Joels Army Conference

[~*Amy*~]

As some of you know, I went to a Joels Army Conference july 7-9. They were probally some of the most amazing meetings Ive ever been to. The power and presence of God was so heavy in the church and even when the meetings werent being held, you could just walk up to the front of the sanctuary and barely stand on your feet.
The first meeting was thursday night. It was really good, praise and worship was awesome and as soon as Mike Smith (worship leader) started playing the first song, we were all ushered into the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was amazing. The second meeting was Friday morning at 10 am. Of course, all of my youth group was dragging their butts to get there except me and 3 others who were ready for the next wave of glory to appear that day at the meetings. There were 3 meetings to be held friday. One from 10am-12:30, the next from 2-4:30 and the night meeting from 7-whenever God was done. The friday morning meeting was really good and it was speaker Shawn Bolz....an absolutely amazing young man of God who's heart is crying out for this generation. He has been taken up to heaven several times in visions and open visions and has also been translated. He told us of several of his experiences and it was a great faith booster.
I was having fun and a great time in the Lord, but my hearts cry was still longing for more from God. I wanted God to make Himself more and more real to me.....I needed to feel His love and know that He IS my reality.
As I walked into the church, getting ready for the afternoon meeting, I already started to feel the Holy Spirit surrounding me. It was amazing. As soon as the meeting started I ran up front for praise and worship and danced and praised Jesus with all my heart. Tears started streaming down my face because Gods presence was so heavy I couldnt help but cry. Matt Sorger was the speaker for the afternoon meeting. He is another amazing man of Christ who flows in the prophetic and healing, signs and wonders ministry. He carries such a great anointing with him. I got a lot out of his meeting, but I never realized how much I really was recieving from God until after his teaching was over. He called up everyone for a personal prayer time but never laid hands on anyone...just stretched out his hand towards us all. I couldnt stand anymore and it was as if God Almighty had grabbed me and I feel to my knees. I was being humbled and purified more and more. I was dieing. Literally, dieing to my will and conforming to Christs. I started weeping uncontrolably to the point where my stomach ached from sobbing, but as I started calling on the Lord, He took my pain away.
I continually sobbed and weeped and moaned after that. Someone on the stage said that we could stay up front until the next meeting if we wanted to stay in the presence of God, since several people were upfront still under the power of the Holy Spirit. I stayed in the same position for an hour and a half. I could not move, I could not speak, and I could not understand what was wrong with me. For those of you who know me well, you know that I NEVER cry in public and if I do, I dont weep and sob to the point where I cant control myself. It was God, all God. I got up, mascara running down my face, eyes blurry and my hair soaking wet from my tears. Thats how much I cried. My youth group had to leave me there so they could go get lunch and go back to the hotel. My youth leader stayed behind with me, as well as one of my very close friends. All I could do for the last half hour was lay on my back on the floor and stare at the ceiling. It was as if some type of glaze had been put on my eyes, but yet I could see more clearly. I could see everything, and everyone. But it was so much more brighter and clearer than before. My youth leader asked me if I was ok and what was happening, but I couldnt speak...I tried, but I couldnt. My whole body was trembling from the anointing still resting on me.
That night, the meeting was also very good, though not as powerful as the afternoon one....but God is good! Shawn Bolz was the speaker friday night, and once again, he was absolutely amazing.
Saturday morning and afternoon were awesome meetings. Just a great time to be with God and build a much better relationship with Christ (which is one of the MOST important things to do as a christian). We were all expecting something from the next meeting (the saturday night meeting) which was also the last meeting of them all. And it was awesome! Praise and worship was awesome, and Matt Sorger was speaking again but really never had a chance to speak! The whole meeting was just a holy spirit blow out. The anointing was all over Matt and to the point where several times he himself couldnt even speak...he just had to stand there and laugh. My friend rachel, nicole and I were sitting in an area away from our youth group but it was really good. All of a sudden, my friend nicole starts busting out in laughter. Rachel and I couldnt figure out what was going on until I felt this overwhelming joy rise up in me and Rachel and I also started laughing. It was the laughter of the Holy Spirit. We were the only people in the whole place laughing, and you could definately tell we stood out! But, Matt looked at us several times and he himself couldnt help but just laugh because the Power of God was so heavy that it was just so joyful. If youve never experienced 'holy laughter', you DEFINATELY need to. Anyway, nicole and I started rocking back and forth because when you are in the presence of God, you cant stay still (and we were sitting down!). Matt started walking towards us and all of a sudden my body started shaking. This hardly ever happens to me, but I just couldnt stop it. Next thing I knew, he was standing right beside me, just laughing. God is so good!
Anyway, the weekend was great and such a much needed trip away from my family and local friends. I met so many new people that I plan on keeping in touch with and possibly going on missions trips with. But, I think the most powerful time of it all, was when God made is love and Himself a reality to me, and now I finally understand how so many christians fall away from God, but for the wrong reasons. Its not about us, its about Him. Bottom line. We have to get rid of our pride and depressive states. We have to get over ourselves.
In the Bible we are told that in the end of days an army will rise up, a Joels army. And they will be fasting, weeping and mourning for their generation. Well, I believe we are in the last days, and I enlisted in that Army this past weekend. But in order to get more revelation and reality from God, you MUST live a life of prayer, fasting, and communion with Christ. You MUST have a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you dont, then you can say youre a christian all you want, but if you dont personally know Christ, and He isnt totally real to you, then you are truely lost. Please get right with God now before its too late! Thats what was happening to me when I was weeping for an hour and a half:
..1-I was dieing to myself
and
..2-I was interceding for this generation and the lost souls of this world and the united states.

I had fasted on Wenesday and prayed most of the day Thursday. Next came weeping (friday) and then mourning also. Its amazing...but you have to get real with God.

Please keep me in your prayers. Wish you couldve been there!
In Christ
Amy