When Tragedy Strikes

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Today marks the second time this week that two of my children have truly felt the sting of death in their hearts. One was a much-loved teacher and the other a beloved father of a much-loved teammate. My children are now at the age where the injustice of precious life being so swiftly and unexpectedly snuffed out is felt in the core of one's being. How can this happen? their young minds ask. Why did this happen? How can a person be so alive one day, living life to the full, and the next day be gone to the next world without giving us the opportunity to say good-bye?

These are tough questions that have plagued all of us. All of us probably remember the first time the death of a friend or family member struck us to the core. The shock rocks our world and makes all of us realize we are standing on very shaky ground by living on this earth. Evil, sickness, disease, tragedy and death swirl around us and we never know if or when we will become the next victim. Fear descends on us and puts us in bondage. We look to blame someone, anyone, but many times there is no person to blame. Some will blame the enemy and his demonic forces, others will blame God, questioning His goodness and mercy. Some will even go so far as to say that God brought death as a form of divine plan. All of this leaves many of us terribly confused.

The first thing I told my children is what I would tell anyone who is trying to make sense of a tragedy: God did not do this. We are in the age of the church where John 3:16 is the Lord's mandate -- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God is out to save people not to kill them. In Ephesians 6:10-12, the Apostle Paul tells us to not be ignorant of the demonic forces at work in this world.  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in highplaces. Many of the evil and tragic events that have occurred throughout history can be directly attributed to Satan and his demonic principalities. Right now, I'm thinking of the Holocaust and 9-11. We know demonic powers are real because the Bible talks about them in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

"Okay, if that's true, then why didn't God intervene and stop the devil?" many people ask. "God is God - He's more powerful than Satan! He must not be very loving if He could stop a terrible thing from happening but doesn't!" These questions are the toughest to answer because the answer isn't obvious. I don't even attempt to answer this line of questioning, because I don't have the answer and am sure I never will -- not unless the Lord reveals it to me. And yet, I do have a response...

We do not know why God intervenes in some cases and not others. Certainly all of us have heard testimonies of healings, deliverances, escapes, rescues, inward unctions not to go into work on 9-11, and all sorts of supernatural stories where God is attributed as having intervened to save body and soul. And then there are the horrible, freakish tragedies that make no sense at all, leaving us wondering if there really is a God. BUT as believers in Jesus Christ, we are not called to understand, we are called to have faith and believe. This position goes against our flesh and mind, but it is in line with our reborn spirits. We have to renew our minds and believe what God's Word says, not what we experience in this world. We believe that, in spite of circumstances, God is still good, He loves us, and He is for us and not against us. We believe He is blessing us and will continue to bless us. We believe He has a wonderful plan for our lives -- all because of what His son, Jesus, did on the cross 2000 years ago. We believe His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives and in the lives of others throughout the body of Christ. We believe in our savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

Where there is the darkness of death, there is the light of life in Christ Jesus. A day is coming soon and very soon, where death will be swallowed up in victory and the sting of its terrible separation will no longer be felt. We will have new, glorified bodies, and there will be a new heaven and new earth -- we who are in Him will experience an earthly peace, as well as the shalom peace in our hearts that He brings at the new birth. That will be a glorious day indeed!

But until then, keep believing! Don't try to figure everything out! Adhere to God's Word, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and believe in God's love for you. God is still good, He is still love, and Jesus still rules and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords! Claim the promises of God in the Scriptures and stand firm in your authority In Him. Keep fighting the good fight of faith and don't shrink back in doubt and unbelief. None of us knows the future, other than what the Bible tells us in the Book of Revelation -- Satan is defeated and will one day be cast into the lake of fire. Jesus is victorious, and we who are alive In Him, will live with Him forever. That is a very good future, my friend!

Keep Speaking to the Storms in Life!

 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.Mark 4:39 (KJV)

Recently, we had a night of monster thunder storms sweep through our area, blowing winds at over 60 mph with tornadoes interspersed as well. I was home alone when it hit and my husband was in the car with our youngest child, heading back to the house. Fortunately, the Lord had me listen to Brother Kenneth Copeland's teaching on speaking to the storms for over a week, so I was prepared and geared up to rebuke it and command peace in Jesus' name! I even had a dream several nights earlier where wild horses that looked like clouds were up in the sky, bucking and frolicking and stirring up the winds, creating all kinds of mischief. I remember looking up at them and telling them to have peace and be calm in the name of Jesus. 

As the community sirens blared, I went outside into my cul de sac and started praying, speaking to the winds and tornadoes and telling them to stay away from my property and my neighborhood. I told them to get back up into the skies where they belong and go their way! I don't know if my neighbors were watching, but who cares? Most people who know me say I'm a bit of a fanatic, but they sure benefit from the fanatic when disaster is staring them down! 

As I prayed and rebuked (I even prayed in tongues), I sensed this was a big, mean storm with destruction on its mind. I looked up at the skies and saw it coming my way-it was big and black and ugly and there was a tinge of red mixed in. I've never in my life seen red in a storm, but there it was. I stared it down like David staring down Goliath, pointing my finger and rebuking it like a mama bear protecting its young. The wind started howling, rain started coming, so I went back inside.

Long story short, there were many trees in our area that lost their lives that day and power lines that tumbled down too, but not around us! We came out unscathed-one old tree limb in the back yard and a few leaves in the front, but that was it! Our power was restored in an hour and life continued on. Later, we discovered that several neighborhoods very close to us were hit hard with many uprooted trees falling onto houses. 

As I was praying in the spirit in my living room, the Lord expressed His joy in seeing one of His sons of glory praying with authority in the name of Jesus. He loves everyone of those precious people who suffered damage, but until they come to understand the authority He has given the church in the name of Jesus AND until they learn to use that authority, they will be subject to the disasters of this world, just like nonbelievers. Sure, the Lord performs miracles and protects His people, but His best way is to follow the example of Jesus in Mark 11:23. 

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

God's Angels Are Watching Over You! - My Testimony

Psalm 91:10–11
¹⁰No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; ¹¹for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Joseph Prince's daily devotion for today is on Psalm 91 and how the Lord protects His children by commanding His angels to take charge over us and rescue us from calamities. Many of us have heard stories on TV about angels helping people during natural disasters, car wrecks, and the like, but many of us aren't given an opportunity to share our own stories with others. Well, I do have my own story, which is dramatic and spectacular, even though I did not see a physical angel or hear an angelic voice.

When my son was in second grade, he slammed his bicycle (going downhill at full speed) into a moving vehicle, flipped off the front of the bike, and bashed his head on the curb. I was not there when it happened, but there was one eye witness and several neighbors immediately on the scene, and they all thought he was dead. When I received the phone call and heard the sirens outside, I heard a voice in my head say, "I did not do this." I knew it was the Lord, because instantly this Scripture came to my memory: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Ephesians 6:11-12. I knew this was the work of the enemy and that I had to trust the Lord. 

As I raced to the scene, I was completely calm and had no fear. I thought of Abraham after he took his only beloved son up to Mount Moriah, preparing to sacrifice him to the Lord. According to the Book of Hebrews, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son],Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. Hebrews 11:17-19. Like Abraham, I chose to believe that whatever I found - even if it was brains on the pavement  - that God could scoop those brains up, shove them inside my son's head, and make things right!

Long story short - the ambulance took us to the hospital with my son screaming (that sound was music to my ears!) and me praying to Jesus. An MRI revealed no concussion, but that he would have a nasty bruise on the left side of his face. We took him home, and after 24 hours, there was absolutely no bruise or swelling, and after 36 hours, he was on his feet (a bit wobbly), but ready to play. The accident happened on a Thursday. He could've gone to school on Monday, but I kept him home, because I wanted to stare at him all day - I had almost lost him, but the Lord had intervened!

There was no mark on his body or evidence of the accident, other than a tiny round abrasion on his right ear, smaller than a dime, and only one small spot of blood on his jacket. His clothes were not torn and his bike was still rideable. The next day, several neighbors called to tell me they had seen him out and about on his bike, riding without a helmet. Fortunately, I had obeyed the prompting of the Lord and had asked my son the day before the accident why his helmet was on the garage floor. "The strap is broken," was the response. 

And so I stayed up late Wednesday night threading the strap through the helmet and securing it to its place on his bike handle. He was wearing the helmet when the accident occurred. When I retrieved it later that afternoon, I saw a dent on the top that was large enough for two fingers to rest! We certainly would've had a different outcome had I not listen to the Lord's promptings!

The next morning, as he sat in the recliner resting, we watched a pastor on TV who taught on Psalm 91 and the protection of angels. This pastor told how he was divinely protected from a horrific car accident that should have taken his life, but he walked away without a scratch. My son and I looked at each other, and even as a youth of seven, he knew what I had come to realize: God's angels had protected him. The repaired helmet aside, he walked away a bit wobbly and tired, with only a small mark on his ear and one little spot of blood on his clothes. Everyone thought he was dead or brain damaged, but God had intervened and protected him. And what's even more wonderful is that Lord spoke to me during this time, bringing Scripture to memory, comforting me and ministering to me with their truths, giving me the faith to believe boldly and radically, and giving me the Shalom peace that all would be well.

I never shed a tear over the incident, because I knew Satan and the forces of darkness were watching me, seeing if they could get me in fear. Instead, I laughed. The enemy tried to inflict damage on us, but our faith in the Lord worked as a shield, protecting us from his deadly schemes. 

I don't know why some Christians have lost their children in similar situations and mine was delivered. All I can say is, continue to believe in God and His Word, despite the circumstances. Even if there are brains on the pavement, limbs dismembered, and even the pall of death that goes beyond the abilities of medical science, get radical about your faith in the Lord's protection and claim His promises. 

I didn't see those angels that day, but I know in my heart an angel was there and delivered my son. Perhaps he grabbed him by that place on the ear and cushioned his fall - I don't know, and I don't care. All I have to do is believe in God, have faith in His promises, declare them, and He does the work!