Revisited: Rock on the Rock 006

Now we have been to our second Rock on the Rock at Lake Garda in Italy.

It was obvious that it would be different this year but it's hard to describe how it was. This time we arrived shortly before the beginning of the festival. So we had no start-up phase, had no idea who was doing what. This year the helpers were almost completely different. Though there were many known faces too. The pleasure of seeing them again was great of course. Another difficult thing was the extreme heat. During the day you could hardly do anything.

Last year we have prayed more and more intensive. So it is more difficult to say something spiritually. We have prayed primarily in the mornings after the team meetings and in the evening. In the afternoons the others were bathing in the lake and I was relaxing under the shadows of some trees.

But we did something new together with Bob: the prayer for everyone shortly before the beginning of the evenings. In fact Bob never has been there so I was leading those meetings. That has been pretty cool. At the first time there were about 20 people from different nations. First the culinary team wanted us to pray for them. They next day they thanked publicly for this ("After pastor Jocky prayed for us..."). Then I let them pray for the evening every tongue for themselves: English, Italian, German..

On sunday we prayed at every station of the festival: restaurant, eating tent, mixer, DJ stage, merchandising and main stage. And then we prayed otherwise: We prayed for the nations represented in our prayer group. The others blessed always one nation who stood in the middle. Finally we prayed for Italy though no Italian was present among us.

As I told Bob about it he was so excited that he integrated it in his 10min preaching in the evening. For this we searched people out of the nations represented on this festival. Cause they were come to bless Italy. And then Italy should bless the nations back. Exciting what dynamic is there when I begin something with the nations...

Speaking of Bob. Bob Hazlett has come with a team from the USA
to preach and minister. He was allowed to preach every evening for 10mins and after that he was available for prayer (and prophesy). He preached also on sunday after the worship time. That were always powerful times. Bob was a little disappointed that he could do only so little and was happy having us with him. And we for ourselves were happy to have him and that there was more than last year.

I talked with him a lot and got well on with him. We helped him out in the evening with his ministry to pray for people. As no one was coming we prayed for each other. And Bob had some real heavy stuff for us. He acknowledged some things I had before, others he made more precise and added some new things. I am excited what's to come.

The whole festival was pretty cool. There were always moments where the presence of God was there, most of the bands were great, there were cool encounters. But I was missing the special, fire was lacking. But sunday morning there was a great worship time with the band Luminous who was the last band in the evening. That was an intense time. The sermon of Bob was very challenging. He told us that he once was seeking God on a mountain to see his glory. He wanted to be near him. As a result he lost everything: job, house, possesions. He went through a lot of brokenness. But he has really seen God's glory. God wanted to give it to him but Bob had to make a step towards Jesus. And that he asked from us too. Many came to the front. The prayer time was really intense. There really was fire!

In the evening finally Fire Fly played who blew me away last year. This year I knew all the songs and sung along loudly. The new songs were great too. There really has been fire. In closing they played the old song that I knew from my youth time "Seek ye first". In the version of Fire Fly it's just amazing. This song was full fire too!

Denny & Maureen, the main organisers, will be at the roundtable at Freakstock too. Perhaps we will find some time to talk there. This year on the festival we hardly talked.

It was great to be part again of this wonderful festival. I believe the festival is going through a great change that is really good. Because of this I am excited about next year.

We've been in Berlin

Wow, now it's behind us the longexspected event: Calling All Nations. How has it been? Difficult to say on first hand. It has not been as great as expected. There have been disappointing few people, the atmosphere wasn't as dense as in Mongolia, spirirtually could have gone more (i.e. more Prayer and Proclamation). But if I step one step back I finally have to say that it has been phat. It has been an honor to be part of it. Only our presence there has been a sign in the visible and unvisible world.

What happened there?
There have been about 25,000 people from around 40 nations. As the stage was so far away and you only got an idea what happened through the video screens it wasn't easy to follow the events. Everytime you had to decide to participate and not only to watch.

The diversity of worship and bands was amazing, likewise to hear the songs original from their writers. It was just good to be there. But again and again there were moments that touched me deeply or when I sensed that something special happened.

There was for example a french worship band who made us pray along one song in the signs of the deaf. In the end we were silent and proclaimed only in the signs of the deaf and then burst into shouts of joy. At this very moment I sensed that in the spiritual world walls, building and towers just grumbled down into pieces.

In the evening David Ruis played one song that just expressed what I am sensing too: There is a wind, a rumble in the earth as change lies in the air. During another of his songs I saw a picture in mind of a warrior rising up over Germany with an outstretched sword and raising a banner. That was no banner that had a painting on it. The banner consisted of fire and flame. The warrior claimed with a warcry Germany back from Satan for Jesus. Heavy! I could hardly believe my eyes when they carried in those banners of fire at the end of the evening

The prophetic words that were given were just cool too. The impression of Lilo Keller was special for me cause I had a similiar one years ago: As the Trümmerfrauen after World War II established Germany out of the detritus it will happen again nowadays. As the women are responsible for the "nests" it will be very beautiful. Then the men were missing cause they died in the war. This time the men of god will stand side by side as warriors with the women.

I enjoyed of course Delirious as I really love them. They have written many great songs but Majesty is really special. That was deep worship! It was just only one little comment but it showed how Martin smith (vocals) was touched by this whole event. He remembered it starting 9 years before (in Wembley stadium, London). They were just boys then but also this is just the beginning.

It was said again and again that more of events like this are needed in Germany and in the stadiums of the cities all over Germany. I enjoyed hearing it as I have a vision that the Olympiastadium in Munich will be filled someday for Jesus (most likely not only once). There have been a few hundreds hungarians who wanted to fill the stadium in Budapest. I suppose I have to be there too (besides Budapest is a wonderful city).

There has been times when I didn't like dancers and flag wavers at all. This time it was pretty cool. The many dancers, flag and banner wavers have filled the arena and so the gap was bridged between stage and audience. In parts it was really powerful. Starting in the morning we just had to arrive and arrange. But as the banners marched in under drums that was real heavy stuff and set free a lot!

There have been many discussions in Germany. It was said that the tickets were to expensive and a worship service has to be for free. Again a typical example for the Germans always discussing everything to death and knowing always better. I believe that just because of this it was good that you had to pay something to come. We must learn to think big for God wants to do great things. And for this you have to do great things, right? My money doesn't belong to me I surrendered it to God as my whole life. So God has to pay my ticket. All the critics wantig to have everything for free most likely do not have the faith to even consider organising such a big event. Can you believe it there was someone who seriously said that for him a ticket for a game of the World Cup with 60€ would be cheaper than 40€ for a whole day.

It is a shame for Germany when people all over the world take on them labor and pain and travel a long distance just to bless Germany and we Germans sit at home in our comfortable sofas complaining it is too expensive, too far away and that big events are nothing for us and moaning nothing happens in Germany.

Wake up, Germany!
But at least this happens gradually.

Thank you to Noel Richards and his team who organized this event despite of malice and critic. Thanky you Jesus for bringing "Calling All Nations" to Berlin, Germany. Thanks for the brave pioneers for doing uncommon things that are not for granted, who are big and expensive that someday the will be. thank you so very much!

A great collection of pictures: here
Small thumbanils: © 2006 André Wirsig
Big thumbnail: Steve Best

The English Version of our Jesus Freak Magazine is finally there

The next step to Jesus Freaks International is reached. We now have the first English Version of our magazine Der Kranke Bote(The Sick Messenger) and you can download the complete version here for free.

Wowza!

Go for the Nations!

Homepage: bote.jesusfreaks.de

Rock on the rock: It's less than two weeks away...

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Denny Hurst, Rock on the Rock:
The Rock on the Rock music festival is less than two weeks away and the excitement surrounding it is growing! As the organizing committee, we're thrilled that so many of you have decided to come and participate for all three days, living the full experience of the festival that goes well beyond the evening concert events!

On Sunday, July 23, at 10:30 in the morning, we'll be having a service at the main stage with worship led by the band, Luminous, from Hawaii, USA. Bob Hazlett of Touch of Fire Ministries will share the message. We hope to see you all there!

During the mornings and afternoons of the festival, there will be different sports activities you can participate in at the nearby basketball court: basketball, volleyball, skateboarding/rollerblading, etc. You will also be able to sign up for a group trip to the lake or a walk in the surrounding area of San Michele. For those coming with children, we'll have "Kinderlandia" every afternoon during the festival from 4 to 7 pm, with fun and creative activities designed just for kids!

Remember that you can arrive at the sport's field and begin setting up your tents in our camping area beginning at 4 pm on Friday, July 21. Some of you have asked for information about the bathrooms and showers which, as our website explains, are limited. Though they are few, there are toilets, sinks and open showers (locker room style) for both guys and girls.

Starting Friday night, you'll be able to eat your meals at the festival restaurant, which will be open from 7 pm to 1 am, serving tasty meals and cold drinks at reasonable prices. At the restaurant's cashier, you can also purchase meal tickets for the following day's breakfast (5 euro) and lunch (8 euro), which are also served in the restaurant area (breakfast from 8 to 10 am and lunch at 1 pm). Don't forget that with every purchase from the restaurant/snack bar, you help support Rock on the Rock!

You're also free to prepare your own meals at your tent, but the lighting of fires is absolutely forbidden in the camping area, which must be vacated (and left clean) by 10 am on Monday morning.

For now, that's all. We're looking forward to seeing you all and may God richly bless this time we'll share together!
See you soon!

The Rock on the Rock Team

Looking forward to it. Yeah!

Klaus Bärbel: Live together or be together

Copyright by Jocky.de