Hey Tenderhearted Believer ...
Here is something for a breath - a little visit into His-tory – Pray before you read and listen with your heart --- this will take about 10 -15 minutes of your time but give you a special blessing when it is all said and done.
Jeremiah 2:34 -"Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these."
(With all the current ongoing conflict over the precious lives of the unseen ones in the womb, it is worth the visit to a time when the world was not too much different 23-24 years ago - we are living in the increasing birth pains of the Second Coming of Christ): In 1995 a Senior at Chambersburg Area Senior High school (Joshua Redding) … wanted to impact his school for Jesus. He had started the first “Bible Club”, and was enjoying the liberty of the Mission field that he found both in a store front mission, "pizza" ministry(that God had placed on his and his Dad's heart), and the Halls of his High School (after leaving a Christian School situation).
In this challenging senior year … He entered the yearly school talent show, but not without a fight. The Song he had chosen had a very brave and stark message that he wanted to deliver to his classmates and potentially the world (a world around him that seemed to be hardening its heart to the cries of the innocent). Due to this message, it was blocked in its original form because of the obvious “Prolife” message, but with the help of his “Pastor” Dad, we worked a compassionate compromise that widened the scope – “Child Abandonment and Abuse”. With the rework of a few key words no one blocked his performance – BUT the now broadened Message pierced far more hearts than can could have been expected.
During the passionate brokenness of the performance ...Teachers, administration, and the student body was actually moved in the moment. And a key, unseen event, had now made an indelible mark on the ears of the listeners. One miracle in question was how a single song would actually lead to the salvation of a star CASHS athlete named Jason?
Jason was in the audience as Joshua performed and was deeply moved by the song and the overtly encouraging response given by the whole auditorium. He, like most of the student body and teachers, groaned with disappointment when Joshua did not take first place. Jason left the auditorium with the words almost haunting him ... "Let me live, I know I can, let me live, let me live ... one more day!"
Weeks later, alone in a family cabin... totally depressed and out of control because of his secret addiction ...with no one to witness but the family cabin, Jason raised a gun to his temple … unexpectedly, the song that he had heard just weeks ago ...at that very moment ... began to play softly but surely to his soul. The words brought clarity and determination to his disillusioned heart – “Let me live, I know I can - let me live - I know I want to; let me live, I know I can- let me live- I know I want to ... I want to live, live, one more day; I want to live... one more day !”… the gun lowered.
Just a song, sung passionately by a red headed classmate in an all but rigged talent show … stopped a horrendously catastrophic tragedy that would have ended the life and the future of a soul for whom Christ died for, and potentially eternally. BUT THE SONG BECAME HIS CRY . As he laid the gun down and walked toward the cabin door, hope filled his heart "that something was going to change" - he would be rescued; and He immediately called his parents, and soon after, willingly, entered a rehab.
God's plans are always so amazing! Later in the year, … and definitely not knowing all of the story yet; the Franklin County Coroner, called and asked me if I would visit a potentially demonically influenced Teen that just got out of rehab (by request of his parents). Note: This was actually not an unusual request from Ken because he would ask for my help more than once, to team up in situations like this. What was unusual was that this was my first day back to work, after my Colon-Cancer-Surgery-Time in the hospital (still recouping). The Coroner actually offered to pick me up after work (I still wasn't fully healed enough yet to drive myself) so that we could go visit this young man. (It actually kind of freaked out the company where I worked when I told them to pray for me... "the Coroner is picking me up after work" (then I told them why).
Jason was ready and waiting for us to arrive ...
After a few moments of sharing the Gospel with him, Jason bowed his head and asked Jesus into his heart. Immediately after his prayer he looked directly at me and asked
"Your last name is ... Redding?"
I answered "Yes?" "
He continued "Are you related to a red haired guy named Joshua Redding?"
Again I answered "Yes?"
He immediately began to weep and tell of the event in his family cabin, the gun he had pointed at his head, and Joshua's talent show song coming to his rescue...
– The God connection was overwhelmingly evident... between Joshua and the song, and that I was Joshua’s Dad, and I had arrived here in Jason's home leading him to the One who brought the song to his rescue. We bowed our heads again in joyful thanksgiving.
All the time the Coroner (who was always a little fearful because of some of his past incidents with pretty scary stuff) was quietly watching on, and was still worried of Demonic influences, even after hearing this miraculous display of the extravagant plans of God's Grace; He held up a small metal cross in front of Jason's face and challenged him to read the inscription on the cross, and to read it out loud.
Jason reached out and took the cross and read the inscription, "Jesus Christ is LORD!" ... Jason smiled like a little child on Christmas day, and said "So cool, can I get one of these?" The Coroner wrapped his arm around Jason's shoulder, totally relieved, and said "Sure, you can have that one, my new found brother". We prayed and all went on our ways rejoicing.
That was 1995... Today, Mawcore, with our music ministry of hope driven rock music, ... is thinking of resurrecting this song written in 1995; and in up-n-coming days... we are hoping to be gather a team to pray, and a team to re-sculpt and to appropriately re-orchestrate this song that cries for The Innocents. ... Our hope is to make a mark, by awaking hearts to care in the rescue of these little ones, who are being murdered without a voice to be heard. There is a broader announcement coming for Mawcore... In a little over a day ... please stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter for the announcement --- join us... be a part of the Wellspring.
If you would like to be part of the potential team of prayer warriors as we move forward please respond to this message...and to the announcement coming. If you do, you will be hearing back from us ... Even if you don't respond, please PRAY with and for us.
It has been said lately: The two most dangerous places to be - in the uniform of a Police Officer and in the womb of an expectant mother. The police need our support and have a voice, but innocent ones are dying daily ... and their voice needs to be heard. "Let me live, let me live, let me live ... one more day!"
"For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in Thee, O LORD, I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me." Psalm 31:13,14,15 Or as Phil Keaggy put it in his song The Survivor - "You are my God...deliver me from the solution that they have planned"
HLFA,
Jeff
PS - Please feel free to forward the link to this devotion to any tenderhearted brothers and sisters that you think may be encouraged. http://seetheseams.blogspot.com