February 26, 2001

Monica,

Back in the 1970s I got to a point of hating to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When I did, I saw and felt everything Jesus said and did not say. What he marveled at, what annoyed him, what made him cry, and what moved him not at all were larger in my soul than any written words. I ached to walk as Jesus walked, but I seemed to be missing something that I was sure was too simple for me. I referred to this in another letter.

Now that the role of father to two wonderful children of God is no longer my #1 responsibility, I have been taken through and still am being taken through a new experience in the Lord Our Righteousness. I have been watching and listening to many different pastors, teachers, prophets and miracle workers. I can see flesh on all of them, and I can see God working through all of them. He works through very earthen vessels indeed.

Knowing that we should be doing the works that Jesus did and greater works, I have watched closely as men like Benny Hinn and Rod Parsley conduct miracle services. God works through both, but that is like saying God evangelizes through many evangelists. Benny Hinn is to the miracle services as Billy Graham has been to evangelistic services. Benny Hinn flows beautifully in that type of service. But it is not enough.

I have lain on the floor time and again shaking and crying with tears coming out of my eyes and my nose as I watched miracle after wonderful miracle. I have been moved by the power of God to knock people right off their feet. Oh, if you watch these miracle services, you will see a lot of earthen vessel as well as the glory of God. You will see people doing more to push people over physically than letting the power fall on them. One man hits people on the forehead so hard that the biggest wonder is that he hasn’t been sued for causing spinal injury. But here again Benny Hinn flows fluently. He hardly touches people when the spirit wants to overwhelm their bodies. One very big black athletic-looking man went over backwards with such force that his feet flew off the floor. There were two big men ready to catch him and ease him down. Benny Hinn said to pick the man up because God wanted to touch him again. When Benny Hinn just raised his hand toward the man’s face, the man flew backward; his feet left the floor; and he was not caught by the two big men who were supposed to ease his fall. They did not catch him because the Spirit hit them also. All three flew backward and landed prostrate on the floor. But it is not enough.

Benny Hinn is the best at what he does as Billy Graham has been the best evangelist. But it is not enough. Watch Benny Hinn, and you will see a man flow in the Spirit as he orchestrates a service based on group expectancy. You will also see Benny Hinn is as amazed as anyone else at what is happening. That seems good. His marveling helps create interest for the next miracle crusade. But it is not enough.

I am persuaded that Father wants a group who are ready to flow as Jesus did without marveling. Jesus’ matter-of-fact attitude when he performed miracles of all kinds has long spoken loudly to me. I am seeing that where you are marveling is where the level of your walk stops. Peter, James, and John marveled when they were on the Mount of Transfiguration, but, at least, they were on top the mountain when they were overcome with marveling. Miracle services, as wonderful as they are, are not the top of the mountain. Father wants a group of his kids to walk higher.

I am hearing, "Marvel not." Let Father work a faith in you that sees all miracles of God as commonplace. Then there will be no limit to where he can take you. Where you marvel is where you will sit until you hunger to go higher. Benny Hinn is wonderful at what he does. He probably has not to this time been called to go higher just as Billy Graham was never called to do anything but evangelize. But even though you and I know that, compared to what we have been used to, Benny Hinn’s crusades are a marvel indeed. Compared to heaven they are a drop in the bucket.

Pray about this. I am sure he wants you to learn to not marvel at the miracles, but marvel that they are not occurring with regularity in the everyday life of every believer. Don’t marvel that a nine years old child, blind from birth gets his eyes opened in an expectant congregation of 20,000 eager people. Marvel that we aren’t opening blind eyes when we encounter them at the grocery store or on a park bench. Don’t marvel when a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl with a body full of cancer is helped up to the stage, receives a touch from God through the hands of Benny Hinn, and goes home completely whole. Marvel that the spirit of cancer is not being sent running out of people in Wal-Mart parking lots and in amusement parks.

You will see that Jesus marveled when non-Jewish people received from him what Jews could not receive and he marveled at the puny faith of his disciples. He never once marveled at the miracles that the Holy Spirit was performing through him. Ask Father to take you all the way to the walk Jesus had. Expect to be led to the level that sees nothing marvelous in walking on the water, changing the water into wine, raising the dead, and rebuking the wind. Those are the commonplace things of the kingdom that is in us. We are joint heirs with Jesus. The works he did we will do also and greater works. He is going to have a group of his kids walking in this when he comes back. I know it in my spirit. Be part of this walk.

Love,

Dad