Turning the hearts of parents and children towards each other

I have been especially pondering the last two verses of Malachi this Advent, longing to see more and more reconciliation that prepared the way for Jesus.

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Elisha was always my favorite prophet of the Old Testament. His humility before his master Elijah was impressive and he ended up doing twice as many miracles: literally 14 to Elijah’s 7. So why was Elijah sent as a forerunner to the Messiah, and not Elisha?

My question was answered by Ron Kuykendall, an Episcopal priest friend from Florida who came and did some teaching at Tierra Nueva’s The People’s Seminary in September.

Ron taught that Elijah is the prototype spiritual father, and Elisha a prototype spiritual son. Elijah is the only Old Testament prophet who passed on a double anointing. Elijah embodies God’s heart: that our sons and daughters (spiritual or biological) would go far beyond us, standing on our shoulders. John the Baptist embodied this with his attitude towards Jesus: “He must increase. I must decrease.” He pointed to Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29),” and not to himself. “After me comes a man who has a higher rank than I,” he continued.

Jesus surely had a much greater anointing. And yet he too embodied towards us his disciples the father heart visible in Elijah: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12-13). Surely Jesus sent us his Holy Spirit to empower us to continue in this same tradition, as we continue to prepare for Jesus’ final return: “the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

In the jail where I serve as chaplain most of the men and women are estranged from their fathers, and often their mothers too. Gangs are on the rise everywhere in part because of a crisis in father/child relationships. The church too is disempowered in part because of rivalries and ruptures that need to be laid down. I long to see the turning of hearts between actual biological fathers/mothers and daughters/sons and also between spiritual children and their parents. Reconciliation, healing and true empowerment begins with forgiveness, as the following story shows.

I first met Santos (“holy” in Spanish) twelve years ago when he was a 20-year-old Latino gangster doing six months in Skagit County Jail. Santos is unforgettable because of his warm, sensitive spirit. He also has a nervous wince that hits his left eye like a crashing wave every thirty seconds. Halfway through a Bible study about Jesus' healing of a blind man by applying spit to his eyes two Thursday's ago, Santos said: "I feel kind of vulnerable asking for this, but can you pray for me to be healed of this nervous tic in my left eye? It's been bothering me my whole life, but more and more lately."

With only five minutes before the guards came, I invited the other inmates to gather around Santos, and placed my hand on his left eye. Immediately I got the strong impression that his father had hit him in the head. I asked whether this was true, and Santos began to cry and say he was beaten a lot when growing up. Later he told me that as the oldest, he'd often taken the blame for things his younger brother and sister had done, to keep them from beatings.

I briefly told him that when someone sins against us, it brings great suffering, but if we hold resentment and unforgiveness, the sins of the other person infect and continue to hurt us. He said he was willing to forgive. I led him in a prayer of forgiveness, and he even began to bless his father. I prayed that the peace of Christ would come over his face and that the nervous flinching would be calmed in Jesus' name. The presence of God came over all of us. It was very peaceful.

The next day, I called Santos to check on him. He said he was 100% healed and the twitching had stopped. I called him four days later and he says he's still completely healed—the tic has not returned. He has had this problem for 32 years. “People who know me are all noticing it!” he said. He also told me that the night he forgave his father, his dad called his girlfriend's house looking for him—something his father rarely if ever does.

I am profoundly grateful for this new beginning as hearts are turned and Jesus comes again, and I long to see more. May you experience this Christmas season reconciliation, healing and peace born out of forgiveness as you anticipate and welcome Jesus’ coming.

Empowerment by the Spirit in France

On Saturday, November 17 after a rich five days with Scripture Union in Alsace I flew to Paris to spend the weekend ministering in the Église Reformée de Belleville followed by a three-day retreat for French reformed pastors.

The church is Belleville is one of the largest churches in the Église Reformée de France. Like many churches in Paris, its membership is diverse: many French people together with first and second generation immigrants from Africa and other countries. I even met a woman from Mexico and people from Columbia. The Belleville church is at the heart of the section of Paris with the largest Jewish community, many North African immigrants and a burgeoning arts scene. Unlike most churches in the Église Reformée de France which are highly intellectual and traditional, Belleville is more evangelical and has been deeply influenced by charismatic renewal.

Serge Jacquemus is the pastor-- a good friend who did graduate studies with me in Montpellier in 1991 who I later met up with in 2004 at a pastor’s conference at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Randy Greer is an American missionary friend of mine also ministering at Belleville. He leads an inspiring after-school program serving North African immigrant youth. Serge has invited me to minister in Paris for the past few years, hoping to see his church reach out more effectively to the neighborhood, empowered by the Holy Spirit. I arrived in the middle of a national transportation strike, but the Saturday afternoon training drew many people. We acted out Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery and the woman bent over by an evil spirit. These stories served as a basis for inviting people to drop their stones of accusation and to step into Jesus’ ministry of announcing forgiveness and deliverance from evil spirits. Nearly everyone came up at the end to receive prayer for freedom from invisible powers that oppress them (shame, guilt, fear, unworthiness).

Sunday morning I preached two services to the 500 member church. I spoke on the Spirit upon Jesus and the anointing for ministry to the poor, prisoners, the blind and oppressed based on Luke 4:18ff, ending with fire tunnels where everyone could lay hands on everyone. People enthusiastically engaged in this style of prayer after I presented it as a near perfect enactment of the values of the French revolution: liberté, égalité, fraternité (freedom, equality, brotherhood). The priesthood of all believers happened as people excitedly formed two long lines facing each other to make a prayer tunnel. Nearly everyone in each service passed through at least once, receiving prayer from the many who laid hands on them calling for God’s Spirit to come to heal, fill and empower.

A three-day pastor’s conference began the next day at noon. Since all the trains and subways were still nearly shut down by the national strike, only 20 or so pastors were able to make it to the retreat. This was ideal since the focus of the retreat was on ministering personally to each pastor. Pastoring in France is particularly challenging. French society is increasingly fast-paced and impressively secular. Pastors of the historic Église Reformée often minister in traditional parishes to small, aging congregations made up of members often spread out in a wide geographic area. Ministry opportunities to non-Christians are very challenging. The majority immigrant population is North African and Muslim. Pastors are highly trained professionals who know Scripture and theology well, but have had little training in ministering physical and inner healing, deliverance and prophetic ministry. Though they place a high value on the priesthood of all believers, they often feel stuck when it comes to really seeing parishioners get empowered to step into their callings.

My focus was to help them become more secure in a Biblical theology of empowerment based on Ephesians 1:3ff and 2:7ff and many other texts and in ministry with the gifts of the Spirit (Eph 4:7-10; 1 Cor 12-14). Many pastors bear the weight of an entire congregation’s calling and suffer under their own and other’s expectations that they have to be gifted to meet every need. My hope was that they would become more comfortable receiving more from the Holy Spirit and facilitating people’s empowerment to move in the gifts of the Spirit. I presented on the five-fold vision of ministry in Ephesians 4:11-16 and we discussed and practiced how to identify and recruit people into callings such as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher with the objective of equipping all the people (Eph 4:11-12).

We used a “prophetic presbytery” style of prayer we practice every week as a staff at Tierra Nueva. This involves laying hands on each other, blessing, praying and sharing impressions, pictures, scriptures—perhaps in some way similar to ways early Christians ministered to each other (Acts 13:2-3; 19:6; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6). After beautiful worship and some teaching, over the course of three days each pastor had a turn to sit in the middle of a circle to receive prayer and prophetic words of encouragement and direction from the leaders of the pastoral, each other and me. We laid hands on each one and invited the Holy Spirit to come to fill, bless and reveal. It was amazing to see how God spoke consistently and personally words of clear encouragement, comfort, clarification of gifting and direction. After praying for some 25 people each one of us had significantly more experience by the end of this retreat to take this model back to our ministries and parishes. There is still so much to learn about discernment of spiritual gifts and empowerment for life and ministry, but I came home deeply encouraged by the power of people humbly gathering around each other to bless and build up.

Please keep these French pastors and the Belleville church in your prayers: that the Spirit would keep filling them more and more. That the light of Christ would shine brightly on them and through them for their families, communities and for France.

Word and Spirit are Embracing

I am seeing increasing signs of the coming together of currents in the body of Christ that are often divided. Those committed to meeting God through thoughtful study of Scripture are cross-pollinating with contemplatives and Holy Spirit-focused charismatic Christians in a powerful confluence that is gradually reversing Jesus’ reproach to the Saddusees: “You do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matt 22:29). This reversal is desperately needed today, as people need the message and preaching of Jesus Christ to be “demonstrated by the Spirit and power of God” (1 Cor 2:4).

On Thanksgiving Day I flew home from Paris after a rich 10 days of teaching and ministry in France. The first five days were in Alsace at Scripture Union’s French retreat center Rimlishof. There, Tierra Nueva intern Troy Terpstra and I met with some 50 Scripture Union workers from 22 European countries for five days of presentations and conversations. Most of the people had read my book, Reading the Bible with the Damned in preparation for discussions on how to effectively engage people in liberating reading of the Bible.

People from different European countries presented their research on many topics related to Bible engagement. Andrey Cherniak of Scripture Union Russia spoke on Lectio Divina and then led an optional contemplative reading of a Bible passage that many attended. David Pritchard from Madrid sat us all down like children to show us how to engage little kids in an approach called “godly play.” He told us the story of Abram and Sarai’s journey of faith and then had us respond with colored paper, pens, crayons or however we felt led. Others spoke on how to effectively engage grade school children, teen agers, traditional church goers or secularized European adults in transformational Bible study. Others presented their expertise on websites, interactive electronic gaming systems and contextually sensitive publications of various sorts. I was inspired and amazed by people diverse approaches and giftings.

Every morning I led a Bible study to demonstrate ways of reading the Bible that I’ve found effective both in the jail and among mainstream Christians. People responded enthusiastically to these Bible studies and bibliodramas. I shared about my growing desire to be continually filled with and led by the Holy Spirit and the anointing in my reading of the Bible and in my ministry—rather than depending upon my education, experience and natural abilities. Jesus himself emphasized this when he said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” If Jesus himself needs the Spirit upon him and the anointing “today” and every day, we too need God’s continual Presence upon, in and before us in everything we do. People seemed inspired to seek more of this anointing that John talks about, the chrisma that abides in us and teaches us about all things (1 John 2:20, 27).

People were interested in talking further about this vast theme of Word and Spirit. I witnessed people’s spiritual hunger firsthand when some 25 came to an optional soaking prayer time one evening. God’s Spirit came very beautifully, bringing comfort, encouragement and healing.

I was excited to learn that these leaders together will be training some 10,000 Bible study facilitators in the months before summer to work with children, youth and adults throughout Europe. Let’s keep these many Scripture Union workers in our prayers: that the Spirit would guide them in their announcing of good news to hungry people throughout post-Christendom Europe (see www.su-international.org). I will write again in a few days about my time in Paris.

Couple Experience Healing & Hope at New Earth Refuge

New Earth Refuge's construction project is moving forward daily. Gracie and I are thankful to God and our supporters for the nearly $50,000 that has been given since August. We have now completed all the framing, the roofing and are just now installing the doors and windows. We are confident that gifts will continue to come in so we can complete the electrical, plumbing, insulation and interior finish.

We are especially encouraged that our ministry here at New Earth Refuge at our existing guest house has been growing. Groups, individuals and couples are coming here more and more to receive prayer from Gracie, me and others at Tierra Nueva. People are experiencing healing and renewal, as you can read in the testimonial from Laurie below.

"In June I returned from riding a friend's horse. It was a vigorous ride to say the least and the next morning I woke with terrible low back pain. As the days passed instead of getting better the pain grew worse. It spread from my lower back up to my neck and shoulders leaving me unable to drive or do daily household chores.

Despite seeing doctors and physical therapists over the following weeks the pain did not go away. The summer passed as I sat in the chair feeling hopeless. With two children, one autistic, and a marriage that was all but over I could not imagine why God would allow this to happen.

Finally, in August I thought that maybe God was trying to tell me something. I began to pray. Quickly God began to bring to mind all the things I had done to contribute to the poor state of my marriage. I called my husband and apologized for all the things I had done and was so quick to blame him for. Needless to say he was shocked but accepted my apology.

A few short minutes later a friend arrived at the house. I told her of the events of the morning and she mentioned that she knew of someone who would pray for my back pain. I wrote his name down but I wasn’t sure how I felt about “healing prayer”. My skeptical side just does not want to believe it, for several reasons I suppose. I certainly do not want to look like a sucker and what am I supposed to do with my faith if for some reason they pray for me and my back does not feel better.

Later, another friend dropped by and I was shocked to hear her tell me that she also knew of someone I should see who would pray for my back pain, Bob Ekblad, the very name I had just written down. Despite my skepticism and discomfort this seemed more than a coincidence to me.

I tried to schedule a time to see Bob but somehow no time seemed to work so he offered to pray for me over the phone. During this prayer time Bob mentioned that I may have some people in my life I need to forgive and encouraged me to ask God to bring those people to mind. Over the next several days names and events came to mind like waves on the beach and I spent a lot of time dealing with forgiveness. My back pain, however was still there and discouragement was setting in. What I wasn’t thinking about was healing was taking place in my life just not in my back yet.

Finally my husband and I were able to schedule some time with Bob at his home. We arrived and were introduced to a woman by the name of Amy who was also there to pray with us. After brief introductions Bob and Amy placed their hands on me and began to pray. At first I was afraid this would not change anything. Then my back and neck began to feel hot and cold at the same time....like BenGay. Amy mentioned some impressions that she was receiving that were so accurate I was overwhelmed. How could she know that? Bob mentioned to me then that he had a strong impression I had been given a gift of evangelism. The association I had with that word made me very uncomfortable at first until Bob explained to me what evangelism really meant-- sharing naturally the stories of God's work in my own life first. The pain in my neck and shoulders was gone.

Bob turned to my husband and asked whether he had pain in his left shoulder. This really surprised him as my husband had been suffering from pain in his left shoulder for years, as well as his right knee, but had said nothing about this to Bob. Before praying for him Bob expressed to my husband that he felt very strongly that my husband had a prophetic gifting, that he was sensitive to hearing God’s voice. Like me, my husband was resistant to this until Bob explained to him that it was more like your own thoughts then a “booming God voice”. Then Bob began to pray. Again Amy mentioned the impressions she had and again she was so accurate. Bob asked my husband how he felt and the pain was no longer there.

We left that evening knowing that God was not only doing a physical healing in our lives but healing our marriage and our lives as a whole. God did so much more for us than we ever thought. Since that day we have been asking God to teach us more about the gifts He has given and we are excited for the future."

Laurie Hinkley
Anacortes, Washington

For more testimonials check out my blog at www.bobekblad.com

God Meets Our Needs

Last Thursday and Friday a number of remarkable things happened that have encouraged my heart, and hopefully will encourage yours. I keep seeing God heal people and provide for needs in humble yet very real ways.

On Thursday night I went into the jail to do my four bilingual Bible studies. There were only two Mexican men in the second Bible study-- Francisco and Guadalupe. I knew them pretty well as they’d been incarcerated six months. As soon as we sat down I felt two sharp pains in my left wrist, the one closest to Guadalupe’s right hand as I faced him. Since I had no known problem with my wrist I asked Guadalupe if he had pain in his wrist. “Si,” he said, showing me a red, swollen wrist bone he’d damaged when he fell playing handball in the jail recreation room.

“What’s really bothering me though is the pain in my chest,” he said. “I’m trying to get into the doctor here as it’s really hurting and I’m worried.”

I offered to pray and he agreed. I placed one of my hands on his wrist and the other on his chest. As I prayed I felt a warm cushion of air over my hand—like there was an invisible hand laid on top of my hand. “Do you feel that warmth?” I asked, and he nodded. After praying, Francisco read that day’s reading, the story of the healing of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. While Francisco read the passage Guadalupe kept leaning back in his chair, stretching out his arms. Finally I asked him if he was having a hard time focusing on the reading. “Are you still in pain?” I asked.

“I can’t focus on the reading. I’m too surprised because the pain is completely gone, in my wrist and in my chest,” he said. “Only God could have known about this pain,” he said, and tears streamed down his face. We gave thanks to Jesus and offered him our lives, something these two men have been doing week after week since they came in. I prayed blessing and protection over them. They will both head off to prison on Tuesday to complete the 20 months remaining of their sentences for dealing cocaine.

Later that evening I met one-on-one with Epifania—a 51-year-old Mexican woman. Epifania is a migrant farm worker and beloved member of our faith community. She has just been ordered deported but was transferred up from a Federal Detention Center in Tacoma to Skagit County Jail to face some new charges of possession of cocaine. She praised God that I had come and told many stories of praying for people’s healing while in the immigration detention prison (see our upcoming Tierra Nueva appeal letter at www.tierra-nueva.org). I told her about what had just happened with Guadalupe and his wrist. She told me that she too had a lot of pain in her wrist, and I remembered that indeed I had felt two sharp pains. I’m still not accustomed to watching for and catching the clues the Spirit gives to show me what God is wanting to do. Apparently God wasn’t through healing wrists that evening. We prayed and sure enough her pain went away. I am continually impressed by God’s kindness and goodness. God cares enough about our little, very personal problems—which was brought home powerfully for me personally the next day.

The next morning I drove up to attend the last morning of one of Toronto Airport Christian Felllowship’s five-day International Leaders School of Ministry in Aldergrove, BC. Towards the end of 45 minutes of worship I ended up praying with Murray Dueck, a new friend who leads a prophetic school in Langley called Samuel’s Mantle. He began prophesying “I see you like Mario in the video game, collecting gold coin after gold coin, more and more of them as you go from level to level in the Spirit.” He said he thought this represented both my spiritual inheritance and God’s financial provision. I was encouraged as two days before the bank had notified us that our personal checking account was overdrawn more than $2,000. I had no way to cover this, but just the day before a friend had sent us an unexpected personal gift for $1,000. I sat down feeling encouraged and moments later another friend at the conference, completely unaware of Murray’s words, handed me a folded check written out to me for another $1,000.

God was aware of my financial need and ministered to me through his servants just like he’d brought healing to Guadalupe and Epifania there in the jail. May God richly bless you and pour blessing through you as you seek first the Kingdom of God.

A New Christian Manifesto: Pledging Allegiance to the Kingdom of God

I am delighted to learn today that my new book will be published by Westminister John Knox Press in early February 2008.

This book seeks to articulate the new work that God is doing in our lives and ministry over the past 4 years. God is clearly reconciling divergent streams in the body of Christ so the Kingdom of God can advance on behalf of the least. The social and charismatic prophetic streams are being drawn together into a dynamic unity with contemplative, evangelical and mainline currents. Advocacy, justice, peacemaking and dialogical Bible study belong together with ministries emphasizing God's Presence to heal, deliver and empower. Word and Spirit are flowing together to empower people from the bottom upwards so that God's Kingdom can advance more fully in the darkest places.

This project began on the beaches of Mozambique in June 2006 as I received prayer from Rolland Baker, Supresa Sithole, Jose, Francie and other leaders of Iris Ministries.

As the group prayed over me before my son Luke and I departed, Supresa suddenly began prophesying that I would write a book, that many would read. “Urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent!” he said with his thick African-Portuguese accent and he circled me repeatedly, thrusting out his right hand towards me with each declaration. That day we flew to South Africa to visit Gerald West and Jonathan Draper. That night in Gerald West’s vacation house on the coast south of Durban I awoke in the middle of the night with chapter and themes rushing through my head. This continued the following night at Jonathan and Marian Draper’s home in Pietermaritzburg. I am looking forward to sharing this with you all soon.

God Confirms the Words through the Signs that Follow

A few weeks ago I ran into a big, tough looking Caucasian guy named Philip during one of our Sunday afternoon Bible studies. “I’m the one you made cry back in April when I was in here. You healed my back,” he said.

I immediately remember him and feel embarrassed that he doesn’t say Jesus healed his back. I feel awkward at times about healings that happen, and am especially perplexed that so many people are finding relief from pain in their backs, necks, shoulders, knees, etc. I find myself continually pondering the purpose and value of healing.

I often think of the final verses of Mark’s gospel, where the narrator writes: “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word with the signs that followed” (Mk 16:20).”

For years and years now I have been reading the Bible with people on the margins, many of whom are violent men who have heard lots of preaching from parents, judges and evangelists without seeing the reality of God’s saving, healing presence. Hearing the words without experiencing the power of God can anesthetize us to Good News that should turn our hearts towards God’s heart of love. Paul himself consciously avoided putting confidence in his ability to articulate the gospel. He writes to the Corinthians:

When I came to you, bretheren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (1 Cor 2:1-5).

I remember well that Sunday in April when Philip was healed. I had invited a group of 15 or so men to put out their hands like I often do so we can invite God to put the anointing of the Holy Spirit for healing onto them so they can pray for themselves or others. “You guys are all made in God’s image,” I said and often keep saying.

“Your fingers weren’t made for gun triggers. Guns were made for your hands. Your hands weren’t made to slap around your girlfriend, to cling to a crack pipe or fight your enemies. Your hands were made so you can bless people. God made you to carry the Holy Presence. Maybe you don’t have enough trust to give your hearts, minds and the rest of your bodies to God. But I challenge you to present your hands to God right now as a kind of experiment or small step of faith,” I say.

Nearly all the participants that Sunday had put out their hands and I prayed. I then invited them to put their hands where they had pain and we prayed for God’s healing Presence to flow through their hands into their backs, necks, heads, hearts—wherever it is needed. That Sunday ten or so men claimed to experience immediate relief. Some were laughing, others crying or looking seriously perplexed. Philip had dropped his hands from his shoulder and lower back almost immediately, looking dejected. I asked him how he was feeling from across the circle of guys.

“The same,” he said, his head hung in shame. “Can I pray for you some more? I asked. “I guess, he said, trying to be polite.

I learned that his shoulders had been wrenched when the police had wrestled his arms behind his back and hand-cuffed him. His lower back had been damaged by the cuffs digging in behind his back.

“Do you need to forgive those officers for excessive use of force?” I asked, knowing that forgiveness and healing are intimately connected.

“No,” he said. “They were just doing their job. I’m a big dude.”

I prayed something like this. “Jesus, thank you that your love for Philip is constant. You’re call on his life is still there. Nothing has disqualified him. I ask that you would reverse the damages done by the police so he can fully know your love.” I then walked back to my place across from him in the circle and asked him how he was doing.

“I feel okay I guess, but as soon as I move my hands behind my back I’m sure I’ll feel that shoulder pain,” he said, and began to move his hands behind his back to the hand-cuffed position. He did this a few times, with increasing awe coming over his face until he said: “I’ll grant it to you. I’ll grant it to you. There’s no more pain.” He dropped down onto his plastic chair and began to sob.

So there he was over five months later, reminding me that I’d made him cry. There was no time to talk then as the Sunday group was big and we only had 20 minutes. After we finished looking at that Sunday’s scripture I suddenly got an impression that there was somebody there who needed healing from serious back pain. I immediately doubted this, a voice in my head mocking me that I’m always imagining these things. I went for it though, asking, and a Mexican man raised his hand, just as the door clicked open and the guard announced that the study was over. I quickly went over to the man, placed a hand on his back and commanded the pain to leave in Jesus’ name—accompanying him to the door, praying as we walked.

This past Thursday Philip showed up again to our Bible study. I ask him if he can share the story of healing back in April and he readily agrees. He tells a group of eight or nine guys about how he had grown up in the Catholic Church and had religion forced on him. “I didn’t believe at all until last April when I came to the jail. He told about how Jesus healed his shoulders and lower back. He then told about how he’d had a Mexican cellmate who didn’t believe in God at all and had never been to church, but had really serious back pain. “I told him about how God had healed me and convinced him to come. He received prayer, and before we were even back to our cell the guys back was completely healed,” he said in delight.

He then told how he’d been jumped by some gang guys and beaten up there in the jail pod just after this and they’d transferred him to another pod. He told how he had three big bumps on his head, and how he’d motioned to Chris and I through the glass and we’d indicated back to him with hand signs that we would pray for him.

“I woke up the next morning and the bumps on my head were all gone and I was completely better. Now I can say that I believe for the first time,” he said. “So what convinced you?” I ask. “Why do you now believe?” “This may sound kind of cheesy,” he said. “But it’s all these healings.” That night another Mexican man was there who said that his back was wrenched from the police throwing him to the ground and cuffing him. We pray for him and his pain goes away on the spot. Jesus keeps confirming the words of Scripture and the testimonies of new believers. The message is passed on as God’s power becomes visible here and now as the Kingdom of God comes close.

I appreciate your prayers. That God’s healings Presence would continue to touch people there in the jail, at our weekly English and Spanish services and wherever we go, confirming the words with the signs that follow.

Recognizing the God Who Clings to Us Always

Lately, I have been especially watchful for God's presence with us as we await provision in times of scarcity at Tierra Nueva and New Earth Refuge. Someone recently asked if I ever wonder whether our financial hardships are signs that God is not blessing our ministries, or that we are somehow out of favor. When payroll is due and there is nothing in the bank, we do find ourselves examining everything, open to changing course if needed. During times of famine, it is tempting to imagine leaving for greener pastures or launching another tiring fund-raising campaign. But humble God is mentoring me. It seems Jesus longs to see us take the best theology he’s taught us further and deeper, learning to see him and receive from him in the “least of these” whom we can easily disregard.

In a recent Sunday dialogical Bible study at Tierra Nueva, I was struck as we looked at the journey of Ruth. In the story, Elimeleck, whose name means “my God is king,” together with his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon (sickness) and Chilion (fragility) leave their hometown of Bethlehem (house of bread). They travel as immigrants, due to a famine (lack of bread). Did they feel somehow pushed to migrate to meet the pressing needs of their sons “sickness” and “fragility”? We are invited along on Naomi’s journey to discover how God is king in ways far different than Elimeleck, Naomi (or we) might normally think.

Elimeleck and Naomi migrate to Moab where their two sons marry Moabite women. There, Naomi’s husband and two sons die . . . and her image of God is about to die, too. The strategy of leaving for greener pastures apparently didn’t work. In fact, God did come through in the end, as the famine lifts in Bethlehem “when God visited his people in giving them food” and Naomi decides to return home . . . alone. She urges her two daughters-in-law (who are foreigners) to go back home and even return to their gods. Ruth refuses, clinging instead to Naomi and telling her: Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried (Ruth 1:16-17).

In the next scene, Naomi returns with Ruth to Bethlehem, where Naomi insists that the townspeople do not call her by her name, which means “My Gracious” but Mara, “Bitter”: For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me? (Ruth 1:20-21).

Naomi is angry at God, whom she envisions as harsh and punishing. Yet she appears blind to God’s presence with her through humble Ruth, her widowed daughter-in-law from Moab, whose name means “friend” or more precisely “comforter”—evoking the paraklete Holy Spirit, our defender, helper, comforter, guide. Ruth has just pledged total allegiance to Naomi, clinging to her. It is through Ruth that Naomi experiences redemption, as Boaz, a wealthy relative, embraces this nobody foreign widow, opening the storehouses to them both and fathering a child, Obed (Servant), who is a direct forefather of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah and our Savior (Matt 1:5).

Ruth’s clinging reminds me of the description of Genesis 2:24—a man clinging to his wife and the two becoming one flesh. Paul reads this as metaphorical of Jesus, the bridegroom’s union with the church (Eph 5:29-32). Is Jesus with us like Ruth was with Naomi—a clinging, close presence that we could easily disregard? Who has been clinging close to me whom I haven’t recognized? Who has been clinging to you?

This June, enough donations came in to Tierra Nueva to cover all expenses except my paycheck and Gracie’s. It was July 19 and our mortgage payment was due to be electronically transferred. Our account was nearly empty, short $1,000 to cover the mortgage payment. I came out of the jail at 9:30 pm, tired after four bilingual Bible studies. In the jail parking lot, a Mexican man to whom I have ministered for a number of years was waiting for me in his car. I assumed he wanted to talk with me about an upcoming day in court. Instead, he directed me to get in the back seat, and then sat beside me, pulling out his checkbook. “I want to give you this, Roberto,” he said, handing me a check for $1,000.00. I was shocked, and have since been meditating on God’s Ruth-like, clinging presence with me through unexpected mediators.

Since I first met him in a jail Bible study over five years ago, this man has at times clung to me for advocacy and friendship, as he has gone through many struggles. I have watched him take on “my God”, like Ruth took on Naomi’s, leaving behind his avowed atheist mindset. He has become an increasingly fervent believer, as God has rescued him time and time again from losing his legal permanent residency status and being deported far away from his young daughter. My faith has become much stronger as I have watched God rescue him over and over. He has ministered to me in many beautiful ways, even as he has needed my support. Yet I have often failed to recognize Jesus’ close presence mediated through him and others.

Now he has brought our family through the hardest financial month to date. Should I be surprised? No! This is God’s way of being Emmanuel (God with us), choosing to encounter us through the hungry and thirsty ones, the stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned one (Matt 25:35-36). God has chosen foolish things to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27ff). And the strong ones like Naomi and Boaz certainly have their place too. In fact God has been blessing us more and more through stronger ones too.

• Over $35,000 has recently come in gifts from a number of supporters for New Earth Refuge, which us being completed at a rapid rate.
• Tierra Nueva made it’s August payroll on time.
• Cascade Lumber gave us a generous reduction on lumber costs.

Please keep us in your prayers: for God’s Presence to increase, bringing healing, liberation and provision.

I challenge you to ask God to open your eyes to God’s humble yet saving Presence that is with you now, and to read through the book of Ruth.

Abundant blessings in Christ,

Bob Ekblad

Join Us In Establishing New Earth Refuge

Gracie and I feel like we have stepped over a threshold into a whole new dimension of life and ministry. In 2003 after over twenty years of ministry among broken and impoverished people we came to a place of deep frustration and desperation. While we were witnessing signs of God’s Kingdom, we longed to see more. Why did the Gospel we share not seem to have the power to free people from addictions, diseases, mental illness and powers like depression, anger or pride? “Where are the works of Jesus we read about in the Gospels, or the ‘even greater works’ Jesus promised his followers would do?” For years we had proclaimed the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt 10:7), but were baffled by Jesus’ imperatives: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”

In 2003 we both began to have deeper experiences of God’s Presence. We had benefited hugely from our long membership in Les Veilleurs, a French spiritual fraternity committed to contemplative spiritual practices. But we were estranged from anything labeled “charismatic” due to negative past experiences. Apparently God wanted to bring us into a broader ecumenism, linking us with the larger body of Christ in some new ways. Gracie and I received prayer at conferences in Seattle and Toronto that led to powerful experiences of the Spirit that have healed, refreshed and empowered us in new ways, drawing us deeper into the heart of God.

In the past three years we have seen many people healed of all kinds of ailments and delivered from spiritual oppression. We have witnessed God heal people of chronic pain, migraine headaches, asthma, TMJ, cancer, arthritis, liver and kidney conditions, abscessed teeth, broken bones and more. I even watched two deaf people receive their hearing! We have seen Jesus free people from depression, insomnia, anger, jealousy and addictions to drugs, alcohol and pornography. While there are many we pray for who have not yet experienced healing, we long more and more to see the Kingdom of God come to bring relief, light and life in dark places. We especially long to see people everywhere recruited, equipped and empowered by the Spirit for a fuller engagement in the ministry of Jesus. And we are now seeing this like never before.

Gracie and I are now transitioning from years of direct ministry with the poor to a more- focused emphasis on raising up ministers and missionaries with a holistic vision for announcing God’s Kingdom. We still continue to do direct ministry with people on the margins and cannot imagine ever stopping. However our desire is to see people trained up who combine care and advocacy for the marginalized and vibrant Bible study with moving in God’s power to minister healing, and deliverance.

Here in our home we regularly pray for people’s healing and empowerment for life and ministry. Every Monday our Tierra Nueva staff and interns meet here for prayer and we receive groups of students from Regent College, individuals from around the U.S. and from other countries.

I think of Chris, who came to us for mentoring straight after graduation from Berkeley at age 23, cynical and disillusioned after years of study and work with inner-city youth in Christian ministries. He moved into the TN building and began attending courses & prayer gatherings at TN and at our home. He accompanied me to Honduras and Toronto and joined me regularly at the jail. Now he is fuller of grace and joy than ever-- pouring out his life accompanying inmates, pastoring young gang members and leading worship. Chris regularly prays for healing and sees God touch people much as we do.

Ryann arrived at TN burnt out and disillusioned too, fresh from four years at Western Washington University. God met her powerfully at TN courses and as we prayed for her. She left her job and life in Bellingham and joined us as administrative assistant and outreach worker. She is now an effective prayer team member in the migrant labor camps, family support center and worshipping communities. Ryann prays for people’s healing and empowerment and sees God touch people in beautiful ways.

This is the exciting adventure that we now write you about. We still feel called to share a full-time position directing and pastoring Tierra Nueva. Now though, we are doing new work in a complimentary direction. Rather than taking on additional employment outside our ministry to meet the needs of our family (with three children, ages 12, 14 and 16), we have decided to make people more aware of our evolving prayer and itinerant ministry and invite people to partner with us. We have set up New Earth Refuge as a separate 501c3 non-profit.

Here on our 35 acres on the Skagit River Gracie and I show hospitality and meet and pray with individuals and groups: for physical and emotional healing, and for discernment of and empowerment into callings. We want to help more people like Chris and Ryann, hungry for rejuvenation and radical ministry, be launched into their callings. Currently our retreat center that sleeps 20 is all framed up, awaiting $150,000 to complete construction. We need this building soon as people are coming to us for retreats, courses and larger prayer gatherings. In addition, we are feeling excited about a growing national and international itinerant calling.

Since the publication of my book Reading the Bible with the Damned in late 2005, I am receiving invitations to teach and minister locally, nationally and around the world in many different denominations. In the last two years I have ministered all over the United States and in Canada, France, Spain, Mozambique, South Africa, Honduras, and Venezuela among Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Eglise Reformée de France and others. A French translation of Reading the Bible with the Damned (Lire la Bible avec les Damnés) is being published this September. My new book New Earth Manifest(o): Seeing and Entering Jesus’ Kingdom will be published by Westminster John Knox Press in early 2008. Book sales and speaking bring in very limited income, as many groups we serve are themselves struggling financially. Mostly, writing and speaking lead to more opportunities to pray for spiritual renewal and empowerment to people who are in the trenches of challenging ministries around the world.

A fresh move of God’s Spirit is surging up in many unexpected places: in jails & prisons, among bands of friends, in prayer groups, ministries with the marginalized, and in churches of every denomination. We want to serve and spread this movement, where transformational Bible study, advocacy and justice on behalf of the poor, and contemplative spirituality (which Gracie & are still committed to) are coming together with evangelism, healing, deliverance & prophetic ministry. We are committed to promoting cross-pollenization and reconciliation so a whole and healthy body of Christ can face big and complex challenges to advance God’s kingdom.

We invite you to join us in this exciting new venture. Please consider how you might want to partner with us. Our biggest need is to complete construction on New Earth Refuge. It is especially critical that we complete the roof, install windows and doors and side the building before the rains come in the fall. After much prayer and consultation with friends we have decided to step out in faith and resume construction beginning this Monday (Aug 6). We are personally putting everything God has given us into seeing this vision become a reality and are excited to see how God is going to provide. If you are a carpenter, electrician or have other skills or access to discounted items (i.e. cedar siding, kitchen appliances, bunk beds, sheets..) please contact us. We also need financial and prayer partners committed to sustaining us in this new dimension of our calling.

You can learn more about New Earth Refuge at http://bobekblad.com/newearthrefuge.html and about my itinerant ministry by checking out his new website at www.bobekblad.com. You can contribute directly on line through our website at http://bobekblad.com/donate.html or by mail to the address below. You may have already received a version of this letter that we sent out two weeks ago if we had your address. If you are interested in giving monthly support, in receiving occasionally mailing please contact us at bob@bobekblad.com and send us your address.

We welcome you to come by and visit and come to Tierra Nueva for a course or worship. You can check out our schedule at www.tierra-nueva.org

Yours in Christ,

Bob and Gracie Ekblad

New Earth Refuge
19438 Best Road
Mt Vernon WA 98273

God's Word is Very Close: Jail Visitations

Last Sunday in the Skagit County Jail and at Tierra Nueva I led Bible studies on the OT lectionary text, Deuteronomy 30:8-14 that we saw enacted right then and there. Here are some highlights. Things got rolling after a volunteer read verse 8.

“And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all his commandments which I command you today.”

“How do you guys react to the word ‘obey’ in this verse, I ask. “Does it make you feel good, bad… do you find it uplifting… attractive?” I continue.

People were at first afraid to be critical of the Bible, but gradually heads are nodding “no” and people admit they didn’t like the word—and not just because they are criminals!

“It makes me feel small, like I’m being talked down to,” one guys says.

“Sounds really hard,” says someone else. “Something I’m going to fail at.”

I point out that in fact this word, shama in Hebrew, is poorly translated. It literally means “hear.” I have someone re-read the verse replacing hear for obey:

“And you shall again hear the Lord, and observe all his commandments which I command you today.”

Everyone likes this much more. Hearing is more about living in relationship with someone living, who keeps speaking. Everyone appreciates the benefits of being guided by God’s voice described in the next verse.

Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good… (Deut 30:9).

We talk about Moses’ teaching that hearing the voice of God can lead to breakthroughs in every area of our lives: our families (the offspring of your body), our financial life (the offspring of your cattle) and survival/subsistence needs (the produce of your ground).

Hearing God’s words for us “today” is about walking in God’s presence, over and over again. Hearing includes paying attention to what is written in Scripture, but most importantly being turned towards God in relationship.

If you hear the Lord your God to keep his commandments and his statues which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

People are deeply encouraged by the next verses, that describe God’s word as easily perceived and very close.

For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it… But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it (Deut 30:11-14).

People agreed that when something is in your mouth, it’s really close! Some chuckled and looked surprised… intrigued. I imagine they’re fantasizing about crack/meth pipes, beer bottles, Mexican food… If God’s Presence is actually that close!

Most people on the margins, and especially habitual offenders see Christianity as too difficult for them. I could see visible relief on people’s faces, and then began thinking about how people could actually experience God’s closeness right then and there, before having to go back to their cells.

“I think God wants to show us how close he is right now by healing some people. Anyone here experiencing physical or emotional pain?” As I spoke I got an impression that someone had pain in their upper left ribcage—kind of a strange place for pain I thought, probably just my own imagination. Lot’s of people said they had pain though, and one Native American man said he had pain in under his left arm, the upper ribcage! Seven or eight people needed healing and our time was nearly up.

I invited people to put out their hands and practiced a version of healing prayer I’ve been doing a lot lately.

“If the word can be in our mouths, then why not invite God’s healing presence onto our hands? Then we can place our hands wherever it hurts and experience God’s nearness right now-- even on our hearts if we’re experiencing anxiety or emotional pain. Put out your hands if you want and let’s pray,” I suggested.

Everyone’s hands were out and I invited God to anoint our hands, to send the Spirit onto our hands for healing. I then told people to place their hands wherever it hurt. The men put their hands in various places: some on their lower backs, others on their necks, hearts, knees, sides. I invited them to repeat a prayer we regularly use: “This healing belongs to me because I am a child of God. I receive my healing now as a free gift in Jesus’ name.”

When we finished this quick prayer I asked people to check out their bodies. Immediately a number of people said they felt better.

A Mexican farm worker in his early twenties said his back pain completely left. A middle aged Caucasian man who said he was a diabetic and had a wound on his toe that might lead to amputation said he felt tingling all over his toe and the pain was all gone. The Native American guy said his upper ribcage was the same. I told him that God can work through our own hands, but likes us to receive from others. We gathered around him and prayed some more and he felt relief.

“I can breath much deeper,” he said with a smile.

“This is efing tight” says a young guy with a recently shaved head to my right. He kept moving his head back and forth, a big smile across his face. “My neck was all stiff and painful. This s**t is cool. I really like this church.”

Later at our English service at Tierra Nueva a few in our community experienced healing as we repeated the same Bible study and prayers. I am continually amazed and deeply thankful for God’s closeness as our Savior and Healer. God’s word is very close, ready to guide, help and prosper us, whenever we’re in need.

Witnessing the Kingdom of God in Mozambique and the Skagit Valley

It’s been a week now since my 14-year-old son Luke and I returned from 11 days in Pemba, Mozambique. This was my second invitation to teach Mozambican pastors, 200 of which are now in a three-month training program. I also taught 160 students from the United States, Canada and Europe attending the three-month Holy Given Missions school. I really enjoyed being able to share reflections on the Bible and ministry that have come out of years ministering to inmates, immigrants and Honduran peasants. I was encouraged to see that teaching out of our “trenches” was so well received by people facing very different and similar challenges half-way across the world.

Most of the Mozambican students are fairly new Christians, fresh out of villages dominated by a syncretistic mix of Islam and witchcraft. Most had come to faith in Jesus after witnessing or experiencing miraculous healings and freedom from demonic oppression, together with teaching and preaching by committed and passionate Mozambican pastors who are part of move of God’s Spirit that is sweeping Africa.

One pastor-in-training told how he decided to follow Jesus into pastoral ministry after a long process of God working in his life. First he was healed of blindness after his wife led him to a village pastor for prayer over a three-month period. Then after fleeing to Malawi as a war refugee and becoming a fisherman, he was attacked by a crocodile that nearly killed him, ripping apart his thigh. Unable to afford or even find a doctor, he once again received prayer and was healed. “Now I feel called to fish for men,” he says with a smile, pulling up his loose pants to reveal two huge scars cutting diagonally across his thigh.

We went out on an overnight outreach with Heidi Baker, other visitors and a humble pastor, Leite, who has already established eight churches along a long, increasingly narrowing dirt road that went on forever into the bush. That night a whole village showed up to watch the Jesus film, probably the first film ever shown in this remote village without electricity. Unfortunately, the generator-powered system failed that night. Even Heidi and others' preaching could barely be heard.

Luke and I wandered at the back of a crowd of disappointed onlookers. I began talking haltingly in Portuguese with a man who smelled like he’d been drinking. I talked about farming as best I could as he and other laughed, and then a fluent Portuguese-speaker showed up to interpret for me. I asked a young man if he suffered from feelings of terror in the night and he looked surprised and said “yes, every night.” I told him about how my 12-year-old daughter Anna has been calling out for Jesus to help her at night for years, experiencing relief. I told him how Jesus was victor over all evil powers, sickness and death through his death and resurrection. I assured him that Jesus was there with us right then and we he could call out for help and Jesus would hear. Even with his Muslim skull cap in place this man was desperate enough to try. He asked Jesus to save him, and then let me pray for him. By then a small crowd had gathered around. I asked if there were others who suffered from terror at night. “All of us” someone replied, and every head was nodding agreement. I invited them to call out for help from Jesus and then prayed for them. One woman came forward needing prayer for pain in her thigh from a farming accident in her field. We prayed and Jesus immediately healed her. The next day Luke and I learned that a form of cannibalism is practiced by the witchdoctors in this village that likely underlies people’s fear.

The next day we also helped Heidi and pastor Jose pray for a five-year-old boy who was deaf from birth. After a few minutes of prayer the boy was able to hear for the first time! I was amazed by how desperate and receptive these impoverished villagers were to ask for and receive direct help from God. It is exciting to witness God’s Presence bringing relief.

Holy Given school students from Western nations come all the way to Mozambique to learn to minister to the poorest of the poor. Most of the students are in their mid to late twenties, thirsty for the authentic Kingdom of God and open to being recruited and empowered to help it come about. Many discover they are not called to full-time ministry in Africa. Students were encouraged by stories from our ministry to inmates and immigrants right here in our own North American back yards.

I am happy to be increasingly engaged in recruiting, equipping and empowering people for direct ministry, whether that be right here at Tierra Nueva’s People’s Seminary, in Mozambique, France, Cincinnati, Austin or anywhere. I am also glad to get home and back to our life and ministry here.

Last night in the jail in one of our bilingual Bible studies Chris and I prayed for healing and saw Jesus come and touch everyone. We began by inviting a small group of inmates to put out their hands. “God wants you to see that you don’t have to be all righteous and perfect in order for God’s healing presence to flow into you for yourselves and others,” I said. Several of the men commented that they felt heat, tingling, coolness or nothing at all as we invited the Spirit to come on their hands. I invited the guys to place their hands wherever they were feeling pain, as four were suffering from pain. Each man received immediate healing: from chronic pain in a collarbone, neck pain, pain in the back of the head and another from a swollen knee from an accident in the jail. We prayed some more for the guy with the bad knee, as his healing wasn’t 100% at the beginning. He said he felt the ace bandage loosen as the swelling went down right as we were praying. He got up and started walking around without a limp. A Mexican man whose collarbone was healed told us that a month before after we’d prayed for his lower back he’d experienced immediate relief. “For eight years I couldn’t work or run, and was unable to sit without pain. Since that day I've had no more pain,” he said with a smile. I asked an inmate to pray for my head ache and felt heat flow from his hand and the pain go away. All of us were moved by Jesus’ generous, healing presence, some to tears. We ended by inviting people to put their hands over their hearts and welcome God’s love deeper and deeper into our beings.

Please keep us in your prayers:

· For our five-day course, "On Earth As In Heaven," on the ministry of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, July 8-12 at Tierra Nueva (see www.tierra-nueva.org)

· For funding for our retreat center New Earth Refuge http://bobekblad.com/donate.html.

· For Iris Ministries in Mozambique and Tierra Nueva.

If you want to receive regular updates via email, sign up at http://bobekblad.com/donate.html

Jesus Encounters on the Road

Two days ago I headed out with my Isuzu Trooper across the North Cascades Highway for an overnight trip to Winthrop to speak to a group of Christians about things God is doing and to pray for healing.

As I headed up the steep highway into the mountains steam began to pour out from under my hood. An overheated radiator soon forced me to pull over, high in the mountains far out of cell-phone range. Still a good hour from my destination and barely on time without this inconvenience, I grabbed my backpack and began hitchhiking. The first car stopped and dark-haired Native looking woman motioned me in. I squeezed into the back seat as the driver’s heavily-tattooed arm moved piles of clothes off my seat. He was headed right past where I needed to go, and soon we were off, throbbing rock music blaring out of speakers tirades against injustices. “System of a Down” she said.

Since I had been worshipping and praying the whole way to that point I continued to pray, now for this couple. All I could see most of the time of the driver was his long pony tail. Occasionally I caught glimpses of his eyes in the rear view mirror. They looked like pools full of pain and sorrow.

Thirty minutes later we crossed Washington Pass, passing snow drifts and granite faces that caused the driver to turn down the music and slow down. “You ever been through here?” He asked.

“Yeah, fairly often. Beautiful isn’t it?” I said.

“So what do you do for a living?” he asked.

When I told him I was a pastor he kept asking several more times, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. I told him I minister to inmates in Skagit County Jail and to others on the margins. I told him how much I enjoy working with people who feel like they’re damned, like no one cares, like they’re too bad for God to want to help. I told him how I am convinced that God has special affection for violent men, and then asked him what he does.

“Tattoo artist,” he said. “Just did one for this young lady who I hardly know. Now we’re off on a drive for a few days. Maybe we’ll head on down to Mexico.”

“Where did you learn how to tattoo?” I asked.

“In prison,” he said, knowing now that I was at least somewhat safe. Turned out he’d been out 2 ½ years after doing 21 years, beginning when he was 17.

“Been through every prison in the State,” he said, and went on to tell me how “effed up” the whole prison system is. “Doesn’t do no good for nobody,” he said. “I taught classes for ten years to new inmates on how to survive doing time.”

I told him how I longed to see churches welcoming ex-offenders, helping them when they get out, like we try to at TN’s Family Support Center. We arrived where I needed to get out and I offered to pray for them.

“Not while I’m in the car,” he said, half joking. It seemed to me he really wanted prayer but didn’t want to look weak in front of his new girl friend. I blessed them and ran up to my meeting, only 15 minutes late!

That night I taught on Jesus’ ministry of welcoming outcasts, preaching life and healing, focusing on Acts 10:38, where Peter tells “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” At the end many people came up for prayer for empowerment by the Holy Spirit for the ministry of Jesus. A number of people received healing for different physical problems too.

The next morning my friend Patty drove me back over the pass with radiator patch and gallons of water to my car. It started right up and she took off. A few minutes later it was overheating again and died. Unable to start it, I was once again stranded in the mountains, until a Forest Service worker stopped by. He arranged for a tow truck already in the area to tow me home. Then we talked for the next hour all about how much damage methamphetamines had done to his community. He had seen a lot of good people bite the dust and was moved by stories about of how Jesus is finding and healing broken, hurting people. He’d once been an idealistic hippie and seemed still quite open to a big but realistic vision like the one Jesus preached and practiced.

The tow truck driver finally arrived and we were off on another adventure began. This guy had worked security in a casino for 16 years, taught karate and was a lead guitarist and singer in a rock band. I sensed he had lots of physical pain and after telling him a few stories about healings in the jail he told me he too could use some healing for his right shoulder, left elbow, and neck. I prayed as he drove and he kept checking himself out until he dropped me off, saying the pain had all gone away. Though he’d been outside the church since he was a kid, he knew he needed to forgive lots of people and wanted peace and joy in his heart to replace resentment and anger. “I’d like to come to your church he said,” as he dropped me and my Isuzu in the Tierra Nueva parking lot.

Now I’m home again and excited to see what God wants to do next. Please keep us in your prayers:

• My son Luke and I leave for two weeks in Mozambique where I’ll be teaching in Heidi Baker’s Holy Given School. Pray for our protection and Presence with us on our journey.
• Finances for New Earth Refuge—we’d like to finish construction on our prayer center but still need $125,000.
• Finances for Tierra Nueva for our May payroll—still need $14,000 in the next ten days.

Blessings in Christ,

Bob Ekblad