My recent trip to Brownsville
           About a week before we (my family and I) left back towards Korea me and my dad took a trip down into the southern area of the country. We visited a couple of friends in Tennessee and Georgia and then we stayed a couple of nights with a friend down there in Florida. We visited the church while staying there.

           We didn't find out that you had to get in line around 9 or 10 to get into the main sanctuary until about 9:30 - 10:00. So we hurried and got ready and arrived there at about 11:00. We took some food that the person we were staying with had prepared for us. We also took some lawn chairs and an umbrella (for the sun....which..by the way..did not protect us from the sun enough). We sat out in line until about 5:30 when we stood up in a line and put away the chairs and umbrella. We stood up until they let us in at 6:00. (which by the way was done in 2 single file lines and took a while)

           We were lucky enough to get in the main sanctuary. We sat over on the far left side. Right behind the drummer cage and right next to where the guitarist was. (Of course we were never really seen on the video of the service) This seat was pretty good. We saw only behind the keyboardist. But overall the praise & worship part of the service was pretty good.

           As soon as the preacher stepped up to the pulpit I knew that this was going to be a really good service. That guy preached one of the best sermons that I have ever heard. I mean it was powerful. And this helped me realized why people enjoyed coming here so much. I wish I could come here more often. If it wasn't for those lines.

           I went forward for the altar call. Truthfully I did not go up because I felt that I needed to repent for something that had I had held back (like the message and altar call was about) rather I had felt the spirit of God telling me earlier in the service to go up for the altar call (and this is an area in which I struggle....I am really shy and would prefer (anyday) to stay at my seat and pray..but God showed me that I need to put that aside if I'm going to be effective in any way for His Ministry..and I think it was also a test for obedience (to the committment I had recently made to Him)). I am really glad that I did.

           We left at about midnight and the service was still going strong. At least 70% of the people were still there and people were falling over under the power of God all over the place. THAT amazed me. I still kinda wonder exactly how long that service lasts into the night. We would have stayed but we knew that we were staying with someone and were trying to not be really late. (However, I was really tired and ready to go also...It's not that I wanted to stay)

           In this service God revealed to me what He wanted me to do for the next 3 - 4 years. I am so glad that He did. I have been wondering and praying (not as much I should have though) that He would. I want to do God's will and I have to know what it is before I can do it.

Here are the positives and the negatives of the service in Brownsville:

the good things:

           There are two things about Brownsville that were really good and uncommon. They may have been part of the reason for revival down there. 1. The preaching I MEAN PREACHING. not teaching. Stephen laid the message down and didn't sugar coat or compromise what he said. The message cut right through anything that was in the way. I personally would have to say that this message was one of the VERY best sermons that I have ever heard. It put conviction into a lot of people's hearts. 2. the way they handled the altar call. They had people come up and talk to the people who came up for the altar call. A person came up and talked one on one to the people who went up for the altar call.(which, I was part of) This helped a LOT. Rather than just having them go back to their seats and maybe not complete what they'd started. This is very rare in a service, especially one so large. It should become more common.

the bad things:

           There was only one thing that I did not like about going to this revival. And that was the fact that you had to sit outside in a line for several hours (We sat out in the line for 7 hours before we got into service) to get into the main sanctuary. I did not like doing this. I got sunburned pretty bad and was in pain for the next couple of days.

Written by:
Jonathan Johnston


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