SAVED BY A SEWING MACHINE

By: Donna Selma Lind

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10

"Wake up. Get your Sewing Machine and go give it to Christine." 

I woke up, sat straight up in bed and looked to see if my husband was talking to me, he was sound asleep. I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me. 

Sitting on the side of the bed, I wiped the sleep from my eyes and did my best to convince God he must have made a mistake and surely He meant to wake someone else for this assignment.  

I whined like a spoiled little kid crying to her Daddy, "Lord, why would I give my Sewing Machine to Christine? That doesn't make sense. I love my Sewing Machine, I don't want to give her my Sewing Machine! It's MY Sewing Machine!"  

Then I heard in my spirit; GO NOW and give Christine your Sewing Machine!

I got up, got dressed, packed up my Sewing Machine and headed out the door on an assignment from God. I had no idea what or why, but I have learned when I hear from God to PRAY and OBEY!

I drove fifteen minutes across town parked the truck and lugged my Sewing Machine up Three flights of stairs. 

Christine was one of our new tenants who lived in an apartment building we owned. I didn't know much about her except that she had health issues and was disabled. 

I knocked on the door and Christine hollered from inside, "Who is it?" 

It's me, the Landlord Donna.

When Christine opened the door a thick cloud of smoke billowed out of the apartment. A cigarette hung from her bottom lip and the smell of whiskey mixed with the cigarette smoke about knocked me back down the stairs! 

She peered at me like a bug with thick coke bottle glasses that magnified her crossed eyes. It made it hard for me to know where to look to talk to her.

In her dirty bare feet and bathrobe she snapped; "What do you want?"

I told her, I don't know why, but I believe God told me to come over here right now and give you this Sewing Machine! 

I didn't think her eyes could bug out any bigger but they did! 

She screamed and started bawling hysterical! She grabbed the Sewing Machine, grabbed me and started jumping up and down. She was blubbering something and I couldn't understand a word she was saying.

I made her sit down. I got her a glass of water and some tissues. I made her take some deep breaths so I could understand what she was saying.

In between tears and puffs off her cigarette she told me; "Right before you knocked on the door I was getting ready to kill myself!" 

She showed me the pills she had lined up to take with all the whiskey she had drunk. She was writing a goodbye note to her son.

She had decided she had nothing to live for and felt her life was worthless. She made a decision an hour ago to end her life. 

Christine told me that a few years before she had gotten very sick and lost her job, her home and all of her belongings. She and her son ended up destitute and homeless living on the streets. 

Recently she qualified for Disability and was able to get assistance to move into this tiny studio apartment. Although she was grateful to have a home she didn't feel productive or useful since she could no longer do what she loved to do. 

So she cried out to God to help give her a reason to live.

That's when I knocked on her door.

I asked Christine what her job was before she got sick and lost everything?

She told me she was a Seamstress!

Glory to God! She was a Seamstress!!!

Christine wept as she told me how she had to sell her Sewing Machine and other belongings for she and her son to survive when they lived on the streets. She always prayed someday, somehow she would be able to have another Sewing Machine. 

That day, God gave Christine the desires of her heart. 

Before I left we prayed and Christine gave her heart to Jesus!

The next week Christine opened her tiny apartment for me to hold weekly Bible studies. 

We all donated scraps of material and sewing supplies. Every square inch of her little apartment was redecorated with home sewn curtains, slipcovers and tablecloths. 

She started her own business where she made crafts and clothes to sell for extra income as well as gifts for everyone who lived in the building and came to our Bible study.

I even bought her new eyeglasses! Christine was a new woman recreated in Christ! She found her purpose. Christine was full of the Joy of the Lord and shared Jesus with everyone she met!

Who knew a Sewing Machine could save someones life? 

God did.

Would Christine have killed herself that day had I not been obedient to the voice of the Lord? 

Only God knows that answer. But I am so thankful to be used by God to have been able to give something to someone that could change and save their life. 

Yes the Sewing Machine was a gift, but I'm talking about giving the gift of salvation and Jesus Christ! 

Jesus is a gift for us to share with everyone we meet. 

The Sewing Machine was a tool used to introduce Christine to Jesus. 

It is Jesus who saved Christine's life that day. 

Jesus is the one who mended her heart and stitched her life back together! 

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Donna Selma Lind 💗

JESUS SPIT

By: Donna Selma Lind

What's up with Jesus spitting on people? 

It is recorded in scripture that people were healed when Jesus used his spit.

Why would He use his spit?

Let's dig into a few verses and see what treasures we can find.

In Mark 8:23-25 it says " Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?"...25 Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

John 9:1-7 As Jesus walked along he saw a man who had been blind since birth. 5 "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground. He made some mud and smeared it on the man's eyes.7 Then he said, "Go wash off the mud in Siloam Pool." The man went and washed in Siloam, which means "One who is sent." When he had washed off the mud, he could see.

Mark 7:33-35 After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd, he stuck his fingers in the mans' ears. Then he spit and put it on the man's tongue. 34 Jesus looked up toward heaven, and with a groan he said "Effatha" which means"Open up!" At once the man could hear, and had no more trouble talking clearly.

What we find in all three of these verses is that when Jesus used his spit, people were healed. 

Why spit? What is the significance of the spit of Jesus?

I believe it is because, the spit of Jesus contains his DNA!

Whoa, mind blowing! Yes, let that sink in for a minute. 

What is DNA? It stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. It's the genetic code, the molecule of life. DNA is the carrier of information. It's the distinctive characteristics or qualities of all living things.

Our DNA tells us who our Daddy is! You can't deny the hereditary DNA of your Father. 

So when Jesus spit on people he was transferring his DNA into them!

Glory to God!

They had no choice but to be healed when the DNA of Heaven touched them!

Blind eyes must see. Deaf ears must hear. Mute tongues must speak.

Jesus inherited his DNA from his Abba Father. 

The DNA of Jesus Christ is the Divine Nature of Abba! 

And we as believers have the DNA of Jesus Christ living in us!

Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord and share the Good News!

Donna Selma Lind 💓

THE SWEET AROMA OF CHRIST

By: Donna Selma Lind

"For we are the sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:15

Some years ago I went to visit a lady who was recovering from surgery. She was very sick with a fever and a bad infection. The doctors weren't sure if she would ever recover. 

When I walked into her room an overwhelming stench hit me and about knocked me over. It was a putrid odor, and I knew in my spirit it was the smell of  death.  

Though weak and frail, she mustered a smile as I pulled up a chair next to her bed. We talked, I read some Bible verses and shared some stories with her.

I really couldn't concentrate because the smell was so bad that I was covering my nose with a tissue and holding my breath. 

I asked if I could pray for her and she said; "Yes."

I put my hands on her head and began to pray over her asking God to touch her body and heal her completely.

Suddenly a sweet fragrance filled the room. It smelled like frankincense and myrrh anointing oil. As I continued to pray the aroma grew stronger and stronger, it seemed to swirl around us. It was the most heavenly and intoxicating fragrance.

 At one point I cupped my hands together, held them to my face and inhaled the sweet perfume. It felt like oil was dripping from my hands. Time stood still while the presence of the Lord filled the room.

I can't put it in words, it was Holy and Divine. 

The color in my friends face returned. She sat up in bed and said she felt stronger and believed that God had touched and healed her. 

When I hugged her goodbye she looked up at me and said, "How come you don't smell like you usually do?"

What do you mean? I asked.

You're not wearing your "Cotton Candy" spray like you always do.

Yes I am, I sprayed it all over me before I came here today.

No you didn't. I can't smell Cotton Candy. You smell totally different, like something I never smelled before. 

What is that new fragrance you're wearing?

Glory to God, I wasn't the only one, she smelled it too! It was the sweet aroma of Christ! It was the fragrance of life that came to conquer death! 

God healed her that day. Her infection and fever left. She didn't die, she lived to declare the works of the Lord!

That Holy Sweet Aroma of Christ lingered on me and around me on that glorious day.  

As believers we are to be the sweet aroma of Christ, spreading His fragrance everywhere we go! 

We can't buy this fragrance, but the more time we spend with Jesus the more His fragrance will rub off on us.

The sweet aroma of Christ, the fragrance of Heaven.

"For we are the sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:15

Hallelujah! 

Praise the Lord and share the Good News!

Donna Selma Lind 💗