Jesus Christ Is the Same

Emilia Stoykova, Former Women’s Ministries Director, Bulgarian Union

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

During an evangelistic effort to large cities in our area, about five hundred people (one-fifth of them nonbelievers) came regularly to the big meeting hall. The meetings were also being broadcast on the Internet to other parts of the country. Thanks to the strong impact of the Holy Spirit, people’s hearts were touched by the gospel. Then incomprehensible things began to happen that demonstrated that soul-winning efforts involve a big battle between Jesus and Satan.

For example, a forty-year-old church member, a successful businessman in excellent health, suffered a stroke; doctors said he had no chance of survival. Then a young family had to put their baptisms on hold when the mother was admitted to a hospital. During the premature – but necessary – C-section surgery, she became unconscious. “There’s nothing we can do for her,“ declared the doctors. Then a twenty-five-year-old woman from a devoted pastoral family was hospitalized, along with her grandparents, for severe food poisoning. Emergency room doctors said, “They have only a few hours left to live!“

How our church needed to be united in prayer! My husband, a pastor and prayer coordinator for our area in Bulgaria, began sending e-mails to his colleagues and sister churches, calling for prayer for all these people in such desperate need. Some of the sick were anointed, and churches with strong prayer ministries gathered daily to pray for God’s answers to their requests. With enormous hope, we repeated the words of James: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective“ (James 5:16, NIV). “God, I am not righteous,“ I prayed, kneeling beside my husband, “but, Lord, in the name of Your sacrifice, forgive our sins and hear our prayers on behalf of Your suffering children!“

And He did. God performed miracles in response to everyone’s intercessory prayers! All of those needing healing were made better! Our great, almighty, and merciful Father in heaven revealed His power to re-create life in answer to our prayers. We succeeded in touching His miraculous power, declared in the Bible and displayed throughout the history of the Christian church. Indeed, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Notes of Joy ©2017 by Pacific Press Publishing Association

Emilia Stoykova, Former Women’s Ministries Director, Bulgarian Union