Ministry Trip to Lublin, Poland

Greetings from Lublin, Poland!

I just finished up a ministry trip with two friends from the Warsaw church (Church of Glory-Warsaw). My friend Eva and Pastor Ula's husband Peter. Peter was my driver, roadie, back up singer, catcher, and anything else I needed. Eva was my translator, and we flowed together very well. The three of us made an awesome team, and we had a lot of fun together. Let me back up just a little bit though before I share some great things. I met with Pastors Marcin and Ula last week, and we went over some of the ministry opportunities I would be doing. We wasted no time putting me to work, and I have been very busy in the past few days. I observed the children's ministries at Church of Glory-Warsaw, and met with the children's workers on Tuesday evening. I saw some great fruit in what they already have, and they are eager to upgrade to the next level. I shared the principals of having a world class children's ministry with the workers. They were amazed at what I shared, and are looking forward to the changes that will be coming. I meet with the leader of the youth tomorrow, and will be sharing some ideas on getting the youth on fire. In addition to working with children and youth, Pastor Marcin would like me to take trips all over Poland, and do some 'real missionary' work. Now, I've been at World Revival Church for the past 14 years, and the message I have in me is not your average message. It is the message of revival, honor for God, and being an empowered disciple. This is the message for Poland now, and the people are ready for  it. So, Pastor Marcin set up a quick ministry trip for me to go to Lublin, Poland. I had never been there, nor had I ever heard of this city. I would recommend getting your map of Poland out, and looking up the history of this city. It is marvelous, and hosts a population of about 1/2 a million people. Some interesting facts, the first Polish (or non-Italian/from Rome) Pope came from Lublin. That was a big deal, and obviously the city is primarily Catholic. It wasn't destroyed during WW2, so the medieval portion of the city still remains. Finally, an attraction I wasn't aware of, a full-blown concentration camp is right in their backyard.

Israeli Jews on a tour of Majdanek Concentration Camp

Unlike Auschwitz, the Nazis' did not remove the population of the city, and build a camp. No, they built it very close to the heart of the city, so it was in plain sight. When Jews or prisoners were shipped to the camp, they were shipped to the interior of the city. Then they were escorted to the camp. What was happening to the Jews was known by all, and it kept the citizens of this Catholic city in check. This was not only a work camp, but also a death camp. I personally saw the crematorium, with a group of Israeli Jews, who were also visiting the camp. For those of you who were not aware, Poland was full of death and concentration camps. There were many, not just Auschwitz. This camp was huge, and proof that there is a little bit of evil in everyone. Unlike some other camps that were destroyed by the Nazis (ie., Treblinka), this camp remains intact, as if this atrocity happened yesterday. It would be good for people in America to see this place, and let their hearts be aroused for the Jews. This week marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, but we must do more than just remember. When we hear of anti-semitism (especially in Europe) we should be alarmed! We should pray, and push that evil back! These places remind us that this could happen again, and we can put a stop to it!

I was sent with my dynamic duo (Peter and Eva) to a small group connected with Church of Glory. They are not officially a church yet, but are a great group of people. They were hungry, open, and responsive. Over the past two days (Wednesday and Thursday), I spoke on the anointing, and the presence of God. Each night God moved in healing, He set people free, He encouraged people, and demonstrated His power. The first night, I couldn't even continue leading worship, because He impressed me so deep to pray for healing. I knew in advance that God wanted to minister to a woman specifically, but I wasn't sure about what. During a song I was prompted to stop, and ask if there was a woman who needed healing. I felt it was for pain, and one of the women in the room began to cry. She bent her head over, and just cried. I called her up to the piano, and I prayed over her. God totally healed her of the pain, and came upon her in a mighty way. Then I went back to singing some songs, but God was not done. I could feel in my heart that He was not through yet, and there was something else He wanted to do. Quickly, I felt that I was to pray for all the women in the room, for a fresh touch of his presence. There was a woman, she looked to be in her 60's, and I wasn't sure how she would respond. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that she was broken inside, and I began to pray for restoration. The room was dimly lit, but I could see tears on her collarbone. God began to mend and sow this woman up, and restore her before my very eyes. 

The next service we had, I wasn't sure how things were going to go. I felt that I needed to speak on the presence of God, and that's all I had. During worship I trained the people how to open up, and use God's word to worship. I grabbed Psalms 18, and taught them how to grab words to push up towards God. "God you're my Rock, my Savior, You're exalted!" The people (in Polish) began to do this, and God came very strong in the room. Towards the end of worship, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to pray for someone's back. There was a woman in the room who was having back pain, and a blockage in her thigh area. I had her face the group, with her back to me. I encouraged the group to 'aim their faith' at her, and assist me in prayer. I began to pray for her back, and I could feel God's healing power touching her. I kept praying for her until I felt a release in my spirit. Then I had her try to see if something had changed. She began to lift her leg, and said it felt better. Her back and thigh were healed!!! She walked around the room, and jumped! It was amazing to see God move with such power! I finished off the evening with talking about the presence of God, and having a right response. To end the night, I began to stretch the people. I had them group up, and cry out to God for more. I said, "I don't want this to come from your head, I want you to be real, and dig deep in your heart." The people did their very best, because they had never really done this before. Before long, people were getting on their knees, tears were running down their faces, and people were opening up to God. They were hungry for more, and were ready to receive. I carefully prayed over each person, and asked God to fill them with his presence. Each person received so well, and went deeper into God's presence. After awhile I felt I wasn't in Poland anymore, it was as if we had been transported to the sanctuary of World Revival Church. The room was filled with God's presence, and his peace. No one talked, and probably for the first time people just sat and enjoyed God.

Coming to Lublin, I lived Dustin Smith's song "Home." "Home, this is home, where heaven screams through your bones." I know that when I'm in the presence of God, I'm home. The people I met in Lublin barely spoke English, but they were so open to the message of revival. As we sat together quietly in God's presence, and I felt I was at home. This was the same presence I had felt on the prayer floor of World Revival Church for 14 years, and now we were all experiencing that same presence together. These people could easily fit in at World Revival Church, and it goes to show that all over the world God has people in reserve. As we cry out for the nations, there are people who are ready for the message of revival. We don't have to speak the same language to experience God's presence. His presence is for everyone in every nation, and Poland is ready for a real move of the Holy Spirit. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to minister to these people, and for what God did in their lives. He backed me up tremendously, and moved powerfully.

#PolandArise