FORTY THREE YEARS OF MIRACLES

Acts 4:29-31 – And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

It was our first day opening our church on Kawanee Avenue in 1979. There was an incredible, palpable tension in the air. To our surprise our small church sanctuary was rapidly filling up. People I had never seen were filled with excitement and were packing the church; everyone knew something special was happening that day. What about the tension? As usual when the Lord is about to do something amazing, kick back was upon us. There was a picket line opposing the opening of our church (that has to be a story for another day). Just before the singing started a local news crew with a camera was right in the middle of the mix. They had heard about this new church and the picketers so they just had to be there. Again, as usual, the worship started and the Lord showed up. All the drama of cameras and picketers was soon forgotten, Jesus was there and nothing else mattered. The power of signs and wonders was in the room, Victory Church had begun.
Thinking back over these forty three years as I write this devotion today I am filled with gratitude and amazement. Faces of lives changed rush through my brain as I remember some of their stories. I remember the neighbor from our street that got saved, delivered from fear of everything, and played piano for years in our church. Then there was the young people that we met preaching on the lakefront who got saved, one of which pastors a large church in this area. There have been services with demons shrieking as they came out, young people crying rivers of tears in repentance and joy. There have been homosexuals who have been radically transformed and have amazing families today, heroin addicts that are ministers of the gospel, a business woman who has been a powerful missionary in Africa for years, and other powerful churches that have been birthed.
Resistance or persecution is always part of the package. Because of our roots in the Jesus movement our music was edgy from the beginning, thus we were dubbed the ‘Rock and roll church in New Orleans’ by a national ministry back in the 1980’s. As much as things change nothing really ever changes. I still feel that tension in our gatherings. The excitement of expectancy, the glory of His presence, and the threats and resistance is still part of our story. I am grateful and expectant. I have a feeling something amazing is about to break in on us again.