Till The Cows Come Home

Yonder They Come!!

Back in the day my family used to be cotton-pickers. The community of pickers would all meet up at a certain spot and go together to the cotton fields, even the kids.

One day there was a little girl that had become very ill and she was unable to make the trip to the field. They told my mom, who was very young herself, to stay and see after this little girl while they went to work.

My mom said that shortly after they left, the little girl became unresponsive. My mom tried and tried to get the little girl to wake up but she would not. She said she turned a blue-ish hue and my mom could tell that she had passed away. This was probably in the late 1940s before 911 and cell phones. I'm betting they didn't even have a phone in the house.

After several hours, they returned from the cotton field. My mom ran out to meet them. She shouted, "She won't wake up! She won't wake up!" They ran inside and she said they began to cry loudly and wail long into the night. For hours and hours they prayed and prayed that the little girl would revive. And finally... she woke up.

This little girl came back to life. My mother said that she fully recovered and they played together many days after that.

One of my favorite parables that Jesus taught was The Parable of the Persistent Widow. The principle of the parable is to show that we should always pray and never give up.

"There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:1-8)

Jesus said to hear what the unjust judge said. So let's hear it.

He said, "Because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her." When we pray an earnest prayer, crying out to the Lord, He cannot help but be troubled by it... not in a bad way like the unjust judge, but in a good way like a Father full of love and compassion for His children. He just can't be unmoved by our plea for help, even if He is long suffering with us. The unjust judge reacted because the widow was getting on his nerves. The Lord reacts out of love for His precious children.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Sometimes, and I must confess, I don't know why... the Lord seems to be so silent. Prayers are going up and seemingly nothing is coming back down. But the Lord is teaching me that even in the silence, I can keep on trusting Him. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

Our heart's cry is heard through all the noise, even our tears speak volumes when the words are hard to find. The apostle Paul said the Holy Spirit helps our weaknesses because we don't know how to pray as we ought... so, He makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Rom. 8:26)

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16b

When the prophet Daniel prayed, he did not see results for 21 days. But when the angel arrived with the answer, he told Daniel that from the first day he prayed his words were heard. The prince of darkness had delayed the answer from getting to Daniel, but Michael, one of God's arch-angels (the warrior angel) was dispatched to help him get a break through. But I wonder if Daniel had given up praying, if it might have taken a lot longer than 21 days for the angel to get a breakthrough.

Let me encourage you today... God hears our prayers. I am sure during that 21 day period, Daniel's heart wanted to fail him because he did not understand... but he kept praying. The Lord told Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid nor dismayed. for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Josh. 1:9) 

In the parable of the persistent widow Jesus said, "He will avenge us speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Some teach that you should never pray for anything more than once. And I want to assure you that God did hear you the first time. Continuing steadfast in prayer does not a doubter make. As long as we're praying, we have not lost hope - and hope maketh not ashamed (Rom. 5:5).

I know the Lord called me to ministry but I struggled greatly in the process of it. I became so frustrated and despondent because it appeared my prayers were not being heard or that my Lord had put me on ignore. So confusing and heart breaking, I cannot begin to describe; because what I longed for seemed so close but also a million miles away. But He assured me that He knows and had the answer to my prayers.

God is not a man that He should lie and neither the Son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numb. 23:19) When Christ returns how many will He find on the earth, who is standing in faith and will not compromise because they didn't endure the process.

I had to pray that He would increase my faith and help my unbelief. He strengthened me and gave me renewed courage and hope to stand and to speak words of faith knowing that in due season I shall reap if I faint not.

I used to be a person that had no stick-and-stay, but God is teaching me endurance. All we have to do is outlast the devil. Take hold to the horns of the altar and don't let go. When the Lord turned around Job's captivity, He blessed him with twice as much as he had before, and made the end of his life better than the beginning.

Don't give up till the cows come home.

Go in peace and please, come again.

Beautiful Things In Humble Places

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
(1895-1979)

A few years ago I was attending a Believer's Convention and had been sitting in the presence of the Lord all week. Toward the end of the week, I was getting dressed to go, and I heard the Lord say that I would see an angel that day.

At the convention center, I kept looking up into the rafters all day, waiting for that angel  to appear... floating about with his wings stretched out and long white robe. I know the Lord told me that I would see an angel, but he did not show up.

On the way home I stopped at Albertson's for a few items. When I walked into the store I seemed to take notice of the guys that bag the groceries. They were wearing green polo shirts and khaki pants.

My (then) husband had asked me to bring him something from the pharmacy and it was the last item I picked up on my way to the check out. There was a big store display of lawn furniture (it was mid-Summer) and as I passed by, I had my head down focusing on the item in my hand. Out of the corner of my eye though, I saw an image sitting in one of the lawn chairs. He was wearing a green polo shirt and khaki pants with a big cross necklace laying on his chest. I had never seen employees in that store sitting around, and I frequented that store often and had never seen him in particular. I smiled at him and he smiled back. As soon as I got clear of the furniture display, the Lord said, "That was the angel."

My paced slowed and my eyes bugged out... I wanted to run back and see but I was too afraid. So I picked up the pace, paid for my stuff and got out of there.

A few days later, I turned the channel to watch TBN. Faith and begorrah... there he was. The face of the angel I had seen at Albertson's. He also had a big cross hanging around his neck. I was stunned again. I Googled his name and found that he passed away in 1979... a long time before I saw the Albertson's angel.

I watched Bishop Fulton's program that day and the message was for me for sure. I guarantee, I would not have stayed on that channel if I had not seen his face a few days before. But the Lord wanted to make sure He had my attention.

In that same store, I saw angels two more times. They looked like regular guys shopping for groceries. The Holy Spirit pointed them out to me. Both times it was after I had already passed by them, that he said, "That was an angel." As before, I never had the nerve to turn around and take a second look.

Heb. 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Matt. 18:10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Heb. 1:14 Are they (the angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

There are ministering spirits all around us. I was looking for a glowing spirit floating around up in the rafters, with a 15-foot wingspan, but he just looked like a grocery-bagger at Albertson's.

Go in peace and come again.

Shoot Me Across That Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

Attempting to meet God's standards is like being catapulted across the Grand Canyon on a rubber band. It fails to meet the requirement every time. The word says not to only be hearers of the word, but also doers of the word.

• Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

As a doer of the word, I noticed that I strive really hard to meet God's standards by doing, doing, doing... trying to meet the mark. But over and over I keep realizing how much of His grace is still required for me, because I continue to fall way short of perfection.

• I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14

There is no way to earn God's goodness, no matter how much we think we may have earned it, we still come up lacking. Fortunately, His word says that where sin abounds, His grace much more abounds. Where ever we are, we cannot surpass His grace.

• Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. Rom 5:20

At the end of the movie Purgatory, the coachman says, "The Creator's tough, but He ain't blind." Watch the movie, if you haven't seen it. I boo-hooed.

God knows and can see the secrets of the heart. He knows what we're going to say even before we say it. He knows our thoughts even before they enter our minds. He knows our motives for everything we do. There is nothing hidden from Him.

• For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1 John 3:20

Even as I strive everyday to do His will, and often come up short, He knows the way that I take. Job said, "If I go forward or backward, or turn to the left or the right, I cannot see Him. But He certainly knows the way that I take and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as pure gold."

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

• Be imitators of God as dear children. Eph 5:1

Go in peace... dear child of God.

 Link to Watch Purgatory Movie Trailer

Forgiveness

One time I asked the Lord if He would grant me 24 hours of not having the deal with the devil. He said He would, and I was happy because at that time, I really needed a break.

The following day, I was having a very peaceful day when I had an evil thought run through my mind about someone that I was offended with. I said to myself, "I thought the Lord said that He would give me 24 hours of not having to deal with the devil." I figured the evil thought had come from the devil, but I shrugged my shoulders and went on. Later that same day I had another evil thought about this same person. This time I said to the Lord, "I thought You said You would give me 24 hours of not having to deal with the devil." He said, "I did."

"Hmm," I said. "Well, if it wasn't the devil, and I know it was not You, then it must have been ME! Oh, My God!"

Because I was harboring resentment in my heart, my thoughts were evil towards this person, even when the devil was being kept at bay. Because of unforgiveness, I could not even have a good thought about him. It wasn't until I forgave him that I was able to get my thinking under control.

• Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

We become our own worst enemy when we allow our carnal side to override our spiritual side.

It just so happens that this offender got very ill. In fact, he could not even raise his head off the pillow. I became so distraught about his illness that the anger I felt toward him vanished and I began to pray continually for him that God would heal him. Forgiveness came - the Lord helped me to let go of my anger.

Forgiveness is not easy, but in the hands of the Potter, we are molded into a masterpiece. The apostle Paul said that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in good works (Eph. 2:10).

The Lord forgave us all our debt of sin and trespasses, should we not also have compassion on those that trespass against us? (Matt. 18:32-33)

• Matt. 6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Though the Lord admonishes us to forgive it does not mean that the offender is totally off the hook.

• Luke 17:1-6 (American Standard Version) And He said unto His disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, "Increase our faith." And the Lord said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamine tree, be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it would obey you."

Our forgiveness does not lessen the punishment of the offender, but it does take the offense out of our heart and gives us peace of mind. In deepest humility, I call to mind the picture of Christ hanging on the cross for my sin, and it helps me to forgive the offender of his or her trespass against me.

May God bless you. Go in peace.

A Word From The Lord

A Buck Twenty-Five

It's not what you do with millions

if fortune should be your lot,

but what are you doing at present

with the dollar and quarter you've got.

Author Unknown

Lord, Bless That Bully

It does not take a lot of spiritual maturity to love the people that are good to you. Our natural instinct is to be drawn to people that treat us well. But what about the ones that don't treat us very nicely? They're the ones we want to see suffering. They're the ones we're less prone to pray for God to bless them.

When I was in the third grade there was a bully in my class named David. He would chase me around the playground. I hated David and to this day I cannot stand bullies. Even though I've been following Christ for 16 years now, I continue to struggle greatly in this area. There seems to be no mercy in me for dealing with them. When my husband is watching westerns on TV, inevitably there will be a bully that strikes out on the one he thinks he can lick. You can easily spot a bully. They're the ones not following The Golden Rule. They're the ones that I'm hoping will get shot and killed by the end of the movie.

I have to say that passing the love test is the hardest thing I have had to face in my walk with Christ. The apostle Paul said to let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5). I don't think He would be feeling the way I do about bullies. In spite of my struggles, Jesus taught us to love our enemies.

• Matt 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?"

This is what sets us apart from the world. Loving the unlovely is not an easy thing. Believe me, I know. But there is nothing too hard for God. If we believe, He is able to do super abundantly far over and above all that we dare to ask or think.

A few years ago, I was harboring a lot of resentment toward someone that I attended church with. I was often cut-down-to-size in public by this person's criticisms of me and I had grown to dislike him very much. To make matters worse, my (then) husband was very close to this brother and thought very highly of him. So all of my objections to his repeated assaults on me, were met with accusations that I was being irrational.

My (then) husband and I used to go fishing and the Lord used that scenario to show me my sin, in a vision...

We were fishing at one of our favorite piers and something caught on my line and jerked it hard down into the water. I began yelling to the top of my lungs, "I gotta big one! Come help me!" I was having a major fit, but my (then) husband wouldn't even turn around. I fought with this thing on my line for a good while till I finally got it to the surface. Then, faith and begorrah... it was a big one. When I finally got this thing to surface, it was the face of that church brother caught on my hook. Then Lord said to me, "Now, let him off the hook."

I found out some time later, that this form of fishing is called Catch and Release. You don't take it home and eat it. You release it back into the water. That's what we do when we catch offense - we release it.

Earlier today I was watching a movie with a bully in it. I just wanted him to get killed so badly that I actually yelled "Kill him!" so loud that my (now) husband came running from the back room to see if I was okay. After the movie had ended, once again I felt convicted about my attitude toward bullies.

So today, I confess that I finally forgive David, my third grade classmate... and every other bully down through the years that I've come in contact with. I pray the Holy Spirit will manifest His fruit in my heart that I may truthfully say that I love them and I release them and let them off the hook.

• Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:13-14)

Now don't get me wrong, our forgiveness does not release the perpetrators from the responsibility of their behavior. Forgiveness is about us letting go, and the process of releasing their hold on us, so God can heal us from the inside-out.

• Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. (Ps. 126:5)

• Sow for yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)

I have a challenge for you:

1. On a piece of paper, write down the names of everyone that you're offended with.
2. Go to the store and purchase a helium filled balloon.
3. Tie the piece of paper to the string and release it.
4. As it soars up into the heavens (like Catch and Release), ask God to heal the hurting places in your heart... and the scars they've left behind.

The church brother that I let off the hook has been totally removed from my life. God both healed me and delivered me from that situation. Let Him do the same for you. Our job is to forgive. God's job is to fight for us.

• Exod. 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Remember, when you let the bully bring you down, you're letting the bully win. When you let the bully into your head, and ultimately your heart, like my church brother did, then they win.

Release them and free yourself. God will fight for you.

Go in peace.

Alone With God

I had a situation on Facebook where I had commented on a posting, not knowing it would incite a rebuttal. I wasn't trying to be contentious by the posting, but two people challenged it which led to a couple of back-and-forth disagreeable replies. Finally, I knew it was time to bow out and I told respondents that in the true spirit of friendship I would not comment any further.

The apostle Paul warned young Timothy not to engage in word battles that accomplished nothing useful but to overthrow the faith of the hearers (2 Tim. 2:14).

Afterward, my spirit was troubled by the attacks and I needed something positive to refresh myself. So I went to my News Feed and immediately saw a link entitled, Gospel of Peace.

"That's it!" As the peace piece was buffering, I heard the Lord say to me, "You will always have people who want to confront you, but I want you to always come to Me for refueling, like you did today."

And Jesus said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31a)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isa. 41:10)

Go in peace.

THE STRENGTH OF GOD'S REBUKE

Isa. 50:2

I had some confusion about the rebuking thing... when we say to the enemy, "The Lord rebuke you." Because, in my mind, I want the enemy annihilated, not just given a harsh scolding - that's what I thought rebuke meant. So I said to the Lord, "Instead of just severely reprimanding Satan, there should be a stronger discipline." The response I received was astonishing...

"Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst (Scripture found in Isa. 50:2).

Wow!! When the Lord rebukes, it is not just a good-old-fashion dressing down and then he's off the hook. God's rebuke dries up the sea and takes a flourishing river and turns it into a desert. The same as when Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered away with no possibility of fruit growing on it ever again (Matt. 21:19). When Jesus rebuked unclean spirits, they came out of their victims (Mark 9:25; Luke 9:42).

I believe in the power that believers have over the enemy. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." This is the result of the abiding power of the Holy Spirit available to the believer, when we rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus. God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name above every name (Phil 2:9). Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee (run away) from you (James 4:7).

We have been given the authority to say, "Satan, the Lord rebuke you in the name of Jesus."

Don't be intimidated by the enemy. Believe in the power available to us. When Jesus rebuked Satan in the wilderness, the devil fled from Him. That same power is available to us.

Thank You Lord for opening my eyes concerning the strength of Your rebuke.

We shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free. Therefore, if the Son makes us free, we shall be free indeed. (John 8:32, 36)

Go in peace.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

We Give A Darn About Our Own

One of my favorite films of all time, that I could watch again and again is The American President (1995). I love, love, love teary-eyed endings. There are quite a few memorable lines in this movie that bears repeating... but one that is oh-so-key was stated by the president's Domestic Policy Advisor, Lewis Rothschild (played by Michael J. Fox).

Lewis Rothschild: "Two hundred and sixty four (264) million Americans don't give a darn about your life, they give a darn about their own, Mr. President."

How true is that? "What's in it for me?" That's what people want to know.

A wise man once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." But that unfortunately, is not how a lot of us think, even some of those that are elected to office for the express purpose of serving the people. We live in a dog-eat-dog society and we'd like to know what's in it for us. Simply, we give a darn about our own.

But Jesus taught a different concept... opposite of this world's thinking.

• If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and spouse, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and even his own life also, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26).

Jesus is not saying to hate in an evil way, but hate in a sense that we have less regard for the things of this world and more regard for the things concerning His kingdom. Jesus admonished us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to us (Matt. 6:33).

What got me to thinking about this is that I was going to post a blog about my 2016 Goals... then it occurred to me that no one wants to read about "my" goals... realistically, they care about their own goals and how "they" might be achieved.

As we grow in our faith and become more and more Christ-centered (making The Main Thing our main thing), everything will work together for our good because we love Him (Rom. 8:28). He rewards our commitment to Him by taking us higher and higher (He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him - Heb. 11:6).

Our Heavenly Father is never opposed to giving us the things that our heart desires. Sometimes we just have to abide on the vine for a little while before we bear the fruit (John 15).

Joel Osteen says, "Keep God first place, and He will take you places you've never dreamed of." He opens doors no one can shut and shuts what no one can open (Rev. 3:7).

• Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (Ps. 37:4-5)

So, its 2016. I have my goals in my pocket... and a prayer in my heart as to how I might serve God's people better this year. I hope and pray that as we go forward this will be reflected here on The Writer's Blog. God bless you, my friends.

Go in peace.