To get the full impact of this testimony, to show how God works to show forth His power and glory, and His concern for each of us individually, please start at the beginning (if you have not already).
Rise
Up Higher – You Don’t Say (Part 1)
Rise
Up – Grace of God (Part 2)
Rise
Up – When God Spoke (Part 3)
The Testing was Not
Over
It was also after the physical healing that other areas
seemed to be targeted. It started small,
more of an annoyance than anything else.
I had purchased a blender about a year ago and it simply quit. Changing my diet meant adding smoothies to
try and heal my body from all the medications I had been on.
Having a blender helped
me to achieve that. Frankly, I did not
give it much thought because I had reasoned that it had lasted a good year for
less than twenty dollars, so it did not bother me. It was merely an
inconvenience more than anything. However, that was only the beginning.
Approximately two weeks later, the transmission on my SUV
gave up the ghost (quit, finished, kaput). I still did not see the event as an attack
from Satan as these things happen in life.
Was I surprised? I was indeed! I
had only had the vehicle for about seven months. There had been no warning
signs that I was aware of. It caught me
completely off-guard.
So, what was my attitude?
What was the condition of my heart? The glory belongs to the Lord
alone…and I will not touch His glory! In
order not to mislead anyone, further testimony must be forthcoming in an effort
to show the reader some of the ways God works.
His ways are unique with each of us. There are times we can relate to similarities
in His doings, but how often are we delighted and encouraged to hear how He
deals with others? We learn more of Him
as we listen to testimonies that glorify Christ Jesus.
He has Torn; He will
Heal
If God tears
down, it is for a good cause and He will build up, restore. It all works
together for good – for His purpose. [Rom 8:28]
God does not expose sin and pronounce pending judgment
without also offering a solution and to grant hope and comfort to His people. His
solution is for people to humble themselves and seek His face, pray, and choose
to turn away from sin. He knows all our
struggles and helps us, if we are willing to let Him. In His mercy, He offers
forgiveness; by His grace, He sent Jesus to die upon the cross for our sins. So
great is His love. He tears down, but He rebuilds. He is the potter, we are the clay.
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He has
torn, and He will heal us; He
has smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the
third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as
the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. [Hos 6:1-3]
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to
plant, and a time to pluck up that
which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break
down, and a time to build up; [Ecc 3:2, 3]
Be still. Believe for the impossible. Mary, the young virgin
lady who was chosen to bear Jesus the Messiah said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Your word.
(And the angel [who brought God’s
message] departed from her.) [Lk 1:38]
Step by Step
When I first returned to Canada after being in the United
States for several years, I returned to BC, the land of my heart. However, the cost of living in the province
was off the charts and completely unexpected.
Finding a place to rent was not easy. The demand for affordable housing
was high and apartments went as fast as they were advertised. It was so high in
fact that getting a potential landlord to answer an email or return a phone
call was a rarity.
As a result, I ended up staying in shelters for four
months. About six weeks after my
arrival, I renewed my Canadian driver’s license and purchased a 2000 Grand Am,
thinking that it would be easier to find a place with a vehicle, but no, it
would still be another two and a half months before I finally would find a
place. Even then, it was only a room,
with a shared kitchen, living room, bathroom and laundry. How happy I was the
day I was finally out of shelters.
It took yet another five months to finally succeed in
finding an apartment, which is the one I have lived in now for slightly over
two years. Not quite a year had passed when
the motor of the Grand Am blew. There
was no way I could afford another vehicle.
The apartment is located outside of town, more in the country. How was I going to get groceries and do
business? My attitude left much to be
desired when I found out that it would be about two grand (thousand) at the minimum to replace the motor.
Instead of remembering how it had been a blessing to even
get the money for a vehicle so quickly after my return to Canada, I became
quite disgruntled. The cost of replacing the motor was not only out of my reach,
but given the age of the car and the high mileage, it simply was not worth it.
I had already replaced other parts, and had just put a new battery, an
expensive hydraulic hose (with a silicon chip)
and winter tires on the vehicle as well.
Despite the fact that the external body of the Grand Am was
in excellent condition, it still had to be scrapped. I had tried to sell the car for parts, but
there were no offers or calls. For two
days after the motor ceased, I grumbled and complained. The Holy Spirit alerted me to my poor
attitude and my lack of trust in the Lord. Somehow He amplified my words so
that I was fully aware of not only my attitude, but my tone.
Those who know me or have followed the blog for some years
know full well the challenges and the suffering I went through in the shelters.
When I shared my experiences on the blog and on Blogtalk radio, it was not for
sympathy. Not at all! But rather, it was
to share how God allowed everything that I had learned in my Christian walk to
be tried, tested.
It will not be
repeated here, but less than a year later, it was still recent enough to
remember the things the Lord taught. It was simply a matter of putting it into
practice. Was I such a hard work for the
Lord that He had to keep allowing testing in major areas? Obviously, there was still work to be done,
or perhaps the fruit of His work had not yet come to the surface. Or was my heart’s condition worse than I
realized?
Two days of bad attitude were two days too long…I sincerely
repented. The Holy Spirit shone a
spotlight on my attitude and it could not be ignored. The Lord is never wrong, but I can be…and sadly,
I was. It took the faithful Holy Spirit to open my ears and eyes to my
behaviour.
Immediately after repentance, the work the Lord had already done in
my heart took over and my attitude made a 180° turn. I repented of not trusting Jesus and began to
thank Him instead. As soon as any of us
begin to thank God for one thing, numerous other things to be thankful for come
to mind. It has always seemed to me that
when one begins with genuine thanksgiving, it automatically leads into praise.
Enter into His gates
with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. [Ps 100:4]
It is no exaggeration when I say that only a few days after
I changed my attitude I received a phone call from my landlord. He and his wife
had discussed my dilemma. He called to tell me that he had purchased a (year?) 1998 Nissan Altima, for $800. I could pay him back as soon as I was able to,
without any pressure or deadline.
I could barely believe my ears, but I immediately connected
the unexpected blessing with my changed attitude. I thank God for the conviction of the Holy
Spirit. From my editing, I just happened
to have half the amount of money ($400)
when he informed me about the car. We
arranged to get the vehicle the following day, as it was in the next town about
40 minutes away. He was glad to have half the money upfront, although surprised.
That was God’s doing and timing, undoubtedly.
Less than six weeks later, I managed to pay off the
remaining amount. No sooner was the car
paid for than an accident occurred. I
had been approaching a stoplight in the left turning lane. A truck that was exiting a mall parking lot
broadsided my car on the passenger side (T-boned). No one was injured. The young man was very apologetic, took full
responsibility without argument, glad that I was alright and very cooperative
in giving me all the details needed for the insurance company.
From my observation, the Nissan only seemed to have a hint
of a dent and a couple of scratches, one being a long scratch down the side, so
I was not even going to bother with a claim.
However, the passenger door would not open or shut properly, but I had thought
that it would not take much to fix.
I had fully intended to do the repairs and continue
driving the car, but it was not to be. The insurance adjuster wrote the car
off, stating that it would cost more to fix the door (deemed to be an unsafe and illegal condition) than the vehicle was
worth.
Since only $800 had been paid for the car, I knew that more
than likely, I would again be without a vehicle, and I surely could not expect
my landlord to step up to the plate a second time. He had been most kind in helping me out, and I
was not about to take such kindness for granted or frivolously. Now perhaps the reader can understand why I
have forgotten the year of the car. I
had only owned it for six weeks, and now it too had to be scrapped.
Who Rules Your Heart?
What was my attitude this time? I made sure my heart attitude was not one of
bitterness, or grumbling or complaining. But again, all praise be to God whose
Spirit exposed my negativity and rebuked such when the Grand Am had to be
scrapped. Well, my
Christian brothers and sisters would be pleased to hear that the Lord had done
a good work. No way was I going to grumble and complain this time around. I was thankful for the opportunity that the
landlord allotted.
As he was not a Christian, I was convinced that the
Lord had moved upon his heart, since he was in the financial position to assist
me. Even still, whether he was well able
to afford the assistance or not, it was still an act of kindness. No one can deny that fact.
I believe that the landlord had acted on the Lord’s prompting, although he gave no credit to Him. And yes, he had boasted to my neighbours (his other tenants) about how he had bought me the car. Of course, they would learn that the loan was paid back.
I believe that the landlord had acted on the Lord’s prompting, although he gave no credit to Him. And yes, he had boasted to my neighbours (his other tenants) about how he had bought me the car. Of course, they would learn that the loan was paid back.
I had never owned a vehicle that new, never mind the
fact that it was a 4x4 (4WD). I was over the top, high with happiness and
delight. The kilometers on the engine were high, but it had been well
maintained. The previous owner had
originally purchased the vehicle for his wife and looked after it. He had told me that his reason for selling it
was because his wife wanted a newer vehicle.
The money from the insurance covered the cost of the SUV, plus the
taxes. All glory to God!
The accident and resulting purchase of the vehicle occurred
last year, in November, 2016. I would
enjoy driving the 4x4 for the following six months. It was in June (2017) when I was returning home from
town after running some errands that suddenly the Mazda would not accelerate
when I stepped on the gas. I was travelling
in the midst of heavy traffic upon the main highway that ran through town.
I immediately turned on the hazard lights, scouting for a
quick exit off the highway. There “just
happened” to be a convenient entrance to a bar and lodge parking lot to
my right, so I quickly turned in so as not to slow rush hour traffic, and surprisingly
coasted through the lot. If the reader saw the size of the parking lot, you
would see the wonder that the SUV had coasted through without stopping.
Incredibly, there
also happened to be a back street that was adjacent to the rear of the lot. I
was able to coast onto the street before the vehicle came to a full stop,
unable to go further. I had reverse, but
no forward gears, not even in 4WD mode. The transmission had failed. Praise God
that I had brought my cell phone with me.
Many times I left it at home when I was not going to be away for long –
I’ve changed that habit now.
I also had about $15, which just covered the cost of a taxi
to get home. God went ahead of me. Not only was it amazing that I was able to
coast through a fair-sized parking lot that just “happened” to be there, but
the odds of a street being adjoined to it was nothing short of miraculous. It was also in a place where there were no
parking restrictions. The SUV was still
plated and insured, so it was safe to leave it parked there without concern
about being ticketed or towed.
The incident was completely unexpected. There had been no
evidence of leaking from the transmission, no burnt smell, no “check engine” light, no trouble
switching gears or popping out of gear, and the transmission fluid level was
fine. There had been no warning signs
for me to take the vehicle in to be checked, but the end was definite.
Over the course of the next two days, I placed multiple
calls trying desperately to find an inexpensive transmission. Just as the Grand Am is infamous for blown
motors, Mazda has been notorious for tranny problems. I did not have that foreknowledge when I
purchased the vehicle.
As a result,
there were no used transmissions available anywhere in western Canada at the
time, but there was one available in Ontario. The cost of the transmission plus shipping fees from Ontario to British
Columbia, as well as the cost of labour to replace it, combined with the high
kilometers already on the vehicle, was far too much.
What was my attitude? Ha! Guess! The devil was not going to get even so much
as a whimper out of me! When the Lord
does a work, He does it well. How could
I not thank the Lord? Even being able to buy the SUV 4x4 in the first place was
a gift from God. I had never owned a 4WD
before. I had a riot in it, meaning it
had been a real enjoyment, especially in the winter on BC’s mountainous
roads.
Its initial cost, including taxes, had been covered by the
claims settlement. If I was to complain or grumble in the least, then I had
surely learned nothing about trusting God after the Grand Am episode at all,
not to mention I would be guilty of ingratitude and bitterness. Yes, the
vehicle had to be scrapped. I had
accepted the fact that I would be without transportation for likely a year or
so, until I could save a couple thousand to get yet another vehicle.
I purchase my water from a depot because of the smell of chlorine
in the town water that comes up from the tap, not to mention the foul smell
that crops up randomly. At the time the Mazda went out of commission, the
township had a “boil water” warning
in place. How was I going to carry two
five gallon jugs onto a bus? If I did
manage to do so, I would have to take a second bus trip to town to get
groceries, plus take care of other business in town.
Buses are not as frequent in this small town
as they are in larger communities. One
has to be prepared to wait, even up to an hour if a bus is missed. People were asking questions for
transportation, but I had no answers except to say it was all in God’s hands,
and that it could be a year or so before I would be able to purchase another
vehicle.
A Hard Hit
There had to be a reason behind everything that had been
taking place. The incident occurred very
shortly after my knee had been healed.
The reader does not need it all repeated. The friend that I had gone to the hospice
with offered to pick me up for church. I
gladly accepted her offer. The brethren
prayed to the Lord on my behalf.
Five people had approached me at different times prophesying
that God would provide a car for me. It
was indeed encouraging to hear, but personally, I could see no way how that was
possible. I am not in any position to
get a loan and pay interest fees. I live
humbly but have no lack, thanks be to God.
Yes, God can make a way where there is no way. Nothing is too hard for Him.
But despite the spoken statements grounded in faith from the
brethren, it was impossible for me to figure out how my Lord would do that (leaning on that logic (reasoning) instead of trusting God, which we are counseled to avoid, and not be
wise in our own eyes, but to fear God, as it is written in Proverbs 3: 5-7)
When I had looked up the local scrap yards, I saw an
intriguing name that appeared in the search engine. When I clicked on the site,
I learned that the province had a non-profit program that offered incentives to
people as part of what is called RYR (Retire
Your Ride) or “voluntary early
retirement program”.
Apparently, these vehicle scrappage programs exist across
the country, which I had previously been unaware of. If another unaware Canadian reads this,
perhaps it will help them if they find themselves in a similar situation as I
found myself in. These programs are not well
advertised and are not commonly known amongst the majority of citizens. Anyone I mentioned it to were unaware of the
program.
From one of several pages on the websites belonging to the Government
of Canada, there are a few dedicated to explaining the purpose behind
offering this program to Canadian citizens, but it helps significantly if one
is first aware of such a program in order to search it out, or unless one just
happens to discover it in a search for something else, as I myself had first
heard or learned about it.
“The Government of
Canada is committed to improving air quality across the country and reducing
the health and environmental effects of air pollution. Accelerated on-road
scrappage programs are positive steps in the right direction.
These voluntary
programs are developed and run by local organizations in communities across
Canada and supported by partners, including Environment Canada. They are
designed to improve air quality and to help reduce smog-forming and climate
change emissions by permanently removing older, high emitting vehicles from
Canadian roads.” (Quoted from one Canadian
government website)
It is the government’s aim to get all older vehicles off the
roads of Canada as part of an effort to help control climate change, and
emissions have a “greenhouse effect” due
to the gases older vehicles emit, such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide,
toxic air pollutants and more. The terms
“global warming” and “climate change” are often confused today
as meaning the same thing.
Even today, the topic and two terms stir up heated debates
not only amongst scientists, but also amongst the general public. It is true that although both are used
interchangeably, the two expressions are not new ones and the definitions and
meaning of each differ. Many consider global warming to be a hoax.
Why I had not come across the website previously in the
search engine when I had to scrap the Grand Am was beyond me, but there it was
now. The offers are particularly
compelling for those who are strapped for funds. The downside of the program is that the onus
is upon each individual to deliver their old vehicle to a scrap dealer.
Not only are the types of vehicles on the government’s list expensive
to buy, but the transportation must be one purchased from a limited list of models
found at one of the local dealer who has partnered with the program. Everyone
knows that buying from car dealerships is the most expensive avenue to take, due
to overhead and added fees that are not included in a similar transaction done
privately between citizens. The interest
fees on a lease-to-own vehicle are extremely high.
Despite the fact that my SUV was only eight blocks from the
scrap yard, local companies quoted $150 as the minimal set fee for towing. A
call was placed to the scrap yard. Their
fee was competitive with the local businesses, but when I explained my dilemma,
the representative excused himself momentarily, placing me on hold. When he
returned, he stated that since the vehicle was in close proximity to them, they
could offer to tow the truck for $50.
I was blessed and am absolutely convinced that the Lord
moved on some hearts to help me out further.
Not only would the incentive (which
could take up to six weeks to receive the cheque) that I chose cover the
towing cost, but it also covered the expense of taxis I had to take to town
over the course of three days. Once an
application is made online, it can take 24 hours or so before one knows if the
application was approved or not. The
approval must then be printed up and submitted to the scrap yard.
Papers needed to be signed to transfer ownership over to the
scrap yard, as well as to meet up with the tow truck driver, hand in the
license plates and cancel the policy at my local insurance brokers. When the cheque did arrive, the settlement
amount would also pay the expense for other unavoidable and necessary trips to
town via taxi over a three day period.
The Sovereign God always goes ahead of us, whether we are aware of it or
not.
Without lengthy explanations, suffice it to say that the only
incentive offered that I could take advantage of was the offer of a payment of
$200 if a person scrapped their vehicle at a participating local business. To me, the offer was a tremendous help when
funds are lacking.
After having scrapped the Grand Am at a loss (considering all the new parts or
replacements I had made) and that it had only lasted me a year, I still
considered it to be a blessing from the Lord, as I had been unaware of such a
program. I am convinced the Holy Spirit
led me to the information, according to God’s wisdom, His way, His will and His
timing.
On the third day after the Mazda became permanently parked
on the side street, I arranged for the truck to be towed. Suffice it to say
that an application had been filled out online to the BC non-profit program,
which was approved. The vehicle was confirmed as being the official property of
the metal recycling company and scrapped.
It was then a matter of waiting for a cheque would be issued.
It was official – I was back to being a foot soldier. (A little humour is required here – very
little.)
When Is It Enough?
The upside was that I would have more time to work on the
long-awaited article “Comfort My People” that
I had felt led to write after having opened at exactly Isaiah 40 three
separate times, back in March (2017). As soon as the Mazda was taken away, and
plates were handed in with cancellation of the insurance policy, I headed home.
Once back, I eagerly fired up the laptop and…oh no! Now what?
Pages were slow loading, often receiving an “Aw, snap!” message (page
loading error/crashes). An arrow
prayer to the Lord met with silence.
Even trying to Google a solution was nearly impossible.
Rather than being redundant, it took day
after day of trying everything possible, from scans for viruses, Trojans and
malware, which I initially thought was the culprit, to finally restoring the
laptop to an earlier date. Nothing,
nothing worked. A technician was willing
to check out my computer remotely for $75 an hour. I had no money to throw away like that.
Another extremely frustrating and stressful week! Silent tears of exasperation rolled down my
cheeks. I had only begun to recover from
the months of anguish, disorientation and confusion in the three weeks that had
passed since my healing. Was it all a
test, an attack from Satan, or was it just life in general? If it was a test, I longed to pass it. If it was an attack from Satan, I sought to
overcome it. If it was life’s problems
in general, I would just live it and keep on.
Weariness was upon me.
Is there no reprieve Lord? Jesus
said, “Come unto Me all you that labour
and are heavy laden (weary) and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of
Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your
souls.” [Mat 11:28, 29]
If the Lord wanted to take the computer too, He had
every right. First, there was the raging in my physical health. Then, the
battles within my soul which included strained relationships (Satan was working), questioning my faith
and my standing with God, as well as the confusion, disorientation, depression
and angst that came with the side effects of medication were simultaneously
challenging me. Then, last but not
least, there was the battle that my spirit man had been involved in with the wrestling
against both my carnal nature (flesh)
and the adversary.
Four more days passed where it was nearly
impossible to do anything on the computer, but the climax took place in the latter
part of the week, namely the last three days. Indeed, I prayed. The Lord had
tried me before to see if I would give "all" up, when He sent
me to the United States.
Surely I would not need to be tested again? But
what if...what if I DID need to be tested again? So, I determined that
day that if the Lord took
it all again, I would just wait on Him and not complain. He has my life in His hands and I
had to choose ...either I choose to trust the Lord or I do not. Period!
I chose to trust, even if my heart was heavy at
times, God knew that I wanted to do what was right in His eyes simply because
of all the patience He bore in teaching me hard lessons. How could I disappoint
Him? He had even taught me about love...after all this time...true love; the
kind of love that does not betray, or abuse, or reject. Do I believe Jesus
loves me? I do...
So once that was established, I went back to my
computer. It was late in the day, but that is when I called the landlady after
I had the idea that the router may need rebooting. The information had come
before my eyes a couple of times (as a possible problem) the few
times I did manage to get a page or so loaded. The rebooting was a last
resort. If that failed, then my back was up against a wall without
remedy.
Why was all this happening?
What was I was to learn? The
thought occurred to me that ever since I had named a website “Time of Revealing (Warriors of Endurance), and a radio program “Warriors of Endurance in the Time of Revealing” in mid-2014, heavy
trials and tribulations were my portion.
The website is defunct as of June 1, 2017, and the radio program was
discontinued shortly after I came out of the shelters, both due to
finances. If I were to determine where
and when the latest trial began, I would have to consider mid to late 2014 as a
starting point. Well, I certainly did not feel
like any enduring warrior, but we are taught not to rely on feelings and
emotions.
We are taught not to be overwhelmed by outward appearances,
but to keep our eyes on Jesus (Yeshua)
the Christ. We are to walk by faith and
not by sight. We are to speak the Word
of God, which spiritually is a mighty two-edged sword of the Lord. There are superb instructions, guidelines,
armour, tools and weapons given to us in the Word of God. It is wonderful that we have these things to
utilize, but they are of little value if left unused.
It seemed that after I had prayed to the Lord,
ending with admitting that I did not know what to do, it occurred to me that as
a last resort, I should call the landlady to see if she would reboot the router
(modem). The router for the entire building is located in the neighbour’s
apartment next door, but she was away at work. It was later that day the router
was rebooted and viola! A victory shout
sounded!
THAT was the problem all along. An entire week was
needlessly lost. Indeed, the devil may laugh, but God will see to it that
His people are never ashamed. It is
waiting on His timing and His ways to bring about good that is hard and yes, even
incredibly difficult for us. The devil
can only go so far. He was defeated at the cross as the Saviour’s precious and
costly blood was shed for the sake of sinful mankind.
My computer (hallelujah!)
was safe. So many are weary, tired and under vicious attack
in every area imaginable. We must keep
pressing on, my brothers and sisters.
Let us keep each other, the true ones in the Body of Christ, covered in
prayer. We have need of one another…we
must know this, and even if we know it, reminders are helpful.
Although our God still issues severe warnings by
His Spirit, at the same time, He desires that His faithful, battle-weary ones
be comforted and encouraged, so that none of us give up or give in, so that we
will rise up, rise up higher with renewed (restored)
hope, and endure to the end. Hallelujah!
Expect the Unexpected
and the Suddenlies
The Lord God is known to do unexpected things suddenly,
whether in blessings or whether in judgment.
I have declared the
former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and
showed them; I did them suddenly,
and they came to pass. [Is 48:3]
The week after the Mazda quit on me, a friend and
her husband picked me up to go to a prayer meeting. Perhaps ten of us humbly
gathered together. The saints of God
prayed over me. Only God knows everything
and only He can move upon a heart.
The
king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turns it
wherever He will. [Prov 21:1]
A suggestion was made to take up a collection (completely unexpected)...and I was given
$75. Considering there was very few of us gathered together that night for
prayer, it was amazing. I was blown away
by the unexpected generosity and kindness of my brethren. It immediately went for food…but something
else happened.
I had listened to a random sermon online not long
before that particular day of the prayer meeting. I cannot say who the preacher was. At the
time, the title caught my eye, but I cannot recall the name of it now. The preacher man was teaching on listening to
God and was using Naaman, a valiant commander of the army of Syria, as an
example. [2Kin 5:1]
To cut to the quick, God’s prophet Elisha had given
instructions from the Lord to Naaman when he had come to him to be healed of
leprosy.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, God and wash in Jordan
seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be
clean.
[2Kin 5:10]
Naaman’s pride was greatly bruised when the prophet
sent a messenger to a warrior of high caliber and rank such as himself. Even the directives from Elisha infuriated him
because he had expected the prophet to call out to God, lay hands on him and he
would be healed. [vs 11] It also enraged Naaman that he was to wash in the
Jordan, which he considered to have murky waters in comparison to the cleaner
waters of Abana and Pharpar, which were two rivers of Damascus.
Did the prophet not know who he was dealing
with? The pride of the commander was
evident. When one of Naaman’s servants
saw the anger of his master, he encouraged him to listen to the prophet. Naaman chose to swallow his pride and
followed Elisha’s command. As a result
of his obedience to the prophet, Naaman was healed to such perfection that it
is written that his “flesh came again
like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” [vs 12-14]
One statement that the preacher made seemed to be
highlighted. It was a statement that I
would not forget. “When a prophet of God tells you to do
anything, no matter how strange it seems, do it anyway.” I remember thinking that no prophet these
days told people to do odd or unusual things in order to receive a
miracle. That night I went to the prayer
meeting at the little church in town.
A vibrant and godly couple from the UK who came to
BC Canada, obeying the Lord’s leading, were at the meeting. They are musicians
who lead the people into worship with an anointing that cannot be denied. The
husband tells the people that the music is not about entertainment or emotionalism,
it is about worshipping God. He plays
guitar whilst his wife plays keyboard; they both sing. The brother has a prophetic gifting as
well. When he prayed over me, he also
prophesied.
Taking a handful of change from his pocket, he took
a tooney, the largest coin in today’s Canadian currency with a value of $2 and
gave it to me. The coin is silver with a gold-coloured center. He told me to plant it in soil and not spend
it. He said not to expect a money tree, but prosperity. He made certain
to point out that there are many ways God prospers people besides finances.
He went on to state that God also prospers His
people in body, soul and spirit. Of course I have well-learned that in my
walk with the Lord. However, since he
knew nothing of me at that time, he wanted to be sure that I understood. I
did. Was this not an odd or strange
directive from spoken through a prophet of God? With childlike faith and a
desire to obey God, I planted the tooney in the soil of a small rubber tree
plant that I have. No extra watering
needed!
Two days after placing the coin in soil, my new
friend and a sister in Christ from the church called me and asked if I would be
home that afternoon. Yes, I would be. This was the same friend that I
had gone to the hospice with to visit the woman with cancer just two days
before she died. This was the same
friend who had also been the one to initially ask people at the church to pray for
the woman.
In less than an
hour, she arrived along with her husband and sister. She took me to the parking lot of the
apartment building and asked me who a certain van belonged to. Recognizing it immediately, I said, “You.”
She said, “No, it’s yours!”
and with that her husband handed me the keys to a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan (NOW the newest vehicle ever owned), with
only 91,000 km (lowest I ever had), fresh oil change, new brakes, excellent summer tires (under warranty still) and more. In my shock, I truly did not know what to
say.
It takes awhile for things to fully hit me. I would say that is why I am good in an emergency, as I am okay until time passes. It could be hours, days or weeks. It is possible that it is a defense mechanism that was developed over time, given certain traumas that happened in my life.
As I was about to get in the vehicle to drive home, I
noticed tears in my friend’s eyes and upon her face. Knowing that the van had previously belonged
to her mother before she passed only a couple of months earlier, I interpreted
the tears as being the result of sadness at seeing her mother’s vehicle go out
of her possession. Deeply touched by her
tears, I told her that if it was too difficult for her, I would truly understand,
and still ever appreciate the heart…anything so she would not be torn.
But that was not the case whatsoever. The tender soul explained that she was
thinking how happy her parents would be if they knew their vehicle had been a
blessing to another believer. She was
overjoyed at being able to give such a tremendous gift. What a beautiful
outlook and thought! It greatly moved
me. But even more heartwarming was how
they had prayed about the matter, and their immediate obedience to Jesus! It
was humbling and a sheer delight at the same time. How great is our God!
God tests our faith. I had planted the coin without
hesitation, despite how foolish and crazy it sounded, but I never expected a
vehicle. However, the words of the man of God are true. The Lord is well aware of all that we have
need of, but it is the condition of the heart that He works with. He purges and refines us so that we will
shine forth like pure gold. This is
prosperity at its finest – spiritual prosperity.
Because
you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed,
and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with
eyesalve, that you may see.
[Rev 3:17, 18]
And
I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is
refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I
will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my
God. [Zech 13:9]
When I wrote out the testimony of my life, the
title was given to me by the Lord. It is “First the Inside of the Cup”. Our Creator is more concerned with the inside
of our bodies, the heart, the spirit man that each of us have, the part of us
that is born-again when we believe the gospel of Christ Jesus and receive Him
as Lord and Saviour. The title had been
inspired by scripture that the Lord had led me to when He instructed me to
write out my testimony.
Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of
the cup and of the platter, but within they are full extortion and excess. You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which
is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. [Mat 23:25, 26]
Whole
Lotta Shaking Goin’ On
I do believe God’s word is Spirit and life [Jn
6:63] and truth! [Jn 14:6] I
do believe God’s word is timeless, that it speaks to us today, corporately and
individually (that’s what SPIRIT and
life and truth altogether accomplishes – the LIVING WORD of GOD).
The
righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
[Ps
34:17]
It is a fact that there was much turbulence physically
for me. I know full well that others have been going through excruciating
physical (body) circumstances. Others have or still are dealing with crushing
matters of the soul (mind, emotions, feelings, doubts, etc),
whilst others are struggling in the matters of the spirit (heart).
Countless people are tormented, feeling condemned
because of struggles with sins, battles with demons, generational curses (through blood lines; all forms of witchcraft, freemasonry, dark
occult), false prophets and teachers, a corrupted, plagued world, all of
which play a part in the suffering that mankind, from young to old, is up
against in these last of days.
With great hope and faith, His intervention is eagerly
anticipated and awaited.
I understand that the Lord had spoken to me about miracles
taking place, but also the fact that great trouble was fast approaching. He
again warned of the counterfeiter Satan who would also manifest “signs and wonders”, through the false
prophets that are in the world.
It was shared on December
31, 2016 about part of what the Lord had impressed upon me (as well as others) part of what could be
expected in 2017. Then, on January
5, 2017, I shared the message given to me. In part, the message:
“It is no game; it is
war! I am positioning My people. Many are experiencing or are about to experience
miracles (deliverance, healing, restoration), fulfillment of long-awaited prayers, dreams and visions, that which
was once thought impossible becoming reality.”
“Yea, but beware, for
Satan and his evil cohorts are also manifesting ‘miracles’ and the ‘impossible’. This will increase, as it is written. The
counterfeiter has always been a master of illusion, with flatteries and smooth
speech and dark sayings, he plants seeds of doubt in a whirlwind of confusion.”
[End excerpt]
Yet, through Christ Jesus and by His Spirit, we will discern
the difference between that which is of God and that which is of the adversary,
Satan. I do not believe that our past experience, knowledge or wisdom will help
us discern.
According to our Messiah Jesus, He forewarned that
[deception] would be so grand that if it were possible, even the elect [His
people] would be deceived [Matthew 24]. Such is the craftiness and cunning of
Satan and his cohorts, the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Who in the days of His flesh, when He offered up both
prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears unto Him that was able to
save Him from death, and He was heard in that He feared (holiness, devotion);
Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered. [Heb 5:7, 8]
Yet, even now miracles are taking place that can only be
attributed to God. These have been going on for some time, but mostly kept from
vast public knowledge. However, in the recent past years (decade or so?), miracles have been taking place that are so
spectacular and absolutely validated that even mainstream media has had to
report on the events due to the widespread positive talk of the people.
Even critics and skeptics, who set out to disprove such
reports, have themselves been healed or have witnessed undeniable miracles
firsthand, thereby having their mouths stopped, except to admit that indeed,
faith and healings are real.
Even certain stiff-necked, obstinate doctors have had to
admit that although there are some miracles that can be explained medically (sigh – such is man that LOGIC must define everything), they are hard-pressed to
admit that miracles have taken place that defy logic and must have required
faith in God.
But without faith it is impossible to
please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him. [Heb 11: 6]
Our Lord has stated 2017 will see many blessings and
miracles, but we are to keep aware that great troubles will also be seen. The
Lord God keeps everything in balance and perspective when we cleave to Him. He
is ever-faithful and whitewashes nothing. He has always given fair warnings,
convictions and exhortations.
Prisoners of Hope
Satan presents
all manner of temptations and will do all it takes to convince a person to
choose to swallow his lies. But those
whose hope is in the Lord will not be ashamed.
Turn you to the stronghold, you prisoners of
hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto you. [Zech 9:12]
The Silversmith is a short 2 minute video that packs a punch
that will knock the wind out of you as you come to understand the beauty and
fullness of God’s word. In an article last year, I had mentioned how a
silversmith knows that silver is purified.
The story goes that two women came across a scripture in
Malachi:
But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand
when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And
He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify
the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto
the Lord an offering in righteousness.
[Mal 3:2, 3]
Now only the part that is emboldened was used in the video.
One woman decided to go to a silversmith. She asked questions, two of which
make the story precious. One question
she asked was if he had to sit by the fire the whole time the silver is being
refined. He replied yes, but further
stated that not only does he have to hold the silver, he has to make sure that
he removes it from the flames at the precise and exact time, or it will be
destroyed.
She pondered his words, then asked how he knew when the
silver was completely refined. He smiled
and said it was when he could see his image in the silver.
But He knows the way
that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. [Job 23:10]
For My name’s sake
will I deferMine anger, and for praise will I refrain for you, that I cut you
not off. Behold, I have refined you, but
not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. [Is 48:10]
Two minute video called The Silversmith
“Solomon taught his
son to anticipate the LORD would prove, test and purify the hearts of His
people by trials that test the heart, purify the motive and humble the spirit.” Dr. Travis Smith (pastor) Source: Heart of a Shepherd
Marlene Kleepes had cerebral palsy, but she was also plagued
with very severe spasms that were so violent that her attendants sometimes
suffered broken bones trying to restrain her.
Marlene had been sent to the Mayo Clinic to get help and improvement,
but her inheritance ran out. She was to
be sent to a nursing home. She cried out
to God and He gave her a vision of herself healed.
She saw a certain “church” “jump off the
page” and the pastor was called.
When he arrived, Marlene said he was the man in her vision
who had prayed for her. So the pastor
took her to his church. He was not sure how to pray for healing, but he did and
the congregation stood in agreement with him.
After he prayed, he asked her if
she wanted to stand on faith”. Marlene
did. With the pastor and another man lifting her up and supporting her, she
took steps. At first, her knees and feet were pointed inward, but each step she
took, they began to straighten out until she was walking normally.
Within minutes, she was literally running around the church.
Afterwards she returned to the Mayo clinic, where they recorded that they saw
her walking for the first time. Marlene
was discharged.
She returned some weeks
later to the Mayo Clinic. It is
confirmed via medical records that all abnormalities (from cerebral palsy) are gone, and even Marlene’s eyesight is
healed. She no longer needs spectacles
to see. Marlene Kleeps is healed of cerebral palsy
and enjoys a normal life to this day.
Today she preaches!
Another documented miracle!
Delia Knox, who was crippled (paralyzed)
for 23 years after being hit by a drunk driver was healed.
Behold you among the
heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your
days, which you will not believe, though it be told you. [Habakkuk 1:5]
Would you believe it when I tell you that my kettle quit on
me, only seven months after buying it?
How about if I told you that the new thongs (sandals) that I was wearing last week broke after having only worn
them for a month? I went into the bank
and the sandal was repaired with packing tape until I could get home. They had to be “scrapped”.
Haha! I kid you not! If
I could make this stuff up, I would be in high demand in Hollywood by producers
looking for good scripts. Satan will continuously accuse us, even making every negative thing that happens as though it were our fault. He is the father of lies. Life goes
on…but God is for me, for us who trust and wait on Him!
What shall we then say
to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us? [Rom 8:31]
for His glory
Special Note: For the past few weeks, several countries are
upon my heart. Our brethren are
scattered around the world and in their own trials and tribulations. They are part of the body of believers.
We do well to keep them in prayer. Like us, they are under the rule of the government
of their country, and are not responsible for trespasses leaders make against
other nations and their people. Sadly,
we tend to judge an entire nation of people by the actions of their
leaders.
The Lord has His people praying for their own nation, as
well as other nations globally. He often
rotates the countries He places upon hearts to pray for. There are approximately 196 countries in the
world and God’s people are in them. He
cares for every single child of us within each nation, and for every lost
soul.
The Lord is not slack
as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
[2 Pet 3:9]
Russia has been
strong upon my heart, as has Germany
(with Belgium noted) and the UK. Other countries (in alphabetic order) that I feel led to pray for at
this time are:
Africa, America, Australia, Britain/England (all
of UK), Bulgaria, Canada (BC noted
due to fires, earthquakes), China, Croatia, Finland, France, Iceland, India,
Israel, Japan
Mexico, Norway, South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico), North Pacific, North and South
Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia
Please join me in praying for any place that the Lord may
put on your heart. From time to time, I
will post other countries that come heavy upon me to pray for. 196 countries –
every one of them in need of prayer as much as our own country’s people need
prayer.
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