Dad’s favorite song

Stories to Inspire

How would you know if a Heavenly entity was trying to get your attention?   Would they talk to you… would they knock on the door… would they cause a feather to fall in front of you… would they appear in a dream… or ??

You see, as we begin to believe Heb 12:22-23 more fully, we realize that we are currently in the midst of innumerable angels and we are with the church of the Firstborn and all those who’s names are registered in Heaven, etc.  They’re all around us… because we’re in their territory – if we believe our Bibles.  So the communities of earth are learning to integrate with the communities of Heaven.  Paul charges us to set our affections on these things above… don’t think about earth-things anymore (Col 3:1-2).

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.  You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,…” – Heb 12:22-23 

So, not long ago we were activating our faith to engage with all the entities in that passage.  A thought popped into my mind, so I simply spoke, “Be open to a melody of a song which may help you be aware of one of these saints in ‘the cloud’ nearby.”

Here, Debbie relates what she encountered during that activation…
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Dad’s favorite song

One of my father’s favorite songs was Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.  Years ago, in a beautiful outdoor setting at The Garden Gate Tea Room, a curious thing happened.  We were leading worship at a benefit in my father’s honor, and were in the middle of singing this very song, when someone came up and whispered in my ear that Dad had just passed away.  I looked up to the clear night sky full of bright shining stars, and with tears streaming down my face, we continued to sing…

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His Glory and Grace

Some of my last words to Dad were thanking him for leading me to Jesus.  So when I hear this song, I always think of him.  But now, this song has taken on new meaning. 

As Mark led us in an activation, I couldn’t hold back the tears.  I realized that Dad had been singing that song to us the night he went home.  I understood for the first time, that Dad was in the great cloud of witnesses worshiping at the Heavenly Garden Gate while we worshiped from the earthly Garden Gate.  And we were singing the same song together.  I felt Heaven and earth merging more than ever before.

Now, every time I hear this song, I will be even more aware of the rich resource and blessing of all those in this “great cloud of witnesses”. 

Thanks, Dad.  Thank you for continuing to remind me to turn my eyes upon Jesus. – DH

— MLH

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Leroy acknowledged my greeting

Stories to Inspire

We’ve been researching the idea of involvement with the ‘cloud of witnesses’.  Convincing current testimonies and newly revealed Scriptures shine new light on this once-taboo topic.  Interesting insight: All those who are “in Christ” and have passed through the grave, are not dead… they have been experiencing everlasting life from the moment of their salvation (Jn 3:16).
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Leroy acknowledged my greeting

This week a very dear friend of mine Leroy, passed on into his eternal reward.  He ran a trophy-filled race and is now receiving his reward — Jesus, face to face!  And He’s in the great cloud of witnesses now.  Wow!!!  Within a few hours of his passing, I sent the following text to a close mutual friend.

Leroy & Cindy Metzger

“Awww. My buddies… Leroy & Jesus.  I feel lots of love for Leroy.  He’s in the great cloud of witnesses now.  If you have time to look this way Leroy, Hi!!! Sending you my love.”

Well, something unexpected happened less than 30 mins after I sent that text.  I was out running and met a man on a bike.  He rode past me, shortly turned around, came back and stopped to talk with me.  Unusual!  So I stopped to engage with him.  He was the nicest cheerful and chatty 69-year-old man.  I asked his name and he said, “Roy!”  Before we parted, I asked if I could pray for him.  He agreed and we soon parted ways.

As I walked away, I remembered that just minutes before, I had solicited Leroy’s attention and conveyed my love.  Well, here’s something interesting: Many times I called Leroy, ‘La Roy’ which means ‘the king’ (roy means king).  What are the chances that the very next person I meet in this world, after I just greeted Leroy… is named Roy?

Upon realizing this, I quickly turned and watched the bicyclist in the distance.  He was already out of earshot, but I wanted to call him back because it just dawned on me, “La Roy, you just came to check in with me, didn’t you?  Wow!  Love ya, my buddy!  Thanks!”

Saints working with us

Stories to Inspire

We’ve been talking about engaging the ‘cloud of witnesses’ recently.  If you’re asking if this is Biblical… consider the Mt of Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah met with Jesus and “spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:31)  Old Testament saints stepped out of the unseen realm and literally advised Jesus so that He could “set His face toward Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51).
 If it’s true of Jesus, then it’s possible for us.  Yes!!!  How many resources of Heaven are we currently accessing?  Doesn’t it make us want to reach for more?

In this second short story, Earl gets a word of knowledge that gives a first-hand account of a deceased godly saint still praying for her granddaughter, even after the grandmother dies.

Saints working with us

“A young woman came to The Well several months ago.  Through her appearance, it was obvious she was ‘beaten up’ by life.  Some from her choices and also from the abuse received from others.  It was obvious from her posture she did not want to be there.”

“The Lord gave me a picture of someone praying for her, someone that had been praying for her all her life and this person said she would continue praying for this young girl until she received Christ as her Savior.  As I am giving this word of knowledge she just broke and started to weep.  All of her resistance to being there left and she became vulnerable.  Then the Lord gave me a name, so I asked her if this person was named Ruth.  Her brokenness intensified and she fell to the floor, as this is the name of her grandmother who had passed away some time ago, and who she now understood as one of the great cloud of witnesses praying for her even to this day. (Heb 12)”

“I then followed with the prophetic word concerning how the Lord was going to heal her emotions, set her free from her past and give her a future filled with wonderful possibilities and great expectations from a God who loved her and saw her as beautiful.  She would have had a hard time receiving that word without her heart being unlocked by the word of knowledge.” – EA