If God gives an "inch"…I'll take a MILE!

Golden was trained to be a teacher of biology. He was not raised as a Christian, but actually was a practicing Muslim. However, he was became sick. He didn't know what to do. One night he had a dream. In the dream he was told distinctly, “If you want to be healed, become a Christian.” He woke up from the dream and he said, “Ok, I’m sick, but I believe God is telling me that I need to be come a Christian and I will be healed.” So 27 years ago he became an Adventist Christian. He accepted the teaching and the beliefs of the Bible. And since he didn't know better (I say this tongue in cheek, as it seems that many modern day Christians don't believe that God can still do great things today) he began to apply what is in the Bible and pray for miracles. The gospel not only healed him, but changed his life, and as a result, he began to enthusiastically preach the gospel. 

As he grew spiritually, he decided he wanted to serve God full time. So he changed from being a biology teacher to farming so he could preach more. This brother is used by God. He is like modern people from Acts. 

A little while back he was in Malawi as a lay person. He brought at least 8,000 people to Christ, 50% of these come from Muslim background. A few months ago, Golden went to a village. There were only 80 SDA Christians in this village. So he went there and preached the gospel for 5 weeks. As a result, almost 3,000 were baptized. From 80 to 3,000 in less than 2 months ago. Some people may say, "Well that's Africa! These people are poor. They need Jesus! They are eager to learn!" But no! These are difficult areas where they haven't seen growth in years. Furthermore, he doesn’t rush people to go to baptism pool. He only chooses to baptize those that are really ready. One day when they were going to have a baptismal ceremony about 500 wanted to be baptized. But he only accepted 120 because he wants to study with the others more and make sure they are grounded spiritually. It's about quality of conversion, not just quantity. 

There are many other miracle stories I could share from this man's life. But if you ask him the secret to his success? It's fasting and prayer! Sometimes he prays for 7 hours a day! 

I don't have Golden's testimony yet…although I'm praying that my life could also demonstrate God's power, but let me share an answered prayer from this past weekend!

"He that began a good work in you will carry it forth unto completion!" Phil 1:6

To give some background, three weeks ago, I spoke in a small but beautiful congregation here in the area where I live. During this day, God blessed as many hearts were broken and many came forward asking for special prayer. One prayer request was for a husband that was estranged. The wife came forward pleading that God would restore her marriage. Her daughter (probably 12 years old) also came forward, asking for prayer that she could be reunited with her daddy. We all cried and prayed together.

Well, something God has been convicting me of for a long time is that when I go and speak, I must not just see people inspired, but I must see people changed. Also, that people will see ANSWERS to the prayers that we pray and know that there is POWER in prayer. It's not just a theory, it's a reality!!! Of course, neither of these goals can be accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit. So every time I speak there is a lot of prayer (and often fasting) involved as I prepare. This weekend back in March was no different. Even after the seminar, I felt especially burdened for a number of the requests that were presented, and one being, that God would restore this relationship. In fact, my brother and some of my family have even joined me in praying for these requests over the last few weeks. I've been confident God will work, and I've just been waiting to hear what He would do.

As a result of how God blessed during this seminar in March,  I was invited to speak at another congregation in the month of April. Well, yesterday was the day, and so my brother and I again traveled some hours so I could speak and share.

To my surprise, who should greet me when I pulled up at the church yesterday, but this smiling middle-age man. He began telling me how much my prayer seminar had impacted his wife, how they'd been having marriage problems, but how God had been working in her life since the prayer seminar. And now he wanted to experience what she had experienced. He didn't even have to tell me his name. I looked at him incredulously! "You must be Bradley*?!!" He looked a bit startled. "How did you know?" he asked. "Because I've been praying for you BY NAME ever since that prayer seminar when I prayed for your wife last month! I'm sooooo excited to hear that God is working." He smiled and continued to tell me how God had been restoring the relationship with his daughters and how he had hope for what God was doing in their lives and in his marriage.

Wow! Truly God is working…And once again, I'm reminded, God does answer prayers!

Well - as you can guess, God once again blessed my time with this new congregation. In the afternoon, when I opened up the time for personal prayer burdens, we took turns surrounding each other in prayer, and Bradley* was one that we prayed for as we all wept (in sorrow for the struggles, and also in joy for what God was doing). I told those that surrounded him, "We may not have finished the story yet, God is still at work here, but just the fact that we are here and that God has given us this inch means that we need to claim the full MILE!!!!!! I believe that "He which started the work in us will be faithful to complete it!"

God answered many more prayer request yesterday during my prayer seminar, but I just had to share this one for now. The prayers are not over, we will continue to pray until we see complete victory and restoration. But I praise God, because of the signs that HE IS WORKING and it's obvious that He is ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS and doing something very special! 

“I asked the angel why there was no more faith and power in Israel. He said, “Ye let go of the arm of the Lord too soon. Press your petitions to the throne, and hold on by strong faith. The promises are sure. Believe ye receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have them.” I was then pointed to Elijah. He was subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly. His faith endured the trial. Seven times he prayed before the Lord, and at last the cloud was seen. I saw that we had doubted the sure promises, and wounded the Saviour by our lack of faith.” Early Writings, p. 73

We are told that Elijah did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him, but was willing to venture all on the slightest token of divine favor. And yet what he was enabled to do under God, all may do in their sphere of activity in God’s service.

*Bradley is a pseudonym to protect privacy of individual!