To Walk On Stormy Seas

The lyrics of the song; You Raise Me up say:

“You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.” 

This has been the testimony of my life for the past ten years; “Raised up to walk on stormy seas,” and the victory of each storm has left me standing tall on the mountain of the LORD.  Some could look at my life and see only the storms and scoff at my faith and condemned my God.   Some have said; “If he has such faith and walks with God, why does he suffer so much?  Surely God would bless him if he was really a man of faith!”  But they scoffed at Jesus concerning Lazarus; they scoffed at him as a friend and as the Son of God with the power of miracles.

John 11:37 (MSG) Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man."

Three times in the last three years; doctors believed that there was no hope and that my death was imminent.  Facing death three times brought about three miracles.  Each time I should have died and would have died if God did not miraculously intervene to save me.  The miracles were not as much for me as they were for a testimony of Jesus Christ and His power at work in the world today among His believers.  Just as the miracle of Lazarus being resurrected from the dead was to God’s glory and to give unquestionable hope of the resurrection and that resurrection is Christ Jesus our LORD!

John 11:14-15 ESV Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died (15) and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

In 2009; a medical technician lost a two foot metal guide wire in my left arm while trying to place a PIC line catheter for long term intravenous antibiotics.  The wire was on its way to my heart and would have killed me if it had reached the heart.

Three doctors, who had never performed this type of retrieval before; entered my right leg to retrieve the wire inserted in my left arm; via the femoral vein.  The wire had defied the powerful flow of the blood system and also defied gravity by lodging in the jugular vein.  Fully conscious during the two and one half hour procedure; each second could have been my last, this side of the resurrection.  It was a time of great peace because my life has been lived for Jesus Christ and my fate was secure; victory if I survived and victory if I died.

In 2010; diabetic complications brought on neuropathic osteoarthropathy (disease of the bone caused by nerve deterioration); resulted in a Charcot foot; deformation of bone mass caused by the brain not being connected to the foot, through the nervous system.  My body had no way to send antibodies and nourishment to the infected foot.  The only medical solution was to amputate my leg before it became septic and killed me.  After refusing to allow them to amputate and testifying that God would heal this; the doctors scoffed at God and my belief and sent me home to die.  Once again, my life has not been my own, but belongs to Jesus Christ, who bought my life by His blood and who lives in me through the Holy Ghost!  My foot was healed and my life was rescued again by my Savior, Christ the LORD!

Psalms 118:17 KJV I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.  

During those first two miracles; God had placed me in ministry at the largest apostolic church in Madison Wisconsin.  During the first ten years of the new millennium, that church baptized more than 3,000 new converts.  My testimony was published in the church newsletter and known by all who had attended and prayed for me. 

In 2011, after being rushed to the hospital with an infection that had become septic; doctors gave my wife little to no hope that I would make it through the night.  My kidneys had completely shut down.  The infection was in my blood and my blood sugar level was at a fatal level of 800.  My life was defying medical science.  Unconscious for three weeks, it was believed that if I survived, then severe brain damage would render me next to a vegetable.  Once again, the LORD rescued me to His glory.  God sent all Christian nurses and assistants to take care of me.  Upon regaining consciousness, hospital personnel no longer assigned to me had to visit my room to see the living miracle.  From admittance to the emergency room; my wife insisted that God had already healed me and in time it would become manifest.  Her testimony over my near lifeless body spoke to the miracle of Jesus Christ and His saving grace.  Her confidence, that I would rise and live to proclaim Christ; was absolute and a mighty testimony to all.

Psalms 37:23 KJV The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

The only thing that is good in me is the Holy Ghost which requires my complete surrender.  We are here for Jesus and Jesus alone.  Our will must be lovingly given to Christ.  We now who are called, are called to be His bride!  Jesus does not want a conquered bride!  Jesus is looking for His love to be returned from a giving heart!  It is all about relationship; our personal one on one relationship with Jesus Christ.  We can serve the church into the white heat of our energy and neglect Jesus.  Service to the church is not worship.  The word worship literally was translated from a word that means “blowing kisses.”  Our relationship is to be intimate with Jesus Christ.  As David said at the end of Psalm 51; (I paraphrase here) “It is all about the heart and our relationship to God; we must be loving and giving; a willing spirit; not a conquered soldier or servant.”  Then our service to the church and our offerings mean something; “Build up the walls of Zion.”  Jesus said in John 15:15, “You are no longer servants; I call you friends.”  Yes the church needs our service and support; but not to the neglect of our personal one on one relationship with Jesus.  “We walk on stormy seas in order to stand on the mountain,” the mountain of the LORD, upon His Holy Hill; in His Kingdom; with Christ upon the throne of the universe!  Don’t neglect so great a salvation!  Surrender to Christ today and every day!