I’m humbled, to find a place of integrity, where true, pure love exists; has not only a vision, but a mandate to “equip” the saints for the “work” of the ministry, is not only rare, but by the grace of God.  To be going into the enemy’s camp and taking back what he’s stolen from you; doing The Great Commission; winning souls; seeing people’s lives changed (including my own), recognizing, having a hearing ear and a receptive heart to God’s awesome Word; getting this country back to God, is the only way to live in this day and age.  You want to make a change?  You tired of being sick and tired?  Do you love this country?  Do you have FAITH as a grain of a mustard seed?  COME – JOIN – The Greatest army this world will ever see.  Be a part of history. COME.. and HELP… reap this End-Time Harvest.  You still have time!!  You’ll be eternally grateful.

–Carole

I am so glad to be here in the school. It is getting even better. Until I came to Tampa, I felt almost like a Muslim-Christian. Just lately I have been feeling the freedom and flow of the Spirit. Even after finishing the first year of school. I guess it takes a while to be detoxed spiritually! Pretty much up to that time I was religious and doctrineted properly. Even after the first year I was still not very open to the flow and the move of God. Over the summer break and God’s continuous work in my heart I came hungry and thirsty for this school year.

Especially the first week of school was awesome. Even the introduction of pastors was enough to smack me! We moved Tampa to basically to come to school. There is not any reason for us to live here other than the River really. But after being here it is more than enough reason to stay here! I often feel like about the school and church that i have found a treasure chest and want to share with everyone. We are telling our loved ones to come and even just sit under this ministry for a week and see what we are talking about.

It is so precious to me. I thank God for such man and women of God and their impact in our lives. Not only by teaching in the class but every way they live and conduct their lives. I have lot to learn from them.Thank God that he kept them for such a time like this and for us. I am so excited to see and receive what God has for me this year. i go to school with expectation every day. He has still a lot of work to do in me. You never know what will take place that day. Even just last thursday the Spirit of giving broke out and everyone was obedient to God. Some people even broke their alabaster box. I am looking forward to see might things happen this year in students life…..

I came to Tampa nearly four weeks ago from North Carolina. God has been doing awesome things through me and tome. Before I go into that I must give you a background concerning before coming to The River. In 2007 I was saved, set free, and delivered from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.  I was radically changed, and knew I would never be the same ever again. I had a passion for God, and loved the things of God. I got plugged in at the church that I got saved in. Pornography plagued me the whole time in my walk with God.

I was always condemned and defeated. I would serve the Lord for two or three weeks, then I would run back into the world. I knew of God, but didn’t really know Him. Fast-forwarding four years to January of this year. I started watching the Great Awakening, I was greatly blessed, started winning a few souls, but still struggling with pornography. RMI started offering scholarships to anyone feeling called to the ministry and I knew it was for me. So I moved down here with nothing planned in the natural, just a little money and a plane ticket. I took the city-bus to the river, and started walking down the drive.

Overwhelmed with gladness I couldn’t believe I was actually here. Jesus started doing awesome things from the very start. I felt different every single service, I felt free. I knew Jesus was breaking things off of me, probably more than I know. I feel like I have grown ten years in the spirit. Words really can’t explain what has been going on in me. I’m giving more than ever before, soul-winning like never before. I’m learning to truly trust God and over 100 people have been saved on the streets since I’ve been here. I have finally figured out why I’m alive. God is so good……

I must first say “What an amazing two weeks!”  I listened and watched online the first week then attended live in person at The River the following Wed. morning. His power and presence was there to touch every open heart.  We ordered a complete set of cd’s as a reference for building a strong foundation for the walk of faith to run the race.

For me, I was in a marinade letting the oil breakdown and soften a hardened heart of hurt, and pain I thought was gone, but was really hiding.

On my way to church I dropped off my car at the collision center to replace the front plastic bumper and grill damaged from some road hazard, I thought maybe $500.00 would cover it until they popped the hood and took a look inside. WOW the hidden damage inside the engine compartment was very extensive, brackets, condenser, radiator, arm support yada yada yada. The repair jumped from $500.00 to over $2300.00 and that’s three to four times more to fix what we couldn’t see just looking from the outside. The adjuster asked how long I’ve been driving the car like this, I said “Just over 1 year now.”   He was amazed that everything appeared to be working in the condition it was in.

As the van drove me to church I thought “That was me!” showing a little damage on the outside and a wreck on the inside. “Jesus fix me” I’m hurting, I’m still functioning, but could be sidelined if this isn’t addressed properly. Get in the service Wed. morning, Wed. night, Thurs. morning, Thurs. night, Fri morning, and Fri. night.  MARINATING. I’m feeling the tug for bible school.

So with a Pastoral recommendation I’m back in Bible school…..again . Going to let Jesus work on me …..again. The driver of the van got saved,…. and as for my car….it’s still in the shop……Regis A.

I came from Hialeah, Florida in a state that I was hungry for God’s power. I wanted to go to new places with God, but I found myself not being able to find a church that practiced the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I was also planning to attend another Bible college in Orlando I had actually completed the first year online. I decided to go to The River Bible Institute because one day I had gone to Orlando to make preparations to attend the other Bible College. On the way back my dad wanted to come visit the River Church since we had been watching the great awakening on CTN.

When we arrived at the River Church my dad ended up speaking to Pastor Daniel and he introduced us; as we began to talk, my dad had told him our plans, and Pastor Daniel offered my wife and I both scholarships. This really helped with our expenses I thought, but I would have to pray about it. I prayed about it and God confirmed it was His will, so I made the decision to come to the River Bible Institute.

The Great Awakening Tours stated that God has transformed me since the day I started the school. I was a person that was very prideful and had very high standards for things. Through the anointing and the circumstances I been facing here, I have been humbled and will never be the same. I changed the way I view myself and the things of God….Luis T.

As I watched it I started to ask God, “Lord what can I give you, I have nothing that’s worth anything”. God suddenly told me, “Give your purse, wallet and shoes”. In the beginning when he asked me to do that I was not so happy because that was the only expensive purse I had and it was a gift given to me that meant so much. But I just knew that I didn’t want to leave the place without having sowed something. I took my belongings out of my purse I started to cry so badly many things came to my head but I didn’t allow it to stop me from not giving what God had me to give. As I walked towards the stage I started to cry so much and as I laid my things in the floor I felt as a huge wall broke inside of me. The shyness, doubts, sadness, etc left my body as soon as I laid everything down.

The next day I knew God was going to keep his promise to me about taking care of me. He even told my mom as she was in church that same day, “Don’t worry about your daughter because I am taking care of her”. When my mom shared this with me I just started to cry because it meant so much to me to know that God was with me and has not left me and never will. Great Awakening Tours says that since I had to fly over here I couldn’t bring many things and a lot of my clothes I leave behind and didn’t have money for clothes or anything, but on Sunday a friend that I had met came up to me with a bag full of clothes and jewelry. God truly has been listening to my prayers and has been watching over me. As someone told me, “This is just the beginning of the blessings that are yet to come”. I truly believe it, all it took was obedience. I am just excited to see what God is going to continue to do in my life while I take this journey….Janeth B.

Since coming to RBI, the Lord has healed me from insecurities.  I always felt that I could not do anything right.  It was put in my mind that I would not do well in school, not as a child and certainly not in RBI.  I have been so on fire for God, that I have a very good feeling about myself.  I know that I will do very well.  I will be able to excel and complete   the school year in Great Awakening Tours.

I did not know that there was so much that God could do for me in such a short time, that God would be able to use me for His glory.  By being so full of the fire, He has peeled so much off of me that was there since a child.  He has taken awake hurt, insecurity, unworthiness and has given me joy, a new way of thinking, and love.  He has given me a passion for the lost, a desire to win souls.  I hunger for the things of God.  He has shown me how to trust in him.  He has shown me not to trust in the world, but in Him.

I am so amazed at the change in my life.  My family tells me that there is something different about me. There is a glow on my face.  There is an amazing peace of God in my life.  I can say to myself; I can do this for His Glory and Honor.  Praise the Lord.

I’ve been at the River I have never been the same! God took what I thought was impossible and made it possible .He blessed me with a scholarship a job transfer and a place to stay. I’ve learned how to step out and have deeper desire and boldness to win the lost with the tools here at the River! Jesus set me free to set the captives free since I’ve been here I have led over one hundred people to the Lord .Prayed for healing for people and them to receive the joy and the Holy Spirit and they got it! It’s such a joy to my heart to see people going a hundred miles an hour for the things of the world and make a total u turn! Their faces are priceless I have realized it’s not about me but, about advancing the kingdom of heaven I can’t say into words how grateful I am for the River and Pastor’s they have encourage me so much the first couple of weeks I was here it was like all hell broke loose with new relationships with people I met here. The Great Awakening Tours stated that I realized it was not the person but the enemy trying to take me out. But, it’s not about me it’s all about Jesus! He put a burning hunger to see this generation saved it’s all about souls and I have an eternal fire that has been imparted on my heart. I want to thank all the Pastor’s for the impartation I have received and for the days to come I have learned endurance and long-suffering what it really is. I love the River it’s all about souls, souls, souls and the kingdom! My life is not my own and will never be the same! I have a GREAT JOY to say that!  Lots of Love, Christa M.

I saw the transformation in her life, and she planted the seed in my head to come here. From the first service I have heard confirmed words that He spoke to me, while I was yet a far off, words like that by the end of summer I won’t recognize myself, and that all of these trials are just preparation for some future circumstance when I’ll need to look back and see the wondrous things He has done and gotten me through, and that I need to start asking for the big things of God and not begging for survival from the Creator of the universe. The all-consuming fire of the Holy Spirit is burning away the fear and trepidation I have about speaking in front of people, about being seen by people, about being myself.

My life-long battle with lack, He told me last Thursday that lack is no more in my life! I believe Him not only for my needs for right now, but for His big, big plans for me! In each case where my flesh rises up and I continue in obedience in spite of it, like my first time soul winning or working on the phones, He blesses me abundantly right after in my spirit.  There are layers and layers of freedom being unwrapped as I continue to cry out to Him. Even in the pain of crucifying my flesh daily there is new oil, new wine, new joy of the Lord to sustain me! I have no where to run away to. Rodney Howard Browne stated that there is nothing else. I told Him the first week of revival that if He didn’t give me boldness, if He didn’t BURN inside of me, then I might as well die. It sounds dramatic, but I don’t want anything else, and if I don’t really get this right now, I’m finished. I’m so marked by this school, even just so far as this is the beginning, that I will never be able to settle for mediocre or complacent again, in Jesus name…..Frances H.

During the time that I have been participating at The Great Awakening at The River Church, The Lord has blessed me by giving me the opportunity of going out for Soul Winning. What is Soul Winning ? Soul Winning is not a program, is not a rehearsal, it’s a PASSION. A Passion that burns inside your heart, a desire to go out no matter the place or the time to talk about JESUS, to save SOULS !!! We as Disciples and Children of the Lord have a mission on this earth, don’t wait any longer and get souls…

Go out for the lost ones and save them from the enemy. It’s our responsibility. Jesus said ” I have call you to be fishers of  man ” John 21. Soul Winning is not a natural thing, it’s a Miracle. The Souls that are coming and receive HIM. It’s like the story of the nest in the Bible.Jesus stretched the nest for more fishes,Muslim,Islam or any other nationality. It’s not a natural thing, it’s a Miracle in a city, outside the walls of the church. We have been fishing for souls, the more we do, the more the Lord gives us. Power over nature. The soul Winning gives each of us the chance to tell about Jesus. How much He loves each person and how important is to have Him as # one in our lives.

What do we do ? Where do we go ?What tools do we need ? As I said before Soul Winning is not a program, it’s a PASSION. Couple of weeks ago we went to a near Community to do  Soul Winning and I had one of the most wonderful experiences. I led twelve people to the Lord and some of them receive the Fire of God and spoke in tongues. One of the cases was the young guy by the name of Austin ( 21 years old ) who accepted the Lord and spoke in tongues for the first time.

Two days ago 1/18/11working with such enthusiasm at the Call Center I brought twelve persons to the Lord. The one who really touched my heart was the lady from Florida who accepted the Lord, was delivered from the spirit of FEAR and now she will go out and win SOULS …amen. All you need it’s a scripture to show each person,then you go out and ask as many people the Lord places in your path. What are you waiting for ? Go, do as I did. Save SOULS… More SOULS for the Kingdom of  The Lord. For HIS glory. -Maria H