Andrew Wommack's Blog, page 23

Open the Door to Faith

The Apostle Paul called Timothy“my beloved and faithful son in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17, New King James Version). As a spiritual father, Paul trained and encouraged Timothy in his faith. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul honored the faith that was handed down to Timothy by the mothers in his life. Paul told him, “I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day when I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did.... [5] I’m reminded of how sincere your faith is. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m convinced that it also lives in you” (2 Tim. 1:3 and 5, God’s Word Translation).

The greatest gift we can receive from a mother, after the gift of life, is the gift of faith. In my own life, the faith of my grandmother was like a letter from Christ to me, written by the Spirit of the living God (2 Cor. 3:3).

I grew up in an atheistic home. Consequently, my family and I only went to church for memorial services and weddings. My Sunday mornings were not very spiritual. Instead of church, I would stay in bed, reading comic books and eating toast with strawberry jam. I enjoyed the leisurely pace on Sundays, but when I would watch other girls wearing pretty Sunday dresses on their way to church, I felt like I was missing something. But at the time, I didn’t know God had a plan for my life.

I spent many summers at my grandma’s house, and her kitchen became my first church. It was there that I heard the Gospel for the first time. I would hear her sing praises to God while her pet parrot would chime in on a different key. I remember the time when a friend asked my grandma to pray for her daughter who was dying in the hospital. My grandmother spent all night praying in tongues. A couple of days later, we received the news that the young lady had recovered. Her faith helped me to see that God was alive and that He loved people. My grandmother’s life was the seed God used for my salvation.

Faith is generational. It is comforting to know that we all can participate in the chain of generational faith. Whether or not we grew up with an example of faith to follow, we can choose to be the first link in our family’s chain, living our lives in such a way that we can hand down a sincere and rich faith. Mothers are gifts, but they are not perfect. When we focus on the influence our faith can have on the next generation, we are free to honor our mothers with pure hearts—despite their imperfections.

Take time this Mother’s Day to celebrate the mothers in your life! Ask God to give you fresh eyes to see them. Love them, forgive them, and bless them. Determine in your heart today that you will be the next generation that opens the door to faith.

A Mother’s Love

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ [27] and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’”

John 19:26-27, New International Version

Jesus, the Savior of the world, was about to accomplish the greatest miracle of all time. Everything in His life and everything prophesied in Scripture had prepared Him for these dark, gruesome hours. Yet for someone known as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), He Himself had very few final words. Dehydrated and dying—weakened from bleeding out on the cross—Jesus used His remaining strength to ensure that a very special someone was taken care of when He left this earth: His mother.

When we think about Jesus as the Son of God, we often overlook that He was also the son of a woman. Just like us, Jesus had to be incubated in a womb. He had to have diapers changed and lunches made. Who sewed up the robes that He tore while climbing trees? Who lovingly refused to serve Him dinner until He washed the sawdust from His hands? Jesus had a mother. And just as He demonstrated how we are to love God and people, He also demonstrated how we are to love the women who raised us.

When I left home to go to Charis Bible College, I thought the process of being raised by my mother was finished. One year and several bad financial decisions later, I learned I was sorely wrong. At twenty-three years old, I had to swallow my pride and go live with my parents, who by that time had also moved to Colorado for Charis.

As a Charis student in my second year, I learned a great deal about the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). However, nothing taught me humility like having to resubmit myself to my parents. Ironically, nothing taught me God’s grace like their love.

“Jeff, breakfast is ready,” my mom would say to wake me up in the best way possible. Every morning before I rushed off to school, she would get up extra early to make me bacon and eggs. When I returned home after a long day of work, I would find a thoughtfully made dinner waiting for me in the oven.

Why would she go the extra mile for me? Was it not my mistakes that led me back to my parents’ house? Shouldn’t I suffer the full consequences of
my stupidity?

While I struggled with thoughts of failure and doubt, my mother reminded me of my value through doing my laundry, making my bunk bed (yes, a bunk bed), and keeping the fridge stocked with all the goodies that only I enjoyed. Before long, I started to realize that it was through the small, mundane things that I had taken for granted that she silently said, No matter what, you will always be my son.

I believe God uses mothers to show us one of the many facets of His infinite love. How often have we taken this love for granted? Jesus recognized the significance of His mother while dying for the sins of the entire world. This indicates that no matter how busy we are, we should find the time to call our mothers, send them a card—show them our gratitude for everything
they’ve done.

We here at Andrew Wommack Ministries wish all mothers a very happy Mother’s Day!

Praise in the Gates

“The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him.”

Proverbs 31:1 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Another cigarette is calling Jim’s name. Is she asleep yet? Driving from Phoenix, Arizona, Jim is taking his Grandmother Salome back home to Illinois. While making this long, three-day road trip, he has desperately tried to hide his addiction. Jim glances over at his grandmother to see her shawl pulled up over her shoulders. Her breathing is slow and steady—another sign she has fallen asleep. A sigh of relief breaks loose from Jim as he rolls the window down, and smoke soon billows out of the car.

This goes on for the whole three days. Every time Grandmother Salome falls asleep, Jim rolls down the window to smoke. Because of his staunch, traditional Christian upbringing, Jim is afraid that if he gets caught, he will be read the riot act: “That’s not what we do, Jim! You better stop that!”

By the end of three days, Jim and Grandmother Salome finally arrive at her house in Illinois. As Jim drops his grandmother off, Salome looks at him with a thoughtful expression. “You know, Jim,” she says, “you don’t smoke very much. I bet you could quit.” It’s out in the open now! But the nagging, judgmental attitude Jim expects to see never comes. Only words of kindness and encouragement are offered.

Jim, my dad, never forgot the kindness of his Grandmother Salome, who has since passed on. I don’t know if she ever knew it, but her seed of faith enabled my dad to eventually quit smoking for good.

In the same way that my great-grandmother’s faith impacted my dad’s future, my mom’s faith has impacted mine. Mothers wield a unique power to shape the future with their words, and it’s because of my mom’s life—her knowledge of the Bible, her own personal relationship with God, and her willingness to take the time to teach me what she knows—that I love
Jesus today.

And as a mother who knows how to wield her words, she’s in good company.

King Lemuel’s mom was another such lady. I can only imagine what she was like! What she taught her son is now the pinnacle of Christian femininity across the globe. One aspect she described of a virtuous woman and mother was that of having “the law of kindness” on her tongue (Prov. 31:26).

So, for all the mothers out there, take it from me and take it from my dad—your words of kindness go deeper than you know.

Happy Mother’s Day!

“Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in
the gates.”

Proverbs 31:31

Called to Mother

As a first grader, I perceived how important our kitchen table was. It was where we ate all our meals, did homework, and played board games. It was also where my mother waited for me each weekday with an afterschool snack. Although she had four other kids arriving home, dinner to prepare, and homework to oversee, she found time to sit with me.

My mother poured out her excellence and stirred it thoroughly into every aspect of our lives. It was at a neighbor’s house that I had my first taste of Pop Tarts and Twinkies, and I knew even then that nothing that came wrapped in cellophane compared to my mom’s pies, brownies, and cakes. Our food was always homemade, and the kitchen table was the heart of my mother’s ministry.

Motherhood has been my mom’s vocation, not just her role. She has always had “loaves-and-fishes” faith (Matt. 14:13-21). Resources have always seemed to multiply in her hands. When we were kids, I remember her saving money out of the food budget all year to buy us summer passes to the swimming pool. Over and over she believed God would make things happen for us that had been ruled out or that seemed impossible.

Having a faith that God supplies is something my mom learned from her mother and then passed on to me. Although my parents lived on one income, my mother believed we’d always have what we needed when we needed it. I was in middle school when a friend from an affluent family came over to eat dinner at my house. The next day at school, she made fun of my family for having a picnic table as our dining table. I had never thought of it as outdoor furniture. It perfectly fit us, and there was always room for more if we
had guests.

When a woman’s motherhood is a vocation and not just a role, she does it all through her life. As an empty nester, my mom went to college. She then worked for almost twenty years in foster care as a case manager. She bought her foster kids Christmas presents and was often the only one who was with them at their high school graduations. My mother would never say she was successful or important, but she has completely invested herself in loving and supporting children and our family. And to me, that’s a success!

With my own son, I also stepped into the calling of motherhood. In middle school, my son was switched from a Christian school to a secular academy. Although most of the kids were financially well off, they did not go home to a parent. My son came to our restaurant after school, which is where I waited for him every day. We did his homework together at a large round table. Within six months, he was bringing four or five of his friends with him daily, and I fed them before they did homework. Even if my son stayed after school, several of the boys showed up without him because they felt so comfortable there. I knew it was because of the mothering heart in me.

Seeing motherhood as a calling doesn’t mean you can always be at home with your children, but it does mean that you give the best to those you mother. On this Mother’s Day remember to thank those who have mothered you.

Eyes on Brazil

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Charis Bible College students made God’s eyes rest on Brazil. During a recent missions trip to that country, Adrian, Kim, and Shoshana prayed for a lady who was using a walking stick. After prayer, they got her to stand and do movements she couldn’t do before. She walked, tapped her toes, and started taking bigger steps, bending her knees and lifting her foot. She even danced with Shoshana! When hot dogs were served, she rushed over to get one, and it appeared like she had forgotten that she ever had a problem walking. The nearly-too-good-to-be-true news made a mark in Brazil through these
Charis students.

Sang, another Charis student, prayed for a man and lifted his arms up in the air. As soon as she lifted them up, he started crying. He was so powerfully touched by the Lord. Before the day was out, the man had also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Judy, another member of the Charis missions team, shared a personal testimony about adultery and God’s great forgiveness. After sharing, Judy prayed with a young lady, but she didn’t understand English. So, this lady asked for someone to translate for her. The translator revealed that this young lady had been going through exactly what Judy had shared during her story. She said Judy’s testimony really spoke to her. The woman appeared to love the Lord, but she had been tempted by sin. Judy was led to share this personal testimony, and she believes it will help this young lady to stay strong and stand against the Enemy’s temptation.

Please consider supporting Charis Bible College World Outreach. You are empowering future missionaries to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Also, if you feel called to world missions yourself, check out the Third-Year Missions School at Charis! Let God know that His eyes can rest on
you today.

A Great Adventure Awaits

Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace
Let’s follow our Leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other…this is the great adventure

I remember listening to those words back in the 1990s. They’re from the song The Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman. As a fairly new single parent at the time, I wouldn't have used the word “adventure” to describe my life. Spending too much time working and not enough time at my kids’ baseball games, the days—and years—went by in a blur.

Even so, there were things to be thankful for. My kids were awesome. I had a good church family and some really good friends, and my mom and dad were never more than a phone call away.

But in my heart, I knew there was more.

True, my church was great. We believed in the gifts of the Spirit and in the power of God. But as I sat there one day, I couldn’t help thinking, Is this really all there is to this Christian life? Where are the signs, wonders, and miracles that I read about all through the Bible? If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why are we not doing what those New Testament believers did?

If you had asked me at that time, I would have told you that I was a disciple of Jesus Christ. But back in Jesus’ day, it was understood that disciples were supposed to be able to do what their rabbi did. So, if I was truly a disciple, why was my life void of the obvious supernatural life of the God who lived inside me? Why was my life so...natural?

From that moment, I began a quest—which is still ongoing—prompted by a holy dissatisfaction with the status quo. To date, my quest has involved two relocations to different areas of the country, new church families, a career change, and three years at Charis Bible College. I’m following my Leader into the great unknown. I may not know where I’m going, but I know He does.

I am reminded of something one of the instructors is fond of saying: “There’s something about life that’s so daily.”

If “daily” describes your life and you’re looking for an adventure in God, break away from the familiar and head to the Summer Family Bible Conference in Woodland Park, Colorado, from July 3-7. The week will be chock-full of powerful praise and worship, teaching tailored to each member of your family, and plenty of time for you to explore The Sanctuary campus and the picturesque Woodland Park area.

The bottom line? I think Steven Curtis Chapman says it best:

So, come on, get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long-faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for

Give Where You’re Going

What are you believing God for in your life? Is it to own your own home? To get married? To have children? Maybe you know what God has called you to do, but it’s a matter of…well…getting there. While there is a place for waiting on God and His timing and direction, there is something you can do. One way you can see doors open for you is by giving where you want to go. Opened doors are one of the many benefits of becoming a financial partner with a ministry that you trust. You can exercise your faith for direction and open doors through the giving of your finances. Matthew 9:29 says, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

In Andrew’s teaching series Financial Stewardship, one of his messages, “Your Partnership in the Kingdom,” speaks directly to this:

“If you really want to prosper, here’s one way to do it: Find a ministry that is doing something big…bigger than [you]. They’re reaching out. They’re touching other people. This could be a church. It could be a television ministry. It could be a missionary. It could be anything. But [find] somebody who has a big vision that’s going to take a lot of money, and you become a partner with them. And you know how God gets that money to that minister? He sends it to his partners. He sends it to people. So, if you want to prosper, find a ministry that needs a lot of money [and] become a partner with them. God will send that money to you to get it through you to them, and He will prosper you supernaturally.”

What if it’s hard for you to trust God with your finances? I get it! It’s your time and effort wrapped up in a single paycheck. But Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” So, what this means is that your finances are actually considered a small thing—“that which is least” (emphasis mine). If you’re not where you want to be, don’t stop until you get to God’s perfect will. Jesus has a knack for increasing what you give to Him.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Luke 6:38

In a way, you’re actually giving yourself to God when you give financially, and this makes a way for Him to multiply you.

So, prayerfully consider becoming a financial partner with a ministry, mission, or person going in the direction you feel a pull toward. Also, if you want to hear more about your partnership in the kingdom, get Andrew’s Financial Stewardship series.

Where do you want to go?

Please post a comment below if this has encouraged you.

Look Higher!

Recently I was watching the Praise show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network with Andrew Wommack as a guest. One of the first things he said got
my attention:

“Most people aren’t even believing for God’s best.”

What holds you back from believing for God’s best? For many, I’d say it’s some kind of feeling of unworthiness; that is, they think it would be presumptuous or selfish to want more than what they need. But did you know that it’s actually selfish to think only about your needs? Why? Because you can’t be a blessing to others if only your needs are met (2 Cor. 8:12)! God’s best is for you to have a surplus of prosperity. That’s exactly what He
told Abram:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.”

Genesis 12:2, New King James Version

I believe God was trying to set Abram’s sights higher. He wants to do the same thing for you. You’ve got to believe that God is on your side and that He wants the very best for you. That’s His heart. He’s into “much fruit”
(John 15:8).

In my life, I haven’t gotten very far when I’ve entertained the thought that God would abandon me when I needed Him most. That kind of thinking is based on a lie, because God said,“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5, NKJV, emphasis mine).

There’s no way I’ll receive God’s very best if I’m not fully convinced that He is with me. And guess what? That’s part of faith, which is what Andrew goes on to say during the program:

“So, the first step is, people have to begin to start believing for God’s best.”

As Christians, we can live by playing too much defense. But that’s not who we are. It’s not how God sees us. If we’re going to receive His best, we need to be on the offense. What does that look like? We’ve got to have a sense of identity that we won’t accept anything less than what God has promised us. It’s our right! As Andrew told the hosts, “People have to kind of be given a holy dissatisfaction with being like everybody else, and we need to start living up to God’s standards.”

So, if God came to you and asked what you wanted of Him, would you ask for His very best? If you truly want to be a blessing to others, you should. God is on your side. If you sometimes have trouble seeing that, watch the hourlong interview with Andrew on TBN. He discusses his new book, Living in God’s Best, which you can order from Amazon. Renewing your mind is a process, and what Andrew says in this teaching will really help!

Also, please comment below about how you’re going to start seeing that God is for you and wants you blessed.

Worth the Wait

But, certain that I had heard from the Lord, I decided to attend Campus Days 2009. From start to finish, it was amazing—from the worship, to the teaching, to the tour of the college, to the first-year student named Rhonda who “adopted” me for the duration of the three-day event. Taking me and a few others under her wing, she went out of her way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Before we all left to return home, one of the other “adoptees” paid my application fee so I could enroll in the college! I returned home with high hopes, even though I had no idea how God was going to work
everything out.

Four years later, I was still in my home state of Florida, and I didn’t seem any closer to making it to Charis Colorado than I did when I left Campus Days.

Growing frustrated and even a little anxious, I decided to visit one of the Charis campuses in my state. Perhaps the Lord wanted me to attend a local campus so I could stay close to family. Brimming with anticipation, I visited Charis Jacksonville. But as wonderful as it was, I didn’t receive any confirmation from the Spirit that I was supposed to attend there. I headed home in tears.

Fast forward one year. After I sold my home and put my stuff in storage, I packed my car and headed for Colorado with my first year’s tuition in hand. My time had come.

Finally!

But you know what? It was worth the wait. And as I stood in line the day I registered for classes, something amazing happened. Standing in front of me was Rhonda, that same first-year student I’d met more than five years earlier! She had taken a break after graduating from second year and was returning for Third Year.

Has God whispered “Charis” in your ear? Have you felt Him tugging at your heart? It’s not too late to make plans to attend Campus Days 2017, April 20-22 in Woodland Park, Colorado. There you’ll experience firsthand Charis’s culture of love, transparency, and excellence. Attendees will meet and mingle with Andrew and other Charis instructors, sit in on classes, tour the campus, learn about the local community, and receive practical relocation information. You can register for this three-day event at CampusDays.org. If you’re not able to make the trip to Colorado, you don’t have to miss out! Tune in via our
live stream.

I’m just finishing up Third-Year Ministry School at Charis, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m finally beginning to tap into what God’s plan has been all along. I don’t have all the answers yet, but one thing I know for sure—the best is yet to come!

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Chances are, at some point or another, you’ve heard the question: “If there’s a God, why is there so much evil and injustice in the world?” I found myself in such a conversation with someone not long ago. As is common, the person I was speaking to pointed to world poverty and asked why God doesn’t do something to help the poor.

Although I didn’t say it aloud, I wondered, What does this person expect God to do—rain money down from the clouds? God is a good, loving God. It’s certainly not His will for people to live in poverty and go without having their basic needs met. And, because He’s God and has thought of everything, He already has a plan for meeting the world’s needs. It’s found in Deuteronomy 8:18: “It is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant” (New King James Version). 

The covenant that God extended to the world isn’t only spiritual; it also includes material wealth, health, peace, and everything else He has to give. Of all the ways God could “establish His covenant” on the earth, He opted to use us—the body of Christ! What a privilege—and responsibility—we have to partner with Him in ministering to the world’s spiritual and material needs.

In Financial Stewardship, Andrew explains that “prosperity really isn’t for us. It’s so that we can be a blessing. It enables us to bless others.” The problem is that religion has taught the church that prosperity is evil and selfish and that we should avoid it at all costs if we want to be godly. This mindset accepts that poverty equals humility and godliness.

Those who believe this only want enough of God’s blessings to get by. They’re fine with just a little because they don’t want to be selfish. But 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” God wants us to abound to every good work. We can’t abound in helping others if we’re broke ourselves!

Viewing prosperity from a true biblical perspective, we’re selfish if we’re not abounding, because that means we aren’t able to give to others. According to Andrew’s teaching in Financial Stewardship, we need to start prospering so we can abound to every good work. This is why God wants us to prosper. He wants to bless us so that He can make us a blessing. We can’t bless others if we aren’t blessed.

If every Christian had the right attitude toward prosperity—understanding that prosperity isn’t selfish, but a blessing that God wants to get to us—I believe we could eradicate world hunger and poverty and send the Gospel around the globe. God’s not going to rain money down on people. He’s waiting for us to believe Him for prosperity so we, “having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

Please share a comment below if this has ministered to you!