July 2016 News from Bill Standridge

Above: A photo in Switzerland, with my daughter on the right and my grand daughter on the left

Every day will I bless thee;
and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
and his greatness is unsearchable.
– Psalm 145:2,3

David was “greatly impressed” by God’s greatness, and so was I as I meditated on Psalm 145:3, in my daily meditations, verse by verse, through this incredibly joyful Psalm.  “Great”, of course, is not a comparison with someone else (not “God is greater than …..”).  God is GREAT in a way, and in a measure, that no one else is or can be.

And what GREAT things God has done for me.  In my February letter, I wrote about my birthday:  God continues to give me health, strength to preach, witness, teach and write just as I have for so many, many years, in the Italian language.

And God wanted to prove to me again His greatness!  I returned to Rome from a two-week visit to Milano, where I had been blessed to speak twice in a large church, in which my wife and I have ministered many times. I had also met for several hours with the leaders of another church to study the Bible for God’s revelation about divorce, and about divorce and remarriage.  I had also spent a weekend with another church in their retreat on Christian marriage. I woke up in Rome, completely exhausted, on Sunday morning.  On Monday, my doctor told me I was seriously dehydrated and had probably been so for a long time.  Of course, I began drinking a lot of water, on his orders, and during several weeks of weakness, began to ask myself if this was a warning about my future.

I also had many medical tests and visits  to see what was going on.  All of the tests were very positive. One doctor, after an exam, told me “You have the heart and arteries of a man 20 years younger.”  So, here I am, rejoicing in God’s greatness, and returning to the joy of serving the Lord in all He gives me to do.

In the past few weeks, I have read a lot and found 2 books interesting and helpful.  The first is “Finding Truth” by Nancy Pearcey, 5 Principles for unmasking Atheism, Secularism and Other God Substitutes.  The author is a college professor who says in her introduction, “I lost my faith in an evangelical college.”  The book requires careful reading and is definitely at a college level. It shows up the illogical and empty theories of atheism, evolution and other modern thought systems and could help students or adults who are “searching for answers” about the truly Christian world-view.  The second book is by noted author R. Albert Mohler, “We Cannot be Silent”, Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, and the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong.  We are all aware of the great changes of morality and the hatred of Bible-believing Christianity growing in America and Europe.  Mohler’s book reviews how this has come about, the dangers present and future, and the position of those who, like us, believe and preach the Bible as God’s eternal, inerrant Word.  I recommend books because I believe that pastors and Christian leaders know they cannot accept every word of every author, but because very important issues are facing each of us, and the voices of others, who believe and honor the Bible, can be of help.

I know that you, too, have experienced the greatness of God, and that you pray and help me because you want His greatness to be proclaimed and lived out in Italy. You are a great encouragement to me.

In HIS service,

William (Bill) Standridge

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