Do not fear

I have been reminded over the past few days of two things that were revealed to me by the Holy Spirit in my past.  One was realizing  what a very safe place it is to be in the Lord, and the other thing was how total belief in what the Lord is saying to me in a particular situation will bring His word into being.  

When I first came to know the Lord, I felt as if I was in the eye of a hurricane, a totally safe place, that is the only way I can describe it.   However, when I returned to Wales shortly after being born again in Australia and living for a short time in England, I started to come across all the friends that I had known in the Welsh town I had left to go to Australia.   I told them that I had become a Christian, and felt that I wanted to witness to them but did not know how.  The Lord comforted me over this issue through a prayer that I put into poem form.  I called it The eye of the hurricane. 




The eye of the hurricane

I stand in the eye of the hurricane in a place of silent calm
a storm goes on around me yet I come to no harm
All around there's turmoil brought about by Adam's sin
a warning to me not to leave the place I'm standing in

Sometimes I feel uncertain - unsure of what to do
inside the raging hurricane are people I once knew
I want to run and save them - to bring them to this place
to tell them of salvation brought about by God's grace

But my love cannot save them - my coat won't keep them warm
my strength will not protect them from the terror of the storm
Father show me what to do - teach me Lord to pray
for people trapped in worldliness in this the 'evil day'

Father let Your word take root inside my troubled heart
show me that this world and You are just a prayer apart
Teach me Lord to be a light - to tread the path You trod
then teach me Father to be still and know that You are God 

The Lord eventually answered that prayer and sent me out into the streets to evangelize with a friend, directing us through His word.  I believe that when we pray according to the will of God that He hears us and will answer that prayer in His way.


The second thing that I believe was revealed to me was not to fear in my trials and  I would  like to share how it was revealed to me in the hope that it will encourage others who may be going through similar trials.  I know that we all have different experiences but it is still good to encourage one another by sharing those experiences, and I know that I have been encouraged by other people's testimonies over the years.  

I remember some years ago I had just awoken.  I had been lying in my bed but although my eyes were closed I had a picture as if I was floating on the sea.  Now I had  opened my eyes and could hardly believe what I was seeing.   My bed quilt had become like the rippling waves and I was looking across a vast sea, this went on for some time before the sea began to fade and changed back into my bed quilt   After I had got up I went to check to see if there was any mail.  There was a  booklet arrived from the Kenneth Copeland ministries, I believe it was the 'Victory' magazine, and on the front page was a picture of the sea that appeared to be  exactly the same as my vision in my bedroom and a scripture referring to Peter walking on water.  





I felt through the vision of the water and the picture on the front of the magazine, that the Lord was emphasising to me that day that I must  keep my eyes fixed upon Him and not on my worldly troubles, that He will carry me through.  In Matthew ch.14  vs.22 -33 there is an account of the apostle Peter being able to walk on water because Jesus had spoken the word 'come' in order for him to do it, something that is not naturally possible.  However, verses 29 - 31 which say 'Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink cried out, 'Lord, save me!'  Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.  'You of little faith, He said, why did you doubt?' show quite clearly that when Peter looked at the turmoil of the wind he began to sink, to which Jesus told him that the reason he was beginning to sink was 'little faith' caused by 'doubt'.  Peter had for a split second let the natural come in to rob him of the supernatural, allowing what he saw to overrule and nullify what Jesus had brought about, and fear had been the instigator.

Shortly after this experience I wrote a little song and called it 'Do not fear'

Do not fear

Do not fear the wind and the waves - I will carry you through
for mine is the hand that rescues and saves - I will carry you through 

and do not fear the hail and the rain I will carry you through

for mine is the peace that will ever remain I will carry you through

For I am the One who was sacrificed no more to die

if you call on Me I will hear your cry -  My love is forever

I'll not fear the wind and the waves for You will carry me through
for Yours is the hand that rescues and saves - You will carry me through
and I'll not fear the hail and the rain for You will carry me through
for Yours is the peace that will ever remain 
You will carry me through
For You are the One who was sacrificed no more to die
If I call on You, You will hear my cry - Your love is forever

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

Removing the lie

One day, quite a few years back, I was looking in a jeweller's window and saw a second-hand necklace for sale.  It was a gold chain with eight gold keys hanging from it.  Three of the keys had a heart attached to their base and the other five had letters which spelt the name JULIE attached to their base.  It came straight into my mind that if I bought the necklace and asked the jeweller if he could take the L and the I  off two of the keys and replace them both with the letter S  then he could rearrange the keys and they would spell JESUS.   So I bought the necklace and the jeweller did the rearranging.

As I thought about this it was signifying to me what God does through Jesus.   He removes the LI (Lie) of the world and replaces it with Salvation through our Saviour Jesus  as we have our minds renewed in Him.  

So, just as the jeweller did the physical rearranging when I bought the necklace, if I put my faith in Jesus, then the Master Jeweller will do the spiritual rearranging in me. 

Hidden Treasure

I've found a hidden treasure more valuable than gold
much brighter than a diamond -  a wonder to behold
Created by a jeweller who loved the world so much
He sent this precious stone to Earth our hardened hearts to touch

This treasure I discovered not on a velvet tray
but in the rags of misery when I began to pray
This shining jewel of beauty from sin and sickness frees us
The jeweller is our Father God - the precious Stone is Jesus

On Monday the terrible tragedy of the tornado took place in America, and on Wednesday the horrific killing of a British soldier in the UK happened.   Thursday morning I was thinking of the awful things going on around the world and how it says in the Bible about tribulations in these times such as never have been seen.   I thought about  how some Christians are being persecuted for their belief and how Christianity is being despised in many countries that once claimed to be Christian.   I settled down to read my Bible and opened it to Mark ch. 13.    The verse that really stood out to me was v.13  'and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.   But he who endures to the end will be saved.' 

Matthew ch. 24 vs.12 - 14 says that 'Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.' 

I thought of how those spoken of in Matthew ch.22 v.1-3 who were invited to the wedding feast of the king's son refused to come, so then , in v. 8-10 the servants were told to go out into the streets and gather all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the necessity for the gospel to be preached to all so that all may have the opportunity to believe in Jesus and be saved, and what a wonderful opportunity the internet has given us to share this gospel in our blogs.

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, Jesus is the only safe place in this troubled world, and I sing this song to anyone who might read this post and who does not know Him as Lord and Saviour:-

The Wedding Feast   

God is calling, God is calling
God is calling everyone
to the wedding, to the wedding 
to the wedding of His Son
You're all invited to the feast 
to be God's honoured guest
Yes, God is calling everyone 
into His Holy rest



The Lord's returning, He's returning, coming in His Father's power
No one knows when He's arriving, it could be this very hour
He's coming for His church on earth, He's coming for His bride
The door is closing to the world - make sure that you're inside

God is saying, God is saying, God is saying to everyone

'Come into my place of safety, purchased by my precious Son

Come drink my wine of holiness, come eat my bread of grace

The Spirit and the bride say 'Come', step in and take your place

The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'.  And let the one who hears say, 'Come!'  Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.'  Rev. ch.22 v17

'You will say in that day: 'I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for though thou wast angry with me, thy anger turned away, and thou didst comfort me.  Behold, God is my salvation;  I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.'  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  And you will say in that day:  'Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;  make known His deeds among the nations;  proclaim that His name is exalted.'  Isaiah ch.23 bs.1-4

All else pales into insignificance

One of the things about trusting in the Lord in my trials is that it makes me want to praise Him.  Sometimes I am amazed at how the Lord is able to comfort and strengthen in these times.  If a person was to need comfort in a hard time it is good that a friend comes along with words of comfort.  However, there is something about the Lord speaking to a person that can strengthen more than anything.  He has the ability, because He is omnipresent, to speak through many people and many occurrences which would demonstrate that the voice bringing the comfort has to be something more than the human voice, and when we know that God is in the situation then we know that those words of comfort have an authority that no other words have.

This morning I awoke with praise for the Lord constantly coming into my mind,  I was reminded of how praise is a main factor in attaining victory in our battles as demonstrated in 2 Chronicles ch.20, v22 when all the people had been encouraged to praise the Lord by Jehoshaphat, after he had prayed  for help and been told by the Lord that the battle was His.  When they began to sing and praise, their enemies began to be destroyed.   We are in a spiritual battle where our enemies are not flesh and blood, and we have a great warrior as our Lord who has already won that battle.   Psalm 103 speaks about all the benefits in the Lord but it starts off with these words of praise   'Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.  Praise the Lord, my soul.'

I feel to dedicate this post to praising Him, and would like to do it by sharing three songs that I was brought to write at various stages in my walk with Jesus.

Show me Your face Lord

Show me Your face Lord show me Your face
a face full of mercy, compassion and grace
with lips that sing love songs to a world filled with shame
You tell of salvation through Your wonderful name

Show me Your face Lord      

it's all that I seek
It's peace to the troubled 
and strength to the weak
Your eyes see the pain 
that lies deep in a heart
Your ears hear the crying 
of a soul torn apart

So show me Your face Lord
that I might have light
to guide my lame feet
as I walk through the night
to brighten the path
that I know I must take
the one that You took Lord
when you died for my sake

Now I see Your sweet face Lord it's there in Your Word
and 'though for a moment it's just a bit blurred
I know if I only will trust and obey
I'll see You quite clearly one beautiful day



Glory Hallelujah 

Glory Hallelujah I just want to praise Your name
Glory Hallelujah You made me able to stand when I was lame
Glory Hallelujah  Jesus the star of my night
You took me out of my darkness
and brought me into Your glorious light

I was just a prisoner locked in the arms of my worldly desire
sin and degradation burned my soul like raging fire
then I heard You calling - I started seeking Your face
I came to You with sin's death and destruction
You came to me with God's mercy and grace

Now I live in Jesus  -  I'm seated in Heavenly places with Him 
Light is my companion  to show the way to eyes grown dim 
I'm hearing from the Father -  being taught by the Spirit of Life
No more in agony, in pain and in misery
No more in worry and in strife

All else pales

All else pales into insignificance 
as I stand within Your glorious light
all my so called good intentions 
turn from brightness to the darkest night
Every deed I thought was righteousness 
brought before Your hand of grace
slowly changes into filthy rags 
as I stand and look into Your face

All else pales into insignificance 
as I kneel before Your Holy throne
all my plans of self sufficiency 
start to fall and crumble like sand stone
Every thought I ever leaned upon 
now becomes a worthless dream
and I see my own humility 
as I fall before my God supreme

All else pales into insignificance 
as I'm sheltered by Your mighty power
and the strength I once relied upon 
dries and withers like a fragile flower
All my doubt, my fear, my hopelessness 
soon becomes a passing thing
All else pales into insignificance 
as I stand and look upon my King

Believing is seeing

Last Saturday morning I picked up my mobile phone and noticed that one of my granddaughters had tried to ring me.  My mobile was on 'silent' mode, I usually only text messages and that only when necessary, and so I texted her to find out what she wanted.  She texted me back and said that one of my songs had just dropped into her head and she felt she had to let me know.  The song, she went on to say, was 'By grace am I saved, through faith not of myself, it is the gift of God'. 
  

It was part of a song which began

You taught me how to love 
when all else was failing 
You taught me how to love 
You showed me how to care  
You taught me how to love 
You showed me the way Lord  
For when I needed You 
You was always there 

We used to sit on the floor of my granddaughter's bedroom when she lived with us for a year, with my guitar, and sing this and many other songs together.

There was great meaning for me in Hayley sending me this text with these words about faith in it, for the Lord has been speaking to me concerning faith for a few weeks.  When I wrote my post called  'I will love Thee O Lord my strength' on 2nd March 2013  I mentioned that the Lord had been speaking to me through the verse about Thomas, where Jesus said to Thomas 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' (John ch.29 v.29)' , mentioning that someone phoned me asking 'Is that Thomas?' to which I answered 'No, this is not Thomas.'  

The very next day after publishing this post I had once more a person, I believe maybe the same one, phone me and ask  'Is that Thomas?' to which I again replied 'No, this is not Thomas'.  I believe absolutely this was the Lord's way of encouraging me to trust in Him for healing me from what I spoke about in my March 2nd post, and not to think of healing from the  carnal aspect of 'Seeing is believing.' but to think of it from the Spiritual aspect of 'Believing is seeing.'  

Now I was feeling that the Lord was actually going to heal me from my ailment after 22 years and when I opened my Bible to read, as I thought about this, I opened straight to the page containing Psalm 103 where the Psalmist is instructing his soul to praise the Lord and forget not all His benefits, including forgiving sins and  healing all diseases.   I asked the Lord that if He was telling me through this that He was going to heal me, then to have me open to this page again, which I did immediately.

After my granddaughter sent me the text last Saturday, I thought about all these things that had happened recently.   I remembered the fact that I had initially asked the Lord all those years ago to teach me about sickness and healing, as I could not understand why healing did not always happen after prayer. When I asked why in a church in Adelaide I had been healed miraculously when someone had prayed for me, He revealed to me that it had been the prayer of faith used at that time.  I wanted to learn more about sickness and healing and after I asked, my trial began.


Saturday night I had a dream in which there were two huge screens in front of me on which were written 'By grace am I saved, through faith not of myself it is the gift of God.' and many voices were singing the song that had dropped into my granddaughter's head that morning.  Once again 'faith' was being emphasized to me.  On Sunday morning I opened my Bible to read and opened straight to Romans ch. 4, a chapter on faith.  Verses 3-5 read 'What does Scripture say?  'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'  Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.  However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.'

The end of verse 13 declares that 'righteousness' as 'the righteousness that comes by faith.'  So righteousness comes only from believing unquestionably what God has said to me regardless of what my eyes or my carnal mind might try to tell me.  If I, as Abraham did, believe what God has said to me then God will bring to pass His promise to me just as He brought to pass His promise to Abraham.  


I choose to believe the Word that the Lord has spoken to me, not what my eyes see and my carnal mind might try to tell me, and  I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I praise You Lord

This morning I have awoken and can not stop singing this little song over and over in my mind so I thought I would include it.

Cause me my God to trust in You
cause me to live in Your will
help me to rest in Your love for me
cause me my Lord to be still

Cast from my heart all doubt and fear
take from my flesh life's pain
fill me with sunshine and righteousness
wash me with faith's gentle rain

Take all the sorrow this world has known
take it - replace it with love
send forth Your Spirit - make us Your own
bring life to this world from above

Just another pebble on the beach

Last Saturday, just after I awoke, something I had written long ago came into my mind.  It was an article I had put in a little booklet that I had entitled 'Days in my life', in which were accounts of occurrences in my life through which I have experienced the teachings of God, and some of the poetry that I have written as a result of those experiences. 

  The teacher that God has used,
   the One whom He uses with all
   who  believe on His Son Jesus
   Christ, is the Holy Spirit, and in
   a sense 'Days in my life' is yet
   another small portion of my own
   personal 'Book of Numbers',
   God speaking to me as I journey
   through my wilderness towards
   the promised land.

   After I had looked for, and found,
   the article in this booklet, I thought
   I would share it in a post

Just another pebble on the beach

I had been cleaning at the local college of further education for about six weeks.  The job required that I rose early in the morning to be in work for five, finishing at eight.  I had taken the job to earn extra money to buy a new computer, which I believed was much needed in order to produce the booklets, cards and laminated poetry wall hangings that I had started to make.  Two years earlier I had registered a small cottage industry which had never really got off the ground, and I thought the few hours work in the morning would provide me with the extra money needed, while also leaving me plenty of time to create the products, and the college was walking distance away from where we lived.   Everything seemed just right.

I had initially sought the Lord over whether I should try for the job or not, and had felt that He was saying 'no' through the scripture in Isaiah ch. 30 v.1 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help' being brought to my attention many times, 'Egypt' meaning the worldly way of doing things.  Part of me had felt that I should go and get the money for the equipment by looking for a job, at the same time realizing that I would have less time to spend on my writing, and part of me had been telling me to carry on doing what I was able to do with the equipment I already had, and that the Lord would provide the extra equipment at the time that He thought I needed it.   After some reasoning the 'go and get the money' part of me won and I took the job, not really wanting to believe that the Lord had actually spoken to me through the scriptures.

By now, after six weeks of working at the job, I had realized that the voice from the scriptures was by far the wisest.   I was so tired from rising at just after four in the morning that I found I was coming home, having a shower and sleeping for most of the morning, too worn out to do any of my writing. 

I had seen two things in the college that reminded me of the Lord and what He required of me.  One was a picture of 'The Light of the World' hanging on a wall, and the other was a sculpture called 'Rebirth by Fire'.  I believed I was being called as a witness for Jesus, through my writing, to be a light in this dark world and to tell of rebirth and salvation through Jesus Christ.  It was not about running a business.

There was also a photograph of pebbles on a beach.  One of the pebbles had an image of a very sad, sleeping face on it.  This photograph moved my heart in a strange way.  I imagined the face on the pebble was dreaming of what might have been, but that the tide would soon come in and wash away those dreams and it would remain 'just another pebble on the beach', never being able to get out from its rut.  I saw myself never being able to fulfil my purpose as a believer if I carried on trying to do things my own way.

The word 'procrastination' had also been brought to my attention several times and it caused me to think that procrastination and time, just like the tide in the pebble's situation, would wash away my dreams if I allowed them to.  I had become a hindrance to what God was trying to do through me and trying to get things done faster by my own methods was actually slowing things down.  My times are in God's hands and every day of my life is written in His book before even one of them was formed, and I am gradually coming to realize that what He requires me to do has to be done in His time, not mine.

I realized two things here, that to simply obey what the Lord is telling me to do without question was by far the wisest thing to do, but I also learned that God knows the way we  will take and that He is patient and long-suffering with us as He allows us to learn by our mistakes, thereby delivering us in our affliction.  Job ch.36 v.15.

Realizing my mistake I sought the Lord for advice, this time with the full intention of acting on it  That morning the reading in my 'Daily Bread' Christian booklet was from Exodus ch.18 vs.17,18 'This thing that you are doing is not good.  You will surely wear out'.  How appropriate!  I read from my Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes ch.4 v.13 'Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished.'  (That was me well and truly told.), and from the book of Ecclesiastes ch.5 v.13 'There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, riches were kept by their owner to his hurt'.  These scriptures spoke straight into my situation.  I was definitely worn out, and was foolish for not taking the advice not to go after the job in the first place.  I was also being warned about keeping the spiritual riches, which I believed God wanted me to share through my writings, to myself.

The next day I bought some spaghetti that I noticed was called 'Seeds of change'.  That night I had a dream in which I was handing in my notice at work, and the following morning the daily reading in my devotional booklet was entitled 'Changed priorities', and the scripture was 'They immediately left their nets and followed Him.'  The message was loud and clear, I had to leave my own work and follow Jesus, thereby getting my priorities right.

Without hesitation I gave my notice in the next day.  Amazingly, the reading in another daily devotional that I received that very morning was 'He will perfect that which concerns me' and the next sentence said 'Don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow, God will help you deal with whatever things come up'.

Amen.

My journey through the wilderness Part 3

This is the final section of part of my early testimony, shortly after being born again into Christ.  

As I studied the Bible daily I could see that I could be one of two types of believers.  This fact was highlighted to me by the story related in Luke ch.18 vs.10 - 14, which reads:-  'Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I posses.'  And the publican, standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying 'God be merciful to me a sinner.'  There was arrogance and pride in the Pharisee's prayer, but lowliness and humility in the prayer of the publican.  We are told that the publican went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee.

This parable was spoken to some who trusted in their own righteousness and looked down on others.  I knew that I had no righteousness of my own and could only come before Jesus with the attitude of the publican.  I wrote these prayers to Him, and I believe He spoke back to me,  in the form of  songs.

Lord have mercy

Lord have mercy take pity on a poor man like me

I'm unworthy can't you see not holy like the Pharisee

have mercy on a sinner such as me

Some people say 'What good are you

you don't worship God as we'

but humility and honesty 

are what You're looking for in me

So Lord have mercy take pity on a poor man like me

I'm unworthy can't you see not holy like the Pharisee

have mercy on a sinner such as me

I want to dedicate my life to you

I want no fame nor wealth

I want to serve You with a heart that's true

but I can't do it by myself

So Lord have mercy take pity on a poor man like me

I'm unworthy can't You see not holy like the Pharisee

have mercy on a sinner such as me


Lost in the world

Lost in the world
I was entangled in sin and shame
Lord that was when I met You
Then from my grave I heard You calling
calling my name
with a voice that was gentle but true

'Turn around my child and look at me'
were the words that were piercing my heart
'Turn around from your sin - be set free
come to me and make a new start'

Then water so pure 
and crystal clear
was washing away
all my doubt and my fear
and the tears ran free 
as You said to me
'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

No I take no pleasure in the death of a soul
turn around seek my face child
and I'll make you whole

If we trust in Jesus He will lead us to that promised land.  There is no other way to be reconciled back to God.   1 Timothy ch.2 v.5 says:- 

There is One God and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.'

My final song I dedicate to that One God and His mediator:-

God sent His Son to us

God sent His Son to us 

ever to rule over us

Jesus came to teach us God's ways

here to take away the lies 

shining in life's darkened skies

evermore to brighten our days

He sent His Son to die

crucified for you and I

full of pain He hung on that tree

'though He was in agony

with words of love He begged for me

a pardon for my sins and set me free

Jesus walked upon the Earth

to buy for us our second birth

that we might see the Father some day

taking all the ridicule

from holy man and Godless fool

for you and me He always would pray
'Father look not on their sin
but change their stony heart within
I offer You Myself in their stead
Lay those painful stripes on Me
Oh Father set their spirits free
and place that thorny crown upon my head.'

He gave His life so willingly

that I might live eternally

And now I want that I should be

just like the One who died for me

Jesus Lord I call on Your name

Mold me shape me by Your will

tell my troubled soul 'Be still'

take away my sin and my shame

Jesus walk upon those waves

reach out to me the hand that saves

I'm sinking fast and don't know what to do

Lift me from this troubled sea

Oh Father change me destiny

and set me on the road back home to You

Lift me from this troubled sea

Oh Father change me destiny

and set me on the road back home to You

The whole of this three part testimony was written shortly after becoming born again and  being  baptised in the Holy Spirit.   In the letter that the apostle Paul wrote to Philemon he writes in verse 6 'and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ.', and this is what I believe sharing our testimonies does.  

There is a beautiful Welsh word 'dysgu', pronounced 'dusgee' The reason I say it is beautiful is because it means both to learn and to teach, and describes perfectly 2 Corinthians ch.1 vs.3 and 4, which says that we are comforted by God in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

There is learning and teaching in our trials but both are brought about by the Holy Spirit, and all credit goes to God.