Represent Conference at Sonrise Chapel, 3/26-28

There is a powerful youth/young adults conference called "Represent" coming up at Sonrise Chapel, in South Everett, WA.  Read below for more info!

We are so stoked to be hosting our first youth and young adult conference at Sonrise Chapel. This coming March 26-28, please consider joining us on this new adventure. We would be so blessed to have you as our guests.

“Represent” is a conference to encounter God in passionate worship and to receive training to go and represent Jesus to our generation. Our conference will include times to go out to the streets, malls, and other places in our community to heal the sick and give prophetic words of encouragement.

We are bringing in two great guest speakers: Todd White and Ben Dixon. Todd White will be the primary speaker/trainer for our event and Ben Dixon will be training on how to give prophetic words as a lifestyle. Just for youth pastors on March 25 we will host a free dinner at Sonrise for youth pastors and their wives to come meet Todd. Then on March 26^th at lunch, we will have an opportunity for youth pastors to go the mall and minister alongside Todd in a smaller setting before the conference officially starts.

For all groups that bring at least 10 paying people, one pastor/leader and spouse can attend for free. Our early bird registration is due by March 3, so please get in touch with us soon to confirm that your group would like to attend, so that we can hook you up with more registration forms and/or posters. If you know of other youth ministries or young adult groups that would be interested in this please pass along the information. On behalf of the 10x youth ministry staff and I, have a blessed New Year!

You will also find information on:

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=237558593233&ref=mf

YouTube (the promotional video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJT8WkaIks
  
Todd White’s powerful life testimony on the Sid Roth show:  
http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=8771&security=1041&news_iv_ctrl=-1

John Hammer                        
Sonrise Chapel
www.johnhammer.tumblr.com

Video: "32 Hours" the church in Haiti

Watch this powerful, one hour video below of the message and presentation of Mark Driscoll, pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, who was able to go to Haiti immediately in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake.  Be moved by the stories and testimonies of local believers, and be encouraged by the faith of the church in Haiti.

Higher Calling, an ESPN news report on Tony Dungy

As some of you know, Tony Dungy was the famous NFL football coach of the Colts.  Now that he has retired from coaching, he is still a champion in American society today, and bringing glory to Jesus!  To learn about what Dungy is doing, read this special ESPN article.

Director of Planned Parenthood in Texas resigns after watching abortion ultrasound

BRYAN, Texas, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The director of the Texas Planned Parenthood abortion mill where the 40 Days for Life campaign began has resigned, saying she experienced a conversion after watching an ultrasound video of a child being killed by abortion.

"I just thought I can't do this anymore, and it was just like a flash that hit me and I thought that's it," said Abby Johnson in an interview with local news network KBTX 3.

Johnson had been affiliated with Bryan's Planned Parenthood facility for eight years, and worked as its director for two.  She said she began to feel uncomfortable with Planned Parenthood's business philosophy after the organization, suffering from the economic downturn, told her to try to bring more abortions in the door.  "The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that," said Johnson.

But the turning point for Johnson was reportedly when she witnessed an actual ultrasound image of an abortion being performed on an unborn child.

To read the complete news article, click here.

“Christian Elephants” Attack Persecutors in India

I just read this report from the Asia Harvest newsletter (you can read the full newsletter at this link ).

This report is very fascinating.  I've never heard of anything like it before.  Check it out below.

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In 2008, a severe persecution of Christians broke out in the Indian state of Orissa. The end result saw more than 500 Christians murdered, and thousands of others injured and homeless after their houses were reduced to ashes. As a result, Asia Harvest responded and helped the persecuted believers, including building homes for many families. Recently, a strange and dramatic event took place in Orissa, which has many people talking and wondering.

In recent months, herds of wild elephants have stormed villages that are home to some of the worst persecutors. In one village where in August a year ago the Christians had to run for their lives while their homes were being destroyed by rioters, a herd of elephants emerged from the surrounding jungle, the Restoration India Mission reported, “Exactly one year later, at the same time of the day, the persecutors had to run for their lives, from nothing less than a herd of wild elephants! These elephants first attacked a rock crusher machine owned by a key leader of the persecution movement. They then went on to destroy his house and farm. Gaining momentum, they rampaged through other non-Christian homes, demolishing gardens and singling out the homes of persecutors, leaving Christian homes untouched. People ran to the police station to report the disastrous news. In one case, a police jeep that attempted to drive away the herd was attacked and the occupants barely escaped. Truly, God is the avenger of the helpless. These strange attacks have spread, and according to a newspaper report the elephants have already destroyed more than 700 houses in 30 villages, and killed five people.

Nobody in this area has seen or even imagined the unique appearance of a herd of wild elephants such as this. The elephants are not ordinary elephants; they appear to be on a mission. Typically, smaller elephants enter a village first, appearing to survey the community. They then rejoin the herd, and larger elephants soon follow and get the job done. “Just what is their job?” you might ask. We think that it might have something to do with avenging the blood of martyrs. In fact, the fear of God has fallen on the local people, who have labeled these elephants, ‘Christian elephants.’”

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Video: IHOP Renewal Overview

Watch the video from CBN below.  You can also read the news article.

More than Dreams DVD

Check out this amazing DVD of people coming to Christ through dreams.  I watched one testimony last week and it was powerful.  Check out the description of this DVD below.

For decades, a phenomenon has been recurring in the Muslim world. Men and women — without any knowledge of the Gospel and without any contact with Christians — have been forever transformed after experiencing dreams and visions of Jesus Christ. Here are five such stories of former Muslims who now know Jesus as their Savior, recreated in docu-drama format. Produced in their original languages with English subtitles.

Former Broncos Lineman Turns From Drugs to Faith

Check out this great testimony.

Violin Music Testimony

I was born in Taiwan and my family moved to California when I was 8 years old, and I started learning the violin in school when I was 10. I spend years studying classical music and playing in youth orchestras, but I never truly found my comfort zone in the classical arena. It was years later, in college, after I had quit playing, and never thought I would pick up the violin ever again, did I discover a different type of music that I was born to play and revel in.

My friend David was a talented musician (guitar, piano, bass, etc.) and an anointed worship leader at church. We were hanging out in my dorm room, and he had his guitar and was about to play some songs, when he spot my dusty violin case in the corner of the room. I had not played for over 3 years when he, in that moment, prodded me to take it out and jam with him. I protested, telling him that my skills had probably faded from lack of practice, and that I have never played with guitar or this style of music in my life.

He was stubborn, so I gave it a try. I could still recall the song that he started playing, "Meet with Me," and suddenly I find myself playing surprisingly in harmony to the music, (with no songsheet, just playing by ear). My fingers glided effortlessly on the violin; it seemed like they knew exactly what notes to hit. The Spirit of God was breathing all over our song, and even my friend David was surprised.

Ever since that night in 2001, Samuel musical life has been resurrected. Samuel is now jamming on a 5-string Vector electric violin, with creative improvisations to various contemporary musical styles (rock, pop, smooth jazz, folk, hip-hop, celtic, country, electronica, etc).

In recent years, Samuel had the opportunity to travel and play around the world. From in front of 40,000 in San Francisco (The Call SF), to a group of 20 at an underground church in Guangzhou, China, to remote mountain villages in the Philippines, it has been an exhilarating ride. Samuel states, "Every time I play, I know in my heart, that I am playing for the glory of God."

Powerful video testimony: Man died, met God, came back to life

Really moving testimony video

Cardboard testimonies...view it!

My life-changing encounter with God in 2000

Below is a short article that I wrote up a few years ago, about my life-changing power encounter with God in the year 2000, when I was a student at Stanford University. I want to share it as an encouragement to all of us, and for those who don't know God yet, to testify that God is real and that He wants to reveal Himself to each one of us. Read on...

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SUDDENLY, I FELT AN INCREDIBLE SURGE OF POWER channeling into my outstretched hands and traveling down my arms into the rest of my body. I was thrust back into my seat and paralyzed from head to toe. The force that had entered into me was like a wave of fire penetrating my every bone and tissue.

No, this wasn’t a dream or a lightning strike or a freak electricity accident, this was my personal power encounter with GOD.

It happened at a prayer group meeting with my friends at Stanford University on Friday, 2/18/2000. I was a sophomore at Stanford on my way to degrees in Urban Studies and Sociology. As an intellectual person, I had always been skeptical of hyped-up supernatural experiences. But on that night, God showed up supernaturally in a way I could not deny.

I had been raised in a Christian family before that time, and I believed in God growing up. But there were always seeds of doubt in my mind as to whether God was real, whether Jesus was truly the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins, whether the Bible was really true, and whether my faith in Christ was only a byproduct of my family heritage.

Earlier that school year, I was desperate for some real answers in my life. Being away from home and listening to atheist professors had shaken me up a bit. I was mired in a depression and needed help.

I cried out to God. I told God, “If you are truly real, please reveal yourself to me. If you really do love me as you say in the Bible, let me experience your love. I am going to seek you, and your word says that you will answer everyone who seeks you with a sincere heart (Jeremiah 29:13), so you better come.”

As I started praying like that everyday, things began to happen shortly. I hear about a Friday night prayer meeting and began attending it. In those meetings I met some folks who were on-fire for God and were the most radical Christians I’ve ever met. And I began to feel the presence of God for the first time in my life in those weekly meetings. I had been a Christian and received salvation years ago but I had never known the presence of God. As God began to pour out His Holy Spirit into me in huge doses, my depression left and never came back.

The Bible tells us “not to be drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) This verse is true wisdom. As I started experiencing the love of God a daily basis, I was enjoying God a whole lot. I’ve come to realize that the taste of God is so much better than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life, in my pursuit of pleasure and happiness. “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” (Psalms 34:8)

It was a couple months after I had begun going to these prayer meetings when God “ruined” me in that unforgettable power encounter. The entire experience lasted for over 2 hours, in which I was so undone by the LORD that I was unable to move or even wiggle one finger. In the initial stages God revealed to me that He is indeed HOLY and ALL-POWERFUL, later on He began to show me my sins and gently asked me to repent of them. As I started repenting I began to feel burdens being lifted from me and I was filled with joy. After that I began to weep and pray out loud to God with such power and passion that I knew my life was never going to be the same again.

Indeed, after that night, my life has shifted gears up to a whole new level. I began to see the world through a God-centered perspective, and I was able hear the voice of God much better. Now I know that I can run into the loving arms of my heavenly Father at anytime. Needless to say, any lingering doubt about the reality of God and the validity of the gospel was completely eliminated. I now know for sure that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

My lifestyle changed radically. It was the beginning of a whole new dimension of relationship with God. There were still other “issues” in my life, but now I can see God working in me daily to bring about complete healing and transformation of my entire life.

I started joyously telling friends and strangers about what God had done in my life, how He had really saved me from darkness into the light. I was waking up every morning not wanting to get out of bed, dreading the day and the things that I had to do to survive another day. I was stressed-out, self-absorbed, and full of worries all the time. I could not see how life can be any better, it was painful and monotonous with frequent escapes into carnal fantasies. I was spiritually blind to who God really is and the life that He intend for us to live. It is God’s heart to open us to truth, love, and freedom, if we let Him.

Dear reader, if you have not yet given your life wholly to Jesus, if you have never experienced His love and presence, I would strongly urge you to start praying and seek God right now and every day. You don’t need to pray some religious prayers, just be real and honest with God. Doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, He will forgive you and He is waiting for you with arms wide open. He loves you so much and He wants you to experience Him.