If you missed the worship and prayer service for Joanne Heim and Heather Noce, here is the link to view it online. I wasn’t able to view the live webstream or view it on Saturday afternoon but am listening to it now. You have to wait a minute for it to load. It’s awesome! http://www.calvarychapelcr.org/pages/nightofworship.html
Heather Noce’s sister Shannon shared at the beginning that their family had been really tested the last several years. One child got very ill with e-coli bacteria and another child began having severe seizures. She said that God uses all these things – seizures, strokes, sickness – for His glory. He is transforming us into His image, to make us look like Him.
She shared about a missionary in a communist country. As an American, she was having a hard time with the fact that you can’t go freely on the streets there. The government tells you where to go, where you can’t go, what to do. But they learned there that suffering is not in vain and the importance of sharing the good news of Christ with others.
Shannon shared that so often we expect our lives to be fine and on an even keel, and that is not the way God works. We may not understand it, but God will use hard times in our lives for His glory. We often have to go through fires. How will we respond to those fires?
God lets nothing be wasted.God is in control.
Shannon shared about Jesus telling Peter that Satan had asked permission to sift him as wheat, but Jesus had prayed for Peter, that his faith would not fail. She asked that we continue praying for Heather, Joanne, and their families, for their faith to not fail.
Joanne’s sister Kristen shared an email from someone who has been praying for them, about the story of Mary and Martha. Mary was crying because her brother Lazarus had died, and Jesus was brokenhearted for her. He wept. The email said that Jesus was weeping for Kristen. This really touched her. God’s heart hurts for us His children, and Jesus weeps with us in our pain.
The email said that Mary and Martha the sisters brought their brokenness to God, as we can do, also. Kristen said their family’s faith has been rocked through Joanne’s stroke, but God has done amazing things and He will get all the glory.
The song at the beginning, “Be still – I will fight for you” was wonderful. The worship team also played one of my favorite songs during this service, How He Loves (David Crowder band) – beautiful! I love how they integrated the worship with readings of encouraging scriptures.
Pastor Brian’s message in this service about the ten lepers coming to be healed by Jesus was powerful. Nine of the lepers were Jews, and one was a Samaritan. Jesus healed them all as they came to Him crying out for His mercy, but only one came back to thank Him. Jesus noted this to His disciples.
Pastor Brian said that we need to examine ourselves, look at our hearts to see if they’re ungrateful and hard. Where we’re at positionally with God is very important. We never know if this will be our last day on earth, and we need to be ready to face God’s presence. If we’re saved by Christ, one day we will spend eternity with Him in heaven and there will be no more pain, no more suffering, no more tears or hurt feelings.
Pastor Brian shared that if our life is a wreck and in shambles, God can take the broken pieces and make us whole
I loved this that he shared: we need to make sure we’re the one turning back to God. We often turn to finances, jobs, other things instead of God. That emptiness, that void in our hearts, is God. Nothing else will satisfy us.
Have you turned back to God to thank Him for all He’s done for you – even for breath in your lungs and strength in your bones? For all He has brought you through? For His presence? Pastor Brian said just give up. Hand the reins over to God.
I loved how they closed with the video of Joanne’s and Heather’s progress in recovery, and I felt that the song they chose that went with the video was prophetic for them both: “You may be knocked down, but not out forever…Love calling in the brokenness….You’ll arise and shine again.”
The service was put together very well – it was organized, it flowed smoothly, and most importantly, you could sense God’s presence there.
God’s anointing is evident on this service. I’m sure it deeply touched Heather and Joanne, and I believe that God heard the prayers and that the worship was a sweet aroma to Him.
Your prayers make a big difference. Don’t stop praying! I want to close with the words in one of the songs sung in this service:
“When everything breaks, when everything falls apart, You are the only truth I know…You watch over me, You never leave me. You are good, Your mercies never fail.”
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