Crusade Joy Update II

Ok, I finally got some sleep and a week has passed SO quickly but here are pictures from the Inland Crusade, Rialto, CA., January 12-14, 2007.
Hope you enjoy them!

The tent going UP!

Here it is up, without the sides added yet.

The inside of the tent. 1500 chairs!!!!

View from the sound booth! See the tiny people on the platform? That's Sis. Cathy Clark, Sis. Chris McCorkle, Bro. Scott Blair, Bro. Casey Clark, and myself practicing and doing an early (freezing cold) sound check!

A nighttime view of the tent. That is Bro. Thurman Thomas doing an awesome job directing traffic!

Kacey Lynn and Joni Ayn Clark - "Kacey's Prayer and God Bless America"

Bro. Paul Bertram - ENTHUSIASTICALLY leading us in worship!!!

The CROWD!!!

The Mass Choir -"Lord, You're Holy"

Bro. Cody Marks preaching THE WORD!!

Bro. Cody Marks praying for those who wanted the Holy Ghost!!

100 JOYS

Praise the Lord!!! Yesterday during the AM services at Inland Lighthouse, we had over 100 visitors!!!! Let me repeat that, we had 100 visitors in one service!!!!!!! Needless to say, we are overJOYed at what God is doing as a result of our recent crusade!

Bro. Marks told us last night that Bro. Clifford Clark had debated whether to bring his congregation to the Sunday night service of the crusade. They had been there for Friday and Saturday. But Bro. Clark felt a check and so they had service in Ontario. THEY HAD 5 NEW PEOPLE RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST IN THAT SERVICE!!! Bro. Marks told us that he had also spoken with Bro. Paul Bertram who so powerfully led us in worship on Friday and Saturday. Bro. Marks was concerned that Bro. Bertram may have been so tired from the crusade that it might affect their services on Sunday. Bro. Bertram was quick to dispel that notion!!! He said that they barely made it past the first song on Sunday AM before the whole church was on their faces, deep in commune with the Lord and that Sunday evening THEY HAD 4 PEOPLE RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! Both of these men had been so instrumental in supporting our crusade and they are reaping in their own cities what they sowed in Rialto!! Isn't God just AWESOME??!!!!

Now, back to Rialto. :)
Sunday AM, the service was a little different since it was Baby Dedication. Bro. Booker spoke about the SURE MERCIES OF DAVID and then dedicated about 16 babies and children. Many of the children dedicated were from families that had attended the crusade!!! One grandfather, when praying for his daughter's family and child, fell to the floor under the power of God and I believe he may have received the Holy Ghost!! Many of the families were moved by the admonition to LAY UP TREASURE in Heaven for your children and their children. Last night, we had a gentleman, who had attended the crusade, who wanted to be baptized. Bro. Booker baptized him at the end of the service and when he came up out of the water he didn't immediately receive the Holy Ghost. He was in the water probably over 15 minutes but his perseverance paid off and God gloriously filled him with power from on high!!! There for a moment, I thought Bro. Marks was going to jump in the water with the man and MAKE SURE he got what he sought! LOL We also had a gentleman who was in severe back pain and came forward and asked Bro. Marks to pray for him. Bro. Marks rebuked the pain and the church prayed for the man. He said the pain was better and was able to walk
a little easier back to his seat. A few moments later, he was DANCING with JOY of healing!!!! I have included a picture of him (taken at the crusade) and wish I had one from last night!!!! It was INCREDIBLE!!

The gentleman on the left is the one who was healed in our Sunday Evening service, January 21, 2007! This picture is from our Crusade service, Sunday, January 14, 2007.

It was an awesome day at ILC!!

Song of Life and Joy

Life Song

Verse: You've taken every situation that arises and created music from my triumphs and my crisis. You've woven every tear drop and every smile into the song You're creating in my life.

Chorus: Let my life be a song that testifies of Your mercy and Your grace. Let it sing through the night. Let my life be a song so that others can know the beauty of your love. Lord, please write my life song.

Bridge: You are the melody. You are the harmony. Let Your mercy crescendo o'er the notes of my life. You are the words I sing. You are my symphony. Lord, let Your grace...Lord, let Your mercy...Lord, let Your love....be my life song. Lord, be my song. Write my life song.

Written May 28-29, 2006 Copywrite June 2006

Update - JOYfully Tired

Tonight Bro. Booker told us that there were 131 people who received the Holy Ghost for the first time DURING the crusade. There were 61 households in the immediate area of Rialto that were impacted by someone/s receiving the gift God wants to give EVERYONE!! I am blessed to get to call those 61 homes tomorrow and Friday and tell them "thanks" for coming and about our services this weekend. I can't wait!!

Bro. Marks read a letter from a gentleman who came to the Crusade and left a changed man. The man had received a phone call from his mother on Saturday inviting him to the Tent Revival at which SHE HAD RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST. He argued with her and tried to convince her that because she had accepted the Lord as her saviour, she alread HAD the Holy Ghost living in her. She told him about how different she felt but hung up when he refused to accept what she was saying. The man goes on to state that he got a call on Sunday from his brother, you guessed it, inviting him to the same Tent Revival his mother had. The brother had also received the Holy Ghost and they starte arguing about whether it is even possible for that many people to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gives the utterance, all at the same time. By the end of the phone call, the brother had said that he had been backsliding but now felt like he could make it and how clean and good he felt. The man said no thanks again and that he would call his brother later after he studied a little about this "Holy Ghost".
Then the man went online to play a game and felt the Lord leading him to go ahead and research the scriptures and to study about the Holy Ghost. He wrote that 'as he studied he began to feel a physical hunger to taste this Holy Ghost experience.' By now it was after 7:00 PM, but he called his brother back and asked if there would be tent revival the next weekend and was told no. He was sad that they would miss the whole thing, then his brother said that the service had just started and that if they left right then, they would make it for the "spirit invitation". The man and his wife got ready quickly and left their home within 20 minutes. They walked in under the tent as Bro Marks was giving the invitation to come forward and to recieve the Holy Ghost. They went straight to the front and started praying. But nothing seemed to be happening and the man was getting sad because everywhere around him, people were speaking in tongues. Then Bro. Marks approached, asked if he could pray with them, and laid hands on the wife. She almost immediately started speaking in a heavenly language. The man was sooo overjoyed that she had received and then Bro. Marks prayed for him as well. He received the gift of salvation with evidence of tongues!!! They asked Bro. Marks if he thought that the Pastor would dedicate their children and wouldn't you know it, this weekend was already scheduled for a baby/child dedication service!!!!!!!!! SO, they are coming on Sunday to dedicate their children and I can't wait to see their faces after they have heard the message "The Sure Mercies of David" that Bro. Booker preaches so often on Baby Dedication days!!!!

The miraculous and inspiring stories are too numerous to be written and contained on this blog!! But I hope that the above mentioned information and story will lift you up and inspire you to reach out to a lost and dying world and be a light!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JOYfully Tired!!!

WOW!!! Did we have church this weekend or what? Inland Crusade started Friday night at a little after 7 PM. and ended Sunday night around 10:00 PM. Each service was powerful and packed with the people of God and lots and lots of visitors. Bro. Paul Bertram was a wild man and led us in anointed worship Friday and Saturday night. The mass choir sang and blessed the Lord in their worship on Friday and Saturday as well. Sunday night, Hermano Rivas, pastor of the Spanish work in Ontario, CA., led us in worship and song in both English and Espanol! Also, Sunday evening, the ILC Sanctuary Choir and the ILC Lighthouse Voices ministered with bilingual songs unto the Lord. Bro. Cody Marks was the Crusade speaker and he ministered with a mighty anointing!!!! What a time we had!
There were over 120 people filled with the Holy Ghost for the first time and many were baptized in Jesus' name!!!!!!! I don't know the number of backsliders that were refilled with the Holy Ghost but it was substantial! Friday and Saturday night we had over 30 young men from Teen Challenge attend the services. They were right up front and seemed to LOVE every second of the service! Many of them received the Holy Ghost! There were people who are in leadership of other denominal churches who attended and were greatly moved by what they heard and felt!!! I am claiming several of those churches in Rialto as daughter works of ILC!!!
I was so honored to be a part of this crusade and had a blast playing for each service!! Needless to say, this morning, I slept in!!!!! My kids were out of school and we all four slept until after 10 AM!!!!! It was HEAVENLY!!! I can't wait until Wednesday night to see how many of the ones that attended the crusade and had a life changing experience come back to hear more about the Lord!!!!
One of the things that was soooo neat was that there were many who came as a result of the advertising we did and they attended every service and the people of ILC bonded with them, can call them by name and know a little about their lives!!!! Also, Bro. Booker was so wise to tell the people who attended that if they lived in another city in the Inland Empire, had received something from God, and wanted to continue their walk, to be sure to check into whether there is a Pentecostal Apostolic Church in their city!!

I will keep you posted as to the "final count" of those who were filled or refilled and those who were baptized! Until we meet again, PRAY for the lost of this untoward generation and for REVIVAL to breakout all over the world!!!!!

Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

P.S. I will add pictures as soon as I can....but I am sleepy and just want to go to bed now! LOL

Picture Joy

Just was looking at some pictures I have saved on my computer and thought I would share them with you

Here are Marissa, Jessica, and Justin, my 3 wonderful and smart kids!

Aren't they just beautiful??

Jessi learning to do her hair

A different day, different DO!
Good job for a 10 year old!






Justin, trying to get the camera to LEAVE him alone!

My "baby", Justin!!! What a cutie!!!
Oh, and when he has his glasses on, the SPITTING image of his Daddy!!

SNOW and CRUSADE JOYS

SNOW!!!!!! IN RIALTO!!!!! IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!!!

My husband kissed me and left for work at the wonderful hour of 6 AM. Not more than 5 minutes passed and my phone was ringing. I answered and Mark says, "Jana, I think it is snowing! I see white stuff floating thru the beam of the headlights!" Skeptically, I said, "No way! It has to be something else." I even walked out in the as yet UNLIT day, and lo and behold...nothing! "Mark, you are imaging things!", I said. He argued his point for a moment and then hung up. Ten minutes later, the phone rings again. "Jana, I was right! I DID see snow!!! I am out on Sierra and cars are sitting on the side of the road and there is snow everywhere!", I heard Mark say. He asked me to get on the internet and see what the conditions were for the Cajon Pass, so I did and found that there were CHP escorts but that Sierra and the I15 were closed because of a wreck.

It was hard to believe but there REALLY was snow and it didn't just last for a few minutes but snowed for over 2 hours after our discovery!! There was snow not only in Rialto but Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, San Bernardino, Redlands and other spots. Sister Clark said that Joni Ayn, Casey and the kids had a snowball fight at their home but that she and Bro. Clark had no snow and they are at a higher elevation and less than a mile from Casey's. Strange!!

My kids didn't want to go to school but we prevailed and Mark and I had a nice day together since his boss said he didn't have to go in and risk being stuck up in Victorville if the conditions got worse! It was so lovely to spend time with my honey and not be interrupted by the kids!! Thanks, God!!

I really think God has a great sense of humor! The ILC church body has been praying for NO rain and NO wind during the Crusade and God honored that but showed off with the unusual snowfall!! I, and several other church members feel that God was also reaching for the unsaved who have heard about the endtimes and know that the seasons will be confused! BTW, we were chilly, but we had a packed house in the tent last night and 41 people received the gift of the Holy Ghost for the first time!!!! Tonight we have another service and several young men that received the Holy Ghost last night are going to be baptized tonight!!!

I will keep you posted on the Crusade as the weekend progresses!!

The JOY of Knowing In Whom We Believe

Came home last night from one of our last choir practices for the Inland Crusade (which I will give you LOT'S of info about in....3 days) to get news that my cousin, Sharon Chance, has cancer of the spine. Sharon is the wife of Reverend Mike Chance of San Antonio, Tx. She has had cancer before and God stepped on the scene and healed her. This time there is a tumor around her spine and the cancer has spread into the spine. If you know the Chance's of San Antonio, or even if you don't, please, PLEASE be praying for the God who is in control of ALL things to step on the scene again and give her a miraculous healing!!!

Thinking about God and the fact that HE IS in control, I feel so assured that no matter what direction this situation may take, Sharon will be healed! I am sure you have heard this before, but my Pastor has often stated that when God chooses to not heal a person here on earth who has lived for Him but to call them home, that person has recieved their ULTIMATE healing! Think about that! Pain on earth is GONE and they are in the PRESENCE of ALMIGHTY GOD, rejoicing and praising and singing and dancing!!! You can't help but reJOYce (I know, spelling, but you know I keep putting JOY in all my titles and I couldn't resist :) ) to know that your loved one is in a MUCH better place!

However, at the same time, I stop to look over my life and make sure that I have done all I can to be right with HIM and to be ready for when He calls ME home. If you have stopped by this blog and aren't a Believer, take time today to read the Bible and to find a church that preaches Truth. To preach the Truth means that the minister preaches and teaches STRAIGHT from the Word of God and that he doesn't only choose what is convenient to his way of thinking!! Take time, sit down, get a cup of Java, and immerse yourself in the Word today! You too can know in whom you believe!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Search the following site for a church near you that will gladly teach you a Bible study and will welcome you with open arms! http://upci.org

There is a church locator in the left hand top corner.

God bless you and keep you until we meet again.

Blogging JOY?? Hmmm

Oh, I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this awfully frustrating phenomena? I have tried to post twice today and one of them was posted under Dec 2006!!!???!!!! When I first tried to post it, it said it couldn't be posted due to an error and to try again later. So I did! And that is when it posted it as December 30. 2006 at 11:42 PM....but I was posting January 5, 2007 at 9:45am!!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! THe second post acted the same, so I just saved it as a draft? Sooo, here I am trying once again to post REAL time!!! Let's see what happens.....Oh the JOY of blogging.

P.S. If you have been checking in over the past few days, you have not seen anything new. This and the last two posts were alll messed up...but lo and behold, when you actually take the time to go check out the HELP section, well, you guessed it-I found how to fix the problem!!!! YEAH!!!

Joy of Blog Time Machine

HMMMM, I just created a new posting this morning, January 5, 2007 at 9:45 am. However, when I published it, it showed up as a post for December 30, 2006 at 11:42 pm????? How did THAT happen? So, did I just go back into the past? Like in a time machine? LOL Well, if you are interested, there is a new, old, posting in response to Katie's tagging me. Just keep scrolling down into the "past" and you will find it. HAHAHAHA

Five JOYous Things You May Not Know About Me

I got tagged by Katie, so here are some things you may not know about me. I hope I can do this!

1. I am 4th generation Pentecost! Not that this assures my salvation, but what a rich heritage I have! My Paternal Great Grandmother was a preacher way back when! Her husband wasn't in church for a while, but she would walk to church with my Grandmother and Great Aunt. My Grandmother married a young man who played the guitar and was kind of "rough". She was only 16 when they married. My Grandfather became a minister and after almost 51 years together, PawPaw was called home to be with Jesus. I have so many wonderful memories of services in his church. One was quite embarassing: I was sitting on the front row and one of his saints that I befriended was sitting with me. We were passing notes back and forth and my PawPaw stopped preaching and made me bring him the notes! Then, HE READ THEM OUT LOUD!!! I NEVER wrote another note in HIS church! LOL My Dad is not an ordained minister but he has been a Youth Leader and has served in other capacities in his local assembly. He currently is spending a lot of time traveling to different churches to speak to them about the dangers of the internet and to promote a filtered (from the source) DSL. And then there is me, a music director. Four generations later, God's mercies continue to flow into my children who get to claim being 5th generation Pentecost! BTW, the other set of Paternal Great Grandparents also lived for God. As a result of their dedication and commitment to God, I have numerous uncles and cousins who are currently serving the Lord and are ministers!!!!


2. Please don't buy me live plants!! I have a HORRIBLE brown thumb! I have tried MANY, MANY times to grow flowers or greenery and EVERY time I kill the poor things!! One time I bought 3 GORGEOUS Hydrangeas. I had them for almost 3 months and I was amazed that we had made it that far. Then, I left for a summer vacation and thought I had asked the person who was caring for our pet, to water the plants. When we got home, all 3 were shriveled up and deader than a door nail!! I was devastated! So now I have fake plants in front of my home! LOL


3. I have a bad long term memory! My sister, Jennifer, is like a walking, talking, data base of obsolete memories from our childhood. ME, I barely remember my own name! I definitely don't remember what color socks I wore to a special event! LOL But my sister does! We get into little arguments occasionally when I will incorrectly recall an event from childhood. She insists on making me remember EXACTLY how something happened. I think she needs to just give up, get over it, and let me remember things the WAY I want to!


4. I secretly wish that I was a person of color! Namely, a person of African American descent. I LOVE to listen to black people sing! They are sooooo uninhibited in their worship and in the way they use their voices. I tell people that I am black inside and just have white skin because I "sound" like a black person at times! I have had black people tell me that!!! Oh, please Lord, let me get to a place where I am uninhibited in my worship of You!


5. Is this almost over? Remember, I have a bad memory, so I can't seem to be able to think of anything else you may not know about me! LOL Oh, ok....here's one. I get stage fright! Even after all these years of playing the piano and singing, I still get SOOOO nervous befor I sing. I have just chalked it up to God' way of keeping me humble and relying on Him because as soon as I start feeling the anointing, my nervousness is gone! The few times I have NOT been nervous, I made it through the song but almost fell apart when I was done. Those times I KNEW I was in God's will and that whatever I was singing was going to bless someone. But when I was done, I would shake like a leaf in a windstorm. Perhaps, that was a delayed reaction to the anointing, who knows?

Well, I made it through this Tag game. I am letting this die here. I will not perpetrate this on another unsuspecting victim. LOL Thanks Katie for giving me a mental exercise this morning. Hopefully it helps me get a better memory??? LOL Thank God that HE knows who I am and is watching my every move and keeping me with His mercy and grace!

Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)
"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—that's what I had in mind for you."

Banana Nut JOY

Oh, the aroma that is wafting through my home! Sweet, yummy smells! Marissa is a 12 year old Patissier extraordinaire! She loves to bake and cook and we LOVE to eat whatever she makes!

Today, she is making Banana Nut Bread and I can't wait for the finished product!!!!! It is amazing watching her as she reasons out how to measure the ingredients, what size bowl she should use, and think that this is my child who struggles with self esteem! She is so sure of herself as she creates her masterpieces and yet, take her out of the kitchen and she starts questioning her ability to do anything. The scripture that says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is a mantra in her life! I pray that she will see begin to realize that everyone has different abilities and learn to find JOY in who God made HER to be!

Here she is baking her masterpiece dessert and a picture of the finished product. Sorry, but by the time you read this, there won't be any left to share! :)

Phillipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Isaiah 4:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the
womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and
thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Blogger and Craigslist Joys

This is definitely going to be a much more interesting year than last! Since I started blogging and bartering, selling, and buying from Craigslist, I am meeting people and getting to know others soooo much better than in the past!

I love getting little notes from my friends about my comments here on my blog! Especially from a wonderful lady that I have looked up to for 11 years now! Can you believe how fast time has flown, Sister Buxton? When we moved to Rialto eleven years ago, my daughter was only 10 months old! And now I have 3 children and my oldest is in the Youth group!!! Where did the time go?

I am also getting to know Sis. Allard better! Wow! What a trip! My namesake! LOL And to be honest, we are quite a bit alike. Singing, singing, singing, bragging on our kids, CHURCH, CHURCH, CHURCH, bragging on our kids. LOL

Just today I met a lady via Craigslist who is an Apostolic, One God, Tongue Talking, musician like myself. My hubby so kindly advertised piano lessons on Craigslist for me to teach. I received an email from a lady who is a 2nd year student and plays for her church. I replied to her email and asked if I could know what kind of church she attended. LO and BEHOLD, she knows several people from ILC and used to attend Bro. Stratton's. She and her husband are now pastoring a Spanish work somewhere in the area! Isn't God great? I get to help a fellow saint of God and make a new friend and all because of a posting on the web!!

Thank you, Lord, for all my friends, new and old, and for this opportunity to share Your blessings in my life with people who may read this feeble attempt at blogging!

P.S. KMB, you are NOT forgotten here. You bring JOY to my life as a confidante and continued blessing in my life! Thank you for hanging in there with me!!!! So very glad that God put us together to encourage each other through our trials and tribulations! Love ya bunches!!!