Persistant Faith

Last week, I and one other person were privileged to pray for a middle-aged Christian man, Gary, who had liver cancer. I sensed the presence of the Lord strongly when we anointed him with oil and commanded the cancer to leave. As the session ended, I felt like the Lord had stressed three points to Gary. Maybe they will speak to you in your situation, too.

Know The Resurrection’s Power of Christ

The Lord gave me a vision for Gary. I saw the inside of a hole in the ground in the woods. The bottom was covered with a single row of large soft leaves like Lamb’s Ear. When I looked up, I saw the simmering rays of the sun illuminating the bed of leaves. It was a peaceful even joyous scene. Then the sunlight left and a flashlight entered the hole. Its light went from side to side like it was searching for something. Then I sensed it was a grave.

What does this mean Lord?

“You can search all you want, but I am not there. The empty tomb is all the proof you need to know that I rose from the dead to give you power over the works of the enemy. Come boldly before the Throne of Grace.”

Take Communion

Taking communion frequently helps us to remain focused on Christ and what He has done. The Resurrection of Christ was not for the forgiveness of sins alone, but it also gave us the power to renew our mind and receive healing for our body as well

Psalm 103:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me,

Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forgot not all His benefits.

Who forgives all of your sins

And heals all your diseases.

Keep the faith.

Then at the end, the Lord said this:

“Tell Gary he does not have to have great faith to receive his healing but he does have to have persistent faith.” Then the Lord gave me this scripture:

Luke 17:5-6

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith-that trust and confidence that springs from our belief in God."

And the Lord answered, “If you have faith (trust and confidence in God) even as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea’, and it would obey you.”

What does persistent faith look like? It means we continue to stand and believe in God’s truth even though we may face opposition, obstacles, and discouragement. How is persistent faith maintained? By pursuing the word of God and listening to the testimony of others who have used persistent faith to win their battles.

Are you going through some tough times? Difficulties like cancer or others like a job loss will test our perseverance no matter how much faith we think we have. The enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy all of us and he will not give up easily. But with God’s steadfast strength, our persistent faith, and the revelations we gain from the study of His Word, we will come out on the winning side, alive and well.

My computer has been severely messed up. I hope to get it fixed soon. Thanks for your patience.

In The Spring Of His Presence

Spring is about rebirth and new life for all of God’s creation. It is about growth and the restoration of abundance. This is what God encouraged me to review when His presence paid me a visit. He wanted to open my eyes and deepen my understanding of importance of the death and resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I had finished interceding for the Easter Service, when I felt impressed to take a closer look at a large wooden cross laying on the stage. As I knelt down and felt the grain of the wood, God spoke to my heart.

“Lie down on the cross,” He said, “because there is something I want to show you.

At first, I felt unworthy. No Lord! Then, I thought what if someone sees me and how would that look?

God was patient with my objections but He continued to press me to trust Him. Ultimately, I willingly laid down on the cross and positioned myself as Jesus would have been. First, I placed my feet and then stretched out my arms across the horizontal post. When I indicated that I was ready, God quickly responded with,

“Ok…close your eyes and follow Me.”

I had seen the movie The Passion so God used that frame of reference to flash one still slide after another across the screen of my mind. The vivid images progressed from the trial, to the beatings, down the path lined with angry hecklers, and then up the hill where the nails were hammered into his hands and feet. I saw Jesus being lifted up and then I heard the sound of the cross hitting the bottom of the hole. God finished with the final scenes of the crucifixion and Jesus’ death. 

For a couple of minutes afterwards, I couldn’t move. The tears kept coming. I tried to sit up but God kept drawing me back down. I felt totally exposed. When I could not stand lying there any longer, I turned over to embraced the cross like a child crying out for comfort and security. I sensed God’s strong arms rapping around me. It was then that I experienced an overwhelming sense of love, appreciation, and gratitude towards Christ for all He had suffered to give me the salvation I enjoy today.

What was the Purpose for His Presence that day? To give me an experience that would so inspire my soul that I would be catapulted into a fearless proclamation of the cross to all those God would inspire me to reach.

Then He asked,

"Will you be willing to serve Me even more in the days to come?” 

I responded,

“Yes Sir. You can count on me.” 

Does your proclaiming of the Good News need a jolt? If so, allow the God to renew your strength and catapult you into a fearless proclaimation of the Gospel of Salvation. Time is short. We need to focus in on those God sends our way. As Christians, there is really no greater joy then when we have helped another find Christ.