Youth Camp 95

The Aftermath

July 9, 1995

(As I haven't spoken with the kids about being on this page, I've taken the liberty of renaming them...)

Last night was youth night (every other Saturday during the summer). We had an awesome worship time. One kid, let's call him Mike, said he couldn't get his legs to work right. He ended up lying down on the floor at the end of the worship time. A couple of people started praying for him, and suddenly he was screaming. Amy saw something, and commanded a demon to come out.

I don't go around seeing demons everywhere, nor have I any desire to do so. I saw this one. It was big, it was ugly, and it knew that it was bad, and it was looking straight at me. I rebuked it in Jesus' name, called on God for help, and I saw something even more amazing - I saw several angels its size come escort it off, swinging swords like something out of a Ninja Turtles cartoon. No lie.

When Mike got up, he decided to get rid of some things that he shouldn't have had - some extremely rebellious music, much of which he'd hidden from his parents. He was changed from the moment he decided to do it. He went from being a 13 year old, screwed-up kid as big as most adults to a bold, caring young man who looks for chances to help people, and who suddenly has a good, loving relationship with his folks instead of constantly fighting with them & sulking.

A girl with a seriously messed up past (father unknown, mom a demon-worshiping drunk who expects her kids to take care of her instead of the other way round) who's been in a foster home at RRC (let's call her Daisy), got delivered from a lot of fear and hatred, and found out who she is - instead of who her mom wanted her to be. She would sometimes get so violent over something inconsequential someone would call the police because nobody could restrain her (she's 11, and her foster dad is three times her size, and he couldn't begin to hold her in one of these rages). The next week she went to a youth camp for elementary kids, and went all week with no major incidents, and only one minor one, which she overcame.

Shane (a PK who's been fighting God) came to me for prayer to get prepared for the school year. He really wants to be ready to be a leader this year instead of worring about what the crowd thinks or impressing people. he wants to help the kids with real problems.

Another amazing night. They're getting pretty frequent!

Today in church, the youth really got into worship again. They prayed for people again. More parents testified. Mike's dad got Mike to talk about what God was doing in him. A couple more of the adults caught what the youth have, and more seemed to really be re-evaluating their lives and their relationship with God. Practicly the whole church wanted prayer.

Dennis preached on being ``unequally yoked'' (a reference to the a verse relating how yoking two animals of different temperment and strength makes plowing difficult, if not impossible, to how people with different purposes in life can't really be in unity and head the same direction) - not so much in terms of the dangers of Christians and non-Christians (the usual consideration), but more in terms of people who really love Jesus dating/marrying/whatever those who call themselves Christians but don't really care to know Jesus any better or try to become more like Him.

The youth sat enthralled through 35 to 45 minutes of preaching on this - what more evidence of change in their lives could one ask?

You mean there's more?

Copyright 1995 Miles O'Neal, Austin, TX. All rights reserved.