Marked By Miracles

My special insight for Wednesdays In The Word from my life is Varn’s testimony. He often told of his beginnings in the Eighth Street Baptist Church. He and a friend attended church along with his sister. The speaker that day was a fiery preacher. He was preaching fire, brimstone and Hell. He made a statement, “Yall are all going to Hell, if you don’t repent! He stood up and said in a loud voice, “Amen!” He said the Spirit of the Lord fell upon him. He felt the anointing. He sat down and said, “What was that?” His sister said, “I know where you can feel it 10x more than that.”

Not long after that he went to church with her, his sister to Agape Christian Center, Little Rock, AR. He met Scotty. According to Varn, Scotty was a wild man for Jesus! He led him to Jesus, prayed with him and laid hands on him to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues. He said that was exactly what happened, he bowed his head in prayer with Scotty, asking Father God to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He raised his head and hands to God and began crying, laughing and speaking in tongues, all at the same time. He said his life was never the same after that. Right after praying together, Scotty and he went witnessing Christ to others. He said it would seal it in his heart, and it did seal it.

That was Varn’s initial baptism in the Holy Spirit. Just like mine in our seperate lives, his life was marked with miracles after that. His baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire came later. We had met and married. We were both members of a jail and prison ministry. He was known for getting the men saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. It became such a regular thing that God said, “Continue this for another six months and I will promote you. Keep getting the men saved and filled with the Holy Spirit and I will promote you.”

Well, Father God did promote Varn. But it wasn’t in the way, we thought it would be. We were thinking, we would be called out at church and spoken over and promoted. It never happened that way at all. But God himself did promote Varn. One day, during j/p prayer meeting, God zapped him with another baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire is the only way I know to describe it.

Then the next morning, God spoke through me and said, “It shall come again.” And it did, at church that same day, Father God zapped him again. This time with a greater intensity. He said it was like he was glued to the seat being cooked with God’s fire. He said the intensity was so great, he didn’t think he could take it if it was turned up anymore. He just sat there quietly making sounds like he was on fire.

His natural mother and spiritual mother was on the other side across from me and I was on his other side. It was so cute, Ma-Betty kept saying, “Earma, do something. Help him get up…” I said, no, God is dealing with him. I’m not touching him. Mama Inga, his spiritual mother walking up and down the aisle in front of us saying, “Yes, Lord do it. Put your fire on him.” Once again, after God’s fiery promotion his life and our lives in ministry were never the same. His life and ministry was marked with miracles, to God be the glory.

Be The Good Gift. He gives good gifts. If you being of an evil nature can give good gifts to your children how much more will our Father God who is good give us the gift of the Holy Spirit when we ask. If your son or daughter asks you for breakfast, you’re not going to cut up a spider or frog and give it to them. No you will give them a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuit or hot cereal, right. Again, how much more will our good heavenly father give us the good gift we ask him for. He’ll give us the gift of the Holy Spirit he promised to give. -Luke 11:13

Be Filled Ye All. Jesus told his disciples to go and wait for the promised gift in Jerusalem. He instructed them not to leave until it had come. They followed his instructions, gathering together every day in expectancy, in prayer, waiting for the promise. After all the Messiah had come. Now he had given them clear instructions to follow. Then suddenly about 50 days out, it happened! The Holy Spirit came upon them just as it had Jesus. They received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were baptized in this Holy Spirit and just as Jesus, they were empowered to become his witnesses everywhere. The same gift is available to us. The same Holy Spirit empowers today, those who are willing to believe and receive. -Acts 2:4

Be Baptized For Christ Ministry. After being filled with the Holy Spirit or baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to become a witness for Christ like the early Christians. When we are born-again, the same Holy Spirit reproduces the life of Christ in our lives. And when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, he reproduces the ministry of Christ in our lives. -Romans 8:26,27

Be Immersed In the Holy Spirit? I think I just explained it. Some things are worth repeating for emphasis. After all, the Holy Spirit is in charge of this teaching. So, it seems He wants this emphasized. When a person receives Christ into his heart, the Holy Spirit reproduces the life of Christ in the believers life. When we are immersed in the Holy Spirit or baptized in the Holy Spirit the ministry of Jesus is reproduced and you are empowered to be a witness or testimony for Christ.

Be Born-Again. Remember Jesus explanation of this concept to Nicodemaues saying, the Holy Spirit is like the wind. You don’t know when it comes or where it goes. But you know it comes. One must be born-again. Nicodemaues responded, “How can one be born-again. We can not go back in your mother’s womb?” Jesus goes on to say, “Unless one is born-again of the spirit, you can not see the kingdom of God.” -John 3:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3

Ask To Be Baptized With The Holy Spirit. It can be said, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering of one for service in God’s kingdom. In Acts 1:5,8 John baptized with water but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times and they are not for you to know…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witness, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and in the ends of the earth.”

So, just as the Holy Spirit inside us when we are born-again reproduces the life of Jesus, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus including miracles, healings and more.

Miracles Testify. Let me close with my son’s testimony. Yeah, it’s been a family night. I opened with my husband’s testimony, now I’m closing with my son’s testimony.

He had severe migraines since very young. He had the kind which many times left him moaning in a dark room. He was around fifteen or so and lived with his Mom for nine months of the year. He came to us during the Summer. This particular Summer, we were on a corporate fast with our church and had just started. Since he was just getting there, we decided not to make him do it with us. Well, later that day he was in the TV room with very large TV, we had just gotten but weren’t watching because of fast.

I was in my home office when I heard this loud boom! I said, “What in the world was that?” He ran to the doorway shouting, “Mama the tv just blew up!” I mean it was smoking and of course I just mentioned the loud boom. We said, I guess you’ll be coming on the fast with us. It was like Father God, son, I’m not going to let you miss this. If I have to blow up the TV, I will. (smile) It happened. Well we were all in it together now.

One day, soon after, he sat up in bed and raised his hands. He said something came out of me. I was politely asking him about it later saying, so you said something came off of you? He said, no Mama, something came out of me. The rest is history and a miracle. He’s never had another migraine. He said he never even has headaches. God is a good god! Glory to God, he healed my son. Like I said, miracles testify.

I hope I’m making you hungry for the things of God. I know I’m getting hungry just talking about it. You don’t have to settle for just hearing about this extraordinary life in Christ Jesus, empowered by his Spirit. It’s yours for the asking. All you have to do is ask Father God to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. All you need do is ask to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. When we were born-again, we received the Holy Spirit and He produced the life of Christ in us, in our hearts.

Now, once you ask Father God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by faith, the Holy Spirit baptizes you with His presence and produces the ministry of Jesus in your life. As you may know, the ministry of Jesus was marked by miracles. After receiving this precious gift, you are empowered to become a greater witness in your neighborhood, the city, the nation and the world beyond.

If not already, pray this with me, “Father God, I ask to receive your gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptize me in the Holy Spirit. Now say, By faith I receive the Holy Spirit. Amen!

END OF BLOG

Earma Brown, 12 book Christian Author and Co-Founding Pastor at Grace Covenant Church

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