Lost but Found

Scripture:
Psalm37:1-9
Luke 5:1-10

I remember one anniversary Nancy and I went downtown Atlanta to the Aquarium.  Finding the place was easy.  We had a wonderful time looking at all the fish talking about this and that.  As we left the parking lot I missed a turn.  We never saw the signs directing us back to the interstate.  We drove around aimlessly unable to find our way out.  Finally we found a police officer and asked directions to the interstate.  He told us where to go and even led the way through a few turns to ensure we made it.

How often in our lives do we miss a turn without even realizing it?  We suddenly find ourselves off track wandering around aimlessly through life.  The good news is God is waiting to show us the way.  John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’”  Also in John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  The Holy Spirit was sent to us after Jesus ascended to heaven.  The Holy Spirit is our guide.  Just as the police officer showed Nancy and I the way so will the Holy Spirit.

We are the lost children of God.  He is waiting for us to return to Him.  He has shown us the way and given us a guide.  We just have to decide to return.

Hope is Born in Suffering

Scripture:
Psalm 33:20-22
Romans 5:1-5

Have you had times when it seems you are just running into a brick wall?  Nothing you do seem to make a difference.  No matter what direction you go no matter what you do you cannot make any headway.  All appears lost and it looks hopeless.  At least that is how I feel more times than I care to count.  It is especially difficult in current times.  What is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian? As a Christian we have hope.  Romans 5:3-5(NASB) “…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  Through our faith we gain hope.  James 5:10-11(NIV) “Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”  Just as God was with those in the Bible God is with us.  He will see us through our suffering.  He will be with us till the end.  Our hope is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  He is with us through it all.    Psalm 91:10-11 (NIV):

no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;

As long as we are faithful to God He will be faithful to us.  He is our refuge our shield and strength.  He will guard over us and protect us just as a shepherd protects his flock.  We have hope in Christ.  Hope makes the difference.  It is hope that enables us to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel.   

Call Upon Your "Lawyer"

Scripture:
Romans 8:26-27
Hebrews 11:23-31

If you ever have to deal with any legal proceedings you would hire a lawyer to represent you.  If you are charged with a crime and cannot afford a lawyer you can have one assigned to represent you by the state.  You do have the right to represent yourself should you choose to do so.  Most people would not choose to feebly represent themselves and risk a higher chance of losing.  Your lawyer goes before the judge and the court on your behalf and presents your case. 

In a similar way the Holy Spirit goes before God interceding for us to present our case to Him.  What we would fail on our own the Holy Spirit enables us to overcome and succeed.  Where we are weak the Holy Spirit gives strength.  When we pray we have the Holy Spirit to intercede our prayers and lift them fully to God.  We are so much more because of what we receive through the Holy Spirit.  If you are ever uncertain just remember those in the Bible who came before us.  They took giant leaps of faith.  They succeeded when anyone else would have failed.  What made the difference?  Their faith in God is all they needed.   When you are faced with any challenge too great to handle call upon your “Lawyer” the Holy Spirit to intercede…

Worthy

Scripture:
Ephesians 3:14-21
Philippians 2:25-30

Have you ever felt in adequate for a task?  You just weren’t good enough or smart enough.  I have often felt unworthy.  The question I have asked myself in the past is who am I to do…  To tell the truth I am no one.  It is Christ in me that I can do anything.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit enables us to go far beyond what we could do ourselves.  If we look back on our lives we can see where we fell short.  We can also see where the Holy Spirit picked up where we failed.  Do we open our hearts to Christ?  Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us?  It is through faith that we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  Faith and love gives us hope and God’s peace.  In faith we can read God’s word and through His love we are given understanding.  It is through His love for us that Christ came to save.  It is through His love for us that we are given the Holy Spirit.  God’s love for us is greater than any parent’s love for their child.  We can see the love a mom and dad have for their child.  We need to share God’s love with those around us.  It is through the Holy Spirit that we can share His love with strangers and enemies.  It is through the Holy Spirit we can accomplish anything.  Through faith we can move mountains.  We just need to open up and allow the Holy Spirit access to us and allow Him to work in and through us…

Difficulties and Disappointments

Scripture:
Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph the earthly father of Jesus was faced with a critical decision.  After finding out his fiancée was pregnant just knew she had been unfaithful.  After all it was impossible for her to be pregnant without having been with a man.  She had been unfaithful to him and to God.  He was considering dismissing his wife to be quietly, with as little disgrace as possible.  An angel spoke to Joseph in a dream.  It was now crunch time, to listen to the angel and accept the impossible, or go with the worldly view?  A question we all face from time to time.  As we know Joseph was a man of God and followed God’s will for his life.  Joseph married Mary and raised Jesus as his son. 

When faced with difficult decisions who do we turn to?  Do we listen to God?  So often we just go with the flow or look at things from a worldly perspective.  Instead we need to listen to God.  We need to hear what He is saying to us.  Then it is important to follow His lead.  God’s plan is so much better than ours.  His ways turn out so much better than my ways.  I find if I just wait upon Him things turn out so much better.  The question to ask is how we react to different and disappointing circumstances in our lives.  Do we look at them with worldly views seeking answers from our perspective?  Instead we should seek God’s perspective and look to Him.  Approaching difficulties and disappointments from a Godly perspective will make getting through it a little bit easier.  Through Christ we have hope.  If we have hope we have something to look forward to.  Without hope all is lost…

God is Calling

Scripture:

Judges 6:11-23
Habakkuk 3:17-19

When the chips are down and you feel hurt or disappointed it is important to remember God.  All of us find ourselves dealing with hurt and disappointment.  Everyone goes through hard times and have painful moments in our lives.  What we need to remember that it is not if but when.  That when faced with the pain and hurt or hardships we rely on God.  What makes or breaks us is how we deal with adversity in our lives.  We can clam up and try to shut the world out.  Some people lash out and try to strike back at anyone at all.  Still others will put all blame on someone or something else.  Regardless of how we want to react we need to ask ourselves how we should react.  Habakkuk 3:18 (NASB) gives us the best possible answer “Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” 

Jesus said that he would never leave or forsake us.  He is our foundation and refuge.  Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB) “^28’“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”  Something to keep in mind is that God will provide our needs.  No matter what we are going through and how bad it seems He will be there.  In our times of greatest need God was with us.  Nancy and I have always had our needs met.  We have never been forgotten by God.  There are times though that I have to remind myself that God will provide.  There are still times when I just do not know how we will make it.  When this happens I need to remember Matthew 6:25-30 (NASB):

    ²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

How much more does God do for us?  How much does He give to us?  I know God will provide.  I know He will see me through the hard times and share the good times with me.  So why do I get anxious and worry?  I lose my focus on Him.  I start focusing on the world around me.  Gideon felt unworthy and the least of his family.  Despite of his earthly status God saw him as a mighty warrior who will save his people.  God was with Gideon and provided for him.  God protected him and enabled him.  God was with Gideon in his darkest hours.  God called him to service.  God is with us in our darkest hours.  God is calling us…

Teach Our Children...

Scripture:
Psalm 78

Having children are a huge blessing.  I love each of our kids and I praise God He has given us all five of them.  Even though our lives are busy and seem hectic I wouldn’t trade anyone of them for anything else in the world.  Our responsibility as parents is to raise our children in the ways of God.  It is important for us to teach them about Christ and discipline them in the Lord so that they too will come to know Jesus and have everlasting life.

Psalm 78 shows us how the Jewish people doubted God.  It shows how God provided, guided, and protected them.  Even though God brought them out of Pharaoh’s hands they still doubted and feared.  Because of their sins that first generation was not allowed into the Promised Land.  Even still God provided for them and protected them while they wandered through the wilderness all those years. 

Even when we mess up God is still with us.  We do have to pay the consequences of our mistakes.  Can we learn from the mistakes of the past?  Should we not teach our children so that they will not make the same mistakes?  God is clear in that He wants us to keep His words buried deep in our hearts.  He is just as clear in that we are to pass onto our children His legacy… 

God's Word

Scripture:
Isaiah 55:6-13

The other day I started to listen to 1 Chronicles while I worked.  As it played it sounded to me as if it was droning on and on.  I realized I completely stopped listening to what was being said.  I tuned out the voice reading the verses.  I stopped what I was doing to listen to several verses again.  I realized what I had blocked out was the genealogy of various people in the Bible.  I found it boring and tedious to listen to or to read. 

I asked myself why am I listening to this go on and on.  Who really cares about the genealogy from thousands of years ago?  It didn’t occur to me until I read Isaiah 55:6-13 and the devotion from Our Daily Bread that it sunk in.  Even though we are not bound by the laws of the Old Testament we desperately need it.  The Old Testament is the foundation and history of the New Testament.  Without it we couldn’t have the new covenant with Christ.  By reading and knowing the Old Testament we can understand what the disciples were going through.  What the Jewish people expected when Christ came.  We can see God’s plan unfold through the history of the Bible.  As the Old Testament helps us understand the New Testament we can better understand ourselves today.  God’s word will bring us peace and it will give us life…

Rules & Regulations Blah Blah Blah...

Scripture:
Psalm 121:1-3
Mark 2:23-28

Rules, laws, regulations, everywhere we turn we are surrounded by them.  When Nancy and I first moved to Georgia we considered moving into Peachtree City.  In the end we decided not to.  One of the main reasons where too many too strict regulations.  The thought of not being able to plant a tree or bush or even the opposite was just too much.  Someone once told me that you couldn’t paint your house without getting the colors approved.  Then you only had a week to complete the task.  It was definitely too much for me and I wanted no part of it.

Do we as humans look at God’s rules and laws the same way?  Do we look at them as a chore or burden instead of life giving?  We get the thought of being a Christian as being uptight and not able to have fun.  You cannot do this or that.  Some denominations do not allow drinking, dancing, or other activities.  We focus on being dressed a certain way.  Christians can get so focused on the rules of don’ts we lose sight of what is important.  Jesus tells us this in Mark 2:27 (NIV) “Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”   When we forget our true focus we have a tendency to get off track.

God’s laws are not to restrict our activities.  God’s laws are here to protect us and provide us with abundant peaceful life.  If we choose not to observe the Sabbath what happens?  We will end up working seven days a week.  We forget to take time off just to rest.  So what did God do?  He provided for us a day of rest.  The Sabbath is a day in which to forget about this world and focus solely on Him.  It is a chance for us to rest and recharge.  How many times have you looked at God’s laws as something positive instead of a list of don’ts? 

In the end we must remember that God is the creator of all.  He will be with us and be our helper.  Ask God to help you focus on His laws as being in place for us not us for the laws…

Being Flexible...

Scripture:
Psalm 57:
Proverbs:16-1-3

Everyone goes through hard times.  It seems now more so than ever.  Something I found intriguing is that skyscrapers are built to sway.  I had thought they would have been rigid not moving.  I learned that they are built to give and sway.  I learned this one day when I was on one of the upper floors of the Sears Tower.  I was working on some printers.  It seemed to me that the building was moving.  I made a comment that if I didn’t know better I would have sworn we were moving.  The person I was speaking to said that we are probably swaying slightly back and forth in the high winds.  It was then that I learned the buildings were built that way so that they could withstand the pressures of high winds and shifts in the earth.  If they were built rigid and unmoving they would tumble to the ground.

Our faith is much the same.  If we are unyielding to God’s subtle shifts in our lives we can come crashing down.  We have certain aspects of how we thing things should be.  When God doesn’t fit the bill we have the potential to fall apart, often times we do.  So when hardships come our way instead of being unyielding we must give under God’s gentle prodding’s.  We must never give in or change our core beliefs that are taught in the Bible.  We just need to be flexible with how God interacts in our lives.

Who Am I To...

Scripture:

1 Timothy 1:1 & 12-17

2 Peter 3:10-13

I have often wondered who am I to be doing... I often feel inadequate to the task at hand. I remember after applying for a job anxiously awaited to hear from them. I began to doubt that I would really be qualified for the job. I began to think who am I that they would call me. After talking with a friend I realized I had a lot to offer any company or organization. My confidence began to build up.

As Christians we can take on similar attitudes. Who am I to do... I don't have a theology degree or I am too ignorant. I am too shy or I can't speak. The list of excuses go on and on. We lose site of our credentials and our source of strength. We are all commanded by Christ to go forth into the world spreading the good news of the gospel, Matthew 28:18-20 (NAS)“¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'” The good news is that we are not to go at it alone. We are filled with the Holy Spirit which enables us to do many things that we never thought we could do. Acts 1:4-5 “⁴ Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, 'Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'”

So when in doubt remember two things to help you through. One is Jesus told you to and the second is you are filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

Refocusing

Scripture:

Psalm 13

Colossians 3:1-4

Fear and sorrow can grip us and paralyze us. I remember when I was sixteen being on vacation with my parents. We had driven motorcycles from Chicago into Indiana up through Michigan. We ended up driving the night through all the way to Sault Ste Marie Canada. From there we went around Lake Superior back into the United States. I remember leaving bright and early in the morning heading toward Wisconsin. We had just left town when I crashed the motorcycle. The only thing I could think of, and feared, was my dad yelling at me for crashing. I was so worried about him being mad and yelling at me I didn't feel anything else. It wasn't until I realized he was concerned and not angry that I started to feel the aches and pains from the crash. I feared the worse for nothing. In Psalm 13 David expresses his fears to God. He pleads for Him to intervene. By the end of the Psalm David's focus shifts back to God and his worries slip away.

Since we are new creations in Christ we need to remember to keep our focus on Him. We have been raised anew. Christ is in us and we in Him. 1 John 4:13 “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” Christ has overcome death and is ruler over all. He is bigger than anything else. 1 John 4:4 (NIV) “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” So when we feel the world crashing down on us we need to refocus on the bigger picture. Too often I lose focus and it takes a good friend to put me back on track. Let us encourage one another and help each other refocus on Christ...

Made Perfect In Christ

Scripture:

Luke 6:43-49

James 5:19-20

The third aspect of grace I wish to discuss is what John Wesley calls sustaining or sanctifying grace. John Wesley believed that someone could fall from grace. One thing that is for certain is that there is nothing in all creation that can remove our grace from us. Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) “³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

However, just because grace cannot be taken from us doesn't mean we are allowed to sit back and do nothing. We are to strive to become Christ-Like in all we do. We are to strive for perfection. Granted we will not reach this lofty goal on our own or even here on earth in this life. We must however continuously work toward perfection. 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

In my opinion our sustaining grace is our continuous work toward perfection. It is our daily forgivingness of our sins. Just because we accept Christ as our savior doesn't mean we are no longer in sin. In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches us how to pray and in verses 12-13 we are to pray for forgivingness and to not be put into temptation. Matthew 6:12-13 “¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Grace is free and cannot be taken away from us. We must however continuously be diligent in our faith. It is our duty to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. It is our responsibility to do the work Christ has set before us. It is our goal to be made perfect in Christ. 

Justified By Grace

Scripture:

John 3:16-20

Romans 5:6-11

Justifying Grace is the grace extended to us when we accept Christ as our savior. As Christians we tend to use the label “Born Again” in conjunction with our salvation. Once we acknowledge that Jesus came into this world died for our sins and raised from the dead for our salvation we become new creatures in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Grace is freely given to anyone who is willing to believe and accept.

So why do we have a hard time with justifying grace? In our society we have placed a price tag on the value of any and everything. So how can the best gift of all be free? Simply put grace was not free. It cost the pain and suffering leading to death of one man, the only man to live sin free. He did not have to pay the wages of sin. But Jesus took on our debt and paid the price. At Christmas and on birthdays we give presents to one another. Some presents are costly but when we receive them we do not pay anything for them. Was the cost for the gift free? No there was a price to be paid it is just that someone else paid the price. People will gladly accept these gifts with no questions or hesitations. So why do we falter at accepting the most precious gift? One of my thoughts is because people are blind to the true value and price paid for the gift of Grace. The moment we accept Christ and live by faith in Him we experience justifying grace. Romans 5:18-19 “¹⁸Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Grace & Suffering

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
1 Peter 4:12-19

Grace is a most wonderful thing. It is freely given even before we seek it. John Wesley teaches three parts to grace prevenient or the grace God extends before you are aware of Him. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV) “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Next is Accepting or justifying grace. Finally there is sustaining grace, or sanctifying.

2 Thessalonians speaks of prevenient grace. Prevenient grace is the grace extended to us before we are saved. It is the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts to prepare the way. As stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 God has chosen us from the beginning. He chose us before we were even born.

Even though we are a chosen people we are not promised an easy life. God never said we would live free and easy. In fact Jesus tells us to take up our cross. Luke 9:23-24 (ESV) “²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” 1 Peter 4:12 tells us not to be surprised by trials that come our way. In fact 1 Peter goes on to tell us to rejoice in them.

As hard as it is to do we should be joyful in our circumstances. I have come to the realization that our joy is not so much for the suffering we go through. Instead our joy should come from knowing Christ is with us through all things. Matthew 28:20 “...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." He hasn't forsaken us nor left us. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" Jesus is with us as we suffer. It is His strength that allows us to persevere. Through our perseverance God will be glorified and others can see Christ shine through us. If for no other reason this alone should give us joy.

Spiritual Infants

Scripture:
Nahum 1
1 Peter 2:1-3

It is amazing how fast a baby grows.  They start out totally and completely dependent on mom and dad.  They are fed, clothed, and diapers are changed.  They cry and are held.  What is also amazing is that a baby instinctively knows his or her mom right out of the womb.  There is no doubt or question to who mom is.  As babies grow their diets change from formula or breast milk to baby food.  Have you ever walked down the baby isle in the grocery store?  The choices of food can be overwhelming.  There are several different brands which offer three stages of food.  In each stage there are several varieties of available flavors.  As you go to the more advanced stages the varieties start combining different foods. 

As Christians we start out on the spiritual milk.  We are taught that Jesus loves everyone.  We are taught that anyone can be saved.  The only way into heaven is through Christ.  Simple basic and yet feeds us so we can grow.  1 Corinthians 3:2 “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”   As we grow our spiritual diet will change.  We move on from the formula to the spiritual baby foods.  From there we move on to the spiritual adult foods just as a baby’s diet changes to eventually include regular table food.   Babies grow into toddlers.  Toddlers grow into young children and eventually into Adults.  As Christians we need to spiritually grow from spiritual infants to spiritual adults.  Let our spiritual diets change from milk to the adult food.  

God's Way

Scripture:

Proverbs 3:7-12

Malachi 4:1-6

There is an old country song that speaks about looking for love in all the wrong places and in all the wrong faces. That is not only good for love but wisdom. Too often people seek wisdom from the wrong places. Wisdom and knowledge is something everyone seeks to have. We will seek it just about anywhere. Proverbs 3:7 tells us not to look upon ourselves for it. Instead we need to seek God's wisdom. He will impart upon us wisdom if we just ask. If we will just honor Him and rely on Him He will fill us with His blessings.

I know when I think I am so smart and figure it all out on my own I usually stumble and fall. I end up getting it wrong and making huge monumental mistakes. On the flip side when I trust God and seek His wisdom and knowledge things turn out so much better. I rely on Him to figure it out and just do what He directs. I find in the end it works out much better and I am blessed by it. I keep learning the hard way that God's way is a better way...

Maps and Compassess

Scripture:

Proverbs 3:1-6

1 John 1:5-10

The wonders of modern technology allows us to find our way no matter where we are. Provided you have the right GPS in hand. A friend of mine shared with me a scouting event he went on. They were hiking along a path. Everyone was using their fancy hand held GPS system. He was using his map and land marks. Eventually they came and passed their turn off. He quietly allowed them to continue. After a few miles passed he asked if it was possible they missed their turn off. Everyone was adamant that they were on the right course. When they finally reached the end of the trail everyone realized they missed their turn. The GPS had given them false directions. My friend had relied on tried and true maps, compass, and land marks to find his way.

Satan will do anything to trick us into thinking we are on the right course. Sometimes we do not realize we have strayed. We see and hear new theories and theologizes all the time. People will tell us that the Bible was written a long time ago and is outdated. It wasn't written for our times so we need to make allowances. I have heard people say that when the Bible was written times were different. Things are not the same and therefore those rules do not apply to us. The Bible was written for those people in those times.

The simple truth is the Bible is the word of God. It is truth and is just as valid then as it is now. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We need to make the Bible our Map. The Holy spirit is our Compass. Between the two we will always find our way back to God. When we do make mistakes and get it wrong we need to confess our sins to God. God knows anyway we cannot lie or hide anything from Him. We think we can and we even lie to ourselves and those around us. But God knows all and is all. Unlike the old saying “Only the Shadow knows” God knows. Let us walk in the light of truth using our tried and true compass and map. Let us confess our sins and shine forth to the world that God is truth and that Jesus is the way...