I’m deeply thankful to God for bringing my grandparents into a vital relationship to Him in Indiana in 1925, through repentance, water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and filling my grandmother with the Holy Ghost as she came out of the water of baptism in a horse tank. My father, Rev. Raymond Theobald – a great theologian – teacher of Eschatology, received salvation at the age of 15 years at this same event.
I was born into a family that loved God and loved each other. I praise God that my parents were Holy Ghost controlled. I was raised with parents who allowed the Fruit of the Spirit to rule their lives beginning in the home and outward to others.
My father sat at the feet of Bishop GT Haywood as a young man eating the Word of God as it was taught in 2 hr. Sunday afternoon Bible studies weekly. When I was born in 1946, my family was attending Christ Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana.
My father’s love for God’s truth brought him into ministry at the age of 42. He made God’s Word come alive in preaching and his daily living. I’m thankful that he instilled in me a love for the Word. My mother was a woman of prayer. I would find her in the empty church at the altar pouring her heart out to God in prayer many times when I came home from school. My father, after retiring from pastoring, taught Eschatology for six years at Christian Life College.
I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I made a resolution as a nine-year old girl to love and serve God when I received the Holy Ghost and I have done so since 1955. I’m thankful to God that through His Spirit, He empowered me to remain faithful to Him.
As a child, I had no idea what I would do in my adult life for God. I started teaching the young children’s class in Sunday school when I was 14 years old. About that same time, the church needed an organ player and my father encouraged me to play the organ. I taught myself how to play the organ, including the base pedals, by the help of the Lord.
Many years later, after marrying an ordained minister, serving in almost every capacity of ministry including being the janitor and lawn mower, the Lord led me in to the counseling education based on Biblical principles. Little did I know that He would open teaching and counseling doors for 10 years for Bishop Kenneth Haney in Stockton, CA at CLC and teach for six years at Christian Life College – one subject being “Principles of Counseling.”
When I started teaching Sunday school at 14 years old, I was a student of the Word of God. I would set in Bible study taught by my father and take notes. I observed how he studied, prayed and prepared for his messages on a day-to-day basis. My desire was to gain God’s wisdom for everyday life.
God has opened doors for me to teach His anointed Word at churches and conferences across the nation. We have saved but emotionally wounded people sitting on our church pews. Satan has robbed them of their joy in the Lord because of pain from their past. Jesus came not only to save us but also to heal our brokenness from life. When I teach at conferences and churches, there is always a line of people wanting some counsel from God’s Word in between the speaking sessions.
In 1992, I graduated from the Institute of Christian Counseling that enlarged my ability to touch hearts with God’s Word. It is my heartbeat to teach, counsel and write about God’s truth to help others to ‘grow up’ into Him – Ephesians 4:15. It has been my privilege to offer counseling nationwide through phone/Skype to help the hurting – (636) 448-0121.
I also provide nationwide confidential counseling for pastors by phone/Skype. Many have called me for counseling with their personal issues. I co-counsel with pastors through Skype from their office to mine in jointly helping their people. I teach through Skype for churches live – we can interact, teach, pray, have Q & A sessions and feel the presence of the Lord through the Internet. I receive calls for counseling weekly from people who read my articles in the Perspectives.
My prayer for this year is that God will continue to allow me to touch others’ lives through His Word – teaching, counseling and writing. My heart’s desire is to help the saved, but hurting soul become healed through the power of God’s truth. God wants all of us to grow spiritually, emotionally and relationally so our light will shine before men to draw others to HIM!
To become closer to God, we have to spend time with Him in prayer and His Word. I’ve been studying His Word for over 50 years and there is no stopping in gaining the Wisdom of God. I challenge everyone to read all of Psalm 119. Vs 1 & 2 – “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!”
Psalm 119 has 176 verses that talk about His commands, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments; it is meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God. Vs 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” Hiding His Word in our heart is the secret to a victorious life in Him. It does not mean that you will not have troubles. No, we shall have ‘tribulations’ in this life, but He said to be of good cheer because He has overcome!! Before He overcame, He had to go through the suffering of the cross because of His deep love for His future Bride.
I recently spent some hours studying in two books my father taught from: Kept from the Hour and Things to Come. I studied about the church being caught up to meet the Lord in the air. I studied about the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. God arranged before the foundation of the world a wonderful eternity for those who would choose to love Him. Jesus could return for His Bride at any moment. I’m determined in my heart to be looking for His return daily. I want my life to reflect His glory! My heart is full of thanks this January day of 2014!!
© Carol Clemans – January 2014 – www.carolclemans.org