it's getting' hot down here...

wow! Great news in terms of Kingdom Advance over here on the Charlotte front.

Tonight we had our squad meeting. Seeing as we have 8 full-time ministers here, we have broken up into two groups that meet for spiritual accountability, encouragement, correction and exhortation. It is always a fruitful time spent in the presence of God, Holy Spirit, us and Christ Jesus.
Tonight was a real treat, though. Rob and I have one of our neighbourhood friends staying with us for a while. He is 14. Typically my squad dwells in the living room of our home, and tonight our friend "J"was in the next room over drawing and surfing the internet. He had one ear tuned in to the goings-on in the living room though, because when Tempress suggested that we all just pray for each other, he called me into the dining room and with his eyes downcast he whispered "will you all pray for me too?"
Hmm. let me think. (!)
So, when it came to be his turn, he sat with us and let us pray with him, over him. Rend the heavens on his behalf...and it was really really great. One of my comrades felt that we needed to give J the Joshua treatment (found in Zechariah 3:3-5) so, with J in the middle, and the four of us encircling him, we began to speak truth into the lies that others have told him, that he has told himself and of course what the devil has spoken too.

Lies like:

• You're stupid, you'll never amount to anything
• You're ugly
• You're abandoned. You're unloveable
• You are a reject -one wrong move and everyone will hate you, all your friends will leave you
• God doesn't care about you - He doesn't hear your prayers

It was a powerful experience. An emotional time as Holy Spirit did his work of grace in his heart. We replaced those word curses with words of truth, and words that bring life.

Words like:

• you are smart, you can figure things out, remember things, you can go to college and succeed at anything you want to
• you are a handsome man
• you are loved by God
• God has set you in the middle of a family, and provided a safe place for you to grow
• God has adopted you into His family and you are accepted and cherished
• God created you to have a love relationship with you, you can depend on him and you won't be disappointed.

Then we wrapped his head in a turban and prayed for a renewing of the mind and purity of thoughts...he received it all and there was much rejoicing.

Woooweee!!! Holy Spirit was hot tonight and the saints were on fire with boldness and freedom.

HalleluYahweh!