My Favorite Stories

Open My Eyes, Lord
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Tom Daniel, Pastor

First Baptist Church of Lynn Haven

One of my favorite stories comes from the Bible in the book of Second Kings. The prophet Elisha had been a thorn in the flesh of the nation of Aram and they devised a plot to take his life. They gathered a great Army with horses and chariots and went by night and surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying. When Elisha’s young attendant arose in the morning and went outside he saw the army that had surrounded the city. In despair he went to Elisha and said, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” From his perspective, he saw their situation as being hopeless.

Note Elisha’s response, “Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Elisha understood a great truth: With God there are no hopeless situations. WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! But who were the people Elisha was talking about? Who made up this host of allies? Notice what he prayed. “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man. He saw an amazing sight. “When he looked up, he saw the hillside around Elisha filled with horses and chariots of fire.” The Lord allowed the young man to see the vast army of heaven that was about to bring victory for Elisha. God opened the young man’s eyes to be able to see in the spiritual realm and from that perspective things looked totally different!

There are times in my life that I feel like Elisha’s attendant. As I look around, it seems that the enemy has surrounded me on every side. I feel outnumbered and overpowered. Discouragement sets in as I ponder, from my perspective, sure spiritual defeat. It is then that I consider the words of Elisha: “Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs.” As God opens my heart to the spiritual realm, my faith and confidence are increased as I claim the reality that there is a vast heavenly army that surrounds me! With that assurance, I can face any situation with the confidence that God will bring about victory on my behalf. I pray that God would give you a glimpse of the heavenly realm so you can see those who are fighting spiritual battles on your behalf!

(This incident in the life of Elisha the prophet is taken from 2nd Kings 6: 8 – 23. The selected quotations are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.)

April 20, 2019No comments
Going To War… And A Smashing Victory!
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Robert Gay

High Praise Worship Center

In February of 1988, my wife and I were ordained with Christian International Ministries. At our ordination, we received a prophesy that we would have a daughter who would be a “dancer in the house of the Lord.” We rejoiced in the prophetic word because my wife was desirous of another child. At the time, we only had our oldest son, Joshua. However, because of financial situations at the time, I was still hesitant concerning having another baby.

The following month, we were participating in a Holy Spirit conference. Before the conference began, my wife prayed that we would receive another prophetic confirmation concerning having another child. There were three different times within that conference that participants could share with others what they sensed the Holy Spirit was saying. My wife never received any prophetic word concerning a baby. However, on three separate occasions from three different people I received a word concerning having a baby.

At the end of that month (March 1988) we discovered that my wife was pregnant. We were very thrilled and excited. However, the thrill and excitement turned to alarm and concern quickly. Shortly after we found out my wife was pregnant, she began to bleed heavily. She went to the doctor who conducted numerous tests. The results were that she had a “blighted ovum”. Basically, they could see a sac present where pregnancy had taken place, but the embryo had died. There was no heartbeat or sign of life. The doctor recommended a D&C procedure.

My wife and I discussed these findings as she wept aloud wondering what to do. Should we heed the doctor’s recommendation or do something different? I said, “We are going to stand and believe the word of the Lord.” We had received numerous prophetic words concerning having a baby (one even saying that it would happen before the end of the year). I told my wife, “We are going to war a good warfare with the prophecies that have come over our lives.”

Our church body began to pray and intercede. Daily I would lay my hands on her stomach and declare, “You will live and not die.” She continued to bleed for another month despite the prayers and declarations. Finally, all the bleeding stopped. She then went to see the doctor once again where he performed another sonogram. As he began to listen, he literally jumped back in astonishment as the sound of a baby’s heartbeat echoed through the examination room. Once again, we rejoiced! God had performed a miracle and brought forth a resurrection in her womb.

Later that year, on December 6th, our daughter, Kayla Denise Gay was born. She became a “dancer in the house of the Lord.” Today, she is our arts team director and is a dance instructor at Audience of One dance studio. God is faithful and He will perform what He has promised!

April 20, 2019No comments
Betting A Horse On A Prayer
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Author NameRev. Fr. Wesley Tetsuji Kan, Pastor

Redemption Lutheran Church

Philip Melanchthon found his colleague, Martin Luther, kneeling alone in the chapel, muttering bitterly to himself. When he asked why Luther was muttering, the Reformer answered, “Ach, Philip, I lack supplicatory concentration. I cannot get through the Lord’s Prayer without getting hung up by some petition or another before I finish the prayer. Today, it is, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ I know the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant requires us to forgive when those who hurt us ask our forgiveness, but what if they don’t repent or refuse to repent or suddenly die before they can repent.”

Melanchthon responded, “Brother Martin, you afflict yourself needlessly. I can get through the whole prayer without any problems by just concentrating on the words the dear Lord gave us. Luther expressed doubt, saying, “Dear Philip, forgive me, but I find this hard to believe. In fact, I’ll bet my horse that you cannot get through the Lord’s Prayer without diverging.”

Melanchthon immediately knelt next to Luther and said, “you’re on.” He started praying out loud, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed. . . Oh, by the way brother Martin, is that with or without the saddle.”

April 20, 2019No comments
Lemons Sweetened: A Series of Unforeseen Events
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Scott Roberts, Pastor

Panama City 1st Church of the Nazarene

Joseph’s whole life was marked with sour episodes not unlike the Baudelaire children in the story Leminy Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. He was sold by his brothers into slavery. He was wrongly accused of rape by the wife of his master in Egypt and thrown into prison where he lived several years. He was forgotten for 2 years by the cupbearer after Joseph interpreted his dream for him. And Joseph was never able to return home to settle once he left his homeland for Egypt. He married and had kids, but he remained the servant of Pharaoh to his dying day. Really unfortunate.

Joseph was also marked by the Lord’s favor as well. His father Jacob had a special love for Joseph that he expressed in gifts and trust. Even though Joseph became a slave in Egypt, the Lord made Joseph prosper under his master Potiphar who entrusted Joseph with his entire household. Joseph was thrown into prison, but the Lord made Joseph successful under the warden who put him in charge of running the whole prison. And when Pharaoh had some dreams no one else could interpret, the Lord gave Joseph the meaning. Because of this, Pharaoh set Joseph to run the whole empire, second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. Truly unexpected.

Joseph remembered his pain when his 10 older brothers came looking for food during the 7 years of famine which Joseph predicted from Pharaoh’s dream. The sting of their betrayal was enough that Joseph, who had kept his identity hidden for a time, wept so bitterly that the sound was heard by the household of Pharaoh. Although Joseph had played a few tortuous tricks on the brothers (probably to give them a taste of their own betrayal) Joseph finally revealed himself to them. Laying out the whole story, Joseph invited the brothers to return to father Jacob. They could bring the whole family back to Egypt where they could live under the provision of Joseph and the Egyptians. When the family arrived in Egypt, it was a moving reunion of father and son and a remarkable story of God’s provision during a time of great famine.

Still, the story doesn’t end there. Over time father Jacob died while the family remained in Egypt. Because the 10 older brothers believed Joseph only prevented their destruction out of respect for father Jacob, they fabricated a story about Jacob’s final wishes for their forgiveness. Joseph, who saw right through their desperate attempts to save their own lives, reassured them. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” These words gave comfort that Joseph’s suffering was the Lord’s plan to save many lives through His provision and forgiveness. Very sweet!

April 20, 2019No comments