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.

Brutally Honest Love

One of the greatest joys of being a husband is boasting about my wife.  My favorite preacher on the planet is my bride.  Keeli boldly goes where few dare.  This isn’t just when she ministers to hundreds at a time, but she also demonstrates valiant boldness when speaking to individuals.  Most of the time, I’m thinking, “I wouldn’t say that to someone.” She can be brutally honest and simultaneously loving.  She has made I Corinthians 13 a reality… Especially the passage that states, “Love rejoices in the truth.” In the moments Keeli speaks the truth of God’s love to people, I begin to see how selfless love is.  Knowing the truth and holding it from others is an instrument of control and manipulation.  Unfortunately, we see this in the church at an uncomfortable level.  Imagine being invited to speak at a church and being told, right before you begin, not to mention the Holy Spirit because some might see Him as controversial or divisive (even though He is the key to unity).

How selfish it is for someone to have experienced the healing power of God and not offer it to those in pain?  How selfish is it to know the benefits of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and not teach it?  How selfish is it to build a ministry based on a preacher’s closeness with God rather than helping bring others to the realization that Jesus has already closed in on us?  How selfish is it to know Jesus' limitless love and not shout it from the rooftops?  Each time Keeli teaches people how to hear the voice of God, leads them to Jesus or in the baptism of the Spirit, or releases the healing power of God into their bodies, I see how unselfish she is.  When I hear others say, “Why haven’t I heard about this before?” I realize just how fearless my wife is because of the boldness she has received from the Holy Spirit.

Since the moment I fell in love with Keeli, I felt it was my duty to make sure she was able to fulfill her call to preach the Gospel each time the door opened.  We were married and opportunities followed.  She was invited on multiple occasions to address crowds with the Gospel.  To my shock and awe, she declined.  I asked her why she didn’t go and this was her response:

“I married you so we could go together.”

The opportunities didn’t end there.  We still get invited to speak but we never fly solo.  We believe there is something that has been missing from the message being preached.  Crowds of hundreds or thousands of people cannot compare to the best ministry life has to offer: family.  In the words of Keeli, “We always go together.” As my wife forfeited opportunities to travel abroad to do what she loves to do, she remained with her family, waiting for the opportunities to do the very thing we love to do more than anything – together as a family.

-Jonathan Fawcett

Traveling Band

Dear readers, This blog has been a wonderful means of reaching you with testimonies of the goodness of Jesus and how the power of the Holy Spirit is transforming people’s lives.  We have heard from many of you how the blogs have been an encouragement.  Some of you may have been stirred to believe for your own miracle, healing, or breakthrough and we worship Father God for His continual goodness.

This season in our life is quite different.  Last year, we launched a School of Ministry in Boone, NC while pastoring a church on Appalachian State University’s campus.  Boone has been a landmark for miracles.  Now, we want to see your city saturated with signs of the God of love.

It is our desire to come to you, share testimonies of Christ’s power and love, and impart the desire for God’s kingdom to overwhelm your sphere of influence.

Here’s what you should NOT expect if we come to your town:

• Long meetings of confession and repentance with a focus on sin.
• Begging God to do something He already has done.
• Formulas that accomplish something apart from Holy Spirit.

Here’s what you can expect:

• An opportunity for believers to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
• Personal prophetic and healing ministry and training.
• Power evangelism training and exercises (most notably in the form of “treasure hunts”).

Because of our current employment, we are only available on certain weekends.  As we maintain stewardship in our home by working our jobs, we also desire to fulfill the call of God on our family’s life to train, equip, and empower believers to advance the kingdom of God in their cities and throughout the nations.  Email us at somethingmoreinc@gmail.com with any questions or available dates.  We look forward to hearing from you to discuss the details of a weekend with your friends, family, church group, and other believers who are stirred to see the reality of God’s kingdom.

Thank you and blessings,

Jonathan & Keeli Fawcett, somethingmoreinc@gmail.com

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

Class of 2013

We would like to take a moment to honor and recognize the students of Something More School of Ministry, Class of 2013.  On May 21, 2013, Laura Berkstresser and Leanne Snyder graduated from the first year of Something More School of Ministry.  They exemplified excellence as they gained a greater understanding and application of the basics of righteousness and grace, the Holy Spirit, transformation and the Kingdom of God, prophetic and power evangelism, discipleship, and foundations of ministry.  Leanne was also licensed into the ministry.  Laura will be attending graduate school at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro and Leanne will be attending Charis Bible College in Colorado Springs, CO.  We will never forget this amazing year, their dedication, and faith to believe Jesus Christ for the impossible.  Join us in congratulating Laura and Leanne. To read a testimony of a powerful treasure hunt with the students, click here.

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

Presence

October 25, 2006 is an important date.  That was the day Keeli and I first met.  She invited me to a prayer meeting being held in the Student Union on Appalachian State's campus the next night.  It was that night I saw passion in students I never saw up until that time.  The big shocker was that students were praying in tongues.  Being baptized in the Holy Spirit as a junior in high school, I had never been around a group of students this large that were desperate to see transformation on their campus.  After the prayer meeting, we went to a restaurant called Dos Amigos.  Ironically enough, a friendship was formed between two people. Sitting at the dinner table, I shared with Keeli's father, Kermit, about my vision to host a conference on campus telling others about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Why?  Because I had been raised in a Christian home, went to church all of my life, surrounded myself with friends that love Jesus, but never even heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit until my junior year of high school.  How many others were out there like me?  How many have been robbed of receiving the greatest gift a believer could receive because they never heard of it (like the believers in Acts 19:1-7)?

When I shared my vision with Kermit, he announced it to the entire table.  I remember making eye contact with Keeli.  We didn't wink at each other or make eyes at one another, but I remember noticing that this had her attention.  Kermit encouraged me to meet with her to plan this out and see it through.  It also helped that everyone else at the table was counting on action being taken.  Accountability at its finest.

From October to March, we planned, prepped, fasted, prayed, and advertised.  We called the conference "Presence: Out of Apathy... Into Power".  It was a different time.  Back then, everyone pitched in.  Their efforts to ensure this conference was a success has not been overlooked or forgotten.  Everyone did their part, from the worship team and video/sound crew to the prayer group from Asheville and graphic designer who created the posters and fliers students distributed.  It was the Body of Christ in its purest form.

200 were in attendance, including students from twelve different campus ministries.  That night, eight students were baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues for the first time.  The eight that received the baptism of the Holy Spirit were significant, but what happened afterwards was beautiful.  Hundreds of people have since been baptized in the Holy Spirit.  Not just at conferences or church meetings, but in everyday life.  If we went to lunch with someone, we would lead them in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  If we carpooled with someone or gave them a ride, they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  If we hung out in dorms or apartments, people would get baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Never deduce what is meant for everyday life to a church meeting.  Don't always expect a preacher, pastor or Bible study leader to do it for you.  You have influence.  When you live a life of testimonies that point to Jesus, you can easily have people's attention, stir their hunger, and lead them to receive the Lord, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and do so simplistically.  The Spirit of God is not on break during your life outside of a church meeting.  He is alive, ready for others - everybody - to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  As I like to say, being baptized in the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with your salvation, but it could have everything to do with someone else's.  This baptism makes heaven tangible on earth for you and those around you.  This baptism empowers you, the believer, to do the works that Jesus did and greater.

Jonathan Fawcett

Jesus Loves Babies

When I was a student at ASU, a friend of a friend made an appearance all the way from New Jersey to initiate a pro-life group on campus to stand for the rights of the unborn.  She was bold and passionate about the issue and the people involved.  Her conviction was driven by love for the women who had abortions, the babies who had been aborted, and the unborn children whose lives hung in the balance of a decision. Years later, she was married, moved to Arizona, and had her first child, Karen Ann.

When Karen Ann was 14 months old, she was just diagnosed with cerebral palsy.  There was something wrong with her gross motor skills.  She had the ability of about an eight month old.  Although it was hard for her, she was mentally ready to do so much more than she was physically capable of.  She couldn’t seem to get her legs to function correctly.  It was difficult for her to put weight on them.  At this stage, she was getting around by army crawling.

Little did we know, Karen Ann’s mother had been reading the testimonies posted on this blog.  She asked if we would pray for her daughter.  We shared the testimony of a friend who was healed of cerebral palsy to stir faith for her daughter’s healing.  Then, we emailed a prayer of healing and restoration for her to read every day over her daughter.

Two months passed and we heard the report:

Hey Jonathan and Keeli, I wanted you both to know that Karen has been in physical therapy for two months now and has improved so drastically we're all amazed. She's 16 months old and crawling now really well! Her balance is better and she's pulling herself up on furniture, and walking while holding on to chairs and couches. Thank you for your prayers! A few months ago we didn't know if she'd ever crawl or walk!

Karen Ann’s improvements have been really dramatic.  At 17 months old, she is crawling on all fours with her knees underneath her.  She is no longer dragging her legs behind her.  As her muscle tone develops, we continue to believe that she will be walking soon without assistance.  Agree with us in prayer as we continue to believe for Karen Ann’s healing.  She is a happy, joyful girl and the Lord has great plans for her!

Update, February 11, 2013: Keeli played a video for me on Facebook of Karen Ann walking all by herself.  She didn't trip, stumble, wobble, or fall.  Her mother declared her a "full time walker" and, as you can imagine, we were elated.  We replayed the video over and over and over, each time sensing the overwhelming goodness and love of God!

This testimony has shown how the Lord uses this blog to reach people across the nation.  If you ever need prayer, agreement for breakthrough, or a miracle, we would be honored to stand with you.  Email us at somethingmoreinc@gmail.com.

Jonathan Fawcett

Ascension

Video Blog: Jonathan gives an overview of the testimonies from their time in Raleigh, NC followed by the Word Keeli ministered that preceded the miracles and healing. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVTaEWqaPQw?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

Feather and Fedora

Fall In Love 2012 was a weekend conference in Boone, NC focused on power evangelism.  It certainly was that and more.  Friends traveled from around the country to gain experience in “doing the stuff” that believers were commissioned to carry out. This conference was unlike any I’ve ever experienced.  It wasn’t masses of people coming to listen, take notes, break for lunch, and return for the nightly sessions.  Instead, it was a small group of strangers that connected through their appetite for the supernatural and left as friends.

Rich Brink, a friend we met in Boston, flew from Maine for the weekend.  Rich stirred us with testimonies and shared from John 4 (where Jesus encounters the woman at the well).  He taught practical ways of sharing the Gospel simply and powerfully.

Upon finishing, we were ready to begin the treasure hunt.  This is where we pray in the Spirit and write down every impression we hear from God.  Then, we compare notes, break into teams, and search for the people - the treasures - that the Lord wants to show us.  Often, people get healed, encouraged, or saved.  It was homecoming weekend at Appalachian State so “black and gold” were obvious clues.  We prayed in the Spirit, wrote down our clues and began sharing and connecting the dots.

BJ and Lisa Sullivan, worship leaders and friends from Charlotte, were present.  BJ, sitting down at the front says, “All I saw was a fedora with a feather in it.”

Lisa, standing by the door points out the window and says, “There he goes!” On a skateboard, a man wearing a fedora with a feather in it, shoots by in a blur.  BJ and Richard (our friend and former intern with Immersion Church) try to chase him down but he was too fast.  With many thousands of ASU fans, parents, and students, we knew he would be found again.

We divided into groups of three and began to follow the clues.  I am almost certain that every person with crutches, a cast, or boot was ministered to, prayed for, and some said they began to feel better.  I was with Rich Brink and Josh from Alabama.  Josh attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry for two years.  He gave an accurate prophetic word to a friend who serves on the custodial staff.

We then start making our way to the stadium.  Josh and Rich speak a moment to someone on crutches and return right as the fedora and feather walks a few feet right in front of us.  Rich and I catch up with him.  He tells us that he was already found once but was willing to receive anything we had to give him.  We pulled off from the moving crowd and began prophesying to him, encouraging him, and praying for him.  I asked him to stretch out his hands to feel the glory of God.  His arms began to sink under the tangible weight of God’s goodness.

We returned to see that it only took a short time to cover ASU’s campus with a handful of believers.

Jonathan Fawcett

School Of Ministry

It gives us great pleasure to announce Something More School of Ministry (SMSOM).  Since 2007, we have dreamed about starting a school where we could equip believers for a Spirit-empowered life that glorifies the Son and builds identity in the Father’s love, transforming nations and generations for the Kingdom of God. For those interested and enrolled, SMSOM will host an open house 6:30pm August 21 at Appalachian House of Prayer (151 Howard St. Suite 1, Boone, NC).  The deadline for applications is September 18.  The first day of class is Tuesday, September 25 at 6:30pm at Appalachian House of Prayer (AppHOP).

If you believe this is where the Lord has called you, we encourage you to complete an application at somethingmoreinc.org/school.  If you have any questions before enrolling, email us at somethingmoreinc@gmail.com.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Jonathan & Keeli Fawcett

Renewed Minds

A friendly couple from California came to my office for a tour of the headquarters where I work in North Wilkesboro, NC.  As we were wrapping up, I mentioned that my wife and I pastor a church on Appalachian State University’s campus.  I continued by telling them we see the Lord work in miracles, signs, wonders and healing.  As I sat across the table, I offered to pray for them if they had anything that needed to be healed.  The husband had been waking up with back pain, was contemplating a knee replacement, and disclosed a confidential health issue that needed to be dealt with. I love testimonies.  They excite me, stir me, and reveal the character of God to me and hopefully to others.  I began to share how we saw students healed of similar conditions.  As I ended one of the testimonies, the wife voiced the common sentiment, “We’re praying for healing if it’s God’s will.  But if He wants to bring glory to Himself through this then that’s okay too.”

“Let me stop you there,” I interjected. “When did Jesus ever encounter someone that was sick and say to them, ‘You haven’t learned your lesson yet,’ or ‘I’m not going to heal you’?  Acts 10:38 says that Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil.  God is never the oppressor.  Jesus is the unchanging Word – the same yesterday, today, and forever.  If He healed all then, He is willing to heal your husband now.  God is not a God of favoritism.”

They asked, “What about the man who was blind from birth?”

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind?  Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.  We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.  The night is coming, and then no one can work.  But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.  He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! – John 9:1-7 (NLT)

“Jesus said the man was born blind so that God would receive glory,” the husband said.  When I asked him when, in that testimony, did God receive glory, he paused and replied, “In the healing.” If God’s glory and power was found in the sickness rather than the healing, then Jesus put an abrupt end to the glory of God – not only on this occasion, but throughout His entire ministry.

If Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8), the one who came to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), then why does most of the church believe God is putting the devil to work?  It is our position as joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), to delegate His authority and Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10, John 14:12).  Jesus is the blueprint to a Spirit-filled life.  He was baptized in the Holy Spirit to reveal the will of the Father – that all mankind may be saved, healed and delivered (I Timothy 2:4) – and demonstrate the Kingdom of God by healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils, and cleansing the lepers (Matthew 10:7-8).

After hearing their preconceived understanding of the uncertainty and confusion of God’s will, I didn’t refuse to pray or tell them that they lacked the faith to be healed.  These are two people that love the Lord with all their might.  Often, we blame the level of faith in a person when all they really need is a renewed mind (Romans 12:2).  Faith accompanies hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  Now that they’ve heard the Truth in love, we could agree for a miracle (Matthew 18:19).

I prayed for his body.  His wife watched as his leg grew about an inch.  His body came into alignment.  The wife in tears and the husband wide-eyed in amazement, he stood up and began to walk around, testing his back and knee.

“I don’t feel any pain!” he exclaimed.  We thanked the Lord together and they blessed me by encouraging and praying for me.  That was the end of their tour.  Just another day in the office.

Jonathan Fawcett