Your response protects you from Satan’s attacks. (jon-tyson-mr9qc7VLnek-unsplash)
You can be a First Responder!
Our Lord cares about how you respond. While what happens to you is not always within your power to control, your response is always within your power. Why does Father care so much about your response?
It’s an opportunity for faith, which pleases God.
I hope I can learn this well and deeply, it will change my life and I believe it can change yours. And this lesson is being brought to me these days in multiple ways, and I would be foolish not to learn.
Worship is our key response. Which opens doors to so much else.
I got sick: this is a call to worship my Healer.
I had financial pressures: this is a call to worship my Provider.
I have a family member who is under tremendous pressures: this is a call to worship my Creator.
(My special thanks to Amanda Rankin who teaches such things as this and who provides timely, needed and loving reminders. May everyone be blessed to have a good friend like she is.)
See the pattern? Problems are literally a call to worship the One who provides help and everything that we need.
You could simply ask for help. Worship as a first response is better; not only is such worship an implied request, it has side effects on you: greater faith. Puts our Lord highest, instead of making idols in your heart out of what you desire.
Putting righteousness and the Kingdom first, all of these other things are added to you.
And…asking for help after you have worshipped connects you better to the One who Helps. Puts the King first instead of your need. Allows and assists you to receive help better from your Helper.
First, I heard a concern here in a WhatsApp group about home robbery. Not sure what to do with that and suspecting it was more likely for long-term members, I just made a mental note of it and moved on to other things. A special note, because a brother in Christ and a good friend had his brother in Panama recently attacked in his own house by several men, one with a knife. He’s in a coma in the hospital, still. So the warning of a robber in a house struck me stronger than usual, was more noticeable than usual.
Not long afterwards I saw that a rainstorm was coming. Even verified this with a neighbor who is Panamanian and who I expect can read the weather here better than I. (This rainy season has had fewer rainy days than has been usual, but when they come the rain pours hard for many hours.) So I took dogs outside for a last chance to do their outside business.
Rain came, it got cold and temperature dropped. AND I had a fear – not typical for me, of my house being robbed. So I locked outer gates, during the day – which I have never done. I even asked for intercession with two original sets of people. My concern was strong.
Next day I was not doing well. Leg hurt, and I was not doing well at all. Unusual for me, but I noticed and tried to not do things that required me to be resourceful and at my best. I still ended up having two conversations, one by email and one by WhatsApp where I was not at my best. Maybe 60-70% of what is normal for me. So today I did what I could to set things right and to apologize.
Now, by hindsight, putting all this together…I am wondering if this was a Word of Knowledge warning me of a spiritual, not a physical attack.
Recently I’ve been in learning to recognize Words of Knowledge, something I had not previously noticed. I’m wondering how frequent they have been and how little I’ve noticed.
Another Word of Knowledge may have come, too. The tension in my leg from the leg cramp resulted in tension up and down my body on that side and eventually was resulting in a neck-headache. A painful one.
And the second picture I saw on Facebook led to my meeting with someone new, a person who captured the second photograph. Which turned out to be a Divine Appointment – someone with whom God wanted me to meet. We are learning from each other. This was a Divine Appointment or a big coincidence. And I am learning that big coincidences are often Divine Appointments, it’s worth paying attention and finding out.
In one day I had these two experiences with what may have been a Word of Knowledge. I think maybe they were just that.
What do you think? What does your experience tell you? What is your own experience with how you experience a Word of Knowledge?
Reminded me of waking as a child, I would wake with joy and also with joyful anticipation of what wonderful things I would get to see and experience that day.
Joy is a gift from our Lord, which you and I get to receive.
Love is a gift from our Lord, which you and I get to receive.
Jesus gave us these gifts. From heaven. Gifts are already given from heaven. These gifts are yours! Already yours. Now are yours.
Open and receive that your joy may be full.
Share the joy and love which God has already given you. The more you share such gifts, the more you learn to live in them. And the better prepared you are to share your gifts with yet more people.
Be contagious with joy and love! It’s easy.
Just ask for more of Holy Spirit. Then follow Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit gives you gifts such as love and joy – already given. Already yours. It’s effortless.
No effort on your part. No working up or getting excited, no pumping yourself up. These gifts are already yours. Receive what Jesus has already given; it really is this easy.
And look for and feel the joy which is already given to you in the morning. Each day, this wonderful gift is yours through Jesus Christ.
You might not know; you may even be doing both – being empathic and receiving a Word of Knowledge – one of the Spiritual gifts – about someone else.
Add compassion, like Jesus, to your gentle awareness of pain – the healing and ministry is better, easier, faster.
You can do these things for others, especially when you have a Word of Knowledge that allows you to feel and experience what is going on with the other person. You can often do this for others in intercessory prayer.
I wonder if this is is how Jesus sometimes healed. I think probably so.
Jesus as the Word who created all, including us, has given us these gifts to gently and lovingly use.
Jesus literally has created us to heal trauma and pain.
What amazing and wonderful gifts he has given us.
And he has sent Holy Spirit to help us discover, learn about and do these things. Which, with our Helper and Guide, goes so much better, easier and better.
So do as he told us, and as he showed us. Heal pain and trauma in yourself and others with gentle compassion and Holy Spirit.
Do not wait, do not be passive. He tells us today, go: heal the sick and free the bound. With gentle compassion and love, go forth and heal. You do these things.
He has equipped us and given us all we need to do as he says.
Those of you who are (HSP’s) Highly Sensitive Persons or who are highly empathic have been especially equipped to heal this way, with your gentle, compassionate and loving attention, first with front of the mind awareness, then with back of the mind awareness which resolves trauma and speeds healing along. These are gifts from our Creator, the Word. Jesus.
And, you can always ask Holy Spirit to adjust your emotions, energy body, and relationships.
I have some friends, Tamara and Todd Engwall, who pastor an electronic church that I get to attend, and who I have long thought are especially superb at giving blessings. So much so, I wanted to learn from them how to do what they so often do so well.
Today I got new clues that give me what I expect may be an impressive start in that direction.
What I noticed today was that yes, they give a blessing, do it wonderfully well, and differently than I do. This I already knew.
So I knew that a blessing was being given.
What I had not noticed, yet, was that there were more elements to what they were doing to be noticed; it was not just a simple blessing.
Here’s what I noticed that was new for me, that thanks to a question Todd, a highly prophetic person, asked; and I was able to express with words. (This was like some prophecy, I had no idea what would be said until it was said.)
They give a blessing, a good one,
Which is prophetic, and
It is also a prayer. A prayer that is for someone.
Said differently, they pray; they pray for someone. They prophetically say what God says. Their prayer is full of Holy Spirit and the dynamic power of Holy Spirit.
And…their prayer is given in the form of a blessing.
When you want to do this, it’s probably a good idea to ask God how to pray for an inspiring and helpful prophetic blessing.
Notice what you experience next, it’s usually quick! Assume that’s God’s answer unless it’s out of character for God. Then minister like Jesus: do as you are told, do as you are shown.
Pray as you or shown, told, or as you feel; or as an idea that suddenly appears to be in your own head – as if it were your thought.
And keep on praying until God’s answer about how to pray is enforced!
Decide for yourself. Is this a kind of prayer? Really?
Because if so, we may need to be much more alert.
One day I shared a dream with a friend, telling him of something I deeply wanted. I had told nobody before. I had not thought to pray about this.
Two days later I was given an offer that included what I told my friend I was asking for. I not only accepted, but this put me on a path of growth that lasted for years.
Later, I wondered about what had happened. My friend has Holy Spirit in him. I thought – realized – I was not only talking to my friend; I was talking also to Holy Spirit. I was talking to God.
And it was a holy conversation. Jesus promised to be with us at such times, to be among us. So I was talking to Jesus, who was among us.
I believe I was not only talking with a friend. I was praying.
Since I learned about this pattern, I have seen it repeatedly not only in my life but in the lives of others I know.
Is this really a kind of prayer? What does Holy Spirit say to you about this? What should you be doing about this?
You have a calling. God has called you to be and to do. You’re calling does not go away, God does not change his mind about such things. This makes it easier to notice you’re calling, because there is a pattern in your life that can be seen. Making your calling easier to notice, perceive, and discover things about.
What do I mean, discovering things about your calling? You are called to serve and to minister to certain people, certain kinds of people. And those people are generally called to receive well from and through you. What this means is that you do better when you serve and minister to such people: they are more receptive and eager, you are more gifted and skilled. Much less frustrating than ministering to those to whom you are not called.
Have you ever noticed how some people seem to make you “dumber” than you are? I’ll bet you have; we all have. This is something that happens to all of us.
Other people bring out the best in you, help you to be better and smarter and more effective than is usual for you. These are people you are gifted for, and people who are gifted to receive from. People you are called to, and people who are called to receive from you.
It’s important that you discover who such people are, what kinds of people these are in your life. So you can recognize them and search them out. So you can serve and minister to them on purpose. So you can discover and learn how you are called to serve and minister to them.
Because God called you to this.
Because you’ll be more successful when you respond well to your calling.
Because these people-groups and individuals will receive through you what God has called you to do for them. Such people hunger and need what you can offer to them.
It is a joy to serve such people. To succeed more effectively and more often. To be received eagerly and well by these people.
It is a *joy* to serve and to do what God has called you to be and to do.
.
So pray, remember things that have happened. Ruminate. Meditate. And discover more about how and to whom you have been called and created for in unique and wonderful ways. To serve.
It is a joy to be your best self. It is fun. It is wondrous and you will learn much as you serve.
Discover and learn about your calling, who you are called to serve, and how you are to serve them. Even where you are called to serve them.
Ask God to help you understand and respond well to your calling, he knows and knows well – he’s the one who called you!
Since God has called you, respond, and respond well. Be and do who and what you were *literally* created and made for.
And rejoice! Rejoice in our Lord. And follow – follow how you are called – and be filled with joy and wonder, rather than with frustration and pointlessness. This is a much better way to live, and too few do this. Too many suffer needlessly, not doing these things.
This *is* an amazing and wonderful way to be living! Do this – discover, learn and explore. You may have to experiment to discover such things – do so. It’s okay! And expect and be alert for clues and hints from Holy Spirit as you do so.
Who are you called to be? What are you called to do? With and for whom?
Be filled with so much joy you have to rejoice out loud. Rejoice!
You can call on God. You can call on the Lord. You can call on “I am”. Wow! And what can you expect to happen?
You can call on the Lord and be saved. It’s a promise. God does not change and keeps his promises. So you can call and you will be saved.
Saved as in the Greek word “salvo” which can mean saved, made whole, and healed. What a wonderful word!
You can call on “I am” to save you – from whatever you need saving.
You can call on the Lord to be made whole, and to experience your wholeness.
You can call on “I am” to help you and you will be helped.
You should experiment with this, explore and personally discover what you can discover. Learn and be surprised and filled with wonder and awe.
You have been privileged to call on God, to call on the name of the Lord, to call on “I am”. To call on Jesus. And you will be saved. That’s a promise.
I wonder about how many ways you can call on our Lord; how many ways you can use his names. How many he can save. How we may be made whole and even healed. I hope you do, too.
I hope you will join with me and explore and experiment with this. What can you and I learn about this?
Let’s share with each other what we do discover. It’ll be fun, exhilarating, and full of good surprises…I am sure of this.
Call on our Lord and be saved. Be “salvo-ed”. And discover what this means and what practical results you can experience in the real world.
I believe that when you call on a thing or a person for a response; it goes best when you do this in calling on the name of the Lord, first. Like putting the Kingdom first.
I used to call the cat, even when the cat was far away. Even when I could not see the cat. This was not a dog that loves to come when called…this was a cat.
Gradually I noticed something peculiar, odd, strange…and wonderful. I usually knew when the cat was coming. Shadow was his name. He was nearly all black. I would see him running through the field, coming. I knew when I had connected with him, and I knew when he was coming. Even when I could not see him. Sometimes I felt no connection, and Shadow did not come at such times.
Then I experimented, and I am not sure why I did – but as I experimented, something even more strange and wonderful happened.
I did not call the cat out loud, I just called for Shadow to come, mentally. And to my amazement and delight, I still knew when we connected and when we did not. Most of the time we connected, and he would come running. Other times, nothing happened.
I remember wondering what was happening when we did not connect. Was he busy? Preoccupied? Purposely choosing to ignore my call? I still do not know, I have no idea. And sometimes I still wonder.
I learned that I could call Shadow with an intention to call, and I would know when we connected and when we did not. And when we connected, which was most of the time, he would come running.
So I experimented some more. I called things that were not as though they were. When the electrical power went out, I would call for it to come back on. I called for circumstances to change. And here is the odd and surprising and wonderful response – I called, and they would come. But only when I *really* meant it, wanted deeply, and when I was single minded in my intentions.
An intention to call something that was not as though it was would work, and mighty quick. Power would come on in a second and a half or so. But not until my wanting was thorough, deep and profound. Not until I was deeply sincere about it. And single minded.
I need to explore this and experiment and see what happens when calling by intention. I need to learn more about this.
I invite you to explore and experiment, too. Call whatever you want. Deeply want. When you are sincere and ready and determined to have what you are calling come to you.
I wonder how you will do this? How you will explore? What you will learn on the way? I hope you will share your discoveries with me. I deeply want to learn more about this. Do you?
You can have an amazing influence for the Kingdom of God, just by being more full of Holy Spirit. I encourage you to ask to be being more full of Holy Spirit, now. Ask often!
One day, I was shown some possibilities when I was in a conversation with a gracious lady who had family problems that she was telling me about.
Suddenly, these questions came to mind, opening to me many possibilities. You might want to wonder, too. What might you see as possible in your life?
So…here are the questions that just…came to mind….
What do you think would happen if you were so full of Holy Spirit you were contagious with Holy Spirit?
What do you think would happen if you were so full of Holy Spirit your daughter caught it?
What about when your husband catches it?
Could you and your daughter be healed?
Could your husband be reformed and made new in Jesus Christ?
What would happen to your joy? Health? Well being? Confidence, faith, love…?
