Whatever Jesus tells you…

“Now on the third day there was a wedding feast in the Galilean village of Cana and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were all invited to the banquet but, with so many in attendance, they ran out of wine. And when Mary realized it, she came to him and asked, “They have no wine, can’t you do something about it?” Jesus replied, “My dear one, don’t you understand that if I do this, it won’t change anything for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come.” Mary then went to the servers and told them, ‘Whatever Jesus tells you, make sure that you do it!‘”

John 2: 1-5, The Passion Translation

Jesus tested my obedience

Years ago, when my children were still at school, I had an extremely busy schedule as a working mum. I was teaching full-time in a school 40 minutes’ drive from our house and had to be at the school before 8 a.m. every day. At home, I always seemed to be trying to catch up on jobs waiting to be done. My evenings were spent marking pupils’ homework, lesson preparation and encouraging and helping my own three with their school work. I frequently found myself putting my washing machine on around midnight. I used to spend some precious time with the Lord in the middle of the night; it worked best for me that way.

One winter morning after a particularly heavy snowfall, I went into a skid on my way to school. I managed to control the car, but I knew that with a journey on very difficult roads ahead of me, a skid less than three minutes after leaving home was a clear warning. I gingerly turned the car round and phoned the school as soon as I was back in the house, saying how dangerous road conditions were. This was sympathetically received, and I learned that I was not the only teacher to be unable to make it to school that day.

Immediately one hundred and one things that I needed to do, or would love to do on my unexpectedly free day, crowded into my mind. What bliss to be able to do some long overdue jobs at last! And maybe for a while I could snatch that rare commodity: some ‘me’ time! Thoughts of how I could spend my day went spinning round and round in my head.

Then Jesus spoke: “I want you to give your day to Me.” Give away my precious day? Could Jesus mean that He wanted the whole of my newly acquired freedom? Did He really mean that? Yes, He did mean exactly that. It was an obedience test and, as I made sure to do exactly what Jesus had said to me, putting Him first, it turned out to be a day of Heaven on earth – in fact it was one of the most beautiful days I had had for a very long time indeed.

Jesus and His disciples visit Martha and Mary

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared. But Martha became exasperated by finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these distractions? Are they really that important? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing the most beautiful place of sitting at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”

Luke 10: 38-42, The Passion Translation

Several years ago, we had a prophecy in our church in which the Lord said, among other things, “You love the things that I love, but you do not hate the things that I hate.” When we returned home, I asked the Lord, “What are the things that You hate, Jesus?” His reply was immediate: “I hate the works of the flesh, the self-life!”

What the Lord hates

Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church: “The cravings of the self-life are obvious: sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, wild parties, and all other similar behavior. Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God!”

Galatians 5: 19-21, The Passion Translation

Doesn’t the Apostle’s list sound like the content of many popular films these days? How are we spending our free time? If we love the Lord, do we really want to watch the ‘cravings of the self-life’ graphically depicted on the screen, knowing that Jesus died on the cross in prolonged, indescribably excruciating agony for those very sins. It is a grave warning to us all that ‘those who use their ‘freedom’ for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God’ but will go into the excruciating torments of the flames of hell for ever.

Jesus’ teaching on how to be ready for His coming

Jesus spoke to those who are looking for His soon return on how to be ready. He said to His proven prophet, “Many, many of My Brides have not simplified their lives and cut off things that bind their time. Many. I want this to change, I want them to begin to live right now as they will in Heaven. Yes, there are duties to attend to, but if they re-assess these things they will find ways to cut the time spent on the things of the world by at least half.

“I impart to each one in their quiet time. However, in their involvement with the world, be it a seemingly harmless TV show, a trip to the store, a magazine, all these things are fraught with ideas that stick in their heads and rob them of peace. It is so important to have a pure heart AND a pure mind. The mind can only handle so much and if it is secular in nature it erodes what takes place in My presence. It clutters the mind so there is no room left for Me. I don’t want their minds in this place. I want everyone focused on Heaven and My coming for them.”

A Parable about Ten Virgins

“As the time of my coming draws near, heaven’s kingdom realm can be compared to ten maidens who took their oil lamps and went outside to meet the bridegroom and his bride. Five of them were foolish and ill-prepared, for they took no extra oil for their lamps. Five of them were wise and sensible, for they took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the bridegroom didn’t come when they expected, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by the shout ‘Get up! The bridegroom is here! Come out and have an encounter with him!’ So all the girls got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones were running out of oil, so they said to the five wise ones, ‘Share your oil with us, because our lamps are going out!’ ‘We can’t,’ they replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. You’ll have to go and buy some for yourselves!’

“While the five girls were out buying oil, the bridegroom appeared. Those who were ready and waiting were escorted inside with him and the wedding party to enjoy the feast. And then the door was locked. Later, the five foolish girls came running up to the door and pleaded, ‘Lord, Lord let us come in!’

“But he called back, ‘Go away! Do I know you? I can assure you, I don’t even know you!’

“That is the reason you should always stay awake and be alert, because you don’t know the day or hour when the Bridegroom will appear.” Matthew 25: 1-13, The Passion Translation

Jesus teaching further on being ready for His coming

Jesus continued, “Part of the foolish virgins’ problem was that they were so tied up in the world it didn’t occur to them to bring oil for their lamps. They thought, ‘Well, I’ll just be a little while and back to work.’ Their minds were on what was waiting for them to do at home, not really on Me or My agenda, very much like Martha. But the wise virgins, like Mary, thought they could wait, and wait and wait for Me. It wasn’t a waste of time, it was bliss, because all they had on their minds was Me. Everything else was a burden and so they were happy to think, ‘He might be delayed. Good, then I can just be quiet and wait. So I’ll bring more oil for my lamp.’ I’m serious here. I want to get a concept across, the foolish virgins were carnally minded, taken up with the doings of the world, they considered having to wait a waste of time.

“Keep your minds strictly on Heaven, My coming, and what simple thing you can do for your neighbour in a spirit of brotherly love. Don’t get seduced into any worldly endeavours that take attention off Me. Keep your eyes on the Prize. Military people do not get involved in secular affairs. Spiritual people do not get involved in secular affairs. Stay vigilant, stay alert. Stay calm and deliberate, I need your full attention on Me. I will help you. You are not alone. My Spirit will whisper in your ear, ‘don’t do it’ and you will feel a check in your spirit. Obey that, follow what you know is My path. Put ME first and I’ll take care of the rest. I am with you My Brides. Stay vigilant and save your time and energy for Me and Me alone. You will never regret it.”

Whatever Jesus tells you, make sure that you do it!

Going Deeper…

There are such depths for the hungry heart to enter into and enjoy with our Lord Jesus. He never ceases to amaze me; there is always more – so very much more!

To prepare ourselves for going deeper, these heart-searching prayers are an excellent starting point. Since I am housebound, and can hardly walk now, I am unable to go to church. I pray this prayer every morning, then I receive Holy Communion on my own. Jesus makes it a very precious, special time for me to enjoy with Him:

“My Precious Father, my Beloved Jesus and my Dear Comforter, I enter Your Court with a thankful heart for You have preserved me and given me all I need to serve You. Spirit of God, teach me to worship You continuously in spirit and in truth, and to see, hear and understand You clearly in every way You speak to me. Father, I forgive and bless from my heart, those who have hurt me. I pray for restoration, healing and conversion for them.”

“Holy Spirit, my Comforter, please reveal to me if I have hurt You, or opened doors to demonic oppression, or planted seeds of bitterness. Have I forgiven everyone? Have I judged, compared or secretly criticised, falsely accused, gossiped or cast a slur? Did I exaggerate, colour the truth, or lie? Did I spend money meant for other things or take something that belonged to another? Did I covet, lust, or entertain sinful thoughts? Was I disrespectful to anyone, to those in authority? Was I arrogant, proud or jealous?

“Have I failed to believe and act on Your promises, or been lazy, wasting time, disobeying, complaining and ungrateful? Have I taken Your love and forgiveness for granted? Lord, I repent, rend my heart and long to return and please You. You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. I renounce these sins as well as pride, fear, doubt, unbelief, complacency, apathy, bitterness, resentment, and believing lies against Your character. Please forgive me and help me break this cycle of sin, and deliver me from evil.

“Jesus, please pull these up by the roots and remove the doors I have opened to the enemy. Grant me the grace to sin no more, and avoid every occasion of sin. Please heal anyone I have injured and keep me from being the cause of another man’s sin, but rather make me a blessing each day, leading them to You. I lay my life, and my will, in Your hands. Please lead me in purity as I receive Your gift to me in Holy Communion. In my heart, I kneel before You to receive with gratitude the Cross and Grace You have chosen for me today. Amen.”

– Written by Clare du Bois, 2017

Litany of Humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me:

from the desire of being esteemed, from the desire of being loved, from the desire of being extolled, from the desire of being honoured, from the desire of being praised, from the desire of being preferred to others, from the desire of being consulted,from the desire of being approved,

. . . deliver me, Jesus!

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me:

from the fear of being humiliated, from the fear of being despised, from the fear of suffering rebukes, from the fear of being calumniated, from the fear of being forgotten, from the fear of being ridiculed, from the fear of being wronged, from the fear of being suspected,

. . . deliver me, Jesus!

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire:

that others may be loved more than I, that others may be esteemed more than I, that in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, that others may be chosen, and I set aside, that others may be praised, and I unnoticed, that others may be preferred to me in everything, that others may become holier than I provided that I become as holy as I should . . .

. . . Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

– Written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)

To me, it is a comfort to know that Jesus looks at our longing to be like Him more than He looks at our track record. He is altogether lovely.

Prayer of Sr Josefa Menendez

“Jesus, Your intercessors need Your help today! We ask You for help… but we need a miracle. We ask You for strength… but we need a miracle. We seek endurance… but we need a miracle. We hope and pray for graces… but we need a miracle. We ask for healings… but we need a miracle. We long for cures… but we need a miracle. We pray for restoration… but we need a miracle.”

Spirit of Burning, Come!

“On Your altar, precious Lord, I lay down all there is of me. Try me, O God, and know my heart. I gladly yield to the searchlight of Your Spirit. I surrender, Lord. At last I give in. Blessed Spirit of God, have Your way. I lay down my life a living sacrifice for You, Lord. How can I do less when You laid down Your life for me? Satisfy this yearning of my soul, this hunger which You have created.

“My God, all-consuming Fire, Lord God of Elijah who answers by fire, come fall upon the altar and consume all my darkness. Let the fire fall! Spirit of Burning, come! Purge and purify my soul. Penetrate the deepest recesses of my heart, dividing between soul and spirit. Sift me and separate all that is of self from that which is truly You, Lord. Shake me and shake me again until only that which cannot be shaken may remain. It is Your goodness, Lord, that has brought me to repentance, that has given me these tears.

“How I love Your deep dealings with me, for I can trust You whatever You may do. As I seek You with fasting, on my face before You, I yearn to be like You, Lord Jesus. I weep, I mourn over the sin which still so easily besets me; it has long grieved You, and now it grieves me too. So great is the intensity of my desire to be like You, Lord Jesus, that it hurts. Lord, hear the cry of my heart as I call out to You from the very depths of my being. I ask You for grace to yield to the mighty working in me of Your Spirit.

“Dear Lord Jesus, You baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Baptise me now into the fire of Your Spirit, that He may burn all selfishness out of me. Conform everything in me to Your image, Lord. Set my heart free from self; burn up every trace of sin. Refining Fire, go through and through my heart, purging out the dross until only the purest gold remains. Then shall I be able to offer unto You, Lord, an offering in righteousness with clean hands and a pure heart. Make holy and set me apart – a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use.

“O sacred Fire of God, kindle in me a flame which burns with Your love for the lost. Touch my lips, Lord, with a coal from off Your altar. Cause me to speak only the words which You give, for they are Spirit and they are life. Break my self-centredness; melt the hardness of my heart. Anoint my eyes that Your love may shine through. I yield to You, dear Spirit of God. Mould me into someone useful in Your service. Set my heart afire with Your love. Come with that precious unction from above, anointing my life to be a sweet perfume for You, Lord. Set me apart for Your glory, utterly yielded, consecrated unto death. Baptise me with Heavenly energy. Nail to Your cross my will – forever. Empower, embolden me for Your calling on my life. Without You I have nothing and I am nothing. Cause me to listen; give grace to obey. Dear Spirit of Burning, Come!”

[A heart-cry that I wrote in 1989]

I was raised Methodist, and am now Pentecostal. For me as I was growing up, the highlight of our Church year was the Annual Methodist Covenant Service in which we renewed our covenant of total surrender of our lives to God.

My Covenant With God

“I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You, exalted for You, or brought low for You. Let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and whole-heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are mine, and I am Yours. So be it. And the Covenant now made on Earth, let it be ratified in Heaven.”

[This is the Covenant Prayer of the Methodist Church, renewed on the first Sunday of each New Year]

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

John Newton was born in London in 1725. He started his career in the Royal Navy at a young age. Later he worked in the slave trade for several years and captained his own ship. God saved him from certain death: from drowning in a shipwreck. John was soundly converted and saw himself as ‘a wretch saved by grace.’ In time, John Newton was ordained into the ministry of the Church of England where he was a powerful preacher. He became a prominent supporter of abolitionism, living to see Britain’s abolition of the African slave trade in 1807.

John Newton’s epitaph:

Amazing Grace

I asked the Lord that I might grow

A heart-cry of John Newton

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and ev’ry grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face.

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favoured hour
At once He’d answer my request
And by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of the heart
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in ev’ry part.

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I’d schemed
Blasted my plans and laid me low.

“Lord why is this?” I trembling cried,
“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”
” ‘Tis in this way” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou may’st seek Thy all in Me.”

Jesus, Dress Me In The Armor of God

The Helmet of Salvation: Place tightly the earflaps, guarding my ears from the enemy’s lies and whisperings. Set the Guard of Love over my mouth, that I speak with Your words, Your inflections of voice. Lower the Filter of Mercy and Compassion over my eyes, that I may see the world through Your shed Blood. Make impenetrable the helmet’s crown – the Dome of Protection – over my mind, sealing out the projections, suggestions and dredged-up memories of the evil ones. Let Your mind be within me: Let me think with, consider with and act on Your thoughts, not my own, until You make them one and the same.

I declare: I am Yours and You are mine: we are One. I pledge to strive with all my heart, mind and will to let no sin or demon ever separate me from You, stand between us, or cause my heart or mind to wander, even a step, from Your side.

The Breastplate: Gather up all that is Yours, now cleansed – my heart, my spirit, my soul, my mind, my will, my garden – and protect it within Your Breastplate of Righteousness. May the enemy’s weapons bounce off, and may their excrement slide off, nothing staying, nothing sticking. Grant me the Grace NOT to form chinks, through my sin, in this Armor that protects where You dwell within me, thereby allowing the demons access.

The Belt: Wrap the Belt of Truth firmly around me, sealing and closing up access to the enemy through finely crafted lies and deceits, into the place where You dwell, as a thief would enter a Home. Reveal to me Truth in all occasions, and help me never to bend, ignore or deny it. Let me always seek the Truth and speak the Truth.

The Sandals: May my feet be shod with the Gospel of Peace. Let my feet walk upon the Waters of Peace with each step, eyes firmly fixed on You – and may it flow out from each step in ever-widening circles, touching the hearts, minds and attitudes of those that surround me, and I interact with throughout the day. Secure within me the Peace that Passes All Understanding.

The Sword and Shield: I take now Holy Spirit’s Sword in my hand. I take from Your hand the Shield of Faith. Teach me to use these with Your Wisdom, Your Power, Your Authority — and to never shy away from a battle You have sent me to engage in. It is ONLY through Your Power, Strength and Authority that I am enabled to do this. Let me never, ever allow Pride a foothold here.

The Cloak of Humility: Cover me now, and all of Your Armor, with the Cloak of Humility. Conceal ME beneath its folds and hood; let others see NOTHING but You shining out from within.

Note from So Greatly Loved

This beautiful prayer was given by the Lord to Carol Jennings – a fellow prayer warrior. I share it with her permission.

Jesus Teaches How To Respond To A Test

Jesus said, “I ache for the loneliness and alienation that My children have because they do not know My nature. If only they knew how much I care, they wouldn’t be afraid to come to Me, they wouldn’t be afraid to hear Me. Do you know that’s the number one issue with My children hearing Me? They are afraid of condemnation and correction. And that is SO far from My true nature.”

“You don’t rebuke a baby or a broken soul, you comfort them. That’s My heart, but so few know it. Even the ones who suspect it are still afraid. It is excruciating to Me to stand by with a soul and see them suffer, knowing that if they would only reach out to Me I would comfort them, console and heal them. It hurts Me, also, that they do not understand that sin is so damaging to them. Each day I test you with something and watch to see how you will respond. Will you take the bait or will you wait?

“Patience is a big virtue when it comes to human nature and souls.  I wish for you to exercise that virtue more in your dealings with others. It will reflect who I am with much more accuracy. There are several times during the day that you get ‘spiked’ with provocation. If you could see where it originated from, you wouldn’t react. Please pay more attention to that – the enemy is stealing your energy in this way. They feed on anger, you know.

“Not only that, they want to use you to discourage others. By all means short circuit their access to your buttons, and wait on Me. I will tell you what is really going on. Wouldn’t you like that more than reacting and having to hold it down?

“It’s hard, very hard, to undo an unfair or untimely comment. It stings the other person and they react in discouragement and rejection. That’s the last thing they need. I do oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. So, if you are having continual obstacles and issues in your life, look for a habit of criticism. And of course, especially with relatives and those you owe the greatest respect for, namely your parents and your husband. I cannot bring this lesson up too much.

“Many of you are still indulging in judgment and criticism. Do you know, the News is set up to provoke you to judge so the door can swing wide open for oppression? Well, it is true. You see a slanted report, influenced by demons, you become enraged and indignant and pass judgment on the parties that are involved. Yet, you know nothing of the true situation behind the scenes. This is how the media exerts mind control over others. It is one among many techniques, but one that is sure to elicit a response. That’s why they are shredding the President continually. That’s why they publicise the worst stories. And once more the demons feed on your anger. That energy is like life’s blood to them. It comes out of you and they grab hold of it to become stronger. It is energy, electrical energy and they have a way of assimilating it into their own being.

“You should see the demons that feed on traffic delays. You literally would not believe your eyes. An accident creates a serious road block and delay and an army of demons comes in to feed off the negative energy. When people finally reach home they are exhausted from anger. This is no exaggeration – it happens every day. Anger and fear are powerful energy sources for the evil ones. That is why they are constantly provoking this response in others. Fore-warned is fore-armed.

“Now I have given you a clue as to where your energy goes when things don’t go well or something is left undone or sloppy. How many times today were you provoked to anger or irritation? Irritation is a big flashing red light. It shouts, ‘DEMONIC PROVOCATION!’ ‘DEMONIC PROVOCATION!’ Pay attention to that and don’t go for the bait. I speak to you especially in those times to give you another perspective so you won’t go off on someone. If you heed that warning, you only lose a slight bit of energy to the enemy.

“You are the target, every single day, of bullets and arrows tipped with the poison of anger, pride and judgment. Please have more wisdom than the enemy. “Wise as serpents, gentle as doves.” Don’t fall for their attempts to anger you. If you read something that starts to make you angry, RUN FROM IT!!! If there is an unjust situation and you need prayer for it, do not go into great detail to stir up anger in others. Touch it lightly and move on. You don’t realise that when you go on and on about unfair situations that the devils are actually using you to upset others. You, yourself, are angry and you are passing it onto others. It’s like an infection. At the end of the day you’re exhausted; you gave it all away to the enemy.

“When you respond in love, you short circuit the enemy’s plan to steal from you. You see injustice and instead of getting furious, you ask the Lord, ‘Why are you allowing this, Lord?’ There is so much you don’t understand. There is history, bloodlines, sins of your forefathers which carry curses and open doors. And if you knew the whole situation you would pray for the parties involved but not get carried away with anger and judgment . There is a history as to why that person is in so much trouble and is being treated so unfairly.  So rather than snapping to conclusions, it is best to say, “Lord, please intervene here, and keep me from unjust wrath. I know, Lord, You do not allow situations this bad to happen for no reason at all. You are a just God. Please deliver them from evil.” Then drop it.

“You see this is where the gossip chain steals the most energy from My people. A juicy piece of news is spread and the demons follow the trail as if it were dripping blood. They suck it all in and walk away from the gossipy phone conversation rejuvenated and re-energised to go out and cause more trouble. That’s how they work. They take what you had and provoke others to anger with that, then they feed on that anger. It is a never-ending cycle. That’s why I tell you not to listen to the media, not to gossip. That’s only one facet of these deadly habits.

“So now, how wise are you in understanding what you are up against today? If you have learned, My dear ones, please put it into practice and conserve your energy for My work. I will remind you of what I have taught you today.  I love you. Go and be as observant and clever as the snakes. Yet so gentle that, like the dove, you flee at the first sign of dissension and negativity. And by all means, spread My healing and unconditional love to those who are wounded and broken, and aren’t able to function the way they should.”

Note from So Greatly Loved

This is an excerpt from a message given by Jesus to Clare du Bois, recorded on the Still Small Voice channel. This anointed channel is helping many thousands of Christians to go much deeper into the Heart of Jesus and enjoy precious intimate fellowship with Him. This message teaches much on how we can be ready for the coming of Jesus in the Rapture.

For more information on Still Small Voice visit the website heartdwellers.org

Adventure with Jesus in India: Danger and Astounding Miracles

My husband and I had received two personal prophetic words calling us to serve Him. In the first prophecy, the Lord confirmed the longing of our hearts when He told us that there was a work for us to do for Him, and it was for that purpose that He had brought us together. The second prophecy, given some time later, made it clear that we were called to work in India. God led us by a series of beautifully dovetailed steps to apply to join a large international team working for Him in Uttar Pradesh, bordering Nepal in northern India. The photo above shows my husband and me during a later outreach, enjoying a ride on a cycle rickshaw in Punjab, north west India.

The Lord’s timing was perfect. When we heard about the forthcoming mission in India, there was just enough time for my husband and me to arrange to have the mandatory vaccinations and obtain malaria medication. It took me three days, making phone call after phone call to several travel agencies, before I managed to arrange air travel to fit in with the schedule we had been given.

First impressions of India

As we walked out of Delhi Airport a little before midnight in early April, the first thing to strike us was the overwhelming heat; it was almost unbearable even at that hour. Our next impression was how simply delightful Indian people are; they are so gracious, so kind and so very helpful. Everything in India is colourful, in fact I soon discovered that they have colours that we have never seen in the West. How I enjoyed dressing like the elegant Indian women! Punjabi suits are very comfortable and easy to wear and I felt immediately at home in them. I loved the ‘chunnis’ – scarves which are an essential part of the Punjabi suit. They told me there are twelve ways to wear the scarf. I greatly enjoyed experimenting!

The sheer volume of traffic on the roads took our breath away. All manner of vehicles, and even an occasional elephant with his rider, were going in whatever direction they wanted to go, with no apparent right or wrong way. To us it looked like total chaos – yet it seemed to work. The streets in India are incredibly crowded. Forms of transport are varied and very different from the West. Women balance sidesaddle on scooters, maybe even holding a child on their lap. It looked decidedly risky to me, but they easily keep their balance, and manage to look elegant; they obviously enjoy riding like that.

Surprisingly, we saw people standing talking in the middle of the road, and a horse-drawn cart in the middle of heavy traffic.

People often sit on top of lorries and buses like this, and even sometimes on top of trains too.

This is a school ‘bus’ in Punjab. The boys were sitting while the girls were standing.

Indian roads can be extremely crowded, with people travelling on a wide variety of forms of transport. We saw men walking among the moving traffic, even stopping to chat as though they had all the time in the world. It’s not unusual to see a horse-drawn cart, or occasionally someone riding an elephant in the midst of the traffic. We have sometimes seen camels, and oxen pulling carts on the roads too.

The Adventure Begins

A mission to the Hindu people of the area was the main purpose of this exciting trip, with practical hands-on training for us all in praying for the sick, leading souls to salvation in Jesus and counselling them. Forty churches of various denominations, covering a large area of northern India, were participating in the mission. The many hundreds of people attending the meetings sat on the ground on large sheets, as the photo below shows.

As the Word of God was being powerfully preached, the Lord moved in mighty miracle power, healing one person after another just where he or she was sitting. These were desperately needy people who had not even asked for prayer; God sovereignly touched them by His power. It was exactly as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 107:20: “He sent out His Word and healed them.” Miracles were happening spontaneously all over the grounds, to the amazement of that vast congregation.

There were many miracles in every one of the meetings. People rushed forward as soon as the preaching finished each evening, and formed a long queue to climb onto the platform to give their testimony of what had just happened to them. They demonstrated, beaming from ear to ear, that they could now do this or that thing that their condition had previously prevented. It made a profound impression on the crowd when a Hindu priest who had suffered from a serious heart condition for twenty-five years, testified in delight that he was now totally free. The priest had been completely healed by the power of Almighty God and immediately gave his life to Jesus.

In this photo, people were praising God for all that He had done for them by His miracle healing power, and that their lives were now transformed by Jesus Christ living in their hearts. Six thousand Hindus found Jesus as their Saviour in that glorious mission and churches over a wide area were well prepared to welcome them.

Our team consisted of people from several countries. Prayer formed a vital part of our work. Christians around the world had already been faithfully praying for a long time for this significant outreach. In our team there was a group of intercessors who prayed together throughout every evening meeting – just twelve of us – and we prayed as one with enormous power. We were a small group of seasoned prayer warriors. As an intercessor, I knew that my place each evening was with the intercessors who, unknown to the congregation, were deep in prayer in a curtained-off area immediately behind the platform. However, on the first evening I was torn between taking my place with them and my curiosity to remain in the meeting to see what might happen there. To my shame, I selfishly made the wrong decision and stayed in the meeting. I soon realised my mistake, and deeply regretted it. Never again that week did I fail to be where I knew I was supposed to be!

It was thrilling to be an intercessor behind the scenes during those evening meetings. There was considerable danger from a hostile militant group and the Indian Army had to be called in to protect the team during the mission. An escape plan was explained to us and we were put into groups of six and had to stay together as far as possible. Every group leader constantly checked to make sure that the group members were all present. I had to let our leader know when I moved out of the meeting area to join the group of intercessors. Before the first meeting, we were shown on a large chart exactly where buses had been strategically parked out of sight in case a sharp exit was called for. It would be a huge undertaking to evacuate our team of one hundred people in case of immediate danger. The Indian soldiers who were guarding us were extremely courteous and, to my surprise, smiled and saluted us respectfully when we arrived at the grounds each evening.

As the meeting proceeded, someone would come to update the intercessors from time to time on how things were going, and telling us what most needed prayer. We learned at one point that militants were already climbing over the walls at the far end of the field, bent on disrupting the meeting and throwing the congregation into panic. They were determined to prevent the preaching of the gospel at all costs. We intercessors stood in a straight line in our allotted intercession area directly behind the platform, binding the power of those hostile disruptive demons which were the driving force behind the militants. We took authority over them in the Sovereign Name of Jesus and commanded them to leave. Suddenly the young men turned round and every one of them fled from the area. Every knee will one day have to bow to the Name of Jesus; He is King of kings and Lord of lords. God answered our prayers and the militants’ evil plan came to nothing.

On another occasion, our group of intercessors was told that we should take authority over the Hindu ‘trinity’: the three highest gods of the 330 million gods worshipped by Hindus: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. There was extremely strong spiritual opposition to the preaching of the gospel. We prayer warriors fought through in prayer, taking authority over the powers of darkness in the mighty, sovereign name of Jesus. As all opposition melted away, many souls were born again by the power of the Holy Spirit who opened their eyes to see that Jesus is indeed the Way the Truth and the Life. (John 14: 6).

There are many roadside shrines dedicated to Hindu gods, and statues or pictures of their gods are to be seen almost everywhere in India. The photo above shows an indoor market stall where tea and snacks were on sale. It was rare to see any stall or shop that did not display images of some of Hinduism’s 330 million gods; they were everywhere.

Some 6,000 souls were born again into the Kingdom of God through that glorious mission. These precious people passed from death to life spiritually: from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. Scores of very sick and infirm people received astounding miracle healing through the power of our risen Lord. What rejoicing there must have been in Heaven! That part of northern India would never be the same again; the impact made by the gospel there was profound.

Our first visit to India was both unforgettable and life-changing. It was thrilling to witness God at work in so many thousands of lives. The opportunity to pray for healing for individual people after the meetings, and counsel them if they needed help, was a new experience for my husband and me. The people responded warmly and received the answers that they were longing for. For the members of our large international team the mission was a valuable hands-on training experience. This stood my husband and me in very good stead in our future mission trips as a couple.

We have been privileged to see some notable miracles since our first visit to India. A lady whose badly deformed hands were claw-shaped, and who was consequently unable to do anything at all for herself, was instantly healed after prayer. To our absolute horror, she knelt down on the ground, kissing our feet as though she was worshipping us. I said to the Indian pastor whom we were helping, and who acted as our interpreter, “Quick! Tell her to get up! We ourselves have done nothing at all – it was Jesus!” If she had not stood up immediately, we would have knelt down on the ground with her. All glory is for the Lord alone, and He will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8).

Miracles are always awesome to behold. I am truly sorry for those who have never seen the power of Almighty God in action like this. Miracles are becoming more and more frequent as we are now living in the Last Days. It is breathtaking to see people who are being healed from the excruciating pain of the life-threatening conditions that have crippled their lives. Human compassion yearns for those who are suffering to be relieved of their pain.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt the greatest miracle of all is when people come to Jesus just as they are, realising how much they need Him and asking Him to save them. All their past is instantly forgiven and they are set gloriously free from the weight of it. They become brand new people on the inside, and are now on their way to Heaven instead of Hell. What a Saviour! Do you know Him? The choice is yours: eternal life with Jesus in Heaven, or eternal horrendous suffering in Hell with Satan. ‘Forever’ is a very long time to regret having made the wrong decision.

Jesus Warns: A Judgmental Attitude Puts Us in Great Danger

Jesus, please open our eyes and hearts to the consequences of our opinions and how we injure others with our mouths. Amen.

A horrific vision was recently given of Jesus in agony on the Cross and a Roto-rooter blade was coming up through the core of the Lord’s Body and ripping the flesh from inside of Him. The Lord was vomiting flesh and blood.

Jesus said, “If I were to come now, many would not be taken in the Rapture because they are against Me – they are persecuting the members of My Body, assassinating, ripping it limb from limb, disembowelling and piercing My heart over and over again with their judgments.” Jesus explained further, “This is what I am going through with My Body. It is sick, sick, sick with the cancer of Calumny, Jealousy, Fear stemming from Ignorance, Backbiting, striking with wicked claw, Division, Avarice, Stealing from the poor, and Greed. My Body is very, very sick, even unto death.”

Jesus continued, “My Brides, if you are spreading negativity and judging My servants… In fact, if you are judging ANYONE – you are in sin. Your hands are stained with blood, your wedding gown is also smeared with blood. You will not, will not, WILL NOT be taken in the Rapture if you do not reform your ways! Stop gossiping, stop judging, hurting, destroying ministries you don’t understand that are bearing the copious fruit of salvation and sanctification. It is time for you to change. I need a spotless Bride, one whose heart is struck to the core with sorrow for these people. One who knows the grievous sins they have been guilty of in their own lives, and refuses to judge others for their sins. You can judge the sin, but only I know the motives involved. I want your hearts to be pure and gentle, meek and loving, always praying for the best in even the most hopeless-looking cases.”

“Every time you draw attention to the faults of others, I must draw attention to yours. You are called to cover the faults of others. Just continue to pray for and bless those who injure you. That is the safest posture. It is much better for you to go sifting through your own conscience every day with a repentant heart. This will bring forth good fruit. You are all called to be saints. That means you do not think as men on Earth; you think with a heavenly mind. You love unconditionally; you pray for those who hurt you. Remember: ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.’ You are the ones who demonstrate the thoughts and ways of acting in Heaven, because it is your homeland and I live inside of you.”

Jesus continued, “My People, if you are serious about serving Me, you cannot enter into wilful disobedience. My angels watch over you, but if you take it upon yourself to pass judgment on another soul, it creates a hole in your protection… You, in My Body, who pass judgment on others: you are shooting yourself in the foot and losing massive amounts of Grace. What you dream and hope for will be opposed until you learn to honour and esteem others more than yourself. The littler and poorer the soul, the greater offence it is to Me when you make ANY kind of judgment against them.

“If you know and practise this way of thinking, even in the hidden chambers of your hearts, you will grow in grace and anointing in My Kingdom. You will also be honoured by the angels, who will come swiftly to your aid. They are gravely offended by the poison of presumption. But be especially on guard when someone offends you. This is a time when you are most vulnerable to lashing back with judgment. And many times, this attitude deprives you of the operation of the graces I have granted you previously. So, you pray and wait for My anointing – then after you get it, you squander it by judging others.

“I tell you these things, My dearly loved ones, so that you can advance in holiness and the anointing to break the yokes of evil that have been put on My children. I count on you to follow this teaching, because it is vital to your growth and the salvation of other souls who could have been touched by you. I have shared these things with you, because I love you all so deeply. And I want us to function in the fullness of our potential, that you may be filled with My joy and that it spill out onto others. Walk in this way faithfully, and you will become holy, even as I am holy. I truly love you so very, very much.

“My dear ones, no matter what your flaw is I protect you many, many times so you will not fall into it. However, if I see you looking down your nose at anyone, I withdraw My protection and leave you on your own so you will learn how weak you are and never criticise another.  Yes, humility is a huge protection.”

Note from So Greatly Loved

This is an excerpt from a prophetic word given by Jesus to Clare du Bois and posted on the Still Small Voice Channel. I have shared this with her permission. For further information visit the website heartdwellers.org

Awesome Testimonies: How God Has Guided Me

God wants us all to know His will. Apostle Paul wrote, “So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honourably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for His purposes. And don’t live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will.” Ephesians 5:15-17, The Passion Translation.

To the Colossians, Apostle Paul wrote, “We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” Colossians 1:9, KJV.

God expects all Christians to know His General Will as it is so clearly expressed in the Bible. At times, however, when we have to make big decisions in our lives, we badly need to know God’s Specific Will for us. God desires that all His children will be living in His Perfect Will, knowing exactly what He has called them to do. However, if we do not know His Perfect Will for us, we will at least, hopefully, find His Permissive Will: that is to say, God’s Plan B. Anything less than the Permissive Will of our Father can only be called disobedience.

The Bible clearly teaches God’s General Will. For example, Apostle Paul wrote, “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.” Romans 12:2, The Passion Translation.

Apostle Paul also wrote, “God’s will is for you to be set apart for Him in holiness and that you keep yourselves unpolluted from sexual defilement.” 1 Thessalonians 3: 4, The Passion Translation.

The specific will of God for individual Christians

An example of the Specific Will of God is found in the church in Antioch. We read that, while they were worshipping the Lord in prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “I have called Barnabas and Saul to do an important work for me. Now, release them to go and fulfil it.”

Acts 13:1-2, The Passion Translation.

To be in the Perfect Will of God means to be in the very centre of God’s will. In Acts 16, we read that Paul tried to take the gospel to Asia, but the Holy Spirit prevented that because it was not His time. Instead, He gave Paul unmistakable guidance through a vision in the night in which a man from Macedonia was pleading, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” It was a significant step for the Apostle: the Gospel was to be preached for the first time in Europe. That was the Perfect Will of God at that time.

It is said that most Christians are living in the Permissive Will of God. We could say that in the Permissive Will of God we are only settling for a ‘Pass’ – but in the Perfect Will of God we are aiming for a ‘Distinction.’

A good illustration of the difference between the Perfect and the Permissive Will of God is recorded in 1 Samuel 8:6-22. The Perfect Will of God was for Israel to be a theocracy. Israel, on the other hand, wanted to be like other nations; they preferred to have a king to rule over them rather than Almighty God; they rejected His rule and suffered the consequences of deliberately stepping out of God’s Perfect Will.

It is said that most Christians are in the Permissive Will of God, satisfied with settling for a mere ‘Pass.’ That is because they are not aligning their own will with God’s will. The highlight of the year for me in the Methodist Church in which I was raised, was the prayer of total commitment which we prayed all together at New Year in the Annual Covenant Service. In this prayer we told the Lord that we genuinely wanted to yield ourselves to Him, leaving every choice in our lives one hundred percent to Him. It is a prayer of full surrender to the will of God in which we renewed our total commitment to serve God at the beginning of each New Year:

My Covenant with God

“I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You, exalted for You, or brought low for You. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and whole-heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are mine, and I am Yours. So be it. And the Covenant now made on Earth, let it be ratified in Heaven.”

In Bible times, God sometimes guided His people by speaking to them in a clearly audible voice.

We read that through the centuries God spoke from time to time in an audible voice to His people. It is recorded that in the cool of the day God would enjoy fellowship with Adam and Eve in the Garden. They were familiar with His voice. One day He challenged, “Adam, where are you?” knowing that they had fallen into sin (Genesis 3:8’). They immediately recognised the voice of God. Later, after Cain had murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy, God called out to him, “Where is your brother Abel?” Genesis 4:9.

God spoke audibly to Moses at the burning bush when He called him to liberate the Children of Israel from slavery to their Egyptian taskmasters. (Exodus 3:4ff)

God spoke audibly to the boy Samuel, when he was servant to Eli the priest in the house of the Lord at Shiloh. Young Samuel heard the voice of God clearly and ran to Eli, thinking that the priest was calling him. (1Samuel chapter 3).

The crowds heard the voice of God audibly when Jesus was baptised. “As Jesus rose up out of the water, the heavenly realm opened up over him and he saw the Holy Spirit descend out of the heavens and rest upon him in the form of a dove. Then suddenly the voice of the Father *shouted from the sky, saying, “This is the Son I love, and my greatest delight is in Him.” Matthew 3:16-17, The Passion Translation.

Peter, James and John heard the voice of God when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. Luke records, “… a radiant cloud of glory formed above them and overshadowed them. As the glory cloud enveloped them, they were struck with fear. Then the voice of God *thundered from within the cloud, “This is My Son, my Beloved One. Listen carefully to all he has to say.” Luke 9: 34-35, The Passion Translation.

Saul of Tarsus heard the voice of Jesus as he journeyed to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. Luke records that, “Just outside the city, a brilliant light flashing from heaven suddenly exploded all around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a *booming voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The men accompanying Saul were stunned and speechless, for they heard a heavenly voice but could see no one.” Acts 9: 3-5, The Passion Translation.

Does God speak to His children in an audible voice today?

Yes, God does occasionally speak with an audible voice to His children even today. I know someone to whom this happened. She was attending a week-long Christian conference with her family. The meetings were held in a large theatre. On the evening in question the subject was Missions. Shortly before the meeting was due to begin, one of the organisers asked the congregation to bow their heads and remain in prayer until the speaker went to the platform. The waiting people duly bowed their heads in reverence.

Suddenly this person heard a commanding, authoritative voice. She said that it sounded like thunder as it reverberated through that vast auditorium. The voice spoke with an authority that was apparently beyond the ability of even the most eminent actor to imitate. She heard only three words, “Will you go?” Startled by the sheer volume of sound, she quickly raised her head and looked around. To her astonishment, everyone else in the theatre was still sitting, praying with their heads bowed, having apparently heard nothing. She had expected to see them all looking around them in shock. It was totally incomprehensible to her that they had not heard anything because the voice she heard was sovereign, commanding, all-powerful, extremely loud and full of majesty. It sounded like thunder. Gradually it dawned on her that maybe there was just a possibility that it was God Himself speaking to her in this striking way. She had longed to go on the mission field but had not dared to believe that such a calling might be for her. Some years later, she described what had happened that evening to the Principal of her Bible School who confirmed to her that she had indeed heard the audible voice of Almighty God. God was guiding His child into His perfect will for her.

*The words in bold italics in the Scriptures quoted above describe accurately the volume of the powerful, majestic voice heard by the person to whom I refer.

God often guides by a strong impression

This is a persistent feeling – a quickening or a knowing that comes at times to all Christians that we ought, or ought not, to do something in particular. It is almost certainly the Holy Spirit giving us a nudge in the right direction. There have been countless times when this has happened to me. Something important had been mislaid, for example, and I was irresistibly led to look in a certain place; the missing object was invariably found there.

Strong impressions from the Lord could be about a phone call that needs to be made straightaway: an order has to be placed, or an appointment made. Maybe a reply to an overlooked email is long overdue. If ignored, the feeling soon becomes impossible to resist. Peace returns immediately when Holy Spirit promptings are obeyed. Our heart must “be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One.” (The Passion Translation).

The Greek word Paul used, which is translated ‘rule’ in Colossians 3:15 in the KJV, means ‘to act as an umpire.’ He wrote, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” This would have brought vividly to the mind of the readers of the original Greek text of the New Testament a picture of an umpire blowing his whistle whenever a foul has been committed. If we do not have peace in our heart we need to touch base immediately with the Holy Spirit. It is invariably a sign that we are somehow missing His will for us. God guides us by confirming that we are in the centre of His will by giving us His perfect peace in our hearts.

A very strong impression

Late one night, I had a clear impression that there was a strong spirit of jealousy coming against me. I took authority over it straightaway in the Sovereign Name of Jesus, binding that demon, together with any associated demons and all their leaders, backup and forces of retaliation, to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was immediately a lightness in my spirit, and I was soon fast asleep.

God guides through quickening His Word to us

When we open our Bible a verse can sometimes ‘jump out of the page’ and grab our attention; our eyes are drawn straight to it. This is known as a ‘rhema’ – a Word quickened to us by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. This is fairly common. Some people who are seeking a word from the Lord like to use ‘The Bible Promise Book.’ Others may favour a Promise Box: a small box full of assorted Bible verses on little cards to meet every imaginable need. It is important to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us before using these means of discernment.

God may guide through the Holy Spirit gift of prophecy

The gifts of the Spirit are usually confirming; God often uses other methods first. For example, a prophecy had been given to my husband and me at the end of a meeting many years ago. It was to do with our having a joint calling to serve God, but not giving specific details other than that ‘there was a big work ahead for us to do for Him, and that He had brought us together for that very purpose.’ This prophecy confirmed the longing we shared. We treasured in our hearts those words of the Lord to us. Some time later a second, more specific, prophecy was given to us in another church, telling us that God was calling us to India and giving details of what we must do to prepare. Prophecy can often be a confirmation of what we already know in our spirit.

Guidance may be Step by Step

Once the prophecy referred to above had been given to my husband and me, we needed an open door to enable us to make a meaningful first visit to India. At that time I used to watch a certain inspiring programme on Christian TV, recording it for my husband to watch when he returned from work. I never watched the last few minutes, which consisted mainly of adverts about resources, but I left the TV recording while I got on with my housework. One day, I walked back into the living room to see on the screen “Come to India with — —!”

Contact details were given at the end of the programme, together with an announcement that those who joined the team would have opportunities for hands-on ministry: this meant praying for the sick and leading people to salvation in Jesus. We would also be given an interesting tourist schedule. Hands-on experience was just what we were greatly in need of! We phoned the contact number and were accepted to join an international group of around one hundred people. They didn’t even take up our references – they were obviously trusting the Lord that only those whom He was calling would apply. To our surprise, we found that we were the only people from the UK. It was a truly unforgettable and life-changing experience, and a major step forward in our preparation for missionary work.

God guides through Circumstances

The timing of God is perfect. When we applied to join that large international team to work for Jesus with them in India, there was only just enough time for us to arrange the mandatory vaccinations and obtain malaria medication. Had I not continued recording the TV programme until the end, we would not have known that the answer we needed was right there on our TV screen in our very living room! A mission outreach in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, was the main part of this trip, with much practical hands-on training for us all. This was just what my husband and I needed and it came at exactly the right time for us.

God Guides through visions

In the mid 1980s my family and I were not happy in our church. We were so hungry for teaching in the deep things of God and, although our church was very loving and had many activities in which we and our children could be involved, we yearned for a closer, much deeper walk with God. One day, my husband and I, our three children and our little West Highland White Terrier were driving to the beach, where Vicky could have a good run on the sands. As we drove round a bend, I saw a most unusual sight. I alone in our family noticed this and it struck me as so out of the ordinary that I quickly mentioned it. I had seen a flock of miserable-looking sheep standing huddled together knee deep in thick mud near a farm gate. There was no pasture whatsoever in that field: not a single blade of grass, only an occasional spiky piece of stubble sticking up out of the deep mud. The sheep had moved right up to the gate near the road, as though they wanted to get out of there. It was at that point that the Lord spoke clearly in my spirit. Meanwhile we continued driving towards the beach.

“How stupid is that!” I said to my husband as I described the scene, “Whoever would treat their sheep like that? Those poor sheep can’t move for the thick deep mud reaching above their knees. They are rooted to the spot and have nothing at all to eat, so it’s no wonder they look so miserable: they are literally stuck in the mud!” My husband suggested we turn round so that we could all see this extraordinary sight. We did so immediately, only to find that the scene had totally changed in less than a couple of minutes! Not only were there no sheep, but there was no mud either, and the large empty field now had rich green grass! I insisted that I had not made it up – I had definitely seen what I described. Fortunately my family believed me. It was then that I divulged what the Lord had said to me as I was looking at that strange sight only two or three minutes earlier. The Lord said, “If you continue to live in this place, you will become just like these sheep – stuck in the mud!” The inner voice was unmistakably clear, as was the distress of those starving sheep. We took this to be guidance from the Lord that we should move to another county, which we immediately made plans to do. It was a huge step of faith for us as a family. The school year was due to begin before long and we had three school age children. We had a house to sell, and we did not even know which county the Lord had selected for us to settle in!

Years later, when I shared with our Bible School Principal the unusual sight of miserable-looking sheep stuck in mud up to their knees, and what the Lord had said to me as I looked at them in amazement, she told me that I had seen an ‘open vision.’ I had not heard that term before.

It was during those few weeks of the school summer holidays that I heard the Lord say something else to me that left me bewildered and wondering if I could possibly have have Him aright. He told me that our elder son, just turned sixteen, would be living with another family for a while. My husband and I kept that unexpected and extraordinary piece of information to ourselves for the time being! But it was indeed the still small voice of the Lord that I had heard in my spirit. For a number of reasons, all to do with the house sale and our long distance removal, it became necessary for our elder son to live away from home for a term. That unusual personal prophetic word to me fulfilled to the letter. He was tremendously happy in his temporary home with new friends in his age group all starting Sixth Form College together in the county town.

God Guides through Dreams

We read in Acts 16:9-10 of a dream Apostle Paul had when he came to Troas on his second missionary journey. He saw a man saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” Paul and his co-worker had been attempting to take the gospel to Asia, and had recognised that the Holy Spirit was firmly closing that door because it was not yet the right time for Asia. In his dream God told the Apostle where his next ministry was to be: he was to branch out into Europe. It is recorded that “immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Shortly after settling in our new county, I saw an advertisement for a Modern Languages post in a small private school and went for an interview. The pupils seemed to like me, and the classes were astonishingly small. However, one thing troubled me: I was expected to run a sports club after school at a time when I needed to be back at home with my family. The Headmaster wanted to know my decision within three days. I rarely dream, but the Lord gave me a very vivid dream which I remembered in detail on waking; that did not normally happen to me. In the dream I was driving along a familiar road and came to a fork. I knew that I had always taken the right fork before, but in the dream there was an enormous bright red circular No Entry sign, larger than life:

Puzzled, I quickly looked at the left fork and saw a rectangular blue sign with a white arrow and the words ‘One Way.’

The meaning of the dream was clear enough: I was used to being a teacher, but this time it was not God’s will for me and He was showing me not to take that familiar route. Nevertheless, to be sure, I checked it out with our pastor, who confirmed my opinion.

A final word:

A Foretaste of Heaven

How Jesus longs for us to spend time with Him, to adore Him, to sit quietly in His presence listening to His voice, simply being with Him. When we fall in love, we long to spend time with our beloved! We look out for his mail; we long to hear his voice; he is always in our thoughts. That is just how our relationship with Jesus can be. Jesus is always waiting for us, longing for us to leave what we are doing in order to simply spend time together with Him, like two best friends together.

I remember so clearly how I was as a newly engaged young woman in 1969. We had had a brief two-week courtship, ending in a day of prayer and fasting after which we were absolutely certain that God had brought us together. (Our Golden Wedding Anniversary is Christmas 2019). My beloved and I married within five months of first going out together; he was 26 and I was just 27. In the busy months before our forthcoming wedding, my fiancé unfortunately had to be living a long distance away and we only had time together at weekends, when his parents kindly invited me to stay with them, and he was able to join us there. In the middle of the week I was able to receive just one precious phone call from him. It was on Wednesday evenings during our church midweek Bible study.

We would have about seventy people at the Bible Study, and we always sang several hymns before the Bible Study began. The phone was situated upstairs in the Pastor’s flat. To answer it, I had to go out of the meeting room, up a very long flight of stairs to the Pastor’s flat, and through two doors before eventually reaching the phone. This was before we had mobile phones, of course. Just think about it for a moment: there I was in a meeting, singing, not knowing when my call would come. Nevertheless, I was able to hear it ring in a distant room, over the volume of seventy other people singing at the top of their voices the glorious hymns of Charles Wesley! Nobody but me heard the phone; seventy people singing at the top of their voices make a great deal of noise. Why did I hear my phone call come in? Because I was expecting to hear from my beloved!

The Pastor’s wife was amazed that in the circumstances I had been able to hear the phone. She even said that my hearing was “too good!” The point I am trying to make here is that our Beloved, our Lord Jesus, longs to talk to us, but we must have a listening ear. As the Shulamite said in the Song of Solomon 2:8, “The Voice of my beloved! Behold he cometh…!” She did not fail to hear Him! Likewise, I did not fail to hear my beloved’s phone call despite the considerable volume of seventy people singing, and the number of doors and stairs between me and the phone!

Our courtship was Jesus-centred by the grace of God. Whenever we could, my fiancé and I used to spend time together worshipping God in the spirit. We knelt down side by side and worshipped Jesus; the Holy Spirit gave both the words (our respective Holy Spirit gift of tongues) and a heavenly melody to each of us. These heaven-sent melodies were different every time and were blended together by the Holy Spirit into a harmony so beautiful that the presence of Jesus was almost tangible. It was a deeply moving, unforgettable experience.

It is recorded in Revelation chapter 2 that Jesus spoke to the church at Ephesus, saying “You have abandoned your first love!” He first commended this church for several things they were doing which pleased Him. However, Jesus was grieved by the fact that they no longer loved Him as much as they used to love Him; they had lost their first love. Let us ask Jesus to search our hearts right now and show us if that is true of us. If it is, we are hurting our Lord and depriving ourselves of the indescribable blessing that comes from a deep, intimate relationship with Him.

Heavenly Worship orchestrated by the Holy Spirit

When I was a student teacher at London University in the mid 1960s, years before my husband and I met, I attended a large Pentecostal Church where Holy Spirit gifts were fully in operation. The presence of the Lord was almost tangible and the most wonderfully uplifting part of the services was the time we spent worshipping God in the spirit. The entire congregation would simultaneously move into heavenly worship, each one singing in his or her personal gift of tongues, in a beautiful melody given individually to each worshipper. The Holy Spirit merged the enormous number of different melodies into one harmonious whole. It was as though Heaven came down to Earth. It was indescribably beautiful; I did not want it to come to an end.

I told a Christian student music teacher friend about this singing and she was naturally keen to hear it for herself. My musical friend was overwhelmed — quite undone! She told me that it was utterly impossible to train people to sing so many different melodies blended into one harmonious whole like that. It was humanly impossible, she said; it had to be God. Did you know that this is the way in which the early church worshipped their Lord? To me it is so sad that nowadays the vast majority of Christians may not have experienced this breathtaking, unique Holy Spirit anointing on their worship. ‘Worship in spirit and in truth’ is God’s perfect will for His church: Jesus said in John 4: 23-24 that God is continually seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Holy Spirit-led worship is beautiful beyond my ability to describe. It is indeed a precious foretaste of Heaven.

Many years after my student days in London, my family and I were privileged to belong to a greatly blessed Pentecostal Church in Somerset, in the south of England. We travelled thirty miles to our church with our young family. The sixty mile round trip every Sunday was well worth it; the preaching was anointed and we all grew steadily in the Lord. However, the greatest blessing to me was, as before, the way we worshipped. Every Sunday, just as in my student days in London, we sang in the spirit for a prolonged period, each one of us adoring the Lord in his or her spiritual gift of tongues and unique heavenly melody given by the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Lord was almost tangible; He was there, and we all experienced His Presence. Incidentally, as I wrote in one of my earlier posts, I was at an Easter conference held by the same church in the early 1980s when hundreds of Angels joined us in our worship and some of us saw them clearly – close up. You can read my personal testimony about this astounding experience in my post ‘Childlike Faith Works.’

A closer look at singing in the spirit

In John 7: 37-39, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Jesus was referring to the work of God’s Holy Spirit in us. In worship “in spirit and in truth” — from our innermost being — there are times when our natural language cannot express the depths of what we are feeling, and we find ourselves singing in tongues. That is where the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, as Jesus promised He would, and rivers of prayer and worship flow from deep within our inner man, resulting in heavenly sounds that originate from God’s Spirit within. Singing in the spirit flows spontaneously; there is great liberty in this worship. The anointing lifts us high into another realm where the presence of God is almost tangible. It is a deeply moving experience.

The Greek word for tongues is ‘glossolalia’ and worship in the spirit is known as ’glossolalic song.’ Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:15, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit…”

This Holy Spirit-led worship has been likened to ‘the strings of a huge harp set in motion by the wind of the Holy Spirit.’ It is a uniquely beautiful, unforgettable sound, which leaves those who have been privileged to participate yearning for this Holy Spirit anointing again.

Jesus challenged me

Asking Jesus to come and live in my heart and be my Saviour was the most important decision I have made in my life. For years as a teenager I had been reading the Bible every day, but never understanding it. My journey with Jesus began when I was eighteen during my first term at University. The very morning after I had become ‘born again,’ the Bible made sense to me. In John’s gospel, chapter 3, Jesus taught about our need to be born again: to know Him intimately in our heart. My life was immediately transformed: it was like going from black and white to HD in one fell swoop! Over the years, Jesus has taken me to Spain, to France, to India and to South Africa working for Him, seeing Him do some amazing things – even miracles. What a Saviour!

The Impact of the Oberammergau Passion Play

Previously, when I was seventeen, my parents had taken my sister and me to see the world famous Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany. This was a significant step forward in my search for the truth. The history of this play is interesting. In 1633, the Bubonic Plague was decimating the village of Oberammergau in Bavaria, southern Germany. In utter desperation, the villagers gathered together in their parish church and humbled themselves before God. They vowed to enact the Passion of Jesus Christ every ten years for evermore, if God would graciously put an end to that deadly plague. God honoured their faith and the plague ended immediately. The villagers are continuing to keep their solemn promise. Apart from during the two World Wars, the village of Oberammergau has faithfully performed the Life and Passion of Jesus Christ every ten years.

Actors in the Play must either have been born in Oberammergau, or have lived there for twenty years. They give up a whole year of their lives on this project. The Play lasts eight hours! The fall of man is portrayed, explaining the need mankind has of a Saviour. The entire Play is Bible-based.

The scene that made the deepest impression on me was when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus struggled in utter agony as He contemplated taking on Himself – in His body – every single sin that had ever been committed, or ever would be committed. How this spoke to me! I knew I needed to be saved. I cried for more than three hours in the coach as we returned to our hotel a long distance away from Oberammergau.

The following year, more conscious than ever how much I needed a Saviour, I went to University. God’s timing was incredible! Soon after my first term began, there appeared all over the Student Union posters announcing, “THE ANSWER IS CHRIST!” I heard the gospel clearly in that mission and gave my life to Jesus that week. I have never looked back!

My journey with Jesus has been thrilling. He has never failed me. I am enjoying sharing my adventures with Him. Truly, I am ‘So Greatly Loved.’

Note from So Greatly Loved

2020 is the year in which the next performance of the Passion Play will be held:

The photos below are from the 1960 performance of this magnificent Passion Play, which I was so privileged to attend as a teenager.

Childlike Faith Works!

In my journey with Jesus (by this I mean my Christian life) I have learned that the more childlike and simple I am in my faith, the more easily I receive from Jesus the things I am praying for.

Jesus said some interesting things about the simplicity of little children. Just think about it for a moment… To a little child, if Daddy has promised something that he or she is longing for, they just know that Daddy will keep his word. They may even tell people “Daddy’s going to give me…” because to a little one it’s a done deal: Daddy always keeps his word. Always! It’s not surprising that Jesus said what He did in Matthew chapter 18

In many places in the gospels, Jesus taught on the absolute necessity of believing that we will receive what we ask for. Here are just a couple [italics mine in the Scriptures below]:

“And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive” Matthew 21:22

Jesus said, “All things are possible to him that believes.” Mark 9:13

Some personal examples of childlike faith

When I was still a fairly young Christian, a friend whom I greatly respected because she was at Bible College and knew so very much more than me, told me that it’s possible to hear Jesus actually speaking to us in our prayer times. I hadn’t heard that before and decided to give it a go. I simply said “Jesus, Anne* says it’s possible to hear You speaking to me. I would really like You to speak to me, please.” I simply expected Jesus to speak to me — and He did!

I do not mean that I heard an audible voice! No, certainly not! But what began for me that day, like for scores of my Christian friends, is that Jesus began to speak clearly to me in my spirit, deep down in my heart — the real me. It was something like when you suddenly have a thought such as, “Oh, I must phone the dentist this morning” — an unmistakably clear impression. We do not hear voices! I do hope I’m making that clear!

* this name has been changed.

A wonderful, much deeper, walk with Jesus now began for me. He spoke loving words of encouragement day after day and made the Bible come alive. He also spoke some very much-needed words of correction to me from time to time. Everything that Jesus says or does is always in love. He IS love. I started to keep a journal in which I recorded all these precious words of Jesus so that I could turn to them again and again. In future posts it will be a great joy to share some of these with you. You will be amazed — and so blessed.

For the Bible record that Jesus does indeed speak to to those who belong to Him, turn to the gospel of John, chapter 10, where Jesus talks of Himself as a good shepherd who knows His sheep (see verse 14). He goes on to say in John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Another example of childlike faith

Some years further along my journey with Jesus, I attended a Christian conference at Easter one year with a colleague. During a very beautiful time of worship, in which the awesome presence of God filled the building, one of the leaders on the platform suddenly said, “The Angels are here, helping us in our worship, and some of you can see them!” At that point I had my eyes closed, lost in worshipping the Lord, enjoying His presence with us; it was so real that it was almost tangible.

What would you have done in a situation like that, I wonder? This is what I did: I thought to myself that if some of us could see the Angels, I wanted to, and asked that I might see them. I am so hungry for the things of God that I was not about to miss an opportunity like this! I quickly opened my eyes and simply expected to see the Angels. The key word here is ‘expected’ and I was not disappointed. There were Angels simply everywhere — hundreds and hundreds of them. They were standing between all the rows of people, worshipping the Lord together with us.

What did they look like? Well, if they were standing on the ground, they must have been seven or eight feet tall. They had such beautiful faces, and they glowed with golden light and were translucent — almost transparent, but clothed with light. It wasn’t until much later that I found a reference in the Psalms to being “clothed with light as with a garment.” That is exactly what I saw.

In both these testimonies the key was expecting to get the answer to my prayer. In very simple faith, like a little child, I expected to receive what I had asked.

God has no favourites. He longs for all of us to trust Jesus as our Saviour. Our loving Heavenly Father also longs for us to know Him as our Father. He has so much blessing for us if we will open our hearts to Him in simple childlike faith.