GONE - a message

I was preaching through the book of Exodus and came to the 10 commandments in chapter 20, about the time summer arrived. With vactions and other interruptions, I decided to wait until the end of the summer to continue Exodus with a series on the 10 commandments. It makes sense to start that series once people are back from vacation and I can preach all the way through it. In fact, it turns out with a one week introduction and than one week per message, that series will begin in September and take us right up until Thanksgiving.

So, in the meantime, I have asked God to help me know what He wants me to preach on. I began with a message from Psalm 90, which is the only Psalm attributed to Moses. If it is ineed true that Moses wrote it, then it gives some insight into Moses' perspective on what was taking place during the 40 years of wandering the Israelites did in the desert.


More importantly, this message challenged me, once again, with the idea that my life is very short; and I must make the most the time I have left - for the glory of God. May you be challenged and encouraged as well.


VIDEO: Pictures of Bob and Alice Wills – GONE

GONE
Psalm 90

Please open your Bible to Psalm 90. If you are using the Bible in front of you, it is page 496.

I appreciate Bob and Alice Wills allowing me to use part of their 50th wedding anniversary celebration video this morning. Normally, we are used to seeing a presentation like this one with beautiful, music about love in the background, as we consider how God put two people together; and think about all the wonderful years they have shared. But, that is not our point today; and it is not the topic under consideration in Psalm 90. Instead, this was meant to make you think of the brevity of life; and how soon, how quickly, our days, our years, our memories, are GONE.

In the early 1970s Jim Croce wrote a song that said, “If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do, is to save every day ‘till eternity passes away–just to spend them with you.” Those are great lyrics, and it would be nice if we could save time, but you can’t. In fact, a few months after he wrote that song, he was tragically killed in a plane crash in Louisiana at the age of 30. You can’t save time.

You might be wondering what this has to do with our study through Exodus. Well, if the scholars are right and Moses is the author of this Psalm, not only is it the only Psalm he wrote, and would make it the oldest Psalm; but it also means that what we are about to read was written in the context of what Moses and the people of Israel experienced, being released from bondage in Egypt and then wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, on their way to the promised land.

And the topic this song of Moses (the Psalms is really the Old Testament song book)…the topic is that of how quickly our lives are GONE. It is not the most pleasing thing to think about, is it? And some of you, who consider yourselves young, may not have any idea of what I am talking about. Nonetheless, it is a reality. Those of you who have already lived quite some time, have no problem understanding that time keeps tickin’ and the days, months and years just seem to pass too quickly. This is the context of Moses’ message here in Psalm 90.

The author of this song, Moses, already had an incredible life in his first 40 years, growing up in Egypt, and then went through a preparation time, another 40 years, wandering the deserts of Midian. And then, at age 80, was called by God to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt, and to the promised land. Although he resisted at first, Moses did what God asked, and through incredible miracles, and 10 plagues on Egypt, Moses led the 2,000,000 or so people out of bondage.

They were rescued at the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army pursuing them, when God provided dry land, in the middle of the Sea, for them to pass through on, and then brought the waters down on the Egyptian army, killing them all. And that was just the beginning of the adventures. For 40 years, until Moses died at the age of 120, he led God’s people through the wilderness, and to the brink of the promised land of Canaan. There were great victories along the way, and incredible defeats…time of blessing and times of cursing…times of following humbly after God, and times of complaining, bickering, and disobedience.

In the context of these 40 years of wandering, in the last stages of Moses’ life, he writes these words:

Psalm 90:1 – “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”

And with that, Moses begins his song of praise. As we go through this Psalm this morning, let us be careful to apply it to our lives today. Let’s hear the message of this song, about the brevity of life, as it is words of a challenge to obey. To begin with, in our notes: Because life is short…

Look to God, who is eternal (vs.1,2)

His first word, a name for God, is “Lord.” But it is not the word translated Jehovah or Yahweh, as we have often seen in Exodus. It is the name, referring to the majesty and authority of God over His creation: Adonai. This is how Moses chooses to address God at the beginning of this song: Adonai, you have been our dwelling place, our protective shelter, in all generations. Keep in mind that if a generation is normally seen as 40 years, Moses lived through 3 different generations all by himself! His point is that this incredible God, Adonai, has been there, for His people, in every generation. He has sheltered them, comforted them, protected them, and loved them.

Moses and the people of Israel knew this all too well. They had been living in tents in the middle of nowhere. They had people attacking them all the time. They constantly lived in a state of insecurity and uncertainty. The only thing they could count on, was that the eternal God decided to love them, and fulfill His promises to them. And by the way, that is the only thing we can count on, for certain, as well!
When Moses was getting ready to die and the people were ready to finally enter the promised land, this is what Moses reminded them of, as a part of his final blessing:

Deuteronomy 33:27 – “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”

Moses reminds us of why God is our only place of security and certainty:
Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

The first thing Moses talks about, in His praise toward God, is the great difference between God and man. Moses point to God as the one where His people can seek shelter because is the only one who has always been and will always be…”from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”

God has always existed. We can’t comprehend that, in our finite minds, but it is the truth from God’s Word: He has always been and will always be. That makes Him entirely different from us, doesn’t it? He has always been, as Moses said: God. This term for God refers to his might, His strength. It is seen in His creation.
He is our God. His eternity is the answer to our frailty and temporal status.

And no matter who you are, you are very temporary. He was Michael Joseph Jackson, born in Indiana on August 29, 1958. He was known as the "King of Pop". According to one of many websites dedicated to his life: “With his trademark black fedora and single, sequinned glove, his unique and innovative contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a central part of popular culture around the world for four decades. A double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of over 750 million records. In 2007, his net worth was estimated at $236,000,000. But, in Los Angeles, California, at age 50, on June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson’s life was GONE.

Regardless of what you thought of him…regardless of his records and money and fame…regardless of the accusations and suspicions held against him, there is one thing he experienced that all of us will experience. His earthly life is gone, just like that; and age 50. And the only thing that now matters for Michael Jackson, has nothing to do with his short, temporal life. It has everything to do with his eternal life; and where he is spending eternity; and whether or not what he did with his short 50 years here on earth, built up anything that will last for eternity, for God’s glory. No matter who you are or what you become in this life, it is crucial that you will admit that life is very, very short.

Because life is short... Look to God, who is eternal. The 2nd thing to take in and apply, from this song in Psalm 90, is that we must admit that life is indeed short. In your notes: Because life is short…

Admit it (vs. 3-6)

In Moses’ prayer, he was admitting what was already true:
Psalm 90:3 – “You return man to dust and say, Return, O children of man!”
Moses draws some analogies to give emphasis to his point. He first says:

· You are dust

God said it to the first man who ever lived:
Genesis 3:17 – “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Moses also says to us:
· You last for a few hours

Psalm 90:4 – “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”

God is not limited by time, as man is. So, the everlasting God remains, while man is returned to dust, from where He came. Man dies, but God does not. Even though a thousand years pass, and generations come and go, to God, is just like a day has gone by: no big deal. The watch in the night is about 4 hours, referring to the time when people are asleep and that time is very brief. From God’s perspective, our lives are just a few hours long. We sleep, we dream, we’re gone.
Did you know that in a lifetime, the average American will spend: 5 months tying his shoes; 6 months sitting at red lights; 8 months opening junk mail; 1 year looking for misplaced objects; 4 years doing housework; 5 years waiting in line; 6 years eating; 15 years working and 20 years sleeping?By the time a person reaches 35 years of age they will only have 500 days left to really live (If you subtract all the time spent sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, etc.) Thinking about these things is not to discourage us; but to get us to take our moments, our days, seriously; even admitting that they are very brief.

Psalm 90:5 – “You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream…”

Verse 5 speaks of life as though God just sweeps it away, as with a flood: we are washed away quickly and then gone. He speaks of life as a dream, it is there and then gone once we awake. Moses personally witnessed a generation of people wiped out because of their disobedience. They were there, and then they were gone; with a new generation to take their place. He certainly saw God wipe out His enemies as well, in Egypt, during the plagues, and at the Red Sea; along with many other battles along the journey. He saw many people, living one minute, and then dying the next.

On December 5, 2008, this story appeared in the USA TODAY: [headline] Woman swept to sea during marriage proposal: “A romantic marriage proposal on the Oregon coast turned deadly for the bride-to-be when a wave swept her out to sea. Scott Napper planned to pop the question to his fiancée at a spot on a beach given the nickname: Proposal Rock. They began to walk out toward the rock and were 10 feet from it, when a 3 foot wave suddenly came toward them. Scott said: ‘I turned into it to keep from getting pulled under it.’ By the time he turned to his fiancée, she had been caught by the receding waters. He said: ‘She was about 30 feet away, getting swept away.’ He tore off his jacket to get rid of any extra weight, and when he looked up again she was gone. ‘That is the last I saw of her’, he cried. What else does Moses say about the brevity of our lives?

· You are grass that fades

Psalm 90:5 – “…like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.”

Like grass that withers. They especially understood that in the Middle East, as the grass could come up and then quickly be scorched by the sun and be gone. Many other Scriptures speak of this truth of man, illustrated by the quickly fading grass:

Isaiah 40:6-8 – “…All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

God lasts forever. His Word, the Bible, its truth, lasts forever. The only thing about us that lasts forever is our soul. More about that later. Because life is short…look to God, who is eternal…admit that life is short. The world recognizes this to some extent, but only to the extent of using it for profit. Perhaps you have heard the phrase or have seen it on tee shirts: Life is short, play hard. And of course, some Christian company needed to respond, and so there are the tee shirts: Life is short, pray hard. Some try to handle this truth by joking about it. It was Woody Allen that said “It’s not that I’m afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in my car, listening to the radio, and I heard the surprising news: a well known, professional athlete, had been shot in the head, and at the relatively young age of 36, was now GONE. Steve LaTreal McNair was born on February 14, 1973. He received the nickname Air McNair. He spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring after 13 NFL seasons. McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times, and the Ravens once, and played in Super Bowl 34 with the Titans. He is the Titans' all-time leading passer. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, and was All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003.
But on July 4, 2009, Steve McNair was GONE, shot to death. He was rich, fairly famous, and just 36 years old. He had a great NFL career, and was now able to plan for many years of enjoying life outside of football. But, in one moment, without any preparation or any clue, his life was GONE. No one would have expected it. We know about it, because it happened to a professional athlete. But, every day, people die, seemingly too young, many times without any warning- they’re GONE. And whether you are 6 or 36 or 76, life is fragile, and will soon be GONE. Are you willing to admit it?

Because life is short, instead of just using the time for the pursuit of personal pleasure, we can:
Go after God’s wisdom (vs. 7-12)

Psalm 90:7-9 – “For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.”

Moses had experienced these things first hand. He had seen God’s anger literally consume life because of disobedience. Even when someone thought their sin was secret, God knew about it, and sometimes dealt with it in a very public, fatal way. Other times, as in Moses’ case, there was disobedience that others may not have noticed, but God did.

We have already seen, in Exodus, where God instructed Moses to strike a rock and water came out. But, later in Moses’ life, God instructs Moses to speak to the rock and Moses decides to strike it again. Probably doesn’t sound like a big deal to us; but for God, He said that it was the reason Moses was not going to be able to enter the promised land himself. After Moses disobeyed, here is what God said:

Numbers 20:12 – “And the LORD said to Moses…Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

From God’s perspective, when we disobey, we are not taking his holiness seriously; and therefore, we deserve any consequences for our sin that God chooses to send. God is a jealous God, who wants all of His creation to respond to Him in love and obedience. And when we do not, God gets angry, and rightfully so. Looking at verse 8, it was evident that some in Israel thought that they got away with sinful actions and attitudes, and that perhaps God didn’t notice. But He did.

And here is the truth for us today: Even though God may not strike us dead for our disobedience, it is because we have a sin nature, that death will come as a consequence for sin, sooner or later. And this is the first thing we all have to come to understand in order to pursue the wisdom of God as it relates to our life and death:

· God judges our sins with death
Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death…”
Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned…”
According to Psalm 90:9, No matter how strong or healthy or moral a person might be, there will come a day, when the effects of our sin nature will come to pass: we will breath our last breath on this earth and then begin our eternity, either with God or apart from Him. And no matter how strong a person may have been life, or how influential, according to the Bible, that person will end their life with a sigh, a moan, a whisper. Another truth, in your notes, is found in:

Psalm 90:10,11 – “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reasons of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?” In your notes:

· Our temporal life is full of trouble
Most of us have no problem agreeing to that do we? Even in the midst of all the joys and blessings of life, there are all kinds of trouble we come upon in the short time we are on this earth. And for most of the people who live on this Earth, they do not take the time to really consider how God fits into all of this. In many cases, they blame God for their trouble, but are unwilling to recognize that trouble is to lead us toward God, not away from Him.

Moses once again uses numbers to help us think through how short life is. He says that we might live to be 70 years old, and if we are given more strength, maybe even 80. He was generalizing here. But, regardless of how long we live, Moses said, they are full of trouble. There is financial trouble, relationship trouble, job trouble and certainly health trouble. And there is much more.

Not surprisingly, even the most recent statistics about the life expectancy today, in 2009, is very close to the numbers Moses gave all thousands of years ago. Life expectancy for a man is 75 and for a woman is 80. Of course, we all know of people who have died much younger and some who have lived much longer. Regardless of the number for each person, it will seem short, and it will soon be GONE. This is the reality that have led people to come up with phrases such as: Life is hard, and then you die.
So, in the context of the truth that God judges our sins with death, and that our temporal life is full of trouble, what in the world can we do? Moses gives us the answer, and makes it a part of his prayer to God:

· Understand the brevity of life

Do you remember what verse 4 said about God’s perspective of our lives? It said that if man lives 1,000 years, God sees that as just one 24 hour day. I asked my mathematical friend, Steve Glick, to help me figure this out. If God views my life, as though 1,000 years would be a day, what would that look like to God? I’m 42. That means, from God’s perspective, I have lived just about 1 hour! And if I live to the life expectancy of males, or even to age 70, God will see me as just 1 hour and 40 minutes old. And if I do live to age 70, with my current age, do you know how much time, from God’s perspective I have left? Just about 40 minutes.

A couple years ago, I realized that I was at the halfway point of my life, at best; and probably past it. But, that led me to start my blog, halftime, the address of which is on the front of your bulletin. That thought of being halfway through my life or more, allows me to seriously consider my life and the importance of using my remaining days in the wisdom of God.So, in Moses’ prayer, his song to God, this was his response, to understand the brevity of life in this way:

Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

This is how we pursue God’s wisdom, to understand that our days are numbered, and the end of those days is coming very soon. You may be listening to this and thinking about getting discouraged. This is not to discourage you; but to make sure you understand reality. And once you understand the reality of the brevity of life, you then have the opportunity to take full advantage of the wisdom of God that is provided for each of us. David said it this way:

Psalm 39:4 – “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”

When I attend funerals, and I attend a ton of them, I think of the brevity of my life. No matter who has died, or whether or not I am officiating or preaching in that funeral, I always think of the fact that I will be there, in a coffin one day, and it might be very soon. It is a sobering thought; but what it leads to for me, is an evaluation of how I am living my life, and how I want to be remembered. We can allow thoughts of death to discourage us or inspire us. And I think Moses, in his prayer, is crying out to God, so that he would have the right perspective of this short life; and use what time He has, for the glory of God.
In verse 12, Moses prays: “Teach us to number our days.” In other words: Lord, teach us to be intentional about how we live our lives. Moses prayed: “Teach us to number our days.” We normally count our lives in terms of years. We celebrate birthdays but say we are a certain number of years old. Some even lie about how many years they have lived!

Moses counts it in days. The average life of a human being is only 25,550 days. Moses prayed: Help us to count each of these brief days, so that we use them according to God’s wisdom, for His glory!

This last week, in The Plain Dealer, there was an article about a man from Ohio who just died. The headline read: Harry E. Figgie Jr. dies at 85; built Fortune 500 company. The article goes on to talk about what a great businessman Harry was; and how he built a company, that at one time, was grossing up to 1.5 billion dollars per year. The article details the process he went through to become rich; and many people had great things to say about his abilities. But, even after 85 years of living and building a business, one day, Harry Figgie Jr. was GONE, and all of what he built went to someone else. The real question is: Did Harry spend the short time on earth gaining a heart of wisdom, by numbering his days and living for God; or did he only live for himself and the riches he accumulated? Only Harry and God knows the answer to that. So, what about you? The Bible says:
Hebrews 9:27 – “…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”

Psalm 139:16 – “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them come to pass.”

We sometimes hear it said of someone who died: They died unexpectedly; or they died too young, or they died before their time. But, in reality, none of those things are true. It may seem that way to us, but what we are learning from God’s Word is that we will die, and from God’s perspective, the timing is always just right. The fact that God knows the day you were born and the day when your life will be over can either cause us to worry or it can give us great confidence.When Confederate General Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson was asked how he could be so fearless in battle, he responded, “I feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death.” That kind of confidence only comes through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The question most people concern themselves with on this earth is how to live longer.

But, according to the Bible, you are not in charge of that. Yes, you should eat healthy and exercise; and look both ways before you cross the street; but you know of people who did that and still died; some of them very young. God has appointed the day you will die. That means, that on your appointed date, you might have received a clean bill of health from the doctor that morning and then get in a car accident that afternoon. It means you might have the right diet and exercise regularly, but be diagnosed with cancer or have a heart attack because of genetics. Jesus made a point to those who were so worried about trying to live longer:

Matthew 6:27 – “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

But, with all of this uncertainty about how long you will live, there is a certain God, who gave us His certain Word, the Bible, and tells us we can be certain about something much more important than this brief time we call life. We can be certain about eternal life.

I John 5:13 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Let me ask you: are you 100% sure that when you die, you will spend eternity with God in Heaven? That is the only thing you can make certain of; because you cannot determine when or how you will die. So, would you like to be sure?

I shared some bad news with you earlier:
Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death…”
Now, let me share with you the good news that follows those words:
Romans 6:23 – “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

You cannot determine when or how you die. You cannot determine how long your life will last or exactly what it will be like. But, there is a decision you can make, that has an eternal implication, for millions and millions and millions of years after you leave this earth: you can accept the free gift of eternal life, by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation.

The Bible tells us this:
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Romans 10:9 – “…If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Jesus already did the work on the cross, to save you from your sins and to give you the opportunity to live with Him forever. Your part is to accept it, fully…to make Jesus the master of your life…to give your short life on this earth for him…

Ephesians 2:8– “For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

You have to accept the gift. It doesn’t come automatically. It is offered to you, and you must receive it. When you do, then the fact that this life is so short and full of trouble is put in a whole new perspective. It doesn’t mean you will always see things from God’s perspective, rightly; but you have the chance to. And you can live in confidence, whether sleeping, or in a vicious battle, that your life is in God’s hands. And when this life is over, you will be with God forever.

Jesus only lived on this earth about 12,000 days. That is not very long. But His life changed the course of history. He had one goal, one focus. He made each of his days count by doing only what His Father told him to do. His days were filled with joy, and pain, and suffering but he never got off track. In fact, it was his very last day that provides us with hope. For on that day, he made us more than dust, than grass, or a whisper.

But don’t wait. Because of the brevity of life, the Bible says:
II Corinthians 6:2- “Now is the day of salvation.”

Have you made that decision? Would you like to? Before the final point of today’s message, let me pray. Please join me with your heads bowed. If you have not made this decision to follow Jesus Christ, to accept the free gift of eternal life; but you would like to, I want to pray a prayer that you can repeat in your own heart and mind.

PRAYER

If you prayed that prayer with me this morning, we want to rejoice with you, and help you know how to grow from here. Please come and see me after this morning’s service, so we can talk about it. Moses’s song, his prayer, has everything to do with the brevity of life. In the final verses of this Psalm, Moses’ words challenge us, because life is so short, to:

Live under God’s grace (vs. 13-17)

Psalm 90:13 – “Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

Since man returns to dust very quickly, Moses asks for God to return to have mercy on us. He basically is telling us this:

· Pray for God’s love that leads to satisfaction and joy

Psalm 90:14,15 – “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.”

The anticipation of death is replaced with the great joy that God can bring because of His promises. The joy comes from the understanding of what life is all about; and having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Moses experienced some of the actuality of promises God made. But, he did not see them all. However, these promises caused him to respond in faith:

Hebrews 11:24-27 – “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”

According to Psalm 90:14, this was their only hope: the compassion, the love of God. Out of God’s compassion, Moses was asking that he would turn their sadness into joy; and that God would give them as many happy days as He has that have caused them pain. Moses had seen God do amazing things, and had taken joy in God’s grace toward him and the people of Israel. So, next, in his prayer to God, we should:

· Notice what God is doing

Psalm 90:16 – “Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.”

Living in God’s grace today includes remembering all the great things He has done for us; and teaching them to our children and our children’s children. For Moses and God’s people of Israel, they had many great works of God to remember and to pass on. They had already seen incredible things, and Moses was asking that God would continue to reveal His power to them. That is God’s grace at work. There is a final word of this prayer, as we are challenged to live in God’s grace. The prayer is this:

· Ask God to bless our work for Him

Psalm 90:17 – “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”

This closing prayer is that God, by His grace, would allow our short, sinful lives, to count for something eternal. And the prayer is that God would take our efforts, as feeble as they might be; and use them to make an eternal impact on the lives of others, for His glory!

That is my prayer for my own life, for my children, and for our church. May God see fit to use us for something that really matters: to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and to help people grow in their relationship with Him!

My recent trip to Iowa reminded me of my childhood. I saw the fact that the house I lived in until 8th grade was now torn down and used for parking. I saw where I practiced baseball, went to church and school, where I used ride my bike and I stayed where I lived from 8th grade through high school, and where my parents still live today. It was a reminder that life, for me, has passed very quickly. I am thankful to God for every moment; but I must realize that every moment that passes is GONE; and I need to use this moment, that I have today, to honor and glory the one who gave me this life in the first place; and the one with whom I will spend eternity.