I was in Central America staying in the home of one of our local leaders in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. They are an awesome couple who are very involved in what the Lord is doing in that area. One morning the Lord put one of their friends on their hearts and asked if we could visit her later in the morning. I agreed.
We arrived at the home of their friend who was obviously upset. Her mother, who looked to be in her late sixties, was in the front room of the house and was very sick. Her face was ashen. Her eyes were open, but she didn't seem to be there. The family informed us that their beloved Christian mother and grandmother had throat cancer.
We immediately began to pray asking the Lord for healing. After a time, each one of us had prayed. The air was filled with the Lord's amazing peace. It was then the Lord asked me to anoint her with oil. Anointing her forehead with oil in the sign of the cross, I blessed her. Then I felt the Lord wanted me to repeat this act, but this time He wanted me to directly apply the oil to her throat. I dipped my finger in the oil and prayed peace over her, making the sign of the cross directly on her throat. The very second I made the last stroke, completing the cross, the woman's chest heaved upward. Then as her chest collapsed, her spirit left her.
Suddenly, I realized this was not a death, but this was a birth. God had been waiting for us. We had the privilege to attend to one His very own as she left this earth on her way to an eternity spent with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
Written by Stephen Burke. Edited by Jennifer Poppy.
Showing posts with label Divine Appointments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Divine Appointments. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
No Longer Alone
I was at home and it was nearing lunchtime when the Lord asked me to go to "The Park" to get a hamburger and that I would be eating my hamburger at one of their picnic tables. “The Park” is a small hamburger stand in downtown Belton, Texas.
I pulled up and got out of my car to place my order at the window. I noticed there was a woman, probably in her sixties, who seemed to be waiting for her order. She was walking around talking on a cell phone.
Once I placed my order, I got back in my car and waited. Soon the woman who was talking on the cell phone got her order and suddenly walked directly toward me. I knew this was my divine appointment. I rolled down my window to greet her. She pointed to the "The LORD Will Provide Ministries" sign on my car door and asked, "Do you really believe what that sign says or is it just a sign?"
"Oh, yes I believe it,” I responded. “The Lord asked me to leave my job over 5 years ago and we've come to know God as our provider."
Soon, tears began to roll down her face as I continued to share about how God had provided for us over the years. My lunch arrived and I asked, "If you have time, maybe we can sit down at one of these picnic tables and get to know each other a little bit." She agreed.
She told me how she started hearing the Holy Spirit as a teenager. She felt so alone all these years, because she had never been able to find anyone who was like her. She was weeping as she shared. God had asked her and her husband to move to Temple nearly 2 years ago and nothing seemed to be coming from it. God had not connected her with any spiritually like-minded people. She had been pleading with God to move her somewhere else.
"You're not the only one who hears God like that," I said. "There are many of us. You are not alone."
I invited her to come to our prayer and worship meeting, "The Journey". She came and God touched her heart as the prophetic stream flowed through the group. She was not alone and could not hold back her tears of joy as God met her that night and brought her to like-minded believers whom she had been trying to find for 50 years.
Written by Stephen Burke. Edited by Jennifer Poppy.
I pulled up and got out of my car to place my order at the window. I noticed there was a woman, probably in her sixties, who seemed to be waiting for her order. She was walking around talking on a cell phone.
Once I placed my order, I got back in my car and waited. Soon the woman who was talking on the cell phone got her order and suddenly walked directly toward me. I knew this was my divine appointment. I rolled down my window to greet her. She pointed to the "The LORD Will Provide Ministries" sign on my car door and asked, "Do you really believe what that sign says or is it just a sign?"
"Oh, yes I believe it,” I responded. “The Lord asked me to leave my job over 5 years ago and we've come to know God as our provider."
Soon, tears began to roll down her face as I continued to share about how God had provided for us over the years. My lunch arrived and I asked, "If you have time, maybe we can sit down at one of these picnic tables and get to know each other a little bit." She agreed.
She told me how she started hearing the Holy Spirit as a teenager. She felt so alone all these years, because she had never been able to find anyone who was like her. She was weeping as she shared. God had asked her and her husband to move to Temple nearly 2 years ago and nothing seemed to be coming from it. God had not connected her with any spiritually like-minded people. She had been pleading with God to move her somewhere else.
"You're not the only one who hears God like that," I said. "There are many of us. You are not alone."
I invited her to come to our prayer and worship meeting, "The Journey". She came and God touched her heart as the prophetic stream flowed through the group. She was not alone and could not hold back her tears of joy as God met her that night and brought her to like-minded believers whom she had been trying to find for 50 years.
Written by Stephen Burke. Edited by Jennifer Poppy.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
It All Stated With A Simple Question
Five years ago on April 9, 2004 I leapt from a cliff... a place of security and manmade comfort because I had fallen in love. With faith in my heart, I spread out my wings, jumped as I was asked and found that I could fly. My eyes were focused on Jesus and I could not see the ground below, even though I knew full well it was there. I held on to God and my wife held on to me. We jumped and there was no turning back. My flesh felt the humiliation and death that awaited me. My wife's tears showed what I should have feared, but my love for my Lord and His call were all that I saw.
The ground should have rushed up at us, but we found we were being held up by the mighty hand of our God. Over these five years, we have made mistakes and even taken wrong turns. But our ears heard a voice behind us saying, "This is the way, walk in it." We have experienced the mountaintops seeing God's hand of provision and we have gone deep into caves of despair. We have heard the sound of heaven rejoicing and known the breath of hell on our heels. We have experienced the encouragement of God's whispers and known the strength of His correcting hand. We have seen God remove mountains before us and experienced the thrill of seeing His redemption, healing and love that changes lives. We have been privileged to come alongside those who are faithful to their Creator living out their own calling in the most remote of places.
And to think it all started with a simple question. "Steve, do you love me?" Three times He asked me in early 2004 and I responded with all of my heart, "Yes, Lord You know I love You." In tears I laid my life down before Him, "Lord, I will go anywhere You want me to go. I will do anything You ask me to do and I will say anything You ask me to say." Soon afterward, the adventure began. I have not yet entered my Land of Promise, but I know it is soon to come. I have seen evidence of what I cannot see and praise the One who made the promise for He is faithful to keep His promises. I have come to know Him so intimately as the lover of my soul. He is so big, yet so small. He is so far, yet so close. He is so natural, yet supernatural. The skies and earth declare His glory to all mankind. In an instant He can supercede the natural laws He put in place and allow His creation to see Him move supernaturally. He is not limited. He is real. His power is real and the most amazing thing is this... that this most holy God loved us while we were yet sinners. He sent His Son to die for you and for me. He is love and He is our Savior if we will only believe and receive His free gift of eternal life with Him. Our lives are in His hands and our deaths are in His hands. May our future... your future be in His resurrection.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
Peace In Christ,
Steve
The ground should have rushed up at us, but we found we were being held up by the mighty hand of our God. Over these five years, we have made mistakes and even taken wrong turns. But our ears heard a voice behind us saying, "This is the way, walk in it." We have experienced the mountaintops seeing God's hand of provision and we have gone deep into caves of despair. We have heard the sound of heaven rejoicing and known the breath of hell on our heels. We have experienced the encouragement of God's whispers and known the strength of His correcting hand. We have seen God remove mountains before us and experienced the thrill of seeing His redemption, healing and love that changes lives. We have been privileged to come alongside those who are faithful to their Creator living out their own calling in the most remote of places.
And to think it all started with a simple question. "Steve, do you love me?" Three times He asked me in early 2004 and I responded with all of my heart, "Yes, Lord You know I love You." In tears I laid my life down before Him, "Lord, I will go anywhere You want me to go. I will do anything You ask me to do and I will say anything You ask me to say." Soon afterward, the adventure began. I have not yet entered my Land of Promise, but I know it is soon to come. I have seen evidence of what I cannot see and praise the One who made the promise for He is faithful to keep His promises. I have come to know Him so intimately as the lover of my soul. He is so big, yet so small. He is so far, yet so close. He is so natural, yet supernatural. The skies and earth declare His glory to all mankind. In an instant He can supercede the natural laws He put in place and allow His creation to see Him move supernaturally. He is not limited. He is real. His power is real and the most amazing thing is this... that this most holy God loved us while we were yet sinners. He sent His Son to die for you and for me. He is love and He is our Savior if we will only believe and receive His free gift of eternal life with Him. Our lives are in His hands and our deaths are in His hands. May our future... your future be in His resurrection.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
Peace In Christ,
Steve
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