MIND BOGGLING INTERVENTION
We were both weak kneed and breathless from God's latest miracle in our behalf. It had actually taken our breath away. That's pretty rare for Steve and me. Both of us rarely are speechless at the same time and also weak from an awesome happening. The story is worthy of telling.
Steve was down to his last four shots of Fragmin, the prepared blood thinner shots that he is supposed to administer at least until the next MD Anderson tests. He called the local pharmacy which has been very efficient in providing his various meds. The local oncologist prefers that particular pharmacy because they are efficient and cheaper, in some instances.
Steve called the local pharmacist, who said they would call him back when the shots were available, since they have to procure them from a supply house. MD Anderson had provided the shots the first month, and the local pharmacy had provided them for him the next month free of charge because Steve had met his deductible that our insurance requires.
Later the pharmacist called and said they had located some shots for him. I heard Steve exclaim, "Nine hundred dollars? Do you mean that that amount is the amount of my co-pay after the insurance pays their amount? " The answer was yes, that it was the amount we had to pay for a month's supply of shots. We began to know why the local oncologist had earlier remarked that MD Anderson had certainly prescribed expensive shots.
Steve told the pharmacist to hold off on ordering them until he could talk to his doctor. Nine hundred dollars a month was a shocking amount to have to pay for the blood thinning shots. In fact, it was mind boggling.
We discussed the possibility of his calling Angie, the MD Anderson oncology nurse, and have her discuss with the doctor what other comparable med would do the same job.
After recovering from the shock, Steve came up with a better idea. He recalled a past occasion the previous month when Angie, from MD Anderson, had located some shots at a mail order pharmacy after the local pharmacy couldn't find any shots at their supply houses. The mail order pharmacy supplies another medication for Steve, but they needed a doctor's prescription for the Fragmin, so Angie had phoned in the Houston doctor's prescription. In the interim, the local pharmacy had phoned us and said they had located the shots. Steve then phoned Angie again, thanked her for her help and told her the local pharmacy could then provide the shots. That problem was solved
There we were again the next month, having a problem with the same med, but this time the problem was the ridiculously high cost. Steve scrolled through his old phone messages and found the number of the mail order pharmacy he and Angie had previously contacted, dialed it, and spoke to the person who answered. Of course he explained his predicament, that he needed the Fragmin and that it was horribly expensive locally.
He listened for a moment and then I heard Steve calmly ask her a question, "You mean the cost will be $70 for a three month supply?" He asked again because the information was almost unbelievable. "You mean I only have to pay $70 and you will ship me a three month supply of the shots by overnight UPS?"
The answer was, "Yes." Praise God, it was true.
Instead of the three month supply costing $2,700 we have to pay $70, and they will ship it to our door. If he had gotten it locally it would have cost $900 a month. Now it costs $23 for a month's supply of shots from the mail order pharmacy.
When we sat down together and talked about God's efficient direction of the whole situation and the fact that the orchestration of the past two months set the entire situation up, we were amazed. Steve wouldn't have known who to call if the local pharmacy had not had a problem locating the shots the previous month, which precipitated Steve calling Angie at MD Anderson, who called the mail order pharmacy and gave a prescription to them. Even though Steve didn't have to use the mail order pharmacy the previous month, they still had the open ended prescription that Angie had phoned in. Nobody but God could have arranged that scenario.
We walked around for several days with boggled minds. In fact, we were so in awe of God's intervention in the situation that we could hardly talk. It was like getting a huge raise. Really, it was just part of the benefits of being a child of God.
How sweet it is to be loved by Him!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
ST. SAMUEL
SAM, THE SAINT
We formed new friendships with the employees at the hotel in Houston where we stayed. They became family to us, extensions of our own family. It was so heart warming to see them serve the cancer patients with love and care and kindness. It is apparent that it's one big happy family built on God's love.
Sam is one of the shuttle drivers who is a special man. He's about 60 years old, a slightly built black man. I have a wonderful image in my mind of him that will always stay there. It is one of Sam lifting a seven or eight year old cancer patient, a tiny boy with bony thin legs and arms. Sam was lifting the emaciated boy out of the front seat of the shuttle and lovingly placing him in his wheel chair. The precious boy leaned his white, bald head on the shoulder of Sam, the shuttle driver. It was one of the most spiritual sights I've ever seen. It seemed like Jesus was lifting the child in his loving arms, giving the boy the security he needed.
Sam told us later that the boys parents are divorced and they hate each other, each one always bending Sam's ear about the sins of the other one. In Sam's arms the boy seemed so secure and loved. I called Sam a saint after that. He will always be St. Samuel to me.
St. Samuel told us a gem of wisdom I'll never forget. He said that he noticed that when someone tells a derogatory story about someone else, that the one telling the story is always the hero of the story. He said, "When I tell my brothers a story about something negative that my wife did, I'm always the hero of the story." Insight like that doesn't come from men. It comes from God.
St. Samuel is wise, also. He said he listens patiently to the stories he hears, knowing he's only hearing one side.
Love can be manifested by patiently lifting the diseased body of a small boy and giving him momentary physical and emotional stability. Love can be manifested by listening to the stories of parents who are warring against each other, letting them know that he understands. Love can be manifested by sharing truths with other people, even those people who are sitting in a shuttle being transported to cancer treatments.
St. Samuel manifests love in every activity he performs. God uses him to manifest His love and share His truths. I wouldn't have missed knowing Sam for anything. He's one of those truly rare jewels we find in life. We discovered that jewel in the middle of Steve's cancer treatment. I can't think of a better place to find a rare jewel.
We formed new friendships with the employees at the hotel in Houston where we stayed. They became family to us, extensions of our own family. It was so heart warming to see them serve the cancer patients with love and care and kindness. It is apparent that it's one big happy family built on God's love.
Sam is one of the shuttle drivers who is a special man. He's about 60 years old, a slightly built black man. I have a wonderful image in my mind of him that will always stay there. It is one of Sam lifting a seven or eight year old cancer patient, a tiny boy with bony thin legs and arms. Sam was lifting the emaciated boy out of the front seat of the shuttle and lovingly placing him in his wheel chair. The precious boy leaned his white, bald head on the shoulder of Sam, the shuttle driver. It was one of the most spiritual sights I've ever seen. It seemed like Jesus was lifting the child in his loving arms, giving the boy the security he needed.
Sam told us later that the boys parents are divorced and they hate each other, each one always bending Sam's ear about the sins of the other one. In Sam's arms the boy seemed so secure and loved. I called Sam a saint after that. He will always be St. Samuel to me.
St. Samuel told us a gem of wisdom I'll never forget. He said that he noticed that when someone tells a derogatory story about someone else, that the one telling the story is always the hero of the story. He said, "When I tell my brothers a story about something negative that my wife did, I'm always the hero of the story." Insight like that doesn't come from men. It comes from God.
St. Samuel is wise, also. He said he listens patiently to the stories he hears, knowing he's only hearing one side.
Love can be manifested by patiently lifting the diseased body of a small boy and giving him momentary physical and emotional stability. Love can be manifested by listening to the stories of parents who are warring against each other, letting them know that he understands. Love can be manifested by sharing truths with other people, even those people who are sitting in a shuttle being transported to cancer treatments.
St. Samuel manifests love in every activity he performs. God uses him to manifest His love and share His truths. I wouldn't have missed knowing Sam for anything. He's one of those truly rare jewels we find in life. We discovered that jewel in the middle of Steve's cancer treatment. I can't think of a better place to find a rare jewel.
LAST MINUTE RESCUE
LAST MINUTE RESCUE
When faith starts waning a little bit, even a mite, then God sends something to catapult us again into full fledged faith. It might be a dream. It might be a prophecy. It might be a vision. Whatever way He can get his power to us to propel us to the top again He uses.
While experiencing magnificent miracles relating to Steve's healing of cancer, during the chemotherapy experience there were a few times when caregiver exhaustion entered into me and I didn't realize that I was operating on about one half power of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't His fault. It was my fault by allowing tiredness of body and tiredness of emotions to take over. God understood and knew that I needed to be encouraged as only He can encourage a person, by giving His power in whatever way we can receive it at the time. Since my body and mind were overloaded during the daytime, I guess the only way He could get His message through to me was in a dream.
The dream was emphatic and memorable, one that was easy to refer back to when encouragement was needed. I dreamed that Steve, a small boy and I were in a car. Steve and the toddler boy were in the front seat with the toddler boy strapped in a car seat. I was in the back seat.
In the dream, suddenly Steve stopped the car, exited the driver door and ran around to the back of the car. The toddler boy moved into the driver's seat and looked out the door to see where Steve was going. Steve had not closed the door properly and the boy fell out the door onto the highway.
The activity continued in the dream with Steve running around the car to get the boy, but before he could get to the boy I leaned over the front seat and grabbed the boy and lifted him into the car. The toddler boy, whom I was surprised could talk so well, said loudly, "Thank you, Jesus. You're always there, even at the last minute. "
I realized in the dream that the boy knew who had really saved him and it wasn't me. I also knew that I was trying to be everything, caregiver, emotional supporter and spiritual cheerleader. The revelation came that I needed to leave everything to God and let Him be the rescuer, just like the child in the dream knew. I had to revert back to having the faith of a child.
Then the words to a new song came to mind.
Thank you, Jesus, You're always there.
Thank you, Jesus, You show you care.
Thank you, Jesus, You prove you're there
Even at the last minute.
Faith catapulted me again to a new height in relation to the situation. I always knew God was always here and always cared, but often He can't manifest Himself until the last minute. It's not His fault. It's always our fault, but He understands that.
Thank you, Father, for spiritual dreams that you use to communicate your love to us when our earthly minds are full to capacity and overflowing with problems relating to personal circumstances. You tunnel through them and leave your love messages in our minds through dreams so that we can again soar with the eagles by catching the currents of the Holy Spirit and letting Him carry us, confident that You will manifest yourself, even if it's at the last minute.
When faith starts waning a little bit, even a mite, then God sends something to catapult us again into full fledged faith. It might be a dream. It might be a prophecy. It might be a vision. Whatever way He can get his power to us to propel us to the top again He uses.
While experiencing magnificent miracles relating to Steve's healing of cancer, during the chemotherapy experience there were a few times when caregiver exhaustion entered into me and I didn't realize that I was operating on about one half power of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't His fault. It was my fault by allowing tiredness of body and tiredness of emotions to take over. God understood and knew that I needed to be encouraged as only He can encourage a person, by giving His power in whatever way we can receive it at the time. Since my body and mind were overloaded during the daytime, I guess the only way He could get His message through to me was in a dream.
The dream was emphatic and memorable, one that was easy to refer back to when encouragement was needed. I dreamed that Steve, a small boy and I were in a car. Steve and the toddler boy were in the front seat with the toddler boy strapped in a car seat. I was in the back seat.
In the dream, suddenly Steve stopped the car, exited the driver door and ran around to the back of the car. The toddler boy moved into the driver's seat and looked out the door to see where Steve was going. Steve had not closed the door properly and the boy fell out the door onto the highway.
The activity continued in the dream with Steve running around the car to get the boy, but before he could get to the boy I leaned over the front seat and grabbed the boy and lifted him into the car. The toddler boy, whom I was surprised could talk so well, said loudly, "Thank you, Jesus. You're always there, even at the last minute. "
I realized in the dream that the boy knew who had really saved him and it wasn't me. I also knew that I was trying to be everything, caregiver, emotional supporter and spiritual cheerleader. The revelation came that I needed to leave everything to God and let Him be the rescuer, just like the child in the dream knew. I had to revert back to having the faith of a child.
Then the words to a new song came to mind.
Thank you, Jesus, You're always there.
Thank you, Jesus, You show you care.
Thank you, Jesus, You prove you're there
Even at the last minute.
Faith catapulted me again to a new height in relation to the situation. I always knew God was always here and always cared, but often He can't manifest Himself until the last minute. It's not His fault. It's always our fault, but He understands that.
Thank you, Father, for spiritual dreams that you use to communicate your love to us when our earthly minds are full to capacity and overflowing with problems relating to personal circumstances. You tunnel through them and leave your love messages in our minds through dreams so that we can again soar with the eagles by catching the currents of the Holy Spirit and letting Him carry us, confident that You will manifest yourself, even if it's at the last minute.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
MYSTERY SOLVED
MYSTERY SOLVED
During my husband Steve's journey through chemotherapy many, many people have prayed simple prayers of faith. Others have prayed intercessory prayers. Intercessory prayers are the full battle prayers in which we are often called to participate. Each prayer has its own function and its own powerful effect in the final results. We are forever grateful for every prayer, the numerous but different kinds that were prayed by friends and relatives. Our own full armor prayers were constantly prayed every day also.
Gifts of faith are given to people in many ways, through revelations, through hearing the personal words of God, through confessing the written words of the Bible, through prophesies and through other ways.
At the December trip to MD Anderson the chest x-ray and CT scan showed that Steve had a blood clot in his lung caused by the abundance of tumors he had previously which were removed during two surgeries. That discovery announcement came after we received the good news that the numerous small tumors were gone. We rejoiced in the news that the tumors were no longer any problem, but we were concerned about the pulmonary embolism, knowing that it could detach and enter his blood stream, go to his heart and the result would be instant death. That introduced more concern to me than the cancer had.
We knew that God is bigger than cancer and He is bigger than a blood clot. We both knew that God could take care of the clot just like He took care of the tumors.
Steve was speaking faith words and I was speaking faith words. His words seemed to have more conviction than I was feeling. I was really impressed because every time anything was mentioned about the blood clot, he emphatically said, "It's gone," with no doubt, no unbelief, only firm faith. When he began those positive confessions of faith, I didn't have the absolute assurance that he possessed that the clot was already gone. I knew it eventually would be gone, but as far as having the knowledge that it was already gone from his body was not firm in my mind. I was possibly looking for the daily blood thinner shots to eventually cure him somewhere down the road in the next year. He was having to inject the shots subcutaneously into the fatty tissue in his abdomen area. The doctors had prescribed them for six months and originally said that he might have to be on them the rest of his life to make sure the clot did not dislodge and cause catastrophic results.
Steve continued with his firm confessions of faith that the blood clot was gone. I wondered why he was so convinced, but I relied on his faith since it was his body that the blood clot was afflicting.
At the January trip to MD Anderson the doctor reported that the barrage of tests that Steve had the previous day showed that there was still no evidence of tumors and that the blood clot was completely resolved. We had even more reason to praise God, being thankful for healing his body of the tumors and also healing his body of the blood clot. We weren't the only ones who rejoiced. The oncologist and his complete staff also rejoiced. They were impressed and called Steve a champ. Of course, our relatives and friends joined us in rejoicing that God had taken care of everything.
One time during the week after receiving the double portion of good news, I asked Steve why he was so convinced that the blood clot was gone even weeks before x-rays showed it was resolved. His reply explained it.
Steve said that he was infused with faith the last time I had my Bible study group at our house, which was the last week in December. I was saying goodbye as the ladies were leaving the house but one of the ladies held back from the others, put her hand on Steve's lung area and emphatically said, "BE GONE."
Steve explained to me that that gesture by Jane was good enough reason for him to know that her command was obeyed and that the blood clot left his body. He had not related the incident to me, neither had Jane, so I didn't know about the obedience of Jane to lay hands on Steve and command the clot to leave.
Weeks later I told Jane that Steve's faith had risen to new heights when she spoke the simple command to, "Be gone," and that he knew at that moment that the next tests would show that the clot was gone.
Jane explained the occasion of her actions on that special day, telling me that God told her previous to the meeting what she should do. God always provides the opportunity for us to do His bidding. When all the other ladies were leaving and I was engaged in saying my goodbyes to them, Jane completed the duty God gave to her and laid her hand on Steve's chest and spoke what God told her to speak.
The mystery was solved. Now I know the reason for Steve's great amount of faith. It was Jane's obedience to God. There was no doubt in his mind that the clot was gone, and it was. The doctors were surprised and I was surprised. Steve was elated but not surprised. He had known it for three weeks.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for and being convinced of things not seen," says one translation of Hebrews 11:1." Before it was seen on x-ray and CT scan, Steve was solidly convinced that the clot was gone by Jane's act of obedience and simple words of, "Be gone."
The mystery was solved why Steve had unmovable faith that he was healed of the blood clot. When Jane said, "Be gone," it was gone. It was another miracle. What the cancer and the blood clot tried to destroy, God healed.
Praises to God never stop around our house.
During my husband Steve's journey through chemotherapy many, many people have prayed simple prayers of faith. Others have prayed intercessory prayers. Intercessory prayers are the full battle prayers in which we are often called to participate. Each prayer has its own function and its own powerful effect in the final results. We are forever grateful for every prayer, the numerous but different kinds that were prayed by friends and relatives. Our own full armor prayers were constantly prayed every day also.
Gifts of faith are given to people in many ways, through revelations, through hearing the personal words of God, through confessing the written words of the Bible, through prophesies and through other ways.
At the December trip to MD Anderson the chest x-ray and CT scan showed that Steve had a blood clot in his lung caused by the abundance of tumors he had previously which were removed during two surgeries. That discovery announcement came after we received the good news that the numerous small tumors were gone. We rejoiced in the news that the tumors were no longer any problem, but we were concerned about the pulmonary embolism, knowing that it could detach and enter his blood stream, go to his heart and the result would be instant death. That introduced more concern to me than the cancer had.
We knew that God is bigger than cancer and He is bigger than a blood clot. We both knew that God could take care of the clot just like He took care of the tumors.
Steve was speaking faith words and I was speaking faith words. His words seemed to have more conviction than I was feeling. I was really impressed because every time anything was mentioned about the blood clot, he emphatically said, "It's gone," with no doubt, no unbelief, only firm faith. When he began those positive confessions of faith, I didn't have the absolute assurance that he possessed that the clot was already gone. I knew it eventually would be gone, but as far as having the knowledge that it was already gone from his body was not firm in my mind. I was possibly looking for the daily blood thinner shots to eventually cure him somewhere down the road in the next year. He was having to inject the shots subcutaneously into the fatty tissue in his abdomen area. The doctors had prescribed them for six months and originally said that he might have to be on them the rest of his life to make sure the clot did not dislodge and cause catastrophic results.
Steve continued with his firm confessions of faith that the blood clot was gone. I wondered why he was so convinced, but I relied on his faith since it was his body that the blood clot was afflicting.
At the January trip to MD Anderson the doctor reported that the barrage of tests that Steve had the previous day showed that there was still no evidence of tumors and that the blood clot was completely resolved. We had even more reason to praise God, being thankful for healing his body of the tumors and also healing his body of the blood clot. We weren't the only ones who rejoiced. The oncologist and his complete staff also rejoiced. They were impressed and called Steve a champ. Of course, our relatives and friends joined us in rejoicing that God had taken care of everything.
One time during the week after receiving the double portion of good news, I asked Steve why he was so convinced that the blood clot was gone even weeks before x-rays showed it was resolved. His reply explained it.
Steve said that he was infused with faith the last time I had my Bible study group at our house, which was the last week in December. I was saying goodbye as the ladies were leaving the house but one of the ladies held back from the others, put her hand on Steve's lung area and emphatically said, "BE GONE."
Steve explained to me that that gesture by Jane was good enough reason for him to know that her command was obeyed and that the blood clot left his body. He had not related the incident to me, neither had Jane, so I didn't know about the obedience of Jane to lay hands on Steve and command the clot to leave.
Weeks later I told Jane that Steve's faith had risen to new heights when she spoke the simple command to, "Be gone," and that he knew at that moment that the next tests would show that the clot was gone.
Jane explained the occasion of her actions on that special day, telling me that God told her previous to the meeting what she should do. God always provides the opportunity for us to do His bidding. When all the other ladies were leaving and I was engaged in saying my goodbyes to them, Jane completed the duty God gave to her and laid her hand on Steve's chest and spoke what God told her to speak.
The mystery was solved. Now I know the reason for Steve's great amount of faith. It was Jane's obedience to God. There was no doubt in his mind that the clot was gone, and it was. The doctors were surprised and I was surprised. Steve was elated but not surprised. He had known it for three weeks.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for and being convinced of things not seen," says one translation of Hebrews 11:1." Before it was seen on x-ray and CT scan, Steve was solidly convinced that the clot was gone by Jane's act of obedience and simple words of, "Be gone."
The mystery was solved why Steve had unmovable faith that he was healed of the blood clot. When Jane said, "Be gone," it was gone. It was another miracle. What the cancer and the blood clot tried to destroy, God healed.
Praises to God never stop around our house.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
GOD'S COMMUNICATION SKILLS
GOD'S COMMUNICATION SKILLS
T. Wieland Allen
While musing with God one morning upon waking I said to Him in my thoughts, "Father, you have the greatest communication skills." Meaning it as a genuine, heart-felt compliment to Him,I didn't intend for that statement to be the pivotal point of an exploration of His efforts to restore personal communication with all His children just like the one on one communication He had with Adam at the beginning of the earth. Though I didn't intend it to lead to a teaching, God did.
My thoughts began to go through Biblical history, starting with satan cutting off the ability of men to hear God's constant conversations with them, dulling their hearing and blinding their eyes to God's efforts to communicate His rescuing attempts to all men.
I began to think about God giving instructions to men through Mosaic Laws which the angels wrote in stone when Moses was on the mountain. That was really a dramatic show of God's desire to speak to His children. He wanted to instruct them how to avoid the evil trappings that satan had brought into the earth when Adam allowed him to enter the earth through Adan falling for the deception of the evil one. Those laws were meant to protect and guide men, not condemn and judge them. Later Levitican laws were added, still in an effort to protect God's children from evil.
After God's children began to refuse to heed his instructions written in stone and given through priests, he answered their prayers and sent judges to settle differences between men. That worked for a while as long as the judges discerned between right and wrong activities, bringing peace to the people.
Later He sent prophets to speak for Him, warning men of impending problems and teaching them how to avoid the evil that satan had brought into their lives. That also sufficed for a while.
Then He began to speak through dreams and visions and angelic visitations to certain men who would receive and believe them. He also gave wisdom to other men which enabled them to correctly interpret the dreams and visions. He was constantly trying to protect His children from evil by pointing it out to them and instructing them how to avoid it.
God never changes, but God's communication skills with men always changed because men changed and they began to reject His help.
Finally He sent His Words into the earth in the form of flesh, His Son, and His Words lived among men, teaching them the lessons He wanted them to learn about His ways, and instructing them again how to reject the evil that was still in the earth.
Jesus, His Son, demonstrated to men how He communicated with the Father and the benefits of that communication. People were healed, miracles became evident and demons were cast out of men, bringing them the freedom from addictions and destructive works of satan. All of that was as a result of the constant communication Jesus had with the Father.
Through the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus, a path from heaven to earth was cleared that enabled men to have the same communication with their Heavenly Father that Jesus had. That was accomplished by the Father sending His Own Spirit into the earth through the path that Jesus cleared, and God's personal communication was restored to every man who would partake of the rebirth of his human spirit by the impregnation of God's Spirit. What wonderful communication every child of God can have when God lives inside of the person. The Holy Spirit is God's two way communication, His Internet connection, His WiFi, His FaceBook, His Tweeter, His YouTube, His Twitter, His telegraph, His cell phone, his texting, all wrapped up into One Being, the Holy Spirit.
Through His Spirit living within a man, God communicates through insight, dreams, visions, discernment, prophesies, personal instructions, cautions, revelations, etc., which will enhance a person's life and bring heaven to earth for him.
Through His personal communication God's power is transmitted to people who choose to receive His help. He gives solutions to problems through His gifts of wisdom and knowledge and discerning of spirits. He gives anointing for healing and miracles. He gives His supernatural belief which is called faith.
The most miraculous example of God's communication skills is by His speaking His powerful spiritual words into the earth through the mouths of men which become creative power to change circumstances, situations, and even people. God's spiritual words, with which He created the world, are spoken in the earth again, but now through the mouths of His children in prayers of the Holy Spirit. Those prayers, instigated by God, allow Him to speak His creative words again to destroy the works of satan, just like Jesus did. They change the world situations from bad to good. They restore everything to the way God created it to be, which is that everything becomes beneficial to His children. The curses of the evil one are changed by the power of God and become blessings instead of curses to God's children.
Now, that is a Wonderful Father, One who has had multiple ways of communicating with His children to perfect their lives and the lives of others who haven't chosen to partake of His words. God has always had, and still has, perfect communication skills.
Every man has the opportunity to be One with God and accept His personal communication. It is through His Holy Spirit living within them, speaking to them in whatever way they can receive it at the time, whether it's through dreams, visions, wisdom, knowledge or personal words. He's always there with His loving words. He's speaking to every man every minute of every day. The Holy Spirit is the connection that enables men to receive His comforting and loving words.
God's talking. Who's listening?
T. Wieland Allen
While musing with God one morning upon waking I said to Him in my thoughts, "Father, you have the greatest communication skills." Meaning it as a genuine, heart-felt compliment to Him,I didn't intend for that statement to be the pivotal point of an exploration of His efforts to restore personal communication with all His children just like the one on one communication He had with Adam at the beginning of the earth. Though I didn't intend it to lead to a teaching, God did.
My thoughts began to go through Biblical history, starting with satan cutting off the ability of men to hear God's constant conversations with them, dulling their hearing and blinding their eyes to God's efforts to communicate His rescuing attempts to all men.
I began to think about God giving instructions to men through Mosaic Laws which the angels wrote in stone when Moses was on the mountain. That was really a dramatic show of God's desire to speak to His children. He wanted to instruct them how to avoid the evil trappings that satan had brought into the earth when Adam allowed him to enter the earth through Adan falling for the deception of the evil one. Those laws were meant to protect and guide men, not condemn and judge them. Later Levitican laws were added, still in an effort to protect God's children from evil.
After God's children began to refuse to heed his instructions written in stone and given through priests, he answered their prayers and sent judges to settle differences between men. That worked for a while as long as the judges discerned between right and wrong activities, bringing peace to the people.
Later He sent prophets to speak for Him, warning men of impending problems and teaching them how to avoid the evil that satan had brought into their lives. That also sufficed for a while.
Then He began to speak through dreams and visions and angelic visitations to certain men who would receive and believe them. He also gave wisdom to other men which enabled them to correctly interpret the dreams and visions. He was constantly trying to protect His children from evil by pointing it out to them and instructing them how to avoid it.
God never changes, but God's communication skills with men always changed because men changed and they began to reject His help.
Finally He sent His Words into the earth in the form of flesh, His Son, and His Words lived among men, teaching them the lessons He wanted them to learn about His ways, and instructing them again how to reject the evil that was still in the earth.
Jesus, His Son, demonstrated to men how He communicated with the Father and the benefits of that communication. People were healed, miracles became evident and demons were cast out of men, bringing them the freedom from addictions and destructive works of satan. All of that was as a result of the constant communication Jesus had with the Father.
Through the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus, a path from heaven to earth was cleared that enabled men to have the same communication with their Heavenly Father that Jesus had. That was accomplished by the Father sending His Own Spirit into the earth through the path that Jesus cleared, and God's personal communication was restored to every man who would partake of the rebirth of his human spirit by the impregnation of God's Spirit. What wonderful communication every child of God can have when God lives inside of the person. The Holy Spirit is God's two way communication, His Internet connection, His WiFi, His FaceBook, His Tweeter, His YouTube, His Twitter, His telegraph, His cell phone, his texting, all wrapped up into One Being, the Holy Spirit.
Through His Spirit living within a man, God communicates through insight, dreams, visions, discernment, prophesies, personal instructions, cautions, revelations, etc., which will enhance a person's life and bring heaven to earth for him.
Through His personal communication God's power is transmitted to people who choose to receive His help. He gives solutions to problems through His gifts of wisdom and knowledge and discerning of spirits. He gives anointing for healing and miracles. He gives His supernatural belief which is called faith.
The most miraculous example of God's communication skills is by His speaking His powerful spiritual words into the earth through the mouths of men which become creative power to change circumstances, situations, and even people. God's spiritual words, with which He created the world, are spoken in the earth again, but now through the mouths of His children in prayers of the Holy Spirit. Those prayers, instigated by God, allow Him to speak His creative words again to destroy the works of satan, just like Jesus did. They change the world situations from bad to good. They restore everything to the way God created it to be, which is that everything becomes beneficial to His children. The curses of the evil one are changed by the power of God and become blessings instead of curses to God's children.
Now, that is a Wonderful Father, One who has had multiple ways of communicating with His children to perfect their lives and the lives of others who haven't chosen to partake of His words. God has always had, and still has, perfect communication skills.
Every man has the opportunity to be One with God and accept His personal communication. It is through His Holy Spirit living within them, speaking to them in whatever way they can receive it at the time, whether it's through dreams, visions, wisdom, knowledge or personal words. He's always there with His loving words. He's speaking to every man every minute of every day. The Holy Spirit is the connection that enables men to receive His comforting and loving words.
God's talking. Who's listening?
BOOSTER JETS
BOOSTER JETS
Reports of Steve's series of tests that he had at MD Anderson in Houston after the final cycle of chemotherapy thrilled the medical personnel. Documentation from the blood work, chest x-rays, CT scan and full cardio workup that were sent to the oncologists, his nurse practitioner and his oncology nurse made them almost giddy. The final reports said there was no evidence of any cancer anyplace in Steve's body. Also, the radiologist's report said that the blood clot in his lung was COMPLETELY RESOLVED. Praise God!
The nurse, with whom Steve first met, kept remarking that lots of their 30 year old patients do not endure the strong, strong chemo as good as Steve did, and she said that many of them do not have such good results. She was all smiles and laughs and praises for Steve.
Kavin, the nurse practitioner, entered the exam room with a big smile, too, and told Steve that he sure looks great for having the extremely strong chemo for so long. He said, "Put some hair on your head and nobody could tell that you've had all that chemo." Then he read all the results of the tests to us, rejoicing with every positive result. He was particularly pleased that the blood clot has "completely resolved" like the report said. He said they didn't expect that quick and that good a result.
Dr. Ludwig came in with dancing eyes, quickly telling Steve with a big grin, "Now, let's see, you're 55; aren't you?" Then he said, "We didn't expect the chemo to work that good on a man your age. " Steve told him his correct age number is 74. The doctor said he really knew that, but it's hard to believe it. Then he reiterated that 30 year old people don't tolerate the strong chemo as good as Steve did, nor do they get such fast results. He had told us before, at another appointment, that even children, who heal quickly from any wound, almost always have to have a year of chemo for the same rhabdomyosarcoma. The doctor kept calling Steve amazing. He told us that the reports were the bright spot of his day, week and month, because they don't hear miraculous results that often.
We all know why Steve was able to endure the chemo and get such great results. It's God's intervention in the situation, His powerful and wonderful anointing on the meds, the doctors and on Steve. It was also God's wisdom that was given to the Muskogee doctors to remove all the numerous visible tumors when they operated, leaving only some small tumors and invisible ones. Without their wisdom, he would have had a harder time with the chemo. The chemotherapy regimen was tough on him, but there were certainly huge doses of supernatural strength for him.
Also, all of the prayers of the community of saints multiplied mightily in sending God's special anointing on the chemical cocktail so that it had speedy results. Of course it would, with God's power in it and behind it. God's power was the Booster Jet that allowed His revelation of just the right chemical combo to do its work. The Booster Jet was the key to the good results, and that was from the fervent prayers of relatives and friends.
The word "fervent" in the scripture that says, "The fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much," means in the Greek "explosive fire power." So that was the reason for the dramatic results that left the doctors giddy and excited.
The same Booster Jet also was behind the speedy results of the blood thinner shots. The doctor originally said that Steve might have to be on the shots for the rest of his life. They don't know about God's Booster Jets. They were amazed at the fast results.
So the final chemo report that Steve got in Houston was a thrill to hear, but it was also heart warming to see the doctors excited about Steve's results. We know that they don't see those dramatic results very often, like they all said. They have a tough job, dealing with all the people who are in the beginning, middle and end of devastating illnesses. Knowing that they gave the right prognosis and treatment in just one case gives them the impetus to continue with their jobs of ministering to the ill people in body, mind and spirit. I bless them in their difficult jobs.
How blessed we are to have friends and relatives who pray Booster Jet prayers, and we were fortunate to have brilliant doctors who knew the right procedures and the right chemicals to combine to facilitate God's healing in a person's body. God gives them wisdom and insight because they are extensions of His loving care. Bless them, bless them, bless them for their part in the miracles.
For the prayers of the saints, we are eternally grateful.
To Our Loving Heavenly Father, to Him be the glory for His wonderful orchestrations from beginning to end. Great things He has done.
Reports of Steve's series of tests that he had at MD Anderson in Houston after the final cycle of chemotherapy thrilled the medical personnel. Documentation from the blood work, chest x-rays, CT scan and full cardio workup that were sent to the oncologists, his nurse practitioner and his oncology nurse made them almost giddy. The final reports said there was no evidence of any cancer anyplace in Steve's body. Also, the radiologist's report said that the blood clot in his lung was COMPLETELY RESOLVED. Praise God!
The nurse, with whom Steve first met, kept remarking that lots of their 30 year old patients do not endure the strong, strong chemo as good as Steve did, and she said that many of them do not have such good results. She was all smiles and laughs and praises for Steve.
Kavin, the nurse practitioner, entered the exam room with a big smile, too, and told Steve that he sure looks great for having the extremely strong chemo for so long. He said, "Put some hair on your head and nobody could tell that you've had all that chemo." Then he read all the results of the tests to us, rejoicing with every positive result. He was particularly pleased that the blood clot has "completely resolved" like the report said. He said they didn't expect that quick and that good a result.
Dr. Ludwig came in with dancing eyes, quickly telling Steve with a big grin, "Now, let's see, you're 55; aren't you?" Then he said, "We didn't expect the chemo to work that good on a man your age. " Steve told him his correct age number is 74. The doctor said he really knew that, but it's hard to believe it. Then he reiterated that 30 year old people don't tolerate the strong chemo as good as Steve did, nor do they get such fast results. He had told us before, at another appointment, that even children, who heal quickly from any wound, almost always have to have a year of chemo for the same rhabdomyosarcoma. The doctor kept calling Steve amazing. He told us that the reports were the bright spot of his day, week and month, because they don't hear miraculous results that often.
We all know why Steve was able to endure the chemo and get such great results. It's God's intervention in the situation, His powerful and wonderful anointing on the meds, the doctors and on Steve. It was also God's wisdom that was given to the Muskogee doctors to remove all the numerous visible tumors when they operated, leaving only some small tumors and invisible ones. Without their wisdom, he would have had a harder time with the chemo. The chemotherapy regimen was tough on him, but there were certainly huge doses of supernatural strength for him.
Also, all of the prayers of the community of saints multiplied mightily in sending God's special anointing on the chemical cocktail so that it had speedy results. Of course it would, with God's power in it and behind it. God's power was the Booster Jet that allowed His revelation of just the right chemical combo to do its work. The Booster Jet was the key to the good results, and that was from the fervent prayers of relatives and friends.
The word "fervent" in the scripture that says, "The fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much," means in the Greek "explosive fire power." So that was the reason for the dramatic results that left the doctors giddy and excited.
The same Booster Jet also was behind the speedy results of the blood thinner shots. The doctor originally said that Steve might have to be on the shots for the rest of his life. They don't know about God's Booster Jets. They were amazed at the fast results.
So the final chemo report that Steve got in Houston was a thrill to hear, but it was also heart warming to see the doctors excited about Steve's results. We know that they don't see those dramatic results very often, like they all said. They have a tough job, dealing with all the people who are in the beginning, middle and end of devastating illnesses. Knowing that they gave the right prognosis and treatment in just one case gives them the impetus to continue with their jobs of ministering to the ill people in body, mind and spirit. I bless them in their difficult jobs.
How blessed we are to have friends and relatives who pray Booster Jet prayers, and we were fortunate to have brilliant doctors who knew the right procedures and the right chemicals to combine to facilitate God's healing in a person's body. God gives them wisdom and insight because they are extensions of His loving care. Bless them, bless them, bless them for their part in the miracles.
For the prayers of the saints, we are eternally grateful.
To Our Loving Heavenly Father, to Him be the glory for His wonderful orchestrations from beginning to end. Great things He has done.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
THINGS AIN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM
THINGS AIN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM
The final stages of my husband’s chemo cycles went relatively smoothly. Looking for the end of the treatments gave us joy, knowing there would be no more chemo cocktails for him, no more nausea, no more aches and pains in his bones and joints, no more bowel problems, no more weakness. Yes, it looked better every day.
We were overjoyed with the results of the chemo which resulted in the thrill of knowing that he is cancer free. The right combination of chemicals in the right dosage was given. God did His wonderful part in presenting miracles during the long adventure, so it has been exciting.
The last phase of any adventure is sometimes the hardest to go through, and we’ve found that what is visible to the natural eye is not always what is happening.
The second week of each chemo cycle was always the worse part of each three week treatment. Chemicals were working, performing both positive and negative results in the body. Steve had been a champion throughout the 18 week process, just like he was during the two surgeries, the small one and the extensive one. He had stayed positive most of the time throughout the nine month ordeal.
The last cycle, the sixth one, was going along reasonably well with only mild discomfort. Of course, having been through five cycles already has helped both of us know what to expect.
The second week of the last cycle had added some different symptoms, results from the effects of the chemicals in his body. He had been dizzy upon suddenly getting out of chairs. The dizziness went away in a few minutes, but it was alarming to him and to me as his caregiver.
It occurred to me that maybe his blood pressure was so low that it was causing him to be dizzy, so late one night he decided that he would take his blood pressure to see if that could possibly be causing the problem. He hooked up the digital blood pressure machine we’ve had for years and it quickly registered his blood pressure at 97 over 57 with a pulse rate of 97. We were both alarmed since his normal blood pressure is 135 over 72 with a pulse rate of 60. Of course, we surmised, the dizziness must be caused by low blood pressure.
Neither of us panicked but we discussed the fact that if it registered the same low numbers the next morning that we would go to the doctor's office or maybe to the hospital.
We both had restless nights, needless to say; but in the early morning hours the thought came to me that the digital blood pressure machine might need to have the batteries changed since they had never been replaced. I didn’t get an opportunity to tell Steve about that persistent thought, but when he took his blood pressure after breakfast the machine noted that it needed new batteries.
Sure enough, after the batteries were changed the machine registered his blood pressure as being back to normal, 130 over 70 with a pulse rate of 60. We were elated with the new numbers since they assured us that a trip to the doctor’s office or the hospital would not be required.
I began to relate the situation to some of life’s lessons, that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes negative outward circumstances are only indications of things going on in the spiritual dimension in answer to our prayers. Sometimes the alarming things are not really negatives but they are human reactions to God’s orchestrations in the situations. Sometimes when we interpret situations as negative, like Steve’s low blood pressure numbers, maybe we need our faith batteries charged, or maybe we need new batteries inserted into our minds in the form of a gift of faith.
Maybe we need to charge our faith batteries by quoting God’s promises relating to the situation. Maybe we need to build up ourselves on our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit like is instructed in verse 20 of the book of Jude in the Bible.
When faith is high and we are tuned in to God’s promises, we are solid in expecting good things to eventually happen because our spiritual houses are built on the Rock, not on sand.
It turned out that the dizziness was the result of one of the chemo medications in combination with the shot to boost his immune system. It was just a new indication that they were doing their jobs. That symptom lessened quickly as the cycle progressed.
I don’t use the word “ain’t” in conversation. I just used it in the title of this story to get your attention. Maybe the next time things look bad and you begin to panic, maybe the words, “Things ain’t always what they seem,” will come to your mind and you will recall this story and realize that you need to switch the batteries of your mind from fear to faith, or from panic to calmness, by realizing that God is busy working his orchestrations in order to answer your prayers.
Maybe you need to find a scripture that is one of God’s promises that relates to the situation and keep that promise foremost in your mind so that when outward circumstances are alarming, then you can declare that promise to your doubting mind.
Maybe all you need is a battery change from unbelief to belief.
The final stages of my husband’s chemo cycles went relatively smoothly. Looking for the end of the treatments gave us joy, knowing there would be no more chemo cocktails for him, no more nausea, no more aches and pains in his bones and joints, no more bowel problems, no more weakness. Yes, it looked better every day.
We were overjoyed with the results of the chemo which resulted in the thrill of knowing that he is cancer free. The right combination of chemicals in the right dosage was given. God did His wonderful part in presenting miracles during the long adventure, so it has been exciting.
The last phase of any adventure is sometimes the hardest to go through, and we’ve found that what is visible to the natural eye is not always what is happening.
The second week of each chemo cycle was always the worse part of each three week treatment. Chemicals were working, performing both positive and negative results in the body. Steve had been a champion throughout the 18 week process, just like he was during the two surgeries, the small one and the extensive one. He had stayed positive most of the time throughout the nine month ordeal.
The last cycle, the sixth one, was going along reasonably well with only mild discomfort. Of course, having been through five cycles already has helped both of us know what to expect.
The second week of the last cycle had added some different symptoms, results from the effects of the chemicals in his body. He had been dizzy upon suddenly getting out of chairs. The dizziness went away in a few minutes, but it was alarming to him and to me as his caregiver.
It occurred to me that maybe his blood pressure was so low that it was causing him to be dizzy, so late one night he decided that he would take his blood pressure to see if that could possibly be causing the problem. He hooked up the digital blood pressure machine we’ve had for years and it quickly registered his blood pressure at 97 over 57 with a pulse rate of 97. We were both alarmed since his normal blood pressure is 135 over 72 with a pulse rate of 60. Of course, we surmised, the dizziness must be caused by low blood pressure.
Neither of us panicked but we discussed the fact that if it registered the same low numbers the next morning that we would go to the doctor's office or maybe to the hospital.
We both had restless nights, needless to say; but in the early morning hours the thought came to me that the digital blood pressure machine might need to have the batteries changed since they had never been replaced. I didn’t get an opportunity to tell Steve about that persistent thought, but when he took his blood pressure after breakfast the machine noted that it needed new batteries.
Sure enough, after the batteries were changed the machine registered his blood pressure as being back to normal, 130 over 70 with a pulse rate of 60. We were elated with the new numbers since they assured us that a trip to the doctor’s office or the hospital would not be required.
I began to relate the situation to some of life’s lessons, that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes negative outward circumstances are only indications of things going on in the spiritual dimension in answer to our prayers. Sometimes the alarming things are not really negatives but they are human reactions to God’s orchestrations in the situations. Sometimes when we interpret situations as negative, like Steve’s low blood pressure numbers, maybe we need our faith batteries charged, or maybe we need new batteries inserted into our minds in the form of a gift of faith.
Maybe we need to charge our faith batteries by quoting God’s promises relating to the situation. Maybe we need to build up ourselves on our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit like is instructed in verse 20 of the book of Jude in the Bible.
When faith is high and we are tuned in to God’s promises, we are solid in expecting good things to eventually happen because our spiritual houses are built on the Rock, not on sand.
It turned out that the dizziness was the result of one of the chemo medications in combination with the shot to boost his immune system. It was just a new indication that they were doing their jobs. That symptom lessened quickly as the cycle progressed.
I don’t use the word “ain’t” in conversation. I just used it in the title of this story to get your attention. Maybe the next time things look bad and you begin to panic, maybe the words, “Things ain’t always what they seem,” will come to your mind and you will recall this story and realize that you need to switch the batteries of your mind from fear to faith, or from panic to calmness, by realizing that God is busy working his orchestrations in order to answer your prayers.
Maybe you need to find a scripture that is one of God’s promises that relates to the situation and keep that promise foremost in your mind so that when outward circumstances are alarming, then you can declare that promise to your doubting mind.
Maybe all you need is a battery change from unbelief to belief.
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