What Are We Rushing For?

Commonly in today’s society there is an anxiety amongst all people. Most of us have a strong mentality of getting ahead that never ceases far into our ages. We spend more time trying to find the best ways to speed up the processes of what we do and stressing about things not summing up fast enough. But the real question is-why? What is the hurry? What is it that we are racing towards in life? What is the final destination—that which constitutes the right for us to declare success and to relax?
There are many ways to look at this. But one stands out more than the others, which is that there is no rush. We rush towards opportunity in fear of there not being anything when our time comes. But this is only a result of our lack of faith that no matter the time or season God will provide and open doors for us. Around me, I have seen young children rush to become teens but only to run into the burdens of temptation and anxiety of being young adults who struggle with even greater temptation and anxiety of becoming adults who struggle with habits and unemployment and the stresses of being solely responsible and accountable for more than they can bear. So the moral of the story is, just relax where we are and take it easy. Work hard with where you are at day-by-day. What’s the rush? The same opportunities and greater will always be around us. Don’t be confused to thinking this means not to be ambitious. Stay motivated and moving but there is no hurry. The only finish line is death on earth, so why run yourself to the grave before your time?

THE FAMILY GLUE

It is interesting how families often allow one person to be the “glue” that keeps all of them together. For our family that was my mother. While she was living my brother and I, and family all over the country were very close. We called each other and visited all the time; we checked on each other’s well being; we sacrificed for the other’s good or for the good of their household; and we forgave the faults of each other. We saw the power of unity in the family. But, once my mother died, all things fell apart. It wasn’t an immediate shatter. But the joints that were held together by her examples of love, patience and counter–dependence slowly disintegrate until all was completely demolished to nothing. This is a sad but successful ploy of the enemy. It leaves the appearance that he has power over our lives. We can look at the circumstances and be lulled into believing that he is right and that we will be separated forever. But, be careful for nothing. Do not be afraid to reach forward into dark places. Sometimes that is where we have to reach to pull a family member from the enemy. When we are small we are taught to fear the dark. We hear mysterious sounds and we feel lonely in the dark. So we tend to grow–up with the same fears and cautions with dark places. However, when we carry the Light of the Gospel, there is no darkness that can withstand or overcome the light; instead, light immediately overcomes the darkness in all circumstances. Greater is He that is in the believer than he that is in the world. No weapon formed against the believer shall be able to prosper, and no enemy shall be able to stand.If you are the “glue” person in your family that all look to and depend upon, push that dependence and faith in you hard towards Christ so that when you are gone there is a focal point that keeps all things together. For when Christ is lifted all members of the family will be drawn together by being drawn to him. As families that have separated encounter the savior, my prayer and hope is that they are reassembled into powers of unity to the glory of God showing the love, hope, trust, faith and forgiveness to one another that has been given to them through God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Emotional Week

Last week was a week of reflection and high emotion. So far this month I memorialized the death of my mother (she died a week before my 18th birthday), and the death of Trish's mother (died last year almost on the same date as the death of my mother). Also, to the day, we celebrated the birthday of our first grandchild. Throughout this week we will be celebrating my birthday, my wife’s birthday, my sister’s-in law birthday, and my father’s birthday. But, there is no bigger event to memorialize or to celebrate than what we celebrated last Sunday; the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Truly, without God we can do nothing, and it is because He lives that we can face tomorrow. There is no greater love that one has than this, to lay down his life for a friend.

Life is often filled with much chaos and many questions but I stay encouraged knowing that Jesus is the answer, and it is in Him that I place all of my hope and trust. God Bless you. -Tony

AWAKEN TO THE PROVERBIAL PURPOSE

Proverbs 1:1-4, says the book was written for the following purpose:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-
As we come to the new awakening that Spring-time brings let us follow the advice of Proverbs 4:7 which tells us that Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. In so doing, we will show that we recognize the truth of Proverbs 1:7 that The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Join us Thursday 7pm eastern time on WAPN 91.5 FM in Holly Hill, Florida. You can also hear and see us streaming on www.wapn.net.

TONIGHT'S GUEST

Dr. Blair-Britt
When: Thur, April 2, 7:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: WAPN Studio Holly Hill, FL (map)
Description: Join us live with Dr. Blair-Britt this Thursday.
DISCUSSING ORGAN DONORS

Paul's Return to Jerusalem

I was looking at Acts 21 and found it interesting that the journey of Paul went full circle. He starts early in the book as one who was the enemy of the Jews who were proclaiming Christ and was ordered to persecute them. Now in Chapter 21, Paul is being accepted by the Christian Jews but is in need of protection from other Jews fortaking the message to the gentiles. He is further accused of telling Jews who lived among the gentiles not to follow the laws and customs of Moses. This triggered the reply of Paul's full testimony and calling starting with a call to leave Jerusalem quickly even though he was a zealous Jew, because they would not accept his testimony there. His statement that God them sent him far away to the gentiles angered the crowd to a murderous rage.


Often the crowds in our life decide who we are and the way we should go. They struggle to silence our testimonies that say we are no longer who we were and are no longer doing the wrong things we once done. But, the principle aspect of being born again is that of change - repentence is no longer going in the direction you were going before but changing to a new positive direction. This is the true rebirth when old things have past away and all things have become new in Christ Jesus.

Running the Race

At church today, we watched a short video that showed a high school boy with cerebral palsy. Though he was physically limited and fell at times when running, he was determined to run for the high school cross country team. Despite several falls he eventually completed the race. Many people were in tears by the end of the video to see the young teen so determined and persistent to finish the race.

We as Christians are running a similar race. We are continuously falling down, offending God in the things we think, do, and say--glorifying our flesh and not our Lord and Saviour. However, we are able to get back up again thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ! When we decide to let Christ into our hearts and wash our hearts in his blood, Gods angels rejoice and celebrate our arrival to his Kingdom. In Hebrews chapter 12, it reads: "wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith."