September 26th, 2004
Today is Atonement Sunday and I began my journey towards Houston, Texas to attend the Grand Finale Healing Explosion with Charles and Frances Hunter at the Houston Astrodome. If you remember I was given signs to go there and go there I did!
But along the way I have an opportunity to stop along the way at some other places I have been led to. In June of 2004, I received several signs of a word, "Austin". I did not know what it meant exactly but one thought I had was that I will be going down to Houston, Texas soon, so could this mean that I was supposed to stop by Austin, Texas as well? I just remembered it and moved on.
In July while I was at the moondance Jam with my Dad, I had the opportunity to share a vision I had about a large Christian Festival with music and preaching, exhibits, many food vendors, healing services, baptisms in nearby water, evangelists, lots of games and fun stuff to do for the families who come to them, and outdoor camping, singing songs or praise over an open campfire and telling testimonies and stories about how Jesus changed thier lives. This guy that I was talking to immediately received it and started talking about Hot Springs, Arkansas and how they have this passion play down there, and he knew this guy who owns a hotel and that area would be great for some kind of event like this.
While explaining this event I said that it would be like a tour across the United States and that it would be located in strategic places across the country so that people would be able to get to them from anywhere in the country without having to travel too far. They would be able to go to the nearest point closest to them. My Dad then all of a sudden like yelled out, "A CROSS, the shape of a cross!" I quickly sat back and thought about it for a minute and I thought WOW, I am in northern Minnesota, and I bet Arkansas is right below Minnesota in nearly a straight line. WOW, neat. But I had no idea what i was about to find out when I got home.
Now if you have read this whole book so far you will remember me talking about these 2 dome homes that I thought would make a great place for a church and that it had 220 acres of land with it. I had an initial vision of wanting to have a festival in that place, 1 place, in northern Minnesota. But that place sold and that vision died. Or did it? I think now it was a seed and like all seeds, it was planted and died and then grew. And now instead of 1 festival like this, the Lord made 7 of them in the shape of a cross! And even more amazing, He revealed it to me, just a regular guy who wanted to do something fun for Jesus and Families and the younger generation. In the next few months what was revealed to me, was GRANDIOSE!
I came home with my Dad from the Moondance Jam and immediately pulled out a map book. I had this in my mind and it would not let go. When I saw that Minnesota and Arkansas were north south almost right on top of each other I began to get excited. I got out a ruler and put it on Hot Springs. As i went straight up north to Minnesota, to where I live the line was a tad off. It was not perfectly straight. So I moved the ruler into a straight line and looked at the cities in Minnesota that crossed the ruler line I had now made. And there it was, Austin! Not Austin, Texas but Austin Minnesota! WOW Very COOL! Now my heart was a pumping and my Dad was gettinga feeling of amazement as well. I felt like this was supernatural in the fact that these two towns were perfectly north and south in a straight line. This Cross Festival is really coming to life I thought! I then measured the distance between Austin and Hot Springs and came to a place on the map called Arrow Rock, Missouri. Hmmmmmm my Dad and I thought. Arrow - to make a straight line or path, Rock - the foundation of Jesus Christ as being the Rock. WOW, the name fit! As I looked at the map a little closer I noticed something else, the north south line that was just made on the map was exactly on the 93rd longitude line. WOW cool! What got really neat now was when you look at Arrow Rock, Missouri it falls on the 39th Latitude line. The Center of the Cross is on the 39th latitude and 93rd longitude line! OK now this is really getting outstandingly amazing! Its really blowing me a way as the expression goes.
So the vision of the cross was made known to me, and I began to share it. Just with my friends and family and christian brothers and sisters that I am close to at first. But as more things became known, the more I shared. Then I knew that this Cross Festival needed a name and that a domain name needed to be gotten for it in preparation for the future. I was going over many names in my head and looked them up, all were taken. Then one night in bed, the name hit me, or was flat out GIVEN to me. So I awoke the next day and looked it up and it was available. I then bought it. It was so simple and right in front of me the whole time, "CROSSFEST" would be the name of this tour across America. Crossfest.com is where you will find out the updates about what will happen at the events as they manifest themselves and as the Lord Guides me. This is HIS Festival, and He deserves all the credit for this, for I believe as I have now found out, that these places along the cross were made from the beginning of time as you will soon see as I explain more. Our Lord and Savior died on the CROSS for us. So that we could be washed clean of our sins, so that we could repent and live in eternity with our Father in heaven. This Festival will recognize the work that Jesus did on the CROSS. It will start on Atonement Sunday in Austin, Minnesota in the near future I hope, and continue Across America to the other points along the cross.
So as I started my journey south towards Houston, Texas I offered to give a ride to a Christian sister named Christine. We headed south out of Moose Lake, Minnesota at 3 am and drove about 5 hours to Austin, Minnesota. The night before we looked on the internet at the listings of churches in this town. And as we looked at the list, one church stood out. It was called the Vineyard. As we approached the Vineyard we stopped and bought gas and saw a man hitchiking for a ride. We gave him one and he said that he knew where the church we were looking for was. And he pointed the way to us. We told him we were on our way to the Healing Explosion in Houston and we also told him about the CrossFest that would be coming to this town. He said that he was a ministers son, and had found no other minister who could preach like his Dad. I asked him if he would like to hear a CD of Pastor Brian Zahnd and he said sure. He really liked it and was laughing and really getting into it in the back seat of the truck. We dropped him off and he said the church we were looking for was straight ahead. We found the church in an old dance hall building. Christing had a vision of us speaking to people in a large building on our way down to Houston. She saw this building before we ever arrived there. She said there would be a cross but it was not on the building. They have a large wooden cross in their parking lot. After we arrived we waited for it to open. We were very early. Soon someone showed up and began to open the doors and air the building out. The church had just suffered a flood and 10 days prior to us getting there, it was under 4.5 feet of water. Mostly everything was ruined. But the people at this church had cleaned it all up, they had gotten help from many people and from other area churches. And they had a vision there about using fire hoses to clean out the basement tunnels which had never been cleaned from past floods. There was alot of mold and mildew and this needed to be cleaned out they said. The Lord had also spoke to some and said that the old ways of the dance hall called the Terp, needed to be removed. And so they removed and cleaned this entire church. I was also told that Billy Sunday in 1906 preached there and caused a Revival in the town that started the many churches that are now in the area as a result of it. Also i was told that members of other churches have prophesied that thge Vineyard would be used significantly in the future for something big. They have prophecies of thousands of people coming there and sweeping gold dust that fell from the ceiling to the floor. They also shared many other wondrous things with me. I was feeling in my Spirit that this was the place to share this vision. So I spoke to Pastor Shinander and he allowed me to share the vision I had about the Cross and thier town being the northern point of it. We praised and worshipped the Lord that Day with about 30 people many of whom were sicj and coughing due to the bacteria they were exposed to from the recent flood. Many other members were not there at all as they were too sick to come. Pastor Shinander preached an annointed message to us all, as he had prepared another sermon, but was totally led away from it and after he spoke, he could still feel the annointing on him well afterwards. During worship I was prayed for and they said they felt a very large presence and power of the Holy Spirit emintaed from me. I could not feel anything. They were amazed at what they felt. I just kept singing to the Lord and thanking Him for this opportunity. Then a young man while praying for me, said that I had some doubt as to whether or not this was the place. And for just a split second I did have a doubt, but it didnt last long. But he received a word of knowledge about this and he told me that You had doubt, but do not have it, for this is the place I guided you to. And the hitchhiker you picked up, I placed there. And that was a word from the Lord to me about being there. I called my Dad on the cell phone when I was standing outside of the Vineyard church. My Dad was in Tupelo, Mississippi staying at the Ramada Inn. I told him about the church and the 1st town on the cross and while I was talking to him about it and how happy I was and how this was all feeling so right, He said to me, "You know what? There is a cross in the sky right outside my hotel room window! I said WOW, are you serious? He said, "I am totally serious! I have been watching these clouds as they have been swirling about all day, and they were clouds left over from hurricain Ivan that had just recently passed through near this area." I then told my Dad to take a picture of it, and he said, Oh yeah! I didnt think about that, so he took 2 photos. 1 with the flash on and he thought that it would white out the photo from the reflection of the window, so he took another without the flash. They both turned out. On both photos it shows a cross in the sky and a diamond shaped object on the window with a cross inside of that. 2 crosses! More amazingly, my Dad went outside to see in which directions this cross was pointing. And it matched the cross the Lord is showing to us. The longest tail pointing west and the next longest pointing east. The two shorter parts of this cross were pointing north and south. WOW. AMAZING! Click here to view the miracle photos of the cross. We left Austin, Minnesota totally filled up with the Joy of the Lord! All this on Atonement Sunday 2004.
Later that evening we arrived in Arrow Rock, Missouri not having a clue where we were to go or who to see, but knowing the Lord will guide us and just acting on pure faith in the Lord that He will guide us. It was dark and nothing was open. We drove into a campground and saw a man walking a dog. We stopped and talked with him. I asked him if he knew of any churches in the area to which I might be able to leave an importany message with. He looked at us in a puzzling, yet curious fashion. I then asked him if he knew Jesus? He said, " Well yes, yes I do! I am a minister. WOW, I said. Then I proceded to tell him of the vision I had and that I needed to tell someone in this town. So he directed me to the town where the churches were. The town has 2 churches but I did not know of which one to go to. So he said that he knew that one Pastor was named Van Horn. I said ok and left him. I went to a bed a breakfast and they guided me to a lady who owned another bed and breakfast. I gave the vision to this lady and she did not know what to do with it. But she said she would pass it on. I then heard that there were 2 historic churches in this town from her and one of the Pastors lived in Sweet Springs. She then showed me a map of Arrow Rock, Missouri and told me of the history of this town. She told me that since the beginning of America's westward journey in the wagon train days, that Arrow Rock has always been known as the CrossRoads. This was because people traveling by wagon train and on horse back would cross the Missouri River at Arrow Rock and the people traveling the river north and south would bring goods up and down the river and do alot of trading there. Then she told me that there is a huge salt mound there and that is mainly what drew them there becasue the animals would all be able to lick the salt there and the hunting was good there because of the abundant wildlife. Indians traded and met the white man there and there were many gatherings there in our history at this cross roads. Arrow Rock is located in Saline County. The Salt of the Earth! WOW! What a revelation! We thanked her and went on our way. As we got out onto the highway again we saw a sign that said, "Sweet Springs - 22 miles!" I was like WOW, that means soemthing! That pastor lives in Sweet Springs! I thought it was Van Horn, but that was not the case. I am writing this now and posting it tonight, October 13, 2004. I had just got off the phone earlier today with pastor Jack Thomas. He lives in Sweet Springs and get this, his address is Box 222a Route 2! I can now rest easy as I have confirmed the contact I am to have with this point on the cross. Pastor Thomas is with the Federated Church of Arrow Rock.
I then headed south towards Hot Springs, Arkansas. I arrived on Monday September 27th, 2004. Again not knowing where to go, I just acted on faith knowing that the Lord would guide me. As I came into town I immediately saw a huge sign that said "Christian Ministries" so I turned and went to that church feeling led. As we entered the building, a man working on the lights said hello, and asked us where we were from? I told him Minnesota and Christine was from Canada. He said that his wife was from Minnesota near St. Paul. I said I was born in St. Paul, he said I think she lived in New Brighton. I said I used to live in New Brighton as well. Hmmmm I thought. That is a coincidence. Then he said his wife was with some friends of hers as they were all planning to go down to the Healing Explosion in Houston, Texas. OK, Double WOW, I said, that is exaclty where we were heading! I then asked to speak to the pastor there. He went to get him for us. When I spoke to the Pastor, I told him of the vision of the cross over America and he seemed interested, but then he said that when they get visions or prophecy, they put them on the shelf so to speak, and then when they get confirmation of these things, then they would be able to act on it at that time. I said ok, that seems wise. but then I asked him a question and told him that I needed confirmation as well as to whether or not this was the place I need to be at. All I knew about the town of Hot Springs is how I was led to it from the beginning, which was they have the largest Passion Play in the world there and it has been running the longest. So the Pastor there informed me that this was correct. He said it used to be called, "The Witness" but then it changed. But he said that it was originally performed and created right there in that very church! I said OK Great! I took this as confirmation and I need not look else where to deliver this message. We said good bye and headed towards Houston, Texas for the Healing Explosion at the Astrodome! And do I have a testimony about that! WOW! When we entered the state of Texas, we were driving down a road out in the middle of no where it seemed, and up ahead in the road walking towards me was a man dressed in the brightest white robed garment I had ever seen. I looked really hard again, and thought, That's Jesus! And I looked closer and it was Jesus! So i shouted to Christine, Hey, There's Jesus! Christine looked out the window and up into the sky! LOL! So I pointed right at the upcoming figure in white. We both stared really hard. I saw his hair, long brown and He had a long beard too. His robe was bright white with not a speck of dirt and there were gold straps across his chest and wraping around him to hold the robe in tight. As we get near Him he waved at us so I said to Fanny, wave, and we did. Then He motioned his hand towards us and then waved it behind him as to lead us the way as a butler would do when you enter a mansion. Alomst as if to say, this way to the Astrodome. This all took place in approximately 20 seconds. After we passed Him and went around the corner, I thought and Christine thought, should we turn around? As if to see if we needed some further verification of what that really was. Then I said, Would it really matter? Christine said at the same time I did, Would He even be there when we got there? We kept driving, and it really made our day. We would drive on for a couple of ours and Christine would say, "We saw Jesus!" And we would both laugh and think no one is going to believe this! Well was it really Jesus or not? Could it have been some guy in a Jesus Costume perhaps? Well I tell you what. Knowing what we had just gone through, and the signs we received all the way down. The CrossFest towns, the Healing Explosion coming up, and all of that, you can think what you want to but I saw Jesus and Christine saw Jesus too. And that is where I am leaving that. Christine had a closer look being on that side of the truck, and she said she got to even see him smile. She can't explain it, but she aint been the same since! Someone later asked me, "Why didnt you take a picture?" Well if i would have reached down and got my camera out of the case, I would have missed the whole thing. And as to this being in the middle of no where along the highway and nothing around has to make one go, hmmmmm. and raise an eyebrow in serious thought. I guess I will leave it at that.