WHEN HE DIRECTS, I WILL GO!

   Last year in 2013, God was teaching me many lessons.  One was how to listen to His leading, and not analyze the situation and turn from it.  During this twist of incidences that occurred both in March 2013 and 2014, I chose to go shopping for needed items.

    Back in 2013, the three places that I chose to go to were all located in Santee, CA.   The first was The Christian Bible Bookstore, then Costco and last of all Target.   Upon arrival at the Bible bookstore, I had a pick-up that should have only taken minutes, but I had to wait.  A lady I had never seen before was working off to the side, and so I tried to ask her to help me.  I felt that the worst thing would happen is that she'd say 'no.'
      However, without looking at me, she said, "He delays us for a reason."   I took this rather like an affront, and just waited silently, being a little disappointed.  She finally came to me, and then at some point while working with me, she said again, "He delays us for a reason."   She didn't say much of anything else.  I sensed the Holy Spirit working with me to accept this comment, so when I got my item, I left in a thoughtful state.   I figured that maybe God was up to something.
       My second destination was Costco.  I went around and shopped, but as I came forward to get in line, I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to pray, "What lane do You want me in?"  I began to run my eyes over the line of lanes, and felt the Holy Spirit prompt my heart to go to one lane.  I assessed the situation, and saw a young guy packing the carts.  For some reason, I felt nervous about going there because of him, so I attempted to pass the lane, but I felt the Holy Spirit pushing for me to obey Him.  The Holy Spirit was like,  "Go THERE!"  in my heart, so I did. 
       As I was waiting for my goods to be purchased and placed into the cart, I noticed the young guy packing the cart so perfectly!  I mean, he had it so neat that it looked like a large rectangular box inside my cart!  I'd never seen anyone do such an amazing job!  I thought of how hard these people pack our carts, and then we have to go to our car, and unpack to load it in the trunk.  This guy did such an amazing job, I had to comment on it...
        So out of my heart came a response - I asked if I could just take the whole cart as it was and stick it into the back of my car!  I said how nicely packed it was!   Trust me, the way I said it was so uplifting and encouraging!  It was a pure, unadulterated compliment that I gave to the young guy.  He just beamed without looking at me!
         My last stop was at Target.  I was walking up to the automatic doors, and noticed a young guy in front of  me.  I took note of his awesome 'not of this world' shirt! It had a neat design on the back with NOTW hidden in the design.  Then, I thought how unusual it was to see young guys going shopping by themselves to Target.  
       As he headed over to the carts, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me that he was going to hand me a cart, but I was so new at hearing His voice, it took a bit for it to sink in.   The guy, as he was pulling out a cart, started to turn towards me with it to hand it over, and that's when I realized he doing what the Holy Spirit had just told me he was going to do.   I was overjoyed with excitement, so I said, "The Holy Spirit told me you were going to hand me a cart!"
       I was backing up to make it easier for him to pass it to me, and at that moment, even though I was going slowly backwards, I ran into a woman's cart.  To this day, I find it strange for a woman with a cart full of goods to be going the direction this lady was going.  I was the one hurt, yet I said, "I'm sorry!"  She just grunted in an indifferent way.  I really wonder if Satan had something to do with it....
       The guy was shook up by what had happened, and I said a few awkward comments to try to smooth things over.   We both just parted ways, and went on to shop.  I noticed, every now and then, the guy shopping around me.  He seemed to be in my vicinity more than I would have expected.   I finally headed up, and when I got just about to a lane, I realized that he was heading up at the same time!
        I got in line.  He went over to a side lane to look for something.  I noticed a lane over from him was empty of people.  I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to go, but right when I was about to go, he started over there.  So, I stopped, and didn't do it.  It freaked me out!  However,  I was the first to choose to go there....what was I worried about?
      

       Literally, about a year later, in March 2014, I went to those very same places again, but not to Target.  I felt led to turn off the music in my car.  I told the Holy Spirit that I wanted to hear His voice.   As I was driving to the Bible bookstore, I felt led to pray, "God feel free to delay me for a reason."  Then, I prayed that the Holy Spirit would direct me to someone who wanted to know the Truth.
       I went into the Bible bookstore to order multiple "Courageous" movies, so we could send them out as love packages to others.   They had NONE.   It was a bummer, but I told the Holy Spirit, "Well, you must want me at Costco right now!"
       I went into Costco and shopped.  As I was going up to the lanes, I felt prompted to pray, "Which lane do You want me in?"  I began to scan, and felt impressed to go to a certain lane.   However, in this lane, the scanner dude was SCARY looking!   And I mean SCARY!  Seriously...you'd almost want to say, "How did that guy get hired???!"  Who came up with this guy to scare me off?
     I didn't let it affect me!  Whoa!  I went right up to the lane.  I didn't even look at the guy any closer like you think I would have...did he really look the way I saw him or did God allow me to see him that way?   As I was starting to wait, I looked over to the lane next to me.   The conveyer belt was empty, and I could start laying my goods in it.  I told the Holy Spirit that I was staying right where He wanted me.  Then I felt Him prompt me to go to the other lane.  I thought "Why God?  It only has a woman running it!"  God is sooo funny how He teaches us!  It looked WAY too easy...
      I got in the other lane, and began laying my stuff down on the conveyer belt.   As I did, I noticed a bagging guy who had come up and he was talking to the man who was purchasing goods ahead of me.   The conversation was not a light one, but one that had a spiritual bent on it.   My ears perked up.  I sensed in my heart the Holy Spirit confirm to me that He had something for me to do.
      As the man buying goods talked on, I asked the Holy Spirit, "Is it him?"  Nothing came to my heart, but silence.   The man said to the bagging dude and lady, "I was in jail for 20 years!"   Both of the workers became stiff and nervous.  The buyer said, "Hey, we just have to be above board!"   Then, as the man was leaving, he said, "As long as we have Methamphetamines in this world, we will have people in jail!"
      At that point, the Holy Spirit began to put words in my heart, but they were directed at the bagging guy.  I said something about Jesus being the answer.  Suddenly, it was as if a flood in words came into my heart.   In response to the guy that just left, the Holy Spirit had me say, "As long as we have sin and evil in the world, we will have jails."  I stated that Biblical prophecy was starting to happen.... 
       It was wild!   The Holy Spirit wanted me to say a verse, "When we fail in one point, we are guilty of all,"  but I think I grappled with Him on the issue because I didn't think the guy would understand (never will I do that again!).   So, God had me mention how all religions are working to get to God, but there is only one that is a personal relationship.  That is with Jesus Christ.   It's hard to say exactly word for word what I said because the Holy Spirit led it.  All I know is that it was better said than any time I have ever shared the gospel with someone....
         The Holy Spirit had me warn about Mormonism, and how they say that the Bible is what they believe, yet they will not read it, and want nothing to do with it.  Then, I was led to say, "It's the Bible!  The Bible is the answer!"    Just after that, I shared this....

         All you have to do is believe what Jesus did on the cross for you.
         Then ask for forgiveness for your sins.
         Because of what Jesus did on the cross, the Holy Spirit can now come in and reside within your heart.
          Invite Him to come into your heart.

       Just after that, the guy said, "Thank you!  Thank you!"  He was really serious...and meant it!

  As I walked on, I said, "Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life."  Not sure who heard that...

    
My final perspective:

I realize that God wants me to know that He has those out there that He directly wants me to impact.   He wants me to realize that when I hear His prompting to go, I must not let any personal thoughts or insecurities interfere.   There are other things He was teaching me, but to this day, I am not 100% sure of what they are.  If you happen to see it, please let me know...
    

MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

   One December night in the year 2013, while at the dinner table, I felt led to get my Bible.  I felt prompted to read the Bible to my whole family together before heading to bed instead of separately at each child's bedside.  Without much thought,  I sat back down at the table with my Bible in hand and opened it.  Looking down, I noted the passage Jeremiah 18 opened before me, but I sensed the Holy Spirit direct me to not proceed with it.  So, without much thought, I began to do it this way...

     Holding the place in my Bible, I told my kids to say a book of the Bible, and told them we would read the 3rd book past it.  My oldest daughter said, "Ecclesiastes!"  Thus, we all figured together that the third book after was Jeremiah.  This caught me by surprise, but I stayed quiet. That is when my third born daughter piped up and said, "We've never read that one before!  Let's do it!" 
    Then I said, "Someone mention a chapter, and we will read the 6th chapter after it.  My son called out 12.  So we all came to the conclusion that it was Chapter 18!   My oldest daughter was getting into it, so before I could mention what verse, she called out, "Read verse 5!"  That is where I started, and we read through most of the chapter.

  Jeremiah 18:5-11  
⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁶ “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; ⁸ if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will ^[a]relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. ⁹ Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will ^[b]think better of the good with which I had promised to ^[c]bless it. ¹¹ So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and ^[d]reform your ways and your deeds.”’


                                                    May God Bless America!

     I believe God is calling us to pray for our Nation!   I am praying that He will withhold judgement to America because of His people who are praying and repenting.   I am asking that He withhold calamity until His return to take His children home.

FYI,  after this happened, I checked out what Bob Jones said.  God burdened his heart in the same way in the same month!

Paul's Vision - Acts 18:9-10

Here is a dream that God gave  me.....this occurred actually in August of 2013....my first vision where I understood that God could talk to us this way, and I had been asking Him to give me a vision...

 
   I am in a class at a table where there are items in front of me.  I am aware that I must put them together. The item that stands out the most is the red strawberries, and another item is a chocolate/dark mixture in a bowl that I perceive as pudding.  I begin to remove the stems of the strawberries and add the strawberries to the pudding. 
   As I am doing this, the instructor (a voice in front of the classroom) is giving directions, and then states, "What you are doing could bring danger."  Right after hearing this, feeling fear,  I quickly attempted to pull off the stem of the last strawberry (but I did not do it perfectly) and added the strawberry to the mixture.  I perceive that others in the class did not complete the task, but I was the only one who did. 
    At that moment I cried out, "God protect me!"   A voice - strong, booming, and giving a sense of authority - entered into my dream from outside, surrounding me, and said, "You are protected!"  This I believe with all my heart was God speaking.  Then, I looked down as the bowl of pudding was moved out before me.  I was not the one moving it.  The rich, bright red color was swirled perfectly in the pudding with green mint leaves in the middle!   A product of perfection!   I then awoke.


   Right after I awoke, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that it was from Him.  I sought God for the translation of this dream, and waited.  Just days later, God answered this request.  He brought a verse to my attention from the Word of God.  This, I found out, is the way God translates His dreams and visions to us - using a Truth from the Word of God!
    He allowed circumstances to bring me to read one of Wisdom Hunter's Devotion's where the verse was just waiting for me to read it.  It was Acts 18:9!  When I saw it, the Holy Spirit made the verse stand out to me in an unusual way.  Just before the Holy Spirit brought this verse to my attention, I had told Him that I would not speak anymore of what God had brought me through, and what He had taught me.  Obviously, He made it clear that He did not want me to stay silent.....

    My dream was in correlation with the vision that Paul had in Acts 18:9-10.  Here it is....


⁹ "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”  


 As you read on in the passage of Acts 18 (see below), you will see that God called Paul to strengthen Believers of his time.   I trust that God has called me to do very much the same.   May I serve Him to the fullest of what He has called me to do in these final days!

¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off."