The Miracle of Praying for Your Family

 Have I got a testimony for you! This week I want to share with you a little story about my younger sister, now age 61. I am seven years older than she is and we have not been very close over the past many years. Actually, since 2003, things have been anything but close between us. Our communication has been off and on. When I surrendered my life to Jesus back in 2005, everything changed for me, but my family was not on board with all that "Jesus" stuff. Naturally, I have spent years praying that they would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus our Lord. Her husband, now deceased, used to persecute me for sharing Jesus with others, and he absolutely felt that "religion" was not something we should talk about. He wanted nothing to do with prayer.

When he got ill a few years ago, I was led to pray for the cancer in his throat while he lay in a hospice bed. Once I asked if he wanted prayer, and he could only shake his head no. He was unable to talk. The next time I saw him, I prayed for him by placing my hands on his neck and commanding that cancer to be healed in Jesus Name, as the Lord had given me a vision to do. My onlooking sister was infuriated!

When I went home from that trip to the hospital, the Lord showed me that that son who was dead was now alive! I rejoiced that this brother-in-law was now in heaven. It was just a few days later that he went to be with the Lord. My sister wouldn't speak to me for two years. She went home and told my precious nieces what I had done, and I won't tell you what they sent to me in texts. It was like all the devils on earth came against me. They spoke terrible things and I have not seen them since.

I continued to pray for my sister and her girls these past years. Little by little, we began to speak through text and then a phone call. I had to be very careful about what I said. I knew she still carried a lot of bad feelings toward me. Up to this point it has been a relationship of tolerating each other. I would see her when my husband & I took her out to eat on her birthday. Other than that, it was only an occasional "how are you?" or "have a great day" text as I continued to bring them before the Lord in faith that He would work it out. I never could handle too much of her at a time, but in my heart, I love her and care for her eternal life.

Yesterday, Denny and I took her out for a meal for her birthday. It had been a full year since last we saw her. She spoke a lot about what she has been doing. One thing she said early on is that she wanted us to put in a word to the Lord for her since we are praying people and "maybe He will listen to you." I was amazed that she even said that. She has been going through some trial at work and it has really rocked her.

She also said that she seems to cry a lot these days, thinking maybe it is her getting older thing. She used to emphatically say she does not cry. Yesterday, we saw a tenderness we had never seen in her. As she continued to talk, she again mentioned asking us to pray for her. We sat there amazed as we continued to just be good listeners. She was really quite kind to us and very thankful that we took her out for such a nice dinner.

My sister is pretty high strung and when she gets going, she is quite funny. She had us both laughing quite a bit. It's amazing how a person can talk about the drama going on in their life and yet do it in a way that makes you just crack up!

As we ended our meal and headed out to the car, we hugged. As she was approaching her car, she turned and said something about asking us to pray for her once again. Denny then asked her, "Is it alright if we pray for you?" She replied emphatically, "Oh yes!" Then as she went to get into the car, I looked right at her and said, "I love you." To my surprise, she looked me right in the eye and said, "I love you." It brings tears to my eyes again as I write this because she has never done that like she said it yesterday. Very direct and intentional.

I found myself so enjoying being with her yesterday that I told her we must not wait a whole year before we get together again, and she agreed. Denny and I got in the car, and we were in awe of what God is doing. We also realized that even though we have been praying for her to come to know Jesus for years, the fact that she specifically did not want us to pray was blocking our prayers, yet God was still at work.

What happened yesterday was a great big door opener for us to intercede on her behalf because now she has removed the block to our prayers. When she was a young girl, she wrote a note to our mom telling mom that she had been saved and wanted to make sure that she was too. But from that time, she never lived a life of walking with Jesus. In fact, she resisted Christianity strongly. Now we are seeing a miracle begin to unfold before our very eyes! We stand in awe believing that one day very soon, I will be able to pull out that letter that I have in one of our family photo albums and show her what she had written so long ago.

What's the bottom line if you haven't guessed it already? Do not give up praying for your family members, even if looks like they will never come around to their salvation. Our Lord is the God of the impossible.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Thank you for reading our weekly blog and even telling others whom you feel may benefit from it. You can check out our updated website to see what we are doing in Africa in addition to our ministry duties here. My new book will be out this week, so check out the website to get your copy. Any donations to our ministry are completely tax deductible. Help us spread the Word around the globe.

Much love and many blessings to you and yours in Jesus' Name. Amen!

Denny & Hanny Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

Multiplying God's Word around the globe!

www.Fishnloavesministries.org

Fishnloavesministries.blogspot.com

The "Esther Call"

 

”For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”“ Esther 4:14 NKJV 

 Most of us have read the book of Esther in the Bible. This message is for all of us, not just the ladies. I read this passage on Saturday and it came to me that we are all called for such a time as this.  

When Esther was called to fulfill her purpose, the Jews were being heavily oppressed by the wicked man Haman. He was out to destroy God’s people and he was setting his plan in motion. It sounds a lot like what is happening in Israel today.  

Ever since the beginning of time, there has been a battle waged against the souls of men and women who love and seek after God. Israel faced one battle after another, and they still do to this very day.  

As we all pray for the peace of Israel, we must remember that they are not the only ones who see attack. Christians today all over the world are experiencing spiritual warfare like we may never have seen in our history. 

What’s the Esther call then for today’s men and women of God? When we read the account of Esther being set up to be the queen, she was being placed in a position that would bring her before the only one who could make a decision that would change the destiny for the Israelites.  

The verse we read today says that the timing of her calling was exactly positioned so that she would be the one who could change the course of history for all her people. She would be used to expose the evil plans of the enemy, and his plan of destruction would be foiled. 

 It’s wonderful to know that no matter what the devil tries to set up against us that if our God is for us, who can be against us!  

The Bible tells us that God planned the exact timing of our birth and where we would live. He gave each of us a call to be His witnesses all over the world. This means wherever He placed each person, we are to go out to win the souls of people all around us. We must stand in the gap through prayer! 🙏🏻 

Listen, today there still remains a real devil seeking to destroy God’s people. You and I have a calling like Esther to go to battle for the people. It’s our job to get in the fight and pray! It’s our job to push back the powers of darkness and usher in the glorious gospel light. 

If we don’t step up and take our stand and bring our requests before God for the deliverance of the people, we will not grasp the meaning for which we were born. 

Friend, no matter where you and I live, the time is now to expose the evil works of satanic plans and let God know that we aren’t going to accept the devils evil schemes. 

On Saturday it seems like all hell was breaking loose against me, trying to bring up the same old tactics satan’s army has been doing for years now. Even though there was a great deal of pressure and distraction, I pressed through and the Lord blessed our day in many ways.  

It isn’t easy, but it’s a battle we must fight. We must stand in prayer before the King of kings. We must bring our petition for help before Him. Let Him know that we mean business and we are not going to stop until whatever enemy we are dealing with is completely defeated!  

In our services today at the church meetings, both messages resonated so much with what God had already laid on my heart. The first is a message to not give up. Like the injured runner who finished the race in spite of his injury with the help of his loving Father, I was tearfully reminded that you and I can finish our course too with the help of our Abba Father in heaven.  

The second message was about engaging in the fight. Esther got engaged in the fight. The injured runner got engaged in the fight. Now, you and I are called to take up our armor, and use the weapons God has given us to engage in and become victorious over whatever giants may be coming against us and our families.  

There are seasons of peace in our lives, but so many times, we are called to fight the good fight of faith against an evil enemy so we can enter into that season of rest and peace.  

The Bible was full of battles and God gave the victory to those who sought Him for the battle plan. Seek the Lord and ask Him to show you what your battle plan is and begin to take up your armor and become the champion you were created to be!  

Our God is for us! He is faithful and will never leave or forsake us! Be that Esther! Be that David! Be the one who gets the victory and stops what the devil is trying to do in your life and that of your family! In Jesus mighty Name! 

The Dove - Rest in Me as I Rest on You

 

Here's a subject that is quite foreign to the human heart for most people. It's about resting. I have talked about this before. Today I am sharing what the Lord has been showing me all week. Whether you have been a Christian a long time, or just a short while, there is a struggle in our flesh to receive the rest that Holy Spirit provides us on a daily basis. This doesn't mean that we lay around all the time and do nothing. Indeed, we must daily be about our Father's business. What it does mean is that we need to slow down in our hearts. We need to receive the blessings from the Lord every day when we spend time with Him. Remember, in order to have something to give to others, we must first be good receivers. Many of us are always wanting to help others and give, give, give. But when it comes to receiving, most of us have a hard time. But how can we give what we don't have. If we don't take the time to read God's Word each day and pray, and let the Lord heal and comfort what's bothering us, then we cannot truly give to others from an abundance of what we ourselves have received. I have walked with Jesus on a more surrendered basis since 2005, yet every day seems to be a new day of surrender, a new day of "rest." We need constant reassurance from Him, including His love and comfort. He must be more than enough for us. This means more than people, places, things, activities, everything. We must to fill up in His presence and then we can go forward in our day to be a blessing to others. Doing this will also take the focus off of ourselves and the concerns we are facing in our lives. We all have stuff that's concerning us and much to pray about. That's where it all begins. Knowing that we are not perfect, may we have a heart that longs for Jesus and His comfort and guidance. He is our Lord and He will supply our every need as we daily surrender to Him. He is so faithful to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Today when we went out to lunch after church, the young lady who was serving us seemed a bit heavy laden. We asked her if she would like to have one of our tracts. At first she said she knows Jesus and almost said, "I'm good" but hesitated when I showed her His picture and asked if she would like to share it with someone else. She responded saying that would be ok and took the tract. When she left the table, we prayed for her. We knew something was heavy on her and we stood in the gap. As she continued to serve us, she seemed completely different. Her countenance was lovely. I wonder if she knows Jesus and spends time with Him in the morning to start her day. Only God knows. But one thing I know is that the encounter with her was used by our loving and merciful heavenly Father to lift her up. We were so glad. So remember, no matter how long we have known Jesus, we still need to receive from Him daily. We need to rest in His sweet love. We need to allow Him to rest on us. A lot like that Mary Magdalene story from last week. Just to be with Him is a blessing we can take to others who need Him just as much as we do. Song: The Dove (Belonging Company & Kari Jobe) Thank you for reading our weekly blog and even telling others whom you feel may benefit from it. You can check out our website to see what we do in Africa in addition to our ministry duties here. Any donations to our ministry are completely tax deductible. Help us spread the Word around the globe. Much love and many blessings to you and yours in Jesus' Name. Amen! Denny & Hanny Stearns Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc. Multiplying God's Word around the globe!

www.Fishnloavesministries.org Fishnloavesministries.blogspot.com

Faith & The Marketplace - Mary Magdalene

 

Most of us are out there in the marketplace working to support our family and the ministries we support. That's great! Some of us are no longer working, yet we are out and about from day to day with various errands, chores, meetings, etc. Today, I opened to a Bible story that is very dear to my heart. It is the story of Mary Magdalene. She had come to Jesus a sinner (sound familiar?) and poured her heart out at the feet of Jesus. She went to the right place for the right thing and her life was transformed. Not only did she cry out to Jesus as she sought healing, forgiveness and deliverance from demonic influence, but she poured out upon His feet an expensive fragrance that she had from her financial supply. What does this have to do with us today, you ask? Everything! When we encounter Jesus and receive His forgiveness and healing, we begin to live a life of deep love and devotion to Him. Our biblical example given in Mary shows us that her deep love and devotion caused her to give all of her life to Jesus. That included her financial commitment to support His ministry, her whole heart of full devotion to Him, and sticking with Him in His darkest hour. He rescued her in her darkest hour, and subsequently, she would stay with Him in His. Total devotion to all that He is. This week, Denny and I had two different insurance appointments with clients. One on Thursday, and one on Saturday. It seemed pretty evident that these two couples did not know Jesus. We never pass judgment, but what we saw led us to believe that they may need some help getting there. The first gal had a boyfriend who was not present at the meeting except to pop in and say hi. I paid attention to the business at hand and waited for my opportunity to speak. Once I finished the business side of things, I asked if I could pray for her. Her answer was yes, though very causal. Before I prayed, I went to the bathroom and prayed. I asked the Lord for His help. She seemed like she would be a "tough nut to crack!" I went back and prayed with her and then showed her our tract with Jesus' picture on it. Then we talked about the little boy who went to heaven and saw Jesus. We told her about the movie, Heaven is For Real." She looked at that picture and said it gave her the chills. Halleluja! Holy Spirit was at work! We left that meeting rejoicing and praying for that couple, knowing that God was on the move. The Saturday appointment was similar. When her husband laid down, it was just her and us. We finished the business aspect of the meeting and offered to pray. She agreed. When I showed her the picture, she said, "His eyes are so mesmerizing." Then she said, "It gives me the chills!" I was in awe of God once again! Here He was, touching another lost soul! Wow! Again, we went to the car rejoicing in what the Lord was doing and praying for Him to help them to receive their salvation. So how do these stories and Mary Magdalene match up? By faith in God and a deep devotion to follow Jesus, we will surrender all that we do and have to Him for His work in the earth to save people. He created people and He deeply loves people. I spoke with a lady while getting a therapeutic pedicure on Saturday following the appointment. She accepted the card and it was yet another situation where she needed Jesus. You see, our work, our doctor appointments, our shopping trips, meetings, indeed, all that we do in the course of the week is an opportunity to touch people in the marketplace. And we need money to live and support the work of God's kingdom. All of this advancement of God's kingdom requires deep love, devotion, commitment and financial support. Won't you join us in committing all that we have to the work of Jesus in our lives and the lives of others? The devil doesn't want us to pay attention to this, but the Lord compels us to follow Him. Surrender all to Him and be about our Father's business. Matthew 4:19 - Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Song: Victor's Crown Thank you for reading our weekly blog and even telling others whom you feel may benefit from it. You can check out our website to see what we do in Africa. Any donations to our ministry are completely tax deductible. Help us spread the Word around the globe. Much love and many blessings to you and yours in Jesus' Name. Amen! Denny & Hanny Stearns Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc. Multiplying God's Word around the globe!

Fishnloavesministries.org Fishnloavesministries.blogspot.com

Bringing in the Multitude

Today I am excited to share another wonderful message of how God works in our lives through the message of the gospel. Christians have been commissioned by the Lord Jesus to share His message of salvation with others. It seems simple, but many lack the boldness to step out and share this most important message with others. Regardless of how they will react, we still must tell them. This is a commandment of our Lord.

I was led to the very passage where Jesus was on the beach waiting to have breakfast with the disciples. Remember, they had gone back to fishing after Jesus had appeared to them following His resurrection. They had fished all night and caught nothing. Then, Jesus appeared to them at the beach. He had some final comments to make before He ascended back to heaven.

Read John 21 in full to review the story. He asked them if they had any food and they replied, "No." Next, He directed them to cast their net on the right side of the boat, and when they did, they were not able to draw in the multitude of fish. It is a wonderful reminder that we are called to be fishers of men.

What impressed me this morning as I read this is that with Jesus living inside of us to guide and direct us, we can be a part of the great harvest of souls in these last days. With Him, all things are possible. When I read about the fish and bread He offered them for their breakfast, I thought about the wedding feast we will one day participate in with Jesus in heaven.

For now, we must step out in faith to bring in the souls (fish) and then we will have a wedding feast with our Lord that is surely beyond our comprehension of how awesome that will be.

When we went out to walk our Jesse this morning, we ran right into a man who needed to hear the gospel. I would like to report that he received it with joy. But he had several misconceptions about Jesus, religion and how to get to heaven by doing good works. After our encounter, we prayed for him to have his eyes opened. At church, we talked about the very subject of taking our God given authority to pray for people, including our families to command satan to take the blinders off their eyes.

As children of God, we have all authority over the devil to pray for people to get healed, and to cast out demons, and to preach the gospel message. We must believe it. We must step out and tell people. They are desperate for this all powerful, lifesaving message. So, for now, the "fishing" as we co-labor with Jesus. Later, the feast with Jesus. How awesome! Let's remember who we are in Christ, and that with Him, we can do all things.

John 21:6-13

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

We are praying you are blessed by this message. Feel free to share this with others. If you need prayer, you can call us anytime at 239-682-0944. We are happy to help.

Denny & Hanny Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

Multiplying God's Word around the globe!