No more muzzles on our workers!

Hmmm.  I  have been thinking about this article for a long time and how to write it the right way.  Here goes.

The Bible says  'don't muzzle the ox that's treading out the grain' (Deut.25:4).  This was not a common practise in the days when people used oxen because the ox would always stop to eat.  So the driver would have to goad the ox to keep him treading out the grain.  Also,  the owners risked the animals health because the ox could get sick from eating so much grain at one time.

So any farmer would wonder what does this scripture mean?  I think we need to remember that Jesus was really concerned about people and often used analogies to convey a thought.

If this scripture is really talking about people then maybe we need to investigate what the oxen was doing. Really, the ox was doing the work that no one else wanted to do.  He was doing a very important, yet boring job of walking around in circles pulling a very heavy log or roller to crush the grain.

If I am correct,  then what this scripture means is that we are to treat 'well' the people who do the work no one else wants to do.  We are not to treat them with less respect or prevent them from enjoying all the rewards (the grain).  The rewards can mean the spiritual, physical and financial benefits of the church.

1Titus 5:18 says "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."  This cuts into the prevailing mentality of free volunteer work.  So where's the balance?  If you can't get anyone else to do the job then maybe there's a reason for that?  

Churches say they can't afford good help.... I say they can't afford not to pay for good, reliable help.  And who's to say that the Lord won't tell the person to give back their wages in the offering bucket?  

The bible has many examples of where the priests had to leave the temple work because they weren't getting paid. Have we learned nothing in all these years?  Enough said.

I've seen way too many people who were good volunteers leave churches because they got tired of feeling used and unappreciated.  I've got to ask,  how bad does it have to get?   The library where I work part time has volunteer and staff appreciation events every couple of months.  Funny, but they have had the same volunteers for years and some of the staff have been there over ten years.

Maybe they have caught onto something?   The volunteers put in a few hours a week doing the easiest jobs and yet they are so appreciated and affirmed!  Maybe we need to ask our volunteers how we can make them feel more appreciated?

I don't have all the answers.  I sure miss my friends who helped me on the video camera, sound board and projection screen.  So if the video isn't following the person... cut me some slack.  I'm probably trying to fix the sound board feed or trying to figure out how to get a video ready to play on the big screen.

Let's pray:  Thank You Lord for your help in our lives.  Thank You Lord for your constant encouragement.  Help us all to rely on you more for our daily provision, guidance and problem solving ability.  Thank You Lord for joy in our journey.  Thank You Lord that You said whoever wants to be great must be the servant of all.  Thank You Lord for helping us pass the tests along the way.  Thank You Lord for healthy boundaries and for helping us recognize control and manipulation in our relationships.  Thank you Lord for showing us how to stop it gently,  with the right attitude.
Thank You Lord for all your prophetic words over our lives! Thank you Lord that they are coming to pass! Thank You Lord that because we are 'willing and obedient', (with a good attitude) we eat the good(the best) of the land.  Hallelujah!   Amen!

You have a great day with Holy Spirit!  I just know He's working on your behalf, going ahead of you and preparing the way for you!

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson
(ps. Please share my blog with others if you like what you are reading!)

I'm going to let you in on one of my secrets.  People are always asking me how I get so much done in my day.   My big secret is time with God and lists.  Writing things down when I'm spending time with the Lord helps me to take those thoughts captive so I can focus on the Lord and not what I need to remember to do the next day.

Also,  they help me to get lots done every day.  Here's the list I scribbled down this am.  There's not much to it, but does it ever help me to stay on track.  The best part is checking off the things you get done.  It gives a person a real sense of accomplishment.

Always make sure to have a reward at the end of the day, some 'me' time where you do something you want to do.  Then you won't get frustrated.  There will always be things to do after all.  The devil will make sure that you are busy your whole life, if he can.

Busy = Busy
            Under
            Satan's
            Yoke.


The big goal in life is to find out what God wants you to do and do that, not what everyone else would like to you to do for them.  (more on that in another post) Balance-- it's a huge concept and it ties in with learning to say 'no' politely.  I'm working on how to say no politely to different people.  The closer the people are to you  the harder it is at times to say no.  Also,  it's harder to say no to those in authority over you especially if you want to have favor with them.  Therefore it behooves us as leaders to check with God about what we are asking our families and/or volunteers to do for us.  We don't want to hinder God's plan in people's lives.

It's worth it though.  The more time we spend prioritizing our lives, the more productive we will be. Here are some scripture confessions to build yourself up in your most holy faith:

-Thank You Lord that the desires of the diligent will be fully satisfied. (Prov. 13:4)
-Thank you Lord that because we love your word nothing and no one can cause us to stumble or take offense. (Ps. 119:165)
-Thank You Lord that we are quick to hear, slow to speak and very slow to get angry or offended. (James 1:17)

Have a great day!
Big hugs and many Blessings,
Brenda Gale Thompson

New Knees!

I was helping with the ministry team on Tuesday night and happened to be beside the preacher as he prayed for a lady with metal in her knees.  She was in incredible pain just trying to stand up and move to where the preacher wanted the people to go stand for prayer. 

When he prayed for her she went down and he moved on to pray for other people that had surgical metal in their bodies.  I could feel an empowering as I was praying for her and I saw a quick vision of leg bones with knee caps.  The Lord wanted me to pray for her so I downloaded knees into her by faith, while she was down on the floor. 

She then moved her leg a bit and started to cry and when I asked what was going on, she told me that she this was the first time she hadn't been in pain bending her leg in 4 years.  Praise the Lord!   I found out that she had hurt herself while in military service and had had both knees replaced surgically.  She couldn't have been over 35 years old and was awfully young to be so debilitated.

I told the preacher  what was happening to her and he had her stand up and asked her what had happened. All of the pain and most of the metal was gone from both knees, so he prayed for the last little bit of metal to go (I joined in quietly) and she got totally healed.  I was so encouraged and empowered by the preacher's authority and to realize that I heard the Lord right and that he used me.

Also,  I believe I received something from the Lord as I prayed for the preacher... because initially I was just praying for the preacher, covering and protecting him in prayer.  He had asked the people to pray in tongues for him a couple of times... so I thought he might want help spiritually.  We can never out give God!

What an exciting service. I want to encourage you to get involved whenever you can because you get trained up as you help serve men and women of God.

Bless you today!  May you walk in the anointing you have received!

Big hugs,

Brenda Gale

Do Not Discount Yourself!

Boy did I learn a lesson the other night.  Let me share what happened with you so that you don't make the mistake I almost made.

Friday nights are healing meetings at our church, www.wcca.ca and it was about  9 p.m. when the pastor called up the ministry team to help out.  I was tired and ready to go home to bed, but I asked Holy Spirit what He wanted me to do.  He said to go up to the front.

I obeyed, but I was wondering what I was going to do, as there were already some ministry team members up there and I did not see lots of people going up for healing.

I got up to the front, when a friend that I have been encouraging in the healing gifts asked me if I would pray for a fellow. I said, "Sure." (I mean what else am I going to say?  I know that the anointing I have received abides in me. (1John. 2:27))

We went to pray for this man and he got touched. (I didn't feel a thing.) Then the pastor came over and wanted to pray for him so I stepped back so he could.  Cancer's were cursed and healing was loosed and the man was touched even more by Holy Spirit.

Then my friend brought another fellow for me to pray for.  I prayed for this new fellow as Holy Spirit led and asked him to test out his back.  He replied very seriously, "I know it's healed because I can stand here with no pain."

I had a word of knowledge for him to start the healing of his soul and I shared it with him quietly.  He received it well.

Then I said, "Okay, your back is better, but someone has a sore back right here," and I pointed to where I had a word of knowledge in my back.

My friend piped up, "That's for me!" We both chuckled and I had him turn around.  After asking permission, I laid my hands on him and got the new fellow, who had been healed, to lay hands too.  I showed the new fellow how to start the healing flow by focusing on how much Jesus loves this man. Then I told him to release God's love into my friend to fix whatever was wrong.

The new fellow complied.... I think he was kind of shocked to hear my friend say he felt better after receiving prayer.  This was his first time at West Carleton Christian Assembly and they had driven over an hour to get there.   God met them there and used him to bring healing to someone else too.  Truly the scripture says, "Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8) He won't forget that night!

I lost track of how many people I prayed for that night.  It was an awesome sight.  I would have missed it completely if I had listened to my flesh and gone home.

My friend had been asking people all week to come and had gone out of his way to bring people that needed healing. Lord bless him for his obedience.

So my point is, do not discount yourself.  You matter!  The Lord wants to use you! Maybe the Lord could use someone else in a pinch, but He wants to use you.

On that note let me pray for you.  "Lord I bless the person reading this.  Thank You that Your healing power flows through their hands today and that Your words of love, grace, mercy and power are being spoken today, changing every situation they come across.   Thank You so much Lord that You want to use them for Your glory today.  I declare that they are Your ambassadors today and that they are world changers for You. Amen!

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

(photo courtesy of Photobucket.com)

Change Is Good For Us

Hi there.   I just happened to notice this verse. "God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God." (Psalm 55:19)

I started thinking about that and how much I have changed over the years.   Change can be good for us, if it's a change towards spiritual growth.

Another version talks about a wicked man and how there are no changes in him because he doesn't fear God.

I guess that means that if we fear God we will be willing to change, right?  I agree.  Therefore, Lord show us how to change.  Show us what area you would like us to renew our minds in and lead us step by step into renewing our minds. (Rom. 12:1-2)

I want to walk in the "anointing I have already attained." (Phil 3:16).   I am tired of getting victory in one area of my life, then starting to work on another area of my life and losing the victories I had previously.

Has that ever happened to you?

There was a time when you couldn't pay me to over eat.  I had just come out of two major fasts and was doing fine.  Then the Lord had me start working on gentleness and revival scriptures and I noticed within a month or two that I was starting to over eat on occasion.  What happened?  I let the victory slip.

I asked Holy Spirit how to maintain the anointing and He said to confess one or two scriptures a day that help me in that area of my life, to maintain the anointing and to guard my flesh in that area of my life.

The same thing can happen to you after a siesta or holiday.  You might have finished a season where you were giving out many, many words of knowledge or praying for the sick every day.  Then you take a holiday and after the holiday you notice that you are letting ministry opportunities slip by you.

Well I have good news for you.  The anointing you have received abides in you and if you will do the same things that you did initially to walk in that type of anointing, it will come back to you... just faster this time. (1John 2:27)

A good way to stir up the anointing is to pray in tongues. Another way is to recount all the miracles and healings you have experienced or witnessed before.  Remember, the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesy. (Rev. 19:10)  As you remember what happened before and start to give thanks, the same faith  and anointing is present again, to do the same kind of miracles.  There is no time or distance in the Spirit.  So if it has happened before, it can happen again.

On that note, I am going to try to make sure that I have a couple of self control confessions every day, a few boldness confessions, faith confessions, revival confessions every day to keep myself strong in all areas of my life.  Then I won't lose any ground.  I will always be growing and changing.

I Bless you in Jesus' name. May you have fun with the Lord today. May He encourage your heart and help you to laugh at yourself in a good way, knowing that He loves you right where you are.  Amen!
We serve an amazing God and you are blessed, in Jesus' name! Amen.

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale