I am concerned for Cheyenne. She was left totally alone so much the last 6 months we were in the States last year. Sometimes I'm afraid she'll just go bonkers if we leave her for any length of time now.
Which reminds me - I need to buy her more cat food today so I can fill her bowl completely before we leave.
New rumors about visas are flying around. Who will get one, who will not. No one knows the truth yet - maybe that is why they are flying around like this. haha Latest rumor: religious visas will only be given to one person in the family. Therefore - if the husband gets one, what does the wife get? Does she get a visa at all? If not, what are the ramifications of that - 90 days in country, 90 days out? Or ... what?? Rumors ... ya gotta love 'em.
Not.
We have a heretic in our church. New information is coming out about this person because this person has actually put it in writing, signed their name to it as a direct word from god. The elders will have to deal with it now. Not going to be an easy time, but it has to be done.
This person sits and stares at me during the service sometimes. Gives me the creeps, but I think I know why the person does it. The person does not know this, unless it has been told to the person by 'unclean spirits', but I have stated to the elders that I believe the person is demon possessed. The person has approached everyone on our team with negative comments about them and their work, or given them their own 'directly revealed word of god' - except me. The person stares at me, but othewise has not approached me at all after our first introduction to each other.
I don't know why, well, actually I do - I was going to say I don't know why this happens to me, but - well, I have known for years that I have the spiritual gift of discernment. God, through the Holy Spirit has warned me about people and situations on a number of times and in those instances, I have never been wrong. When I have my own opinions about people or happenings, yes, I have been wrong then. But this is different. I can't explain it, how it works exactly. There are times when I just know things about people. Most of the time, if not all of the time, it has been in regard to Mel and people around him. The first time happened when he was managing a restaurant. I met his assistant and immediately the alarm bells started ringing in my mind. I was proved correct about the person a couple months later. It has happened within the church setting several times. When I met certain people and those alarm bells went off, eventually those people proved themselves to be directly negative against the church and/or Mel as pastor of the church. I've thought many times that the first time, in the business world, was God showing me that He'd given me this gift. We had no idea then that Mel would go into the ministry and eventually we'd be here, doing what we are doing now.
There are at least 2 other people I am concerned about in the church. One appears to be apostate in the correct definition of the word. This person has attended classes and services since the very beginning but has never made a profession of faith. They are just always there, at almost every meeting. At times this person has made negative comments or tried to take over the class being taught. Recently there appears to be a softening of this person's heart. Much prayer is needed for this person. I still do not trust this person at all.
The 3rd person approached me not long ago to tell me how God could heal my weight problem because God healed third person from all of third person's health issues when third person became a believer. Third person and I had a long discussion after service one day, me using an interpreter so I KNEW I was understanding what third person was saying, and that I was responding correctly. The conversation devolved into third person saying, "I don't want to sound greater than the Apostle Paul, but..." That told me about all I needed to know about third person and pride issues in their life. Third person has not been very friendly toward me since I refused to be corrected and taught by them. I think it bothered third person greatly that instead of taking away a health issue, God gave me one after I'd been a Believer for many years (thus the Apostle Paul/thorn in the flesh discussion). Good thing third person does not understand my arthritis and my deteriorating eye sight issues!! Boy, I would have been slammed then, let me tell you! God either hates me or I'm not a real Believer or maybe it's both of those in third person's opinion. From the first time I met third person I have been leery of them. This conversation just sealed it for me. I don't doubt third person's salvation, but I truly believe third person is going to cause big problems within the church.
So, on it goes, church planting here. I am quite concerned about the first person I mentioned here. First person has insinuated themself into several aspects of church life. I know God has a purpose for this - actually in purifying the Church, and maybe in freeing first person from their demon(s) and giving them true life in Christ Jesus. First person has, however, been kicked out of every other church in town, so the elders have discovered, so first person makes a habit of this.
So very sad.
What also bothers me is that when I make comments about these things, someone always jumps on me about it. I can't know that is true! Someone has learned from experience that things are much more complicated than they appear (oh yes! I agree with that) and on it goes. It becomes my opinion against their opinion. I do not want that to happen! This is not an opinion contest. (the old example of who can pee higher on the wall kind of thing, which is rather rude, but there is a reason the example exists!) Fortunately, other people listen, and for that I thank God.
God gives gifts to people in the church as He sees fit and as the church needs them. I wish I had the gift for every single person who walks in the door, but that is not the case. Actually, I do NOT want that - how horrible it would be to know everything like that. As it is now, I've wondered - what will I say or do if first person finally decides to approach me? The third person, when talking to me, told me that they regard me as the "mother of the church" and used the example from Psalms about the hen gathering the chicks under her feathers (actually, that is God who does that....). I had a sort of cynical "I don't believe that for a moment" moment - the way to my heart and to my ear is NOT through flattery. Sigh.
It's kind of rainy and yucky today outside. Only 63 degrees in the livingroom when we got up, 65 here in the office room. Now it's up to 67 because the thermometer sits near the laptop. :) I'm cold. Think I'll go make some tea.
Mel brought home a box of Scottish Breakfast Tea for me. There is no better tea in the world than tea in Great Britian. Smooth, not bitter. I could drink gallons of it. Think I'll go make a cup and try and get warm again. Cheyenne is on my shoulder, cuddling as close as she can get to my neck. :-)
1 comment:
I'm praying for you! Your insights are almost always right, so don't deny them. Your scarves are BEE YOU Ti FUL!!! Love them.
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