Journey From Grief to Forgiveness TRB #39 Billie Jean Bishop

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Great Team Backflier.
With your host, Kathy Chustain,Christian-face psychotherapist,
Rita Laird.
This podcast is dedicated tothose who have wandered but are
ready to return to thelife-changing power of great
freedom.

SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Hi, welcome to Redeem Backslider.
I'm your host, Kathy Chastain.
I'm a Christian-basedpsychotherapist and a Redeemed
Backslider.
With me today is Sister BillieJean Bishop, who is the founder
of Partners in Prayer Ministry.
I'm going to read a quick littlebio and then we're going to just
turn it over to her and getstarted.

(00:43):
So Stephen and Billie JeanBishop are both licensed United
Pentecostal International Churchministers and founders and
prayer leaders with Partners inPrayer or PIPS, P-I-P-S.
PIPS began in 1996 following thedeath of Billie Jean's middle
son Christopher and wentnationwide as a prayer ministry

(01:07):
following the Columbine Schoolshooting.
Fast forward to 2015, withapostolic friends, they have
prayed nonstop on phoneconference lines and Facebook
lives and have seen God answerprayer and move mightily.
The bishops have joined HopeMinistries in leading prayer on

(01:29):
the 90 days of prayer forprodigals since 2016 with Don
and Diane Long.
Brother Stephen Bishop is aretired Army Chief Warrant
Officer with 28 years inmilitary service, followed by
another 11 as a civiliancontractor.
He has been walking with theLord for over 40 years and has

(01:52):
served as Sunday school teacherand Sunday school
superintendent, youth pastor,and now as an evangelist and
prayer leader.
Sister Bishop is a gifted saintof God that has been walking
with God for nearly half of acentury, serving as Sunday
school teacher, prayer leader,and now as an evangelist.

(02:12):
She has been called of God to bea prayer leader and intercessor.
Both brother and sister Bishoplove to travel and minister and
have ministered in parts of theUnited States and the
Philippines.
God has called them intoministry of prayer and
intercession.
This is their passion and it'swhat drives them.

(02:32):
They have five children and ninegrandchildren and one
great-grandson.
They currently live inLeesville, Louisiana, and serve
under Pastor Wesley Manning atHope Springs UPC.
Intercession is not just prayingfor someone else's needs.
It is praying with real hope andreal intent that God would step

(02:56):
in and act with his love andaction.
It is trusting God even if it'snot in the manner or timing that
we expect.
So with that, Sister Bishop,thank you so much for um being
willing to be my guest today onThe Redeemed Backslider.

SPEAKER_03 (03:20):
I know God brought us together.
I sense it, I sense it when uhin your messages, but now that I
see your face, I know God hasdone this.
And we will flow in the in theministry of what God's called us
each to do and pull together andsee what God is going to do in
this return of the massive armyof prodigals.

(03:44):
Yes, and they are bringingfriends and family and loved
ones and co-workers, and we'reseeing it, and there's been the
prophetic word has been releasedfor at least 10 years that I've
been involved in prodigalministry, and everything that
God has indicated and uhencouraged us is coming to pass.

(04:05):
It's exciting times to live in,but it's also some very um hard
battle, a hard battle time tostep into the warfare for the
souls of our families.

SPEAKER_01 (04:17):
Yes, amen.
Thank you.
That just almost brought tearsto my eyes.
I I just resonate with everyword you spoke, and I would
really like to hear theprophetic word that was given um
about prodigals and maybe tellme a little bit more, you know,
who gave that, when did thatcome forth?

SPEAKER_03 (04:38):
There have been several uh prophetic words given
by Jason and and uh Alexander,very profound words, very
timely.
Um, also um from thePentecostals of Alexandria, it
seems like every time we gathertogether, there's a prophetic
word released from Don and DianeLong.

(05:00):
Um, one of the prayerintercessors, which is part of
our partners in prayer team, hisname is Reverend Blake Fletcher,
and he is the uh cousin ofDustin Long, and very
instrumental in bringing uhDustin back to the Lord in his
restoration journey.
But one morning we're on theprayer conference line, and you

(05:23):
know how the Lord we're anapostolic group, so we make we
make room for the gifts.
Our audience is Jesus, that'swhy we're gathered on the prayer
line.
So we we became quiet, and uhone of the prophetic words was
that the prodigals are gonnareturn.
This is three summers ago, likea slow drip, but the faucet's

(05:44):
gonna be opened, and you'regonna see more and more
backsliders as the God pours outstrength.
And we have seen that verything.
When we're doing prayer calls,we saw a few prodigals come and
hear, and we'd get reports, butnow it's like nearly every every
prayer call we hear a report ofsomeone's uh adult child, uh

(06:08):
teenager, uh, even theirgrandparents.
I get to hear those end of thestory.
I believe God's in the happilyever after business.
I think God is working out, andhe's writing their story, but as
families, he's writing our storytogether.
And so the prophetic word isbeing released.

(06:31):
Dr.
Jennifer Williams, uh, she wason our prayer call one morning,
and the scripture that came andthe prophetic word that came was
see, I've I've hidden thesethings in my heart.
Yeah, and God is speaking, anduh, she's used Isaiah about that
he will contend with those whocontend with us, and he will

(06:52):
save our children.
So the prophetic word wasreleased that you know, God is
fighting for us, God is fightingwith us.
Glory to God.
Christ is wrestling down, he'swrestling down there.
I believe in the wrestling ofangels.
I do too.
That as we pray and we walk inthe spirit, God is going to

(07:13):
empower and encourage us.
And then uh brother Bobby Wadeis another prophet.

SPEAKER_01 (07:19):
That uh I know of Brother Bobby Wade, I stumbled
across him.

SPEAKER_03 (07:23):
You you need to host in him.
Yeah, um, the prophetic word wasthey were exiled kings, the
bapsiders were priests and kingsexiled, and uh he uh prophesied
that they're returning, God isturning them, and then um I
could go on because we've beendoing this.
We've prayed uh for over 4,320hours because we do 90 days of

(07:48):
prayer twice a year for uh 10years almost now, and so
partners in prayer's birthday istoday.
We're giving happy birthday,that's wonderful, and uh so
we've been in ministry prayingon a prayer line um since 2015,
and we started out prayingnonstop 30 days for an upcoming

(08:10):
women's conference.
I've been involved in manydifferent areas of prayer, but
nobody wanted to stop, SisterKathy.
Nobody wanted to stop prayingtogether.
So here we are, 10 years.

SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 (08:22):
People have come, people have gone, um, but we
have built a family, we arefamily, and uh, but the there's
just so many prophetic God spoketo me just recently.
God spoke to me on a prayer, ourprayer line.
We have done uh 90 days, we'reon day 76 of the journey home,

(08:44):
and uh we were using a book byDr.
James Banks, uh Prayers forProdigals, the Prayers for Your
Child.
Excellent, excellent book, Dr.
James Banks.
And uh we have done that fornine years, and this fall we
usually start October 1st and gountil uh uh December 29th.

(09:06):
And this year the Lord began tobring to my mind all the prayer
requests that I've received,such as, you know, my child's in
jail, uh, he's in recovery, he'slot, he's missing, he's been
drinking, uh, you know, histheir marriage is broke up,
their health is wasted.
The prayer requests are hardones, and I, you know, it's

(09:29):
affected my family, it'saffected my younger children.
So I was thinking of theserequests through the years, and
I just started to write uhsubjects, and we uh with I say
we, the Holy Ghost helped me towrite 90 days of prayer prompts
uh from an apostolicperspective, just a little

(09:51):
scripture, a devotion, and theninclude the return prodigal
because we just have too manycoming in and going back out.
That's my heart, but was toinclude or prophesy because
God's gonna bring them back toministry.
But as and that digital uhprayer guide is available, and
they can message me, we'll makethat available to them.

(10:13):
You can start a 90-day prayerjourney, but it's for the
healing of the entire family.
Because when someone backslides,uh, it affects everyone,
especially when parents orgrandparents backside, uh, it it
it it interrupts what God hasplanned for the legacy of faith
for generations, who will endureto generations, as for me and my

(10:37):
house will serve the Lord.
It is the will of God that weserve him as families.
But what I'm saying in this lastrevival, and I believe we're in
the last revival upon the earth,me too.
I do sincerely, that's why he'spulling with his great mercy and
his love and his compassion andhis and his warning and his
justice he is calling thebacksider back.

(11:01):
But when I finished this um90-day journey every morning, we
have um uh nearly 40 calls aweek.
The prayer host would dosomething, they would read the
devotion, pray the prayer, andrepeat the scripture, and then
prophesy over their prodigal orjust recently returned prodigal,

(11:22):
and the Holy Ghost would showup.
And God began to speak to meabout Elijah and the altar that
he built, and he went to MountCarmel and built this altar.
Then, of course, we know that hepoured water all over the
stones.
There were 12 stones, and theLord said, the names of the
tribe of Israel, the names ofthese families that you're

(11:44):
bringing to me as is asimportant as what Elijah did on
Mount Carnal.
Carmel, and he he showed me thatwhen we pray every day, we're on
day 76 now, we're gonna end onDecember 29th, and the Lord
spoke to me and said, The fireis going to fall.
Fall, praise God on day 90.

(12:04):
But we've already seen God takeand accept the sacrifice, but
the fire licked up all of thewater on the on the altar that
Elijah had built, and uh, youknow, the the tears, the tears,
the impossible situation.
So God spoke to me.
So good daily, daily, if youwill focus daily, and if you

(12:29):
will bring to me the mostdifficult person and most
difficult situation that you canpossibly think of, I will work.
And I'm like, well, Lord, I canthink of a lot of difficulty and
situations that seem impossible.
People that seem hard,rebellious, broken, unchanged,

(12:51):
uncaring.
They seem to be asleep.
There's been families that havebeen asleep, they've accepted
their children walking away fromGod as if Lazarus went to the
grave and nobody evenapproached.
Jesus came to Lazarus, calledhim out of the grave, but he had
the servants remove the graveclothes.

(13:12):
Right, right.
Things started to happen, andI'd get prayer requests.
And Sister Bishop, uh, my my sonhas married a man.

(13:32):
My my daughter is living with awoman.
Uh, my son left his children.
My my daughter left her herfamily.
Uh she's still missing.
Um, she went into rehab.
We don't know where she is.
She is she's on meth, she's oncocaine.
Uh, they've disowned us.
I myself had an experience yearsago where my son, because of

(13:55):
drug um effects, you know, said,My I don't have a mother.
My mother is dead.
I don't have a mom.
Those are the kinds of prayerrequests that we have been
bringing to the Lord, and God isshowing up and he's doing the
work.
And I am so excited.
He has done, like the song says,too much for me to not believe.

(14:17):
I'm looking at a return prodigalright now.

SPEAKER_01 (14:20):
Right, yes.
And my my mom said she she neverthought ever I would live for
God again.

SPEAKER_03 (14:27):
Yeah, and not only that, God's restored the gifts
that He gave to you, uh, mostlikely even as a child.

SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
And yes, definitely as a child.

SPEAKER_03 (14:38):
Yes, and I'm seeing uh some of these gifts being
resurrected, but there's ajourney, there's a journey back,
there's a restoration process,the plans, the patterns, and I
think Jesus said servantsremoved the grave clothes
because they needed to beinvolved in his resurrection,

(14:58):
his life coming from the grave.
Um now he didn't die because ofsin, but it was the resurrection
power of Almighty God thatcalled him by name and said,
Come forth.
Right.
Um so there's lots of examplesof prodigals in the Bible.
Samson was a prodigal, and inhis last days when he his eyes

(15:21):
were um poked out and um and hecouldn't see, he used the last
of his strength to bring downthe temple of the very enemy
that had captured him.
So the Lord has spoken to us somany times about the battering
ram of prayer.
They they would go to a fortresswhere the enemy was and to bring

(15:45):
back the prisoners of war, andthey would pull back this
battering ram in ancient times,and it had a ram's head on that
battering ram.
And I I have associate that withthe scripture: the gates of hell
will not prevail against thechurch, the constant knocking
that battering ram takes a lotof people to pull back and

(16:08):
hammer the gates of hell, butJesus He went to hell, He has
the keys, and if we will ask Hispeople, pray and pull back and
pull together and encourage oneanother and to pray the prayers.
Be and God in in 10 years ofpraying, these 90 days twice a

(16:31):
year, I have been changed, andthat seems to be a common
thread.

SPEAKER_01 (16:36):
God is preparing the church, right, for the exiled
kings.

SPEAKER_03 (16:41):
Yes, he's preparing for the wounded, he's preparing
for the some of them aremissing, if I could say it in
the spirit, arms and legs,they've been impaired by the
battle.
Uh, the devil is a hard task,master.
Right, yeah, right.
Uh we can love them, but thetestimonies uh that are coming

(17:02):
out.
I was so profoundly stirred byBen Bland's testimony at the
Pope prodigal.
I'm watching him, I'm watchinghim, and his mama is sitting in
the congregation.
I'm hearing his story, and I canfeel the battle.
It was if I could feel and hearthe sounds of swords that were

(17:23):
fighting for this soul, and uh,but to see him standing there
and testifying to the church,get ready, be ready for mercy,
be ready to heal, be ready toreceive.
Uh, it was a beautifulexperience, and I have so many
experiences in the last 10 yearsthat have again, he's done too

(17:48):
much for me not believe thathe's calling them.
I have I have prodigals.
I lost a prodigal in anaccident, and um, that's what
thrust me into this war.
Sometimes there has to becasualties to be called to war.

SPEAKER_01 (18:05):
We have had 10 prodigals come back in our
church in just the last twoyears.
So and and they are years andyears.
One was um probably 40 yearsout, the other one was 20
something years out.
Um both parents, ministers.
Um So there there's been a lot,you know, um we've had a lot of

(18:29):
mirac I mean, I think everyprodigal testimony is a is a
miracle story of what God hasdone because there's no reason
any of us should be here exceptjust the mercy, love, and grace
of God and the prayers, Ibelieve, that have been prayed
for us, you know, in times past.

SPEAKER_03 (18:48):
Have have you noticed in the in the book Luke
15 that the mama's side of thestory is not written?
It's the story of the father.
You know, the mother, she, herson took the inheritance, she
saw the grief of the father, andthere's some that believe it's

(19:08):
an analogy and just a parableand not an actual family.
But I believe God sees what'sgoing on in families all around
the world.
I do too.
And when he saw the son afaroff, he ran to him, he ran to
him, and it just you know, thePharisees that were hearing this

(19:28):
prodigal for the very first timein the book of Luke, they were
angry because what father theywould stone children for less
than what the prodigal son haddone.
But there was two lost sons inthat father's house, the son
there every day that took forgranted.
And we hear all the stories.
I I love to preach about Luke15.

(19:52):
Um, but notice when he came backthat he threw his arms around
him and he said, Go for Thefatty calf.
The fatted calf was beingprepared.
And he told him to bring therobe and the ring, but he called
the servants to do that.
So when the servants in ourchurches began to love those

(20:14):
prodigals back into the father'shouse, then the full house is
healed.
All the family, all theservants.
And I well, we know that thatthere was restoration uh of the
the the two sons.
I don't know why the Lord didn'tfinish the the the story of the

(20:36):
law the elder brother's story.
I think it's to keep keep us onour toes.
To keep us we get very defensiveof things that we fear.
And right there there's been afear too long that God can't
can't save us and God can't keepus, and that's a lie.
Right.
That's a lie, or that the bloodcannot cover us when we have

(20:59):
made a mistake.
Right.
With blood, it can cover us.
So the story of the two lostsons, the two the lost coin, the
lost sheep is a is a visualdemonstration of the mercy and
love of God.
But there has to be arestoration process.

SPEAKER_01 (21:18):
Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 (21:20):
A restorative, intentional purpose and plan for
the for the pride.

SPEAKER_01 (21:27):
Right.
I was gonna make a little note.
Sister Bishop, um, I I'd like tokind of backtrack a little bit
and have you kind of just tellus about your upbringing or when
you found the Lord.
You know, when you came intochurch and found the Lord and

(21:48):
what life was like for you whenyou had your children.
I know uh we'll talk about yourson, but you said I'm not sure
if your other two boys are alsoprodigals, but I just want to
hear a little backstory aboutyour life.

SPEAKER_03 (22:03):
I was born in Idaho and I knew nothing about
apostolic churches, Pentecostalchurches.
I knew nothing about the bornagain.
I had never even heard the termborn, you must be born again.
Um, I wasn't even sure if therewas a God.

(22:23):
Uh, it was during the late 70s.
That seems like a long time ago,but it's a test it's a testimony
of the keeping power of God.

SPEAKER_02 (22:32):
Amen.

SPEAKER_03 (22:33):
And I was in San Diego, California, young,
married, 19 years old, had had alittle three-year-old, cute
little red-headed boy, onelittle boy on the way, and a
neighbor uh came to me andinvited me to a Pentecostal
church.
I had prior to that gone to aMormon church where um at age 14

(22:59):
I was baptized.
I never really stayed, I neverreally considered myself a
Mormon, but I had a true at 14years old, I had a true
repentance experience.
I knelt in that cold floor inthat LDS church.
I wept before the Lord.
I did not want to live a lifethat was not pleasing to God.

(23:22):
And in my repentance, I foundhim, how he kept me on the path
towards truth.
Believe it or not, it startedwith Christmas carols.
Oh, come let us adore him.
Feel the presence of the Lord.
Silent night, and all the youknow, uh, we all the beautiful

(23:43):
Christmas songs as a child andthen as a teenager.
That was that was my connectionto heaven, and I believed that
God saw me, and he used thosevery things, those songs, to
soften my heart, but I was stillunsure there was a God and what
I was to do about it.
So I went to a church at theinvitation of my neighbor, and

(24:07):
they were jumping and runningand hooping and hollering.
I mean, I I went to church, to aPentecostal church where my eyes
were wide open, and but I knewthat the God that I had
experienced as a child in thoseChristmas carols, and I was also
born as an epileptic.

(24:27):
And when uh the Spirit of theLord, I felt a familiar uh
resemblance to what I felt whenI was so lost in a seizure.
I felt, I in fact, I thought Iwas gonna have a seizure because
there was a familiar there wassomething there in my moment of

(24:51):
vulnerability and the seizuresthat I had as a little child
that I didn't understand.
I didn't know who he was.
I didn't know that God was thereeven when I was a little child.
I can't say that my family, I'mthe only Pentecostal apostolic
Jesus believer way back.
There's there's no one I had apraying.

(25:12):
Your first generation.
Yeah, for oh, first generation.
Why the Lord chose me is I all Ican say is mercy.
Uh, but he he saw something, butsomebody, let me take that back.
There was a little Pentecostalchurch in my city, and they were
praying for souls, they werepraying for revival, and they
didn't know that they werepraying for me, yeah, because

(25:35):
the spirit of the Lord and theangels of the Lord walked about
that city and began to draw me.
And but it was years later inCalifornia.
But I was afraid to receive theHoly Ghost because of this
seizure issue, right?
But they just called me up, andmy first miracle was they just
said, We're gonna lay hands onyou.

(25:56):
They showed me a scripture andsaid, God is gonna miraculous.

SPEAKER_01 (26:00):
So you got the Holy Ghost.
Um you got the Holy Ghost atthat Pentecostal church.
You said they came, they calledyou down, they showed you a
scripture, and they laid handson you for healing of seizure
disorder or to receive the HolyGhost?

SPEAKER_03 (26:15):
Um, both.
They talked the young preachertalked to me about being
baptized, and just a few weeksbefore I was baptized um and
attended this church.
Remember, I repented when I wasMormon and stayed with me.
I wanted a different life for mychildren than the life I had
chosen, even though I was young.

(26:37):
I knew right from wrong, and Iknew that I was not on a path
that would be best for mychildren.
So God used my children andcontinues to use my children to
uh keep me close to him.
Um but I uh the young preacherjust opened up scripture and
began to tell me it's the firsttime I ever heard repent and be

(27:00):
baptized in the name of JesusChrist for remission of sins,
you shall receive the gift ofthe Holy Ghost.
He said, God has healed you.
You know, there's we got warmwater in the baptism tank, my
second time being to aPentecostal church, and they
baptized me in Jesus' name.
But just prior to my going toCalifornia, I had a dream.

(27:21):
I'm the oldest of four girls,and the dream, uh, I'm very
visual, God speaks to me indreams and parables.
Um, I saw us four little girlsdancing in a field of white
daisies, spinning around, justfree and joyful.
That dream so impressed mebecause in the moment that I

(27:42):
stepped down into the waters ofbaptism, I felt like that that
white pure dress was beingapplied to my life, and I could
start over.
They brought me down out of thebaptistry, and um the uh
preacher ministered to me, andhe says, You shall receive the
Holy Ghost as next.

(28:03):
And I believed him.
I I was just so thankful firstthat there even was a God and
that God knew me, God had healedme, I was in love with him from
the moment, and then uh the nextday before I received the Holy
Ghost, I felt that I was gonnago into seizures again.
It would that aura, I can'texplain it.

(28:25):
Some people say it's a a feelingthat you're falling, but it came
upon me and I realized instantlythat it was the presence of God
that was with me as a littlegirl.
It was him that was therebecause he was there when I was
so panicked.
And um, so I went to church thatSunday morning, and they had the

(28:47):
altar call, and I came up and myfriend is with me, and um,
almost instantly the Holy Ghostfell on me.
And I got up from after speakingin tongues, I couldn't stay on
my feet, and I got up and Ibegan to spin down that hall
like a little girl in a field ofwhite daisies.

(29:09):
I've danced in the spirit sinceI received the Holy Ghost 50
years ago.
50 years.
I'm still dancing, I'm stillworshiping the lover of my soul,
and it took me on a journey offaith.
God, God helped me through somevery difficult moments, but he's
always reminded me that he hashis eye upon me.

(29:31):
He sings over me.
He loves me.
So that's a little bit about myfirst few years of serving God.
Did your husband come in withyou after that?
I was young, Mary, just had beenmarried a few years, and he
didn't want anything, anythingto do.
In fact, he told me that if hehad known that I was going to be

(29:54):
what he called a Jesus freak,he'd never married me.
So that our marriage uh nineyears in ended in a divorce, him
choosing someone else, and thespirit of rejection, that's
another story and anothermiracle.
God delivered me from rejection.
I think that's why I connectwith backsliders, is because

(30:15):
there's so much rejection,self-rejection, rejection from
others, rejection fromrelationships, you know, one
after the other, after lookingfor love in all the wrong
places.
I think that's why I connectbecause God healed me.
And how He did that was a ladypreacher came to me and she

(30:36):
introduced herself, put her armaround me, never met me.
And she was there teaching onthe book of Psalms, which I
love, and she said these wordsto me, you look like an easy
person to love.
Oh, that changed my entireperspective about myself.
Yeah, yeah, I'm no I'm notrejected, right?

(30:59):
I'm an easy person.
So I've tried.
I've tried to become an easyperson to love.
And it's this, but that's alittle bit about the first part
of my life.
And I was a widow and and uh didby divorce for seven years, and
met uh my husband, Dr.

(31:19):
Gary Bauer.
He was a physician in Louisiana,and that's how I made it from
Idaho to Louisiana.
Okay, okay.
And we had a precious sontogether, and my sons came with
us, and we become a new family,and what beautiful times that we

(31:39):
had.
Um, and uh I was so thankfulafter seven years.
This happened to me twice.
After seven years um of being awidow, the Lord has restored
love and relationship back intomy life.
Um, I really do have a happilyever after ending coming.
And um, he's writing, he's theauthor and finisher of my story.

(32:04):
I have a love for people, a lovefor souls, especially the
backslider.
And um, I know they're coming.

SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
I think though, Sister Bishop, just your
personal journey with God,losing you know, we see this a
lot when people come into churchand change their life, the
spouse leaves, and to know thatGod would give you another
spouse that would love you andthen you know, restore that for

(32:35):
you, and then he passes away,and that God gave you another
spouse to love you while you'reon this worth earth.
I think that's so beautiful andencouraging because there is a
huge group of people that are inthe church singles of all ages
that really worry about that.

(32:56):
I think that really wonder isthere gonna be anyone for them?
And I think what you said isvery important because God
doesn't reject us, we are notrejected.
There is deep, tremendous loveof him for us, and I think that
because of that, he will sendpeople to love those that need

(33:18):
to be loved.
And so I know that's not thereason that you're here today
for um the podcast, but I justthink it's such a beautiful
example of God's grace to us andand the way he provides for our
needs here in this earth.
And um we don't get to hear thatvery much, you know, from people
in the apostolic faith, anyways.

(33:41):
I don't get to, anyways.
Yeah.
So I think I think that'sbeautiful.
And then so uh you have threeboys.
Um tell tell us about yourchildren and how they became
prodigals and and the story ofChristopher.

SPEAKER_03 (33:56):
It's um it's been a journey.
Um when I divorced my secondson, uh Christopher, uh, was
born on December the first.
And our marriage was even atthat time was a struggle.
Uh he just could not see.

(34:20):
He could not see through hisunbelief.
I still pray for him today.
Um I don't understand it becauseuh God loved me and revealed
himself to me, and it seemed sosimple to fall in the arms of
Jesus, you know, to become abeliever.
But for him, it was umfoolishness and it hurt.

(34:45):
I can't say it didn't hurt, butwe had two beautiful sons
together.
My firstborn is named Jason, andbecause of the dysfunction in
our family, he has never beenfilled with the Holy Ghost.
I I contributed to that fatherlyexample and fatherly uh if I if

(35:06):
I could say that.
Um and he struggled in being afather himself, and he struggled
in relationships, but there'scoming a day because I'm
praying, I'm praying myfirstborn.
What will the Lord require of meand in Malachi for the sin of my
youth?
He's he's he just walk wants usto love mercy, act justly, and

(35:28):
walk humbly with our God.
So my son is going to be allright.
So I not only have prodigals, Ihave family members that are
near and dear to me that are notyet have come and 50 years
living for God.
Um it's it's hard to see becauseI want them to know this life,

(35:49):
right?
Them to know the abundant lifethat the Lord can give.
But we had both two sonstogether, and I'm gonna fast
forward.
Um when I married Dr.
Gary, we moved to Louisiana, andfor several years things were
beautiful, honeymoon.
But my my children were carryingthe wounds of divorce.

(36:11):
Yes.
It's a death.
It really is a death, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (36:16):
And and very few children grieve it because
they're so young, they do notknow how.

SPEAKER_03 (36:21):
They don't, and they yeah he I think my oldest felt
like it was his fault, you know.
I don't understand that, but butyou know, and but anyway, uh my
secondborn son was uh 14, and myfirstborn was uh 18 when I met
uh Dr.

(36:42):
Gary Bauer.
What a wonderful man he he was,my prayer partner.
He taught me a lot about prayer,and he he'd been he'd come to
the Lord about the same amountof time as I did, and um but
Christopher um really wanted afather, and there was um my

(37:06):
firstborn uh started drinking,his marriage broke up, and it
affected his little brother.
It always does, it affects thefamily, it sent rippling waves
out, and and Christopher beganto fall into the same path, the
same rut.
Um, and he began to drink.

(37:28):
And I found out after his deaththat he had even uh been
introduced to cocaine, and itchanged him, it changed him.
But prior to that, he was nineyears old when he received the
Holy Ghost.
He was a worshiper, he would layhands on children and pray, and
God would fill them with theHoly Ghost.
He just loved God, he was arunner and a dancer, but when he

(37:52):
entered into college and wasintroduced to uh the hard drugs,
it changed who he was.
It the devil seeks whom he maydevour, and he pursued my son.
Um, and it was within weeks ofof him being in college that it
was it seemed like that he wasswept away.

(38:15):
And they decided, my firstbornand Christopher, that they're
gonna go.
He had just graduated from highschool, been in college for just
a few months, and they decidedthey're gonna take a road trip
to California.
They drove out to California,just the two of them.
I remember hugging Christopher,made cookies for him and hugged
them and said, Call me everyday.

(38:35):
And I didn't want them to go,but they're adults now, you
know.
And they ended up in California,and the time that they were
there, they uh they were livingin their car.
And during that time, uh Jason,my older son, was uh partying
somewhere.

(38:55):
Christopher had got into a taxi,and they had uh driven through
the streets of San Francisco.
Meanwhile, a man, a young manwho'd been troubled, his name is
Ruben, was in another vehicle,and he was downtown, and there
were gang members that were uhin an altercation and guns were

(39:16):
drawn, and he grabbed his wife,got into a car, began to drive
at 85 miles an hour, fleeingwhat he thought was the gunfire.
The police that were by saw thefleeing vehicle and pursued him
for 18 blocks up and down thestreets of San Francisco.
And as this taxi that my son wasin and two other young men

(39:39):
entered into the intersection,this car that Ruben was driving
blew through the stoplight andcrashed into the taxi.
Uh, we got a call at fouro'clock in the morning that our
son had been killed.
And um, that's a whole story initself how God kept me together.

(40:00):
Yeah, he would have to.
He he would have to because Istarted speaking, shaking, and
speaking in tongues almostimmediately because I knew if I
didn't allow God to touch me, Ibecause I used to say to people,
if anything happened to one ofmy kids, you just might as well
bury me.
You know, don't say that.
But I did.
That's just the way I felt aboutmy children.

(40:21):
I was very protective of them.
They've been through a lot.
And let him go to California andnow hear that he's been killed.
And um, he lived, we found outhe lived 40 minutes uh from the
accident to the hospital.
Everything inside of him wasbroken, all his organs, his
spleen, every everything.
When they got him to the morgue,um, they found cocaine present.

(40:46):
And so we're not sure how muchhe felt, but God through, and
that's another story, anotherjourney, but God gave me dreams
and visions and scriptures abouthow he took Christopher in those
last hours of his life to thefather's house, and uh that he
would keep him there.
And God assured me, I know onething about Christopher.

(41:07):
When he was in trouble, healways prayed.
He always prayed.
Even when he was beingrebellious, he always prayed,
and our backsliders prayed.
Yes, he'd only been away fromchurch just less than a year,
and he's killed in an accident,the wrong place at the wrong
time.
I asked Lord, why did you allowthe angel of the Lord to step

(41:28):
aside?
But God had a purpose, and Ibelieve it was for the saving of
his soul.
But we've dedicated an entireministry since this time to
praying for families.
I prayed with a lot of weepingmothers whose sons are in jail,
whose sons are uh bound bydrugs, whose sons are in gay
relationships, that their mama'shearts are just broken.

(41:51):
What did I do?
What where did I go wrong?
How do I help them?
What you know, they're going toself-destruct.
I've been with mamas that umthey went out to the garage and
found their their son overdosedand gone, gone and just you
know, just in a snuff, justgone.
And the God of all comfort, theLord showed me that he is the

(42:15):
God of all comfort, like he'sthe God of salvation, the God of
creation, the God of redemption.
Jehovah Jirah, our provider, heis the God of all comfort.
So God purposely chose people tocome around me.
And how I healed was praying forothers.
That's how I recovered.
I would go to the prayer room,and God would begin to reveal.

(42:37):
I spent a week um almost everyday just going to the prayer
room.
And I opened up the book of Joband halfway through the because
I said, Lord, why?
Why?
Why, my son, why now, you know?
And uh God revealed to me thatJob, when he was scraping the
boils, and his wife said, curseGod and die.

(42:58):
She said that not because shewas being rebellious, but
because she was broken.
That mama was broken.
She'd lost all of her children,they lost their livelihood,
their livestock, everything.
But God showed me halfwaythrough, there's a scripture
that talks about that that Job,he said, Oh, that my words were

(43:20):
written in a book graven in arock.
And he and it talks about uh theredeemer standing on the earth
in the latter day.
And God revealed to me thatwhatever pain we're going
through, that the Redeemer isgoing to stand in the midst of
our pain.
But not only is he going tostand in the midst of our pain,

(43:41):
he has a plan of redemption.
Job saw a glimpse of theprophetic Jesus in his pain.
And we know the rest of thestory, right?
He restored everything.
Uh his wife, who said, curse Godand die, they had daughters,
beautiful daughters.
And their daughters receivedinheritance.
And so God began to reveal to mescriptures that comforted me and

(44:04):
helped me and uh lifted me up.
And um, oh, I grieved over myChristopher.
I loved him.
He was my comedian, he wasalways coming up behind me and
hugging me.
I needed him in my life, and nowhe's gone.
But I discovered God in a mannerthat I had never seen him before

(44:25):
as the comforter, yeah, as thecomforter.
And uh beautiful, beautifulexperience of mercy.
We met the man that was involvedin my son's death.
He was driving that vehicle.
We met him in prison, he wasincarcerated, he did 11 years
for mans vehicular manslaughter.
Yeah, he calls me mama, and wewe talk and we write.

SPEAKER_01 (44:49):
And I'm sorry, it's a long story.
That's okay.
I want to interrupt a little bitand ask some questions.
Um, you know, um my cousin losther daughter, um who was a
prodigal, and I know BrotherMahaney lost his son, and

(45:09):
Brother Mahaney's talked aboutthat a little bit, and I I think
there are many people out therewho have lost people, whether
you know, children, a lot ofpeople that have lost children,
grandchildren.
And I I was hoping you couldtalk a little bit about that

(45:31):
that place in between where thegrief hits and the loss is so
palatable that you don't thinkyou can go on and and and you
know, our mind we know that wehave to trust God.
We know that there is no otheroption but that um but what you

(45:53):
said is is that we also knowthat God let the angel of the
Lord step away.
And and I think that SisterBishop, so many people who have
lost loved ones they wrestlewith that idea that God you
didn't have to allow this, butyou did allow this.

(46:17):
And you know, your faith I couldtell just hearing you talk, you
have such simple childlikefaith.
It sounds like you've always hadthat from the beginning.
From the beginning that youfound the Lord.
You've always been able tomaintain that childlike faith.
I'm not sure if that's true, butit feels like that to me.

(46:39):
That your childlike faith hasjust been a part of who you are.
Did you ever did you wrestlewith that idea about the fact
that Oh yes, oh yes, and how didyou how did you work on the
right?

SPEAKER_03 (46:55):
Do you remember there was a moment, do you
remember when Dave King Davidstruggled with Absalom's
rebellion and his death?
There's a scripture that says,Oh, Absalom, Absalom, my son,
who Absalom became an enemy toIsrael, an enemy to the king's
throne, an enemy to the purposeof God, and for the purpose for

(47:16):
God's people.
And we know that he was hecaught his hair, which is a sign
of pride, in the trees, and thethe warriors came and they cut
him down.
But how did David respond?
He said, Oh, Absalom, Absalom,my son, Absalom, would I have
gathered you like water up offthe ground, off the earth?

(47:38):
And so all that it that was aperfect way to describe how I
felt at those those years.
It was really a journey I callfrom grief to grace.
I I'm trying to write the story.
Um that journey has to be aconstant conversation with the
Lord.
You can really lose your mindwhen there's a tragedy and a

(48:03):
death, but God turned thattragedy into a triumph because
he was backslidden.
I questioned whether he was lostinto a devil's hell.

SPEAKER_01 (48:13):
But God of the I think that would I think that
would be such a tormentingthought for any parent who's
lost a prodigal.

SPEAKER_03 (48:22):
I had a pastor tell me um that in California, her
name is Marilyn Gazowski, andshe actually actually took my
firstborn son uh in because hehad to go to the morgue and
identify.
Remember, I'm in Louisiana,they're in California.
And when when I was on the phonewith her, I was so broken.

(48:44):
I uh and literally my husbandwould have to tell me, honey,
it's time to put your shoes on,it's time to to pack your
clothes, you know.
I I want you to eat this.
I I was just numb, numb.
And but God's presence was soreal.
I cried a lot.
Do you know how close the Lordhas to be to you to capture his

(49:06):
tears?
Your tears, your tears in hisbottle, and the Lord was that
close.

SPEAKER_01 (49:12):
That's such a good picture because we've read that
scripture, and I've always knownthat he's held every tear I've
ever cried.
But I've never thought about howhis proximity to be able to do
that until just now when yousaid that.

SPEAKER_03 (49:29):
Oh, I've I've had such grace experiences, and and
then of course, visiting the manthat was responsible for my
son's death and the death ofanother young man, the third
young man lived and couldn'tremember what happened.
Um, but I how'd I get throughyou were saying Sister Gazowski

(49:52):
took any?
She she said, Thank you forbringing me back.
She said to me, Salvation isvery, very personal.
It's not something where you cando for another, even someone you
love, like you did your son.
And God immediately impressedme, and it was if I could hear

(50:17):
my son praying, because see, uh,we thought he'd been killed
instantly, but we found outthrough the medical report that
he died in the hospital, not atthe scene.

SPEAKER_01 (50:27):
And God gave him time, he gave him time.

SPEAKER_03 (50:30):
And what did my son do when he was in trouble?
He would always pray, talk tothe Lord, and um I know God was
with him, and there's otherdreams and visions in the
scriptures, but when she told methat salvation is so personal, I
believe the shepherd came andpicked up my broken lamb and

(50:52):
literally took him to his house,his the father's house, carried
him broken.
And um we we limit God, the Godof salvation.
He can save someone in atdeath's door, he can save
someone who is in a hospicesituation, in jail, in in on the

(51:15):
battlefield.
God knows how to communicate,and I believe he communicated
with my son and carried him.
The fact that I know God carriedhim comforted me because he was
carrying me also, because I wasbroken, I was hurt, and we just
kept on praying.
We were already involved inprayer, but I never learned to

(51:37):
pray like I did through seasonsof grief.
I looked for everything thatcould possibly heal the
brokenness, and God began tobring people into my life that
had lost uh a child.
And then visiting Reuben inprison five years later, the man

(51:58):
that was driving the vehiclethat crashed.
Um, the the the judge asked meto make a sent a statement, and
I had stayed up all nightwriting.
And the scripture that came tomy mind is forgive as you, you
know, as Christ Jesus hathforgiven you.
I presented that to the judge.
I said, I forgive Reuben, but Ialso shared what Christopher

(52:21):
meant, his life meant to me.
Um, I needed to share with themthat this life that was lost was
precious to me, and thatChristopher will never be
forgotten.
And the the prisoner, Ruben, satthere weeping with his head
hung.
Prior to that, we wrote lettersback and forth because the

(52:42):
district attorney said, I'venever seen anyone more
remorseful than this young man.
He was African American.
Uh, he this was third strike, hehad been involved in burglary,
and and his mama, he had dis Isaid he had dysfunctional home.
But we decided to, he wassentenced, we decided to go to
the jail the next day.

(53:04):
And between a glass between usand telephone sitting between
us, Kathy, we we talked to himon a telephone.
And my husband talked to him,and they brought him in in his
orange jail clothing, and theytook the chains off, and he
could hardly look us in the eye.

SPEAKER_01 (53:25):
Sister Bishop, um, before we go too far down that
road with him, how how longafter Christopher's passing did
the Lord give you very did theLord comfort you to know that he
was with the Lord?

(53:46):
Days in prayer.
Okay, days in prayer because sothat would have helped your
healing quite a bit, or at leastuh to allow you to keep going
on.

SPEAKER_03 (53:59):
Uh he he spoke to me through a message that we could
ask God all the questions wewant, but don't ever question
his sovereignty or his love forus.
That carried me.
I don't question yoursovereignty, your God, and I
don't question that you love meand that you have a purpose in

(54:19):
all of this, but I need healingin my heart, my spirit.
I uh uh sister Kathy, I I had togo to a doctor and received
intervenius uh vitamins and uhmy B12, your body grieves.
I needed it medicalintervention.
My mind was stayed.

(54:41):
We still we we just did what wedid, and that's go to the house
of God.
And this journey of meetingRuben in prison was a five-year
span where we're riding back andforth.
I got to hear his side of thestory, but um I'm still this
Christmas, um, December thefirst was his birthday, and it's

(55:03):
been years, but I struggled withthe fact that I couldn't
remember what his voice soundedlike.
Oh, you know, and I've lost youknow, my husband, my mom, my
dad, my son.
You know, it just seemed likeeveryone that was close to me
was was gone, and but they'rewith the Lord, and as long as

(55:27):
I'm in the presence of God, I'mwith them.

SPEAKER_01 (55:31):
Yeah, does that make sense?
Yes, yes, yes, it does.

SPEAKER_03 (55:35):
As long as I'm in the presence of the Lord, it's
it's um, you know, as thecomforter because we're the hope
of heaven helped me, but Ineeded a doctor.
I never took antidepressants togo to sleep.
I just needed vitamins and rest.
Uh, my husband, who was adoctor, he would know, Billy

(55:57):
Jean.
I want you to go in, I want youto lay down.
You know, just I want, um, letme take care of the kids.
Our my little son was four yearsold when this all happened.
And my oldest son, we flew himback, he was devastated.
He he was just he went throughguilt, still does.
Yeah, I'm sure.
And but it's important to methat I share what happened with

(56:20):
Reuben because he was a lostsheep, he was a black sheep in
my dream.
That in the dream the Lord gaveme, the sheep were playing too
close to the edge.
And that's what our prodigalsdo.
They play in life too close tothe edge, too close to danger.
They're lost, and that's why theshepherd went for the one lost

(56:41):
sheep, you know.
And in my dream, the the sheep,which was Christopher, was
knocked off the cliff's edge,but I saw the black sheep
running off, and the Lord waswatching him too.
And so God began to prepare myheart of compassion.
And through the scripture,because of the same forgiveness

(57:02):
that God had given me, I wantedto give to this man.

SPEAKER_01 (57:05):
The night that God was already calling you to be
willing to forgive him.

SPEAKER_03 (57:11):
My mom and dad, which were in Idaho, when they
heard that my grandson or my sonhad been killed, his grandson,
they got in a circle with mypastor and they prayed, Father,
forgive this man that took thelife of my grandson.
So it said a key because I sawbitter broken women, I saw them.
Their health was broken,relationships are broken, they

(57:33):
refused to be comforted.
And there's scripture in theBible about those refusing the
comfort of the Lord, and how itcan impact a family and a
kingdom can impact.
So when we went to the jail thenext day, and we're with that
telephone, and my husband'stalking to him, and finally he

(57:55):
turned and handed me the phone,and I saw this young man, and I
literally felt like I was thisyoung man's mother.
Compassion that I felt towardsmy son that had been taken now
was transferred to this brokenman sitting before me.
I put my hand to the glass andhe put his hand to mine, and

(58:16):
I've experienced something thatI'd never experienced prior to
that time.
I sensed the mercy from theheart of God being transferred
to this man and releasing himfrom the guilt and the shame.
And I said, I feel like yourmama.
Reuben, I forgive you.
And he sobbed, and he came andum I've got a little video.

(58:41):
We we brought him back into ourlives year later, years later,
and it's called The Fragrance ofForgiveness.
God enables us to forgiveourselves, forgive God, to
forgive everyone, to forgive myfirstborn son for influencing
his younger brother, to forgiveeven Christopher for being in

(59:03):
that situation.
There was a lot of forgivenessto forgive the police, because
if they had not been pursuing soclose that accident, I mean
everyone involved.
I needed to release it to Godand not hold anybody accountable
or put anyone in a position ofpunishment because they're there

(59:24):
that was not my place.
God is sovereign and He justloved on me.

SPEAKER_01 (59:30):
There's a uh there's a uh I think people that
struggle to forgive is becausethey're afraid that if they
forgive, that they're somehowgonna let go and they're somehow
gonna forget, and they'rethey're not going to hold that
memory of that loved one asclose as what they do if they
grieve it every single day.

(59:52):
And and that bridge, you know,when when you suffer loss, the
people.
People that come on the otherside can say you'll never forget
them, you'll never let it go,they're always gonna be there
with you, you carry them whereyou go.
But for the people who are stillknee deep in it, they don't know

(01:00:13):
that, and so I think they holdon to all of that because of
fear.
And so you had the Lord and theHoly Ghost that you were able to
put your trust in him and walkthrough that.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:29):
I would have liked to have known you then, because
I think the counseling wouldhave helped me to see the bigger
picture.
But we, you know, we we I stillkeep in touch with Ruben.
He calls me mom, and we stillhave he's troubled, he's bound,
he's he's in drugs himself nowafter all these years, and it's

(01:00:52):
sad, but you know, sin will takeyou farther than you intend and
keep you longer than you ever,you know, even understood.
I preached, well, I talked, Ididn't, I wasn't preaching then,
but after Christopher waskilled, uh a youth leader that
was close to my in my family umasked me to to share Chris's

(01:01:13):
story, and I titled it Don'tMake Your Mama Cry.
Don't make your mama cry.
But it wasn't a hard message, itwas a gentle, tender message
because your your mama and yourdaddy, they love you, God.
You know, there's families thatdon't have a father's love, but

(01:01:34):
we have a heavenly father thatloves us, and um, the entire
place was weeping.
It healed me.
You asked me moments.
I mean, that's one of thosemoments.
Yes, those young, those youngmen and women came up to me,
threw their arms around.
Some were knee.
I was sitting down, and some ofthem were holding my feet and

(01:01:56):
weeping.
Yeah, that was the God of allcomfort to use all those young
people to come forward and youknow, I to recommit their lives
to the Lord and to know you canplay too close to the edge, you
know.
Part of the prodigal's journeyis to understand that God will

(01:02:17):
keep you, protect you, but youknow, you can get into a place
where you're in grave danger.
You could become a casualty.
And but my story is so much morethan that.
You know, we we started prayingand we started, we met Daryl
Scott, whose daughter RachelScott was martyred at Columbine.

(01:02:38):
We met her his son Craig, andthrough a series of events, we
became a part of the ColumbineRedemption as a prayer team.
We went to school assemblies,and his story, his daughter's
story is so profound.
She received the Holy Ghost at16 years old at a Louisiana camp
meeting, and she was writingabout the visions and things

(01:03:00):
that God had done, but she diedas a martyr at 16.
And we joined the Scott familyfor several years, uh, praying
and and and friends, and um theyweren't even a part of the UPC.
They were they were brokenfamily that was trying to reach
out to students around the worldto stop the violence that was

(01:03:24):
taking place.
It's not the guns, it's theheart.
Right.
It's it's the sin, it's therebellion.
So that was another thing thatbrought healing to me was to be
involved in something that Icould help other people.
But prayer is where I healed,prayer is where I remain,
because prayer is it is being inthe presence of the Lord.

(01:03:45):
Um, I always find it challengingto do a podcast because my story
is so long.

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:53):
But um But those are the de those are the details
that are so beautiful because II feel like we find God and we
know God in the process.
And so many people skip theprocess because it's scary and
they you know it it takes uspast the box that we place God

(01:04:15):
in.
Exactly what you said, you know,and so hearing someone the uh
what you have gone through, whatyou're still going through, and
what you walked through uh likein forgiveness, the the grief
and the loss alone comingthrough that, but then the
willingness to forgive somebody,that process I think is so

(01:04:38):
needful to be unpacked anddiscussed because that takes a
true death to self, I think, andtrue death to pride to be able
to answer the call.
You know that Jesus called youto do that, and I would imagine

(01:04:59):
there is a wrestle that takesplace um just in your humanity,
and I know that God does uhempower us to do those things,
but we have to lay down our lifefirst to do that, and that's uh
not an easy uh call to answer,you know.

SPEAKER_03 (01:05:21):
You remember when I said I was when I received the
Holy Ghost, I was a dancer, aworshiper.
God restored that almostimmediately to me.
He was still worthy of myworship, yeah, and dancing and
praying in the Holy Ghost.
You build up your most holyfaith, praying in the Holy
Ghost.
He ever liveth to makeintercession for us, in us,

(01:05:44):
through us, he's concerned aboutour grief and our journey.
You know, precious in the sightof the Lord is the death of his
saints, and precious in thesight of the Lord was the death
of my son.
God revealed that to me.
And you know, he will neverleave me, he'll never forsake
me.
And then when my Dr.

(01:06:05):
Gary passed away after just fourmonths of being diagnosed with
cancer, after spending his wholelife alleviating pain and
helping others, and he he getscancer, and our young son is 16
years old, and he watched hisdaddy be swept into the arms of
Jesus in just a few months.

(01:06:26):
That's another story, but itcaused a discouragement and a
wounding.
And why do bad things happen togood people?
Why my daddy?
And so my youngest son, who is aprodigal, is on his own journey,
and that's why the intensity ofprayer.
I am really pulling back thatbattering ram and fighting and

(01:06:48):
standing in authority and usingGod has taught me spiritual um
uh weapons, my weaponry.
You know, there's my some of myweapon and arsenal is peace,
it's blessing, it's mytestimony, it uh it's the word,
the word of God, and enabling toencourage other families that

(01:07:10):
God is going to work it all out.
God is working all thingstogether for good and
everything, give thanks, butit's through everything.
You know, it's it's in thejourney, give thanks to the Lord
that He loves you, that He caresabout you, He's going to heal
your brokenness.
That's why He came.
Jesus came for thebrokenhearted, for the bruised.

(01:07:32):
He came, He came to set thecaptive free, and the prodigals
are captive, they're heldcaptive by pride, rebellion, uh,
lies, deception.
Uh, you know, the son in the pigpan, he came to himself, he saw
the deception, and so that'swhat we do when we pray together

(01:07:52):
in the 90 days is that theireyes will be enlightened.
God will bring all things totheir remembrance.
But a lot of our prodigals needan experience with Jesus.
They go to church, but theydon't have not everyone, because
we've got ministers thatbackslid and that have come
back.
But, you know, many, I havefound many of them, just

(01:08:15):
especially in their teen years,they come to a place of decision
where they choose the broad wayinstead of the narrow path.
And we as families need to, inthat interim time, prepare,
prepare our children to know howto battle spiritually, those
doubts and those fears and therejection of their peers and the

(01:08:38):
things they're tempted by.
Lord, have mercy, what ourpublic school system and our
children and our grandchildrenare going through now.
Still redeemed.
And he's saying, Come unto me,all that are weary, all that are
heavy laden.
I've never seen such brokennessas a family that are trying to

(01:09:02):
bury a son and go through afuneral, trying to hold
themselves together andunderstand why our family, Lord.
But why the love, why the peace,why the joy, why the protection,
why the blessings, why theprovision?
You know, all have sinned andcome short of the glory of God.

(01:09:24):
Yet God loves us, Hedemonstrates.
And I think that the prodigalministry is one of the greatest
expressions and demonstration ofthe love and the power of God,
the power of the blood, thepower of blood.
You know, bring me the mostdysfunctional person you know is

(01:09:44):
what God said.
Bring me that broken person thatjust married a meth addict
getting out of jail, going fromthe you know, from the fire into
the furnace, and trying to warnthem and trying to understand
why this happened.
This happened to me recently.
So I'm in this journey with theLord now, and I'm saying, Lord,

(01:10:05):
and and the Lord said, Bringthem to me and I will work.
Bring them to me, pray the wordof God over them, prophesy over
them, speak life over thembecause their faith, their faith
is dead.
I'm sure you could share yourtheir faith is dead.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10:22):
Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 (01:10:22):
But they're still walking around.
They're still alive.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10:28):
That's why prodigals live on the edge, is because
they their faith is they don'tbelieve that they could be loved
or that they are lovable or thatthere could be hope.
They believe that they've gonetoo far, you know, and and some
many that I've interviewed hadcontinued to pray and talk to
God.
You know, I did.

(01:10:48):
I did.
And then there was a point whenI thought I'd you know when I
first backslid, I thought thatyeah, I was going straight to
hell, and so if I was going, Imight as well live it up.
And that was the mentality Ihad.
And then, you know, God Godworked with me over the years,
but but yeah, it's I mean theLord is He is doing a work, I

(01:11:11):
think, in the Prodigals, and I Itotally believe that God is
gonna have the last word.
Um, Sister Bishop, I I I'venoticed in my counseling
practice um that the attackseems to be heavily focused on
men, just in just in what I seewith children and what I see in

(01:11:31):
adults and um youth.
What are you seeing in yourprodigal uh ministry because you
have so many people that comeand seek help for prayer?
Have you noticed any trends?
Have you noticed any age groups?
Have you noticed uh any uhpatterns of what you're seeing
in terms of the prodigals or thefather they feel they have not

(01:12:00):
only failed their family, theirprodigal, their backslider, but
they failed God because theirchildren are in rebellion.

SPEAKER_03 (01:12:12):
Their their children are um have walked away from God
too long.
Men have allowed the women to beon the front lines fighting
hell, and they're they'rebreadwinners, and men will um
become addicted to work, they'llbecome numb.

(01:12:34):
And what I'm seeing is Godcalling them into their priestly
role.
There's a thing.
Yeah, we're seeing the men,we're getting more and more men
on our prayer line.
Um years it's mostly been women.
Most of our age that pray are 40and above, you know.
The young families that areraising their babies, they don't

(01:12:56):
see the devourer that's seekingwhom he may devour, the accuser
of the brethren.
You know, he our young familiesneed to be not fearful of the
devil, but they need to bewarned because we're not
ignorant of his devices.
Right.
But you know, I I want toconnect you with a preacher that

(01:13:19):
his son was a pastor and he hadfallen.
His son had fallen and he tookhis own life, and it was such a
devastating thing.
But his this father's story uhas an evangelist and rising up
and allowing God to heal him.
Every time I read a post, I seethe hand of the God of all
comfort working in the entirefamily, not just him, but this

(01:13:44):
prodigal, you know, that was inthe pulpit preaching that had
had fallen while he waspastoring.
God is healing everyoneconnected to him.
God is doing that.
And we need each other.
Um teaching men to put on thefull armor of God.
Don't go out that door, don't goout that door, get up, pray,

(01:14:08):
call upon the Lord, learn topray scriptures.
I think that's a if I couldwrite a prescription in any
family, pray the word, pray theword of God, find an example of
scripture that you can pray.
You know, Jeremiah 31, you know,God's gonna save our children,

(01:14:30):
He's gonna restore them.
We've got to believe it, we'vegot to speak it, and we can
share about what's going on inour families, but we need to
remember God is sovereign, He'sall knowing, He's all loving, He
knows the pain, He's going tobring triumph out of our tra
tragedy.

SPEAKER_01 (01:14:50):
And Sister Bishop, I I I want to just interject
because I believe that I've seenthe sovereignty of God, but I
feel like there needs to be arevival of that belief because I
feel like those of us who grewup in church and who've been
around it all of our life, therewas it feels like there was just

(01:15:14):
a wilderness season across uh umthe Christendom, you know, uh uh
uh it seems like there was justa a long period of wilderness
season, maybe not in everychurch, but but um you know,
where prayers for the healing ofthe sick weren't answered, or

(01:15:35):
people would lost loved onesthat weren't healed, or just
things that happened where theywould pray and feel like God you
didn't answer.
And I felt like I felt likethere was like this whole
generation that they didn't losetheir faith but they lost their
faith at the same time becausethey weren't seeing God show up

(01:15:55):
like I feel like we're reallyseeing him now, and he always
was then too, but do you knowwhat I'm saying?
And so I absolutely we're toldwe are told that God is
sovereign, and one of the Biblestudies I did probably five
years ago was on hissovereignty.
I I looked up everything I couldfind because I needed

(01:16:19):
desperately to really be able tograsp and hold on to the fact
that God is sovereign.
Not not my mistakes, notsomebody else's inability to,
you know, that God can actuallyopen the eyes of the blind and
set the captive free.
I really needed to embrace thatsovereignty in a way that I

(01:16:42):
could hold on to it with faithbecause I knew it in my mind,
but I couldn't integrate it inin the knowing that I knew that
I knew.
And I f I feel like maybe it'swe know that after we walk
through things.
Um but I feel like at hearingyou say that you you do say that

(01:17:03):
with such a deep conviction.
You know that you know that youknow.
We don't need to question hissovereignty, and I feel like
that is a message that would beso encouraging to people because
I also think that people reallydo question God's love for them.
As a as a backslider, I don'tquestion that again.

(01:17:25):
I don't ever question thatbecause I've experienced it in
how what he's done in my life.
But people that are sitting onthe pew that didn't backslide,
that have been going to churchand and you know backsliders
that haven't come home yet.
I don't know that that theyfully understand God's love

(01:17:49):
because we're humans, right?
And our human relationships failus and and we're told God's not
gonna fail us, that he neverleaves us nor forsake us.
But again, it comes down to anexperiential place when we we
really just don't question hislove for us.
But I think you know thatbecause you've walked through

(01:18:11):
that.
I know that because I've walkedthrough that.
But for the people that haven'tyet experienced that, I feel
like that's such a needfulmessage, and I don't know how we
can give that to them.

SPEAKER_03 (01:18:27):
I feel like they do I I don't want to give the
impression that I just springback up on my feet.
No, I know it's lots of time.
Yeah, God gave me an assignmentto pray for others, and that was
my prescription for healing, itreally was, amongst other
things.
Um, and I still have my moments.

(01:18:47):
I still grieve.
Grief is longing and missingsomeone you love.
You'll always, because they goto heaven.
My husband and I remarried,which is another story.
God brought another widower intomy life, and um, and we help
have helped one another.
I'd been a widow seven years,and he'd been a widow for less
than seven weeks when we met,and God restored um and enlarged

(01:19:14):
our hearts to love again.
He can turn the water into wine,he can turn back the waters of
the Red Sea.
He is a God that turns oursorrow into joy, and so when he
turned my sorrow into joy, heallowed me to love again and be

(01:19:36):
loved.
Yes, loved with all that I cando.
You know, I'm bringing all thisinto another marriage, all of
this, and he's bringing all heexperienced, but we both had
good marriages.
I think that was a key elementin our relationship, and I'd
love to come back and talk aboutthat at some time.
But um knowing that all thingsWork together.

(01:20:01):
God, Sister Thetis Tenny isfamous for saying, if things
haven't come together yet, God'sstill working.
Yeah, it's not over.
It's not over.
And He's working it all togetherfor our good.
For good.
For the kingdom purpose.
Right.
You know, loss, loss can bringkingdom purpose if we allow God.

(01:20:25):
He's not a cruel God.
He's not mad at us.
If there's a backsliderlistening, God's not mad at you.

unknown (01:20:32):
No.

SPEAKER_03 (01:20:33):
God is reaching for you.
And for the church, the elderbrother, you know, uh when I
hear somebody say, Well, we'llsee how long they stay this
time.
It grieves me.
Right.

SPEAKER_04 (01:20:49):
Right.

SPEAKER_03 (01:20:49):
I I just want to hug them and hold them and say, you
know, I'm here for you.
I'm celebrating what God isdoing in your life because
they've been out a long time.
They haven't heard all thesermons that you heard.

SPEAKER_01 (01:21:02):
Right.

SPEAKER_03 (01:21:03):
Teachings you've had.
They they've been down, sweptdown a river, and it's taken
them a long way away from thecross.
And when they come back, theygot to go through the path of
the cross.
And that path will bring aboutthe new creature in Christ
Jesus.
They themselves have got torevisit.
And when I'm feeling my lowest,I want to go back to Calvary and

(01:21:25):
remember He shed blood for my Heshed blood for my healing.
He shed blood for my uhsalvation.
He did that for me.
So I go back often and I willeven teach on the prayer line
the power of the the cross, theshed blood, because because
nothing else makes sense.

(01:21:45):
Right.
In the world we live in.
To revisit Calvary and what hehas already done.
If he has done all of that, howmuch more is he going to
continue to work things in ourlives?
I I've not been perfect, but Ido know where my help comes
from.
And God's people.
Um I I love it when somebody hasa prayer life and they're off

(01:22:09):
with just them and Jesus forhours at a time.
And we have intercessors thatare like that.
But I I'm one.
Let's go into the throne roomhand in hand.
Let's go make a petition to theLord.
Let's go in faith and trust andand and let's go into his
presence.
Let's worship him.
Let's just see what Jesus willdo for us if we come together

(01:22:32):
and the power of covenantagreement.

SPEAKER_01 (01:22:35):
Yes.
It's so powerful.
Um, I was gonna say something asyou were talking, and I forgot I
I lost it because I was just soenthralled listening to you
because you could definitelyfeel the anointing and Sister
Bishop, you exude love.
And I I imagine that comes uh asa result of the brokenness and

(01:23:02):
how you've just you know allowedGod to mold you through all of
that.
But it is it is very felt, it'svery evident, and um it's it's
different when you talk tosomebody who lives what they
believe.
You know, y you really noticethe difference and and uh your

(01:23:23):
story and your testimony isbeautiful, and the work that
you're doing as a result of theloss of your son is is
beautiful.
And you said a minute ago thatGod enlarged your heart, and I I
think that is such anencouraging thing because when
people get to the end ofthemselves, they can't see

(01:23:46):
anything in front of thembecause they know that in
themselves they're done, they'reempty, that's all they've got,
they can't see beyond that.
But when you said that Godenlarged our heart, that is God
doing for us what we can't dofor ourselves, and he create He
created capacity that you didnot have otherwise, and that is

(01:24:09):
hope, that instills hope youknow, for somebody out there.
We we hear these things, we'retaught we're taught this, we're
you know, we hear a preacherthat teaches all that, but it's
so different when you reallyapply it to a lived experience
and you get to experience howJesus changes you, you know,

(01:24:33):
through the grief.
And uh it's kind of bittersweet,nobody wants to go through it,
but what we gain coming out theother side of it is something we
wouldn't trade.
At least I have felt that.

SPEAKER_03 (01:24:50):
The father's house was prepared for the celebration
of the return.
My son was lost, but now it'snot he was dead, but now he
lives, he lives, and thatcelebration needs to be in our
churches.
I'm not saying that it isn't,but we could improve on that as

(01:25:11):
Pentecostal people because wefear all of us fear not
measuring up to the love of God.
It's instant because of whatwe've been through, but to just
accept the love of God andaccept your journey and where
you are.
Return prodigals have so much todiscover about new things they

(01:25:35):
never dreamed, because a lot ofprodigals leave under difficult
situations and they didn'trealize, and when they do
realize that God was there allalong, just waiting, just
waiting, watching it.
And you can look back and seehis hand, yes, yes, and I see
that in the lives of prodigalsand the answers to prayer.

(01:25:58):
But a prodigal coming back tothe altar is just the beginning,
right?
They I believe that returnprodigals need to be discipled,
maybe not taught the basics ofsalvation, but discipled.
What do I do with this financialmess I'm in?
What do I do?
I'm married, I'm living with awoman.
What do I do?

(01:26:19):
I'm living with a man, you know,how do I restore all the things
that I've ruined and I've hurtmy mom, I've hurt my dad, you
know.
What is the what is the process?
And the answer is the word, it'steaching the word of God and
it's counseling, you know, thein the multitude of counselors,
there's safety, there's healing,and uh back to Lazarus, you

(01:26:42):
know, he he died the seconddeath, he still died his human
body, and we're gonna seeLazarus on the resurrection day,
the rapture of the church.
But he's but you know, can youimagine they tried to to uh um
destroy Lazarus after he wasbrought back out of the dead,
you know, target because he wasa miracle, and our families are

(01:27:07):
targeted by hell because they dothe enemy does not want us to
declare, once I was lost, butnow I'm found.
Right, right.
You know, and um I believe inthe shed blood of the Lamb, I
believe in restoration, Ibelieve in the power of love.
And the greatest way we can showto is pray for somebody.
I mean, sincerely, sincerelypray for somebody.

(01:27:30):
So I would love for anybody tojoin us on the partners in
prayer.
This week we're we'recelebrating 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 (01:27:38):
Ten years.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat for anyone listening?
Um, if you're not familiar withpartners in prayer, she has a fa
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (01:27:48):
I have a we have a uh website, it's called
www.pips, p-i-p-s ministry.org.
And you can go there and meet usand give us your contact
information.
Uh there's a calendar there withthe schedule.
Um, and you can message me,Billie Jean Bishop.
I'll send you the information.

(01:28:09):
We're we're like I said, day 76,but join us, join us and until
day 90 and see what the Lordwill do.
I'll I'll I'll send you the linkto the to the devotion.
They're short.

SPEAKER_01 (01:28:22):
Um powerful.
The devotions that she's writtenare very powerful.
And they are short, but they'rethey're full of meat, I think.
Um, I think what you've done hasbeen incredible.
And on Facebook she posts thoseevery day.
So if every day anyone out therethat has a prodigal that you

(01:28:45):
need support, um what do youguys pray every day, Sister
Bishop?

SPEAKER_03 (01:28:51):
Yes, there's prayer calls um every every single day.

SPEAKER_01 (01:28:55):
Um what does that look like for those multiple
people on it?

SPEAKER_03 (01:28:59):
Different hosts.
We're all um Jesus' name,spirit-filled believers, uh
different ages, uh, differentwalks of life.
We have a widow that leads acall, we we have a pastor that
leads a call, and we're a publicprayer line, so we open it up.
Um, we're very different thansome Zoom calls or prayer

(01:29:22):
meetings because you know wehave normally about 20 different
states represented byindividuals.
Um we want to you guys takeprayer requests?
We take prayer requests, we letthem share praise reports this
Friday, as a climax of our weekof celebration of 10 years on
our prayer conference line.

(01:29:43):
We're going to have 18 hours ofnon-stop prayer.
Starting at 6 p.m.
Central Time, there's a onenumber, and uh you can find that
on my page.
But you can dial in and join ourhost.
There's going to be testimony,we're going to take prayer,
we're going to bear the burdensof one another.
We're going to pray again forbacksliders.

(01:30:05):
Uh we're going to to endeavor topoint people to the comforter,
to the God of all comfort.
And um let me close with thisthought.
The woman with the issue ofblood, she's thought, you know,
the scripture says, if I couldbut touch the hem of his

(01:30:27):
garment, I'll be healed.
She was rejected like a leper.
She had a flow of blood, and shewas her whole family dynamics.
She was isolated, she wasdiscouraged, she spent all she
had on Donald Trump.
She she had gone through thesource.
But when she heard about Jesus,she pressed through the crowd.

(01:30:50):
Jesus experienced the healingvirtue.
Who touched me?
Who touched me?
But Jesus turned to the womanthat had just been healed of the
issue of blood, and he's calledher very personally, daughter,
and said these words, daughter,be of good comfort.

(01:31:11):
I believe the comfort of theLord in a prayer session will
lead you into the supernatural.
Because this woman was not onlyhealed with the healing virtue,
she was restored and made whole.
And when the Lord calls us byname personally, we'll never be
the same.
We may experience miracles andanswers to prayer, but when the

(01:31:35):
God of all comfort uh ministersto you and you realize that he
loves me, you haven't figuredout the rest of the mess, but
you know that he loves you, thenyou will be on a journey because
he personally called youdaughter or son or by name.
Right.

(01:31:55):
And it's that intimacy that'sgonna keep us until the trumpet
sounds.

SPEAKER_01 (01:32:01):
Amen.
Sister Bishop, I always finishmy podcast with two questions.
Um, what would you say to thebackslider who might be
listening?

SPEAKER_03 (01:32:15):
Find an altar.
Find someone you trust to go tothe altar with you.
Make sure your altar is pointingtowards Calvary.
Um don't don't be concernedabout what people think.
It doesn't matter anymore.

(01:32:36):
Old things, old things arepassed away.
All things become new.
You're new in the eyes of theLord.
We apostolics teach this that hecasts our sins from the as far
as the east is to the west.
He really does.
He really does.
He really does.
Yeah, he he doesn't remember,but he knows us and he knows the

(01:32:58):
journey that we take.
And so day by day by day, justwalk with the Lord, find uh
scriptures, uh, join a prayergroup, do something that helps
keep that active relationship uhalive.
Think of it as, and please don'tthink I'm being disrespectful,

(01:33:19):
but think of it as dating Jesusuntil the wedding.
You're his betrothed backslider,you are betrothed to the Lord.
He's married to the backslider,he's engaged, he's come back for
a bride that's made herselfready, not perfect, but ready.
He's turned your sorrow to joy,he's given you a garment of

(01:33:42):
praise for the heaviness, he'sblotted out your transgressions.
Just find a battle buddy, findsomebody that believes in the
power of cross, not preaching atyou.
The one thing that prayer forprodigals has done for me, I
stopped lecturing.
Yeah, I stopped, you know, lookat this scripture and show up to

(01:34:06):
this, you know, service.

SPEAKER_02 (01:34:07):
Right.

SPEAKER_03 (01:34:08):
It isn't it isn't about works, it's about love.
Right, it's about love.

SPEAKER_01 (01:34:14):
And then what uh uh this is your ministry, so uh
this one probably be easy.
What would you say to theparent, such as yourself, who
has a prodigal still out there?

SPEAKER_03 (01:34:27):
You better build an altar, you better surrender.
You need to surrender them, putthem on the altar.
God loves them most and knowsthem best.
Don't stop praying every day.
If you miss a day, they're gonnabattle something without your
covering, without the word.
And so, mom, dad, forgiveyourself, forgive yourself.

(01:34:50):
Let any root of bitterness anddisappointment, disappointment
will kill your relationship withyour body, will destroy and it
will affect all yourrelationships.
I thought my child was gonna bethis, and I thought he was gonna
be that, and to you know, nowhere she is.
Love them like Jesus loved them,pray until you can remember

(01:35:14):
holding that little child andlooking into his eyes, and you
really cannot do that without analtar without grace, without an
altar, without grace, withoutmercy.
Um, you know, we apostolics saystay in the word of God, but how
many of us really pick up ourBibles while we're praying?
While we're praying, pick up theword of God, and if you need a

(01:35:37):
little love and support, messageme.

SPEAKER_01 (01:35:40):
Yes, call me Billie Jean Bishop.
You can find her on Facebook andand Partners in Prayer also.
She's wonderful, and uh yeah,I'm so grateful that you took
the time to tell us, you know,your story.
I I think that we need more ofthese stories of redemption.

(01:36:02):
Your redemption in a way, interms of what you went through
with the loss of your son andhow God just loved you through
all of that.
I just think it's so beautifuland and what he revealed to you
about his eternal destination,because I God is good like that

(01:36:22):
to give us the answers that weneed when we don't know.
And and we just have to stay thecourse and stay in communion
with him, and he will reveal itto us.

SPEAKER_03 (01:36:34):
He's the lover of our souls, yes, he's the one
that my soul longs for, he's therose there, he's the bright
morning star.
Let this Christmas season, Idon't know when this will air,
but make this an intentionalmoment of just saying, Lord,

(01:36:57):
here I am, starting again, justlead me, show me, walk beside
me, and he will.
He's been waiting for you, he'sbeen waiting.
He's he saw you a long way off.
He saw you.
It's been a delight.

SPEAKER_01 (01:37:15):
I don't know how you're gonna pull all this
together, but but I trust youthat you're yes, the the guys at
the studio are great, SisterBishop.
Thank you so much, and God blessyou, and a happy, happy
anniversary.
And uh I love what you're doing,it's so needful, and hopefully
we will connect again soon.

SPEAKER_02 (01:37:34):
I would like that very much.
I want to hear, I want to hearmore of your story.

SPEAKER_01 (01:37:39):
Yes, yeah, it's it's a good one.
God definitely rescued me forsure.
So and gave me a ministry on topof that, which is a miracle.
Like he writes the best storiesbecause I would have never seen
this.

SPEAKER_03 (01:37:55):
He does.
Can can I close in a prayerroom?

SPEAKER_01 (01:37:58):
Absolutely, yes.

SPEAKER_03 (01:38:00):
Lord, you know who's going to listen to this podcast.
And I pray, God, that mercywould be loosed and released,
the God of all compassion andmercy, God, that we will open up
and swing the windows of oursoul open to receive the help
that we need.
You are that very present helpin trouble.
You know who's going to beinvolved in this podcast and

(01:38:23):
who's going to listen.
I pray that you will visit withministering angels in that very
moment where they realize andunderstand the love of God.
How rich, how pure, howmarvelous.
How marvelous is your love, God.
Just move and break theshackles, let the chains drop
off of their minds, God.

(01:38:43):
Release them from their prison,Lord, and lead them on a path of
righteousness for your name'ssake, oh God.
I thank you for your compassion.
I thank you, God, for yourpower, your strength, and for
the shed blood of the Lamb,Lord, in Jesus' name.
Bless Sister Kathy, bless her inher ministry.
God, let her reach prodigals,let it be far-reaching, let it

(01:39:05):
be global, let it be something,Lord, that people, God will call
in, will listen, will beliberated and set free because
you set came to set the captivefree.
Anoint her for this mission inJesus' name.
In Jesus' name.
God bless you.

SPEAKER_01 (01:39:25):
God bless you, Sister Bishop.
Have a wonderful evening.
Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 (01:39:30):
Bless you.
Merry Merry Christmas.

SPEAKER_01 (01:39:32):
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Okay.
Bye.

SPEAKER_00 (01:39:36):
We are so glad you joined us.
If you have a story ofredemption or have worn the
label of a backslider, we wouldlove to hear from you.
If you'd like to support ourministry, your donation will be
tax deductible.
Visit our website at theredeemedbackslider.org.
We hope you will tune in for ournext episode.

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