MOURNING TURNED TO JOY

     My maternal grandfather's funeral was about to begin and under ordinary circumstances it would be a time of great sorrow. But something had happened just before his death that would completely change the outcome of the service.

     My grandfather helped my grandmother raise me in Oklahoma from the time I was five. He had a hearty laugh, a friendly smile and loved all the grandkids unconditionally.

     But, along with his good points, he had some major character flaws. He had been an alcoholic most of my life and he would frequently go on a "binge", disappearing for days at a time.  

     He showed a kind of respect for preachers, but never wanted to talk about the things of God. One of his sisters, who was a devout Christian, often tried to get him to go to church but he would have no part of it.

     And one day, after 22 years of marriage, he decided to leave my grandmother for a younger woman in Texas.

     The years passed and he developed an advanced stage of cancer. Since he was a World War II veteran, he decided to come back home and check himself into the VA Hospital in Oklahoma City for treatment.  

      I had given my heart to The Lord several years earlier and, after hearing about my grandfather's deteriorating health, I determined to pay him a visit to check on the condition of his soul.

      As I stood by his bedside, I asked him the question that everyone should contemplate when they're about to leave this world.

    "Are you prepared to go?" I asked him. "I know I'm going to Heaven and I want you to be there with me. Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart?"

   "Yes I did, Jim boy," he assured me. "I'm ready to go."

     I must admit he looked more peaceful than I had ever seen him and his response was spoken with the utmost sincerity.

     I left his room that day convinced that he had finally, somewhere, somehow, accepted Christ into his life.

     Unless a miracle occurred, I knew it was only a matter of time before my grandfather would die, but I prayed to God that he would go in peace when he did.

     The day finally came when we got the news.

     He was gone.

   When I talked to the attending physician he related to me quite a remarkable story.

     "Your grandfather would often go to the dayroom to smoke and watch TV. That's where we found him," the doctor said.

     "But what was strange was the way he looked. Instead of finding him lying on the floor," he explained. "We found him sitting up in the chair in a normal position."

   "His head was down and his chin was resting on his chest. And he had the most peaceful expression on his face. It looked as if he just went off to sleep."

     I knew my heartfelt prayers had been answered and God, in His mercy, had given my grandfather a peaceful departure.

     It was 2:00 and the funeral was about to start. A large number of family and friends had gathered to pay their respects and say their final farewells.

     Most funerals are very sad and somber occasions, but something felt very different about this one.

     Instead of the usual grief and mourning, a sense of joy and celebration filled the air. The songs played were upbeat traditional Christian hymns and a content smile could be seen on several faces.

     The uniqueness of the atmosphere was unmistakable and even one of my brother-in-laws, who was not a dedicated Christian by any stretch of the imagination, made this comment following the service.

     "I've never been to a funeral like that before. What was that I felt in there?" he asked.

     "That was the Spirit of God," I explained. 

                                                

     "It didn't seem like a funeral. It was more like a party!" he exclaimed.

   He was right. All of us who knew my grandfather well, realized a miracle had occurred when he got saved. He made his decision just in time and we were joyful now because we knew that Heaven, in all its splendor, awaited him on the other side.

     Sometimes it may be hard to say goodbye but, as Christians, the Bible tells us that we can have comfort when a saved loved one departs because we know the separation is only temporary.

 1st Thessalonians 4:

13) Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14) For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15) According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.      18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

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AMAZING ANSWERS TO PRAYER: He's Still Creating

     It has always been God's nature to create. In times past He created the heavens and the earth. Then He created a Savior to redeem humanity from their sins.

     Today He continues to create and one way it is evident is through the various methods He uses to bless His children.

     In fall of 1992 I was having trouble making ends meet working menial jobs. So, in the hopes it would open up some doors of opportunity to a better income for my family, I went back to college.

     Though jobs, student loans and financial aid provided finances to cover most of the bills, I still had to come up with some additional money to pay the balance of the monthly expenses while attending school.

     One of the most readily available sources of income I found on campus was scholarships, so I set out to obtain every one I possibly could.

     Pursuing a minor in Art, and being of Choctaw and Chickasaw tribal heritage, it seemed a perfect fit to apply for a single $1,000 scholarship being offered by the American Indian Arts Council of Dallas.

     After  completing the application and collecting the additional required documents, I placed all the paperwork in a large manila envelope and sent it off with a prayer that God would bless it.

     The directions that came with the application said I would be notified within a week if I had been selected to receive the scholarship.

     Four days went by, then five, then six, then seven. "I guess I'm not going to get the scholarship," I said to myself, rather disheartened.

     About that time I heard God speak to me very clearly. And while it was not an audible voice, it was, nevertheless, quite distinct.

     "If I have to," I heard Him say, "I will 'create' something just for you."

     Eight days went by, then nine, then ten... still no reply. Though everything seemed to be looking hopeless, I held on in faith that I would receive a scholarship, trusting in the words God told me.

     Then, about two weeks after I mailed the envelope off, a letter arrived. It was from the American Indian Arts Council and I could hardly wait to open it and see what it said.

     "As a result of the number of outstanding applications," the paragraph began, "The AIAC decided to create  'Honorary Scholarships' to recognize students with distinguished credentials who were not chosen for the $1,000 Award... for this special $500 award, you have been selected."

     The word jumped off the page at me... "create." There it was just as the voice of God had promised.

     I learned a valuable lesson through this experience. When it comes to meeting our needs, God is not restricted by usual timing, rules or regulations. And He will, when necessary, create a brand new avenue of blessing...              just for us.   

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AMAZING ANSWERS TO PRAYER: The Wedding Band

     When my wife and I got married we were quite strapped for money, so I decided to get a simple silver wedding band instead of a gold one. "Besides, it's the thought that matters," I figured, "not the cost." 

     The cheaper ring seemed to work just fine for several weeks. Then one day my finger began to itch under my wedding band and when I took it off I noticed some red bumps.

      "It probably just needs to be cleaned," I thought, so I bought some jewelry cleaner and polished it thoroughly. That seemed to do the trick for a while, but it wasn't long before the itching and red bumps returned.

     It was finally obvious to me that I was having some kind of an allergic reaction to the metal in the ring. I didn't want the rash and itching to continue, but at the same time I didn't want to go without a wedding band.

     One morning I dropped my wife off at work then headed to my job. As I drove along, I was feeling somewhat frustrated over my dilemma so I offered up a quick and simple request to God.

     "Lord, I really need to get a gold wedding band because I know it wouldn't irritate my finger," I said. "But I just don't have the money to buy one right now."

     "So, Lord," I prayed, "I'm asking you to make a way for me to get one. And I thank you for it, in Jesus' name. Amen."

     I went on to work and thought no more about it.  About an hour later I was scheduled to meet with a local merchant whose business was only a couple of blocks from the office.

     Since it was so close, and it was such a nice day, I decided to walk instead of drive. After the visit was over, I walked out the front door and strolled across the street.

     I stepped up on the curb and started down the sidewalk. Something had briefly caught my eye as I was stepping up on the curb and I decided to go back and take a closer look.

     It was well into the fall season and there were a lot of brown and yellow leaves heaped against the curb. I looked down and there, in the midst of the fallen foliage, I caught the glimpse of an oval shape.

     At first glance it looked like a weathered piece of brass, but when I pulled it from the leaves it was apparent it was a tarnished wedding band.

     I looked inside to see if there were any initials or names, but found none. I did, however, see the jeweler's stamp that clearly read "14K." "This could be an answer to prayer," I thought, so I tried it on. It was almost a perfect fit!

     As I stood there excited at the possibility of finally having a gold wedding band, the thought suddenly occurred to me, "someone has lost this and would like to get it back."

     "Oh well," I said to myself, slightly disappointed, then set out to find the owner. My first idea was to check with the county newspaper to see if anyone had reported a lost wedding ring. No one had.

      My next plan was to call the local police station. I described the ring and told the officer exactly when and where I had found it. I then asked him if anyone had reported losing a gold wedding band.  He said, "no." I then asked him what I should do with it. He remarked quite absolutely, "Keep it. Looks like you got you a wedding band!"

    From its tarnished appearance, it was obvious the ring had been laying against the curb for quite some time.  And there was no telling who lost it or exactly when.

     I continued to check in with the local newspaper and, after several days, finally accepted the idea this was in fact a remarkable, and very fast, answer to a needful prayer.

     It's important to note here that I've never been one to find things of value very often. But when I have, it has always been exactly what I needed, at exactly the right time. And it almost always occurred immediately following a heart-felt prayer to God.

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JEHOVAH JIREH: The Lord Will Provide

     My wife, Jeniece, and I wanted to go for a weekend getaway to

Granbury, Texas but really didn't have the money to spare.

Nevertheless, I had a pleasant feeling on the inside about going and

the feeling just persisted during the entire trip down there.

     This was very uncharacteristic of me, since I normally wouldn't

spend money for something I didn't think we could afford. But this

time I just felt like everything would work out somehow.

     Despite the fact we had just taken a rather long three-hour

journey, when we arrived at Granbury we decided to go straight to

the city square in the old historic part of town instead of going to our

hotel room to unpack and relax.

     As I pulled up in front of one of our favorite little shops, I  passed

over something near the curb that looked a little unusual. After I

parked, Jeniece got out of the car and headed into the store.  I told

her I  would be right with her but had to go look at something first.

     I walked back behind the car and looked down at what I had seen

on the road. There, lying in clear sight, was what appeared to be some

money folded up.

     I leaned down and picked it up and, much to my amazement, there

were six ten-dollar bills neatly folded together - exactly  the amount

we needed to pay for the hotel room.

     This was a special blessing because the money we had originally

budgeted for our hotel room could now be used to enjoy much

better meals over the weekend.

     God really does take care of His children and, if we follow His

leadings, we will always have our needs provided.

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GOD'S VIEW OF CATHOLICS REVEALED IN OPEN VISION

   I had some free time one weekend so I decided to visit some dear minister friends of mine who lived in Wichita Falls, Texas. One afternoon their oldest daughter was getting ready to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner.

     Since I was new to the area, she asked me if I would like to go along with her and see the neighborhood.  Our trip to the store was normal enough, but on the way back to her house something totally unexpected and very unusual happened.

     As we left a housing addition and entered a clearing, I noticed some one-story office buildings about one block away to my right.

     I was just riding in the car and wondering what the structures might be when suddenly, about 100 feet directly above the buildings, the clear blue sky became instantly filled with a vast number of bright flashes of pure white light!

     The sight reminded me of the multiple camera flashes that go off when swarms of paparazzi are covering a major celebrity event in Hollywood.

     Curious to what this might mean, I turned to the young lady beside me and asked her what those buildings were.  "That is a Catholic Elementary School," she replied.

  

     Suddenly, I felt strong waves of power begin to sweep over me like electricity and my senses were heightened until I felt more alert than I had ever been in my life.

     About that time I heard God speak some words inside of me that would result in a major adjustment to my theology.

     "This is what it will feel like when you are operating in the Gift of Discerning of Spirits (I Corinthians 12:10). And the flashes you are seeing over the school are the guardian angels of the children that attend there," the Spirit of God said.

     That explanation gave me understanding into what I had just encountered in the spirit realm, but the following words gave me insight into the very heart of God.

     "I love the Catholics," I clearly heard the Lord say next.

     This statement was especially important to me because I had heard a lot of negative comments about the Catholics over the years and I really wondered how God felt about them.

     Now, it wasn't just the choice of words God used that moved me, rather the warmth I sensed toward the Catholics as He spoke. At the same time, I heard a gentle absoluteness in His voice that I knew was intended to settle the issue in my mind once and for all.

     While I firmly believe that some denominations do have a greater grasp of spiritual truth than others, at the same time I am totally convinced that God does indeed love all people and He desires that everyone all over the world should come into the unity of the faith of Jesus Christ. 

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