FEAR Extinguishing - divine appointments, words of knowledge AND grateful people

While many Christian leaders in my state seem anxious to get back to "Church as usual", I am reminded once again of the old Vineyard adage, "The MEAT is in the street"!  This means that MORE is happening OUTSIDE the walls and confines of "Church meetings".  That has been my experience - and since there have been NO church meetings, that has been especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  Go and EXTINGUISH FEAR - that is what the Lord told us and that is what we have been doing.

I would say in the beginning that the majority of the people we were meeting, our primary interaction was to actually help them with their fear, anxiety, and worry in these uncertain times.  To pray with them, to encourage them, and literally see "fear extinguished" in the encounter.  Sure there was the virus issue, but the financial issues became as important to people - the fear of the future, the fear of getting a paycheck, etc. 

But God ALWAYS seems to want to do more and that is what we have been seeing in the past week or so when we have gone out to be "FEAR Extinguishers".

For example, the words of knowledge are increasing for healing - while driving up to some friends' house for a neighbor standing in the street (a shoulder), for the owner of a flower shop (a wrist) and for the Persian owner of a restaurant (left foot).  All of them readily received healing prayer in Jesus' Name!  Yes, fear extinguishing is happening, but God is increasing prophetic revelation (words of knowledge and other prophetic words for strangers) and He is releasing healing!  I would say that we have been having many opportunities to share with unbelievers the "thoughts" God has for them and their callings.  We have just been transitioning into prophetic words by saying "and I feel like God wants you to know...".  One woman in particular who actually a Vineyard church in my county, said, "Thanks for coming in an prophesying over me today!"

Other healings are also happening - last week I felt prompted to approach a couple of teenage skateboarders (having been one myself years ago!) and to see if they had any injuries (skateboarders ALWAYS do!).  My buddy and I approached them and inquired. One did have pain. He had pain in his feet and so I said, "WATCH THIS" and had the other one lay hands on his buddy, I prayed and commanded the pain to go and the young man was healed!  A bit more was communicated but God wanted to break into their lives, show them His power and underline that it was JESUS who did it!  So while out again the other day with my same friend a few days ago, he spotted a group of 3 skateboarders and we took the same approach.  Any pain?  One of them had pain.  His name was JESUS! (yes, it was!).  We prayed for him and Jesus healed the young skateboarder Jesus!  He was clearly touched and I was able to call him as we were walking away to kindle his own faith and to "let it out".  Somehow he knew exactly what I meant.  

One business owner, I'd prayed for several times now has been able to start hiring back his staff that had been furloughed.  That is exactly what we were praying for!  He had gathered them and testified to them what God was doing.

A divine appointment in another business has opened a door for my son in his new career.  My son and his wife were blown away recognizing God's hand in orchestrating it all.

And in one touching encounter, God took care of us - we were in search of coffee, wanting to support local businesses.  But the only 2 open coffee places only allowed drive-thru orders and we were on foot.  So they refused to let us order!  We found another coffee shop but it was closed.  Finally, we stumbled upon a well-known restaurant that was only open for takeaway orders, and the owner, a Persian man, welcomed us inside.  I explained our predicament and he immediately said that he would brew us a fresh pot of coffee!  He was so kind and brought me my coffee with heavy whipping cream!  So, not only that but he REFUSED to take any money for it!  I tried to pay...I tried to even leave a big tip, but he would have nothing of it.  Guess where I am headed today?  To buy a gift certificate from him for his restaurant when they open.  Not only that, but while we were with him God revealed he had a foot problem (mentioned above) and I was able to share with him HOW God revealed that and to pray for him in Jesus' Name!  I will find out when I see him again how his condition is because it wasn't hurting at the time I prayed.

And then there was the Korean-American owner of the laundry who was so encouraged that we had come in to see how she was doing, to pray for her and her business and to even enlist her in the mandate to "Extinguish Fear" in the lives of her customers!

So God is doing so many things - extinguishing fear, healing skateboarders, giving us words of knowledge and prophetic words for strangers, enabling us to encourage Christians, to bless local businesses, to just "be kind" to people and model to them that Christianity is something other than what they may have thought.

...for such a time as this!