Ankle Instantaneously Healed! (During our church’s 21 day fast)
Hi Pastor John! I’m still fired up from Sunday’s service! I (Jeanine) had been praying for the Lord to open the door for me to get a job that would suit my families schedule. I was so excited that the Lord opened that door. My prayers had finally been answered! On my first day on the job as I was walking out of my car, I took a few steps and somehow tripped and twisted my ankle. I heard 2 pops. I couldn’t even lift myself up, the pain was excruciating. My job consists of standing the entire time, so I had no idea how I was going to get through. The Lord got me through, but my ankle had tripled in size and still had to work the next couple days. I had planned to go to the doctors the following week if the pain and swelling hadn’t gone down.
(Below is the continuation of the story from Andy.)
Pastor John,
Sunday morning service was one for the books! As we made way to the altar call to pray for Jeanine’s ankle injury, you had asked us if we had seen a Doctor and I stated to you right then and there “we are seeing Him now.” Sure enough after we prayed and laid hands on her, she went from walking like John Wayne to walking on a cat walk!
Boom!
I must mention that just before service we had purchased a bottle of Advil for the pain and inflammation. So, as we walked out of the auditorium, just after the miracle took place, I still had the nerve to ask her if she had taken the medication. Sure enough, the Advil was unopened sealed in its box.
I have to say, since the injury took place last Friday, she’s been walking in severe pain, throughout the house. Up until Sunday morning. I work in Sports Medicine and sit on these types of surgical procedures daily. So, I knew that she either ruptured a tendon or two, had a high-grade sprain or fractured a bone or two. Either of which is extremely painful, especially when weight baring.
What a way to conclude last Sunday’s Service. You had just finished preaching about
Faith comes by:
1-Hearing God’s Voice
2-Believing God’s voice
3-Obeying God’s voice
4-Seeing God’s Promises come to Pass
James 2:17-Faith WITHOUT works is DEAD.
And sure enough, Jeanine stepped out and God stepped in. It’s the stepping out part that gets us all. As He sits there and says what took you so long??!
GOD is GOOD!
~Andy & Jeanine Balian
God’s Faithfulness (During our church’s 21 day fast)
Two weeks ago, at the end of the sermon you called everyone to stand and worship one last song.
Suddenly I was overwhelmed with God’s power and I couldn’t stand. The Lord began to clearly speak to me about what he has done in my life over the past 16 years. I was so overcome by His power, His love, and His faithfulness that I began to weep as I sat in the chair while everyone else worshipped.
The Lord methodically took me through a series of memories that began when I lost my job and career with Maytag after 20 years. I had achieved a position of VP of a major corporation, was responsible for a national sales channel with sales over $250 million, had access to personally use the company jets, etc.; this was my “dream” job and I fully expected to be with this company until I retired. Then one morning I was called into a meeting with six senior executives and told that I was “laid off”… actually fired. And, this began a 16-year faith journey for me and my family.
As you taught last week, sometimes our timeline is quite different from God’s. But he does work ALL things together for those who love Him and are called to His purpose. Since that “crushing” day when I lost my dream job, I have fought to find a way to earn money to meet my family’s needs. As you know, you have walked through many of those years with me. The Lord quickly revealed to me that it had been 6 jobs worked, and 6 businesses that I tried to start during that 16 years. During that time, I had several good years of blessing that helped sustain my family. But I also had many frustrating times, unhappy work experiences, and many feelings of failure. During this time, we spent almost all our retirement savings just trying to survive. We also experienced high levels of stress with several serious problems and illnesses within our family.
But, after battling for 2-3 years with my current business we finally started to see success in 2016, 16 years later. The success continues to build each year and we are now in a season of great blessing with the business! With great expectations to come.
In addition to blessing our business the Lord also blessed us with another financial blessing. This was truly a miracle that came out of nowhere. Through an inheritance we owned a small share of mineral rights from my grandparents and parents farm land. These mineral rights had never been worth anything. But, suddenly in 2017 we were notified that we owned a very small part of some oil wells. And he has used this blessing to help restore some of our lost retirement savings. And now because of His blessings we are able to bless His kingdom financially.
Our God is FAITHFUL! But sometimes when we are in the midst of the battle it is easy to become discouraged. It is during these times we need to build ourselves up by meditating on His word and focusing on the faithfulness of our God. One way I have found to do this is by bringing to remembrance those times in the past when he has met me at my point of need.
Blessings,
Gary Mancini
God’s Favor (During our church’s 21 day fast)
I wanted to share this answered prayer that happened last week. I realize it’s a small thing but this particular one is fun and awesome at the same time. He is the great director; his orchestration is where He best amazes me and believe me, we do have big asks for this fast, but He is currently working on it! We have the faith!
A couple of months ago, I got a ticket for not having my seat belt on for a good reason, I thought at the time. The ticket cost $220 plus $300 for traffic school! I had an option to plea my case to the judge or just pay for it. So, I decided to set up an appt to see the Judge.
My prayer was specifically for favor in this situation and have the Judge DISMISS the case because any other judgement still includes the $300 traffic school.
The court day arrived, and I found myself in a very RARE situation of running late! I arrived 5 minutes late and parking was full! At that stressful point, I cried out to God and said, Lord I asked for Favor not a Headache! Of course, a second later I found a spot. I felt a tiny bit bad about that.
So, I was able to sign in just as they were closing the courtroom doors. I was in the courtroom with about 40 other traffic offenders. Here is how it is set up, the Bailiff called 10 names and each of the 10 came up to the Judge one by one and pleaded their case, while the rest of us listened. The more offenders where heard, the more my excuse was getting dumber and dumber in my mind.
So, I got up, asked the bailiff if I can just pay the clerk and not see the judge since I was guilty, and I sure wasn’t going to sound stupid in front of all these people. The Bailiff encouraged me to stick around because I may get a lower fine from Judge. So, I sat back down and waited my turn. Time went by and I was getting impatient, when is the Bailiff going to call my name? Finally! I was part of the last group and my name was called last! I figured because I was late. As I sat there, I realized that by the time I get my turn it will only be the Judge, myself and the Bailiff left in the courtroom. So, I told myself, I am going to go ahead and let the Judge hear my excuse! I went up there pleaded guilty and asked if his honor would hear my reason for not having my seat belt on. He allowed me to explain but in the middle of my explanation he interrupted me! and looked at the Bailiff and asked, “have I been nice to anyone this morning?” God is good!
Phil Williams
God’s Will not Mine Be Done! (During our church’s 21 day fast)
One of the things I received as a result of this fast: A deeper revelation of partnering with God to get His will done rather than asking God to get my will done.
Jerry DeMink
Package Found! (During our church’s 21 day fast)
God rescued me from a difficult financial situation. I do a lot of shipping for my business and the post office lost one of the most expensive pieces of merchandise I shipped out. But because I had already tithed on the money I made, I stood on the promise of God’s faithfulness and had faith that he would come through for me. Miraculously a month later, my package was found when it should not have been. This fast has given me a greater Measure of Faith to trust God instead of complaining at him when things don’t go my way.
Ben
Knee instantaneously Healed!
On Sunday morning I was praying for someone else to be healed and suddenly my knees stopped hurting! They have hurt for years and I couldn’t stand for long at all. I am in my 70’s so I just figured this is the way it is. I went back to my seat and went up the center idle with no problem at all! I stopped and told Ric about it. I went up to the back of the church and told the head usher and he asked me to help usher that very day. I took the collection without my cane! I went outside and saw my pastor and handed him my cane and said, “Do you know anyone who needs this?” The next Sunday was Testimony Sunday and I walked up the stairs to the stage, which I NEVER could have done before. PRAISE GOD!
Unexpected Financial Blessing (During our church’s 21 day fast)
This past Friday I learned that I will be receiving an unexpected commission at work. The commission I thought I’d be receiving for last quarter would have been much smaller than in the past. With this unexpected boost it’ll be around three times the original amount. We’re are still praying for my Big Asks around work, church and our home with great hope, faith and expectations to see how God moves and is glorified.
Healed After Laying Hands on Myself!
I have had a physical issue for years that I have been on medication for. It is not life-threatening, but it is seriously annoying and very personal. During our church’s 21 day fast and teaching series on faith, I knew I had the faith to be healed and so I laid hands on myself and commanded it to be healed and it instantaneously went away! Praise God!
Amazing Witnessing Opportunity
I am the pastor of The Gathering Place Church. I have been meeting with all the High School principals in our district for 8 years now. We are a subcommittee that has helped the public schools and the faith community collaborate. During our church’s 21 day fast, I was sitting at the round table as we discussed how to get kids off drugs and vaping. They questioned how they don’t get caught. I responded by saying, “I didn’t’ get caught when I was in middle-school”. They thought I was kidding and laughed. I told them I was serious and that I had been involved in doing and selling drugs all throughout middle school and high school. They all sat dumbfounded. Then the million-dollar question was asked, “What changed you?” I then told them how Jesus changed me. They were all silent. It was amazing. If I were to be told eight years ago that I would be sitting around a table with 5 high school principals and a district supervisor and was giving my salvation testimony, I would have had no idea how that would ever happen. God is God.