slider_author_spotlight (Custom)Signs, Wonders, and a Baptist Preacher1.The death of your grandfather had a major impact on you. How? Why?
I think the reason that his death impacted me so much was that I was five years old when it happened. He was my hero and best friend. I simply did not have the capacity to grieve the death or understand it. It shows me the power in learning how to grieve. I tell you what, I sure did grieve his death 25 years later. We are going to grieve our trauma sooner or later. Even in the middle of the worst thing I could imagine, I came to find the God I could simply not imagine. I went from hating God to loving him.

2. At one point you even hated God the Father. Why?
I did not want to be close to anyone that could be so sadistic. I was told he killed my grandfather and my thoughts of God began to pile up on the idea that he will take someone or something close to you if you get too close to Him. I hated Him. As I got older, I slowly began to understand that I did not know Him at all.

3. When you were thirty years old, you wondered why you didn’t do the things
Jesus did when He was on earth. Please share how this started your journey
and was the impetus for Signs, Wonders, and a Baptist Preacher.
Well, for me, I started asking the question, “If I am his disciple, why don’t I do any of the things his disciples did?” I even asked him one night, “What is the difference between me and Peter?” I immediately heard in my spirit, “revelation of authority.” I saw it in the Bible, but I did not see it in my life. I was surprised to see how quickly things changed when I started praying with authority. I often say, “The gospels ruined my life.” Ha! It seems that way though. My normal powerless life was not OK anymore.

4. How did seeing Jesus in an open vision change your life?
Well, for starters, I could not get over how much love I felt in that encounter. I could literally feel love overwhelming me. Even now when I think about it, I still can’t get over it. I can’t imagine what heaven is going to be like if its anything like what I experienced. Jesus looked straight through my eyes and told me to trust him. To use the word “overwhelming” is an understatement. From that point till now, it is impossible for me to minister without flowing from a stance of His extreme love for us.

5. Why do you think you started seeing many people healed after your encounter with Jesus?
Before the encounter, it never occurred to me to pray for the sick and broken. I would pray for their peace but never actually thought of them being healed as a result of prayer. That all changed quickly. I started to pray with courage and boldness. The more I prayed, the more I saw people getting healed. Novel concept. I prayed and still pray with tiny faith and huge revelation of his love for us. To me, I think we have way more love problems than we do faith problems.

6. What did your experience of leading a mission trip to Haiti do for your
understanding of the reality of the supernatural?
As soon as I arrived in Haiti, I could literally sense a different spiritual climate. It’s hard to describe. Other people on our team said the same thing as well. Then, we had some encounters with angels and if that does not get your attention, I don’t know what does. We saw many healings when we prayed for people as well. I feel like Peter and John when they said, “We can’t stop talking about what we have seen and heard.”

7. The idea of intimacy with the Father is a major theme in your book. Please expand on this.
To me, this is the major theme of my life. The supernatural can’t be a reality without the revelation of his love for us. Power flows from an intimate connection to the Father. Jesus called them “the Father’s works.” Jesus operated at all times from what seems like an intense connection to God the Father. I say all of the time, “We don’t have many faith problems but all of us seem to struggle with love problems. Faith comes from great love. People who are interested in exploring the supernatural, must start here.

8. How does it affect you when you pray and people do not get healed?
Well, I seem to be even more drawn to people who believe God yet do not see their breakthroughs. These people are heroes in my book. It is so frustrating to see so many people healed and then some not healed at all. At least not healed in the way I want them to be healed. I think more people would be open to the conversation on healing if someone could not make people feel worthless by not receiving. Jesus said there is no condemnation. There is no use in making people feel guilt for not getting healed. People who make others feel this way do not know the Father, in my opinion. He is the kindest person I’ve ever met and I have not found Him to be this way.

9. Why do you use so much humor in Signs, Wonders and a Baptist Preacher?
I love to laugh. I still can’t believe I am a pastor because I never thought I would be one. I thought that in order to be in ministry, you had to be serious all of the time. The older I get, the more I realize that seriousness is not a fruit of the spirit. We take ourselves way too seriously in my opinion. I have found that humor is also a door to help people really relax with a conversation that has divided us for too long.

10. You write, “Gone are the days of the great man or woman of God coming into town and everyone goes to see them.” What do you mean?
In the past, we have known of great men and women of faith that see miracles. Now we are hearing stories of ordinary people that nobody knows about seeing great things as well. The day is upon us when the normal 7th grade student simply lays hands on another student’s migraine headache and sees the Kingdom of God manifest.