World Mandate Stories 2/4/07
Before Christmas I injured my right shoulder and was in physical therapy three days a week to avoid surgery. Since I had two surgeries previously on my shoulder the doctors said they would be shocked if I could avoid surgery. During the song "Awesome is the Lord Most High" I raised my arms up in the air and decided I was going to keep my right arm up even though it was beginning to hurt. I said, "Father nothing is going to steal the praises in my heart tonight."
As we sang "Raise your hands" again, I felt a pop in my shoulder and a warm sensation of oil covering my shoulder. I lowered my arms for a minute, and when I raised them up again there was NO pain, and I had more range of motion than the doctors said would ever be possible.
Monday night I went to physical therapy and told my physical therapy team what happened this weekend. I was sent up to see the doctor and to have him read me the MRI report. Though the report stated a dislocation and some ligament weakness, the doctor examined me and said, "Sarah, there is NOTHING wrong with your shoulder. Your right arm is 100% better and you're done with physical therapy. We'll see you again in three months just to say hi."---Sarah: Euless, TX
I really enjoyed the WM conference this year and was just amazed at how God spoke to me throughout the whole weekend. I received several words, and they were confirmed more than once through the Body of Christ and through the messages.
I especially enjoyed Heather Mercer's message on Saturday night, and she challenged me to go beyond what this world's standards are. I've already committed myself to serving the Lord through missions at past World Mandates and I'm working towards the goal of going out. I run into walls with my family, like Heather said, they want the security and stability that this world offers and they feel I am wasting my time.... I've decided to go no matter the cost...I'm God's fool and I'm 'wasting' my life on His purpose and call. ---Rachel: Sioux Falls, SD
I went to Carol Davis' seminar on using your profession in missions. I was stirred and really began to have vision for living and working in areas of the unreached world to spread the gospel and at the same time benefiting and contributing to their society and economy and overall improving their quality of life. I began to see the big picture of how God does not just want professional clergy to be missional, but all professions so that every realm of society is influenced by the truth of the gospel.---Kirk: Waco, TX
My friend from Atlanta was here for WM, and he and I had some great fresh times with the Holy Spirit during worship and also when we went back to my apartment. Saturday night was a wonderful night for both of us in that God was moving in power and His presence was extremely thick! My friend and I came back to my apartment after I had been prayed for by Kendall...He had prayed, along with some other words, that God would use my hands to be the carriers of imparting the blessing and fire of God onto other people.
When we got home, my friend and I had just been processing the night and he had told me that he was in pain and that he was having problems with shin splints in his right leg due to some events he was a part of in North Carolina. The Lord whispered to me, reminding me that his blessing was upon me and that I should pray for William. I offered to pray for him, and he was instantly healed after doing so!!! He was running up and down my stairs astonished that his leg didn't hurt anymore!---Clint: Waco, TX
It was such an awesome opportunity to come to world mandate this year! It was my first time to attend and God blessed me immensely. Last summer I had the opportunity to go to China to teach English and share God's love with the dear Chinese people. I really did not think I would go again, but at world mandate God was speaking to me over and over about China. I really feel He laid China on my heart again, and so now I am going again this summer! I know the Lord led me to world mandate and I am thankful He used world mandate and all of the people there to help foster what He was speaking to me about. I pray God would continue to bless you all at Antioch so that you might be a blessing to others as you have blessed me! Julie: Jennings, TX
Wow!! I have never in my life attended anything like World Mandate! God just wrecked my life! I love it! I am a part of the new Seattle church plant. What a wonderful group of God loving people. And missions? I hardly knew a thing about missions before I came to Waco. I have fallen more in love with Jesus and am looking forward to what He wants me to do while on this earth. I am in awe. What more can I say?!---Jessica: Bothel, WA
Friday night at WM I was just sitting in the front while everybody was worshiping around me. I was really questioning my faith. I was thinking to myself, "I only think about being a Ghristian while I'm at church or when I hear a Christian song on the radio. So, do I really love God? I don't know." A guy beside me asked to pray for me. He prayed that I would be open to hear what God has to say to me. Right after he prayed that, another guy came up and sat by me and said, "God told me to tell you that you truely do love Him; He knows you do and He wants you to know it too."
That was so amazing. God spoke to me through that person and it felt so great.I just sat there after that and listened, and I heard God say, "Finally, I've got your attention."
This weekend was so awesome. My fire has not burned out.---Jon: Austin, TX
I had never been to World Mandate and wasn't released to go until very late Friday night, due to schedule conflicts. Even if I couldn't catch the entire conference, I decided to show up and give God access to speak to me if He wanted to. For the past year, I have been seeking the Lord for direction about moving deeper into missions, including doing a longer trip somewhere and attending a discipleship/Bible training program. I am 42 years old, and these things seem to take more prayer when you have more responsibilities, community ties, and possessions.
Anyway, I began by researching the YWAM program a year ago. About this time, I began to have the "sense" of a foreign nation, an eastern nation, in my spirit. I walked around for months sensing the sights and sounds of this unknown nation in my heart, always wondering, "Where is this place I am thinking of?" Eventually, I seemed to connect this sense in my spirit with a name---Morocco---"Yes, I think this place is called Morocco." I walked around for many months after this thinking of the word "Morocco", not knowing where it was, thinking I must be making this up.
About a week before the conference began (and not yet knowing that I would even attend), I finally gave in and pulled out an atlas to figure out where Morocco was, and discovered it was in North Africa. Imagine my surprise when I attended World Mandate and saw that you were spotlighting this unknown, strange place called Morocco. I told the Lord I had zero faith to believe He could send me to Morocco, if this was Him. But, I wanted to step into what was totally beyond myself, so I attended the breakout session on North Africa. Amazingly, I walked out of that session not just believing the Lord could send me there, but ready to pound the doors of heaven until He released me to go!
Back at my hotel room Saturday night, I pondered talking to the N. African team at the Global Village the next day to see what needs they had. Again, I found myself completely without ability in myself to take this step. So, I left it at the Lord's feet and went to bed. Sunday after the conference, while wandering through the Global Village, I saw Dayna lingering, talking to a woman from the conference. As I stepped forward in faith into that conversation, the weight of the Lord came upon me, giving me total peace and ability to move forward that I did not have in myself.
Now that I am home, I am continuing to press into the Lord in prayer, asking Him to confirm if He wants to open this opportunity, and asking for wisdom about HOW and WHEN. If this is indeed the Lord, He has used World Mandate to move me into a MUCH deeper vision than I could ever have for myself, and a MUCH deeper place of dying to my littleness and living in His strength. Hallelujah!---Laura: Dallas, TX
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