Do you personally believe that God still performs miracles today?  Many Christians believe that “signs and wonders” should accompany our current works in the same manner as Jesus and the apostles did in the New Testament.  In fact, they will cite John 14:12 in that we should be doing  “even greater works than these.”  Some others however, claim that the era of supernatural intervention is over and that Christians should not expect God to do the same kind of miracles that are recorded in the New Testament.  Where do you line up?

First, let’s define the term.  A “miracle” is a wonder or marvel that defies rational explanation.  It surpasses all known scientific, human or natural powers.  Because of this, it must be attributed to supernatural causes.  Another dictionary defines, it is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.”

Two years ago at the Sons of Thunder Farm in Zambia there was a men’s devotion service that began with a powerful mini-sermon delivered by Pastor Terry focused on Elisha the prophet.  There were about a hundred of us altogether from the surrounding villages and after the message we all stood and gathered in Zambian-style collective and effusive prayer .  The message stirred us deeply and we were praying in the Spirit, many of us in tears.  We then encircled two men from the village nearby who were deaf and mute from birth to lay hands on them and pray a prayer of healing over them.  One of the men was named Advenot and the other Darwin.

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give.”  (Matthew 10:8) 

In Zambia and throughout the African bush there is a culture of voodoo and shamans where curses and cast spells are still prevalent.  Demon possession, hexes and generational curses are not uncommon.  The Bible tells us that the Son of God appeared to “destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) and that likewise He tells us, “as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

It was cloudy that morning and as we began to pray; a light rain shower began outside the open church.   When we had laid hands on the men we were praying for, there was a flash of lightning above and a clap of thunder right outside in the moment that the Zambian pastor prayed “be healed!” over them.  Seconds later, a brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds and illumined the area around the church.  It was Spirit-filled and it was moving,  and all of us believed these men were both healed.

But on that day, neither man reported a change in their condition.  Neither could hear, neither could speak.  We waited for the next day, and then the next.  But there was no change.  There was disappointment among us,  others asked “why weren’t they healed?” We continued to pray and ten days later as we began to embark on the long journey back to the United States neither of the two men could hear or speak.

Often, when we think of “unanswered” prayer it may be that we don’t understand the way in which God responds to our prayers.  Sometimes, He may not grant an immediate answer and other times He answers in ways that we may not recognize or understand.  There are other times when God will say “no” for whatever reason He may have.  But, we must understand that God never makes mistakes, even though we might question Him.   So what happened?

Unfortunately, we have lost contact with Advenot.  But seven months ago while I was back in Zambia, we drove to a village outside of Sons of Thunder to minister and pray with the people.   The other man that we had prayed for was there, Darwin.   Alexander turned to me and said, “have you not heard?”  And then I learned that in the prior recent months Darwin had gradually begun to hear for the first time in his life!   There was a slow but steady increase in hearing with each passing day and he began to speak for the first time as well.  It was a miracle healing!  When I greeted him, he proudly showed me his first cell phone on his side.  The following week he was part of a re-enactment team portraying Jesus’ final days prior to the Crucifixion.  The picture insert is him during a break during one of the re-enactments.  Oh, and by the way, the village elders and leadership  suggested to him that due to his healing that he might change his name.  Today, he is no longer Darwin…..he is now known as Daniel!

God is doing a great work in Zambia through Sons of Thunder.  We are grateful for your prayers and financial support!

Sometimes it is the story behind the story that may be the most compelling.  Today, most people have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls but do not understand their significance.  Some even wrongly believe the scrolls are the original Bible.  Their discovery in 1946 is one of the most important finds in modern times as they confirm in multiple examples that the Bible was accurately translated over the passage of time.  However, there is a marvelous backdrop to this story that remains overlooked.

Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?  Where were they found?  How many were discovered?

Over 2,200 years ago there was a community of Jews in Israel that were very expectant of the Messiah and they had separated themselves from the rest of Judaism.  They took copies of the Bible (Old Testament) with them to the wilderness along with sectarian texts and ancient Jewish writings settling in the mountainous area along the coastline of the Dead Sea, known as the Judean Wilderness.   This priestly sect of Jews was known as the Essenes.   They stored their ancient manuscripts in clay jars in the mountain caves surrounding their settlements for preservation.  The majority of these 1,000+ manuscripts and fragments were discovered between 1946-1956 in eleven caves near Qumran on the northwestern corner of the Dead Sea.  A twelfth cave was discovered and excavated in 2017.  The Dead Sea near Qumran is the lowest area on earth at 1,350 feet below sea level and is very arid, conditions that were ideal to preserve these writings over two thousand years.

Why did the Essenes separate?  Why did they go to the Judean Wilderness?

There was a split between two Jewish factions that became known as Sadducees and Pharisees during the Hasmonean Dynasty and civil war broke out between them from 90-80 BC.  They fought primarily over whether the kings should combine both the duties of priests and kings under their authority.  The Sadducees agreed with whatever the kings decreed, the Pharisees were emphatic that combining the duties was illegal and not aligned with the Law.  “Parisee” in Hebrew means “to separate” and they became known as the Pharisees.  Afterwards, the Pharisees invented a new form of teaching known as the “oral Law” and they rejected the teachings of the Patriarchs handed down over the ages.  This is where rabbinic Judaism departed from Biblical Judaism.  The “Essenes” broke off from the Pharisees over this matter as they astutely upheld the teachings and prophetic writings of the Patriarchs.  Today a Christian would interpret the Old Testament by the New Testament.  Jews today would interpret the OT by the oral Torah or Talmud.  The Essenes would interpret the Old Testament through the writings of the Patriarchs which they had recorded and saved over the generations.  After the split occurred, the Essenes state in their sectarian writings that the Spirit of God told them to separate from both the Pharisees and Sadducees completely and have nothing to do with their corrupt priesthood.   Moreover, they wrote that God told them to move to the Judean Wilderness and fulfill the Isaiah 40:3 prophecy, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’^” Thus, the Essenes moved to the harsh wilderness out of obedience to prepare for the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ.  There are many Bible scholars that cannot help but note that the theology of John the Baptist was very similar to that of the Essenes and he baptized in the Jordan River just northeast of Qumran.  There is no evidence however to substantiate that he was an Essene.

Were the Dead Sea Scrolls scientifically dated?

Using both radiocarbon and paleographic testing, the majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls are dated between 150-100 BC, with some fragments dating to 225 BC.  What is significant about this?  All these writings are BEFORE the birth of Christ and therefore CANNOT BE early Christian writings.  These writings reveal a Jewish sect contemporaneous with Christianity whose approach to Scripture and prophecy mirrors that of the New Testament and the early Church.

What were the writings of the Essenes?  What is the “story behind the story?”

These are examples of the sectarian writings of the Essenes dated from 150-100 BC:

“Messiah will be the son of God” and “son of the Most High.”   (4Q246)

“(Through) Messiah will…”the resurrection of the dead.” (4Q246)

“He (Messiah) is the ‘Branch of David.’  YHWH declares He will bring about the Davidic Covenant.  “I will be a father to him, he will be a son to me.  David’s dynasty is eclipsed.  “Yeshua” “he will save from sins.” (4Q174;1-12)

Messiah is called “the Suffering Servant.” (4Q541frg:11)

“all judgement is given to Messiah.” (4Q491c,frg.1)

“Messiah will be put to death with woundings, and the high priest will command it….the slain of the Kittim (Romans)” (4Q285)

“He will atone for his children but in that day He will be despised and rejected.” (4Q451.9)

Finally, the Essenes wrote that Messiah will come in the Schemittah (Sabbatical year) after the 9^th Jubilee Year which according to their tables was 32AD and today there is strong consensus that our Savior was crucified in April, 32 AD, in line with their estimations (1:1 Melchizedek, Column 2).

One of the amazing attributes of their writings is that the Essenes believed that Messiah would be God incarnate, which is a distinct departure from the rest of Judaism which saw Messiah only as a man.  They also wrote that the High Priest would be responsible for the death of Messiah and that He would die at the hands of the Romans (Kittim).  It is amazing!

What happened to the Essenes?

The Essenes disappeared because they became Christians soon after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They believed because He had fulfilled all the Messianic prophecies that they had studied having been handed down from the Patriarchs.  They quickly became part of the early Church and left Qumran to go and serve Messiah.  There are Biblical and other texts that confirm Pharisees becoming Christians.  There is no known evidence of a Sadducee ever converting to Christianity. Both the Biblical Archaeological Review and The National Geographic have written articles that the Essenes mysteriously disappeared from history without a trace.  Qumran was later destroyed by the Romans in 68 AD two years after the siege of Jerusalem had begun but the caves were left untouched.

Sources: Dr. Randall Price, Professor at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA and Dr. Ken Johnson, Lenexa, KS.  Dr. Price was Director of Excavations for Dead Sea Caves under the Israel Antiquities Authority from 2002-2012 and led the 2017 excavation team at Cave 12.  Dr. Johnson is an author of 28 books on ancient Biblical writings and renowned worldwide for his ability to identify fake reproductions of ancient texts from the 2nd Temple and early Church period.

“We eat when we have, we sleep when we don’t.” 

Physical health, strength and appearance are of great importance to the poor. This is not for reasons of vanity or compassion for close relatives and friends.  Nor is it because of concern for personal “well-being.”  It is essentially for economic reasons. The body is a poor person’s main asset, but one with no insurance. If it deteriorates, hunger and destitution hover at the doorstep.  These were the desperate conditions that Sons of Thunder first encountered in Zambia upon arrival in 1997, conditions that most Americans today have never seen or experienced.

“Each day there is a funeral in a nearby village because of distance to the hospital.”  Musanya, Zambia.

Have you ever asked how God could make a way when there seemed no possible solution?  God specializes in showing His power in hopeless situations.

“…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  (Philippians 2:13)

It was God who moved in the hearts of men and women to form the Sons of Thunder ministry.  It was God that drew a miracle offering from a small church in Maryland in 1996 to purchase the 10,000 acres in Zambia.  And it was the Lord who nudged and called people in both the US and Zambia to serve in this ministry, sometimes in the most incredible ways.  God will make a way when there seems to be no way.  He works in ways we cannot see.  He raises people up to accomplish His plans.

In the 20 years since, God has written a beautiful story through Sons of Thunder that is still unfolding.  Today there are five major ministries underway that is transforming the lives of many in Zambia.

Farming God’s Way is a patented agricultural non-till method discovered in Zimbabwe in 1984 which teaches four Bible-based principles to produce bountiful crops.  Since adopting these agricultural techniques crop yields have grown significantly at Sons of Thunder enabling surplus to be sold in Livingstone for a profit.  Formerly a bushman hunter, Alexander Mubanga came to SOT many years ago and is now its Farm Manager.  He is also a registered trainer with Farming God’s Way and the Farm is now used as a training center for farmers from Zambia and other neighboring countries in these techniques.  Lesson One in FGW is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in this wonderful and portable agricultural ministry.

The Sons of Thunder Medical Clinic was established in 1999 and this past year treated over 23,000 patients and by God’s grace and provision our medical services are free.  Sal and Renee Marini have been resident medical missionaries at the Clinic since 2005 and have now trained an efficient medical personnel team of Zambians that also conduct regular medical outreaches to five different villages scattered in the bush.  This past December Collin Moonga graduated from Nursing School and returned to SOT as its first Registered Nurse.  The Clinic also has an on-site diagnostic lab.

Next door Jessica’s Hope Maternity Ward was built in 2015 and this past year a total of 593 babies were delivered, almost 50 each month.  This is a much-needed facility that has inspired locals because they know that they can go to the maternity center and both mother and baby will receive premium care and services.  Sal still makes innumerable 24/7 “house calls” in the bush and 111 of those babies were delivered outside of the maternity ward.

The Church is comprised of four active churches scattered over the Farm with four pastors.  Combined there are 350-400 local congregants attending regularly.  Establishing the Church was the first order of business in 1997 and the Lord raised up pastors who were trained at the Jembo Wesleyan Bible School as well as the Sons of Thunder School of Ministry.

A remarkable Micro Business Community has developed on the Farm, many of which were seeded with startup monies from the ministry that have enabled many Zambians to develop business and trade skills.  There are now a dozen profitable “micro” businesses on the Farm that include: an auto mechanic, a seamstress, a small grocery store, a construction company, a woodworker and furniture maker, a young and very gifted artist, an electrician, and a commercial truck driver to name a few.

The Grade School at Sons of Thunder operates as a government licensed and approved Private School for 400 students from grades 1-7.  It serves the children of Farm families as well as children from surrounding villages in the bush.  This past year our Grade 7 students scored in the 94% pass rate getting District recognition and over the last two years have scored better than their peers nationally.

In all these ministries it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is praised and exalted.  Earlier this year we ministered in a number of villages well outside our borders that were pleading for our spiritual and physical support.  The Lord has burdened us for these peoples.  These villages are comprised of lepers, HIV-infected, elderly, widows, orphans and the destitute.  I saw their eyes and outstretched hands seeking the love of Christ.  Might you be burdened also?  Please pray that God would enable us to minister to them.  We need medicines, medical supplies and more vehicles.  We covet your prayers and your financial support.

Does the Bible say that there is a specific holiday that every nation on the earth will one day celebrate?  How can that be?  So much diversity, so many cultures.  How could every nation celebrate such an event universally?  That seems very unlikely, doesn’t it?  Yet, the Bible states that it is a promised future event.

When the Jews were freed from the Babylonian Captivity in 536 B.C. there were two great prophets that arose to encourage them.  One was Haggai and the other was Zechariah.  Their writings centered primarily on constructing the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, that is rebuilding a new and magnificent Temple.  But their writings also look far into the future to the last days when the Jewish people would again return to the land of their heritage.

The Bible tells us that Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, the grandson of Iddo.  Within the translation of their names is a cryptic message.  Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers.  Berechiah means “Jehovah comforts,” and Iddo means “the time appointed.”  Thus, Zechariah’s heritage declares, “Jehovah remembers, Jehovah comforts, in the time appointed.”   He was among the last of the great prophets of Israel, for after his book was completed along with Haggai and Malachi, God withdrew His spirit from Israel for 400 years when there was no prophet in Israel.  It is the long gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Within his writings Zechariah details a series of prophecies and then his last three chapters describe the terrible Tribulation years culminating with the last great battle on earth, Armageddon.  In the twelfth chapter he states that these events begin to unfold in a manner whereby one day the city of Jerusalem will become a “cup of trembling” for the entire world (12:2) and in the next verse (12:3) he says that Jerusalem will be like “a burdensome stone for all people” who are gathered against it.  In verse 9 God states that He will “destroy all the nations” that one day will have come against Jerusalem.

Which brings us to chapter 14, the final chapter.  Zechariah describes how the Day of the Lord will end with His standing on the Mount of Olives and causing it to split in two (verse 4) and He will then commence with His reign on earth (verse 9).  For Jews, this is their long awaited Messiah.  As Christians we know that this Messiah is our Lord Jesus Christ and He will reign for one thousand years, otherwise known as the Millennial Reign.  It is remarkable how harmonious both the Old and New Testaments are on this event.

But then, the prophet describes a remarkable instruction to all the nations of the world: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.  If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16-18 NKJV)

This is interesting, the prophet is declaring that all nations entering the eventual Millennial Reign will one day honor this Levitical Feast.  The Feast of Tabernacles today is known as “Sukkot” to Jews and is the final fall feast in Judaism and this week-long celebration was instituted by God in the wilderness of Sinai.  It commemorates the end of the fall harvest and is sometimes referred to as “Harvest Home.”  During this feast, the people were to live in booths-temporary dwellings made of branches and often today constructed in their backyards- to commemorate their dwelling in tents for forty years in the Wilderness after the Exodus.  At the end of Sukkot, they go back to their permanent dwelling.  There is also a prophetic meaning for Jews that is attached to the Feast of Tabernacles, that it looks forward to a time when Messiah will come to reign and fulfill the Davidic throne.  As Christians, we know this will come about after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the implementation of the Millennial Reign when He will sit on the throne of David and rule the world.

Tabernacle, as a word in its earliest use, means “dwelling” or “place of abode.”  With the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our bodies or “temples” (1^st Corinthians 6:19) each day should be a feast of tabernacles for us as Christians.  But, the Bible tells us one day the kingdom of heaven will be established on this earth and Christ will reign as Kings of kings and Lord of lords.  At that time, the Feast of Tabernacles, which has been a prophetic picture of the future kingdom, will be observed by all nations each year.  What an amazing picture!  It will be an event that we should all look forward to celebrating.  Who do you know that has yet to receive an invite?

Pastor Winfred (center) in worship at the Kasiya Church.

The baby’s name was Marvelous.  And she was crying.

Many are surprised when they first learn that there are four different churches located at the Sons of Thunder Farm in Zambia but once you grasp the landscape and its expanse it is understandable.  After purchasing the Farm, the first order of business was establishing a church in 1997.  Since then, God has raised up pastors from among the Zambian people to shepherd these four flocks.

One of those pastors is Winfred Mubiana, truly a man with a servant’s heart.  After hearing the call of the Lord he graduated from a Bible school at Sons of Thunder and then began to minister to the people in his village, called Kasiya.  They would meet their new pastor in a grass hut, in a school or under a tree.  While there one day, the Holy Spirit distinctly told Jerry Beall that a church building would be built at Kasiya and he shared that with Winfred not knowing the timing.  Then the waiting began, earnestly and prayerfully!  A couple of years passed by and I still recall seeing photos of Winfred waiting patiently and faithfully for this word from the Lord come to pass.

When the monies did come together it came about rather quickly. Suddenly construction began, the long awaited Kasiya Church was built and then its doors were opened just over two years ago to the great joy of many.

It was Pastor Winfred’s baby that was crying in the night just 10 months ago.  His wife Harriet got up to tend to her and looked up only to discover a horrid sight.  Zambia has experienced two very rainy seasons in the last back to back years and on that rainy night at Kasiya Harriet saw that the walls of their mud home were beginning to crumble.  She quickly shouted for Winfred and they grabbed their children out of that portion of the house just moments before it collapsed.  Had it not been for the cries of their infant daughter Marvelous, they might have experienced a tragedy of terrible proportions.

Winfred and Harriet were left with no choice but to collect what possessions they could and move their family back to temporary housing on the main Farm.  Over the last couple of years Winfred had also become part of the trained medical team at the Sons of Thunder Clinic and has helped treat thousands of patients.  He would typically go back to Kasiya on Friday afternoons and minister and preach over the weekend before returning for medical duty on Mondays.  The roads to Kasiya were washed out completely over the last two years so badly that SUVs cannot even drive them.   Thus, Pastor Winfred was given a bicycle to pedal back on Fridays by himself and would spend the weekends sleeping in the corner of the Kasiya Church while ministering to his flock.

Recently Pastor Winfred shared with the SOT staff news that the Lord had told him to end his weekly employment at the SOT Medical Clinic and return to permanent residence in Kasiya and preach the gospel.  Monies again became available with perfect timing and in the interim a a new BRICK home was constructed for them next to the church. Three weeks ago Sons of Thunder turned out en masse for a celebration party for Winfred and Harriet and their children as they departed for their new home.  An outstretched but unseen hand had kept this family from disaster, and the loss of their home resulted in the building of a new and better home.  And little Marvelous is approaching her first birthday!

“O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.” (Psalm 98:1 KJV)

Pastor Winfred is devoted to the Lord’s calling.  He trusts God with every aspect of his life and that of his family.  He is a portrait of one who “waits on the Lord” expectantly.  Earlier this year he shared with me that he believes there are approximately 1,000 people within walking distance to his church.  He is deeply burdened for those people and wants to share Christ with them.

I am reminded through Winfred that we are not to stay on the “mountaintop” with God but that He desires us to go down into the valley in the drudgery of day to day living to bear witness to Him.  It is easy to have faith in a “mountaintop” experience with God but it is in the valley of everyday living that one discovers whether their faith in Him is real or not.  For our faith is not in a theory, but a Person.  And our faith must willingly be worked out among other people….according to His purposes.

Please pray for Pastor Winfred and his family as they minister lovingly and willfully in Kasiya.  We are very grateful for your support.  Likewise, at Sons of Thunder we too feel a burden to reach out to people beyond our borders to minister and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Are you burdened also?