The Haight - Expect the Supernatural!

We had the wonderful opportunity this weekend to have one of our friends from our Burning Man team, Melody and her cousin, Anita, visit us for some ministry and outreach fun. We didn't plan anything out of the ordinary for the weekend, rather we roped them into one of our usual crazy weekends. Friday, Night Strike, in the Tenderloin, of San Francisco, and Saturday, Lion's Pride ministry, run by Jason and Bekah, in the Haight.

Whenever our family goes into the city for ministry, we're already traveling in expectation of the supernatural -God! He always shows up. We find ourselves showing up earlier and earlier now to have fun and minister in this location. The shop owners are incredible and we have fun just mingling and talking with them. On this particular, evening, Saturday, March 12, 2011, we arrived in the day time to do just that -have fun and experience the Haight. Arriving early has its disadvantages - parking. On Saturday, we parked the farthest away from Haight street then we ever have before. I think we were on the top of Masonic! Made for a great photograph of Saint Ignatius, in the clear skyline (no fog).

The Haight is well known for several things, one, it's hippie heritage, which hasn't gone away, two, it's music, from the sixties to the musicians found on the streets today, and three, the supernatural. All three of these components are woven together in the Haight. The beautiful grafitti all around the Haight reflects the spirituality blend of mythology and eastern relgions. There is also the blend of the occult that has settled in this area too. Sometimes the latter makes for some interesting discoveries while exploring local shops.

Jason and Bekah of Lion's Pride, and our friend Melody and myself strolled into an occult shop to see what was lurking in there. On display in this shop was an Odd Fellow (Odd Fellows are an organization like the masons) outfit, from the 1800's. It was all black, looked like a Klu Klux Klan hood and robe. On the black robe were stitched symbols of death. I wanted to photograph the robe, the shop keeper had three, but  I wasm't allowed to. This is a spectacular find, for those of you familiar with why Christians shouldn't meddle with masonic oathes, this was an artifact representing why. And unequivocal proof that dark ceremonies took place in these organizations. And of all places, an occult shop had them. Even people in the occult get it! Which is why they collect this stuff. There were also mason artifcats in this store too.

After the incredible afternoon in the shops, we proceeded to Escape from New York Pizza to eat dinner and then get ready for ministry. In the evening the team setup on the corner of Haight and Cole. Jason broke out his guitar and Andrew setup his drum. Within minutes we had people congregating around us to listen to the music.

Katie, Bekah, Lisa, Melody, Anita, and I were getting ready in the spirit while we talked to the street people. It didn't take long for the prophetic to start flowing and we started minsitering to people. Melody ministered to a young man and gave him some good prophetic words and prophetic singing. She sat on the curb with one gentleman and just let God speak to him.

What happens during this time is that God highlights people he wants us to minister too. I saw a young girl, about 17, walking towards us with a group of her friends. God highlighted her and he told me she was a runaway. He wanted me to go speak to her. So God started the download to me, I received a picture, it was green meadow full of daisies. I reached in our bag of stuff to give away and pulled out a beanie (thanks for the beanies, Diana) to give to her to keep her warm. I asked her if her name had something to do with a flower, like a daisy? She said no, her name was Summer.Then I received the information she was a painter and spoke into that. She was surprised and asked me if I read auras. I told her 'No.', I was hearing from God the creator. She told me she could heal people. Summer had some incredible gifts from God but the enemy sidelined her with her addiction. I was heart broken to see this young girl on the streets like this. As I spoke more into Summer, the enemy sent a spirit of distraction my way and intervened. By the time I manuevered away from this individual Summer was gone. That upset me.

But not for long. When I moved away from the distracting spirit, I turned and noticed a young man, standing next to me, waiting for my attention. I turned and he smiled at me and asked me to pray for him. I thought this odd. We weren't explicity advertising we were Christians. I asked the young man how he knew I was to pray for him. He told me a girl with a beanie had told him to come see me for prayer. Then I thought about it - Summer!

This young man, told me his name, Brett (changed for anonymity), and told me he was HIV and feared dying on the streets alone. Lisa, Anita and I prayed over this young man. As we prayed for Brett, God revelaed to me he was raised by a black woman. Brett, was a white male. But I know what God showed me, a black woman smiling -with a mother's smile. I asked Brett if he was raised by a black women.

Brett answered, "yes -she's my foster mom."

I told Brett, he wasn't alone, there was a way home through his foster mom. Brett said he thought she passed away. I told Brett, God revealed to me your mom, and told me there is a way home for you through this avenue.

So we prayed over Brett some more and God revealed to Brett he wasn't going die, and he wasn't going to die alone. It was a powerful encounter that shaped a man's life. He wanted off the streets and he wanted out of his heroine addiction. Brett is ready. Sometimes a word from God is all we have. I pray it was enough for Brett to find his foster family and follow through with what God revealed to him.

After Brett left, I saw the young girl Summer, come back. My father's heart was just torn. I had to speak to her some more. As she returned to our area, the spirits of distraction ran interference again. But this time, God sent Katie in to give Summer some prophetic words, so I felt it was my job to run distraction with the spirits of distraction to let Katie go do her work.

Again, it was another incredible night of prophetic ministry with Lion's Pride.