Last Thursday was such an amazing day of spiritual intimacy with both Tom and the Lord. God laid a renewed passion on my heart to pray for Tom and speak spiritual encouragement over him. I kept praying for strength, courage, wisdom, love, and humility—over and over again. I could clearly see Tom as a warrior in the Lord’s army, needing a covering of prayer and encouragement, and the Lord faithfully gave me the words and prayers to speak. It was so very cool. I felt like I finally “got it”—finally becoming the spiritual support and armor bearer Tom needed me to be.
On Saturday, we watched The Acts movie created by the same people who did The Visual Bible versions of Matthew and John. Wow. What a powerful film—it was incredibly well done. There’s just nothing like seeing and hearing the Word of God played out all at once. The inflections in the voices, the emotions on their faces... it truly brought the Scriptures to life. At one point, when Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching after Pentecost, I actually felt the anointing of the Holy Spirit through the screen. It brought me to tears and filled me with praise—it felt as though I was really there. We were so blessed.
That night, I had a wonderful time of prayer. I couldn’t sleep, so I prayed—and prayed, and prayed. I was up until 3 a.m., interceding for Tom and so many people in our lives. I felt so close to the Lord that I didn’t want to stop! It was like I stepped into a new level of spiritual depth and intimacy with Him. Eventually I fell asleep and then got up early for church.
Sunday morning, I had what I call a “God appointment.” I had placed my things on a couple of seats, then stepped to the back of the church to pray and worship. When I returned, a young woman had sat down next to my stuff. I introduced myself, and during the service, I felt prompted by the Lord to pray for her. I asked Him what her need was, and He revealed it to me. After the service, we ended up talking and praying together for quite a while. It was so apparent that God had placed us next to each other for a divine reason. We were both so blessed.
Later that day, we went to K and S’s Sunday Supper House Church and then visited with JS and GS for dinner. It was amazing catching up with them—it felt like it had only been a month, not five or six years!
We also received an email from SS on Saturday asking for an update. Tom replied, and when he saw him at church, they spoke further. SS said that if we don’t have the rent by the 15th, we need to let him know so we can discuss next steps. We keep asking the Lord for direction, but we haven’t heard anything new… it’s a very uncomfortable and awkward place to be. SS sent another email today offering a few options in case we’re unable to pay. He’s been incredibly kind and patient with us.
Still, his words struck deep—he said we’re making them “involuntary sponsors of our ministry,” essentially “fronting” our rent. Wow. We hadn’t thought of it that way before. In essence, anyone we haven’t been able to pay has become a sponsor against their will. And on top of that, our car insurance is about to lapse, putting us in legal jeopardy—and Tom’s driver’s license expires on his birthday. If it’s not renewed before our trip to California, he might not be able to return!
Tonight we started reading Romans and landed on chapter 13, verses 7–8:
“Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
We were deeply convicted. We owe rent, utilities, and debts we can’t currently repay. If we got a job tomorrow, we wouldn’t have gas money to get there. Without electricity, cable, or phone, we wouldn’t even be able to do our ministry.
And now, we’re flying out to California on June 24. If God doesn’t provide, we’ll have to be out of our home by then. That means needing both June and July’s rent, plus utilities—about $5,000. We don’t have time to pack, sell anything, or move. And move where? It feels like the air is being crushed out of us. We have nowhere to go but the Lord… yet it’s hard not to feel like we’ve missed something, because He did say He would be our provider. This is such a tough place to be. Lord, help us. Please rescue us from this impossible situation!
Before leaving for his meeting last night, Tom said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:32, 40). Only Jesus can raise this situation from the dead—and when He does, He will get all the glory.
The Trumpet by Bill Burns – June 9, 2008
I say unto you, My children, the times will be perplexing and they will be tumultuous. This will be a time of extremes. But, I also say that you do not have to be affected by these things. Do not allow your faith to diminish, but let it grow. Indeed, when you are tested and tried, see your troubles as opportunities to stretch your faith, to believe in Me, and to fight the good fight of faith. I tell you truly that kingdoms are going to collide. My kingdom and the kingdoms of hell will clash, for there is a great battle for the souls of the generations. You will have an opportunity to arise to your kingdom position and to find yourself demonstrating the kingdom and expressing My heart. Speak My Word! My kingdom shall indeed be the ruling force in the whole world. Be prepared to experience the ups and downs and to overcome. These will be the best of times and the worst of times. But, for you, My people, they will be the best, for you will know Me as you have never known Me before. I will come and walk with you, and I will be involved in those things that I involve you in. I shall demonstrate through you the power of the kingdom and the power of the age to come, says the Lord. Have no fear, I am with you always.
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