A Sheer Curtain: a Riot Against Christians in San Francisco

In the Spirit of Revelation 19:10, "...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The “Northwest” is described as “from Vancouver BC through northern California.” Since I heard this testimony, I’ve been convinced that there are lessons for the rest of us in the Northwest: about shaking the spiritual strongholds, about the riots that accompany the gospel, about protection in persecution.

Below is an account from our JHOP San Francisco team. Friday night they did what they always do which was to go to a street corner in the Castro District to quietly pray and worship Jesus. This night they were not evangelizing. They were not marching as the media tried to report it. They were not protesting concerning Proposition 8 which the news tried to make it sound like. They were praying...quietly. What happened next, I believe, was nothing short of a power encounter that revealed the rage and perversion of the hidden demonic realm.

This had less to do with the 500+ crowd of homosexuals that mobbed around the small group of young people, and mostly to do with the Church fulfilling her job description–challenging the principalities and powers. While they continued to peacefully worship God, the hateful mob hit them, knocked them down, kicked them, spit on them, urinated on them, groped them, tried to undress them and threatened to their face, "We will kill you!" The human frame wasn't built to contain the evil that rages when their spiritual strongholds are threatened. But we WERE built to house the glory of God that is being revealed in these last days.

Personal note: Please pay close attention to the attitude and posture of love that is demonstrated toward the homosexuals involved in this encounter. These young people represent the best of all that we hope to raise up in a generation of counter-cultural dreamers. Know this that our battle is not against flesh and blood. We all need a personal encounter with the God-man Jesus. In this way, we are all the same.




Letter from the JHOP-SF Team:

We wanted to write you and fill you guys in on what happened to our team here in San Francisco last night. This is what happened from one point of view and gives a pretty good overview of the night.

I went to the Castro (the homosexual district of San Francisco) with JHOPSF (I have been with the Justice House of Prayer San Francisco since April 2008.) like we usually do on Friday nights.

Normally, we sit on 18th and Castro, and someone plays the guitar, and we all worship God. Often times people will be drawn to us, even if only for curiosity of what we're doing, so we get to talk to them, and tell them about the Love of Jesus Christ. On rare occasions, when the Holy Spirit clearly guides one of us (usually a leader), one person will open-air preach for a little bit.

Sometimes a person will yell at us, or maybe a few. Sometimes people will ignore us. Sometimes people will let us pray with them. We get different responses from different people each time, but the Lord always meets us there.

This time was not a normal night. It was the first time we'd been back in the Castro to do our normal outreach since California Proposition 8, which defined marriage as "one man with one woman" was passed. Apparently, previously, someone at a No on 8 rally singled out Promised Land Fellowship (The church that we attend), and specifically the team they send out to the Castro on Friday nights (us) as being affiliated with the Yes on 8 campaign (which is partially true. All the individuals involved with the Castro Outreach were involved with the Yes on 8 campaign, but mostly in prayer. However, the Castro Outreach isn't about Gay marriage, or politics - it's about Jesus Christ.).

We played the guitar and sang together and worshiped the Lord. Nobody preached. Nobody even really talked to anyone except for a little bit near the beginning.

After just singing and worshiping God for a while, Roger decided that we should all hold hands in a circle and continue singing. So we did.

Someone (actually a person who came up and hugged and kissed some of us who he knew from the past and was asking us how we were doing) convinced some people that we were there to protest against the No on 8 campaign.

Then some guy who was dressed up like one of the sisters (The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a group of men who dress up in drag like nuns and call themselves the spiritual authority of the Castro.) took a curtain-type thing and wrapped it around us.

Then a crowd started gathering. We began to sing "Amazing Grace," and basically sang that song the whole night. (at some points we also sang "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" and "Oh the Blood of Jesus".)

At first, they just shouted at us, using crude, rude, and foul language and calling us names like "haters" and "bigots." Since it was a long night, I can't even begin to remember all of the things that were shouted and/or chanted at us.

Then, they started throwing hot coffee, some people got it in their faces, soda and alcohol on us and spitting (and maybe even peeing) on us.

Then, a group of guys surrounded us with whistles, and blasted them inches away from our ears continually.

Then, they started getting violent and started shoving us. We just gathered in as tight as we could together and worshiped singing Amazing Grace.

At one point a man tried to steal one of our Bibles. One of the girls noticed, so she walked up to him and said "Hey, that's not yours, can you please give it back?" He responded by hitting her on the head with the Bible, shoving her to the ground, and kicking her. I called the cops, and when they got there, they pulled her out of the circle and asked her if she wanted to press charges. She said "No, tell him I forgive him." Afterwards, she didn't rejoin us in the circle, but she made friends with one of the people in the crowd, and really connected heart to heart.

Our leader got death threats. As the leader of our group, people looked him in the eyes and said "I am going to kill you." and they were serious. A cop heard one of them, and confronted him.

(This part is kinda graphic, so you should skip the paragraph if you don't want to be offended.) It wasn't long before the violence turned to perversion. They were touching and grabbing me, and trying to shove things in my butt, and even trying to take off my pants - basically trying to molest me. I used one hand to hold my pants up, while I used the other arm to hold one of the girls. The guys huddled around all the girls, and protected them.

Soon after, the cops came and stood between us and the mob. When it was getting more heated, the cops were like "You guys should leave" because it was getting harder to protect us. And our leader said "We want to stay." Then they said, "If you want to get out you have to get out now."

Someone tried to steal my backpack, but I tapped a cop on the shoulder and said "Hey, that's my bag." and he got it from him and gave it to me. Others weren't so lucky. Probably half our team got their jackets stolen.

Eventually, as the crowd was getting more and more uncontrollable, the cops were afraid for our lives, so they escorted us to our van. (The cops were very nice to us from start to finish.)
Our van was parked pretty far because it was hard to find parking that day. As the cops escorted us, the mob followed us, until the cops formed a line and held off the people so we could drive away. We took the long way home, just in case anyone tried to follow us.

When we got home, we prayed and sang more, and then prayed over each other.

The whole experience made me love and brought me closer to God and my friends and the people in the Castro as well as the Church in general and the lost.

Please know my heart. All of what we do is for the Love of Jesus Christ, and the love for those in the Castro. The Bible says to love God, and then love people. We can only love because He loved us first. We can't hate the people because they are just broken and blinded by the spirit of this age. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers. It's not a political thing, we just love the people. We don't want to convert gays to straight people. We want them to know the Love of Jesus Christ. Even if someone never becomes attracted to the other sex, they can still love Jesus Christ with all their heart, mind, and soul. As the mob raged, all I could pray was "God have mercy." It really is all about God's mercy. He desires mercy over judgment. He desires for all to be saved.

One of the things that I remember them chanting was "Shame on you." One of our girls later pointed out how, in some weird way, it's a privilege for us because we know that Jesus bore all our shame and all our transgressions on the cross. So it's kinda like taking on their shame so we can cast it onto Jesus.

This is the raw footage of the walk from 18th and Castro Street to our car. It was only the very tail end of the night and says that we were all about Prop 8... when in reality we had nothing to do with Prop 8 this night. http://www.ktvu.com/news/17986914/detail.html

May the Holy Lord God Almighty, Who Was, Who Is, and Who Is To Come, be glorified now and forevermore. Amen.

Thank you for praying for us, and more for this people in the Castro. We have found ourselves even more broken over them. We love you!

(This is another copy of the same video as above, but hosted
on Blogger, not YouTube, in the event that YouTube eventually
removes their copy. It does include most of the raw footage.)

from the Justice House of Prayer, San Francisco,
via Matt Lockett's blog
video courtesy YouTube.

The Walk of Peace

The world that we find ourselves living in today is spinning at a faster pace than ever before. The demands that are put on family, work, and ministry seem to be heavier than even 10 years ago. Often we can find ourselves racing to meet schedules, only to find at the end of the day we are exhausted from the pace we have been keeping. While it is not entirely possible to slow down all of our surroundings, we can hide away with the Lord at times and enter into His amazing peace and rest. In the article, I would like to share about how the peace of God can be a powerful weapon in your life, unlocking blessing and healing in your spirit, soul, and body.

A People of Peace

As I travel, I run across many believers that seem to be stressed out and anxious about many things. We worry about the plans that God has for us, His provision, world events, and scores of other things. I find that the enemy loves to attack our minds with these types of thorns, trying to keep our minds from exploring the mysteries of Heaven. We, as followers of Christ, should be walking in huge amounts of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and we need to wrap ourselves in His garment of perfect peace.

Often the Lord will send us into areas where there is great turmoil and strife. There has been much talk about Joel's Army and the new breed of supernatural believers that will do great exploits in this hour. I believe this army will be marked by the peace of God it will carry into the battlefield. They will be so secure in their Commander-in-Chief, that even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they fear nothing, but rather they release the peace and love of God to the nations. I see an outpouring of God's living peace that is being poured out upon the Church like never before. It is available today. The world is searching for true peace and rest. We as believers have the great honor to walk in God's peace and share it with the world.

Ministering Out of a Posture of Peace and Rest

We are all familiar with the story of Jesus and His disciples out at sea in Mark 4:35-41. A great windstorm arose and waves began to swamp the boat. The disciples started to freak out, and they woke Jesus up from a nice nap telling Him about their concerns. Jesus got up and rebuked the wind saying "Peace! Be Still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

Jesus and His disciples were all in the storm together, but their response was much different than His. The disciples were freaked out. Jesus was asleep. The storm was real and definitely a concern to everyone in the boat, but Jesus addressed the situation from a position of peace and rest. There is a Heavenly authority that we walk in when we, like Jesus, minister out of a position of peace. There will always be storms that will come our way, but let us aim to walk in peace and authority when they arise.

Peace Releasing Healing to Our Bodies

I read an article in my local newspaper the other day while I was enjoying breakfast. This article began to describe the dramatic increase in young children that are taking prescribed medications to treat ADD, ADHD, and other disorders. The article went on to say that while there were some positive results in the children, they really doubted if the medication was working as well as they had hoped.

My spirit began to stir within me as I read this article, and I said to myself, "Where is the God of Peace for these young children"? I thought of the Scripture in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet." I saw in the spirit how a touch from the Peace of God would calm the children down and bring their minds and emotions into perfect Kingdom order. The God of peace crushing the enemy under their feet!

I saw visions of children each day being handed medicine from their mothers. I saw the desperate look in the parent's eyes, hoping that this would be the answer to help their children gain rest and control in their lives. Then I began to think of a whole new way to pray for these precious children. I began to pray and ask the Lord to come and visit every child with His peace the moment they take the medicine from their parents. I cried out and said, "Lord, let these millions of children in America have such an encounter with You the next time they take their medicine that they would be healed, saved, and delivered."

You may say that is a crazy prayer. Would God really heal people with a prayer like that? Psalm 107:20 says, "He sent out His word and healed them." We also know about the centurion soldier that said to Jesus, "Just speak the word and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8), and who can forget about handkerchiefs in Acts 19:12 that healed the sick.

There are millions of children dying of aids in Africa as you are reading this article. What if we began to pray over them? Lord, each time they take their medicine let Your healing presence come down and destroy every form of sickness in their bodies. Let a movement of healing spring up and touch every child in Africa that is suffering from this plague, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Don't Worry--It's Like Trying to Shovel Smoke

Science has discovered that many of the illnesses that we face today can be traced to fear, anxiety, stress, and worry. People that have excesses in these areas often develop a wide variety of health challenges. You may also be familiar with the ministry of the "Healing Rooms." I was a director in Olympia for several years, and we had a manual from Spokane called "The Disease Sheet." In this manual, you can look up a wide range of ailments. On each page, it would have a section called "Root Causes."

While we were praying for people, sometimes the Spirit would direct us to this manual. It was amazing to find, as we spoke to the person receiving prayer, that the root cause listed, such as unforgiveness, was something they were currently dealing with. As we ministered first along the lines of forgiveness, the tears began to flow as layers of bondage evaporated before our eyes. After lovingly leading the person through this stage, we would then command healing to come to their body. It was amazing to find that when the individual first dealt with the "root," that healing sprang forth quickly in their body. While not all sicknesses are connected to our emotions, there are many that are. We just need to be led by the Spirit as we minister, just as Jesus was.

Jesus Desires for Our Entire Being to be Made Whole

We all have a body, soul, and spirit. This is basic understanding that we have in the Church today. Just pinch yourself, and you will remember you have a body, or watch a sad movie, and you may find yourself in tears as your soul hurts for someone on the screen. Jesus longs to bring health and freedom to every area of our lives.

"May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this." I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Could there be a power in God's peace that promotes healing in our entire being? We spoke earlier about the God of peace crushing satan under our feet. And now we see again the Prince of Peace touching our spirit, soul, and body. Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5 to "go in peace, and be healed of your disease." I believe there is a spring of God's peace that is flowing in this hour like never before. While the power and benefits of God's living peace have been hidden from some, I sense the Lord is illuminating the need for people to walk in total peace as Jesus Himself is our Peace.

Paul Imparts Peace to the Early Church

I often wonder if the Apostle Paul knew the full price he would have to pay for building the Church as he did. In Acts 9, Paul went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus. His intent was to wreak havoc for the early believers and bring them bound to Jerusalem. While on the road, Paul has a powerful visitation from Jesus, and within three days he is filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized.

Paul begins to passionately build the Church and preach the Gospel with great wisdom and boldness. His efforts though, were not without some amazing challenges. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 shares a powerful insight into the trials that Paul faced: imprisonments, floggings, beatings with rods, shipwrecks, danger, and the constant daily pressures for the churches.

Many of the letters that Paul wrote to the early Church were not typed up at the local Starbucks from his laptop while he enjoyed his favorite Mocha Coconut Frappuccino. No, they were often written from behind bars. Paul shares in Philippians 4:4-7 the following:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Paul knew how to live with a Kingdom perspective. Though the situations that he often found himself in appeared to be dim, Paul looked through the eyes of the Spirit and knew that God was working all things in his life for the Glory of the Lord. This allowed Paul to walk in a greater amount of peace and impart that peace to others. He anchored his life in Colossians 3:1-3, "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Being Content in All Circumstances

Paul shares in Philippians 4:8-9 the following encouragement:

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."

Paul was in prison as he wrote this. How was it possible for him to encourage the churches to imitate him? It was because Paul had already died to himself, and the life he was living was in Christ, allowing him to walk in amazing peace and joy. Paul even shares that his imprisonment is actually helping to spread the Gospel. It had become known to many that Paul was in prison for the sake of the Gospel, and many brothers and sisters were encouraged and preached the word of God with great boldness and without fear.

Through the hardships and blessings, Paul learned the discipline of being content in all circumstances. This Kingdom mindset afforded him a greater ability to see God's perspective in everything, allowing him to walk in peace and rest.

I believe Paul's desire was to see the Church walk in peace in the midst of persecution, trials, and even martyrdom. The days that the early Church lived in were filled with many uncertainties. Every letter that Paul wrote in the Bible has this statement in some form in the first few lines: "Grace to you and peace." I sense that this was not just a traditional statement taking up space, but rather this was a declaration from the Spirit of God. Paul was releasing and imparting peace to the early Church. He wanted to encourage young Timothy, "Do not worry, my son, press on and do not let anyone despise your youth--walk in peace." He shared with Titus, "I left you in Crete to appoint elders, yes, you will have opposition but I impart to you grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

Just as Paul prayed and released peace to the early Church, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples to walk in peace in John 16. I sense the Spirit of the Lord is praying for you to enter into His peace today. As many of you are touched by the Prince of Peace, stress, fear, and worry will begin to melt from your body. The Lord desires for you to be a carrier of His peace--that so much of His peace would be upon you, that literally atmospheres would change as you and Jesus enter a room.

The Lord is giving you a fresh invitation to dance with Him in the rivers of peace. Won't you take His hand today as He leads you along this amazing journey? Your life and many others will be changed forever.

Numbers 6:24-26 "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Jason Phillips
Revival Town Ministries
Email: info@revivaltown.org