My Life's Manuscript

15 January 2012

Dear Phyllis,

Yesterday morning I thought, “This has got to be the happiest day of my life.” Nothing special happened, but I couldn't imagine another man on this planet any happier than I was. In the three phrases of life – past, present , and future – I must be one of the most privileged men on earth.

When I was 20 years old, had I sat down and written a manuscript for what I wanted my life to be, there is no way I could have dreamed of such a rich, exciting, and profitable life as what Jesus has given me. Fifty six years later there are very few men who can reflect on such a varied, privileged life as what I have experienced.

For the present, it can't get much better than what I have right now. If contentment is any index of happiness, I must be right at the top. Our home is not a palace, but kings in palaces could not be more content than I am here. I enjoy this environment immensely. Domestically, the Lord has given me a wife that is the most aggressive witness for Christ I have ever met. My friend, Mike, and I have been walking the streets of our muban (housing area) every Wednesday night to pray for every street and house; to see the Kingdom of God come to this muban. Since Pammy joined us, things have been radically different. She is aggressively friendly and gets right to the point. Last Wednesday, as we were walking, we met a lady that I have seen every day for nine years, but never spoke to. Pammy has talked with her several times. Last week she collared Mike and I and said, “We must pray for Thim. She wants to go to church.” Thim was overwhelmed as the three of us stood around her, laid hands on her, and prayed for her. I have never seen anything like that, but that happens regularly as Pammy ties into people talking about their needs. She isn't perfect, but she is the one that Jesus sent to me, and she is just the one that the Lord has prepared to be my helper and mold me to be a better man. There certainly have been so interesting challenges, but all of these have been lessons the Lord is teaching me.

Physically I couldn't be healthier. I have zero physically problems, a total absence of pain, and am still as strong as I was when I was 30. If the Lord would give me Solomons palace and harem, I could not be more content than I am right now and certainly I am much happier than poor Solomon was with his palace and harem.

As for the future; our future is so unimaginably wonderful, there is no way you could compare it with anything present on this earth

In the days of bloody Mary and the Scottish Covenanteers, the story is told of a Scottish lass who was on her way to church one morning when she was apprehended by a Roman soldier. The soldier demanded, “Where are you going?” It was a matter of life or death how she answered. She wisely replied, “I am going to my Father's house. Our Elder Brother died, and today they are reading His last will and testament.” I love that statement! What a privilege we have of going every week to our Father's House. But what our Elder Brother left us in His will is unutterable.

As the writer of Hebrews was explaining to us the benefits of the New Testament, he inserted a confusing note in Heb. 9:16 when he said, “Where a testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” To our thinking this seems totally out of place. In our English language there is a basic difference between a covenant between two parties, and a last will and testament. In the first case there certainly is no death involved; but, obviously, a last will and testament is only valid after the testator dies. Andrew Murray points out that the solution to this perplexing statement lies in the fact that in the Greek language there is only one word for both documents. To underscore the enormity of Christ's death and the certainty of our inheritance, he alludes to the last will and testament aspect of the New Testament. It is safe to say that Christ is the heir of heaven. The Father has given everything He has, all of heaven, to His Son. But when Jesus died that inheritance fell to us.

Another story is told of a wealthy land owner in Africa who had a prodigal son. The rascal was just plain no good, and his frustrated father decided to cut him off from his last will. He had a faithful slave who had served him all his life, and willed everything to the slave. He left in his final will that if the prodigal son did return after the death of the father to collect the inheritance, he was to be told he could only have one thing. He had his pick of anything in the fathers estate, but would be allowed only one item. Everything else went to the slave. When the farther died, the son did return, and was told to pick one item. He chose the slave. When he got the slave he got everything else. Our heavenly Father has only given us one thing. But the thing He gave us was His Son. “He that hath the Son hath life” (1Jn. 5:12). If we have the Son we also have the inheritance also.

Another way of looking at this is the fact that we are the Bride of Christ. And as the Bride we are co-heirs with Christ of all that is His.

Oh my goodness! Who can take that in? We haven't fathomed the thousandth part of what waits us in heaven. Knowing that my anchor is fastened within the veil in heaven, there is no way I can begin to calculate the inestimable future that awaits me just one heart beat away.

Thailand rightfully reveres their king. There is probably no country on this planet where the king is held in higher honor. Needless to say he is wealthy and the most blessed man in Thailand. But – were it possible – there is no amount of money that could entice me to trade places with him. He is a very frail old man today with only the darkest future in front of him. In a short time he, no doubt, will be sailing out into eternity stripped of all his wealth and kingly paraphernalia. As a naked soul, he will have to stand before God for final judgment; and – barring some unheralded salvation of Christ – he has a terrifying future in a lake from which there is no exit. I wouldn't swap my salvation in Christ for ten minutes of trading places with anyone on earth. My future couldn't be more wonderful.

Small wonder I felt so good yesterday morning. With a future like that, who wouldn't feel happy?

When we lived in Karuizawa we used to climb Mt. Asama every summer. The last 5,000 feet of that beautiful volcano is nothing but endless volcanic ash. Climbing to the top is a monotonous series of putting one foot in front of another and just keep plodding along. It seems like the top never moves, but occasionally we would look back. As you would look back and see the substantial progress you had made, it was tremendously encouraging to know that you were just that much closer to the top. As I look back at the 55 years I have walked with Jesus, there is no question but what the top is not far from here. And that blessed little chorus is true – Every day with Jesus is better than the day before.

It was no wishful thinking to declare that yesterday was the greatest day of my life. I have had a fantastic path walking with Jesus thus far. Few people can match my history. For the present I am as content as any human on earth today. And the future..!!! How could it get any better?

Don't know how I got on that theme. That is not what I wanted to share with you today. In a letter that I sent you a couple weeks ago, I believe I said I had hit the darkest day of my life. That was arguably true. These past few weeks have been a roller coaster going straight up and down like I have never experienced. Perhaps one of the reasons I feel so euphoric is because of a tranquil moment. The Lord has also been showing me things I should have learned 50 years ago. Actually there is little new here that I didn't know 50 years ago, but somehow I tend to forget basic lessons, and every time I get into conflict it seems like it is the first time.

The Apostle Paul told us in Eph. 6:12, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. This is not news to me, but there is still a great deal I don't know. I have been involved in spiritual warfare off and on for well over 50 years. But recently I have been reminded that a great deal of our fighting with flesh and blood is really not dealing with horizontal problems, but spiritual battles that can only be fought on a different plane. Somehow in the back of our mind we should know that a lot of our problems are satanic attacks. But because they are human relationship problems, we wind up in a titanic struggle with flesh and blood. The other day I took a terrific broad side hit. A few minutes later a friend stopped by and asked, “Did you pray about it?” Yes, of course, I had been praying, but there is a difference between talking to God, and dealing with evil spirits who are giving you a bad time. My dear friend, Dave, happened to be there at the time, and so the three of us, on the basis of Mt. 18:18-20, bound the evil forces that were at work. Jesus said if two or three are gathered in His Name, that He promised to be there also. There was that awesome awareness that indeed Jesus was with us and heard our prayer. The situation looked utterly hopeless, but within a couple of hours everything was changed like there had never been a problem. I should have known this. Several months ago Pammy and I were having a fairly heated argument. I was trying to keep cool, but getting very frustrated. Then she said some things that were so badly out of line that it triggered the thought in me that I wasn't dealing so much with Pammy as it was the devil trying to gain access to our home. While she was downstairs, I told the devil I was not going to tolerate any of his pranks in our home. There may be some natural explanation, but I was impressed how thirty minutes later Pammy came back upstairs in a much different mood.

Recently I reread a very interesting booklet by J A MacMillan on The Authority Of The Believer. In this helpful booklet MacMillan told of several incidents where excessive rage or fear was being encountered. By not dealing with the victim who was being driven by out-of-line emotions, but with the evil spirit who was causing the problem, he was able to control difficult situations. I am convinced that much of our horizontal problems are basically spiritual, and the devil is enjoying every minute of it as we wear ourselves out wrestling with flesh and blood.

My goodness, why shouldn't we be happy? Jesus has done everything for us. Whether it is six months or sixty years, what an awesome privilege it is to know, love, and walk with the Lord! Luther expressed it beautifully when he wrote, “What more can He say than to you He has said: to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled.” Not everyone enjoys the tranquility that I enjoyed so much yesterday morning. Some days I feel like I am going out of my mind, but every day forward is a day taking us closer to that inexpressible moment when we shall see Him as He is. The roller coaster goes up and down and the trail winds around many strange corners, but He has given us every reason to rejoice.

I trust you are finding this to be your portion also;

bill