Bible Teaching :: Worship :: Holy Spirit :: Grace :: Rapture
Philadelphia Band was a punk rock band when Christians didn’t play punk rock. We were thrown out of churches because our music was too aggressive, so MRC (a division of Maranatha! Music) under the direction of Bill Venezuela began booking us at colleges and prisons. The bold proclamation of the gospel combined with in your face raw rock and roll impacted college audiences regionally.
When I was 17, Lonnie Frisbee prayed for me on a Sunday night at Calvary Chapel Escondido. It changed my life. It felt like 1000 volts of electricity went through my body and the things he spoke over my life came true. For several months afterwards, every person I prayed for was either healed or had an encounter with the Holy Spirit like I did. Whenever Lonnie would come to San Diego, I would lead worship for him.
My first official role as worship leader was at Calvary Chapel Vista. I was only 16 at the time. I worked for Loaves and Fishes bookstore owned by Chuck and Iva Eason. They found out I played guitar, invited me to their bible study. A month later they announced they were starting a church and that I was the worship leader. The rest is history.
Sometime in the fall of 1973, I had a divine encounter with Jesus where I heard an audible voice say Holland I love you. I was at a Young Life meeting and the leader was simply reading John 3. When he read John 3:16, that’s when I heard the audible voice of Jesus. I told Jesus on my way home, if He loves me so much I will follow You all the days of my life. The rest is HIS story.