Sunday, I experienced a most memorable evening with a fellow believer. In the early 1980's (33 years ago), my wife and I helped to co-lead the high school group at our church.  It was a great group, and most of the students that attended were themselves strong Christians, daily seeking the Lord and His leading in their lives.  Sunday evening, one of the members of that group from some 32 or 33 years ago flew into Dallas on a job, and he and I got together for dinner and spent quite a long time catching up.  To be fair, we have stayed in touch very loosely through the years by email as I sent out the 'Daily Chews' and they send out Christian and other issue related emails.  But we hadn't seen or talked much for probably at least 20 years.
     We talked about our families and careers.  And we spent most of the evening talking about what the Lord had done in each others lives.  Where two or three are gathered...   well the Lord showed up in a big way.
     Four of the youth in that group 32 years ago coupled together and married.  Kyle and his wife Dawn were two of them, and the stories of what God has done in their lives are rich and a great blessing to any who hear them.
     Which leads me to my point. At different times in my life, I have had the opportunity to visit with someone who goes way back in my past.  But it is a huge blessing to see how God has worked in one's life whom you knew way back when.  Fellowship is centered on the testimonies of our Lord.
     John wrote in Revelations 12:11, "And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb [Jesus] and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
     Lest we ever forget, consider this day the events of your life and what God did in you and taught you.  Tell these testimonies often, for they are the riches of our lives.   KRH

Yesterday, I was speaking with a brother who is also an excellent writer and evangelist.  He expressed something that I too have been feeling the last 2 or 3 years: a weariness of soul.  He finds he does not have the energy and passion he used to have toward reaching out to others, or writing like he did.  Yet he still acknowledges a driven desire to reach those who do not know Jesus.
   Most of us recognize we live in very dark and uncertain times.  The society around us continues to degrade into a self-centered and even violent character and the things that even a few decades ago were considered good and wholesome are now called evil and are hated. 
   Added to that are fear-mongers who prophesy death to our way of life. They admonish us to follow them, to protect our wealth, to lay aside great quantities of food and purchase weapons to protect ourselves against those who will do us harm. The fear they espouse however is contagious and spreads rapidly. It kills our ability to trust God, to walk in joy and peace, and to tell others of His mercies and love.
   We cannot add even a single breath to our lives beyond that which God has already numbered. Yet if we should find ourselves even alone and naked, Jesus will still tell us to 'Fear Not!' and to 'Trust Him!'
   The mere fact that we can trust Him though all about us fails should give us tremendous hope and joy!  For my family and I, and my brother, though we are weary of all that is happening around us, we are also strengthened by the power of His Word and the Joy of our Salvation.
   It will not be our church that saves us.  It will not be our friends and family, or our wealth and stores laid up. Jesus is our salvation and the only one that gives peace and joy.  KRH