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Testimonies from Salem, MA Outreach, October 2007
We set up with teams of three in Salem this past fall to minister Jesus through Spiritual Readings and Dream Interpretation. (This was only the second outreach for many of the interns who began with us only four weeks earlier.) God greatly blessed us with experiencing His strength in our weakness during this outreach. We were all transformed as much if not more than those the Lord placed before us!
We each learned so much about His heart and ways through ministering. As sinners, His love met us the whole way (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). We understand that God will meet people where they are and in this continue them on a journey hopefully to meet Jesus. We understood that using Christianease language in Salem would often cause people to shut down because so many of them have been condemned and judged by the Christian community.
We learn that the Holy Spirit is in charge since He knows men’s hearts. We learn that we cannot make anything happen. We learn to watch what the Father is doing and then join Him. This experience provides a real stripping away of religion and the boasting of man! It is beautiful and glorious---it’s Jesus full of grace and truth! What this looked like during our outreach in Salem is that some people receive a little encouragement; others more directed words; and still others are able to receive prayer for healing or cleansing. And others may be ready to enter into relationship with Jesus. Our only basic instruction other than training in prophetic ministry and dream interpretation is to love the people, with no other agenda.
Please enjoy the testimonies below and celebrate the goodness of God with us. We have all been changed!
Blessings,
Streams Academy
Amber Cranfill, Intern from Illinois
Just before coming to Salem, God told me to go for a walk and to take some pictures of whatever was beautiful. As I walked, things would pop out in an unusual ways, so I would take pictures of what I saw. Then, during the outreach, a woman came in for a spiritual reading who had the ability to do this all the time! I wrestled with sharing from this new angle, but finally gave in and began to describe the walk I went on and how beautiful things popped out at me. God had not only given this lady the ability to see beauty in nature; but also the ability to see beauty inside people and use words to paint a picture so that they would know! As I shared this, another member of the team got exited because they were able to use what God had shown me to give a further word! Then the team leader asked the lady if she would like a “spiritual transference.” By that point, the team member had described that he was going to give here some of his “positive energy” and he started to take her hand. I grabbed hold of her other hand and the team prepared to give the “transfer”; but we were really waiting on the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit came and a great wind shot through the tent! His power made her laugh and me too. Then another team member explained to her that sometimes the Spirit can feel like an opening and I saw a cage open around her- she was accepting and being filled with the Holy Spirit! God is so awesome!
Abby Ringger, Intern from Indiana
A woman came in to our tents for a reading. I remember thinking to myself, this woman looks like she doesn’t want to be here- she was on the rigid side, but she had said that she knew what she was getting herself into. Through us, God told this woman that she needed to be like a reptile and sun herself in the Light in order to shed the bad things she was carrying around. That hit close to home because she said she is often cold and so the sun is very important to her. We told her that she had some bad spiritual experiences in the past and asked her if she wanted a spiritual cleansing. Her walls were down, but went up again because of those bad experiences. A psychic had put her energy on her and she had become very sick. Once we explained that we would be asking the highest most pure Spirit to visit her, she agreed. She opened her hands up as if to receive and we laid our hands on her and basically prayed for God to cleanse her. She began smiling for the first time because an intense pain she had been experiencing in her back immediately left. We told her that we are followers of Jesus and she didn’t receive Him there, but she was a completely different person when she left. I was blown away by the love of God for His people!
For me personally Salem was very much a growing experience. I began on shaky legs, caring more about myself and how I would look if God didn’t give me a word for someone. Then, once I was humbled enough by not having anything to say God showed me that all I needed to do was love people. Once the pressure came off to perform and I could just love, God began to give me words that really carried weight compared to previous times. Because I was loving people I had my own walls down, which allowed God to move. I know I still have a ton to learn, but I’m amazed at what God has already done in me. I actually feel like I have more of a relationship with God and it’s strange to me that it has come in the form of Him loving other people and using me to do it.
Sharon Felder, Staff from South Carolina
Two teenage guys come in. They are very open to receive a spiritual reading. The first guy receives a word about his heart for people in trouble and how he stands up for those in need and his hatred for injustice. We are given more words about how he perceives people and a little about his perspective on things. This connects into his God-given purpose and resonates with him very strongly. Then the Lord gives a team member a picture of a blue colored blob on his chest and then a picture of Gods hand his shoulder. Through this we convey that the Creator is saying that He wants to make a divine exchange…..this boys bout with depression (something he has not shared with anyone), for wisdom and communion with the Creator. This flows into an invitation to meet the Creator and we feel we have favor to share that this is Jesus extending an invitation to know the Father. This boy is totally blown away and is very excited to meet this Jesus! (We wonder how the intensity of this encounter is affecting his friend.) We share some more about Jesus and he prays to receive Him. We are all elated!
We then shift to his friend and begin to share prophetic words. God is clearly sharing with them both about their natural interests but impressing upon us to give the spiritual interpretation as well in order to speak destiny/purpose into their lives. This boy is tender-hearted towards people as well. The Lord gives us words about his interest in becoming a gourmet chief and running. This also ties into things about his personality and spiritual principles which the Lord leads us to share. This young man is also blown away and shortly after receives Jesus.
Matt Howard, Intern from England
A group of five ladies came to us who were in good spirits. Three of them wanted a spiritual reading; the other two were just observing. One by one we gave them prophetic words, finding a grace from God to be accurate in what we were saying and stir some things inside of them. There was one particular lady who, it turned out, was having a particularly tough time. We heard for her was that God wanted to bring justice for the things she had been through- things that have been done against her. That God loved her and didn't want to see His children suffer. The wonderful thing was this spoke directly into her life, and was relevant to her there and then. In that encounter we saw the truth of what we had been sent there to do; to allow God, through us, to speak into peoples lives and draw them to Himself.
We each learned so much about His heart and ways through ministering. As sinners, His love met us the whole way (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). We understand that God will meet people where they are and in this continue them on a journey hopefully to meet Jesus. We understood that using Christianease language in Salem would often cause people to shut down because so many of them have been condemned and judged by the Christian community.
We learn that the Holy Spirit is in charge since He knows men’s hearts. We learn that we cannot make anything happen. We learn to watch what the Father is doing and then join Him. This experience provides a real stripping away of religion and the boasting of man! It is beautiful and glorious---it’s Jesus full of grace and truth! What this looked like during our outreach in Salem is that some people receive a little encouragement; others more directed words; and still others are able to receive prayer for healing or cleansing. And others may be ready to enter into relationship with Jesus. Our only basic instruction other than training in prophetic ministry and dream interpretation is to love the people, with no other agenda.
Please enjoy the testimonies below and celebrate the goodness of God with us. We have all been changed!
Blessings,
Streams Academy
Amber Cranfill, Intern from Illinois
Just before coming to Salem, God told me to go for a walk and to take some pictures of whatever was beautiful. As I walked, things would pop out in an unusual ways, so I would take pictures of what I saw. Then, during the outreach, a woman came in for a spiritual reading who had the ability to do this all the time! I wrestled with sharing from this new angle, but finally gave in and began to describe the walk I went on and how beautiful things popped out at me. God had not only given this lady the ability to see beauty in nature; but also the ability to see beauty inside people and use words to paint a picture so that they would know! As I shared this, another member of the team got exited because they were able to use what God had shown me to give a further word! Then the team leader asked the lady if she would like a “spiritual transference.” By that point, the team member had described that he was going to give here some of his “positive energy” and he started to take her hand. I grabbed hold of her other hand and the team prepared to give the “transfer”; but we were really waiting on the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit came and a great wind shot through the tent! His power made her laugh and me too. Then another team member explained to her that sometimes the Spirit can feel like an opening and I saw a cage open around her- she was accepting and being filled with the Holy Spirit! God is so awesome!
Abby Ringger, Intern from Indiana
A woman came in to our tents for a reading. I remember thinking to myself, this woman looks like she doesn’t want to be here- she was on the rigid side, but she had said that she knew what she was getting herself into. Through us, God told this woman that she needed to be like a reptile and sun herself in the Light in order to shed the bad things she was carrying around. That hit close to home because she said she is often cold and so the sun is very important to her. We told her that she had some bad spiritual experiences in the past and asked her if she wanted a spiritual cleansing. Her walls were down, but went up again because of those bad experiences. A psychic had put her energy on her and she had become very sick. Once we explained that we would be asking the highest most pure Spirit to visit her, she agreed. She opened her hands up as if to receive and we laid our hands on her and basically prayed for God to cleanse her. She began smiling for the first time because an intense pain she had been experiencing in her back immediately left. We told her that we are followers of Jesus and she didn’t receive Him there, but she was a completely different person when she left. I was blown away by the love of God for His people!
For me personally Salem was very much a growing experience. I began on shaky legs, caring more about myself and how I would look if God didn’t give me a word for someone. Then, once I was humbled enough by not having anything to say God showed me that all I needed to do was love people. Once the pressure came off to perform and I could just love, God began to give me words that really carried weight compared to previous times. Because I was loving people I had my own walls down, which allowed God to move. I know I still have a ton to learn, but I’m amazed at what God has already done in me. I actually feel like I have more of a relationship with God and it’s strange to me that it has come in the form of Him loving other people and using me to do it.
Sharon Felder, Staff from South Carolina
Two teenage guys come in. They are very open to receive a spiritual reading. The first guy receives a word about his heart for people in trouble and how he stands up for those in need and his hatred for injustice. We are given more words about how he perceives people and a little about his perspective on things. This connects into his God-given purpose and resonates with him very strongly. Then the Lord gives a team member a picture of a blue colored blob on his chest and then a picture of Gods hand his shoulder. Through this we convey that the Creator is saying that He wants to make a divine exchange…..this boys bout with depression (something he has not shared with anyone), for wisdom and communion with the Creator. This flows into an invitation to meet the Creator and we feel we have favor to share that this is Jesus extending an invitation to know the Father. This boy is totally blown away and is very excited to meet this Jesus! (We wonder how the intensity of this encounter is affecting his friend.) We share some more about Jesus and he prays to receive Him. We are all elated!
We then shift to his friend and begin to share prophetic words. God is clearly sharing with them both about their natural interests but impressing upon us to give the spiritual interpretation as well in order to speak destiny/purpose into their lives. This boy is tender-hearted towards people as well. The Lord gives us words about his interest in becoming a gourmet chief and running. This also ties into things about his personality and spiritual principles which the Lord leads us to share. This young man is also blown away and shortly after receives Jesus.
Matt Howard, Intern from England
A group of five ladies came to us who were in good spirits. Three of them wanted a spiritual reading; the other two were just observing. One by one we gave them prophetic words, finding a grace from God to be accurate in what we were saying and stir some things inside of them. There was one particular lady who, it turned out, was having a particularly tough time. We heard for her was that God wanted to bring justice for the things she had been through- things that have been done against her. That God loved her and didn't want to see His children suffer. The wonderful thing was this spoke directly into her life, and was relevant to her there and then. In that encounter we saw the truth of what we had been sent there to do; to allow God, through us, to speak into peoples lives and draw them to Himself.
posted by Streams Academy at 1:12 PM
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