A Personal Miracles Journey by Terrence J. Hatch, Karen Delaporte - HTML preview

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A Personal Miracles Journey Experiences that Reveal an Amazing God

Terrence J. Hatch

With a chapter by Karen Delaporte

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

This book is roughly in chronological order. To skip ahead look for  symbols below to find exciting events that have inspired my own faith the most.

Introduction – Page 7

Stepping off ledges

Your testimony is important

Chapter 1 – Page 11

First steps

Early memories

Chapter 2 – Page 17

Protected in the storm

 Pennies from Heaven

Chapter 3 – Page 21

 Grandfathers' angels

Chapter 4 – Page 23

Dad’s war promise

 Vietnam war promise

Chapter 5 – Page 27

Amazing stories

Looking for God

 Proving God

 Turning point

Chapter 6 – Page 33

God steps in

Coincidental invitations

Karen healed

Chapter 7 – Page 37

Voted out

Galilee House

Chapter 8 – Page 39

Premonition or protection

 The Word of God

 Street witnessing

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A dream about JPUSA

Protected in a car crash

Chapter 9 – Page 47

Girls

Buried in snow

The music group

Bible school

Chapter 10 – Page 53

Stranded

Obey your parents

I brake for squirrels

Vega troubles

Chapter 11 – Page 59

The bus flipped

 Spiritual warfare

Chapter 12 – Page 63

Life lessons

Alive

Minneapolis bound

 Miracle blanket

Chapter 13 – Page 71

Three fires

Lessons on I90

Pontoon boat madness

 This dream is prophetic

Chapter 14 – Page 79

 Divine appointment in Canada

Stranded in the cold

Chapter 15 – Page 83

A call to write

Miracle job search

Random?

 Roof on the lawn

Nostradamus

Chapter 16 – Page 89

 Godslist?

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Coincidences

A child near death

Chapter 17 – Page 93

 Kids in danger

 A supernatural connection

 Coincidence marathon

Chapter 18 – Page 97

Three cardinal signs

Gifts received

Chapter 19 – Page 101

We hear from God

Amazing evidence

Prayer moves a U-Haul

Chapter 20 – Page 107

Did he say janitor?

A broken speedometer

Guardian angels

Chapter 21 – Page 111

 God Speaks to a little girl

by Karen Delaporte

Chapter 22 – Page 115

 House judgment

A yellow blessing

Prius miracle

Brenda safe

Buying a Jeep

 Trust in the name of Jesus

Chapter 23 – Page 125

 A prophetic dream

Proving a dream

Chapter 24 – Page 131

A call to switch churches

Chapter 25 – Page 133

Miracle in a cornfield

Amazing God

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Introduction

How deep is this ocean we call reality? Some believe it goes far deeper than the visible waves on the surface. For those who dare to have faith in God, here is a book that peels back the top layer of reality of our existence to take a deeper look.

To do this, it contains personal experiences that point to a supernatural reality. I believe testimonies of miracles can become small gifts of faith. If we embrace them, they can help put broken pieces of life together in new and amazing ways. As the cover suggests, Believing that God is supremely powerful may seem extreme to some. Yet this book contains evidence that supports such a belief.

So for those tough mornings when the car won’t start or tragedy is in the headlines, here are some little miracles that confirm God is in control. I hope you find them to be compelling evidence that God loves each one of us.

Stepping off Ledges

In a familiar movie scene, an explorer stands on a rocky ledge and stares across a deep gorge. Mustering up courage, he closes his eyes and steps forward, half expecting to plunge to his death far below. Instead, his foot lands safely on a stone bridge that has been remarkably camouflaged. The scene is from

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Jones is seeking the “Holy Grail” – the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. Along the way, the movie connects miracles with principles of Christian faith. The result is great entertainment.

Outside Hollywood, a walk of faith has a deeper purpose than mere entertainment. In real life, we often desperately need God's intervention. In one way the movie had it right. Sometimes seeing God work requires stepping off cliffs, and that is often the path we must take if we are to learn to trust God. So this is a book about the struggle for faith, stepping off cliffs, and little miracles.

Fortunately, most cliffs for us are not like the one in the movie, yet there are parallels. In the movie, Indiana could have 7

played it safe had he given up on his quest, but instead he embraced a higher goal than mere survival – one with eternal aspects. In fact, staying safe might have stifled the little faith he had already mustered, so he gambled his very life on the hope there was something more.

Your testimony is important

This book relates personal experiences. In doing so it outlines a similar journey – a faith journey – with many twists and turns. I offer it to you because scripture tells us that testimonies have power on a level that the book of Revelation compares to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. In Revelation 12 we read that those who follow Christ will ultimately overcome by “the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”

A testimony is a personal experience that goes deeper than head knowledge, religious doctrine, or moral values. Scripture reveals tells us testimonies are meant to be told. In Philemon 1:6

we read, “That the communication of your faith may become effective by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” When we acknowledge what Christ has done we make our faith “effective.”

So one purpose of this book is to offer little gifts of faith to some who may be new to following Christ, or to those may still lack faith experiences of their own. I was once in that condition.

Also, for those who are more experienced it is hoped these stories will still impart encouragement. We can all use some of that. I believe it can do this because I have continued to benefit personally from having recorded these experiences, and also from reading and hearing testimonies of others.

Like many, if I am honest I tend to be a skeptic at heart.

Sometimes my doubt overcomes my faith, and that is when I need to remember times when God stepped in. You see, experience is the cure for skepticism.

If you don't remember experiences they can be lost forever. Many Christians tell stories of God's provision, but if 8

they are not written down they are often forgotten. That seems sad. The precedent that scripture sets is one of documenting God's miracles for future generations to read. So this book is an attempt to do just that.

Many of the stories in this book are unusual – even extraordinary. It has been said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. For that reason, I have tried to be as transparent as possible regarding names, places, and dates so that others may confirm these things are true.

It seems the faith of many in the Church is starving for lack of a good testimony. I would rather trust the word of one who has experienced something, than to trust the word of many who have not. As a teenager I longed to know what was real. It was testimonies that helped me realize that faith matters. Some were told by pastors, others by fellow Christians, and many were found in scripture and books. Some books I have read with strong testimonies are:

Hey God! , by Frank Foglio

God's Smuggler, by Brother Andrew

China Cry, by Nora Lam

The Cross and the Switchblade, by David Wilkerson

Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles, by Steven Stiles

True Miracle Stories that will Increase Your Faith, by Andrew Houge.

Christian teens and their parents need to read books like these so they can understand their faith better – and books are not the only source. Today, powerful testimonies have become available on the Internet. Simply searching the word “miracles” on YouTube brings up many videos, many of which reveal spiritual truths or life-changing testimonies.

Seeing what God has done can increase expectations for what God will do. Brenda and I have certainly noticed our faith grow stronger as we reminisce about the events, miracles, and coincidences in this book – ones that have defined our very 9

personal life journeys.

Dare I say coincidences? The word simply refers to an unlikely alignment of events. I believe that such alignments, especially in answer to prayer, are often from the hand of God. I am always looking for signs of God's intervention, and sometimes coincidences can be just that. I believe God can use them to grab our attention, reveal he is with us, show us he loves us, and even point us to where he would want us to go. Let's face it, almost any answer to prayer can be called a coincidence. But when we trust God is in control, the things that skeptics call coincidences can be miracles.

Finally, out of necessity this book is written from a first person perspective. That is a particularly challenging way to write, and I ask you to be somewhat forgiving as you read. I have tried hard to keep ego at bay, and I hope you can see that. If you end up thinking this is a book about the author, then I have failed.

On the other hand, if you see this is a book about the Author of Life, then it is a success.

A journey has many steps, and a spiritual one can last a lifetime. People of faith trust it will last for eternity. So now I offer for your consideration a journey of personal experiences that illustrate how the master of the universe can participate in the lives of ordinary human beings. •

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