***
* 1977
I was scheduled to testify at a court trial. I heard: "Don't testify." I believed that was a word from God.
I told my lawyer I was not going to be able to testify. He said he thought we would win the case anyway because Flo had also witnessed the event and she would testify.
Now the persecution is going to come "for the Word's sake", to try to drive me away from obeying that word which I believed to be from God.
When Flo learned I would not be testifying, she became very angry with me and said: "Now all the burden will be on me since you won't testify. I replied, "What can I do? I believe God told me not to testify so I can't testify.
Then the man I was dating said, "Joan you aren't doing this woman any good by not testifying." I replied, "I'm not trying to do her any good. I believe God told me not to testify so I can't testify."
Then during the court trial, my lawyer came to me and said, "Flo's testimony wasn't as strong as I had hoped for. But if you will testify we will win this case." I replied, "I'll see." I went into the ladies room at the courthouse and prayed asking God what HE wanted me to do and I heard, "Don't testify."
I returned to the court room and just shook my head indicating "no" to my lawyer.
The court case proceeded. I did not testify. We won the case.
More examples of believing you've heard from God and doing that word will be recorded on this Podcast.
***
* 1978
I owned a small business in American Indian Arts at the time I was born again.
During this time, an itinerant salesman of Indian arts filed a lawsuit against me. I hired a lawyer to defend me. But the legal fees were eating up all the profit from my business, and God had shown me to get out of debt and to stay out of debt and I had done that. Now I was faced with the prospect of having to go back into debt because of the bills from my own lawyer.
The Holy Spirit called the following scripture to my attention:
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of ME, saith the LORD.
I looked at that scripture and began to reason:
I'm a Christian now so this promise of God applies to me.
This weapon of this lawsuit cannot prosper against me. So why am I having a lawyer represent me in court. I can stop the legal bills by dismissing my lawyer from the case and I can go to court without any human legal counsel.
I was a very new Christian at that time so I decided to make an appointment with my pastor and tell him my plans.
As I drove to meet my pastor, I was praying, asking God to give the pastor wisdom.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
After I told the story to the pastor and revealed my plan to him, pastor said: "Joan, I perceive you have faith to handle this situation this way."
I released my lawyer.
Lawyer said, "Joan, you don't know how evil these courts are today. You can't do this."
Then lawyer said, "We're willing to work with you. It will only take about $10,000 more to try your case."
I was shocked and screamed, "$10,000 MORE ... Gordon, STOP ... Don't do anything else!"
A week later, Gordon came to my business to speak with me. He said: "Joan, we have decided to try your case without any further legal fees."
But I didn't hear God mentioned in this plan!
So I told Gordon I would need to get back with him with this.
What is going on here?
One week it is going to cost $10,000 MORE to try the case. The next week it is free to me.
I began praying, asking God what HE wanted me to do.
The Holy Spirit reminded me of a scripture to show me the will of God in this matter.
Genesis 14:21-23 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
I knew God was saying: Turn down the free legal service and plan to go to court without any human legal counsel.
(After seeing what Abraham did in setting his life for his provision to be from God, I wanted my life to be where my provision was from God!)
I refused the free legal counsel.
During those weeks before the scheduled court case, God reminded me of many scriptures. I wrote down each scripture and kept it before me day and night as I had learned to do from Joshua 1:8.
God said to Joshua: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)
I knew this same thing applied to us today.
Also I knew Psalm 1.
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
God, by HIS Spirit, had reminded me of several scriptures during this period of time. I recorded each of these scriptures over and over on a cassette tape on both sides of the tape. When I would go to bed I would turn on the tape and hear these scriptures and fall asleep to the scriptures playing. Then when I would awaken in the night, I would turn the cassette tape over and play the other side and fall asleep to scripture.
I did this all night each night to build my faith in what God had said to me and also to fight fear.
Six days before the trial was scheduled in US District Court, the man suing me dropped all charges.
It was over.
But God taught me a lot about having faith in HIM and in HIS Word and how HIS WORD given by the Holy Spirit will never fail.
***
During the next 40 years, God spoke to me many times by HIS Holy Spirit who brought information to my mind concerning the situations of this present life.
* For writings on additional subjects, click here: Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog
