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Ok, so since I don't write very often, some of this might not make sense. I mean the progression of how we arrived up to this moment, but my sister and I were comparing notes of what the Lord was showing each of us and as usual my part went with her part and as we shared, more was revealed – God is so good to us – and we both were encouraged and excited in the Lord for another day.
Yep, this is what it's all about, folks, "encouraging" each other to continue in the faith.
Encourage meaning to instill courage into, give courage, inspire, increase hope, build confidence in and otherwise keep each other energized and standing to face the enemy without fainting. Courage doesn't mean you don't have fear — ah contraire! — (that's Texas French for "you bet I'm scared!") Courage means that right smack in the middle of your fear the wind of the Holy Spirit blows through you instilling you with strength to stand in belief that God is who He says He is and He will not fail![@more@]
The word courage comes from a word that means "wind" as in "wind of the Spirit". It is life and energy poured into you at the last moment enabling you to not cave in entirely. Acts 4 tells us of a time officials in a city picked up Peter and John and commanded and threatened them and the other Christians to stop spreading anything about Jesus and to stop speaking in his name. When they were all together and heard the threat, they lifted up their voices in prayer! Verse 31 tells us what happened, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken! And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." The Spirit is what filled them and "en-couraged" them, and put boldness in them!
David even "encouraged" himself in the Lord (I Sam 30), here David had been anointed king and yet for years he had been running from Saul, forced to live as an enemy to the very state he was to rule. And then the ones he had aligned himself with told him to leave because they didn't trust him, and now he and his men return home and find that a different enemy has come and wiped out their homes and stolen everything and every family member. "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for their sons and daughters, but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
So, are you distressed? Greatly distressed? Grieved? Burdened down and being bombarded with the stones, of not the enemy even, but seemingly the very ones who should be standing with you? The enemy has carried off and robbed you of your mate-your sustenance-your support-your home and ministry; your children-your fruit-the product of your exsistence-your labor and your future hope? Has fear gripped you and made sport of you time and again?
Will you faint? Will you lose heart? Will you give up?
Have you been believing for a long, long time and haven't seen an answer yet? We know Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." This is talking about planting seeds. The verses above speak of learning to live with each other peacefully and giving to those who you are learning from. Then it says "do not be deceived, God is not mocked" whatever you sow, you will reap. Are you agreeing with the enemy and planting seeds of "doubt, unbelief, fear and dis-couragement", even to yourself? Are you planting seeds to please your old sinful, unbelieving nature which brings destruction or are you continuing to plant seeds to please the Spirit, from which will bring eternal life?
These verses are saying that if you have been giving of yourself and your sustenance, to please the Spirit, meaning "in faith believing" that God is who He says He is, then "in due season or at the proper time" you will reap a harvest of blessing! If you don't give up, but as it says in the next verse, "therefore (or continuing to) as you have opportunity, do good to all people, especially those of the faith."
Now, yes, we use many of these scriptures to speak about money, but money is an exchange or extension of yourself. You work and exchange yourself for pay, which in our society is usually money. That's why it says "where your treasure is, that is where your heart is". So where is your heart? Where is your treasure? What part of yourself are you giving and planting into the cause of Christ? Faith speaks of attitude and belief. Do you have the attitude that well, this stuff just doesn't work. It's all stupid anyway. I can't ever get ahead. I never see any good come out of it! Or does your attitude say, "Hey, God, I don't see any answers and I am getting worn and tired. And it seems like everything is coming against me again and again, and I don't seem to be able to get it right…but…I know you are who you say you are! Give me courage to stand and to keep on believing. Help me to stay in you, Lord, because there isn't anything else as real as you!"
In II Corinthians 9 it says to let every one give as they purpose in their heart and that "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you will have all sufficiency in all things abounding to every good work." And that He gives seed to the sower! Enough for you, yourself, and enough to keep sowing and to increase your fruit!
God is so cool! He gave all for you, and asks you to give all for Him, but then gives you the all that you can give! Get that? He says, keep planting — but wait, here's the seed! He says, plant in faith — but wait, here's a portion of faith for every one of you! He says, don't give up and grow weary — but wait, come to Me and I will give you rest!
Wow, what a deal! But wait, there really is rest!
It's not talking about work-work-work-work! Remember it's talking about giving out of what He gives you! The apostles said, "We don't have any of that, but here is some of what we do have!" Jesus said, "I do what I see the Father do and say what I hear the Father say." He didn't just run around doing everything, every moment, for everybody, He spent time getting to know his Father and receiving from Him so that he would have something to give. Too many of us spend more time wearing ourselves out trying to do and say and fix everything for everybody instead of getting with God to know His heart and His mind for that moment, for that situation! A little bit we receive from God's heart, given out a little at a time can do so much more and reap so much more than all the busy-ness we throw out from ourselves every day! Jesus said, "What do you have? A little bread, a little fish, a little oil? A little seed–what a tiny, tiny seed? That's great! Plant it!"
He spoke of seeds being the Word of God, are you saying and believing the words you hear Father God say to you?
"You are worth something, I gave my only son out of love for you! Before the very foundation of the world, I knew you and chose you in Christ to be made holy and blameless! Not by anything you could ever do, but it is my gift to you! I Am your peace! I Am giving and creating peace in you! You are not of the darkness any more but now you are light in me! Live — as my child — a child of the Light, the Light whose fruit is in all goodness, and truth! And find out what pleases me! That's right, just get to know me and what pleases me! It pleases me to give you every good thing! It pleases me that you choose life! It pleases me for you to not act in your fear, but to be of good courage and put your trust in me and do not be afraid! Keep your mind stayed on me and I will keep you in peace! Rely on my righteousness and the fruit will be assurance, not fear! Assurance and peace. You have a peace the world cannot take away! Don't give it away! I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. You are mine. I have invested and deposited myself in you, I will not let you go! I LOVE YOU! and LOVE CANNOT FAIL!
Plant seeds of Courage!
Plant them in yourself and in others when you can. Plant them in times of prayer and worship. Even just one small seed — "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you, God!" Psalm 56, "Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up! his daily fighting oppresses me!…What time I am afraid, I will trust in you! In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust, I will not fear what man can do to me!"
All of us have had our lives filled with the seeds of fear and doubt planted into us from the moment we were born on this earth. Many of us have been blessed to have seeds of God's word and love added to this as well. But sometimes, as the life hits us over and over, day after day, those weeds that were planted and taken root deep within us begin to grow and produce fruit — fear, intimidation, words of unbelief and doubt in ourselves, our abilities, our provision, our God. Words meant to choke out the words of life. Words to keep us from speaking out and believing God's word. "Don't say that, don't believe that, you're a fool, no one cares, who are you?, what do you know?, that was stupid! you're not good enough, you blew it! " But Jesus says that every plant that Father God did not plant will be pulled up by the roots! (Matthew 15:13) And that whatever comes out of your heart is what makes you unclean, not what you put in. In other words, it is not your works (what you eat) that makes you clean, but whether the confession of Christ is coming out of your heart. His righteousness! His mercy! His courage!
"Take courage all you who hope in the Lord!"
"But you don't get! This is personal!" Sure it is, the devil makes it personal! Everyday he makes it personal to you. Your lifetime of fears, anxieties and threats in your mind have all been personal!
But guess what, Jesus came to make God personal to us, because of the sacrifice of his own blood and life (and believe me, that was personel to him!) now we can come boldly to the throne of God and bring our request knowing that He will answer! Jesus said if we believe and receive him, he and his Father will come and abide (dwell, live personally) in us!
Now, get personal with the words God has given you!
Here, make this word from God in Psalm 52, a personal word and declare it, seeing it happen and believe it, faithfully, every day…
"Alright, you devil! Why boast yourself in mischief and brag about wearing me out! You, a mighty one? Ha! The goodness of my God endures continually!
Your tongue constantly plots distruction against me, like a sharp razor against my mind! But I have a double-edged sword! The Word of my God in my mouth! You are a liar trying to deceive me! You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking truth!
You love every harmful, devouring word, you, you lying, deceitful voice in my head!
God will destroy you! For ever! He will pull you out of your dwelling place in me and cast you away! He will uproot you from my life! He will uproot you from the land of the living! I am living! I am living! All else is before, is gone!
I am the righteousness of God in Christ and I will see what God has done and put my fear, my trust, my awe in Him!
I will laugh at your destruction! You are nothing, you would not trust God and now all your riches of boasting and bragging and threatening, and wickedness have only destroyed yourself! Go!
I am an olive tree growing strong and fruitful in the house of my God!
I trust only in God's unfailing mercies and love!
I praise you, Father God for ever! For you have done great things and delivered me! I will wait in your presence, worship and adore you, and learn of your heart and trust in your name, because you are a good God to all who believe in you! Amen and Amen — It is done, It is done!
Okay, so I'm back. Man, a lot has happened in just a few short months. Here I was going to write pretty often and then my world kind of took an extra spin. And when I'm not real settled in, I have a harder time being creative and writing (well, that and some one else has been on my computer while his is packed!). Yes, I said packed. We moved!
I'm like, living in Texas for so many years, and then, boom! God says move to Tennessee! Tennessee? Yep, "home of the wild frontier" (Davy Crockett style) and Music City USA! So we "packed up our bags and we moved to Tennessee, hills that is — Nashville, country stars, Elvis".
Alright, I'm done with old tv theme songs (for the moment anyway). We moved to Columbia, Tennessee. A very pretty city in the middle of the state, just about 45 to 50 miles south of Nashville. And there really are hills here, with the towns built right in them. It's funny coming out of a store and looking across the parking lot at a big hill right in town. And there isn't a whole lot of places built on a piece of flat ground. Mostly everything slants up or down. But here it is all very green and beautiful! With porch-fronted houses with front columns and swings or chairs on the porches. And very friendly southern folk that will actually speak to you and visit for just a moment. Just a moment mind you, after all, you're a stranger, but at least you get "hellos" and "good days" and such pleasantries that help to make you feel not so alone and homesick.
Now, I know Paul wasn't really talking about one of the United States when he said to be content in what ever state you're in, but it has worked for my family over the years, because we've lived in a few. And sometimes we had to quote that more often than other times since we didn't always want to move, but this time God dropped an excitement inside our hearts for a new adventure. (Although, I will always miss Texas.)
And finally, we found a place to live and unpack and slowly settle in and I found a moment when no one was on the computer – wow, and I actually feel like writing! Feels good!
Happy Resurrection Day!
Because He lives…We live!
Happy Birthday!!!
Well, it's somebody's birthday. Seemed like a wonderful way to say hello. A celebration! Getting excited about the exsistence of life! The fulness of life! The potential of even more – life!
At the beginning of this new year, someone gave us a challenge of choosing to take seven to eight days each month to celebrate Jesus. Wow, you can't get any better than that. Oh sure, we use that word "celebrate" quite a lot lately. I think it's mostly because we are always trying to find new and bigger ways to express our faith in a tangible way. To let people know how real God is in our lives.
In what ways can you show how real God is? How much He means to you? and what part He plays in your life?
In what ways can you "celebrate: observe joyfully, honor and praise" Jesus even more deliberately this year than you ever have before?
This sort of entails some of my thoughts on MLK Day and the day after, along with a couple of dreams…
Early one morning, about a year after my dad died, just as I was waking up, I had a vision of my dad's head and face, sort of a close up with a slight profile. It came up on the left side, facing to the right and then moving across to the center and then to the right side, like a film being played in front of me. I was aware of other faces appearing and disappearing in the background and sometimes about the same level as his. And the last one ended on the right facing left. As my mind was trying to identify the last person, my mind said "a king? a warrior? a statesman?".
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Upon waking all the way, I knew the face had been that of Martin Luther King Jr. I felt like the vision was letting me rest assured that my dad was ok and in a safe place, with Jesus and among the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us mentioned in Hebrews 12:1.
I have been on a quest of finding a balance and peace in my life, and a learning how to accept myself and my past and therefore be able to live life more affectively. To live knowing that I am loved by God and not to live ruled by fears. And here this verse also says "let us also lay aside every weight (everything that hinders) and the sin that so easily entangles (and clings to) us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us."
I felt very encouraged and like God was strengthening me to keep on being a God-seeker with my life, but I also kept wondering what Martin Luther King had to do with it all. During the day, I felt inclined to go look through a stack of books that I had inherited from my dad, so eventually I did just that and discovered a book of sermons by Martin Luther King. The first one was about Love, and so was the jest of the other sermons. I knew I had found a clue. Later, telling my mom about this, she said that my dad preached love. That he liked Martin Luther King and everywhere he preached, he preached on unity and love, especially in the body of Christ.
I know that Jesus said He loved me, but it is so hard to really get that as a reality inside of us. I know that my dad lived with fear, low self-esteem, and slight depression over the years, and that is what I have struggled with as well. I know the Bible says "perfect love cast out all fear", but how do you obtain perfect love? I know it's found only in Him, but how do you absorb it into you to take root and actually become part of you, where you don't doubt His love any more or where you don't react in fear?
So this has been my quest, and my journey. And God has met me and led me every step of the way. Bringing people, books, programs on tv, music, special services, work, recovery programs, every part of my life to speak to me of His true love and acceptance. Tearing and cutting away old entanglements of fears – doubt and unbelief – hurts, pain and betrayal, abandonment – failures, neglect and just plain weariness. Later in that same chapter, Hebrews 12, verse 12-14 says "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."
"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble."
Right now, I am ending this here, but will post a continuation in a few days, the subject…? Accepting His love and understanding the difference between the discipline of works and the discipline of grace!
So I've been a little disappointed in myself about this website. Here it is a new year, and I didn't even acknowledge it! Had such neat ideas and didn't do any of them. Had a neat idea for Martin Luther King Day and didn't do it either!
So what's the big deal? Well, for a few months now, I've felt the same thing, and I've come to the conclusion that while I like what we have been doing on the website, I'd like it also to include a little more real element to it. I mean, we switched to a blog style format simply because it was more user friendly for the more casual computer user (meaning me) and still let us have a lot of creative room (even if we've haven't learned to use it yet). And now, I'm seeing that a blog style is really more of what was inside me in the beginning, a means for expression.
I've really been keeping too much inside of me, waiting for it to come out in this really professional way, instead of just letting it come out in this really real way as it is.
So–this is it! Lord, let me be more real every day. With You, with myself and with everyone else. First step of recovery — coming out of denial and getting real! Quit dressing it all up when you speak it out loud or write it, just say it and let it go!
My dreams for this website for this year? Really scary! Do what I've been feeling a pull to do all last year and that is just have more blog style articles on here as well as the other style of articles. In other words — get more real and in the moment! AAAAhhhh! That means letting more of myself show through!
In the words of one of my heros — "I yam what I yam!"
Vickie JS Hieb
(editor, compiler, and overall trustee)
We Gentiles (those who are not Jewish by blood) can receive much teaching from the festivals. While we are not to require anyone to observe any feast or festival, we should nevertheless pay close attention to the prophetic significance of what the feasts "prophesy" to both Jew and Gentile. In virtually every case, Jesus Christ is to be seen as a prophetic picture.
Blessings,
Steve Shultz
Founder, ElijahList and ElijahRain magazine
www.elijahlist.com
Jeris Cribbs: History of Hanukkah
The Feast of Hanukkah celebration begins tonight at sunset, December 4th (the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar), and is celebrated for eight consecutive days. Oftentimes misunderstood as a "Jewish Christmas," Hanukkah, which means, "dedication, consecration, or inauguration" in Hebrew, is also referred to as the "Feast of Dedication," or "Festival of Lights." It is celebrated in commemoration of the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after a victory in 165 B.C., when the Jewish people, led by the Maccabees, defeated the army of the Greek Seleucid ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.[@more@]
Antiochus had set out to destroy the Jewish religion, issuing decrees forbidding the practice of the rituals of the Laws of Moses, even to the extent of destroying copies of the Torah. Decrees were made against the observance of the Sabbath, the Feasts and circumcision. Antiochus also set up an altar in the Temple to the Greek god, Zeus, with offerings of the flesh of swine. These actions sparked the Maccabean revolt, led by the priest, Mattathias and his sons, where after three and a half years the armies of Antiochus IV were at last defeated by these heroic Jewish forces.
Three years to the day from when the Temple was desecrated, on the 24th of Kislev, 165 B.C. the temple was cleansed and rededicated. As part of the Temple rededication, holy consecrated oil was needed to light the great Menorah, but only one small cruse of the sacramental oil was found, enough to last just one day. Knowing it took eight days to prepare more holy oil, they nevertheless lit the great Menorah with the little oil they had. Miraculously, the oil burned for "eight days"–a witness of the Lamp of God–the Light of the world–Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ–The Light of the World
Jesus Himself, the Light of the world, is recorded in John 10:22-23, as being at the Temple in Jerusalem and walking in Solomon's Porch during the Feast of Dedication:
"…the Feast of Dedication (of the reconsecration of the temple) was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in Solomon's Porch in the temple area."
In celebrating Hanukkah, a special menorah is used as a symbol of the miracle of the oil. Unlike the Temple menorah having seven branches, the Hanukkah menorah has nine. Eight branches which signify the eight days the oil burned in the Temple, and the ninth branch, the Shammas or Servant branch, located either above or set in the center, holds the candle from which all other eight candles are kindled.
The original seven branch menorah given to Moses during the Exodus, symbolized the promise of the illumination that was to come through God's Anointed One–Jesus (see Exodus 25:31-40 and 37:17-24).
The Hanukkah menorah not only symbolizes illumination through Jesus, but adds the eighth branch, the branch of new beginning, plus the ninth branch, the Shammas or Servant branch (Jesus) which lights all eight branches. Jesus is indeed the eternal Light of the world who lights the way for a new beginning for all who come to Him.
Zechariah not only prophesied the rebuilding of the Temple in 520 B.C. as did Haggai (see Haggai 2:18-19), but he also prophesied of the additional two branches added on to the traditional seven branch menorah, creating the nine branch Hanukkah menorah in Zechariah 4:
"Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. 'What do you see now?' he asked. I answered, 'I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.' Then I asked the angel, 'What are these, my lord? What do they mean?'
'Don't you know?' the angel asked.
'No, my lord,' I replied.
Then he said to me, 'This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: "May God bless it! May God bless it!"'
Then another message came to me from the LORD: 'Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven's Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand.'
Then I asked the angel, 'What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?' 'Don't you know?' he asked. 'No, my lord,' I replied. Then he said to me, 'They represent the two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.'"
Moving from the Finished Cycle to a New Beginning
The number seven symbolizes completion, fulfillment, or finished cycle through God's Anointed One, Jesus Christ. This year as we light the eighth candle of the Hanukkah menorah representing, a new beginning, remember that the year 2007 is ending in just a few weeks–the Jewish year 5767, has already past as we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year in September–prophetically passing through a time of completion.
So, be encouraged! We have stepped into a divine season of leaving behind the past and are moving forward into a new beginning–the next phase of our destiny.
When we observe Hanukkah, we not only reflect on a momentous event in history–an uprising resulting in religious freedom for the glory of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–but we look on it as truly a time of a celebration of Light. The Light of the world, Jesus Christ, illuminating the world with a promise of a new life, a new beginning for all who come to Him!
Jeris L. Cribbs, Editor
ElijahRain Magazine
Email: support@elijahrain.net
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250
Well, winter has found us! — It is rainy and dark and 52 degrees (F), heading down to the 40's, not too bad, unless you're used to it being in the 90's most of the time. Oh, it will only be around for a few days, but I think winter wants us to know that it knows where we are and that it's coming back later for the full meal deal!
And even though autumn's only been around a few weeks, the days are getting shorter and the sky a little more gray each morning. Yesterday, I was thinking "winter's coming and how will I make it through the long dark, gloomy days". I mean, it's like our house already seems dark and dreary! We've already been fighting colds and flu (and writer's block)![@more@]
Okay, so I know I live in Texas, hot-hot-hot. But I'm in the wooded, east side of Texas, so you can add muggy, muggy, muggy! And under all the trees–dark, dark, dark. And now we're adding wet-wet-wet and cold-cold-cold and darker-darker-darker! Are ya feeling my pain?!
No? Didn't think so, I mean, it's not like it's Alaska, or Wyoming, or Idaho, or Canada, or…okay, you get the picture (but I have often thought about getting one of those sun-lamps like people living in the north use to help adjust to less light).
There's just something about the way light affects our energy, health, moods, and even our outlook in life. We do need light to survive!
So this morning as I was checking my email, there was an article sent from Elijah List written by Cathy Shepard-Wilhelm titled "Being Transformed From Darkness Into Light". She wrote about how last month she was driving in her car, listening to a worship CD, feeling just right, when the thought came to her "the Darkness is coming"! Immediately her mood changed, she quit listening to the music and began to dread the oncoming winter and the long dark days that living in the Northwest brings. How did she go from praising Jesus one moment and losing her joy the next? Suddenly she heard the Lord say "Listen! I want to tell you something!" So she listened — just at that moment a song began playing…."I HAVE A LIGHT and HIS NAME is JESUS!!!" She concludes "why do I worry about the sun when I intimately know the Son, the Lord, the Creator of all?"
What a cool reminder from God of our place in Him! And just in time as winter comes a knocking! I think maybe I'll do some "spring cleaning" at home – turn on some lights, put on some praise music and literally "chase the blues away". In Psalm 89:15-18, it is written
"Happy are the people who know the festal shout (the joyful sound)! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor, You exalt their horn (strong one, or hope for the messiah). Indeed, their shield belongs to the Lord, their king to the Holy One of Israel."
Father God, Holy One of Israel, I thank You for loving us and sending Your Son to bring us Light in the midst of darkness! I thank You for teaching us to make a joyful sound, to shout! and rejoice in You all day long. You are the glory of our strength and it is in Your favor that we live and breath and walk day to day. Let us not be afraid for our households in the winter because we are clothed in crimson, covered by the blood of Jesus — and clothed in fine linen (Your righteousness) and purple (Your favor). Come and continue to be our Hope and our Strong One and the Lord of our homes! Blessed (worthy of adoration and praise) be the Lord forever and ever, Amen!
August 11, 2007
Aimee Herd from Breaking Christian News:
"The Miracle of an Obedient Heart at the I-35 Bridge"
"People were going around me—about 20 feet away from the bridge. That's when it snapped—[the bridge] broke down and crashed. I saw 2 cars go off the bridge, and I was like…'wow!'"BCN Exclusive by Aimee Herd (August 10, 2007)[@more@]
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a very special account of a miracle that happened the day of the recent bridge disaster in Minnesota. This is the testimony of a young man named Matthew who is not a stranger to the voice of God. The part of his story that I found most remarkable was the fact that his obedience to God ended up saving the lives of many others, who otherwise could've just ended up another statistic in this tragedy.
Matthew's account made me wonder: do we ever stop to think of the lives that are affected by our obedience to the Lord? Not just our own—though we know the Bible says blessing comes with obedience to God—but also the lives of those around us. Every one of us is affected by another's actions…but can we actually save lives (even unknowingly) just by doing what we know God has asked us to do? Read on…and you'll see a perfect example of this kind of obedience to the Lord. –Aimee Herd, BCN.
(Brooklyn Park, Minnesota)—Wednesday, August 1st, seemed to be a day like any other in the St. Paul, Minneapolis area. But at 6:05pm—in the midst of rush hour traffic—the busy Interstate Bridge that joined I-35 with the city of Minneapolis suddenly broke apart and fell into the Mississippi River.
There have been many accounts already, which have pointed to the grace and protection of God in the midst of such tragedy….Due to the construction on the bridge, the traffic was not at the normally full flow, or speed. There was a train riding underneath the bridge at the time, which may have stopped some of the collapse. And then the school bus, filled with 50 children that rode the concrete on the way down during the collapse, and didn't tip over—all the children were saved. (Photo: AP)
And then there is Matthew's testimony of God's protection. What happened to Matthew (last name withheld) on the day of the bridge collapse is nothing short of miraculous and amazing!
After being contacted by one of Matthew's family members to inform me of his story, I later spoke with Matthew directly. First, I asked him to go back to that moment, before the bridge collapsed, and explain everything that happened next. Matthew's Testimony:
"I was coming home to take a shower, and then pick up my friend across the I-35 W. bridge," Matthew recalled. "I was headed into the city [of Minneapolis], it was bumper-to-bumper."
"I was praying and talking to the Lord, and the next minute—the Lord gave me this vision. In the vision [the bridge was] shaking—it started to snap and broke through. I saw two cars go off the edge into the Mississippi. Then [after the vision], I said, 'What is that all about Lord? You need to talk to me.'"
"God told me to 'STOP!'" (I was 100 feet away from the bridge.)
"He said, 'You need to stop right there.' I said, 'Lord, there are cars behind me,' (there were about 100 people in the line of traffic behind him, and many had begun honking their horns at him). But God said, 'That's okay, you need to stop.' So I stopped. And then the Lord said, 'Look.'"
"People were going around me—about 20 feet away from the bridge. That's when it snapped—[the bridge] broke down and crashed. I saw 2 cars go off the bridge, and I was like…'wow!'" (Photo: MyFOX9.com–KMSP)
"At first I was sitting in the car waiting, thanking the Lord, because it could've been me on that bridge. Then people came up to me and said, 'Thank you.'"
"I got out and looked from the side [at the collapse]…it was traumatic seeing what happened. And then the police told me to go back in my car and turn around."
Editor: I asked Matthew what he was thinking at the moment he saw the bridge begin to break…
"I was realizing that the Lord is awakening [His people] and saying, 'Listen to Me, you need to listen to Me.' I realized that if I [hadn't] listened to Him, I would've gotten on that bridge and took a ride."
"After that, I called my friend and told him I couldn't pick him up because the bridge broke through. Then I went to the Holy Spirit conference [that was happening nearby] and worshipped the Lord!"
Editor: I then asked Matthew, "As you look back at what God spared you from that day, and at what happened with the bridge, what immediately comes to mind?"
"When I look back," said Matthew, "I realize the Lord has a calling [for me], and He's preparing me to be obedient and ready, and to know it is 'time to roll'…and to know who Jesus is."
Source: Breaking Christian News (Exclusive)
Aimee Herd, Editor
www.BreakingChristianNews.com
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