Month: March 2026

Jesus tells His followers , including us, “My peace I leave with you and peace I give to you…” (John 14:27)  During my long life as a follower and believer of Jesus, He has always been true to His word. However, sometimes He says, “Peace be still” to the storm I face, as He did to the storm threatening their small boat at sea. (See Matthew 8, Mark 4 and Luke 8) but other times He gives that order to me, then holds my hand as we pass safely through the storm together. Either way, He always brings peace into my life..

Have you ever been a party to an agreement with someone that gave both sides what they want or need? It is a double win that brings joy and celebration to you both. There is no better example than God’s forgiveness of my sins through the life, death and resurrection of His Son. I  was an eleven year old boy when I learned   my sinful nature had me on death row in need of an advocate. It was then that I found God’s mercy and grace outlined in John 3:16 and I immediately accepted by believing in and following Jesus into God’s presence. That was my greatest win, but what did God get out of it? My heavenly Fatheer and His Son are without sin. They don’t need forgiveness. But God’s Word tells us when even one person believes in Jesus, the angels rejoice that another son or daughter is added to God’s family. Win/win!

Lord willing, tomorrow will be my birthday. At my age I take one day at a time, never taking tomorrow for  granted. What a wild ride it has been! 83 years of physical life and 72 of those years in new and eternal spiritual life. I’ve experienced beautiful sun shine and violent storms; joy and heartbreak; love and loss of loved ones; and through it all God has been with me. I’m reminded of my favorite quote from Abe Lincoln. When asked  by a southern reporter why he thought God was on his side in the Civil War, Abe told him, “My main concern is not whether God is on my side. My main concern is that I am on God’s side, because His side will always win.” I joined God’a family when I put my belief in and followed Jesus into God’s presence, but I believe God has been by my side even before I left the safety of my mother’s womb.

By the way, in spite of popular opinion, I did not hear Abe Lincoln tell that to the reporter. I’m old, but not that old.

God is all-knowing and all powerful. I have heard people ask, “If there is a powerful, loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?” God knows that to have any value at all love, honor and obedience must be given freely without force. When He created the angels, He longed for a loving relationship so He gave them free will to love or reject Him, even though He knew in the future a third of them would turn against Him. Later, when He created humans, He desired a loving relationship with us and gave us free will too, knowing not all of us would return His love. As a result, evil and sin exists from the angels and humans who have rejected His love. God’s desire is for all to enter into a loving relationship with Him, but He wants us to want to be His loving sons and daughters instead of an army of zombies under His complete control.

When we return God’s love by believing in and following Jesus, He renews our mind and plants in our heart His Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us. It is then that our will becomes the same as God’s will.

I’m sure I have written about this before, but it is worth repeating and last Sunday’s sermon by Pastor Carlton at my church reminded me how I got to write this blog. From the moment I was reborn, I knew I was called by God’s Holy Spirit to do some special service for God.  Just as John The Baptist trusted God’s process in the wilderness until God sent him at the perfect time to announce the coming of Jesus, call people to repent and be baptized, I spent nearly 60 years in the wilderness of God’s preparation process. When my wonderful Christian wife slipped into heaven ahead of me eleven years ago, I had what psychiatrists call survivor remorse. Why am I still here and she isn’t? For two years I searched for purpose. Just when I began to think I had misunderstood God’s call, or He found someone better for the job, my senior pastor contacted me about writing a Christian blog. Josh, the young man in charge of live streaming our services online at that time, designed this website and put it on his platform free of charge. Looking back on every experience, all of it prepared me to share with you.

My friends, never give up on God’s process and perfect timing.

During prayer today, God reminded me of the lyric of a gospel song I haven’t heard in years. “One day four men brought a crippled man to Jesus. Still and lifeless he lay upon his bed, He had not moved since he was just a baby, but he longed to be a normal man. We don’t know much about the men who carried the corners of his tattered bed that day, but if we may create a demonstration we will see what these men might have  to say. Suppose that first man said, ‘I hate to doubt it, for Jesus touched my eyes when I was blind. He made me see and there’s no doubt about it. But this man’s needs are more serious than mine.’ Suppose that second man said,’This man’s condition will remain the same. Though Jesus healed my hand when it was withered, I don’t believe He can heal a man so lame’. Suppose that third man said, I hate to question, but no one here is more skeptical than me. Though Jesus cleansed me when I was a leper, this helpless man will never walk you see’. Then all eyes turned to the fourth man to see how he might criticize and doubt, but all three men were startled in amazement when he stopped and said his name out loud. He said, ‘My name is Lazarus, can I testify?It is good to be alive. When I in chains of death was bound, this man named Jesus called me out. If you think this little problem is too big for Him to solve, take it from one who has heard the voice of God. A living testimony of His death defying touch. My name is Lazarus’.

Every Christian has a powerful testimony of miraculous change God has made in our life. I have not  been raised from death, but five times I have been near death and God responded to prayer with a miracle that saved my life. Share your testimony with others. They may argue about your belief but they can’t can’t argue with ywhat you have experienced.