As you may know, this year we will celebrate 40 years of miracles due to a word God gave me in the early spring of 1985. That word from
God has traveled around the world and reverberated in the hearts of multiplied thousands of believers. It has also resulted in an
unprecedented harvest of miracles worldwide.
What I feel impressed by the Holy Spirit to tell you is that this word came to me in the midst of an honest inquiry to God regarding abundance. I told the Lord that I could not do what He wanted me to do with the resources I had. We were facing a need for an office building, since our church’s growth had overtaken the space we had available. I did not want to borrow money to build it, but it would cost about $100,000. How could it happen?
God spoke very clearly and specifically to me. He said, “Every year, you celebrate resurrection Sunday, when I gave my best. This year, I want you to challenge the people to give their best as they remember me giving my best. Tell them to give not just a tithe, but this one time a year to give one week’s income. I will do miracles for them as they do.”
I didn’t understand how it would work, but even then I realized that our blessing is in our obedience, not in our understanding. I obeyed God and shared what I had received with the people at church the very next Sunday. They received the word and took action to make it happen. Some people sold things at garage sales. Some made things that they could sell. Others, like my precious wife Joni (we were not married at that time), took second and even third jobs to collect their seed.
We had a seven week head start before Resurrection Sunday. I am not sure that I have ever seen any group of people who were more excited to give than that day. Our goal was to receive the $100,000 we needed to build the office building debt free. I don’t know of anyone who had ever heard of such an amount being collected in a one-time cash offering up to then.
I won’t rehearse all the drama that led up to the offering being received and counted that day. Of course, since it was Resurrection Sunday, I preached a salvation message, and people responded. Our altar was crowned with salvations!
Finally, after much delay, I asked for a report about the results of the offering. I dispatched an usher, who still serves with us to this day, to bring me a report. He went out, and came back in a short time later shaking his head. I thought he was indicating that we had not reached our goal. I motioned to him to approach me.
“What do you mean, shaking your head no?” I said. “What is going on?”
“The door to the room was locked,” he explained. “I couldn’t get in!”
“Go kick the door down if you have to,” I said. I need to tell these people what happened!”
Moments later, a white-haired lady with a big smile came in the tabernacle, waving a piece of adding machine tape in her hand. She gave me the report about the offering. The church was silent as I began to make the announcement. I decided to add a little drama to the scene.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, “The offering did not total $100,000.” It felt like I had let all the air out of the room. I continued before people started weeping and wailing.
“The offering did not total $110,000, or $120,000. It did not total $130,000.” By this time, people were getting the right idea, and they began to shout. “The offering was not $140,000. Ladies and gentlemen, God has blessed us with a one-time cash offering of $144,000!” (Some additional gifts came in later in the day that made the total $147,000.)
There was motion, emotion, and commotion throughout the church. Not only had we reached our goal, but God confirmed His word with signs following. In the days that followed, people reported miracles of every kind in every area of their lives. It was perhaps the greatest demonstration of corporate agreement and faith that I have ever witnessed.
Since then, not a year has gone by that we have not celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave in the same way. And every year, God has blessed us with an unusual outpouring of signs, wonders, and miracles.
For many years, I have invited other churches to participate with us as we celebrate what has come to be known as Resurrection Seed season. Every year, we commemorate God giving His best seed by giving our best seeds, and we believe God for miracles. I encourage you to join us as we do.
What goal do you have? What project needs to be finished? What updates need attention? Every local church has needs that God has promised to supply. I don’t want you to miss out on the miracle that is resident in a Resurrection Seed.
Our Resurrection Season services are Good Friday at 7 pm and Resurrection Sunday at 10 am. Your church no doubt has a similar schedule. I am joining my faith to yours that this weekend will culminate in a greater harvest of souls and a greater outpouring of miracles than you have ever seen. I look forward to hearing good reports about what God does in your midst as we celebrate the crown jewel of our faith—the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
What I feel impressed by the Holy Spirit to tell you is that this word came to me in the midst of an honest inquiry to God regarding abundance. I told the Lord that I could not do what He wanted me to do with the resources I had. We were facing a need for an office building, since our church’s growth had overtaken the space we had available. I did not want to borrow money to build it, but it would cost about $100,000. How could it happen?
God spoke very clearly and specifically to me. He said, “Every year, you celebrate resurrection Sunday, when I gave my best. This year, I want you to challenge the people to give their best as they remember me giving my best. Tell them to give not just a tithe, but this one time a year to give one week’s income. I will do miracles for them as they do.”
I didn’t understand how it would work, but even then I realized that our blessing is in our obedience, not in our understanding. I obeyed God and shared what I had received with the people at church the very next Sunday. They received the word and took action to make it happen. Some people sold things at garage sales. Some made things that they could sell. Others, like my precious wife Joni (we were not married at that time), took second and even third jobs to collect their seed.
We had a seven week head start before Resurrection Sunday. I am not sure that I have ever seen any group of people who were more excited to give than that day. Our goal was to receive the $100,000 we needed to build the office building debt free. I don’t know of anyone who had ever heard of such an amount being collected in a one-time cash offering up to then.
I won’t rehearse all the drama that led up to the offering being received and counted that day. Of course, since it was Resurrection Sunday, I preached a salvation message, and people responded. Our altar was crowned with salvations!
Finally, after much delay, I asked for a report about the results of the offering. I dispatched an usher, who still serves with us to this day, to bring me a report. He went out, and came back in a short time later shaking his head. I thought he was indicating that we had not reached our goal. I motioned to him to approach me.
“What do you mean, shaking your head no?” I said. “What is going on?”
“The door to the room was locked,” he explained. “I couldn’t get in!”
“Go kick the door down if you have to,” I said. I need to tell these people what happened!”
Moments later, a white-haired lady with a big smile came in the tabernacle, waving a piece of adding machine tape in her hand. She gave me the report about the offering. The church was silent as I began to make the announcement. I decided to add a little drama to the scene.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, “The offering did not total $100,000.” It felt like I had let all the air out of the room. I continued before people started weeping and wailing.
“The offering did not total $110,000, or $120,000. It did not total $130,000.” By this time, people were getting the right idea, and they began to shout. “The offering was not $140,000. Ladies and gentlemen, God has blessed us with a one-time cash offering of $144,000!” (Some additional gifts came in later in the day that made the total $147,000.)
There was motion, emotion, and commotion throughout the church. Not only had we reached our goal, but God confirmed His word with signs following. In the days that followed, people reported miracles of every kind in every area of their lives. It was perhaps the greatest demonstration of corporate agreement and faith that I have ever witnessed.
Since then, not a year has gone by that we have not celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave in the same way. And every year, God has blessed us with an unusual outpouring of signs, wonders, and miracles.
For many years, I have invited other churches to participate with us as we celebrate what has come to be known as Resurrection Seed season. Every year, we commemorate God giving His best seed by giving our best seeds, and we believe God for miracles. I encourage you to join us as we do.
What goal do you have? What project needs to be finished? What updates need attention? Every local church has needs that God has promised to supply. I don’t want you to miss out on the miracle that is resident in a Resurrection Seed.
Our Resurrection Season services are Good Friday at 7 pm and Resurrection Sunday at 10 am. Your church no doubt has a similar schedule. I am joining my faith to yours that this weekend will culminate in a greater harvest of souls and a greater outpouring of miracles than you have ever seen. I look forward to hearing good reports about what God does in your midst as we celebrate the crown jewel of our faith—the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer