Prophetic Rumblings

This is Confessions of a Pastor, a relentlessly real peak behind the scenes of Journey [music] Church in Bend, Oregon. From church in a strip club to a strip mall, going where Jesus would go to reach people Jesus would reach. This is the good, the bad, and the ugly. All for the glory of God. A journey of misery [music] and miracles. We are your hosts and the founders of Journey Church in Ben. I'm Pastor Keith. And I'm [music] Pastor Kara. Come on, there really is hope for everyone. It's [screaming] time. Wow. [laughter] You've been watching a lot of UFC lately. Yeah, Kara. That's Bruce Buffer's intro. Okay. To the main event of any UFC fight. Okay. And so I just I tapped into my inner Bruce Buffer.

And uh I'm still high because last night I mean not high like I should [laughter] probably really clarify. Uh, I'm still on a, you know, just on a hot. Yeah. Last night we watched the UFC 250. Yes. That this UFC fights on the lawn. I say we I did and I started to watch it. Yeah. And the intro was the intro was amazing. Amazing. I was like, what a cool country we live in. I mean, with all of our armed forces and it was just it was so cool. I mean, I love America and you know, I love uh MMA already. So, if we've already offended somebody and they just turned off this podcast because I like fighting, um, I just got to say, uh, it is time and I believe that this is the main event right now. Yes, this this is the main event for Confessions of a Pastor. We are your hosts, pastors Keith and Kara, and we're here to talk about what's

going on cuz there's so much going on, Kara. Yes. God is always doing something. I mean, more than we've ever experienced in our lives. Is that fair? Maybe. You say, "Okay, questionable." I think it's the truth. Okay. I think I think we have more fruit in our ministry than we've ever had. I mean, data shows that in terms of our uh numbers up in weekly attendance and salvations and uh our disciplehip uh growth and pipelines are changing. And I just think it's amazing. In fact, just before this podcast, uh, some of our staff just pointed out this cute picture of us. I don't know if we could zoom in on this, but this is a picture of us many years ago. H, how old do you think we are in this picture, Kara?

I mean, oh my, you look like a young Reese Witherspoon. Uh, I look like a guy just got lucky and blessed family. I mean, these kids in this picture now, one is married, one's going into his third year of college, one's going into her senior year of high school. I mean, a lot has changed. Yeah. But it's good. All good things. Just crazy how fast time goes. Maybe not all good. Some of it's ugly. Okay. Okay. Okay. But, uh, I just want to talk about what God's doing because this year 2026, to me, when I look at Journey Church, like we've just had some of the coolest milestone, momentum building, relational, uh, growth moments of Journey Church's history. Uh, one of them was this weekend. And we had P pastor Dave Patterson from the father's house uh preach at the church. Uh what did you think of that?

Oh, it was amazing. It was just like a one of those bucket list things. You know, he's had such an influence on our ministry. Um and just really our personal lives, too. And some of it like I don't even think he realizes um you know what the what influence he's had on us because some of it is like a little bit arms length. But um but it al is also very personal. So it was great to have him here. Um, I probably told him about a thousand times the impact that he's made on both of our lives. Uh, and you know, he he might hear that often because he influences thousands of people. He really does. His ministry is is huge as far as the influence that he has on pastors and churches across the nation. Not even to mention his own personal ministry. Um, I mean, it's both and it's it's tremendous. So, so maybe we can talk about this current

weekend first and then go backwards because we had Smith House worship the weekend before and we've just we've been receiving some really strong prophetic words that are congruent. They're like people who aren't talking to each other. We've not told them anything and then all of a sudden these words are coming out that when we test this the spirit if we see is this from God, we go to the word of God, we go to the people of God and we go to the Holy Spirit of God. It's like this is awesome. Yeah. So, it's true. Le let's go back in time for any listeners unfamiliar with our story. We tell it often, but it's our story just like any listener should tell their story because you have a story and this is how you overcome the accuser through your story. So, back in 2022, we're we're just questioning everything.

I mean, we're just wondering is is our time up here uh coming out of COVID. I mean, just all the pressures. I mean, I don't even know if we can go into all that right now, but we're we're wondering, is this our time, right? Yeah. I mean, we we asked God to move us on. We really did. And then yesterday, we had lunch with Pastor Dave, and I I actually corrected my own timeline cuz I I've I've told a lot of people that we met the Pattersons in January of 2022, but it wasn't. It was March. So, I had reached out to Ark Association Related Churches, said, "Hey, I feel like a lone island in Central Oregon. Yeah, not many people are doing what we're doing in terms of the tribe or the type of church we are in our region. Is there anybody you could reach, you know, you can connect us to? And uh one of the the names they gave was Pastor Dave Patterson at the father's house.

We reached out to Pastor Dave. He instantly flew us to uh to Vakavville and we spent time with he and his wife. Uh he remembered it cuz it was a really nice restaurant they took us to. Yeah. Uh he brought his own bottle of wine which I've never experienced cuz you got to pay 40 50 bucks for cork fee. I'm like who does that? I'm like oh okay like this is how we do this. And they were so personable and kind and loving. I I just I don't think we were used to that type of uh honor. Yeah. And for me it was also that weekend we got to sit at his um church services and it they were celebrating their 25th anniversary and um they were we they sat us in the in in the right next to them in like front row off to

the side where their their people sit and I mean we're talking about a huge auditorium. This is a big mega church 1900 seats auditori 1900 seats. So multiple services right now they're at three on Sundays. Yeah. I think it was two when we were there and we're sitting where they multiple campuses. Yeah. This is the main campus. Yeah. So, we're sitting where they sit and I just I I balled through both services because it was um something that I'd never experienced before. Um I mean, we started the church in 2010. I did not neither of us, but I did I had very little context for for church and what type of churches existed out there. Um, and we just we I just hadn't seen a lot of bigger or lifegiving churches. That's that's the best way I could put Pastor Dave's church. It's very lifegiving.

And so when we were in a season of drought and empty and burnt out and all the things, um, I'm sitting in the front row of his church watching the most beautiful life-giving church service where his daughter is up on the stage leading worship. Um, where I was like, you can do that like you can. his wife was sitting next to him and at that point we didn't have a rhythm of sitting next to each other in church. No. Nor did we have a rhythm of of um raising our kids up to use their gifts in the church. And I'll take the opposite. Yeah. It was the opposite. And I'll take the ownership of that. I never wanted anyone to feel like we were like um giving our kids special treatment. Now, I had never seen any type of a model that was actually a healthy model where actually everyone has gifts. everyone. The more we oppress or suppress someone's gifts, the the the less um the church will be blessed.

So, it just it was just all these things combined into one where I just saw a really healthy version of a church that's reaching a lot of people, which has always been your heart and our heart is to reach this city. If if we're going to be here, if we're going to reach the lost, disciple them, to reach the lost again. Yeah. I mean, if we're going to do this, we're not going to be a holy huddle. Like, we're going to put we're going to give our lives to something that actually makes an impact on a a large, you know, group of people. And so, that's where it started for me. I'm like, I can't believe that this type of a church exists. And and then the way they treated us that who they didn't even know us. Um, I mean, it was like uh really it was just really powerful. I for me personally, I think they saved my

um my my heart and my um perspective of ministry. Like I really was done. Yeah. So, I'm very thankful. I don't I don't I'm just very thankful for who he is and what he did for us. And and it wasn't overnight that this we we were radically changed by them. It was just in that moment someone who essentially told us it's going to be okay. Yeah. No matter what, it's going to be okay. you know, they've been through it many, many times before, even to the point where he even offered like, "Hey, if you wanted to move here for a year, I'll, you know, put you under my wing." I mean, they were just so kind. And from that point forward, we've had a relationship with them. Now, fast forward, so that was 2022. It's 2026. So, that was four years ago. Yeah.

Uh, almost four years to the day. I mean, we're in June right now, so four years and a couple months. And fast forward to have him preach at our church. Yeah. It's [snorts] like for us personally, it was a true honor. I introduced them as my pastor because over the last four years, they've poured into us. We've gone down many times to that church. We've bring our staff every year. Yep. I mean, this last year, I think we brought over 20 people. I mean, it was I mean, we we love them. We learn a lot from them when we've had transitions. When I had a fire pastor a few years ago, they were the ones I called. They were the ones that walked me through it. and their staff would they they'll they'll jump on a phone call with you any time. I mean, they're the most just helpful. Yeah. Just um servants. The staff [clears throat] that he's raised up is really incredible.

Yeah. So, so here we have Pastor Dave here on Sunday. It's just a whirlwind of a trip because uh a lot is going on in their ministry and life and family. Yeah. And Sunday morning, we do a prayer and rally uh every every week. We we we set the trajectory of the day by praying and reminding ourselves why are we here? And they're always good. They're like a teeny tiny mini pursuit night on Sundays, right? And at the end of that prayer time, I asked him, "Hey, would you uh pray over us or would you have a word for us?" And I think it was striking, Kara, that I mean, it was it was impromptu. It was quick. I asked him to pray. And he said something that we've now heard at least two or three times in the last month. And uh I thought it was prominent and very [clears throat] important for us to lean into what God keeps saying to Journey Church in Bend, Oregon.

Yeah. Do you want to say what he said? I'll let you. Well, he said uh he used the illustration before he prayed for us of Abraham dug wells. God sent Abraham from his land and said, "Go." And Abraham went and while he went, he dug wells. But the enemy buried those wells. So it would have to be his kids and his grandkids, meaning it would have to be Isaac and Jacob, that would have to redig the wells. Yep. That the enemy had buried. and he felt that we had dug wells and it's time to u redig those wells that the enemy has covered up that there's fountains or uh water going to be coming out of this place.

Y now the reason I bring that up is we had a prophetic word given what three four weeks ago. Yeah. from a guest pastor as well, Bishop Robert Sterns, who the very first service, one of three services at the time, got up and before he said anything, it was not plan. He just said, "I have a word for Journey Church. Out of this church will come fountains, yeah, of uh renewal and uh righteousness and righteousness. Renewal and righteousness." And he says, "There is coming an encounter of the Holy Spirit unlike anything you've had before." And all of us leaned in at that moment because it's like, okay, this is a beautiful picture. And then even as we studied scripture, it was just really clear there was a lot of prophetic promises. I'll even just remind you, Kara, the prophetic scripture God gave me

before we were even in tune with the demonic and spiritual warfare and operating the gifts. Uh, I had several Africans just powerfully and clearly prophesy Isaiah 43:18 and 19 over my life. And I remember it making like a mark in me because it was like the same scripture numerous times by numerous people. And that scripture is being fulfilled right now. Yeah. And and it's in alignment with the prophetic words. And the scripture is remember not the former things. Yep. Do you remember not the former things? Do you not perceive it? Behold, I am doing a new thing. Yeah. I will make I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Yeah. One translation says river in the desert. And so here we have Yeah.

for such a time as this. God moving mightily. Yes. And so, okay, Bishop Robert says it. Um, Pastor Dave Patterson says it. Now we go back two weeks ago. Not even two weeks ago. A week ago yesterday, we had Smith House worship here from Cleveland, Ohio. Yeah. What' you think of that weekend before we continue on the prophetic word just Oh gosh, it was incredible. Come on. It way far exceeded my expectations. Um I like to just to give a little bit of the story, you know, you are the ones who f you found them on social media. You started following them. You worked with Calie, your assistant, to get them scheduled here and I was in a lot of those meetings and I

always kept my mouth shut cuz I was like I this is like how what is this going to look like? It's a bunch of kids, you know. But [snorts] of course you I mean you saw the vision for it and so they fast forward they get here and I still am a little bit in my mind I'm a little bit like okay what is this going to look like you know so for those of you that weren't here don't know it was it's a whole family it's it's actually generational three generations and multiple families but all related who are just bringing this sound and this worship to the world through kids that's absolutely incredible it's anointed All of them are. And then they have this one little girl who's like the lead girl who's 10 who was on our stage leading leading people into the presence of God in the most profound powerful powerful way I think I've ever

experienced. Like and that's and I mean that I mean [clears throat] it's different. The anointing that those kids have is different than the anointing that an adult has. You It's different. I can't even put my finger on it. and with adults. There's something sacred and just absolutely beautiful about this. It wasn't like an all kids team or kids choir. You know, you see that in a lot of churches, kids choir. No, it was both. And it was absolutely incredible. And then come to find out, they get here and they just like they uh the impartation that they gave us was incredible. And and then also they I I mean I remember having this conversation with them in the green room um or somewhere out there and they were essentially like I can't believe you guys asked us to come like who asks a bunch of kids to come to their church and lead worship and that's

I didn't know they didn't travel or do this. I was like it dawned on me. I was like okay like you don't actually do this. Their their main platform is social media. Yeah. If if you follow them on social media which you should because uh you will be blessed. I mean, everything they put out is awesome and uh Smith House worship. Uh so if you follow them, it's so good. And what's funny even about them and and we'll bring it back to the prophetic word because we got to me I I think there was a marking of a prophetic word while they were here. Yeah. Not from them, but we'll come back to this because this is this is God giving a prophetic word. And again, you test it. See is it aligned with God's word. Uh you talk to God's people. Most importantly, you talk to the Lord, the Holy Spirit. So, while they're here, they share with us that they got a prophetic word from someone in the same tribe. We're part of this Father's House Network and similar church families. And it was three, four, five years ago,

maybe three or four years ago. And what's funny is they had really kind of purged themselves off of social media. They uh Tyler who's uh the dad, the drummer, and uh he wasn't on there at all. And they had a pastor from California, someone we're familiar with, who's encouraged us with the prophetic. He called the mom up. Tara and said, "Tara, I see over your family an influence of social media." And, you know, she's like just receives it or whatever. And then, but your family is going to make an impact on social media. God's going to use you guys. And, you know, they move on and they just laughed and they said, "Boy, did this guy get this wrong?" Yeah. Cuz they weren't even on social media at the time. They hated social media. She was kind of on it a little bit, but not not really doing much. And now fast forward and they've got millions of views. Yeah.

And the influence on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, everywhere. I mean, you look at what they're doing, they're making such a tremendous impact. So, pursuit night happens. And like you said, the impartation because we had kids and adults worshiping together at pursuit night. Yeah. Should happen more often. My vision with this was what God is doing with our kids at Journey Church right now is absolutely um amazing. It's more than we've ever had before. Kids are coming to faith in Jesus, which you know, kids come to faith in Jesus, but they're receiving a movement of the Holy Spirit where they're they're praying. They're using their gifts. They're doing it together. They're leading worship. They're writing songs. Yeah. You know, like hearing the impact on Sunday of one of our kids who's writing songs. I mean, we had at Pursuit Night kids pray

and it was amazing. They're praying for their generation. Yeah. We're talking 10-year-olds. Yeah. Praying for their generation. I mean, so the vision with it was to take what God's doing with our kids, have kids from outside come in and let our church see that we're in this together. That children of God are children of God. Whether you're 8 years old or you're 80 years old, in the eyes of God, you're a child of God. Period. M you know to to all those who believed in him who received his name he gave the right to become children of God. There's no age bracket there. You know you've got to be like a child. Jesus says uh Matthew 18 to enter the kingdom of heaven. So to have that here tangible that was my vision was to tie all those things in biblically and to have a an actual encounter of what does that look like? It was to me even better than I expected.

Yeah. So Thursday night, they come, they lead worship. I wish there was 10 times as many people that night because it was a graduation that night. There was a big concert that night. It was still good and it was still well attended and it was the people that were there. It was powerful. And by the way, it's online if you want to watch on YouTube. We did stream it. But that night, we're dialoguing all the staff. We've got a signal thread where we're we dialogue as a staff team. We text each other. We laugh at each other. We encourage one another. It's just like it's fun, right? And someone on our staff team says, "Man, my uncle just sent me this." And all it was was a screenshot of a prophetic word that was given that day from Ohio. Now, I'd never heard of

the person, nothing. But here we are at home and I decided to like look it up and and but let's back up. Smith House is worship the family. They're from Ohio. They're from Ohio. We just had an amazing dynamic night in Oregon. Yeah. It was their first time in Oregon. They've never been to Oregon. So, we worship and get a powerful encounter of the Holy Spirit through worship in Oregon. I see this prophetic word that was given out of Ohio. I find it. There was a conference called I believe it was called the Holy Spirit conference, which is kind of a common or um popular thing to do right now. Holy Spirit conferences. This conference is happening in Cleveland, Ohio. I think it was Cleveland, somewhere in Ohio. Might be Cleveland.

And the main pastor at the whose church it was gives a prophetic word that wasn't even his. He was sharing a prophetic word. Someone else has he's reading this thing and it was out of Oregon. So this is same day Thursday. [laughter] Out of Oregon will come a Niagara fall of God's glory. M specifically he goes on to explain that the name organ comes from the Shosonyi word the uh indigenous people that were already in Oregon the Native Americans Shosonyi means river of the west. Yeah. So I believe it has to do with if you look it up the Columbia River uh which is a huge significant river

that goes into the Pacific Ocean and very significant in in terms of history Lewis and Clark and all those kind of things. So Oregon which means river of the west specifically he started prophesying Salem which means peace and you go to the scriptures and Melkisedc was the um high priest of Salem uh [snorts] Salem being the original name for Jerusalem and um the the the the picture of wholeness and what Oregon is known for is the opposite of all those things and out of this place is going to come God's glory which will be so significant because it's a small state it's like Israel which is small, but out of Oregon, we're going to impact the West Coast. We're going to impact Washington, and we're going to impact California. And and it won't be the church programmatically. It will be the glory of God making an impact. Yep.

And all of this and and then when he prayed at the end of this podcast or, you know, stream that we're watching, out of the end of this, he's praying that fountains are going to come out of organ. It's true. And and these fountains will represent the rivers. And rivers, if if you're unfamiliar, rivers are powerful pictures in scripture of of God's um presence of his anointing. I mean, we see it in the Old Testament coming um out of uh the temple. Um and we see Jesus in John 7 declaring those who believe in him, Jesus, out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters. John gives his own commentary on the text and says Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit. So all of a sudden in one month, Kara, we have these beautiful pictures.

Yeah. Out of our state, out of what God's doing in this place, fountains, wells, rivers. [laughter] So crazy of living water. Yeah. I'm just like I hardly know what to do. I mean, I made a little video I just put out on social media that I'm believing the picture of what we've lived and been now 21 years, which is wild. I showed this picture of our young families. It's like we moved here. We had a I mean we we we had several kids here. This city I didn't even like prophetically I've never leaned into the spirit to think about the significance. This whole city revolves around a river. Yeah. The name of the city is because of the river. It's true. You know the everything about this city revolves around the river in the summertime. I mean Pastor Dave was amazed. He's like everybody floats the river. Everything revolves around the river. Yeah.

I mean, everything revolves around the river. All the farming that happens in this community couldn't happen without the river. All the irrigation canals that are birthed out of the river. And I'm really believing if we lean into this, particularly as us as a staff team, if the elders, if the church, if we would be in unity and see what God is doing right now. Bam. Mhm. That was like my like like look what God's doing. Yeah. Like don't miss it. Don't miss it. Don't and and don't just miss it. I've been prophesying Central Oregon shall be saved. We will get to see revival. We will get to see in our kids, in our teenagers, in our city. We will get to see an economic removal of evil. And we will get to see the movement forward of what God's doing. Amen.

And we're seeing it. I mean, we we haven't even spoken on this podcast, but you know, we're in June right now, which our nation celebrates, and now the world even celebrates. Uh God help us. uh pride month. Yeah. Which is crazy because that is the one uh sin above all sins. It's it's it's the start of all sin is pride. You know, it's what got Satan kicked out of uh [snorts] heaven. It's it's the very thing that moves us to do contrary to God's will. And it all stems to pride associated with with sexual confusion. You know, uh the opposite of what God's design. And we had a few people from our church just go down and pray uh at a pride festival. Uh they did not bring signs that said you're going to

hell. They did not have a booth. They did not yell at people. In fact, they did not do anything unless it was uh welcome, you know. And when they asked people, hey, could we pray for you? And if if people said no, they were kind and said, no problem. You know, and a lot of people were very receptive. Yeah. A lot of people hearts were open to conversation and prayer a lot. But the devil did not like that at all because there was kindness, there was gentleness. All the fruit of the spirit was happening right there at a pride festival representing the Holy Spirit uh the the spirit of Jesus very very well. So the enemy gets involved and uh the enemy is the opposite of the Holy Spirit. not gentle, not kind, and there was physical aggression, and there

was uh vulgarity, and there was threats of violence. I mean, just evil stuff. And some of it was filmed on Yeah. um, [snorts] you know, filmed and placed on social media. And then out of that came even like just a hatred towards Journey Church. My name was slung through the mud once again. Our staff picture was promoted on social media. And here you have all of those things that I'm just reminded like Kara as we're getting these spiritual revelation the enemy hates it. Yeah. Can I just clarify the devil does not like what God is doing. Yes. In our lives through the church for such a time as this. Amen.

And and I'll tell you this is just the beginning. Oh, where I was going with this is that weekend that that happened, our staff got together for staff meeting and we just impromptu prayed and we prayed for the person that's the really the lead over all that who is a witch. Yeah. Who like literally is a witch, promotes herself as a witch, has a business with witch in the name. And we are praying that she gets saved. We are praying for a radical shift. Do you remember that staff meeting? Yeah. I What? Tell tell me what you experienced that that mean. Um it was really powerful. I mean we went to war in prayer for our city and and for this particular person for revival. Yeah. Um for all the things you're talking about cuz it's not going to happen without a fight. It's not going to happen without prayer. Yeah.

Um Yeah. And you know to those who when you make it this far in the podcast, I just want to first congratulate you. Uh we're always amazed and humbled and honored that people uh sit with us and listen uh to us. Uh witchcraft is real. [snorts] Darkness is real. And I I I just want to speak into that for to the place that you feel comfortable talking about it. Kara, this is real. Like we are in a spiritual battle and a spiritual war that if you're not privy to it, your life will be demolished. Jesus as the thief referring to Satan and the dominion of who Satan is. The thief that's that's Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. So Jesus does not want us to be naive. That the main goal of the enemy is to destroy our lives.

Yeah. To steal what God wants to do in our lives. And I tell you, this past six weeks have been some of the most powerful weeks spiritually of this church. Like the impartations. I mean, this I just can't believe it. Like Sunday, I was texting with Pastor Brandon. And I was like, can you believe what God's doing this year? We've had Pastor Montel Jordan. This is how we do it. We I mean, how fun is that? We've had Montel Jordan. I mean, who else did we have right around that same time? Smith. Oh, Martin Smith in March. And we've now become friends with Martin Smith, like a legend in his own right of songwriting and worship leading around the world. I mean, this year has been the coolest. I mean, I can't believe it. But be not mistaken. God is moving mightily a journey. We've had nearly 600 salvations this year. We've had 100

baptisms this year. I mean, and that God's just getting started. So, be not mistaken, God is moving mightily. And right in the midst of it, we are still have spiritual battles of our own in our private lives, in our marriage, in our family, and those sort of things. And I I've actually had to even verbalize out loud uh even like when we've gotten in a couple conflicts like Kara, I really have believed for me personally, the enemy has an assignment out for me and I believe that there's probably been curses, vexes, uh there have been demonic um attacks towards me specifically in our region that I don't I I being in tune with the spirit that I think the enemy wants to stop what God's doing, you know, and if we're not in tune with it, we won't repent. We won't understand

where this is coming from, and we won't know how to fight our battles. Yeah. That's what I loved about Pastor Dave's message yesterday is he just very simplistically gave us the cure to overcoming the enemy, which is our voice. Our voice, our song, our praise. We have to make some noise. Yeah. Because if we don't make some noise, we isolate ourselves. We go quiet. We don't repeat the promises of God. We don't praise God. So we won't elevate God for who he already is. Yeah. And if we don't have God in his proper place enthroned. Yeah. As king. Agreed. Then we're not praising God. So we're not letting Jesus be the king of kings. Yeah. I totally agree. And the more I I think about even his message and what you're talking about with demonic stuff is and something he said to us yesterday. We got to spend some time

with him yesterday which was amazing. Um and something he said actually it hit me and it was really it was just in passing. It was really casual uh talking about the demonic and you know like this realm is a little bit newer for us just to to actually like give it space you know um and what something he said was the demonic likes um attention. So he he said it really casually and in passing. we were talking about deliverance and so there's like a wrong way to do deliverance and then I you know the right way is uh not always really clear in the sense that it's a journey and it's biblical and so forth but he was just talking about those people that draw attention to demons and yes you know making a big deal this picture that I'm trying to paint I think that I'm just like aha you know

like his message it was it yeah well it's not like I think the [clears throat] approach is is to um to victory is not to pay attention to the demonic. Rather, it's to sing the song. It's to sing the praises of victory. Yes. Over it. Um because the demonic does like attention and it it it doesn't get it doesn't get us anywhere to give the demonic attention, you know. So the the the victory comes in the praise in the midnight hour, the praise in our homes where where we don't have victory yet, but we're going to praise and we're going to worship and we're going to uh anoint the house um and and beg God to move um and victory comes.

Yeah. through the oil and and the anointing. Yes. You're inviting the presence of God in this place to be superior, to be supreme, to to rule, to reign, to to dwell, uh to have authority, not not lies of the enemy that come in, not uh music, thoughts, actions, you know, uh watching things, doing things of the enemy. It it's really the key when those things happened a few weeks ago that came out of the pride parade and people are saying mean things about the church, about me. I had several people reach out to me and be like, "Pastor Keith, what are we going to do? Are we going to respond?" Cuz on one post, I mean, it I I remember watching had like 18,000 views, you know, and there was over 350 comments, you know, and this was weeks ago. And a lot of them, you know, back

and forth. It was just it was dumb debating. It was kind of like when crazy liberals and crazy right-wing get together and debate. This is not fruitful or helpful. Exactly. You know, it's that attention you're you're talking about. And these people are It's getting them attention. Yeah. And people are asking me, "Pastor Keith, what are we going to do about this?" And this isn't our first rodeo. That same witch has gone after us before. And a lot of times it doesn't go nearly where it it sounds and appears because the enemy wants us to be afraid. As long as we're afraid, we don't leave room for God's love because perfect love drives out fear. And my counsel to those who were asking me is just pray. Yeah. You know, ele elevate the prayer. So if if this fuels you and you're passionate about this, let that passion be put into prayer.

Yeah. Amen. [snorts] Get off social media, get on your knees, and even as we learned yesterday with Pastor Dave, y'all got to watch this message on YouTube. It was so good. Open your mouth. Yeah. and start proclaiming the promises of God, you know, through the Psalms, through the promises of Jesus word, make a proclamation out loud and overcome the enemy. Yes. We have a testimony. Yes. Amen. And we know who's already won. We're not fighting for the victory. Exactly. We already know who won. It might look like the enemy's louder, but that doesn't mean the enemy is winning. Yeah. You know, the loudest and the the crowds, as we've learned more recently, the crowds often don't get it right. So, don't worry about it. This too shall pass and we're going to get to see victory in an absolutely mighty way. And and I I loved it. What What was your favorite part of uh yesterday's sermon, Kara?

I I I think just the overarching theme, okay, um of the freedom Yeah. that we have that comes and the breakthrough that comes through praise. Yeah. And it's praise. It's not praise when you feel like it. It's actually What did he say? Like your um your best song on your worst day. Yeah. Makes me want to cry. [laughter] Come on. Go there. Is when it is when you have victory. Amen. I was just listening to a sermon this morning when I had the house to myself and I cranked it up and I was just reminded and this this is the truth. This is biblical truth in each of our lives and for every person that's even listening right now. God doesn't do a miracle in the easy times.

It's your hard times that require God to show up and do what only God can do. So why wouldn't we praise him before he even does it? That that that's that's when the miracle is coming. And I I I know why you're being sensitive to this right now in the spirit is because we've been there many times. And when you've been there and you've watched God get you through it, you know it's real. And and this is why we do what we do. This we want everyone else to have the same authority, the same keys to the kingdom that we have. Yeah. And I [snorts] think it's just the Sorry, excuse my tears. No, it's all good. It's just a reminder that like things don't actually the most profound like breakthrough comes in your worst moments.

Amen. [snorts] like like just for I'll speak to for myself like or to myself even just to kill the thought that like [snorts] we have to be living in victory before we can be um have intimacy with the Lord or or have happiness or you know feel successful. It's actually in the most like heartbroken times when [snorts] we have the most intimate relationship with the Lord that that's where he brings us into um his kingdom. [snorts] Kara, you're speaking biblical truth. And to go back to the sermon, one of the main scriptures that Pastor Dave used was Acts 16, which has been very impactful for us on a personal level that when Paul and Silas, let let's just go here. Acts 16, they cast out a demon.

I mean, again, not giving a lot of attention to the demon, the demon was annoying them. The demon was trying to take away attention from what God was doing. Paul casts out the demon and the enemy doesn't like it and they get arrested. Yeah. They get beaten and they get imprisoned. Yep. At this point, it would be one who's watching this saying, "Wait, this is Christianity. I don't know if I want to sign up for following Jesus. I'm in a dungeon. It's stinky. It's uncomfortable. It hurts. I'm lonely. And it's uncertain of the future. I don't know what tomorrow holds." And the Bible says very clearly in Acts 16, they did two things. They prayed and they sang. They prayed and they praised God. And what's crazy about that is they did that despite knowing that they were going to

get set free, that there would be miracles, that there would be totally more salvations, the more deliverance, the more baptisms because and that's where like I you we just have to be like content or or like pursuing our like being in the presence of the Lord and our just just for for our that like Jesus is is is our success. You know what I mean? Like it's not like I think it's it's not the success of the world. It's just like if I get him, then that's enough. Amen. Come on. That that is so profound. If I get him, I get enough. Because it Luke says in Acts 16, it was the midnight hour that these things happened. in our midnight hour when it's the darkest, when you can't see it, when

you are hurting from what just happened to you even though you're trying to do God's will and you're still hurting. Is Jesus enough? And the answer to that question is yes, because it's grace upon grace upon grace upon grace upon grace. God's grace is our comfort in those midnight hours. And it's got to be it's what we hold on to and it's what we continue to hold on to and pursue. But then I mean often times the byproduct of of that is people's lives are are affected and changed, you know, the most because it's genuine. Yeah. It's now the power and the presence of God that does the work. Yeah. Because in that story, you know, to to break it down and our our readers should open up their Bibles or listeners should open up the Bible and read it. Uh

walls came down chains. It says of all the prisoners were broken. All the prisoners. So their prayer proximity and their praise. Yes, their prayer and their praise broke off the chains of all the prisoners. And even he didn't go here, but if you keep reading the story, when the Roman soldier wants to commit suicide, they stop the spirit of suicide. The family gets saved. Yeah. They get baptized. Yeah. And now in history, everything changed. And it started with prayer and praise. Yeah. Opening up your mouth. I mean, it makes me think about, you know, even I think Pastor Dave mentioned yesterday in his sermon about just we we need to um sing praise over our city.

Amen. Wherever you go, it it also just makes me think on a on a corporate level, you know, like we've been talking about a a renewed vision for Church in the Park. Come on. And like that I mean that that's like in the middle of our city. Amen. Like we need to pray and praise. Amen. And who's going to be set free within the proximity of where our praise is corporate praise and prayer revival in our city right by the river right there right in the region right by the river. Well I I' I've shared with you just glimpses and I give some teasers just because it's it's not meant to be uh a secret but I I feel that renewed vision over church in the park. Meet me at the river. You know, this is not just an event. And I feel like we put it on cruise control the last few years, and the fruit that's been birthed out of it

has been amazing. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people have been baptized the last few years. I mean, we we've got over I mean, probably close to 400 people baptized in two years. Yeah. Right at the river. But I tell you, when we're praying it, the impact is going to be even more meaningful when we're intentional, when we're more um strategic or uh focused on it. Our our faith is on lives being changed through prayer, through praise. That when we're believing God's best for our region, Central Oregon shall be saved. And I'm believing that river is actually going to be the imagery of what we're actually going to get to see. We're we're going to see countless lives set free, saved, baptized, and then sent out to make an impact in the city.

Yeah. Amen. And we might see the same thing that they saw in Philippi. People are going to be upset. Yeah. What do you mean you're closing your pot shop? What do you mean you don't want to do this anymore? You know, it it it makes an impact on people uh and the socioeconomic dynamic of a community uh every single time. Well, Kara, this has been a great conversation. What are your thoughts? I just What are the wheels turning inside of you right now? Nothing. I'm just locked in. Okay. You seem you seem locked in. Your intimacy is intimidating. So, I just uh I I just I don't want to miss what God's saying and doing. And I I'm grateful for the season we're in. I don't take it for

granted. It's with an extreme humility and thanksgiving that uh as I showed that picture earlier of our young family, had we told ourselves earlier, I think I would have believed it. But I would not have known the pain that it would have taken over these last, you know, uh, 10 to 15 years. The pain of losing friendships, the pain of people leaving, the pain of people saying things that aren't true. Uh, the pain of uh, just the hardships, you know, of um, trying to lead people through process. I mean if you look at like you talked about the the Paul and Silas in prison like if we think that we are not going to get the same type of treatment right

in on on the same mission you know like we want the revival without having the pain of prison. Yeah. It doesn't it doesn't it doesn't exist. Amen. And for someone today, they've got to hear that because here here's the truth of of the commonality of humanity and our stories of why church is the best solution for the hope of the world is every human story has pain. Every human story has brokenness. Absolutely. We all need the story of prayer and praise. Everyone, no one's exempt. Whether you're single, you're widowed, you're married, we all have a place there. I I think the the fantasy of storytelling is we buy into this Hollywood mantra of of somehow that you know victory is is always winning and it's not. Yeah.

Victory is sometime in your your loss. Yes. When all you got and you True. You said it and I remember Jonathan Trailer earlier this year told us the same thing. When Jesus is enough when all you got if Jesus never did another thing, would that be enough for you? Would that be enough if he if he never did a miracle? if he if he never answered another prayer. Would you say I I have Jesus and that's enough? And the the short answer should be yes, but it's not the easy answer. It requires the wrestling of God's blessing of saying if he gave me a limp and I walked away with blessing and a limp, is that okay? Yeah. And I I'd rather have a limp than to walk away with everything but actually not have the blessing. Yeah. Amen. And uh I I think so when I talk about the last 15 years, if I would have told myself what God's doing now, I would have believed it. But I think I

would have thought it would have come a little easier, you know. Um and maybe it would have come easier had I had more oil. [laughter] No, I don't I don't think so. I don't you know, and I'm referring to the Holy Spirit, you know, like uh Yeah. I cuz I I I now know though looking forward to the trajectory of the next 10 to 15 years. I want oil in it. I want God's uh favor and Holy Spirit leading us to wherever he has for us. Amen. Cuz revival is not going to look like what I think it's going to look like. I can fantasize all I want, but really that's why I got to pray it into existence because I don't know what it's going to look like. Yeah. Amen. All I know is I want it. Yeah. And I believe it. A great awakening is upon us, Kara.

Mark my words on this podcast in June of 2026. A great awakening is here. I prophesy it. It will be like a Niagara fall of God's glory where people won't know what to do. They will be paralyzed by the beauty of what God is doing. They will hear the sound of it like the Niagara Falls. They will get to feel the the glory of an encounter just like you get near a waterfall and the spray hits you uh just through proximity like you said. Yeah. And it will start with our prayer and it will start by the elevation of praise of of putting God in his proper place. As the psalmist says he is uh enthroned upon the praises of his people. You know he inhabits it. So it's good.

[laughter] Go there, Carol. You're feeling God's glory. We get to do this. I I just don't want the people that are closest to us to miss it. Oh jeez. Don't go there. Uh Well, if they're in proximity here, here's the truth, Gara. Every prayer we've ever prayed for our family, our friends, anybody that doesn't have it yet, the way we think they're going to get it. [snorts] God's ways are higher than our ways. And we we'll pray for that in just a moment.

I would I would just say that we're seeing people get saved and delivered at Journey Church and it's not through the traditional methods of raising their hands and saying yes God's repentance through encountering someone at home just by opening their Bible. [snorts] RT Kendall, who's one of my favorite theologians that's still alive, who taught me about the spirit in the word, his encounter came at 18 in the car just driving. So, I I'm just going to prophesy and believe that revival is not going to happen the way we think, but we're going to pray it. I want to say we're going to pray it into existence, but it's not we're praying it into existence. It's already here. God is perfectly steadfast forever. It's already here. All we're trying to do is

pray that people will experience who God is. Yeah. It we don't move God to be something he's not. Yeah. We don't move him to be a savior or loving or you know he is sovereign all the time. Never stops. And so all we're doing is aligning our spirit with the Holy Spirit and the promises of God's word. Yeah. Amen. Ah well that what a way for us to to end our time just with a reminder of uh God cares [snorts] and loves more than we do. John 10 he's a good shepherd and uh I want to just proclaim you know last night there was probably there was eight fights probably six of the eight fighters gave glory to God. I don't know if that's accurate, but quoted scripture, gave praise to Jesus

Christ as Lord and Savior. And one of them, I think he was Brazilian. He had very very broken English. But it was so beautiful because it was just a very harsh, intense, you know, fight. And, you know, he's he wins. And he says, "I want to give all glory to Jesus." And I want to quote my favorite Bible verse, John 3:16, and in broken English. He says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." He's saying this on a platform where millions of people heard it in person. More than 80,000 heard it. I was one in a living room of the millions. And I think to myself, God is moving in our age, Kara. Our great awakening is here where people are getting bolder and it is getting clearer. those who call themselves Christians. I told you about another fighter who professes to be Christian, who claims Jesus is Lord, but he said things that Christians shouldn't say.

Crude, vulgar. The fruit is there. And Jesus said you could tell a tree by its fruit. So just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean you're acting born again or being, you know, um showing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is repentance. Yeah. That leads to the fruit of what God alone can do. Yeah. And that's what I want. And that's what I even see even in our marriage over the last month or so when I see the Holy Spirit work where the enemy sneaks in and tries to take us back to old places and it's like no no no you you don't get the final say enemy prayer praise and that the fruit of that comes out. So I prophesy encounters are coming to all those that just broke your heart. Encounters are coming. Amen. In Jesus name. Wow. Well, let's let's pray over that. Uh if if you want to pray, you could pray, too. But I'm going to just pray.

Okay. Oh Lord, I I thank you for this time just to to reflect on all that you're doing through Journey Church in Bend, Oregon, to reflect on what you've done in our lives and our family. And I give you the glory. You get all the glory, God. You get the glory. As I look back at a young family and I I say, God, I I didn't hardly know what I was doing yet. Your Holy Spirit led and directed us to right relationships at the right time. And I just say, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for what you've done. And now I want to thank you for the conversations we've had about the prophecies over Journey Church and over Oregon. And we invite you, Holy Spirit, to move mightily in our state. We invite you to move in such a way that what is known in the state of Oregon is a mighty move of God. We lift up our governor uh currently uh Governor Tina Cotek and we say God, would you

move her to love you, to know you, to surrender her life to you? I don't even know her wife's name, but I say in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray that you would be honored and glorified in this state where people repent and they turn to you and trust you. I pray that over every state representative over uh those that represent in Congress and the Senate and I say, "God, I want you to move in our state for such a time as this." And although I can't change their lives, those of the politicians, I can at least move my heart towards you. And so it's in prayer that I come before you and say, Lord, would you use your bride for such a time as this? Would you move mightily through your church? I'm praying for a revival in our region that Central Oregon shall be saved. God, I believe you can and you will do it. That you will move hearts towards you in such a way that we never even knew how you could do it. There's testimonies we

didn't even talk about today of people who have uh literally confessed you as Lord, not because they went through traditional means, but you are moving in our region where people are opening up their Bibles, where lesbians are are are repenting to you and and getting divorced from their wives and just saying, "I want God's will in my life. I want your kingdom come and your will to be done in my life as it is in heaven." So, I thank you, Jesus, for turning hearts towards you. I thank you that you don't move in the methods that we traditionally think that you don't just I don't even it's not you don't just it's you don't move in the easy times. You move in the moments we need you the most. You move in our pain when we pray to you and you you open up uh prison doors. You move when the walls come down. You move when chains are broken.

And so God, it's in our midnight hour that I trust you. It's in it's in our darkest hours when we're in pain that we still going to pray and we're still going to sing our song to you because you're worthy of it all. You're not just worthy in the good times. You are good all the time. You are steadfast all the time. You are kind all the time. So we thank you for your love, Lord. We thank you for getting us through the most difficult times. And we get to see that you still do work all things together for good. That what the enemy intends for evil. Oh, thank you, Lord, that you turn it around and you use it for good. So, we prophesy that to every listener today that our prayer is going to increase. Our praise is going to increase. We prophesy for every family member that doesn't know you. We we are believing for every friend that doesn't know you. We say in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the

flesh, Yeshua Hamashiach, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we want our family to be saved. And God, we don't want it to be days, weeks, months, or years. We're asking now, Lord. Father, would you draw people to you right now? Would you open up their eyes that what you did with Saul on on the road to uh to Tarsus that God, you would you would shake people up, that you would wake people up from their stuper that you would you would literally speak to them in such a way, God. And I I want to even pray for that witch in our region right now who who so curses your church that who so is against your people. I pray that she would turn her heart to you right now in Jesus' name. I pray that every witch would surrender their hearts to you, Jesus, and worship you. That what the

enemy tried to derail, steal, kill that passion that you've put in those hearts, it would now be pointed to you, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that the world would see that if you could do it with Paul, you could do it with any person today. So, we say, God, use those those who have the hardest of hearts. And there's someone that comes to my mind right now who just has a hard heart of stone. I I prophesy that you would remove that heart of stone and give that heart of flesh in Jesus' name. I ask God that you would turn hearts to you and that when we have church in the park this year, there would be a mighty movement of God that it wouldn't just be baptisms at the end of the service. That God, we would baptize in our city because we believe that Central Oregon shall be saved. We're going to baptize all of Bend, Oregon. And not just with the water baptism. We're believing in a

baptism of the Holy Spirit. We're believing in such a move of God that those who are in proximity cannot help us see your glory, experience your glory. That what happened at Pentecost and Acts 2 would happen again. Lord God, I'm asking for just a a mighty move of the sound of the rushing of the Holy Spirit. That we would hear your presence. we would see your presence and we would we would be changed by your presence that many would be saved. That it wouldn't just be 3,000 we see in Acts 2, but it would be even more in Jesus' name. So God, I pray that we would look back on this podcast that as we just testified to the goodness of God in the land of the living, Pastor Dave Smith house worship, Bishop Robert Sterns, that prophetic word that was given in Ohio the same day that we had worship

here in Oregon, that God we would see those pieces coming to fulfillment in our day and in our age. I prophesy that my children were encounter God like I've never encountered God in my life. that God there would be such a move over my children and even over my children's children. So we say Lord until you come and I pray Lord come soon Jesus come Jesus come. But I pray that you would move more in this generation than ever before as our children are prophesying move in our generation. We're saying every school revival. We're we're we're praying for every child to be moved and led by the Holy Spirit. That where the enemy tried to steal, kill, and destroy, where he molested children, where where children's parents were poor in in their parenting, they were alcoholics and drug

addicts. We say, Jesus, now elevate those children to be great parents. Elevate those children to be a light and a salt in their generation. God, I'm praying that you that that you would move in such a way that we just keep hearing testimonies. Thank you, Jesus, for all that you've done. Thank you, Jesus, for what you're doing. And we love you, Lord. And we thank you for this time today. And say, God, would you seal this today wi with a reminder with through your word today? Would you remind us of your word that just as you you spoke in Zechariah 4:6 that God is not by might, it's not by power, but by the spirit. Thus says the Lord, we don't have to do this on our own strength. You're going to do this, Holy Spirit. So, we prophesy to the mountains in front of us. grace, grace to it today in the name of Jesus. Amen. And amen. Amen.

Amen. Wow. Kara, I believe in greater things. And so much came to my mind when I was praying. I believe we could speak a whole another podcast. We didn't even get to talk about the testimonies of Pursuit last week or the testimonies [snorts] coming this week. Maybe we could do another podcast soon because of what God's doing. So, thank you all for joining us on Confessions of a Pastor. We're honored. Hey, thank you for joining us and we look forward to seeing you next time on Confessions of a Pastor. God bless you all.