Fear or Trust?

Do we fear when trials come upon us, and if we do - what does our fear achieve? 

There are two scriptures that come to mind when I am going through a trial in the Lord:-

One is 'Job ch. 3 v.25  where Job said  'For what I fear comes upon me'.

The other is Proverbs ch. 3 v.5:- 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding'

So do we allow that fear to cause us to not trust in the Word of God spoken to us, and hinder  us from believing and receiving?

Where does the 'fear' come from ? It comes from the spiritual enemy who tries to rob us of what God has in store for us by putting negative thoughts into our carnal minds when not everything goes how we want it to go, but takes a turn for what we would call 'the worse'. 
However, there are positive thoughts  that we have access to through the mind of Christ - the Word of God that will combat those negative thoughts if we take them captive and bring them into obedience to that Word.   The trials that we go through are there for a reason. James ch. 1 vs. 2 and 3 reads:- 'Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.' This is an ongoing message to all who are part of  the body of Christ on earth - the church.   Fear is the negative - Faith is the positive, the substance of things hoped for.

I share two small poems that I wrote years ago that I would hope encourage those who might be finding it very hard to endure their trials in the Lord.

To be just like Jesus

'Oh for an easy life' they say
'where nothing ever goes wrong'
That's what the world cries out for
but Lord it's not my song
For how would I ever learn patience
without tribulation and trial
or how could I ever endure hard times
yet still be able to smile
But I say 'Oh to be just like Jesus
to be like the One raised from the dead'
So I'll glory in my afflictions
while the power of God rests on my head



Do not worry, do not fear

Do not worry - do not fear
let your hearts be still
for who alone of mortal man
can always know God's will
But this we know - who worship Him
by faith shall live the just
for then we see the power of
the One in Whom we trust

The love of the Father, shown through the Son

I feel in this post to glorify my Father God and my Lord Jesus, the Word of God, through poems and songs that I have been brought to write since I have been born again of God's Holy Spirit. Some may have been shared in previous posts, but these are what are on my heart now to share. They are a variety of verses through which I spoke to the Lord, and also through which I have felt that the Lord spoke to me in certain appropriate situations, as I work out my salvation and learn God's ways through the teaching of the Word spoken to me daily by the Holy Spirit.

If You wasn't with me

Lord if You wasn't with me I couldn't go on
for I know in this world I just do not belong
and it's only the love that You have for all men
that I feel working through me again and again
that is keeping this soul on an even keel
and combating everything else I might feel


Weep no more child (song about repentance)
Weep no more child, I have bought your peace
I have suffered in your place
all the blows the world has dealt you 
I have taken on my face

Turn around turn around and I will forgive
turn around, turn around, turn around child and live
For I take no pleasure in the death of a soul
turn around, seek my face child, and I'll make you whole

Strive no more child, I can bring release                         
I regained what you had lost
Righteousness was purchased for you                                
when they nailed me to that cross

Turn around turn around and I will forgive
turn around, turn around, turn around child and live
For I take no pleasure in the death of a soul
turn around, seek my face child, and I'll make you whole

Sin no more child, turn and look at me
see that I have paid the price
so that you could have salvation
I became the sacrifice

Turn around turn around and I will forgive
turn around, turn around, turn around child and live
For I take no pleasure in the death of a soul
turn around, seek my face child, and I'll make you whole


Somewhere (a prayer for others) -song
Somewhere someone's hurting Lord
somewhere someone's hurting
A wife has left her husband
and he's crying in despair
He doesn't know there's a comforter     
he doesn't know You're there
Lord reach out and comfort him
send help from above
send help from the sanctuary
let the world see Your love

Somewhere someone's dying Lord
somewhere someone's dying
The doctor's shake their heads and say
'There's nothing can be done'
They've never seen a miracle
performed by God's own Son
Lord reach out and heal him
send help from above
send help from the sanctuary
let the world see Your love

Somewhere someone's crying Lord
somewhere someone's crying
Her tears are shed for all mankind
she knows the end is near
She doesn't know there's a perfect love
that casts out every fear
Lord reach out and love her
send help from above
send help from the sanctuary
let the world see Your love

Somewhere someone's waiting
somewhere someone's waiting
They've heard there's hope in Jesus Christ
the Name above them all
So they're waiting for their Lord's return
responding to Your call
Lord You've reached out to us
God sent help from above
He sent help from His sanctuary
He sent You - His perfect Love


If I didn't have You Lord (song)


If I didn't have You Lord, there'd be no point to life
for without You there's nothing - only sickness and strife
You was sent from the Father with a message of love
to show me the way Lord to my home high above

Oh once I was lonely and lost in the night
my life wasn't good Lord - no, nothing was right
You came with forgiveness for all I'd done wrong
now I offer my praise Lord with the words of this song

Oh Jesus my saviour, my wonderful King
You left Your great throne Lord and every good thing
You came in my likeness and took all the shame
so that I might be healed Lord by the power in Your Name

I know that there's nothing that I would desire
above Your Salvation though I walk through the fire
I know that You're with me every step of the way
The world lost a sinner when I met You that day

I could never describe the beauty of the place I was taken to in my near death experience. In one sentence I could say 'That was reality, my life on earth is the dream.'  The extreme feeling of love, and the beauty is what we have to look forward to after life on earth as believers - nothing and nowhere on this earth compares to it.

From darkness to light

The earth lay in darkness cold as a tomb 

there was no warmth or light

It lay without life like a barren womb

of a woman alone in the night

....It waited for Jesus

'In the beginning the earth was formless and there was darkness over the deep.'

This is what we are told in Genesis chapter 1 vs.1 and 2.

In the same way we, carnal mankind, are born into spiritual darkness, not knowing the ways of God our creator, each person going its own way and being right in its own eyes.  Out of this status quo has come chaos on earth, with wars and dissensions arising through local and global conflicts.

So what is the light that is needed in this spiritual darkness, and where do we find it?  We are told in 1 John ch. 1 v.5 that God is light, and are encouraged to walk in that light, and Psalm 119 v. 105 says that God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  We are also told that Jesus is the Word of God.  So we see that the light that is God can be found in Jesus, and will direct our path.  John ch. 3 vs. 17-19 says:- 

'For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.'  He who believes in Him is not condemned, he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.'

So we see that light is associated with believing on the name of the only Son of God, and darkness is associated with not believing on His name and doing evil deeds.  

Is it by choice, or predestined, that we do good or evil?  What is good, what is evil, where is the plumb line?  Is my 'evil' somebody else's 'good', is my 'good' somebody else's 'evil'?  To whom somebody else's evil is good, then it is good.  To whom somebody else's good is evil, then it is evil.  To establish a common good or a common evil there must be a plumb line.  Without a plumb line there is no such thing as good or evil - only chaos.

So where is this 'plumb line to be found and how much does responsibility to change things depend upon the individual?

I am the ruling authority in the world, and I have the power to change the world, to create war or to create peace.  'She's mad' some would say, on hearing me make this statement. Others would say nothing, would just avoid me, thinking 'She's mad.'  Yet whether I speak these words or merely think them, I will maintain that 'I am the ruling authority in the world, and I have the power to change the world to create war or to create peace.'  The reason I can be so certain of this fact is that the world that I speak of is 'my world'.  I have no authority over your world.   I may have some influence, but I have no authority.  

'My world' consists of 'myself and others', and the 'power to change my world' depends on my relationship with others, with action, reaction and interaction being the tools that I use, and choice being the hand that uses them.  The Jews have a saying, 'To save one person is to save the world'.  The Muslims have a saying 'To kill one person is to kill mankind'.  Though the Jew speaks of saving and the Muslim speaks of killing , they carry the same message, the power to promote war or peace, one through an exhortation, the other through a warning.  These sayings have no authority in my world.  They may have influence, but they have no authority.  Always the power to choose what I promote remains with me. I can blow on a spark or I can spit on it. Whatever I choose to do with the spark will also determine what the spark itself will do.  Herein lies influence.  

There is an ancient Chinese proverb which says 'If there be righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.  If there is beauty n the character, there will be harmony in the home.  If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.  When there is order in each nation there will be peace in the world.'  This proverb also carries a message, the influence of righteousness.  This proverb also has no authority in my world. It may have influence but it has no authority.  Always the power to choose what I have in my heart remains with me.

So now you see that I am the ruling authority of the world, and I have the power to change the world, to create war or to create peace....... my world that is, I can only try to influence yours.

the problem with trying to influence someone else, even with righteousness, is that whatever you are trying to influence someone else with must be able to prove itself and stand against any argument or attack to be able to achieve its objective of convincing and convicting the person you are trying to influence.  The Bible says that 'Every Word of God proves true'. It also says that Jesus is both the Word of God and our righteousness.  Psalm 85 tells us that when we, His people, turn to God in our hearts, then He will speak peace to us, that salvation is at hand for those who fear Him.  So it appears there is choice involved.  Our part is to turn to God in our hearts and to fear Him.  Verse 11 says that faithfulness springing from the ground will be followed by righteousness looking down from the sky.  In Deuteronomy ch. 30 God says He has set before us life and good, death and evil and encourages us to choose life, that we and our descendants may live.

So we see that peace and righteousness can be obtained by turning to the light of God, reflected through the Word of God, Jesus.  Then we the church, just like the moon which has no light of its own, but can only reflect the light of the sun, can in turn reflect the light of God on a darkened world, that they too may live.




Once again the Earth waits        

as in days of old
again there is darkness
again it is cold
But now there's a moon
to reflect the sun
to announce the return 
of God's Holy One
to tell of salvation
from sin and death
by receiving God's Spirit
..... His life-giving breath

Faith, the substance of things hoped for

Often I have been anxious, sick or down in spirit and, as a result of the Holy Spirit highlighting specific scriptures to me when I have sought God in each situation, I have been kept safe and given peace of mind.  I am aware that 'faith' has to come by hearing, and 'hearing' by the Word of God (Romans ch. 10 v.17), and so I would encourage all who read this post to seek that faith for themselves through the Word.

I hope that the reading of this post might in some way enable the reader to identify with me as a Christian, and rejoice in the fact that we can rid ourselves of the Satanic ruler of this world's grip on us by trusting in Jesus, and receive all the blessings promised in Him, remembering that with God all things are possible.

'They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. ' 

Revelation ch. 12 v.11

'My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come, I will praise Your righteousness, Yours alone.' Psalm 71 vs. 15 - 16

Observations on Faith

One of the explanations of the word 'faith' in my dictionary is 'acceptance of divine revelation apart from absolute proof', and this is the interpretation which fits very aptly the kind of faith that God requires that we have in order to not only please Him, but also to cause to be substance the things that we hope for , as shown in Hebrews ch. 11 v.1.
Faith is fruitful only when it is operated through acceptance of what the Lord is revealing to us, and obedience apart from reasoning.  In fact, reasoning will destroy faith because the carnal mind can only accept what it has already learned, not what it has yet to learn, and will try to convince it's host to do only what is pleasant.
We are told in Ecclesiastes ch. 8 vs. 2 - 5a:- 'Keep the king's command, and because of your sacred oath be not dismayed, go from his presence, do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him 'What are you doing'.  He who obeys a command will meet no harm,' and this appears to have been the attitude which motivated Abraham when told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Abraham believed that, regardless of how it appeared to be to his natural mind, God's promise could not be annulled if he acted on God's instruction. 

God is neither the author of confusion nor a man that He should lie, and in Genesis ch. 21 v.2 we see that God told Abraham that through Isaac would his descendants be named. Yet in Genesis ch. 22 v.2 had told him to offer his son as a burnt offering. 
We see in v. 1 however that the reason for this was that God was testing him, and we see that Abraham still believed that God would keep His promise of him having descendants through his son Isaac, because in v. 8 He says to Isaac 'God will provide Himself a lamb'.
Way back in Genesis ch. 15 v.5 God had told Abraham that his own son would be his heir.  In v.6 we are told that Abraham believed God and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. So we see that believing God is righteousness, the kind of belief which does not waver in spite of the testing which will come to prove it.  This is FAITH!  

We are told in James ch.2 v.26 that just as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. James had given the example of how Abraham had been told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. He had actually carried out the instruction which God had given him without question, even as far as the actually stretching forth his hand to take the knife to slay his son.  In verse 22 we are told that faith was not only active along with his works but was COMPLETED by his works. Yet to his natural mind God telling Abraham in Genesis chapter 22 v2 to sacrifice his son did not go together with what God had told him in Genesis ch. 21 v.12 'through Isaac shall your descendants be named.

However, if we look at verse 1 of Genesis chapter 22 we are told that God was testing Abraham.  So we see that God tests His people.  This a very firm principle throughout both the old testament and the new testament. We are told not to just be hearers of His Word spoken to us, but to be 'doers' of that Word, and this is the 'works' we must do - we must ACT upon the the Word spoken to us by God through the Holy Spirit, regardless of what the carnal mind is trying to tell us. Whatever the Lord tells us to do in our walk with Him we should endeavour to please Him, even if what He says to us seems unpleasant.

Hebrews ch. 12 v. 25 states:- 'See that you do not refuse Him Who is speaking'  A whole generation perished in the wilderness because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord.  Jesus says 'He who hears my Word and does it is like a man who builds his house on a rock.'  Luke ch. 6 v.49

I hope that what I have shared emphasises that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention the importance of being obedient to the Lord's Word if we are to be like Him.

The Voice

Many years ago I had an experience with my husband, and then young son, which I turned into a short story . I used different names for the people in the story, but it was our experience. 
The following is the story that I wrote, which was part of the Lord's teaching in my spiritual walk with Him.

The Voice

The blue water of the Indian Ocean was as smooth as glass as the tugs pulled the liner towards the dock, the air was still and the sun was rising in a cloudless sky.  The young woman stood on the deck, her arms resting on the ship's rail, and felt a stir of excitement as she surveyed the view in front of her.  How beautiful Colombo looked bathed in the early morning sunlight, with its lush green vegetation and pale, sandy beaches. She smiled in anticipation of the wonderful day that lay ahead.

Picture of Sri lanka

The voyage so far had been most enjoyable for Leah and her family. Their days had been filled with exciting things to do on board the large liner, and the further South they travelled the warmer the climate was becoming and the more exotic were the ports.  A picture of the cold English weather of Southampton formed in her mind as she remembered the day they had embarked.  For a moment her feeling of well-being was threatened by a cloud of sadness as she remembered her mother, sisters and brother waving from the wharf as the ship pulled away from the dock.  How long would it be before she saw them again, and what lay ahead in Australia?

'You have to watch out for the beggars!' a coarse voice jolted her jaggedly out of her thoughts.  She was no longer alone. People had gathered along the rail as the ship entered Colombo dock.  'These places are full of them!' spat out the voice once more, 'All professionals.'   'Beggars ......'  Leah thought, 'in such a beautiful place?' She had always been conscious of the poverty in certain parts of the world, and had felt a genuine compassion when she had seen documentaries on the television about such countries, but to sit in the comfort of her home in well fed Wales was a far cry from actually being confronted with the situation. She felt a tinge of guilt as she realised that what was really bothering her was the threat of distortion of her paradisaical picture.
By now the ship had docked and passengers were streaming onto the decks.  She pushed her way along the now heavily crowded deck, searching for a door that would lead below, where she had left her husband Bob and young son Adam finishing their breakfast.  They would have left the dining room by now and may be waiting for her in the cabin.  'Leah!' .... The strong, familiar voice cut through the air above the babble of passenger voices and the crew instructions.  She turned to see her husband raising his hand above the sea of heads.  He and Adam had not wanted to miss the docking of the ship and had come up on deck a few minutes earlier.  They watched together as the ship's ropes were secured and the gangway was lifted into place.  A military band appeared, adding a touch of both formality and welcome to the occasion, and making an excellent subject for a photograph. 
The clouds had already disappeared from Leah's horizon as they made their way to the cabin to get ready for the morning's trip into the city. They had planned to spend the morning in the city of Colombo with another couple, Sue and Graham, browsing around in the local shops and hunting for souvenirs, after which they would return to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon they would go on one of the organised excursions to Kandy, about an hour's journey away. 

There were several taxis waiting on the wharf as they walked down the gangway, they would take one of them into the city.  Somewhere behind Leah, a familiar voice arose above the clicking heels and laughter.  'Just wait and see, the last time I was here they were waiting for the taxis to arrive, and trying to get your money off you before you had a chance to spend it.  Don't be fooled by the children they bring with them that's just to make you feel sorry for them'.  'So 'the voice' had been here before,' thought Leah.  She turned around, wondering who the voice belonged to, but was distracted by another voice directed at Bob. 'You want taxi sir? I take you to shops, good shops.'  They all squeezed into the old taxi and it sped out of the dock area towards the city. 
During the short journey they had glimpses of poverty here and there as they passed shacks with poorly dressed people sat outside, but the beauty of the land itself, with its exotic plants and brilliant greenery seemed to help Leah push this reality from her mind. She did not want anything to spoil the day, and could not allow sentiment to rob her of the pleasure she could have during this once in a lifetime experience for her of visiting this beautiful country. Besides, wasn't there far worse poverty in desert countries where people had no food at all, she mused.  There must be plenty of fruit growing here.  This last thought seemed to ease the slight guilt that was beginning to creep in at her previous, selfish thoughts.



Picture of Kandy Sri lanka

The taxi pulled up outside some old shops whose windows were filled with the usual things that would attract tourists.  There were local crafts and clothes and of course electrical goods, cameras and jewellery in abundance.  Leah was so taken with these lovely things in the shop windows that at first she did not notice the little group of local women waiting as she stepped from the cab.  She was suddenly surrounded by these women, each holding a baby in one arm with their free hand outstretched, obviously begging for money.  They pushed their babies close to the little group of visitors and looked pleadingly at each face. For a moment Leah was filled with compassion as she looked at the thin arms of the woman in front of her whose sad eyes looked from Leah to the baby and then back once more to her.  Then she remembered 'Professionals ... carrying children ... waiting for the taxis.' The 'voice' had been right! Yet they looked so genuine so thin .... But then these people would not get fat on the type of food they ate anyway.  Leah argued with herself like this for a few seconds, then Bob took her hand and pulled her towards the nearest shops.  What good would a few pence have done the woman anyway she reasoned as she was jerked away from the outstretched hand which was now being directed towards a newly arrived taxi.  She felt that the incident was over and yet she felt disturbed.  Why was this, was she still feeling guilt ? But hadn't 'the voice' been ri. ...... 'Let's go inside this shop and have a look around' Grahams's voice broke in on her thoughts and once more Leah's sky was cloudless as she hurried towards the shop.
The rest of the morning was spent buying souvenirs and looking around Colombo and by midday they were heading back for the ship in the old taxi, chatting happily about what they had bought.  The morning had passed quickly and Leah had forgotten about the begging woman by the time the taxi pulled up alongside the ship.  She was happy and looking forward to the afternoon excursion which would take them through the countryside to one of the seaside villages several miles away.  They enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then spent some time lazing on the deck chairs on the sun deck.  'The weather is glorious' thought Leah as the hot sun soaked into her face.  Thoughts of the cold Winter they had left behind in Wales floated through her mind and she started to feel more optimistic about settling in Australia.  'Come on mum.' Her son's voice interrupted her daydreaming.  'the coaches have arrived'.
Fifteen minutes later they were settled in the 'coach' as Adam had called it.  It was a very old bus which had no air conditioning. Leah couldn't help laughing to herself as she noticed large cobwebs on the ceiling and remarked to Bob that she could not remember ever seeing cobwebs on a bus before.  She was glad when everybody was seated and they pulled off with all the windows open, enabling a very pleasant breeze to pass through the bus.  They drove away from the coast through beautiful countryside filled with lush vegetation and beautifully coloured flowers.  Every few miles they would pass small clusters of tiny, makeshift dwellings which stood out against the beauty of the land like hessian patches on a velvet cloth.  Leah's heart was touched by the fact that the shed in their garden back home in Wales had been in much better condition than these homes were.
After about an hour of travelling through small villages the sea came into view again,  they had reached their destination. It was an elegant beach front hotel, a long white building of single story construction.  The passengers quickly vacated the hot stuffy bus all with the same thought in mind, a long, cool drink.  They made their way through the usual gathering of local traders offering their crafts for sale.  Leah decided that the drink had priority over the souvenirs, knowing that the traders would still be there when she came out.  The party was directed through the plush hotel and out through the back doors onto a large, covered patio area.  Tables and chairs were set out neatly beneath a covering of plaited brush, and immaculately dressed waiters stood by waiting for the party to be seated.  They all enjoyed a beautiful assortment of fresh fruits and long cool drinks, and of course every kind of tea that one could imagine.  Leah was ecstatically happy as she walked along the beach an hour later with Bob and Adam.  The sea was a beautiful shade of deep blue and crystal clear.  'Paradise' she thought. They stopped by an outrigger with a brightly coloured sail. ' It was probably what the locals used as a fishing boat.' Bob said. After they had taken some photographs they walked back to the hotel where they were served delicious Sri Lanka tea.
All too soon it was time to go and they made their way back to the bus.  The traders at the front of the hotel zoomed in on them like sharks, and money exchanged hands rapidly.  Leah noticed an old man dressed in a loin cloth, with no shoes on his feet.  He was holding the hand of a little girl, 'probably his granddaughter', she thought.  He held out his free hand to each person in turn as they passed him.  Leah walked away from him over to one of the traders.  'Look Bob ' she said, pointing to a little carved boat the trader was holding. 'It's just like the one on the beach.'  Bob bought it for her and she turned and got on the bus with others.  She took a window seat and examined the little boat.  It had only cost about a pound in English money, and it was beautifully made.  She was pleased with her purchase, pleased indeed with the whole day in general.  Suddenly she was aware of a face outside the window looking at her, not just a face but a hand outstretched.  It was the old man who had been begging.  A man sat in front of her was speaking in answer to somebody else in front of him.  'Sure I gave the old bloke something, what's fifty pence to me, it's a week's wages to these people' The enormity of his words hit her like a ton of bricks.  She looked at the little boat she was holding and all the pleasure she felt at having it disintegrated like a child's burst bubble as she thought about what that pound would have meant to the old man.  He and the little girl had probably come from the old shacks they had passed earlier.
The bus started to pull away and Leah looked out at the old man.  He was moving with the bus, still outside her window, deep dark eyes still looking at her, bony hand still outstretched.  Leah felt cold in the humid atmosphere of the bus.  She saw the tragedy of poverty as it really is trapped in the midst of great wealth, unnoticed to the point of blending in and being accepted.  She saw the old man, and yes the baby-carrying women too, as the victims that they really were in a society that had begun to treat them almost as a tourist attraction, of distraction to some.  These were not 'professionals', their begging had become their profession out of necessity. Their poverty and suffering was etched on their faces and in the eyes she had not looked into. She started to blame 'the voice,' but knew full well that all the choices had been hers alone.  'Driver, stop the bus!'  All heads turned as she sped down the aisle.  'I won't be a minute.'  She got back on the bus knowing that this time she had made the right choice, and listened to the right voice.

Believe, all things are possible

Just once again thought I would re post something I wrote in a post several years ago which may encourage someone else at this moment in time who might be going through trials in their own lives.

When I first came to be born again of God's Holy Spirit I experienced many things in my life that revealed the absolute power of God and His ability to do that which is not possible for man to do.  Over the years I have still seen so much of God's goodness in not only my own life but in the lives of others too, but I have felt many times that I have been in a battle.  I have always tried to seek God in areas where I have needed help, and feel that I have been shown that there is only one plumb line to go by when seeking counsel, it is the word of God.  If anything is spoken during my time of seeking the Lord on an issue, if advice is given me by other people, whether they be christian or not, I must always go back to check that it is what God is speaking to me.  I truly believe that we can miss out on blessing through not only our own unbelief but other people's.  The daily bread that we each receive from God has the ability to mature us spiritually and if someone has not reached a certain faith level, no matter what 'title' they may have in this world, then they may actually cause you to doubt what God is encouraging you to believe. Yesterday I met a young man who had recently become a christian, who was so passionate about his salvation and seeking God's word for guidance it was a pleasure to speak to him.  I came away from him praying that he would never become a lukewarm christian. 

The following is a testimony of an event in my life several years ago that I believe the Lord has brought back to my remembrance to encourage me to persist in seeking his voice, always believing what He is saying to me without doubting, and not watering it down with mans' doctrine or unbelief.

I thought about the dream I'd had, as I lay in bed that morning.  In it I had been walking through a Woolworth store, with a ginger cat in my arms.  First the cat had jumped down and disappeared, and then one by one my clothes had started to disappear from off my body until I was completely naked.  I had a strange feeling that there was a spiritual meaning to the dream, and that God was trying to reveal something to me, but what?  My first thought was that it involved loss, and I started to think in the negative, that maybe I was going to lose something, and I started to worry that it might be my spiritual garments of praise or salvation, but where did the cat fit in?  I decided that the best thing that I could do would be to pray to the Lord about it and wait on Him for answers.

About a week later I had another dream.  This time I was in a town, and I was looking for wedding clothes.  I had been looking in many shops and could not seem to find anything suitable.  After much searching I met a lady whom I recognised.  She lived near me, and her name was Grace.  I told her I was looking for wedding clothes and she said that she had some that I could borrow.  In my dream she lived at the top of a very high apartment building, and she went up to fetch the clothes for me.  When I looked at them I saw that they were extremely nice wedding clothes and took them, telling her that I would look after them.  I then started walking through the busy shopping area of the town, still looking at clothes, carrying Grace's clothes in a large bag.  I found nothing so I went further out away from the town looking, still nothing.  I returned once again to the town but could find nothing I wanted.

After quite some time I suddenly realized that the bag was missing.  I must have put it down somewhere and forgotten to pick it up again.  I started to worry because the clothes belonged to Grace, and I knew I had to go to her and tell her what had happened.   I felt terrible because I knew they were very expensive clothes, and regretted being so careless with them.   I went to the apartment building and rang the bell at the bottom.  Grace came down and I told her what had happened.  Although she was sad about it she was very forgiving and said that it was alright, that I was not to worry.  I realised that I had to find more wedding garments and I started to look again but could find none that I liked in all the stores.


I then thought about a place that I had already been to, it was a small store that was away from the busy town, out in the quiet of the countryside.  Maybe I would find something there if I looked again, I thought.  I walked through the town, past all the stores that I had searched in, out to the very edge of the town and a little way down a quiet country lane to the store.  I went in and looked around but could find nothing there for the wedding I was to attend.  I started to make my way out of the door when the sales lady said 'Excuse me, you left this here the last time you were here'.  I turned and looked and saw that she held in her hand the bag with the wedding clothes from Grace in it.  I could hardly believe it and was overjoyed to have found them again.  I thanked the sales lady and made my way back to the town to tell Grace that I had found them.  When I got to the apartment building where she lived, the door was open.  I went inside, climbed the stairs, found Grace and told her the good news, that I had found the wedding clothes that she had given me.  She smiled, said she was very happy and I went on my way, telling her that this time I would look after them.

Over the next few days I started to realise what the Lord was trying to reveal to me through the dreams. The first dream represented my initial coming to the Lord, a putting off the old way of life, the clothes representing the grave clothes of the wisdom of this world, and the cat representing the natural things that I loved and adored.   God and His word to me had to come first in my life no matter what.  The wisdom and the pulls of this world must no longer govern me.

There is a peace within my soul no riches could have bought it

I found it not in wealth or fame in wretchedness I sought it

This peace that passes understanding peace that I can call my own

Can not be found in all the world, It's found in Jesus Christ alone

The second dream represented my being given the wedding clothes, and the fact that I had been given them by grace, when Jesus had come into my life as my Saviour and my guide.  Even the fact that Grace lived in a high apartment was, to me, showing the majesty of God.

I began to realise that the Lord was portraying a warning in this dream that I was, or could be in danger of, letting the busyness of this world distract me, and it could cause me to lose my wedding clothes, my garments of salvation.  I thought about my life and how I had ceased to pray in the Spirit as fervently as I used to, slowly losing the close contact that I had always had with the Lord from the moment I had been born again of His Spirit.  It was as if I was carrying my garments of salvation in a bag instead of wearing them.



I had been sustained in sickness and finances for several years by the Lord, experiencing miraculous healings and being supplied with all that my husband and I needed,with His word being my guide.  Yet it was as if I had almost begun to think negatively, allowing the voice of this world to question what God was saying, and the Lord's promises seemed as far away and mislaid as the missing bag of wedding garments in the second dream.  When I had first come to the Lord God had spoken the words 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household' to me.  Then the words 'Take every thought into captivity' had been spoken to me, and 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding'.  I had listened and been very close to the Lord, being guided by Him and taking everything opposing His words into captivity.  I had been wonderfully in His presence, and kept in good health.  Now I realised that I had let the world slowly encroach into my life.  I had stopped taking every thought into captivity.  Ones that did not confess what Christ and His words said to me had been allowed to cause doubts that all things were possible with God, or even that God was wanting my welfare in this world.   The dreams had come with the perfect timing of God, and I was being shown that there was a battle going on in me between the light of God's words in the renewed mind of Christ in the newly created me, and the darkness of the thoughts in the carnal mind of the old me.

At the time of the dreams I actually was searching for wedding clothes to wear to my son's wedding, which was to take place in Scotland.  I eventually found an outfit, a light skirt and a dark top.  Even these clothes seemed to reflect what was going on in my life, a mixture of the light of faith and the darkness of doubt.  The wedding over, I returned to Wales, stopping overnight at my cousin's house in Lancashire.  While there, I went into a shop and noticed a little scented candle in a jar with a china lamp shade that sat on the jar.  It was very pretty and I decided to buy it.  As I was carrying it to the till I noticed the label on the front of the jar had the words 'Believe.  All things are possible'.  I knew the Lord was encouraging me to do this because I had been singing a little song over and over at the time in which were the words 'all things are possible with You Lord'.  Incredibly, at the same time, a song was playing in the shop, from which flowed the words, 'I need you to be my guide'.

When I returned home, the following Sunday morning I was in the prayer meeting before the service at the church I was attending when the pastor spoke out regarding whether we really believe that God will do that which He has promised to do in our lives.   I shared with the people at the prayer meeting about the candle lamp, saying that I believed the Lord was encouraging us to keep the light of the truth of God's promises burning, casting out any thoughts from our minds which would cause doubt and rob us of those promises, and I prayed for the Lord to help all of us to take every thought into captivity, opposing doubtful thoughts by declaring 'The Lord has said..'.

The word 'paragon' was brought to my mind several times, it was on a white van which was in the church car park and also in ;the garage opposite my house as I was writing this testimony.  When I looked up the meaning of the word, one of the things the dictionary  said it meant was 'a pattern of perfection, a model, a person or thing of supreme excellence'.  Jesus is perfection, and a paragon is what we shall become if we truly believe on Him, putting Him first in our lives, listening to and acting upon His word to us as it is spoken..

In my second dream, when I had lost the clothes and I had to go to tell Grace, the door was shut, representing my separation from God by letting the things of this world distract me from the things of God.   The fact that there was a doorbell reminded me that through Jesus there remains a connection through prayer in these times, God responding being represented by Grace coming down to open the door.   Even Grace being sad but telling me not to worry represented to me God's love, long suffering and forgiving nature when we fail Him.   The second time I approached the home of Grace to say that I had found the wedding clothes, the door was open and I went up to her.  This reminded me of the prodigal son and his Father's open armed welcome once the son had repented and was on his way back.  Even the place where the clothes were found spoke to me of finding grace in that quiet place of prayer.

For some time after I was reminded of weddings and wedding clothes and I realised that the whole of what had happened over the previous couple of weeks was encouraging me to draw closer to God in prayer, throw off the grave clothes of the wisdom of this world, put on my garments of salvation , and believe that all things are possible with God, including complete physical healing.

I believe that this testimony has been brought to my attention to once again increase intercessory prayer in my life as it once used to be.  Something happened a couple of days ago that painted a picture of what is happening to cause much unbelief amongst God's people today.

I was looking on Google for help to see street views and came across what I thought was a download that would do this.


I ended up downloading a search engine called 'Babylon'.  'How did I end up with this'? I thought, and wondered why I felt so uncomfortable that it was on my screen.  Then I realised that, as well as simply not liking the change, and the fact that I still didn't seem able to view the street maps, the name 'Babylon' brought disturbing thoughts to mind.   I was reminded once again of a parallel between the Lord's people being in Babylon in Daniel's time.  Babylon is the Greek form of Babel, which means 'confusion', and I believe that the church is in danger of  being in the spiritual Babylon, a state of confusion by mixing man's doctrine with God's doctrine and not believing every word that comes out of the mouth of God.  By Daniel not eating the 'rich' food of the king of Babylon, and just eating the 'vegetables' with nothing added to them, He remained in communication with God and was protected by Him in the 'fire'.   

I believe the Lord is encouraging me to believe absolutely everything that He speaks to me will come to pass.......if I only believe it.

TRUST

I would just like to share some thoughts I have had, and poems that  the Lord has brought me to write, enlightened by scripture, during the trials I have gone through since I have been born of His Holy Spirit. I am still going through trials but I know that they have strengthened me,  I hope they will encourage those who are also in the Lord, who may be going through hard trials at this moment, to put their trust wholly in the Lord.

The Lord won't let you stumble

The Lord won't let you stumble
as He brings you through the fire
He'll keep your feet on the stepping stones
and guide you across the mire
Just keep your eyes looking forward
as you walk the narrow track
your problems will only engulf you
if you try to take them back
Remember the Lord has your burdens
He holds your life in His hands
If you trust Him you'll see the Father
and you'll enter the Promised Land

You will keep in perfect peace he whose mind is stayed upon You because he trusts in You.
Isaiah ch. 26 v.3
                                                                           

To fly without wings

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
don't lean on your own understanding
for to fly without wings requires faith on your part
and don't worry about where you're landing
For the One Who sustains you is able to soar
and your future He holds in His hand
as you fly over mountains and deserts galore
to a beautiful fertile land

Shining Knight

You seek him here - you seek him there
you seek your hero everywhere
Where is this knight in gleaming white
to take you far from sorry plight
to take away your worldly fear
and fill your heart with love and cheer
What need of I to write this rhyme
when you know He's been there all the time
This Saviour from our bondage frees us
so call upon the name of Jesus


The next poem is one that came into my mind for a beloved Christian friend who was going through very hard trials. I hope this may speak to someone who may also be going through hard trials, to say that there is One Who is able to bring us through all the trials that we go through. 

I KNOW A MAN WHO CAN

I’ve only been able to hope for you
as I’ve watched you in your sorrow
when you’ve felt there were only midnight skies
with no new dawn tomorrow

I’ve only been able to cry for you
when your hurt has been so great
when your God has told you ‘Not just yet’
and you’ve known you’ve had to wait

I’ve only been able to pray for you
to believe in God’s mercy and grace
when you’ve cried in utter disbelief
at the trials you’ve had to face

But ‘though I may not be able to grant your desire
and to bring about God’s great plan
I have to say with all joy in my heart
I KNOW A MAN WHO CAN

'And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
John ch. 1 v.14 .

 I have found that the Lord speaks to me in many ways, accompanying His Word with signs, and He has encouraged me recently through a wonderful Irish singer called Tommy Fleming. I came across him on You-tube singing two beautiful songs. One is called  'Hard times' and the other is called  'Don't give up 'til it's over', and I would encourage all,  through what may be hard times in our walk with the Lord, to not give up 'til it's over , and we have overcome the spiritual enemy who wants to rob us of what God has for us in Jesus.