First, I want to thank you for showing care, encouragement and love to me and to Karen as we were both sick with Covid. Your timely messages were such an encouragement to us. Through the process I was blessed to once again see first hand the ministry of encouragement. I felt it in my bone and I have a renewed and deep sense of gratitude toward God and toward you.
 
Encouragement is a powerful ministry and I hope that you will continue to send these wonderful messages of love to others too. Especially in this season of a world wide pandemic. You may feel as though your words and prayers do not carry much impact, but the opposite is true.
 
I want to tell you that I believe your words of encouragement and your prayers saved my life. I am here today and shepherding, fathering my children and Karen has me in her life still today because God answered your prayers for me. Please, never discount the power of prayer.
 
When I was on the gurney in the emergency room, the infectious disease physician said to me that I went from a manageable condition to a very serious condition in a matter of hours and there wasn’t much they could do beyond the medicines they were pumping into me. My body was not responding because of a lack of food for a week and lack of sleep. I was told that my next immediate step was a ventilator in the ICU.
 
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Message upon message flowed in from you. Encouragement, care and prayer flowed right to me. Even though Karen and the family couldn’t sit with me, I felt a powerful presence with me in the room.
 
Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
 
As I laid there with my condition worsening by the minute the Lord reminded me as we discussed mortality, that when I was born again…
 
John 3:3 (ESV): Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
 
…the moment I accepted Jesus as my Lord and my Savior, I died. This is a true thing, I died. Now my flesh stayed alive, but my being, David Speicher died with Christ, and the life I now live is different than before, very different.
 
Galatians 2:20 (ESV): I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
 
The Lord reminded me that the life of Jesus is in me. Covid has no power to take my life unless Christ has determined that Covid is what He chooses to end my life so that I can go be with Him forever.
 
Even if Covid could take my life (and I thought that was what was happening) Jesus would give it back to me because Covid has no power except that which is given to it by God. And I believe that is exactly what was happening. Covid was trying to take my life and Jesus said, No!
 
Your prayers and encouragement are what Jesus used to stop Covid dead in it’s tracks and heal my body in just a few hours. It was absolutely remarkable how God stomped Covid in my body.
 
I give glory to God for His power and His Word! The power we see in our life comes from our understanding of His Word. You won’t even recognize the active power of God unless you recognize that it is His Word that is being performed in your eye sight. The world can see the power of God and not recognize it because they do not believe the power of God. But for those who know God and know His Word, you can see things and give God glory by declaring that you just saw and maybe experienced the power of God.
 
That is why I gladly give God glory. He touched my body in a 5 hour span of time. On Thursday, I will tell you how God healed me. And if you believe God’s word and believe that He is active in our day touching people, you will be blessed.
 
However, to finish our time this morning. I want to once again encourage you to be an encouragement to others. Maybe through this season of world-wide illness you could (if you aren’t already) pick one person a day (all of us know at least one person in the throws of Covid) and send them a message of encouragement. Tell them that you care for them and are praying for them. The ministry of encouragement is so powerful.
 
Lord, we do love each other, because You have shown to us what true love is. We worship You today. Please fill us with the compassion of Jesus as we think of others. We cast off politics, fear, worry, boundaries, ideology and we ask that You would simply give to us an eye for the needs of others. During this time of world-wide illness let our hearts be shaped like Your heart. Help us to understand that You stand guard over our lives and nothing can take us away from You. You are our protector and our warrior. Nothing on this earth can have access to what You purchased with Your blood. Lord, we rest secure in Your arms and trust the direction and decisions that You make for us, about us. We praise You holy Lord and Father for Your watchful care for us. Thank You Jesus for making everything possible through Your great sacrifice.
 
Blessings,
 
Pastor D