dreamcenter.

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted.

visited the LA Dreamcenter @ Angelus Temple this morning for church and wow, was I awed. knocked off my seat : ) pastor Matthew Barnett, senior pastor of the Dreamcenter, author of "the Church that never Sleeps". Wow. His passion for God and His ways were so contagious--i was captivated by the goodness of God. Thanks Baoyan, for asking me to check it out. Pastor Matthew Barnett preached at Hillsong Conference 06.


5 miles off where I live, I drove there early in case there wasn't parking. wow wow wow, what can I say--the worship was amazing to say the least. It was creative, with so many aspects of the worship having been chereographed so nicely. Rock music and raps at the beginning before worship eased into songs that were easier on the ears--piano accompaniment and all. Felt God's presence so strong. There was this part when Michael W. Smith's Breathe was sung. And i just felt this release and that embrace of God that made me weep. joyful weep, though : ) it was crazy. so unexplainable. and crazy.

Mark 10
46Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The sermon was preached by Coffey Anderson--and God's presence really really gripped me with so much intensity when he spoke forth. in a gentle, good kind of way. : )

Son of David was the title reserved for the Jewish Messiah. Yet how did blind Bartimaeus know that Jesus was the Messiah.

It took a blind man to recognize the King of Kings.

and while blind Bartimaeus was calling out for the Messiah, everyone warned him to be quiet. But Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they told him to be of good cheer, for Jesus was calling him.

Jesus will turn your haters into your congratulators.

Yet that isn't even the main focus for Bartimaeus. What was his cloak for? For shielding himself from the sun, for protection from the cold at night, for his security as he covers himself at night, for rejecting others who might mock him. but throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

The last I heard, the veil was rent.

I love it when Coffey said that : ) and he titled his sermon Let your Coat Go. wow. and let the love of God flood into your life. Don't resist Him. Don't run away. Don't shield yourself away from Him using your own efforts to reject the only One who loves you perfectly. the One who died to wash you clean. Clean.

Clean and forgiven enough to go your way. He could have gone any way he wanted--Jesus told him to. Bartimaeus could have done anything he wanted.

But he followed Jesus.

Wow. He could have done anything he wanted. But he wanted to follow Jesus. the power of salvation does include the enabling for the righteous to do right! : )

I was completely blown away by the message. You see, I expected a sermon preached by Pastor Barnett, but it was Dreamcenter graduation this morning and he spent a good amount of time on allowing these graduates from the Dreamcenter to share their testimonies. Testimonies of years of drug addictions completely cured by the power of God. There was this one kid who, when he first entered the Dreamcenter program, was so broken and angry that he threw the bible at one of the pastors running the program and writing 666 on his journal and spitefully telling him that his God ain't nothing. Yet, exceedingly, abundantly, above all he could ever ask or think, the kid is so much more now.

So Pastor Barnett told the congregation he did not want to rush through a sermon after all that so he had arranged for Coffey Anderson to speak. but once again, God proved the victor. I had received exceedingly, abundantly above all i could ask or think.

Didn't have the chance to tour the Dreamcenter even though I intended to, but you can read all about it at their website.

More updates soon, hopefully. : )