Nigeria Journal: Part 9, Monday evening, Nov. 4, 2013 Prayers, Preaching and Prophecy

The worship chorus at Rescue Mission Church

Silvia (such a pretty voice and beautiful spirit!)

  

Back at the church there was music, exhortation and Brett preached about the power of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of prophecy.  He only went on for 30 minutes because IG said he had to have his flock on the road no later than 9:00 so as to avoid street bandits.  Sheesh!

Pastor Ignatius warming up the crowd

Brett wows the crowd

  

Penny in a sea of faces, all intent on the Word of God

After Brett was done preaching we (the team) lined up and Brother Moses poured oil into our palms.  The entire congregation filed past us, one by one, we laid hands o the them, anointing them and prophesying over each one. I’ve had this done to me, not with the oil though, but I’ve never prophesied  over individuals before.  I was tentative at first but every soon I became bolder and the Spirit quickened in me and I felt such love for each person I spoke over!  About 1/2 through the line I started asking each person their name.  I felt that was really important.  IT WAS AWESOME!  Men, women, women with babies in their arms and at the very end, all the children!  I’m sorry to say that we were not done by 9:00.  I think it was closer to 10:30, but we heard no reports of robbery or violence so all was good.

Susan, prophesying over the congregation

Brett anointing the worship team

We gave a lovely girl a ride home.  She came all the way to the hotel with us.  She’s one of the girls in the worship team.  Susie thinks her name is Sea Foam, and that she might Ucey’s (one of our drivers) sister.  (I learned later that her name is Silvia.)  We talked about traditional folk songs.  She has a beautiful and simple voice and sings in the little worship chorus.  I sang her the song that Cletus Okapu taught me so many years ago.  Then Penny, Susie and I sang “Be Thou My Vision”.  I told her that tomorrow night I’d ask her to write down the words to the song she sang and that we’d talk more about folk songs.

Sweet and Sour

Revelation 10:10,11

I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it.  It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.  Then I was told, “You must prophesy again but about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

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There is an incredible sweetness and a rush that comes from knowing that God is talking to me, just to me, that he is trusting me with important things that need to be spoken and accomplished.  Nothing, so far, takes me higher than hearing him speak to me and to know that he trusts me to understand and act.  He trusts me!  He trusts me?

He is not a human, that he would be disappointed in me if I fail.  If the Master of the Universe gives me a specific task, and thereby makes it known that he trusts me, I cannot fail!  It means he has picked out specific tasks directly related to who I am and how I function best.  I may not recognize it, but he obviously does.

So, the fear of the unknown is vanquished!  

But the sour stomach?  

People won’t believe.  They’ll turn their backs and walk away.  What God reveals through his prophet will be misrepresented, written down and used to deceive.  Wars will be fought in God’s name because people will pick it apart and use only what they want.  Innocents will die and evil men will flourish.

I would think that would turn anyone’s stomach.  Poor John!  From such highs to such lows!

Our Very Own Prophet

We have our very own prophet in our tiny church. When Anthony speaks most people pay attention. He will be 30 years old in a couple of weeks. It's not always easy to understand him, sometimes even listening really hard isn't enough.

Anthony was born with Down Syndrome. He lives in a Godly home with his mom and dad and attends church almost every week.

On any given Sunday you'll see him sitting up front and during our worship time he has a wonderful time! Almost every week there is a time of public speaking. Whether it'giving testemony about a healing, or reading from scripture and telling how that verse impacted their lives, people are free to give voice to how they feel God has blessed them. And most weeks, not all, Anthony hears God speak to him and he shares. Usually his words are in response to someone elses testemony. He will read a scripture verse that perfectly folds into what has been said. And sometimes he ever speaks openly the words that the Lord gives him personally. I likek to say he, " knocks my socks off!" the truer phrase is, "he blesses my bones!"

Prophesy

Prophecy
Today I start a blog on my relationship with God. That's becasue I have a feeling that things are going to be changing for me, that I will be heading down a new road.
Here's what happened;
I have been a member of our church's intercessory prayer team for several months. Terry our team leader has prayed over me a few times and the same theme seems to pop up. She has prophecied that God intends to use me now and that I need to be ready. (I had been sick for several years with Lyme disease and chronic pain but God performed a miracle on Friday, Oct. 29, 2006 and lifted my illness and pain from me.
So,after the second time Terry pronounced that word over me I started to look for the way God would choose to use me. I believe that I am being sent out as a speaker of hope and encouragement. I believe that I am to become a public speaker, giving my testemony to womenn's groups in my area.
But I have had, all my life a problem with seeing things through. Like I said to my husband last night, "All my threads are hanging out and none of my seams line up!" I'm a person who sews. As opposed to being a sewer. 80)
Today, at Terry's house I told what I said and she told me about the dream God had given her six months ago.
Terry saw a very large peice of beautiful cloth hanging on a line, flapping in the breeze. She noticed that the end was frayed and that the threads were unraveling. She was concerned becasue she thought that the beautiful cloth would just unravel until the design on it was ruined. So she thought, "What can I do to save this beautiful blanket? I don't sew and I don't know what to do." Then the Lord answered her and said, " You have two choices. You can cut the threads away. That will make it look neat but it will not solve the problem. The fabric will continue to unravel. Or, you can take the threads, one by one and tie them together. That will stop the fraying and save the beautiful artwork."
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up! Here is an answer! Somehow, all my ends will be tied together. The beauty of the work that God has for me to do will be preserved and I will know what to do
So now I prepare a presentation. There is so much I can talk about, about a loving God who has walked me through so many dark valleys. When I know what the Lord wants me to say I will pick a date and give my testimony to the ladies of the IPT. Then we'll see where the Lord leads me from there.