Desert Map (recap of my desert walk over last 7.5 years)

Here are the issues that the LORD has dealt with in me over the last 7.5 years. These are the lessons, character changes and other stuff that He has dealt with. It’s been hard, but bless God, it is a joy to know Him and call Him friend.

1. 18 months of unemployment started November 2003.

I had done six months of consulting work after having come to Christ. It was a period of euphoria that would soon turn to the beginning of the desert.

Issues

He is God. Way too many miracles to explain this one. He made it clear who He is and who I am.
He is trustworthy. Our finances were gone as a result of the pressure to come to the LORD. We had just our house. But, He still provided over and over. I bounced two checks in 18 months when our account balance was about zero the entire time. Both of those bounces were the result of my sin and became lessons.
He is in charge. It ended 18 mos to the day.
How to hear His voice. I saw the birth of the prophetic. And, I really had lots of amazing revelatory encounters: open visions, audible voice of God, impressions, knowing, etc.
What His word says. I read the entire bible through plus some. The unemployment period gave me the bandwidth to do that.
What worship is.
Obedience. He told me not to look for work at the 12 mos mark and tested me on that. Whew! Persecution arose. Accusation arose. Would I heed man or God?
His name is still Jireh.
The start of how to receive His love. This ended the 18 mos with me driving back to GA from CO to confess infidelity from a decade before I came to Christ. That was blocking the greatest physical expression of His love – your spouse. It was an Isaac test for me and showed me that He is trustworthy. I was broken that week. It was an uncontrollable sobbing event.
My pride started finding its way out the door. When I first started looking for a job, I was VP of Sales or nothing. 18 mos later, Home Depot was looking good.

2. 18 Months of Employment – the Xcentric years.

Increase in the prophetic. Introduction to Daystar. I remember the day that Ginger at Xcentric looked at me and called me the prophet. I had said something to her that was straight from the mouth of God not knowing what I had said.
We are to be holy as He is holy. 6 mos period of cleansing where I had to hunt people down to confess my sin and ask for forgiveness. This included everything that I ever did against Laura. I remember hunting Sandy, our receptionist from CPA Systems down to apologize to her. I saw her at Walmart and then the airport. God was really convicting me to call her. I eventually did, but it was humbling. PRIDE blows.
Husbands and wives are THE main vehicle for God’s love. He is passionate about this. And, He wants us as one – really as one. God healed us from the infidelity, but it took some hard work and grace.
Grace and what it looks like. I would soon fall due to my pride. I had no idea what it meant to fail and still be the LORD’s. I thought that if you failed, you were out. He would soon take me through that season.
How to do planning in concert with the Holy Spirit.
The start of ministering to others – especially in the prophetic. My gifts were activated.
Hebrews 12 start. God disciplines those that He loves as a Father. Yikes! He turned my heart to sour wine at the 12 month mark. I hated working at Xcentric. I had a call on my life and knew it. So, He made my heart hard. I got fired. But, Xcentric gave me 3 mos pay and told me to stay there while I got it figured out with Him. I wouldnt look for work cause I heard not to. Well, that was the angel of light. God kept sending folks to me, and I wouldnt budge cause I heard Him better than anyone else. Yea, right. That would be the start of a hard, hard season.
Introduction to warfare. I remember specifically fighting against Jezebel. Laura was consumed by this spirit. She even saw shadows on the wall. Fasting entered into the picture. God did amazing things. It was hard lessons.
God will chasten the ones that He loves. He is quite thorough. I think that this starts the fear of the LORD to a certain degree. He takes you way beyond what you think is necessary to discipline you. And, it is most effective.

3. 12 Months of Unemployment – the Hebrews 12 months

My pride was taking a whoopping. God set me up. Jesus even told me so. He showed me how Peter was the same thinking that he would never deny the LORD. He denied Jesus three times. Satan asked Jesus to sift Peter as wheat. Jesus response to Peter wasnt that He would stop the attack. It was that his faith would remain and that he would strengthen his brothers. Jesus will let the attack come to bring humility. It did for me. I lost my house and my family and moved in with my parents.
I met the angel of death. I had entered into a 40 day fast. On the second day, I got the word, “change or die”. I knew it. The next day, I got confirmation from Peter Bourke who said exactly the same things that I got the day before (without the die part). I changed.
Grace is abundant. I was staying with Kurt Hoeschtetter at the time. I was so distraught that I thought I had blown the call of God on my life. I really was depressed. But, God kept showing me a little boy on a baseball field who fell down after blowing it. He picked the boy up, dusted off his butt and sent him right back into the game. I was learning a big lesson about God’s grace.
God activated healing and words of knowledge. This started at a conference in Newnan where Bill Johnson was. The first words of knowledge were a pain in my arm and a heart attack set of pain. I thought that I had hurt myself.
God will give you your dreams if you surrender them. This lesson came with the Jeep. I had been given the Buick, which I hated, by my mother in law. I really hated that car and asked the LORD for a Wrangler. Well, the trip back from CO was such an encounter with God that I never wanted to get rid of the Buick. I remember telling Larry that I wouldnt get rid of it. Well, Jack and I went camping at Cumberland Island and on the way back, God dismantled our buick. He was teaching me how to work with Laura to bring about resolution to crisis. And, He gave me a wrangler. It was an amazing deal. And, we led the salesman to Christ.
I had an encounter with two angels dressed as golfers when ministering to the homeless down by grady hospital. Their words were, “have a blessed day.” I had heard, “those are angels” when I looked over at them while we were ministering to a few homeless dudes. When we walked by, one of them said that to me. I knew it. I just knew that they were angels. Way cool.
I did my first deliverance with Kelby. He was released from the spirit of fear. I was electric like I had never experienced before. My whole body was lightning. Wow.
I started formally ministering in the prophetic at Daystar.
Consequence of sin is great. The separation from Laura was painful. But, God told me that He would heal our marriage and that it would get dark before it got light. 18 mos later, He healed it.
Humility yet again. I remember leaving the Souly Business retreat from TN with Larry Green. God had us ride back together the 5.5 hours. He had invited me to a deeper intimacy with Him. He said that Moses talked to him face to face and that he was the most humble man on the planet. I could get that level of communion, but it would require more humility. I thought, “no problem”. Well, that started the hard heart thing and the firing and separation with Laura. Oh boy. I didnt know what I was saying yes to.

4. 9 Months of Work at Emerald Software Group

Taking care of my family. They are the number one ministry. I just wanted to work – anything would do. I needed to pay the bills.
I gave up on CO.
God uses isolation in a big way to bring about changes in accelerated fashion. He also uses this time to go deep with a person. I had tons of free time with Him as I lived with my folks for a year.
I learned about the power of fasting and extended fasts. That 40 day fast really did amazing things. It ended at The Call in Nashville.
I started seeing lots of people being healed. The LORD had given me a vision where he gave me a new gold heart, a scepter and a big eagle. Then, He told me to contend for healing people and raising them from the dead. I saw the healings manifest within 2 weeks beginning at Grady Hospital.
I was anointed for the apostolic. Now, I had gotten the first word from Kimberly Gentile but hadnt seen it manifest yet. When we went to Israel, it happened. God anointed me. I even got a crown placed on my head by Him. I could physically feel it. He later asked for it back to see if I would surrender it. I did. He soon returned it.

5. “Transition”

On the plane ride back from Israel, the LORD spoke to me and said, “transition”. This would start a new 12 month season where I would head back to CO. Our plane landed on Saturday. On the following Tuesday, I got fired from Emerald. On Weds, Laura asked for a divorce. Within a week and a half, I was on a plane headed to CO where I would soon take a job with Escape Velocity Systems and Nate Brown. Chuck Ros had given me the prophetic word during that in between period of unemployment. It only lasted a week. But, a big transition was about to occur.

Fire! God told me that I was a minister of fire. I later had a vision during worship where Jesus gave me a quiver of lightning bolts (for demons), a quiver of flaming arrows (for sickness, and I saw the first one had “cancer” on it) and a flaming spear (for death to bring back to life).
I started seeing that when I prayed, either I or the people that I prayed for got physically hot or felt electricity or some other manifestation.
Once again, I was in CO. I think that I went 7 times leading up to the two months that I spent before the cleansing and confession season.
I started developing a true love for my kids. God was turning the hearts of the father.
Relationship proceeds power. You dont always minister in power. At EVS, there were lots of folks who didnt believe, but I wanted to minister in power. I needed to establish a relationship first. Maturity and discernment knows when to come with one vs. the other.
My ability to see and activate destiny and gifts increased (apostolic).
God healed my marriage, as He said that He would. This happened at Thanksgiving. Jesus came into the bedroom and healed us. I dont know how to explain it. It was one of the most supernaturally charged times ever. I KNOW that it was Him who came into our room. Whoa!
We werent done with the desert. I got laid off on Passover. God had been speaking “311” into me for over a year. When I got laid off, He took me into the mountains for a hike. 311 was referring to my destiny and purpose. He wanted to show it to me.
He said that I am called to be a prophet to the nations.
He said that my purpose is to bring the word of the LORD to the kings of countries and companies.
He said not to be afraid cause He is with me.

6. Austin – a mountain experience and glimpse of what is to come.

Before I went back to ATL, God sent me to Austin. It was funny the day that I got confirmation on this. When I told Edna Riley that I sensed the LORD was wanting to send me to Austin, she looked it up on the web (Austin that is). In big bold red numbers on the left side of the page was “311”. The LORD is good.
I ministered with Charles Robinson there.
90% of the people that I prayed for got healed.
My prophetic was on fire.
I met John Ritrovato there. God told him that I would be there and to go.
The LORD said, “go home. I want to heal your family.”

7. Unemployed Again – 16 mos now and counting.

At the time of this writing, I have been out of work for 16 mos. I am currently looking for a job back in CO. The week or so after I got back, Jesus told me that I was a precious metals dealer. He said that I was buying gold refined in fire. I later got a word at Daystar from a guy (see september 2009). It was one of the most profound words. I had asked the LORD for His presence – at any cost. No one knew this. But, it came out that night. I am walking out the process to achieve this. I want His presence to be so manifested on me, that all know that Jesus is with me.

God had me start elevate29 as a sales and marketing consultancy. He orders our steps.
He taught me more about operating as one with Laura.
Nate had prophetically spoken “Jonah” over me when I was leaving Boulder. It took almost a year, but this word related to self righteousness. God was working that out of me. I had had several encounters with Christians who wouldnt let me pray for folks or walked as immature, and I drew offense and judged them. God brought it to a head by me almost getting arrested when my car backed into a lady’s car. I had gotten out to go ask her why she felt the need to tailgate me. The car was never put in park. God asked me if I felt the need to judge everyone’s sin. Oh boy. I repented when Andy Stanley completed a three-week series on Jonah in March or so. Nate’s word was good.
More warfare. I saw witches. I saw demons in our house as shadows on the wall. I encountered the religious spirit. Persecution from the immature church was high. C3G and Souly Business were two such vehicles. God had me at Brown’s Bridge to learn compassion for His church. It is hard.
We still have no money.

8. 2010 – Year of Destiny and Amazing Hardship

At new year’s eve, I went to Franklyn, TN to see Larry Randolph and Bob Jones. The LORD had me get a word from Larry. He prayed for John the Revelator’s anointing to come upon me.
At Os Hillman’s conference a few months later, Ron Burhoff prophesied over me that the LORD was giving me severed spines, spinabifada, Lou Gherig’s disease, the lame, crippled and wheelchair folks for healing.
I did two extended fasts. The first moved elevate29 to a ministry and off of sales and marketing consulting. The second broke poverty, fear and religion off of me
Then, the LORD had me surrender elevate29 completely.
I got formally connected with Bethel. Steve Hale and I became good friends. There were some crazy things going on between us, and I presented to them the Center for Business Transformation plan with a proposal to work with Bethel. To date, it has not taken flight. But, God was clearing connecting us.
The LORD called me to be a Nazirite. He asked me to give up drinking. I did.
He broke selfish ambition and asked me to lay down my life. This manifested in my family. I found out that all wanted to be in CO. We made the decision to move.
Within 1.5 weeks, Jordan would be in the hospital. God spoke to me in big ways. He proved His faithfulness again and again. We warred against the devil. Infirmity, death and witchcraft. God raised up intercession and taught Laura and I more on unity and humility.
Jordan was coming into her own identity in Christ. She is anointed and has big authority.
God was breaking off generational curses from her.
Funny, the doctors were convinced that it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The devil is a liar and mocker.
Jordan had encounters with seeing devils and angels and encounters with Jesus Himself.
I helped deliver her of many demons in ICU.
Bethel folks were amazing. I called the elders and anointed her with oil. The prayer of faith made her well.
Those come out with prayer and fasting only. God showed me that my anointing isnt enough yet to blast that kind of devil out. So, I fasted. It released.
Nazirite – I must honor my vows to the LORD. This is critical.
I have started weekly 1.5 day fasts.
Corporate prayer and continuous intercession until break occurs is critical for the body in this season.
I saw my prophetic start to take on a new level of power. I foretold things, and God got behind my word.
He showed me how Samuel’s words never hit the ground. Samuel didnt always say what God said, but God made sure that his words didnt hit the ground anyway. Samuel was a Nazirite.
Jordan ended up in room 311. Bob Regnarus txted me that God showed him 311 for me. It is still alive.
I fall more in love with my kids every day. Laura and I continue to walk it out.
The LORD sent me to CO once again for an interview with Group Publishing. I had prophesied fires in Boulder just a few weeks prior. The day that I arrived, the fires had just started. Wow.
My anointing was higher than I ever experienced. The presence of God was so heavy on me. Wow. It was another time that He showed me what was coming for me. There has been major increase.

More to come.