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E-Newsletter Archive
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Final Roadtrip Update
February 26, 2007
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in this issue
-- I gotta tell
you a story about how good God is ...
-- How to help if
the Lord leads.
-- Final leg of
the trip ...
-- How to hear the
voice of God better ...
Dear Doug,
Well, I'm back in
Liberty!! The road trip started on 11/6/06 and ended on 2/21/07. So
that was about four months of constant daily listening tests and
getting to see what God is doing all over America. The final tally is
about 17,500 miles and 32 states!
Below is just one
of the amazing stories from this trip. God has taught me so much
about loving people, even when they are spitting on you; about
trusting Him for every dollar and never asking for help from ANY man;
about waiting on Him and being patient; about not putting Him in a
box; and about knowing that He will ALWAYS come through for you -
when He's ready. I thank Him and give Him all the glory. This was His
trip and He was faithful at every step.
I've returned home
with a stronger faith, with a fiercer hunger, with a renewed
determination to get THIS town fired up, with a better computer, a
newer van and contacts all over the country. And along the way, God
sowed lots of seeds as I personally handed thousands of copies of the
"Apology to the World" to people in gas stations and
churches and businesses and seminaries and colleges and anywhere else
the Lord said to go. I got to preach in Spanish! I got to see people
healed and delivered and saved and lit up. It was a great ride! I
wouldn't trade it for anything.
But now it's a new
season. It's time to turn over the tables. It's time to upset the
status quo. It's time to see the fire burn brightly in Liberty,
Missouri. It's time to restore and replace and roll back the
reproach. Praise God! It's finally time!
But it has to be
done therapeutically and in love. Not out of self-justification or
vengeance or to lift up any man. Somehow, when Jesus took a whip to
the people and turned over the tables, He did it in perfect, Godly
love and it was medicinal. That's a hard thing to ask a human being
to do. But that's what it's going to take. Someone who can look them
in the eye, wreck their life, destroy all that they held dear and
mistakenly thought was true, take a bull whip to their backside and
do it all in love with fear and trembling.
I have no idea who
qualifies to do something like that, but I know that's what it's
going to take. So I'm just praying that God will raise up people that
are qualified and who have the heart of Jesus. People that weep and
mourn for the sad state of things, love the brethren intensely, but
are also filled with righteous indignation. They're out there. Maybe
it's time for them to gather and get work. That would be nice. I
think maybe it's time.
Doug Perry,
servant of God
I gotta tell
you a story about how good God is ...
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God didn't
allow me to tell this story until it was all resolved. On Thursday,
Jan 25th we (Chris Evans and I) were in L.A. and God said to head
North and pray for Sacramento, so we drove all the way up California
and circled the state capital and then the Lord said West. So we took
I-80 toward Reno. We crossed over the state line and kept driving all
night. By late morning we stopped for gas and noticed the van leaking
transmission fluid and it just then started making a bad noise. We
made it in to Winnemucca, NV and prayed about what to do. Nobody had
the part we needed and we weren't sure if that would fix it anyway.
We had about $225 available and it probably wasn't enough anyway. So
we prayed about what to do and the Lord said to stay at the Best
Western. You're kidding, right Lord?! Nope. So there goes $90.
We sleep in, I
finish the City Church book revisions, check out, go to a coffee shop
and we hang out until 5pm. The Lord won't let us do ANYTHING about
the van and it's NOT doing well at all - skipping and bucking and
making bad noises. At 5:30pm we both hear to add fluid and head
North. Huh? Out into the desert at night? Yep. So we juice it up and
take off. It's about 40 miles to McDermott on Hwy95. With lots of
prayer and angelic help we make that, have dinner (that's $25 more
gone), add more fluid and keep driving. LOTS of praying! We make it
across the pass between Blue Mountain and Battle Mountain and then
break down in the desert at about 10pm. The transmission is toast. We
spend Friday night in subzero cold under blankets in the van.
Saturday the Lord won't let us call for help or anything and even if
we did, we have no money for a tow and six minutes left on the cell
phone. We do as He says and "rest" all day. I get some
writing done (we have a power converter for the laptop). The van
runs, it just won't go anywhere. Oh, and remember the heater in the
van only works when you're moving because the blower hasn’t
worked in four years.
About 4pm a guy
stops and offers to tug us into Burns Junction which is about 10
miles. We have a tow chain. It's not really a town, just a gas
station/diner/RV park all in one. But they've got a bathroom and a
hot meal ($20 more gone). But we end up another night in the van
below zero. Sunday morning we get up and pray and the Lord has been
telling us to get to Ontario, Oregon. We were through there about
three weeks before and met the city-reacher by divine appointment.
But God won't let us call for help or anything. So Saturday He tells
me we're going to be in Ontario on Sunday. It's about two hours away
(in a car that moves). Sunday morning the Lord says, "Are you
willing to leave the van and all and walk?" Yes, Lord.
So ... off we go
down the highway each tugging a rolling bag behind us and a backpack
each with our laptops. We get about two miles when I realize that the
Lord had me empty my pockets before going to bed and I left
everything - debit cards, contact phone numbers, drivers license, and
the last $65 in cash in the console of the van that is still at that
truck stop! And no way I'm supposed to go back for it. Chris has
pocket change. Really getting stretched! We are now officially
vagrants without ID or money. Thanks, Lord!
It's about forty
degrees, but the sun is warm. We can't even stick our thumbs out
because that would be asking for help. We walk about five miles. When
my bad knee has about had it, the Lord has a pickup full of Mexicans
stop and pick us up (Juan was driving). They are very nice, though
they have been driving since Oakland and are drinking beer and
tequila and smoking and cursing (in Spanish) and driving really fast.
It was GREAT fun!! I thoroughly enjoyed Dad's sense of humor and felt
perfectly safe at all times. They got us to Caldwell, Idaho but were
very apologetic that they couldn't take us the extra 25 miles into
Ontario. We blessed them and off they went. We walked a few blocks
down to the I-84 on-ramp and waited for about 30 minutes with an
Ontario, OR sign watching rich people drive by in SUV's and fancy
cars until the Lord sent another Mexican (Martin) in an old Suburban
to pick us up. He knew exactly where we were going and dropped us
directly in front of the church! We got there about 4pm and it was
just at the very limit of what my knee could take. He never pushes us
too far.
When we first
drove into Ontario, Oregon, just as we got off the highway, there was
a car dealership on the right and a blue Chevy Astro van that was
newer and nicer than mine sitting out front. It was kind of glowing
and grabbed my attention. I remember mentioning to the Lord that that
would be a nice upgrade.
We went in to the
church to see the pastor, Larry, we'd met about four weeks before. We
walk into his office and he says, "OH! I'm so glad to see you
guys! I've been praying that the Lord would send you back!"
Without asking He says he has two extra bedrooms at his house and can
we stay with him? So we stayed with his family for nearly two weeks
and they fed us really good. But we were mostly "resting" -
some ministry to people around town, but mostly sitting and praying
for Ontario and writing.
It was kind of
driving me crazy. The following Saturday God finally put it on
Larry's heart to let us take his SUV and go get all the stuff out of
the van. So Chris and I drove down and emptied it, but it was still
left sitting there. The transmission is probably over $1500 and the
van isn't worth that. Still waiting on what the Lord would do.
At least I got my
$65, but otherwise we had $2 in the Liberty account - though somebody
I never heard of PayPal'd $50 that deposited on Monday, Feb. 5th.
Also on Monday, the Lord sent me down to that dealership we had
passed on the way into town to talk to them about vehicles. They had
some vehicles around $1300 and up.
On Tuesday I got
an email from a family in Missouri that the Lord had put it on their
heart to sacrificially help the ministry on a monthly basis and to
take some money out of savings and get it to me right away. They
asked what I needed and the Lord allowed me to tell this story. THEY
felt the Lord speak very clearly that they were to buy a vehicle.
We all prayed. The
warfare around me was very intense right then on every level and it
was very hard to hear clearly. I wasn't even considering the Astro
van I had seen when we first came into town because they wanted
$3177, but I told the salesman Bill the whole story and as he was
showing us around he said that the most reliable vehicle there was
probably the Astro and he dropped their price down to $2550!
After much prayer
and fasting on all sides, the family in Missouri heard from the Lord
that that was the right vehicle (in cool ways I don't have time to
explain) and wired the money to the church in Ontario and God bought
Himself the very van He showed me when we first came into town! It's
two years newer, has all the upgrades, is All Wheel Drive, and has
just about half the miles on it. He's such a good Dad!! And it has a
heater that works!!
So after forcing
us to drive out into the dark and fry a transmission, spending two
nights in the frozen Nevada/Oregon desert, walking miles and leaving
everything behind - God gave us a great place to stay, fed us really
well, gave back all the stuff in the van AND replaced it with an even
better van! And some gas money in my pocket from another family. He
is always faithful and true. No matter what I endure, no matter how
dark it looks, He will see me through and He keeps proving to me that
His promises are true. Sometimes I need to clutch with a
white-knuckled, death grip on those promises, but He is faithful!
The Lord wouldn't
let me tell the story until it was settled, because it might be like
asking for help. We had to wait on Him and His timing. He made me sit
back and watch and not try to "help" Him along. But now
it's resolved and we can tell the story and give Him all the glory.
He is worthy of all honor and praise and glory forever! He alone is
God and there is no other! He is above every name and there is no
other! Bless You, Lord. Bless Your Holy Name forever! You are the
best Dad ever! Praise You, Lord. Thanks so much for Your mercy and
long-suffering and your provision for those who seek You with their
whole hearts.
Big map of the trip
How to help if
the Lord leads.
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If the Lord tells
you something or puts on your heart to help in some other way, please
let us know. We're not asking you for anything. We're just telling
you how to reach us if HE tells you to help. Please don't help out of
guilt or obligation or ANY motive other than because HE told you to.
You can Paypal to fotm@fellowshipofthemartyrs.com
or get in touch with us if the Lord tells you something else. There
are needs, but we pretty much only discuss those with Dad. So just
ask Him what we need and then do whatever He tells you.
We have a new
mailing address now. You can send mail to our box at:
Doug Perry (or
Liberty Disaster Relief), 844 S-M291 Hwy, #251, Liberty, MO 64068.
For your support
of His work, may the Lord richly bless you in whatever way He thinks best.
Website donation page
Final leg of
the trip ...
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In Ontario, Chris
Evans and I were told to split up and I went Northwest to pray
through Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, then South to
Florence to stay with some brethren there and recover from a bad
cough. After three days, the Lord made it clear that it was time to
head for home, but sort of the long way. So I drove all the way down
I-5 through California again and East on I-40 all the way to see my
Dad in Springfield, Mo. It took three days of hard driving and
sleeping a few hours in the van here and there, but I got to
Springfield with a quarter of a tank of gas and $5 in my pocket. God
is faithful!
Had some great
time in Ozark, Branson, Forsythe and Springfield. Then headed back to
Liberty. I’ve spent five months blowing on everyone else’s
fires, it’s time to come home and tend the fire here. First stop
was to see if my wife would let me see my daughters. Evidently not.
God is still doing a work there. It’s been nearly five months
since I’ve spoken to or seen my children. I did see them drive
by on the way to school, so if you count the top four inches of their
little heads in a moving vehicle, I’ve saw them on Feb. 22.
Please continue to pray for the restoration of my marriage. The Lord
has explained what it’s all about and the prophetic object
lesson here, so I know that things will turn, but please continue to pray.
I also came back
to Liberty to find out that God has been blowing on the fire Himself!
A whole bunch of stuff is percolating behind the scenes. I believe
that we’re going to see a city-wide revival soon. I can’t
tell you any more right now, because so much has yet to be revealed
even to us, but please pray for Liberty. I know it’s important
to the Kingdom and I know that something big is coming. If even ONE
town in America would really light up with the kind of earth-shaking,
town-transforming, Spirit-moving repentance revivals of the past, it
would rock the world. But it’s like pushing a giant boulder
uphill to get that to happen. Every power of the enemy wants to keep
the Body of Christ divided!
Please pray and
see if you’re to help in some way. Please pray about April. If
you ARE in Liberty already, and you’re ready for something
outside the walls of the denominational churches and you’re
ready to see an old-fashioned, repentance-preaching, city- reaching,
fully Spirit-led tent revival, please get in touch with us. All kinds
of God-sized surprises are already popping out of the woodwork! I
know He is all over this and we’re into sovereign will of God
territory here. I don’t think this is optional. I believe
it’s GOING to happen, it’s just a matter of who is supposed
to do what.
Please pray for
us. Pray for Liberty, Missouri. Pray for liberty for yourselves, your
family, your country and the Bride. We have a "liberty
disaster" all over the place. He wants to set the captives free
- and I think it's time.
How to hear the
voice of God better ...
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One of the things
that’s discussed in the “Dialogues With God” book
(link below), is this very simple little strategy that I have found
to bear much fruit in improving your spiritual hearing ability. Some
people have implemented this one little thing and just been SHOCKED!
If we are a new
creation, if we are dead and it’s Christ in us that lives, if
there is no good thing in us, if He directs all of our paths –
then there are already a whole lot of our thoughts that are probably
actually HIS thoughts. The enemy can’t read your mind. They can
implant thoughts that sound like you, “I’m fat. I’m
ugly. I hate that guy.” And they might even guess a couple of
moves ahead like Chess, but if you do everything in your head, NOT
OUTLOUD, they can’t play along more than a step or two.
So here’s
what I do. Because I know it’s important to the Lord that we
obey EXACTLY, not just generally, and I want to please Him, I ask
lots of follow-up questions. I assume that when a thought pops into
my head, that it’s Him and then I try to get lots of details. If
I can’t get coherent answers to related questions (preferably
slightly unpredictable questions), or if I just don’t hear
anything at all, then I figure it wasn’t Him. But sometimes it
is REALLY cool!
Like this. A
thought pops into your head that you need to call your Mom and pray
for her. “OK, Lord, thanks for suggesting that to me. Would you
like me to call her now or later?” Then wait and don’t fill
in the blank yourself. “Later.” “Thanks, Lord! Would
you like me to call her on her home phone or her cell phone.”
Wait. “Call her at your brother’s house.” “Huh?!
He lives hours away! I’m sure she’s not there, that’s
crazy.” “Yeah, call her at 2pm at your brother’s
house.” Wow. "Ok, Lord."
Then you step out
in faith, call your brother at 2pm and doggone if Mom didn’t
just walk in the door!! That’s the kind of stuff God will do to
prove that He is real, that He talks to His children and that you
need to learn to tell the difference between His voice and the other
stuff in your head. Sometimes you’ll miss it and it will have
been you or the enemy, but every time you hit one right it will build
your faith, make you desire more of Him and give you another great
testimony of what a relationship with Jesus is really supposed to be like.
I could tell you
DOZENS of stories of the amazing, miraculous divine appointments and
provision and even little details like buying groceries for another
person that were EXACTLY what they needed. But you go get your own
stories. There is no “Spiritual Gift of Hearing God” –
that’s not reserved for “prophets” - it’s an
automatic to all of His children. If you’re one of His sheep,
then you’re supposed to be hearing His voice. The book below has
more on this and maybe it will help you hear Him better. This
isn’t about me being special, I’m just here to show you the
possibilities of relationship available to YOU. I’m getting
emails from people all over that are hearing Him just like my
“Dialogues” once they believed it was possible and begged
for that kind of walk. (And I’ve heard from a surprising number
of PASTORS that God doesn’t speak anymore. So I wonder who
called them into the ministry?)
Don’t stop
until He is directing ALL of your paths. And all means ALL. What you
eat, what you wear, what you say, how you spend your money. ALL.
Otherwise you should just be honest about it and start singing,
“I surrender some. I surrender some. Some to Jesus I surrender,
I surrender some.”
"Dialogues
with God" book - free online
Fellowship Of The
Martyrs, Liberty, Missouri
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email: fotm@fellowshipofthemartyrs.com
web: http://www.FellowshipOfTheMartyrs.com
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