Proclaiming Truth

As a single parent, I worried about the impact my unwanted divorce would have on my two young children. Indeed, challenges lay ahead. At that time the kids’ dad was barely in the picture.

Thankfully, the Lord had placed us in a loving church family, First Church of the Open Bible, in Des Moines, Iowa, pastored by Ken Groen. He invited Bob Laflin, a nationally-known prophet, to speak in a series of services. I sat enraptured as he spoke encouragement and direction into people’s lives.

I did not dream, however, that he would call me out and specifically pray for me. When I mentioned I had two children, he said the word “abandoned” came to his mind. He talked about the orphans who delivered mail for the pony express in the Old West. They used these kids because the job was dangerous and no one would care if something happened to them. Bob reminded me that God is not like that. He does not abandon His children. He is a Father to the fatherless.

He also said not to worry about my children, for God had sent angels to watch over them and protect them, even in the “far-off places” He would send them. How did Bob know I prayed each morning and night for God to keep His angels watching over my kids? How did he know that both my son and daughter would travel extensively across the United States and to other countries while still teenagers? How did he know how much this prophecy would reassure me during those trips, as well as last fall when my daughter moved from Iowa to Oregon to attend Eugene Bible College?

Prophecies like these reveal the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, who searches the innermost being of a person and then chooses to reveal that which lay hidden to specific individuals like Bob Laflin. Although God has blessed me now with a wonderful husband and two more beautiful children, I will never forget how much those words Bob spoke comforted me during such an uncertain time. Be sure to read our feature section on prophets (pages 4-8) to learn more about this incredible ministry.

Although she is not a prophet, Joanne Campe also had a very personal encounter with God. In the midst of trying to find answers to life’s questions, this meeting unexpectedly led her to her “First Love” (page 9).

The same Holy Spirit who works in such individual ways is at work on a global scale. Oleksandr Rudynets shares how God changed the mindset of the entire nation of Ukraine during the Orange Revolution (page 13). As we let His Spirit guide us we realize we are part of something much greater than ourselves. “That is why we pray, fight spiritual warfare, and proclaim truth,” as Oleksandr says.

Andrea Johnson,
Managing Editor
Message@openbible.org