REVIVAL COMES TO TEXAS

 

Wow, where can I start?  Last week we got a call somewhat out of the blue and were thrilled to find out that Rev. & Sister Ashmore were making there way into our town.  Rev. Ashmore asked me if I wanted a Revival (as if he had to ask).

 

Well I don’t think I need to tell you that we jumped at the opportunity and set a week-long revival with him beginning last Saturday (November 12^th) and running through Thursday (November 16^th).  We had the opportunity to host a two week revival with them in the mid 90’s and so I knew we were in for a wonderful time in the Lord.

 

That night I went to church excited about telling the people that they were on their way.  I tried to transfer my enthusiasm to them by telling them that I have never, in all the years I have been around the organization, ever seen a time when God did not move when Rev. Ashmore got behind the pulpit.  I told them about the young man that was healed in our Revival in San Antonio years ago.  I told them about the ladies that had their backs miraculously touched by the hand of God and then I told them there is no doubt in  my mind he’s going to do it again.

 

We only had a few days to prepare for his arrival but we went at it with all the enthusiasm of a tornado in a trailer park.  People began to bubble with excitement and expectation.  I heard some talking about how “God was going to bless” and I just knew that they were right.

 

Saturday night came and from the moment we started to sing you could just sense the presence of God.  I think we started with the old faithful “I feel the Spirit Moving” and sang a number of chorus songs after that just to start wetting the whistle of those who were present.

 

That night Reverend preached on…. (ah, you thought I was going to tell you the title of his message… can’t do that, you’ll just have to come to your local church when he gets there and hear for yourself) and God stepped out of heaven.  That night in the altar call the congregation was challenged to come forward if they needed something in their lives.  People came forward with all types of needs.  I think there were 2 or 3 that God saved, about 6 received the Holy Ghost.  In addition to these wonderful blessings, we had several people with physical needs that got their needs met.

 

A 13 year old young man by the name of Chris made his way to the front.  My wife said she saw him as he was coming to the altar.  Tears were filling his eyes but he timidly kept looking over his shoulder to gain his mothers attention and approval (she it seems was lost in prayer and did not know her son was wanting to go forward).  My wife said she just encouraged him to “go on, it’s ok Chris, go get your blessing” and that was all he needed to take the last few steps.  When he got to the front of the line (for there was a line of people that wanted healing) Rev. Ashmore asked him what he needed.  Chris explained that he had been born deaf in his left ear and wanted to be able to hear.  Rev. told him to put his finger in his deaf ear (if you’ve never been with this man of God when he is praying for people you’re in for a real treat).  He then placed his hand over Chris’s hand and told me to pray with him.  As he prayed he commanded, not asked, not begged, he commanded the ear to be opened and he then pulled the hand and finger away from the ear.  He whispered into that ear (so low that I could not hear what he said) and Chris could not hear until he began to talk to him.  Again he told him to put his finger back in his ear, again he prayed, this time more emphatically, and again he commanded the ear, in the name of Jesus to be opened…. AND IT WAS!!!!!!   Chris, a 13 year old boy who had never heard out of his left ear in his life is now answering the phone with his so called bad ear……. And I know I heard someone out there say …. AMEN!!!!

 

Sister Beal also came forward.  As many of you know she has been afflicted with Lupus.  This is a disease that is debilitating and sometimes fatal.  It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.  It is very, very painful.  I haven’t been able to shake her hand in the last two years without her wincing in pain.  Many times she has had to come to church with a cane, and there have even been times when she had to be taken around in a wheel chair because the pain was too severe.  Well, this precious saint of God came forward and the man of God began to pray.  You could almost feel the power of God in the air, and you could definitely see the earnest desire on the face of the sister.  Again the command; Reverend Ashmore speaks to the disease with authority, most people pray more along the lines of God if it’s your will, and God heal, but he comes from the realization that God wants us to prosper even as our soul prospers.  He commanded the illness to be gone … AND IT WAS!!! You should have seen that precious saint jumping and dancing (something we almost never got to see her do).  Rev. Ashmore told her to run around the church and she did… her hands are strong again, her pain is gone and the glow on her face is still warming my heart…. And again somebody said ….. AMEN!!!!

 

Over and over that night people were healed another sister had God remove her arthritis and pain in her hip and she too ran the church.  Another bro prayed for a financial blessing by lifting up his wallet towards glory and the next morning he found out about a $700 check that was coming his way… coincidence??? I DON’T THINK SO!!!

 

Throughout the week we had numerous people come to the Throne of Grace and find mercy and pardon.  Others received the Power of the Holy Ghost!  Another Brother was healed of his Thyroid Disease and was able to stop taking medicine after YEARS of being dependent upon them.

 

The last night of Revival saw two more seemingly small but note worthy miracles.  One was seen earlier in the day, before the Revival even began.  I got a call around 2:00 p.m. and was delighted to hear the voice of a brother in the Lord.  He had been in the organization while he was in the military back some years ago. He was stationed at Ft Riley and had Rev. Devonshire as a pastor.  After getting out of the military and moving back to Texas he did not know we had a church here and so had been forced to find his church home somewhere else.  It just so happened… Now you don’t believe that do  you… God moved him, that day to check the Organizational website and to his delight he discovered that there was a church here (THANK YOU PASTOR AND REV. KEKEL FOR THAT SITE IT IS ALREADY PAYING OFF) he came out that night and almost ran to the altar to pray.  He came back on Saturday and the Angels in Heaven said Glory.

 

The other miracle took place as we took up the World Missions Offering.  I didn’t know about it until the next day when a sister called me to tell me how that God had dealt with her to put in a $50 offering.  She said she had not even done her books yet to see if she had that much to give but she said “I just decided if that was what God was putting on my heart that was what I was going to do, He would work it out”.  She did what God wanted her to do.  The next day she got a check in the mail for, get this, $55 dollars.  She was so tickled by this that she could not wait to tell someone. 

 

God is good!!!!  I have no doubt that the fire that has been kindled will remain.  I doubt I need to say this but if you’re wondering if you should have this man of God for a revival don’t!!!!! God is going to move!!!!

 

Thank you Jesus for our leaders, thank you Pastor for sending him out on the field to bless us, and thank you Rev. Ashmore for developing your walk with God in such a way as to encourage us to want to Grow!!

 

In Awe of His Blessings, and in His Service,

 

Bro. Briggs

Pasadena ( Houston Area) Texas