Attending onething09 yesterday

http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000039841

The link for IHOP-KC (International House of Prayer in Kansas City) and for their onething09 conference in downtown KC. I registered online and printed out some e-tickets for quick registration. My friend Peggy dropped me off before she went into work.

It really is something that you have to see and experience to understand. It's basically a young adult/ Jesus convention with about 2/3 of convention center (Bartle Hall or Municipal) being for the stage, ministry area, and chairs. I would estimate about 4-5 football fields lined up side by side for the area of the chairs. There are 6 large screens to be able to see the person speaking onstage or see the worship team. It's incredible and huge and growing. It was estimated that there was 17,000 plus persons there yesterday. I just watched it fill up and fill up.

The other 1/3 part of the center includes Forerunner Bookstore with material related to the conference and much more. They also have booths set up for the various ministries connected with IHOP-KC including Hope City which is run by Mike Bickle's sister and brother-in-law, Ray and Lisa Stribling. I picked up a pamphlet "Devil the Dope Man: From Street Life to Freedom" which tells Lisa's story. There are other booths including artwork done by persons at IHOP-KC, booths for IHOPU (International House of Prayer University), their Bible school where I was accepted at first, but I am now not able to attend. That is another testimony for another time.

I was in a little "bit of heaven" for me with great worship and lifting up Christ, interesting and challenging teaching and material, and then a giant bookstore that I could practically get lost in with all the great IHOP-related material (books by Mike Bickle, Allen Hood, Corey Russell and music--Misty Edwards, Laura Hackett, Justin Rizzo, Cory Asbury) and then material by others like Mike's favorites, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, Marie Woodwirth-Etter, Kathryn Kuhlman, John G. Lake, and others more recent like Mahesh & Bonnie Chavda, Bill & Beni Johnson, Wendy Alec, and more. I loved checking out the books. They also had a new board game called Omega which is a board game on the End-times (Latter Days).

I got tired after the afternoon sessions and with very little food (couple of breakfast bars). I even had one young lady come up to me wanting a few bucks for something to eat. I had 30 cents on me and will not have more until New Years when my disability check comes in. I have already sent postdated checks to pay for being nailed by a camera in Grandview trying to make it to one of the student awakening buildings late at night. I also had to send a postdated check to Carol Cease Campbell who trusted me with a signed copy of her new book, Called to Be a Prophetic People: Witness & Reflection which she trusted me with paying after the Peace Colloquy.

A little sidenote, check out Carol's book which speaks of "A prayerfully prophetic people of possibility, promise, perseverance, power, and proclamation". I love it in that it speaks on mighty prayer and endowment. I eagerly await her third book in the series--Called to BE: Life in the Spirit.

After waiting, I made it home late last night after almost 10 hours down there. It is definitely something for the youth and young adults. I could really get fired up with the energy.

I need to share my testimony. In the morning, I got an "impression" of giant Jesus with his heart matching the big IHOP symbol in back of the stage. He had his arms wide with the seating area. He towered over the convention center. There were also angels with the Archangel Michael, Captain of the Heavenly Hosts, completely the circle. This might seem a little silly, but I pictured a light wave of power (endowment and Spirit) kind of like Po with his Wuxi fingerhold in Kung Fu Panda and this light wave going out from the Heart of Jesus would help all persons there to overcome their adversaries, the adversary (I will not capitalize), and obstacles to their ministry in the name of Jesus. I was not sure about this, but I felt the Spirit confirming it when I prayed over my sketches with Jesus and the stage and the persons attending.

Well, this is enough for now. I felt the Spirit again confirming the above and look forward to blogging some more about onething09.