Asian Adventures: Molly's Story

China testimony 2016

One day, during my time in Asia, I sat with a young girl who expressed to me how she believes that, in China, woman have no value. Her name is Molly; and as her story unfolded, I could see how she believed such a statement.

Molly grew up with self-hatred in her heart. She did not know why; she just hated herself.  As she grew, Molly became convinced that her feelings about herself came from her womanhood.

As this self realization bloomed inside her, Molly found herself attracted to other woman. These attractions, coupled with the loathing of her own womanhood, convinced her she should have been born a man.  Motivated by this belief, Molly began pursuing a sex change operation.

Molly was almost successful in having a sex change. As she gathered all the money she would need and set her appointment, God stepped in.

As her delusion reached a critical point, Jesus met with Molly and revealed the good news of salvation to her. With the blood of Jesus cleansing her being, Molly found that the self-hatred left.

While I listened to Molly's, story I wondered what she could need prayer for?  Molly's testimony was rocking me.  I could see that Molly had been brought out of a hellish experience by Jesus; yet, she still carried the burden of rejection with her.

Our time that day was short, and there was no opportunity to seek God with Molly to find the solution that would lead to healing. Finally, at the end of the week, my ministry partner Carlos and I sat down and listened to the end of her story.

The end of her story proved to be as sad as the rest.  The Church, a place where she should have found security, turned out to be a critical place. It became evident that Molly was battling unforgiveness toward the leadership of her Church.

So, Carlos, Molly, and I went to prayer; we asked God to reveal the way forward.  As we prayed, I could feel in my mind a need to uproot bitterness. When I asked the Lord how, He revealed a way through Carlos.  Carlos felt like we were suppose to step into the place of her Church leadership.  Carlos stood in for the church leadership, and I represented her mentor. We acknowledged how we hurt Molly; then we asked her to forgive us.  Molly agreed; and so according to the Word, she was released from the bitterness and judgment that was binding her to the offense.

Molly's testimony was only one of many such prayers that we said with people. Prayers where the Holy Spirit led us, and specifically told us how to pray. The Holy Spirit would show the person being ministered to just what they needed to be released in order to obtain freedom. With testimonies like these, my heart still beats for China, and I can't help but hope that the Lord might send me again, perhaps even before the year is out.

Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for fighting for Molly, and others like her.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You.

Asian Adventures

China Reach

The trip in May marked my third journey into China. It is a curious feeling to remember the fear that I felt about traveling to China in 2013, when the Lord first called me. I am in such an opposite place now. It seems as though each trip I take the more of my heart is invaded by God for China.

The teaching continues to grow more tailored for China. In brief, the teaching centers around The Kingdom of God in terms of sonship. This teaching attacks the orphan and slave spirit and mindsets. Our ministry times have proven to been powerful as God has used the teaching to create fertile hearts.

As I have built relationships with the students, my heart has been captured. What I have discovered is a childlike innocence locked away behind walls of rejection. I uncovered a capacity for laughter and joy in these people that has taken me completely by surprise.  The richness of what God has created in the Chinese people is absolutely undeniable.  

God Does It Again.

On Friday, April 15, 2016  Miranda (the girl in the picture)  came to me after intercession and asked me to pray for her wrist  which was broken. She had a cast on and planned to see the doctor that morning. She was in great pain and asked for healing prayer. 

So we prayed..

At lunch the same day Miranda told me that the doctor discovered that the fracture had healed. The cast; which she was suppose to have for three months was now healed after only two weeks. Miranda left her appointment with two things: First, a brace to protect her wrist; and second, a miracle to speak of God's glory. 

Praise the Lord! A God who heals.

Azusa Now

It has been just days since the “Azusa Now Call”, and I can still feel the power of what God ?did? at the Memorial Coliseum. As the Lord unpacks what He did in Los Angelas I will see more; however, one thing stands out as clear and bright as day: Unity
I could hardly believe my eyes when a Father of the Charismatic Catholic movement testified to having the same roots as many Christian churches have in the Azusa street revival.
I witnessed a wonder when this man basically repented for the separation of the body of Christ from one another at the hands of the Catholic faith. As a sign of reconciliation, he knelt down and kissed the feet of Lou Ingle. Witnessing this, I knew I was seeing a significant shift in our body.

Moved by the humility of this Catholic brother, Lou called all the fathers of different Christian faiths out to be apart and witness as he returned the honor and kissed the Catholic’s feet as well.
Watching this take place made one thing crystal clear: God is moving to reunite His bride by dissolving the barriers that individual denominations have built over the centuries. God has made it clear that we are to be one body with many parts, each part performing a different function, but still connected to the heart of Christ; for there is only ONE Bride of Christ.

April Update

April is an exciting month for the Sweazy’s  ministry. This week we are having a bible siminar for 5 days, 8-5 everyday. The focus is sharing the Gospel through story telling .  I love to tell stories, so I am very excited about this.

Then, thursday night, there will be a prayer ralley as the kickoff for the “Azusa Now” weekend (4/8-4/10). Angel and I will be going to L.A. to participate in the Azusa Now event.  It is being held on the 120th anniversary of the Azusa revival that took place in New York.  We are believing for a fresh outpouring of the anointing of the Holy Spirit over the body who gathered in LA, and nothing less than miracles, signs, wonders, and salvations to break out, and flow outward, over our nation!

Right on the heels of that event, the very next weekend here at Richardson Springs, there will be a open house and historical tour led by a member of the Richardson family. This event has already attracted hundreds of guests. These guest may, or may not, know Jesus as Savior. Everyone is preparing to repersent our King the best we can as keepers of a place set aside for rest, renewal, and revelation.

Then, finally, on April 29 and 30 we are apart of a crusade called “Chico Alive”. This crusade is the first event in a whole movement called the “The Golden State Awakening”. Angel and I have joined the team facilitating the Chico Alive event; so, during this month we will be making arrangements for the crusade. I have been asked to facilitate the last day of the crusade, when we will be having a celebratory BBQ and doing baptisms. Please pray for Angel and I as we work to organize this days happenings.

As you can see we have a lot going on this month. Please pray for Angel and I: that we will work only from a place of rest. Please pray for the sucess of all these events. Thank you so much. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Lessons From Africa

While in Africa, I found myself in a challenging situation. The YWAM team had been in country for a month. During that time we traveled a lot, and ministered along the way.  The leadership team did not realize it; but, the team had began to experience fatigue.

During an evening of sharing, the most of the team expressed that they were exhausted.  Our response was one of surprise. We had rested a little; so, we did not change anything. We believed that the team just needed to adjust; however, the issue did not go away.

Our first course of action was to increase the time off by ministering half days. This did not work; what we discovered was this: the group needed to rest in God, not just physical inactivity.

This greatest personal treasure I recieved from the trip to Africa was this: The Rest of God. I learned that inactivity is NOT rest. Rest is a place prepared by God exclusively for the saints, the children of God. Faith is the doorway; AND, it is available to everyone who knows Christ as their Lord and Savior. ref Hebrews 3:7-13

Africa At Six Weeks

We have been in Africa for six weeks now, and things have been both mountain peak and valley low experiences.  Both extremes have taught me valuable lessons in life and ministry. 

By far the most powerful lesson has been the roll of intercession during outreach. I knew the importance and power that came with intercession; however, I have seen a level of power that was unexpected. 

Eioffe, one village we visit demonstrated the need for a deeper commitment for intercession. The village was under heavy demonic oppression. There was illness everywhere, economic breakdown, and wide spread abandonment. 

Even though this village was under such heavy oppression we still saw eight salvations. 

Later that evening the team expressed the feeling of being unprepared for the village, so we prayed. As we listened it became evident that God wanted us  to assign teams to stay back and pray for the village while we ministered in the village. 

The results were incredible. On the second trip there was no discernible oppression at all.  We saw God heal one woman who could not walk before we prayed. After prayer she rose to her feet and begun to walk around her house.

In another home two woman who had pain in their body received prayer. After praying twice each woman's pain left their body. 

More salvations were found.  One man, a life long Muslim tracked us down after hearing we were in town. His name is Solomon. Solomon had hard our testimonies the week before and had been touched by Jesus. He renounced Islam and accepted Jesus. 

So much happened during the second trip to Eioffee. These testimonies are a tiny sampling of what God did through deeper intercession. The difference the prayer made was incredible.