Spiritual Agents for Hire

By Nina Medrano –

 

I was praying for a loved one who is trapped in a cycle of temptation, asking the Lord to deliver her as he delivered me, to protect her against temptation as he protected me; to tip the balance from living a lie to living in truth, as he did for me. I began to see a picture of a chase, a hunt, for her life. I saw words, like, SELF-DESTRUCTION, DEATH, VIOLENCE and HARM, seeking her out. A sense of urgency for her safety stirred my heart to pray. I asked the Lord to “hide her in the shadow of his wings” (Ps. 17:8), to “hide her in the cleft of his rock” (Ex.33:22), to “house her in the secret place of his most high” (Ps. 91:1). I prayed that these spiritual assassins would not find her and that they stop seeking her out.

As the picture of this spiritual chase played out in my mind, the Holy Spirit re-played the words I spoke to my loved one just a day prior. Sharply, I said to her, “You could be hurt or lying dead somewhere! What if something happens to you, I won’t know what to tell the police?” I was so afraid for her well-being that I didn’t stop to consult the Lord for wisdom. I just spewed out words from a place filled with fear and worry.

I have heard many messages, read scripture, and studied books that teach on the power of our words. But, this is the first time to visually see how my words are currencyin the spirit-realm with which I hire agents to carry out death or life assignments.

Humbled by his Spirit, my posture falls to the floor. It grieves me when the Spirit of God has to discipline me. Yet, his loving hand of correction re-aligns me to God’s word and I find myself thanking him again for the conviction. I sought forgiveness from my loved one, the Lord and from myself—and found it.

I feel a new sense of accountability to steward my words; to be more effectually in the spirit-realm by hiring godly agents to carry out life assignments!

Deuteronomy 30:19 New Living Translation (NLT) “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

 

The Richest of Blessings

By Diane Mayfield –

 

I’m constantly learning new spiritual lessons from my grandchildren. I don’t know why I’m amazed, except that I thought I’d learned all I could learn from my own children. Grandchildren either remind me of truth I’d forgotten, or I’m just now learning. Either way, I’m in awe.

 

My daughter just had her first child, a baby girl, so I have a newborn in my family. When newborns come into your family, they are beautiful in all their tininess and baldness. Their noses are often too big for their faces, and they are often all scrunched up like old men. Others often don’t see the beauty that you do. I’m sure my precious new granddaughter looks the same to an outsider but not to me.

 

Her tiny hands and toes are a marvel to me. I get lost in her big, deep-blue eyes, and that “too big nose” reminds me of my daughter’s nose when she was a newborn. Of course, it’s gorgeous to me. I love the way she moves her hands and legs with no real intention. Her communication skills are limited to wailing at the top of her tiny lungs at times, but I’m so grateful she makes her voice heard. I really could simply stare at her for hours.

 

When I hold her, I think of another newborn. The One who was The Word that “…became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14 NIV.)” When He was born, He, too, was totally dependent, like my granddaughter, except He was also God. He allowed mere mortals and sinners to nurture, feed and clothe Him. He cried for his every need. His bodily functions were just like every other tiny, dependent human being. He could not even hold His head up without the help of others.

 

I look into the face of my newborn granddaughter and I try to imagine what it was like for Mary to hold and care for the Son of God. I cannot really imagine what she felt or whom she was seeing in her totally dependent son. It had to be a little hard for her. What she saw and experienced just didn’t match up, and yet it was true and she knew it.

 

Wow, there are so many lessons for me from this tiny person. First of all, I am humbled that my God became like this newborn babe for me and for you, just to grow up and give His life that you and I might live with Him for all eternity. That truth never ceases to amaze me. Then, to think of Mary holding a totally dependent, little baby that she knew was God, and yet dependent on her reminds me that what I’m experiencing at times is not the total story. Truth is in the Word, what God says is true. What I see or feel does not tell it all. It has to be consistent with God’s Word and His higher and greater purposes. I often don’t see that until years later.

 

I’m so grateful for this precious new life in my family. I’m grateful for all three of my grandchildren. Not only for the joy and delight they bring to me but also for the spiritual truths that their existence reinforces for me once again. They truly are the richest of blessings.

Hawaiian Humility

By Cindy Martin –

 

Hawaiians are indeed a humble people. My husband and I had opportunity to experience their gracious and hospitable spirit on our recent trip to three of their gorgeous islands. The trip was a fulfillment of a dream of ours to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. It was glorious – a steady stream of brilliant sunshine, dazzling sunsets over the ocean, lush green foliage accentuated with cascading colors and exhilarating aromas, plenty of new adventures and all the mango and pineapple that we could eat!

One of our new adventures was to try boogie boarding. Wearing our matching mango-colored Monkskin shirts to protect from sunburn and boogie board rash, we waded out into waist-deep waters, ready to ‘catch a wave’. Let’s just say the wave caught us! I had just turned to listen to what my husband was saying and the next thing we knew our legs were tangled up in each others’ under the water, our boogie boards had left without us and we came up gurgling salt water and gasping for air.  The ponytail that I thought I had anchored at the back of my head was now dripping into my left ear!  Once we were able to gain our footing (much closer to shore), we laughed uncontrollably at ourselves.

I had just commented earlier that day that you sure could tell who the tourists were.  My words had been in response to all the mismatched and clashing Hawaiian print shirts and shorts we’d seen, along with the big wide brimmed hats and heavily sun screened faces. We now felt like the obvious tourists and were experiencing a little Hawaiian humility of our own!

Despite our initial ineptness, we did manage to get in a number of good runs; enjoying the pure bliss of skimming across the top of the water at what seemed like warp speed. Our form was not perfect by any means – in fact I finished off the day with a full face-plant in the sand, complete with a scratched up chin and skinned upper lip!  Still we had so much fun and I am not soon to forget the very practical object lesson I learned that day. “Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 RSV).

Prayer: “Thank You Lord for the gifts of fun and recreation.  Thank You too for joining us in our fun and creating teachable moments in the midst of it all.”

“First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall” (Proverbs 16:18 MSG).

 

 

A Moment

By Elaine James –

 

I was nervous as I waited with my classmates for the announcement of who would get the part of Mary. The teacher stood up and shouted, “…and the part of Mary goes to Elaine.” This was the highlight of my childhood. I walked down the aisle at the children’s church service and approached the baby Jesus in the manger. I knelt beside Him, stroked His brow, and placed Him in my lap till the service ended. It became one of the most fulfilling moments in my life.

I was doing an assignment in my Bible study years later where I had to trace the moments in my life where I was touched by God. It helped me to see that playing the small part of Mary played a big part in my life.

In my growing up years there were many struggles in my family, so my dreams were put on hold. In my twenties when I discovered the saving grace of Jesus, He began to heal me from the inside out. I felt like a new person, ready to reconnect with my dream, so I signed up for acting classes.

When I read through scripts I was drawn to the end where the moral of the story was revealed. A small whisper came to me one day saying “Theater with a message.”

God’s message, God’s vision, God’s ideas, God’s revelation, God’s awareness…  When asked to do script writing or acting projects my response is “If God is in it He will help me write it and perform it.” What a blessing it has been.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God gave Joseph dreams. Joseph told his brothers and dad about his dreams. He had to wait many years before his dream came true. Everything God promised Joseph as a boy was fulfilled.

We all have moments in life where God placed dreams or desires in our heart. Do you remember some of the moments? Have you given up on them? I pray this message is reminding you to carry on with courage and have the faith to believe and not give up on your dream.

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

 

PRAYER:  God, remember when you put that on my heart (name the moment or dream)?  I thank you and I pray that you continue to guide me in this dream with faith so I will not give up.  Amen.

 

Erase Contact

By Peter Lundell –

 

I got a message that a long-ago church member had died a month previously. After a protracted battle with cancer, he finally gave out. I hadn’t seen him for six years, and I had talked with him perhaps three years earlier. His name and phone number were still on my cell phone contact list, just as I had once called it.

It seemed so strange to have a contact number and an email address for someone who was no longer on earth.

If I called his number, who would answer? So I called: Three screechy tones, then, “We’re sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the area code and the number and try your call again.” Beep, beep, beep, beep . . .

I wondered what it would be like if the phone company had a message like, “We’re sorry. The person at this number has left the rat race on earth and entered eternity. We hope you can make contact when you go there too.” I doubt I’ll ever hear that.

Anyone with a cell phone has added and deleted names and numbers from the contact list. But when I went to do it this time, I stopped and could only stare at the name. Erasing his name seemed like something only God should do.

When I finally erased it, I did so with reverence—and sadness that a life had slipped away in obscurity. Others who had known him well hadn’t heard about his death either.

But God knew him—and I’m sure welcomed him as he checked into heaven. No matter how obscure we are, whether in life or in death, the important thing is being known by God.

“Father, You know my name. You know who I am. I’m not very well known on earth, but I don’t need to be. You know me. I am Yours and You are mine. And I am in the palm of Your hand….”

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains” (Psalm 116:15-16 NIV).

 

 

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