name that christianity!!

in a letter to the editor in "usa today", a man, mr. gordon hill from florida, wrote in regarding a topic that has grown quite tiring to me, the "davinci code" movie . fortunately, this is not the focus of this discussion.
apparantley, the paper had published a couple of reviews about the movie by writers whom mr. hill found to have "absolutist points of view and little sense of humor"
in response to one writer's view that "the davinci code is a deeply deceptive account of what christians really believe about jesus.", mr. hill wrote:

really? what do christians believe about jesus? my christian
acquaintances are of many minds when it comes to what jesus
taught and how we are to live."

about comments made by dennis mccain and chuck colsen, mr. hill writes:

"both suggest that there is one clear definition of what a christian is supposed
to be."

this is the world that we live in. to mr. hill in florida, and countless others, being a christian can mean many things. i am reminded of several people i know and have known who feel the same way. to be a christian is to be more or less moral, and to think that the person called jesus from 2000 years ago had some good things to say.

where do they get these ideas? who is teaching them that there are multiple definitions of what it means to be a christian? maybe a better question is, what are we * not * teaching, that leads to this way of thinking?

in our churches, in our homes, and in our work places, do we, as christians, add any validity to the claims of mr. hill from florida, that "christian" can mean many things? or are we striving to teach, and share, and live, and know that the gospel is only this: that all of mankind is born sinners who deserve an eternity of the wrath of god, and that god sent his son jesus christ to die and appease his wrath for the sins of all who would place their hope and faith in him, and that true faith in christ produces fruit of obedience and holiness.

is this what we are teaching and sharing about our faith? or are we teaching, maybe even by our silence, that to be christian is to be "moral" or "religious"?

questions? comments? hate speech?

ive been in summer classes for 3 weeks now. one more to go and i am taking the month of july off (from school.. not work)

over lunch this week, my friend freddy (www.freddytandsusan.blogspot.com) were talking about comments left on blogs. my friend john and i were also discussing a stream of comments left on another blog that numbered well over the one hundred mark for one controversial "post".

these conversations on "comments" made me realize the amount of comments (in person) and conversations , as well as emails i get regarding this blog. i appreciate them all and thank you for stopping by. i am also finding out , in very random ways, that more people read this than i realize. so dont be afraid to post a comment and let me know who you are. (it makes me less paranoid that way...)

it is my intention to start posting more frequently, as an excercise in discipline for myself mostly, possibly as often as once a week. so feel free to use the comment link on this site for discussion and interaction. i know that there are people reading who could have a lot to add, and possibly correct. interaction can be good and healthy, and i would love for this to be a place that promotes that.
or, if you would rather, keep emailing me and calling, or bringing it up over lunch. either way, thanks for dropping by.

-stephen

gimme that new law...

in honor of the conclusion of the 2006 annual meeting , i dedicate these lyrics by derek webb to the southern baptist convention....

don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
don’t teach me about truth and beauty just label my music
don’t teach me how to live like a free man just give me a new law

i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me
i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice
don’t teach me about loving my enemies
don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law

what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything

do not be afraid

do not be afraid

do not be afraid

-stephen (afraid)

pour me another cup; or "cry me a river"

"Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, art, food and coffee. Imagine we all look alike. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone’s human right."
-- Bill Brummel, Documentary filmmaker.
His programs focus on human rights issues.

imagine that we live in a world where anyone who wrote or said anything that sounds all inclusive and unoffensive, even if otherwise making no sense, can be quoted on a coffee cup.

the problem with statements like mr. brummel's is that they only work as long as someone else' s being "diverse" doesn't infringe on their own politics, religion, morality, etc. sure, when stacked up right next to differences in preference of art, food and music, it sounds good. but no one is going to hell because i didn't tell them my coffee was the only true coffee. no one is going to spend their adult years living in regret of their past mistakes because i didnt give them a c.d. of my favorite singer songwriter. millions of lives do not hang in the balance when i dont call a ladder surrounded by christmas tree lights with a naked peacock carcass "art".

don't be fooled by slick statements and philosophies that make no sense when you think about them.
as much as i like the beatles and john lennon's songs, the song "imagine", while a beautiful song musically, and a nice sentiment, is just a blathering sonic "pout".

and how did we get from "we should all be able to enjoy different music, food, art, and coffee" to "dignity is everyone's human right"? in america, by and large, do we know anyone who witholds the right of dignity to someone because of their taste in entertainmen or food, or even politics or religion? even those who hate other poltical parties, or try to keep christianity from "taking over" don't refuse dignity to those they disagree with.

don't be fooled by overstatements and false dichotomies.

in acts 17, luke writes of the bereans, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (verse 11).

i pray that i would be a "berean" when it comes to examining the ideas and philosophies of our day, examining the scriptures daily, to see if these things are so.

may our lives be goverened by the word of god, not short sound bytes from talk show hosts, celebrities, or coffee cups.


-stephen

coffee quotes....

a lot of you may have seen (or heard if you're not a coffee drinker) about the starbucks "the way i see it" quotes on their coffee cups. recently, i have been paying more than casual attention to them, and have been surprised at some of the nonsense that appears on the back of those oh so delicious cups of caffinated goodness. (can you tell it is nearing finals time??)

now, by nonsense, i do not mean they make no coherent sense. on the surface, they usually do. if you were to just read some of them in passing, you mightthink "hmm.. that's true." take this one i had last weekend for instance...

the way i see it #84
"in thinking about my journey so far here on planet earth, i have come to believe that there are some people who would rather be right than be loved. i would rather be loved. how about you?" -- wynonna judd

now, upon the initial reading, this doesnt sound so bad. who among us don't want to be loved?

when it coems to petty arguments, i can see her point. what the *real answer* is in trivial pursuit or scrabble, or discussing sports trivia really just doesnt matter.. no one likes a "know it all", so why not just enjoy the good company rather than trying to always correct people and be the one who is always right.

o.k. wynonna, im with you on this one.

but what about when it comes to the gospel? what if you have lost friends or family that tell you that they can believe whatever they want, and as long as they believe it sincerely, they will be in heaven? what if they get mad when you try to tell them that the bible says that christ is the only way to the father, and that there is only one way to salvation. what if they tell you that they love you, but they dont want to talk about it anymore. what if they say that if you love them, you would leave them alone. what if they tell you that you are closed minded and you need to be more accepting of those who are different?

what if you are told by a homosexual friend that if you can't accept that their lifestyle is a valid one and perfectly ok, and if you cant support them then they don't want to hear anything you say?

would you rather be loved by them, or be right?

jesus christ said that he is the only way to salvation. (john 14:6) it is not unloving to tell someone who is trusting on their morality or good works, or buddha, mohammed, or some other means to attain salvation that they are wrong.

now obviously, i am not suggesting that we become calloused christians who throw away any regard for personal relationships. we cant share the gospel with or minister people who we chase off because we treat them as a project. it is not about "being correct". it is about knowing the truth and sharing it... just like we are commanded.(matt.28:19-20)

but when it comes to the gospel, telling them that our message is the only "right" truth so that they might turn to christ*is* loving them.

i find that, mor often than not, i am apt to be light on the gospel, and heavy on the "don't disturb the still waters" when it comes to boldy sharing the gospel.
scripture paints no picture of christ or the apostles being sheepish about the truth. sometimes the most loving thing we can do is tell people that the way the are living, or what they believe is a lie.

again, obviously we are to speak the truth in love, not just go around trying to prove we are the ones who are right, just for the sake of being seen as "the one who is right." heaven and hell are at stake, and to compromise the gospel for the sake of "being loved" is selfish at best, and "wrong" at worst.

-stephen

intermission...

ive gotten a few emails and such wondering when the next post is coming. i always appreciate those and the comments left on here, thanks for reading.

the semester is winding down and due dates for position papers and such are coming at a rapid pace. hopefully, within the next week, i can get to a starbucks quote that i cut off of my cup to write about.

have a blessed resurrection day. ill post the lyrics to one of the most amazing songs about "easter" that i have ever heard.
the lines "when jesus took in that breath, and shattered all death with his life" gives me chills, as i picture a lifeless body not breathing for 3 days, suddenly being filled with life, and jesus christ breathing in, and with that breath, defeating death. we would all do well to just think about the significance of that . along with " go on you wages of sin, go dont you come back again", this *is* the significance of the resurrection. not simply that a dead man rose, but that that man was the son of god, and his rasing and life, freed us from the power of death.
the other line that always puts a lump in my throat, simply because i so rarely mediate on the truth of it, is "the mouth of the tomb shouted 'glory!! the groom is alive!!!"
how often do we even feel like shouting that jesus christ is alive??

i hope you are as blessed by them as i always am. the song is called "high noon" by andrew peterson, from his album "love and thunder". if you dont own it, it should be your next music purchase. simply amazing. -stephen

"high noon" from the album "love and thunder" by andrew peterson
high noon in the valley of the shadow when the deep of the valley was bright
when the mouth of the tomb shouted, "glory, the groom is alive"
"so long, you wages of sin go on, don't you come back again
i've been raised and redeemed you've lost all your sting
to the victor of the battle
at high noon in the valley of the shadow"

now the demons, they danced in the darkness when that last ragged breath left his lungs
and they reveled and howled at the war that they thought they had won
but then, in the dark of the grave the stone rolled away
in the still of the dawn on the greatest of days

it was High noon in the valley of the shadow when the shadows were shot through with light when jesus took in that breath and shattered all death with his life
so long, you wages of sin go on, don't you come back again
i've been raised and redeemed you've lost all your sting to the victor of the battle
high noon in the valley of the shadow

let the people rejoice let the heavens resound
let the name of jesus, who sought us and freed us forever ring out
all praise to the fighter of the night who rides on the light
whose gun is the grace of the God of the sky

it was high noon in the valley of the shadow when the shadows were shot through with light
when the mouth of the tomb shouted, "Glory, the Groom is alive"
so long, you wages of sin i said go on, don't you come back again
i've been raised and redeemed all praise to the king ,the victor of the battle
high noon in the valley of the shadow

Copyright 2003 New Spring Publishing, Inc.

stand up straight, son!

in chapel today, we had the privelage of being led in worship by some members of the indelible grace band. i have written about indelible grace group before (there is a link to their website over to the left side of this page), and would strongly encourage you to get at least one, if not all four of their c.d.'s. from the "indelible grace" series. they have taken the texts from some wonderful old hymns and put them to newer musical settings.

now when i say "new" if you are thinking "rock music", you would be wrong. most of the settings are folk based melodies and are intentionally written so that they can be used in corporate worship. they are written in a new and fresh way, but not following any trends that will leave them outdated in 2 years. for corporate or individual worship, these hymns are so rich, and you would be doing yourself and your church a favor by being (re)introduced to these hymns.

[the community that makes up "indelible grace" includes such musicians and songwriters as present and formemer members of caedmon's call (andrew osenga, derek webb), jars of clay (dan haseltine, charlie lowell), the normals (andre osenga and cason cooley) and other lesser known but equally (if not more so) talented singer/songwriters sandra mccracken, matthew smith, jeremy casella, katy bowser, and others.]

one of the songs that they lead this morning was "arise my soul, arise" (words by charles wesley)
as i stood there in the back row looking at and singing those words, i was overcome.
now i have become very aware of how someone like myself, can get emotionally involved with good music. sometimes a song or even background music from christi and my's favorite t.v. show (buffy the vampire slayer...yeah yeah.. move on...) will make me tear up if it is timed particularly well and the stting and mood is just right.

this was *not* the case today. i didnt even want to go to chapel. i am so far behind in my reading, for my classes, not to mention all of my work to do in greek i had planned on getting some work done over a cup of coffee in a nice secluded place. but since i was unable to go to the 2 hr. "concert" (for lack of a better word) tonight that indelible grace was doing, i decided to go to chapel and hear them for a few songs.

but as i stood their singing.... these words ripped right through me... please dont skip over these.. read them carefully, and make yourself the subject of the "i"'s and "me"'s...

1. Arise, my soul, arise, shake off your guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice, in my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Surety stands,
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

Arise, my soul, arise!
Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

2. He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead;
His blood atoned for every race,
His blood atoned for every race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Arise my soul arise!
Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

3. Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

Arise my sould arise!
Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

4. The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away the presence of His Son;
The Spirit answers to the blood,
The Spirit answers to the blood
And tells me I am born of God.

Arise, my soul, arise!
Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

5. My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear
With confidence I now draw nigh,
with confidence i now draw nigh
and "Father ! Abba Father!" cry!!

Arise my soul arise!
Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

i stood their, trying to sing, at times unable, as the magnitude of the truth of that song hit me.
jesus wounds cried out "forgive him!!!" christ intercedes for me, and it is because of his righteousness that i have any right standing before the father... it is because of christ, that i can call the god of the universe "father" i can approach him with confidence!!!

my sould couldnt help but arise and stand up straight!!! oh the liberation of breaking free of the slumped shouldered posture that had so weighed down my heart by dwelling on my insufficiencies...often neglecting to consider the glorious truth of my right standing before god because of christ!!

how often we go through our lives as christians with our heads down, dragging our heels because we can't seem to get our focus off of our own failures! we spend so much time contemplating what we dont do enough of, or what we aren't getting right, it is no wonder when we come to worship, we feel so burdened we can do no more than stand and sing familiar words with no emotion or conviction outside of frustration.

because of christ's death, every christian is righteous in the sight of god. not only if we have had a good day. not only if we are winning more than losing in our struggles with sin.
but everyday, we stand rightoeus in front of god, because his son died in our place, and now his rightoeusness is our own.

this does not free us to be disobedient or to live carelessly, but it does liberate us from the bondage of feeling so far away from a holy god that we can never mesure up to. we can approach the throne of grace with confidence!! not because we have been good enough, but because we have the perfect righteousness of christ!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (rom. 8:31-39)


may your soul shake off any guilty fears and rise up in light of this glorious truth
-stephen

trash bags and god's faithfulness...

yes... thats right... two posts in two days.... with a broken arm no less!!

the end is near...


recently a friend was telling a group of friends of some financial struggles he and his wife were going through. as i listened, i couldnt help but remember when christi and i were in a tight place financially last summer when i was without a job.

while i was jobless, we were really low, and by low, i mean almost completely out,of cash.
we had run out of trashbags, so while we were getting groceries, we went to the aisle with the trashbags. when we saw the prices, we actually started calculating which would be the better deal-number of bags per dollar, to see how long we could make it with the least amount of bags. or how long we could go on a bigger box, and not have to buy more for a long time.
the box we got ended up being around$6.

when we got home, they were the wrong size.

christi just burst into tears that we had spent that much on trash bags that were too small and we werent even able to get all of the groceries we wanted. i remember standing there feeling helpless, that i had been trying to find a job with no luck, trying to force the trashbags that were too small into the can, and wondering if i was failing as a husband.

that was back during this past summer. we just recently made it to the end of that box of bags and it made me smile, because the lord has brought us this far, and something as simple as trashbags that were too small reminded me of how graciously he provides.

our world didnt end because the bags were too small. the ironic thing was, we still had things to throw away, so we were obviously better off than a lot of people in the world.

the lord isnt gracious simply because we dont have to calcuate cost per trashbag these days, he is gracious anyway. but in this instance, more than the job he eventually provided for me, and the wonderful job christi has, along with the blessings of having wonderful families and friends who help us along the way, is his faithfulness and graciousness in reminding me of the reality of how he provides when i look at an empty box of trashbags.

-stephen

fractured...

i am typing this post timidly due to a fractured elbow i sustained in my basketball league game sunday. the swelling and pain have reduced rapidly over the last day or so, and the orthopedic surgeon says everything should be just fine in about 6-8 weeks, with the normal range of motion returning in 7-10 days. it doesnt really hurt to type, its just kind of uncomfortable.

fortunately, i had already planned on posting the link to the website i mentioned a few posts back. it just launched today, and will come out with a new "issue" every 3 months, much like a quarterly newsletter. the address is www.justthesimpletruth.com

i havent personally read every entry, so i am not necessairily endorsing every view that may be presented, but i know some of the people behind the scenes and know that their intentions are honorable.

i hope you will check out the website . check back every three months for a new issue.

and if you are insanely bored, you can compare the initial essay i wrote (found below under "dr. phil") and what actually made it onto the website after the 'editing' process.

have a great week, and i plan on being back next week.


grace and peace,
-stephen

"don't waste your cancer"

i ordinarily don't like to cut and paste things on here, but i just recieved this from john piper's website www.desiringgod.org

piper was diagnosed with cancer right after christmas, and he wrote the following 2 nights ago, before having prostate surgery.

don't just read this... marinate in it. may we all take such a god cenetered view of all the opportunities that arise in our lives, whether it be cancer or suddenly recieving wealth or fame.

-stephen
___________________________________________________

I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.

It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: “They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). If you don’t believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.

2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel” (Numbers 23:23). “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). God’s design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, “We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.


4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can you lay it to heart if you won’t think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.


5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan’s and God’s designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).


6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.


7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, “He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill” (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don’t waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.


8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss—loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different—it is permeated with hope. “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don’t waste your cancer grieving as those who don’t have this hope.


9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination—all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don’t just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don’t waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).


10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don’t waste it.

Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Pastor John

from www.desiringgod.org