Where We Were is Where We Still Are

I had not really planned on writing this particular post at this time, but you know how that goes. Maybe you do not so without a lot of fanfare, just let me say the topics and the timing are, we hope, God given and Holy Spirit driven. By the way, we know more of you are reading the blog than have signed up as followers and we are very appreciative of your support. If you would like to make a comment, but not have it posted, you may do so any time. Simply add to your comment that you would like to have it not posted. We are counting on you to keep us balanced and toward the center as we continue this adventure into spiritual warfare. It is a new experience, but not a totally new one. As we said in an earlier post, the deception of being deceived is that we never know we are until we are freed from it. Should you see any deception, or think you do, please call it to our attention immediately and start praying about it so it can be removed.

September 14, 15, and 16, 2001 a group of us had set aside the weekend to have Mario Murillo come and minister to all who would come together in a united effort to proclaim the Gospel to the Santa Maria valley. We were attending the church that was spearheading the effort. Actually that church was the leading church due largely to the fact that two of the men in that congregation were the prime movers behind the event. That church had probably 110 people in regular attendance at the time making it certainly not the smallest church in the area, but nowhere near the largest. These two men and the volunteer corps they put together had invested countless hours and thousands of dollars to make the meetings happen.


For those of you unfamiliar with the ministry of Mario Murillo, he is a dynamic servant of God who ministers according to Pentecostal doctrine. He is Nicaraguan by ancestry. You can find out about him at http://www.mariomurillo.com/. He is, by our witness, spirit led in his life and ministry. However, like anyone who has a heart to do great things for God, he has been a victim of all sorts of malfeasance over the years. He as been attacked mostly from within the church at large. That leads us toward what happened when he came to Santa Maria.

In the pre-planning for the event, there were the typical fundraising, prayer meetings, and volunteer sign ups. Notably, there were very few churches represented in any of those efforts. It is not surprising that non-Pentecostal churches would not be thrilled to have a dynamic, Pentecostal minister hold a citywide meeting. Of special note, however, were that members of the two largest Pentecostal churches in town staying away by the hundreds.

It is not our purpose or our intent to criticize churches or their pastors. Our purpose is simply to expose the lack of unity and more of the workings of the religious spirit that rules here. One has to wonder why Mario could not get the support of the local churches who would, or should have, agreed with pretty much everything he preached those days. Or would they? I read something recently about not knowing one is deceived until we are freed from it. Now see, this is getting ugly again because we really have limited options as to why fellow laborers for Jesus would not welcome a man of Mario's stature, ministry ability and spiritual insight. Should we go on to point them out, we could be construed to be casting stones and of not walking in love toward them as perhaps they were not toward Mario. I am pretty sure one of the manifestations of a religious spirit is that those in authority will do anything to retain their power. Case in point, John 11:48 where the High Priest says, "If we leave him (Jesus) alone...the Romans will come and take away...our place..." (parentheses mine).

Mario was disappointed by the small turnout for his meeting and stayed just two of the three days he had planned. I remarked to the men who planned and funded the event that at least we had learned where we were at that time. Sitting here today, I have little confidence that anything has changed in that regard. I would love to be wrong about that, but the Holy Spirit is telling me that, were we to try something like that again now, the result would be very similar.

Some of us are sensing in our spirits that a very faint breeze is beginning to blow. Did you know we felt two earthquakes this past weekend? The Bible says the whole creation is groaning and laboring, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:18-22) There are other, more localized things happening too. We are pondering them and how we should respond. Please pray for wisdom. We have been in training for this time entirely too long to lose our focus now. There has lately been a huge temptation to do the good things rather than the right things. It seems as though one thing after another comes along to try and throw us off course. So far so good, but challenges loom that we have not even identified. We really do solicit your prayers. Thank you for your support.