LAP14

It is written in Matthew chapter 10: “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near… Don’t take any money with you. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” That is why it is written in Matthew chapter 6: “So don’t worry about everyday life; food, drink, or clothes. My heavenly father already knows all my needs, and he will give me all I need from day to day, if I live for him, and make the kingdom of God my primary concern.” It is written in Psalms chapter 34: “Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” It is written in Psalms chapter 37: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit watches over the path of the godly. In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit has made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping, and He makes my way perfect!

At the end of our two year ’faith’ tour, we found ourselves in Houston, Texas. At that time, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a gigantic billboard which read: “Come To The Oasis Of Love” Lakewood Church, with John Osteen’s picture right below the caption! So Pastor Minner contacted five of his friends about helping L.A.P. get into Lakewood. Here was the response: Unless Pastor Osteen knows you, he does not allow unknown groups on his pulpit! Send us a tape. Try again next year. It was now the Wednesday after Hurricane Agatha had hit East Texas that L.A.P. spent the last of our money on hotel rooms at the Days Inn. Pastor Minner went into his room to pray for a little while. Afterwards, he came out and played with L.A.P. for a while. No one was aware how urgent our situation was. That evening, Pastor Minner gathered the group together and told us to get dressed. So we asked him: “Prentice, where are we going?” He replied Lakewood. We said: “Oh Prentice, it ain’t gonna work. Remember what they said: send a tape. Try again next year.” Pastor Minner was feeling the pressure of the moment which led to him firing back: “I said get your asses on the bus! We’re going, and we’re going to sing!! Not exactly the ideal way to give a prophecy, but the Holy Spirit instructed Pastor Minner to go to Lakewood that night, so we did! Lakewood Church in 1989 was like an arena rather than like a church. L.A.P. walked in with mouths wide open. Pastor Minner gave our pamphlet to one of the ushers and asked him to take it to the Pastor. To our amazement, that’s exactly what he did. Pastor Osteen rose up and went to the podium with our pamphlet in his hand. Before he preaches his sermon, he announces that they have a ministry from Las Vegas, Nevada called Love All People. He asks Pastor Minner to come to the front and the group to go to the youth section. He then proceeds to preach on faith. At the end of the sermon, he asked Pastor Minner to give the benediction. So Pastor Minner goes up to the pulpit. Pastor Osteen asks him to tell the church about L.A.P., so he did. Then Pastor Osteen asks Pastor Minner to bring the group down front, so that they could thrush their hands towards them and pray for them. So we did. As we were making our way to the front, Pastor Osteen’s wife Dodie, yells out: “Let them sing!” So Pastor Osteen asks Pastor Minner: “Would ya’ all like to sing?” Pastor Minner, who by now, was all choked up, and fighting back tears, replied: “yes, we would.” We sang “Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory.” Before we finished, the whole church, which was 4,000 in attendance that night, was standing and raising their hands. Pastor Osteen was standing off to the side with his hands folded just taking it all in. After we finished, Pastor Osteen asked Pastor Minner: “Where ya’ all staying at?” Pastor Minner replied: “After tonight, we don’t know.” We just paid our bill at Days Inn, and after tonight, we don’t know where we’re staying. Pastor Osteen said that’s good. To which L.A.P. turned and looked at each other as if to say, what?!! Then Pastor Osteen said: “Tomorrow morning, ya’ all pack up and move out of Days Inn, and then come on back over here.” Because for as long as ya’ all are in Houston, Lakewood campus will be your new home! The whole church broke into thunderous applause! Let me remind you this was our first time there. We were late. Pastor Osteen didn’t know us from Adam. Then, when we all finally stopped crying, this is what we saw: the church was forming lines down to the pulpit where people were leaving money on the platform. Then Pastor Osteen said: “Okay, we’re gonna take up a love offering for them.” Then Pastor Osteen asked Pastor Minner: “Where are ya’ all ministering Sunday night?” Pastor Minner said nowhere. Then Pastor Osteen said good, ya’all gonna come back here Sunday night and minister to us here.

It was now Saturday night. We had already moved onto Lakewood campus. Pastor Minner had been asked to visit the ministry “Mercy and Grace,” with a couple of members of L.A.P. with him. So they went. They gave words of encouragement, and met some of the members of “Mercy and Grace.” There was one woman there in dire need of a financial blessing! The Holy Spirit instructed Pastor Minner: “I have blessed you, now you are to bless her. Because she needs it far more than you do! Take that $200.00 in travelers checks and give it to her. If you give, I’ll bless you one hundred times that much.” With that assurance, Pastor Minner gave the woman the $200.00. It was now Sunday night, and L.A.P. presented our full ministry concert that night at Lakewood. But there was something very special about that night. As we were singing, people began to acknowledge that they were being healed while we were singing. This was a first for L.A.P. At the end of our concert, Pastor Osteen said something I had never heard before: “ L.A.P. is here by Divine Appointment.” At the end of the night they received a ’love offering’ for us using buckets which was their way considering the size of Lakewood. Pastor Osteen told us he would see us Tuesday because the church office closed on Mondays. One of our more curious members asked him why. Pastor Osteen replied: “Because we count the money on Mondays.” It is now Tuesday morning and we are all gathered in one of the meeting rooms with Pastor Osteen and his wife, who are both smiling from ear to ear! Pastor Osteen said: “It is my honor to present you with the largest check this church has ever given to a group before. This check is in the amount of $22,000.00.Needless to say we had a party to celebrate. Because Pastor Minner obeyed the Holy Spirit and gave that lady the $200.00, we received 100 times that much plus more! When Pastor Minner obeyed his instructions and trusted him alone to bring it to pass, he did!!