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The Flora House

In the midst of these troubled economic times, I purchased a house a couple years ago to restore through ministry and find many parallels to the restoration to come. I would like to comment on some things, I now find a lot more agreement on economic issues than when I first started bringing them up in the nineties and since. Far-fetched as it sounds, I would like to invite Christians from anywhere in world to minister with me at this house that I am restoring to work for God's Kingdom, either here in Stockton or through those parallels. We, on the Latter Rain Page have borne witness, agreed in love, taken steps toward unity, and for the most part become friends. That is not to say, we have not witnessed a lot of kooks and divisive people but that is the way of the church. Many people have visited me over the years here in Stockton that simply wanted to meet me. On occasions, from out of state and one from the other side of the world, they stayed in my home, I helped them for free and they helped me out too. Bear with me, there are restoration principles here that I believe cannot be denied.  

One of the first positive things I heard after coming to Stockton in 1999, was that revival was to begin right here for California and beyond. Ministers told me of prophets coming through and pinpointing Stockton on the map and it touched my spirit. Long in coming, I still wait to see it and because of which, have resisted the opportunities to leave. I moved to Stockton from the San Francisco Bay area simply because we could buy a house here, in San Jose, we could scarcely afford rent. My family is here, I tried to get my Dad to help me with financing for a second home to fix up and sell at a profit. He was old and thought the prices were too high, too bad, by 2005, the prices tripled.

In 2006, interest only adjustable rate financing became so easy to get, I decided to find that fixer-upper and use the residents to help out in exchange for rent. This has been a life-long dream. The only thing affordable at the time were crumbling derelicts in run down neighborhoods with a hard resale. I could buy other houses in nicer neighborhoods but could not justify the incredible risk. I found a moderate house that needed a lot of work with an almost three hundred thousand dollar price tag and made a lower offer, the realtor laughed in my face and did not even submit it. It was at that time that I stretched out my hand at that house and asked the Lord to "bring these prices down" and stopped looking. Before I am accused of causing a world-wide economic crisis costing many millions of people their jobs, their homes and life savings, it was certainly prophetic, the housing bubble burst soon after.

I started writing against deregulation of the financial sector on my site in the nineties after the Savings and Loan crisis, no audience, that was before the latter rain list. I talked of a planned economy against supply side free-market exploitation and was rebuffed. Once we started our discussions, I accused the Christian Right as being under a strong delusion during insane political deceit, we had a lot of agreement on this but right-wingers called me all kinds of names. I preached against the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO and the New World Order. I warned that the American media were self-interest propagandists. I spoke out against Republicans and Democrats alike, when I denounced George W. Bush as a liar and ruining our country, I became an outcast in the prophetic community that I had endeared myself to, I did not retreat but did come out from them, and became bolder. The nation has had negative job growth since 2000 and getting worse, a belated "told you so" is no comfort since work dried up for me as well and I became heavily in debt vainly trying to dig myself out. Understanding economic theory can be quite complicated to average people like you and me yet it is not hard to understand that the people who are in the know about these things caused the problem and raked in billions for themselves. Pick up the movie "Inside Job," narrated by Matt Damon for a excellent understanding of what went on.

The American people did not create our debt, criminal banksters, rich people and corporations who do not pay taxes, concentrated wealth, out sourcing, corporate lobbyists, corrupt politicians, deregulation, bail-outs, wall street frauds, insurance companies and senseless wars did. The only people who are benefiting from this crisis are the ones that caused it but it is a stagnant, powerless and apathetic people that perpetuate it. Washington is now run by corporate rulers and the inevitable crisis will be economic ruin for the entire world. While I am pessimistic about this world system, I am optimistic about the Kingdom of God and believe that our restoration will be a positive thing. Everything you have is threatened by the elitist 1%, they are waging war against us all. We need change, not more preaching. Justice will only come through those called to this end-time restoration. An ignorant public turns a blind eye to war and exploitation with the delusion that this is the price of "freedom"; it is the price of ignorance and greed while we degenerate into a banana republic. Supporting an ungodly mammon system is turning hearts against God's Kingdom and adds nothing but more confusion, because as we all get poorer, the super rich get a free ride and blackened hearts admire that. Believe me, judgment is coming for them before all others unless He finds repentance.

I should paint a rosy picture of Stockton if you really want to come here, but that comes mostly with its thorns. We are number one at being dead last. Tipping the first domino, Stockton was ground zero for the mortgage crisis. Forbes magazine has consistently ranked Stockton as among the nation's most miserable cities and again this year, we are at the top of the dishonor list. They cite high unemployment, rampant crime and sky-high taxes which mar an otherwise livable city. Housing prices down 67%; foreclosures affecting almost 7% of homes, all these things rank among the worst in the country but we are a mere microcosm of other cities. Think of a rose when it wilts and dies, prune it, and it comes back.

Unemployment is projected to rise to 18.1% here. Even that is fallacious, count those who are chronically unemployed, mentally ill, on the streets, on the dole, early retirees, illegal activity out of the system and unemployment more than doubles. Stockton consistently ranks last in a study of literacy in the nation's largest 70 cities. A stretched police force is frustrated by deep cuts in city services due to the lack of income from depressed property values. I read that violent crime was down 10% in the latest figures from the FBI, even the thugs took a pay cut. I see welfare money squandered on drugs and alcohol and the county does nothing about it except to systematically keep people down. I have way too many examples to list. A high percentage of people cannot afford to do business legitimately due to expensive fees. Professionals in the trades are edged out by unqualified cheap labor. I am not given to profane language but I have described Stockton as a hell hole on occasions but frankly, it is not that bad. I had the choice in 2009 to move out of the area, pool family resources and move to Santa Cruz, but I turned that down to buy an aging Victorian and bring it back to its former glory. Committed to restoration and revival, I rushed to this beautiful house once the prices came down.

Am I doing a good job in convincing you not to come to Stockton? Good, this is only for those called to it. Along with good help and ministry, I have had more than my share of drunks and drug addicts here, free-loaders pretending to be Christian, thieves, lazy people, kooks, the mentally ill, bullies, con men and women, gangster types who want to take over the house. I look back and smile at the past with more fond memories than sense of it all from the knowledge that God has brought me through it so well. I love/hate Stockton but I love helping people, I love this beautiful house and things are getting done. We need to see people here that God has already prepared for the revival. Jesus was a carpenter. Local people or those half way around the world, if God has called you for any kind of ministry, here or where you are, you need to be willing to be a part and not delay, time is getting short. If you are sitting around waiting for a rapture, you have already been left behind.

Now about this house. In 2005 it was sold for $550,000 as a restored Victorian. It was not worth over a half a million dollars so the people walked away from it, same with thousands of other houses in town. I bought it from the bank for $79,500 in 2009 because no one had the courage to fix a large house with so much work and a crumbling foundation. Did I say it was restored? If a board is ruined by dry rot, don't replace it, cover it with Fixall and paint over it. If a tree is too close to the foundation and bringing the house down, give it more water so it looks nice. That's the wrong way. The church is like that, a Jezebel, all covered with a false facade to lure the unsuspecting people of God. I am a painting contractor and went into negotiations by overlooking the faults and bought it just the same, I know that this house is well built. I am committed to doing things the right way and allowing people to help along the way while I help them. There is a prophetic belief that there will be a transfer of wealth into the hands of God's people beyond our current recession, what is happening right now is a transfer of wealth from all of us into the hands of the super rich and the in money we trust luke-warm church spawned it. While an ungodly world kingdom races toward Armageddon in the name of their respective false spirits, there will be those of us called to truly affirm God's Kingdom. Believing God's Word, we will not avert Armageddon but we will bring about restoration. Turning the world up-side down is necessary for Jesus to take His proper place. Like the church, the Flora House really is pretty, it just needs restoration work. And I cannot emphasize strongly enough that it takes people who are called to do it.

There is a vision here that God has given me that I cannot do alone. If He has given the Flora House for ministry, then He will make it so. We need that revival in Stockton and we need to do what we can in your community too. We need to have groups to establish ministry and bring people together that are not shackled by the old ways of division. The Flora House is gated and secure, highly visible, downtown, across from the teen center. Open up the gates and let the neighbors come on Sunday afternoon barbecue. music and ministry and start from there, they love this house too. We don't need more churches, we need something better. I have provided musical instruments, keyboard, acoustical guitars, a Fender Strat, amp, congas, drum set, harmonicas, tambourine. No musicians yet, I play a little guitar and can read piano but hampered by a hand injury. How about some joyful noise coming out of here. We need to get a food pantry started, I cannot afford food. It is a working house, people come here knowing that it is structured, no one is allowed to just lay around wasting their lives, residents have either been required to help out or go out and improve their own selves somehow. The house is almost empty now with four vacant bedrooms. It is a 3,250 square foot live together sharing house, furnished, kitchen, washer and dryer, cable TV, Internet and phone, everything we need except more mattresses. We have to trust in the Lord and our own motivation for paying bills, I cannot get further in debt. I have a business set up, a contractor's license, pickup truck, bucket truck, scaffolding and tools necessary to do whatever we come up with.

What kind of revival is this? My wife and I are living in a modest house but it is a nicer area than the Flora House downtown. The Flora House is part of a commercial area and the last house on the block, which is a plus, perfectly safe, the worst parts of town are east and south, not here. Many people in Stockton are chained together by the miseries of poverty, drug ridden housing, mental illness, ignorance, political impotence and despair; when they are employed their jobs pay the least and the businesses around charge beyond their ability to pay. They are deprived in most areas basic to human growth, if they get sick or injured, they have to find a way to dodge the bills or get Obama to pay, many without insurance are robbed of everything. We cannot give them Jesus without giving them hope and spiritual action. Not just an evangelical message but change they can live with in this world as well as the next. I have found no churches here willing to do that but they must be hiding somewhere. Most Christians want to get blessed, not be a blessing. Most Christians do not minister, they may give to ministries, most simply don't care. Most Christians think that they cannot change things and leave it up to invisible hands. Most Christians do nothing for the Kingdom.

I make this appeal for the Flora House with low expectations but high hopes. Every Christian minister through the Flora House has failed to come through with what they say. Out of the many that receive this, there might be none called to come. While there may only be a few of you that can actually help physically, spiritually there is lot you can do. Prayer and moral support through faith is always needed in all of our communities. We need the kind of encouragement that drives us forward rather than retreating into despair. God's true prophets need to speak out against this materialistic, nature of the beast, economic bastardization of church and society but more, we need to do something. We all need to accept others the way they are and then let God do what He does best, forgive and save. Organizational advice is welcomed, this can come from anywhere in the world. Local Central Valley people can help with ministry and basic necessities. I have no 501C3 and can't go to the food bank without one, I may need a California umbrella set up.