| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Steadfast and immovable” Our Bible verse for today: “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Nothing is over until you give up” I recently read a quote that struck me as both clever and whimsical, but also profound and thought provoking. It went, “The future isn’t what it used to be.” That observation is sometimes attributed to Aristotle, as an example of deep philosophy, but also to baseball great Yogi Barra, who was known for the odd and often humorous things he said. But for many people it can also reflect a sad loss of hope. In the past they looked forward to the future with eagerness and expectation, but now the future just looks bleak and hopeless. In that sense, the future isn’t what it used to be. It used to look a lot better, but it now appears less promising for them than it did at one time. However, if you are a Christian, then the actual truth is that your future is bright – probably in this lifetime, but certainly in the next. And the Lord will walk with you every step of the way into that future. That’s what Paul meant when he wrote in Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Paul wrote that as an old man, in prison, probably facing execution, and what he meant was that there wasn’t a thing he was facing that he couldn’t handle, because Christ was right there with him helping him and strengthening him. And also, Paul knew what the future held for him. Just a bit earlier, in this same letter (1:21-24) he had said that he was willing to go on living and working if the Lord willed it, but he was also prepared to pass from this life and go to heaven because he knew how much better that would be. The same is true for you. The Lord will strengthen you and walk with you through whatever you are dealing with, and there are almost certainly many blessings and joys waiting for you along the road as you continue through this life. But there is without question a glorious future waiting for you in heaven as well. If you’re going through a tough time and you’re thinking “I just can’t handle this”, I want to say to you “Yes, you can. With Christ you can handle all things.” And if you could use a bit of extra musical encouragement this morning, then take a moment to Google the music video “Move (Keep Walking)” by Christian artist TobyMac. It will lift your spirits and get your blood pumping, and it will encourage you. And remember, nothing is over until you give up. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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