On Sunday June 20th, I went to Monday Night Evangelism. It was another awesome night in the Lord! There are several centres our group goes to. I stayed outside the Salvation Army as I had the week before. The lady we prayed for the week before came to express her good news. We prayed for her healing and believed in faith that her cancer was healed. She went to the Doctor and all the tests revealed that her cancer is completely gone! Praise the Lord!!! She had medical evidence...proof that the Lord healed her completely of the cancer. We had her give a short testimony.
One of the Pastors then preached a powerful message of salvation. His daughter then went up and gave a mime show, totally filled with the Holy Spirit. It was soooo beautiful and apparent that it touched the faces of those present. Afterward, we asked anyone to come forward for prayer. A couple of ladies came forward. One was a Christian, just baptized the day before. Myself and a brother in the Lord prayed for a woman for her to be healed of a terminal illness. While we were praying for the powerof the Holy Spirit to heal her, our Brother led her to the Lord. The three of us were enveloped in one another's arms. She was crying and desperately seeking Jesus. We held her and loved her. The Father poured out his love and blessings into her life. Hallelujah!
Afterward, I went inside to join the bible study to participate in prayer. Once again, the Holy Spirit was busy at work. We prayed for a man to be healed of alcoholism, suicidal tendencies, depression and a heart condition. We finished with some great discussions, encouraging one another and building each other up in the Lord.
I went home, once again, soaring as with the eagles, praising God in my heart!
What an amazing God we serve!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Part 3 - Psalm 24 Days!
Now I wanted to report how God worked last Sunday, June 19th. On Friday, I had lunch with a couple of women, ministry related. The one woman's husband was terminally ill with cancer, and both of them not born again. I stressed the importance of salvation, particularly with regard to her husband's situation. I had been asked to minister to this couple back in April, however it was not the Lord's timing YET to do so. This man had been raised in an environment where he was consistently preached at by his mother and it turned him off of God. I asked if I could come in and pray for his healing. They said they would have to ask him, and that the condition was to not come in and try to make him born again. I found out Saturday evening that the man agreed for me to come to his home and lay hands on him Sunday afternoon for his healing. Praise the Lord!
On Sunday morning I drove to church to the normal intercessors prayer gathering, but no one was there. I had forgotten the information at home to go to this home after church for ministry, so I drove back home. On the way back, I felt the Lord motion for me to go to a different church. So, I did. I went to a spirit-filled charismatic, dancing and praising congregation. At the end of the service I went up to one of the Pastors and asked for prayer and guidance with regard to this man's prayer for a healing from the Lord. I asked him to agree with me in prayer for this man's healing and asked for a special anointing, etc. He then said that the Holy Spirit has given me this assignment to go forth and pray for this man. So he said to look at this as an assignment from God and go in obedience no matter what I might feel, think, etc.
So I drove to this person's house. When I arrived, this person's family was present. One relative that is born again, joined me to lay hands on and agree in prayer, with accordance to Matthew 18:19 which states,
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
On the way to this person's home, the Lord led me to John 14 and I also decided to read from John 5. I sat down in front of this man and explained what I was about to do. I told him that through the power of the Holy Spirit healing occurs, not through me. I told him that I was going to read from scripture and stand on the word of God. I explained to him I would not preach to him, that I was praying for him to know the Lord, but today was prayer for healing. I gave him some testimonies of the healing power of God and how much the Lord has done in my life.
I held his hand and prayed. I prayed for a full complete healing of the cancer in the name of Jesus Christ. We stood on Matthew 18:19, I read from John 5 (the same scripture I preached on on Monday night), then I read from John 14. I explained the beginning of this chapter, that it is a message of slavation, I read from verses 9 to 14.
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
I ended the prayer session thanking Jesus and giving God all the glory and honour. The family took the process very well, some tears. I said, "you have been healed in Jesus Name!" I mentioned to his wife to work slowly at building up his strength again. They all said they would contact me again in the near future, once he was able to eat more. While all of this was happening, this man picked up the phone and called his mother over in England. He said 'Hi Mom, I have a young lady here that has something to tell you about what has happened.' He handed the phone to me. I said to his Mom, "Hi Mam, I just wanted to let you know that your son has been healed by the Holy Spirit. We agreed together in prayer, layed hands on him and stood on the scriptures." She said, "Thank you so much." I said, "No, don't thank me, thank the Lord, praise him...He did all the work. I am just the vessel." She replied with, "Praise the Lord and thank you for being there for my family, for listening to God." The man and his mother continued a conversation for awhile. After a coffee, some encouragement and warm hugs, I said goodbye.
After this, I drove quite a distance to go to our first church service for the homeless outside one of the shelters. We call it 'Street Church'. We believe the Lord is going to do many things through the start of this church. It is outdoors, rain or shine, with preaching and worship, prayer and baptisms. It was incredible!!! Seven people gave their hearts to the Lord. Five of those seven made decisons to be baptized in the river. We walked down to the flooded river where it had come up over the walkway. We were very careful and had rope in case. These five gave their testimonies of their faith, confessing publicly that Jesus is Lord. Then they were baptized in the very dirty flooded river. Afterward those same five came for prayer for baptism of the Holy Spirit, kneeling in reverance with wet knees to the ground. It was soooo beautiful!
This ministry is the same one affiliated with Monday Night Evangelism. It is a ministry that God is blessing, is producing fruit and may even become the start of revival here in Calgary. I am blessed to be involved, to be used by God and to be here. Words cannot express the excitement I feel in my heart and spirit.
I will write about the rest very soon!!! Praise the Lord!!!
On Sunday morning I drove to church to the normal intercessors prayer gathering, but no one was there. I had forgotten the information at home to go to this home after church for ministry, so I drove back home. On the way back, I felt the Lord motion for me to go to a different church. So, I did. I went to a spirit-filled charismatic, dancing and praising congregation. At the end of the service I went up to one of the Pastors and asked for prayer and guidance with regard to this man's prayer for a healing from the Lord. I asked him to agree with me in prayer for this man's healing and asked for a special anointing, etc. He then said that the Holy Spirit has given me this assignment to go forth and pray for this man. So he said to look at this as an assignment from God and go in obedience no matter what I might feel, think, etc.
So I drove to this person's house. When I arrived, this person's family was present. One relative that is born again, joined me to lay hands on and agree in prayer, with accordance to Matthew 18:19 which states,
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
On the way to this person's home, the Lord led me to John 14 and I also decided to read from John 5. I sat down in front of this man and explained what I was about to do. I told him that through the power of the Holy Spirit healing occurs, not through me. I told him that I was going to read from scripture and stand on the word of God. I explained to him I would not preach to him, that I was praying for him to know the Lord, but today was prayer for healing. I gave him some testimonies of the healing power of God and how much the Lord has done in my life.
I held his hand and prayed. I prayed for a full complete healing of the cancer in the name of Jesus Christ. We stood on Matthew 18:19, I read from John 5 (the same scripture I preached on on Monday night), then I read from John 14. I explained the beginning of this chapter, that it is a message of slavation, I read from verses 9 to 14.
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
I ended the prayer session thanking Jesus and giving God all the glory and honour. The family took the process very well, some tears. I said, "you have been healed in Jesus Name!" I mentioned to his wife to work slowly at building up his strength again. They all said they would contact me again in the near future, once he was able to eat more. While all of this was happening, this man picked up the phone and called his mother over in England. He said 'Hi Mom, I have a young lady here that has something to tell you about what has happened.' He handed the phone to me. I said to his Mom, "Hi Mam, I just wanted to let you know that your son has been healed by the Holy Spirit. We agreed together in prayer, layed hands on him and stood on the scriptures." She said, "Thank you so much." I said, "No, don't thank me, thank the Lord, praise him...He did all the work. I am just the vessel." She replied with, "Praise the Lord and thank you for being there for my family, for listening to God." The man and his mother continued a conversation for awhile. After a coffee, some encouragement and warm hugs, I said goodbye.
After this, I drove quite a distance to go to our first church service for the homeless outside one of the shelters. We call it 'Street Church'. We believe the Lord is going to do many things through the start of this church. It is outdoors, rain or shine, with preaching and worship, prayer and baptisms. It was incredible!!! Seven people gave their hearts to the Lord. Five of those seven made decisons to be baptized in the river. We walked down to the flooded river where it had come up over the walkway. We were very careful and had rope in case. These five gave their testimonies of their faith, confessing publicly that Jesus is Lord. Then they were baptized in the very dirty flooded river. Afterward those same five came for prayer for baptism of the Holy Spirit, kneeling in reverance with wet knees to the ground. It was soooo beautiful!
This ministry is the same one affiliated with Monday Night Evangelism. It is a ministry that God is blessing, is producing fruit and may even become the start of revival here in Calgary. I am blessed to be involved, to be used by God and to be here. Words cannot express the excitement I feel in my heart and spirit.
I will write about the rest very soon!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Part 2 - Psalm 24 Days!
I have so much to write about over the last ten days or so. I will split it up into segments. I will start off by praising and glorifying God! He is soooo awesome! My faith has deepened and my spirit is alive in the Lord, in a different way than I have been in the past! I am excited, happy, blessed and more in love with Him! Hallelujah!!!
On Monday June 13th, I went to Monday Night Evangelism for the second time. I had met one of the guys that helped to start this ministry a couple of years ago in the afternoon. We were discussing the call of God on our lives, testimonies, etc. He told me that he was going to be preaching that night, however God only gave him half a message. Later in the conversation, he said he felt the Holy Spirit encouraging him to ask me to preach that night. Even a little testimony would be good. We could both speak. I said sure, I could think of something. We then walked down the hall and let the man who organizes the speakers know what had been suggested and decided. This guy walked up to the organizer and said, "Karen is preaching tonight." He said OK. So it was settled. Then I had my nervous jitters and realized I only had 3 hours until I had to speak. The Lord had given me a message, actually an entire sermon within five minutes, so I prayed as I frantically drove through heavy traffic. I had to pick up a gal from church. I ate supper in the car after arriving at home. I only consulted my bible about five to ten minutes before preaching.
So, the first speaker went up and spoke for five to ten minutes. Then I followed in pursuit. I want you to visualize the scene. We are all outside a salvation army, in a parking lot. There is a truck with a great big Jesus Sign on it professing Jesus as 'King of Kings' and 'Lord of Lords' with a website and phone number. There is a boom box and a microphone. I got up on the flat bed of a truck and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ! Many years ago, I would never have thought of me doing this for the Lord. I could speak for my profession, but for Jesus? It was incredible.
I gave a testimony on the healing power of God. I preached from John 5:1-15 ( you can read this by cutting and pasting this into your web browser: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205;&version=50 OR perhaps click on the link). I preached that God is a God of healing and that the Holy Spirit does the healing, not us Christians. We are the chosen vessels. We pray in faith, believe in the word of God, and stand on the scriptures for the healing. I talked about the Holy Spirit, the love of God and how He wants relationship with all of us. I let them know that whether or not they were looking at me, the ground, not listening, it did not matter...the Holy Spirit was working on their hearts and that He loved everyone of them. I then prayed for people to come forward for prayer for healing and salvation.
Some of us prayed for people and others served pizza and juice to those who waited in the crowd. I prayed and talked with one man at length, then was asked to go on the other side of the truck and pray for a woman. Many gathered around her, layed hands on her and prayed alongside of one another. Her prayer request was for a healing of lung cancer. As soon as I placed my hands upon her body, I could feel the Holy Spirit come in power. As I prayed for her healing, I could feel a Holy Heat rushing from my hands into the small of her back. I declared her healing according to the word of God, and praised the Lord for healing her of this disease! I asked her after the prayer if she could feel the heat in my hands and she said yes, that it was still burning in her back. Praise the Lord!!!
Afterwards, I wanted to go inside. They were just finishing the bible study and about to start prayer. I walked into a group of people, of which there was alot of hurt and pain. There was one person swearing at another man, and just about to start a fight with him. She was also very angry at God. I will not go into the particular issues, as it was very personal. I told her she needed to forgive God, forgive her enemies and pray. Well, she did not want to hear that. She stared me down, in a very challenging manner and swore at me too! I told her that God loved her, I loved her and so did all of us here. She told me I was full of it, and walked out, speaking more profanities as she left the room. I told the group that we needed to pray for her, that she had a hard time believing that we loved her, but we did. As we were about to pray, she walked back in the room, looked me straight in the eye and asked if I really loved her and why. She also wanted to know how it is I know that God loves her. I told her about Jesus, His love, His death and the Love he put in my heart. I spoke the word of God. I stared her down too and would not let my gaze leave her. Then we all prayed as a group. There were tears and joy. The Holy Spirit was at work, brilliantly and lovingly making all things work for His good.
The girl I came with and I finally decided to leave after all prayer was done. We were praising God for so much! We went outside and just as we were about to leave, we saw a fight break out. It was terrible. The one guy had the other guy on the ground after wrestling and punching him in the head. Then he proceeded to kick him repetitively in the head. My friend and I were horrified. We raised our hands toward them and started prayer with fervour and passion. We prayed for the fight to stop, for the Holy Spirit to come between them and split them up and have them walk in opposite directions and go home. It was miraculous! When we prayed that prayer, they split apart and went in opposite directions very quickly. We started to praise God again over and over, amazed at answered prayer, basking in His love. Then, within moments, the woman that we prayed for before, came and knocked on my car window to thank me for praying for her and helping her. I got out of the car and gave her a great big hug. We talked for a bit, then went with some other Christians for donuts and coffee to discuss all of the wonderful things God was doing in our lives and through this ministry.
Praise the Lord!!! I will try to write more segments very soon. The Lord is doing so much right now, it is hard to find the time to write about it. I am sooo excited and on fire for Him. I cannot wait until the next opportunity comes my way , in order to show Jesus to others and glorify our Lord!!! Hallelujah!
On Monday June 13th, I went to Monday Night Evangelism for the second time. I had met one of the guys that helped to start this ministry a couple of years ago in the afternoon. We were discussing the call of God on our lives, testimonies, etc. He told me that he was going to be preaching that night, however God only gave him half a message. Later in the conversation, he said he felt the Holy Spirit encouraging him to ask me to preach that night. Even a little testimony would be good. We could both speak. I said sure, I could think of something. We then walked down the hall and let the man who organizes the speakers know what had been suggested and decided. This guy walked up to the organizer and said, "Karen is preaching tonight." He said OK. So it was settled. Then I had my nervous jitters and realized I only had 3 hours until I had to speak. The Lord had given me a message, actually an entire sermon within five minutes, so I prayed as I frantically drove through heavy traffic. I had to pick up a gal from church. I ate supper in the car after arriving at home. I only consulted my bible about five to ten minutes before preaching.
So, the first speaker went up and spoke for five to ten minutes. Then I followed in pursuit. I want you to visualize the scene. We are all outside a salvation army, in a parking lot. There is a truck with a great big Jesus Sign on it professing Jesus as 'King of Kings' and 'Lord of Lords' with a website and phone number. There is a boom box and a microphone. I got up on the flat bed of a truck and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ! Many years ago, I would never have thought of me doing this for the Lord. I could speak for my profession, but for Jesus? It was incredible.
I gave a testimony on the healing power of God. I preached from John 5:1-15 ( you can read this by cutting and pasting this into your web browser: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205;&version=50 OR perhaps click on the link). I preached that God is a God of healing and that the Holy Spirit does the healing, not us Christians. We are the chosen vessels. We pray in faith, believe in the word of God, and stand on the scriptures for the healing. I talked about the Holy Spirit, the love of God and how He wants relationship with all of us. I let them know that whether or not they were looking at me, the ground, not listening, it did not matter...the Holy Spirit was working on their hearts and that He loved everyone of them. I then prayed for people to come forward for prayer for healing and salvation.
Some of us prayed for people and others served pizza and juice to those who waited in the crowd. I prayed and talked with one man at length, then was asked to go on the other side of the truck and pray for a woman. Many gathered around her, layed hands on her and prayed alongside of one another. Her prayer request was for a healing of lung cancer. As soon as I placed my hands upon her body, I could feel the Holy Spirit come in power. As I prayed for her healing, I could feel a Holy Heat rushing from my hands into the small of her back. I declared her healing according to the word of God, and praised the Lord for healing her of this disease! I asked her after the prayer if she could feel the heat in my hands and she said yes, that it was still burning in her back. Praise the Lord!!!
Afterwards, I wanted to go inside. They were just finishing the bible study and about to start prayer. I walked into a group of people, of which there was alot of hurt and pain. There was one person swearing at another man, and just about to start a fight with him. She was also very angry at God. I will not go into the particular issues, as it was very personal. I told her she needed to forgive God, forgive her enemies and pray. Well, she did not want to hear that. She stared me down, in a very challenging manner and swore at me too! I told her that God loved her, I loved her and so did all of us here. She told me I was full of it, and walked out, speaking more profanities as she left the room. I told the group that we needed to pray for her, that she had a hard time believing that we loved her, but we did. As we were about to pray, she walked back in the room, looked me straight in the eye and asked if I really loved her and why. She also wanted to know how it is I know that God loves her. I told her about Jesus, His love, His death and the Love he put in my heart. I spoke the word of God. I stared her down too and would not let my gaze leave her. Then we all prayed as a group. There were tears and joy. The Holy Spirit was at work, brilliantly and lovingly making all things work for His good.
The girl I came with and I finally decided to leave after all prayer was done. We were praising God for so much! We went outside and just as we were about to leave, we saw a fight break out. It was terrible. The one guy had the other guy on the ground after wrestling and punching him in the head. Then he proceeded to kick him repetitively in the head. My friend and I were horrified. We raised our hands toward them and started prayer with fervour and passion. We prayed for the fight to stop, for the Holy Spirit to come between them and split them up and have them walk in opposite directions and go home. It was miraculous! When we prayed that prayer, they split apart and went in opposite directions very quickly. We started to praise God again over and over, amazed at answered prayer, basking in His love. Then, within moments, the woman that we prayed for before, came and knocked on my car window to thank me for praying for her and helping her. I got out of the car and gave her a great big hug. We talked for a bit, then went with some other Christians for donuts and coffee to discuss all of the wonderful things God was doing in our lives and through this ministry.
Praise the Lord!!! I will try to write more segments very soon. The Lord is doing so much right now, it is hard to find the time to write about it. I am sooo excited and on fire for Him. I cannot wait until the next opportunity comes my way , in order to show Jesus to others and glorify our Lord!!! Hallelujah!
Monday, June 20, 2005
Update on Flooding
First of all I would like to thank and Praise God during this time. Secondly, thank everyone of you for your prayers.
I prayed for the Lord's help and He came through. The basement did start to flood from the rain. However, the water never moved past the towels I left on the floor. They were completely saturated, but no water moved beyond the towels. This was Friday evening I first noticed the water. Saturday we were pummeled with rain, fast and furious. The reports were over 100mm over night, not including all of the rain we had on Saturday. I believe this is just one of the many miracles of God.
Today the landlord brought a plumber over to make sure the reason for the water. After ruling out all possibilities, it was decided for the first time ever this house let in water from the rain. I checked out my couch today. The bottom of the couch where the water level rose up, caused minor wetness and a tiny spot of water elsewhere, no more than five inches in diameter. I let it dry out today, airing it out in the sunshine. I tried to move it into the apartment, but it just would not fit. So now, I will find a home for the couch. This poor couch has had more travel and stories than alot of people I know...LOL
As for the rest of Calgary 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes this weekend, some only returning today. We are in a state of emergency due to the dirty water from all the rain and flooding. We are on a strict consumption of water. The next 24 hours will be crucial. If Calgarians do not watch their water usage, we may lose our ability to use it for awhile (extreme measures). Residential homes will be the last to be affected by that course of action. There is plenty of water, the water treatment plant cannot provide enough clean water necessary for the current demand for consumption.
Well, off to Monday Night Evangelism. I have so much to write about what the Lord has been doing this past week. I have not had much time with ministry and work, plus the phone lines were affected, just fixed today. So, I did not have internet access.
Stay in touch for more stories....
I prayed for the Lord's help and He came through. The basement did start to flood from the rain. However, the water never moved past the towels I left on the floor. They were completely saturated, but no water moved beyond the towels. This was Friday evening I first noticed the water. Saturday we were pummeled with rain, fast and furious. The reports were over 100mm over night, not including all of the rain we had on Saturday. I believe this is just one of the many miracles of God.
Today the landlord brought a plumber over to make sure the reason for the water. After ruling out all possibilities, it was decided for the first time ever this house let in water from the rain. I checked out my couch today. The bottom of the couch where the water level rose up, caused minor wetness and a tiny spot of water elsewhere, no more than five inches in diameter. I let it dry out today, airing it out in the sunshine. I tried to move it into the apartment, but it just would not fit. So now, I will find a home for the couch. This poor couch has had more travel and stories than alot of people I know...LOL
As for the rest of Calgary 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes this weekend, some only returning today. We are in a state of emergency due to the dirty water from all the rain and flooding. We are on a strict consumption of water. The next 24 hours will be crucial. If Calgarians do not watch their water usage, we may lose our ability to use it for awhile (extreme measures). Residential homes will be the last to be affected by that course of action. There is plenty of water, the water treatment plant cannot provide enough clean water necessary for the current demand for consumption.
Well, off to Monday Night Evangelism. I have so much to write about what the Lord has been doing this past week. I have not had much time with ministry and work, plus the phone lines were affected, just fixed today. So, I did not have internet access.
Stay in touch for more stories....
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Prayer Request - Flooding
Well, it looks like we are in another rainy period here in Alberta. Last night I could not sleep all night. I had a dream that Calgary was about to receive another 256mm of rain. I think that was the number. That would be alot moe rain than we had during some of the more serious flooding. At work today I asked the girls if they had heard such a number in the forecast. ( That is how real the dream was) They all said no. Last night I heard we are supposed to receive showers on and off over the weekend. It rained last night, but not too much. Today however we have had a combination of downpours and steady rain.
At work tonight we started to get a flood in through the back door. We did not leave until late, having to mop up and leave towels and cushions to mop up the water over night. It enters in right where the electrical panels are. Please pray for no damage and for the employee's safety.
So, I came home, of course tired and having to be at work in 8.5 hours from now. My yard is soggy, I got a foot soaker through my running shoes. I am concerned that the couch will get damaged. I am praying and trusting in the Lord that it will be OK. So far, the last flooding we had here in the city and Southern Alberta, the couch was very dry and undamaged. Praise God! However, today, there is more water here in this end of town. Just five days ago, further south there was serious flooding after the other flooding around.
So, I come inside. Inside the laundry room there is flooding. I moved some of my belongings to one side for now. I mopped and used towels to get some of the water. I left towels for overnight. The landlord is coming in the morning. Please pray for my couch outside and all of my belongings inside. I do not have contents insurance as I cannot afford to do so. Plus, some insurance policies do not cover flood damage. The government here was kind enough to give relief to those flood victims that were denied assistance from their insurance companies.
So, all is in the Lord's hands. I trust in Him, no matter what happens. I feel peace and will press into Him as I monitor the situation. Thank you for joining me in my prayers. God Bless.
At work tonight we started to get a flood in through the back door. We did not leave until late, having to mop up and leave towels and cushions to mop up the water over night. It enters in right where the electrical panels are. Please pray for no damage and for the employee's safety.
So, I came home, of course tired and having to be at work in 8.5 hours from now. My yard is soggy, I got a foot soaker through my running shoes. I am concerned that the couch will get damaged. I am praying and trusting in the Lord that it will be OK. So far, the last flooding we had here in the city and Southern Alberta, the couch was very dry and undamaged. Praise God! However, today, there is more water here in this end of town. Just five days ago, further south there was serious flooding after the other flooding around.
So, I come inside. Inside the laundry room there is flooding. I moved some of my belongings to one side for now. I mopped and used towels to get some of the water. I left towels for overnight. The landlord is coming in the morning. Please pray for my couch outside and all of my belongings inside. I do not have contents insurance as I cannot afford to do so. Plus, some insurance policies do not cover flood damage. The government here was kind enough to give relief to those flood victims that were denied assistance from their insurance companies.
So, all is in the Lord's hands. I trust in Him, no matter what happens. I feel peace and will press into Him as I monitor the situation. Thank you for joining me in my prayers. God Bless.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Part 1 - Psalm 24 Days!
On Sunday June 5th, the Holy Spirit lead me to read over Psalm 24 several times, etching the scripture deep within my soul. What a profound scripture, yet I knew I needed more intimate time with the Lord and to look up at Him in every situation.
I went to church Sunday morning with a heavy heart. I had been rejected by my peers for revealing some of the things I have learned about, in and through the Holy Spirit. I was very sad when I drove home after Friday night bible study. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of a time a couple of years ago. I had talked about the very same thing with a man that was on fire for God, but had no understanding of the spirtual realm. I experienced rejection there as well. Perhaps a year and a half after the fact, I met him at a prayer vigil. He was pumped up, his eyes had been opened to the truth. He apologized for rejecting what I had to say, but had to go through the Holy Spirit's leading the hard way. I only planted the seed. The Lord took him through the process, to bloom a beautiful flower of truth and knowledge in the Spirit.
On Sunday morning, I went to pre-service intercession. There are a couple of ladies, just overflowing with the Spirit and completely on fire for God. Perhaps this is what keeps me at this church for now. As we were praying, interceding and worshipping the Lord, three of us entered into a wonderful intermingling of the Holy Spirit. I had kept receiving a visionof gates. At the gates the Lord was ushering people in, to come in those gates. To be with Him, come meet with Him in the Holy place. This happened a few times during prayer, then as I recieved the vision again and heard the words in the spirit to enter in/come on in, one of the ladies passionately yelled out, "ENTER IN!" My goodness, I slapped my hand on the table and started praising the Lord...she and I started giggling in the spirit and praising God. The third lady was receiving Psalm 24 at this time and started to burst forth the glorious words from the scriptures. "Lift up your heads, oh you ancient gates! Come to see the Lord of Glory!" Wow...we cried, laughed, praised God and marvelled at how he used us three as intricate pieces of a puzzle, coming so perfectly together in the Spirit.
After this, I decided to go and sit amongst those that rejected me a couple of nights before. I did it in the right spirit, with great love in my heart and wanting to do what God wanted, not what my flesh desired. It turned out be be okay. Although they may not agree with my views, it appears they are not rejecting me altogether.
There are so many lessons to be gained from this experience:
I went to church Sunday morning with a heavy heart. I had been rejected by my peers for revealing some of the things I have learned about, in and through the Holy Spirit. I was very sad when I drove home after Friday night bible study. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of a time a couple of years ago. I had talked about the very same thing with a man that was on fire for God, but had no understanding of the spirtual realm. I experienced rejection there as well. Perhaps a year and a half after the fact, I met him at a prayer vigil. He was pumped up, his eyes had been opened to the truth. He apologized for rejecting what I had to say, but had to go through the Holy Spirit's leading the hard way. I only planted the seed. The Lord took him through the process, to bloom a beautiful flower of truth and knowledge in the Spirit.
On Sunday morning, I went to pre-service intercession. There are a couple of ladies, just overflowing with the Spirit and completely on fire for God. Perhaps this is what keeps me at this church for now. As we were praying, interceding and worshipping the Lord, three of us entered into a wonderful intermingling of the Holy Spirit. I had kept receiving a visionof gates. At the gates the Lord was ushering people in, to come in those gates. To be with Him, come meet with Him in the Holy place. This happened a few times during prayer, then as I recieved the vision again and heard the words in the spirit to enter in/come on in, one of the ladies passionately yelled out, "ENTER IN!" My goodness, I slapped my hand on the table and started praising the Lord...she and I started giggling in the spirit and praising God. The third lady was receiving Psalm 24 at this time and started to burst forth the glorious words from the scriptures. "Lift up your heads, oh you ancient gates! Come to see the Lord of Glory!" Wow...we cried, laughed, praised God and marvelled at how he used us three as intricate pieces of a puzzle, coming so perfectly together in the Spirit.
After this, I decided to go and sit amongst those that rejected me a couple of nights before. I did it in the right spirit, with great love in my heart and wanting to do what God wanted, not what my flesh desired. It turned out be be okay. Although they may not agree with my views, it appears they are not rejecting me altogether.
There are so many lessons to be gained from this experience:
- During the tough times of your journey, always keep your eyes focused on God. Satan and his army will attempt to pull you into despair, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, etc. . Anything opposite to the fruit of the spirit to pull you away from God, to prevent you from looking up to Him.
- I have learned from experience that when you go forth with a word from God, perhaps a revelation He has given you, often it will be rejected. Not always. During these times, trust in Him. He will not leave you nor forsake you. If you are putting forth His truth and it is not of your flesh, it is of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will come through for you. As Christians we are taught to test all spirits, so let them test what you have to say. The Holy Spirit is one of truth, He is the only one who can open up eyes and ears to see, hear and experience all He has to offer. Pray for those that persecute you and reject you.
I am certain there are many more things I can write from this experience. In fact, I am sure I had a list of five things in my head. The most important thing for me was to know that the Lord is always with me and comes through for me, for we are Victorious in Christ!!! Hallelujah!
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Lift Up Your Heads
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah
The Lord led me to this psalm on Sunday evening. The Lord had me read it several times. The more I read it, the more I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me.
In the first 2 verses, God is shown to be our absolute authority. He made this earth and everything in it. Read that verse many times and it will appear more profound each time. We all know He is the Creator, but the more I read these verses I felt a deeper reverence for the Sovereignty of our Lord.
Verses 3 to 6 touched me very deeply. To stand in the Holy Place of the Lord, one must have clean hands and a pure heart, not swear by what is false and not lift up our soul to an idol. What great blessing such a person will receive. David then says, such is the generation of those that seek Him.
Lord, I want to be of such a generation. I want to be able to stand in your Holy Place, to experience your awesome splendour and glory!
Verses 7 to 10 are very interesting. Not only is the King of Glory more clearly defined, but I feel even a greater reverance for Him, the more I continue to read. He is strong, mighty in battle, He is the Lord Almighty, the King of Glory. Hallelujah! I looked at some commentaries to try and grasp the 'lift upyour heads you ancient gates'. Barnes says this is when they are coming into the city of Jeruslaem, carrying the ark of the covenant.
I feel the Holy Spirit placing something deep within as I read this, something for the generation then, now and the generations to come. Oh, lift up your heads you ancient gates! That is us, you and me. Get out of our complacency and set our faces before Jesus! Lift up our faces before the Lord so that the King of Glory may come in. The Lord is seeking such a generation.
I leave this verse with you to meditate upon. I pray the Holy Spirit will speak to you in the way He has spoken to me this evening. Praise His Holy Name!
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah
The Lord led me to this psalm on Sunday evening. The Lord had me read it several times. The more I read it, the more I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me.
In the first 2 verses, God is shown to be our absolute authority. He made this earth and everything in it. Read that verse many times and it will appear more profound each time. We all know He is the Creator, but the more I read these verses I felt a deeper reverence for the Sovereignty of our Lord.
Verses 3 to 6 touched me very deeply. To stand in the Holy Place of the Lord, one must have clean hands and a pure heart, not swear by what is false and not lift up our soul to an idol. What great blessing such a person will receive. David then says, such is the generation of those that seek Him.
Lord, I want to be of such a generation. I want to be able to stand in your Holy Place, to experience your awesome splendour and glory!
Verses 7 to 10 are very interesting. Not only is the King of Glory more clearly defined, but I feel even a greater reverance for Him, the more I continue to read. He is strong, mighty in battle, He is the Lord Almighty, the King of Glory. Hallelujah! I looked at some commentaries to try and grasp the 'lift upyour heads you ancient gates'. Barnes says this is when they are coming into the city of Jeruslaem, carrying the ark of the covenant.
I feel the Holy Spirit placing something deep within as I read this, something for the generation then, now and the generations to come. Oh, lift up your heads you ancient gates! That is us, you and me. Get out of our complacency and set our faces before Jesus! Lift up our faces before the Lord so that the King of Glory may come in. The Lord is seeking such a generation.
I leave this verse with you to meditate upon. I pray the Holy Spirit will speak to you in the way He has spoken to me this evening. Praise His Holy Name!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Pray for Alberta
Currently many parts of Southern Alberta have been declared a state of emergency. Some communities have had a mandatory evacuation. Due to increasing levels of rainfall, rivers are rising and overflowing. Ten years ago Alberta experienced severe flooding, mostly in the Southern part.
Now, in Calgary, the rivers are rising. The Elbow River is threatening and rising on the banks, creeping into yards. Outside of Calgary, one community in the west of Bragg Creek has had a suggested evacuation as well, as their only bridge is threatening to be washed out. Pincher Creek has flooded over, and Sheep River is threatening some communities West of Calgary.
Please pray for safety for all adults and children in these areas. Please pray for minimal or no damage to their homes/belongings. The rain might let up a little by tomorrow, but areas will still be on watch until the water starts to dry up. Calgary has not delcared a state of emergency, but is in the process of preparing for one.
On my end here, The Lord has been good. A friend helped me bring in my loveseat from outside and it was fine. Praise the Lord! I now have furniture! We moved it in the rain and it got wet, but dried out with no problems or damage. My couch is outside on the lawn wrapped in plastic, as it will not fit in my apartment. It appears to still be dry, even with all of this rain. I asked the Lord to keep it dry and praise the Lord he has! Even our first bout of rain a couple of weeks ago, I was driving home and it started to pour. I prayed, Lord please save the furniture. When I arrived, the wind blew the plastic off, it had rained, but the furniture was completely dry. The plastic was wet, and a puddle to boot. I praised God aloud right there and thanked Him. Now, I am hoping to bless our church's new youth pastor with a couch. I will not find out until Sunday if he can take it. Please pray to keep it safe so it can bless someone, hopefully this new Pastor that is moving to our city from the US.
On a final note, some may think that the big things we see God do are miracles. I believe the little things are miracles too. God keeping my furniture dry under such circumstances is a demonstration of His magnificent power and He does deserve the glory!!!
Now, in Calgary, the rivers are rising. The Elbow River is threatening and rising on the banks, creeping into yards. Outside of Calgary, one community in the west of Bragg Creek has had a suggested evacuation as well, as their only bridge is threatening to be washed out. Pincher Creek has flooded over, and Sheep River is threatening some communities West of Calgary.
Please pray for safety for all adults and children in these areas. Please pray for minimal or no damage to their homes/belongings. The rain might let up a little by tomorrow, but areas will still be on watch until the water starts to dry up. Calgary has not delcared a state of emergency, but is in the process of preparing for one.
On my end here, The Lord has been good. A friend helped me bring in my loveseat from outside and it was fine. Praise the Lord! I now have furniture! We moved it in the rain and it got wet, but dried out with no problems or damage. My couch is outside on the lawn wrapped in plastic, as it will not fit in my apartment. It appears to still be dry, even with all of this rain. I asked the Lord to keep it dry and praise the Lord he has! Even our first bout of rain a couple of weeks ago, I was driving home and it started to pour. I prayed, Lord please save the furniture. When I arrived, the wind blew the plastic off, it had rained, but the furniture was completely dry. The plastic was wet, and a puddle to boot. I praised God aloud right there and thanked Him. Now, I am hoping to bless our church's new youth pastor with a couch. I will not find out until Sunday if he can take it. Please pray to keep it safe so it can bless someone, hopefully this new Pastor that is moving to our city from the US.
On a final note, some may think that the big things we see God do are miracles. I believe the little things are miracles too. God keeping my furniture dry under such circumstances is a demonstration of His magnificent power and He does deserve the glory!!!
Babe in the Woods
Today I made a decision to go to and be involved in a new ministry. I am in a new city, now since December 18th, and need to meet people who have a passion for God. A Christian I met recently asked about the call of God on my life and I told him the Lord gave me a vision back in the winter of 2002. He wanted to know what it was, so I told him. I explained how the Lord brought me to this point of my life and had me move across country for Him. He was very enthusiastic and said that I had to come out to his ministry group.
I will tell you what this ministry is and its set-up. It is an evangelistic ministry that primarily preaches out doors, mostly to those of lower income or homeless individuals. A couple of these places are outside of shelters and drop-in centres. It is street evangelism, John Wesley style. It is a little out of my comfort zone in some respects, in other respects, it is right up my alley. I will explain this last point. I confess, I am not the most comfortable walking and doing street or door to door evangelism. I like to be led by the Holy Spirit to those I do 'blunt, in your face' evangelism to. What I love about this ministry is praying for others, seeing souls saved and people healed/delivered by the Holy Spirit.
I was very excited to go this evening. Last week, I think they said eight people were known to give their lives to Christ, many had hands on prayer, one person was delivered of demons, and another still struggling with demonization. Our prayer was for the demon-possessed man to come back tonight. As far as I know, no one saw the man, but I believe he will be saved and delivered. I did not know where I would be used this evening. It has been raining heavy in Alberta, so they brought the ministry in doors this evening, the other groups went out in the rain to preach. I was one of the groups that stayed indoors at the Salvation Army.
As we went outside to recruit people to come hear the wordof God, have pizza, bible study, etcetera, I approached 3 people huddled together smoking to invite them in and struck up a conversation with them. I saw many others further away in amongst some of the trees, and thought I could go over and invite them too. They said, "No, Karen..they are all over there doing crack. It is not safe for you to go over there alone." Then the one guy said to me, "I see we have ourselves here a babe in the woods." I kind-of defensively said "No, not really a babe in the woods. If you knew my testimony, you would be surprised. I may only look innocent and that is due to the Lord doing all the work in me. I am just not comfortable or know the area. It is my first time down here you know." Afterward, as I walked inside I thought I may as well have eaten my foot whole. Goodness! What a bunch of babble! I really am a babe in the woods in some ways. I am learning more about crack since becoming involved in street ministry, but this area is new to me in so many ways. I have been exposed to all kinds of alcohol and drugs over the years. I worked at a homeless shelter for teens, confiscating drugs and weapons. But the street ministry,seeing it first hand...I am a babe in the woods.
Tonight we shared the gospel, gave away some bibles, had an opportunity to pray for some folks. I drove one gal to a shelter. Talked with some other folks. All in all it was a good night, one filled with personal lessons and growth. Tonight I feel God handpicked just for me ( I apologize if that sounds selfish, as there are so many helped through this ministry). I feel after I heard the Lord speak to me this morning, and electrify me this evening, this is the beginning of many beautiful paths.
I will tell you what this ministry is and its set-up. It is an evangelistic ministry that primarily preaches out doors, mostly to those of lower income or homeless individuals. A couple of these places are outside of shelters and drop-in centres. It is street evangelism, John Wesley style. It is a little out of my comfort zone in some respects, in other respects, it is right up my alley. I will explain this last point. I confess, I am not the most comfortable walking and doing street or door to door evangelism. I like to be led by the Holy Spirit to those I do 'blunt, in your face' evangelism to. What I love about this ministry is praying for others, seeing souls saved and people healed/delivered by the Holy Spirit.
I was very excited to go this evening. Last week, I think they said eight people were known to give their lives to Christ, many had hands on prayer, one person was delivered of demons, and another still struggling with demonization. Our prayer was for the demon-possessed man to come back tonight. As far as I know, no one saw the man, but I believe he will be saved and delivered. I did not know where I would be used this evening. It has been raining heavy in Alberta, so they brought the ministry in doors this evening, the other groups went out in the rain to preach. I was one of the groups that stayed indoors at the Salvation Army.
As we went outside to recruit people to come hear the wordof God, have pizza, bible study, etcetera, I approached 3 people huddled together smoking to invite them in and struck up a conversation with them. I saw many others further away in amongst some of the trees, and thought I could go over and invite them too. They said, "No, Karen..they are all over there doing crack. It is not safe for you to go over there alone." Then the one guy said to me, "I see we have ourselves here a babe in the woods." I kind-of defensively said "No, not really a babe in the woods. If you knew my testimony, you would be surprised. I may only look innocent and that is due to the Lord doing all the work in me. I am just not comfortable or know the area. It is my first time down here you know." Afterward, as I walked inside I thought I may as well have eaten my foot whole. Goodness! What a bunch of babble! I really am a babe in the woods in some ways. I am learning more about crack since becoming involved in street ministry, but this area is new to me in so many ways. I have been exposed to all kinds of alcohol and drugs over the years. I worked at a homeless shelter for teens, confiscating drugs and weapons. But the street ministry,seeing it first hand...I am a babe in the woods.
Tonight we shared the gospel, gave away some bibles, had an opportunity to pray for some folks. I drove one gal to a shelter. Talked with some other folks. All in all it was a good night, one filled with personal lessons and growth. Tonight I feel God handpicked just for me ( I apologize if that sounds selfish, as there are so many helped through this ministry). I feel after I heard the Lord speak to me this morning, and electrify me this evening, this is the beginning of many beautiful paths.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
The Self Pity Rollercoaster
Today will not be one of those positive posts I like to write all the time. Lately I have written about feeling joy, peace, etcetera. This is true. The Lord has blessed me abundantly in so many areas. However, occassionally I seem to get on a rollercoaster of self pity. I would like to destroy this rollercoaster, blow it up, erase it from my existence. I hope to one day be like Paul and to be content in every circumstance.
Living in a new city I feel lonely. All the people I started to get to know are now no longer involved in my life due to the relationship break up I went through five weeks ago. All except for a couple of people have remained in contact with me. I went to a friend's wedding last weekend and my ex-boyfriend was there as well. We had originally been invited as a couple, then circumstances changed. I was still invited to the wedding as I have become friends with the couple. These two have remained in my life and have been like angels sent from the Lord. They have been such a blessing. The wedding was very difficult to attend. My ex and some of his friends completely ignored me and were very rude. I cannot understand why Christian men would act in such a manner. We are all to be brothers and sisters in the Lord. In my hurt and pain, I gave it to the Lord. I cannot carry this burden any longer. I need to heal from all the bad things that have been said and have occurred.
Moreover, I had to find a new church. Any of the contacts I started to establish at this old church have fallen to the wayside, due to the fact that my ex is there. Some of the folks I had been developing close relationships with have not called to say hello or to say anything with regard to the breakup. These are family in the Lord. I do not understand how or why Christians act this way. We are to be an example to the world, not be exactly like the secular world around us.
In this new church, I felt excited at first. It is a well-balanced congregation. It is sound doctrinely, has upbeat worship, mixes a charismatic flair with tradition. I still don't know if it is for me. I like the charismatic churches, as I love having the Holy Spirit working in full power, not squashed or limited due to fear. I tried a couple of more charismatic churches, but they do not seem balanced enough for my liking. I might occassionally this summer try different churches to see if something fits more what I am seeking. However, I will plant some roots at this congregation for now. The intercessory group is on fire for God, but I am not seeing this in a good portion of people that attend there. I am so desiring friendships with people that are on fire for God, understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit and move in them. Like I said in a past post, perhaps the Lord wants me to be an example to others. It feels strange worshipping God next to others that are not exuberant about their praise, yet I put my hands up in the air and like to dance a little jig. So, I will remain different to some around me, but I am focusing on the Lord. What they think should not matter.
I received my first assistance last weekend. I had tried to get hold of the food bank, but they have limited hours. Plus, I had been struggling with the shame and other ungodly emotions I was struggling with realizing I had to go through an application process. The church I am attending has a food bank, so one of the younger gals asked on my behalf if I could have some assistance. So, I ignored any stares I may have receievd, with thanksgiving in my heart, carried the bags of groceries to my car after the church service. Last night I used my grocery coupon. I planned my grocery list, to combine meals from food at home to leftovers my friend's gave me when they went on their honeymoon. I actually added up every item, being careful to not overspend on anything.
So now, on to my work issues. I have recieved a second job, praise the Lord, but I cannot start until I receive medical insurance and registration to cover me while I work. Can you imagine they received my application over a week ago and I still have not received my number? I called every day this week. It has been frustrating. I could be making some extra money to cover expenses. I have let the registration office know my financial situation, but it has not made a difference. Same with my other job. I have let them know for weeks how I need extra hours, but once again, I receive only 10-15 hours per week. It was not until I mentioned that I recieved a second job, that they posted the schedule weeks in advance and gave me more hours. Crazy, huh?
Now, I am in a quandery. My job in the north is 25-30 minutes to drive, my other job is 15-20 minutes. My school is only about a 10 minute drive maximum. My church is about 15 minutes to drive, further south. I just moved here to this apartment a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to move again. However, my apartment is so tiny that my furniture is out on the lawn. I am going to see if I can receive help to move my love seat inside which will require 3 doors coming off and yet there is no guarantee that I can get it inside. The couch will have to find a home. If I decide to find a cheaper apartment in the north, my church will be too long a drive, school will take longer, but not a big deal. I have decided to remain in the south for now, make a home of it and keep my eyes open. Not too far away from where I live there is a gorgeous park, with trails and a fabulous view!
So, as writing this post is to get my feelings out, I have been feeling sorry for myself and am trying very hard to remain in a cycle of joy. Since I left Ontario almost a year ago and moved across the country, I have had to face alot of trials and adversities. In December, I was tempted to walk away from it all. I thought, if it is this hard now, what will it be like in full time ministry? Even though I was in that space of wanting to tell God that I wanted to hang up my robe and walk away, I could not do so. I want so much to make a difference in this world, to bring God much glory and to see thousands of souls saved. So, here I am having a pity party and riding a roller coaster I do not want to be on. I even prayed and asked the Lord if I could return home, but that is not God's will to do so. So, I remain...lonely, grieving, crying and pushing through to focus on God during these tough times.
Before I left Ontario to pursue the call of God on my life, my Pastor told me that it is not an easy walk to do so. I had suffered a terrible situation dating a so-called Christian man, that ended terribly and the guy renounced Jesus Christ. My Pastor said it was one way God was trying to prepare me for dealing with bad scenarios that will come as a result of pursuing the call. This past year has helped me understand what he was trying to communicate. Walking in God brings persecution from all angles. Paul taught us that we are to rejoice through such times. I have had time to reflect on this. I think Paul, like the rest of us, had to go through the muck and the swamp of life in order to obtain and keep an attitude of thanksgiving and contentedness. There were 10 hidden years that the Lord worked on Paul. In this time, I am convinced the Lord put him through a baptism of fire over and over again until Paul was ready to do the work of the Lord.
I have cried to the Lord many times, change me and transform me to your likeness. Make me more like you and less of me. I know He is taking me through the process and getting me ready for ministry. To be a leader of God's people, we must be more like Him. To live,breathe and eat the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lord, although I confess my sin of grumbling before you, I love you more than life itself. I want to do great things in your name. So, once again, I thank you for the trials and tribulations of life. I look forward to the time when, like Paul, I can say " I have learned to be content in whatever state I am." (Phil.4:11, NKJV)
Living in a new city I feel lonely. All the people I started to get to know are now no longer involved in my life due to the relationship break up I went through five weeks ago. All except for a couple of people have remained in contact with me. I went to a friend's wedding last weekend and my ex-boyfriend was there as well. We had originally been invited as a couple, then circumstances changed. I was still invited to the wedding as I have become friends with the couple. These two have remained in my life and have been like angels sent from the Lord. They have been such a blessing. The wedding was very difficult to attend. My ex and some of his friends completely ignored me and were very rude. I cannot understand why Christian men would act in such a manner. We are all to be brothers and sisters in the Lord. In my hurt and pain, I gave it to the Lord. I cannot carry this burden any longer. I need to heal from all the bad things that have been said and have occurred.
Moreover, I had to find a new church. Any of the contacts I started to establish at this old church have fallen to the wayside, due to the fact that my ex is there. Some of the folks I had been developing close relationships with have not called to say hello or to say anything with regard to the breakup. These are family in the Lord. I do not understand how or why Christians act this way. We are to be an example to the world, not be exactly like the secular world around us.
In this new church, I felt excited at first. It is a well-balanced congregation. It is sound doctrinely, has upbeat worship, mixes a charismatic flair with tradition. I still don't know if it is for me. I like the charismatic churches, as I love having the Holy Spirit working in full power, not squashed or limited due to fear. I tried a couple of more charismatic churches, but they do not seem balanced enough for my liking. I might occassionally this summer try different churches to see if something fits more what I am seeking. However, I will plant some roots at this congregation for now. The intercessory group is on fire for God, but I am not seeing this in a good portion of people that attend there. I am so desiring friendships with people that are on fire for God, understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit and move in them. Like I said in a past post, perhaps the Lord wants me to be an example to others. It feels strange worshipping God next to others that are not exuberant about their praise, yet I put my hands up in the air and like to dance a little jig. So, I will remain different to some around me, but I am focusing on the Lord. What they think should not matter.
I received my first assistance last weekend. I had tried to get hold of the food bank, but they have limited hours. Plus, I had been struggling with the shame and other ungodly emotions I was struggling with realizing I had to go through an application process. The church I am attending has a food bank, so one of the younger gals asked on my behalf if I could have some assistance. So, I ignored any stares I may have receievd, with thanksgiving in my heart, carried the bags of groceries to my car after the church service. Last night I used my grocery coupon. I planned my grocery list, to combine meals from food at home to leftovers my friend's gave me when they went on their honeymoon. I actually added up every item, being careful to not overspend on anything.
So now, on to my work issues. I have recieved a second job, praise the Lord, but I cannot start until I receive medical insurance and registration to cover me while I work. Can you imagine they received my application over a week ago and I still have not received my number? I called every day this week. It has been frustrating. I could be making some extra money to cover expenses. I have let the registration office know my financial situation, but it has not made a difference. Same with my other job. I have let them know for weeks how I need extra hours, but once again, I receive only 10-15 hours per week. It was not until I mentioned that I recieved a second job, that they posted the schedule weeks in advance and gave me more hours. Crazy, huh?
Now, I am in a quandery. My job in the north is 25-30 minutes to drive, my other job is 15-20 minutes. My school is only about a 10 minute drive maximum. My church is about 15 minutes to drive, further south. I just moved here to this apartment a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to move again. However, my apartment is so tiny that my furniture is out on the lawn. I am going to see if I can receive help to move my love seat inside which will require 3 doors coming off and yet there is no guarantee that I can get it inside. The couch will have to find a home. If I decide to find a cheaper apartment in the north, my church will be too long a drive, school will take longer, but not a big deal. I have decided to remain in the south for now, make a home of it and keep my eyes open. Not too far away from where I live there is a gorgeous park, with trails and a fabulous view!
So, as writing this post is to get my feelings out, I have been feeling sorry for myself and am trying very hard to remain in a cycle of joy. Since I left Ontario almost a year ago and moved across the country, I have had to face alot of trials and adversities. In December, I was tempted to walk away from it all. I thought, if it is this hard now, what will it be like in full time ministry? Even though I was in that space of wanting to tell God that I wanted to hang up my robe and walk away, I could not do so. I want so much to make a difference in this world, to bring God much glory and to see thousands of souls saved. So, here I am having a pity party and riding a roller coaster I do not want to be on. I even prayed and asked the Lord if I could return home, but that is not God's will to do so. So, I remain...lonely, grieving, crying and pushing through to focus on God during these tough times.
Before I left Ontario to pursue the call of God on my life, my Pastor told me that it is not an easy walk to do so. I had suffered a terrible situation dating a so-called Christian man, that ended terribly and the guy renounced Jesus Christ. My Pastor said it was one way God was trying to prepare me for dealing with bad scenarios that will come as a result of pursuing the call. This past year has helped me understand what he was trying to communicate. Walking in God brings persecution from all angles. Paul taught us that we are to rejoice through such times. I have had time to reflect on this. I think Paul, like the rest of us, had to go through the muck and the swamp of life in order to obtain and keep an attitude of thanksgiving and contentedness. There were 10 hidden years that the Lord worked on Paul. In this time, I am convinced the Lord put him through a baptism of fire over and over again until Paul was ready to do the work of the Lord.
I have cried to the Lord many times, change me and transform me to your likeness. Make me more like you and less of me. I know He is taking me through the process and getting me ready for ministry. To be a leader of God's people, we must be more like Him. To live,breathe and eat the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lord, although I confess my sin of grumbling before you, I love you more than life itself. I want to do great things in your name. So, once again, I thank you for the trials and tribulations of life. I look forward to the time when, like Paul, I can say " I have learned to be content in whatever state I am." (Phil.4:11, NKJV)
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Summer Break
Praise the Lord! I give Him all the glory, honour and credit for all He has done for me! I am finally finished school now until September. On Friday morning I handed in my assignments. After all the difficulties I had to face this semester including the passing of my Stepfather, the school gave me an extension to finish. This was God's grace.
I am almost settled into my apartment and am seeking a home for my furniture. It is wrapped in plastic in the backyard as it will not fit in this place. I have a tiny basement suite. When the Lord called me here to Alberta, I prayed about what to keep and what to give away. I wanted to keep my bed, dresser, and my big desk. The desk takes up most of my livingroom, LOL, but I call it my Ministry desk. It is great for studying, research, writing and fits my personality! The couch and loveseat were not on that list, and I want to bless a Christian family or organization. Please pray for someone to be blessed!
Now that I have the summer break, I will focus on employment, health, grieving and the Lord. I have not really grieved my losses this year and need the Lord to heal and mend many areas. My stepfather is with the Lord now, and that makes me smile. However, there is so much I need to focus on, allowing the Lord to wrap His loving arms around me, loving and strengthening me.
I am looking forward to writing and reading this summer. There are books that I have wanted to read for awhile, just no time during studies. I anticipate this time with the Lord.
I am almost settled into my apartment and am seeking a home for my furniture. It is wrapped in plastic in the backyard as it will not fit in this place. I have a tiny basement suite. When the Lord called me here to Alberta, I prayed about what to keep and what to give away. I wanted to keep my bed, dresser, and my big desk. The desk takes up most of my livingroom, LOL, but I call it my Ministry desk. It is great for studying, research, writing and fits my personality! The couch and loveseat were not on that list, and I want to bless a Christian family or organization. Please pray for someone to be blessed!
Now that I have the summer break, I will focus on employment, health, grieving and the Lord. I have not really grieved my losses this year and need the Lord to heal and mend many areas. My stepfather is with the Lord now, and that makes me smile. However, there is so much I need to focus on, allowing the Lord to wrap His loving arms around me, loving and strengthening me.
I am looking forward to writing and reading this summer. There are books that I have wanted to read for awhile, just no time during studies. I anticipate this time with the Lord.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
In the River
Lord,
You are the twinkle in my eye,
You are the love in my heart,
You are the bounce in my step,
You make me shine.
Your word gives me sustenance,
Your Spirit speaks deep wisdom within,
You feed my soul,
You speak whispers of knowledge.
You fill me to overflowing,
Gentle streams gurgling in my laughter,
Rushing rivers pouring forth,
Giving me the ride for eternity.
I am white water rafting in the river of life,
Jesus my friend is with me,
The Holy Spirit is guiding my path,
My Father is Smiling down at me....
I am having the most fulfilling time in my life,
Full of joy and new experiences,
The work on the River is challenging,
It can be hard, but exhilarating....
Wanna come for a ride?
You are the twinkle in my eye,
You are the love in my heart,
You are the bounce in my step,
You make me shine.
Your word gives me sustenance,
Your Spirit speaks deep wisdom within,
You feed my soul,
You speak whispers of knowledge.
You fill me to overflowing,
Gentle streams gurgling in my laughter,
Rushing rivers pouring forth,
Giving me the ride for eternity.
I am white water rafting in the river of life,
Jesus my friend is with me,
The Holy Spirit is guiding my path,
My Father is Smiling down at me....
I am having the most fulfilling time in my life,
Full of joy and new experiences,
The work on the River is challenging,
It can be hard, but exhilarating....
Wanna come for a ride?
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Remember Jesus
I just finished studying the Pastoral Letters. Actually finished my assignment yesterday. Paul gave Timothy much commands, directions and advice for living out the call God put on his life. One of the things that Paul taught was to remember Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:8-13
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Pretty powerful words from Paul. I wondered why Paul had this teaching in here about remembering Jesus. When you look at the life he led, how could he not remember him? However, when you are enduring hardship for the sake of the gospel it is important to keep Christ the focus. If not, it would be easy to allow suffering to overtake you, giving Satan too much ground. It is when you let your guard down that Satan will attack who the Saviour is, trying with all his might to pull your eyes away from the one that saved you.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other way.
2 Timothy 2:8-13
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Pretty powerful words from Paul. I wondered why Paul had this teaching in here about remembering Jesus. When you look at the life he led, how could he not remember him? However, when you are enduring hardship for the sake of the gospel it is important to keep Christ the focus. If not, it would be easy to allow suffering to overtake you, giving Satan too much ground. It is when you let your guard down that Satan will attack who the Saviour is, trying with all his might to pull your eyes away from the one that saved you.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other way.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Life is Full of Surprises
I want to thank the Lord, once again for all things that pass my way, good and bad, negative or positive, hardships or blessings.
I have moved into my new place,which has its own comedic set of errors! First of all, and now the second apartment since I moved to this city, my furniture will not fit. So, my couch and loveseat are on the back lawn wrapped in plastic. So, either I sell or give to the Salvation Army. The next few weeks will help out there.
Secondly, on Monday I locked myself out of the apartment. It was about 5- 5:30 in the afternoon. I had no access to a phone, no money, did not know the landlord's number, did not have other numbers handy. So, I thought, I cannot just wait here, this will take forever. So, placed my hand on the door and said Lord, please help me I need a miracle! Then I knocked on the tenants door, I thought they were home as the 2 cats sound like a herd of elephants. No one home. Then went to the shed and grabbed one tool box and my briefcase, hoping that maybe there would be a bobby pin. Worth a shot, I am thinking. Then I remembered I had left the 2 windows open. So, the one side of the house I thought someone would call the cops for sure, as it is wide open. So, I decided to climb through the bush and try the other side of the house. I had to bend and pry the screen open. The opening of the window was 17" wide by 13" height. The drop to the bed was a few feet. Can you imagine I made it through the window with no injury? Afterward, my thumb and wrist hurt a little. So I praised and thank God for the miracle. First of all, that I was not fat, secondly flexible enough to bend through the window like that, thirdly that I did not have to wait for a long period of time for someone to show up. Fourthly, felt relief that knowing if I ever had to make an exit out ofthe window, at least I know I can fit through.
I would like to thank the Lord for His help with my schoolwork. I only have 2 assignments left to do which both have to be completed in the next 6-7 days maximum. It is only by the grace of God that I have managed to do this, move, deal with a relationship break up,etc. ...all at the same time! There are blessings in the adversities of life. We must remember to thank God for all of them!
I have moved into my new place,which has its own comedic set of errors! First of all, and now the second apartment since I moved to this city, my furniture will not fit. So, my couch and loveseat are on the back lawn wrapped in plastic. So, either I sell or give to the Salvation Army. The next few weeks will help out there.
Secondly, on Monday I locked myself out of the apartment. It was about 5- 5:30 in the afternoon. I had no access to a phone, no money, did not know the landlord's number, did not have other numbers handy. So, I thought, I cannot just wait here, this will take forever. So, placed my hand on the door and said Lord, please help me I need a miracle! Then I knocked on the tenants door, I thought they were home as the 2 cats sound like a herd of elephants. No one home. Then went to the shed and grabbed one tool box and my briefcase, hoping that maybe there would be a bobby pin. Worth a shot, I am thinking. Then I remembered I had left the 2 windows open. So, the one side of the house I thought someone would call the cops for sure, as it is wide open. So, I decided to climb through the bush and try the other side of the house. I had to bend and pry the screen open. The opening of the window was 17" wide by 13" height. The drop to the bed was a few feet. Can you imagine I made it through the window with no injury? Afterward, my thumb and wrist hurt a little. So I praised and thank God for the miracle. First of all, that I was not fat, secondly flexible enough to bend through the window like that, thirdly that I did not have to wait for a long period of time for someone to show up. Fourthly, felt relief that knowing if I ever had to make an exit out ofthe window, at least I know I can fit through.
I would like to thank the Lord for His help with my schoolwork. I only have 2 assignments left to do which both have to be completed in the next 6-7 days maximum. It is only by the grace of God that I have managed to do this, move, deal with a relationship break up,etc. ...all at the same time! There are blessings in the adversities of life. We must remember to thank God for all of them!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Trusting in God
As I go through my journey, I realize this is an area that I am still struggling with. The Lord started teaching me Easter 2004 that I really need to let go and let Him steer the course. Right now I am in the Lord's ship, on his waters, chartered for unknown territory. The Lord is my rudder and is steering my direction. The moment I get worried or anxious about a circumstance in my life, in other words a storm is brewing or I am in the middle of the storm, I grab onto that rudder for dear life and try to steer it myself.
This is the difference between trusting God in all things and not trusting Him to see me through the hard times. I want to be like Jesus, sleeping on the boat, unaware of the storm around me. Why? Because all of my trust is in God. This is a difficult process to learn.
Last night I received that today I should write about trust. I looked through the psalms and found some amazing scriptures I would like to share.
Psa 25:21 May my goodness and honesty preserve me, because I trust in you.
Psa 27:14 Trust in the LORD. Have faith, do not despair. Trust in the LORD.
Psa 28:7 The LORD protects and defends me; I trust in him. He gives me help and makes me glad; I praise him with joyful songs.
Psa 31:14 But my trust is in you, O LORD; you are my God.
Psa 31:19 How wonderful are the good things you keep for those who honor you! Everyone knows how good you are, how securely you protect those who trust you.
Psa 32:10 The wicked will have to suffer, but those who trust in the LORD are protected by his constant love.
Psa 37:5 Give yourself to the LORD; trust in him, and he will help you;
Psa 38:15 But I trust in you, O LORD; and you, O Lord my God, will answer me.
Psa 56:3 When I am afraid, O LORD Almighty, I put my trust in you.
Psa 56:4 I trust in God and am not afraid; I praise him for what he has promised. What can a mere human being do to me?
Psa 62:8 Trust in God at all times, my people. Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge.
Psa 84:12 LORD Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!
Psa 115:11 Trust in the LORD, all you that worship him. He helps you and protects you.
Psa 119:66 Give me wisdom and knowledge, because I trust in your commands.
Psa 143:8 Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.
I chose 15 verses from Psalms in the Good News Bible. There are 134 verses found in the old and new testament of the Good News Bible that menti0n trust. As you can see from these verses alone, there are many positives to trusting God. There is an unshakeable confidence in who God is, that He will always protect and help you. He answers us, guides us to where we should go. Wisdom and knowledge are ours for the taking, he listens to our troubles and answers us. We are happy, filled with gladness and enveloped in His love.
I feel much at peace after reading these pslams. I will continue to read these verses of scripture over the next little while, as I desperately seek to trust Him in all things.
This is the difference between trusting God in all things and not trusting Him to see me through the hard times. I want to be like Jesus, sleeping on the boat, unaware of the storm around me. Why? Because all of my trust is in God. This is a difficult process to learn.
Last night I received that today I should write about trust. I looked through the psalms and found some amazing scriptures I would like to share.
Psa 25:21 May my goodness and honesty preserve me, because I trust in you.
Psa 27:14 Trust in the LORD. Have faith, do not despair. Trust in the LORD.
Psa 28:7 The LORD protects and defends me; I trust in him. He gives me help and makes me glad; I praise him with joyful songs.
Psa 31:14 But my trust is in you, O LORD; you are my God.
Psa 31:19 How wonderful are the good things you keep for those who honor you! Everyone knows how good you are, how securely you protect those who trust you.
Psa 32:10 The wicked will have to suffer, but those who trust in the LORD are protected by his constant love.
Psa 37:5 Give yourself to the LORD; trust in him, and he will help you;
Psa 38:15 But I trust in you, O LORD; and you, O Lord my God, will answer me.
Psa 56:3 When I am afraid, O LORD Almighty, I put my trust in you.
Psa 56:4 I trust in God and am not afraid; I praise him for what he has promised. What can a mere human being do to me?
Psa 62:8 Trust in God at all times, my people. Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge.
Psa 84:12 LORD Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!
Psa 115:11 Trust in the LORD, all you that worship him. He helps you and protects you.
Psa 119:66 Give me wisdom and knowledge, because I trust in your commands.
Psa 143:8 Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.
I chose 15 verses from Psalms in the Good News Bible. There are 134 verses found in the old and new testament of the Good News Bible that menti0n trust. As you can see from these verses alone, there are many positives to trusting God. There is an unshakeable confidence in who God is, that He will always protect and help you. He answers us, guides us to where we should go. Wisdom and knowledge are ours for the taking, he listens to our troubles and answers us. We are happy, filled with gladness and enveloped in His love.
I feel much at peace after reading these pslams. I will continue to read these verses of scripture over the next little while, as I desperately seek to trust Him in all things.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Saturday, May 07, 2005
In Pursuit of Him
For those that may have already read this post, I apologize, I decided to edit and re-publish.
A few days ago, I finally finished the third of three books. Praise the Lord! Now I have to write a 12 page critical book review. This is part of a course I am taking called 'Gospel in Action'. It was also tied into my trip to Vancouver.
As I read this last book, there were many moments I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me, nudging ever so gently. Reading these books had me reflect on some of the things I have had to endure since following the call of God on my life. One of those areas is in finances. It has been a struggle and is a walk of faith. As I realized how tight things were the other day, I could only make partial payments on some of my bills. I just said, 'I trust you Lord'. I really do. I know you will provide.
I decided to call my Mom to let her know how things were and that I was moving next week for sure. My Brother answered the phone. Of course we got on the subject of finances and I let him know how nice it was that I only had to pay the landlord half of my deposit for now. I mentioned that work was slow, only 16.5 hours this week. Well, later that evening, I found out I will be receiving an early birthday gift to help out with expenses. My birthday is 5 weeks away, but it will be perfect timing. At the end of the month I need $750.00, next week I need well over $300.00. This week I am only made $150.00. Next week, I am scheduled with less hours and will make less than that. Praise the Lord for His provision!
By the way, some of this gift is from my Brother whom is not a Christian, but I believe will be one day. He said that so many times I gave him thought gifts, and told me how much he had appreciated all those times. Now, he was able to do things for me. I write this with tears in my eyes. The Lord has done so many tremendous things with my family. The Lord gave me a dream early 2002 that said I would be bringing my family to the Lord. After that, my Mom and Stepfather both became born again. My Father, although he has not officially become born again, calls Jesus his Lord. I taught him how to pray, and he speaks with blessings toward me, always acknowledging God. My brother asks questions, but has not become born again.
In this dream the Lord gave me in 2002, there had been a great snowstorm. There was ice and lots of snow. My job was to delegate what it is each member of my family had to do in order to save the house. My brother decided to borrow the neighbour's snowblower. It was the middle of the night and he had taken it without permission. We all worked through the night. In the morning, my Brother returned the snowblower to the neighbour and apologized for having taken it without permission. He also offered to replace the gas he had used. The neighbour said, 'Don't worry about it son.' He placed his hand on my brothers's back and then said, 'Let's go catch some fish.'
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was when I woke up from my dream. Since then, I have seen radical transformations in my family. Just the other day, after my Dad realized I broke up with my boyfriend, he offered words of comfort. He said, "Don't worry Karen God is with you always." Wow! I sense the power of the Holy Spirit, even now as I write this post. The Lord is doing a beautiful work and I want to glorify His holy name! Thank you Lord!!!
See how the Lord works? I came in to write one thing and it turned into a wonderful testimony! However, I still have it upon my heart to write a couple of paragraphs from the book I just finished reading, which ties into the things you encounter as you pursue the call of God. This book is called, "Churches that Make a Difference - Reaching your Community with Good News and Good Works" by Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson and Heidi Rolland Unruh. I will quote from pages 309-310:
It is no coincidence that many of the great moments in salvation history start out with a trek through the wilderness. Abraham, Moses and the Israelites, and Jesus all found themselves wandering through the desert after responding to God's calling. As your congregation answers God's invitation to join in holistic mission, you can expect to pass through the wilderness. You will most likely encounter the test of inadequate finances, personnel, and space. You will endure temptations to turn aside, turn away, slow down, speed up, and sell out. You will struggle to develop ministry leaders who share the holistic vision, are passionate servants of the Lord, and can work together as a team. As Nehemiah faced the taunts of Sanballat and Tobiah as he worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem (Neh.4:1-3), you will experience opposition to the ministry, from outside as well as inside the congregation.
If your congregation (and particularly its leadership) is committed to the Lord, to one another, and to love of neighbour, these trials will not derail God's plan for your church. It is in the desert that the Holy Spirit teaches us key truths, tests our character and purpose, and strengthens us for ministry. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Through costs, change, and conflict, God pours out onto the church his boundless, all-sufficient love, power and grace - which we then proclaim in our evangelism and demonstrate in our works of compassion and justice. A congregation that ventures into holistic ministry can thus share Paul's confidence "that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
This book was written to help churches pursue, develop and implement an holistic vision and ministry. There are many aspects of this book that would equally assist you in your pursuit of God. It also opens up your eyes in different areas, stretches you cerebrally to understand the sociological problems we face and how the church is intertwined.
On a final note, I am blessed and thankful for having the opportunity to work on this assignment. If not, I would not have read this book. I am thankful for the encouragement I received. As I walk through my wilderness with the Lord, I will remember some of these words. Now, over the next couple of days, I will trust God as I write my critical book review. I will trust that He will grant me clarity, patience, joy and peace.
A few days ago, I finally finished the third of three books. Praise the Lord! Now I have to write a 12 page critical book review. This is part of a course I am taking called 'Gospel in Action'. It was also tied into my trip to Vancouver.
As I read this last book, there were many moments I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me, nudging ever so gently. Reading these books had me reflect on some of the things I have had to endure since following the call of God on my life. One of those areas is in finances. It has been a struggle and is a walk of faith. As I realized how tight things were the other day, I could only make partial payments on some of my bills. I just said, 'I trust you Lord'. I really do. I know you will provide.
I decided to call my Mom to let her know how things were and that I was moving next week for sure. My Brother answered the phone. Of course we got on the subject of finances and I let him know how nice it was that I only had to pay the landlord half of my deposit for now. I mentioned that work was slow, only 16.5 hours this week. Well, later that evening, I found out I will be receiving an early birthday gift to help out with expenses. My birthday is 5 weeks away, but it will be perfect timing. At the end of the month I need $750.00, next week I need well over $300.00. This week I am only made $150.00. Next week, I am scheduled with less hours and will make less than that. Praise the Lord for His provision!
By the way, some of this gift is from my Brother whom is not a Christian, but I believe will be one day. He said that so many times I gave him thought gifts, and told me how much he had appreciated all those times. Now, he was able to do things for me. I write this with tears in my eyes. The Lord has done so many tremendous things with my family. The Lord gave me a dream early 2002 that said I would be bringing my family to the Lord. After that, my Mom and Stepfather both became born again. My Father, although he has not officially become born again, calls Jesus his Lord. I taught him how to pray, and he speaks with blessings toward me, always acknowledging God. My brother asks questions, but has not become born again.
In this dream the Lord gave me in 2002, there had been a great snowstorm. There was ice and lots of snow. My job was to delegate what it is each member of my family had to do in order to save the house. My brother decided to borrow the neighbour's snowblower. It was the middle of the night and he had taken it without permission. We all worked through the night. In the morning, my Brother returned the snowblower to the neighbour and apologized for having taken it without permission. He also offered to replace the gas he had used. The neighbour said, 'Don't worry about it son.' He placed his hand on my brothers's back and then said, 'Let's go catch some fish.'
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was when I woke up from my dream. Since then, I have seen radical transformations in my family. Just the other day, after my Dad realized I broke up with my boyfriend, he offered words of comfort. He said, "Don't worry Karen God is with you always." Wow! I sense the power of the Holy Spirit, even now as I write this post. The Lord is doing a beautiful work and I want to glorify His holy name! Thank you Lord!!!
See how the Lord works? I came in to write one thing and it turned into a wonderful testimony! However, I still have it upon my heart to write a couple of paragraphs from the book I just finished reading, which ties into the things you encounter as you pursue the call of God. This book is called, "Churches that Make a Difference - Reaching your Community with Good News and Good Works" by Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson and Heidi Rolland Unruh. I will quote from pages 309-310:
It is no coincidence that many of the great moments in salvation history start out with a trek through the wilderness. Abraham, Moses and the Israelites, and Jesus all found themselves wandering through the desert after responding to God's calling. As your congregation answers God's invitation to join in holistic mission, you can expect to pass through the wilderness. You will most likely encounter the test of inadequate finances, personnel, and space. You will endure temptations to turn aside, turn away, slow down, speed up, and sell out. You will struggle to develop ministry leaders who share the holistic vision, are passionate servants of the Lord, and can work together as a team. As Nehemiah faced the taunts of Sanballat and Tobiah as he worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem (Neh.4:1-3), you will experience opposition to the ministry, from outside as well as inside the congregation.
If your congregation (and particularly its leadership) is committed to the Lord, to one another, and to love of neighbour, these trials will not derail God's plan for your church. It is in the desert that the Holy Spirit teaches us key truths, tests our character and purpose, and strengthens us for ministry. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Through costs, change, and conflict, God pours out onto the church his boundless, all-sufficient love, power and grace - which we then proclaim in our evangelism and demonstrate in our works of compassion and justice. A congregation that ventures into holistic ministry can thus share Paul's confidence "that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
This book was written to help churches pursue, develop and implement an holistic vision and ministry. There are many aspects of this book that would equally assist you in your pursuit of God. It also opens up your eyes in different areas, stretches you cerebrally to understand the sociological problems we face and how the church is intertwined.
On a final note, I am blessed and thankful for having the opportunity to work on this assignment. If not, I would not have read this book. I am thankful for the encouragement I received. As I walk through my wilderness with the Lord, I will remember some of these words. Now, over the next couple of days, I will trust God as I write my critical book review. I will trust that He will grant me clarity, patience, joy and peace.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
What a Disappointment!
My rant for the day:
I just found out I cannot have the summer intern position I applied for. Instead of homework, I worked on my resume and cover letter as I need the work and the experience. Reason why I could not get the position? I AM TOO OLD! Yikes! I am only 32 years old, but the cut off for the program is 30. The program is government funded. I mentioned to the woman that it was not fair as I was attending school the same as those that are younger.
On a good note, she commended me on the presentation and work on my resume. She told me she would keep it and keep her eyes and ears open to see if anything becomes available in the church. That is good to know! On another good note, when I met her last weekend she must have thought I was younger than 30...tee hee!
Well, I will leave all this in the Lord's hands. Yes, I am disappointed. However, I know God is in control. I am hoping perhaps that He has something in store. He knows I need the work and experience at this time in my life.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
In Our Midst
I woke up this morning with the words from a song, now I cannot even remember the song, but the words consist of the phrase, 'The Lord is a strong tower'. Generally when the Holy Spirit speaks to me in those moments upon awakening and it is with a song, it is always something significant.
This was fitting for the morning. Two of my girlfirends were in from out of town and I came out to where they were camped out in my livingroom, and sang the lyrics. The night before we had decided we would spend the morning in prayer. That we did. We three were tremendously blessed as the Holy Spirit poured out his love, words of prophecy, healing and wisdom.
We wrestled with the issues of fear, doubt, trust, etcetera. This posed questions as to where God fit into these issues. Is God in control or are we? Do we believe all His word tells us or not? Do we walk on God's path or our own? These are difficult questions, particularly if God is not front and centre in all areas of your life.
There are many verses in the bible on dealing with some of these issues; I decided to include 3 for illustration:
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love.
Mar 11:23 For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said.
Psa 37:5 Give yourself to the LORD; trust in him, and he will help you;
When we put the Lord ahead of any problem and hand Him complete control of every and any situation, there truly is no room for the angst associated with these issues and questions. God is our strength, our tower in the midst of any situation or place.
As I looked up the definition of a tower to receive clarification, it helped to place a greater understanding on the lyrics of that song. Here are some of the meanings:
He is our strong tower. Jeremiah knew this:
Jer 16:19a 'GOD, my strength, my stronghold, my safe retreat when trouble descends...'
No matter what may be around, in the greatest of storms or the clearest of skies, as we seek for all the answers, run for cover or do not know where to turn...
In our midst there is God.
This was fitting for the morning. Two of my girlfirends were in from out of town and I came out to where they were camped out in my livingroom, and sang the lyrics. The night before we had decided we would spend the morning in prayer. That we did. We three were tremendously blessed as the Holy Spirit poured out his love, words of prophecy, healing and wisdom.
We wrestled with the issues of fear, doubt, trust, etcetera. This posed questions as to where God fit into these issues. Is God in control or are we? Do we believe all His word tells us or not? Do we walk on God's path or our own? These are difficult questions, particularly if God is not front and centre in all areas of your life.
There are many verses in the bible on dealing with some of these issues; I decided to include 3 for illustration:
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love.
Mar 11:23 For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said.
Psa 37:5 Give yourself to the LORD; trust in him, and he will help you;
When we put the Lord ahead of any problem and hand Him complete control of every and any situation, there truly is no room for the angst associated with these issues and questions. God is our strength, our tower in the midst of any situation or place.
As I looked up the definition of a tower to receive clarification, it helped to place a greater understanding on the lyrics of that song. Here are some of the meanings:
- a building or structure higher than it is wide, either isolated or forming part of a building;
- such a structure used as or intended for a stronghold, fortress, prison, etc.;
- a tall, movable structure used in ancient and medieval warfare in storming a fortified place;
- to rise or extend upward, as a tower; reach or stand high;
- to rise above or surpass others;
He is our strong tower. Jeremiah knew this:
Jer 16:19a 'GOD, my strength, my stronghold, my safe retreat when trouble descends...'
No matter what may be around, in the greatest of storms or the clearest of skies, as we seek for all the answers, run for cover or do not know where to turn...
In our midst there is God.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Found a Church Family
I am so glad to report that I found a church I will call home. It is only my second visit there, but it feels like a good fit. I will keep attending and praying and see what God has in store for me. It has been described as inward and outward, with focus on small groups and outreach as well. They are charismatic/mixed. There is a blend amongst the congregation. Very stable, biblically solid. They embrace five fold ministry and believe in utilization of all the gifts.
Two weeks in a row I attended intercessory prayer before the service starts and I am blessed by it. These people are so filled with the Holy Spirit and are lovely to be around. This church has two young adults groups, separated into 2 categories. One is teens to mid-20's. The other is mid-20's to mid-30's approximately. I am so happy for the latter group! Yeah! I find there often are not groups for those in their 30's, or later 20's.
Today I was invited for an incredible lunch. I went with the older young adults group to get to know them better. I met them all today for the first time and they were great! A couple in the church blessed us all. I felt like I was dining in a restaurant. When you are on your own and only have your cat for company at dinner time, it is tremendous fun!
So far, all the people I have met at this church are exhibiting the fruit of the spirit and love in their hearts. I am so impressed! I have met some very strong women in the Lord, who love God passionately! Thank you Lord for this blessing! Also, I have an opportunity to apply for a summer intern position. It will stretch me, but I am sure I would learn a great deal from it.
Two weeks in a row I attended intercessory prayer before the service starts and I am blessed by it. These people are so filled with the Holy Spirit and are lovely to be around. This church has two young adults groups, separated into 2 categories. One is teens to mid-20's. The other is mid-20's to mid-30's approximately. I am so happy for the latter group! Yeah! I find there often are not groups for those in their 30's, or later 20's.
Today I was invited for an incredible lunch. I went with the older young adults group to get to know them better. I met them all today for the first time and they were great! A couple in the church blessed us all. I felt like I was dining in a restaurant. When you are on your own and only have your cat for company at dinner time, it is tremendous fun!
So far, all the people I have met at this church are exhibiting the fruit of the spirit and love in their hearts. I am so impressed! I have met some very strong women in the Lord, who love God passionately! Thank you Lord for this blessing! Also, I have an opportunity to apply for a summer intern position. It will stretch me, but I am sure I would learn a great deal from it.
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