Dear Saints and Praying Friends:

While visiting friends many years ago, I discovered this cross-stitched embroidery in a frame on the wall. It made an instant impression on me - I laughed my head off! As I recall, it was made by our friend's grandmother many years ago. And of course, I had to take a picture of it for you to enjoy as well. :o)

But after the humorous element subsides, the message grows serious and is a good exhortation for us all. These words of Jesus from Matthew 22:14 were few, "For many are called, but few are chosen." But they are profoundly significant and challenging to us today.

Thankfully, God's mercies are new every morning, and every new day He gives us presents new opportunities to grow in our knowledge of Him and to walk in His ways. They are not merely opportunities, they are also responsibilities.

Last week in the chapel, my curiosity was piqued by the shadow from this ceiling lamp in the top of the arch of the window to the left. Why would it be higher than the lamp itself? The early morning sun was shining down, not up, so how could this be?

There could only be one explanation: the sunlight had to be bouncing off of something. So I marched outside with camera in hand to prove my 'theory' and explore what could have such a shiny surface. I couldn't imagine a gravestone having such a perfectly reflective surface.

To my surprise and delight, I found that the best of man's handiwork had been embellished by the One Who knows how to perfect things indeed! The rainfall during the night had pooled on the surface and had this brilliant effect, which blinded my eyes with light. I don't think even a glass mirror could have produced such a dazzling result.

While I gazed in admiration of God's doings that so surpass our abilities, lots of things came to mind. First among them was the scripture in Ephesians 5:14, which says, "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." Now here is something worth getting up for. What an amazing promise!

And there are many, many more. Jesus, the light of life, has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And earlier in Ephesians 5, verse 8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Do a search on "darkness + light", and you will be greatly encouraged.

There is a price to be paid (read Romans 6 and 12:1-2) - but it is SO worth it!

And just as that out-of-place shadow caught my attention, so can our lives draw the attention of the people around us who still walk in the darkness of this world. That is what we're called to do. The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:16 say it best. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

People running to humble themselves at the foot of the cross of Christ is one of the best ways to glorify our Heavenly Father, wouldn't you agree?

Longing for more of His light in our own lives, and in the lives of all Christians everywhere,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and praying Saints,

During this Christmas season, we frequently hear the well-known carol, "What child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping." The words of this, and so many other carols, are full of meaning and depth, but can also be casually sung out of tradition and memory, so that the fullness of the words escapes our attention.

In the opening chapters of Revelation, I was enthralled by the description of the One whose words John was instructed to write to each of the angels of the seven churches. And I realized THIS is the child that was born to us!

Revelation 2:1, "The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands..."

Revelation 2:8, "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life..."

Revelation 2:12, "The One who has the sharp two-edged sword..."

Revelation 2:18, "The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze..."

Revelation 3:1, "He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars..."

Revelation 3:7, "He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens..."

Revelation 3:14, "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God..."

Although perhaps ordinary in appearance over two thousand years ago, this newborn infant was, and is, the awesome and amazing God we serve. What a gift—eternal life to a sin-bound and dying world. The bread of heaven has come down that we might have salvation and eternal life beyond our natural years!

And speaking of gifts, however on a much less impressive scale, we have received an extraordinary gift. God in His wonderful goodness has provided us with a new car! Our old faithful car came to the end of its useful life of twenty years, and through generous donations from friends, we were able to buy a ten-year-old Citroen car with very low mileage. So we wanted to share this testimony of God's faithful care for us, and encourage you in whatever might be your present circumstances. 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you."

May new and unexpected blessings make your Christmas and New Year extra special. And may God’s peace bring some wholesome changes into the world we live in as well,

Dick and Gladys

Dear Friends,

In almost the blink of the eye, another Thanksgiving has rushed by us. Although our circumstances may change year by year, some old images will never change. Another thing that never changes, and hopefully never will, is our gratitude to God for His constant goodness and provision. He is ever faithful, even when we may not be, and His mercies never fail.

During a visit with friends on Thanksgiving day, we were playing some worship songs, and the music and part of the words of this traditional hymn came to mind. When I looked up the lyrics we couldn't remember and tried to read them out loud, I was surprised by a  deeply emotional response. I couldn't restrain my tears as I was overwhelmed with old and crystal clear memories of singing this with my family in church as a child, and a flood of other recollections. At the same time I was conscious of God's faithfulness through all years up till the present. And so here are the words that I trust will speak to your hearts as well.

1 We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

Refrain:
All good gifts around us are sent from heav’n above;
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord for all His love.

2 He only is the maker of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star.
The wind and waves obey Him, by Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread. [Refrain]

3 We thank You, our Creator, for all things bright and good:
The seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer for all Your love imparts;
Accept what You most welcome: our humble, thankful hearts! [Refrain]

These eternal truths of God's provision have not changed since the beginning of time. In today's "advanced scientific" world we live our daily lives practically detached from the miraculous work of nature that sustains us all. And that makes the daily recognition of our dependence on Him, and our giving of thanks, all the more important. It's not just for one day each year, but should be a constant outflow from grateful hearts.

Particularly fitting here are the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18,  "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus."

We pray the coming holiday season bring you joy and  blessings and an overflowing of thankfulness for God's' goodness,

Dick and Gladys

P.S. There are a few more Thanksgiving thoughts in my podcast episodes from November 26th and 27th, Thanksgiving Day, at: https://dfunnell.podbean.com

Dear Friends and Intercessors, 

I woke up this morning with an amazing dream. Gladys and I were somewhere at a conference about revival and prayer for revival. Somebody was talking up at the front about an experience where they had been in a place, and the presence of the Lord began to touch a couple of people. You could tell they were having profound encounters, and he said that there came a point when everybody just knew that God was there. 

At that very moment, I woke up from my dream, and I just lay there enjoying the experience—it was as if I was still in the dream, and the presence of the Lord was so wonderful. Then I began to reflect on that and remember other times where we've experienced God's visitations. Then the Lord brought to mind the description in 1 Kings 8:9-11 when Solomon dedicates the temple and how they bring the ark into the temple. Verse 9 says, "There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord."

This is such an amazing and captivating theme. In our day, we hear of the people of God experiencing His glory and their lives being changed forever. That phrase that says "...when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud..." could have knocked me over. But there I was flat on my back, caught up in a beautiful reverie of this dream, and just recalling the things that God has done over the years for and in ourselves and countless others. I was overwhelmed with a glorious joy.

Then it dawned on me that this theme has been the essence and goal of our prayer for all these decades. What I mean is that since I came to the Lord in the 70s, and was adopted into the incredible family of Christ, we've desired for God to pour Himself out in revival power and glory so millions more can come to know Him and His saving grace and fullness of joy. Psalm 26:8 says, "Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells."

Later on in my daily readings, I was stopped by this portion that describes this heartbreaking antithesis in 2 Kings 17:15. "They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He gave them. And they followed idols and became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the LORD had commanded them not to do as they did." This sounds like the plague that besets the world around us today. It seems to be unravelling right before our eyes! People are empty because they are destitute of the knowledge of God, His ways, and His redeeming love. "...strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12. 

Paul goes on to proclaim this triumphant hope in Ephesians 2:19-22. "So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

We want to encourage you to continue seeking His face. We are called to serious prayer for serious times. May our hearts yearn for his glory to be manifested to those within the church, and even more so, those who are waiting for deliverance, whether they know it yet or not.

Prayerfully,

Dick and Gladys