Paradise
http://www.larrylundstromministries.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=1622&view=post&articleid=67234&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Larry Lundstrom
What does "Paradise" look like to you? May we always have God's Kingdom work in our minds and hearts as the highest goal that we can achieve. Look for ways to bring His Paradise to this world, and you, my friend, will experience that Paradise as you share it with others.
At the start of our tour this year, we were in Hawaii (also known as PARADISE)! How would one describe paradise? Majestic palm trees waving in the soft trade winds, waves splashing on the sugar sand beaches, the horizon painted with brazen color as the sun sets, brilliant tropical flowers, soothing sounds of Hawaiian music, loving Hawaiian people and yes, scrumptious food…and a lot of it…to a tourist that would describe PARADISE.
To Gloria and I, the PARADISE we experience was what happened spiritually in Oahu, Hawaii. We were honored to minister in churches, home bible studies, smaller fellowship gatherings, and numerous one-on-one encounters allowing us to share the Good News of Christ. Our paradise could well be described as what we saw take place at the altars. We rejoiced as hundreds responded to the call of Christ in their lives. We saw entire families come forward to surrender their lives to Christ, prodigals coming back home, marriages touched and refreshed, and relationships restored. Friend, that is PARADISE!
PARADISE is seeing answers to prayer, such as John and Raynette Solto whom we had met years ago at the Waimanalo Assembly of God church in Waimanalo, HI. At that time, John and Raynette were worship leaders and they were always there to greet us and assist us with whatever we needed. Gloria and I were delighted to return a couple weeks ago to minister at that same church. John and his wife once again greeted us along with their parents that they had invited to attend with them. They had prayed for their parents for years and years. When the altar call was given, both John's mother and father responded to the invitation. The smiles and tears following this encounter along with the precious reunion of two families now being bonded in Christ was truly PARADISE. John's father smiled, "We prayed before, but not like this. This was good."
Jesus referred to paradise in Luke 23:42-43. The scene: Jesus on a cross with a thief placed on either side of him. One thief recognized him as the true Christ and called out to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." When the thief called, he got a pass to heaven which is referred to in this instance as Paradise.
What does "Paradise" look like to you? May we always have God's Kingdom work in our minds and hearts as the highest goal that we can achieve. Look for ways to bring His Paradise to this world, and you, my friend, will experience that Paradise as you share it with others.
- Larry http://www.larrylundstromministries.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=1622&url=10&view=post&articleid=80051&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
This is the 46th Mother's Day that Gloria and I are enjoying together. Gloria desires to always minister to our newsletter family with encouragement, inspiration and comfort but seldom is she mentioned or credited for all she does behind the scenes. I was recently reading about the wonderful godly woman that Proverbs 31 illustrates. I often tease Gloria and call her my "P-31" wife (and may I add, she truly is). This time, however, when I read Proverbs 31, I was challenged when I read verse 28 which states, "Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her" (NKJV).
http://www.larrylundstromministries.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=1622&url=10&view=post&articleid=80053&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
I recently returned from Zimbabwe, Africa. I was honored and privileged to join Pastor John Brady and eight men from First Assembly of God in Minot, North Dakota, on an action-packed mission trip, February 28-March 11. I boarded the plane on February 28th in Phoenix, Arizona, thus beginning the long journey! From Phoenix, I went to Denver to Atlanta and then on to Johannesburg, South Africa (this flight overseas was 20 hours long). We changed planes in Johannesburg boarding South African Air which then delivered us to Harare, the capitol of Zimbabwe. Needless to say, after 11,000 miles crunched between two people for 20 hours, this big Swede needed to stretch out!
http://www.larrylundstromministries.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=1622&url=10&view=post&articleid=78651&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
In all reality, you cannot find a substitute for family! I'm a family man...we raised our three children, LaShawn, LaDawn and Donovan, "on the road." We were always an arm's length from each other living in a motor home for the better part of 16-18 years while they were with us.
