Spiritual Attack? God is in Control!

"Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say,
'Here I am'" (Isaiah 58:8-9)

This verse has been my salvation lately. When I read this it speaks volumes to me. I am clinging to the promise of a healing for our church. I am clinging to the promise that the glory of the LORD will be our rear guard. I am clinging to the promise that when we call, He will answer. I long to hear Him say, "Here I am".

I have debated about this post. I have hesitated about sharing with all of you about what is going on in our church. But as I thought about it, the Lord impressed upon me that I should share for several reasons. I share this so you can all bind together and pray for us. I share so I can relate what the Lord is doing in my life and the life of our church. I share so that others who may be experiencing the same thing, can be encouraged and perhaps enlightened.

My husband and I have had the privilege to serve at our current church - Goodwill Baptist Church - for almost 3 years. It is a wonderful, loving, spirit-filled and awesome church. We have grown in number and in spirit over these 3 years and are on the verge of God doing great things in our church.

About 7 months ago, the attacks started. A deacons wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. She is not doing well physically at this time as the chemo is taking it's toll on her.

A few months down the road, J.D. - another deacon - is diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors will not give him any treatment due to the location of the mass. He has now had 3 or 4 small heart attacks and is taking several nitro pills a day. The doctors will also not do a heart cath or any other procedure due to him being so weak.

Over the next month or so, 2 deacon families were involved in an attack against the family unit. Suffice it to say, we have 2 hurting families and a hurting church, and are beginning the healing process in that venue.

About 2 weeks ago, another deacons wife suffered a stroke. She was transported to Shreveport for surgery to stop the bleeding in her brain and since the surgery has remained sedated and intubated. She is now unresponsive and has a staph infection as well as pneumonia.

On Wednesday, another one of our deacons was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his throat/neck area. He has already lost the feeling in his tongue and has been told that surgery is not an option. As he prepares to go to Little Rock for some experimental treatment, he is playing the waiting game.

So you see, that is 6 deacon families that are under blatant, heavy, spiritual attack that comes straight from the devil. We have no doubt that satan is waging war heavily against us at this point. But I can tell you in no uncertain terms, that satan has met his match in Goodwill Baptist Church. Our church will NOT buckle under to a pitiful foe like the devil. He will NOT win any victories. He will NOT defeat us. He will NOT slither in and conquer and divide our congregation.

Our church body is united. Our church body is binding together in prayer. Our church body is forgiving. Our church body is faithful. Our church body is ready for God to be glorified!

Several of us have been meeting late at night to pray in the sanctuary. There is nothing quite like being in God's house in the dark of the night. It is peaceful and intimate.

We are expecting mighty things from God. We are anticipating that God is about to do something so awesome and so powerful through our church body. We know that God has something special for us.

We may be in the valley at this particular moment, but the mountaintop experience is just right around the corner! We are standing firmly on His Word. We are searching the scriptures and hiding the truths in our hearts.

We are allowing God to direct our paths at this time. We are laying everything at His Feet. We are desiring to hear His voice. We are pouring our hearts out to Him. We are crying out to our Lord. We are desiring to seek His Face. To see His Glory. To be found faithful.

"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14)

So for now, we wait. We stand firm. We dig deep. We search diligently. We pray. We seek. We prepare for battle.

"When You said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." (Psalm 27:8)

Oh, precious Father, I seek You with all my heart. I desire to grow stronger in my walk. I long to know you deeper. I long to hear you clearer. I long to love you more.

You are my rock. My fortress. My deliverer. My Redeemer. My God. Thank you for what you are preparing to do in our church. Thank you for holding us in the palm of your hand. Thank you for your healing hand upon our church. You are mighty and powerful. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are God.

Healing for our Hearts!

"I sought the LORD and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4)

There probably isn't anyone reading this that couldn't use a little heart healing. Life can be brutal and too many times our hearts are the victims.

Harsh words, betrayals, rejection, apathy - all these can cause deep wounds that go straight to our hearts. Wounds that we can't imagine will ever heal. Wounds that render us weak, tired, worn out and beaten. Wounds that leave visible and invisible scars.

The only thing that can bind those wounds and jumpstart the healing process is a dose of God's Word. A continual dose of God's Word. It needs to drip into our bodies like an IV. Steady and regularly.

Our day should start at His Feet in His Word. We need that precious time alone with God to allow the Word to flow through us and soak into us. As we absorb His mighty Word, it becomes alive in our hearts. When it springs to life in us, it causes us to long for more. It becomes like an addiction.

As His Word becomes active in us it changes how we view ourselves. It changes how we view our wounds. That's when God's healing can begin to manifest itself in such a powerful way.

God's Word tells us that He give power to the weak. He increases the strength of those that have no might. He renews us. He cause us to not be weary.

His amazing love is just the right balm for the brokenhearted.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19)

Many times it is during those dark and uncertain days that we tend to seek God the most. As we are searching with a sense of urgency, we will experience His presence more than ever before.

God uses these opportunities to draw us closer to Him. Although we are more than ready for the culmination of our hurting, God enjoys the process because we cling to Him and seek Him like never before.

Our hearts can move hurting to rejoicing.

We move from brokenness to wholeness.

We bridge the gap between bondage and deliverance.

Our deep darkness turns to the light of Grace.

When we are on our faces in desperation - we get a glimpse of a Holy God. A glimpse of His Splendor. His radiance reflects back to us and we have His peace. We experience healing of our hearts in a mighty way.

Thank you Lord, for bringing us where we need to be to experience what you have for us. Help us to be obedient. Help us to have discernment. Help us to keep our eyes and focus on You.

Joy in His Presence

As you can see I had a busy and fun-filled week with my sweet girls and grandbabies. I had such a blast just being with them and getting such great sugar from them all!

Ashlie (my baby) and her 2 sweet boys made it home from Colorado on Thursday night. As they headed out to our house, Ashlie was greeted by me and Jimbo, her 2 sisters and her nephew and 2 nieces. We spent the next few nights all together and it was such a fantastic time of fun and togetherness. This mama/nana slept so good just knowing that all of her girls and all 5 grandbabies were under the same roof. I was full of joy and contentment.

This week has been a full of sweet times with my sweet Savior. I spent some wonderful time just searching and seeking in the scriptures. It is always amazing to me what God will show you when you just ask Him. He led me to verses that I had seen many times and showed Himself mighty. He led me to verses that I had never seen before and showed Himself powerful. He led me to verses that spoke to my heart and compelled me to dig deeper.

I think that God must be looking down from His Great Throne saying, "What is wrong with you people? I have so much to show you if you would just ask me!"

These past 6 days have proven to be some of the most awesome days as far as spending time with my Lord. There have been several of us that have joined together in the sanctuary at church late at night and allowed the Lord to speak to us through scripture and prayer.

I have never felt His presence so tangibly before. I have never felt Him so powerfully before. I have never felt so close to Him and His sweet Spirit before.

"But my heart stands in awe of Your Word. I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure" (Psalm 119:161-162)

I have learned that if we are truly seeking a Word from Him, He is more than ready to give it to us. He is just waiting to speak to us and He has so much to show us. We just have to be earnestly searching and eagerly expecting!

His Word is so full of amazing truths. His Word is so full of life. His Word is the very breath that sustains us. His Word is mighty and powerful. His Word is joy and peace. His Word is Truth and Light. His Word IS!

Oh, friends, He has so much to show us and He truly has great treasure in store for us. We just need to be on our faces and crying out for Him to reveal to us the mighty truths that He has for us.

I praise you Lord for your awesome presence. I praise you Lord for your mighty Word. I praise you Lord for the treasure that you have hidden in the scriptures. I will continue to seek you and search for you, and as I continue to find you, I will love you more and more. I will stand in awe of You.

Saturday Steps of Faith

"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)



I join Lisa for Saturday Steps of Faith.

I took a MAJOR step in faith this week, as I quit my job of 9 years. I felt the Lord leaning me toward this for the last few months and have just rebelled against it due to my own insecurities about finances. I finally realized that until I was obedient, I wasn't going to be happy or prosper. I had to come to the realization that if I didn't heed to God's will for my life, I wouldn't be able to continue on my forward trek with the Lord.

So many ways, this week, the Lord has sent me confirmation after confirmation that I did just what he directed. I know that I am in His will and I will continue to listen to His voice as I seek the fullness of what He has for me.

I have been able to minister alongside my husband this week to many in our church family. I haven't ever been able to do this with him and it was so nice and we enjoyed our time together. There have been several people this week that have needed us BOTH and I just know that the Lord KNEW this. He had this all planned because He knew that I was going to be part of this ministry at this particular time.

For however long He allows me this privilege of being used of Him in this way, I will enjoy it and embrace it and I will thank my sweet Savior for this awesome opportunity.

I am believing God for continuing to draw me deeper. For continuing to speak to me louder. For continuing to quicken my spirit.

Each day, I fall more in love with Jesus. I am in awe of Him. I am in awe of His splendor. I am in awe of His love for me.

Thank you Father, for giving me life and for blessing me more abundantly than I can ever deserve. I love You with all my heart. I will seek You with all that I am.

He will do a NEW thing!

There have been 2 scriptures lately that have just pierced my soul and spoken so powerfully to my heart.

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found by you." (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

"For Your Word has given me life" (Psalm 119:50b)

Each time I read these verses, they breath new life into my soul. They rejuvenate my spirit and they just restore the joy in my heart. I keep them on index cards in my car and on my desk so I can see them many times a day. They are spiritual water that quenches my thirst.

I have never had a season of such seeking in my life like I have had lately.

I have never hungered for the Word of God like this before.

I have never thirsted so deeply and desperately for a Word of spiritual Truth from my Savior like I have recently.

I crave His presence.
I desire His touch.
I long for the Truth of His Word.

Our lives get too busy and too focused on the wrong things. We can start going in the wrong direction and not realize it until it's too late. Our dailyness can take many twists and turns and it can take us through varying trials and testings.

Lately I have been very unhappy in my job. I have worked in the same place for almost 9 years. Things have evolved there into a place I no longer recognized. I had become someone that I no longer enjoyed being. My job had become a burden to my soul and I just felt like maybe it was time for a change. I had been praying about it for awhile.

Yesterday the Lord just impressed upon me, "today is the day. It's time." So I turned in my resignation.

I felt so free when I walkd out of there at 5 PM yesterday. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of me. I felt a peace that I haven't felt in a long time.

I pray that during this time of reflection and seeking in my life, that I will listen to God and heed the direction that He points me in.

These next few weeks I plan to do some much needed ministering alongside my pastor husband. There are so many in our church and community that are in need of physical and spiritual healing. I pray that I can be a help to him during this time. I've never been able to go with him and visit and I am looking forward to that.

I don't have any plans other than just letting God show me His plans. I will seek and I will search for direction from Him. I only want to be in His will and I only want to go where He leads.

Remember that sign that I saw in Colorado?

Pilot Vehicle
Follow Me
Do Not Pass

That sign was for me. I have not doubt. Pray for me as I embark on this new experience and as I seek His will. The following verse is one I read this morning. Oh, Hallelujah! God is so good.

"Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in
the wilderness,
And rivers in the desert."
(Isaiah 43:8)