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

Dear Praying Saints,

The world of nature seems to signal the times we are living in. The last couple of months have been much drier than usual, so much so that the colors of many trees began to change back in August, and other normally green plants had shriveling leaves well before their time. These changes that we're watching around us seem to be reflecting the many things going on in the world of men as well.

To name a few things floating around on the airwaves... France's newly appointed government all but collapsed with the resignation of it's prime minister; insecurity continues in the Pacific with China vs. Hong Kong, U.S trade relations, etc. Add to that the ongoing struggle between Russia and Ukraine; Venezuela's current regime is unsustainable; contortions of economic alliances; and on and on.

Perhaps the most significant in many ways is what is happening with the Israel-Hamas/Gaza conflict. The release of the remaining living hostages last Monday was a huge breakthrough, but the horror of what has followed is heart-breaking.

This scene from the "wailing wall" in old Jerusalem on Yom Kippur this year is particularly striking. in recent years attendance to High Holy Days has been on the increase. The adverse conditions have awakened many to the need for God's help to sustain their nation. But this time around has broken records — the highest numbers in decades, with some reports reaching the hundreds of thousands.

In our increasingly unstable world, the human longing for meaning and significance is coming more and more to the forefront. The continuing growth of revival among young people and old presents growing evidence that something transcendant is afoot as people turn as turning to Christ throughout the nations, including Muslem nations. This description in Daniel 7:14 of Jesus' arrival in heaven puts our eternity into proper focus. "And to Him [the son of man] was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."

I recently watched a great interview with John Lennox, a retired Oxford professor of mathematics, philosopher of science and Christian apologist. It is titled, "Finishing Well", and I'd highly recommend investing 20 minutes of your time to watch it. I seen it two times and found a great encouragement and exhortation. You can watch it at this link.

In the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Thessalonians 2:16, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word."

Dick & Gladys