This experience took place one evening after everyone in my family had gone to bed. It was probably in the mid to late 1970's as I remember because it was early on in my walk with the Lord. I had settled in the kitchen to read my bible when I remembered that I had to put the clothes in the dryer. Our house was built on top of garages so we had to go outside, then down the stairs in order to enter the garage. I was stopped at the door by the Holy Spirit and He spoke to me with an urgency in His voice. He said to plead the Blood of Jesus and to also cover myself with the Blood of the Lord. It was an urgent word and I did as I was told immediately even though it puzzled me. Then I proceeded down the stairs and entered the door of the garage. As soon as I entered, there before me were several evil spirits with their flaming fiery eyes angrily ready to attack me. Their eyes were piercing and filled with hatred towards me. Then they all fiercely threw their flaming darts at me but every one of the darts fell to the ground because I was shielded with an invisible shield of the faith of the Son of God! This was startling, yet invigorating to see the battle won because of the Blood of the Lord!!!
Ephesians 6:11--11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Ps. 91:4--He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Friday, May 8, 2015
SUFFERINGS AND AGONY OF JESUS' BEATINGS
This is an experience that the Lord so graciously shared with me when I was a new Christian and I feel that now is the right time to share it with others. May your hearts' loving attention be on Him and may you fall in love with Him all over again for the intensity of His love for us, shown by His voluntary submission to His Father. May your hearts be touched with His agony for each one of you that He has personally called, so as to bring each one of us back to our Father in heaven. This is the price He had to pay in order to redeem us and give us eternal life which was in Him.
Eternal life does not mean life that goes on forever, rather, it means life that has no beginning and no end and ONLY Jesus Christ could have given us this gift so that we could enjoy knowing Him...progressively becoming more intimate with Him, thereby bringing Him love and joy and comfort as well as receiving love and joy and comfort and so much more in and from Him.
This experience took place at the beginning of my walk with the Lord so the time was approximately mid-1970's. I was attending a little church in NJ at the time. While I was in the service the Lord showed me this vision of Him. I saw a very large cross before me with Jesus on it, but the emphasis and range of view was on the very upper part of our Lord. He was very badly beaten and battered. It was a terrible site and one which I had not ever even thought of or had seen portrayed before. He was really unrecognizable for His face was so swollen and blue and red in color. I was so stricken in my heart because up to that point I did not picture His face ever like that, probably because of the pictures I had been exposed to which made His face look like there nary a mark on it at all. His eyes looked like they were piercing through me, as though crying, and though His obvious pain came through His face and His eyes, His love emanated through His face at the same time, in a way I cannot explain. The evident swelling all over His face with the black, blue, and red bruises on His face really showed such extreme pain from the beatings that He endured for us because of His deep love.
Luke 22:63--Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,
John 14:6--Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Eternal life does not mean life that goes on forever, rather, it means life that has no beginning and no end and ONLY Jesus Christ could have given us this gift so that we could enjoy knowing Him...progressively becoming more intimate with Him, thereby bringing Him love and joy and comfort as well as receiving love and joy and comfort and so much more in and from Him.
This experience took place at the beginning of my walk with the Lord so the time was approximately mid-1970's. I was attending a little church in NJ at the time. While I was in the service the Lord showed me this vision of Him. I saw a very large cross before me with Jesus on it, but the emphasis and range of view was on the very upper part of our Lord. He was very badly beaten and battered. It was a terrible site and one which I had not ever even thought of or had seen portrayed before. He was really unrecognizable for His face was so swollen and blue and red in color. I was so stricken in my heart because up to that point I did not picture His face ever like that, probably because of the pictures I had been exposed to which made His face look like there nary a mark on it at all. His eyes looked like they were piercing through me, as though crying, and though His obvious pain came through His face and His eyes, His love emanated through His face at the same time, in a way I cannot explain. The evident swelling all over His face with the black, blue, and red bruises on His face really showed such extreme pain from the beatings that He endured for us because of His deep love.
Luke 22:63--Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,
John 14:6--Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
UPDATE--5-2015
The Lord's wonderful blessings to those out there who may read any of these posts. Just wanted to say that I've had to take a sort of 'leave of absence' for a while due to a season of healing, but I am now back and plan to continue to post the experiences the Lord has so graciously shared with me. I praise the Lord for everything and all that has taken place in my life. I know and I hope you know as well that He uses all of the life experiences we pass through with Him.
As you read, may you experience whatever He would have especially for your heart. I pray He touches you and brings healing in every part of your life. I ask that He would draw hearts and speak to the hearts of His own, His bride, as He so gently & sweetly loves to do. He is so worthy of all of the love in our hearts. May you sense His anointing as you visit this place. God's precious blessings to all.
As a side note, my name has been changed from Donna Marie Shuck to Donna Marie Giovanni. My new email address is: donnagiovanni888@yahoo.com I changed my name in honor of my mother and also just because I love that name. This is just another wonderful change that our Lord led me to make in 2014.
Enjoy the worship music I included in the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYzf0wK-luo Enjoy "Healing Love" by Julie True
As you read, may you experience whatever He would have especially for your heart. I pray He touches you and brings healing in every part of your life. I ask that He would draw hearts and speak to the hearts of His own, His bride, as He so gently & sweetly loves to do. He is so worthy of all of the love in our hearts. May you sense His anointing as you visit this place. God's precious blessings to all.
As a side note, my name has been changed from Donna Marie Shuck to Donna Marie Giovanni. My new email address is: donnagiovanni888@yahoo.com I changed my name in honor of my mother and also just because I love that name. This is just another wonderful change that our Lord led me to make in 2014.
Enjoy the worship music I included in the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYzf0wK-luo Enjoy "Healing Love" by Julie True
Thursday, January 16, 2014
THE JUNGLE WITHIN--THE ROOTS OF BITTERNESS
1/15/2014
This writing came about as a result of God leading me to watch the DVD, Dark Roots, Withered Souls by Bill Schnoebelen. At the end of this video, he mentioned Edward Kurath and his book, "I Will Give You Rest". I ordered the book and as soon as I opened it I was so drawn by all my eyes fell upon. The next day I called Ed Kurath and we talked for a while and he prayed for me.
He mentioned that I had a jungle within which gave me to understand that he understood why I was struggling so, given all I had been thru in my life, and also that I had a lot to work thru. The subject is the roots of bitterness and I have never felt so free in my life knowing that I can address this problem WITH JESUS that I haven't taken care of from the past and also that I can daily or whenever I have negative emotions about others or God, go thru the process of being set free from the roots of bitterness. I pray you will consider the work of Ed Kurath and his books which are listed at: www.divinelydesigned.com
I have not found any other work written in this clear way to set people free from the roots of bitterness.
THE JUNGLE WITHIN
A jungle I may have within
Thru all manner of sin
Yet I know with all my heart
That as I do my part
Jesus will save me from this dense tangle
Which grew into a terrible mangle.
I am no longer afraid
To face these dark roots that were made
I am free from being in terrors
Just because of these roots and errors.
Yes, forgiveness is true living
Towards others and myself, bringing
Fresh songs of joy
With a brand new voice!
Jesus is Not Beyond the Menagerie
No, He is the Savior and Master of all
And on Him I will call ~
And pray to be free from this sin I bear
No matter how long its been there
To find the freedom reserved for me
As He opens the way and I agree
With the truth I have feared to realize
For so many years...I listened to lies.
But now I face with my Savior
All that remains behind closed doors
And rejoice in this process of being set free
To serve my King and help others to see
That our Treasure Inside can awaken
And no longer be in a prison.
That it IS possible to be released ~
From this BITTER ROOT
As I keep on giving it the DIVINE BOOT!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
I FALL INTO YOUR LOVING ARMS
I love the way that You lead me
One thing leads to the next and to the next
Weaving a fabric of marvelous interconnections
In the beauty of the Mysterious, Miraculous
Workings of your Hands and Heart...
Such love...such mercy...
NO ONE can ever duplicate the
Prophetic landscape You possess,
For You are
The King of Time and Space...
And I fall into Your loving arms.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
ALL OBSTACLES REMOVED FOR US
All the Obstacles Being Removed for Us to Be in God
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (RcV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 14:2 In My Father's house are many abodes; if it were
not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place
for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you to Myself, so that where I
am you also may be. (20) In that day you will know that I am
in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I go to prepare a place for you," means that the Lord will
prepare a place, accomplish redemption, open up the way, and
make a standing for man to get into God. It means that the
Lord will pave the way for us to be in God.
But how can sinful people like us get into God? How can we
get into the righteous and holy God? We are far, far away
from God. How can we be brought into Him? All of the
separating elements, the obstacles of sin, sins, the world,
the Devil, death, flesh, and self, must be abolished. Then we
shall be brought near to God, and not only to God but into
God.
For this, some work, some preparation, was needed. The Lord
had to do a work of preparation. He had to go, not to the
heavens, but to the cross to remove all of the obstacles. All
of the obstacles have been removed by the Lord's all-
inclusive death. On the cross the Lord abolished all the
barriers between us and God. He dealt with sin, sins, the
world, the prince of this world, the flesh, the self, the old
man, and even death. By death and resurrection the Lord paved
the way and prepared the place that we might be brought into
God.
Words of Ministry taken from Witness Lee, Life-study of John
(Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985), pp. 360-361
(Repeat 1/27/97)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (RcV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 14:2 In My Father's house are many abodes; if it were
not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place
for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you to Myself, so that where I
am you also may be. (20) In that day you will know that I am
in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I go to prepare a place for you," means that the Lord will
prepare a place, accomplish redemption, open up the way, and
make a standing for man to get into God. It means that the
Lord will pave the way for us to be in God.
But how can sinful people like us get into God? How can we
get into the righteous and holy God? We are far, far away
from God. How can we be brought into Him? All of the
separating elements, the obstacles of sin, sins, the world,
the Devil, death, flesh, and self, must be abolished. Then we
shall be brought near to God, and not only to God but into
God.
For this, some work, some preparation, was needed. The Lord
had to do a work of preparation. He had to go, not to the
heavens, but to the cross to remove all of the obstacles. All
of the obstacles have been removed by the Lord's all-
inclusive death. On the cross the Lord abolished all the
barriers between us and God. He dealt with sin, sins, the
world, the prince of this world, the flesh, the self, the old
man, and even death. By death and resurrection the Lord paved
the way and prepared the place that we might be brought into
God.
Words of Ministry taken from Witness Lee, Life-study of John
(Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985), pp. 360-361
(Repeat 1/27/97)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
LEARN TO PRAY PERSISTENTLY
LEARN TO PRAY PERSISTENTLY (1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (Recovery Version) ~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 18:1 And He told them a parable to the end that they
ought always to pray and not lose heart, 2 Saying, There
was a certain judge in a certain city who did not fear God
and did not regard man. 3 And there was a widow in that
city, and she kept coming to him, saying, Avenge me of my
opponent. 4 And for a time he would not; but afterward he
said within himself, Even though I do not fear God nor regard
man, 5 Yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will
avenge her, lest by continually coming she wear me out. 6
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7
And will not God by all means carry out the avenging of His
chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, though He is long-
suffering over them? 8 I tell you that He will carry out
their avenging quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man
comes, will He find faith on the earth?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 1 of 2]
The widow in verse 3 signifies the believers. In a sense, the
believers in Christ are a widow in the present age because
their Husband Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) is absent from them. In
this parable the Lord indicates that the believers in Christ
have an opponent. This opponent is Satan, the Devil,
concerning whom we need God's avenging. We ought to pray
persistently for this avenging and not lose heart. Actually,
the Lord is not absent; He is present. But during His
apparent absence, we are a widow whose opposer is troubling
her all the time.
While our opposer is persecuting us, it seems that our God is
not righteous, for He allows His children to be unrighteously
persecuted. For example, John the Baptist was beheaded, Peter
was martyred, Paul was imprisoned, and John was exiled.
Throughout the centuries, thousands upon thousands of honest
and faithful followers of the Man-Savior have suffered
unrighteous persecution. Even today we are still undergoing
unrighteous mistreatment. Our God seems to be unjust, since
He does not come in to judge and vindicate.
Because of this situation, the Man-Savior in 18:1-8 uses an
unjust judge to signify God who does not seem to do anything
on behalf of His persecuted people. What shall we do in a
situation when we are persecuted and it seems that our God is
not living, present, or just? From this parable we learn to
be a bothering widow, one who prays to God persistently. It
seems that He is not righteous. Nevertheless, I have learned
that we need to bother God in prayer, that we should pray to
Him persistently without losing heart.
[Continued tomorrow]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
(RcV) and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Luke, pp. 347-350. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
LEARN TO PRAY PERSISTENTLY (2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (Recovery Version)~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 11:8 I say to you, Even though he will not rise up and
give him anything because he is his friend, surely because of
his shameless persistence he will rise and give him what he
needs. (9) And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given to
you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to
you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 2 of 2]
In Luke 18:1-8 we see the prayer from the visible realm. This
kind of prayer is related to our enjoyment of the jubilee.
Often the children of those who are faithful followers of the
Lord ask their parents why they are suffering persecution.
They may ask, "Since we love the Lord Jesus so much, why must
we suffer?" Usually the parents do not know how to answer. It
seems to the children that the Lord whom their parents follow
is not righteous. We also may wonder why we suffer, since we
love the Lord and follow Him. The parable in 18:1-8 answers
our question.
When our Husband is apparently absent and we are left on
earth as a widow, temporarily our God seems to be an
unrighteous judge. Although He appears to be unrighteous, we
still must appeal to Him, pray persistently, and bother Him
again and again.
We need to be careful in understanding a parable such as the
one recorded in 18:1-8. We should not try to understand it in
a natural way. On the one hand, this parable indicates that
the Judge is sovereign. This means that whether or not He
judges is up to Him. Seemingly without reason, He may either
listen to the widow or not listen to her. This parable
reveals that He is the sovereign Lord and that He judges
whenever He chooses.
On the other hand, this parable indicates that we need to
bother the Lord by praying persistently. We need to say to
Him, "Lord, praying is up to me, not up to You. You never
told me that I should not pray. On the contrary, You charged
me to pray. Therefore, Lord, I am praying now for Your
vindication." The significance of this parable is profound,
and we all need to know God as He is revealed here. We also
need to see that the kind of prayer described here helps us
to enjoy the jubilee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
(RcV) and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Luke, pp. 351-352. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (Recovery Version) ~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 18:1 And He told them a parable to the end that they
ought always to pray and not lose heart, 2 Saying, There
was a certain judge in a certain city who did not fear God
and did not regard man. 3 And there was a widow in that
city, and she kept coming to him, saying, Avenge me of my
opponent. 4 And for a time he would not; but afterward he
said within himself, Even though I do not fear God nor regard
man, 5 Yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will
avenge her, lest by continually coming she wear me out. 6
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7
And will not God by all means carry out the avenging of His
chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, though He is long-
suffering over them? 8 I tell you that He will carry out
their avenging quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man
comes, will He find faith on the earth?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 1 of 2]
The widow in verse 3 signifies the believers. In a sense, the
believers in Christ are a widow in the present age because
their Husband Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) is absent from them. In
this parable the Lord indicates that the believers in Christ
have an opponent. This opponent is Satan, the Devil,
concerning whom we need God's avenging. We ought to pray
persistently for this avenging and not lose heart. Actually,
the Lord is not absent; He is present. But during His
apparent absence, we are a widow whose opposer is troubling
her all the time.
While our opposer is persecuting us, it seems that our God is
not righteous, for He allows His children to be unrighteously
persecuted. For example, John the Baptist was beheaded, Peter
was martyred, Paul was imprisoned, and John was exiled.
Throughout the centuries, thousands upon thousands of honest
and faithful followers of the Man-Savior have suffered
unrighteous persecution. Even today we are still undergoing
unrighteous mistreatment. Our God seems to be unjust, since
He does not come in to judge and vindicate.
Because of this situation, the Man-Savior in 18:1-8 uses an
unjust judge to signify God who does not seem to do anything
on behalf of His persecuted people. What shall we do in a
situation when we are persecuted and it seems that our God is
not living, present, or just? From this parable we learn to
be a bothering widow, one who prays to God persistently. It
seems that He is not righteous. Nevertheless, I have learned
that we need to bother God in prayer, that we should pray to
Him persistently without losing heart.
[Continued tomorrow]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
(RcV) and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Luke, pp. 347-350. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
LEARN TO PRAY PERSISTENTLY (2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (Recovery Version)~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 11:8 I say to you, Even though he will not rise up and
give him anything because he is his friend, surely because of
his shameless persistence he will rise and give him what he
needs. (9) And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given to
you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to
you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 2 of 2]
In Luke 18:1-8 we see the prayer from the visible realm. This
kind of prayer is related to our enjoyment of the jubilee.
Often the children of those who are faithful followers of the
Lord ask their parents why they are suffering persecution.
They may ask, "Since we love the Lord Jesus so much, why must
we suffer?" Usually the parents do not know how to answer. It
seems to the children that the Lord whom their parents follow
is not righteous. We also may wonder why we suffer, since we
love the Lord and follow Him. The parable in 18:1-8 answers
our question.
When our Husband is apparently absent and we are left on
earth as a widow, temporarily our God seems to be an
unrighteous judge. Although He appears to be unrighteous, we
still must appeal to Him, pray persistently, and bother Him
again and again.
We need to be careful in understanding a parable such as the
one recorded in 18:1-8. We should not try to understand it in
a natural way. On the one hand, this parable indicates that
the Judge is sovereign. This means that whether or not He
judges is up to Him. Seemingly without reason, He may either
listen to the widow or not listen to her. This parable
reveals that He is the sovereign Lord and that He judges
whenever He chooses.
On the other hand, this parable indicates that we need to
bother the Lord by praying persistently. We need to say to
Him, "Lord, praying is up to me, not up to You. You never
told me that I should not pray. On the contrary, You charged
me to pray. Therefore, Lord, I am praying now for Your
vindication." The significance of this parable is profound,
and we all need to know God as He is revealed here. We also
need to see that the kind of prayer described here helps us
to enjoy the jubilee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
(RcV) and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Luke, pp. 351-352. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
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