Healing

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. ~ Matthew 9:20 – 22

Lately, I have been bombarded with many people being sick with cancer. Most of them I knew, some I don’t know.  However, even if we don’t know the people, God knows their needs. Therefore, I prayed for them all.

One morning as I was praying, I thought about how it would be if people could come to the church, get hands laid on them, and supernaturally be healed. I saw doctors scratching their heads as they explained to these patients that the cancer that was once there, couldn’t be found. After a while, churches all over had people lined up out the doors waiting to be prayed over. It was amazing. One door had the sick and diseased people coming in and the other door had healthy people walking out.

I know in my heart that this type of supernatural healing is God’s desire for us. He never created us to be sickened with terminal diseases or emotional, physical, and mental deformities. Instead, He created us to be healthy bodies that possess all abilities needed to become disciples of Jesus Christ. I stand in awe at the abilities God has given us. However, these abilities come by faith. Healing and supernatural manifestations come by faith. I know that God is going to do these healings at Gateway Believers. I long for the day that when we see the sick, after our prayers, they leave us whole.

~Christi Duncan

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SMALL BOY WAITING FOR A RIDE
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A Spiritual Raking

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness for God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” ~ Matthew 6:14, The Message

I was outside cutting grass after all the rain and had to rake up the grass clippings because it had been a while since I had cut my grass. My goal was to have all my grass cut the same length, because I can’t stand to have a piece not uniform with the rest. Even though I was enjoying raking my little piles up, I started to get irritated at the grass in areas. In some places in the yard, raking produced areas that I thought were cut but actually were not. Well, I went back over these areas with the lawnmower to cut them down, but when I raked again I realized that there was another piece that needed to be cut! I finally put the lawnmower blade down one level and went back over the whole spot. I was frustrated by all the extra time I had spent on it, but I got it taken care of eventually!!

As I worked on my yard, it occurred to me that we have areas in our lives that we think are okay until we examine them closely and find uneven places that need some trimming. I could have left my yard alone, and it would have been a job well done for most people. If I had not raked up the waste left in my yard, I would never have found the areas of grass that escaped the trim. If we never exam ourselves a little closer than usual, we will overlook the little things that escape the first pass of prayer or repentance. Our spiritual landscape may pass for a while, but that one piece that we overlooked will eventually grow and raise its ugly head above all the other areas of our lives if we don’t take the time to properly eliminate it in the first place.

How often have we thought something in our life was taken care of only to find it surfacing later on down the road? It is the little things that we think we have taken care of that will sneak in and, before you know it, cause us not to walk with God the way that you should or experience the fullness of what He has for you.

So rake through, and let your spirit show you that little twig of grass that needs to be dealt with. Whatever it represents, put your spiritual mower on it and get it out of your life so it doesn’t cause you problems on down the road!

By Ronda Sullivan

Don’t Be Ignorant

Ignorance is not bliss, but it is a choice. The Apostle Paul exhorted the church at Corinth NOT to be ignorant of the gifts of the spirit. He went on to explain what they were and why we all, as the Body of Christ, need to value these gifts and embrace their workings in our lives. Two thousand years later, much of the Church is still choosing to be ignorant of these gifts, missing out on the fullness of the Christian walk intended to be ours. Meditate on these scriptures and study this lesson… more importantly, DON’T BE IGNORANT!!

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led…There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 12:1-12 NKJV

The Nine Gifts Of The Spirit can be divided into 3 categories: to know supernaturally, to speak supernaturally, and to act supernaturally.

To Know Supernaturally

1. The Word Of Wisdom

The Bible does not talk about the gift of wisdom, but rather the “Word Of Wisdom”.

The Word Of Wisdom is a supernatural manifestation of the Spirit, and exists on a plane far above natural wisdom. Sometimes an answer we need will not come by human wisdom, but God gives a specific Word Of Wisdom at a particular time for a particular situation.

The Word Of Wisdom implies a thought or utterance through a direct operation of the Holy Spirit at a given moment rather than an abiding deposit of supernatural wisdom.

The church has a constant need for wise leadership. Problems will occur, and delicate situations arise among the most spiritual believers. The Word Of Wisdom can be vital in meeting these needs.

Examples of the Word Of Wisdom.

* The Apostles deal with the controversy over the daily assistance to widows. (Acts 6:1-7)

* Paul’s insight and advice concerning his shipwreck. (Acts 27:10, 31, 34)

2. The Word Of Knowledge

Every Christian must endeavor to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord” (II Peter 3:18). The Word Of Knowledge is a portion of supernaturally imparted knowledge to meet a particular need. The Bible does not speak of a gift of knowledge, but rather the “Word Of Knowledge”.

All knowledge ultimately rests with the Lord, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). It is therefore reasonable to believe that God can impart any part of the divine knowledge at any time, as He wills.

The Word Of Knowledge includes facts from God about people, places, things, and events that a person could not possibly know unless God revealed them to him.

An example of the Word Of Knowledge

* Peter’s supernatural knowledge of the secret sin of Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-10)

3. Discerning Of Spirits

The Bible does not state that there is a gift of discernment, but rather it speaks of “Discerning Of Spirits”. The Discerning Of Spirits is the ability on a particular occasion to ascertain whether a spirit or an action is of God, of the devil, or of the human nature.

I John 4:1 admonishes us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God”. The purpose of this gift is to detect what is true and what is false.

The gift of Discerning Of Spirits is not only defensive in the sense that once an evil spirit is detected as operating through some human channel, that channel can then be delivered through the power of the name of Jesus Christ.

Examples of Discerning Of Spirits

* Peter’s denunciation of Simon the sorcerer based upon discernment of the intent of his heart. (Acts 8:23)

* Paul’s rebuke of a spirit possessing a girl at Philipi. (Acts 16:16-18)

To Act Supernaturally

4. Faith

The “Spiritual Gift Of Faith” is to be distinguished from saving faith or the daily faith without which it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

The Gift Of Faith is a measure of faith above the faith that all of us have as children of God. It is a special faith imparted to us by the Holy Spirit of God, as are the other gifts of the Spirit, to meet a particular need. The Gift Of Faith surpasses all reason, looks impossibilities in the face, and turns them into miracles.

Examples of the Gift Of Faith

* The faith of Peter and Paul for the lame man. (Acts 9:40)

* Paul’s supernatural faith during his shipwreck. (Acts 27:25)

5. Working Of Miracles

The Working Of Miracles is a suprenatural release of God’s power through a person’s life to effect an immediate, supernatural event. It is a sign or wonder that humans cannot explain by an appeal to “natural laws”. It can be a miraculous “coincidence” effected by God when we pray.

Examples of Working Of Miracles

* Raising of Dorcas back to life. (Acts 9:40)

* Raising of Eutychus back to life. (Acts 20:10)

* Miracles in Paul’s ministry at Ephesus. (Acts 19:11-12)

6. Gifts Of Healing

The Gifts Of Healing are plural. They refer to special healings of various types performed by God. All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can lay hands upon the sick for their recovery. (Mark 16:18), and all elders in the church can anoint with oil for healing (James 5:14) Nevertheless, it appears that on certain occasions God operates in a special way to heal miraculously.

When the Gifts Of Healing are in operation, God removes the cause of the disease or affliction and healing ensues.

Some of the many examples

* Acts 5:16

* Acts 8:7

* Acts 9:33-34

 

To Speak Supernaturally

7. Prophecy

In general, Prophecy is an anointed utterance from God. It can consist of foretelling or forthtelling. The Gift Of Prophecy is a specific message from God to the hearers in their own language.

True Prophecy will always be in harmony with God’s Word. Prophecy will never replace the Bible or diminish its worth. Prophecy must always agree with the Bible.

A prophet may prophesy, but not everyone who exercises the Gift Of Prophecy fulfills the office or ministry of a prophet. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The Gift Of Prophecy brings edification, exhortation, and comfort to the church (I Corinthians 14:3-5). Prophesying does not serve them that believe not, but serves them which do believe (I Corinthians 14:22). Prophecy does not replace or supercede doctrinal teaching or spiritual leadership.

8. Tongues

Speaking with tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker. There are different kinds of tongues.

The Bible reveals four different purposes or uses of speaking with tongues.

* The first use is the initial evidence when someone is baptized with the Holy Ghost

(Acts 2:4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6).

* The second use is addressing the church, coupled with interpretation (I Corinthians 14:28)

* The third use is tongues for intercession (Romans 8:14)

*The fourth use is speaking to God in personal prayer (I Corinthians 14:2, 14, 15). The believer can speak in tongues in private devotion or in corporate worship when everyone is praying individually. In such a case there is no need for interpretation (I Corinthians 14:28).

9. Interpretation Of Tongues

By this gift a person does not merly translate but interprets the meaning of a message in tongues for the church. When a person brings a message to the church through the Gift Of Tongues, The Gift Of The Interpretation Of Tongues is used to edify the church (I Corinthians 14:12). “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret” (I Corinthians 14:13).

If there is no interpreter, the one speaking in the unknown tongue should keep silence in the church, although he can continue to pray in tongues personally (I Corinthians 14:28).

These gifts can be a tremendous blessing in the life of the believer and in the working of the local church. Of course, without proper direction and accountability, a lot of Christians get really flaky and weird when they try to manifest the gifts of the spirit apart from Holy Ghost. It is important to have accountability to spiritual authority and your fellow believers. After all, it’s always good to have someone around to keep you from being ignorant AND stupid!!

Healing the Hurts

When you grow up riding and racing motorcycles, pain is something you learn to live with. I saw friends sustain major injuries or even lose their lives, but I loved to ride and nothing was going to stop me. I wasn’t looking to die young, but the truth is, once I accepted the possibility, I became a better racer. Over my 35 years of riding, I endured multiple concussions, broken bones, nerve and ligament damage and a major head injury, but I always bounced back. Believe me, I have experienced several healing miracles in my life – the kind that has the doctors at a loss – and I always knew it was God.

But the injuries catch up with you after time. For more then 10 years now, I have had chronic pain. The pain would start in my neck and back then radiate into my legs and arms. Even as someone well acquainted with pain, I would sometimes be overwhelmed by the intensity of it. My doctors all said the same thing: damage throughout my spine was pinching my spinal cord. Surgery was not a valid option because of the lack of good vertebrae remaining. Basically, there was no hope whatsoever.

When you’re in intense pain, everyday becomes a blur. I withdrew from people because it was hard to concentrate on conversations. Light and noise were unbearable. I could not form a clear thought let alone verbalize it. My communication with anyone was a struggle. My communication with God was non-existent. To say I had a short fuse would be an understatement.

Everyone makes mistakes, but during those years my judgment reached an all time low. When you are operating out of the feelings and emotions that I was, poor decisions became routine. I constantly struggled in my mind with thoughts of failure as a husband, father, friend, son and business owner. I was missing out on times with my boys I would never recover. How much longer would my wife stand by me? This ongoing battle combined with the unbearable level of pain produced thoughts of hopelessness, faithlessness, and suicide.

At the end of 2010, my life was at its lowest point. Something just had to change. I was scheduled to see a new surgeon, and I decided that I would give God just one more chance. I told Him that I knew He was not the author of my condition and that He wasn’t behind it. I reminded Him of the times He had spoken to me and performed miracles in my life. I repented for hiding from Him and then I asked Him to allow one of two things to happen: I wanted to either live medicine-free (through a miracle or a successful surgery) or I didn’t want to continue living at all. The truth is, at that particular moment, I really did not care which way it went; it just had to change.

I took the two weeks before my appointment to wean myself off the narcotic pain medication the doctors had me on, so I could go to the doctor’s appointment with a clear mind. After reviewing the MRI, my new doctor told me that he could definitely help. It was a major surgery and, even though there was more damage than he expected, he continued to offer me much needed hope.

The surgery turned out to be a great success. Recovery takes time, but I have stayed ahead of the “normal” healing process for my body. As I continue to restore my relationship with God, He is also repairing some of the other things that I thought were lost. It is good to know that my heavenly Father is not surprised at what He sees when He opens me up. I am being renewed day by day. It sure doesn’t feel like it all the time, but I remind myself that, because God said so, it is so. I know God loves me. He didn’t want Jesus to have to suffer on the cross, but there was a price in order for Him to save and heal me. Thank God He was willing to pay it!

~by guest contributor, Dave Frederick

The Blank Line

In illustrating the importance of the spirit-world, we wanted each youth in our teen class to create their timelines. We created a blank birth certificate and blank tombstones for the occasion. After the activity was finished, I found myself flabbergasted. There were more tombstones than birth certificates.  Upon a closer examination, I saw that many of the youth did not fill in the blank for “father’s name” on their birth certificates. Others simply put “I Don’t Care” in the blank space or did not create a birth certificate at all.

It saddened me and I found myself starring at one birth certificate with tears in my eyes. That blank line was a reminder that they once were abandoned and unwanted.  The truth was, in fact, that I was that kid roughly fifteen years ago and those were the thoughts circulating through my head and soul. I seriously do not know where I would be without the word and knowledge of God. I’m not saying I’ve arrived, but I’m not where I was.

The more I contemplated what I witnessed, the more I realized the affects that the blank line has had on my own life.

————–

I watched as my young ones glared at you, loathed you with gnashing teeth

Detesting with every ounce they possessed

See, their caress was limited by your existence

Abandonment confirmed by your act of omission

What was it that proved to them that empty-space pained? I know . . .

It’s that blank line that should have carried your name

 

 

Even from the day I was born, you plagued me with your emptiness

And that lover’s caress you bestowed only a few months earlier was gone

And it was her name that was alone-My mother’s

As she lay in a pool of her own sin, tears and red water

Cradling in her arms, with burdensome joy, a ghost’s daughter

What was that which gave her no choice as she looked down to where I lay? I know . . .

It’s the blank line that should have carried your name.

 

What were You teaching me? What was it a part of Your plan

To let stand at a distance a love I could not touch, an aromatic hope I could not smell

Worthiness I could not behold lest I lust for it?

There was no hand to hold there in the separation of that vacant streak

Though my fragile heartbeat, I feared, would not survive should we convene

What was that which created this vast, bottomless void of sheer darkness and rain?

I know…

 

It’s the blank line that should have carried your name.

 

Yet, here I am, Jehovah Elohim. Here am I, shouting across the aloofness

Because the truth is that I cannot live as a child without a face, detached from Agape

A child inundated by a blank space

Therefore, My Creator, take this clay I call my flesh

Hurl it onto your Potter’s wheel and mend the ego fractured by shame

Knead with Your thumbs the solidified rubbish of malice, guilt, anguish and hate

Shave off dead weights that hold me hostage from sublime,

Imprisoning me to be a victim of that void line

 

Render null and void time, Elohim

Refold that flat span with Your vast hands that laid mountains and oceans

Go back past the children of my youth, a child at every age

Pass that babe at her mother’s bosom, before the ailing through which I was born

Spin until the world is without form and without nights and days

And there, I see, You knew me and gave me Your name

I am you and You are me, My Love

There, I heard His voice echo and let the sound waves invigorate the depths of my being

Completing in me the song I thought was lost until I arose with my feet dancing

My hands waving, my heart singing as I became one who was entire, lacking no thing

 

You see, only then could I love you

Only then could I embrace you and your good intentions

Taking no care to mention the acts of the past

Only then could I understand, discover and find

That your heart, too, was afflicted by the presence of that vacant line

 

When they ask what gives me the right to edify youth though my womb’s seen no heir

If they dare inquire how my young age will help turn the hearts of children to the heart of our Father

Without bother, I will tell you what I will proclaim and know . . .

It’s the blank line that should have carried your name . . . That now carries His.

~by Vickie Bowman

Editor’s Note: It is with deep humility and gratitude that we post this heart wrenching poem by Vickie. It took great courage for her to write it, and we share it here with hope that it will inspire others to allow God to step in and fill that void for them as He did so faithfully for Vickie.

Miracles in My Mess

Have you ever noticed how God shows up in the most unlikely places with the most unlikely people? Six years ago, I started working in my local elementary school. If you had asked me 15 years ago if I could see myself doing that, I would have said, “NO WAY!” My self-esteem was so low. Relationships have never been the easiest thing for me. I tried to appear collected on the outside, but on the inside I stayed in turmoil in my mind and emotions. But GOD used a lady at work to help me change all of that. No, she wasn’t a great friend who made me feel welcome; she was actually quite mean and hard. She was always abrupt and cold. I couldn’t understand why she hated me! Her attitude toward me certainly didn’t help the self-esteem issues I was dealing with! Or did they?

I remembered what Apostle David always says: hurting people hurt people. So, in the middle of all of my own hurt, I cried out to God for her. I asked Him to show me what I could do to love her, in spite of herself. The Lord dealt with me to pray for her. I also asked Him if there were something I could do for her, and I heard Him say, “SMILE at her.” And so I did…in spite of how hard it was!

Did things change? Sure, in only a few short years. Yes, I said years! Not days or weeks, but years. Then one day, out of the blue, she ran up to me and said, “Sherrie my husband got saved!” I rejoiced with her and gave her Apostle David’s book on prayer, which she soaked up like a sponge! She took hold of the message in that little book and lost 50 pounds! She even got off her blood pressure medicine. Now, she and I are good friends. But she wasn’t the only one who had changed…I had changed, too. Through all of this, God used this woman to show me that one way to break down walls in me is to cry out to Him for someone who is hurting me. What I saw as a mess, God saw as a miracle in the making…for two!

~Sherrie Vaughn, guest writer

Clearing the Briar Patch, part 2

Yesterday, I shared my testimony of how God delivered me from the hate I had carried concerning my mother’s death. The reason for sharing my testimony was to provide you with a context for what God is doing during this time of seeking. For you see, God has proclaimed that He is healing and restoring the land of our hearts, removing the briars and the weeds (much like He did in the vision of my testimony). So I began wondering, what is the purpose of briars, what do they do?

When I was a kid, my sisters and I use to love going out into the woods to play. However, there were some areas of the woods to which we were denied access. Why? There was a hedge of briars that had grown up. And quite frankly, the pain of trying to get through that hedge simply wasn’t worth it. We just accepted that there were some parts of the woods in which we just couldn’t play.

Sometimes we allow the spiritual briars in the gardens of our hearts to grow out of control until it’s no longer just a briar bush but a briar hedge. An impenetrable wall of pain that keeps us from going deeper into the forest of God’s love. But God has begun a new thing in this time of seeking! He has released His fire on the lands of His people and consumed the briar hedges of pain and sin that have been denying us access to the deeper things of God.

I know that for me, I have already been set free from a hedge of rejection in my life during this seeking time! However, now the hard part comes. God has supernaturally provided us with complete access to all He is by obliterating the briar hedges of our hearts. Now we must be bold and courageous as we allow the Master Gardener access to the roots of those hedges. For you see, now we have to allow the Healer to heal the land of our heart with His love.

Consider what Ephesians 3:16-19 says. “…That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God doesn’t just want to clear the briar patches of your life, He wants to restore the precious ground of your heart! So be strong and of good courage. Allow God access to the roots of the briars. As you do, you too will experience the miracle of love, healing, and restoration that can only come from the pierced hands of the Master Gardner.

Clearing the Briar Patch, part 1

While I was attending veterinary school in the late 90s, I was involved with a campus ministry that had a yearly retreat where students from all over our region would come together to seek God. Usually, I looked forward to these retreats with eager anticipation. However, this particular year, I came with a heavy heart. For you see, earlier in the year my grandmother had passed away, and then a week before Christmas my grandfather passed. Despite my pain, I did have a goal for the retreat. I felt there was something in my life that was preventing me from entering into a deeper relationship with God, so all I could muster my faith for was a greater intimacy with God.

Well, it turned out that one of the afternoon sessions was specifically called “Intimacy with God”! So I attended the session with an expectant heart. By the end of the session, I was on my knees crying out to God…desperately wanting to know what was keeping me from knowing His love. Then Holy Spirit revealed an anger and hatred I had in my heart toward God concerning the death of my mother.

When I was seven years old, my mother died in the hospital, leaving my dad to raise me and my two younger sisters, 5 years and 3 months old. I never realized that I had blamed God for her death. But once I knew what the problem was, the pain was so severe that I couldn’t even touch it to try and give it over to God. My heart was broken. But I knew this much, God is a good God and He wouldn’t have revealed this without a reason. So later that day, we all reconvened for the evening service, and God moved in a supernatural way which I had never before experienced. That evening, God gave three prophecies in the service which, if they were for nobody else, were for me. One student shared a vision where she saw a beautiful garden, but within the garden were briars and thorns. The owner of the garden had tried to remove the briars but was unable to because it was too painful. But then a pierced hand from Heaven appeared. A voice said, “Don’t worry. My hands are already pierced. It won’t hurt Me as much.” And with that, the pierced hand reached down and removed the briars and thorns from the garden.

I knew without a doubt that was specifically for me! As soon as an altar call was made, I bolted for the front of the sanctuary. And just as was described in the vision, God came and He removed the hate and anger I had towards Him from my heart! From that very moment, I have walked in continuous deliverance and healing concerning the death of my mother. Glory to God!

I wanted to share this with you because God is doing something similar for His people during this time of seeking. Come back tomorrow, and I will share what God’s been showing me.

~Dr. Matt

Be Not Afraid; Only Believe!

“Her pulse Oxygen Level is 2.”  At the time I really didn’t know what I was hearing.  My wife had never been sick.  I had raised five children without doctors or medicine.  Call me crazy if you want, but God was faithful.  I saw everything from deep cuts instantly healed to fevers that dissipated in minutes.  So, I had no idea what was going on when my wife continued to get more and more sick and ended up in the emergency room that February night in 1994

The EMS workers were scared to move her, and when they finally did, they drove at breakneck speeds to transport her to Athens where she was sent directly to ICU.  We didn’t know that would be her home for the next 40 days.

I was in that place where your faith is being tried and it seems like everything you believe has been violated.  How could this happen?  I had started praying and fasting a year earlier (TO THE DAY from when she got sick), and I heard Satan tell me, “See, I’m going to kill your wife because you did all of that.”  Fear gripped my heart.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been in that place where it seems like your entire world is falling apart and nothing that you’ve thought was stable is still standing.  It’s a painful place.  It’s a scary place.  You may be there now.

As I sat in the lobby of that ICU hour after hour, I did the only thing I knew to do; I confessed the Word over and over and over again.  I said, “My wife will live and not die and declare the glorious works of the Lord.”

In those moments of literally living off of His Word, I heard Him answer the voice of Satan saying, “No son, Satan can’t kill your wife. I started you praying and fasting a year ahead to prepare you for this, so you would be ready and able to stand.” My faith received the CPR it needed to survive, but was still barely hanging on.

By this time my wife was on dialysis and a ventilator and was mentally incapacitated.  She had been diagnosed with Wegner’s Granulomatosis, a disease that causes massive lesions and hemorrhaging throughout the body.  The doctors sat me down and told me, “Few people survive this disease. Even if she does, she will be so altered – so radically changed- until she won’t be the woman you know and may even be a vegetable. NO ONE has ever recovered from this disease.”   Talk about being crushed.  I felt every ounce of faith drain from my body.  But I kept confessing the Word anyway.

And then it happened: I awoke one morning and simply heard these word’s float through my mind:  “Be not afraid only believe.”  When those words drifted through my mind, Faith came with them.  I knew the verse from Mark 5 where Jesus told Jairus, “Be not afraid only believe,” after the crowd told him that his daughter was already dead. But in my heart, Jesus wasn’t talking to Jairus; He was talking to me.

I drove to the hospital that day where I received the worst report ever from the doctors.  She was allergic to her dialysis medicine; during the night she had pulled out all her tubes and the end was probably very near.  They offered me a handful of pills and said that if I could get her to take them, they might not have to put the tubes back in.

Be not afraid; only believe.  To make a long, grueling day short, I got the pills and 8 oz. of juice in her.  Suddenly, God showed up.  Within a matter of hours, EVERYTHING CHANGED.  Her blindness almost instantly began to recede, her mental state returned, and within one week we went home from the hospital.  To this day, she is the ONLY person to ever receive a completely clean bill of health and be declared in 100% remission from the disease.  Be not afraid; only believe.

I don’t know what you’re going through.  It may be cancer, it may be grief, it may be debt, it may be divorce, it may be anything… but this one thing I know… MY GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.  If He can heal my wife, then He can heal you, too.  BE NOT AFRAID; ONLY BELIEVE!

~Apostle David Coker

What are you waiting for? (Pt.2)

“But, I know Jesus has come. I am not like those Jews who are still waiting for Him,” you may say.

We all know Jesus has come. We sing songs about His birth and place tiny Baby Jesus images all around our houses and churches at Christmas. We know Jesus came to this earth, that He lived and died…But, we’re still waiting on the promise of The Christ.

If we really, truly believed that Christ has come, we would understand the scripture that says, “He HAS blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph 1:3)

God has already healed you: “With His stripes, we ARE healed.” (1 Pet 2:24)

God has already given you peace: “ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you.” (John 14:27)

God has already blessed your finances: “The LORD shall open unto thee his
good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to
bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou
shalt not borrow.” – Deut 28:12

God has already restored your relationships: “As the Father hath loved me, so
have I loved you: continue ye in my love…This is my commandment, That ye
love one another, as I have loved you.” – John 15: 9/12

God has already supplied all your need: “But my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19

Paul, the apostle, was a good Jew who waited for the Messiah to come. Even after his conversion to Christ, he found himself waiting, waiting, waiting on God. When he asked God three times to take care of his problem, God said to him, “My grace is sufficient.” God had already done what Paul asked Him to do. He had already given him the grace to rule and reign in life through Christ (Rom 5:17). God had already given Paul the victory (1 Cor 15:57). Paul needed to remind himself that he wasn’t waiting on God… God had already provided.

As you are packing up all your tiny Jesus figures from the Christmas season, keep in mind that He is more than the baby in the manger. He is the Head of Christ, and we are His Body. As such, we are joint heirs with Him to all the promises of God that have already been delivered. We are not waiting on Him anymore! Now, we are to take what He has given and use our authority to restore His Kingdom in this earth.

NO MORE WAITING!!!

~Linda Frederick