It's Real!

I read something last night just before I turned out the light that really moved me!  Each evening after I help my wife get ready for and into bed, I enjoy taking a little time to do some pleasure reading.  Then to cap off the day and go to sleep with good thoughts and good Word, I’ll briefly read from the Bible or a Christian teaching book.  Well, last night was no different except for the fact that my reading time was shortened as I was having great difficulty keeping my eyes open! 

But then a funny thing happened…  As I picked up reading from where I had left off the previous evening in “The Collected Works of John G. Lake,” I suddenly became wide awake with the revelation of God! 

John G. Lake was a “Canadian-American leader in the Pentecostal movement in the early 20^th century.”*  Beginning in 1908 he spent five years in South Africa and together with Thomas Hezmalhalch co-founded the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa.  From there he spent an additional twenty years ministering mainly along the west coast of the United States, setting up healing rooms, holding healing campaigns and establishing churches. He had such an impact in the healing ministry “that according to statistics, the U.S. Government declared his city, Spokane, Washington to be the healthiest city in America”**

It was in reading of an incident that he reported while in South Africa that sent my heart soaring last night.  Mr. Lake told of a time when he was holding a meeting in a home where ten born-again, spirit-filled brothers were in attendance when the youngest of them suddenly fell under the power of the Spirit.  “He arose and we observed that he was giving the arrangements for a drama.  He was perfectly under the power of the Spirit.  He had no consciousness in the natural of what was taking place. 

All at once, the Spirit fell upon another of the brothers, then another and another until all ten became actors in the same drama.  We sat there amazed for hours, observing a perfect five act drama.  A presentation of God’s dealings with the race of man throughout the history of the world.”  Mr. Lake concluded the story saying that “I left that night with the awe of God on my soul so deep that, for weeks afterwards, I felt as if I wanted to walk very softly.”

I am not sure why this report so moved me, except that I had never heard of the Spirit of God moving in such a way.  After turning out the light for the night, I could not help but to keep repeating that story over and over again in my head!  Then I was overwhelmed with the thought that “God REALLY can do anything… can’t he!”

I wonder how many of us REALLY take verses like Mark 10:27 seriously.  Here and in other inferences throughout the Gospels, Jesus plainly states that; “…with men it is impossible, but NOT with God: for WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.” (KJV)  Once again I enjoy the way the Message Bible paraphrase accents this thought by saying in modern terminology that “Jesus was blunt: ‘No chance at all if you think you can pull it (getting yourself saved or any other seemingly impossible miracle you may need at the time) off by yourself.  Every chance in the world if you let God do it.’ ”

The early church seemed to have this detail down pat.  What happened to us in our world today?  It is almost like the miraculous of God has gotten lost throughout the ages since then.  It hurts me when I read articles in the daily news where the miraculous power of God is dismissed due to its “political incorrectness.”  I guess that for some, it is just easier to translate the Bible according to the terms of the social norms of the day instead of by the miraculous, situation changing, life-altering power of the Holy Ghost working through the hearts and hands of faith-filled Believers.

You know… I’ve been around this stuff for way too long to start doubting God’s impossible-busting abilities today!  I’ve personally seen the arm of a young Junior High girl healed after breaking it in a fall on the slopes at a Baptist snow camp in the mid-1970’s after my wife and I laid hands on her in the car on the way back to camp after our long afternoon at the local hospital.

I’ve seen young elementary school children lifting up holy hands and weeping in joy with thanksgiving while singing worship songs as the Holy Spirit fell during children’s church.  I’ve seen entire youth groups on the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit at the completion of youth services in our local church with the parents who had come to pick up their kids, standing around the edges of the room in awe of Almighty God as He moved amongst their children.  And I have personally felt the literal power of God move through me and into the body of the sick who had come to the front of the church for healing prayer.

All I can say is that IT IS REALL!  And it is here today!  I believe that Papa God is just waiting for His body to accept their responsibilities and take their place by moving out in faith to reach out to those in need.  Listen closely… Is He calling you out today?  If so… remember Paul’s encouraging words to us in Ephesians 3:20 saying “God can do anything, you know – far more than you can ever imagine, or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (The Message)

So what’s stopping you?

Have a great week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What impossibility-busting power am I expecting God to work through me today?”

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Lake

**https://healingrooms.com/index.php?page_id=422