[In six days EVERYTHING that God spoke, CAME TO PASS! Our Abba Father is wonderfully amazing; he can accomplish awesome things by just breathing on them. It was now time for Samuel to anoint a King over Israel; God chose Saul] “The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for GOD IS WITH YOU…As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and ALL THESE SIGNS WERE FULFILLED THAT DAY.” (1 Sam. 10:6-9) [As I think back to 1971 many years ago; The Lord God changed a twenty nine year old drug, alcohol and sex addicted sinner (me) into a God called preacher of the gospel! It was a great struggle for me to believe that The Lord would really use me because I had been so bad for such a long period of time. We had a Youth Convention at the Kirkland Church in 1974; I was asked to speak and as each time before I would pray and diligently seek the Lord for what He wanted me to present; and as before, I would receive wonderful inspiration, but when I stood behind the pulpit I would grab ahold of the edges put my well prepared notes down and read my message, too afraid to look up. Dear Sister Emerson, my Pastors wife, finally told me how boring that was, so at this Youth Convention I told the Lord as I was walking up to preach; “Please Jesus, I want to trust in you!” He said to me: “Put your notes down and step back from the pulpit and I WILL HELP YOU.” I obeyed, and preached my most anointed message up to that time!] “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; in all your ways SUBMIT TO HIM, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6) [I praise you Abba Father, this morning with my whole heart, I THANK YOU for your faithfulness!] “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CONFIRM YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 1:10-11) [How important it is for us to always trust our Abba Father, for He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us!]
Be blessed as you praise The Lord, knowing that WE MUST MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CONFIRM OUR CALLING AND ELECTION!
-Bill Stockham
