Kingdom demonstrated

I still have vivid memories of the time in 1990 when my wife (just a friend at that time) and I were preparing to go to the Philippines for our first mission trip. I also borrowed a friend's baju melayu (a traditional Malay attire) for one of the presentations we were going to do. As preparation for the trip we met for prayer in church. One of the team members had a headache and I prayed for him. In this cold air conditioned room he was sweating and he mentioned that the headache had gone away. Besides this miracle we also saw many miracles in the Philippines. One of them was an old man who had his hands all cramped up. After I prayed for him he was rejoicing in Tagalog because he could move his hand freely now. Yes, we preached the kingdom and demonstrated it. Paul did the same and stayed in Ephesus for 2 years doing this.

Acts 19:11-12

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Acts 19:19

Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

The impact was so great that this city known as the center of worship for the goddess Diana was starting to lose this character. The people who made a business out of this also unlawfully held Paul's companions. There was no denying that the miracle working power of God was going through this land and beyond. It all happened because Paul and the followers of Jesus Christ were preaching and demonstrating the kingdom. I need to continue doing the same.

Father, let me be bold in word and action for your kingdom.

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