Why You Are Ready for Power

Is something holding you back from being the bold believer you are?  Perhaps you have been told, "Before you can hit the streets with the Gospel, you must worship for three hours to get ready." Maybe you heard, "Before you heal the sick, the key is to fast for a solid 24+ hours." Whatever the justification, there's a word I (and the Apostle Paul) like to use for this kind of formulaic "do this to get God to do that" nonsense: bewitchment.  Pray enough, and God will move.  Pray the right prayer, and He'll do a miracle.  Fast enough, and the heavens will open.  We have heard this kind of reasoning in the past.  In fact, we used to live this way to some degree.  But living a life of resting in God's grace far outweighs the self-righteous striving to bring revival.  The truth is - revival is here.  Plus, people have families to care for, kids who have school the next day, mouths to feed, homework to complete, chores around the house, and jobs that require a good night's rest.  Who has time to churn the wheel of religious striving.  Even if it is "charismatic" in nature, it is still rooted deep in religion as religion is the efforts of humanity to appease God.  The Father is appeased with Jesus and He has poured out the fullness of His Spirit on all flesh.  I rather trust that than do something that would suggest I do not believe He has already done it.  I rather rest in His finished work than toil in mine. Last summer, we had family come into town.  Two of the girls were 12 and 9 years old.  They hadn't really been in church in a long time, voiced they found church boring, and couldn't even quote John 3:16.  They didn't really have a grid for the Bible or the Holy Spirit.  We took them on a hike one day, returned home, and Keeli began asking the youngest about Jesus.  In a few moments, she was a believer!  Keeli prayed with both of them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit that same night.

48 hours passed.  Two days.  We were going to take them on their first treasure hunt/power evangelism outreach.  You may be thinking, "There is no way they were ready in two days!" This testimony is a great reminder that we have the fullness of the Godhead living inside of us - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:9-10) and that the Lord gives the Spirit without measure (John 3:34).  We didn't soak in worship for three hours.  We had full bellies so we clearly didn't fast.  We simply asked Jesus where we needed to go, who we needed to speak with, and what we needed to look for.  We prayed in the Spirit for a few minutes, wrote down our clues, and compared notes.

Keeli's parents were babysitting Anneli but joined in on the clues even though they weren't going with us.  We had a vast array of clues (that we later saw which were truly astounding).  But our favorite testimony from the night dealt with the following clues: Keeli's mom and I had the same location - a dessert location in town.  Keeli had clues dealing with crime.  Keeli's dad had the clue pen.  The 9 year old girl read the organization's name written on the side of the pen she was writing her clues with and said, "What if we meet a girl named Samara?" That's not a name you hear every day.  We didn't think anything of it.  We just headed out.

When we arrived at the dessert hot-spot, the place was packed.  But nobody was really standing out.  We got the girls something to eat (because who is going to pass up some great dessert?) and after a few minutes, the place cleared out.  It was closing time.  I asked Keeli to see if the two employees behind the counter needed prayer for anything.  They looked at each other with dismay and said, "Actually, yes." They explained how they had to call the police on someone.  The culprit knew these two called the cops on them and they were afraid what would happen when he was out of jail.  Keeli's clues were confirmed!  We agreed to pray for them and asked their names.

"I'm Samara," the second employee said.  All of our eyes were as big as saucers.  Did our 9 year old relative who is only two days old in the Lord just get a word of knowledge of someone's name?  It wasn't a common name, either.  It wasn't a Josh, John, or Jessica.  It was Samara!  We shook ourselves out of our bewilderment and prayed for God's protection over these two.  We still have the receipt from this establishment with the name of the employee who served us: Samara.

"If this is church, we want to do this everyday!" the girls said.  When we returned home, the girls ran down to tell of their adventures.  It's like someone turned on the joy switch!  Everyone needs an encounter.  No one should be denied an opportunity to partake in what the Holy Spirit has ordained us to do.  When stipulations are put on a person before they can see the Lord work miracles, we burden ourselves and forget that His burden is easy and His yoke is light.  The role of the Holy Spirit is to testify of Jesus.  There is no junior Holy Spirit just like there is no junior devil.  The devil doesn't have an age limit of who he wants to harm.  In the same manner, Holy Spirit doesn't have an age limit for those He wants to fill, empower, and operate through.

Crumbs From the Table

"Jonathan! You've got to pray for Phoebe! She can't walk. Can you visit my office to pray for Phoebe?" Obviously, my first question: who is Phoebe? This poor, old woman must be in so much pain, frustration, and depressed. Well, maybe... if Phoebe was a woman. Phoebe just so happened to be this man's dog. This friend runs a local golf business and told me Phoebe would be waiting in his office. I agreed to pray for his pup. He told me he would not be there at the time I was available but to go on in and pray for Phoebe's healing.

I pulled into the parking lot and walked through the door to be greeted by the employees who were also college students. I felt embarrassed by what I was about to say. "I'm here to see Phoebe." Obviously, I was no veterinarian. They pointed the way to my friend's office. Phoebe was there next to the desk. Lying down with a funny contraption (perhaps a dog diaper?) around her two hind legs. I didn't want to close the door but I also didn't want to pray too loud. So I just started petting Phoebe's head and began (silently) speaking affectionately the way many humans do to their dogs.

I prayed over that dog, hoping none of the college students would hear me. I told Phoebe that we have been reconciled back to Father God and back to the garden where mankind had dominion over animals. If we expect to see people healed, we better believe for animals to be healed too.

I stood up and began walking out. Phoebe tagged behind me towards the door. "No Phoebe. You must stay in the office." After my rebuke to this elderly dog, I quickly returned to my car and drove off. Moments later, I received a phone call.

"Jonathan! Phoebe is walking! It worked!" I inquired further to discover that I had totally ignored the fact that this crippled dog was walking. It tried to follow me out the office door and I, in an attempt to spare further embarrassment of being compared to a spiritual dog whisperer, neglected to celebrate a miracle. Sickness and pain is such a disgusting, abominable thing to the Lord that He was even willing to heal the dog. You are not a dog. You are a child of God. How much more will He do for you?

Phoebe lived another year and a half after she was healed. If a dog can experience the tangible healing power of Jesus Christ, shouldn't everyone?

-Jonathan Fawcett

Flat Feet

One of the most memorable miracles I saw occurred twice.  Once, when Keeli was in graduate school at Lee University, I continued hosting Holy Spirit Parties.  But instead of hosting them in apartments, we were holding them in dorm lobbies.  We saw people come and go in those days and never see them until years later.  Normally, people would come, receive teaching from the Bible about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, receive it, and continue with life.  Many of them, when we're reunited, have been instrumental in advancing the kingdom of God.  Maybe they didn't come to meetings we hosted, but they held fellowship with other believers, encouraged many whom we didn't know, and had a great impact.  This was always an encouragement to see these believers steadfast in their faith. During these dorm lobby Holy Spirit Parties, Keeli's father, Kermit, would attend and help lead.  A friend of ours was a runner.  She was a rigorous trainer, ran for miles, and is, to this day, an expert in staying healthy, fit, and strong.  She did, however, have flat feet.  I remember Kermit slapping the soles of her feet while commanding arches to form.  For whatever reason, that night, she only received one arch.  We couldn't figure out why she didn't get a second arch that night but were thankful and excited that the Lord did something fun in front of our eyes.  Perhaps the Lord does things in a way that prevents us from making our own formulas for how He works.  I don't want to be presumptuous, but I believe her second arch came later.

Fast forward a few years later.  Immersion Church was in full swing.  A friend of ours who attended Immersion brought to our attention that she was also flat footed.  She had received healing for a couple of other major things... but I'll blog about that later.  Once again, Kermit commanded arches to form and, sure enough, arches formed in front of our very eyes.

Before our friends received arches, they were doing fine.  Why did Jesus decide to give them arches in the middle of college?  Because their is no limit to His goodness.  There is no limit to how much He wants to do for us and for others.  If we could grasp the revelation of the pleasure that Jesus has in us, we would never doubt His intentions to bless at every turn.

Jonathan Fawcett

Mickey and Jesus

We returned from a wonderful vacation at sea.  Whether you love Disney, hate Disney, support the company, or boycott them, we were inspired by the influence they have on the globe.  We took a holiday at sea on the Disney Cruise Line and found ourselves on a ship with a crew numbering around 1,500 which included representatives from approximately 65 nations.  We began to ask, what can the church learn from Disney?  How did this company's influence see the results and success that makes it so popular?  How can a mouse have such a great impact?  It's a prime example of how art and entertainment can change the world.  We observed closely how every detail was given special attention.  The staff were over-the-top friendly, never rude, and always accommodating.  They went above and beyond to ensure our cruise was memorable for all the right reasons.  Everything was on purpose. Each and every turn we took, Mickey Mouse was there... and was often subtle.  It was a classy art-deco ship.  But the subtleties were everywhere to make sure the Disney image was intact.  Walt Disney was known for saying, "I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." For us, this life was started by Jesus.  Just as Disney communicates the "happiest place on earth" message, everything we do should be with purpose to reveal Jesus in excellence, in creativity, and with a message that God is over-the-top good and that the Gospel is a sugar-coated message for those who believe it - dipped in caramel, drizzled with chocolate, slathered with a generous portion of whipped cream, a cherry on top, and an Oreo crust.

So let me leave my previous thoughts on the correlation between Disney and the church somewhat open-ended for now to share a testimony about praying in tongues (different than speaking in tongues.  Speaking in tongues + interpretation = prophecy... Praying in tongues - or as Paul often calls it, praying in the Spirit - is fair game!).  Keeli, Anneli, and I were enjoying our dinner with another family on the cruise.  Thankfully, the parents with small children were seated in the same section.  This was a blessing as parents had more grace for one another should another kid have a meltdown... everyone understood!  Anneli began pointing behind Keeli and making a noise to get her mom's attention.  There was a man having what we believe to be a seizure.  Keeli instantly began praying in the Spirit at our table and almost instantly the seizure stopped.  She didn't give a five point lesson to the family we were sitting with about why praying in tongues is beneficial before she began.  When it's hitting the fan, you're "in the soup", or something bad is going down, you don't have time to waste with eloquence or ceremony.  You were given the power to act supernaturally where you are standing.

Jonathan Fawcett

Wrecked

Revelation 19:10 states that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.  In my experience, the testimony of what Jesus has done is sure to happen again and again and again because He is unchanging.  On April 19, 2007 (long before Keeli and I were even dating), she hosted a Holy Spirit party in her apartment.  Students were getting healed of stuff all night long.

Our friend Katie was praying for Hannah, a friend with a touch of scoliosis (curved spine).  Hannah laid face down on the floor as Katie prayed over her back while running her fingers down Hannah’s spine.  As Katie prayed, Hannah’s vertebrate began shifting into alignment.  Katie felt the bones move into place.

A couple of years later, I met a student named Margo.  She used to train horses in Georgia until she was in a car accident that happened two years prior to our meeting.  The car accident was so bad, she had to be rescued from the vehicle with the jaws of life.  In fact, a tire had actually impacted her back, leaving her spine curved.  She walked bent over with her neck stretching out.  When she shared the story, I couldn’t help but remember our friend Hannah who, at one time, had a curved spine.

As I retold Hannah’s testimony, without flinching, Margo insisted we pray for her.  Her unrestrained desire for healing was an action of faith.  First, I sat her down in a chair and we measured the length of her legs.  One leg was shorter so I commanded the leg to grow in the name of Jesus.  As I held her feet in my hands, her leg began pushing against me (I tend to push back to show that I’m not pulling, twisting, or altering her legs).  Her legs were even but her back was still bent.

I asked Margo to lay face down on the floor.  There was a group of approximately ten students that were also there.  Everyone laid hands on her back.  I stood off from the crowd and prayed in the Spirit.  The crowd of students began softening their prayers.  I shouted, “Pray in the Spirit!” Everyone began praying in tongues.

Let me digress for a moment.  Now this is the part where some would stop reading or even begin accusing me of risking a great opportunity by frightening Margo as a group of unknown students pray audibly in tongues.  I stand on the Word of God, believing that every good and perfect gift is from God, including the gift of tongues which has a plethora of benefits.  An interpretation of tongues is not limited to a translation but can be a manifestation of another gift.  If I am speaking mysteries but praying the perfect will of God with the Holy Spirit, I am building myself up in my most holy faith, stirring the gifts, and activating an intimate dialogue in the language of heaven, bringing impossibilities to its knees.  It stirs, strengthens, and edifies.  Jesus included this in the ministry of the believer in Mark 16 and each time people were praying or speaking in tongues, marvelous wonders followed.  As Paul said in I Corinthians 14:19, “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.” But I pushed the envelope.  I used six intelligible words:

“Jesus!  You’re here!  Heal her!”

I slapped my hand on her back as the others continued to pray in the Spirit.  Sound intense?  Just wait!  All of us begin to feel her back muscles move.  Each vertebrate began to shift in its appropriate place.  Everyone was wide-eyed and began laughing.  In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).  In His presence, there is healing.  Margo just stayed on the ground.  She just stayed relaxed and received.  When her muscles and bones stopped moving, she stood up.  She was taller, straighter, and had a much better posture.

She took off the ring from her finger and said, “This was the ring I was wearing during the wreck.  I want to throw it away.  I don’t want to hold on to any part of that wreck.” She flushed it down the toilet.  Then, we prayed for her to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  She wanted everything Jesus had for her!

She later told me about her visit to her message therapist (who, by the way, she told me was an atheist).  As soon as the message therapist saw Margo, she said, “What happened to you?” Margo shared the Gospel with her and the testimony of how Jesus healed her back.  Margo finished that semester at Appalachian State then moved back to Georgia to train horses.  She was finally able to do what she loved again.

Jonathan Fawcett

Cure to Cancer

Cancer.  The word quickens fear in the hearts of many – including many believers.  I, with the rest of the world, abhor cancer.  I also know that cancer is a multi-billion dollar industry and business is good.  The mainstream treatments aren’t necessarily the best.  There are many alternative ways to treat cancer.  Did you know that Dr. Otto Warburg discovered a way to prevent and cure cancer in 1931 and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts?  Not many do.  The only option people believe exists is chemo, radiation, etc.  I encourage you to read more about Dr. Warburg’s discovery and spread the word to those affected by cancer.  You can read more about his findings here. Jesus is not a solution.  He is the solution.  In the beginning, God created.  He is infinite in power and infinite in creativity.  What kind of God would He be if he had all power but no creativity in how to use it?  What if He had all creativity, infinite ideas, and solutions for everything but no power to make those things happen?  The inspiration that leads to discoveries like Dr. Warburg’s cancer cure is not by accident.  Jesus is the source of all creativity.  All mankind is made in the image of God.  God, being a creator, made us to be like Him: creators, inventors, innovators, discoverers of solutions.

So many say, “I’m not creative,” simply because they are not an artist, musician, performer, or writer.  Dr. Otto Warburg didn’t win a Grammy, Academy Award, or Golden Globe.  He won the Nobel Peace Prize for discovering a solution.  Creativity is inspired from the Creator.  Solutions are born of the Source.  Whether you are a chemist or painter, physicist or conductor of the philharmonic, mathematician or musician, rocket scientist or screenwriter, you are a creative being.

Before your loved ones with cancer make the decision for chemo, radiation, or even a simple diet change, pray.  One of our best friends, Aaron, gave me a call one day as I drove home from work.  His neighborhood friend, Crystal, had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Surgeons were going to have to remove her breast.  She was 31 years old at the time of her diagnosis.  Aaron called so we could agree and pray together for her healing.

A week passed and I didn’t give Crystal a second thought.  Then Aaron called.  I’ll never forget the elation in his voice.  All cancer was gone.  The surgery was cancelled.  To this day, I never met Crystal.  But I will always remember how God healed someone I never met, never prayed with, and wasn’t in close proximity to.  It reminds me of the account from Matthew 8:5-13 (NLT).

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He healed all because good health was, is, and will forever be God’s will.  Now, He wants to use you to accomplish His will on the earth.

Jonathan Fawcett

Jesus Hijacked Your Facebook

Social media has dominated the world with a slew of opinions, bias, and commentary.  With over one billion people and counting, Facebook has been a medium where news spreads.  So I figure, why not good news? Doug Addison is a prophet who goes far beyond the borders of subtle to show a party hard world how much Jesus loves them.  He is well known for dream interpretation, tattoo prophecies, and stand up comedy.  If you deal with religion, you are probably navigating your mouse's cursor to the "X" in the top-right corner of your screen about right now.  Go ahead and click.  God loves you and goodbye.

Okay, now that we can enjoy our time together without the stifling presence of religion, let's continue with a testimony of God's power on social media!

Doug Addison gives prophetic words through his Twitter account everyday @dougtaddison.  To some, the prophetic words may feel very general.  Not every word applies to every person.  Often, Keeli and I have one of two scenarios play out: the word Doug delivers is for us as an encouragement for current situations or it confirms what God has already spoken to us.

Doug's daily prophetic word of the day for May 14 was: Use your spiritual gifts today outside of your comfort zone and you will see an amazing result.

I had never released a word of knowledge on my personal Facebook page, so I thought I would give it a try.  I immediately felt a sensation in my lower-left side of my back.  My first thought was "kidney stones".  Mere seconds later, I saw "Kidney Stones Healed" posted by The Greater News on my newsfeed.  Confirmation is a beautiful thing.  I posted the following status on my wall.  The testimony is the comment that follows:

If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, then Jesus has an account.  Use it with power and love!  And then "like" Something More on Facebook.

Jonathan Fawcett

Childlike Faith

One of our most read testimonies, Healing in the Home, tells of Anneli at 11 months old healing her dear old dad.  On April 20, 2013, the night of her Gammy's ordination, my left arm was hurting again.  After checking the length of my arms, it was time to get the camera and show you proof that childlike faith (and joy) can teach us how to effectively and powerfully release the Kingdom of God.  Check out what Anneli does when given the opportunity to heal her dad again: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPaHaLfSy2U?rel=0]

Father God is so proud of His kids when they do what He does and I'm proud of mine when she imitates Jesus!

Jonathan Fawcett

Transformation

Written by Ann Tobler, a friend we had the honor of meeting at a Holy Spirit Party in Raleigh, NC.  After encountering the love of Jesus, Ann was instrumental in bringing transformation to her high school and community through the power of the Holy Spirit. We track our lives by days, months, and years. We celebrate birthdays, take pride in our anniversaries, and mark our calendars anticipating the exciting events that have yet to come. Most of our lives are marked by dates that can’t be remembered. We have our normal routines, our day to day jobs, our families, and everything in between. But then there are days that change our lives. In my opinion, there are typically two types of life changing days. The days that we rejoice in remembering and days that are attached to events of sorrow or pain. I know, in my life, there are several dates that hold life-changing significance and I want to tell you about two of them.

December 9, 2005 was a date that nearly stopped me dead in my tracks and I mean that literally. As a new Christian, a group of friends and I decided to prayer walk our school campus. At the end of our meeting, a friend and I hopped onto the back of a car to sit and talk. Then it happened. The car accelerated and turned and I was tossed from the back of the car to the asphalt. I skidded 15 long feet on my back and slammed my head into the ground. It was a life changing day. I fractured my skull and broke the bones in my ears. I laid on the asphalt unconscious, waiting for the ambulance, unaware of the extent of the damage. The days, weeks, and months which turned into a year and a half were filled with relearning how to conquer the brain damage, memory loss and the horribly frustrating new trait of being the partially deaf girl. Fast forward through the anger and frustration and rebellion against a God who would “let this” happen to me. On top of everything else, when I felt like God was failing me, science was too. I had re-corrective surgery on my ear to restore hearing and was intensely disappointed when the results were far from "healed and whole".

Then there was May 19, 2007 – this was the day that my life was drastically altered by the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. After a night at a local music venue, meeting the members of a band from Boone, NC, I found myself sitting on a couch in a living room surrounded by a group of faces that were mostly introduced the night before.

I quietly sat and began to listen to two “crazy about Jesus” people and was honestly turned off and frustrated that I even came. Keeli opened with, “Tonight we are going to learn about the Holy Spirit and healing.” What and WHAT? I had never heard of the power of the Holy Spirit and I definitely knew nothing about healing. Then another life defining moment happens. I heard the voice of God in the deepest parts of my inner being for the first time. It was strong, clear and oh so life changing. “Open your eyes and look at where you’re at.” In awe of what was happening I quieted my mind and really began to listen to what Keeli and Jonathan were saying. When they asked a very simple question, “Does anyone need to receive healing,” I reasoned with myself before raising my hand and telling my story. In my head it went a little like this, “This is insane. Healing? I mean if it works, great, if it doesn’t then I have nothing to lose. It’s not like they’re practicing witchcraft on me.” So I raised my hand and explained about how, literally 2 days prior, I received the news that my surgery to correct my hearing was not successful. I even had internal pictures of my ear to prove it. I then was scheduled to return for a follow up appointment 5 days later to schedule another surgery in hopes of succeeding a second time. I saw Jonathan and Keeli’s faces light up with the excitement of their complete faith that I would be healed.

Over the next hour or so, I watched arms grow out, spines straightened, terminal headaches relieved and then there was me. I sat in the “hot seat” and experienced the most intense and overwhelming power of prayer. To be completely honest, I can’t even remember if I cried or not but this warm blanket of God’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit was released in my life. I was spiritually on fire and captivated by what I was experiencing. As my turn in the “hot seat” came and went,  I began praying for someone else and within moments I realized that I was baptized in the Spirit and began speaking in tongues. It was undeniable that God was moving in a powerful way that night. Having experienced God in a miraculous way on May 19, 2007, I can honestly say my life has never been the same. When I went for my follow up appointment, the doctors jokingly said I must have experienced a miracle and that I wouldn’t need a second surgery. I was healed. You never realize when you wake up on just another normal day, that it could just happen to be a life changing day.

Ann Tobler

World Cup

Keeli, Anneli and I embarked on an amazing treasure hunt Sunday, April 7, 2013.  Watch the video to hear about the powerful encounter we had.  SPOILER ALERT: There is a world cup tournament competitor involved.  But for which sport?  Click to find out: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ9hdMLyVbo?rel=0]

Jonathan Fawcett

Pigeon Toed

Is there something that you have dealt with your entire life?  Is it hard for you to believe for your own healing?  Jesus asked people, “Do you want to be well?” The answer seems obvious but many identify with their own oppression, handicap, or sickness.  Whether you were born this way or recently diagnosed, God wants you well! I was a normal kid growing up.  I played sports as a youth and thought I was going to the Major Leagues or NBA.  However, I wasn’t that good.  I was tall for my class but I lacked the speed necessary to be of any significant value to a team.  My major setback: I was born pigeon toed.

I didn’t think much of it except when I tripped over my own two feet.  When I did, it was embarrassing, especially when another classmate pointed out that I “walked funny”.  So I just ignored it and lived to deal with it.  I wore insoles for my shoes that helped “correct” my walk.  I certainly didn't lose sleep over it.

I was raised in a home unaware of the availability of Jesus’ healing power to move in and through believers.  We went to church but it was pretty boring compared to what I see and experience now.  I never saw miracles, healing, signs or wonders.  I never heard a prophetic word or someone speak in tongues until I was a junior in high school.  Being saved was all there was.  Heaven was something we waited for, never something we bring to earth.  God's will was more of a guessing game rather than being realized through a relationship with Him.  Being raised in a church like this, I never had anyone in my life that was baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit to pray for healing.  I, being ignorant of the power for God to heal today, never sought this kind of help from a believer.

When I finally learned what was available through the finished work of the cross (beyond the forgiveness of sin), I felt robbed.  I felt robbed that I had no teaching growing up about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I was clueless.  It wasn’t my parents’ fault.  They were clueless too.  Nobody had ever taught them either.  When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, a passion was stirred to make sure others who wanted everything God had for them were not robbed any longer like I was.  Ever since, the power of the Holy Spirit has wrecked me.  Now, I want it to wreck my generation, the next generation, and every generation to follow.  Our influence isn’t limited to our generation.  Our mission is to affect nations and generations.

By this time, I have seen many people healed.  But I never received healing for my pigeon toed self.  One morning, at Destiny Church in Spruce Pine, NC, my friend Aaron was healed of the opposite problem I had.  Rather than having feet that turned in, his feet turned out.  Our friend Richard spoke a healing word over Aaron and his feet began to straighten out.  Later that night at Immersion on Appalachian State’s campus, I heard the testimony.  If it happened to Aaron, I wanted healing too!  God is not a God of favorites – He loves us all equally!

I asked Richard to speak a healing word over me and I began to feel my feet turn out with sensations moving all the way up to my knees.  I stood up, moved around, began to walk, and my walk turned into a run as I thanked Jesus while getting used to my “new feet”.

The Lord wants your lost years restored.  He wants you stirred to believe for your own miracle, healing, and breakthrough.  Don’t be robbed another second.  Receive the fullness of His love now!

Jonathan Fawcett

Sharp Dressed Mon

Written by Kermit Harpold; missionary to Jamaica, pastor of Destiny Church and Ministries, and Keeli's father.  Kermit writes about a powerful, transforming encounter one demon possessed man had with Jesus Christ at Lemon Hall Church in Jamaica. Before church one night, I noticed a man sitting alone in the center of a pew.  I walked back to shake his hand and, as I did, I was overwhelmed by the mixture of body odor and alcohol as well as the sight of bugs crawling in his long dreads.  As I held his hand, he shared that his sister said if he went to church that I would be able to cast a demon out of him.  He shared that he had not been sober in over 15 years and that he wanted to be normal and work again. I shared the love of God with him and took authority over the spirits that had wrecked his life.  He received Jesus as his Lord, was baptized in the Holy Spirit, began to speak in tongues and, for the first time in 15 years, was instantly sober.

The next night, there was a man sitting in the same place this man had been sitting the night before.  He was dressed very sharp and I thought he may be a preacher from one of the local churches who had come to visit.  As I stepped forward to welcome him, I realized it was the man from the night before.  God had not only done a miracle in his spirit, he had done a miracle in his physical body.

That night, he was healed of many ailments in his body, including diabetes and Hepatitis C.  He ministered with me, seeing many healed as he laid hands on people in Jesus’ name.  God, definitely, is good!

Kermit Harpold

Fun

It was the beginning of a new semester and every campus ministry is going all out to make sure students get plugged in.  Since meeting rooms on campus couldn’t be scheduled until classes began, Immersion Church needed a meeting space that was close to campus.  Our friend, a local television personality, offered his television studio for the first couple of Sundays.  This was a huge blessing – one we will never forget. Our friend unlocked the studio for us early one Sunday morning.  As we were setting up the sound equipment, he began to tell me that he hurt his leg in a skateboarding accident.  When I first met our friend, he was showing me photos of himself skateboarding.  In person, he always looked very professional.  In the photos, he was wearing a helmet, shorts and knee pads.  It didn’t seem feasible and I wasn’t sure if he was pulling my leg.  It wasn’t until later, I saw a video featuring him skateboarding.  Mind blown.  Now, his leg was injured and he expressed his fear that he may never be able to skateboard again.

I asked if I could pray for his leg to be healed.  We prayed and continued setting up the sound equipment.  This meeting, along with the others held in the studio, were phenomenal.  Our friend Staci ministered one Sunday and, at the end of another, a student was born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The following week, he unlocked the studio and began telling me that he skateboarded that week and pulled some big tricks. “It’s really kind of a miracle,” I remember him saying.  His leg was healed!  Sometimes, we can blame the pain on our fun.  But Jesus wants us to have fun and do things we enjoy.  We don’t have to earn the healing, strive for the healing, or beg and plead.  There’s so much more we want to do to pay our friend back for his kindness in helping us launch another year of ministry at Appalachian State.  I believe one day we will.  Generosity like he had shown us is rare and made a lasting impression.  Had he not opened his studio for our use, I may not have had the chance to pray for his leg and maybe skateboarding would have become a thing of the past – nothing more than a fond memory.  But God…

Jonathan Fawcett

Turn-or-Burn Birthday

It was a beautiful autumn day and happened to be my 23^rd birthday.  What better way to start the day than going onto campus, shouting at students, picketing, and telling them they are all going to hell?  Well, that wasn’t how I started my birthday.  However, there was a group of turn-or-burn preachers occupying Sanford Mall outside of the Student Union.  Each time they come to ASU, they make a scene, start fights, stir dissension, and exchange heated words with students.  There was an absence of love, joy, and peace in their message and salvation was determined by good behavior rather than our righteousness being obtained by the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  While many believe it is their holy duty to change the minds of these hellfire and brimstone preachers, my friends and I decided to take another approach. Rarely will you ever change someone’s mind.  I like to let Jesus do that Himself.  How?  His goodness draws men to repentance.  His power yields fruit bearing witness of His goodness.  We leveraged the message these men were presenting as conversation starters with students.  We also didn’t “steal” from their audience.  Those who were engaged in the heated exchange were hot-tempered and looking for a fight.  Those outside of the ring were more approachable.  The Lord told me he had given us the angel of Victory as we went out.  Here’s what happened:

A couple of ladies on Appalachian State's female rugby team were passing out leaflets, advertising an event or game they were having.  One of them had a brace on their wrist.  My friend, Aaron, asked what happened to her wrist.  It had been sprained.  Aaron lightly touched it and simply said, “Wrist, be healed in Jesus’ name,” and removed his hand.  Almost immediately, she took the brace off and began turning her wrist to and fro.  Without us asking, her teammate confirmed that her wrist was unable to do that.  Just as a camera was being mounted on a tripod to capture footage of the preachers, Aaron grabbed the attention of the cameraman and told him that the real Jesus was doing miracles.  He glanced at us and the rugby players without saying a word and turned back around to complete the task he had started.

(If local or mainstream media don’t pick up on the stories, it could be, like this cameraman, they do not want to.  That’s why I encourage you to capture the healing on your phone or camera.  Document what The Lord is doing and give the world some good news!)

We later approached a student who broke his toe on a slack line (imagine a tightrope a few feet off the ground, tied between two trees).  This young man was not a believer.  We told him about the miracles we saw earlier that day and he let us pray for him.  His broken toe improved drastically and he was very shocked.  It may be hard to comprehend why some don’t receive all of Jesus right there on the spot, but sometimes we plant seeds and let the Holy Spirit take over.

Our other friend, Brennen, along with Aaron, saw someone on crutches and shot towards her to ask how they could pray.  This student was a runner and had ongoing issues with her knee.  They prayed for her and she hobbled off on the crutches.  Some would pose the question: Why didn’t God heal her?  The next time Brennen saw her, she was off the crutches and told him that there had been no pain since the day he and Aaron prayed for her.  Even if we didn’t see her throw her crutches down and cut cartwheels immediately, the truth remains: Jesus healed her!

The day ended with some mysterious aviator sunglasses (A birthday gift from Jesus?) lying on the top of my car, followed by a surprise party and a delicious cookie cake created by my amazing girlfriend at the time (Her name is Keeli... Maybe you’ve heard of her!).  The cake represented a revelation I had at the time: God’s love and power is like a train on its tracks.  Love is the way but without God's power you don't have a vehicle to get you there.  The power of God working through us is only effective through love.  I’ll never forget that birthday.

Jonathan Fawcett

Heart for Harvard - Part 2

I returned to Boone, NC from the Yale Institute with a fire burning on the inside of me that had been ignited by others with a similar passion for revival on college campuses.  At the Institute, I had met the President of Campus Renewal Ministries, Jeremy Story.  It was because of his message that my dreams were awakened.  I heard him share testimonies of what he had seen at the University of Texas and I wanted to see those same things at ASU.  When I heard him minister, it felt like my heart was going to explode with love and compassion for the college campuses.  In that moment, I knew my specific calling.  After hearing Jeremy, my passion to reach the nations through the universities and colleges became my purpose in life.  My life has never been the same since the first time I heard him speak. I was also captivated by the story of Gipsy Smith.  For the next several months I spent three to five hours everyday worshiping Jesus in my bathroom.  Why the bathroom?  Because Smith drew a circle around himself with chalk and asked God to fill the circle with revival and, in my apartment, the bathroom was the smallest room.  I asked God to fill that area with revival so it would pour out onto the entire campus and into the nations.  Worship music would play from the speakers I placed in the bathroom as I read my Bible and spent time with Jesus in the bathroom.  In those moments, I became confident in knowing that what God had spoken would come into being.

These are some of the words Jesus spoke to me in the summer of 2006:

“The Mountain Mission Movement coming out of Appalachian State University is greater than the Student Volunteer Mission Movement of the 1800s.” 

“Appalachian State will be known on the map for their football.  It will be a gateway for media coverage as my Spirit expands on the campus.” (ASU beat Michigan in 2007 and were back to back to back national champions).

On October 25^th, 2006, I met the man of my dreams at a prayer meeting I hosted in ASU’s Student Union.  After that meeting, several of us went out to eat at Dos Amigos.  That night at dinner my dad discovered Jonathan’s heart to host a meeting on campus to teach students on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  My dad encouraged Jonathan to meet up with me to plan the gathering, which we later called Presence: Out of Apathy…Into Power.  Jonathan and I began meeting the next week in the Student Union to plan Presence.  We would read over and add to the blue notebook Jonathan had written his dreams, ideas, and goals in.  It took several months of rejection until we finally had a time and place approved for the meeting: March 27, 2007.  In the meantime, we began Holy Spirit Parties that we intended to lead for only 3 weeks.  However, they continue to this day.

In the midst of continuing to plan Presence and hosting Holy Spirit Parties, we met several other friends who had the same heart for prayer and revival.  We truly lived a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.  Every week, I fasted with no food and only liquids from Sunday to Wednesday evening and again all day Thursday until after the Holy Spirit Party.  From that semester to now, we have seen thousands come to know Jesus and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Many miracles, including physical and emotional healing have also taken place.

We continue to share what Jesus is doing at ASU because testimonies spread the goodness of Jesus!  An individual prayer for revival at Harvard expanded into a vision for the nations and generations to know Jesus.  What may seem like small beginnings are such sweet memories that set you up to change the nations!

Indulge in how good God is!

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.      -Psalm 34:8

Keeli Fawcett

Jesus vs Virus

Unbeatable.  Incurable.  Fatal.  Untouchable.  Rejection.  These may be a few words that come to mind when you hear the word that has infected millions around the world: AIDS.  Many around the world have contracted this deadly virus and, in return, have been shunned by their communities as they await their inevitable, lonesome defeat, laid waste in rejection and decay.  As believers, we were mandated to turn these scenarios around. A friend, Joshua, and his father took a mission trip to Kenya in 2012.  While there, his father, full of the Holy Spirit, had the opportunity to pray for someone with AIDS.  A couple of days passed and the person returned, having since been tested for the virus, declared the good news that they had been healed.  AIDS died at the name of Jesus Christ.

Upon hearing this testimony, it reminded me of an account that I had the honor of playing a role in.  How?  By praying.

The details were a little fuzzy so I asked my friend, Kelly, for a recap.  Her family had the connection with the girl described in the following testimony.  Kelly writes:

The little girl in Brazil (Carol) was sold by her grandmother as a sex slave when she was 3 or 4 years old. I don't know when, but somehow she got herself to the orphanage where my father visited in 2007 - She was 12 years old then. As a result of her years as a sex slave, she suffered from digestive problems. I'm not sure when or how many times, but at least once (I could have sworn it was twice) she was tested positive for AIDS and because of this, the doctors in Brazil could not provide her with surgery she needed. We prayed and she was given another test for AIDS which came out negative. She then got the surgery she needed as all seemed well.

Please continue to send Carol (and the other children) your long distance prayers.

I want to focus on two words in her description: We prayed.

This was a girl I've never met in a country I have not yet visited.  The only background I had on the situation came from Kelly.  I don't know how many people were praying for Carol, but we declared that she was healed by the stripes of Jesus.  I remember receiving the news that there was no sign of AIDS in her body.  Sometimes, as believers, we tend to deduce the power of God to our proximity to the situation.  His love isn't just released when you lay hands on someone or see them face to face.  The five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12) does not include intercessors.  Why?  Because we are all called to be intercessors!

Be encouraged and know that your prayers, intercession, and declarations over peoples, cities, and nations are powerful and effective because you are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Fawcett - Like Something More on Facebook

Healing in the Home

Family is the greatest ministry.  Our daughter, Anneli, before she turns one year old, has been immersed in an atmosphere of worship, the Father’s love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.  There isn’t a day that passes without Keeli and I sharing what Jesus is speaking to us.  It’s a home of love.  Like the church, we’re not confined to a building.  Wherever our family is, home is there too. As I reflect on this past year with Anneli, I give thanks to God for her health.  She has never been sick.  The more she laughs, the healthier she gets.  In turn, we keep her laughing. “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP).

When music is playing, Anneli dances.  When we are gathered with believers and worship is in session, she jumps and bounces.  She has been wrapped around our necks or carried in her car seat as we have prayed for people and they were healed.  She has been a great companion on treasure hunts.

On Monday, January 21, 2013, the eve of the 40^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (the case that legalized abortion in the United States), I was healed at the touch of my daughter.  Weeks prior, Keeli’s mother shared that there was something special about Anneli’s hands, that she had healing hands.  That Monday night, we saw it.

I was playing with Anneli, and when I sat her down, my left hand and wrist were very sore.  I had a similar sensation to having my hand shaken with a loose grip while the other squeezed with all their might.  Whenever my wrist hurts, it is an indicator that my arms are different lengths.  As I stretched my arms above my head, touched my palms together and brought my arms straight down in front of me, Keeli and I saw that my left arm was, indeed, shorter than the other.*

We were in our living room and Anneli was sitting in her highchair.  I repeated the process of measuring my arms and pointed them in front of Anneli.  Without hesitation, she stopped eating her Cheerios, clasped her little hands over mine and my left arm sprang out (about an inch).  We started laughing and thanking God.  Anneli just smiled, batted her blue eyes as she looked at me, and began clapping in her highchair.  The pain was completely gone!

On the eve of a terrible anniversary, we celebrated our daughter, remembering that everyone has a purpose, a call of God on their life, and a destiny.  So many destinies are being aborted.  At eleven months, she is already laying hands on the sick and hurting and seeing them recover!  Some things will simply mess with your formulas and theology.  Without a word, I was healed with a simple touch.

*For a video that may give you a better understanding of what happened, click here: http://youtu.be/yhxSkau72Lw

Jonathan Fawcett

Trust Him

It has been almost one year since Anneli was born and it has been the fastest year of my life!  Anneli brings us unexplainable joy!  Since the moment we found out we were pregnant, it has been my prayer for Jesus to take care of every need we would face.  Through the pregnancy, God took care of every situation from providing insurance, a larger home and protection during a car accident when I was five months pregnant. It has always been the desire of my heart to be with my children and take them with me to do ministry.  In the natural, it was impossible for us to live on only one salary.  However, after having Anneli, Jonathan and I both had such a peace that I should step out of my job at the community college.  Things we had been praying for over the past five years were coming into fruition in just a matter of time.  We still had no way to cover our bills but we knew, in the long run, we would be better off to go with the peace of Jesus.  As soon as I found out I was pregnant, we began saving money as though that was our actual job!  We also began selling anything and everything that we did not use around the home.  It was amazing how much “stuff” we had to get rid of.

As the first months passed by after Anneli’s birth, I watched our savings account dwindle away while knowing that it would eventually be empty.  For days, I would wake up in the morning asking God what He wanted me to do and presenting him with different job options but He would say, “Trust me.  You can go for that job but I have much better.  Trust me.”  Week after week, all I could tell Jonathan was that Jesus said to trust Him.  I have no clue how He is going to take care of us but I just know that I need to wait on Him and trust Him.  Waiting can be one of the hardest things to do in life.  It seems so much easier to take matters into our own hands and create a solution.  However, I have learned that, over the long haul and even in the present moment, we are always better off to stand on God’s word.  Jesus always has our best interest in mind and He is always working in our favor.  God knows what He is talking about.

As our savings account decreased and it became harder to find items to sell, there did not seem to be any sign of financial increase except God’s promise.  In November, I woke up in the middle night and went to the living room where I could hear and see rain pouring.  In that moment, the Lord said, “This month, financial provision will be poured into your home.”  In that same month, I was contacted by a friend who asked if they could connect me with a lady who was looking for someone to keep her little girl a few days each week.  It ended up that the family lives off the same road we do and I keep the little girl at home with Anneli!  God knew all along what He had planned.  I could have gone out on my own, looked for a job where I couldn’t keep Anneli and found a job that would have possibly hindered the ministry we do on campus and kept us from our ministry travels on the weekend but the hours of my new job and location of the family are perfect.  God is so good, always on time and is better that we could ever imagine.  No matter what we are believing for or trying to figure out, God has the answer and He will always come through on your behalf.  Trust Him!

Keeli Fawcett

Perfect Conditions

The conditions we put on our love towards people is founded on their appearance and their actions.  I tend to think Jesus always set a better example.  He examined the heart.  If people were inevitably bound to their demons with no hope of redemption then how could any of us be eligible for a Savior?  The “unsaved” are never “unsavable”. Neither Keeli nor I have ever had a beer.  (Beer battered fish, however, is another story… So good!) You could say that we live in a dry home.  It is a personal choice to not drink.  We don’t judge others if they do or think that we are higher than others because we don’t.  We have chosen not to play with other people’s fire.  Some lack control.  Some get consumed.  Some hurt themselves or others.  One man named Carl knew the monster of alcoholism.  But one night, he had an encounter with the fire of God.

I played guitar for a band during my college years with my friends, Ben, Matthew and Colby (all very talented musicians).  We were in downtown Asheville.  We strolled away from the coffee shop and made our way to my vehicle.  For some reason, we stopped to pray for each other.  Before we know it, a man comes stumbling towards us.

“I love Jesus,” he said.  This man was clearly drunk.  He started begging for money and told us he didn’t have a vehicle.  Two sentences later he pointed to a van claiming that it was his.  So let’s assess the situation.  A lying, begging, homeless drunk is raving about Jesus.  Sometimes, believers who distance themselves from certain things can have a tendency to also distance themselves from the people who are consumed by those things.  When that occurs, opportunities are missed!  On this night, conditions were perfect for God to move!

We asked Carl if we could pray with him.  He accepted.  We asked him what we could pray for.  He stretched out his hands and said he had arthritis.  It literally looked like golf balls were tucked under his skin around the middle knuckle on each hand.  Ben grabbed his hand and I placed my hand on top of Carl’s.  Ben prayed.  When we looked at his hands, the “golf balls” shrunk tremendously!  He began moving his hands like he couldn’t before.  One miracle happened.  Why not another?

I asked him if he had back pain.  He did.  He sat down on a curb and stretched out his legs.  One leg was about an inch shorter than the other.  We commanded his leg to grow in the name of Jesus and it shot out perfectly even with his other.

We gave him some cash and thanked him for letting us pray with him.  You never know who you’ll encounter or if you will ever see or hear from them again.  That’s why it’s important to reveal the love of God to all we encounter.  When certain people seem unlovable, let God’s grace and love take the lead.

Jonathan Fawcett

Honor

A bride and groom are to be wed.  The wedding date is set and they are ready to begin their life together, start a family, and live happily ever after.  But the wedding date has been changed.  It was expedient for the wedding to happen as soon as possible because the bride’s mother has cancer.  She was not given long to live.  In fact, she was not given enough time for the original date of the wedding. Hopeless.   Depressing.  Disheartening.  Just a few words that come to mind.  This dire situation proved bleak in a time that should be joyful.  How many times have we heard similar stories, look at the ground and solemnly shake our heads with a sad countenance?  The moments of silence should be ruptured by radical faith.

This scenario is true.  The wedding took place and the mother, consumed with cancer, attended.  Thankfully, one of the guests had radical faith.  He was standing in the corner, praying in the Spirit and heard the voice of God say, “Ask her [the mother of the bride] if she honored her father and mother.  Her answer will mean life or death.”

The mother of the bride was surrounded by a crowd.  As the guest began his approach, the crowd regrouped elsewhere to have their picture made.  She was left alone as the guest asked her the question.

After acknowledging that she did, indeed, honor her father and mother, the guest proceeded to tell her that this was the only commandment with a promise: long life on the earth.  He then prayed with her and commanded the cancer to leave her body in the name of Jesus.  It wasn’t a long prayer.  Thirty seconds at the most.  The reception continued and the bride and groom went on their honeymoon.

Upon their return from the honeymoon, the groom called the guest who prayed for his wife’s mother.  Upon asking how she was doing, he quickly put his bride on the phone.

“She went in for a scan.  They scanned her.  Then they scanned her again,” she explained.

Waiting for clarification, the guest asked, “What does that mean?”

The bride’s mother was cancer free!  It could not be found!  This has been over a decade ago and the mother is still alive and healthy.

So, who was the guest who boldly asked the cancer patient about honoring her parents?  It was my wife’s father, my father-in-law: Kermit Harpold.  Kermit taught me how to lead a supernatural life empowered by the Holy Spirit.  He demonstrated the Father’s love, the power of faith, and unhinged freedom of God’s grace.  The Gospel he preaches always yields fruit, maintains its simplicity, and yet it continues to confound me with its depth.  The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

In honor of a great father, father in the faith, and a man who shows honor and love to all he encounters, Kermit Harpold has been used by God to disciple leaders that will change the world.  With him, our vision is stirred and our passion is fueled as we seek to multiply God’s kingdom on earth.

Jonathan Fawcett