ccm Cross 0231
Friday May 31, 2019
Kingdom Family House of Prayer
Cass Lake, MN
ccm Cross 0231
GPS/DMS 47°22’27.59″ N 94°36’8.99″ W
Additional Photos After Testimony
4925 cdd Headwaters of the Mississippi
Cyber Daily Devotion
Volume 20 Number 124
Today’s Author: Pastor Bill
Scripture: Matthew 21:13a
And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’”
Hello, my name is Pastor Kari Barrick with Kingdom Family House of Prayer in Cass Lake, Minnesota. We are located on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Northern Minnesota. I was born in Franklin Park, Illinois and moved to Mahtomedi, Minnesota (20 miles NE of the Twin Cities) when I was around six years old. My dad was CEO for Ashland Chemicals and mom was an excellent homemaker. I grew up the 2nd oldest of five kids and attended a Catholic church and school through 6th grade.
This is my Cross testimony on how the Grace and Love of God saved me and my entire family from a life full of possessions, financial success, parties, alcohol, and drugs; but inside being emotionally hopeless, unfulfilled and empty. This is what the world told us an abundant life looked like, but what a counterfeit and lie it was.
I did not know Jesus and was married and divorced twice. My third husband, Joel who I have been married with for 28 years, was also married once and divorced. When we met I had 3 children, he had custody of his 2 and we have one together (we call her our caboose-she came along after we were married).
We moved to Walker, Minnesota where my husband grew up with all the kids. Here we pioneered a new business. Having a mixed family, working 7 days a week and not knowing Jesus, our lives quickly spun out of control. There was arguing, strife, confusion and heartache at every turn. Drugs and alcohol became our fun, our only escape.
The children had a nanny that introduced them to drugs while we were drinking heavily and doing the strongest of drugs with the elite of our community. We felt we had a lot of close friends having arrived financially, but I was empty, and unhappy. We opened another business in Thomasville, Georgia and I thought getting away to somewhere else might help to fill the emptiness. The plan was to be in Georgia during our cold winters and Minnesota in the beautiful summers.
I was searching for something, I didn’t know what, but figured this can’t be all there is to life, and then you die. We attended several churches, but never heard the gospel. I believed God was disappointed with me, and most likely if he knew me very well he would have a punishment for me. Then I dropped into at a little church called Living Water and was drawn in. Pastor Rick Moe would wear shorts, and a shirt and flip-flops to church, in the pulpit! He welcomed me unconditionally and I think it was the first time I experienced the presence of God. I thought the people seemed a bit peculiar but they were very kind.
After a night of drinking and arguing, Joel was driving home drunk on a main highway in Walker, Minnesota when he collided head-on with another vehicle. The other man in the car died. Joel was convicted of vehicular homicide and remanded to St. Cloud Prison for 4-1/2 years. Our family was shunned by the entire community, including all of our “friends” and drinking-partying buddies. No one called, no one showed up, with the exception of Pastor Rick. He asked to go to the hospital to see Joel – I was angry and did not go. I told him we were getting divorced and he could do whatever he wanted. Pastor Rick visited Joel in the hospital, and Joel did not know anyone else was involved in the accident. When he was told about the man that had died, he was heartbroken. Pastor Rick ministered to him and he received Jesus Christ at that moment.
Pastor Rick told me Joel got saved in the hospital, that he was born-again. I thought I was a Christian and was not sure exactly what he meant by that, but Pastor Rick asked me to wait on the divorce, that there was hope. I did not believe him, I thought our lives were over, our children were bullied, rejected, and ridiculed.
I ended up moving with all the children to Georgia to start a new life figuring we would be getting a divorce. It was time to take responsibility for my life and family, although I was not too sure what was happening.
I started attending a church in Thomasville, Georgia with the kids. They were still dabbling in drugs. That same presence of God I experienced at Living Water in Walker was there. I heard the gospel for the first time. I was told that Jesus loved me, that God was not angry with me, that He was for me, and would never leave me or forsake me. I heard that Jesus died so I could live. Live a good life, a pure life, an abundant life, in Him. I heard that I could be part of a family that would live in heaven for eternity and I had promises and an inheritance here on earth. I heard I could be empowered to live a healthy life, full of love, and that I could love and serve others and teach them to love. I heard I could have peace in my life, and not strife and not have to survive, but that I could strive and have victory. Yes, I heard the gospel and it sounded just too good to be true.
So, I made a vow with God. I told him yes, I would receive Jesus in my heart, I would repent and turn from my sin and follow Him, BUT He would have to prove to me that He was real. I told Him I would not fake it. That if He revealed Himself to me, that I would serve Him all my life. As I hungered and thirsted after Him, that is exactly what He did, He made Himself known to me in a most profound way that I can never deny Him or His love for me.
The pastors and people in Georgia surrounded us with love, fellowship and inspiration for a future of hope. During this time all the children were saved. The verse Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all thee things will be added to you” was manifesting before my eyes.
While Joel was in St. Cloud prison he attended and graduated from the bible study classes and curriculum that was provided there. Brook (our youngest) and I would visit Joel twice a year in the St. Cloud prison. His sentence was shortened for good behavior and he returned home to us in Georgia.
Miraculously the house and business in Georgia sold and we all returned to live in Walker, Minnesota. We reconnected to witness to our old “friends” but they did not want anything to do with getting “born-again”.
God opened doors to minister and empower women. And doors opened for intercessory prayer and doors for holding summer camps on the reservation for the children. And doors opened to start The Reach Church bringing new hope and restoration to the community.
Most of all doors opened unto salvation for our children who are now serving the Lord and ministering hope and love to their families and communities.
Then I heard the Lord speak to me saying, “Start a House of Prayer. Something I knew nothing about. I waited on the Lord and he brought people into my life who were like minded. Then He spoke to me again and said, “A House of Prayer in Cass Lake, Minnesota. My reaction was, why there? His response was, “Because no one is expecting any good thing from Me to come out of Cass Lake, Minnesota.”
A few days later I read in John 1:43-46 “The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
It was clear to me that Kingdom Family House of Prayer would be in Cass Lake and Jesus Himself would be present. Don’t take my word for it, come and see.
We started prayer 24/7 with a few volunteers. Today we have more than 50 keyholders as we call them. People who are committed to pray. They are hungry for God and seek fellowship with him. They are praying for The Presence of God to surround us; that a Transformation will take place and Restoration will follow. Our location is Cass Lake, Minnesota but our territory is massive and runs all the way into Canada and throughout the northern part of Minnesota.
The Lord has blessed us with Suzanne who is our worship leader and intercessor. She organizes the prayer teams and keeps everyone informed.
We are situated at the Headwaters for the Mighty Mississippi River. There is an ancient Prophecy that states a massive revival will begin here and follow the path of the Mississippi River from North to South engulfing the entire USA.
We believe we are to be a part of that Prophecy and it all begins at Kingdom Family House of Prayer.
There have been many miracles in my life.
1. The miracles began with Joel in prison receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and me receiving Christ in Georgia. And then all our children received Christ too. Today we are all serving Him in some capacity of ministry. To God Be All the Glory!
2. All our bills were paid during the four- and one-half years Joel was in prison.
3. I prayed for my daughter and we watched warts disappear from her hand.
4. We have a ladies bible study called “Lose the Baggage” that meets every week and we regularly see healings, rape and incest victims set free and ladies filled with the Holy Spirit.
From time to time I have a vision of the economically depressed village known as Cass Lake, Minnesota. In my vision the village is alive with people walking it’s streets passing from store to store. People aren’t rich but they have money to spend and the environment is thriving. There are churches overflowing with people.
The Cross means to me LIFE, LOVE, HEALING, HOPE, PROTECTION, FREEDOM AND FAMILY. Because of what Jesus Christ did for you and me on the Cross we all should be shouting this from the housetops.
I want this Cross planted to represent value — that each person who comes to the Cross is as valuable as every redeemed soul in heaven. They are loved and welcomed here. There is Transformation and Restoration in the Cross and they will find it here through the love of Jesus Christ.
My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
I like best ministering hope. We have 2-3 suicides per week in our village and it impacts everyone. One young girl has had 8 members of her extended family pass away. All in an unnecessary manner. It is too much for her to carry. But with Jesus there is hope. With Jesus her image is pure. With Jesus her life has purpose.
Pastor Bill, there is one more miracle that should be mentioned to your readers. Recently we were given a church building. It needs a little work, but it is sure to be a place of hope.
Following is a Recent Prophecy about the Headwaters of the MISSISSIPPI River (complementing the ancient headwaters prophecy) which includes the Cass Lake/Walker, Minnesota area. (Kingdom Family House of Prayer)
I can hear the desires of your heart to be a part of Worship at the River. This is a NOW assignment. Out of your bellies will flow rivers of living water. Minnesota is the headwater of the MISSISSIPPI RIVER, but the (nations) rivers flow into the MISSISSIPPI and it runs through the “belly of the nation”. As it flows down through the nation the waters that are added by the rivers flowing into it provide life. Each river is like a part of the body; each one bringing what it has been intended to do, so the bigger may be the harmony of all combined.
As those who gather across the nation at the rivers/headwaters, they are releasing their river in their region to do its intended part to bring to the whole of the larger river, MISSISSIPPI. At each stop of the team along the way, there is a confluence of the smaller being integrated into the larger, so by the time the team is all the way to the mouth, out of the belly of this nation of America will flow rivers of living water. This will impact the nations. Worship is the theme for the gatherings as the team goes down the river. Worship of what I have made, not what you have made.
This is not just about the waters you can see ON the land; there is water UNDER the land that will be cleansed in the fullness of worship as well; even as the water on the land is part of the evaporation process, the atmosphere of the clouds gathering the moisture and falling as rain is being shifted. (sense of on the earth, under the earth and above the earth) The timing is NOW and the NOW worship is shifting the earth to come into agreement with the creation memory of My intent that is already implanted in creation.
Your bodies are made to operate and are filled with water. Think of the life giving water that resides in your bodies as you drink deep of the reservoirs of My Spirit. Because of being filled, you can pour out of your bellies the rivers of living water to those around you. Drink and spill, drink and spill, drink and spill. If something spills it is usually unintentional. It just happened. That is what you will do; nothing you can control or take ownership of. It will just continuously happen as you drink in. That is in contrast to drink and pour. Pouring you do on purpose. In this season it will be a spilling out. Be ready to observe what I am doing through you. You will see many come to you and you will be ready to receive them as you have been at the soda fountain stools (counter) drinking the living water.
Prayer: Father thank you for such a time as this where prayer warriors are establishing a House of prayer to carry your message throughout the entire USA via the gateway of the Mississippi River. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!