OKLAHOMA -- It was a week after the great tornadoes cut a path of destruction through the center of Oklahoma. Editor Jerrell Miller and his wife, Vivian, toured the devastated areas from Bartlesville to Lawton, Oklahoma. A path starting from Southern Oklahoma stretching to Sapulpa, a suburb just outside of Tulsa destroyed everything in its path. The path of the great tornado was as much as a mile wide in some places.

The twisted trees could be seen mile after mile on I-44 coming into Oklahoma City. Going to the south from the same city near Moore, Oklahoma, one could see the large path the mighty twister had taken.

Miller was in the area to preach revival and under the anointing of the Holy Spirit he preached at Happy Hill Church in Ramona on Sunday morning and night. The word that went forth was prophetic in nature and spoke of the devastation of the state. He also spoke of a visitation of the Holy Spirit for a major revival in the next few months. After the Millers’ returned to the parsonage to rest Sunday night a large storm battered the parsonage. Wind gusts of up to 50 and 60 miles per hour woke up Miller’s four year old. Crying, "I’m scared mommy," Nathan crawled into our bed. I thought to myself, how many children a week ago said the same thing to their parents as the mighty twister tore up houses and lives throughout the state.

Miller spoke about the initial visitation of God’s Spirit just after the destruction of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. It was shortly after the explosion that the fires of the Miami Revival began and burned for six months in the northeast corner of the state. More than 20,000 people received Christ during this time as Evangelist John Davis poured himself into the work. It was a place of tremendous freedom for that particular moment of time. This history making even was at Miami First Assembly of God, ministers traveled from Arkansas, Missouri, Texas and from all over the state to be touched by God’s mighty power. For many the touch at the Miami Revival would have the same affect as the Brownsville Revival.

Just a week before at 7 P.M. on Monday people were finishing their suppers at home as a great tornado started in the southern part of Oklahoma and finished its path in the western suburbs of Tulsa. One of the people who was called up at home to do emergency work was the worship leader at Comanche’s Praise Assembly of God. Brian Plant works for the State of Oklahoma Highway Department. Emergency crews from Rush Springs where he lives answered the call to go to one of the hardest hit areas. At Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, the tornado had touched down for six miles. It cut a quarter mile path of destruction that leveled everything and left nothing standing in its way. In the darkness of the night flash lights and spot lights began to search for survivors.

On Brian’s team a mother was found in a tree and rescue workers from Rush Springs could only hear her as she cried for her baby that had been sucked out of her hands as her house was exploded by the mighty winds. They were standing in the hall way and in a matter of moments she, her baby, and her husband were tossed like rag dolls in the wind. As she was rushed to the hospital thinking that she would never see her baby again one of the great miracles in the history of tornadoes in Oklahoma happened. A rescue worker, Destrey Horton, from Rush Springs found the ten-month old baby lodged in a tree the next morning safe and sound. The baby had stayed unharmed the entire night. A mother tossed into a tree with no hope hears the amazing story of her ten-month old as rescue workers pull her down with only a minor gash to her head. Grace was with this family as all members were found safe by the end of the day.

While Editor Jerrell Miller worked in Tulsa during his time at Oral Roberts University Graduate School, he worked as a circulation manager for the Tulsa World in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, in 1979. During that time he delivered newspapers with the story of his home, Mobile, on the front cover as Hurricane Fredrick disabled his home town. The tornado had hit the north side of the city as trees could be seen twisted and then several business has been destroyed by the awesome path of destruction. Along Interstate 44 large paths had been cut on either side of the highway. Vivian, Jerrell’s wife, looked forward to shopping at the huge outlet center in Stroud, Oklahoma. As the Miller’s van topped a hill you could see that it had been directly hit by the huge tornado. More than 40 stores had been flattened to the ground as Nike Outlets and Florshime Shoe Outlets could be seen on Monday a week after the storm. Shop owners were salvaging what was left on tables out in the parking lot. Twisted two-by-fours were everywhere. Roofs were flattened as the Oklahoma National Guard guarded the main entrance of the outlet mall. We would drive on to do a service in Comanche that night.

One thing the Millers’ could sense was the strong power of the Holy Spirit that hovered over the state of Oklahoma. During the morning service at Happy Hill Church, Miller spoke on the power of forgiveness. He spoke about how people that gossip lead other people into dispute. While the gossipers pose themselves to be friends, the underlying motive is to watch a dispute of hatred begin through the information that is provided. Miller spoke of several situations he had been in while building his new house. Two incidents involved a large sum of money that was never collected. Miller said, "If you don’t forgive people you will block the blessing of God. To take someone to court over money is to put a hold on your own personal blessing, but to forgive them releases the power of God. When we serve a God that has forgiven us of so much we must never endeavor to place judgment upon any individual whether saint or sinner. We must remember the price that was paid for our souls and never put that in jeopardy." Miller also spoke about family disputes where people do not speak to each other because of grievances. "Family is very often a stumbling block -- we must be willing to forgive in any circumstance. Our children watch us and they learn the mercy process of God through us." After Miller gave his Mother’s Day address the altars filled with people who came forth with tears in their eyes. It was an awesome day and night at the church just above Oklahoma. The grace of God moved in on all of Miller’s services, the time was right to give the message of repentance. God has his hand on Oklahoma and He doesn’t appear to have a shortage of grace for this moment.