When I was a kid growing up in Central Illinois, I lived in an old country house. We
didn't live on a farm although we were surrounded with the rich, black soil of Illinois' farmland. I grew up with five of my six sisters and was constantly being babysat by
them when my parents were away. I do not have fond memories of being babysat by my sisters. On numerous occasions I had to endure being dressed up like a little girl,
like a real life doll! If I wasn't in some girlie outfit with lipstick on my face I was a prop for when they wanted to dance to late 50's rock n roll. It was pure torture!
As a little boy I sometimes wondered, "What if my parents don't come back? What if
my sisters suddenly are put in charge of me?" The thought of this caused me to throw one of the worst fits I can remember as a little kid. (I actually think it was the only one, but I digress.) I feigned being terrified by having to be left alone with my sisters complete with wailing and tears while pleading with my mom and dad not to leave me. It didn't work. I won't go into to detail about the consequences I had to suffer at the hands of my sisters after my parents left. I really can't remember them anyway because my subconscious has blocked the painful memories. Something about high heels and curlers come to mind, but it's fuzzy.
But, I do remember what my mother did as she tried to console me since she already knew she was NOT going to stay home with me. She gave me one of her scarfs and told me to keep it until she returned for it. She said she promised to come back home and that her scarf was her pledge she'd keep her word. Well, it did seem to help. At least I knew that whatever I had to endure while mom and dad were gone WOULD come to an end when they returned. Mom's promise and the scarf I held gave me hope!
I think that when the Lord gave Adam and Eve the promise of One who would one day crush the head of Satan, it gave them hope that all was not lost. In the midst of the mess they'd made of things in the Garden, God gave them and us a promise that He would send Someone to make things right. That's exactly what He did when He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth. God's people waited a few thousand years for His promise to be fulfilled, but it WAS fulfilled on what we celebrate as Christmas, the birth of Jesus.
God has given every believer in Jesus one more thing to have as a guarantee of His promise of all the good things to come. "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."  2 Cor 1:21-22.
My sisters are all believers in Jesus now and one day we'll all be together in Heaven because of what He's done for us. And when we're there in Heaven I won't have to worry about being babysat again. Jesus said, "I will never leave you or forsake you.". That promise begins now!






Hopeful In Christ,
Glenn

Should We Pray For Donald Trump?

2017 is going to be a year remembered by many for a long time for various reasons. For my wife and I, 2017 is our 40th wedding anniversary year. It's hard to believe that 40 years ago this year we were married and a year and three months later we were baptized into Christ together. As I've told many people, the more you come to know me, the greater you'll come to respect my wife! God has been the single greatest factor for our 40 years of marriage, and He deserves all the credit.
Right now as we begin 2017,  our country is going through many changes not least of which is the change in administrations. I watched the inauguration of our 45th president from a ship in the Caribbean Ocean. I don't remember a time when I heard in the political public arena so many references to God generally and Jesus Christ specifically. It was so encouraging to hear from four of the five people who prayed, the name of Jesus Christ. I especially was impressed and encouraged by the reading of scripture from Franklin Graham. As he read from 1 Timothy 2, I wondered how far he would go. Of course this passage is a call and command for every Christian to pray for those in authority over us. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 states, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people---for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." This was very appropriate for the occasion, but what followed was even more so! 1 Timothy 2:3-6 goes on to say, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."
Not only did Mr. Graham remind believers of our responsibility to pray for our president, he also proclaimed very clearly the good news of Jesus to millions of people. It was a very bold effort to let all who were listening know that Jesus was and is the only way to God the Father.
My friends, are you willing to pray for our new administration? Specifically, are you willing to pray for President Donald Trump? No matter how you feel about him, as a follower of Jesus Christ you and I are called to pray for him. I know what it's like to be challenged to pray for someone I don't necessarily agree with. But I also know that God has the power to enable us to do just that. And if we cannot or will not pray for those who govern us, as commanded in 1 Timothy 2, we are the ones with the problem, a heart problem. Our God has the power to work through anyone and any circumstance to accomplish His purposes. Our responsibility is to trust Him and obey His word, in this case to pray for our president.
So, will you join me in lifting up our nation, in lifting up our president and in lifting up the name of Jesus in 2017? If your answer is "no" then read again 1 Timothy 2:1-2 then tell that to the Lord. If it's "yes" then take a minute right now and do it. Let us all commit to praying as well as proclaiming the good news of Jesus like never before in 2017.
In His Strength,
Glenn

The Value Of Leadership
"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." 1 Tim 4:16

Leaders who are aware of their influence upon the lives of others tend to take personnel inventory of their lives often. This is of great benefit for those who follow their lead! The life of a leader should reflect not only sound doctrine, but consistency in how they live their lives. This benefits not only the leader, but also those who follow. It gives followers a solid example and it saves them from danger and negative consequences. We could illustrate this truth in the following way. Imagine you are driving down a two lane highway and you are "leading" several cars who are following behind. You are determined to drive within the speed limit even though those following you are becoming increasingly impatient with your pace. Some are flashing their lights, others are honking their horns. Because traffic is coming toward them and on a two lane highway they must wait until the way is clear to pass. So, the impatient traffic behind you HAS to follow your lead. But then you pass a Highway Patrolman parked in the tall grass just off the highway with his handheld radar gun pointing right at you. Since you have been watching your speed closely, you saved yourself a ticket AND you saved those behind you one as well! Some of the drivers behind you will be glad they stayed behind you! Others will wait for the first opportunity to whiz past you. But all were saved a ticket because of your diligence in keeping the speed limit. As we lead, some people may be impatient with us. They may be wanting to move faster than we're moving, and some may be downright mad at us for the way we're leading. Ultimately, we are responsible for our leadership of others. We must be willing to do the right thing and teach the right things at all costs. Not only will we save ourselves a lot of heartache, we'll help save others from painful consequences as well.
From The Hart,
Glenn