The 70 year old who was called pretty much a goner at least a half dozen times!

Happy 70th!

It's Thursday, October 7, 2010, and I thought I would share a good news story to get our day started off right. God knows. He knows it all. He knows best. Isaiah tells us this about our great God:  “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,  Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,  And My thoughts than your thoughts.(Isaiah 55:8-9) These words came to mind when I saw the photo of our dear Brother Milton celebrating his 70th birthday. Those of you who remember, Bro. Milton is my wife's brother who had a massive heart attack while helping his son to rebuild our house after Hurricane Ike. He was here in the hospitals in our area for four months and we were told numerous times there was little to no hope in his survival, much less, his recovery. I suppose the attributed remarks of Mark Twain apply to Bro. Milton in a remarkable way: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." God had a plan for Bro. Milton to continue here in his sojourn. He lives today with some residual effects from his walk through the valley of the shadow nearly two years ago, but, he is known far and wide as a living testimony to God's work, God's grace, and God's intervention on behalf of His own. The other photo is of him with his very first great grandson. The mightiest prayer warriors among us would have never predicted this to have been possible. Many of you who read my daily blogs have shared in this great testimony as you have cried with us and prayed with us as Bro. Milton faced this great challenge. Most folks who know about all of this cannot help but use the word miracle in connection with his story. I'm not one to casually throw around the word miracle since I know how the Bible defines them, but I do know this: God and God alone deserves the honor and glory for his devoted servant being able to rise and shine each day and give everyone a reason to be thankful. God bless our dear Brother Milton! Amen

Bro. Milton and wife Glenda with their first great grand

Bro. Milton's Gospel preaching ministry has touched lives for nearly fifty years. While he may no longer be able to stand behind the pulpit, imagine how many folks there are who have been encouraged and uplifted by seeing God's work in his life. I am one of those who believe with all my heart in the providential working of Almighty God. He is still using Bro. Milton and folks are still being challenged with truth and blessed with his testimony. He lost his short term memory as a result of the strokes he suffered. This means he can eat anything he desires three times a day and seven days per week and never get tired of it! His dear wife knows all too well the truth of this as he would, if she didn't intervene, eat catfish way too often. He remembers next to nothing about all that happened and that in and of itself is a blessing. People came from all over just to pray over this great man of God. Some days the ICU waiting area was overflowing. His family were there for him throughout this ordeal. We all went to see him as much as we could. Since he was in our area we were able to see him nearly every day. But here's a funny story. The one thing he remembers is me coming by every day and having prayer with him. That's right. He has this fixed in his memory. Because of this, he and I, who have always been close, have a connection that is nothing short of a great blessing. It's also a source of humor. This is his most prominent memory and it involves me, his brother-in-law. How funny is that? His family including my wife likes to remind him that they were there too but this is his stand out memory and while I don't begrudge any of them anything in this world, I count his recollection of me being there with him each day to share a word with our heavenly Father, to be like a handful on purpose handed down to me and I thank God for it! Amen.

Some of you saw Bro. Milton at different times of his recovery and you know first hand how special it is to be able to see him celebrate his 70th birthday. He surrendered to preach the Gospel back in the summer of 1964. In December of that same year he performed his very first marriage. We were the couple. Over the years God has used him as a pastor, a revivalist, a special speaker, and more importantly, as a devoted soul winner for his Lord and Savior. I used to wonder why Bro. Milton was such a sought after speaker but I finally came to realize that he carried with him something that is all too rare today, he carried in his life the power of God on his preaching and on his ministry. This was recognized by other preachers and they always wanted him to come because when he stood up God showed up and people's lives were changed for time and eternity. That may sound over the top to you but I can only tell you I've seen it many times first hand. He used to tell me how intimidated he was when he was asked to keynote at a Bible conference where so many great scholars and famous preachers were in attendance. How could a country boy, that's what he always called himself, be asked to preach before a huge crowd which included so many distinguished men of God? They knew that Bro. Milton had a word for them from the very God of heaven. I have said this about Bro. Milton for many years: He is about as close as one can get in this modern age to being a man after God's heart. Not perfect. He's made his own mistakes in his life, but, he has always been a warrior of the Cross and we pause to thank God for him and to share this word of victory with each of you today! Amen.         ......More later.