When God speaks to us it is God's words that threatens our self-life and our self-seeking that screams to live and save itself. How strange this seems to me. At the same time God provides His leading and guidance for our lives in a particular situation or circumstance the same word spoken to us also strikes hard at our desires, intentions, and begins to kill our self. In 1 Samuel we read, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” (1 Samuel 2:6)

How strange God can do this in us if we allow Him. My friend if we have been called to share the wonderful Gospel message we cannot save our self and others, one must die. One must be put to death so that the other may live. It is God's hope and intention we choose to lose our life so we may find His life. Jesus taught, “ He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mathew 10:38) This losing and finding (like sheep, a coin, and other things) is one of the major themes in the parables Jesus taught. We must lose our life so that we may find the life of God, we can not have both. Now let me be honest, do not think I have come to some super place in God where I can freely say these words. One thing I have learned and am still learning is God will make us eat our words. I am not so fast to talk about gossip, sickness, and death. It seems with each act of violence I see on the TV news it causes me to shudder more and more. Life and God will take the words out of our mouth if we will allow them. As I get older the more I see my mortality ever before me and oddly the more I want to cling to my life. On each ministry trip I go on by myself my self-life screams to be saved, but God has other intentions. This too was the case on my trip to Turkey and India this year. I had a great time in Istanbul , Turkey with Pastor Metin, his wonderful family, other families in the church, and the Beholding His Glory Conference and Church services were powerful. Many people were healed. I held a set of miracles twins in my arms, whereby I felt to pray for their near 60 year old parents two years ago. God really manifested Himself to us. And then on to Sankaraguptham, India to be with Pastor C. H. Wilson, his wonderful family, all the wonderful folks at Gospel Assembly, and all of the 50 very special children at Gospel Assembly Children's Home. What a powerful time we had during the three day Beholding His Glory Pastor's Conference and the four day series of two-a-day Gospel Services. I always look forward to attending their annual meeting. Like Pastor Metin in Turkey God has His hand on Pastor Wilson's life. Each time I am with them they both kill me with their kindness, honor, and love, what a wonderful way to go. But at the same time I am alive God is killing me. This year while in India according to the doctors, I picked up a bladder infection and coupled with the very uncommon 20 degree increase in temperature I got sick. I will not go into the details, but Pastor Wilson, especially Pastor Julian his son, all of his family laid their lives down for me. God truly was merciful and gracious to me through them.

As I said earlier God is good at making us eat our words. During the Pastor's Conference (where we had 116 Pastors) I was sharing on Spiritual Principles for Righteous Living: Four Anchors of God (taken from Exodus 13:21 -22) and how God, “ . . . will allure her (us), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” (Hosea 2:14) How God will take us into the wilderness (troubles, tough times, and difficult circumstances and situations in our lives) so that He can get us alone and answer our questions, so He can teach us how He operates and how He moves. God must be able to bring us into straight and narrow places so that we will be able to learn those lessons He has for us. If God cannot bring us into some troubles and tough times then He will not be able to use us, because spiritual growth and development in our lives happens not in the well-watered times of plenty, but in seemingly dry times of lack is where we learn, “ . . . man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) It is in these wilderness experiences God has for us is where we are conformed into the character and image of His dear and precious Son Jesus Christ. And as we learn the lessons we need to learn God will bring us up from the wilderness, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?” (Song of Solomon 8:5) It is nice to know God does not leave us alone in troubles and in tough times, but He goes before us (Anchor 1), He is leading (Anchor 2), He provides a light in darkness (Anchor 3), and He takes not always from us (Anchor 4) which speaks of His ever faithfulness to us. The wilderness is the only place God can teach us (His beloved) to lean on Him. This is a critical lesson God must be able to work in our lives. How comforting it is to us when we are in troubles and in tough times and God speaks comfort to us.

As I travel in ministry one of the last things I do before I leave is to have a time of prayer with my mother and Karen “my sweetheart.” As my mother prays often she will say, “I will come and go as planned.” I will pack these words deep down in my spirit and keep them before me during tough times and in troubles on my trip. When problems arise and it seems things are spinning out of control I shoot a quick prayer or beseech the Father and in my spirit rings loud and clear, “You will come and go as planned My son.” How comforting to hear these words. When I got sick in India it was these words that I went in. It was these words, “You will come and go as planned My son” that strengthened me enough to stand and deliver session after session in the Pastor's Conference and message after message during the Gospel meetings. It is the words God speaks to us we are to hold deep in our spirit. Like, “I will never leave these or forsake thee.” It is the words of comfort God speaks to us in the wilderness we are to live by. And as God said, I came and even went home early to my wonderful family.

Brethren let us allow God to work in our lives through His loving dealings and judgments. Let us allow God to allure us into the wilderness so that He can speak words of comfort, for surely in the wilderness God promises He will speak comfort to us. My friend let us be willing to walk this wilderness way, His everlasting way so that we will learn of Him and the lessons we need to learn so that we will be able to be used of Him. For in God speaking is all we need; faith is contained, strength is contained, peace, endurance and perseverance, and yes even comfort is contained in God speaking to us.