A Bit Of Encouragement

Hello my fellow travelers! I was just wondering how everyone is doing?

It has been quite a year in 2020, hasn’t it? I thought personally that I would be doing more on here than I actually did as you can see, so sorry….I meant well in my own planning but that year was full of twists and turns and not like anything I could ever imagine….but….I’m still here and my desire is still to be one of your sources of encouragement, at least. I didn’t fall off the face of the earth or lose my faith. I am reminded to check out Joseph’s story again and see a few parallels to this time; who would have thought? I was also reading my Blog posts concerning the Ice-burg and the Titanic as well as the Tsunami I wrote about. As I look at these again, I think they are more pertinent to now more than ever.

So really, how is everyone in cyber-land doing? How are you viewing events from 2020 and going into 21? Are you hopeful or in the dumps, or even despairing? Do you feel like you are losing the battle, plowing through or just hanging on with your fingernails? I am doing what I can to stay encouraged and focused. I’m a thinker and an analyzer so it’s like my thoughts are spilling out like drawers in my mind and tumbling out all over the place and I’m trying to capture them and make sense as I do; ever been there? There is so much I want to say to be uplifting and positive right now. I don’t want to be glib or trite in what I say either.

Image by Unsplash Alex Plesovskich

Ok; pretty soon Arizona will look like this for the Spring. I’m ok right now with the cooler weather because last year it seemed like we hardly even got a Spring season. Right now it’s raining!!!! That is an event here, but it’s also a little colder….I’m still ok with that.

As I have been pondering on what I could write to really start off this year on a positive note, I believe I have been given the answer; just the right thing to encourage and uplift my fellow travelers and cyber-friends; and so, in my reading this morning I opened my Bible to II Cor. 1:1-11 and this really stood out to me.

The Apostle Paul was sharing with the Church at Corinth and he was speaking of a time when things got so bad for him, Timothy and some others in Asia Minor, that they utterly despaired of life! It says that they were so weighed down beyond their strength that they believed they had received the “sentence of death.” They were convinced that they would die. Boy oh boy, does that sound like where many are at today? It sure does…..

However when one keeps reading it’s so powerful in its positive expression that it cannot be ignored or refuted. It goes on to say why. “this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” Wow, powerful and potent to the core!!! This came alive to me as if I was there listening to him share his story and what he learned from it. It goes on to say in vs. 10…”He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us from danger and draw us near.” Did you get that, did you see that? God is so good! This spoke volumes to me and I read it over and over and I just knew that I had to share this for some wilting soul out there seemingly with no hope. God does not leave one like that forever. Yes, there are very dark times on this earth because we live in a fallen world but…..one way or another our God comes through for His children. (I Cor. 10:13 is a reminder for this)

I could have stopped right there and it would have been enough but I believe that the Holy Spirit nudged me to go one more verse and that is (11) and this is very important because of the importance of prayer in a Believers life as it pertains to ones fellow Brethren and Sistren (that’s my word). I don’t think we understand the POWER and importance now, and I realize that many out there in the body of Christ have not been taught it’s import and so have not really taken that very seriously. It’s a weakness I think we have that needs to be corrected or shored up, I myself have also not taken it at times as seriously as I should either; so Lord help me to see it the way You do!!! I really want to be stronger in this area; help me Jesus! Right? And He will answer this petition. He wants our prayers, He desires our petitions and intercessions! Anyway, back to verse 11.

It says; “while you join in helping us by your prayers.” How? It says, by your prayers. That is powerful! So how did they get rescued? By the prayers of the Saints that were praying for them. God doesn’t care about how eloquent our prayers might be, just that we would PRAY! Does that make sense? I sure do remember Peter and the prayers that went up for him and God sent an angel to deliver him out of prison. I am just seeing this in a different and more glorious way than I ever have; prayer is not meant to be mundane or a chore but “out of this world” somehow. And glorious means “delightful, wonderful; completely enjoyable.” It also means brilliantly beautiful or magnificent; splendid.” Ah; that makes me want to pray more, what about you? Or put more heart into it. It puts a totally different slant on things. And to finish this verse it says; “Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift of deliverance granted to us through the prayers of many Believers.

You know, I didn’t even know that deliverance was a gift from God. I never even saw it like that; but it is! I have heard that some Believers who have been imprisoned have not even asked for this when they were persecuted for their testimony of Christ, they have only asked that their faith would grow stronger and their testimony would stand because they desired a greater resurrection….oh my….I cannot even say that I am like that as I think about my own faith. I just wonder if I would be if He would call for it. If so it would definitely be because it was His will and the Grace I would need would have to be there because I know that in and of myself I possess no strength, endurance or power to do so on my own. I also know that there are others who pray to be delivered and right now I would be one of them….just speaking the truth here. It’s where I am at and I don’t think I am alone on this. There is no condemnation with either choice but there is Grace on both-amen!

So as I thread this together it tells me that God is doing a rescue mission right now in this nation and as I listen, pray, and intercede, and I’m in the word of God for myself, I can see it unfolding behind the scenes. God never reveals His hand until He is ready; most of the time around the 11:59 hour when all seems lost or dead. That is just how He works and Paul here certainly got the picture afterwards. It is all for the glory of God; He gets the credit for His brilliance and His love for His people and He will not ignore all the prayers, fastings, and repentance of believing Saints-even all around the world for our Nation. The true Prophets have spoken. It will be as God said, but how and when is God’s choice. It is also a test of ones faith; “We walk by faith and not by sight.” “Though He slay me yet will I trust Him.” That means when all earthly hope is gone I will yet trust in His heart and character while the contradiction is still seen in the natural. That can be scary and it can feel like a lot of pressure but it will cause men to cling to Him or push Him away in unbelief; so help me God to cling and keep believing while I stand on Your word!

I really hope this was helpful and encouraging. I have some of the names of those Prophets/prophetic people of God that are hearing the word of the Lord right now. I don’t know of them all but the ones I listen to have proven track records for years and walk in the integrity of their calling. Prophet/Pastor Hank Kunneman, Revelator (she calls herself that) Kat Kerr, Johnny Enlow, Robin Bullock, Chuck Pierce, Pastor Tim Sheets and his brother Dutch Sheets, Lance Wallnau, Mario Murillo, Jeff Jensen, and Prophet Kim Clement’s words when he was still on this earth; that’s just a few and I know there are more. One can often see and hear them on FlashPoint on the Victory channel or Elijah List on Steve Schultz live stream. I hope this is encouragement for your souls going forward while we wait on the Lord-Amen! It took a little time for me to get this one together but I finally did. Till next time…..It doesn’t matter how small your faith may be; just let it grow!!!

One last picture from Unsplash by Severin Candrian