STOP the Rain

Image from 123RF Stock Photos.

I did it twice. I stopped the rain from falling---big droplets were already starting, with a strong cold wind that surely signaled heavy rains about to pour any second, but then it all stopped at my word. First was during a crusade in Novaliches and the other in Batangas during a worship service under a spreading mango tree out in the rice fields.

Amazing isn't it, what God's power in you can do to control nature. That is, if you believe.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [Matt.17.20]

Here's something more radical and will blow your mind off if you seriously meditate it:

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” [Matt.21.18]

Is this figurative? A lot of smart-aleck theologians told me not to take these verses literally. They said Christ didn't really mean we can move literal mountains from their places supernaturally. It meant we could surmount big problems in life by faith, or something like that.

Really? But checkout their contexts. The first one is about Jesus rebuking demon possession and the second is about Jesus cursing the fruitless fig tree. Both were about supernatural acts, not figurative problems in life. Sons and daughters of God in Christ can command mountains to throw themselves into the sea and demons to scram, literally, and it will be done.

God deals with you according to your faith. If your faith cannot go beyond the figurative, you will get figurative answers all your life. But if you can believe the literal, you enjoy the supernatural power of God. I'd rather go for the literal---taking Jesus at his word. The centurion took Jesus at his word and got both the miracle he asked for and commendation from the Lord.

There were two brothers who wanted figurative favors from Jesus. They asked him to settle their dispute about their properties. Jesus didn't do anything except tell them: "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [Lk. 12.14] You limit your faith to figurative meanings, you get figurative results. Is that what you want? I would've asked Jesus for another property of my own---supernaturally---and let my brother have the inheritance all to himself, instead of just settle the dispute over one property or inheritance and divide it. 

Better yet, I would have asked Jesus for treasure that rusts and moths cannot destroy, or food that doesn't spoil.

One morning, I and my wife and baby boy were strolling around Rizal Park. We had to cross a vast field to get to the Quirino Grandstand, and the sun was up and hot. We had no umbrella. Would we let our little baby suffer intense heat? So we asked God to cover us from the sun. Immediately, we saw fluffy white clouds sail fast to where we were, directly above us, and followed us as we walked. They literally covered us from the sun as we walked! We were protected by "God's hands" until we reached the grandstand. You can stop the rain and order the clouds if Christ is in you. "Nothing will be impossible for you."

"...the sun will not harm you by day" [Ps.121.6]

Another time, we were in Baguio City for a vacation, but continuous rain threatened to spoil it all. We were in a dorm room looking out the big glass panel window where we watched the dark, gloomy sky, sighing. The sky was all dark with heavy rain clouds. Not a chance of sunlight. I almost gave up hope and began feeling frustrated. Then I prayed and whispered a command. My wife, son and nephew heard it. After about a few seconds, a small hole appeared in the middle of the sky directly above us. Imagine bright white in the hole and dark blue all around it. "Do you see that?" I asked my wife. She said yes excitedly. My son and nephew also saw it. But, what else would happen aside from a small white hole?

Every second, the hole grew bigger. Bigger and bigger. We couldn't believe what we were seeing right before our eyes! Inside the hole was bright sunlight and around it were heavy dark clouds! But the hole in the middle of the sky just got bigger---until all the dark clouds were pushed aside, and there was nothing but a bright clear sky all over the city! So that morning, we started preparing to leave for sightseeing, and for that entire morning and early afternoon it didn't rain. Rain came only when we were through with our trip at about 5 pm.

And these things happened not just once. 

Some smart alecks (figurative believers) would say these are all pure luck or chance. Yeah, a lot of Christians would rather credit chance than God about these matters. They find it hard to believe these things. Not me. I believe it was all God. No wonderful thing in this world can happen without God being all behind it.

Change your prayer life. Make it short and simple like Jesus' prayers, but powerful. 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. [Mk.11.24]

Present MOVE: Seeing the UNSEEN in real time.