As believers in Jesus Christ, it’s so important that we follow the leading of Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit makes known to us the thoughts of God, and we have to listen to and obey those thoughts. When God poured out His Spirit in the 1970’s in the mighty Jesus Movement, lives were being touched and transformed all throughout the nation. One of those lives was Lonnie Frisbee. Not only did the Lord move mightily through him to reach America for the Gospel, Holy Spirit also led Lonnie Frisbee to carry the Gospel to Sweden!
Debbie Kerner was one of those that followed the Lord alongside Lonnie Frisbee as the Gospel was carried to Sweden. As chronicled in a message that Kerner shares with others, she recounts the unforgettable memories of what it was like being alongside Lonnie Frisbee. Kerner shares about the first time that she met Lonnie Frisbee one fateful day at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Riverside. As she entered the gathering that morning, she saw Lonnie in the front standing before all the people and it appeared that he was about to sing. There appeared to be a delay, as the Dennis, their usual guitarist to play alongside Lonnie was absent. Without a guitarist alongside Lonnie, someone chimed up suddenly, “well Dennis isn’t here this week, but Debby is here, and she’ll sing!” Debbie was shocked! She would sing but she didn’t have her guitar. To her surprise, someone chimed up in response to that need as well. “I have a guitar out in my car! I’ll run out and get it.” Debbie found herself worshipping the Lord alongside with Lonnie.
Kerner continues to talk about how memorable their relationship was. “My relationship with Lonnie was very light. We did things that were joyful, and we didn’t take ourselves too terribly seriously.” What is so beautiful to hear her describe is how there was an expectancy for the Lord to do something mighty in their gatherings. “It was just kind of this thing that we knew that God was going to show up and do something wonderful in spite of us.” Kerner also shares how she was able to meet Kathryn Kuhlman with Lonnie Frisbee when they were invited to be on her television show. Finding themselves together on her television show opened even more doors of opportunity to take the Gospel to Sweden along with their team of 6 people! Finding themselves in Sweden in a tent meeting that wasn’t abnormally large by any means, there were invited to come back the next day by their hosts. “We want you to come back tomorrow night too and come back the next day.”
What started off a small gathering resulted in overflowing crowds only days later that even got the attention of the media to show up as well. Their hosts wanted services to be all over Sweden. And that is exactly what they did. Not only did they go, but so did the media, as they followed them wherever they went. As Kerner continues, she talks about how they were ready for that moment when God called them. “We could do it because we were willing, we were prepared and we were expecting that God was going to show up.” She also encourages everyone to have that same expectancy for God to show up in your lives. “Be ready. Be prepared and expect God to be there for you because He will be, and expect the miraculous!” Her perspective and experience is such a refreshing truth for all of us to remember. God moves in spite of us. It has nothing to do with any religious work, or how good we perceive ourselves to be. God does these things because He is good.