God speaks about fasting

There was a kick start seminar run by the Last Reformation held in Auckland. During the training there is teaching on many topics such as: what the gospel is; healing; casting out demons; how to be a true disciple of Christ as well as a chance to go out on to the streets to pray for people for healing. Normally during these seminars God does amazing things with people. It may be with the people on the streets or it may be with the people attending. Something always happens that we couldn't even think or imagine beforehand and God is glorified through it.

The weekend before this seminar, I felt strongly led by God to fast in the lead up to it. I hadn't fasted for a while beforehand and even when I had, the maximum time I had done it for was only around 3 days. This time I felt strongly that I needed to fast for a longer period, so I decided I would do a no solids fast for 7 days until the end of Sunday after the kick start. I didn't know why I was fasting but I knew I needed to be obedient to God.

In the lead up to the seminar I was also struggling to find anywhere to sleep for the Friday and Saturday nights. Auckland is a difficult place to find convenient and cheap accommodation that would house my whole family. Originally we were going to stay at my Uncle's house which was 40 minutes drive away, but it would have been too difficult to organise naps for our kids. We then tried to find accommodation closer to the venue through airbnb.com but it was very expensive. In the end we decided it was just easier if only I went to the seminar without my family. Mike organised for me to stay with someone in Auckland named 'Jordan' who was also going.

During the weekend I had a great chance to get to know Jordan. He is a similar age to me and he also has young kids so we were able to talk openly about a lot of things. I started telling him how I'd noticed something really strange happening to me since I'd started fasting. There were 2 or 3 occasions when I had got a fright while in everyday situations. This is really unusual for me because I never get that at all. I know that other people do though because if you can walk up behind them they 'jump' when you start talking to them. I couldn't work out why it was happening to me though. After I said this to Jordan he said that that sort of thing happens to him everyday. He also mentioned to me that he has anxiety issues, especially when it comes to talking to people at work. I knew that was something that needed prayer so I arranged for 'Gina' (who was teaching at the seminar) and I to pray for him.

When we prayed for Jordan it became apparent after a time of prayer that the anxieties weren't caused by demonic forces within him. One thing Gina said while we were praying for him was that she prayed for him a few months earlier for him to be set free from demons and he was. What he was experiencing now was something different. We still couldn't work out what it was though because it appeared demonic on the surface so we spent some time talking with Jordan. As we were speaking it became clear why I was fasting. I don't remember exactly what was said but I do remember feeling like Holy Spirit was 'screaming' at me, 'this is why you're fasting. He needs to know there is power in it to bring his flesh into submission.' So I said this, and I felt strongly that this was what Jordan needed to hear and do and also that he understood it.

I'd also just memorised this scripture a few weeks earlier:

Galatians 5:17. "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

This all happened on the Saturday evening. I was still planning to continue fasting until the end of Sunday but God spoke to me in a quiet whisper and said, 'that's enough.' I fought it for a few minutes because I'd resolved to fast for 7 days. I realised that if I did that though, I would be only doing out of the pride of being able to say, 'I fasted for 7 days' and not out of obedience. I also realised that the purpose for my fasting had been found out so there was no purpose in me continuing.

After I'd decided to quit my fast I enjoyed some dinner that had been brought by one of the attendees to share. Once I'd finished I noticed a sign on a magnet on the fridge where the seminar was being held which said F.A.S.T. It was the only magnet on the fridge. I think it was something about what to do when someone has a heart attack but it was significant to me in another way. 

Fasting isn't glamorous and it is usually forgotten about but there is power in it. The scripture above says that your flesh is opposed to the Spirit and keeps you from doing the things you want to do. By fasting you deny your flesh and empower your spirit. I believe that it is something that all disciples of Jesus should be doing regularly.

Muslim lady healed

Mike and I went to a popular shopping mall yesterday which was packed with people because of the rain. We approached a few people and offered to pray for them but no-one was interested. We decided to go The Warehouse and while we were there I spotted a lady with a crutch looking at clothes with her husband, so I went over and said, "Can I ask you why you're using that crutch?" She was wearing a head scarf but I wasn't put off by that. I could have easily thought to myself, 'she's a Muslim, she won't be interested.' but I put that aside and stepped out in faith. 

She said she had a lot of swelling in her leg so she needs to use a crutch. She could put weight on the leg but it was uncomfortable to walk on it. She also mentioned that her arm was sore and that she takes a whole lot of pain relief and struggles to sleep every night. When I asked if we could pray for her she was fine with that. We prayed a few times for the leg and asked her to try it out but it was hard for her to tell if that was healed. So we targeted her arm next and after we had prayed a few times she said that the pain was moving up her arm. We asked her a bit more about how her arm got sore in the first place and she said there was no injury and that the doctors couldn't figure out why it was sore. Straight away that said to us there is some demonic activity going on so Mike prayed again and, rather than praying for healing, he cast out the spirit of infirmity. 

Before we started praying for her arm we asked her to lift her arm up as high as she could but she couldn't lift her arm above her shoulder. After we finished praying she was able to lift it all the way above her head. We then shared the gospel with her (and her husband) and left them my number. As we were about to go she mentioned that she had heard about a church that prays for people and sees them healed. They had been planning on going for a while but had got too busy. God knows all and had other plans for the lady. He used us to GO and take healing and preach the gospel.

The harvest is plentiful people. Get out there! We need more labourers!

Repentance, Deliverance, Baptism and infilling of Holy Spirit

Mike, April and Andrew witnessed the Book of Acts in power two days ago, in their very own home.

Mike was sharing the gospel with the husband of a lady whom we shall call Mel. Mel overheard the conversation and showed interest. Mike talked to her over a period of time about repentance and the cost of following Jesus. Mel had shown some interest about wanting to follow Jesus. But Mike continued to challenge her about her decision, to make sure it was a whole-hearted repentance, as Mike has seen many who began to follow but have turned back and not remained repentant.

Two days ago, Mel, with her daughters, came over for lunch at Mike and April's house, as part of our home church meet ups. From the lounge, we could hear April sharing the gospel with Mel, and her daughters who were also present, using the cups demonstration (as used by Torben in The Last Reformation). At this point Andrew and I had left to go home for kids' nap time.

What happened next, as Mike was talking to Mel, was her own confession that she wanted to follow Jesus. Then Mike got Mel to ask God herself for forgiveness. Then she starting manifesting. As April held her hand they began to pray for a prayer of freedom for her, and for all pain to come out of her in Jesus name. Then Mel's face contorted, her head went to one side, like she was gritting her teeth. Then she just screamed and it came out. Just like in the Bible, it shrieked and then came out of her. Mel and her daughters were stunned.

Then April rang to ask for Andrew to come back to help them pray for Mel.

They shared with her some more and explained about the power of water baptism. She was willing. So April filled up the bath and baptised her.

After that they prayed with her some more but felt a strong resistance. Since the bath was not a comfortable place to pray they got Mel out and changed into dry clothes before continuing to pray for her again.

So they all moved to the lounge and prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It took quite a long time for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to come about and for her to speak in tongues. Andrew said it wasn't that God was holding back but that he felt that she needed to feel she was worthy enough of receiving a gift like that, that she was worthy to be loved.

So they had to speak into her that she was loved and that God has accepted her. This broke her down piece by piece. Mike felt to ask her something about forgiveness that she needed to deal with. They just let her do that directly with God. April prayed for peace for Mel and told her that she had already been forgiven.

Mike kept asking the Lord for direction for what to do next. And at this point he began to prophesy over her. It came down to be about Mel needing to be able to trust God. God had told Mel that He won't fail her.

After that word, they could see Mel let out a huge sigh and saw that in her heart she must have just surrendered to Him and put her trust in Him. Then she leaned forward and cried out in the most beautiful tongue they had ever heard. She was singing in perfect tone and had all of them in tears.

When the three of them related this story to me, they kept saying "it was just so beautiful" and couldn't really describe it anymore than that as if words just failed to describe how beautiful the tongue that came out of her was. April heard her sing "Abba Father."

It was also beautiful because all of Mel's daughters witnessed the whole thing.

This is the power of salvation when the full gospel has been preached.

Man got rid of his moon boot after being instantly healed

Mike and Andrew went out on the streets to find people to pray for.

They started off at a Saturday morning market. Andrew saw this guy with a crutch so he asked him what he'd done. He said he rolled his ankle and wrecked the ankle and achilles. He said he normally wears a moon boot but today he didn't want to. He was in a lot of pain. He also said he was due to do 3 months of rehab.

Andrew prayed for him once and the pain was gone.

The man put the crutch down and walked around with no issues. He said he was a Catholic and that he only became Catholic to marry his wife 40 years ago. 10 years ago he had a near death experience which made him serious about his faith.

Andrew shared how to be born again with him and left his name and number with the man.

We found out the next day that the man was able to walk fine with no pain and returned his moon boot to the hospital for a refund within the hour of healing. He also told his daughter about Andrew praying for him. His daughter rang to ask Andrew if he could pray for her back which had been sore for a while. After hearing about what had happened to her dad, she made a comment to say, "It was like Jesus had walked into the store!" She had also been telling her work colleague about what had happened to her dad and the colleague apparently got goosebumps.

That night we (Andrew and family) went to their house to pray for the daughter. Andrew explained to the daughter that there was no charge to this and that it was a free gift from God. Following Holy Spirit's leading Andrew told the dad to lay hands and pray his daughter, to show him that Andrew was nobody special, but it is Christ in him that heals.