Hi, everyone! I haven't posted in a while, I ended up back in the hospital. I am still recovering but, I am not preaching from a wheel chair anymore. Yahoo! Some of you know I had a diabetic wound in my right foot that required hospitalization. I almost lost my foot. I didn't and my doctors refer to me as the walking miracle. And then I got a blood clot in my left leg and had to go back for another stay in the hospital. My doctor called me in the middle of the day and he said "God just whispered in my ear that you have a blood clot and you have got to go to the hospital now!" I did and I had a pulmonary embolism. So I am on the mend and I feel like jumping up and down praising my God. Anyone have a praise report?

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Answers

Well, look who's back. I figured you were back in the hospital so I've been praying for you. Let's see, a praise report. Is a gift to our church of $1.8 million a good one?

Our church is in its 3rd year of existence and is running around 100 people. During that time we've gone from renting the Lion's Club to the Girl Scout center, and are currently leasing space in a large office building. We also have 80 acres of land purchased, and are slowly paying that debt. Right now though it's just a field.

We had a guest speaker from one of our missions departments speak a few weeks ago, and after service he told our pastor that he knew a businessman who bought buildings for churches when the Lord led him to do so. The missionary said that this businessman usually took his advice when he brought a church to his attention, and he'd like to recommend our church for a building purchase. He told Pastor to begin looking for a suitable building.

Pastor found an old bowling alley with 22,500 square feet on one of the busiest corners in town, but the realitor wouldn't show it to him because he was also selling two vacant restaurants next door. The law in our town doesn't allow establishments that serve alcohol to be within a certain distance of a church, and he knew that if we took the bowling alley no restaurant would ever operate out of those two buildings until we left. Pastor asked if he'd be willing to sell us all three buildings, and the realitor said yes.

They contacted the businessman, and he said we could have up to $1.8 million to purchase the entire corner. We're actually trying to get a price of $1.4 million so we can have the rest for conversion and upgrades. It's not a done deal yet, and we're much in prayer these days because we really want to seek the Lord's will in this. Pastor and a realitor who goes to our church are hard at work getting the details settled, and there is much work yet to do, but the chain of events has obviously shown the hand of God. If we don't get this apparently wonderful deal then we know that God must have something even more astounding in store. Either way we're happy.

Yep, I think that's a pretty fair praise report. We want to give God all the praise, and be good stewards of the incredible resources He is entrusting us with.

Welcome back Sister!

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Oh, I should mention one other cool thing. The neighboring restaurants are a story in themselves. One was a steak house and is built in the style of an adobe ranch house. The other has been more of a bar than a restaurant. Most recently it was a sports bar, but it was also at one time a girlie bar. It would feel really good to poke a finger in the devil's eye by using this building for the Kingdom. Talk about literally taking territory from him! We'd be taking land from him in a very real sense - ha!

If we get the buildings I don't know what the elders have in mind as far as use. But I think that the former bar, which is painted in a rather garish red with yellow trim, would work well for a children's ministry building. Bright colors and kids go together after all.

Rest assured we'd get out the gallon jugs of annointing oil though. I'm sure all three of these places could use a mighty spiritual cleansing. Our pastor would probably invite several churches to help out in that.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Wow! Rob what an incredible praise report. I will keep your pastor and church in prayer. Thank you so much for your prayers. My birthday is April 19th, so you have time to get me a hillsong CD for my birthday present;-)!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! Welcome back, dear sister. What a mighty God we serve. We thank God for restoring your health and strength in a miraculous way. Praise God, Praise God, Praise God. I can't stop praising the Lord! What joy to hear from you and to know that you are recovering.

We are thanking our God for restoring and renewing broken relationships in our church family and for increasing attendance at prayer meeting and bible study. Many wounded spirits have entered the portals of our church and God is manifesting his healing power in our midst. There is a Balm in Gilead to heal the wounded soul. Glory to His name.

We praise Him for His mighty acts! Hallelujah!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Praise God Rev. Rogers. You have truly been blessed and we are so excited about your healing.

I have many things to be grateful for at this time in my life. I just made a very necessary move. Went from a two bedroom into a one bedroom; but God blessed me to start fresh and just about everything in there is new. The place is beautiful with a lakeview. When I look around I just cry and delight in God that he has done this for me. I've never experienced this. God moved me swiftly and miraculously. That's about all the detail I can give. It is just wonderful to know He was in control of the entire adventure.

I have another praise report regarding my Church. We will be moving into our new Church on the 21st of this month. We have a small congregation, but because of our obedience and the giving of tithes and offering God has been More Than Enough. It's such a beautiful Church and, we send God's hand. He again was in control of the entire adventure.

In Christ, Carmen Rose

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Praise God for Rev. Denise Rogers and her faith!!! Despite all you have been through you are still able to give all praises to God. It reminds me of the scripture that states that my strength is perfected in weakness. It also reminds me of Hebrews 11 which talks about the faith and how we can only please God through our faith. I praise God for speaking to your doctor and for your faith. I also pray that my faith in God will never fail me. I am also going to pray that many will be uplifted and encouraged by your praise testimony. I am also going to pray that you will recover from any complications of your diabetes. Quite frankly, you are one of the greatest preachers I have ever known. May God bless you.

Jazzman

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Thank you all for your good wishes I am sending you virtual hugs!! I love God and my denomination so much. God uses us to bring others to him. When I was in the hospital, nurses and doctors heard about my healing and came to see for themselves, many are now attending churches for the first time. It is so important to tell people what God is doing in our lives, for we are instruments of God's divine plan. I learned so much from my illness, I learned what it felt like to be in a wheel chair, (I now will see other's in wheel chairs more compassionately), I talked to people who had no health insurance and could not get the quality of care I received. I love my congregation more than ever as everyone pitched in to help me. I know without a doubt that I have the world's greatest Bishop and Episcopal supervisor Bishop Bryant and Dr. Cee, they ministered to me and my daughter and I knew if I did not make it my daughter would have an A.M.E family. I learned that I have a "spiritual" sister Carmen, who called me and prayed and called some more to let me know I am loved. I will be 50 on April 19th (Please note I am not as old as Bill Dickens who knew Richard Allen personally;-) and God has called me to pastor in such a loving denomination. I waited a long time to find my A.M.E family and I am so glad I did. Sunday we are celebrating a belated founders day because I was sick in Feb. This is my church's first official year being A.M.E. We are having the United Methodist Choir, Absolom Jone's story told from an Episcopal Priest and I will be singing and our mission statement will be done as a responsive reading. The chaplain from our hospital will talk about his experiences with the A.M.E church when he was a lutheran pastor in the south.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Denise: Sounds like you may want to do a Kirk Franklin number and just STOMP!! One of my favorite "churchy" expressions goes somethin like this: Jesus has more healing in the hem of his garment than the entire membership of the American Medical Association. Your testimony confirms this indisputable truth. I'll continue to uplift you, your family and your church in prayer - thankfully a young wippersnapper like me can handle additional responsibilities. :-) QED

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Hotep (Peace) Pastor Denise.

In the spirit of Shirley Casear "Hold my mule, I think I'll shout right here!"

Be Blessed! Brenda

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

To God Be the Glory, Great Things he is still doing!!!

Blessings to You Rev. Denise Like the others I too have been praying for you during your absence from this Board. It is such a joy and encouragement to have your story. No Test - No Testimony. God is praised by your story and Ministry.

God Bless You and This B Board Family Love From Bermuda

Bro. Nalton

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2002

Wht a mighty God we serve. Pastor Rogers you have truly been an inspiration to many of us on this board. I am rejoicing with you in your victory. God will make us about what we prech about. God has used you to inspire and encourage so many ministries. Your joy and committment to the people of God is both encouraging and empowering. My prayers continue to lift you up in your healing process.

With Love and Prayers, Your Sister In the Struggle.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2002

God bless you Rev. Rogers. God is still gooder than good. We will continue to pray for your healing and strength.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2002

I cannot put into words how much I love God and our lord and savior. The healing that he bestows on all of us is but one of the many, many gifts he wants to give us. I have found in my faith journey if I ask him to strengthen me to do his ministry, he always does. He plants ideas of new ministries in my mind, and I am in awe that he trusts me so much. Just think about it my sisters and brothers God loves us and trusts us to do his work on earth. Every day is a new beginning with God, he does not hold grudges over us, he forgives us and then gives us his grace. He anointed Rev. Fisher and gave him and Jan this incredible ministry that reaches the world!!!! How can we not be excited daily about being a Christian, yahoo!! jump for joy, scream, stomp, fling something but do not ever be complacent about God, when I pray for all of you it is through tears of joy, for through Rev. Fisher God gave me a family. A brother I can tease in Bill Dickens many sisters, family in Bermuda, and in Namibia, South Africa and across this country. Somebody say Hallelujah! Amen, Praise God, I got the holy spirit, I am in the spirit, but never be silent in loving God. Joy in Christ for it is your destiny.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2002

Rev. Denise Rogers, I will shout with you. I have come to realize the joy of knowing that there is some I can call when God has done amazing things in my life. I thought that everyone would be as excited about the Wonderous things that God does as I am, but sadly that is not always the truth. I have an amazing testamony about one of my daughters that if I were to write all the details it would take several pages. In short last year in March, my oldest daughter was shot 6 times in the head. Two of the bullets past through her neck severing all the arteries in her neck. One bullet struck the main artery in her tempal. The the rest of the bullets struck in various other locations. To make a long story short, she had no blood or oxygen flowing to her brain. They found my daughter in her car in a alley next to a dumpters, no one knows how long she'd been there before the trash men showed up to collect the trash and found her. The report the Doctors gave was bleak at best. However the report that God gave was watch me work. As I all ready stated this is the story in a nutshell perhaps you will hear my daughter gave her full testamony soon. She is doing great and all the things that the doctor said she would not be able to do she is doing them and more. In fact we believe she's making better decisions now that she suffered brain damage then she did when she was normal (smile) . So I know the great things God can do and shout Hallelujah to God for your healing.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2002

Rev. Bean praise God for your daughter's miracle, Praise God, praise God!! Please tell your daughter that I am praying for her and you! Thank you for sharing this wondorous story, keep telling the story for God wants us to witness for him!

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2002