Andrew Wommack's Blog, page 21

Share It with Confidence

“Before my first mission[s] trip to Ecuador, people encouraged me by saying I would change lives with the Gospel, while others said it would change mine. I didn’t know what to expect, but I quickly discovered it wasn’t one or the other, but both. It is impossible to not change when God is all about transforming our lives through Christ.”

Pascal Gravelle was just one of the several students on the 2017 Charis Bible College missions team sent to Ecuador. He went armed and ready with new revelations and with excitement to share what he had been learning
at Charis.

But a missions trip is not only a time for students to reach out to others with the Gospel; it’s also an opportunity for God to transform students outside the classroom, students like Trisha Calhoun. After arriving in Ecuador, Trisha quickly learned how good the Holy Spirit is at taking what believers have to offer and translating it into the hearts of His people, regardless of culture
or language.

“I came prepared with messages, as instructed,” Trisha explains. “However, I lacked confidence that the messages would be received or relatable to the people we were serving. I had the wrong perspective, though. I was focused on me and my messages rather than realizing they were His messages that I was simply presenting.”

Trisha remembered something one of her Charis instructors taught: If you believe God gave you a word to share, then act like it’s His word and share it with confidence.

“During one of the church services, I shared one of the messages I felt God had laid on my heart,” Trisha recalls. “I admit that I was nervous and did not feel overly spiritual as I was sharing. However, the response from the crowd blew me away! I had to stop multiple times as the crowd praised God, shouted, and clapped. It was apparent that God was speaking to their hearts and downloading revelation to them. I could see joy on their faces as they came up to talk with me after the service.”

Trisha continues, “Joy began to spring up in my heart, as well, as I realized that it’s not about me or my abilities; it’s about God! This may seem like an obvious fact, but for the first time in my life, I am beginning to experience freedom in sharing the Good News as I learn to simply say ‘Yes, let go, and let God.’”

As the students continued to step out in faith, the people of Ecuador became more to the team than just a mission field. “We built good relationships everywhere we went, had many open doors to minister, and shared God’s love everywhere,” Pascal recalls. “No one remained a stranger as we embraced one another as family with the love of Christ.” Pascal adds, “What a privilege it is to build friendships with people through love and [to] point them back to the arms of the Father.”

When you partner with Andrew Wommack Ministries, you are helping send missions teams around the world to both disciple and be discipled. For information on partnership or to give toward Charis missions trips, you can find more information online. Together we can take the Gospel farther and deeper than ever before.

Written by Jessica Giaimo

For resources and products in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

Overcoming on the Mission Field – Part 2

Last week we shared the first part of Annerine Tomlinson’s testimony about her experience in Sri Lanka for her Charis Hong Kong missions trip. Part two reveals some of the challenges she faced and how she overcame them.

“On the first Sunday afternoon, we had the privilege of going to a Hindu village with a pastor associated with Smyrna church. . . . It wasn’t the friendliest reception. In fact, while I shared, I could see several men glaring at me with folded arms. For a split second, I felt unsafe. Some of my teammates also saw this. One of them told me he was thinking, Man, we better wrap this up and get out of here! Another just prayed in tongues. A thought went through my head: What if nobody responds to the altar call today? But right at that moment, I had another thought: This is exactly where I want to be, sharing with people in a context where this is not what they expect or believe in. This is where I want to preach my heart out, right here on this spot.

“Even before I had finished the altar call, hands shot up, including from a lot of the men who were glaring at me. Of the small crowd that assembled there, I guess almost three-fourths of them accepted Jesus. After that, some of these people went to get family from the little houses and brought them to be prayed for. Almost every old lady that I prayed for received Jesus. It was wonderful to have some young people of Smyrna church there translating and praying with us. Team members went with people to their houses and continued praying for people. I am beyond thankful for that day; it’s the stuff I dream of!”

Before her trip even began, Annerine had to count the cost of going on the mission field. The price she had to consider was the condition of her health.

“One of the things that I was slightly concerned about in the natural before we went was how I was going to be able to give out so much and go non-stop for so long. . . . I remember one night we had to climb seven flights of stairs up to a place to practice the skit, but I haven’t been doing that kind of physical exercise in many months because of a major health setback. It was huge for me! I was blessed beyond words to be able to go and give and minister non-stop and not being more tired than any other member of the team. That was incredible! That was really incredible!”

Annerine shares a few closing thoughts on making this missions trip possible:

“I feel completely alive and alert in these kinds of settings. The missionary and evangelist in me are in some kind of heaven if I can go somewhere where ground needs to be taken. I think it is the joy of the Father connecting with his children that explodes in our hearts. . . . Almost every day was my favorite day of the trip.”

Annerine says, “Thank you for this opportunity!”

Your support means changed lives. It’s that simple. If you are not a Charis Bible College World Outreach partner, consider becoming one today. If you are, then thank you! Together, we’re changing the world.

Comment below to share what part of Annerine’s testimony ministered
to you.

(Note: Testimony has been edited for length and clarity.)

Written by David Moore II

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Overcoming on the Mission Field – Part 1

Missions trips can be life-changing and are an essential part of the Charis Bible College experience. After returning from Sri Lanka, Charis Hong Kong student Annerine Tomlinson had this to say:

“We came back from this outreach so encouraged! I saw again the beauty of teamwork. I haven’t been on a missions outreach with a team for a while—only on my own with a translator. I haven’t taken any teams on trips since I started studying at Charis, if I remember correctly. This was so rewarding
and fulfilling.

“On a personal note, I was so thankful that I was able to take the original material I have been working on and share it with the children in Sri Lanka. It was a great encouragement to me to see how they have received it with open arms and how well it worked.”

Preparing for a missions trip is never easy. What do you take? What do you say to the people you will be visiting? On the field, you quickly find out that you can do without a lot and that the best items are usually those you give away! Sometimes what you share can end up being something you didn’t anticipate. The same was true for Annerine:

“There was a lot of very hard work to be done preparing for this trip, but it all paid off. And none of it was wasted. We did not end up teaching as much on the topics we prepared, but our hearts were well prepared by it. And by the leading of the Holy Spirit, we knew what to do. I love it that we have the Holy Spirit to help us and also that we have the Holy Spirit to help show us what
to prepare.”

But there was one other thing Annerine didn’t anticipate: the number of children she would be privileged to encounter in Sri Lanka. One of the things Charis leaders tell students before going on a missions trip is to be flexible. Why? Because it’s likely things won’t go exactly as planned. But often what God does is a pleasant surprise.

“Initially we were only going to be in contact with 60 to 80 kids during the trip. . . . We ended up ministering to close to 250 children in some form or another. I was blessed by the children and their open hearts. They flowed with such ease with the original children songs. I was stunned!”

In the end, she experienced these words of Jesus to be true: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b).

Annerine discovered this while ministering to more children at an orphanage:

“The day at the orphanage was a personal calendar day for me on this trip. I never expected to be so touched by the children at Fridsro. I was so encouraged by how they responded to the music and the teaching, how they took it all in, and how hungry they were for interaction and love.”

Here are Annerine’s parting words to thank you for sending her:

“I am very thankful that we had this wonderful opportunity to go together on a missions trip as a second-year class. It has been amazing to do it through Charis contacts, since we could connect with quite a few like-minded people on the other side. Thank you for this opportunity. It was
absolutely life-changing!”

Stay tuned for more on Annerine’s trip to Sri Lanka, coming up next week.

If you are not a Charis Bible College World Outreach partner, please consider becoming one today. Your gifts make trips like Annerine’s a reality. Let’s keep sending out these world-changers!

(Note: Testimonies have been edited for length and clarity.)

Written by David Moore II

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Leaving the Comfort Zone

What would you leave for the sake of the Gospel?

Some people leave family and friends, even countries, to share God’s love in nations across the world. But “leaving” doesn’t have to involve permanent or long-term geographic relocation. Leaving can simply mean getting out of your comfort zone, stepping outside the boundaries of the familiar, to reach out
to others.

That describes the second-year Charis Bible College students who visited the Dominican Republic earlier this year. The team, comprised of twenty students, two interns, and two staff members, left the familiar surroundings of the U.S. to bring the Gospel to a nation more than 2,000 miles away. Ministering on the streets and in the schools, the students didn’t do it in their own power but in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When the team traveled to a high school located high in the mountains outside Santiago, it was slow going. Four weeks of rain had produced terrible road conditions. The road was even washed out in many areas. But their leaving was worth it. Once they got to the school, the team performed skits and shared a short message of salvation. About 175 students received Jesus as their Savior! The Charis students found such freedom in being able to share Jesus so openly—in a public school!

During a second public school outreach, the team ministered to about 500 students and faculty members. Again, they performed skits and shared the Gospel. They also passed out food and candy, which was a hit with
the students.

The weeklong trip also included street ministry and open-air ministry in a park. During one of the open-air meetings, the team invited people to come forward with their prayer needs. Bryan Houser prayed for a lady who had pain in her throat. Because of their language differences, they were only able to communicate through hand signals. Bryan placed his hand on the lady’s throat and prayed. The pain lessened after the first prayer, but it wasn’t completely gone. He prayed again and the pain left!

Another team member, Kathy, prayed for an elderly woman with an eye problem. After praying for her, Kathy learned through the interpreter that the woman’s eye problem was healed. The team also prayed for Pastor Abel, a man their team leader had known for over twenty years. Pastor Abel and his wife pastor a church in a rough area of Santiago and had joined the Charis team during an outreach.

“Personally, the most exciting part of the entire afternoon,” Kathy says, “was the prayer for the pastor and his team. I felt the Spirit in a tangible way over his wife. I felt the anointing flowing over her like rain showering her, over and over. [It was a] powerful time!”

Evangelism wasn’t relegated to only the schools and streets, however. The team also ministered in local churches. During one such meeting, the students witnessed an event they do not usually encounter in the States. At the end of the service, people were invited up for prayer. Bryan had just finished praying for someone and had turned to join a teammate, Carrie, in praying for a woman who had come forward. As soon as Bryan placed his hand on the woman’s head, she fell backward. Carrie immediately knew there was demonic activity, so she continued to pray in the Spirit. When she laid her hands on the woman’s legs, the woman began to scream and cough. In the spirit, Bryan saw black smoke come from the woman’s mouth. He commanded the demons to come out, and the lady was set free!

Leaving for the sake of the Gospel is what second-year Charis missions trips are all about. Partner with us and help take the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit to the nations!

Written by Sylvia F. Wells

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The Gift

“You’re the loneliest person I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

I had only been at college a week when a girl on a campus bus turned around and said those words to me.

“What?” I shook my head in disbelief. “How would you know that?” She simply replied, “God told me.” With the most disrespectful tone I could muster, I said, “Oh yeah! What else did He tell you?” Her eyes softened. The words that followed—about something very personal in my life—both pierced me and made me wonder. There was no way she could’ve known that,
I thought.

She went on to explain that if I accepted Jesus into my heart, I wouldn’t be lonely anymore. I didn’t know how to respond. After an awkward silence, she simply turned back around in her seat.

One evening about a week later, I experienced an acute loneliness as I adjusted to college life. Suddenly, I remembered the words of the girl on the bus. It was then that I asked Jesus into my heart. I felt a warmth pour over me, and I fell asleep. The next morning, everything seemed different. I woke up with a feeling of hope. Something within me had definitely changed.

That same day, I saw the girl from the bus and told her what had happened. After she introduced herself, Corrine said, “You’ve been born again.” She then invited me up to her dorm room where she gave me a Bible. After explaining a few things about my “new life,” Corrine asked to pray for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit. She said, “You’re going to hear a new language inside. When you do, that is the Holy Spirit speaking. Just say what you hear
Him say.”

Corrine laid her hand on my head and began to speak in another language. I may have imitated her at first, but soon I realized that the words coming out of my mouth sounded quite different from hers. She said, “That’s it!
That’s tongues.”

Over the weeks that followed, Corinne and I spent a lot of time together until she left school to marry her boyfriend. I felt like my guide was gone, but really He wasn’t. Corrine had accomplished her assignment: I was born again, received my first Bible, and was filled with the Holy Spirit. I had everything I needed for the journey in front of me.

In Andrew’s new teaching, The Present-Day Ministry of the Holy Spirit, he describes how Paul didn’t want his readers to be ignorant of the person of the Holy Spirit or His gifts (1 Cor. 12:1). Understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit is not an issue of eternal salvation. However, knowing Him allows you to call on His help and ability. Without His help, most of what you do will be tied to self-effort. As Andrew says, “He’s not a force…. He’s a person.” He’s a gift.

If you want to experience the Holy Spirit’s ministry in your life, you’ll want to hear Andrew’s full teaching, which is currently playing on television or available on demand through our website. But why wait? If you want the baptism of the Holy Spirit right now, call the AWM Helpline: 719-635-1111. One of our phone ministers will be happy to pray with you. When you do that, you will also receive a free copy of The New You & The Holy Spirit book. Let these truths introduce you to the Comforter, and experience the help of the Holy Spirit for yourself.

Written by Eileen Quinn

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Lands of Liberty

Hot dogs sizzling on the grill. Flags waving in the breeze. Fireworks lighting up the night sky.

This week, homes all across the United States will be immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the red, white, and blue. On July 4, 1776, the United States declared their independence from the British Empire and adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the celebration of our independence has evolved into today’s festivities. But because liberty is an ideal every person desires, this celebration week is not reserved for only Americans. We can all celebrate freedom!

Second Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” If you are saved, this spirit of liberty—the Holy Spirit—lives in you. Andrew says in his teaching The Present-Day Ministry of the Holy Spirit:

“When you get born again is when you get changed on the inside, but when you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and begins to release this life … through you.”

This life that he’s talking about is the new life you received at salvation. The Holy Spirit helps release it.

Your “Independence Day” was the day you were born again and set free. Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” You have been empowered to live independently of sin and death and to share that freedom with others.

Every Christian is a walking “land of liberty.” With your independence comes a newfound authority. When Jesus won the war over your heart, you received rights and privileges. You now have the God-given authority to release the spirit of liberty everywhere you go.

According to Joshua 1:3, “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread” is given to you.

Andrew continues,

“The truth is, when you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you now have the same power that’s in heaven, living on the inside of you. And if you will believe and receive, you can release this supernatural power ….”

As Americans celebrate their independence this Fourth of July, we can all rejoice in the liberty we have in Christ. Learn more about the freedom living in you with Andrew’s teaching The Present-Day Ministry of the Holy Spirit. It’s available through the ministry’s online store, both individually and in the Holy Spirit Package.

Happy Independence Day!

If this blog post has blessed you, please share with us in the
comments below.

Written by Aria Fischer

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Wonderfully Made

I clearly remember a dream I had not long ago. I could see my body lying on a bed of flowers. My calm countenance reflected the peace of an eternal rest. My lifeless body was resting, but I was floating higher, leaving it behind. I was experiencing a new sense of freedom. Absorbed in this exhilarating experience, I heard the Lord say, “Your body gives you authority on this earth, but only for a brief period of time.” Then I woke up.

The next day, as I reflected on this, I came to a realization: maybe I’m not looking at my physical body the right way. It seems our modern culture is obsessed with our bodies. Every day, we face a continual stream of messages that promise everything from the perfect abs to a life free from wrinkles. It seems almost impossible to escape these messages. Even when I wait in line to pay for my groceries, my eyes are drawn to the covers of magazines. Without realizing it, I start comparing myself with the perfect models. My messy ponytail and old sweatshirt are no match for the beautiful bodies, glowing with tans. When I arrive at the grocery store, my goal is usually to get the ten things I need without forgetting anything. But by the time I get to the cashier, I feel my problem is much bigger. I think to myself, I don’t even have the right body to walk on this earth!

But God’s Word says something different. It says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). The words God spoke to me in that dream, reminded me of the real significance of the human body.

Andrew’s teaching The Word Became Flesh gives the right perspective on this. He says, “Even though God is almighty, He is almighty in the spiritual realm. In the physical realm, He gave control and dominion over the earth to physical human beings.”

Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”

God gave the earth to people for them to manage it. Andrew goes on to say, “In a sense, when He released this control and dominion, He limited His own intervention in this world because He doesn’t have a physical body.” That’s why when Adam yielded to Satan and obeyed him, he made him the god of this world. To overcome the devil, God had to become a man with a physical body. The Word (Jesus) became flesh (John 1:14) and “led captivity captive” (Ps. 68:18). He restored the dominion and authority we had lost.

Demonic spirits don’t have physical bodies. That’s why they need to work through people. Andrew says that “a slug has more authority than the devil” because it has a physical body. “And of course,” Andrew continues, “humans have the greatest authority of all because of our body.” What a
great revelation!

The moment our spirits leave our bodies will be a liberating moment! But for now, we need to remember that our bodies have a very important mission in this life. It doesn’t matter if we’re short or tall, if we have gray hair or no hair, our bodies are marvelous creations. They were created with a divine purpose: to give us the right to rule and reign in this life with Christ Jesus (Rev. 5:10). So, give yourself a hug, and go out and make the devil flee!

You can get The Word Became Flesh, along with several other related teachings, in the God’s Spoken Word Package. Order online or through our Helpline: 719-635-1111. 

Share your thoughts with us. We love to hear from you!

Written by Citlalli Macy

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Love Doesn’t Give Up

“I was speaking over his leg and ankle, commanding the ankle to be where it [wasn’t]. I began to feel his leg hot like fire, and my hands were hot as well. Suddenly I felt his ankle pop. I knew that he was healed, and his ankle was there where it wasn’t before!”

—Drew Harris

Drew Harris is just one of the students who traveled with a Charis Bible College missions team to Hungary, Serbia, and Ukraine this past school year. There, faith and miracles were an expected occurrence. But miracles don’t always happen in one instant. Sometimes it takes persistence and trust on behalf of the student, and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

This happened to Drew in Budapest, Hungary, when he took notice of a man on crutches while the team was ministering in a subway. “We asked him if we could pray for him to be healed,” recalls Drew. “We asked him what was wrong with his legs. Through the translator, we discovered that it was not his legs, but his ankle. We began to pray over him … [and] he told us his ankle was hot…. It turned out that he was born without a left ankle!”

This man had gone his entire life without a left ankle, which meant he also had weak muscles for walking and could never run or jump. Drew now understood that he wasn’t just praying for healing, but for a creative miracle. “So, we prayed over him again, but still he did not receive,” Drew explains. “He continued to feel that heat where his ankle should be…. We told him, ‘That heat is Jesus healing you!’”

The team returned to the skit they had been performing, and this man stuck around to watch. Drew kept feeling like he should go pray for him again, but not in the same way as before. God revealed to him that this man needed to take a step of faith—literally. Drew brought two team members and a translator over to this man and asked to pray for him again. Drew explained that he wanted him to put his crutches down and that the team would hold him up.

“I was speaking over his leg and ankle, commanding the ankle to be where it [wasn’t],” Drew recalls. “I began to feel his leg hot like fire, and my hands were hot as well. Suddenly I felt his ankle pop…. I stood up and told them to let him go…. I [watched] his face. He was scared to fall. Then, as he put weight on his new ankle, his face lit up, and he was overcome with joy. He began to walk through the subway. Then he began to run, praising God and running around, experiencing his healing. After a while of running around, he came to me and said that the next time he saw me, he would be faster
than me.”

This is just one of the many examples of the miraculous acts our students are doing around the world on their second-year missions trip. Not only are they discipled in the message of God’s unconditional love and grace, but they are also given the opportunity to reach out to people around the world with this love and grace, a love that doesn’t give up on people (1 Cor. 13:8).

Like Drew, you too can make a difference. Whether you’re called to attend Charis or to support others like Drew, you can find all the information you need online.

Please comment below if you’d like to share your own missions or
healing story.

Written by Jessica Giaimo.

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From Ritual to Faith

Strolling through the streets of Mexico, it’s quite easy to find images that reflect the religious life of the people. Beautiful churches grace the many plazas. Colorful altars with fresh flowers and candles can be seen in many public places. Church bells are heard throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset, like a familiar song.

Despite the appearance of religious life, many people in Mexico don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior. The void of a true relationship with God is filled with religious rituals that cannot give the peace and assurance that only true faith in Christ brings.

But God is at work, resurrecting the faith of the Mexican people. With that purpose in mind, a team of Charis Bible College students spent eight days in the city of Querétaro, sharing the love and grace of God.

Julie and Alex Palomares, the directors of Charis Mexico, had many outreaches prepared in order to give the students an opportunity to share the love of God. The team was ready. Kathy McHugh recalls, “Our team went to Mexico as well prepared as possible, and God blessed our efforts abundantly, proving once again that preparation time is never wasted time.”

The team had the opportunity to visit the Pan de Vida Orphanage and spend quality time with the children who live there. They also held a street outreach in the nearby town of Salamanca, where the powerful message of salvation was shared with simplicity.

The women’s and children’s hospital was part of the itinerary also. Public hospitals in Mexico can be overcrowded, and patients and their relatives can feel isolated and ignored despite the best efforts of medical personnel. To show love to the people in their time of need, the Charis students spread throughout the overcrowded hospital courtyard, taking with them over a hundred sandwiches they had prepared beforehand. The team gave the people food, took time to hear their personal stories, prayed for them, and reminded them that God truly loves them. One leader said that while amazing things happen at all of Charis Mexico’s outreaches, many students find that the hospital outreach impacts them the most.

Judith Leitner shares her own experience from the missions trip: “After praying with [the people], I would look into their eyes, and there was always a noticeable difference. I saw hope, possibility, joy, relief, less-to-no pain, no confusion, clarity, and brightness. Plus, there was always a huge smile of happiness on their faces! I was so touched to see God’s promises
come through.”

When people see the love of God in action and understand that salvation is a gift from God, it empowers them to experience a genuine conversion. In these outreaches, the team saw approximately 275 salvations and 50 healings, and 4 people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The students left Mexico rejoicing over the goodness of God. And for the precious people they left behind, the ringing of the church bells will have a new meaning. It will remind them to come out of dead rituals and into a
living faith.

Our Charis students take missions trips every year to a variety of places. Please consider praying for them. And as always, please comment below if this has encouraged you!

Written by Citlalli Macy

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Building a Legacy of Faith

“For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through
the gospel.”

1 Corinthians 4:15, New King James Version

Fathers are vitally important in building a legacy of faith. Without their consistent, purposeful leadership, we fall into the trap Paul mentioned in the scripture above: We stop thinking generationally.

God is a generational God. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When God called Abraham into relationship and legacy building, it wasn’t his great faith that got God’s attention. Out of all the people on earth, God chose Abraham and declared that he would be a good father.

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.”

Genesis 18:19a

One of the primary objectives given to the Jewish people—and to us as believers—is that of legacy building. God said to teach His laws “diligently to your sons and … talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:7, New American Standard Bible). For legacy building to really work, however, it takes more than just a mother’s nurturing ability. It takes fatherhood.

In 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah prayed for a son, promising that she would “give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.” Samuel served the Lord (and the people of Israel) as judge and prophet all the days of his life. He had an intimate, personal relationship with God. But one wonders if Samuel was thinking generationally.

Scripture says Hannah intended to care for her son until he was “weaned” (1 Sam. 1:22); then she would present him before the Lord. But this word “weaned” does not have the same connotation as we understand. It means more than simply ceasing to nurse. In Hebrew, this word is gamal, which also means “to deal fully or adequately with” (NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). Hannah cared for and taught her son until he was ready for the next stage of his training: apprenticeship.

In Jewish culture, children were taught the importance of family, the importance of God’s Law, and a trade. Typically, sons apprenticed with their fathers, and by the age of twelve or thirteen, they were considered responsible for their own actions. Whether this was the age at which Hannah presented Samuel to Eli the priest, or if he was presented earlier, she felt that Samuel was adequately prepared to serve the Lord. However, Eli’s own sons were ungodly, and “he restrained them not” (1 Sam. 3:13). Eli was unable to teach Samuel how to build a legacy of faith. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Samuel’s own sons also went their own way (1 Sam. 8:3), regardless of Samuel’s standing in Israel. Samuel lacked the teaching to become a
good father.

A father’s role in God’s generational plan of faith cannot be overstated. Fathers are so important! Luke 1:17 says that John the Baptist would prepare the people for the Lord and would “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children” (New Living Translation). John helped people think generationally. I believe this is the church’s job today. We must present a clear call to fatherhood and stress its importance in building a legacy of faith. Without fathers, we could lose the next generation.

I want to thank my husband, Raymond Troup, for helping me write this
article—for sharing his insights in the Scriptures. But more importantly for being a man of great faith and an example to our children of what it means to walk with Christ. We are building a legacy of faith, babe!

Pray for the fathers in your life. And don’t forget to wish them Happy Father’s Day this weekend.

Written by Roxanne Troup

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