First let me report, our inaugural medical clinic was a success... we worked with two Guatemalan doctors who saw 71 sick people in 5 1/2 hours (please see the attached photographs). We decided to hold the event by invitation only so we could learn from the experience without being overwhelmed by great numbers of people. My great friend and co-laboror in The LORD Will Provide Ministries pastor Jorge Cerritos and folks from his new church (which The LORD Will Provide has had the privilege to help him plant) called, "Iglesia Cristiana Ciudad de Refugio" (City of Refuge Christian Church) worked to coordinate and administer the clinic. The event served as excellent preparation for the enormous medical clinic and construction event which will take place November 7-11 with medical professionals and others from Tennessee and Virginia. We expect over 20 people to join us from the US and about the same number from Guatemala. God is sure doing something great!
In a second unscheduled event Jorge was invited to preach to a group of 80 or so teenagers who were staying at a Christian retreat center in the refugee area called, "Buenas Nuevas" (Good News). The founders of the camp are a Guatemalan pastor David and his wife Layli whom the Lord has led to open as a place of spiritual freedom. The facility was built as a large industrial complex which failed and now God is using the facility to change lives. At this point, let me interject a few personal thoughts. I debated with myself about how much I would say or not say about this event. I knew I could choose to water down the event or I could choose to be completely forthright. As I began to think this through, I asked myself one question... why would I feel a need to water any portion of this event down? What was I afraid of? My conclusion was that I feared man. I feared what someone might think or say. God's Word tells us we should fear only Him. 'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom" (Job 28:28) And so, I come before you to give you a firsthand account of what I witnessed at this particular event in Guatemala at Buenas Nuevas.
The room was full with Guatemalan teenagers, mostly girls who had varied and troubled backgrounds. Some were sexually abused, some were prostitutes, some were drug addicts... all were in need of hope. Jorge shared the good news of Jesus Christ for 45 minutes and afterwards invited me and pastor David to come forward as he offered an invitation to the teenagers to come forward for prayer. Over half of the teenagers came forward crowding toward the front of the room. Jorge reached out his hand and placed it on the forehead of the first girl and immediately the Lord gave him a "word of knowledge" telling Jorge that He was healing this girl's heart. Jorge conveyed the message (word of knowledge) to her. She began to cry and suddenly she went down to the floor overwhelmed by the Spirit of God. Jorge had never been given a word of knowledge before, but he kept going. He went to the next girl and prayed the same way... she too went down. Then pastor David went to the microphone and began to pray for those who may have been sexually abused. A girl in the front row went down to the ground and began screaming. Two women and I rushed to the girl's side and began to pray over her. It took all of us to hold her still. She had become very, very strong as we prayed. Then one after the other people began to fall to the ground... some screaming and writhing on the floor. The Lord was at work delivering His children. This was no place for an evil spirit... God was present. The teenagers who didn't come forward were sitting stunned in
their chairs trying to absorb what they were seeing. Me and many others began to seek out those who were on the floor screaming laying hands on them for deliverance and inner healing. What a scene. It literally looked like a battlefield with people laying out all over the floor. The air was thick with atmosphere of a battle we could not see... the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Here was evidence of the battle. People were crying all over the room. Many of us were in prayer... loud and fervent prayer... warriors winning back the freedom of those who were oppressed by evil forces.
The ones who were screaming and writhing seemed to be in a trance... I was praying over one such girl speaking to the evil spirit to leave in the name of Jesus. Of course, here the people speak Spanish. As I commanded the spirit to leave in English and in Jesus' name, the girl violently and firmly shook her head back and forth... the universal sign for "no." The girl did not know English, but the Spirit who really, really didn't want to leave knew the name of Jesus and understood.
Others knelt beside me to join me in prayer. Soon she was freed.
Praise God that He has given us the name of Jesus whose name is above all other names. He is sovereign... all creation must submit to His name... even in the spiritual world. The battle is real because there is a lot at stake. The eternal resting place of each and every human soul. So many of us are standing on the sidelines and watching or even refusing to believe there is a battle being waged... please pray for us as we continue to march forward into the darkness seeking to bring the Light of Jesus Christ into the world.
In Christ,
Steve
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