Jesus forever revealed the heart of the Father for the lost in Luke 15 when He told the story of the lost coin. The story was told in response to the complaint of the religious leaders in verse 2, "this Man receives sinners and eats with them." Like many today, these leaders were waiting anxiously for God to destroy the sinners. They refused to have anything to do with them. It would tarnish their reputation.

Jesus said the Father is like a bride who lost a coin that could never be replaced. A string of silver coins were worn on the bride's head much like we wear a wedding ring today. She could think of nothing else. She swept the house until she uncovered the hidden treasure. When she found it she called her friends together to help her celebrate. The woman represents the Father. He is not only concerned for the lost. He is searching them out. When He finds them He is not bitter or angry. He throws a party in heaven!

Kevin Dedmon has written a book called "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt." He describes how a group can ask the Holy Spirit for clues about a person who would be open to hear about Jesus- the lost treasure. We tried it. A group from Abundant Life asked the Holy Spirit to give them some clues. They heard the Lord say "Ashley" "blonde hair" "hurt wrist" white teeth" "cowboy boots" and "mentos."

Chris is one of our members who manages a bookstore downtown. She was at work the next day and a friend named Ashley walked in. At first she did not make the connection. Then she remembered, "Ashley from our list last night!" Ashley was a blonde with very white teeth. It was a feature she was known for. Chris showed her the map. Ashley felt the presence of God. She suddenly knew He cared for her!

She looked at the list and said she loved cowboy boots, she had mentos in her pocketbook, and she had hurt her wrist! It was too much to be coincidence. The Father loved her beyond any doubt. The supernatural just works that way. It's instant.

Chris was excited that the phrases they received from waiting on God were so accurate. She offered to pray for Ashley's wrist right there in the store. I don't think Ashley will ever forget this encounter! Who knows when will be the next time she will need to know that the Father considers her to be His valuable treasure?

I listened to a cd of Charles Ndifon from Nigeria talking about healing the sick as I rode along in my car. He teaches that we are anointed with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus had. Why would Jesus send us to do what He did and not give us sufficient power to get the job done? He noticed a lady with back pain and stopped his message to heal her. Charles believes we should stop praying for the sick and just heal them like Jesus did. It's more scriptural. He asked the lady where the pain was. She said "Well at the moment I can't feel it but it's right here in my lower back." Charles asked her if she was sure about that. She checked again and it was gone! I felt faith being downloaded in me to do the same. I didn't know when it would happened but I had a new confidence. John Wimber used to say faith is spelled r-i-s-k. A risk is defined as placing something valued in a position or situation where it can be damaged, lost, or exposed to danger. Pretty good huh? You must place your reputation in harm's way to see miracles. You will fail before you succeed. How badly do you want to see the truth of the gospel work? The next day we arrived in Moncks Corner for our monthly outreach to the poor. About 70 people had were there to pick up groceries. I knew this was the time. Boldness came on me! I told them the good news that Jesus loved them even while He was working on their problems, He took away their sins by His blood and He carried their sicknesses in His body on the cross. I knew that the gospel is the power of God when it is shared. The presence of God fell. We all knew it. I asked who needed healing and the people began to push to the front. One woman had terrible arthritis in her back and hips. We invited the Holy Spirit to come upon her and then told her to check for the pain. She said it was better. We wanted it all to go. Soon she and the group were praising God for allowing her to move without pain. Then it happened. I was aware that we had entered into a glory bubble and that miracles were about to pop all around us. I turned to the next lady in line and asked "where is your pain?" She said "Nowhere now! It went away while that lady was being healed!" A Jesus cheer erupted and we were having church on the sidewalk. Someone with severe pain from a kidney stone began to bend up and down and shout "I have not been without pain in my left side for so long and now it is gone!" Another with a cyst on her wrist watched as it began to shrink. I thought we were transported back to the Bible days. This is how God wants to demonstrate His love every time we gather in His name!

Peter went up o the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened . . .  Acts 10:9-10

On a recent healing outreach we shared the gospel with about a hundred and fifty people standing in line to receive free turkeys for Thanksgiving. I explained the good news about Jesus for only about ten minutes. When I gave the altar call, about 15 came to accept Jesus. I then led them in a prayer to be filled with the Spirit and they all began to speak in tongue.

One little hispanic teenage girl especially captured my heart. She had her hoodie pulled over her head so noone could see, but she had received her heavenly language and continued to pray with it long after the others had stopped. She was precious to Jesus. I could feel His love for her!

As I prayed for the group I noticed a man named Paul who suffered from cerebral palsy getting hit by the power. He was weeping loudly as the Holy Spirit fell on him. Chris from our team stayed with him praying in the Spirit. I could see that deliverance was taking place. He was being set free from the oppresive disease. It was so powerful.

Suddenly Paul was caught up in a trance like Peter experienced in Acts 10. He was looking at the invisible scene from heaven and talking to the Lord.The people said the only word he had spoken in his life was to say "momma" when he was baptized! Now he was forming heavenly words as he worshipped Jesus in a trance in the parking lot at Bi-Lo! He was pulling "chains" from his wrists and pointing at the glory of the Lord.

The people recognized that something supernatural was happening. They were very familiar with him. They all gathered around him and began to shout and clap their hands in praise to God. The noise level caught me off guard completely. It happened so quickly. Revival was breaking out in the parking lot. I hope it was ok with the management!

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12

Since the Holy Spirit fell on us in 1995, we have known that our ministry would involve the works of Jesus mentioned above including salvation, healing, deliverance and the kingdom coming in demonstration. We have seen people healed from time to time, but now God has put together at team a Abundant Life Church that sees dramatic healings everytime we go out to minister together!

Some friends came together and invited me to share my testimony at their home. I told them what God did and prayed for all of them. Many of them ended up on the floor as they were touched by God's power. They began to attend my Wednesday night healing class. We planned to go join with Brian Keelin and Celebration Station to do an outreach in Moncks Corner.

We arrived at 8:30 to see over a hundred people gathered to pick up free groceries. Brian has been providing the groceries once a month for nine years. Twenty-five of our healing team were there eager to see God move! I shared a brief message and we offered to pray for the people. It happens so quickly! God begins to touch them and pain goes from their bodies.

Cassandra approached us saying she had swelling in her knees. We began to lay hands on her gently and in about thirty seconds the power was falling on her as she stood there weeping and thanking God. Then she said, "it doesn't hurt anymore!" She began jumping in place. The knee was so swollen that she could not move it without great pain. The swelling left just that quicky. She said she felt like running. I told her to take off. She ran across the Bi-Lo parking lot totally pain free!

When she came back, people had gathered around to hear her thanking and praising God for her healing. We had a word from God that this condition was in her family and the Lord wanted to set them all free. She said she was on her way to pick up special stockings from her mom that would help with the condition. Her sister had the same problem as well. She was going to lay hands on them and ask Jesus to heal them. I challenged her to share her healing with her pastor and ask him if she could call all those who had swelling in their bodies to come for prayer in the Sunday service and then lay hands on all of them in Jesus' name!

When everything was finished we stood there in the anointing looking at each other and laughing in the Spirit. We were drunk in the Spirit like the people in Acts 2! God had come and it was more than we could stand. The presence of God was all over us. The kingdom of God had come upon us. Noone wanted to leave!