A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

September 27, 2018

Calling All Prayer Warriors!

     I would like to ask each of you that faithfully reads this blog to join me in praying for one of our own. I believe that together we have formed a remnant that is very precious to God and He will honor our hearts and our prayers because we are joined in a common spirit of advancing His Kingdom.
     Karla holds a very special place in my heart. We actually have quite a history, she and I. It was several years ago, just as Mark and I were seriously engaging in our Inner Healing and Deliverance Ministry, that I received an email from Karla with a subject line that simply read Help?
     I have often wondered how many other people have begun emails like this one, but then were just too scared to send them. But my spirit heard Karla's words loud and clear. Her email began like this: The Lord led me to your blog in July of 2014 and I have been a faithful, daily reader ever since. I originally found you when I was just hearing about preparedness, and started to realize what was happening in our world and wanted to find help in learning about preparedness. At first it was all about being physically prepared, and I thought that was why God had led me to your writings. However, when you started making the shift from physical preparation, to spiritual warfare, I was there right along with you, and this is what I am writing to you about today.
     This letter has been long in coming. It's been in my mind for months now, but it's taken this long to actually write it. Part of the warfare, I'm sure. I know that Satan does not want me to write it. He does not want me to ask for help. He does not want me to learn how to actively fight him. I have been much too easy for him to manipulate and oppress. I have never written a letter like this to someone out on the internet, but this urge has not gone away in several months, so I am going to just go for it. Right now I literally have no one to listen to me, or to help. I am feeling more vulnerable and under attack than I have ever felt in my life. It feels like it is incoming from every single direction possible. A good description of me right at this moment would be a little girl, curled up in a ball, trying to withstand the blows and hoping they will end soon. I honestly don't know what has happened to me. I am a fighter. But the fight is taking its toll on me and I just feel like a sitting duck. It is so bad that I don't even know what to do or where to start. I am tired, broken, and feel like I'm hanging on by a thread. The one thing I hang on to is my certain knowledge that my Redeemer lives. But I can't get to Him. I pray and I ask and yet I still feel like I'm on the other side of soundproof glass and I can't make contact. I know He's there. I know He has the power to heal me. I know He can demolish my foes with a single word. And yet, I can't get there, no matter what I do.

      Her letter continued for quite awhile as she filled me in on all the things she had tried in order to get relief: Pastoral counseling, Bible study groups, women's church groups, friends, family, etc. But no one seemed to know how to counsel her in spiritual warfare -- if they even believed in it!
     She continued: I don't know what to do ... all I know is that I woke up with this incredible urge to write to you. That maybe somehow, someway, you could help. I know you are turning the focus of your ministry to helping people like me to break free ... and I want to break free ... so very badly ... I just don't know where to start. I look and see what has come this past year ... what is coming this next year ... and I want to be IN the fight ... I want to be used of God ... and I know He wants to use me ... but first, He needs to heal me ... and bring healing to my family ...
     I hope some of this makes sense? I feel so confused ... and helpless ... Please, what can I do? How do I get started? How do I fight? My usually happy, upbeat spirit feels crushed ... I can't stop crying ... I can't stop the pummeling...
     Thank you for listening ... thank you for all you write and share ... and now I am going to take a huge leap of faith, and push "send".

     After reading Karla's letter, I sat there in tears. Here was a woman -- a Christian woman  --- who could find no one within the Church who believed she was fighting a spiritual battle. I was so humbled that her leap of faith had led her to me, and I just prayed to God to help me help her. I remember thinking, she lives in Washington State. How can I minister to her when she's so far away? How do I conduct a healing session when I can't do it in person? Well, that's when my very smart husband asked me, "Don't you think Jesus can handle that distance? You've got the telephone and we can Skype her". Brilliant man!
     Long story short, I did just that. Karla filled out a questionnaire that I mailed her, and after discovering that Freemasonry was in her family, I had her repeat the renunciations over the phone with me. Mark and I then did an actual session with her via Skype and she had tremendous breakthrough! Just read how different she sounds in this followup letter: I am a total believer in the power of God to deliver ... and I absolutely believe in generational curses and the total evilness of Freemasonry! I have read a few testimonies online of some people who have broken the curses and their stories are very similar to mine. We experienced some of the same things, never knowing why. They also had tremendous release, simply from praying those prayers!! I am absolutely in awe of the power of God to break the power of darkness that I didn't even KNOW I had over my life!! It's just incredible!! I can't wait to do the rest of it ... if it's this good now, I want to see the next levels of freedom that are waiting for me!! I also have a hunger for the Word like I've never had before!! I cannot get enough!! Where before I was spending hours a day reading all the doom and gloom in the world, and being fearful, now all I want to do is be in the Word, and listen to teachings !! And worship!!!
     I just reread this and I know it sounds unreal!! I probably wouldn't believe it, except I am living it!!! There's even more I could say, but really, all I need to say is "Thank You, Yeshua!!!" He really, truly has become my DELIVERER!!!
     
     Since that time, I have seen Karla grow in her faith and her obedience to become a willing servant of God. She was instrumental in bringing a friend of hers, Jodie, to us for Deliverance, and the two of them have been a force to be reckoned with in helping others to get set free! But now Karla needs our prayers.
     Jodie sent me a text today asking for prayer for Karla. Yesterday, after suffering an excruciatingly painful headache for five hours, she went to the hospital and the doctors have told her that she has a rather large tumor in her brain, there is bleeding, and her blood pressure is really high. Her family is flying or driving in to gather around her and she is scheduled for surgery today. Jodie tells me Karla feels like this is a spiritual attack.
     So I am coming to you, my blogger family of deep Believers, asking you to join me and Jodie and Karla's family in prayer for her complete healing. Her story is that of an Overcomer and a Victor in Jesus. The Enemy would like nothing more than to remove her from God's spiritual army because her testimony is so powerful and she is such a fighter. I wrote this short prayer for her and asked Jodie to draw Karla's family around her and to say this prayer out loud, putting the spiritual realm on notice that God's people are going into battle for their fellow warrior. Would you join us in praying this out loud for Karla?

     Father God, we come before Your throne today asking for compassion and mercy for Karla, and we join Jesus and the Holy Spirit as we intercede on her behalf.
     Father, we call upon You, Jehovah Rapha, because You are Karla's healer. We know that Jesus nailed this brain tumor to the cross 2000 years ago and we declare that her physical body must line up with Your eternal Truth.
     Your Word also says that Jesus bore her infirmities and sicknesses, and that He is health unto Karla's flesh. We believe that it is Your will that she remain in health, that she prosper, and that she continue to bear fruit for Your Kingdom. Your Word also says that the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up. We are holding You to that promise, Father, as we join together in faith, praying for Karla.
     Furthermore, we declare that Jesus is Lord over her body, which is His Temple. We speak to every blood vessel, neuron, cell, and the tumor in her brain, and declare that both brain and blood pressure are now coming under the redemptive power of God.
      Pain, you are destroyed in Jesus's Name! Bleeding, you will stop now, in the Mighty Name of Jesus! And tumor, you will shrink and utterly disappear by the power in the Name of Jesus!
     We speak to Karla's brain, body, and spirit ... We declare that you are supernaturally recovering RIGHT NOW in the powerful Name of Jesus Christ!
     Finally, we declare to the spiritual realm and the kingdom of darkness -- Karla is a daughter of the King of the Universe and her doctors will marvel at her miraculous recovery as she comes under the care of ministering angels and the power and glory of God Almighty! We thank for hearing our petitions for Karla, Father, and it is in the awe-inspiring Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ that we pray, trusting You for this healing outcome. Amen!

     Thank you for joining me in prayer and may God bless each of you for lifting up our Sister in Christ. May our voices join with those of the heavenly host when we celebrate Karla's victory!

Matthew 18-19   Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven.
  

 

April 27, 2018

The Power of Intercessory Prayer

     Yesterday, Mark and I drove three hours to lead a teaching on the Power and Authority of the Believer and how that intersects with Kingdom living. But it quickly became clear to us that the focus of our day was going to be on intercessory prayer. During that three hour drive, we received three different phone calls in which we heard impassioned pleas for counsel and prayer over situations that are dominating the lives of good and faithful people. As I look back on those conversations, my spirit recognizes what a privilege it is to be able to come together to pray with people who trust our hearts to go with them before God, pleading their case and asking for justice and mercy.
    Each of these three calls were unique and separate in their needs, but all dealt with life-changing circumstances that the Enemy is using to keep these people in states of fear, anger, resentment, and confusion... all spiritual conditions that keep one from experiencing the joy and peace of their relationship with the Lord. And all this took place before we met with the group we were teaching! They also had needs to be prayed for -- a serious health condition for a grandchild; a life-long battle over a child's salvation; pending neck surgery; and a failed business opportunity.  At the end of the day, it was apparent how important intercessory prayer is in the Body of Christ.
     But what is intercessory prayer and what should it look like? Timothy 2:1-2 (in the Amplified Version) urges that "petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people ... so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." For myself, I prefer the Passion Translation of this same verse: "Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion... so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts".  Furthermore, both versions make it very clear that it pleases God when we pray for each other, because it brings us into a relationship with Jesus, and an understanding of Him as our mediator; our intercessor.  And since we are to follow His example, and to "grow up in every way into Him", this truth should direct us to become powerful intercessors.
      I like that picture of praying with passion, which to me, indicates the release of emotion and energy; an outburst of intense desire. But when you combine prayer with passion, can you conceive a release of God's power into whatever situation you are praying about? That's how I see it, but I have to tell you that I have a dilemma when it comes to how we Christians pray in intercession for others. 
     Will God release His power (the Holy Spirit) into our circumstances if we don't believe that we have the right [as co-heirs with Christ] to ask for the power? Not Can God, but Will God release His power? And how effective are our intercessory prayers if we don't recognize that His power is in us to see His good, and perfect, and acceptable will done in the situation? Are we praying from a position of power and boldness, or are we imploring God to solve our problems for us? 
     I can't help but look back to the Church in the Book of Acts. It was small by today's standards, but look at the power of their prayers! The body of Christians that formed that early Church was feeling the persecution by their own religious leaders, and Peter and John had been arrested and warned not to preach in the name of Jesus again. But that body of believers joined in intercessory prayer for the fledgling Church, that it might grow in faith and influence. 
     So, how did they pray? Firstly, they prayed as one, in unity. Then they prayed boldly, asking God to "empower" them as His servants, to speak His Word freely and courageously. They also asked God to "stretch out His hand of power through them to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of His Holy Son, Jesus"! They didn't ask God to do it for them. They prayed that He would empower them so they could be courageous enough to declare His will, and to use His power flowing through them to move in miracles, effectively shining His Light into the world's darkness.
     What was the effect of this powerful intercessory prayer? Acts 4:31 says, At that moment the earth shook beneath them, causing the building they were in to tremble. Each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the word of God with unrestrained boldness.  Do we see the same kind of response when we pray as intercessors? Do our prayers cause earthquakes? Shouldn't they? 
     Remember, the established Church is new at this point in history and although I couldn't find exact numbers, membership of the entire Church would be in the range of 5,000 or so. And this event could be just a small segment of believers gathering in a building. My point is that whatever the numbers were, it is only a fraction of the number of believers in the Body of Christ in America today. Imagine what it would be like if we all prayed in harmony and unity for God to let His power flow through us to effect change in our communities; in our nation; in the world? There would be no abortion; no drug or sex trafficking; no child molestation; no murder; no poverty; no hunger --- the list goes on. 
     But guess what? It isn't really about the numbers game, either. You or me, praying from our lone position of power and authority, partnering with God, can cause buildings to tremble and the ground to shake. THAT's called spiritual warfare! It can be the source of spiritual breakthrough in any situation. Because God will act -- whether one person, or tens of thousands are praying; He just needs us to pray from our heart [where the Holy Spirit is guiding our prayer] and to pray persistently, with faith that knows the power comes from God and that He loves the people we are praying for.
     The bottom line is that I believe God wants us to join with each other in prayer AND join with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as they intercede for us. We need to join our spirits together in persistent prayer until, like the persistent friend who shows up at midnight in Luke 11, asking for food, we finally get what we are asking for. Or be like the persistent widow who keeps asking the unjust judge for justice until he finally grants her demand. But we don't face that same kind of opposition. We are grateful that we serve a loving and merciful God with a Character that desires to give His beloved what they persistently ask for. That is the principle at the heart of intercessory prayer. Let us shake this earth with passionate prayer that sees the power of God unfold before our eyes! May the Spirit of the Church in the Book of Acts invade the Body of Christ once again!

Ephesians 6:18     "Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all His believers".  
    

January 10, 2018

The Power Of Morning Prayers

     How many of us, as children, remember praying "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take"? It is customary for us to pray before we go to sleep, isn't it?  Perhaps it is the fear that comes with the nighttime, which we equate with evil and satan's power of darkness.  We feel defenseless while we sleep, and let's be honest ... how many of us are attacked during the night and early morning hours with fearful thoughts and doubts, and sometimes much worse?
     But why do we protect ourselves [in prayer] so diligently at the end of the day, and tend to ignore the beginning of our day?  How many of you pray as steadfastly and fervently in the morning as you do at night?  This matter has come to my attention after listening to a teaching by Dan Duval of Bride Ministries. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Mr. Duval's because of his boldness in going after a higher understanding of how the Enemy has afflicted both believers and non-believers alike.
     He has truly sought after God's heart in revealing all the strategies of the devil and his demons; specializing in areas that the everyday Christian doesn't even know exist, and would be hard-pressed to accept. He has achieved tremendous breakthroughs in the lives of people suffering everything from mind control programs; satanic ritual abuse; ancestral and bloodline bondage; regions of captivity in evil realms; emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts; to the "average" issues of grief, PTSD, broken hearts --- and everything in between.
      Dan Duval's teachings are probably not for everyone.  I say that because he is fearless in uncovering and identifying all the ways that satan can attack the children of God. But I believe that God has entrusted him with supernatural knowledge of the programs, strategies, and mechanics that enslave us, and the means by which we can partner with Jesus to get set free.
     And one of the most natural, but often overlooked, ways to fight the Enemy is to start each day with prayer. This should not be so surprising to us! If we are Spirit-led Christians, then we know that "the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour". We also know he comes "to kill, steal, and destroy". Why would we think that we could begin each day and not be a target?  You see, the problem for most Christians is that they don't know they can operate in the authority and power of Jesus, and they try to control whatever the Enemy throws at them from their human abilities and strength. They don't even know that we have been given spiritual armor to protect ourselves, let alone think to put it on and never take it off!
     First of all, Scripture tells us how important praying in the morning is to living a successful life behind enemy lines.  The Psalms give us several examples of morning prayer: At each and every sunrise You will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to You.  Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart (Psalm 5:3); But as for me, Your strength shall be my song of joy. At each and every sunrise, my lyrics of Your love will fill the air! For You have been my glory-fortress; a stronghold in my day of distress (Psalm 59:16); Lord, You know my prayer before I even whisper it. At each and every sunrise You will continue to hear my cry until You answer (Psalm 88:13). Let the sunrise of Your love end our dark night. Break through our clouded dawn again! Only You can satisfy our hearts, filling us with songs of joy to the end of our days (Psalm 90:14).
     As if the endorsement of morning prayer by King David in the Psalms is not enough, we have an explicit example from our King and Savior in Mark 1:35, The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made His way to a secluded place to give Himself to prayer. He did this in preparation for delivering His Gospel Message, and knowing that He would be confronted by satan's demons and those who listened to their lies.  Should we be any less prepared?
     So, it was with great interest that I listened to Dan Duval's teaching on how he has constructed a morning prayer to introduce Jesus to his whole day. What I am about to share is a synopsis of his suggestions for morning prayers. As you will see, he covers a lot of ground and a lot of ways to pray against the Enemy's tactics. This may seem excessive to you, but if you had the knowledge of all the ways satan plots to destroy us, wouldn't you want to cover them in prayer? Here is just a sample of how you might proceed ....
     To start, I would begin my morning prayer in the Mighty Name of Jesus, praising God for His greatness, and boldly approaching His throne for mercy and compassion in my time of need. I would express myself with boldness and confidence, declaring that I am putting up smokescreens in the spirit that act as sight and sound barriers against intruders, trespassers, satanic agents, and evil spirits.
     I declare that I start each day washed by the blood of Jesus and cleansed from all filthiness of the world and its sin.  I am cleansed of all unrighteousness and washed by the water of Your Word, God. I declare that any evil word spoken over me during the night, or in my dreams will be devoured by the locusts of God so that no fruit may come from such evil deeds. I declare that any unholy bondages attempted against me are being consumed by the Holy Fire of Jesus Christ. I renounce and declare destruction against all evil altars set up bearing my name or image in every timeline, age, realm, or dimension. I renounce and break the power of all sacrifices or rituals performed on these altars, declaring they will have no impact on me or anyone else.
     I repent for and renounce every act of agreement with evil agendas and assignments taking place during my sleep, including the reception of evil spirits and counterfeit gifts and callings, mandates, judgments, technologies, revelations and assignments.
     I declare that the blood of Jesus covers not only me, but my house, cars, bank accounts and everything under my stewardship, in Jesus's Name. I declare that my body, soul, and spirit are blessed, in Jesus's Name. I call for the oil of anointing to be poured over every component of my person, anointing me for service, establishing my heart in joy, and awakening the strength of Jesus Christ in my members.
     Angels, bless the Lord and praise His holy Name. Excel in strength and perform His Word and hearken unto the voice of His Word. You are made ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation. As an heir of that salvation, I speak to you that your ministry to me is the execution of your assignments. Angels of finance, you are loosed to bring to me what has been appointed to my storehouse. Establish me in the provision of the Lord and cause the abundance of the blessings of the Lord to overtake me. Angels of opportunity, you are loosed to bind and secure opportunities and to establish an environment of favor around me.
     Angels of healing, you are loosed to insure that attacks against my health are derailed. You are loosed to block the transmission of infectious diseases; to prevent food poisoning; to interrupt accidents that would cause harm to my body, and to heal issues in my flesh, soul, and spirit.
     Angels of warfare, you are loosed to conquer the enemies of God that oppose me, my assignments, mandates, and callings. I declare that the warhorses of heaven are loosed against the strongholds, strategic positions, war rooms, and laboratories of darkness that have been erected against my life. I bombard the Enemy with hailstones, bowls of fire, tsunamis of living water, instruments of war, and the armies of heaven. I cover the Enemy with clouds of confusion and smite evil with plagues of destruction and disaster, in the mighty Name of Jesus.
     I declare that the sun, moon, stars, and planets are created to praise the Lord. The earnest expectation of the Creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God because the Creation, itself, will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
     Therefore, I declare that all evil and demonic agents of darkness are being excised by the Sword of the Lord. I declare that these evil assignments are being replaced by the Word of the Lord, which says, Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever. 
     And I declare that all the stars in the heavens will be employed in exploits against the enemies of Jesus Christ; fighting alongside the children of Light to expand the influence of the government of God in the earth. I declare that the Creation is re-oriented at the outset of this day to serve the Lord, so that the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.  I declare that the whirlwinds of the Lord surround me. They draw all resources that are expedient to my calling, and destroy the snares of the Enemy from before my face.
     Lord Jesus, You are my shield, my buckler, and my rear guard. I take this opportunity to put on my spiritual armor... my belt of truth, my breastplate of righteous, helmet of salvation, shoes for the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, shield of faith, sword of the Spirit [which is the Word of God], the garments of vengeance, and the cloak of zeal. I will not be afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrows that fly by day, nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor the destruction that lays waste at noonday. I will trust in my Lord completely and without hesitation.
    And I declare that I dedicate this day to the service of the Lord and the advancement of His Kingdom on earth. I thank you, Father, and Lord Jesus for loving me, and I seek the counsel and guidance of the Holy Spirit as I walk through this day, honoring and glorifying You. I come before you in reverence and humility, and ask that you hear my prayer and receive it, as I declare my allegiance and love for You in the Holy Name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.
     Now.... how do you think you would approach each day if you began it with a prayer as powerful as this one?  Do you think you would feel defeated by encroaching deadlines, financial difficulties, health issues, and the fear of possible calamity -- or would you walk in an attitude of victory and gratitude that becomes a child of God?
     Mr. Duval has given us an exceptional model to follow in executing our morning prayer. In fact, he has provided many resources for prayer on his website. I often share them with people who come to us for ministry. And I would also recommend that you consider purchasing his new book, Prayers That Shake Heaven and Earth, which can be pre-ordered here. I have found his prayers to be very effective in fighting the wiles of the Enemy, and I can't think of a better way to start our day than to come before the Lord, declaring His Greatness and Majesty; declaring protection over our callings, health, and resources; and declaring our power and authority over all the schemes of the Enemy. Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands and spirits of those called by the Lord.  Let us not take another breath in the morning without devoting our day to our Creator and our service to Him. What a privilege it is to pray before the Lord!

Mark 11:24    This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer -- believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

September 30, 2017

Hear Me, My God!

     The last several days God has gotten ahold of me and literally shook me out of a stupor.  I have been asking for more of Him... desperately wanting to encounter Him as Jesus did.  I've been wanting to see evidence of Him in miracles like the Disciples saw; to see a burning in the hearts of my fellow Christians like what happened in Acts, Chapter Two. I KNOW that, as today's Body of Christ, we are missing so much of what Jesus told us we would experience after He sent His Spirit to us!  I KNOW we are to be having a greater effect on the world; to be seeing a greater intimacy with God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. I KNOW so much is lacking ... in my prayer life; in how I communicate Jesus to a lost world; in how I communicate the power of a Christian life to fellow Believers. I want more of God in my life, and in my community, my state, and my nation! And I'm SO weary of living in a compromised world -- I just don't want to settle for any less than what the Early Church experienced. So how did it all go so wrong, and how do we get it back?
     I'm going to try to relate in this post and the one following, just what God is showing me, and just what He has done in me.  Let me start by asking, how many of our churches preach the message that Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow -- essentially Forever? If He is truly the same, then everything about Him is the same -- what He wants for us and what He intended for us to do after He went to the Father. And He gave us a clear model to follow ... Himself! He even gave us a model Prayer to pray, yet I'm not sure we haven't lost the essence of that because it has become almost a mechanical prayer for so many of us.
     I have spent the last week studying and listening to different teachings on Prayer because I want that intimacy that Jesus had with the Father. He knew that whatever He asked for in prayer would be answered because He talked with God and heard [and saw] His Father's heart. And He did that as a man! It is available to us, too, because Jesus says, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  So why don't we believe it? Why isn't our prayer life the source of our power, as it was for Jesus?
     Could it be that we are too wrapped up in ourselves when we pray -- that we are only conscious of the need(s) we are asking for, instead of focusing on Who we're praying to?  I think Jesus believed His prayers would be answered, because He really knew the One He was praying to, and that the model for answered prayer is always Heaven -- Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
     But perhaps the biggest failure in our prayer life [and it certainly has been in mine] is the lack of persistence.  I'm sure you've heard the teaching on Luke 11:9: And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you ... that the tense of those verbs is really "keep on asking", "keep on knocking".  But what have we come to believe?  If our prayer isn't answered right away, then "it must not be God's will". But I challenge you to find anywhere in the Bible that Jesus said to someone who came to him [in prayer] for healing or deliverance, "I can't help you because it is God's will for you to suffer".
     Can you discern that His parables of The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-13) and The Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8) are about showing us what our Father is not like? Unlike the Friend, our Father wants to give us everything we ask for. Jesus says, For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives. And unlike the Unjust Judge, our Father won't delay in giving us justice, if we pray and not give up and lose heart. Here is the question on Jesus's heart as He told this parable: When the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?
      So, we must ask ourselves, do we pray once or twice and then give up? Or do we knock until our knuckles are bruised, and ask .. no, shout! ... until our voices are hoarse? Are we prepared to never give up until we get the answer we've prayed for, crying out to God, "Father, YOU SAID, in Your Word that if I asked in Jesus's Name, I would receive! We have made a covenant, God! I am trusting in You to respond! And I know, Father, that no answer doesn't mean this is Your will. You are not like the Unjust Judge or the Friend who doesn't want to help.  I'm going to pray [like Jesus did], until I see Your Presence in this situation and something happens!"
     But, I fear that we put no more effort into prayer than we do studying our Bible. We have become too casual about our prayer life, instead of depending on prayer the way the Disciples did.  Do you recall that they returned to Jerusalem right after Jesus ascended into Heaven, and prayed for days in the Upper Room, with one accord, while waiting for the promised Holy Spirit?  They gave themselves "continually to prayer" (Acts 6:4), and after Herod had James killed, and Peter was arrested, "fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church" (Acts 12:5).
     And why were they so persistent in prayer, and why did Jesus stress that persistence was so important?  Could it be that persistence in prayer changes us?  That God wants to develop and change our hearts so that we will be better suited to "rule and reign" as kings and priests?  Think about it! When that time comes on earth, He is going to need Saints who will be able to persevere and declare His Word into the storms of life; Faithful who won't give up because they know their authority.
     The bottom line is this ... our prayers don't have to be lengthy and religious, like those of the Pharisees. We just need to be persistent, and don't stop! But here's what I want to make sure we all understand ... Jesus points out [at the end of the parable about the Friend] that the real reason we should pray persistently is this:  If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!
     When we persist in prayer and seek the Father's answer until He gives it, we will receive more of Him, namely an outpouring of the Holy Spirit!  Yes, I have been fervently praying for healing, and for miracles, and for His provision -- but what I've really hungered for is more of Him.  I want to be made more full of God! I want that intimacy with Him that only the Holy Spirit can give me. Because I have come to realize that when my prayers are answered, it is the result of the moving of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, by persisting in prayer, my heart is changed and that moves the heart of God, and the Holy Spirit is involved in both.
     All of this has brought me to this point ... I am changing the way I pray.  I am praying boldly; I am knocking loudly and often; I am going to ask until He can no longer ignore me; and I'm going to pray, expecting an encounter with the Holy Spirit ... because I know it His good pleasure to answer my prayers and to see how much I'm willing to seek Him. Prayer is an important part of strengthening my relationship with my Father, and it is teaching me to grow my relationship with the Holy Spirit. And it is that process that has become an answer to my most fervent prayers.  More on that in an upcoming post...

Thank you to the teachings on Prayer by Bill Johnson, who helped me to recognize the longings of my heart, and how my prayer life effects my relationship with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 

John 16:23-24    In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

April 28, 2017

Prayer and Praise

     I think that one of the most difficult things for a Christian to do is know how to pray.  Even the Apostles, who had witnessed the most astounding miracles -- the blind who could see; the lame who could walk; the dead who rose to life -- didn't ask Jesus to teach them how to do greater miracles.  They asked Him to teach them how to pray, which tells me it was a struggle for them, too.
     I think that after spending nearly three years with Him, they had discerned that Jesus's private prayer life was instrumental to the success of His public ministry, and therefore it was incumbent upon them to know what was involved in a meaningful prayer life. But somehow, down through the centuries, it seems to me that prayer has somehow become seen as the solution to all our problems.  By that, I mean that we have come to believe that whenever confronted with a problem, or some misfortune in our life, if we just knew the right words to say, that God would fix everything.  In one sense, prayer has become a catch-all for everything we desire from God ... from our basic human needs to comfort in the most tragic of circumstances.
     Please know that I am not discounting prayer!  It is a very important component of our relationship with God, the Father; just as it was to His Son.  But Jesus prayed to God out of a knowledge of Him and His Truths.  Jesus's prayers were heartfelt, and centered on the relationship He had with God. Our relationship with God comes from who we understand Him to be; from what He has revealed to us through His Word.
      One of the reasons I think there is so much need for Deliverance Ministries and Inner Healing is that people have the mistaken belief that prayer is all they need in order to be healed.  If they just pray hard enough and often enough, then God will take away the torment of guilt, shame, anger, rebellion, unforgiveness -- or whatever sin is keeping them in bondage. But I know too many people for whom prayer has not relieved the pressures and torments of this life. But do we advise those people to quit praying?  Absolutely not! But may I suggest that they alter their prayer life in a manner that has worked for me.
     If you had to define prayer, how would you describe it?  Basically, prayer is just communication between you and God.  But it has to be two-way to be real and effective. I know how easy it is to "talk to" God, but how often do you hang around waiting for His reply?  And is your side of the conversation always about what you need or want? If it is, let me suggest another alternative...
     When those times come in my life when I am anxious about something, or tormented by worry or fear, instead of asking God to fix things for me, or to take away my state of anxiety or uncertainty, I stop and remember all the times He has delivered me from such distress.  You see, God and I have a history -- just as each of your lives represent a series of past events connected with Him. And when my prayer conversation with Him is focused on praising Him for all those times He was there for me -- especially in the midst of sadness, tragedy, my mistakes, and attacks by the Enemy -- then suddenly I am looking forward in the spirit of hope and trust as I remember the evidence of His presence in my past. That undeniable evidence provides assurance that He will be there in my present circumstances, because He is Immutable; He never changes.
     This is exactly how it works in Deliverance Ministry.  The wounds we’ve suffered in our lives are stored in memories; and our memories are stored in pictures.  Jesus and God are Omnipresent, so we know They were there during those events that have wounded us. I believe that Jesus created our imaginations to help our spirits communicate with our minds, so we can recall events in our lives and see that He was there, so that He can heal us inside the memory.
     So when our prayers involve our memories, we have a picture to refer to; the power to recall the Goodness and Protection of God.  And it is a conversation that I can only presume pleases our Abba, Father.  Yes, Jesus tells us in John 14:14 that we can ask anything in His Name, and He will do it.  That is certainly allowable in our prayers. But, as in all truly intimate relationships, there are times when we put our Beloved ahead of ourselves and let them know we recognize all they are to us.  Prayer is not always about what we need; some of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible are ones of praise and remembrance.  How blessed and loved I feel when I can recall my Lord's presence and grace in my life, and then share those sweet and empowering memories with Him.

Psalm 77:11-12   "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds".

Psalm 103:2    "Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me".
     

March 1, 2017

A Prayer For Our Nation

   
     It goes without saying that our nation faces critical times. There is blatant strife and conflict in all the arenas of our life: social, political, racial, cultural, and religious. People are divided like I have never seen them in my lifetime... and I can remember the Vietnam War, the political assassinations, and the racial riots. But now, if you wear the wrong T-shirt into a crowd, you are inviting violence. No one trusts the media; and we find it difficult to trust each other. And if all this discord and dissension weren't enough, now we hear that witches, satanists, and occultists are joining forces for a planned ritual in which they intend to destroy the President of this nation. I kid you not!
     They plan on invoking "demons of the infernal realms" in order to bind President Trump and all who encourage, promote, or assist him. I want to be very clear, this is not a blog about Donald Trump.  This is a post about the very real spiritual war that is being waged on our country, regardless of who you voted for. It is about the false gods that this nation serves. And it's about how far off the rails we have come; about all the various religions that we follow that do not worship the One True God. And it's about the chaos that has ensued because of these ungodly and sinful influences.
     To bring it all into perspective, I want to share a new insight I received yesterday as I pursued a new study I am doing on The Lord's Feasts.  Next month will begin the holy Passover week, which the Lord instituted so that the tribes of Israel might commemorate Him bringing them out of 430 years of enslavement to the Egyptian false god system.  Throughout their ancient history, the Egyptians worshipped as many as 2,000 different gods at different times and in different places.  But in the story of Israel's Exodus from Egypt, we encounter the ten plagues that God brought against the idolatrous Egyptians.  The number ten is significant in the Bible, signifying "a fullness of quantity".  Therefore, God is telling us that the ten plagues means Egypt was completely plagued with sin and idolatry.  Furthermore, each of the ten plagues God brought against them was a spiritual battle against a specific god.
     In particular, here are the gods or goddesses of Egypt that correspond to the type of plague God pronounced in this spiritual battle for the Israelites: the plague of the Nile turning to blood (Hapi - Egyptian god of the Nile); frogs coming from the Nile (Heket - Egyptian goddess of fertility, water, and renewal); lice from the dust of the earth (Geb - Egyptian god of the earth); swarms of flies (Khebri - Egyptian god of creation, movement of the sun, rebirth); death of cattle and livestock (Hathor - Egyptian goddess of love and protection); ashes turned to boils and sores (Isis - Egyptian goddess of medicine and peace); hail rained down in the form of fire (Nut - Egyptian goddess of the sky); locusts sent from the sky (Seth - Egyptian god of storms and disorder); three days of complete darkness (Ra - the sun god); death of the firstborn (Pharaoh - the ultimate power of Egypt, and a symbol of an anti-Christ spirit.
     As you will notice, each of the plagues increases in severity along with the increased power of the corresponding gods.  The Lord names His demand in these series of spiritual battles: "Let my people go, that they might serve ME!" But the spiritual forces of evil do not relent, and God pronounces that He will execute judgment against ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT.
Ra, the Sun god
     Here's what we need to understand... this is not some metaphorical fairy tale of the mythological gods of ancient Egypt.  These gods were real and they practiced their power and influence among all the people living in Egypt -- even the Israelites.  The people of Israel had been crying out to the Lord for centuries for release from their bondage, but even in their misery, their relationship with the Lord had suffered. There is now a battle between God and these other gods over the very people God has called His Own. And you know what?  The same could be said of the chaos, division, and corruptive ways we are now seeing in our nation.
     So, we have to ask ourselves: is the same thing happening in America today? Are other gods battling with the One True God for the heart and soul of our nation? We have always prided ourselves on being a melting pot; a nation where all faiths are welcome and no practice of religion is forbidden. And I know that I will receive condemnation for being exclusive, but how does our God feel about that, and are we due His judgment for participating in worship of Allah, Buddha, Shiva, the Angel Moroni, the Pope, or any other spirit behind men that proclaims they are "from God"? And what are we to do about it?
      Now, I know that this nation is our temporary home. But it is also territory that we, as Christians, are to claim for the Kingdom of God.  So it is in our interest, and the interest of God, to get in this spiritual battle, which is no different than the one waged in ancient Egypt. And one way that we can do that together is intercessory prayer; it worked for the prophets Ezekiel and Samuel; and worthy role models, they are.
     First, let's understand what intercessory prayer is.  It should go without saying that intercessory prayer is the action of intervening on behalf of another by praying for them. We petition God for mercy on their behalf. And I believe that God honors intercessory prayer because it shows a heart that seeks God's good and perfect will for another; a heart that pleads for the sake of another.
     And a benefit of intercessory prayer is that it brings us into communion with Christ, who is the Son of El Elyon, the Most High God, and who is Intercessor for all men. As Charles Spurgeon so eloquently put it, "When we pray for our fellow sinners we are in sympathy with our Divine Savior, who made intercession for the transgressors." We also walk in the shoes of Samuel and Ezekiel, Israel's devoted Prophets who prayed for the wayward nation of Israel. And if any nation can be described as wayward -- perverse, disobedient, rebellious, defiant, erratic -- it is the United States of America. I believe the division, discord, and defiance we are seeing in our nation is a result of the influence of other gods. And should someone want to put forth the argument that allowing everyone to worship the god of their choice brings about an all-embracing, all-inclusive and universal understanding of our differences and can actually promote unity in our acceptance of each other, let me ask you this ... how is it working for us?  I see more animosity, prejudice, and hostility than ever before; and combined with pornography, sex-trafficking, illegal drugs, and pedophilia, we are seeing the strategic battle plans of other gods who wish to defeat God's Ultimate Plan for reconciliation with the world.
     So, I would like to propose an intercessory prayer on behalf of our nation; a prayer in which we can join together to plead before our Father in Heaven.  It is not the perfect prayer, but a starting place for each of us to petition God for His mercy upon this land:
    

     Father God, we boldly and confidently come before your Throne today, to plead our spiritual condition as a nation.  Father, we know that the Blood of Christ is always before your Throne, interceding on our behalf, but we want to take responsibility for the state of this nation, and to repent for not turning away from the world and following Jesus with our whole heart.
      Father, we are guilty of bowing down at the altar of Molech, legislating the shedding of the innocent blood of millions of babies.  We have profaned your Church by allowing the sinful practices of the world to infiltrate your sanctuary, and the conspiracies of false prophets to blaspheme your holy laws.  We have allowed the Leaders of this land to practice extortion and commit robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy through political systems, and have taken advantage of those seeking refuge, without maintaining the protection of the righteous -- all without godly justice.
     We see the increase of sexual perversion in our land, and the cost it is enacting upon our families, our children, our marriages, and the truly vulnerable. We admit that we have not always treated our bodies as a holy Temple for Your Spirit, and that grieves us. 
     Father, we recognize that Your Judgment is due upon this land; that we have made no distinction between what is Holy and what is common or evil in Your eyes.  We acknowledge that we have made the worship of other gods equal to the worship of You and Your Son.  Father, we repent of these sins and plead the blood of Jesus upon all our transgressions.
     So, now we come before Your Throne, asking for forgiveness and that you release Your Power and Fire to burn up the works of darkness in this nation.  And because we have been given Power and Authority by Jesus to carry on His work of destroying the works of the devil, we release that fire of God [within us] to burn up the idols of this land.  Let the works of witchcraft and occultism be burned in Your fire.  
     We release the Sword of the Lord against the powers of hell, in the Name of Jesus. Let every altar erected by the Enemy, and the idols and images of the land be broken by Your Power, Oh Lord.  And, in the Name of Jesus, we bind the principalities and powers in the regions where we live, and we ask that you pour Your contempt upon these demon princes.  Break their strength, and bring down the proud and the arrogant, cleansing this land of all unholiness and unrighteousness.
    And Father, we ask that You release Your flood waters of Holy justice to rain down on this land, returning us to a righteous and godly people.  LORD, we know that the day will come when You will come in a flood of Godly Power, and all the floodwaters of sin and ungodliness will give way to fresh floods of Your Glory. Father, we pray that that Day will come soon; a Day when we will see Your Kingdom fully established on this earth, and the Prince of Darkness and his demons judged and defeated.  We thank You for the Grace and Mercy You have extended to us, and humbly ask that You bless this land, causing Your face to shine upon us, and that Your Way may be known upon this land and upon the entire earth. We pray for Your Salvation among this nation unto the ends of the earth. May You yield favor and increase upon us as we pray that Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

1 Samuel 12:20, 22     "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart ... For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for Himself".


   

January 6, 2017

Validation By A Vision

     I wrote yesterday's blog post out of a sincere desire to help several close Christian friends overcome their reticence to letting Jesus set them free.  To be honest, I was beginning to feel as if I was failing them and Jesus because I have been unable to convince them of what my spirit is screaming is His Truth!  I have tried using Scripture to validate what has been revealed to me, but more often than not, these dear Christians are so entrenched in the Church interpretation of the Word, that they look at me with doubtful concern: "I can see that possibility, but it's not what I've been taught my whole life."  And the conversation usually ends there.
     Even those who have seen family members healed of their spiritual wounds [and are desperately searching for a way out of their own bondage] just can't bring themselves to step outside the box. Something is holding them back; they are listening to a lie; and I haven't been able to convince them that Jesus is bigger than we've allowed Him to be.
     So, I have, admittedly, been struggling. After expressing myself yesterday, through my writing, as candidly [and as creatively] as I could -- hoping that I could find some way;  any way to help them understand a new insight to this powerful and innovative and unique God we serve -- I found myself on my knees last night... and unable to pray.
     I honestly didn't know what to pray; or how to pray for a breakthrough.  I had tried praying for ministering angels to reveal God's Truth to them, as it had been revealed to me.  I tried praying, in the Name of Jesus, for specific spirits and strongholds to be bound and cast off my friends.  I tried going, in my spirit, to the throne room of God, where I knew [in confidence] that I could ask for mercy and find grace to help in [this] time of need. But all my prayers seemed flat and shallow.  As I climbed into bed, I didn't feel defeated; but certainly deflated.
     Then, as I often do, when my spirit needs to connect with God, I awoke in the early hours of the morning.  Just past 4 a.m., I lay there wide awake, still struggling with how to get my friends delivered from the spiritual darkness they were experiencing.  But I couldn't even focus my mind enough to pray coherently.  I was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, and it was as if my mind was trying to find its way through a foggy maze.  I couldn't form a plan of prayerful attack against the Enemy.  So I just closed my eyes in the dark, and started telling myself, Be still and know that He is God... Be still and know that He is God.  And I tried to picture, in my spirit, the Light of the Glory of God... the Light shining in the darkness.
     I don't know how to explain it in any other way, but the next thing I was cognizant of was that I was part of something like a mini-movie playing in my head.  I knew on some level that it was a dream, and it was like I was watching it; but it was also like I was one of the actors in this scenario.  The story played out like this:  Set in the early 1930s or so, a man and his family are traveling in their old pickup, when it develops engine trouble.  They limp into this small town, where they are greeted with hospitality by a man who seems to be the leader of the town. This leader also says he'll be glad to help get the truck repaired, and invites them to stay a few days while he arranges for the truck to be hauled away to the shop.
     Now in this "dream", I seem to be playing the part of the husband, who gets his wife and two kids settled in, while he strolls about this town, getting a feel for its citizens.  He quickly senses a reserve and restraint about the townspeople; they seem skittish and nervous.  The husband (me) tries to ask a few questions... what do the townspeople do for a living?  Is it a good town to raise a family? One of the men approaches him, looking over his shoulder, as if worried he will be caught doing something forbidden, and reveals that no one is allowed to do anything but what the Leader permits them to do.  No one is free to pursue his or her own interests.  The husband asks, Then why don't you leave?  The townsman looks aghast and frightened at this suggestion!  Oh, that's impossible!  The Leader won't allow it!
     At this point in the "dream", the scene switches to the Leader returning from taking care of the family's truck, and now I'm playing the part of the wife.  I ask him what news he has on our truck, and he replies that he has taken care of the repairs and it will cost us $800.  Well, that was a fortune in the Depression of the 1930s, and I inform him that we don't have that kind of money! And the Leader informs me that we will be unable to leave since he holds this debt over our heads.  I boldly scream at him, My husband will never give in to your demands, while the terrified townspeople look on, unable to believe that I would dare to stand up to the feared Leader.
     At that moment, the husband (me again) appears on the scene, questions us about the uproar, and declares to the Leader that he will not be subject to his dictates.  He gathers his family up, and standing in the town square, declares to all the surrounding townspeople that we are leaving; we will not be bullied or intimidated by this tyrant.  But the townspeople respond with astonishment and consternation... How can you leave? We are all prisoners here, subject to his command! And we don't have the keys to unlock the gates to the town!
     The husband (me) looks at the panic-stricken townsfolk with pity in his eyes and heart.  Folks, you don't need keys... there are no locked gates on this town.  You have been free to leave anytime you wanted to.  This deceitful and wicked man only had you convinced you could never leave.  Your freedom has always been there.  All you had to do was walk away from him and his lies.
     Suddenly I was awake from this strange "dream".  It had been 2 1/2 hours since I had begun telling myself to Be still, and know that He is God.  But I had just "watched" and "participated in" what seemed like a full-length movie, in all its detail, color, and emotion.  It was as clear and visible in my mind as if I had just walked out of a movie theatre. I was baffled as I woke my husband up and told him the strange event I had experienced in my sleep.  It was such a strange little story; like it was perfectly scripted for my personal screening.  But I wondered, why that particular story line... I couldn't really see any purpose to the plot.  
     Then it hit me!  It was an answer to my struggling attempt at prayer the night before!  God was showing me that I couldn't make people see the truth of their bondage, anymore than I could (as the husband in my "dream") make the townspeople see that they didn't have to live by the dictates of the deceitful Leader.  Satan lies to us and convinces us that we can't escape our chains, and that we live in an invisible fortress of bondage.  It's easy to keep us in those chains, too, because he knows that too many of us will never believe that all we have to do is walk away towards the Freedom that Jesus offers.
     I will tell you that I have never had a "dream" like that before!  And I rarely remember every detail and conversation and emotion in sequential order, and in such lucid images.  My husband said, "I think God just gave you a vision".  At first, I didn't want to accept that because that isn't any kind of language (or concept) that we modern and Western Christians embrace with any comfort or agreement.  But I then realized just how similar my experience was to what I have been studying in Acts, Chapter 10.
     Peter, who found himself outside the norm of Jewish tradition and Law, was staying with Simon, the tanner, in Joppa.  For a law-keeping Jew of that time, it was strictly forbidden to associate with anyone who routinely worked with dead animals. And according to Jewish Law, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet outside a village because of his ritual uncleanness.
     But God was laying a groundwork in Peter's heart for a new concept that He needed him to understand, and Peter is less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than he was before.  Boy, can I relate to that!  This whole ministry that God has laid on me and my husband's hearts necessitates that we be willing to look outside the Western Church's traditions and rituals! And it has certainly set us apart from our fellow Christians.
     And what did God do next with Peter?  While he was praying on Simon the tanner's rooftop, the Bible relates what it calls "Peter's Vision".  Scripture actually says he fell "into a trance".  Now this happens to Peter around noon, hence the description of a trance.  I would submit to you that if it had happened in the night or early morning hours, it would have been described as a dream.
     So, Peter's dream is every bit as clear and focused and vivid as mine was.  He even partakes in a conversation with God, and the dream comes to a definitive end.  It is not disjointed or disordered; it is articulated with a precise message.  And Scripture says "Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant".  Like Peter, I searched for meaning and significance.  And, I will tell you that when it is that strong an image in your mind, you know how different it is from other dreams you've had.
     I understand that the traditional Church, [and perhaps many of you] will be unable to accept what I have related.  It will be rejected as my own rationalization or justification, and it is just too far outside the realm of "acceptable" Christian experience.  But I know in my heart and spirit, that it was a clarification from God.  It articulated the struggles and frustrations I have been facing, and validated that I am on the right path.  I was shown that I may not be able to change thoughts and theology in a Christian's mind, but I am to continue declaring what I see as God's Truth.  It is then up to each Christian to decide if they are too afraid to challenge the invisible chains imposed by the Prince of this world -- or if they will take that life-affirming step and walk through the gates toward Freedom.  All I know is that I have been given encouragement and motivation to continue my walk with My Lord, and it was beyond extraordinary -- it was supernatural!

Ephesians 3:20-21   "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

December 7, 2016

75 Years Later: Pearl Harbor And The Men Who Went To War

     Please indulge me as I try to capture the spirit of our nation 75 years ago, when the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor.  My father was of “that” generation; the exceptional period of existence that is described in our present age as “The Greatest.”  December 7, 1941 changed the course of his life, as it did so many like him. 
     It had always been my intention to write a fitting tribute to my father, who was such a complex, and at times, difficult man to understand.  Born in 1925, he was a mid-West farm boy who, at the inexperienced age of 17, answered his nation’s call after the horror of Pearl Harbor.  He served valiantly as a tail-gunner in the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet of PV-1 Ventura’s, and along with his older brother, came home to resume their lives in a changed America.
     Like most men who go to war, both talked little of their wartime experiences.  When he died in 2007, at the age of 82, I grieved over the lost opportunity to know how that fateful day of December 7, 1941 had changed him. I gave the eulogy at his funeral, and I could share the one aspect of him that I knew well:  his patriotism and love of country. We requested a Naval Honor Guard at his graveside service, and it was a moment I will always treasure.  His service to our Nation had not been forgotten, and the Navy’s own paid him proper respect. 
     But I was sad that I was left with only a few WWII mementos of my Dad: a photograph of him looking young and innocent in his Navy dress blues; a collage of his flight crew in front of their plane; and his poplin flight suit and fur-lined leather flying cap.  I proudly keep them alongside the folded flag presented at his funeral. But I couldn’t ask questions of these inanimate objects and they revealed no insightful answers.
     I felt my chances were slipping away of ever capturing what that era was like…. until one Sunday in the fall of 2009.  Sitting amongst the fifteen or twenty members of my small Sunday School class in Austin, Texas were four of the most interesting and captivating ladies I have ever met.  All in their mid-eighties, they had lived the WWII experience, and they were my path to the past.  This is their story.    

     Nearly eight years ago, four of the most precious women I've ever met -- all in their 80's -- sat around my kitchen table and told me their impressions of what it was like on that infamous day 75 years ago, when the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor swept the nation.
     I recorded their stories and wrote a 28-page biography, chronicling their impressions and memories.  Here is the opening paragraph of that biography: They sit grouped together, a quartet set apart by age, wisdom, and their status as widows.  But they are so much more.  They share a common history, yet each has a unique story of  her own to share.  They all grew up in the innocent years before Pearl Harbor.  They experienced the Depression, the war years, and the expansive growth that was a result of that hard-won victory.  Their lives are a lasting legacy of the enduring American Spirit, and they embody the different facets that, as a nation, we have inherited from all who came before us.
    But I want you to hear their voices; and re-live those days when faith and war were so intricately bound.  Hear the innocence and the resolve that were hallmarks of that generation.  Read these excerpts from their stories and ask yourselves if this current generation is as strong and resilient and determined to overcome the hardships we may face. And listen for the evidence that God was ever present...
     Mary Ann Holcomb was born in 1926 in the small town of Nursery, Texas, so named because a nursery for fruit trees was started there in 1882, along the tracks of the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railway.  The small Texas town was located on the coastal plains of the Southeast portion of the state.  Her dad had been a farmer, like his folks before him, and also worked in the insurance business until the Depression hit.
Mary Ann and Bill Holcomb on their honeymoon
     Times were hard for the family, which included Mary Ann’s two sisters, who were more than 10 years older.  At the height of the Depression, her dad decided he wanted a divorce, so he could leave to try to find work.  He took Mary Ann, who was nine, and her mother to Austin, where they were able to rent a little room.  Mother and daughter were desperate for a while.
     “I remember wearing a piece of linoleum in the bottom of my shoe.   Whenever I’d get a hole, it would go flap, flap, flap.  I wore lots of patches on my clothes.”
     Before long her mother was fortunate enough to get a job at the State Library in the Capitol Building.  Her two sisters were receiving training as nurses, so their room and board was provided while they attended nursing school. Circumstances were tougher for her father.
“My dad left Texas and traveled across the country in search of work.  He told me stories of standing in soup lines to get something to eat.  He’d barter for food.  He would go to a grocery store and get a quart of milk for five cents, and then go to a bar, with the milk wrapped in a brown paper bag. In those days, the bars would provide hard-boiled eggs and peanuts if you were seated at the bar drinking.  So he’d take his paper-wrapped milk and pretend to be drinking a bottle of liquor.  That’s how he ate a lot of his meals.”
     Mary Ann’s existence improved as her mother worked and saved to rent a little house.  By the time she was fourteen, her mother remarried and they moved to the new Austin suburb of Hyde Park. The ensuing years were filled with the joys of childhood; bicycle riding, swimming, and learning to dance.  Her innocent childhood was shattered on that December 7th morning in 1941.
     “Pearl Harbor happened on a Sunday morning.  I remember that I was reading the comics and they announced it on the radio.  We were all stunned!  I was fifteen at the time, and everyone wanted to do their part to help fight the war, but there was really nothing constructive I could do to help the war effort.  I was too young to go to work.”
     But as the war ground on, and Mary Ann's friends from school began going off to war, some she knew well were killed, and the seriousness of the War became evident. She would eventually marry Bill Holcomb, a high school classmate, after the war.  Mary Ann recalled that Bill experienced hand-to-hand combat while serving in the Philippines and suffered from nightmares his whole life; and he continued to sleep with a Ka-Bar knife under his pillow until the day he died.
     Jeanne McNabb has the most engaging smile and her eyes sparkle as she tells her story.  It is classic “American”.  She was born in 1926 near the small town of Bertram, 40 miles north of Austin, Texas. She grew up in the country, feeling isolated and as though she didn’t have the advantages of town kids, who could get together and play.  Little did she know that at the age of eight, she would meet her future husband.   He happened to visit his uncle who lived across from her family’s farm.  He would tell her years later that he remembered her as a skinny little girl who looked like “one of those fence posts.”
Jeanne and Clint McNabb, 1945, while
Clint was home on furlough
“Growing up, we didn’t even realize there was a Depression.  Living in the country, we had plenty of food, and parents just didn’t talk about it in front of their kids.” But Jeanne remembers Pearl Harbor with complete clarity.  She was on her first date when she heard the news.
     “We were in this guy’s Model A Ford and it was broadcast on his radio.  We were with another couple, having a great time laughing and talking, and didn’t realize until the next day just how serious it was.”  It would soon affect her personally.  In high school, she became reacquainted with Clint McNabb, the young boy she had befriended when she was eight years old. And it was only three months before Jeanne became both a Child Bride and a War Bride.  At the age of 17½, she and Clint were married one month before he went into the service.
    “He knew he was going to be drafted, so he enlisted before his number was drawn, so he could be in the branch of the military he really wanted.” Clint settled on the Army Air Corps and completed his basic training at Kessler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi.  He then served a short stint on the East Coast before spending the rest of the war in Gander, Newfoundland, as part of a Combat Search and Rescue crew who went out to try and find downed pilots when their planes were shot down.
     “He only came home one time during his four years of service, and he didn’t talk about what he’d seen or experienced.  He did get frozen feet from the cold winters in Newfoundland, and would eventually get a ten percent medical disability as a result.”
     Jeanne served her country as a secretary/typist in the Intelligence Office at Bergstrom Air Base.  “The mission of the Intelligence Office was to detect saboteurs or anyone that might be trying to harm the United States. The Special Agents would intercept letters, read them, and if there was nothing damaging in the contents, the letters would be resealed and passed on. I would type reports on an old manual typewriter, and have to type 10 or 12 copies of a report with carbon.  It was tedious!  And boy, was it hot in that barracks-type building! We never did uncover any kind of sinister plot, but it was an interesting job.”
     Wynette Harris has a personal history that is anything but boring.  Her parents were secretly married when her mother was only 15, and her daddy began a life as a professional gambler. But after the birth of her sister, other parents wouldn’t let their children play with her because her father was a gambler.  He just couldn’t take it, so he began going to night school to learn a trade.
"Blue" and Wynette
Templeton, 1945
     Eventually her father became a civic leader in town and was the president of the Trade and Labor Council for many years.  He was also a Deputy Constable and the Police Chief presented him with a pearl-handled, chrome plated .45-caliber pistol, which Wynette’s son now proudly owns. Her pride in her father is quite evident:  “He is proof that you can raise yourself up and change for the better!”
     Her future husband, Elmer "Blue" Templeton, was like many young men in those Depression-era years; he quit school at the age of 15 to apprentice with a trade.  His brother-in-law was a Master Plumber, and by the time Blue was 19, he was the youngest journeyman plumber in the state of Texas.  He traveled the country, in search of ever-higher wages, and when the opportunity came to help rebuild Pearl Harbor, he jumped at the chance.
     By summer’s end in 1943, he had enlisted with the Seabees, who were the Construction Battalion of the US Navy.  Primarily recruited from the civilian construction trades, they were responsible for building airstrips, bridges, roads and housing. Wynette recalls, “We were engaged the night before he sailed out of Seattle on New Year’s Eve, headed for New Hebrides (a group of Pacific islands west of Fiji).  Two battleships escorted the troop ship he was on.  On the way to their destination, they encountered a typhoon.  Both of their battleship escorts sunk, and their own ship lacked only two degrees from having waves swamp the smokestacks.  They were without power for two days, and subject to attack by Japanese submarines at any moment.  Help eventually arrived and the ship was hauled to Bora Bora for repairs, before continuing on to the New Hebrides islands, where he served for the next sixteen months.
     When Blue came home in November of 1945, he was discharged at Camp Wallace near Galveston, and the two planned a whirlwind wedding ceremony.  “My girlfriend went with me to pick him up.  It took three days to get your blood test results, so three days after he landed in Galveston, we were married on November 30, 1945!”
     Jeannie Paxton is a born storyteller. She is proud of her birthplace, Cowpens, South Carolina, which was the site of one of the turning points of the Revolutionary War.  Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and his ragtag colonial militia routed a much larger British contingent under Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton.  That same stubborn American spirit would be ignited once again in her generation.
     Jeannie was one of 13 children, and all the members of her family worked in the Southern Textile mills. “My mother had a hard life.  She had 13 children and I was the youngest.  She lost three or four children to the diphtheria epidemic, and all within three months time. But we grew up in a happy household.  We didn’t have a lot, but we always had food.  Everyone that lived on that mill road was allowed to have cattle, and we raised ours in a pasture back behind our house.  We also had a garden every year, and a couple of peach trees.”
Joe and Jeannie Paxton, 1946
Faith was an important part of the family’s life and Jeannie describes her mother as “the most Christ-like person” she has ever known.  Her mother’s influence led her to a Bible study group, being taught by two women in Cowpens.  They invited several young girls to study the Book of Revelation with them. “I was 14 or 15, and we’d heard the rumblings on the radio of what was happening in Europe, and these ladies were convinced Hitler was the Anti-Christ.  We’d study every week, and I would tremble, I was so afraid!  But I read in the Bible that ‘Blessed are you if you read this Book’.  So it eased my mind some.  But these ladies were convinced that Germany was the Gog or Magog of the Bible.  Then when Pearl Harbor happened, it became the Japanese we were fighting, not the Europeans.  So how did that work into the Book of Revelation?  It was a very frightening and confusing time for me, as a teenager.”
     She would meet her future husband, after the war, when he was finishing up his 4-year commitment to the Army at Fort Blanding in Florida.  He accompanied her brother-in-law home on leave to South Carolina, and after one weekend, he announced, "I'm going to marry you."  Jeannie and Joe would exchange letters over the next few months, and although she would only see him three or four more times before marrying him, she felt she knew his character.  "Joe would never come to the house without wanting to say hello to my mother.  He was just that way.  My mother was such a good judge of character and liked him from the first moment she saw him". Joe came home on two week’s leave in July of 1946 and they were married.
     All these precious ladies agreed with Jeannie Paxton when she said,  “I think we all wrote almost everyday to our husbands or boyfriends.  And my husband would ask me to write things that made me blush!  Our letters were so sentimental and personal.” In today’s world of explicit and open displays of public affection, I found this era’s discreet expressions of passion and love to be both refreshing and romantic.  There were often long periods of time where the lovers were stationed abroad and the mail was the only connection they had to each other.  Today our military are oftentimes able to connect to their families and loved ones through instant email, texting and video link-ups.  But during WWII, families often went weeks without any idea of the location or status of their loved one.
     And all the ladies echoed this same sentiment:  “The nation prayed a lot.  We prayed openly in our churches for our military, and we would conduct all-night prayer vigils.  We prayed in school the first thing each morning, along with standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  It was common for Bible verses to be read over the loud speakers at the beginning of each day.”
     Jeannie Paxton’s cousin was a living example of the power of prayer during the War. “My cousin Albert lied about his age, and went into the military before WWII at the age of 13.  He served in Africa, and later went up through Europe and ended up fighting at the Battle of the Bulge.”
     The Battle of the Bulge was fought in the Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium during the brutal winter months of December 1944 through January 1945.  Estimates of American casualties range as high as 89,000, with 19,000 killed and as many as 26,000 captured and missing.   It was the single largest and costliest battle for the American military during WWII.
     “I’ll never forget the day he came home.  It was near Christmas of 1945 and my brother went to the bus station in Spartanburg to pick him up.  My mother had made a huge breakfast for him: biscuits, red-eye gravy, ham and sausage.  He sat down at the table and just cried.
     He said to my mother, ‘Aunt Patsy, I know you were praying for me when I was at the Battle of the Bulge, and I want to thank you.  I was in a foxhole and people were dying all around me.  Everyone in that foxhole, but me, was killed.  I know that Jesus held that foxhole.’
     Jeannie continues, "The amazing thing was that we later figured out that the very night he survived, my mother had a sense that Albert was in the middle of a fierce battle.  She stayed up all that night, praying for him, and he knew that was the reason he was alive.”
     Another common memory was how much the nation sacrificed for each other and the war effort.  Jeannie Paxton made sure I understood the way it was. “They didn’t ask us to sacrifice.  They didn’t have to!  We were willing to do it.  It was ‘What can I give up? What can I do?’ “ She laments that “Now it’s “What’s in it for me?’“
     Jeanne McNabb chimes in and shares a poignant memory.  “My dad, bless his heart, gave up his grandfather’s Civil War guns during a metal drive.”  Such was the sacrifice those citizens were willing to make. Everyone in the country was behind the war effort.  Movie stars used their popularity to sell war bonds, and several high profile stars even put their careers on hold to serve their country. My, how times have changed!
    But sacrifice was the byword of the nation.  Rationing became commonplace among American homes. Among the items rationed were coffee, sugar, gasoline, oil, kerosene, nylon and silk. All the women remembered giving up their nylon stockings, and they laughed, remembering how they would draw an imagined seam on the back of their legs to resemble the phantom stockings.   Wynette gave up sugar on her cereal and in iced tea, and doesn’t use it to this day.  Jeannie remembers that her in-laws mixed their small allotment of coffee with some kind of leaves.  Imagine asking Starbucks junkies to consider making that sacrifice!
     But the biggest sacrifice came in the number of American lives lost.  It is estimated that, over the course of the War, nearly 416,000 American military personnel died on the beaches of Normandy, in the fields of Europe, and among the islands of the Pacific.
     America paid a high price for securing the freedom of millions of Europeans and Asians from the diabolical plans of Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito. But with the end of the War, these returning soldiers and my four ladies set their lives in motion, taking the steps that would lead them to me.  And as each of the women reminisces about the young men they married, it is quite evident that their respect and love grew with the increasing years.
     Jeanne McNabb, who married at the beginning of the War, settled down in Central Texas.  Her husband Clint came home in 1946, and attended the University of Texas on the GI Bill.  While in college, he became a member of Alpha Chi Omega, a service organization, and followed up on his pre-war involvement with the Boy Scouts.  It was a life-long commitment, and an activity he so enjoyed.  His professional career included various sales jobs, and a major position with Retail Credit Company (now Equifax), which took his family to Corpus Christi, TX, Atlanta, GA, and back to Dallas, TX. In the early 1970’s, terrorism was becoming a threat to the nation, so Clint once again went to his country’s aid and served as a Sky Marshal.
     In his later years, Clint’s pride and joy was his garden, which included peach, pear, and plum trees, berries, and four raised vegetable gardens.   He was very successful, and the neighborhood benefited from his green thumb!  “He was a conservationist before it was popular.” Another of his loves was working with the youth of Irving, TX.  He was active in the baseball and football programs of his community.  Jeanne said she spent many hours sitting in the bleachers!  And then after 45 wonderful years of marriage, Clint passed away in 1989.
     But as with all of these men, Clint’s greatest legacy was his family.  Jeanne tells me how proud she is of their only child, Clinton Edward McNabb, now a Captain with Continental Airlines.  She also takes great pride in her two grand-daughters (both Texas A&M graduates) and her three great-grandchildren.
     Mary Ann Holcomb married her husband Bill, the high school soda jerk from the drugstore, in 1949.  Bill also went to college on the GI Bill, and they both were in school at the same time.  But she didn’t finish “because I was so in love and just wanted to be married.”.  He studied Business Administration at the University of Texas, and began working for the Texas Highway Department at a monthly salary of $300.  She remembers those lean, early years of their marriage and saving $500 for a vacation to California in 1951 or 52.
     Meanwhile, Bill’s career at the Highway Department lasted for 32 years.  He was the Assistant Director of the Purchasing Division for the entire state of Texas, and his duties included submitting the annual budget for the Department, as well as being in charge of Right-Of-Way purchases.
     When asked to describe her husband, Mary Ann’s first word was, “Wow!”  She is clearly moved.  “He was one of those tall, strong, quiet, and low-key types.”  She likens him to the actor Jimmy Stewart in both temperament and appearance.  “But he would light up the room when he walked in; people gravitated towards him.  He was affectionate, tender hearted and very romantic.  I guess you can tell how crazy I was about him!  My heart never failed to skip a beat when I heard his car in the driveway.  Honestly, to me, he was the most perfect, loving husband anyone could have.”  She was devastated when Bill died in 1981 at the age of 54 years from cancer. Their marriage lasted for 32 years and their only daughter, Judy, has provided Mary Ann with three wonderful grandchildren.
     In 1945, after the War, Wynette and Blue Templeton were married “in my home in Port Arthur, Texas; the only house I had ever lived in.”  After a honeymoon in Mexico City, they settled in Odessa, Texas where he worked for a plumbing company.  By 1948, Blue had become a Master Plumber, and joined with his boss to form Heath and Templeton Plumbing Shop in Midland, Texas.  In 1953, the family, which now included their three children, moved to a farm in La Pryor, Texas.
     The plumbing business had eroded and the state was undergoing a seven-year drought.   The family suffered through five or six hard years, trying to make a go of the farm.  So when the heavy construction business began emerging, Blue was quick to take advantage of his opportunities, and was able to support his family.  The business consisted primarily of installing pipelines for gas companies and installing underground irrigation pipe for area farmers.  By 1970, they owned two farms, a heavy equipment business and a retail business in Del Rio, Texas.
     Wynette had this to say about her husband:  “He was a man to be admired.  With little education and a lot of guts and determination, he made a success of his life.  He was very much an extrovert, and made friends easily---and had many.  He loved his family and his family loved him.”  Blue Templeton died October 25, 2001 in Canyon Lake, Texas.  He is buried in Coleman, Texas, where many of his ancestors lie.  He and Wynette had three children:  Dennis, Janis and Ann, and were blessed with two grandchildren.
     Jeannie and Joe Paxton were married after the war in 1946.  While attending college in South Carolina on the GI Bill, Joe taught at a trade school, helping men get their GED’s and then pointing them in the direction of jobs in the trades, such as brick-laying and plumbing.  He went on to get his degree in Chemical Engineering, and was employed by Dow Chemical, building chemical plants across the country.
     In 1951 the family moved to Texas.  “Joe was a very smart guy, and had a strong and determined personality.  You either liked him or you didn’t.  Of course, I thought he was so special!”  Jeannie adds that while engineering was his profession, Joe was a farmer at heart.  “And he loved to go fishing!”  And when Joe needed to escape the pressures of his professional world, he would turn to his love of architecture and designed homes and buildings to foster his creative side.
He and Jeannie had five children, four daughters and a son.  The love of Jeannie’s life was tragically taken from her, when Joe died in 1974, at the young age of 48.  The long life they had planned together was shortened way too early, when Joe was stricken by a heart attack.  Jeannie knows he would have been proud of their nine grandchildren.

     So these are the stories of four ordinary, yet remarkable, and unabashedly all-American young men, and the amazing women who loved them.   While their lives won’t be commemorated in any historical journals of the day, they led their lives in extraordinary and honorable ways. With thoughts only of responsibility and duty, they answered their Nation’s call, and earned the right to be called “The Greatest”.  And that title applies to those who fought, and those who waited at home.  
     I’d like to think that my dad would have recognized my motives for writing this memoir; to honor all those, who like him and his brother, Clint, Bill, Blue and Joe, stepped up to the plate, and in true American fashion, selflessly put their country first.  They sacrificed their youth and got the job done, then came home to get on with the business of living; loving their wives, raising children, and working diligently to provide a future for their families.  
     And I have to confess that I have another motive for writing this memoir.  I fear that only two generations past the lifetimes of these remarkable men, there is an attempt to alter the “heart and soul” of the American character.  The hopes and dreams of these men to provide a better world in which their children could work hard and flourish, has degenerated into an “entitlement” society.  They were proud to be called Americans and honored the heritage of those who came before them. 
     They also honored and feared their God, and the nation came together to pray for the safety of these men and for deliverance from the evils of war.  We would do well to mimic the simple lives of these amazing and faithful people.  Thank you for letting me share their story on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Micah 6:8    "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"