Special Report - November 2001
From New York City

We are experiencing a move of God on the streets of New York City. At the corner of Broadway and 32nd Street, the glory has fallen in a way that is impossible to describe. The presence of Christ was everywhere. Some people came running, others came in groups from their office floor. Others went back to their office and brought back co-workers to share in the “moment” of what God was doing. One brother had dozens of people gathered around him and immediately had opportunity to share the life of Christ with each of them, the street corner being his pulpit. We are confident that God sent an angelic host ahead of us and prepared certain strategic locations in New York City where we found an “open door of effective ministry.”

Here’s How it Started

God has given a profoundly simple means of ministering that has “surprised” us all in its effectiveness. It is called an Ezekiel Stick of unity. If you haven’t heard about the Ezekiel stick, it is a beautifully handcrafted hickory walking stick with a leather strap and label. This small label has a short message of hope and unity which ultimately points people to Christ. Wherever we have been sent, God has allowed us to give them away for free.

“It Just Happened”

We didn’t set out to develop anything, it just happened! Several years ago a good friend of mine gave me a walking stick for my 40th birthday. Soon afterward, I read in Ezekiel 37 where God told the prophet to take two sticks and bind them together and hold them before all Israel. The Lord told the prophet that his countrymen would begin to ask him about the sticks and what they meant. When they did, he was to tell them that just like the sticks, God was going take His divided and disjointed nation and make it one again in His hand. We were all very encouraged by this word of God. We were able to give some fellow churches sticks as symbols of love, encouragement and unity. The sticks were received with great joy and tears. Then, we realized the message wasn’t just for the church, it was for the entire country. This is what we have been experiencing in New York, our countrymen are asking us about the stick, literally! A group of us simply walk down the streets of New York City, with our Ezekiel Sticks in hand, and crowds gather and ask us, “What are the sticks about?” Then the door of ministry opens.

God told Ezekiel to name one of sticks Judah and one of the sticks Ephraim. When we share the message with those who are suffering, one of the most meaningful part to them is about Ephraim. Ephraim literally means: “God will make me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” As we tell them the story, the hearts of suffering people are touched at the very core of their being. We believe these words are anointed for this hour in America’s history. When we share with them, people begin pouring their hearts out to us describing the greatness of their suffering. Some of them, as eye-witnesses to the tragedies of September 11th, shake their head in disbelief, weeping, still in shock as the images of that day flood their memories.

It is there that we are able to share with them the hopeful word of Ephraim, “God will make you fruitful in the land of your suffering.” With these words, the Holy Spirit comes in comfort time and time again. Some embrace the life of Christ for the first time, others gain the strength to go on, but all that receive a stick hear the story and agree to carry on the message. And they do.

An Office Floor Prays Together

One office worker shared with us that nearly everyone on her floor had received an Ezekiel Stick. She said that since September 11th the office had been divided and fragmented. But she said that after receiving their Ezekiel Sticks, they have gathered together with sticks in hand, opened their Bibles to Ezekiel 37, and prayed together.

One gentleman who works in one of the law firms in lower Manhattan didn’t receive a stick because we had run out that day. We left him our card with our phone number and when we returned home, he called to order a stick. He said that for the first time since the tragedy the talk of the office was about something other than the fall of the towers. It was about the message of the sticks!

At Ground Zero

At Ground Zero, we met a Jewish Rabbi who had just spent the night there ministering who shared with us that “the hand of God Almighty is hovering over Ground Zero.” We found it to be true. After giving Ezekiel Sticks to several police officers who were in charge the barricades into Ground Zero, God opened a door to us. One of the officers said, “Come on, we’re going in.” I quickly motioned to the others brothers that were with me and within minutes we found ourselves standing before the rubble of what had been the World Trade Center. It was a holy and solemn place. A week before the trip, many of us had a wave of weeping and grief come over us. We now understood why. God had been preparing us as we stood before the graveyard of thousands of our American brothers and sisters. Words simply fail to capture the magnitude of that moment.

A Funeral Without A Eulogy

We returned to the barricades where mourners and family had gathered in silence. It was like being at a funeral without an eulogy. People were yearning for release, wanting to express their hearts but there was no opportunity. We gathered our group together and we began to sing. We were not a choir, but God had us sing “God bless America” with all that was in us. His sweet anointing came. We continued with “America the Beautiful” and people began to weep and sing with us. When we sang “Amazing Grace,” hats came off heads and people were deeply and profoundly touched. God’s Spirit was in the music. It’s as if there were angels singing with us. The presence of God was there and we were on Holy Ground. We ended with “The Star Spangled Banner” and a united cheer went up.

From 15 Stories Up

Somehow, God carried the singing in such a way that a lady named Alicia heard us from her 15th floor office building. She came running down because she just wanted to be close to the presence of the Lord. She stood with us weeping as we sang. A New York Times reporter and camerman also heard the music from seven stories up and came down to try and capture the moment. We were able to give them two Ezekiel Sticks and share the message of Ephraim.

Grand Central Station

One evening, a part of our group decided to head to Grand Central Station with sticks in hand. It wasn’t long before we began ministering, handing out sticks, and seeing the Spirit move in people’s hearts. One police officer received her stick wholeheartedly and hurried off. About an hour later, she returned to us and asked if she could have another stick for her fellow officer. She explained that he had lost his brother in the Trade Center and the funeral was the following day. She said, “He really needs a stick.” Hundreds of people embraced the message that Christ was concerned about their suffering and wanted to comfort them.

The Military Presence

We went to the upper floor of Grand Central where there were thousands of people waiting for subway and trains. Once again, we began being approached about the sticks and standing in amazement as Christ began to work. There were also a number of military officers that we felt impressed to give sticks to and thank them for being faithful at their post.

It was Halloween night and many people were dressed in costumes. In the midst of this large crowd and Halloween atmosphere, we felt impressed of the Spirit to begin to sing. We began with “God Bless America,” and as we got those words out of our mouths, I could tell God was cutting right through every evil presence in the place. His Holy Presence descended upon Grand Central Station. It was an awesome experience. A holy hush came upon the thousands of people gathered there. People began to weep. Others began to sing with us. When we finished our songs, one businessman said, “Please don’t stop singing!” while tears rolled down his cheeks. Halloween had become a holy night in Grand Central Station and the Presence of the Lord hovered like a thick cloud.

Under Authority

Directly behind us were the military officers to whom we had given sticks. We knew at any moment we could have been asked to leave since we did not have a permit. With the military on a heightened state of alert, we did not know what to expect. We were praying about whether we were to stop or sing one last song. We agreed that we should not leave without singing “God Bless America” one more time since it really is a prayer over our great land. Just as we were about to sing, a young private walked up to ask us a question. He said it was kind of awkward for him but his superior officer, a major, sent him to ask us if we would sing “God Bless America” one more time. We were men under authority! As we sang, the major lifted his arms as if to help direct us. The glory hit the house and the crowd which had become silent now lifted up a cheer of thanksgiving.

The Miracle of A Special Pass

The next night, we again felt led to return to Grand Central Station, except this time we had the whole group of thirty. We felt like the Lord showed us the glory would be greater this second night. However, when we walked into the building, our hearts sank as we heard music playing. We knew we could not compete with live music and a party atmosphere. So we just trusted.

One of the men with us felt led to give a stick to one of the employees. As he gave him his stick, he simply asked the man if it would be possible to sing that evening. The man said he didn’t know but his boss, the Station Master, was standing nearby and could answer our question. We explainined what we wanted to do and the Station Master reached in his pocket and pulled out a Special Pass and told us to sing. The music that had been playing suddenly was no more, God had stopped it just in time for us to sing! And sing we did. With God’s help, the glory fell as we lifted our voices. People began calling people on their cell phones and holding the phones in the air. One lady held up her cell phone and said, “they’ve got to hear this in Arizona.” God’s Presence saturated the place.

The United Nations

The music we had heard was coming from the upper floor where there was black-tie party taking place. When we entered the upper floor hall, we began ministering with the sticks once again. Keep in mind that people would approach us rather than us approaching them. One of our ladies was approached by a lady in an evening gown who embraced the message of the stick and carried it with her into this elegant affair. She was the president of one of the New York city programs associated with the United Nations. She said she wanted to share our message on her international website.

Hats Off

Our people regrouped in this great hall of Grand Central Station and we began to sing again. The Presence of Christ was in our midst. Like before, people began to weep and others joined shoulder to shoulder with us as we sang. Way up on the next balcony was a police officer standing guard watching us and listening intently. We sang several patriotic songs but when we got to “Amazing Grace,” I saw him take off his hat and hold it over his heart. It was like a cloud of glory came into the Station and just hovered and settled there. We knew Christ had gathered a representation of His body to minister life to our New York family who have been walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.”

Confirmation at Times Square Church

One of the great blessings of our experience was to be at Times Square Church on Tuesday evening. People from every nationality and walk of life are represented there. It is a Holy Place. Each time we had been before, Pastor David Wilkerson was there and we so appreciated his place in that body. This night, however, there was a guest minister who shared from his heart on the life of brokenness. He spoke of the breakings in the life of Joseph and how in Egypt God gave him two sons. One he named Manasseh. “The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” Gen 41:52 When he read these words, some in our group began to weep, others were rejoicing and trying not to disrupt the service. It is the very Word we had been sent with to New York. God has a man declaring it from the pulpit in Times Square Church! All so a group of pilgrims could know without any doubt that God had sent us with these sticks called Ephraim to give hope to a suffering city and nation. As a footnote, we were able to give the speaker one of the Ezekiel Sticks and encourage him that this very message was being carried all over the streets of New York City.

Sent to the World from McDonalds

Just following this tremendous experience at Times Square, we walked into McDonalds for something to eat. One of the brothers met a lady who had her Bible opened to Genesis 41:52 and was underlining the words, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” We walked over to her and told her this was the very reason why God had sent us to New York. We were to love the people and give away Ezekiel Sticks to declare fruitfulness in the land of their suffering. She was amazed and then pointed at us and said, “This message is for the nations.” She asked “Would you go to my people in Grenada? Take this message to my people in Grenada. They need it now more than ever.” She then held a stick and we all joined her as she prayed that we would go to the nations and especially to her people in Grenada.

Every Stick is a Story 800 Sticks - 800 Stories

Please forgive the length of this testimony as I have tried to somehow convey only a fraction of what God did in New York City in a few short days. We gave away close to 800 sticks and each stick was a story of God’s love and mercy. Please remember each of those we came in contact with either through the sticks or in Grand Central Station or at Ground Zero. Their hearts are broken and Jesus is wanting to heal their broken hearts and make them "fruitful in the land of their suffering."