Where’s Betty?

Stories to Inspire

Our Heavenly inheritance is expanding all the time.  Just one of those areas of inheritance has been traveling in our spirit with Holy Spirit to do Kingdom missions.  And it’s been an amazing adventure.

But, as we all know, it’s also Biblical to ‘travel’ in our body.  Jesus did it, Philip did it, Ezekiel did it, Paul did it… etc.  And we even have modern day examples.

A convincing and significant record of these phenomena are recounted in the writings of the Catholic mystics (Remember, that was the only church there was until about 500 years ago).  Sadly, we lost many of those Heavenly realities.  BUT, what we lost is being regained in this last century.  And we’re actually seeing some of this recuperation happen right before our eyes.

Don’t you love it!  We’re stepping into that same reality that inspired John to write:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” – I Jn 1:1

These ‘Stories to Inspire’ are of the ‘seen and touched’ kind!  Thank God!

Continue reading as my sister Leann Albrecht, tells of when her friend ‘disappeared’ for a while to go on a Kingdom mission. 
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Where’s Betty?

It was a Tuesday evening worship service.  Betty took her place on the same seat in the front row, where she always sits.

That day there had been a huge and very devastating earthquake in Nepal.  So we spent time during worship praying for Nepal.

As I was leading worship and sometime in the middle of our time of prayer, I looked up and realized that Betty wasn’t in her seat.  I thought that she may have stepped out for a minute to go to the bathroom.  But, ten minutes later she was still gone.  I thought to myself, “I hope she’s alright.  I’ll ask her later.”

Afterward, Betty was walking around, so I asked her, “Are you ok?”
“Sure, why?”
“You were gone from your seat for a while during worship.”
“No way.  I was here the whole time.”
“I thought you may have gone to the bathroom.”
“No, I never left my seat.”
“Ok then, where were you?”

“I was in Nepal, walking the streets.  People were bumping into me because they couldn’t see me.  I could smell the street life and hear and feel the terror.  So, I released the Presence of God… the Peace and Power of Jesus over the people in the streets.  Then I came back.”

Even as we talked about it afterward, Betty was completely unaware that she had not only traveled with Holy Spirit in her spirit, but in physical form, also.  It was very hard for her to comprehend!

What a deal!!  This Heavenly mission with Holy Spirit involved Betty’s spirit AND body!  And there’s so much more ahead, for all of us! – LA/TN

— MLH

DPM Update – 2022 Jan – Happy New year – changes

Dear Friends

Happy New Year 2022!!

We’re still ‘doing the stuff’
Here’s hoping that you are already seeing promising signs of upgrades and improvements in all areas of your life in this new year.  Although DPM is still fully alive and doing well, most of our communications have shifted to blog posts and a new website (www.ALC.one) which I’ll explain below.  We’re still sharing Jesus and being about our Father’s business, loving His presence and giving Him away.  Fanning the flames of love for God in the hungry hearts of His people is still a very big part of what we do. 

Helping the poor
Helping the poor remains a high value to us.  In fact, in the last couple of years we’ve been partnering with Noel & Mieke Alexander’s ministry Love Mercy, in building widow’s houses in Kenya.  For $750, a decent house gets built, including wood and adobe walls with a corrugated steel roof… usually about 12’ x 15’ divided into 3 rooms… sometimes larger depending on their family size.  The pic on the left is the place Widow Jane and her children lived before getting her house… and the pic on the right is Widow Louise’ finished house.  Can you imagine what they feel!?!?  Seeing the widows’ smiles and knowing where they came from, to what they’re moving into, is a great joy to us!!  If your heart is so moved, we’d be glad to connect you.  

New emphasis for us in last 2 – 5 years
Even though the nature and character of God never changes, His emphasis surely does.  That’s easy to see in Biblical history and I’m sure that each of us can see that in our own personal history.  Well, there has been an awakening and transition in our hearts to pursue the Heavenly realm… the other and greater part of every believer’s being.  In a few words, we’re learning to live the ‘ascended life’… discovering what it means to live ‘above the line’… the ‘line’ that some might say separates Heaven and earth.  The short of it, goes something like this:

‘Elevator speech’ 
“For 2000 years Christians have tried to live our best life as earth-based humans.  We knew there was a Heaven… but we had very little experience with it… or encounter in it.  Even though the largest and most consequential part of our being – our spirit – is already ‘seated in Heaven’, most people had no faith that they’ll experience Heaven until after our ‘ticker’ stops.  In a sad and strange way, that mentality makes death our ‘savior’.  Hmm.

But in Jn 17:24, Jesus longs for us to “be with Him where He is, so that He could show us His glory”.  So where is He?  In Jn 3:12, He referred to Himself, saying, “I am in Heaven.”  Literally, He was on earth AND in Heaven simultaneously.  And the message is that He wants us to learn to live in these dual realities equally well, like Him… after all, He’s the Pattern Son.

We all believe this, because it’s in the Scriptures.  But we haven’t practiced it well.   We still pray as earthlings.  “Will you rend the Heavens and come down”… “We invite You to our meeting this morning”… “Let’s pray for the Lord to come”… “Let’s ask Holy Spirit to come to our revival next weekend”, etc.   All of those common prayers locate us squarely on earth versus in Heaven.  Question: How would those prayers change if we really believed that we were “seated in Heavenly places”?

We’re finding much grace to experience Heavenly things that were normally put off until the ‘millennium’… or until after death. We’ve had more Heavenly experiences in the last couple of years than in all the rest of our lives.  Scripture has come alive like never before.  And the realities of relationship with God have been enhanced exponentially.  And boy, is it a ton of fun!”
End of ‘elevator speech’

Well… people of similar passion began rallying and experiencing a deep hunger for more.  So, we began regular meetings and established a banner of Ascended Life Community (ALC).  Not only is there local momentum, but in regional pockets around the US, people are rallying around this theme.  We’re confident this theme will become a common part of Christian experience in the future.  It has inspired us to radical changes in perspectives, mindsets, prayer posture, vocabulary, spiritual experience… and much more. 

http://www.ALC.one
In our growth, we’ve discovered many resources and are accruing stories and insights, etc.  So www.ALC.one has become our new ministry web-home and the place to find tons of resources, such as: books, blog posts, articles, music, podcasts, a searchable video channel, stories, events, etc.

Change of ages
If you hang around us very long you’ll hear us comment that the globe is entering a brand new age in history.  There have been several epic age changes in Biblical history.  And interestingly, in every change of ages, God institutes a very different mode of operation between man and God.  Consider: Do you think you would have recognized and caught the age change if you had lived 2000 years ago; the transition from Judaism to Christianity?  Good question, right?  What if indeed we were in an age change now… would you know how to detect it?  Validate it?  And flow with God’s new emphasis?

You may have heard a common prophetic word, believed by many, “God is changing the expression of Christianity in a single generation”.  That sounds all fun and exciting… until we realize that it might effect some of my religious ‘sacred cows’.   What would I do then?  (Remember the transition 2000 years ago.)  How many God-instituted ‘sacred cows’ of the OT, got ‘sacrificed’ on the ‘altar’ of a “new and living way”?  Did I hear an “Ouch!” of painful relinquishing… or the ‘O boy!’ of excited adventure.  Food for thought!

Through mankind’s history, the central and core values of love for God and walking with God have never changed.  Those have remained constant from Adam, all the way through Abraham and David till Jesus, etc.  But, the external practices of religion surely changed several times in those 4000 years.  And we believe that we’re in the exciting throes of another one of those wonderful epic change of ages.

To be sure, the core values of relationship with God, love for His heart and Presence, tenderness of heart, love for our neighbor… those values that we all hallow… are actually enhanced and magnified like never before.  Truly!

Anyway, that is a little update on a new dimension of our journey in the last 3-5 years.  For more, visit our new website.

First ALC Gathering
In Oct 2021 we hosted our first larger-type ALC Gathering in Kansas City… a conference for all those interested in this ascended life theme.  There were overwhelming responses like; “I’ve found home…” “This is my tribe”, etc.  Several things characterize our times together: spontaneous flow, open worship, group participation, prophetic seeing, travel in the Spirit and much more.  It went so well that we’re in the planning stage for another ALC Gathering in Nashville this Spring and then again in KC this Fall.

ALC School
Last March we started a twice-monthly online zoom school with sessions focused on exploring this ‘ascended life’ theme.  These sessions always include group interactions, a teaching topic and activations.

What are others saying about the ascended life?
Since you asked, here’s a video of an Oct 2020 sermon by Bill Johnson in which he highlights Jn 3:13 and Rms 12:2 and a few of our ALC themes.  View: 19:15 – 37:30 mins 

Bill Johnson quotes
“Some people call this the ascended life.”
“It is my desire that we understand and learn to practice this in the next couple of years.” 
“I feel that the difference between praying/living from earth versus praying/living from Heaven is the difference between being a servant and being a son.” 
“Some of what we think comes with the return of Christ, comes with the renewed mind of Christ.”

Wrap it up
Suffice it to say, that being a son and daughter of God has never been more inspiring.  We’re more alive in God than ever… and my basic motivational gifting – being a pioneer – is more engaged than ever in my life.  Despite the gloominess of politics, covid and societal ills, it feels like the future is bright and hope-filled.  It’s a proven fact, how you view life determines the way life begins to come to you.  As our perspective becomes more Heavenly-places-filled, the clouds of darkness get exchanged for the Son of Heaven dawning a bright new day.

“The path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter even unto the noon day sun.” – Prov 4:18

If you’d like to talk further on these subjects, please view our website first.  It may answer some of your questions.  Then if you’d like to talk, feel free to email.

Our blessings and much love!!
Mark & Debbie Hendrickson

11011 Olive St
Kansas City, MO 64131
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Dwelling Place Ministries (DPM)
www.dpmkc.org
Ascended Life Community (ALC)
www.ALC.one
Beyond the Map blog
www.marklhen.wordpress.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/marklhen

Now I BELIEVE!

Yesterday morning my good friend Ryan, was driving to his work when ‘out of the blue’, he heard, “Your boss is going to complain about his painful elbow today.  If you pray for it, I will heal it.”  Ryan was kind of taken aback, because nothing he had been thinking about related to this thought.  Then, he promptly forgot about it.

During the day, his boss asked him for help and while they were together, his boss said, “Man! My elbow is so sore!”  Ryan immediately remembered the thought from earlier.  And before he could chicken out, he quickly said, “This morning on the way to work, God told me that you would complain about your elbow and that if I prayed for it, He would heal your elbow.  Do you mind if I pray?”

Hesitatingly, the boss said, “OK.”

Ryan prayed a very simple prayer and immediately asked his boss to move it and check it out.

The man exclaimed, “How’d you do that?!”  
Ryan asserted, “It’s God.  Is all the pain gone?”
 Surprised, “Almost all.” 
“Do you mind if I pray again?” 
“Sure.”

Another short prayer and the boss was elated.  The pain was all but gone… only the smallest of pain remained.  Ryan finished by saying, “You go home and when you wake up tomorrow morning the pain will be all gone!”

Well, this morning Ryan texted his boss to get the assignment for the day and asked about the elbow.  Here’s the proof.

Don’t you love living in the Kingdom with God!!

–MLH

Eyesight restored!

Somewhere around 10 years ago, my great friend Barry, who is of senior age, began to lose his vision in his left eye.  He had already lost all sight in his right eye.  The doctors diagnosed him as having macular degeneration.  This is a malady for which the medical community has no cure.  His eyesight had degenerated to 20/70, which made driving a vehicle very difficult.

About 8 years ago, someone prophesied to him that if he laid his hands on his eyes and prayed for them, God would begin to heal them.

About a week later, while in a leader’s meeting, a friend came up to him and said, “God told me to kiss your eyes and that He would heal them.”  Barry’s reaction was “fat chance”, but as he thought about it, he thought this is just weird enough that it could be God.  So he let the friend kiss his eyes.

A day or so later, Barry was in a completely different meeting when a young lady came up to him and said, “I feel like I am to sing a song over you.”  So she sang a spontaneous song which ended with singing in tongues.  Then the young lady gave him a painting she had painted, entitled, ‘The Eye of God’ (below).

Within another day or so another person in Sioux Falls prayed for his eyesight.  Afterward, she challenged him, “Call it ‘macular RE-generation’.”

About a week later, Barry had a routine Dr appointment and discovered that his eyesight had dramatically improved to 20/45.  He and his wife Mary, were elated.  Interestingly, his eyesight has continued to slowly improve to between 20/35 and 20/30 over the last 7 years.

But a week ago, some guests were in Barry’s home and asked him about the “Eye of God” painting.  Barry told the story and gave glory to God for the improvement of his eyesight.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” – Rev 12:11

Well, a few days later, he had another routine Dr appointment.  In the eye exam he read all the lines and then asked if there were more lines.  The assistant said, “No Barry, that means you have 20/20 vision!”  Shortly afterwards,  Doctor Sam who had been attending Barry over the years, walked in and exclaimed (I quote verbatim), “Barry, what the hell you been doing!?”  Barry laughed and replied, “It’s an answer to prayer… God is healing me.”  With resignation, Doctor Sam replied, “Well, I don’t have any other explanation.” 

So through some strange… and even weird… installments, God has fully restored Barry’s eyesight in his left eye!!!  

Now, that deserves a Hallelujah and a Thank You, Lord!!!

— MLH

Look what I found!

Stories to Inspire

Are you ready to translate or travel in the Spirit?  Well, get ready.  It’s becoming much more common.

In history we’ve heard of an occasional crazy cool story of those who have traveled in the Spirit on missions to other places in the world and then returned to tell the amazing stories.  We’ve even heard of a very few who’ve brought back artifacts… or maybe they still had dust on their feet from their travels on dirt roads, etc.  These accounts intrigue us immensely, but may tend to stretch our envelope of credibility. 

In the middle 1900s there was a group of intercessors in California called the ‘Ladies of Gold’… and they were members of a prayer ministry called the Golden Candlestick.  There are confirmed accounts that these ladies physically traveled in the Spirit for up to days at a time… and then returned with artifacts from their Heavenly missions.  A book entitled Ladies of Gold: The Remarkable Ministry of the Golden Candlestick – Vol 1 by James Maloney, relates some of these incidents.  This group mentored James Maloney who then ministered widely until he passed into his eternal reward in 2021.  Accounts like these are forerunners and heralders of what’s available for more than just a few. 

The truth be told, as we’re entering the Kingdom age, the mode of operation in the Kingdom is getting upgraded all around us.  New frontiers are opening up.  And if you just think about it; If God is going to change the expression of Christianity in a single generation, then we’d better be prepared to be OK with some radical new upgrades!!!

Listen to this account of my good friend’s daughter who traveled in the Spirit in her dream and then found something very unusual the next day, which validated her travel the night before.  Was she actually there in her spirit only… or in body and in spirit?  You decide!
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Look what I found!

My local trusted friend has a teenage daughter.  (Her name shall remain anonymous, so we’ll call her ‘Susie’.)  Susie’s heart had been deeply stirred while on a missions trip to a foreign country a few years ago and since then her heart has been gripped with becoming a missionary.

Recently, ‘Susie’ had the dream of being in Guatemala on a missions trip.  In the dream, a little girl spent quite a bit of time making a bracelet.  ‘Susie’ did not know the little girl nor know her name.  There wasn’t too much more to the dream.  But it’s what happened afterward that makes this dream and this story so special.  The next day, in a random search, ‘Susie’ was surprised to find the exact same bracelet in her purse… the same design and same materials!  (Actual bracelet in picture) Susie had never seen this bracelet before, except in the dream.

‘Susie’ told no one about this experience, except her parents… and she wants to remain anonymous.  She has traveled in the Spirit, and in her dreams, but has never brought back artifacts before this.  So what do you think?  Was she there in spirit only… or in body and spirit?

O boy!!  The Heavenlies are getting more real all the time! 

— MLH

Dad’s favorite song

Stories to Inspire

How would you know if a Heavenly entity was trying to get your attention?   Would they talk to you… would they knock on the door… would they cause a feather to fall in front of you… would they appear in a dream… or ??

You see, as we begin to believe Heb 12:22-23 more fully, we realize that we are currently in the midst of innumerable angels and we are with the church of the Firstborn and all those who’s names are registered in Heaven, etc.  They’re all around us… because we’re in their territory – if we believe our Bibles.  So the communities of earth are learning to integrate with the communities of Heaven.  Paul charges us to set our affections on these things above… don’t think about earth-things anymore (Col 3:1-2).

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.  You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,…” – Heb 12:22-23 

So, not long ago we were activating our faith to engage with all the entities in that passage.  A thought popped into my mind, so I simply spoke, “Be open to a melody of a song which may help you be aware of one of these saints in ‘the cloud’ nearby.”

Here, Debbie relates what she encountered during that activation…
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Dad’s favorite song

One of my father’s favorite songs was Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.  Years ago, in a beautiful outdoor setting at The Garden Gate Tea Room, a curious thing happened.  We were leading worship at a benefit in my father’s honor, and were in the middle of singing this very song, when someone came up and whispered in my ear that Dad had just passed away.  I looked up to the clear night sky full of bright shining stars, and with tears streaming down my face, we continued to sing…

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His Glory and Grace

Some of my last words to Dad were thanking him for leading me to Jesus.  So when I hear this song, I always think of him.  But now, this song has taken on new meaning. 

As Mark led us in an activation, I couldn’t hold back the tears.  I realized that Dad had been singing that song to us the night he went home.  I understood for the first time, that Dad was in the great cloud of witnesses worshiping at the Heavenly Garden Gate while we worshiped from the earthly Garden Gate.  And we were singing the same song together.  I felt Heaven and earth merging more than ever before.

Now, every time I hear this song, I will be even more aware of the rich resource and blessing of all those in this “great cloud of witnesses”. 

Thanks, Dad.  Thank you for continuing to remind me to turn my eyes upon Jesus. – DH

— MLH