roniya“Live for the glory of God and the good of many.”

Dear friends,

Greetings in the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ! For those few people who do read this blog, here is an update on some of what the Lord has been doing in my life and the lives of those around me.

This summer is rapidly slipping by and will soon be gone. The Lord has been very gracious in making it thus far a summer that has been exceedingly profitable in the growth of my love and knowledge of Jesus Christ and has been fruitful in opportunities to pour out my life for the LORD in love and service to the body of Christ as well as the unsaved.

It has been a blessing spending time alone seeking the LORD through prayer and the study of the Word. I have found the secret place to be even more of a place of renewing of my strength then it ever was before. If any of you do not have the fixed habit of spending much time alone with Jesus Christ, I urge you to place a higher priority on this. It is for the growth and protection of your own soul to spend much time seeking the Lord.

The Lord has been good in bringing into my life several new sisters, some of whom have been recently made new creatures in Christ, and giving us many opportunities to fellowship and pray together. I rejoice in the works of the Lord in each of their lives and am so grateful for their humility and desire to grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. It has been wonderful seeing them grow in the area of modesty both in apparel and spirit. In the middle of June seven of these sisters were able to come to Missouri for a visit and we had a most blessed time together.

Once again the Lord has given my father the privilege of organizing South African Evangelist Keith Daniel’s fall tour to the US. It is a time consuming task that my father fulfills with much carefulness and dependency on the Holy Ghost. The Lord has given me the blessing of assisting my father in this project and I rejoice to say that for the time being, the schedule is completed, tickets bought and all the information has been sent to each pastor. Next on the list in this area is to begin preparing for family camp in the areas of registration and media ministry. If you would like to see where Keith Daniel will be speaking you may go here, and if you have any interest in attending our church’s family camp, October 1-3, where Keith Daniel, his wife Jenny and son Roy will be the main speakers you will find more information here.  Tour Schedule. Family Camp.

One of the highlights of this summer was my recent trip to Texas with my beloved sister Jen. The Lord clearly directed us to go down there to visit and hopefully edify and encourage the saints and it was such a delight to be led of the Lord every step of the way. For the sake of remembering all that the Lord did I will share more with you about this trip. If you find the details to be too cumbersome, please do not trouble yourself to read over this. I know I tend to be a wordy writer, but I will attempt by God’s grace to make every word profitable to the reader and glorifying to the LORD.

We drove down to Allen, TX early Thursday morning, July 8, to arrive in time to go out to lunch with our dear friend Debbie Speed. It was special to meet Debbie’s co-workers and spend time with this joyful lady. I have met few people who exuberate so much joy and enthusiasm in loving and caring for the people around her. I know it is the Lord’s grace to fill Debbie with so much joy in the midst of many trials.

Navigating through Dallas traffic on our way to Arlington was an adventure and test to trust the Lord to direct our steps. Looking back He really did help us get to Arlington and I could see His hand clearly guiding us, even in the missed turns and frequently adjusted route. We arrived at Jesse and Lindsay Morris’ home that afternoon and how I praise God for this godly couple and their generosity in making their home available for the Lord to use it however He pleases. A more hospitable and flexible hostess than Lindsay I have rarely seen. And Jesse is a faithful servant who was ever watchful for the practical needs of his guests.

It was a wonderful blessing and encouragement to spend time fellowshipping and visiting with brothers Sean and Ryan, as well as meeting brother Chris (a godly brother recently saved in March who is ablaze for Christ and meekly following his Master with everything he has). The Lord has directed brother Sean and brother Ryan to oversee the establishing of a church in the Dallas area. To read more about this you can visit their website here. I rejoice in the faithful obedience of these godly men to follow the LORD in starting this church and I praise God for the wisdom and great discernment He has given them for this daunting task that would be impossible but for the grace of God and leading of the Holy Ghost.

It was a great delight to see sister Stephanie again. Her boldness and zeal for sharing Christ’s Gospel with those around her was a great blessing to observe and glean from. Sister Megan came over later that evening and how my heart rejoiced to see this beloved sister that the Lord has given me. I am exceedingly grateful for how the Lord has knit our hearts together in true Christian love and friendship. Sister Meg is one of the godliest women I know and the sweet fragrance of Christ’s love and compassion overflow out of her life into the lives of all those around me. A greater example of a merciful and compassionate heart I have not found.

Sister Lindsay and Sister Stephanie

At the end of that evening we followed Meg to her home in Dallas where we spent the next few days with her and her family. We were so grateful to the Turner family for their gracious hospitality in opening up their home to us. It was a blessed quiet place to be for a few days to seek the Lord as well as spend precious time praying, studying the Word, and fellowshipping with sister Meg. The Lord gave Jen opportunity to practice her gift of cooking which proved a great blessing to the Turner family and all those who tasted of her skillful cookery.

Friday evening we went over to Arlington for dinner with all the saints there. Sister Meg’s friend, Kelsey, also came and on the drive over she shared her testimony with Jen and me of coming out of the Christian Science cult. I learned a lot about this deceitful movement and am grateful to the Lord for bringing Kelsey out of it. We also met Ben Douglas, a friend of sister Meg.

It was a blessing to meet brother Brett, a friend of sister Stephanie, who was born again earlier this year. It was good to see his softness toward the Lord and eagerness to grow in holiness and truth. Sister Kelsey flew in from Memphis and I was so glad to see her again. We had spent one hour together in Memphis back in May and I was very excited to have more time with her. The Lord plucked sister Kelsey out of the net of false Christianity earlier this year and He has given her a heart that is hungry for truth and surrendered to obeying the Lord no matter the cost. The Lord graciously gave us much time together during my last few days in Texas and closely knit our hearts together. I also met sister Emily who was saved June 30 and was aglow with the love of the Lord. The Lord mercifully saved her from much deception and made her heart so tender to Him. Her humility and sincere love for Christ was a blessing to be around.

Friday night we had a blessed time of singing hymns together and praying together. It reminded me of the early church and how they gathered in homes to pray and seek the Lord together. The saints are truly walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of the Lord is present amongst these dear saints, and working mightily to purify them and make them holy. The men are dependent on the leading of the Holy Ghost in everything that they do and faithfully seek Him for direction. There is true charity amongst the believers that is not self-seeking nor self-exalting but each esteeming the other better than themselves. A purer and more loving setting of believers I have never experienced before. The brothers are faithful to exhort, reprove and encourage the saints through the Scriptures by sharing what the Lord has been teaching them. There is a strong commitment on an individual level to seek the LORD first and spend much time with Him. Each one is burdened for lost souls and is faithful to witness wherever they go. There is spiritual reality, transparency and the joy of the LORD is evident in each saint (more or less so in each one according to spiritual maturity).

Saturday was a sweet day of fellowship with sister Meg in her home. We had dinner with her family that evening and the Lord gave a few opportunities to speak for truth and love into their lives. After dinner we packed up our belongings and traveled over to Arlington where we stayed for the remainder of the trip with Jesse and Lindsay in their home along with sisters Stephanie and Kelsey.

Saturday evening after a time of prayer and seeking the Lord about going to downtown Dallas to witness at the clubs, the Lord directed for brothers Sean, Chris, William and Brett and sisters Stephanie and Kelsey to go out and seek to share the Gospel with lost souls. It was my first time to go share the Gospel at a club and I was a bit apprehensive about it, but I submitted to the Lord and His direction and wholly trusted in Him to help me and give me the words to share.

Here are a few pictures from that night to help you visualize what it was like. The club was on one side of the street and people would line up outside waiting for admittance into the club. The brothers stood on a medium in the street and preach to the people standing in line while the rest of us spread ourselves out to pass out tracts and talk with people on the other side of the street. There were about seven policemen and policewomen who were present to break up any fights. Unfortunately they did not take a favorable view of us sharing the Gospel, but we respected them and tried to show the love of Christ while at the same time not backing down on sharing the Gospel. Sister Steph and I ended up on the end of the block passing out tracts to the few people who came our way. Having less people coming through gave us more opportunities to talk with people.

Eventually Stephanie engaged an atheist in conversation who was very arrogant and confident in what he believed. Truly the god of this world has blinded his mind to the truth of God’s existence and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of that conversation, sister Kelsey called me away from it and asked me to show another man who she was talking with the Scripture about women not teaching. I shall call his name ‘Fred’. At first he refused to believe that the Scriptures taught that and so I showed him 1 Timothy 2. His main hang-up was the way the brothers were preaching the Gospel. He said it was too harsh and would turn people off. I showed some Scriptures to him from Matthew 23 about how Jesus preached to the Pharisees as well as some verses on John the Baptist’s preaching. ‘Fred’ was convinced that the way we girls were sharing the Gospel was much more affective than the guys preaching. To demonstrate this he stopped two black guys who I will call “John” and ‘Benjamin”. He started a conversation with them comparing the preaching of the guys to us girls and asked if the preaching of the guys turned them off. They nonchalantly agreed. Then ‘John’ started saying how he was a Christian but he just needed his ‘private time’ and that there wasn’t anything in the Bible that said it was wrong to drink or smoke. I opened up my Bible and started to walk him through Galatians 5:16-21. In the middle of verse 21, ‘Fred’ interrupted me and wasn’t going to let me finish the verse, but ‘John’ stood up for me and insisted that I finish. ‘Fred’ decided to leave the conversation and left me with ‘John’ and ‘Benjamin’ to preach the true Gospel to them as well as the fruits of a true Christian. I went over Scripture after Scripture, especially in Matthew 7. ‘John’ said he was born again but the fruits of his life did not confirm that. He looked over at his friend ‘Benjamin’ who as I later found out had just come from talking with brother William and had earnestly preached the Gospel to him, and ‘John’ asked ‘Benjamin’ if he was saved. ‘Benjamin’ said ‘no’, so ‘John’ asked me to pray for his friend to get saved. I said, ‘Okay, I will pray for both of you. But let me tell you what I am going to pray so that you are sure you want me to pray for you. I am going to pray for God to do whatever it takes to save you. I am going to pray for God to takeaway everything you own, your home, family, job, if that is what it takes whatever to save you, I am going to ask Him to show you your sin, etc…’ They looked at me very soberly and agreed that they wanted me to pray for them. I started praying for them right there on the sidewalk pleading with God to do whatever it takes, pleading with God to show them their sinfulness and to bring them to the place of absolute brokenness and weeping over their sin and at the right moment to give them saving faith in Jesus Christ and set them ablaze for Christ. They were very grateful and left very sobered and serious. I was amazed at the opportunity the Lord gave and for how He enabled me to share truth with them.

Another highlight from that night was singing hymns with our windows rolled down as we traveled down the freeway. There was a wreck so others were able to hear us sing. We even saw a carload of kids who were at the club earlier that evening and brother William preached again to them and told them they needed to pay heed to the preaching they had heard earlier that night. Those kids were totally shocked to see us again. It was great.

The Lord’s day was a most blessed day. Brother Ryan preached a wonderfully encouraging message on the joy of the Lord. I highly recommend it. That afternoon we had a baptism service for sister Emily and it was the most powerful and Spirit anointed baptism I have been to. Many of her old friends and some of her family were there and the LORD mightily enabled brother Sean to preach the Gospel to them while expounding upon the true meaning of baptism. It was glorious.

Monday morning, Jen and I went to Dallas to visit our dear friend Holly and her two cute kids, Josiah and Ellie. We had a sweet time with them and were grateful to the Lord for that time. That afternoon I listened to a sermon by Rolfe Barnard on ‘Watching Men Die‘ and few sermons have impacted me in the area of being burdened for the lost like that sermon. I was so stunned after listening to it that I took a walk and was silent before the Lord for at least fifteen minutes. My heart was greatly overcome at the thought that at the Judgment throne of God there will be no mercy, only justice. Now is the time of mercy, now is the time we must plead with the sinner to seek God while mercy is to be given. During that walk I had the opportunity to meet an old neighbor lady and was invited to come back to see her which sister Lindsay and Jen and I did the next day.

Tuesday afternoon we had a powerful time of prayer interceding for a brother dear to our hearts who has strayed from the path of truth. The Lord enabled us to weep and cry out for him for one and a half hours. I have never been at such a prayer meeting where God came so powerfully. My heart was greatly quieted before the Lord after that prayer meeting (Psalm 131).

On Wednesday sister Kelsey and I went to the mall to shop for some modest shirts for her. Truly that mall was a vexation of spirit to me. But the Lord did give me an incredible opportunity to witness to a young man for 20 minutes or so about the true Gospel. The Lord greatly helped me in that conversation. We went home and spent time with sister Meg and a friend who is seeking the Lord. Then sister Kelsey and I went to Panera to spend time studying but instead ended up spending some key time talking and getting to know one another. That evening brother Trace and sister Gina from Mabank came over for dinner and the Lord greatly blessed that time of fellowship with them and moved mightily. After they left late that night, Stephanie brought three guys over who were hungry for truth and some of the brothers stayed up late sharing truth with them.

Thursday, sister Lindsay, Jen and I went to Mabank to sister Janice’s tearoom and enjoyed a wonderful luncheon with Gina and her two daughters and dear Mrs. Suzette. It was a sweet time blessed of the Lord. The remainder of our afternoon and evening was spent seeking the Lord and fellowshipping with the saints.

Friday morning we took our departure and stopped in Dallas for our last visit with beloved sister Meg. It was with reluctant steps that we turned our travels homeward, reluctant to take leave our much loved brothers and sisters in the LORD, but our time with them had come to an end for the time being. The Lord blessed us with a safe trip home and oh how good it was go be home again and to look upon the dear faces of our parents, sisters and brother.

My heart is exceedingly grateful to the LORD for blessing our trip so richly and using it to encouraging us greatly in the Lord. Praise be His HOLY Name!

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy update. I hope and pray it was profitable, edifying and of encouragement to you to take the time to read it. This fall I look forward to our family camp which is October 1-3, Roy and Jerusala’s wedding in Pennsylvania on October 9th, and Jake and Hannah’s wedding on October 23.

May the LORD Jesus Christ bless you with a greater hunger and thirst to seek Him and grow in the knowledge of His Holy Person, and may He bless you with a strong faith in Him that will endure unto the end.

Only by His grace,
sister Joy

Please, please listen to this sermon! I beg you to take 1 hour to listen to this powerful and sobering message on the seriousness of seeking the Lord while He may be found. If you think you can seek Him on your death bed and just wait till the end, you are deceived. God is not obligated to give you repentance after you have rejected Him again and again and again and have spit in His face by your refusal to bow the knee to Him and instead living a life of rebellion and sin. I implore you to please listen to this sermon and see if the salvation you have is true salvation. If you haven’t given absolutely everything up to follow Christ, you are still following the god of this world, satan, and you will perish for all eternity in hell. Now is the time to seek God for mercy for your soul. There will be no pity on judgment day for the sinner who refused true salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Today might be the last day that God can hear your cry for Him to save you. Please think about this. There is nothing more important for you to consider than the eternal future of your soul.

www.youmustbebornagain.org

Please listen to this sermon by Roy Daniel.  It is so easy to fall into spiritual pressure and to be deceived about rules that we think we must keep.    I pray this message blesses you and remember what the key to freedom is, the Scriptures!  The truth shall set ye free!  Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Oh Lord on the cross, You died for me,
To pardon my sins, and set me free.
Your mercy so great, and love so true;
My heart’s desire is to know You. Read the rest of this entry »

Every couple weeks I usually have two four and half solid slots of time that are perfect for listening to sermons, Scripture and music. Read the rest of this entry »

We had a lovely time in Wales.  All of us would like to return one day if the Lord permits.  We stayed with a precious couple, Morgan and Vashi, who bent over backwards in serving us and meeting our needs.  We are so grateful to the Lord in providing such wonderful hosts families for us during this trip.  Morgan and Vashi live in Aberfan which is about a one hour drive from Moriah Chapel where the conference was held.  Vashi had a friend visiting her from Bristol for the conference, Nicola, a lovely Christian sister in the Lord.  We enjoyed sweet times of fellowship with these three saints and hope to see them again one day, Lord willing.

There were a few unexpected occurrences that made this week slightly more interesting that it would have been otherwise.  Two of the three vehicles owned by Morgan and Vashi broke down.  There was definite spiritual warfare going on in opposition of the conference.  They rented another vehicle so that would be adequate transportation for all of us in traveling back and forth to Loughor (where the conference was).

Jon and Taylor drove over to Wales from Ireland with brother Steve Evans along with Ryan and Sean.  They had the exciting experience of crossing the Irish Seas on the ferry.  Dad, Jenny and I flew over to Cardiff on the day that the conference started.  When we arrived we went to Aberfan, the small village where Morgan and Vashi live.  After freshening up and eating a delicious Welsh meal we started off for Loughor and enjoyed an hour of sweet fellowship in the car en route to Moriah Chapel.  One positive benefit of having an hour drive back and forth to the conference was the opportunity to fellowship and talk of the Lord as we traveled.

Upon arrival at Moriah Chapel in the small town of Loughor we found the task of registration waiting for us.  It was a busy afternoon as we welcomed people to the conference from all over Great Britain, Europe, America, etc.  Moriah Chapel is the location of where the great Welsh revival started in 1904 under the preaching of Evan Roberts, a young man of the age of 26 who was greatly used of the Lord in that revival.  All of us were involved with serving in one way or another at this conference.  Dad assisted with the moderator, Jon was the photographer, Taylor helped with the videography, Jenny helped with registration and some with the sound booth, and I attempted to work the computer and projector for the worship time (that was very interesting, none of knew how to run the program, but we did successfully use it during a few of the worship sessions).  Jon, Jenny, and Taylor also had the opportunity to do a few special songs on the piano and violin (Evan Robert’s violin).

The church was packed on the first night when brother Paul Washer spoke.  There is a great hunger, especially amongst young people, for the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ that he faithfully preaches.  The Lord greatly helped him in exalting Jesus Christ and the work of Christ in drinking of the wrath of God on our behalf.  At the end of the sermon he offered to talk with any who were troubled about their souls and one man cried out from the audience asking for brother Paul to talk with him first.

On the second day of the conference brother David Legge delivered a good message on faith.  I was greatly encouraged and blessed by this message.

“Faith is the key to every door in the house of grace….Faith is faith in God.  Faith will look after itself when we focus on God and especially on His power.  If you look at yourself you will despair, if you look at others you will be disappointed.  You must look to God.  Hebrews 11:6 – You must believe that God is active.  God is working in the midst of everything.  Faith in its strength comes from God.  If we do not have a word from God on a matter we cannot ask confidently.  Faith is the title deed.  Faith is our handle on the things we cannot see.  Faith is the title deed; I need to present it before God that I do possess it.  Faith is the proof that God is going to come through!”

Brother Yorrie Richards preached a powerful message Wednesday night on Isaiah 6.  The previous night after hearing brother Paul Washer’s message I was on my face before the Lord with that very passage before me.  It was a blessing hearing this older man pour out his heart as he preached about the holy presence of the Lord.

On Thursday I was greatly blessed by a testimony shared by a brother from Ohio.  It is really neat to see the Lord do a work of transformation over the time period of a few days.  This brother truly did meet with the Lord and left the conference with a radiant countenance and a fire in his bones to seek the Lord.  It was encouraging meeting some brothers, both from America, Ireland and the UK who are ablaze for Christ and burdened for their countries.  May the Lord raise up a generation of men who have the fear of God in their lives and boldly proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Most of Thursday was spent on my part seeking the Lord and rejoicing in the sweetness of His presence.  I spent time walking up and down the street in front of Moriah Chapel, sitting on a park bench, and just praising and worshipping Jesus Christ.  It was a really blessed day.  Later I listened to the message by brother Alan Bartley and was encouraged at the burden of the Lord that was upon him while he preached his message.  I recommend listening to his message.

Brother David Legge gave the last message of the conference.  It was a powerful, anointed, word from the Lord on God’s new thing.  I highly recommend that message also.  Both brother David Legge and brother Alan Bartley are from Northern Ireland and have a burden for the Lord to bring revival to their island.  I praise God for His mercy in bringing those two brothers to preach at this revival conference.  At the end of the conference I was overwhelmed at the mercy of God towards His children at this conference.  Truly, He is the God of mercy and lovingkindness.

Notes from God’s New Thing:

“Isaiah 43:16-21.  Are you willing for God to do a new thing?  If you aren’t willing you might miss it.

God is the God of the original.  Vs. 18 – We can learn from the past but we must not be bound to the past.  You can miss it.  The children of Israel could have missed it because they were focused on the past.

If we have a pre-conceived idea of how He must work, we might miss it.

The Pharisees knew the Scriptures but they did not know their God.  It is not the Biblically illiterate that struggle in this area of confining God to their understanding.

The poison of legalism is that it confines God to work in a manner that I am comfortable with.

Joel 2, Acts 2 – The reaction was utter confusion, utter amazement, they were all ill at ease.

Peter was the key to the Gentiles receiving the kingdom of heaven, yet he himself stumbled at God’s new thing.

Jonathan Edwards said that God never does a work of revival without stumbling blocks.

Our convictions should never become restrictions of what God does.

Some of the resistance to revival is based on our ideas of proper order.

How do you distinguish between a genuine prophet and a false prophet:

1. Is the preaching in the movement Christ-centered?
2. Does it oppose sin?
3. Does it affirm respect for the Scriptures?
4. Does it bring an awareness of the shortness of life and eternity?
5. Does it encourage genuine love to God and your neighbor?
6. Does it produce genuine conversions that bring forth good fruit?

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I highly recommend that you listen to Keith Daniel’s personal testimony.  It’s a powerful testimony of the power of God to radically change an entire family for the glory of Christ.  I’m so grateful to God for doing this amazing work in the Daniel family!  The church of today would be greatly impoverished without His anointed preaching.

Personal Testimony by Keith Daniel

Another sermon by Keith Daniel that has ministered to me recently is The Thorn in the Flesh