Supernatural Boldness: From Tattooing to Tongues with Joseph McFarland

I remember standing on a busy street corner in Mobile, Alabama, feeling my heart hammer against my ribs like a trapped bird. I had a sign in my hand that read "REPENT," and honestly, I felt like I was standing there naked. It was a "dare" moment—one of those times where the Holy Spirit nudges you so hard you either have to jump or live with the regret of staying on the shore. Beside me stood Joseph McFarland, a man who has become a brother in every sense of the word. We were nervous, looking at the bus station, looking at the crowds, wondering if we were about to be embraced or executed.

You see, many of us sitting in the pews every Sunday feel that same tug. We want the "more" of God. We want to see the sick healed, the broken restored, and the supernatural reality of the Bible manifest in our daily lives. But then the "what ifs" start screaming. What if people laugh? What if I'm not "spiritual" enough? What if the devil decides to make me his personal target because I've stepped onto his turf? We want the power of the Book of Acts, but we're often too paralyzed by the fear of the 21st-century reaction.

The pain point for many believers is this gap between the Sunday morning sermon and the Monday morning reality. We feel unqualified, under-equipped, and frankly, a bit terrified of what might happen if we actually started acting like the Great Commission was a direct command. We settle for a lopsided message of grace that doesn't require change, while the world around us is literally dying for a touch of the authentic, supernatural Jesus.

In this post, I want to take you behind the scenes with my good friend Joseph McFarland—part of "Team Jesus" here at Coffee with Conrad. Gary Nesbitt calls us the "Cheech and Chong of Christianity" because we’re just real dudes who love Jesus and aren’t afraid to say "Dude, you need Jesus!" Joseph’s story is a wild ride that starts in a tattoo parlor and ends up in the back of a garbage truck at forty-five miles per hour, and it’s the perfect solution for anyone wondering if God can still use an ordinary person to do extraordinary things.

Joseph spent nearly thirty years in the tattoo industry. Now, I’m not here to bash art, but for Joseph, it was a lifestyle that eventually began to weigh on his spirit. He told me how he’d tattooed thousands of people, but as he grew in his love for Jesus, the Holy Spirit began to convict him. He never did demonic or witchcraft symbols—he had that line in the sand even then—but eventually, the Lord led him to walk away from it all. He traded the tattoo needle for the Gospel, and he’s never looked back. It’s funny how God doesn't waste anything; Joseph still draws on napkins and styrofoam cups at work, creating beautiful horses and roses that people in his office actually keep and treasure. He took that artistic talent and turned it toward making the ministry signs we use on the streets.

One of our most intense moments happened on Highway 49 in Gulfport, right in front of the Starbucks. The humidity was thick, the smell of roasted coffee was in the air, and six to eight lanes of traffic were zooming past us. We were taking turns preaching and holding signs when I looked across the concrete median.

"Dude," I said, pointing. "It's the devil."

I wasn't being metaphorical. Out of nowhere, in the middle of zooming traffic, a man appeared who looked like he’d stepped straight out of a nightmare. He was dressed in a red cape, a black tutu with a pink skirt, horns on his head, and a long white beard. He was a self-proclaimed Satanist, and he was livid. He walked through those lanes of traffic without even looking, cursing at us and screaming that God was dead.

The spiritual atmosphere shifted instantly. Joseph didn't flinch. He just started screaming back, "Jesus loves you! God sent His Son to die for you!" The man was spitting and flipping us off, but as we stood our ground in the name of Jesus, he just veered away and vanished back into the traffic. A lady rolled down her window a few moments later, her eyes wide. She told us, "You guys just ran off the devil!" It was a concrete reminder that Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4 KJV).

But the story everyone asks about is the truck. Years ago, Joseph was working on a garbage route with a godly mentor named Woody Lot. Woody was discipled him, teaching him how to pray and read the Word. Joseph was a Baptist by upbringing and didn't know much about the baptism of the Holy Spirit or speaking in tongues. He asked Woody when it would happen, and Woody just said, "In God's time, son. When you least expect it."

It was a Friday, and they were halfway through the route. Joseph was standing on the back of the garbage truck, holding onto the metal bar, wind whipping past his face as they hit about forty-five miles per hour. Woody was in the cab, singing praises to Jesus, and Joseph was singing along from the back.

Suddenly, Joseph felt a heat—a "hotness" he says he can’t explain—fall over his entire body. It started at his feet and rushed to his head. His body began to tingle with a power he’d never felt before. The last thing he saw was his own hand letting go of that metal bar. He tumbled off the back of the truck at full speed, rolling into a ditch.

Woody slammed on the brakes and ran back. Joseph was lying there, and when he tried to speak, he thought he was speaking English, but Woody couldn't understand a word.

"McFarland," Woody shouted, "I can't hear you because you're speaking in tongues!"

Joseph lay in that ditch, unharmed. No scrapes, no bruises, no blood, and no soreness. He was just on fire for God, vibrating with the presence of the Holy Spirit. A lady came to her front door to see if he needed an ambulance, but Joseph was too busy worshipping in an unknown language. It reminds me of the promise in the Word: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17 KJV).

Since joining up with me and Susan, Joseph has seen that same supernatural power manifest through words of knowledge. We were on a pier in Pascagoula once, and the Lord told Joseph to stop a specific man named Travis. Joseph stood right in his way. The man looked like he wanted to bolt, but Joseph looked him in the eye and said, "Sir, you have an infertility problem."

The man’s jaw hit the floor. He called his wife up from the beach, and they both started weeping. They had spent thousands on treatments that failed. Joseph prayed for them right there, and a few weeks later, they messaged him on Facebook. She was pregnant. They have a baby now. That’s the "extraordinary" that God wants to do through "ordinary" people who are willing to be "Team Jesus."

Personal Reflections

Watching Joseph grow in this ministry has been a masterclass in humility and obedience for me. Sometimes, when we pray for people together, the anointing is so thick it feels like a physical weight. I’ve seen Joseph release the anointing, and it’s hit me so hard I’ve almost gone down myself! We’ve stood in my garage, selling old junk to fund our summer ministry, and had the Holy Spirit blow through that place like a literal rushing mighty wind.

What I've learned through my friendship with Joseph is that the "dark" stuff—the warfare—is real, but it’s just training. Before Joseph started coming out with us, I warned him that all hell would break loose. He was skeptical until his lawnmower motor literally fell off the frame, his lightbulbs started exploding like fireworks, and he was physically pushed down his porch steps by an unseen force.

I’ve had my share of these battles too. In my book, OPEN YOUR EYES: MY SUPERNATURAL JOURNEY (https://amzn.to/3RJx7by), I talk about the reality of the spiritual realm. If you aren't being attacked, you might want to check which direction you're walking. As the saying goes, if the devil never crosses your path, maybe you're both going the same way. But once you realize you have authority as a son of the Most High, those shadow demons and "bad luck" streaks lose their teeth. They are just trying to get you to stay home. Don't let them.

Biblical References

The foundation of everything we do on the streets comes back to the message of Peter in the Book of Acts. When we hold up those "REPENT" signs, people often get uncomfortable. But repentance isn't a dirty word; it's a "turn-around" word. It’s the first step to the supernatural life.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38 KJV).

We see people healed because we believe the Word is still alive. When we met George, his hearing was shot and his heart was failing. God healed his body and provided him a place to live. When we saw a man who was emaciated and dying of liver cancer, we prayed. Months later, he came walking up to us, healthy and muscular, pushing a bicycle.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8 KJV).

We don't do this for money or fame. Joseph makes horseshoe nail crosses out of his own pocket to give away. It’s a $2 ministry that opens $1,000,000 doors. We met a woman at a hospital pond who was at the end of her rope, and when Joseph put that cross around her neck and hugged her, she broke down. She had been praying for God to send someone to love on her. God is looking for the hands and feet, and He found them in a former tattoo artist and a guy with a podcast.

Key Takeaways

• Obedience Over Ability: God doesn't need you to be a professional; He needs you to be willing. Joseph was a garbage collector when the Holy Spirit fell on him.
• Expect Spiritual Warfare: If you step out for Jesus, the enemy will notice. Don't be surprised by the "exploding lightbulbs" in your life—it’s just a sign you’re on the right track.
• The Power of Repentance: The message of "Repent" is the gateway to the gift of the Holy Ghost. It’s about turning toward the Light.
• Signs and Wonders are for Today: Infertility, cancer, and deafness are no match for the name of Jesus when believers stand in their authority.
• Simple Tools Work: You don't need a huge budget. A handmade cross or a simple sign can be the "thousand words" someone needs to see.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Joseph McFarland is a testament to the fact that your past doesn't disqualify you from a supernatural future. Whether you’re a tattoo artist, a garbage collector, or a corporate executive, Jesus is looking for that "open and willing heart." We are the Cheech and Chong of Christianity because we’ve realized that being real is more important than being religious.

If you’ve been feeling that nudge to "dig deeper and go higher," I want to encourage you to stop waiting for a "perfect" time. There is no perfect time—there is only God’s time. If you want to learn more about my own journey into the supernatural and how to deal with things like night terrors and demonic attacks, check out my books OPEN YOUR EYES and Overcoming Night Terror: Making the Demons Leave (https://amzn.to/3XRFohl).

What is God nudging you to do today? Is He asking you to pick up a sign, pray for a neighbor, or maybe just finally say "yes" to the Holy Spirit? Don't let the fear of "falling off the truck" stop you. Even if you do, you might just find yourself speaking in tongues in a ditch, completely unharmed and totally transformed.

Action Items

• Identify Your "Sign": What is one simple way you can represent Jesus this week? It could be a kind word, a small gift, or offering to pray for someone’s "infertility" (or whatever their mountain is).
• Study Acts 2: Read the chapter in the KJV and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how that same power applies to your life today.
• Audit Your Warfare: If you’ve been experiencing strange "bad luck" since deciding to grow spiritually, stop complaining and start commanding. Use the name of Jesus to tell those shadows to leave.
• Connect with the Team: Follow Joseph McFarland on Facebook to see the ongoing "Team Jesus" adventures and get inspired by the street ministry updates.
• Subscribe: Sign up for the newsletter at ConradRocks.net to stay connected with our community of believers who are seeking the "more" of God.

Dig deeper and go higher!

— Conrad