DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

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One of the reasons I believe God is in control of all events that occur in His world is the number of divine appointments He arranges for me when I go on missionary trips. Now, when I go on trips I expect that God has gone before me to make sure the right people are sitting next to me. My trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda in April/May of this year is a good example. I had ten airplane trips and two long bus trips and on every occasion, the person I sat next to was a ministry opportunity. It was mind-blowing. I gave away five of my books and am corresponding still with two of the connections made. As well, in Kenya, I stayed two nights at the Ark Guest House (owned by the Anglican Church) in Nairobi. At breakfast, I was joined by an Anglican minister who was in Nairobi for a conference with about 70 other Anglican ministers. He was taken by the fact that I had come all the way from Australia to put on a training session for leaders of the Kenya House Church Movement in Migori County. He sought me out at dinner the same evening and asked me if I was prepared to pray for him. What was missing from his and I expect many other Anglican church ministries was a belief in the work of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. We ended up going back to his room where I prayed for him and his ministry. He is one of the contacts with whom I still communicate.

Matt Augee who works in a ministry to veterans in the USA supplied this remarkable story about a divine appointment. 

“I had a God encounter a week ago at a veteran’s memorial monument when I was meeting a family to plan the celebration of life for the veteran they had recently lost. I felt God prompted me to go early and I arrived 25 minutes early, just in time to be there when a young woman walked in with her head down and face hidden and sat down at one of the memorials etched bricks in the ground and kept touching it and quietly sobbing and speaking without any sound. I watched her for a little bit and I instinctively felt that I needed to talk to her and that she was suicidal.

My service dog went over to her and sat down next to her and leaned on her. That opened up the opportunity for me to talk to her. She had lost all hope and she came to say goodbye to her grandfather who had raised her and died five years earlier. She came to say goodbye to him and then to take her own life right there. If I had not arrived early I would have come across a dead woman right there at the memorial. I asked her some questions and if she was open to talking about spiritual things and she was. I was able to pray for her and to get her help from our staff which gave her hope. She has subsequently, texted us to let us know that she’s doing better but she’s going to need a lot of care and follow-up. I’m just grateful that I was in the right place at the right time and ready to talk with her and give her hope in Jesus.”

The big question for all of us is are we available for Gods use and expectant on all occasions?

The story of the divine appointment given by Matt Augee was taken from the article “May God Open Our Eyes to the Needy People Who Surround Us” by Randy Alcorn on December 16th, 2022 – http://www.patheos.com.

PRAYING EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

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The following excellent article on prayer is taken from “Your circumstances are not guidance” by Duncan Edward Pile which appeared in http://www.patheos.com on August 29, 2022. Heed Duncan’s advice it will change your life.

How do you know if your circumstances are from God? The church of my youth taught that if you prayed about something and gave the outcome into God’s hands, saying ‘thy will be done’, whatever happened would be God’s will.

If a person asked God for a blessing, the failure of that blessing to arrive would be interpreted by the spiritual leaders of my youth as an answer to prayer, the answer being ‘no’. This approach is not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

‘Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name…ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:22-24

As well as filling us with joy at the goodness of God, receiving from him also brings the Father glory.

‘And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ John 14:13,

If receiving from God brings him glory and fills us with joy, why would we be wary of expecting it?

One of the ways in which I am most richly assured of the loving nature of God is in specific answers to specific prayers. I believe the Christian life can be a journey into increasing discernment, powerful prayer, and the direct intervention of God through the leading and might of the Holy Spirit. That has certainly been my story. The Lord guides us, leads us, and is faithful. He wants to get involved in the details and circumstances of our lives.

Increasing answers to prayer

For me, the key to seeing prayers answered is to discern the will of God before you make a request. The Holy Spirit involves us in bringing his will to pass, leading our prayers, and filling us with the authority to speak powerful, effective words. We are his hands and feet, his church. God does not bypass his children in order to make his will manifest.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:16-18,

The will of God is enacted through the prayers and actions of those who walk closely with the Holy Spirit and follow his leading.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and his instruction carried none of the fatalism I see in so much of the Evangelical movement, which seems to pray as if tossing a coin into a wishing well, singing ‘Ke sera sera, whatever will be will be.’

Jesus told his disciples to pray ‘Thy will be done, on Earth as in Heaven.’ Or in other words, we pray that God’s will be as perfectly and completely performed here on Earth (in our lives and circumstances) as it is in Heaven, where the Lord reigns supreme. The powerful prayer of a person in tune with the Lord starts with discerning God’s will, embodying the emotion and power of the Holy Spirit as he pours might through us, and giving voice to what we feel and perceive.

Once we learn to follow his leading we can pray in power, and that Spirit-led prayer is incredibly effective, cutting through resistance and genuinely changing things on a practical level. I have seen extraordinary answers to prayer throughout my adult life, praying in exactly this way. I’ve known intercessory prayer where the emotions of God flood through me and I’m left huddled and groaning, crying out with the compassion of God. I’ve smashed through resistance and barriers in the Spirit, going to battle on someone else’s behalf. The same is true of every person I know who walks closely with the Holy Spirit. We lend him our bodies, emotions, and voices, and pray as led. We are spiritual beings, praying Spirit-led prayers.

The enemy of faith

The difference between habitually answered and unanswered prayer is a life of faith versus a life of uncertainty.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8

The instruction to believe and not doubt is not about mental discipline. To free ourselves from instability, double-mindedness, and spiritual ineffectiveness, we must have a clear, singular belief that God is good. He is not the author of suffering.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17,

God does not change. His intentions towards us don’t shift. He is the author of love, joy, and peace, and is committed to bringing each of us to a place of genuine wholeness. Naturally, this is a lifelong quest, but it is essential to understand the trajectory, and that our ultimate destiny is glory. ,

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“But as it is written, what no eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9,

Once we’ve established a heartfelt belief in God’s unrelenting goodness towards us, and his commitment to bless our lives, we are ready to ask for the gifts and blessings he promises in his word. When our hearts and minds are singular, we are ready to receive.

To recap – the two key ingredients to praying in the will of God (and seeing that will come to pass) are knowing the goodness of God and learning to be led by the Spirit. To pray without the knowledge of God’s unchanging love is to build a house without a foundation; to pray without the knowledge of God’s will through the Holy Spirit is to waste oxygen. To pray ‘thy will be done’, while considering that might express itself through either blessing or suffering, is to be utterly deceived. To pray in the Spirit, led and empowered by God, and standing on the sure foundation of a knowledge of his unchanging goodness and compassion towards us, is to enter the miraculous. The person who prays in this way lives a life of effectiveness, influence, and spiritual power.

I return to the teachings I was offered in my youth. Praying for something and ‘offering it to God’ is no guarantee of an outcome God desires. It is in fact, a guarantee of unanswered prayer because such a prayer is riddled with uncertainty and doubt. That person will receive nothing from the Lord.

Progressive Christianity is no closer to the truth of this than the most conservative, Calvinistic congregation, in my opinion. From what I read here on Patheos (and elsewhere), they too are in the business of keeping the Holy Spirit at a distance and offering weak apologetics for unanswered prayers.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but for me, this remains the greatest blind spot in the ongoing Evangelical/Progressive debate. Both groups minimise the power of the Christian life, reducing the role of the Holy Spirit and embracing Christian fatalism. I pray that our hearts will be turned to the Lord and that we have the humility to accept that the life of faith is lived in the tangible power of the Spirit, who leads us in discernible ways and leads us to prayers that transform the world around us.

Lead us, Lord, I pray. Humble us, Lord, I ask. Bring us back to the spiritual power and authority all believers are called to. Amen.

YOUNG PEOPLE: RELIGION IS GOOD FOR YOU

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I published the results of this research under the post – GOD LOVES YOU, DO YOU LOVE GOD? with a different message but this post is aimed at young people with the message on the CBN video.

Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, told CBN’s Faithwire about his extensive research into 13-to-25-year-olds, noting studies have long found “religion is good for you.”

“Faith and spirituality are good for you,” Packard said. “If you’re a person who believes in some kind of higher power and has a connection to that higher power, you’re generally flourishing more than your peers.”

He continued, “Those who pray more tend to be flourishing more in all areas, including their mental health.”

Packard’s comments are particularly stunning when America faces an “epidemic of mental health [crises] among young people.” Meanwhile, there’s also a massive rise in the proportion of “nones” who no longer affiliate with a specific faith or religion.

Data pointing to increased wellness among the faithful is particularly pertinent in the midst of these dynamics, pointing to a potential solution to cultural conundrums.

Packard said there are lessons in Springtide Research Institute’s findings that can inform the culture and churches alike, especially in an era in which faith is being downplayed or diminished.

“Young people would be … better off if more of them had a connection to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “But also, I think a lot of religious institutions and leaders would do well to take mental health into account, so that like faith and belief could be appropriately part of somebody’s overall approach to health.”

While young people might not be aligning with Christianity at rates they once were, Packard said many still see themselves as spiritual, and more than half pray.

While the separation from biblical truth is undoubtedly troubling for Christians, these realities show at least openness to a higher power. And that intrigue could lead to receptive Gospel introductions.

“We see lots of desire from Gen Z to embark on these conversations and explorations of meaning and purpose and, ‘Why am I here on this Earth?’” he said. “So, the desire hasn’t gone away. The exploration hasn’t gone away.”

As Faithwire has extensively reported, countless surveys and studies show the benefits of faith.

Recent research has found Christians are exceptional at giving, fare better in relationships, church attendees are happier and more content, and churchgoers have better mental health. Read more about these findings.

WHAT DOES PRAYER DO?

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One of the genuine marks of the Christian faith is that we do not worship a distant God. He isn’t some distant being with no care or interest in His people. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our spirit. Our spirit is the lamp of the Lord and before The Fall was indwelt by the Holy Spirit which is the oil needed for God’s lamp to function.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

The Holy Spirit indwells those whom He has redeemed.  He is the one that produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. He is the one that provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry. He is our counsellor, teacher, and comforter. He is the one that enables us to live a Christian life. That’s why Paul was able to write  “rejoice in the Lord, again I will say rejoice. The Lord is at hand. And we know that is the reality for a believer because He has “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9). Before the ages began God had a personal plan for all of His people; He doesn’t orchestrate this from a distance, He is within His people.

Not only is He present, but He also wants to hear from His people. God desires believers to communicate with Him through prayer, and He doesn’t just want some highlights. He calls the saints to bring everything to Him “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 

At any moment, by the merit of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians have the divinely given right to approach God with anything through prayer. The One who created and sustains the universe not only can hear your prayers, He wants to answer those prayers. Prayer is absolutely amazing because Christians have a more challenging time getting in touch with their utilities provider than directly communicating with the Lord and creator of the entire universe. If that fact about prayer doesn’t excite you, nothing will. Note also the Holy Spirit will help you pray.

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Philippians 4:4-7

Through Christ we have the opportunity to pray, but what does prayer do in and to a believer? This Scripture reveals four things.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

“Do not be anxious about anything” – That’s a bold statement. But it’s true because if “God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). We know God is for us because He wants to hear our prayers and take a personal interest in what’s going on in our lives. He knows all things but still wants us to approach the throne with all things.

“But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” – Praying to God and bringing our needs to Him reminds us that he has already supplied the greatest need of all, His Son (James 1:17, Romans 6:23) which is why we pray in His name.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” – Prayer isn’t always answered in the manner we desire, but it is always answered.

Prayer connects us to God and each other as we live as God’s people in this fallen world. In a word, it’s hard to be at each other’s throats while we’re on our knees together in prayer.

Adapted from a post by David Chambers “Four things Paul teaches us about prayer” http://www.patheos.com

PROPHESIED “END TIMES” PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS ESCALATES

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In Australia, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said biblical views on abortion and sexuality are, “appalling, intolerant, hatred, bigotry, and just wrong.”

Daniel Andrews, the Roman Catholic Premier of Victoria, has not only defied the God of the Bible, turned a deaf ear to the wider Christian population, but has specifically rejected the teachings of his own Church.

How quickly what we saw as foundational human rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and association are clearly eroding under the Andrews government, and other governments nationwide.

We should not be surprised as Jesus warned us that persecution/tribulation will escalate in the last days and that we will be hated by all nations for standing up for Jesus and His values.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

While this life is fraught with many trials and tribulations, the sufferings we experience are to be counted as incomparable with the glories to come. This anticipation for glory sustains us and brings forth one major reason why we persevere: we hope in the age to come rather than in this broken and fallen age.

Paul says, that in the same way, this hope for glorification sustains us, the Spirit sustains us, for He knows precisely how to intercede on our behalf before the Father.

Where words and utterances fail us in our prayers, the Spirit transforms them into prayers that match the will of God. The Spirit’s work of intercession on our behalf is part and parcel of our endurance; we endure not only for the hope of the age to come but specifically because part of the Spirit’s work is to bring about endurance in us.

Human suffering has a purpose that culminates in glory. To make that even clearer: the purpose of our trials and sufferings is to bring us to the final redemption, where we see God face to face, free from the pain, devastation, and destruction caused by the curse of sin, our adversary Satan, and death itself.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

PRAYER CONNECTS YOU TO THE SOURCE OF LIFE

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God’s Word clearly tells us to ‘pray about everything.’

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

What an important Scripture read it often and practice what it teaches and you will know the truth about God and His desire to be in a relationship with you.

Today, science is beginning to recognize the value and the power of prayer. Researchers investigating the role of faith in health are discovering evidence that’s hard to refute.

THE MIND HEALTH REPORT (Secrets to Unlocking Your Mind for Work, Love, and Life) produced by Newsmax: A 2014 study confirmed that people who engage in private prayer, intercessory prayer, and church activities are healthier and live longer.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: Researchers found that praying for somebody increases your readiness to forgive them. When a group of men and women prayed for the well-being of a close friend every day for four weeks, they were more willing to forgive not only the friend but people in general. Forgiveness is associated with better overall health and satisfaction with life.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: Their researchers discovered that prayer and religious practices improve your ability to pursue and achieve long-term goals. Prayer affects regions in your brain that improve self-control, and people who view their goals as sacred are more determined to attain them.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON: A research study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison concluded that victims of abusive relationships recovered a positive self-image and reduced their emotional pain when their lives included prayer.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Columbia University researchers found that people who value religion and regularly attend church are 90 percent less likely to suffer from depression than their non-religious peers.

If you pray according to the will of God expect to receive a response as did Isaiah

“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.” Isaiah 7:16

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” Isaiah 29:7

That’s pretty strong evidence in favour of prayer, wouldn’t you say?

Source: The Word for Today

REPENTANCE AND HOLINESS

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Scripture is clear: “As He who called you is holy, you also must be holy in all your conduct” 1 Peter 1:15

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

Look what A.W.Tozer said:

“I look back and remember a day when it was common for men and women to come to an altar of prayer and kneel there, shake, tremble, and weep in agony of conviction over their iniquity. We do not see it now because the God we preach is not the everlasting, awful Holy One who cannot look upon iniquity. When we get a vision of the Holy One as he desires to reveal himself, this will come back as a mighty power to change us into his likeness.”

Tozer then quotes this hymn by Charles Wesley:

Lord, incline me to repent; Let me now my fall lament, Deeply my revolt deplore, Weep, believe, and sin no more. 

Repentance is the lost word in the Christian dictionary. You may want to consider adding the sentiment of Charles Wesley’s words to your next prayer. I am sure you won’t use Wesley’s words exactly.

It is not as if we have to repent and be holy in our own strength. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to enable us to be holy. He will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life and enable you to do the ministry that God has called you to do. We just need to submit to His leading day by day and not grieve Him or quench His work in our lives.

NEED A BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR LIFE OR BUSINESS?

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HAVE YOU SERIOUSLY GONE TO GOD FOR HELP?

God’s Word gives us many examples of people who went to God for help but David is a standout

David had just been anointed King over Israel and the Philistines heard of it and searched for him.  

“So David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines?  Will You deliver them into my hand?’ The Lord answered, ‘Go up for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.’ So David went and at Baal Perazim, there he defeated them.  David exclaimed, ‘the Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.’ Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim (Master of Breakthroughs).” (2 Samuel 5:17-20)

The Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim (giants.) David enquired again of the Lord. This time the Lord said, ‘you shall not go up: circle round behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.’ And David did what the Lord commanded him, and drove back his enemies.

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There are times when we need a breakthrough from the Lord. The problem is beyond us, we need Him to act. Wisely David enquired of the Lord and very wisely he followed the Lord’s instructions and there was a breakthrough.  

In itself, that breakthrough was a battle rather than the whole war, for the Philistines returned and threatened again.  Very wisely David enquired again and did not repeat the previous strategy. This time the Lord’s plan was different. Again, following the word from the Lord, David had victory over his enemy.

When we need a breakthrough, for the problem is greater than us, we can enquire of the Lord. We can listen for His answer but note that it may need patience which is difficult when we are under threat. Yet scripture assures us that we will receive an answer –

‘Ask and it will be given to you…For everyone who asks, receives.’ Matthew .7:7-8

The apostle Peter confirms that the breakthrough will come if we stand firm. He says ‘Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…cast all your care on Him…be sober and vigilant… The devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him and stand firm in the faith…  Then after you have suffered a while the God of all grace will give you the breakthrough – He will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.’  (from 1 Peter 5:6-11)

Paul wrote to the Ephesians telling them to stand and when they had done everything to keep standing – always looking out for the sword of the Spirit – that specific word (rhema) from God, that specific instruction just like David received when he enquired of the Lord.  Our breakthrough comes in the same way – ask, listen and obey the specific instruction, not relying on previous victories for God’s strategy is always right for every problem. Patience is needed!

Why is patience needed? Because patience is having its perfect work in us. Patience is abiding under pressure – enduring. So we keep standing and waiting for the breakthrough which will surely come at the right time.

Go to http://www.transformedworkinglife.net for more helpful articles and videos. This article was written by Peter Mitchell of ICCC UK.

WHAT FAITH IS AND IS NOT

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Randy Alcorn lost his wife Nanci recently due to cancer. Obviously Nanci and Randy prayed for healing when they first learned the bad news. Fortunately, both learned a great deal about God through the experience and as a result, their trust and faith in God increased. Moreover, we are benefiting now from Randy sharing their story with us

Nanci Alcorn, wife to best-selling author Randy Alcorn has passed away on March 28th after a long batter with colon cancer.

On November 14, 2019, Nanci wrote the following in her journal:

Today I am thinking about “faith.” I have learned so much about faith.

What faith is not:

Trying to gather as much hope and “possibilities” in my own mind to reach a certain level.

Believing in that level of possibilities as hard as I can.

Presenting that package of my own hopes and dreams to God as my personal qualification to receive my hopes and dreams

God weighing the level of that package in order to determine the level of His answer to my prayers If I work up enough hope on my own, God will answer my prayers according to my wishes

What faith is:

A deep and continued study of the character and work of God Almighty

A deep and continued discipline of prayer—listening to the Holy Spirit—praying Scripture—seeking forgiveness—asking for enlightenment—praising Him for His character and works

Then, based upon the above, submit your requests to God Almighty—placing your well-grounded knowledge of His character and works into each request, always asking His will be done

Faith is being assured that God Almighty always acts according to His character and works. He never waivers. You can trust in God Almighty to always do the right thing. Nothing slips through His grid. God has everything planned, and all His plans will succeed.

The more I understand God’s character and works, the stronger my faith will be, and the more I want His will to be done knowing God does all things well.

The more I understand God’s: – Omniscience, Omnipotence, Grace, Mercy, Justice/Worth, Immanence, Immutability, Faithfulness, Love, Unity, Trinity, Holiness. The more my faith in Him will calm my soul.

Randy adds the following:

Some people hold tenaciously to a faith that their child will not die, that their cancer will disappear, and that their spouse will recover from a stroke. Do they have faith in God or is their faith in what they desperately want God to do?

If we base our faith on lack of affliction, our faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart at any moment because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it. Only when we jettison ungrounded and untrue faith can we replace it with valid faith in the true God—faith that can pass, and even find strength in, the most formidable of life’s tests.

God tells us that trials in which evil and suffering come upon us “have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7). Paul Tournier wrote, “If healing through faith is striking, how much more so are spiritual victories without healing.”

Several years ago, before Nanci was diagnosed with cancer, I wrote this in a blog titled “If I Have Enough Faith, Will God Heal Me?”:

We should pray for ourselves and our suffering loved ones, not simply try to pray away suffering. ‘God, please heal this cancer‘ is appropriate. ‘God, please use for your glory this cancer, so long as I have it’ is equally appropriate.

Let me be clear: God can and sometimes does heal presently, and whenever He does we should celebrate His mercy! I have often prayed for healing and sometimes I have witnessed it, and it’s a wonderful thing to behold and celebrate. But ultimately, all healing in this world is temporary, since people’s bodies inevitably deteriorate and die (after Lazarus died and was risen in his mortal body, eventually he had to die again) Resurrection healing will be permanent. For that our hearts should overflow with praise to our gracious God.

Nanci and I have long known that prosperity theology, or the health and wealth gospel, is a deception, not the true gospel. So we did not even once cling to the “certainty” that God would heal her in this world under the Curse.

Nanci’s journals overflow with the promises of God, and many quotes from Spurgeon and the Puritans, people who died long ago (some of whom she probably already met—if there is a line for those waiting to meet Spurgeon, she’s probably in it having delightful conversations). Nanci never quoted from aging and dying prosperity preachers, who will all die of something and daily get closer to death even as they promise “It’s always God’s will to heal you,” typically adding “send us your prayer requests for healing, along with a love offering [money].”

Though we prayed for it every night for four years, we understood that healing was never a certainty, and also knowing full well that sometimes He chooses to heal and sometimes He doesn’t, and even when He does the healing is temporary, and death always comes. “For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). When doctors told us Nanci was going to die, she told me, “We always knew that, we just didn’t know when, and we still don’t.”

But of course, God promises the death of death. He will not let it die a natural death, He will decisively “swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8). Death will not have the last word. God will.

Jesus said to Martha, mourning the death of her brother Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Answering the question Jesus asked Martha, Nanci and I both said yes—we DO believe you, Jesus. We believe that even when we die, we will live, and in the sense of final death, we will never die at all. We will depart a cursed earth to live with Him in the present Heaven, from which He will one day bring our spirits down to join our bodies in resurrection, and we will then live forever on God’s New Earth.

Randy, God does not bring our spirits down to join our bodies in the resurrection. God raises the dead first and then raptures the living Saints and they meet Jesus in the air in their new bodies (changed in an instant). Later, they come down from heaven in their resurrected bodies to rule and reign with Jesus during His Millennial reign on this earth.

“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

GOD APPOINTMENTS ARE POSSIBLE

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Make prayer the steering wheel of your life as do Alex and Stephen Kendrick but you also need to get out of the driver’s seat and let the Holy Spirit take control.

Brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who have created iconic Christian films like “Facing the Giants,” “Courageous,” “Fireproof,” “War Room,” and “Overcomer,” are gearing up for a unique, new project they believe is a “divine appointment” for the times in which we’re living. “Lifemark,” which releases in select theaters nationwide on September 9 with Fathom Events, tells the true story of an adopted young man’s journey to meet his birth parents. The film comes as society boisterously debates the life issue and as the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that codified nationalized abortion. The Kendricks, who partnered with actor Kirk Cameron to create the powerful adoption story, know the timing isn’t a coincidence.

This movie is a result of prayer and letting God direct the Kendrick brother’s actions.

Watch this video and be inspired. If you live in the USA watch out for the movie, Lifemark in September.