If you answered yes to this question, then why don't you pray more? I meet with several men every Tuesay morning to discuss matters of theology. This morning our topic was prayer. I am sure that nearly every Christian would answer yes to the above question, but the challenge is strong. Why don't we pray more? The obvious answer is time. We don't have time--the reality is we don't make time. But if you knew that your life depended on it, would you not make the time. As the men of this group studied, prayer accomplishes three things. It acknowledges our trust in God and our dependence upon Him. It deepens our relationship with God and finally, it allows us to be involved in eternal things. Let me challenge you, though. If you do believe in the power through prayer, then start setting aside more time to pray--your life does depend on it!

You can imagine my reaction to seeing this headline in this morning's Daily News Journal. Birth-control pills and patches will be available to middle school students that are as young as 11 years old. While the students "would need parental permission to use the city-run health center in the school...they wouldn't have to tell them they were seeking birth control" (Daily News Journal, Friday, Oct. 19, 2007, p. A-7).

I am reminded of when of when the apostle Paul asks the question: "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (1 Cor. 1:20). I have an idea! Let's pass out contraceptives to children/teenagers encouraging sex, but discouraging them to practice it without contraceptives. This is ludicrous. The only guarantee against teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease is abstinence!

I am not sure whether you realize this or not, but parents listen up! We like to think, as parents, that we control the upbringing of our children. The reality is that more and more freedom is taken away from parents everyday and most of us do not even realize it. I want the parents of RSC to be informed. Already our public school systems teach theories that are not only against biblical truth, they are also false (e.g., evolution). There are political leaders now that want our kids to be taught that marriage is a covenant entered into between two people regardless of sex! This is contrary to scripture as is promoting premarital sex, and anytime you pass out contraceptives to those who are not married, this is what you are promoting.

As you can tell, this has struck a cord with me, but this type of decision making flies in the face of what I believe and more importantly what the Bible teaches. Parents, make sure you know what your kids are getting into and make sure you take a stand for our God!

Many of you probably read the title of this blog and immediately think of end times. You may conjure up pictures of what it will be like when Jesus parts the eastern skies. Or maybe you try to imagine what heaven will be like and the loved ones that await you there. That future I am not worried about. I don't struggle with trusting God for my eternal future. I struggle with trusting God concerning the road that will take me there.

What do you do when you see treacherous roads ahead and you see how difficult it is going to be to cover the upcoming terrain? The obvious answer; You trust in God! But let's be honest, that is easier said than done. I believe that I will eventually make it to the calm smooth highways again someday, but I am scared to death of what lies immediately ahead. Sometimes that is all I can see. This part of the journey is where it truly tests my faith. The reality is that it is easy to follow the sun when you can see it, but where is the sun when the clouds are dark and storms are incredibly rough? The answer is that the sun still shines and I trust that when the storm is over, I will see the sun again.

So, I am clinging to the Son. I can't always see Him amongst the thunderstorms, but I know He shines and I know He's there. I also know that I will see Him shine again, when this part of the journey is over.

How are you at trusting God for the future?

Do you remember the cartoon that ran on Saturdays in the late seventies and early eighties called "Plastic Man"? Plastic man could stretch his arms, arms, legs, fingers, neck...okay you get the picture. Do you ever pray and ask God to stretch you? I am praying that now and I am praying for everyone at RSC! Some of you probably don't care for me doing that too much. God has really been stretching me lately and honestly, I am scared! But I am more scared of not being stretched. I am more scared of missing out on God's best for my life. I want to see God work. I want to see things happen that the only credit we can give is given to God. So let me ask you: Are you being stretched?