Prophetic Dream

The reason I put this piccy up on my blog (see below) is because it reminded me of a dream I had many years ago when I saw it. I had the dream just before my mum went into a coma for five months back in 2001 and I believe it was a prophetic dream.

In the dream, I was holding a massive sword in one hand and a heavy metal bike under my other arm....only the bike was not heavy to me in my dream because I was super strong and fit, contrary to reality! In the dream, I dropped the bike and ran down a huge flight of stairs. At the bottom was a place that was sort of like a dungeon, I guess, and I was standing on the top of these big blocks of concrete, which looked a lot like those in the picture, only the blocks were much higher - like there was a drop of about 3 to 4 metres, and there were no beautiful buildings around the periphery. It was a place of eerie darkness - there didn't appear to be anything, other than these massive pillar type blocks all around me.

In front of me on another concrete block was a massive lion, it was lunging towards me and trying to kill me, but I was swaying this huge sword, fighting it and only just winning. I can still remember vividly feeling the lion's breath on the sleeves of my shirt - it was trying to snap at me. Between the concrete blocks, like 3 to 4 metres down, there were vicious, savage, dark, snarling animals flashing their fangs at me also wanting to tear me to shreds, but they couldn't reach me because I was high on one of the blocks. Only the lion and I were on that level.

I remember waking up from this vivid dream knowing deep in my spirit that something dramatic was about to happen in my life.

A month later, my mum went into a coma for five months. It all started when one of her dogs jumped up and broke her nose (she had previously had one of her hip hones inserted in her nose following a previous accident, so this bone had snapped). She went into hospital to have a simple nose operation done, but then had a stroke, because the doctors later found that she had a 15cm x 12cm x 10cm tumor in her abdomen (it had been there for four years! - mum had been "too busy" to see a doctor about the stomach pains she had been experiencing) and apparently, it had been pressing on the surrounding veins causing blood clots, rather than normal blood flow, to circulate around her body. Further scans showed she had blood clots also in her lungs and heart and then it was discovered that a hole in her heart (which had existed from birth) had allowed blood clots to also enter her brain - which had caused two strokes that later comatosed her.

One stroke resulted in a lose of eye sight in one eye, meaning that if you got a pen and moved it left to right in front of her face, only the good eye would follow you - the other eye stayed put. How freaky! The second stroke disabled her - she was paralysed in the entire left side of her body and made her hands coil upwards and her legs lost all sensation. Due to a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in her brain, she had to have the front of her head shaved and a drain put into her head. She had a tube inserted in her nose to allow food to go into her oesophagus (food pipe), a tube inserted in her trachea (wind pipe) to assist her to breath and a tube inserted into her wrist to allow drugs to be inserted. She was a total mess, as you can imagine.

Anyway, it was amazing because just before that dream, I had only recommited my life to Jesus and started attending a big church. When my mum fell ill, God led me to a bunch of prayer warriors in that church who stood beside me, prayed with me and taught me about the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-17. We need to put on the armor of God so that we can stand against the devil's wicked schemes. Ephesians 6:17 actually says that the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit and Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword - that's pretty sharp! 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour. Ephesians 6:12 says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

.... so that pretty much explains my dream - it was telling me I was heading into a big battle with the devil in the spiritual realm. How well I performed in this unseen spiritual battle would have a very real consequence in the physical realm - either my mum would live or die. Pretty scary battle to face when you are a relatively new Christian and have almost zilcho understanding of your authority over the devil and your precious mother's life is at stake. Many people don't realise there is a spiritual battle behind every sickness and disease. The devil blinds peoples' eyes and makes them just accept his lies about the circumstances they are in, so they lose their hope and watch their loved ones perish.

Well during that very challening ordeal, my mum was rescuscitated on three separate occasions, so we almost lost the battle. I would wake up early every morning to pray, then I would drive to the hospital and see her briefly, then catch the bus to work where I had a full-time job in the city, I would work the full day, then bus back to the hospital, then stay with mum and pray, and then go home and pray and then sleep. Often when I got in the car, I would find myself singing "Greater is He that's living in me, than he that is in the world" [1 John4:4] - and this supernatural strength would fill me, despite being physically and emotionally exhausted.

One night, I remember falling asleep crying because my mum had just been rescuscitated for the third time and I just felt so alone. I had no support from family members because my older siblings were country GPs at the time and felt their careers were much more important. I had no other relatives in the country. The next morning I woke up lying on my back with my hands crossed over my chest and feeling a very big man's hand holding my hands. I remember waking up and thinking "where am I? and who is holding my hand?". When I opened my eyes, the hand let go. I just knew it was God comforting me. It was so precious.

Another time, I was praying and I felt the Lord tell me to put my name in Psalm 91:14:16, so it read "Because Michelle loves Me, says the Lord, I will rescue her, I will protect her for she acknowledges My name, she will call upon Me and I will answer her, I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her, with long life will I satisfy her and show her My salvation". I just knew as soon as I read that, that mum was going to be healed.

Some 7.5 months later, she was delivered from the powers of darkness and miraculously healed. Despite over 50 medical specialists declaring she would die, or if by some chance she was to live, they said it would not be for long and if so, she would be a vegetable for the rest of her life, no longer able to walk or talk or function like a normal human being. Our God is a God of the impossible. She went on to do all the things they said she could not - most notably the completion of her law degree and her admitance to the Bar, i.e. she is now a fully qualified lawyer who can walk and drive and do exceedingly beyond all the medical people said she would be able to do. Glory to God.

The Word of God is living and power, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and joints and marrow and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart - Hebrews 4:12. Yup, I can honestly say it's true.

Praise God

This morning in prayer, there were about a dozen of us students praying in tongues, marching back and forth across the room and clapping. We were heeding the advice of Rev Frank Hultren, who taught us just last Friday that supernatural power is activated when we do these things. He said that God gave him a special revelation of Psalm 47, which talks about clapping our hands and shouting out in a voice of triumph. He said it's a form of intercession and is easy and powerful to do, even when we feel flat, lethargic and anything but in the mood for prayer. He said he often just walks around (walking is important because we are effectively crushing satan beneath our feet) praying in tongues and clapping his hands, knowing that he is achieving mighty breakthroughs for God. One day the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him he was interceding for the mafia in NSW, where he used to pastor a church. Within two weeks, a mafia guy and his wife gave their hearts to Jesus in his church!

So since his impartation of wisdom, I have dragged myself out of bed at around 5am to 5:30am most mornings and walked around my room clapping my hands, singing in tongues and praying.

This morning during prayer, the Lord gave me a vision. It was of a person bound up with ropes and chains around them. With every clap, links on the chains were being broken and strands on the ropes were being cut. I got up and shared this in Chapel this morning. Interestingly, we sang two songs - one had the lyrics "Through You the blind will see; through You the mute will sing, through You the dead will rise .... I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for you, I am free ..." and the other song had the lyrics "It was for freedom, we were set free; let every mountain be cast in the sea; let there be joy in the Holy Ghost". Both seemed to confirm to me that my vision was in line with what God wanted to say to everyone. That was pretty awesome. It's only the third time I have shared anything in college, but I just knew I needed to share it.

My spiritual mum, Josie, said to me a few weeks ago that she has had two visions now of me with a microphone, speaking the Word of God to people who are receiving it. She believes I will see miracle breakthroughs come to pass in my life very soon and that there will be dramatic change happening. I am already seeing it happen. I awake every morning now with a new excitement in my heart because I feel like my prayers are becoming more effective.

I have prayed for my family extensively that strongholds will be broken and they will be set free. In addition, my new little African brother Luke has encouraged me to fast to enhance my prayer life. Last Saturday, I fasted up to 5pm and prior to that time, I intensely studied my notes from the previous two terms of college and worked on my assignment for Ps David's unit on the New Testament. I also prayed a lot in tongues, sang worship songs and prayed in the understanding for breakthrough in my family's lives. It was just the most awesome day, set out solely to spend time with God. At the end of the day, mum had made the big decision that Julz' bf was no longer welcome to sleep over at our house and she actually confronted Julz about it. Since then, he has not slept over at all and there has been such a peace in our home.

Now that is so worth fasting for. Praise God that their salvations are just around the corner.

Wild Maori

African Australian kids

Pretty kewl piccies of Andrew & Penny with their little boy Isaac; and Dave & Cate with their little boys Jude and Kristian

Babysitting

Today i managed to run up Mount Street without stopping at all - i haven't been able to do that for ages. It felt so good getting there. Part of the reason i made it is because it was just starting to rain and it felt like a massive downpour was coming and i was imagining sitting in a wet puddle on my car seat - ewwww I wonder if i could have made it without the rain spurring me on ;-) haha

I got home, had a quick hot shower, and then no sooner had i come out, my mum passed me my darling niece to look after all arvo. Mum had been up all night and was majorly sleep-deprived and cranky. My sister returned to work today.

The sweet little blessing had milk scum and poo smeared on her clothes and when i checked her nappy, it was full. So i got a set of fresh clean clothes and began to change her. Unfortunately, the poo just kept coming and we went through three nappies before she had finished. Urrrggghh ... then, she was all fresh and clean, when all of a sudden, some projected vomit flew all over me and the clothes she was wearing, not to mention the blacket wrap she had around her and my bed. Changing a newborn's clothes is not easy. Anyway, she was alright after that ... just it seems so hard to do anything with her around because the moment i try and sit at the computer or read a book or put her down or turn away, she cries. However, just giving her attention stops her crying. Thank goodness Julz finally arrived home!!! Tomorrow i am not going home after college, until very late!!!

More about that famous ladder

Well this is me climbing the ladder. My friend took this piccy years ago, but i thought it was funny because i still wear the exact same clothes when i go out to tackle the ladder ;-)

Here's another web page i found providing a description of JL.

Back into fitness ;-) yeee harrrr

Well these two good fit legs of mine have started doing Jacobs Ladder again, after a very long break! I just found this little blurb about the ladder while surfing the Net...

"Jacob's Ladder is not for the faint hearted. Just short of 300 hundred steps will take you on a steep 43 metre descent from Cliff Street down to Mounts Bay Road. If you are after a good workout or are training up for a big mountain climb adventure, this is the place for you.

So the saying goes that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Well, the equivalent saying in relation to exercise is that "A step up and down Jacobs Ladder keeps those pounds away".

The challenge of Jacob's Ladder is to run, walk, (and eventually stagger if you are not fit!) up and down around 300 hundred steps (242 steps and counting).

Jacob's Ladder is located at the end of Cliff Street which marks the boundary of Kings Park. The descent will take you to Mounts Bay Road. It surely gets that cardio vascular system working and if you are a regular visitor to Jacobs Ladder, you will get a chance to chat to those friendly Perth locals who are doing it again every day" - taken from this web page.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up. Having not done the ladder for maybe six months, my legs are incredibly sore and keep complaining. Monday i went with Kristin. Today, i was going to go with Kristin and Luke, but Kristin piked out on me because it was raining and Luke forgot his gear! Never mind, there's plenty more days. It is so lovely running in the rain. You'd think it would be cold, but it's not at all. It just feels so refreshing and pure. I'm sure the Holy Spirit is with me all the time ;-)

We overcome by the words of our testimony

Today I stood up during Chapel time at college and testified through streams of tears about how great our Lord Jesus is and how He proved faithful to me in a time of great need. I also typed up what I said and that’s shown below. Afterwards, I had heaps of people come up to me and thank me and say how awesome my testimony was. I was overwhelmed with love for the wonderful God I serve.

My Testimony
On Wednesday, 25 June 2008, I became an aunt for the first time to a beautiful healthy baby girl named Angelina Grace. This was a miracle in itself because prior to the pregnancy, my sister had multiple miscarriages, and during this pregnancy, she was very ill. On the Monday before she delivered her baby, she had gone for a routine scan, but returned with a negative report. The obstetrician suggested that the baby had an abnormal heart (reflected in the baby’s low heart rate) and said that the umbilical cord was twisted around the baby’s neck, so my sister was booked in for an induced delivery.

At Victory Life Centre, where I am currently studying, some of the prayer warriors and I got together and rebuked the bad hospital report (in Jesus name) and prayed words of life over my sister and her baby. We stood together in faith and declared that they would both be well in Jesus name. Consequently, my sister had an incredibly smooth and quick delivery and her baby was completely healthy, despite being very small (just over 2kg).

However, within her first few days of life, the baby didn’t take to breastfeeding very well and by Saturday, she had developed jaundice, along with its associated symptoms of having the baby’s skin turn a sickly yellow colour and a loss of 10% of her body weight (which is a lot to lose for a baby born three weeks premature). That morning, my mum received a very emotional phone call from my sister, who believed her baby would die. She managed to convince mum that the baby was dying and all morning, they would not stop declaring that Angelina was about to die, despite my pleas to not say that because we learnt in Bible college (in Ps Mandy McKenzie’s unit - Power of Your Words) that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” – Proverbs 18:21 and that we need to be very selective in the choice of words we use in the circumstances we face.

In my frustration, I retreated to my room to study for my upcoming college exams. As I opened my study notes for Ps Gail McMillan’s unit - Prayer Workshop II, I remembered that we were told that the Holy Spirit speaks to us (believers) every day. So I paused for a moment and said “ok, Holy Spirit, what is it that You would say to me now?” and I felt so clearly that He said to drive to the hospital, lay hands on the baby and anoint her with oil. I hurriedly opened my study notes from Ps Barbara Oldfield’s unit - Christ the Healer, and familiarised myself with those methods of healing. We were told to anoint the forehead of a sick person with oil and make the sign of a cross – in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We were also told that the Bible says that when a believer lays hands on the sick, the Holy Spirit imparts healing power to that person – we just need to be obedient and use our hands in faith to see the healing manifest. I also noted the methods of using the name of Jesus and words of Scripture.

Then I went back to my study notes for Ps Gail’s unit on prayer and read about the prayer of agreement. According to Matthew 18:19-20, if two Christians agree in prayer for something (and have no doubt or unbelief) then Jesus is there in their midst and our Heavenly Father will answer our prayers. So I rang up a friend from Bible college, Josie, and we agreed in prayer for Angelina. While we were praying, she told me that she heard the Holy Spirit say to tell me to go to the hospital and anoint the baby with oil, but in particular, to anoint her mouth with oil and command her to eat. She also said that the Holy Spirit said I needed to pray in tongues.

Subsequently, I started singing in tongues as I jumped in the car and headed to the hospital – about a 40 minute drive away. About halfway to the hospital, I realised I was no longer singing in tongues, but actually in English and the followings words: “Angelina will not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” – Psalm 118:17 modified. I was a bit shocked to hear the words I was singing, but felt a deep peace come over me. When I got to the hospital, I laid hands on Angelina, anointed her with oil, commanded her to be well in Jesus name and then thanked God that He is Jehovah Rapha - Our Healer and prayed every Scripture I could think of over her. The Holy Spirit brought many scriptures to remembrance – they just kept coming out. These included Psalm 107:20, Proverbs 4:22, Isaiah 53:4-5, Psalm 91, Psalm 27, Isaiah 54:17 and more!

About two hours later, I was standing beside Angelina with my sister when I suddenly heard a familiar voice at the door asking me if I’d like a cup of tea. I turned around to see a beautiful girl from second year Bible college, Hilda, and it turns out that she works in that hospital every now and then. I invited her to see my niece and she said to me that the Holy Spirit had said to her to tell me that “the baby will not die, but live”. She said that it seemed like a strange thing to say to someone when they had just introduced their niece to you for the first time, perhaps even a bit dramatic!, but she was just being obedient to the Holy Spirit. That touched me so much as a remembered the song I sang in the car on the way to the hospital.

I left my sister and her baby about an hour later to go home.

Apparently, all night the baby drank and drank and drank. By morning, God had miraculously restored her health and she was discharged from hospital around lunch time. I know without a doubt that it was God who healed my little niece (shown below at 23 days old) and that all the things I am learning in Bible college are actually extremely useful and applicable to my circumstances. Praise God!

Double her birthweight!

My beautiful little niece has now doubled her birthweight to 4.5kg - glory to God ;-) I cannot belive she has grown so much. Funny how you don't notice it. This is Angelina with her proud mummy, taken today at 21 days old ;-P

Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things

Yesterday, I went to a big shopping mall that I used to spend a lot of money in (especially on nice work clothes), back in the days when I had a high paid job. It was the weirdest feeling being there because I hadn’t realised how much I have separated myself from the things of this world since I started Bible college. By the things of this world, I mean worldly passions like carelessly spending money on stuff I don’t need (which could be much better spent on fellow students who can’t even afford basic necessities or my little sponsor child in Haiti whose family is struggling to find food to eat), wasting lots of time meandering through shops and letting things pass my eyes that grieve the Holy Spirit – things like massive posters advertising horror movies, magazines filled with scantily dressed people with poor moral standards, new age rubbish, even some of the people - smoking, swearing, trapped in the materialism of this world…

For the last six months, I have spent hours studying the Word of God, reading Godly literature, praying, worshipping God and fellowshipping with people who love God with all their hearts, who are not materialistic or selfish. The whole atmosphere of the shopping mall was an extreme contrast to the atmosphere I have been in. I actually felt like I was from another planet and I was filled with overwhelming sadness sensing how lost the people around me were and how the things of this world have deceived them into a false sense of security. I left without buying anything. I just wanted to get out.

At night, I sat and read the Word of God and prayed a few psalms over my family. As I did so, I felt God’s presence all around me and I started weeping. In the early hours of the morning I experienced the most amazing thing. It was like a dream, only I was semi-awake, so I guess it was more like a closed vision… like, you know you are awake, however, your physical senses are temporarily suspended.

I was sitting in a room and facing a massive window. Then the window opened and I could see the most incredible panoramic vision of planets and stars and all sorts of lights. They were moving all around me. It was so spectacular, it was like I was on some sort of aircraft up in the solar system. I don’t watch TV or movies and read very little secular literature and so it was like nothing I have ever seen before. The whole time I was thinking about how Josie had shared with me that once she was translated in the spirit into heaven and she said it was absolutely beautiful, like a new earth filled with peace and nothing evil. She said the grass was so green and lush and it just bounced back up when she walked on it... such a sweet fragrant place. The Bible tells us that each of us is a spirit, we live in a body and we have a soul. I wonder if i was actually being translated in the spirit realm.

I awoke with the scripture that Ps Ginny gets us to pray all the time “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your Law” [Psalm 119:18] and I also had a song on my heart that goes: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace". Somewhere in the book of Revelation, I think, it talks about how God will create a new heaven and a new earth for us for when we die – but only those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will go to it.

There are so few people that i can share this vision with. My family just don't understand. Oh the things of God are so amazing. I wish they knew how much it is worth it - the sacrifices of following Jesus are so worth it.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,In the light of His glory and grace.

El Shadaii - the God of More Than Enough

This post is to remind me of how great God is in that He provided me with some really snazzy designer clothes recently, after I had been only really been thinking about how i'd really like some nice jeans, a pair of unique boots and a denim jacket that was better than the average boring plain type that so many people have. Being a hunble student, i couldn't afford the expensive price tag that comes with high class clothes! Well, glory to God, He miraculously got me some Guess jeans, a pair of funky red leather boots and a tailored designer denim jacket ...pretty kewl. Thanks to my Father in Heaven ;-)

Malachi 3:10 says that He will open up His floodgates of Heaven and pour out abundant blessings on us and Ephesians 3:20 says that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.

When you devote an entire year of your life to study the Word of God and seek Him with all your heart, He rewards you. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). I thought bible college felt like a huge sacrifice because I quit my full-time, highly paid permanent job, but it turns out that I have received way beyond everything I have needed and the last six months have been the most blessed days in my life, despite all the challenges.

Airport parking is expensive

This morning i got up at 3:00 am to drive my friend, Josie, to Perth Domestic Airport. I dropped her and her luggage at the Quantas entrance, then parked my car in the "fastparking" area, before racing in to help her check-in. We got her boarding pass, queued in the luggage area, then she walked through the scanning section. Only 22 minutes later, i returned to my car and got a rude shock. It cost $30 just to park for 22 minutes!!! I am so glad we went early and that i decided not to stay for coffee.

Full-on week so far

Been on hols this week and so far, it has been really busy! Bernard Blessing was in town again, so my friend Josie and I went to four of his five lonnnnng preaching nights down in Perth Christian Life Centre. He was great, as usual, and very funny. On the last night (which was Sunday), he was still talking at midnight and i was so sleepy, i just had to leave at about quarter past twelve. On the way home, i got pulled over by the cops and fined $100 and lost three demerit points for not driving with my lights on - dulp! Just shows how tired i was.

Monday, i got up and bought breaky before heading to Josie's house to eat it with her. I knew she didn't have much money on her, so i wanted to feed her a meal. Then we hung together all day - i sat and wrote out my exam notes, while she did lots of chores around the house. In the arvo, Mason dropped in to collect Josie's spare mattress for his new african house mate. We hung together for a few hours.

Tuesday, i drove to Josie's house again and we went to the library and booked her air ticket for NZ. I can't get over how different the prices are depending on what time and day you fly. Because we are so close to her departure date, the airfare costs a lot anyway, but the prices ranged between $415 and $1,500 for the same one way trip!!! Just as we booked the cheapest, the computer had an error message and when we went back on, somehow that ticket was no longer available. I think someone else must have booked it fast. So, i managed to get her a ticket for $500. I paid half her fare because she couldn't afford it. Man, i am a good friend! Then later, i shouted Mason and Josie to pizza at Mason's new work place, which is a small Italian pizza shop in Dalkeith. We had a wonderful time. It only cost $50 for the three of us to eat three pizzas and some beautiful warm bread with a vinegarette sauce and three coffees and three soft drinks. That was because Mason's boss gave us a huge discount.

On Wednesday, we visited Josie's daughter, Estelle, who has a 4-month old baby called "Perth Melody". She lives up in Morley. I also had the privilege of meeting Estelle's 21 yr old son, Lance, and his 23 yr old cousin, Quinton. I couldn't get over the fact that Estelle is only 35 and has so many kids! Nice to start young - she had her first in her teenage years. Being Maori's, they were all gorgeous-looking. Apparently, Lance and Quinton told Estelle in Mouldi (their native tongue) that they thought i was pretty. Ha ha, how sweet.

Today it is Thursday and i am fighting off a cold. Yesterday, i couldn't even talk, but i knew how important it was to Josie to see her daughter and cos she didn't have a car, i felt like i simply had to go. Pretty awful meeting people for the first time and hardly being able to talk. It was so worth it though. They welcomed me into their beautiful BIG family with open arms.

Mum doesn't actually know i'm on holidays because i didn't tell her and have been out all days. I am sick of living here with her and Julz, Julz' new baby, Julz' immoral bf, Grunde, and five German Shepherds! It is just crazy. I know God has a beautiful unit somewhere for me, but i need to wait for His timing - oh where is it Lord!?

What a little angel

These are some more recent snaps of my beautiful niece, taken yesterday. She is nine days old today ;-) Her big blue eyes just make me melt inside ...so precious.

Victory Life Bible Training Centre

These are some of my wonderful brothers and sisters at college. We are just like one big happy family. I love them all heaps. They come from so many different nations ;-)