God has done it before!

Last week, my husband was walking past a bookshelf at the Crossing, when he suddenly felt drawn to one particular book:   “The Rising Revival” compiled and edited by C. Peter Wagner and Pablo Deiros published in 1998.  What caught his attention was the subtitle:  “Firsthand accounts of the incredible Argentine Revival – and how it spread throughout the world.”

After checking with the staff, he proceeded to borrow the book  so he could read it.  His hunger for a full-out revival in our area of influence has been increasing!  He knew he needed to read this book.

As he started the first chapter, something amazing caught his attention.  This paragraph he read aloud to me.

On page 25 of this book,  C. Peter Wagner says:

“The last time I went to Argentina, I heard Omar Cabrera tell of one of his meetings during which God allowed gold dust and tiny chips of precious jewels to rain down on the audience.  The material was taken to reputable jewelers for analysis and confirmation; but even with that, many people I know would not believe that it really happened, or even that it could happen.”

Wow!  Did you hear that?  God was raining gold dust and tiny gemstones upon a congregation in Argentina sometime during the 1990’s before this book was even published!  This one testimony tells me that there must have been other testimonies of gemstones as well, but as I suspected, many people were afraid to discuss it as this type of physical manifestation of God’s love was just more than some could comprehend.

I recently received an email from a Christian brother and leader of a church in Malaysia who informed me that he knew of two churches in his country where heavenly gemstones had appeared.  How many more reports will we receive from others confirming the reality of this manifestation?  I don’t know.  However, the Lord has continually reminded me we can be aware of these and other miraculous manifestations of His Presence and love for us, but our focus is not to be upon His gifts as much as the Giver Himself.  Our passion and pursuit must be for the Lord Himself who truly is the greatest treasure one could ever possess!

I have come to understand that my role in writing about the gemstones of the Bible and the appearance of heavenly gemstones on earth is to help the body of Christ come to a better understanding as to God’s message behind the stones.  There is much we all can and need to learn about our agreement and participation in the preparation of the Bride of Christ.  The Lord is calling us upward and we must press ourselves forward towards spiritual maturity in all areas of our walk.

As discussed in my book, “The 12 Gemstones of Revelation,” the gemstone wall of Revelation 21 reveals twelve different areas of focus we must examine and test our hearts in.  These are goals that the Holy Spirit has for each of us so we can become that bride without spot or wrinkle prepared for the Lord’s return.

It is my prayer that each of us stir ourselves from spiritual passivity and push ourselves to agree with God’s purposes in our lives regardless of how difficult or painful it may feel at the time.  He has a much higher purpose for each of us.

Will you join us in our continued pursuit of all God has for each of us???

Peace or Passivity

I’ve been recently studying about the difference between the peace of God and the destructive nature of passivity.  The peace that Jesus gave us is an absolute necessity in this chaotic world.  We must be filled with His peace, guard that peace with all diligence by following the directives of the Holy Spirit at all times.

Passivity, however is a whole other issue!  Often we think that spiritual inactivity and just cruising along in life without getting upset is evidence of peace.  No way!  Eli the high priest in the first chapters of 1 Samuel  give us a very clear picture of what we are not to do.

Eli allowed his sons to do pretty much whatever they wanted to do, though he did scold them once for stealing raw meat from the people and sleeping with the women working at the temple.  Both of these acts of blatant sin and rebellion calls for strong action by the parents.  The Old Testament clearly states that rebellious children were to be taken outside the city and stoned…but Eli chose to do nothing.

He warned by a prophet that God would cause his eyes to grow dim, lose his source of spiritual strength from the Lord, and see his family die young as a result of his passivity.  This word was confirmed again by young Samuel when the Lord spoke to him as well.  Still Samuel chose to do continue doing what he had been doing all along with his very comfortable lifestyle…nothing!

My heart has been stirred by this message and by God’s grace, I am asking daily that I would not grow passive and lazy in my obedience to the Lord.  If He speaks, I want to move quickly.  I am asking that the Lord would guard you against all passivity in your life as well.

Let us together, encourage one another to guard the peace of God in our minds, but move ahead radically with all direction He gives us!  Amen?

What has the Lord been speaking to you about??

Christmas is upon us!

With Christmas approaching, I have found myself caught up in the busyness of the season:  Gifts to be purchased, letters to be sent, parties to attend, and holiday plans to be made.  The temptation is to skip my time with the Lord in order to get a jump on all the things that need to be done, but I have learned that incorrect priorities are never the answer to a busy schedule.

When my priorities are askew, I soon find myself running on only fumes rather than a good filling with the love of the Lord.  My life seems to sputter and only putt along making my progress slow and even painful.  However, when I choose to sit with the Lord and ask Him for everything He has for me that day, I feel refreshed and spiritually rejuvenated…even if my day started earlier than normal.

The difference is astounding!

If we truly want to remember the birth of Jesus during this season, why not take the time to sit and fellowship with the Prince of Peace Himself?  He is no longer that baby in the manger, but a resurrected Savior who has much to impart into us so we can continue our maturity process in the Kingdom of God.

“Peace on earth! Goodwill to man!”  the angels proclaimed on the morning of His birth.  But in order to experience that peace, we must be in fellowship with and in alignment with heaven, then God’s good will for each of us will be revealed in our lives.

Are you in fellowship and in peace this busy holiday season?  My prayer is that each of you will join with all of creation and declare the peace of God and His goodness to all of mankind.

Blessings of joy and the peace of God be upon you this holiday season!

God’s Amazing Grace!

I had two wonderful days of ministry scheduled at an awesome church in Lacey, WA.  John and I went not knowing what to expect, but what we found was group of people totally hungry and open for everything God had for them.  Their hunger literally pulled out from us the gifts that the Lord wanted to distribute those days.  We saw many healings including carpal tunnel, back pain, and even a crossed right eye straightening up!

Probably the greatest joy in all this was the establishment of new friendships based on our common love for Jesus Christ.  The worship in the beginning of both services was amazing!  We were literally ushered into God’s presence before the ministry of the Word began.  Wow!

Often times John and I have received prophetic words, visions, and words of knowledge in that type of environment.  How about you?  What types of gifts have you received while simply basking in the Lord’s love??

Convincing Proof

Over the last several days I’ve been so privileged to speak and minister in a couple of locations in our area and each time I have been amazed at the absolute goodness of God.  As I share the truths of God’s word with the spiritually hungry, I literally feel the pull of the Holy Spirit within drawing out from me the gifts He desires to shower upon His people.

During my last three meetings, I have seen pain instantly leave the people I’ve been praying for as they joyfully received their gift from God.  At the Saturday afternoon session, the Holy Spirit had instructed me to pray for those who had problems with their right eye.  Five or six people came forward for prayer.  One of them was a young man named Eric whose right eye was crossed inward.  In obedience, I prayed before moving on to the others in line.

When Eric went back to his seat, friends began noticing that his eye was beginning to straighten out!  Sunday morning at another service, Eric excited reported that he now noticed a huge difference in his vision!  Before I had come, the Lord had told Eric that He would do something “monumental” in his life that weekend.  He was now convinced that this miracle was what the Lord was referring to!  Praise God!!!

At another meeting we saw carpal tunnel syndrome healed as well as backs, necks, and shoulders.  Just last night in Port Orchard I called for those in attendance to come forward and watch as the Lord “grew out” the legs of two different individuals who were suffering from hip and back pain.  Once the legs were even, they both found all the other pain had left their bodies!

The healings and miracles God chooses to demonstrate in the lives of people offer convincing proof that His love for us is not limited.  It is His great joy to lavish His love through any of us willing to be poured out.

My question for you is this?  Are you willing to step out of your own mental limitations and into the truth of how the Lord desires to use each of us?  Do any of you have testimonies of how God’s love was poured through you as well??

Walking in God’s Amazing Love

After nearly two weeks of attending meetings at Seattle’s Healing Explosion, I found myself actually believing all that God has to say about me!  He DOES love me and wants to pour out His life-changing love through me to others.  That is what motivated me to ask 65-year-old Joan if we could pray for her while preparing for our waterfront baptism.  She mentioned a painful back and immediately I called our friends together so we could all be a part of this miracle God wanted to perform.

Joan immediately felt heat running through her body as we prayed.  She was healed!  Later, she told me that the healing was so complete that even the leg pain she had not mentioned was gone as well.

Next we turned our attention to 68-year-old Allen.  When I asked him if he needed prayer, he couldn’t hear me at first as he was deaf in his right ear.  He agreed to let us pray.  At first, there was only a slight improvement in his hearing, but by the third time, his healing was complete.  We then prayed for his painful back and in the end, he found that he no longer needed his cane. We were thrilled when they both agreed to join the 20 or so of us who had gathered to be a part of this water baptism.

God totally touched both their hearts and their bodies that day, but even more than that, our faith in the all consuming love of the Father was stirred in each of us.  We have seen a very physical demonstration of that love manifested in front of us!

My heart has been changed as a result of being soaked in the God’s love while gathering with brothers and sisters in the faith from all over the area.  Because I became utterly convinced of the Father’s love, I was able to be a part of His love splashing over upon others around us.

I am absolutely addicted to the work of the Kingdom and now find myself eagerly looking for other ways I can continue to pour the Father’s lavish love upon each person I meet.  The secret is to first be filled by fellowship with the Father and then the overflow comes most naturally.

How has your love tank been lately?  Have you pursued the Father and experienced that lavish love He desires to fill you with?  His lovingkindness and mercy are pursuing you if you will only open your heart to receive it!

Have you had an experience with the lavish love of the Father that you would like to share as well?

Full of Thanksgiving

Hi there!

As we recover from a busy day of cooking, serving, fellowship, and dish washing, it’s so easy to overlook our need to find our true refreshing in the presence of the Lord. I recall just a couple of days ago when I was sharing an experience I had with the Lord when I was only 16 years old.

Many years ago, as I sat on a crowded bus, miserable and carsick, I suddenly heard a voice asking me if I loved him. It took three separate times before I realized the Lord was speaking to me! When I finally acknowledged the Lord and assured Him that I did indeed love Him, He asked that I begin thanking Him. My “thanksgiving” at first was not really heartfelt, but as I continued in giving thanks, I noticed something changing inside me. Springs of Living Water as referred to in John 4:14 literally began bubbling up inside me and I was filled with an incredible joy that was hard to contain! This was many years when I was only one year old in the Lord.

Amazingly, as I shared this experience with friends, I found that same spiritual river came alive within me as joy flooded my heart once again! My prayer for you today is that you also will take the time to reflect on the goodness of God. Tell others of the amazing things He has done for you and you, also will begin to experience that overflowing joy that comes with true thanksgiving to God.

Mary

I want my notebook back!

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were packing for a trip to Leavenworth, WA.  Our friends with a time share had invited us to go, so we could get away for a few days.  We needed it!  Things had been particularly busy and we were looking forward to a quiet mountain getaway.

In preparation for the trip, I pulled out our smaller suitcase so we could pack a few things.  As I opened it, I noticed a little extra weight on top, so I began investigating by unzipping everything.  To my surprise, I found my small, black binder that I often use for Bible study notes and prayer times.

Now let me explain.

This binder has been missing since the end of August when my husband and I returned from California.  I thought I had packed the binder along with my Bible, but when we arrived home and I started looking for it, it was nowhere to be found.  I had checked every pocket and section in that suitcase several times.  Then, just to be sure, my husband also checked the suitcase.  We even called back to California to see if it had been left by mistake.  The binder was not there either.

Usually, I am very conscientious about my notes, especially since it had some important Bible references for my next book.  It just seemed as though the binder had literally vanished!

Over the last several years, John and I had heard reports of how God was miraculously answering prayers of believers by causing missing items to suddenly reappear, so we decided to try it.  John and I, in the presence of several friends, became rather militant in our prayers and demanded that the enemy return the stolen binder.  John and I declared together that we wanted that notebook back.

Well, it never did show up, so we just let it go.

Two months later when I pulled out that very same suitcase that had been searched  numerous times now contained that missing notebook!

God is so good!  He is the One just waiting for us to take up the authority He has given and begin walking as if we truly believe we are His children.

I hope and pray that this testimony will inspire you to use the many gifts God has given us all even in our everyday lives.

Do any of you have similar testimonies you’d like to share as well?

Time to Process

Wow!  After only 3 days and 4 nights of worship, praise, and amazing teaching by those ministering at the conference, I almost feel as though I’ve reached a saturation (and exhaustion) point for now.  Late nights and early mornings tend to push me towards an unhealthy dependence on coffee to keep me going.  One woman I spoke to described how she felt totally refreshed in the Lord after only a few hours of sleep.  I guess I’m not there yet!

I have some other responsibilities I need to take care of at home, so it will probably be next week before I can jump back into the amazing and busy world of “Conference Life”.  I am so looking forward to hearing both Bill Johnson and Che Ahn this next week.

So much is being stirred up within me.  My hunger and desire for the Lord is increasing (which is always good!).  I’ve been challenged to continue reaching out for far more than what I currently have.  My focus is set on Jesus.  I trust that everything released during this conference will be set into action in my own life!

How do you feel about the conference environment?  Do you struggle with sleep deprivation as I often do?

Seattle’s Healing Explosion

We’re off to see Georgian and Winnie Banov for the opening session of the Healing Explosion.  A group of friends are joining us as we go to see what God wants to release in this Northwest region.

Anyone else attending this conference or another similar gathering in your areas?