FAITHIT_TILLUMAKEIT

In telling something of my personal story it cannot be separated from the call of God on my life. I discovered this calling early in my new life with Jesus. I derived great satisfaction and excitement from the understanding that God had a plan for me through a new way of living. I can say sincerely, I have never looked back. I found myself completely enveloped in the desire to serve Jesus, my personal Saviour and Lord, wherever I happened to be and with whomever I met. I felt accepted, that I had something to give and to receive.

My new life led me to forming what have turned out to be life-long friendships. I found a mutuality amongst people I spent time with who seemed to me to be the kindest most forgiving generous people I ever met. In addition to my personal life I found satisfaction in the development in what became my professional life: I was invited to join the ministry team of the church I attended.

This opportunity opened doors for me which only broadened my friendship base. It provided the opportunity to learn the joy of giving and receiving. I also discovered and developed spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit which included street evangelism. I discovered evangelism is serious fun. Later I was offered the opportunity to regularly preach which I discovered I greatly enjoyed.

My personal story cannot be separated from the lessons learned through living by faith. From when I entered the church my financial renumeration dropped dramatically and I began to learn these lessons, just as did any other believer who is receiving less financial renumeration than can meet their basic financial needs. However this did not deter me. The Lord led me to Job 22: 21-30 which proved to be the very foundation stone of my new life in Christ.

There, I received assurance that if I submit to God I would find peace and in this way prosperity would come to me. If I study the word of God, lay it up in my heart and obey it and through obedience to it my life would be restored. I was not to serve mammon, but rather, treat it as irrelevant,  and then the Almighty will be my gold, the choicest silver to me. Through this life of obedience I would find delight in the Almighty and I will lift up my face to God and I will pray to God and God will hear me; I will fulfil my vows, and the promise is as follows:

What I decide on will be done and light will shine upon my ways. When people are brought low through life’s suffering I will say to the Lord Almighty, “Lift them up” the Lord will save the downcast. God will even save the one who is not innocent; who will be delivered through the cleaness of my hands.”

I have always believed the above promise as from the Lord for me and I have based my life on it.  Hence the call to live by faith, one day at a time. From that time I have lived in the knowledge of God’s faithfulness and promises  in the word to supply all my needs and can give testimony to God’s faithfulness  up to today.

 I was saved in 1972. I served in the local church for 9 years. I was sent out to plant a church. I left there in 1983 and then  began itinerating. I then preached and trained churches in evangelism in South Australia . I mostly went to small outlying struggling new works. It was then that  I moved into a greater understanding of daily living by faith as I received no regular renumeration other than an occasional small offering.

Once I began preaching my study of the Word increased accordingly. In 1985 I asked the Lord’s permission to obey the great commission; to travel worldwide and preach. As an international preacher I went wherever doors opened to me.

Now, in December 2025,  I have again dismantled my life to drive around Australia. The daily plan is to do street evangelism, to preach and teach in house churches and established churches, wherever invited, of any size.

I expect to meet like-minded believers who will  help me run with the vision; I will only walk through doors the Lord opens – these doors no one can shut. This new goal I have set is first of all a personal one. I want to be the best I can be for the Lord. I want to increase my faith.  Second, I do it for my son, whom I love dearly. I want to inspire him. I want him to be proud of me. I also want to leave a legacy to my women friends in particular. I also hope that by my life’s choices I will inspire and influence women everywhere. I may never meet most of these women other than through my writing.

I have just completed an honours thesis. This has facilitated my growth in knowledge of the women of ancient Israel. I want to teach this on utube and publish my many teachings as ibooks. It is my hope that people who want to learn about the women of the bible will read and study and bear witness that God is sovereign, that God fulfils all that is promised to us in Jesus. That we can know and experience the grace of God.

Finally, I believe in bible education, especially one that leads to the freedom in Christ to live as God wants us to live, to encounter all God has for us in Christ Jesus, not only in this life but the life to come.

Watch this space

Much more yet to come as I report on my new journey of running with the vision and learning to obey daily the promise from the book of Job.

Rahab aided the people of Israel to capture a city. The picture above shows the ‘red cord’ that Rahab, let out of her window so she and her household would be kept safe when the armies arrived. She did so as an act of faith and in return for her help she and her household were saved. This image speaks to me of the need to exercise my faith in God. Like Rahab I am letting down a ‘red cord’ of faith.

Patricia Erlandsen