Tag Archives: Inspirational

Alabama Megachurch Opens Family Center To Community

An Alabama megachurch has opened up a facility made of a bowling alley and six giant interconnected domes to the public as a community outreach.

Faith Chapel Christian Center near Birmingham, Alabama has opened the center they call “The Bridge” to the public after opening it last year for the 6,400 members of the church.

The church says the delay came in getting staff in place for the entire facility, which beyond the bowling alley has basketball courts, fitness center, banquet hall and more.

Pastor Michael D. Moore says the goal of “The Bridge” is to “bridge people from the world to the kingdom.”

“People may not want to come to a church, but they’ll come to a bowling alley,” he told the Christian Post. “People have needs other than spiritual needs. There’s a need for safe, clean, uplifting, family-oriented entertainment.”

Moore founded the church with his wife, his mother and a friend in 1981.

Baylor Basketball Star Says God Will Open New Door

Isaiah Austin, whose dream of playing in the NBA ended when a physical before the draft found a rare genetic disorder, is turning what some consider a huge blow into a moment of praise to the Lord.

Austin, who was symbolically drafted at the NBA Draft by the league as “the league’s best pick”, said that God was simply closing a door and that another one would come open as the Lord leads him.

“I worked so hard to get to this point and unfortunately it was taken away but when God closes one door, He opens up another for you … God has really put will power in my heart to help me push through this … I’m going to dream again,” said Austin.  “I’m going to go around and share my story with as many people as I can and just hope to touch people’s lives and let them know that any obstacle that they’re facing, they can get through it. All they have to do is keep a positive mind and thank God for every moment that they’re here on this earth.”

Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which impacts the heart, eyes, circulatory system and skeleton.  His aorta has been growing wider in the last two years and if it continues to expand he will require open heart surgery.  His doctors said his condition made it too risky for him to continue competitive basketball and that he could drop dead on the floor at any moment if he continued to play.

Austin says that he plans to remain in the sport in some way and Baylor coach Scott Drew said there’s a coaching position available for Austin if he wants it.

Philip Cameron Speaks Miracles On Grace Street

When Philip Cameron comes to the lectern and starts by saying “my God specializes in things that people say are impossible” you know you’re about to have a special time in the pretense of the Lord.

Philip shared with Jim Bakker Show partners and friends that we cannot forget “God’s permanent address is Wit’s End Corner.  God starts when you have come to the end of yourself.”  He reminded everyone that we need to surrender to God at the beginning rather than try to do things under our own power because His way is always better, higher and provided for before we even know there is an issue.

Philip made a statement that shocked some in attendance when he said that America is the most spoiled country in the world.  However, he explained the reason is that Americans don’t appreciate the blessings that God has poured out upon them.  Philip said that unthankfulness is a sign of the times and that a church becomes unthankful because they lose their fire.

“The church is not on fire because it doesn’t have a vision anymore,” he said.

He went on to share about Stella’s Voice and their home in Moldova that had a neighbor who was doing all she could to undermine the world of the Lord.  She would stand on her porch and curse at the girls and file repeated lawsuits to try and shut the home.

“But God,” Philip said, “can take your greatest opposition and turn it into an incredible opportunity.”

The woman came to Philip and the staff of Stella’s Voice and said she hated them.  Then she asked them to buy her home at a reasonable price so she could get away from them.

And at the very same time, Stella’s Voice was looking for a home for girls who have graduated school but needed a place to go while they get a job and start a career.  The Lord provided a huge open door!

Thousands Accept Christ At Franklin Graham Crusade

God’s family has grown by thousands.

Franklin Graham hosted a Festival of Hope in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday where thousands came forward to give their lives to Christ.  Over 30,000 people attended the event according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

“God loves you,” Graham preached to those in attendance, “And God wants to give you everlasting life, but that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  Will you accept His love?”

Graham shared a message based on Mark 8:34-38, emphasizing that there is nothing in the world that is more valuable than a relationship with Christ.

“You could have all the iPhones in the world,” Graham said, “Control of all the armies of the earth.  You could put all the euros and stack them in his arena.  Your soul is still more valuable.”

The event with Franklin Graham capped off a weekend of celebrations that included the annual March for Jesus through Warsaw.  Concerts took place throughout the weekend including CCM superstars Michael W. Smith and Newsboys.

“For all the new believers out there who gave their life to Christ,” Newsboys singer Michael Tait told the crowd, “I want you to live your life with abandon!”

The festival’s executive chairman told the Christian Post that many connected to the festival have been waiting for Sunday night for many years.

Woman Credits Prayer With Saving Life In Car Accident

A Missouri woman says that prayer saved her life after being trapped inside a wrecked car for eight hours.

Cassandra Wiggins was traveling to work Thursday morning when her car hydroplaned, sliding across the road and down an embankment.  The car was 100 feet below the roadway but completely out of sight to the passing cars.

The 39-year-old lost consciousness during the wreck due to a blow to the head.  The woman was reported missing when her employers called Wiggins’ mother saying she had not arrived for work.

“It’s a mother’s gut and the Holy Spirit that told me that there was something seriously wrong,” Anita Finney told KSHB-TV. “And by that point, I could just start praying that the Lord would save her until I found her.”

Wiggins regained consciousness around 3 p.m. and was able to use her foot to reach her cell phone.  It took fire department personnel over two hours to free her from the crumpled car.  She suffered a severe hip injury that required surgery and will need rehab to learn to walk again.

“She said, ‘Daddy, I thought at first I was going to die, then I just kept praying,’” her father, Robert Wiggins, told KCTV News. “That’s what we taught Cass from early childhood, and that’s what she did and the Lord answered her prayer. So we’re grateful.  We’re thankful for the firemen that came and helped her up that hill,” he added. “I don’t see how they got up it; that hill was so long.”

Seattle Pacific University Hero: “God’s Grace” Saved Lives

The 22-year-old engineering student who disarmed a gunman bent on mass killing at Seattle Pacific University has broken his silence after the event, saying that God’s grace is what saved the lives of others.

Jon Meis, a building monitor at the Christian university, pepper-sprayed and then tackled 26-year-old Aaron Ybarra as he was reloading.  Other students then held down Ybarra, who was not a student at the school, until police arrived on the scene.  Police said that the gunman had a significant amount of ammunition on him and likely would have killed and wounded dozens more without Meis’ heroic actions.

“He was hellbent on killing a lot of people today,” an officer told the Seattle Times.

Meis, who had been avoiding the spotlight after the incident, finally released a statement to the press.

“I know that I am being hailed as a hero, and as many people have suggested, I find this hard to accept,” Meis wrote. “I am indeed a quiet and private individual; while I have imagined what it would be like to save a life, I never believed I would be put in such a situation. It has been deeply touching to read the comments online and realize that my actions have had such a strikingly widespread effect.”

“[W]hat I find most difficult about this situation is the devastating reality that a hero cannot come without tragedy,” Meis continued. “In the midst of this attention, we cannot ignore that a life was taken from us, ruthlessly and without justification or cause. Others were badly injured, and many more will carry this event with them the rest of their lives.”

Police say the gunman Ybarra has a history of mental illness and has been on suicide watch since the incident.  Meis has called for the community to respond to the gunman in a spirit of love.

“When I came face to face with the attacker, God gave me the eyes to see that he was not a faceless monster, but a very sad and troubled young man. While I cannot at this time find it within me to forgive his crime, I truly desire that he will find the grace of God and the forgiveness of our community.”

Nun Wins Italian Version of “The Voice”

A Catholic nun has won the biggest singing competition in Italy.

Sister Cristina Scuccia launched into praise for God upon hearing the announcement she had won the voting for winner of “The Voice” in a landslide, capturing over 62 percent of the vote.   The nun then recited the Lord’s Prayer during her acceptance speech.

The 25-year-old said she was living out Pope Francis’ advice to Catholic clergy members to be more outgoing in their life’s work and actions.  In addition to winning a cash prize, the sister receives a recording contract from Universal Music.

However, the Sicily-born nun said that she likely will not pursue a performance career and will return to her convent for a life of prayer and reverence.

“I will go back to my priorities – prayer, waking up early in the morning, school service. That’s fundamental for me to be able to begin something new later on,” Sister Scuccia told reporters.

Pastor Mark Batterson Says The Power of Prayer Is Underestimated

The lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. says that Christians have been losing sight of the power of a single prayer.

Mark Batterson was speaking at LiderVision, a Christian leadership conference for Hispanic pastors, when he shared with the pastors how his church exploded because of the power of God working through a consistent, single prayer.

Batterson said he and his wife started the church with 20 people during a 1996 blizzard that shut down the nation’s capital for days.  For the next five years, he preached every Sunday and the church’s faithful members prayed for one thing:  for God to provide the growth in whatever way He saw fit to do.

Then a reporter from the Washington Post came to attend a service and asked if she could do a quick interview with Pastor Batterson.  He expected it to be buried in the religion section but hoped a few people could see it and visit.  Instead, the article appeared on the front page of the Washington Post.

Immediately, the church’s attendance doubled.

“God can do more in one day than we can accomplish in a thousand lifetimes. One day, God is going to show up and He’s going to show off His power in our lives,” Batterson said.  “The more I pray, the more coincidences happen and I don’t believe they’re coincidences, they’re providences because there’s a God that orders my footsteps and when I pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on me, look out!”

Batterson says Christians need to remember the power of a single prayer and take steps of faith to allow God to answer those prayers.

“If you want God to do something, you’ve got to do something different; you’ve got to take that step of faith. Here’s the challenge, we want God to reveal the second step before we take the first step because that doesn’t require any faith. In fact, we wish the Lord ‘s Prayer said, ‘Give us this year, our yearly bread’ but He gives the one day and one step revelation.”

Maya Angelou Says Faith In God Made Her “Courageous”

Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Maya Angelou, who died Wednesday at the age of 86, said that it was her faith that made her so bold in standing for what was right.

“When I found that I knew not only that there was God but that I was a child of God, when I understood that, when I comprehended that, more than that, when I internalized that, ingested that, I became courageous,” Angelou told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in 2013.

“When I was asked to do something good, I often say yes, I’ll try, yes, I’ll do my best,” she continued, “And part of that is believing, if God loves me, if God made everything from leaves to seals and oak trees, then what is it I can’t do?”

Angelou often stated that before she began to write anything, she would spend time in prayer.  Part of her “writing ritual” was to have a Bible with her when she was writing.

A civil rights leader who spent much time working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Angelou said that her faith in God is what allowed her to see that all people were created equal under God because God created everyone.

“I will see human beings and I believe — whether they believe it or not — I believe they were made by God and I’m not in a position to put them down because they look different from me,” Angelou said.

Church’s “Drive Thru Prayer Box” Stirs Community

An idea to reach people who were illegally cutting through a church’s parking lot to avoid an intersection is causing a stir in a Tennessee town.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church of Jackson, Tennessee set up a “drive thru prayer box” where drivers who were cutting through their parking lot could stop and write a prayer request on a 3 by 5 note card.  The church was hoping it could be a way to advertise the church to those in the area and also to pray for their community.

Now, the church is receiving attention from the entire community and churches around the country.

“Now that [an] article has been published in the local newspaper, the number [of prayer requests] has grown substantially,” Barry Matthews of the church told the Christian Post. “We’re seeing requests that just grab your heart.”

Matthews says the church has also been flooded with calls from other churches facing the same problem of drivers cutting through their parking lots wanting to know how to set up their own “drive thru prayer station” ministries.

“They’re telling us this is an answer to their prayers,” Matthews said.