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An Oasis of Love

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

As the leaves silently turn to the myriad colors of fall, I think of the splendor of my heavenly Father and His limitless supply of beauty, love, mercy and grace. Yet in this world of fear, worry, turmoil, strife and hate, how can we live a normal life in an atmosphere of doom & gloom?

How can we survive being swept away in the midst of such instability and conflict? It isn’t easy, yet it is possible. This particular time in history should be our finest hour as the Bride of Christ. Peace should reign supreme in our lives.

Jehovah Shalom should encircle our being, spilling over on those we meet as a sweet fragrance of hope, faith, joy and happiness. How can this be?

We must find our place of safety, our place of peace and happiness in the midst of difficulty and trouble; our place of refuge and serenity in the midst of chaos. We must find an Oasis of Love. A place of living waters in a dry and terrorized land.

This is not a time for the faint at heart, for business as usual, or for status quo. This is a time that we must all fall on our faces before God daily, crying out for grace and mercy, mercy, mercy… II Chron. 7:14

As the forces of darkness close in, we must be ready with God’s plan of action. That plan of action is back to the basics of Christianity–repentance, forgiveness, prayer, fasting, and edifying ourselves in our most holy faith.

We must face the fact that we have become complacent and desensitized to the tactics of our adversary. The enemy of our souls has sung a lullaby to the church and much to our dismay we have become spiritually relaxed and sleepy in our pursuit of good over evil.

My dear friends, it is not too late! Time is of the essence. In a time such as this, we should be more in love with our bridegroom than ever before. This should be a time when our trust and love for the Lord is soaring to its greatest height. Our lives and the lives of our families and friends depend on the love of God that dwells within us.

“We are an Oasis of Love. That Oasis of love for whom Jesus gave His life. We must commit ourselves to live daily at the foot of the cross. It is our only place of safety. It is where the Oasis of Love begins and ends; at the feet of Jesus.”

With a humble & contrite heart, I love and treasure each of you. I thank God for the Oasis of Love He has provided for us all. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I love you, Charli

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High Octane Prayer

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

oasispraise If we listen to the daily news and the conversations of most people today, there is little hope for a bright future. No matter how spiritual we are, we can still be affected by the forecast of gloom and doom. After all, we are only human.

Once again, I find myself at war with the enemy in a raging battle royale for the control of my mind. The battleground in the mind is never ending. There is no de-militarized zone.

There are times that the battle rages so fierce that I weary from the fight. I know what to do. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. I know the answer; pray the WORD. Even then, the battle seems to rage hotter. I say, ”Lord, What more can I do?”

This past weekend I was honored to speak to a group of mighty women of God at an Intercessory Prayer Seminar. I asked the Lord what message He would have me deliver to these ladies, when I myself am finding it hard to stay strong? He then reminded me of a message he had given me years before, and He then began to develop it further in my spirit.

Before I share the message I would like to give you a little background of five things that happened to me during the past five weeks prior to the date of the seminar. Over night, what looked like a mole came up on my hand. I am very cognizant of changes in my skin, as my Mother died of Melanoma skin cancer at 53. I watched it for about 10 days and it began to change. I had a former doctor’s appointment for the next week, so I decided to let her look at it. Just as I suspected she immediately took a biopsy and sent it off.

The next week a spider bit me. It was very painful for 3 days and had lasting effects for two weeks. This called for another doctor’s appointment, shot, & prescriptions. During my recuperation from the spider bite I received my lab results, which informed me that I had a squamous skin cancer on my hand and that it needed to be removed immediately. My appointment was scheduled, and the next week I had the cancer removed and a larger biopsy was again sent off to the lab.

The following Monday before the seminar scheduled for the following Saturday, I awoke with laryngitis. By the next day, I had totally lost my voice. I had to be completely silent, take antibiotics and rest. By Thursday I am getting a little nervous, as Friday evening I am to meet with the leaders of the seminar. That day I was back at the doctor’s office to hear my lab results and have my stitches removed. CANCER-FREE! Praise the Name of Jehovah Rapha, MY HEALER! No sweeter words were ever heard!

My voice slowly began to return on Friday morning and we left for Memphis. Just as we were arriving at our destination, an E2 [small tornado with high straight-line winds] was hitting. We just made it into the front door. The next few minutes were filled with prayer as the storm left as quickly as it came. There was damage and debris everywhere, EXCEPT where we were! PRAISE FATHER, SON, & HOLY GHOST!

The winds subsided, but it was still raining when I left to meet the leaders of the seminar. When I arrived and was getting out of my car, I opened my umbrella and cut my thumb open. As the blood was running down my hand, I thought, Oh Lord, this must be a VERY IMPORTANT prayer seminar, and that it was!

The next morning, many shared similar incidents that had happened to them. Stories of various ways the enemy had tried to stop them from attending the seminar. He wanted to thwart their opportunity to learn how to “Turn up the Power” in prayer. When the enemy fights this hard to discourage or deter, there is always a great victory at the end of the trial. This seminar was no exception. It was a classic example of ”when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will raise up a standard against him.” Is. 59:19

The standard that the Lord raises up is His body. For within His body; His Bride, lies the power of the Holy Spirit. In the spiritual veins of each member of His Bride, flows His Royal Blood; that of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No foe can withstand the combination of the Blood and the Holy Spirit. The devil trembles when the weakest Christian prays.

Unity + Agreement = POWER! Learning how to pray in one accord is more than praying together. It is many people praying corporately as one voice, one mind, one spirit, and with the same thoughts. Praying the same thing at the same time with someone else, involves listening to what is being prayed, agreeing with what is being said, and then echoing the same words that have just been spoken in unison and harmony, which is “one accord.”

There will be certain situations in our lives that will require corporate prayer. We must learn how to pray together, not just all pray at the same time. The disciples asked Jesus to “teach them to pray.” Luke 11:1 As we learn more effective ways to pray corporately, the power in our prayers will be turned up, and the enemy will be turned back.

There are many types of prayers: supplication, praying in the spirit, thankfulness, adoration, worship, etc. However, when we pray corporately in total unity, agreement, and one accord, the Holy Ghost fire falls from heaven upon us and our prayers, just like it did on the day of Pentecost.

They were not only in the same place geographically, but they were also in the same place spiritually. They were in spiritual agreement, spiritual harmony and spiritual unison. Remember, Deu. 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight…” Can you imagine what could happen if the Body of Christ tapped into the power of true corporate intercession? The devil wouldn’t stand a chance, and Christians would be too blessed to be stressed!

Grab hold of every revelation the Lord reveals to you and make it your own. Use it to its fullest. For it is the truth that sets us free. The more truth we discover and believe, the more freedom we receive. No wonder the enemy does not want truth to be revealed. It threatens his power and diminishes his territory. Deu. 29:29 “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law.”

The Intercessory Seminar was a breath of fresh air as the Lord taught each of us how to “Turn up the Power” in prayer.

I love you, Charli

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Matters of the Heart

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

No matter how spiritual we may be, there will always be times heart when unexpected circumstances, a misunderstanding, or a situation will arise that will take our heart to a place it doesn’t want to go. Then our minds are left to contend with our wounded heart.

The heart is an entity all its own. Its healing properties take time. In the natural, the eyes heal faster than any organ in our body. Our heart on the other hand can’t seem to heal itself; it needs help.

The heart is the home of our most treasured emotions; love, joy, peace, and righteousness. However, many times unwanted intruders can break into our hearts and steal our most prized possessions. The trauma that results can leave a residue of disappointment, sadness, and discouragement. These trespassing emotions are home steaders. They take up residence and never intend to leave. They have stolen our hearts.

“Taking back what the enemy has stole from me” is more than a song. It is a fight for our eternal life. The enemy’s desire is not only to steal our heart, but to infect it with evil intent, which can lead to death eventually destroying our soul.

How can I help my heart to heal? First, we must quickly forgive. Who can truly do that? Besides, how can that mend a broken heart?

Once there was a particular situation where my husband had been hurt by someone he cared for deeply. It caused me to become very angry. The Lord spoke to my heart in the middle of my anger and said, “Charli, say you forgive him.” I said, “Lord I can’t say that because it is not the truth! Again, the Lord spoke to me, “Say that you forgive him.” I hastily replied, “Lord, even if I say it I won’t mean it!” A third time, the Lord said, “Charli, say that you forgive Him.” I said, “Okay, okay, I forgive Him,” I blurted it out knowing I did not mean it.

As I sat there stewing over the situation, the Holy Spirit began to reveal a deep spiritual truth to me. He showed me that it did not matter what tone of voice I used when I said that I forgive, or whether I meant it or not. The only thing that mattered was that I spoke words of life into the atmosphere and that took faith. At that very moment the Holy Spirit could take those words to the Son, and as they passed through His blood, my Heavenly Father would never know His daughter had been so unforgiving.

Tenderly the Lord spoke these words into my heart as only He can, “If you will say it in the natural, I will birth it into the Spirit for you.” Praise the name of Jesus! His mercy never ends. The joy of a heart & soul set free!

So, if you have a heart that hasn’t healed,
help it out; say I Forgive.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.
Mark 11:25 AMP

I Love you,
Charli
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Use What You Have

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

Mark 6:41
“And taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and, praising God, gave thanks and broke the loaves and kept on giving them to the disciples to set before the people; and He [also] divided the two fish among [them] all.” AMP

To praise God and give thanks becomes a blessing. We bless our food before we eat. Why? Because we are thankful for our food. Our food then becomes kingdom food and is sanctified. It will produce kingdom results. Multiplication came after a blessing of thankfulness and praise when Jesus fed the 5 thousand. That which is blessed will multiply in its purpose or need.

LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT!

In this situation it is food that was available; 5 loaves and 2 fish. In your situation it can be something else.God provides for our need before we have it. Multiplication comes with breaking. Had the bread not been broken it would not have feed the multitude. It would have been food for only 1 or 2 people. We must also be broken for Father to use us in His kingdom. The Lord said that He was the Bread of Life. If He is the bread of life and we are like Him, then we too are spiritual bread that He can use to produce life on this earth.

John 6:35 AMP
“Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in (cleaves to and trusts in and relies) on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).”

It was when the bread was being broken that it began to multiply and feed thousands. As we use what God has given us, it fills the need that we have as well as the need others have around us. We know that we become the very essence of Jesus Christ Himself as He transforms us. The trials in our lives transform us into the very glory of Christ if we allow them to. Thus if we too are bread, we must also be broken to feed the Lord’s sheep.

John 21:16 “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

We brake our bread as we eat it, such as a roll. We don’t eat bread by the loaf. It must be broken into smaller pieces to feed our bodies that we may then have the energy and sustenance to feed others. This same thing happens in the spirit. As the Lord breaks us, His bread, He can feed others because our bread (his Spirit within us) multiplies. Breaking feeds because it is a test that has produced a story. The story of a trial or affliction is a test that produced a test-i-mony.

Rev. 12:11 AMP “And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony; for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].

SMALL BEGINNINGS

Zech. 4:10 “Who [with reason] despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. [These seven] are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” AMP

The Lord loves to see us use what He gives us for His glory! God does not despise small beginnings because His work will be accomplished not by our might or efforts, but by His Spirit. He loves to see His work begin in our lives and it takes faith to allow Him to begin it! Small beginnings maybe what you feel you have in your life, or what your life has always been. But you do not know how far the ripple effect of your sojourn has gone out on this earth.

Job 8:7 “And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.”

God doesn’t see what is but what can be, because He created the end before the beginning. It is our choice to allow Him to bring that end to pass in our lives. We can stop it at any time, or never allow it to happen. The choice is ours. But oh, when all systems are go, the Holy Spirit performs the will and Word of God within us and that tiny mustard seed of faith that we allow to grow, becomes a great and mighty tree of life!

I love you,

Charli

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Want to Keep the “New” in 2009

Monday, January 19th, 2009

On December the 10th, my husband Bob was speaking at our Wednesday evening mid-week service. About 10 minutes into his sermon, he blacked out and fell to the floor. The next scripture he was preparing to read was I John 5:14-15. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” This scripture will become paramount as this testimony continues.

Immediately the congregation hovered over him and began to intercede and call upon the name of the Lord on his behalf. The ambulance arrived and rushed him to the local ER. The attending physician told us that he must be air lifted immediately to a cardiac hospital 2 hours away to see a cardiologist as soon as possible.

That particular night was very windy and we were notified that Bob must be taken by ambulance due to the wind factor. So as the ambulance began its 90 mile-an-hour ride to Nashville, I rushed home to pack the things that I thought he and I might need for some unknown period of time. I was to drive my car to Nashville as soon as possible. I was so confused.

As I walked into my home, I had an epiphany moment. The house was the same; warm & cozy. The spirit was the same; inviting and fragrant. My husband’s chair was still the same with his devotional books and journals still around it. Everything looked and felt the same, except it was not. There was a cold hard fact staring me in the face– the possibility that my husband might never come home with me again. The loneliness that I felt at that moment was unbearable.

Somehow the Holy Spirit automatically kicked in and I packed as quickly as possible as a dear friend then came to my rescue.

Bob had suffered atrial fibrillation due to various factors, especially a mitral valve leak which resulted in his heart not being able to pump a sufficient amount of oxygen filled blood to his brain causing the black out. At this particular moment, thousands of people die as the heart fires a blood clot, which can cause a massive heart attack, or a stroke can occur due to a blood clot traveling to the brain. We were blessed abundantly that none of this happened.

Over the next three days with tests being run, around the clock care, medication, and a world of prayer, God began to flex His muscles and display His mighty power. One night our nurse came into the room with a huge smile and said, “Mr. Pickett your heart has converted back to sinus arrhythmia.” That meant that his heart had converted back on it’s own to a normal state of rhythm. This is the greatest thing that could happen to a human heart in a situation such as this.

At this point, I said, “Bob, your heart has been converted twice! The first time was when you gave your heart to God and you were converted into His kingdom. This is the second time your heart has been converted. Your heart was so in tune with God that when it got out of rhythm, it just lined up with the Word of God on its own and converted itself back to normal! Praise the name of Jesus!”

With his heart converting back to its normal rhythm, further scheduled tests were canceled, and with medication and continual lab work we were allowed to come home. Bob has continued to improve daily. He had his follow-up office visit this past week and received an excellent report. Thus, as so many people prayed the scripture that Bob was about to read, I John 5:14 written above, God honored His Word, heard and answered the prayers of His people and we give God all the Glory!

What have I learned? Since the death of my mother years ago, I have tried very hard not to take life, or the life of anyone that I love for granted. I now realize that there is higher level of sensitivity, love, compassion, and a way of loving others more than myself. Once again I learned how quickly our lives can change forever and how fragile life really is.

The lives of my husband and I have truly become “new” this year! So how can we keep the “new” in our life all year? We must allow the Lord to renew us each day. If we allow Him to, He will renew our minds, our hearts, and our spirits daily. Everyday can be a “new” day, every heartbeat a “new” beginning, every smile a “new” relationship, every prayer a “new” commitment, every thought a “new” opportunity, every moment a “new” chance to give Him praise, to give Him thanks, and to glorify the giver of life…the One who makes all things “new.”

Much to my surprise, 2008 became the best year of my life and this past Christmas became the best Christmas in my life, as the Lord gave me my husband back. 2009 is not only a “NEW” year to me and to Bob, but also a promise from God of a NEW GENESIS SEASON in our lives.

2009 can also be a “new” season for you, if you only want it to!

How could I have ever known that I would write my own “guest article” this month, and testify of the goodness, mercy, and grace of my Lord and King–the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. JESUS! Remember, His name is Faithful & True!

I love you,

Charli

Ps. 90:12

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