One of the cherished memories of my ministry is in seeing a young Turkish pastor, a former Muslim, racing toward me across an auditorium in Almaty, Kazakhstan, shouting, "Papa! Papa! Papa!" A moment later he grabbed me, lifted me from the floor, and kissed me on both cheeks. It was a "father-son" moment and I was as thrilled as he. We originally met in Moscow when I was traveling with Derek Prince and serving on his Ministry Team. A heart-bond
was established between me and this young Turk in Russia and our surprise- encounter in Kazakhstan was an indescribable thrill. He had traveled several
thousand miles hitch-hiking and riding hot, over-crowded buses to attend Derek’s Conference. Our encounter was a happy surprise for both of us. This kind of father-son bonding began about 1982 soon after my fresh-anointing with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
Let me explain: My wife Laurie and I had recently moved to a new pastorate in Delray Beach, Florida and it was here one early morning, the Holy Spirit awoke me, shouting the name "Jephunneh" in my ear. I was startled awaked, leaped out of bed, got my Bible, and found a reference to this stranger in Numbers 13:1-20. He was unknown to me. When I found the passage I recognized the event and began to weep. "Jephunneh" was included in the list of 12 spies Moses sent to explore the Promised Land. I knew only Caleb and Joshua had been faithful. "Lord!," I wept, "Are you telling me that I failed the test? I am not one of the faithful ones?!" My sense of rejection was overwhelming. Finally, I composed myself, read the passage, and was shocked. Jephunneh was not a spy. He was the father of Caleb--one of Israel’s greatest heroes! The Holy Spirit then spoke again: "Jephunneh," He called, "You are to father My Calebs!" I dropped back on the bed in shock. God wanted me to be a "father" to His Calebs? Incredible!
I quickly realized that all "Calebs," ancient or modern, share a common trait: They are men of significance and power. Such men have gone beyond the realm of religious persuasion and are walking in anointing and authority. Almost immediately, God began sending young ministers to me. Everywhere I went, in and out of the U.S, pastors like the one in Moscow began bonding to me. For example, I was once boarding a plane in South America at four o’clock in the morning when a young man rushed onto a balcony above me, began waving his arms and shouting, "Papa! Papa! Papa!" I recognized him. The night before, he had been powerfully delivered from drug addiction at a church where I spoke. That same night, when I laid-hands on him, the Holy Spirit fell powerfully and he left the meeting as a free man. Jephunneh had entered his life.
Many of you know and love David Rhea, my Personal Assistant who has traveled with me for the past twenty years. We met in Murphreesboro, Tennesssee, in 1999, when a group of local churches asked me to speak at their Citywide Crusade. David came, experienced the power of God, and we were permanently bonded. Our relationship was one God destined to bless the lives of us and the thousands to whom we ministered. A true Caleb, he later wrote me: "Dear Charles, I am writing a long over-due letter of thanks to you. My words fall short in saying how grateful I am to you and your Ministry. When you took me under-wing in 1999, it started an amazing journey in God and my life
has never been the same. From South and Central America, Ecuador, Peru, to Alaska, Canada, England, and all over the USA, I have watched God touch lives through you. I witnessed deliverances, healings, impartations, words of knowledge, and other dramatic works of God taking place. The Holy Spirit filled thousands of lives and the Kingdom of Heaven was released on the earth. I sat under hours of messages of power, wisdom, revelation, the Kingdom, intimacy and fellowship with God. Watching you with your ear nailed to God, listening from heaven, being careful to release only what you heard from God. This will forever impact my life!
God knew exactly whom I needed when He brought you–and you have spoken into my life spiritually, educationally, and fatherly. You stood by me in hard times, patiently listening, then giving me words of encouragement and wisdom. You ministered to me in deliverance, impartations of power, words of knowledge, fatherly love, friendship–and the list goes on. You have shown the fruit of Jesus in your life toward me and all those whom you touched.
Thank you Charles for supporting me and allowing me to experience this life changing journey with you! As most of your readers know, it was through your prayers and the prayers of others, God brought a beautiful wife into my life: Marelise, from Cape Town, South Africa. We met on a cruise ship with you Charles, Laurie, and your children, and now I have a thirteen year old son, "David Migael Rhea. Praise be to the Lord!!! I would like to end by saying THANK YOU SO MUCH! to you Charles and your Board Members for everything you have been and have done in my life!" --- Love to all of you! David, Marelise, and David M. Rhea
Another of my "Calebs" is Shane O’Conner, an Elder in the Church of Christ, in Memphis, Tennessee. His letter explains our relationship: "Charles. I loved being on the phone with you this morning catching up on Kingdom happenings (and hugs)! It was wonderful remembering our first meeting back in March of 1994 at the Holiday Inn Medical Center in Midtown Memphis.
"You came in town to lead a three-day Conference on the Holy Spirit (Wed.- Fri.). I had never been to a meeting like that in my life. I listened to your message Wednesday night, running it through my Church of Christ/Seminary Degree/book, chapter and verse mental filters. I found nothing "suspect" in your message, on the contrary, it was quite faith-building. When you were through, you pointed to my wife and me and said: "That couple right there." I surmised you wanted to pray for us, which was fine with me, so we went to the front.
"In front of two hundred people, you first gently prayed for my wife, then moved to me. I don’t remember your touching me, but I do remember that the next thing I knew was that I was flat on my back on the floor of the Holiday Inn ballroom looking up at the fluorescent lights in the ceiling thinking: "What in the world just happened? What am I doing on the floor?!," and, "I don’t believe in this stuff." (Meaning: I didn’t believe in tangible demonstrations of the power of God–since they ceased with the death of the last original-apostle- -according to my cessationist theology). Well, I got up in a few minutes and determined that I would return the next night intending to pepper you with questions about the incident.
"When I arrived the next night, you saw me down a hallway and said: "Brother, would you help with the ministry tonight?," and then you disappeared into a side room. I asked the fellow hosting the Conference what you meant and he told me that you would like for me to help break people’s falls if the Spirit so moved on them. Needless to say, I felt quite out of place as I assisted breaking the falls of dozens of people who responded to your message that night!
"I wasn’t able to catch up with you that evening so I returned the third night
with a robust list of questions--determined to corner you and to get some answers. Well, around 10 pm as I thought things were winding down, I saw you across the ballroom and headed your way. You saw me coming towards you and with a great big smile on your face you lifted your hands in my direction from about 20 feet away and the next thing I knew I was down on my face, on the carpet, in the ballroom at the Holiday Inn. No sooner had I hit the floor than a flood of belly laughter began pouring out of me from the depths of my being. I laid there for about 45 minutes in non-stop laughter. I laid there in a pool of slobber (from all the laughter), carpet fuzz between my teeth, experiencing being "filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8) I experienced first hand Psalm 126:2 "Our mouths were filled with laughter..."
That evening opened a glorious new dimension for me in my walk with our Lord. The blinders were taken off and I came to learn about the Kingdom of "power" that Jesus came to bring, experiencing new life and power in my personal life and in my ministry to others. I cherish the personal friendship you and I have developed through the years, your influence in my life, and the example you set for me in your unquenchable desire for MORE of Him. Love you! — Shane
In illustrating the "Jephunneh" bond that Shane and I still share and how it has sometimes worked, I quote the following note from John Arnott, founding pastor at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in Canada. This church has impacted thousands of congregations and pastors around the world. It is now known as "Catch The Fire." John is referring to the Word, Spirit, Power, Conference, Jack Taylor, R.T. Kendall, and I, conducted there years ago–this was in conjunction with Toronto's annual Pastors Conference. About 3,000 Church leaders from 63 nations worldwide were present at the time. John wrote: "Charles, share this with your readers: ‘Wow! What a week we had at our Annual Pastor’s Conference in Toronto with R.T. Kendall, Jack Taylor, and Charles Carrin. We truly had the Word, Spirit, and Power. R.T. was
outstanding with his preaching, Jack Taylor was amazing with his silver- tongued oratory, and Charles, you blew the meeting away with the power of
the Holy Spirit---putting most of the place on the floor and under the power of God. Many were saying that it was the best Pastor’s Conference ever. All glory and praise to God!" --- John Arnott
What happened in my ministry at Toronto was the Jephunneh-impartation. New "Calebs" left the Conference with greater anointing and power. Best of all, they returned home capable of giving to others the same power of the Spirit that had come upon them. In a far-lessor way and which I mention guardedly, we followed the example of Elijah and Elisha (II Kings 2:11). When the old prophet was taken to Heaven the younger one was given his fallen-mantle. Hear this testimony–another from that wonderful event in Toronto:
"Dear Charles, I want to tell you how much you blessed me in Toronto. You came to the row where I was sitting with folks from my church and when you touched my forehead the power of the Holy Spirit hit me like lightning striking a tree. A little while later you came back through our whole row.
Once again, the power of the Holy Spirit hit me, I fell to the floor and found my hand clinched, extending like I was holding a sword. You prayed over me for a very long time. When you finished I felt if you had not stopped I would have died! ... We met again the next day when you were coming down the aisle before the morning session. You greeted me again--and the power of the Holy Spirit came once more. I and the floor became ‘one’ for a long period of time ... I can’t thank you enough for your ministry in Toronto! It greatly blessed me! I needed a power-encounter with the Living God ..."
Figuratively, at age 90, my mantle has fallen and many others have received it
(II Kings 2:11-14). God is using them in miraculous signs and wonders from Kazakhstan to Argentina, Africa to Alaska, and other remote parts of the world. Many are scattered across the U.S. I no longer travel internationally but have become a great-grand-father to numerous other pastors and can say with the hymn writer:
"I know I’m near the holy ranks /Of friends and kindred dear; I brush the dew on Jordan’s banks/The crossing must be near! O, come angel band/Come and around me stand, O bear me away on your snowy wings/To my immortal home! O bear me away on your snowy wings/To my immortal home!"
Best of all, I trust I can say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, hence-forth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day and not to me only but to all who love His appearing" (II Timothy 4:7). Amen and Hallelujah!--- Chas
That being true, I want you to hear from a few of the individuals whose lives or ministries I have fathered. Not all are preachers. In future issues of Gentle Conquest you will meet a few of these wonderful men.— Papa Charles
SONS IN MINISTRY PERSONAL TESTIMONIES
1. SENT: SEPTEMBER 29, 2020: Mario, November 19th, this year, I celebrate my 90th Birthday and am asking a few of my "Sons in Ministry" to write an article about God’s work in their pastoral careers, and–if so--my fatherly-role in it. You are one of whom I am especially proud; you have much to tell about God’s blessings in your ministry and personal life. Sharing your family’s escape from Cuba, your role in South Florida’s Latin Church, personal ministry, and assignment to President’s Trump’s Evangelical Council, would be a great blessing for others to read. You are a modest man who do not realize how impacting your life and ministry have been to pastors you never met. You have seriously impacted me.
Will you accept my request? I will then publish your article and others "on- line" in my Newsletter, Gentle Conquest. Countless readers in the U.S. and
around the world will be blessed. Let me know. My Newsletter is usually four typed pages long–use all, part, or more–but tell your story. Don’t be shy; you have much to share. Pray and obey! – Papa Charles
2. Rick Branson: Rick, This is a formal request I am sending to five or six others. November 19th, this year, I celebrate my 90th Birthday and am asking a few of my "Sons in Ministry" to write an article about God’s work in their pastoral careers, and–if so–any fatherly-role I have had in it. Sharing your early life, conversion, yielding to God’s call to ministry, and the phenomenal work you have done in Pakistan, Africa, and other remote sites, will be a great blessing and encouragement to others. Your life and ministry have impacted many you never met. I will then publish your article "on-line" in my Newsletter, Gentle Conquest. Countless readers in the U.S. and around the world will be blessed. My Newsletter is usually four typed pages long–use all, part, or more–but tell your story. Don’t be shy; you have much to share. Pray and obey! – Papa C
3. November 19th, this year, I celebrated my 90th Birthday and am asking a few special friends and/or Sons in Ministry to write an article about God’s work in their personal lives, and–if so--my fatherly-role in it. The information below is similar to one I am sending to several pastors and/or friends to whom I am especially close. You are not an Ordained Minister as are most of the others but I want your testimony to be included with theirs. Out of horrendous grief and loss of your childhood, family, friends, and finance, you became a committed Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ. We will use much of your material already composed and also give additional information. Yours is a
sermon that I and other preachers can never tell. You are one of whom I am especially proud: You have much to tell about God’s providing you with "survival grace" and other blessings in your personal life. Sharing your childhood terror as an 11 year old accused of murder and the life of deprivation that followed will be a great motivator for others. By the grace of
God you survived! Tell of your grandfather Rentschler, his role in Pratt- Whitney, etc, etc. You are a modest man and do not realize how impacting
your life can become to people you never met. You have seriously impacted me.