Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, or idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NKJV, emphasis added

In my last post I posed the question, “Are you in the Word, or in the world?” I would like to continue looking at that subject by giving consideration to, what I think, is one of the most graphic passages of Scripture that speaks to this important matter. Please note that this passage selection begins with a question posed by the Apostle Paul: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” This is a question of grave importance. We must give it its proper place in our understanding of salvation.

There are those who believe that it is possible to live lifestyles that are diametrically opposite to the clear teachings of the Bible and still have a saving relationship with God. But Paul makes it abundantly clear that this is not possible. Listen again to the abbreviated list given by Paul: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. He certainly could have added many more examples to this list, but these show clearly that there are certain lifestyles and behaviors that will ban individuals who practice them from entering the kingdom.

And take special note of the words that follow Paul’s opening question: “Do not be deceived.” Multitudes today are duped and deceived by the spirit of the world. and the deceptive work of the devil. The worldly mindset is that the lifestyles mentioned in this text are completely acceptable to God, and the devil wants nothing more than to deceive as many as possible into believing that lie.

As I have said in several blogs in the past, I respect anyone’s right to embrace any lifestyle they choose, but they should not buy into the lie that they can live these lifestyles and have a personal relationship with God. They will not enter the kingdom of God and will be separated from Him forever.

But there is hope! Paul gives an assertion that should breathe hope into the heart of anyone who has chosen to live in these cursed lifestyles: “And such were some of you.” Note carefully the tense of the verb: were, past tense. They had lived these types of lifestyles in the past, but no more. They had repented, turned from these lifestyles that are clearly condemned in the Bible.

I have many friends who have chosen to live one of these lifestyles. They are living in relationships that are clearly condemned by the teachings of Scripture. Jesus Christ died to pay the awful penalty for our sin, and anyone who will turn to Him in repentance and faith can and will be removed from the list of those who are banned from the kingdom of God to that of those who have a wonderful heavenly home awaiting them when they pass from this earth.

We were all at one time in that category of those who were banned from God’s kingdom. Before being born into God’s family through the saving work of Jesus Christ we were all banned to eternity separated from God. But by His grace, we were removed from those who are condemned to those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah – what a Savior.

Today – this day – before you close your eyes for a night of rest, make sure that you are in the category of “such were some of you.”

Until next time:

Blessings!

I’m happy to hear you’ve been reading the Word
And spending time to study and learn
I’m glad for all the hours you have spent on your knees
Instead of wondering just which way you should turn
You tell me meditation is what the world needs
I reckon what you’re saying is true
I was glad when I heard you’re getting into the word
But is word getting into you?

Lyrics to “Into the Word” by the Gaither Vocal Band, from their CD, “Passing the Faith Along”

The Bible tells us that believers are to live in the world, without being of the world. This is such a vital concept for us to understand. We live in the world; we work in the world; we have relationships with individuals in the world; we conduct business in the world; everything we do is done in the world,

But, even though we live in the world, we are not to be of the world. We are to be distinctly different. Our lives should bear testimony to the fact that we are children of God. We should take the admonition to be like Jesus seriously.

Not to be overly critical, but it seems to me that many who profess to have a relationship with Jesus Christ are much too friendly with the world. Cultural and societal pressures seem to be pressing many into the mold of worldly thinking, worldly acting, and worldly behavior. Instead of turning to the Bible for guidance and direction, many turn to the ways of the world in their decision-making processes.

It appears that many have succumbed to the temptation to walk in step with the world rather than in step with the Word of God. We can readily recognize what may be referred to as the “big” aberrations: adultery, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, etc. But sometimes we fail to recognize the seriousness of ALL sinful activities and actions that are not in alignment with the Word of God. Our attitudes and actions should be consistent with the instructions given in the Bible, and yet many seem to get their instructions from worldly advice and advisors.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of several issues – cultural and societal practices of His day – which powerfully illustrate this point. He spoke of murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, seeking retaliation, proper ways of displaying our love, and the right spirit in doing charitable deeds. He compared and contrasted the teachings of the Old Testament with how those teachings were understood in His day. And what He said about each would have been revolutionary to the people who heard, and read, what He said.

In essence He was saying clearly that their way of thinking about these issues was completely wrong. They were embracing worldly thinking rather than Biblical thinking. Jesus said that it is not only the outward action, but the inner attitude, that determined the sincerity of a person’s faith relationship with God. He said that we should not only not commit murder, but that our inner attitude should be that we never hate another with the desire to kill them. We should not only not commit adultery, but we should not look with lustful thoughts on another person.

Jesus’ teaching went further and deeper than the teachings of the religious leaders of His day. They focused on outward action, but Jesus went straight to the heart. Our behavior should be based on the teachings of the Bible, not only in outward displays of righteousness, but with outward actions that are determined by inner commitment. The Pharisees displayed outward righteousness, and Jesus blasted them for their hypocrisy. He also admonished all who would follow Him to live life with the right actions that are based on the right attitudes which are developed by walking in step with the guiding principles of Scripture.

We all need to be in step with Him when we are faced with decisions that are culturally and societally in opposition to the clear teachings of the Bible. Let’s strive to be in the world, shining the light of His love to the world, but never darkened by the world.

Remember: If theBible says it, that settles it. Period!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV

Decisions, decisions, decisions! We make dozens of them every day. From the silly to the serious; from the laughable to the life-altering; from the thoughtless to the thought-provoking. Many, perhaps most, we make without any thought at all. Some we make out of pure habit, without having to give any time to the decision. But others, many others, we make only after giving them much thought and consideration.

It is possible to give the seemingly small decisions an undue amount of thought, while making important decisions recklessly. Last night I spent time thinking about the subject matter for this blog post. This morning, I made the decision to write about decision making. Right now, as I write, I am thinking about what to eat for breakfast. I have made the decision to eat a bowl of cereal, so I am going to take a break from finishing this blog post to eat.

I have now finished eating, but while eating I decided to do several other things before returning to the task of finishing this blog. I won’t bore you with the details, but the simple point is, life is filled with decisions. One right after the other, continuously, all day, every day. So my question is, how does all this fit in with the two verses quoted above? How am I to acknowledge God in all my ways? Am I to pray about every decision, or just the big ones?

There is a passage in the Epistle of James that might shed some light on this matter. Read the following carefully and prayerfully:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16, NKJV

If we think about these passages from Proverbs and James in conjunction with each other, then perhaps a little light will be shed on this matter of decision making. If we commit ourselves to the Lord, leaning on Him for guidance and understanding, then our day-to-day decisions will be made out of that dependence. We will sense His presence, and He will have access to our minds and wills so that He can freely give us guidance as we make decisions and choices.

James warns us against acting presumptuously without giving any thought to the will of God. We may make decisions that we feel are of our best interest only to find that we have made a disastrous choice that adversely affects the rest of our life.

The clear admonition is to commit our lives to Him, seeking Him in all we do, submitting ourselves to His will, acknowledging our dependence upon Him, and leaning on His understanding. As we habitually do this, we will find that He will give us clear direction as we go through our daily lives, and that wonderful peace of God will settle our minds and hearts as we walk together with Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13, NKJV

Temptation. As Paul says in the verse quoted above, temptation is the common lot of humanity. It is real; it is powerful; it is personal; it is deceptive; it is destructive. So, what are we to do when we experience temptation? How are we to deal with it, defeat it? What safeguards can we put in place to aid us when temptation comes?

First of all, it is imperative that we understand the fact that temptation is real. There is an alluring, tantalizing, drawing power as temptation does its work on the individual. And, it must be understood that temptation comes from a wide variety of sources. We can be tempted from our own sinful nature, or by other people who invite us to engage in sinful activity, or from the enticements of worldliness, or from Satanic assault. But the fact of the matter is that temptation is real, and we must protect ourselves from its onslaught.

Second, we must realize that the alluring power of temptation can seem insurmountable. If we are not careful, and allow ourselves to be in compromising situations, we then open ourselves up to temptation. If I know that I have the tendency to give in to temptation in certain places, or with certain people, then I need to stay away from those places and people. But so often we put ourselves in positions or places in which we can easily be led into sinful activities because we put ourselves in the wrong places with the wrong people.

Third, it is important to remember that temptation always looks good. Have you ever noticed how deceptive temptation is to you, personally? That thought that just one time wouldn’t hurt, or that it wouldn’t really affect anyone else if I engaged in this activity, or that it sure would be nice to do that, or that this could prove to be a worthwhile investment of my time, energy and resources.

Think about a few Biblical examples of individuals who gave in to the alluring appearance of temptation: Eve ate of the forbidden fruit; Achan took of the accursed spoils of Jericho; the people of Israel rejected God because they wanted to be like the other nations; King Saul gave in to the temptation to compromise the clear instructions from God; Ananias and Saphira lied about a certain amount of money they had contributed; and so many others. They all thought their actions would bring a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, but each resulted in destruction.

But let’s remember that Paul teaches clearly that temptation can be defeated. God always provides a means of escape. If I walk in the Spirit of God, then I can withstand the onslaught of temptation, regardless of the source of that temptation’s origin.

To guard ourselves against falling to temptation, we need to practice Christian disciplines: spend time in prayer, engage in Bible study, have an accountability partner, fellowship with other believers, practice personal and group discipleship, etc.

Temptation is the common lot of the human family, but it does not have to win. We are enabled by the grace of God with all we need to overcome those desires that are contrary to the teachings of Scripture.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Ravages of Sin and the Power of Prayer

Do prayers ever go unanswered? Does God ever let us languish in the anxiety of waiting for an answer to a prayer we have been praying for days, or weeks, or months, or even years? Is God obligated to answer our prayers according to our timetable, or according to our desired outcome?

This is perhaps one of the most difficult theological conundrums Christians face. Why does God not answer our prayers the way we hoped He would? Why does He allow the illness to linger? Why does He allow the suffering to persist? Why does He allow the wayward child to continue down that black hole of depravity? Why doesn’t He salvage the marriage? Why? Why? Why?

Some would even raise the question as to why we should pray at all. Is there any reason to maintain a consistent prayer life? Is there any hope to receive the answer we desire when we have seen so many prayers end in a most undesirable way. We pray for the healing of the disease, but it not only lingers, it actually worsens. The suffering grows more intense. The pain continues its debilitating work on our frail bodies. The wayward child continues to walk down that path of self-destructive behavior. That marriage partner continues in his/her infidelity.

If we believe the Bible’s clear and consistent teaching about the power of God, and if we embrace the Bible’s emphasis on the immensity of the love of God, then why is His power not motivated by His love to intervene? Does the Bible not teach that He does indeed have the power to heal all manner of disease? We have so many explicit examples of healing in Scripture. If He could do it for one, could He not do it for all? In the Old Testament we have examples of God intervening on behalf of His chosen people Israel by defeating nations that were out to completely destroy them. Could not He intervene today to alleviate the tensions that exist between nations?

This is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. And it is nothing new. This matter of grave perplexity has been around from the beginning of creation. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, humanity has suffered the ravages of the horrific effects of sin. Sickness, suffering of all kind, murders, rapes, wars, are all results of the fall. God has brought about the plan of redemption which gives sinful man the opportunity to be saved from the penalty of sin, but not from the products of sin. We live in a sinful world, filled with sinful people, who commit atrocious sinful acts.

But still, could God not circumvent the ravages of sin, and right the wrongs of the world? There is a classic answer to that question found in the prophecy of Daniel. Those three young Hebrew boys – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – knew the answer. When told by the king that if they refused to bow down and worship a golden image the king had ordered to be worshiped they would be thrown into a raging, fiery furnace. Their response to the king gives us some insight in how we are to face the difficulties and dilemmas life might throw at us along the way.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, Of king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18

Their faith was in the power of God, and undoubtedly in the love of God. They trusted that God would do what was right. Their faith led them to believe that God could deliver them, and that He would deliver them from the hand of the king. This faith led them to entrust themselves to His care and keeping, regardless of the outcome.

Prayer is the vehicle through which we give our requests to God, believing that He does indeed have the power to remove the problem, while at the same time resting peacefully in His loving embrace knowing that His will is best, and our lives are to bear testimony to His grace and goodness as we lay our requests at His feet and trust Him for His desired purposes to be fulfilled.

Until next time:

Blessings!

For those of us who are avid football fans – whether high school, or college, or pro – excitement is in the air as we contemplate the beginning of a new season. We have our favorite teams which we hope will make it all the way to the big game. We watch with keen interest as the prognosticators give their predictions as to which teams they think will have the best chance of making it to the championship. Every week we watch, hoping that our team will be one of the few that will be true contenders.

I remember when I was serving at Lochwood Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, years ago that every Sunday afternoon we would have a house full of young men who would gather to watch the Dallas Cowboys play. It would be an afternoon filled with tension as we watched the game. It was during the years of the Cowboys dynasty, the decade of the 90’s, when the ‘Boys won three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Those were exciting times, to be sure. But, alas, those were the last years of the ‘Boys days of glory.

There was one Sunday afternoon when, for some reason, the usual crowd did not gather at our house to watch the game. Teresa and I were home alone. That afternoon, Teresa did the unthinkable – she actually took a nap during the game! The audacity; the unmitigated gaul! How could she? So, I was left to watch the game alone. It was a game filled with lead changes, as the teams’ offense ran roughshod over the opponent’s defense. It became obvious that the team with the final possession of the ball would in all likelihood win the game. The Cowboys were down by four points with under two minutes left in the game. They received the kick-off after the opponents scored to take the four-point lead. Troy Aikman began the methodical two-minute offense, with passes to Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. The clock had trickled down to only a few seconds, just enough time to try for one last pass to the end-zone. The ball was snapped, Aikman dropped back, Irvin ran down the sideline, taking a healthy lead over the defender. Aikman threw the ball – a long, high spiral that fell over the shoulder of the defender, right into the outstretched arms of Irvin. It was a thing of sheer beauty. Irvin craddled the ball in his arms, doing all he could to secure it as he made his way toward the endzone for the game-winning touchdown.

However, he did not realize how dangerously close he was to the sidelines when he caught the pass. As he brought the ball down and cradled it in the crook of his elbow, his left foot slipped out of bounds on the five-yard line. The clock ran out. Game over. Cowboys lose!

Without realizing what I was doing, I found myself standing in the middle of our living room, screaming to the top of my lungs, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I was distraught, sickened, stunned, shocked.

But a short while later, as I contemplated my childish behavior, a thought came to my mind. How could I let myself get so caught up in a football game? How could I be so excited about a football game? And then, the question came to mind, “Are you as excited about your relationship with Jesus Christ as you are about a football team?” Pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I am an avid Cowboys fan. I enjoy talking about them with my family and friends. I enjoy rehashing game highlights with those who share my love for the game.

But, am I as excited about Jesus? Am I as quick to tell people of my love for Him as I am to share my commitment to a football team? I want people to know that Jesus Christ is my first and foremost priority in life. I want to be a vocal and visible witness for Him every opportunity that comes my way.

Yes, I am going to keep pulling for the Cowboys – I’ve been doing it for over 60 years now and see no reason to stop at this point. But Jesus Christ came into this world to die in my place, to pay the penalty for my sin, to provide redemption through His shed blood, and to secure for me a home in heaven through His victory over death, hell and the grave.

So, I will tell people about Him. He deserves my total allegiance, and I pray that I will always be faithful in sharing His love with others.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Fifty days, 9676 miles, 23 states, seven national parks – an amazing journey as we celebrated our 50th anniversary with this 50-day trip. We have been blessed with unbelievably good weather – only one episode of rain while driving as we made our way across the panhandle of Texas and one hailstorm while stopped and set up at one of our many camping locations. We have seen so many beautiful sights as we have witnessed the changing terrain across our great nation. For us, it has truly been a trip of a lifetime.

Again I would like to thank all those who have followed along with us through the pictures I have posted on Facebook, and through the blog posts I have published over these seven weeks of travel. You have truly blessed us as you have “liked” and made comments of my photography. Teresa and I will have all these pictures to look back on in time to come, and through those pictures be able to relive, to some degree, these days of travel.

We have traveled across some of the flattest land imaginable in the states of Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. We have seen the towering mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, and the lush rolling mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. And, so very much more.

As I think about what we have seen, I am also reminded of people we have met. I have introduced you to several of these in previous posts. People from all walks of life, from all parts of the globe, speaking many different languages, their skin tinted with different shades of brown, white, yellow, black, and red.

All this reminds me of what an awesome God we serve! There is such diversity in every aspect of His majestic creation, and yet, at the same time, there is such amazing consistency. There are stark changes in the terrain as one crosses from one region of the country to another. For example, consider this picture of the flowing sand dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, with the towering Rocky Mountains looming just behind.

And yet, in the midst of all this diversity we see the amazing consistency with which it remains the same. When we gaze into the heavens on a star-lit night, we see stars that have been, and continue to be, in a locked pattern in the skies. When Teresa and I gazed into the depths of the Grand Canyon, we saw what evolutionists describe as a marvel which has been millions, if not billions of years in the making. But for the one who holds to the Biblical account in Genesis, he sees a marvel of God’s creative activity.

Consistency. Things remain the same. Yes, the earth has gone through periods of change, but in the broad spectrum of things, it has remained consistent. Let me close by making one final observation. As mentioned earlier in this post, we have met many people, from many places, with many observable differences, such as skin color, language spoken, cultural distinctions, etc., but in all of my observations I have noticed only two biological sexes – male and female. I have never seen an “other”. Biologically, we are all born either man, or woman. There is a consistency to God’s creation.

When Teresa and I visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY, and saw the representation of animal life on the ark, I was reminded of the diversity of species of animals, but I also witnessed the amazing consistency of those species of animals from then until now. A dog then is the same as a dog now. A cat cannot choose to be something other than a cat – it is what it is. And in the cat family, a cat will always be a cat. And, remarkably, God instructed Noah to take a pair, male and female, of each animal for the purpose of procreation. Had Noah decided to take a pair of males or a pair of females, then, well, that particular animal would no longer exist. It takes a male and a female to keep the species going.

I have said in many previous blog posts that I respect anyone’s right to choose whatever lifestyle they desire, but I also have suggested that we all accept the fact that we were born as a male, or a female. We should not try to come up with an alternate explanation for our personal preferences and desires by insisting that we are an aberration to the natural birth assignment of our sexuality.

Instead, let’s all praise the God of all creation for His amazing work of diversity in the midst of His continual work of consistency. The Apostle Paul says something very interesting concerning this matter. I will close with this quote from his letter to the Colossians.

For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Colossians 1:16-17, NKJV (emphasis added)

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

Blessings!

Teresa and I have now traveled over 7200 miles. We have approximately 2000 more to go before we arrive at home in about 10 days. We have seen so much, and have been blessed so greatly to have made this once in a lifetime trip, celebrating our 50 years of marriage.

One thing we do as we begin each day is to pray that God would bring us across the path of individuals with whom we can share our faith. We ask that He would help us let our lives shine for His glory, and we have been amazed and blessed to see how He has answered those prayers.

But yesterday, while enjoying our last day in Glacier NP, I was sitting by the lake at Many Glaciers Lodge waiting for our time to ride the boat across the lake, at which point we would catch another boat to tour a second lake. I was practicing my action photography as boaters and kayakers made their way around the beautiful lake.

There were six adults sitting at a table next to ours, and one of the gentlemen asked me what I was photographing, to which I replied, “Nothing in particular. Just practicing.” But, I had just a few minutes before taken a few shots of a moose across the lake. He asked if he could see the photo, to which I gladly shared with him and the others with him a photo I had taken.

This led to a conversation that started with a photograph, and ending with a great discussion of our mutual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We discussed the plight of the church in America, and our desire to see God do a great work of spiritual renewal. This conversation went on for quite a while, with Teresa and I sharing with them the reason for our journey, and some details of where we had already been and where we were yet to go.

But then, Teresa and I were blessed to hear one of the gentlemen say, “Could we pray for you?” Then, right there in front of those sitting around at other tables and benches, as well as those passing by, he prayed the most beautiful prayer, thanking God for the 50 years of marriage we were celebrating, asking for God’s continued safety as we would continue our journey, and asking for God’s continued and consistent blessings on the future of our life together.

Needless to say, we were truly touched and blessed. Just as we had been trying to be a blessing to others, God decided to turn the tables and let us be on the receiving end. Now don’t get me wrong, we have been blessed beyond measure on this trip, but that was a special kind of blessing that God surprised us with.

Let me close this post with a heartfelt thank you for all the kind words many of you have shared about my photography. It has been a joy to take all those pictures (many, many more than you have seen!), and Teresa and I will enjoy them for years to come. But please know that every “like” and every comment have meant so much to me and Teresa.

I will share some more of the pictures of our last day in Glacier, and hope you enjoy them. Until next time…

Blessings!

This has been an absolutely amazing journey. We have now traveled almost 6000 miles, have now seen so many sights that I honestly cannot remember all that we have seen and done without visual or written reminders, and have experienced so much more than we could have ever dreamed. This country (and we have only seen a fraction of all there is to see) is a beautiful place, with so much diversity. Even inside Yellowstone NP there are mountains and valleys, canyons and cauldrons, hot springs and snowcapped peaks. All that, and more, within the confines of one national park.

Teresa and I have dreamed of taking a trip of this nature for years, and now that we are well over halfway through this trip of a lifetime we are truly astounded by what we have seen, the people we have met, and the truly majestic beauty of the parts of our nation we have been blessed to travel. As I write this post we are in West Glacier, MT, where we are visiting Glacier National Park.

But an even more amazing journey is the journey of life over these past 50 years. Teresa and I have been blessed beyond measure as we have traveled the road of life together. There have been times of great joy, and seasons of deep sorrow. There have been moments of sheer delight, and moments of overwhelming distress. We have shared times of exuberant happiness, while chapters of our lives have been filled with days of darkness and despair.

We have been blessed with three children – Bryan, Joshua, and Charity. They have now blessed us with six grandchildren – Gaige, Trinity, Jayden, Luke, Levi, and Luna.

We have known so many who have not made it as far as we have in this journey. Some of our acquaintances from our high school days have seen their marriages end by some means. Many have been divorced, others have lost a spouse through death. Then, there are others who have traveled this path of life for much longer periods of time than we have. We have met several couples on our anniversary trip who have been married for well over 50 years, and we celebrate with them just as they celebrated with us.

Fifty years seems like such a long time, and I guess in many ways it is just that. But, as we now celebrate that milestone, looking back over those many years of marriage, it seems like a blink of the eye. Where did all that time go? And as we look ahead, wondering what the future holds for us in this journey of life, we know that the time we have left is much less than the time we have already experienced in this journey of life. And we want to make the most out of the time we have left.

So, that brings me to the main emphasis of this blog. As amazing as this 50-day journey has been, and as amazing as our 50 years of marriage have been, the most amazing journey began on September 13, 1977: the day Teresa and I were gloriously saved by the grace of God.

At that point of our marriage, we had decided to part ways. Divorce seemed to be the only way out of our misery, as I had made the decision that I simply wanted to play the drums in a rock band. Nothing else mattered to me. Being married did not seem to fit very well with my personal dreams and desires. So, we were discussing how we would part ways.

It was at that point of our lives that God graciously broke through the mess I had made of our marriage, drew us unto Himself by the working of the Holy Spirit, made us realize that our only true hope in this life was a relationship with Jesus Christ, and saved us by His amazing grace. And since that day, almost 46 years ago, we have been traveling the most amazing journey of all. We have served in ministry together for the majority of those years since being born into the family of God.

As we now draw closer to the end of this 50-day journey, we also realize that we are drawing closer to the end of our journey on this side of eternity. As much as I hate to think about it, there will come the day when one of us will stand beside a freshly dug grave, saying good-bye to the mate we have shared life with and now leave behind. But, since becoming children of God we know that this journey will not end with physical death. This journey will continue on, forever!

May I end with a word of encouragement? If you are not already a born-again child of God, then this life is really all you have to look forward to. Eternity, for you, will not be a place of fellowship with a loving Savior, Jesus Christ, but will be a place of eternal torture, separated from God in hell. However, if you do as Teresa and I did those many years ago, on September 13, 1977, then you, too, will enjoy the most amazing journey of all.

Blessings!