Dear Unbeliever - Miracles And The Supernatural Exist
Dear Unbeliever,
This is letter Eight (8) and believe it or not, we are almost at the end of my series of letters. Today I’ll briefly address the fact that we (Christian Believers) claim miracles and supernatural powers exist but you (Unbelievers) can't even fathom that we actually believe those things really exist. Better yet, you think we are just making this stuff up. My first question is, have you seen a horror movie and why do most unbelievers seem fascinated with paranormal movies, shows etc? Most of you believe in ghosts and other unnatural experiences - what do you think those are? That’s the spirit realm being made manifest for you to see. Truth is, the spirit realm is just as real as the natural realm. We are spirit beings and when God blesses you with the gift of open-eyes to see what’s happening in the spirit realm, you will never be the same again. Unfortunately, that gift is reserved for a very few but available for all who desire and contend for it. Make no mistake that the satan and his minions also empower their people to see as well. I see you and you see me kind of life in the spirit realm. It’s really not pretty the kinds of things you’ll see. Imagine talking to someone and God is showing you what their spirit looks like - no, it’s not hallucination, it’s the world we will all live in one day when Christ comes back to take His own.
The best explanation I received on the ‘supernatural' was from Apostle Joshua Selman - a man whose tutelage I humbly cherish. He explained that the supernatural is the synergy between the strength of the word of God in you and the spirit of God (paraphrased). God is not a magician - magic is a practice not derived from the Holy Spirit - it’s demonic and rooted in satanism and that’s Satan’s version of the supernatural. God works the supernatural as a derivative of His relationship with us and He is still in the business of working miracles. He has not changed - the supernatural does not only exist in biblical stories - it’s happening daily in our lives and I am a living testimony of it. I believe that the supernatural is God stepping into my situation to effect a change without the help of a human being.
God has always desired to display the supernatural on earth and among His people. In Acts 2:1-4, you’ll see how God empowered us Believers with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which then enabled us to do supernatural things for the Kingdom of God. It’s the Holy Spirit that enforces God’s works in us, through us, around us and on earth. The book of Acts is filled with miracles of God. Miracles are supernatural occurrences that defy the laws of nature - also defy
the usual course of events upon the earth. Check out these scriptures; Acts 2:22, Matthew 10:8, John 20:21, John 14:12, Mark 16:17-18.
Now, let me share with you one of my miraculous experiences - a very recent one this year. My goal is to encourage you through my personal testimonies and encounters for you to know and believe that this journey of walking with Christ is not a make-belief. This journey is one that you can fully trust in as well and have a life full of grace and mercy. For the last few years I’ve been battling lactose intolerance. It only grew worse and if you’re familiar with it, I did away with all dairy and anything that contains lactose. Can I tell you that it still bothered me even when I had non-dairy milk products? I was really miserable - no amount of Tums helped. Like everyone else who has experienced this, I resolved to live with it. Then on a faithful Friday afternoon on April 30, 2021, I was listening to a live service called Koinonia, convened in Nigeria by Apostle Joshua Selman. I was working around the home so even though I was playing the service on the radio app on my phone, I wasn’t really paying attention. I will focus here and there but I was praying along with them. Then I heard the Apostle say, “ There’s someone God is saying that you have a really bad reaction to milk. Any time you eat anything milk related, your stomach will bother you severely. I don’t know what that condition is called but receive healing in Jesus’ name”. I casually said “Amen - it’s called Lactose Intolerance and I receive my healing”.
The following day was a Saturday, I went out to run some errands and on my way back, there was a CVS store. I immediately started to crave ice cream. Please note I have not had ice cream in several months because my stomach will bother me till eternity and not even the Tums will make it go away. I was on the phone with my best friend and I told her how much I really want to eat ice cream. She encouraged me to grab one from the CVS and pay the price of a stomach ache later. LOL! I actually went into the store, grabbed a Snickers Ice Cream and made it home. It was late in the evening and I don't know what I was thinking but I put 3 scoops of ice cream on some warm zucchini bread. I completely forgot to take my Tums and went to bed. Sometime around midnight I startled out of sleep as I remembered I didn’t take my Tums. I got out of bed and headed downstairs but I noticed my stomach was not aching. Mind you that my case was such that less than 30 minutes after eating any dairy product, I will be on the floor rolling in pain. It’s been 7+ hours and nothing has happened to me. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the prayer the day before that I said AMEN to. OMG!!!! Was this really happening that I am healed? You know by now if you have been closely following my series of letters that my natural brain is skeptical. I used to be worse than the doubting Thomas himself. So, I decided to wait until morning to test this miracle out. Sunday morning came and I made an African porridge. The best way to enjoy that porridge is to put evaporated milk in it. So I opened a can of milk, something I haven’t had in a few years and poured about half of it on the porridge. I had a really great breakfast and then waited for the reaction. 4 hours goes by, then 8 hours and then forever - nothing happened to me. No stomach ache, no stomach rumbling and as I write this blog today, it’s been almost 6 months of me eating any and everything dairy - Pasta with Alfredo sauces, milks of all types, ice cream and you just think about it, nothing bothers my stomach any more.
Believe it that miracles are still happening. God is so ready to give you one today. What is that one thing that you want God to intervene in? He so desires to have a relationship with you, so much so that He is ready to step into it today as you read it. If you will lift your right hand and say this prayer with me, surrender your life to Jesus and ask Him to come into your life, He will give you that miracle you’re looking for.
Pray with me...
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, Amen.
If you said this prayer, believe that you are forgiven, you are welcome to the life of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Please find a good bible-based and Holy Spirit filled church community and join them. It is a good thing to be connected to the body of Christ. Please note that you will be dealing with humans who are fallible and also vulnerable. They will have flaws but desire to grow in the Lord. Do not let certain behaviors deter you from your journey with Jesus Christ. Stay focused, study the Word of God and cultivate a life of prayer (communicating with God) on a daily basis. I have found the Bible App on YouVersion a delicious sauce to my spiritual growth. There are so many devotionals to choose from, bible reading plans and so much more - all centered on your growing in the Lord. Here’s a link to download it and when you do, please feel free to connect with me on there as a friend so we can share devotionals and encourage each other: https://youversion.com/the-bible-app/ They even have an app for your kids to stay connected to Jesus Christ as well. My username is ‘Lady Abena’ and I look forward to walking with you on this journey. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
November 2021 Declarations
Father we will sing to You for thus far you have brought us this year. We will continue to sing in praise of Your name. We extol You who rides on the cloud and rejoice before You O Lord our God. You who answer prayer, to You will all people will come. Father we declare that as we go through this month:
- Hear us, O Lord as we voice our complaint, and protect our lives from the threat of the enemy.
- O Lord arise for us in this new month and let all our enemies be scattered right before our eyes.
- May You O Lord blow them away like smoke - as wax melts before the fire.
- Lord shoot them with Your arrows so that they will suddenly be struck down.
- May You turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin.
- Yes, our souls will find rest in You and our hope will come from You.
- Truly You are our rock and our salvation.
- You are our fortress and thus we will not be shaken.
- Our salvation and our honor depends on You O Lord our God.
- You remain our mighty rock and our refuge.
- You will give us abundant showers, O God and refresh our weary inheritance.
- From Your bounty, God, You will provide for the poor and needy this month.
- You will be a Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.
- You O Lord will set the lonely in families and lead out the prisoners with singing.
- By Your unfailing love, You will reward everyone according to what we have done.
- May you bless us and make Your face shine upon us this month.
One thing You O God has spoken, two things we have heard, that all power belongs to You. So we declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena
Dear Unbeliever - The Holy Spirit Is A Real Person
Dear Unbeliever,
Welcome to Letter Seven (7) and also the last day in October 2021. I am so glad that you have stayed with me through my series of letters so far. I’d like to encourage you to read from the beginning and I know you will be blessed. Today I will take a chance to clarify a really big concern: why we (Christian Believers) make noise about someone called the Holy Spirit. Some of us even speak and pray in weird languages called Tongues. I know how funny you think we sound and I also know you think we might be losing some screws in our heads to be speaking stuff we don’t even understand.
Well, the Holy Spirit is the Third person in the Trinity - Trinity simply means that God is a Three person in One. Some people call it the Godhead; God relating to us as the Father, God relating to us in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, and God relating to us in the form of the Holy Spirit. We all are spiritual beings dwelling in a vessel called the body (a material made up of flesh and blood). When our spirits separate from our bodies, we call it death. Your body dies but your spirit lives on so if you believe there is a ghost and you like to even dress up like one on Halloween, why do you not believe then that there is a Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God himself, manifesting through us. Matter of fact, we cannot see Him with our carnal eyes but when God grants you the grace to see in the spirit, you will be able to see Him. We also see Him in our visions and dreams in various forms. The traits of a ‘PERSON’ are that you have individuality, identity, knowledge, feelings and a will. So does the Holy Spirit.
He acts like a person, He is treated as a person and He has the ministry of a person. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, you will see the thinking ability of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:27 further reveals that the Holy Spirit has a mind. In Isaiah 63:10, you will see how the Holy Spirit can be grieved. Yes we can grieve the spirit of God and unconsciously, we do it daily. 1 Corinthians 12:11 reveals the ability of the Holy Spirit to choose according to His own will. The Holy Spirit even teaches us (1 Corinthians 2:13) and the Holy Spirit also comforts us (John 16:7). Oh, there are so many characteristics of the Holy Spirit and because He is a person, He reveals different dimensions of Himself as you continue to fellowship with Him. This walk with God is a journey of building and investing into the relationship. Even in our earthly/human relations, we get more from a person, get to know them better when we invest and grow the relationship. It is the same with God and His Spirit - a.k.a, the Holy Spirit.
If you do a google search on “The Holy Spirit '', you will find several articles and blogs on it. I’ll say that each one of them was written from the writer’s encounter and most of them backed their articles with scriptures. So, let me spare you another long article on it. However, I’d like to share my own experience with the Holy Spirit to encourage you that He is REAL! For a long time I didn’t speak in a ‘heavenly language’, which is commonly known as ‘Tongues’. In the book of Acts chapter 2, we are first introduced to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit - which gave people a different language from their native or known language. Based on this scripture, many Christians have associated the Holy Spirit with only when you are able to speak in Tongues. That entirely is not true - there are many people who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit but do not speak in Tongues. My experience happened sometime in 2017. I’m not sure about the exact month but I remember that I was visiting an older lady friend of mine and as we were praying, I noticed that my mind was forcing me to utter the prayer in a different language. I speak about Five (5) African languages but none of them was rolling on my tongue. Somehow I started to just utter whatever was coming to mind and it sounded very gibberish to me but I prayed it out loud all the same. After the prayer, I told myself to not pray like that again. So I became very conscious of it and will try to keep quiet every time I feel like I’m uttering my prayer in that language. Then in early 2020, I experienced a dramatic change in my Christian life. I had been seeking the face of God for a while through intense prayer and fasting and like a gushing flood of water, the utterance came back again with such a force and power that I couldn’t suppress it anymore. I noticed it began to change to other languages and the intensity was different.
Then one day, as I was pacing back and forth in my home praying, (FYI - my home is my ‘Tziyon’ and the entire house is my altar of prayer) I asked God, how can I know you’re here with me? Can you please let me just see you? Then He responded to me (it weird me out at first, it was as if someone was speaking directly into my ears and I was alone in that house. It was as clear and distinct) every time you (Abena) call me, “Spirit of the living God” I respond back to you by giving you that cold sensation in the right side of your head. Sometimes I wrap it all around your head”. Whaaattt! So that sensation that I had been feeling for some months now was Him making me aware of His presence and response and I had no clue but rather spending my time trying to find out why I felt that sensation every time I was in prayer mode? Wow! I had even concluded that it might have been the different temperatures outside but that didn’t affect my body and the inside temperatures of my home. After this encounter, I became more conscious of this sensation and wanted to really verify that what I heard was true. So, I just call, “Spirit of the Living God” and immediately the sensation will run through my head again. I started to pray on my morning walks in the neighborhood and even in the heat of summer under the scorching sun, every time I made the call, the cold sensation would come again. I tried it even in the grocery stores and it came to me again. I’ll call on Him when I’m driving and in my car, I’ll feel that sensation. I’m so glad He was patient with me because I was worse than Gideon in the bible, asking for my instances and signs to really confirm what He, God, has already confirmed with me. I used to be very doubtful you know so He knew my kind of heart that He had to re-confirm it multiple times in different ways for me to believe. I kept doing this at every new place I found myself and He responded. I was finally convinced He was with me everywhere I went and that honestly made me more conscious of my environment and my behavior. I truly enjoy having Him in my life and I will gladly give up anyone and anything that will make God take His Holy Spirit from me. Just so you know, I do not advise anyone to create a doctrine out of people's encounters because God deals with everyone differently. I have by His grace and mercy seen different dimensions of the Holy Spirit. I have seen Him in figure a few times because I begged Him to show Himself to me so much that I think He might have been tired of hearing me ask/nag Him, so He gave me a few glimpses of Himself. Those were moments I cherish and value in my walk with Him forever.
Can I also assure you that if you do not believe in God, it is the Holy Spirit who will convict you in your mind and heart to come to Christ? No amount of words or stories I share with you can draw you to Christ unless He steps in. So I pray for you, and I ask that the Spirit of God, will come into your home and your life and give you an encounter that will make you believe in Him and in God. Above everything, may He reveal to you that He is there with you always. As you go about this week, may you see God in any and everything you do, may the Holy Spirit direct you and lead you away from all evil. May the Spirit of God open doors for you that no man can shut. May you soar in all your endeavors. AMEN! Next week we will have our declarations for November, so, we will continue to Letter 8 the following week. Be blessed!
To be continued…
XOXO,
Lady Abena.