Housewives Can Change the World: A True Story About Hearing God's Voice, Radical Obedience and Fulfilling God's Purposes

HOUSEWIVES

Can Change the WORLD

A True Story about Hearing God’s Voice,

Radical Obedience and Fulfilling God’s Purposes

Ann S. Eagle

Copyright © 2012 by Ann S. Eagle

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-4404-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5949-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012905264

Scripture taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/06/2012

Contents

Purpose of this book

A special thanks…

Introduction

Part 1

Chapter 1

Rebellion Against Father God

A Sincere Search

A Response to Truth

Power of Repentance

God’s Power to Save Four Generations

Part 2

Chapter 2

When God Speaks a Destiny to Us

Walking Out The Destiny

Unexpected Changes

A Response Is Needed

Obedience Is Rewarded

Chapter 3

Dove’s Eyes

"Is That Really You God?

When God Gives Inheritance

Awaken Love When It’s Time

Sudden Changes

Chapter 4

Going Where I Never Wanted to Go

The Cost of Obedience

Making the Antioch Connection

True Motives

Chapter 5

Psalm 139

Double Doors

A Future and A Hope

What Was That About?

From the Village to Antioch

Part 3

Chapter 6

You Mean Four Isn’t Enough

Hearing God’s Voice Together

The God Of Details!

From the Mouths of Children

Chapter 7

A Cloud of Darkness

A Seed Of Hope

Dark But Lovely

Chapter 8

Confession, Repentance, Healing

Faith and Hope

Boy Or Girl?

The Joy Of Having Another Girl!

Power of Exposure!

Chapter 9

Something Isn’t Right

Peace That Surpasses All Understanding

He Gave Us a Sign

The Sting of Death

Choose Life

True Authority

Part 4

Chapter 10

What Time Is It?

Two Systems

An Unusual Visit

Miracles

The Significance of Numbers

Changed Forever

Chapter 11

Revealer Of Secrets

Power Of Agreement

True and False Scepter

Identifying

Faithfulness

Chapter 12

God Blesses Us So We Bless Others

In Preparation For What’s Next.

Alliances Matter

Saying Yes

Going Deeper

Chapter 13

Prophetic and Apostolic Get Married

Individual and Corporate Obedience

Trusting God in New Ways

Chapter 14

A Dove Came

Waiting on God’s Timing

Power of Confirmation

Housewives Can Change the World!

Recommissioning

Chapter 15

Today

Tomorrow

The Beginning

Purpose of this book

The main reason for writing this book is not to teach. It is to proclaim!

Revelations 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives to the death.

It is to testify of what God has done. In doing so, it claims ground back from the kingdom of darkness for the Kingdom of Light. At the same time it glorifies God’s Name.

This book brings godly principals like Hearing God’s voice, Obedience, Submission, True authority and much more into your everyday life.

Though the title indicates it’s for women or particularly housewives, it’s for everyone! You can be male or female, young or old, Eastern or Western. You don’t have to be a housewife to read and understand it!

God’s ways are True and Eternal. They cross all borders and boundaries.

A special thanks…

To my physical parents, Larry and Janet, of whom without giving me life I would not be here.

To my Heavenly Father of whom without giving me Spiritual life I would not be here.

To the spiritual mentors in my life while I was single; Dale and Jan, Warren and Gayle.

To my loving husband who helped me become who I am. I could not see getting this far in the journey of fulfilling God’s destiny for my life with anyone else! You were specially chosen!

To my five wonderful children whose ages were 13, 11, 9, 7 and 3 when I wrote this. You believed in me in many ways I did not. You have shared me with so many other people, and you have your own stories to tell about how God has met you in the hard places. You are an incredible generation!

All the art work was done by my husband. I have taken liberty to name the pictures as they came to life to me. They help express some of godly character that I am writing about.

Introduction

Radical Obedience

October 2009 in the Biblical City of Antioch found in Acts 11:13, seventy-two Christian leaders from around the globe gathered to discern what God may be saying to us in a fresh global way about advancing His Kingdom in this new millennium. The city of Antioch is in the very southern tip of present day Turkey. It is also the birth place of our last three children and the place our older two daughters have been raised. I am getting ahead of myself though. All of that will come later.

At that world leaders gathering in a small fishing village outside Antioch something very life changing happened. God spoke to many of us on personal and corporate levels. For me, my life was touched and changed in a moment when someone said, I believe there is a woman in here that God is stirring to write a book. It could be called something like, ‘Housewives that Change the World.’ I had a feeling that could be me, but disregarded it for the moment.

After a few days passed I sensed God saying to me, Ann, have you done the last thing I asked? I checked my heart and schedule and thought I had. Then I heard the words, Write it down. Do not tarry. I realized it was I who was supposed to write that book. Being a mother of five, busy helping my husband in the work, working with women in helping them to know God better, operating in a second language, and the list goes on, I could not believe it was me God was calling. I sensed though that I needed to respond. I have learned that to not respond when God speaks is rude, disrespectful and in the end hurts us because whatever He says is always for HIS PURPOSES.

So I decided to respond by saying, Yes in my heart, but that was not enough. He wanted me to tell my husband about it to make me accountable to start writing it down. I had no previous writing lessons and would not have considered myself a writer.

Which is why I believe I heard in my heart, That’s why I have asked you to write! You have no skill or experience to lean on so this will be all from ME. When God speaks in those words, I understand, and can easily accept such assignments. How many times has He asked me to do what I could not do in my own strength or understanding? Those are the Holy moments and times of greatest blessing.

It is certain this story is straight from God’s heart. I start this venture with a joy knowing I am doing exactly what I am writing about which is obeying. Obedience is doing the next thing God tells you to do. I sense an urgency and I hear in my heart every day, Write it down. Write it down. Write it down. So that is what I am doing.

In Habakkuk 2:1-2 it says, I will stand on my guard post, and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the Lord answered me and said, Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run."

So I begin this with you, the reader in mind. I pray that you who read this may RUN even further than I with our God who is awesome in power, love, grace, purity and goodness and worthy of our total submission and obedience.

My story started a long time before I became a housewife, but the unfolding of it is the last few years.

Part 1

Testimony

Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.—Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Chapter 1

God Turns Lives Around.

This is a story about the God who pursues us and doesn’t give up. It shows how God even romantically woes us, and displays His loving character plus His awesome power as He does it.

It says in Job 28: 24-28, For He looks to end of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to establish a weight for the wind, and mete out the waters by measure. When He made a law for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt, then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. To man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’

God’s Wisdom, Ways and Works are evident in this story. Yet this is not just a good story. Its a true story that tells a story! If you don’t know God already, you may want to know Him as you discover His greatness and nearness. If you know Him already then let His greatness and personableness renew your wonderment of who He is.

You will see how God does everything for a purpose which is to bring honor to His name and benefit us. (Psalm 103:2) Though we don’t understand all at once, it is up to us to search for His purpose and He will be sure to show us. (Jeremiah 33:3)

This is my story but it could be yours too. My intent in sharing it is to proclaim how wonderful God is. In doing that I bring honor to Him and encouragement to you. Every time we tell others what God has done and who He is we release more of His glory on the earth. That pleases Him and strengthens us!

Rebellion Against Father God

This story started on May 15, 1988. Little did I realize I had a destiny to fulfill and I was standing on its threshold. I did not know that was what I was doing, but I did know I was starting a new life and I knew I had to do it.

Six years earlier my dad came home from work and announced we were going to move to Brussels, Belgium from a small town in the middle of the United States. I was going to be a junior in High School. Of my family of five, I was the most excited about the news! I lived on the edge, thrived on adventure and even danger, and could not turn down challenges very easily.

In hindsight, I see now how God fearfully and wonderfully made me and had a plan from my mother’s womb for my life (Psalm 139:15). He formed me a certain way knowing He would be glorified through me as I would give Him my whole heart.

This story exists because of radical obedience to challenges God gave to me knowing I can’t say no very easily. Its interesting how we can accept worldly challenges so much easier than Godly challenges. Maybe its because the reward is immediate and tangible or because the praise of men is temporarily gratifying.

If we accept God’s challenges there is reward both now and in Heaven that are more satisfying than the praise of men or earthly possession. Just imagine what we would look like if we accepted Godly challenges as readily as we do earthly challenges!

In our home growing up there were things not in order, the main one being we were not believers in God through Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross. My mom and dad drank alcohol often, and my mom mostly led the family while my dad did what was needed to do to financially provide for us. My older sister parented my younger brother and I, and eventually she began to take on an unhealthy lifestyle. We all had different methods of handling our family situations which led each of us to a different path.

As for me, I knew that I did not want to drink or smoke like my parents. I wanted order and health in my life. I went to church almost every Sunday with my mom and sister and brother because my dad didn’t go with us. He went sometimes at Christmas and Easter. Though I was in the Christmas plays I never remember hearing the Gospel. It may have been shared, I just didn’t hear it.

Once we moved to Belgium in 1982, I observed the following. I was different from all my classmates, not only because I was American from a small town, but because they all drank and smoke socially. Even my 15 year old classmates, and the athletes participated. I was an athlete, but that was not why I refused to drink or smoke. I refused it because I didn’t want to be like my parents.

I wonder how many reading this book have said or thought the same thing before? If you have, then you can be sure you will be like the person who are trying not to be like. Its inevitable. Its like the law of gravity. It will always be. It is called the law of judging others. The people we judge, we become just like. Isn’t that ironic? That is why God hates when we judge each other, because it hurts us as well as others. So can you guess what happened next?

I decided that if I was going to fit in while living in Europe I better start to smoke and drink socially too. At the time I didn’t see the danger I was going into. For my peers, what was a social thing, became an obsession for me. My new lifestyle took me to bars, discos and night clubs and opened up a new world for me at a young age of 16. I was in rebellion to my parents and to God though I had no idea who God was.

All rebellion is ultimately against Father God. We can say we love God, but if we are in rebellion to our spouses, teachers, Pastors, leaders, government, or any authority we are in rebellion against God.

At age seventeen I was asked by a peer what I believed and I said proudly but ignorantly of its true meaning, I’m an atheist. I had no firm conviction in anything and that seemed like a sophisticated thing to say. As a family growing up and certainly as individuals we never considered inviting God into our lives even though we went to church.

In 1984 I graduated from High School in Brussels, Belgium and was without direction and purpose in life. I had been given an international high school experience and education. I had traveled all over Europe and even parts of Africa. I was a high achiever in grades. I was on the honor role, and one year the president of our class and delivered a remarkable speech that meant nothing to me because I was so empty. I was captain of volley ball teams, winner of many trophies and ribbons. I won races in swimming, track and field, and other things. Yet I was empty on the inside and intensely looking for love and the significance to life.

It seemed the only way to get love was to give my heart to young men, which was a ridiculous lie in looking back because I was affirmed even with imperfect unsaved parents, friends and family. However, Satan knew which back doors were open and which buttons to punch.

When we are in rebellion we give Satan access to our lives. We open the door ourselves then we wonder why God doesn’t protect us. There was plenty of protection for me if I would have chosen submission over rebellion.

The whole book of Joel and Jeremiah 31:29 talks about eating sour grapes from our fathers and ancestors. Sour grapes simply means immature places. I believe immaturities and wrong thinking patterns are passed down to the next generation. In the same way blessings of maturity and right thinking patterns are passed down too. Our obedience or lack of it affect our children and their children. As a parent that puts the fear of God in me!

The more immoral I became the more I drank, smoked (sometimes things other than just cigarettes). The more immoral I became, the more guilt I carried so the more I drank and smoked to get rid of the guilt. I chose to study at a certain university because it was one of the top 10 party schools in America. I went to that university only because of its reputation for parties, and I never considered my education or future.

For the first two years I did just that. I partied. That means I wasted my good brain cells, time, energy, and money. I used a wonderful educational institution for my own selfish wants and needs. I was in it for myself. I would drink or smoke or go to disco’s or bars and do what I wanted when I wanted with whom I wanted. All of which left me (and anyone who tries this) more empty than words can say.

Looking at my life from the outside, one would think I had it all. I had plenty of friends, popularity, good grades, high athletic achievements, the freedom to drink, smoke, and party. Yet by January 1988 I was so empty, hurt, bitter, angry, hopeless, without direction or purpose, fearful, jealous, the list goes on. No one would know or even guess it. All looked good on the outside, but inside I was a walking bomb. Now it all makes sense but then, it all looked blank and black.

Sin does that. It pulls us down into a spiral of death. Sin produces guilt, and guilt causes us to sin, then more guilt is produced so we sin more to deal with the guilt. That is why it says in Romans 6:23, The wages of sin is death. There is no exception. All sin leads to death, which is why we need what Jesus did on the cross. I had yet to learn that.

A Sincere Search

I began to search for something. I was 21 years old and felt like I was 50. Sin ages you. I never even thought about God, or Jesus even though I had gone to church as a child. I began my search with self help books, women’s counseling and I tried Al-anon and AA myself. None of the above gave me hope or answers. They left me in my state of being as it was.

I had tried everything. I traveled extensively, achieved academically, tried drugs, alcohol, adventure, wrong relationships with men outside of marriage and then tried to find answers to life. All of that left me with no fulfillment. There was nothing left to do or hope for. So I became suicidal, which is hopelessness in action.

Suicidal thoughts come when one is without hope for living for one reason or another.

A few days passed and I decided to go to class instead of commit suicide and I am glad I did, because it started a series of events in motion. God was working all along, but it was at that point it became evident to me and others how much He was involved.

One day when I see Him face to face I will see how much He was working all along even since I was in my mother’s womb! How exciting! I can’t wait!

That day on my way to class I saw a friend whom I had not seen for a six months. She saw I was upset and invited me to a meeting called Chi Alpha. I knew nothing about Chi Alpha then so for all I knew it was another party to go to. It was a Christian university campus work designed to tell college students about the hope we have in Jesus. My friend was nervous as she told me the topic was going to be How God views relationships with the opposite gender. She was not sure what my reaction would be.

I thought and said audibly, God? God? I never thought about God before. I hadn’t. She was pleasantly shocked when I said, Yes, I’ll come. I can’t wait.

It was two days until the meeting. I was counting. Finally the day came! On the way my friend saw my excitement and said, The Holy Spirit has been preparing you. I had no idea what that meant but I was