The Favor of God
Page 17
God’s Handiwork
My wife, Deborah, and I were living in the concrete jungle of downtown Chicago, working long hours completing projects for advertising clients. Being able to take time away from work to look at what God has made has always been an important respite for us. That particular year, we visited the islands of St. Thomas and St. John, where we spent time relaxing, being with God, and enjoying each other. As we took a boat from one island to the other, I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the area that I cried as I soaked in God’s handiwork.
That vacation in the islands led us to believe God for a home there. In fact, a couple of years later, when we were wandering around the seacoast, we found the perfect house in the perfect location—right on a little beach on the island of St. John. We soon found out that the National Park Service owned the house, but we were bold in faith and claimed that it would one day be ours. We knew that the favor of God could overcome anything, even the government, to get us our dream house.
Walking with the Lord is always a learning experience, if we are open to His wisdom and leading. After believing for two years that the house on St. John would one day be ours, we heard the Lord speak to us, asking us to release the house. To be honest, at first we were somewhat let down, but then we remembered something we had learned about God’s favor: If God asks you to give something up, He has something better for you. So we released the claim of faith we had placed on the house.
As we traveled to the islands on a frequent basis, we realized that it would actually be more practical to have a house on St. Thomas, where the airport was located, and where there was access to grocery stores and other necessities. So we put our faith in God to provide a beach house for us on St. Thomas. We were told that this was impossible, because the best beach properties belonged to the resorts, and there was no private property available.
For two more years, we continued to believe that the favor of God would provide us with a beach house. Then we met a realtor, a man in his sixties with sparkling eyes, who knew everyone on the island. He said to give him a week, and he would show us exactly what we wanted.
As it turned out, at the same time that we had released the beach house on St. John two years earlier, a wealthy landowner with holdings all over the islands made an important decision. He relinquished a 50-acre parcel of land, which he had originally reserved for his family, to be developed. Because God had moved on this man’s heart to change his plans, we had the opportunity to purchase an acre of beachfront property, where we then built the exact house we had always wanted. Without the favor of God operating in our lives, this never would have happened. —Richard and Deborah
Moving a Mountain of Debt
In December 2011, the Lord spoke to me about 2012, saying that it would be not only my year of prosperity, promotion and increase (financially and spiritually), but also a year of answered prayers, turnaround and “suddenlies.” Around that same time, I heard teaching about the favor of God that confirmed what God was telling me.
As the new year approached, I began decreeing out loud God’s favor and blessing over myself every day before leaving my house.
One day, I checked one of my credit card balances to see how much I needed to pay, and to my surprise the amount was significantly lower than what I expected. When I saw the entry that said “merchandise finance refund: $725.90,” I had to leave my desk at work and run to the restroom, where I could shout and thank God for His favor in my life.
I believe that this blessing is just the first of many manifestations that are coming my way not only in 2012, but also in the following years. I have determined to walk by faith, to stand on the Word of God, and to dare to believe God.
I am expecting to be debt-free in 2012, and I believe that my God is well able to do that for me. —Yvonee
A Shadow of Things to Come
Since I first learned about the favor of God, I have seen numerous instances of God’s favor manifesting in my life. One of my favorite examples involves a pair of motorcycles.
I had purchased a Honda Shadow from a young man who was selling it to meet a financial need. After I had owned the bike for almost a year, God spoke to me about sowing it into the life of someone who needed it. But before I did that, He wanted me to look for the exact bike I would like to have.
At the Harley-Davidson store, I found and fell in love with a Harley 100th Anniversary Edition. I asked the salesman to write all of the specifications on a sheet of paper, which I then placed in my Bible beside the page that says, “And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by” (Hab. 2:2, AMP).
Two months later, just one week before Jerry Savelle’s motorcycle rally in Granbury, Texas, I gave the Honda Shadow to someone who really needed it. On the day of the rally, I returned to the Harley store and looked at my dream bike again. While I was there, a friend called and asked what I was doing. I told her I was at the Harley store, looking at bikes, and she said, “Wait right there. I’m on my way.” I thought that she needed to talk to me, or perhaps she needed prayer.
My friend arrived a short time later, stunning me when she said, “The Lord told me to buy you a Harley today.” Pointing to the bike I had been looking at, she asked, “Is that it right there?” When I said yes, she told the salesman that we would take it, and then she said she also wanted to purchase the best warranty. As she was writing out the check, the salesman asked for her name so he could put it on the title. She said, “This is Ken’s bike. I’m just doing what God told me to do, so put the title in his name.” Then she turned to me and said, “Well, I’ve obeyed God, so now you go to Brother Savelle’s motorcycle rally.” Then she got in her car and drove off.
I was humbled and thankful for the favor of God working in my life that day. God has used that motorcycle (and the story about how I got it) to manifest His favor in the lives of other people as well—people whom I have led to Christ or whose faith has increased after hearing my testimony. Actor Gary Busey once commented that someone should make a movie about my life, and I’m believing that one day many more people will know how the favor of God has affected my life on a daily basis.
To God be the honor and glory for His favor! —Ken
Roadside Assistance
One evening, my car stalled suddenly while I was driving home; apparently the battery was dead. I had a huge presentation to make at school the next day, I was involved in a legal dispute, and I was already tired and overwhelmed with so much pressure. Now this.
I had been listening to a message about God’s favor and had been confessing His favor over and over again. When I called my car insurance company, they offered to tow my car at no charge. The tow truck arrived in less than 30 minutes and took my car to the dealership.
I found out that the car needed several repairs, including an $800 alternator (not covered by warranty). The total bill was going to be more than $1,000, which represented half of my savings. I told the service representative I would call him back shortly to give him the okay to proceed, but about 10 minutes later, he called me again. He said, “We don’t usually do this, but we will pay for the alternator because we appreciate you as a customer.”
As I yelled, “Thank You, Jesus!” into the mouthpiece of the phone, I thought to myself, That’s the favor of God! The repair bill was reduced to an amount that I was comfortable with, and I’m now sowing and believing that my savings will be restored completely. —Cyntillia
A Building for a Buck
When my wife, Iliana, and I started our church, West Coast Believers Center International (WCBC), we made a conscious decision to depend upon the favor of God to cover our ministry. As we moved forward in obedience, our congregation immediately began to experience tremendous miracles of God’s favor.
At our very first service, we were given a brand-new sound system, complete with speakers, a 24-channel soundboard, cables, microphones
and a wireless lapel microphone. During our first year of ministry, we experienced supernatural debt cancellation and supernatural increase of our resources. Our first utility bills showed credits. It wasn’t just the church that experienced this favor; the people who helped us to plant WCBC did, too. One man’s home electric bill consistently read $1.35 for an entire year. When he had the electric company check the meter, the technician said, “We can’t find anything wrong with your meter, sir.”
The greatest manifestations of God’s favor happened right before our first anniversary. The Lord told us that April of that year would be a resurrection month for the ministry, and that the people who were attending the church at that time needed to be ready for it. He said that He would be sending us more people. We had not experienced any marked growth during our first year, but that April we had 50 visitors in one service alone, and within three months our congregation had grown to more than 200 people.
Shortly thereafter, another local congregation whose pastor had moved away approached us. They said they had heard good things about us and asked if we would consider merging the two churches, joining them at their location. We prayed and felt that this opportunity was of the Lord—and within one month, two good churches became one great church.
Two weeks later, we received word that the building the church was leasing had been sold. My first action as pastor of our merged congregation was to meet with the building’s new owners to discuss the possibility of renewing our lease, which was set to expire in four months. We began to pray for the favor of God to go before us and touch the hearts of those with whom I would speak. I felt the favor of God so strongly that I began to confess that we would be allowed to remain in the building at a cost of $1.00 for an entire year. Some people laughed, and others thought I was crazy, but none of these things moved me.
When the day came for me to meet with the president and board members of the organization that had purchased the building, I told them about the ministry, our vision, and the things that we had already accomplished. When all was said and done, the president turned to me and said, “Pastor Bulger, we like you, and we like the things that you are doing for the community. So here’s what we’re going to do: Your lease expires in four months, but we are going to extend the lease for one year for a total annual cost of only $1.00.” Praise God for His favor!
We needed that building more than we needed money for the rent, and God’s favor gave us both. During the year we were in that facility, we began holding double services, and when our 12 months were up, we had outgrown the building. The favor of God gave us that first building, and it has given us every building we have occupied since then.
The Word of God and our experience as a church have taught us that when we think we need to be praying for finances, what we really need is the favor of God—because the favor of God can do more than what money can buy. —Dr. Joshua and Iliana
To Catch a Motorcycle Thief
One time we saw favor was in the early 1990s. I went with a group of students and a few other guys to Daytona Bike Week, which is one of the largest gatherings of bikers in the country. I rode down on my favorite Harley. While we were there, I let one of the friends who had come down with us borrow my bike, and I used another one.
At these kinds of events, there are thousands of bikes, and there are also groups of thieves that ride around in vans, looking for people who don’t lock up their motorcycles. They take the unlocked bikes and put them in the van. Then the van goes up the interstate about 60 or 70 miles, to a spot where there is a big tractor trailer waiting. They load the bikes into it, take them apart, and sell the parts at swap meets. Sometimes they’ll take a bike up north, put new VIN numbers on the frame and engine, and either use it themselves or sell it up there. Generally, once the bike is taken, it’s gone, and you don’t ever hear about it again.
Well, we went in to eat dinner one night, and those people rolled up in a van while we were eating and not paying attention. Too Tall, the guy I had let borrow my bike, hadn’t locked it, and it got stolen while we were inside.
We came back to Alabama, where we lived, and I pretty well knew what had happened to that bike. Anyone else who knew anything about the biker world knew what had happened to it, too, and was laughing, saying, “That bike is gone forever.” But then … the favor of God entered the picture.
When you know that God loves you, and you have found His favor by serving Him with all your heart, amazing things happen. Eight months after our trip, I got a call from a detective down in Daytona Beach, Florida. He asked if I owned such and such a motorcycle and had reported it stolen eight months earlier.
I told him, “Yes, sir.”
He said, “Well, we have your motorcycle.” My jaw dropped open, and you can imagine the surprise on my face. I realized that the favor of God had once again come in my life in a huge way.
The detective said they had pulled over a man riding my bike out on the interstate. Florida is a helmet law state, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet. When they pulled him over and went through the motorcycle, they found a helmet in the saddle bag. Because he wasn’t wearing it, they ran the VIN number, and it matched my bike.
The detective told me I was free to come get it anytime I wanted to. So I went back to Daytona Beach with my son, Joshua, and a student we called “Bull,” and sure enough, there was my motorcycle—my Harley Davidson, one of my favorite bikes in the entire world—and it was basically untouched. The guy had left it sitting outside, and some rust was getting on it, but it didn’t take much to knock the rust off—and then there it was, good as new. Once again, the favor of God showed up and showed out in my life. —Mac
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LET THE CHAMPION IN YOU ARISE!
Called to Battle Destined to Win
Jerry Savelle
ISBN 978.08307.48051
ISBN 08307.48059
When tough times come, what do you do? Complain? Throw in the towel? Head home? If you are like most people, you give up. But God wants you to stay in the battle and prevail over whatever difficulties you are facing. God has chosen you to fight this battle, and He has given you a destiny to experience His breakthrough power. What’s more, He will provide everything you need to pursue, overtake and recover what has been lost. Jerry Savelle has been in the battle and emerged to tell about it. Through enthralling stories, solid teaching and inspired motivation, he will show you how to persevere when situations are tough and stand on the Word of God until victory is achieved. The pain, disappointments or failures in your past cannot overcome God’s purposes for your life when you trust His promise that He will always show up when you refuse to back down. So let the hand of God work in and through you to say no to giving up and yes to becoming a champion!
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WHEN YOU PRAY YOU WANT ANSWERS
Prayer of Petition
Jerry Savelle
ISBN 978.08307.56605
ISBN 08307.56604
What can you do to battle against the forces that seek the destruction of your family and community? You can pray. Yet if you’re like many believers, you don’t know how to pray both effectively (in a way that gets results) and humbly (in a way that aligns with God’s will). Now, in Prayer of Petition, Jerry Savelle guides you to discover the prayer known throughout Christian history as the prayer that gets results. You will study the many instances of petitioning prayer found in God’s Word and hear exciting testimonies of modern-day miracles ushered in by this powerful prayer. More importantly, you’ll learn the biblical defi
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