By Joyell Nevins – CFFM Blogger
“This isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning!” So said Hayward Chappell to the crowd gathered at the final session of the “Miracle Weekend: In the Word and In the Spirit.” The event was hosted by Christian Family Fellowship and featured guest ministers Brent Joseph and Jan Mageira.
Joseph and Mageira are alike in their heart for Jesus, but different in age, locale, and background. Pastor Tonia Shroyer explained, “They have such different personalities, but you can see the love they have for the Scriptures and the time they’ve spent in there. They pursue Jesus, the Father, and the holy spirit in the Scriptures.”
Ninety people from 15 states converged in Ohio to search the Scriptures with them and set a foundation for miracles. There were also 42 locations from 17 states live streaming each session.
On the first night, every attendee received a card to write down three things they needed a miracle in – and healing couldn’t be the first.
Small groups gathered in expectation regarding what God would do, and they met again on the final day over what God had done and was still going to do!
A Journey with Joseph
Helping set those expectations was Brent Joseph. He and his wife Kathryn have five children ranging from toddlers to teenager and live in North Carolina.
He has worked with Christian Family Fellowship in multiple capacities and ministered with groups in Africa and the Middle East, including the countries Malawi and Pakistan. Joseph is currently a PhD student in Biblical Studies at Regent University.
Over the Miracle Weekend, he spent significant time in Exodus and the Old Testament, gleaning nuggets that still apply today. He showed a consistent pattern for miracles – truth and desire.
“Good theology does not produce miracles. Hearts that cry out to God produce miraculous results,” he declared.
Joseph also reminded attendees that this is a lifestyle, not a moment in time.
“Where we were is a stage, where we are is a stage, and where we’re going is a stage in a journey,” he explained. “That’s the cadence of life, the rhythm of life. We have to be comfortable with the fact that life is not static. It is not going to be the same.”
What does stay the same is God’s heart for His people and the truth of His Word. How He works through you may differ depending on the stage you’re in, but the Lord’s message and might never changes.
Miracles with Magiera
Jan Magiera also noted that God has us on a path, not just a pitstop.
“God always has a beautiful, wonderful overall view of things,” she explained. “Yes, He’s dealing with the immediate right now, but what about the future? He’s already got that figured out, too! So, the question is, what do we have to be worried about?”
Magiera is the founder of Light of the Word Ministry, which is dedicated to sharing the Aramaic language, figures of speech, and customs as it relates to the Bible.
She began compiling a database of the Aramaic Peshitta New Testament in the early 1990s and has since then published a full library of Aramaic Peshitta sources. The library is accessible on the website, along with other research tools and an app for both Apple and Google Play.
Attendees heard a small portion of that research over the weekend, as she broke down the eight signs of healing and miracles from the book of John.
Magiera shared that she received her own miracle this weekend, too. She had arrived with her whole digestive system in turmoil and recovering from a serious operation, and as she left, Magiera said she was “on the road to being completely mended!”
Now, Walk It Out
As powerful and packed with teaching as the weekend was, it wasn’t designed to be just a time of imparting information. It was a time of activation.
As Pastor David Peppers spoke over the crowd on Sunday, “The fragrance of God rests in this place over the weekend. God has called you on assignment, and you’ve been here to receive the impartation of what God wants to pour into you, so you can go out and release what you received today.
I encourage you to continue to walk with the Lord, even when it doesn’t make sense. In due season, you will reap what God has laid out before you.”
We can’t wait to hear the testimonies and see the harvest of those assignments, here on earth or when Jesus comes back!
To dive deeper into the subject of miracles and healing, listen to Ministering in God’s Power, taught by the late Revs. John Shroyer and Wayne Clapp. The audio class instructs believers in the operation of the manifestations of faith, gifts of healings, and working of miracles.
You can also see Jan Mageira’s final session teaching as she encourages the believers to Go Fish!