Lou Engle

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ DAY 21 -THE WOMB OF CALIFORNIA

“The ministry of intercession was the most real and tremendous.

I was in pain as a woman to be delivered.”

Frank Bartleman - describing the months just prior to the outpouring at Azusa Street

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  Revelation 12:1-2

In one sense, the original Jesus Movement began in the womb of a virgin named Mary. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.” ...Mary said to the angel, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:31-35

The word womb in this passage is translated from the Greek word koila. In John 7:38 it says, “Out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." The word for innermost being is also the term koila. So, spiritually speaking, everyone of us has a womb to give birth to a manifestation of Jesus. Likewise, we believe California’s womb has conceived a new Jesus Movement and could now be entering into travail and birth.

Last year I travelled to Santa Maria to preach in the Healing Rooms prayer room there. I pulled into to the parking lot with my wife Therese and we waited on God for a moment, asking Him what He wanted me to say to this congregation. Crystal clear the mind of God distilled upon my heart, “Tell them this is Santa Maria, Saint Mary, and a new Jesus Movement will be birthed from this city.” I went into the meeting and Rick Taylor, the director of the Healing Rooms, got up and said, “This is Santa Maria, named after Saint Mary, for here a fresh Jesus Movement will be birthed.”

There is something about Santa Maria (whether it’s about the city, or about the calling on the state of California right now), it’s to give birth like Saint Mary did!

Mario Murillo tells the story of his laboring in Berkeley among the student radicals of the 70’s. One night he was wakened with an agony of soul. In deep groans he poured himself out,  broken for the lost. He staggered into the woods praying, thinking he would die from the Holy Spirit’s intense intercession within him. Then, suddenly, the burden lifted just as it had come  and the angel of the Lord said, “Today, Mario, I’ve given you the city.” With newfound faith and expectancy, Mario went into Berkeley to preach the gospel that day. He was humiliated and devastated by a student radical who ripped up his tracks and spit in his face. But then, a young man walked up and confronted the student saying, “Do you know who this man is? This man is Mario Murillo and this day God has given him the city.” The radical apologized sheepishly and the man with the message disappeared. Was it an angel? Mario only knew that within the next two years, 2000 students came to Christ.

Come on California! It’s time to give birth, by the Holy Spirit, to a new day of salvation!

PRAYER:

Father, we pray, give us the universities of California again, as you did in the 60’s and 70’s. Raise up evangelists. Raise up intercessors. Loose a supernatural burden for souls that cannot be worked up by religious flesh. Loose your travail that brings forth another salvation student explosion in the high schools and campuses of the Golden State. Open the womb of California once again. Amen.

Lou Engle

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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ DAY 20 - CONGRESS FOR CALIFORNIA

“Come now, let us reason together… though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” - God (as quoted in Isaiah 1:18)

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."  Hosea 2:16-17

A few weeks ago, we spoke with a close friend who lives in Northern California. He shared a dream with us that envisioned him to join in the fast. His dream was an audible phrase that he heard while he was waking from sleep just a few days earlier. The phrase was simply,  “Congress for California Affairs.”

Knowing that “congress” is a legislative body, our friend pondered, “Is God summoning His ekklesia to deliberate over the affairs of California?” Later, when he received Lou’s invitation to the California Dreamin’ fast, he knew this was that.

The most common meaning of the term “affairs” is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as:

A.) affairs plural - commercial, professional, public, or personal business

B.) matter, concern -  ex. “How I choose to live is my affair, not yours.”

We believe we are to deliberate in prayer over all of these areas mentioned above. However, our friend explained how he sensed his dream may have an additional application to marital affairs specifically. We resonated with his insights and also sensed an application to prodigals who have strayed from the Lord as their true Bridegroom. Together we felt expectancy leap in our hearts, knowing that heaven has reserved for itself the final word over these “affairs” of God’s people.

This reminded me of another dream I had a few years ago in which I was shown that California was a “prostitute state” but God wanted to marry her once again. This kind of language and imagery can also be found in the book of Hosea the prophet. Hosea was directed by the Lord to marry a promiscuous woman named Gomer. Their story became an allegory of God’s relationship with adulterous Israel and a prophecy of how He would win her back to himself once again.

May we be encouraged by these dreams and scriptures and the implications they hold for California. It is right to hope beyond hope for an adulterous generation because Jesus has already paid the price of redemption once for all. His mercies are new every morning! Now the Lord is looking for men and women of faith who will hear His heartbeat, appropriate the sacrifice of His Son, and take captivity captive. It’s time for the congress of God’s ekklesia to assemble over California and release the rains of His mercy!

PRAYER:

Oh Righteous Judge of the Earth, we approach your throne with great boldness because of the blood of your Son, Jesus. Thank you for making us righteous before you. We ask you to forgive the sins of your people who have, even now, turned from you in various ways. Lord, your judgments are right and true altogether but we know that your mercy triumphs over judgment. Thank you for showering California in your mercy as we stand in the gap. We take authority over the veil of deception that rests upon the people and we cast it down in your name. By the sacrifice of Christ we declare, “Freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind!” We call for the prodigals to come home and we release the rains of revival like a pent up flood over the affairs of California!

Cheryl Amabile

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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ DAY 19 - THE BILLIONS ARE MADE UP OF ONES

“Like the good Samaritan, we need to stop for just one.” – Heidi Baker

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord.” Exodus 28:29

An intercessor once dreamed of a prayer room with a prayer wall. Hundreds of names were pinned to the wall like you would see at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. He realized that people from all over the country had sent in the names of loved ones who needed freedom and salvation. Those names were then taken up in intercession until they could be pinned on the testimony section of the wall. The testimony side was filling up with names from the prayer side of the wall and they all came under the heading: “The Lamb's Reward.” It was clear that Christ had paid the price for both the intercession and salvation of these ones He had died for.

I believe that as we enter the time of the great Billion Soul Harvest*, God is re-highlighting his simple strategies and heart for this end-time harvest. A primary strategy is, “Start with the one.” I was once leading a passionate prayer meeting for the Billion Soul Harvest when I heard the Lord speak to my spirit. It was the middle of the meeting as we were shouting out promises and claiming the billions when the Lord interrupted me and said, “The billions are made up of ones.” Broken ones. Hurting ones. Poor ones. Abused ones. Depressed ones. Blind ones. Lost ones. God doesn’t look at the billions as a large robotic mass of people aimlessly wandering on a make-believe planet called Earth. God carefully formed and intimately knows each one by name.

I think about a young Billy Graham before he was known as the great worldwide evangelist. After a night of passionate prayer with a few friends in a SoCal campground in 1947, they made a covenant called “The Burning Heart Contract.” They committed themselves to four principles of Christian discipleship that included: (1) one hour in prayer and the Word, (2) sobriety, (3) fidelity/chastity, and (4) “to seek every possible opportunity to witness, to the end that I may be responsible for bringing at least one to Christ every 12 months.” I believe it was Billy’s commitment to witnessing to the one, while no was looking, that gave him the platform to preach the good news to 201 million people over his lifetime. Who were the other friends that made this commitment with Billy? Bill Bright, Henrietta Mears, Richard Halverson, and Louis Evans.

In Exodus 28:29, the priest was never to enter the presence of God without names written across his heart (breastplate). The mere sight of the names of the precious ones that God created, deeply moves His heart. As we pray and fast for the great harvest in California, take the names of your family members and friends, write them on your heart, and pray for each one by name. It is through these ones that much of the great harvest will come. When Jesus reached the one Samaritan woman, he reached the entire city. When Ananias ministered to Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, he reached the Gentiles.

The greatest harvesters are still in the harvest fields. As a royal priesthood, if we would be faithful to carry them on our hearts before the Lord in prayer and share the love of Jesus with them, the millions and billions are not far behind!

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for forgetting about the ones that are on your heart. Sear the names of the lost on my heart! May my heart burn with love for the lost ones again. I bring before you today my family members, friends, and co-workers who don’t know you. [List them by name]. Save them. Deliver them. Heal them. Use them to bring salvation to the masses! Lord, as we’re faithfully loving the ones, give us the millions and the billions!

* In 1975, Bob Jones encountered the Lord beyond the veil and was told: "Prepare the people, for I am going to bring in a billion souls in one great harvest”

Mando Matthews

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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ DAY 18 - PREPARE YOUR NETS

“To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in the world.” - Charles Spurgeon

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John 21:6

My friend Chris Berglund had another dream several months ago in which he saw Billy Graham sitting in a rocking chair behind home plate on a baseball field. Billy had an umpire mask resting on his head and he had the ability to call people “safe” or “out” (it was the salvation message - safe or out). Billy also knew where people were to be on the field. Chris recognized that though umpires were supposed to be neutral, Billy Graham wasn’t neutral. He was totally invested in the game. The guy on third base yelled, “At Billy Graham’s home-going the greatest evangelistic outpouring will be ushered in.” Chris was so overwhelmed by this statement because he knew there was no way we could train enough people to be ready for this.

Billy Graham has gone home and he’s umpiring right now. Get ready for the harvest! Pray. Fast. Preach. Prepare for discipleship. Something is going on in America. California, get your nets ready. Get your sickles and combines ready. Start preaching the gospel everywhere you go. Do not let it be said, “The summer is past and we are not yet saved.” Jeremiah 8:20

Can you see Jesus standing on the shore of California? It’s time to heed his voice and cast our nets!

PRAYER:

Lord of the Harvest, use us! Help us! May we be for you ready vessels. Bring us new strategies for this new wave of evangelism - nets that will catch and hold the multitudes! Empower your laborers in California, Lord, with a spirit of counsel and might. Move through us to bring home many sons and daughters to the glory of your name.

Lou Engle

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DAY 17 - HIDDEN TREASURE

“Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” - Henry Ward Beecher

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:16

Last summer during a corporate fast, my friend Chris Berglund had this profound dream:

I saw frisbees of different shapes and sizes flying all over the California beaches, up to Canada and down to Mexico. Then I saw Bill Bright, A.A. Allen and Billy Graham. AA Allen said: “Do you have eyes to see the treasures I see or will you miss being the wisdom and healing for those I raise up to fly?” After that, Isaiah 49 was being spoken. The phrase “Though you may not have compassion on your son I will never forget you…" kept reverberating in me.  Then I heard it said, “Who will believe that a highway of holiness and love can come to the street called hate (Haight)? Who is there that sees a heavenly kingdom that's more powerful than any earthly strongholds? To such a one I will show myself strong."

Lonnie Frisbee may have been the key voice of salvation and power in the days of the Jesus Movement. Up and down California people were saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit through his life and ministry. He was a broken man but God used him mightily. Can we see the treasures of Christ in broken vessels or will we miss being the wisdom and healing for those whom God is raising up to preach? Lonnie Frisbee came out of the Haight-Ashbury hippie culture of San Francisco. We believe God will do it again in the city of St. Francis.

God is inviting us to see one another according to our heavenly calling and destiny and not according to our past or present behavior. When we see Christ clearly, we begin to see ourselves and others differently. Let us say what heaven says about others, releasing revelation and faith into their hearts. Then, grace can come to empower transfiguration.

The Frisbees are flying once again over the West Coast!

PRAYER:

God, this is my prayer, that you would forgive us of our doctrinal policing. Scrutinizing our brother according to the flesh and accusing one another when the days of harvest are at hand. God, raise up harvesters of every kind. Lord, help us to see the treasures in the next wave of the Jesus Movement and not judge them according to their appearances. We ask forgiveness that so many missed the Jesus Movement because they couldn’t see beyond their own cultural lenses. Don’t let this happen again in California. Raise up the Lonnie Frisbees. Heal them and let them fly in Jesus Name.

Lou Engle

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DAY 16 - NOW IS THE TIME

Carpe Diem - “Seize the day!”

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Gen 32:24-26

As I mentioned in my last two posts, I had a question burning on my heart the entire year of 2015, “Why haven’t we yet seen the fullness of the next Revival, Great Outpouring, Great Harvest, Jesus People Movement, etc?” That year, I had three significant dreams providing answers to that question. This is the last of the three dreams.

In this dream, I heard a voice that said, “Mando, do you know why you haven’t seen the fullness of breakthrough (for this great revival)? Because you’re okay with breakthrough coming NEXT TIME. You’re okay with breakthrough coming TOMORROW.” In the dream, I began crying out, “Make my next time, NOW! Make my tomorrow, TODAY!”

Friends, we don’t have any time to waste. This is an urgent hour in the history of our state and nation. Our families and cities are in desperate need of an unprecedented move of God NOW. If we don’t see the fullness of another Great Awakening in our nation RIGHT NOW, our nation could be lost. Many of us have been waiting for the perfect moment to fully pursue the promises of God through prayer and fasting. We may be thinking, “I’ll fast in the next round. I’ll truly seek God’s face when it’s more convenient.”

I love the story of a young Oral Roberts who fasted and sought God for seven months for a greater breakthrough in his ministry. While he had ministered to hundreds, God had promised him that he would bring healing to an entire generation. Over the last three months of his time of seeking God, he lost 40 pounds in fasting. Finally, one night in divine frustration, he got on his face before the Lord and told God that he would not get up until God spoke to Him. He prayed until he had nothing left and then lay on the floor waiting for the Lord. After a long period of stillness and silence, God finally spoke: "From this hour you shall have My power to heal the sick and to cast out demons." In his next meeting, 1200 people showed up and he had his most incredible healing ever. Roberts had experienced breakthrough.

Oral Roberts was a mighty spiritual giant who wrestled like Jacob wrestled. Imagine Jacob letting the angel go with the intention to wrestle him at a more convenient time or another day. The truth is, Jacob didn’t have that option. He knew the time was urgent. He needed breakthrough that night or he and his entire family could be destroyed by Esau the next day. This is the kind of urgency that we need in this hour!

The greatest enemy to urgency is apathy. Oh, that God would set ablaze every apathetic bone in my body. Oh, that God would set ablaze every apathetic bone in the body of Christ all over California. It’s time to awaken! We need the violent rushing waves of revival to sweep over our state TODAY. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow may be too late.

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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ Day 15 - THE HARVEST IS READY 

"Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low."
Isaiah 40:4

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.  Ezekiel 47:9-10

We received the following dream from a Native American intercessor in Alaska. She dreamed it shortly before Billy Graham’s passing...

I was flying in a Learjet over a large river where hundreds of fishermen were catching hundreds of salmon and all kinds of fish. The Lord said in the dream, “Now, both the harvesters and the harvest are ready!” Then, as the plane began to elevate, the pilot said, “There are three things you leaders must do in this season for divine take-over: 1) You must come up higher! 2) You must lose all fear, and 3) you must take risks!” Then he proceeded, “And you see those mountains below us? You can have all of them if you will do these three things!” And then, in the dream, we passed through some kind of barrier.

This is a profound dream. I believe God is saying that the time of the harvest is also the time to take the seven mountains of influence. We must go higher by going lower. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. Give yourself to fasting and prayer. Those who wait upon the Lord will mount up with wings as eagles. Ask largely of God, even like Caleb who said, “Give me this mountain!”

Perfect love casts out fear. Open yourself to the love of God. Let your mind be filled with the dreams of the possibilities of God rather than the nightmares of the impossibilities of your human strength. Refuse to let fear keep you from your Promised Land and then declare to yourself, to God and to devils, “I’d rather fight giants than wilt in the wilderness of insecurity!”

Step out into the dream and make it real. Risk everything for the promise.

PRAYER:

We declare today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are crossing the barrier of fear and intimidation. We will not let the lack of finances keep us from stepping into our dream. We declare that God is raising up an army of Josephs and Esthers who will be exalted in high places of cultural influence and His Kingdom will be manifested in glorious authority.  Amen.

Cheryl Amabile

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