Author: Melissa Lynne

Michael Francen asked the following people their greatest key to success in ministry. Read the results:

R.W. Shambach said to me: “Go – two thirds of God is GO”

T.L. Osborn: “Just Care For People”

Lester Sumrall: “Just Don’t Quit”

Reinhard Bonnke: “Boldness and Action”

Benson Idahosa: “Action Life is more than Prayer life”

Benny Hinn: “Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

Oral Roberts: “A revelation of seed faith”

Kenneth Copeland: “Make it your primary purpose to give”

Pat Robertson: “Humility”

John Osteen: “Sit on the floor till you can afford a box, sit on the box till you can afford a chair. Sleep on the floor till you can afford a mat, sleep on the mat till you can afford a bed”

Winkey Pratney: “no knives under the table” (he explained by saying – do not judge, gossip, criticize, condemn, or speak against fellow ministers)

Joyce Meyer: (Joyce gave me a doctrinal dissertation when I asked her the question, but in the end she summarized it and said): “What you do for God, can never replace the time you spend with God”

T.L. Osborn said to me, after contemplating his answer for a minute: “I suppose the second part of the answer to that question would be – have enough faith in what you believe, that when you SEED people with it – it will change their lives. Then just go and do it! Seed is absolute power, because it must produce what it is!”

“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” ~ Acts 20:22-24

Something that has always stirred my heart is the lifestyle of prayer that I see in the mighty men and women of God. I love to hear the stories of those who still walk among us and I love to read of the past revivalists, men and women of faith such as Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Kuhlman, Evan Roberts and Daniel Nash. Their hunger and desperation for God always provokes me in the spirit. 

Kathryn Kuhlman once said, “It costs much, but it’s worth the cost.” She was talking about the anointing. She had a disciplined prayer life. Kathryn Kuhlman  prayed several hours a day. She understood the importance of having fellowship and communion with the Holy Ghost. She saw the most incredible miracles in her ministry. In many of her meetings,  those that were in wheelchairs would get up and walk. One night in a service, a five-year-old boy who had been crippled from birth and could not walk, walked onto the stage. Another time, after a miracle service, Kathryn was walking through the kitchen of a hotel and the employees of the hotel were falling out in the spirit as she passed by them. It was what was on her life, what she carried, and what she walked in. The Psalm 91 “shadow of the Almighty” was resting on her life. I want so much to come to the place in my life where I walk in the presence of God and to do so knowing I have willingly paid any price He asked of me.

Evan Roberts was a desperate, broken young man. At age twenty he would wake up to pray from 1 to 5 a.m. each night, and again in the morning from 9 a.m. until noon. He prayed so much that he would shake on his bed at night because of the power of God. Evan Roberts became a carrier and a container of revival. In 1904, the nation of Wales became ablaze; bars and dance halls shut down. You know revival has come when the bars and clubs shut down in a city and the churches fill up. People came from all over to experience the revival. They would come because of the fire of God. Churches would stay open 24 hours a day for prayer and intercession. Evan Roberts birthed what is now known as the Welsh revival. It was all because a young man was hungry for the Fire of God. Evan Roberts once said, “I have reached out and touched the flame. I am burning and waiting for a sign.” 

I believe that God in this hour is looking for those that are hungry, for those that will set themselves apart to be touched by the flame just as Evan Roberts and Kathryn Kuhlman did. There have been many revivalists and pioneers that have, out of hunger, pressed into something in God that was outside of their time or that has never been done before. They are the Burning Ones.

Father, I ask you to touch me with Your flame until I am made to be a burning one! Help me to burn with desperation for Your beautiful presence. Help me to be “bound in the spirit” as I walk through this Tuesday not knowing what may befall me but knowing that as I yield You will use my life as Your own burning light to love those that You love so and paid such a high price for. Help me burn as did the Moravian missionaries, Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann, who thought not of their own fate but were so focused on Jesus that they could pray wholeheartedly, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.” May my life glorify Jesus and be His reward! I pray this In Jesus Precious Name! Amen!

I love you so much, Jesus! Thank you for this Tuesday : )

My Uncle Clyde died on Sunday. He had cancer all over his body and was in the very last stages before doctors were able to even confirm it. He was in such pain and so sick the last couple of days and it was hard for him to carry on conversations for even a couple of minutes. But when two of his friends came to visit things changed a little. He wanted to talk with them privately and he had extended conversations (for several hours) with each one. These would be His very last words. After these visits he was given medicine to ease his discomfort.

Didn’t we all wonder what they talked about?

Well…my uncle was giving his friends instructions in the practical things that needed to be done for his wife of 54 yrs who he was leaving behind. Things like shutting the vents under the house, turning on the gas heater when it gets cold, making sure she always had a good, running vehicle, etc… Doesn’t that remind you of Jesus in His last hours? – Concerned about another more than Himself and making sure His mother was taken care of…and assigning one that He trusted, His friend that He loved, to do so. What a beautiful and precious testimony of Christ-likeness and love my uncle lived in those very last hours. I am incredibly touched.

O death, where is thy sting? Thanks be to God, which giveth my uncle the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Well – It is teacher appreciation week and so time to remember those who have taught or instructed or imparted knowledge in some way. So, off the top of my head here are just a few of those I am so thankful for.

Mrs. Gaskill: my elementary school librarian who taught me to love books and reading and let me tag along every day after school instead of hanging in my mom’s classroom. I thought I would become a librarian when I grew up, instead I just live among many books.

Mrs. Frances Kiser: my high school English teacher, who encouraged me in writing and coached me through my high school graduation speech. She treated me so much like her own daughter and she truly did love me back to life during my darkest of days following my dad’s death. I know no other way to repay other than to just continue to love others as she loved me. She was a precious gem!

Dr. Tony Eastman: my college history professor at Gardner-Webb who taught me that sometimes the best teaching is painful. He pulled me aside when I was walking in the wrong path and gave me a stern “talking to” He believed in me so very much and did not shy from his position of authority in Christ and as my teacher to act as father figure to me at a time when I so desperately needed one. I will never forget his love for me in doing that and I love it when our paths cross and that he has never forgotten me and is overjoyed to see me now…because it is mutual and he was a most awesome history teacher as well. I loved his classes!

Dr. Sammy Oxendine: He was once my pastor. He taught me to love the nations by taking me there. He risked his very life to complete the work of the Lord and take us to Romania– at the time we did not know, but he knew, that he was very, very sick. True sacrifice and love! I am eternally grateful and I don’t take one minute of what I received and learned there for granted. He taught me what patience looks like as he allowed second, third, fourth chances and answered many questions in some excruciatingly long emails during my first years of salvation. He never allowed excuses and yet was so merciful. He would never describe himself as compassionate or merciful but yet he showed it in so many ways. He taught me to let go of the past and to forgive. He was and is a true spiritual father to me and I love him with my whole heart. Those English students at Lee University and Belmont-Abbey are so blessed to have him now teaching them! I pray they know it!

My present pastors at Message of Love: Pastor Jeff Johnson who teaches me Truth in such a way that I am challenged, renewed and frankly amazed week after week. Pastor Frankie Sneed who teaches me so much. To LOVE- I mean REALLY LOVE- God, His Word and those He loves. She teaches what a life laid down for the Lord really looks like. She has pushed me out of my comfort zone and I am so grateful to sit under such a great woman of God and such an anointed preacher. Brother Art Sneed who teaches what it looks like to care. He is the greatest example of shepherding that I have seen in recent years. He so truly cares and is joyful in it…and he just makes me laugh and cry. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities these great men and woman of God have given me. They disciple. They invest in others and allow us to follow behind and learn by doing, imitating or whatever it takes until we can do it ourselves. Teachers, allowing us to follow like Jesus did. I just imagine the disciples following around after Jesus, listening to Him, watching Him, imitating Him, failing sometimes, but continuing on and on. I feel I live this kind of life. So often as I leave the services I feel I am “following” them through it but in the process it has been actually following Jesus… and I wonder how anyone could even walk out as “glory to glory” has become so real to me in this precious church under these anointed ministers.

Catherine Melissa Street: My very first teacher that is still at it. My dear, sweet, and beautiful MOM who taught so many other children too. In our home we learned JESUS, manners and a love of learning. She taught- grace, mercy and faith and she lived it each step of the way. She taught me order and to honor the elderly and my teachers and pastors. She taught me to always be one that learns. Here I am today – still learning every chance I get. She taught me what pressing through in prayer really looks like and I know that I am only here today because of her years of desperate cries for my soul. She was speaking faith even at the times I wasn’t walking as I should as she would grab me and declare – “everything works together for good.” I get it now and I believe it, Mom! None of her heartache in this life and hers for me will be wasted. She has a great reward waiting for her!!!

Most precious of all teachers to me is the HOLY SPIRIT – The best and most faithful. He is beside me every minute as my teacher and guide! My interpreter, my instructor! My counselor, my provider, my precious friend!!! What He has taught me personally has already filled volumes and we have only just begun. What would I do without Him?!? Glad I don’t ever have to find out.

I am so blessed to have had and to continue to have the best of teachers. I could go on and on as so many others are brought to my mind. I was raised by a village of teachers and preachers so I have a wonderful heritage! I want to be like them all, when I grow up! Yes indeed, my life is forever changed because of them. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to you all.