God has been stirring the waters in our community over the past few months. We’ve seen powerful baptisms, people filled with the Holy Spirit, healings, and, above all, hearts deeply moved and drawn back to Him. After several challenging years, God has been bringing healing and restoration to our church family in remarkable ways.
But none of this came without the foundation of intercession. Without faithful, committed prayer, no church can flourish. Although many things tried to challenge and distract our intercession, this year we took up our spiritual authority again, and God has responded powerfully!
As we approached Easter weekend, the excitement in the air was tangible. Our family was ready to serve: I was preparing to lead worship and bring the message for both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I had been feeling God challenge me in boldness since the start of the year, with Hebrews 12:1 echoing in my heart: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” During preparation, I sensed the Lord emphasizing the moment when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet the night before His crucifixion. I was nervous but trusted what I felt the Lord was saying.
Our worship team’s Thursday night practice was meaningful, and I was especially grateful to serve alongside my daughter, whose passion for worship continues to grow. Everything was set for Friday — until 06:30 that morning, when our world was shaken.
Just before leaving home for church setup, I blew my shofar — something I often do as a prophetic act. At that very moment, a cry came from the bedroom. My wife had just received the call we were dreading: her sister, who had been battling cancer, had passed away. Though we knew she was terminal, we hadn’t expected things to change so quickly. We were devastated.
We arrived at church heartbroken, barely holding back tears. As we walked in, people immediately sensed something was wrong and quietly surrounded us in love. We adjusted the worship set, knowing we couldn’t hold the songs on our own. When the service began, I stood before the congregation, raw and emotional, asking them to sing as loudly as possible — to cover us where we had no strength.
The Holy Spirit moved powerfully in that moment. Compassion swept through the room, and everyone’s eyes turned to Jesus, our Redeemer and Hope. We had nothing to offer but our brokenness, and we surrendered it all to Him.
With much difficulty, I shared the message from John 13 and invited people to come forward. The plan was simple: I would wash the feet of those who responded and then invite the rest of the church to do the same for one another. I hadn’t arranged anything beforehand — I trusted the Lord to bring the right people forward.
And then, God blew us away.
After we prayed and shared communion, people kept coming. One after another, they stepped forward to wash each other’s feet. From the youngest to the oldest, rich to the poor (even an 86-year-old lady who washed multiple people’s feet, calling for help to move from one person to the next), the church came alive in love and humility.
We were only about 60 people, but the atmosphere was present and tangible — completely led by the Spirit, completely surrendered to Jesus. We stayed like that for nearly an hour after the message, drawn together by the love of Christ. It was a stunning picture of a community that, not long ago, had felt cold and broken — a community that many thought had no future. Yet here we were, gathered around the Cross, celebrating the gift of living fully through Jesus.
If there had been any lingering doubts about Christ’s love for His people, this moment crushed them. God was glorified.
This experience has stirred our faith to be bold and obedient when God calls us to step out. Even in moments of deep heartache and weakness, His strength is made perfect. We are learning, more and more, to live as the Church He’s called us to be: surrendered, united, and shining boldly for Jesus.