Truth is the belt of our spiritual armor, according to God and His Word. Therefore, truth holds matters of life in its place, and without truth our lives fall apart. This is so true today as so many life’s issues are falling apart. Example: truth about a family unit where a man and woman marry and have children together. The lie: today anything can be called a family, and the result is that the ‘true’ family unit as God designed it, is being destroyed. When the true family unit is destroyed, then we lose the next generation. So it is very important to know the truth, because our next generation will be affected, and have to pay the consequences for our rejection of truth.
What is God Doing?
There is no doubt that this has been a year of great turmoil and one that seems to invite fear, anxiety, and a mixture of despair regarding the future. We have had a pandemic that has caused lockdowns, as well as destruction coming from storms, not just here in the States, but in other parts of the world as well, and at the writing of this letter I’m not sure about the outcome of our presidential elections that have been held.
For those of us who know the Lord, it is important to have a grasp of what God is doing. The one thing that is coming to me over and over when I pray about it is that God is in the process of preparing the Church, the Bride of Christ, to meet her Groom – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Peter said: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
The Apostle Paul said, regarding the church, the Bride of Christ: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27
Jesus Christ said: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’” John 5:19
Why is it important to know what our heavenly Father is doing – so that we can work along with Him? What the Lord has been speaking to my wife and I is that He is getting us ready (part of the Bride of Christ) to meet the Groom. He is wanting to remove the “spots” and “wrinkles.”
In my November 12th letter I mentioned how the Lord led me to pray for my wife’s healing ‘little by little.’ I could not understand why He would lead me that way, but then going to the verse that mentioned ‘little by little,’ I saw what the Lord was doing. “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Exodus 23:30) We know that this is speaking about the Children of Israel going into the Promise Land and defeating the seven nations that were there. However, this also became a Rhema-word for Anneli and I that in the healing He too wanted to drive out things in our life that would be characterized by what Paul called “spots” and “wrinkles.”
The Psalmist said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
The Lord began to work in our hearts, and we put down what He showed us:
- Solution to self-pity: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:21
- Solution to negativity because we have the tendency to be more negative than positive: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
- Solution to stubbornness: (First noting that both my wife and I have been, and still are stubborn people, but in some ways, to do what needs to be done does take a certain amount of stubbornness, but often what is a strength can also be a weakness) “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord greater delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22) Obedience is what God desires.
God told Israel, and I believe He is also telling the Bride of Christ: “Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” (Amos 4:12) We need to prepare!
Insecurity
Praying this morning, it came to me how we will try to relieve our insecurity (not really aware of it) with what we do (our work or our ministry or for doctors and prescriptions for our physical health), what we have (material, income or family) and what we know (head-knowledge). We all have insecurity until we meet the Lord who is our TRUE security. Sadly, we replace TRUE security with things which are a ‘false’ security. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ (in truth and spirit) will overcome every insecurity we’ve had since birth.
When the Spirit of God is poured in me – the Kingdom of God starts to live in me. God pours His Holy Spirit in me when I trust in His Son’s sacrifice for me on the Cross. Then it’s God’s Word to me, about who He is that will never change, His love for me and what He thinks of me, and what His will and purpose is for me – that I need to understand more than anything else in this life.
When I am ‘secure’ in Christ Jesus, then everything else in my life I see as I should see (my work, my ministry, my health, my stuff, my finances, my goals, my health, my family and worldly knowledge). I see the earthly and temporal things from a different perspective: God’s.
I see my work or ministry as something I do that brings God glory because I will stand before Him one day and given an account of it all. I see my material possessions as things, some I need and my family needs, and most I/we don’t need. I see my income with God in mind, thankful for that provision, and eager to offer Him part of it to use. I see my husband/wife and children differently too. I learn from God how I am to treat them and serve them and how to raise up my children for His love and purpose. I see my health as a result of my spiritual awareness. I come to realize that what I’ve learned so far (in school or wherever) is secondary to the truth and wisdom that comes from the Creator of all things, and who is my everlasting Father and whose Kingdom will come, as it is in Heaven.
People are looking for security, love, peace and joy in life. The only One that can supply these internal and eternal blessings, and that can qualify all the things we do/we have/we know – is being rooted and established in Jesus Christ, with His kingdom life within me.
When I know the Lord God (know Him truthfully, intimately and heartfully) and know what He promises me, from daily reading His Word, will be fulfilled in this earthly life, in death and eternal life with Him. I am genuinely secure “IN HIM,” and in Him alone. I might even have the privilege of others asking me what it is that I have, and they don’t.
Secured now and eternally in Christ Jesus, I can be content with little or content with much – having an assurance that my Father God is teaching me about His faithfulness with little, and His purpose with much in life. I can truly love my family knowing God’s love and forgiveness for me. I can do my work to the best of my ability with integrity and with a servant’s heart – because God has a purpose for my life, and that which HE starts in me – He will complete in me. I don’t feel the need to talk about myself, about what I know, so as to impress others – because God is the only One I want to please and be approved by. I’m most eager to talk to Him and for Him to talk to me each morning, and throughout the day and night.
When He is pleased with me, He passes His favor on to others so they will approve and prefer me over others when I need it. I have no desire to get drunk or enter into fleshly sins that can be temporarily enjoyed but come with serious regrets.
None of this can take the place of the true security I can have in the Father/Son/Holy Spirit.
We’re seeing more and more things happening (in our own lives and all over our world) that God fully uses to expose man’s false security, false hope, false peace, false joy and all our false ‘gods’ – hoping to draw us to Himself, the only TRUE GOD and FAITHFUL FATHER of us all.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
What does HE SAVE us from? He saves us from eternal damnation for sure because our sins are forgiven, but He also saves us from anything FALSE.
We have the blood of Jesus, His name, His Word and His Spirit – to find the life that is truly LIFE and live it out fully with all His favor and blessings. How much more SECURE is that?!
Ohhhhh what a Savior! Thank You Father God for allowing Your Son to come into this world, unnaturally through a ‘virgin’ birth, and as a helpless baby to experience what we experience; to call and teach a chosen few about the relationship we can have with You Father in prayer and commitment, and then to die in our place as Your Son hung on the Cross with all the guilt of the sin of this world upon Him. Wow!
And HE ISN’T FINISHED YET! The Lamb of God will return as the Lion of God! He will finish all that He has promised He will do in ending all evil and rebellion, and bringing to the world His perfect everlasting peace, love, joy and life everlasting that our Father had originally intended for all those who love Him. Thank You Father!
Answered Prayer
Praying this morning – the thought came – that unless we feed on God’s Word, hiding it in us – how will we know how to pray, and if our prayers are heard by God at all. God has said that He answers prayers that are in line with His will. But, we won’t know what “His Will” is if we are not looking into His Book (the Bible) to understand His Will and Ways since the beginning. God does not change with the times or cultures. We won’t know what we need to know about God and about those who love Him, and even about those that don’t love Him – apart from His written Word to us.
People pray without knowing WHY God answers prayer, or does not answer prayer. God does not meet us, nor reward us, on OUR TERMS. (Job 34:33)
God meets us when we come to Him on HIS TERMS (His words and conditions). Then He’ll answer our prayers, and yet, we might have to wait a while to see our prayers answered. God is doing something IN me, while I wait, that is far more important to Him – than what I asked Him for. He knows me better than I know myself, and for that I am truly thankful!
The intimate relationship He wants to have with me is far more important to Him than earthly temporal things I concern myself with, or the fears I have for people I love.
The horse must go ahead of the cart. I must first learn who my Father God TRULY is, and that starts by daily reading His Holy Bible over and over, getting it in me, so that my thoughts unite to His thoughts, my will unites to His Will. Then I can be sure that my prayers of faith – will be answered “in Jesus’ Name.”
Prayer is about “living before my God day and night,” always mindful of His intimate presence; enjoying conversation with my Father God all the time; having freedom with every thought and desire open with Him; not afraid of His painful discipline when I need it, knowing the good He has planned for me.
“God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty, and firm in His purpose…He does not answer when people cry out because of the arrogance of wickedness. Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it. If people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, He tells them what they have done – that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction. But if they refuse Him, they will suffer for it. But even those who suffer He speaks to them in their affliction. He is wooing them from the jaws of distress to a spacious place of freedom with Him. God is exalted in power! Who is a teacher like Him? Who has ever prescribed His Ways for Him?! Or who can get away with saying to God, ‘YOU HAVE DONE WRONG?’ Remember to extol the works of so gracious a God, which people have known and praised in song. How GREAT is GOD – beyond our understanding! So that everyone HE HAS MADE may know HIS WAYS, He stops people from their labor. Therefore, people revere Him, for He has regard for all the wise in heart!” (Job 36 and 37 in parts)
Spiritual Health
Spiritual health requires constant maintenance.
The key to maintaining Christian values is always being able to pass them on to the next generation. Satan has always been after the children, for he knows that when he can get them at an early age, he will teach them. The results are being played out today.
A Hidden Life
If I allow God’s kingdom to keep living in me, while I live in this temporal body, then I will have ‘the right’ to live with Christ in a body like His, within God’s eternal kingdom.
If I am “in Christ” I will not be able to live the selfish sinful life and get away with it. No true father would hold back the painful discipline that corrects and trains his child to live a full praiseworthy productive life. God will do all He can to make us so miserable living in sin, and to cause everything and everyone to fail us – to rescue us. He will set up road sign after road sign after road sign before the crash comes.
There are NO secrets with God; none that we can keep from our Father God. Nothing is hidden in His sight. If God is our Creator, and He is, then how could we ever think that we can keep anything secret from Him. If we don’t believe there is a God and Creator – then we are self-deceived thinking our secret thoughts and desires that we want to keep hidden from others – can be.
We can think our secret life of thoughts and desires are hidden, and even believe we can get away with the resulting actions we take (that are not right in God’s view) but the day will come when ALL will be revealed and judged by Him, and we will get what is due us. That day will be too late to do a thing about all that we will have regretted doing or tried to keep secret. Therefore, we are told by God and His servants: “NOW is the time to repent; now is the day of salvation!”
TODAY, even NOW – is the time to fully come clean before the Lord. For the Lord is for you, not against you! God’s favor, His mercy and grace, have a time limit with one’s own death, and if you live in this day – with the ‘second’ coming of Jesus Christ.
Marriages, families, friendships, and partnerships will all fall apart because of “secret” hypocritical criticism, “secret” self-serving motives, and “secret” immoral desires. We are to “take every thought (and desire) captive to make it obedience to Christ.” Our thought life is under attack by the devil and his demons. We see it in how we have so many things to keep us from getting quiet and still before the Lord; devices that do the thinking for us.
We are fooling ourselves if we think we can keep a secret from the Lord. If we try (because we are ashamed to admit, or simply aren’t willing to give up a sin we enjoy doing), it’s a matter of time that our secret sin will expose us, destroy our good future, and take others down with us.
An evil secret desire will eventually ‘act out’ if YOU do not do the judging, which our God-given ‘conscience’ is there for. (But it can be hardened and useless as we continue to ignore it.) With honest repentance and God’s forgiveness by Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross, we can, with His help – overcome every wicked thought and evil desire as we feed on God’s Word and stay in fellowship with Him day by day, walking with Him to the end. This is how our evil thoughts and desires are prevented from ‘taking action’ and becoming guilty of outward sin that harms not only ourselves but others. It’s a battle worth fighting and winning with God fully on our side.
When I first met my Savior Jesus Christ and invited Him to live in me – I was inviting in His kingdom life. If His kingdom is living in me – then I will eternally live in His kingdom with Him. What I love about my Father God, is that He does not hold my thoughts and desires against me, no matter how shameful, when I daily bring them before Him. I want the desire to please my Father God to be greater than my desires to do that which displease Him. Then I know I have His full attention and power with His Word and His Spirit in me.
As I read and study God’s Word, His words correct my thoughts and God’s indwelling Holy Spirit does the work of a transformed heart and will, a heart and will like God’s. When my mind/thoughts and my heart/will is united with the Lord – my actions and behavior are bound to be acceptable to God, no matter what anyone else may think. But what I’ve learned is that this only works when I start my day fellowshipping with the Lord, in prayer (over my thoughts, fears, desires), meditating on His Word to hear from Him, and with thanksgiving – offering myself to Him to be used in any way He can that brings Him the glory He deserves.
God’s kingdom begins in me, the house of Carol, where every room He will light up, help me to clean out and make ready to have every room filled with my Father God’s eternal treasures.
“Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly/fleshly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your sinful earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:1-6
What now with Joe Biden as our President?
Reading about a godly priest, Jehoiada, who cared for and wisely counseled a very young king Joash in the Law and ways of God – up to the day Jehoiada died, I thought of how Billy Graham – until the day he died faithfully prayed over and counseled all America’s presidents. Then Franklin, his son, took up the same position after Billy died, but unlike with Billy, not all the churches in America were united behind Franklin Graham. Why? Because Franklin supported the agenda of the man God put in the White House: Donald J. Trump.
King Joash fell away from the Lord, after Jehoiada died, and listened to his ungodly officials, abandoning the Lord God and worshipping idols of other gods. Although the Lord sent prophets to bring them back, they would not listen. Then Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, was sent to the people of Judah and King Joash, saying: “Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.” (2 Chronicles 24:20) But they plotted against Zechariah (as we see with Franklin Graham) and by order of the king they killed Zechariah, God’s messenger. They have not killed Franklin Graham, just his God-given message to America and the churches – have they rejected and used against him to shame him and discredit his ministry and message from God.
King Joash had forgotten all that Jehoiada, God’s priest, had done for him; the kindness he had shown to Joash in his growing up as the king of Judah – until Jehoiada died. So God sent an army against King Joash to invade Judah and Jerusalem; an army that killed all the leaders of the people, so that judgment was executed on King Joash for forsaking the Lord and the Lord’s messenger priest. God allowed Joash’s own officials to kill him. Amaziah, Joash’s son, succeeded him as king. And ‘for a while’ he did right in the eyes of the Lord. You can read what happened to him in 2 Chronicles.
Just like God’s servant Jehoiada and his godly son Zechariah, whom God sent to guide and help the king of Judah to rule over God’s people – God has done the same for America’s presidents with Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham. But just like what was done to Zechariah – we see being done to Franklin Graham, and it being done by a great amount of God’s own people – mind you. The church was divided, and still is divided, not only over Donald Trump as president these last four years, but over Joe Biden now succeeding Trump as POTUS. (We’re learning how this was done – which again is God’s way of allowing evil to succeed to chastise a nation for turning their back on God.)
We have made God very angry not seeing His purpose for Donald Trump in the White House to uphold and protect what was being lost and taken from us little by little. Great deception prophesied now being fulfilled in America! The Lord told us in His Word that if a house is divided – it will not stand. And, if the house of the true and faithful church of America does not stand – the nation is handed over to the wicked, and the wicked will severely persecute God’s cowardly blinded people. But as we know, persecution has a way of chastising and shaping up the Lord’s people; forcing their eyes open and motivating them to desperately worship the One True God – as they should’ve been doing – obeying His will in our lives.
Not all our presidents whom Billy Graham prayed over and gave counsel to – followed the laws and principles of God, and we’ve seen a slow deterioration of our nation because of it. But now with what has happened with Franklin Graham supporting Donald Trump’s godly agenda in the White House, we will get the full result of disunity in God’s American Church. Unless…..unless God’s people unite, humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, and pray with the mind of Christ for our nation.
God showed Franklin Graham the battle we have been in with a divided church and nation. Franklin Graham and God’s prophets along with Graham – have been fully aware of what/who America’s enemy is in battle: Socialism/slavery of Satan and his puppets vs. America’s godly heritage of faith and freedom supported by God’s faithful people in America.
As I thought about why the “disunity,” it came to me that without the “mind of Christ” that all Christians are to have since the same Holy Spirit and Word of God indwells them, there WILL be great disunity, even with angry hostility, fighting against each other. Jesus warned us this would happen when He talked about what must come before He returns to reign. The faithful believers in Jesus Christ will be hated by the church of apostacy, even turning the faithful over to the authorities to be arrested – thinking they are doing a good service for their country. Those of us who hold to our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, and who will never deny God’s Word to us and over us – will be seen as a threat to society.
Over the century we’ve had ‘peaceful disunity’ with all the various denominations of religious churches that may preach the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ but have remained disunited because of their man-made rules and regulations for worship.
The “mind and body of Christ” will carry on with the ‘faithful few’ who have left the churches of apostacy. They will continue to gather together discreetly. We see what Jesus meant by this “apostacy” reading His 7 letters to His churches. (Revelation 2 and 3) Five out of seven, the great majority, are rebuked by the Lord for things HE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH IN HIS CHURCH, AND WILL PUNISH BY TAKING FROM THEM WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD WITH HIM. This is serious.
I’m pretty certain, that what we will see now is the result of widespread Christian apostacy. Franklin Graham and God’s prophets to America were God’s last warning to America’s Christians. Jonathan Cahn, being one very loud voice of truth and warning, has spoken to Congress even, but have they listened to him. (Cahn wrote “Harbinger” after 9/11, and now “Harbinger II” about America’s future as well as Israel’s.) Many other of God’s prophets are giving us warnings too, but sadly, most churches of Jesus Christ refuse to believe that God is still using His office of prophecy with His prophets today.
When kings and presidents do not care anymore what God thinks or says, even though they think they do, and want us all to believe they do, pretending to represent God as they lead and rule over us (hypocrites and self-serving), God gives our enemies the freedom to take our nation down and remake it any way our enemies want. God blessed America because of the faith and obedience to Him by our Founders and presidents after who had their same faith and desire to obey the Lord our God as they govern a nation God started for His purpose with imperfect but faithful men.
As we’re told in the Bible, ALL the nations will and must align under the ‘last’ anti-Christ with his evil one-world-order. Then the end will come, meaning “the end of evil and rebellion on the earth” with the second coming of Jesus Christ as KING of kings and LORD of lords. “He will strike the nations down the double-edged sword coming out of His mouth. He will rule them with an iron scepter, and He will tread the winepress (bloody battle) of the FURY of the WRATH of GOD ALMIGHTY.” (Revelation 19:11-15) Jesus told us to pray to our Father in heaven: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth – as it is in heaven.” This is the result of the second coming of God’s Son.
The whole world will be totally deceived by the devil ‘personified.’ But, his reign is shortened to his surprise by the return of Christ. And, as we live and breathe, the whole world is being conditioned and programmed for this one-world-order with an extreme hatred of everyone and everything representing the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; extreme hatred for those who will not deny Christ Jesus and God’s written Word to mankind.
Jesus taught His disciples that we should not fear this day, but simply be prepared for it in both practical ways and spiritually – making ready a people prepared FOR HIM. (Luke 1:17)
I hope and pray that God will surprise us all with keeping Donald Trump in the White House another four years to uphold and preserve our Constitution/God-given rights/Independence under God, but if not, then it will only confirm to me that Jesus is coming sooner than we thought. Hallelujah!
REST in the LORD
There comes the time when AFTER I’ve done all I could to set things right, all that God expects ME to do – that is – that I’ve simply got to rest in the truth that God is in control of all that happens. He says that the nations belong to Him. He says that HIS PLAN of redemption will be completed perfectly – on time fulfilling every word and promise of His. He’s even given us the book of Revelation to know His end plan and what He means by “the end of all things,” and the “beginning of His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.”
We too often try to do more than what God expects or even wants of us. When I consider all that others have done in obedience to serve the Lord throughout time – I feel my strength is so small compared to theirs. But I’m reminded of one of the Lord’s 7 letters to His 7 types of churches (Revelation 3:7-13); His letter to the church of Philadelphia, where He states that He understands that their “strength is little” but because they have not denied Him and kept His Word – He will make LIARS (from the synagogue of Satan) come and fall down at their feet and acknowledge that He has loved this church of “little strength” and “patient endurance” to the end. Oh how that makes me so very thankful to be IN CHRIST secured by Him!
And He goes on to commend these believers of little strength: “Since you have kept MY command to ENDURE patiently (the increasing evil and hardships), I will also keep you from the HOUR OF TRIAL (Great Tribulation seen in Rev. chapters 10-18 that the faithful church in this time – will not go through) that IS going to come on the whole world to TEST the inhabitants of the earth.” (Test them for what? Will they finally acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord of all?) “I AM coming soon. Hold on to what you have (your faith and strength IN Me), so that no one will take your CROWN.” The Lord continues to tell these faithful ones of His, that they have His NEW Name, and the Name of His City – written on them.”
WOW! All this honor they are given, even with “little strength!” There’s so much more that is ours by faith and obedience to Christ, both now as we live in our current bodies and on throughout eternity – revealed in God’s Word. The future has always been a subject of Bible study for me, as well as understanding what my Lord requires of me now as His disciple. The future JOY keeps me willing to endure the evil day – patiently.
I’ve asked the Lord what He means by “little strength.” And as I have studied Scripture about the end times and the great persecution of the church, and why “apostasy” increases as the Day of the Lord approaches – with the persecution of believers – I understand what He meant:
People who believe in the virgin birth, the cross of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, that He has forgiven them their sins, and that they believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and who have been going to church – even since they were children – that most will fall away when threatened to be punished or harmed (by governments or whomever) because they believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible. WHY do they shrink back? Fear makes you easy to control!
No wonder Jesus said so many times to His disciples, knowing how we all fear pain and maybe death, “Do not fear. I am with you. What can man do to you that the Father won’t allow? The devil has to ask permission of God to harm you. So be faithful to the end, so that your faith will be REWARDED. I am coming soon!”
Christians just don’t understand that God wants to reward us just as much as He wants to save us from the guilt and punishment of our sins.
I’m reminded of Apostle James’s words: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. GOOD! But even the demons believe THAT and they shudder.” (2:18-19)
“Blessed is the one who perseveres UNDER TRIAL because, having STOOD the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)
What a SAVIOR! Come LORD JESUS COME! BRING YOUR PERFECT EVERLASTING PEACE AND LIFE!
WORDS
WORDS
Proverbs 13:3 “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
Lord Jim: “There is a weird power in the spoken word, and a word carries very far, and can give destruction through time as the bullets go flying through space. We are to re-talk God’s talk. We are the Butler, not the chef. God has already spoken; we need to re-speak what he spoke.”
How often we have heard in growing up “that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Sounds good, but we know that this is not true. I have dealt with many people over the years who had words spoken to them that caused damage to their emotional stability and even after many years still haunts them.
Words motivate others and can make us a better communicator and so we need to keep in mind that communication is key – no matter what we might want out of life.
I have found with my wife, because of her brain damage through an aneurysm and a lost coil that caused a stroke, that some simple words are beneficial in helping her.
Words, even simple words, have tremendous power. For example, the word ‘but.’ An amazingly simple one syllable word, however, the word ‘but’ is known as either an ‘eraser’ or ‘enhancer.’
What do I mean? When we see the word, ‘but’ it erases what was said before and brings in something new after. A good example of this is found in Ephesians 2. Paul is describing what man is like and how he is like a puppet in the hands of our spiritual enemy. After he describes man outside of Christ, in comes the word ‘but.’ “But God,” in His grace mercy gives us a way out.
Another important word is the word ‘yes.’ We need to learn to use this word more, in a right way, and the word ‘no’ less. It is a known fact that one thing we all fear is rejection and because of that we find the word ‘yes’ ingrained in our makeup, not wanting to be rejected. It does not mean that at times we do use the word ‘no,’ but what I mean is that ‘yes’ brings in a more positive attitude, because our brains are made for the positives and not the negatives concerning the life and purposes that God has given us.
Another important word is ‘because.’ It can help people to see the reason before they act, or that which is behind what they think or believe. ‘Because’ gives us a reason for what we see or go through. When we have a reason, we are more confident and prone to act.
‘If’ is another important word. This word helps to guide people through a decision in the proper way. We find people often coming and saying “I cannot do this (whatever it might be),” but we can come along and say: “What would you do ‘if’ you could…..?” This word can guide people’s thinking in a certain direction.
One thing that my wife and I are learning is the word ‘help.’ When someone asks for help it gives a sense of importance and being needed. It has the tendency to keep the motivation high.
Another amazingly simple word, but important is the word ‘thanks.’ This word makes people feel more valued as well as motivated. When I do something for my wife in her 24/7 care, she will respond by saying “thanks.” To be honest, it makes me feel important and needed and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
The last three years since my wife’s aneurysm I have been doing a lot of reading and research on how best to help my wife and see her brain rewire itself. It is taking time, but I have found that amazingly – simply words – have a powerful impact, and these are some of the words that I am using with my wife.
I had mentioned at the beginning: “We are to re-talk God’s talk. We are the Butler not the chef. God has already spoken; we need to re-speak what he spoke.”
We are to live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. While reading and meditating on the Word, there will be a sentence, paragraph or even a chapter that will speak to me and when it does I will speak it out loud, knowing that God’s Word will not come back to Him without accomplishing that for which the Word was sent.
Let us remember the words of Martin Luther: “I STAND ON THE WORD OF GOD.”
A Personal Testimony of Frank Dietz
Three years ago, last month (October of 2017), the life of my wife and I changed. Anneli had a brain aneurysm and October 8, 2017 she went through a five-hour operation where the aneurysm was secured with coils. However, one slipped and went to another part of the brain that caused a stroke affecting her left side-leg, arm, left peripheral vision and short-term memory.
My wife needed 24/7 care and I became the main caregiver. I started to learn what Paul was saying in Ephesians: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Ephesians 5:25
Moving from a busy preaching schedule to being house bound became quite a transition. Anneli was learning the lesson to being waited on instead of waiting on others and I was learning what it meant to give myself to my wife. Precious lessons were being learned.
I was asking the Lord how to pray for my wife and the phrase ‘little by little’ came to mind. I thought that was rather strange way to pray that she would be healed ‘little by little.’
Over the next couple of years, I was asking the Lord to heal my wife and He was doing that ‘little by little.’ At times it seemed we moved ahead three steps and then two steps back and even other times it was two steps forward and three steps back. But there was some improvement.
The phrase ‘little by little’ brought to mind the verse in Exodus: “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Exodus 23:30) This we know was a reference of the Children of Israel going into the Promise Land and how God would deal with the seven nations that were there.
The verse in Exodus referring to the Children of Israel taking over the Promise land was becoming a more personal verse to Anneli and me in the situation that we found ourselves in. I could not fully understand why the Lord would ask me to pray for my wife to be healed ‘little by little,’ but then He began to show us another part of the verse: “I will drive them out.” What spoke to us and what the Lord was showing us was that in the process of healing Anneli ‘little by little,’ the Lord was wanting to drive things out of our life that was not pleasing to Him.
This became a Rhema word for Anneli and me and we began to pray for the Lord to reveal what it is that He is wanting to ‘drive out’ of our lives. King David said: “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” (Psalms 19:12) We were realizing afresh that God wants truth in the inner man. The Lord has been revealing issues (the hidden errors and faults) in our life that need to be driven out. We discovered what a blessing it was to see and understand in the midst of suffering what the Lord was doing.
Later in this journey, the Lord gave more revelation in this verse by the word ‘increase.’ For the Children of Israel, the word increase meant having children (increase in population) in order to inherit the land.
The Hebrew word for increase is: parah (paw-raw’); a primitive root; to bear fruit (literally or figuratively): KJV – bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase. So, Anneli and I saw that in her healing ‘little by little’ things in our life that were not pleasing to the Lord could be discovered, confessed, and driven out. Result? That we might be fruitful (both internal fruit of the Holy Spirit as well as external). What did Jesus say? “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
This is a personal journey that Anneli and I are sharing with you. We always have a tendency to look at ‘suffering’ in a negative light and we forget that part of our armor is what Peter said: “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” 1 Peter 4:1
Suffering is a normal part of life – even a part of a good life, and the suffering teaches us how to be patient, kind, and loving.
However, we live in a world today, especially in the West, that unhappiness is slavery and freedom is liberation from the burden of unchosen obligations.
In the book called “Live Not by Lies” it says: “A 2019 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found a distinct minority of young American adults believed that religion, patriotism, and having children are an important part of life, while nearly four out of five said ‘self-fulfillment’ is key to the good life.”
The question is are we ready when suffering does come our way? Like it says above: “Suffering is a normal part of life – even a part of a good life, and that suffering teaches us how to be patient, kind, and loving.”