My last post promised more darkness posts, I had come across a book that gave me the idea of quoting selected passages from it and then reflecting on them. Too easy and probably a little disingenuous on my part. So I won't go down that blogging path, yet...
Meanwhile life goes on. The past week I have had early starts, putting in time at the bookshop, then off to the Australian National University until 10.30pm or so each night selling books at the National Charismatic Conference.
The conference this year was used to run a signs and wonders seminar featuring a guy from England, Damian Staynes who is a full on Roman Catholic, but convicted of the power of Jesus to heal people today. His message was an orthodox mix of Catholic teaching with Scripture,Church Fathers, the Catechism and Papal statements all getting full credence but also proclaiming the power of God in providing people with prophetic words and healings. He was no smoke and mirrors operator full of smooth talk; instead demanding people turn to God and turn off the television, that they spend more time in prayer and less time just wasting time. He draws on some of the teaching of
John Wimber and
Smith Wigglesworth.
On the Thursday evening there was an open night, for healing ministry. Over 800 people turned up (including the 300 conferencees') Damian, suffering jet lag did not preach a very inspired message but when he started praying for people to be healed, healings there were! Peoples shoulders, ears, knees, spines et al! Praise be to Jesus Christ! Damian demanded people not claim that they were healed unless they actually were. He was almost rude in challenging some people who thought they were healed. The most amazing thing for me was the healing of a teenage girl who had been suffering muscular dystrophy running and jumping around the hall after being healed. All up there were at least 90 healings, and Damian said some people would find that their healing would happen over the next few days, so probably all up 100 or so people have a new perspective on their health.
I came away from the week with a deeper desire to pray more. I find that I am a "great one" to pray when things are difficult but then I start coasting again, and just give lip service rather than a deep committment in my heart and mind. So I am going to start trying to maintain a regular deeper prayer life.
I was given some personal words of knowledge,and also had the most amazing experience when I asked for prayer about what to do with a sum of money. I have been trying to decide what to do with $40,000 and so I asked a woman to pray with me that I would know the Lords will. So we started praying, and all I could sense or intuit was that God was telling me to give a customer back $10.00. Originally this customer had said she was going to buy 4 CD's by a particular artist so I offered them to her at $20.00 each, however she only ended up buying one of those, and selected a brand new CD which I charged her $29.95 for, $49.95 in total. She had expressed some unhappiness about that. I decided to give her the $10.00, and then felt very peaceful through the rest of the prayer time. I did not get any amazing answer as to what I should do, but decided to keep seeking the Lords will about the $40,000.
I took the money to the customer, and apologised for causing her any distress. I went back to the book table, and ten minutes or so later the customer came back wanting to give me the $10.00 back. I said 'no, I believe God wants you to have it.' She said she would put it in the offering box. I said I was OK for that, and that as far as I was concerned all I knew was that God had told me to give her the money. She said 'are you sure?', and I said yes, and explained how I had sought prayer about $40,000 and all I could sense during the prayer time was to give her $10.00. Her face changed and I thought I had upset her more.
But she explained that the previous evening a friend had visited her at the conference and she had not paid for her friends meal. The cost of the meal $10.00! So the meal got paid for, and you gentle reader have had something to read from me!
Anyway enough of my spiritual adventures. Life is not just prayer and wonders. I am off to the pub with Master 22 and his mates for a beer tonight. I think Jesus would have had a beer or two, too after a week of healing and prayer!
May is one of the best months of the year in Canberra, warm days, not too hot, not too cold. Today was "stay at home, Sunday", an unexpected chance to get back into the garden and weed, weed, weed, prune, tidy up the detritus and dead vegetation. The clock is ticking down to my departure from #72, a dream that was short-lived due to the complexity of lifes circumstances. Memories will always remain happy and positive until December 2005, when life began to change due to my ignorance of what was unfolding... Regrets, sure I have a few, but the reality of the good times far outweigh the nightmare of what I lived through in December and early January.
Here's to Amy, the hero of Walk with a Rose an upcoming a charity event that will take place in June and July 2006. Over eight weeks, Amy Banson will attempt to walk 1463 kilometres (910 miles)from Brisbane to Canberra.
