A Work of Righteousness - 2009

O Death, Where is thy Sting?

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Revelations 14:13

The Spirit of God brought a great change to my ministry in 2009. I was not prepared for this change to be made, but I have learned by following God all these years, you better be ready and gird up your loins to do what God has called you to do. I hear in my spirit,

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (I Corinthians 15:55).

This change was brought forth on the 26th of January when the Spirit of God took Terry Mai suddenly to heaven. There was no time to think, no time to consider what might have gone wrong. There was only time to keep my heart on the gospel and mind the things of the Spirit. And that I did. And God led me to lead his people to great victory.

Terry’s Sickness. Terry had led worship for the last time on November 23, 2008 and after that things developed rapidly. He entered the hospital January 8th. I knew it was very serious. X-rays revealed massive invasion of Terry’s abdomen and lesser invasion of his chest. The sickness was diagnosed on the 10th as malignant lymphoma. I do not know the length of time these tumors were in development. Chemotherapy was recommended but the physicians that were going to administer it were suddenly transferred to a new location. Terry was sent home on the 14th and was scheduled see the doctor about beginning chemotherapy on the 27th.

During the period of time that Terry was home I visited with him almost daily. Our conversation was nearly always about repentance from dead works. Terry had been very successful in opera and on the stage and God was dealing those works of the flesh. I was somewhat surprised, yet pleased that God was working in the manner that He was, this was a continuing sanctification of Terry. On Sunday the 25th, God gave me a vision of a woman. I called Terry later that morning and told him what this woman looked like, even to the description of her teeth. Terry called me back soon after and told me he knew this woman at the time he was at North Texas State University. God was setting him free.

Terry’s Death. Early Monday morning of the 26th Terry was awake praying. He spoke to Kathy, “I’ve got to get out of this bed!” He moved to a chair and Kathy sat down next to him. For around fifteen minutes they prayed in strong continuous prayer. Then Terry changed position, stood up and with a loud roar, gave up the ghost and went to heaven.

The funeral directors that conducted Terry’s service had offered to put Terry’s recorded songs into their music system and play them during visiting hours. Kathie D and I were standing in the viewing room while some of the boys from Water of Life walked up to the music system and started singing with Terry’s recordings. It was all a beautiful move of the spirit. As I stood there and listened, I heard a voice of one of the boys that I thought was Paul Peters. I was convinced the next day it was. I asked the boys if they could sing a couple of Terry’s songs along with his recordings at his funeral service. There was quick affirmation that they would do that. They joined Terry’s voice the next day in singing, “Oh Come Let Us Sing” and “There Stood a Lamb.” That was the beginning of Water of Life Boys.

The Mai Girls. Although they worshipped at home with their dad, no one had heard the Mai Girls sing together. The night before the funeral the Spirit of God directed them to sing at Terry’s service, “Sometimes Alleluia.” During the funeral the Mai Girls sang for the first time in public. That was the beginning of the Mai Girls.

The day after Terry’s service I walked into the north office and appointed David Kaspareit as a trustee. I said, “You and I are going to run this place by the Sprit of God.” And that we have done.

Even though Terry went to heaven we still have his faith and anointing on his songs that remain with us. Today in the sanctuary we have Terry and Kathy Mai opening worship with “Come Let Us Worship the King,” the Old Friends Quartet with Ernie Haase singing “Oh What a Savior,” and then Water of Life Boys with Terry Mai’s recorded songs. This is the work today. We are pressing toward the Kingdom of God, which is power.

My Infirmity in the Flesh. With the Inauguration of Obama, the spirits that came with this administration, and the Roman spirit that God had brought me to pray against; great pressure came on my soul and by June my eyes had dimmed so that I was no longer able to read even with my glasses. God led me to pray as in Ephesians 6:12;

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Later, God showed my wife, Kathie D the infirmity that came upon Paul and the reason for the infirmity was the same thing happening to me, in Galatians 4:13-15;

Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

Further on, in Galatians 6:11 Paul shows he had overcome the temptation:

Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

Verse 17 explains what Paul’s temptation was;

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Most certainly the affliction has come from men troubling me. As I overcome the spirits in these men, my eyes improve daily.

Oral Roberts. December 12th I was up before dawn praying and in a great wrestling match with a spirit. I overcame it in about two and a half hours. We traveled to Broken Arrow and when we arrived I was informed that Oral Roberts had fallen and broken his hip. Oral resisted my ministry and never accepted it. I continued to wrestle in prayer and three days later Oral Roberts died.

Gospel Crusades. We continued conducting gospel Body of Christ meetings in various cities across the USA as God directed. We held 14 meetings this year; 5 in Broken Arrow, 5 in South Bend, 2 in Pineville, and 1 each in Tulsa and Houston.

We went off of television on KLDT, Dallas, Texas in January.

Water of Life Ministries developed and launched our new web site in December.

We also joined Facebook in December.

Kathy Mai, Candace Mai, Ashley Mai (Alvis), and Rachel Mai were ordained as Ministers of Music (Gospel Ministry) in January.

More years of "A Work of Righteousness:"

1980               1989               1998               2007
1981               1990               1999               2008
1982               1991               2000               2009
1983               1992               2001               2010
1984               1993               2002               2011
1985               1994               2003               2012
1986               1995               2004               2013
1987               1996               2005               2014
1988               1997               2006

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