From Terminal to Life

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:2-3)

I met James (not his real name) last week in a hospital in downtown Toronto after someone told his family about Anne Maslow's story. I was ushered into the ICU with gloves and disposable gown.

James was diagnosed with stomach cancer earlier this year and his stomach was removed. That was a few weeks before his now seven month old daughter was born. Last week, the doctors were keen on pulling life support because the cancer has spread to his esophagus. He was also diagnosed with holes in the esophagus. The medical consensus is that no more surgery to be done, no more chemotherapy. He was pronounced a terminal case at age 37.

Standing at that bedside, I lead the family to the Lord and began recounting testimonies after testimonies of God's awesome power. Then I began to share the revelation I got when we were asking the Lord for creative miracles for Jarlene (i really, really promise to write about this soon in detail).

Back in 2004 I began asking the Lord how creative miracles can happen in the modern western world. In a dream, he answered me how creation happened. I was brought back to Genesis 1:2-3 and I realized that our situation was not unlike the earth's state back then- there was darkness, emptiness, chaos, disorder. In spite of that the Spirit of God was already hovering over the waters and all Holy Spirit was waiting for was the expressed intent and purposeful word of God. Then it hit me like a million-dollar revelation!

What is immiscible in water?

Oil! Oil in the Bible is always associated with the Holy Spirit. The anointing of oil (for the sick, etc.) is a symbol and a reminder of the first chaotic days of creation asking Holy Spirit to come, The Father to express His will and the Word to spur Holy Spirit to action.

As I was dabbing some oil on James' stomach and chest area, I began to declare the peace of God, Shalom- nothing lacking, nothing missing, everything's in order. Peace that passes all understanding, peace that this world can never understand. We began to pull down Heaven on earth and asking God for creative miracles- a new stomach, a new esophagus. We connected James to Life that day. Jesus Christ (the way, the truth and) the Life!

The surgery that wasn't supposed to happen happened two days after this encounter. I would like to quote what the family told me a few days after.

The doctors said, when we first opened him up everything was mushy and out of order. Now everything is in order. There is no more hole and cancer in the esophagus. The holes closed up!

James is still in the ICU and would very much covet our prayers. But he has now been pronounced out of the terminal stage and back to chemotherapy for the intestines.

I would say he has been transferred from terminal to Life!

He Graciously Adds Hope- Josh

Post Script

Another family with a similar situation has heard of this from James' wife. They are now asking me to meet with them this week. It seems my other office is the ICU for these past few weeks. Do it again Lord!

God Repeats a Testimony

"God repeats a testimony when a testimony is spoken."- Bill Johnson

Two days ago a friend, brother Somy, introduced me to a gentleman with a host of health problems. This person got laid off last year from an IBM job he held for 22 years and that caused a lot of stress coupled with his existing health problems. Since then, he had serious case of diabetes, heart problems/failures, blood clots were warfarin is administered daily, kidney problems and bleeding/pain on a surgically repaired big gash on his right leg. He said he takes around 6 extra strength Tylenol with codeine for this pain alone.

I began to recount Anne's testimony and Jarlene's miracles(I promise to blog about this soon).

Then I began to share to him how the Lord is our healer and He alone can claim that. Everything else are just channels of healing- doctors, medications, healthy lifestyle, even prayers. Jesus is the source of all healing.

I also shared to him a dream I had that morning where i was praying for someone in their grave clothes (like a mummy) how the person broke out of those grave clothes with glorious blinding light.

The stage was set and all we need to do was pray. We prayed and pulled down Heaven and immersed the sick brother in Daddy God's love with prayers and worship songs (yes I sang). Power of God came upon his leg and after a few seconds 90% of the pain was gone! We continued praying for his heart, blood clots and kidney failures. Presence of God came all over his body and he felt peace right after.

At the end of our time there, he was able to stand up on both legs with almost no pain.

Here's his message a day after we prayed for him:

Isn't Daddy God just simply amazing!

C'mon share this testimony or any testimony today and see miracles unfold before your very eyes. Let me know in the comments section so we can be both encourage and have fresh fuel for the journey.

He Graciously Adds Faith- Josh

A Voice of Faith and Life

"These are some of the signs that will accompany believers...they will lay hands on the sick and make them well." (Mark 16: 17-18 The MSG)

A few Saturdays ago, I received an urgent phone call from Sudbury (more than 4 hours drive from Toronto). A friend was dying and prayers were needed. I quickly gathered the family and we prayed. Then took the matter to friends in Facebook.

We left Toronto around 1pm and surprisingly made it to Anne's bedside by 4:55pm (we even had one 20 minute stop, and I did not break any traffic laws). Please note that Grace was 9 months pregnant and she was even the one who insisted that we take the trip. The hospital guards even tried to usher us to the maternity ward when we arrived there!

Around 6pm we were informed that the special injection did not work and she had 3-5 days to live!

At this point, the hospital and family were looking for the DNR (do not resuscitate) clause in her will. They did not find any so the decision was to keep her on life support still. I also found out that I was there because she included me in her will to facilitate her funeral (she told us before but we just brushed it aside)

That night in Sudbury, I asked the Lord, why of all people I was put in this dear sister's will. I was given a picture of a corporate enterprise. If I am an owner of company, I would assign board of directors that would look after my interest. The same applies to one's will. Then it dawned upon me that I was there to be a voice of faith and life.

Before we left Sudbury, I gathered the family Anne was staying with and broke bread declaring that the broken body of Jesus, symbolizes by the bread, guarantees our healing. I also asked her friends to the same on Anne's bedside when they go back to visit her.

That was more than a month ago. Anne is now out of the ICU. With the support of friends and family, she is now on the road to recovery (still need prayers, please) and I even spoke to her on the phone a few days ago.

I spoke with a woman who was written off to die a month ago!

Truly Daddy God is still in the miracle, life-giving, awe-inspiring business.

He Graciously Adds Faith- Josh

What's In A Name?

What is it that belongs to you but others use it more often than you?

The answer is your name. Our name is that formal noun that we are to be known, addressed and referred to.

Have you heard that some jurisdictions have banned the name "Lucifer" and "Adolf Hitler" ? This was after someone named their children "Violence" and "Number 16 Bus Shelter".

How about being named Ben-Oni, Son of My Trouble? This was the case of Jacob's youngest when the mother was dying of childbirth. Jacob, whose birth name means usurper/ deceiver, decided that he would not want the same name-calling fate he was a victim of for his baby. He over-ruled the dying mom’s wishes and named the baby boy Benjamin, Son of My Right Hand, instead.

It is no coincidence that Jacob himself was finally renamed prior to Benjamin's birth. After Jacob's epic wrestling match, gone were the days of Jacob the usurper. According to the Angel of the Lord (a theophany according to Biblical scholars), Jacob will now be known as "Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."

Naming a new born child is one of the greatest privileges of being a dad. If one can recall, naming animals and even members of his own family was Adam's first managerial task in the Garden of Eden. When Adam named Eve, it was not just attaching a label but a declaration of origin, purpose and destiny (Gen. 2:23, Gen. 3:20). Imagine setting up not just a label but direction, purpose and destiny on someone's life even before the person can accomplish or prove anything?

I named my children after the three eternal virtues- Jarlene Faith, Charis Agape (Greek for Love) and Katherine Hope. Each second name a declaration that they are that virtue incarnate and personified. I will be writing more about Jarlene's name in the coming posts.

You can find below a video I made about Katherine. Basically it is the same declaration I was making as she was seeing the first light in the hospital two weeks ago:

"Katherine Hope- reach the summit of mountains of influence, pull down heaven's hope, kingdom & His love to this earth"

How about my good friends Bernard, Ariel and Lester who truly exercised their Adamic mandate in naming their new babies. Kudos to them too!

By the way, you might have already guess that my name Joseph means He Adds. It was a declaration Rachel  (yes the same Rachel that died giving birth to Benjamin) gave when she finally had a son. One of the very first prophecy of a woman in the book of Genesis. We'll my mom will insist that I was named after my grandfather, I will also take that blessing any time!

He Graciously Adds Hope- Josh

Faith, Hope and Love

Ever since 2004, I wanted to blog and chronicle our marvellous journey as a family- from the regular family happenings to the challenging ones; from the ordinary grind of life to the supernatural stories that has become our new natural; from the familiar immigrant experiences to the signs and wonders that has defined our lives.

But it seems I never had the time...until now. I guess I was just waiting for the three to be complete.

Jarlene FAITH... Born 2004

Charis AGAPE...Born 2009

Katherine HOPE...Born 2012

Now the three most important earthly and eternal virtues are complete in my life- Faith, Hope and Love. I guess the stories need to be known to a greater degree now.

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (I Corinthians 13:13)

He Graciously Adds Faith, Hope and Love- Josh