F.M.I. Newsletter - August 2007

Just a quick note to let you know what we are doing at the moment. During 45 years of ministry I have never had to cancel or postpone a scheduled meeting through sickness, disease or disability. That includes years of 3 and 4 meetings weekly, and travels worldwide.

However, this week I had to cancel a scheduled meeting to Atlanta through an attack of gallstones last weekend that inflamed my pancreas and caused acute pain, thus necessitating me to visit the emergency room of my local hospital. They wanted to admit me right away but I told them I did not want to stay as I was preparing to go to Atlanta for meetings. The pain subsided so I decided to leave E.R., go home and make arrangements to see my Doctor as soon as possible. He advised me, after reviewing the report of the E.R. not to fly anywhere and prepare to have the gallbladder removed. He said another attack could be much worse. It should take no longer than a day in hospital to have it removed, them home and recovery for approximtely 4 weeks. We all need wisdom in our lives so I sought the Lord and decided to postpone the meetings and look after my body. I still believe in miracles in the meantime; God is well able to remove gallstones without surgery.

On a very personal point of view I am now going on 76 and have been going and doing like I feel 40 or 50, but the Lord has been nudging me and telling me to relax, rest and build myself up so I am not utterly exhausted. He reminded me of Epaphroditus in Philippians 3:25-30. Jesus took away our sins, sicknesses and diseases but He didn't take away our responsibilities of taking care of our bodies.

So into my Loving Heavenly Father we submit all our plans and rest in faith in Him. So at present I am following the directions of the Lord and my doctor and thanking the Father for your continued support and prayers. Of course, I am continuing to confess the Word of God. But I have learned in life confessing the Word does not necessarily keep you out of the fire or lions' den, but it prevents the lion and the fire from destroying you before your time. Many people are in heaven prematurely because their confession of God's Word as a matter of a daily life-style was not there. So when you are feeling fine and have all you need, confess God's Word daily so that when the storms of life come you will have built an indestructible wall around you. Attacks will come, problems will come so confess God's Word daily whether you think you need to do so or not. It is building your future defense.

All I can say regarding that is the Lord Jesus is more than we can ever imagine, think, or understand. He truly has taken away all that our first father, Adam and Satan had brought upon us. It seems we have so much to learn from what Jesus delivered us from (Galatians 3:13 and 14) and that includes every curse and disobedience that has flooded humanity. That includes all of our ills and complexities of everyday life here on earth. Of course, we still don't see all things under His or our control but one day soon we will. When He that is Perfect has come back for us (1 Corinthians 12:10) then His and our authority will function unhindered. But now we see through a 'glass darkly' (1 Corinthians 13:12), like a foggy day or with blurred eyesight we see, not clearly or understand perfectly. Nevertheless, we press on triumphantly knowing it is true, true, true - all things do work together eventually for all who love Jesus in sincerity and truth.