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How Brazil Changed My Life
January 11, 2007
To my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
It's been overwhelming, all those responses i got from lots of people, it's so encouraging. People here in Holland are amazed and touched by all those stories so i wrote a huge testimony. But i believe it will have more power when i share it also with you guys. With a little help from Babelfish and my OK english I've translated it for you to read. If you think it's a great story, please share it with as much people as you can! It's all for His glory you know and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. I hope you have the time to read it and just let me know what you think.
Hello, I have really got so many responses and people have become curious after what I have experienced all, really super that this way to experience. Of course there also questions still as lot of stand in which, continue try to what answers to give. I do not go on everything about what I have experienced because that's simply too much, but don't hesitate to ask me about anything you want to know. Of some I got the question to write a report also concerning what I found of it now, best personal therefore. Consider it as a change. For people who have not read the reports, they stand on http://michie-brazil.blogspot.com below follows my story:
How Brazil changed my life forever
I want gladly what parts concerning what Brazil with me has personally done. In my web-unwieldy especially the things stand which I experienced but not real what it personally did with me. At the moment I was simply still this way under the impression of everything. Now it is what more quietly and I have time to give everything a place in my life. I firstly shortly want to tell a little bit about the preparations. By the end of 2005 i had a desire to go on a missions trip, just to taste a little of what i want to do in the near future, showing people worldwide who Jesus is and what he has done but also still does. I had a couple of countries on my heart: Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, India, Mexico and Brazil. I went on the internet for a search and I've found enough information about all those countries. But my work had to agree with holiday as well.
I emailed to the organisations in each country and i got some information from almost every country. Except concerning India I got little there, probably because of the strict prosecution. Africa slimmed more or less because the period lay not well, was exactly too long. Mexico sounded interestingly until I came on the site of Global Awakening from Randy Clark. I had never heard of this man so I searched on Google to get to know something about him. There I saw that he was involved with the beginning of the Toronto blessing more or less where he was invited by the Vineyard church there. There is like in the whole world a lot to say about Toronto. I've heard so many negative but also positive stories about it. On the site of him as lot of stood concerning healing, wonders and signs. I found that interestingly because I had not been confessed total and wanted to know the fine things about it.
I lay it down by God and if I got clearly the idea not to go then he would let me know. I read some testimonies concerning the Youth Power Invasion of last year. I could not believe it more or less but i became more curious as well. Then I saw the information concerning the sniffing of this year were correct everything in fact, the dates and the country, Brazil. I decided to apply a registration form and after I had got that I filled in i returned it back to Global. Within a couple days I heard that I was all accepted for the trip! I was really glad and found it at the same time also stretching. I asked God if He wanted my heart break for Brazil to passing away there in a good manner. You could also apply for being a preacher, this I have also done and I was accepted there too. More and more I saw that God wanted me there and that He wanted to use me there. I was looking more and more forward to it and lived to it in a very relax atmosphere. I got many responses, from sceptical to complete enthusiastic, but also of people who asked: doesn't it find you narrow to go on your own? I was the only European which would go, complete from, the rest was American. I always answered with: It is, however, stretching yes but I have 1 comfort: God goes along with me. Each time which said that I felt an enormous peace in my heart. God promised that he would never leave us, why should He make an exception for Brazil?
I have learned that whatever people are thinking, it's not gonna stop you from living close to God. The organisation sorted everything out for me, even my flight from Amsterdam. Before I left I have sent a mail with in this the question for praying. Without praying you can't really go on a missions trip. Travel was long, boring and tiring. I made stopover in New York what also was really impressive as a matter of fact. There at night I left for Sao Paulo, Brazil to arrive there in the morning. Well, once arrived nicely picked up by some team members of Global Awakening. I could go to my room and getting a few naps. These days we would prepare for the speaking. On the last day we preceded to pray for ' impartation ', for me that was something completely new and i didn't knew what it was.
It meant that one will pray trough laying on of hands and then the Holy Spirit got invited. Impartation meant ' distribute ' or in ' lay there '. This can be of everything, priest gave, service, gifts, but also love belongs thereby certain. In the Bible are the laying on of hands much attentive something. One did bless it, for people to heal but also for special things. In Deuteronomy 34:9 we read that Joshua say that he had the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid him the hands on. Then came the Holy Spirit to It anointment on Samuel David with oil on him. Impartation also frequently go together with event, we read that in 1 Cor. 12:7: the manifestation of the Spirit has been given to every men. Whereas someone was for me for praying all of a sudden complete my body was trembling and shaking, really complete unusual for someone who never has that. I wondered myself afterwards why it happened here and I found out that nobody had ever prayed this way for me. I got by it, however, an enormous peaceful feeling and I thanked God for that. As from that moment I stepped in fact to a very new ' level ' of faith and I really saw the supernatural power of God being released into me.
In the first week of the trip I saw some stipulated things at myself such as when I prayed for people that they were healed, or that they were touched enormously and were overwhelmed by God's presence. At myself I saw a type of sensitivity for the Holy Spirit, I knew when God was so present and reacted of it in the service words knowledge to pronounce. I had then the conviction that people were already healed without any praying. Especially in the New Testament you read that God frequently came with power concerning people. It state there also literal: When the Holy Spirit is coming upon you you will receive power. Something like that therefore I also saw in Brazil. I experienced also an enormous power with anointing with oil, I have been anointing several people and they all felt and saw something happen with them. 1 An enormous heat experienced as if they stood in fire. Another one even saw that the oil in their body as a result of which you no track of oil saw more, drew. At the time I was touched by God enormously whereas I anointed someone, this is called also ' an encounter with God '.
Many revivalists had this in the past just before their call into ministry, they took some time off for day and night prayer and are frequently in God's presence. In Acts the apostles had also an encounter and everyone thought that they were in a drunken manner. Something like that had I therefore also and saw pictures of an enormous sharp blank light, I think that it was heaven. Also I smelled constantly a complete sweet fragrance whereas there was nothing true that from could come. A friend of me told that then I the church ran in for ministry I started to touch with the love of God. Within a couple seconds they all fell down but i didn't saw any of it because I ran this way rapidly. Coming back in the hotel I walked simply by, seemed real as if I was in a drunken manner but I had been simply touched this way, I was just drunk in the Spirit. Also in the hotel I touched people and they where overwhelmed by it and started laughing. I have been also to the all night prayer to let my heart break again for Brazil. I was so hungry and full of fire, I just wanted more of God.
Whereas I walked around there in the prayer room people were touched by God. I only walked around! As soon as the Holy Spirit is resting on you people already got touched with your presence. God showed me a side which I had never seen before. I heard a story about Charles Finney, a revivalist which drove in a train by the city and people in that city fell face down on the ground and shouted for God's mercy there. Charles Finney was sitting in a train! Here you see how important it is that God's Spirit is resting on you, it even changed complete cities. This is really something what I have learned, to be in His presence and the Holy Spirit who's resting on me. It does not cost that much time, simply you can ask for it in the middle of the day, ask the Holy Spirit to come and rest, an you will see that it happens. Something what is also important to God's presence is breaking off fear, everywhere where I came I didn't notice fear at all. If I was in dangerous slums or somewhere else on the street, I was not frightened. God breaks through that if you are in His presence. Many people were attacked by the enemy, in 2nd week half of my team was sick. But they were repaired just on time for the last days.
I only preached once in Brazil but I was a little bit nervous cause it was for the first time that I preached in English. I had a good translator tho, the pastor itself of that church. The days before I had this burning feeling as of a fire in my body. God persuaded me of it that it had to do with its fire which He wanted to pour out on His children. The pastor was reading during the service the story of Pentecost, exactly that where I wanted to concern and preach also. I thought then already, I might not gonna preach tonight. Anyway, I got the word and as from that moment was everything under my responsibility. I asked to my team if they had any words of knowledge and also to others if they had any words. I see church being as something where everyone participates actively wherever possible is therefore involves everyone. Were there start with 4 words, people came forward for prayer and were healed. I saw however that God was this way present and yes hears there came more words of knowledge.
We were in sum already more then one hour busy with praying for people. I asked God what to do and He told me not to preach. Well if God says something against you better have to do it. My all time prayer in Brazil was just: I want obey God. I told this against my fellow-member and he said the same, such as God it says you must do it but. I was planning to preach about the power of a testimony. I explained that as well to the people but also that God said to me, don't preach cause what I am doing here is completely revealing the power of the testimony. God was at work, He was showing a part of His nature. I asked if there where also people in the room who never gave their live to Jesus. It remained quiet for a moment but then 4! people where standing up. I didn't even talk about sin and repentance, God showed up and people where convinced by the love of God. God is so good for His children, He is taking care of them. Celebrates in the heavens of course but that was not yet everything.
I told that God wants to give much more than healings, wonders and people getting saved, although that is, however, very important. I said, we have not been created to follow a certain religious programme but to experience the fullness of God's love, to be overwhelmed by His fire. I said that I believe that God's heart will break for Brazil and He wants a break through in that country, a revival. I continued with to say: and you can be part of it, you can make a difference in your own community. Who wants that, who wants the fire of God, anyone who wants that should come forward. I think it wasn't even 5 seconds saying that and the complete church stood in front of me, I called rapidly my team also forward to pray with them. I asked God if he wanted come with fire and i blew the way such as Jesus did to his apostles and almost everyone was touched, laying on the ground, started laughing, people where blown away by God's mighty presence. I walked trough the people and started laying hands on those who still stood. They where also touched by the power of God and started shaking and stuff. I also prayed with 4 or 5 people and those fell ordinary down on their face. It seems then this way be that it is called into a ministry, which people have in any case a humble attitude.
So at the end I didn't even preach, but I'm glad we can't stuck God to a programme and we can't put Him in a box either. Most amazing was that I was not tired at all and that I had a more relaxing evening in which I did not have much more to do than obey. God is this goodl! This was like the end of my trip. The last thing where I want to say something about is healing, here I have the most responses, what's the deal with it. I must confess that I heal there sceptically compared with stood and there more or less not in praised that God wanted heal someone by my hands. I must now also confess that I have not obeyed God by underestimating its grace and not listening to His voice. It is God's will that He wants the people to be healed, this is a very truth in the Bible. Nevertheless are there also people who don't get healed but does that mean God has a reason for those who are not getting healed? There are also people who have hunger but does that say God wants them to suffer hungry? No this is not the way God is thinking, for which heals 1, however, and other one frequently answers are not whom we do not have.
There however causes be which can block healing, in short, there are biblical principles for healings, can. The big danger in this is however that those principles are frequently converted into a law what means that it therefore always this way and this way is for which does not heal someone. This is not absolutely where differently it would mean that in some situations healings are not possible it is! Everything is possible for him who believes does Jesus say, does he ever would contradict his Father? What I have am learned the following: God wants heal people, it happens however on His time, he has not been bound to our time. People heal not always by directly, even Jesus experienced this with a man who had lepers. He was just healed days afterwards. If there healing takes place it stops at 1 but comes there a golf, for this does not have be, however, faith present there and the quantity determines absolutely. If you have a bad day that must hold back pray you there not of nevertheless for people, God never has a bad day and He is the Healer. If someone does not heal whereas you pray it has nothing to do with your little faith or your hair day, Do not get discouraged! Here also comes forward that God has it all under control. What happens there if you let discourage yourself, then the devil comes whisper you that you can nothing today for God and that you are disqualified for God. This natural nonsense is, God is not dependent on us. Everything what we do not have that day God still has, however. Simply each chance seizes that you can pray for patients to and belief that God wants to heal. It's the same with compassion, in the Bible we read that Jesus reached out with compassion and the man got healed. We don't have always the compassion to pray but God still does!
Also important: Approach of people, approaches them with love, love and once more love. Bowl with condemnation or with ' I do think that you live in sin and for this reason you're sick ', no love must first stand. Still something: Pray not too long unless God makes it very clear to you, it is and remains Gods work and not yours. It happens frequently enough also that theres not even a necessary prayer. How to start praying for the sick? Share firstly some testimonies, which is creating expectation and faith. Tell them that they valuable in God's eyes and it is His will to heal people. Try ask for the exact distractions, which are easier to pray for. Question always if they feel anything after your praying. If they feel nothing it is also not awful, feeling is a principle, not a law! And now for real as last, care that you find someone who can possibly catch the person you're praying with. This was my testimony concerning Brazil, very long but hopefully worth reading it.
Most important is thing is to be in God's presence and enjoying Him. Most of the time I lay there face down in awe and full commitment. Also the relation with the Holy Spirit is very important, He wants rest on you, question there thus ordinary for. Many people experience only a little of God, simply because they never asked. God is a relational God and He wants to be with you always, He's a divine romancer and He will never stop loving you. I hope this will reveal a bit about the way I'm changed, I can tell a lot more but it's way too much. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Love and blessings, Michieeeeeeee
Location: Sao Paolo, Brazil
Website: http://www.myspace.com/michie23
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