Friends of Serenade Ministries

I just reviewed the last posted newsletter, and realized it has been over a year since I wrote to all of you. As embarrassing as this is, I suppose it reveals how overwhelmed I have been in attempting to balance so many areas of my life. (I am sure that none of you can relate).

It has been said that the greatest challenge of any relationship is unmet expectations. I am certain that is what I have produced for many of you, and I am stunned that you are still here, stopping by to visit. Who are you? Why haven’t you given up on me?

Let me give you a bit of an update on the Furr family…

Tim – Continues to follow his dream of building homes. In fact, Tim left his job with Centex Homes in September (2007) to work full time for the company that he and his brother started, Corban Homes. The Lord is faithful to open doors and grant opportunities for development. It is great to see Tim so fulfilled, doing what he loves to do … build.

Teri – Joined the pastoral staff of The Refuge church a little over a year ago. Teri serves as the Executive Pastor there, working part time. She also still travels with Serenade Ministries and Fragrant Oil Conferences (about once a month). Believe it or not, Teri is still able to spend time at home being a mom to Amelia.

Amelia – The joy of our lives. Amelia is 2 1⁄2 years old and full of life. Amelia loves princess things, make-up, jewelry, Barbie, Dora, and dresses. She is all girl. She also loves to cook for Daddy in her private kitchen. She finally has hair, which is curly and adorable. She loves to sing worship songs, and talks incessantly.

It does mean the world that you still support us and the work that God has permitted us to do. I would love to share a few thoughts with you…

---

Giving Birth to Your Deliverance

I was sitting in my office today, and felt compelled to study about Abel’s blood that cries out from the ground (Genesis 4:10). I was led to a message by TD Jakes, which I sat and listened to for the next hour. In the midst of the message, Bishop Jakes began to speak of Eve and the birthing of her two sons, Cain and Abel. As I listened, I was stirred about the Lord’s call to women in this hour. I would like to share a few thoughts to that end…

Genesis 3:14-16

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

Genesis 4:1-2

1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.
She said, "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man."
2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. I am always stunned by this portion of Scripture. Adam and Eve had everything they needed at their finger tips. They had food, paradise landscape, uninterrupted communion with God, and each other. They were given rule over everything that surrounded them, with one exception. The Lord called them to the simple obedience of avoiding one tree in the garden. Adam and Eve chose to disobey by pursuing that which was outside of the will of God. Their disobedience changed everything for them … and generations to come.

You know the rest of the story … God pursues them, and discovers their choices. The most stunning part to me is when God speaks. Despite the disappointment Adam and Eve caused to the heart of the Father, the first thing He does is punish their enemy. Before the Lord even mentions the consequences of their sin, he addresses the enemy and punishes him for disrupting the people of God. What an amazing Father we serve!

The seed of woman will bruise the head of the seed of the serpent. In the midst of punishing the enemy, God makes an awesome promise to Eve (and to all of mankind). He promises the coming Messiah and His ultimate victory over the enemy. He also promises that the Messiah will be naturally birthed through a woman, bringing us deliverance from the accuser. God also promises that the fruitful birthing process will be painful.

With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man. Eve gives birth to Cain and says, “I have brought forth a man from the Lord.” TD Jakes presents that Eve is saying here, “Perhaps this is the Messiah, who is going to redeem me.” She rejoices the same way when she gives birth to Abel. Her expectation was that every time she pushed out a son, she expected the Messiah. SHE ANTICIPATED BIRTHING SOMETHING THAT WOULD DESTROY THE THING THAT WAS DESTROYING HER.

This is a Messianic prophecy fulfilled in the birthing of Jesus Christ. I would challenge all of you , however, to consider these words in a broader sense. God puts dreams and visions down inside of you. The gestation period of these dreams and visions may be trying and difficult (much like pregnancy). The birthing process will most likely be painful. But if you can bring the things inside of you to fruition, God will deliver you through what you birth. Do you keep waiting on God to deliver you by someone outside of you? God’s promise to the woman is that He will deliver you through something inside of you, not something outside of you.

You would be shocked by what God has placed inside of you. If you can go through the labor, trials, tests, and birth it out, there is something in you that will deliver you. If you don’t believe Eve, ask Moses’ mother. She gave birth to one who delivered her from the Pharoh who oppressed her. Every believer ought to be pregnant with the possibility and potential of producing their own deliverance. As Bishop Jakes says, “Your deliverance is in your belly.”

Jesus said, “If you believe in me as the Scriptures have said, then out of your belly will flow rivers of living water.” The problem in the church today is that too many people are looking for the gift to come from the outside. We need to get out of the welfare mentality. We must have the faith and guts to push out of us what God put down inside of us. Let’s determine this year to give birth to our deliverance!