I spent most of today in Denver. I attended the annual board meeting of Abundant Word Ministries. Bible Teacher Ruth Hickman is in her 37th of ministry and is still going strong at 80! Ruth has been a long time friend of mine and my family. When I was in Colby, Kansas, I mentioned to Ruth about a retreat center in the little town of Rexford, Kansas. Abundant Word Ministries conducted a fall retreat at that facility for over 10 years, that proved to be a blessing to many living in rural areas of Kansas and Nebraska. (http://www.abundantword.org/)

I also had a visit and lunch with my mom after dropping Debbie’s car off for some repairs.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “I disobeyed the Lord‘s command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted.” 1 Samuel 15:24

The story of Saul as the first King of Israel is an interesting one. Since he was the first King all the structure of his rule had to be established from “scratch.” There was no standing army, no palace, no governmental structure, no system of taxation or administration to finance or carry out the affairs of the King outside of the tribal leadership of elders established by Moses.

Saul was one whose appearance commanded attention and respect, (he was tall and handsome) but he was self-conscious about who he was and the standing of his father’s house and the tribe he was from. Saul’s tribe of Benjamin had almost been wiped out because of the rampant sin that brought God’s judgment. (Judges 20:18-28)

Saul learned, as many leaders, that you always have your detractors. When it was announced that he was the anointed King, not all were excited.

When Saul was declared King scripture records that, “Some powerful men, whose hearts God had touched, went with him. But some worthless people said, “How can this fellow do us any good?” They despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts.” (1 Samuel 10:26,27)

While every leader will have his or her detractors or reluctant followers, the ones who make a difference are those whose hearts are with the leader. It is interesting that the “powerful men” were loyal to Saul and “worthless people” were the trouble makers.

Leadership is shown by how a leader treats detractors. This is one area where Saul, “got it right.” After leading the armies of Israel in a successful battle, those who were loyal to Saul wanted to kill those who did not readily accept Saul. Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this is the day the Lord rescued Israel.” And Samuel said to them, “Let us all go to Gilgal and once more proclaim Saul as our king.” (1 Samuel 11:13,14) This event provided an opportunity for all to rally behind Saul and be unified as a people.

Leaders are accountable to God as well as the people. Samuel addressed the people and said, “Now here is the king you chose; you asked for him, and now the Lord has given him to you. All will go well with you if you honor the Lord your God, serve him, listen to him, and obey his commands, and if you and your king follow him.  But if you do not listen to the Lord but disobey his commands, he will be against you and your king.”                             (1 Samuel 12:13,14)

Leaders instill courage to replace fear. “…the people with him were trembling with fear. He [Saul] waited seven days for Samuel…but Samuel still had not come to Gilgal. The people began to desert Saul,  so he said to them, “Bring me the burnt sacrifices and the fellowship sacrifices.” He offered a burnt sacrifice….”                                 (1 Samuel 13:8-10)

It appears that Saul was an inactive leader waiting for Samuel to arrive and then panic set in and he assumed the place of the priest in offering the sacrifice in an attempt to hold the army together. It appears that Saul did not communicate to the troops why they were waiting for the battle and the importance of honoring God’s prophet and trusting the Lord regardless of the circumstances that they are facing. The Lord would have been able to win the battle for the Israelites with those left when Samuel arrived. The key to victory was not reliance on numbers, but obedience to the Lord.

Rash commitments, easily backfire   “The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: “A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies.” So nobody had eaten anything all day.”    (1 Samuel 14:24)

When Saul gave the order for his men not to eat until after the battle, that was not a well thought out plan. It is difficult to know if Saul view this imposed “fast” as a way of gaining the Lord’s favor or what the source of the oath was. The decision, as a result, impacted the strength of his army. Also, his son Jonathan, who was not aware of the oath, ate some honey and in the end Saul had to back off his pledge to “kill anyone who broke the oath.” That certainly would not have helped his standing as a leader.

Leading by “public opinion” can compromise principles. The Lord instructed Saul to take revenge on the     Amalekites and to destroy all people and livestock. Saul, kept alive some of the livestock and the King Agag. This exchange between Saul and Samuel is classic,

[Saul]…“The Lord bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the Lord‘s command.” Samuel asked, “Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?” Saul answered, “My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely.”                    (1 Samuel 15:13-15)

But Samuel was not impressed and as the prophet pronounces judgement on Saul’s reign, the truth comes out. “I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted.” As a result, Saul honored his men over the Lord and allowed his insecurities to diminish his leadership to that of a follower.

When David succeed Saul as King, he had his challenges as a leader. Yet, he was known as “a man after God’s own heart.” The Lord does not expect perfection from human leaders, but He does expect commitment and obedience and a heart to follow after the Lord.

Remember these words of Solomon,  “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him..” (Proverbs 16:7) “The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the LORD is protected.”  (Proverbs 19:25)

We woke up this morning with a cold house once again! Our new furnace less than twenty-four hours old was not working. Fortunately the problem was a lose connection that was easily fixed. That was relief to us and the repairman, who has seen us all too often this week.

After a breakfast out with Debbie, we found out that her car needs just under $4,000 in repairs. So we have another decision to make, on her vehicle. I’m glad to have son in the used car business. So Debbie used my car for her patient calls and I enjoyed a laid back day at home. Fortunately at this time, I’m not in the hospital.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God’s law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.” Romans 7:25

In our world of reality TV we find many interesting shows. Some of those are survival shows. The one I am thinking of is “Man versus Wild” or something like that. It is interesting to see how someone placed in a remote location uses his skills to confront surviving and living in the wild.

However, we see in Romans that one of the greatest challenges is “man verses himself” or a “woman versus herself.” The battle within can be as daunting as any battle for survival in the natural world. Paul puts forward some lengthy explanations about a dilemma that can be observed in mankind since the beginning of time, especially as the law is given to God’s people and they pledge their obedience, but consistently come up short.

People on their own, in spite of their good intentions and willpower, are not capable of consistently pleasing the Lord. His righteous standard is too high, and human nature is too weak. Paul summarizes it well when he says, “I serve God in my mind, but my actions serve my human nature.” And contrary to what many people want to admit, our human nature is not a godly nature, it is a sinful nature. We can try as hard as we want, but we all eventually “fall off the wagon” and violate God’s standard of perfection. That is called sin.

There is no escape, there is only one remedy, it is a “heart transplant” and a “new beginning or new birth.” As the Apostle Paul ponders this predicament, he asks the question, “Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death?” (Romans 7:24) Consider that for a moment. If your only hope of happiness in this life and an eternal destiny that avoids God’s judgment is your ability to “make it on your own” and you realize that you find yourself in an eternal “catch 22” what do you do? Just like the drug addict, we are all addicted to sin. We can’t help ourselves.

So Paul responds to his own question with a burst of hope and good news, “Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ! “ (Romans :25) I can’t, He can! I’m not good enough, Jesus was! And when I come to Christ, God does two things. He gives me credit for Christ’s righteousness. Wow, that’s like someone taking the test for you, doing your work, but you get the credit. But in this case, it is okay…it is the only way.

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22)  “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.“
(2 Corinthians 5:21) Peter puts it this way, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Then Christ places in our hearts the Holy Spirit. A new spirit by which we live in order to serve God, not just from our mind, but our hearts as well. As a result we are not condemned, but set free…not judged, but forgiven!

“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.  To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.” (Romans 8:5,6)

Man against himself is a lost cause. But the spirit of Christ against the human nature always wins. Our call is to surrender our lives to Christ, to invite His nature into our lives and then to live by that nature. That is what Paul says in Galatians 5:16-18 “let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature…If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.” The law bring death, Christ’s Spirit brings life, choose life!

The big event for today was the installation of new furnace. Ours has been acting up for the past few weeks. My weekly visit from the furnace repairman was reminding me of my own weekly therapy. We are thankful for some recent provision that has helped us cover that expense.

I was thankful for a good workout at the fitness center. I think I even experienced a slight endorphin surge later in the afternoon. That “runner’s high” is something that I have not had a glimpse of in a long time. I guess it shows that the exertion that bring that on is relative to your ability and not a set measurement.

This evening Debbie and I are joining Sue and Sam at Red Robin for dinner. That is significant because last year at this time I was two days from returning home from a stay Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital. The night before my septic shock episode Debbie and I had dinner at Red Robin. After that, I lost my appetite for what had been one of our favorite places to eat.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He has brought us by faith into this experience of God’s grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory!  …hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.” Romans 5:1-5

There many ways to view or describe our relationship and standing before the Lord. Paul writes to the Colossians about their spiritual condition and says, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.“ (Colossians 1:21)

Being alienated from God can bring guilt and shame and despair. If our relationship with God and our confidence before Him was based on our own merit, we would always be on edge and uneasy about God’s presence, blessing and love. That is why the first verse of Romans 5 is so powerful; “…through faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.” When you read those words it solicits a sigh of relief and a message of hope and good news. Not only that but the “place of grace” is our home. It is not what we experience and then it leaves, but it is that which defines our life and guards our life.

Paul goes on and says, “we boast of the hope we have in sharing God’s glory.” Paul was confronted by those who boasted in their spiritual heritage and accomplishments. He often found himself guarding the hearts of early believers from those who would exalt themselves to gain a following. Paul’s commitment on the other hand was expressed in these words, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

Paul also said the focus of his hope was this,  “..according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:20 NKJ)

When Paul “boasted” of the hope in sharing God’s glory, he realized that that the “glory of God” was found on the other side of suffering. The resurrection of Christ came after the cross, it came after being “despised and rejected by man.” Paul’s understanding of this is clear, because he says, “We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and his approval creates hope.” (Romans 5:4)

But Paul knew that his hope would not be disappointed because of God’s grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit who is with us, empowers us and reassures us that we are God’s children. I’m not sure if many would understand if  you declared it out loud, but you may try saying to yourself, “I am living in grace, boasting in hope.” Reminding yourself of that each day, as you start your day. It will help give you confidence in your relationship with the Lord and fulfilling His purpose for your life.

Not too much excitement in my day. We did have enough snow to require me to get out and shovel the driveway and sidewalk. After some office work and listening to a webinar, I headed to the fitness center and had a good workout.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and made come true everything that Samuel said. So all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, knew that Samuel was indeed a prophet of the Lord….when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened.” 1 Samuel 3:19-21

The account of Samuel as a prophet and a judge in Israel is a unique one. Samuel’s birth, like Samson, was a result of God promise. Samuel also was dedicated to the Lord from birth. Here is Hannah’s prayer to the Lord…  “If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”              (1 Samuel 1:11)

Samuel’s uncut hair was the only thing that he had in common with Samson. Because the character of his life stands in contrast to that of Samson and Eli’s sons. Actually Mary’s song after the angel announced she would have a son, is similar to Hannah’s prayer when Samuel was born. Also the development of Jesus is described in the same way of that of Samuel.

Eli was the Priest with rebellious and wicked sons. This only added to the corruption and spiritual confusion of the day. As Samuel grew up in the Temple as his mother’s gift to the Lord we see his life and development in sharp contrast to Eli’s sons.

“This sin of the sons of Eli was extremely serious in the Lord‘s sight, because they treated the offerings to the Lord with such disrespect….In the meantime the boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord, wearing a sacred linen apron.” (1 Samuel 2:17,18)

“But they [Eli’s sons] would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them. The boy Samuel continued to grow and to gain favor both with the Lord and with people.” (1 Samuel 2:25,26)

These verses that draw a contrast between the sons of Eli and Samuel are not be accident. A prophet of the Lord came to Eli and pronounced judgment on his house and it included this word from the Lord, “I will choose a priest who will be faithful to me and do everything I want him to.” (1 Samuel 2:35)

What we observe in these verses is how Samuel was faithful to the Lord in the midst of the rebellion of Eli’s sons. At times we just need to put “blinders on” and not allow our life to be influenced by the culture around us. God was bringing judgment on Eli’s house in His time and in His way. Samuel’s responsibility was to remain focused on the Lord and learning how to be a faithful prophet and priest.

In the next verses of contrast we see that while the clock was ticking on the rebellion of Eli’s sons, Samuel was growing physically and spiritually and gaining favor with the Lord and the people. It appears that even in his youth the life and character of Samuel set him apart. The calling of God on his life was evident and that gained him the respect of God’s people. I believe it is important for us to remember that true respect comes from not just what we do, our position or success, but who we are…our character.

From the scriptures it is apparent that the Lord began to speak through Samuel at several times. For it was more than his words confirming the prophecy against the house of Eli, that gain him the position of spiritual leadership so “when he spoke the people listened.”

I believe the life of Samuel can encourage and challenge us today. When we commit our lives to the Lord and grow in the Lord and cultivate a heart for the Lord and an ear that hears from him, God will give us favor with others. Where ever our circle of influence is, whether in the market place, the home, the neighborhood, the church or government; when the life we live and the words we speak carry the authority of the Lord’s wisdom, people will listen. That will enable God’s people to be an influence and blessing where ever they go.

It looks like we are experiencing our last snow in the weather forecast. After tomorrow the weather is to improve significantly, with temps rising to the 60’s next week. As I traveled downtown to my Tuesday meeting the snow began to fly. Fortunately it let up and was mostly clear throughout the day. That gave me the opportunity to get in a long work out at the fitness center. I have been off my routine for a few days, so it was good to get back into action.

Yesterday was fairly busy for me and I had meeting last night. So my workout time gave way to an afternoon nap. Even with that, I could feel the fatigue in the midst of my meeting. However, certainly nothing like in the past!

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  ^“So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife. The Lord blessed her, and she became pregnant and had a son.… The women of the neighborhood named the boy Obed.…Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.”  (Ruth 4:13-17)  “Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, and King David.” (Matthew 1:6)

I recall years ago the hair stylist who had cut my hair for years once asked me, “do you have Indian blood in you?” She said,  “your complexion, some facial features and your lack of facial hair are characteristic of Indian heritage.” I didn’t think a lot about it although men usually don’t like to have the smooth features of their face pointed out.

A few years later when I was campaigning for the State House I ran into a man who was a distant relative. We got to talking and he said, “you know I recall hearing that one of of our great… grandfathers married a Choctaw Indian. The family didn’t talk too much about, because it was viewed as unacceptable.”

Do you have an “interesting heritage” or as it is said “a few skeletons in the family closet?” The Lord’s directions to His people were clear in terms of protecting the family line. We can go back to the day of Jacob and Esau. Esau married a Hitite women from the land of Canaan, whose people were worshipers of idols. The Bible says Esau’s wife created heartache for Rebecka, so she sent Jacob back to her family to find a wife. The men of Israel were instructed to take wives from among the tribes of Israel. This was intended to keep the devotion to the Lord strong and protect the inheritance of the land and possessions the Lord had given to His people.

But we see from the exodus there were “foreigners” who aligned themselves with God’s people and throughout the history of Israel we see that this instruction from the Lord was not always closely followed. We can trace the ancestry of the Children of Israel and find some interesting family members. What makes the genealogy of Jesus through David noteworthy is two women who are mentioned. David’s great-grandmother was Ruth. David’s great-great grandmother was Rahab.

Ruth was a Moabite, Rahab was the prostitute from Jericho that saved spies when they scouted out the city. The Moabites trace their origins to Moab, the son of Lot, born to his daughter through an incestuous relationship. They were more often than not, the enemies and oppressors  of God’s people. The god of the Moabites was Chemosh a pagan god that required child sacrifice.

But the presence of these names in the lineage of King David and Jesus, reveals the redemptive nature of God. It reminds us why Jesus came. To give new life and new identity. So we find Rahab embracing the true and living God, and forsaking her background and the pagan city in which she lived to begin a new life in the community of faith.

We find Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law and saying, “your people will be my people, your God, my God.” And Ruth comes with Naomi to the place of God’s provision and meets and marries the son of a former prostitute and has child that becomes the grandfather of a King. A King of Israel and the human lineage of the King of Kings.

This calls for reflection and should bring encouragement to us today. God is one who redeems and sets people on a new course and in a new direction. God removes that which would be considered a cause for shame, and instead turns people into champions of faith with a future and divine destiny. It is God who makes us worthy, not our past or heritage. That my friend, is good news!

My Monday began earlier than usual with a visit to the Larimer County Republican breakfast meeting. Later, I had lunch with my friend Jim Szakmeister to discuss the upcoming Men’s Retreat, where I will share in a workshop session. Between those events I got my haircut. I congratulate Meagan Lee who has cut my hair the last six months on her graduation from Regency Beauty School in Fort Collins.

I have found it interesting to reflect on one year ago when I was hospitalized with septic shock and spent a little over two weeks in the hospital and back at Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital. So as I move at a seemingly snails pace forward in my recovery, I am glad that I’m not where I was one year ago. (https://kensummers.org/?p=123)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky….” Matthew 24:29,30

It is interesting how often you run into a magazine article or a TV program that talks about the dangers of the earth being hit by asteroids, or “what if the sun did not shine?” or some other cosmic tragedy. What is interesting when we read the Bible is that those events are on the horizon. However, they are not just a result of happenstance, or a freak accident, they are part of God’s judgement and redemption of the earth. John in Revelation records the following,

“…a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water…”  Revelation 8:10

The events of the time period the Bible calls the “Tribulation” are not unlike the plagues that came upon Egypt. They will result in death and destruction and many are related to that which people worship above the Lord and are the natural consequence of the Lord removing His restraint from the earth. What will be interesting is if these events, when they happen, will be recognized for what they are and “why they are.”

Jesus said that these events will happen just before the coming of the “Son of Man.” They take place then because when Christ returns, He will establish a new heavens and a new earth. Peter said, “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare….That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”                          (2 Peter 3:10,12.13)

John talks about this new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21:1,2  “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. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

When will all this happen? We don’t know, and Jesus said, “we won’t know.” But we will see the signs of that day coming. That calls us to watchfulness and focus.

 ^“Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come...So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)

“….make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him…since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   (2 Peter 3:14,17,18)

The Bible does tell us “how to live in a world headed for destruction.” We can live in peace and we can live and grow each day in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. That’s the place of safety and security.

We have had a good Sunday. For us that means a good day at church leading Grief Share, attending the worship service, serving on the prayer team and a quiet lunch at home It also means a good afternoon nap. It is during this time that I take to heart the words of my neurologist that “rest is important to muscle development.”

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority.  This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others— like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.” Matthew 20:24-28

As the Disciples followed Jesus, they were being trained about the principles and priorities of the Kingdom of God. I recall the words of Jesus to His disciples, “you have heard it said…..but I say unto you….” Jesus may have been referring to the teachings of the Pharisees or what was just “commonly accepted.” But He would draw the contrast to the present world order and the order of God’s Kingdom.

The verses above fall into this teaching contrast of Jesus. The mother of James and John had just asked Jesus for positions of honor for her sons in the Lord’s Kingdom. The others disciples were angry and the tension was high. (Nothing like the fear of getting “beat to the punch” to create conflict.) Jesus used this as an opportunity to draw a contrast between human power and authority and spiritual power and authority.

We can see in Jesus’ day how rulers secular and religious were certainly among the “high and mighty.” Ruthlessness and the arbitrary use of power and the constant reminding everyone of who “they were and others weren’t” was the common approach. On this occasion, Jesus used the “you know how it is…but it is not the way it is to be with you” teaching approach.

The contrast was, the person who is the greatest, is the one who is greatest at serving. Jesus used Himself as an example. He was God in the flesh, but He was one who served others. We would eventually see this demonstrated in the Upper Room, before His arrest and crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples feet and assumed the position of a household servant.

Jesus was not only communicating a “kingdom principle” but was sharing how a kingdom principle can lead to effective “earthly” leadership and success. Even today you can find books on “Servant Leadership.” You will find leadership books that communicate the importance of “the team” and the importance of everyone in an organization feeling they have contributed to the successes achieved and just not the leadership.

I recall a friend who was the Fire Chief of one of the largest fire districts in the Denver area. He was a seasoned fire fighter from Brooklyn with the, personalty, accent and demeanor that matched his background. Yet he adopted a mission statement that was even displayed on the fire engines and other department vehicles, “What it Takes to Serve.” One on occasion he told me that when he arrived at the scene of a major fire, it wasn’t “the chief is here and he is know in control.” Instead he would approach his Captains and ask, “how can help? Do I need to take care of the Press? Do you need more equipment, what do you need me to do?” He explained that he had all the experience he needed in fighting fires, he was there to serve and advise, so those under him had the experience that they needed to be the successful in facing any situation they would find themselves in.

We see Jesus’ “inverted world” when he would say, “the first shall last and last shall be first.” We see it when He would place a child in the middle and say, “unless you become like a child you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” We see it when Jesus said, “…the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15)

The bottom line is this, “it is not just God’s work, done God’s way that is important. It is all of our work, all of our lives, lived by God’s ways that gives success in this life as well.” Christ is our model and we are to follow Him  and His ways in all aspects of our life.