I am getting much older now, so discovering my true legacy to pass on to my children and their descendants has been uppermost in my mind. A legacy is what you leave behind, something significant with a profound meaning, that will always be remembered. I could pass on my many books, jewelry, along with other prized possessions, but I have discovered that is not my true legacy that will be remembered for the rest of their lives. I have discovered my true legacy is to pass on what I know about God. I can remember a time in my life when I had no desire to hear the Christian Gospel. In fact, I would run from Christians and anyone else who attempted to talk to me about Christ. I had an unbelievable fear at the time that was not fully understood until much later. Simply put, I discovered from reading the Bible that “… everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20, ESV). Well, honestly speaking, that was me at the time. Although it was difficult for me at the time to give up some of my favorite sins, it has been the most amazing journey of discovering my true legacy. A legacy I feel compelled to pass on to all of my family and friends. Continue reading Discovering Our True Legacy
Pressing On Toward The Goal
Pressing on toward the goal is beyond difficult when your whole world has been turned upside down. Even in the worst of tragedies, there was a semblance of normality when hope remained for completing the course. There was hope when there remained true companions on the course participating in the struggle of pressing on toward the goal. However, when the hope diminished by an unrecoverable loss, then the goal faded in the distance. When the goal fades along with the hope of reaching it, then new struggles emerge cutting deep within the heart. How does one recover the hope of their calling? How can a new goal be established that resurrects a world that has been completely turned upside down? There are solid answers to both these questions that have penetrated deep within my heart by the Holy Spirit, our true Comforter in times of pain and great loss. The loss was the unrecoverable loss of my sweet wife, Robin, who struggled for fifteen years with Alzheimer’s disease. This is a horrific disease that takes a person slowly, one piece at a time, over the course of many years. Through each step, the caregiver is also sorely affected pressing us to me more for their continued happiness and self-worth. Continue reading Pressing On Toward The Goal
Stepping Into the Light of His Glory
There was a time when I was young and foolish riding on the winds of desire and prosperity, now I am old, rejoicing only in the light of His glory. We all have a story to tell. Some stories would shock our sensibilities while others might help us to recall our own struggles if we were honest. Contrary to our earlier experiences in the home of our blessed parents we all tend to go in our own direction realized by the eventual outcome of our siblings and childhood friends. The winds of change can be harsh and unforgiving in a world that is quickly rejecting the moral imperatives of our religious upbringing. We all have a story to tell even if some of our anchors are more secure than others in our early ethical teachings about what is right and wrong. As we recall the horror of wrong choices it’s most difficult to put them into words, but essential to realize just how far we have come by the grace of God. Being cast into a world of lawlessness and unimaginable evil it’s a wonder that my very brief homelessness on the streets of New York City didn’t leave an irrevocable mark on my consciousness. Each step of the way, unknown at the time, God gracefully brought forth deliverance from the horrific consequences of a life gone astray. Although there would be more years ahead of wrong choices and their inevitable consequences, in time the path ahead would become clear. Continue reading Stepping Into the Light of His Glory
Becoming More Like Christ
Are you becoming more like Christ daily? I hope so because only the mature in Christ will stand firm during the coming apocalypse. Unfortunately, most are becoming more like the world, or they are becoming more like the lukewarm church. The world is sinking daily into its sins. Laws are being passed to give them the liberty to do whatever vain imagination enters into their perverse minds. Every sin is justified through their freedom of expression or their freedom of speech. Every sin is justified by the majority decision of those in their democracy. Every sin is justified by nullifying God’s beautiful commandments through misguided theology or its rejection in the public domain. Every sin is justified because modern man says we are living in a new world and the old laws are no longer relevant. They proudly say, “If it’s not breaking one of our laws, then it must be accepted by all.” So, goes the thinking of the contemporary world. They proclaim loudly, “Don’t question my behavior or my right to think whatever I want even if leads to tragic consequences for others.” One would need to stand outside of time itself to recognize how far the world has sunk into depravity. One step at a time the entire world has rejected God’s laws of righteousness. Continue reading Becoming More Like Christ
Getting Caught Up in the Spirit
“Getting caught up in the Spirit” is a term we don’t often hear about among modern-day Christians. It’s a term that makes little sense to most believers. In the Old Testament, there are many references to prophets, kings, and military leaders having the Spirit of God fall upon them to fulfill a specific task for the Lord. Some even fell into a trance with their eyes wide open (See Numbers 24:2-5). Most of us are acquainted with the many times throughout biblical history where the Spirit of God came upon certain men and women to prophesy the Word of the Lord. The most striking, however, were those being caught up in the Spirit and translated to another place and time (See Ezekiel 8:1-3; Acts 8:39-40; II Corinthians 12:1-5, Revelation 1:9-20). Throughout New Testament history many godly men and women have also been caught up in the Spirit through deep prayer and meditation. Sadly, to say, most Christians today spend far less than an hour of uninterrupted prayer, with almost no one practicing the discipline of meditation. Furthermore, almost all these prayers are one-way communication telling God what is needed. Unfortunately, they have not mastered the art of listening to God through many hours of deep meditation. Yet, we live in a day where almost everyone is claiming to speak for God creating a tremendous amount of confusion and even causing weaker Christians to stumble. So, my question is: “How can so many speak for God, when almost no one is listening?” Continue reading Getting Caught Up in the Spirit