We had high expectations for this year's conferences, and they were exceeded. We believe that it was the great spiritual hunger of the people that attracted the Lord in the way that He came. To enable twice as many people to attend this year, we held two back to back conferences at the Main Assembly Hall at New Heritage USA. Even so, we still ran out of room during some of the evening meetings. 

As is usually the case, the first meeting started slowly but quickly gained momentum. We met three times a day and every session seemed to get more intense. In every meeting it seemed that there was a special impartation, but every one was different. By the end of the first conference we felt that in every way it had exceeded the content and presence of the Lord that we had experienced the previous two years. We were just hoping that the second conference could come close to the level of the first. We were in for a big surprise. It started where the first one left off and kept going higher. 

The Children's Conference 

Bobby and Ginger Hussey, and Dennis and Jackie Rippy led a children's conference which ran simultaneously with the adult meetings. They were aided by Mike Littlejohn from Lifespring Church of God, Bill Mauch and a host of volunteers. They experienced an outpouring of the Spirit that also exceeded all of our hopes. Extraordinary healings took place. Waves of power would sweep through the rooms and leave dozens of children "slain in the Spirit" for hours at a time. If you knew some of these children, to get them to be still for even a few minutes was a miracle somewhere on the level of parting the Red Sea! They would awaken with the fire of God in their eyes and power in their hands. Adults and teenagers who drifted downstairs to see what was happening never came back upstairs. Later we found many of them either slain in the Spirit or so drunk with "new wine" that they could not even drive. 

We do not have a count, but many children gave their lives to the Lord during the conference. Many others were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and others began to minister in spiritual gifts. As good as the adult meetings were, those who saw what

was going on with the kids thought that the Lord was just baby-sitting the adults so that He could minister to their children. 

The Concert 

On the Sunday between the meetings we scheduled a concert to just let the people relax and enjoy the music of John G. Elliott, Mark Farner, Leonard Jones, my wife Julie, and Don Potter. Last year's concert had stunned almost everyone it was so good, but like the entire conference, this year's also went to a new level. As Don Potter was leading worship at the end, we broke into a realm of "warfare worship" that caught all of us off guard. 

There is a worship that is pure adoration for the Lord, and there is a kind that is a prophetic proclamation of His purposes, but this was altogether different. We entered into a realm of divine militancy to a degree that I had never before witnessed. It gripped the soul with an anointing to march forward with unyielding resolve. It seemed to capture in power the theme of the conferences--"Mobilization and Strategic Vision." As this concert came on the Sunday night between the conferences, it also served as a spiritual launching pad for the next meeting to go to an even higher place. 

Prophetic Help 

During the second conference we felt that we should try to contact a prophetic friend, Bob Jones, just to see if he had anything from the Lord for us. Bob was in Minnesota and had no natural knowledge of what was going on at our conferences, but he had truly been with us in spirit. Without our telling him anything, he began to tell us in detail what was going on with amazing depth and accuracy. 

Bob said that he had witnessed in the spirit a major breakthrough that we had accomplished, which came at about 8:30 p.m. the previous evening. That was just about exactly when the "warfare worship" began at the concert. He said that we had engaged the religious spirit, that we were on the offensive and that we needed to keep attacking. 

Bob also told me in detail about a number of attacks that the enemy had sent against the conference, including stomach ailments, respiratory problems and "a spirit of levitation." We had already suffered so many stomach ailments and respiratory problems that we knew it was an attack. When I asked him to explain the "spirit of levitation" he said that it was "tripping." That really caught my attention because Paul Cain had already tripped and fallen down the stairs at our office, seriously spraining and bruising his back. Then my youngest daughter tripped and cut her lip during a meeting, and several others had tripped going down the stairs. 

The Second Conference 

The second conference seemed to start off with a level of anointing higher than we experienced in the first one, and then go higher each day. The few hundred people who had stayed over from the first conference really helped the transition between the conferences.

Again, every meeting was different, but in almost every one it seemed that the Lord came with a special impartation. The peak of the entire conference was not reached until the afternoon meeting of the last day. As we entered the conference hall we felt such a presence of the Lord that we immediately abandoned our plan for that service, called up all of the people who were serving downstairs in the prophetic ministry teams, and decided we were just going to worship. What happened after that could only be understood by those who experienced it. We went into a realm of "warfare worship" again, but one even more powerful than what had happened during the concert. As a pastor friend shared with me later, it was a genuine experience of Psalm 149:6-9: 

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and the two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the judgment written. 

Several times during the conferences we did enter into the "high praises" which seemed to lift us out of the natural realm, but on that afternoon we remained there for almost an hour and a half. Afterwards the people looked as if they had just been through the travail of giving birth, and I am sure that something new was truly born at that time. 

Counter Attack 

While talking to Bob Jones, he had also mentioned that he saw a major counter- attack coming "from the north." It would come as a wet blanket at the end of the conference. The "wet blanket" is a fitting metaphor for the religious spirit because it seeks to put out the fires of revival before they can grow to full measure. 

Again Bob was right on target. At the first School of the Spirit meeting after the conference, I allowed an old friend to share. He has at times had some of the best teachings I have ever heard, and at other times some of the worst. That night he ministered in the most clear example of a religious spirit I have ever witnessed. Some had stayed for this meeting after the conference. They all seemed to be still caught up in a spiritual euphoria from those meetings, but many of them were devastated and confused by the message that night, some to the point of even wanting to give up being Christians! "Wet blan-ket" was the most perfect description I could think of for that message. This brother was also from one of the most northern states in the country. 

This gave us more resolve than ever to keep up the attack on this religious spirit. We did not have a confrontation with this spirit in mind as we began the conferences, but the Lord gave us a commission to go after it, and we intend to. Even so, we are not ignorant of the seriousness of this most deadly enemy. Just as it was the most conservative and religious people in Israel who crucified the Lord and resisted the early church, this has been the most deadly enemy of every move of God since. It has become obvious that we are now into a struggle from which there can be no retreat

Highlights and Lowlights

The letters and the general feedback we received from the conferences have been overwhelmingly positive, but there were some legitimate complaints that we believe will be very helpful eliminating problems in the future. The following is a general summation of the responses we received. 

We had quite a number to actually say that overall these were the best meetings they had ever attended. As to be expected, some were offended by them. The behavior of some during the meetings was out of order, and we did bring correction to some of these. There were other things going on which I thought were being done "in the flesh," but were mostly harmless, and to try to control all of them would have also hindered the liberty of the Spirit. Presently, if I err in my judgment here I would much rather err on the side of liberty, but we may have erred too much on that side at times. 

The remarks about the teaching ranged from those who said that it was overall some of the best they had ever received, to some who were offended by a speaker or message. One legitimate complaint was that the speakers did not adhere to the theme of the conferences very well. A few were offended by BonnieChavda's ministry. Some were disturbed by her "screaming" (she does get very excited). Others were offended that we let a woman preach. Others expressed their appreciation that we would let a woman preach. 

Many expressed appreciation for the different worship leaders, and soloists. There are always some who do not like one or more of the music styles. Some complained that we used too many new songs and they did not have time to learn them. Some in the front complained that it was too loud. Some in the back complained that it was not loud enough (We may get those people to switch seats next time). Overall it seemed that most appreciated being introduced to so many different artists, and loved the diversity of music. 

The feedback from the Prophetic Ministry Teams was overwhelmingly positive. Most were surprised at the high level and accuracy of this ministry. The biggest complaint that we had concerning this ministry was that so many who signed up for it never made the list to receive it. We simply were not expecting or prepared for so many to request this ministry, but we hope to correct this problem for the next conference in May. We have received so many reports of a life changing impact from this that it will be given a high priority our future conferences. 

We were determined to personally pray for everyone who desired it at each conference. The last night of each conference we had the Prophetic Ministry Teams and main speakers take different positions in the hall, and they stayed until everyone was prayed for. Both of these services lasted until after 2:00 a.m. Many people were ministered to, and this was where many received the crucial words or confirmations that they were seeking. 

Many took advantage of the time standing in prayer lines to meet or minister to others. Some got in the lines to minister to the speakers. Everyone's willingness to minister to one another was a great encouragement to us. There were also some

going around trying to minister to people who were of another spirit (mostly religious spirits). A few that we did not even know claimed to be MorningStar staff. Most people were able to recognize these plants from the enemy, and they were dealt with appropriately, often without the staff even having to get involved. 

We appreciate all of the feedback that we were given. We now have a long list of improvements we want to make for the next conference. Thanks to everyone who served on the Worship Teams, 

Children's Ministry Teams, Prophetic Ministry Teams, Intercessors, Ushers, Security, Hosts and Hostesses. A special thanks to all of the volunteers--without you these meetings would not be possible. May the spiritual fruit from them be added to your heavenly account. 

Thanks to everyone who served on the Conference Ministry Teams: Wellington Boone, Mike Bickle, Paul Cain, Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, Bobby Conner, Thomas Michael Davis, Jack Deere, John G. Elliott, Mark Farner, John Hamrick, Garland Hunt, Leonard Jones, Julie Joyner, Don and Christine Potter, and Ricky Skaggs. It is such a joy to minister with so many who are so anointed, with so little ego, who sincerely prefer one another in love. 

Thanks to everyone who came. It was good to get to meet so many more of you personally this year. I'm sorry that I could not meet with everyone who wanted to. Overall, our faith has been greatly increased that before the end comes, there will be a church that reflects the true nature of our Lord. We look forward to being with many of you again in May, as we host the first of our spring conferences.