Ministry Update: Spring 2013

We’ve been reworking our radio ministry for a bit here, making a few changes to give it more impact and bang for the buck. We began working with an online on demand radio service called OnePlace, and they have broadcasted our programs into different regions. Our program has now been picked up and is being broadcast on traditional radio stations in some different countries including: Argentina, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Spain—benefits of continuing to do it in both English and Spanish like the Lord showed us—as well as some different regions of the upper East coast of the US. While this has been happening we still continue to do traditional regional radio and TV, as well as seeing positive results from our channels on the emergent media of our day like: GodTube, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

The Lord had us go down the path of producing video and audio sometime before the emergence of such popular sites, and seems He was leading for such a time as this, ready for the times we live in with the right tools. Certain programs of ours like “The Great Awakening” have done well in the newer formats as it covers the intersection of history where The Reformation and Revival intersect into an explosive outpouring!! Your support helps us to be able to expand further with the message of God’s historic and saving Gospel. 

Walking in the Kingdom

We were just at a friends wedding up the coast when on the way back we stopped by a campground. While taking a little ride on some bikes the Holy Spirit gave me a clear "stop and talk to this guy" word when passing by a couple. After a little conversation I found out his girlfriend had been taking him to church lately but he had never received Christ. "I am almost a Christian," he said. Well after talking a bit and sharing the gospel with him he opened his heart and received Christ—praise God he is "almost" no more. Who wants to “almost” go to heaven? There is more to this story read about it on our blog by clicking here.

The Spirit is Poured Out

Right before this we were just ministering out in the Inland Empire and had a very powerful time. God poured out His power and grace in an awesome way, about 7 people received Christ and many were filled with the Holy Spirit, as well as some who told us they experienced healing. 

We were just closing everything up and getting ready to leave when a lady who had just received the Lord came up to us and asked us to pray for her three kids, as well as few of their friends that had gathered around. 

We found out the kids hadn’t received Christ yet so we prayed with them and their two friends to receive the Lord (ages 6-12.) We then began to lay hands on all the kids there just to bless them, and then…

You never know what to expect when praying for kids since they can often be distracted and it can just be a short quick thing; however there are those times when the Holy Spirit invades and the whole dynamic changes. 

This was one of those times. We were a few minutes into it when the Holy Spirit’s presence began to rest on these kids and their countenances changed as tears of glory began to well up in their eyes. The presence of God began to powerfully fill each one of the five kids who had just moments before received the Lord. Then the Lord began to release His power upon them and also began to touch their mom, as well as their uncle who was standing close by. The glory fell on them all and intense weeping mixed with joy overtook them. 

It was a glorious moment as the Holy Spirit kept falling in power over and over, touching all of them deeply. Their weeping became more intense as we continued ministering and it just became a full visitation as God’s power just kept being poured out over everyone there for an extended time, well after the service was long over and everybody else was gone. 

One of their relatives came in to find where they were—a young guy of 13—and he got touched as he came up. He hadn’t received Christ yet but the Lord immediately opened his heart in that atmosphere and we prayed with him and he received Christ and then was powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit as well. 

A sister of theirs came in and next thing you knew she was overcome by God’s glory and was on the ground having been overcome by God’s presence and it just continued on and on.  For almost two hours after the service was done the Lord just kept pouring out His glory and this was after all the awesome things He had already done in the service—definitely a time of visitation!!!

We were recently at CdO Church in San Diego doing three services and were so blessed not only to see quite a few people make decisions to receive Christ as well as those who rededicated their lives to the Lord, but also experiencing the power of God moving in a great way.  It has just been amazing the way the Lord has so faithfully poured out His glorious presence as we’ve been ministering.  We were blessed to see so many getting filled, empowered, and set free with the Holy Spirit; it was just amazing.

God’s power was poured out in high voltage after sharing about how the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus will baptize us in the Holy Spirit and power.  It was a great blessing to minister as many came up to receive and a large number were not only filled and empowered to be witnesses, but also healed, touched, and set free in Christ! The Spirit of God again kept moving in each meeting to where we were always there to the last moment and had to rush to minister at the next meeting. 

The last service had us there for a good couple of hours, seeing the presence of God just fill and minister and touch and heal so many who were continuing to receive long after most had left!

We ministered recently at a friend’s church out in the mountain region of San Bernardino.  They had changed their focus as a church recently, to concentrate on missions and this was their re-launch.  We were happy to be part of that process as this is the heart of the Gospel—taking the good news out to every tribe, tongue, language, and people!

We were excited to share about the Bible’s mission focus and how the Apostle Paul was the consummate missionary of the New Testament. God’s focus from beginning to end has always been to reach the nations. The ultimate words of Christ that He left for His disciples to carry out are: “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations!”

The Spirit of God filled many with that empowering that Jesus spoke of, which makes us witnesses and takes us out with His Good News into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.  There were about 5 people who received Christ as well and some powerful healings!  One woman came up and shared afterward how she felt that anointing had come from us over her as we prayed, and she felt God’s power go through her head and shoulder, which released her from pain and she was healed! Praise God!

(Listen to our message of Paul going into the Aeropagus and sharing the Good News in one of the most challenging situations, considered the Locus Classicus of Paul’s missionary approach.)

We did a special service in the OC area up in Orange a little while back, and saw many touched and ministered to by the power of God, as well as about 6 people who received Christ, along with some healings that took place.  Some friends of ours came along to help out, and in fact it seemed it was just the right timing, as our friend Mark was able to minister to a young couple who had never been to a Charismatic service before.  Mark had an experience like a fish out of water, when he was at a popular “purpose-driven” church where he experienced the Holy Spirit on his own during a service.  With no one to explain to him what had happened, he found the Bible to be full of what he experienced when he checked it out.  Now God used him this day to help others who came who had never experienced the moving of the Spirit like this.  Many were being touched and powerfully ministered to as the Spirit of God moved, so it was a blessing to have him there to explain to some who were new to this the Biblical basis of what was happening.

We were blessed to visit some old friends in Santa Barbara and minister at their church there not too long ago and excited to experience the Lord moving in awesome power.  We were definitely first connected to them supernaturally, so it is always a joy when we get to come back and visit. It was definitely a time of visitation of the Spirit of God as the Lord came in glory and moved amongst us as we ministered. In fact we found ourselves on the ground as well near the very end of the service as our old friend Michelle prayed with us, and we were all just suddenly overcome and found ourselves reeling in the glory on the floor—just as has happened many times while visiting our friends up there in Isla Vista.  It is a bit of a crazy area by the UCSB campus where they all live and do outreach, but they are surely being lights in the midst of the darkness.

Prayerfests and More

The Lord continues to do awesome things when we have Prayerfests, which are small meetings in homes to introduce those with non-Charismatic backgrounds to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We’ve seen many from denominations like Nazarene to Baptist get filled with God’s power and have their lives changed.  One guy described it with the following words: “This was the most powerful religious night of my life.” “I’ve never heard anyone give a practical application to the gifts of the Spirit like you just did.”

The most recent one turned into a bit of a Youthfest as we explained that the fullness of the Spirit is available to all who will open their heart and ask and receive (Acts 2:39, Acts 2:17-20) young or old.  Patrick, our son, shared how he was filled with the Spirit of God and we ministered to him and a friend there who had received the Lord in the last Prayerfest.  The Lord moved powerfully and touched them and others there in an awesome way.  The Lord is reaching out to young, old, and many from backgrounds we wouldn’t expect, and filling them with power from on high.

We were also just with our friend Lauren for a little Memorial Day party and the Lord just invaded with His presence suddenly and we found ourselves having a Holy Ghost time which led into an awesome time of worship.  It is so cool how the Lord just shows up so powerfully, and the next thing you know you’re experiencing the glory of His Kingdom, basking in His presence and ministering and being ministered to. 

God’s Kingdom is not found in a structure or organization but in relationship with Christ.  As we follow him and are led by His Spirit we experience Kingdom works happening.   Thank you for your support. It keeps us out there doing Kingdom stuff!!

Many blessings!
Bryan, Mercedes, and Patrick Marleaux