Are You Listening

“while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, ‘Here I am!’ So he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ And he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, ‘Samuel!’ So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ He answered, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” – 1 Samuel 3:3-10

Can you identify with Samuel?  Perhaps not ever thinking that the Lord would call you? I mean who are we that God would even consider us useable for His purposes?

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.” – Psalm 8:3-5

And yet, for reasons that only God knows, He called Samuel.  If you are a Christian then God has called you. It is God who initiates relationship with us. Our part is to say “Speak for your servant hears or is listening.” Do you remember the day that you heard the Lord’s voice and yielded your heart and life by faith? Just like Samuel. It is a miraculous moment – life changing – of eternal consequence. 

“God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,  but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” –  2 Timothy 1:8-11

Like Samuel and Paul, each of us has a holy calling from God. He appoints some to be preachers – pastors – teachers – or perhaps something not quite so out-front as that.  No matter what it is that you have been called to do in God’s economy – the thing to grasp is that it is spiritual and its successful accomplishment is totally dependent upon the Spirit of God and your obedience – not your effort. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:28-29

Being empowered by the Holy Spirit is called an anointing. I am certain that you have seen it in others before. It is more something that you sense with your spirit and not see with your eyes. Each of us is anointed to accomplish what God has purposed. Just like Jesus.

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” – Acts 10:38

Why share this with you? Because I want to remind you of just how miraculous your new life in Christ is. I want to remind you that ….

“[You] have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]; and the life which [you] now live in the flesh ]you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [you] and gave Himself for [you].” – Galatians 2:20

Because in fulfilling our calling makes us salt and light in a world that desperately needs saving. Just like Jesus – Samuel and Paul – we are part of God’s eternal plan. You have a purpose to fulfill in this mortal life. Don’t let the sound of the beat of the world’s drum drown out the voice of the Lord. The Spirit does not shout, He whispers. What does He say to us?

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21

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

The Holy Spirit

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27

I have been making a feeble – perhaps simplistic – attempt to explain the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and how those relationships relate to Christians and our new life. Recall that this all started because it seemed to me that some were confusing the Father with the Son. I heard it again this weekend during a church service. I suspect that not everyone will agree with me – but my primary purpose in doing this is to encourage all of us to think about spiritual things – to challenge you to be more attentive in that regard. To be alert.

So the Word is clear – that the Spirit helps us pray what is too hard for us to pray – from the heart. No examples are given – but there must be things that we are not able to verbalize that the Spirit can as we relate to the Father.

 “But the Lord [the Father] said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” –  Jeremiah 17:10

Jesus had said that the Father was going to send a helper – so we would not be alone.

“And I [Jesus] will pray [to] the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” – John 14:16-17

The Spirit is interceding in prayer on our behalf – Jesus had made it possible through His sacrifice to have access into the very presence of God the Father and when we pray to the Father we should pray in the context of our standing in Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb, Restorer and Reconciler standing at the Father’s right hand and the Spirit of God, our Helper and Enabler, living in us.

What was impossible for men was possible with God. And it is a reality for us who have been saved by grace through 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

The Son

 “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’ – Matthew 16:13-17

The Jews believed that Elijah would return, come back to earth, to announce the end time. They also expected that a prophet like Moses would be associated with the coming of the Messiah. That is why John the Baptist was asked if he was Elijah or if he was the Prophet like Moses. And I suspect why others thought Jesus might be. Both prophets would precede the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.

Understanding who Jesus was and is requires spiritual revelation.  You cannot figure it out – or reason it out apart from spiritual revelation.  Peter declared that Jesus is the Son of the Living God (the Father). More – He is the Christ – the Messiah, and that was a spiritual revelation.

“The next day John [the Baptizer] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” – John 1:28

Jesus is the Lamb of God (the Father). The eternal Passover Lamb. The atoning sacrifice. A mere mortal was not sufficient to undo what had been done in the Garden and atone for our sins.

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” – 1 John 2:1-2

The word, propitiation, means “mercy seat”.  That is the seat on the Ark of the Covenant upon which the blood from the sacrificed lamb was poured by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. But where that had to be done every year, it was but a representation of what the Son of God would do – Jesus was the atoning sacrifice, once for all.

The Bible speaks plainly about who Jesus is and what His place is in God, the Father’s, eternal plan of reconciliation. 

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” – Hebrews 4:14-15

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” – Romans 8:34

Jesus is the Intercessor. Jesus has interceded through the Cross and intercedes eternally on our behalf with the Father as the eternal sacrifice.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:23-24

Ask who? The Father. That is why we end our prayers with “In Jesus Name”. Whatever you ask the Father in Jesus name. Why should the Father hear us? Because of Jesus. Because of Jesus, we are joint heirs – sons and daughters of God the Father. 

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” – 1 John 3:1

Because of Jesus, the Father has adopted us – restored us to the place we once held in Adam. 

“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:5-6

The reason we have access to the Father is because of Jesus. In other words, because Jesus is our High Priest – our Redeemer – we have access to the Father.  

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” – Matthew 27:50-51

As a refresher – the veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies where the High Priest made the sacrifice for atonement of the nation’s sins over the Ark of the Covenant. Only the High Priest had access to the Holy of Holies and then, only once a year. The tearing of the veil symbolized that we now have access to the very presence of God. We can enter boldly into the throne room of grace because of Jesus.

We don’t pray to Jesus with the hope that He will in turn speak to the Father. Jesus has spoken and now we can pray to the Father with the expectation that He will hear us.

“Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

There is so much more to be said – but I will stop there.

Monday  – The Spirit

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 Father

“Then he [God] said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” -  Exodus 3:6

The word “father” means source. The One speaking to Moses was the source of creation. I will address John chapter 1 (“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”) when I write about Jesus tomorrow.

The Father is one with yet distinct from Jesus. Jesus prayed to the Father.

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” – Luke 24:24

Jesus told His disciples to pray to the Father.

“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread.’” – Luke 11:1-3

I am certain that you have recited the Lord’s prayer many times. I’ll bet that not once you imagined that you were praying to Jesus. One of the most remembered verses, I think, is John 3:16.

“For God [the Father] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” – John 3:16-17

Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling body of the Jews. The Jews revered God the Father and awaited the coming of the Messiah. They had their idea of what the path to eternal life was but Jesus turned that idea upside down and told him that he had to be born again. Jesus did not say that He, Jesus, was the Father – He was the only begotten Son. I doubt that you once thought that Jesus had sent Himself.

So why cover this ground that you have traveled many times before? To emphasize what should be a fundamental understanding for every Christian. Because it is so easy to lose your way. To let what is wrong slide by you to the point that you know longer think of it as wrong. We must be like the Bereans.

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they [the Bereans] received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” – Acts 17:10-11

If you know what is true then you will recognize what is not.  It is like looking at a corner in a room and accepting that it is a square corner – 90 degrees – a right angle. But when you put a carpenter’s square against the corner you find that it is, actually, 97 degrees. Not off by much – tolerable even – it looks right, but it is not square.  And so when you hear things said in church or among other Christians you must be able to recognize truth and almost truth.  Like with my wife, you hear something and immediately you think, “That is not right.”

I was taught in the military that if you ignore a variance from the truth or a standard, then you establish a new truth or standard. So it is with Biblical Truth. But this assumes that you know what that (truth) is. You can’t just depend upon what other people say. The standard for truth is the Word of God. Remember the Bereans.

Today, our culture says the standard for truth is consensus – not true consensus but perceived consensus. Consensus means “majority of opinion”. With the “new” truth being taught – promoted – there may not be actual consensus. It might look like the corner is square, but it is not. Perhaps the media or even the government tells you that some opinion about an issue is the consensus of our country, when in fact, it is the opinion of a minority wanting to influence the majority and not the majority at all. And so – be careful in deferring to the culture’s truth without first testing it against the Standard of Truth.

Tomorrow – The Son

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

Father – Son – Holy Spirit – Who Does What?

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17

I have written about this topic before, but because of a recent conversation with my wife and her encouragement, I am going to address the topic once more.  Just recently, she had heard someone refer to Jesus as Father. Not a new Christian, but an experienced and recognized Bible teacher. Martie was baffled and dismayed. I think the confusion lies with the absence of doctrinal teaching and the dominant place Jesus has in the expression of faith in the United States.

I do not profess to be a trained Biblical scholar – just a guy who has been stumbling along trying to make sense out of this new life I am living.

To begin, I used the reference in Matthew 3 because it is one of the few places where we see the Father – the Son and the Spirit mentioned together. Even a cursory reading of the Bible will leave you or should leave you with an idea that they are distinct entities – but still One. Understanding that “oneness” has been a point of struggle through the centuries. All I can do is point to the revelation of the Bible to offer a simple explanation. So over the next few days I am going to share some of those texts and my understanding of the unique roles.

Let’s start with Oneness.

“I [Jesus] do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” – John 17:20-23

Did you catch that? Jesus spoke to the Oneness He has with the Father and then says His prayer is that those who believe will be one in the Father and the Son.  If to be One meant that Jesus was the Father then Jesus was praying that Believers, being one like that. would also be the Father like Jesus is. “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us”

You should be thinking – NO WAY! And you are right. So perhaps Jesus’ oneness with the Father is really about harmony and unity in purpose. Another example.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:26-27

Before the fall – mankind was the image of God – in harmony with God. Just like Jesus prayed in John 17, that what was lost through sin might be restored through His sacrifice and faith. Jesus is referred to as the Second or Last Adam. What Adam did in the Garden, Jesus undid on the Cross – Because of Adam – all have sinned. Because of Jesus – all can be saved and restored and born again, but only by faith and the Spirit. And we, being born again, are being conformed to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29)

Oneness does not mean sameness.

“Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24

The woman does not become the man and the man does not become the woman. But they are one – inseparable – a reflection of our oneness with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Matthew 19:6 Jesus said, “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Did you think the Father said that? Nope, Jesus did after He quoted Genesis 2:24. Oneness is a big deal – it is a demonstration of the power of God and the nature of God and a reflection of God through mankind walking in harmony with God the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

Tomorrow – The Father

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

Believe It Or Not

“be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” –  Ephesians 5:18-21

We were listening to a sermon on Sunday and the preacher was using Ephesians chapter 5 as his text.  As his alliteration progressed, alliteration is where each sermon point starts with the same letter, Martie said, “You have been talking about the same thing for a long time.” And it is true. I have been teaching, preaching, discipling on Ephesians five since the early 1990’s. But that brought another thought to mind – the Word of God is trans-generational.  It never changes. In this country people are categorized as Baby-Boomers, Millennials, Generations X, Y, Z and now A. But that is the natural man’s definitions. The inner man, and woman, have not change and will never change no matter what generation they are born in. All have sinned and there is none righteous – not one.  It is easy to confuse the culture we live in with how we are to live as Christians. They are apples and oranges. The Word of God applies to every generation.

I had a boss, commander in the Army, and we were talking about a lieutenant – the lowest commissioned officer rank. He said, “Charley I am so tired of telling the lieutenants the same thing over and over, and then I realized they were different lieutenants!” That conversation comes to my mind often – and such was the case this past weekend. The Word never changes, but the hearers do.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16

The Word is given by inspiration of God – in other words – it is God breathed – which is a reference to the Spirit of God – the breath of Heaven. Some would like to think that the Word does not apply to a particular generation – but that thinking is heretical – it has been the lie that has led many to stray from the faith and teach another  Gospel. So – as the preacher expound on Ephesians 5 – I was reminded about mutual submission – a reflection of the second greatest commandment to love others. I was reminded that as a husband I am to love my wife sacrificially.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.” – Ephesians 5:25-28

Not one of us can do that by wanting to more or by trying harder or with empty promises. When I was on staff with the Promise Keepers ministry, very often wives would tell me that their husbands would come back from a conference and their face would shine like Moses when he would come off of the mountain.. They were like new men.  But then the glory would fade after about two weeks and it would be same-o, same-o. Why? Because the men liked the idea of being better husbands but missed the point that Biblical teaching is dependent upon the Spirit of God and our submission to the Spirit – not our own determination. It does not matter if your think TikTok is what a clock does or is a social application used to share videos – the Word of God applies to you – all of it – and will for all future generations. And every generation will need the same Spirit to help them walk in it.

“those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  – Galatians 5:24-25

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 Nature Of Rebellion

 “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” –  Genesis 2:15-17

As I was baking some scones the other day – not thinking about much, really – which is why I like to bake – the word “rebellion” came to mind – then Adam and Eve – then children – then me. Consider Adam and Eve. They knew the rules didn’t they? There was just one rule, really. “.. but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…” And it was for their good that God made the rule.  But something happened didn’t it? They began to question God’s wisdom and His motives for making the rule. The seed of rebellion began to take root.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” – Genesis 3:1-6

So, there it is. The benevolent God said and mankind reasoned that perhaps God was not benevolent. That His motive was not in their best interest, but His. You know what happened after that.  It is called the fall of Man. Adam and Eve rebelled and were ejected from the Garden – no longer walking with God. There were consequences to their choices. Consequences that they, and we, had to live with. God did not prevent it. But did have a plan. Not to pretend it didn’t happen – but to give mankind another choice to choose life and restore a broken relationship.  That restoration came at a great price – Jesus on the Cross.

Then there are our children. Children are very trusting when they are young. But then something happens. They enter adolescence. They begin to question the wisdom of their parents and their motives.  They no longer see the rules as safety but as barriers. They want to know the reasoning for the rules – for the parents’ decisions. That the parents should justify themselves. Questioning parental authority. Then comes the mistrust and their desire to make their own rules which they deem better. Just like the Garden, they choose to go their own way.  The pain and trouble their parents wanted them to avoid falls on them. Still they will not turn back to their parents, but in wanting to prove they are right, they continue to make the same decisions and suffer the consequences. There may even be separation – perhaps they will no longer live in the “garden”, but will be on their own.  I can remember my older sisters saying, often, “I can wait to get out of this house.” I also remember asking one of my children when they didn’t like a rule, “I suppose you think that I sit around dreaming up ways I can deny your happiness and mess your life up?” At least it seemed that is what they thought. They were determined to go left when I said they needed to go right. Their rebellion did not cause me to stop loving them.  Just like God did not stop loving us. And there was a way for reconciliation and restoration – but that would require repentance. And that did not happen right away. But parents are much like the father of the prodigal son looking for his son’s return.

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20

What we are not told in the parable is that in order for the father to see him, the father had to be looking. I imagine that the father looked often in hopes that his son would return. Perhaps you are looking down that road – hoping. Don’t lose heart -  trust that God will do a work in your child’s heart and they will remember the love they have abandoned to go their own way.

And then I thought about me. I am no different from my children nor from Adam. Rebellion is part of our old nature. We are born with a rebellious spirit that begins to show itself even as a toddler, but does not come to full bloom until a little later in life.  I was reminded that ….

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” – Romans 3:23

Because of our sin nature there are things in all of our lives, yours and mine, that are regrettable and cannot be undone – perhaps to our shame and great sorrow.  But they can be forgiven.  God will not necessarily undo the consequences of those things – but God can restore relationships and set our feet on a new course. It begins with a broken and contrite heart before God – then towards others. Or what I say is that the pigs food has to look good before someone is ready to yield their heart. “And he [the prodigal son] would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:18)

“For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” – Psalm 51:16-17

I so wish I could reach back in time and undo some of the things that I have done and even prevent some of the pain my children have experienced because of their choices – not for my sake but for theirs.  But that is not possible. But thank God – we can be made new – we can find forgiveness – we may not forget but in remembering we should rejoice that we are forgiven. I often quote John Newton and I will again to close this.

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” – John Newton

Let it be said for all of us as well.

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