Stand Up Straight Under the Arm of the Lord

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 ESV

There are presently wars and rumors of wars spreading over the earth. Jesus, in Luke 21, said these days would come and told us to stand up straight and look up to Him.  Come rest in the Lord’s strong arms. Come receive His loving instruction on how He wants you to follow Him with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Surrender the heavy false yokes of fear, doubt, grudges, and other sin that are weighing you down. Come to Him and let Him take these things off your shoulders. Then take only the yoke of His Arm around your shoulders. His yoke does not weigh you down, He lifts you up so you can stand up straight. As you do this, the Holy Spirit will pour out of you splashing upon people around you. Then they too might come rest in His love.  We are about to experience both wonderful and challenging times on the earth. Come rest and stand strong, He is with us, even to the close of the age.

At this exact time, April 3—8, many years ago Joshua and all Israel were about to defeat the fortified city of Jericho. The walls came tumbling down because the Lord’s people sought, trusted, and obeyed the Lord’s instructions. This Friday, April 5 at 630pm at River of Life in Cedar Rapids we will gather at our Come Rest Ministries Awakening of Love and celebrate the fall of Jericho and seek the Lord for His instructions to fight spiritual warfare His way so many in our city and nation will be saved. Carol and Mark Blomberg will share music the Lord has led them to compose about trusting and obeying the Lord to defeat our modern “Jericho” so many will come rest in Jesus in these challenging times and be saved. Others are bringing friends who need healing.

I remind you of my friend Seth who just celebrated his 14^th birthday and passed the 4^th anniversary of being paralyzed in surgery upon his legs. I ask you to continue to pray for Seth. The Lord continues to give many of us faith, hope, and love for Seth to be completely healed. We don’t understand why the full healing has not been manifest yet, but the Lord tells us in Mark 11 to have faith to move a mountain we must not doubt and continue to trust to Lord, let go of any grudges we are holding in our heart against anyone, and believe we have received the miracle and it will come on the Lord’s timetable, not ours. When I was with Seth four years ago at the hospital in Minneapolis, I heard the Lord say in my heart, “Tell Seth to ask Me to heal him, trust Me to heal him, and work with Me.” Please pray that Seth will be healed and stand up straight under the Arm of the Lord! Please pray that Seth will follow the Lord’s instructions and also that we in the community of faith will follow those instructions as well. There continues to be great financial costs building up for the family. Their van just failed and had to be junked. With no reserves, they need the Lord to provide them a new van that can work with Seth’s wheelchair. Please agree with me in prayer that a new van will be given to them! We continue to believe for funds which will also send Seth to Project Walk in San Diego for more restoration, until the Lord heals him. Please prayerfully consider sending a financial gift to the Seth Jackson 2CAMiracle Fund.

Make the check out to River of Life Ministries, memo-Seth Jackson Fund and mail your check to:   

 River of Life Ministries

3801 Blairs Ferry Rd 
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

No matter how immoral our culture becomes, no matter how many dictators rattle their sabers and launch their missiles---the Lord is saying to all of us, “Fear not. Stand up straight. Ask Me, trust Me, work with Me. Seek Me, find Me, follow Me, proclaim Me.” As we follow His instructions, the walls of the enemy will fall and many will come to Jesus and be saved forever!” Christ has died once for all. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Come Rest in His Love,

Dick Speight

And the Wind Blows

Jesus replied, “ I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” …So don’t be surprised when I say ‘you must be born again’. The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”  John 3:3, 7-8

I received a phone call this week from a new friend in Athens--home of the University of Georgia. In preliminary small talk I joked that her Georgia Bulldogs were pretty rough on my Nebraska Cornhuskers in college football this season! She had initially emailed me through our website. She was traveling and a friend showed her a copy of our first book Come Rest. During her brief stay she read the first one-third of the book and was so deeply moved she wanted to order several copies for people in her church and city. The Lord had touched her so deeply she began quoting passages from the book to me! Wow! She then told me she believed my book carries the Lord’s word for His people at this hour in history. I thanked her for being His further answer to our prayer that He will take our books all over the world like seeds on His winds. How encouraging is our Risen Lord through the Holy Spirit! Isn’t it great when He taps you on the shoulder and reminds you He is alive, in control, and with you! You never know just when and how He is going to move; but always moving He is indeed.

In John 3,Nicodemus, an elder Pharisee, came to Jesus by cover of night. He called Jesus, “Rabbi” showing he came sincerely to be taught. Jesus told him he must be born again by the Spirit, basically blowing Nicodemus’ mind with a truth that could only be realized after Jesus was falsely arrested, cruelly beaten, and unjustly condemned. Nicodemus even stood up and protested the rigged trial that fateful night. But nothing could stop the travesty of human sin and rebellion from playing out because it was all actually the Father’s will. For in that conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus there was no preliminary small talk. After He told Nicodemus the Holy Spirit brings rebirth like the wind, He then said, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” 

In our murderous, lustful world which so often mocks our holy God--there is not one of us without sin. But, thank you Father for sending Your Son to suffer and die for us all. Thank you Jesus for agreeing to sacrifice Yourself for the sins of the whole world—even me. Thank you for your Blood Covering which dispels all darkness. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to propel the bold preaching of Your Gospel; for inspiring people to pray for me, witness to me, love me toward the day You helped me receive You in my heart—the day you saved me as a youth from a destiny of hell. That day You began patiently and mercifully leading me until the day as a pastor at age 42 I realized my religious striving in the flesh and repented of the man-pleasing ways of the worldly church. That night, under cover of night and the radiant light of Your merciful patience I submitted myself like a child to Your Word; I came and rested at Your feet, and the Winds of Your Spirit have been blowing me away ever since.

Thank you Jesus! You are Risen and Returning soon. We hear You repeating Your last call to the earth before Your return, “ Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  Lord help us keep speaking and living more fully your Great Invitation to all the earth, one person at a time. Lord, forgive the small talk of my sin nature and actions. Holy Spirit propel me like the wind to declare your big talk—your Gospel.. Help the corrupt to come to you and be grow in Your generous stature like Zacchaeus. Help the sexually immoral receive your forgiveness and freedom from sin's bondage like the woman caught in adultery. Help the religious leaders seek you like Nicodemus and see and serve you like Paul. Help me and everyone else more deeply and continually rest from sin and bear Your real fruit.

Come Holy Spirit. Come quickly Lord Jesus.

Come Rest in His Love,

Dick Speight

Arise and Eat

I awoke recently in the middle of the night and felt the Lord wanted me to sit down and read scripture. The adventures of Elijah came to my mind in 1 Kings 17 and following. I never cease to be amazed through Elijah. Yes, I love God’s mighty power and provision through Elijah with the ravens, the widow & son, and the wonderful defeat of the prophets of Baal However, I am most amazed by what happened after the great victory of God’s fire coming down from heaven. As soon as Queen Jezebel heard Elijah and His God had defeated her prophets she sent a message vowing to kill Elijah. Upon receiving the threat, Elijah was immediately afraid and runs for his life into the wilderness. Amazing! Immediately after God proving His power through Elijah—he is frightened by threat. How strangely comforting.

No matter how much we may walk with the Lord, He knows how weak Elijah, you, and me are and how easily we can frighten under threat. Elijah, down on himself, sits under a broom tree and asks the Lord to take his life because he was obviously no better than his fathers. However, though Elijah gave up on himself, the Lord did not.  As he sleeps an angel of the Lord brings him hot food and cool water, wakes him up, and says, “Arise and eat.” Elijah does so and goes back to sleep. A little later the angel awoke him again saying, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” The Lord knows life is often too much for us. Yet even in the midst of Elijah’s fright, despair, and exhaustion, the Lord invites Elijah to simple obedience. When he trusted and obeyed the Lord he gave the Lord opportunity to strengthen him for a journey to Mt. Horeb in a history changing encounter with the Lord’s still small voice. There the Lord gives him both new wisdom and new assignment that changed the world.

I don’t know what you are going through right now, but the Lord does. No matter how dark things may ever be, cry out to the Lord. Tell Him how you feel. Let sleep restore your body. Arise and eat. Regardless how you feel, trust the Lord is with you and so are His angels. The word “angel” means “messenger”. God sends you messengers who sometimes are supernatural and sometimes are human. Humble yourself. Tell the Lord you know the journey ahead will be too much for you without His help. Let Him and His people help you. Feed on Him through reading scripture with a trusting heart and fellowship with others who are stronger in faith than you are right now. Drink of the Spirit through praying with a trusting heart and worshiping with others who love the Lord. Eat moderate amounts of healthy food. Drink plenty of water. Stop doing what you know is wrong. Keep doing what you know to be right. Wait on the Lord to make things clear before you make big decisions. Choose to come out of a cave of isolation and listen for His whispering voice. You and I are no different than Elijah. One moment we are strong in faith in Him and witness His power. the next moment we are weak and can frighten and give up easily. Yet He knows better than you that you are His mighty man or woman in the making! Never give up, always give your Lord the opportunity to love you and lead you. Pass this word of amazing grace along to others who need it—Arise and Eat!

Come Rest in His Love,

Richard Speight

His Resting Place

 Another sublime picture lingers in my mind from our December “God Rest Ye Merry” service. I told you last week about little Levi. As we continued to pray for children I prayed for Levi’s 4 year-old sister Eva who looked up at me with such big loving eyes. Soon I turned to my ten-year old friend Christina from Aplington. Christina is a generous, radiant, and creative girl who nonetheless battles some health issues that can be discouraging to her and her faithful mother Cindy. Do you know the feeling?

Before I laid my hand upon Christina’s head to pray, I felt like the Lord spoke to my heart that He had given someone else in the service a word of encouragement for Christina. We all waited and prayed. After several hushed moments, Deb Polk announced she felt the Lord told her she was to sing a song to Christina. Deb is our wonderful friend and mighty woman of God who was ministering at the piano for the evening. Deb invited Christina to walk up the steps to the main platform and sit beside her on the piano bench. Deb then played and sang softly to Christina, placing her forehead upon Christina’s. So tender, so deep, so healing, so encouraging. The song was “Resting Place” based upon Isaiah 66:1-2. In that passage, the Lord asks who would build a resting place for His presence. He then says He will look for the one who is humble, contrite of heart, and trembles at His word. As Deb continued to sing, loving upon Christina, little 4 year old Eva walked up the steps to Christina and lifted her arms. Christina picked her up and Eva snuggled into Christina’s embrace. So tender, so deep, so healing, so encouraging, so Jesus. A chain reaction of His loving presence. When the song was over, I then laid my hand upon Christina’s head and prayed for her healing as well as declaring that the Lord will help many people become a resting place for His presence through Christina’s life. It was indeed a night to be humble, contrite, and trembling at the beauty and truth of God’s loving word. So is right now.

Do you want to be a resting place for the Lord’s presence this Christmas?

Be humble—give Him control, receive His help.

Be contrite—give Him your sin, receive His mercy. 

Tremble at His word—give Him undivided attention, receive His guidance.

No matter what is ahead, give these three gifts to the Lord and His presence will come rest upon you. My Christmas prayer for you is that you will do these 3 things one day at a time and be His resting place through these Holidays 2012. Your family and friends need you to be His resting place. So do you.

Merry Christmas beloved,

Dick Speight

In His Hands

           At our December 7^th“God Rest Ye Merry” service here in Cedar Rapids, several brought their children and grandchildren forward for prayers of blessing, destiny, or healing. Little 15 month-old Levi was brought forward in his stroller by his parents.

Levi has had serious health problems that have baffled the doctors. With our attendees gathered all around in support, I knelt down in front of Levi who was laughing as he looked right into my eyes. I laid my hand upon his head to begin to pray for him, but Levi wasn’t too thrilled. He squirmed and began to fuss in attempting to push my hand away.

In that instant I had a choice to make—take my hand off or stick with my plan and keep it on. I chose to yield and take my hand off. Levi immediately began cooing and laughing and leaned forward and took my face in his hands and began stroking my face and beard. Obviously my hand and my plan were blocking his view of my face and his desire to reach out and touch me. He continued to look into my eyes and stroked my face as he started making sounds resonant with the singing of our music minister Deb Polk playing at the piano. I realized the Lord was holding my face in His hands through Levi! I felt so loved as the Lord led me to pray healing and destiny over Levi as he kept his hands on me! I had a sense we were surrounded by angels all around.

His mother just told us that ever since Levi came to that worship service he has been laughing frequently. He rarely laughed before. I trust the Lord He is healing Levi and that he will live a long, fruitful life helping many people seek the Lord’s face and be held in His loving hands!

Upon reflection, I realize the moment I took my hand off my plan, I gave the Lord room to work His will.  As you read this, please take a moment. Is there any matter, any plan, any relationship in which you need to yield? Take your hands off, and let the Lord smile upon you and take your face in His hands. He loves you, He delights in you.  Ask Him to fix whatever or whoever you are worried about. Trust Him to work things out in His timing. Let Him be Immanuel- God with you.

There may not have been room at the inn for baby Jesus, but you can give King Jesus the gift of room to maneuver this Christmas. Take your hands off, let Him love you and entrust all your concerns to Him. The Lord is not worried about what you are worried about. Rest in His love. Stop trying to run your own life, or anyone else’s. Place everyone you know, by prayer, in His hands. Lower your expectations of people, love them where they are. Jesus does. Ask Him to give them His abundant life and trust that He will. Lower your expectations of yourself, let Him love you where you are in life. Lower your expectations of Christmas, raise your expectations of the One who is our Eternal Christmas. What an awesome, angelic night it was with Levi. What an awesome, angelic time you can have right now, or every precious moment of your life.

Take your hands off, rest in His.

Merry Christmas beloved,

Dick Speight