Displaying items by tag: miracles

Monday, 24 January 2011 02:42

Incredible Miracles in Ecuador - Report 1

Pat McGuffin just sent this email from Guayaquil. He and Rick Schuessler just arrived there Friday night. Incredible report of God's love and power!

Hi all,

This is a very brief report of what is happening in Ecuador so far on this trip. I have to change (sweat through my clothes at the last service) and leave in an hour, so this will be short. Rick Schuessler and I made up the team this time.

We arrived in Guayaquil Ecuador Friday night and were met by a great group of our Heart of Titus Ministries Ecuador team. After the greetings, we went to stay at the new Christian embassy in Pastor Francisco Loor's neighborhood. Nice accommodations.

Saturday we preached at a service that I thought was just going to be the Medicine in Christ ministry group of about 6-36 people. Instead about 200 showed up. As I was walking into Centro Evangelistico Church, I was met by a wonderful smiling lady who proceeded to excitedly talk to me, as if I knew the language. I smiled and was nice to her, then went to my seat. Miguel said, "wow that was a great testimony she had." I asked him what she was saying to me and he said she was telling me that last time I prayed for her she had advanced liver cancer, but after the prayer, God totally healed her last year! Praise the Lord. That's how my first meeting started.

Rick has loved everything about this trip so far -- the people, the movement of God, and the incredible Heart of Titus team members. Latter in that same service a 5 year old girl was healed of blindness and testified in front of the whole church with Dr. Freddy Beltran interviewing her and the mom. Twelve people got saved too! About 70-80 came to the altar and we had a great time of ministry with healings, repentance and salvation.

At 6:30 we went to our Heart of Titus (HOT) administrative team leader for Ecuador, Fernando Ubilla's daughter Sophia's wedding to Diego. Great event. All you ladies would have really liked all the details -- so Rick and I shot some good videos and still shots. The reception ended about 1am!

I preached at noon today (my 55th birthday) at Pastor Robilino's church in a poor area of the city. God's presence was so great! The worship Rick felt was over the top in connection with God, and I would agree. God's Spirit moved me even to totally change my message in the middle of the worship time. We had a great time ministering with several healings, deliverances, repentance and movement of God's Spirit.

Got to go now ....
More later...

Pat McGuffin and Rick Schuessler

How Jesus Proclaimed the Gospel

Proclaiming the Gospel: It’s not necessarily about trying to convince people who don’t want to be convinced that Jesus will make their lives better. When Jesus started preaching, here is what He said:

"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1:15

Notice how Jesus didn’t start off by saying anything about what a wonderful God He is. He didn’t beg and plead with people to come follow Him. Instead, it was as if He was saying, “A change is coming, a big one. A different King is coming and is about to take over, so get with it, believe it, and act accordingly. ”

Jesus never really came out and said He was God but He never apologized for being God either. He let everyone worship Him, whether on Palm Sunday or when Peter fell down in front of Him and said, “Get away from me Lord, I’m a sinful man.” The point is that Jesus didn’t proclaim the gospel from a point of weakness. He was bold and straightforward.

Just in case the people didn’t quite get who He was, He made a point of doing things that no one else could do. Look at what was reported to have happened when Jesus first started giving this message:

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. MT 4:23-25 (NIV)

Jesus didn’t come out with a whimper, but with a BANG! He made a point of healing not just one or two people, but EVERYONE! Can you imagine if someone walked into Florida Hospital and healed everyone and sent them home? It’s not hard to imagine why Jesus drew a large crowd very quickly.

Jesus healed people because He loves people. But He also healed people to make a point. He didn’t want anyone to miss who He is. Look at the message he gave to the disciples of John the Baptist when John was doubting who Jesus was when he was in jail and about to get his head cut off:

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." MT 11:4-6

Jesus used the testimony of all the supernatural events to prove to John that yes, He is God’s son, because only a supernatural being, or His agent, could do such incredible things.

So what do you think? Did Jesus make His point?