"Now Faith"

"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."-(Luke 18:17)

Three years and 3 months ago, after ministering at a Leaders and Achievers Conference on the island of Maui, Hawaii, the eldest of my two sons, Gabriel, was receiving a reflexology treatment in my Mother-In-Law's suite across the hall from ours. The Lanai door was open and the air flowing into the common room was a current of Polynesian warmth and humidity. Ours is a family of closely-knit personalities and friendships, and the room even in the midst of his treatment was fairly well populated. When it was finished, Gabriel went to the front door of the room to say goodbye to his aunt and her friend. He was standing with his left arm inside the doorjamb and his petite, five year-old frame holding the 150 pound door open. The winds were particularly gusty that day, creating both a wind-tunnel and a vacuum effect in the main corridor of the suite from the lanai to the front door. As he stood saying his sweet fair-wells, an invisible powerhouse of wind forced the weighty door to slam shut. Gabriel's left arm was broken in two. He shrieked in agony as I had never heard him. It immediately broke our hearts to hear such a sound from our beloved boy. At that point in time, Jeni and I had been the next in line, and were getting our reflexology treatments in the master bedroom. We rounded the corner in an adrenaline infused flash to reach him and comfort him in his distress. In agony he stammered and cried at the top of his lungs. I looked at his arm. It was broken on the forearm and literally hanging the wrong way much like one of those horrific viral videos of sports injuries do. I would normally be disgusted by the sight of something like that, but this was my boy. We had someone call the desk and alert local emergency services. We then had them follow up and send their onsite EMT to the suite. As we carefully laid his broken appendage in a pillow and had someone hold it together acting as a splint, I began to stew and became angered with the negligence of the Hotel. I went into "protective tiger-mode" and started in professing how they should have had a sign that warned of the wind-tunnel vacuous vortex from hell that occurs when the lanai and front door are both open. What is more, I frenetically asked "why do the doors weigh as much as a dungeon gate?"- I was totally in the flesh. The Holy Spirit arrested me. I stopped, looking down into Gabriel's bloodshot and pained eyes, then panning the room it struck me; We are at least 7 believers in this room. We need to pray... NOW. As we were all praying in the Spirit, (which should more than likely freak any little child out) I heard in my spirit- "Tell him to agree". I looked at his face, glazed with tears, and into his eyes. I said "Gabriel, sweetheart, you need to agree with us. Okay?" He gasped and through stuttering tears answered "Okay..." "Say 'I am healed in Jesus' Name'". He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and repeated- "I am healed in Jesus' Name... I am healed in Jesus'..." Before he could utter it a second time completely, we all heard a noticeable "POP!" Looking at each other, the person who was holding the pillow as a splint recounted later that they could not hold it together. At that same moment, it was as if a person was forcing their arms to open the splint. As it was opened, Gabriel stopped crying instantly, lifted his arm up from the pillow and rotated it around. "I'm fine." he declared. We looked at his arm and it was completely whole. It was a miracle. The faith of my child had gained access to the benefits of the blood. We must have seemed like maniacs or hypochondriacs to the EMT who arrived a minute or so later. They examined his arm and saw no sign of breakage. We felt it was wisdom to go directly to the medical center a few miles away at another property for follow-up. Gabriel, whose entire countenance and spirit changed as he was healed said- "Jesus healed me." We did quite a bit of crying ourselves that day, mostly out of thanksgiving and joy for the wonderful gift that our God had provided. We went in and his X-rays were perfect. There was no break. At first, after hearing what had happened, the Doctor seemed dubious of the situation. But upon deep investigation, (they took additional X-rays of his other arm) the only thing they could find was a slight bruising on the area where the door slammed on his arm. He was certifiably, absolutely and completely HEALED.

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him."-(Psalm 127:3)

Both of our children are miraculous. Literally. I do not say that with careless abandon or with levity, but mean to convey the essence of the miraculous is in their births. Quite truthfully, it is miraculous that either of the two were even conceived. Years ago, my beautiful bride was told by a team of Doctors that the reality of her conceiving a child was, at best, a 3 percent possibility. Within a few weeks, our first child was alive and inhabiting temporary residence in the womb "that the builders rejected". Over the course of the next three months, Jeni, who was working for Sir Cameron Macintosh overseas, continued to perform under medical observation and clearance. The day before her 30th birthday, she was startled by bleeding and felt as though she was losing the baby. The Doctor sent her to the nearest hospital and had her put on immediate bed rest, telling her that it was inevitable that she would lose him. Ironically enough, on her 30th birthday, in a city called HELL, Cayman Islands (absolutely true), she laid prayerfully asking for his life. God delivered. She came home and we carried on with a fairly normal pregnancy after that. In the midst of the second trimester, my mother called us. She had a prophetic dream. In the dream, an angel came and told her that we would have a son, and we were to name him Gabriel. We did. Gabriel Jacob Stivale was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 15, 2002.

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."-(Luke 18:16)

Two and a half years after Gabriel was born, as we ministered at another conference, we were approached by a self-proclaimed "Prophetess". I state that she was self-proclaimed because I recognize that God appoints men and women to operate in the office of prophet in these latter days (Joel 2:28), but confirms it by exterior means or signs following. In other words, if someone decides autonomously, without the assignment and the anointing of God that they themselves are a Prophet or Prophetess, their fruit will reveal the truth. The aforementioned lady pulled my wife aside to "give her a word". I should also interject here, the importance of WHO you receive prophetic words from, as in many cases, self-fulfillment follows the confession of a belief. She proceeded to tell my bride, that God was "closing her womb" as He wanted her and I to focus entirely on ministry. This did not fit with what the Holy Spirit had revealed to either of us, so it was unsettling. It troubled Jeni and she was confused as to the intention of imparting something of that sort. It is instances just like this that God uses to further confirm His Word. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."-(1 John 4:1) The following day, the same lady approached me while I was mid-conversation with my good friend, Dr. Dave Martin and broke into the conversation by saying "I have a Word from the Lord for you." Dave shot me a look of warning, already seeing in the Spirit that she was not necessarily "all there". She then with the weighty seriousness of Samuel began- "The Lord told me to tell you... You are not charging enough for your CD. You need to charge 2 more dollars." Wow. I was so flabbergasted that God would intercede into that matter prophetically, literally jumping over both Jeni and I that I audibly laughed. She smirked at me and walked away as I "thanked her" for her obedience. Jeni then became pregnant with our next child within a few weeks of that event.

As the God of the 3 percent breakthrough operated His miracle-working power through the same womb that bore our first "Might Warrior of God", our next challenge came. You see, whenever God wants to bring tremendous blessing or growth, the enemy attacks with full force. Our next child, a boy, was diagnosed as a high-risk and we were told that there was a very strong likelihood that he would be Down's Syndrome and low birth weight. The Doctors told us that we needed to have an Amniocentesis performed. It is a fairly dangerous procedure where a large syringe pierces the womb and draws a sample of the amniotic fluid to be tested. They insisted on the test as the "responsible thing to do". When we asked why, we were told that the test results would show us whether the child would be retarded or have birth defects. We asked if they could treat anything if the results were unfavorable, they said coldly, "No, but you would be able to abort." We were appalled and answered immediately with "You don't know our God. And furthermore, if this child is special or normal, we will love him unconditionally." The Ob/Gyn told us that we were "stupid" and "irresponsible". We told her that we were faithful, and more importantly that our God was faithful. Negative report after negative report, we stood upon the Word of God, knowing that Jesus was in control, either way, we held fast. As the week of the scheduled C-section approached, our faith was tested heavily. We stood on the Word. The hour of the operation came, and I sat alone waiting for the procedure as Jeni was in pre-op. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and asked God to bless this child and order his steps. Minutes later, we welcomed Benjamin Ray Stivale in to his adventure. He was heavier than his older brother at birth, and absolutely perfect. They told us over the course of his testing that he was deaf in his right ear, but we prayed for his wholeness, and when we took him into an Audiologist, they found him to be totally whole and pronounced him as such. God is so incredibly faithful. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."-(1 Corinthians 1:9)

Our faith was tested and strengthened through all of these events. Jesus proves time and time again that we belong to HIM, and He takes care of His children. But throughout the growth of our boys, we have learned through the miraculous and the mild, they have tremendous, inspiring faith in God. We are so blessed to have had them both dedicated by their now, Step-Grandfather, Bob Harrison, and our beloved friends John Bevere and Dr. Myles Munroe. What an awesome God. What a divine impartation and blessing, and what an awesome future that they are called to in His Kingdom. But the environment and teaching of the Holy Spirit has developed in them both faith that rivals the Generals of the Gospel themselves. They are sown in, grafted into the true vine, and they have learned already that He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. They know, even at this young and tender age, that God's promises are true, and that FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS. "For thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon thee I have leaned from my birth; thou art he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of thee."-(Psalm 71:5-6)

I love their understanding of faith. It is immediate. It is not "instant gratification" but rather "NOW faith". "NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) Our sons have "NOW FAITH". When Benny has an injury or needs prayer, he always completes his prayers (and sometimes amends ours) with "Not tomorrow, not Sunday, but RIGHT NOW. In Jesus' Name". What is impressive is the genuinely immediate action of the Hand of God into these situations. His faith expects "NOW" and God grants it. Gabriel's understanding of the power of faith reaches into his everyday, and it is a direct result of that life-changing experience seeing the immediacy of his healing. That has brought to light in our ministry the same immediacy in Jesus' miracles during His ministry on Earth. There were no indefinite time lapses between the healings themselves and the manifestation. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy."-(Matthew 8:2-3) "Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour."-(Matthew 8:13) "As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. -(Mark 1:42) ""Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."-(Mark 10:52) When we have the faith of a child, it has not been tainted by the qualifications or mystification of the world. It is pure and strong. Our expectation is set upon the immediacy of the manifestation, the truth of God's promises. The Lord Himself teaches us that we must be like children to inherit the Kingdom of God. (Luke 18:17) That most certainly does not mean that we operate as children do, or that we revert in our maturity or development. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."-(1 Corinthians 13:11) We need to loose the shackles of the world and return to the purity of a child's belief. In that regard, we must not necessarily "think" like a child, but rather "BELIEVE" like one in order to please God and activate His promises. My boys are two of my greatest inspirations and along with my bride, are the proof that there is a God, he loves and believes in me and wants me to be blessed. They are, in spite of their age, two of my greatest examples when it comes to understanding true, unadulterated FAITH.

So, whether you have your own miniature anointed progeny or not, perhaps we must all reflect on the obedience and faith of the boy with the fish and the loaves. Give all we have to the Master willingly and whole-heartedly, so He may bless and multiply it immediately with "NOW FAITH". We are, after all, no matter how young or old, His CHILDREN.