I’ve Witnessed God Change The Heart Of A Lady…
This lady used to complain a lot, about once every 3-5 minutes. I asked her if I could pray for her.
She said, “No. I like me. I like who I am. I don’t want to change.”
So, every time she complained, under my breath, I said, “I bind you Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ. She is a child of God. You have no right to touch her or speak through her. She speaks life, not death.”
Over the next month or two, I got to see God change her heart, and she began to complain less and less, until finally one day, she would stop mid-sentence, and re-phrase what she said, so it wasn’t a complaint.
I grinned nearly ear-to-ear, and she started asking me what I thought was so funny.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).
I’ve Witnessed God Bringing Change To A Marriage…
A married couple was just a signature away from a divorce.
They had had it with each other, and God moved upon them to reconsider their love for one another.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3 NKJV
The couple decided not to get a divorce, and they are now happily married.
God can bring people back from the depths of hurt and pain, even in our closest relationships.
We continue pursuing the other person’s heart in spite of what they’ve done against us, because love is selfless.
I’ve Witnessed God Provide Finances…
He’s provided finances to a couple that almost lost their business.
A husband and wife owned a bookstore, and they knew they didn’t have the money to pay for the rent.
The wife prayed to God and simply told the Lord the amount of money that was due, and how much they had. She asked God what to do.
Later that same day, a man who they never met before, came into their book store and handed her an envelope and said, “God told me to give this to you.” Then, he left.
When she opened it, there were several hundred dollars in it, and they had enough money to continue their bookstore.
I’ve Witnessed God Giving Me Directions To Help Someone…
God asked me to go to a location when I had plans to go somewhere else to pray for people.
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 NKJV
He said, “I really want you to go to _______ instead.”
I said, “Okay,” and went.
After a while, I found a lady named Judy. She was in her 60’s or so. We got to talking, and she started telling me about her legs, and that they had a lot of diseases.
The short story is, I ended up praying for her, and I could feel her toes straighten through her shoe. Then, as I looked up at her, she had tears in her eyes and said, “I have been praying to God for Him to send me someone” (for her healing).
I Used To Hate Christians. Now, I Am One…
I used to see Christians as some of the biggest hypocrites, especially when they’d say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” While I understand people make mistakes, some didn’t plan on changing.
After I gave my life to the Lord, I still wasn’t very knowledgeable about His Word, or what He is like. My perception of Him was more like a tyrant than a loving Father.
“You mean to tell me that I can have a relationship with a God that knows what I’m going to say before I say it? That’s crazy! Why would He want a relationship with me if He knows everything I’m going to say to Him?”
Kevin Rape
I knew He would talk to important people (e.g., Moses, Noah, King David), but I didn’t understand that He actually wanted to have a relationship with me.
I believed He would order me around, but having a relationship with Him was a foreign concept to me.
As I’ve found out, relationship with Him is possible, and He desires it.
I Used To Be A Witch…
I wasn’t always a Christian.
In fact, I grew up experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but I didn’t know about them, and I thought they were magic.
“The kingdom of darkness is real, but so is God and His Kingdom of Light.”
Kevin Rape
God is infinitely stronger than the powers of darkness.
I practiced magic for nearly 14 years.
I went through many religions trying to find the truth.
I share my testimony about what it was like having many diseases, the medicines I was on, and go into detail about how God changed my life.
Here’s the link to my testimony.
What Being A Disciple Is Like…
Jesus says, you must deny yourself…
As a disciple, you learn to let go of the world’s pull on your soul. You start to deny your selfish ways and start to serve others, rather than to rule over them for selfish gain.
Jesus says, you must pick up your cross…
You start bearing the burden of the gospel, which invites ridicule from the world, and sometimes other so-called Christians. As you live your life unto God, with purity, holiness, and integrity, your ways will stand out.
People will wonder why you don’t indulge in the things of this world, and they will make fun of you for avoiding what they do.
Jesus says, to follow Him…
You start following the directions Jesus gives you, rather than going your own way. If you decide not to obey, you’ll feel like joy is draining from you, you’re in a constant struggle, and you won’t feel fulfilled in life.
When you follow the Leader (Jesus), you have peace, but there are still times when you walk through tests, trials, and persecution that don’t feel so well.
Jesus says, you won’t follow the stranger’s voice…
Just because you’re following Jesus doesn’t mean the devil won’t talk to you. Jesus said that His sheep won’t follow the stranger’s voice. He didn’t say His sheep won’t hear the enemy’s voice.
Jesus says, Holy Spirit is your Teacher…
You enter into what’s called “H.S.U.,” which stands for “Holy Spirit University.” It’s when Holy Spirit teaches you things as you go through life. He talks to us in a variety of ways, and He teaches us how to listen and Obey God over mankind.
Your perception changes and you discover a new way of thinking. As a disciple, we have the mind of Christ. He helps shape our understanding, giving us wisdom from God and making the truth known to us, which changes how we see things.
This Is What Happens When You Pursue God’s Heart…
As I began pursuing God’s heart, I started off doing things out of the performance mode, which is really trying to earn His love.
I told Him that I didn’t deserve His love. He instructed me that no one does because it’s always a gift. You don’t earn what’s freely given, but you can choose to receive it and be a good steward of it.
“As you pursue God’s heart, you’ll notice that your heart will soften.”
Kevin Rape
You’ll start crying over things that break God’s heart. Yes, even if you’re a manly man that’s been taught that crying is for sissies.
You’ll discover that the motive of your heart is different. The reason why you do things will change. You’ll notice it will be less about performance to be liked and loved, and more because God likes and loves you.
You’ll start desiring to spend time with God in what’s called “The Secret Place.” The “Secret Place” is anywhere you’re not around other people. You’ll seek and pursue God when no one else is watching. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
What It’s Like Discipling Others…
Here we baptized and trained others to baptize people (top). A lady that went out with us to pray for the community got to see Jesus heal Meghan’s knee through her prayers of faith (bottom-left, before prayer). That’s her leg brace she’s holding in her left hand (bottom-center, after prayer). We train people to pray for the body of Christ (bottom-right).
After we train them, we release them to do the works of the ministry. They no longer need us, because they’re leaning on Jesus.
It’s essential to help disciples get established in a local church body so they have a support structure that continues the discipling process.
Once they can pray, hear and obey the Lord’s voice, then they can continue on their journey without holding on to us all of the time.
It doesn’t mean they can’t ask for guidance and questions or that we lose fellowship with them, but that they are now cultivating their relationship with the Lord and He may direct them elsewhere.
Consider the apostle Paul discipling the gentile churches, and then leaving them in the hands of the Lord as he moved on to another place.
It’s kind of like that.
Some Adventures Of Following Jesus Christ…
From F Off To Prayer, Thanks, And A Hug…
I went out to evangelize with friends and asked the Lord for a word for this woman. After talking with her about art, I asked if she believed in miracles, and she told me, “My miracles are more like ‘magic.’”
Before leaving, I asked if there was any way I could bless her. That’s when she cussed me out, turned, and walked away, but I wasn’t offended, and I knew I still had the word God gave me to tell her.
So, I told God, “God, help me love her like You do,” and I walked up to her again and said, “Hey, I’m not trying to convert you or put you into the box of religion. You said you were having financial troubles, and I’m trying to love you the best way I know how.”
Then, I gave her the word from the Lord.
As I told her His message, her eyes softened, body language changed, and her tone of voice became normal. Not only did she let me pray for her, she thanked me, hugged me, and I got to talk with her about love.
I can’t make that happen in my own strength.
I Was Walking In The Park And Saw This Lady Struggling…
A woman was sitting on the ground with her legs out, and she was bending forward with her arms reaching for her feet. She couldn’t get passed her mid-shin area with her hands.
I approached her and told her I noticed she was struggling. After talking for a moment, I found out she had a hurt back, and she was trying to get in shape again. I offered to pray, and she let me.
She got better each of the three times I prayed. In the end, she could wrap her hands around the bottom of her feet, and her back pain was healed.
She said, “Wow! That’s weird.”
I said, “That’s not ‘weird.’ That’s Jesus.”
I found out that she is Christian, and I explained how to pray for healing.
What Happens When God Speaks Through You, And You’re Unaware…
I was talking with a coworker about a testimony of my friend and me evangelizing. I told her that my friend gave this woman a word from the Lord about feeling pressured to conform to the box that people put her in and to not be afraid to be who she really is instead. As I continued with the testimony, my coworker’s eyes filled with tears.
She said, “I felt like you were speaking that directly to me.”
Come to find out, she was living in her own box made from the pressures to conform to others’ expectations instead of being who God made her to be.
You Can Go On An Adventure With God Too!
I’m not special in the sense that I’m the only one God wants to partner with .
He wants to co-labor with you, to help you get out of your comfort zone and step out in faith to advance the Kingdom of God.
It’s not “co-laboring” if Jesus does all of the work… that would just be Him laboring.
I was a super-introvert when I started stepping out in faith, and talking with people about Jesus made me feel like I was dying.
Thankfully by day 7 of evangelizing by myself, God turned that around and I was ready to pray for anyone.
It’s even better to go out in groups.
Please Remember…
All of the testimonies and adventures posted are to glorify God, not me or any part of mankind. We can’t do anything apart from Him. All praise be to God alone.
Don’t get the idea that I’m perfect, because I’m certainly not; however, the adventures don’t stop there…