Month: October 2021

God Instilled Hope In A Desperate Situation

On By tgifmastermindsIn God's Heavenly Hosts, How To Pray For Others12 Comments

Image result for what was the name of the witch in the wizard of oz
The wicked witch of the West, Evillene

In the classic 1939 movie entitled, “The Wizard of Oz”, there is a famous line spoken by Evillene, the wicked witch of the West, that I am sure you have heard before. And I quote: “Don’t nobody bring me no bad news!”

Well, today, I wished I had posted that warning message on my door post because I received the most troubling news that sorely pieced my heart through and through. I received a phone call that a younger sibling of mine was diagnosed with leukemia.  I was devastated by this pronouncement and immediately sought spiritual comfort and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Instantly, I began to receive peace and reassurance that the Lord was with me.

I went into my library, sat down in front of my computer and implored the presence of the Holy Spirit to gracefully guide my thoughts and prickly fingers on the keyboard so that I could commence typing the divine messages He was forming in my mind to develop for my readers and followers of this week’s WordPress blog.

I paused just long enough to glance over at my book shelves, crammed full of Bible dictionaries, concordances, and books on how to pray for natural healing. I carefully selected a book whose subtitle was ‘effective prayers for body, soul and spirit’.

Under the section in the book on ‘leukemia’, the first suggestion was to pray for generational curses. I remembered from reading many chapters in the Old Testament that God did visit the curses of the parents (initially Adam and Eve) on their children for many generations to follow. But since I walk by faith and not by sight, the Holy Spirit guided me to the New Testament:

  • Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

So, God instilled hope in me and I received the assurance that any wrongs performed by my parents in days gone by are forgiven and I don’t have to burden my Deliverer with such a prayer over my sibling’s predicament. Why? Because he was freed from that curse as well.

Additional instructions in the healing book suggested that prayers for leukemia should also include that the seeker was to curse the root of the disease; to command any prions (distorted proteins) to dissolve and be discarded; to command that the bone marrow make the proper amount of white blood cells; and finally, to lead the patient in prayers of repentance for bitterness or unforgiveness, if necessary.

The Holy Spirit also brought to my attention the scriptures about the lady mentioned in Luke 8:40-48, who had an issue with blood. Once again, God instilled hope in my despair as I read verse 8:48.

  • Then he said to her. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” This tender term that Jesus used was meant for both me and my sibling. For I know with a certainty that as a child and adult I have witnessed my sibling’s faith in God and as a wounded war veteran, he served honorably for his country.
Crop assistant supporting smiling patient in wheelchair during rehabilitation process
A prayer warrior laying hands on the sick.

So you see, when I was in a desperate situation, God instilled hope in me and He will also do the same for you. Therefore, don’t forget my friend, when a person stands in the gap for another as an intercessor, the Holy Spirit often reminds you that perhaps you can make a different if you turn your heart to Christ Jesus and faithfully lay your all on the alter. My prayer for you is to simply ask the Savior to help you, comfort strengthen and keep you. He is willing to help you. He will carry you through. Amen and Amen!

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Reigns Over Every Holiday

On By tgifmastermindsIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About Superstitions, Prayers For Life Changes8 Comments
Woman next to a question mark

Do Christians know enough about the history of every holiday listed within a 12 month calendar and why it is celebrated?

The answer to the above question is…I doubt it! And I also don’t believe that anyone can provide scientific proof as to why most people believe that the number 13 is an unlucky number. Yet many office buildings do not have a 13th floor, nor do their elevators stop on the 13th floor; nor do brides want to get married on Friday the 13th; nor do society’s affluent schedule a dinner party for 13 guests! And as a former builder manager for a large automobile company, I personally had to accommodate many potential lessees who demanded that their leases be back dated if their closing date fell on a Friday the 13th.

Hog wash you say…Don’t be so naive! In a little more than a week from now, many Americans will be celebrating a very popular holiday which always falls on the 31st day of a particular month. It is highly possible that if you were to randomly ask ten people to name at least five annual holidays and recite why each one is celebrated, the majority of the participants would draw a blank after naming only three. Well, this week I engaged the Holy Spirit and inquired of Him if the holidays I celebrated or supported were in line with our Lord and Savior. This conversation came up because for some reason my mail box is filled daily with junk mail and also requests for financial donations from many familiar and unfamiliar charitable organizations. Also, very soon, little people will be going from door to door soliciting candy and other treats from their neighbors. (I don’t turn on the porch light.)

What’s a Christian senior living on a fixed income to do?

The scriptures I received from on High all referenced that holiday coming up which always falls on the 31st day of a particular month. I’m not certain why this was, but maybe because it is the most celebrated holiday that can penetrate the very fiber of a man’s inner spirit…especially as he or she ages and if they have become Christians. And after all, our God is a Jealous God and wants His children to be victorious over every phase of their lives. So, listed below are the ten scriptures I received that have blessed me and hopefully to fortify and strengthen you and your loved ones. Be my guests and take an imaginary walk through this beautiful fall scene and just think about the goodness of our Lord and commune with Him about anything for just a little while. My prayer for you is veiled in these ten scriptures which mostly relate to the 31st day of a particular month: for the record, let’s call that month “October”. I also did my research and got a better understanding of what that holiday stands for and how it originated centuries ago.

Scripture Lesson:

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”  1 Corinthians 10:21
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”  Ephesians 5:11
“Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8
“Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.”  1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”  Isaiah 5:20
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  Ephesians 5:15-16
“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  James 4:7
“This is the verdict:  Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.    Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear his deeds will be exposed.”  John 3:19-20
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:19-20
“And give no opportunity to the devil.”  Ephesians 4:27

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Has A Remedy For Negativity!

On By tgifmastermindsIn Instruction on how to disciple others, Prayers For Life Changes, Prayers For New Beginnings, Prayers For Spiritual Growth3 Comments

What so ever things are lovely…

Who are you?  How many “selves” do you recognize?  Which of your “selves” is the most dominant?  And finally, which one of your “multi-selves” is the least dominant?

Now, you might ask, ‘Where is she going with this?’

Well, the goal I am trying to accomplish is this.  I believe if a person knows who they are when they wake up; who they are at noon; and who they are at bedtime; then they will be able to concentrate on their character “selves” that associate with positive emotions rather than counteracting on the “selves” that associate with negative emotions.

Are you following me? Let me explain…

God’s remedy for negativity is to count your blessings and name them one by one. So, the first thing I want you to do is physically count the number of “selves” you see in yourself as it relates to your health and well being. Don’t slight yourself. The more character roles you can identify–such as son or daughter, wife or husband, niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, student, artist, lawyer, doctor, friend, Indian chief–you get the message, etc., the less likely negative emotions such as depression will consume you and as a result, which could effect your overall health.

So, if any one of your “selves” is depressed during the day, you should immediately control your mind to think on that dynamic self that is a writer and start composing (in your mind or at the computer) the next electrifying blog that you will post. All those positive emotions that fill your heart about writing just could actually offset that negative disposition that is trying to flood your soul.

My prayer for you is that you memorize a few of the scriptures listed below and recite them when you are feeling low and despondent. Only believe and have the faith that everything will turn out all right.

Scripture Lesson:

1. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8
2. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2
3. My son do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:1-4
4. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:2
5. Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2
6. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
7. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:20-27
8. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
9. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 
 10. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Don’t forget…let’s remember that we are not a product of ‘one’. The Good Lord made us a composite of many dispositions. Let us engage with the ‘self’ that best represents the character of Jesus Christ in all of our dealings with life’s situations.

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Allows Me To Live Vicariously Through My Grandmother’s Prayers!

On By tgifmastermindsIn Instruction on how to disciple others, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers About Miracles5 Comments
Train Up A Child – Proverbs 22:6 – YouTube (Click and listen.)

Do you realize just how important you are in the family of Christ once you have accepted His invitation?  You have bonded with an exclusive group of believers who are on a pathway of growth, renewal, and maturity.

You might ask on what authority do I proclaim this? 

Well, just so you know, I have aligned myself with the Apostle Paul’s encouraging letter to the Philippians in which he states: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Phil. 1:6

As I read and reread those words during my study time this week, the Holy Spirit reassured me that I could claim them for myself.  And He also encouraged me to impart those words to others.   At first, I did not thoroughly understand the interpretation from my Spiritual Messenger.  But the more I prayed about it, the clearer it became.  Paul’s message to the Philippians was really his way of expressing his sentiments that the Lord would continuously equip them via the instructions outlined in His holy word… not only during their lifetime, but His guidance and presence would also be available to their generations to come, even up until the Second Coming of Christ Jesus.

That’s through Eternity…folks!!

Further more, the Holy Spirit encouraged me by imparting that if I keep my hand in God’s hand, my off springs would be privileged to receive the covering, too.  Oh, how those words encouraged me to be all the more steadfast and unmovable and always abounding in the army of the Lord.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Like you, I have family members who waver from time to time in their walk with the Lord.  Especially the younger ones.  (Some of them remind me of my youthful days.)  But now that I am older, I often find myself recalling the days of my deceased Grandmother who shared with me miraculous stories of how the Lord brought her out of sickness, toils, and snares.  In other words, so many times, I find myself living vicariously off of my Grandmother’s prayers.  Those are the times when I pray and ask the Lord to do me like You did my Grandmother. And guess what? God always honors that prayer.

Listed here is a reprint of a blog that I wrote on January 17, 2019, entitled “God Pitied Every Mourn Of Four Generations Of Prayers”. If you want to experience one of my Grandmother’s miracle testimonies, I humbly invite you to click the website (https://wordpress.com/post/tgifmasterminds.com/720) and experience how prayers of the saints bombarded heaven and brought about a healing. As a teenager I listened to her story and it so resonated in my spirit that I will never forget it.

ScriptureLesson: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Can Work A Miracle Each And Every Day!

On By tgifmastermindsIn Prayers About God and Me, Prayers About Miracles, Prayers For UnderstandingLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered why Jesus performed miracles among the people while He physically walked on this earth? Can you describe the attributes surrounding Jesus’ supernatural acts that distinguished Him from the magicians and sorcerers of His day?  Have you ever been a recipient of a miracle from God?  And finally, why should these compassionate miracle-working displays of Jesus’ power be so encouraging to us today in this 21st century?

Okay…I get it!  What’s with all the above questions? You may ask yourself why do I feel like I’m back in school being taught by an ole spinster school marm, shoving a pop quiz down my throat?

Well, for the answer, let’s start with the past week I have just experienced. 

As I sat at my computer, readying myself to start composing my weekly blog post for you, the Holy Spirit interrupted my appeal to Him to guide my creative juices for an interesting subject to blog about.  He abruptly reminded me of the three times I had witnessed to friends and family members of how sometimes the Lord uses miracles to increase one’s faith and dependence on Him. The recipients’ expressions of gratitude upon hearing your examples were so jubilant and heartfelt that they went away longing for an occasion to come to know the Lord in that same mannerism.

Oh, how the Lord was magnified as you shared your experiences with others.  You gave Him all the praise, honor, hope and glory. And just for a moment, a bewildered soul found hope in the possibility that perhaps the Heavenly Father would also perform a miracle in their lives, too. Thus, rekindling a gleamer of reassurance in their lives.

Yes, God can work a miracle each and every day…but that was not the sole reason why Jesus was sent…

First and foremost, let us remember that Jesus not only performed miracles to show compassion for mankind and to meet their needs; He also performed miracles to affirm who He was in God…the Anointed One sent to redeem mankind and to reconcile him back to God. The holy scriptures reveal in Acts 2:22-24: “People of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a Man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This Man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.“

(Now, please allow me to share with you a particular miracle that Jesus performed for me while on one of my international mission trips to Nicaragua, Central America, some years ago.)

After about an hours journey of traveling up the side of a steep mountain and passing in and out of moisturous clouds, our American mission team finally arrived at a small isolated village. The inhabitants of the village were expecting us and they greeted us warmly and with great enthusiasm. The women had prepared a luncheon for us which consisted of a large pot of hot rice that had been cooked outdoors in a large tin barrel over an open flame. Our mission tour guide insisted on feeding the children first, and organized our mission team to take turns serving the hot vittles. I was chosen to be the first server.

As the children lined up before me, I noticed they did not have a bowl or cup to receive the hot rice in. Then the first child stepped forward and reached into his back pocket and took out a small plastic grocery bag like the ones issued in American grocery stores. I was perplexed and bewildered and thought to myself, Lord, when this hot rice touches this plastic bag it will burst! The Holy Spirit then whispered to me to just fill the bag. I hesitated and the Holy Spirit spoke again, this time more forcefully. Just fill the bag. Reluctantly, I did so. I placed a heaping spoonful of hot rice in the child’s plastic bag. And to my amazement, it did not burst! The child ran off gleefully with his lunch in toe. Neither his bag nor any of the other children’s bag bursted.The moral of the story is this: The Lord reminded me that in all my ‘getting’ I should get an understanding of just how He operates especially with willing souls administering mission duties in foreign lands. A place where everyday conveniences do not exist. In these kinds of circumstances one must have faith in knowing that God and his supernatural ways of providing are at work. And I must confess, that during my ten years of serving as an international missionary, my faith has matured to a doctoral level. The Holy Spirit has taught me how to walk by faith and not by sight! Amen.

Poor Latino Boy gets food from waste bin, Nicaragua
Poverty runs high in Nicaragua.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help your people to remember that they can pray for a miracle to happen in any phase of their lives…from their smallest concern to their greatest. Just come humbly to the mercy seat and lay their burdens down and leave them there. Please put it in their hearts to prayerfully listen to the lyrics of the song listed below and be encouraged. To God be the glory. Amen!

3:53NOW PLAYINGThird Day – “I Need A Miracle” Live at the QuarryThird Day

Scripture Lesson: “Very truly I tell you all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!