Around same the time that my spine - which was deformed due to a hip dislocation which occurred at birth - was miraculously healed, Pastor Mark was out of the country preaching the Gospel in Papua New Guinea, and God was stretching forth His hand performing mighty signs and wonders in the name of His holy child, Jesus. It was reported that around the same time I received a mighty miracle whereby God, by His mighty power, rearranged my mutilated and twisted up spine, God was also doing a unique thing in Papua New Guinea of miraculously healing backs.
Since Pastor Mark's return, we've seen film clips from the missions trip which included footage of an out-of-control demoniac child miraculously and gloriously set free from captivity, a young man born deaf hearing and speaking for the first time in his life, swelling in a gland from tuberculosis going down right before the eyes of all viewing. We saw people going out under the power of God as they were led into the waters of baptism right after giving their lives to Christ and coming up out of the water under the power of God as well. It was reported that many awakened and rose up speaking with the glorious language of heaven by the power of the Holy Ghost being uttered from their lips for the very first time.
When asked why the miracles are not happening in the United States like they are in other countries - especially those less developed - Pastor Mark replied, "They are! What are you doing?"
Perhaps the miracles are not happening on the same scale as in other countries where people aren't predesposed by doctrines of man and of devils to resisting the Holy Ghost, but they are happening nonetheless. It is suggested that if more people were believing the Gospel and being doers of the Word of God and not merely hearers only, the miracles would be happening on the same scale - if not on a larger scale.
5 comments:
That's profound...and quite true. I've found that nearly all of my problems have stemmed from things that I was never supposed to have in my life, yet I bit into a lie somewhere that I needed or wanted the thing - only to have to find out that it was a snare after it was too late to avoid getting caught in it.
And regarding the lifestyle we lead, I see this as the beauty of it, actually. God is no different than most people in this regard: He wants to be loved. And most of us would prefer that a person reciprocate our love of their own free will rather than being coerced or manipulated into reciprocating. God IS different than most of us in that He absolutely will not do anything to try and manipulate or coerce anyone's love, period. With most of us, the forms of manipulation and coersion are subtle enough for us to be able to deceive our own selves that we aren't participating in the manipulation and coersion games, but the human spirit cannot be fooled for long. It knows when it has been ensnared. Once it is recognized that the human spirit has been caught in a snare, it absolutely will seek to liberty (hence, the phrase, "Give me liberty, or give me death" was born). God, however, is 100% hands-off. And, as much as He'd love to intervene in many tragic circumstances, He will not interfere or come on the scene until He is invited and until He knows He is welcomed and free to be Who He is in the midst of the situation.
And it's been my experience that any relationship - whether it be with a close friend or family member or a relationship headed toward marrage - is so much richer when the two people involved in it are there because, with their whole hearts, they sincerely want to be there. Maintaining a relationship where one or the other or both participants are not equal in the desire to keep the relationship living and relevant is exhausting and a source of continual letdown and disappointment. So, in this way, God is not different than most of us. He would prefer not to have to continue this type of unequal devotion. The Bible says that His Spirit will not always strive with a man. Until that point is reached, though, He will be reaching out and compelling His lost ones to be reconciled to Him. And the best news is, when our mercies would have long since given out, His mercies are renewed every morning!
I've often deeply questioned why it is in such a nation full of rebels and rascals - activity which God hates with searing hatred - that God's hand is extended and His mercy comes back again and again (His mercy is the only reason the US is still standing). After years of grappling with this question, this occurred to me: We live in a nation full of options. In many countries there are no options for a large sector of the population. For them, it's a miracle or bust (and we know the Bible says that God's miracles are His memorial). In this country, there are options upon options - so much so that the options seem endless. We can tickle our intellectual fancies 999 different ways, we can tickle our emotional fancies 999,000 different ways, and the list of options goes on and on. For every human desire, there are multitudes of options. Who needs God when we have all these options?
And it occurred to me. I've experienced love from another when it is given freely because the person sincerely wants to give it. My mother is one amazing example of such love. I mean, I'm grown. I was a pain. I know I was a pain, but my mama loves me!!! She's one of my favorite people to talk to, why? Because she sincerely likes to talk to me! This kind of love is infectious. This is the kind of love I've craved from other relationships, and I can't seem to settle out for less. And I'm in the same position that God is, basically. I live in a time and place where people have all these options. And I find myself having to define and redefine a life of contentment in solitude because so many people I know opt for other options that don't include giving time to a relationship with me. And that's fine. It used to really bother me. But I see things more clearly now. All it means is that I get more time to press in and know and come to believe more fully the love that God has for me. In this I am truly blessed.
I know how much it means to me when someone is for me, and cares about me, and puts forth some effort to make this love known. If it means something to me, I know it means something to God when someone does the same for Him. And in a nation full of option upon option, I know it blesses God's heart when there is someone, anyone, who cashes in all his options and opts only to know God and walk with Him in the pure simplicity of His love which has no bounds, no ceilings, no floors, and the depths of it have no end whatsoever. No one will ever know this love without pressing in to know it. To know this love, it must become precious - precious enough to lay aside everything else and keep one's attention focused solely on knowing and walking in this love. This love of God demands this kind of commitment and loyalty and diligence. It's too sacred to just add in among all the other options.
And when one person opts out of all his or her options to know this love of God which surpasses knowledge, I know this is most precious to Father. I know this blesses His heart. When one person appreciates the love that it took for Jesus, God's Son, to lay down His life to repair the breach Adam created between God and man, I know this blesses Father's heart more than anything else.
....wow, that's a really great comment. thank you!
I just wanted to comment and say I'm really glad to have found your blog and thanks for posting that link to bro Glen Galloway's (a.k.a. Galaxalag) article. That thing is unbelievable! He had post a snippet of it on www.intransitcentre.info/index2.html some time ago saying that it was from a book he was writing and I've been dying to get some more of it ever since. Sooo much goodness in that thing. It's gonna take a while to soak it all up.
Praise God! You and Glenn just made my day! Praise God for yer blog!
"'ll be sure and let Glen know he has another reader."
whoa...whoa...umm...whoa now...easy does it. I've spoken w/ glenn via email a few times and what not, but you be soundin like you know him. what a blessin!!
I dunno, I just get really excited when I see or read or hear anything new from him cuz Soul-Junk and Danielson Famile are literally the MEAT and TATERS(!!!) of what I listen to and I KNOW Glen speaks for Poppa. So uhh, yeah, anything that pops outta the dude is a great blessing to me. You be knowin anything about Thank You (the band) or SJ's 1959? I'd email him and ask, but I imagine the homie is extremely busy and I don't like buggin him.
wow! this is too freakin cool! glad to meet ya sistah!
we are indeed focused on how much we can get, concermerism, at all costs. I also believe it would make a difference if our leaders were not liers and murderers. we ARE meant to follow them to a degree, no? If only they would follow Christ, I'm certain their example would not go unnoticed.
Spoke, actually, we are to follow them to a large degree - especially if they are following Christ. But it's not like that's hard. We are, after all, the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. This new creature is designed to follow the Good Shepherd. Those leaders who are themselves following the Good Shepherd, well, it just comes pretty well natural to follow these gems - rare as they do seem to be.
As to what seems to be a majority rule in church leadership, I think this goes both ways. Sure, there are those who are in church leadership who abuse that place of authority. Who knows, maybe they weren't even called of the Almighty to be there but simply looked at the ministry as a career choice among the many options of career choices out there.
I daresay, though, that church leadership is more controlled by the whims and fancies of the people than they are by the Holy Ghost. What with deacon-possessed churches and all, if they don't cater to these whims, they'll be out of a job. It's a louder, more in-their-face voice, ya know? And with a great many of these who actually were called of the Almighty to be in ministry, their true hearts' motivation is they are so vitally connected with the people under their care and direction it would break their hearts to be forced to move on to some place else without them. So they're stuck in between a rock and a hard place. Any of us trying to walk in their shoes may not do so as gracefully as many of these sincere hearts do.
Alas, there's a lot of the blind leading the blind - especially in the church in America. And the sad thing is, the interior decorators did such a good job of disguising the ditch they are in, the majority of the people - including those in leadership roles - don't even know they are there.
Personally, I don't understand why people don't give more place and trust to the inner workings of the new creature and the Holy Spirit and go and search everything out that they hear from the pulpit by the Spirit of Truth checking to see in the Word of God whether what is being said is right or merely cunningly devised fables of men's (and devil's) devices.
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