We knew God had chosen Chico for our first tent crusade in 2020.
The enemy remembers Chico.
It was once the site of a great youth awakening.
I know because I was in it! It was an outpouring that produced powerful leaders.
Robert Maddux was remarkably born again—yanked out of darkness and became a true man of God—a pastor and an influencer of many leaders.
Gaylord Enns still leads leaders here in Chico but carries a message to the nations about the Love of God.
He was swept up in the fire of revival in that same visitation.
Roger Houtsma met Jesus in an epic way and became a miracle missionary evangelist who conducted many towering crusades in India.
And, I was called to preach in Chico.
Another hero is a mighty woman of God, Lonnie Decker.
After her husband went to heaven she took the little country church he pastored.
I remember the night that she said she would open her heart, home, and church to the hippies God was saving.
And boy, did God start saving them.
Soon we saw rallies with thousands in attendance.
Another wonderful part of history connected to Chico happened in the City of Pacifica south of San Francisco.
I happened to be at the home of Cecil and Lillian Cooper.
Cecil was a vice president at Bank of America.
During dinner he slid a brochure in front of me showing a resort named Richardson Springs.
He said, “I’m buying that resort and I am going to open a Christian conference center.
I am calling it Springs of Living Water.”
“The Springs,” as we affectionately called it, became a hub for revival—a home for converted hippies and so many who were converted out of the drug culture.
Many mighty voices ministered there.
Dick Mills was a powerful force at the Springs with a true prophetic gift.
Soon, the Springs became the home of Donnie Moore’s amazing youth camps where thousands of youth continue to be revolutionized every summer.
Then the Springs became a Youth With a Mission Base and still is today.
The first tent crusade 2020 carries the greatest challenge.
The reason is simple: it is the most rushed.
There is little you can do during the holiday season.
So we came into the New Year running.
Man, did last year’s training help us!
We learned to ignore what we saw and go only by the Word of God.
The permits came in on time.
The literature was done in a flash.
Workers reported for duty with minimal warning.
All the while, old slew foot was nipping at our heels getting us to stop.
This time, we never slowed down.
This time, we ignored even the most yawning threats and just kept charging.
The deep wells of revival in Chico is something the enemy wanted buried—deeply buried.
The success of this tent crusade hinged on successfully implementing a new weapon that God had given us.
It is called The Night of Miracles.
In Fresno, Dinuba and Hanford it was the Nights of Miracles that set the stage for the breakthrough.
Nights of Miracles are kind of like D Day for us.
It is the initial beach landing.
We were at a loss to know where to do our Night of Miracles in Chico.
Suddenly we get a call from Josh Jameson who assists Steve Grandy at Jubilee Church in Chico.
They wanted to do a Word Explosion in January.
Soon, we all realized that we were to team up to do an event that would bless Jubilee and at the same time give us the breakthrough we needed in Chico.
The devil told me all his usual lies.
He said no one would show up.
He said the religious spirit over the city would smother any fire that would come.
I got so excited by every lie he told.
Because I knew the opposite must be true. And was it ever.
Sunday night the church was full early and the faith level was sky high.
The same thing happened on Monday night.
There were clear miracles of healing but something even more important happened.
It is so important because it killed a fallacy about Chico and for all of California for that matter.
SOULS WERE SAVED. SOULS WANTED TO BE SAVED.
The church wishes souls would want Christ but have been conditioned to believe they are closed to the Gospel.
The Devil dreads the idea of souls being saved and the secular progressives laugh at the idea of youth turning to Jesus.
All that went up in Smoke at Jubilee in Chico.
Now I want to bring the most exciting news…and I need your help.
On Tuesday February 11th at noon I am going bring a special message to pastors and leaders and you will never guess where.
Talk about full circle…the free luncheon is at the Springs!
The Youth with a Mission Base at Springs of Living Water is the place for this historic lunch.
You already know the tent goes up in Chico at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds March 15-18th.
Now we will gather the leaders for a special time in the Word and Power of God.
It is free but you must register. Call us at 775 238 3473
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