Power in the name of Jesus

Yesterday was a wild weather day in Porto Alegre.

Pretty calm in the morning.

Then the afternoon rolled around and this rolled in with it:

I pulled all these off facebook from different people sharing as the storm was going on.

It was pretty nasty, loud and stormy for a few hours.

In the middle of the storm our old teammate, Sascha, called to talk and pray together.

As he was ending his prayer he prayed, "In the strong name of Jesus." As Jesus' name came out of my brothers mouth lightning lit up the sky and thunder clapped so loud it shook our apartment building. In a day of horrible storming it was the loudest clap of thunder of the day. It boomed.

When it happened I started to smile. I just knew in my heart God was giving me confirmation to His greatness and the power of His sons name.

When Sascha said amen I immediately told him what had happened. He had not been able to hear it because I was in a back part of our apartment next to a running dryer.

His response? "I love that! That is very cool." I could hear him smiling through the phone.

I love the technology of the Ooma phone that allows my brother to call me from his cell phone as he drives down the road in Texas. I love that the call rings straight to our house.

I love that even though we are 5,000 miles away this technology allows us to pray together any time we want. It reminded both of us of all of our prayer times together in Brasil.

I love Sascha's heart. I've known him for over 10 years and we've spent many hours together praying. He encourages me by his faith and how he believes with everything in his heart that God listens to our prayers. Not only listens but answers. We are close and one of the reasons is Sascha is transparent. I admit it's hard for me to want to be around fake people. I don't do well with Christians who "play church" and are content with being stagnant. Sascha is one of the most real brothers I know. He goofs up, he admits it and asks for forgiveness when needed. He is there when you need him. Every time. He pushes me to be more and more passionate about following Christ. He prays with a passion and expects God to answer. Sascha is a prayer warrior. 

Most of all I love how God showed His power yesterday through a phone call from the U.S. to Brasil. That at the exact moment my brother said the name of Jesus from 5,000 miles away, God opened up the sky to remind us that that is where the power is. Real power in the name of Jesus. Kind of a heavenly AMEN!!!

All we could do was praise His awesomeness!

Lots of very cool God things happened to us and to God's family yesterday here in POA that reminded us of His love for us and His power. Sascha's calling out in Jesus' name, and the way God spoke specifically to both of us through that, was kind of like the icing on the cake. Him reminding us that He listens, He cares, He answers and that the name of Jesus isn't something to just throw around.

"When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone's knee will bow to worship Him. Every knee in heaven and on earth will bow to worship Him. Everyone's mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory."

Philippians 2:10-11