Our Steps Are Ordered of the Lord
Around in 1993, every once in a while I would see an older woman
preaching on a local Christian television station. It was called Channel 42 in
Concord, California at that time, founded by Ron and Connie Haus.
When I would see her preaching with so much fire and boldness, I would
think to myself that someday I would like to know her personally. Then I would
slap myself back into reality and realize that I didn't even know who she is,
and who am I that I would think we would ever know and interact with each
other. I know now that it was the Holy Spirit putting those thoughts in my mind
because it was His predestined plan for us to meet and know each other. I would
be one of her students one day.
I didn't know at the time that within less than two years, I would begin
attending the Bible College there, as well as the church. I was fascinated
hearing this woman preach. At my previous churches, there were women in
ministry but not very many who preached from the pulpit, or who preached with
the zeal this lady had. I found out that this woman preacher's name was
Pastor/Dr. Violet Kiteley, founder of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland,
California. Also, she was the founder and president of Shiloh Bible College
which was established in the late 1960’s.
For nine years, I had attended Family Worship Center in Concord. I was
happy there, but around in 1993 I began to feel very restless and sensed that
the Lord was telling me it was time to move with the Cloud. I stayed put where
I was until I knew for sure how the Lord was leading me. I began running into
people who said they had gone to Shiloh. I heard conflicting reports ... some
people said it was a black church and others said it was a white church??? I
guess it depended on whose perspective it was coming from. (It turned out to be
a multi-racial/multi-cultural church.)
Then at the singles group at Family Worship Center, one of the guys told
me that he was attending Shiloh Bible College to become a chaplain for the
prisons. He did get his degree at Shiloh, all the way up to the Master's degree
level and is a chaplain today.
On one Sunday night (around 1992 or 1993), the singles group from Family
Worship Center piled into vans and we visited Shiloh that evening to hear LaMar
Boschman minister in music. At that time I had no clue that in less than two
years I would begin attending there and then spend the next 15 years there.
Around the early time of the year in 1994, I began driving over to
Oakland to Shiloh about once a month to try it out and see how I felt God may
be leading me. Usually I drove over to Oakland by myself, but sometimes my
parents visited along with me. The first time that my parents and myself went
to Shiloh together, the speakers that morning included Rev. Pat Chen and Cindy
Jacobs. The service was awesome that day! There were times during the worship
when everyone would be lying prostrate or kneeling because there was such a
holy reverence of the Lord in the place.
Then as Cindy Jacobs was ministering, she had a word of knowledge about
a young man in the service (but she didn't know who he was in particular). She
was calling him out very urgently, and lifting her voice so loudly and
fervently. She was saying that this was his last chance ... that if he didn't
come to the altar and give his life to Christ, that he would leave that morning
and within a few days would be killed and be eternally lost. (I think the young
man was involved in a gang or lived in a neighborhood filled with gangs.) The
young man did come forward and gave his heart to Jesus.
When my parents and myself left to go home, my dad was so upset at all
those “woman preachers”. Shiloh has a lot of woman preachers, but a lot of men
preachers too. That was 1994. (We laugh about it now.) In 2003 (9 years later),
I stood at the podium on the front stage as Valedictorian giving a 20 minute
speech receiving my Bachelor of Theology degree, and I sort of came across as a
preacher woman too. My dad sat there at my graduation, and mom too. Afterwards,
he said that he didn't know who that woman was who was up there speaking (he
had never seen me operate under the anointing, in that role, and I was a
changed person ... he had only seen me in a home setting).
In 1993 or 1994, my mother and I decided to fly down to Anaheim,
California to attend a Benny Hinn Conference. We boarded a Southwest flight
from Oakland to Orange County. This was another instance when the Lord was
directing my footsteps, showing me that it was His will for me to attend Shiloh
Bible College and the church. My mom and I happened to choose (on purpose) a
row where the seats face each other (you know ... where three seats face
backwards and three seats face forwards ... we sat in the backwards seats ...
descending was smooth, but ascending I was nearly sliding out of the leather
seat.)
After we were seated, two African-American ladies sat down in front of
us, facing us. They introduced themselves. After we had talked a few minutes,
we found out that they too were attending the Benny Hinn Conference, and that
they both attended Shiloh Bible College. They shared with me more information
about the college. After we landed in Orange County, we never saw them again,
but we knew that the Lord guided our footsteps to be on the same plane at the
same time, seated across from each other.
At this particular Benny Hinn Conference, it was the first time I had
experienced feeling the Shekinah glory to that degree. The glory was so
weighty, like walking in water. The glory and anointing was much stronger than
that encounter I had in 1990 when I walked in front of the TV set while Benny
Hinn was ministering and almost fell down. I don't think I've ever experienced
God's glory so thick, and the atmosphere so weighty, since that conference.
I was born and raised in the Assemblies of God church, and attended
Christian elementary school at a Baptist school. So I grew up in both worlds
simultaneously, with both Pentecostal/Charismatic and conservative/fundamental
Baptist in me. For me, I never did view it as a major collision of doctrines or
mindsets. I was focused on the 95% of things we agreed on.
I grew up in a Spirit-filled church where it's common to see people fall
out in the Spirit, and people shout and dance. I'm not sure what the reason
is—whether it's because of growing up in both worlds of Charismatic and
Baptist—or if for some other reason I haven't yet tapped into. But to this day,
I've never once experienced falling out in the Spirit (some people call it
being slain in the Spirit). I totally believe in it, and I'm sure it's a
beautiful experience, but it's never happened to me thus far.
At the Benny Hinn Conference, as well as many other places over the
years, there are times when everyone else around me is on the floor and just a
few people and myself are left standing. I know God's power is there because
it's very evident. I guess my reasoning is that I'm not going to purposely fall
... it would have to be a "for-real" situation where God's power is
so strong that I can't stand up. So far, I've not encountered feeling His power
so strong that I couldn't stand up. I don't know if I'm a bit afraid of the
experience or what the issue is.
One time, though, I had a dream where I walked into a Christian meeting
going on. It was like a hotel meeting room with chairs set up. Someone was
playing the piano and leading worship. The glory of God was so strong, and I
was caught by surprise and off guard. The power of God literally knocked me
over and began to throw me backwards. I grabbed onto a chair, and the chair
went with me. I was swept backwards (like an ocean wave hit me) and crashed
into the wall. I was just fine. I was pinned against the wall and couldn't even
get up because the glory wave was so strong. The people around me were looking
at me sort of strange, like “lady, what's up with you?!” Maybe that dream is
prophetic that one of these days, when I'm least expecting it, that the Holy Spirit's
power will hit me.
For God so loved this world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.
The thief (Satan the devil) comes only for to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus has come to give us life, and life more abundantly, until it overflows.
I urge you to come to the Cross today and receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He will wash away all your sins and make you as clean and white as fresh snow.
Just pray this prayer and mean it with your heart:
Dear Lord Jesus (if you are not able to call him Lord yet, then just say "Jesus")
I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I give my life over to You. I believe that You died and rose again, and that if I call on the Name of the Lord I shall be saved.
I accept you into my heart right now, and confess that You are Lord and have risen from the dead and forever live to make intercession for me.
Thank You for washing my heart pure and clean and making me whole, and for giving me peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Thank You that now I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. The old has gone and the new has come.
And there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (carnality and sin), but walk after the Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, I believe you got born again and are now heaven bound and will be with the Lord forever and have eternal life. Your sins are now forgiven. You are accepted in the Beloved.
I would encourage you to find a good Bible based local church to help you grow in your faith, to learn the Word of God, to praise and worship Him, and to have fellowship with the saints.
Serving Christ is the best decision you will ever make.
God bless you!!!
