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(OPINION) This past weekend, we celebrated our 25th annual missions conference, thanking God for the amazing testimonies from our faithful workers who have served on the mission field worldwide, often quite sacrificially.
This missions’ movement was birthed directly out of our ministry school, Brownsville Revival School of Ministry, and then FIRE School of Ministry, which in turn was birthed out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida (1995-2000). This is the best answer to the critics who claimed that the fruit of the revival would not last.
One critic claimed that Brownsville was “not really … a revival, but lunatic fringe Christians from other places responding to altar calls,” also referring to it as a “spiritual cesspit.”
A prominent American pastor described the revival as a “mindless, emotional orgy marked by irrational, sensual and fleshly behavior produced by altered states of consciousness, peer pressure, heightened expectation or suggestibility.”
Surely, these emotions would quickly fade!
During the revival, I would say to these critics, “Well, this person has been walking solidly with the Lord now for one full year. What does that indicate about the validity of their conversion.”
The reply would be, “One year? That proves nothing!”
What about several years later, when they graduated from our ministry school with a burning heart to reach the nations? What about several years after that, as they relocated their whole families to serve outside the USA? And what about now, when some of our grads have been on the mission field for 25 years?
I would call that lasting fruit!
Eric was a youth pastor who struggled with porn and had to step down from ministry. He visited the Brownsville Revival, experienced deep repentance and complete deliverance, graduated from our ministry school, and has now served on the mission field in Asia with his family for more than 20 years.
Last year, we commissioned one of his daughters to go as a missionary to Japan. This year, we commissioned another daughter to serve in the Philippines.
This is multi-generational fruit.
Andy and his wife Karyn were powerfully touched in the revival, graduated from our school, and were the very first missionaries to sign up. They have served in Mexico for the last 25 years, continuing to bear great fruit and with all their children serving the Lord.
Andy recently wrote this: “We are about to send out a Mexican couple to Asia in 2025; we are super excited about that! We continue to visit the homeless downtown and throughout the streets of Guadalajara, bringing them the Gospel in creative ways from giving food, providing wound care as a nurse, and [more]. … Has it been worth it? Absolutely 100%. By Life or By Death. We have had death threats, rocks pelting me in the head, our churches burned down, stranded vehicles in the middle of nowhere, and insects infesting my toes with eggs. Would we do it all again? Absolutely 100%. Through it all God has been so faithful. It’s just who He is.”
This is God’s answer to the critics and mockers. This is the lasting fruit of a true move of God.
Leann had friends who were powerfully touched in the revival and decided to relocate to Florida and attend our school, enrolling in 2000.
After graduating, she moved with some other grads — mainly single women, like herself — to the Ukraine, where she remains until this day, right in the midst of the war.
She wrote: “I have seen Jesus do so much in Ukraine in the past twenty-one years, it’s been an adventure and a journey. Jesus is alive and well, and changing lives across this land. … Ministry began all those years ago, traveling from village to village, gathering all the villagers together, and preaching the Gospel. Our team saw withered hands restored on several occasions, spines healed, a babushka who was completely hunched over get miraculously healed and start running down the road, as well as deaf ears opened. Many of those living in villages are elderly and they were so thankful that we came, as they felt forgotten. We would bring gifts of food and pray with them, they were so touched but the Lord. Many gave their lives to Jesus in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.”
Leann continued, “There were years of ministry in orphanages, children’s shelters, children’s rehab centers, and children’s camps. So many children were introduced to the Bible and Jesus through our ministry. Many of the orphans I knew that were once little are now adults, and some are living their lives for the Lord to this day. I still have connection with some of those I ministered to 20 years ago. … I was sharing Jesus recently at a meeting for refugees and an older man named Kolya, in his 60s, was in tears the entire time. I prayed with him, and he told me his whole life he has been searching for something that is true. He joined the communist party when he was young and saw that it was empty, he tried lighting candles at the orthodox church and he said it was empty. Now, because he has lost his home and came to our city, he met me and for the first time in his life he heard something that is actually true. Kolya said, ‘I have waited my whole to hear this truth about Jesus.’ He finally found the truth he longed for his entire life in his 60s!”
She continued, “I have experienced many hardships since the war began. But, I know I am in the place where I am supposed to be, and that’s the safest place for me. Even though we hear explosions every week, sometimes every day. Even though air raid sirens blare off and on every day. Even though we have lived without power and water, mobile service, and internet for long periods of time. I am in the right place. There is such darkness and hopelessness, but I am here to shine the light of Jesus and help destroy the works of the enemy.”
Leann recently got married, but only after her husband-to-be was miraculously protected while on the frontlines of the very worst part of the war. Now, together, they are serving God courageously in that battle-weary land.
This is the fruit of a real move of God, coupled with solid ministry training. Year in and year out, even decade in and decade out, the fire continues to burn.
May the Lord send a fresh wave of revival to His people in America and beyond!