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Stories of Life ChangeGod is at work in our midst! Read how God is changing lives and share your own stories!
  2011 Holy Land PilgrimageTuesday, June 21, 2011 My visit to the Holy Land was uplifting, profound, and inspiring.
Standing at Mt. Nebo, I was filled with wonder and humility. “Can this be real? That I am standing where Moses once stood? That I am looking at the very same sights that Moses looked upon, The Land of Milk and Honey and the Jordan River? Would I believe if I were told that the land across this barren, desert-like valley would be the land of milk and honey? Probably not, unless I had strong faith as Moses.” At Mt. Nebo, I felt a need to strengthen my faith in God, to be closer to Moses’ faith.
Israel was much “greener” and lusher than Jordan; Israel could be a land of milk and honey, indeed.
“What a blessing it was to be able to imagine the miracles of Jesus in Galilee!” I could visualize His miracles, standing where He might have stood, while touching the things He might have touched. Two ladies were praying aloud in a language unknown to me at the rock (pic A) at which Jesus had dined with His disciples after His resurrection, Mensa Christi (pic B). When I saw crumbled notes of prayer-requests inserted in various cracks on the rock (pic A), I wished that I had brought a note of my prayer-request, which I later placed in a special crack on the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem (pic C).
A B
C
I felt inspired to rely on Him more by being at the Mount of Beatitudes (Tabgha), the synagogue, and Peter’s mother-in-law’s house in Capernaum; and by imagining Jesus preaching the sermon on the Mount, feeding the 5000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, healing the sick and Peter’s mother-in-law, and walking on the water of Sea of Galilee. “That cross in the middle of the sea must have been the spot where Jesus stood,” I thought (pic D).
D
It was such an incredible feeling to pray to God with my hands touching the rock upon which Jesus was crucified, the stone bed where His body was laid (pic E), and the empty tomb! “Indeed, He is risen!” How different the small tomb was from what I had imagined!
E
The last event of our trip, a communion service at the Garden Tomb, was heart warming because it was held in a place where our Lord lived, did His ministries, and died for us and was risen. What a way to conclude the Holy Land Pilgrimage!
Now, the Bible “stories” in the Gospels come alive to me because I can feel His presence a little more closely. “Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity for me to have joined the 2011 FBC Holy Land Pilgrimage!”
Sue Lee
p.s. The camaraderie and fellowship with our church-member travelers was a big bonus!
God Answers PrayersWednesday, April 13, 2011
 I am Tryphon Mazu, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo. I came to Tallahassee in 2003 to pursue my graduate studies at Florida A&M University. When I first arrived, a kind and generous family temporarily welcomed me. The generosity of this family has inspired me and is unforgettable. I was given a short period of time to find an apartment. As time passed by, the school was still processing paperwork to solve my financial situation in order that I can begin receiving my stipends. While I was patiently waiting for the process underway at school, the need for finding that apartment in contrast was becoming increasingly urgent. Although pressure was mounting on me and I fell myself psychologically overwhelmed by the situation, but my faith in God, in the midst of this turmoil was unshakable. I kept praying, coming regularly to church (First Baptist Church).
At that time I knew few people at church and in Tallahassee, I did not share my lodging situation with anyone and I remember one Sunday afternoon, while the time I was given to find an apartment was about to expire, I was trying to explain my host family that I wasn't able to satisfy yet to their demand. By the time we finished the conversation, I received a phone call from Reverend Marty Smith of International Ministry at First Baptist Church, and Marty had this to say, "Mazu, listen, one of our church members want to offer you to live in an apartment inside their home, near downtown Tallahassee. You'll pay no monthly charge for this offer. Would you take the offer?" and my answer of course was yes. Beyond that answer and beyond all of this, I clearly and indisputably saw the hand of God. I amazingly saw how God could put in place a plan to answer the need of his people because I did not talk to Marty previously about this particular problem. Beyond my satisfaction of finding a solution to my problem, I was terrified, I was really afraid of God, realizing that he sees us, hears us, knows what going on in us and answers us according to his will and his time. Immediately I remembered what the Lord Jesus Christ said in the book of Mark: "'Have faith in God,' Jesus answered. 'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.'" Mark 11:22-25
God does countless positive things in our daily lives and sometime we even don't pay attention to what God is doing in our lives. My testimony is one of many wonderful things that God does every day in the life of his people. In last six years God has blessed me so much, my wife Kennette has joined me from Kinshasa (Democratic republic of Congo), we have two beautiful children (Tryphon Jr. and Jancy) and I have received my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical sciences (Discipline: Medicinal Chemistry) at Florida A&M University.
Let us always give thanks to God for his unconditional love.
God With Us: Rebecca HurdThursday, January 27, 2011 Several years ago, I moved to Tallahassee from Oklahoma to study music at FSU. Problems with my vocal cords have held me up for all these years, but God has always had a plan for me…
And…after 3 years…I just finished my first semester!
God is with us.
God With Us: Cal ZongkerThursday, January 27, 2011 Four years ago I made an appointment with a doctor because of back pain. It took four weeks to see him, and by that time, my back was no longer in pain. We briefly discussed my physical activities, and, because we were both Sunday School teachers, we talked theology for a few minutes. As I was leaving, he said, “Wait a minute. I’d like for you to have an MRI so that if you ever come back, I will have a baseline to compare.”
A week later in the doctor’s office, pictures of the black vertebrae in my spine revealed that I had Large Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Before I left, he said to us, “You will never know how amazing this discovery is. In all my years of practice I have never given an MRI to someone whose back was not hurting. If I had not given you one, it probably would have been discovered too late for any treatments.
After six months of chemotherapy, in October of 2007, my cancer was in remission. But my journey was not over.
Nearly two years later, in 2009, during a follow-up PET scan, a mass was discovered in my gall bladder, and after surgery I was diagnosed as having gall bladder cancer – one of the deadliest and rarest of all cancers. My wife, Rose, was told, that at 82, I would never survive the surgery that is associated with this disease - which is the removal of most of the liver - and to prepare for the possibility that I only had a few months to live.
But God - and my oncologist - had another idea.
I was given six months of the same chemotherapy that is administered for pancreatic and ovarian cancer, and my liver was radiated for 25 days.
In July and in October of this year, my PET scans were clear. There was no evidence of cancer in my body!
God is with us!
God With Us: Huey HauckThursday, January 27, 2011 In 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and took away my home, my business, and, even, my communication with my loved ones. I became a refugee in Tallahassee.
However, God’s hand was stretched out to me, and I grabbed it!
I was told there was no room at the La Quinta Inn, but one became available.
After two weeks there, without a job or income, I ventured to rent an apartment. Miraculously, an apartment complex gave me a lease.
Shortly afterward, my car died, and the Lord provided me with a new one.
In addition, He supplied me a new career. And He also led me to this First Baptist Church of Tallahassee.
About three months after my arrival in Tallahassee, my wife and I signed papers to purchase a new house. That week, my wife died unexpectedly. At her funeral, God granted me the words to speak about my wife, and I experienced an outpouring of love from His people. I had told the funeral director to expect about 10 people, but the funeral chapel was filled to overflowing. The people from my brand new job and my brand new church – this church – were the hands and feet of Jesus in those dark days.
I received the insurance check for my flooded New Orleans home the day before I was to finally close on my new house, but I had to request a loan until the check would clear. Within an hour, the bank researched my story and lifted the hold. I closed on the house without a hitch!
God is with us!
God With Us: Cindy FernaldThursday, January 27, 2011 In my family, in the last 5 years, we’ve had three life-changing diagnoses –
- One for my mother
- One for my husband
- One for my teenaged daughter
The results of these were:
- One heavenly home going
- One prognosis for a complete recovery
- And one learning to live well with a life-long chronic condition
In 5 years, I’ve had hundreds of questions. And I have a hundred more.
But, still, through tests, surgeries, medicines, and the physical and emotional strain…
I have felt God’s presence and guidance every step of the way…
Through His Church, through His written Word, through the prayers of fellow believers, through His Spirit…
God IS with us!
God With Us: Denise WilliamsThursday, January 27, 2011 Several years ago, God led my daughter to do voluntary mission work at a Liberian refuge camp in Ghana, Africa. She lived with over 45,000 refugees on only 120 acres - with no running water or electricity and in oppressive heat.
She had had all kinds of shots, even a rabies shot! Because she had had one not too long before for college, I thought that a meningitis shot was not necessary, but after being at the camp for four months, she became very ill with the definite symptoms of meningitis. This was confirmed by doctors here in the States.
She knew that the camp lost 10,000 people to the disease every year! She, also, knew that you can get meningitis at noon and be dead by midnight.
She wrote her family a letter, placed it in her Bible, and got out a “cheat sheet” I had given her of where to find scriptures for different needs. One item on the list read, “If you are needing God’s provision, read Psalm 91.”
It reads: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty…A thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but no harm shall come to you…He will give angels charge to watch over you.”
She was well by morning.
Yes, God is with us.
God With Us: Andrew StahlThursday, January 27, 2011 Like all middle school students, I’ve found that life can be tough sometimes, trying to fit in and trying to find my way, finding that people can be really nice and some can be really cruel.
Sometimes, even as a believer, it’s lonely and confusing.
Sometimes, I’ve even thought that God was not holding on to me.
But, I was mistaken…
I found that I was not holding on to God!
When other people let me down, God never lets go of me!
God is with us!
God With Us: Susan StahlThursday, January 27, 2011 I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2003.
During a time of taking care of a six year old and a two year old, teaching kindergarten, with no hair on my head, feeling extremely sick, scared and completely exhausted, God carried me with comfort, strength, love and hope like nothing I have ever experienced.
I can assure you, God IS with us!
God With Us: Jeff LatimerThursday, January 27, 2011 In March 2004, my job was unexpectedly cut. My wife, Sarah, and I had just closed on our new house in January, and I had no prospects for a job.
Throughout the 8 months I was out of work, we never missed a house payment, and God provided for us in every way.
He had a plan all along…
God is with us!
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