As I pulled out of Lakeland on April 18th I wondered what God had in store for me. To be honest, I wondered if I was making a mistake... I kept expecting someone to stop me - my pastors, my mentor - but all I got was encouragement. It didn't make any sense to leave Lakeland a few weeks into the Florida Outpouring meetings to go search out the move of God in other parts of the country. What can I say.

No one stopped me so I committed to be in Tulsa, OK by Sunday evening, April 20th. God orchestrated some divine appointments for me while I was there and I had an encounter with Him that has changed my life forever.

Oral Roberts Ministry's New Home

Dan Roberts, who has been a friend and brother to me for 20 years, along with his wife, Nancy and their kids were hosting me in Tulsa. Dan is Oral Roberts' great-nephew (second cousin of Richard Roberts) and he was excited to take me to look at the new facility being renovated for Oral Roberts Ministries.

Before we walked in, he took me to look at the dedication plaque on the building. This building was originally a masonic lodge! It even had the date of dedication marked by the year after Lucifer (A.L.). He took me on a tour of the building that ended in the theatre with 616 seats (considered by some scholars to be the number of the Beast). We spent time praying and worshiping in the theater because there may be a church meeting there one day soon... a new church. I didn't know if I would be back, but I loved the way God is reclaiming the enemy's territory.

The day before I left Tulsa for Los Angeles I did visit the building again with Dan, only this time we were joined at the building by Lindsay Roberts, their head intercessor, Sue, and Richard Roberts by phone. Again we ended up in the theater, only this time I began to share what is happening in Lakeland with them and extend the invitation to participate in the coming move of God.

I will write more in the e-zine, but I believe God is extending invitations to ministries, denominations, cities, regions and leaders who at one time experienced or were instrumental in other moves of God we've experienced in the last 150 years. Tulsa and the Roberts family have a spiritual legacy that God wants to honor, but I believe in each case it will depend on our response to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Lindsay asked me to sing over them and I began to worship. There were no instruments, just our voices crying out to God for His glory to fall on us. He answered our cries and filled the room with His presence. Both Lindsay and Sue were overcome with the presence of God as Dan and I prayed for them. It was a humbling experience to co-labor with God as He reclaimed the enemy's territory - this masonic lodge - for His Kingdom.

The Life-Changing Encounter

On Sunday, April 27th, I attended church with Dan and his family. They are part of what I would call a "normal" church. A great place for families with cutting-edge programs for all ages, the worship service was contemporary but reserved. The pastor is a dynamic speaker in his 30's and the congregation was well-rounded with all age groups... a good church like many other churches in America.

During the praise and worship portion of the service they sang songs I wasn't familiar with but the lyrics gripped me. However, the people on the platform seemed to be just singing to the people in the congregation. I closed my eyes and jumped into the song with all my heart. God was making His presence there so real to me that I couldn't respond to Him any other way.

But all of a sudden I started weeping. Tears were running down my face and I really didn't know what was happening. Until He began to share His heart with me. There was nothing but love in His voice - no anger - only a deep sorrow and sadness... His broken heart. This is what He said...

I come every Sunday because I want to be with My children but no one looks at Me. No one sings to Me. No one talks to Me. They look at each other and sing about Me. They talk to one another about Me. I just want them to see Me. I'm not a Father who wants His children to snap to attention when I come into the room, but I want to be with them. I want them to acknowledge I AM here.

The more He shared, the more broken I became. I wanted to shout out loud in the midst of the church: "Don't you know the Creator of the Universe is here? He loves you so much! He wants you to see Him! Just open your eyes!"

But I didn't.

I knew I was as guilty as everyone else. I began to repent for all the times I came to church and sang songs about Him without acknowledging His presence. I thought of the years I spent without a real relationship with Him. And I kept crying.

He said one more thing to me that morning in a voice filled with hope. "It's okay, Amey. I'll be back next week. Maybe someone will look at Me then."

Please understand there are people in the church who are sincerely following the Lord and love Him with all of their heart. I believe they are all doing the best they know how to do to worship Him and celebrate Him each week. My heart isn't critical of them at all. But I can't help but apply it to myself and do my best to keep looking at Him. Psalm 37 keeps burning in my heart... in Your Light we see light.

Daddy help us to see You.

The Journey Continues

Next stop is Los Angeles... more to come soon.