From a "Christ the Center" podcast - a rough quote:

Our expectations of a pastor stems from our ecclesiology - our thoughts about what a church is.

If our understanding about church is that our priority is social justice, our pastor will be our chief social worker.

If we believe our goal is to affect political change, our pastor will be our community organizer.

If "church" is about our friends and family - a neighborhood clique, there will be little outreach.

If we know that our church exists to proclaim the person of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross - and to equip the saints to do that - we will expect that the Gospel be preached from the pulpit each and every week.

no, it's not a bleak as it sounds.

It's just that (at this moment) I am very aware that I cannot see the road that lays ahead of me.  See the new photo at the top of this blog...I took it last August in the Upper Peninsula.  Very foggy, very obscure...I could not see the road ahead.

There are a couple of wildly divergent paths that life could take...and I have zero clue which fork my life might take.

A couple of months ago, I could imagine the future.  Now...I just can't.

I think that's a good thing...it leaves my future (and my trust) squarely in the hands of God.

Look again at the photo.  Not very long after I took that, the sun came out.  It was sunny...I found this

At the end of the day, the fog clears.  Life will be good.  God is good...and in control

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A lot of folks can't understand how we

came to have an oil shortage

here in our country.

~~~

Well, there's a very simple answer.

~~~

Nobody bothered to check the oil.

~~~

We just didn't know we were getting low.

~~~

The reason for that is purely geographical.

~~~

Our OIL is located in:

~~~

ALASKA

~~~

California

~~~

Coastal Florida

~~~

Coastal Louisiana

~~~

North Dakota

~~~

Wyoming

~~~

Colorado

~~~

Kansas

~~~

Oklahoma

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Pennsylvania

And

Texas

~~~

Our dipsticks are located in DC

Any Questions? NO?

Didn't think So.

My reading for the day...

It struck me that in this chapter God, through the prophet Nathan, promised that the throne of David would last forever.

God's Word will not fail...

Even as we speak, the Son of David...Jesus...is sitting on the throne above, at the right hand of the Father...

"Before the Throne of God Above" (my version by Sojourn)

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!