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.

Jesus in the Nail Salon

What girl doesn't love to be pampered?  Having your nails done or a good hair cut just gives you an extra pep in your step.  However, there is a small problem.  These things cost and, sometimes, are not so cheap.  I debated on whether or not to have my nails done a couple months ago.  I could have sent money to support an orphan or help a friend in ministry.  That was literally my thought process.

I ended up deciding to treat myself while Anneli stayed at home with her dad.  As soon as I sat down in the nail salon, there was a lady in the chair directly beside me.  Instantly, she shared with me that it was her 46th birthday.  She was so excited to have her nails done as a special birthday treat!  In no time, she was sharing with me about her life and the health issues she had gone through over the past year.  Her story was heartbreaking.  I was thankful I was there to pay for her nails as a birthday gift.  More than that, I was thankful I had the opportunity to share with her about Jesus.  She was not sure if she would go to heaven.  Her first reason for not being born again was that she had smoked for years.  I told her that God loved her no matter what she did.  He is Love.  After paying for our nails, I had the opportunity to sit with her at a bench in the mall and lead her to the Lord.  As she walked off she said, "Now that was fun!"

She received the best birthday gift of all.  She knows that she will be with Jesus forever!

I haven't had my nails done since, but maybe I should go more often!  No matter where you go, Jesus is there.  He loves for us to enjoy things.  As much as we want to give gifts to our children and make them happy, God's desire to make us happy is even greater.  Enjoy life in abundance!

-Keeli Fawcett

Prison and Persecution

In the United States, persecution is something we know very little about.  The option to shy away from being overtly overtaken by Mr. Love Himself (aka Jesus) seems more prominent in an effort to “relate” and “be relevant” to the world around us.  Love is how you relate.  Compassion is the key to being relevant.  In other words, being relevant is not skin deep.  The Holy Spirit is known for being a show off.  He wants to make a scene at the expense of the expectations the world puts on your shoulders. I remember my first date with Keeli.  We went to a movie and then strolled through the Asheville Mall.  I saw some teenagers passing by.  One was in a wheelchair.  I stopped to speak to them and asked what had happened.  The boy had hurt his leg in a skateboarding accident.  I asked if we could pray for him.  He agreed so I took a knee beside him and prayed for total and complete healing to manifest in his leg.  When I was finished, I asked him if he felt anything different.  Immediately, his friends began laughing at my question.  I stood to my feet and told them that this isn’t a joke.  I began telling them what we had seen healed by the power of God.  I haven’t been stoned, I haven’t been beaten, and I haven’t been shot at.  I’ve taken on the simplest form of “persecution”… the lightweight, powder puff kind that many believers in America think is true hardship.  Those kids weren’t laughing in insult when I was through.  The world wants to know that you’re serious about what you believe.  Of course, even in your firmness, you can still overflow with the joy of God.

So let’s face it… If we consider this as persecution, we truly need a new perspective.  Each morning at my office, we have devotions.  Pastor Saeed Abedini was sentenced to prison for 8 years in Iran because of his faith in Jesus Christ.  He has been beaten, tortured, and is in the hands of radicals who want him dead.  The only thing keeping him alive is the fact that he is in the media spotlight.  His wife, Naghmeh, shared their testimony.  They have been arrested multiple times, threatened, and promised death in prison by the authorities in Iran.  I could retell their amazing testimony, but I encourage you to hear it from the lips of Naghmeh.   She is a woman who has asked for the nations and shares how she was given an open door to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Join us as we pray for the release of Pastor Saeed and for his wife as she takes care of their family.

-Jonathan Fawcett

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs7wDLQBmOc&w=640&h=400]

Hookah and Slackline

Two days prior to writing this blog, Something More School of Ministry went on a treasure hunt.  As we walked the campus, we stumbled upon a group of five guys taking turns smoking hookah and walking a slackline (think of a tightrope tied between two trees that hangs three feet off the ground).  Leanne, one of the SMSOM students approached these guys asking about their slackline and hookah.  After introducing herself, she related to them like a mother, striking up a conversation, asking about their majors, where they were from, and their interests. They asked Leanne if she wanted to walk the slackline.  I began encouraging her to give it a try.  Keeli (who must have been preoccupied with Anneli) did not hear them ask Leanne if she wanted to walk the slackline and, instead, thought they offered her to smoke hookah.  This gave Keeli reason to believed I was encouraging Leanne to smoke up!  I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was.  It was a total Three’s Company scenario – a complete misunderstanding and gap in communication that left us laughing when we finally got on the same page.

Leanne began telling the group of guys about the love of God and how He had an amazing plan for each of them.  With all eyes fixed on Leanne, they listened intently.  One guy spoke up and thanked us for not shouting at them and calling them pagans like the hellfire preacher does when he comes on campus.  Leanne’s response was inspired by the Holy Spirit:

“We just need to pray that he [the hellfire preacher] experiences the love of God too.”

Leanne’s words left everyone stunned.  They began nodding in agreement.  The young men started to see how limitless the Father’s love was for all people – even those who have a tendency to do us wrong – and how compassion doesn’t cut down someone many would consider a confused, misled enemy in disagreement.

Leanne asked if she could pray for them.  She and I sat in the circle around the hookah as she began to pray the most encouraging prayer for their futures, their spouses and families, and gave thanks for the great plans that Jesus has for them.  They lifted their heads and began thanking Leanne.  One of the guys hugged Leanne and asked if he could be sent one of the photos (below) to show his mother.  These students were blessed by the encounter but it blessed us to see the Holy Spirit pour out love and grace through Leanne.

As we left, Leanne said, “I’m excited for their future because God is excited for their future.”

Jonathan Fawcett

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

Enjoy the Season

We waited anxiously to…

• Get our license
• Graduate high school
• Graduate college
• Complete our highest degree of education
• Get our first real job
• Fall in love
• Get married
• Buy our first car together
• Have our first child
• Buy our first home together

And the list goes on…

Do we live a life of purpose or waiting?  I think the response to that question is both.  What if in the midst of our waiting we are living out our purpose?  It can be so easy to become discouraged in the midst of our waiting for the next big step in life.  Maybe you know that you are called to start orphanages, develop the cure for cancer or end abortion but it seems so far out of reach.  What has God put on your heart?  He cares about the process, the journey and the waiting.  God is a big God and He orders our steps (Psalm 37:23).  There are key scriptures I live my life by.  That is one of them.  Another is Psalm 2:8, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as your possession.”

Everyday, I dream of seeing the nations know Jesus.  Not just people hearing about a good man who walked the earth and died for them to have eternal life with Him.  But for them to intimately know their Father who died, lives today, and sent the Holy Spirit to earth so heaven can invade their life now.  As I dream of all races and generations falling radically in love with my Savior, I find myself sitting in a small town in North Carolina.  It could be easy to think I will never have an impact for the kingdom of God or ask how there will ever be the finances to see the world changed for the glory of God.  Yet I find myself so full of God’s promises knowing that He has it all figured out for me.

I remember sitting in the car with my mom one afternoon.  After school, as my dad went in the grocery store, we saw a woman popping wheelies on a grocery buggy with her little child in it.  I was shocked!  The poor kid was barely hanging on!  At that moment I told my mom, “ I am so glad I am not the Holy Ghost.”  I realized it was just too big of a job for me to “fix” people.  In those few seconds of silliness, the Lord showed me that it really is not up to us to take care of everyone and fix everyone’s needs.  God knew that was such a big job that He died to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).  Thank goodness we have the Holy Spirit!  That should take a lot of pressure off of us!

Instead of worrying about what you are not doing, enjoy what you are doing!  Everyday remind yourself who God created you to be and keep focused on those dreams.  Our dreams always become our reality.  Whatever you set your mind to is what you will step into.

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super abundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].” --Ephesians 3:20, AMP

What is the biggest dream you have every dreamed?

You want to become a teacher?  How about see the education system as a whole glorify God and our history books teach the Godly foundation our nation was established on?

You want to create roller coasters?  Build an amusement park and give money to feed and house children all over the world!

Quit worrying about what you have not seen and start dreaming about what you will see.  No age is too old or too young.  God has big things in store for you.  When God speaks, be instant to obey no matter how crazy it may seem.  I can promise you that God always knows best!

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” --Philippians 4:6, NKJV

Keeli 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

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

Landmark

Friends,We are excited to announce an event taking place Friday, March 1 from 7pm-9pm in the Whitewater Lounge of the Student Union on Appalachian State's campus.  Campus ministers, local pastors, current students, alum, and residents who have been praying for revival and transformation to come to ASU are invited to pray as we worship with our friends, BJ and Lisa Sullivan.  Watch the video to learn more about Landmark: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGoqyMUgAO0?rel=0]

We will see you Friday, March 1st as we launch into 40 days of prayer and fasting.  Until then, Instagram this photo, tweet it, post it as your Facebook profile picture and help spread the word...

We love you and look forward to making a scene with you for the Kingdom of God.

Jonathan & Keeli Fawcett

Heart for Harvard - Part 1

As a junior in college, I found myself praying for revival in the Ivy League schools.  I spent a night immersed in the presence of God, full of hope, that God’s presence would be known on Harvard’s campus.  After praying I began to think about how “strange” it was for me to have a heart for Harvard when I did not attend an Ivy League school. The next morning, I decided to research the connection between revival and the Ivy League campuses.  When I sat down to the computer, I searched Google for “Ivy League Revival”.  The very first link that came up took me directly to the registration page for the Yale Institute of Campus Revival and Awakening.  Although the website for the institute clearly explained that they were looking for campus ministers and professors with a heart for the universities, I knew God had ordered my steps and that I was to attend this gathering.  I completed my registration not knowing what the person on the other end was going to think when they saw I was a college student.  After applying, I told God that I expected for him to cover all of my finances to attend what I had just applied for.

A few days later, I received a phone call from an unknown number.  It was Dave Warn from Collegiate Impact who was planning and hosting the institute.  Dave shared how they appreciated my interest, but at that time they were not accepting college students.  If they changed their mind they would let me know.  After the conversation ended, I told God that I knew I was supposed to be there and I would go ahead and raise the financial support to go.  I wrote a letter and began sending it out to friends, explaining what the Lord had placed on my heart.

About a month before the institute began, I received my second phone call from Dave.  He let me know that they had decided to let me come if I could get my finances together in such a short period of time.  Little did he know at that time that I was already working on the money!  I told him the money wouldn’t be a problem.

A man from church offered to buy my plane ticket and I continued making plans to be somewhere that would reveal my heart’s desires.  It was amazing to see how God took care of every little detail including my two professors who allowed me to miss the last full week of summer school.

On my way to Yale, I had a layover in Hartford, CT and changed to a much smaller plane for the last flight into New Haven.  When I boarded the plane, a man in front of me named Gary Stratton asked if I was going to the institute and I told him I was!  He explained that when we were waiting at the terminal God spoke to him and told him there were specific young people God was raising up to lead His next move and when he closed his laptop to board the plane he saw me and God said, “She is one of them.”

That week, Gary was my dad away from home!  I have had the privilege of meeting part of his beautiful family and they are such a blessing!  I was in awe of how God not only takes care of our finances but also provides family and relationships everywhere we go with God!

Through that week I heard so many incredible ministers.  I met men of God who have had hundreds of angelic visitations in their home and took their time to pour into me that week.  There are men and women of God who have radically laid their lives down to see the fullness of God’s heart known to all men and nations.

On the last night of the institute, the President of Life Action Ministries, Byron Paulus, spoke after our dinner.  He shared the story of a man named Gipsy Smith who would take a piece of chalk and draw a circle around himself.  Smith would ask God to fill that circle with revival.  He knew if he was overflowing with God the presence of Jesus would pour out of him everywhere he went.  Revival begins with you!

That was a life changing message in my life!  From that night my heart has been to be so full of Jesus that I leak Him everywhere I go.  I want to radically love Jesus in such a way that every person I come in contact with knows Him.  Although I am blessed with an incredible family and friends, it was my passion from that night forward to know that my destiny, provision and happiness depended on God alone.  I knew that, even if it was just me and Jesus, we would see transformation together in the entire world.

Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. -Psalm 2:8

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