December 2023
Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. I am not traveling this month. God has called me to a season of waiting on him and seeking him for direction for 2024. I am having wonderful times with the Lord and have received important personal revelations lately. God, by His grace, is giving us another Christmas season to enjoy. As a sign to Kathy and me that this would be another Christmas of blessings for our household, I found the Nativity Scene pictured below at a yard sale. It was still new and in the original box and was from 2006! It has the biggest figures (up to 13” tall, finely sculptured figurines.The clothing is even high quality. To buy it at Sam’s Club would be $350.00. We got it for $30.00!
“The bessing of the Lord makes rich.”
God is Revealing Things to Dea!
by Dea Warford
SENCHA: October 1, I was in His presence and asked Him if He had anything to say to me about this month. In my spirit I heard the word “sencha.” I didn’t know what it meant but googled it and discovered that it is the #1 green tea drunk in Japan by 70% of the people! (Japanese have the longest lifespan of any other country on Earth!). As I researched, I was thrilled to discover that it is theorized to have great health benefits. (At my age, my health to continue as a national evangelist is VERY dependent on good health!). Sencha tea is high in antioxidants, which neutralize harmful chemicals in our body. It may help fight cancer, enhance metabolism, boost energy (I sure need more of
that at 74!), may help keep the mind sharp and focused, even as one ages, and lowers the risk of developing cognitive disorders (like Alzheimer’s!), reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. I’ve started drinking organic Sencha tea daily (I add ¼ cup of the
tea leaves with water in a 64 ounce plastic container refrigerated which gives me four 16 ounce servings. I grind leaves up with a coffee bean grinder and take a teaspoonful in water or a blender drink (Getting the full benefit of the tea which is edible!). This is along with the 3 cups of coffee I drink, which is also fabulous for health, especially for seniors protecting their brain power!
HONEY: One Sunday morning, I was to preach at a local church. As I rose early and sat in my reclining prayer chair (That’s what Jesus was talking about when he said, “prayer
closet.” Ha, ha!). I took out my iPhone to meditate on the Scriptures on my Bible app. I discovered I was so tired (not sleepy) that I didn’t even feel like reading the Bible or even praying! My friends and supporters David and Sharon Fruechtenicht are beekeepers and great believers in the benefits of raw, organic honey. I didn’t use honey though because it is high in sugar, though with a slightly lower GI (glycemic index). While sitting that morning, feeling as exhausted than I had ever felt, I remembered that I had a jar of Manuka Honey that I had bought in case we ever needed a strong antiviral, which it is
known for. I decided to “try” taking a tablespoon that morning. I gulped it right down…within a moment, faster than any medicine or food I had ever taken, I was brimming with energy and my mind felt sharp again, ready to read the Word and pray. I was amazed! Later I discovered that raw organic Acacia honey has a low GI (for those trying not to eat much sugar, which is a leading cause of many physical problems!). I bought some and now have a tablespoon of it daily in my coffee, cocao, & coconut oil secret
formula drink! I am writing this newsletter in the strength of it right now!
GOD’S LOVE: I felt so loved of the Lord after He led me to a fabulous Nativity, the healthiest tea, and the discovery of low GI honey! These 2 health discoveries were a sign, since I’m seeking Him for direction for Warford Ministries, that I am going to need all the energy and good health that I can to reap the final harvest. And He’s giving it to me! (While we’re discussing health, a friend and supporter, Mary Wismer, emailed me that she had been struggling with osteoarthritis. She started taking “MORE FREE” which totally relieved the pain. Got arthritis? You might want to go to shiffvitamins.com and buy some today!)
A PICTURE OF HIS LOVE: My wife had purchased twin beds for our upstairs loft so that our grandsons (or guests) would have a place to sleep when visiting with us. While taking a prayer walk, I came across the painting below that someone had placed outside their home along the trash cans. I took it home to Kathy and we both were amazed how the colors matched the room and the bedding she had purchased. That the Lord would “freely” provide something so lovely to enhance our home was but another sign of His love for us. And that we got it free was fulfillment of the promise, “The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous” (Prov. 13:22).
Prophets and apostles have been saying how God will provide for us plentifully during coming hard times on Earth. Money, health aids, beautiful pictures, houses, cars are coming to you. Watch & pray for it!
LED IN HIS PRESENCE: I was pastoring a church in Los Angeles County where I pastored both an English and a Spanish Congregation. I didn’t preach in Spanish, but I still was sitting in a service, doing my best to praise along with them in the Spanish language that I had been studying.
One Sunday, they sang one of the most beautiful (musically) worship choruses I had ever heard. I wanted our English church to be able to experience the beauty of that song. I didn’t understand all the Spanish lyrics, so I wrote English words that would fit in the spirit of the song (to worship) with Lyrics that would inspire praise. Since I don’t remember the song’s name (in Spanish) and I don’t have a piano at home to play it for you, trust me…it is beautiful. But here were the lyrics I wrote for it to be sung in English:
Entering Your presence, Lord,
We have come to worship You.
Bathing in the sunlight of Your Glory
makes our souls renewed.
Lifting hands in holiness,
and loud with joy our voices raise.
We triumph in your power
when we’re glorious in praise.
Subsequently, our English congregation sang it and enjoyed it occasionally. Fast
forward decades…I have a list of hymns, praise, and worship songs saved in notes on my iPhone. I like to sing at least one in the morning during my devotional times. Recently,
without looking at my song list on my iPhone, this song came to mind and I began singing it worshipfully to the Lord.
Afterward, I wondered if this song was on my phone list, so I opened the app to see. I have, maybe, around a hundred of them. Each song has a little circle in front of it. After I sing the last song, I fill in the circle with a colored check mark. That way, it is easy in the morning to scroll down the list to find where I left off previously.
Imagine my joy when I discovered, after singing “Entering Your Presence Lord” that very
morning, my next song on the list to sing was…are you ready for this?
“Entering Your Presence Lord.” I learned a few things that morning, or should I say, I had some truths underscored and emphasized that morning. Let me share few things I felt the Lord was teaching me that day….
1/ God is teaching me to be led of the Spirit as He even put a special song in my heart that day.
(Is He teaching you also to be led of the Spirit?)
2/ Praise, singing, and thanksgiving unto the Lord is a high priority in my life.
(And should be in every Christians life!)
3/ The Lord is dealing with me in a special way at this season of my life as He has called me to seek His Face for the next direction of Warford Ministries, of which this was but another sign of His ongoing guidance. (Is He calling you to seek His face for
directions (a reset?) for 2024?).
4/ He is teaching me lessons that I can, in turn, share with you and others through my writings and preaching! (You are studying that lesson now!)
CLOSURE: One morning this week, as I was in His presence, the Lord spoke to me a word: “closure.” In psychology, it means “the sense that a traumatic or emotional
experience has been resolved.” But it is the first three definitions at Webster.com that especially stirred me:
Closure =
1 the act of closing, or state of being closed.
2 a bringing to an end; conclusion.
3 something that closes or shuts.
Surely Isaiah 22:22
speaks of closure: “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” God is shutting many doors at this season of the church. Churches are closing, long-term relationships are ending, Christians are losing their long-term jobs, churches, which for many years have used evangelists, are closing their doors to them (Believe me, I know! And I have spoken with other evangelists that have experienced the same thing!).
DON’T VIEW A CLOSED
DOOR AS SOMETHING BAD!
Jesus is the one who shuts doors for us (Rev. 2:7, 8). Trust that He has closed a door ONLY because He is opening a greater door for you! That is certainly what I believe is happening in my life. So how do you position yourself to be ready to walk in that door when it opens? 1/ Don’t assume every open door is the Lord (Man and Satan can open doors too!); 2/ Wait on God, spending as much time as you can listening in His presence; 3/ Once you discern which door is truly opened by Him, WAIT patiently for the right timing. It may be December 27, January 1, May 14. Just be ready to obey and then “run with the vision” (Habakkuk 2:2).
BECOMING A WARRIOR: I was a junior in
high school. During P.E. I sat with other boys in the basketball gym, waiting for the coach to come and give us workouts for the day. I looked over at a senior, Manuel Bocanegra. He was whispering something in a friend’s ear, looking over at me, and laughing. I knew he was making fun of me. I didn’t like to fight. I had run away from more than one fight. I couldn’t get mad enough at an opponent and hated pain, so it wasn’t worth the trouble to me. I guess you could even call me a coward. I especially had a fear of being held down (must have been from something that happened to me as a child). As two bigger and older kids were staring down at me, whispering, (planning?) it came to my mind that Bocanegra was telling his buddy,
“Let’s go pin Dea
down!”
From within me rose
a fury unfamiliar in my history. NOBODY WAS GOING TO PIN ME DOWN! I Immediately
ran down the bleachers to the unoccupied basketball court, turned around and facing Bocanegra, with the attention of the whole class seated, holding my arms, and shaking my fists towards him, and with my loud evangelist’s voice cried, “Come on Bokie! (That nick name came spontaneously to me). Let’s go Bokie! Right now!” I don’t know if he was frozen in fear, afraid to be kicked out of school, or just shocked like a deer in the headlights, confused at an oncoming Mack Truck! But he just sat watching me as I was transformed before his eyes into a Champion!
His family owned the Bocanegra Bakery down the street from where I lived, so I said, “I’ll meet you at your dad’s bakery at 3PM this afternoon.” A Senior came where I was, put his arm around me (in retrospect, he likely was a Christian “peacemaker”) and calmed me down. But, not to be deterred from my “mission” I was there in front of Manuel’s family at 3 sharp, and waited until I realized he wasn’t going to show up. And, boy, was I ever glad! I was reminded of this several days back. There is a significant
spiritual application…
The last days battle will be so intense, filled with earthly calamities/wars, and so filled with angry demons (Rev. 12:7-12) that the Christian soldier must fearlessly fight the enemy who’s been laughing at him, threatening to pin him down! He must boldly shake his fists (One holding a communion cup of the blood of the Lamb and the other the Word of God) and be ready to fight anytime or anywhere (like at a school or a bakery).
God’s last day
dealings on earth call for this kind of soldier: “Prepare for war (are you preparing yourself?), wake up the mighty men (Feel weak, perhaps, but “the weapons of our warfare are… mighty”). Beat your plowshares into swords (Yes, the Word has brought you peace, comfort and hope, but now it must become your sword!) “Let the weak say I am a warrior” (Joel 2:9, 10).
MY REVELATION REVELATION:
I had read Revelation 3:3 many times. But recently, I “saw” something I had never seen before. Notice the conjunction “and” before the phrase “keep those things that are written therein.” This verse is not saying, as I had always taught, that you are: 1/blessed if you just “read” Revelation; 2/ You are blessed if you just “hear” it; 3/ And a third blessing is available to those who “keep” (Greek: “obey”) the things that written in it. All three of these things must work together to be blessed! You must read, hear, AND obey any commands within the Book. That is why I must soon send out a month-long daily teaching on Revelation. You might be surprised to see how many commands are given to the church, along with the description of future events. If you are already receiving my daily email teachings, you will receive them once I start sending them out. These studies may be delayed until after the first of the year, as they will require a lot of work, and God has called me to this special season of seeking direction from Him. I covet your prayers! We will notify you a few days before the start of the series begins. If you are not receiving our daily emails, sign up on the enclosed form that you send back to us in the mail.
MY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR
YOU: What a joy it was this week, when I went to work out at the gym. I was greeted at the check-in desk by a young man to whom I had given one of my Revelation books ABOUT THE FUTURE. With a smile he told me how he was enjoying my book. I am looking forward to an opportunity soon to discuss it further with him and perhaps lead him to Christ.
With Christmas coming up, I want to encourage you to buy some of these books as gifts for unchurched relatives, friends, workmates, classmates, neighbors or even people you meet at gyms.
You can purchase them online for about $5.55!
Or order now and I will mail you a box of them for about $3.33 each & any tax due, shipping, if you order a box of at least 10 or a similar savings if you order even more. Email me, text me, or cut out and mail me the enclosed order form below. You could add this to a tie, box of chocolates, cologne, etc. if you need to give a more substantial gift.
Merry Christmas from the Warfords!