The first piece of artwork my wife and I purchased as young newlyweds was an architectural drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge, or as it used to be called the East River Bridge. To be honest my wife, Danielle, is the one with the artistic eye in the family and she loves architectural pieces. In each of the homes we’ve rented or owned, this print has been prominently placed on one of the walls. It wasn’t until we came to Bethel Church over 15 years later that we learned the significance of that piece.

I come from a conservative background. The prophetic wasn’t really a part of my religious experience. We emphasized the Bible, and we weren’t really sure about those churches that emphasized the Holy Spirit. However, when we came to Bethel, we learned what a significant role the prophetic can, and should, have in the lives of believers today. 

One day when I was walking the River Trail in Redding, CA, I came to the Ribbon Bridge. It is a pedestrian bridge that spans the width of the Sacramento river. There are no piles or supports underneath the bridge, instead it is anchored on both sides by strong cables which are drilled 20-30 feet directly into the rock. As I stood reading the plaque describing the bridge, I gently heard the Lord speak to me. “That’s you,” He said. “You are already deeply anchored in Evangelicalism. Now I am anchoring you in the Charismatic/Pentecostal world, because you are a bridge between them.”

Over the years I’ve received numerous prophetic words about being a bridge. At first, I didn’t get them, but now they all make sense. My vision and calling is to help evangelicals understand more deeply the role of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He offers to the church. We don’t have to be afraid of the Holy Spirit, but we do have to experience Him in order to learn how He wants to work in our lives. At the same time, God has called me to emphasize the Scriptures to the Charismatic/Pentecostal side of the church. This wing of the church has been accused of being strong on experience but light on the Word. However, the Scriptures are literally God’s guidebook to the supernatural! When we read through that lens, we find that the Bible is full of examples of people who encountered God in profound and bizarre ways. Like the banks of a river, the Bible provides the boundaries through which the Spirit can flow freely. (Obviously, both of these characterizations are stereotypes, but hopefully you get the point.)

The other “word” I receive frequently is that God sees me as an anchor. At first that depressed me. Who wants to be the stick in the mud who slows everyone down? Not me! However, over time God revealed to me how a sea anchor actually works. During storms, sailors put out sea anchors of various types. These anchors stabilize the ship and enable it to survive during the storm. They aren’t for stopping the ship or even slowing it down, their purpose is to keep the boat afloat during perilous times. 

God calls me a bridge and an anchor. My vision is to see the church grow and mature through a deeper understanding of both the Word and the Spirit, two of the most powerful gifts we’ve been given.