Throw Down Your Stones: A Walk of Obedience and Sacrifice

By Carole Roxburgh

Life gives us choices. When we know whats right, JUST DO IT! These forty stones help you find that the right choices in life are much better. Wrong choices can keep our lives in turmoil and nothing will seem to ever go right.

This journey through my years of raising my children and growing up will help you too as you share my stones. Some stones will seem rough, others smooth and then there are those stones which will bring hard changes in your life. But if you throw down your stones, God will begin a work in your life to help you be who you were called to be.

There were times I felt like I was being stoned. Then other times I could find rest and peace in receiving these stones. Yet in all these stones you will see, as I did, that when I made the right choice to let God be God, I found these stones easy to lay down before a Holy God, knowing that no matter what was happening in my life God would be with me all the way.

God promises to never leave us or forsake us. Through these years and years of learning to walk in obedience and sacrifice I have grown up and found that Gods ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. It was not always easy, but it was a journey of a lifetime for me, with a God who loves me so much that He gave His life so we can all be over comers and not be overcome!

Now, follow me down this less-traveled path to find peace, joy, obedience, and sacrificial love, as you too begin to..THROW DOWN YOUR STONES.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 7, 2007
• ISBN: 9781452073972

Carole Roxburgh

This is my third book about my journey with God.  I have now published three books.  “TO KNOW HIM IS TO KNOW HIS NAMES” will teach you to know WHO GOD is to YOU!  God tells us throughout scripture His names and attributes and this book give you 1,550 names and attributes.  My second book is a Russian Phonics Song book for mission teams.     Now I am giving you a glimpse into my personal life as you read, “THROW DOWN YOUR STONES”. The years of raising my children, (and growing up myself!) touched the lives of many of my close friends.  The things I‘ve learned and taught my children have helped us to grow up together and it will help you.     I teach a weekly Bible study in our local community. The first night we prayed that God would help the ladies get their kids fed and be able to faithfully attend the Bible class.  God answered our prayers when the owner of “Wing Stop” provided free wings for us each Tuesday!  God has been faithful through these past two years to answer many prayers. We serve a Faithful God!  This group was the first to go through THROW DOWN YOUR STONES and even the teenagers started coming to share how it was helping them face another day at middle school, where kids are not always treated fair.   I also teach the International Sunday School Class at Green Acres Baptist Church. We have gone through the entire Bible in one year by using the Appendix of my book, “TO KNOW HIM IS TO KNOW HIS NAMES”.  This Appendix guided us from Genesis through Revelation showing us how the people of the Bible knew God by His names and attributes.   OUR GOD WANTS US TO KNOW HIM!

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Table of Contents

 UNIT

 ONE:

STONES

OF

PRAYER

A STONE OF UNBELIEF

A STONE OF MIGHTY WATERS

A STONE OF HELP

A STONE WALL OF RIDICULE

A BROOK STONE

 UNIT

 TWO:

STONES

OF JUDGING

A STONE OF CONDEMNATION

A CHANGING STONE

A STONE TO SIT ON

A STONE OF RESTING UPON A SURE FOUNDATION

A WHITE STONE

 UNIT

  THREE:

STONES

OF

PROTECTION

AND GUIDANCE

A STONE OF FEAR OF WHAT MAN WILL DO

A STONE OF FEAR AND DREAD

A HOLY STONE

A BURNT STONE

THE STONE OF ALTAR AS CHALKSTONES

 UNIT

  FOUR:

STONES

OF

GOD’S

CALLING

A STONE TO KEEP US IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

PRECIOUS STONES

A STONE OF REST IN CHRIST’S FINISH WORK

A STONE WITH AN APPOINTED TIME

A STONE OF DEVOTION TO GOD

 UNIT

 FIVE:

STONES

OF

HEALING

A FINISHING STONE

A STONE TO GATHER OUT AND LIFT HIS STANDARD

A STONE OF NOT UNDERSTANDING BUT STANDING

THIS STONE SHALL BE A WITNESS

A GREAT STONE OF REFRESHING

 UNIT

  SIX:

STONES

OF

FAITHFULLNESS

A STONE OF TRUSTING HIS WORK IN MY LIFE

A GREAT STONE OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD

A STONE NOT SEEN

A VERY GREAT STONE OF DIFFICULTY AND OBSTRUCTION

STONES OF IRON

 UNIT

 SEVEN:

STONES OF GRACE

A HEADSTONE

A STONE OF SUFFICIENCY

A STONE OF WATCHING

A LIVING STONE

AN EMPTY STONE

 UNIT EIGHT:

A STONE OF DISCIPLINE AND CORRECTION

A STONE CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS

A HEWED STONE

A TIMELY STONE

A STONE OF THE TIME

DEDICATION

To My Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior, who daily has helped me to grow up and mature through His stones in my life as a child, wife and mother and to the Holy Spirit of truth who guided me through the Bible teaching me things I needed to learn to find wisdom and understanding in Christ through circumstances and situations we all face.

To my husband, Clint, who God used to teach me patience, kindness and the Father’s love for His children, I say, Thank You!

To my daughter, Christie and my son, Kevin who helped without knowing to write this book - I express my thanks for helping me also to learn how to trust God and grow up to share His love.

To those God has blessed me to learn from and those I have been blessed to teach I say, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; I also… Cease not to give thanks for you…That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God. 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 in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen

Ephesians 3:14-16; 1:15-19; 3:15-21

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THROW DOWN YOUR STONES

A WALK OF OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE

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INTRODUCTION

It’s been twenty years of pleasure in my stones but along with the pleasures have come the years of lining up with the Word of God, which has meant many changes in my life.

Share my stones and experience a walk of obedience and sacrifice!

In January of 1986, I went to a Bible Conference in Dallas, Texas with a precious friend to hear David Wilkerson speak, only to not hear him. Let me explain. When we arrived at the Bible Conference, it was announced that David would not be there to speak. God had told him to go back home because he had said all God wanted him to say through him in the conference. My friend and I both looked at each other with a funny look for you see we had gotten up at 5 a.m. because we felt God had some thing to say to us through David Wilkerson but it was the 8 a.m. speaker that we were not to miss. Little did we know, as we drove to Dallas, God was already beginning a new work in both of us. God would speak through a Baptist pastor from Lake Country Baptist Church near Ft. Worth named Jim Hylton. As he began to speak about submarines, again we looked at each other as to say, Did we miss God? We both wanted to leave but thought it would be very rude to get up and leave. He had us open our Bibles to John 11:39c and our lives have been continually changing day by day, moment by moment, and year by year because God’s Word came forth and fell on fertile soil and hearing ears and it has not returned void. (Isaiah 55:11) He that hath ears let him hear what the Spirit saith... (Mark 4:9). The Holy Spirit of God convicted us and changed us that day, when He showed us, THE TRUTH, and everyday as He reveals truth we must always be willing to change. God took our hearts of hardened clay and melted them as wax as He showed us we must obey and do His perfect will. I tried to help God even while I knew HE IS ABLE to do it all. Jesus WOULD now be Lord over every area of my life!

I had found that first love again and never wanted to miss another moment with Him. (Revelation 2:4) Jesus has been the world to me but I was letting the World tell me the kind of God I served. Where was the unconditional love of God in my life for my husband, my friends, my church, and my family? Deep in my heart I knew that all the books, soap operas, and what the world was saying was not right but what was the truth. Jesus says, I am the Way, The Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) I knew that, so why had I acted like Eve and believed only a part of the truth? (Genesis 3:4, 2 Corinthians 11:3) I was not in the Word and praying or seeking the Lord daily. I was feeding my spirit on worldly things by watching five soap operas a day and wondering why my life was not wonderful. I even thought their imaginary lives were better than mine! I was not giving time to God or seeking truth through His Word. God showed me I could listen to tapes while folding clothes or sitting and sorting out papers and fill my spirit with His words and thoughts.

When the veil of the world fell off my eyes that day, (2 Corinthians 3:16-18) I repented and asked Him to help me be all He had purposed me to be from the beginning of time. (Ephesians 1:4) I had walked with Him when I had tried everything else in my own power and it was not working. But I had not found Zechariah 4:6b which says, ...Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Hosts. I was not being led by the Holy Spirit of truth when I knew the children of God are to be led by the Spirit of God. (Romans 8:14) I was trying to figure things out for myself. Yet, He stayed faithful to me during those times. I gave my heart to Jesus at age eight but because of the pressure of other Christians, I soon let my excitement for the things of God die. Sure there were days I so wanted to be excited about what God had done but Satan would be sure to put someone there to stop it.

As a child and in my early teens, I would climb high in a tree and talk to God for you see I still felt like He was far away. (John 10:27) I, like many, thought God was way up there when all the time He was living in my heart. (Revelation 21:3) And the minute my feet were on the ground I would play the game of being a NORMAL Christian.

But something happened that day in 1986 that let me know I could be an excited Christian again and not be ashamed of a God who was continually doing His supernatural work in my life. (Romans 1:16-17) He was my best friend (John 15:15) and I could trust Him to always be there for me even when others thought I was nuts. Hey, I am nuts! Nuts about a Heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally, who walks with me and talks with me, and who works His work through me to touch a hurting world looking for the Savior. I look back and see all the hurdles I have gone over and realize it was only by His grace [which is His Holy Spirit’s power enabling us to be and do what He has called us to do] I surpassed the hurdles. I thanked Him for all the times He has met all the needs of my life and has given me peace during the storms. God’s grace has enabled me to live as God created me to live and to do what He has called me to do. The family He chose for me to grow up in and the one I am now in, are the ones that would make me be who I am today even though at times I could not see that because of so much despair.

I was again in love with the Word and could not drink in enough of it. (John 7:37-39a) That summer I got a series of tapes on Revelation and would listen every day while the kids were playing. In the afternoon I would fix a thirty minute quick meal for supper and finish all the house work I had not done during the day and pray the 10 o’clock news would hurry up and be over so my husband, Clint would start snoring and I could sneak up out of bed and crawl in bed with Jesus ---The Word---again. I would go to a 4th bedroom and stay up until 5 a.m. then silently crawl back into bed and sleep till 7 a.m. when Clint would get up. I was so tired many a morning and would rest from 3 p.m. till my quick meal had to be fixed and this went on for 22 chapters. It was a wonderful summer but what God had in store for me in the fall was not what I had expected. Here I had been in the Holy Place with Him all summer, gotten the Bread of life daily, light from the Word to walk in and my prayer life was increasing daily in regards to praying for the needs of my family, my church, my friends and the world. I had opened The Door, (John 10:9) Jesus, and entered into a spiritual realm that filled me body, soul, and spirit. The Words of life, which had been watered by the reading of the Word, began filling my life. I was in a Bible study group and was growing and the Word was coming forth as wild flowers in the spring because they had fallen on fertile soil. (Mark 4:15-22) I knew there was nothing hid that would not be revealed neither kept in secret that would not come to light. (Luke 12:2-3) The Word and Spirit were like that burning bush in my bones now ever burning but never consuming me. (Exodus 3:2-14)

The Word made me confident of the very thing it was sent to me for, that He who began a GOOD WORK (Philippians 1:6) in me would perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Faith was coming by the hearing of the Word. (Romans 10:17) I felt drunk with New Wine — but sober! (Ephesians 5:18-20) I was no longer secretive about my love for Jesus. Jesus loves me THIS I KNOW for the Bible tells me so! (John 3:16) His yoke was easy and His burdens light. (Matthew 11:28-30) Calvary had covered it all. (John 19:30) The fear of man and what man might do to me was gone forever now and I could act and looked like Jesus. (Psalms 27:1) He was living inside me and (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) through me to touch those people He put in my life to give encouragement. (Psalms 118:6) How the world and the church had taught me to be like Thomas, doubting God, (John 20:24) or like Peter, denying Him before others (Mark 14:66-68,70-72) or as Mary, limiting Him in His power over life and death, (John 11:32-33) and had I sometimes just slept instead of hearing His cry to pray just one hour. (Mark 14:32-42) Now today, January 1986, I knew that I knew I would never be afraid of man and the Gospel of Christ would be proclaimed as if from the housetops. (Mark 4:15-19; Luke 11:39a) If they killed me, so what I would be with MY Lord Jesus Christ forever!

As we drove to the conference that day my friend, Patty, was telling me about reading in the Book of Joshua, Chapter 4:21. She asked me a question, What mean these stones? Little did I know that day was the beginning of a journey with God that would last fifteen years and writing of two books. I told her when she said that, that all of the sudden I saw a vision of the name of God getting bigger and bigger across the sky in front of us. Now the new millennium has begun and in September 2000 I submitted proposals for two books. I published one that has over 1,550 names and attributes of God in 2003 from the King James Version of the Bible. This book on forty stones and TO KNOW HIM IS TO KNOW HIS NAMES has changed my life. It has been a wonderful time with the Lord as He opened up the scriptures as never before to me.

NOW may you FIND PLEASURE IN HER STONES. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. (Psalms 102:14, 13) I pray these stones be a light in your darkest hours to let you know there is hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:11) May God’s light from my stones shine clear as crystal upon your hearts as you read the scriptures and may you find pleasure in her stones.

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SCRIPTURES FROM INTRODUCTION:

JOHN 11:39a Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 15:15 No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knows not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you. 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: 10:9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me

ISAIAH 55:11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

REVELATION 2:4 But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. 21:3 I heard a great voice out of the throne say, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, they shall be his peoples, God himself shall be with them, and be their God: 21:11 having the glory of God: her light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal:

GENESIS 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

2 CORINTHIANS 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.

3:16-18 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Spirit of the Lord.

EPHESIANS 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:

ZECHARIAH 4:6b ...Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Hosts.

ROMANS 8:14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. for therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith.

10:17 faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

MARK 4:9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 4:15-22 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 14:66-68,70-72 :66 As Peter was beneath in the court, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest; :67 seeing Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and saith, Thou also wast with the Nazarene, even Jesus. But he denied, saying, I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest: and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. :70 But he again denied it. And after a little while again they that stood by said to Peter, of a truth thou art one of them; for thou art a Galilaean. But he began to curse, and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And straight-way the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word, how that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. 14:32-42 And they come unto a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled. And he saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: abide ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith

unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they knew not what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough; the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us be going: behold, -e that betrayeth me is at hand. 4:15-19 And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting: and they come and say unto him, Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bride chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

LUKE 12:2-3 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

EXODUS 3:2-14 The woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw the tree was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. The eyes of them both were opened, they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man & his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden. Jehovah God called to the man, and said, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou should not eat? The man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Jehovah God said to the woman, What is this thou hast done? The woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, & above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, & dust shalt thou eat all the thy days life:

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

EPHESIANS 5:18-20 …be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. 20:24 Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 11:32-33 Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

MATTHEW 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

PSALMS 27:1Jehovah is my light & my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 118:6 Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 Know ye not your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? ye are not your own; ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body

JOSHUA 4:21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

UNIT

ONE:

STONES

OF

PRAYER

1. A STONE OF UNBELIEF

STONE ONE: A STONE OF UNBELIEF John 11:39a

"Jesus said, Take YE away the stone…."

[Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, was ill and Jesus waited three days to go to him. While Jesus waited Lazarus died and his body was place in a tomb sealed with a rock. His family was upset Jesus did not come immediately when He heard of their need. Jesus told them it was for God’s glory that He waited. Jesus goes to the tomb and tells them to roll away the stone, and calls Lazarus back to life. Jesus tells them to take ye away the stone of unbelief. There are times in our lives we too must wait so Jesus will be glorified even though we do not understand the time of waiting.]

God taught me that His timing, not mine is always right through my family. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) The sin of unbelief had risen up in my heart and I felt what God had started in me and my family in 1981, He was not finishing! Many days I felt like I was the only one in my family who was making God a priority. I was praying that God would help my family understand and want to have an intimate relationship with Him. I was praying, but my heart was not right in my attitude towards my family. I was struggling and the Holy Spirit revealed that it was my UNBELIEF that my family would not change that was hindering my prayers. The stone, which had been covering the light of God’s Word, now was rolled away.

Stone number one, the STONE OF UNBELIEF, would call for a broken spirit and a contrite heart. (Psalm 51:17) I truly felt sorrow in my heart because of my unbelief in the power of an Almighty God to change our lives and to complete the work He began when we gave our hearts to Him. (Philippians 1:6) Had God ever let me down before? No! I must trust Him.

I was learning again to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) I could not see at the time what God was doing in my husbands’ life. I was just ready for him to be the head of this house. I had cried, Why are you not changing things God? Yet, all the while I was crying, God WAS changing things! God was changing Me! He showed me that I must sacrifice my thoughts for His thoughts and my ways for His Way and I (Isaiah 55:8-9) began to spend time praying that God’s will not mine be done in our lives. I learned to trust Him in the timing of it also. I died to my thinking (based on emotions, lies I believed, and outward appearances) and allowed the resurrection life of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, to live in my heart and mind, changing the way I thought. As I was spending more time in God’s Word, the scriptures, became alive and I would pray the Word and many times His names for my family, my church, my friends and others. God was changing me with this walk of obedience and sacrifice and if you continue reading God will change you too!

This situation taught me that …we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: (2 Corinthians 4:18a) God was teaching me to treat my husband as the head of the household, to love him and to train my children to respect him, trusting God to do His part as I did my part. I had not believed that God was working all things together for good in my life as His Word promises and my trust in His supernatural ability was being destroyed by my unbelief. (Romans 8:28) I" finally surrendered all.

Now 1 John 1:9 was hidden in my heart and I confessed my sin of unbelief. My Lord Jesus, My Advocate with My Heavenly Father, was helping me to be free of this stone of unbelief. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for ALL MY SINS had obtained MY REDEMPTION through His blood, even for the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14) I was free to trust God.

Years later as I sat in front of my television set for the 1997 Washington D.C. Promise Keepers meeting, I wept over the power of God working in the lives of men in America. There before me were a million men, some with their children, praising the Lord and promising to take their place as spiritual leaders in their families, their churches and their country. The Holy Spirit reminded me of a scripture He had given me to pray not just for my family, but for all fathers to teach their families:

"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."(Genesis 18:19)

For many years I had been praying and believing this scripture. I knew I was not the only one wanting God’s order established in their family. I knew the scriptures say it is God’s perfect will that men would rise up and put God first and love their wives, and be fathers who would spend time with their children and teach them in the ways of the Lord. I knew God wanted us to serve Him and (1 Samuel 12:24; Luke 1:17, Ephesians 5:25) to love Him with all our hearts, and now I was seeing an answer to that prayer and I could not hold back the tears. I was overwhelmed by God’s faithfulness to so many prayers and the obedience of these fathers standing for Christ.Waiting on God’s timing may take years of prayer. All the while you wait God is preparing the hearts of those who need to hear His call to obey Him. Obedience from the ones being prayed for AND the one who is praying. Although at times it seems like nothing is happening, or seems as though it is dead like Lazarus and no hope. Believe when Jesus comes in His perfect timing He will bring resurrection life to our situations. Do not allow the stone of unbelief to steal you from the work of God in your life.

I had to die to my thinking and the resurrection life of Jesus Christ became alive in me to bring me the "Rhema Word" [Living Word, alive in my life Word]. This Word of God was alive and living in my heart and mind now. I thank God for the Word which came alive in hearts of many Christian women and men around our nation who sought God’s perfect will through prayers for their families. You know how it is when Jesus speaks to us to pray, the Word becomes alive and we know that we know we must follow His leading and stand in prayer. If we can’t believe His Word how can we ever trust His voice. Here are some wiles of the devil I learned from Ephesians 6 that might be used to confuse your mind. But with the armor of God provided through His Word we can overcome them all! We all must make a choice to trust and obey as we grow in our walk with Christ. I have had many times to pick this stone up again but God is faithful to help me be an overcomer (Psalms 68:35) and not be overcome by the lies of the enemy that would come to attack my belief in a Holy Omnipotent God, who is all powerful (Psalms 115:3) and is Omnipresent, everywhere, (Jeremiah 23:23-24) and is Omniscience, all knowing. (Isaiah 40:14) It is a crucified life (Galatians 2:20) that gains the victory over all the wiles of the enemy in our lives. I die daily to my fleshly desires. So go to the cross today, Pray through till the answers comes! Jesus said, Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42) God always answers our prayers, some immediately, some we wait for awhile and others the answer is no.

I AM RENEWING MY MIND DAILY BECAUSE I HAVE MADE THAT CHOICE

EPHESIANS 6:14-18 Teaches us:

INFLUENCES > In our lives old influences (some good, some bad) will try to pull us back to a life that is not crucified but we have to remember and say, I renew my mind. My loins will be gird about the truth. Jesus You are The Truth I will walk in truth as the Spirit of God gives me strength to die to selfish desires and trust You. 6:14

AFFLICTIONS > We all face these persecutions, troubles, trials and tests. When we do we say, "I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Jesus, You are my righteousness, You are the Righteous One living in and through my life. I will hear what is God saying to me today and obey. Knowing no weapon formed against me will prosper. 6:14

BUFFETINGS > The enemy likes to knock us off our stand for Christ and disturb our peace through these times. But we can tell the devil to get out of our life and our house and declare, "My feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, which guards my heart. I am ready to walk in Your Spirit and will have peace of mind and peace in my heart today because the Peace of God dwells there. 6:15

INFIRMITIES > [things that I am not firm in - sicknesses, dis-eases, and weaknesses] This seems to be the strongest attack for me at times when I am fighting off things that come against my body. It is then I declare, I will lift up my Shield of Faith which covers all my armor so I am fully protected and Jesus gave me faith to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and nothing will harm me". 6:16

BONDAGES > We all have some bad habits, lust, or addictions (which cause us not to think the way God thinks) It is then I say, "I have the mind of Christ and I pull down my Helmet of Salvation and declare my mind is covered from the onslaught of the enemy trying to infiltrate my mind with wrong thoughts! 6:17

DOMINIONS > When principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places try to take a dominating authority in our lives we can know and declare, "Jesus is my Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God made flesh - dwelling on the earth. I will read the WORD daily, speak it with all the courage and boldness into the situations in my life today and I can be victorious. 6:17

WORKS OF THE FLESH > Sometimes old mental attitude sins, sexual sins, overt sins (you choose to not avoid) try to come back to our lives. It is then we know we can pray always in my spirit (the real you) with all prayer and supplication and declare, "I have on my full and whole armor