A Time for Remembrance by Cherie Lindsay

My husband I recently watched an interesting documentary. It was titled the League of Grateful Sons. It related the story of a group of men who traveled to the South Pacific and the island of Iwo Jima to commemorate the WWII battle there and our ultimate victory there. In the group were a few of the actual survivors of that battle, who returned with the sons and grandsons of many of the fallen soldiers. The focus of the group and the movie was to remember and honor the sacrifices of the many who fought there and to tell their stories. The real impact came from the testimonies and heart of several of the sons and grandsons of these soldiers who brought their sons (and daughter) to this place to teach them of their legacy. They did not want the honor and bravery displayed there to be forgotten. They wanted to instill in their own children the values of courage and duty, sacrifice and giving oneself for what is good and true. They wanted the stories to be real and remembered. Two oft repeated phrases really touched me. These young men would say “I do not want them(the next generation) to forget” or “ If I don’t tell them , who will?” God has this same heart and intent for us.

In the Old Testament God often called the fathers to build altars of remembrance, to always be ready to tell “the story”. Psalms78:3-7 states …what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power and the wonders he has done….He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children not yet to be born and they in turn would tell their children, then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” Lessons from history are important to the fabric of our lives. There is a place for patriotism; and love and duty to one’s own country are honorable, but how much more Honor is due to the Lord of all creation, the giver and sustainer of our very lives. He is the Sovereign Lord over all History.

How intentional are we as mothers and fathers to continually bring to our children’s remembrance the goodness of God, indeed the greatness of our God. To tell the stories of His mighty deeds and marvelous works. We have a soon-to-be celebrated holiday called Thanksgiving. For a week or so we are encouraged to be thankful, to remember and recount our many blessings, “to count them every one”. But are we mindful of them for only one week each year?
Are we raising our children and grandchildren to be a” League of Grateful Sons and Daughters”?
Do the young ones hear over and over again the stories of the faithfulness of mighty God as well as the faith stories of their own fathers and mothers and other family members?
Have the concepts of the awesome Holiness of God coupled with His unimaginable Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness showered on His children, been instilled in the hearts and minds of our children?
Do we daily demonstrate our own personal forever gratefulness to Him?
Maybe it is time we all started doing a little more storytelling ourselves.

Mercy! His Mercy is New and Awaits Our Embrace!

I told this story to a friend today and she encouraged me to blog it. Selah means to pause, to take a breath, amen to that, that’s right!

*It was the first day back from a busy trip away (one of those you can’t call a vacation) when I sat before the Lord ‘feeling’ rather spent. I cried out, “Lord, I am a mess. I haven’t eaten well. I failed to exercise. And that’s just my physical condition. My Spirit is in even worse shape! Forgive me Lord and HELPPPPPPP!” From the depths of my heart I heard His Spirit whisper, “Susan, My mercies are new every morning.” SELAH And with that I melted. Hot tears of great hope streamed down my face in the presence of an all knowing, mighty forgiving, tender loving God. My heart was filled with love and all hope was restored in that one statement of truth. That was 6:30 a.m. three hours later He reminded me again, just because He is good and because He loves me!
* That same night at church I was so looking forward to corporate worship. I have a perfectly lovely time when I am alone with God but when you bring 2 or more ‘hungry believers’ together to praise the Lord – great things happen. My heart was expressly given over in worship when our Pastor stepped up and instructed us to ‘get past the music and get beyond the words and begin to tell God how much you personally love Him. Express your heart to the Father’. Without hesitation I hit my knees and bowed my head before the Lover of my Soul, Jesus Himself. Sometime in that deeper place of worship I began to experience a vision. The best I can describe the type of vision I experienced is that my eyes were closed but inside ‘I Saw’.
*FIRST, I saw a beautiful forest. Tree trunks tall and brown stood beneath the lush green leaves that held dark fruit like a nut. The trees were in perfect alignment like the crosses of Arlington Cemetery and the grass a beautiful shade of green. There was no sound that I can remember and I remember no smell. But the view was appealing to the natural eye. NEXT, I saw all of those trees uprooted and piled up one log upon another like a brush pile. Then it began to burn. I asked the Lord, “Why is that forest burning?” He replied, “Susan, that forest is a picture of the church (I knew that to mean the corporate body of Christ) and they are rooted in Self. That forest looks like the world far too much to stand out and make any difference in the earth. When my people look like everyone else they cannot make a difference. Who will be drawn to what they already are? That is why I am igniting my refining fire. That My people might be set apart from the world and draw the lost in”. SELAH *I don’t think He spoke these following words but my Spirit was impressed to know that God’s refining fire is a place of His love and His compassion. It is not to destroy but to refine His children, a place to help us find His plan and His purpose for their lives. The fire is a place where we die to self and learn to set Jesus on His throne. He is the Potter, we are to be His clay; lives that no longer conform to the trappings of this world but lives that are being transformed by the renewing of our minds. A man’s ways seem right to him but they lead to death the Proverbs enlighten. That forest looked very inviting to me but what God was letting me know that everything that glitters is not gold. Or perhaps it is gold and He has something MORE lovely than gold for His children. After all, gold in heaven is pavement!
*THE FINAL VIEW was a different forest in which the trees were see through, clear outlines of tree trunks. I asked, “Lord, why are the trees see-through?” Still seeing this new forest in my spirit man eye, He answered my question, “Susan, my people need to become transparent before God and before man”. And when He spoke that word transparent those tree trunks filled up with blood from the bottom up. It was the most amazing, most colorful, most meaningful vision I have ever known. That blood filling the trunk from the bottom up brought the life of Jesus into those trees and caused the limbs with their thick green leaves and fruit to appear just as our lives come to life and display the fruit of the Spirit when we are rooted and established in Jesus Christ. He went on to explain, “Susan, that other forest was rooted in self. Yes, they are the church and yes, they know me as Savior, but they still allow their flesh to rule them and the works of their flesh were the fruit hanging from their tree. And Susan, that fruit doesn’t look much different than that of the lost. There is nothing attractive to draw the lost and dying to Me! Not when you are rooted in self.”
*TRANSPARENT – I knew exactly what He meant about becoming transparent. Transparency or getting real with God and with my spiritual mentors is what has affected a change in me over these past 15 years in Christ. At some point every believer must take a deeper look inside themselves and ‘make a list’ of those things that we need to ‘get rid of’ in order for Christ to shine in us. Personally, I like to think I jump into the refiner’s fire because truth be told there is no good thing in me BUT Jesus! Out with self – in with Him.
*The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time in his letters teaching on the difference of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit hanging on a tree that is rooted in flesh are found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:19-21; immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Amp. Bible) But the fruit hanging on the trees rooted and established in Christ Jesus with His blood flowing through their trunks is the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. That is the forest we are to dwell in.
*Now our Pastor, unbeknownst to me – a woman just returned from a busy vacation and had missed a few sermons, Pastor had been shining a spotlight on the sins of our church. Strife, envy, the need to forgive, back biting, back stabbing, jealously and the like. But I only found this out when my vision ended and he started to preach. The lures in our society take us in and take us down. The internet and its social networks allow us to say anything we want without facing anyone. Responsibility often goes out the window when you are alone with your emotions at a computer. But we must remember that ‘the world’ reads us and ‘the world’ is looking for the answer. We, the believers have the answer. His name is Jesus and He lives inside of us. When we are transparent then He can be seen.
*And in that last view of the vision the one with lush green leaves hanging from the trunk rooted in Christ, its fruit was inviting. It was a place you would want to climb in and hangout for the day, or a lifetime. I imagined a fragrance of great beauty in this place and the sound would have been that of the most perfect day; children’s laughter, a gentle breeze, a loved one calling your name. His last words to me in this vision were “Susan, this is my message to the church, to your home church – individually and corporately. I want to refine my children that they would become set apart from the world and become a magnet for the lost to find me”.
And my response is, “Lord, start with me!”

It’s a trashy tale that must be told!

Revival fires are burning in my Spirit. I believe God for the impossible and see it come to pass. The crucible of refinement is my current resting place where thought, word and deed are cleansed daily. Jesus is soon to return, coming for His spotless bride – now that’s going to take revival, Amen!

Last week, while out of town I slipped into the local YMCA where they still name Christ in their mission statement. Many Y’s in our nation have taken the name (that is above every name and causes offense) out of their operations manual. I was there to take a spin class and a young woman came in to teach. She was pretty and slim and had defined muscles, the type of gal that would have intimidated me ten years ago but today @ 45 I have learned to admire and appreciate youth. The teacher put on the CD the music began and off we went, spinning ourselves into a sweaty mess. Half way through the first song I realized that the songs content and language were extremely inappropriate. I’ll just put it this way—I have walked out of other classes for less offensive music. Insulted and disappointed, as that song came to an end I asked the instructor “is all the music going to be this filthy?” She replied, “no.” I made the decision to take her word for it and continued to spin. The rest of the music was ok, many songs even played without words. As the class ended the teacher pulled out an index card announcing that she had a health tip for us. She gave the tip then added and my scripture today comes from Ephesians 4:32…be humble and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other in Christ. When she finished reading the scripture she looked directly at me and apologized for the first song she had played. I accepted, forgave in my heart and went home thinking how the light of Christ cannot shine in its fullness when we allow darkness to be a part of us.

The next morning I took a walk in this small town where I was visiting. I came upon a street where darkness seemed to rule of the day and the night of the people who lived there. I felt my Spirit clear His throat within me as if to say, ‘do something’. Compassion bubbled up and the thought to go door to door sharing the love of Jesus with these souls came to mind. So I went to the Dollar Store and bought some Oreo’s (I don’t bake!) then grabbed up some mini-Bibles out of my car that I had bought at Ollie’s and headed out to be obedient to the leading of my best guide – Holy Spirit. I had a great time meeting people, telling and reminding them how much Jesus Christ gave for them and how much He loves them. They seemed to grab onto the Oreo’s and the Bibles as well. I asked to pray with them and all but one let me. I am never surprised that they let me pray with them. People are hungry to be cared for and when you step out in boldness and pray; hearts are touched and lives are changed. The following morning I had a situation, a trashy situation you might say.

I was in an unfamiliar town, moving my daughter into an apartment. We had accumulated a bag of trash on Tuesday then found out on Thursday that Wednesday was trash day! Great! A day late! And a bag of rotting garbage –what are we girls to do? I suggested we find a dumpster. The next morning while out for a morning jog my daughter found a dumpster so we cautiously placed that full bag of trash in my car and headed up the street . I told my daughter, “we need to be quick because this is not the best thing to do”. I wasn’t out of the car 30 seconds when a man came across the parking lot screaming “unbelievable, unbelievable” I had no real idea what he meant by those words but I threw that bag in the dumpster and hurried back to my car. The closer he came the louder he yelled, “unbelievable, unbelievable.” My fight and flight response kicked in and everything in me just wanted to get outta there. And that is what I was trying to do. By the time I got my car in gear the man was behind my vehicle with his phone taking pictures of my license plate and yelling that he was going to report me. I tried to explain the situation to him but he had no room to hear me as he just kept yelling unbelievable. Then he said, “I can understand the poor people coming and throwing their trash in my dumpster but…unbelievable!” He was still yelling as a tried to pull away. That is when my precious daughter said to me, “Mom, we need to do what he wants.” I stopped the car and said, “Sir, I am sorry. What can I do?” Then he said, “You can get your trash out of my dumpster.” And with that I humbled myself and returned that stinky, leaky, full bag of trash to my car. Oh yeah! My car a 2000..whatever Land Rover with 85,000 miles that caused this man to believe that I was trying to get out of paying the county fee for trash as the poor people had tried to do. That is why I was unbelievable. I later found out that every time you place a bag of trash out on your curb it costs you $3.50 per bag. Praise God I have $3.50 for trash, Praise God I have a car and most of all Praise God that He forgives me.

As we drove away from that screaming man I realized that I was trying to blend the light with the darkness just as the YMCA instructor had done. I apologized first to God and then to my daughter. I realized the attitude of ‘entitlement’ that I had taken on for myself; an attitude that this world takes on daily from their perspective in the kingdom of darkness. I repented of this wrong thinking and then thanked God for that screaming man for stopping me from doing what is wrong and asked God to bless him. Somewhere in God’s Word I have read that what is righteous and what is evil cannot flow from the same well. Even though both wells are available to me (because there is no good thing in me but Jesus) I must decide which well I will draw from. The Spirit of God reminds me that these decisions come out of our quiet time, our intimacy with Jesus from our renewed mind. The more time we spend in the company of holiness (God in prayer and time in His Word) the more apt we’ll be to choose to do what is good. That is the spirit led life. And no, one will never be perfect otherwise we would not need a Savior, but each choice we make to do what is right we grow to look more like Jesus. The more we will grow to look like the spotless Bride that our Groom, Our King is returning for soon.

Patient Endurance. 25 Years and Counting!

Patient Endurance. (25 years and counting!)

This week my husband Barry and I celebrated 25 years of us; wedded bliss, commitment to love, a matrimonial stronghold, ever present joy in the making, twenty five years of togetherness. Praise God!
To celebrate we chose to have an adventure so Monday morning we were dropped off in Pittsburg with our bicycles to bike the 150 mile Great Allegany Passage to Cumberland. In making preparations for this journey I kept sensing in my spirit that something would take place in the physical realm that would minister to my spirit. Day One proved that to be true.
On Monday the word endurance entered my mind. I never did look it up but I know it to mean – to press on, to tolerate, to keep on keeping on, to not give up. I was certain this was the spiritual lesson God had for me as well. It is exactly my address now as I wait for His miracles to manifest in my life. Romans 8:25 but if we hope for what we do not yet have we wait for it patiently. Endurance – Monday we got off to a slow start. Barry drives a hand cycle and it seemed to creep along that first day. We rode for nearly seven hours grabbed some dinner and dropped into bed exhausted. Tuesday was up hill for the first four hours. I don’t know where his endurance came from – God must have dropped it out of heaven into his lap – but Barry rose to the occasion and pumped that bike without a break uphill for four hours. When we reached the top of the hill things leveled out including his energy. The rest of the day was difficult. We took some time to snack and replenish and that is when we realized throughout the journey of enduring it is important to stay encouraged, energized, pumped up by whatever means God gives us: His Word, His Spirit, His people! I won’t go into what happened but if you have ever had the tendency to ‘take matters into your own hands’ then you figure out how the rest of the day went! Or perhaps you will read about it in a future article entitled “Putting to death my tendency to take charge and control!” It is promised to preach to every women! Wednesday we began to apply the discipline we learned from Monday and Tuesday. Stop every two hours to snack and keep your energy level up. This is an endurance run not a sprint. We must move at a good pace but not without moments to replenish our being. Remember to apply what you have learned – discipline yourself with the wisdom you have and then you will be able to maintain, to keep on, to go the distance. Thursday was a short day. Good thing because my body was exhausted. My gluteus maximus and minimus was numb. My shoulders ached a bit and my get up and go musta got up and went. Yes, Thursday is when I had the revelation of what Paul calls Patient Endurance. Throughout the week I had been seeking God for greater understanding of endurance and throughout the scriptures when you read the word endurance more often than not it is accompanied by the word patient. As we moved through our fourth day on the trail I felt a case of the crankies coming on. Gripping and complaining was waiting at the door of my lips and that is when the Spirit of God revealed to me a lesson in patient endurance. Any one can endure something but it is how we endure it that sets us apart. We can endure with murmuring and complaining or we can endure the trials and hardships and difficult moments in life with patience. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit therefore to endure my journey in a way that would please God I had to press into the Spirit of God that lives in me for some patience. That I might patiently endure what was starting to look like something I would rather not finish. Something I really had lost all interest in. In that moment of discouragement, exhaustion, fatigue, disinterest it was the Spirit alive in me that brought me through. Oh the spiritual lessons we can learn from our physical circumstances. And today is Friday – our last day out on the trail. I think we are pushing 32 miles today. I Thessalonians 1:3 is my verse for the day, it says that endurance comes from hope and my hope today is to be like God. I want to be a finisher – someone who completes what he sets his mind to doing. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Barry I would have been done with this journey on Wednesday. I don’t like feeling exhausted! Amen! But the one another’s kicked in and has caused me to press on, to endure. Barry has prayed for (me) one another, he has encouraged (me) one another, he has built (me) one another up in the journey. Today, because of our week of celebration together we will look more like God as we have pressed into Him not for just a week but for twenty five years of weeks, one day at a time going back to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our journey. Together we have endured, patiently. II Corinthians 1:6 says that unity produces endurance. Too often when the tuff stuff comes our way our female tendency is to run and hide, to stay under the covers out of sight. But that is not what God says will assist you in winning. Your victory, our victory comes in unity. Therefore, give the one another’s a try. Give them and watch them come back to you and help to keep you enduring through whatever God allows to come your way – for your good and for His glory. I gotta go. Time to hit the trail. Journey on sisters, life is too short to be sitting on the sidelines. Embrace your adventure and endure to the end.

Taste and See by Debbie Sprague

“O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD:
BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN HIM.” Psalms 34:8

How often have we as Christians spoken these words with a smile of delight on our faces? Or, how many times in the natural have we prepared or perhaps ordered something at a restaurant that was so delicious to our taste buds, that we thought the other person dining with us just had to try it? When they readily sampled our delicacy and responded with “Hmm good!” our quest was satisfied! However, when they refused, we begged, “Oh come on, just try it. It’s wonderful!” Still refusing, we gave the rebuttal, “You don’t know what you are missing!”

Likewise, many of us miss out on a lot of Heaven’s delicacies because we are afraid to try them! God has His heavenly spoon perched between the fingers of his big hand, and is asking you to taste/do something new! It may be a challenge to your comfort zone; but hey, you have asked for BIG haven’t you?

This is the year for the uncontainable! Sound good? It is! However, we have a co-laborer’s part to fulfill. God is going to stretch us! You may say, “I am already s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d!” Yes, but there is more! It is called FULL POTENTIAL!

How many times in the silence of your prayer time has God spoken to your heart a directive? Or, while worshiping prodded your heart to give a word inspired by Him? Or, pricked your heart to visit someone? Or, having just met someone in a store/office and felt the need to offer a prayer? What about the times you were asked to write a card/letter or to give some monies that you were saving for something you wanted? Perhaps He asked you to share your testimony, or take the courage to pray the prayer of faith over your ill neighbor…but, as a fallen leaf you allowed the inspiration to sift through your reasoning and eventually fall into dormancy. And, all the time God is saying, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING!”

So, come on! If He is asking you to TASTE of something new, don’t hesitate…
TASTE it! Once you taste, the juices of inspiration will flow, and the
power of resurrection will surge! You will find His enablement ample,
and the soaring in a new dimension…exhilarating! You will be overwhelmed
with HIS GOODNESS! Then the next time you see the Master coming with His
spoon of taste, just pull up a chair, and set out your bowl! Why? Because you
will have learned… “BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTS IN HIM!”

Bon Appétit!

Honey Mason. Who are you looking at?

This winter I have spent a lot of time in my house. I’ve not had to get out to the gym because I can do it at home. I am only required to show up at my job a couple of hours a week, yeah God! And my Bible Study and Home Group friends come in to my home to open the Word. It has been a joy to say the least. I have had many quiet hours in the Lord’s presence and the opportunity to relate to Honey Mason like never before. Honey Mason is my dog. A 5 year old part Springer part Lab – or so the Pet Store said. Her stance screams Springer Spaniel and her loyalty and obedience reveal the Labrador in her. She really looks like a miniature Irish Setter. Weighing in at 35 pounds Honey Mason is the perfect shade of red and brown. My own colorist could not have done this good a job! And her markings are extraordinary; eyebrows look to be perfectly painted on her face which invite anyone and everyone in to welcome her and I am not sure how but she always appears to be smiling. Do dogs really smile? Honey Mason does! She is the perfect hostess too. The Springer in her lets you know she is glad to see you! But what I have come to understand this winter about Honey Mason is that she thinks I am God.
Honey never leaves my side when I am at home. She always seeks my presence particularly in a thunderstorm – that’s when I hold her close. She lets me decide when she comes and when she goes and more impressively she listens to my voice, desiring to be instructed and trusting that I have her best interests in mind. Her dependency on me makes life with Honey Mason most pleasurable. She trusts me. She wants my company. She obeys my voice. She has a mind of her own yet she longs to surrender to my mind and my heart of love for her. She finds her security in my care for her and that causes Honey Mason to feel loved, not only by me but by all who come to know her. I believe if she could talk she would say “everybody loves Honey!” I may be her master but certainly not God – perhaps only to Honey – but as she surrenders her will to me she lives in a place of great rest. And I mean rest. This girl can sleep up to twelve hours a day and when she is awake she never takes her eyes off of me, always watching my every move. We, as children of God have the opportunity to find our life in Him. In Christ we are never alone. We are accepted and directed into a good life. In Christ we have someone to trust, someone we can always depend on and count on for guidance and counsel. In Christ we are always loved – whether we believe and receive that love or not, it is there.
Last week I was looking at Honey Mason and thanking God for her. What a gift she has been to my life. God spoke to my heart and said, “You waited for her Susan!” And He is right. I asked my husband for ten years if we could have a dog and he said no – concerned because we live on a main thoroughfare. When he learned of invisible fencing he decided to make my dream come true. Christmas 2006 he said, close your eyes and hold out your hands and there it was my ten year request all three pounds of her Honey Mason. When God reminded me that I had waited for Honey Mason for ten years a smile shot across my face the size of Texas and my heart warmed like a cozy campfire. The year after Honey arrived in our home God asked me to seek a miracle from Him in my life. I said OK! It was an offer I could not refuse. I asked for the best marriage He could give to me and Barry – His best. I knew this was the request God was looking for from me because He had been coaching me in this direction for many years. And now I agreed with Him for His best in my marriage. When I told Barry what I’d done he decided he wanted in on the action and asked God for a miracle as well. He said I am asking God to heal my body – that I would no longer be disabled but rather healed (Hebrews 12:13). That was November 2007 and since that time together we have waited on God. Since that time we have grown in our faith, we have grown in our love with God and in the love we allow to flow through us and we have grown in what I believe is God’s purpose for this entire season of wait. Together, we have grown in holiness – having the mind of Christ alive in us. God’s Word says that He cares more about the heart of a man than He does the legs of a man. In the wait, God is changing, molding, shaping and forming our hearts to be more like His. Through the time of waiting we get to have our minds transformed as we keep our eye on Him. And that is God’s greatest desire, that as our God and as our Lord we would allow Him to be master of our lives. Honey Mason can sit and stare at me for hours, just watching to see what I might do – usually it isn’t much that I do but she does not want to miss it. Sisters, may our eyes be fixed and focused on the author and perfector of our lives! And may ever desires He has placed inside of you come to pass in Jesus Name.

Lost Loved Ones

The holidays are upon us. Close friends and extended family will be near making it the perfect time for us, as believers to be diligent in prayer for our lost loved ones. I have encouraged my Bible study gals to write a Heavenly Hit List – names of those they long to see come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What better gift could be given than the gift of eternal life? As a Bible believing, born again, prayer warring child of God, you have the power in you to give such a gift…so write your list and get to your prayer closet, the preparation time is now! In his book, Praying for Lost Loved Ones, Dutch Sheets writes of five scriptural prayer steps we can take to see the harvest we long for in those we love. First we ask God to prepare our loved ones heart so that it will be good soil for seed to be planted into (Mark 4:8). This may bring about life circumstances that appear to be the work of the enemy but hold fast in prayer, trust God. Next, pray that the enemy of our soul will not be able to rob the seed that is planted into good soil (Mark 4:15-19). Declare to yourself and the heavens the truth that God in you is greater than he who is in the world and that your prayers are powerful and effective. Be certain to build yourself up in truth throughout your prayer journey in order for you to not grow faint, for in due season you will reap a harvest (Gal 6:9). Pray Ephesians 1:7 that the Father of Glory will give your lost loved one a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him. This is when the seed takes hold and begins to root into their heart. Now, all evil roots such as pride and bitterness must be uprooted and destroyed. Ask God the Master Gardener to pull up the bad and replace it with what is of Him – good (II Cor. 10: 3-5). Lastly, pray for their heart to turn in true repentance; that they will come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil having been held captive by him to do his will (II Tim 2: 26) and for God to lead them into all truth. Truth has the power to set us free. Set your lost loved ones free this holiday season in your prayer closet but before you begin be certain that you believe that God’s Word is true. Be certain in your heart that you believe that prayer is powerful. I heard it said recently, ‘don’t waste your time and God’s with heartless prayer’, know what you believe and go after it with the power that God has placed in you from your belief. You might change the world this holiday season unwrapping one soul at a time into their destiny in Jesus. So write your list and lay it and pray it before the King and may you and your loved ones have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Peace is a Choice

Last week, on the heals of what had already been a VERY BUSY week, I was facing another VERY BUSY week. My husband was in ‘concern mode’ as my body was showing signs of stress. Extra rest was required. The Spirit of the Lord spoke very clear to my heart about all my busy-ness when He said to me last Monday morning, “Susan, you are facing a VERY BUSY week. Peace can be yours all week. I have made it available to you. But you have to choose it. You have to make the choice for peace, My peace.” Remember the Word of God teaches us that the chastisement was upon our Lord so that we might have peace, and that He Himself, He is our peace. (Isaiah and Ephesians)
The Spirit went on to instruct, “hinderances, distractions and attacks will come your way and every time they do if you choose Me, if you set your sights upon Me – I will keep you in perfect peace.” So, here it is, one week later and I want to report to you that I am going to be choosing His Peace again this week. One choice at a time, one situation at a time. I will choose God, I will choose His Peace. Last week many unexpected things came my way; trips I didn’t want to take, rejections I never expected, unexpected people, places and things that quite frankly weren’t part of MY AGENDA….but I chose Peace. I said, “Lord, I choose to think on You. I choose to focus my thoughts on what is unseen – like what You are working out in my life in this situation, or what You have for me to learn about myself or another – or new ways to love others – through this mess I seem to be in. Every time I was able to choose His Peace. Thank You God!!!!!
And now, it is Monday once again. I have a choice to make. What’s it gonna be Susan? Will you choose peace? Are you tired? Are you lazy? Are you neglectful to what is best for you and your life? I will be honest with you sisters, my answer is yes to all those things. Last week was awesome. I walked in great favor, recieving love from people and from God. I fellowshipped more. Rested very well. And through it all saw the Kingdom of God advance in this VERY DARK earth. I’d be a complete Bozo to stop now, wouldn’t I!

I don’t know about you girls, but I choose peace. Send me and my readers back a comment of encouragement about how you find your way to God’s peace. Let’s keep choosing Him.

Those whose minds are stayed on thee, He will keep in perfect peace. (Tired and True It Works!!!)

FREE…Indeed!

“For years my first thought upon waking was why God did I have to wake up? Why can’t you just take me out of this world?” These are the words of a friend God brought into my life recently. We may as well call her Susan. It is only by God’s grace that I did not end up in her situation. When my friend was 15, a family member introduced her to heroin and for the past ten years Susan has been an addict. “I spent a lot of time in the ghetto of big cities. I remember one day, being in the city with my friend and we were both dope sick. We were waiting on this guy to come to our car to sell us some heroin. In the meantime, this random guy walked up to the car and put an uzi to my head demanding our money. My friend threw the money on the floor and told him that he could do what he had to do but he wasn’t getting the money.” Death to Susan was more appealing than life…as an addict.

What are the habits, addictions, events, or relationships in your life that cause you to feel this way? Death is more appealing than life. We all struggle in some area of life. And that very struggle is most likely the very area God wants to begin to work out in you. Listen to what Susan wrote as she gave her addiction and her life over to God. “Now when I wake up I say Good Morning Jesus! And I thank the Lord for giving me another new day. It’s insane the way getting clean and putting all things aside to do nothing but seek the Lord changes you. I have been so lost in my mess for the past ten years that it is so great to wake up and really be a normal human being. To not be running out to get high the moment you open your eyes. Being an addict is exhausting.”

In reading this I think of the enabler—the person who gives all their energy over to taking care of others needs and rarely minding to their own. Every morning they wake up exhausted, knowing there is nothing in the day ahead for them. All their efforts are to try to change the world for others all the while expecting to receive great applause from the world, yet never getting it. Finding themselves addicted to depression and loss of hope. Or perhaps it is the rejected—giving their all to find acceptance and approval from others, or the striver—working with everything in them to create the life they believe they and those around them are to have, yet coming up empty time and time again. These addictions often run deeper than heroin and may be more difficult to get rid of as they are ingrained in our nature, sin nature that is. But God, just as He has released Susan from her addiction He can release each one of us from ours.

Psalm 116 says that “the Lord protects the simple hearted, when I was in great need, He saved me”. I have found that I need Jesus to save me over and over and over again. Once saved in to salvation but time and again saved from myself and the trappings of this world. The God of unconditional love wants to save, heal and deliver you from every habit, compulsion or craving you have. Christ died that you might be set free and those who are set free are FREE INDEED! There is a way to freedom, His name is Jesus and He wants to love you in to it. Begin by bowing your head and confessing your need to Him. That’s what Susan did. She got real. She stopped pretending. And God lead her out of her old ways and taught her a new way to live. And He wants to do the same for you. Impossible is nothing for God.

(submitted with person from my special friend…susan)

Summer in Review 2010

God has blessed me this summer! He allowed me to observe and take part in His great ministry of love.

Early this season I got to be eyewitness to a miracle. God extended His hand of love to deliver a young woman of drug addiction. Exhausted from ten years of darkness, she reached out to God and He responded. God had been waiting for her to cry out to Him, finally she did. Through His body on the earth—people with the same heart as His—God offered His love and it changed a life forever. Now set free from addiction this young woman is making room in her heart and life for God. He is the object of her affection. Much fruit will come from this young life that was saved by love.

Oh how beautiful is the love of Christ.

Another privilege was the restoration of a hurting family. Injured and rejected by ‘the church’ this precious family turned to the world, disillusioned by their pain. BUT GOD…had a better plan…a more excellent way. As His loving hand was extended to them, in His kindness, in His gentleness, He drew them home to Himself. Once again, people with His heart and mind allowed Him to love this family back into the fold. And in their restoration, God exalted them in their gifts and callings that Romans 11:29 describes as irrevocable. Again, much fruit will come into the body of Christ because love reached out.

I am so privileged, God what have I done to deserve such a glorious summer in You?

One new believer, more hungry than most of us ‘been around a while believers’ could not stop telling her family and friends about the love of Jesus. Completely smitten by the love bug of Christ everyone she knew heard the Good News. Her family, ready to put a sock in her mouth found themselves drawn to this new life when an attack from darkness came along. Her son and his wife and two very young children found themselves in need when the nightly visitations came along; lights flickering on and off with no human finger on the switch, their two year old pulling her hair out because the ‘man in her room’ told her to, and other, what the world might call hauntings. A Pastor friend and I had the privilege of visiting this family in their rented home where we went in authority, representing the Kingdom of God and cast that darkness out of their lives. The Kingdom of God is peace and joy. So, in peace and with great joy we walked in the front door of that home while the enemy of our soul and his dark agents removed themselves through the back door. No exorcism, no antics, no wild and crazy tale to tell. In God’s peace and with joy and strength in Him we prayed in the name of Jesus, believing God would reign and He did. It was God’s great love for people on display. Everyone in the family got saved, the darkness ended immediately and there is a new love in their home. The nightly hair pulling has been replaced with nightly Bible reading and time spent praising God.

God is love (I John 4) It is so very true. And that love wants to flow through YOU His child, for His good works to be accomplished. Let it flow that you might experience great joy in Jesus. Ask God to baptize you with His Love and Compassion, your life will never be dull!