Mission Trips and More

The Tabernacles conference in Cloquet last week launched the Open Door Ministry, and so tomorrow Brad and I are heading to the Philippines and to Cambodia for the next month.

We probably had close to 150 people attend the conference, but at one point Darla did a head count and counted 120 people in the upper room. I thought that was a nice touch from the Father. I think Ron would attribute it to the Father showing off His skill in planning strategies.

It appears that the Philippine mission will be mostly a teaching mission, while the trip to Cambodia will be primarily a mission to cleanse the land of innocent blood. However, we also expect the Cambodia trip to be a “scouting” trip for the future, because our guide, a high-ranking member of the royal family of Cambodia, has a vision of establishing the Kingdom of God in Cambodia. Brad and I are going there at his invitation, and the work we do will be on his behalf, utilizing his authority.

Brad and I will be meeting with him again this noon to make final plans to meet him in Cambodia in a couple of weeks.

As usual, we know enough to go, but we will still have to be led by the Spirit once we get there. We expect good things, since the timing is right, the provision has been given to fund the trip, and we know that God has called us to go on this mission trip. Another friend had a substantial financial breakthrough during the feast of Tabernacles this month as well, and this seems to point to a broader turnaround is here or is coming shortly.

I will give a trip report when I get back.

I do not expect to write any weblogs for the next month, but I will be in contact with Dave and Sherry, who may pass on a few messages to you along the way. Of course, I will also talk on the phone with Darla, but she will not do any weblog posting herself.

Yesterday James R. took me to a black church in a not-so-nice part of Minneapolis, pastored by Curtis Farrar, who, as a young man, was part of the problem. God saved him trained him for ministry, and he established a church in the middle of the worst part of the city. The police are very happy that he is there, because the crime rates have dropped dramatically on account of his presence and prayers. Even the mayor came personally to a meeting to thank him.

Pastor Farrar has now been as pastor for 38 years. His church is located on 3808 Chicago Avenue South. I told him that he was on 38^th Avenue, because 38 is the number of work or labor, often in the context of slavery or bondage. I believe that God has sent him to labor there for the Kingdom in order to break the bondage of slavery and oppression. Last month he reached his 38^th anniversary, and I suspect that God is now moving him to a new freedom and to a new effectiveness in ministry to set the oppressed free.

After the meeting, James and I were able to talk to him and his wife until close to 3 pm. They are hungry to know the Word. James will continue to meet with him in the next month, and I plan to follow through as well when I get back from overseas. Actually, my local outreach began a year ago when I began to meet with the two other groups in Minneapolis and Anoka. One does not have to go far to begin a worldwide ministry. Now it appears that I may add another. I am not used to talking to Christians who are hungry for the Word. But times are changing.

In my experience from the past, I have learned that not many are truly searching for truth. Instead, they are searching for support for that which they already believe. So when they come across truth that does not fit with what they already believe, they automatically reject it and run from it in fear. But only the truth will set you free. Lies and misunderstandings are chains that keep people in self-imposed bondage.

In the past year I have found a few who have ears to hear and eyes to see. In the process, I have made new friends and have had opportunity to share the Word and the Gospel of the Kingdom. But the Word is also accompanied by action. It is not just a sterile Bible teaching. We put the word into practice, because each of these groups/contacts are involved in real “street” ministries and in spiritual warfare to claim neighborhoods for the Kingdom of God. The Word is designed to help them with their ministries, giving them a clearer perspective of the mind of God and His divine plan and goal for the earth.

So the bottom line is that God has been leading me for over a year to do outreach work locally in preparation for a greater work overseas and in the world in general. Recall that a year ago we wanted to do a conference in Duluth, the “open door,” but were unable at that time. So we held the conference in Minneapolis, but Minneapolis was a proxy for Duluth. Hence, the open door really began to open a year ago, and was opened fully last week.

Likewise, last May we held a conference again in Minneapolis in proxy for Joplin, Missouri, where we had first intended to go. Joplin’s theme was the “heartland of America.” You could say that “turning the hearts” began last May, but came more fully into view last week, since that was our main theme of the Tabernacles conference in Cloquet/Duluth.

In December, after Brad and I return from Cambodia, I hope to have a regular local monthly meeting. I am also planning to go to Peru, Indiana to do some teaching at Chris Reed’s church some time in early December. No dates have been firmly established yet.

I am also thinking about holding a conference in California next May 18-20 at Pentecost. If the Father permits, I would like to make it a “Quail and Manna Conference II” with Chris Reed and I providing the meat and manna. These are just thoughts at the moment, of course, but if anyone is interested in doing the legwork on such a plan, let me know in another month.