What an absolutely delightful opportunity I had this past weekend. I was asked to be the guest speaker at a cowboy church in Saint Clair County, Alabama. Though I have heard of cowboy churches, I had never been to a cowboy church.

The tables were adorned with cowgirl boots used as vases to display beautiful live flowers. There were sequined cowgirl hats and sparkly western clothes worn by many. The after party on Friday night was filled with food, laughter, and line dancing. The whole weekend was packed with fun, chatter, and God-encounters.

As we were sitting around the lunch tables, an announcement was made that a horse was outside and anyone who wanted to ride the gorgeous, gentle animal was invited to step out into the warm sunshine and enjoy a ride.

My daughter-in-law Kelly and her mother were at the conference. I encouraged Kelly to go out and ride the horse and send pictures and videos for her sons to see. All of a sudden Kelly’s mother said, “I want to ride the horse.”  I thought to myself, “Are you sure about that? I mean we are not spring chickens anymore.” She was firm in her resolve to go ride the horse.

As we stepped outside, Kelly’s mother walked over to the horse, ready to ride. The owner of the horse was there to guide her in mounting the animal.  As she stepped up to the horse, I said to Kelly, “Let’s get behind her just in case she starts to fall. That way we can support her.” 

We stood behind Sharon, ready to support her if needed. She threw her leg up over the horse and successfully mounted. The owner then guided her around the area. Sharon grinned all the way.  I loved seeing her successful ride. Sharon’s success was a wonderful experience for all of us who were by her side.

Everyone needs other people by their side. It is always a blessing to have people around us, who have faith in us, who will assist us as we venture out for God – people who stand ready to catch us if we feel ourselves slipping as we try new things – people who will say, “You can do this!”

I am sure there have been times when you wished someone would walk beside you, someone who would understand and help you. While each of us must take our own unique journey, I think the Bible clearly teaches that we are to walk with others.

I am not sure we fully appreciate the power of encouragement as we walk alongside others. It often is a powerful experience for them and you. Kelly and I both smiled when we saw the smile on her mom’s face.

The Bible tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Do not minimize the gift of being an encourager. I have had some great cheerleaders who have helped me as I have walked with God, even when I failed and needed someone to catch me.

Never have I heard someone complain, “I have been encouraged too much. I just wish people would stop encouraging me so much.” 

Today, let’s spread encouragement in a very discouraging world. Say it everywhere you go today. With a smile on your face, look at that server and say, “You’re doing a great job!” Look at your pastor or pastor’s spouse and let the words pour out, “Thank you for all your ministry! You are a blessing to the Kingdom of God.”  Look at your friend and proclaim, “Keep it up, you got this!”

So many are suffocating in this negative world. Be an encourager – it is oxygen for the spirit.

Normally I write my own blogs. This one written by Francis Frangipane was so encouraging, I chose to share for all of God’s people to read. Read it and be blessed. Do not let the devil or anyone else be your travel agent for a guilt trip.

“I Don’t Remember”
By Francis Frangipane

How little we understand of eternal redemption! How many times will God forgive you? If you have truly set your heart to follow Him, He will cancel your sins as often as you ask. Will He forgive you of the worst sin you can think of? Yes! You may have to live with the consequences of your misdeed, but God can use your repentance and newly found humility to inspire others. As for the sin itself, if you deeply and sincerely repent of it, not only will God forgive you, He will blot it out of His memory.

Let me share an experience. A certain man of God had been gifted with revelatory insight into people’s lives. During an evening service he ministered to a Presbyterian pastor and his wife. By the gift of the Spirit, he revealed the couple’s past, uncovered their present situation, and then disclosed to them what was to come. This work of God greatly impressed the couple, and as the prophecies were fulfilled, one month later the Presbyterian minister brought two other pastors, each with their wives, to another service for personal ministry.

The word of knowledge was exceptionally sure that night, and the second minister and his wife marveled at the accuracy and truth in the prophetic word. The third couple stepped forward for ministry, and again the word of knowledge was present. The prophet spoke to the husband, revealing his past, present, and insight into his future. Then the man of God turned to this third minister’s wife. As he began to speak of her past, suddenly he paused. Then he said, “There was a very serious sin in your past.” The woman, with her worst fear upon her, turned pale and closed her eyes. The congregation hushed and moved to the edge of their seats.

The prophet continued, “And I asked the Lord, ‘What was this sin that she committed?’ And the Lord answered, ‘I do not remember!'”

The Lord had been faithful to His covenant promise: “I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25). Although many times this minister’s wife had asked for cleansing, still she could not believe the depth of God’s forgiveness. Christ had placed her sin in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removed it “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12). From everywhere but the prison of her own mind, her sin had been paid for and removed. And now, in His great mercy, He removed it from there as well!

Oh, what burdens we carry; what guilt and limitations surround us because we do not accept God’s total and perfect forgiveness. In Isaiah we read, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25).

How great is the God we serve. How wonderful is His love toward us. He is our Redeemer, our Savior! If you are willing to forgive others and will but ask Him to forgive you, He will pardon your debts as often as you contritely turn to Him. He promises He will remember your sins no more.

As Gaylon and I walked into a conference in Missouri, there was a huge crowd. Five thousand people were at the Prayer and Power conference. As I walked through the bustling crowd, I felt so alone. Though my husband held my hand, it was my heart that was downcast.

Gaylon served as a pastor for more than thirty years. By far, the majority of the people in our churches served alongside us and helped us with the work of the ministry. But as there is in any profession, there are those people who are so difficult.

We had just had a difficult week in our church, and I was frazzled, tired, and tired of! We had already signed up for the Missouri conference, and it was prepaid. I had no desire to go, but I did. I had already decided I was not going to get anything from the conference, but at least we had a trip out of town, and nobody there would know us.

As we entered the auditorium, Gaylon asked where I wanted to sit, and I pointed to the nosebleed section located in the balcony.  Up we went to the balcony, and I chose the last row. I could hide in the nosebleed section and even God could not find me.

The conference began with resounding, passionate worship – from the other 4,999 attendees, or so I felt. I just stood there numb from the pain I had tried to leave at home. “God, I cannot feel You, and I’m not even sure you notice me in the crowd.”

As the worship-filled moments continued, I noticed movement to my right. I saw a woman climbing over people seated on her row, and then she walked several rows up and stopped in front of me. “God, I have enough on my mind without dealing with a “cereal” Christian. (You know – the ones that are nuts and flakes.)

The woman’s eyes met my eyes, and she leaned over and whispered in my ear. “God told me to come over to you. He told me that you are a pastor’s wife, and you have been terribly wounded. God said to tell you that He sees you in the crowd, and He set up this divine appointment. He is going to make up for all the pain you have been through. You will see His hand.”

Tears began to stream down my face as I realized God found me in the crowd. That woman did not know me from Adam, but God used her to say, “I see you, my daughter, and I am working in your behalf.”  And God did just that!

In the midst of a crowd, I would not have expected God to speak to me. Yet, there are many stories in scripture where Jesus met individuals while they were in the crowd.

• In the fourth chapter of Matthew in verse twenty-five, we read that large crowds followed Jesus. Yet in that crowd, He healed those brought to Him, those that “were ill with various diseases, those suffering from severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed.” Jesus saw each person in the crowd.
• In Matthew chapter eight, we are again told a large crowd is following Jesus. A man with leprosy came and knelt before Christ, asking to be made clean. Christ reaches out, touches him, and he is immediately healed. The leper was one man in the crowd.
• Mark two gives us a story from the time Jesus is in Capernaum. The story takes place in a home. There were so many people gathered that there was no room left inside or outside of the house. There was a crowd. Four men were determined to have their friend healed, so they lowered him through the roof. Jesus took His eyes off the crowd and put them on the individual, and the man was healed. He was one in the crowd.
• In Mark five, we see a very well-known story of a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. The crowd was enormous, and Jesus was penned in on every side. In the midst of a large crowd, she presses forward and instantly finds healing from the touch of the Lord. She was one woman in the crowd.

Do you feel unseen in the crowd? He sees you. He sees your wounds and your worries. The Lord never turns a blind eye to His people. He is the God who sees us. Jesus knows all about us. He knows where to find us, even in the crowd.

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13).

Our first grandchild Madison Benton turned twenty years old in July. Her birth brought so much joy and ushered in a great era for us. Being grandparents is something we enjoy beyond description.

After Madison was born, we bought a highchair to use during her visits. Because Madison matured and grew, the chair eventually found its way to the attic. It was almost eight years before other grandchildren began to arrive, precipitating the chair to be moved from the attic back to the kitchen. Our young, immature grandchildren required a highchair.

It was funny to watch those boys and girls as they sat in the highchair.  In actuality, it was more like an “I” chair. While in the “I” chair, those babies could be very demanding. I remember feeding them and fulfilling their “I” chair desires. I have watched them sit in the “I” chair crying, mouth wide open, demanding food immediately! If the child liked what I offered, all was pleasant. If I offered something the children did not like, they would try to swat it away. My precious grandchildren demanded what they wanted, when they wanted it – and if they did not have their way, they let everyone know it. Their behavior was understandable because they were just babies; however, the day had to come, and did come, when the grandchildren matured beyond the “I” chair.

The most dangerous spiritual chair a person can sit in is the “I” chair. It is the chair that negates the will and Word of God. It is the chair that says I will serve and obey God when I choose. It will be on my terms. If I do not like part of His Word, I will swat it away. If God or the Church crosses me, I will scream unless I get my way. I have a right to do whatever!

Yet, nothing could be farther from the truth of the Gospel.

There must come a point that we outgrow the “I” chair. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. We belong to Jesus. We are His purchased possession.  When a person yields to the lordship of Jesus Christ, he or she acknowledges His ownership and gives up personal rights.

It is time to put the “I” chair in the attic. 

^“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

For years, two of my aunts stopped speaking to one another. I do not know exactly what the issue was, but I was sitting in the living room, as my mother and one of her sisters talked. Aunt “Sue” was telling my mom that while visiting their mother earlier, Aunt “Sally” came by the house. As soon as Aunt “Sally” realized Aunt “Sue” was there, she sped off in her car and refused to come inside.

My mom never told me the whole story, but I knew enough to know that it was not a big incident that caused this division. It was a case of harsh words because of a disagreement. Disagreement had divided the family.

America is in an election such as we have never seen. There are enough lies, exaggerations and scandals to last a lifetime. We are a very divided country. We seem divided along gender, racial, and party lines.

Yet, for me the most troubling division is that which has risen in the Body of Christ. It does not take long to read social media, internet articles, and periodicals to see just how divided we have become. There are competing prophets telling us who is to be elected and/or who is of the devil. Christians loudly declare that you cannot be a Christian and vote for him; you cannot be a Christian and vote for her. Insults are hurled a mile a minute. One woman deleted me from social media because I did not support her candidate. Before deleting me from her life, she made sure to let me know I was not a woman of God.

One of the jobs of Satan is to divide the church. Yes, we have always had some division, but the divide is so much deeper now. The enemy did not just get a foothold in the door; it seems he has almost gotten his whole body in the door.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21

As we look at the above list, most of us who try to live by biblical truth, would never think of getting drunk, being sexually immoral, playing with sorcery and throwing wild parties. (I said MOST of us!)  Yet, God took the time to add to that list: hostility, outbursts of anger, and division.

The enemy must be smiling, because he thinks he is fulfilling scripture, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:25.    The New Living Translation says it profoundly, “Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.”

It is time to stop the angry words towards each other. It’s time to stop finger-pointing and speaking evil against one another.  The wounding has to stop. Four weeks from today, we will have a president-elect. In four weeks, many will be disappointed, and many will be jubilant. The question is, “In four weeks, what kind of Church will we have?”  I hope and pray that we will have a Church that is not strife-filled. Proverbs 6:16 tells us that God hates strife.

While many of us have been praying for repentance in this nation, it is time to repent for letting down our guards and allowing such ugliness to develop between us. “If my people …”

Four weeks from today, I still plan to serve God. Four weeks from today, I still plan to evangelize. Four weeks from today, I still plan to help those who are in the midst of life’s pain. Four weeks from today, I still plan to love God’s people. Four weeks from today, I still plan to have faith in God. Four weeks from today, I still plan to have kind words coming from my mouth. Four weeks from today, I still plan to pray for a move of God in the United States of America.

What will you be doing four weeks from today?

“I am so bored, Lord.”  This was my thought as I sat in a small group in a coffee shop.

My church offers many, many small groups. Often, I teach groups, but when I do not, I attend groups. It is another way for me to get acquainted with other women from my church. It also allows me to be in an environment where it is iron sharpening iron. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). We need other people to help sharpen our walk with God. Be aware though – that might cause a few sparks to fly. Yet, we all need people to help us grow in Christ.

As I sat in that first small group meeting on a Saturday morning, there were more than twenty women. I thought to myself, “This is going to be a great group!”  We had all spent twenty dollars on a book that looked interesting and helpful. By the time I finished sitting through the first meeting, I drove home thinking, “I am not going back to this. I am so bored. I am a busy woman. This is not an effective use of my time.” 

When the next Saturday rolled around, I kept feeling the nudge of Holy Spirit to go back to the group. “Lord, please! I do not want to go.”  Yet, I knew I was to go.  It was even harder to sit through the second group meeting, and I once again vowed that I was not going back. The Lord and I had this conversation weekly over the next several weeks.

One day as I was complaining to the Lord. I mean praying! I sensed God say to me, “Stop complaining. I do not have you there for You, but for someone else.”

I finished all twelve weeks of the group except for weekends when I was traveling for ministry. Over those twelve weeks, the attendance of the group steadily declined. When the last weekend of the group came, only four people were in attendance. I still had no clue why I was there.

The group leader was a young woman in her twenties. Her parting comments came with tears. She explained that she had never stepped out and done anything for God. She was afraid to lead the group because she thought no one would come, and no one would want to hear what she said. With a choke in her voice, she thanked us for our attendance. “Ellen” (not her name) said that she now had confidence that she could step out and do something for the Kingdom of God.

Instantly, I understood why I was there. I was there for Ellen.

Encouragement is something we all need to help us stay motivated, loved, and feeling confident that we can be used by God. We all know what it can feel like to pursue something, whether it is starting new job or trying to make small changes in life—and not get any feedback or encouragement. Sometimes it can make you want to quit!

First Thessalonians chapter five verse eleven tells us, “So encourage each other and build each other up …”  A commitment to encourage others challenges us all to selflessly lift the countenance of someone else — no matter what we might be facing ourselves. As we offer encouragement to others, we can trust that God, in His sovereignty, will encourage us. This is the principle described in Proverbs 11:25, “… whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (NIV).

Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to connect you with those who simply need encouragement. Ask Him to give you a heart that loves others and the creativity to know how to show it. Ask Him to help you die to self-centeredness and grow in a desire to build others up. What would happen if we all began to intentionally encourage others?

“Ellen” is still leading groups today because four women continued to show up to encourage her. Ask God to bring “Ellen” across your path. Sometimes, God wants us to be where we do not want to be because Ellen needs us.

As my young grandsons walked into my home, they saw a big change. It started at the front door and flowed through the house. There were pumpkins placed in many places around the rooms. Pictures representing the fall season had replaced the ones that were previously hanging. Bright orange floral arrangements were prominently displayed on tables and walls. Furniture was now draped with warm fall-colored pillows and throw blankets. Those boys walked from room to room taking in the view.

One of my grandsons asked me why everything looked so different. My reply to him was, “The season has changed, and I changed with it.” 

I love the seasons of spring and summer. They are, by far, my favorites because I like the longer amount of daylight and the warm temperatures. Yet, when the cooler and colder months come, I have to walk through them. As much as I might desire, I cannot force the season to stay the same.

Change in our seasons of life is kind of like a trapeze act. The trapeze artist lets go of one bar before taking hold of the other bar coming towards them. The trapeze artist is just hanging in the air for a brief second, but unless the artist lets go of one bar, they cannot take hold of another.

One of the things I have learned about life is that it is full of seasons. There are seasons of plenty, seasons of barely enough, seasons of dryness, seasons of great laughter, seasons of deep mourning, seasons of church hurt, seasons of family pain, seasons of great faith, seasons of doubt, seasons of victory, and seasons of defeat. Unlike the four seasons we experience on the earth, there is no rhyme or reason as to seasons showing up in life or how long they will last. The worst seasons seem like they will never end, and the good seasons are like spring and summer are to me – they go by too fast.

We cannot freeze time. That season you have enjoyed so much may end, but that does not mean the end of joy. Thanks be to God that the season of pain and sadness you endure will not go on forever. A new season will come.

Do you find yourself in a new season? Do you find yourself like the trapeze artist having to let go of one season to reach out for the next? The changing of seasons reminds us that we are not in control, but we can trust the God who is in control.

The Bible offers profound insights into the rhythms of nature, including the changing of seasons. As we transition from one season to another, here are six verses that reflect a God who is in control no matter the season.

1. “He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.” – Psalm 104:19
2. “It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” – Psalm 74:17
3. “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” – Daniel 2:21
4. “He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” – Acts 1:7
5. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1
6. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

If you are moving through a season of change, let Jesus be your refuge. He will be your steadfast anchor. In every season we are a witness to God’s power. How we respond to seasons preaches a much greater sermon than your family will hear from a pulpit. Your response in your seasons of good, bad, blessing, and challenges preaches a message to the people around you. I especially want my children and grandchildren to hear from my life that God is faithful in every season. I want them to hear, “Seasons change, but God is the same!”

A while back I was watching a movie that was rather long. The more the story went along, there were lots of ups and downs and turns and twists in the plot.  Some of it was a bit sinister. I was not sure that I wanted to continue with the movie for fear of what the ending might be. So, guess what I did? I fast-forwarded to the last ten minutes to see how it ended, and it was a great ending.

Once I knew how it ended, I went back and watched the whole movie because no matter how hard some parts were, I knew how it was going to end. I knew the hard parts did not tell the final story!

As we walk in today’s world, it can make us yell, “Stop! I cannot take it anymore! The world has gone absolutely crazy!”  What can we do when we feel that way? We need to open our Bibles and turn to the final two chapters of Revelation again and again. Read those chapters at least once per week. How the story ends should increase our faith to live in the moment!

Revelation brings us to the end of the story. It pictures the new Jerusalem coming from heaven, where God dwells. We are told, it doesn’t need the sun and the moon anymore, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. There will never be a time when its gates will be shut, for there will be no night there.

No danger. No curse. No sin. No rebellion.

Man has never known a community unmarred by sin, and we never will while on this earth. Every generation since the fall of man has dealt with an earth that is filled with sin and sorrow. In the New Jerusalem, we have something totally unique: a sinless, pure, community of righteousness, a holy city.

One of the best things of all: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Some of you who have heard me teach, know that I often break into song singing:

“It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ! One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race till we see Christ!”

What we see around us now, will fade when we see Jesus face-to-face. Are you ready for that wonderful eternity with God? One day, Jesus will return to remove evil and make all things new, including His people! And that is a promise that should motivate faithfulness in every one of us until the King returns.

Fast forward to the end! It’s the best part.

Recently, my husband and I had a telephone conversation with someone we have known and loved a very long time. I remember listening as this person began to tell us what was going on in their family life. That call literally made me weak as I envisioned the situation. It was a hard gut punch. My heart was broken, and worry began to engulf me. I still remember the call, and I remember the fear, anxiety, and scenarios that played out in my head.

While that conversation played out in my mind, it caused me to stop and think of other situations in which we were emotionally involved. I thought of both my brother and sister who are facing difficult health issues, my brother who had just lost his daughter, and my niece who is facing a battle with colon cancer.

Remember the old saying “when it rains it pours?” Have you ever had a season like that? It is one really difficult, heart-rending situation after another, and there seems to be nothing but challenges ahead.

“God, please don’t let one more heavy thing come my way right now.”

As I have prayed about the situations in my life, I keep hearing this, “Will you trust Me with the outcome?”

In Daniel chapter three, there is a story of three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were faced with a dilemma. I know many of us are very familiar with the story, but if you are facing hard dilemmas in life, I challenge you to go back and read it again. Ponder the story.

These three guys were facing the dilemma to cave to the pressure being placed upon them or stand strong in their trust of God and risk sure death in a fiery furnace. Let’s remember that they are living this in real time. Real time is harder than reading it after the fact! They chose to stand and trust God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to go into a fiery furnace. They were bound to make sure they did not escape the flames. It was impossible from a natural perspective. There seemed no way to break that which bound them.

Many times, in life, you and I are facing things that seem to have us totally bound with no way out. Our hands are tied, our feet are shackled, and we have no control over the situation. Oh, we might not be physically tied up, but mentally we are fighting the shackles of fear, anxiety, helplessness, and “what-ifs” that life situations bring.

Here is a question for us, “Will we trust God with the outcome, even when we have no idea what the outcome will be?”  Those three young men said, “Our God is able to deliver us … but even if He doesn’t, we will still serve Him.”  Their confession was, “We do not know the outcome, but we know the One who will have the final word in this situation.”

My favorite part of the story is King Nebuchadnezzar’s response after the three men were thrown into a deadly, fiery furnace. Then, King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a god.”

Notice, man had tried to bind them, but God gave them the power to walk about freely even though they should be bound. The trial actually freed them from that which had tried to bind them.

Sometimes, we all face waters that seem too deep for us and flames that are too hot for us. Let us grab hold of the promises in Isaiah forty-three. Read it from the New Living Translation.

“When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” – Isaiah 43:2,3 (NLT)

That is a promise you can hold onto when you are in deep waters, between a rock and a hard place, or in a fire of oppression. It is then that we can say, “I will trust God with the what ifs and the even ifs.”

My husband and I rarely go to buffet restaurants. There was a time that was not the case! We would go to buffets that seemed to offer miles and miles of food. Thankfully, food was grouped together, so we could scurry to the “good” stuff. I would pass the broccoli, salad, and cabbage. It was much more appealing to head to the steak, fried chicken, fried vegetables, and dessert – I mean desserts. Buffets are à la carte eating at its finest. Buffets offer the opportunity for one to go into a food coma and become useless for the next several hours.

Buffets are marvelous because one can feast on only what a person wants and leave the rest.

It seems that we are in a time of buffet Christianity where we take the Word of God and make à la carte selections. Choose the parts you like and avoid the other parts. Let me give a couple of examples.

Jesus had a lot to say about a real hell, and He made sure to teach that it is not somewhere one wants to end up when their eternity begins. Jesus had a lot to say about hell at the end of Matthew 25 and the end of Mark 9. These are the actual teachings of Jesus. Talking about hell from a pulpit might not fill the building, yet it is something that needs to be taught. Hell is a broccoli kind of subject – let’s head to the dessert bar instead!

Let me give one more example. I have been shocked at the number of Christians, even pastors, who think all roads lead to the same God. That is not what the Bible teaches. We are in a time when the true Gospel message is offensive to those who want to hang out at the dessert bar.

I recently heard a clip that went something like this, “Jesus said he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can approach the Father except through faith in Jesus (John 14:6). You cannot approach God through good works. You cannot come to God by meditating on your inner self. We can only approach the Father through faith in the sinless Savior of the world. Don’t like that part of the Bible? Take it up with Jesus.”

Now to some, the above message is broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage all in one bowl!

Do you like buffets? Well, I can offer you a great one! Go to the one offered in the Bible. I challenge all of us to go to the whole counsel of God. Eat from all parts. Read whole books of the Bible and taste of the broccoli, the fried food, the steak, and the desserts.

Read the Bible à la carte on occasion, but don’t eat that way all the time. Don’t be a picky eater. We need to eat of all that God’s Word offers. Come to the table, taste and see that the Lord is good. Eat bountifully from all that He has to offer.