Further Than The Mess

I've been reading in 1 and 2 Chronicles the past several days and noticed something today. Most of the kings in those days as they ruled Israel did may wrong things. Even when they started out as good and righteous rulers, in due time they fell into some sin, or idolatry or something. Their lives were far from perfect. Then as I thought about this as to why it happened to almost all of them, it occurred to me that the same can be said for just about all the key people in the Bible. They all messed up in very serious ways. Abraham, Moses,  David, Solomon, Jacob, Judah, Lot, of course the 12 disciples of Jesus all abandoned Him, Gideon is another.  Yet we regard them as great examples of faith and obedience to God, and we should because in spite of their failings the will of God was still furthered through their lives.  The only two I could think of who didn't mess up was Joseph, and Daniel, and Joseph may have been arrogant towards his brothers because of the visions God was giving him.  This gives us reason to hope in our time and in our own lives. The Lord knows the culture and times we live in are pretty messed up. He also knows that our lives can be pretty messed up as well. In spite of putting on our Sunday face and demeanor, many if not most of us have a past, or a present situation that we're not proud of at all. We live with the realization that we blew it and are now facing the fallout of our mistakes and unthinking actions.
But, this is where these Old Testament saints come into view and can help us. They were far from perfect.  We would call many of them today dysfunctional, abusive, hateful, cowardly, etc. But they are not defined by their failures. They are defined by the grace of God in their lives, and their turning to Him even in the midst of the wrongs they had done.
We read of them in Hebrews 11, and while we have respect for their accomplishments as they followed God by faith, we don't remember so much the failures they were guilty of as they lived in the plan of God.  So I was helped today as I read of these kings, and thought of the saints of old time, because I am not defined by my failures, though they are many. You should not be either. Is your life messy right now? Take heart because if, and that's a huge if, if you seek Christ in repentance and a true desire to increase in Godliness and leave the mess behind, He will clear it all up in His own way and timing. You will be like the heroes of old and not be remembered for the mistakes, but for the will of God being furthered through your life. That is why we're here, in these messy times and messy lives.  We demonstrate to a messed up culture that what God has done for us in our messes, He will do for them in theirs. Thus, the will of God through Jesus Christ is furthered in spite of ourselves, but in the triumph of His grace!

The Challenge Of Mercy

I've read many articles recently describing how church attendance across denominations is declining, at least in the USA. I wonder if part of the reason is that many people who are broken and marginalized just don't feel welcomed in many churches today. That would be a shame because those are the exact people Jesus reached out to. They were ostracized by society, and by the religious people of His time. The tax collectors, lepers, divorced, prostitutes, destitute, even those under domination of wicked spirits and demonic forces, all found Jesus to be welcoming and were the recipients of His message of grace and mercy.  He didn't excuse their sins, but set them free by forgiveness and the challenge to "go and sin no more." Many didn't need that word of encouragement because after their encounter with Jesus they willingly let go of their sin to lay hold of that which is much truer and freeing.  They found true fulfillment.  Jesus exemplified holiness, purity, in combination with love and compassion. 
Perhaps people today perceive the church as to judgmental and sometimes hypocritical. That is, we talk a great talk, but the lives of many who claim fidelity to Jesus are not very different from those to whom we speak our message. Most people today know what the church in America is against. Perhaps they think that if they come to a service they may not be welcomed because they are engaged in those things we so loudly condemn. Although the church today is engaged in many good works and outreaches to those in need, many times we are portrayed as complainers, those who condemn others, and not very welcoming.
We can never excuse sin, or tolerate sinful behavior. Our challenge is to not condemn or turn away those for whom Christ also died. He forgives His people of great sins, and the same mercy He has shown to us He longs to show to others.
We don't want to be like the  "elder brother" in the parable of the prodigal son. The younger brother was forgiven, in spite of his sinful lifestyle because he repented after he realized the wrongness of his way. The elder brother however, was filled with criticism, legalism, self righteousness, and stubbornly refused to be gracious to his broken brother, or his merciful father. The broken one was restored,  the self righteous one refused to enter the celebration feast. May God help us to rise to the challenge. We can be strong for holiness, and speak against the hurtful ways of sin, but we can also combine love, mercy and the compassion that Jesus exemplified in His time on Earth. He shows the same mercy to all of us each day, therefore we can do likewise to those around us.

Answer To Prayer Or Just Wishful Thinking?

Just thinking today of all the scandals that have been in the news for the past several weeks. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but perhaps God is in all of this. Not that God is the author of evil, or wrong doing, but maybe He is beginning to answer the prayers of His people.
Many believers have been praying for revival to come to our nation for many years and perhaps this exposing of so many wrongs in our government leaders and others is the beginning of this renewing and outpouring of His Spirit. Several years ago the movement of which I'm a part went through a similar season. Many of our pastors and missionaries and other leaders were involved in all types of sin and wrong doing. It seemed like each month we would hear about some colleague of ours whose sin was found out and they had to resign their positions. Some went through counseling and rehab and were restored, others did not and went their way wherever that took them. The point is that it seemed like the Lord was cleaning His house, our house, and now our movement is stronger, and healthier for going through that difficult time.
Our government leaders are charged with a great responsibility and whether they acknowledge God or not, He takes the way they handle the authority entrusted to them very seriously. Maybe God is allowing these wrongs to be exposed so that we as His church can pray, confess and intercede for this great nation. Perhaps God is about to pour out His Spirit upon our nation and bring renewal and righteousness, that we so need today. In any case the exposing of these wrongs is a good thing, I only hope and we all should pray, that people will respond with a godly sorrow and true repentance. Perhaps God will have mercy, and bring revival to our land, as a result of this cleansing we may be experiencing currently.

The Cup Of Salvation

We celebrated communion at our church last Sunday, and as we did several things came to mind that I want to write down here. We know that the psalms are poetry, written in language that is designed to evoke emotions and sentiment. The author of Psalm 116:12-13 uses the image of the cup of salvation to express his awareness of all the blessings God has bestowed upon him.  It's a kind of rhetorical question that reads,"What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? Then he answers his own question, "I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord."

A cup is used in scripture many times to describe several images. Often to describe the wrath of God in bringing judgement to a rebellious people. Other times to describe the overflow of His goodness and blessings He so freely bestows His people. Perhaps the example we think of most is Psalm 23, "...My cup overflows"  This particular writer uses the cup imagery to declare that for all that God has done for him, he really can not give anything back. Nothing he or we do will add anything to God.  We can't pay Him back so that we can even the score for all His benefits. All we can do is lift up the cup of salvation. That is we exalt the character and goodness of God by living lives that overflow with gratitude and love to Him. We live in such a way that declares to all the world around us, that God is merciful, good to us, perfect in all He does, faithful to what He promises, and that what He has done for us, He will do for others too.

We should be vessels, cups if you will, that are overflowing with gratitude, unashamedly worshiping Him in Spirit and truth. We should exalt Christ Jesus by being obedient to His calling and instructions.  Even in difficult seasons He gives us strength to get through the trial, and is right there with us in the fire.  So like this psalm that begins with the words,"I love The Lord because..." may we also lift up the cup of salvation and be mindful of all that God does for us each day, days that overflow with His blessings and the tokens of His good nature. I trust you will live fully aware that Gods mercies are new every morning and His compassions never fail.  The world needs to see the reality of Gods presence in these days of division and so much anger and hate. May they see God in us, by seeing people grateful for the love we have received from Him. Lift up the cup of salvation without apology, bold and rejoicing in worship!



 

A Random Reproof?

I was taken this morning with a gentle reproof that I think is worth sharing.  It was in 1Kings 22:34, " Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor."  This happened to King Ahab, who resisted the words of God all his life, worshiping false gods among many other evils he did. A prophet of God predicted that he would die in this particular battle, but Ahab ignored the warning from God and went to fight anyway. Even though he disguised himself so the enemy wouldn't recognize him, in the thick of the battle an enemies arrow found him and the same day he died. The warning is twofold. If you happened upon this blog and are not a follower of Jesus Christ, that is, haven't placed your faith in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sin, be warned. The just judgment from God that will soon come upon all the world at the last day will certainly include you. If God has been trying to get your attention, you find your thoughts directed towards things spiritual, eternity, life after death and so on, please heed Gods activity toward you. Those thoughts and impressions are His Holy Spirit calling you, trying to communicate to you the free offer of salvation through faith in Jesus. Listen, look into it, pray, Jesus promised, "seek and you shall find." Otherwise, no matter how you try to avoid it, how clever you may think your argument is against Him, somehow, someway, like an arrow seemingly at random, God's hand will fall upon you, as it did with Ahab. It doesn't have to be. It's a decision you must make, in the light of God's grace working upon you.
Another aspect of this reproof is for those of us who have made that decision, and are following our Savior. The arrow that killed Ahab hit him at a joint in his armor. It was at a place between the scale armor and the breastplate that soldiers wore. It was at a very small opening.  We know that we are clothed in the armor of God, and that a specific piece of that armor is called in Ephesians, "the breastplate of righteousness." We also know that our enemy shoots fiery darts or arrows at those who have placed their trust in Jesus, walking in the christian way.  The warning is, don't allow any gaps in the armor of God in which you are clothed. Keep on guard against every temptation, especially those you know to which you are most prone.  We all have those specific areas in our lives or souls that give us trouble from time to time. Be alert, be on guard against them and prepared, lest some arrow seemingly at random find a mark in us. It may be a mortal wound, from which we will lose everything, perhaps our own souls. So, if you're facing the decision to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, or if your facing some temptation, heed the voice of God's gentle reproof. Do the right thing. It isn't a random thing that you're reading this entry today, it is God guiding you into victory and safety. May God bless, and keep  us all.

Society Without God? It Isn't Working

After the shooting in Las Vegas a few days ago, our entire nation is asking questions as to how this could happen, why would a person commit such an atrocity, and where are we going as a nation. What is becoming of us as these types of actions become more common?  I suppose the answer as to where we are going depends on how we are going to respond in the wake of this crime. I very strongly believe that we are reaping what we have sown over the last several decades of rejecting the Gospel, creating our own sense of morality based not on Christianity, but on a secularized view of reality. Politics and the state have become the definers of what is right, wrong, moral and immoral.  A philosophy that excludes God as Creator and lawgiver has crept into our American culture and has replaced Him with the State as the almighty, the final word on what is acceptable for the nation. It is taught that we were not created in the image of God for His purpose, but a mindless, chance event started the process of evolution, and over the past billion years or so we humans have become who we are now, on our journey to nowhere. We have no meaning, no purpose, no destination, no real reason for any kind of morality except to adhere to what the strongest political party or government tells us is the best for the most.

Our society is unraveling because in our thinking, our cultural mindset,  there is nothing to hold it together. There is no philosophical or moral view of the world to help us satisfy the true desire of every human heart. That desire is to have an answer for the questions,  who am I, why am I here, where am I going and for what reason? The Christian faith answers all these questions and more. It deals with the problem of evil, sin, joy, true peace, justice, true meaning. It is the most well rounded worldview that humanity can embrace because it is true. It isn't merely a philosophy or a religion, it is reality and the most articulate explanation of our existence in this creation.  Our nation has always had our share of problems and controversies, and have been guilty of great sins and wrongs. But it was the Christian faith that our founders based this new government upon that gave us the means to recognize and right those wrongs.  Now that faith, the glue that held us together as a people seems to be almost gone. At the very least it is marginalized and disregarded  as irrelevant to the political powers that be. The prevailing mood is one of confusion and bewilderment, as atrocities like the Las Vegas shooting become more common. It won't stop until we regain our footing back on the solid ground of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We as a nation started out on that good ground, but have wandered out of the way to a godless,  progressive vision of the world and of our nation. Is isn't working out very well. It didn't work in Nazi Germany, or fascist Italy, and it will not work in left wing, progressive America either.

A Nation That Knows Better

Jesus had some pretty stern words for a few cities in which He did miracles and taught yet they still did not receive Him as Lord and Messiah. He implied that they were without excuse because they new better than to continue in unbelief because of the great works He did in their streets and marketplaces.  It makes me wonder about our own nation and the lack of excuse that we have for our society today. We allow blatant sin, sin of the most perverse types.  Rebellion and rioting are becoming all to common in our streets. The violence and crime in our cities only seems to grow and intensify each day. Our politicians are corrupt, and weak because they operate from a philosophical foundation that tries to be morally neutral.  No such philosophy exists and moral relativism and "political correctness" fills the void created by such an attempt. Our marriages are ending in divorce and families are broken and in disarray.  The very foundations of what make us America are breaking and being threatened with crumbling, as we continue to sin our freedoms away in the sight of God.

The heartbreak is that we know better.  Our nation was founded on a worldview that was firmly grounded in the Christian faith and the Bible. The thirteen colonies at one time were in similar conditions as we are today. There was much sin and corruption all along the east coast as the colonies were taking hold in this new land. Drunkenness was a major problem, as was sexual immorality. Prostitution was common and as a result STD's were afflicting many who descended into that lifestyle. There was crime and violence all along the coast, and things were looking very bad for those who had settled here. But God had mercy and through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitfield and others, a great religious revival began to break out. People were gripped with the realization of their sins against the Almighty, and a wave of Holy Spirit repentance swept through the colonies. Drunkenness dried up, the prostitutes disappeared, crime went way down and peoples lives were impacted into a new standard of holiness and view of reality. But most significant was that this revival and christian world view created the atmosphere and mindset that allowed our founding fathers to conceive of and cultivate the principles that would soon form the Declaration of Independence, and the principles that would become the American form of government, and our Constitution.   This revival is the background, the soil out of which our nation grew. We know better than to do what we are doing now.

People say we are in a post-christian age, and perhaps to some degree we are. But we are not totally ignorant of the gospel and of our christian roots. The culture in which we live still witnesses to what God has done for us. Our hospitals, charitable works, the way we responded in the wake of recent hurricanes to help our neighbor, all bear witness to our beginnings as a christian nation. Even today the smallest of towns has at least 2-3 churches and larger towns have several so that people can worship in their chosen denominations. Bookstores, television programs, radio, internet,  all are used by God to remind people of the source of our life and the blessings we have witnessed and received.
Yet, we are like the cities Jesus sternly warned. We  know better. We are a nation that has gone backward, and we know better, but do it anyway. It doesn't have to be. Let's you and I begin today to turn our heats back to God. Perhaps God who saves by many or by few, will again have mercy and pour out His Spirit of repentance and heal a nation that knows better than to be this way and to do what we do.

Then, Now, And Always

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."  This is how God introduced Himself to the prophet Jeremiah, as He called him to his prophetic ministry. It was very sinful and confused time in the history of Israel, his beloved nation.  Jeremiah faced very difficult circumstances for most if not all of his time as prophet. Yet this dramatic encounter with God, and the very nature of God's foreknowledge of the prophet was to serve as the basis for Jeremiah's faithfulness. He was confident enough to obey God in the most dire of situations because he was convinced by this initial encounter that God knew all things.  God knew the condition of his mission field, the condition of the nation, as well as the individual hearts of the people. 
The entire nation was so given over to idolatry, that the values, priorities, political scene, all cultural standards were reflecting the error of that sin.   Confusion and loss of national identity was the result.  Israel wanted falsehood not truth. They preferred gods of their own inventions rather than the true God, and falsehood naturally was reflected in their leaders, their policies and in the everyday business of life. Now that Gods call had come to Jeremiah, He assures the prophet that He will be with him in all circumstances.  He  assures Jeremiah that He knew him consecrating him to this task before he was even born.  This speaks of the character of God in a way that will help us stand for truth in our confused times.  
One of the titles of our Lord Jesus Christ is the "Alpha and Omega," meaning the beginning and the end. It reminds us that in our own confused times, there is one who is with us and who knows all about us including the circumstances to which He has called us.  Our days are very similar to the days in which Jeremiah lived and served. We also seem to want falsehood over truth, little gods of our own making rather than the infinite God revealed in Scripture. This has resulted in a loss of human dignity because of the devastation sin brings and its willful practice by so many. We endorse sin, we "legalize" it as if by being allowable by a civil court makes it acceptable and nullifies the  harmful consequences to people and to our nation as a whole.  It is into this type of culture we are called to speak the truth of the Gospel.  What will be our confidence and our determination to stay strong like Jeremiah stayed strong? It is the same all knowing and faithful God Who has known us and knows the days in which we live. He knew us also before we were formed, he set us apart for this time this place,  this unique calling and opportunity.  We could have been born two hundred or a hundred years ago, but we weren't. We were born for today. We could have been born in a country far away, but we weren't.  We are here, now, for this time and these people. To fulfill our calling we can take much encouragement to realize that our Lord Jesus knew, knows, and can see all about us and the times to which He has called us. His knowledge comes from His excellent person and character.  We are reminded that His nature will triumph over anything that a foolish and misguided culture can do to itself, or the discouraging thoughts that we as faithful servants may do to ourselves.   He knows us then, now and always.

He Is With Us!

I was thinking about our calling to make the truth of the Gospel known to this generation. I was reading about Ezekiel's and Jeremiah's call to prophetic ministry in particular.  Both men lived during very distressful times in Israel's history and God's calling upon them no doubt was an overwhelming sense of inadequacy and intimidation. 
Jeremiah lived when his nation was determined to do wrong, worship false deities and refuse the words and instruction from their God. It was so bad that Jeremiah was told by God not even to pray for them, God refused to hear. How dreadful that must have been to Jeremiah.  Ezekiel lived and served after the exile had taken place, or at least had begun, and spoke to his people as he and they were captive in a cruel and foreign land.  As we read through those books we can hear the hearts of the two men breaking because of the sins of their nation, and the resultant judgment they had to suffer. The nation was steeped in false religion, moral corruption, dishonesty, greed, oppression, injustices, slanders, not a very pleasant condition. 
 Yet, God calls these men to be separate.  He set them apart for the mission He had for them, and in spite of the animosity and resistance to their message, they obeyed God and spoke His word to a generation who really did not want to hear it.  The source of their courage? God promised to be with them.
The call to make God's word known was binding upon these men, but it is just as binding on us today. All believers are called to God, and sent to man. Our culture is in pretty bad shape today. We are steeped in the same types of sin the two prophets had to face, perhaps more, but like God promised them, so He promises us--He will be with us.
Jesus sends us out in the great commission, and likewise promises to be with us until the end of the age. We need not fear the intimidation of others, or the backlash of culture when we speak or stand for truth. God is with us.  He knows very well the condition of our society and the pressures of living as a follower of Jesus in such a context, but He is with us. His strength, boldness, love, consistency convictions are all at our disposal as we walk contrary to the winds blowing through our nation. And although we don't face the persecution that many Christians do worldwide, our hearts still grieve at the sin and peoples outright refusal to turn from it. We grieve because God is with us. Our grieving is tied to His grieving at the corruption of our nation and the world at large. 
The only option is to go forward, faithfully carrying out the will of God day by day, making His word known in our own small ways. His calling remains, it will not fail to carry us through in all obedience and victory.  His calling is with us because He is with us. Be faithful, be strong, be diligent, be assured. He is with us!

Solar Fide

Earlier this week of course was the total eclipse of the sun. It was a marvelous event that was met by almost everyone who saw it with expressions of wonder and a sense of awe. It reminded us that we are one part, and a very small part, of the great system that is the universe.  One reporter on the weather channel was so moved that she wept and struggled to keep her composure as she was on air broadcasting. That's totally understandable, given the rarity and the beauty of what she was able to be a part of that day. 

Yet for all the expressions of wonder and spectacle I for one, in the broadcasts I watched and accounts I read, did not hear one mention of God.  As I watched, the whole event was a testimony to the invisible, sovereign hand of the Almighty.  I was reminded of several Bible passages, not least of which is Psalm 8:3-4. It reads, " When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained; what is man that you take thought of him; and the son of man that you care for him? "  It was somewhat disheartening to realize that no matter what religious background of the reporters may have been, not one mentioned or made any reference to God throughout the event. It made me realize that our culture has regressed greatly, in that we can not or perhaps will  not acknowledge the God who created this universe, and sustains it all by the power of His word.  As I watched the thoughts came again of God's love, mercy and blessing. I remembered that He sustains all life, at every level for His good purpose. It reminded me of the great systems by which God governs and maintains His universe. More than that, He is guiding His universe to a glorious conclusion some day at the return of His Son Jesus Christ. 

We are a small part in God's awesome universe, but not at all an insignificant one.We are created in God's image. We are created to experience the glory of His eternal presence and love, through faith in His Son Jesus. We are given the understanding that one day all this universe and creation will be recreated. There will be a new heaven and Earth, that will be free from sin, sorrow, pain, hurts and all wrongs. For me, the eclipse reminded me that God is in control of HIS universe, and for all the sorrow and turmoil we experience in our brief time upon this Earth, the day will come when the immutable laws of Gods creative power will manifest the perfections and infinite beauty of Gods person. Perhaps the reporters during the eclipse don't acknowledge God, perhaps some do but were not allowed to mention their faith on the air. For them I'm sure it was hard not to! In either case Gods glory, His power and in some ways His purpose for our human race was displayed in the eclipse for all to see.  Some things are so plain that they simply don't need acknowledgement. 

God Bless America For Real

As I watch the news each day like many of us, I am very concerned for the future of our nation. We are more fragmented as a people than ever before, and the hostility in the political and public arena is more vicious than most can remember.  Although I am thankful for those who are in positions of leadership in our nation and for the work they are trying to get done, I realize more than ever that their efforts are limited and that the changes we need to see are not to be generated by politicians or from any system of government. The need we have that is fundamental to any progress we may make is to be met by a spiritual awakening that comes from the Holy Spirit of God falling upon the church of Jesus Christ. 
A large part of why we're so fragmented today is because we have discarded that which used to hold us together, that which made us "one nation under God" and "indivisible" and that was a view of the world that arose out of the Christian faith. We believed the Bible, recognized absolute truth and honored the precepts and principles of Gods word, trying to govern ourselves accordingly. Of course, we were far from perfect, but this created a culture that was distinctly christian because our values were derived from the christian faith. Therefore being an American was to buy into a unique philosophy and worldview and vowing to live in that context. But now that we have discarded that unifying glue the result is that we are like the book of Judges where "..everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The result is the fragmenting of a nation because we have nothing that tells us definitely who we are or what we stand for or where we came from.
We must recover our foundational identity and that can only happen in the way in which we discovered it, by the outpouring of God's Spirit in a religious, Spiritual awakening.  
This puts a great opportunity for the follower of Jesus Christ in this confused age. We are called in Hebrews to hold fast our confession of hope without wavering or giving in to the pressures and struggles of the current situation. We can live in such a way that we can stimulate one another to do what is right and proper, as it is defined in the Scriptures.  And most importantly, we can be determined to assemble ourselves in our house of worship. For it is there that we hear the words of God preached and taught. There we seek Him together and He hears our collective prayers and there is where we most effectively bear each others burdens. It is also from the worship setting as one body of believers that God will pour out the Spiritual revival that we need so desperately within His church and from there out into the public squares and into our entire country. May God help us to pray, to feel the grief of His Holy Spirit over our straying from Him. May God help our leaders to repent of their sins and misguided views, and may God remember His church and restore us to salt and light, to be the city on the hill we are called to be. In other words may God bless America.

Streams Coming Together

The past several weeks have been very exciting and in a very real way a kind of upheaval of the status quo of my life. The upheaval has been real, but not in any way hurtful or destructive. God spoke to my heart almost one year ago about several things that I had been pestering Him about for almost 10 years. One day in July I was in prayer, feeling very tired and discouraged over the same issues I had been facing and concerned about for some time. Without going into the conversational tone of the encounter, there in the quiet I suddenly realized that the very things that had occupied my thoughts and prayers for so long were, in fact, already answered. They were a reality that I had been living with, but failed to recognize.  God in His gentle way reminded me to look around and see all the blessings and provisions that were mine.  I suddenly realized that, in spite of all the ups and downs of life that had been my experience for the past 10 years, I and my family were still intact. Although the path has been challenging and at times Gods' way of leading us was not what I would have envisioned or chosen at all, He had been faithful. We were still here. All that we have need of has been supplied and we are cared for. It was a very liberating realization that soon set me on a path of re-discovery of my own purpose while on this earth, and the passions and desires I have that fuel and give motion to that purpose. That re-discovery then allowed me to set into motion plans that are now, seven months later, coming together like many streams into one river. Along with the converging of those streams comes the upheaval caused by waters meeting, splashing, pushing around loose sediments, and waves that exert force and momentum, until the river begins to smooth out after some distance downstream. That's where I am as I write this afternoon. I've made big changes, set goals and reached them in pursuit of the larger vision, and am enjoying the confidence that My Lord has led me and is with me. I see it unfolding, yet coming together simultaneously. Each stream loses its' own identity but becomes part of a greater whole. The upheaval and the waves are smoothing out, the channel deepened, and the flow is calming into a wide strong river that moves continuously toward its destination. Upheaval? No doubt. However, it is of the sort that bears the imprint of Gods' hand and His guiding Presence. Truly, as it has been said, "Jesus does all things well."