Snapshot: Wisdom, a Characterization of the Holy Spirit

Before Jesus came and the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell believers, wisdom was the best thing one could have.  Wisdom was the way that many in old testament times described God's Spirit--because they did not yet have a full revelation of Him.  David and the prophets excluded, many did the best that they could by describing wisdom as being a part of God.

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me"

Wisdom even has a voice!  Now to me, the above verse sounds like something that the Holy Spirit would say.  And it is!  Wisdom is an attribute of God--an attribute of His Spirit, God has all the characteristics of wisdom, and wisdom has many of the characteristics of God. Wisdom is part of his mouthpiece.  Wisdom brings us deeper into the mind of God, and wisdom, like the Holy Spirit, is given to those who are obedient and ask.

"If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding"

Wisdom is portrayed as feminine.  Why?  Because both wisdom and the Spirit are relatively gender neutral--our own English language is what has assigned genders to each.  We can search for this wisdom, and it will not hide from us, although it had been hidden initially.  The one who seeks will find!

So let's discern by the knowledge of God.  Let's fear Him because we truly realizing that He has all understanding at His disposal.  Our God is an awesome God.  Let's fear Him, and let's also earnestly seek Him so that we can receive wisdom.  Let's lay hold of the treasures that have been made by Him to give.  Let's find wisdom and use it to align ourselves with the viewpoint of God.  Let's make the very best decisions that we can--not by our own effort, but by the gift of God in understanding what He wants us to do.

Snapshot: Clinging to God

This morning I saw a vision that made me understand the importance of clinging to God.  When turbulence or testing comes, clinging to God is the best thing we can do.  And every morning, when we need a new dispensation of grace, we will receive it if we wait and cling to Him.  Clinging to the Lord is when we grow strong.  That's why God allows a sifting--so we can hold on tightly, anchor ourselves in truth, and then go on to a greater strength.

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."                
Luke 22:31- 32   

If we will cling to the Lord, then our faith will not fail.  If we cling to Him, we will not desire to turn back.  This is what's necessary to overcome any problems.  That's what's necessary to gain spiritual strength.

God should be our go-to in every situation--we need to always go to Him first.  And more than that, we need to realize that He wants to come to us.  He is our ever present help (Psalms 46:1).  He is always with us.  If we realize this, then let's also realize that clinging to Him is our ever present solution.


"For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."                                          Psalm 63:7-8

 He has been our help, and He will be our help.  He's upheld us in the past, and He will continue to uphold us now.  What comfort!  We can go through a trial knowing that if we suffer, we can also reign with Him.  We can turn back, have our faith renewed, and go on to new heights with the Lord. The more tightly we try to hold on to Him, the more He'll let us do the same.  Let's allow Him to take us from strength to strength.

Snapshot: The Harvest Is Coming!

There has been so much about harvest recently.  The Lord has been speaking to us about a coming harvest--the fruits of our labor for Him.  What is this harvest?  It is the saving of the lives, lifestyles, and actions of others.  It is a the beginning of a work in other people that has already begun in ourselves.  It is a harvest where people are coming in and beginning to know Him.

So, we've been seeing signs everywhere about a harvest, about harvesting, about the harvest season...for at least a week now.  Thank you Jesus!

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."               

Matthew 9:37

There are a few steps demonstrated here.  To do true ministry, we need to be moved with compassion.  Not by impulse, not by obligation, not even by kindness or pity.  I think compassion is different--better--than all those things.  Compassion is love that does not seek it's own  (1 Corinthians 13:6).   Compassion never fails.

So, we are moved with compassion, and then what?  Even Jesus could not handle all these people on His own.   Even He needed to receive assistance from the Father.  He realized the harvest was too big for any one person to handle.  And His first response was to pray.  We ought to be like Him and pray for the same thing!  We need to pray that God will sent out more workers.  We need to pray that the Lord will equip other believers to do His work.  We can pray that God will align us with others who can partner with us in the harvesting.  We can pray with hope and eager expectation that the Lord of the harvest will also bring the harvest in.

When you're moved with compassion, you are moved to serve.  Serving is sowing--it is doing God's work.  Each should serve as they feel led, although we can all serve anywhere and everywhere.  And in this sowing, the reaping of a harvest will come!  This means changed lives and saved lives.  The best I can do is show other's God's best.  He is the one who ultimately brings in the Harvest.

Snapshot: Seeing the Words

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"                Romans 10:17

This verse essentially describes in reverse order the way that God progressively and tangibly guides us.  So, we read the Word, which is the bible, God's written word.  That's the first step--the step mentioned last in Romans 10:17, from which the other ones flow from.  God's word is an open door, and we need to read it to know Him better.  Then we hear from Him.  Usually hearing is a three part process--and these parts usually come in the following order:

1) The Word, the Bible, comes alive to us in a new way that relates more specifically to us.  A certain verse may jump out.  For example, I may pray for my family and right after read Luke 1:50.  The Word first begins to come alive in this way.

2) We receive from the Lord a vision that comes from, or by, the Word of God.  The Word of the Lord is often characterized in a vision.  This can be seen in Jeremiah 1:11 and Samuel 3:1.

3) The most evident form of hearing is just that--hearing the audible voice of God.  His audible voice differs from that still, small one.  It comes externally, from heaven itself.  It is like the sounds of roaring thunder or many rushing waters (Revelation 14:2)--majestic!!  This is a rarity, or at least it has been for me.  But that doesn't mean that it will be for you!  Whoever asks with purity receives...

So, these are three ways that God speaks to us--three ways that we hear.  They all flow from the words that are in the Bible, the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit makes that book so real!  And He wants to speak to us in all the ways above, and more.  Why does He speak to us?  And consequently, why do we hear His voice?

Because we are sheep that need to stay in touch with our Shepherd.  Because we need to know Him more.  Because we need the faith, the knowing, that cometh by hearing.  

How can we listen to God on a moment by moment basis if we don't hear Him accordingly? We need a revelation from the Word.  We need a vision.  We need a voice.  We need to have the Word made real and dynamic to us--made alive and active (Hebrews 4:12).

After we have faith from the hearing, that's when we can act.  That's when we can really live abiding in God.  That's when we can have success--our joy--guaranteed.  If God tells me to pray for someone who is sick, then I know He will do the work--which is usually a total healing.  If God tells me to smile at someone, then I know that it blessed someone, regardless if I see any results or not.  If I see in a vision while praying that someone I am not with is being healed, then I need to believe that!

I need faith because I heard God, and I need to hear God, in whatever way works, because I read His Word first.  Wigglesworth said, "consume the Word of God until it consumes you".  This is a place where you have heard and believed.

We need to see God's Word for what it is.  We need to see just what He's telling this.  He has given us so many gifts, and we need to step into the fullness of them all.  

STREET MINSTRY TOUR UPDATE #6: SPRINGFIELD

On Saturday I went alone to the mall in the morning. while Vanessa went out to coffee with a friend.  The Lord gave us so many blessings throughout the day--which was our first Valentine's day together!  We had fun with friends and enjoyed the favor of the Lord.

AT THE MALL

So, I went to the mall alone, as I said, and it was tough at first.  Nobody seemed open, and I felt like I was just walking around with nothing to do.  This went on for about twenty minutes--just walking around and praying silently.  This can be rewarding, yes, but I was hoping for this and also more. The circumstances weren't 'flowing' like they often do.  The first thirty-five minutes were pretty uneventful.

After a while, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to sit down and wait.  I looked around and saw some people around me, but I didn't feel especially drawn to them.  I felt the Lord telling me that all I needed to do was rest.  I felt Him encourage and ensure me that He would do the work.  These words of His were talk as well as power, and they comforted me and drew me into alignment with His Love.

All I needed to do was rest!  I didn't need to think about anything.  I didn't need to 'know' anything.  I didn't need to do anything, either.  The Lord showed me that all I needed to do was see my surroundings as He sees them.  He hasn't ever changed, and neither has how He's felt about the world. He has always "so loved the world", and we should too.  We need to give to others the extent of what we ourselves have received.  We need to receive from God His Love--His mind, heart, and emotions--towards people.  Human affection cannot heal.  Human sympathy is not enough.  Human effort cannot convict.  Apart from Him we can do nothing, but in Him, all we have to do is rest.

ANKLE PAIN

And as I was resting and receiving from God, I saw a lady across from me walking across the outside of the show store.  And with God's love came a download--'she has ankle pain'.  I wanted to be sure that I should approach her, so I asked the Lord for a sign.  If she turned left, I thought, I would talk to her, but if she turned right, I would not.  I figured that was easy enough for God to arrange.  She proceeded to turn left--thank God!  So I got up and walked over to her.  She did have ankle pain, although she wasn't feeling it at that moment.  She wanted to know what kiosk I was selling things from at first.   I said I was just going around and praying.  We prayed that God would take away that pain, and even though she wasn't suffering from the pain at the moment, I believe that He would not allow it to return.

FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT

After this, I got ready to leave the mall--I had to pick up Vanessa--but I was hoping to get to talk with another person first.  I saw a younger guy working at the DQ and God gave me a word for him.  I approached him and shared it--praise God!  The guy was touched by what the Holy Spirit did and took away from this some good encouragement.

BROKEN FOREARM--PARTIAL HEALING

Then I left the mall the long way, out through Macy's.  I felt like it was right for me to do this, but wasn't sure why.  I was walking along the outside of the building when I saw three guys a little older than me.  One of them was wearing a sling on his arm--and I figured, why not?  I believe God had me there for a reason--if I had not went out of the mall the long way, I wouldn't have ran into them.

So, I asked the guy wearing the cast if we could pray for his complete healing.  He was actually pretty open to it.  He said he had broken a bone in his forearm last week, and that it was still hurting some.  So I prayed once, and he replied that the pain was gone.  I didn't want to be obnoxious, so I then asked, "does it still feel like it's broken?".  He actually moved his wrist a little, and said he couldn't tell.  We prayed again, and it felt even better.  We prayed a third time, and he said it felt pretty good.  He did not take off the sling or unwrap his arm, and I didn't force him.  I believe God for a total healing nonetheless--I don't believe that a partial healing is like God, nor does it personify His goodness. So I told the guy, "when it starts feeling perfect, take off your sling". Glory to God!  I explained to the guys that this marked God showing His love in a tangible way. I encouraged them to get into the Word to find fulfillment.  Hopefully this experience gave those guys something to talk about once inside the mall.  If somebody is not so close to God, then it's up to us to show them that the Word can indeed become flesh and dwell among us.  It's up to us to show them something, just a little something, that points towards the dynamic and supernatural love of Jesus.

WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE COFFEE SHOP

With this I left the mall and met up with Vanessa at the coffee shop. She and her friend were still having a great time talking, so I walked to a different part of the coffee shop and sat down.  Right away the Lord showed me that a certain women had right wrist pain.  So I approached her, and asked her about this.  She said she did have this pain, but didn't feel it just then.  I explained that I'd like to pray with her for that pain to never come back...and we did so.  She and the lady she was meeting with were both very nice Christian women, and they were open to and thankful for prayer.  I was blessed to meet them.

On our way out, I talked to a middle-aged guy typing up something in the corner of the shop.  The Lord had told me that this man had back and knee pain, "especially in his right knee".  Thank you Lord!  I began talking to him, and he said he did have back and knee pain.  I said, "Is it especially in your right knee?".  He said "yes, why are you asking?".  I replied that I had felt the Lord telling me this, to encourage him and so that we could pray for a healing.  He was pretty open to prayer--it turns out that his right knee was worse than the other problems, because of a patella surgery he'd had a while back.  As it happens, he happened to not be feeling the pain at the moment when I was with him.  Just like with the others!

It turns out that this man was a Christian as well--he was actually writing some sort of article about the 'Seal of the Holy Spirit' when I first went up to him.  Awesome!  We talked for quite a while, and he shared with me a lot of wisdom.  This guy really blessed me--he said he'd been in the education field in the past.  I could tell!  We talked about God, and prayed that God would heal his body.  I believe that this is God's will, that his pain never comes back.

SUMMARY

All in all, Saturday was a great day.  After a rough past few days, the Lord really made a breakthrough and allowed for much more effective ministry.  These words of knowledge create such an opening for opportunities, and make people more receptive to prayer.  I am so thankful that God revealed what he did, and I am thankful that he used this knowledge to bless others.  I do find it interesting that none of the people who had pains were actually experiencing them at the time I came into contact with them.  I find that in this training, the Lord separated the words of knowledge from any witnessed healings in order to take things step by step.  He doesn't give us more than we can bear, or reveal to us things that are too awesome for us to handle. He takes us progressively from glory to glory!

DANI'S SCOLIOSIS HEALED BY JESUS!

On Monday, we visited a friend of Vanessa's from her music.  We had already seen her last week at a frozen yogurt place, where we prayed for her healing from scoliosis.  That night, she said that almost all the pain left her back.  She also felt her back muscles become "very relaxed".  Nonetheless, the scoliosis was still visible in that her spine was still crooked.We wanted to pray for the complete healing while there, but we felt it wasn't the right environment.

Since then, we've been very impressed by the Holy Spirit to go visit Dani at her home.  We only got to pray twice at the frozen yogurt place, and lately we've learned that deeper rooted issues sometimes require more persistence in prayer. So, tonight was when we managed to make it over to Dani to keep praying until the scoliosis was completely gone.

 It snowed today in Springfield, so we experienced some trouble getting out of the driveway.  It took a lot of pushing the car, but God allowed us to make it safely to Dani's house.  We got there, and encouraged her that God would do a complete healing.  And then the best part came--we prayed!

After the first prayer, we all opened our eyes and Dani seemed speechless for a moment.  Then she said, "This is really weird...I feel like I need to go look at this in the mirror, because the place in my lower back where it's been really stiff feels like it's moved."  So, she went off to the mirror, and when she came back, we noticed that her shoulders looked a little more level.  So we prayed again.

After the second prayer. she said that all of her pain was completely gone.  Praise God!  Her shoulders still weren't perfectly aligned, but she continued to say that things were feeling really "different".   All this time, she was pretty astonished at what was happening.

Vanessa took over for the third prayer...she prayed specifically for the alignment of the shoulders and the spine.  This is where things began 'popping'.  Dani told us that tightened areas were loosening and that loose areas were tightening.  Jesus was doing the surgery and realigning things as necessary.

We said a fourth prayer and things continued to pop.  Dani would say, "Oh, the left side just popped", and then, "the right side just loosened up".  Thank you Lord!  We continued to look at her back and her shoulders.  Her spine was straightened, and her right shoulder was almost no higher than her left. The difference in her spine's appearance was pretty amazing.  She then said she felt something change in the 'hole' at the bottom of her spine.  She said she'd had surgery there.  She then said that it felt like someone's hand was brushing her back, and that it was very soothing.  She also described a tingling sensation, which is something that many people experience as God is healing them.

After this point, the power of the Lord stayed "present to heal" (Luke 5:17).  We were no longer praying, but we were resting in this truth.  Every minute or so, there would be another 'pop' or movement in Dani's spine.  We didn't know what remained of the scoliosis, but the Lord did, and He confirmed Himself and ensured that the realignment, loosening, and tingling sensations continued. Dani was feeling better and better and better!

After about thirty more minutes of just visiting with Dani, we were confident that the scoliosis had been taken away!  Awesome!  So we just prayed one more time...the Lord instructed that we should pray for "perfect peace and perfect health" for Dani.  When I said the words, 'perfect health', her hips popped.  We didn't know there was a hip problem, but God did!  And He wants to give us whatever we ask for in prayer (Matthew 21:22).  We are satisfied that we left Dani having witnessed God completely heal her.  And now she has a wonderful testimony.  Doctors had told her that she'd need back surgery unless she wanted to acquire arthritis in her twenties, but God's reality is different. Thank you Jesus for what you've done!

SEAN'S WRIST HEALED (written by Vanessa)

We were in the car, headed downtown, with Alex and two of his friends. One of them, Sean Miller (take note of his last name) said how much his wrist was hurting. He had recently had a wrist injury. Alex suggested it was a good opportunity to pray for a healing, so Thomas did. After commanding the pain out in Jesus' name, Sean remarked that it did feel much better, but confirmed that the pain wasn't totally gone. We definitely wanted to pray again. This time, Thomas boldly just thanked God for a perfect wrist, and Sean said, "Woah!!" He felt a strong sensation in his wrist, and then said, "It's totally gone!" Everyone in the car burst into praise to Jesus- it was amazing!! We all felt so uplifted. Not even three minutes later, we pulled up behind this ambulance!

"Emergency Medical Services.... MILLER"

Haha! We see the Lord do things like this sometimes, just to encourage and excite us. So cool! Jesus confirmed Himself to be Sean Miller's medical services that night. 

There are a few instances in scripture where the Holy Spirit does things like this: 

"Then the disciples went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." Mark 16:20

Acts 14:3 and Hebrews 2:4 also 2:4 tell of the Holy Spirit's interaction by signs and wonders to confirm His testimony. 

__________________________________________________

Well, we are in Houston, Texas now. We are spending time with family here and hope to get out for some ministry this weekend. I (Vanessa) could use prayers for my back- it's been a long standing issue that has progressed (worsened) since August. Some days lately, I haven't been able to do ministry with Thomas. Please pray for my emotions (which are involuntarily affected by the shoulder/back issues,) and that I will rest in the Lord's Grace. He has chosen not to heal my back yet, and I accept that completely and still declare His goodness. He has brought me out of an offended heart about it. I am thankful that He has healed my eating disorder that I thought would be impossible to heal, and that has been such a blessing and I am thankful for it. Him lifting that from me also gives me faith that He will indeed heal my back in the future. All in His perfect time! Thank you again for keeping me in your prayers. 

Snapshot: Making the Most of Your Time

Yesterday morning, I was given a vision where I received a very nice, golden and sliver watch.  I felt it was a symbolic gift from God.  As I was given the watch, I noticed that there was a price tag on the side--it said, 'FREE'.  The Lord began teaching me what all this meant, and soon enough He had shown me that there were two applications to this vision.  One is relatively simple and one is relatively specific to me--one thing He has spoken, two things I have heard (Psalm 62:11)...

Meaning #1:  Every gift God gives is free, beginning with salvation.  And He wants to 'save' every aspect of our lives--He wants to redeem everything we do.  I was watching Todd White later on yesterday, and he was wise to say that God wants to redeem the time.  That's the main principle shown by the vision.

Every moment of our existence can be used for God's glory and point to His Son, Jesus.  In everything we do, we can glorify God. This is an honor, and it in itself is a free gift.  Salvation of our soul is a gift, and so is salvation of our works.  Thank you Lord!

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil"                         Ephesians 5:16



Meaning #2:  Once again a free gift, the expensive watch represented God giving me prophetic insight into dates, times, and timings.  I've been praying for more and more words of knowledge, and God has been so gracious to start giving me these.  But there is no limit to the level of insight that God can reveal, unless we ourselves are the limiter!  So I was encouraged that God was showing me that He is increasing our insight into specific periods of time.  For example, I'd love to know when someone acquired a certain injury--I'd love to know through words of knowledge the time at which something occurred.  And whoever seeks finds!  I feel that God is saying that He is going to add a new, synchronistic element to the prophetic gifting.  Awesome!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."                  Ephesians 1:3

Snapshot: Living Stones

A couple days ago I was praying for a friend and I saw that person gathering stones.  I didn't really know what this vision meant at the time.  I sensed that this person was searching for something to draw life off of, something to sustain themselves with.

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay."                        Habakkuk 2:3

Sometimes these things take some time to fulfill--they may not make sense or come to fruition for a day, for a month, for a year, or even for a generation.  But God gives inspiration to hasten us towards a goal.  God gives us a vision to show us how to hope for something that will not fail.

Last night, I got back and the Elijahlist for the first time in a little while.  I realized based on an article there that these stones can represent good people--people who point towards God and are spiritually nourishing towards others.  Below is an excerpt that explains all this, and you can go to this link to read the entire article.

When Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the throne, He laid the groundwork for His disciples to begin to build the Father a house patterned after His mind, heart, and life. In the early Church, the Believers, who were the living stones, came together in unity to build such a house – one where the Father is worshiped in Spirit and in truth – truth that had been buried under years of error and traditions of men!

So, believers are stones, and they are living stones at that.  They've been made alive by the grace and power of God!  They are stones that come together and present themselves as an altar, as a living sacrifice, to God (Genesis 28:22 and context).  They are the building blocks of the Church, and they have Jesus Christ as their cornerstone.  These stones are us!

There are other stones, too, and some of them are not good.  Some stones are living--the ones the Father brings life to--and some are dead.  These normal, dead stones can be idols, bad habits, or addictions.  They can even be other people.  Each of us comes into contact with both the good and the bad every day.  The question is, what will we choose?  We need to draw of off other living stones so that we ourselves can then be drawn closer to God.  We need to choose the assembly of the righteous over the company of the wicked (Psalms 1:5).

Confirmed:  Today I was in the living room when a Jimi Hendrix song entitled, 'Stone Free' came on. Now, regardless of what that phrase meant to him, by the Holy Spirit, I knew what it meant to me. People who are stone free are hungry--they are in need of something.  They need to be fed, they need to be nourished, they need to find true life.  They have been torn from distractions and idols of their pasts, and they are looking for a substitution.  And we need to be that for them!  We need to personify life.  There are many stones out there--many things in this world that can come in and steal away devotion to God.

Stronger believers are responsible for the growth of the weaker ones.  We need to realize that other people are going to gather up stones.  We need to realize that others are looking and searching for something.  Let's be that something--let's magnify the life of Jesus and be full of His life!  That's how we can protect those with less faith.  And that's all we can do to these people--but if we are truly living stones, then that will always be enough.  We need to be full of the Spirit and enjoy life in the Spirit.

STREET MINISTRY UPDATE #5: SPRINGFIELD

On Tuesday, we enjoyed some downtime in the morning.  This blog takes some time, as do several other things...Vanessa usually has a music project to work on. So, it was very nice to relax a little, but by lunchtime we were excited to head to the mall.

MALL MINISTRY

We went to the Springfield mall in the afternoon, and had some fun.  Alex and Lane went with us, and we had an awesome time!  After some time walking around, we prayed for two people with intermittent back pain.  They didn't have any pain at the time we had prayed for them, so we couldn't witness a tangible healing.  But we trust that God has healed them, and that their pain will not return. They were both kind people who were open and appreciative of prayer, and that was refreshing to see.

The Lord then gave a word of knowledge about a younger, teen guy.  I hesitated to share it with him, and waited for a confirmation.  We walked on and away from him...oh no!   But I felt I'd get another chance to share later.

We walk around the mall a little and enjoy the food court's samples...and then learn via one of Alex's friends that we needed to return to the house.  At this point I was hoping in the Lord to align us with someone who needed a healing.  So we turnaround and begin heading back the way we came, and I see that same teen guy again.  It turned out he worked in that area, so he wasn't going anywhere!  God was gracious to have him working there, so that we could see him again.

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE CONFIRMED

Anyways, we see the guy again and he looks right at me.  I walk up and share with him the word. He's pretty surprised, and that provides a way for us to talk more!  I asked him if he knew God.  He said that he used to go to church, but was now going back and forth with God.  I encouraged him to seek God in order to see the fulfillment of what I'd told him first.  I was thankful for the word of knowledge, but more thankful that God touched his heart.  Walking away, I had faith that God really used that moment to bring that guy back towards Himself!  Praise Jesus!

Were almost out of the mall, having been turned down from prayer a few times.  Then we see a man with a cane walking towards us slowly.  He's with two ladies.  I feel God saying yes, so I ask him if we can pray for his healing.  He says yes!  He has pain in his foot and weakness in his hip.  The Lord shows me it was a long-standing injury...the man then confirms that it was from his time in the military.  I asked if he has forgiven the military (we have met several people who were not healed because of unforgiveness toward the military,) and the man said he had forgiven them, so we are set to pray!  The Lord impresses that one prayer would be enough, and it was!  The foot pain, arthritis, was totally gone.  Praise God!  We then prayed for the man's hip, and afterwards he said it felt better. We didn't get verbal confirmation that the hip felt perfect, but when we asked if his feet felt perfect, he said yes! He had such a kind heart and gentle spirit, and we were blessed to come into contact with him.  On that note, we headed home from the mall, having been there only an hour or so.





On Wednesday, we return to the mall again, in the afternoon.  We again took the morning easier, as Vanessa caught a bad cold from a night we had about 20 youth at the house. A pretty bad nose/throat thing has been sweeping through Springfield.  God still permits us to get sick, and sometimes we command it out, and it goes instantly, but sometimes He allows it to stay. We are learning that the gift of healing is primarily for others, and not ourselves! However, the Lord gave me a vision of Vanessa praying for healing in others while herself still being sick, and them both getting healed!  So we both felt that going back to the mall was God's will, despite the circumstances.

SLOW START AT THE MALL

We get to the mall and ask a few people for prayer, and they all say no.  I feel sad when that happens-many just don't know what they're missing out on.  So our time starts off encountering hardened hearts and few opportunities.  That doesn't stop us from having joy and ourselves receiving from God, and you can always pray silently as the Holy Spirit leads.  Nonetheless, we are always thankful when a lot of people say 'yes' to prayer.

WOMEN'S FOOT PROBLEMS HEALED

Finally we run into a lady walking with a crutch--yes, just one--and favoring her left leg.  I quickly ask her if she wants prayer for healing, and she replies that she believes in such things, but has to go right to work.  Essentially she said no, but she did seem to want it...Vanessa had been praying for someone else when I started the conversation with this lady, and walked up just as the lady was saying, "I would, but I have to get to work." Vanessa was led with boldness by the Spirit to just put out her hand and say, "In the name of Jesus, I command all of the foot pain out!".  The woman looks up, looks down, looks back up, and says her foot pain is completely gone.  She was surprised by the healing and praised God.  I told her jokingly, "Well, you better hurry off to work," and with that, we said our goodbyes.  We don't know what the original foot problem was, but we do know that God healed it instantly.

We watched her walk off... she worked in the mall, just a few stores down. Having been healed, she picked up her crutch and carried it under her arm like a kid would carry his skateboard! She then walked up a set of stairs, all without the crutch and apparently normal.  Then, she stopped and looked down at her foot, and moved it around a little--yes, it's healed!--before going right into work... still carrying the crutch!

We were not able to get this one on camera due to the quickness of it all, but we praise God that He touched that lady and made her day.  The day before this one, the Lord had spoke to me that today we would see the biggest healings so far on this trip.  I believe that He was referring to this one!  Glory to God, and praise Him that He always makes good His Word.

BACK PAIN HEALED

Vanessa was stopped by a make-up kiosk, and accepted the offer to have a demo done on her (later found out she was able to share the Lord with the artist,) so Lane, Alex and I keep walking around the mall together.  We are looking for people to pray for, when all of a sudden I get a pain in my upper left shoulder and also in my right knee.  I look around wondering who it may be for...but no one nearby gets our attention.  There's a woman sitting on the edge of the food court with a John 3:16 shirt on, so I figure, why not talk to her?  She's a very sweet lady and wants prayer for her sister who was in a car accident and is now in a nursing home.  She explains to me that her sister has injuries in her upper left shoulder, her right knee, and her right abdomen area.  Hmm, that sounds familiar!  I didn't share with her the word of knowledge because I didn't want to weird her out, but I am thankful that God built my own faith through it.

I want to pray for her sister, but I ask the lady if we can pray for her, first.  (In general, we prefer to pray for the person present first, in order to build their faith when it comes time to pray for things unseen. If someone is healed through prayer, I feel that it encourages them that the prayers following also are having tangible effects).  She says yes--she has some back pain, and after prayer she is healed.  She says that the pain is gone, and I encourage her to move around a little and test it out.  She does so, and demonstrates that she is able to rotate her back pain-free!  We also prayed for her sister, and I believe for her healing.

PEOPLE WHO "GO TO CHURCH" REFUSE PRAYER

Just having fun with the title...

We pick up Vanessa, and then walk around a little more. We ask a few people if they would like prayer for anything, and they make replies such as, "Oh, I pray everyday", or, "Oh, I go to Church". You go to Church?  That's great! We can pray for your church community!  You pray everyday?  Well, OK, but let's pray now, also, and pray without ceasing!  Many Christians give this kind of response, when they ought to accept prayer from others and unite as the body of Christ.  Anyways...it's so important to abide in God's Love when dealing with such people.  Otherwise, it's really easy to get offended. But if we abide in love and love one another, that's when we can bear all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).

HEALING FOR HOSPITALIZED SISTER

On our way out, we were passing the food court, and saw the lady with the John 3:16 shirt again.  She explained to Vanessa most of what had happened.  We prayed again for her sister, and it was so powerful.  I've said this in the past, but there is a cumulative effect when believers come together in prayer.  Vanessa prayed, and as she spoke healing for each injury, I saw the Lord doing the operation.  I saw a new knee being set into place, the left shoulder being straightened...I saw pins being taken out of joints and healing being done!  Glory to God!  I choose to believe for the healing.  I choose to believe that these visions weren't just my imagination--they never are.  I choose to believe that the pains I felt just prior to talking to this women were a confirmation of her sister's injuries and God's desire to heal her from them.  Thank you Jesus!

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."                   Mark 11:24

....and again,

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:13


So, we spent much of our time at the mall having been refused the opportunity to pray with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  This can really be frustrating.  There should be openness and humility in the Church.  If someone ever approaches me out in public and wants to pray, that'd be awesome! I'm not above it, and if I start to feel like I am, I've got a problem.  Nonetheless, we are thankful for those who accepted prayer.  We are thankful that the two people who wanted prayer for healing were both fully healed.  We are thankful and choose to believe that God also healed the lady with the John 3:16 shirt's sister.  And we're thankful that the Lord is blessing us with joy and fun!


THURSDAY

Today we saw a few healings, and we were blessed with praying for people with open hearts.  We were only in the mall briefly today, but the Lord healed a man who had been resigned to sitting down due to chronic foot pain.  This guy had a quiet joy about him, and he was more enthusiastic after some prayer.  Praise God!

We also had the unique opportunity to pray for some friends who were unsure of the power of God. Vanessa prayed for her friend's daughter who had strep throat. After one prayer, she said it felt only a little better. Vanessa vigorously commanded the pain to leave a second time, and the daughter said, "Wow! It feels ALOT better!" Vanessa prayed one more time, and she enthusiastically said it still felt a lot better. No confirmation on a perfect throat, but we encouraged her to believe that it would keep getting better and better. It's easier to do this when you've seen God take away the majority of your pain! Vanessa then prayed for her friend's neck pain and arm stiffness. Not much of a difference after the first prayer, except a little relief from neck pain. Vanessa asked if she could pray again, and her friend was open. After the second prayer, she said it felt better, but she wasn't completely delivered. We are continuing to pray for her healing in our own time.

In the next few days, we plan on spending more time at the mall.  We are praying for open hearts. We'd also like to get back downtown.  We'll be in Springfield a little while longer, until next Monday or Tuesday.  We are excited and have hope in the Lord that He will release greater healings, greater miracles, and greater convictions.  

Creative Ideas

A few days ago now, Vanessa and I were praying and I felt driven to say to God, "Thank you for creative ideas".  I felt inspired to say this but didn't really know why.  Afterwards, Vanessa asked what that was all about, and I said I don't know!

I remember, that late last year the Holy Spirit was teaching me to speak things with His authority. Basically, God has to speak something first!  The best we can do is repeat after Him.  If we speak after Him, that's when our words have power.  That's when they have heavenly significance.

"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."

Job 22:28

This is what Job's friends told him, and it was true--for the most part.  There comes a time when God gives the righteous--that was Job!--freedom.  There is a time when we can enjoy such freedom in the ways that we serve God.  God wants to bring us into freedom where we can serve alongside Him, dream with Him, and create with Him.

There comes a time when "all these things will be given" to us, as well (Matthew 6:33).  There comes a time when we will decree a thing, God will back it, and it will be birthed into reality.  There comes a breakthrough when God takes over our minds, hearts, and imaginations, and makes them pure.

We need to understand that the Holy Spirit makes the word flesh.  He makes the word of God, and the inspirations of God, manifest into something that can dwell among us.  (John 1:14)  In our lives, we should see the Word come alive and make a tangible impact on whatever is around us.  God had a wonderful idea named Jesus, and He has made us in His own image.  Thanks to His idea, we can enjoy the the many ideas that were originally only His.

And His purity can make us pure.  God has purified our desires, and He has created us with the intention that we break free from our sinful nature.  He made us with imaginations; He made us with creativity; He made us with ideas!  He wants to purify us and give us His righteousness, because He wants to see our dreams become reality.

God wants us to declare and decree His promises.  Start with the Word.  Speak the truth into existence--there is the power of life in our speech (Proverbs 18:21)!

The spiritual comes before the physical, so stay grounded in the Word.  But aren't there also personal promises God give us?  Don't you think He wants to bless the work of your hands?  Don't you think that He wants to give you success in whatever you do (Genesis 39:23)?  This is the truth, but not many people seem to make it to that point.

Anyways, if there is a promise God has given you--an acting career, a certain type of ministry, a successful published book, etc.--pray into it.  Pray into it, speak into it, act into it.  Speak His Kingdom come.  There is power when our words agree with God in Heaven.  There is power when God gives us an idea from Him.  Don't you know that God cannot fail?  There is such security in doing the things that He tells you.  These things won't fail!  If He tells you something, decree it?  Decree it, and the Holy Spirit will breath it into existence.

God is the most creative One out there.  And we can be included into Him!  We can have His righteousness, and after we have it, we can have His creative ides.  Let's be bold in our declarations and in the things we say--let's be bold and forcefully advance the Kingdom (Matthew 11:12).  Let's access God's version of reality by speaking supernatural life and not death.

Since praying that prayer a few days ago, so many 'creative ideas' have been coming at Vanessa and I.  It wasn't that my words had much power, but I spoke into what God was saying, and in doing so, aligned with the power that is only His.  Glory to God!  He gives us freedom, even to have what we say come to pass.  Be heavily led, be in tune and in step with the Spirit, and watch as you receive whatever you ask for in prayer (John 14:13)

Snapshot: Your Testimony, A Testimony to Jesus

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

God chose you.  God chose you to be His forever.  God chose us all, to show of His goodness and salvation to the world.  Isn't that awesome?  He chose at a point of personal weakness.  He probably chose you when you realized the things of the world were not enough.

I came upon this section of the Word right after sharing my testimony with a friend.  Wow, God really touched my heart with that.  He chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.  He took all of us captive and demonstrated His power by overshadowing our lives.  He gave us a story, and He gave us a testimony.

"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."                     Revelation 12:11

These two things are related.  Our testimony shows others what Jesus has done.  Our story points to the blood of the Lamb.  That's what we need to tell others of.  That's what we are supposed to talk about--how God came into our lives and made Himself real to us.  Our testimony should reveal His supernatural Love.

If we are Christians, this is how it should be.  Our testimony should not be about our career, the therapy that 'helped us become a better person', our athletic achievements, or how well we did in college.  Our testimony should not point to the importance of yoga, that great chiropractor we go to, or even that nutritional supplement we started taking that turned our health around.  Our testimony should be about Jesus, and from hearing it, others should see that He is all we need.  The Lord is God, and we can't have any other Gods before Him!

I'm not definitively saying that the Lord may not guide someone to yoga or to Vitamin C.  But I do think that something is wrong if we are giving the glory to Issagenix or to our doctor or to anything else.  Revelation 12:11 does not say,

"They triumphed over him by the power of a 12 step program and by the word of their testimony..."

Once again, I'm not totally excluding that.  But isn't God enough?  Isn't the Holy Spirit within us enough?  I don't need anything else if I let Him be enough.  It should be easy for everything we do to glorify God.  Let's show that God is truthful and powerful.  Let's make Him prominent in our lives.

Our testimony should be spiritual.  To some, it may make no sense.  Those with worldly knowledge may not accept it.  Those who do not believe God fully may not believe your testimony about Him, either.  But remember that God chose the foolish things of the world to act on.  He chose the lowly things, because these are the things that can humbly accept His power.  Let's all have a testimony, and let's make sure it points to Jesus.  Let's make sure that it proves the will of God (Romans 12:2).  Let's make sure it lives out the Word.

STREET MINISTRY UPDATE #4: SPRINGFIELD

We've been in Springfield for a few days now, and it's been pretty quiet, for the most part.  We've enjoyed some downtime, gotten settled in, and Vanessa's been finishing up the distribution process for her new album, OPUS. In the past couple days we've had more of an opportunity to do street ministry.  God's really blessed us with nice weather, nice people, and creative ideas that allow us to be more effective in our ministry for the Lord.

Yesterday, Vanessa, Lane (Vanessa's younger brother) and I headed to the library for a social club's potluck.  We were invited the day before by a few friends, and figured, why not?  God might have something in store for us.  So, we met those friends at noon, right on schedule...and as it turns out, we went to the wrong library.  Oh well.  We decided to have a picnic in downtown Springfield, in the square, instead!  It was the perfect day to eat outside, anyways, so we drove the short distance from the library to downtown and settled in on the square.

PICNIC LUNCH

We had a nice lunch of guacamole and chips, wasabi peas, and brownies--each of us had only brought a few select items, which we'd been planning to be brought to the potluck.  But everything was great!  While in the square I met a few of Vanessa's friends, and we all had a great time.   I 'happened' to meet an older man down there, who was praying for revival in the square.  He was so secure in the Lord.  He said he was confident that a move of the Holy Spirit would indeed happen.  I told him that I was hoping and praying for the same things!  I think we both walked away encouraged.

STREET PERFORMING AND FIRST 'SPIRITUAL READING'

After that V did some street performing with two girls she'd met downtown.  They sang a mix of their own songs, worship music, and praise.  I made a sign, on cardboard from the library, that said, "Instant Healings and Spiritual Readings".  I was hoping that this would attract a new subset of people who would otherwise be turned off by words like prayer, prophecy, etc.  "To the Jews I became a Jew" (1 Corinthians 9:20)...

So, Vanessa and co. sang and even played around with a tambourine, and I enjoyed listening and holding up the "Healings" sign.  After some time, a younger guy, maybe early twenties, came up and asked what the 'Spiritual Readings' were about.  I explained that they were the obtaining of knowledge through Jesus, the Spirit of God.  Sort of like physic readings except with a pure filter, I said.  In Christian terms, I'd call it a personal prophecy.  It turns out this guy was himself a strong believer, and we enjoyed some good conversation together afterwards.

To ensure privacy, I won't go into the details of this first personal prophecy (oops, "spiritual reading"). But I want to report that the Lord is blessing the prophetic aspect of our ministry very much.  I have almost never gotten insight into family situations, job opportunities, past injuries, etc, but now they have become pretty commonplace.  In the past two days, the Holy Spirit has been revealing deep things and accurate words in these personal prophecies.  We've been asking for this.  Also, I think the Lord wants to provide a pure alternative for the physic readings that are so common, which do not point to Jesus or obtain knowledge by Him. (To us, the Lord was the one who created the ability to be know things about others by His Spirit, but the enemy has once again taken something pure and corrupted it. Satan is not a creator, only a distorter and destroyer.)  But now, the Lord is showing us how to really target the specifics in prophecy and directed prayer.  Glory to God!

HIP AND BACK PAIN HEALED

Two guys in their sixties walked up.  They were pretty entertaining...they both had long hair, unique clothing, and bamboo walking sticks.  It turns out they'd been to woodstock.  Anyways, one of them had back pain which also affected his hips.  Vanessa prayed for this, and he was healed after two prayers.  The man was actually a strong Christian, and I think he was surprised.  He said, "It feels a lot better!  Praise God!"  After this we talked with the two of them for a little while longer, before they walked off down the street.

PERSONAL PROPHECY

A younger guy sat down on the sidewalk to listen to the street music.  People do this sometimes--and that's good, as it makes for a nice ministry opportunity!  So, this guy sat down next to Vanessa, who was taking a break from singing at that point (another girl was playing Vanessa's guitar at that point). After a while, she called me over to prophecy over (sorry, 'spiritually read') this guy.  Once again, the Lord really was so gracious.  He did so much more than I could have hoped for, and the man was really blessed from what God revealed.  This guy received spiritual encouragement, insight into a potential new job, and encouragement regarding His unsaved sister, among other things. God revealed all these things in the spirit of prophecy.

After this, the Lord showed me one more thing.  I saw a cool towel being wrapped around the guy's neck and upper shoulders.  It was made known that God was healing this area, slowly, and doing so by 'cooling' and reducing the inflammation.  I shared this knowledge with the guy, and he expounded on the story.  He said that he'd been severely injured in the past, to the extent that doctors told him that he'd never walk again.  So God had already worked quite the miracle.  And this upper back area was the only afflicted area left.  I encouraged the guy, that I felt God would heal the rest, too.

Vanessa and I prayed for the back pain, which was also causing left hand numbness, to leave.  It didn't, even with a few prayers.  The guy wasn't that surprised, and I didn't push it because of what God had shown through the vision.  I felt compelled to leave it in His hands, and accept His timing.  I trust that God will be faithful and complete the last segment of the healing.

KNEE PAIN AND DISCOMFORT HEALED

A laid-back guy walked by twice, and asked about the sign.  I told him that the healings were done through prayer, and asked him if he needed any.  He said his knee was off, and bent it a few times to make sure it was still bothering him.  And he wanted prayer!  I felt I had a lot of faith at that moment, so I just put my hand on the knee and said, "in the name of Jesus".  Nothing happened.  So, we tried again.  I put my hand on the knee one more time, and as we prayed I felt it pop.  I asked him, "Did you just feel that pop".  He did not, but it was proof for me.  I said, "move it around a little!".   He said it felt good, and that it was not hurting him anymore.  Glory to God!  This just about marked the end of our time downtown on Saturday.  We headed home after a long day out!



On to today, Sunday.  We visited North Point Church in the morning.  The message was very timely--it always is there.  Then, we headed downtown again in the early afternoon.  The Lord ensured that we had a blast!

NECK AND HEAD PAIN HEALED; PERSONAL PROPHECY

Vanessa's perspective:

While I was street performing, a young man stopped and listened. After I finished a song, he asked if he could play my guitar. While he was playing, I asked him some questions about himself, and God began to give me some insight about his past as he was talking about surface things. Once I shared some things with him that God showed me, he seemed more open to talking about deeper things. I shared some encouragement with him and asked him if he had physical pain. He said he had gotten hit in the head the night before, and also had neck pain. After commanding the pain to leave, he said his head felt much better, and his neck felt only a little better. I felt like these issues weren't the major issues in his life right now, but that it would be better to encourage him in deeper things rather than continue to focus on the surface pains. I called Thomas over and asked him if he saw anything for this young man. Thomas sees (in the Spirit) clearer than I do, so I usually divert to him at this point.

Thomas's perspective:

So, Vanessa called me over and introduced me to this young man, and I asked God to show me something for him.  Things came kind of slowly at first. but eventually God revealed that there were many disappointments in the man's past. I explained that God shows these things so we can instead look to His promises and pray into the positive.  Step by step things were revealed--job struggles, relationships, etc.  I felt compelled to give the man a bible.  He confirmed that He didn't have one, so I ran to the car and got one for Him.  Then we got back into prayer, and prophesied and prayed into a few more things.  The guy was really, really touched by some of the stuff the Lord showed near the end.  I am so, so thankful that God has increased our insight into these things for His Glory.  Praise Him!

COCKATOO GUY HEALED (written by Vanessa)

While street performing, I saw an older guy walking towards me with a cockatoo on his arm. I was so excited, I let out a girly scream. I asked him some questions about it and made regular conversation, and when I would laugh, it laughed at me! The entire experience made my day; it was so awesome. Before he left, I asked him if he had pain in his body. He said he had arthritis pain in his feet, and was open to prayer for it. After prayer, he said it felt a little better. I asked if I could pray again, and he said yes. After a second prayer, he said it felt significantly better, but not totally gone. Sometimes I am not bold enough to persist, and this was one of those times. He said thank you very much for the prayer and I let him leave without asking again. I am glad God took most of it away.


BACK PAIN HEALED (written by Vanessa)

While I was street performing, I saw two men go into a restaurant across the street. I felt God impress upon me that one of them had back pain and wanted to be healed. About 45 minutes later, they both came out, and I went across to catch them. I asked one of them had back pain, and he said no, but the other one said, "that's me." I asked if I could pray for it to leave, and he answered with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" I told it to leave in the name of Jesus, and then asked the man how it felt. He was overjoyed as he told me that as I was praying he felt it leaving. He said it felt 75% better. I asked if I could pray one more time, and he was very open and wanted it. After that prayer, he said if felt "so much better." I didn't ask him if it felt perfect, but he was overjoyed at what had happened and we thanked God. It was encouraging to see someone really happy about it, because some people are just kind of "eh" when they are healed. I'm not sure if they don't really believe it just happened, or they can't process what just happened, but I always get really encouraged when other people rejoice about being healed!!

SUMMARY

So, that wraps up the last two days of street ministry.  Honestly, things have been kind of slow--not many people have wanted prayer.  And not many have even wanted a 'spiritual reading'.  But we can see now that God used the sign to tell us something--namely, to reveal to us that prophecy can and should be taken to the forefront in our ministry.  This is something that there is a lot of potential in.

We are thankful for new friends.  We are thankful for every opportunity to speak God's truth, His Light and His Love into the lives of others.  We are thankful that everyone we've prayed for has experienced some amount of healing.  We are thankful that many have been fully healed.  And we are thankful that God is backing us and showering us with so many blessings!

Uriel, God is My Light

"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous."                Psalm 112:4

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday."               Psalm 37:5-6  

As followers of Jesus, we share in His light and His life.  We should have our lives modeled after Him.  We should in our lives display the light of the world.  People should look right through us and see Jesus in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)--the light that saves the world.

"Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation..."                Psalm 27:1

God is our light and our salvation.  And we are the light and the salvation of those who do not yet believe.  Until one comes to know God, the best thing they could have is you and I.  People should look at us and see love.  They should look in us and see something otherworldly.  They should recognize us by good fruit.  And what is this fruit?  That we love one another.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35

Do we have Love?  It's possible to not have it.  If we don't have God, we won't have Love.  If we know Him and belong to Him, then we will have His Love.  If we have His Love, then others will know it.  This is how we are supposed to be recognized!

God's Love is also His light.  Heaven is full of God; it is also full of light (Revelation 22:5).   And we can be full of His light too!  We can be built up from the inside out and shine brighter and brighter and brighter.  We need to realize that the light within us is greater than the darkness in the world      (1 John 4:4). We need to go from Glory to Glory--to let Him be our light and clothe us with His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).   We need to let His light shine on our faces and even change our countenance. This is how we should minister.   This is how we should shine out into the world.

Confirmed:  Last Friday we were doing street ministry, and we stopped in at a Christian bookstore.  There was a biblical name book on sale, and we 'happened' to open it up to the name Uriel:  Hebrew-  "God is my light".  We all thought that was a fitting message for our street ministry.  We felt God was looking down and approving us--approving that we were ministering His light.

Later the next day, I oversaw a story on the news about a boy named Uriel.  I do not know the last time that I heard this name...God is so good with His confirmations.

Confirmed:  I was reading an excerpt on the Elijah List about Bob Jones.  It was all about God's light, His glory, and the importance of shining for Him in ministry.  It expanded on being the light of the world.  Bob also had a unique revelation on the presence of God's glory on this earth, which is worth a read if you have the time.  Below is a segment of this article; I bolded parts for emphasis.

Back in the early 70's wherever you walked, people would see you shining. I'm talking about those that were unsaved. They would see you shining. Sometimes they would just want to draw up close to you because they would say, "I've been so depressed. Can I sort of stand by you because when I stand by you I'm not depressed anymore? I don't know what it is but whatever you got I need."

Evangelism was that easy. It's God's glory! I don't see how you could do really good power evangelism without God's glory. And every one of these things is first and foremost in the name of the Son as He came to glorify the Father. So in the name of Jesus as we begin to move in these latter times we will see some of the greatest signs and wonders you ever seen. It's to glorify the Father.

So be excited in these times and get aboard the glory train. For that's the invitation of this. Get aboard that glory train and let's ride with Him in His glory as we glorify the Father. So in Jesus name these things I spoke, let it enter into your conscience, your spirit man to where you shine; an inner shining and inner glory that will shine in the darkest night that will never let darkness come in.

For you see; when light shines, darkness hides and you're the shining light. And this is what He's saying, "Shine! That's your glory! Don't put a bushel over your glory, but let your glory so shine so that man may see the glory and come to the knowledge and to salvation." In Jesus name. Amen.

Snapshot: From Turbulence to Trust

Sometimes the Lord allows us to go through turbulent things in order to test us.  He does this while making for us an opportunity to overcome.  He does this with the intent of building our faith, and building our trust.

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”              John 16:33

In this world, we will have trouble.  We will encounter turbulent times--God will not spare us from all of them.  It's true that He is our protection, that He has set a hedge around us (Job 1:10), that He has assigned His angels to us (Psalms 91:11)--but there are times when He takes that wall down and exposes us to some troubling things.  Once again, He does this so that we can grow in the faith!  He does this to develop our trust.

"And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"          Matthew 8:24-27

Trouble will come, and waves of turbulence will come.  The enemy's waves and breakers will try to wash over us.  But Jesus will always be with us, though He may not rebuke the storm initially.  He may wait for us to call on Him.  He waits for us to call on Him and be saved.  We can call on Him, and use His authority to calm the seas.  In the end, He will save us up out of all our troubles (Psalm 34:19), but in the meantime, there may be a trial or two to endure.

I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”  This is what the Lord says—He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters...           Isaiah 43:15-16

God never says there will not be waves.  In fact, there will be a sea of chaos, doubt, confusion, etc, that includes many waves.  But God wants us to accept this, and then accept who He is.  He is the One who makes a way through the sea, the one who paves a smooth path through the storm!  He is the One who exposes us to turbulence, so He can turn it into trust.  In Him, we can keep our peace regardless of our circumstances.  

"For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name."        Psalm 33:21

Spiritual Weight: The Bad

In the last week of doing street ministry, we've begun seeing a new thing.  During prayer, some people will experience a 'heaviness' in the injured part of their body just prior to full healing.  This heavy sensation comes after pain leaves, but before strength and range of motion are totally restored. This past Friday, I was praying for a young man with wrist pain and after awhile this heaviness just came into his wrist.  I had his hand in my hands, and it was so tangible.  It left after a little while--it wasn't from God.

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."                Isaiah 61:3

This is what Jesus does.  He takes away heaviness, He takes away our sadness.  He casts out anything not for His purposes.  He turns our oppression into a joyful procession.  From Him is the authority, and to Him is the Glory.

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."    Matthew 11:30

If there is a heaviness oppressing us, then it is not of God.  It is inherently against Him, and it is also usually against us.  But Jesus paid the price to overcome these things.  If we seek Him, He will also overcome them in our own lives.

If heaviness comes onto you, it's the manifestation of something that is already there.  It's the manifestation of a spirit that is not of God.  It may have just arrived, or it may be ready to leave.  If it comes, cast it out!  If it is leaving, close any open doors, especially doubt, through which it might try to return.  Close them through repentance and submission to God.  Be filled with the Spirit, and put on the armor of light.  Nothing can stand in the way of these things!  Nothing can separate us from God's love, and nothing can truly steal away His promises.

Deliverance comes when someone yields themselves to the truth.  If we are gathered in His name, than anything with another name will scatter (Matthew 12:30).  This is what we've seen in street ministry.  That's when He sends His word and heals them (Psalms 107:20).  That's when unclean spirits leave people --when God comes in and does the work.  He wants to give us all the garment of praise.  He wants to give us a light yoke, and impress onto us a lightness in our life.

Words of Knowledge

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit..."

1 Corinthians 12:8-9

What is a word of knowledge?  It is a shorter prophetic revelation that reveals external knowledge from God, usually given to uplift someone else. There are a few characteristics that separate the word of knowledge from prophecy or the gift of wisdom.  Below are a few of them:

1)  Gives insight, a supernatural knowing, into the lives of another that could not be obtained naturally

The Lord might impress to a pastor that a lady in the church has had lower back pain for three years.  Sometimes, a word of knowledge may not be given for a specific individual, but rather apply to a whole group of people.  In other words, the pastor in that church may not know who has back pain, only that they are in need of healing.  If more knowledge is necessary, then God will give it.

2)  Often reveals details needed for healing--physical, spiritual, or mental details

The example about revealed need for a physical healing.  But it may just be shown that a person is suffering from depression that God wants to heal.  Or, that a person has been hurt by their sister.  God reveals negative things so that we can pray for healing.  We can exhort, encourage, and speak in the positive, and not the negative.  The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

3)  Comes by the insight God gives, usually by a shorter phrase, or even just one word

We have the mind of Christ, and if we are abiding in it, then we can hear more easily what God is saying.  The Lord may speak, or impress through our thoughts, a sentence, or phrase, or word, that gives needed information about the condition of another.  I may hear, "he has lower back pain and leg weakness", when I look at   Or, I may just strongly feel that this is the case.  The word of knowledge doesn't even have to be a word, as described in these next two points...

4)  May come as a mental picture or vision

When praying for a lady downtown, I may see a picture of her knee with emotional chains being wrapped around it.  The Lord is 'speaking' that she has a knee injury rooted in emotional pain.  Once again, God may reveal the sad truth so that we can pray into His will instead.  We don't have to accept those chains; instead, the Lord reveals them so that they can be broken off in the name of Jesus.

5)  May come as a pain in your body.

This is another way that the Lord can speak without using words.  For example, in my own walk, I sometimes get a pain in my right ear if I need to pay attention and 'listen!'.  More often, a physical pain or sensation can be "picked up" from someone else if God is wanting to heal them.  Last time Vanessa and I did ministry downtown, she picked up the left foot pain of a young guy playing basketball, and God healed him completely.  Any word of knowledge, especially this type, is so effective in identifying a problem, that we can then target in prayer.  Through Him laying on pain, through God sharing with us another's burdens, we can accomplish His will.  This kind of word of knowledge also has the benefit of increasing our own compassion for others.  If you can feel the headache of another person, then you will probably feel more love for that person, too.  Since God is Love (1 John 4:8), then you can better share Him with another!

6)  Are usually applicable right away, but may be fulfilled later

Usually a word of knowledge is true in the very moment it is given.  You might see a person, and bam, God reveals their spiritual condition right now.  It is not usually prophetic in that it speaks of a future time.  But sometimes, this isn't the case.  Prior to going into Wal-Mart, the Lord may reveal that a lady in the store wearing pink and purple needs prayer.  More often, though--at least for me--a word of knowledge is given and meant to be applied within minutes of it's giving.  It's a now word.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's so important to be motivated by Love, and so important to be moved with compassion.  The word of knowledge is such a gift, but it's only a means to an end.  It only reveals to us an otherwise unknowable piece of God's heart, so if we do not use this gift with love, then it is worth nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). What counts is not faith or gifts in themselves.  Faith expressing itself through miracles or wonders is not that important.  The most important thing to obtain, to receive, from God is His Love for people. That's how we know how we are His.  Words of knowledge and other things are only means of expression.  They need to be used as faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6).

STREET MINISTRY UPDATE #3: PINEHURST

BACKGROUND STORY:

Last Spring, Vanessa and I were going to a "Beginner's Prophetic" group at Church.  One Saturday we were scheduled to do a street ministry outreach with our group, and we all scheduled to meet at Panera Bread beforehand to pray and map out the day.  Only Vanessa and I showed up, as well as a friend she brought from the youth group, Elizabeth.  That day, last April, was wonderful, and the Lord started honing our eyes to see and ears to hear from that point forward.  We met a number of people, and God touched many of them through prophetic insight and prayer.  We also had a blast!  Elizabeth was right there with us as we began doing a new thing for the Lord, and she contributed, too, with prayer and words of knowledge which revealed God's heart.  From the start, the Lord has really directed our street ministry time together.

Fast forward to this year.  Last Sunday, we went back to Grace Church and there was Elizabeth.  We invited her to do street ministry with us again!  Last time we went with her, like I said, was almost nine months ago, and it was our first time doing any sort of prophetic ministry outside of the Church.

Since then, this sort of outreach has become routine for Vanessa and I.  We have enjoyed, and even become accustomed to, being used by the Holy Spirit to minister encouragement, prayer, and God's healing to people.  Just as our adventure last April with Elizabeth marked the start of our street ministry together, our next get-together with her marked the start of something new: this time, we would be using our new Go-Pro cameras to document testimonies and miracles.  I thought that was fitting.

FRIDAY'S DOWNTOWN MINISTRY:

So, this past Friday was the first time we were blessed to incorporate our Go-Pro cameras into street ministry.  And God really, really blessed us.  Vanessa and I drove to downtown Southern Pines and met Elizabeth there.  We discussed how we might approach people with the cameras, and concluded that younger people might like being on video, so we would ask them if they wanted to answer a few questions for a documentary on healing we were making.  In hindsight, this worked well.  It's easier to be turned down a chance to someone a couple questions, than to be turned down after asking someone if they'd like prayer.

When approaching older people, though, we decided to ask them if they wanted prayer first. If they accepted, we told them about our desire to make a documentary about it, and asked if we could film it. Almost all of them said yes! One lady thought about it for a second, and then said, "Alright! I'll do it for the Glory of my Savior!"

FIRST HEALINGS:

We started off with this plan in mind, and began doing loops around downtown.  The area we encircled was probably four blocks long and one block wide.  On the backside of our first loop, we saw two younger guys playing basketball in the court.  One of them had sat down on a bench, and we asked him if we could ask him a couple questions for our documentary on healing.  He said sure--he had asthma and stiffness in his hands.  Vanessa asked if she could pray for him.  Afterwards, he said the stiffness was gone.  The other guy also had pain--pain from a wrist injury, and a painful ACL.  I prayed for his wrist and felt such a weightiness in it.  Huh--more on this later.  I prayed again and it was much better. I prayed for the ACL, and it felt them same. I think Vanessa had more faith than I did, so she prayed for the ACL.  It got better slowly. She prayed about 4 times and it felt better every time, but in the end he wasn't fully healed. We weren't given any words of knowledge about why he wasn't fully healed. We are still learning with every day. A lot of the time the Lord shows us that unforgiveness prevents a person from being fully healed. I did feel the Lord impress upon me to tell the young man to go to church with his parents. We shared some encouragement and then left the two, praising God for the healing that He did do!

CUPCAKE SHOP ADVENTURE:

Prior to starting our outreach, we were seeking the Lord for people, places, and things to be on the watch for during our time downtown.  Often He shows us in mental images or visions what He wants us to be on the watch for.  I saw a cupcake, and I didn't feel it was symbolic.  So, we decided to go into the cupcake shop.  The cupcake I saw (with a heart on the top) was there...and so were a few nice ladies working there who said they both had back pain. They seemed really shy about being on camera, so we just asked if we could pray for the pain to leave. They joked back and forth about it, but shied away from accepting prayer.  That was a little disappointing, but we left in good spirits.  Once outside the store, we asked the Lord to reach down and heal them.  We prayed for His presence to come into that building and reveal Himself to them.  We never did go back in ourselves, but some things, you just have to take by faith.  We are hopeful in the Lord that He did something there.  It takes faith to be assured of the things you do not see.  

HAND PAIN HEALED:

Next we went up to a black man on a bike at the post office.  He had pain from surgery on both his hands. Vanessa prayed for his hands, and he said they felt better. She said that if they weren't perfect, she'd like to pray again. He accepted, and after the second prayer, they were fully healed! This man was quiet, but afterwards he began asking, "What did you do?  What did you do?"  We explained that it was the power of God, and not us.  We told him that God was expressing His love, and that God has the power to keep him free from that affliction in the future.  The man had a relationship with God himself, which was good to see.  I think this experience marked a turnaround in his life.

BACK PAIN GONE:

A man on his way into the liquor store had back pain.  He said he was really in a hurry to get to work...he took twenty seconds for prayer before he went right into the store.  He didn't really seem to believe.  Vanessa, Elizabeth and I prayed outside the store in agreement that God would still heal Him.  We turned around and saw him exit the store, going back to his motor bike.  He was still in a hurry, but after being asked, he said, "It actually is better!" Praise Jesus!  We prayed that God would finish the work, and more importantly, touch that man's heart.  He's in God's hands now.  

NECK PAIN HEALED:

A nice Christian women had pain in her neck.   She was very open to prayer but, like the last man, also in a hurry--on her way to the chiropractor!  We prayed for her neck and her pain was totally taken away.  She was very surprised and thankful to God!  I told her that she had a great testimony once she gets to the Chiro. Praise God.  

KNEE PAIN GONE:

A nice lady was on her way into the post office when we asked if she'd like prayer.  She said, "of course!"  She had knee problems, and one of her knees had already been replaced.  We prayed for a complete healing of her knees and legs.  The pain went away, and was replaced by a heaviness.  God was right there with us--we enjoyed some powerful prayer and time in the Spirit.  Next, the heaviness left, and her healing was nearly complete.  We believe that 'heavy' sensation is the time just prior to a bad spirit leaving, but it's something we haven't really witnessed before.  God is faithfully teaching, step by step!  We encouraged the woman that God would finish the work.  It was still improving when we left her.  Glory to God!

NERVE DAMAGE HEALED

We said bye to Elizabeth at five o'clock.  Vanessa and I decided to do one more loop around the town. Coming up to the basketball courts, Vanessa received a sharp pain in her left foot.  So, we walked up to the courts and asked if anyone there had any pain in their left foot.  One of the guys said, "What? I do." We told him we believed God wanted to heal it, and he came right over. He had nerve damage in his left foot, and said he'd had it for a while.  He didn't seem to believe, but God was made real to him!  We prayed for new nerves and no more pain.  The other guys there seemed pretty amused and I heard them laugh a little during our prayer.  The foolishness of men can be pretty exciting sometimes, you know?  After prayer, this young man was completely delivered.  Glory!  We shared with him the source of his healing, and a few short words of encouragement in the Lord.  It's up to God to do the convicting.  He's in God's hands.

SUMMARY

All in all, what a richly blessed time.  Our first experience using the Go-Pro in ministry was so wonderful.  All the Glory to our God, who sent His word and healed them.  We are so thankful for His pleasure to use us.  There isn't a whole lot Vanessa and I like more than Street Ministry.  We'll get out the video of our experience as soon as possible.  Stay tuned for that, as well as more updates. Be blessed!