The Picture is the Story...

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream

God is not manipulative in this...

A guest post by: Mitzi Hopper Sahawneh

Testimony:

I want to share this testimony-- this is an experience-- I know that it can be dangerous to put too much emphasis on experiences-- but I have also found, that by sharing experiences or testimonies, when God wants this, is valuable and used of God. I know this because God has used things, that other people have shared, to teach me and help me to understand things. However, the underlying principles must line up with God's Word. 

FAITH-- God will call us to do rash acts sometimes-- on faith alone. What I mean by rash-- is really-- irrational on some level. The rational must be tested for faith to operate. 

In thinking about Jack's prayer request, I remember a time when God called me to make a move on faith as well. (this move did not require near the faith of Jack's because I was alone-- I was not married and did not have a family and children to consider-- that makes a major difference and is much more weighty than what I dealt with--- I was alone). Long story short, I came here to visit and never returned back to Georgia, where I was living at the time. 

I was visiting for Christmas, but FELT.... yes --FELT-- that I should not leave. God does work in our emotion. We are expected to know when it is God working in our emotion when He is working strongly. I drove two hours to go back to Georgia and FELT strongly that I should not go. I even pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed by Bible.... I found nothing. This seemed contrary to me, because I thought you were supposed to find everything in the Bible! So there I was, at 11:00 at night in Nashville on the side of the road (I was very young--mind you) looking in my Bible trying to make sure this is what God was wanting me to do. I found nothing there.

When I got back on the road to return back here--- it was as if God was saying--- don't you know when I am showing you what to do?! It was as though He was saying-- Don't you recognize My strong pull in your life and don't you believe Me? -- Now He did not say this....... I am not talking about anything audible or anything like that.... but I just could not believe that He was asking me to do this..... it made no sense to me...... but it was Him.

I went back to my grandmother's house, at the time I just assumed that God wanted me to stay a while longer. I had no idea He was going to want me to actually move back here.... but was wondering.

I started to rationalize. I had a job in Georgia and was supposed to work the next day. I felt terrible! I believe STRONGLY that you DO NOT just leave your job, you always work out a 2 week notice (no questions asked)-- that is just the right thing to do--- why would He lead me to do this? This seemed to be contrary to doing the 'right' thing to me. This made no sense. God would never ask me to do something like this... but He did.

They had just started moving me into management-- something I thought God was doing in my life at this job. We see things as they are at this moment in our lives. Our logical conclusions about what God is doing in our lives are all based upon what we can SEE. But God is working on a much higher level. He is using what is going on now in our lives, but He has the full picture. This is why we can look back on our lives and see that we were mistaken about what God was doing in the SEEN world sometimes. We come up with conclusions based upon the SEEN, the things we see in our lives. That is the extent of what God shows us.

God is not manipulative in this. It is --us-- that naturally draws logical conclusions about what God is doing based upon what we can see right now. I know that God does show leaders His vision for things-- goals and so forth-- but sometimes He does not show anything of what is ahead but He fully expects us to know 'His voice' in our lives and to obey. 

When I began to look at what God had been doing in my life, I could see His hand clearly at work. It is no mistake that I had already been packing my things up because I thought I was going to start school at a university there in Georgia. So there I had been packing, for several weeks already, getting ready to move, thinking it was going to be about 1 hour away---- when it ended up being here...... 8 hours away and two states away from where I was. 

My mind was in a struggle. I just could not believe this was happening. In some ways, I was having to 'weigh out' what I FELT with my convictions (my responsibilities to my job and THIS MADE NO SENSE). I thought it was wrong to not go into work-- I felt very guilty because of this-- yet I knew good and well that God was showing me to stay here. 

What I am saying is-- other people may criticize and you may even evaluate things and say 'this cannot be God'......... but it very well may be. There may be some things that do not fit into what we count rational or even ethical! 

Anyway, God worked every single detail out. He worked every --- single---- detail ---- out. He worked out the money, the apartment, another job, a Bible college (of which I had NO intentions of at all), EVERYTHING. That is one thing about it--- When God calls you to act on FAITH--- He WILL provide everything. You will know that it is Him.

How do we distinguish between acts of God in experience and our own emotions and feelings. From what I have... well, experienced, there is always a time of deep awareness of God, fasting (not necessarily all the time-- although it has always been with me) -- and a CLEAR --looking to Him. God had been working MONTHS in my life, destroying my idols, emptying me of self and giving a burning desire for Him before this. 

These are not times of high emotion and mountaintop experiences in the physical sense. NO! They are the opposite. God draining the desire for the world and showing our shortcomings. He shows Himself clearly and ALL else fades fast in His light!

I lost my electricity at one point and all I did was read my Bible by the light of an oil lamp---- and was FULLY satisfied-- praise be to God! Who cares about lights and electricity when you are feasting on God's Word!!!! What looked like poverty to the world--- was RICHES in reality!

There is a time where God prepares and teaches us and gets us ready for these things. Clearly, this IS God. Me makes Himself clearly present in our lives so that when the time for action appears-- we are without excuse to not act-- AND we will see how God has lined everything up. God makes a way for His will.

God will 'strip us down' to nothing -- so to speak-- so that we are level headed in these things. These acts are important because they become pillars of our faith and will be needed later in our lives. So we can look back and see the faithfulness of God in our lives and because of that--- we can step out again and again on this faith. 

While I realize that there are people who have committed murders that claim all of these same things... even that it is God--- this does not diminish in any way, shape, form, or fashion God's works in His children. A counterfeit should be expected-- this does not mean we should not acknowledge these things in our lives-- by no means. 

These acts are there to build our faith and the faith of others. AMEN

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream

Living by Faith is an Adventurous Life

Posted by a Facebook Friend

Aaron David 

February 20 at 8:22am Report

Hi Archie?

Last night I was scouting the web for a church to attend here this morning, one in particular stuck out for no particular reason, so I and brother Seth agreed we would attend. Later I went downtown to busk for our immediate needs and two officers, Matt and Billy, walking their beat approached me. Officer Matt tossed two bits in my case and asked to hear a song, I liked him immensely and immediately. After the song we got to talking about what I was doing in town and gangs and stuff, then Matt said he had some friends who helped people like me with food and shelter and showers. He said he would call them and be back after his next round to tell me if they had room or not. 

As I was waiting Seth returned and soon after a kind lady handed me a twenty while I was singing Psalm 134. Right after that Matt and Billy came back, sorry, no room, but food and showers definitely, and Matt handed me the address and number of the joint. I didn't look at it as I stuck it in my wallet to call the # later. 

Later last night Seth and I decided to go check out the church we'd felt drawn to.  The name had been changed from the web info, but it was the SAME place officer Matt directed us to, a homeless ministry not advertised anywhere!

Like I always say, can't make this stuff up! 

God bless you Archie!

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream

Living in Africa Among the Poor Gives a Fresh Perspective

Jim Taylor 

February 18 at 1:31am Report

Jesus did say, "The poor will always be with you.' ... but what if He did not mean "There will always be poor people" ..? But rather meant "YOU will always have poor people with YOU" ..?

In other words, those who follow Jesus were marked by always being with the poor and the poor with them.

I don't think .. when the 'sheep and goats' judgment comes, that He is going to say "I was hungry and you gave to United Way. I was naked and you gave to the Salvation Army" .... All those things do is insulate us FROM the poor and help salve our conscience so we feel like we have done something.

Yes .. giving to charities helps feed and clothe people. But there is never community that comes out of it. We can go back to our air-conditioned and centrally heated houses in our SUV's while never having had a face-to-face encounter with the poor.

So my question is... what if the Lord envisioned the Church as being filled with the poor? Interacting with the poor .. each member doing so? Living in some kind of community with the poor? Having them always with us?

Different note: A Friend (name edited by Archie) was preaching in a huge Church in the west last month. She was telling us about how lavish it was .. how the seats for the Apostles and Prophets were so plush .. all up front .. and how the poor people were shuffled to the back of the huge building where they wouldn't bother anyone.

When she got up to speak she invited all the poor to come sit in the Apostles and Prophets seats and when they were full she had the rest of the poor sit on the floor in front of the Church while she preached walking among them.

She said she doubted she would get invited back.

Blessings my friend ..I look forward to meeting you face to face in Austin in the near future.

Jim

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream

When PUSH comes to SHOVE... do you FOLD or PRESS ON?

A GUEST POST BY MY GOOD FRIEND RICHARD GLENN

Greetings in Jesus,

Many of you have been inquiring as to my whereabouts and health update. On Saturday, January 29th I was admitted to Fremont Area Medical Center for severe pain in my neck. After preliminary diagnosis I was transferred by ambulance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. I will not go into detail as to the testing performed as it is quite lengthy thorough and frankly I do not have the energy to go deep into it right now. 

Their findings, although we are still waiting for some of the final test results, are that they believe they have discovered several sites of cancer in my body. My spine, my liver and possibly my bone marrow. 

As you know, I made a renewed commitment to deepening my personal relationship with the Lord recently and I know this is nothing more than a spiritual attack. Not toward me in particular, but to the intense scriptural and spiritual increase I have been experiencing since the last week of 2010. Satan is not afraid of me, but he is horrified of the Word of God in me. It's the power of the scriptures in a person that he comes to immediately attack. The more of a threat a Christian becomes to him, the more he increases his efforts to either get us to back off of the Word or get us out of his way altogether.

Am I worried? Not in the least. The Lord has given me marching orders [1 Timothy 4: 12-16] and I aim to carry them out. 

My confession of faith is that I am cancer free. Jesus is my Redeemer, spirit, soul and body. Sickness and disease may attack me but it is unable to remain in my body. I belong to Jesus Christ. He is my Savior, my Healer, my Refuge and my Strength. God's Word will prevail.

I appreciate your prayers of agreement that God will get the glory He deserves. No offense, but if you are of those who pray, "If it be thy will" that I receive healing then please refrain from praying for me. I love you, but it is without a doubt God's will that I receive my healing. Please, no offense intended but this is too important to leave in the hands of "IF".

I love and appreciate you and will resume my teaching ministry soon. God bless!

Rich Glenn

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream

Sometimes it feels weird to feel normal...

GUEST POST: Jim Taylor

As most of you know, I have been battling something for 3 weeks or so and was having a pretty rough time of it.  I did the last of the blood work yesterday .. do not know the results yet ... but ....

A couple days ago two missionaries came to pray for Twyla and I.  She had fallen in the rain and hurt her back, tailbone and elbow and they also knew I was sick.  They brought a 10 year old Mozambican girl with them.  They began to pray and the little girl took my hand and began praying in Portuguese.  When she did it was like Jesus Himself walked into the room!  I cannot describe it, but I knew He was here in way different from just the normal "he's always with us" way we talk about.  

While I did not have much change at the time, Twyla's elbow was completely healed and her back and tailbone were much improved.  

Over the next two days I continued to improve.  I was on a course of light anti-biotics but nothing else.  Last  night about 2:30 in the morning I woke up feeling strange.  I got up, got a drink of water and then realized .. I felt NORMAL!   It's been so long it felt weird. 

Thank you so much for you prayers.  Twyla is still having some stiffness and soreness but is much improved.  Keep her lifted up for we know Papa God is taking care of us.  Thank you for helping by prayer.  It is the thing we ask from everyone.  

Blessings

Jim & Twyla

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream