Spotlight
Taking Higher Ground
By Gary Smith
If someone asks me, “Do you believe supernatural healing is for today?” I can only respond, “Believe it? Absolutely. I’ve experienced it, and I can prove it!”
In the summer of 2017 a dear woman that my wife, Linda, and I know named Norma, who often speaks prophetically, called saying she had a word of prophecy for me. (Prophesying is one of the gifts of the Spirit found in Romans 12 in which the person to whom the gift is given speaks a message they feel comes from God.) She didn’t know if this word was for the church I pastor or if it was a word for me personally, but it was very strong, and she knew she had to give it to me.
The word was this: Higher ground . . . you must take higher ground. A flood of evil is coming. Raise up the standard, watch the words of your mouth. Be careful what you speak. Be led by the cloud of glory. Higher ground . . . you must take higher ground.
I received it as a word for the church and after prayer did a sermon series on “Taking Higher Ground” and preparing the church for difficulties and tribulations that can be expected as the coming of the Lord draws near.
Things seemed to be going pretty well in my life to that point. I had been diagnosed with a slow-growing lymphoma in my upper chest area the year before. Doctors were not overly concerned. I could keep watching it or just get rid of it with a few doses of radiation. I chose the radiation and most people, including my mom, didn’t even know I had been diagnosed or treated. At the end of the treatment I was told all was well; it was in remission and I shouldn’t see it again.
The word was this: Higher ground . . . you must take higher ground. A flood of evil is coming. Raise up the standard, watch the words of your mouth. Be careful what you speak. Be led by the cloud of glory. Higher ground . . . you must take higher ground. ”
At the end of July, I noticed a catch in my throat while drinking at the water fountain at my gym. I didn’t think much of it as it felt much like a sore throat. After a week or so the soreness had not gone away but had grown worse. Then one evening a lump appeared near the left clavicle on my neck. A few days later it had enlarged, so I made an appointment with my oncologist. After some testing it was confirmed the lymphoma was back and had mutated into a very aggressive B-cell lymphoma. In fact, within a couple of weeks it was pressing against my upper chest and around my carotid arteries, so much so that circulation to my brain was being affected and I was passing out. Two trips to the emergency room during these episodes were quite frightening for my wife. I began to look at my life very seriously.
At the very beginning of my encounter with cancer I began to change my lifestyle. I knew stress and diet were big factors that opened the door to this enemy. I became more disciplined in working out at our local gym. I took sugar and most breads out of my diet. I also added natural supplements and took time to rest and started observing Sabbath, which meant I also closed my Christian bookstore on Saturdays. This time of introspection was a time of repentance. I let the Lord search my heart and actions and show me the areas where my heart was not right – where I was not trusting him completely and where I was not obedient.
One day not long after the scary diagnosis, I was searching on the internet, reading medical reports of life expectancy and cure rates of various cancers. My prognosis was not great. My wife asked me what I was doing. When I told her, she “affectionately rebuked” me, asking why I was feeding on articles that bring fear and doubt. She reminded me of what I preach: “Get into God’s Word, feed your faith, and stay there!!!”
This picture was taken within a month of the one chemo treatment. The cancer was gone, but the toll it played on my body was evident. The hair loss was from the chemo.
Yes, one has little testimony if they don’t practice what they preach! So I began to saturate my mind with healing scriptures several times daily and developed a list of “rhema” words. (A rhema word is a personal word given by the Holy Spirit.) I spoke these rhema words continually and included a scriptural response to the prophetic word I had received from Norma, such as “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19, NKJV).
Another thing I did was actively seek out prayer from those whom I knew operated in the gift of healing. I had my deacons and elders lay hands on me and anoint me with oil. I also sought counsel and prayer from those in our region in Open Bible who oversee me, including my executive director.
An aggressive chemotherapy was scheduled to begin on a Tuesday in late August. I didn’t agree to it right away. I prayed, asking God if this diagnosis was something for which I was to just stand on the Word and believe for supernatural healing without medical treatment. I didn’t receive any prompting from the Lord indicating I was not to accept the treatment, and because it seemed doors and favor were being opened to go in the direction of medical treatment, I reluctantly accepted the appointment. The Sunday before the treatment I announced to my congregation what was going on in my life and asked for their prayers. The whole congregation gathered around me and fervently prayed in the Spirit. I didn’t feel any change physically at that time but was aware of the presence of the Lord.
On Monday morning I noticed the lymph node on my neck had shrunk by about half. On Tuesday morning, the day of the treatment, it had shrunk more, and I was able to swallow a pill without difficulty, something I had not been able to do for the previous three weeks. I went through the treatment with no difficulty or side effects.
On Wednesday at noon, the day after the treatment, all signs and symptoms of the cancer in my body were completely gone! At that moment I knew I had been supernaturally healed. (As any cancer patient knows, it would have taken several weeks for the chemotherapy to begin affecting the cancer).
Below is a list of the Scripture proclamations I used. I share them with others facing illness as well.
| Exodus 23:25 | Psalm 30:2-4 | Psalm 91:1-4 |
| Psalm 91:9-10 | Psalm 91:14-16 | Psalm 103:1-5 |
| Psalm 118:15-18 | Proverbs 4:20-22 | Isaiah 53:5 |
| Isaiah 59:19 | Jeremiah 30:16-17 | Romans 8:11 |
I went to my oncologist that Friday and asked him if he had ever seen a miracle. He responded by saying that he wasn’t the one to ask since that was something he obviously didn’t want to affirm. Yet he kept feeling my neck and saying, “That is quite amazing.”
However, he insisted I still had cancer and needed to continue the treatment.
I said, “If God healed me, He healed me. The cancer is gone. Give me a scan and I will prove it.”
He wouldn’t give me a scan until I had another treatment. I refused the treatment, so it was three months later before a scan could be authorized by my insurance company without my taking the chemotherapy.
During the waiting time that one dose of chemo caused me to lose most of my hair, but physically I felt good and maintained a vigorous schedule at the church, never having normal chemo effects. The scan report came back completely clean with no trace of cancer in my entire body!
My yearly exam earlier this month, three and a half years since the healing, confirmed the good report. Glory, hallelujah! My God is an awesome God.
As I studied more thoroughly the passage from Isaiah 59, I made an interesting discovery regarding the meaning of the word “standard.” The word literally means to “to make flee, quickly put to flight, make vanish away.” My faith has grown greatly as I have seen a prophetic word over me become reality as the standard of His Word was lifted up and affirmed. The cancer was put to flight, vanishing away quickly within a 48-hour period. Our God is a supernatural healer, yesterday, today, and forever!
About the Author
Gary Smith is the senior pastor of Liberty Life Center in Sedalia, Missouri, where he has served since 2007. He and his wife, Linda, have served in pastoral ministry for thirty years. Together they own and operate The Shepherd’s Place, a retail Christian bookstore also in Sedalia.
Spiritual direction…hmmm, sounds like what I get from the Holy Spirit when I pray, so why would I need to meet with a spiritual director when I can do this on my own? Seems unnecessary, right? Not to mention, I’m a guy; we never ask for directions.
That was my thinking a few years ago, until the day I got a call from another minister who was training to be a spiritual director. She needed to log a certain number of practice hours to finish her training, and she asked if I would be her “guinea pig.”
The call had “coincidentally” come in the middle of a challenging season; my pastoral duties felt relentless, and I was going through a profound life change. I felt empty inside as I wrestled with a nagging question: “Am I really hearing God clearly?” Unable to talk through my struggle with very many people, I had been feeling spiritually stuck. The person calling was someone I trusted, so I agreed to be a part of her training process. I thought I was helping her out, but little did I know this decision would stand as a cornerstone of my spiritual and mental health moving forward.
Spiritual direction is like having a wonderful (dare I say, sacred) friend who walks alongside you and gently guides you to notice and respond to the presence of God in your life.
Spiritual direction is like having a wonderful (dare I say, sacred) friend who walks alongside you and gently guides you to notice and respond to the presence of God in your life. Believe it or not, even the best of us can miss Him in the middle of our emotional and mental upheavals. Unlike traditional counseling or mentorship, spiritual direction focuses on deepening our relationship with God, helping us become more aware of His presence in our everyday experiences.
A Transformative Encounter: Experiencing the Father Three Ways
There’s one spiritual direction session that particularly stands out in my mind. My mom had just passed away, and my dad was in the final stages of his life. It had been a tough year of loss, and I was doing my best to keep it together. As I shared with my spiritual director, she made a suggestion. She said, “Gary, take the next ten minutes to sit before the Father and ask Him what He wants to say to you in this season.”
I muted the microphone, sat in silence, and stared out the window of my office into my backyard. It was a beautiful day, and the wind was rustling through the trees. Things moving by some unseen force. As I sat there, God reminded me of three snapshots (memories) with my dad. The first was a memory of being at the beach with him when I was four and his taking me into the deep water. I remember protesting that I didn’t want to go out there but also feeling safe because I was held tightly in my father’s arms. The second was a memory of when I was twenty and we took a trip together. It was on that trip that I felt my father, through his actions, take his mantle of authority and leadership and place it on my shoulders. The third snapshot wasn’t a true memory but a glimpse into the future. I was about to visit my dad in a month – it was to say goodbye as he was in the final stages of life on earth. My agenda was simple: I was just going to spend time with Dad.
In those pictures, with the wind blowing through the trees, the Father used my father to help me encounter Him. I’ll never forget the three things God whispered to me as I pondered those three snapshots:
Gary, I’m with you; you’re safe.
Gary, I’ve given you everything you need to fulfill what I’ve called you to do; I trust you.
Gary, all I desire is for you to spend time with me and enjoy my presence.
Those past and future joys were a reminder from my heavenly Father that I could take the path ahead because He was with me. I’m not sure I would have had such a profound experience had it not been for the preceding conversation with my spiritual director and our subsequent debrief.
Integrating Spiritual Direction into Pastoral Ministry
Moments in this and following sessions have been a game changer for me, helping me become a better leader and follower. I now approach decisions with a greater sense of grounding, choosing to rely on prayerful discernment and feedback from someone who’s spiritually mature and not emotionally tied to the situations. I’ve also learned to listen better, not just to God but also to people.
Spiritual direction has been a transformative experience for me, helping me grow both personally and professionally.
Spiritual direction has also been a huge help with my mental health. Regular sessions provide a sanctuary from the incessant demands of ministry and allow me to process those stressors in a safe context. I’ve learned to be more resilient, thanks to the reflective exploration of my spiritual journey, and I feel more balanced and purposeful.
If you’re a minister who hasn’t tried spiritual direction yet, I highly recommend it. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Find a spiritual director who’s trained to help others on their spiritual journey.
- Make sure you prioritize regular meetings. Consistent engagement allows for a deeper unfolding of your spiritual narrative and allows for sustained growth.
- Be open and vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to talk about the good and bad parts of your spiritual life.
Spiritual direction has been a transformative experience for me, helping me grow both personally and professionally. Remember, we all need help sometimes.
About the Author
Gary Kahn
Gary Khan was born on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. He moved to America when he was twenty to pursue his education and calling to be a pastor. He met his wife DeLaine at Eugene Bible College (now New Hope Christian College) and upon their graduation, they were married and began working at Desert Streams Church in Santa Clarita, CA. After thirty-two years as a pastor, Gary became an Executive Director of Operations for Marketplace Chaplains. He is the author of devotionals including Reset and Greater and his most recent book, That Didn’t Turn Out the Way I Thought.
On the fifth day of creation, our wonderful God showed himself in a brand new way. He began to create the living creatures that walk among us. This expression of His creation has shown itself throughout history; from Noah’s dove, to Balaam’s donkey, to Jonah’s whale and Daniel’s lions, God has continued to use animals in His grand plan and purpose.
We can still use these animals as a metaphor for God’s love and guidance. One notable example comes from Bob Sjogren’s book Cat and Dog Theology: “A dog says, ‘You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be God.’ A cat says, ‘You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God.’”
As true as this may be, something wonderful happens when the molds break.
[God] certainly doesn’t want to drag us from one destination to the next. He would rather we follow Him willingly, eager to remain in His presence.
In our family, we recently experienced an interesting phenomenon when it came to our pets. To understand the story better, you need to understand our animals. Ralphie is our young, spirited Maltipoo. He has never met a stranger he didn’t love. He is sweet, loyal and in many ways the ideal companion.
Then we have our chihuahua, Sally. We found Sally roaming our neighborhood in 2014 with no tags and no microchip. She had obviously been mistreated, and when I took her to the vet, they found so many things wrong with her that I was advised, “Don’t be in a huge hurry to find her owner.”
We cleaned Sally up, and two weeks later she was legally ours. While she is affectionate to us and our kids, to this day, if I lift my hand to give her a pat on the head, she winces as if I am going to hit her (something I have never done and never intend to do).
Ralphie and Sally’s unique natures show themselves on our nightly walk around the neighborhood.
Ralphie tries his hardest to pull on the leash and run ahead. He so desperately wants to lead whoever is holding the leash that he nearly chokes himself on his collar. (We’ve had to switch to a harness.) He is unaware that he is only eight pounds, and his actions make little to no difference in the direction we are going.
Sally, however, must be practically dragged throughout the walk. She is timid and afraid to take a step that she isn’t sure is safe.
It’s quite a sight to have such different dogs reacting to the same thing.
Witnessing this phenomenon gave me pause, and I couldn’t help but think what a picture this is for the diverse ways we respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives.
So many people are like Ralphie. They try to tell God where they want to go without any regard to His guidance. They would rather choke themselves on their own will than listen to what He has to say. Others are like Sally and struggle to fully trust the Lord. For them to move, the Holy Spirit must practically drag them to the next place.
It sounds like a simple premise, but so many followers of God fall into these two opposite extremes. People miss their destinies when they act like Ralphie and Sally.
But there is another pet in our household whom I have not told you about. His name is Caesar, and he is an old, wise cat. We got Caesar the year we were married, and he lived up to his noble name every chance he got. Years ago, on our nightly walks with the dogs, Caesar began doing something amazing.
By his own free will, he would simply follow us on our walks. No need for a leash. No need for us to coax him. He just followed our gentle guidance every night for the mere purpose of being with us. Every now and then we would have to call his name, but he was always nearby.
I believe that in a world full of Ralphies and Sallys, God would rather we be like Caesar. The Lord doesn’t want us to tell Him where we are going rather than let Him lead, and He certainly doesn’t want to drag us from one destination to the next. He would rather we follow Him willingly, eager to remain in His presence.
In Matthew 8:18-22, two men express a desire to follow Jesus. The first is overly eager, not knowing what he is getting himself into. Jesus gives him a stern warning, explaining that he doesn’t know what he’s asking. The second man hesitates and says he needs to bury his father first. We never learn the fate of either man, but I hope they both abandoned their natural tendencies and learned to faithfully follow.
Whether you struggle with being too aggressive on your journey with God or whether you’re entirely too scared to take another step, I believe we can all grow in learning to be led
After sixteen years of being our cat, Caesar died peacefully this past March, but not before we had gotten a kitten named CJ. CJ is full of life and extremely playful. She was always so intrigued by our old friend Caesar that she started following him everywhere he went, even if it meant a walk around our neighborhood.
Caesar indirectly made a disciple with our young kitten, who now follows us on our walks every night. Despite how aggressive Ralphie wants to be or how timid Sally is, we now have CJ, just following along wherever we go.
Whether you struggle with being too aggressive on your journey with God or whether you’re entirely too scared to take another step, I believe we can all grow in learning to be led. If we will stay close to Jesus, we cannot help but fulfill His destiny for our lives.
About the Author
Bill Francavilla
Bill Francavilla is the lead pastor at Living Hope, an Open Bible church in Williamsburg, Virginia. Having lived in Virginia nearly his entire life, he attended Lynchburg College, where he studied history and theater. In 2017 Bill received his master’s degree in theological studies from Liberty University. He has been active in missions to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children: Alex, Liam, Rita Grace, and Gino.
I am Shane Blackledge, and my wife Amber and I are the founding pastors of Cultivate Church in St. Louis, Missouri. My story is one of transformation and God’s grace, showing how He can use anyone to build His kingdom.
I was born in Colorado at the Air Force Academy Hospital. My father served in the Vietnam War, and while stationed in Taiwan, he met my mother and they got married. When I was six, my parents separated, and my mother moved back to Taiwan, leaving me devastated. As a kid, I faced racism and extreme poverty. I battled depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. I started smoking and drinking at eight years old, joined a gang at age thirteen, and was using meth daily by the time I was fourteen.
At age seventeen, I was arrested and sentenced to thirty years in prison for selling drugs. I found myself in my jail cell wanting to end it all. On my night stand I found a Gideon Bible, and I opened it right to John 3:16. As I sat there reading, I realized I was a sinner, but that God created me and I had a purpose to live. I repented and asked Jesus to forgive me. I felt the Father’s love and the presence of the Holy Spirit in an indescribable way.
After my release, I struggled transitioning back into society (finding a job, paying rent, and finding a church that would accept me). I was discouraged and soon relapsed on meth. During the years of my addiction, I was sent to five prisons and was incarcerated for over six years. In 2006, after nearly dying from an overdose, I woke up from a coma and realized God had saved me from death. That day I fully surrendered to Christ, and that’s when my real transformation began.
In 2006, after nearly dying from an overdose, I woke up from a coma and realized God had saved me from death
God restored what addiction had taken from me. I have now been clean from meth for seventeen years. In 2013, I married Amber. We started attending Waverly Life Church, served as youth leaders, and eventually started a Celebrate Recovery program. In 2022, God called us to plant Cultivate Church in St. Louis, Missouri. We resigned from all ministries and jobs and sold our home. In April of 2023, we started house church gatherings which quickly grew in Christ and numbers. We launched our first Sunday gathering in October of 2023.
Today, we are a church without walls, modeled after the early church in Acts. We have regular church gatherings geared towards discipleship, street ministry, addiction recovery, Christian hip-hop events, prison ministry, and nursing home visits. We work with local treatment centers and recovery programs to support and mentor people. We have partnered with churches and ministries to organize monthly inner-city mission trips.
One way God has used my story is with my podcast: “Kingdom Minded,” which streams into 1000 prisons across the country on over one million inmate tablets. In partnership with the Edovo learning app, the podcast focuses on sharing testimonies and teaching Biblical principles.
Looking back, I am amazed at what God has done. In just a year our church has grown from a small group in our living room to a thriving community, passionate about sharing God’s love. Amber and I are excited about the future. We believe God is just getting started with Cultivate Church.
He can use anyone, even a former addict and convict like me, to build His kingdom.
My story and the story of Cultivate Church are really about God’s faithfulness. He can use anyone, even a former addict and convict like me, to build His kingdom. All the glory goes to Him.
To donate toward our prison ministry and homeless outreach, visit wearecultivatechurch.org or check out our Blessing Bags Gift Registry at HERE.
About the Author
Shane R. Blackledge
Shane R. Blackledge is the co-founder and senior pastor of Cultivate Church. He and his wife Amber started Cultivate Church in their home in 2023. Today, the church is known for spreading the Gospel and being the church without walls. Shane’s podcast, “Kingdom Minded,” is available in over 1000 prisons on inmate tablets on the Edovo Learning App. Through testimonies and Bible principles, the podcast aims to teach, inspire, and equip Christians to live their best life now. Shane is an author and speaker, and his books From Prison to Purpose and Overcoming Codependency are available on Amazon. Shane and Amber have four children and live in St. Louis, Missouri.
