipped to win souls and to heal the sick. It was a very fruitful 4 days, as we were extremely busy from sun-up till around 10 pm at night.

Results for the 4 days were:

50-60 saved

40 + backsliders restored

15 -20 healed, &

10 who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost!

To God be all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name! Amen.

STORIES:

There were many interesting stories that took place while we were there.
I was asked to teach on the baptism with the Holy Ghost during a session on the first of 4 days with all the "front-line" ministers who had come to the "Gathering". After the teaching, I invited any who desired to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit to come forward. Two men came forward. One of them, a former superintendent of schools who was also one of the main speakers at the event and the other, a man from Bulgaria. Both instantly received an enduement of power from on high through the baptism with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues!

The next day, we all went out on the street for evangelism. While carrying the cross back toward the Church building, a young 18 year old man rode up on his bicycle and asked why I was carrying the cross. I told him that he was the reason. After ministering to him for several minutes, I challenged him to surrender himself to Christ publicly, right there on the sidewalk.
The young man, whose name is Charlie, immediately jumped off his bike, threw it to the ground and fell on his knees!

That same night, when Charlie got off work, he rode his bike for an hour to get to the evening service. The following night, on his way to service, his rear tire blew. But he was determined to get to the service, so he carried his bike for over to hours so he could be there!

Earlier that same day, while carrying the cross in downtown Winchester, I saw a young man, 28 years old named Adam sitting on the steps in front of a business. As I began to talk with him about his guilt and danger in the light of the sins he had committed against God, I could see that the Spirit of God was doing a quick work of conviction in his heart. As I began to talk of the love and mercy of God demonstrated through the cross of Jesus Christ, he became overwhelmed, and right there, in the center of town, in broad daylight, he fell on his knees and surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus! Glory to God!

On Saturday evening, we held a healing service in a local baptist Church there. A friend of mine who lives in Baltimore, Md. came to the service, and brought his unsaved brother who had been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C. When the altar call was given for repentance at the close of the message, six people came forward, including this brother of my friend! That night, he, along with several others, was saved, healed and received a mighty baptism with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking with tongues - right there in the baptist church!

HALLELUJAH!!!

There were several others who received healing that same night, including a lady who had severe pain in her chest. She felt the pain instantly leave her body as the power of God went through her. The thing that excited me most about this woman's healing was that I did not lay hands on her. A young autistic boy who had that night received a powerful baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with tongues was one who laid hands on the woman, declaring "be HEALED, in Jesus name!" Both the woman who was healed, and the parents of this boy wept and rejoiced for a long time afterward, amazed at the mighty power and love of our heavenly Father!

These are only a few of the highlights of the 4 days we spent in Winchester. Perhaps I will have opportunity to post more in the near future.

Mexico: Report Back

Father mightily blessed and enabled us to get much accomplished. We ministered at a small Mexican Church on the first night (Sunday). Brother Harold Burkett preached. It was a good service. We got to minister to a young woman in a wheelchair who was totally paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident 2 yrs ago that severed her spinal cord. We layed hands on her in Jesus' name and asked her to get up. She tried, but couldn't. We did it again. This time, she said she felt a tingling in both legs, like her legs were asleep. We did it about 3 more times, each time asking her to "get-up". Feeling came back to her legs and she actually stood for the first time in 2 yrs!

The next day, I received a text message from my friend Bob Bauer, who works at the Pentegon, saying that he felt the Lord wanted him to send a check for $1000 to buy new clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, food, pots and pans, and other supplies for a small orphanage outside Nuevo Laredo. So we went to the orphanage and got the sizes needed so we could get what they needed. The kids were very excited to see us. We spent some time with them, then returned to the Mission Station when 3 of us (brother Rick, brother Harold and I) began installing the tracks for a "drop ceiling" in the Church at the Mission station.

The next day, I painted both bathrooms at the Mission Station, then helped Rick and Harold with the ceiling till about 5pm. Then we all got cleaned up and held a service at the church there at 7:30pm. I preached on Matt.5:43-48, and Ja.5:17. I gave an altar call and 8 people came forward, fell on their knees and began weeping and crying out to God! After the altar-call I ministered to those in need of healing. 7 people were instantly healed, although I only laid hands on 6 for healing! The 7th was my interpreter, who shared her testimony of healing with me last night before we all retired. She said she had suffered from an infection in her female organs for over 2 yrs, and noticed the morning following that service it was completely gone!

The day following that service, while we were working on the ceiling again, Brother Harold received a phone call from the pastor of the Church. He said that a woman who was ministered to the night before, who was suffering with terminal cancer in her blood, had just called him after seeing her doctor, rejoicing that she is now "cancer-free"! WOWSA! GLORY TO GOD!While 3 of us were working on the ceiling, Pat, Naomi Naska and Craig went over to WalMart to purchase the clothing for the kids at the orphanage. When they returned around 3pm, we took the supplies to the kids on our way to a small church in Nuevo Laredo where brother Rick preached. 6 came to the altar for salvation and afterward, he called brother me up to help him minister healing in Jesus' name. 5 were healed, including a woman who was totally blind in her right eye! She shouted, wept and rejoiced, as did many in the congregation for her sight being restored! Several small children were among those who were healed.

The last day we had to stop working on the ceiling at 11am because we had to go and pick up 6 cases of eggs (360 eggs ea.) And 4 50lb. bags of rice and 4 50 lb. bags of beans to give to the poor people at the colonia called Blanca Navidad. There, at 3pm, under a tent in 100 degree heat, I was honored to preach to a crowd of over 300 poor people. I taught them on the necessity of spending much time daily reading and studying God's word, spending much time in prayer and then gave a strong call to repentance for any who were living in sin or who had never been born of God. 6 came forward to repent and receive forgiveness. Afterward, because there were so many people and we had to be back at the Mission station in Texas by 7pm, I asked those in need of healing to place their own hand on the part of their body that needed to be healed, as I bound to demon of infirmity and proclaimed healing in Jesus' name. Then, I asked them to begin to do what they could not do before. 18 were instantly healed! To God be the glory!!!

The last night, after sharing the testimony of being healed on Tuesday night, my interpreter, her sister and their aunt listened as I taught them how to minister God's healing power to the sick "outside" the Church walls. While sharing, I dicovered that, although they were all raised in a "full-gospel" church, that the sister and aunt of my interpreter had never received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. So at about 11pm last night both of these precious ladies received the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, with tears of joy and gratitude flowing down their faces! So, the trip results for this week were:20 saved, 29 or more healed, 7 filled with the Holy Spirit and many other blessed, encouraged, fed, supplied and equipped for service. 2 bathrooms painted and 75 percent of the ceiling and lighting installed in the church at the Mission Station.

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE, IN JESUS' NAME!

Mexico Mission

Joel and his wife, Pat, are traveling back to Mexico the last week of February along with Rick Couch from 'Faith Missions'. There is a real move of the Father among thousands of Mexican people living in several 'colonias' outside Nuevo Laredo (just across the border from Laredo, Texas).

They plan to leave Charlotte, NC on February 20th to travel there and be in Mexico from February 22 until 28.

They will be providing these precious people with food, water and other supplies as they proclaim the "good-news" of the Kingdom of God. These villages have no running water, no sewage system and most have no electricity. They will hold evening services under a big tent, with electricity provided by several generators. On the past visit, during one of these services, there were 24 who came forward for salvation and 22 who testified that they had been healed by the power of God!

Joel says: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD...and I can't be ashamed to ask for your generous support, because without your help, we just would not be able to do this. We need your help. Thanks to the generousity of those of you who helped on our last trip, there are 24+ new names written in the Lambs book of life! Who can estimate the eternal value of even one immortal soul! I want to say thank you again to those of you who helped us go before. You were as much a part of the souls who were saved and the bodies that we healed as we were."

The total cost - everything for the trip for both Joel & Pat - is $2,750. If you would like to partner with them for this ministry, please send your tax-deductible gift to: FIRE International, PO Box 187 Harrisburg, NC 28075 Make your check payable to FIRE International, and in the memo please write Joel Crumpton.

As many souls were saved during the last visit, and many miraculous healings took place, they are looking forward with excitement to what Father will do this time! Please pray and intercede with them for this time.

Here is a video from the last visit to Nuevo Laredo - click: GodTube

What is a backslider?

How do I know that I am not a backslider...?

The Bible warns us that “the backslider in heart shall be filled with His own ways“.

Allow me to ask your conscience a few pointed questions to allow you to “examine yourself, whether you be in the faith“, and if you see that you are, in fact, backslidden in heart, you would certainly want to know wouldn’t you? If you have no concern about this then you are not a backslider, but a hypocrite. If, after examining yourself in the light of these questions, you see that you have backslidden, you must immediately return to your “first-love” and do your “first-works” or else…

Consider:
If you have lost your spiritual appetite, and have developed an appetite for the things of this life, you are beginning to backslide, and must repent and return to Christ.
If you have lost your zeal for the lost, and are less involved in soul-winning than you once were, you are sadly backslidden.
If your friends and family have commented that you are beginning to return to your old ways, you are definitely backslidden in heart. If you can remember a time when you were more intimate with the Lord, and more on fire for souls and more fervent in prayer than you are right now, then you are definitely backslidden and must repent. If you were ever truly converted to Christ and born of God, you know what it is to love Him more than anything, and to be willing to lay down your life and take up your cross to follow Him. So if you have layed these things aside, you can be sure that you are a backslider in heart.
If you prefer watching a movie or just “hanging out” with your friends instead of attending a prayer meeting, you can be sure that you are a backslider. While a Christian’s heart is ablaze with the love of God, the prayer meeting will be the most important and interesting event of the week. But when the heart is backslidden, prayer is a burden, and a backslider will use any excuse to avoid meetings that bring him into such close communion with God. Therefore, if you find yourself neglecting early morning prayer-meetings without good reason (by the way, self-denial is a condition of discipleship according to our Lord Jesus Christ), or any scheduled prayer-meeting, this is strong evidence that you are backslidden in heart.
If you find yourself reading God’s word more as a duty, than as pleasure, know for certain that you are backslidden in heart. While the love of God remains in your heart, no book is as precious to you as the word of God. To read it and meditate on the scriptures is as satisfying to you as a good meal is to a hungry man. But, when you have left your first-love, you begin to fill your heart and mind with other things, and even the thought of reading God’s word is somewhat repulsive to you.
When we indulge in junk food we have no appetite for the healthy nutrients that make our bodies strong and able to fight off disease. In the same way, when we indulge in worldly amusements and entertainment, we have no appetite for godliness. Therefore, if you notice that you are making time for worldly entertainment or amusements, but find that you have little or no time to pray or read and sudy the word of God, it is because you really don’t have a heart for godly things. Therefore, you see prayer and Bible study as a duty instead of an awesome privilege. You have abandoned your first-love, have come again under the control of a self-pleasing spirit and must repent deeply or nothing will change. It will only get worse.

The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways.
You know you are a backslider if you are always feeling condemned. You attend meetings at Church, and you know you’d rather be somewhere else, so you feel condemned. You stay away from meeting and you feel condemned also. You try to read your Bible and your heart is not into it, so you feel condemned. You neglect your Bible and you feel condemned also. You try to spend time in prayer, and your heart and mind wander and do not get into it, so you feel condemned. You neglect to pray and feel condemned also.

Why? Because you are a backslider! You have left your first love. You have become a “lover of pleasure more than a lover of God”.
If you are a backslider, you will notice that you no longer have a tender conscience about little things. Now your conscience has become “seared as with a hot iron”. The small things that once bothered you don’t seem so bad now. When a person backsides, they will make allowances for things that Jesus Christ would NEVER allow. A backslider in heart will go to a video store, and they are pulled to the PG-13 and R rated movies. They don’t want to watch something clean. Clean movies are boring to the backslider. If you are a backslider, you will notice that you are becoming more and more “worldly-minded” and less and less “spiritually-minded”. Many times, backsliders will get with other professing Christians who are cold also, and all of them will waste hours of precious time filling their mind with vain amusments and worldly entertainment. When confronted, they will reply, it’s not “that bad”.

WHAT!?
Remember,”you are bought with a price, and you are not your own”.
When the heart is right, worldly amusements and entertainment are repulsive. When the heart is full of the love of Christ, it finds it’s greatest enjoyment in prayer, winning souls, searching the scriptures and worshiping the Lord. But when the heart is backslidden, these things are boring and repulsive, and you will instead fill up all your free time with worldly things.

Would a true follower of Jesus waste hours watching sports on television, perhaps even wasting God’s money, that they should be using to build up His Kingdom to purchase more and larger entertainment centers. Have you forgotten that you have surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? All your time, all your talents, your possessions, your money, your influence, are no longer your own, to do with as you please. Remember, “Whoever does not forsake all that He has cannot be my disciple”.

How is it with YOU?
Was there a time when you were more zealous, more useful, prayerful, tenderhearted and loving than you are today? Are you drawing closer or sliding backward?
Are you now trusting in your good works to save you or are you trusting in the blood of Christ?
Are you seeking worldly pleasures or do you find your greatest pleasure in serving Jesus Christ.
We naturally enjoy spending time with the one we love most, and we naturally find our greatest pleasure in doing the things that please them. We are jealous of anything that would get in the way of that, or that might grieve the one we love. So, if you find yourself gaining interest in things that grieve the Spirit of God or that occupy the time you once spent in His presence and service, then you are a backslider in heart. You are filled with your own ways.

Listen to your conscience. It will do no good to pretend you are not backslidden when you know you are not as on fire for God as you once were. Unless you return to God now you will not get better, you will only grow worse. Why continue to grieve the Spirit of the Lord and harden your heart?
Allow the Holy Spirit to bring godly sorrow upon you that works repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Humble yourself NOW, return to your first love and be renewed and revived. Then do your first works over again.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Judgment Seat of Christ by Leonard Ravenhill

Sin, righteousness, and judgment

“The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest example we have of how to ‘reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.’

In Matthew chapter 5, Christ reproves the multitudes of sin by showing the essence of the Law.

In chapter 6, He teaches on true righteousness, the essence of which is to cause men to glorify our Father which is in heaven, not to draw attention to ourselves.

Then, in chapter 7, He teaches concerning judgment. He warns the multitudes that if they judge others as guilty for doing the same things they themselves are practicing, instead of pulling the log out of their own eye first, they are obviously hypocrites.

If we will follow this method of preaching the gospel, then we can expect the Holy Spirit to help us. For Jesus Himself promised that this divine Helper would reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He does this by causing our words to make saving impressions on the minds of men.”

Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2 (Amplified Bible)

The Gathering - 2009

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Charlotte, NC

Father's Heart

Is this also your heart...?

Prison to Praise

Ministry Update: January 12, 2009

Last night Joel and Caesar Morales travelled to the Cabarrus Correctional Center - a minimum security prison for adult males - in Mount Pleasant, NC. Joel had somehow forgotten about being scheduled to minister at the prison and he and his wife, Pat, had accepted a dinner invitation with their good friends Caesar and Lisa Morales. While Joel and Pat were in Georgia on Monday, Pat had risen very early for prayer and when finished around 6am came to Joel and said, "Honey, while in prayer, the Lord reminded me you're scheduled to minister at the men's prison in tonight!" "That's right!" he realized, "Perhaps brother Caesar would like to go along as well." Upon calling to explain and invite Caesar to come along, the immediate response was "Absolutely!"

Joel says: "We had some business we had to attend to before we could leave the Atlanta area, and because of several delays it looked as though the enemy was trying to prevent me from getting back in time to minister at the prison. This let me know that God was going to move mightily in the service. In hind-sight, I'm glad I forgot about it so that the Lord could remind me through Pat. The fact that He reminded her was (also) a strong indication to me that God was going to move mightily in the service at the prison. And He did!

There is a chapel where services are provided by volunteers and at last night's service about 35-40 men attended. Now (for those who know Joel) he is skilled at - or should I rather say given to - extemporaneous utterance! Praise the Lord. Joel preached and proclaimed the Kingdom of God, then gave a call to unconditional surrender to every sinner and backslider. Seven men ran forward, fell on their faces, and began to call to God for mercy.

They then ministered to all those in need of healing and five imates testified of healings - three from torn rotator cuffs, one from back injury, another from pain on the left side of his torso. Joel called those forward who desired to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and about 1/4 of the men came forward and began speaking in new tongues!

Caesar and Joel were very encouraged seeing what the Lord did for these precious men. Several who were present shared a witness of the deep sense of conviction of the Holy Spirit that they experienced during the ministry of the Word. They testified of experiencing the fear of the Lord.

To God be the glory!

On the Cross

It has a way of stirring curiosity in people and many will come up and ask why I do it. It makes it easy to talk about spiritual things. Whenever a sinner asks me why I’m carrying it, they are not surprised or offended when I talk about God, Jesus Christ, sin or Hell. I have seen many fall on their knees in surrender to God publicly after a few moments of conversation. No one can be neutral when it comes to the cross of Christ. The cross demands a response.

Pictures taken in Times Square, NY

Interview

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Compliments: Voice of Revolution

Background

Joel was born again in 1978 through an employee who, unbeknownst to him, prayed for his salvation. Joel has a passion for equipping the saints, teaching and practically demonstrating the Kingdom of God in power through salvation and healing. It is not uncommon to find Joel in uptown Charlotte on a Saturday night carrying his 10 foot cross and preaching the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus. He is drawn most to those outside the church, the sinful and sick.