Kathy Mai
Water of Life Ministries
Overcomings
*Revised Overcomings
Years ago,
before I married Terry, my parents and I lived in Argyle, Texas. My dad held home
bible studies, and he, mother, and I would lead a few songs. Even back then, I could
hear the spirit of God worship through my Dad, and it would prick my heart. I could
hear it in my spirit. I know now that God has given me a heart to worship him in
spirit and in truth, and I could hear the spirit of God coming out of my dad's heart.
A few years later, we moved back to McKinney, Texas, and while sitting in Dad's den
with a few people praying , up in my spirit came a song. My Dad said, "Jane,
(that's what he calls me) have you got something?" I said, "Yes, I've got
a song!", and I proceeded to blurt it out. You have got to understand, we are
talking about a person with no singing ability whatsoever, except maybe in the
bathtub. I didn't speak publicly, much less, sing. I was too full of fear of
man to do anything in front of people. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had
to make a speech one day, because I was running for an office in one of the clubs. I
thought I would shake to death before I finished, so you can imagine what it was like for
me to sing in front of people. Not good! I would get huge red splotches all
over my neck and face, and it was quite embarrassing.
Not too much happened in this area for a while. I would
just worship at home, or in my car, or where ever no one else could hear. Then one
day after I married Terry, my dad had me start leading worship with him at the church in
Plano. This was a major overcoming in my life. First, to be in front of a
group of people, secondly, to sing, and thirdly, my husband was a professional
singer. Somehow though, I knew this was God in my life, and he began to perfect my
faith in this area. I became comfortable singing with Terry in front of just about
anyone. The Lord brought several people in my life to encourage me to believe he
could do this in my life. One of those was Pat Knotts, who I saw minister the Spirit
of God, and it was powerful. Well, I didn't know that was what he had in store
for me also.
One day, Pat was ministering at a women's meeting in
Dallas, and I believed that God told me to go. So, I asked a couple people, and we
went. I have to say, it is the only meeting I have ever attended of that sort, and
the only one I ever care to attend, but I knew that God had sent me. There was a
lady there who sang a song, and the power of God filled my spirit. I thought to
myself, "I have got to find that song so Terry can sing it." It was
powerful. I managed to get a tape of that meeting, but the recording of the
song was lousy. I looked for that song for over a year, and one day, I ran across it
and bought it. I took it to Terry, and said, "You have just got to hear
this!" Well, God began to minister to me, "You sing it." I
said, "You've got to be kidding!", but I knew in my spirit he wasn't. I
began to talk this over with Terry, and he encouraged me that, yes, I could do it.
I will share with you now, Terry could have given me voice lessons and instructed me in
the ways of music, but he has never done anything except encourage me. After I
got this settled in my heart, I walked into my dad's office one Sunday morning and said,
"I've got a song to sing sometime you believe it's right." He said,
"How about this morning, following worship?" My dad was wise. He
didn't give me time to back out. Actually, the spirit in him knows me. So
following worship, I stepped up to sing, and in my heart I said, "Jesus, just let me
see your power." I opened my mouth and began to sing, and my eyes fastened on a
man in our church, and God began to set him free. That was all I needed, all I cared
about, not how I sounded, or anything else. Just to see the power of God manifest
while I was singing.
That was just the beginning of what God has done in my heart concerning
ministering his spirit in song. I went through a two to three year period where I
couldn't sing a note, because of the attack on my voice. It wasn't a physical
attack, it was spiritual. During this time, the Lord ministered Psalms 40:1-3 which
says this; I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my
cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my
feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto out God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Jesus has established my goings, set my feet upon the
rock (Jesus), and there is definitely a new song in my heart. I guess you could say
in this case, God took the simple and confounded the wise. I could never have
accomplished this in the flesh, but I dared to believe what God had put in my heart.
I also realize, it is Jesus in me, not myself, that ministers his spirit and power.
I know that I have only begun to see what God is going to do in my life, and worshipping
him in Spirit and Truth is part of it. I desire to see the glory of the Lord fill
this earth, and I believe that I will. I don't turn red and shake anymore when I get
up to sing or speak. Believing what Jesus did for me when he rose from the dead has
caused me to overcome that fear of man, and I have learned to rule my spirit.
Proverbs 25:28 says: He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like
a city that is broken down, and without walls.
I have learned to not let fear rule me. Jesus said
in John 14:27; Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. We can rule our spirits and not yield to fear by believing
in, trusting in and adhering to the gospel. (Jesus died, was buried, and he rose the third
day) I used to have a very fearful soul and a spirit that would run away with
me, but praise God, Jesus has changed my heart, taught me to rule my spirit, and
walk in his spirit.
I encourage you to believe this gospel. It will
bring to pass anything that you need in this life. If God will do it for me, he will
do it for you. "Lord, I thank you that the same spirit that raised Jesus
from dead rests upon every person that reads this overcoming. Cause them to hear
your voice, and obey it." Praise God!
See you next time.
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Hello
again! This has been in my heart for several days, so I'm going to share what seemed
somewhat insignificant to me at first, but I remember at the time God was delivering me,
it was very significant!! I'm sure that some of you will think it a little
ridiculous, some will chuckle, but there is someone out there who is driven because of
this spirit in your life. It is not fun, I remember.
Terry and I were married in mom and dad's rose
garden in May of l979. We had planned an outdoor ceremony, and God came through with
beautiful weather.(except one minor detail, which I will share later) Terry and I
were tempted on every corner because we did not have an alternative plan, but God does not
have alternative plans. When he puts something in your spirit, it will come to pass.
Terry and I had told dad what we believed would be right, and we were in
agreement that this was the will of God.
When I woke up the morning of the wedding,
my nose was running like a faucet, my eyes were red, itchy,and swollen, and
basically, I was looking pretty bad. There were family members all around, and it
never seemed like I could get this spirit off of me. We have learned that behind
every sickness is a spirit. The longer we went through the day, the worse I got, and
the more miserable I felt. Of course, everyone's tongues were wagging too, and that
did not help. I just kept saying, "I'm fine! I'll be just fine!"
It was not right at this time to say, "It's a spirit, don't you
know!?!?" Well, the truth was they didn't know. So, I continued to take
care of business, trying to pray to myself and resist the devil. It just kept
getting worse. By mid afternoon, I was looking pretty bad. My dad said,
"Jane, come back here in your room." I went back there and he said,
"What's bugging you?" I said, "This is supposed to be one of the
biggest times in my life, and look at me! I look terrible! Who would want to
marry me?" This is where I was at the time. The spirit of God
started working in my life from the beginning, and he is still doing so. I have
since learned we don't regard one day above another, but we are to regard each day to the
Lord. (Romans 14:6-8) Anyway, we will discuss that another day, if God
permits. Dad began to pray for me and all the sudden he said,
"You spirit of vanity, come out of her!!" Well, the rest is history.
I was delivered, and healed in the self-same hour. You could see immediate changes
on my face and in my body. We shared with Terry and mom what had taken place, and of
course, Terry was a happy man. He wasn't going to have to look at that frail, sick
looking person anymore. Just kidding!! We were all happy at the fact that
Jesus was glorified on this day, and this was the whole purpose of the wedding anyway.
Then it was right to tell people what had happened. Terry's family, and mine
began to notice I was better. Dad and I shared with them that God had delivered me
from a spirit of vanity. Some believed, some didn't, but there was no denying, that
I was a different girl. We have pictures to prove it!! Praise God! Do
you see, folks, what kind of Father that we have? He cares about every intricate
part of our lives. I have talked to so many people who say, "Oh, I wouldn't
want to bother God with something so small." Let me ask you this,
if you needed a dollar, and you knew that your dad, mother, or someone here on earth could
help, wouldn't you ask? There is no difference people! God is
our Father! He loves us. John 14:23, Jesus says this: If
a man love me, he will keep my words: and my father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him. If
Jesus is Lord of our lives, and we are keeping his words, this says they will come unto
us, and make their abode with us. I want that, don't you?
As I said previously, the wedding came off with out a
hitch, except one small detail. As the day progressed, I was delivered and healed,
but the wind began to pick up. I kept saying, "Lord, you know we are outside,
and there are all kinds of things that will blow!" We all kept praying, and my
dad began to ask God why the wind didn't cease? The spirit of God spoke to my Dad
and said, "That is my Holy Spirit." Needless to say, after that, Terry and
I said, "Let him blow!" As long as God's spirit was there, who
cared?!? Jesus was being glorified, and as I shared before, that was the whole
purpose of this wedding. There were people there from all walks of life, and no one
could deny what was taking place in that garden.
The spirit of God has taught me to never forget from
where I have come. There are times when I just reflect on the things that God has
done over the years. He has never stopped working in my life, and I thank him for
it. Terry and I talk about this often. In fact, Ralph and I were discussing
this the other day. It's the simple, every day things the Lord does that convinces
my heart he is in my life. I guess I am just a simple person, but you know
what? God blesses me for it. I know in the days ahead we will see greater
works than Jesus did, because he promised us we would in John 14:12: Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and
greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. I wake up
every day expecting God to do what he promised in this scripture, and I
see him moving all around me. By the way, I don't have to have every hair in place,
or my make-up on the minute my feet hit the floor anymore. I am not driven by that
spirit that told me I had to look this way or that. No, I'm not saying we need to be
a slob either, but when the kingdom of God is established in your heart, it will show up
in your appearance. Jesus said in Mark 7:15-16: There is
nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things
which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to
hear, let him hear. He goes on to say in verse 20-23: That which cometh
out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within,
and defile the man. That spirit of vanity was in my heart, and had been for as long
as I could remember. I was obsessed with my appearance, and drove all of those
around me crazy. I saw immediate changes take place in my heart as a result of
overcoming this spirit. It all stemmed from pride. I know a lot of
people will never understand this, because it was never a struggle in your life. I
do know there is someone out there who is driven and tormented with this, and God
will set you free. John 8:36 Jesus speaks this: If the
Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I
not only was delivered from this spirit, but I accepted that God had made me in his image
and in his likeness. I began to thank him for everything about myself, that I was
his workmanship and he had created me for his purpose.
Just remember this, there is nothing too small or too great for
God to take out of our hearts. It is never too late!! We need to set out
hearts on the gospel. When Jesus rose from the dead, he overcame every spirit,
sickness, curse, torment, he overcame everything!!! I want to encourage everyone to
hold fast to that gospel. Romans 1:16 tell us it is the power of God unto our
salvation. You will never depart from that gospel when you walk in the
spirit.
I will leave you with Phil 2:5-11: Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. This is the gospel, and this will bring the power
of God unto salvation. Let's believe!!
Well, I look forward to talking with you again
soon. God bless you.
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