The Greatest News!

This past week has been filled with more blessings than I could possibly share meaningfully in a blog. It would literally take a book.  But as Paul said in Corinthians , "A great door and effectual is opened unto me, AND there are many adversaries."  Isn't that a picture of our Christian lives?  I would have to say that the blessings of this past week have had an equal amount of temptation and trouble, but praise be to God that because of His mercy we are not consumed, and His compassion is new every morning....i love the mornings!

            In this past week I have had the opportunity to visit three childhood friends.  I am presently in western NY staying with my mom while I am helping her to adjust to my dad's departure to be with the Lord.  She is another blessing that I will share shortly. Two of my childhood friends that I visited both have terminal cancer and it would appear only weeks to live.  The first I was able to give Christies Old Organ to read, since this is the book that led my dad to Christ.  I will be stopping by again today, hopefully to share the good news from my own lips.  The second childhood friend met me with strong resistance, cursing and anger.  His son had died a few years ago of cancer and his wife had died of a terrible debilitating disease as well.  To say the least he was bitter against God.  After listening and trying to show that I cared for him, he allowed me to share in my words (he wouldn’t let me share from the Bible) how Lucifer was the cause of sin, sickness, and despair and that God so loved us that he sent his own Son into this filthy world to purchase us back with His Son's own life.  I told him that he could probably understand more than most people what that must be like to lose a son.  And of course the good news that Jesus didn't stay dead and anyone who wants to restore their relationship with God can, by believing in His Son and what He did for us...well, he graciously allowed me to finish my story, but that was it...pray for him...i will be going back tonight.  His life hangs in the balances of heaven and hell.

            The best of the blessings occurred last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  My best friend growing up whom I have been praying for, for thirty years, showed up at my father's memorial service. It was great to see him...he shared how important my dad was to him...to all of us.  Now two months later, I looked him up and found that he has been facing some very distressing situations, to say the least.  In a relatively short period of time, his father died, his grandmother, his wife, and then his mother, as well as quitting his job that was only adding to the stress.  To make a long story readable, I decided to spend some time with him helping him get his house in order...lots to do...especially lots of raking of leaves.  The first night we decided to go to an Indian restaurant.  There we were, thirty five years later, enjoying an evening together.  It was a very nice restaurant.  The waiters wore bow ties and formal attire.  But we were the only one's in the restaurant!  So the waiter gave us special attention.  He was from India and he let us know that he studied in Russia. He shared how they tried to make him a communist but failed because of the influence of a Russian girl he met.  When I asked what she did, he said, "Well, she led me to Jesus Christ as my Savior."  I almost fell out of my chair!  My friend looked at me, and basically was saying, 'I've been set up!"  Can you imagine that God would set something up like this?  It was too good to be true, but here I was, in the midst of God's great plan for my friend.  And not only was this man a born again Christian, when I asked him where he went to church, he said, North Baptist, with pastor David Whiting is the pastor....that is the church that I attend when I am in NY and the same church where I was going to invite my friend to come that Sunday!!!  What a God...what a Savior...he will go to the corners of the earth to save us.  Well, the next day was Saturday and we were able to accomplish a lot in the yard...as well as the soul.  His sister n law also came to visit and of course, God had planned that the good news must continue.  I just happened to have a Teddy's Button and Christies Old Organ with me which was perfect because she had young children.  It was an amazing day filled with so many blessings.  Please pray for my friend and his sister n law...they are earnestly seeking.

            On Sunday, my friend came to church with me and my mom and Pastor Whiting just happened to be speaking on John 3:16 with the theme "Whosoever believes."  This couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend....well there was one thing that wasn't perfect.  We played racquetball on Friday night, and he beat me by two points the first game...but the second game was no contest, so we still have to play the final match...the funny part is that we both blew out our achilles heal...my left and his right....we worked the next day limping but we enjoyed the day immensely.  Oh, we topped off Sunday with my mom preparing a meal for us that we were able to eat on his clean patio...the grill was fired and we had a feast that we will never forget.  And with my dad's passing and mom's new found faith, God's plan continued to unfold before my very eyes.  Please pray for him...we ended the day in tears watching my favorite video, "Everything" by Lifehouse.  May our Lord Jesus bring another son home.  Busy days...please pray for me as I continue to discern God's will if I am to move Lamplighter to western NY...mainly the shipping part of the ministry.  Oh, I said I would share a blessing about my mom...well, these have been hard days for her, now that she is back home among all the memories.  She has been devastated that dad is dead.  She has been repeating over and over again, that dad is dead, until I finally showed her and proved to her that dad is NOT dead, nor will he ever be.  She of course didn't believe me until I shared the following:

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.  And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  Since she read this verse, she has been telling everyone the greatest news that she has ever heard!