Tag: faith

ANGEL UNAWARE

BLOG 175

November 9, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise has interviewed people in many states about their experiences with divine encounters. Because of the virus, he’s been unable to interview people. So, we’ve presented Summer Reruns. Now it’s Fall, but this week he had a discovery just received; he knew you’d want to read.     

ANGEL UNAWARE

Here’s an experience worth thinking about.

Robin Naylor gave birth to a baby with a serious chromosomal defect. The baby was immediately sent to another hospital for treatment.  After all the complications, the husband felt the need to go home to recuperate, leaving Robin in the hospital room by herself. She needed the time alone to sort out her own feelings. What did this problem mean for the baby’s future?  How could she handle the complications? The Naylor family was faced with serious issues. Robin Naylor wasn’t sure she could endure.

The next morning a cheerful nurse came in and introduced herself as Jan.  She related that she understood the struggle Robin was facing. Jan said she had a child with a similar defect and understood the tensions Robin felt. Robin could talk with her honestly because Jan knew her feelings and distress. 

As they talked, Robin could see the nurse lived a normal life in spite of the tragedy that had befallen her. The more the conversation continued, Robin began to recover her sense of sufficiency  A new sense of strength returned and Robin became more certain that she could live with the situation.

Finally, the baby was transferred back to the same hospital. As Robin prepareped to leave, she looked for Jan to share how profoundly her words had helped. She couldn’t be found and Robin went home with her baby.

Later Robin returned to the hospital to find Jan and thank her for the support, but again she couldn’t be found. Robin went to the nurse’s station and asked when Jan would be back on call so she could speak to her. The nurse on duty said no one by that name had ever worked on the floor.  Robin quickly described the nurse, but no one fit her description. Robin left perplexed.

As time went by, she couldn’t dismiss wanting to thank Jan. On a return to the hospital, Robin ask to see her records of the period she was there.  On the day of her conversation with Jan, the chart was marked with initial “J.S” even though no one with that name or initials were on the nurse’s roster.

Her conclusion? An angel had dropped by to encourage her in facing the difficult task that lay ahead. What can we say?  The book of Hebrews told us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. “

Keep your spiritual eyes open and take a second look at who knocks on your door.

My latest books:

I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the U.S. Army’s Greatest Generals!

by Frank Sisson (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

You can find I MARCHED WITH PATTON on Amazon.

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle!

by Art Shaw (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

You can find 82 DAYS ON OKINAWA on Amazon.

by Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: , , Leave a comment

BLOG 174

November 2, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise has interviewed people in many states about their experiences with divine encounters. Because of the virus, he’s been unable to interview people. So, we’ve presented Summer Reruns. Now it’s Fall, but this week he had a discovery just received; he knew you’d want to read.                      

 A MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

I grew up as a boy in Deer Creek Valley in the Colorado mountains. Along the way, the people of Bailey started a church and my parents insisted I go.  Years later, I returned and discovered the “little gathering” had become a large church. In turn, I became close friends with the pastor  Rev. Larry Kalb.

Last July, Larry shared his PSA test had been off the scale. The 1,100 result was beyond relief.  A normal PSA is around 4. Never had I heard of such a score. With tears in his eyes, Larry told me he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer affecting his abdomen and bones. I was shocked and terrified as I had sat by the bedside with men dying with similar struggles. Larry ask me to preach for him on Sunday because he did not feel well.

 I knew prayer could bring a touch of the hand of God. I called on a prayer chain to begin making intercession immediately. If anyone needed a touch from the hand of God, it was this man.

As the month progressed, I became increasingly concerned. Having held healing seminars across America, in Europe, and Taiwan., I knew what was possible. One morning, I felt moved to come down the mountain and see Larry in his office. As we talked, I urged him to openly receive the possibility of healing prayer. Larry suddenly jumped out of the chair and urged me to pray for him. He had asked the elders of the church to anoint him and pray over his illness. That morning, as I prayed with my hands on his head, I felt a powerful surge of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment descending. Larry didn’t particularly feel any sensation, but was moved by the experience. I left and continued to pray.

Three weeks later, we had lunch. I noticed he was not emotional and normally cogent.  I knew he had been to the doctor that week. “How’s your PSA score,” I ask.

“It dropped to 29,” Larry said.

I nearly fell out of the booth. “I’m staggered!” I said. Larry shared how good he felt.

Just before I returned to my Oklahoma home, we had lunch togther again. This time he reported a drop to 19. Going from off the charts, he had dropped to a figure not so far from normal. I thanked God

 This Saturday morning, I called Larry to check on how he was doing. “What’s the score now?”

“Four,” he said.  “Normal. “They  did an MRI and my bones are normal. No cancer.”

Does prayer work? Does the hand of God still reach out and touch people? Rev. Larry Kalb is a living example.

My latest books:

I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the U.S. Army’s Greatest Generals!

by Frank Sisson (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

You can find I MARCHED WITH PATTON on Amazon.

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle!

by Art Shaw (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

You can find 82 DAYS ON OKINAWA on Amazon.

by Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: , , Leave a comment

KIM PHUC: THE QUEST FOR WHOLENESS

BLOG 173

October 26, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise  has interviewed people in many states about their experiences with divine encounters. Because of the virus, he’s been unable to interview people. So, we’ve presented Summer Reruns. Now it’s Fall. But this week I found a story that I’ve not presented previously

KIM PHUC: THE QUEST FOR WHOLENESS

While digging through my files I came across a picture I had saved long ago. One of those Vietnam War depictions that caused many Americans to rethink the war struck me. Children were running from their village that had just been fire bombed. Black clouds of smoke filled the sky. The children screamed and ran to escape the exploding flames. In the center of the picture was a completely naked little girl with both arms extended. The bombing had ripped her clothing away and severely burned her back. Recovery would require seventeen surgeries and fourteen months of hospitalization. The agony in her face while screaming in horror still traumatizes.

Every time I saw that picture, I asked myself why we allow such wars and violence to continue. The plight of Kim Phuc never stopped haunting me. Every time I ran across the picture, I wondered what had become of that poor child. Maybe the war would never be over for her.

While thumbing through a magazine with an article by Emily Werenga, there was that frightening picture again and a story about what had happened to this child.  Her photo had been proclaimed a “National Symbol of War,” but Kim Phuc only wanted to forget the entire subject.  She  struggled with anger and bitterness, hating her life. However, as an adult, Kim stumbled onto a Bible in a public library and started to read.  What she saw fascinated her and she couldn’t stop reading. Never had she heard the story unfolding before her.

Out of curiosity, Kim stopped in a church to explore further. Again, for the first time. She heard the Christian account explained. She said, “The love of God changed my life. I knew that Jesus died on the cross and paid for my sins.” The impact was profound.

No longer was Kim plagued by wondering “Why?” She started asking, “How?”

“My life was like a cup of coffee. Very dark: with hatred, anger, bitterness, sorrow … So, I asked God how can I clean everything in my heart?” The hot coffee was poured out every day until the cup was empty. Then, she asked the cup to be filled with the love of God. While Kim still takes a med for her napalm scars and has diabetes, she credits God with giving her a wonderful husband and children as well as starting over again in Canada.

During a visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in 1996, she encountered one of the   pilots who had actually bombed her village. She assured the shattered man of her forgiveness. For Kim, the story of God’s love and the love of people is more powerful than any weapon of war.

The divine interventions of God’s love continue every day. His love never ceases.

My latest books:

I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the U.S. Army’s Greatest Generals!

by Frank Sisson (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

You can find I MARCHED WITH PATTON on Amazon.

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle!

You can find 82 DAYS ON OKINAWA on Amazon.

by Art Shaw (Author), Robert L. Wise (Author)

by Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: , , Leave a comment

FALL RERUNS: ANGELIC INTERVENTIONS SAVE THE DAY!

BLOG 169

September 28, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Church with a Ph.D., Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced divine interventions.

Now it’s Fall. So, here’s Fall Reruns!

ANGELIC INTERVENTIONS SAVE THE DAY!      

As I wander around the countryside picking up experiences of divine intervention, I often ran into people who had encounters with angels – which is certainly miraculous. Recently, I ran into a story from Lynn Valetine about an encounter that happened to Sarah Loutner in Springfield, Tennessee. Today, Sarah Loutner is a dancer and performs routines with a Christian message. At the time, Sarah was only a small child.  

The Loutner family lived in an old two-story farm house. Like any older house that had been built years before, the staircase was steep. As was the custom in by-gone days, the stairs angled up partway to a landing, then turned 90 degrees before going up the rest of the way to the top. Sarah had a special place upstairs where she played with her toys. On this afternoon, she tired of playing with the dolls and wondered what her mother might be doing. Probably, she was down in the kitchen where cookies might be waiting. Sarah pushed the playthings aside and hurried toward the steps.

Pre-occupied in thinking about where her mother might be, Sarah didn’t pay attention to the abruptly sloping stairs. Her feet got tangled up, and Sarah fell head first down the plunging steps.

Like a scene in a slow-motion movie, Sarah discovered a figure standing on the landing. The man towered above the steps. Big and powerful, he appeared to be surrounded by a shimmering glow. The light swirled around him and Sarah immediately felt reassurance that she didn’t have to be afraid.

To her total surprise, Sarah realized that she was not falling, but seemed to be floating toward the unknown figure on the landing.  Unseen hands carryied her downward until finally her feet landed gently on the floor. She knew that an angel had intervened to save her.

When she looked up, the angel was gone. Sarah ran to tell her mother what had happened. She listened, but Sarah distinctly felt she didn’t believe her. Years later, when Sarah, her brother Aaron, and her mother got off on the subject of angels, Sarah recounted the experience. This time her mother was convinced a guardian angel had indeed intervened, but wasn’t sure why an angel would have secured her.    

Sarah’s brother Aaron immediately added, “You’re a dancer! You were caught so you could dance for God.”

Just thinking about her brother’s response, makes Sarah want to dance today.

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THE CUP OF BLESSING — Part 2

Blog 168

September 14, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Robert Wise explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Church with a Ph.D., Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced divine interventions.

THE CUP OF BLESSING — Part 2

The Sacraments of the Church aren’t magic … but they are filled with power. That’s how we began last week as I shared an experience form Rev. Grant Crichton’s church in Saskatchewan, Canada. In recent days, many people with worries about the Covid-19 pandemic have returned to the church seeking divine intervention.  Particularly churches that stress the sacraments are discovering a source of power. Through the centuries during the worst of times, multitudes have come to the church seeking the same help.

Last week, I also shared walking through the Catacombs of St. Sebastian in Rome where one finds the graves of the earliest saints. At the bottom of the catacombs was a worship center where for centuries people knelt, prayed, and were renewed.  When we have personal need we can return to the altar of Christ and seek the same Presence in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Here’s an example.

A new woman began attending Rev. Grant Crichton’s church.  She was alienated from her family and had been struggling with health issues. Her faith journey had taken her to a wide range of churches including Catholicism, Pentecostalism, and ending up with a blend and brand of her own choosing. The pain in her life seemed to pour out during the worship service. When the service came to Holy Communion, she was particularly overwhelmed.  Often the woman would cry or fall on the floor. She might lay there for a long time seemingly in deep prayer or thought. Rev. Crichton let her be while he continued to pray for her.

Eventually after one of the services, she shared how relief had come into her life. Since regularly attending Holy Communion and praying the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly with the congregation, she felt her feelings of bitterness subsiding, As the old hurts faded, a new sense of peace settled over her. She had not felt this calm and encouragement for a long, long time. A new energy had come into her life. Her medical problems ceased.  She wanted Rev. Crichton to know she was now bringing her friends to church. Her life was different and joy had returned.

I would not call this a miracle, but it certainly was a divine intervention. The Holy Spirit had gradually used the sacraments of the church to bring renewal. Possibly, a lesson for today is that the work of God may be gradual but it is persistent. Renewal and change follow.

Let Us Pray

We are calling on people to join with us in praying for America once a day for the next year.  During this serious time, your prayers can make vital difference.

Please join us.

YOU MIGHT ENJOY MY NEWEST BOOK HOT OFF THE PRESS
82 DAYS ON OKINAWA
Harper-Collins Publishers
JUST OUT – IT’S A THRILLER!
Col. Art Shaw & Robert L. Wise

You can find 82 DAYS ON OKINAWA at your local book store or on Amazon.

by Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, miraculousTags: , , Leave a comment

YES, THERE ARE BAD GUYS OUT THERE!

Blog 167, 2017
August 24, 2020

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise  explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world?
Read and you’ll find new insights.

The corona-virus pandemic has made it impossible to make contacts. However, I’ve got a mail bag of great stories that I’m recycling. These are my summer reruns.

YES, THERE ARE BAD GUYS OUT THERE!

Are there “swindlers” out there? Sure are.

In the movie Leap of Faith, Steve Martin plays con man Jonas Nightengale who travels from town to town bilking farmers out of their money while he fakes miracles. In the town of Rustwater, Kansas, he sets up his nightly show. The town’s people are so taken that when the sheriff reports Nightengale’s real name is Jack Newton and he has continually been in trouble with the law, they won’t listen. Each night the fraudulent healer wearing a silver-sequined coat hops up and down the aisles while an assistant is in the backroom with television monitors sends him messages through an ear piece. The inside information makes Nightengale appear to have special secrets messages from the Holy Spirit.

The turning point comes when Boyd, a boy on crutches, is actually healed. Nightengale cannot believe what he is seeing and runs, leaving the silver-sequined jacket behind. As he travels away in a hitch-hiked ride, Nightengale tells the driver that he knows “the genuine article” and that a real miracle is not to be toyed with. The movie ends as Nightengale disappears into the night.

Interestingly enough, this movie was based on an actual fraudulent ministry of a Pentecostal type who kept his wife in the back room sending him messages through a hearing aid device. The audience was scanned by accomplices who produced information on the unsuspecting. The last time I saw this character on television, he was promoting “miracle spring water” and was still at it. The tragedy of these charlatans is that they demean the actual interventions of the heavenly Father. They reduce the miraculous to a sideshow, leaving people to go home disillusioned.

Equally tragic is that the antics of these types develop skeptics who see the entire scene as a sham. Both conclusions are equally unfortunate. While we acknowledge the reality of the counterfeit artists and the audience that travels with them to pretend a miracle occurred, we continue to recognize that divine intervention has made a dramatic difference in the journeys of a multitude of grateful people.

The key to the “genuine article” is found in understanding the stories in the scripture. As the Old and New testaments relate the stories of miracles, they contain details that are important in grasping how people like Elisha as well as Jesus Christ ministered.

Discovering the will of God is one of the first steps that unlocks sealed doors.

Stay tuned. More to come.

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A CALL TO PRAYER

Blog 166
August 31, 2020

praying-hands

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!
Robert Wise  explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. 

A CALL TO PRAYER

Obviously, I believe in divine interventions. The past week I discovered such an event that I believe demands your attention. Archbishop Russell McClanahan is an executive in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches and a substantial leader. Bishop Russ is not given to transcendent experiences or excessive claims. Like the rest of the nation, he is aware we are living in a time of catastrophic upheaval on every level. From the pandemic to the 500 fires in California to the worst hurricane in history, on to political chaos. this country has been rocked.

Against the backdrop of these debacles, Bishop McClanahan had this experience. Russ was almost asleep when he saw the face of Jesus Christ approaching him and becoming larger and larger. The crucifixion began to unfold before him and he felt like he was participating in the scene. In the mist of the agony, the voice of God spoke. “The cup of my wrath is almost full and unless your nation repents and turns to Me, the four horsemen standing at the gate will be loosed. Tell my people to return to my principles, to repent of having ignored and broken my laws. Tell them I have given to them examples in generations past of my love and discipline and to remember how I warned and continued to warn Israel in generations past that they would bring judgement upon themselves.”

Scenes of brokenness, loneliness, evil, and destruction flashed before Russ’s eyes He felt himself engulfed in God’s grief and longing for people to return to Him. Words failed to fully express what he felt as Russ touched the heart of God.

As I listened to Russ’s experience, I was profoundly moved and thought of II Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

In this time of chaos, uncertainty, and despair, I believe God is calling His people to turn to Him again and to pray. Therefore, Russ and I are calling on people to join us in praying once a day for America. We ask you to commit yourself to do so for the next year. Would you covenant with us to do the same? Possibly, such an action might be the most important thing y could do for your country.

Think about it. One prayer a day for the next year.. Would you stop right now and begin to pray? America needs your faithfulness and God will bless it.

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SUMMER RERUNS: YES, THERE ARE BAD GUYS OUT THERE!

Blog 167, 2017
August 24, 2020

faith

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise  explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world?
Read and you’ll find new insights.

The corona-virus pandemic has made it impossible to make contacts. However, I’ve got a mail bag of great stories that I’m recycling. These are my summer reruns.

YES, THERE ARE BAD GUYS OUT THERE!

Are there “swindlers” out there? Sure are.

In the movie Leap of Faith, Steve Martin plays con man Jonas Nightengale who travels from town to town bilking farmers out of their money while he fakes miracles. In the town of Rustwater, Kansas, he sets up his nightly show. The town’s people are so taken that when the sheriff reports Nightengale’s real name is Jack Newton and he has continually been in trouble with the law, they won’t listen. Each night the fraudulent healer wearing a silver-sequined coat hops up and down the aisles while an assistant is in the backroom with television monitors sends him messages through an ear piece. The inside information makes Nightengale appear to have special secrets messages from the Holy Spirit.

The turning point comes when Boyd, a boy on crutches, is actually healed. Nightengale cannot believe what he is seeing and runs, leaving the silver-sequined jacket behind. As he travels away in a hitch-hiked ride, Nightengale tells the driver that he knows “the genuine article” and that a real miracle is not to be toyed with. The movie ends as Nightengale disappears into the night.

Interestingly enough, this movie was based on an actual fraudulent ministry of a Pentecostal type who kept his wife in the back room sending him messages through a hearing aid device. The audience was scanned by accomplices who produced information on the unsuspecting. The last time I saw this character on television, he was promoting “miracle spring water” and was still at it. The tragedy of these charlatans is that they demean the actual interventions of the heavenly Father. They reduce the miraculous to a sideshow, leaving people to go home disillusioned.

Equally tragic is that the antics of these types develop skeptics who see the entire scene as a sham. Both conclusions are equally unfortunate. While we acknowledge the reality of the counterfeit artists and the audience that travels with them to pretend a miracle occurred, we continue to recognize that divine intervention has made a dramatic difference in the journeys of a multitude of grateful people.

The key to the “genuine article” is found in understanding the stories in the scripture. As the Old and New testaments relate the stories of miracles, they contain details that are important in grasping how people like Elisha as well as Jesus Christ ministered.

Discovering the will of God is one of the first steps that unlocks sealed doors.

Stay tuned. More to come.

by Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: , , , Leave a comment