Rev. Josephine Marie (Jo) Ayers, wife of 27 years, mother, grandmother of 5. She is also a worshiper, author, conference speaker, prophet, teacher, evangelist, church planter.
Ordained and licensed since since late 90’s she is now president and founder of Flames of Fire Ministries, Inc.an Apostolic and Prophetic Ministry. Jo also Vice President of the Mendon Fire District Auxiliary.
Her home church is Elim Gospel Church, Lima, NY., where she is an “Influencer “. Former Area Team Member for San Diego, Ca. Women’s Aglow. Former Facility Chairperson for Camp Rainbow Women’s Correctional Facility, Fallbrook, Ca. under Women’s Aglow, and also her own ministry. She is also former Associate Director of a Greater Rochester Healing Rooms. She is also a NYS Registered Professional Nurse, and former California realtor and notary. Website: flamesoffire.us
Email: [email protected]
In our stormy world the LORD says you will find Him in:
THE EYE OF THE STORM
Not long ago, I had an appointment a good distance away from my place, in the city of Rochester. The meeting was over very late, and when getting into the car, it was starting to rain, some lightning and thunder.
By the time I hit the interstate to go home, it was coming down in sheets, roads were flooded in places, hail, thunder, lightning, could hardly see.
What made it worse was I took the wrong exit on ramp, which put me right in the eye of, yes, a tornado. I did not know that till later. Rarely do we get them much here.
I thought to myself this was similar to an instance driving in Minnesota, going through tornado alley. The storm was so intense I had to pull off the road, to wait, I could not see. Well this time I could not stop, my car began to act up!
My car gives me great gas mileage, but at that time was very old, and rust has taken its toll. It has numerous issues, but all of a sudden it started to stutter and backfire, and oh my goodness, if I pulled over, it might never start again.
Lately it had acted with moisture and it has been raining a whole lot. I pictured myself alone, in the dark in this storm, it was after 10 pm, and was I tempted to cry.
Instead I cried out louder to HIM. I did not even put the radio on, I wanted not distractions. I was going slowly, flashers on, seeing anything was an issue. I was tired, but my adrenaline was now at full tilt. I began praising and praying, and declaring. Truthfully I was scared. I was crying out to Poppa to keep this car going. I had to play with the defogger, and shifter, some gears were worse than others with the ‘stuttering’.
Big trucks zooming by me were dumping more water on me, and decreasing visibility more. But I had to keep going. Something (GOD) kept telling me to keep moving. I felt driven. Then to make matters worse to me, I did it again, missed my interstate exchange, and somehow ended up at NYS thruway entrance.
Oh well I can do that, take the thruway to Henrietta and home from there. Little did I know I was very close to where this tornado touched down. GLAD I DID NOT KNOW THAT, THEN!
This 2nd detour actually was better, the roads were better, less traffic, and better visibility although it was still weathering. I was finally able to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel, that my part in this storm was over.
Finally, home after a 60-minute ordeal, that should have taken me 24 minutes. The next day I found out it was a real tornado that touched down, E1, very close to where I had traveled. In all likelihood I did drive through the eye of the storm.
I learned some more key points during this ordeal, that actually paralleled some trials I have been through the last recently.
1) When you cannot see through the messes in your lives, GOD is working behind the scenes. Keep going, keep focused on HIM, persevere, do not give up!
2) What looks like a mistake or detour is actually GOD guiding you to your safe haven. Sometimes He has us not see the way we normally go, because HE knows there may be danger there. Our eyes are temporarily obscured to do what looks as an error, to guide us to a better path.
3) He takes you sometimes in what looks like something amazingly hard to demonstrate HIS keeping power.
4) He keeps us going, and even if the car (ministry) sputters, the super overcomes the natural. He is the source of all provision and power, and not to worry.
5) He makes us face our fears even when we would rather not, so when we come out, we realize our fears are exactly that, False Evidence Appearing Real. During that trip the LORD brought back to mind the meeting I had just come from, which was an amazing success for the Kingdom of God. Why my God would not have that go so well, and then dump me in the overflowing interstate, in the dark. That revelation brought me great peace.
When we face our fears head on, it takes the power out of them. He gives us great strength in HIM to face more things. He takes us from challenge to challenge and we develop a history with Him, we can pull on as we live our journey out and face more situations.
We can bank on who He is, what He has done, and that He does not plan on changing. His promises are “yea and amen”.
He is making His forerunners strong to stand in difficult times. It’s spiritual boot camp folks!
If I had known I would be driving in a tornado I would not have gone out, this meeting would not have happened, God would not have get the Glory as HE did. Sometimes God shields you from what is ahead, so you do not retreat, if it is HIS plan, just remember you will stand!
6) I was told the eye of the storm is the safest place. It sure did not look like it, I was very close, but apparently for me it was. I was not near trees or power lines, things that could fall on my car, and I just kept my speed, and stayed in my own lane. Stay focused on the Master!
7) I prayed and praised! But I had to keep telling myself, God did not bring me this far to have me in a wreck or stranded. I had to believe and go to HIS words, HE will never leave me or forsake me, and Psalm 91. When I walk through the fire I will not be burned, and the waters will not overflow me. It is important to have His Words planted in your mind, and heart. I had to trust even though I could NOT see in front of me. He did.
8) As I said I had just experienced a major victory in that meeting I had, and the enemy was right there to still my joy and bring me great fear. I had to take thought that I was getting captive, and eventually the fear and peace returned. In order to know the lies, you have to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
9) My eyes were firmly fixed on the windshield and not the rear window. Forget what experiences lay in the past! Do not presuppose the hard stuff in the past will always be, in the present and future.
We are new creations ins Christ, and HIS eye is not only on the sparrow, but us constantly.
10) I was tired; He does not sleep. The eyes of the LORD roam to and from the earth, to uphold the righteous. His lines are always open to our 911 calls, and you don’t even need to have a phone.
11) When I could not see the road ahead, I ‘followed the white lane lines” Markers are there for us to see, from GOD, when we can’t see ahead. We go on the written WORD and HIS Rhema, what He speaks to our hearts. He will never leave us without markers and guides, and direction.
These lines, as I said, were a whole lot brighter than the road was. His markers will stand out, even in a fearful moment!
12) He is always with us in the storms and detours. Our part is to praise and thank Him. I thanked Him for the detour, and the opportunity to again know His keeping power. He is in our storms, and when we can’t see He does. All of this enlarged my faith even more, to go through, keep going and we will see our safe haven, it is in Him. Even though the enemy seeks who he can destroy, and roars. The enemy is toothless, and the LION OF JUDAH roars loader, and is very protective of HIS OWN.
13) Safely home. He will never fail us, and we are strengthened to move on to the next steps in our journey on this earth, with confidence and greater faith for us and to share.
14) God is in ALL the storms in our lives and He uses these to make us stronger not destroy us.
15) Our expectations of how things should go can lead to disappointments, be willing to go with the flow of what HE is doing, knowing HE knows best. Sometimes HE shields us from what actually will be, because at that time in our life HE knew we would run away. He will never give us more than we can handle, even though, we often do not agree with HIM, on what we can handle. He will always provide the way of escape. We walk by faith and not by sight, TRULY!
Romans 8:28
2 Corinthians 1:20
Philippians 3:13
2 Corinthians 5:17
Matthew 10 :29-31
2 Chronicles 16:9
Hebrews 11:1
Psalm 121:4
1Corinthians 10:13
Isaiah 43:2
2 Corinthians 5:7
Josephine Marie Ayers
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