Keeper of the Flame

Over a year ago we had a preacher  come to our church and talk about revival.  He had been a part of the Brownsville revival and had some great stories that he shared.  He mentioned how many ministries were birthed out of the revival and then said something that I couldn't forget.  He talked about how in all the business and people going out and spreading the revival that there needs to be a keeper of the flame.  

I started wondering about what it meant to be a keeper of the flame and I felt Holy Spirit nudging me to dig a little deeper.   I had never heard of this term before so I started to ask the Lord what it meant.   What Holy Spirit kept saying is that  he needs a prayer warrior to protect and keep the flame burning.

Charles Finney had an intercessor who used to go ahead of him to prepare the town or city for a visitation of God.  Maria Woodsworth-Etter had prayer warriors who linked up with her to help bring the revival fire to the places God called her to.  Smith Wigglesworth  had a precious daughter who supported him in prayer mightily.  

Through out history we see intercessors-- those who stand in the gap between God and man, joining up with revivalists to bring God's purposes to pass in the earth.

I felt Holy Spirit asking us if we would sign up to be  "Keepers of the Flame", for a season.  I believe there are many that are feeling the call to intercede for the Great Awakening that God wants to bring to North America.  

It has not been hard either.  If you can worship the King and pray kingdom prayers you are doing it already.  So let's keep praying the Lord's prayer over our land and our nation.  Let's worship the King in spirit and in truth and watch to see what He wants to say to us. ( Matt. 6:9-15, 2Chron. 7:14-16,  John 4:23) There is great grace upon those who sign up to be used in God's army.

Like I read somewhere,  "The History books will be kind to us because we intend to write them."  Let's keep that quote in mind as we go about our business with a song and a prayer on our hearts.

I keep hearing that, the king is enthralled with our beauty. (Psalm 45:11)  Ha!  That's worth something... to think that the King of Kings desires our beauty.  Amazing and very humbling at the same time.  Let's be like Esther and go through all the beauty preparations that are available! (ref. Esther 2:12)

I bless you as you go today.  May you bless the Father's heart with your songs and prayers today.   May you hear his, "Well done!" as you seize the moments to advance the kingdom of God. Amen!

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

Seeking Him With Prayer And Fasting

Hi there.  If there ever was a time to seek the Lord it's now.  2011 is almost over and we still haven't had the breakthrough that was prophesied at the beginning of the year.

I started fasting a meal a day when my girlfriend got sick and it really helped me get answers quickly. I know it might seem hard for you to give up a meal but the rewards are so worth it.

Ruth Ward Heflin teaches that fasting is a fast way to touch the heart of God.  Also she teaches that fasting speeds up the christian growth of a believer.  What might take years in regular studying and seeking God can be accelerated very quickly with the aid of fasting. (ref. Golden Glory  pg. 262)

There's no doubt about it, fasting disciplines your flesh and reminds your 'old man' who is boss.  It is one of the fastest ways I know to walk in the Spirit of God.  Things of the spirit flow so easily when you fast. I get words of knowledge for everybody I walk by when I'm in seasons of fasting and I can walk into a room and know what the ruling spirits are and their assignments. I walk by people and know what's wrong in their bodies.  It's really amazing how much more sensitive we become to things in the spirit when we fast.

Isaiah 58 speaks about the rewards of fasting.  It says that we will repair the breach and restore the foundations that have crumbled.   Does anybody in your family need help?  How about in your community?  Anybody lost their way?   Fasting combined with prayer and seeking Jesus will benefit everybody you touch and influence!

Did you know that before the great healing movement in the late 1940's there was a preacher that was greatly anointed to teach on fasting?  Franklin Hall went around from city to city and taught churches and leaders how to fast and pray and the great benefits of fasting.  This is what led to the great healing movement in the late 1940's.   And as a result an old key that had been lost was restored to the church-- healing. (ref. Golden Glory pg. 260)

I  have a great book on Prayer and Fasting by Mahesh Chavda titled, "The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting."  Did you know that Jesus taught that some spirits won't come out without prayer and fasting?  It's true.  (ref. Mark 9:29, Matt. 17:21)

Finally, EVERY revival has been birthed by prayer and fasting.  That's enough proof for me.

I am off to my bedroom again. I have got my notebook, pens, voice recorder, Bible, reference books and cd player with music... oh and a hot tea.  It's time to seek God/Jesus/Holy Spirit for breakthroughs-- personally and corporately.

Lord, I ask that the grace you have given me to fast and pray you would impart to the person reading this.  Show them how much  benefit prayer and fasting can be to their lives.   Amen!

Bless you!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

Turtle Dream

A few years ago I had a dream that bothered me for quite a while.   God's turned it into a testimony so I will share it with you.

I was breathless from running, trying to get away from the turtle men chasing me and throwing knives at me.  What was going on?  Why did they want me so bad? I couldn't understand. I hadn't done anything wrong.


From a  corridor I ran into a large room, but with no doors or windows that I could see.  The only fixture I could see was a large fireplace with bricks going up to the ceiling.


I didn't know where to go!  I saw that a couple of the bricks were sticking out and there was an opening in the brick wall much further up so I scrambled up the side, on top of the mantle and dodged the knives that were being thrown at me.


For some reason the turtle men didn't want to climb the fireplace. They kept trying to kill me with their knife throwing so I squeezed into the air passageway and slithered down it.  All of a sudden a wasp's nest erupted around me and started stinging me.  I couldn't get away fast enough!  Stinging pain all over my body as I swatted them away and tried to keep going.

I woke up hyperventilating, tears streaming down my cheeks.  I couldn't go back to sleep for a while then, when I did, I had the same dream over again, from a slightly different viewpoint.  I couldn't get past the dream.

I did what little dream analysis I knew about and searched the internet for more answers.  I could never find out what turtle men represented.  I figured out that the knives were an attack and that I was running away.  The wasp nest was the stings from all the people's curses.

The big room with the fireplace was symbolic of the open spot I had. What's significant is the fire place.  I had to step on the mantle to get away from these turtle men and yet they didn't want to climb it! I believe that's because the mantle was my mantle and it wouldn't work for anyone else.

I just found out what the turtle men represented thanks to a cd by Charlie Robinson.  In it he talks about the turtle spirit  and how it causes everything to slow down so that you can't make any forward motion of any kind, whether in thought, speech or action towards your destiny.

I had this dream years ago, weeks after I was cut from a street preaching organization.   I wasn't getting any results with their canned, legalistic script and I couldn't memorize the leader's funny stories to save my life. I really did try to memorize one of them but when I got onto the streets I forgot it all and had to preach what the Lord gave me.

What was working for me was calling out words of knowledge and praying for the sick intertwined with the Good News of the Gospel.  I had hundreds of people watching when I went to go pray for a man in a wheel chair.  I wasn't even paying attention to the people watching.  My heart lurched in compassion and I had to go minister to him.  It wasn't until  I said good bye to him that I noticed that the whole street and lunch crowd were watching me.

I never felt more alive than when I was out on the streets, telling people about God's great love for them, and giving out words of knowledge and prophesy and healing the sick.  Sure it was scary at times, but I knew I was born for this.  It was really interesting to me to realize how my message would change slightly, depending if I was in front of the Dept. of Justice or in front of the CBC building or at the Ottawa University.  God knew what these people needed to hear and I relied on him totally.

That's why it hurt so much when I was dismissed. I was crying out to the Lord for help.  I couldn't find anyone that would go with me. I just needed one person to go with me as a witness in case of trouble and I couldn't find even that one person.

Now that I know what the turtle men represent, which was everything possible to slow me down from discovering my destiny,  I have been seeking the Lord for what to do, to get back on track. Thank God he always has a back up plan.  That should give all of us reason to rejoice!

You know I am not that far off track according to the Lord.  I am now in a church where I am encouraged to grow in my ministry gifts and I get to practice every week.  Instead of street preaching I am giving out a lot of encouraging words and praying for people for healing and deliverance. It's working!  The Kingdom is being spread every where I go.  The world is my ministry ground and God is touching people everywhere. 

I am here to tell you that it does not matter what the enemy throws at you, if you won't quit God will bring you through it and he will turn it to good.  It's amazing but true. I am living proof of this.  He does cause all things to work together for your good, for those who love the Lord. (ref. Rom. 8:37)

So don't quit!  Better days are ahead of you. "Rejoice not against me oh my enemies, for though I have fallen, yet shall I arise!" (ref. Micah 7:8)

Let's pray. "Lord we claim your victories in our lives. Show us how to beat every scheme of the enemy and thank you for your power to work all the circumstances in our lives to our good. You are amazing and we worship you and give you all the glory for what you are doing in our lives today. Thank You Lord for giving us eyes to see your kingdom, ears to hear your gentle voice and teachable hearts to treasure and obey your words to us. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen!
I bless you as you go today!

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson
(photo courtesy of photobucket.com)