YOU and GOD

He is my nephew, the son of Ellen’s sister and brother-in-law. They are North Carolina “Tar Heels” to the core. Living for the best part of their lives in Asheville, they now live close to where it all began for these descendants of Marvin and Carrie Beshears—in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Jason has lived the life of many an offspring of Christian parents. He is the product, for the most part (grades K-8), of a Christian-school education. He grew up attending fundamental, Bible-preaching churches. He made a profession of faith as a young child, whereupon he followed the Lord in believer’s baptism. He was a good student, an obedient (only) child, and before graduating from high school he had achieved a license to fly a small aircraft, solo. Upon graduating from high school, he attended college and pursued and achieved a license to fly planes commercially. Jason lost his desire to become a commercial pilot, met and married his wife while in his mid-twenties, and fathered two sons, all the while still attending church services.

For the next 20 years, Jason supervised the operation of a popular, family-oriented outdoor amusement park in Orlando. His marriage suffered some rocky, violent storms and eventually ended in divorce. Jason dropped out of church and, for several years in the early 2000s, “lived as though there was no God.” He drank alcohol but says, for him, it was not an addiction but only a “means to an end.” He devolved for several years deep into sin, abandoning his fellowship with God and burying, or trying to bury, any moral moorings that he had once adhered to for stability in his life. He was valued by his employer, made lots of money during those years, and traveled extensively—all in pursuit of some fulfillment which, of course, was always still awaiting him. He never was happy, and there was some sense that a “shoe was going to drop” at any time.

What I have described many people who are reading this can, without doubt, identify with. A child, a friend, a once fellow, faithful church member who hit the skids spiritually and dropped out of everything that had to do with God, church, or the Bible.

The story has been and is being repeated ad nauseum in every Christian community, church, fellowship—and in far too many Christian homes.

But thankfully, Jason’s story did not end with the dropping of the shoe, even though some really hard times came to him and his family. I will not spell out the details of those events.

One of Jason’s sons attended a Bible college in Florida, and since it was a short drive from where Jason lived and worked, he drove to the Bible college and attended the Sunday worship services with his son. Through the strong, faithful preaching of the pastor-college president, Sunday after Sunday, Jason’s spiritual sensitivities were awakened. He knew that God was dealing with him, and he made a decision, in 2020, to return to his roots in North Carolina. His boss wept when Jason tendered his resignation. While making two trips back to North Carolina as he moved his belonging via a U-Haul, he tuned in to a Christian radio station and heard more Bible preaching. Jason’s life was changing moment by moment.

After settling back into the Wilkesboro area, Jason began searching for a church to attend. One Wednesday night he visited a church, tucked away in the mountains, near to where his great-grandparents had lived decades earlier. It “so happened” that the pastor of that little white-framed church was a second cousin of Jason’s—they only knew each other as acquaintances. This became home to a prodigal son that, once so very far away from God, was given an opportunity to come back to a loving Savior who was waiting with opened arms.

Jason grew much in Christ the next few years. Today, he is an adult Sunday School teacher in his church, and also the pianist. He never dreamed of teaching a Sunday School class or of playing the piano in the services. He had taken piano lessons all the way through school, but when wandering in the fields of sins, the piano was not on his “radar screen” in any sense of the word. When he finished high school, he was quite proficient in piano; when he came back to Christ and His church, he couldn’t even identify the keys. But he is taking lessons, and since there is a need, he is willing to do what he can, and the piano is coming back to him without too much effort.

Jason’s story has not concluded yet, obviously. But when asked what one event occurred in his life that caused him to abandon the world’s “pigs-pens” and return to his Heavenly Father, Jason says it was hearing the messages when attending church on Sundays, just to be with his son, plus the messages on Christian radio that he heard when moving back to the Carolinas. He knows, too, that the Holy Spirit was always “dogging” him, and that the prayers of many people followed him at every turn.

So, friend, parent, grandparent, church member, pastor—do not give up on that prodigal child who seems so impossibly far away from God. No one has drifted further than Jason did from his moorings, teaching, and training. God’s Spirit is not limited by time or space. He can follow your loved one to places you would never dare to go. His arm knows no limits. Prayer, love, and patience can win them back to Jesus. Do not give in; do not give up. With God, nothing is impossible.

“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore; very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; but the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I! Love lifted me, love lifted me—when nothing else could help, love lifted me.”

(James Rowe, Howard Smith)

“But he that lacketh these things (faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity) is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (II Peter 1:8)

It is agonizing to read the first chapter of the book of Lamentations—Jeremiah’s pensive pleas—in light of the destruction of the city of God, Jerusalem, aka the city of David. The prophet mourns the plight of his people and cries his eyes out, confessing Judah’s sins and affirming God’s righteousness. The most heart-rending outburst in this brief book, sometimes called the “Wailing Wall of the Old Testament,” is found in verse 12, chapter 1: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

Jeremiah was torn to pieces with despair over his beloved nation’s destruction. The general public’s attitude though, as evidenced by passers-by, was indifference. What had happened in fulfillment of the warnings of God through Jeremiah—and many other prophets—had not impacted everyone as severely as it had him. Most people were willing to shrug it off, if it had not personally touched them or their household. The attitude of those left in Jerusalem seemed to be: “Well, there’s always our friends to the south; Egypt will surely come to the rescue; if not, we can always emigrate there for shelter.”

The magnitude of the major message from heaven to Judah had not yet sunk in, causing the broken-hearted prophet to bellow out: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

We live 2,500 years later. Most who read this are members of the Body of Christ, His Church; and we are affiliated with a local appendage of that Body, a local Christian church. Many believe that these are the perilous times of which Paul warned in II Timothy 3, the perilous times of the last days. Were we to step back and give an honest assessment of the “wellness” of the 21^st century church, we might be driven to cry out: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

Here’s how pollster George Gallup, Jr., characterized today’s practice of religion by those who considered themselves “born again,” as reported in Christianity Today some years ago: “Comfortable and titillating, but not challenging.” He explained: “There is a lack of awareness of Christian doctrines of atonement, redemption, and grace.” Gallup further opined that “one danger is that Americans tend to separate church participation from their own personal relationship with God. We have a faith illiteracy problem. People are not solidly grounded in their faith, and therefore vulnerable to hedonism, materialism, and the new spiritual movements that glorify self.”

Gallup offered those conclusions more than two decades ago, and the subsequent years have confirmed that the concerns were well-founded. We have lived to see the age come to full bloom. But the question I want to raise is: “Who cares?” Much of 21^st century Christianity, especially in America, seems to have blended in with the spiritual apathy that Gallup depicted at the turn of the third millennium AD.

A minister began his sermon: “I’d like to make three points today. First, there are millions of people around the world who are going to Hell. Second, most of us sitting here today do not give a damn about it.” After a lengthy pause he continued: “My third point is that you are more concerned that I, your pastor, said the word ‘damn’ than you are about the millions of people going to Hell.”

Some years ago, Dr. Paul Dixon, chancellor and formerly president of Cedarville University, told the story of A.T. Pierson, pastor of a large Presbyterian church that burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed, including 20 years of sermons. The church was forced to meet in a theater and had to abandon their long-standing “pew-rental” system. But, during that time, “common folk” began finding their way into the auditorium and, reportedly, more people were saved in 20 months than had been saved in the previous 20 years. Dr. Dixon asked: “What will God have to do to you?” Apathy, indifference, comfortable, club-meeting Christianity is hard to break away from.

Apathy is not only easily observed in 21^st century church gatherings. It has been around for a long time. Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement, reportedly began attending a Christian church during a spiritually restless time in his life. He discovered that the sermons were boring and the congregation not very devout—so much so that, at times, he found himself dozing during the service, only to find that several of the Christians who were in the service were doing the same. Worst of all, the Europeans snubbed Gandhi because of the color of his skin. He left that church and abandoned, for good, his inquiry into the Christian faith. He reasoned that if Christianity had not made any more of an impact upon those who were its adherents than what he had personally witnessed, he did not need what they had. Apathy. Indifference. Killers both. (David Watson, I Believe in the Church)

The Detroit Free Press ran an article with the headline, “OLD MAN LIES DYING WHILE HUNDREDS PASS BY.” It told of an elderly man who had fallen, severely bruising his head. The paper reported: “For 20 minutes an old man lay dying on the sidewalk of a busy downtown street. Hundreds of pedestrians walked past him. Some stepped over his body. Scores of motorists went by without stopping. One driver stopped to administer first-aid to the victim. And while he did, the crowds passed by, ignoring appeals for help. Finally, an ambulance arrived. The injured man was taken to the hospital. But it was too late. He was dead.” (copied)

The world lies crying and dying. Some whom we pass by regularly will one day die. After death, there will be judgment. For every being, the question rings out: Heaven or Hell? “Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by?”

“For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Tomorrow will be a day of fireworks and festivities—a day when our nation once again celebrates freedom, faith, and the fearless sacrifices that have been made—and are still being made—to ensure that, just as we have for the past 249 years, we may continue in the years ahead to “proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” (Leviticus 25:10)

Some readers will remember Red Skelton, the beloved entertainer who kept audiences in stitches with his wildly humorous sketches of characters like “Willie Lump Lump,” “Junior, the Mean Widdle Kid,” “Freddie the Freeloader,” and others. His career spanned national radio and television from 1937 to 1971. Skelton’s comedy was clean—wholesome enough for the entire family to enjoy without the annoyance of off-color innuendos. Those who watched The Red Skelton Show will never forget the man or his mastery of the comedic craft.

On one occasion, Red Skelton reflected on an elementary school teacher who explained the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to him and his classmates. On January 14, 1969, he described it like this:

• I — me, an individual, a committee of one
• Pledge — dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity
• Allegiance — my love and devotion
• To the flag — our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there is respect, because your loyalty has given her dignity that shouts, “Freedom is everybody’s job.”
• Of the United — that means we have all come together
• States — individual communities united into 50 great states. Fifty communities with pride, dignity, and purpose—all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet united by a common purpose: love for country
• Of America
• And to the Republic — a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. Government is the people—it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people
• For which it stands
• One nation under God — meaning so blessed by God
• Indivisible — incapable of being divided
• With liberty — freedom; the right or power to live one’s life without fear or threat of retaliation
• And justice — the principle of dealing fairly with others
• For all — meaning it’s as much your country as it is mine

As we reflect on what the 4th of July means again this year, I leave you with the wise words of one of our most esteemed founding fathers:

“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God rules in the affairs of men. And, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? … I firmly believe also that without His aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”
— Benjamin Franklin

God Bless America.

“If you are not governed by God, you will be ruled by tyrants.”
(Inscription on the Liberty Bell, 1752)

In a few days, as a nation, we will commemorate and celebrate the founding of our free republic on Independence Day, 2025. It is a day of fireworks, cookouts, picnics, parades, and patriotic programs—all designed to help us pause with pride that, even now, we remain the land of the free and the home of the brave. Rudyard Kipling was not an American, but his Recessional strikes a chord in the hearts of freedom-loving people everywhere:

“The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
A humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget.”

We have read and thought deeply on what someone has called the sequence of a nation’s decadence. It goes like this:

“The great civilizations of the world have had an average of about 200 years. They have progressed thusly: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back to bondage.” Where does America fit on the scale of greatness to decadence?

Where does America stand today on this scale from greatness to decline?

Our first president, George Washington, petitioned God for mercy upon the fledgling nation that had become “one nation under God.” He prayed:

“Almighty God, who has given us this good heritage, we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion—from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with the spirit of wisdom those to whom, in Thy name, we entrust the authority of government, that there may be peace and justice at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.”

Theodore Roosevelt expressed heartfelt concern for his beloved country:

“Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, and sincerity—the virtues that make America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

Our 16th president offered this solemn warning:

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

History teaches us about the rise and fall of great civilizations. Among the most powerful was ancient Rome—yet even that mighty empire fell, not to an external enemy, but from internal decay. In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon noted several reasons for Rome’s collapse:

1. The rapid increase of divorce, undermining the dignity and sanctity of the home, the foundation of society;
2. Higher and higher taxes and public spending on free bread and circuses for the masses;
3. A mad craze for pleasure, with sports becoming increasingly brutal;
4. The building of massive armaments, even as the real enemy was internal decadence;
5. The decay of religion, with faith fading into mere form.

(Copied)

Do any of these “markers” seem familiar in America on her 249th birthday?

Lincoln, as cited earlier, assessed the moral and spiritual condition of the nation he led. He also offered this wise counsel:

“You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

(Copied)

As we reflect on these words from past leaders, let us return again to Kipling’s Recessional:

“If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget.”

In conclusion, a Northern soldier once asked President Lincoln, “Is God on our side?” The President wisely replied that the more important question is:

“Are we on God’s side?”

“Yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 144:15)

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Paul spoke of the “last days” in his 2^nd epistle to Timothy, characterizing them as “perilous times.” (2 Tim.3:1) John also referenced what he called “the last time,” noting that when he wrote I John 2:18 it was already the last time, a time when many antichrists were already on the scene, proof in the aged apostle’s mind that the last time was then already upon the world.

So, a generation after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, Peter wrote his 2^nd epistle to the saints who had been scattered all over the Roman world stating that he wanted to “stir up your pure minds,” hoping to get them to remember what the holy prophets and later the apostles of the Lord and Savior had warned against concerning the apostacy of the last days.

The message is as pertinent now as it was then. These are the last days. The fact that a couple of millennia have come and gone since Peter wrote his exhortation in no way diminishes the urgency of Christ’s followers to hear and heed the warning. The last days are as intense today as when early Christians were thrown to the lions in Rome’s Coliseum. As I write, Israel and Iran are at war; Russia is three years into its invasion of Ukraine. America is plagued by millions of illegal immigrants who flooded across our borders during the recent four years that our borders were virtually “open.” There is unrest world-wide. If the days in which Paul, Peter and John wrote were “the last days,” these days are surely an intensification of what John labeled as “the last time.” Therefore, it behooves us to have our “pure minds” stirred up. (2 Pet. 3:1) We do so by

1. Rehearsing Patience. Patience in the face of denial by scoffers who were denying the truth that Jesus would come again (3:3), claiming that His delay ought to give cause for doubt in “the promise of His coming.” Paul earlier had conveyed his concern that the believers in Thessalonica had been “shaken” in mind and “troubled” in spirit about the truth of Christ’s promise that “I will come again to receive you unto myself.” (2 Thess. 2:2). “Where is the promise of His coming?” the scoffers taunted. All things remain as they ever have been, the first-century uniformitarians claimed. No such thing as the “Second Coming” need be expected, they claimed.

2. Resting on the Promise, v 9.  God is faithful, “not slack concerning His promise.” He is longsuffering, and He is not willing that any should perish; thus, the apparent “delay” of His promised return explained Peter. But we can rest assured that He will keep His Word: “I will come again….”

3. Realize the perdition, v. 11. Peter reminds us that “all these things shall be dissolved….” That is, all that is material and temporal, along with the very heavens and earth, are being kept in store against the day of “judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (v.7) God’s judgment, coming at a time when only He knows, will be certain, sudden and severe. It will come as a thief in the night and when it does, “all these things shall be dissolved.” “Peace and safety” will be the watchword of the world, but be sure that when Christ returns there will be “sudden destruction.” (I Thess.5:3)

4. Thus, we must recognize practical ramifications, v.11, including keeping a proper perspective on the present age/hour; living with proper priorities, including lives ordered by “holy conversation,” and “godliness.” (v.11)

5. Rejoice in the prospect, vss. 12,13—the prospect of the coming day of the Lord (v.12), ushering ultimately in a “new heaven and a new earth.” All the while, we thank God that His longsuffering is salvation (v.15); AND, knowing these things beforehand, we remain aware (lest we should be led away by the error of the wicked); determined to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (vss. 16-18)

In his epistle to the Thessalonian church, Paul stated that of the times and seasons, there was really no need for him to write unto their church any further words of explanation. The “Day of the Lord,” spoken of by Old Testament prophets scores of times, would be a day of awful darkness and destruction, the likes of which the world had not yet seen, nor has it seen such yet, even at this hour. The Man of Sin would first be revealed, the rapture having occurred with the church, indwelt individually by the Holy Spirit, removed from this earth. (2 Thess. 2) “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (I Th.5:4) Paul exhorts, “Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.” (I Th. 5:6)

These are the last days (of the church age). Christ will soon come as He promised. When He does, He will rapture (catch up) His Bride, the Church, to be with Himself. The Man of Sin, the Antichrist, will be revealed and a seven-year period of awful darkness, the last half of which Jesus called “The Great Tribulation,” will come world-wide, culminating in the 2^nd coming of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom over which He will rule and reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. At the end of that millennial reign, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit where he will have been exiled from the time the thousand years began, to deceive the world one more time in marshalling an army to oppose the ruling Messiah, Jesus. Satan and his wicked worldlings will be defeated and that old Serpent, the Devil, will be cast into the Lake of Fire, joining there the False Prophet and the Beast (Antichrist), where he and they will spent eternity.

What is the bottom line? For the saved, God’s people: “Let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (I Th.5:8) For the unsaved: “…behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor.6:2)

“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet.3:14)

Manse, noun: “the house occupied or formerly occupied by a minister,” from Medieval Latin mansus, “dwelling.”

Ellen and I and our family have lived in a beautiful manse for more than 45 years, next door to the church I served as senior pastor for 40 years. I now enjoy the privileges of “pastor emeritus.” Our children spent a good portion of their childhood here. Our backyard is adjacent to the east edge of the church parking lot, and whenever we are standing at the kitchen sink or sitting at the table for a meal, we’d have to pull the window shades to avoid seeing the entire east side of the church building.

Some have asked whether living that close to the church—especially as senior pastor—was a challenge. The answer, without hesitation: “Not at all.” We did move away for three years to a house 17 miles from the church, but the distance from TRBC to our Greenwood residence made us grateful for the opportunity to move back into the parsonage. We have deeply appreciated it, as well as the generosity of the church in allowing us to live here. The close proximity (a 0.1-mile drive to church!) has proven to be an immeasurable blessing.

Now, I want to share some things we can’t help but notice when looking out our kitchen window. Most of these have happened recently; it would take a book to cover even a fraction of what we could tell—but that probably won’t be forthcoming any time soon (so relax, all!).

A couple of days ago, before 7 a.m., as I was getting the morning coffee ready to brew, I heard a loud voice hollering nearby. Going to the sink to fill the coffee maker with water, I looked out the kitchen window and saw a young man on a bike, circling a young woman on foot and yelling at her. She walked on, seemingly unfazed, while he circled her again and again until she reached a curb—just yards from our house—where she sat down.

She was pulling a wheeled suitcase, neatly dressed, but very heavy—laden with both the suitcase and a backpack. The man was very skinny, scraggily dressed, with a backpack of his own and hair that covered most of his face. They sat there for maybe 90 minutes—he hollering from time to time, she seemingly oblivious to his taunts.

At one point, he walked over to our church and tried the east entrance door, which was locked and armed with an alarm that would’ve sounded had it opened. He then headed to a walkway between two buildings, where there is an exterior outlet; it became clear he had found a place to charge his phone.

During this one-way shouting episode, I placed a “non-emergency” call to the police department—not knowing what the anger might lead to—hoping a visit from IMPD might diffuse the situation. Both the woman and her companion smoked a cigarette during their “rest period.” The police, to my knowledge, never responded. Eventually, the two re-organized their belongings and resumed their journey through our yard and on to who-knows-where.

Truthfully, at one point, I considered going to a local fast-food restaurant to buy them a hot breakfast sandwich. I dismissed the thought, but later felt terribly convicted for not acting on what may have been a prompting from the Holy Spirit. That conviction only deepened a few hours later when, during our Tuesday morning book study (“Knowing God” by J.I. Packer), we discussed Packer’s chapter on The Incarnation—his stern warning to Christians who smugly live in middle-class comfort, unmoved by the poor all around us. Ouch! I had some confessing to do that day.

That same morning, on the same spot where the traveling couple had rested, a group of law enforcement officers assembled—apparently staging an operation. It was quite a sight: around 15 fully uniformed officers, either on drill or assignment.

Regularly, a lady from a nearby trailer court—whom I’ve known for years—appears almost daily with her husband, who records what she describes as a “weather report” using his phone. She has taken courses in media production at local universities and written a couple of books. The “production” is filmed—once again—in the church parking lot, halfway between our kitchen window and the east entrance to the church building. The filming, which lasts five to ten minutes, typically takes place in the evening as Ellen prepares supper—making it difficult not to notice.

Her mother attended our church faithfully until her passing, though the woman herself never became a regular. Still, we’ve known each other for years due to her precious Christian mother. I understand that her weather reports are submitted to media outlets in hopes of landing a job. It always makes for a good conversation piece when visitors are here. Seeing a woman in the parking lot being filmed by a man with a phone camera, they inevitably ask, “What is that lady doing out there?”

Oh, one more story—and there could be many! The next day, a well-groomed young man with a pleasant demeanor rang our doorbell, offering to sell us a home security system (which we already have). We talked for a while, and I learned he was a college student from Florida whose parents immigrated from Cuba in the late 1990s. For some reason, he asked if he could come in to write something down. I invited him in—and he stayed for 90 minutes. Before he left, we had an extensive discussion about his eternal destiny. I believe the Lord sent him to us and that he was under conviction—very close to making a decision for Christ. I have his contact information and invited him to our services.

Life is exciting living in the manse, even though we’re not as active as we once were. Drop by sometime (though we may be out at a doctor’s appointment!).

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 3:15)