(RE: Dayna (12 July 2012)
"To all believers in Jesus...to encourage you to stay in the race")
Dearest Dayna! ( or is it Dayan?)
Thank you so very much for your wonderful, encouraging letter!! It truly made my day!! You are so right when you said:
“ I've been reading 5 doves for years and lately I couldn't help but notice that so many of us have been beaten down by the world, the flesh and the devil until we've all wondered if we can take anymore without giving up or giving in. We look at our walk with The Lord with discouragement, anxiety and despair. We look at the world and are increasingly troubled, vexed, harassed, and sometimes lured in. We think we are on the way to overcoming and have a good handle on an area of weakness or sin and next thing we know we've been knocked flat on our face wondering what happened."
This is exactly where I am…I am totally identifying with everything you said!! What a blessing to see that so many other doves are experiencing the very same things that I am!! It is only in His strength that we can overcome and cling to Him in faith and hope. Sometimes this feels like such a lonely place to be, as we struggle with our personal crosses, as we tread up the Hill.
We are going home so very soon, and the encouragement from others as to how we may be feeling at these last moments, is beyond belief, and so right on, as to where we all are, at this moment in time.
Bless you, Dayna, and thank you for feeling compelled to write such an awesome letter!! It has encouraged me, and I am sure so many others!!!So exciting to think that we will all meet so soon, and get to share the incredible power of our SAVIOR AND LORD, together!!!
Whee ha!! We are going HOME!!! Soon all the sadness, and sorrow, and darkness will be lifted from each of our hearts and we will soar with the eagles!!
Here is your letter again…in case anyone missed it!!You inspired me so much!! Thank you!!
Agape!!Your sister in Christ,Patti C.############Dayna (12 July 2012)
"To all believers in Jesus...to encourage you to stay in the race"
I've been reading 5 doves for years and lately I couldn't help but notice that so many of us have been beaten down by the world, the flesh and the devil until we've all wondered if we can take anymore without giving up or giving in. We look at our walk with The Lord with discouragement, anxiety and despair. We look at the world and are increasingly troubled, vexed, harassed, and sometimes lured in. We think we are on the way to overcoming and have a good handle on an area of weakness or sin and next thing we know we've been knocked flat on our face wondering what happened. We think we're making good progress with The Lord in our walk and without warning we trip and stumble and again are taken by surprise. Any of this sound familiar?
But it was only a dream.....right?
A couple of weeks ago, my husband went up to his parents’ house at 1:30 AM to help them. When he came back, I couldn't sleep. Instead I "dosed" until about 4:30 AM. I'd dose off for about an hour, jerk awake.. repeat. Anyway, close to when it was time to get up, I had a very short, vivid dream. I was before the Judgment seat of Christ, looking down at a reward that was placed in my hand. Now here's the interesting part. In the dream, I was stunned. The reward was for something that I thought was insignificant and not worth even mentioning, much less being rewarded for. I blurted out "You're rewarding me for THIS??????" I was beyond shocked. You couldn't have shocked me more if you had walked up to me and hit me in the face with a cold dead fish. Then I jerked awake again.
For as long as I've been a believer, I've been terrified of the Bema. Even though I've longed to be with The Lord, I've dreaded standing before Him to have my works judged. Maybe a few of you know what I'm talking about. Maybe not. What The Lord is showing me now is that everything I've ever done (and everything that You've ever done) in His name and for His sake will not be forgotten and WILL be rewarded. Even the small insignificant things. At any rate, hopefully this will encourage you to stay the course and persevere.
Have you ever given to the poor not to be seen, but because you had compassion?
Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Have you ever met the need of a fellow believer simply because you had the means to do so?
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
Have you ever received someone because they belong to the Lord?
Matthew 10: 40-42 He that receives you receives Me, and he that receives me receives Him that sent me.
He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Have you ever witnessed to anyone?
1 Corinthians 3:8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
Have you ever encouraged the brothers and sisters in prison for the sake of the gospel?
Hebrews 10:34-35 "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise
The whole point of this is that even though we will give an account to The Lord for everything done in the body whether it be good or evil (worthless), He is not going to forget the things that you did for His names sake. So hang on to Him. If you sin, confess and forsake it and He will forgive you. Every day we are given is a gift from Him and just like His mercy is new every morning, we can begin again every morning to take up His cross and follow Him. Remember that Enoch was 65 before he started to walk with The Lord. Don't let the enemy convince you that it's too late. If you will seek after The Lord with your whole heart you'll find Him. That's a promise. Just don't put it off, that's all.
Galatians 6:9 Don't grow weary in well doing, for in due time we SHALL reap if we faint not.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarded of those who seek Him.
2 John 1:8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward
DON'T GIVE UP STAY IN THE RACE AND FINISH YOUR COURSE, FOR WE SHALL SOON STAND BEFORE HIM FACE TO FACE!!
In Jesus Name And For HIS SAKE
Dayan