Bread from Heaven

                                         (1956-2018)

Bishop Sims is now resting in the presence of the Lord.  In 2009, he had open-heart surgery.  His heart was still strong, but he had  leaky heart valves, both the mitral and tricuspid, which caused much of the blood to flow in the opposite direction.  It drained him of his energy and caused other problems.  The surgeon was able to repair it.

 

Before we left for Oklahoma City, I had a dream.  Danger pursued me, but I was determined that it would not catch me nor overtake me.  I ran faster than humanly possible, and pretty soon, I was in the air - defying gravity, flying above it all.  I zoomed over the enemy and beyond his reach - high above every threat of danger.  I felt free and relaxed and began to enjoy the sensational experience and thanked God for his divine protection.  What a breathtaking sight it was!  Although it was dark, there were lights everywhere in the city: the valleys, mountains, crevices, etc.  I never wanted to come down. 

 

When I woke up, I knew that we would have some dark times in the city, but the dream signified that we would rise above it all.  We did defy gravity in a spiritual sense.  

 

It was revealed to me that the body of Christ all over the nation was praying for us – they were those lights.  I felt so undergirded.  My husband shared this message:

“Thank you for your consistencies in prayer for my wife and me in our trying times.  God did most certainly bare me up on eagles wings during this dark hour of my life.  I felt the converging of the body of Jesus like I've never felt it before.  The mountains of denominations locked hands, and nothing else mattered but the will of our heavenly Father.  God is so perfect!” ~Bishop Ken Sims (2010) 

Isaiah 40:31 

The Lord reminded me that no matter what, I have to take the heavenly viewpoint instead of the earthly perspective, for we are seated in celestial places in Christ Jesus.  

Determined that we would not miss our assignments at the hospital, I ministered every day - sometimes for hours and even while in CCU with my husband.  It took two days for some of the side effects from medications to wear off, but when it did, he ministered to nurses when his pain level was off the charts.  He spoke slowly and quietly.  One nurse sat beside him for an hour and went to tell her friends.  Her actions reminded me of the Samaritan at the well.  Three more came in, so we continued to minister for thirty more minutes. 

 

Being hospitalized had many spiritual rewards.  My mind is indelibly marked by an experience with a woman named Jamie, who's mother was having heart surgery at the same time as my husband, Ken.  Her lungs were failing.  Jamie had been looking for me for four days and started crying when she found me.  Her mother’s condition worsened, and she stopped breathing. 

 

Chaplains were available; however, she grabbed my hand and took me to her mom to pray for her.  I felt honored to be the Lord’s instrument.  Many were watching for the outcome.  Fortunately, I was able to continue building on the faith foundation that began four days earlier while in the waiting room.  I magnified the Lord by sharing some of our many testimonies.  Initially, her mother, Ms. Kathy, was not aware of anything, but when I started softly singing about the name of Jesus, she could not be still.  Jamie was thrilled.  We were at the heart hospital for ten days; Ms. Kathy continued to improve each day.

 

It was a hard fight to get clear of here.  This time was very challenging and demanding on our bodies, minds, and spirits.  Never-the-less, we stood and we overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. 

 

He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals us!

Whether you have a physical heart problem as Bishop Sims did or if you have spiritual heart issues, you need a surgeon.  If our hearts are uncircumcised, we too have leaky valves and are unable to love and forgive like Jesus.  The lives we lead flow in the opposite direction of God’s preference for us.  We are drained of energy and are frequently faced with insurmountable problems.  

Jesus is the surgeon who will repair, renew, and remake your heart.  He will circumcise your heart so that you can be in covenant with him - he helps us to cut away the works of the flesh.  If you allow him, he will give you a clean heart so that you can serve him.  

PEACE!  Jesus declared that the kingdom of God is at hand, meaning here with us now.  It has arrived.  Jesus (the second Adam) ushered the kingdom of God to earth once again -- righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.  We know that the Father is absolutely soverign and that Jesus is the King of Kings (us).  Every king has  subjects - under his authority and control.  As such, we owe allegiance to Jesus as our supreme ruler.  We are the Royal Loyals in his domain.  Loyal subjects seek to bring pleasure to their ruler.  

Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." 

Seek God!!  Seek means to pursue or be pre-occupied with.  We have to pursue submission.  In Matthew 6:33, the word seek in the Hebrew means 'WORSHIP'.  Wow!  Seek means to worship God.  Let me say it backwards, Wow!   Oftentimes we are guilty of seeking the things of God (what's in His hands) as opposed to seeking the face of God and what's in His heart.  

Religion seeks the things of God.  Religion is often manifest in rituals - on the outside.  It is a substitute for the Kingdom.  In direct contrast, the Kingdom is on the inside.  It's really not necessary to seek things when we are heirs in His Kingdom, because really all things (from basic necessities to prosperity) are inherent.  Our Master didn't even say pray for it, though we often do.  He said it would be added as a result of our seeking first the Kingdom.       

 

We are thus ambassadors or Servant Leaders, if you will.  What is an ambassador?  An official agent with a special mission.  An Ambassador is the highest ranking diplomatic representative appointed by a government to represent that government in another country.  We are in this world but not of it.  We are in heavenly places in Christ according to Ephesians 1:3. 

Scripture also states in Isaiah 58:14, Then shalt thou delight (delight - to submit to God and be happy about it) thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  This is a direct result of keeping the fast that God has chosen.