Twelve years ago, just six weeks after my son Daniel was born, and just two years after coming to know Jesus, the doctors made a pronouncement to me that many people fear. I was told, after blood tests, x-rays, cat scans and finally a lung biopsy, that I had an incurable disease. One-third of each lung was covered with irreversible fibrosis, a disease known as Pulmonary fibrosis. Many of you will remember that DR Bill Bright of Campus Crusade For Christ died of this disease last year. This disease slowly robs you of your ability to breathe. As the fibrosis spreads, then your lung capacity decreases. I was already at stage three of a four stage disease. I could barely talk on the telephone without my breathing being extremely labored. The pulmanologist explained that the only treatment would be high doses of steroids on a daily basis. Many Christians know in their heads that the secret to an intimate relationship, a dynamic relationship with the Father is founded upon dependence on Him. No one exemplified this more than the Lord Jesus. At no point in His earthly life did He act or speak without the leading and the guidance of His heavenly Father. This is the key to life for all Christians. We must follow His word, this is His revelation, and we must also know that small still voice that that leads and guides us always. After just a few weeks of taking the steroids, that small still, beautiful, precious voice spoke into my spirit. "Frank, come away with me, I am your life, I am your stillness, I am your peace when all around you is falling apart, trust in me....trust in me." I stopped taking the pills. The world rose up against this simple act of obedience and there were many voices, so many voices................"Trust in me.......trust in me." Several weeks passed, and the many voices seemed to be right. My ability to breathe declined. It is imperative to notice that the small still voice made me no promises, my only command was to "trust." A well known man of God from the last century said this "Lord, may I be an ox on the altar or an ox in the field." None of is really know our purpose here in life, what we do know is that we have been called to bring honor to the name of Jesus, regardless of our situation. There will be a time, or times, in every Christians life, when He will "Make you lie down in green pastures." You may think to yourself, what is so "Green Pastures," about a diagnosis of incurability or possible death. Let me tell you something brothers and sisters in Christ, when we have complete dependence upon God, even although we did not chose it(He makes you lie down) you will be in a place that is almost beyond description. The windows of heaven will open, you will hear heavenly choirs of angels, you will feel the sun on your face and it will feel so good, you will mount up with wings as eagles and soar high above the things of earth. From down through the centuries the martyr's will call out to you and the same Spirit that comforted them in their greatest trials and allowed them to sing psalms of glory, even as the flames began to consume their temporal bodies, that same Spirit will burn like a mighty furnace in your chest, and if men could look into your situation, they would say "there is one like the son of man with Him," and they would be right. Ten weeks after coming off the pills, I heard the phone ring at 5.30 on a Monday morning. How many of us know that when the phone rings at late hours or the "wee small hours of the morning," that it is usually significant, much like a loud knock on the door in the middle of the night. This phone call would be perhaps the most significant phone call of my life. It was my mother calling from five thousand miles away. She apologized for calling so early, but she had been compelled by the Holy Spirit. She very simply stated "The Lord told me that He was going to heal you." "The Lord has instructed me to attend a certain prayer meeting this week and to pray for you and He is going to heal you." I find it significant that my mom was instructed to call and tell me beforehand. This was an act of faith, trust, obedience, this was a "stepping out," As she spoke, I was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, I fell to my knees and in my spirit I knew that I was to be healed, I had no doubt whatsoever. I went for an x-ray two days later. The Doctor called me into his office, he seemed subdued. I had shared with him all those weeks before that I was putting my life in the hands of the Lord. He flicked the light of the x-ray board on and pointed to my lungs, they were completely clear. Apparently the Lord does not know the meaning of the word ,"irreversible." That was ten years ago, and, as many of my friend could testify, my lungs are in good shape :) The Lord is so good, no matter what your situation is today, if you will trust Him, not even so much for healing, just trust Him, then you will fly where the eagles fly and you will venture into the realm of the miraculous, into the land of the dynamic, for trust is the gateway to the kingdom of God. This kingdom is here and it is now, since we have to walk through this life, let us walk together in the kingdom that was, and is, and is to come and the night will shine like the day. I wrote this poem in an effort to describe the place of utter dependence upon Him, even for breathe, and yet, when I read it, I know my words are woefully short. There are no earthly words to describe the presence of God, one may as well try to catch gossamer butterflies. HIS RESTI HAVE BEEN TO A GLORIOUS LANDTHAT IS FAR BEYOND WHAT I HAD PLANNEDBEYOND THIS WORLD AND ALL ITS DREAMSTHAT LIES IN THE SHADOW OF HIS HOLY WINGSI FOLLOWED HIM AND WE TOOK FLIGHTAND HE CARRIED ME ON BEYOND THE NIGHTTHROUGH A VALE OF DARKNESS, PAIN AND FEARMY SWEET JESUS WAS OH SO NEARMAJESTY, GLORY, PRAISE TO OUR KINGTHERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN SINGTHAT WOULD FULLY EXPRESS WHAT HE IS TO MEAS HE CARRIED ME ACROSS A MAJESTIC SEAMOUNTAINOUS WAVES ROSE UP TO FIGHTYET IN HIS HAND I WAS HELD SO TIGHTFARTHER, FARTHER, FARTHER ALONGIN AN OCEAN OF PRAISE , AND ON THE WINGS OF A SONGHE TOOK ME TO THE PROMISED LANDAND I LAY DOWN IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDAT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAIN THE DARKEST DUNGEON, NO MATTER, FOR I AM FREE
