PASTOR'S CORNER

The number one desire of Christians is to live according to
God's will. And the number one question is, "How do I know
His will?" The answer is two-fold. First, God's general will
for all Christians is revealed in the pages of Scripture--
instructions in righteous living for God's glory. But then there
is the specific will of God for one's life.
Psalm 139:16 suggests that God has a plan for everyone's
life, and the Bible is filled with examples. Jeremiah was told
that God set him aside as a prophet. David was told he was
to be Israel's king. Paul was commissioned as an apostle to
the Gentiles. Moses was appointed to deliver the Hebrews
from slavery to nationhood. Samuel was called as a child
to be a prophet. Barnabas was confirmed by the Church to
be a servant-leader, an encourager, to others. Solomon was
commissioned to build the temple and rule over Israel. All
these callings share one thing: They came into their specific calling
according to God's timing.
Don't doubt that God has a specific purpose for your life.
Just be patient and prayerful as you see it unfold.
Writer Kerry S. Walters suggests that courage is the quality
that the Puritan writer John Bunyan, called valor. This quality
comes in three dimensions, and our Lord modeled all three.
Walters wrote:"Jesus, who always and everywhere is the model
for Christian comportment, Himself exemplified...three kinds
of valor: physical courage in enduring bodily torture and cruel
death following His arrest by Jewish authorities; moral courage
when He defied Temple culture by chasing away the money
lenders, and spiritual courage when, despite the shockwave of
despair that overwhelmed Him on the Cross, He nonetheless
persevered to the end."
The world around us can be intimidating, but the followers
of Christ are not easily silenced. With grace and compassion, we
are to speak and live as servants of Christ in a hostile world.
As we seek His will for our future, God will also give us the
courage to accomplish His plan. Do what the apostle Paul did as
he approached Rome: Go forward, thank God, and take courage.