I didn't choose a specific word this year but I have had a couple people suggest that God is choosing BRAVE for me and I think it could be true as I ever learn to trust Him more.
It's because I have been going through a trial for over 25 years now where for most of it the Lord told me that His grace was sufficient for me,(and it was) and last year he told me that He was going to heal me completely from what has been in my body for all these years. It all started when I asked Him to teach me about sickness and healing, and He told me not to go down to Egypt (the world) for help. I believe I must trust Him absolutely to bring me through this long test.
It was because I had experienced a miraculous healing in Adelaide Australia, when a very large lump had been removed from my breast after someone put oil on my head and prayed for me in the name of Jesus. I could see that sometimes prayer for healing was answered and sometimes it was not. I wanted to know why. He first showed me that it had been the prayer of faith that had healed me in that instant.After That was the beginning of a journey of experiences that began to teach, and still are teaching me to trust in Him.
Brenda, that is amazing. When i read yiur story I wondered why you were so opposd to asking for help, other than prayer. But now I understand where you are coming from. That is amazing. I look forward to hearing how this all turns out and what you learn.
I don't believe in tempting God Sandi, and I also do not know what tomorrow brings, but one among many things that brought me to believe that God is very real was that I had what people call a 'near death experience' when I was twenty eight years old. I was taken to a place which I can not describe as far as love and beauty is concerned. There were people there, I could not tell you whether they were male or female, and whether they spoke with an audible voice or 'communicated', it did not seem to matter. I knew I had been there before. My twenty eight years of life was like a dream and that was reality. Suddenly a voice said 'It's not time yet, you must go back' I said 'I do not want to go back'. The voice said 'You must go back'. Then I was spinning backwards through a tunnel at such tremendous speed that I felt as if I was upright. I cried for a week and every morning when I awoke, my husband said 'You were speaking in a foreign language in your sleep.' I said 'What do you mean a foreign language, was I muttering?' He said 'No, a foreign language.' Seven years later when I became born again I picked up my Bible and opened it to Jeremiah ch.1 v. 5 'I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb....'. It all made sense to me then and I felt connected again. Sorry I was so long winded here, I just wanted to share that part of my testimony with you.
Yes Sandi, I did feel as if I was in a place where I had been before, but I did not think of it as Heaven until I became born again and came across these scripture in 2 Corinthians ch. 12:- ' I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.'
That was exactly how my experience was, and while I was in that place my knowledge was increased immensely and I was told things which were completely taken from my mind when I came back, as if I was not allowed to speak about them. When I read 2 Corinthians ch. 12 I was also fascinated by the fact that Paradise is called the 'third' Heaven. It made me realize that there is so much that we do not understand. For now we see through a glass darkly eh?
It is interesting that you went there before you were born again. Wondering what you thought of that...
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! I appreciate it. I have read many of the articles on your blog. I don't think I've seen one like it before! Some of what you write has been challenging for me to accept (such as your not asking a doctor about your condition) but then was explained with further reading (your prophetic experiences) that helped me understand why. With this post I am specifically thinking, did you go to Heaven because the Lord was showing you these things for a reason? But Heaven as a person who was not born again...that is not what I would have expected, but that is how it happened. Do you believe in a literal Hell? I would like not to believe in it, but I do believe there is a difference between the saved and unsaved and I do believe our distinations are different. However, I do not want them to be different. I want us all to be received. Redemption as a sweeping force, salvation in the face of all that says it is impossible...that's what I want. But it's not what I believe.
As far as not being born again and going to Heaven is concerned Sandi, the thief on the cross was not born again and yet Jesus said to Him 'Today you will be with me in Paradise (which the scriptures say is 'the third Heaven'). When I was taken to that place my knowledge was increased to the extent that I knew the answer to every question I had ever asked, and wanted to know, about life, yet it was taken away from me when I returned. I do not believe that anything is coincidence, even the fact that I had bought dandelion tea for the first time, and then you came over to visit my blog. Why did that happen? Only God knows. We do not know everything, but 'knowledge will increase in the end times we are told in the book of Daniel. I don't have the answer to whether there is a literal Hell, but I do believe that while we do not know whether there is one or not it can cause us to seek to do God's will more, I also love the fact that God wants all to be saved, and only He knows how to do this.
In answer to your earlier question Sandi, yes I was there before I was born, that is why the scripture 'I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb....' made sense to me ,and I felt re-connected.
I didn't choose a specific word this year but I have had a couple people suggest that God is choosing BRAVE for me and I think it could be true as I ever learn to trust Him more.
ReplyDeleteBrave.
DeleteThat's a good word. :) I'd love to hear why people chose that for you.
Great word for the year. I hope it promises to be a great one for you too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Hugs and Blessings, CM
Promise is a great word choice. I'm not sure what word I'd choose. I'll have to give that some thought.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi,
ReplyDeleteI think my word would have to be 'Trust'.
That's a good one, Brenda. Why trust?
DeleteIt's because I have been going through a trial for over 25 years now where for most of it the Lord told me that His grace was sufficient for me,(and it was) and last year he told me that He was going to heal me completely from what has been in my body for all these years. It all started when I asked Him to teach me about sickness and healing, and He told me not to go down to Egypt (the world) for help. I believe I must trust Him absolutely to bring me through this long test.
Delete"...I asked Him to teach me about sickness and healing."
DeleteWhat prompted you to make that request?
It was because I had experienced a miraculous healing in Adelaide Australia, when a very large lump had been removed from my breast after someone put oil on my head and prayed for me in the name of Jesus. I could see that sometimes prayer for healing was answered and sometimes it was not. I wanted to know why. He first showed me that it had been the prayer of faith that had healed me in that instant.After That was the beginning of a journey of experiences that began to teach, and still are teaching me to trust in Him.
DeleteBrenda, that is amazing. When i read yiur story I wondered why you were so opposd to asking for help, other than prayer. But now I understand where you are coming from. That is amazing. I look forward to hearing how this all turns out and what you learn.
DeleteI don't believe in tempting God Sandi, and I also do not know what tomorrow brings, but one among many things that brought me to believe that God is very real was that I had what people call a 'near death experience' when I was twenty eight years old. I was taken to a place which I can not describe as far as love and beauty is concerned. There were people there, I could not tell you whether they were male or female, and whether they spoke with an audible voice or 'communicated', it did not seem to matter. I knew I had been there before. My twenty eight years of life was like a dream and that was reality. Suddenly a voice said 'It's not time yet, you must go back' I said 'I do not want to go back'. The voice said 'You must go back'. Then I was spinning backwards through a tunnel at such tremendous speed that I felt as if I was upright. I cried for a week and every morning when I awoke, my husband said 'You were speaking in a foreign language in your sleep.' I said 'What do you mean a foreign language, was I muttering?' He said 'No, a foreign language.' Seven years later when I became born again I picked up my Bible and opened it to Jeremiah ch.1 v. 5 'I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb....'. It all made sense to me then and I felt connected again.
ReplyDeleteSorry I was so long winded here, I just wanted to share that part of my testimony with you.
Thank you, Brenda. That's a powerful experience! Did you feel that you were in Heaven? Were you there before as in before you were born?
DeleteYes Sandi, I did feel as if I was in a place where I had been before, but I did not think of it as Heaven until I became born again and came across these scripture in 2 Corinthians ch. 12:- ' I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.'
DeleteThat was exactly how my experience was, and while I was in that place my knowledge was increased immensely and I was told things which were completely taken from my mind when I came back, as if I was not allowed to speak about them. When I read 2 Corinthians ch. 12 I was also fascinated by the fact that Paradise is called the 'third' Heaven. It made me realize that there is so much that we do not understand. For now we see through a glass darkly eh?
Through a glass darkly...truly!
DeleteIt is interesting that you went there before you were born again. Wondering what you thought of that...
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! I appreciate it. I have read many of the articles on your blog. I don't think I've seen one like it before! Some of what you write has been challenging for me to accept (such as your not asking a doctor about your condition) but then was explained with further reading (your prophetic experiences) that helped me understand why. With this post I am specifically thinking, did you go to Heaven because the Lord was showing you these things for a reason? But Heaven as a person who was not born again...that is not what I would have expected, but that is how it happened. Do you believe in a literal Hell? I would like not to believe in it, but I do believe there is a difference between the saved and unsaved and I do believe our distinations are different. However, I do not want them to be different. I want us all to be received. Redemption as a sweeping force, salvation in the face of all that says it is impossible...that's what I want. But it's not what I believe.
As far as not being born again and going to Heaven is concerned Sandi, the thief on the cross was not born again and yet Jesus said to Him 'Today you will be with me in Paradise (which the scriptures say is 'the third Heaven'). When I was taken to that place my knowledge was increased to the extent that I knew the answer to every question I had ever asked, and wanted to know, about life, yet it was taken away from me when I returned. I do not believe that anything is coincidence, even the fact that I had bought dandelion tea for the first time, and then you came over to visit my blog. Why did that happen? Only God knows. We do not know everything, but 'knowledge will increase in the end times we are told in the book of Daniel. I don't have the answer to whether there is a literal Hell, but I do believe that while we do not know whether there is one or not it can cause us to seek to do God's will more, I also love the fact that God wants all to be saved, and only He knows how to do this.
ReplyDelete"...love the fact that God wants all to be saved, and only He knows how to do this."
DeleteThat says it all. I really like how you put that!
In answer to your earlier question Sandi, yes I was there before I was born, that is why the scripture 'I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb....' made sense to me ,and I felt re-connected.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brenda!
DeleteI really appreciate your taking the time to answer this.
DeleteWhen I make a promise I do my best to keep it. (I am not insisting that no one does to I am just saying)😺
ReplyDelete