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| We have had many visitors this month, which has been wonderful. First our teams from Canada arrived: Paul Craig and his team to build our house, and Marie and Lauren MacNeill to support us and minister along with us. While they were here, we received Denny and Dave from Oregon, who taught at the Bible school, and encouraged us tremendously. While they were here, Heidi and Rolland Baker (the founders of IRIS Ministries) flew in to encourage and bless the people here. So we have been very blessed! |
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Dave taught us from Zechariah about God’s longing to dwell within each one of us, and among us as a community. As we prayed, the Holy Spirit visibly touched many of the pastors. It was just like in Acts, where many spoke in tongues, and some received healing. We all sensed God’s incredible love for us. Just as God was jealous for Jerusalem, measuring it up in the book of Zechariah, looking for preparation, God is jealous for us. He does not want to visit. He longs to stay, to rest with us. God is looking for hungry, giving, pure, undivided hearts |
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In Zechariah 3, he receives a picture of Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord with Satan standing at his right hand accusing. The Lord silenced Satan, reminding him that Joshua is a ‘brand snatched from the fire’, chosen, and protected. Joshua was given fine garments in exchange for his filthy clothes and given this charge: ‘If you conform to my ways and carry out your duties towards me, you are to administer my house and be in control of my courts, and I shall grant you the right to come and go amongst these in attendance here.’ |
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Each one of us who has chosen Jesus is a brand snatched from the fire; we are priests to our Lord. Satan’s accusations are meaningless because Jesus clothes us in his righteousness. In a single day God wiped away the guilt of our land. (Zech.3:9) We are called on to participate in the Kingdom.
This has very practical implications, as we discovered in the question time. One of the pastors is a carpenter, and asked how he could continue in that business when it involves so much lying and cheating. In Malawi is normal for tradesmen (carpenters, builders, brick layers) to lie about when the project will be completed in order to secure the job. Once the job is secure they often ask for more money and always more time. We are calling our pastors to integrity which will cost them. Another pastor asked about why he feels deep sorrow every time he comes to God. So many in Malawi have been abandoned or abused by their earthly fathers. There is deep sorrow, which requires a deep touch of God’s grace. It was so good to pray for this, and to watch them receive joy. Rolland spoke with joy. He asked: ‘What is the greatest sin facing Africa?’ His answer applies to the whole world – the sin is ‘unbelief’. Unbelief hardens our hearts towards God, and it is beaten by faith. Our faith is in God who is both severe and kind (Rom.11:22). Every other faith is fear based. Our God calls us into relationship through Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice. God requires a perfect sacrifice, because he is perfect. In that sense he is to be feared. However, once we fear God, we need fear nothing else. Those are fantastic words for this culture, where fear is a major motivator. It drives people to leave houses half finished if someone dies in the construction. Fear drives people to witch doctors. Fear drives people to alcohol. Fear stops people from walking at night. All that comes to an end when we trust God. We began to pray for joy and for a childlike trust in God. Many received incredible joy as we worshipped and prayed. Some laughed, some danced, some sang, some fell to the ground….God met each one of us. He was preparing us for ministry. |
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| In the evenings, we showed the Jesus movie and many were healed by God. One of our pastors who was blind in one eye, received complete healing in stages. His eye was very itchy and heavy, and those were the first symptoms to go. In the evening his sight was restored, and today he has 100% vision in that eye! A boil disappeared. Many sore backs were healed. At one point, Denny called forward all the grandmas to receive prayer. They flooded forward. These are the hardest hit, the ones who end up caring for their children’s children after burying their own. Their bodies are worn and their hearts broken. The tears flowed freely as I watched women I know come and receive the love of Jesus. It was good to honour these women for their hard work. |
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One young man came to me for prayer because he had a persistent cough. I asked if he believed in Jesus, and he wanted to receive Jesus. I told him about Jesus’ love for him, and several of us prayed for him, and for his healing. As we prayed, he fell to the ground. I do not understand this mystery, but I know that he experienced the power of God, and was healed. The healing continues, though we have said good bye to many of our visitors. Marie and I went to visit a man whose daughter I looked after when she had caught her foot in the bicycle spokes. He has been very sick, and I wanted to see how he was doing. He was not doing well, unable to eat, and wasting away. We prayed together, and sensed that God was doing a new thing in him. Today he has been able to eat without pain for the first time in months. Yesterday, some brothers brought their sister to my gate. She is paralyzed on her left side, and had not spoken for some weeks. She also had a horrible cut on her left leg. We prayed, and I sent them to the doctor in town. He treated her, and today she has spoken for the first time in weeks. Even more significantly, her brothers came back to tell me what had happened. I asked if they believed in Jesus. ‘Mulungu alipo’ is what they said, which means ‘God is there.’ I asked if they knew Jesus, and they said ‘no’. I asked if they would like to, and they did. We prayed, and I encouraged them to continue praying for their sister. I believe they will. I wanted to leap as I rounded the corner….I understand the angel’s rejoicing in heaven! |
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