What Is God Really Like and Who Is He?
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
I was thinking of writing a children’s book to open up their understanding of who God is. Too many children that I know have a wrong concept of God. Unfortunately, it comes from parents or other adults who themselves have a wrong concept of God. Having counseled with numerous married couples and entire families, I have found a common thread of misunderstanding of God and His goodness. We are living in an age where there is a struggle to believe God is who He says He is. Too often the unconditional love of God is not received because His people focus on the challenges they must face with the state of the world’s crisis, challenges that affect every part of our lives. We seem to have lost control over what was thought to be the good life. Perhaps this is what God wants, for us to lose our control and allow Him the control of our lives, our families, our circumstances, our lands because He has the plan and it was completed on the Cross of Calvary.
Completed on the Cross of Calvary
We single out events and say “If God is really God, why doesn’t He do something about all the diseases, killings, suicides and deaths of loved ones, let alone the wars, and political upheaval happening in America and abroad?” Having a true concept of God is to believe and trust in Him in total surrender and walk in the Authority of Jesus Christ. I have taken quotes from an article written by Sandie Freed.
Fenced-in Answers
The enemy has attempted to fence in your destiny. In other words, he has built a fortress in many of our minds. With the uncertainty that we face today, the enemy will use circumstances to build an ungodly belief system concerning God. He will also attempt to build a fortress by using our past failures. The accuser will build walls inside of our minds that must be torn down. If not, these walls will be like prison walls of unbelief and doubt; therefore, we can be imprisoned and in bondage because we are believing lies. Much of what God desires to do in our belief system is blocked by the lies that satan has erected in our minds. Again, these lies become walls and, eventually, a fortress. When God answers our prayers, many times it is difficult to lock fully into a promise because of satan’s fortresses.
On the other hand, satan has fenced in answers and attempted to keep truths hidden with much occult activity. Allow me to remind you concerning the occult. The occult opposes God’s revelation as it attempts to keep things “hidden.” Revelation “reveals” what is hidden and the occult “hides” what needs to be revealed. Precious Believer, the accuser whispers lies to us to cause us to agree with him. When we agree with his darkness, it will hide the light which God is revealing. God’s Truth is the Light, and satan does all he can to block Truth with the attempt to ensnare us. When the accuser is active, the enemy is speaking many lies, therefore releasing occultic opposition against us. Dear ones, we must rise up and defeat the accuser so that we can become fully mantled with God’s authority.
Defeating Your Accuser
The Word defeats satan
Here are a few of the steps I write that will empower you to defeat the accuser:
- Take authority over the occultic spirit that blocks revelation (and keeps answers fenced in) by using your authority in Christ. By using the principle of Matthew 16:19 (AMP), use your keys of the Kingdom to bind your enemy:
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in Heaven. [Isaiah 22:22]
- Study the different names of God to build your faith in His divine ability. As you gain revelation of Who He declares that He is, then begin to proclaim it!
- Ask the Lord to renew your mind. God desires to provide a garment change for you. Just as He re-clothed the priesthood in Zechariah 3, He desires to do the same just for you.
- Receive your new mantle of authority. God has plans to increase your influence and release the mantle needed for your season.
- Step into your destiny. Don’t allow the accuser to falsely accuse you. It is your time to break forth. Declare it!
Allow me to pray for you:
Father, in the precious name of Jesus, I pray for each reader today. I believe that he/she has been divinely led by Your Spirit to read this article so that faith will rise up and courage becomes demonstrated for breakthrough. I join my faith with each reader today and ask that You reveal Your name to him/her and that the revelation gained will cause a new level of trust to manifest. Thank You for re-clothing each of your children and for renewing our minds. I bind the accuser and negate his lies that falsely accuse God and also falsely accuse the brethren. I loose the enemy’s hold and declare that divine revelation for breakthrough is being released from Heaven. Amen.
Sandie Freed
Zion Ministries
Email: zionministries1@sbcglobal.net
Taken from article written for the Elijah List by Sandie Freed of Zion Ministries
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
A Tribute to Pastors
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Believers in Christ all over the world have a sense that we are living in our final days. Crisis after crisis are daily occurring and people are filled with fear. Can God’s people endure the shaking and the intense trials and testing of this day? Will there be enough righteous men and women who will endure the meltdown of the economy? In the church of Jesus Christ the real issue is not the economic collapse. It isn’t even about who presides over the Nation. Rather, it is all about enduring faith. Christ asked, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Remember your pastor in your prayers.
Today, we want to encourage and pay tribute to Pastors who stand in these trying times and teach the truth, live the life of faith, and endure the hardships of a rebellious people. God is looking down upon the earth, searching diligently for these men and women who stand in the pulpits, go to the highways and byways; those who have wholly given themselves to God and trust Him. Whenever the Lord finds such a servant, He says of that person, “This beloved one is holding fast to his faith – he / she walks in the kingdom culture and not the culture of the world, his confidence is in Me. Therefore, through many trials and testings I will show Myself strong. He will see and know My power as he rests in Me.
Today, we want our Pastors to know they are appreciated as we celebrate men and women who stand in faith, love unconditionally, pouring out to others in obedience to God. We encourage all Pastors and ministers of the gospel to stand firm and endure to the end.
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Change from Glory to Glory
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Our word is Change from Glory to Glory into the image of Christ, II Corinthians 3:18
Change is often received with resistance, but this need not be in the kingdom of God. Unless we are flexible to God’s movement in us, we become dormant. His word to us as a ministry as well as to the body of Christ, which we are a part: “My children, I have need of your active help. As My co-laborers and Ambassadors, My work is handicapped by the ineffectiveness of even one member of My body, however small or insignificant the task might seem, it is important to Me and what I desire to accomplish. You cannot be idle without hindering the ministry of Christ as a corporate body. I am speaking to you now as in times past, that you are to move harmoniously and in unity. You cannot move independently of My Spirit without causing damage to the whole; for My Spirit is oneness of thought and love in action. I have given you ample opportunity to move in oneness, the choice is yours. Be not slothful.
The slothfulness of My people allowed prayer to cease in public places, unborn children to be murdered by law, immorality to run rampant on your T.V. screens, unbridled evil to touch a generation of children. You must allow yourselves to rise up and take the land that I have given you. You know that the whole world lies in a sleep of death in the lap of the wicked one, as a child napping unsuspecting in a deathtrap.
Be watchful, diligent and alert, for the time is at hand. Be single-minded in your resolve to obey Me, to be changed from glory to glory. Those of you who have your own agendas; bring them to Me and I will change them. If you are entangled in activities of the world, disengage yourself; and keep yourself free for the guidance and use of the Spirit of God, as He directs you moment by moment. My hand shall be upon you, and My energy shall be at your disposal. Yes, and My Peace shall fortify your thought life and I will give health and strength to your bones. Those who have waited patiently for My guidance and listened for instructions shall habitually sit at My feet and hear. My love shall be your constant portion. I am not asking you to labor drudgingly, the work of God is a labor of love, for God is love. As you live by the motivation of My Spirit, you will continually be a partaker of My life and the comfort of My divine Presence. You will know that I am with you both to will and to do of My good pleasure. The pleasures of the world are only for a moment, My pleasure is perpetual.
The Lord’s word for us
I say to you again to remind you; this is the way, walk ye in it not according to the statutes and traditions of men, but according to the life of My Word that I have given you to encourage and strengthen you. God shall be to you Elohim, the “God who revealeth Himself,” and I shall reveal Myself to you in a richer and fuller measure than before. Though My resources seem hidden at times they are never exhausted; they are always at hand as you pursue Me. My love is too great for you to comprehend in your natural state. So move out and move on in the vineyard that I have called you to. There are other places that I have called you to labor but this place is chosen. Unknown riches and unimagined joys await your discovery. Those things that are unprofitable, overcome them by doing good to the children of God. I am near you to guide you, to help you. Be not discouraged or weary, for you will reap if you do not faint. Remember, if you rely on your own strength, you will faint in adversity; Lean on Me, your I AM.”
(Thanks be to God for His word to us.)
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Salvation
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
When this occurs there is a transformation from death to life, from the world’s culture to the Kingdom culture. Does this mean that we are protected from the evil of the world by a kind of shield that cannot be penetrated? On the contrary, we enter into a war between good and evil, so we need the Holy Spirit to direct our path because when we are born again we become a New Creation. In the Scripture, creation is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In Job 33:4 we read, “The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty give me life.” In Genesis 2:7 it is the breath of God, that is the Holy Spirit, who imparts life to man.
The Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the one who is born of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 we read, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” referring to the individual believer. Therefore when salvation comes (the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior) the Holy Spirit comes. The Holy Spirit dwells in anyone who is born again. The Lord Jesus promised it when He said to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter that He may be with you forever: that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
The Holy Spirit fully satisfies the one who receives Him, John 7:37-39. He is a well of living water springing up into everlasting life.
Look to the Lord
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Having the understanding that salvation transforms us from death to a life with the indwelling Holy Spirit directing our lives, means that we live a life of total dependence upon Jesus Christ. Totally surrendered to His will because He has entrusted us with His Life. We are to surrender our will daily to His. Some believers are still caught in their own reasoning because they have not learned that Salvation is the beginning of the journey. They believe that once they repent and receive Christ, repentance is no longer a requirement of God. David cried out in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God”. This is a surrendered heart, one that is in need of a constant cleaning – a repentant Spirit. David spoke of unconscious sins, sins we are not readily aware of – that must be confessed. A surrendered heart seeks God’s presence daily which leads to a complete abandonment to God.
When abandonment occurs there is a constant awareness of the presence of God in every facet of life. Abandonment keeps nothing for oneself but releases everything to God who created us for Himself. Abandonment is a preoccupation with God in mediation, prayer, praise and worship. Abandonment is to do nothing until the Holy Spirit gives us direction. Abandonment is allowing ourselves to be empty vessels embodying Christ. This is our shield against the onslaught of wickedness all around us.
In these perilous times that we live in, there is a place of safety that gives assurance and courage to the people of God. This place is found in the bosom of the Father. I wrote a booklet called, “Twelve Keys to Connecting to the Heart of God,” it is available for purchase for $5 plus shipping. This missive is an instrument of meditation, an introduction to prayer, and a proclamation of love for God. Although each key is short, it should be read with a plea for revelation and a heart that is willing to wait on God.
Click on the link to contact me at the end of this BLOG and let me know you are interested in getting a copy of this booklet. Please provide full contact information, we will be sure to let you know where to send your order and payment.
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Facing Crisis
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
1 Peter 5:7
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
Facing the Crisis Around Us We Cast All Our Cares On Jesus
Don’t face crisis alone
As I recall the events of the past three years, I am amazed at what I have learned about the Unconditional Love of God and His constant care for the saints. Many of these revelations I thought I knew. Although there have been circumstances over the years that have been catastrophic, God has been the center and when I remember glimmers of what He has brought be through, I rejoice. We are in the age where hardship and suffering face us daily. Many saints of God all over the world are enduring great hardships emotionally, physically and financially. It is affecting our spiritual lives as well. As awful as the news is around the world, it should not be our focus. In Psalm 112:7 we can depend on God’s flawless Word. “He (the righteous) shall not be afraid of bad news (evil tidings): his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” How else will we survive the unrelenting evil that lurks around us daily. Our enemy has stalked against God’s elect with a fierceness that has shaken faithful saints of God. These assaults have devastated the body and mind, wrecked families and destroyed the weak. Satan is determined to shipwreck our faith and plant seeds of doubt and distrust. I can truly say, through my own trust in God and the horrific trials that no one knows but God, Jesus is with me. He allows these testing times. As we lay hold of God’s promises we can all cover ourselves with His Word that never fails.
For many years my husband endured sickness but he never gave up. He ministered to others with love, faith and courage up until the last days of his life on earth. During those times I found safety and healing for both of us through the truth of God’s Word. “His name is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10
Jesus Loves You…
Major on the Purpose for Life
When you major on love, all darkness disappears.
When your father is not there and your mother doesn’t care, Jesus Loves You…
When you ache inside, your heart broken and tired, Jesus Loves You…
When nothing you do seems to be right for you, Jesus Loves You…
When you hide your pain with a smiling refrain, Jesus Loves You…
When gossip, jealousy, ignorance, prejudice and pride makes you want to run and hide, Jesus Loves You…
When your children that you struggled to rear, rebel against you, their conscience seared, Jesus Loves You…
When memories of sexual and emotional abuse, render you helpless and of no use, Jesus Loves You…
When fear grips your life, and hounds you with strife, Jesus Loves You…
When sickness comes and your body succumbs, Jesus Loves You…
When your spouse leaves and your poor heart grieves, Jesus Loves You…
When you are out of control, with an aching soul and no place to go to be consoled, Jesus Loves You…
Rise up, all in not lost, all your problems were nailed to the cross, the Word became flesh and is forever engraved For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, for us all to be saved
Whosoever will believe, you can…
O. Virginia Phillips, Ph.D. February 2, 1995
I wrote this in 1995 for Women of Purpose, Int’l – Today I felt to repeat it for such a time as this – In this season remember: Jesus Loves You
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Marching Forward with Purpose Following the Shepherd
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Your love draws me close
And apprehends me still
Until all thought, speech and
Action is in your will.
I will follow close behind,
in your footsteps
all the way,
Until You draw me beside
You and gently say –
“Now, my child, you are my
Co-worker.”
O. Virginia Phillips - (2007)
Marching forward lies in the fact that we can possess the same Spirit that St. Paul of the Bible expresses: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth until those things which are before, I press toward the mark for (goal unto) the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
Pressing “toward the mark” is toward such a relationship with God that we become followers of Christ toward perfection, (home) having the same mind, and character of Jesus Christ.
In the 18+ years of Women of Purpose, Int’l, there have been numerous success stories of life changes, healing, and deliverance, but the most important are the heart changes – the deep desire in some of us to please God at any cost.
I have noticed in some of our saints that there is still a residue that must be cleansed out by the Holy Spirit. Marching forward can become a reality when our hearts are pure. We must constantly crusade against the enemies of our spirit. It is not enough to overcome and obstacle, give a testimony, and sit around being pious, there are times when we must war against the enemies of our soul – our prejudice, oversensitivity, gossip, rejection, loneliness, feelings of inadequacy. I recently observed at one of our gatherings that three of our leaders became upset because they had the wrong title, didn’t get the attention they felt they deserved, were critical because some spoke and others didn’t. These feelings come for many reasons, primarily from unresolved inward pain that has not been healed. Blame comes from unresolved hurts.
One can become discouraged and heartbroken in life, although there seems to be times when we feel close to God, one can become discouraged. We can thank God that He is a tender Shepherd who understands the hurts of His children and is ready to cleanse and minister to them whenever we surrender ourselves into His loving hands.
Each person can be encouraged to move from any despairing circumstances by remembering that Jesus knows each of His children personally. “He calls His own sheep by name” (John 10:3). Each one is important to Jesus. We cannot satisfy the voids that leave our sisters and brothers incomplete, but the great Shepherd can.
Know your Shepherd
Although you have experienced God’s goodness in many ways, it’s time to let go of old faults that so easily cause heartbreaking reactions to life’s situation. Move toward responding in love remembering that there is a shepherd who takes care of all His sheep and each sheep has a purpose. Move forward and know your Shepherd.
There is a story I read, but I do not know its source, of an old man and a young man on the same platform before a vast audience of people. A special program was being presented. As part of the program each was to repeat from memory the words of the 23rd Psalm. The young man, trained in the best speech technique and drama, gave in the language of the ancient silver tongued orator the words of the psalm. “The Lord is my Shepherd…” When he had finished, the audience clapped their hands and cheered, asking him for an encore so that they might hear again his wonderful voice.
Then the old gentleman, leaning heavily on his cane, stepped to the front of the same platform and in a feeble, shaking voice repeated the same words. “The Lord is my Shepherd…” But when he was seated no sound came from the listeners. Folks seemed to pray. In the silence the young man stood to make the following statement. “Friends,” he said, “I wish to make an explanation. You asked me to come back and repeat the psalm, but you remained silent when my friend here was seated. The difference? I shall tell you. I know the psalm, but he knows the Shepherd!”
Get to know your Shepherd, Our Lord and Redeemer.
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ A Time to Pray
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
During the time of my mourning for the loss of my daughter Jennifer, this prayer came to me from “Streams in the Desert,” I prayed as I wrote it.
“This is from Me,” the Savior said. He bent low and kissed my brow. “I love you and have led you, just rest, be patient and wait. For I have another place for you to tread. Your Father knows you have need of this. Although at first you can not see, grieve not, for things you’ve seemed to miss. The thing sent is best for you.”
Then when my tears began to flow; “Forgive me Lord, at first I did not know. This won’t be hard, since You have tread each path before me here below. And, for my good this thing must be. Your grace is sufficient for each day’s test. So, I will wait patiently and live each day knowing God’s way for me is always best.”
A TIME TO PRAY
Pray at all times
Destruction around the world is an everyday occurrence and we are reminded of God’s call for intercession in Isaiah 59:16 and Ezekiel 22:30. “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; and He spoke protest. I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before ME for the land…but I found none.”
Psalm 55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
Let us be people who will pray and not faint. Even though the world is in great turmoil, do not become distracted from God’s call upon His people. We must not be overtaken by bad news (Psalm 112:6). In spite of how desperate the situations are in the world, especially in this nation, God’s promises will stand. Remember how desperate situations were in Jerusalem when Nehemiah received the news about the afflictions of God’s people and the broken conditions in Jerusalem? He first acknowledged that he was part of the problem (Nehemiah 1:6-7). He also acknowledged that he was afraid (Nehemiah 2:2) to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it. He overcame his guilt and fear and acknowledged God as the Lord of heaven, the great and awesome God who preserves His covenant and loving kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments (Nehemiah 1:5). Nehemiah believed that as he turned to God in prayer, God would be faithful to intervene according to His own promises.
We must remember that God’s promises are true. He does not lie. He will bring righteous judgment in the earth but He speaks to His people with mercy because His heart’s desire is that none should perish. He tells us that “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” God spoke to this to Solomon after he had prayed (Chapter 6) to make provisions for the people when they sinned. God answered with four conditions for forgiveness.
- 1. Humble yourself by admitting your sins.
- 2. Pray to God, asking for forgiveness.
- 3. Seek God continually.
- 4. Turn from sinful behavior.
True repentance is more than talk; it is changed behavior. Whether we sin individually, as a group or as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness. God will answer our earnest prayers.
These are perilous times and the earth is groaning awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ. Our charge is to obey and prepare for His coming. Join others in the Houses of Prayer along the I-5 corridor, in Oregon, Washington, California and Alaska and all around the world who are listening to the clarion call for intercessors. Let none perish for lack of obedience. Rise up intercessors!! God’s mercy endures forever.
What time will YOU pray?
Please write, call or respond by e-mail – the times that you will pray with us and others around the world.
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Surrender
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Dearly Beloved ~
No matter what I think or wherever I turn, I hear the same words: Wait – Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him – Psalm 37:7. Each day its meaning becomes clearer. There are times when I think I have reached a place of Rest and yet this journey of abandonment to God is a lifetime process. As I walk this path, a longing nags at my heart to pursue an even closer relationship with God – to wholly give myself to Him daily, not in just the words that I speak to Him but in every fiber of my being. I am reminded that this is possible to all believers who desire to live a life of godliness. In Romans 8:32, we know that we can receive from God a life of abandonment to Him. “He who spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not, with Him, also freely give us all things?”
How can we come to know God in such a way that nothing of the world draws our attention away from Him? He has made it possible through the grace He has given to all His redeemed children. He has done it by means of His Holy Spirit. It happens when we give our whole heart to the Lord. Prayer is the key to abiding in His presence, but it must come from within, from the heart. Prayer from the heart is not interrupted by the mind. The experiencing of prayer deep within is to taste the sweetness of the Love of Christ and respond. When this happens, even our selfish desires hold no power. I am still finding it impossible to have pleasure in anything except Jesus Christ. One thing is required – Love.
St. Augustine said, “Love, then do what you please”, for when you have learned to love, you will not even desire to do those things that might offend the One you Love. Godly love brings with it the desire to please God.
Once again, I am reading Jeanne Guyon’s “Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ” and my heart was pierced by these words – “The Christian who has faithfully abandoned himself to the Lord will soon discover that he also has laid hold of a God who will not rest until He has subdued everything! Your Lord will put to death all that remains to be put to death in your life.”
What then is required of us? All we need to do is remain steadfast in giving our utmost attention to God. He will do all things perfectly. In other words, when we receive the love of Jesus, His perfect love will enable us to love Him and mankind unconditionally – which is the desire of God’s own heart. The closer we are in God, the more we receive His nature, and the more we receive His nature, the more we will draw upon His sustaining power, which we desperately need in these perilous times.
What does this mean to the ministry of Women of Purpose, Int’l? God’s commandment for us from the beginning of this ministry was to Love, under-gird each other in prayer, give to the poor, especially widows and orphans, and go to the highways and byways and make disciples of Jesus Christ. He placed each of us strategically with gifts needed to accomplish His purpose. It is not about titles but about obedience to God’s perfect will, which begins with our heart-connect to God.
When you receive this missive, don’t just set it aside, spend some time in the presence of God and allow His Holy Spirit to permeate your heart. This means wait, from within, and not allow your mind to distract from His presence. Then, you will know what steps to take and when and where you should journey. Remember the secret to all of life is love.
As we prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection, our focus is on Jesus Christ the Anointed One.
O. Virginia Phillips
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Battle in the Mind
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Beloved in Christ,
What an opportunity to be thankful for another year of Amazing Grace, everlasting Love and Tender Mercies. This year will be a year that we’ll define where we are in Christ…do we truly Trust Him?
I have taken the liberty of agreeing with David Wilkerson in his December 2005 Newsletter when he relates: “There is something different about what is happening today. During the Depression, it was financial stress. During the flu crisis in 1918, it was a single disaster that caused fear and uncertainty. Today, all these things are coming at us in combination: flu pandemic, financial crisis, national calamities worldwide.
But there is something even deeper and more sinister than all of these frightful happenings. It is this: the body of Christ, consisting of devoted disciples of Jesus, is under attack from principalities and powers of hell. An angry devil who knows his time is short has waged all-out war against the righteous. Satan has seen the handwriting on the wall, and he is dispatching his demonic army against Christ’s most devoted children.
Those who are wholly given to Christ, who seek Him and love Him dearly, are now set up as targets of the enemy’s wrath. Every reader who prays and serves the Lord understands what I am saying. You have discernment from the Holy Spirit that what you are experiencing is warfare against your mind. Satan is infusing your thoughts with fears, discouragement, temptations, and depression. He is after your faith, wanting to discourage you that you’ll quit the fight. Make no mistake about it: the war is for your mind.
The war is for your mind
In warfare, the Holy Spirit continually whispers, ‘Do not be alarmed. These thoughts are from the enemy. You are under Satan’s attack. So, just be still. Do not judge yourself, and do not fear. Rest in the knowledge that the Spirit of God is in you. God is greater in you; you will not go down.’ It is time for us all to take a stand on this Word: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (fixed) on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength’ (Isaiah 26:3-4).
A closing thought: let us all pray for one another that our strength will not fail – that we will wholly trust the Lord in and through all things.” (*) Join with us and others globally who are praying.
This is the year that the Women of Purpose and Young People of Purpose and Men of Purpose must assess and keenly define the path we must take to touch the lives of more men, women and children – the fields are ripe for harvest NOW!! I keep hearing complaints about the awful things happening in the world, and this past year so many people are discouraged, dismayed and of all things, bored. This year I just want to pray that these people will, “get a life,” take some risks to help others and renew old dreams.
There have been moments when I have felt that my labor has been in vain and then I look at God’s Word – Isaiah 49 – and remember the holy men and women of old who themselves reached a time when they felt like failures. One such saint was David Livingstone. During his 23rd year on the mission field, he expressed the awful doubts that his ministry had been in vain. Yet Livingstone opened up the African continent to the Gospel. The prophet Elijah looked at his life and cried, “Lord, take me home. I am no better than my father and all of them failed You. Please take my life. Everything has been in vain” – paraphrased.
Believers today are committing suicide. Our Lord reminded me that my labor has not been in vain these 37 years of ministry – 19 of which has been with Women of Purpose, Int’l, this year 2012. If I concentrate on the battles and not the victories I can become despondent, but the Word of God reminds me that “the battle is the Lord’s.” So be ye steadfast, unmoved, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Lovingly,
O. Virginia Phillips
(*) Taken from David Wilkerson’s Pulpit Series – December 19, 2005.
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
Heart to Heart ~ Extended Family
Ask Ofidean
By O. Virginia Phillips
Dr. Virginia Phillips
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. For three weeks this past month, requests came one after the other, “Can you help us locate a home for a woman.” Once again, I knew that the dream of forty plus years continues to manifest today by the continuous requests of desperate women. It began in 1968, when our home was opened to a sixteen year old who needed a family. To the state of California she was a ward of the court. To us she became part of our family of ten. I called it then and I do so today, our Extended Family. Anyone who lives in our home for any length of time becomes a part of our Extended Family. This concept of Extended Family is one that has been practiced for centuries in several cultures, especially in African-American families. However, in the late 60’s and early 70’s with desegregation and assimilation into the dominant culture the practice for African-Americans especially in the North – sharply decreased – although in the South the practice continued. In the 90’s the practice of taking in homeless children and adults into one’s family became less and less a part of the culture. In the Extended Family – informal adoption is the norm. Parents became Mom and Dad. There are uncles and aunts, cousins, sisters and brothers, biologically unrelated but related because they lived together.
Homes are needed to house those in transition.
In 1983, I wrote a proposal called the Extended Family revisited. This was ten years before the vision for Women of Purpose, Int’l became a reality. Homes for young women were located in Washington, Yamhill and Multnomah counties in Oregon. There have been private homes of refuge opened to women, since Women of Purpose started but the practice slowed in 2004. The Sherwood house has been the central home for Extended Family. It also houses some of the Women of Purpose Int’l ministries. It is my desire that it becomes the model and other homes of refuge can be located in other cities around the country. The purpose for this would be to place women in a healthy environment away from the temptations to fail. It has been my experience and those who have helped women to heal from traumatic experiences that a family atmosphere, with support from mentoring support groups, is more successful.
We need people to invest in this ministry to the broken-hearted and abused by (1) opening up individual homes (training is available to the Extended Family host); (2) approach possible funders to purchase a home for this kind of ministry; (3) encourage your employer to support a house of refuge and restoration for women; (4) pray for the Extended Family vision to become a reality all around the country and (5) support the model home in Sherwood.
The ministry is especially needed in times like these when the economy is in decline. This is our opportunity to be blessed. Psalm 41:1-3 is the living Word for those who help the poor.
- “Blessed is he that considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
- The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and you will not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
- The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: you will make all his bed in his sickness.”
Psalm 50:15 further assures us: “And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
When we give God ownership of our lives and possessions, our steps are ordered by Him and “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:11
If you have any questions or comments on any topic regarding marriage, family and relationships, fill out the contact form with the link below and I’ll respond to you.
To contact Dr. Phillips, click here.
