IF MY PEOPLE: Why America's Future is in Our Hands

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (II Chrn. 7:14).

America’s future does not lie with the next election, a political process or a political party. America’s future will be determined by how the people of God respond to the current crises in our land. Will we humble ourselves and pray, acknowledging our absolute dependence on Him, or will we continue to selfishly pursue our own religious agendas and build our own personal kingdoms? America was formed out of a Great Spiritual Awakening that had been birthed in prayer and the only thing that will save her is another great spiritual awakening birthed in prayer.

Today, being the National Day of Prayer, offers an opportunity for the Christians of America to begin to fulfill the conditions that are clearly laid out in Scripture for a national healing and awakening. This day, as a national day of prayer, was formally enacted by Congress in 1952. However, national and regional days of prayer have been part of this nation’s history since colonial times, including 1775 when the Continental Congress designated a time of prayer in forming a new nation.

The 1775 designation was not something new but was actually an expression of the cultural mindset of the populace. Prior to this, for example, a pastor in New England reported that most of the churches had “set apart days wherein to seek the Lord by prayer and fasting.” In addition, he said, there were “annual fast days appointed by the government.” Benjamin Franklin reported that in 1739 his hometown of Philadelphia had been so transformed that one could not walk through the town without hearing prayer and praise coming from houses on every street.

This attitude of prayerful dependence permeated every facet of American life at this time. John Adams (1735-1826), one of the Founding Fathers and the 2nd President of the United States, gave a moving account of the First Continental Congress that convened in September 1774 with Bible reading and prayer. When Psalm 35 was read, many were moved to tears and spontaneous expressions of prayer to God. Verses 9 and 23 were particularly significant: My soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. . . . Awake and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord! In a letter to his wife, Abigail, about this event, Adams wrote;

Who can realize the emotions with which they turned imploringly to heaven for divine interposition and aid. It was enough to melt a heart of stone. I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seems as if heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read that day.

If this nation was birthed out of prayer and spiritual awakening can it hope to be preserved by anything less? Many Christians believe that America’s best days are behind her and that she will continue to decline politically, spiritually and morally. This was my view as well until one day in 2010 when I was surprised by the Holy Spirit who imparted a new hope and expectation in my heart.

It was a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon as I got in my car and began the three-hour drive to Kingfisher, Oklahoma, where I would be speaking the following day for friends in the church they pastored. As I pulled onto the highway, my heart and mind were suddenly and unexpectedly flooded with hope that America could experience another Great Awakening.

I must confess that I had lost hope of America seeing another national revival. It seemed to me that “revival” had degenerated into the self-serving pursuit of sensational, religious phenomena, rather than being the fruit of a sincere seeking after God. Revival, it seemed, had become a hyped, man-made, religious event rather than a Divine invasion from heaven. I could identify with the words of R. A. Torrey who, almost a century ago, said:

The most fundamental trouble with most of our present- day, so-called revivals is that they are man-made and not God sent. They are worked up (I almost said faked up) by man’s cunningly devised machinery—not prayed down.

But as I drove along the highway that day, my hope for America was renewed. My heart was filled with fresh faith and hope for another Great Awakening that would revive and renew the churches of America, impact our culture, and stem the tide of secularism, immorality, and false religion that is flooding our land.

I could also see that God had preserved this nation through national spiritual awakenings that happened at crucial moments in our history. The Second Great Awakening (1800-1840), for example, took place just in time to save America from the negative influences of Deism and the French Revolution and to tame the bawdy, western frontier. Then, in 1858-1859, the Great Prayer Awakening came just in time to carry the nation through its most difficult time to date—the Civil War. I could also see clearly that, without another Great Awakening, the America we have known will surely cease to exist.

I hope you will join me and many others today in sincerely petitioning God for another Great Spiritual Awakening in our land. 

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a Bible teacher, historian and author. This article was derived from his book, America’s Revival Heritage available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com/bookstore.html.

5 LIFE-CHANGING TRUTHS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the bedrock of the Christian faith. That is why it has been the target of the most vicious attacks by those who oppose the Christian faith. If the physical resurrection of Jesus can be dis-proven then the entire Christian faith comes crashing down. But if the resurrection is true and Jesus Christ is alive today then, at the end of the day, nothing else really matters and He and His cause are worthy of our absolute devotion and faith. Here are 5 life-changing truths you should know about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

#1 The Resurrection is a Historical Fact

A few nights ago Billy O’Reilly stated that his book, Killing Jesus, does not contain the word “Christ” because "it is based on history, not faith.” His statement revealed a certain mindset, based in liberal theology, that has divorced the Christ of faith from the Jesus of history. Beginning in the 19^th century, and driven by modern skepticism, the propagators of this thinking theorized that the gospels were written, not by contemporary eyewitness, but by later followers of Jesus who embellished His life with all kinds of mythical stories of miracles and a resurrection. There thus emerged a false dichotomy between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith, and a quest by many to find the Jesus of history hidden behind the supposed unreliable stories of the Christ of faith in the gospels.

But let’s be clear, there is no dichotomy between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. They are one and the same! The gospels contain reliable eyewitness accounts of Jesus, His life and His resurrection. This was the general belief for 1700 years in the Western world until the recent advent of modern rationalism and skepticism. Modern rationalistic professors may sit in their stuffy offices indulging in all sorts of speculation about the historicity of the gospels; but those who have been willing to do the real work of empirical investigation have, again and again, been convinced of the historicity and truthfulness of the gospel account of Jesus and His resurrection.

A Harvard Law Professor is Convinced

Dr. Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) was the Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University and one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School. He authored the famous three-volume work, A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, which is still considered one of the greatest single authorities on judicial legal procedure. Greenleaf, a nonbeliever, originally set out to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, believing that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would reveal the myth at the heart of Christianity. But after months of carefully examining and cross-examining the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, this legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. As a result he became a believer and wrote a book entitled, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice. Greenleaf concluded that, according to the jurisdiction of legal evidence, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best-supported event in all of ancient history.

A Skeptical Professor & Archaeologist is Convinced

Sir William Ramsay believed and taught that the New Testament is a 2^nd century document filled with myths and embellishments, and not a reliable source of history. He set out to prove this theory by retracing Luke's account of Paul's travels in the Book of Acts. He assumed that by carefully examining the places, people, laws and histories mentioned in Acts, he would be able to show all the mistakes and demonstrate with finality that the New Testament does not contain reliable history. However, after years of archaeological digs and excavations in the cities and locations along Paul's route as recorded in Acts, Ramsay's view of the New Testament was completely changed and he acquired a very high regard for Luke as a historian. He wrote,

Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense; in short, this author should be placed along with the greatest of historians. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.¹⁵

If Luke was this careful to get his facts right about names, places and dates, can we not be confident that he was also careful to get his facts right concerning the more important things about which he reported, such as the Resurrection of Jesus. At the beginning of his gospel Luke says that he has thoroughly investigated the matter at hand, including interviews with those who were eyewitnesses of the events about which he is writing. We can be confident that if there had been any smell of conspiracy or hallucination from these eyewitness accounts, Dr. Luke would have detected it.

#2
The Resurrection Removes the Fear of Death

“DON’T BE AFRAID OF DEATH BECAUSE I AM THE RESURRECTION” were the words I heard at one of the most devastating times of my life. The ministry Sue and I had begun shortly after our marriage had died and we had lost everything, including a place to have our meetings and a place to live. In spite of the loss I continued meetings with a small group of people in homes because I knew the vision for a congregation and teaching center were from God. Then I received word from Oklahoma that my brother had been killed in an accident and I had to depart to attend the funeral. Everyone was discouraged and no one had the motivation to continue the meetings and they ceased. Chris, my mother-in-law, later said, “That was when it all died.”

Thank God for the Holy Spirit; for one evening, while in prayer, I sensed the Holy Spirit rising up out of my innermost being and I began to pray in other tongues. All the time I was praying in the Spirit, I was hearing those words, ‘DON’T BE AFRAID OF DEATH, BECAUSE I AM THE RESURRECTION.”

I was reminded that this was the word Jesus to Martha as they stood before the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, and she had stated her theological belief that her brother would live again at the resurrection and Jesus had replied, “I AM THE RESURRECTION.” I also, at that moment, realized that the resurrection is not just a future event, but is personified in the Person of Jesus Christ, and is a present reality in the life of the believer. As Paul said in Philippians 3:10, For my determined purpose is that I may know Him . . . and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection. (Amplified Version).

A resurrection did occur in our lives and in that ministry. A yielding to God, a determination not to quit, a step of obedience, and resurrection power flowed forth. The ministry that came forth was not the same as before; for it came forth in His resurrection power and in ways we could never have planned or strategized.

Perhaps there is some area of your life that you feel has died—a relationship, a dream, a career, a project. Maybe you have suffered the loss of spouse in death or in divorce. On this Good Friday I felt to share with you those words the LORD spoke to me years ago in the midst of death. He said, “DON’T BE AFRAID OF DEATH BECAUSE I AM THE RESURRECTION.”

#3
Resurrection Power is at Work in You as a Believer

The power that God works in the life of the believer is the very same power by which He raised Jesus from the dead. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 1:15-23 where he prays that the Ephesian believers will be enlightened to, know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. The English word “toward” is a translation of the Greek preposition eis, which means “into” or “in.” This mighty power that Paul wants them to know about is directed “into” the believer; or we could say it is at work “in” the believer. But what kind of power is this?

Paul then makes clear the nature of this power. He says this power is according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:19-20). This resurrection power that is at work in you will make you an overcomer and will strengthen and heal your physical body as Paul says in Romans 8:11. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal body bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

My friends, you do not need to run here and there looking for some special “anointing.” The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is already at work in you. Believe that and act like it is true.

#4
The Resurrection Ushered in a New Era of Freedom for Women

The gospel writers are very explicit in noting that it was Mary Magdalene to whom Jesus appeared first after His resurrection. The importance which the evangelists attach to this fact indicates that it was no accidental occurrence, but that Jesus purposely appeared first to Mary Magdalene in order to make an important statement to His followers.

When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene He gave her certain, specific instructions. Matthew 28:10 records His words to Mary to, Go and tell my brethren . . .. In other words, He sent her on a specific mission defined by the words, Go and tell. The Greek word apostolos from which we get the English “apostle” simply means “one who is sent” or “one sent on assignment.” Mary, therefore, was a "sent one" and as such received the first apostolic commission from the Risen Lord. It is for this reason that, throughout Christian history, Mary has often been referred to as “the apostle to the apostles.”[1]

This commissioning of Mary by Jesus was revolutionary since the Jewish male of this time normally began his day with a prayer that included thanks to God that he was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. Women were barred from studying Scripture and a rabbi considered it beneath his dignity to speak to a woman in public. Neither Jewish nor Roman courts of law would allow the testimony of women.[2] Jesus challenged this deeply ingrained religious and cultural bias by appearing first to Mary and sending her forth as the first apostolic witness of His resurrection. By appearing first to Mary and giving her the first apostolic commission after His resurrection, Jesus made a clear statement that women would be included in leadership and ministry in His Church.

#5
The Resurrection Guarantees that Everything Jesus Taught is True

Jesus taught many things about heaven, hell, eternity, God, the future of the human race and the fact that He would always be with us. He also predicted that He would die and rise again from the dead on the 3^rd day. Now, if He does not rise from the dead as predicted, then everything else He said is cast into doubt and question. But if He does rise again on the 3^rd day as predicted, then it stands to reason that everything else he taught is true and will come to pass.

He did rise again on the 3^rd day and His resurrection guarantees that everything He promised is true. He will return to this earth again. He will raise from the dead all those who have put their faith in Him. There is a place called heaven prepared for those who love Him and look for His appearing. There is a glorious future for this planet and for all those who trust in Him. His promise to be continually with us and never leave us is validated by His glorious resurrection, and expressed so well in the following old hymn.

He lives, He lives,

Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me and talks with me,

Along the narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart;

You ask me how I know He lives,

He lives within my heart.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the co-founder and president of Hyatt Int'l Ministries, and his passion is to see the contemporary church return to the New Testament pattern of simplicity, humility and a radical dependence on the Holy Spirit. He is an author and his latest book, PURSUING POWER: How the Quest for Apostolic Authority & Control Has Divided and Damaged the Church is available from Amazon (including Kindle) and from his website at www.eddiehyatt.com/bookstore.html.  

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[1] On several occasions throughout the history of the Church, Mary Magdalene has been called the “apostle to the apostles” because she was commissioned by Jesus to take the first news of His resurrection to the apostles. See Hans Kung, Christianity: Essence, History and Future (New York: Continuum, 1996), 123. See also Catherine Clark Kroeger and Mary J. Evans, The IVP Women’s Study Bible (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 600.

[2] Susan Hyatt, In the Spirit We’re Equal (Dallas: Hyatt Press, 1998). 

IS ULF EKMAN RIGHT? DOES THE PATH TO UNITY LEAD TO ROME?

This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book entitled PURSUING POWER: How the Historic Quest for Apostolic Authority & Control Has Divided and Damaged the Church, scheduled for release March 31 but available now in the Kindle format from Amazon.

The March 10, 2014 issue of Charisma News Daily reported that the well-known Word of Faith pastor in Uppsala, Sweden, Ulf Ekman, had converted to Roman Catholicism. This did not come as a complete surprise for Ekman had, for several years, shown an interest in Catholic theology and liturgy. In fact, the November 24, 2008 issue of Charisma News Online reported that Ekman had participated in a conference convened by Catholic and Protestant leaders who advocate uniting all Christians “under the pope.” The conference conveners were unapologetic in their belief that such unity, centered in the pope, is necessary if Europe is to withstand the onslaught of Islam and secularism.

In an interview that was published in the March 9, 2014 issue of Charisma News, Ekman revealed that he has embraced this view that the path to Christian unity does, indeed, lead to Rome and recognition of the authority of the pope. Ekman made this very clear when he was asked about the Catholic doctrine of a teaching magisterium, centered in the pope, that has the final authority and say on doctrine and matters of faith. Ekman agreed that such a teaching authority is necessary if there is to be Christian unity. When asked if he believes the pope to be the utmost expression of such an authority, Ekman replied, “Yes, he definitely is.”

Progress Has Been Made on the Path to Unity

I appreciate the progress that has been made in the Catholic Church as a result of Vatican II (1962-65), which opened the door for dialogue and cooperation with other churches, particularly in regards to social issues such as pro-life and marriage. That council dispensed with the word “heretic” in referring to Protestants and used the softer term “separated brethren.” It also made an important statement about the gifts of the Holy Spirit being “no peripheral or accidental phenomenon in the life of the Church”; but on the contrary are “of vital importance for the building up of the mystical body” (Eddie Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity).

This more open stance of the council toward non-Catholics and toward Spiritual gifts opened the way for the charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church, which erupted shortly after this council closed in 1965. This, in turn, resulted in more dialogue and fellowship between Catholics and Protestants. I have personally found Catholics, who are spiritually hungry, to be some of the most delightful people to be around and the easiest to lead into the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Problems Remain on the Path to Unity

Nonetheless, the path to unity does not lead to Rome as Ekman now believes. What is ironic about what Ekman and others are advocating as a point of unity—the universal authority of the pope--is the fact that this has, historically, been the cause of the major divisions in in the Church. The development of the papal office, which is not found in either Scripture or early Christianity, has been a long and problematic process that encountered much opposition along the way and was never accepted by all of Christendom. In fact, the ancient churches of the East (now known as the Eastern Orthodox) never accepted the authoritative claims of the bishop of Rome in the West.

The split between the churches of the East and West, which culminated in the official division of 1054, was not rooted in doctrine but in the illegitimate power claims of the bishop of Rome, i.e., the pope. Hans Kung, the most widely read Catholic theologian in the world today, makes this point and quotes the Orthodox theologian, John Meyendorff, who says, “All historians today are agreed that East and West separated on the basis of a progressive alienation which coincided with the equally progressive growth of papal authority” (Kung, Christianity: History, Essence, and Future, 244).

In a similar way, the major rift that took place in Christendom at the time of the Reformation was not first and foremost about doctrine, i.e., justification by faith, but about the bishop of Rome’s claim of absolute authority over all of Christendom. As in the former split between the churches of the East and the West, the division that took place at the time of the Reformation concerned the pope’s claim of priority and authority in all the Church. Martin Luther never wanted to leave the Catholic Church but was excommunicated and declared a heretic when he refused to yield to the demands of the pope that he cease teaching justification by faith and the ultimate authority of Scripture. In the end, it was a power struggle over where ultimate authority lies for the church and the individual believer. Luther decided that it lies with Scripture. Ekman, it seems, has decided that it lies with the pope.

I appreciate the current pope’s expressions of humility, his identification with the poor and his reaching out to those outside the Catholic Church. But make no mistake about it! Until we hear a clear and official pronouncement otherwise, the view of Pope Francis and the Roman Church is that unity will only be realized when the “separated brethren” return to the Catholic fold. Although Vatican II recognized that God is at work in other Christian groups, it stated clearly that the Church of Christ "subsists" in the Roman Catholic Church. This is the thinking behind the popular program on the EWTN Catholic Network entitled “Journey Home” in which interviews are conducted with Protestants who have converted to Catholicism. 

The pope could strike a powerful blow for true Christian unity if he would relinquish the traditional Catholic dogma that the pope holds authority over all Christendom, and then recognize leaders of the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches as “brothers” (or “sisters” as it may be) and equals in Christ. Even Catholic theologians today are realizing that the traditional view of the universal authority of the pope is a major barrier on the path to unity. Kung writes,

No one can overlook the fact that with time the absolutist papacy has become the ecumenical problem number one. Paul VI was the first to concede this himself with ecumenical openness; instead of being a rock of unity, the papacy is a block on the way to ecumenical understanding” (Hyatt, Pursuing Power, 59).

The Path to Christian Unity Leads to Jesus Christ

In Ephesians 2:14 Paul writes, For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. I will never forget an incident that occurred many years ago when two young women from the Anglican Church asked to talk to my wife, Sue, and me about water baptism. They were a part of the evangelical Anglican Church Army and had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the meantime, they had begun to question the adequacy of their infant baptism. Our first meeting centered on doctrine and we made no progress as each argued his/her traditional view of baptism. We finally concluded the meeting and they agreed to return the next day for further discussion.

Before their arrival the following day, I was praying and asking God for wisdom in relating to them. Suddenly I saw a vision of a target with a bull’s eye in the center. Immediately I knew that the target represented a person and the bull’s eye represented whatever was central in that person’s life. The circles represented their doctrinal beliefs with the inner circle representing that which they considered of utmost importance and each ring representing doctrines of lesser importance as they moved outward.

I saw immediately that if Jesus is truly Lord then He will occupy that place of centrality--the bull’s eye—in the target. I also saw that two different individuals who hold different doctrinal beliefs can have a basis for fellowship if Jesus is truly central in both their lives. Their common ground is the Lordship of Jesus. If, however, a doctrine becomes central, then there is no basis for true fellowship with others unless they hold to the same doctrine with the same tenacity. But in that case, Jesus is no longer Lord, but has been replaced by a doctrine.

As I reflected on this vision, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “The issue is not baptism, but the Lordship of Jesus in their lives.” Based on this word from the Lord, when the two women returned, we did not discuss the doctrine of water baptism with them. I merely asked, “Is Jesus the Lord of your life?” They both answered “yes.” I then replied, “Then if you believe He is telling you to be immersed in water, do it. If you do not believe He is telling you to be immersed, don’t worry about it.” There was a lake nearby and one asked me to immerse her and the other did not; and that was the end of our discussion.

Summation

The path to Christian unity does not lead to Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Springfield, Cleveland or any other city; but to Jesus Christ Himself. Christian unity will never happen organizationally. The Roman Church’s approach to unity, that unity will occur when all the “separated brethren” return to the Catholic fold, is not compatible with Scripture, history or reason. But so as not to point the finger solely at the Roman Church in this regard, many Protestant churches and Pentecostal-Charismatic churches are just as prideful in their sense of ecclesial importance and superiority. Kung, himself a Roman Catholic, went right to the heart of the matter when he wrote, “The road to unity is not the return of one Church to another, or the exodus of one Church to join another, but a common crossroads, the conversion of all Churches to Christ and thus to one another” (Hyatt, Pursuing Power, 57).

May the Lord hasten that day!

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an ordained minister with over 40 years of ministerial experience as a pastor, Bible teacher and professor of theology. He holds the Doctor of Ministry from the School of Divinity at Regent University and the M.Div. and M.A. in Historical Theology from the Advanced School of Theology and Missions at Oral Roberts University. He also did one year of post-graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. His passion is to see genuine Spiritual awakening in the church, and at the same time, see minds renewed to think biblically in a world that that is increasingly hostile to biblical truth.

LISTEN CAREFULLY

Why Listening Carefully to God’s Voice Could Save Your Life

An elderly saint who was a student of mine in Bible school shared how “listening carefully” to the voice of the Lord saved her life one day. As she was dressing one particular morning and preparing to go out, she put on a pair of high heels. Immediately she experienced a strong sense inside that she should wear flat shoes, not high heels. She tried to ignore it but that strong inner urge would not go away so she relented and changed into a pair of flat loafers.

Later in the day as she stood at the checkout in a department store, a bank robbery ensued across the street with shots being fired. One bullet came through the store and grazed the top of her head, leaving a slight scratch as it whizzed through her hair. If she had been wearing high heels the bullet would have penetrated her skull and probably killed her. Her life was saved because she “listened carefully” to the voice of the Lord that day.

Listening with Both Ears

Exodus 15:26 is a wonderful promise of healing with the condition attached, If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God. The words “listen carefully” are translated from Hebrew words that literally say “listening listen.” A Hebrew scholar told of being in the hospital and reading this verse to build his faith. Noting the unique wording, He asked the Lord, “Why did you say ‘listening listen?’” He said the Holy Spirit spoke in his heart, saying, “Because I want you to listen to Me with both ears.” In other words, God wants our undivided attention. He wants us to “listen carefully.”

Our God, who is both infinitely wise and infinitely good, wants the very best for us His children, and that is why it is necessary that we listen carefully to Him. Listen to His lament in Isaiah 48:18 over the fact that His people had not listened to Him. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Blessings Come as We “Carefully Listen”

How God’s blessings will come when we carefully listen to Him was borne out to me many years ago in an experience with a co-worker in ministry. Shortly after our marriage, Sue and I planted a new congregation and Bible school in eastern Canada. In the midst of our busy activities, I had a conflict with a member of the congregation who was also part of the leadership team. She felt that I had wronged her, but it was clear to me that she was the one at fault; and I had my case ready to lay out to her and show her where she was wrong.

But during prayer before meeting with her, Paul’s words in I Cor. 4:12-13 were strongly impressed on my heart. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. I knew God was speaking to my heart that I was to treat this woman the very opposite of how I felt she had treated me. When we met, therefore, I did not lay out my argument against her. Instead, I reached out to her in humility and entreated her to forgive my weaknesses and shortcomings in the relationship. All animosity melted and the relationship was healed and restored.

Interestingly, she became the most faithful supporter of our ministry and continued to support us for many years, even after we departed that area. When we did depart a few years later and returned to the U.S., she bought our home, which had some equity in it. She then went a step further and gave us the money she had left over from the sale of her mobile home after she made the down payment on the purchase of our home. This amounted to around $5,000.00 and was very helpful for us in getting settled in a new home in a new country. And years later when I needed money to publish my first book, she sent a $5,000.00 gift. She is still a dear friend today and I am glad that I listened closely to the voice of the LORD in my heart that day.

We Suffer Loss When We Don’t “Carefully Listen”

I recall an incident where I did not “carefully listen” and suffered loss. Sue and I were travelling from Texas to Canada and we stopped late at night at a hotel near St. Louis, MO. We obtained the last room and proceeded to look for a parking place. The parking area was full and I finally found a place away from the normal parking and shrouded in darkness. As I pulled into that spot it was like flashing red lights going off in my spirit. The Holy Spirit was warning me that there was danger in parking there. Because it was late and we were tired, I did not “listen carefully.” In fact I ignored that inner warning. The next morning when we came out, our vehicle had been broken into and my prized Fender Telecaster guitar and case were gone along with some valuable electronics. I could have avoided that loss if I had “carefully listened.”

Our God is Infinitely Wise & Knows How to Bring You Through

Yes, our God is infinitely good and He desires to bless you and help you. He is also infinitely wise and He knows how to bring you into that place of blessing, healing and peace. He is limitless in knowledge and wisdom and He knows how to bring you through whatever challenges you are facing today. Our part is to “listen carefully” to His voice in both Scripture and those promptings of His Holy Spirit in our hearts.