Houston, Texas
Monday, March 16, 2009
Dear Fellow Disciples of Christ,
Yesterday morning at the Sunday service of Grace Point Community Church in Houston, we completed our second annual Advanced Training in Houston. At this service—the climax and application of the Advanced Training at our Training Center—I proclaimed the gospel. Two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus Christ made an astonishing claim: he said that was the only way to God and that he was God in human flesh. He called men to repent of their sins and to follow him. He would give them the Holy Spirit by whose power they would be able to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh and live in obedience and holiness. Jesus would not only forgive sins, he would transform sinners into his likeness with ever-increasing glory. How could we be sure that such claims were in fact true, and not simply the words of a madman?
The proof would be his miracles: “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” (John 14:11)
How does Jesus Christ perform such miracles today? Jesus promised in John 14:12 that “anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” He would perform the miracles through those who believe on him. Jesus would heal the sick through his disciples.
After sharing this message, I asked the trained disciples to come forward to heal the infirm to validate the claims of Jesus Christ. Then I asked the infirm to come forward to be healed. After prayer, the disciples laid hands on the infirm and exercised the authority Christ had given them over infirmities and demons. As far as I could see, every one of those who had come forward for healing then ascended the stage to testify that the Lord had healed them.
Perhaps the most conspicuous testimony was from a former pastor named Ron. He had recently suffered a devastating heart attack. When he came to the meeting yesterday, he was so weak that he could hardly talk. At the front, a disciple named Joel laid hands on him. Some minutes later, Ron came up to the stage and testified in a normal voice, through tears of gratitude, that the Lord had restored his strength. He showed it by running in place in front of the people. Jesus Christ had gloriously healed him.
This and the other testimonies proved that Jesus Christ was precisely who He claimed to be two thousand years ago. When I challenged the people to become slaves to God instead of slaves to sin (Romans 6:20-22), every person present raised their hand.
Dear partners, thank you for interceding for us this past week. It was an intense and physically-draining four days of teaching. On top of that, I worked hours and hours these past several days to prepare the new updated material for the Advanced Training. The Lord was gracious to anoint me to teach at every session, and to confirm His word through wonderful miraculous healings.
Please pray that these servants of God will now teach others as they have been trained to do this past weekend. May the equipping of the body of Christ for the Great Commission be accelerated through them.
One of the participants, a servant of God from Dallas named “JW”, told me of plans to start an Elijah Challenge Training Center on Long Island, New York.
Next month in April, William will be in three different countries—the United States (New York & San Diego), Canada (Alberta), and the Bahamas (Nassau) to hold the Basic Training. (If you’d like the details, just click on http://www.theelijahchallenge.org/Schedule%20of%20meetings.htm.) May the Lord grant him strength and grace.
Thank you for interceding for us, dear ones!
Sincerely in Christ,
William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org
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