A Prophetic Conference with IMPACT!

Peggy and I returned last night from Ann Arbor attending Shekinah Church's “The Sound that Awakens the Desert” conference.

I have been to many conferences, seminars, special meetings and so forth in my life. Many Christian. Some are better than others. Some aren't. I hear people say, "If I can get just ONE idea from it I will be happy". Pretty low expectations in my opinion.

From the first time I heard about this, when it was announced, My heart leapt. I somehow knew that this was going to be different. This area of Southeastern Michigan Ann Arbor and Detroit is a very hard hit place in this time. Crime, corruption and mass unemployment. Deserted areas of Cities. Pretty rough stuff.

So in a way, this is a desert. A dry place. A place with no obvious fruit or hope for any.

Functionally the conference was good. Good speakers, Paul Keith Davis, Ray Hughes and Chuck Pierce from out of town and Of course Apostle Barbara Yoder.

But that wasn't what made it special.

An old friend of mine, Julie Meyer and her son Isaac led worship. I actually played bass in a little ensemble once with them at the IHOP. Isaac was younger then. Much. Long ago.

So I felt right at home. But that wasn't the secret ingredient.

What made it so unique and special was the expectation and hunger of the people. There were people there from all over the USA and even from out of the Country, Canada and Great Britain.

The worship was good, passionate. But that by itself didn't make it.

God honors the hungry heart. He moves where he is invited. He moved in this conference. By the end of the First Night I told Apostle Yoder, "This is a BIG deal". She may not have understood just then how big this was going to be. I could see in the Spirit what God was about to do.

During the conference in the spirit I saw bondages fall off people. I saw people being washed over by the Word. I saw debris being flooded out of their lives. People found identity. Things were uncovered in their lives. Hidden seed long dormant in their lives began to sprout and bloom. Some things were set aside. I know that my face is set like flint today in ways Never Before.

People wouldn't leave. They wanted to go deeper. They wanted more. God honors that kind of hunger.

Many people recieved new commissions, new assignments, new courage, new hope and an uncovered heart. Even among those on the platform. I believe that this was not just another conference for a couple of them. Surely for Chuck Pierce.

Sure there was some flesh, there were a few who were just there for the circus. But when I had the opportunity to look into their eyes at the end of Friday night I saw wide eyed hunger, people desperate for God.

“Seek me and you will find me” I heard the Lord say. They did.

I have not ministered in Africa. I have in Brazil and Mexico. Hunger is the catalyst that releases the presence and power of God.

The problem with such a conference with such depth and passion is to try to replicate it. That's not easy to do. If a month from now the same people came and the same speakers and the same worship team it wouldn’t be the same. God is clear. Behold I do A NEW thing. He will NOT be put in a box or become formulaic. He moves when he wants to move. To try to manipulate Him to move is Religion.

Next time it will be different. Next time it will have different effect. God is up to good things.

But this time was something that has changed lives forever. I've had a few like this. Once with Rodney Howard Browne. Another time with a person by the name of Smith. I don't recall much about him, or what he said, but he spoke a destiny I'm still walking out today. And once with Joyce Still. I’m living in that promise.

The prophetic voice is the sound the desert responds to. As the prophets spoke the desert bloomed. Dry bones received new flesh and people were equipped. There was a adding to that I love when several prophets are together. No big stars, one piggybacks from another. It becomes a creative experience. Soon as one speaks and another comes behind the Voice of God is heard.

Isn't that exactly like Holy Spirit?

I love the Prophetic.