¹⁶  So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! .  – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV)

At various stages of life, we all struggle with our identity at times. Probably one of the most difficult phases is when we are in the Jr. High-High School years! We have advice from parents, teachers, coaches, youth leaders, but most significantly, we have peer pressure from our friends that can cause us to make either good or possibly damaging decisions that may influence the rest of our lives. And when you add the possible prospect of dating relationships into that mix, we can add all kinds of fear, doubt, and feelings of total insecurity into our lives! These years can be formative in positive and negative ways as we establish our identity!

I want to share with you a few insights I have discovered from an unexpected group of uncertain and yet wonderful people: those of us caught up in the strange, unpredictable, and sometimes nerve-racking world of Online Dating! (Yes, I’m actually doing that!) It’s been almost one year since my wife Claudia died, and for the past 4-5 months, I have been conversing with several women online and having some wonderful conversations! I seem to be pretty good at choosing women to talk to, because they have all been wonderful and mature Christian women that I seem to have many common interests with. I am talking with women in the general age group of 60-72, those who I can identify with, and I of course have chosen to focus on those who appear to have a strong and healthy Christian faith. There are plenty of strange, weird, and eccentric women on these sights as well, and as I have been told over and over, apparently even many more immature and childish men as well! Guys, if you ever have to get on these sites, act like a decent and humble guy, not like some bragging, impulsive, self-centered idiot. We are apparently not well represented on these sites, so try to be the man God has created you to be! And partly because of this, every woman I have talked with doesn’t like these sites very much at all and finds them very uncomfortable, and some even say they hate them!

The women I have talked with, at least, have all had good and in many ways fulfilling lives. They have all been good wives and mothers, even when marriages may have ended in divorce. They are intelligent, strong women of faith, and many have had very successful careers in life and found great fulfillment there.   Yet, because they have lost a spouse to death, or have suffered a divorce, their world has been shaken dramatically, and they are uncertain not only about their future, but their identity as well! And yes, we men feel very much the same way as well. One friend loved her identity as a wife, part of a wonderful team with her husband, and also loved raising her children to become mature adults. Now that her husband died of cancer, and her children are all grown and have their own lives, she struggles with her new identity and what purpose and plan God has for her for the rest of life. We who have lost a spouse of course grieve that loss, and miss being part of an intimate couple relationship. And to seek someone else now to share life with, with our age, baggage and history, is no simple task! And those going through a divorce also experience grief! They grieve the marriage they had hoped they were entering into, but over the years discovered they may have never had and maybe would never get to experience.   

Of course, add to that the fact that you have to make out a “profile” of yourself, telling others about yourself when you may not be sure yourself any longer, and that can be a little daunting. Plus, you need to put up a few pictures of yourself. We are all attracted to certain people, and not so attracted to others. And when you get to be in your 60’s and 70’s, you may come to the realization that you don’t look quite like you did when you were 25 or 35! All of this can make people who been well respected for 30-40 years by their family, community, friends, church, and work place, and felt very comfortable with who they were, suddenly feel a little like they are back in high school again, trying to find the right identity to be “liked and chosen” again. Many don’t like the idea of “putting themselves out there” again, and some feel like they are somehow “on the market” and find that uncomfortable and even humiliating.

SO, WHAT CAN WE CHRISTIANS DO TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT?

1) Remind your friends who are struggling with their identity right now, no matter what the cause, that they are very important to you as your friend, and that you value them just the way they are!

All of us suffer brokenness and uncertainty in life, because we live under the destructive effects of sin in this world. God has given us each other to walk together through the ups and downs of life! When Claudia was dying with cancer the past few years, we discovered a very comforting phrase that brought us much hope and peace: “We are walking each other home”! That’s not only a good thought for when we are facing death, but also as we go together through all the trails and uncertainty we each face in life. So if life is good for you right now, be thankful, and look around for those you can offer to “walk with” through their struggles!

2) Remind ourselves, and especially those who may be hurting around you, just who we are, already, in Jesus!

– We are new creations in Christ!

¹⁶  So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! .  – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV)

Jesus is making us into new men and women, and one day we will live forever with him and each other in a New Heaven and New Earth combined, with amazing new bodies! So don’t look at yourself, or each other, as the world does!

– There is no condemnation for us anymore! We are set free from the effects of sin!

¹  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

– We are a special and chosen people!

⁹  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.¹⁰  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
Even though you may not feel like it right now, you have been chosen by God to be part of a new and holy nation! And, we are here to declare the praises of God!

– God has saved us by his grace, to become his unique handiwork, or masterpiece!

⁸  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-⁹  not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
You may feel uncertain about who you are right now, but remember that God is making you into a unique masterpiece, a one of a kind, special creation!

Finally, no matter how we may feel at any given time, and even though we may question who we are and what our purpose is, remember to rejoice in God, avoid worry, bring everything to God in prayer, and he will give us his peace and guard our hearts and minds!

 ⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

This is an expression I’ve heard from people time and time again since my wife Claudia died over 10 months ago now! And of course, that is true in most ways. As a matter of fact, for me at least, I’ve found NOTHING is quite the same now. Even stuff that seems “the same”, such as being in the house, being with friends at golf or in a group of friends, even being with family, is somehow “different”. I bring this up not to focus on me, or what it’s like to lose a loved one, or any of that! What I want to focus in is that the fact that I’m in a TRANSITION PHASE in my life, and if you are not now, you soon will be also!

Some transitions are good: going to college, getting married, having kids, moving & getting a better job, retiring, etc. But many transitions that come to us are unwanted and are the result of living in a fallen, sinful world and experiencing the effects of that sin on all of us! Things like death, sickness, divorce, hatred, murder, poverty, racism, terrorism, and on and on… Nobody likes or wants these problems that cause us to change and adjust to a sometimes dark and dangerous world. And if you know God and the Biblical story, you know none of these things is what God intended for us in the first place when he created us!

So, if all these negative transitions in life are not what God intended for us, what is God teaching us through them? And where can these transitions take us, if we listen to God?

1) God put us on earth originally to live in direct contact with him, enjoying his love and presence constantly, and enjoying life together as humans as well.

And he gave us each a SOUL, which was meant to be in perfect harmony with God and integrate everything we are and do with God’s amazing plan for us! The late Christian philosopher, and deep spiritual thinker, Dallas Willard, defined the soul this way:

“Our soul is like a stream of water, which gives strength, direction, and harmony to every other area of our life. When that stream is as it should be, we are constantly refreshed and exuberant in all we do, because our soul itself is then profusely rooted in the vastness of God and his Kingdom, including nature; and all else within us is enlivened and directed by that stream. Therefore, we are in harmony with God, reality, and the rest of human nature, and nature at large”.

The problem is, none of us have souls that are even close to being in harmony with God and his plan for us, do to our sinfulness! Rather than being perfectly integrated with God, our souls are all terribly “dis-integrated” from God, separated from his plans and power and love. We live on a planet of lost souls! Our souls are filled with confusion, anger, doubt, hurt, and despair at times, so we take it out on each other rather than turn to God and seek his healing!

2) God saw our hopeless lost-ness of the soul, and sent his Jesus to, literally, “save our souls”!

⁸  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹  for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV)

The salvation of our souls is much more than getting into heaven in the future rather than going to Hell, where we are all destined without Jesus and what he did for us! No, the salvation of our souls is restoring who were are to who we were meant to be, before sin took us away from God’s plan and left us as wandering souls in a world of darkness and confusion. Jesus wants to transform us NOW, from the inside out, and help us reconnect our lost souls to God and his plan for us. And the only way to get there is through Jesus, and nothing else!

Jesus explained the futility of trying to “save yourself” in Mark 8:25-37:

³⁵  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? – Mark 8:35-37 (NIV)
Jesus here was not talking so much about a destination, but rather a diagnosis! As John Ortberg says in his book “Soul Keeping”, “For the ruined soul—that is, where the will and the mind and the body are dis-integrated, disconnected from God, and living at odds with the way God made life in the universe to run—acquiring the whole world could not even produce satisfaction, let alone meaning and goodness. To lose my soul means that I no longer have a healthy center that organizes and guides my life. I am a car without a steering wheel. It doesn’t matter how fast I can go, because I am a crash waiting to happen!”

3) Once Jesus saves your soul, he will help you focus on His Kingdom and what he plans for you, rather than be distracted by the confusion and evil of this world!

We get so caught up in the horrors, injustice, hatred, and fear this fallen world instills in us that we miss the beauty and joy that God gives us each day, even in the midst of the chaos! Christian singer Matthew West has a great song about this called “The Beautiful Things We Miss”. Listen to it on YouTube! It is basically saying we get so caught up in the busyness and chaos of everyday life that we miss the most important and joyful things God is offering us each day, in the people and circumstances around us!

Jesus put it a little differently in Matthew 6:25-34:

²⁵  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.-  Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

Life is in the Transitions!

Some will be good; many will be dark and difficult and unwanted!

You alone can choose how you react to the transitions!

– you can be discouraged and angry and turn away from God

– or, you can ask Jesus to save your soul, and reconnect you to God and his plan and the amazing, eternal future he has for you!

Which do you choose?

I choose to let Jesus save my soul, reconnect me to God and his amazing plan for my life, and live with hope and joy for the rest of this life. And then, move into eternity in the New Heaven and Earth he has promised to us!  Won’t you join me?

Do you remember the phrase “you can’t see the forest for the trees?” What it refers to is that we sometimes get caught up in the  immediate problems and concerns (the trees) and fail to see the bigger meaning and purpose of life, and why were are even here (the forest). If you watch the news (any channel), you would think life is all about politics, groups hating each other, wars, oppression, and economic issues, all driven by fear and hopelessness! Those are the “trees” we are told to focus on each day, and we dutifully waste most of our lives fighting these same issues and battles over and over again, generation after generation.

Do you enjoy living your life like that? Don’t you sense that life can, and should, be a lot better than that? Well, if you are a Christian and have a basic understanding of God’s story in the Bible, you quickly realize this is not the life God intended for any of us to live at all! In Genesis, God created this world and all that is in it, and declared it “good”! We were designed to live in the very presence of God, without any sin in our lives, and were designed to live forever. Humans were created to be friends with God, to love each other, and to enjoy and rule over this amazing creation we call earth. Without sin, there was no hatred, no death, no fear, no illness, only enjoying God and each other and this amazing world!

Did you ever notice that when you’re at a beautiful place in nature, people all talk about the beauty of what we are seeing? I remember being in Alaska a few years ago and we were able to see Mt. Denali without any clouds at all (a rare opportunity!) We stared at it in awe, impressed by it’s majesty. Nobody asked each other if we were Democrat or Republican, or what Congress was voting on today, or what was happening on the border. No, we sensed in ourselves something transcendent and bigger than our false reality of what we focus on back home each day.

ARE WE ESCAPING REALITY, OR DISCOVERING OUR PURPOSE AND ULTIMATE DESTINY?

Reality, as the news presents it every day, was never God’s intention! All the hatred, death, anger, oppression we see is the result of our sin. We chose this for ourselves, by rejecting Gods’ ways. The Bible story make clear that God doesn’t want to leave us in that kind of life, and Jesus came to rescue us from the devastating effects of sin and restore us, and the world, to the purpose we were created for! The Bible make it clear that creation, as well as people, is looking to be redeemed and restored to its ultimate beauty and purpose:

 Romans 8:18-25 (NIV)
¹⁸  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹  The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ²²  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

This time of year, people take their families and “go on vacation” to escape the “reality” of a stressful life we live under sin. They turn the normal world and stresses off, and breathe deeply and enjoy the wonders of creation and rest. They laugh more, relax, appreciate other people more, and if they are wise, they discern that God is behind all of this!

What if we began to understand vacations, and getting away, not as escaping “reality”, but actually getting a glimpse of the ultimate reality that God intends for us? I admire and appreciate my friends, and especially some new ones, that I sense grasp the concept that our real purpose and destiny here is to love God fully and be loved by him, to love each other deeply, and to relax and enjoy the amazing creation we live in! I think those “stargazers” who look up at night, those who climb mountains and love to walk beaches and hear the lapping of the waves, are not escaping reality at all. Rather, they are waking up and coming home to the life and purpose we were all meant for, to live and enjoy life with God!

GOD IS A ‘CHANGIN’ THINGS!

Jesus came to rescue us from this maddening, never ending cycle of hate, fear, destruction and death. Not by holding more seminars or passing more laws, but by allowing the power of God to transform our hearts, and make us new people from the inside out. The contrast between the present world ( the sinful desires of the world) and God’s new life (walking by his Spirit) is made clear in Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:16-26 (NIV)
¹⁶  So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. ¹⁹  The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

When we allow God’s Spirit to transform us, and then take these biblical principles and God’s power and apply them to the problems we face, God will change society. There is no issue we face today that God’s has not given us his solution to in the Bible. For example, in dealing with the problems of race today, I encourage you to watch Dr. Tony Evans’ messages and teaching on Kingdom Race Theology (on Youtube), and read his book Oneness Embraced. He explains wonderfully how God’s principles and ways will work, much better than any human solution alone!

SO, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Jesus came to redeem us and to restore us and the world to it’s original design and purpose. He will return and banish sin and those who refuse his offer of new life, and restore humanity and creation to the way it was supposed to be! And God will dwell with us again, the way it was meant to be, forever!

So, you and I can continue to live life in the “trees”, the false reality shoved us at us each day in the news and every aspect of life.

Or, we can choose the “forest”, the future life and world that Jesus begins to offer us now as he changes us from the inside out, and one that will come to full fruition when he returns to rule the earth!

I choose God’s new life now, the life I was created for!

I choose each day to find more ways to love God and experience his love, to love and appreciate and be amazed by other people, even those who differ from me, and to have fun and joy as I experience this amazing world God has given to us!

I leave you with a wonderful thought and focus from Paul:

Philippians 4:6-9 (NIV)
⁶  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. ⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11 (NIV)
¹  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ²  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³  a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, ⁴  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ⁵  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, ⁶  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, ⁷  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, ⁸  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. ¹¹  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Some in my generation might believe these words were first written by Pete Seeger in the 1950’s for the song “Turn! Turn ,Turn”, and made popular by the singing group “The Byrds”. Of course, they were Solomon’s wise reflections on life recorded in Ecclesiastes 3. Solomon, in the amazing wisdom God gave him, recognized that life progresses in seasons, and they won’t last forever, no matter how much we wish they would at times!

These last 2 ½ years of watching Claudia valiantly fight cancer only to lose that battle and die last October has caused me to reflect a lot on my life and how God somehow uses all of this for his bigger purpose. Let me share what I have determined are the seasons of my life (somewhat boring to you, I’m sure!) so that maybe you can reflect on your life and determine what season you are in, and where God may be moving you next!

Season 1: My life before Jesus.

I was one of those kids that got very good grades in school, was decent in sports, and fashioned myself part of the “cool crowd” in high school (although in retrospect, I think they just tolerated me!).  I was told, often by my older sister and brothers, that I was actually at times arrogant, and a snotty-nosed “know it all”, who actually knew very little. I know, all you who know me now find this impossible to believe, haha!

Season 2: I meet Jesus (as a junior in high school!)

At the end of one of my many “one-date only” experiences in high school, this nice Christian girl saw that I really needed help, and so she invited me to a bonfire (sponsored by Youth for Christ) after the football game. That night, in the lives and joyful attitudes of these youth leaders, I saw something I didn’t have, and desperately wanted. That was a life-changing relationship with Jesus. I finally understood to ask Jesus to take over my messed-up life and direct and lead me forward, and he has done that from that day until today!  Later that same year, God showed me his wonderful sense of humor by calling me to become a pastor! Please understand, at that time I stuttered and was afraid to even answer a question in class, so I thought God was crazy! But he wasn’t and I decided to trust him, so I went to college, seminary, and went to my first church in Redford Township.

( Season 2 (meeting Jesus) covers the rest of my life, but there are several “sub-seasons” that define my life):

Sub-season A: my life with Claudia, for 43 wonderful years!

Apparently God saw that I again needed a lot of help to live as a pastor, so my first Sunday in my new church, the senior pastor dragged Claudia into my office and said “I’ve got somebody I want you to meet!” We started dating 2 months later, were engaged in December, and married the following July. This season of my life was truly the best part up until now, and it was wonderful having Claudia as my best friend and companion in life, truly the love of my life. We truly enjoyed being a “team” and being used by God to share his love with others. We were blessed to have our 3 wonderful sons, who have become amazing fathers and Christian men of integrity, who married 3 strong, Christian women, and have produced together the 9 most wonderful grandchildren in the world! (OK, I might be a little biased. I know your grandkids are also “the best in the world” to you too!)

But, in these last 9 months since CJ moved on to live in the very presence of Jesus, God has shown me in many obvious ways that this season of my life is over. I will always love Claudia, more than any of you, and I will always thank God for the privilege of sharing an amazing life with her. Some people make the mistake of living on past memories, only barely surviving in life and not thriving in the abundant life that Jesus has for us. I cannot be like that, because I know God left me here for a purpose, and to bring glory to him by serving him. So, I look forward to the next sub-season of my life:

Sub-season B: The rest of my life on earth!

In Philippians chapter 3, Paul recognized this need to move his life forward when he said,

Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)
¹⁰  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹  and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ¹²  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

For me, that involves enjoying God’s creation and people in a way that leads others into the Kingdom. I will continue to blog, and lead Bible studies and small groups in different capacities. And I hope to be a positive, Kingdom-centered person who continually encourages others to join God’s Kingdom and know the freedom and hope for eternity that only he can offer us!

Now, I truly admire those who are able to navigate life as a single person! But, looking at my history and realizing how much I enjoyed sharing life with Claudia, I’m again asking God to lead me a wonderful Christian woman, in his way and in his timing. Please pray for me listen to the Spirit’s leading in this area, and to be patient and trust him. And also pray for God’s leading and direction for any women that I may begin a relaitonship with. I think praying for God’s plan for each person to be lived out, regardless of how a particular relationship plays out, is the truly biblical way to approach this.

So, I hope you take the time to determine what season in life YOU are in right now!

Remember to celebrate and enjoy the season you are in now!

 But, also remember that no season will last forever, and God is ultimately moving us all toward the FINAL SEASON!

THE “SEASON FINALE”, WHICH IS ETERNITY!!

Notice Solomon slipped in verse 11 above: ¹¹  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Yes, every season can be beautiful, in its proper time. BUT, God has put in each of our hearts a desire for the “Season Finale”, which is eternity in the very presence of God! No matter how good or bad your season may be right now, God has an amazing new and eternal season waiting for all those who trust their lives with Jesus!

 God gives us a glimpse of this in Revelation 21: 1-4:
¹  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Whether you now find yourself in a wonderful season of joy, or a season of despair, remember that God is always with you and will never leave nor forsake you!

And always keep your mind and hope focused on the future, because the best that God has for us is yet to come!

Please pray for me, and I will pray for you to have peace and hope in your season as well!