THE PLAY DATE

I was reminded today of some official court testimony I had the privilege of transcribing many years ago in the '80s when the AIDS scare was new in America. People who had full blown AIDS were treated like lepers, as if they had asked to be the recipients of that dreaded disease.
The testimony was by man who had AIDS and had experienced the prejudice of people that comes from the lower nature of men and is deal out to those who are different.
The man had a family friend whose little daughter also had AIDS, the result of a tainted blood transfusion given to her when she was a preemie. Even though the disease was certainly no fault of hers, nor her parents, just a result of sloppy blood testing by the blood supplier, the girl experienced the same prejudice as the male family friend. Word just seemed to travel fast in those days about AIDS. Because of fear and ignorance anyone who even had the HIV virus was ostracized by the rest of humanity.
The gentleman and the little girl in this case formed a tight friendship. They shared something common to both of them, not only the disease but also the prejudice of most people with whom they came in contact.
One of the questions that was asked of the man in the court case was if he feared death. He told the interviewer that, no, he didn't fear death.
The answer amazed the interviewer who had to know the reason behind the bold statement by this carrier of AIDS. He asked, "Do you welcome death as an escape from this life and this disease?"
The man answered, "No. I know that I will go to a wonderful place."
The interviewer asked, "Then you must be a very religious man."
"No, not really. I just know someone who has been there," the gentleman replied.
Again the interviewer probed for an answer but he got one that he never expected.
The gentleman continued, "See, I have a friend, a little girl who is seven years old who has the same disease that I have, and she, like me, won't live very many more months. I asked her one day if she was afraid to die and she replied, 'Oh, no. And I know you're not afraid to die either. Weren't you with me the other day when I went to heaven and played with Jesus and all them other kids? It was so much fun.'"
The gentleman concluded his testimony by saying that he trusted the experience of his little friend and was looking forward to a face to face meeting with Jesus who took his little friend to heaven for a play date with "Jesus and all them other kids" so that when the time came for her to permanently be taken there that she wouldn't be afraid.
This is a true story from a court case which I transcribed, the story of a courageous man and a privileged little girl who were very lucky to have experienced the Perfect Love that casts out fear.

DAVID'S TRANSFORMATION

Several years ago, right after my husband Steve was totally transformed by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, we received a visit from a dear friend and business associate. His name is David and he had lived in the Hawaiian Islands for a while. David was back in the states and he called to say hello and that he wanted to come to see us. Of course we invited him to our home.
David arrived with a distant look in his eyes, which we later found out was caused by smoking some "funny weed". However, we were both glad to see him and invited him to spend the evening with us. He began to tell us about his new religious discovery. He said that he had discovered that he had a spirit guide from another spiritual world and it was leading him and talking to him through guided handwriting.
I was familiar with the same experience, though I had never embraced it, even though I had encountered the teaching in some books which I had initially read while I was on my quest for some power that would help me with problems in my life. Somehow I knew that the "spiritual guide" experiences were not my path to happiness. David had embraced it, though, believing that it would help him.
Since I knew that it would bring confusion to his life because it had done that to my life, I was eager for Steve to tell David that his "spirit guide" would only lead him to more confusion. Steve sat quietly listening to David tell us things that his "spirit guide" had told him, things that seemed to have no real relevance to successful living and problem solving. Steve continued to listen without throwing cold water on David's theories and experiences. I sat quietly seething because I thought that Steve should correct David and warn him about the dangers in listening to his false "spirit guide".
When David ran out of breath, Steve finally said to him, "I have a Spirit guide, too."
To which David said, "You do?"
Steve said, "Yes, I do, and His name is Jesus Christ."
Steve began to tell David his powerful testimony, how I had prayed in the Holy Spirit for hours every day for two years for him. Steve told David how he had unknowingly told another friend that he had turned his life over to Jesus, even though Steve didn't know he had. Steve told David that he had never heard that phrase before but he had used it in conversation and then started crying when he realized that that confession had come from his own mouth.
Then he told David about being instantaneously healed of alcoholism, cursing and tobacco smoking. Steve told him the supernatural orchestration that God had performed in order to get Steve to a place where he could eventually hear testimonies about God's power and His ability to change lives.
David had listened intently to Steve's testimony. Then David admitted that his "spirit guide" had not been supernaturally beneficial to his life, that his pursuit had been an intellectual pursuit with no real life changing power..
We asked David if he wanted to replace his ineffective spirit guide with Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
David couldn't get his, "Yes, " out of his mouth fast enough.
David left our house that night a new creature and transformed by the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead made David a totally new person, one who didn't need an inefficient intellectual spirit guide because David has God's powerful Holy Spirit inside of him now. David went to his home in another city totally changed, joyful and completely sober with no remnants of the drugs in his body.
David had such a complete personality change that his wife noticed immediately and she decided that she wanted the same life changing experience that he had. God obliged her, because He is true to his children, and God led David and his wife to a place where she could hear the same truths that David had embraced. His wife became transformed and Holy Spirit filled just like David.
When David had first come to our house Steve had used great wisdom by not opposing what David said about his "spirit guide" but Steve simply told him what the true Spirit guide, God's Holy Spirit, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, would change David from a life of sadness to a life of joy. God did it, and He is still doing it.
David's entire life changed into a productive, joyful, blessed life thanks to the true "spirit guide", who is God's Holy Spirit.
People want to hear what we have experienced that has changed us and our lives. Our testimonies are more powerful than any philosopy, theology or doctrine.

www.burningbush.sg/ccr/bhs.htm

MILTON'S MENTOR

There are people who are just born kind and loving. My cousin Milton, who was called Junior by family members, was one of those rare individuals. He was always gentle and sweet and kind to everyone.
Junior was quite a few years older than me, so because we weren’t close in age he wasn’t what I would call a kissing cousin, meaning we didn’t hang out together as young kids or anything. He was more of a hero image to me because he was a handsome young man in his Army uniform and so very, very kind.
Junior had what psychiatrists call a melancholy temperament, which brings occasional dark moods to the mind along with the kindness and gentleness that he exhibited.
Prison eventually became Junior’s home for ten years. I won’t go into the details of how his dark moods led him there but suffice it to say it was a crime of passion. Years later he became an alcoholic, but he always kept a job and he had a family.
My mother was one of his mother-confessors, his emotional support. As an adult I remember her talking to him on the phone for long periods of time giving him the love and encouragement he had always needed. I had always suspected that Junior had been an abused child and my mother confirmed it to me, telling me that my great aunt had attempted to “beat the devil out of him” on many occasions.
About twenty years ago my phone rang one day in the morning at 7:00 a.m. and I was afraid that it was a “bad news” call that early in the morning. When I answered the phone, it was a long distance call, and Junior identified himself and told me that he had talked to my mother the previous night and she had told him to call me, that maybe I could help him. He began to tell me about his bouts with alcoholism and the effects on himself and his family and his body. It was a heart wrenching story and my heart ached for Junior, still the sweet, gentle person he had always been.
I had nothing to give him, but I had seen many people totally transformed by God’s power. I told him about the miracle of the new birth that my husband had experienced. He told me that that was what he needed, a new life. I had nothing myself to help him, but I knew that God could and would.
We prayed a prayer on the phone and Junior asked God for the new life that he had heard about.
After we prayed together, I suddenly knew that Junior needed a mentor, someone who could be the loving father image that he had never had, someone who would teach him about God and His love and His mercy. He lived many miles away from us but I knew that he needed a regularly scheduled Bible study group or a Bible course that would give him a firm foundation in God’s love. So we prayed together about that also, as I told him that if a name came to him, to contact that person and see what developed.
I didn’t hear from Junior for a year or more and neither did my mother, except she had heard from several of her sisters that he was doing fine.
Finally Junior called me. He sounded like a different person, full of humble confidence.
When he told me about how God answered his prayer I was flabbergasted. He said that the name Winfred Moore came to his mind. He looked the name up in the phone book and made an appointment with Dr. Moore to discuss God. and had been meeting with him regularly
My amazement was because Dr. Moore had been my pastor for a while when I was a very young girl in a totally different town. Dr. Moore was an elegant speaker and a sophisticated Southerner with a delightful Mississippi drawl. He was not one that I would have chosen for Junior, who was an ex-con and alcoholic. When I got to thinking about it, Dr. Moore was perfect for Junior, because his acceptance of Junior and his willingness to mentor him gave Junior a sense of stability and acceptance which he had always needed. I know that Dr. Moore called him Milton, his real name, and that gave him a sense of self respect.
Junior died several years later and when he died he was still free from alcohol and was a regular attendee of church.
When I was telling a dear friend in Oklahoma Junior’s story, she gasped. She remarked that she had heard Dr. Moore preach in Mississippi years ago and that her mother had always adored Dr. Moore .
We’re all connected in some way, Milton, Dr. Moore, my friend Jane, her mother, my mother and me. I know the connection is God’s Spirit and it’s mind boggling.
The first gift that God gave to Junior was a perfect mentor who would show him God’s love. I’m still in awe of God. It seems like I stay that way all the time.

WOW WOW WOW

Sometimes that's all I can do is say, "WOW," to the things that God does. This story is a real wower, if there is such a word.
A bit of history in relation to this Wow experience. Over twenty-five years ago a friend named Jacquie called me and asked me to teach her about God. I am always willing to do that because He is one of the subjects of which I love to talk.
I told her yes, I would love to teach her what I know about God and told her to ask several other people who were interested in learning and we would have a Bible study group. She did, and I did, and that was the beginning of a wonderful group of women who still meet once a week to study about God and to engage in intercessory prayer. Some of the ladies have moved away but still keep in contact by email to join us in prayer and to read the words of encouragement that God gives us.
Jacquie is one of those women who moved out of town. In fact, she now lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
These loyal women have prayed me out of two bouts of cancer and we have experienced many other healings and miracles that still astound us. We all regularly have testimonies of God's goodness and mercy toward all men. Jacquie has needed fervent intercessory prayer lately because she has had to have chemotherapy and radiation after having had surgery for brain cancer. We pray for her every day, but we especially pray for her every time the Tuesday Girls meet, which is the name of our group. She is the founder of our group and we love her so much for her organizing the group many years ago.
On one of the days that I was to have the Tuesday Girls at my home for lunch and for prayer and study, I wanted to make the lunch easy because of pressures from work, so I had the idea to have panini sandwiches. I wanted to make them myself, using my panini iron which is similar to a waffle iron.
Time became really a problem the last few days, so I wondered if Sam's Club had prepared panini sandwiches in their frozen food department. My husband and I were going to Sam's anyway so I decided to peruse the frozen food department to see if any food manufacturers made frozen paninis. We looked kind of casually and could not find any. However, I felt like maybe I needed to be more persistent than usual in looking. Sure enough, there were packages of paninis in a remote freezer area. I was elated to buy them and serve them to make the lunch menu easy for me when the Tuesday Girls came to my house.
I took out enough paninis to serve, checked on the back of the package for the baking instructions and my eyes unintentionally gazed at the location of the manufacturing plant. That's when I had said, "Wow, Wow, Wow." The plant is in St. Simons Island, Georgia, where Jacquie lives.
We have come to recognize those coincidences as God Incidences, knowing that He is especially involved in the current situation with us. He impressed me to buy the paninis and led me where to buy them for a purpose. I know that Jacquie can expect a remarkable miracle as a result of our prayers uniting with her prayers for her healing.
Again I comment about God and His abilities with my usual Wow, Wow, Wow.

photo from http://www.coastalgeorgiaexperience.com/site/502999/page/86251

Nights in White Satin...

Nights in White Satin...
Originally uploaded by Silvia de Luque

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FAITH FOR A SAW

FAITH FOR A SAW


It is so easy for children to believe. A veil seems to come over our minds in adulthood and it become hard for us to have faith.
When our grandson Jesse was about five years old he wanted his own saw. Actually he had wanted his own saw for several years but the children's toy saws we bought him did not satisfy his longing for a real saw. He was too little and saws are dangerous, we all told him repeatedly.
One day he and his mom decided to go for a walk, with his mom pushing Jesse's little sister in her stroller. Jesse commented to his mom that she must look down at the ground on their walk because his saw would be found on the ground when they walked. You can imagine how that computed with his mom. She doubtingly thought sure, of course we'll find a saw on the ground on our walk.
They went on their journey and ended up at a small park pretty far from their house. Jesse looked down at the ground all the way to the park and reminded his mom repeatedly to look for his saw on the ground. After arriving at the park, he busied himself playing, like little boys always do. His mom decided to continue pushing little sister in the stroller while walking around the perimeter of the park to get more exercise. Jesse's reminder to his mom to look for his saw became more insistent.
As his mom reported to me a couple of days later, she was gingerly walking along and happened to glance down on the ground. There in plain sight was a blade to a saw. Jesse had never seen the saw at that park before with his natural eyes, but somehow his spiritual eyes had seen the saw blade or he would not have been so insistent about looking. As adults, we must look for miracles with the same childlike belief that Jesse had, knowing that the desires of our hearts are important to God.

GOD THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES

When our grandson Jesse was about four years old he had to have some reconstructive surgery at a hospital in a neighboring state. It was serious outpatient surgery. The thoughts of his parents were just simply on getting through the surgery and getting home with an active four year old in the car, even though they assumed he would still be groggy from the anesthesia. The afternoon before the operation, Jesse's parents drove him in their car to the big city in the neighboring state since surgery was scheduled for early the next morning. Everything went as planned and the surgery was successful. Jesse was a cooperative patient. After spending a few hours in recovery, he and his parents left the specialty hospital with him swathed in bandages but bright and alert. They had a long trip home which would take over six hours. They went merrily on their long way home, anxious of course, with the four year old in the back seat attached to a catheter, so it was expedient that they get home as quickly as possible. About halfway home, the car sputtered and then stopped. Jesse's dad was able to pull the car over to the shoulder. The gas gage had been sporadically misbehaving and it showed a little gas in the tank, but they had erroneously assumed that there was enough gasoline in the tank to get them further down the road to a gas station. This was an unhappy predicament. They were in the middle of nowhere. What to do, what to do, what to do, was the dilemma. Since this was before cell phones were readily available, they had no means of communicating with anyone while on the highway. Suddenly two men appeared out of nowhere. One man was carrying a gas can filled with gasoline. The men asked the stranded travelers if help was needed. Jesse's parents couldn't believe their eyes and ears. Neither one of them asked the men why it was assumed that they needed gasoline nor did they ask where the men came from, they were just very grateful to be rescued so they could be on their way home. The men helped put the gasoline in the car, and it was enough to get them to the next gas station. Years later five of our grandchildren were talking about God, and one mentioned that no one had ever seen God so nobody knows what he looks like. Jesse remarked, "Oh, I know what He looks like because I've seen Him." His cousins teased him about the remark and asked, "Oh, yeah, when did you ever see God?" A confident answer came from Jesse. He said, "I saw God when Mom and Dad and I ran out of gas one time and God showed up with a gas can with gasoline for us." No one told him that it was God, but he instinctively knew it had to be God because it was a miracle. His mom and dad remarked that the two men were angels, but Jesse says it was God. I think a child always knows God when he sees Him, so I believe Jesse's assessment is more accurate. Praise God that angels or God, whichever, carry gas cans filled with gasoline for stranded motorists who are in dire need of a miracle. We're not going to strain at a gnat in trying to figure out who it was. We just accept God's help anytime we receive it. God and Jesse know who was there. The rest of us are just very, very grateful that a tense situation came to a happy ending with God getting thanks and praise from our family for continuing to be the ultimate Rescuer, no matter what He looks like.