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Traveling to Caseville Michigan brings back memories of my childhood and trips to Grand Ma’s house. The countryside is flat and endless farmland with ubiquitous sugar beet truck and cumbersome farm equipment. In October it is also a color filled experience that assaults the gaze at every turn. Our trip this last weekend was to visit one of our supporting churches, Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Mike Goforth and his wife Sharis have been ministering in this resort town on the shores of Lake Huron for a little over ten years now and have worked hard to establish Calvary as a true beacon of God’s grace. Sunday we were privileged to share in Sunday school and the morning preaching service. I spoke on “Four Reason to Become a Missionary” in Sunday school and the story of Onesimus from the book of Philemon in the preaching hour. Two hands were raised at the invitation to accept Christ and several hands were raise to commit to share Christ more faithfully.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. In these two verses David gives me the key to a strong Christian family. The LORD is worthy of my praise and in fact I will never be able to praise Him enough. My eternity will be occupied with His praise. But, notice the key to a family that values that close walk with the LORD, "One generation shall praise thy works to another". I as a parent need to pass on the blessings that I have experienced from God's hand. When I miss this important link my chain becomes irrepairably weak. Don't let it be your missing link!

Thoughts of Freedom… I grew up “Free”. Freedom has always been a part of my life. Like other things, I grew accustomed to being free. It’s easy, at least to me. I am now a missionary in a “Free country”. I can freely preach, teach, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ without thoughts of harassment. Last night as we shared in a preaching service where over 80 heard the message, never once did I think about being arrested, persecuted, or harmed in any way. Freedom is a tremendous blessing that brings great responsibility. Freedom allows me to make my own way in life, it allows me to make my own mistakes and win my own battles; thus the conflict with Christianity. I as a Christian am, in reality, a slave of Jesus Christ. Paul summed it up in Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Pleasing self or pleasing Christ, the fight for freedom starts and ends here. My freedom comes as I submit ...

Help is never noticed until I need it, NOW! It is usually a word cried out in desperation. The word escapes my lips with a helpless and often hopeless feeling. It is a cry never sure unless it is spoken to my God. Help comes in various forms but it is always welcomed. It brings relief, respit, comfort, hope. God is my help. Am I reflecting Him to others? The word Shield pictures protection in battle. A shield is a part of the believer's armor mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 6:16. The "Shield of Faith" is for extinguishing all the fiery darts that Satan can fling; faith in God my shield. In the word "shield" is tied together two vitally important truths. My faith in God will protect me from Satan's wicked darts. God is my shield! My faith in Him protects me and even when my faith is weak God protects me. I'm never not protected. What comforting truths!

Psalm 104 God reigns in creation from the smallest detail to the greatest; He reigns! Food for billions on a daily basis is enough to prove His goodness but, we so often forget His perfect temperatures and lovely spring and summer breezes. The fragrance and beautiful colors of flowers, the taste of food, salt, sugar, are all signs that our creative Father has made this world to be experienced and enjoyed by all of our senses. I'll never forget the words of pastor George Stiekes, uttered years ago while visiting Camp CoBeAc in northern Michigan one Fall day. The colors were spectacular and the air crisp. He said, "...and this world is under the curse!" Imagine (impossible to do) what it will be like under the blessed rule of our sovereign Creator Lord Jesus Christ. I can't wait! Can you?

In the last three verses of Psalm 91, a lovely psalm of Godly protection and comfort, there are six "I will(s)" spoken by Jehovah to me. He begins, "Because he ( Mike ) hath set his love upon me (I love Him because He first loved me [1 John 4:19]) therefore will I: Deliever Mike (rescue) Set Mike on high (protect) Answer Mike Be with Mike in trouble Deliver Mike , and Honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show Mike my salvation. (the Mikes are added to personalize the promises, you can substitute your own name too!) I need ask no more than these precious promises as I rest peacefully in His arms and will. The only requirements on my part are prayer , obedience , and confident trust .

I often think of Biblical characters as being on a much higher plane than I am. Men and women like Moses, Paul, Deborah, Mary were real people with real triumphs and tragedies. They weren't even always willing to be used by God. Though I'm not exactly sure what a "normal" person looks like, they were normal people that God prepared and used in an above normal way. In my reading of the Psalms this morning I discovered a very dismal one. Psalm 88. It was written by, of all people, Heman . His first phrase is the solitary positive note in this very sad song. "O LORD God of my salvation...". When in situations like Heman's, is God enough? It depends on your up-look. Saul, king of Israel, when in depression sought the advice of a witch. God had abandoned him. King Saul never thought of repentance. He looked to the underworld for hope. Saul of Tarsus (Paul), when he was being afflicted by his thorn in the flesh, sought God. His answer was not, I'm sure, wh...