If you didn't already know, God has been healing warts on my hands. It's still amazing to me that this is happening. But I've come to realize it should be normal. Jesus called me to be naturally supernatural. "Proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons" (Matthew 10:7–8).
I have to be honest – the last time I raised a dead person was, um, never. That's ridiculous, to raise the dead, isn't it? I don't know if I've even met a leper (although I think the warts I had count as a skin disease). And although I've prayed for healing and have met people with demonic influences over their lives, I don't know if anyone has been healed and I don't think I cast out any demons. But Jesus instructed the Twelve to do all this – including raising the dead! – before He was crucified and resurrected. Jesus gave them authority before they were trained up. They saw Him teach, heal, raise the dead, cast out demons, so they some idea of what Jesus did to copy; but they didn't have a class like Cleansing Lepers 101 before Jesus sent them on outreach.
This gives me great hope, for myself, and for anyone other Christian. I am receiving phenomenal teaching and training in Herrnhut and with YWAM. I know people with other organizations, for example InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, who are getting excellent training and equipping in God's Word and ministry. I think there is a need and a place for YWAM or IVCF or whatever. But this type of life is for everyone.
From what I've learned, here is what I've gathered that everything comes down to: 1) Because of Christ, I am God's son. 2) Because of Christ, I have the Holy Spirit living in me. 3) I obey the Lord in whatever I do. Knowing my true spiritual identity, and that I am God's tabernacle, and doing as God says are, I believe, the keys to making the most of the authority Jesus has given those whom He has called.
Anyway, that's what I've been thinking recently.
Ephesians 3:20 – "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,"
Grace and peace,
Chris
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Pictures
I haven't shared many pictures. So, to begin with, here are some photos of my hands after most of the warts have dried up:
The arrows show where groups of warts were on my hands. If you zoom in some, you can see tiny pink bumps. The warts shrank over a matter of weeks, and now the skin is almost completely smooth. (You can zoom in here.)
And this is my left hand. There were two warts below my index finger, where the arrows are. You can see that you is whitish, and the other is gone, now a pink dot. All the warts on my hands have turned white or black, then shrunk to nothing and become a pink spot. Healing is craziness, but so good!
I really, sincerely, literally believe that God wants to heal like this much more than anyone has seen or heard about. Now, I don't believe that God will always heal every disease right away. I know people have have had miraculous instant healing of broken bones or blindness, cancer, whatever. I know people who have been healed over time, like the warts on my hands. And I knew people who have been prayed for again and again, everyday, and nothing happens. I don't know why. But I know that Jesus told his disciples, which means he tells you and me, to heal the sick. No one will be healed if no one prays. I've experienced that God heals when I listen to him saying, "I want to heal this... pray this way..." and I obey him. How cool would it be to see healing become normal in the church again?
•
Here are some pictures of me and my class! I love all these people a lot. If you have facebook, you can find more photos tagged with me. Here are a very of my favorites.
In Wittenberg, in front of the Castle-Church where Martin Luther taught. =D
More on my trip to Wittenberg later. It was a great trip to see the site where the Reformation started.
The SOIP Men. We look even better in person.
The SOIP.
ME! In black and white. Beautiful.
More to come. Thanks for staying and praying with me.
Much love in Christ, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us [Eph. 3:20],
Christopher
The arrows show where groups of warts were on my hands. If you zoom in some, you can see tiny pink bumps. The warts shrank over a matter of weeks, and now the skin is almost completely smooth. (You can zoom in here.)
And this is my left hand. There were two warts below my index finger, where the arrows are. You can see that you is whitish, and the other is gone, now a pink dot. All the warts on my hands have turned white or black, then shrunk to nothing and become a pink spot. Healing is craziness, but so good!I really, sincerely, literally believe that God wants to heal like this much more than anyone has seen or heard about. Now, I don't believe that God will always heal every disease right away. I know people have have had miraculous instant healing of broken bones or blindness, cancer, whatever. I know people who have been healed over time, like the warts on my hands. And I knew people who have been prayed for again and again, everyday, and nothing happens. I don't know why. But I know that Jesus told his disciples, which means he tells you and me, to heal the sick. No one will be healed if no one prays. I've experienced that God heals when I listen to him saying, "I want to heal this... pray this way..." and I obey him. How cool would it be to see healing become normal in the church again?
•
Here are some pictures of me and my class! I love all these people a lot. If you have facebook, you can find more photos tagged with me. Here are a very of my favorites.
In Wittenberg, in front of the Castle-Church where Martin Luther taught. =DMore on my trip to Wittenberg later. It was a great trip to see the site where the Reformation started.
The SOIP Men. We look even better in person.
The SOIP.
ME! In black and white. Beautiful.More to come. Thanks for staying and praying with me.
Much love in Christ, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us [Eph. 3:20],
Christopher
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Warts
God asked me to write something, and I asked Him what to write about, and He told me this. Enjoy.
I've been watching something amazing happen. I would call it incredible even, except that there are dozens of people who are witnesses. I love sharing this testimony because it seems incredible even to me sometimes, and I'm living it.
I've had a number of warts on both my hands for some years. Last year I started trying to remove them with medication, but it didn't work, and after some time the warts became worse and bigger. A few weeks ago Scott, my friend from the School of Intercessory Prayer, came up to me and told me God had spoken to him that he should pray for my hands, that the warts would die and my hands be healed.
You need to understand that I have been ashamed of my hands and the warts for years. I have been very self-conscience and did not like shaking hands with people. I often tried to hide them. I've used a medication, put duct tape on them, prayed that they would be healed, and nothing has happened or worked.
Until now. Scott asked me if he could pray for me, and the shame I had felt started to brake. He told me he got James 5:16. Which says, "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." Scott prayed for me, and said he felt this was a process that would take some time and encouraged me to pray and speak healing to my hands as well. I took a few days to meditate on the verse and asked God how to respond, and He told me to go back to Scott and confess a couple things that I hadn't spoken into the light. Scott and I prayed again. A day or two later, a few of my warts started shrinking.
I didn't know what to think, but as the days went by they shrunk more. Scott came back to me, we went through this process again, and the warts keep shrinking and dying. The warts that are dying are specific, one wart or group of warts at a time, on different hands... it's always random which one dies next.
I don't get it. I really don't. I've never truly believed that God still heals people physically. I always believed God wants much more to heal people inside, spiritually and emotionally and mentally. Not the body. I've been thinking about this a lot the last few weeks. One girl in our class broke her leg, and we started praying for her healing right away. Her bone wasn't miraculously mended. There are other injuries in my class that haven't been healed, and I don't know why not.
I didn't see anything that gave me new faith that God could heal my hands. But I took another passage to heart out of James that Scott also gave me: "Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8.) I set myself not to doubt but to receive... and now I am seeing past areas of shame become areas of glory and praise to God as He redeems my hands.
That sounds incredible still to me, and every morning when God's mercies are new, I see a wart has died a little more, and I praise Him that He is turning my confession and faith into healing. Cool.
I'll try to share pictures soon, and then again when the warts are gone.
In other news, I am going to Berlin on Thursday to the Nigerian Embassy for an interview to get a Visa for outreach. If you think of it and God tells you to pray for me, you could pray for the interviews. But even more pray for me in whatever way, for anything, that God brings to your mind. [And if you have a word or direction or image that He gives you to pray (e.g. Grace, or 'Let go' or a red balloon...), that would be encouraging.]
Thanks, and may you know even more God who heals both the spirit and the body,
Chris
I've been watching something amazing happen. I would call it incredible even, except that there are dozens of people who are witnesses. I love sharing this testimony because it seems incredible even to me sometimes, and I'm living it.
I've had a number of warts on both my hands for some years. Last year I started trying to remove them with medication, but it didn't work, and after some time the warts became worse and bigger. A few weeks ago Scott, my friend from the School of Intercessory Prayer, came up to me and told me God had spoken to him that he should pray for my hands, that the warts would die and my hands be healed.
You need to understand that I have been ashamed of my hands and the warts for years. I have been very self-conscience and did not like shaking hands with people. I often tried to hide them. I've used a medication, put duct tape on them, prayed that they would be healed, and nothing has happened or worked.
Until now. Scott asked me if he could pray for me, and the shame I had felt started to brake. He told me he got James 5:16. Which says, "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." Scott prayed for me, and said he felt this was a process that would take some time and encouraged me to pray and speak healing to my hands as well. I took a few days to meditate on the verse and asked God how to respond, and He told me to go back to Scott and confess a couple things that I hadn't spoken into the light. Scott and I prayed again. A day or two later, a few of my warts started shrinking.
I didn't know what to think, but as the days went by they shrunk more. Scott came back to me, we went through this process again, and the warts keep shrinking and dying. The warts that are dying are specific, one wart or group of warts at a time, on different hands... it's always random which one dies next.
I don't get it. I really don't. I've never truly believed that God still heals people physically. I always believed God wants much more to heal people inside, spiritually and emotionally and mentally. Not the body. I've been thinking about this a lot the last few weeks. One girl in our class broke her leg, and we started praying for her healing right away. Her bone wasn't miraculously mended. There are other injuries in my class that haven't been healed, and I don't know why not.
I didn't see anything that gave me new faith that God could heal my hands. But I took another passage to heart out of James that Scott also gave me: "Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8.) I set myself not to doubt but to receive... and now I am seeing past areas of shame become areas of glory and praise to God as He redeems my hands.
That sounds incredible still to me, and every morning when God's mercies are new, I see a wart has died a little more, and I praise Him that He is turning my confession and faith into healing. Cool.
I'll try to share pictures soon, and then again when the warts are gone.
In other news, I am going to Berlin on Thursday to the Nigerian Embassy for an interview to get a Visa for outreach. If you think of it and God tells you to pray for me, you could pray for the interviews. But even more pray for me in whatever way, for anything, that God brings to your mind. [And if you have a word or direction or image that He gives you to pray (e.g. Grace, or 'Let go' or a red balloon...), that would be encouraging.]
Thanks, and may you know even more God who heals both the spirit and the body,
Chris
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Thoughts On Intercession: Standing In The Gap
These are some thoughts/reflections/revelations about intercession that I have been pondering lately. These have been influenced by many areas of the School of Intercessory Prayer I am part of – by teachers, by school staff, by the book we are reading, through things my friends are sharing, through prayer and listening to God and reading his Word and revelation of the Word. Thanks to all of you. And thanks be to God.
•
If you know me – and if you are reading this you probably know me – than you know that I am a mind person; I process logically, I have been called a Vulcan and Spock, and I LOVE Germany in part because they are highly rational. I am continuing to learn Greek, German, and English and I love etymology. Thus the way I introduce this entry, with a definition.
intercede – from French intercéder and Latin intercedere, inter– "between" + cedere "go"
The verb to intercede means literally to go between, which is done on behalf of another.
After the prophet Isaiah has a revelation of the Lord in the temple and God extends great mercy and grace to Isaiah, the Lord asks "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responded "Ooh, ooh, pick me!" (Is. 6:8, paraphrase mine). God is seeking an intercessor, someone to go between God and God's people. And he wants someone with a heart that screams "I'll stand in front of them for you!"
Practical example: A lawyer is one example of an intercessor. He goes between a client and the Judge and intervenes on behalf of the client. He advises, he counsels his client. Hmmmm...
Later in Isaiah, he writes, "The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him" (Is. 59:15,16). And in the end of a chapter in Ezekiel about all the ways Israel has despised and broken promises with the Lord, God says, "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach [gap] before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads" (Ez 22:30,31).
God is righteous and merciful, full of wrath and full of peace and forgiveness. He desired earnestly for an intercessor to go between him and Israel and say "Lord, forgive this people and give your mercy for them to turn back to you!" Maybe no one listened when his Spirit spoke to them. Maybe no one could hear the Lord. All that matters is not one person said "Ooh ooh, pick me! I'll go!"
There is much I could go into at this point, but I will not now. What I am beginning to see and receive is that God desires people who will share his heart and listen to his will; who will agree with him, no matter the cost. This is so brilliant to me. I have just realized this:
God does NOT want or need to be convinced or persuaded! It's his desire to release mercy and grace and peace and joy and life!... all the things I desire at my core. He is righteous and just and holy, and the Law brings judgment and wrath that he must uphold if no intercessor will stand in the gap.
The Levites, the priests for the Hebrew people were intercessors for the people to go between them and God to offer atonement for their sins everyday. The High Priest interceded once a year for the whole nation.
Which is where Jesus comes in. And there is again too much that can be said about many things, so I focus on this: Isaiah 53:12 testifies of Jesus that "he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." God sought for a man who should stand in the gap, he asked "Who will go for us?" and Jesus said "I'll go" and became the ultimate intercessor, the One in whom we have confidence in intercession.
"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:23–25.)
God searches for people to stand in the breach, and Jesus gladly became human to live and die and live again to be the perfect intercessor. The Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in those who trust him to be their intercession before the Lord for their sins.
So I have confidence in the place of intercession that when I stand in the gap before God, when I listen to what his will and desire are, how he wants me to pray, he will not be slow to answer or give in only after hours and days of pleading and fasting, but knowing he will move quickly to accomplish his will.
•
That's all for now. I have a lot of stories and testimonies and thoughts, and I love sharing them, so please ask me. And I would be happy to pray if there is anything you want intercession for.
Grace and peace!
Chris
•
If you know me – and if you are reading this you probably know me – than you know that I am a mind person; I process logically, I have been called a Vulcan and Spock, and I LOVE Germany in part because they are highly rational. I am continuing to learn Greek, German, and English and I love etymology. Thus the way I introduce this entry, with a definition.
intercede – from French intercéder and Latin intercedere, inter– "between" + cedere "go"
The verb to intercede means literally to go between, which is done on behalf of another.
After the prophet Isaiah has a revelation of the Lord in the temple and God extends great mercy and grace to Isaiah, the Lord asks "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responded "Ooh, ooh, pick me!" (Is. 6:8, paraphrase mine). God is seeking an intercessor, someone to go between God and God's people. And he wants someone with a heart that screams "I'll stand in front of them for you!"
Practical example: A lawyer is one example of an intercessor. He goes between a client and the Judge and intervenes on behalf of the client. He advises, he counsels his client. Hmmmm...
Later in Isaiah, he writes, "The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him" (Is. 59:15,16). And in the end of a chapter in Ezekiel about all the ways Israel has despised and broken promises with the Lord, God says, "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach [gap] before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads" (Ez 22:30,31).
God is righteous and merciful, full of wrath and full of peace and forgiveness. He desired earnestly for an intercessor to go between him and Israel and say "Lord, forgive this people and give your mercy for them to turn back to you!" Maybe no one listened when his Spirit spoke to them. Maybe no one could hear the Lord. All that matters is not one person said "Ooh ooh, pick me! I'll go!"
There is much I could go into at this point, but I will not now. What I am beginning to see and receive is that God desires people who will share his heart and listen to his will; who will agree with him, no matter the cost. This is so brilliant to me. I have just realized this:
God does NOT want or need to be convinced or persuaded! It's his desire to release mercy and grace and peace and joy and life!... all the things I desire at my core. He is righteous and just and holy, and the Law brings judgment and wrath that he must uphold if no intercessor will stand in the gap.
The Levites, the priests for the Hebrew people were intercessors for the people to go between them and God to offer atonement for their sins everyday. The High Priest interceded once a year for the whole nation.
Which is where Jesus comes in. And there is again too much that can be said about many things, so I focus on this: Isaiah 53:12 testifies of Jesus that "he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." God sought for a man who should stand in the gap, he asked "Who will go for us?" and Jesus said "I'll go" and became the ultimate intercessor, the One in whom we have confidence in intercession.
"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:23–25.)
God searches for people to stand in the breach, and Jesus gladly became human to live and die and live again to be the perfect intercessor. The Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in those who trust him to be their intercession before the Lord for their sins.
So I have confidence in the place of intercession that when I stand in the gap before God, when I listen to what his will and desire are, how he wants me to pray, he will not be slow to answer or give in only after hours and days of pleading and fasting, but knowing he will move quickly to accomplish his will.
•
That's all for now. I have a lot of stories and testimonies and thoughts, and I love sharing them, so please ask me. And I would be happy to pray if there is anything you want intercession for.
Grace and peace!
Chris
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Springing into a New Season Pt. 1
I found out a week ago that I have been accepted as a student for a YWAM course called SOIP – School of Intercessory Prayer. I've spent the last week beginning to process that I'm transitioning from full-time staff to being both student and staff. I have class in the morning, then in the afternoon I will be working at least two hours each day in IT where I have been for the past two months. Some days I might work as many as six hours in the afternoon. The thing about working in IT here is sometimes it is very slow and there isn't too much to do... and sometimes it's complete chaos, e.g. if someone needs multiple prints done a specific way (I do all print jobs for anyone without printer access... which is most people).
I LUV the work I'm doing. The SOIP came up completely unexpectedly. Someone encouraged me to pray about doing it, and I wanted nothing to do with it. When I prayed, God simply asked me to apply and not worry about doing the school or not. So I applied, and as I was waiting I talked with a number of people who did the SOIP last year, and they encouraged me greatly. I had my questions and concerns answered and... this whole time God has opening me, softening my heart, and giving me an excitement for the unknown and what he wants to break down and rebuild in me.
I think part of the reason the Lord asked me to do a School of Intercessory Prayer is I have a huge capacity for studying his Word as literature or historical account, using my intellect... All this is necessary and important in the life that follows Jesus. And I think it is amazing that I am gifted in scholarly study. But there are disciplines at the opposite end of the spectrum which are equally important and help bring balance. Scholarship engages the mind in powerful ways... God wants us to know him and his Word. But the heart may not be engaged. This is where a discipline like intercession comes in. Prayer is an outpouring of learning about God.
I know that Paul writes frequently about prayer, and he tells the churches to "pray without ceasing," and " be constant in prayer," or "continue steadfastly in prayer" (1 Thes. 5:17, Rom. 12:12, Col. 4:2). I know that we're commanded to pray at all times, but there I have never prayed without ceasing. I believe God is calling me to a season of refinement to put his Words into practice. I'm very excited, and I'll share more details in the next couple days.
Here is a link with some information about the School of Intercessory Prayer at Herrnhut. And please feel welcome to ask me any questions you might have.
I LUV the work I'm doing. The SOIP came up completely unexpectedly. Someone encouraged me to pray about doing it, and I wanted nothing to do with it. When I prayed, God simply asked me to apply and not worry about doing the school or not. So I applied, and as I was waiting I talked with a number of people who did the SOIP last year, and they encouraged me greatly. I had my questions and concerns answered and... this whole time God has opening me, softening my heart, and giving me an excitement for the unknown and what he wants to break down and rebuild in me.
I think part of the reason the Lord asked me to do a School of Intercessory Prayer is I have a huge capacity for studying his Word as literature or historical account, using my intellect... All this is necessary and important in the life that follows Jesus. And I think it is amazing that I am gifted in scholarly study. But there are disciplines at the opposite end of the spectrum which are equally important and help bring balance. Scholarship engages the mind in powerful ways... God wants us to know him and his Word. But the heart may not be engaged. This is where a discipline like intercession comes in. Prayer is an outpouring of learning about God.
I know that Paul writes frequently about prayer, and he tells the churches to "pray without ceasing," and " be constant in prayer," or "continue steadfastly in prayer" (1 Thes. 5:17, Rom. 12:12, Col. 4:2). I know that we're commanded to pray at all times, but there I have never prayed without ceasing. I believe God is calling me to a season of refinement to put his Words into practice. I'm very excited, and I'll share more details in the next couple days.
Here is a link with some information about the School of Intercessory Prayer at Herrnhut. And please feel welcome to ask me any questions you might have.
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