Month: February 2023

You may have heard about the Christian revival moving on the campus of Asbury University in Kentucky. Josh Moran, who designed this website and put it on his platform for me, and his family live in Louisville, Kentucky now.  He and his wife, Heather, traveled to the campus to see it for themselves. He just posted some photos from the campus and chapel. They waited more than two hours to get into the chapel, which has been continuously refilling 24/7. He promised to share more about their experience, but he shared these three things in his post. 1. “There is no hype within those walls – just hearts directed to Jesus.” 2. “I hit what I like to call a Freedom Wall – all baggage I carried, requests I had for God, hurts that I hid…not allowed. As if God was providing a spiritual Noise Cancellation.” 3. “Diversity was present, which is massively important for a movement of God to penetrate more than just Wilmore, Kentucky.”

Heather, posted this. “There was no pomp or show. The young people led and pure adoration was evident. From the moment we stepped in I felt that nothing mattered except diving in head first. Didn’t care where we sat or where our coats and purse went. Didn’t care about temp or anything else, just joining. It felt like it was a taste of heaven. The joy I was being immersed in was overwhelming and His presence blocked distraction.”

I can’t wait to read more about their experience. I had just talked with a friend about how sad it was that our physical limitations keep us from visiting that university campus and experiencing God’s movement there.  The minimum national media coverage told me it must be real, but now I have first hand confirmation and it is so encouraging.

We can see Satan ramping up his forces all around us, but we must never forget that God’s spirit is also at work in hearts and lives in our country and around the world. I have taken a peek at the last chapter of the Book and I know how this story will end. The powerful God we love and serve will prevail over evil.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but it is again appropriate. When asked by a reporter during the Civil War why he thought God was on his side, Abraham Lincoln replied, “My main concern is not that God is on my side. My primary concern is that I’m on God’s side, because His side is always right and victorious.”

 

I’m posting this a day ahead of my usual schedule. Today is Valentine’s Day 2023 and tomorrow would have been my wife’s 81st birthday. Even though it has been eight years since she went ahead of me to heaven, I still get very nostalgic this time of year. Please forgive me for getting personal, but love is the foundation of a strong Christian life and my love for Carol is definitely still a part of me.

Yesterday, a video mysteriously appeared on my Face Book timeline. It was The Highwaymen (Willie, Kris, Johnny and Waylon) singing a tribute from me to my beautiful wife titled “Loving Her Was Easier”. It stirred fond memories that are helping me celebrate the more than 50 years we shared life as husband and wife. It was a well-needed gift from God. You may be tired of me quoting song lyrics, but this one sums up my feelings so well that I want to share it with you. “Waking in the morning to the gentle touch of her fingers on my skin wiping out the traces of the people and the places that I’ve been, teaching me that yesterday was something I never thought of trying. Talking of tomorrow and the money, love and time we had to spend. Loving her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again. Coming close together with a feeling that I’d never known before in my time. She wasn’t ashamed to be a woman or afraid to be a friend. I don’t know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind, but dreaming was as easy as believing it was never going to end; and loving her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again.”

Thank you for allowing me to share that large portion of my Christian life with you. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my readers.

I have mentioned before that some love songs are also possibly worship songs as well. Our relationship with God as we live the Christian life is based on love. One old song I’ve been thinking about lately is about living on love.

“Two young people without a thing say some vows and spread their wings settling down with just what they need; living on love. She don’t care about the latest style. She just likes the way he smiles. It takes more than marble and tile when you’re living on love. Two old people without a thing, children gone but still they sing, side by side on that front porch swing just living on love. He can’t see anymore and she can barely sweep the floor, but hand in hand they’ll walk through that door living on love. Living on love, buying on time, without somebody nothing ain’t worth a dime. It’s like an old fashioned story book rhyme. Living on love. It sounds simple, that’s what you’re thinking, but love can walk through fire without blinking. It doesn’t take much. You’ll get enough. Living on love.”

That song describes our marriage of fifty years, but it also describes our mutual relationship with God through Jesus Christ all of those years. Since Carol went on to heaven ahead of me, I have continued to live on the love, mercy and grace of God and the wonderful Christian brothers and sisters He has placed in my life. Their love is different from the love Carol and I shared, but it is worth living and leaning on.

The Christian life is a life of love and it makes all of the other loves in your life sweeter and stronger. God’s love is eternal and will take us right into His presence when our mission here is complete. Never forget to thank God every day for all of His loves in your life.

I was taught at an early age to express my sincere thanks every time someone does something for me. I still make sure all of my caregivers are told how much I appreciate everything they do for me. That true appreciation was multiplied when I began my relationship with God through His Son. The Holy Spirit has taught me not only all that I have to be thankful for, but those  things and people who are most important.

At my age now, the two most valuable things are life and time (which are closely connected). It pains me when I think about how I wasted time and took life for granted when I was young. Now,I truly appreciate every breath, every beat of my heart and every second I have left here. Except for the time I spend feeding and resting my body, I use my time to help and encourage others. There is no better use of our time. It isn’t what we accumulate in this life that will matter in the end; it is how we have touched the hearts of those people we come in contact with that will determine the success of our life. With God’s help I hope to continue to help and encourage those who read my blog and especially those with whom I have direct contact.

I know that I have mentioned before that it is appreciation for the years we had together that helped me heal from my wife’s death. It is only when we choose to be happy with the blessings we have that God provides us with even more.

A dear friend of mine posted something on Face Book that really got my attention and I want to share it with you. “All classes of people were aboard the Titanic – wealthy people, famous people, intelligent people, illiterate people and poor folks down in steerage. But a few hours later, when they published the list at the Cunard office in New York, there were only two categories: LOST and SAVED. That is how God sees humanity.”

John wrote this in his first epistle, “All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about His Son. And this is what God has testified; He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life: whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:10-12)

I really don’t need to add anything, except perhaps that I have been on the saved list for more than 68 years now and I still thank God every moment of every  day for the life I have in His Son. I know that my Christian brothers and sisters share that feeling. If you aren’t sure you are on that saved list, now is the time to reach out to God’s Son in prayer and accept Him as your Savior. He will pull you out of sin to safety and then add you to the list of those who are saved by God’s mercy and grace.