What is a hero? How does a hero look like in the eyes of God?

Today is National Heroes Day, a day of remembering those who have died in our nation’s service. We won’t be enjoying the freedom we have today without these people’s heroism. But let me ask you: what is a hero? Well, a flip through a dictionary can show you a number of definitions. But what I want to focus on is how does a hero look like in the eyes of God?  Hebrews 11 provides us with a list of some of God’s past heroes. They were ordinary people who were used by God. Everyone here can be one of God’s heroes. But what does it take to be a true hero, a Christian hero? You see, a Christian hero is not some superman, endowed with a myriad of abilities and talents. It is an individual who is willing to believe God’s Word, commit himself to God’s Will, and devote himself to God’s Work.

Belief in God’s Word - Today, many looked up to sport stars and athletes, movie stars and musicians as heroes. They are seen, as heroes because in many ways they do things that most of us can’t. But God’s heroes, the heroes of the Bible, were not men and women of extraordinary ability or talent but men and women of extraordinary faith. Every individual listed in Hebrews 11 took God at His Word. From Abraham to Moses to Joseph, etc…

Commitment to God’s Will – (Read Hebrews 11:13-16Hebrews 11:13-16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. in faith: Gr. according to faith ¹⁴ For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. ¹⁵ And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.  

WP-Bible plugin). “It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.” (Phillips Brooks). Who is a hero? He who conquers his will and surrenders to God’s will! Jesus, our greatest and ultimate hero exemplified it when at the Garden He prayed, “Not My will but Your will be done!” (Matthew 26:39Matthew 26:39
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  

WP-Bible plugin). The Holy Spirit chooses the nobodies of the church and makes them somebody when they are committed to God’s will in their lives. The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire for God. We are to be consecrated not to Christian work, but to the will of God, to be and to do whatever He requires.

”Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world. I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; and such alone will overthrow the kingdom of Satan and build up the kingdom of God on earth”. (James S. Hewett)

…the heroes of faith – those who Believe in God’s Word, Committed to God’s will and Devoted to God’s Work.

Devoted to God’s Work - Heroism is faith transformed into action. Matthew 23:11Matthew 23:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  

WP-Bible plugin “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”  There is a Norwegian Proverb that says’ A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer.” In Christ’s service, the heroes are those who work until Christ says it’s time to stop. So beloved, here are the heroes of faith – those who Believe in God’s Word, Committed to God’s will and Devoted to God’s Work. How about you?

Years ago I found myself sitting in a hotel room on the 11th floor, early in the morning, sleepily watching and just observing everything I see through the wide window glass. It was still quiet until the sun begins to rise and the streets begin to be filled up with people from all walks of life going to different directions…then cars, jeepneys, pedicabs start to join in signaling another start of a new busy day.   Think about it. If you were to do a little fun research to discover the sheer quantity of activities that happen each day, you’d be amazed. Consider, for example, the number of cups of coffee consumed, the number of babies born, the number of people who take a taxi, go to the grocery, go to work, watch prime-time television, ride on an airplane, and go to school.



The problem is it’s easy to get selfishly swept up in the whirlwind of our own little world…

So what? That’s trivia, right? When you multiply all those things by 365, you get the general idea that there’s a fair amount of energy, money, activity, and trauma going on in a year’s time. And that’s just here in the Philippines—representing only a portion of the world’s population. We may not be big, but we’re busy. The problem is it’s easy to get selfishly swept up in the whirlwind of our own little world. Every so often it’s helpful to stop the annual merry-go-round, get off, look objectively, and think clearly. It’s not only helpful, it’s essential for the Christian. We tend to be deafened by the blare of our own cry for more stuff and blinded by the lights of our own importance.

That needs to change. We need to hear the voice of the Lord of the Harvest as He raises His hand to say: “We interrupt this program to bring all of you a reminder that the world in which you live is not the whole world … but only a very small part of the world for which I died.” The Great Commission is still “the Great Commission.” Jesus still looks out across a wide world and weeps over men and women and children who do not know—have never heard—His healing, life-giving Name.

Jesus still looks out across a wide world and weeps over men and women and children who do not know—have never heard—His healing, life-giving Name…

Can you feel His pain? What could you do this week to reach farther, see wider, feel deeper? What could help you kindle a greater understanding, perspective, and compassion for this vast hurting world of ours? Taking a missionary out for coffee?  Reading—really absorbing—a good missions magazine?  Writing a letter to some battle-weary missions veteran in the trenches of a distant country?  Making friends with a lonely international student?  Praying that the Lord would give you an opportunity to serve Him in a cross-cultural experience—even for one year? Sound risky? Maybe. But I’ve got a hunch that when the score is added up one day as we stand before our Lord, many of us will wish we’d played a lot more Risk . . . and a lot less Trivial Pursuit!

An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for the gifts to be ministered either way…

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph.4:16) – Last Sunday was an awesome sight to me. Coming together as one family worshiping Jesus together. How God has indeed increased our numbers. But more than numbers I pray that everyone will continue to grow in quality. And this cannot happen without each other. It’s the “joints and ligaments” that connect us with other parts of the Body as we rub up against each other and lean on each other and cooperate with each other. These supporting ligaments refer to the times we study God’s Word together and when we serve together side by side. It is these joints in the body that keep all the parts of the Body interdependent on each other.

I can’t imagine a body without any joints, can you? Without the joints, we’d be a sorry dislocated mess! We need those connection points of fellowship in order to grow in Christ in love. It has been discovered that isolated, unloved babies do not grow properly and are especially susceptible to disease, while babies who are loved and handled grow normally and are stronger. SO it is with the children of God. An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for the gifts to be ministered either way. Some of us need to make that decision to get more closely connected in fellowship with other members of the Body today.

The body grows as each part of the body does its work. One part stops working and the whole body is affected. When a cell in the body revolts and stops functioning and starts attacking its own, the body becomes sick. So does in the local church. Your inactivity affects the whole church. Oh yes we can still function, we can still move forward, but may not be as effective as when everybody does its part. Instead of a blessing one may become a burden. Instead of being part of the solution one becomes the problem! But as each part of the local Body of Christ uses his or her spiritual gift to serve in a ministry, the result is that the church grows and becomes healthy — but only as each part does its work. Some of us need to make that decision to be willing to do our part of the ministry, starting today.

Christ wants you to do in His Body exactly what He’s made you to do…

There are no unnecessary parts in the Body of Christ! There are no little people in the family of God. Even if you think of yourself as just a big toenail, just imagine how it would hurt the whole Body if you became ingrown! If you are a true Christian, Christ declares you to be a valuable and needed part of this church. You are a specialized part. No one else can do what you can do as well as you can do it. You cannot be replaced with a substitute part any more than a surgeon can replace a defective stomach with a pair of lungs. Christ wants you to do in His Body exactly what He’s made you to do because you, as an individual, really do count.

God stimulates us to grow through the process of giving each one of us a ministry, a ministry that forces us to learn and stretch and grow up. It’s a good plan. Our Heavenly Father thought it up. It’s God’s healthy plan for a healthy church.

But missions didn’t begin with the Great Commission. Missions began with God. It first beat in His heart…

Usually, when we think of missions we think of the Great Commission. But missions didn’t begin with the Great Commission. Missions began with God. It first beat in His heart before it was ever breathed as the life sustaining force into His church. Our God is missions-minded. If He were not, there would be no Christian mission. The Gospel He has given us is a missions message. If it could not save every sinner, there would be no reason to take it to every nation. And the Great Commission is a missions mandate. It identifies the local church as the center for world evangelism.

A strong missions program rests on these three foundations:

I. A Compassionate God. That God so loved the world…(John 3:16John 3:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  

WP-Bible plugin). It is an extravagant love. It is a love so infinite that it is everlasting (Jer. 31:3Jer. 31:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. of…: Heb. from afar with lovingkindness…: have I extended lovingkindness unto thee  

WP-Bible plugin). It is a love so incomprehensible that it passes knowledge (Eph. 3:19Eph. 3:19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  

WP-Bible plugin). It is a love so indiscriminate that it would be given to the least worthy, sinners (Rom. 5:8Rom. 5:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  

WP-Bible plugin). It is exhaustive – it’s for “the world”. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:92 Peter 3:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  

WP-Bible plugin). It is expressive – “He gave His Son.” He promised a Savior to deal with the problem of sin (Gen. 3:15Gen. 3:15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  

WP-Bible plugin). And then He came. He died. He rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-41 Cor. 15:3-4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  

WP-Bible plugin). To the everlasting praise of God, salvation is now offered on the sole condition of faith in the finished work of Christ upon Calvary.

II. A Compelling Message - In Romans 1:14-16Romans 1:14-16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  

WP-Bible plugin, Paul declares that he is indebted to God to give the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Having heard the greatest message in the world, he was compelled to share it with whomever he could. So great was this sense of obligation that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:161 Corinthians 9:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  

WP-Bible plugin, “ Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!!” It is a distinct message. Every major religion relies upon performance for salvation. Hinduism preaches a fourfold path to salvation. Buddhism leads its followers down an eightfold path to salvation. The salvation offered by Islam rests upon Five Pillars. In Catholicism, salvation is gained through fulfilling five sacraments. But the Gospel centers upon a Person for salvation…Jesus Christ! (John 14:6John 14:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  

WP-Bible plugin). Peter declared, “There is none other name …whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12Acts 4:12
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  

WP-Bible plugin). The Gospel finds its source, content, and meaning in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, there is no salvation. Other messages tell men what they must DO to be saved; the Gospel tells men what has been DONE to save them.

No one is exempted from the responsibility to evangelize the lost. Christ’s command means that you are either sent or you send…

III. A Commissioned Church – (Mark 16:15Mark 16:15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  

WP-Bible plugin) Every member involved. Missions is imperative - “Go”. Multitudes are born and die whether or not anyone is prepared to reach them. Missions is inclusive. “You.” No one is exempted from the responsibility to evangelize the lost. Christ’s command means that you are either sent or you send, but you cannot remain uninvolved and be obedient to Jesus Christ.

Where do you stand today? Are you involved? If not, what’s your excuse?

The church is the gathering of God’s children…

Welcome! Glad that you all can join in our Family Fellowship today. “Family” because we are a family in Christ. Before the church was the institution, as we know it today, the church was a family. “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt.12:47-50)

It was and is a place of fathers and mothers in the faith, brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as, elderly saints and newborn babies in the faith. The church is the gathering of God’s children, where they can be helped and fed like babies and then, guided by her motherly care, grow up to manhood in maturity of faith. If you are born again, washed by the blood of Jesus, trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, then you are a brother or a sister in Christ.

Beloved, there is a deeper and stronger relationship we have as Christians than our natural families who are unsaved. Isn’t that true? I’m sure you already have noticed that. I’m really closer to you than my cousins or my other relatives who do not know the Lord! I have shared the gospel to most of them but until they accept Jesus, we really have nothing in common where we can really share and have fellowship. Now our Lord was not suggesting that believers ignore or abandon their families in order to serve God, but only that we put God’s will above everything else in life. Certainly it is God’s will that we care for our families and provide for them (see 1 Tim. 5:81 Tim. 5:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. house: or, kindred  

WP-Bible plugin), but we must not permit even our dearest loved ones to influence us away from the will of God.

So what is it that characterizes the person who is spiritually related to Christ? What is the indication that we are indeed part of God’s family? Because we go to church? Is it because we carry our Bible? Is it because we speak Christian lingo? No, if we hear God’s Word and put it into practice! That’s always the challenge for every hearer of God’s Word. Many church-goers tend to regard sermon-listening as an end in itself. Others look at it as an “escape” or a “substitute” for obedience. But God wants transformation from listening into living! And there’s one key ingredient for this to happen – faith…believing in what God has said, for we cannot really apply God’s Word without believing it. What moves us to obey is because we believe God will do what He said He will do! Faith in God’s Word moves us to action. You see, the Word of God feeds faith (Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ -Rom.10:17), and faith leads to obedience (Rom.1:5)!



God wants transformation from listening into living! And there’s one key ingredient for this to happen – faith…

May we, who call on the same Father, trust the same Savior Jesus Christ, in the fellowship of the same Spirit, come together now and offer Him our love Him and worship and live a life of obedience that He may be glorified in us!

The Old Gospel Song

It’s been raining hard, floods in some parts of Manila, classes and offices suspended at the time of this writing. And there I was missing my kids terribly, can’t wait to go home. It was a good time with my family though. Nice to minister and spend time with my Dad and Mom who are not getting any younger. Well your life may be in a storm right now and the flood waters are engulfing you. If you are, let me remind you that God has the whole world in His hands.” Remember the old gospel song? He’s got the wind, the rain, the tiny little baby, yes, even you and me in His hands.



He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran…

His Sovereign Hands

How easy it is to forget that! And it isn’t limited to our geography or our culture, you know. He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran, Cuba and India, Indonesia and Russia—all right there in the palms of His sovereign hands. And while we’re at it, He’s got our future, our children, our circumstances, our friends, and our foes in His hands … within His grasp … under His control. He’s there—in charge.



God Knows Your Ways …

But there are times when we find it really hard to believe that our circumstance is truly in His hands. Not only are the wind and the rain and the tiny little baby in His hands, but so are life’s minor interruptions as well as major calamities. In fact, would you believe they never leave His attention? There will be times we will need the reminder of the wise prophet named Isaiah, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16Isaiah 49:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.  

WP-Bible plugin) In other words, God sees us exactly as we are … warts and all, needs and all. He sees everything. And how close does He view it? It’s in the palms of His hands. God knows your ways … and He knows them continually. That includes your responses, your experiences, your reactions, what you call your calamities, your dead ends, your so-called impossible situations.



He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control…

Unshockable

Not only does He have you and me, the wind and the rain, and the tiny little baby in His hands, He has yesterday’s failures. He has today’s challenges, He has tomorrow’s surprises right there in His hands. And not one of them causes God to gasp. Not one causes Him to react with surprise, “Ah! I never knew that.” Not one. He is unshockable, He is immutable.

He’s got the whole world in His hands. What’s more, He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control.

…a loneliness that is caused by sin and being estranged from the God who gives life.

This was Michael Jackson’s reply to his friend who asked him if he’s lonely. You would never think that in spite of the fame, riches, and success that a man in his calibre would say those words. But if you know the Scriptures it is not surprising. It reveals to us that these things would never make anyone happy. Solomon can testify to it, “Everything is meaningless under the sun!” Many people today can relate…for many are lonely. And I’m referring to a loneliness that is caused by sin and being estranged from the God who gives life. And even the Son of God knows what it’s like to be lonely as He begins to carry the sins of the world to His shoulders.

Isn’t that a comforting thought? Jesus walked this valley before us. He felt the pang of isolation in the Garden of Gethsemane. And He felt the ultimate loneliness on the cross when He bore our sin. Because He has gone before us, He is our lifeline of hope. The author of the letter to the Hebrews assures us, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:15-16Heb. 4:15-16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  

WP-Bible plugin)

Jesus will meet you in your loneliness with a word of understanding and a heart of compassion. With Christ, you can be alone without feeling the sadness of loneliness. Right now, your aloneness is like an emotional desert, where the landscape is barren and all you feel is the heat of the sun and an awful thirst for companionship. Now, contrast this desert image with a garden image. Imagine yourself alone in a garden, listening to the soothing sounds of the birds and the relaxing rhythm of the wind in the trees. In the garden, you experience solitude—an entirely different sensation. Solitude brings refreshment, peace, and meaning.

How can you start feeling less like you’re in a desert and more like you’re in God’s garden? First, be right with God by confessing your sins. Let Jesus cleanse you by His blood. Second, stay close to the Lord through prayer and Bible reading. God invites you to share everything that you’re experiencing with Him: Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8Psalm 62:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.  

WP-Bible plugin). Third, look for people who need a friend and show Christ’s love to them. Seek out people who are likely to relate to you, those with whom you share common interests. Often people around us are also lonely and looking for companionship. Maybe you could connect with others in your church or your neighborhood.

Go to Jesus today and He can turn deserts into gardens.

Beloved, He is close to the brokenhearted. Go to Jesus today and He can turn deserts into gardens. He really can. May you find His peace in your lonely place.

What exactly is grace? And is it limited to Jesus’ life and ministry? You may be surprised to know that Jesus never used the word itself. He just taught it and, equally important, He lived it. Furthermore, the Bible never gives us a one-statement definition, though grace appears throughout its pages … not only the word itself but numerous demonstrations of it. Understanding what grace means requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant “to bend, to stoop.” By and by, it came to include the idea of “condescending favor.” If you have travelled to London or perhaps heard or read about it, you know royalty - the most famous was the late Princess Diana. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness, distance.



Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved.

On occasion, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a common person. That is grace. There is nothing in the person that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. But because of grace in the heart of the queen or the princess, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch, even to bless. Someone said it best: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.

And the greatest demonstration of grace is the cross of Calvary. There the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, stoop down to save us from our sins. Undeserving as we are we receive His love. What kind of love is that? It is a love that is more concerned about making the object of love feel loved, than it is in making the lover feel loved. The lover is willing to sacrifice, to make any sacrifice necessary just to make the object of love feel loved. That is what God did. It is the kind of love that does not regard itself, but unselfishly goes to the cross & sheds its blood, & gives its life so that there might be hope for those of us who are hopeless without it. That is “agape” love.



And the greatest demonstration of grace is the cross of Calvary…



So when the Bible says that “God is agape love” it means that God doesn’t love us with just a surface type of love, but He loves us with an all-sacrificing love. He gives Himself completely to express His love. And this we never deserve…it’s grace from beginning to end! As we come to the Lord’s table today, thank Him for His grace and love undeserved!

There are times and seasons that all of us will pass through. Just as there are different seasons in the earth, so life has its own seasons. If we are in a season of difficulty, the tendency is we pray intensely that our difficulties will go away but God does not remove them. Some difficulties cannot be prayed away. When we are in a difficult season in life, we should pray that God will give us the grace to go through the difficulties. We are not really the masters of time and seasons. We are all bound to live through various cycles in life, and this will never change whether we like it or not. We must respond to these cycles, not they to us. God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble. If all we had were blessings in our hands, we would fall right over, so the Lord balances the blessings in our hands with burdens on our backs. That helps to keep us steady, and as we yield to Him, He can even turn the burdens into blessings.



…God will give us the grace to go through the difficulties.

Why does God constitute our lives in this way? The answer is simple: to keep us from thinking we know it all and that we can manage our lives by ourselves. Just about the time we think we have an explanation for things, God changes the situation and we have to throw out our formula. This is where Job’s friends went wrong: they tried to use an old road map to guide Job on a brand new journey, and the map didn’t fit. No matter how much experience we have in the Christian life, or how many books we read, we must still walk by faith! To people without faith, time simply rolls onward, with no apparent rhyme or reason; accidents happen, and they are alone in the world. For believers, time is ordered by God’s providence. Events don’t “just happen” by chance; there is “a time for everything” (Eccl.3:1). God is with us, and is actively involved in our lives. Find comfort in the truth that “God has made everything beautiful in its time”. God is sovereign, He controls the “times”, yet in spite of this, we often fail to recognize God’s hand at work in the world and in our lives. But He causes all things to work together for good (Rom 8:28Rom 8:28
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

WP-Bible plugin), and our times are in His hand. His timing is perfect. Those who see God’s hand in everything can best leave everything in God’s hand. There are no chance encounters in life, only divine appointments.



…and whatever season of life you are in now, know that God has a wonderful plan and a purpose.

Faith means trusting God, even when our timing disagrees with His. In times of hardship we draw comfort from knowing that God is in control. So, in every season of life, and whatever season of life you are in now, know that God has a wonderful plan and a purpose. He wastes nothing. He uses all things to accomplish His purposes and to make us the kind of people He designs us to be – for His glory! This is not fatalism, nor does it rob us of freedom or responsibility. It is the wise providence of a loving Father Who does all things well and promises to make everything work for good! So, instead of fighting it, EMBRACE THE SEASON, LEARN THE LESSONS, AND MORE THAN THIS – EMBRACE THE GOD OF THE SEASON…AND THE ONE WHO SEASONS YOU!

When God scans the earth for potential leaders, He is not on a search for angels in the flesh. He is certainly not looking for perfect people, since there are none. He is searching for men (and women) like you and me, mere people made up of flesh. But He is also looking for people who share the same qualities He found in David. God is looking for men and women “after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:141 Samuel 13:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.  

WP-Bible plugin).



God is looking for men and women “after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:141 Samuel 13:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.  

WP-Bible plugin)

What does it mean to be a person after God’s own heart? It means your life is in harmony with the Lord. What is important to Him is important to you. What burdens Him burdens you. When He says, “Go to the right,” you go to the right. When He says, “Stop that in your life,” you stop it. When He says, “This is wrong and I want you to change,” you come to terms with it because you have a heart for God. That’s bottom-line, biblical Christianity.

When you are a man or woman after God’s heart, you are deeply sensitive to spiritual things. Second Chronicles 16:9es 16:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen. the shouting…: or, the alarm is fallen upon, etc  

WP-Bible plugin explains it this way: “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (emphasis added).

What is God looking for? He is looking for men and women whose hearts are His—completely. That means there are no locked closets. Nothing’s been swept under the rugs. That means that when you do wrong, you admit it and come to terms with it. You long to please Him in your actions. You care deeply about the motivations behind your actions. God is not looking for magnificent specimens of humanity. He’s looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants who have integrity.



God is looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants who have integrity.

Listen to some of the synonyms for this Hebrew word thamam, translated “integrity”: “complete, whole, innocent, having the simplicity of life, wholesome, sound, unimpaired.” It’s what you are when nobody’s looking. We live in a world that says, in many ways, “If you just make a good impression, that’s all that matters.” But you will never be a man or woman of God if that’s your philosophy. Never. You can’t fake it with the Almighty. He is not impressed with externals. He always focuses on the inward qualities, like the character of the heart … those things that take time and discipline to cultivate.

Fellow Dads, may we be, by His grace, men after God’s own heart…for this truly is the best gift we can give to our children…and to their Mom.



HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!