BACKYARD BBQ—NO, SOMETHING MUCH GREATER!!!

It’s that wonderful time of the year! The cooler temperatures have arrived, PTL!!!

So many of us are excited for many different reasons! There are those already decorating their yards and their homes, for FALL and Halloween! Many are enjoying watching football games or their children’s soccer games during the coolness of the day, now that the heat of summer is gone.

Then we have those sacred grill and smoke masters -you know who you are! Their adrenaline has kicked in high gear and every weekend is an opportunity to smoke, grill, and have friends and family invited to experience and taste their world-renowned ribs, brisket, or pulled pork BBQ! AND of course, we relish and give thanks for their efforts, because in the fall, our backyard BBQ events are filled with joy, renewed relationships, laugher, and FUN! Maybe some will even play a game of cornhole!

AND YES, this coastal boy has to share a most special element of this season this year: FALL FISHING is now in full swing, hallelujah !

For those like me, we do not have the time to relish how to make world renowned smoke ribs. No Sir, no Ma’m—we will cherish these gifts from someone else. Our hearts are filled by the pumping of salt water and we are up before the sun rises. We RUSH out of the inlet with our first cup of coffee, struggling to steer the boat, as we push it hard offshore to be the first one to get a King, or a Wahoo, or a Dolphin, or just maybe, yea just maybe, to hook and boat that illusive Blue Marlin!!! What HOPE! WHAT JOY! Lastly, and we have to finish with this. Sorry, but YES, gather those oysters from the sound and let’s have an OYSTER ROAST!

QUESTION: DO YOU HEAR THE HOPE, THE JOY?

PAUSE: What plans for this coming weekend in your backyard do you have? I’m going to ask you right now to do something you may never have done, as you plan your outdoor weekend events, whatever they may be. Let’s spend a few minutes asking for the anointing of the power of the Holy Spirit to be upon all we plan to do. What FUN this is!!!

I hear this joy, this hope, in this Word of God:

“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the believers!” Ephesians 1:18

Now, hear what happened close to our backyard fire pit, last evening!

Listen to the power and mystery of the anointing of the Holy Spirit!

HEAR how GOD created a powerful spiritual tsunami a year ago, after a connection with Mike, due to my brother Bill inviting us to an RV campsite at Corolla, NC.

Mike came by yesterday with Bill, who brought by the detailed boat he purchased from me, so I could see the final detailing of the Promise Lander…it was amazing! Then, they worked to prepare her to go offshore fishing this morning.

However, that is not the real reason Mike came. He had something to share with me. See, a year ago, Mike and I spoke candidly about where he was in his relationship with the Lord. We discussed those important and significant deep life issues that so many seem to relish by just leaving them under the carpet. How sad. No wonder so many are burdened, discouraged, and hurting. Well, not Mike! You see, Mike came to share something glorious with me.

Mike came to let me know—“Jerry, I am broken! Jerry, I do not know what to do, but my heart is now open and I need your help!” WOW!!! This was moving FAST! Mike was ready to accept Jesus! What did we do? With tears of JOY flowing down our eyes, I prayed with Mike, what some would call the sinners prayer, and Mike opened his heart, his mind, his soul and he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior, hallelujah!!! BUT no way , we are done. We then prayed for the ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit, AND the Holy Spirit FELL upon Mike and upon me, with HIS powerful presence!!! Jesus rocked our souls! The Holy Spirit MOVED Mike out of the boat and Mike is now walking on the ter Water!

We are still not finished. I asked Mike if he was ready to be baptized! I said, “Let’s get everyone together and get in my backyard and baptize you in the name of Jesus!” “YES sir,” Mike replied! So my wife, Debby, and my daughter, Mary, quickly went to get a huge bowl, and filled it up with water for the Holy Sacrament of Baptism.

In my backyard, close to our fire pit, we gathered to baptize Mike! As I shared the words of Baptism, I poured that HUGE bowl of water, that symbolized of the cleaning and renewal of being refreshed and made whole, all over Mike—-and the HOLY SPIRIT consumed him!

You see, Mike, Bill, Harlem, his son, Debby, Mary and I experienced a most radical, unique BBQ event yesterday—we witnessed the burning and the destruction of all sins in Mike’s life! We visibly heard and saw Jesus take a soul and bring him out of the coal ashes through the power of the Holy Spirit. Mike was dramatically transformed into a new child of the living God!

HALLELUJAH!! ALL PRAISE, ALL POWER, ALL GLORY BELONGS TO GOD!!!

I hear vividly these words from Scripture:

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. “ 1 Peter 1:10-13