We came from a powerful anointed Church in San Diego (Word of Life Worship Center with Pastor Tommy Miller, www.wordoflifewc.com) and we have grown and learned a lot on the service times we were able to make and also listening online.
I remember a day we were driving up to Bass Pro Shops in California that Dustin asked, "What kind of Church should we be looking for when we get to Tennessee? A church we are used to attending or a house kind of church you grew up in?".
There is a difference the way Dustin and I experienced Christianity growing up. He grew up Catholic (I'll leave his testimony for a later time, which is so powerful!), until he joined the Navy at 18 and was stationed in Hawaii he came to know Jesus as his personal Savior and King!
There he was taken under the wings of Potters House/Cornerstone church in Hawaii, and there he remained serving the church for 13 years. He has said that he knew he was meant to remain there for just a short season, but that the Lord was touching him to move on away from Hawaii for a time, but he never acted upon it. Thus he said that he was so focused on ministry and the serving that the Minister (Jesus) and the One who he serves was somewhere on the back burner. Church then became a routine and cycle to him. Praise God for Cornerstone because it was there Dustin encountered the King of Glory! But, he wasn't obedient to the Lord and more worried by what his fellow man thought about his moving more than just what the Lord wanted him to do. So he felt "stuck" spiritually.
I grew up with Jesus as the focal point of our home! Oh, the sweet and powerful memories of my childhood!
Every morning i'd wake up as a little girl and come down the stairs and see my mama on her couch with her "kitty" blanket wrapped around her legs comfortably, her feet resting on a stool (cos she's a petite woman that satan himself is terrified of, because of the Christ that is the giant within her!), and her little bible that is so worn out because it was constantly being opened and used with power!
I'd peek at her curiously as i'd see her intently reading her word, mouthing each word as if she was proclaiming something so mysterious and so vivid I could almost see what she was reading!!!
Throughout the day my mami would be singing praises and worship and making up her own praise and worship (Singing new psalms! Amen!) and telling me, "Oh Elisa! Isn't Jesus beautiful????"!
I'd watch her with intent curiosity and remembered asking her, "But mami... who is Jesus?", her eyes brightened and a beautiful smile came across her lips and she would sit me down next to her and say, "Let me tell you who Jesus is..." She told me about Jesus as if He was a best friend visiting the house and she was introducing me to Him and that I could literally reach out and physically touch him!
I was in such awe I couldn't say anything! She told me, "You have to choose to accept Him into your heart, mija... to have a relationship with Jesus you need to allow Him to be your King!".
One day we drove as a family to Ft. Worth, TX to the Believers Convention with Kenneth and Gloria Copeland (Mighty couple of God!), and I was in the Children's center and there I received Christ! I was so excited! I go running to my mami and said, "MAMA! TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! TODAY I ASKED JESUS TO BE MY LORD AND I'M A NEW PERSON!" I understood everything!
I was never raised in a "Church" (meaning a building or affiliation or denomination), because those who follow Christ know that the Church is the Body of Christ, fellow believers!
My mama (and daddy who is also saved and who was lead to salvation by my mama's example. Pretty much my whole family and grandmother and uncle from my dad's side were all lead to Jesus by my mom!) has always desired to gather with fellow believers in a home and have house church. We never could find that, so guess what? We had our own Home Church!
We would gather as a family and pray, worship, listen to scripture, talk about it and that was it! Yes, we didn't have nusery, or childrens school, ushers ministry, audio/video ministry, etc... Praise God for all of those! But, how we did it was so simple and yet so powerful!
So now back to our drive to Bass Pro Shops and our conversation...
I told him, " My Love, seek the Lord and where He wants us to fellowship."
After coming to Tennessee less than a week, we were in a Starbucks (because we didn't have WIFI yet) and looking for churches. Dustin's heart was still in finding a church that had the family worshiping together (and not separating the family by age to different rooms.), he then found something only 10 minutes from us off the freeway but they gather on Saturday evenings.
We attended and it was not like anything we have experienced (and that I haven't experienced since my childhood!), there was a family dinner, where those who attended ate and fellowshipped and the Pastor came and introduced himself and told us the kind of group they were...
"If you are wanting something more structured with announcements, and 30 min. Worship and a sermon wrapped in a time limit then this is not the place for you. We don't have any ushers,or other ministry. We come for dinner and fellowship, Then at 7 we just allow the Holy Spirit to plan what we do next. There are times we will just worship and sing praises (his daughter is anointed to lead worship at the keyboard), and sometimes we will just share and preach/teach, and sometimes we will start with worship... do a teaching, then pray out and go home! Sometimes we will be lead to be in prayer all night, and we will stay till the early morning hours soaking in the presence of the Lord!"
Right there and then I knew... the Lord lead us here!
We had a precious time of Worship, so simple and yet so incredibly beautiful (there were only about 15 people there)! Then a young man shared his testimony and taught what the Lord gave him to teach.
Afterwards they prayed out and the Pastor asked if they could pray for us. Of course we said yes, and they sat us down and all surrounded us...
I can't help but shake my head and giggle at our "natural" response to being prayed for. I was used to raising my hands and close my eyes and hear a chorus of loud prayer right off the bat! Which is wonderful, but that night I learned... I learned how to pray by FIRST waiting on the Lord to speak.
We both were used to doing it this way, so we had our hands up and eyes closed and nothing happened! Complete silence. I opened my eyes and they were all gazing upon us and right there and then I realized, no one was uttering a word until the Lord said something!
I was in awe by that revelation and right when I lowered my hands down on my lap, one of the brothers standing behind Dustin spoke and said to him, "Brother, may I have your permission to speak something over you?". Dustin then said, "Sure!".
We were used to what was spoken over us was always encouragement and blessings. But his was different...
He then went onto say, "Brother, when I saw you come into this building all I saw was worry in you... You are worrying about something not happening aren't you?" When he said that, my mouth dropped open because it was I who was worried about something that was NOT happening and wondering, "Why me?".
He then said, "The Lord has a Word over you and your wife. Stop worrying. Because it is coming."
Tears came down as I realized this was really meant for me! But because my husband and I are one flesh, Dustin got to hear it as well!
Then the Pastor (watching us both intently) focused his gaze on me, and I knew he was hearing the Lord speaking, he then said, "Sister, it is coming. In the timing of God which is perfect... it is coming. That desire you have been waiting on and have even questioned God at times, is coming.". I completely lost it!!!
Then the person on keyboard sang a prophetic song over me, "His Banner of Love is over you.".
Then Pastor looked at Dustin and said, "Brother, may I be specific with you now? That farm that you've been desiring...it's coming. It's yours." Whoooooooaaaaaa! Glory!!!!
We fellowshipped a bit more and went home. We were driving quietly and deep in thought and prayer. The next day we visited another church (in the same building) but deep down we knew where God wanted to place us. When we arrived I asked, "Are we still searching? Or have you come to a decision." Dustin then said, "Oh yes, I have decided that the Vineyard on Saturdays will be our family group.".
We finally found a group of believers who were like minded when it came to self sufficiency and many of them are crafters and desire to farm just like we do!
When you allow the Lord to guide your every step... He only leads you to Hope!!!
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