July, 1999

Less then 2 months ago, I placed a prayer request on this web site. Often people ask for prayer, and then you never hear from them again, sometimes you even wonder if it was all in vain. I am here to assure you that our God IS an awesome God, just listen to the theme song on our homepage. 

Within days of that request, I started to hear rumblings! That Sunday in church the Lord kept showing me things. My pastor would have us turn to a scripture, but things I had underlined years ago kept jumping out at me instead. I felt a total peace.... "It's not by might, but by my spirit," says the Lord …..This mountain shall be removed …. This mountain shall be removed …… THIS mountain shall be removed ….."By my spirit," says the Lord. That song kept going through my head, over and over. After I got home the phone rang, the rocks were already starting to crumble! Praise ye the Lord, hallelujah ……was the new song I began to sing! I could clearly see how my heavenly Father was taking control! That mountain was much too big for me! Even though I would often take a hammer and wear myself out trying to bash it to bits, I could make no progress. Humanly there was nothing I could do. I had done everything possible "in the flesh" only to realize how frail we humans really are.

The following Sunday my pastor is preaching from Romans 12 …….hold the phone, things are really starting to fall apart for my enemies and you want me to be nice to them? I am just beginning to feel slightly vindicated, but instead of allowing me to gloat in this new triumph, you want me to what?

16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.   ( Romans 12:16-21)

OK Father, I will try ….but you better get those hot coals ready!

As I opened my Bible again it seemed like my dedication verse just jumped out at me;

29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.    Isa 40:29-31

Father, you know that waiting requires patience, and that is a sore subject with me! Remember when, long ago, I prayed for patience? We both know what happened! I became very distresses over my circumstances, and that is when you showed me (Rom. 5:3) tribulation worketh patience, and I stopped praying for it ever since!

On the next page I have "promises." Verses that I have claimed over the years are just added to the list. At the top was:

Isaiah chapter 54

1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

I read the entire chapter, then read verse 17 again …….OK Father, this is the verse I want to stand on! The next promise you gave me several times during our relationship was:

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Luke 10:19

Have we not sung that song for you in our drill team? We took strength in knowing that we would have the victory! You told me not to avenge myself, that vengeance is yours, that you will repay! Gently the Lord pointed me back to verse 13.

And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

Yes, Father I have claimed that for my children! Read this chapter again he said. Don't you remember, a verse out of context is a pretext?  That chapter was written to his people! His Nation, Israel! OK then, what does that have to do with my dogs? A gentle voice seemed to say, maybe you should go and read your own testimony, have you forgotten your promises to ME?

I read What's in a Name first, and then I reread my testimony.

Then I started reading the story of Moses again. Even though he had to sacrifice so much for those people, his faithfulness established a nation. I kept thinking, Lord I just can't deal with this! Why can't I just breed my dogs, deal with the people that like and trust me, and not have to go through the problems that poor Moses had to deal with all the time? His answer was a simple question. Do you want to miss out on all those miracles? My answer was no! The battle has begun, but I know whom I believeth, and am persuaded that he is able, to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day! 

Brothers & Sisters, the same God that opened the red sea for Moses, is moving the mountain for me,  and most of all for HIS Shiloh Shepherd breed! Please pray for this wonderful breed, and my strength through the many battles ahead!

April 2002 Update

When my Father takes control, he does it in no small way!!  My bible teaches me that God is not the author of confusion .. but just look at what he has been putting the "splinter" groups through!!  That mountain that they had formed against me started to crumble immediately after I made my stand to let the Lord take control!  I had tried in my own power, only to feel frustration & loose ground .. so I had to let go, and let HIM ;-)

Confusion

Did everything become sunshine & roses?  Of course NOT!  First I had to be refined!  This was not easy .. but he kept his promise never to leave me, nor forsake me ;-)  Please follow the links below, so that you can read the rest of the story!

The Fire's Aftermath (Jan 2000) | Urgent Letter Feb 2000 | Sharing: April 2000 | Tina's Leap of Faith (April 2000) | Sharing: AUGUST 2000


The battle is not yet over, but the victory has already been won!!

 

Tina's Testimony (1987) | Tina's Testimony (1998) | Sharing (July 1999) | The Fire's Aftermath (Jan 2000) | TINA's OnELiST Letters Jan-Feb 2000 | Urgent Letter Feb 2000 | Sharing: April 2000 | Tina's Leap of Faith (April 2000) | Sharing: AUGUST 2000