God Is Worth The Wait

 "So tired, tired of waiting - Tired of waiting for you - So tired, tired of waiting tired of waiting for you"

No, that is not a scripture reference - it is the chorus from a Kinks song from 1965 - "Tired Of Waiting For You"

It is the song that came to my mind when I was thinking about King Saul and what he did to cause God to remove his anointing. Ok - so I am just a little weird :)

"He [King Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”  And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." - 1 Samuel 13:8-14

King Saul lacked faith in God. He feared the people more. So, he decided he would not wait on Samuel but offer a sacrifice to God himself. I mean what was the big deal? Wasn't he doing a good thing? The answer - No. King Saul had a heart problem. A faith and obedience problem.

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." - Proverbs 21:2

We are not all that different from King Saul.  We often think that success depends upon us. It doesn't - least wise not if you are child of God.  A great quote from Dr. Henry Blackaby, "You have heard the say, 'Don't just stand there - do something, but often times God is saying, 'Don't just do something - stand there.'" Wait on Him.

"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

There is a song that goes on to say, "Teach me Lord to wait."  Waiting on God is a discipline that is strongly tied to trusting God. If your confidence is more in yourself and less in God then you will have a struggle with waiting.  Your unwillingness to wait and trust will be telling.  

God is worth the wait.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Rejoicing - A Reflection of Joy

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:22-25

The fruit of the Spirit does not have its expression through our natural emotions.  Our emotions are dependent on our circumstances. The fruit of the Spirit is independent of our circumstances and solely dependent upon our faith, submission to the Spirit of God and our obedience to the Word of God.  And as Dr. Henry Blackaby would say, "If you are having a problem with obedience, you really have a love problem." In other words, you don't love God enough. You have not yielded your heart fully.

I was listening to a recent sermon by Pastor Russell Howard, the lead pastor at McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers, FL. (I devoted a sentence about who I am about to quote to give credit where credit is due.) He was preaching on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14. 

"Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." - 1 Corinthians 13:11

He made a distinction between the Biblical meaning of "joy" and "rejoice".  "Joy, a fruit of the Spirit, is not an emotion. It is not elation." Butterflies in your stomach, that warm and fuzzy feeling that emotion stirs in us. It is not happiness in your heart. "Spiritual joy is a settled confidence. A knowing that what was eternally wrong has been made eternally right." Through Jesus.

Paul's encouragement for the Corinthains Church, and us, to "rejoice", is to live in "Joy". Rejoicing is the proclamation of spiritual joy in your life. Rejoicing not just with words, as important as our testimony is, but in the way we live our life - the litmus test of the presence of supernatural joy in our lives. Paul encouraged the Philippian Church in the same way.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoicing is having an attitude of gratitude. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

When God Reveals Himself

"For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard." - Isaiah 52:12

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8

You don't need to pray for is for God to show up - He is already here.  One facet of His character is that He is omnipresent. That means that He is present everywhere at the same time. Hard to imagine? You just read the scripture - I gave you two verses.  There are many, many more that describe His character and nature. One problem we often have is that - we want God to do what we want God to do in the way and when we want Him to do it. And if that doesn't happen then we often think and say that God didn't show up. When what we really mean is that God's response did not meet our expectations. 

We have a contradictory faith if we say that and, at the same time, acknowledge His sovereignty and wisdom? Do you see the conflict here?  I have often said that God is the "Just In Time God". Frankly, most often, that is said after God has manifested himself in some tangible way right when I needed Him to. And He often does, but not all the time. He is "just in time" from His perspective, not mine. Sometimes they are coincident, but not always.

Does that mean that God has failed or forsaken me? Re-read Deuteronomy 31:8. Often times our lack of understanding of what God is doing, will do or is not doing results in diminishes our trust.  Read Proverbs 3

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." - Proverbs 3:5-8

It is understandable that we might not trust other people fully.  They can change their minds. Have other interests. May even not like us and want to see us fail. Sad but true. But not God.  He has our best in mind. Loving us so much He sent Jesus to die for us. That is how much He values us. God has a plan and purpose for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord" - Jeremiah 29:11-14

Very often we view those verses through the prism of this natural world. When we read "prosperity" our "flesh" perks up. These are eternal promises and may or may not result in a worldly benefit but will always have and eternal benefit. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

It's Not About You!

 "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." —Luke 10:20 

"It's not about you." is the first sentence of the first chapter in the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. It is about the God who has a purpose for your life.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." -  Jeremiah 29:11

Every now and again, we all have an opportunity to experience something supernatural.  The movement of the Spirit of God.  Some mighty act of God precipitated through us or through someone else.  We are amazed and perhaps derive a sense of great joy – like the disciples.  But we must be careful – like the disciples.  It is very easy to lose focus on God, who is the source of all spiritual power, and focus on the event that is the result of that spiritual power.   And perhaps, even attribute credit to yourself or to someone else and not to the Source.  

A question that is very often asked of volunteer mission teams, that serve with us, at the end of their trips was “What did you get out of your time here?”  A simple question, but it focuses on the wrong point of the mission trip.  Maybe a better question might have been, “How did you see God at work during your time here?” We have had people give Martie and me credit for our service many times.  It is easy to begin to think that somehow, we were the reason some good happened.  But, in fact, the source of the “good” was God, not our abilities or sacrifices.  God is the source of our abilities, and our sacrifices are a result of our devotion to Him.  Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice in what they were doing, but in why they were able to do it.  

Listen.  It is OK to feel good about yourself.  But we must be careful that we don’t take credit for something that someone else, namely God, did through us.  Certainly, the world does not understand that. But that lack of understanding presents you with an opportunity to give God the glory. to point them to the Father and the Son.

And about that feeling.  I was talking to someone the other day.  He was telling me about how he had helped someone in need.  He said “It made me feel good inside.” I told him the feeling he had was not “Good” but “Right”.  When we are obedient to God’s leading and will, we have a sense of “Right Being” in our hearts.  That can be easily mistaken for good and that can be easily mis-attributed to our own action and credit.  Like the doing of a good thing somehow vindicates us – making us good.  Right– is what it feels like to be walking in obedience to the will of the Father.  Out of obedience springs the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22-23) …. The result of that, in our flesh, is most often the human emotion of feeling good.  

It’s OK to have that feeling.  What is not Ok is taking credit for it.  Make certain that in all you do for God that you give credit where credit is due.  And you can feel good about that!   

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Living For The Future

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you." -  Philippians 3:13-15

Are you living for the future or living in the past. As Christians, that is the dilemma we face every day. Our tendency is to continue to live as we did before we met Jesus on the road. Holding on to the same priorities. My daughter often says with respect to making life changes, repenting from our old ways if you will, we must be willing to change the "people, places and things" in our lives. For most of us we can accommodate change in one or two of them, but all three.  Well, that is a challenge! Maybe more of a challenge than we are willing to submit to. Paul says five (5) things about that. 

1. Forget what is behind. Don't let your old life be what drives the way you live and love. Your primary devotion must be to God and not the world.

2. Reach forward to those things which are ahead. Live for your future and in a manner that honors God. Live the way that God has revealed His will for you in His Word.

3. Press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Our goal should be to be more like Jesus - that's the call of God. 

4. As many as are mature, have this mind. That is how a mature Christian thinks. What they focus on as the number one priority in life. It is what a mature Christian desires and does. 

5. If in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. If you don't think that way, not desiring those things which are ahead, not pressing on as Paul suggests, then seek God and God will reveal this truth to you.

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday." - Psalm 37:3-6

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Speaking And Living The Truth

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." - Ephesians 4:11-15

I heard a great quote by Warren Wiersbe the other day. “Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” Warren Wiersbe, pastor and writer, is perhaps best known for his series of 50 books in the "BE" series: Be Real, Be Obedient, Be Mature .... Speaking truth to others without love as the motivation is essentially criticism. Condemnation. Loving without speaking truth is hypocrisy. It is enabling what is not truth and calling it truth. I was taught years ago that is there is a standard - which is a standard for a good purpose - and you see a violation of that standard and do or say nothing - you create a new standard or truth, if you will.

We have plenty of examples from the culture we live in. Moral decadence is rampant. The Bible speaks plainly about what the standard is. As Christians we must not be silent about the Truth but speak that Truth in love with the motivation of encouraging repentance and salvation of the lost - confession and repentance for the saved.

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." - 1 Corinthians 2:14

Speaking spiritual truth to a lost world has its challenges. Telling them what the Bible says - a book they don't understand or believe has any practical value - will fall on "deaf" ears unless the Spirit of God is at work in their hearts. We don't convict people of their sin - the Holy Spirit does that. But we are ambassadors for Christ, and it is our responsibility to share the Gospel and be doers of the Word and not hearers only. (James 1:22) Some call it walking your talk. Oh, there are so many rabbit trails I could go down, but I will resist the urge :)  

The Word of God set us apart from the rest of the world. Jesus prayed ....

"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." -  John 17:16-18

We are in the world to be living testimonies of the Word of God. Before we can share the Truth we must, ourselves, be living in that Truth. Lest we offer the world a false Gospel.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Running On Empty

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:8-9

I was born again in 1976. After I took my first "spiritual" breath, I had in insatiable hunger for the Word of God. I could not get enough of it. My focus was on my new life and the wonder of it all. But over time, other things called for my attention.  Started to demand my attention. Worldly things. We can't ignore some worldly things, but we can put them in proper perspective. Find balance. For many people, though, their attention pendulum often swings from far left to far right. There is no middle ground, not for long anyway. 

My wife and I often travel a good bit by car/truck. I make it a practice to not let the fuel go below half a tank. Not that I am afraid of running out of gas. That allows me to seek the best fuel prices and be prepared for unplanned delays in traffic. It's a thing!  Spiritually speaking, it is important that we don't go below half a tank. That we keep plenty of "oil in our lamp" to keep it burning. (Old song)

If you are not careful. If you are not keeping your eye on the fuel gauge you will run out of spiritual gas and may not even realize it until the engine stalls. One of our daughters has an electric car.  I was texting her while I wrote this. (Yes, I can multi-task!)  She was at a charging station.  As Christians, we need to spend time at our spiritual "Charging Station". The prosperity and success spoken of in Joshua by the Lord is about spiritual success and prosperity, not worldly. Our fuel is the Word of God, prayer and fellowship. If you don't get enough spiritual nourishment, you will eventually starve. Your life will become indistinguishable from the lost who live around you. And like the frog in the pot, you will not be aware that it is happening until you step on the spiritual pedal and the tank is empty. 

So - is it time to refuel?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Cost Of Success

"For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" -  Luke 9:25

How do you define success in this life? What must you trade off or have you traded off to gain that success? Success in anything will always cost you something.  In terms of worldly success, sometimes it's about recognition or affirmation. Sometimes it's about financial gain. Some believe that the one who dies with the most toys wins (or not). With respect to our faith, it's about being more like Jesus and less like the world.

Is it wrong to be successful in the world and in your faith walk at the same time? No. But that may not be as common as you might hope. There is a tension between the natural and the spiritual. It can be like a tug of war - each vying for your heart's devotion. The Bible cautions us about the temptation.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." - 1 John 2:15-16

Why do suppose we are given that caution? Because it is a common pitfall. The temptation to sacrifice what is more important for the things of this world can be strong and even seem reasonable at the time. But like most poor decisions, we don't realize the pain of sacrificing the best until after the fact. Then it is hard to recover what was lost, if not impossible. 

God will certainly forgive us of our sins but will most probably not relieve us of the consequences. There is a song that comes to mind, "Knowing You, Jesus, by Graham Kendrick." 

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wants to own
All I once thought gain, I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know You more
To be found in You and known as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness

It might not be a bad thought to pray through the words of that song. Don't be like the man building bigger barns.

"And he [Jesus] said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:15-21

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

True Humility

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8

I recently heard humility described in terms of what it is not and what it is. "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less." The humility that God desires in us is like that of John the Baptist. Jesus said this about John.

"I [Jesus] tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” - Luke 7:28

You read about famous people in history, and yet there is none who has ever been greater than John the Baptist. Greater in whose eyes? God's. Greatness from spiritual perspective - not man's. John said ...

"You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:28-30

As great as John was in the eyes of God - Jesus is greater. John deferred to Jesus. John's purpose was to proclaim the coming of Jesus. Much like our purpose as ambassadors for Christ. I have known many people in my lifetime who struggled for personal significance. Not before God but before men. Knowing that their parents loved them was more important to them than knowing that God loved them. The first is a natural phenomenon. The second is a spiritual one which has eternal significance. The first often shapes how those people relate to other people. The second will shape how people relate to both God and man. Jesus said a couple things about our humility - well more - but I will share these.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:12-13

Thinking of yourself less and others more.

"This [Love God with your all] is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:38-40

Think of others more than you think of yourself. In the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, the first sentence begins - "It's not about you!" It's not, but that is a spiritual truth that cannot be understood and embraced apart from you being born again by the Spirit of God. And then, realized as you decrease so God can increase in you and through you.  

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." - James 4:10

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

We Live By Faith And Not By Flesh

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20 

“If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me?” OSWALD CHAMBERS 

One of the greatest challenges that Christians face is living by faith and not by flesh.  The reason, I think, is because, typically, we don’t have proper respect for God nor acknowledge that our new life is not our own.  We fail to fully yield our lives to God.  We talk a good game, but we decide, for ourselves, how much of our lives we will yield to God.  It might be possessions, relationships, attitudes, devotions, or even past hurts that we choose cling to.  I sometimes wonder why God would tolerate it.  Have you ever had a defiant child who would not listen?  A child who defiantly chose that which was harmful or hurtful in place of what was right and good?  They were going to do things their way, no matter what.  Why would God permit us, those who claim Jesus as Lord, to act like defiant children in light of His Son’s great sacrifice for our salvation. God’s grace and mercy, the grace and mercy that covers our sin and opens the doors of eternity in heaven up to us, is beyond my comprehension. I have said this before, but everything in our lives has a spiritual context. 

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

We choose to parse life out in the natural and spiritual, but life is not really like that at all. The natural and spiritual are not equal.  As a Christian, it is important that you see everything in its spiritual context.  Before your new birth, it was impossible.  Jesus said “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) In other words, the people only had a natural understanding.  Spiritual insight can only begin with your new life, when you are born again, and then it can expand to the lives of others and the world.  When it begins with you, there will be a change … transformation … old things passing away .. all things becoming new in the context of your new life in Christ. The light of Christ will begin to shine through you.  God will be glorified and the Gospel will be proclaimed to a world darkened by sin.  But you have to let that happen .. desire it .. yield to it .. embrace it even though your flesh will resist. Therein lies the battle.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Who Do You Love?

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. The key to the [Christian's] devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. The duty of a faithful [Christian] is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Christians are] people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4

That verse can be taken two ways.  First, if you pursue God then He will give you anything your little heart desires.  Second, if you love God and pursue God, He will make His passion, your passion.  He will change your “wants” to those things that reflect His will and purposes.  That is what Jesus was telling Peter.  “If you love Me, then pursue those things that I pursue.  Do what I say to do, even if it makes no earthly sense.” What makes missionaries distinctive from most Christians is that they place less value on earthly comforts and relationships than they do on the call of Jesus on their lives to pick up their cross, abandon the things of this world, and follow Him.  To feed His sheep if you will.  The thing about a shepherd, when everyone else is at home sleeping, he is standing guard over the flock.  My point?  When God calls, you must be willing to lay what is comfortable and familiar, down.

From time to time when I tell my wife that I love her, she will say “I love you more.” Then I say “No, I love you more.” And we go back and forth several times with that.  But where is the proof of that love? The proof of love is not words, as affirming as they might be. Ephesians 5:25 says this, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.”  Do you love God enough to give yourself up for Him?  – your hopes, your dreams, your comfort, your secure retirement, your family holidays, the list goes on ….. The theme of the Bible is that God is supreme and deserves our total devotion … like David, we must love God with our whole heart. (1 Kings 14:8).  Husbands won’t love their wives that way (Ephesians 5:25) if they first don’t love God that way. (Matthew 22:37-39). And none of us will love God that way if we are unwilling to lay our lives down.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Our Days Are Numbered

"O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." - Psalm 39:4-7

During this last month two friends, Christian men, who lived for God and epitomized what being a godly father and husband look like died in mid-life. Or as some people would say, "Before their time".  It is estimated that over 166,000 people die every day on this planet. So, what exactly is our time? When will it be that we breathe our last? According to the Psalmist - 

"The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away." - Psalm 90:10

And yet - we know that is not a guarantee. In fact, only God knows the span of our life. 

"Your [referring to God] eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." - Psalm 139:16

God knows from beginning to end. So, does He ordain the days we will live or is it that He knows the days we will live. I think the latter. How many days we live is not the point. How we live out those days is the point. Upon hearing of the passing of my friends I was, once again, reminded that I must redeem the time I have been given. We all must invest our lives to the fullest in those things that have eternal value, that matter.  Those things that matter to God that may or may not matter to men.

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." - Ephesians 5:15-17

Every day live your life to the fullest - to the glory of God and the good of others.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Do You Really Believe?

"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal." - Revelation 4:2-6

That is a picture of God, the Father, sitting on His throne in Heaven.  Is that how you see God? We taught a study some years back called the Truth Project by Focus On The Family.  In that study the speaker posed a question that has stuck with me over these many years. "Do you believe that what you believe is really real?" In other words - does what you say you believe match how you live your life - how you respond to life? Does it match what you embrace as important in your life.

Do you believe that there is a sovereign God who reigns over everything in the universe? And if you truly believe that - do you allow that belief to govern how you live your life? As you know the greatest commandment in the Bible is found in Matthew 22.

"One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment." - Matthew 22:35-38

That covers the first 4 commandments of the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. Putting God and His commandments in first place above all else. Why? Because you believe that He is sovereign. He has absolute rule over all creation. He determines what is right and what is wrong. As His children, we walk in obedience to Him because we love Him. He is our God. And your heart is totally devoted to Him.

What God is not is our heavenly waiter standing by patiently waiting for our next order. He does not wink at our sin, saying "it's OK", don't worry about it. He sent His Son to pay the penalty for those sins. Sinning is not a trivial thing. Do you believe that what you believe is really real? The only part of the Bible that you believe is the part that you obey.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Where The Ground Is Level

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -  Galatians 3:28

I was looking at some photos of me that my bride had posted on Facebook in recognition of Veterans Day. I was reminded that I have had the opportunity to do some pretty extraordinary things in my 73+ years that my feet have trod this earth. Typically, I don't talk about the things I have done with others unless it will glorify God - particularly among people who have not had the same opportunities. In my experience, that very often hampers our relationship or the potential of one.

I once heard or read that "The ground is level at the foot of the cross."  Those things that bring distinction between people, abilities, education, ethnicity, country of origin, vocation, avocation, possession, gender are of no significance when you are standing before the Cross of the Risen Savior. As children of God, we are all the same before Him and should be in the eyes of each other.

But sadly, very often, that has not been true in the history of the Church and remains untrue today. All of those natural distinctions continue to rise up and result in separation - disunity on the Church - the Body of Christ. By another name, and one that is more difficult for Christians to swallow, is Sin.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23

That is the common ground for the natural man with his natural brothers and sisters, regardless of the other natural distinctions they may bear. Everyone is separated from God by their sin, and everyone needs a Savior - who is Jesus Christ.

As born-again children of God have been given a ministry of reconciliation. Insomuch as each of us has been reconciled to God the Father through faith in Jesus the Son, we are to share the Good News so that others may be reconciled as we have been. And being reconciled to God we are to be reconciled to each other having the same faith and same spirit.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What Is The Source Of Your Hope?

"But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey." - Numbers 14:7-8

Isn't it something that two people can look at the same thing and see different things - come to completely different conclusions. That is the way it was with the 12 spies. 10 saw one thing and 2 saw the same thing but came to an opposite conclusion. 10 saw things from a human perspective and 2 from God's perspective. That is the way it is for us Christians. Or the way it should be. Our goal should be to see the world and its events with spiritual understanding.

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." - Ephesians 1:17-21

How you see the world and your place in it will determine how you respond to the events of this life. Although what happens in this life may be disheartening, overwhelming even, we have hope beyond it. "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and His righteousness. On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand." But it takes more than merely believing it - you must walk in it. You cannot possibly walk in it, if you are not intentional about drawing close to God in faith.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Better Is One Day

"But the men who had gone up with him [Caleb] said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." - Number 13:31-33

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey." - Numbers 14:7-8

Of the 12 men who were sent out, 10 of the men saw the land and its people through their own eyes - from man's perspective. The same way that we often do when God says "Go and do something in My Name" God always asks us to do something that is beyond our natural ability. After all, it is a mission from God. Only Joshua and Caleb considered what God could do through them even though they saw the same things that the other 10 men had seen.

In "The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis, the character Susan asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan [a type of Christ] is safe to which Mr. Bever replies, "Oh no! Aslan is not safe, but He is good." So often we hear God, we know what He has said, but we respond as though He had some mal-intent. Or perhaps He was talking to the wrong person. We would be wrong on both counts.  

By the way, those 10 men died in the desert with the rest of the unbelieving and disobedient generation. Only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to cross the river Jordan 40 years later. My point - you may not get a second chance to experience God doing a work through you.

I recall a volunteer asking me if I liked being in Mississippi as we stood in the middle of the great destruction and loss wrought by Hurricane Katrina. I thought about it and replied, "There is nothing better than being in the center of God's will, geography and difficulty have nothing to do with it." That was not bravado talking, but my realization that one day walking with God is better than a thousand elsewhere.

"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness." - Psalm 84:10

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What It Means To Be All In

"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Matthew 16:24

What is the most important question you can ask when you are confronted with an opportunity to serve. "tic .. tic ... tic" Ok times up.  The question you must ask is "Is that you Lord?" and when you know it is God, and in your heart you will, you must be ready to make some adjustments in your life. Like Samuel.

"And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears." - 1 Samuel 3:10

But what if it's something that you really don't want to hear? I am not talking about quitting your job, selling your worldly belongings and going to a foreign land. It might be much simpler than that. And unlike Samuel, it most probably won't be an audible voice from Heaven. It may well be another Christian. Or a circumstance you find yourself in. Maybe a scripture you hear or read. Perhaps an impression from the Spirit as you pray.  Whatever it is - it will require some adjustments in your plans - some sacrifice on your part. You will be taking up your cross of personal sacrifice. Scripture I often quote is Romans 12:1-2

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2

There it is again - sacrifice - a sacrifice is not giving up something you don't care about.  It is about laying down something you care a great deal about. Most likely it will affect how you allocate your time. But you do it as an offering to God. Demonstrating that your love for God is greater than your love for the things of this world. 

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

We are called to be "All In" as we live out our faith - our new life in Christ. What I see is that people struggle with saying "yes" to God if it is not convenient - if it doesn't fit their plans. Oh that reminds me of a song - Almost Persuaded". One of the verses goes --

"Seems now some soul to say, “Go, Spirit, go Thy way, Some more convenient day On Thee I’ll call."

That day seldom comes. The test for whether many Christians will respond in the affirmative is if it fits their schedule and even then, something more interesting might come up. Jesus said, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no" but for some if not many Christians "Yes" means "Maybe".

Are you all in? All in at any cost? 

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:36-37

That doesn't leave room for much else.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

When Jesus Knocks

"He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." - Luke 4:17-21

So who are the blind? The ones who do not see who Jesus is. He healed the blind physically as a testimony to who He was and is - spiritually. Physically as something that people could see and marvel at. No one could do what He did. And none of us can heal someone spiritually.  It is only by faith in Jesus. He had to come to earth to die on the cross only to be raised so that we could receive our sight. It is a simple fact and yet a profound truth that is unseen by the blind who are blinded by their sin. 

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

To receive our sight, we first must hear His voice. But not all will recognize his voice. Oh, how I wish I understood how this all works. I don't, but I am a living testimony to its truth. Some not all will open the door to their hearts by faith when Jesus knocks.

"So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." - John 10:24-28

It is not that Jesus had not told them; it is that they refused to believe. Like myself, I am certain you know people, perhaps family that refuse to believe. God knows from the beginning to the end. He has given us free will. He knows who will and who won't yield their hearts in faith when the Spirit speaks to their heart. Put in another way, not everyone will open the door.  Most will choose to leave the door shut. They will turn Jesus away.  

Surely you know all of this already. You, yourself, heard Jesus and opened the door.  Our charge is to tell others that Jesus is knocking.  We are not the Holy Spirit, certainly.  We are merely God's ambassadors. Sharing the good news. That is our part. Salvation is between the hearer and the Lord.  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

In Times Of Trouble - Who You Gonna Call?

"for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" - Hebrew 13:5-6

There is something that we called in the Army “foxhole religion”.  That is when a soldier's life is in mortal danger and he suddenly “gets religion”.  To that point he wanted nothing to do with God. He was in control of his own life. He might even deny that God exists. The truth, I believe, is that really a God-denier doesn't want God to exist. But in the face of mortal danger, he makes a promise to God he denied. “God if you get me out of this, I promise to be faithful.”  He may survive the ordeal, but perhaps not for the reason he thinks. Oh, and once the danger has passed, he forgets his promise.

The words that come out of someone's mouth may or may not reflect true faith. God sees the heart.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." -  1 Samuel 16:7

That was when Samuel had been sent to anoint the next king of Israel.  God knows your true intent when you call out to Him.  And if you are an unbeliever – not His child – then the only prayer He will respond to from you is the prayer for salvation.  Many Christians also pray to God making promises to Him that they have no intention of fulfilling. They, like that soldier, just want relief from their trouble. Jesus prayed for relief from the Cross but with the right heart. 

"He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him." -  Luke 22:41-43

There is nothing that you will face comparable to what Jesus was facing – incomprehensible for the human imagination. He needed spiritual strength to endure it.  And so do we.  God does not need our promises – He wants our devotion and trust.  If you are not ready - spiritually ready - when you find yourself in a foxhole facing an impossible situation – You will be in trouble.  It will not be a time for empty promises. But to look to God's promises instead. 

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

 So friend – be ready. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Practicing Religion On The Weekends

"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." - Mark 1;14-15

When we are saved, we enter into the spiritual kingdom - a new reality. One that is unseen but is no less real. Most Christians, I think, live in the dimension of religious activity.  Their Christian lives are characterized by trying to be good. Going to church on Sunday - maybe even on Wednesday. Celebrating the religious holidays. But stopping short of laying their natural lives on the altar.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:1-2

They may even read those verses and not their heads in agreement, but never take the necessary steps to make it a reality in their lives. I mean what does it mean to offer yourself as a living sacrifice anyway? Well, the first step is to understand that they are no longer like everyone else. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

They are a new creation - not part of the old world and what it values. But that is such a big leap for many. Choosing God and rejecting the world. Recognizing that they have new DNA and new values and new - well everything. Once they know that and accept it as truth, then they can start to live in it. They can see God at work in the world. Practicing religion on the weekends is no longer good enough. Surrender of every jot and tittle is what is called for and what is freely given. They realize that their new life requires all not some. To give up some is to give up nothing. It is to reject the new and cling to the old.

You can live your life that way - and feel pretty good about your "good" life. But you have missed it. And you won't regret it until the day you stand before Jesus to give an account of why there is no spiritual fruit in your "basket". You have missed the mark - badly and there are no do overs. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Essence Of Sin

"Satan disguises submission to himself under the ruse of personal autonomy. Ne never asks us to become his servants. Never once did the serpent say to Eve, “I want to be your master.” The shift in commitment is never from Christ to evil; it is always from Christ to self. And instead of his will, self-interest no rules and what I want reigns. And that is the essence of sin." – This Day With The Master, Dennis F. Kinlaw

Dr. Dennis Kinlaw was an accomplished Methodist pastor, professor, administrator, evangelist, teacher, and author. The senior pastor at the church we attend shared that quote the other day. When I read it, it was a great illumination for me. Another way to look at what it is that tempts us to not choose God.

"For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." - 1 John 2:16

Those same things by which Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness in Matthew 4. To choose Himself - His own interests and not obedience to God. The Word is replete with warnings for us to be on our guard against our old nature and its penchant for protecting its own interests and wellbeing. 

"Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:31-34

Another verse that comes to mind is .... 

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." - Matthew 16:24

My encouragement is to be careful my friends lest you be tempted by that which seems reasonable and spiritually harmless. Choosing to embrace self-interest, as reasonable as it seems, is your first step away from your walk with God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Who Is The Old Guy?

"The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness." - Proverbs 16:31

I have often told Martie that I would never get on a tour bus with the "seniors" to go on a trip to Branson, Missouri. What has this got to do with anything? Well ...... I have noticed a not so subtle movement in the Evangelical churches to relegate people over the age of 55 to the "not of much spiritual use anymore" seats in the church. For some reason the work of the church, in their view, is best left to younger people. 

Personally, I have told people that I will burn out and not rust out in this mortal life of mine as I seek to fulfill God's purpose in my life. So long as I can speak intelligible sentences and remember that I forget things from time to time, then I still have value and so do the untold thousands of others who have a mature faith and love for God. I looked at the age distribution of the church we attend.  80% of the attenders are under the age of 50. That means that Martie and I have been married longer than 80% of the church has been alive. What a thought! 

Moving the older saints off the bench and into the stands is akin to saying that we should disregard the Word of God because it was written so long ago and is no longer relevant. Should I do that, I would be pronounced a heretic. After all, every Christian knows that ... 

"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." - Isaiah 40:8

So what is the problem. Well, the problem is that the "older" Christians have bought into the lie that they are no longer relevant and are content with being given a senior pastor and charged to stay out of the way when it comes to discipleship and church mainstream activities. Even as I type this, I am certain that some reading this can point to exceptions. Of course, you can! There are always exceptions. But by and large, people over 55 have little influence in the spiritual lives of younger Christians. And, unfortunately, by yielding to it those older Christians are complicit in enabling the trend. 

These are some verses from the Bible that stands forever.

"Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old" - Job 12:12 

"I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age." - Job 32:7

"There were some older men who had helped Solomon make decisions when he was alive. So King Rehoboam asked these men what he should do. He said, “How do you think I should answer the people?" - 1 Kings 12:6 

Oh, by the way, he ignored their advice and suffered the consequence - a divided kingdom!

"The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old." - Proverbs 20:2

"So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh." - Exodus 7:6-9

"Rise in the presence of the aged and honor the elderly face-to-face." -Leviticus 19:32 

"That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 

“You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone