I) GOD HAS ALWAYS ***Taken Great Care of Me** My Personal Experience!!!!!!!!!
A. Both of my Birth Parents died during the year of my 6th birthday: My Birth father (Taft Coker), and (Mother-Sara Hemphill Coker). [Mother was taken by cancer; Father was taken by diabetes]........ BUT GOD---HE ALREADY was working out HIS plan for Me!!!
(Now picture this in your mind and heart)---My Uncle Joe worked on the train which passed up and down the track across the street from our front yard. When the train passed by our house --- there would come "flying out from that train into my front yard" would be a brown paper bag of candy---for Me!!!
When my Birth parents died --- Uncle Joe, and his wife (Aunt Willard) adopted me---they became my Adoptive Parents!!!
SO...before Anyone on Earth knew that both of my birth parents would die when I was age 6--- HOLY GOD our Father was already building a relationship of love and giving between me and Uncle Joe (Who would be my "Daddy" who raised me from age 6 to age 38!!!).
B) After high school - the Vietnam War was becoming very Fierce and Hot!!! Rather than having to fight in a horrible war in the terrible jungles and mountains of Southeast Asia--- GOD'S Plan brought me into the U. S. Navy --- so that for 2 years I was stationed on an island off the coast of Washington State. After that 2 years...I was transferred to be stationed for 2 years in Hawaii. (How Good GOD is!!!).
C) When I was discharged from the Navy, I expected to go to college...but I had no idea what I should choose for my Major courses...so GOD used my Minor courses to prepare me for the job that became my career---that I truly loved for 34 years!!!
D) When it became (GOD'S Time) for me to retire --- the only "plan" that I had...was a desire to be free to walk in the woods and pray each day...But GOD'S plan was, and is...for me to study His Word (the Bible), and to bow before Him, and to share through this (HIS) blog, and through the U. S. Mail --- how HE guides and enables my life. And His plan of sharing His Word is indeed the most fulfilling thing that I have done!!!
II GOD is faithful to His Word and His Righteous Character"...if we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him]; HE remains True [faithful to His word and to His Righteous Character]". (2 Timothy 2:13/Amplified Bible). A) In (1 Kings 19:19-20), Elisha became a servant to the prophet ELIJAH. In (2 Kings 2:1-10), When ELIJAH is about to go to heaven --- ELIJAH asks his servant Elisha -"Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said 'Please let a Double Portion of your Spirit be upon me.' ELIJAH answered 'You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you See Me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you..." In (2 Kings 2:11-12) "...ELIJAH went up by a whirlwind into heaven...and Elisha saw it...".
I (Barry) am not going to list here Every one of the the Miraculous things that HOLY SPIRIT did through ELIJAH and Elisha...But if you will read 1 Kings and 2 Kings for yourself (asking the Holy Spirit to "guide you into the truth...") then you will learn it for yourself! (In John 16:13, JESUS Says "...HE (HOLY SPIRIT) will guide you into all truth..."). In (2 Kings 13:14-21) We see that "...Elisha died, and they buried him..."Moab invaded the land in the spring...So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders, and put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet."
SO what are WE to learn from this?
1) Worship JESUS CHRIST!!! 2) Read the Bible, asking the HOLY SPIRIT to "...guide me into the truth...". 3) In GOD'S timing, HE will teach us that "HE will carry out His plan and do far over and above all that we dare to ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams--- to Him be glory in the church and in CHRIST JESUS throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it)". (Ephesians 3:20/Amplified Bible).
