Kimberly D. Henderson~ I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain. And I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine. I would have pulled David out. Out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence. Out of the caves he hid away in. Out of the pain of rejection. And I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king. I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her only family. Out of being placed in a position she never asked for. Out of the path of a vicious, power-hungry foe. And I would have cheated a people out of the woman God would use to save their very lives. And I would have pulled Jesus off. Off of the cross. Off of the road that led to suffering and pain. Off of the path that would mean nakedness and beatings, nails and thorns. And I would have cheated the entire world out of a Savior. Out of salvation. Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more pain. And oh friend. I want to pull you out. I want to change your path. I want to stop your pain. But right now I know I would be wrong. I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and cheating the world out of so much good. Because God knows. He knows the good this pain will produce. He knows the beauty this hard will grow. He’s watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of this. And He’s promising you that you can trust Him. Even when it all feels like more than you can bear. So instead of trying to pull you out, I’m lifting you up. I’m kneeling before the Father and I’m asking Him to give you strength. To give you hope. I’m asking Him to protect you and to move you when the time is right. I’m asking Him to help you stay prayerful and discerning. I’m asking Him how I can best love you and be a help to you. And I’m believing He’s going to use your life in powerful and beautiful ways. Ways that will leave your heart grateful and humbly thankful for this road you’ve been on. Kimberly D. Henderson, 2017 ©

A worthwhile Resolution Yes indeed, today is a good time to talk about a worthwhile resolution. It is found in Luke 15:18. The outline comes from a 1962 sermon by C.M. Ward. Here is what it says: “I will arise and go to my father”. Short and sweet but it was the prodigal sons only option if he wanted to survive. You can’t drift into heaven. It is a choice. Heaven is a choice. You can drift into a lost eternity, but you can’t drift into heaven. No one can make that decision for you. No church and no government can make that choice for you. You and you alone have to make that choice. God has not left us alone in this decision. He is ever willing to help whosoever will. A worthwhile Resolution Yes indeed, today is a good time to talk about a worthwhile resolution. It is found in Luke 15:18. The outline comes from a 1962 sermon by C.M. Ward. Here is what it says: “I will arise and go to my father”. Short and sweet but it was the prodigal sons only option if he wanted to survive. You can’t drift into heaven. It is a choice. Heaven is a choice. You can drift into a lost eternity, but you can’t drift into heaven. No one can make that decision for you. No church and no government can make that choice for you. You and you alone have to make that choice. God has not left us alone in this decision. He is ever willing to help whosoever will. First, God has given each one of us a conscience The conscience is the umpire. We all know the difference between right and wrong. Second, we have the Bible. The most published yet the least read. According to Dr. Tony Evans it spells out the kingdom agenda. When nations honor God, He honors them. Germany learned that lesson during the middle of the last century. Third, God provided His son. His birth was a fact. His death, burial and resurrection are all fact. Why, because for God so loved the world that He gave his Son. John 3:16 the most memorized verse of the Bible. There is no gospel without Him.  Fourth, we have God’s providence. There is no good or bad luck. Life is not controlled by blind unreasonable fate, astrology, tea leaves, crystal balls or Ouija board. God has been there the whole time. Friends, our circumstances are in the hand of God. Fifth, we have the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that holds back the corruption and moral rebellion of this world. He brings to memory a parent’s prayer, a verse of scripture. Let me close with this scripture Psalm 139:16 and here is what it says: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”.   We all have an expiration date; so maybe we all should listen to the small still voice that is stirring us.   Have a Summer. As much as God has not retired; in the midst of all that is going on: He is there all the time”.   Pastor Ric