Courier-Times Article for June 6th, 2009
It's time to think . . .
Earlier this year, a prominent U.S. politician said , "Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values, [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], in our nations and others. And that's why we can never sacrifice them for expedience's sake."
The statement sounds thoughtful and profound, but is it? It sounds like a truth that spans generations, but is it?
As Americans, we've gotten lazy. We don't like to think much. Just go with the flow; live and let live; my truth may not be your truth. Unfortunately, in many cases, the church has stopped thinking as well.
We used to be called people of the WORD, but now we spend much of our time debating whether that word is TRUE. Should churches ordain homosexuals or bless homosexual unions? After all, THOSE parts of the bible might not be true. Should we be more concerned about babies who were aborted or those chained by poverty? Let's pick one and ignore the other . . . That's the content of many of our discussions.
The Word of God is the Law that governed the Israelites, and the foundation that birthed the church. At some point, many in the church have become untethered from the Word of God and have now turned around and questioned its veracity. This behavior would have utterly confounded the Christ-followers in Berea.
Dr. Luke records that the believers in Berea, after listening to the preaching of Paul, examined the Scriptures every day to determine that what Paul said was true. To the Breans, scripture was the source of truth, the measuring stick to determine whether the greatest preacher of their time was speaking truth. Moral authority was found in holy scripture, not in the sacrifice of fellow citizens.
The Bible speaks very clearly about the sanctity of life; about our responsibility to the poor, the orphaned and the widow; about God's view of homosexual behavior. The church needs to rediscover the authority found in the Word of God and stand on it. However, that kind of stance could become something more than politically incorrect, it could become illegal.
The U.S. Senate is considering a Hate Crimes Bill (S.909) which could be used to prosecute ministers for declaring God's truth on homosexuality. Will the church "search the scriptures" to find the truth, or will we poll the people to find out what is acceptable?
If we fail to think through all of these issues, and instead follow "thoughtful and profound words" blindly, we will end up in places we never thought we would be. After all, if our moral authority lies in the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens, then both the Palestinians and the Israelis have moral authority. The Nazis and the Japanese had moral authority during World War II, just like the Allied Forces. If shedding blood is the only prerequisite for establishing moral authority then gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, the Mafioso, the MS-13, and the Yakuza each have the same moral authority as the fighting men and women of the U.S. military.
Moral authority can only be found in the author of morality. It's time to learn from the Christ-followers in Berea. It's time to search the Word of God for timeless and time tested truth. It's time to think. Don't ya' think?
Thanks for reading!
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A Story Of Self-Sacrifice
Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article for April 11, 2009
As I write this, the story gripping the headlines is the Maersk Alabama hijacking saga; the first pirate capture of a United States boat in about 200 years. Details about the hijacking are fluid, but it appears that the storyline unfolding off the coast of Somalia mirrors a storyline almost 2000 years old.
The Maersk Alabama is a cargo ship laden with food supplies to relieve some of the suffering and starvation in several African nations. A few days ago it was hijacked by Somalian pirates wanting to trade it for ransom money. The economy in Somalia is very depressed and the most efficient way to earn money there is to hijack cargo ships; 66 have been taken since the first of January.
Like I said, the details are still sketchy but the crew members were able to regain control of the ship. Apparently the ship’s captain, Capt. Richard Phillips, has traded himself for the lives of his crew. The outcome of the story is still being determined by the actions of the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy, which is now on the scene. The story of self sacrifice has been played out before in many ways but most notably in the Easter story.
But to fully understand the Easter story, we really need to go back several hundred years earlier to the story of the Exodus. You remember, the story where Charlton Heston raised his staff in the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, and parted the waters for the Israelites to escape the oncoming armies of Egypt. Whether it happened the way Cecil B. DeMille scripted it in the movie we’ll never know, but the bible tells us that what happened before the sea parting was the key to the Israelites release from captivity.
There were several plagues that came upon Egypt in an effort to prompt the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Each succeeding plague increased in intensity until the final plague, the death of the first born. The plagues affected Egyptians and Israelites alike but, when the death angel was sent to take the life of every first born, God provided a way of protection – the Passover lamb. The night of the final plague, the Israelites were instructed by God to kill a spotless lamb, consume all of it by morning, and to place some of its blood on the doorframe of their houses. The death angel would see the blood on the doorframe of the house and “pass over” the house, and all those inside, protected by the blood of the lamb. One life exchanged for many.
For generations the Israelites have celebrated the Passover as the way God chose to deliver his people. It was during the Passover meal that Jesus revealed to His disciples that He would be sacrificed, like the Passover lamb, and that His blood would deliver His followers from spiritual death. One life exchanged for many.
On that dark day that we call Good Friday, just as the lamb was being sacrificed for the Passover celebration, Jesus was crucified and became the true Passover Lamb for all people. The sinless Christ traded his life for the lives of His disciples. And the headlines on that following morning read that Jesus Christ was dead.
But, like many stories in this modern, 24-hour news cycle world, the story was still being written. On the first day of the week, Sunday morning, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave! Death had been conquered; Christ was alive! And the story continues . . .
Who did He save? Who were His “crew members”; His disciples? That part of the story is still being written. You and I have an opportunity to write ourselves into the story, the greatest story ever told.
The self sacrifice of Capt. Richard Phillips may save the lives of as many as 20 crew members. The self sacrifice of Christ is still delivering people from captivity. The bible says all we need to do to be part of this great story line is to become a “Christ follower”; a disciple of Christ. All we need to do is to claim the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb for ourselves.
The final chapter of the Maersk Alabama piracy case will soon be written. Hopefully it will end with no loss of life, but that part of the story is still being written by the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy.
The final chapter of the Passover Lamb saga may soon be written, only God knows. The question today is, have you written yourself into the story line? Will you be one of His disciples who are saved by the self sacrifice of Christ? Or will you be a tragic reminder of what could have been? On this day before Easter, you have a choice. Choose well.
Any questions or comments? Write Curt Ferrell at curt@smdcog.org
You can find info at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).
Also at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)
Thanks for reading!
As I write this, the story gripping the headlines is the Maersk Alabama hijacking saga; the first pirate capture of a United States boat in about 200 years. Details about the hijacking are fluid, but it appears that the storyline unfolding off the coast of Somalia mirrors a storyline almost 2000 years old.
The Maersk Alabama is a cargo ship laden with food supplies to relieve some of the suffering and starvation in several African nations. A few days ago it was hijacked by Somalian pirates wanting to trade it for ransom money. The economy in Somalia is very depressed and the most efficient way to earn money there is to hijack cargo ships; 66 have been taken since the first of January.
Like I said, the details are still sketchy but the crew members were able to regain control of the ship. Apparently the ship’s captain, Capt. Richard Phillips, has traded himself for the lives of his crew. The outcome of the story is still being determined by the actions of the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy, which is now on the scene. The story of self sacrifice has been played out before in many ways but most notably in the Easter story.
But to fully understand the Easter story, we really need to go back several hundred years earlier to the story of the Exodus. You remember, the story where Charlton Heston raised his staff in the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, and parted the waters for the Israelites to escape the oncoming armies of Egypt. Whether it happened the way Cecil B. DeMille scripted it in the movie we’ll never know, but the bible tells us that what happened before the sea parting was the key to the Israelites release from captivity.
There were several plagues that came upon Egypt in an effort to prompt the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Each succeeding plague increased in intensity until the final plague, the death of the first born. The plagues affected Egyptians and Israelites alike but, when the death angel was sent to take the life of every first born, God provided a way of protection – the Passover lamb. The night of the final plague, the Israelites were instructed by God to kill a spotless lamb, consume all of it by morning, and to place some of its blood on the doorframe of their houses. The death angel would see the blood on the doorframe of the house and “pass over” the house, and all those inside, protected by the blood of the lamb. One life exchanged for many.
For generations the Israelites have celebrated the Passover as the way God chose to deliver his people. It was during the Passover meal that Jesus revealed to His disciples that He would be sacrificed, like the Passover lamb, and that His blood would deliver His followers from spiritual death. One life exchanged for many.
On that dark day that we call Good Friday, just as the lamb was being sacrificed for the Passover celebration, Jesus was crucified and became the true Passover Lamb for all people. The sinless Christ traded his life for the lives of His disciples. And the headlines on that following morning read that Jesus Christ was dead.
But, like many stories in this modern, 24-hour news cycle world, the story was still being written. On the first day of the week, Sunday morning, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave! Death had been conquered; Christ was alive! And the story continues . . .
Who did He save? Who were His “crew members”; His disciples? That part of the story is still being written. You and I have an opportunity to write ourselves into the story, the greatest story ever told.
The self sacrifice of Capt. Richard Phillips may save the lives of as many as 20 crew members. The self sacrifice of Christ is still delivering people from captivity. The bible says all we need to do to be part of this great story line is to become a “Christ follower”; a disciple of Christ. All we need to do is to claim the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb for ourselves.
The final chapter of the Maersk Alabama piracy case will soon be written. Hopefully it will end with no loss of life, but that part of the story is still being written by the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy.
The final chapter of the Passover Lamb saga may soon be written, only God knows. The question today is, have you written yourself into the story line? Will you be one of His disciples who are saved by the self sacrifice of Christ? Or will you be a tragic reminder of what could have been? On this day before Easter, you have a choice. Choose well.
Any questions or comments? Write Curt Ferrell at curt@smdcog.org
You can find info at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).
Also at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Who Will Save Us?
Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article – April 4th, 2009
It was springtime in Israel and there was more excitement than normal. Passover was just around the corner. Each male Jew was making his springtime trek to Jerusalem, sometimes bringing his whole family. They would make another trip to Jerusalem in about seven weeks for Pentecost, and then once more in the fall for the Festival of Tabernacles. But this trip held more promise.
There was a charismatic figure, someone who was both a healer and an excellent teacher, who had been traveling the countryside for three years talking about a new form of government, the Kingdom of God, and how it was coming soon. This was welcome news to a people who were experiencing an economic burden, due mainly to their forced financial support of an occupying force from a far off country. The people were also oppressed by the terrorist tactics of Herod, a ruthless, heartless King who would do anything for power. News of this new Kingdom of God generated hope and excitement!
Now incredible reports circulated that this Teacher had brought someone back from the dead. Unbelievable, I know, but so many people witnessed it that it had to be true. The Teacher, the one who had been talking about the coming of the Kingdom of God, clearly had divine power. Perhaps he was the Messiah; the leader that would deliver his people.
A rumor spread through the group of travelers that, like them, the Teacher was also making his way to Jerusalem from the village of Bethany. A crowd gathered on the road that this teacher-healer would be taking in hopes of seeing him “up close”.
During these tri-annual trips to Jerusalem the people would sing Jewish traveling songs and wave branches from palm trees, myrtle trees, and willow trees. They would start by singing “Praise the Lord”. Then they would retell the story of their deliverance from Egypt with the song, “The Sea Looked And Fled”. These songs would be followed by “Not To Us, O Lord”, “I Love the Lord”, and “Praise the Lord, All You Nations.”
The last traveling song was “Give Thanks to the Lord”. Toward the end of this tune they spotted the Teacher, riding on a donkey, but they kept singing . . . “Hosanna! Blessed Is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
They knew in an instant that this was the Messiah. They threw their palm branches on the road for the donkey to walk on. Truly this man would be the one who would save them. That’s what hosanna means – Lord Save Us!
Suddenly minds were racing ahead to a picture-perfect future. This new government, the Kingdom of God, would save them. That’s what they had been waiting for! They could finally get rid of those wealth guzzling Romans! They could hunt down that terrorist leader, Herod, and bring justice to all who followed him!
Unfortunately they forgot the truths found in the songs they had been singing. “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. . . I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!”
Instead of taking refuge in God, they trusted in the apparent political power that came with the popularity of the Teacher. And in just five days their hopes would be dashed. They would reject the Teacher as their new King. They would return to their desperate lives, full of fear and despair.
Who would save them now?
Who will save us now? Over the centuries the people of God have, at times, forgotten what scripture says. From the beginning of recorded history the people of God have periodically forgotten the truths found in their songs.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness . . . Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. . . He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today. . . He knows my name, He knows my every thought; He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call. . . Where could I go, but to the Lord?
During that last week before Jesus went to the cross, the God followers of the day began to place their faith in things other than God. They saw Jesus only as a man, and not as the Son of God. They began to think that man-made tools and man-made solutions could solve problems that were spiritual at their core.
Is it possible that we do the same thing today? Do we really believe that only government can save us? Or, only education can save us? Or, only cutting edge medicine can save us? Or, only money can save us?
Or is it possible that spiritual solutions are the only real solutions, because our problems are spiritual at their core?
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; the day when we remember the Teacher as He made his way to Jerusalem for the last time. Will we see Him as the Son of God or simply as a popular teacher? Will we remember the truths found in scripture and in our songs, or will we search for salvation in man-made solutions? The choice is yours; choose well.
You can find more information at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).
Or at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)
Thanks for reading!
It was springtime in Israel and there was more excitement than normal. Passover was just around the corner. Each male Jew was making his springtime trek to Jerusalem, sometimes bringing his whole family. They would make another trip to Jerusalem in about seven weeks for Pentecost, and then once more in the fall for the Festival of Tabernacles. But this trip held more promise.
There was a charismatic figure, someone who was both a healer and an excellent teacher, who had been traveling the countryside for three years talking about a new form of government, the Kingdom of God, and how it was coming soon. This was welcome news to a people who were experiencing an economic burden, due mainly to their forced financial support of an occupying force from a far off country. The people were also oppressed by the terrorist tactics of Herod, a ruthless, heartless King who would do anything for power. News of this new Kingdom of God generated hope and excitement!
Now incredible reports circulated that this Teacher had brought someone back from the dead. Unbelievable, I know, but so many people witnessed it that it had to be true. The Teacher, the one who had been talking about the coming of the Kingdom of God, clearly had divine power. Perhaps he was the Messiah; the leader that would deliver his people.
A rumor spread through the group of travelers that, like them, the Teacher was also making his way to Jerusalem from the village of Bethany. A crowd gathered on the road that this teacher-healer would be taking in hopes of seeing him “up close”.
During these tri-annual trips to Jerusalem the people would sing Jewish traveling songs and wave branches from palm trees, myrtle trees, and willow trees. They would start by singing “Praise the Lord”. Then they would retell the story of their deliverance from Egypt with the song, “The Sea Looked And Fled”. These songs would be followed by “Not To Us, O Lord”, “I Love the Lord”, and “Praise the Lord, All You Nations.”
The last traveling song was “Give Thanks to the Lord”. Toward the end of this tune they spotted the Teacher, riding on a donkey, but they kept singing . . . “Hosanna! Blessed Is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
They knew in an instant that this was the Messiah. They threw their palm branches on the road for the donkey to walk on. Truly this man would be the one who would save them. That’s what hosanna means – Lord Save Us!
Suddenly minds were racing ahead to a picture-perfect future. This new government, the Kingdom of God, would save them. That’s what they had been waiting for! They could finally get rid of those wealth guzzling Romans! They could hunt down that terrorist leader, Herod, and bring justice to all who followed him!
Unfortunately they forgot the truths found in the songs they had been singing. “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. . . I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!”
Instead of taking refuge in God, they trusted in the apparent political power that came with the popularity of the Teacher. And in just five days their hopes would be dashed. They would reject the Teacher as their new King. They would return to their desperate lives, full of fear and despair.
Who would save them now?
Who will save us now? Over the centuries the people of God have, at times, forgotten what scripture says. From the beginning of recorded history the people of God have periodically forgotten the truths found in their songs.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness . . . Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. . . He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today. . . He knows my name, He knows my every thought; He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call. . . Where could I go, but to the Lord?
During that last week before Jesus went to the cross, the God followers of the day began to place their faith in things other than God. They saw Jesus only as a man, and not as the Son of God. They began to think that man-made tools and man-made solutions could solve problems that were spiritual at their core.
Is it possible that we do the same thing today? Do we really believe that only government can save us? Or, only education can save us? Or, only cutting edge medicine can save us? Or, only money can save us?
Or is it possible that spiritual solutions are the only real solutions, because our problems are spiritual at their core?
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; the day when we remember the Teacher as He made his way to Jerusalem for the last time. Will we see Him as the Son of God or simply as a popular teacher? Will we remember the truths found in scripture and in our songs, or will we search for salvation in man-made solutions? The choice is yours; choose well.
You can find more information at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).
Or at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Week Of Questions About Life And Death
Courier-Times Article for Saturday, April 21, 2007
Monday, April 16th, 2007 is a day that many will not soon forget. It was a day of unimagined tragedy on a university campus in Virginia. It was a day of several heroes and at least one coward who took the lives of 32 other people rather than deal honestly with the pain in his own life. It was a day of death and dying.
It was also a day of life and living. On Monday, I became an uncle again. My brother and his wife brought an 8-pound, 20-1/2 inch bundle of joy into the world; her name is Jessica. In a hospital in Michigan it was a day of unimaginable possibilities. It was a day of hope and excitement.
The questions that are being asked today in Virginia are the same we ones being asked after 9-11 and Columbine. They are the same questions that were being asked on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor and in the concentration camps in Germany. They are the same questions that were asked after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 where at least 8000 people lost their lives. Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented? If God is a loving God why did He let this happen?
These are valid questions. And it is important to wrestle with these questions. In the days following these tragedies many got tired of answering these questions and turned to entertainment. We needed a distraction because we didn’t want to deal with the questions. But we must wrestle with these questions until we understand who God is and who we are.
There is a character in the bible named Jacob who wrestled with God. It was only recently that I’ve come to see what that wrestling match was all about. When I was younger, it just seemed like a weird story about God wrestling with Jacob, Jacob not letting go of God until God blessed him, and Jacob being injured in the wrestling match resulting in a life-long limp. The key to this story is God’s question to Jacob, “What is your name?”
When God asks a question, it’s not because He doesn’t know the answer. God knew who Jacob was; He wanted to know if Jacob would be honest about who he was.
The last time Jacob was asked that question was also the last time Jacob was seeking a blessing from his father Isaac. When Isaac asked Jacob who he was, Jacob lied and said he was Esau, Jacob’s older brother. Jacob was seeking a blessing that wasn’t rightfully his; it belonged to his brother Esau. Jacob’s deception with Isaac resulted in a time of wandering, loneliness, and wrestling.
When we wrestle with God about issues, the only way to be blessed is to deal honestly with who we are and who God is. It might be painful, but it is the only way to be released from the time of wrestling.
If we are honest we will see that God is good, all the time; He is good in Virginia Tech and He is good in a hospital in Michigan. If we are candid we will also understand that we are imperfect; Cho Seung-Hui was imperfect and baby Jessica is imperfect. Also, if we are transparent with God, we will realize that we will all die just as we were all given life on the day of our birth. We may never know all of the reasons behind the tragedies in Virginia Tech, Columbine, Pearl Harbor, Dachau, or any of a thousand other heartrending locations. The question today is, will we discover the reasons for God giving us life?
The question about why God gave us birth is even greater than the questions about why God allowed “unexpected” deaths. As we wrestle with the life and death events of this past week, including the United States Supreme Court decision to uphold a ban on partial-birth abortions, remember the example of Jacob and how his honesty with God resulted in the birth of a nation. That nation bears Jacob’s new name even today, the name that God gave him after their wrestling match – Israel.
Why did God give you life? For what reason did God bring you into this world? You’ll only find out if you deal honestly with God even in the dark days. My prayer is that my new niece will discover the “whys” behind her birth and will choose to fulfill God’s plan for her life.
Monday, April 16th, 2007 is a day that many will not soon forget. It was a day of unimagined tragedy on a university campus in Virginia. It was a day of several heroes and at least one coward who took the lives of 32 other people rather than deal honestly with the pain in his own life. It was a day of death and dying.
It was also a day of life and living. On Monday, I became an uncle again. My brother and his wife brought an 8-pound, 20-1/2 inch bundle of joy into the world; her name is Jessica. In a hospital in Michigan it was a day of unimaginable possibilities. It was a day of hope and excitement.
The questions that are being asked today in Virginia are the same we ones being asked after 9-11 and Columbine. They are the same questions that were being asked on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor and in the concentration camps in Germany. They are the same questions that were asked after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 where at least 8000 people lost their lives. Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented? If God is a loving God why did He let this happen?
These are valid questions. And it is important to wrestle with these questions. In the days following these tragedies many got tired of answering these questions and turned to entertainment. We needed a distraction because we didn’t want to deal with the questions. But we must wrestle with these questions until we understand who God is and who we are.
There is a character in the bible named Jacob who wrestled with God. It was only recently that I’ve come to see what that wrestling match was all about. When I was younger, it just seemed like a weird story about God wrestling with Jacob, Jacob not letting go of God until God blessed him, and Jacob being injured in the wrestling match resulting in a life-long limp. The key to this story is God’s question to Jacob, “What is your name?”
When God asks a question, it’s not because He doesn’t know the answer. God knew who Jacob was; He wanted to know if Jacob would be honest about who he was.
The last time Jacob was asked that question was also the last time Jacob was seeking a blessing from his father Isaac. When Isaac asked Jacob who he was, Jacob lied and said he was Esau, Jacob’s older brother. Jacob was seeking a blessing that wasn’t rightfully his; it belonged to his brother Esau. Jacob’s deception with Isaac resulted in a time of wandering, loneliness, and wrestling.
When we wrestle with God about issues, the only way to be blessed is to deal honestly with who we are and who God is. It might be painful, but it is the only way to be released from the time of wrestling.
If we are honest we will see that God is good, all the time; He is good in Virginia Tech and He is good in a hospital in Michigan. If we are candid we will also understand that we are imperfect; Cho Seung-Hui was imperfect and baby Jessica is imperfect. Also, if we are transparent with God, we will realize that we will all die just as we were all given life on the day of our birth. We may never know all of the reasons behind the tragedies in Virginia Tech, Columbine, Pearl Harbor, Dachau, or any of a thousand other heartrending locations. The question today is, will we discover the reasons for God giving us life?
The question about why God gave us birth is even greater than the questions about why God allowed “unexpected” deaths. As we wrestle with the life and death events of this past week, including the United States Supreme Court decision to uphold a ban on partial-birth abortions, remember the example of Jacob and how his honesty with God resulted in the birth of a nation. That nation bears Jacob’s new name even today, the name that God gave him after their wrestling match – Israel.
Why did God give you life? For what reason did God bring you into this world? You’ll only find out if you deal honestly with God even in the dark days. My prayer is that my new niece will discover the “whys” behind her birth and will choose to fulfill God’s plan for her life.
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