Hope

"We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for our soul." -Hebrews 6:19

This hope gets us through the battles of life. When we stand with Jesus in glory all of the hurts, loneliness, and struggles will be forgotten in a second. The thought of that one second in glory will help us leave behind all that is in this world. In fact, I suspect that a billion years into eternity we still will not have given one seconds thought to this world. Words of encouragement for those who need it today.

It was my privilege to warm up for Heaven with Tomoka Christian this week. Thanks for being at rehearsal. Revelation 4 & 5.

Pray Continually

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray continually." We could save a lot of grief, anxiety, counseling, and pain if we would just put these two words into action in our lives.

What's Your Wall?

We all feel at times that we are up against a wall in our lives. We're out of options and we're not so good at scaling walls. It is in those circumstances that we find out just how faithful our God is to each of us. Now, I have to tell you that it may not always be on our schedule, but God is faithful.

I am reminded of God's faithfulness in so many ways, yet no passage is more inspiring than Isaiah 66:8: "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children."

No doubt for centuries this little text inspired God's people to hope in the midst of desperation and persecution. The literal fulfillment happened on May 14,1948. According to Jesus in Matthew 24, this prophetic fulfillment is the start of the final chapter of the end times, which we've been in since Jesus' resurrection.

Never in the 6,000 years of earth's history has a nation been reborn, except Israel, in the fulfillment of this grand text. If you are willing to write this off as coincidence then you are mixed up. God will fulfill His scripture. He does provide a way out when up against the wall.

Remember the words of the Archangel Gabriel who should know, "Nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37.

Leah Putting, Retro Next Gen Ministry Director

While my dad is currently roaming around in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, someone thought it might be a good idea for me to guest blog in his place. This way, you can at least read the random thoughts of at least one member of the Putting clan.

As a twenty-something, I find myself with an interesting perspective on the world in which we live, and the society that made us who we are. My generation is the by-product of broken homes, the devaluing of personal responsibility, and a general meshing of any and all lines that define people into neat, convenient boxes. We cannot ever continue to do “church as usual” or, I must be honest, our generation will be lost. The “experts” right now believe that only 4% of my generation will be Bible-believing Christians. This fact should worry not only those my age, but older generations as well, as you watch your children and grandchildren become the pulse of American culture. This is a critical issue for the Kingdom of God. My generation is hungry for truth and authenticity in a world that is continually false, disappointing, and unfulfilling. This is not a new problem; generations for centuries have longed for authenticity, purpose, and community. Our recently started Retro ministry is merely the beginning of trying to reach out to a broken and disillusioned generation. We all must carry a personal responsibility to be Jesus to the generations that come after us. My generation is not naive, we have seen much in our short lives, and we value and require the wisdom of the generations that we follow. In Exodus chapter 3, God tells Moses of His name, “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’… ‘Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.”

It should be our passion to ensure that the “I Am” is remembered forever, from generation to generation. Our God never changes, but our approach can never stay the same.

Little Red In the Hood

The other evening I was reading the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It is actually a bit gruesome as the big bad wolf eats both grandma and Miss Hood. If it were not for the woodsman who chops open the wolf to free the ladies, the story would end very tragically and probably would not be a children's book.

If this story were reset in today's culture it would sound even worse. The wolf would be a child molester, meth dealer, or leader in the prostitution trade. This is the reality of our time while we try to hide in our suburban worlds of shelter.

I am often asked why the church has to keep changing. The answer is that we do not live in the world of Little Red Riding Hood anymore. We live in a cold, calculating, corrupt world where only a radical demonstration of Biblical Christianity can survive.

Pray for the millions of "Little Reds" who need Jesus and for the church to be real enough to bring the Gospel to them.

"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." -1 Corinthians 9:22