Do not conform to the pattern of this world

On Tuesday we visited a place called Tenby, an ancient walled town in West Wales roughly sixty miles west of where we live.  My niece and her family were holidaying there and my husband and myself, my sister and brother in law and their two grandsons all met up with them and spent the afternoon walking around the very pretty town. 

We had a lovely time and as we were making our way back to the car park we took a short cut through a small alleyway.  About halfway through the alleyway I could see something moving slightly in a small space between some of the cobbled stones that we were walking on.  When I bent down I could see that a butterfly had become trapped in a space between some of the cobbles that was about an inch and a half deep.  It was slowly trying to flap its wings to get out but because the size of the space it was trapped in was the same as the size of the butterfly its wings were pushed up against the cobbles and  it could not release itself.  I managed to gently place my fingernails beneath one of its wings and slowly pulled it free. Then I lifted it up, released it from my fingers, and watched it fly away free.


  

I have to say that it was the finishing touch to a wonderful day.  I could not believe that if someone had not suggested that we cut through that alleyway the butterfly would probably have stayed trapped and possibly died in the hole.  It was then that I began to see a spiritual meaning to what had just happened.

This little creature that had wings to fly had become trapped down on the ground, where the wings it had been given were completely unable to do what they had been created to do.   So too, just as the butterfly was prevented from flying while he was trapped down on the ground, we too shall be restricted in our spiritual abilities if we try to fit in with this world by conforming to its ways. 

Romans ch. 12 vs.1 and 2 says 'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God  - this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.'

Be strong in Him and in the power of His might

During the night of Monday 15th July I was really struggling, in a lot of pain, and unable to sleep because of it.  I feel that ever since the Lord told me that He would heal me from something I have had for twenty two years I have been in a 'Job ch. 2 situation ' where Satan has been allowed to inflict sickness and pain upon me, although where it says in the book of Job that Job was a righteous man, the only righteousness I have as a believer is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.   


However, I knew that the Lord had spoken to me saying that He is going to heal me, just in the same way He has kept me alive for the last twenty two years after telling me that His grace was sufficient for me and using the scripture  Isaiah ch.31 v.1. 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!( Egypt here spiritually representing the world, as it does when we the Spiritual  children of Israel are brought out of it into the wilderness on our journey to the promised land.)  So I prayed inwardly over and over for Him to take my pain away.    After a few seconds I was waking up about three hours later with no pain at all.  



I know it was something completely supernatural which only the Lord could have done.  He had answered my prayer and through it was continuing to strengthen  my faith regarding the healing He has promised, and the need for me to pray to Him, as opposed to allowing the old man to cause doubt in my mind.  The pain has continued to come back and I am getting stronger in my prayers for the Lord to take it away.  Several times He has taken the pain away and I believe He is teaching me to come closer to Him in prayer, just as a person would be taught something by doing it over and over again, and more and more the doubt is slowly being removed as I do so.  There is a time for everything, including healing, Ecclesiastes ch.3 v.3. and I believe absolutely that the promise that the Lord has given me that He will heal me will be fulfilled as long as I continue to put my trust in Him. 

The other day I came across my baptism card.  I was baptised on the 21st of November 1982.  The verse written on the bottom of the card is 'Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might'.  Ephesians ch. 6 v.10, and I knew that it was the Lord reminding me to be strong solely in HIM and in the POWER OF HIS MIGHT, nothing else.  I love the way the Lord continues to speak to us with encouraging scripture once He has revealed His will for us.  If we persevere and hold firmly to what the Lord has spoken to us as we go through our trials, we will come through victorious in Him, for He is not a man that He should lie.  Numbers ch.23 v.19.   'God is not a man that He should lie, neither the Son of man that He should repent:  Has He said, and shall He not do it?  or has He spoken, and shall not He make it good?'

I was reading someones blog and 1 Timothy ch. 4 v. 15 and 16   was quoted in it.   'Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them, because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers. ' 
It emphasises just how important how we live our lives and what our doctrine to others is, regarding our own salvation and the salvation of those who are listening to our doctrines, just as it was emphasised to Timothy.

For about two weeks now my attention has been drawn to 1 Corinthians ch. 12 vs 1 - 11 in which it states;-   Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.   You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.   Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To the one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophesy to another distinguishing between spirits, to another  speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.


I have to say that I have only ever seen the gift of healing and the gift of miraculous powers in two church gatherings out of all the church gatherings I have attended and in my father, who prayed for both my sister and myself at different times when we were ill and we were healed instantly by the Lord.  As a result of all that has happened in my life I have to say that I have been shown to be strong in nothing else but the Lord and the power of His might and I pray that this alone would be what all of us as believers would become strong in.