Eventually…

It is so easy sometimes to get into a groove in life and begin to think things “are what they are” and nothing is ever going to change. (what a permanent all encompassing statement).

When the Hubs and I were dating, he was working for a church, managing a coffee shop.  I am trying to think of a proper way to say this…  Well, he wasn’t making much money.  He had made more money in the past working in “secular” position.  The situation was not good.  The church had employed two previous managers at a much higher rate of pay, but because the Hubs was already working there, they gave him a minimal raise and a whole lot more responsibility.  While he did speak to them about it (don’t complain about things you haven’t addressed with the person responsible), they used some very cliche’ words to excuse what was going on.  (“Well, if you are called to do this job, then the $$ shouldn’t matter.” “We’re a church, we just don’t have any $$” )  The thing was, he was barely making ends meet.   In addition to working a full 40 hours at the coffee shop, he was the youth pastor (non-paying position) and on the worship team (non-paying position) for the church.  He also did odd jobs for people to earn a little extra income.  We wanted to get married.  The idea of purchasing a ring was overwhelming.  It all seemed impossible.

We know that God was looking out for him.  God always pays well even if your employer doesn’t.  He would get odd jobs, help me with catering, or play at a wedding, etc.

It all finally started to get to us.  The circumstances were pitiful.  It seemed like things would never change.  My mantra became, “It’s not always going to be like this eventually…” and I began to speak out positive things for our lives.  One day, Dennis told me, “I am tired of hearing ‘eventually’.  When??”  The waiting part was so difficult.

Our lives look totally different today than they did those many years ago.  Eventually has turned into reality.

Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

The Word says that when we wait on God, He acts for us.  He does things on our behalf.  He opens the doors.  He takes care of us.  He heals.

Lately, I’ve been anticipating change.  This change it different.  I don’t think it’s a move across Texas or even a move across town.  It’s more of a spiritual change.  It is time to start listening more closely for His voice.  It is time to begin following Him more closely.  Psalm 91 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”  Walking in someone’s shadow requires you to walk pretty close to the individual.  That shadow can be a very calm and refreshing place to be; it’s shielded from the wind and the scorching sun.  You have to stay near the person.  It is time for us to start dwelling in that secret place with God.

While I am anticipating this change, I feel myself saying “Eventually, we are going to feel God in a new, fresh way”.  Waiting for “Eventually” is the hardest part.

As it says in Galatians, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  Your new season is just around the corner.  Don’t let all of these earthly things defeat you.  I know it is hard to keep your eyes on the prize when you see those around you “suffering” (do we really know “suffering here in America??) or missing out.  This too shall pass.  Be faithful and don’t lose heart.  This isn’t going to last forever.  God has an “eventually” for you.

On Revival

“You are your own revival. You don’t need to wait for anything. You need to learn how to live from the inside to the outside. Revival is not about thousand of people getting saved. That’s reformation.

Revival happens when you and I start living in the way that God wants us to live. You can’t revive something that’s never been alive.

So revival is not about unbelievers. Revival is about believers coming back to the place they should never have left. It’s about believers coming to live in the place, living the way that God intended them to live. And when that happens, you are your own revival.

Something flows out of you that starts to connect with humanity in a big way and nothing and no one can stop it. Because nothing can stop goodness..except fear.”

-Graham Cooke

Amazing Love

It’s amazing, people would rather read about a “mean mom” than about gossip or getting real.  That’s okay.  I’ll keep writing.

At my Bible study the other day our small group had a conversation about seeking God’s will for our lives verses moving forward and asking God to bless our plans.  Who doesn’t need that reminder?

One of the ladies shared that she had, had a miscarriage around the same time we did.  She felt that she miscarried because she had not prayed about getting pregnant.  As I recently experienced the same loss, I was outraged (contained outrage) by this pattern of thinking.  What she was saying was, “God punished me for not consulting Him in the matter of having another child.”  It kind of broke my heart that she believes that God would do that to her as a punishment.  Losing a baby has to the harshest punishment God could mete out…in fact, it would be more like torture than punishment really and not anything close to discipline.

My outlook is God does not like death.  He is LIFE.  He is LOVE.  He is AMAZING.  We are living in a dispensation of grace.  As a child of God, He disciplines us, however, punishment is reserved for the wicked.  Death is a result of sin in the world.  As a result of sin, we all experience death at times.  God has a way of turning all of ashes into beauty.  He has a way of turning tears into joy…He just does, He is that GOOD.

Those who sow in tears
         Shall reap in joy.
 He who continually goes forth weeping,
         Bearing seed for sowing,
         Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
         Bringing his sheaves with him.  –Psalm 126:5-6

Someone said God allows these things to happen so we will draw close to Him.  I think God wants us to draw close to Him in the bad times and in the good times.  I firmly believe that when our heart breaks, God’s heart breaks.  His desire for us is to prosper us, to give us a future and a hope.

My other response is, God knit that child in my womb; in your womb.  He made that child.  Conception was His idea.  It is a miracle.  Every child conceived is a miracle.  Why would God rip the miracle from your womb?  What kind of God would we serve if that was His MO?

As I thought more about the conversation, my other though was…  throughout scripture, God commanded His people to be fruitful and multiply.  That means that babies are God’s will.  It would be like asking God if it is His will for us to be loving.  His Word says, “love one another”.  We wouldn’t pray about whether or not to be loving.  We may pray that God would help us to be loving.  Just as I pray God will enable my body to carry a child or children to term one day (hopefully soon).

God’s love is Amazing.  He has the best in mind for us….

Widowhood

Isaiah 54:3-5 

 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
      And your descendants will inherit the nations,
      And make the desolate cities inhabited. 
“ Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
      Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
      For you will forget the shame of your youth,
      And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. 
   For your Maker is your husband,
      The LORD of hosts is His name;
      And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
      He is called the God of the whole earth.

Widowhood holds a connotation of reproach.  Reproach is defined by Websters as “a cause of occasion of blame, discredit or disgrace”.  Who of us have not experienced some type of reproach in our lives?  Yet, God’s promise is that we will not be put to shame nor will we remember our widowhood.  The one who is GRACE eliminates our disgrace.  That is the thing…with God there is no doubt that we will see the hand of the Lord in the Land of living (Read Psalm 27). 

Widowhood speaks of loss.  Amazing that a loss can result in a reproach.  Today’s reproach so often comes in the form of well meaning Christians.  When we lost our baby last year, I felt reproach.  There were comments made, though well-meaning that made me feel like we didn’t have enough faith or that we did something “wrong” and even that our lack of “faith” disqualified us from ministry.  I had faith…it was unwavering.  I had hope through three sonograms in which our babies heartbeat could not be located.   Yet, somehow we were to blame for a loss we had no control over.  That is reproach. 

Yet, what I know is that God is in control.  He did not take our child from us.  He knows what good may come of it because His word says, “All things work together for our good” (Romans 8:28).

Be encouraged that your current circumstance is not the sum of your life.  Be encouraged that your current situation no matter how “big” it seems is not all that “big” to God. 

God is not looking to shame you.  He does not want to see you disgraced.  He is your Redeemer.  He can redeem your life, He can redeem your years, He is ABLE!

Be YOU!

I Corinthians 13:4-8  

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  ⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Reading this today and contemplating some things… 

According to the Bible, LOVE (Jesus, Himself and therefore us if we are a reflection of Him) is known by the characteristics it displays.  When Jesus walked the earth He rarely told anyone that He IS the Messiah yet people followed Him.  In a similar way, we should not have to tell people we are “Christian” or “in ministry”.  They shouldn’t “know” it by how we dress or by the religious words coming out of our mouths.  The should recognize we are people of faith by our character; by being around us when we are truly ourselves.  Our core being should bare witness of our belief system.

If you find yourself playing a role; if you find yourself always having to be “on”, you need to rethink what you believe.  No one can be “on”  all the time; No one can play a role for long without feeling the weight of it.  Being someone you aren’t is too heavy a burden to bare.  God never called us to be someone else.  He only called us to be who He created us to be and to submit ourselves to His molding Spirit.

Be YOU!!  You are awesome!  God carefully thought about who He wanted to create and He made you!  He knitted you in your mother’s womb.  You do not have to impress anyone.  When you are simply being yourself and being who God made you to be, that is when you are the most effective for God’s kingdom. 

Let go the guilt go.  Let the standards of others go.  Release yourself of the judgements of others.  Be YOU!!

Pray like a Bride

Graham Cooke made this statement at a recent service we attended: “The church must stop praying like a widow and start praying like a bride.”  It struck me.  It made me ask myself, “Do I pray like a widow or a bride?”    When I began to study for the Women’s Prayer Breakfast, this became the topic.

Then I began to think about brides and widows in the Bible.  One of the best contrasts I found was in the book of Ruth.  Ruth becoming the bride and Naomi remaining the widow.  And what a difference.  Ruth was hopeful regarding the future; Naomi was bitter because of her past.  Ruth was willing to work and serve; Naomi choose to be served.  Future and Past.

Ruth asked for favor.  Ruth asked for Redemption.  Ruth wasn’t afraid to ask.

They say that brides have a glow about them.  I believe they do.  They know that someone deeply loves them and is totally committed to them.  That will cause a woman to glow.

1.  We have a savior who deeply loves us and who is totally committed to us.

If we could just grasp that, our prayers would change.  Suddenly we are no longer begging God for things but asking, with expectation that His deep desire is to meet every need we have in an abundant way.  By the way, I believe begging anyone for anything, even begging God is a sin.  Psalms says, “I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread”.  If we are righteous we shouldn’t be beggars.

2. Ruth asked for favor.  Throughout the Bible, people asked God for favor and they received His favor.  Why not ask Him for it?

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Paul said to let us come boldly before God.  Bold means with confidence.  Realize that God loves you and is deeply committed to You.  Be confident in that!

3. When Boaz saw Ruth for the first time, it was in a barley field while she was working.  She had to have been covered with a coat of grime; dust and sweat mixed together.  She must have been appealing anyway, Boaz noticed her.  Maybe he noticed her work but I like to think she was so beautiful to him that even in a barley field covered with grime, his heart skipped a beat.  When the time came for Ruth to ask Boaz to redeem her, she prepared herself.  She washed, she anointed herself and she put on her best garments.  This all speaks of repentance.  We must prepare ourselves to approach the bridegroom.  We must walk in repentance, anointed with the Spirit and cloaked with the garment of praise.  We must prepare ourselves to spend time in prayer.

Even King David prayed:

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,And renew a steadfast spirit within me

We must get real with God.

God wants a real relationship with you.  He knows everything anyway.  You cannot manipulate God.  You cannot pull one over on Him.  He wants pure honesty in your relationship with Him.   He knows that you do not “have it all together”.  He knows your past and He holds your future.

Part of being real with God is admitting the wrong you have done; everything.  The ugly, the really ugly, and the really, really bad stuff.

2 Chronicles 7:14
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Repentance is about admitting what you have done.  Admitting it yourself and to God.  Repentance is about turning away from our wickedness. We are washed clean and our worship and our offering becomes a sweet smelling aroma to our Groom (See Philippians 4:18).  Every bride wants to be “well pleasing” to her groom.

When we get to the place of repenting and seeking God, we will see our hearts healed, our families healed, our church healed, our community healed.  Everything God does on a corporate level He can do on a personal level.  Everything God does on a personal level, He can do on a corporate level.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Even when things seem like they are not going our way, we know that God is working the very best out for us.  Wait for His answer.

4. Ruth asked for Redemption. Redemption isn’t just about salvation.  To redeem means

• to get or win back
• to free from what distresses or harms
• to free from captivity by payment of ransom
• to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental
• to release from blame or debt

God has the power to redeem.  He is able and will redeem us.  Redemption isn’t just about getting saved.  It’s about getting back the life God had planned for you all along.  His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11).  It is about winning back your family.  It is about getting FREE of things that have bound you.  It is about getting back your lost and wasted youth.  It is about getting back your purity, your innocence.  Things that seem forever lost, God can redeem.  Ask Him to redeem you.

5. Once Ruth approached Boaz asking to be redeemed, she had to wait for him to work out the details.  She went back to Naomi and Naomi told her, “Sit still….for the man will not rest until he concludes the matter this day.”  When the bridegroom is on a mission He will not rest until His will is accomplished.

Can you even imagine? God’s heart beats for you.  His mission is to make us fully His.  He will not rest until He accomplishes that mission.  That makes my heart beat faster.  He is so in love with us that He will not rest until we are fully His. Praying like a bride requires us to wait on God.  We must wait for an answer, knowing that He will not rest until He has concluded the matter.  Even when we do not see what He is doing, He is working on our behalf.  He knows what is best for us and He is working out His best plan.

Ruth’s willingness to be a bride blessed everyone around her. Ruth blessed Boaz with a son.  Naomi overcame her depression and bitterness and became a grandmother.  Ruth changed the course of a nation.  Her son, Obed was the grandfather of King David.  Ruth, a Moabaite, became a Jew, who became a bride and defined a nation.

Do you remember the beginning of Ruth’s story?  Ruth was a widow too.  Her husband died.  Her dreams were dead.  Her future looked bleak.  What did she do? She packed it all up and went to a new country and began a relationship with the living God.  Ruth could have remained a widow but she choose to be a bride.  And from this day forward you get to decide if you will be a widow or a bride.

An Inheritance Word

Last week Dennis found an old tape series (yes, tapes) of Graham Cooke called “Knowing God’s Ways”.  And it just so happens our VW has a tape player so he has been listening while driving.  Last night we were in the car and Graham was talking about “An Inheritance Word”. 

An “Inheritance Word” is a word spoken in a desert season that stays with you your entire life.  He described it as a cup poured into the well of your life; something that becomes a part of you.

Speaking of desert seasons.  Graham pointed out that desert seasons are times of hiddeness when God imparts.  The desert is not punishment. In Mark 1 (read it!!) right before Jesus is sent into the wilderness, God says, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  The wilderness is the place where your life message is formed.  John the Baptist went into the wilderness and came out declaring, “Prepare the way of the Lord”.  His life message was to prepare the way for Jesus, that message was formed in desert; the alone times. 

The most difficult times in our lives, causes our faith to become our experience.  You can believe something but until you experience it, it is only a theory.  Experience proves our faith.  One might say they trust God in the area of their finances but until that put to the test, it is only “talk”.  When you begin to believe something, expect that it will be tested.  When you begin to put your faith in God about something, everything in that area will seem to go wrong.  When you begin to tithe, you will be faced with situations that you desperately “need” the money for something else, but if you continue to believe that God will provide, He will.  As you believe that God heals, expect that belief to be tested by sickness or injury. 

The good news is, God responds to faith.  Faith is the currency of heaven. 

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Bishop Tudor Bismark made this observation, “God is not moved by our need.  Our faith moves God.” 

So how can we increase in faith? In the book of Luke,The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith.  So asking God to increase our faith is an appropriate action.  Another way to increase faith is to listen to and read the Word of God.

Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We must seek to increase our faith and expect desert seasons.

Growth/stretching  is painful.  Jesus spoke of it in terms of wine.

Mark 2:22
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.

In order for us to experience new things and increase in faith, we must become new people.  The new faith cannot be contained by the “old” person we were. 

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We must be transformed; we must change.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

If we are people of faith, we will experience seasons of change.  In order to increase in our faith we must change.  Everyone has desert seasons, as we go through these seasons we must ask ourselves, “What word is God imparting to me during this season”.  When we emerge from the wilderness we will be new creations with an inheritance Word in us that can never be taken away.

Grow or Die

I get great titles in my head all the time.  Something that would be a great title to a book or a movie or a song.    This one came to me the other day and I posted it on Facebook.  As some things are with me, I start thinking about it and then it’s time to write a blog.

Lately we have been listening to a series called “Faithburst” that we picked up at the Prayer Conference we attended in January.  It has been a very “meaty” series (read previous post if you aren’t sure what that means).  Bishop Bismark is teaching/preaching/doing what he does telling us about growing our faith.  He made an interesting observation…

Paul wrote

1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Bishop says he was speaking of Steven’s stoning (recorded in Acts).  At that time, Paul had just completed his training and he was judging the matter.  Instead of listening first, thinking and then speaking, he spoke first, listened second and thought last.  This is in contrast to Jesus when He was presented with the woman who was caught in adultery.  Jesus listened first, thought second and then spoke.  Jesus represented maturity. 

He says we are like children in the market place (Matthew 11) who are unaware of the levity of the things going on around us (spiritually).

There are so many times we judge a situation often (usually) seeing only one side or one dimension of what is going on or what has gone on. 

This past week I helped to move a friend of mine from one city back to her small town.  This is someone who was once very close to me.  To speak frankly (and if she reads this, I hope she understands I am not judging just observing) her life is a mess right now.  She has worked very hard for her education but so far her education is not working for her.  She has floated in and out of relationships (who hasn’t) and at this point, she clearly has a substance abuse problem.  Her “friend” told me she has mental problems. (Sometimes we start believing everything that has been said about us – why do we always believe the bad things and not the good things?) I don’t think so…I think she’s just sad because life hasn’t turned out as planned.  The thing is, when I look at her, I see unwritten books, I see poetry, I see untapped potential, I see a teacher, I see a mother, I see a sister, I see someone who is trying so hard to break out and BE.  You know, be who God created her to be; just be herself.  She has to grow beyond where she is or she is going to die.  She doesn’t belong tucked away in a small town she was made for bigger things. Some people belong in small towns – small towns are great but she doesn’t belong there. 

Every person comes to a place in their life when they have a “grow or die” moment.    There are different levels of “grow or die”.  Some are grow of die a slow death; some are grow of die a quick and sudden death.   Grow or die a slow death are painful. 

There are also different types of growth.  Some growth is not on the surface but rather it is “putting down roots growth”.  Some growth is fruit growth.  Several years ago, I received a prophetic word and was told not to worry about growth because I am like a tree planted by water and that my roots go down very deep.  I liked that because it went along with some other prophecies I had been given over the years about tree-like attributes.  The thing is, we must be rooted and grounded in something or we simply will not survive life.  My rooted and grounded in the Kingdom of God; it is pure and simple.  It’s not about a church; it’s not about a religion; it’s not about a ministry.  It is about Jesus; it is about relationship; it is about bridging others with Jesus; it is about growing in my relationship with Jesus and helping others grow.

Death is a fact of life.  Eventually we will all die.  If we leave our spirit untended, it too will die.  We will become a shallow shell of a person.  Our goal spiritually has to be to grow more than we die.  It’s math.  We have to grow our spirit more than we kill our spirit.  Think about it.  Bishop Phillips always said (I assume he still says this) “Garbage in; Garbage out”.  We feed our spirit.  What we feed our spirit determines it’s growth or death.  Think about it – there are people who after we are around them, we feel uplifted and encouraged but there are others who leave us drained and depressed.  There are things we read that are so inspiring while other things leave us feeling dirty.  These are the gates:  the ear gate, the eye gate; the mouth gate…what we hear, what we see and what we say. 

It’s time to GROW!!!  It is time to GROW our spirit.

Galatians 6:8
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

In order to grow our spirit, we must sow to the spirit.  It’s time to focus on spiritual growth.

God Spoke… I’ll go first

No comments.  No emails.  Not even a hint that anyone read the post “God Spoke…”.  I know that God speaks today.  I believe He has spoken, in some way to every person.  He’s like that. 

So I thought I would start this off by writing part of my story. You may be surprised and shocked by some of what I write.  Well, most people are shocked to find out I lived through some very rebellious times in my life.

When I was in my early 20’s, I walked away from God and my church.  I wasn’t claiming to be an atheist, just living a Godless lifestyle.  My lifestyle and church were like oil and water…they just didn’t mix.  One thing I am positive about in all of it is, that I couldn’t reconcile my lifestyle to attending church.  Why is this positive?  Because people who can go to church week after week and still live a totally Godless life style the rest of the week, become numb to God’s voice calling them.  They can hear Him, be touched by it but still return to their Godlessness. 

In any case my family tried everything to get me back on track.  They invited the new young pastors (over singles) for dinner – that is when I first met the Ragsdales.  Every Sunday at lunch they would re-cap the church service and sermon (that I had not attended).  Eventually they had a “You are going to go to hell Intervention” (I don’t recommend this).  What they did do that worked was they prayed for me.  I know they were praying because even in the bar after I had been drinking, I would have moments of complete clarity and sobriety when I heard, “You were not created for this.  This is not how you were raised.”. 

At this time in my life I was attending college.  I spent many hours on campus studying.  One day, I was heading to the library.  My plan was to arrive around 11 a.m. but I didn’t make it there until 1 p.m.  Everything that could delay me that day did.  After I arrived and was into my textbook, someone taps me on the shoulder.  The tapper was Charlie Lujan.  I grew up with Charlie, we attended elementary school together.   He had gone into the Marine Corp.  I remember one of my sisters mentioning that he was “really on fire for the Lord”.  At the moment he tapped my shoulder that is all I could remember… “Charlie is really on fire for the Lord”.  I didn’t want to talk to anyone who was “on fire for the Lord”.  Charlie said, “Can I talk to you outside?”.  I left my things and walked out side of the library (I didn’t plan on going far and I didn’t plan on being gone long). 

Charlie said, “God sent me here today to give you a Word.  He says, ‘It is time to come home’.” 

The words pierced my heart.

I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

From that point on, subtle changes began to happen in my life.  In order for me to truly “come home”, some major changes had to happen.  It didn’t happen over night.  Although within 6 months my life looked completely different…that is still pretty fast. 

“Coming Home” didn’t just mean recommitting my life to Jesus it meant going back to the church where I grew up.  It meant going back to people who saw me as “trouble”.  It was amazing really some of the people who treated me like I wasn’t real…some of them had been in the same boat I was in.  That made if very difficult for me. 

God Spoke…

In some religious circles they call this a “Thus says the Lord” but I am just going to call it “God spoke…”

Recently, John Ragsdale visited our church.  If you aren’t familiar you can check out his blog on my blogroll.  When it comes to ministry, John is outside of the box.  He is a prophetic psalmist with and apostolic anointing.  In the future, I fully expect him and his wife to walk in the office of the apostolic (overseeing ministries, Establishing churches, etc.) . When John ministers at our church, we never know what will happen. 

This service was no exception.  John led worship and then sang several songs that will be released on his new album (available in May).  Then he prayed for people and even prophesied to several people.  At one point, he called a young woman out of the congregation and gave her a Word (a message from God specific to her).

One of my friends happened to be visiting me the Saturday that John and Kristin ministered at Promiseland San Marcos.  My friend would be categorized as “Baptist” in other words, she has not been all that exposed to Spiritual gifts.  She says she is open to it but….I am not entirely convinced.  Over the years of our friendship, I have shared with her times when God has spoken in my life including when I have received a Word through another person.  She wants to believe that someone can give you a Word from the Lord.  She is not totally convinced.  (I guess that part of her that doesn’t believe in it must think I am a huge liar or insane).  Anyway, we were talking about the service on our way home and she cried.  She was so disappointed that she did not receive a word from God.  She was hoping John would call her out of the congregation and speak a Word over her life.  Keep in mind, John opened the alter for anyone who wanted to go forward for prayer.  I went but she stayed in her seat.  I didn’t point this out to her.  At  times, receiving a Word requires some act of faith or worship on our part. 

I’ve been thinking about all of this for a week.  So many people I know, have heard from God in such a way that it changed their lives.  I want my friend to hear from God in such a way that there is no doubt that it was God and there is no doubt it was specifically for her.  To spark her faith in this area, I want to put together a book simply titled “God Spoke…” with stories of inspiration and faith.  If you have a story about a time in your life when God spoke to you and the results of that event, I would love to hear them.  You can either post in a comment here or email me at cbgrace71@yahoo.com.   

C.B.