Welcome back, Biola! To our new students, welcome! As we turn our hearts and minds to another semester together in Christ, I’d like to briefly reflect on what the Lord did in our midst last year. As I proceed, I confess that these are the observations of a single busy professor. I offer them up as one stream, of many, flowing down the mountain that is Biola. May they whet our appetites for more and help give us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to Biola this year.

Student lead prayer brings healing

“I see a picture of you sitting at a table eating pineapple with Jesus.”

This is what my 7-year-old daughter Chara said to Andrea Doyle, for whom she prayed that God would heal her allergies.

It was Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010 and my family had joined a prayer rally hosted by the Firehouse of Prayer in Brea. Many college students were present, including a good contingent of Biolans. Andrea went home that night and ate a pineapple for the first time without it burning her tongue and constricting her throat. Chara did not know Andrea was specifically allergic to pineapple until she later told the story. The following week, many of the students from other colleges who were at that prayer rally spent hours on Biola’s campus prayer walking and praying with students.

This culminated in the events of Monday, Oct. 11. A young woman, who was not a Biola student, was led by God to come to campus and pray for someone with pain in their ankle. Eventually, she found Biola student Colin Cabalka in the SUB with a cast on his broken ankle. She prayed for him. He was instantly healed and proceeded to run around the SUB, crutches in the air, rejoicing. Other healings — physical, emotional, and freedom from demonic oppression began to occur more on campus, even the salvation of unsaved friends. In addition to being present as these stories were told, I was also a witness to some as they were happening.

God moves through Missions Conference

Momentum was not lost over Interterm. Earlier in the year, Missions Conference directors Rebekah Peace and Michelle Welke were given the theme of the conference — “Set Us Ablaze” — and what God wanted to do through it, in a series of incredible encounters with God. That spring, the Student Missionary Union called a Daniel Fast for God to move during Missions Conference. I participated, along with numerous students in my classes from seemingly all aspects of campus life.

As many of you know, on Thursday night of the conference, the Lord showed up in a special way. Repenting, recommitting and weeping were the order of the night.

Biolans recommit and re-evaluate their lives

In my four classes the next week I asked, “On Thursday night, how many of you were touched by God in a significant way beyond how you had been touched during the rest of that conference, or other Biola conferences?”

It was about 20 percent in every class, with some powerful testimonies, including one student committing his life to missions instead of his chosen career.

Biola, God visited us in a special way last semester. I regret that I was too busy to participate as much as I would have liked, but last year has passed. Where will I invest my time and heart this year? Where will you invest yours?

May we take encouragement from Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”