“I will make up for the years that the 'arbeh-locust consumed your crops —the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust —my great army that I sent against you. (Joel 2:25 NET.)”
A friend of mine, who is aware of what is happening in my life, spoke to me this verse above, not all of it, but they said the first part….the promise of restoration….was what came to them in the time with God.
In and of itself, this spoke nothing to them, they said that that was all they were given over and over. They didn’t have wisdom over its meaning and why it was so clear in their minds when they prayed for me.
Some theologians feel this verse if a prophetic word concerning the coming days of the Messiah; where the Lord will do for His people to “make them glad according to the days wherein He afflicted them, and the years wherein they had seen evil (Psalms 90:15).” The days that Christ walked the earth gave so many good things to the people of God that they had sufficient compensation for the past trials and tribulations. Whereas the Army of God, i.e. locusts, were used to punished some sin, the people have spiritually renewed their relationship with the Heavenly Father to where blessings once again will flow, more than making up for the punishment endured.
And I can see where, in the midst of the struggles of the past years that the meaning of the verse the prophet Joel spoke of would imply a time of compensation coming for the drought and famine years. But it doesn’t fit with me. It tells me that the time has come where the punishment or trials are over, and the blessings have begun. And that is not the case.
No, when left by itself, this verse is apparently meaningless. But if you remember the story I spoke of months ago, where my wife went to a woman’s retreat at SpringHill and RoseAnn Coleman gave my wife the book, “Leaf in Drought,” it starts to have shape and substance.
“He will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8 NET).”
This verse was sent to me via RoseAnn, in regards to the struggle that I had been facing concerning ministry and full-time pursuit of it. She had faced similar trials in her own journey to God’s purpose and said that God had led her to send me that book to give me strength and hope. And, after receiving that, I sensed that big things were upon the horizon, all designed to give God the glory and praise. The TESTIFY.
Then…..the devil has upped his attacks, seemingly tossing my family to and fro in the winds of the storm. And, just as I was about to surrender and give in to the waves, God sends me that verse.
Not for the endurance shown, the work done, or the desire aligned with God, but rather for the repentance and growth that has come from the years of drought and attack, of famine and little. As God said, "I have not brought you to your knees, but I will show you more than what you can see."
As the Prodigal Son’s father did when the son returned home, the Lord has a great feast in store for one of His Beloved Sons…………….
And I will TESTIFY……………………………………………………
to the bountiful and overwhelming grace and mercy of the Most High………………………..
Saturday, January 12
Thursday, January 10
A brother's testimony....
I've asked and received permission to post this testimony of a dear brother on my blog. The honor is mine and the glory is God's. But I want you to read the words written by my brother in Christ.
He has endured a struggle that has taxed everything and his family is not weaker for it, but stronger as is he himself. It is a blessing to see such an awesome testament to God's mercy and grace. Please read this through to the end and read the last part. I have posted on the lefthand side of the blog the logo for his business with a link. If you feel led to use his service, please access through the novi address, and if you know of a business or are a business owner who wants to reach customers with savings, Bill is the man to talk to.
May the Lord bless you as you are blessed....
In His service, broken and restored........
Jim
My Sincere Thanks
My Dear Friends,
I wanted to take a Moment and express my deep gratitude and appreciation for each one of you (and all of those that pray for me that I’ll never meet). My wonderful wife Tammy has been sending out updates on my condition since the start of this thing, and as I’m on the road to recovery I want to take a Moment and thank all of you personally. I can’t express to you how thankful I am for your encouragement and prayers during this time. I can however take the time to share my testimony of how God is working in my world (which by the way includes you!). So if you care to read on I’ll share with you a bit of the story. Most of all thank you for having the heart that you do, caring, lending a hand, and praying for me and my family during this crisis. We love you and please don’t hesitate to let us be a blessing to you as you have been to us should you need anything!
The Attack
From a physical Earthly perspective this whole experience for me has been a nightmare. From a Godly perspective it has been an incredible blessing, especially each one of you.
We know that Satan is the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” Eph 2:2 but our God is the King of Kings and ruler of all. He is in the business of taking what the enemy dishes out and making something good out of it and that is exactly what He is doing in this situation. I want to share with you a few ways that our Father has “turned a scar into a star” for me through this disease. First I need to set the scene of the emotional depth of this attack; this will help explain the awesomeness of how God is working here.
When I was 13 years old my father died. He was not a follower of Christ though he did have a couple year stint where he was quite intense in a walk with the Lord as a young adult. He eventually abandoned his walk with the Lord but fortunately he re-accepted Jesus a few days before he passed away. When my Dad was 42 he was diagnosed with cancer, I was 12 years old. He passed away at age 43, and I was 13. For a guy it is common to get a little “freaked out” when you think about “outliving your father”. I’ve read that this is quite a “normal” thing to think about, so for the last couple of years it’s been on my mind as I approach the ripe young age of 43. More importantly the details lie in the tragedy of a 13 year old boy dealing with death with no support system.
In January of 1979 Dad passed away, family came from all over the country for the funeral, and then returned to their homes and lives. My Mom, sister and I were left with no support system, church support (my Mom wasn’t the church going type then) or for that matter any other kind of friends or family that would help us get back on our feet. Consequently at age thirteen I had to learn to deal with this grief and tragic loss of my hero Dad while dealing with hormones, trying to figure out who I was, and watch my Mom and sister suffer the loss at the same time. I felt abandoned and alone; needless to say it was a rough road for many years and the lack of proper healing took its toll on my life with many poor decisions.
At age 42 I was diagnosed with cancer, my son Alex is age 12. The same age as my Dad, my son is the same age as I was, and I had the same disease; what are the chances of that happening on its own? (Not very high I would bet) To me it was a clear attack on my fears of outliving my Dad, or worse yet meeting the same fate in the same way, not only for me but for my young son as well. (Pretty freaky huh?)
All of these thoughts and fears are / were in direct conflict with my personality and how I think; I’m a fairly positive person with an optimistic outlook on things. It didn’t take long in prayer for God to reveal to me the nature of the attack – the enemy laid this disease on me at this time in my life to disrupt the very core of who I am. He threw the worst tragedy that I have ever experienced at me and hit me right between the eyes with it. He would have loved to have shaken my faith, bring up the brokenness of a 13 year old abandoned boy, and especially to throw me off my walk with the Lord.
Redemption in the Father
God would have none of that though; He gave me you!!! This time it would be totally different, I would not be left alone, I would not fend for myself, I would be comforted and supported, and I have no doubt I will live and not die!!!
The first thing He revealed to me was His love for me through the body of Christ, you! So many people in our church family came up to me and gave me their support and assurance that they would be praying for me. Some even stopped me, pulled me to the side, laid hands on me and led powerful prayers right on the spot! I left church many times shedding tears of thanks and feeling the rock solid love of our Father. He let me know without a doubt through so many people and through how He led me in the reading of His Word that I was not alone and that:
Ps 91:11 for he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
What an awesome Father we have! If you look at it I have a 180 degree spin on the situation. I have now in abundance everything I need and did not have when I lost my Dad. I have no doubt that I will heal and that God will help me to see His purpose in all of this. The first purpose I’m quite sure is the story I just told. To see Him in His people working for one of His sick children is an awesome thing. I’ve been on the other side of it praying diligently for others but it has taken on a whole new meaning now. There is much, much more to the story; just know that I see very clearly how God worked through you for me in a time of dire need – Thank you.
Now – January 9, 2008
Many of you ask how I’m doing and those that I haven’t seen in a while are probably curious. January 8th marks 3 weeks post treatments! I still have tremendous trouble eating but I am managing to gain some of the 45lbs I lost back. Each day seems to be a little bit better, with coordination returning, small side effects from the treatments subsiding and my body returning to normal. I still can’t taste very well; they say 6 months for taste to recover. My saliva glands are malfunctioning (which is normal after this type of treatment) and they may be that way permanently only time will tell. On the good side the radiation burns on my neck are nearly gone. My tongue is the worst part though; it was damaged pretty badly by the radiation. Nearly all foods burn like the spiciest Mexican or Cajun food you’ve ever had, not good! Eating is a full time battle right now, I’m just praying that God will heal my tongue completely – I love to eat!!! I am standing in faith that He will heal me and I believe that He will! I go back for CAT and PET scans mid to late February to confirm what we already know – the tumor and cancer are gone, healed by our Father in heaven!
Thank you again for your support during this; know that you’ve shown God’s love for me. A ride, a word, a handshake and a look in the eye, a hug, a card, a phone call, a meal. You’ve made a real difference in my life – you’ve cemented my faith in God that He would never leave or forget me. Thank you!
Your Brother in the Lord,
Bill
P.S.
Many of you have asked how you can help. There is one small way that would be greatly appreciated.
Two weeks before the diagnosis I started a new business – it is a local business marketing firm that utilizes the internet to deliver money saving coupons to area residents for local merchants. Needless to say with the treatments and illness that goes along with that starting the business was slow. Financially things have been tough – God has provided but it has been a struggle. There are nearly 15 businesses signed up. I’m back to work now and out working to drive local business for merchants and save customers money. One way you can help is to check out the site and if you’re interested sign up for the weekly update. It’s simple, you can unsubscribe at any time, and your email is kept private, and is of no cost to you. The site is: http:/novi.suddenvalues.com. It would help by getting more names in the data base for the merchants to see the business growing. Feel free to forward the site and/or coupons that you like to friends and family as well. If you know of a business that might be interested in hearing about the service let me know as well. Thanks again – you’re the best! Bill
Bill Adams
b.adams@suddenvalues.com
http;//novi.suddenvalues.com/
http://www.suddenvalues.com/
Shop Local, Save Big!
He has endured a struggle that has taxed everything and his family is not weaker for it, but stronger as is he himself. It is a blessing to see such an awesome testament to God's mercy and grace. Please read this through to the end and read the last part. I have posted on the lefthand side of the blog the logo for his business with a link. If you feel led to use his service, please access through the novi address, and if you know of a business or are a business owner who wants to reach customers with savings, Bill is the man to talk to.
May the Lord bless you as you are blessed....
In His service, broken and restored........
Jim
My Sincere Thanks
My Dear Friends,
I wanted to take a Moment and express my deep gratitude and appreciation for each one of you (and all of those that pray for me that I’ll never meet). My wonderful wife Tammy has been sending out updates on my condition since the start of this thing, and as I’m on the road to recovery I want to take a Moment and thank all of you personally. I can’t express to you how thankful I am for your encouragement and prayers during this time. I can however take the time to share my testimony of how God is working in my world (which by the way includes you!). So if you care to read on I’ll share with you a bit of the story. Most of all thank you for having the heart that you do, caring, lending a hand, and praying for me and my family during this crisis. We love you and please don’t hesitate to let us be a blessing to you as you have been to us should you need anything!
The Attack
From a physical Earthly perspective this whole experience for me has been a nightmare. From a Godly perspective it has been an incredible blessing, especially each one of you.
We know that Satan is the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” Eph 2:2 but our God is the King of Kings and ruler of all. He is in the business of taking what the enemy dishes out and making something good out of it and that is exactly what He is doing in this situation. I want to share with you a few ways that our Father has “turned a scar into a star” for me through this disease. First I need to set the scene of the emotional depth of this attack; this will help explain the awesomeness of how God is working here.
When I was 13 years old my father died. He was not a follower of Christ though he did have a couple year stint where he was quite intense in a walk with the Lord as a young adult. He eventually abandoned his walk with the Lord but fortunately he re-accepted Jesus a few days before he passed away. When my Dad was 42 he was diagnosed with cancer, I was 12 years old. He passed away at age 43, and I was 13. For a guy it is common to get a little “freaked out” when you think about “outliving your father”. I’ve read that this is quite a “normal” thing to think about, so for the last couple of years it’s been on my mind as I approach the ripe young age of 43. More importantly the details lie in the tragedy of a 13 year old boy dealing with death with no support system.
In January of 1979 Dad passed away, family came from all over the country for the funeral, and then returned to their homes and lives. My Mom, sister and I were left with no support system, church support (my Mom wasn’t the church going type then) or for that matter any other kind of friends or family that would help us get back on our feet. Consequently at age thirteen I had to learn to deal with this grief and tragic loss of my hero Dad while dealing with hormones, trying to figure out who I was, and watch my Mom and sister suffer the loss at the same time. I felt abandoned and alone; needless to say it was a rough road for many years and the lack of proper healing took its toll on my life with many poor decisions.
At age 42 I was diagnosed with cancer, my son Alex is age 12. The same age as my Dad, my son is the same age as I was, and I had the same disease; what are the chances of that happening on its own? (Not very high I would bet) To me it was a clear attack on my fears of outliving my Dad, or worse yet meeting the same fate in the same way, not only for me but for my young son as well. (Pretty freaky huh?)
All of these thoughts and fears are / were in direct conflict with my personality and how I think; I’m a fairly positive person with an optimistic outlook on things. It didn’t take long in prayer for God to reveal to me the nature of the attack – the enemy laid this disease on me at this time in my life to disrupt the very core of who I am. He threw the worst tragedy that I have ever experienced at me and hit me right between the eyes with it. He would have loved to have shaken my faith, bring up the brokenness of a 13 year old abandoned boy, and especially to throw me off my walk with the Lord.
Redemption in the Father
God would have none of that though; He gave me you!!! This time it would be totally different, I would not be left alone, I would not fend for myself, I would be comforted and supported, and I have no doubt I will live and not die!!!
The first thing He revealed to me was His love for me through the body of Christ, you! So many people in our church family came up to me and gave me their support and assurance that they would be praying for me. Some even stopped me, pulled me to the side, laid hands on me and led powerful prayers right on the spot! I left church many times shedding tears of thanks and feeling the rock solid love of our Father. He let me know without a doubt through so many people and through how He led me in the reading of His Word that I was not alone and that:
Ps 91:11 for he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
What an awesome Father we have! If you look at it I have a 180 degree spin on the situation. I have now in abundance everything I need and did not have when I lost my Dad. I have no doubt that I will heal and that God will help me to see His purpose in all of this. The first purpose I’m quite sure is the story I just told. To see Him in His people working for one of His sick children is an awesome thing. I’ve been on the other side of it praying diligently for others but it has taken on a whole new meaning now. There is much, much more to the story; just know that I see very clearly how God worked through you for me in a time of dire need – Thank you.
Now – January 9, 2008
Many of you ask how I’m doing and those that I haven’t seen in a while are probably curious. January 8th marks 3 weeks post treatments! I still have tremendous trouble eating but I am managing to gain some of the 45lbs I lost back. Each day seems to be a little bit better, with coordination returning, small side effects from the treatments subsiding and my body returning to normal. I still can’t taste very well; they say 6 months for taste to recover. My saliva glands are malfunctioning (which is normal after this type of treatment) and they may be that way permanently only time will tell. On the good side the radiation burns on my neck are nearly gone. My tongue is the worst part though; it was damaged pretty badly by the radiation. Nearly all foods burn like the spiciest Mexican or Cajun food you’ve ever had, not good! Eating is a full time battle right now, I’m just praying that God will heal my tongue completely – I love to eat!!! I am standing in faith that He will heal me and I believe that He will! I go back for CAT and PET scans mid to late February to confirm what we already know – the tumor and cancer are gone, healed by our Father in heaven!
Thank you again for your support during this; know that you’ve shown God’s love for me. A ride, a word, a handshake and a look in the eye, a hug, a card, a phone call, a meal. You’ve made a real difference in my life – you’ve cemented my faith in God that He would never leave or forget me. Thank you!
Your Brother in the Lord,
Bill
P.S.
Many of you have asked how you can help. There is one small way that would be greatly appreciated.
Two weeks before the diagnosis I started a new business – it is a local business marketing firm that utilizes the internet to deliver money saving coupons to area residents for local merchants. Needless to say with the treatments and illness that goes along with that starting the business was slow. Financially things have been tough – God has provided but it has been a struggle. There are nearly 15 businesses signed up. I’m back to work now and out working to drive local business for merchants and save customers money. One way you can help is to check out the site and if you’re interested sign up for the weekly update. It’s simple, you can unsubscribe at any time, and your email is kept private, and is of no cost to you. The site is: http:/novi.suddenvalues.com. It would help by getting more names in the data base for the merchants to see the business growing. Feel free to forward the site and/or coupons that you like to friends and family as well. If you know of a business that might be interested in hearing about the service let me know as well. Thanks again – you’re the best! Bill
Bill Adams
b.adams@suddenvalues.com
http;//novi.suddenvalues.com/
http://www.suddenvalues.com/
Shop Local, Save Big!
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