Healing Prayers at Spirit of Life Church

The past two Sundays, we attended Spirit of Life Bible Church in Woodbury, MN (outside of St. Paul, where we have been staying the past couple weeks). Since we've been looking into gifts of the Spirit and other things that are broadly accepted in the Pentecostal denomination, we thought we'd try out a Pentecostal church while we were away from home. I must say that I had a very positive experience there both times that we attended, and I am glad that we went out on a limb to attend.

On the first Sunday, I was struck by the heart-felt worship emanating from the congregation. The style was free and spontaneous (which they managed to do using sound tracks, amazingly!), and the people freely raised their hands in praise to the LORD God. I was already in a somewhat emotional state before we came, but this pushed me over the edge. I was truly worshiping God with all my heart, and tears came down my face as we sang songs of praise. It was the first time in a long time that I felt truly compelled to lift my hands in worship to the Almighty.

After the singing, a missionary to India came to the stage to share about his ministry and the work that God was doing in India. He gave stories of miraculous healings, of witches being released from the grip of Satan, and of the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the new believers there. He recounted one story of a man who spoke two Hebrew words over and over as he came out of the water after being baptized into Christ, and the man didn't know Hebrew! The stories the missionary told seemed so natural, and yet they seemed so different than what I had been experiencing most days of my life. My husband and I had already been conditioning ourselves toward this new paradigm of expecting to see God's power demonstrated on the earth, so this was one more testimony that chipped away from our skepticism.

Josh and I noticed, ironically, that there were several people with injuries or in wheel chairs at the church. Josh prayed for a few of them, including a lady with a sprained wrist. We didn't see any immediate, miraculous healings, but we thought that this would be the perfect environment to try the idea out.

The next Sunday, we attended the same church again. This Sunday, after the time of singing, there was a time for the congregation to share praise reports and prayer requests. I presented the request for healing and wisdom with respect to Josh's dad. Soon after that, a lady stood up to share a praise that a young couple attended the church last week (and that they were here again today), and that the young man prayed for her wrist. I thought she was going to say something spectacular, like that it was completely healed by the time she got home, but that was the extent of the request. I thought that was interesting.

During the pastor's sermon, he mentioned a friend (sister-in-law?) of his that got a terminal disease after she gave her life to Christ. The disease hardens the skin and connective tissue throughout the body, from the outside in, so that whatever area of the body is affected becomes as hard and functionless as stone. I kept it in my heart that I would pray for that lady after the church service was over.

There was an alter call at the end of the service, and about half or better of the congregation made their way to the front. Josh and I didn't go at first, but we went up after the pastor instructed everyone to find someone nearby and pray with them. We made our way to the lady, but she was blocked in by bodies until after the service ended. I caught her attention and asked if I could pray for her. She said yes, and the lady standing by her asked if she could join in. We all laid our hands and started praying for the diseased woman. At first I was thrown off because I forgot that the Pentecostals usually pray all at once, and the lady next to me started praying at the same time that I started praying. Once I got past my distraction, though, I thought that we had a very powerful prayer session. At once point, the lady by me started praying in tongues. I had never heard someone speak in tongues in person before, and I thought it was pretty cool. Nevertheless, after all our powerful prayers, we saw no immediate results. This was only within the first handful of healing prayers that I had prayed in this manner, but I still hoped for the best. As Pastor Curry would say, though, you may need to pray for 20 people or so before you start seeing significant results. Anyway, I'm still expecting to see healing in this woman, whether it be instantaneous or not.

Demons, Aliens, and Islamic Roots

I have always found it interesting to read and watch testimonials about alien encounters. I remember when I was a child, I used watched "Unsolved Mysteries" while at my grandma's house, and my favorite episodes were always those investigating claims of UFO sightings or alien abductions. Back then, the consensus of the reporters would usually be rather skeptical that the UFO claims were grounded in anything other-worldly. However, it seems that over the last decade, the skepticism of mainstream media about the existence of "aliens" has diminished significantly.

Upon hearing testimonies of individuals claiming to have had some sort of contact with aliens, I can't help but notice the similarities between "alien" encounters and demonic encounters. The aliens are reported to appear peaceful, with the ability to communicate telepathically. However, abductees testify that the aliens often force them to do things or go places against their will. For example, many abductees report experiencing paralysis before an abduction, and many report pleading with the aliens to no avail to stop operating/experimenting on them because of the excruciating pain. Also, once an individual reports having alien contact, they often report many alien contacts throughout their lives. Abductees also testify of experiencing intense fear that the aliens will come back to harm them. All of these experiences of abductees mirror closely the attributes of demonic possession and manipulation.

The last observation that I will note here is about the origins of Islam. I read that Mohammad, while in the cave, encountered what appeared to be an angel of light with words from God. However, the "angel" resorted to practically strangling Mohammad when he resisted reciting the "words of God." No wonder Mohammad at first thought he was visited by an evil spirit! Anyway, I just thought I'd throw that out there.

Needless

Written by RACHEL M. RASMUSSEN

Needless
is what I am
self-sufficient in every way
Heedless
Good-deed-less
it doesn't matter anyway

Fearless
is what I am
at least that's what you'd suppose
Tearless
And dear-less
for what purpose, no one knows

Thankless
is what I am
in the face of joy and pain
Think less
Don't drink less
for everything's in vain

Hopeless
is what I am
with anger burning inside of me
Cope-less
But rope-less
like extinguishing fire with gasoline

All is meaningless
or I've mistaken this
to be the means to bliss
To think that I'd have missed
a cosmo-logic jist
important as this
leaves me in a mist

Powerless
is what I am
to satisfy myself
I need less of me
and more of you

You are all I need

Sunday Sabbath = The Mark of the Beast?

Ellen White claims that the Catholic Pope is the Beast described in Revelation, and that anyone that follows his teachings has taken his mark. I don't mean to be unjustly harsh, but this teaching seems clearly false to me. In the book of Revelation, John describes that there is an angel in mid-heaven warning people not to take the mark of the beast, and that those who take it are able to buy and sell while otherwise not being allowed. Even if the Pope throughout history has made decisions that seem contrary to Ellen White's view of God's Word, it's a long stretch to say that those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays have taken the mark of the Beast. I think about 99% of proclaimed Christians worship on Sundays (and other days of the week as well), so God's kingdom would be in pretty bad straights if Ms. White is correct.

End of the World Scenario

Here's a possible end times scenario, just for fun:

Aliens (fallen angels in disguise) abduct humans and experiment on them until they get the perfect alien-human hybrids (kind of like the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis and the Book of Enoch). The hybrids make their way into government offices over several years, with everyone else none the wiser. Once the hybrids occupy key government positions around the world, the aliens decide to reveal themselves to the world as our friends, the governments confess the alien cover-up/conspiracy, and the sci-fi indoctrinated public openly accepts the situation. Conveniently, the aliens come at a time when the world is in economic, political, and environmental crisis, and they ensure us that they can solve our problems with their other-worldly wisdom. Thus, the aliens take over the administration of planet Earth. The governments give over their power willingly, thanks to the hybrid key players. After the aliens impose their ways onto the earthlings, they convince them to hunt down the remnant who refuse the alien rule. With the armies of the world surrounding the rebel human camp, suddenly there's an attack from outer space, apparently from a hostile alien race! The armies battle against the hostile force, but are completely consumed by the fiery laser beams showering down upon them. The remnant is saved by the "hostile" alien force, and the other aliens along with the armies of the earth are defeated! The remnant is beamed up to the ship belonging to their alien allies precisely at the moment Planet Earth enters the galactic center and experiences a devastating magnetic pole reversal and catastrophic asteroid impacts. The earth is completely obliterated, but the head alien (identified as Yahweh) recreates a perfect, beautiful earth for the remnant of humans to enjoy.

THE END :-)

End Times Transfer of Wealth

There's an idea floating around that in the end times, the righteous will inherit the wealth that the wicked have been hoarding. Some Christian leaders have started preaching that the time is drawing near for this "end times transfer of wealth," since the American economy is in for a major collapse. Their message is to remain faithful to God and be responsible with your money so that you will be a beneficiary of the supernatural redistribution of wealth. Ironic that the leaders purport this message have invested their money into real estate, exchanged their money for precious metals, used their money to stockpile goods, and/or taken the pains to get themselves free from all credit (debt-based) accounts. I'd be wary of believing a message that the preacher doesn't seem to hold any stock in himself.

Will the Church Be Raptured from Tribulation?

I was raised with the idea that the believers in Christ would be delivered from the "day of wrath" described in apocalyptic passages (Daniel 12; Revelation 6-9, 15-16, 20 for starters) by being "caught up together with the Lord in the clouds," an event known as "the rapture" in Christian jargon.

"I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." (words of Jesus, Luke 17:34-35, NIV)

Sounds just like the rapture depicted in popular literature like "Left Behind," right? Well, look at the verses immediately preceding and following, and you'll get a different picture. Here's an example:

"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." (words of Jesus, Luke 17:26-27, NIV)

The ones taken are the wicked, not the righteous! The idea of the righteous being zipped away into thin air is NOT what is being conveyed here. However, notice that the destruction comes AFTER Noah entered the ark, and in verses 28-29, AFTER Lot left Sodom. So, there may be some evidence that the righteous are protected or set apart before God pours out his wrath on the earth. This, though, would mean that the righteous would still be on the earth!

Also, Paul tells us that two things must happen before we see the coming of the LORD. In 2 Thessalonians 2, he tells us that before Jesus returns to gather his church, (1) there will be a great falling away, and (2) the man of lawlessness will be revealed. The next verse goes on to say that this man of lawlessness will set himself up in the temple, which is an event that biblical scholars mark at the beginning of the Great Tribulation (which last for a period of 3 and 1/2 years). So, if Paul meant that the church would simply see the man of lawlessness in the public eye, then that leaves room for Jesus to return before the 7-year tribulation. But, if Paul was trying to say that the church would see the man of lawlessness establish himself in the temple, then that would mean Jesus would gather his church together after the 7 years had already started. So, that would leave either a mid- or post-tribulation rapture as a possibility.

As I've been doing research, I've become skeptical of whether there is actually a rapture at all. I know Paul says we will be caught up in the clouds in the twinkling of an eye, but maybe he's using some sort of apocalyptic language that implies that we will be gathered in judgment or something (since clouds often carry the meaning of judgment in the Old Testament). Currently my thought is that either there is no "rapture" at all (in the Evangelical sense of the word), or that the rapture occurs sometime right before or after the Great Tribulation. All I know is that I don't want to be one of the 10 virgins who ran out of oil in the middle of the night and ended up missing the bridegroom's return.

If anyone has any thoughts on this, feel free to comment.

Replacement Theology... or Not

So I've been reading some of the Old Testament prophets in search of enlightenment concerning end times, and after reading Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and parts of Isaiah and Jeremiah, I do not understand how anyone could think that the church "replaces" Israel as God's chosen people in these prophecies. For one thing, it seems that Israel is also strongly connected to a specific geographical location, which is intimately tied into most of these prophecies. Someone could maybe convince me that a lot or even all of the prophecies have already been fulfilled... but it would take a creative mind to come up with an explanation for some of the events described, like "they will not learn the craft of war," "the Lord himself will settle their disputes," "the Egyptians will come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles," "They will do no harm or destroy on the mountain of the Lord, because the world will be full of the knowledge of the LORD like waters cover the sea," etc. Also, when there is talk about Israel occupying the land of Philistia and Gilead to the North, what could that possibly symbolize if the prophecy is concerning the church? If someone wishes to argue that the church will be gathered to Jerusalem and the surrounding area (because the LORD will gather his people from the four corners of the earth), then that's a little more plausible... but I'd say that there would be a huge over-population problem. I guess that depends on your other theological and escatalogical beliefs. In my opinion, though, the most plausible explanation of the Old Testament prophecies is that they are referring to Israel, and not the church.

I Am Waiting

I am next on the list for special music at church, and since I had previously decided to write a song this time around, I thought I would include an exhortation to learn God's truth within the lyrics (since this topic has been on my mind a lot this week). Instead of posting my thoughts and feelings about scripture passages today, I will instead post the lyrics to the song I just finished writing for Sunday. Enjoy.

I Am Waiting
RACHEL M. RASMUSSEN (2009)

I tremble and hide
In the darkness of my heart,
In the midst of all the things I’ve stored inside.
I don’t realize
I am trapped within myself,
But I got here through selfishness and pride.

There was a time
When my heart wasn’t so crowded.
I made room for a heav’nly friend of mine.
But over time
I forgot about his presence
And reclaimed his space with selfish loves of mine.

Yet I’m still waiting
For the gifts of joy and peace,
And I’m praying
For my life to be complete.
But I’ve failed to recall
That he’s the Lord over all,
So I’m still searching.
I am waiting
But no one hears my cry.

(Break)

I sit in tears
Then I hear a still, small voice
Reminding me of what I’d known for years.
If I want to be free
I can not trust in my own strength.
I must trust the one who first befriended me.

So I lift my eyes
And reach out from the darkness,
Then Jesus takes my hand, to my surprise.
He says, “Let me teach you my ways
So that each and every day
I can empty your heart and dwell with you again.”

“'Cause I’ve been waiting
For you to seek my face.
I’ve been waiting
While others take my place,
But I gently call
For you to give your all.
I am knocking,
I am waiting...”

“I am waiting
For you to seek my face.
I am waiting
For you to take my gift of grace.
Now I gently call
To you, one and all.
Will you answer?
I am waiting…

Will you answer?
I am waiting…

Will you answer?
I am waiting…”

New Blog Post Format

Hello world,

I started this blog with the intention of recording my thoughts about daily scripture readings. If you look at the posts before this date, you will notice that they are in a daily devotional type format. Well, this is too type-A for my personality (relative to this sort of thing), so I'm going to just post ideas that have been on my mind. I hope that this will still be a fruitful endeavor, and I pray that God will teach me truths as I seek him everyday.

~Rachel :-)