With the ladies (women of God) who are shaking Hong Kong upside down for God's glory! It is truly a testament to see what God is doing through them to unite the body of Christ across the city in prayer and action!
I just got back from Hong Kong, it was an AWESOME trip, mostly because I was able to see and spend time with my family and friends, it was also a wonder to see the altar filled at the stadium with souls coming into the kingdom, this is only the beginning of a greater harvest in Asia! God was guiding and breathing through the whole time there, as we met with all our network leaders we knew something huge is on the horizon, everything is being prepared for something beyond what we can all think or imagine, below are just a few pix spent with my loved ones.
Hanging out after "The Greatest Love" Christmas outreach with my cousins and buddies :) good times!
Me and "Dirky" haha, this guy is off da charts funny :) he is one of my lil bro's in Hong Kong, we wake up in the morning and dance to Linkin Park and this is him in his "sheep" costume for the Christmas musical he was a part of for the stadium outreach. Lol, I can't get enough of this kid! He has two other brothers that are a kick too, I miss them! Kids are a blessing and by being with them we can be reminded of what life is all about to love and be loved, keep it simple!
Prophetic Evangelism in a Taxi Cab from Hong Kong to SF...
So right before I left on Christmas eve morning to the airport, Holy Spirit gave me a opportunity to share His love with a "Hong Kong Taxi Driver" one of my favorite people to share Christ with every time in HK. So as I get picked up to go to the airport, the taxi driver starts talking to me. We have about a 40 minute drive, so I began praying "Holy Spirit please give me an opportunity to share Christ with this man before I leave Hong Kong" as I do, he begins to tell me how he works a lot. I asked him if he went to church, he said "no" because he had to drive on Sunday mornings. This opened up a big door to a spiritual conversation. He began to share with me his faith and beliefs. He told me that he was an Atheist, but his wife was a Christian. He didn't believe in a god, but he did believe in some sort of evolution and aliens. He shared how he isn't afraid of death, he sees himself as a good man, all religions lead to the same path and he basically believes in himself. I began to share with him my personal testimony, he listened half way and said, "that's good for you" and then he kept on talking for like 20 minutes straight about his human philosophies, his belief that sin is ok as long as you are predominantly a good person, etc etc.
As I sat in the back listening and he kept going on and on, I knew our conversation wasn't getting anywhere. Even though I explained to him how Christianity is different than any other world religion, because it is the only faith that focuses on "grace" and not "works" for us to be saved. He still wasn't getting the message so I prayed, "Holy Spirit, I have explained to him the Gospel, I have shared the need we have that all have sinned and are in desperate need of Savior, but this man doesn't even believe sin is wrong, I need a miracle, please give me a word of knowledge for this man to open His eyes to Your love" So I prayed a prayer similar to that and then God moved into our conversation.
I then saw 3 pictures in my spirit and mind. I saw a fleet of ships on a harbor, I then saw a butterfly, then I saw the name "Richard" so I said to him, "I was just praying and I saw a fleet full of ships on a harbor, I sense that you grew up or lived on ships for a time of your life is this true? He then turned back to me and said, "How did you know this? Yes, I spent 15 years living on Navy ships while I was stationed in the military in Taiwan." I then began to share with him that the Holy Spirit showed me that he used to get out onto the deck and think about God and other spiritual things, in fact this is where he formed most of his human philosophies. Again, he looked at me amazed and said, "Yes, I used to get up on the top of the deck and think about the vast expanse of the sky, how perfect and amazing it was and that there must be some higher power, aliens I supposed." I told him, "Sir, I can tell you for sure it isn't aliens, it was God reaching out to you!" He laughed. Then I asked, "Do you know a Richard?" He then said, "hmmm, actually just last week I took a "Richard" to the airport and he was a Pastor from the United States and blessed me." I said, interesting, I believe God is saying something to you, He wants you to know that He has been reaching out to you for many years, that you only need to acknowledge your need for Him, to recognize you have sinned and need His forgiveness so that you may know His love for you and that it can only come through the blessing and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. I went onto share about how God was showing him on the Navy ship that the earth could not have been created by chance, but by intelligent design, and definitely it couldn't have been aliens :P, then as I was talking to him, I got another picture in my mind. This time I saw a "green gas/nitrogen looking bomb" and the Holy Spirit began to show me that he nearly died by an "explosive" but his life was spared by God. I then told him what I saw and heard, that he was almost killed by an explosive green/bomb and this is when he really opened up. He said, "this is high improbable that you could know this, I don't know you, and I never told you that about 10 years ago, while during combat, a large green grenade/explosive rolled right next to me, it blew up, but somehow, I was not touched and I should have died. In fact, I was almost killed a few times in similar ways by explosives. But I am still alive today, how I don't know." He was astonished at the words of knowledge spoken over him. I could sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in the taxi cab, God was opening his heart through the prophetic.
I then shared with him as we got to the airport terminal that I was not a fortune teller, I was simply a Christ follower, a 26 year old pastor who was sent with a message from God to help him understand that God loves him and desires to know him. By this time, as I moved up to the front seat, the countenance on his face had changed, his heart was soft and he was listening. I told him, Jesus is speaking to you, He is not a religion, you can't earn your way into heaven, it is only by His grace that you can be saved and forgiven of your sins. Then he had this "ah, I get it now look" and I knew a seed had been planted in his heart. I asked him if he would like to repent and give his life to Christ at that moment, he said, not yet, but he wanted to now seriously consider it and "talk to his wife" when he got home ;) I then shared the last picture of a "butterfly" with him, I knew it represented being "born again" or a "transformation" a new beginning for this man who was well over 50 years old, he received the word intently.
As I prayed a blessing over him, he smiled, took my luggage out and sent me on my way. Somehow, I just have a "good feeling" this man will come to know Jesus Christ :) God loved him so000000 much, he would send me halfway across the world, across the pacific ocean to grab his cab, to share with him God's love. Now that is the true meaning of Christmas, to give the love of God in our hearts to those who need it the most, everyone and anyone needs Christ today, but are we willing to step out in love, and pray in faith for God to use us today to share the Greatest Love in the whole wide world?
Just the night before we saw the altar at the Hong Kong stadium filled with souls giving their life to Christ, how awesome that was to witness before our heavenly Father, multitudes of angels were rejoicing in the sky's of Hong Kong. At the same time, how equally awesome it was to witness this one man, this one individual, this one child of God, be able to have his heart opened to the message and love of Jesus Christ, it's never too late for anyone, today is the day of Salvation, for unto you today a Child is born!!!!
Merry Christmas everybody! Share the love of Jesus Christ with somebody!
Jma
This morning, as I prayed about it, I felt led to share this story of what happened last week at UCLA. In the midst of finals, exams and the Christmas season, I knew in my heart of hearts last week that God wanted to reveal His glory on campus, how I wasn't sure? After watching the USC vs. UCLA football game, I was overjoyed with happiness to see UCLA make the big upset, (to be honest I prayed for them to win, and so did others at Passion Church =P) I know God loves both USC and UCLA, but I guess that day one team had a little more faith, in fact, I saw the head coach pointing to the sky, up to God right after the victory on national television. My point being this, the next day (Sunday) we had our Passion Church Zero gathering, as we were praying, I could not help but to think, the entire Rose Bowl was filled with CHEERS, SHOUTS, DANCING, SINGING, CELEBRATION and JOY. Tens of thousands were cheering ecstatically, thousands more in the UCLA dorms and in Westwood were celebrating this great victory over USC, yet suddenly a holy jealousy rose up in my spirit. "God where is your victory? If 40,000 UCLA students can cheer for the victory of one football game, how much more could not this campus of 40,000 cheer, celebrate, jump, shout and dance for the victory that was won on the cross 2,000 years ago? Oh God, I saw a glimpse of a football revival that day, how much more do you desire a spiritual revival, where one day, every dorm hall, every city street, every stadium and every classroom and shouting "WE WON, WE WON, JESUS HAS WON!" all across this UCLA campus? Why not? As we prayed during church, I began to pray with a holy jealously, Lord stretch out your might right hand this week at UCLA and show your glory, for Your names sake, make Yourself famous in this land!
In a interesting way, it sort of happened, just on a small scale. After 3 months of sabbatical rest, and finishing writing my book, I felt for some strange reason that I had to go out into the middle of campus to prophetically worship and possibly publicly preach the Gospel on Bruin Walk. It made no sense to me, because I had not been on campus doing ministry for 3 months, and there was only 2 weeks left of school, plus UCLA just won the biggest football game of the year, and that's when I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, "My father is always at work, go out and proclaim my glory!" Honestly, I had no desire to in and of myself, but in my spirit I felt this gentle push to do so, I asked Sam Kim to see if he would be willing to do so, and if said yes, I would take it as a confirmation to go out. Sam, "You wanna go out Wed and worship on Bruin Walk, maybe even preach?" He responds, "Yeah, I'm down, but you're preaching!" I was like, "dang it, why did you say yes?" So, in my heart, I began to pray and prepare.
On Monday a friend of mine called me up out of the blue from campus. She wanted to grab lunch and then mentioned she was out a Bruin Walk and there were two young preachers, preaching in the middle of campus, throwing down Bibles and condemning students of their sin. I thought that was interesting, made a note of it in my mind, and didn't think much of it. Then Tuesday, I went to go pick up my friend from campus to grab lunch, as I picked her up by the Ackerman turn around, she said, "Hey there are these two guys preaching out in the middle of campus, it's pretty serious, I think they are making people mad and there is a large crowd of students gathered in Bruin Plaza arguing with them. At this moment, as I listened with my spirit, I felt a conviction in my heart from the Holy Spirit, that He wanted us to go out that week to prophetically worship because there was specific warfare raging in the spiritual realm over the campus.
At our Tuesday night PC network prayer meeting, we begin to pray, "Lord silence the voice of the deception, lies and condemnation, of any false Gospel that is being preached on the UCLA campus, Lord open up a door, stretch forth your Mighty Right Hand and release signs, wonders and mircales and a door for the mystery of Your Gospel to be preached on Bruin Walk once again!" There was a sense in our spirits that something was going to happen the next day....
That Tuesday night I sent out an email to Passion church and other campus ministry friends from UCLA, to pray and meet us at the Bruin Walk steps to worship God in the middle of campus, to invite His presence and to see what the Holy Spirit would lead us to do if the two preachers would be out again on campus stirring up ruckus. I asked everyone, especially those going out to spend at least 2 hours in prayer the morning before going out, for the battle is won not in our words, but in our prayers.
Wed morning I prayed with everything in me back home. Seeking the presence of God and a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, without His presence we knew nothing could be accomplished. As I was waiting on the Lord and listening to the Holy Spirit, I heard Him tell me two things, "Showdown and Dismantle" I knew He was saying that there would be a divine showdown and that our assignment was to "dismantle" the false Gospel that was being preached on campus through these two young preachers. (We heard through reports that many were being condemned, told they were sinners, that on Tuesday one student whom the crowd believed was demon possessed was dancing around campus, mooning students, and then when being preached at by one of two preachers, attacked one of them, struck him in the face and was arrested by police, the hostility was in the air and the story of this was spreading around campus fast that there were Christian preachers on campus condemning students to hell, etc) I knew this bad news, had to be dismantled and the true Gospel, the Good News had to be told.
As we got out to Bruin Walk around 11am, it was a weird feeling. I had not been back on Bruin Walk for some time, but as I carried the 6 foot Cross with me once again, it felt right, to proclaim the love of the Cross, for Jesus did not come to condemn the world of its sin, but to save us from our sins. I walked back up and saw old friends from the Latin and Asian fraternities, people still knew what we represented, a message of God's love and power to transform, a message of hope and redemption, not of sin and shame.
About 10-15 of us were out there prophetically worshiping and declaring God's praise on the Kerkhoff steps, it was a time of pressing through, for it had been some time since we had broke spiritual ground there. As we prayed, and worshiped we continued for over 3 hours. One self proclaimed Atheist came up to us, and asked if he could play his harmonica with us, we said sure, it actually sounded incredible. At the end, when he left, I asked if I could pray for him, he said sure, we spoke a few prophetic words over him, he said to me, "it's interesting you know these things, that I need financial help with a few projects I'm working on, I know today must not have been by accident, but that God brought me to you all here today, thank you for your prayers and this experience...then he smiled and left." We were all bewildered, just one hour before he told us he didn't believe in God, an hour later he leaves saying God had brought him to us, only His presence could have done such a work.
During the 3 hours we worshiped we didn't see the two preachers come out to Bruin Walk. But, right after the 3 hour mark, after we felt a breakthrough in our worship, God's peace descend in our hearts we all knew that we had worshiped and prayed enough, God was with us and now we were just awaiting His marching orders. Right around 2pm or so, someone told us, "the two preachers are in the middle of Bruin Plaza!"
We regrouped, and asked the Holy Spirit what we should do? As we waited in silence at the top of the steps different students got different pictures and impressions of what God was asking us to do about the situation. At least three students felt we were to go in "peace" and not stir up dissension, but rather we were to go and continue praying and worshiping nearby where the two preachers were amassing the crowd, but to be quite and just listen to God's direction. So we went, about 15-20 of us.
By the time I got there, there were maybe 50 students gathered around and one of the young preachers had his suitcase out, preaching to the crowd one by one. As I listened to him preach I didn't sense to do anything, I just listened. I could tell he truly did love God, but he was focusing his preaching on "the law of God" and nothing of the "grace of God" we need both, but one without the other is not complete, dangerous and can cause much disaster. There were many students arguing with him, one student in particular was a lesbian orientation, she began to yell at him saying, "So yeah, I'm a homosexual, so does God hate me?" Then the young preacher in a loud voice, face red, yelled back, in anger, what sounded like "Yes, God hates you!" (later the young preacher told me this is not what he meant or said, but at the time it was what was communicated to me and others). Well, for some reason this is what I heard and at the moment something in my spirit rose up, and was like "NO" this is not of God! Then something mysterious happened....
All of a sudden, I felt a wind of the Holy Spirit gently, but forcefully push me into the center of the circle where the preacher was debating. I was not sure what to do, or what the Holy Spirit wanted me to do, so I just walked next to him for a bit, as he continued to argue with this student who was a lesbian, I stepped in, and simply looked at the student and said, "Yes, God hates sin, but He doesn't hate the sinner." I asked her for an apology for the words of cursing spoken over her, I shared with her that God thinks she is wonderful, created in His image, that she is awesome and she said, "I know that I am awesome" I smiled and said, good :) Then what transpired after that was like a surreal dream.
For the next 30-45 minutes I began to share my testimony, of how God had saved me as a sinner, turned me from my sin and gave me a new life in Christ. I began to preach the Gospel, the power of the Cross, the passion of Christ Jesus and His passion for us, as I continued to preach the crowd grew to over 200-250, the Bruin Plaza was almost completely silent, the Gospel was echoing throughout the middle of campus, the Cross was being lifted up, the Good News of Jesus Christ was being preached and hearts were listening. The presence of God was evident, you could feel electricity in the air, and for some reason, the whole time, the two young preachers were listening themselves and decided to stop preaching as I shared the Gospel. Yes, we are sinners, our sin has separated us from God, but Jesus paid the price of our sin and we are now forgiven, no longer sinners but saints! Yes, God is a God of justice, holiness and judgment, but He is also the God of mercy, grace and forgiveness to a thousand generations, yes, God is the kindest Person I have ever met.
As I gave the challenge to surrender their lives to Christ, a few students rose their hands, one student in particular who had never been to church, nor never heard the Gospel gave His life to Christ right then and there! Praise Him. Sam Kim immediately followed up with him, had dinner with him that night to make sure of his new salvation, and was already desiring to be baptized as soon as possible. Another student, I will not mention her name, but she came up to me after, sharing, how she had given her life to Christ in the summer, but had fallen away for a month or more, she was ready to give up on her faith, not knowing if she believed in God's goodness anymore, but that morning she prayed to God if He could show her a sign that He was still there in her life, she randomly or divinely walked by Bruin Plaza as the Gospel was being shared, she listened and gave her life completely back to God, we prayed for her and now she is plugging back in to a Bible study with one of our sisters. Even after, the two young preachers came up to me, decided to no longer preach that day, we discussed our differences, but had respect for one another, the one who was hit in the face the day before, let me pray for his hurt face to be healed, and even the demon possessed student came back, and asked for forgiveness from this young preacher after I had prayed for him. There were more divine stories that were happening all over that Bruin Walk that afternoon, I'm sure those divine encounters continued as students went their ways, but something significant had happened.
There was a "showdown" kind of like Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18-19) but this showdown was not against two young preachers, it was a showdown between the principalities of the air that were trying to deceive a generation of God's true character and heart. We need law, but we also need grace, there is a time for war but also a time for peace. I don't know what happened that day in totality, but something in the spirit realm "switched" over Bruin Walk. There was a sense of hope, no longer hostility, lives were changed, hearts were renewed, a sense of God's presence was in the middle of UCLA that afternoon and through the night, a small whisper of God saying "I'm here, I reign and my love remains unchanging from generation to generation"
Others told me the next day that the two preachers went back out to preach, but not many were listening, something was "dismantled". I'm just happy that God's name "GOD IS LOVE" was made famous for a moment, for a day, at UCLA, there is more coming, but yeah, may His kindness lead us to repentance.
"Or you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness (kindness) of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4
God is the kindest Person I have ever met, Graham Cooke
Thank you Father, for loving me this much, that You would send Your only Son Jesus to die for my sins, it was my sins that nailed you to that Cross, forgive me Lord for my iniquity, thank You, thank You so much that Your love, Your kindness covers the multitude of my sins forever and ever, You love me the same and see me as perfect, for this Jesus, may I live my life in holiness unto You. Amen.
Labels: UCLA
Well, it's been 3 months of rest, sabbatical, call what you want, but it's been good. It's been a challenge to learn to rest, I have and I haven't in so many ways. I'll blog more about my experience at Singing Waters round II. Good times :) I'll write a post soon about the "showdown" at UCLA this week, God is still moving and how awesome it is to see His name be made more and more famous on this campus. Dec 14, I start traveling on the road again to speak and train leaders from around the nation and world, I am looking forward to it, please pray for me and the teams going with me. Pray God uses these times of equipping to bear much fruit for His kingdom in this hour, 2006 aint over till the fat lady sings...mmhmm, below is a list of events I will be speaking/training at, please do pray, it means the world of difference...
1. UNCONFERENCE III - Dec 14-16 in San Diego (Signs & Wonders & Simple Church) This will be a very strategic gathering. It encourages me to see the prophetic movement embracing this new move of simple churches, plus Graham Cooke is gonna be there! Sweet! check out: www.thirddaychurches.com
2. The Greatest Love - Hong Kong Stadium Christmas Crusade Dec 23, 2006(Please pray hard, Dec 17-23 as we are expecting 30-40,000 to fill the stadium the day before Christmas Eve in Hong Kong, uniting Churches all over the city for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with this great city of Hong Kong, please also pray God gives me and Pastor Eddie Ma a divine message that will reap a great harvest that special evening, open up the gates that the King of Glory may come in!) www.cityrenewal.com.hk
2.5 "Christmas with Ma family"
I get home from Hong Kong on Christmas eve, :) woohoo! There is nothing like family eh? It's never perfect, but its always a blessing. I can't wait to see the fam!
3. Campus Crusade for Christ, SD Winter Conference Dec 28-Jan 1 I have been blessed by my CCC friends in the ministry. They are really embracing the need for prayer in revival and the mission of planting simple "missional communities" or what they call "mini movements" among pockets of un-reached students on campuses, may this gathering spark a passion for missions right here in the west coast! (www.sdwinterconference.com)
4. One Thing: Asian Break Out Session Dec 31st (www.ihop.org) Over 10-15,000 young adults from around the nation will be gathering in Kansas City to seek one thing, what King David asked for, to seek the beauty of the Lord. There we will call Asian students all over to a radical call of missions in East Asia in order to bring the Gospel along the Silk-Road back to Jerusalem.
5. Campus Crusade Denver Christmas Conference Jan 2-7, 2007 (www.denverchristmasconference.com) I love the theme "fearless" reminds me of my man "Jet Li" haha, but seriously pray the Holy Spirit moves in power, fills students up and sends them out to be missionaries on their campus!
After the Denver Christmas conference I will be coming back to LA, taking a break, resting, praying and preparing for the next quarter at UCLA and other campuses in the region. It will be a good road trip, may God awaken hearts to love, send out hearts in faith and release a new move of His Spirit every place, every where, every campus. I have a real sense this year, especially during the One Thing and Urbana conferences the birthing of a new student missions movement is on the brink, Father raise up an end time army to fulfill the Great Commandment in order to obey the Great Commission and finish the task. Amen
Pray it up!
Blogging friends,
Please spread the vision and the word on this strategic gathering at One Thing conference this year. We are believing for a new student volunteer missionary movement among Asian students far and wide to bring the Gospel to East Asia and from there Back to Jersualem. Let Joel's army arise!
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One Thing: Asian Break Out SessionThis is a clarion call to emerging young Asian's who have answered the call to bring the Gospel to East Asia and Back to Jerusalem. We will be praying and releasing a vision of Asia's destiny in the end times and your part to play in it at this years One Thing Conference in KC.
In the last year and a half over 1,500 Asian students have committed in the US and East Asia to commit two years of their lives in the next 10 years to be missionaries on the universities and growing urban cities in East Asia, in order to transform these nations and bring the Gospel along the silk-road back to Jerusalem!
What: One Thing: Asian Break Out Session
When: Dec 31st, 9am-12pm at One Thing Conference, KC, Municipal Auditorium
Chinese Track: 9am-10:30am
Korean Track: 10:30am-12pm
Please forward this event invitation to other Asian young adults, students and church leaders to join this important gathering on facebook.com, myspace.com, your blog, email or word of mouth! Copy and paste the flier on this blog, send it on!
sign up at: www.ihop.org or www.campuschurch.net
for more info on this event email: info@campuschurch.net
Please sign up on this facebook.com group if you will be able to attend this special gathering at One Thing Dec 31st. Seating is limited. We will be spending our time in worship, intercession and re-envisioning others to this end time challenge! Spread the word and see you there!
" Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!"
