Los Angeles

September 2007

I felt inclined to board metro train to LA this week to visit a good friend and spend some time with her before moving to England. Once at Union Station I jumped on, then off again of the Blue line, and onto the Red Line where she picked me up. We ended up at this house full of people extremely hungry for God without any desire at all to play church. During worship one could hear people singing their own melodies and prayers to the Lord and it all seemed to flow together nicely. Then an older couple came and spoke into the young group of actors and actresses, musicians to be trying to make it in the life of industry found in LA. Then they included the common folk to begin to minister. So instead of them praying over everyone, they held the hands of the young people there, then “pushed” them out of their comfort zones and into their anointing. A young girl danced in the spirit before a young man experiencing the Holy Spirit. Another hopeful musician sat in the audience. Actually audience is not the correct word to use since every single person in the room was involved in one way or another. He was singled out. He had a word, no an angelic song to sing over the group. It came, and when it came, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit brought down strongholds. Who was in the charge of this madness? It seemed that at different times, God was using different people to be involved in calling down His presence. Someone was playing a Phil Wickham song in the background.

Didn’t look at my watch, no actually it was my cell phone that keeps me updated on the times. Didn’t look at it once in the 4 hours. I had no desire to leave God’s presence, this community of people searching, seeking, desperately hungry for God no matter what in the world it looked like. Their group is based on Isaiah 58. Here comes the fire, release. So many random connections there to my people around the world, Africa, northern Cal., my home church. Home, felt like home.

But it can’t feel like home because I moving to England in less than 3 weeks. So instead desiring to make that my home, I don’t even live in LA, yet if I did I would be there every Tuesday nite. I am determined to find that in my new city, in Birmingham, England. People from whatever church, I don’t really care, who want to dive in any way they know how into knowing Jesus and making Him known. After having sweet fellowship with my friend on piano, me on guitar with a worship song to start our day today, so when I came home after meeting up with another longterm friend in LA, I tarried in Orange, not wanting this great adventure to end.

I ended up at my old Starbucks in the circle and ran into my friend’s mom, still so high on Jesus and hungry to be a part of the real deal, break out of this intimidation to share Jesus with others, I capitalized on her comment of a hurt hip. So there in the Bux, she let me lay hands on her hip and call down the Holy Spirit, whom met us. She was blessed and even said it felt a little better. So stoked on God, on life after a slump, So hungry for more. The older couple who shared at the LA house church mentioned speaking in tongues and how that has gone away. So far in my revival studies, especially relating to the Azusa Street Revival, praying, and especially in tongues was a big part of what the Spirit was doing to awaken the revival in 1906. So come Holy Spirit, continue to stir and awaken us, in whatever way that looks like.