Mhttp://godsbigshow.blogspot.com/y Blog List

Monday 10 June 2013

Pure faith


Recently the Lord has been speaking to me concerning 'faith'.  For twenty two years His grace has been sufficient for me regarding a sickness that has been in my body for that period of time after I had asked Him to teach me about sickness and healing.  I had not been able to understand why I had been healed instantly when someone put oil on my head and prayed for me in the name of Jesus, and I had experienced many instances where I had seen people healed, and other times they weren't.  He had shown me that the time I was healed miraculously was through a 'prayer of faith' referred to in James ch5 v.15.


When I began to experience this sickness that I believe He was using to teach me (as I had asked) He gave me several scriptures which I felt I understood spiritually.  One was Isaiah ch.31 v.1   ' Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD'.  Another scripture He gave me was from 2 chronicles ch.16 vs.12 and 13, ' And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great, yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.  And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.'   Paul told Timothy that  'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,' and I believe that was what the Holy Spirit was doing here with me.

I believe absolutely that through these scriptures He was telling me to trust in Him and not worldly strength.  Then, after about two years, I started to worry again because things had stayed the same, and I had expected the Lord to heal me.  As I sought Him over my fears He continually gave me the same scriptures about trusting in Him and not going to Egypt (the world) for help.  In one week each time I prayed He showed me three times where Paul had sought Him over an issue and He had told Paul that His grace was sufficient for him.  I felt He was saying the same thing to me.

















At the end of that week I had gone to the church I was attending, still with some fear within me.  Had the Lord really spoken to me telling me that His grace was sufficient for me, or was it me wanting to think that?  Halfway through the sermon the pastor of the church, his name was Joel, suddenly stopped speaking and said. ' I don't know who this is for but the Lord is saying to that person 'My grace is sufficient for you '.  I can not even begin to tell you what this did for me regarding increasing my faith.  Joel could not possibly have known what God was speaking to me, or why, for I had not shared it.  I later shared it with him and he came up to my house to ask more, and I told him the whole story.  After this I was constantly drawn to two verses in Psalm 119, and they became my regular prayer.  They were verses 49 and 50. 'Remember Thy word to Thy servant, in which Thou hast made me hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy promise gives me life.'


Last Saturday we were expecting a tradesman to come and finish painting the outside of the house.  He rang at the last minute to say that his wife wanted him to spend the day with her and the children and that he would not be able to come that day, that he would come on the following Monday.  My husband was not too happy about it, but I felt that it would be nice to have the weekend free, and did not see what worrying over it would do anyway.  'Come on' I said, 'come into town with me', which he decided to do.  We had just come out of a shop where my husband had wanted to look for little wire brushes for cleaning stone. 'Would you like to go into Barnardo's charity shop'  he said, ' come on let's make a day of it.'.

I knew he was starting to cheer up, and we both enjoy looking in charity shops. 'Ok', I said.  As we walked into the shop my eyes fell on a blouse hanging up on a rail on the far side of the shop.  It was so colourful, gypsy in style and reminded me of peacock feathers in colour, a bird which I love.  I walked over to it, took it off the shelf and said to my husband 'I am going to try it on.'  Trust you, you and your gypsy style', he said.

















I took it off the hanger, looked at the label and could not believe my eyes.  'Pure faith' was written in bold letters on the label.  I knew it was not coincidence that the painter had not turned up.  If he had then my husband would not have come into town with me.  If he had not been with me I would not have gone into the charity shop and seen the blouse, which fitted me perfectly and  I bought it.

The two verses which the Lord gave me from Psalm 119 vs 49 and 50 'Remember Thy word to Thy servant, in which Thou hast made me hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction that Thy promise gives me life.' began to be highlighted to me once more, and I prayed this once more because I believe that I have been shown recently that the Lord is going to heal me.   I opened to these verses shortly after I bought the blouse and spoke it to the Lord once more.   Then when I opened my Bible to read after praying this I opened to Psalm ch.40 where verse one says 'I waited patiently for the Lord, He inclined to me and heard my cry,'  I felt as if I was in communication with the Lord.  Another verse that was brought to my remembrance  was a verse that has spoken to me throughout this trial.  It is from Psalm 116, v 10 'I kept my faith, even when I said ' I am greatly afflicted'.

I was attending a coffee morning at the little church I attend the following Tuesday and we were in the main hall enjoying a chat and a cup of coffee.  I went out into the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee, and noticed a purse on the counter.  'Whose purse is this in here? I asked the ladies in the hall.  'It's alright' said one of the ladies 'It's mine', and she left it there.  When I went home I phoned my brother who had been down on holiday with his wife and little granddaughter, to thank him for a dvd he had sent us of his time spent in Wales.  He told me that on the way home to England they had called into a motorway services and my sister in law had gone into  the baby changing room to change the little one's nappy.  A lady had knocked into her, said she was sorry and when my sister in law came out she realized that her purse had been taken out of her bag, with all their bank cards, including a holiday bank card, and ninety pounds in money.  The day after I went into a post office and noticed a handbag and purse on the table.  I said 'Whose is this?' and a lady in the queue said 'It's alright, it is mine.'  I felt that the Lord was issuing a warning to me to beware that the enemy would not steal my true riches, the words of promise that I absolutely believe the Lord is speaking to me, by causing doubt and unbelief to enter into my mind.  'My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory' came into my mind.

If the enemy says to me 'Did God really say?', I say 'Yes, God did say'.

Wednesday 12th June

I have been singing this little song for two days now and I just want to share it as praise to our Lord:-

You are my God, You are my king
You are my Prince of Peace - You are my everything
You have the power and the authority
to bring down each stronghold and principality
and I worship, and I worship, and I worship You oh Lord

You are the chosen One of the great I Am
You are the Holy One - You are the risen Lamb
You are the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings
and I worship You - and I worship You

35 comments:

Maleeka said...

Amen. I loved this story and your illustration of your demonstration of faith. God bless you!

Brenda said...

Hello Maleeka,
Thank you for your comment, and God bless you too.

child of God said...

Hi Brenda,
Father has led me to pray for you and He has given me Psalm 45. I am not sure what this means but I believe you will. I read this in NIV, so it may be helpful for you to read it in this version. Verses 10 & 11 stuck out to me...10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. 11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

Keep the faith hon! I'm lifting you up to our Lord. In Christ Jesus.
<><

Never Forsaken said...

Praying for your healing, dear sister...but not until the Lord wills it to be so, because I completely understand His timing and how He uses our afflictions to enrich our spiritual life sometimes!...Love the blouse and love the story of faith! and I love you too ;D
~God bless~ Lisa

Frank E. Blasi said...

Dear Brenda,
That was a good testimony. It is encouraging to know that all things work for the good for those who love God, and are called according to his purpose.
In these trying times, there is hope.
God bless.

Brenda said...

Hi child of God,
thank you for praying for me, and thank you for the reference to Psalm 45, I have been shown this before and I know it means to honour the Lord and do His commands above all else,and regardless of other influences. God bless you.

Brenda said...

Hi Lisa,
thank you for your prayers for my healing which are much appreciated but, as you say, not until the Lord wills it to be so. There is a time to heal, and the Lord knows that time. I agree that He uses our afflictions to enrich our Spiritual life sometimes,as stated in Job ch. 36 vs. 15 and 16 'He delivers the afflicted by their affliction (some translations say 'through their affliction), and opens their ear by adversity. He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness'. I love the blouse too, I have bought a pair of peacock blue trousers to go with it, Love you too. God bless you.

Brenda said...

Hi Frank,
yes I too believe those words that all things work for good for those who love God who are called according to His purpose, and I know absolutely that I could not have gone down this path unless the Lord had taken me. I believe if we try to do things in our own strength when the Lord has not spoken to us regarding an issue then it will fail and we could be in danger of tempting the Lord. However, I believe that the Lord encourages us to seek Him and have a 'Father - child relationship' and that He is able to teach us spiritual warfare and that He has the power and the authority to pull down every stronghold and principality in our lives that is not of Him. Yes, there is always hope in the Lord. God bless you Frank in your walk with Him.

Laurie Collett said...

Beautiful testimony of faith, Brenda. Every morning, as we start our practice for our dance ministry, we thank Him that His grace is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Thank you for the beautiful post, and God bless!

Brenda said...

Thank you Laurie, yes that is true. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. God bless

Unknown said...

Your illustrations give faith a beautiful angle. And only faith can keep what faith brings.... It's pure, and it goes on.

Brenda said...

Hello, Elegbede,
lovely to meet you. Thank you for your beautiful comment, yes only faith can keep what faith brings and only Jesus can be the pioneer and perfecter of that gift of faith. God bless you.

BRAVE AFRICAN said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BRAVE AFRICAN said...

There is no greater dimension of faith, than this blessed assurance, that no matter what one sees, hears, or feels, God is true and His word is true... And indeed, If the enemy says to me 'Did God really say?', I will say 'Yes, God did say'. Amen

Brenda said...

Hello Brave African, yes God is true and His word is true. It is the enemy who is the liar, and was so from the beginning.

Darryl Orrell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Darryl Orrell said...

It is nice to see you have not lost your style of writing for what a blessed testimony you have given for one must have faith in order to write as elegantly about it as you have. It is by faith such as yours and others like you that keeps the light of Jesus Christ shinning brightly in the world – a world that would otherwise be eternally lost. Keep up the good work my sister and may God’s blessings be upon you, your husband, and your family always, and may He grant you your petition for healing.

Blessings!

Brenda said...

Hello Darryl,
how lovely to hear from you. I paid your blog a visit yesterday to see if you had written anything else. Thank you for your lovely blessings upon myself and my family. Many times in my life I have gone through these kind of experiences which I believe are strengtheners which only the Lord knows the reason for. The only thing I can do is trust the word of God which I believe has been shown to me. There are thoughts and reasonings which try to enter my mind to cause doubts, but always the comforting words that the Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance come to mind to overrule them. This time those words are Psalm 119 v.49 and 50, and Psalm 40 v.1, and I know that you have been sent to encourage me. God bless you and your family Darryl.

Reformed rebel said...

Hi Brenda ~ Isn't it awesome when the Lord gives us a sign? I love that you found that blouse. Faith....sometimes so hard to have....and yet what it's all about!

I wanted to let you know that I never could fix my blog to update so I started a new one. Here is the address.

http://redeemedrenewedtransformed.blogspot.com/

Blessings to you....Chelle

Brenda said...

Hello Chelle,
I know it is only when the Lord reveals Himself in a situation that a person can have the strength to act on what He is saying, and I believe there is purpose in everything. Thankyou for your kind comment and I will change your new address on my blog list.

S. Knowles said...

I've been going through what I think are tests & a lot has been going on in my mind. I have asking the Lord to teach me His ways & to direct my paths. Sometimes it's like the enemy is trying to make me be doubtful. I read in James lastnight that a doubtful person is double minded. I have been feeling like a hypocrite a lot. I feel how & why do I encourage people on things and I'm still trying myself to be obedient and not despair. I have not been obediant in many things I have been encouraging people to do. I really feel unfit because of my own
disobedience, to encorage and share the Gospel. I have been worrying a lot about my health and just what to do with my life. I know God is with me but I feel sad a lot. Sometimes I'll just start crying, mostly when I'm praying. I'm afraid of being disqualified becauase everyday I feel instead of progressing in my walk I'm stumbling. I feel I'm not very loving at all and just about everyday in some way I'm selfish. I know that God said His grace is sufficient but I'm not sure I understans what that means. There is so much I fail to comprehend. I feel fearful almost all the time. In spite of all that I know, everyday I wake up I feel like I know absolutely nothing. Pray for me please.

S. Knowles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
S. Knowles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brenda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brenda said...

Brenda said...
Sateigdra,
your comment has come out three times on my blog and I have to say that I think this is how our learning from the Lord is. He knows and understands that we are flesh and do not have the strength to fight the strong man on our own, but when we are weak then He, the Lord, is strong. We may go through many trials many times,and sometimes the Holy Spirit has to take us through the same trial three times and many more times sometimes. The fact that you have been going through your trials and that you say you are encouraging people to do what you are not able to do yourself sometimes is, I believe, the very reason why the Lord gave you the scripture of not being double minded. He knows exactly what battles we are in at any time, and will give us the precise word that we need in order to bring us to overcome the enemy who is trying to convince us to do the opposite of what God is teaching us. Don't let the enemy win Sateigdra, we are told to act on the word that we hear spoken to us. 2 Corinthians ch. 10 vs. 4 and 5 tell us that 'The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.' We have a God who loves us and understands that we are flesh but is long-suffering and patient with us as we have our minds renewed in Christ. The old man can be strong, but the Lord is stronger. Hold fast that which is good Sateigdra, the word that the Holy Spirit has brought to your attention to enable you to overcome the enemy. I will pray for you as I am sure other bloggers will, and you pray for me in my trials too. God bless you Sateigdra.

S. Knowles said...

Thank you Brenda. I don't know how my comment came out 3 times, perhaps it's because I'm using my phone. Thank you for your prayers, and I will keep you in mine. God bless you sister.

S. Knowles said...

Thank you Brenda. I don't know how my comment came out 3 times, perhaps it's because I'm using my phone. Thank you for your prayers, and I will keep you in mine. God bless you sister.

T-Childs said...

Brenda, great post as usual and so well written with regard to scripture. Oh Sateigdra, I'm so sorry to hear you are crying and upset! You're so sweet and lovely, I do hope that things get better for you I really do. I've been stressed for one reason and another too for about a month, and when you are right in the middle of it, it can seem daunting; but I've been praying too, and I'll pray for you, and Brenda. I hope things get better for you both.

Patrinas Pencil said...

Brenda....what a great response you penned to Sateigdra. I too am praying.

Praying also for your healing. His will. His way..His timing.

Awesome word of confirmation from your pastor. I love how the Lord confirms His voice if we but have ears to listen. A focused mind and spirit...is always tuned to hear what it is focused on.

That's why I'm fixing my eyes on Jesus. The author and finisher of our faith. My One and ONLY JESUS...triumphant HOPE, Eternal LIFE...I worship Him...I worship Him. My one and ONLY JESUS!

blessings to you
Stand tall
stand firm
stand victorious!

Patrina <")>><

Brenda said...

Thank you Sateigdra for your prayers, trust in the Lord with all your heart He is a very strong warrior who definitely has the power to do all things. God bless you.

Brenda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brenda said...

Thank you Patrina,
it is lovely to hear from you. Thank you for your prayers, for Sateigdra and myself and pray for Tim too. We are all in a spiritual battle but we have a Saviour with us who causes the enemy to flee when we draw close to Him. He is absolutely REAL and all we have to do is what He asks us to do, not because He wants to control us but because He wants to save us from the liar and the thief. God bless you Patrina.

Brenda said...

Brenda said...Sorry Tim had to delete the first one, misquoted something.
Tim,
thank you too for your prayers, I believe that everything shared on all our blogs is for a reason. Sateigdra is as you say a very sweet and lovely person and I believe absolutely that we are all meant to pray for one another, which I will do for you too. The Bible tells us that where two agree as touching anything on earth it will be done for us by our Father in Heaven, and I give thanks to Him that He is not a man that He should lie

Ken said...

Hi Brenda,
Trusting in God while we go through things such as an illness (or trial) is critical. Sometimes we may not know why God has allowed this thing, be it an illness or job loss or whatever in out lives. But we can always trust that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will also cause all things to work together for good, to those who love God and are the called according to His purposes. When we are weak, then He is strong and will do mighty things through us. God has taught you some awesome truths through this and thank you for sharing them with us.
Blessings,
Ken

Brenda said...

Hi Ken, welcome back from your holiday.
I know with this trial that it is part of what I asked the Lord years ago, to teach me about sickness and healing, and that He is trying to bring me to have complete faith in the word that He has given me. The hardest thing in any trial can be putting down the enemy who will constantly try to rob us of the word the Holy Spirit has spoken to us by causing us to reason with and question that word. I find that in this trial I am praying the words 'remember Your word to me Lord in which You have caused me to hope, this is my comfort in my affliction that Your promise brings me life' and singing 'I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto me'. I really believe that the words that God speaks to us when we seek Him for help in a situation have a power to defeat the enemy, and come into being, when we truly believe them, and I know that He has told me that He will heal me from all my diseases, so I must endeavour to take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ - that Word. God bless you Ken and thank you for your encouraging comment.