But This Isn’t What I Prayed For

......Andrea Reeves

“… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)

One day, I was on my way to class when I saw one of my classmates crying while on the phone. I had just moved to the Northeast for graduate school and was having a hard time integrating my faith into new relationships. Maybe this is the opportunity I’ve been asking God for, I thought.

I waited for her to hang up and then approached her hesitantly, as if she were a deer that would run off if I spooked her. I sat next to her and asked what was wrong.

“It’s my pop, he’s having surgery today,” she said through her tears. It was hard for me to understand her — she was very upset and there was a slight language barrier between us.

From what I understood, her father was having surgery back home in China and she was understandably upset she couldn’t be there with him. I felt terrible. I couldn’t imagine my dad lying on a hospital bed while I was in a foreign country.

I questioned whether or not I should pray for her right in that moment, but doubt creeped into my mind. I don’t even know if she knows what prayer is. Will she be uncomfortable? Or worse, will she think I’m weird??

I said a quick prayer and decided to go for it: “I don’t know what you believe, but I believe in God. And I believe that God can heal your pop,” I said to her, pretty surprised at my sudden boldness. “I talk to God through prayer … do you mind if I pray to Him now?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

I began praying confidently, believing this was a conversation ordained by God. “Lord, I pray supernatural healing over her father —” I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“No, not my father,” she said. “My pop.”

I racked my brain for all the people in her life who could be called “pop.” Great, she probably already thought you were a crazy prayer lady, and now she thinks you don’t pay attention!

“Your grandfather?” I asked, hesitantly.

She spoke again. “No. My pup. My puppy.”

My entire body went numb. I’m supposed to pray for her sick dog? Completely embarrassed, I began praying again; this time, for her puppy, for the vets who would be handling the surgery and for her peace of mind. I was so caught off guard, I didn’t have time to think of any fancy words to use.

After I said “Amen,” she showed me pictures of her cute furry friend. I smiled at the photos, but still felt absolutely mortified at the change of events. God, what good is praying for a spunky little Papillon dog going to do?

Once we were done talking, she gave me a hug and thanked me, this time with a visible sense of calmness and relief.

In the moments before her hug, praying for a pet felt so silly and insignificant to me. But in the end, I saw a peace come over her that only my God could have provided.

Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

I was upset and embarrassed because I approached my classmate with my idea of what God’s purpose was for the conversation. When it didn’t pan out the way I imagined, I felt like my boldness had gone to waste.

I then realized this wasn’t about a dog, or how confidently I prayed or the type of cool, Christian impression I left on this girl … God used a simple prayer for a dog to show His love for one of His children. And He let me be a part of that assignment.

God will use us in small ways to make a big impression on behalf of His Kingdom … we just have to be willing to follow His lead. God won’t waste our efforts, no matter how big or small those efforts may feel to us.

These steps can be uncomfortable, and sometimes our efforts feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But together, as we all take these small steps side-by-side, we are able to make such a great, eternal impact on the world around us. One that will bring God glory.

Lord, thank You for letting me be a part of Your great purpose. Help me see the ones around me who need Your loving reminder, and show me ways in my life that I can impact Your Kingdom for the better. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How God Turns Your Past Into Purpose

“‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:39 (NIV)

As I sat in the church pew with my head bowed in prayer, I heard a voice reverberate so thunderously in my heart that it startled me.

The voice was blaringly loud, as if it had been announced over the loudspeakers. I opened my eyes surprised to see that no one else was taken aback. All was calm.

And so began my encounter with God.

I felt God speak loud and clear a short message that held life-altering repercussions. Three powerful, commanding words: “Go and share!”

I became overwhelmed with emotion. I was awestruck that God had spoken to me at all, but even more so at the three words I heard. Go and share? Go and share what?

Then it hit me. Fear immediately overwhelmed me and I sank into the pew, trembling at what I thought God might be asking. I began to question God, “Surely You can’t mean share my past, Lord. Surely You don’t mean go and share what I prefer to keep secret.” Yet, that is exactly what He meant. And I didn’t like it.

I didn’t want to go, much less share. I didn’t want to be transparent or vulnerable. I gratefully accepted His forgiveness and healing, but I wasn’t ready to accept His call to give me a purpose. The man who was healed from demon possession in today’s key verse experienced similar feelings.

This tormented man lived as an outcast for many years, naked and alone in the tombs of Gadara, near Galilee. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees and shouted at the top of his voice, begging for mercy from God. Jesus commanded the demons to leave him and then cast them into a herd of pigs that rushed down the steep bank into a lake and drowned. The man was healed physically, but more importantly, spiritually.

He was so overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jesus had done, he begged to travel with Jesus and stay by His side. But Jesus had other plans. Instead, Jesus told him to go and share his story. And he did.

What had once been a burden to bear became a powerful story of holy transformation. This man’s past, and the healing he experienced, became the foundation of a purpose in life that he would have never imagined — living his life as proof of the life-changing power of Jesus.

The man’s story became a testimony when he was willing to share it with others. How many people believed in Jesus and are now spending eternity with Him simply because this former demon-possessed man willingly allowed his terrible past to become a story of redemption and purpose?

People can deny Christ, dispute Scripture and ignore prophecy, but they cannot deny, dispute or ignore God’s transformational power in someone’s life. Our stories of pain, adversity and overcoming in Christ are meant to serve as a testimony of God’s faithfulness and power, evidence that God really can take what the devil meant for evil and use it for good.

I’ve since learned it is always God’s desire for us to go and share our stories, whether we want to or not.

God never wastes our pain. Only we do that. God has a plan for great purpose and a beautiful future for all who believe in Him. Not despite our past, but because of it.

Tami’s Christian Testimony

The Lord has worked so many miracles in my life during the last eight months. I attempted to take my life on October 27th, 2010. I had been trying to keep my home and then I was let go from my employment. Two months earlier I had been on medical leave for shingles. On my return to work, my boss wrote me up. He had also transferred all my employees to other offices. He told me I had to get 7 HMCs within 30 days. He was setting me up for failure. I prayed that God would send me the applicants. Within 60 days I had seven Christian employees. This was the work of our Lord. But two months later my boss entered my office and told me my position had been eliminated. He proceeded to tell me to get my things packed up immediately, which I did. Then he and another manager escorted me to my car, as though, I had done something illegal.

I snapped when I returned home. It was like I wasn’t in control of my body. I calmly went to my room and swallowed about 50 Xanex. Within ten minutes I could feel myself drifting away. Then my phone rang and it was my friend. She knew I had done something and called the police. When the paramedics were putting me in the ambulance the last thing I heard was “she doesn’t have a pulse.” I died and the Lord brought me back. During this time there were 12 hours of darkness. It was the scariest time of my life. The only image I remember was my son crying and saying “don’t leave me, Mom.” I will have that picture etched in my mind for the rest of my days. I struggled with what I had done, but I realized the Lord forgave me so I needed to also.

I began to return to church and turn my life over to the Lord. I have put all my faith and trust in Him. Since this time He has performed so many miracles. My house was sold in auction and 2 hours later the sale was rescinded. A week later I received a modification package lowering my interest rate to two percent. He gave me a great job.

I feel so much joy and peace. I can’t take the smile off of my face. I don’t worry anymore because I know that the Lord is always working behind the scenes for my good. When my house sold I didn’t worry where I would live; I knew the Lord would take care of me. The Lord brings me Scripture in the middle of the night. He is leading me and I’m letting Him. I only want to do what the Lord wants me to. I pray for my eyes to be open and my ears to hear clearly what He is asking me to do. My work was not done. It’s all about trusting Him and knowing He will take care of us.

“With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

My experience has really taught me that there is no impossibility with God. I was a domestic cleaner in one of the famous hospitals in London. I was working there for almost one year.  I thought that was the best I could ever be in a foreign land with little or no support.  People looked down on me and thought I could never achieve anything.  They called me a toilet cleaner.  Some told me that I ought to be in college.  I had always wished to further my education.  But as a young girl at only 22 years old I really needed support.

I tried to do something better with my life.  I went from one ward to another in the hospital building to speak with the managers to see if I could be employed as a nursing assistant but they all looked down on me.  Then out of nowhere, Jesus paved a way.  I met a lady who worked for the trust and I told her my problems.  She offered me training and I applied for the job online.  I was shortlisted and called for an interview which was also successful. To my greatest surprise and to the glory of God, I was employed in one of the wards in the same hospital where I had been a toilet cleaner, where people had looked down on me. Now as a nursing assistant, I have more respect, a good salary and opportunities to further my career.

This is one of God’s great works in my life.  He turned me around from grass to grace, from reproach to glory and he can do something greater than this in your life! Just put your trust in Him only.

A Life of Pain and Regret

Sara

My experience is so vivid in my mind, the pain is still raw and I feel my heart and soul ache when I revisit it.  I was 17, my father was absent and running around with another woman while my brother and I stayed by our mother's side.   I guess I rebelled, I went looking for replacement the love of my father but, instead I got promiscuous and found  myself in a dysfunctional relationship based on empty sexual rendezvous with Kevin.   It was not love, it was sick and I was being used.   I got pregnant and I remember knowing at an early age that my mother got pregnant with me before she was married to my father.  I began to ask my aunt about that which hinted at the fact that something was up.   I will never forget the look of utter heartbreak when I told my mother.   My brother was in the room and called me a whore and a slut.   I would bring shame to them and be a burden to a single mom trying to raise 2 teens.   My mother decided that I would have the procedure, I really tried to come up with a solution that would allow me to keep  my baby but nobody could accept them.  I could not marry Kevin, he was abusing drugs and alcohol and was abusive to me.  Being a from a strong catholic background, it was hard for me to look my grandfather in the face, I was so ashamed.   It was more important for my family to keep the fact that I had had sex at an early age a secret rather than admit I  made a mistake and then live with an illegitimate child.    My mother brought me to the hospital, I was numb the entire ride.  My brother was relieved that this would soon be over and that the rumors about his sister's pregnancy would soon  be shattered . Kevin was off high or drunk somewhere and did not care to support me either way.  I remember the nurse being cold and practically throwing the gown at me.  I dressed and then had to sit and sign a paper consenting to the fetus to be used for research.   As I stared at the page through a veil of tears, I asked "do I have to sign this?" The nurse responded,  "why do you care what happens to the fetus?" I broke down and asked to see my mother who would  also be crying uncontrollably in the waiting area.  Instead of granting me that, the nurse ushered me to the gurney  and said I'd be fine and it would be over soon; and it was. I remember waking up and vomiting in a pail  and then catching the saddened gaze of another girl, younger than I in the bed next to me doing the same.   I had instant remorse, so powerful I could barely stand the pain. I begged God to forgive me but was sure  I was damned now and forever.  How could I live with this mistake? recall wanting to leave recovery prematurely  because I could barely stand listening to the cries of all the other girls in the room.  We were all murderers now, killers of innocent babies.      I went on to name my baby which I intuited would have been a boy; Cody Aaron. Every April I imagine how old Cody  would be and what he would have become in life.  I went to college to become an early childhood educator and found it  difficult to study human development and I would often leave class to vomit due to nerves.  I cried many a night.   I married and have three beautiful children of my own now. My husband is supportive and understanding of my past.  I have been going to church with my family for the last 17 years without missing a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation  but only recently got the nerve to face my parish priest and go to confession to ask forgiveness for that sin of abortion.   So much shame I have been carrying. I wept inconsolably while doing my penance before Our Lady of Sorrows.  I am forgiven and I am so grateful for God's abundant mercy. I do still suffer though. I suffer heartbreak and regret and a hole remains where remains where my baby could have lived.

Because of God's Forgiveness

Katrina

THERE IS NO SIN THAT THE MERCY OF GOD CAN NOT REACH!

I was in an abusive marriage, and my daughter was being abused as well.  I reasoned within myself that it was not fair to bring another child into this situation, so I had my first abortion in August of 1991. In December of 1991, I found out I was six weeks pregnant. I was still in the abusive marriage, so I had another abortion. By February of 1992, I found myself unable to cope and planned suicide.  I cried out to God and said, “Just take me home, I can't handle anything anymore.”   He showed me a picture of my daughter's face in my mind and told me if I couldn't find the strength to go on for  myself I'd better find it for her because she needed me. So I tightened up the bootstraps and went forward. I buried everything. Five years later I was at church and the first words out of my pastor’s mouth was, “I knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb.”  I did not realize it was Sanctity of Life Sunday morning. I grabbed my Bible and my keys and said to myself, “I'm out of here, whenever head is bowed and every eye is closed. I can't handle this.”   The Lord spoke to me and said "No, I want you to stay.  You need to hear this." So I stayed.  I can't remember anything that was said. I never raised my head. I never stopped crying. I then remembered each visit to the abortion clinic. I remembered seeing other women sitting in the waiting room.   I remembered being taken into a counseling room and a woman asked me, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"  I remembered being on the table in the procedure room. I remembered seeing the doctor and the nurse.   I remembered hearing the sounds of the suction of the machine used to perform the abortion. I remembered the pain. I left the church that morning as fast as I could. I got home and I cried for hours.  I said to God, “I should die for what I’ve done.” The Lord spoke to me and He said "Just as I am here with you now,  I was with you then and I still love you." I knew by the end of the day that God had forgiven me. But it wouldn’t be until 2011 that I could forgive myself,  which I did after going through an abortion recovery and healing program. Having the abortions caused depression and doubts in relationships,  in that it was very hard to allow myself to get close to anyone, even as much as I wanted to.  I felt as if I was not a good mother to my daughter.  Because of God's love, forgiveness, Mercy and grace for me and knowing He'll never turn away from me,  I know God's healing. I know He has forgiven me and healed me. I am now a licensed minister and I tell my story, determined to be silent no more, in hopes that others will turn away from having an abortion and that those who have had one know that there is healing through God's forgiveness and his love.

                                               5 steps to forgiveness

Horrific Accident Brings Man Closer to God

“I just had this image that I, in order to be right with God and loved by God, I had to be this perfect Christian,” said Luke.

Luke grew up in a Christian home, but by age 25, decided he couldn’t be the person he thought he should be. So he tried being someone else.

Luke said, “I ended up drinking a lot consistently and getting drunk all the time.”

On March 9, 2013, Luke remembers only what he’s been told. After having a couple of drinks with friends, Luke was driving home alone when he lost control of his car. He was flown to Los Angeles County Medical Center in critical condition.

“They just said, ‘…you just need to come.  We can't, you just need to get here.  We can't promise you anything.’"

Luke’s father, Daniel, was in Houston on business when he got the call and took the next flight to L.A. His wife Kathy arrived at the hospital from their home in Florida.

Luke’s mother, Kathy said, “When I walked into the room, I looked at him and I knew it was bad. I couldn’t even recognize my son, his head was swollen, his eyes were shut, tubes everywhere. My mind was going, here’s the situation, which is very, very bad, now it’s time to get to work.”

And that meant prayer. Luke was in a coma with little hope for survival. The family was told if he did live, he’d be in a vegetative state or seriously disabled due to a traumatic brain injury. He had also broken his back and neck. But Luke’s family refused to believe the prognosis.

Kathy said, “With all of our hearts we believe that it wasn't Luke's destiny to die at 25.  We just knew that.  And so we said, ‘we're going to pray desperate, specific, unified prayers for him.’  And we got everyone – we launched an initiative to – for everyone around the country to pray.  There were thousands of people praying. This is how we want you to pray.”

Luke’s parents stayed at his bedside reading scripture and praying.  Eleven days later he woke up.

“When he woke up I was there beside him,” said Kathy.  “And Daniel asked him,  ‘cause he was looking at me, he couldn't talk.  And Daniel said, ‘this is your mom, if you see your mom, if you recognize your mom, squeeze my hand.’  And he did.”

He was moved out of critical care and placed in rehab. But Luke was still in a back brace and doctors didn’t know whether he’d walk again.  

“Then he started moving his legs,” said Daniel.  “He'd pick them up and move them, pick them up and move them.  I'm going like, ‘okay.’  We called the doctors and said, ‘look.’  And they said, ‘that's really good because that's a voluntary movement.’"

So more x-rays were ordered.

Daniel said, “They kept on saying ‘stable,’ and I said, ‘what does stable mean?’  It means we can’t find the breaks anymore.”

Less than a month after the accident, Luke was able to leave the hospital and return to Florida with his parents. He wore a helmet until surgery could be performed to replace a piece of his skull.  Little by little, Luke began forming new memories from what others told him.  

“It starting hitting me like one, the actual injuries that I had sustained and then the realization of ‘okay, something rare happened here,’” said Luke.

Luke’s medical records show that he arrived at the emergency room with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3, the worst possible score.  No one knew if Luke would fully recover, not even neurosurgeon, Dr. Peter Gruen.

“Somebody like [Luke] who comes in with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 and then a few months later is walking into my brain injury clinic, I could count those on one hand, so very, very, very uncommon, and I even hesitate to say it but the first word that comes to mind is miraculous,” said Dr. Gruen.  

Luke said,  "Okay.  All I know is that people were praying for me.”

That led Luke to ask more questions.

“'Why God?  Why me?’ I was thinking that I had to be this perfect Christian to be right with God.”

Then he realized something.

Luke said, “You can't be a certain way to earn God's love because you already have it.  It's a gift from God.  He loves you and he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for you cause He loves you and He wants to spend eternity with you.”

Luke now read the Bible with fresh eyes and recommitted his life to Jesus Christ.  

He said, “It felt like a burden was taken off of me.”

Luke worked daily in rehab to recover from the brain injury.  One morning he awoke from a dream and began writing a screenplay.

“I ended up finishing writing the script in one month, when six months before I was in rehab, relearning how to write my name,” said Luke. “It's called ‘The Favorite.’"  

Luke is in development for his film, about two brothers portraying Luke’s spiritual and physical healing.  

Daniel said, “Sometimes I'd tell Luke, ‘Luke, you're a miracle.’"  

“God's goodness and his faithfulness is everlasting,” said Luke’s mother, Kathy.

Luke said, “So maybe God wants to use me for something. I don't necessarily know what the end result is going to be, but I’m like ‘I don't need to. I'll just wait and listen and just respond to where I believe He's leading and directing me.’"

Excerpted from CBN

Angry Boxer Tired Of Fighting God

“I had an assault with a deadly weapon charge. It wasn’t because I grabbed a gun or something,” Juan recalls. “That was a fit of rage. The poor kid did nothing to me.”

Juan was 15 when he nearly killed another teenager with his bare hands. His anger began when he was a young boy, and in the most unlikely place – the church where his father and grandfather were pastors. “It felt like, every single time I went to church, I was walking into a courtroom. Why would I want to go through that?”

Juan stopped going to church.

“The source of that anger was never feeling good enough for God,” Juan says. “And if I’m not gonna feel the love, or if I’m gonna be judged, then I’m gonna act out. I took it out in fights. I took it out in just breaking stuff.”

After the assault charge, his father persuaded Juan – already a skilled baseball player – to take up boxing as a way to channel his anger. It worked. “Every person that made me mad at school, or a teacher, I took it out in the boxing gym.”

Juan’s boxing coach was a Christian, and every workout came with a bible lesson. One day, Juan took a blow to the head.” I remember, I told my dad my leg felt funny,” Juan says. “I blacked out at that point. From then on, I don't remember much."

Juan suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage—a brain bleed, and was rushed to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. The doctor told his parents he may never wake up, and if he did, he had only a 30 percent chance of living a normal life.

Johnny, Juan’s dad recalls, “He said, ‘I’m gonna give your son 12 hours. After 12 hours, I’m gonna give him three days. After three days, we’re gonna have to see what you want us to do.’ I couldn't comprehend it. I couldn’t think. I was kind of in shock myself.  When he told us that, my wife looked at me and she said, ‘You need to pray.’ So that’s when I went into the extended waiting room, and I just cried out to the Lord.”

Johnny and his wife Helen stayed at their son’s bedside, praying through the night. “Right now, we were not going by what the doctors tell us; we're going by what God says,” Johnny remembers. “I started playing nothing but worship music inside his room during the nighttime.”

The very next morning, Juan woke up. “At that time, it was like God was just assuring us that everything was going to be OK,” Johnny says. “After the first week, I saw the turnaround. On the sixth day, he started telling me he wanted to walk.  I think, that’s when I knew that everything was going to be OK, that God’s hand was in it.”

The path back for Juan wasn’t easy. “We had to teach him how to eat again, and we had to teach him how to drink again,” Johnny says. “We had to teach him how to use a straw, how to read, how to spell his name. But I knew that God’s hand was in it because he did so good.”

Juan regained most of his brain function within a matter of weeks--but instead of being grateful to be alive, he was angry.  “That day they told me I can’t box; I can't play baseball,” Juan says. “When it got real to me, I hated God, because I felt like He took everything away from me.”

As Juan’s body continued to heal, his father prayed that god would heal his heart as well. One evening, he talked Juan into going to hear an evangelist at a youth camp service. “I was just praying, ‘Lord, please speak to my son, because he’s not listening to me anymore,” Johnny remembers. “I had my eyes closed and I was still praying. When I saw him get up, I got up and followed him. They prayed for him and it was like, the Lord just took over.”

“I was so mad at God and all He was trying to do was give me a hug,” Juan says. “That’s when I gave up. I said, ‘I’m done fighting. I’m not gonna win.’ I couldn't move. I felt paralyzed. They prayed for me, and all of a sudden, I felt peace. I really feel like I had a spirit of anger in me. That night, I felt like it came out. And that’s when I knew that God loved me.”

Juan surrendered his life to Christ that night.

“If you ever fish for bass, they fight and fight, and your job is to keep them on the line until they get tired,” Juan says. “That’s like God, He let me fight, he let me hate Him, but I always stayed on his line, and now I feel like he’s reeled me in. “ He adds, “The accident—I don't see it as God taking stuff away, because it gave me an opportunity to touch more lives than I could ever do.”

Today Juan has returned to both the boxing ring and the baseball field, but most importantly, he sees god in a brand new light. “I don't see God as a judging God. I see God as a merciful. Loving God,” he says. “I see God as a father who wants His kids to be safe. He doesn't walk away from us; we walk away from Him, but He’s waiting there. God loves you, and He’s just waiting for you to come back home.”

Excerpted from CBN

Be anxious for NOTHING

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Steve, 45, Kansas, USA… “I have a slightly different story than most. You see, I have been a runaway Christian for the last twelve years, one who was hellbent on self-destruction through the pursuit of the flesh, ignoring all of God’s small nudges to put me back on course. And then in October of 2001, an automobile accident left me paralyzed from the armpits down. I’ve had two years since that day to reflect on the damage I could have caused to my loved ones and myself if left unchecked. It did not take me long to find the Lord’s hand involved in every aspect of my accident and injury, and PRAISE GOD that He did so, for I would not trade my chair for my pre-injury days if I had to give up my Lord to do so. I have everything to be thankful for this season, my home, my family, my job and the very air that we breathe, but most of all, I thank God that He reproves those He loves (Prov 3:12).”

Cheryl Ann, 35, New York, USA… “I am eternally grateful for all the wonderful things God has given me and shown me—not material things but life, friends, family, insight into my life, and the ability to love and be loved. The list is endless! He is truly the greatest and He is truly the way to all that is good!”

Philemon, 24, ISRAEL… “I thank God for allowing me to grow up in a Christian family. My parents taught me principles of the Word of God, and helped me understand the great and wonderful promises found there. It was through my parents influence that I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as My personal Saviour. I thank God for this eternal life He has given me with Him, and for all the blessings I have received in Christ Jesus. I thank God also for the life He gives us on Earth, and the opportunity to be a testimony to the world around us. It is incredible to see His power working in my life.”

Cancer Healed with no medicine, only God!

I worked for the department of corrections for 30 years as a teacher and had just retired. Right after my retirement, I noticed blood in my urine and was diagnosed with stage 2 bladder cancer with very aggressive cancer cells. I was advised by my doctor that because the cancer was extremely aggressive, they suggested the total removal of my bladder and prostate within two weeks. I was told the surgery would be 8 to 9 hours with a 6 to 8 month recovery period. I had a large tumor on my bladder and it had spread into the muscle tissue and the prostrate had cancer as well.

My brother and a close friend of his met me one morning for breakfast and Bruce Van Natta came with them to pray for me. My brother told me about Bruce’s story so I was excited to meet him. After we finished eating Bruce asked if he could lay hands on me and pray. Bruce lifted up his shirt and showed me his scars after sharing his incredible story.
I sat there as Bruce anointed me with oil and prayed right there amongst everyone in the restaurant. I didn’t feel anything special happen right there and then, however
that evening and into the next day I felt vibration going on in my body especially my lower extremities where the cancer was located, it felt strange. For the next couple of months I began to feel much better. I also changed my diet and started eating better too but I knew something was much different.
On January 5th of 2012 I went to the University Wisconsin Hospital in Madison for a second opinion and to be retested by an oncology specialists. That morning I was given a blood and urine test followed up with a consultation with experts specializing in bladder cancer. I was told that they had reviewed all the tests and reports from my doctors in Green Bay. It was their consensus that it was in my best interest to pursue the recommendation of my doctor in Green Bay and immediately have the surgery. I was also told that I could forgo the painful retest based on the previous reports and because of the fact it was a very aggressive cancer, they were anxious to do surgery and chemo. I insisted that they scope my bladder again just to make sure.
This is where it gets really interesting, during the test the doctor scoped my bladder then called another doctor in to take a look. After 15 minutes he called in a third doctor who while scoping kept whispering to the others. After the procedure they told me because it was so late in the day, they would call me the next day with the results. The following day I was informed by the specialist that the options we discussed yesterday were still open, but the Dr. went on to say that my bladder looked really good and there was no cancer there now, my urine had no traces of blood or bacteria, and that it was their consensus that I wouldn’t need the surgery based on their new observation that the tumors were gone. They suggested I still consider chemo and radiation as a precautionary measure because of the cancer that was originally there but had now vanished. I said no way, I know what chemo and radiation does to the body!
It has been a year and I feel the best I have every felt in my life. With changing my diet and eating healthy, I have lost 50 lbs now. Everyone comments on how good I look and how great my skin looks. My blood pressure is in a normal range, and my cholesterol and sugar are normal as well. During one of my tests they said I had the arteries and blood of a 25 year old. I thank God for that day and the willingness of Bruce to take time out and meet and pray with me, I am forever blessed and grateful. One fact I do know, Jesus 

Amazing Testimonies

Broken Pelvis Healed!

Three days before Thanksgiving my daughter and I decided to go horseback riding. While warming up the horses in our arena I was thrown by my young horse. I knew it was serious; I couldn’t move and the pain was excruciating. After X-rays and CAT scan they discovered I had separated my pelvis front to back along with internal injuries. A few days in the ICU and some time in recovery and I was back home and on the mend. With the help of physical therapy I was back on my feet in just six weeks. All seemed to be going well but the pain in my hips began to increase. At three months out I could barely walk and the pain was unbearable.  More X-rays and a MRI showed that my pelvis had become “unstable” separating again putting pressure on my hip joints. My orthopedic surgeon’s only idea was a plan that involved metal plates, screws, along with the risk that it might not relieve the pain and it could break as active as I am. None of the options sounded good so, depressed and feeling defeated my wife and I began to pray.

God had a better plan I just didn’t know it yet. My friend James came over to shoe my horse and realized how painful it was for me to just stand keeping the horse calm. He mentioned that his friend Bruce Carlson was in town and that he had prayed for people like me and God healed them. He wondered if I would be interested in visiting him and see what God might do.

I met them at his ranch. I shared with Bruce what had happened and how my pelvis actually shifted and separated as I tried to move,  and how the pain was so bad I was barely able to walk, sit, or stand.  He said have a seat right here in this straight back chair. Bruce took and held the heels of my feet in his hands, the three of us could all see that the right one was an inch or so shorter than the other. (Pelvis out of alignment) Bruce began to pray taking Gods word as true and trusting Christ would do as He promised. As He prayed I saw with my own eyes the right heel go out and pass the other then come back perfectly the same as the left. God is putting your pelvis back in alignment Bruce explained. He asked me to stand as he prayed laying his hands on my hips, again believing on Christ and His word for the power in our healing. This time I could actually feel like someone squeezing the SI joints together. When Bruce had finished praying for me I could tell that something was different. Still in pain I went home-that was Thursday. Friday morning I woke up. Humm—not as much pain and I was able to be on my feet much longer. By Sunday (not kidding) I was throwing horseshoes with my boys pain free, loaded and unloaded 3 moving trucks  and I’ve been on the go ever since. I thank my Lord Jesus Christ and His faithful servant Bruce Carlson for the miracle of healing.   Brian Hill

Excerpted from Sweetbread ministries.

Do angels exist? 

Throughout history thousands of people have reported dramatic encounters with angels. These reports come from every corner of the earth, from every culture. Only recently it has become possible to document these experiences, thanks to media and the internet. Here you can watch amazing videos that tell the true stories of people whose lives were literally saved by the intervention of angels. You also learn what the Bible says about angels, what guardian angels are, how to discern deceiving angels and how God wants us to deal with angels.

In the Bible, you can find many elaborate descriptions of angels who are serving God and are being send out to help people or deliver messages. But not only the Bible speaks about angels, people all over the earth have experienced firsthand that angels exist! Researchers who have traveled the world to find these stories, are amazed by the amount of people that share similar stories which prove that angels exist.

A dying man experiences that angels exist

The body of Bruce Van Natta was completely crushed when a truck, weighing thousands of pounds, fell down on him. Several arteries were severed and most of his intestines were shattered. The pain Bruce experienced was too horrific for words and he only had a few minutes left to live. He was dying…

Then Bruce cried out to God: ‘Lord, help me!’

At that same moment, all the pain disappeared and he was filled with an inexplicable peace. He suddenly ‘left’ his body and found himself hovering over the truck. He saw his crushed body lying on the floor and a colleague sitting next to him. But what he also saw, shocked him… On both sides on his body, he saw two enormous, luminous shapes holding their hands on his body.

Two angels were keeping his body alive!

Later on, the doctors in the hospitals told him that there was no person in medical history who had survived after severing five arteries and having so many intestines crushed. It is simply not possible. Bruce should have bled to death. But the angels who held Bruce’s body protected it.

Bruce miraculously recovered completely and is now a healthy man and father, who lives to tell people all over the world about the wonderful God he serves… This is an amazing example of how God can send His angels to save the lives of His people, when we cry out to Him.

KEEP HATING UR ENEMIES, WHILE GOD KEEPS 
BLESSING UR ENEMIES!

A couple of years ago I went to a church with a friend. I had just moved to that state and I had no idea which church to worship at, but since my friend is a member of a church I decided to go with her to her church. When it was time to pray, the pastor said he has some few prayer points and I looked towards the pulpit and saw some pieces of paper the pastor placed on the pulpit stand. I could see about 4 pages. My thinking was probably the pastor will preach after the prayer, that, it might be the pastor's sermon. When we started the prayer, the prayer lasted for one good hour, I had to sit down at some point, as I was heavily pregnant and I could not stand that long . The first prayer point was "all my enemies that do not want me to progress in life, die, die, die. Another prayer point was something  similar to the first and all the rest of the prayer was about enemies this and enemies that and die and die, and I thought to myself, why are these people praying that their enemies should die? I asked myself, is it not a good thing for one's enemy to die?  I said to myself, NO, I do not want my enemies to die even the bible said we should pray and bless our enemies. I went to the church the following Sunday and the prayer was still the same. The third Sunday my friend asked me if I would like to go to church  and I said to her, NO. She asked me why because she knew I was OK. I do not have anywhere to go, and I asked her "Why does your  church always pray for their enemies to die?" She asked me, "Do you not want your enemies to die?" I said to her, "No", and I quoted the bible to her but she disagreed with me. I even explained to her that anyone can be your enemy. Your very close friend can later become your enemy. I said to her, "I do not like the way the church members pray and I do not want to go because of the way the church congregation prays."

A few years later, I met someone that goes to the same type of church and I asked him why the church always prays for their enemies to die and he explained to me that, "It is not the person that they want dead but the bad spirit in the person's mind that is making the person behave in a bad way", and I said to him , "THANK U! I now understand." In life, a lot of people do things, just because;my friend is doing it, just because, I like it, and people are doing it. Also, quite a large number of people go to church without knowing the church doctrines and instead of them to ask they just follow along.

When a lot of people are offended by someone, their first thinking is that the person should leave the world for them. They just want the person dead by all means and some people want the person to experience pains by wishing that something bad should happen to them. Don't get me wrong here, I am not saying that we should not feel bad when someone offends us. Of course, we are human and we should feel bad, but not like wishing them dead or thinking that bad things should happen to the person. We need to do it the way God instructed us in the bible. The bible says in LUKE 6:27 - 28 27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 

 Just like God with all the sins committed in the world. He sent His only begotten son to the earth to die for our sins. He did not damn us. He did not curse us with eternal judgment. He sent His son to show us Mercy instead of wrath, and that is the pattern we all must follow when dealing with our enemies. Otherwise, we will only repeat the cycle of hatred and anger.
Lately on facebook, some people will post a video cursing some people out, and saying to the whole world that they know secrets about Mr. A or Mrs. B, and if Mr. A or Mrs. B  is not careful, they will expose him or her to the whole world. Please tell me, is there anyone in this world without a secret in their closet or is there anyone without a past? No, not one single person.

Did you know that when you pray for you enemy, you are actually praying for yourself. 
A lot of people are so full of hatred towards their fellow human beings that some find it so hard to pray for them. God will place your enemy in a bigger and better position if you cease to obey God's instructions. In my view, an example is the last week US presidential election. Many people hate Donald Trump, (not excluding myself), to the extent that, a thought came to my mind two weeks before the election that Donald Trump might win, and I said to myself just the way Jesus said to Satan " Get thee behind me" lol. I just did not listen to the voice and I said how could God use someone like Donald Trump to be the next US President. Even for contesting to be the next US President, most people in their widest dream never thought that he would win the election. All because they do not like him. Well, are we to blame some people for not liking him? No, Donald Trump did not present himself as a likable person, going from some of the things he did in the past. The way he carried himself during the debate and also what he said he in the video (grab them by the P) these are enough reason to hate someone  when you look at it in human view, but if you look at it in God's view, God does not and He will not hate some like that. It could be because of the hatred that people have towards him that God favored him by allowing him to carry the largest votes, just to teach a lot of people or to let people know that it is good to love others in spite of their shortcomings. 

 God wants us to always pray for people no matter how much they've hurt us, and that is why the Bible gave us an illustration about Jesus Christ when Jesus was about to breathe His last breath.  Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
God looks at inward appearance, man looks at outward appearance. Thinking about that I thought to myself that, you know, Donald Trump might be a good person in God's eyes and  I decided to google about Donald Trump and I was surprised at some of the good deeds he has done for a lot of people, which the world (Media) is not telling us.

Trump has touched the lives of others in so many ways; 

 The time he gave sanctuary to Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson after three of her family members were murdered:

When Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were gunned down in Chicago, she put everything on hold for a while. She stayed at Trump Tower to grieve, Donald didn't charge her a dime and also provided security for her and a few of her family members.

Airlines wouldn't accommodate a boy who had serious medical issues, so Trump offered his jet to help:

Three-year-old Andrew Ten needed to go to New York to receive some special medical attention. But there was one big problem: The airlines refused to board him because Ten required several different pieces of medical equipment on the flight. Ten's parents put in a call to Trump, who then dispatched his private jet to meet their pressing needs.

Ten's father said of Trump:

"He is a good man. He has three children of his own and he knows what being a parent is all about.”

He helped save a family's working farm that was going into foreclosure:

In 1986, Annabell Hill was in danger of losing her family farm. On top of that, her husband had just committed suicide hoping that his life insurance policy would cover the remaining balance that they owed. When Trump saw her tragic story, he decided to do something about it.

According to the New York Times:

Donald Trump, the New York real estate tycoon, helped prevent foreclosure today on a family farm whose owner had committed suicide to try to save his land.

Mrs. Hill proposed to bank officials that the land be sold privately so she could keep some of the 705 acres. Parts of the farm have been in the Hill family for three generations.

 What Trump did for a bus driver who helped save a woman from jumping off a bridge:

Darnell Barton was driving his bus across a bridge when he spotted a woman on the other side of railing, staring down at the traffic below. Barton stopped the bus and approached the woman. After one of his passengers explained they didn't want to “see someone die,” he managed to put his arm around her and she agreed to come to the other side of the bridge.

After hearing about what Barton did, The Donald sent him ten thousand dollars.

Trump said:

"I thought that was so beautiful to see. I think he is a great guy with an amazing heart and I said that man should be rewarded.

Clearly, Donald Trump isn't just a good businessman, he's a Good Samaritan, too.

In life, we have to learn to forgive others in order to release our blessings.

  

Points to always remember; 

• Stay humble at all times
• your qualification will be taken to the dumpster once you leave this earth, only your deeds will go with you
• Your private jets will be taken over by someone else
• your 52 bedrooms mansion house, will be occupied by someone else
• A friend you called ur enemy yesterday, God can use him or her today to help you.
• 
  

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” - Maya Angelou

“I think that hate is a feeling that can only exist where there is no understanding.” 
― Tennessee Williams, Sweet Bird of Youth

Facts about your enemies:

•  Greet them. Greet your enemies.
• Disarm them. That’s what you do when you turn the other cheek or go the second mile. You disarm them by doing the very thing they least expect.
• Do Good to Them. It’s fascinating that both times in this passage when Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” he follows it immediately by saying, “Do good to them,” so that we won’t miss the point. Doing good to your enemies means seeing beyond your pain and their meanness to their humanity. It means seeing them as people made in the image of God and understanding that there is something twisted inside that causes them to do what they do. “Doing good” means that you do what will promote their healing despite the way they have treated you. The idea is, you make the first move. You send the e-mail. You pick up the phone. You make the contact. You bridge the gap. You set up the appointment.
• Refuse to speak evil of them. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Bless those who curse you.” It means you refuse to think evil thoughts and you refuse to speak evil words against those who have wronged you. Proverbs has a great deal to say about the power of words. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21 NIV). Every time we open our mouth, life or death comes out.
• Thank God for them. If you have an honest-to-goodness enemy, you should frame their picture and thank God for them every day. If you believe in the sovereignty of God, you must believe that your enemy is sent to you by God’s design and with God’s approval. Your enemy could not torment you apart from God’s permission. Behind your enemy stands the hand of God. And God would never permit it if he did not intend to bring something good out of it. You should take a picture of your enemy, frame it, put it where you can see it, and thank God for your enemy every time you look at the picture.
• Pray for them. But what if you hate the person you are praying for? Tell that to the Lord. He won’t be surprised. Then say something like this, “Lord, I hate this person, but you already know that. I ask you to love this person through me because I can’t do it in my own power. I ask you for a love I don’t have and can’t begin to produce.” God will not turn you away when you come with an honest heart, admitting you need his love to flow through you.
•  Ask God to bless them. Here’s a simple way to do that. When faced with someone who has mistreated you, ask God to do for them what you want God to do for you. Seek the blessing for them that you want God to do for you. Think of it this way: The greater the hurt, the greater the potential blessing that will come when we totally forgive and by God’s grace, bless those who curse us.

Your enemy is a gift from God to you. Though you don’t know it and often can’t see it, the person who has hurt you so deeply is a gift from God to you. To say that is not to excuse evil or to condone mistreatment. It is to say exactly what Joseph meant when he said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20 ESV). Our enemies humble us, they keep us on our knees, they reveal our weakness, and they expose our total need for God.