May 19, 2024
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses… Acts 1:8
Today, on Pentecost Sunday, I am praising God for the fresh enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Before beginning a very intense week I claimed Romans 8:11…And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal body… God kept His promise in an amazingly supernatural way. In addition to the busyness of travel, meetings, taping and speaking, my AFib was out of control.
The following pictures are in sequence outlining my week from May 12-18. The week began when I flew to Dallas to give the message at both Mother’s Day services at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, pastored by Dr. Tony Evans. It was the first time he had invited a woman to speak from the pulpit in the almost fifty years since the church’s founding. I was incredibly honored and humbled. I consider Dr. Evans currently to be the best preacher in America—a faithful Bible expositor who captivates his listeners with his energetic contemporary style that includes incredible illustrations and relevant applications.
I’ve known Dr. Evans daughter, Priscilla Shirer, for over twenty-five years. She has become like a little sister to me. It was a joy to have some time with her.
The next morning I was videotaped for two hours reflecting on my experience in Bible Study Fellowship, which I taught for twelve years. My reflections included my relationship with the founder/director, Miss A. Wetherell Johnson, whom I consider the premier mentor in my life—outside my family.
Following the taping I had lunch with the current director of BSF, Hollie Roberts, whom I found to be quite a visionary and very delightful.
I flew home, then on to Washington, DC, where I was joined by my family for the unveiling of my father’s statue in the Capitol on Thursday.
Friday I toured the Capitol to observe where my father’s statue was permanently placed. It is in the crypt, which is the most traveled area as it is the corridor that connects the House and the Senate. Only statues from the thirteen original colonies are allowed to be placed there. I pray that those who pass by it, including the president and all the dignitaries on Inauguration Day, will look up, and be reminded of God’s Word and God’s Gospel that are inscribed on the base…John 14:6 and John 3:16.
After returning home, the next afternoon Rachel-Ruth and I spoke under a tent at the annual picnic hosted by Coach Sylvia Hatchell (pictured below with Rachel-Ruth, Morrow and me). The atmosphere was very wet but cozy, with thunder rolling and rain pouring. But the audience was raptly attentive as we shared God’s promises of His presence with us from throughout the Bible, ending with Pentecost and His promise to not just be with us, but to be in us. We were preceded by Phil Ford, a UNC basketball superstar, who gave his moving testimony of the difference Jesus has made in his life.
So…If you are facing an intense week, month, or year with more to do than you can do, ask God to give you a down payment on your resurrection body. Claim Romans 8:11. I did,…and He gave me supernatural power to make it through not just somehow, but triumphantly!
Because God keeps His promises!
