Pray…that…words may be given me… Ephesians 6:19

Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus: ‘Pray…that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me…that I will fearlessly make known…the gospel.’ Do you pray for your pastor? You should! After Wilbur Chapman’s first sermon at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, a man said, ‘You’re pretty young to be pastor of this great church. We’ve always had older men. I’m afraid you won’t succeed, but since you preach the gospel I’m going to help you all I can.’ Chapman thought, ‘What a crank.’ But the man continued, ‘I’m going to pray for you, and a few others have covenanted to join me.’ Later, Chapman wrote, ‘I didn’t feel so bad when I learned that they were going to pray for me. Soon the three became fifty, and the fifty became two hundred who met before every service to pray for me. In another room eighteen elders knelt so closely around me that I could put out my hand and touch them. I always went into my pulpit confident that I would have God’s anointing in answer to the prayers of those people. It was easy to preach, a real joy. And what was the result? Eleven hundred people were saved and joined the church in the next three years, and six hundred of them were men. It was the fruit of the Holy Spirit in answer to prayer. Church members have much more to do than go to church as curious, idle spectators to be amused and entertained. It is their business to pray mightily that the Holy Spirit will clothe the preacher with power and make his words like dynamite.

From UCB Word for today

Portia Nelson writes,

‘I walk down the street. There’s a hole in the pavement and I fall in. I’m lost; it isn’t my fault. It takes me forever to get out.

I walk down the street again. There’s a hole in the pavement but I pretend I don’t see it, so I fall in again. I can’t believe I’m in the same place; still, it isn’t my fault.

I walk down the street again. There’s a hole in the pavement. I see it, but I still fall in – it’s a habit. But now my eyes are open and I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

I walk down the street. There’s a hole in the pavement. I walk around it. Finally, I walk down a different street!

1Cor 10:13: No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

Only when you accept failure as final, are you finally a failure. Any time you learn from failure, you’ve taken a step towards success. You can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate and face the pitcher. Baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a record 714 home runs, but he also struck out over 1,300 times. During a low period, an interviewer asked him how he overcame discouragement. He replied, ‘If I just keep swinging the bat, the law of averages says I’ll catch up. In fact, when I’m in a slump, I feel sorry for the pitcher because I know that sooner or later he’s going to pay for it.’ When Benjamin Disraeli attempted to speak in Parliament for the first time they booed him into silence. But he said, ‘Though I sit down now, the time will come when you will all hear me.’ And they did! He became one of Britain’s best orators and Prime Ministers. Today Disraeli’s critics are forgotten, but his contribution to history lives on. You say, ‘How can I recognise my destiny?’ First, your destiny is a desire that won’t let you go. Paul said, ‘I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not.’ Second, your destiny will be more than a job, it will be joy. The Psalmist said, ‘I delight to do thy will’ (Psalm 40:8). Third, your destiny will unlock your creativity. When God called Gideon a ‘…mighty man of valour’ (Judges 6:12) he was hiding in a cave. But God wasn’t addressing his present state, He was speaking to the potential within him.

So, what are you called to do?

Anyway, at the end of my 6^th Chemo a further CT Scan showed that I still had some remnant in my groin and the doctors decided to continue with 2 further treatments.  It was at this point that I felt the Lord say that I’d be free by Christmas.

I had my 8^th treatment on the 22^nd December (yay for Chemo at Christmas – not) and another CT Scan 3^rd January.  I then took a call from my doctor on the 5^th Jan where he stated that the results unfortunately showed that I still had some remnant in my groin!  The Doctor went onto say that the next step would be to send me to a hospital in Guildford where I would undergo a PET Scan which would show them just how bad the cancer was, where it was growing etc, and they would then decide on the next course of treatment.

I went nuts!  “This is rubbish” I said. “God said I’d be clear by Christmas so this is rubbish!” He responded with something banal and we closed the conversation.

To be honest, I was angry.  “I’m not having this,” I said to the air around me! “God said I’d be clear by Christmas so I’m not having this!”

I had my PET Scan on the 19^th January and the doctor called me the evening of the 25^th.

“Well Warren … you got your miracle!”  “Pardon?” “You got your miracle.” “I don’t understand – sorry.” “Warren the PET Scan tests have come back and show you are totally clear – 100% clear!”

My wife Tracey just burst into tears.

Me? I just looked up to my heavenly Papa and smiled!

He is sooooooo good!!!

It starts with him singing and after about 4 minutes you hear bells beginning to ring and then voices singing with him.

Quiet amazing.  AWESOME!!!

Angeles cantando con Elias Arguello para Dios

… I had my CT Scan the day after my 4th Chemo and got a phone call from the Hospital some 7 days later basically saying that the Radiologist wasn’t available that particular week to analyse the results and would I mind hanging on for another week until they could review the findings.

A nurse then called the week after and I was told that although the results were looking good they were still inconclusive and could I please hang on for another week when my Doctor would then review the data and let me know at my next visit. My wife at this point started laughing and said “your results must have been so good that they’re waiting for the Doctor to confirm them …”.

Anyway, I saw my Doctor – who’s not the worlds best encourager or communicator for that matter – some 2 days before my 5th Cemo and here’s how it went …

I’m led into the Doctor’s office, he’s writing something – presumably in my file – and other than a cursory glance doesn’t look up.

“So … I understand that the Nurse has spoken to you last week?”

“Yes doctor,” I replied, “… she called me and said the results were quite good…”

The doctor doesn’t look up. He doesn’t respond, just continues writing.

“no, not good!

“pardon”, I said

“no, the results are not good!

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I don’t understand …?!

“the results are not good, (he pauses here for eternity to catch up…) they’re Excellent !

I’m totally at a loss at this point and he simply turns the computer monitor around for me to see and there in black and white is the Radiologists report stating “95% reduction in all tumours – and in only 4 Chemotherapy treatments … !”

To say I was flabbergasted was an understatement!

He then went on to say that I’d have to have a further 2 treatments and a CT Scan thereafter where he would then review if I could be discharged!

ISN’T GOD GREAT!!!???

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of “God in my life” xxx

That aside, the ‘so-called-better-news’ is that although the lymphoma was aggressive, they believed that the condition was treatable with chemotherapy and as such I started a programme on the 27th July on a recurring 3 week cycle for 18 weeks with a review thereafter.

Our church’s Faith Camp loomed at the end of July and because I had to be there on the Friday (29th) to set-up the Translation Units, my wife arranged for me to get a lift with a lady who’d gone through a similar experience some time ago.  As it worked out she was a great gift to me and really helped me to understand just what was expected.

By Saturday at Faith Camp I’d already met a few people who’d either undergone or were going through similar treatments – not all were faith-filled stories and one in particular knocked me for six!  In fact, her experience shocked me so much that it took me pretty much all day Sunday just to get into a place where I could at least smile and pretend that I was OK … being honest, my faith had dropped so low at this point that I’d already mentally prepared my exit speech!

Tuesday was a disaster – I just couldn’t shake the nausea and was already thinking about leaving all and heading home the next day.  Wednesday morning came and I was feeling very sorry for myself indeed … I was handing out translation units at an 08:00 morning service, and while everyone were chuntering away in tongues, I was thinking how I could get home without causing too much disruption.  It was then that I noticed an elder from the Modena Church in Italy, slowly heading towards me at what I can only descibe as a ‘death march’. This guy has become a very good friend of mine over the many years and he didn’t stop to talk as usual but just took the headset in one hand and as he slowly walked past me he ran his other hand slowly over my chest and quietly said “I was praying for you last night, God said He was going to heal you today”! With that he walked on.

I was still thinking about his remark, when it was as if the Lord opened my eyes, and I ‘saw’ as it were a balloon complete with trailing string floating on in his wake and I somehow knew that this balloon seemed to be full of ‘my healing’ … I’ll never know if my (half-heartedly) grasping it was a reaction of faith or one of fear – but I did grasp the string of the balloon and as I did so the nausea shot up within my stomach like a volcano and as I clamped my mouth shut I thought “healing … yea, rite”.

The morning came and went and finally Wednesday evening arrived … for those who don’t know, Wednesday evening has become the Italian evening at Faith Camp and the worship was AWESOME! … I truly ‘felt’ His presence during the Worship and as I let myself drift into His heart I ‘saw’ as it were two mirrors – one on my right and one on my left.

The one on my right reflected ‘me’ as I understood my current situation – diagnosed with a terminal illness, feeling tired, old, business dying, no funds, etc etc … the one on my left however, was the ‘me’ as God saw me.  Full of Jesus Christ, healed, redeemed, blessed (and not cursed), a living epistle …

Although I could mentally accept the truths held within God’s mirror, I must admit that I struggled to actually see them ‘in me’ as He obviously did!  In fact although I wanted to believe what was true in the positive ‘me mirror’ – the negative ‘me mirror’ actually seemed to more accurately represent me!

I was faced with a true dichotomy – I wanted to believe the positive mirror but I knew that mentally accepting a truth just wouldn’t make it so. i.e. God has said so-and-so, now believe it and it will be alright – but I knew it wouldn’t!  All my efforts to pump up faith in the Word would be without effect unless the Holy Spirit brought the vital power to make God’s Word living in me!  I just knew that although I wanted to break the negative mirror, I just didn’t have the power to keep it broken and the pieces would just come back together again … woe of woes!

As I struggled with these thoughts, I clearly heard the word ‘CHOOSE’ … at that point Deuteronomy 28 came into my mind – Blessings and Cursings, and I heard myself shouting “I CHOOSE LIFE!” “I CHOOSE LIFE!” “I CHOOSE LIFE!” Just then I somehow knew that power had been granted and I smashed the negative mirror…

… something drained from me at that point! I felt it, knew it, witnessed it …

I am eagerly awaiting for the results of a recent CT Scan to confirm that I AM TOTALLY HEALED!!!  Watch this space …

Thank You Father xxx

The Exodus serves as the quintessential paradigm for God’s salvation. It was there in the midst of slavery and oppression that the family of Jacob miraculously grew into the nation of Israel. Even when the majority of God’s people could not see His hand in the circumstances they found themselves in, God raised up a prophet who led them to a deliverance they never thought possible. Through Moses, great and mighty acts were inflicted upon Pharaoh. After ten devastating plagues, the children of Israel found freedom. After a night of sacrifice, blood-stained doorposts, and the death of firstborn sons, Israel found deliverance from the bondage of the world.

So, too, have God’s people found eternal salvation in a wholly unexpected way. In the midst of Roman occupation, an utterly corrupt priesthood, religious hypocrisy that stressed minutia but neglected love and compassion, and the failings of numerous revolutionary messiahs, Israel’s hope for salvation seemed bleak. Once again, God’s people puzzled over the circumstances they found themselves in. Yet as before, God sent a prophet, indeed the Prophet, who would lead Israel to the great redemption that they longed for.

And yet, unlike the first redemption from Egypt, the wrath of the second redemption was not aimed at Israel’s oppressors. Rather, the wrath of God was poured out upon the Righteous One. Unlike the first redemption, the whips were not reserved for the backs of Israel while He lived detached from their plight. Rather, the flogging of whips came directly upon the back of the Prophet. Unlike the first redemption, the sacrifice was not made by Israel. Rather, God Himself offered the sacrifice-the Lamb of God nailed to blood-stained wooden posts. Unlike the first redemption, the firstborn sons of the enemy were not put to death. Rather, it was God who gave His only begotten Son to be put to death.

In both schemes of redemption, death is prevalent. And yet, death is not the end. Death comes, only to be overcome by life. Israel was counted as dead and defeated while in Egypt. They were nothing but a mere slave-people under the hand of the oppressor. However, they came forth victorious over death and were given new life.

At the ninth hour, Yeshua died and His lifeless body was taken off the cross. His body was wrapped and buried in a tomb. His followers’ hopes for salvation were dead and defeated. Their Master had been executed by the hand of the oppressor. And yet, He came forth victorious over death and has given us new life.

Halleluyah, Yeshua is risen; Halleluyah, Death is no more.

ffoz.org

As children bring their broken toys

with tears — for us to mend.

I brought my broken dreams to God,

because … He is my friend!

But then, instead of leaving Him

in peace — to work alone …

I hung around, and tried to help,

with ways that were ‘my own’!

At last, I snatched them back and cried

“how can You be so slow …”?!

“my child …” he said, “… what could I do …”

“… you never did let go!”

anon