The Blessed Disease

The Blessed Disease

How can such an oxymoron exist. Surely Disease is either good or bad. I have never given this much thought other than to pray for healing each time a loved one is diagnosed with some mysterious sickness. I remember a sermon I heard once that told of a little lady that came to the minister with a headache. The church whispered a quite prayer not really giving it much thought. Then another person came with the diagnosis of cancer and requested prayer. The preacher cleared his throat and with a deep voice of concern said with great sincerity "Gather Round  Saints". When we pray we need to realize that to God cancer is no greater than having a headache. With a moving as a slow settling fog God can heal either of them the same. I believe God really does heal sometimes in response to a gentle whisper or a groan and sometimes to the deep heart felt throws of bitter moaning. Either way I know it is true that he is touched by the feelings of our infirmity. That means that he cares. To believe that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord is the source of trust and faith and hope. Of knowing that everything in his word really is true.  The Blessed Disease. Recently I myself was diagnosed with an Immune disorder in which I don't make enough immune cells to fight disease. They sent me to an infectious doctor and he told me that a simple cold could kill me. He recommended a treatment called IVIG to give me the immunity of others. It is a blood derivative so I agreed to the treatment. It made me horribly sick with a severe headache with which I could not lift my head off the pillow for days. I had a fever and severe nausea. I can not do this because I had to miss three days of work and felt like I would die. It was ordered monthly. I have been to church and prayed for about my problem. What to do? I have really been contemplating the absurdity  of trusting God for my healing. I know I know...what if he don't heal me but right now I am just thinking about what if he does and again I say He is touched by the feeling of our infirmity. So I think if he cares like his word said then maybe just maybe he will heal me. What if he does?

It's No Time To Sleep

It's No Time To Sleep

     In the early morning while the world is sleeping I awake. No not by choice but yet by choice. It's 1:30 a.m. Yes I could roll over and go back to sleep as my body desires to do but again my thoughts roll over and over in my head and sleep eludes me. I am consumed with a burden for souls. I realize that some people who read this may think I am crazy or at least a little off but not so, this is what a burden feels like. Tears roll down my cheeks as I cry out for a world that is lost and more real to me, for our children and grandchildren. I am reminded once again of the verse in Luke 23:28  where Jesus told them. Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. Who will pray in this day when things are so hurried and the world says things don't matter. That it is ok to live like you want and dress just any old way. When they call good evil and evil good. I want to shout to the top of my lungs. People of God wake up! Pray! Arise in the early morning and late at night. Bow on your knees at noon time and early afternoon. Wherever you are whatever you are doing stop and cry and pray for God! the one true God to look on us with compassion and love and save our world. To forgive our sin. To send back again the spirit of old time conviction. Conviction that will call us to pray once again and to arise out of our sleep because people are dying and going to hell and who will pray for them if not us, if not me. Conviction that won't let us slumber and sleep spiritually. Conviction that makes us look at ourselves through magnifying glasses and see who we really are, what we really believe. Conviction that will make us change from the comfortable to the necessary, that will wake us up in the middle of the night because our people are lost. Who, I ask will hear that call and stand in the gap and make up the hedge and do the uncomfortable to make a difference. Please God! Let it be me. Wake me up tonight, and tomorrow night, and the next night, and help me to pray, to weep, to cry for souls...That is what he did in the garden of   Gethsemane and that is what our calling is. Thank you God for choosing me, for trusting me with this gift. Help me ever be found on my knees before you until my world is saved.

    

What I Know

What I Know

I know that I am not as good as I need to be. I know that oft times I am a failure. If I am truly honest with myself sometimes it is not so pretty. This post is about my relationship with God. I am sometimes a failure. Many times if I will just admit it. I walk through this life doing the things that are fun. Playing games.....Oh yes! I don't like to think of it like that but that is exactly what I do while putting God on hold. I know that my goal and lives ambition should be winning souls. Witnessing and inviting, No not just that but I should be literally compelling others to come. I should be introducing someone else to the love of Jesus. Jesus died for me and then reached way down to the miserable depths of despair and wrapped me in his arms and saved me. He filled me with the Holy 

Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as is illustrated in Acts 2:38. 

I have missed to many church services lately. How dare I. No one has reprimanded me or even ask me why but when I look in the mirror and see the reflection of my soul I ask myself again "What am I doing?"  Do I really believe it is the end time or not?. Well I do! It is so direct and blatant in the Bible. We are warned and things are happening at a breakneck pace. Now back to the title of this post "What I Know"   What I know is that I better get off of my duff and do something. I am called of God to do a work and to help change my world, What I know is that there are no excuses. When I stand before Jesus who was beaten and hung on a cross and he looks at me with those loving deep serious eyes and ask "What did you do" How many souls did you win"  "Why not"  I can't just stand there and say that I was too busy. I was painting, or shopping, or watching TV or many other things. What I know is that now is the time for me to wake up and do what I know to do. I have caught myself kinda wanting to blame someone else but when I look within and really see the truth it is me who is not doing what I should. Now today I want to turn around and put God first. I want to witness and pray and fast and win souls. Today I want to share with someone else "What I Know...."

Just Thinking

 Just Thinking

I am just sitting here thinking about all of the good things in my life. The more I think about it the more I realize how blessed I really am. I have a good job. The people there are nice enough. My husband loves me in spite of me getting up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes. My dog loves me even tho I spank him and send him to the yard when he has an accident in the floor. Accident I say....I really know it was on purpose. Sitting here once again and wondering what more can I do to win souls. How can I reach someone. I ask Benny if he would go door to door with me to invite people to church. NO! is kinda the response I got not quite so harsh though. I have a burden and don't know what to do with it I just know that I need to do something. I have to do something. The other day I met a man with lung cancer which has went to his brain. He is in his right mind and while I was talking to him he ask me to pray for him. I said how about now he nodded his head yes and said now. I laid my hand on the site in his right lung and I prayed. I did not necessarily pray for a healing but more I prayed that he would not be in pain anymore. I prayed in the name of Jesus that the root of that cancer would shrivel up and die. At the sound of that name the man began to use his hands, something he had not been able to do in weeks. He could all of a sudden feed himself. He cried, I cried. I don't know the full outcome and I may never meet him again but I do know that on that day God delivered a miracle because someone believed in that name...The name of Jesus.  Just sitting here thinking what could we do if we really believe? If we used that name to the extent that it was meant to be used. I want to use it more. To call on it for all things. If I stump my toe...In the name of Jesus...If I need financial help...In the name of Jesus....If my head hurts...In the name of Jesus...If I meet someone on the street who don't know Jesus...In the name of Jesus....What can we do through the power of that name....Just thinking

John 14:14

   If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes God picks us for use to help others. Just like when we pick flowers. I don't know about you but when I want some fresh picked flowers I go out there and look over all of them. I pick the brightest the most fragrant. I usually want colorful ones which are strong and look like they will last a while. But sometimes I will see one that is not so perfect. One that I know may only last a few hours. One that though pale and weak will compliment those bold bright ones. That is just like God to even find good in the weakest. To pick me and even when I am weak and use me anyway. It is a wonderful life serving the King. I don't have to be the best...His spirit in me makes me the best that I can be. Another good thing is that when I am at my weakest wilted moment he breaths on me and picks me up and makes me whole again. When I am down in the deepest darkest valley he scoops me up in his strong arms and holds me up until the sun is shining again. Sometimes we just need to standstill and realize that we are right where he wants us.

 

Luke 12:27

   Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these

Today is a Great Day

Today is a Great Day

Today I still serve the master. Today through its little ups and downs I find reason to praise. No everything is not right as for as comfort or things being perfect is concerned. But today even though we have a hole in our boat, even though my daughter forgot to pay my house payment and they called wanting a to know why, today even though Wal-Mart was sold out of fishing crickets, today even though when I went to clean my carpet my carpet cleaner did not work, today even though I am hungry...

Today is a Great Day

Today is another day which God gave me breath and let me be in my right mind..(as right as that may be.)

Another day to praise.

Psalms 121:1

  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Prayers Answered

Prayers Answered

Sometimes I wonder which prayers I have prayed that really have come true. Some of them are

obvious while some are hidden. Today I was painting and praying again for Anniston, for our world and for God to heal our land. Benny came into the room and I ask him if I could teach him a Bible study. He said yes but what he said next caught me off guard. "Will you teach me to pray too" he ask. Of course I said. I guess some things I just take for granted like praying and just instinctively knowing what words to say. I fail to consider that some people struggle with words as they pray. One of the things I have been praying of late is that God will put the words in my mouth which need to be said. Sometimes I don't have the knowledge or understanding to pray the right things. I am not an elaborate speaker and my words are few but since praying this way I have noticed a difference in the things I ask for. I have been asking for things I have never mentioned before. Again as I sit here I see that map. The one of the city we are trying to reach. Each time I look at it I remember to pray for souls there. I noticed a small airplane in the corner suggesting an airport I am sure. It made me think to pray for God to send angels to Anniston. Angels, both warriors and reapers to help subdue the forces of the enemy.  Cover us Oh God and help us to be effective as we live for you, as we share you with our world. 

Happy Birthday Benny I love you

James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

A Spirit of Unrest

A Spirit of Unrest

Today I pray for a spirit of unrest. You might ask why would anyone ask for such a thing.  I feel the burden of the world on my shoulders. I shutter a cry from the depths of my being. Do I want it to go away? No by all means no. I long for a burden for the lost. For a calling to pray, a yearning that will not be quinched. So I cry, I pray that I

will never be comfortable when so many are lost. I hope that I will always feel that Spirt of Unrest as

long as there are souls who don't know Jesus. I pray that God will use me to reach someone,to tell them about bapism in Jesus name and that there is only one way. As I look at a map of Anniston, Al and the surrounding area I feel it consuming me... the burden to stand in the gap and cry out with groanings for souls...Any souls.

 Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children