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GREETINGS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Another year is coming to a close after we celebrate the Christmas Holidays.  I think of how Jesus left all the splendor and glory of Heaven to come to earth that first Christmas, taking on the human form of a tiny infant.  What an act of humility that was, being that He is who He is.  Then to be turned away from the Inn because there was no room for them.  The Inn missed the greatest blessing it could have ever known.  But there in a lowly, humble stable among the animals our Saviour was born.  The quiet of the evening was shattered by the cry of the Saviour as He entered into the world.  During the Christmas season I look upon my heart as an Inn, and ponder on the thought of how I can make room for Him in my doings, and goings.  Will you make room for Him?

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH!!!

Now is the time to choose the Lord --- later may never come.

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O WHAT A PROMISE!!!

NOW THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.      II Corinthians 9:15 

That gift is Jesus and the free gift of Salvation that we are told about in Ephesians 2:8 & 9.  FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST.  Have you received God's free gift of salvation?  When I was a little girl of nine, I responded to Jesus when He knocked on the door of my heart and life, inviting Him to come in.  I came to Him under the conviction of sin, and confessed that I was a sinner.  I placed my measure of faith on His Word, that He had died for my sins, was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures.  I opened the door and let Him come in.  Oh the peace and joy that filled my soul that day was and still is so awesome! Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

TOPIC OF THE MONTH!!!

OUR SECOND MIRACLE CHRISTMAS

FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.                         LUKE 1:37

Last year I shared my family's first miracle Christmas with you, so this year I would like to share our second one.  It took place the following year.  Steve reported brake problems on his eighteen wheeler, which was to have been taken care of so that he could leave in the morning on another run. He did not get far when he realized that he did not have any brakes.  He was on a six-lane highway in New Jersey.  To get his rig stopped, and to avoid hitting anyone he had to drive his rig into the center divider to get it stopped, having to ram into it several times.  This accident gave him a concussion, and redamaged his back.  He was also bruised up a bit.  This laid him aside again for many months.  Like his accident the year before, this one also happened in February.  This physical trial brought on more financial struggle.

Being out of work so long really put a damper on any plans for Christmas for the kids.  It meant that I would have to go to God again, praying on His promises for a miracle Christmas for the kids.  Like the year before, I asked God not to answer if this was not His will for us, or if I was asking amiss.  I used the same Scriptures that I prayed on the year before.  Some of them were Phil.4:19; Jeremiah 33:3; Luke 1:37; Ephe.3:20 and Matthew 21:22.  My children knew that I had prayed.  Christmas Eve fell on a Wednesday night that year, so we went to prayer meeting.  I planned to be up all night doing up Christmas dinner, as I was not about to miss prayer meeting.  Shortly after we arrived home from church there was knock at our front door.

When I opened it, there stood a man from Sears.  He asked to speak to Muriel Pollock, so I let him know that he was.  He said, "I see that you are all dressed up" in quite a rough tone.  He asked, "And may I ask where you are going?"  I told him that we just got back from prayer meeting.  He was flabbergasted over that.  He said, "You mean to tell me that a mother of five would take time out to go to prayer meeting on the busiest night of the year?"  I let him know that I always made time for God.  Then the man asked me to have my husband come outside to help him.  They began carrying all kinds of presents in.  As they carried them past me I saw that they had boy and girl on them, with my children's ages.  The man brought in bags of apples, oranges, Christmas candy, nuts, and a string of Christmas lollipops for the kids.  Then he came over and handed me a large can of assorted Danish cookies, saying that he had heard that I did not get to bake cookies for Christmas that year.

Then he began to tell me the trials that I had to handle each month of that year.  He told me about our house fire, Steve's accident, my father's two major heart attacks, and Fred being attacked twice by a German Shepherd dog, in a period of two weeks time.  He just went through the year like that.  Then he said, "Funny thing about you, Mrs. Pollock", commenting on my faith and prayer life.  This just blew my mind.  He was not even from a Sears in our area.  I asked him how on earth did he know all that? He just laughed and told me that a little birdie told him.  Some one from our church got all seven in our family a beautiful sweater too.  The neighbor next door gave the kids a sled.  I had a friend whom sold Avon, and saved all the children's samples for Christmas for the kids.  What a wonderful miracle Christmas it turned out to be!  To God be all the praise and the glory. He is awesome!  He is still in the miracle working business today.

NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCREEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US, UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END.  AMEN.       EPHE. 3:20-21

My children loved having Christian Christmases.  Our motto was that we only had room in the Pollock Inn for the Saviour.  The kids had an all year round Christ instead of a once a year legend to look forward to.  Next year I will share our third miracle Christmas with you, Lord willing.  I gathered my children together and prayed with them for this.  Our favorite Christmas verse was Luke 2:11.  FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD.  The kids wanted to have another birthday cake for Jesus, so I baked them one, and put a little manger scene on it with this verse.  I read the Christmas story to them again, keeping Christ in our Christmas.  What a Christmas this turned out to be!

I think of that first miracle Christmas over 2000 years ago.  The shepherds were out attending to their sheep that night when suddenly an angel appears.  THE ANGEL SAID UNTO THEM, FEAR NOT: FOR I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE (Luke 2:10).  WOW!  That must have scared them out of their wits.  To have the night sky light up and suddenly an angel appears and speaks to them.  Can you imagine what it must have been like sitting there in the quietness of that dark night, when suddenly an angel appeared?  Luke 2:9 says, "AND, LO, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME UPON THEM: AND THEY WERE SORE AFRAID."  Man, I think I would have come out of my skin if I had been there.  But oh, the message the angel brought down to them from Heaven was so awesome!  The Saviour is born!  The fullness of time had come, as Galatians 4:4 says.

I wonder if the people back then were aware of the fact that a shadow fell across the manger?  It was the shadow of the cross.  Jesus came into the world to give His life as a ransom for us.  He came to die in our place, to take the punishment for our sins so that we could be redeemed, saved, forgiven, and Heaven bound.  While He was on the cross you and I were on His mind.  WOW!  Can we not pause during this busy holiday to think on all that took place so that we could be saved?

The good tidings that the angel told to the Shepherds were this.  FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD.  AND THIS SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO YOU: YE SHALL FIND THE BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES, LYING IN A MANGER.  AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGEL A MULTITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING GOD, AND SAYING, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, AND GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN. That night sky had to have really been lit up with brightness and with the glory of God that the angels brought down with them.  And to think that the news of Christ's birth was presented to a few humble shepherds!  What an awesome sight the shepherds beheld that night!  And what good news they heard!

I bet the shepherds hurried as fast as they could go to find baby Jesus with the knowledge of Christ's birth prophesied on their minds.  What exciting news to hear that it was fulfilled in their day!  I can just imagine the front page of the Newspaper that day. Scripture fulfilled!  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords was born today in Bethlehem. The Saviour has come.  But no, He was born in a stable, not in a palace.  They did not even have, or make room for Him to be born in the Inn.  There was no parade that day celebrating His arrival.  Many did not even believe that He was who He was said to be. To them it was just another day.  Luke 2:16 says, "AND THEY (the shepherds) CAME WITH HASTE, AND FOUND MARY, AND JOSEPH, AND THE BABE LYING IN A MANGER.  What a humble coming for the greatest King ever!
AND WHEN THEY HAD SEEN IT, THEY MADE KNOWN ABROAD THE SAYING WHICH WAS TOLD THEM CONCERNING THE CHILD (Luke 2:17).  They went out to tell everyone about what they had seen and heard.  They probably even shared some Scriptures that Jesus' birth fulfilled.  Then...THE SHEPHERDS RETURNED, GLORIFYING AND PRAISING GOD FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD HEARD AND SEEN, AS IT WAS TOLD UNTO THEM.  Boy do we have a story to tell and a song to sing just like the shepherds.  What did Mary do about all this?  BUT MARY KEPT ALL THESE THINGS, AND PONDERED THEM IN HER HEART (Luke 2:19).  She knew the Scriptures so did she know that Jesus was going to die when they were told to call Him Jesus, "FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS"?  When she stood at the foot of the cross watching her son die, did she think back on the night of his birth, on when she held him in her arms?

To see what Mary said while pregnant with Christ read Luke 1:46-56.  She knew that she carried the Saviour of the world in her womb.  AND MARY SAID, MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD, AND MY SPIRIT HATH REJOICED IN GOD MY SAVIOUR (Luke 1:46 & 47).  What an honor that she was granted by God!  By her life she was highly favored, and blessed.  She had found favor with God.  What a miracle that was!  As a virgin, she conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, Luke 1:35.  Micah 5:2 predicted that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.  BUT THOU, BETHLEHEM, THOUGH THOU BE LITTLE AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF JUDAH, YET OUT OF THEE SHALL HE COME FORTH UNTO ME THAT IS TO BE RULER IN ISREAL WHOSE GOINGS FORTH HAVE BEEN OF OLD, FROM EVERLASTING.

I love Isaiah 9:6.  I am interested in His names and titles, and sometimes use them in prayer.  FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN; AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER; AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.  Even His virgin birth was foretold.  THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL GIVE YOU A SIGN: BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL CONCIEVE, AND BEAR A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME EMANUEL.  Why, that is so amazing, isn't it?  Now look at Matthew 1:18-25. In verse 23 it says, "BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, WHICH BEING INTERPRETED IS, GOD WITH US. In verse 21 it says, "AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.

I am reminded of I Timothy 1:15.  THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING, AND WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION, THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS…,and Luke 19:10.  FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST.  I pause now to think on that oh so great a love behind all this.  FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM, SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE (John 3:16).  And what is so amazing is, BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US (Romans 5:8).  So this is why the shadow of the cross fell over that manger where baby Jesus lay.  It had to.  It was God's purpose and plan.  He sent a redeemer to save us form our sins and it's wages.  Colossians 1:14 says, "IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, EVEN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.  The birth of Christ was to rescue us from perishing.  There is no greater love story than this.  These are the things that we need to think on at Christmas time.  We need to give Him our thanks and our praise for all that He has done for us and given us.  The most special and precious part of the believers Christmases, should be the memory of that miraculous Christmas so long ago. We should not forget God, and those mighty and wonderful things that He has done for us.  HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GOD SENT US A SAVIOUR

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an EDUCATOR.
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a SCIENTIST.
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an ECONOMIST.
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an ENTERTAINER.
But our greatest need was forgiveness, SO GOD SENT US A SAVIOUR.

"FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED."  JOHN 3:17

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock,  Proverbs 3:5&6

This time of year we seem to be most thankful, or express thanksgiving the most, but it really needs to be a year round thing. I felt it on my mountain time with God last month. I weave thanksgiving into my main praying times. I loved it when my youngest grandchild, Sophie, and I spent the night at each other’s homes. She always had us do our count your blessings list when we went to bed. She would take charge, and have me strain my brain over making sure I did not leave anything out of what to thank God for. She has you even thank God for the things you don’t like. She would remind me that everything God created has a purpose. Down through the years I have asked God for a thankful heart, and a grateful spirit, not wanting to take anything or anyone for granted, especially God, and what He’s done, or had someone do for me.

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Live prayerfully, the life you save may be your own.

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AND THE LORD SHALL MAKE THEE THE HEAD, AND NOT THE TAIL; AND THOU SHALT BE ABOVE ONLY, AND THOU SHALT NOT BE BENEATH; (the condition to this promise is:) IF THAT THOU HEARKEN UNTO THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY, TO OBSERVE AND DO THEM. DEUTERONOMY 28:13

This was such an exciting promise fulfilled in the 1980’s when I was a sales clerk at a major department store. I claimed it to win the top sales award for the year desiring to win it for God’s honor and glory. I asked him to apply it to my life and that goal. Not only did I win the top sales award, I won it at the highest level (management), and set the highest sales record in the history of the store up to that year. When we have a mind and heart to honor and glorify God, and meet the conditions of His promises, and attach our faith to the promises, God will take us to the top. I was told not to waste my time trying to win the top award, that it would be impossible, but God did Luke 1:37.

Have you ever thought, or asked yourself why should I study the Bible? Boy did I have a strong dislike for study in the days of my youth. I am so amazed that God has been able to develop study into my life down through the years, concerning His Word. He used the trials of life to Work this out. The dictionary assignments were the homework assignments that I hated most. I find that so funny as now I have to have a dictionary nearby when I read or study my Bible. I get out pen, tablet, commentaries, dictionaries, thesaurus, concordance, and sometimes other books on the topics that I dig into. It has been from the study of God's Word that I discovered just how necessary and important the study of His Word is. It is very necessary. O what we miss when we just read it, and fail to dig into the study of what we read!

While I was in North Carolina at the tail end of September, and the first part of October on that awesome mountain top time with God, I was also taken to a couple of Christian Book stores. A number of books stood out to me which fit the topics that I had been in prayer over for a few months on what I wanted to increase, and build up into my life. God provided so that I could get them. Also two others were given to me. Bro. Paul and Donna bought me The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, and my prayer partner, Ella, and her husband Dale gave me the 1828 Webster's Dictionary that I have been praying for for a few years. Then a dear friend here gave my daughter and I two boxes of books. Dotty let me have first choice at them knowing I teach, build up lessons, and will use some for topics for the Son-Shine letters. Talk about reading and studying, I have been busy and at it, also busy at building up lessons to teach.

So to study God's Word has been one of the positives that God worked into the negatives in my life. How He did that, as I shared, amazes me as I did not like to study. I also did not like to memorize. It was and is very difficult for me to memorize, but I still do it as God's tells us to put His Word down into our hearts. There is no other way to get it there. How He did that was another positive in life's hard places. As I searched His Word for fitting promises to use in prayer they so blessed and uplifted me that I just had to learn them. I worked at memorizing. I did a lot of study, reading, praying, and memorizing in the night while Steve was over the road, and while my children slept. When we were a family of seven I needed time out, and quiet get away times to regain strength. I would write out verses on notebook paper, tape them on the wall by the tub and say "CALGON CARRY ME AWAY", and would head off to the bathroom to soak in the tub, and would memorize and pray. I felt that when I pulled the plug all my cares went down the drain. I felt like a new, refreshed woman, and was. I had spent quality time with God, memorizing His Word, soaking the soreness of the days work away, and telling God all about what was going on in my life. Try it sometime. Even as a widow, sometimes I rise very early, light the scented candles, fill the tub and add some good smelling stuff, and soak away and just pray, or think on memorized Scripture, or read my devotions. I am ready for the day then. Sometimes I do it late at night. It sure keeps the stress out of my life, but that is one of the benefits of prayer, and being in God's Word. It puts joy in one’s heart also.

It is mainly in the valley periods in life that God has blessed with precious insights and lessons. It seemed to me that in the mountain periods, when all seems well and quiet, or free from trouble that I felt were the rest periods, refreshing times where you get prepared for the whatever comes next. So while on that mountain period I was so deeply moved and amazed that God gave so many insights, lessons, and instructions on life. I marveled that He took me there to answer the few months of praying that I was doing before taken there. He also used all the sermons that Bro. Paul and I listened to, the revival, and their church sermons to do a special work of quickening (reviving) in me. Each thing that I heard, and was exposed to including books that I got into there, God used to build up on each other to speak volumes to my heart. As I shared in last month’s letter, I scurried out of bed in the wee hours to fall on my knees before Him. He got a hold of me on that mountain.

I still marvel and think on that awesome view of the mountain, sunset, and tour that first night where He got my attention, and put me in that Psalms 46:10a mode, of being still before Him, listening to what He had to say. I do not ever recall learning in the mountain top times in my life. I just remember them as rest periods. Was it that I wasn't paying attention to why He allowed the rest spells to get myself together in? One of the things I think is that it is because we do not do Psalms 46:10, asking Him to speak to our hearts. I think it is a failure to look to, or to seek Him, or to wait for Him. I did not know that you could learn things in those mountain top times. And you can not have them without having the valley periods. Both are important and necessary for our spiritual growth, development, and well being.

I remember in one of those rest periods where no trouble was going on. We were even making double payments on everything and doing good so Steve said. I was driving to work one day, praying as I drove. I remember telling God that I was bored with the rest period, as nothing was going on in my life for Him. I wasn’t learning anything special and missed that. Boy I can’t believe I prayed these things. I felt that the mountain (rest period) lasted too long, making me uncomfortable. I was ready for the valley. Boy that wasn't too bright. When the valley hit, it was a hard one. Steve and Mom began their downhill slide in life. Each valley has its lessons and its blessings, and its special purposes though, and God has brought me through that valley. But oh do I thank God for the mountains now, and will be more watchful for insights in them when they come. Now that I am back at home, I am into building up lessons, and reading books galore. I am teaching from the one called Pearls of Proverbs, which has some wonderful lessons for Christians. I desired to study Proverbs again but did not know how I wanted to go about it. I have studied Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in Proverbs, but I wanted to get more out of that book to build into my life. The book called Pearls of Proverbs by Valerie Wilson, that I got while in North Carolina hit the nail on the head so to speak, showing me what God wanted me

to study, and teach. That book covers wisdom, (I added knowledge and understanding), the fear of the Lord, humility, honesty and integrity, diligence, self-control, friendship, a happy home, wholesome speech, and sound financial management. I was so excited when I found that book. I am taking my Sunday school class through this study with me. All these things need to be built up in the believer's life.

To come away as approved workmen that need not to be ashamed, we need to study the Word of God. To be able to recognize false teaching and false teachers we need to study God's Word. To have wisdom, knowledge and understanding we need to study God's Word. To find God's will for our lives we need to study God's Word. To find answers to our questions about life and it's hard places we need to study God's Word. To know how to be good, godly men and women, husbands and wives, and we need to study the Word of God. To know how to be the kind of Christians that God commands us to be, we need to study the Bible. So we are not Bible illiterate, we need to study the Bible. To learn about God, heaven, hell, prayers witnessing, serving the Lord, etc., we need to study the Bible. We need to realize the need and the importance of study. To hear God speak we need to read and study the Bible and be under the preaching and the teaching of it. We must learn the value of study. I learned it on the backside of the desert, so to speak (in trials), and am still in that process of learning this.

A good way to relax, and have relief from the day’s stress is to get in a comfortable, quiet place with the Word of God. I like having a cup of coffee, pen and paper to take notes, and when I come out of my corner I feel so blessed for spending time with Him. The next time I feel that God has taken me up on a mountain, I'll know to listen for Him there, to look for Him, to wait on Him, and to expect lessons. I will probably long for those mountains now, after experiencing that one in North Carolina. A desire formed in my heart while up on that mountain with God. My heart really leaned toward younger women. I thought of that Bible study I did on my fiftieth birthday. I looked into the older woman, on what God expects in her character and ways, and what He expects from her in service. That is to teach younger women those hard, difficult lessons that we older women have struggled to learn, to be a help to them. How sad, and unwise it is to come to old age having neglected the study of the Word of God. This is true of men too. The Son-Shine Letters are for men also. I really encourage the study of God’s Word. It helps develop our understanding of what all God’s Word is and does. That’s why I studied the Word of God in the Word of God. It’s why I studied wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, so I could go after them, and build them into my life. It’s why I studied love, marriage, divorce, faith, trust, strength, trials and affliction, Heaven, Hell, and the other studies I dug into.

Study was done to enlighten, and give me knowledge of what God had to say, so I could gain wisdom to apply, build up, and live by the Word of God. God desires that we know, love, and treasure His Word, and study, read, memorize, meditate on it, believe it and obey, teach it, and to hold it forth in witness, sharing the Gospel. To neglect God’s Word is a form of despising it. HE THAT TURNETH HIS EAR FROM HEARING THE LAW, EVEN HIS PRAYER SHALL BE ABOMINATION. PROVERBS 28:9.

Our weak excuses of why we don’t study, read, memorize, and meditate on the Word of God will not hold up when we face Him. Again, STUDY TO SHEW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH. II TIMOTHY 2:15.

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock,  Proverbs 3:5&6

GREETINGS!!!

The summer has passed, and we are now into fall, into its beautiful colors.  I love the changing of the seasons, and can't decide which one I like best.  I think Ecclesiastes 3:lla explains it.  He hath made everything beautiful in its time.  Each season has something beautiful about it, and speaks about the awesomeness of the creator.  I see that God loves color, and has so wisely designed nature, and packed it full of purpose.  It is nice to take time out to look around, smell the flowers, and view the seasons and what they bring us.

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH!!!

GOD CAN BRING SHOWERS OF BLESSING OUT OF STORMS OF ADVERSITY.

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O WHAT A PROMISE!!!

ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU: SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU. FOR EVERY ONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH IT SHALL BE OPENED.            MATTHEW 7:7&8

Isn't this an encouragement to pray?  Long ago, beginning in those unchurched years, I learned to pray by reading my Bible.  I found myself praying on many Scriptures, holding them up to God along with my petitions.  This is one that I have prayed on, and had its promise fulfilled.  It promises answers, which encourages me to pray.  We have conditions to meet in getting our prayers answered, and faith is that key to getting what is asked for.  Do you have a problem, need, burden, etc. that you desire an answer over? Why not take it to God on this Scripture?  It is awesome to see the results of disciplining ones self to live on God's Promises, by putting your trust in them, and in God for them. It is best to look to God, the supplier, than at the need when you pray.  He is awesome!  The answers come from Him, so by faith look to Him.  He has granted such awesome answers to prayer this past year, as I go to Him asking, seeking, and knocking.  Things I thought impossible, and saw no way to happen have happened because God so graciously answered when I went to Him on His Word.  Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

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TOPIC OF THE MONTH!!!

UP ON A MOUNTAIN

I WILL INSTRUCT THEE AND TEACH THEE IN THE WAY WHICH THOU SHALT GO: I WILL GUIDE THEE WITH MINE EYE.         PSALMS 32:8

I recently went to North Carolina, to the New Dawning Ranch ministry to help take care of Grandma, the mother of a long time special prayer partner while she and her husband went off for their anniversary, and to take care of some business in another state.  Ella came to pick me up.  My desire was to also be a help and an encouragement where God could use me while there.  It also was a chance to visit with them since they live five hours from me.  We don't get to see each other much, but still pray for one another, and swap prayer requests.  So there were a couple of purposes for my going to them.  What I didn't know was that God had a very special purpose in bringing me up there.  He just used the Mitchell's and their need to work it out.  He had what I call a spiritual mountain that He planned to take me to, where He could begin to answer all that I was praying about.

I had been praying about a number of things about my life for a couple of months before my trip to North Carolina.  I had just completed teaching the book of I Peter to my Ladies class, and two things stood out to me from that book.  Be ye holy, for I am holy, and humility.  Then, Proverbs had been on my mind.  I have studied wisdom, knowledge, and understanding a couple of times, and even taught the first nine chapters to three of my grandchildren in the home schooling Bible class I was given the privilege to teach. But something was on my mind about these topics that I could not put my finger on, planning on getting back into that study.  The fear of the Lord had been on my mind also, as well as Titus 2:3-5, and Proverbs 31.  I never want to come to the place where I am stagnant, and not growing in grace, or in knowledge as a believer, and I desire to be that godly woman that God desires women to be.

I wasn't seeing anything happening in answer to this praying.  That is until I was taken to North Carolina.  God began His working to answer on that first night.  Paul had to return a trailer to the Second Chance ministry, so took his wife Donna, and Ella (my special prayer partner) and I with him so that I could see the place.  Psalms 32:8 says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Well, the teaching began immediately.  We were really tilted on a slope while backing that trailer up.  I just happened to look down, and mercy me, my heart started pounding as fear set in.  I got a tight grip on what I could get a hold of and hung on for dear life, praying.  I was very uncomfortable tilted like that.  Then I looked down and realized it wouldn't take much for the pickup to tip over, and roll on down that slope with us in it.  Peter came to mind.  Remember how he took his eyes off the Lord while walking on the water to Him?  Well, for doing so, he sank and called out in fear to the Lord, just as I was silently doing here, having sunk in fear.

I learned that when sheep are sheared, they are held in an uncomfortable position by the shepherd. Because they know the voice and the touch of the shepherd, they can relax in that uncomfortable position because they trust the shepherd.  We will sometimes find ourselves in very uncomfortable positions.  If we are used to the voice, and the touch of the Lord who is our shepherd, we too can become comfortable in those uncomfortable positions in life, if we trust the shepherd.  We can know His voice and touch by spending time with Him in His Word.  We can get used to His touch by how He works in our lives, in our circumstances and trials.  God wanted to stress putting our trust and confidence in Him. Mark 11:22 and Prov.3:5 came to mind, and I was able to relax, loosening my grip, trusting God.

Next, I was shown the School house that Bro. King built for his ministry.  Like Paul, he worked a boy’s home ministry.  This was really a cool building.  I was impressed.  We went out on the back porch where we stood looking over the rail, and wow!  What a view!  Mountains, and the beginning of the sunset.  It was breathtaking. You could look down the foothills that we were on also and see all the trees and a narrow, dirt road going down the mountain.  The trees seemed to stretch their branches upward as in praise to their creator. I thought of how majestic God is, and so awesome, as was this view of His creation.  God got my attention.  My heart filled with awe and wonder, and a stillness crept over me, and this verse came to mind. Be still and know that I am God, Psalms 46:10a.  I just wanted to drop to my knees, and bow before Him. He was very present to me.  But others were with me, so I backed up and sat on one of the porch swings, and prayed as I bowed the knees of my heart to Him.  For thou art great and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.  It is very humbling to get a glimpse of God, realizing how great and mighty He is.  It made me realize how in need of Him I am, and I saw myself as a sinner saved by the grace of God, falling short of His glory.

Next, we went to Bro. King's workshop to check it out and to see some of the projects that he was working on.  I had noticed Scriptures around the place as we took our tour and was excited to see God's Word about the place.  The one over the back door to his shop caught my eye.  When I see the blood, I will pass over you.  It spoke volumes to me, not only reminding me of what took place that night when God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, and how the death Angel passed through in the night.  It reminded me of what Jesus did on that cross for me.  I thought on Colossian’s 1:14.  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: I was deeply grateful to Him for taking my place on that cross, and the punishment for my sins so that I could be forgiven, saved, set free, and Heaven bound.

We got back in Paul's truck, and Bro. King joined us to continue the tour of His place. This dirt road was a very narrow, rough road, and I thought steep in a few places.  Talk about discomfort, we got jostled about as we drove down that road.  Matthew 7:13 & 14 came to mind about the two roads in life.  One is like this narrow way we were on.  This road we were riding down gave me some insight about this narrow way mentioned in God's Word.  I realized that it is a hard way, and sometimes rough, jostling us about in life.  The Christian life is not easy and not a smooth ride, but oh, it is a blessed road to take, with many wonderful benefits.  I thought on how we ought not yield to the temptation to quit in those rough places.  The end of the way, or road has awesome eternal benefits, where the tempting broad way with the wide gate ends in destruction.

We continued down the road, which got rougher as we went, and stopped at a couple of different spots to see the cabins that he had built.  I was very impressed.  Again, there were Scriptures around the place.  At one of the cabins we walked over to see a water wheel he had built.  I noticed some rocks near it, and thought that they were ugly, but that there must be a reason why they were placed there.  A tire was somehow hooked up to the water wheel and was also turning.  I noted water and rocks in the tire.  First, I asked what the ugly rocks were for.  Bro. King told me to hold out my hand, and when I did he placed one of the rocks in it telling me to feel it.  I thought, YUK!  I did not like it.  It was rough.  He informed me that it was me when I got saved.  I asked what the rocks in the tire were for.  He again said, “Hold out your hand.”  Ahhhh, that one felt much better.  It was smoother, but still had some rough places on it.

He said, "That's you, after you have been saved a while."  Some more years down the road, and he said I'd be a lot smoother.  I thought of a verse I read a while back in the Old Testament that says God is making up His jewels. Trials are used to smooth off the rough edges.  I thought on this, as I thought on my life.  Yep, more trials to pass through so God can complete this work in us.  Philippians 1:6 and 2:13 came to mind.  Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ.  And, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. How amazed I am at how God was responding to answer the things that I had been praying about to have improved, godly character!  It just seemed like He had taken me up to a mountain to speak to me, to reveal these things.

We got back in the truck to continue down the narrow, dirt road, and came to the place that we could go no further.  We got out and walked to a creek, where a plank was propped across huge  boulders.  My heart was deeply touched at what God spoke to me about here.  I thought, I can't cross that creek on those planks. My legs are 69 years old. No way!  How can I do this?  Bro. King had already crossed over, and I was next in line. Fear hit.  As I looked at that creek, I thought how it represented death, when we come to the end of life's way.  Steve and I watched a lot of the Gaither videos that our son Kevin had given him, to help him at the end of his life.  One song especially caught Steve's attention and blessed him so.  That song was I Won’t Have To Cross Jordan Alone.  It came to mind as I stood by that creek, having some fearfulness about crossing over.  That creek represented Jordan, and what a comforting thought it was to know that I wouldn’t have to cross over alone.  Bro. King stepped back on the plank and held out his hand telling me to take hold of his, and come on.  I had no need to fear, and was safely crossed. He represented Jesus to me, and Psalms 23:4a came to mind.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  We don't have to fear, as the Lord will be there to cross us over.

On the other side of the creek was a neat cabin that Bro. King built.  In the sleeping area was a nightstand beside the bed.  On it was an oil lamp and a Bible.  I thought on Psalms 119:105.  Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet, and a light unto my path.  His Word lit up my path, pointing out the direction in life to that narrow way that leads to heaven, which this cabin represented to me.  I went out on its porch and sat on one of the rocking chairs there, and let out an awwww, rest.  Yes, heaven is where the Christian will rest from all their earthly labors.  Keep on serving the Lord, as at the end of the way there is rest.  Oh how I wanted my Bible, and to spend some lone time with God there, surrounded by the woods with a creek running by!  It reminded me of heaven.  Don't quit, or give up. Think about God doing a refining work on you when in life's hard places.  He is smoothing off our rough edges, shaping us into His jewels.  It will be so worth it all when we see Christ.

Next month I will share more on how the Lord dealt with me, and what He provided so that I could get into the studies that can shape my life, answering those prayers that I had prayed.  Paul and I also listened to sermons on tape, and he took me to a three-hour revival down a dirt road to a little country church.  I wasn't familiar with most of the songs but they spoke to my heart, and brought tears to my eyes.  The preaching also touched my heart, as did the services we attended at their church.  I was brought to my knees, realizing that God was doing something in my heart.  I had been praying on
II Chronicles 7:14 and on Psalms 119:25, for a revival in my life.  How wonderful to know that God had heard, and is in the process of answering.  Near the end of my stay, I was in a great struggle.  I did not want to come down off that mountain that God had taken me to.  How could I come home?  I prayed asking God that question.  It was such a precious time with Him that I felt I could not leave.

God asked me a question to answer mine.  He asked, Why did Moses come down from the mountain after spending time with me?  Moses had been on my mind a lot, about him being on that mountain with God.  How could he come down from there?  What did he do when he came down from the mountain after spending time with God?  It hit me, He came down to serve.  That knowledge is what enabled me to come back home.  I was able to descend that mountain knowing that God has been working in my life, desiring to increase His use of me.  That is His desire for you too.

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock,  Proverbs 3:5&6

GREETINGS!!!

Isn't God awesome!  His promises are awesome too!  When we live to meet the conditions of His promises, He is so faithful to fulfill them for us.  I am marveling at His awesome response to those I have been praying on.  He blows my mind with His
answers to them.  We can be in negative circumstances, yet feel His love, peace and joy, knowing that He cares.  But we must be obedient to the conditions of His promises, live according to the precepts and principles of His Word, and trust Him, and call on Him on His promises.  Boy, He just keeps on being amazing, and giving me more testimony to His glory for the Son-Shine letters, and for the book I am trying to write.  Jesus is my lighthouse.  In the life experiences that I have had to endure, I can't help but wonder where I would be if He wasn't that lighthouse for me.  He guides this ole ship through life, by Him being my lighthouse, and by His Word which is the light on my life's path.  My cup runneth over inspite of the circumstances that I am in.

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In last month’s letter, on the 23rd Psalms, I left out verse four’s first part.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.  It should have been on page three, second paragraph.  It was to fit in before Psalms 16:15.  Forgive me please.  When we enter that valley where death cast’s it’s ugly shadow, we have no need to fear as He is with us.  There was a lack of fear in my grandfather when he said his goodbye to me as he slipped into the presence of the Lord when he took his last breath.  I will always remember his smile when he said that Jesus was coming for him.  Jesus as the believer’s shepherd is right there when that time comes.

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH!!!

Christ can turn painful trials into glorious triumphs.   (Amen)

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O WHAT A PROMISE!!!

THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, WHAT THINGS SOEVER YE DESIRE, WHEN YE PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YE RECEIVE THEM, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM.             MARK 11:24

This is a wonderful promise to rest our faith on, and is one that I sometimes use, and see answer to prayer on. Faith is the key to God's promises. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

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TOPIC OF THE MONTH!!!

GOD’S POSITIVES IN OUR NEGATIVES

... BUT GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD ... GENESIS 50:20

The story of Joseph in Genesis is so encouraging, and really shows that verse's truth.  God has a positive in all our negatives like He had for Joseph, where He meant it for good, that Joseph's brothers sold him.  He had been so unfairly treated, and dealt with, and even wound up in prison for something that he did not do.  He had been lied about.  But there are insights and lessons to be learned in those negative experiences that each of us face in life.  In July's letter I shared about the presence and purposes of trials.  This month I want to share on God's positives in them.  In many of the monthly topics I have taken a trial, or life's experience, and showed God's goodness in it, and shared the lesson or insight learned, or given.  I have shared how God delivered or worked out the trial.  Those trials are so hard when you are in them, yet, when I come out of them, I feel so blessed, and feel that my cup runneth over.

God has given us exceeding great and precious promises, according to II Peter 1:4, that fit every area of our lives.  He desires that we live by faith, and live on these awesome promises.  What a challenge it is to have a trial, problem, or a need, then to go to the Word of God, praying for Him to speak to your heart as you search for a fitting promise!  I have done this many times.  I also memorized most of those promises, and use them again and again in prayer.  We Christians need to remember when we are in a trial that God is in control, as He was in Joseph's life back in the book of Genesis.  All the while He is present (Ps.46:1 and Heb.13:5). He is watching and listening (Psalms 34:15,17 and 19).  These trials are intended to get our attention, to teach us something, to mature us spiritually, to test our faith, to prove it, and to develop patience in us.  We are also used in them as God's display case, being the only Bible some people read.  They demonstrate God's awesomeness and show His Word to be truth.  They are intended for good, not for evil.

Trials are only for a season (I Peter 1:6) and will soon pass.  They do sometimes drag on for a while, but again, it is only for a season.  Years ago I had a very wealthy friend who said that if she could, she would give me a million dollars to trade places with me, taking the life's trials too, just to know God as I did.  She evidently realized that it was out of those trials that I gained such precious knowledge about God, and His Word.  She commented on the answered prayer life she saw in me.  This conversation really helped me to see how rich I am, as it was the trials that God used to pull me into His precious Word, to dig like a miner does for precious gems.  Boy, after I, became a widow I had the desire also to know God's Word better, so got out my prospecting tools, which are my:  KJV study Bibles, a concordance, several commentaries, Bible dictionary, and my regular dictionary, and prayerfully set out to do some prospecting in the Word of God. What a find!  Wow!  I searched out the Word of God in the Word of God, and let me tell you, I uncovered some wonderful gems about the Word.  It is truly of great value!  A priceless treasure, yet so underestimated.

I remember in a heavy, hurting trial period years ago, God revealed a neat insight to me.  Steve had a physical trial that put us into a financial trial.  Our phone was disconnected, and in my hands from the mail that day was an eviction notice and the utility shut off notice.  I dropped to my knees by the dining area window, and cried.  I pointed out the five beautiful homes across the street to God, telling Him it wasn't fair.  Those families had everything, and did not even attend church.  And here, our family did, plus I was a Sunday school teacher, a prayer warrior, and witness.  I just did not understand this.  Even the transmission was out on the car.  I was very upset.  Where would we get the money to take care of all this?  As I knelt by the window, crying and praying, God brought a verse to mind out of Psalms 73.  Verse 17.  I asked God, How can I get to the sanctuary when the transmission is down?  I thought He meant for me to go to Church and pray.  He said, No Muriel, go to the sanctuary of my Word.

I have never thought of His Word as a sanctuary, but I found out that day that it is.  It is a place of refuge in life's storms, and is a quiet place where we can find the help we need.  I got up from my knees, wiped away my tears, and got my Bible out.  These bills were a need, so I opened my Bible to Philippians 4:19, and laid my bills in the sanctuary of God's Word.  Then, I dropped to my knees, kneeling over the sanctuary of God's Word, and did a Phil.4:6 and I Peter 5:7 with those bills, praying.  While I was praying, God was doing Ps.34:15, and began to do verse 17 and 19.  I had cried a while first, so tears had washed my eyes, clearing up my spiritual vision. Something happened to me while I was in the sanctuary of His Word, as when I got up from my knees I was not the same person who had so desperately dropped down on them.  I came up overflowing with joy.

God intended that trial for good.  I read all of Psalms 73 that day, and saw that I did not need to envy my prospering neighbors, I needed to pray for them, with a heart of compassion and concern.   So what did God do about that very hard, hurting trial, where a piece of wire flew through Steve's eye, and lodged behind it?  Wow!  The commission for the blind stepped in and picked up all his medical expenses, which was great, as Steve had complications, and nearly died. Two couples came over, a day apart.  One gave me a check which more than covered the utilities.

The other couple gave me a check that more than covered the double house payment/eviction notice.  Then an envelope with a small amount of money was given to me, along with a couple of bags of groceries.  We were able to catch up on the bills.  But this isn't all.  I called the man we paid the rent to, and apologized to him for being late, explaining that Steve had become disabled. I asked him to forgive us for getting behind, and explained to him that we were Christians, and that for some reason the Lord allowed this accident and the hardship that came with it.  He has a purpose in our hard places, but will help work it out for us.  This man opened up to me telling me that his world had turned upside down on him and everything was wrong.  That remark opened the door for me to write him a letter, telling him that I'd like to introduce him to the one that could turn his world right side up, and went into a witness to him.  He called me after reading that letter. He was thinking on all that I shared about the Gospel, and the Lord.  Then he told us that we no longer had to pay rent, letting me know that the property was being sold for a housing development to be built there.  We lived on 15 acres of land, surrounded by woods and a sand pit. God had so much good designed in this trial.  The main thing that I think I learned in it was that when we kneel over the sanctuary of the Word of God, taking our problems, needs, trials, or people there, praying over the Word, it is one of the places that God meets with us.  And what awesome results when we meet Him there!

All five of my children have one of my much used, prayed over Bibles that hold some of my tears, and markings in.  I pray that they will discover the awesomeness of God's Word if and when they browse through my old Bibles.  One of my sons asked me to do one for his little girl. The one I use now will go to Sophie.  It is the most used, marked up one, and is sort of falling apart. This one has my widow's tears in it. I trust that she will learn that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn't falling apart (because of the power, ministries, and abilities of the Word).  I use Scripture in prayer, but I need to get back to kneeling over it in prayer.  Years ago, before Steve got saved I would slip out of bed, get out my Bible, and kneel over it and pray.  Often it was after midnight.  One of my kids caught me, inquired about what I was doing, then got his Bible and joined me in doing this.  At the time I did not know that God's Word was a sanctuary where I would be meeting him. But this is one of the things that His Word is.

But back to our trial from Steve's eye accident.  I find it so amazing that God often had an unsaved person on my life's path, and used the trial to open the door to witness.  He also lets me use the trials to encourage other Christians with, as I share the testimony of how, and what God does in various trials.  I marvel over the answers to prayer in them of how He meets the needs, delivers, saves, changes things, changes me, etc.  It is one way we learn God and His ways.  Like in the accident of my son, when he was three, this trial's witness went out on the front page of the paper (in my father's town).  I shared the trial with my father and he shared it with his Preacher. The Preacher shared it with a man on the street that he was witnessing to, which happened to be a newspaper reporter.  The reporter shared it with the town.  The article called me Mrs. John Q, the mother of five.  It told a little of the trial, and said that I turned to God, who was answering prayer, working out the trail, etc.

This was in November.  In December, I was called to come to empty Dad's Preacher's living room as so much came in for my family.  A number of turkeys, food, paper products, clothes, some furniture, and a lot of Christmas presents for my children.  With Steve still laid aside, I was so thrilled that God worked out another miracle Christmas for my kids.  The good God did stretched from early November to Christmas.  He just continued blessing.  And we did not have to pay rent. We moved South on Dec.31.  God raised Joseph up to the second high person in the land.  His trust was in God.  Though he went through some extremely hard places, he learned some awesome things about God in them.  God delivered him, and promoted him, and will do as much for us.

The sanctuary is a holy place, and God's Word is holy.  We should approach both in a humble, worshipful attitude, in awe and reverence, as both are places where we have been given the privilege to come to meet God at.  Ps.40:7, Heb.10:7, and John 1:1&14 let me know that He is in the Word.  O how precious the Word of God is!  Yet it is so underestimated, and unused according to the survey report that I heard a few years ago.  It is the remedy for all that ails us.    It has the power and ability to save a soul when sown as seed in a human heart.  It has the power to cleanse, hold us back from sin, counsel us, quicken and revive us, strengthen, establish, defend, give hope and comfort, make us wise, and give us understanding.  It enlightens, shedding light on our life's path to point out the way.  It assures, upholds, brings us peace, and delivers. You can find all these ministries in Matthew 13 and Psalms 119.  It has the power and ability to heal. Ps.107:19&20 and Prov.4:20-23.  It is a source of joy, rejoicing the heart.  See Ps.19 also. O the help we can find and have when we go to the sanctuary of God's Word!

As for Steve's eye, I found verses in Isaiah where He would cause the blind to see.  I prayed over those verses, in the sanctuary of God's Word.  He had been referred to a certain eye Doctor down here, as he would need follow up care.  He had two surgeries already, and had some problems.  He almost lost his life over such a nasty infection in it, and was in Wills Eye Hospital for ten days.  He had to go back as a cataract formed.  When he saw this Doctor, a lens implant was done, which restored Steve’s sight, praise the Lord.  Shortly after the surgery as we were driving down the Aiken Augusta Highway (Hwy 1), Steve yelled out that he could see, scaring the living daylights out of me.  His vision was returning.  He was so excited, like a little kid at Christmas, and kept yelling that he could see.  God had so much good designed in that trial.  He also had lessons and insights for me.  He showed His awesome hand to provide, meet needs, comfort and encourage, and so much more.  And He spared Steve’s life besides later restoring his sight.  To God be all the glory and praise, Ps. 86:10&12.

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock,  Proverbs 3:5&6

It's hard to believe that the year is half over already. Time seems to be flying by. At my age I realize just how short life is now, and I really want it to count for Christ. Psalms 90:10 says, The days of our years are threescore and ten (70), and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80), yet is their strength, labor, and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Then in James 4:14 it says, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Life is short, Job 14:1, and full of troubles.

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There is no profit in doubting God.

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BRING YE THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE MEAT IN MINE HOUSE, AND PROVE ME NOW HEREWITH, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IF I WILL NOT OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING, THAT THERE SHALL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT. MALACHI 3:10

What a wonderful promise! It is only for the tithers though. It is one that my circumstances have caused me to come to God on. What tremendous benefits tithers have, for being obedient in not robbing God of His tithes and offerings! We have this wonderful promise to pray on, and hope in. God will open those windows of Heaven, and pour out His blessings on us, in our times of need. I am seeing and experiencing this promise, and marvel at God. God may not need our tithes, as He owns everything, but we have need to give back to Him of what He has given us. Tithing is one of the privileges that God has given us. I have put Christ first in my finances so He has not let me down, in fulfilling His promise. Again, O what a promise!

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Wow! Tina and Dotty put their heads together over The Son-Shine Letter's website, and put in four of my favorite Hymns, so as you view different pages, you will hear different Hymns. When you are in the site now, I trust it will be a blessing, and an encouragement to you. Tina has also added a prayer page, taken from one of the letters, so we hope you enjoy your visit to the site, and come away refreshed and uplifted. We invite you to visit the site. Every month The Son-Shine Letter is added to the website along with new poems, quotes, and God’s promises, so check it out every month! Just go to www.freewebs.com/thesonshineletter. You may also email me at myprayer777@aol.com.

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THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

This is one of the most precious chapters in the Bible! It is so helpful, and comforting. Many years ago, back in the sixties infact, I read a book on the 23rd Psalms by a Philip Keller. It was an awesome eye opener to this Psalm that greatly blessed my life with insight and knowledge. I gained some understanding that made it even more precious. It truly is one of my favorite chapters. Psalms 119 is my favorite because it is the Word chapter, and has 176 verses full of awesome information, insight, and knowledge about the word of God. Then comes Psalms 23; Ps.91; Ps. 34; Ps.19; Ps.37; Ps.139, and Ps. 51. Many verses out of these Psalms have been, and still are, my prayer.

Quite a few years ago I worked at a Doctor's office, where one of the Doctors was kind enough to send us to a stress seminar. It was on the 23rd Psalms, sharing many of the same things that were in that book I read. It was a refresher course on this Psalms. A good study of it sure shows it to be a stress reliever Psalms. The Lord is my Shepherd. That deals with a personal relationship with Christ. He is the good shepherd, where the believer is His sheep. That book, and the seminar materials revealed knowledge about the role of the shepherd, and his responsibilities. They both told in detail of what all the shepherd goes through, and does to care for the sheep. I was so amazed at what I learned on this. We do not need to get stressed out, if we have a relationship with Christ, the good shepherd. We are under such awesome care!

Verse 1 goes on to say, I shall not want. That is divine supplies. He will provide. We are to trust Him to do so. The flesh may crave, and lust after things, but God will see that His people shall not want. I think of Psalms 34:10’s ending,...but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. We have spiritual abundance. Does He not promise us an abundant life in John 10:10? What a relief that is! It is His supply. I think of His promises of Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:33, but there are more promises. In my present hardship circumstances this is so comforting to meditate on. He is in the process of fulfilling His promises, as my shepherd, and provider.

Ps.23:2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. That is rest. I think of Matthew 11:28, where He says, Come unto me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Infact read on to verse 30. Verse 29 says,....and ye shall find rest unto your souls. There have been times in my life

that I have been so slap wore out, where He has so graciously laid me down to rest by withholding my

strength, making me rest. Sometimes we need spiritual, physical, and emotional rest, so He makes us lie down to receive it. The green pastures are choice pastures. That verse goes on to say, he leadeth me beside the still waters. That is refreshment. He guides us there. When I think of still, I think of peace, calmness, and quiet. We will not lack food for the body or the soul. What an awesome provider the Lord is as our shepherd!

Verse 3 says, He restoreth my soul: That is healing. Restore is to reinstate, renew, revive, and to rebuild. It is to make new again, to help, rejuvenate, to freshen, and to impart renewed energy and strength. We will not lack vitality. The verse goes on to say He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. We will not lack moral direction. That’s guidance. I think of Psalms 116:15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. They have gone home to be with Him. II Corinthians 5:8 says, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. For thou art with me. Jesus is with the Christian at their death. I was at my Grandfather’s side, talking with him while all the family had been called in. His time was at hand. In the midst of our talking, he suddenly stopped and said, "Bye Muriel, I have to go now. Jesus is coming for me." He smiled as he took his last breath and slipped out into eternity to be with the Lord. Fear was not present. That’s protection. Thou art with me is God’s faithfulness.

The verse goes on to say, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. That’s sources of protection and comfort. The rod is also for correction, where the staff is for protection. There are times like sheep, that we need correction, and there are times that we need protection. The shepherd takes care of these matters. Sometimes sheep wander off and get lost, fall into revines, or get caught in the bushes. The shepherd has to go search for them and uses the staff to lift, or pull them out. He uses the rod to correct them. The rod is also used to count them. The shepherd will break the leg of his wandering sheep, then set it, put salve on it, and wrap it. Then he carries the sheep over his shoulder while it is healing. While it is being carried, it learns the voice, smell, and touch of the shepherd, and usually does not stray off again. Our hurting trials are used for that same purpose. Remember the Footprints poem?

Ps. 23:5 says, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: That's hope, and divine preparation. It is said that on that table are spread all the spiritual blessings that He purchased with His blood. This is a spiritual feast. These blessings can be enjoyed in peace and security, with enemies seeing and envying it, unable to hinder it. Years ago there was a man on my families life path who would mock me in our trials, saying, "Well Muriel, where is your God now?" I would witness, and tell him to just wait and see what God would do. My smile and attitude in trial often made him marvel. There never was a time that God failed me. His inner feast was going on in my life. That poor, unsaved man had to listen to me while I bubbled over about how God worked out the trials, supplied the need, delivered, and blessed extra. God had prepared a table before me, and this fellow had to watch me feast on the promises of God, and rejoice over the many answers to prayer.

That went on for 17 years. I had to endure the mockery, focus on God, and on His promises, and maintain a sweet attitude, keeping in mind that I was God's display case of His love, mercy, grace and power. I prayed for 17 years for his salvation. Around the 16th year, I decided to quit praying for him. After all, he continued to mock, and would not get saved. He loved his beer, and that was one of his hindrances to getting saved. I did quit praying for a short while, but conviction hit, God does not want Christians to quit, or blow their testimony for him. What if Christ quit on me when He went to the cross, and suffered all that He did in the process of it? I would be a lost sinner, condemned to Hell. He never gave up on me. He even knew everything about me. He knew the times that I sinned, and knew of the pride, greed, and lust that pulled me into sin. Yet, He still saved me. I think of John 3:16. That is the greatest love story ever told. It tells me that when I ask Jesus, How much do you love me? His answer is, I stretched out my arms, and died for you. He did this for this man also.

Shortly after I put him back into my prayers, he and his family, and one of his children's friends came over to visit us. Talk about noise, it was unbelievable. I did not know what was to take place that day, but the adversary knew. I Peter 5:8. This man was sitting at our table, next to me. All the kid's (and there were 8 of them) where in and out, laughing and talking. Steve was into a conversation with this friend's wife. They were talking and laughing. So there was a lot of noise. This man leaned over and said, "I can't stand it any longer, Muriel, will you tell me again how to get saved?" He did not want to do it then and there. He said too many people were around, and it was too noisy. He said if you would write it all out, I promise I will do it tonight when I get home. I was in awe! 17 years it took, and to think, I almost quit. I wrote out all the verses on the napkin that he handed me, and explained the sinner’s prayer. He told me that he was too rotten for God to save, and that he could not give up his beer. I told him to come to Jesus, and bring his beer with him. Acknowledge that as sin. It was his watching me all those years, feasting on the promises, protection, provisions, and guidance that God gave me at that table, that He set before me in the presence of mine enemies, that drew that man to Christ. I never saw him again. We moved South shortly after that night.

Verse 5 goes on to say, thou anointest my head with oil. That is consecration. One thing that I read on this said it is the oil of gladness (this was a custom in the far east centuries ago). Shepherds anoint the heads of their sheep to soothe the scratches and wounds. Every believer is anointed by the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ. With all that the good shepherd does for us in the Psalms, that verse goes on to say, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER! That is super abundance. Many times when I found myself coming out of one of life’s hard places, I have felt that my cup runneth over, because of all the blessings that He granted in trial. Joy inspite of the stormy trial. Peace with God that I am His, and He is mine, and over the fact that though the trials are hard, His purposes were awesome, and so worth the hardship of them. There were many answers to prayer, my faith was tested and built up. I learned many wonderful lessons and insights. His provisions, deliverances, presence, protection, leading, etc., were so awesome that I have to say, my cup runneth over.

One Preacher in my past told me that God had given me much. He told me that I might be poor in the world’s eyes, but was rich in faith, and in what all God has done for me. He gave me this solemn fact. To whom much is given, much is required from. I am not to hold in all that He has given me. This is one of the purposes behind The Son-Shine Letter, and behind the book that I am in the process of trying to write. This Preacher gave me a verse to encourage me on with. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. I am so glad that God did not let me faint over praying those 17 years for that friend. I was growing weary, but the Holy Spirit renewed the energy to pick him back up in prayer.

Ps. 23:6 says, Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: Wow! I have been saved, or will be that is, for 60 years on 9/11 this year. When I look back on life, I am so amazed at the mercy that God dished out to me, especially in the times that I failed Him, or let Him down. When I look back on my hardships and trials, I marvel at His goodness to me. They have followed me, and will continue to the rest of my days. AWESOME! What a wonderful shepherd He is! That’s blessing. The verse goes on. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That’s security, and eternity! Wow!

I have always loved going to Church. To me it is His house. This verse fits me. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalms 122:1. We are told in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake going. We won’t if our focus is on the Lord, instead of the people, situations, problems, disappointments, etc. We are to go to God’s house to worship and praise Him, and to be under the preaching and the teaching of God’s Word. It’s a place where we can be involved in the different ministries, helping and using our talents for Him. It is a place of prayer. We can also encourage others, meet needs, and come away encouraged, and with our needs met. It is a place where we can learn, and can come out into the world, to be His witnesses, and ambassadors, reaching and winning others to Christ. It is a place of wonderful fellowship, and where we can meet with God’s people, and make new friends. I love my Church, and look upon it as a loving, caring, precious family, and am so thankful to be a part of it (Providence B. C.).

Love in Christ, Muriel Pollock,  Proverbs 3:5&6

GREETINGS!!!

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the Son-Shine Letter’s website yet, you are invited to do so. Tina has added a guestbook and she maintains the site. She has even added my picture to it. I have been praying on Acts 1:8 for the letter’s outreach, so when she surprised me by setting up the site, I felt it was God at work, using her to fulfill Acts 1:8. You can go to www.freewebs.com/thesonshineletter. You can find all the letters from April 2003 to the present, and also pages of just quotes, promises, poems, or verses. If you wish, you may email me at myprayer777@aol.com. Please sign the guestbook!

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH!!!

Will anyone fall in love with Jesus from spending time with me?

(this is something for us to think about)

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O WHAT A PROMISE!!!

COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD : TRUST ALSO IN HIM : AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS. PSALMS 37:5

I like to do things on God’s promises, and pray on them along with lifting my petitions and requests up to God. I used this on my recent colonoscopy, which went well, with a good report afterwards. I have used it, along with other Scriptures, in two major surgeries and was told that I was having remarkable recoveries. I have used it in some trial periods also. I am in one of those hard periods now, so as I was praying on this promise for the colonoscopy, I began using it in prayer on my present circumstances. When we commit our way to Him, which is to roll our burden of life upon the Lord, leaving it with Him, along with all our cares, and trust by placing our full confidence in Him, and in this promise, He will bring it all to pass. When we leave the results in His hands, we can expect blessed results. When I was a surgery coordinator I wrote letters to hundreds of patients (and to many others also), sending this promise, along with a number of others, hoping to comfort, encourage, and share what is a precious help to me. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

TOPIC OF THE MONTH!!!

TRIALS!

THE LORD TRIETH THE RIGHTEOUS. PSALMS 11:5a

Have you ever noticed that you can be going along fine, then suddenly you find yourself in the midst of trials? Sometimes it can seem like you have been caught up in a severe storm for how they can come flooding in on you. When it rains, it pours. At other times it seems like there is one on top of another for how they can pile up. Life can be pretty hard at times, where you can't even see a light in your tunnel to give you hope. When we lack knowledge of the why of them, that can make it even harder to bear them. Have you ever asked God WHY when it comes to troubles? For years (during the 15 unchurched years, and a little after) I lacked knowledge on the why of them. Then one day, in the midst of a heavy trial period I got out my Bible and searched the Scriptures on trials, trouble, affliction, tried, and tested. I marveled at the insight God granted in that study.

I learned that trials are a part of life, Job 14:1 and Job 5:7. I learned also that they touch the believers life, and the unbelievers, Matthew 5:45. They happen to all of us. I also learned that God is fair in allowing them, Psalms 119:75. They are also good for us, Psalms 19:71. I looked into God's purposes for them, to learn why He allows Christians to suffer them."(I was in my mid-thirties when I did this study). At the time I was saving for a silver serving set. I love silver. I even made the remark to my father that I would become an uptown lady when that set came into my possession. My father said, "You mean you will become a refined lady." When I sought His will for my life, on will the trials cease, I marveled at the verse God answered me with. I have refined thee, BUT NOT WITH SILVER; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Trials would continue for the purpose of refining me. That is the same purpose that He sometimes allows you some of the various trials you experience.

I Peter 1:7 says, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. We will have trials. Our faith will be tested. This testing reveals whether our faith is genuine, or not. When gold, or silver is tried in the furnace, it causes the impurities to rise. The refiner turns up the heat, and watches the refining process. The dross in the precious metals rise, and the refiner skims it off. When he can look in and see his reflection the refining has taken place, and he turns off the heat. God, as the refiner, watches over us as He turns up the heat of the trial. This causes the impurities of our faith to rise, and they are revealed to us so we can see them, and use I John 1:9 to confess them, then repent of them. When God looks at us, and can see the reflection of His Son (Jesus) in us, He turns off the heat. The refining has taken place. I noticed a phrase in I Peter 1:6 that says, IF NEED BE. Sometimes trials are a need for us, so that God can remove the impurities from our faith, to refine us. Trials are also allowed to teach us lessons and insights that we would not have learned otherwise. I think of Isaiah 30:20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity (trials), and the water of affliction (tears), yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, But thine eyes shall see thy teachers. When God washes our eyes with tears, we can more clearly see those lessons and insights that He has for us in the trials. Life's trials were my school of hard knocks, which drove me into His Word to study, giving me a Bible education. I so wanted to go to Bible school but that door was shut on me, so God made a way. That way was in a life of trials.

When I asked God, Why, He took me to Isaiah 43:10, which is another reason He allows us to have trials. This verse says that we are His witnesses. He has granted me many opportunities to witness, and to lead souls to Him in trials. There were times that I failed to be a good witness because my focus was wrong. That made me wrong. We must focus on the Lord (Psalms 121:1&2 and Hebrews 12:2), and on His Word (Proverbs 4:21a). A positive, good witness does not come out, and souls are not drawn to Christ when our focus is wrong. We also fail to be encouragers to other Christians. We are to be God's display cases of His love, mercy, grace, power, and wondrous ways of how He works. People are reading our lives, II Corinthians 3:2. What are they reading when they watch our lives in life's hard places?

Trials are also allowed to get our attention. We often fail to listen to God. In fact, many Christians fail to stay close to God, so miss His still small voice. We need to do Psalms 46:10. Be still, doing Proverbs 4:20. Paying attention to what God is saying, listening carefully with the intent of obeying or doing what He is saying. Sometimes God has to lay us down so we will look up and listen. Then there are those trials to stop a backslider in their tracks to bring them back to God. I think of Jeremiah 2:19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backsliding shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing, and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

This was my father's testimony. He would tell how he backslid for 42 years. Then, God did Psalms 139:5, laying His hand on Dad's heart. He had two heart attacks in a two day period. They were major attacks. The second one stopped his heart, and they had a hard time reviving him. While in the hospital he said that he had plenty of time to think about his life. God had said to Him, "enough's enough, Mac." After he got right with God he became a Bible reading, praying man. God gives a gracious invitation to backsliders and sinning Christians in Isaiah 1:16-18. In verse 18 He says, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. He washes our sins away when we do I John 1:9, and repent. He calls us to repentance in II Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble them-selves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Christians need to do this.

God disciplines Christians, and uses the results of our sins, and life's hard places to do so. It is another purpose for trials. See Proverbs 3:11&12 and Hebrews 12:5-13 on this. Then, for those who run from God, who reject, or put off getting saved, God is not willing that any perish, II Peter 3:9 I think of Steve (and a couple of other people that I witnessed to). Steve was intelligent, very strong, a jack of all trades, and could do anything he set his mind on to do. He had also been a marine, and was a fireman, first responder, and had been a Cub Scout Master. I think because of all this, he did not see his need for God. He was running from God, and did not want to get saved. There was a fellow Marine in his unit who was a chaplain, who had witnessed to Steve, but Steve told me that he rejected that witness. That Marine also had prayed for Steve.

The accident was in February. At the end of June God opened the door for me to make a stand against Steve on Joshua 24:15. Two days later, on a Sunday morning, Steve got us up, fixed a big breakfast, and took us on a ride. That ride ended in the parking lot of a wonderful Baptist church. Then on Labor Day weekend he heard a sermon on the Rapture and salvation, and Steve accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. That Marine buddy’s witness and prayers, with mine added, were used of God to step into Steve's path and end his running from God. Praise the Lord! Steve is in heaven with the Lord now, as God called him home 7 years ago. For those who are running from God, and who reject the Gospel I can't help but wonder what will it take to reach them? What must God do to get those who are His dropouts, and who leave him out of their lives? This kind of living brings on trials. Many times we bring on trials. One way is from not tithing. Read Malachi 3:8-11. It comes out of our hides (in sickness or accidents), our vehicles, or homes (repairs and breakdowns), or out of our wallets and bank accounts (finances). These kinds of trials can hit us when we are living for God also, but have a different purpose in them when allowed.

When Christians have troubles, Psalms 32:7 is wonderful. Thou art my hiding place (Ps.27:5 & Ps.119:114), thou shalt preserve me from trouble (it can't harm us as God keeps us safe in troubles), thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance (Ps.119:54 & Ps.42:8). He says in Ps.50:15, And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. He has given us Philippians 4:6&7 and I Peter 5:7. We can ask for wisdom to know what to do, James 1:5, and He will do Psalms 32:8. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. God's Word is so full of many exceeding great and precious promises to pray on and to hope in. The devil likes to hurt, hinder, block and stop serving Christians who live for God. The more I do for God the more I find myself facing the negatives that he likes to bring on against us. There are two forces that we deal with in our trials. Satan is one. He will use them to hit us with his fiery darts of discouragement, depression, doubts, defeat, distress, etc. He is out to wound, harm, ruin, devour, scare, and to kill testimony for the Lord, etc. When we quit, he wins.

God is the other force at work in our lives. In the trials He is out to purify, strengthen, teach, build up, help, test and prove, mature, develop and better us. Which one wins out is the one we listen to, and yield to. It is so important to saturate our minds with God's Word, and to fill our hearts with it. We really need to be in God's Word daily, as He uses His Word to speak to our hearts with. We won't hear Him if we neglect His Word, and fail to be under the preaching and teaching of it. We also need to memorize and meditate on it. Two of the most awesome blessings that I have experienced in trials is many answers to prayer, and to experience God's presence. He adds Wisdom and experience to our lives, and comforts us. As He comforts us, we in turn learn how to comfort others. There are a number of positive purposes in the various trials that God allows us. It is up to us to seek Him for the purpose. Is he refining us, removing impurities, testing our faith, and developing patience and endurance in us, maturing us, or trying to get our attention? Is it that He has a lesson or insight that He wants to teach us? Could it be that He wants to use us to witness and lead someone to Him? Or is it that He needs to correct or chasten us for wrongdoing? Or Does He want to draw us into a closer walk with Him, or want to bless our lives with answered prayer? He does want it all to bring Him glory and praise, as He is worthy.

Love in Christ, Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all of you who are fathers. This month’s letter is especially for you. I pray that it will be an encouragement, blessing, and a help to you. Every father needs to be covered with prayer, as being a father is loaded with responsibility. I trust that your day will be a very special uplifting one. May the Lord bless you in a special way! These letters are not just for ladies. They are to whosoever will read them.

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Fathers, putting Christ first gives your children a model worth imitating!

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HE HEALETH THE BROKEN IN HEART, AND BINDETH UP THEIR WOUNDS.          PSALMS 147:3

There are various things that can break one’s heart. There is not enough space to name them all. There isn’t a shot or a pill that can ease off the pain, or cure the hurt from the heart’s brokeness. But there is a remedy, and that is the Word of God (see Psalms 107:20). He has put this wonderful promise in His Word for this. If we rest our confidence (faith) on it, pray on it, and wait on the Lord for it, He comes through. Sometimes He uses time to help ease off the hurt and to work out the details of the healing process. He can do it immediately if He feels that is best for us. But in the waiting there is a strengthening taking place, if we are waiting on Him. I Think of Psalms 30:2. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. In those times that my heart was broken, He sent His Word and healed. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

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AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH: BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE AN ADMONITION OF THE LORD.       EPHESIANS 6:4

What an awesome responsibility the fathers have! God gave to them the position of leadership in the home, as the head of it. God sanctioned this in the Scriptures, as a likeness of Him as the almighty over His creatures. The father has the obligation imposed upon him of bringing up his children in the fear of the Lord. He is to make the children well acquainted with the precepts and principles of the Word of God. Reading through Proverbs we see a wonderful example of a father doing this with his son. The father is to be the instructor and guide. Proverbs 1:8 says, MY SON, HEAR THE INSTRUCTION OF THY FATHER, AND FORSAKE NOT THE LAW OF THY MOTHER. This, I see in one of the things I looked into, said that the discipline was up to the father, and teaching to the mother. Children are not to forget the wisdom they learn from the parents in this discipline and teaching.

Looking into discipline that fathers are to take part in, the child learns from the discipline. They gain wisdom from it. Discipline is to impart knowledge and skill to the child. It is to coach them, to educate, instruct, teach, train, and tutor them. It is also to subject the child to a penalty for a wrong. To chasten, penalize, punish, and to correct them when they do wrong. It involves loss (removing a favorite thing). This causes a child to learn to do right. Teaching, training, and punishment are involved in discipline. Pain should be associated with wrongdoing. A well-known world figure outside of America said that everything in the American home is controlled by switches…except the children. It’s no wonder we have so much disobedience, rebellion, and crime here.

The Bible records the sad results of fathers neglecting their children, either by being bad examples to them or failing to discipline them properly. For a few, David pampered Absalom and set a bad example for him. The results were not good. Eli failed to discipline his sons and they brought disgrace to his name, and defeat to the nation of Israel. Issac pampered Esau, and his wife showed favoritism to Jacob. This resulted in a divided home. Fathers and mothers need to stand together, working together in the discipling, teaching, and training of their children. The results are bad if they don't.

Fathers should not use their authority to abuse their wives and children. Also, he should not say one thing and do another. What confusion that causes! Be a man of your word. Children also need to be loved. To be told that they are loved, followed by a hug would really be a comfort and blessing to the child. I can remember being told that I was loved once, and was only held and hugged once in my youth. That time was when the fellow I had dated for two years dropped me because of my Christian standards. Oh what a comfort and help Dad’s hug was, and the I love you meant, when my heart was broken! But there were many times that I longed to hear it, and could have used a hug. Discipline and training need to be backed with love.

Again, fathers are told to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Nurture means to promote and sustain the development of the child. It means to cultivate, foster, and nourish, to nurse, and care for. Admonition means words expressive of strong disapproval. To rebuke, reprimand, reprove, reproach, or to scold. It is to warn and advise to be aware of, or to caution. There is more to being a father than keeping a roof over the child, and than feeding and clothing the child. The husband and father is the provider, protector, and leader of the home and family, and this should be done lovingly, and prayerfully. How sad it is that in many homes the father is missing. When the man of the house fails to fulfill the position, obligation, and responsibility God placed on him, it develops holes in that invisible protective covering that God places over each Christian home. Then Satan can get his fiery darts through to the wife and children. The man is to be the spiritual leader in the home. He is to lead his family in devotions, in the Word of God and prayer. This aids in building a strong family. Our children are reading our lives. What are they reading in their father’s life? What kind of example is being set before them? Boys learn how to be a man, husband, and father through their father’s example. Girls learn how to be a lady, wife, and mother by their mother’s example.

In Ephesians 6:4, Paul tells fathers that they have several responsibilities toward their children. He is not to provoke them to wrath. Dads should not irritate their children. Try not to be impatient, and use no unreasonable severity. Deal wisely and prudently with them. Bring them up well. Use proper and compassionate correction. We are not to discourage our children. When they do well we need to praise them. We should not be quick to blame them, but are to find out the details first. This will prevent us from error. We should never make promises that we don’t intend to keep. It is not wise to make light of their problems. Their problems may seem little to you, but are big to them. They need our love, encouragement, and a listening ear. They need us to pray with them and for them. We need to listen to our children. I enjoyed meal times with my family as that seemed to be a good time for talking and sharing. Everyone seemed relaxed and open to talk. You can learn a lot during those times of communication. They seemed to share their interests, concerns, hurts, needs, desires, goals, etc. Every child has a God given bent, and is unique. You may be able to discover it as you watch them, and listen to them. They are to be trained up in their bent. Proverbs 22:6 tells parents to TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT. A child must be trained up in their natural talent, and individuality.

When I was a child my father did not see my bent, where he did see my sister’s and brother’s. Because of not seeing it, he wrote me off as God’s biggest mistake, causing me to grow up with very low self worth. The sad thing was that I believed what he said (he was a backslider at that time). It was not until I was in my late thirties that dad discovered it. He learned it while he and mom were on the West Coast, spending a month with my sister, brother, and their families. I was not able to go. I wanted to be there but God shut that door on me as that’s when He chose to show my father that I was not God’s biggest mistake after all. He learned that God did have a purpose for my life. If you don’t see your child’s or children’s bent, please be patient as it is there. It is not wise to make negative comments in front of your children, or to them as my father did. You can destroy the child’s self worth and esteem.

If we prayerfully watch our children, we can learn their bent in life. There were two things that I wanted to do and be when I was a child. One was to be a mother with lots of children. Then at a very early age I fell in love with the Word of God, thanks to my mother’s example, teaching and training. My father had no part in my spiritual upbringing, which he greatly regretted when two heart attacks in a two-day period brought him back to the Lord. That is what it took, dad said, to bring him out of his forty-year period of wandering away from God. If you have turned away from God, have you ever wondered what it will take to bring you back to the Lord? See Jeremiah 2:19 and Isaiah 1:16-18. God doesn’t give up on us.

When I was sixteen, while listening to a well known preacher on the Christian station preaching to youth on Romans 12:1&2, I knew in my heart that in some way I would live my life to serve the Lord. At the time missions was on my mind. But the Lord could not open that door to me because of being led into an unequal yoke in marriage. I lost God’s best. Dad did not see my bent, and did not give any direction, advice, or counsel to direct my course in life. I was left on my own to decide. All dad did was get me a job when I graduated from high school, which was where I met Steve. Fathers need to encourage, advise, lead, give instruction and counsel to their children to point out their course in life that goes along with their talents, abilities, and bent. Being a mother and full time service for the Lord were my desire and possible bent.

When I was forty-two years old, preparing to move south, dad came to visit, asking me to walk with him in the woods around our property, so we could be alone. He said that he needed to talk to me. That was when he discussed his time with my sister and brother, letting me know that the Lord opened his eyes to my purpose, or bent in life. He said that no one called that month for counsel or prayer. No one was getting saved, or encouraged. There were no adult Bible studies, or neighborhood Bible clubs taking place there. He said that he began to wonder whom I was leading to the Lord in my kitchen, or who had come for prayer or counsel? He began to miss me, and wonder what I was doing for the Lord. He realized that I was not God’s biggest mistake after all. He placed me in the category of I Corinthians 1:26-28, calling me one of God’s little guys. He then told me for the second time in my life that he loved me, and said that he was proud of me (he was already proud of my sister’s and brother’s accomplishments). He followed that with a hug. He also said that he had been very hard on me, from not seeing any worth or purpose, and asked for forgiveness. He even apologized for spanking me so much. But hey, I stopped him there. I thanked him for all the spankings, telling him that I truly needed them. The purpose of God in them was to teach me right from wrong and associated pain with wrongdoing. I hugged him, and asked his forgiveness for my behavior that caused the spankings.

Children are gifts from God. Again, Psalms 127:3. The father’s responsibilities in Ephesians 6:4 continue. Besides not provoking them, he must nurture and admonish them. He must instruct, teach, and encourage them. My father said that he greatly regretted the fact that he had no part in our spiritual training and upbringing. Dad was amazed that my brother, sister, and I turned out right, and gave all the credit to our mom. He knew that she brought us up in the Lord and set us at a very early age to head down that path in life that we would encounter Christ on. She taught us morals, and how to treat people, and their property. She taught us a whole lot about the Lord, His Word, His ways, etc. I marvel at what all I knew as a child because of her home teaching. Again, and again, I am often in awe over the fact that she put Bible knowledge into me.

Oh to get God’s Word into a child besides getting them into it. It is so very important! It can save lives. How much more would have been accomplished had my father been a part of that spiritual training, only God knows. My husband also was not involved in our children’s spiritual upbringing. It was put on me. It is so hard to keep your children in the Word of God, in church, and in living a godly life if dad isn’t in God’s Word, church, or living a godly life. Our actions speak louder than words. They learn by our examples. Parenting should be teamwork between the husband and wife. When they aren’t a team, it sure makes for a home and family out of balance.

There was a little ten-year-old girl who loved her daddy so much. She often asked him to go to church with her, but he turned her down. His Sundays were spent watching sports on TV, reading his paper, drinking his beer, etc. He would not take his little girl to church. She loved Jesus, and fortunately had a neighbor who took her. Every Sunday she would come home and set up a Sunday school class with her dolls, and sing her Sunday school songs, and teach them her verses and lessons. Often, she asked her daddy to come with her, but he just wasn’t interested in spiritual things. Sad to say, neither was her mother. One day this precious little girl got very sick. Infact, she died. Her daddy’s heart was broken. He realized how precious his little girl was. He decided to check out the Church his little girl attended and loved so much. There he heard the Gospel preached, and gave his heart and life to Jesus. He accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. Then, the Lord called him to preach. When Steve got us into church we met this man. He was attending Bible College to prepare for the ministry. How sad it is when parents leave God out of their homes, and out of their child raising.

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock    Proverbs 3:5&6

This is such a special time of the year, as we are reminded that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that he rose on the third day according to the Scriptures. I Corinthians 15;3 & 4. For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. John 1:12. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8 & 9. This is what Easter is all about. God’s provision of salvation to whosoever will receive it.

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Christ showed His love by dying for us; We show our love by living for Him.

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FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. ROMANS 10:13

Praise the Lord! For the many of us who are saved this promise was fulfilled in our lives the moment we were saved. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

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BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE ARE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US. ROMANS 5:8

I’d like to share Raymond’s story with you. I shared a little about him in one of last year’s topics, What If We Don’t Ask. His story begins with a sermon on prayer that I heard on the Christian station. The preacher gave a prayer challenge letting the listeners know that they haven’t really prayed until they’ve prayed in tears with a burdened heart, asking God to lay some soul on their heart that needed to be saved. The other prayer challenge was that they haven’t really prayed unless they prayed with tears from a burdened heart, asking God to lay someone standing in need of prayer on their heart. I prayed for both burdens. Raymond was one of those that God laid on my heart as a soul that needed to be saved. Kevin was one of four family members that God laid on my heart as that someone standing in need of prayer. I marvel how God used the one burden to answer the other. Kevin tripped and fell into the prongs of a cut down rusty wire fence, which caused him to have life threatening head injuries. Through this accident, five people were saved, and the Gospel witness went out to many more. It is amazing how God can take the worst trial in our lives, and turn it into one with the greatest results and blessings and pack it with such awesome insights.

Raymond’s wife Celie was one of the five souls that got saved through Kevin’s accident. Shortly after she got saved, she realized that Raymond wasn’t saved, and saw this as an emergency. This brought her to me one evening while I was cooking dinner. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door saying, "Hurry, there’s an emergency in the alley!" In the alley she said wait here, that she would be right back. I didn’t see any emergency as I looked around, but it was spooky being left alone in an alley with darkness setting in. Finally, she returned with Raymond, and stood him in front of me almost nose to nose. She asked me to do my thing (be a soul winner). I’m thankful for the message I heard by a Christian potter at the Christian woman’s luncheon I was taken to. God opened my understanding letting me know that Kevin and I were vessels that God molded, shaped, and prepared to use us as he did here.

Now in that alley as darkness was setting in with Raymond in front of me, there was a strong sense of evil that was frightening. The devil was about to lose someone that he had a strong hold on for many years. Raymond began telling me his story. First he said that he had been watching Kevin’s and my life since Kevin’s accident saying that he saw God in us, and wanted our Jesus. He also said that he had seen quite a change in Celie since she got saved. Raymond’s story broke my heart. He was very poor and mentally handicapped. He said years earlier he wanted to get saved, so he went to a church to do so. He did not have a suit, but knew that you go to church clean and neat. He wore his clean overalls. He said he sat in the very back row so he would not distract anyone, or embarrass anyone. It was obvious that Raymond was poor and not very bright, so the people shunned him. He said no one had welcomed him.

After the sermon was over, he waited for everyone to leave, and then went to the preacher. He was going to ask the preacher to help him get saved, but the preacher took his hand and shook it as he let him out the door. The preacher told him not to come back again till he wore a suit and tie. He did not give Raymond a chance to tell him that he wanted to get saved. Raymond was heartsick over this. He told me that he went out and sat on the curb for a long time and cried. Oh how he wanted to get saved! When he got up from the curb, he went to a nearby bar, and got very drunk. Then he went out and bought a gun, and killed a man. He had to spend some time in prison for that. Both him and Celie had the IQ of a child. Celie had been badly abused as a child and had many scars to prove it. My heart was heavy over this couple. Even my neighbors had shunned them. One neighbor told me that if I had anything to do with Raymond and Celie, they would have nothing to do with me.

I knew that Jesus loved them and cared about them, and expects us to care too. We need to read James 2:1-9 carefully and prayerfully. What I just shared is how Raymond became an alcoholic, and a murderer. But God cared, so he prepared a little three-year-old boy (Kevin) and his mother (me). Then he brought about a move in this little boy and his mother’s life to bring them to the neighborhood where Raymond and Celie lived. Carefully God worked out all the details preparing, and making things ready so that He could reach down in His awesome love, mercy, and grace to save Raymond and Celie. God’s whosoever will includes the town winos, the poor, the mentally disabled, the drunks, and the prostitutes. It even includes the rich, intelligent, and the nice people. It includes people from all walks of life. It is to whosoever will come to God by faith, acknowledging self as a sinner, believing on Christ and receiving Him into their heart and life as savior. Luke 19:10 says, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Raymond was lost, and needed Christ. My daughter Dotty gave me a poem several years ago saying it reminded her of me. I changed it some to fit Raymond’s story.

Two nights after I led Raymond to the Lord in that alley, he collapsed in almost that same spot, bleeding badly. It drew a crowd when the ambulance arrived. People were laughing and mocking Raymond, saying he was drunk again. But he wasn’t. From years of drinking and smoking, he was eaten up with cancer. He was bleeding badly from internal bleeding. He was on his way to get help, when he passed out in the alley. As he was lifted into the ambulance, I called out to Celie over the noise of the crowd, letting her know that I would be praying. Raymond came to me later in the week to let me know that he heard me tell Celie that. He said that he just wanted me to know that he was not afraid to die as he was saved now, and knew that he was going to heaven, and would see the Lord.

At the hospital, when they opened Raymond up, he was in such bad shape that they closed him right back up, unable to fix him. They sent him home to die. He died a couple of months later. But he died a saved man, because God loved him, and cared about him. God also knew that at one time Raymond wanted to get saved. God knew that He could take a little child, and work in his life to make him into that very vessel that would reopen that door to Raymond’s heart, where God could do Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door (of the heart and life), and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Raymond heard the Holy Spirit knocking, and sent Celie for me, and met me in that alley where he could receive the help he needed to get saved.

Out of all the souls that the Lord has granted me the privilege to lead to Him, Raymond was one of the most touching stories that I came upon. What a privilege it is to be used of God to lead someone off the path that leads to Hell! I had cried in prayer for Raymond’s Salvation out of a burdened heart. Look at Psalms 126:5 & 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless (without a doubt) come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. O, how I have rejoiced over Raymond and Celie’s Salvation!

When Kevin sees Christ, it will be so worth it all. When he sees the fullness of what all God accomplished in his accident, and is made aware of the awesome grace that God provided that he could endure such terrible head injuries and pain, he will be so amazed. When the results are told to him of what all those Bibles accomplished that went into China in his name, he will be so in awe of God! I too will know that those tears I shed over those lost souls that were laid so heavily on my heart as a prayer burden will be turned into tears of great joy when I meet those in heaven who were saved because of Kevin’s accident. Those tears that I shed over watching Kevin suffer, and from experiencing the hospital’s medical staff, and that Doctor’s refusal to admit, and care for Kevin will be wiped away. It will be so worth it all just to see Christ.

I remember well, the day that I got saved. I was nine years old. It was during the Sunday school hour while watching a film on the life of Christ. Twice, when I was eight, I tried to get saved because I loved Jesus, and wanted to have Him as my Saviour. Both times I came away from being counseled about it, knowing I was not saved. I did not understand it, and thought that Jesus had rejected me. The problem was that I did not see myself as a sinner. I did not see my need of Salvation. I just loved Jesus and desired to get saved. But as I watched that film, seeing what all that Christ went through to save sinners, the Holy Spirit went to work on me. He opened up my understanding to the fact that I was a sinner, and gave strong conviction of that fact. He reminded me of how I had sinned by disobeying my mother’s instructions on strangers, causing me to get kidnapped. In fact, I talked that child molester/murderer into taking my sister also. Because of my disobedience, my sister came so close to being murdered. God let me realize that, along with realizing what horror I put my parents through. We were gone from the noon hour till after the dinner hour. Guilt came on so strong that I broke under it, and the tears poured out. As they were crucifying Jesus, Revelation 3:20 came to mind. I had memorized Scripture as a child, so it was there for God to use on me. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to memorize, and to have children memorize Bible verses. I felt such an inner struggle going on as the Holy Spirit was knocking on the door of my heart. Then, Romans 10:9 & 10 surfaced. On these verses, I acknowledged the fact that I was a sinner. I believed that Jesus died on that cruel cross for me because I was a sinner.

By faith in Him, and by God’s grace, I opened the door to my heart and life, and invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come in and be my Saviour, and asked Him to forgive me of my sins. WOW! The peace of God came in, and the guilt vanished. That heavy load of guilt was gone. And O the joy of Salvation that came flooding in! I knew in my heart that He had saved me. He entered into my life. There are evidences in a person’s life when they get saved. An inner peace (peace with God) is there. We are changed when we get saved (II Corinthians 5:17). We become aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds, which are not pleasing to God. When Steve got saved, it was in awe that I watched the changes. First he got a call to come and play poker. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. I asked him what was wrong. He just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. He did not understand what was going on. He turned down the invitation. Conviction from God removed gambling out of his life. Next, in awe again, I watched as he cut off the Christian station that I was listening to, changing it to rock. I just kept my mouth shut and watched, sensing God was at work in his life again. Slowly he turned and looked at the radio. Then he went to the radio and turned it back to the Christian station, shrugging his shoulders. He did not realize that God was at work to change his behavior. I knew that Steve had really gotten saved this time.

There is a need and a desire for the Word of God. This is a must to grow as a Christian. We must be in the Word of God. In my own life, I have a strong hunger for the Word of God that draws me into it to study, and search the Scriptures. I do a lot of topic study, or word studies. I want to know what God has to say about things, and want to build it into my life, and desire to share and teach it. Then there is an increase in testing. Psalms 11:5a and I Peter 1:6 & 7 and James 1:2-4 are going to take place, and are necessary for the Christian because of God’s purpose to remove the impurities from our faith and character. He develops patience, and brings us into spiritual maturity, developing the quality of endurance in us through life’s trials. This causes spiritual growth when faith is put to the test. Then, another evidence is the desire to be with God’s people. Christian fellowship. We want to go to church, and we want to be with God’s people. They are our choice for close friendships. I love my church, and my church family so much. Then, witnessing is an evidence of Salvation. To tell others about Jesus, and how to get saved. We see the need for this. If these evidences are missing, it is a strong possibility that a person is not saved.

Love in Christ,   Muriel Pollock    Proverbs 3:5&6

I need to apologize about last month’s letter for leaving out the O what a promise, which was Hebrews 13:5, where we are told that He will never leave nor forsake us. I also made a number of mistakes. Please be patient with me as God isn’t finished with me yet. With my van out of whack and off the road, I could not get to my granddaughter, Tina, who types and prints the letter. She also was sick, so I decided to give her a break. Big mistake! SORRY TINA, NO MORE BREAKS. I NEED YOU, AND SO DOES THE LETTER.

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We show our love for God when we share His love with others.

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HAVE NOT I COMMANDED THEE? BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE: BE NOT AFRAID, NEITHER BE THOU DISMAYED: FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS WITH THEE WITHERSOEVER THOU GOEST. JOSHUA 1:9

I was sent on an unpleasant errand by an authority figure. I did not want to go, knowing I would have to face the tongue lashing intended for them. I pulled over to the side of the road, leaned my head on the steering wheel and prayed. I just could not go do this errand, knowing this. The Holy Spirit lifted this precious promise out of the treasure chest in my heart, where I store His Word, letting me know that He was commanding me to do it. He let me know that He would go with me, so be strong, and of good courage. I did hear the tongue lashing, but it was not aimed at me. It was to take to the one who sent me. To my surprise, this person praised my character, telling me also that because I came, they would send me back with the requested materials. God is so good. No matter what we have to face and handle, He is there with us, giving us the courage to be strong, and do what we must, no matter how unpleasant. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT, THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. JOHN 15:12

We are commanded to love. First, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37-40). We are to love one another, as we see in the above verse, and do so as He loved us. He looks beyond our faults and sees our need. We are to even love our enemies. If we will do this, we wind up praying for them, caring about them, and may even be given the opportunity to point them to Christ. See Matthew 5:44 on loving them. Husbands are commanded to love their wives, and are to do so in the same manner that Christ loved the Church. That was with a sacrificial, unselfish, giving, caring kind of love. See Ephesians 5:25-33, and I Peter 3:7. Then in Titus 2:3-5 the older women are commissioned to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. Love is also a fruit of the Spirit.

Love is not as Hollywood portrays it in films. Their way is a mixture of lust, romance, and immorality. Human love can fail. I know, as I experienced it as a young bride. One night when I was 20, one of the things that I had to deal with was I had fallen out of love. Since to love is a command, I acknowledged my lack of loving my husband as sin, using I John 1:9. I yielded myself to the Lord that night, as an instrument, or vessel that God could use to love Steve through. I also prayed that God would love me through Steve. Then, at 21, I went for counsel for divorce, as I had been deceived into an unequal yoke, which caused me to loose God’s best. His plan for my life. There is heartache and tears, and many difficulties, I discovered, in the unequal yoke. God forbids us about getting into it, in II Corinthians 6:14-17. There are long lasting consequences.

The best advice that we could ever receive, or give, was given to me that day. Though I had grounds for divorce, my Pastor told me that all God would let him tell me was, "Muriel, I know you love God’s Word. Go home and pray, and get into God’s Word, and ask Him to speak to your heart in this matter." That was not what I wanted to hear, but I took his advice. I want to say that this advice never fails. First, I cried because I wanted out. Then, I picked up the Word of God and asked Him to speak to my heart. I did not know where to even look in the Bible. God reminded me of something my mother taught me. Use the concordance. What do I look for there? Well, it was a divorce that I wanted, so I looked up every verse listed on divorce. God pointed out Malachi 2:16, telling me from it that He hates divorce. Elsewhere, it said Moses gave the writing of divorce because of the hardness of heart. I did not want a hardened heart. Also, how could I do what God hated? Divorce.

Next, I looked up every verse listed on marriage, desiring to know what God had to say about marriage. The main verse that was lifted on this topic was I Corinthians 7:16a. A question is asked here. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? The last half of that verse is for the saved husband who has an unsaved wife. Through this verse the Lord let me know that it was possible that Steve could get saved through my life. But how? I found the answer in I Peter 3:1-6. It is by exercising a meek and quiet spirit, and being in subjection to them. A wife does not even have to open her mouth to argue, nag, preach, beg, plead, or whine and complain. As the husband watches your life, your responses, how you handle things, and sees your relationship with Christ, that will be used of God to speak volumes to him. At 20, I prayed asking God to keep the door of my lips (to help me keep my mouth shut).

Next, I looked up all the verses on love, since I did not love Steve, and felt he did not love me. I had questioned love the night we got engaged. I knew that I was clueless to what it really is. I Corinthians 13:4-8a answered that question. We need to search the Scriptures for answers, as like with love, it wasn’t what I had imagined. This should be prayerfully studied, which I later did, with a commentary, dictionary, and my KJV study Bible. I learned that love has 16 qualities. These should be in us, and acted upon. In comparing my love with these qualities, I learned that I was not in love. I began to pray for these qualities, and worked to build them into my life. This is God’s standard for love. Love is patient, so I prayed for patience, not realizing that it gets developed in trials. But patience is the quality of endurance that enables us to bear up under trial and hard things. I had to use Philippians 4:13 for all this, seeking His help and strength.

Love is also kind. That meant no matter how we are treated, we are to respond with kindness. This is not easy to do. Love is not rude, or jealous, neither is the meek and quiet spirit. Love doesn’t brag on self, or get puffed up with pride. Love does not insist on its own way. It does not rejoice in wrong, but rejoices in what is right. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things, and is enduring in all things. Love waits, but lust doesn’t. The dictionary says love is affectionate concern for others. It is tenderheartedness, and devotion, along with enduring steadfastness and loyalty. I Corinthians 13 is the love chapter. I would go to it every once in a while to check out my love for Steve, to see where I fell short, what I lacked, and what needed to be built up. I learned how to love by doing all these things.

God used mom’s early teaching and training to place the desire for the Word of God in my heart. I began to want to know what God had to say about things, and would work to line my life up to the Word of God, which took prayer, discipline, and work to do so. But O what tremendous benefits God rewards us with when we do so! As time passed by, Steve evidently watched my life, as II Corinthians 3:2 tells us. He saw the growth, and development the Scriptures worked out in my life. He watched how I handled things. It was according to the Word of God, so God could show Himself to Steve through my life and actions. I was the only Bible that Steve was reading. I left Steve up to God to change, and just worked on self, and in doing that, God worked in Steve. He cared about Steve, and let me know that Steve was my missionfield. John 3:16 included Steve, so I was not to hinder, block or destroy the god given opportunity granted the saved wife, to win her husband to Christ.

There were times that I was weary in doing this. It seemed so one sided, that I was doing all the work in building up love in our marriage, and working at making it work. One of the preachers on our life’s path gave me Galatians 6:9, which God used to encourage me on. And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint. We don’t need to quit. We do need to cling to the Promises of God, by faith. Love should also be our motivation, and we are to do things as unto the Lord. Prayer is such a wonderful privilege. It enables us to be in touch with God over everything. Prayer releases stress and lets us turn our worries and concerns over to God, and does so much more for us. We need to pray in everything, about everything. What a help prayer was down through the years!

Proverbs 14:1 tells us that the wise woman builds her house. The house includes her marriage. She is to build it prayerfully, with the tools that God provides. I learned that those tools are the Word of God, prayer, faith, hope, and love. He laid out an example for us, which are the building materials that we are to build with. That is in Proverbs 31:10-31; I Peter 3:1-6; Ephesians 5:22 for just a few. Proverbs 14:1 goes on to say, but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. That is because she fails to use the building materials, and does not pick up the tools God provided. Women are to be builders of the home, and the home is to be built on the principles of the Word of God. Christ is to be its foundation. The wise build it on the rock, which is Christ. I love Psalms 18:2 and Psalms 62:2, 6, & 7 on Him as our rock. The wife is the heart of the home, and as the heart, she sets the temperature of love in the home. The husband has been given the leadership position of the home. He is the head of the home, and over him is Christ. God gives Him instructions on the "How to". Ephesians 5:23-33. He is commanded to love his wife, and is to do so in the same way, or manner that Christ loves the church. That is with a sacrificial, giving, unselfish, caring, serving her kind of love. Every husband needs to prayerfully read Proverbs 5, and take special note of verses 15-23. Also Proverbs 6. The husband also needs to check his qualities of love in I Corinthians 13:4-8a, and build these unto his life also.

So what were the results of all this prayer, building up, and Bible study? In the 15^th year of our marriage, I was able to make a firm stand on Joshua 24:15 against Steve, without getting angry, or misusing my mouth, or words. This was on a Friday night. I told Steve that if we had to, the kids and I would walk a hundred miles to a Bible teaching, Christ believing Church. I spent the night in prayer, and in God’s Word over all this. Sunday morning he got us up, fixed a big breakfast, then took us to a wonderful church. So ended the 15 long years of being pulled out of church. He got saved there about two months later. I Peter 3:1-6 really works. Love patiently hoped for this, waited and prayed for this day. Then one day he asked me to go for a ride with him, and asked me to drive so he could talk. He told me that our marriage was made in heaven, as no other woman would have put up with what he made me put up with. He said that he often felt my prayers, and let me know that he was thankful that I hung in there with him. In God helping me build those love qualities, and the other Scriptures that I studied and applied, along with praying and depending on God, trusting, and claiming His promises enabled me to do so. Love endures.

In the wee hours of the morning on the day he died, he had a sick spell. I was up with him sponging his face and gently rubbing his back to comfort him. Knowing we had to say goodbye, I told him that I loved him. We both had to put our eyes on the Lord, and let go of each other, and trust the Lord. Steve told me that there was so much that he wanted to do for, with, and to me, to make things up for all those years behind us. He said he loved us, and that he did not want to leave our kids either, desiring to build up his relationship with them. He asked me not to stop praying for them. We said our good-byes. It is so hard to let go of one’s life’s mate.

We were approaching our 43^rd anniversary. He wanted to renew our vows when we hit the 50^th, which would have been this October. Oh how hard it is to have the oneness torn apart, because of death and by divorce. If you still have your life’s mate, love and appreciate them, and enjoy them while you can. If your marriage is in trouble, don’t quit or give up. Go to God and his Word. Build up your marriage on love’s qualities. Pray and work on your own weaknesses. Do Ephesians 4:32.

Love in Christ, Muriel Pollock    Proverbs 3:5&6

It is that time again where many make New Year’s resolutions. I quit doing that many years ago, as I either forgot them, or failed to keep them. Instead, I pray for, and look into God’s Word for a verse for the year. This year’s is Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I want my life to count for Him, in service for Him.

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A special thanks:

Thank you to the ladies of the Eastwood Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee for inviting me to come to speak, and to teach Sunday school. I greatly enjoyed the time with you, and still have you in my thoughts and prayers. I want you to know that I demolished the Oreos and the cream curls, and am enjoying all the nice things that you gave me in the gift basket. The love offering also was put to good use. Thank you so much for everything. The invitation was in answer to prayer on I Chronicles 4:10. I thank God for allowing me the privilege of sharing His Word, life’s experiences, and things learned in the study of His Word.

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God never sends a burden without offering an arm to lift us.

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…I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE. HEBREWS 13:5d

What an awesome promise to lean on when in the midst of trials, or in those lonely hours. I encourage myself in the Lord on this promise, and others like it when the way gets weary. He is always there, whether His presence is sensed or not. He never leaves His people alone. Trust Him to be there for you. Again, O what a promise!

BE YE ALSO PATIENT: STABLISH YOUR HEARTS: FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH.

Some months I am so amazed over how the Lord works to provide the topic of the month. January’s was given in the wee hours of the morning back in November. A couple of my children and their families had a get together. I was already committed to something so I could not attend. I mentioned to my son Fred that I was very disappointed that I was unable to come. The kids and I have talked about getting together more often. We realize that not everyone can make it each time because of our various schedules and commitments. The ones that made it to the get together decided to come to me since I could not get to them. Unknown to me they made calls and set the plans in motion to bring it about to surprise me. My granddaughter, Tina, and her husband were the ones given the task of keeping me home, as I am gone a lot.

Tina called to make sure that I would be home on a Thursday evening, telling me not to eat, that they were coming over. We made plans to stuff November’s Son-Shine letters so they could be mailed in the morning. Meanwhile, on that Thursday evening at 6:30, four of my five children and most of their families were meeting at the Bilo parking lot near me so they could arrive together at the same time. I live in a quiet neighborhood and am known as a quiet widow neighbor. I rarely get company and am gone a lot. Can you imagine what nine vehicles looked like driving single file slowly through my neighborhood? It must have looked like an evening funeral procession. I had no idea that this was going on. I took a quick peek at the clock to see what time it was, wondering why Tina and Chris seemed to be in no hurry to eat. I thought that we were going to go out to eat. Maybe I misunderstood them? It was already 6:25.

As I said, it is very quiet here. Suddenly the quiet was shattered with the blaring of many car horns. It also sounded like all the racket was going on in front of my house. Had someone gotten married, or was a wild party starting up? Then we heard all these car doors opening and shutting. With a "what on earth is going on?", I hurried out onto the porch. Have you ever seen those cop shows on TV where they show the police raids? Well, that is what it looked like out there. Since I failed to turn on the porch light, my eyes were not adjusted to the dark. I did not recognize the vehicles, but they were peeling into my driveway, and up on the front yard, surrounding the place. I really thought it was a police raid taking place, but what had I done? What would my neighbors think? Then, some of those people walked right up the porch steps into the house. What nerve! Someone said hi, but I did not recognize them at first. Some were carrying stuff into the house. Was it crime lab equipment?

Finally, my vision began to clear, and I recognized Fred when he got out of his truck. He had a big smile on his face. Then I saw Kathy, one of my daughters, so knew all was well. Thirty-one came to see me that night (I have five children, fifteen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren). Fred told me that since I could not come to them, they came to me. What a surprise! I did not expect their coming and I wasn’t ready when they came. We had to clear off all my Bible study and Son-Shine letter stuff off the two tables to make room to eat. That night I was too excited to sleep after everyone left. It was such a wonderful evening! I felt so full of love for them, appreciation for what all they went through to make the evening happen, and full of joy over the events of the evening. It truly was a highlight in my six and a half years of being a widow.

In the wee hours of the morning, after thinking on my precious family and what all that each one meant to me, the Lord turned my thinking toward a more serious matter, using that evenings events. Perhaps he allowed me the sleepless night to reflect on everything. He gave me the topic for January’s letter, "Soon!" I was so amazed! As I did not know when my family was coming, we do not know when the Lord is coming. As the blowing of the horns and the noise of all the car doors opening and closing announced my family’s coming, let’s look and see what will announce the return of Christ.

I Thessalonians 4:16 & 17. FOR THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD: AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST: THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD. His coming will be sudden. The shout, the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God will announce that He has come for the saved. Oh how we need to be ready, watching, witnessing, praying, and serving Him till he comes! Many will not be expecting Him, as I was not expecting my family that night. Many will not be ready, as I wasn’t ready. We all have unsaved and backsliden loved ones that we need to be concerned about and doing something about.

Many Christians are sleepers. Will we be found faithful when He comes? Romans 13:11 & 12 also came to mind that night. AND KNOWING THE TIME, THAT NOW THAT IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP: FOR NOW IS OUR SALVATION NEARER THAN WHEN WE BELIEVED. THE NIGHT IS FAR SPENT, THE DAY IS AT HAND: LET US THEREFORE CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS, AND PUT ON THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT. The completion of our salvation is near. The time is short (far spent). The dispensation of grace is coming to a close, and the hour is late. This present age is like a night of sin that has just about run its course. Dawn is just about here for believers. We need to have on the protective covering of the armour of light (Ephesians 6:12-17). We also need to wake up and come out of our inactivity of doing nothing about this matter.

Many years ago I was a sleeper. In that spiritual sleep, I did not pray, witness, watch, or get in God’s Word. Meanwhile, my husband Steve was unsaved. We had two precious little boys who were also not saved, and not being taught about the Lord, Salvation, the Word of God, prayer, etc. As God looked down upon my home and upon me, He must have said to my guardian Angel, "I have to do something to wake Muriel up. She is a spiritual sleeper, and her family is going to hell unless I do something about it. I know just what will wake her up." I can just imagine my Angel saying, "You really have a big job on your hands. She isn’t praying, nor in Your Word Lord. How on earth can you reach her?" God chose to use a nightmare that scared the living daylights out of me.

One bad thing about being unchurched is that after awhile you will fall away from reading and studying your Bible. You fall out of the habit of prayer. As time passes, with it passes thoughts of God, witnessing, and serving Him. You also fail to tithe, and miss out on the fellowship with fellow Christians, and their encouragement, etc. All these things hurt terrible at first. I thought I would die when Steve pulled me out of Church. But as time passed by, I fell into that spiritual sleep that greatly concerns God. So one night during sleep, the Lord sent this nightmare to awaken me out of that sleep. Though I was in my twenties, that nightmare still comes to mind every now and then and it either convicts and pricks my heart, or encourages me onward, depending on what I am doing about obedience to the Word of God, in all these matters.

In the nightmare, a feeling of expectation drew me outside. We were living in New Jersey at the time, and in the nightmare that is where we were living. I noticed that other people were coming out and looking around also, having sensed the same expectation in the air. Soon, quite a crowd had gathered. I began to recognize people. Also, there were some standing around who were looking up. These were the saved who were ready, waiting, watching, and serving the Lord. Others were kneeling and praying. Some of these were getting saved, where others were getting their lives right with God. I saw others who were unsaved, white unto harvest, who were wandering around, not having a clue of what was about to happen. These had not been witnessed to. Then there were some who knew something about salvation, but had rejected Christ and were going about mocking.

I saw my husband, Steve, who was darting in and out among the crowd trying to find me. He knew that something serious was about to happen, but did not know what it was. He knew that I had the answer, and was trying to find me. Then I saw people from my past that I had gone to high school with, who were going in and out among the crowd, trying to find out what was going on. I called out to one of them, but they did not hear me, and seemed to not see me. I learned that it was too late for me to reach anyone. I was on the outside looking in, allowed to view what was taking place. Then, one of those standing yelled, "Look, He’s coming!" I looked up to where they were pointing and saw a cloud far off in the distance that was like a little speck. Then, I realized that it was the Rapture that the feeling of expectation was about.

I looked back for Steve, catching another glimpse of him, and yelled again trying to catch his attention so that I could help him receive Christ. But it was too late. I looked back up at the sky and saw the cloud, which was huge and overhead. I saw Christ, with His arms outstretched calling, "Come up hither." Just as I was being Raptured, I woke up yelling, "I see Him, I see Him!" I was in a sitting position looking upward. My yelling woke Steve up. I was trembling so bad that he had to grab me and hold me for awhile till I could calm down. How could I tell him about that nightmare? I just couldn’t. Let me tell you, God accomplished what He purposed. He got my attention and woke me out of that spiritual sleep, got me into His Word again, and established my prayer life.

I dug into my Bible, studying the Rapture, second coming, heaven, hell, and witnessing. I began to pray for souls, and prayed for Steve’s salvation, and for that of my children. I began to teach them from God’s Word. They were my first Sunday school class. The more I studied the Bible, the more it seemed that God brought people into my life, and the more he led me to people to witness to. He brought John 15:16, Acts 16:31, and others into my life, that I began to pray on and God blessed with results. Every believer ought to read Ezekiel 3:17-21. I wonder if some of the tears that God wipes away, will be our tears over the neglect to have witnessed that caused someone to go to hell? Are all your loved ones saved?

Love in Christ,   Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6

Heaven’s choir came down to sing when Heaven’s King came down to save.

FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE. LUKE 1:37

1968 was a very difficult year for my family. One of the things that we had to deal with was an accident that Steve had. It put him out of work for ten months, which created a long period of hardship. God has positive purposes, and insights for us when He allows us trials. In this hard year, He was stretching me into growth, testing faith, teaching insights, and doing some correcting. I was also learning to be more specific in prayer, and had begun to pray on God’s promises. What was to get corrected was how we celebrated Christmas. We had been unchurched for fifteen years. Christ was left out of our Christmases and we were doing things the world’s way. Santa was made into a big deal for the kids. God’s heart had to have been full of sorrow as He looked down on our home at Christmas time, seeing that the Saviour was left out. He was concerned over what I was teaching my children. He desires truth. O what we miss when we fail to look for God’s purpose in life’s hard places. We waste them then.

We were living in New Jersey at the time. Steve was a volunteer fireman and first responder. On a bitter cold, windy, icy February night, he went out on an emergency call. Someone forgot to sand around the fire station, so as Steve got out of the car and ran to the station to respond to the call, he slipped on the ice, and fell hard on his back. The fall crushed and slipped a disc in his lower back, into an inoperable position. He became the second emergency call of the night. He had a long, slow recovery, having to learn to live with the disc problem. He was unable to go back to work until the first week of December. His paycheck was held back till the second week. This meant no Christmas for the kids. Steve informed me that I would have to tell the kids that there would be no Christmas this year. What a hard task to have to do! I gathered them together and broke the news to them, explaining that because of their dad’s accident, we were unable to do Christmas for them. One said, "Don’t worry mommy. Santa brings our presents anyway." Now I was in the position that God wanted me in, and that was to tell the kids the real meaning of Christmas. I had to tell them that there was no Santa. Steve and I were him, and we were broke.

O what tears! One of them told me that I had lied to them, and yes, telling them that there was a Santa was a lie. I took away all the world’s legends, and cleared the air with them, as I sent up a HELP ME LORD prayer. God’s response to it was to remind me of one of His many names. Jehovah-Jirah. It means the Lord will provide. That popped a fitting promise into my mind. BUT MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS (PHILIPPIANS 4:19). In silent prayer I told the Lord that I was going out on a limb with Him (meaning exercising faith in Him, and in His promise). I told the kids that there would be no room in the Pollock Inn for the world’s legend. We would only have room for the Saviour. I told them that they were going to have a miracle Christmas. It would be a Christian Christmas. God would provide it for them. You talk about excited, they were it. They tore out the door to tell their friends, while I tore up the stairs to the bedroom to pray. My faith did not measure up to what I had just prayed for. On Mark 9:24’s ending I prayed, Lord, I believe, help mine unbelief. That boils down to asking God to help the weakness of my faith. I told the Lord my concerns as a mother, desiring to give my kids a nice Christmas. I also asked God if it was wrong praying, not to answer. I sought His will in the matter over my desire. Then I thanked Him for a miracle Christmas. Some of the Scripture that I prayed on were Matthew 21:22, Phil. 4:19, and Jeremiah 33:3.

What a witness the kids were! I had to explain to people what a Christian Christmas was. It opened the door to me to witness also. One friend especially was difficult to handle. She would come, or call to tell me what all she bought for her children, then would say, "So, what did God do for your kids?" For three weeks I had to say "nothing yet", and silently hope in the Lord. God was really testing my faith in this. I had to concentrate on His name, and on Phil. 4:19, and remind myself that He never fails. I am a pessimist, so it wasn’t easy. When I prayed with the kids that day, I wrapped my arms around them, and asked for, then thanked the Lord for a tree, a turkey, and for money for the kids to Christmas shop with. To answer as I had asked, the Lord laid me down with the virus. Then He had a friend call me whom I had not seen in a while. She asked that I send Steve that night to her husband’s shop, saying he had something that might interest Steve, for his truck.

After an hour at the shop with our friend, who said nothing to Steve about the truck, Steve told him that he needed to get home. With my being so sick, he would help with the kids. As he got ready to leave, our friend said, "Oh by the way, give this to Muriel", as he handed Steve an envelope. When Steve got home he tossed it at me. As soon as my hands caught the envelope I realized that it was God’s answer. I called the kids. In my heart I was hoping that it would be at least $25. That would give each of the kids five dollars for Christmas. I sure didn’t stretch my faith, did I? Don’t worry, God took care of doing it. When I opened the envelope, out fell $155. I was flabbergasted. Wow! The kids were so excited. But I was sick, and could not go shopping. Steve, with adjusting to the discomfort of his back and working said, "Don’t look at me. I’m not doing it." God reminded me that I had asked for the money for the kids to shop. I put Steve Jr. who was twelve, with Kathy who was six. Then put Fred who was ten, with Dotty who was eight. They had four stores that they could shop at. We were one block from the main street of our town. There was always a Christian policeman at the corner to cross people.

Then, I gave the kids rules. If anyone asked if they were ready for Santa, they had to say no, we only have room for Jesus. If asked where their money came from, they had to say, from God. They had to seek help from the sales people, and could not buy junk. They had to be on good behavior as they went, as they represented Christ and our home. What a witness this turned out to be! Then one night Steve Jr. said he’d be right back and tore out the door, and disappeared into the night. This was eight o’clock at night. I was very concerned. He was only twelve. Anything could happen in the dark. I prayed for him, as I did on all their shopping trips, to cover them with prayer, and God’s watch care. At nine the doorbell rang. I swung open the double doors, expecting the police to be there about Steve’s body being found. Having been kidnapped myself, I expected the worst. Faith needed working on, and God was in the process of doing just that. A huge tree came through the door pushing me back. On the other side of it was Steve Jr. he had remembered that the school put the tree out for the trash, when it closed for the Holidays. He ran out in the night to get it, and had to drag it home. It was a ten-foot, fat, and very beautiful tree.

Next, on the same day, three turkeys were dropped off at our home for our Christmas dinner. Wow! God was at work, wasn’t He? On the morning of Christmas Eve, I remembered that I had promised Dotty a Brownie uniform. I also wanted to get a certain need for my Mother for Christmas. We were also under pressure to cough up two Sears payments, but the money was gone. What do I do now? Well, I went to God on the same Scriptures, and asked for more money. I told Him that I did not know how much I needed, but asked Him to add tithe to it, telling Him that He knew what was needed. Can you believe this? Four men came that morning from Steve’s work. They knew that we had a hard year, they said, and were concerned for the kids. They handed me an envelope, telling me that they took up a collection for the kids. I cried when I saw the card. On it was a golden Angel blowing a trumpet. Over the Angel it said, "Your Christmas prayer". I was deeply moved by the card. In the card was two hundred and two dollars and fifty cents. Everything was taken care of that I had prayed about when I asked for this second need for money. In 1968 that brought a lot of things. Then the next door neighbor gave us $25 also. God had answered in His Ephesians 3:20 style. $382.50 came in altogether.

That night I had a little service by the tree, in candlelight. We sang a couple of Christmas songs, and I read the Christmas story from Matthew 1, and Luke 2 to the kids, putting Christ into our Christmas, teaching them the truth. Our friend Trudy made a manger scene birthday cake for Jesus, for the kids, with Luke 2:11 on it. I asked the kids to pray, starting out with the oldest. This way I would learn how all this affected them. Steve Jr. started. He thanked for a praying Christian mother, and that he had an all year round Christ to depend on, instead of a once a year Santa. The tears spilled out as I listened. Then he thanked god for everything, and told Him that He had given them too much. He told God that He could take some of the toys back, and give them to the poor kids. Fred and Dotty’s prayer were much the same. They also thought that God had given them way too much, and offered to let God take some back for the poor kids. Kathy’s prayer was a riot. She too thanked God, but told Him that she didn’t want the presents. All she wanted was His birthday cake. She told Him that she just wanted to see if He could do it (give them a miracle Christmas). She told God to take all her presents back and give them to the poor kids.

After the kids sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, and had their little Christmas party, Stevie asked me to pray for snow, to complete their miracle Christmas. On the weather reports for the day, it was said that it was too warm for snow. I told Stevie that. His answer was, "Mom, when you pray, God answers. Please pray for snow." I kept saying no. I fell short in faith, believing the weatherman over Luke 1:37. But the kids kept pleading for me to pray for snow. On the story of Elijah, when he prayed for rain, I prayed for snow, using Luke 1:37 and Ephesians 3:20, doing Jeremiah 33:3. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. I continued to listen to the weather reports. Too warm for snow. I had to stay in an attitude of prayer, and put my confidence in God, and on Luke 1:37. God is still in the miracle working business today, but the key to miracles is faith and God’s promises. He is able. My children kept running outside to watch the sky. Finally, Fred, Dotty, and Kathy went to bed, as it was late. Stevie stayed up with me. At midnight he called me outside. It was nasty, but not snowing. There also was a change in the air. Perhaps! At 12:30 in the night, Stevie yelled for me to come outside. It was snowing, praise the Lord. God’s finishing touch to their first miracle Christmas was a white Christmas.

A couple of weeks after Christmas, my heart was still so full of thanksgiving to the Lord. The desire to give God a thank you gift came over me, but what would I give Him? I wanted to demonstrate my thanks for what He did for the kids for Christmas. I thought maybe I could give Him myself, but He already had my heart. What would please God? Ahhh, II Peter 3:9. He is not willing that any perish. To give God a soul as my thank you gift was my choice. I prayed asking God to give me a soul that I could give back to Him, with my thanks. Within the hour the phone rang. It was the friend who would come, or call to tell me what she got her children for Christmas, then ask what God had given my children. She said, "I can’t stand it any longer Muriel, I want your Jesus." Over the phone I shared the good news with her about God’s simple plan of salvation. It’s what Christmas and Easter are all about. I was able to lead my friend in the sinner’s prayer, as she received the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. After we hung up, I prayed, giving her back to God with my thanksgiving for our first miracle Christmas.

NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US, UNTO HIM BE GLORY TO THE CHURCH BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. EPHESIANS 3:20 & 21

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6

Several times in the past six years (since I have been a widow), Revelation 3:20’s ending has come to mind. "I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me". When we get saved, God enters our life in the person of the Holy Spirit. In this verse He lets us know that we can have fellowship with Him. He was letting me know that this was missing from my prayer life, as I do all the talking. I didn’t pause to wait for Him, or get still to listen with my heart. We miss out on precious fellowship when we fail to do this. We don’t give Him a chance to speak to our hearts. We need to wait on Him in prayer, and be still, asking Him to speak to our hearts. When I did this I heard His still small verse through the scriptures He brought to mind. He responded in such a wonderful way, pointing out the fact that I had been leaning on props. Some of the props had been my parents, Steve, jobs, S.S. checks, and my present part time job. He let me know that the props were being removed. Think about this, if you are leaning on or depending on props, they can be removed. God wants us to totally depend on Him and on His promises. He is the problem solver and wants us to put our confidence in Him and in His Word. His Word is our remedy, prescription, and answer, etc.

Two years ago I noticed that so much is different in my house since Steve passed away. Most of the furniture, décor, possessions, and room colors have been changed, and is better. I went from room to room pointing all this out to God, thanking Him for everything. I wanted Him to know that I appreciated everything, and knew he was behind it all. When I finished I quoted Psalms 86:10 & 12, Psalms 34:1 & 2, Psalms 103:1 & 2, and Psalms 48:1 to him, to thank, praise, and bless Him. I especially thanked Him for my "Joy Corner" (Bible study corner), and all my Bible study materials. As I turned to go about my way, Revelation 3:20b came to mind, causing me to turn back. God was telling me from this verse that He wanted to fellowship with me. I prayed asking Him if there was anything He wanted to say to me, and waited a minute or so. Nothing happened, so being impatient I turned to go. Then a phrase out of Psalms 27:14 came to mind, "Wait on the Lord." It was God saying wait, not wanting me to go. I turned back to wait but still had other things on my mind. My heart wasn’t in a listening mode. Standing became uncomfortable, so I was about to just forget this when Psalms 46:10 came to mind. "Be still and know that I am God." He used this verse to tell me to be still. Out of these verses, He has said that He wanted to talk to me, to please wait, be still and listen. I am so thankful that down through the years I took the time, and did the work to memorize so many scriptures. It was there for God when He wanted to speak to my heart. We really limit God when we fail to memorize His Word, and neglect reading and studying the Bible. Had those scriptures not been tucked into the treasure chest in my heart, I would not have heard His voice.

I feared that my present job was going to be terminated very soon and dreaded that because it would cut off paychecks, and I felt I needed the money. If we live uprightly, tithe, and are trusting in the Lord, we have nothing to fear and dread. God and His promises are unfailing. In the 59 years that I have been saved, I have never known God or His Word to fail. We can pray, believe and receive, or we can pray, doubt and do without! If a care is too small to be made into a prayer, it is too small to be made into a burden. Next, God reminded me of the last ride home from work when I had to quit to be Steve’s full time caregiver. Steve was to be taken off his last IV therapy for his heart that night. He had lost all quality of life and was coming off his medicines also. I was scared to death at knowing his death was at hand, and that I would be a widow. I never handled our finances, bills, business, etc. I just knew that I could not make it without Steve. In prayer, I cried out to God, "NO GOD, NOT ME, NOT A WIDOW. I CAN’T DO THIS. YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME FIRST". After reminding me of this, God said, "Look how far you’ve come Muriel. I have brought you this far (Proverbs 15:25b), and I will take you the rest of the way (Psalms 73:23-24). I am your prop, lean on me. My promises are your props also, lean on them. I am the problem solver, look to me (Hebrews 12:2 & Psalms 121:1-2)". These promises are for you also. Please look them up.

Oh what I would have missed had I not paused to wait, be still, and listen with my heart! One week later my part time job was terminated because of downsizing. The fear and dread were gone, having been replaced with a heart full of joy knowing God and His promises are my props. He will take care of me. I hope that in sharing all this it will be a help and a blessing to you. Life is fragile and needs to be handled with prayer. Oh how believers need mercy and grace on a daily basis. I start my prayers on Hebrews 4:16. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED. I also see this verse as a wonderful invitation, where God grants us the boldness to come into his presence, to his very throne. We do this through prayer. I see prayer as an awesome privilege. I thank and praise the Lord for this and do not take prayer for granted.

Now look at this promise. AND WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN MY NAME, THAT WILL I DO, THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. IF YE ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME, THAT WILL I DO (JOHN 14:13 & 14). Prayer must be made in Jesus’ name. Do you believe this promise? When we aren’t getting our prayers answered, we need to check to see if we are meeting the conditions of prayer. We also need to check the hindrances of prayer. Some of the conditions of prayer are a clean prayer channel. This means sin must be confessed (I John 1:9). IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME (PSALMS 66:18). We must be memorizing God’s Word. IF YE ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YE SHALL ASK WHAT YE WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU (JOHN 15:7). We must pray in faith, believing. AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YE SHALL RECEIVE (MATTHEW 21:22).

I am reading The Kneeling Christian, and wanted to share some questions from it with the answers. We need to think about these things, and hopefully be motivated to pray more. Why are so many Christians defeated? Because they pray so little. Why are so many church workers so often discouraged and disheartened? Because they pray so little. Why are we seeing so few brought out of darkness into the light (saved)? Because we pray so little. Why are our churches simply not on fire for God? Because there is so little prayer. Here is a verse to think about. BEHOLD, THE LORD’S HAND IS NOT SHORTENED, THAT IT CAN NOT SAVE, NEITHER HIS EAR HEAVY, THAT IT CAN NOT HEAR (ISAIH 59:1). I prayed on this verse over one of the evil men who wanted to tear down my faith, and one of my children’s faith. I also asked God to open the door for me to witness to him. God answered, giving me a three hour session of witnessing to him. Several nights later, I was very burdened for the man, so spent the night in prayer, and in God’s Word over him. He had rejected the witness and mocked me. He was a truck driver, so I felt the Lord would deal with him in his driving. God will not be mocked (Galations 6:7 & 8). The night I was burdened he was involved in a terrible accident. He was trapped in his rig, which was on fire. The friend that was with him managed to get out of the truck. The roof to the cab of the truck was torn off, so the man was able to reach in to pull him out. He had cuts and was badly burned. On his fifth day in the hospital, he had me called to find out how to get saved. A small Bible with the sinner’s prayer in it was left with him. I directed him to that, also explaining how to get saved. He accepted Jesus as his personal savior, saying that if hell was as hot and as bad as the fire he was in, he did not want to go there. This should show just how important prayer is, yet we pray so little.

The man had said, when his friend’s hand had come through the top of the truck to pull him out, to him it was the hand of God. I was amazed that God heard and answered my prayer and saved him. Both of these fit in Isaiah 59:1. God is a prayer hearing, answering God. There is power in prayer, especially when we pray in faith using God’s promises. I love Jeremiah 33:3 and often pray on this promise, and used it the night I prayed for this man. CALL UNTO ME, AND I WILL ANSWER THEE, AND SHEW YOU THE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS, WHICH THOU KNOWEST NOT.

Got any obstacles in your way or mountain sized problems? FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY UNTO THIS MOUNTAIN, BE THOU REMOVED, AND BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA; AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT SHALL BELIEVE THAT THOSE THINGS WHICH HE SAITH SHALL COME TO PASS; HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, WHAT THINGS SOEVER YE DESIRE, WHEN YE PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YE RECEIVE THEM, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM. MARK 11:23-24

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6

I want to thank those of you who have helped me in getting the Son-Shine Letter out. Thank you so very much. I could not do it without your help. Again, the letter is meant to be an encouragement, blessing, and a help, Lord willing, in any way that the Lord should choose to use it. If you are getting the letter, and would like to be removed from the mailing list, please write return to sender and send it back so that I will know to remove your name from the mailing list. I also want to thank the Lord for the positive comments on the letter. You have encouraged me, and I appreciate you for that. Thank you.

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Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that you and I together can’t handle.

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FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, IF YE HAVE FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED, YE SHALL SAY UNTO THIS MOUNTAIN, REMOVE TO YONDER PLACE: AND IT SHALL REMOVE; AND NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE UNTO YOU. MATTHEW 17:20

Isn’t that awesome? Oh what faith can accomplish, even if it is a tiny bit of faith. I have used this promise on various problems that have seemed mountain sized. Those obstacles that get in our way can be prayed out of the way. I used this promise, along with Mark 11:22-24 on debt after I became a widow, and God removed the debt, which was a mountain sized problem to me. I also added other fitting Scriptures. I have been working to discipline myself to stay focused on God and His promise, and not on the problems. Jesus is the problem solver, and His Word is the remedy.

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BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM: FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. HEBREWS 11:6

Faith is to the Christian what a foundation is to a house. Faith is the starting point of the Christian life, and is a must. It pleases God, and is an absolute necessity. We must believe that the true God exists, and that He rewards. In Jude 20 we are told to build up our most holy faith. We are to nourish, feed, and strengthen it on the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God will test our faith (I Peter 1:6 & 7) to reveal whether it is genuine or not, revealing its weaknesses to us. There were times in my life where I thought that I was acting in faith, but in the midst of trial, I learned that it was in good intentions. In learning that, I was able to correct my error, and work on faith’s weakness. I heard or read a few years ago that it is of great profit for Christians to pray "Lord I believe, help mine unbelief". That is asking God to help the weakness of your faith. The just are to live by faith. It is a good thing to have some knowledge of what faith is, for many reasons.

Years ago, near the end of my unchurched years I began to pray for faith and patience. I did not have a clue about how they come. I just thought that if I asked, God would just put them in me. He does, but they are developed, and tested by trials. I am so glad that I did not have this knowledge back then, as I would not have asked God for faith and patience. I saw both as a need in my life. The trials got me into the Word of God so faith was getting nourished, and strengthened. The trials were testing and proving it, and building patience in me, which is the quality of endurance. Later, I did a Bible study on faith and trust to gain knowledge about faith, as it is the key to the Christian life.

There are two examples in the Bible that are my favorites, of the heros of faith. Abraham, in Romans 4:20-21. He was strong in faith, and did not stagger between faith and unbelief at the promise of God. He was fully persuaded that God would do what He promised. Moses was motivated by faith, never flinched, held to his purpose, and steadfastly endured as one who gazed on the invisible Lord. This is looking unto Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). This is a faith that works, and that will see you through whatever you must face and handle. Faith is a must. You can read about Moses’ faith in Hebrews 11:23-26. This is the kind of faith that I desire. It means spending time in the Word of God to nourish and build it up. I get plenty of opportunities to activate and exercise it, in the hard places in life.

Boy, to have the simple faith of a child! The older we get, we seem to start questioning God, doubting, or wondering will He or can He? I think of my son Fred as an example of child-like faith. When Fred was ten, he came to me letting me know that one of the boys in the neighborhood was bragging about his mother having eight fur coats. She was not a Christian. Fred asked me to pray for one, telling me that I was a good Christian mother. He felt that I should have one. I could not muster up the faith to ask God for such a thing. Fred said, "If you don’t pray, I will". He went to his room to pray. About a half hour later he was back. He said, "Mom, I don’t know when, or how, but you will be getting a fur coat". When he went outside, he left me standing with my mouth hanging open. Me, a fur coat? Impossible! Two weeks later, my husband was asked to help a man clean and haul stuff off. When he finished, the man paid him, then handed him a beautiful mink jacket, and told him to take it home to me. I was flabbergasted. Fred said, "See, I told you so". He just simply believed God could and would, so God did. I became the proud owner of a beautiful mink jacket because of a child’s faith.

Just what is faith? Faith is confidence in the trustiness of God. It is confidence that what God says is true, and that He will do it. It is confident obedience to God’s Word inspite of circumstances. It is firm belief. Trust. Assurance. It is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. Faith is to believe what we can not see. The reward of faith is to see what we believe. Faith does not need evidence. It brings what is hoped for. When exercising faith in prayer, I sometimes hold out my opened hand to God as I close my prayer, and on Hebrews 11:1, I thank Him for whatever I have asked for, doing Psalms 62:5, expecting an answer from Him, and on his promises in prayer. See Jeremiah 1:12.

We are to walk by faith, and not by sight. Things can look pretty bad, impossible, or scary, etc. Faith looks to the author of faith. Faith relies on, hopes in, and expects. Faith is necessary in our praying. God’s Word gives the confidence to our praying. See Matthew 21:22 and I John 5:14-15 for this. We are to believe in God, and let His Word govern what we believe. Faith is trust, with absolute and settled knowledge. It receives the promises of God. It is the title deed of the things hoped for. In one of the things I looked into about faith, it said that faith will fade unless it feeds on the Promises of God. If we feed our faith, our doubts will starve to death. Lets take a look at Romans 10:17 here. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

I looked into hearing. It is to perceive. To grasp or take in mentally. To become aware by the senses. To listen to what God is saying through His Word. To make a conscious effort to hear. Attend closely (paying close attention) to hear, to give heed. I think of Proverbs 4:20-23, especially to verses 20 & 21. It boils down to hearing and heeding, to listen with the intent to obey. To get the Word down into your heart, as not to forget it, and to focus on it. Don’t forget it, or let it out of your sight. To do this will affect our health in a positive way, verse 22. Then, guard your heart. I am at work to memorize this portion of Scripture. To meditate on Scripture also has physical benefits. It can lower blood pressure, prevent hardening of the arteries, and heart attacks. See Psalms 107:19-20 on God’s Word and healing. To get the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the Word in you also has many wonderful benefits, and long life and health are two of them. We should never underestimate the power, ability, and the benefits of the Word of God. To neglect the Word is to rob us of many wonderful benefits.

When we are hurting, faith is the medium to approach God on. II Peter 1:3-5 tells us that we are kept by the power of God through faith. We are garrisoned by faith. To keep one’s faith in the midst of trial is a must. In Hebrews 10:35 we are instructed to not cast away our confidence. Don’t quit, or give up. Hang in there by faith. I love Psalms 119:116-117. By faith I pray on and cling to this. UPHOLD ME ACCORDING UNTO THY WORD, THAT I MAY LIVE: AND LET ME NOT BE ASHAMED OF MY HOPE. HOLD THOU ME UP, AND I SHALL BE SAFE, AND I WILL HAVE RESPECT UNTO THY STATUTES (word) CONTINUALLY. I put my faith on God, and on this Scripture, trusting Him to hold me up when the going gets tough. Faith must be activated and exercised on God’s promises. To uphold is to give moral support, to keep from falling. It is to sustain. The up, of uphold, means up from a lower position or level to a higher one. To hold means to take and keep with the hands or arms, to grasp or clutch. TO GUARD OR DEFEND. God is doing all this for us, though unseen. Faith visualizes God upholding, sustaining and guarding.

Faith is also a defensive weapon. It is our shield. ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WHEREWITH YE SHALL BE ABLE TO QUENCH ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED. Faith is a must! Without it we can not quench those fiery darts that our enemy shoots at us. We are to live by faith. I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE: AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Faith is also the victory for us. See I John 5:4-5. We can have the victory (I Corinthians 15:57), so by faith we can thank Him for it in the midst of trials and hurts. We can triumph in every place, II Corinthians 2:14. Don’t quit or give up. Encourage yourself in the Lord on His many wonderful promises. A firm belief calms the spirit. A true faith is indestructible, and can see us through severe tests. Our circumstances will not be able to destroy us. In a severe time of testing after I became a widow, God gave me this very helpful insight. Two forces were at work. A spiritual warfare was taking place. The devil was at work in the severe trial, to do his destructive work in my life (I Peter 5:8-10). God also was at work to better me by removing faith’s impurities, building patience, strengthening the quality of endurance, and bringing me into spiritual maturity. See I Peter 1:6-7 and James 2:2-4.

God has wonderful purpose in our hard places, believe it or not. But, we chose whose voice we will listen to, and who we will respond to in trials. In that severe testing I chose to respond to God, and listen to Him. The trial came to pass, and God enabled me to endure the testing, as I chose to activate, and exercise faith. Hold fast to faith and hope. Don’t let go of them. Don’t let the devil succeed to destroy your confidence in God. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Have faith in God’s faithfulness and character. Have faith in His promises. Neither fails. Keep on keeping on. It will be worth it all when we see Christ.

I was asked to share a bit of testimony with you that I shared with a friend. I trust it will encourage your faith, as its memory encourages mine. Years ago I became very ill with a terrible kidney infection while my husband was over the road in his eighteen wheeler. We did not have insurance, so I could not go to the hospital. Steve was gone for five weeks at that time. The man that he was driving for pulled back from sending me his checks. That meant that I was unable to buy groceries, and get fuel, etc. We were living in New Jersey at the time, and this was in February, which meant it was very cold. It was difficult to think and to pray with a temperature of 106 degrees. It was also on a Sunday, which meant that there was no way to get fuel to heat the house.

Realizing that I was too sick to get up to make Sunday dinner for the kids, I asked God to lay it on someone’s heart to feed them. We also needed groceries so I thanked God for filling the cupboards and fridge, and for doing our grocery shopping. Then I thanked God for a week of hot cooked meals knowing I would be in bed for a week. In craving a tall, cold glass of orange juice, I thanked God for providing it. I also thanked Him for stamps so that I could keep letters going to Korea, to my special brother in Christ. In not having money from the checks not coming in, I thanked God for providing the medicine that I would need. The results for just thanking God for these various needs and in using His promises were amazing.

In being faithful in church attendance, and in serving the Lord by teaching a Sunday school class, God was able to make several friends to have concern about my absence in church that morning. They knew something had to be wrong for me to miss. This brought a caravan of cars to our home immediately after church causing these friends to check on me. As each one came in, it seemed the Lord picked a different need for each one to fill. The first friend took the kids home to feed, then brought back a tall pitcher of cold orange juice, praise the Lord, as I was craving it. My special prayer partner came to check on us and to oversee what was going on. She also sponged me down to try and break the fever. I also thanked the Lord for sending someone to stay with us a week to help the kids, and to take care of me. God chose this prayer partner to be the one to do this. The next friend noticed that the house was cold, and that the fuel had run out. She left, but was back shortly, after getting a neighbor to help her siphon fuel from her tank to put in ours. She also brought me a thick green blanket, a beautiful bouquet of assorted flowers, and nine get well cards made by her nine children. By the end of that day, I felt like queen for a day.

God had a purpose for laying me aside with fever and pain. He knew that I had studied out faith, and prayed much for faith in my past. He also knew that I had been through many various trials, having many opportunities to activate and exercise my faith, and that I had learned precious insights about faith. His desire was to teach these things to this special prayer partner. In allowing me to be so sick and weak, and having difficulty to think and pray, where all I could do was thank Him for meeting the needs on His promises. This had me out of His way, so He could have his way in meeting the needs to encourage this prayer partner’s faith. God provided all that He was thanked for by sending others in with many bags of groceries, not only filling the cupboards and fridge, but also having abundance besides. Bags and bags of food were lined up against the walls from the overflow. He laid it on another friend’s heart to pick up my medicine. He also provided a truckload of fuel, but I never found out who paid for it. Stamps came in from Korea, from the special brother. God met every need.

As the needs rose, my prayer partner would ask that I let her call the church for help for the needs. I would not let her do that, telling her that I had already thanked God for them. She would ask, "Who’s bringing it?" I would tell her that that was God’s business, our business is to trust. She said that she learned more about faith in that week than at any other time. We are to live by faith, and when we do God rewards our faith. FOR THOU ART GREAT, AND DOEST WONDEROUS THINGS: THOU ART GOD ALONE. PSALMS 86:10.

Love in Christ,   Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6

God is so good. I am thankful for God’s purposes in trials. They sure draw me to Him. When needs arise, they also draw me to the Lord. Both cause me to exercise faith, and I look for God’s insights, and answers to prayer. What a thrill it is to get prayers answered! July had its problems, but also had blessings, and the needs were met, and the problems worked out. I feel the stretching of growth taking place, and the increase of faith. Today’s problems and blessings help prepare us for tomorrows trials. What is learned today, needs to be applied in tomorrows difficulties. We can encourage ourselves in the Lord, by remembering what He has done for us in the past. One of the Israelites sins was that they forgot God. God gets our attention in the hard places in life. Sometimes it is that He wants to save some soul that is lost. Sometimes He wants to teach a much-needed lesson or insight, or wants to correct us. There are times that He allows difficulty to remove the impurities from our faith and character. Other times He is getting glory that is due Him, or is at work in us to mature us, and to develop spiritual maturity in us. Whichever it has been in my life, He has blessed with answered prayer, and learning about His ways, workings, and about Him. It will be worth it all when we see Christ.

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GOD ANSWERS KNEE-MAIL

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AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YE SHALL RECEIVE. MATTHEW 21:22

I have prayed on this wonderful promise many times down through the years, over many various things, and concerns. I used it after I became a widow, on debt, and God blessed with answered prayer, delivering me. I used it with quite a few other fitting Scriptures. Believing is the key. We must not waver between faith and unbelief. God rewards faith (Hebrews 11:6). I thank the Lord that He has given us the privilege of asking. There are many verses that encourage asking, and this is a great one to use. Again, O WHAT A PROMISE!

(Continued from June’s topic)

YET YE HAVE NOT BECAUSE YE ASK NOT. JAMES 2:4

God wants us to ask. Here is John 15:16 again. YE HAVE NOT CHOSEN ME, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU, AND ORDAINED YOU, THAT YE SHOULD GO AND BRING FORTH FRUIT, AND THAT YOUR FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN: THAT WHOSOEVER YE SHALL ASK OF THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU.

I mentioned in June’s letter that I would share with you one of the hardest trials that was allowed to come upon my life’s path. I also said that I would share something out of a sermon on prayer that I heard. It encouraged asking. Looking back on this has me in awe, as I can trace God’s hand to prepare, and guide, back to three weeks before the crisis hit. I marvel at how the Lord works. This message on prayer was so needed, and so that I would hear it, God moved on the heart of one of my friends to invite me to a Christian Women’s luncheon, which would place me in the car at the time the sermon on prayer was being preached on. I always kept the Christian station on in the car. God’s timing is perfect. Two things that we should be asking God for were presented in the sermon. The Preacher said that we have not really prayed until we have asked God to lay some lost soul on our heart, who needed to be saved, and prayed for them in tears out of a burdened heart. He also said that we have never really prayed until we have asked God to lay someone on our heart who was standing in the need of prayer.

While driving, I thought on my prayer life, and conviction hit that I never had asked God for either burden. I was praying for the lost, and for others, and even for my family, but not out of a burdened heart. I did not cry for anyone’s salvation except for my husband’s. Though I did hurt for others, I have never cried over them, about their needs. I fell short, so acknowledged that. Then, I made both requests a matter of prayer, asking God to lay some soul that was lost and needed to be saved, on my heart. I asked Him to lay someone on my heart that was standing in the need of prayer. By the time I arrived at the home of my friend, heaviness had formed on my heart. I just did not know for whom, or why. In doing this I learned what real praying was. To my great shock, I also learned that the one standing in need of prayer could be your very own loved one. This kind of praying can remove danger, spare a life, prevent accident, death, etc. and also cover a very horrible incident that would come upon your life's path. This kind of praying touches God’s heart, and moves His arm to work.

Later that day the burdens took on faces. That lost soul that I asked for turned out to be many neighbors, and our town. I marveled at that. WHY SO MANY? Because many are lost, and so few are interceding. I have a tract in my prayer basket, where I keep my prayer lists, and booklets, etc., that says "Where are the praying intercessors?" These were lying on my heart as a burden in such a heavy way. What was God doing? Then instead of just one person standing in the need of prayer, He laid four on my heart. I never dreamed that when I asked for that burden, it would turn out to be my loved one. In fact, it turned out to be four of my close loved ones. I WAS HORRIFIED. I told the Lord that I was already praying for them, but He reminded me that it was not out of a heavy burdened heart, in tears, pleading for them in intercessory prayer. I was not standing as a watchman, praying without ceasing, being instant in prayer for these.

The four family members that were laid on my heart were my father, my husband Steve, my son Fred (who was 15), and my son Kevin (who just turned 3). Each was already a concern of the heart, as Dad was recovering from two major heart attacks that hit two days apart. Steve had two accidents in two years time. One was when he responded to an emergency call in the wee hours of the morning as a volunteer fireman. The other was in his eighteen wheeler when he was a truck driver. Fred was accident-prone. Kevin had complications from his delivery. What was to become of the four? Why were they so heavy on my heart? I did call several close prayer partner friends, and shared with them the sermon on prayer, and the two burdens that I had asked God for, and asked them for their prayer support. The knowledge of their prayers turned out later to be of much comfort. I hate to think of what would have been if I had not asked God for those burdens. If the crisis was as bad as it was so bathed in prayer, how much worse would it have been had I not asked. Being in the Word of God, building up faith, a prayer warrior life, and memorizing Scripture, kept me close to God, making me sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. I could detect God going before me, preparing and guiding me through this trial. For example, three weeks before the accident, God pointed out the nearest doctor to our home, by allowing one of our kids to have a swollen, hurting knee. That caused me to call the school, and ask where the nearest doctor was, as we were new to the town. I did not know my way around, and God knew that I would have need of the doctor and would have to run my little one there with life threatening head injuries. His preparation is seen in this.

Just two weeks before the accident, God touched Kevin’s heart, giving him the desire to get saved. He knew what Kevin would have to face, and hear about his injuries. He was exposed to the Gospel over and over through the two Bible clubs that I taught in our home. He heard and saw as many were led to Christ. He came to me asking for help to get saved, saying that he was lost and going to hell. I questioned him about sin, salvation, and what took place at Calvary, and he had all the right answers. I went over God’s simple plan of salvation, then led Kevin in the sinner’s prayer. When he finished, he said, "Now I am going to heaven", and took my hand and led me outside. He looked up at the sky and thanked God for saving him, then thanked me for helping him, then went back in the house to play. God now had Kevin’s comfort prepared. He would be able to hear that his injuries were bad, and he couldn’t be helped, yet face it unafraid and sure of Heaven, and of seeing me again, knowing I was saved too. The grace of God was so wonderfully seen at work in Kevin’s life. I just marveled over what I saw in him.

God also knew that I would need some wisdom and insight into what was going on about these two burdens. I would also need comfort and to know what to do. He had that prepared in the message at the Christian Women’s luncheon. The speaker was a potter. As he spoke he shaped a vessel on the potter’s wheel, speaking of God as the master potter who shapes the lives of believers into vessels fit for his use. God knew that I would need to hear the potter’s message, for in three days I would be fleeing into the restroom of the ER to get away from the sound of my son screaming, crying and praying for him. The potter’s message was a comfort and gave insight into what was going on, when God brought it to mind. He also brought my life’s verses to mind to instruct me.

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART, AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS. PROVERBS 3:5 & 6

On the third morning, after praying for the two burdens, the burden for my father, husband, and son Fred eased off, but the burden for Kevin increased. He was now the one standing in need of prayer. Had God used the burden, tears, and prayers to spare Dad, Steve, and Fred from something terrible happening to them? I think so. During the noon hour of that third day my heart was so heavy that I knew Kevin was in the hour of whatever was to happen to him. I put Kevin down for a nap and went out back to hang a load of wash, and heard voices from across the street. Kevin had slipped out, and ran across the street to play with his new friend, Jimmy. He had heard Jimmy outside playing. We were new to the area, and Jimmy was Kevin’s first playmate. I ran across the street, realizing Jimmy was to great a temptation for Kevin to resist, and stayed with the boys while they played.

The boys were playing with cars, sitting in the dirt near the side door of Jimmy’s house. The door was open, so Jimmy’s mother heard voices and called out "Who’s there?". Being new in the neighborhood she did not recognize my voice. I looked at the boys who were busy at play, so I stepped just inside the door so Jimmy’s mother could see who I was. She began to ask me if I had heard about the three prisoners who had escaped from our local prison, who were thought to be in our neighborhood. As she was asking this, we heard Kevin’s screams. How he got into her back yard so fast, I’ll never know. He had spotted a kitten, and ran after it, tripping over a pole hidden in the uncut grass, falling head and face into a rusty wire fence. The prongs went into his head and forehead, and left puncture marks around his neck and shoulders. You could see that his wounds were nasty and life threatening.

As I ran Kevin to the doctor that God had prepared for us, the assurance of his salvation kicked in to comfort him. I was crying, so Kevin told me not to worry as he was going to Heaven to be with Jesus. He told me that he would see me again because he knew that I was a Christian too. He was not crying. He was also not afraid of dying. When we arrived at the doctor’s office, he took Kevin from me and checked his wounds, saying they were bad. His injuries were life threatening. The doctor said there was nothing he could do for Kevin, so he called for an ambulance. The paramedic also said Kevin’s injuries did not look good. He commented on Kevin’s calmness. At the hospital we began to meet up with obstacles. The hospital refused to admit Kevin because we lacked insurance, and wouldn’t sue the neighbor. They took back the paying patients, leaving Kevin to sit and bleed. After the paying patients were treated they finally took Kevin back to clean and stitch his wounds, and then released him.

We did not have a ride home from the hospital so we bowed our heads and prayed, asking God to send someone to take us home. He brought a stranger in who came to pay on a bill. She tried to leave several times and seemed confused. She came back in and looked around the room spotting us. She came up and questioned us about what had happened, then said, "I think God wants me to take you home". When she dropped us off at the house, a neighbor was waiting for us, who told Kevin that she was sorry, but that God allowed the accident to happen for her sake. She said she had been running from God, so God allowed the accident to happen for her. Then she asked me to tell her about Jesus. It took a month of witnessing, then she accepted Christ as her personal Saviour. Later that afternoon when I walked to the drug store to get Kevin’s prescription, another neighbor stopped me saying that she heard about Kevin’s accident, and asked me to tell her again how to get saved. I gave her God’s simple plan of salvation, and she too accepted the Lord.

One of these ladies came one evening asking me to come with her to the alley to help with an emergency. She left me in the alley saying she would be right back. I don’t know about you, but being a woman left alone in an alley with darkness settling about is not exactly the place that I want to be at. Shortly she was back with her husband, and stood him in front of me, and told me to do my thing. Her husband then said that he had watched Kevin’s and my life and saw God in us, and wanted what we had. He had the reputation of being our town’s worst wino. I went over God’s plan of salvation with him in the alley, and led him to the Lord. Later his wife witnessed to three men and called one of my prayer partners to come to lead them to the Lord, while I was called on to pray. To my knowledge, six people accepted Christ through Kevin’s accident. Because I didn’t sue our neighbor’s landlord, he asked me to marry him. I sent him the four spiritual laws salvation tract, and prayed for his salvation.

An article went out on the front page of our town’s paper called The Love of God. It was about Kevin’s accident, and about my teaching about God’s love to others in our neighborhood Bible club. It told of the children in it going about collecting money to help with Kevin’s medical expenses at home since the hospital refused to admit him. The article said that God was returning His love back to us through what these children were doing for us. I took some of the money and sent it to a missionary couple, in Kevin’s name, to buy Bibles that they wanted to take into another country. Not only did Kevin’s accident touch the lives of some of our neighbors and our town, it enabled God’s word to go out in another land. God took the burden of the one standing in the need of prayer to touch the lives of those standing in need of salvation. What if I had not asked of God for those two burdens?

Kevin’s infection worsened to the point that his head swelled up causing his eyes to remain closed. He could not eat, talk, or cry because he could not open his mouth. His face was purple. The whole house smelled from the infection. We took him back to the hospital after having called the doctor, to have him admitted. As bad as Kevin was, we were told, "Sorry, he’s not our problem. You’ll have to take him home". As I listened to that, God spoke to my heart informing me that I’d never hear those words out of him. God cares, and tells us to cast all our cares upon Him (I Peter 5:7). They were not even going to treat Kevin until Steve asked to use the phone to call a lawyer. All they did was take Kevin back and remove the stitches, re-clean the wounds, give him a shot, and send him home. I called the doctor back asking for his help to take care of him. He was surprised that the hospital refused to admit Kevin, yet he too refused to help. I dropped to my knees and cried out to God for help, and when I finished praying there was a knock at the door. It was Jimmy’s mother. She asked me to bring Kevin over as often as was needed saying that she would take care of his wounds. I marveled as I watched her skilled hands as she worked on Kevin. It took three weeks of her tending to his wounds for him to start improving. We will have obstacles on our life’s path, but are not to get discouraged, because God can make a way like He did here. Again, this was one of the hardest trials that I have had to endure. It breaks a parent’s heart to see their little one so badly hurt and refused care.

In all the negatives we faced, God worked out his positives, providing, guiding, comforting, and moving aside the obstacles. I marveled at how he went ahead of me to prepare me for this trial. I thank God for that message on prayer, and for God motivating me to pray what I heard. I thank Him for the message of the potter, for how it was used in my life to give comfort and insight when I was leaning against the wall of the ER restroom crying. It gave courage to handle the crisis. Kevin is alive today only because of divine intervention. If you have never prayed asking God to lay some soul that needs to be saved on your heart as a burden, and prayed for them in tears, I encourage you to do so. If you have never prayed asking God to lay someone who is standing in the need of prayer as a burden on your heart, then you haven’t really prayed, as that preacher said. I encourage you to ask for that burden too, as it might be one of your loved ones who is standing in the need of prayer.

Love in Christ,  Muriel Pollock   Proverbs 3:5&6