I've heard Valora Bock before, as a student of The Unveiling Prophetic School, and as much as I'm not one for the touchy, feely, fuzzy stories, to be frank, there are always a number of very striking and revelatory things that I absorb when Valora comes to town. This was the case last Thursday when Valora, who heads Sonburn Ministries near Pittsburgh, visited to preach and minister at our i61 service.
Valora's 'Extravagant' Encounters
Valora drew from personal experience to prove the point that God really is majestic, and He doesn't just love us but He longs for us to know Him and understand Him. Further, He is approachable, should we really press in to encounter Him. Among her confrontations with God were moments where she actually wrapped her arms around Jesus, and experiences where she seemingly got a close-up glimpse of Heaven. Few of us have had experiences like this, but three things stare down any doubt associated with these stories.
A. God is extravagant
If we worship an extravagant God, we should likewise have extravagant testimonies, stories, and encounters with our Father.
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1ST JOHN 3:1
B. These experiences are possible - Several New and Old Testament heroes encountered God and had vivid, awe-inspiring, and life-transforming visions. And, since we know that these types of spiritual experiences have not ceased for any reason that's biblical, why and how should those in the church not have them or seek them?
C. Valora believes that she will continue to encounter God in this fashion - and she does. This is a really beautiful example of child-like faith. I would venture to say that perhaps the top reason that Valora continues to have these extravagant moments with God is because she believes that she can have them.
Physiological Revelations
Valora drew some fascinating scientific conclusions about how our brains work and how, although these things are indeed chemical, they're rooted in the spiritual. Of course, there are physical reasons that people fall into addiction and entertain anxiety, but that's usually a natural product of a spiritual trigger. For example, Valora mentioned at one point in her life exhibiting dyslexia, which she believes was brought on by past sexual abuse. In doing a bit of research on this possible connection, I found, too, that medical journals and respected doctors and psychologists agree that they can be linked. It's intriguing that a physical yet very spiritual event from her past led to another physical, seemingly unrelated manifestation later on in life. I understand that modern science, apart from God, may deduce that this type of connection is causal, in a strictly physical sense, but I believe differently. Everything really is spiritual!
The Joy Center - The amygdala, or the joy center of our brains, is developed early in life, according to Valora. Her point in bringing this up is that this is a crucial stretch for physical infants of course, but also spiritual infants, to both receive and perceive love. Babies and toddlers will learn to self-regulate according to how they process love and project joy, and it's also important for us to regulate all things in our lives through the lens of the love of God.
Varying IQ - Another scientific figure that Valora brought up is the differing of our mental aptitude, depending on how we're doing spiritually. Specifically, if we're actively anxious, we can expect our IQ to be 30 points lower than normal. If we're angry, we can expect a score that's as many as 60 points lower. The conclusion then, at least for me, is that every spiritual thing has a physical consequence.
An Unstoppable Testimony
Above all, Valora carries a very powerful testimony, from an abused and demoralized youngster to a powerful minster today. We heard this story Thursday and, as we've discussed concerning testimony of what God as done, can alone set people free. Valora's testimony is drastic, which simply shines a light on how much God has done in her life.
There was a ministry time after the message as there usually is, with which there were several keys or words of knowledge that Valora went after, including heart palpitations, tension in the back and shoulders, joint disease, nerves and/or tendons, fibromyalgia, and restoring people's "Yes's," and "No's." There were also a few prophetic declarations made over people in the room.
Join us tomorrow as we welcome our own Lindsey Dohm to speak on and minister in overcoming abuse and addiction.
- J.F. D'Orsie