Twelve Years Ago Today

It was twelve years ago today that I found myself going to the first session of CATCH THE FIRE conference at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. I was the associate pastor at Gadsden Vineyard Church, and much of what was happening to us as a fellowship was because of the impact that Toronto had on us. In June of 1994, we received word of a revival/renewal that had begun on January 20th of that year. It had been going on 7 nights a week since then and we were told that we needed to get up there to receive what was being imparted to those who attended. Jim Bentley, senior pastor, and several others made the trip up and on their return to Gadsden, we knew that something had happened. We didn't have language for it and to be truthful, I wasn't even sure it was from God. I was offended by what I saw and heard yet, at the same time, I was intrigued by what was being shared.

Over the course of time, I continued to waver back and forth...."Yes! This is God."  "No! It isn't God." I was determined to know for myself what was going on. Eventually I saw that the fruit of what had taken place in Toronto was a deeper love for Christ, and a fire to share it with all who would hear. I knew that Satan could not counterfeit this.

By 1998, Gadsden Vineyard had committed to sending me to Toronto. We didn't know why, other than there was a sense that I needed to go and experience what was now a 4 year renewal through this visitation by God.

I spent 6 days in Toronto, going to various sessions of the conference. To be truthful, I felt like I was to simply go and observe. I didn't really expect any great visitation upon myself but I was willing and open for whatever God wanted to do. Shortly before my trip to Toronto, I had a dream that would later prove to be prophetic and a word from God about where he was leading me. In the dream, Jim Bentley and I were in a library looking for books. We were wandering up and down the different stacks of books, when Jim called to me and said, "Come here, I have found it."  When I got to Jim, he held out a gray colored book with the title  The Blues Way, and said, "Take this, you're going to need it." End of dream.
Little did I know that this was the vehicle (the music) that God was going to use to convey the truth of the Kingdom to those in addiction.

When I got to Toronto, for the first time since the renewal hit, the two visiting worship leaders for the week were Bryn Haworth and Dave Markee, both blues session guitar players who had made their living backing some of the biggest names in Rock and Roll. It was like God was setting up this whole "BLUES" theme just for me. I remember that where ever I went, whether at the hotel or to Pat and Mikes, a restaurant across from the hotel, blues music was always playing. What was this all about? It tied into what I was going to do with the men who were going through the Rapha program.

Blues music has a universal appeal and has a way of striking something deep inside when you listen to it.When traditional blues music is played it is a cry of pain and loss. God was showing me that what was going to take place was that the cry of pain and loss would come through the music, but found within the message was hope in Jesus. That no matter what your circumstance, God would and could lift you out of it.

Toronto was the place where God gave me the desired direction He wanted me to go in. I came back to Gadsden and for the next 10 months, served at Rapha by teaching and ministering to the men. In August of 1999, we began our weekly recovery meeting at Gadsden Vineyard which became known as HOUSE OF BLUE. Blue being the color that represents an open heaven and communication between God and us.

I look back over the past 12 years and am amazed at what God has done ( I don't know why I'm amazed, after all, He is God!). More than anything, I am grateful for God allowing me to participate in this work.
So the next time you read the book of Psalm, think Blues, because it contains some of the greatest blues lyrics every put down on paper.....

God on you.........
mb