BIRTH PANGS ON THE DAWNING OF “ABLAZE”

The year of 1998 was a period of waiting and anticipation of the hand of God to move.  A sensing of birthing of a new thing was in the hearts of several people in the church especially on Dave and Ed.  For three years now, since 1995, they had been seeking the Lord for new direction. Though they were very active in their church, they felt they were a church within a church.  Something was missing and not being fulfilled. So for three years, Dave, Ed and “little” David began meeting once a week at the house of Sister Bolin, their “spiritual mother”, who felt the same way and had a strong spirit of intercession. They prayed, sang, and cried out to God. Thus the laboring for the birth of “Ablaze” began.  On the third year of 1998, the stirring had gone deeper and stronger. The “crowning” had been reached and the “baby” was about ready to be born.  That summer Ed and the “Rejoice” worship team went to the Philippines for a short mission trip. They all returned with fire and had great testimonies of how God used them there.  That same summer, David decided to go on a personal retreat.  He left for a four day fast and prayer retreat on one of the Christian lodges in northern California.  Although he returned with no specific revelation at that time, their pastor sensed the anxiety in Dave’s heart as well as in Ed and their passion to want to serve God more yet did not know exactly what to do with them.  Dave and Ed felt they needed to go out and start a new work for the Lord but sensed that it was not yet the right time as they had not received any confirmations. Right after thanksgiving, they started a 30 days fast along with the church. After the New Year of 1999, they did another week of fasting and prayer and just waited on the Lord.
 
AND THEN GOD SPOKE

Finally, on the 16th and 17th of January, 1999, God gave them the message they’ve been longing to hear.  It was like the most beautiful and crystal clear message they had ever heard.  The first message was given on that Saturday by a visiting prophet.  The second and third confirmations were given the next day which was Sunday the 17th.  All these messages were given by different ministers who did not know Dave or Ed nor did they know each other personally. Yet all spoke the same message, about the eagle’s nest and about the eaglets being prepared to be launched out on their own. Both prophets that Sunday spoke distinctly about stepping out to do God’s will, and that God had been preparing and stirring their hearts, and now, it is time to go! That following week, God spoke to Ed one early morning and told him that the time had come to spread his wings.  He rushed home to share with his wife about the vision only to find his wife crying and telling him that she already knew. With excitement in his heart, he rushed to Dave’s workplace to share what God had shown him only to find out that God had spoken to Dave and his wife early that same morning.  After rejoicing on what God had shown both of them they decided they needed to continue in prayer seeking the Lord on how and where to begin.  They counseled with one another and with men of God and concluded that this calling had to be confirmed by their pastor.  That following week, Dave, Ed and Dan went to talk to their pastor concerning the prophecies and the confirmation they received.  Their pastor listened and without any argument agreed with them and revealed that he too felt they do have a calling to start a new work. He then set a Sunday aside for the church to release, anoint and pray for them. At about this time, Dave’s wife was moved to find a name for this new “church”. Thus the name “Ablaze For Jesus Ministries” was formed. Two Sundays after that, they were released, prayed for, and handed certificates to freely preach the gospel!

Now that they had gained favor from their pastor and the church, they felt free to take on the task of building “Ablaze”. Their first formal service was held on February 7, 1999 with about seven to eight families and held at the Ad Valorem Realty Office in National City, CA.