September 5. Russ Frase. Russ has pastored several churches from Texas to Colorado. He’s been in ministry more than fifty years. He’s been married more than fifty years. And he’s built bible schools in more than fifty countries. On this date in 1992, he founded the Rocky Mountain Bible Institute.
Russ is also the Founder and President of Joshua Ministries, International—a ministry whose vision statement is “Training the next generation of church leaders.”
Joshua Nations now has more than 161,000 students studying in more than 7,000 schools in 58 nations and 60 languages. But that’s not the limit of Russ’s wide experience. Listen to this.
If you open the runways of your heart, God will land spiritual treasures there.
Russ gazed at the congregation of his first pastorate, a country Baptist church in Texas. While he attended seminary, he served—and loved—the people. And as several gathered at the altar, his heart swelled.
But a woman’s screeching wail shattered the peace. He had never heard anything like it. He scanned the crowd. It was a woman in the congregation named Selma. Her face was contorted, and she flailed about. Russ had no idea what to do. As she shrieked, people slipped out of the church. Russ didn’t blame them.
Desperate, he told her husband, Charlie, to take Selma home. “Call me if you need me,” Russ said. He hoped Charlie wouldn’t call. But after service, Russ had barely stepped inside the parsonage when the phone rang. “Don’t let it be Charlie,” he prayed.
It was Charlie.
Russ met him at his trailer, and Charlie opened the rickety screen door. “She’s gone mad.” Selma stood behind the tall farmer, her eyes red, wild, and unfocused. Her head flopped all over, and her red hair flew about. Now what?
Russ had heard that if you hollered at a demon in Jesus’ name, it would leave. So he gathered his bravado and puffed out his chest. “Get out of there, you filthy foul creature!”
Selma glared.
Russ felt a hand on his left shoulder. Expecting to see Charlie, he turned. But Charlie watched from the kitchen. A gentle Voice spoke from deep inside Russ. “Just slow down, and be quiet, and I’ll show you what to do. This is the demon of lust. Just take authority over it, and cast it out.”
Selma writhed.
The hairs on the back of Russ’s neck stood up. “Come out of her right now in the name of Jesus!” His voice was firm, but his knees trembled.
Selma went limp. Then she drew a long breath, raised peaceful blue eyes, and smiled. “So glad to have you, Pastor.”
Big Charlie shot the pastor a look of disbelief.
Russ shrugged. Relieved, he was ready to get out of there. But the Voice spoke again. “When her eyes get red, that’s another demon.”
Russ cringed.
Selma sprang off the bed, got a few inches from Russ’s face, and glared at him through blood-red eyes.
“This is a spirit of rage,” the Holy Spirit whispered.
“Come out, Spirit of Rage, in the name of Jesus!”
Selma went limp. Her blue eyes returned to normal. “That was a mighty good message you preached tonight, Pastor.”
They chatted until the arteries on her neck popped out, and her eyes again turned red. For two hours, Russ battled demons as if he had been doing it his whole life. There were thirteen.
It was just like Jesus had promised, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things,” (John 14:26 NIV).
Some time later, Russ flew into the Los Angeles airport after dark. Lighted runways below grabbed his attention. “Without those runways planes could not land,” God said. “It’s the same with your heart. It’s full of runways on which I desire to land My spiritual realities … But if you don’t allow me access to the runways of your heart, I cannot fulfill my purposes, plans, and pleasures in your life … Surrender completely to me and watch what we can do together.”
Over the years Russ learned to open more runways in his heart. God gave him more spiritual gifts. Commanding demons was just one.
What runways are closed in your heart? If you open the runways of your heart, God will land spiritual treasures there.
Based on an interview with Dr. Russ Frase, Jr.
Frase, Jr., Dr. Russ and Marla Lindstrom Benroth. Runways of the Heart: My Journey Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pointing Due North Press, 2018.
Story read by: Joel Carpenter
Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter
Audio production: Joel Carpenter
Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/
Project manager: Blake Mattocks
© 2020, 365 Christian Men. LLC. All rights reserved.