Hey Phil, and Pat,
Thanks for that awesome encouragement.  So very, very true.
Blessings,
Donna

On 1/18/15, Pat Ferguson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Phil,
>
> I really like that.
>
> Thanks so much for sharing.
>
> The last part really spoke to me because of a situation which has
> been bothering me for a long time, and I need to be praying more about it.
>
> Steve Shultz told me in an email message one time, that God Never
> leaves anything unfinished.
>
> Of course, he was refering to everything I've been going through and
> the healing that I will receive.
>
> I'm praying for a certain relationship to be healed, as well.
>
> Thanks much.
>
> Many Blessings,
>
> Pat Ferguson
> "I can Do all Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13.
>
> At 06:43 PM 1/17/2015, you wrote:
>>      Recently I lost a personal friend.  It was not due to death,
>>or because of relocation, but because of pride, anger, and
>>bitterness on behalf of my friend.  There were some minor
>>Scriptural differences, I guess you would call them minor, but I
>>don't mind those types of things unless they become doctrinal and
>>we had no doctrinal differences.
>>
>>      The Lord revealed something to me one day about this man and
>>why his life was going the way it was and why our friendship is
>>severed for now.  As usual, I always take personal prophecies,
>>relating to others, personally.  That is, I apply them to myself
>>as much as I do the person of whom the Lord is talking.   One
>>misconception of New Testament prophets is that they just hear
>>from the Lord about an individual and then they are required to
>>talk to that person.  this is untrue.  Rarely does the Lord give
>>me permission to talk to an individual about their life and what
>>the Lord is showing me about them.  Let me use an example before I
>>tell you what the Lord revealed to me about my friend.
>>
>>      A few years ago, a friend of mine, and his teenage son, tried
>>hiking to a mountain peak not far from Denver.  They went late in
>>the fall, something not wise to do, and they did not dress for
>>winter because it was such a nice day.  The walk up the long trail
>>took longer than they anticipated and on the way back, it began to
>>snow.  Once the winter weather moved in, they quickly became cold
>>and decided to leave the path and cut across a valley which they
>>thought would save them time and lead them to a more direct path
>>to the place they had parked their car.  They became hopelessly
>>lost.  They began to wonder around in knee deep snow, hoping they
>>would recut their original trail, but soon realize they were
>>becoming even more lost.  Additionally, the weather deteriorated.
>>
>>      finally my friend told his son that they best hunker down and
>>make the best of the night and pray that the storm did not get
>>any worse.  They dug out a place in the snow to try and keep their
>>feet dry and where they could squat down and try their best to
>>stay out of the wind.  Fortunately, during the night, the storm
>>stopped and the wind died down but it was bitterly cold.
>>
>>      When morning finally came, they discovered, even in broad
>>daylight, they were still lost.  It took them a considerable time
>>to locate the road they had used when coming to the foot of the
>>mountain trail.  By this time, his wife had alerted the
>>authorities and they had sent someone up to try and find them.
>>
>>      My friend spent about three weeks in the hospital because his
>>feet were severely frostbitten.  He spend several sessions in a
>>hyperbaric chamber to save his feet.  His son, who was about 18
>>years old at the time, was only in the hospital briefly and
>>suffered little effect from the cold.  My friend still has some
>>discomfort in his feet today but otherwise he is well.
>>
>>      During his stay in the hospital, I called him several times.
>>We had not seen each other for probably two or three years
>>because his wife does not like me.  I used to be her pastor and
>>spent many hours counseling with her and once, years later, had to
>>kick her out of my home because she was trying to disrupt the
>>bible study.  she was notorious for this sort of behavior and has
>>literally disrupted church services by standing up and attempting
>>to take over the service as the pastor taught.  Yes, she has some
>>deep seeded spiritual problems and some of it involves demonic
>>activity but that's a different story.
>>
>>      during my friend's stay in the hospital, his wife left him.
>>this, too, is also another one of her routine manipulating tricks.
>>In this case, her husband was getting all the attention and not
>>her.  so she moved out; leaving my friend all alone in the
>>hospital and he had no insurance.  To say the least, he was
>>horribly discouraged but you don't have to be a prophet to figure
>>that one out.
>>
>>      One day, as we were talking, and we were having some very
>>good and very deep spiritual talks as he lay in his hospital bed,
>>the Lord told me that my friend would not be harmed by this
>>experience.  The Lord, furthermore, told me to tell my friend
>>exactly what I had just heard.  My friend knows me well enough to
>>know that, even though I hear something from the Lord, I don't
>>always speak it unless the Lord gives me permission.  I told my
>>friend I had no idea if the Lord was speaking physically or
>>spiritually.  Personally, I thought it was both.  As I said, his
>>feet are ok now but he still has some discomfort do to the
>>frostbite.
>>
>>      this experience just described has happened to me dozens and
>>dozens of times over the years.  I would guess, probably one out
>>of every fifty times, the Lord tells me to talk to the person.
>>So, as you can see, it isn't often.  What do I do the rest of the
>>time?  I pray about what god has revealed about that person in a
>>more focused way than I would be able to otherwise.  Now back to
>>my original story.
>>
>>      As I said, I recently lost a friend.  I have been trying to
>>help this friend for some time in his church but he has become
>>very angry, very bitter, and pride, though he doesn't recognize
>>it, has blocked his ability to bless his church.  No, I have not
>>told him all of this and in fact have told him very little.  Why?
>>Because he is not ready to receive it and in fact, what I know, if
>>all were told to him personally, would probably make him worse.
>>It is killing his church and it will kill him as well eventually.
>>As a prophet, I have learned, speaking to someone before the Lord
>>gives permission, can be dangerous and destructive to that
>>person.  In this case, I spoke with the man enough to discern his
>>response and it was fiercely rebuffed.
>>
>>      A few days ago, out of spiritual frustration, I simply asked
>>the Lord why my friend was acting this way.  Instantly, the Holy
>>Spirit answered my question.  He told me that this man was only
>>asking the Lord for crumbs and so he was only getting crumbs.  The
>>implication, therefore, is spiritually enormous and personally
>>applicable.
>>
>>      The moment the Holy spirit spoke, my mind flashed to the
>>story of the Syrophenician woman: (See Matthew 15:22-28 and Mark
>>7:25-30).  This woman, who was a Greek, tried to get Jesus to heal
>>her daughter who was possessed by a demon.  Jesus was ministering
>>to Israel at this point of his ministry and said so.  She
>>apparently wasn't willing to give up and must have been
>>continually bombarding our Lord's disciples because they came to
>>the Lord and asked Him to get rid of her.
>>
>>      The passage in Matthew's Gospel is quite interesting because
>>it says the woman came and worshiped our Lord.  Look it up for
>>yourself.  It means to kiss or to lick the skin as a dog licks his
>>master's hand.  Here, in this part of the story, we are talking
>>about sincerity, at the least, and spiritual intimacy at the most.
>>I would suggest the woman came and threw herself at our lord's
>>feet and began kissing Him and begging for her daughter's life.
>>When Jesus said to her that it wasn't right to give the bread of
>>the children to others, she agreed but insisted that even the dogs
>>eat the crumbs the children drop.  Jesus granted her request and
>>her daughter was healed from that very hour.
>>
>>      My recent experience with my friend greatly convicted me when
>>the Lord showed all this to me.  I, too, have been guilty of
>>asking God only for crumbs.  Then when I get nothing but crumbs, I
>>complain it isn't enough.  Each of us are guilty, in our own way,
>>of expecting the very least God can do and that is what we are
>>getting; the least He can do.  He is willing to do His best, His
>>biggest, and His most if we will submit to Him by asking and
>>believe.
>>
>>      Have you given place to the devil by asking for crumbs when
>>god can do so much more for you?  Repent, and begin asking for all
>>He has planned for your life.  Ignore the accusatory clamor, the
>>inflammatory rejection, the judgmental comments, and the
>>spiritual threats which are coming against you.  Kiss the Lord
>>with your prayers until freedom comes.  do not allow the devil to
>>possess your inheritance.  Cast Him out by expecting Jesus to give
>>you His best.  If He did give His all on the cross, why would He
>>not do so now?  Question the devil's ability to move against you
>>by acknowledging God and His Word.
>>
>>
>>Phil.
>>Living His Name
>><http://www.SafePlaceFellowship.COM>WWW.SafePlaceFellowship.COM
>