The Terms for Peace [Sermon from Palm Sunday]

The terms for peace

Luke 19:42

Palm Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar after Christmas and Easter. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The gospels record the arrival of Jesus riding into the city on a donkey, while the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the street and shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" to honor him as their long-awaited Messiah and King. The significance of Jesus riding a donkey and having his way paved with palm branches is a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey

(or some translations…a beast of burden).

[LUKE 19: 28-44]

The Triumphal Entry

²⁸ And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 

        The typical Palm Sunday sermon places the focus upon the entry, the loud “hosannas,” or the significance of Jesus riding in on a donkey. This morning, however, I believe the Lord has led me to a different verse. As I read through this, one particular verse stood out to me. Luke 19:41-42 says, “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on the day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem because he knows the terms for peace. He knows that in a few short days, these shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord,” turn to shouts of, “Crucify Him!” He knows the terms of peace, but as for Jerusalem, it has been hidden from their eyes. Why had the terms of peace now been hidden from their eyes? Before we get into that, let’s first address the need for peace.

Romans 5:10
^"10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."

We were enemies of God! If you read the Bible, and meditate on the words, you find that prior to Christ we are enemies of God. In our sinful condition, we are enemies of God! But God, being rich in mercy, grace, and love made a way for peace. If you have not surrendered your life to Christ…If you have not repented of your sin…if you have not believed in and followed Christ…you are still an enemy of God. The good news of the gospel is that God has provided the terms for peace. The only thing is…you cannot settle the terms yourself. There is no amount you can pay…there is no amount of good work you can do that covers the terms for peace. This is a debt that is only paid by the blood of a spotless lamb…and there is only one…and you are not it. O that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace. Apart from Christ, we are enemies of God…and this has now been hidden from Jerusalem. Was God being unjust in hiding this from the Jews? Was this fair? If we look at Romans 1:28- 32, we can see what had happened.

Romans 1:28-32

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

        Look at the end of Luke 19:44…”you did not know the time of your visitation.” Let’s go Old Testament for a minute…when you saw the word “visitation” in the Old Testament…it usually meant one of two things. That God is bringing salvation or that God is bringing judgment. In Isaiah 29:5, the prophet says to the rebellious people, “The multitude of your foes shall be like small dust…and in an instant suddenly; you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and with a great noise.” In another instance, in Genesis 50:24, Joseph prophecies to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham.” This is a prophetic word from Joseph of the Exodus from Egypt. This was a great moment of salvation and deliverance. Today, I believe that each one of us is here for a purpose. Please, understand that the gospel is good news to those who hear and understand, but is also news of great judgment to those who hear and ignore. Jerusalem had ignored the words of the prophets for centuries. They would kill the prophets or at least beat them up and run them out of the city. They did not heed the words of Christ time and time again. Many had come proclaiming that the Messiah was in their midst, but they ignored. Instead, they lived for the flesh…so God gave them up to their debased minds. This is why, in Luke 19:41, we see Jesus weeping over the city. Over and over and over again the Israelites had been shows the goodness and mercy of God. Over and over and over they replaced God with an idol and turned from Him. Jesus is weeping because God’s chosen people do not know what they are doing. He also knows that the complete wrath of God is going to be poured out upon Him for their sake and for our sake.

            Please, hear the words of the Lord. You, if you have never surrendered your life, still have the opportunity for peace.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -ROMANS 5:1

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.-Ephesians 2: 1-10

            These are the terms for peace. First and foremost, that Christ had to drink the cup of the wrath of God! That Christ had to face a trial. That Christ was beaten for hours on end. That Christ had to carry his cross to the top of the hill called Golgotha. That Christ was nailed to a cross suffering pain and agony for yours and my sake. That Christ…get this…GAVE UP his life for our sins. No one takes the life of Christ away…he knew what had to be done! That Christ was buried in a tomb. That Christ rose again on the third day and now we can gladly sing in our churches that we have Victory in Jesus! Christ has defeated the grave! Sin has lost its power. Death no longer has its painful sting. We are now, in Christ, co-heirs…Children of God! Since Christ has risen, the gap between God and man has been bridged. Christ says that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Him. The Gospel is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Gospel is that for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance (or patience) he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has FAITH IN JESUS. These are the terms for peace! So what is hindering you from making peace with God today? What is hindering you from repenting of your sin and believing (which includes following) Christ Jesus today? Next week is the greatest holiday that a Christian celebrates. Christmas is great. Easter, however, is the very hinge of our faith. If Christ did not rise, then this is all in vain, as Paul says. We believe…we have faith….we place our very hope in the fact that Christ Jesus did die and rose again. There is a quote that I want you, who have never followed Christ, to think upon… “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, but if true, is on infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be in moderately important.” There is no middle road to heaven. There is a narrow road which leads to life and only a few find it. Then there is a wide road which leads to destruction. Christ is the door. No one comes to the Father…no one stands in the eternal presence of the Father without first repenting of sin and placing their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. So, today, think again…”What is hindering you from following Christ?” Friend, I tell you…it is the greatest thing in the world to serve our God and to follow Jesus Christ.

In Love, I Stand for Truth.

It is a dark day when the created begin to tell the Creator, "We know better than you." I am not political. I do not boycott secular companies who do not stand for Biblical principle. I do not, quite frankly, care for Republican or Democrat leaders. My job, as a pastor, is not to spread conservative political agenda, but rather to preach the truth in love. Today is a crucial day in our country as the leaders gather to define marriage. Then they will go to a vote to solidify what they define as marriage. The problem is that marriage is not something that is up for a vote. Marriage is not something that was instituted by a government. In Genesis, GOD instituted marriage. God is the one that spoke and said, "a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife." It was God who defined marriage. It was God who labeled sexual immorality a sin. That is not merely homosexuals, but anyone engaged in sexual immorality outside of the confines of God-defined marriage. When someone stands for truth, it does not mean that they are a bigot or a hater. True, there are times that people are filled with rage and hate for people for no reason, but as a Christian--if we are true followers--we should not be filled with rage and hate, but rather, filled with love and peace, and we should proclaim the truth of Scripture in all gentleness and love. Gentleness, however, does not mean coddling. Gentleness is applying the right amount of force to one's words at the proper time. Hear me again, "IT IS A DARK DAY WHEN THE CREATED BEGIN TO REMOVE THE CREATOR AND STAND IN HIS PLACE." It is out of love and concern that I write these things...still some will lash out and call me a bigot. I am not a bigot. I just know what Scripture says and I believe it. No one should be surprised when a Christian stands for Biblical truth. If they stand for things opposed to truth, then they need to investigate what they are calling their faith. For those who are enraged by this, I would be very open to talking and discussing the truths on which I stand. Here is my personal email: pastorheathwalton@gmail.com . I love you all...there is no hate in my heart. In love, I stand for truth.

The Church: What Have We Become? What Are We To Be?

    

     I was reading Scripture this morning, and I was reflecting on what it means to be the Church. Then I began reading another book by Jim Cymbala [I just finished 'Fresh Faith'] entitled, "Fresh Power," and he began to talk about how people in the church are today. This brought to the point of blogging on what we, the Church, have become and, Biblically, what we are to be.

     Here is what we have become:
1.) The Hiding Church
2.) The Judgmental Church
3.) The Conforming Church

NONE of these please the Lord!
     The 'Hiding' Church is the one that has it's doors closed to any outsiders that are different than them. For example, I have grown up Southern Baptist, and I remain Southern Baptist. Let's be honest, however, historically speaking, we have a bad reputation for not accepting people who look different or are, in a few cases, a different race than the predominant race within the four walls. Sadly, in many churches, if a man came in with tattoos and piercings...people would, possibly unintentionally, avoid him because he looks different. So, how does the hiding church react to things that are not comfortable to them? They shut people out. There is no outreach (except of course for VBS...gotta suffer for Jesus). That was sarcastic, by the way. No one in Scripture are we told to shut people out or hide in cliche' 'holy huddles.'  What should we be? Instead of being a hiding church, we should be a seeking church! The Bible says that the "gates of hell" will not prevail against the Gospel and the Church. No one screams, "CHARGE!" and then closes their gates! That means that we are on the offensive. We are to seek he lost and lead them to the one who saves! Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost! Don't hide your light under a basket! [Matthew 5:14-16]
     The Judgmental Church is your typical legalist churches. They see nonbelievers and, rather than addressing their heart issues, they try to clean them up so that they look good enough to come to Jesus. Problem is...this is totally ludicrous and unbiblical. Legalists live as if they are God. The Church was never called to judge nonbelievers. They are called to rebuke and encourage those in the faith, but not outside of the faith. That means we should quit preaching "Get right," and start preaching the Gospel that Christ died and rose again to seek and save the lost...not the righteous. There is no room for judgmental churches in the body of Christ. [1 Corinthians 5:12] So what should we be? The GRACIOUS Church! Our God is overflowing with grace toward us...so we should be. It was by grace we were saved through faith! People's sin problems will be addressed if Christ captivates their hearts...stop trying to be God, and start serving the Lord His way.
    The third type of church is the conforming church. These are those that live like there is no God. They think Jesus died simply to be an example of how we should tolerate everything within the Church. They scream, "Don't Judge!" They take this as an immunity for not living up to standards that GOD HAS SET for His children. They walk by the flesh while claiming they walk in the Spirit. [Galatians 5 & 6] These are those that often say things like, "I worship at home--just me and Jesus." This really means, "I do what I want and I do not want anyone holding me accountable." They will also say, "I am saved by grace...so I can do what I want." I must respond with, "Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? BY NO MEANS!" The Apostle Paul said this. These are the ones that if you stood them next to a drunk and a sexually promiscuous person--you couldn't tell a difference. Romans 12:2 tells us to no longer conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We have to stop letting Jesus simply influence us and let Him transform us. So what should we be? The Identifiable Church. We should be IN the world not OF the world. That means we are on the move in the world seeking the lost, but we live contrary to the world, so that our actions back up our words.
    The churches that please God are Seeking the Lost, Gracious to the Nonbelievers, and Set Apart from the ways of the world.
-Heath
    

Words of Encouragement Pt. 2

     I have been really struggling to write something of value to our faith family. I have typed so many opening sentences in the hope that I had finally stumbled upon something to say, only to have these hopes dashed with each click of the backspace button. Then I realized...I don't have to say anything. Why not let the Word speak for itself?

     The LORD is my light and my salvation;
  whom shall I fear?
 The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
  of whom shall I be afraid?
 When evildoers assail me
  to eat up my flesh,
 my adversaries and foes,
  it is they who stumble and fall.
 Though an army encamp against me,
  my heart shall not fear;
 though war arise against me,
  yet I will be confident.
 One thing have I asked of the LORD,
  that will I seek after:
 that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
  all the days of my life,
 to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
  and to inquire in his temple.
 For he will hide me in his shelter
  in the day of trouble;
 he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
  he will lift me high upon a rock.
 And now my head shall be lifted up
  above my enemies all around me,
 and I will offer in his tent
  sacrifices with shouts of joy;
 I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
  be gracious to me and answer me!
 You have said, “Seek my face.”
 My heart says to you,
  “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
  Hide not your face from me.
 Turn not your servant away in anger,
  O you who have been my help.
 Cast me not off; forsake me not,
  O God of my salvation!
 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
  but the LORD will take me in.
 Teach me your way, O LORD,
  and lead me on a level path
  because of my enemies.
 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
  for false witnesses have risen against me,
  and they breathe out violence.
 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
  in the land of the living!
 Wait for the LORD;
  be strong, and let your heart take courage;
  wait for the LORD!
(Psalm 27 ESV)

A Disciple of Christ

    

 The trend in the American Church is to boast in our respective churches, worship centers, pastors, financial stability, numerical growth, etc...the problem is that this is not Biblical. We are not to boast in our strengths, but our weaknesses. We are not to boast in ourselves, but in Christ. Christ is the only one worthy of praise and adoration. We, the Church, are called to be Disciples of Christ. We are not called to be disciples of our pastor. We are not called to be disciples of our faith families, but of Christ. Christ said, "Follow ME." My prayer for our particular faith family is that we abandon our faith in anything other than Christ. Pastors come and go. Buildings eventually crumble. Finances are fleeting. Scores of people go from church to church as the wave of trends carry them. The grass withers, and the flowers fall away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.  Let's follow HIM.

Here is My God



I saw a post on twitter that made me think about our church. We should not say, "God, here are my problems." We should say, "Problems, here is my God." Likewise, we should not ask, "God, have you seen my fears...my insecurities..my trials...my tribulations?" We should ask, "Fears...insecurities...trials....tribulations....have you seen my God?" Our faith should be without doubt. What do I mean by doubt? In concept, it's like you have two lists...a "Things God can do" list and a "Impossibilities" list. To summarize an idea out of scripture, God basically says, "Crumble up and throw out the 'impossibilities' list...nothing is impossible with me." This is why I am not fearful of our future. In the words of Chris Tomlin, "I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side. The one who reigns forever--he is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side."



After mourning comes the morning

Within scripture, 'the morning' is symbolically used in significant ways. The morning represents newness, refreshment, revival, renewed zeal, and a renewed sense of joy. Yet, often times, morning is mentioned after the night. The Night or Darkness is often representative of trial, tribulation, sorrow, or a time of mourning. In my life, the morning has come. The past few days, I have felt (figuratively and literally) like an insomniac who waits impatiently for sleep. I felt like I have been stumbling about in the dark. In my head, I feel like--a few times-- that I walked outside and gazed at the night sky, and screamed at the heavens, "Hurry up already!" Yesterday-- in a spiritual, emotional, and physical way-- God finally gave me rest. Better yet, the rest was probably always there...I just decided to finally go to the one who gives us rest. I was awakened to his mercies that are new every morning. I saw His glory revealed as visible as a sun rising above the trees. I felt a divine peace cover me. The joy came with the morning. Psalm 30 says,

 "I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
  and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
  and you have healed me.
 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
  you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
  and give thanks to his holy name.
 For his anger is but for a moment,
  and his favor is for a lifetime.
 Weeping may tarry for the night,
  but joy comes with the morning.
 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
  “I shall never be moved.”
 By your favor, O LORD,
  you made my mountain stand strong;
 you hid your face;
  I was dismayed.
 To you, O LORD, I cry,
  and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
 “What profit is there in my death,
  if I go down to the pit?
 Will the dust praise you?
  Will it tell of your faithfulness?
 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
  O LORD, be my helper!”
 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
  you have loosed my sackcloth
  and clothed me with gladness,
 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

I hope that this becomes a source of comfort and encouragement for you...to know that after mourning comes the morning.

The Source of Revival

Contrary to what some may think...the revival that we have seen in our faith family does not leave with the pastor. Countless churches see decline and separation after a pastor leaves. Maybe it is the lack of the normal leadership. Maybe it is because of the wound that is caused when a pastor leaves. Honestly, I think it may be because our hope is placed in the pastor, rather than the one calls and sends the pastor. At our church, we have been experiencing the awesome power of a natural revival that is born of God. Therein lies the truth that I want to point out and encourage our family to remember...revival is BORN OF GOD not Man. A pastor can't cause revival. Only God initiates revival. Our pastor was used in our particular church as an instrument of the Lord that sounded the call to repent of selfish ways and to seek the face of God through prayer and Bible study. Now, I believe, God is saying, "He's done what he was called to do...let's see if you place your trust in him or in Me."
     For those who are angry--who has known the mind of the Lord, and who has been His counsel? I trust that God has called our pastor to a new endeavor for the advancement of His kingdom.

     For those who (understandably) upset--Deuteronomy 31:8- "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

    For those who are fearful of our future--Isaiah 41:10- fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Let us continue seeking the face of God. Let us continue crying out to Him in prayer. Let us not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Read Slowly and Pray for Wisdom.

FAMILY--Meditate upon this...read it, ask God for clarity and revelation through His word. This is 1 Peter 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

To my faith family.

To my faith family, "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken...For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." These segments of Psalm 62 have come alive for me today, because now--more than ever before that I can recall in 25 years--my faith is being refined. As seen in Malachi 3:3, for something like silver or gold--things of "worth"--to be refined, they must be put through the fire. I want my faith to be found to be something of "worth" to God. I want it to be found genuine. I want it to be found pleasing. When I draw my last breath, I want my faith to be found spot and blemish free, not because of what I have done, but because of what Christ has done. I want Christ to perfect my faith. I have prayed to God, "Lord, make me rely on you." What a prayer to pray! Many will say do not pray for patience...because God will test you. If that be the case, the ABSOLUTELY pray for patience! Ask God to put you through fire! I absolutely encourage you to pray, "Lord, make me rely on you." There is a false statement that says, "The Lord will never put you through anything you can't handle." The correct statement, "The Lord will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle." This statement means that Christ always provides a way out of temptation; but as for allowing to go through things we can't handle--HE ABSOLUTELY WILL ALLOW IT. God delights, not in our sufferings, but in our faithfulness. God will put you through trials you can't handle so that you may be refined and find it completely necessary to rely solely on Him. Many know what I am writing in reference to...some do not. That's ok. That's how it should be. Just know this...for God alone, my soul waits in silence. My salvation comes from him! This includes justification, sanctification, and glorification. He alone is the rock of my salvation. He alone is my rock, my strength, my stronghold. I will not be shaken. I am striving to trust in Him at all times. My prayer is that the people in my faith family will continue to pour out your heart before Him. That we will continue to trust in Him at ALL times. He is our refuge. I am so glad that God has brought me to Sargent Baptist. Here's to many years more. -Your brother, Heath