Who will go?

Who will go?

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, ask then that he may send workers into the harvest field." 

Look, my friends,  Look at them.    50% of the displaced persons living inside of Syria are CHILDREN, according to https://www.usaid.gov/crisis/syria.    These are inside abandoned buildings, lucky if they can find food or water and if they do not get shot upon sight. Most have become displaced from other loved ones who have died.  1,000s upon 1,000s are fleeing the country, with many fleeing in the past 7 years.  

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of sorrows." Matt. 24:7-8

The gospel continues on to express that many will be deceived and led away, will be betrayed, will be killed, will become cold and heartless, the one who endures to the end will be saved BUT

"this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, …and then the end will come." Matt 24:14 

Now is the time my friends to reach out and embrace the displaced persons, those in crisis, those who are hurting…not to turn a cold shoulder. Turning a cold shoulder is an act of fear, not of love.  Jesus called us to reach out and love, do not be like the prophet said and harden your heart, and grow cold. 

We CANNOT, we MUST NOT ignore the plight of these broken people, for it is selfish, worldly and not worthy of a Christian. 

The Bible teaches, "They will know you are Christians by your love."  Love, not false love but the love that is true, gives to others, provides shelter for the abandoned and homeless, provides food for the starving and clothing for the naked. 

Jesus died for our freedom, He won the battle for souls for all eternity.  How the enemy would like to destroy, but God has given us an opportune time.  It is time for the harvest of souls, look at how they come by the groves out of the dark grasp of oppressive countries and places, how their religion has destroyed them. But Jesus came and gave his life as a perfect redeeming sacrifice to set them free.

It is an opportune time. If we have prayed for revival, let us embrace, let us get dirty and wet with the blood and sweat of others as we embrace them with open arms and provide in their time of need. 

You can NEVER OUTGIVE GOD!  It is not a time to hold back. 

So,

Who will go? Who will plead the case of the children, become a shelter for the widow, take up the cause of the teenager in distress?  

We cannot ignore the crisis before our eyes.  Jesus, please help us, strengthen your church send your church. 

Seasons

Life is so full of different kinds of seasons and times.

The beauty in this times is the way God delights to use each season to bring himself closer to us. He causes us to depend on Him in times of need, or in times when we have plenty. 

His voice is so precious, sweet and other times firm, strong, fearful.  His voice is at times silent. These times can be especially difficult, but we can know that in the midst of silence He is there.

He promises us that he will "never leave us nor forsake us."  He also promises that "if we seek Him, we will find Him."  Sometimes it is the silence that draws us into a place of deep inner calm and peace, a time of inner confidence.  We can stand on what we know in times of silence and continue believing for those things we cannot see.


The Seasons of Life are something I thank God for. "Stand firm, then my brothers, and having done all to stand. Do not throw away your confidence for it will be greatly rewarded."

Thank you for being a part of this journey. God richly bless you!!

Dreams, Visions and the Times of the Harvest

Dear friends,

This is the time of the harvest. It is beautiful that the Heavenly Father has chosen to reveal himself to us, mere children in need of much grace. I'm so honored by Him for his love and revelation.  It is my privilege to share this testimony for His glory. I am praying during this season for MORE dreams, MORE visions and REVELATION to MANY of who Jesus (Yahoshua) is and what His role really means for us on earth. How beautiful to belong :)  May Jesus be glorified.

Joel 2:27b-29
  "...and my people shall never again be put to shame. It shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.²⁹ Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit."

He has been kind and gracious, and He has promised that we shall not be put to shame, for we are His people.  Because of the kindness of Yahwah, of the Lion of Judah, Emmanuel... 

The Vision... 
--This past Sunday, June 21, I saw Jesus come into our midst during worship at a small group in Ozark MO. We were worshiping the Lord, and Jesus came and stood in our center.  I almost jumped out of my seat in excitement. I was awed by his presence, his warmth his goodness. You could just melt in the goodness of Jesus there is nothing like it!  He is SO WORTHY!
--Then Jesus transformed in our midst into the Lion of Judah, who He is. He is over all, He surpasses understanding. Jesus was the Lion of Judah and he began to walk around the room. He walked to and fro with the most piercing eyes. He was glorified and honored by our praises. He then began to roar, and in his roar souls were set free from the enemy by whom they had been bound. He proclaimed them his as He had bought them by his own blood. Jesus paid for our lives as the perfect SPOTLESS lamb of God. 
--Jesus then showed himself to me in this moment as the lamb of God. He continued to look at the people as the lamb... a mighty lamb he was...mighty, strong and pure white. He then was slain there in our midst and this was just a mental picture...then He spoke and proclaimed, I purchased them and they are mine. They are my inheritance, my birthright. They are mine. 

Let it be so Almighty God, that Yours are RIGHTFULLY RESTORED to YOU.  THANK YOU JESUS for claiming me as yours. 

If you hear his voice, He claims you as his own. He will claim you and release you from captivity because He created you and He Loves you.  

Jesus proclaims "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and No man comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Jesus is the Way.  Friends, I believe that TODAY is the Day to turn to Him.  He looks for those who would seek Him and He makes a way to the Father. Our Father is the Creator God and He looked at His creation and said "it is good." He LOVES YOU!

Ask of Him, and He will be merciful and give you favor. He will show his hand and He will show you that the Time of the Harvest is NOW.  

I pray you are blessed and receive blessing from this testimony. May we always use wisdom in these things and be submitted to the Holy Spirit.  Be blessed friends. 

Learning to Rest

Storms are bound to come, along with trials. God promises to work in our lives, and He gives us the ability to overcome trials and situations, conflicts, misunderstandings. He promises "Whether in plenty or in want, ... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Phil4:13.

It has been wonderful to journey with God in these past several months and He has given me delightful opportunities.  It has been a growing opportunity to speak at a few different venues about stopping human trafficking and fighting against it on the local level. It has been delightful to go to Costa Rica and learn some new strategic methods of Spiritual Warfare, network with other leaders in the faith, make connections and receive instruction from the Lord.

Some of the instruction has been regretfully hard to bear.  I must admit that I have tended to be sort of a restless soul.  ... for those who know me, this goes without saying...

I like to work hard, to be ministering to others is one of my greatest delights and I love to helping people in general or giving to them.  I also become very passionate about justice, bringing justice to people...(not that I'm an expert at all.)

But a big thing that God is teaching me right now is to REST.  Rest is in more ways than one.  We face spiritual trials and adversity, but God has reminded me of my position in Him.

"I am the righteousness of Christ," "No evil shall overcome me which is not common to man" and
specifically that I am a daughter of the King of Kings...the King of the ages...which threatens the enemy.  Because it threatens Him, he fights, ... but I have the CHAMPION of champions fighting for me. THANK YOU JESUS.

God at times wants us to rest in him. To PAUSE, if you will and re-evaluate, stop what we're doing and make sure we are not doing it on our own, but that it flows out of what He has done in us.

REST:
1 Kings 5:4 "The LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no adversary or crisis."

Acts 9:31 "Then the churches had rest throughout..., and were edified, and walking in the fear of the LORD, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."

Even Acts expresses that the church was multiplied through the comfort of the Holy Spirit, not of effort, but out of a time of rest and edification.

How AWESOME!

___________________________________________________________________________

A while back, I believe God spoke to me that he was fully healing me of anxiety. At this time, I have been proclaiming and testifying that it is true. This Restfulness and peace has been given to me as a gift of God and I must practice it as a discipline, to be full of Him and not get caught up as it says in Isaiah 8 "Do not get caught up in the conspiracies of the world..."  

It is easy to grow fearful when we see all the evil upon the earth and to grow anxious, but we have a GREAT HOPE and I have CONFIDENCE in God because His word teaches that Salvation has come. He says in Romans 8:24 that we hope for what we do not see, but in this our faith is strengthened and we are not to throw away our confidence, knowing that we wait for what will certainly be ours through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm healed from anxiety.  Praise God for this, I have known and believe that God healed me. The burdens of this world might bear you down or hold you down,... but Jesus paid it all. He is my SUPERHERO. 


________________________________________________________________________________


May God richly bless you today.
May you have peace in your soul, in your steps where you walk and may you be clothed with all righteousness, faith and truth. May love be a spring of living water from within you and may your mind be graced with revelation of your standing before the Maker, who loves us more than we can possibly imagine, even when we least deserve it.

Yours for the kingdom.

Here are some updates on my journey lately.

I haven't written a blog for a while.  I thought I would update some of the things I have been involved in this past year.  I am seeking God's direction in this next year as I move forward in all that he would have me to do this year.

If you read the biography about me, or even go through the past couple of years that I have had this blog, you will notice that I have a passion for children, the homeless,  for helping the vulnerable, the exploited and those who need to be rescued or need help.  I have been involved most recently with two different organizations seeking to fight human trafficking. I have felt called to learn, to work as a team, to be a light and a part of stopping the crime of sex trafficking in the Ozarks.  Tonight I had an opportunity to speak on the panel at the STAND Coalition's awareness general community event.  It was a great experience on many levels and a growing experience as well.   My involvement with both STAND Coalition and GO 61, Inc (another local agency combating human trafficking)  has been meaningful in so many ways. I have been able to work with key community leaders through these groups to bring education to the community, intervene. The key will be in working together to effect change in our communities and beyond.  

I graduated from MSU with my Masters in Social work in December of 2013.  I was awarded in May of 2013 an award for excellent research, which I had conducted specifically on Homeless Youth and Trafficking, in order to become more involved in the problem of sex trafficking in our community. As a result, I interviewed 5 different homeless youth who had been trafficked, that is "coerced, forced or frauded into commercial labor or sex acts" for profit of the pimp or trafficker.  I met youth who had been tricked into working for free, bringing huge profit to the "employer," these were moved across state lines to sell. I encountered youth who were still with their pimp and stated it was their boyfriend and they were in love with them, and I met youth who traded their bodies for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.  All of these are defined as human trafficking and their traffickers can be prosecuted.  

 I work with the James River Kids Chapel team at church, (see below pic with the "Club Journey" shirt). On Sundays, I host the services by interactive skits, worship leading, leading prayer and introducing the Children's Pastor or Bible Lesson Leader. I minister to girls ages 2nd to 5th grade on Wednesday nights having an opportunity to mentor them and be a friend and positive influence. Recently it has changed so that I have just 2nd-3rd graders. It is an important way I am able to share the good news, reach out to kids and their parents.

 I made several dozen sugar cookies, (which took way too many hours LOL) for Christmas gifts with the other social workers at CMH.  We gave them as gifts to the different departments of the Hospital. It has been a pleasure to work for CMH, a hospital with so much integrity, people of faith and who support social justice. The amount of support at work for my dream to return overseas and do mission work has been overwhelming.  When I began working there, I remember the interview, making it clear that I was looking at a 1-2 yr commitment. They still hired me! and have invested so much to make me a better person. I am still working on lots of areas.  I am so humbled by my failures, but grateful for the support of so many great people who God has placed in my path who support and believe with me for a return back to the mission field. As for me, I'm just waiting on God's perfect timing. . . . I will wait til its right. but I'm excited to return!

My beautiful family is doing wonderful.  My sister and brother-in-law had a rough year last yr due to some health difficulties, but I am believing for total healing for them both and I know its going to be a much better year...  My parents moved my grandpa into the house and it has been a transitional period for sure.  Change is good, and I'm so grateful for their big hearts and help to him.  I do know it makes things very busy around their house.  My younger sister is doing YWAM.  A huge change for her. 

 I will have to tell you more later.  You all have a wonderful night and God bless!

-Joanna Joy