Our Time Will Come - by Rocky Chambers

Rocky sent me the following essay via email today. I hope that you find it very encouraging and inspirational! I certainly did! Read and enjoy!

Christine

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Our Time Will Come - by Rocky Chambers

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When the Lord moved me to Pasadena He set me in a nice neighborhood surrounded by a poor section of the city. He eventually moved me to a church that was located across from a ‘fleabag’ hotel. Consequently that church catered to a section of the population that struggled with many things; drugs, prostitution, poverty and so on. I became friends with one fellow in particular. He’s probably the most naturally talented musician I’ve ever played with. If he were determined enough he could easily become a professional musician. But he turned out to be typical for this church, a person who kept falling back into the same cycle of temptation and sin. He would be clean from drugs for about 3 months, start using again, then after a few months find himself living on the streets, then back in jail. He’d get clean, come out of jail and the whole process would start over. He lacked the determination to hear from God what He needed to hear to be set free. After being at this church for about two and a half years the Lord opened the door for me to leave, but that’s another story. What I saw there in general, and in this musician in particular, is something that I realize we all struggle with on some level, the need for perseverance. As James writes, we all face trials, but the difference in maturing and falling back is our determination to get through them to the victory God has waiting for us in hearing and receiving His wisdom.

I must confess I see this in my own life, that the thing I desire, the Godly desire, becomes twisted and darkened by my impatience, by the fact I lack perseverance and determination in this place. But I realize something different among those who are growing in the Lord and those who keep going round and round that same old mountain over and over gain. That difference is in the next phrase of what James writes. “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, and believe you will receive it”. I can honestly say that every trip I make around this mountain I’m asking God for wisdom, and I’m catching it one word at a time. I realize the more I try to figure it out, the darker and more twisted that Godly desire gets and the more likely I am to try and manifest it myself. Remember Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. They produced Ishmael, which eventually introduced strife into the camp. And it took many years for Abraham to come to that place where Isaac was produced. Ishmael was a result of Abraham’s godly desire (Isaac) becoming darkened by human reasoning that twisted and darkened that desire.

I have become convinced that at the heart of every human desire is a Godly desire. It is just that human reasoning often darkens and twists it and produces something we reasoned we desired, until we see it wasn’t what God really wanted for us. And to be honest here, I’m coming to the place where I don’t really know if what I want is my twisted desire or a Godly desire. But I do know this, when we become determined to wait with patience and are willing to persevere until the time comes for God’s desire to manifest, it will come. To borrow a phrase from a friend, “our time for the things we desire will come”.

Hat Tip: Rocky Chambers via email

Jesus Is The Voice of Truth

Received a wonderfully encouraging email from my Christian Internet friend, Rocky Chambers. He has often told me that I can share anything that he sends to me on my message board or blog.

How timely is this message!! Not only for Rocky - in his own trying situation - but also for us all!

First, read his email. Second, pay close attention to the words of the song - The Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns (one of my favorites!). Third, view the video!

I had a word from God this morning I’d like to share. As you may know, my wife Paula and I are fighting Huntington’s disease. The Lord gave me the word fighting some months ago from the scripture where Jesus says, “forceful men are forcefully advancing the Kingdom of Heaven”.

This morning I was walking my dog Trooper. I was sharing with the Lord how I am feeling exhausted from this fight. I asked Him how much longer. Later as I was making the hour drive down to Freeport from Houston for a meeting I needed to attend today the Lord answered me. I was listening to a song called, ‘The Voice of Truth’. I suddenly found myself ‘in the song’. I can’t describe what happened to me any other way. I was conscious of still driving down the highway, but somehow I was also living this song. I was Peter in the boat and the Lord has called me to come out on the water. I can hear the wind and the waves laughing at me, reminding me of all the times I’ve failed. In that same moment I can see all of my circumstances, the fight I am in. I hear doubt, anxiety, fear all rising against me. Suddenly in that moment I look at Him as I am stepping out of the boat, His hand is out, calling to me and He says… ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.

I know my description here can’t even come close to doing the experience justice. Let me just say that in that moment ‘He touched me, He calmed me, He encouraged me, He strengthened me, He emboldened me, He established my faith’. The wind and the waves can laugh at me all they want, I am deaf to them. The fact that it ‘looks impossible’ means nothing as ALL of these other voices are drowned out by the voice of Truth saying…. ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.

Let me encourage everyone who reads this. The facts can say what they are. And they can laugh at you, mock you, tell you that what you are trying to do is impossible…but let me tell you, the Voice of Truth says…’nothing is impossible for him who believes’…. ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.



Rocky Chambers

The Voice of Truth - lyrics by Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth
Voice of Truth Video link


Hat Tip:

Rocky Chambers via email.

Thanks Rocky! Praying for you! Praying for Paula! Praying for our Nation!

As I was just praying, the Voice of Truth - the Holy Spirit spoke to me through a thought:

"The truth will come out. It always does."

It will happen, people! It will be in God's timing - not ours. But be encouraged by this!! For in the end - all that transpires on this earth, the good, the beautiful, the bad, and the ugly - will one day culminate into eternal victory through Christ Jesus!! And, the purpose will all be for HIS GLORY! Praise the name of the LORD!!

Life of Learning, Humbly Offered to God

I have read a few chapters of Dr. David Jeremiah's new book "What In The World Is Going On?" It is excellent! So far, it is one of the best prophecy-matched-to-today's-political-headlines books that I have ever read!

You can get a glimpse of what the book is about by going to:

Lightsource: Turning Point Ministry and view the video sermons there.

Recent broadcasts include:

The New Axis of Evil
Sunday, November 02, 2008
When One Man Rules the World
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Is America In Prophecy?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Arming for Armageddon
Sunday, November 09, 2008

I tend to have the bad habit of skipping around to different chapters when I read books on prophecy. So, I almost skipped Chapter 2 - "The Crude Awakening" - because I wasn't really interested in reading about "mankind's thirst for oil." However, it did get more interesting towards the end of the chapter. There, Dr. Jeremiah goes into "how does the oil situation affect our future?"

1. The emergence of prophetic alliances.
2. The emergence of petroleum alliances.

Dr. Jeremiah goes into the fact that oil can be used as a weapon against the West and Israel by the Arab nations that hate both of us. Since many of these oil rich countries would love to see the end of America and Israel, this does not bode well for us.

What are we to do?

The entire chapter, up to this point, contained very little good news. In fact, Dr. Jeremiah tells us - point blank - that what he had written in the chapter gave us "little reason to be optimistic - that is, if your outlook is entirely earthly."

We have been unusually blessed in this nation. And, we need to look beyond the past and the present and focus on the future. We are witnesses to the staging of events that will precede the ultimate coming of Christ to this earth. These events, written about in Scripture centuries ago, are unfolding right before our eyes.

As Christians, we know that Jesus keeps his promises! Our patient anticipation will soon be rewarded.

Dr. Jeremiah shares what Jesus told His disciples:

Keep on Waiting

Jesus told His disciples that just as you can tell that summer is near when the fig tree puts forth leaves, you can also tell that the Son of Man is returning by recognizing the signs given by the prophets (see Matthew 24:32).

We can't hasten His coming, so we are to be patient. "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near" (James 5:7-8 NASB).

Of course, we don't know the day nor hour (see Matthew 24:36), but we can discern the season of His coming.

Keep on Working

Dr. Jeremiah talks about those who wish to "passively wait" for Jesus' return - so they assume that they don't need to do anything.

No. That is NOT what Jesus meant by "waiting." In one of Jesus' parables, He said, "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing [serving]" (Matthew 24:46).

Dr. Jeremiah:

It is a matter of working while we wait. Working hard. Working faithfully. Working in the power and joy and filling of the Holy Spirit.

Each Christian is equipped with gifts from the Spirit. Some are led to serve the poor. Others are led to be missionaries. Others are writers, preachers, lecturers, teachers - the list is endless.

When I was a "baby Christian" I often wondered (and worried) about whether I was working within God's will for my life. So, I studied the Bible diligently and "sat at the feet of Jesus" through my Bible study leaders and learned Jesus' teachings in God's Word. Next, I volunteered in several areas of ministry like our church's "Garden of Eatin" food preparation and serving team, AWANA - a club leader for two years and then a division leader for one year, a Bible study leader, and a special events volunteer. Each ministry experience helped develop the Christian woman I am today.

When I started this blog, I didn't know where it would lead. One day, my Christian friend and sister - Susan Smith - told me that Talk Wisdom was "my ministry." At first I thought...really? A blog can be a ministry? When Susan had mentioned that what I shared from God's Word blessed her, her words of encouragement blessed me right back!! (thanks so much Susan!) I have also been blessed by Susan's email newsletters!

In turn, I have found myself continually blessed by the writings of my Christian blog list friends (see sidebar!). They have blessed me with their excellent subject matter in their posts, the comments that are shared at their blogs, as well as the questions and answers provided - both here as well as at their own blogs. I am so thankful to God for finding every one of them!

We, as Christian brothers and sisters, are here to help inspire and encourage each other - as we wait in the joyful hope of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen?

Dr. Jeremiah writes:

Keep on Watching.

On numerous occasions Jesus told His followers to watch. He exhorted them to be full of anticipation, to look up and lift their heads up and realize that their redemption was drawing near (Luke 21:28). The apostle Paul continued the theme of watchfulness, telling the Roman believers to awake out of their sleep, for their salvation was nearer than when they first believed (Romans 13:11).

How infinitely wise is our Lord to encourage us to wait, work and watch for his return! It is true that our salvation is continually nearer than when we first believed. But not knowing the day nor the hour keeps us working! We are not supposed to just sit and wait. We are not supposed to just watch. We are to do all three - wait, work and watch!

I loved what Dr. Jeremiah shared next:

How can we gear up our wills and our emotions to keep on going in this era of church history when the future looks so ominous?

C.S. Lewis answered that question almost seventy years ago in another time when extreme danger loomed on the horizon. In an address to Oxford University students shortly after the English declared war with Germany, Lewis stated well the attitude Christians should have in times like his and ours:

This impending war has taught us some important things. Life is short. The world is fragile. All of us are vulnerable, but we are here because this is our calling. Our lives are rooted not only in time, but also in eternity, and the life of learning, humbly offered to God, is its own reward.

WOW! Is that an awesome statement or what?

Dr. Jeremiah continues:

In his speech, Lewis asserted that an impending crisis makes no difference to the nature of our duty and our calling. The truth is that danger is always part of our environment in this fallen world; the presence of an obvious and immediate danger merely intensifies our awareness of this reality that we tend to ignore. Any one of us could meet death at any moment through an accident, an invisible blood clot, or by an act of a deranged gunman. An impending battle that may be in our own future changes nothing. Our task as faithful stewards to God's calling is to keep to our duty - to be patient and watch, but also to keep on working.

We need not despair. As children of the living God, we live with continual hope. We work, we love, and we laugh and find joy because we always know that an end is coming. Whether the battle does or doesn't come in our lifetime changes nothing about the way we should live. Our own "end time" will come, and it could arrive at any moment. So our task is to keep on plugging along, faithfully fitting into the place where God put us as productive members of society.

I am convinced that God puts each one of us exactly where He wants us and gives each of us a task that advances His eternal plan in a particular way. Remember the words of Queen Esther's guardian Mordecai when she was afraid to face the deadly danger of appearing uninvited before the king to plead for her people: "...If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place...And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" (Esther 4;14 NASB). God raised up Esther at a particular time for a particular purpose. Today is the time God has ordained for you and me to be alive, and we are placed in our time and place with no less purpose than Esther. Your task may not be as grandiose as hers; you may not be called on to save your nation. But as Lewis said elsewhere in his speech to the Oxford undergraduates, "The work of a Beethoven and the work of a char-woman become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly 'as to the Lord.'"

You may wonder, What 's the point in keeping on doing my little insignificant job when such doom hangs over the world? The point is that you are filling your role as an agent of God in this particular time, and your work may have a greater effect than you imagine. Few of us see the ultimate result of our actions. But by the power of the ripple effect, what you do either as a CEO or a salesclerk may join the current of God's intent and bring about His will in enormous ways you would never dream of. So it is vital that each of us takes our God-given tasks seriously. We must stick to our work, remain watchful, and patiently wait on the timing of the Lord.

Southern evangelist Vance Havner gives us the real key to keeping to our task and finding joy in the face of impending doom: "We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement, or shake our heads in despair, but we are to lift our heads in delight."

HT: Dr. David Jeremiah

Monday Morning Encouragement & Laughter

The following devotional greatly encouraged me this morning. With all of the turmoil going on today, we ALL could use more faith-filled strength to endure the times - such as they are.

Monday, October 6

What Is That in Your Hand?

So the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
Exodus 4:2

Recommended Reading
Exodus 14:15-18


Moses didn't have much—a handful of sheep on the slopes of a blistered mountain. He also had eighty years of memories, some of them sad and regretful. He had some clothes, a family, a wise father-in-law, a tent in the desert. That's about it.

Oh yes, he had a staff.

He'd probably found a broken branch from some sturdy tree, maybe six or seven feet long and reasonably straight. He'd seasoned and smoothed it to become his walking cane; plus it was useful in herding sheep and warding off predators. But it was quite ordinary—just a rod.

On rugged Mount Horeb that day, as Moses argued with the Lord about his inadequacies for the mission being assigned him, God asked a simple question: "What is that in your hand?" It was a broken branch, a piece of dead wood, a rod. But the Lord wanted it, and the Lord touched it, and the Lord used it to baffle the magicians of Egypt, to turn the Nile to blood, to part the waters of the Red Sea, create streams in the desert, and to deliver His people again and again.

What's that in your hand?

Little is much if God is in it.
Barbara Fairchild

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Luke 7:1 - 8:39

HT: David Jeremiah.org

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Speaking of encouragement, I also think that sometimes we just need a good laugh! Started my day with a good one! Check out Doug Powers' new column over at WorldNetDaily:

Let Sleeping Voters Lie

So funny!!

HT: WorldNetDaily

The Powers That Be

P.S. When you visit Doug's blog, check out the photo that appears under this quip:

Breaking News: Archaeologists unearth mummified remains of Pleistocene-era taxpayer believed to be victim of world's earliest known government bailout plan

Ha!!!

Digg Doug's column HERE!

Cumbersome Sack of Discontent

Over the last three days, I have had the complete displeasure of watching and listening to most of the keynote speakers at the Democratic Convention. Last night, I watched the repeat broadcast of Joe Biden's speech.

I was struggling to find a catchy line that would describe what was heard in most of the speeches. Then, while reading a chapter from Max Lucado's book Traveling Light, I found the phrase I was looking for:

Democrats: Those people who trudge through each day with a "cumbersome sack of discontent."

I am serious!! All that I heard coming out of the mouths of most of the speakers were complaints!!

Except for moments of grandeur and praise of themselves, their own families, and other Democrats, did you hear any mention of gratitude for living in the greatest nation on God's green earth??

The other thing that really bothered me was seeing Hillary and Bill join the clueless, Kool-Aid drinkers and through their individual speeches, ultimately ended up bowing at the altar of Obamination. Are we to really believe that what they said was sincere?

Perhaps Hillary was sincere in her rejection of John McCain, but the recent campaign commercial where she states something like this - "John McCain is prepared to be president and has served this country honorably for years - Barack Obama gave a speech in 2002." [paraphrased here] has to make one wonder...when was she telling the truth? Was it when she made that original statement about Senator McCain or the other night when she disparaged him and praised Obama?

Isn't it logical to ask, "When was she genuinely sharing her true opinions and feelings?"

It is mindboggling how Democrats consistently talk out of two sides of their faces - and end up saying completely opposite things. What's even worse is that the MSM lets them get away with it!! Thank God for the Internet where we can discern truth from lies!

Did you happen to see the new NOBama fad? Flip flop sandals with mini heads of Obama attached at the top! Each one represents each of his known flip-flopping stances on issues! Ha!! More accurately, it appears that he tries to be "both ways Obama." Now, that's a real hoot!!

It wasn't my intention to continue describing all of the discontent that reeks from the Democrat Party. It's just that it served as a perfect example of what Max Lucado describes as "the prison of want" in chapter four of his book Traveling Light.

This particular chapter is so good that I wish I could type it all out! But I will share just a few portions that will hopefully give you the main message.

Max describes the "world's most oppressive prison" as "the prison of want." He gives examples. People who may not want much, but just that "one thing" that will make them happy.

Excerpt:

They want just one thing. One new job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don't want much . They want just one.

And when they have "one," they will be happy. And they are right - they will be happy. When they have "one," they will leave the prison. But then it happens. The new car smell passes. The new job gets old. The neighbors buy a larger TV set. The new spouse has bad habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con breaks parole and returns to jail.

Personally, I think that many liberals and most Democrats are in the prison of want. What's worse is the fact that their leaders want them there in order to get what they want...elected!

When the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, did you see them pass any legislation to make their "prisoners of want" happy? No. Of course not! Why? Because they wanted the "sack of discontent" to linger all the way up to this forthcoming election day on November 4th, 2008! Doesn't it seem that way to you, too?

Lucado tells us how to recognize when we are in this type of prison:

Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one transfer away, one award away, or one makeover away. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it - you are in prison, the prison of want.

If the truth be told, I think that almost everyone goes through a time in this particular prison. However, some people remain their for most of their lives! That's truly sad!

Well, as Max writes, "that's the bad news. The good news is, you have a visitor."

And your visitor has a message that can get you paroled. Make your way to the receiving room. Take your seat in the chair, and look across the table at the psalmist David. He motions for you to lean forward. "I have a secret to tell you," he whispers, "the secret of satisfaction. 'The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want'" (Ps. 23:1 NKJV).

David has found the pasture where discontent goes to die. It's as if he is saying, "What I have in God is greater than what I don't have in life."

You think you and I could learn to say the same?

Wow! That's SO POWERFUL!

Let me take a brief time out to share some thoughts about a movie documentary that I saw yesterday. The movie is called Young At Heart.

At that link, you can read a brief review (that doesn't give a lot of the plot away) and also view several video clips (may contain spoilers) of the documentary.

At the end, I teared up big time!!

It was so awesome to see these people perform and receive standing ovations. They got such responses from both a huge concert audience, as well as from prisoners (who were holed up in a real prison camp) they had performed for earlier in the movie.

Several of members of the choral group were believers. One sang in his church chorus and another mentioned that the Lord will take him when it is his time.

I have to say that seeing some grown men at the prison camp tear up - and then hug the choral group members after their performance - was so very moving!

We know that many Christian groups bring children and various singing groups to nursing homes to visit the elderly and cheer them up. But to see the elderly from nursing homes come and sing for a group of hardened criminals was just amazing!

These chorus members still had their problems - health and otherwise. They had their aches and pains. They had difficulty learning and memorizing some of the lyrics. They had their emergency trips to the hospital. They had physical disabilities and all the rest that comes with the aging process. Yet, when they were performing - in those moments - all of those problems went away...for a time. They expressed how much they loved singing and performing for grateful audiences.

The final concert at the end had me sobbing - both with sadness and joy!

You see, the life of the Christian believer is like that. Sometimes filled with sadness - but also overflowing with joy!

When we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, that born-again experience releases "the fruit of the Spirit" within us.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,


Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:8 ¶ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:


Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)


Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Notice that one fruit is called "long suffering." The Bible tells us the truth - and the truth is just as Jesus described to us in John:

Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

And, why can we be of good cheer despite all of the turmoil going on around us?

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Jesus is all about overcoming. At the moment of salvation, he overcomes the effect of sin on our souls. With Him in our hearts, he allows us to overcome our fears, trials, tribulations and yes - even the "prisons" that tempt to snag us in this life.

Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.


Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Which brings us back to Max Lucado's book.

Excerpt:

Think for just a moment about the things you own. Think about the house you have, the car you drive, the money you've saved. Think about the jewelry you've inherited and the stocks you've traded and the clothes you've purchased. Envision all your stuff, and let me remind you of two biblical truths.

Your stuff isn't yours. Ask any coroner. Ask any embalmer. Ask any funeral-home director. No one takes anything with him.

The author goes on to tell the familiar story of one of the wealthiest men in history, John D. Rockefeller. When he died, his accountant was asked, "How much did John D. leave?" The accountant answered, "All of it."

"Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." (Eccles. 5:15 NIV).

Back to the election for a moment. During all of the back and forth about Barack Obama's elitism (and, now he's 4 million dollars richer through book sales) and John McCain's wife owning seven homes; on campaign camp tried to outdo the other in the "rich man" game.

However, I liked what I heard from John McCain. Compared to most of the rest of the world, every single one of us in America is rich! He probably wasn't only talking about financial circumstances. America is rich in many other things too.

Rich in faith, hope, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and salvation through Christ.
Rich in freedom.
Rich in generosity.
Rich in protection.
Rich in good people.
Rich in a military unsurpassed by any other.
Rich in giving to those less fortunate.
Rich in providing education.
Rich in opportunity for those who work for it.

The list could go on and on.

What would you add to it?

I see John McCain's candidacy as being filled with optimism - about today and tomorrow. I see Obama's campaign as filled with pessimism and discontent about today - with a pseudo kind of "hope" for tomorrow. These are just my opinions, of course.

Back to Lucado's book:

All that stuff - it's not yours. And you know what else about all that stuff? It's not you. Who you are has nothing to do with the clothes you wear or the car you drive. Jesus said, "Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot" (Luke 12:15 MSG). Heaven does not know you as the fellow with the nice suit or the woman with the big house or the kid with the new bike. Heaven knows your heart. "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7 NIV).

When God thinks of you, he may see your compassion, your devotion, your tenderness or quick mind, but he doesn't think of your things.

And when you think of you, you shouldn't either. Define yourself by your stuff, and you'll feel good when you have a lot and bad when you don't. Contentment comes when we can honestly say with Paul: "I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have....I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty" (Phil. 4:11-12).

Back to the election.

Tonight, there will be a grand performance held at a stadium which holds 70,000 people for Obama's speech. I just can't even imagine what the cost of such an extravaganza will be. In the midst of all this hype, I have two questions.

1. Why doesn't Obama donate money (even just some of the 4 million from book sales could do a LOT!) to the needy he often talks about in his speeches?

2. Why is he wasting millions of campaign donor money on an event that is designed just to specifically glorify himself?

HT: Young at Heart

Max Lucado's Traveling Light