Category: faith

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Bondage…Part 2

Have you ever pondered why we stay? Stay where things are simply ‘satisfactory’. Stay in our failure, pride, arrogance, fear and unrest.

Does it bring us comfort?

Does it bring peace?

Does it bring satisfaction?

In the following 3 verses of the hymn ‘Out of My Bondage’, George Stebbins, in each verse, makes 3 statements of recognition and 3 affirmations of what he knows would happen if those recognition’s were overcome. Throughout the song, he transforms in his understanding that bondage to worldly things, only causes stumbling and strife.

It is something that the devil is wonderful at using against us. He uses the contentment we find in ‘satisfactory’. He uses our failures, pride, arrogance and fear to keep us EXACTLY where we are and THAT is what does it. That is what holds us hostage, or, in bondage. WE are the ones keeping ourselves enamored with temporary pleasures that will never satisfy nor soothe the enduring emptiness that we feel when the initial satisfaction wares off. How do we alleviate our desire for a satisfaction that we cannot seem to fill? It’s a simple answer, and one not many will choose to pursue. GOD.  In the beginning, Gen. 1:1, He was there. He’s seen it all and He’s given us a way to Him (John 3:16) and the ETERNAL satisfaction we desire and that is through His son. Through Him, we find protection and peace (2 Tim. 2:10; Phil. 4:7).

What holds you in bondage? Let go of it and run to the one who listens, gives protection, provides peace and can alleviate pain and sorrow. Lean on Him and He will bring you an everlasting joy that will fill your heart. Be brave enough to reach out of the comforts of your sin, whatever it may be, and find the eternal comforts of Christ as He stands waiting to welcome you Out of Your Bondage.

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God Bless You, Go With God

“Better than I deserve…”, grew to be the expected response after a greeting to and from Dr. Stan Mitchell. It didn’t matter where you were or what you were doing, you were always greeted with an ear-to-ear smile from, in my opinion, the schools’ most ‘social butterfly’. He seemed to be just about everywhere you looked. Sometimes sitting with a group of students just talking and laughing in the library or student center, getting some coffee, walking to class with students, getting more coffee, in his office talking with his students, or walking alone to class…with a cup of coffee in hand. He was never without a compliment to give or a wise word to impart.

Upon hearing of his sudden hospitalization earlier this past weekend and of his passing early this morning, I could not help but think back on many of my “Stan” interactions. There were many times I would pass him in the student center while checking my mail or grabbing a quick lunch, and he’d be on his way through to a class or to check his faculty mail, and without fail, I was ALWAYS greeted with a, “Miss Emili!” and a HUGE smile. I remember specifically one time going to his office (unfortunately, one of the things I didn’t do as often as I wished I had) a short time before my, now, husband and I began dating. Stan had told me a few weeks before I went to see him, that I was welcome to his office, and his chocolate, anytime I liked. I confided in him about being lonely and how I just wasn’t feeling like I was good enough (in the regard of having never been dated or even asked out) and that I didn’t know what was wrong. I do not think I have ever been cut off so quickly and I don’t ever recall him being as stern, and as serious, with me as he was. I’ll never forget what he told me, “Miss Emili, you are wise beyond your years. There is nothing about you that is wrong or messed up (he did air quotes around “messed up”). You’re just further on than any man that’s had the pleasure of meeting you so far. Give him time, he’ll catch up to you.” He said a prayer with me after that and sent me off with a piece of his Ghirardelli chocolate. A few weeks after Thanksgiving he found out that I was dating and, in his words, said, “He must be a nice young fellow,” and told me he was happy that I had found a man who could “keep up with me.”!

Dr. Mitchell has played such an incredible role in the lives of all the students, past and present, and I honestly could not imagine my FHU experience without him in it. Several of my classes at FHU I had taken with Brother Mitchell. I was visiting with a friend of mine this morning, and we got to reminiscing about taking one of his classes that we took together our freshman or sophomore year. He always started out his classes with a song and he always remarked on the rather strong alto voices he could pick out (meaning my friend and me). Without fail, we could always count on him picking a song with a strong alto lead or supporting part.

He provided us with a TON of wonderful memories, as well as advice. I believe I can speak for most Freed-Hardeman students/alumni when I say that in some way shape or form, Dr. Stan Mitchell had an impact on us. If you never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Mitchell, I am so sorry for what you missed out on. He was a ‘modern day’ Barnabas. The kind of encourager that, as Christians, we aspire to be; but not just that, he was a spiritual GIANT with a heart so big there’s no possible way to measure it.

One of the last things he would say in his classes was, “God bless you, go with God,” and I don’t believe his departure from this world could be more fitly summed up.

Stan, I believe with all my heart that today you rest in paradise. I believe that all the people you had met and all those students who you blessed with your smile will carry on with the sweet, simple thought of being blessed more than they deserve just for simply having known you. I will thank the Lord every day for allowing me to be able to sit at your feet and learn from your wisdom and experience. You will be missed but not forgotten. For your family and those who are left to carry on in your absence, this is my daily prayer…God bless you, go with God.

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Let Us Be Faithful!

Some of you may know that my daughter is just weeks away from her wedding date. She and her ‘soon-to-be’ have their special date scheduled for this coming November. To say she is beside herself with excitement would be an understatement. They have been blessed with three bridal showers and one more before the month is over. As the father of the bride, I’m most thankful that her fiance, Dalton Todd, is already getting their home prepared as he is currently serving as the pulpit preacher at the Thayer church of Christ in Thayer, Missouri.

And though all this attention to detail is necessary for the plans that go into a beautiful, God-given ceremony, the one thing I love both about these two young people is their daily desire to seek God in their future together. So when Emili posted this Facebook article on October 3rd, I asked if she’d let me share it here. Read some of the thoughts that are going through my daughter’s mind as she looks forward to her wedding day.

“I asked for marriage advice from a lady at church tonight, who (in December) will have been married for 72 years. Expecting something super profound or some secret gem to marriage that only people who’ve been married that long would ever know, what do you think she told me?

With grace and dignity, she simply said…

“Just be faithful.”

Faithfulness truly can apply to each part of life, but I can’t imagine a more worthy ‘challenge’ than committing my forever faithfulness to the Father. How hard is it to do that? HARD. The hardest thing you’ll ever do.

Trust. Accept. Believe. Live. Faithfully.

Just. Be. Faithful.”

Thanks Emili…for this great reminder. “Let us be faithful, faithful, faithful Lord!”

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A Contact with Thirteen Cents, Pt 2

A contract that reads: $_____.13

Could this really be how God might work in our life today? Does He answer our prayers in ways that “WOW!” us or in ways that we cannot see, or maybe both? If you read last weeks article, you began the story from Dottie Rambo and her career as a gospel music writer/singer. Let’s conclude with the ‘rest of the story’ from Dottie Rambo, and I hope you’ll take time to consider and remember all that God has done in your life. Dottie’s personal account of this narrative continues…

“When we arrived (in Nashville to meet with Pop Benson) we began to look over the contract, I was dying to find out the amount. I said, ‘Let me look at it.’ Mr. Benson looked over his glasses and said, ‘Well, Dot, my girl, this is the best I can do.’ I really wasn’t interested in anything except the thirteen cents. When I looked at the amount, it read so many dollars and thirteen cents! When I saw that I said, ‘Give me a pencil.’ There was a mild protest, ‘Wait a minute, we haven’t read it that well. We don’t know that much about it.’ I said, ‘We don’t need to know anything else. We’re just supposed to sign it.’ So we signed it.”

“We got into our car and began pulling away from the curb. All of a sudden, I began talking quietly to the Lord. I said, ‘Lord, I appreciate You doing this for me. I know You must have done a million things like this that I didn’t know about or don’t remember, and haven’t thank You for, but You know me – I’m human and I forget. But when You do good things, just roll back the curtain and remind me of them and I’ll thank You for them!’ “

“When that happened the melody in my heart started rolling and I started weeping. I was asked, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I said, “Nothing, I’m just rejoicing. I’m writing a song.’ During those one hundred miles home, without an instrument, I wrote, ‘Remind Me, Dear Lord.’ “

Whether God gave Dottie Rambo a ‘sign’ or if it was just a coincidence, no one can argue the fact her first contract ended with thirteen cents. And personally, I’m glad it did. For without it, we might not have this song to remind us that the things we love and hold dear to our hearts are just borrowed, they’re not ours at all. And whether you’ve sung this song before or not, Dottie reminds us that there is nothing good that we have done to deserve God’s Son. We’re not worthy of the scars in His hands. Today let me encourage you to take some time and just talk with God. Tell Him your plans, your wishes and then may…ask Him for thirteen cents!

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A Contract with Thirteen Cents, Pt 1

The lesson’s we can learn from the pages of God’s word never cease to amaze me. Unfortunately, it seems we don’t open the Book often enough to learn those lessons. For example, do you remember Judges chapter 6 when God calls Gideon to deliver His people from the oppression of the Midianites? An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon calling on him to “…deliver Israel from the hand of Midian.” In one of the most noted negotiations in Old Testament history, Gideon asked not once, but three times for God to ‘show me (him) a sign.’ (Read Judges 6:17, 18 & 36-40 to learn about the offering, the dry fleece on wet ground and dew-soaked fleece on dry ground.) When we read God’s word, we often find that we really haven’t changed much from Gideon’s day. For example, when was the last time you asked God for a sign to confirm His authority? Maybe you said something like…

“Lord, if you will __________________, then I will _____________________.”

And though it’s true God works in ways we cannot see, we have to realize we are not in negotiations with God. It’s simply not how God operates today. At the same time that certainly does not mean we should stop seeking His guidance in all that we do. Christ’s own words in Matthew 7 tell us to, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…”

Recently I came across the backdrop of one of our older ‘spiritual songs,’ by Dottie Rambo. Written in the mid-1960’s, Dottie shares her personal story behind the writing of this song…

“At the time I wrote this song, we were living in Kentucky just getting started in the music ministry. I was holding down a job and singing on the weekends. I received a call from John T. Benson. We called him ‘Pop.’ He called about having me sign a writer’s contract and about having our family sing for him. We didn’t know about contracts or what to do about such things. Since it was only a hundred miles from Nashville, my family and I drove to see Pop Benson.”

“As we traveled I prayed: ‘Lord, we don’t know anything about contracts, so You will have to lead us. If we are to sign the contract, let it read so many hundred dollars and thirteen cents. If You’ll just let thirteen cents be the last numbers on the contract, then I’ll know that we are supposed to sign it.’ I told NO ONE about my prayer.”

To see what song was born from this experience, next week we’ll conclude Dottie Rambo’s story and see how (if) God answered her prayer and provided her with… “thirteen cents.”

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A “Sweet Hour” of Prayer? Pt. 2

Last week we began looking at prayer and the time we spend talking with God. For most of us our prayer life is relatively short; two, three maybe ten minutes. Because to mirror Christ’s example of praying ‘the whole night’ (Luke 6:12) seems a little out of reach. But is it really that hard to do, pray for an hour? We blame our busy schedule and those hectic calendars that take our life in all sorts of directions. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we take on a ‘fast food’ approach to praying.

The priority of prayer should be as focused as it was for our Savior. Opening the first chapter of the gospel of Luke we read that following Jesus’ baptism He takes the time to pray (vs. 21). An example of faith and power to turn His heart toward God first. But perhaps Mark chapter one shows us the priority of Jesus when it came to prayer. The text tells us in verse 33 that, ‘the whole city had gathered at the door,’ the house of Simon and Andrew, to be healed and have demons cast out. (Not sure my ‘busy schedule’ excuse can beat that.) Notice what Jesus does after a FULL day of people at His door. The next day…“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” He could have slept in, most of us would have, but Jesus got up early to pray. His strong desire, His priority, was to spend time talking to God!

Continuing the message of the hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer” let’s consider the second verse of this song as it was written by W. W. Walford almost 175 years ago;

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, the joy I feel, the bliss I share of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desires of Thy return! With such I hasten to the placed where God, my Savior, shows His face. And gladly take my station there, and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer.”

Again, follow the thoughts found in this verse. First, those who are eager for Christ’s return (whose anxious spirits burn) have a happiness, ‘bliss,’ that no one else can understand. And in prayer, we feel that joy and share in that ‘bliss.’ But I especially like the wording that comes next; with such a feeling of joy (bliss), I hurry to the place where I can communion with God in prayer. Where is that place? It’s wherever you make HIM your priority, your focus. Take your ‘station’ there. Position yourself, ie., get ready to spend an hour or more with your God in prayer. Be patient, slow down and wait…forget your schedule and your prayer will be ‘sweet.’

Next week we’ll conclude with the last verse of this beautiful song. Take your “station” before God’s throne and pray today!

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A “Sweet Hour” of Prayer? Pt. 1

Most of us are good when it comes to our prayer life and spending a few moments or maybe even twenty or thirty minutes in prayer is not a difficult thing to do. But do you think you could pray for a full hour, or two, or three? Personally, I struggle to stay focused on the task, and my attention tends to wander. If this is you too, could it be that we don’t have the patience or are we sincerely ‘just too busy?’

Yet, we read in the 6th chapter of Luke, beginning in verse 12 that Christ, ‘…went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.’ Or we could consider Matthew 14:23 as it reads, “…He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” Though we don’t know how long He was on the mountain, ‘there alone’ we do know that during the 4th watch of that night He came to His disciplines as they were on the sea. The ‘4th watch’ would have been sometime between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. So we can assume that Jesus was praying for at least an hour or two or three, but more likely it was six or seven hours. Still, I ask myself (and you)…could I pray for a full hour?

On Monday evening, July 16, 2018 more than 70 brothers and sisters in Christ came together at the Faith Village church of Christ in Wichita Falls, Texas and together we spent 60 plus minutes in prayer. No preaching, no Bible class, just praying on behalf of our brethren. The young and old alike took time to bow their heads, focus on the family of God and raise our petitions before His throne. But before we took that hour to pray, we sang a song that calls us to consider our time in prayer. Notice the message of this hymn, the prayer, that was written in 1845 by W. W. Walford;

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter’s snare by Thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”

Follow the four basic thoughts found in this verse. First, prayer is our opportunity to step away from the cares of this world. We must focus on God if we want a ‘sweet hour’ of prayer. Second, it’s a time we can take the ‘wants’ of our hearts and the ‘wishes’ we so desperately seek directly to the throne of God. And, true heart-felt prayer can be a relief for our souls during times (seasons) of trouble and sorrow. Don’t think you’re free from distress and grief. We live in a world of pain and sorrow, but God gives us peace in Christ. Fourth, consider how blessed you are that in prayer you can escape the clutches of Satan. Only in prayer and solely through the grace of God will we endure, but we must take time to pray.

 

Next week we’ll look at verse two and as we draw July, 2018 to a close we’ll consider the third verse in this beautiful hymn. So in the meantime find the peace and the ‘sweet’ blessing of taking time (maybe even an hour) to pray!

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I Believe…I Believe!

Leading up to this time of year, world-wide, children and adults alike express a belief in Santa Claus. ‘If you’re good enough, then he’ll leave something for you under the tree’, is what we’re told from a young age. We

have put so much trust and devotion into ‘being good’, so that we won’t be disappointed come Christmas morning. However, as we grow older, we lose that desire to trust and believe in Jolly ‘ole St. Nick. In the 2004 movie, The Polar Express, a boy is whisked away on a magical train all the way up to the North Pole. All throughout the movie, he is skeptical of the fact that Santa even exists and at the end {SPOILER ALERT} he meets the Santa and is even given a silver bell that comes off of the Santa’s sleigh. Before meeting Santa, the boy repeats these words several times out loud, “I believe…I believe…I BELIEVE!”. After so much skepticism, this boy comes away with so much faith, or belief, in someone he had only heard stories about. There’s a song we sang this morning in worship called Bethlehem, Galilee, Gethsemane, and the lyrics go as such.

“Bethlehem, He was born there, I believe, I believe.

Galilee, Jesus walked there, I believe, I believe.

Gethsemane, my Savior prayed there, on Calvary, He died alone
But the tomb, He left there, I believe, I believe…”

As much as we believe in the physical things in this life, no matter what they are, they will not take us or give us as much fulfillment as our belief in Christ. Belief in Christ, means that we believe in truth (which He is…2nd Thessalonians 2:13).

Belief in Christ is not something you can proclaim only when it suits you, when it’s most convenient or when everyone else is doing it. Belief has to be genuine, from the heart and intentional. He was born, walked His earth and died for us to allow everyone of us access to the greatest gift we could ever have. I believe that He gave up everything for me, and I try everyday to live and show that to those around me.

-Do we believe the stories and historical events that we grew up hearing about from our parents and grandparents as they read from God’s word?
-Do we believe in the God that we know sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we would be able to be with Him one day?
-Do we proclaim our belief in God as much as we encourage our children to believe in a magical being that rewards kids for being good one time a year?

Who has more of your belief and trust? Christ or the things of this world?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY-G5eHYGSc

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

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Dealing with Rejection…July 2nd

“To dismiss or refuse a proposal; to shun or cast out.” At one time or another each of has experienced REJECTION. Have you ever said, ‘That was a good idea, how could they just shoot it down?’ When you believe in a project, and have taken a strong stance, only to be soundly rejected…how do you handle it? To be honest, we all know that rejection hurts.Rejection

But when we consider the level of rejection the Messiah experienced, our ‘broken heart’ is minor at best. And He knew His disciples would be faced with times of rejection as well. Therefore He tried to prepare them (and us) for being told ‘NO…’ Read Mark chapter 6… “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you…shake the dust off the soles of your feet.” Join us on Sunday (July 2nd) as we consider the idea of ‘Dealing with Rejection.’

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, July 2, 2017

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Holy, Holy, Holy” – 47

Beginning with the soprano voices and adding each subsequent part, we sing the words of Revelation 4; “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty (vs. 8)…all the saints adore Thee, casting down their golden crowns around the crystal sea (vs. 6)…Only Thou art holy! There is none beside Thee (vs. 2-9)…Who wast, and art, and ever more shall be!” (vs. 8)

“Create in Me a Clean Heart” – no book

Taken almost verbatim for Psalm 51, we’ll sing the words of King David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (right) spirit within me. Do not cast me away (Cast me not away) from Your presence (O Lord). And (take not) do not take Your Holy Spirit from Me. Restore (un)to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit (renew a right spirit within me).”

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

The next two songs will be in a medley using verse one from “We Saw Thee Not” followed immediately with verse 1 & 2 of “Ten-Thousand Angels.” Notice the connection… “We Saw Thee Not when Thou dids’t come to this poor world of sin and death; Nor yet beheld Thy cottage home in that despised Nazareth…But we believe Thy footsteps trod it’s streets and plains, Thou Son of God…” “They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed, they lead Him through the streets in shame. They spat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin, they said ‘Crucify Him! He’s to blame.”

twelve legions of angels“Ten-Thousand Angels” – 349

As we continue this medley before the Lord’s Supper, the pattern will continue; back to verse 2 of our previous song, “We saw Thee not when lifted high…” transition to verse 3 & 4 of Ten-Thousand Angels; “When they nailed Him to the cross…” and “To the howling mob He yielded…” Be sure to focus on the words and the message these two spirit songs provide as you prepare for the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

Coming back to where we started before the Lord’s Supper, we’ll remember that even though we never gazed in the open tomb nor walked with those who saw Him “from the earth ascend…” we still believe in His death, burial and resurrection. We may not have seen, but we believe!

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” – 391

Not if, but when we face rejection that causes our hearts to melt, we look to our Savior for strength and leadership. He love us and He will lead us. He is the one who will defend us, receive us and free us! Perhaps we should be more earnest in our following of Him, and as we sing in the third verse…“Early let us turn to Thee.”

“Jesus Is Tenderly Calling” – 947

Being rejected can cause us to feel weary and entice us to sink into despair. But that’s not where we stay. We must never give up as that causes us to drift, “…farther and farther away.” So you have to ask yourself, when rejection comes and depression covers our hearts (dust covers our feet), will we sink away or shake the dust off and answer His call? He is calling today…what’s your answer?

“Hand in Hand with Jesus” – no book

A great message that focuses us through the days of rejection. Notice verse 2… “In my night of dark despair, Jesus heard and answered prayer. Now I’m walking free as air, hand in hand with Jesus.” But we must remember that we can only ‘handle the rejection’ when we stay close to Him overcomes. “Hand in hand we walk each day. Hand in hand alone the way. Walking thus we will not stray… hand in hand with Jesus.”

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How Did We Get Here?…June 18th

Driving down the street with your mind on that meeting; your spouse’s doctor appointment and the ‘conversation’ you had with the kids earlier, did you notice the stop drivingsign? Of course I did, I stopped didn’t I…didn’t I? After leaving the house you drove those familiar streets to your next stop, but have you ever ask yourself, “What did I pass, how did I get here?”  

This Sunday morning we’re not talking about driving, but we are going to look at what we have done (what happened while I was raising my family) to get where we are today. And since its Father’s Day, we’ll look at a father whose son challenged him at every corner. With or without challenges, you have grown up in a family that brought you to this day, so maybe we should ask the question…“How Did We Get Here?”

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, June 18, 2017

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Let Every Heart Rejoice and Sing” – 8

We’ll open our worship with a song encouraging ALL to rejoice and sing. “…Ye aged men and children bring to God your sacrifice…” Together we will lift up our hearts as a sacrifice of praise!

“Wonderful Words of Life” – 543

Dads (Grandads), as you raise your family insure that you are singing to your children about a God who created them and loves them? Sing so that your children would say, “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life…” If you want your family to head toward heaven, point them toward God. You can do that by singing to them about the wonderful words of life.

“There is a Redeemer” – 287

The next two songs will usher us toward the Lord’s Supper. The prayer we’ll sing is simple, “Thank you, O my Father for giving us Your son.” Tell your children and your grandchildren about the gift God has given us through His Son! Without it, our families will be in distress wondering ‘how did we get here?’

“It Is Well with My Soul” – 490Old rugged cross

The second verse of this song before the Lord’s supper we’ll focus on a call to remember Christ sacrifice, “My sin! O the bless of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to HIS cross and I bear it no more…Praise the Lord!” Maybe this could be a song before the Lord’s Supper.

“Remind Me Dear Lord” – 606

“Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son, I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands. Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead, why He loved me, I can’t understand.” Sometime we need the curtain of our memory rolled back so we can remember where we came from…we need that if we are ever going to know how we got where we are!

“Faith of Our Fathers” – 754

Before our lesson we’ll sing about the faith of our forefathers. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. If we fail to see what our fathers have done to bring us this far we miss the value of our legacy. Not to mention we’ll never know…you got it…how we got here!

“How Deep the Father’s Love” – no book

An invitation song that might not be ‘typical,’ but one that clearly reminds us (if we’re thinking about the words) that we were once a wretch, but now we are His treasure. That it was my voice that was heard among the scoffers and my sin that held Him to the cross. And perhaps most importantly, I have NO answer as to why I should gain from the reward of His death and resurrection. If we fail to examine this, our destination might not be the end result we all are hoping for. We might wonder not how did I get here…but why did I do that?

“Oh, To Be Like Thee” – 429

You want to have certainty of where you’re going? What to have confidence in knowing you’re directing your family toward heaven? Then consider this song, “Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer! This is my constant LONGING AND PRAYER…” If our constant longing is to be with our God, and if we are leading our families in that direction, and if we obey God’s instructions to join Him in heaven…we’ll know how we got there!