PrintOur Journey Through the Valley (31)
16 July, 2013
MIKE:
Well, this morning (July 14) was a high point as we continue our "Journey Through The Valley". Our Pastor invited Bev and I to have a "fireside chat" with him and that chat led to a time during which Bev was anointed with oil (as per James 5) and we had the opportunity of declaring that Jesus has supreme authority in heaven and on earth and, because of that cosmic truth, we publicly acknowledged that Bev's disease (Motor Neurone Disease or MND) is under the authority of Jesus.
It was a great service!! We are so grateful for our Pastor Tony and for his wife, Christal, and the way they guided all of us through what was, for many, a new experience. The response of people was very positive and their words of appreciation and inspiration later in the morning were heart-warming to say the least.
Bev was inspirational in what she shared - some of it through tears of gratitude. We were thrilled to have our all children and grandchildren present and this gave them the opportunity to meet our Church family and vice versa.
I'll let Pastor Tony tell it from his perspective. I've taken this from his email this morning
It was such a blessing for me to be able to observe from my vantage point the impact Mike and Bev's words were having on the congregation. People were engrossed in what they were saying and their emotions were etched all over their faces ... including many tears.
It was evident to me that God was blessing people at a very deep level. Christal, Michelle and Kerry did a wonderful job with the anointing and prayers - very moving.
Every now and then we find ourselves 'seriously' blessed, moved and touched in a service. Yesterday morning's service was one of those .... a grace filled, God filled, love filled service. Praise God.
From one of our Church members came this insight:
Thank you, Tony, for such a lovely interview with Mike and Bev and encouraging them to share so deeply. Thank you Christal for your showing me that an anointing can be a blessing to all of us, Michelle for your beautiful prayer and Kerry for supporting Mike. The sharing encourages us all and binds us together as a family and this felt like we were God’s family in so much that it touched me and others deeply. I know it was difficult for you all and I appreciate it.
As we said in a recent posting, the purpose of the anointing was not so much to request healing but to make a declaration that Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth and that we were affirming that Bev's MND is no exception. Jesus' authority extends to that enemy as well. If He exercises His authority to heal Bev or slow the progress of the disease or whatever other choice He makes, it will be His authority that prevails, not that of the enemy.
BEV: Thinking back to Sunday morning, it's easy in hindsight to find oneself thinking about all the things I should have said (and maybe some things I shouldn't have said!) I wished I had talked more about the times of blessing that followed times of trial. I wish that I had emphasised that we were never tested above what we could cope, without a way of escape. Given the opportunity over again I would share how God took us from the trial into green pastures and still waters, where He would restore our souls.
This season of trial is one of those times when our changed circumstances are drawing us closer to God. The blessing that has come out of this is the blessing of a loving, caring church that would allow us and encourage us to follow what we believe God asked of us, and to do so graciously. Thank you to all who participated (and thank you to those who prepared lunch!!)
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