The Finger of God

9:59 p.m. Today's project was to view an amazing Christian movie, "The Finger of God." My son Steven, whose church in Fresno is very active in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, had loaned it to the family.

I was invited to watch it with my daughter Heidi aftr she popped over to help me with a task here at the house, and watched me finish up my lunch, delicious homemade chicken and veggie soup. We made a quick Starbucks run and then drove through San Timiteo Canyon to her house in Redlands. I took a hanger full of business attire for my Mary Kay meeting this evening, because in between, I'd be taking my dad out for his weekly grocery shopping. No time to change.

We settled down on her family room couch and began to be seriously blown away by the stupendous miracles God has been working through ordinary people of every age and race, here in our country and around the world. I'd have to describe those individual miracle workers filmed live as "ordinary people with extraordinary faith." One young man quoted John 14:12, where Jesus said,

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

The man said, "What works did Jesus do while He was here on the earth? He walked around healing people. ..we have to believe and preach the Gospel...and we will do greater works than the Lord did here on earth, because the Gospel says so!" Believing college students in Redding California, go out on Friday nights looking for people to heal! They wait for a word from the Spirit, then get into their cars and head on out.

And heal people.

From gold teeth appearing in believers' mouths; to manna, gold dust and unidentifiable, perfect gems falling down into believers' Bibles during prayer and praise meetings; to a new eyeball given to a girl; and multiple people being raised from the dead, to three-year-olds praying for the blind to receive their sight--and they did--I realize that God is even more powerful, and His Spirit is even more alive and on the move today than I could ever have imagined. And I've been a strong believer in the gifts, using them as the Lord leads.

[I asked Heidi if she remembered how she, as a three year old, would lay hands on other tots and pray for their healing. In one particular instance during a park day with my ladies' home Bible study, she saw a little boy fall off a swing. She ran over to him, laid hands, and prayed, "In Jees' name, Amen," and then went back to playing! That"s what I call faith-filled prayer.]

I just don't see the gift of healing boldly used any more, not publicly anyway, and have been antsy about this omission, ever since listening to the head of 7 Mountain prayer ministry covering the Central Valley of California. Marta Escarcega taught high schoolers in Steven's fellowship, Peoples' Church, in a session which I was privileged to sit in on, about believing, persistent, and faith-filled prayer that covers their city. No wonder I always feel a peace when I visit my son! The Holy Spirit is alive and well up there!

In the documentary, one man in South Africa was beaten to death, his brutalized body taken to a local hospital, where he then woke up, to the amazement of all. He was COMPLETELY healed. (There aren't even any scars on his face)! He and his fellow believers decided to forgive the murderer and would not press charges, to the outrage of the police. The murderer now devotes his life to telling others of the miraculous change in him, from murderer to gospel preacher!

At the upper echelons of the Anglican church in Baghdad, a top diplomat who negotiates between Iraq and the Pentagon, was approached by a Muslim  leader asking him to provide meat for Eid, the holiday that follows Ramadan. This despite many of the diplomat's church workers being murdered. He prayed, and the Lord provided a shipload of hundreds of tons of meat for the feast! Lesson learned? God even wants to love and bless those opponents of Christianity--and bring them to faith in Jesus through His infinite love and His infinite provision.

I John 4:17 says,

...as He is, so are we in this world.

Believer, are you willing to be so and do so?