This week was in many ways for me like a change of seasons – from a cold winter of weakness and illness and discouragement to a spring that promises life and new growth. Until Thursday – although I had tolerated the chemo well – I still was not feeling well or able to enjoy food. That morning began as many others with unpleasant stomach issues. We went to the cancer doctor’s for additional blood test to see how the fight over blood chemistry was going. They had scheduled it so that if I needed additional blood transfusions before the weekend they could be given on Friday. Miracle of miracles the test revealed that the blood chemistry remained at acceptable levels (Praise the Lord). So nothing else was required and I have a whole week before chemo begins again when I don’t have to see any medical personal for any reason (that too is a Praise the Lord). I have nothing against medical personal, but then it is wonderful to contemplate having a week just to be an ordinary human and not a patient. Another special Praise the Lord – Lindsay our eldest will be coming to spend a few days with us later this week.
After the doctor’s appointment on Thursday it was as if God reached down and clicked a switch. Suddenly I began to feel normal for the first time in two months. I knew the change had occurred for sure when Janet and I went out to eat and I had my first sip of ice tea and it tasted like ice tea. That sounds silly I know, but I had not tasted food for two months so for me it was a “mountain top” experience. The meal that followed (Mexican food) was wonderful and I enjoyed every bite. So we celebrate that together we can enjoy just being and eating and doing like regular everyday folks. Still weak but improving daily. Starting walking for exercise again – this really helps me feel better and is encouraging. Now if I can just put back on a little weight.
Spiritually the highlight of this week and the past several has been God’s preparation of the message on revival I got to preach yesterday at a little church in Mesa. When I accepted the invitation to preach some weeks ago I had no realistic hope of feeling well enough to do it, but believing that I was called to this assignment I knew it would be up to the Lord to give me the message – and to physically make it possible for me to deliver the message. That is most likely why he clicked the switch and I was better on Thursday. Sunday God was present in power and He enabled His message to be delivered as given to me which Scripture assures means His purposes among His people will have been accomplished (Jeremiah 23:18-22). All I can do is rejoice in that knowledge. It was a wonderful encouraging day – not just in how the message was received, but in the fact the old friends came and joined with us – and even some Facebook “friends” I had never met in the flesh came to the services to hear and to meet us. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with some very special people at a lunch after service. It was a wonderful encouraging day – the best we have had in a very long time. There is no joy greater than knowing God used you – even me. What a privilege!
The process by which God birthed the message – “”Revival – Our Choice – Our Hope” was nothing short of amazing. It was a month long process from being asked and given the topic to completion of God’s message. Initially it was simple. God very quickly gave me the basic outline for the message including Scriptures to use, but that was only the beginning. God continued to add and modify and then used a conversation with the person who had invited me to draw me deeper into an inquiry to understand exactly what God was saying. The process interrupted a lot of nights – one in particular where I was compelled to get out of bed and write down exactly what I had been told. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would, “teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26) and that was so true of Scripture, but during this process God revealed to me three new things about revival from His Word and otherwise that I had never seen before. I have studied revival and revivals historically and Biblically for decades. Janet and I have been praying for revival for decades, but when the Lord opened my eyes to new things it was as if I was like Adam when God invited to sit down and name God’s creatures as He brought each one to him (Genesis 2:19). What a blessing to sit at His feet and just learn and then be able to share what He revealed.
The same day I had the opportunity to preach, Revive Indiana held its statewide celebration of God’s activity for 196 days at the 10,000 seat Fort Wayne Coliseum. As a Believer you can do nothing but rejoice over all God has done to bring churches of Indiana together to take the love of Jesus into their communities – and for what will be done in the future as the ministry continues only without the presence of the Time to Revive team. What began as a one week prayer focus in Northern Indiana the second week of January ended up going to seven cities throughout the state. I have thought a lot about God’s sovereignty – how He called me to full time ministry with Time to Revive and then created (or allowed) a detour which meant that the team was there for 197 days – and I was not able to be there for a single one of those days. God’s plans and purposes are uniquely His. If I had been well then I would not have had the opportunity to preach Sunday or to be involved in lots of other things He has been doing here. I don’t understand – but then I don’t need to understand.
One special, prayer request – in 2007 God had me begin to write a book which is in a novel format and has been described by one young person who is reading it as a “page turner”. It ended up being a story of terrorists seeking destruction of America as we know it (in a way that is possible) as part of coordinated attacks in the Middle East, Israel and Europe which is a teaching tool to reveal what Scripture says that explains both what we face in the world today and what is happening in the world today. It opens the curtain to show the reality of the invisible – the Spiritual warfare going on over all of us constantly as the forces of light contest the evil one and his forces of darkness. It is the contest between the agenda of one who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” with the one who “came that they (we) may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). It ultimately pictures what America could look like if God’s people submit to God and He brings a revival. The key was that although it is fiction – nothing could be pictured in a way that is not Biblically accurate – for example: demons and angels cannot do what Scripture does not support them doing. So now eight years – 327 footnote references to Scripture – and 525 pages (with footnotes) later it is finally finished. Pray that God provides a publisher or a Christian agent that can direct us to a publisher so this teaching novel can be published and distributed. Thanks.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.