This last week we were able to spent a few days in Oklahoma. We went to a conference and worked on the movie with David Hinton. It was a great week of revelation, reassurance, vision and good prayer time. The Lord also showed me how many hurting people there are everywhere and here in our church family. The enemy is so at work to destroy families and get people to believe lies about themselves and get into fear of what’s ahead.
I’ve known the Lord my entire life but when situations and attacks come, I know I must spend time with Him in His presence to see with His eyes. There is nothing that changes our need for sitting in His presence. The last few months I’ve had to trust, believe, hear, and have faith in ways I’ve never had to trust, believe, hear, and have faith before, give in ways I have never given, walk paths I’ve never walked. The Lord continues to speak to me that where I am right now in each day – that is where my ministry is. But sometimes with all the stuff thrown at us we can let it get us down temporarily. There are so many unknowns. I have no words to tell my Mom about her future except one day at a time and He is with us every moment. That doesn’t seem like much of an answer for someone almost 92 who feels lost in what to do next. It’s a walk of faith and hope for sure. I am standing on His promises in every area of our lives and for the hurting people we love. The enemy is working his best BUT the enemy is already defeated and we have the victory.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
As I prayed for others this week the Lord was showing me how vital it is for us to help and encourage one another. The world is a place of hurting folks but His promises haven’t ceased. His Word isn’t returning void! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His promise of hope which is an earnest expectation of good, is still what we have to hold onto. The Word tells us that we need each other. “So now we must cling tightly to the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps His promises! Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them towards acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.” Hebrew 10: 23-25 Passion translation
These are powerful verses. Here’s what I picked out as life saving actions.
Cling tightly to the hope that lives within us
Discover creative ways to encourage
This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together
We should come together even more frequently
Eager to encourage and urge each other onward
As we anticipate that day dawning, the end times.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about Moses fighting a battle and losing. It wasn’t looking good. The Lord had told him as long as he raised his hands in praise he would win and when he dropped his hands he would lose. We don’t know how long he had raised hands but they were growing weary. That’s when two great friends came in to help. They held his hands up for him! What an amazing story that is.
“But Moses’ hands were heavy and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek and his people from under heaven.” Exodus 17:12-14 Amplified Bible
We all have times of growing weary. If we didn’t He wouldn’t have given us words of encouragement during those times. “Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” Galatians 6:9
“And don’t allow yourselves to be weary or disheartened in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!” Galatians 6:9 The Passion Translation
How awesome it is during these times to have friends come in with helping hands. Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. Good friends. What is a friend? A friend is someone who :“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17
“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
“No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends.” John 15:13
Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Hold up the hands of another. Listen to one another. “So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.” Philippians 2:2
I love this verse: “He who sings a song to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment is cold weather. A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings on silver”
“.Admonish, urge, encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today..” Hebrews 3:13
“Two are better than one, because they have a good and satisfying reward for their labor. For if they fall; the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“This is My commandment; that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends. I do not call you servants any longer; for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from My Father. I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.” John 15:12-15
“Rejoice with those that rejoice - sharing others joy and weep with those that weep -sharing others grief.” Romans 12:15
“Sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being. It encourages you to know that you’ve changed someone else’s life.” Proverbs 18:20
I know many of you are going through trials and situations right now and we are praying and believing for you. God made us a family to help one another and I am so thankful for each of you and your love and prayers! Take time to know how to pray for others in this church family. Let’s minister one to another and refuse to let the enemy destroy any of us!
“Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.” Galatians 6:2