New Year’s Letter 2010

Dear Friends

‘But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run
and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint’ – Isaiah 40:31 (ESV).

‘From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye
has seen a God beside you, who acts for those who wait for
him’ - Isaiah 64:4 (ESV).

These two verses – each a favorite of mine for a long time – speak of waiting for the Lord. Just waiting. This means not running ahead or walking behind but keeping in step with his leadership (Eph.5:18). If I were to mention one of my greatest failings it is that of running ahead of the Lord. Not unlike Joseph and Mary who proceeded a day’s journey without Jesus while assuming he was in their company (Luke 2:41-51), I have too often run ahead of the Lord over the past 55 years of ministry. As the late Carl F. H. Henry once put it to me, we sometimes forget that only God can turn the water into wine. Although all things work together for good (Rom.8:28), the fact that something works together for good doesn’t mean that what one did was necessarily right at the time.

At my age (I will be 75 in July 2010) one does not want to make many mistakes. I not only want to end well, I want to proceed – as much as God will grant – with the clear knowledge I am led by the Holy Spirit.

And yet the promise of renewed strength by waiting for the Lord is assuring as one gets older, whether it means physical strength (which I hope) or spiritual energy (which is certainly true). I ask for the prayers of those who follow my ministry for continuing good health and mobility for Louise and me, clear guidance when to say Yes and when to say No and for ever-increasing insight as I continue to write books. I have so much to be thankful for. Few people at my age preach all over the world and have many books to write. As for Louise, who recently had her 70th birthday, she looks like she is in her 50s!

I wrote an article this year urging Christians to pray for President Obama. Many readers were upset. I even urged a major Christian leader to pray for President Obama – publicly. He said he couldn’t. At almost this same time Louise showed me a letter C. S. Lewis wrote to a friend in which he admitted how hard it sometimes was to do this sort of thing – but he did! Whatever our political views, we have a biblical mandate to pray for our president (1 Tim.2:1-3; 1 Pet.2:13-17).

If I have got it right eschatologically, you can count on conditions in the world getting worse and worse but the spirituality of the church, speaking generally, getting better and better. As for those who believe Christians will be ushered out of the Great Tribulation, they are wrong. We are entering it now and some places in the world have been in it for years. But I equally believe that there will be a major renewal of the Holy Spirit among God’s people throughout the world that will bring the church much like it was described in the book of Acts. I only pray I will see it while I am alive. I think I will.

2009 was the year Louise and I became grandparents. Welcome Toby – the most beautiful baby since Jesus of Nazareth was born 2000 years ago! Our son T. R., Annette and Toby live in Lake Mary, Florida and our daughter Melissa has moved to be near us here in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The staff of R T Kendall Ministries, Inc. includes a total of two people: TR and me. Christa Yandell has recently graciously volunteered to help us with menial tasks. I thank God for her.

I have some books, including The Lord’s Prayer, emerging from the press on both sides of the Atlantic in 2010. I am currently working on the second volume of Sermon on the Mount; both volumes will come out in 2011. Our 2010 schedule will take us to England several times, Israel, Australia, South Africa (twice) and all over America. Once we find a suitable Muslim to join us, Rabbi David Rosen and I will produce a book to be called Jerusalem – who is entitled to it?, giving various points of view. Pray for the success of this venture, it could have far-reaching consequences.

Thank you for your prayers. I don’t have ‘supporters’ (that I know of), I chose (rightly or wrongly) not to have a mailing list. But thank you for reading this letter.

God bless you and your loved ones and friends. May the blessing of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you in ever-increasing measure in 2010.

Warmest Christian greetings,

R T Kendall – Romans 8:28

 Happy New Year from The Kendall's