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.

Student Invitation

Our visit to Washington, DC for the Awake East Coast conference was nothing short of spectacular.  Being around like-hearted believers stirs us to see even greater than we’ve seen before.  Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Being around wild believers who are passionate about seeing their college campuses transformed is fuel to the fire – spurring us toward love and good deeds.  Some believe these verses are meant to encourage us to have better behavior and stop being so rowdy.  When I reflect on the friendships I’ve had with believers who live to experience all God has called them to do and receive all that He has done, our conversations were dominated with testimonies, our lives flooded with miracles, and our time spent together was ministering to the sick and downtrodden.  Our very nature became supernatural because we constantly spurred one another towards love and good deeds. Good deeds/God's power without love are like a train without tracks.

During our time in DC, students from multiple campuses were planning what they could do to effectively see their campuses transformed. We were once students and experienced a movement on our campus.  We've worn a lot of hats.  So we asked ourselves, what do we love to do and how can we be an instrument of creative inspiration, reinforcement, encouragement, and sustainability with college students hungry for revival?  After much prayer and discussion, we arrived at the Mountaintop Experience.

It’s our desire to host students from college campuses around the nation and give them the opportunity to receive coaching, training and equipping in the beautiful environment of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Boone, NC.  We want to give students the opportunity to practice what they've learned and give them the experience they need to see God's power released on their campus.  You can't beat the setting and the family atmosphere.  If you are a college student, know a college student, or are about to become a college student, learn more, spread the word, and register to join us for one of the many weekends available.

We’ll see you on the mountain!

-Jonathan & Keeli Fawcett

Freedom from Eating Disorder

In hopes that liberation will replenish and testimonies will come from a result of this blog...

Have you ever had the overwhelming guilt from ingesting food at the thought you would gain an ounce or made yourself so sick from eating that you had to purge your insides or were so stricken with fear of gaining weight that you could not swallow anything but air?  There is a good chance you have faced one of those scenarios and if you haven’t I can assure you some of your close friends have.  An eating disorder can come from the most innocent dieting rituals.  Simply trying to take care of your body or preparing for the spring break trip coming up in a few weeks.  I cannot imagine that many people would purposefully set themselves up for a life-threatening condition.  Females may wake up determined to look better and lose weight but it is harder to come across a young girl who said she woke up one morning and quit eating to take on a chronic illness. We all want to look good but the thing I have found after seeing so many friends get married is that skin and bones is not your answer to walking down the aisle to get married.  Girls of all shapes and sizes get married and they marry good looking people.  Just go to the mall and look around you.

Saturday night I picked up a newspaper and saw an ad for National Eating Disorder Awareness week which was actually last week.  As soon as I saw the ad the Lord told me to write a blog on eating disorders and girls were going to be supernaturally healed as they read it.

If you are dealing with unhealthy eating I am not sure of the cause or hurt you may be facing right now.  I do know that just as Esther, in the Bible, you have been called for such a time as this and you were made in the image of God.  Jesus created you perfect.  Literally perfect.

I pray you receive a God given desire for food and peace to eat healthy.  I break every lie of the enemy over your mind and call you blessed, holy and righteous.  You have been set free and I declare the freedom and love of God to overwhelm you. Jesus loves you because He loves you and He made you.  Feed and take care of your body.  You have the mind of Christ.  God has perfect plans for your life and you will walk them out.  There is nothing you have done that is too big for God’s grace to take care of.  You are healed and never again do you have to fear food or weight gain.  I speak righteous eating and a holy hunger on the inside of you in the name of Jesus.

Be blessed and receive all that God has for you,

-Keeli Fawcett

*Please seek help if you are in need of medical attention or counseling.  If you do not know who to contact in your area please let me know and I will be happy to see how I can help you!

Watchdogs and Hate Blogs

February 2014 was a whirlwind of travel.  One stop was Gastonia, NC where Keeli and I spoke at the Grace Upon Grace conference.  I began by reading a quote from John Crowder.  This quote is one of the most detoxing, myth busting, religious attitude killers I’ve ever heard.  So often, believers observe and mimic the patterns and habits of leaders in the church.  But the wonderful thing about maturing as a believer is that we don’t have to stick with those bad habits.  There is grace to move on and come to a fuller understanding of Jesus Christ’s finished work and your inclusion in that work. In today’s world of social media, skewed facts, hasty conclusions, and brutal attacks are prevalent.  In fact, one would conclude that most believers feel more called to be a watchdog or whistle-blower than a minister of the Gospel.  It’s a tendency developed by self-righteous living.  True discernment is not publicly calling out the faults of others, nor is it a gift to be abused by self-exaltation.  Discernment is a gift, like every gift, that should be operated from a place of love.

With that said, don’t be quick to get on a bandwagon of divisiveness, hate, slander, or libel towards other brothers and sisters in Christ because their church has activity you may not be familiar with, teaching you don’t agree with (or completely understand), or trends that are foreign.  I implore you: do not jump to conclusions without understanding the context.  Any “watchdog” can create a blog and spout off hate, create division, and be an instrument of confusion to the church and the world.  Nasty blogs tend to bind rather than create an allowance to enjoy God’s grace and freedom.

After speaking, Keeli and I teamed up with our friends, BJ and Lisa Sullivan, and had an opportunity to pray with an array of people.  It was one of the best times of prophetic ministry we have ever had.  The message of grace tends to free people from the idea that something else must be done in addition to Jesus' finished work.  The requests weren’t weird, strange, or off the wall.  The requests for prayer were real and honest.  No super spiritual conspiracy theories or deliverance from the yabba-dabba-doo spirit of Beebop and Rocksteady (Ninja Turtle reference!).  The Holy Spirit did amazing things, called people back to a place where they were fulfilling their call, began restoring marriages, and speaking His language of love to them.

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.  The quote that I read from John Crowder’s video “A New Language”.  May the words bring a newfound freedom into your life.

• I am not pressing in anymore.  I’ve been pressed into.
• I’m not contending anymore.  I’ve been contended for.
• I’m not a God chaser anymore.  He moves way too fast.  He chased me down, roped and hog-tied me, bagged and dragged me.
• I’m not seeking God anymore.  He found me.
• I’m not even drawing close to God.  We’re not getting closer.  We are in union.  We are Siamese twins.
• You will never hear me say anything about overcoming the flesh.  The fleshly nature was circumcised away.
• You will never hear me say anything about killing the old man.  The old man has been co-crucified with Christ.
• Some people say, “You’re only human.” I’m not.  I’m a new creation.
• Some people say, “Well, nobody’s perfect.” I am.  Unless you think Christ was incompetent on the cross.
• Some people say, “Well, we’re all sinners.” What Bible verse is that?  As a matter of fact, John says if you continue in sin, you’re a child of the devil.
• I don’t talk about dry times.  I don’t talk about dark nights of the soul.  I’m done with dessert theology.
• I’m not asking Him to purify my heart.  He gave me a new one.
• I’m not asking Him to open the heavens.  The veil of His flesh was torn and all of heaven was open with it.
• I’m not asking Him to take me into the holy of holies.  That’s where I’m seated right now.
• I don’t pump people up into intercession.  I think He’s done an adequate job of it.
• I don’t pump people up into fasting.  He fasted so that I could feast.
• I don’t pump people up into godly sorrow.  He was a man of sorrow so we could be a people of joy.
• I don’t overemphasize confession.  It’s just admitting your sins to see that they’re already forgiven.
• I don’t overemphasize my faith.  It’s His faith that saved me.
• I don’t overemphasize repentance.  It’s a fruit of salvation, not the price tag to buy it.
• I don’t talk about insiders or outsiders.  I don’t talk about saved or unsaved.  I don’t talk about good or evil.  I don’t talk about yin and yang.  I don’t talk about good cop-bad cop.  I’m just talking about Jesus and His inclusion of all humanity on the cross.  And I don’t talk about forgiven or unforgiven.  The only distinction is believer or unbeliever.  The Gospel changes everything… The scandal of grace.

To watch the entire video, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25DSxQcp7Q

Jonathan Fawcett

Wrong Number

When an unknown number calls you, do you answer or ignore?  Nobody enjoys a call from a telemarketer or surveyor.  My phone tends to buzz with unknown numbers.  What began as an annoyance has turned into opportunity.  Now, nine times out of ten, I answer. My phone would ring.  It would be an Asheville number so, naturally, being from the area, I answered.  Someone would be on the other end asking for people I did not know.  I would politely tell them they had the wrong number.  Until one day, they repeated the number back to me.  It was not the correct number.  Two digits had been swapped.  But it wasn’t so much the number as it was the location they were attempting to call.

“Is this the hospital?”

No!  I’m not the hospital but I’m glad you called!  I well up with excitement knowing they reached a man filled with the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.  Now when I receive these phone calls, I tell them they did not reach the correct number but that I would love to pray with them for the person they were trying to reach.  I don’t ask for a lot of information.  Perhaps a first name and what ails them.  I have never had a caller turn me down.  When a loved one is burdened with sickness, it tends to burden their family, friends, and loved ones of the individual.  Jesus’ burden is light.  When I hang up, I want the person to know that their loved one in the hospital is loved by the Healer, Jesus Christ, and that his will for their lives is sozo (salvation that includes being saved, healed, and delivered).

I never hear the outcome.  Faith sees it before it happens.  I see people miraculously recovering.  I see people healed.  I see people rise from their bed, defying their death sentence by the power of the name of Jesus.

Look for opportunities to boldly bring hope into desperation, even when it doesn’t seem convenient or arrive at an opportune time.  Give pause for someone and communicate Christ’s unconditional love.

-Jonathan Fawcett

Image

Image: a physical likeness or representation of a person. A little girl twirls, dances, dresses up and takes care of her baby dolls.  She runs to the mirror as soon as she puts her tutu and hat on to see how beautiful she is.  In that moment the reflection she sees is not simply her but Jesus in her.  Childlike faith allows the little girl to see the beauty in her eyes and how she was so perfectly made.  As time goes on we so easily forget those reflections we once saw and we begin the search for imperfections in our own life.  The mirror once brought joy but as time goes by we so often allow the mirror to pinpoint the frizz in our hair or the blemish on our chin.

This way of life is contradictory to the heart of Jesus.  The more time we spend with someone the more we replicate them.  Watch a teenage girl find a new group of friends in middle school and in no time you will notice her buying the same brands and wearing the same makeup as her “best” friends.  It is a natural development that we take on the look and personality of those around us.

There is no question that Anneli is mine and Jonathan’s little girl.  Not only does she look like us but she acts like us.  Her dad plays the guitar so she plays the guitar.  Her dad loves chocolate so she loves chocolate.  Her dad hangs his sunglasses on the collar of his shirt so she hangs her sunglasses on her shirt.  The examples go on and on.  She spends time with us therefore she is like us.

Being made in God’s image not only means that we look like Him but we also act like Him.  There is no denying that we are Anneli’s parents and there should be no denying that we are God’s children.

I believe when the enemy looks at us he sees Jesus because we were made in His image.  We may not have the same skin color or hair color as Jesus but we are a representation of Him on earth.

Anneli has been saturated in the practice of God’s presence.  When we pray, she folds her hands.  If we ask her if she wants to pray, she never says, “No.” If she needs prayer, she will grab one of our hands and put it on her head.  When we worship, she worships.  When music plays, she lifts her hands and dances.  When someone sings, she sings.  When someone plays an instrument, she wants her little uke to play with them.  When someone needs healing, she will pray for them and they get well.  Your ministry is your family.  Your mission field is your address.  What happens behind the walls of your home will change the lives of countless people outside of your home through your children.  Your love is not a face you put on for your church gatherings.  It is a genuine manifestation that thrives and overflows from family.  Before you show the image of God to the nations, be like Jesus in your living room.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” --Genesis 1:26-28, NIV

-Keeli & Jonathan Fawcett

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

Lessons From Santa

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… The Christmas season is always the most exciting, joyous time of the year to me.  I love everything from the cheesy Christmas movies to baking Christmas cookies.  I grew up with parents who thrive during Christmas.  Their house always looked like Macy’s with all the elaborate decorations.  Anneli’s favorite decoration has been the bigger than life size snowman on Papaw and Gammy’s porch.  As soon as we turn into their driveway, she screams, “MAN!” (Snowman). However, one of the most controversial parts of Christmas is Santa… but I know that he is real!

A few weeks ago, Jonathan, Anneli, and I went with my parents to see the play Twas the night before Christmas.  It was during that play that I realized just how good Santa is.  When things seemed impossible, he came through.  Why is it that we can spend part of the year teaching our children about a man named Santa who brings them good gifts and anticipate his arrival yet much of the church teaches every week that there is a man named Jesus who died whom we must suffer as a sacrifice for to bring Him glory?  The church has been teaching that if Jesus wills He will bring healing, deliverance, blessing (which, to many, is a 50/50 chance dependent on your good behavior rather than His grace and finished work).  According to many church teachings, Santa sounds way better than Jesus.

The truth is, God is a good God.  If our children can understand that the heart of giving and Santa is not based on what we do or not do we can truly receive every good and perfect gift the Lord has set before us.  Jesus made the perfect sacrifice once and for all on the cross.   His will is always for you to be healed and blessed.  He is the king of kings who is alive and well today.  As a believer, He is our Daddy and we have a magnificent inheritance that is for us to receive right now.  When the disciples asked how to pray, Jesus’ response was, “on earth as it is in heaven.”  Will we see lack, depression and sickness in heaven?  No.  So let it be known that unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

I pray this Christmas season, you realize you no longer have to run after God but He has already chased you down.  He has more gifts than you could ever imagine receiving.  He loves you because He loves you.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Keeli 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

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

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

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

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

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