The Pain and the Beauty

“I wish I had some patience” I thought as I stood in the check out.  No matter which line I choose something always happens to make it the longest.  Another example is when you get into the driving seat of the car; suddenly people don’t get going fast enough from the red light, or behave in a matter that seemingly irritates you when normally it doesn’t. You swear behind the wheel when you normally don’t swear at all!

The crying child, or the ‘why’ question.  That work colleague you can’t stand yet you have to be nice to in order to keep your job.  I’m sure can think of plenty of examples where you need patience too.

These are trivial examples but what about the pain of divorce, bereavement, abandonment, separation,  Loss of hopes and dreams, finances, stability and so on. What about the loss of health or youth?  All these things cause emotional turmoil and inner pain.  We wast our breath asking the useless question: “if only I had done this, or if only I had not done that.”  Or Why? Why did that happen to me, I never thought it would, or did not deserve this and on and on it goes.

How do you get over these obstacles in life?  Because you do need to get over them, to move forward.  You do deserve a quality life whatever that may be.

Here is where to start, turn to Jesus Christ and put your trust in him even though you don’t understand what is going on.  He is author and finisher of your faith.  He brings life and beauty out of every awful painful situation if you let Him work in you.  He is the best heart surgeon and not only will put your life back together again, but with His guidance as you obey His word you life will become better than before when you trusted only yourself.

There is a process taking place through the pain.  The old adage no pain, no gain is true.  God does not cause suffering rather God uses suffering as a tool to chip away the unpleasant aspects of your nature to begin to etch in your life beauty, true inner beauty that does not fade or perish as the outward beauty does.  His tools are the tribulation, the suffering you experience whether through your own fault or not.  He uses the tribulation so that as you will turn to Him and learn to trust Him.  This produces deeper faith, and you find out what you truly believe.  In turn this produces patience and as you persevere with patience your character becomes more refined and more like Christ,  resulting in hope.  Hope does not disappoint you because the love of God has been poured out in your heart by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Romans 5: 3-5).  These inner qualities do not end but go on to produce good fruit in your life.

An easy life never loses the strong grip of self-will that has taken hold of our hearts since the fall of Adam.  John Ortberg said ”God isn’t at work producing the cirmstances I want, God is at work in bad circumstances to produce in us what He wants”.  WOW, you mean it’s not all about me, but about Him?

He cares enough to give you a make over and make you beautiful like Him?  Thank you Lord.  It is a puzzle how God make things turn out good from the bad things in our life, but I am thankful.  Maybe you ruined your life with poor decisions, but now you have had the love and the grace of God to make something beautiful and lasting out of your life.  Thank you Lord.

I read this recently: Pierre-Augusta Renoir the great French impressionist artist had bad arthritis, so much so his hands became twisted and deformed.  The simple act of holding a brush became excruciating.  In time he was confined to his wheelchair, but did not give up his painting, absolutely not!!!  One day his friend Henri Matisse visited him and watch the great painter as he painfully grasped a brush using only his fingertips. Every movement was agony, yet he doggedly kept as his painting.

Matisse exclaimed, “How can you paint at the expense of such torture?”  Renoir replied:  “THE PAIN PASSES, BUT THE BEAUTY REMAINS.”

So the soul becomes beautiful that endures the agony of suffering when trusting in the power of Christ to reform you.

(1 Peter 5: 10).”May the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.”

So shall your light shine as you reflect the glory of the God in your innerbeing.  Having become lastingly beautiful.

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Bring back Courting

We all know how high the divorce rate is and that today there are more singles or people living together and not marrying than ever before.

People are afraid of commitment, and don’t see the point of marrying if it’s just going to end up in divorce. It is mainly in the west that divorces Happen so much.  So lets take a look at what maybe going on to cause this.

Througout history people could not travel far from their home area and when a man decided it was time to take a wife he would visit her at her home, getting to know her family over a period of time.  There were no automobiles to come and take the woman off to somewhere else unsupervised.  Spending time with the other person’s family is a very good idea. You can see how they live their lives, what their hopes and realities are.  You gain understanding of their world view points, and behavior patterns.  Morals, faith or lack of.  Patterns of behavior and speech all of which your future wife/husband will display down the road since that is what they have learned from being small.  It is a useful window in time to look into your prospective future with this person in marriage to find out if you are compatible or not.

When the automobile arrived increasingly one went away from family to do things that may or may not have been suitable.  Without supervision, or accountability often lust of the flesh takes place, especially with alcohol and drugs  Inhibitions are laid in the dust.  Resulting in sex taking place far too soon in a relationship.  Sex forces the new relationship to a deeper level (because the two become one in the spirit realm,) than would have happened in a normal relationship of being friends and getting to know each other first.

Starting up a courtship is a very helpful place to start. You find out about the person and what they think, their hopes, dreams, expectations before you ever take the step of sex and marriage.  You then know if this is a suitable person for you to spend the rest of your life with.

Meeting someone in a bar or similar type of environment where people are consuming alcohol lowers the tone of normal conversation and inhibitions subside.  This is not the best way  to tell if someone is going to be suitable for such a huge decision.

You are meant to be a virgin when you marry and your Hymen is broken by your husband you have entered into a holy union; a blood covenant.  The Hymen bleeds called a ‘show’ this is a serious spiritual commitment.  It is a blood covenant between the man and the woman which God takes very seriously.  Blood is serious currency spiritually whether you like to believe it or not.  It is ordained of God.

God did a similar thing with the shedding of the blood of his son Jesus Christ so we could become his bride.  It is a covenant which is sacred and holy to God.

When you indulge in alcohol lust is more likely to arise making sex more likely to happen faster than if one was courting and marriage takes place.  Outside of marriage  Sex forces people’s hearts to become entwined in a premature way that cannot carry the weight of the long term relationship.  Sex builds a bridge from one person’s heart to another and that is why God ordained it to be in marriage to protect the individuals spirit, emotions and heart and to create a safe stable environment for future children.

When people marry prematurely without really knowing each other and without knowing what they have in common besides sex it is no wonder people get divorced.  They have built an unsustainable bridge that will collapse because they have not followed the architects master plan for marriage and the family.

The ‘love’ they thought is probably just infatuation or lust and often is not able to sustain the long-term goal of marriage.  Once the urgency of sex has worn off what do you have to keep you together?  How can you sustain a long term relationship in marriage when the foundation is not established?  You cannot, it will collapse sooner or later.  It takes commitment, giving, forgiving, faith hope and trust to build a good marriage and the help of God.

It is better to find out how this is meant to work from the creator who made male and female and instituted marriage, than from a school mate or pub mate who base their experiences on something that is not as good as they are bragging about. So here are some suggestions from the Bible, the best instructions before leaving earth.

Have people you are accountable to and talk things over with in your life, like what do you know about such a person because I would like to date them with a view to marriage or court them.  Ask people you know will tell you the truth not just what you want to hear. Then be humble and take their advice.

Ask God for the right person tell Him what you want and ask Him to give you the right person in the right time.  Timing is a big issue.  Are you mature enough to handle a deep relationship?  Are you healed in your heart before you leap into the next relationship?  If not you will take all that baggage with you.  so wait on God’s timing and ask His help; it will work out better for you in the long run.

Get to know the person’s family, church, group and just hang out with them watching and learning.  Ask yourself if their goals, behavior are compatible with what you want.  For example if your a strong Christian and they are not, don’t think that it will end up alright because most people once the newness of marriage has worn off will revert to old patterns and beliefs.  You will find yourself in strife over many decisions, not least how to bring up future children, what is ok and what is not.  Money issues will  cause strife if you are not on the same page for example what to give to and what not. You need to be able to be on the same page to be able to build a good marriage.

Looks are not everything, yes they help, but even beauty fades but a beautiful heart lasts forever.  What’s on the inside and constitutes character is far more important than looks.  Love grows when it is properly nurtured and looks are in the eye of the beholder anyway.

So I am calling for re-instituting courtship instead of instant gratification with opposite sex to ward off heart ache and failed relationships.  Anything good is worth waiting for.  Let’s get back to basics here and have some healthy long lasting brilliant relationships and marriages to be an example for the next generations.

Thank you.

 

 

You were Here When…

You were here with me before I was born, when my spirit lived with you in heaven.

You chose family for me and decided it was good. You were here when I took my first breath, you looked at me through the beautiful brown eyes of my mother with love.

You were here to keep me living when I nearly died of cerebral malaria, went through two revolutionary wars,  held at machine gun point for four hours in Kinshasa Congo.

You were here in with my father as he patiently spoke in French to teach and train doctors, nurses, and carpenters to make Calipers for those who had polio. You guided my father building hospitals for the poor and needy. You were here in my Father’s voice speaking French to the soldiers who thrust their guns through windows of our car to decide if we should live or die.

You were present in my mother and father as they sang hymns and songs on long dusty hot journeys in the old dark blue Swedish Saab and on many dark nights when the local tom tom drums beat out their coded messages in the jungle and in the caravan suride when fear was in the air.

You were here in the dark hours of the night when nightmares struck, and during the loudest thunder and lightening storms.  You were here through every terror of the night and the prospect of what each day would bring, YOU – were here.

Now I no longer need to be afraid because I know you are with me always even until the end of time.

You were here when I foolishly sledged down the steep farmers hill in the little yellow baby bath to start labor. You were here when I delivered my son on the bedroom floor with no around except you.  Your face appeared looking down on me and you told me it was alright – you were here.

You were here in inspite of all the rejection, abandonment and abuse, you said you would never leave me or forsake me and you never have!

You were with me in the work place shining through me.  You were present in the single parent group I ran performing miracles of healing both physically and emotionally.  You found a husband for each woman we fasted and prayed for.

You were with me your wonders to perform healing and restoration in my own life.  You placed people even from around the world, angels, information, just to help me out and encourage me.  To make sure I would make it through.

You are here revealing yourself to me in every tree and blood red leaf and bright color of autumn majesty. You are here revealing yourself through nature every day even In the bright yellow dandelion that speaks of such brilliant design.  Your hand and presence are in the progression of the seasons.  Even winter takes on a soft beauty, gently sleeping knowing that there is life to come again after death.  You are here in spring when the earth comes alive again just like we will after we die – just for a season.  You are here in the fullness and bounty of summer to refresh and revive growing to maturity producing lucious fruit to harvest.  Yes, you are here in it all.

You lead us beside still water reviving our souls, making provision as the good shepherd leading his sheep to safe lucious pastures, protecting them from the howling winds and wild beasts that would seek to devour.  You are here protecting, nurturing, guarding, guiding every step of the way.

You are here even on the farthest side of the ocean from where I belong. I still found you here your presence just the same guiding me, providing for me in your opulent abundant way, not because you have to but because you want to, that’s who you are. You are the source of everpresent life, not for one moment have you abandoned me even though at times it may have seemed like it.  With hind sight I realized you were enabling me to come up higher, to desire more, to become more.  Oh – how well you know every cell of my frame.  I cannot hide from you anywhere!  Even in the dark you are there. You know my thoughts full well and every word even before I utter it!  Your knowledge is too wonderful for me to fully comprehend, but I know I love you full well.  In you I live, breathe and have my being.  You are my all in all.  The lover and sustenance of my soul.

Even now when I find myself growing old and autumn is in my years, I find you here.  YES, YOU ARE HERE – YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE ME OR FORSAKE ME – MY FRIEND – MY GOD AND MY KING.  I humbly bow before you now in adoration to the king of my heart and lover of my soul.  I look forward;  I am ready! My lamp is is lit and prepared with oil to meet the one who was always here.

 

Are you suffering from your words?

I met someone who told me they were so unlucky!  “I believe my life is cursed.”  They said.  “Everything goes wrong for me.”

I was never taught in all my days growing up about the power of words, were you?

In my early 20’s I began to wonder about the power of words and especially what I spoke.  Could it really matter that much?  How could I possibly never ever say anything wrong?  It seemed too huge a task for me to manage as my mouth always caused me trouble.  I never realized that I should not say everything that came into my mind.  I believed I should tell the truth always, but had no wisdom, that sometimes even if a thing is true you just pray about it and don’t say anything if it is not helpful to say.

Don’t make comments: I never knew you should not make comments about people, their pets, their lives.  Making comments at the end of the day I realized was analyzing, judging from my life experiences, my perspectives and since I was not the font of all knowledge I should refrain from saying things like. Oh what a fat dog you’ve got.  Or that’s the fattest dog I’ve seen!  LOL.  Actually I did not say it some one said it to me, but it makes the point.  By the way my dog was 16 very sick unto death and her stomach was distended.  So don’t make comments – you may not have all the facts, after all it just your opinion.

Although I do not have a definitive answer here are some tried and tested wisdoms from life and from the Bible, because your words do matter.

Words have the power to create.  God spoke the world into being.  No, he did not say in some deep gravelly voice in his best English accent ‘let there be light”.  If he spoke in a known language then something somewhere would not understand, least of all us.   No his language, his voice was the sound of LOVE.  To bring something out of nothing the sound he uttered would have come from a deep creative release of sound from what was inside of him.  Love and light and power are what is inside of God the creator so that is what would come out.

What kind of sound would it have been? Could it be a sound that came out like bang, loud enough to shock something into being, or cause nothing bits and pieces to collide together with terrifying forces?  Possibly, or could it have been such a loving sound that it coaxed life together from all particles and atoms. So liberating that dust, rocks, metals, breath, winds, currents, gas, star dust, molecules came out to look at what was happening.  They came together to form our planets and solar systems.  The stars themselves came together in obedience to the sound of the creator of all things.  Vibrating, banging, screeching, exploding as they collided or whooshing, singing, making beautiful sounds to honor their creator.  Everything came together after the sound and darkness followed by light.  Light and sound are two opposing edges of the same thing.  All brought about by the power of God’s voice/sound/vibrations.  It is so beautiful and efflulgent,  extravagant, that it humbles us because life came out of the heart of the mighty creator who made it all from what lives in him.  Love, Light, intelligence, wisdom, Strength, honor, dignity, purity, holiness, goodness, life, abundant life that never stops. His voice pulls life out of death, and something out of nothing.  His voice is calling to us in our hearts, can you hear it?

There is no stopping him, he is eternal, everlasting, the life force that goes on multiplying, growing.  Everything that touches him grows expands and multiplies with great freedom to exist to the very zenith of it’s potential and then some because it has touched the source of life itself.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Having lived in Africa and encountered witch doctors who put spells and curses on people, I have seen first hand people die because of a curse placed upon their lives.   My father who was doctor was powerless to save a person when they believed the words the witch doctor had cursed them with.

Words have the power to put a curse on your life even if they are spoken by you.  When you speak out negative, judgemental, critical, lying, deceiving words over yourself you give the demons the right to enact on them.  You may say, I’m no good, I’m useless, or I know i’ll Fired from my job, or I’m sure I’m sick, I’m stupid and so on.  These are words that go into the spiritual realm and create into being the reality of the words you are confessing.  They also give demons the right to take them up and put them into a plan over your life. Whether you know it or not.

We are made in God’s image who spoke things into being.  Similarly that is part of his implantation, his image into us.

When the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years and towards the end of the time Moses sent 10 of them to spy out the promised land; 8 came back and gave a fearful unbelieving word saying there were giants in the land and therefore it was not ok.  But 2 of them, Joshua and Caleb came back and gave a good report:  Yes, there are giants in the Land but with our God’s promise and might we shall be able to take the land flowing with milk and honey.  Get the picture?  It’s the same as is the glass half full ?  Or half empty?  But with God all things are possible for those that love the Lord because they are tapped into his greatness to provide and make a way, even when there seems to be no way.  You have the source available to you.  So speak with life, speak with faith, speak the truth with love, speak the Word and start to create your life and your families life well – with blessing and favor.  You will start to see a change.

Words have the power to bless your life and take it forward, even when spoken by you. Speak blessing over your life and your families lives.  Declare what the Lord has said, not what the enemy has whispered into your ears.  Declare the promises of God, for they are your faithful armor. (Ps 91).

Words have the power to cause strife and vain imaginations spreading all sorts of dissenting.   What is a vain imagination?  It is something that is not true.  Like “i’m Wicked, no good,  I’m a loser, Or i’m Not good enough.  Or they are talking about me, they don’t like me and so on.  Before you speak make sure it is true.  Good, helpful for those hearing.  You have self control even if it may not seem like it.  Excercise it, because the truth is you can control yourself.

Words have the power to stop anger, rage, gossip, lies, slander, bitterness etc.,  or to create it.  I used to suffer from a temper brought on by fear a lot of the time, loss of control of my own life.  So I acted out.  I found once I started speaking in anger it was a fast slip into rage and then I had lost it completely.  However, Proverbs says that a quiet answer turns away wrath.  I always though that was if someone was yelling at you.  Then The Holy Spirit told me it would work for my anger too.  If I did not start to verbalize the anger but instead spoke in the opposite spirit, I spoke gently and kindly with nice tone even if I did not mean it.  A strange and wonderful thing happened, my anger dissipated!    I maintained self control.  Hallelujah!

Words can make a person not want to come home but rather to leave it, to run away.

Words can crush and maim with more long-lasting effect in your heart than disease that lasts for a season.  It can take years to get over bad words spoken to you especially by family, and those whom you esteem or are in leadership over you.

Words can cause you to lose jobs, destinies, friends, family and so on.

So how do I change this?  First of all forgive anybody and everybody that you hold offense against.  Yes, I know it’s hard but you can do it with God’s help.  Ask him to help you and then just do it in obedience,  Your feelings will follow afterwards.

Next in Jesus name say aloud “I break, crumble every negative, judgement, critical words I’ve ever spoken. By the blood of Jesus I set fire to them and declare them null and void in Jesus name.”   “I break every curse and incantation spoken over my life, whether by me or someone else in Jesus name.”

Next say aloud “ I am blessed to be a blessing.”  I am forgiven and loved by my Father God through the blood of Jesus Christ and his saving grace.”

Say aloud “In Jesus name my life shall not be for waste and my destiny shall no longer by stolen.  I call into being my chosen destiny in the name of Jesus Christ.  By the power of his blood I shall accomplish everything he put me on earth to do in Jesus name.”   Amen.

Now start to proclaim as many good things as you want over your life and your families life.  For real supernatural Power –  speak the blessings of the Bible into being over your life.

This is just a taste of what is in store for you.  My book lessons straight from God’s heart, has much more that will help you.  I know because it helped me and many others. Available at amazon.com.

Let me know what happens.  God bless you.  Pamela

I was born into war!

I was born into an unfair war, one that I could not see, had no knowledge about.  One that eventually spills over in the natural world!

My war is the battle between evil and good.  An ageless eternal battle.  I was caught up in some cosmic battle of ancient titans; some call them Gods and the Holy God versus evil gods and man made.

At 6 months of age death sought me out.  Taken to Africa the Congo.  I caught Cerebral Malaria.  After many convulsions I stopped breathing and went rigid.  My mother scooped me up and ran to the tiny hospital my father had built in the jungle. There was no time to sterilize the needle so Dad just plunged the whole thing into me.  I began to breathe again, only now after a few hours septicemia set in.  Taking 6 months to recover , hanging between life and death, my mother sang and both parents prayed me through.   I learned early not to quit, to hang into life even though I had no knowledge of why.

Early on I learned to love the sound of drums, Tom Tom’s used in those to communicate rather like a jungle telegraph system.  It was effective.  Other times rather than passing daily news and events they beat for war and sacrifices performed by the witch doctors. My mothers strong discernment would make her tense and I would pick up on it.  I had no knowledge of what the drums were saying but enjoyed the different rhythms, yet at the same time knowing something bad was going down.

Later on national war and rebellion broke out with the Congelese  fighting for freedom from their oppressors the empire of Belgian reign with King Leopold at the helm stealing the natural riches of the country.

Fear was in the air.  Mercenary soldiers of all colors arrived bearing rifles, trucks, helicopters, uniforms and hand guns.  People were raped, terrorized and murdered.  The missionary dentist killed himself in the bath tub by putting a plastic bag over his head.  My Dad found him, he was beside himself with the trauma of the event.  My parents tried to hush it up, but kids aren’t daft, they listen to the hushed whispers, and quiet intense conversations, hiding behind doors or round corners, or up trees!

My mother told me to be on the look out for airplanes and helicopters that would come flying over the mountain range of the Bangu.  One day I saw them, planes with metal lumps on their wings and things hanging below the wings.  Guns I supposed.  I ran and banged the copper Gong hung in the village and my mother alerted the 6 missionary families, who gathered women and children and ran to the clearing of dry ground we lovingly called the Football field.  Whereupon America helicopters appeared with US Soldiers jumping out and hurrying us into the hold. We hung onto the sacking that glad the walls.  No seats, no head phones,  just noise, very loud and lots of shaking.  Everyone was sick literally vomiting except me.  I was so proud of myself.  We were flown to Leopoldville later on to become Kinshasa in the second uprising, then transferred in what we stood up in to England. UK.  We were documented in the newspapers at the time.

My Father the dashing doctor was kept hostage for one whole year to treat the mercenaries themselves and their injured.  Naturally this was very difficult for my poor mother who was very heroic about it all, but I knew she missed him, I caught her crying one day in her bedroom.

A few years laters we went back and did it all over again.  Only this time the revolution was to make Congo independent!  More guns, road blocks.  At age 12 I was held at machine gun point for 4 hours.  Terrifying. I had this underlying knowledge though that Dad would make it ok.  He could talk to the soldiers in French and hand them tracts and they would let us pass.

Age 11 I was sent to a particularly harsh boarding school.  A charity school for daughters of ministers and missionaries.  I lived with other little girls who were taken out of their families for their supposed good. None of us were healthy emotionally and deeply hurt by being separated from our families is an understatement.

Around age 13 The Headmistress visited my doormatory to tell me I would have to stay in school that summer as no letters had been received received for a whole term from my parents and they were presumed dead.

Looking back now I think most of my life was set up from early child hood to live in the hidden land of PTSD.  Years later on a course about this trauma I found myself written all over the pages,. The child who could not concentrate at school, wanted to be outside climbing and hiding in trees.  Loving animals not people.  Afraid of people, with rejection, abandonment issues, unable to communicate and so much more.  Fearful of those in authority and so on.

From the beginning my life was decided for me as what would happen to me But I learned to fight.    Initially I was good with my fists, teeth, kicking, and good at all sports which seemed to help alleviate my stress.  I enjoyed a good scrap.  But it did not satisfy my soul.

Underpinning all of this is the consistent story of a loving God reaching out to me, rescuing me from death, abandonment, grief, suicidal tendencies, rejection.  Putting his Words of love deep within my soul.  Strengthening me, moving people into my life who had just what I needed to survive at that moment in my life.  It did not matter if they were Christian or not, but most were.  God knew just what I needed at that moment.

I learned Psalm 121 aged 7 and it has become my life Psalm and true.  Where does my help come from?  My help comes the Lord the maker of heaven of earth.  He always watches over me day and night and will not let evil overcome me and preserves my life.  Oh how many times my life has been preserved, from misguided people, foolish rash impetuous decisions on my behalf.  From evil many times and even from Satan himself who appeared at the end of my bed in my late 20’s and held out a sword over me.  I discovered Satan disguises himself as angel of light.

I have literally been rescued from physical danger by angels at least three times in my life.  Looking like people who appeared from nowhere, rescued me and then disappeared as quickly as they came.  On one occasion  a twelve year old girl rescued lame and my children. For example I know a twelve year girl cannot push a car with me and my three children in it up a 1 in 3 slope on a road and park it round a corner in safety and then just disappear in the minute it took before a massive truck was about to plough into us.   How her face shone though as I looked at her in my car mirror.  She was even wearing a school uniform as my car totally broke down outside a school on a v shaped road which trucks would come racing down so they could get up the up the steep other side of the v.

Unseen, yet known, the battle for my soul has raged for 63 years now.  As I am sure it rages for yours too.   At times it seems unfair, yet at the same time, Because I have chosen to read the Bible, I have gained, knowledge, wisdom and insight into life, wars and rumors of wars.  I studied to show myself well approved, bought the books, went to the conferences listened to the teaching tapes and so on.  I learned with persistence How fight a good fight.  How to not only survive, but prosper.  I am equipped and meek which means, tough but tender hearted.  Humble but not a door mat.  I don’t say this to blow my own trumpet but to tell you – you can have this too.  It’s simply your decision.  You are called to follow after God and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ; to continue to fight the good fight and keep and expand the Kingdom of God here on earth.  But you have to know how.  The Bible says my people perish for lack of knowledge.  Get the knowledge folks you and your family, you community, your sphere of influence desperately needs it.  Be bold, be strong, and courageous for the Lord you God is with you.

The more time I spend, the closer I get to God and the more insight, intelligence, revelation I receive supernaturally which equips me for the battle in this physical world.  We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.  Don’t be deluded, the Battle is on.  The witches know, the Wiccan know, the new angers, the Muslims know.  But do you?  The Battle is about to get even fiercer, if you are not trained and equipped you may not be able to stand.  The Bible warns that in the last days the love of many will grow cold.  The anti-christ spirit is really moving in our world,  Rise up and join the army of God and bring God’s rule back and His good perfect Kingdom into our lives again.

Satan/evil tried to take me out as a child, he does not fight fair.  Many of you today have similar stories where you nearly died as a child, or in the womb.  Or had terrible things happen to you.  I have written of just a few.  But I have discovered prophetic people, people with a destiny to do something for God are usually attacked in some way, shape or form.  Satan’s job is to kill you, either spiritually or physically.  Steel your destiny from you and utterly destroy you.

But, Jesus came to destroy the works of the evil one.  He came that we might have life, and have to the full.

In these last days with wars and rumors of wars, the earth shaking because of sin;  Let me tell you how to survive wars, whether spiritual or physical.  Here it is:  STAY CLOSE TO GOD OUR FATHER THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.  YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD WHICH IS A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM.

YOU MUST BE FILLED/BAPTISED, TOTALLY IMMERSED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT or you will not be fully equppied,  Yes you will be saved, but even Jesus said to his disciples wait until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you.

The Baptists and some others teach the gift of Tongues were just to set up the church.  That is NOT in the Bible ANYWHERE.  But being filled with the life giving Holy Spirit and the gifts of the spirit and tongues is.    TONGUES IS THE GATEWAY TO THE SUPERNATURAL.  Since it is supernatural battle with physical consequences on earth get equipped!

“Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee”.

If you have questions write me,  Or buy my book Lessons Straight From God’s Heart. It will answer most of your questions.  Available from amazon.com. Or Barnes and Noble.

Are you really hearing from God?

Or is it just wishful thinking?  Or your own wish to be somebody important?  Of significance?

Are you deceiving yourself,  thinking it is God when deep down, if your honest it’s just a means to get what you want.

Too many times now I have heard people say God told me.  This means either from themselves or from someone else who prophecies falsely.

What do I mean?

After a talk I gave a woman desperately want to borrow a DVD I had used for an illustration, she talked me into lending it to her.  Even though she promised to return it,  it did not come back.  I am a generous giver but I needed this DVD for future talks so I asked her to give it me back.

The following week she arrived with a different DVD saying God had told her to give me this one instead.  It was an outright lie because I already had that one and did not need it.  I should have confronted her on it but did not.  At best she was deceived and at worst stole from me for her own selfish gain.

Similarly I want to challenge all this stuff I hear about how God has called you to greatness!  Really?  Yes, I know God can do anything but can you?

Did you hear God tell you first you were going to be CEO of a big company and then someone else confirmed it?  Since then have you taken steps to line yourself up for that promotion.  Are you qualified to do it?  Do you have the experience and knowledge?  Or is it just wishful thinking for significance on your part.

Your significance should come through knowing the Love of God in Christ Jesus and that He died for you personally because He loved you that much.  That you are now a child of God. Not from position or pre-eminence or power, that is the world’s way of thinking.

Have you put in the time and effort to train yourself up, get the qualifications, studied for exams if needed?  Decided to be a person of excellence in all forms.  Are you on time for that appointment? Do you keep your word?  Is your mouth and your money in order and your family?  Do you keep your house and possessions neat and clean?  If you don’t look after your things you will not look after another’s well.  Do you return what you borrowed?  Do you follow through?

Realistically why should you be promoted if you have not proved you can do the job? God is not going to tank the company just to bless you, because you want significance without the hard work.

Even if you have gift for example a great voice, you still need to excericise it, learn how to control your breathing, produce your voice, train it etc.  Build a reputation and a following.  Just like an instrument it takes practice.

So Why are people going around telling folks like a prophecy you are called to be great,!  NO WE ARE NOT!!!!!!!!  Jesus said: “If you want to be great then become like a little child”.  He did not mean without knowledge!  He meant with simple faith and a teachable spirit, one who will learn from others and grow and mature just as Jesus did, in knowledge AND favor of man.

Like Jesus we  are called to humbly serve others with love.  If God in his wisdom wants to elevate us he will do so.  But we are not all leaders,   There are many ignorant people who believe because they have been told you can do anything through Christ and Yes you can; but in the realm of calling your gifting.  Use your talents.  Get education, knowledge and wisdom, study to show yourself approved.  Your future is not just going to fall out of heaven one day when you have not lined yourself up for it.

Your character matters too.  Have you worked through your issues so you can lead if that is what you are called to.

If you are leader – do you have followers?

If your an evangelist, have you spoken to people to Jesus and have been people been saved?

If you are a prophet, have you trained and kept a record of how accurate you are.  Even prophets in the Bible were trained in the school of the prophets.  Are you accountable for what you say.  Or do you just go around saying whatever comes into your head?  Are your motives pure?  To speak correctly on behalf of God your motives and heart should be squeaky clean!  No hidden agendas or selfish motivations.  If your a prophet it is a serious business you represent God’s mouthpiece, it should be accurate because God does not make mistakes.  God is really hard on his true prophets it is a very hard life.  You are trained in the pit of life.  Acronym:

P- prophet

I- in

T – training.

Because its hard.

So please stop going around giving people false hopes and vain imaginations as to what God expects of them.  It leads to tremdous heartache and confusion when your word does not happen.

One lady came to lunch with me and told me she was an Evangelist.  I asked how and where she witnessed.  She never had.  She had never talked to anyone about Jesus and neither did she want to.  I asked why she thought she was an Evangelist?  Because someone told her she said!

Get the picture folks.

Time to speak out.  Having faith does not mean you lose integrity, truth,   Rather you above others should seek to serve, be truthful, fear giving false words,  God will hold you to it.  You will have to account for every idle word you have spoken.

Not everyone is called to be a great name, or hold a top position, in fact most are not.  That why those positions should be filled with knowledgeable, insightful, educated, faith filled people with the experience gained over time.

Your job is to love your neighbor as yourself, to set a great example and be the best you can be with your security, hope in Christ Jesus not from worldly Kudos.

Thank you.

Pamela

Some practical tips for speaking

when asked to speak have a point.

It is an imposition to expect people to come and hear you if you turn up and “wing it” .People are worth your respect and their time matters!

Too often people turn up and waffle.  Christians say I/m just trusting the Holy Spirit.  That’s all well and good, but first seek God for a message.

Have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Then a summary.  Repeat the point, pull it all together in one paragraph.

 

Have a point and make it and make it again at the end.

Don’t assume people will know what you are talking about even if it is your testimony, make your case, paint your picture.  Deliver your point.

It is best to write it out before hand then if God moves and you are led to go another way ok.   But be co herant!  For the sake of those listening.

Let us know what you are talking about and talk about it not something else.

Don’t go from one to another like so many rabbit trails.

Have a path, a goal, a subject in mind and carefully craft it.

Start at the beginnning with the Title, keep it in front of you to keep your mind focused that’s where your going.

Then build point by point towards fleshing the Title out.

Have an end.

Here it is another way:

Your title is what happened to you, or the subject you wish to talk about it.

Seat it in what happened.  Give it a foundation, so it not nebulously let to someone’s imagination.

Flesh it out why it mattered

End with what you did about it

Summary what you learned from it.

Hope this helps if not for your sake for the sake of your listeners!