Awake My Soul and Sing!

 

Psalm 143 - A Psalm of David

O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You. For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead. My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit. Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant. 

"The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8

If you are reading this, you are more than likely a Christian. A follower of Jesus. A disciple.

And, if you are a disciple of Christ, it is also probably true that at least once in your life you felt down, depressed, lost, confused, overwhelmed, guilty, alone, or even abandoned.

Maybe, like David, you feel hemmed in by people around you. Perhaps circumstances have pushed you down and the weight of the moment keeps you from getting up. You struggle just to breathe…to catch your next breath. 

You need to be revived. Awakened.

Don’t we all.

Unless you are completely off social media/TV/radio you have undoubtedly heard of the Asbury Awakening (as some are calling it). In a tiny little town about thirty minutes below Lexington, Ky., a spiritual awakening has occurred as God has poured his Spirit out on the students, faculty and citizens of Wilmore.  What began as a normal, mandatory, everyday Wednesday chapel service has continued non-stop. And there appears to be no stopping it. (edit: they will be shutting down Hughes Auditorium late tonight 2/18/23 (1AM) but will reopen tomorrow 2/19/23 at noon).

As a result of people coming to experience the movement of God, and then returning home to their schools and towns, God is beginning to pour out his Spirit in other places as well. Perhaps we are witnessing the birth pangs of a third great awakening? 

Now, we are not going to tackle what is a revival, what makes up a revival, how does a revival occur, or even is this a revival. At this point we tend to look at it as a spiritual awakening…a fresh move of God’s Spirit on people who hunger for holiness. Whatever you want to label this “Divine Moment”, what we are definitely seeing is God publicly calling his people to draw closer to him and to bring their lives into alignment with his character, purpose and kingdom.

Most of us will not be able to hustle on over to the rolling hills of the Bluegrass State to witness this Supernatural movement BUT…can we all not join together (no matter where we are) and pray for God to touch our lives? Can we all agree with one another to seek God’s face and ask him to forgive us of all our sin? To wipe our hearts clean from the filth of this world? To beg him to deliver us from the evil seeking to devour us? To not forget us as the world abandons us? To bring healing where there is pain? And, that we might receive a new heart made of flesh to replace the cold, stony one which has neglected to love as we have been loved?

It’s a tall order for sure. It will require a change in us. It will demand we turn off the idiot box, set down our phones, close our laptops, and put down the Sherlock Holmes (I’m talking to myself here) and take seriously the arduous and painstaking work of prayer. Prayer for ourselves, our families, our communities, our churches, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our world. 

But, please remember…ours is not to emulate or model something just because it is working at one place. Ours is to “humble ourselves in the sight of the LORD and he will lift us up.” 

Think of it this way: we have had some severe weather across the south already this year. We can look at the radar, study wind velocity, read about CAPE, register the dew points and search for a dry line - and almost pinpoint where severe weather will occur. 

But that is not the way of the Spirit of God. 

Plead with us today for a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit…a fresh anointing of his mercy and grace…a revival of our spirits, a renewing of our hearts, a restoration of our marriages, a rejuvenation of our health, a resuscitation of our local churches. May the “Asbury Awakening” be the moment we have an awakening in all of our lives.

Now… “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Spiritual Health without Pills!

 

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should…Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house - Colossians 4:2-4; 7- 15 (NLT)

As we get older physically it should be expected that we grow spiritually. And while physical health may decrease as our birthdays increase, our spiritual health should continually increase. Sure, we may eat more oatmeal and fiber to offset certain bodily issues or rub a little more Tiger Balm on our joints and muscles…but the most vital concern of getting older must be our spiritual well being.

We may get that 55+ discount but the real issue is this: are we maturing in the faith?

In his letter to the church at Colossae Paul lists several names. People who are important to Paul, important to Christ, important to his kingdom. Why are they important? They are mature.

And if we are not growing or maturing? We are contributing to the deteriorating health of his church. That’s something we believe none of us want to be guilty of.

Therefore, what does it take to grow spiritually? Bible.org has a seven step suggestion we would like to share with you: What Does It Take To Grow? | Bible.org
  

    1. In order to grow we need to eat—The Bible
    2. In order to grow we need to breathe—Prayer
    3. In order to grow we need good spiritual hygiene—Confession
    4. In order to grow we need a caring family—Fellowship
    5. In order to grow we need regular exercise—Service
    6. In order to grow we need protection—Holiness
    7. In order to grow we need to give—Stewardship

That is a list we all should place somewhere in order for us to see it daily. No matter our age we all need to be growing in our faith…without having to add another pill to our pillbox…

The author of Hebrews understood this. He writes in chapter 6: So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding (Hebrews 6:1-3).

Did you notice the wording? “Let us go on…become mature…we will move forward…”

None of that just happens. It isn’t automatic. In other words, you don’t just believe on Christ Jesus and, “BOOM!” you’re a spiritual giant. It takes time and effort. It takes making mistakes, confession and going at it again. As Peter writes, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:18).

The English poet, Alexander Pope, wrote, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” When new trees are planted it’s best to put stakes into the ground beside the tree. The stakes are there for a purpose—to train the tree to grow straight and tall.

Those stakes work great when they are put in place when the tree is first planted. That said, if crooked growth has been allowed to develop for several years, stakes will not be effective.

This is why a young Christian should be modeled and taught the spiritual disciplines. We do great harm to new Christians when we fail to share with them the need for Bible reading, prayer, confession, fellowship, service, holiness and stewardship. If they don’t do these things they are setting themselves up for failure, spiritual immaturity and grief.

If however, we set the stakes up from the beginning, those “trees” will go straight and strong.

After all, the very first Psalm reminds us: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take  or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,  and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Homo Unius Libri

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds… - Daniel 1:17

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth… - 2 Timothy 2:15

Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths… - Psalm 25:4

Someone has said something along the following lines: Learning usually passes through three stages. In the beginning you learn the right answers. In the second stage you learn the right questions. In the third and final stage you learn which questions are worth asking.

Learning is primary to everything we do and know. A lot of our learning and growth comes from reading. As John Wesley once wrote: “Reading Christians are growing Christians. When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow.”

Missy and I love to read. Books! Books! Books! As a matter of fact if I (Steve) receive an honorarium for a wedding or funeral I always make sure to purchase a new book…keeps the library expanding! Yard sales, Salvation Army and Goodwill for books!

Recently, while reading a book by Ed Stetzer, who will be the keynote speaker at our General Conference this week, he recommended another book that I immediately found cheap on Ebay…all while being at the beach! Never stop reading!

But, you may ask, why? Why read? Why learn?

Well, there are many reasons for reading, learning and gaining wisdom. But, rather than dwell on those, I want to take some time this week to share from the 6 different books I am reading right now. I would like to invite you to “read” what I am reading and see if it kindles a fire in your soul as it has mine.

Here is a list of quotes from those 6 books along with the bibliography so if you would like, you can go to your favorite online book depository and order it! So, without further ado…

“Pre-evangelization is a noble theory constructed by theologians, according to which it is stated that not all peoples are ready for the gospel, and somehow must be made ready for it. In its arrogant cultural assumption, pre-evangelization may be the most vicious system of thought and action ever invented by missiological theologians.”
- Vincent Donovan, Christianity Rediscovered, SCMPress, 1978, p. 51.

“...every systematic theology, no matter how coherent or logical, eventually meets some passage of Scripture or passage of life that refuses to fit into it. Such passages have to be bent, twisted, and forced to fit the system. Why is this? It’s because Christ is too immense, too imponderable, and too alive to be tied into any immovable system of thought constructed by finite humans.”
- Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola, Jesus Manifesto, Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2010, p.89.

“The good news is that everybody should know by now that things are not thriving in North America. The church is not advancing, and the gospel is not gaining ground. For us to cling to the current model (what some call the Constantinian model) of pastor + building = church, when it is not working, is silly at best and negligent at worst. For us to eschew models that are ‘relational’ and ‘small,’ when that is exactly what the New Testament described, is absurd.”
- Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, B&H Publishing, 2006, pp.155-156.

“One of the central elements of the Christian story is the claim that the paradox of laughter and tears, woven as it is deep into the heart of all human experience, is woven also deep into the heart of God.”
- N.T.Wright, Simply Christian, HarperCollins Publishers, 2006, p. 38.

“Jesus is not bound by any culture or structure. His life and ways transcend all cultures. His body (the wineskin) is not to be culture-bound. Jesus calls his followers to undergo a systemic shift that goes to the root of our identity-one that questions all the assumptions of the Christendom model. What we really need are people living the life of Jesus in community, drinking the new wine of the Spirit and living as fresh wineskins in the world.”
- Jonathan and Jennifer Campbell, The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2005, p. 107.

“The Church can only be credible as the place and home of the new freedom if it constantly shows to people of good will and people of good faith its light and freedom rather than its darkness and unfreedom…The dividing line between freedom and unfreedom does not run between the Church and the world, but through the heart of each individual. And yet, for that very reason, the Church must continually demonstrate that it is what it claims to be: the fellowship of free people, a Church of freedom…”
- Hans Kung, The Church (Die Kirche), Burns and Oates Ltd., 1967, p. 214.

I hope that every one of these quotes will cause you to think, consider, ponder, study - learn. And, thank you for taking the time to read this. It means more to Missy and I than you could ever know.

Now, put down the remote. Shove your phone to the side. Grab a book - and let’s read…but above all, take time to read God’s word. In the words of John Wesley, “God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be ‘homo unius libri.’" As for that last Latin phrase, well, you will have to look that up on your own and read it…

New Wineskins for a New People

… no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If you do, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins." 

Mark 2:22

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.…

Acts 1:7-9

Author, pastor, church planter extraordinaire Ralph Moore, founder of The Hope Chapel Movement, writes the following: “It’s not about fitting more people into an existing model - it’s all about new models and multiplication!”

That is such a truthful and impactful statement. It is one we would do well to reread, memorize and implement…

The Church of North America seems to still hang on to certain outdated and failed structural models and methods. We love big numbers because, of course, they undoubtedly mean success. Lots of money in your bank account? You’re a success! Lots of high numbers in your GPA? You’re the smartest! Double digit baptisms this past year? You’re a faithful church!

But is that really what the Bible (the authoritative Word of God for those of you who are interested) teaches?

In Acts 1:8 Jesus lays out what we feel is the only pattern for churches that should matter.
    Receive the Holy Spirit
    Receive the Holy Spirit’s power
    Witness at home
    Witness locally
    Witness regionally
    Witness globally

Nothing about numbers. Nothing about procedures. Nothing about policy. Nothing about rules. Nothing about reports. Nothing about self-promotion. Nothing about success.

Just Jesus. Just the Spirit. Just living out our faith in the world.

This is the model we should be implementing. This is the model we should follow. After all, wasn’t it Jesus who said, “Follow me”?

If there is anything we (the North American Church) can learn from the pandemic and the consequences which have resulted; if there is something we can take from the gun violence in our society; if there is one thing we can determine from the legislated killings of countless humans in the womb - it is this: the church has been and is focused on the wrong things and as such, it is ill-equipped to provide workable, doable answers to society’s transgressions.

In other words, we are too shallow and have not truly “launched into the deep” of God. As Luke records in Luke 5: “When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

The Church, unfortunately, still believes in “Robert’s Rules of Order” and “The Peter Principle” as the only way the church should operate. We do not go to Acts 1 and 2. We do not go to Matthew 28. We talk about Jesus but do not follow Jesus. Yet we fuss and fume when the world does not act like us…all the while we are not acting like Jesus. 

The church, much to Jesus' chagrin, has been superficial.

Richard Foster says, “Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”

The Psalmist describes what the world needs - a deep people of God - like this: They are “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither…” 

Psalm 1:3.

Pastor Joe Chambers writes, “As Foster points out (in his writing), the number of firmly rooted trees on the Christian landscape is growing smaller, and it’s largely because of an unwillingness to wait on God. We tend to replace waiting on God with hurried attempts at pursuing growth on our own. And so, we settle for shallow roots destined to yield only mediocre growth.”

Friends, the way the church in North America has done things is past. We have been focused on shallow things: numbers on paper, butts in seats, names on the roll. We have focused on the shallow and ended up with mediocrity - both personally and communally. 

It is past time we go deeper. It is time to quit trying to fit people into our mold. It is time for new wineskins. It is time to go back to the Bible and forward into the kingdom.

Before we go, what are some things you think the church needs to do to reach your community? What are some new things we must focus on? Where are the new areas we need to go into? What are the new models that will help the church multiply? How would you “go forth and multiply” God’s kingdom? Please let us know what you think!

Stop. Look. Listen.

 

02-22-2022

“Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil,” 

- Proverbs 4:25-27

“Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock,”

 - Psalm 27:3-5

Gaze is such an interesting word. In the Old Testament Hebrew it is שׁוּר. It is pronounced shur. Specifically, it is “to behold or notice.” Such as when we regard something or someone with watchful care. It is where one watches stealthily, lies in wait, observes, or perceives.

What have you been gazing at lately? Your spouse? Your kids? Your TV? Do you ever catch yourself just “staring” into space? Yeah, we are right there with you…

Solomon and David both use this term in their writings. In our scriptures above notice that Solomon urges his son to fix his gaze straight ahead. David suggests that we are to gaze on the beauty of the LORD.

When you stop and think about it, we generally gaze upon that which gets our attention…that which captures our hearts, our minds. This could either be negative or positive.

It’s what happened to Lot’s wife. It’s what happened to David. It’s what happened to Judas.

But, it’s also what happened to Boaz. It’s what happened to the disciples as they watched their Master ascend into the heavens. It’s what happened to John the Revelator.

In reality, it happens to us each and every day. We may not realize it but we are constantly gazing. Whether out the window wishing we were anywhere else but where we are, or whether we are at the doctor’s office and gazing at the people around us trying to diagnose them.

Most of the “stuff” we gaze at is actually about us escaping. Escaping our pain. Escaping our uncertainty. Escaping our responsibility. Escaping ourselves.

Perhaps that is why it is so important to take Solomon’s and David’s words to heart. Gaze forward. Gaze on the beauty of the LORD. Or, as it might be better translated from Hebrew - keep our observations forward - in front of us - perceiving the beauty of God all around us.

That can be hard with all the distractions daily facing us. “Squirrel!” But, it is not impossible.

In the fall of the year, a pheasant hunter will go out with his bird dog seeking birds. A good bird dog will come upon a covey, freeze and point. It will remain stock still - not moving a muscle. It is waiting for its master, the hunter, to come along and bust the covey up and shoot the birds.

But, as is often the case, the hunter becomes delayed in his coming. Still, the faithful dog will not come off point. However, it will inevitably begin to flick its ears back. It will also cut its eyes back. Why? The dog is looking for the hunter to see if he will come before the birds fly off.

Picture it in your mind. The bird dog is gazing at the covey and glancing to the side for the master. Did you read that? The bird dog is gazing at the covey and glancing at the master.

And that is what we often do when faced with difficulties or trials. We fix our gaze on our problems, our situations, and whatever is confronting us. Yet, we only glance at our Master.

Followers of Jesus must intentionally practice fixing their gaze on the Master while only glancing at their problems. We are consumed with relentless attacks from all sides - shouldn’t we focus our gaze on our Commander for directions, encouragement and hope?

Maybe you’re a bit like me (Steve) and have quite a bit of ADHD rummaging around your head. If so, perhaps you may also have difficulties focusing your gaze upon the LORD. Just remember that your relationship with God is to be your number one focus. Know that if you take care of that, God will take care of everything else. “Seek first the kingdom…”

With all that is going on in the world at this very moment - this critical time in human history - Jesus’ words in Luke 21 are needful: “But when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads - looking up/gazing - because your redemption is drawing near.”

Allow us to close with these two verses to help us reconsider and recalibrate our focus:

Psalm 123:2 “We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.”

Colossians 3:1 “Therefore, if you have been raised with the Messiah, keep focusing on the things that are above, where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God.”

Stop. Look. Listen. Gaze. Wonder. Learn. Grow.

Missy and Steve

One Thing I Know...

 “So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!” “What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?” He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.” “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”

They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.

John 9:24-34 (Berean Study Bible)

“One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see.”  Of all the ways in which this man, who was blind from birth, could have testified to the power of Jesus, none could have had more clarity and impact than this word of personal testimony. People can argue and debate the existence of the Divine, the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the legitimacy of the resurrection, the validity of prophecy...but people CANNOT argue with your experience.

Think about it. What have you experienced in your life that goes against what most people think or believe? Perhaps it was a physical miracle that occurred in your body. Maybe you were in a stressful way and there was a moment of peace that simply overwhelmed you. Or, could it have been a near death experience that defied all odds? We’ve all experienced something at least once in our lives that defies reason and explanation. Or, at the very least, left a profound influence upon us and perhaps even those we know.

I (Steve) remember an incident that occurred while at TCU. A few religious studies students - myself included - had been taking a class which placed us in a local church leading various ministries to gain much needed practical ministry experience. One night, after a small group Bible study, a man approached me as we (the students) were supposed to be meeting in another room to talk about what we had just done, how it went, how we were feeling, what could have been better...you get the idea. For the next half hour the man held me spellbound as he spoke about God supernaturally healing his wife while she lay dying in the cold hospital bed and the angel he saw beside her bed that told him she would live. My professor was unhappy with me missing the discussion but when I related to him what I had just experienced he smiled and said, “Well, I can’t argue with that can I?”

I didn’t question the man over what he saw, what he heard or what he felt. How could I? It was what he experienced AND it was in line with the Holy Scriptures of our faith.  I might have not been there, I certainly could not vouch for the validity of his story/experience, but who am I to judge? I can imagine him saying, “One thing I know, my wife was dying but now she is alive.”

When is the last time you heard some story that defied reality or your set of beliefs? When was the last time you shared a story with someone that resonated with them?  For that matter, when was the last time you read the Bible and pondered the great stories of our faith - the experiences that define who we are and what we believe? Events and experiences such as:

• The creation

• The Flood

• The Israelites escape from Egypt with all of the plagues of God upon the Egyptians

• Joshua marching around Jericho

• Daniel in the lion’s den

• The birth of Jesus

• The miracles of Jesus

• People touching Peter’s cloak and being healed

Christianity has spread primarily because of two reasons: first and foremost, the testimonies, stories and experiences found in the New Testament of the Bible; secondly, the personal testimonies and experiences of those who follow Jesus. People just like you. Society and culture  today only “see” and “hear” Jesus when they see and hear you. What is the story you need to share? What experience have you had in Christ that you need to tell someone about this week? 

Take the opportunity soon to share what Jesus has done for you. If someone questions you can always say, “Well, all I know is this…” 

Steve and Missy