This past week I have had two occasions to be with long-ago friends. About a fourth of our high school graduating class met in the Ozarks for a long weekend. We revisited memories from days past, colored and warped by over 53 years of life since our graduation.

The second group was a gathering of Christian sisters who went to the same church over 40 years ago. We came together from all over the map to celebrate one member’s 90th birthday.

In both gatherings the Lord Jesus reminded me how sweet our final reunion will be with Him when He comes to gather us to Himself. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain. Only sweet communion with Him and the ones who have gone on before us who trusted in Jesus, their only path to heaven.

What a sweet day that will be!

Stages of Dying

What if a doctor handed you a diagnosis today that you would die in a month? Would you get busy checking off items on your bucket list? Would you go into panic mode? Or would you try to tie up all the loose ends of your life?

I spent a weekend recently watching CDs on inner healing by Frances and Judith McNutt. She shared the stages people go through when faced with that scenario.

Stages of Dying:
1. Denial
“This isn’t happening to me.”
2. Anger
“Where is God? Why me?”
3. Bargaining
“I’ll lead a better life Lord, if you’ll only let me live.”
4. Depression
Judith encouraged us to reach out in ministry to a dying person when they’re in this stage because they are in danger of falling into despair.
5. Acceptance

A person in this stage has come to terms with the next stage of their eternal existence.

As I thought on these points these thoughts came to me. We all are going to die. We all will live forever—somewhere. Do you know where you will spend eternity? If not, ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and forgive your sins. Put your trust in Him. Your eternal life can start today. You’ll never walk alone on this earth again. What are you waiting for?

When Praying for Someone

Have you ever felt the Lord has asked you to do something you don’t feel you’re capable of? Scary, isn’t it?

One of the first times I went to pray for someone I was scared to death. What would I say? What would I pray? What if the person wasn’t healed? What if I blew it? These questions ran though my head as I drove to the place to pray for the person.

The Lord spoke to my heart. It went something like this. “It’s none of your business whether the patient lives or dies. Your job is to follow My bidding. You’re not the doctor. I am. You’re merely the instrument in My hand. Your job is to be clean and ready. You don’t have to take the blame if the patient dies. You also won’t take the credit if the patient lives, for all the glory goes to Me, Almighty God.”

I felt as if a thousand pound weight lifted off my shoulders. “It’s a deal, Lord.”

About a year later, I heard from the mother of the patient. “We had a doctor visit today. The doctor told us to throw the pills away. My child doesn’t need any further treatments. He is symptom free. Oh, and the doctor told us this disease is fatal. He can’t understand why my child is healed.

That was over 40 years ago. The child is now grown with no further illness. What the Lord taught me that day is a lesson I’ll never forget. To God be the glory now and forevermore!

In I Kings, chapter 18, King Ahab, a worshiper of God had married a woman who worshiped in a fertility cult who sacrificed their babies to Baal. Elijah, a prophet in Israel, told king Ahab to gather the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah in order to have a “come to meeting” so to speak.

The Israelites, led by their king, worshiped Almighty God. But they also mixed in a little hanky-panky with the temple prostitutes of the king’s wife, Jezebel.

After all the Baal priests and the people of Israel were gathered, Elijah came before them and asked, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” In other words, he said they were limping along because they were trusting in something other than their Almighty God to deliver their needs like rain and fertility. God was not at all pleased that they were sacrificing His gift to them of their children to Baal.

Elijah proposed a test saying if Baal was god, let him light an ox the Baal priests laid on their altar. If Almighty God was God, let fire come and consume Elijah’s sacrifice on his altar.

Elijah let the Baal priests go first. They called on their god all day until time for the evening sacrifice. Nothing happened, even though they cut themselves and called out with loud voices.

Then it was Elijah’s turn. They laid an ox on Elijah’s altar. He had them pour twelve pitchers of water on it. When Elijah prayed a simple prayer the fire of the Lord fell, consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones of the altar, the dust, and the altar.

When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

A few chapters later, we find out what happens to Jezebel. Dogs ate everything but her hands and feet. A sad end indeed.

What things are we trusting in today in addition to Almighty God for our needs? Have we thrown in a little Buddhism? A tad of new age thinking or just a dash of witchcraft like horoscopes, Tarot cards, or Ouija boards?

Today's Need

A person posed a question to me recently. This person asked, “What if the church prayed with the same fervor as those who waited for what Jesus called ‘The promise of the Father.’” The apostles and 120 believers gathered in a common place and prayed for this unknown gift for 40 days after Jesus resurrection.

Acts 2 tells us that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit like a mighty rushing wind. Those same disciples who ran like scared rabbits the night Jesus was arrested, became bold as lions after they had received the outpoured Holy Spirit. Peter preached one sermon and 3,000 were added to the believers in one day.
When we look at the things going on around us today in our world, I think we need that same Holy Spirit to pour forth on us, like on the day of Pentecost. What do you think?