Faith to Raise the Dead

The message you’re about to hear when you watch this video is completely unreasonable.

While “reason” is a powerful and important tool, I must also remind you, as a Christian - that is, a committed follower of Jesus Christ and his teachings in the Judeo-Christian Bible - we are not people primarily lead by reason. No, as Christians, we walk by faith and are led by the Spirit. We are guided by another realm that pierces the darkness and that shows up in this world as that which surpasses reason and is called the miraculous.

Everyone of believer in Christ is equipped for resurrection. We read the following in Romans 8:11:

Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!

God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in me! What?!

Tyler Johnson shares testimonies of unreasonable and faith-filled exploits of the dead being raised back to life - that is those officially proclaimed dead by reasonable men of science; these dead who get back up on their feet and walk and talk and breath among the living!

Faith begins where the will of God is known. Perhaps, the reason for the seeming lack of evidence of God’s Spirit of Resurrection in the present age is no faith...no knowledge or understanding of the will of God in this regard.

The contemporary Church culture has endured at least a hundred years or more of the teaching of the “cessationists” who proclaim according to Wikipedia - that spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing (or resurrecting the dead) ceased with the apostolic age.

The writer of the book of Hebrews presents the following:

Now is the time for us to progress beyond the basic message of Christ and advance into perfection. The foundation has already been laid for us to build upon: turning away from our dead works to embrace faith in God, teaching about different baptisms, impartation by the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. So with God’s enablement we will move on to deeper truths. Hebrews 6:1-3 - TPT

It sounds like “turning away from our dead works to embrace faith in God, teaching about different baptisms, impartation by the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” are all part of the foundation or the basic message of Christ. In that case, could it be that this contemporary church culture has left the basic message of Christ?

Could it be that this “unreasonable message” of life and the love of God is the exact message the world needs right now?

If we are part of a church culture that practices the elements of the basic message of Christ - that we could actually raise the dead - what would the appropriate response be to the school shootings that are too common in the news? 

Let me challenge you to discover what the Bible has to say about this “unreasonable message.” Discover testimonies from the archives of post-apostolic era Christianity that are rich with stories of the dead being raised as you read Tyler Johnson’s book,  The Dead are Raised: Unearthing Lost Resurrection Stories. Seek out what Scripture has to teach about resurrection -  let Tyler Johnson make a case for this truth found in the pages of the Bible with is book,  How to Raise the Dead.

Watch this video and be ready to have your mind blown!

Life School of Supermatural Ministry: The Journey Begins

This September, 2017, I begin a journey I've been planning for and waiting to start for at least two years. I'll be attending Life School of Supernatural Ministry at Life Church in Salem, Oregon. Currently they offer a program commitment of one 3 hour evening a week.

Here is the description from their website:

Life School of Supernatural Ministry is a discipleship and leadership training center based on the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (Redding, CA) curriculum. Our goal is to train and equip the Body of Christ to live the real, abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10. It's not enough to go to church - God has called us to BE the church. Being ONLY ONE NIGHT A WEEK (Tuesdays), it is very feasible for everyone to participate, couples, families, and singles who have work or other responsibilities to attend to throughout the week. The school is designed to provide a dynamic, interactive community setting where students can grow in their character, discover their purpose, and experience the supernatural life that is in Christ Jesus. Using DVD curriculum provided by BSSM, students will have the great opportunity to learn from ministers like Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, and Danny Silk. Live teaching from local ministers will also be included in the training. Life School embraces a revival culture and trains its students to live a life of signs, wonders, and miracles in a practical, day to day setting. Ministry opportunities will be presented. If you are hungry for more of God, then this school is for you!

Since LSSM is based on Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, following is there mission statement:

Our mission is to equip and deploy revivalists who passionately pursue world-wide transformation in their God given spheres of influence. Students are trained to continue in the ministry style of Jesus: to enjoy the presence of God, say what He is saying, and do what He is doing.

Yesterday I interviewed with one of the school pastors to make sure I understood the commitment that I am making to show up, to read the required list of books (it's a short list!) and to engage in the community of students. Yes! I'm all in!

Here's the list of books I'll be reading:

•  When Heaven Invades Earth, by Bill Johnson - I'll have this read by the time class starts in September. The rest of the books will be read throughout the 10 months of the 1st year, not necessarily in the following order.
• Cutlure of Honor by Danny Silk
• You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson
• Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker

The plan is to begin the reading of these books and share my thoughts and favorite quotes that impact me as I go. I will also share testimonies of how God shows up in response to my pursuit of him.

My purpose in sharing and writing is to spread the hunger for the supernatural lifestyle and to leave a legacy that invites the next generation to pursue the presence of God to invade the earth.

I hope you'll follow this journey and be inspired to pursue The Presence of God and Live a Supernatural Lifestyle. Join me as a World Changer, as a Revivalist. Walk like Jesus walked.

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Fearful times: If you're a Christian, should you be afraid?

Psalms 98:2-3, 7, 9 KJV

The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ... for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

The world is in an uproar as the enemy rolls across countries demanding conversion at the threat of losing ones life.

Just my humble opinion - and...it's easy for me to say because I am not, at this moment, facing the enemy ready to cut my head off - we must focus on the Salvation of our God in the face of this fearful demonstration of hatred towards all things Christian.

I cannot predict what I might do if my faith in Jesus Christ is challenged to the point of death. However, I believe it must be true that one can train for such a day. The human mind can be trained how to respond in such a crisis.

Maybe that's why the psalmist ask us to "Be still and know that I am God."  I love Psalm 46. The words of this psalm are the words I write on my heart in training for this or any other fearful challenge that I may face.

Psalm 46 King James Version (KJV)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.King James Version (KJV)

Does this mental crisis training - building trust in Almighty God - really work? Let me direct you to a story of three young men that faced the directive, "convert or die." The story is in the Bible, book of Daniel, chapter three.

Then an herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 

 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace..." (convert or die).

Well somebody got really ticked that the Jewish boys didn't bow when they heard the music and told Nebuchadnezzar!

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"  

 One more chance boys...

"Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?  

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

These boys didn't even have to think about their answer

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

King Nebuchadnezzar was shocked to see that not only did these three boys survive the fire, but they walked around it in with a fourth person - the Son of God! 

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort."

You got that right, O King Nebuchadnezzar - There is no other God that can deliver after this sort!

With the stories of our Christian brothers and sisters that have died for their faith I am sad for the paid they may have endured by "yielding their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God" but I applaud and rejoice that each one is now in the presence of THE KING of kings.

Let me submit to you dear reader, it is by faith that any of us can make this stand, whether we live or die at such a challenge. Walking by faith is that training that comes by hearing the Word, and hearing, and hearing and hearing the Word.

 The author of the book of Hebrew (chapter 11) tells us that the heroes of the faith both lived and died - by faith.

And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 

Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 

Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. 

[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. 

Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. 

They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated— 

[Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth. 

And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised...

There are those that say this evil is coming to a neighborhood near us. This is what I will train for - this is what I will live by...

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 KJV) 

Live or die I will echo the words of those three Hebrew boys in Daniel chapter 3:

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Do not fear. Train to walk in Faith.

Speak Life from my friend, Toby Mac

Okay, so maybe I don't know him personally but I sure enjoy his music...and I'm his "friend" on his Facebook page!

Toby shared this graphic on Facebook. It was just too good not to share.

Woo-Wee! I have a had lotsa bends in the road the last few years, but I am right on the track because I kept my eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my faith.

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Love, Love, Love Toby's song, "Speak Life". As a mother, a friend, and a Jesus-lover, these words are a great reminder. Download your song right here...

Speak Life [Music Download] By TobyMac / FOREFRONT RECORDS

Christian Gift Ideas - Wedding or Anniversary

I came across this sweet wall art gift. It's a great wedding gift idea and I just had to share! One day I might put one of these on my wall - I'm still looking for the "peanut to my butter...and the best to my friend, love of my life!"

Personalized, You Are The..., Large Plaque, Black
By P Graham Dunn Inc Engravables

Chalkboard style wooden plaque for wedding, anniversary, or just to show your love for someone. 18" x 9.25" plaque for wall display in your home. Stylistic fonts and drawings go along with heartwarming sentiment,

You are the peanut to my butter, icing on my cupcake, water to my ocean, cherry to my sundae, blue in my sky, butter to my jam, ice to my cream, milk to my cookie, flip to my flop, apple to my pie, cheese to my macaroni, glaze to my donut, best to my friend, love of my life.

Personalized with couples names at the bottom. Personalization is included in the price; all personalization is done on the premise at Christianbook.com.

Yes this is a product with an affiliate link. Your purchase helps me make a living for me and my family. Come check it out! Thank you!

Jesus Christ, The Author and Finisher of My Faith

"Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. " Hebrews 12:2 - Amplified Version

This is the place to start - with Jesus Christ. This challenge to walk by faith, to please God, because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) - must begin the Jesus Christ. 

This life is filled with distractions that compete for my attention. Since 2003 I have been a single mom, raising three amazing children. I think you might agree that this task of parenting and proving alone without a husband is a best a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not whining so that you'll feel sorry for me. These last eleven years have taught me that God is faithful. I write this with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. God has been so good to me and my children. 

The distractions. They seem to be legit. Providing for my children has seemed to be an all consuming task. I'm in sales and, in my opinion, I'm good at it as long as I believe in the product. But after the divorce something changed in side. The pain and grief of the marriage and love that came to an end was brick wall distraction. It would have been easy to put my eyes on my pain or the seemingly insurmountable task of providing for my children. 

The distractions. My children had their own emotions to deal with after their family fell apart. How could we do this to them? Whose side should they be on? There had to be someone right and someone wrong. They were angry at me and their dad. They were angry at the rest of the world for not understanding the pain that they were in. They acted out. Each one in a different way.

Distractions and reasons to lose faith, right? This is just my story. It's not unlike many other women and children. There are other stories. What's yours? 

Here is what I can tell you about looking away from these distractions - not ignoring them in denial, but not allowing them to consume me - and instead, looking to Jesus as the source of my faith. I can tell you that we - my children and I - have successfully come through this hard time with the most amazing outcome.

During my darkest hours I reminded myself of all the times that Jesus had rescued me. I reminded myself that my oldest son, who almost died at birth because of a hole in his lung, was miraculously healed and came home from the hospital 8 days after he was born. This month my son who almost died will be 21 years old. I reminded myself of the many times that Jesus provided financial miracles to pay the rent, the utilities, buy food and clothes. 

I made a conscious choice to take my eyes off of the distractions and put my the eyes of my inner person on the facts of how big and mighty the God that I serve - this God who promised "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]" (Hebrews 13:5). 

My life is not without distractions even now, but I see a beautiful outcome. My children are young adults. They are strong and kind because of all that they came through. They've learned compassion for others that are struggling. They've learned that God never left us. Whenever they face a challenge they come to me and ask me to agree with them in prayer.  (Matthew 18:19–20)

This week I am starting a new Bible Study by Marilyn Hickey called, "Seeing Jesus: Bible Encounter Study Guide". This study takes the student through all the books of the Bible to find references, symbols, and prophesies of Jesus Christ, our redeemer - The Author and Finisher of My Faith. 

What distractions are competing for your attention? What will you choose to do to cause you to "fix your attention" on Jesus Christ?

Walk by faith my dear friend. You will not be disappointed!

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30 Meditations on Jesus - eBook By Marilyn Hickey / Whitaker House

God...With Us...Priceless

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”) (Matthew 1:23 NIV)

This was the first miracle of Jesus Christ. He came from heaven and entered the earthly realm as one of us by virgin birth. He began by doing the "impossible" so that we could become like him. 

The human race, sometimes smart, but many times downright evil. Maybe not you but there have been plenty of atrocities committed by mankind that it's no wonder that God himself wanted to wash the earth and start all over again as in the days of Noah.

When the time was right, just as was planned in advance, God, packaged in human flesh came to dwell with us.  Not only did God choose to live with us, he became "The Way", the access to live with Him. 

I don't think we can fully appreciate this unless we attempt to understand the contrast of how evil humanity is and how good God is. 

Any good in man is our attempt to pattern ourselves after God's standards of right. Most people across all cultures have some standard of "good." From birth we know or are taught it's important to honor and obey our parents, tell the truth, not to kill, not to covet or steal...this standard can be found in the Ten Commandments. These standards were not merely written in stone for Moses and the Hebrew people - they are coded into our DNA and can be found in some form in every culture.

God's standard for right which is coded into our DNA should make us "good" right? (Romans 3:10 NIV) Unfortunately there is another nature also coded into our DNA - like a computer virus - For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing (Romans 7:19 NIV)!

Look with me at the evil that humanity has written on the tablets of history. Contemporary names that might be familiar are Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein...just to name a few. In fact I found a list of the Top 10 Most Evil Men, whose author starts his list by saying, 

"The most unfortunate aspect to researching this list was the realization that that I could do a top 100 most evil men and still have a multitude of people for a second list!"

This evil is not an anomaly. One has only to look inside a prison to find the worst offenders of humanity.

Why in the world would a good God want to have anything to do with humanity?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV).

This was the first miracle of Jesus Christ. He came from heaven and entered the earthly realm as one of us by virgin birth. He began by doing the "impossible" so that we could become like him. God so loved us that he dwelt among us.

God...with us...precious.